The last blog of the semester! After a few weeks of stressful online classes I am definitely looking forward to a summer without homework. Considering that homework has been the main stressor in my life for the past few weeks I decided to blog about it. Yes, a homework blog about homework.
There have been a few recent studies that show that homework handed out to kids in grades kindergarten through 6th grade could actually do them more harm than good. Not only is it an added stressor in a young child’s life, but it also cuts into family time at home. After a day of work or school, parents usually want to come home and spend time with their children, not spend the whole evening doing homework until bedtime.
According to this website “Parents who were surveys say that they agree with the work ethic homework promotes, but it seriously cuts into valuable family time for many families, as parents are left to help their children with the ‘evil deed’ that their teachers assigned.”
If you think about it, in elementary school and high school, many students are up at 7 in the morning and are at school until 3:30 pm. Then it is expected that they go home and do a few hours of homework? No wonder more and more students are getting burnt out.
Honestly, I can say I really didn’t get much out of homework. I am not saying that because I hate doing it (which is also true) but honestly, most of my learning was done in the classroom in elementary, middle, and high school where a teacher was there if I had questions. I had a job in high school and when I would get home at 10:30 p.m. the last thing I would want to do is stay up until 1 a.m. doing homework and then getting up at 7 to go back to school the next day.
I believe homework is necessary in college, (some people disagree) but I also think the amount we have had at VCSU the past few weeks has been insane. The majority of my days have been taken up by literally hours upon hours of homework.
ENJOY your summer now that we are homework free!
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Monday, May 4, 2009
The Next Craze: Twitter
These past few weeks have been quite a change for me. I am use to working a fair amount during the week after having class all day, then coming home and doing homework, and hardly having any time to do anything else. Since the flood pretty much kicked me out of Valley, I have been home in Sheldon, a tiny little town in North Dakota. My job cut back many hours due to lack of business, so I have not been working for the past 2 weeks, this week will be the third. I have got to spend some time watching some of my favorite daytime talk shows, and many late night ones as well that I usually miss.
It seems Ellen, Oprah, Jay, and Chelsea Handler alllllllllllll mention the same thing during their shows: Twitter. EVERYONE is talking about twitter. It seems (to me anyway) to have popped up overnight. The websites popularity has grown crazily. Everyone who is anyone “tweets”.
According to Wikipedia, Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read other users' updates known as tweets. Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters in length which are displayed on the user's profile page and delivered to other users who have subscribed to them (known as followers).
I think it is so funny that something like this is brought up in daily conversation and on these talk shows. These famous people refer to “tweeting” almost daily. Just think what Johnny Carson would say! It is interesting to see how Twitter has changed the lives of people.
We have become so dependent on technology. Today, I have spent almost all day on my computer doing homework. Between Facebook, MSN messenger, and my cell phone I have talked to about six of my friends. None face to face or even on the phone. It is amazing how popular texts and Facebook and most recently Twitter, have become. I am not yet on Twitter, but perhaps it will only be a matter of time.
Talking about an advance in technology, our school comes to mind. Today, our entire college is able to take all classes online to finish the school year. That is amazing (but frustrating and stressful) that this is even an option.
It seems Ellen, Oprah, Jay, and Chelsea Handler alllllllllllll mention the same thing during their shows: Twitter. EVERYONE is talking about twitter. It seems (to me anyway) to have popped up overnight. The websites popularity has grown crazily. Everyone who is anyone “tweets”.
According to Wikipedia, Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read other users' updates known as tweets. Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters in length which are displayed on the user's profile page and delivered to other users who have subscribed to them (known as followers).
I think it is so funny that something like this is brought up in daily conversation and on these talk shows. These famous people refer to “tweeting” almost daily. Just think what Johnny Carson would say! It is interesting to see how Twitter has changed the lives of people.
We have become so dependent on technology. Today, I have spent almost all day on my computer doing homework. Between Facebook, MSN messenger, and my cell phone I have talked to about six of my friends. None face to face or even on the phone. It is amazing how popular texts and Facebook and most recently Twitter, have become. I am not yet on Twitter, but perhaps it will only be a matter of time.
Talking about an advance in technology, our school comes to mind. Today, our entire college is able to take all classes online to finish the school year. That is amazing (but frustrating and stressful) that this is even an option.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Swine Flue Epidemic?
The past few days I have been hearing a lot about the swine flu that has been plaguing the United States, Mexico, Canada, and other countries around the world. According to the World Health Organization, as of today, 73 cases of swine flu have been confirmed worldwide.
So what is swine flu? I had no idea so I decided to do some research. Just like it sounds, swine flu is a type of influenza adapted in pigs. The disease affects the respiratory system in animals and is transferred to humans who usually have contact with pigs. After a pig gets a human sick, humans transfer it to other humans by coughing, sneezing, and other obvious ways germs are spread.
How serious is the swine flu? The World Health Organization (The WHO) has called the outbreak a public health emergency of national concern and are advising people not to travel to Mexico or the United States unless it is necessary. This may have something to do with the numerous deaths caused by the swine flu in Mexico and the many confirmed cases in North America.
According to the World Health Organization, a public health emergency is defined as “an occurrence or imminent threat of illness or health conditions caused by bioterrorism, epidemic or pandemic disease, or highly fatal infectious agents or toxins that pose serious risk to a significant number of people.”
The WHO director-general even issued a formal statement in regards to the outbreak. To read it, click here.
Symptoms include the general symptoms of any other flu. Fever, coughing, vomiting, lack of energy, etc. the WHO is concerned because this type of virus seems to be affecting people in the prime of their life, healthy 25-45 year olds. Although the severity is worse in Mexico, there is still cause for concern in the United States.
Doctors urge people to take extreme caution to prevent the disease. Wash your hands frequently, refrain from touching your eyes, nose, or mouth until you have washed your hands, and cough or sneeze into tissues and dispose of them immediately. Be careful out there!
So what is swine flu? I had no idea so I decided to do some research. Just like it sounds, swine flu is a type of influenza adapted in pigs. The disease affects the respiratory system in animals and is transferred to humans who usually have contact with pigs. After a pig gets a human sick, humans transfer it to other humans by coughing, sneezing, and other obvious ways germs are spread.
How serious is the swine flu? The World Health Organization (The WHO) has called the outbreak a public health emergency of national concern and are advising people not to travel to Mexico or the United States unless it is necessary. This may have something to do with the numerous deaths caused by the swine flu in Mexico and the many confirmed cases in North America.
According to the World Health Organization, a public health emergency is defined as “an occurrence or imminent threat of illness or health conditions caused by bioterrorism, epidemic or pandemic disease, or highly fatal infectious agents or toxins that pose serious risk to a significant number of people.”
The WHO director-general even issued a formal statement in regards to the outbreak. To read it, click here.
Symptoms include the general symptoms of any other flu. Fever, coughing, vomiting, lack of energy, etc. the WHO is concerned because this type of virus seems to be affecting people in the prime of their life, healthy 25-45 year olds. Although the severity is worse in Mexico, there is still cause for concern in the United States.
Doctors urge people to take extreme caution to prevent the disease. Wash your hands frequently, refrain from touching your eyes, nose, or mouth until you have washed your hands, and cough or sneeze into tissues and dispose of them immediately. Be careful out there!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
What's in a Name?
Something that has been lingering in North Dakota news for some time is the controversy over the Fighting Sioux Logo. Some say that it is racist, while others look at it as a symbol of pride and bravery. It is something that the school has been struggling with for the past few years.
Tribal leaders of North Dakota's Sioux asked the school to change the nickname to something else. “Sioux” is a nickname used to refer to the Lakota, Nakota, and Dakota Indian tribes.
Most recently, the tribe of Spirit Lake overwhelmingly supported the University of North Dakota’s Fighting Sioux nickname on Tuesday. The unofficial results are 774 “yes” and 378 “no,” giving the nickname 67 percent of the vote.
However, the Grand Forks college is not the first to have an Indian team mascot. North Dakota is amongst at least 20 other universities that have had their school’s mascot or logo challenged since the 1970’s.
This issue does not only affect college teams but professional sports teams as well. Do the Cleveland Indians, Atlanta Braves, etc. ring a bell?
The movement to keep the nickname and logo is led by UND alumni, sports fans, and athletic players and officials, as well as the present university administration. The campaign to change the nickname and logo is led by several Native American tribes and student organizations, as well as many UND faculty members. The most powerful ally of those seeking change has become the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
Students feel strongly on both sides. It is easy to see when you search for the Fighting Sioux Logo on Facebook.
My opinion is to keep the UND logo. I honestly could care less about UND, but I feel that the logo and mascot have a lot of history and mean a lot to many people who are part of the school. I feel that it is something the Indian community should be proud of, that they are a symbol of bravery and strength. Should all fraternal and identical twins be offended that there is a professional baseball named after them?
What are your thoughts? This is definitely a hot topic in North Dakota and especially amongst UND students. A few friends of mine are VERY against changing the logo, and they have only gone to school there for a few years. Should the logo be changed? Is this a big to do about nothing?
Tribal leaders of North Dakota's Sioux asked the school to change the nickname to something else. “Sioux” is a nickname used to refer to the Lakota, Nakota, and Dakota Indian tribes.
Most recently, the tribe of Spirit Lake overwhelmingly supported the University of North Dakota’s Fighting Sioux nickname on Tuesday. The unofficial results are 774 “yes” and 378 “no,” giving the nickname 67 percent of the vote.
However, the Grand Forks college is not the first to have an Indian team mascot. North Dakota is amongst at least 20 other universities that have had their school’s mascot or logo challenged since the 1970’s.
This issue does not only affect college teams but professional sports teams as well. Do the Cleveland Indians, Atlanta Braves, etc. ring a bell?
The movement to keep the nickname and logo is led by UND alumni, sports fans, and athletic players and officials, as well as the present university administration. The campaign to change the nickname and logo is led by several Native American tribes and student organizations, as well as many UND faculty members. The most powerful ally of those seeking change has become the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
Students feel strongly on both sides. It is easy to see when you search for the Fighting Sioux Logo on Facebook.
My opinion is to keep the UND logo. I honestly could care less about UND, but I feel that the logo and mascot have a lot of history and mean a lot to many people who are part of the school. I feel that it is something the Indian community should be proud of, that they are a symbol of bravery and strength. Should all fraternal and identical twins be offended that there is a professional baseball named after them?
What are your thoughts? This is definitely a hot topic in North Dakota and especially amongst UND students. A few friends of mine are VERY against changing the logo, and they have only gone to school there for a few years. Should the logo be changed? Is this a big to do about nothing?
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Survivor Dog
Many of us are familiar with the movie 8 Below starring Paul Walker. For those of us who are not, the plot of the movie revolves around a team of sled dogs who are left in the Antarctic by their owners during a storm because there was no room for them on the plane. The plan was to come back for the dogs after the storm was over, but it takes Paul Walker almost six months to find a sponsor to help him rescue his team. Many of the people in the movie assume the dogs to be dead, but Paul Walkers character has to be sure. They find five of the dogs alive. They survived six months on their own.
Many of us would find this hard to believe, but this movie was based on actual events. It makes it easier to believe when you hear stories like the one that happened in Australia last week. A family and their pet dog were sailing off of the coast of Queensland, when because of the rough waters, their family pet, a dog named Sophie Tucker, fell overboard.
After frantically looking for the dog,he family assumed she had drowned and they reluctantly returned home. However, Sophie began swimming what would be five miles to St. Bees Island, an island mostly uninhabited.
Sophies owner, Jan Griffiths, contacted island rangers after she heard that they had captured a dog and brought it to the mainland, hoping that by some chance it could be her family’s lost dog; it was.
Sophie Tucker had survived four months on her own on St. Bees Island. How? She had been killing and feeding off of baby goats. Witnesses who had seen her described her as thin, and unhealthy looking. After seeing her again a few weeks later, she was looking much more like a normal dog---well fed.
Sophie is an Australian Cattle Dog, a breed that is usually an outside dog that likes to have a job. However, Sophie Tucker was an inside pet. The owners were very proud of their pampered inside pet, "She surprised us all. She was a house dog and look what she's done, she's swum over five nautical miles, she's managed to live off the land all on her own," said Griffiths.
Many of us would find this hard to believe, but this movie was based on actual events. It makes it easier to believe when you hear stories like the one that happened in Australia last week. A family and their pet dog were sailing off of the coast of Queensland, when because of the rough waters, their family pet, a dog named Sophie Tucker, fell overboard.
After frantically looking for the dog,he family assumed she had drowned and they reluctantly returned home. However, Sophie began swimming what would be five miles to St. Bees Island, an island mostly uninhabited.
Sophies owner, Jan Griffiths, contacted island rangers after she heard that they had captured a dog and brought it to the mainland, hoping that by some chance it could be her family’s lost dog; it was.
Sophie Tucker had survived four months on her own on St. Bees Island. How? She had been killing and feeding off of baby goats. Witnesses who had seen her described her as thin, and unhealthy looking. After seeing her again a few weeks later, she was looking much more like a normal dog---well fed.
Sophie is an Australian Cattle Dog, a breed that is usually an outside dog that likes to have a job. However, Sophie Tucker was an inside pet. The owners were very proud of their pampered inside pet, "She surprised us all. She was a house dog and look what she's done, she's swum over five nautical miles, she's managed to live off the land all on her own," said Griffiths.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Humans Aren't the Only Ones Affected by the ND Flood
While trying to find a news topic to discuss in my blog this week that did not pertain to the flood, I struggled. The flood seems to be the only thing on every television station and on the front page of every newspaper. Last week, Fargo/Moorhead even made the cover of the Wall street Journal. The flood has affected everyone in North Dakota. It has been a crazy few weeks with people getting evicted from their houses. However, people have not been the only ones affected by the flood in North Dakota.
The Equine Center in Fargo, located West of I29 has recently made room for an additional 120 horses for people in the area affected by the flood. The barn usually has in between 70 and 100 horses, and before the flood they had 85. Making room for an additional 120 has been hectic, and it is crowded but something the owners were happy to do. There is no charge to keep your horses at the Equine Center. Volunteers have helped with care and exercising the horses during the day. Some local businesses also have donated supplies.
Emergency shelters and many hotels don't accept pets, and neighbors and friends taking in evacuees often don't have room for their pets, too. The Fargo Fairgrounds have opened up a shelter for the 200 plus pets that were sadly left behind by their owners while evacuating Fargo the past few weeks. The Humane Society, along with Adopt-A-Pet and emergency managers in Fargo and Moorhead, Minn., turned a pavilion normally used for horse and cattle shows into a flood shelter and started accepting pets late last week.
Volunteers are caring for the pets after their owners made the difficult decision to go on without them. I can’t imagine leaving my dogs behind anywhere. I haven’t been home to my parents’ house for about three weeks and my heart breaks because I haven’t seen my dogs.
So remember, we (people) aren’t the only ones being affected by the flood. Go home and hug your pet today!
The Equine Center in Fargo, located West of I29 has recently made room for an additional 120 horses for people in the area affected by the flood. The barn usually has in between 70 and 100 horses, and before the flood they had 85. Making room for an additional 120 has been hectic, and it is crowded but something the owners were happy to do. There is no charge to keep your horses at the Equine Center. Volunteers have helped with care and exercising the horses during the day. Some local businesses also have donated supplies.
Emergency shelters and many hotels don't accept pets, and neighbors and friends taking in evacuees often don't have room for their pets, too. The Fargo Fairgrounds have opened up a shelter for the 200 plus pets that were sadly left behind by their owners while evacuating Fargo the past few weeks. The Humane Society, along with Adopt-A-Pet and emergency managers in Fargo and Moorhead, Minn., turned a pavilion normally used for horse and cattle shows into a flood shelter and started accepting pets late last week.
Volunteers are caring for the pets after their owners made the difficult decision to go on without them. I can’t imagine leaving my dogs behind anywhere. I haven’t been home to my parents’ house for about three weeks and my heart breaks because I haven’t seen my dogs.
So remember, we (people) aren’t the only ones being affected by the flood. Go home and hug your pet today!
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Eight is Waaaaay More Than Enough
Everyone and their dog has heard about the Octuplets and their mother. It has been all over the news for almost two months without any sign of dying down. It seems like every day there is a new story about her and her insanely large family that is on the cover of every magazine and the first story reporte on every news channel. I guess I have to ask why?
Giving birth to that many children at one time is an amazing thing that I think definitely deserves some media attention and a pat on the back. However, this woman already had six children and NO JOB. She was living with her mother, and was (and currently is) on welfare. If you already have six children, no job, and are living with your mother, what makes you think it is okay to have EIGHT more babies?
I personally feel very sad for these children. Obviously the mother was not thinking about how all of this would affect her children, and she is using all of this publicity, not to mention tax payers to dollars to support her gigantic family. She has also set up a donation website for anyone willing to help her out. My question is, where did she get money for in vitro fertilization? Obviously she didn’t get impregnated like this naturally . . . so where did the money for this come from in the first place?
The latest piece about the Octa-mom in the news has to do with her firing her group of nannies. Nannies, who were not being paid for their services of taking care of her children. What I find Ironic is this woman’s excuse for firing these volunteers is because she believed they were spying on her and leaking information about her babies and family to the press. Isn’t that what she wants though?
At this time, there are four out of the eight babies home from the hospital now. Doctors were only expecting seven babies instead of eight, and it took 46 surgeons to deliver the Octuplets.
Giving birth to that many children at one time is an amazing thing that I think definitely deserves some media attention and a pat on the back. However, this woman already had six children and NO JOB. She was living with her mother, and was (and currently is) on welfare. If you already have six children, no job, and are living with your mother, what makes you think it is okay to have EIGHT more babies?
I personally feel very sad for these children. Obviously the mother was not thinking about how all of this would affect her children, and she is using all of this publicity, not to mention tax payers to dollars to support her gigantic family. She has also set up a donation website for anyone willing to help her out. My question is, where did she get money for in vitro fertilization? Obviously she didn’t get impregnated like this naturally . . . so where did the money for this come from in the first place?
The latest piece about the Octa-mom in the news has to do with her firing her group of nannies. Nannies, who were not being paid for their services of taking care of her children. What I find Ironic is this woman’s excuse for firing these volunteers is because she believed they were spying on her and leaking information about her babies and family to the press. Isn’t that what she wants though?
At this time, there are four out of the eight babies home from the hospital now. Doctors were only expecting seven babies instead of eight, and it took 46 surgeons to deliver the Octuplets.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Snow Snow Snow
Due to the weather today, I thought this week I would blog about the winter of 2008-2009.
Did anyone else notice how amazingly freezing it was last month? In North Dakota, the average high temperature during the month of February was 19.9 degrees, according to Bruce Dougherty, national weather observer, Lisbon. This is four degrees below the normal average for the month, which is 23.2 degrees. The overall average temperature for February was 11.7, which was only a couple degrees colder that the normal average temperature for the month, 13 degrees.
Not only was the temperature brutal the last few months, but it has been recorded that the total snowfall so far for 2009 has been 24.5 inches, and the total for the winter of 2008-2009 to 60.4 inches.This winter has had the most snowfall since the winter of 1996-1997.
Personally, I remember the blizzard of ’97 fondly. I was about eight years old, and the storm lasted forever . . . which meant that school was cancelled for quite some time. However, I also remember one of the Fargo News Stations travelling to elementary school a few weeks later to do a story on our school. Why? Because we all had to attend on a Saturday to make up for all the school we missed because of the storm.
My family lives in rural Sheldon, ND. The storm knocked out power at our house for over a week. The storm knocked out power and phone service for nearly every town and city in the Red River Valley. The storm also poured freezing rain and snow all throughout the Red River Valley.
The winter of 96-97 was followed by one of the worst springs in North Dakota history. Anyone who remembers that winter also remembers the flooding in North Dakota, especially in Grand Forks. After all the rain and snow piled into the already high river waters, the flooding that happened after was insane.
This leads people to believe that this spring could be similar because of all of the snowfall.
Right now I am waiting for classes to be cancelled, much like I did when I was eight years old. I get more annoyed with the weather now that I am old enough to drive and have a job I am responsible for. It will be interesting to see what the spring will be!
Did anyone else notice how amazingly freezing it was last month? In North Dakota, the average high temperature during the month of February was 19.9 degrees, according to Bruce Dougherty, national weather observer, Lisbon. This is four degrees below the normal average for the month, which is 23.2 degrees. The overall average temperature for February was 11.7, which was only a couple degrees colder that the normal average temperature for the month, 13 degrees.
Not only was the temperature brutal the last few months, but it has been recorded that the total snowfall so far for 2009 has been 24.5 inches, and the total for the winter of 2008-2009 to 60.4 inches.This winter has had the most snowfall since the winter of 1996-1997.
Personally, I remember the blizzard of ’97 fondly. I was about eight years old, and the storm lasted forever . . . which meant that school was cancelled for quite some time. However, I also remember one of the Fargo News Stations travelling to elementary school a few weeks later to do a story on our school. Why? Because we all had to attend on a Saturday to make up for all the school we missed because of the storm.
My family lives in rural Sheldon, ND. The storm knocked out power at our house for over a week. The storm knocked out power and phone service for nearly every town and city in the Red River Valley. The storm also poured freezing rain and snow all throughout the Red River Valley.
The winter of 96-97 was followed by one of the worst springs in North Dakota history. Anyone who remembers that winter also remembers the flooding in North Dakota, especially in Grand Forks. After all the rain and snow piled into the already high river waters, the flooding that happened after was insane.
This leads people to believe that this spring could be similar because of all of the snowfall.
Right now I am waiting for classes to be cancelled, much like I did when I was eight years old. I get more annoyed with the weather now that I am old enough to drive and have a job I am responsible for. It will be interesting to see what the spring will be!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
I'm Lovin It
This ridiculous story made my night. Earlier this week, Latreasa Goodman, age 27 made multiple angry calls to 911. It wasn’t because someone broke into her house, it wasn’t because she witnessed a crime, and it certainly wasn’t because she was in an accident of some kind. Then what sort of terrible incident would cause this woman to repeatedly call 911? The answer to this question is her local McDonald’s ran out of McNuggets. (Of course!)
(To hear her 911 calls, click here)
Goodman ordered a ten piece Chicken McNugget meal. The cashier soon told her that they had run out of McNuggets and she would not be offered a refund. The cashier suggested she choose something else off the menu of equal value to the McNuggets, and offered the restaurant's cheeseburger called the McDouble.This was not what Latreasa Goodman wanted to hear.
"This is an emergency. If I would have known they didn't have McNuggets, I wouldn't have given my money, and now she wants to give me a McDouble, but I don't want one, She's trying to force me to eat something off the menu and I don't want it," Goodman stated.
During her first call to 911 Goodman spoke to a female dispatcher who had a surprising amount of patience and listened to her complain. After Goodman was done, the dispatcher informed her that she was “sending someone” to the Mickey D’s. Apparently, “Help” did not come soon enough, and she called 911 back. The second dispatcher told her he was aware of her situation, and help had been sent and was on the way. Goodman made one final phone call to 911 after her fist two totaling THREE emergency phone calls to 911 about McNuggets. Wow.
Police say Goodman was cited on a misuse of 911 charge, but it doesn’t all end badly for Latreasa Goodman . . . A McDonald's spokesman said Goodman should have been given a refund, and she's being sent a gift card for a free meal. Hopefully that gift card covers a ten piece Chicken McNugget meal.
(To hear her 911 calls, click here)
Goodman ordered a ten piece Chicken McNugget meal. The cashier soon told her that they had run out of McNuggets and she would not be offered a refund. The cashier suggested she choose something else off the menu of equal value to the McNuggets, and offered the restaurant's cheeseburger called the McDouble.This was not what Latreasa Goodman wanted to hear.
"This is an emergency. If I would have known they didn't have McNuggets, I wouldn't have given my money, and now she wants to give me a McDouble, but I don't want one, She's trying to force me to eat something off the menu and I don't want it," Goodman stated.
During her first call to 911 Goodman spoke to a female dispatcher who had a surprising amount of patience and listened to her complain. After Goodman was done, the dispatcher informed her that she was “sending someone” to the Mickey D’s. Apparently, “Help” did not come soon enough, and she called 911 back. The second dispatcher told her he was aware of her situation, and help had been sent and was on the way. Goodman made one final phone call to 911 after her fist two totaling THREE emergency phone calls to 911 about McNuggets. Wow.
Police say Goodman was cited on a misuse of 911 charge, but it doesn’t all end badly for Latreasa Goodman . . . A McDonald's spokesman said Goodman should have been given a refund, and she's being sent a gift card for a free meal. Hopefully that gift card covers a ten piece Chicken McNugget meal.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Recovering Deputy
Many of us have heard about the shooting in Mahnomen MN last week. Two men were involved in the standoff that lead to the shooting of Deputy Christopher Dewey. Last week Dewey was in critical condition, which is expected when you are shot in the stomach and head. One of the men, Thomas Lee Fairbanks is accused of shooting Christopher Dewey twice and is facing first- and second-degree attempted murder charges. Both Fairbanks and Daniel Fernier, will appear in court on Thursday the 26th.
This week Dewey’s wife spoke to the public for the first time. Emily Dewey, 24, was listening to the scanner when her husband Christopher Dewey, 26, was shot in the abdomen and head just after 7 a.m. last Wednesday in Mahnomen, Minn.
A few days ago Christopher Dewey had surgery on his brain and abdomen. He is now in “satisfactory condition.” His wife claims he has been very talkative and even cracking jokes and goofing around. If you would like to check on Dewey’s status, check out the Caring Bridge website that is part of Meritcare.
I chose to write about this story this week because I know Christopher Dewey’s brain surgeon personally. Chad Justesen operated on me in the summer of 2007 after a spinal cord injury. After over 7 hours in the operating room, he put my shattered vertebrae back together. I was paralyzed from the chest down, and had no control of my arms, and was expected to never walk again. After his surgery, I was up and walking (not well, but walking) within two weeks. Today, I am almost back to normal.
He is an amazing neurosurgeon, and person, and this story hit close to home. I am glad that Dr. Justesen was able to save Christopher Dewey’s life, just like he saved mine in so many ways. I am also happy for the Dewey family. I hope that Deputy Dewey continues to recover and he and his family are in my prayers!
This week Dewey’s wife spoke to the public for the first time. Emily Dewey, 24, was listening to the scanner when her husband Christopher Dewey, 26, was shot in the abdomen and head just after 7 a.m. last Wednesday in Mahnomen, Minn.
A few days ago Christopher Dewey had surgery on his brain and abdomen. He is now in “satisfactory condition.” His wife claims he has been very talkative and even cracking jokes and goofing around. If you would like to check on Dewey’s status, check out the Caring Bridge website that is part of Meritcare.
I chose to write about this story this week because I know Christopher Dewey’s brain surgeon personally. Chad Justesen operated on me in the summer of 2007 after a spinal cord injury. After over 7 hours in the operating room, he put my shattered vertebrae back together. I was paralyzed from the chest down, and had no control of my arms, and was expected to never walk again. After his surgery, I was up and walking (not well, but walking) within two weeks. Today, I am almost back to normal.
He is an amazing neurosurgeon, and person, and this story hit close to home. I am glad that Dr. Justesen was able to save Christopher Dewey’s life, just like he saved mine in so many ways. I am also happy for the Dewey family. I hope that Deputy Dewey continues to recover and he and his family are in my prayers!
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Worst Hangover Ever... OR the Best?
My story is the ending of a story that occurred in April 2006… almost three years ago. On the 26th of April in 2006, Dustin Dibble left the bar after watching a hockey game with friends. With a blood alcohol level of .18, Dibble decided that driving home would not be the best option and started to walk. For many of us, walking while intoxicated sometimes proves to be a more difficult task than we expect it to be, and that rang true for Dustin Dibble that night.
After the hockey game was over Dustin stumbled into the path of an oncoming train in downtown Manhattan. The N Train on the Subway hit Dustin and severed his right leg.
This is where the story gets good.
The other day, a Manhattan Jury awarded Dustin Dibble 2.33 million dollars. According to Dibble’s Lawyer the NYC Transit should be held responsible for the accident rather than Dibble. The subway driver allegedly had time to stop the train but did not because he believed Dibble to be an inert object. Perhaps Dibble passed out on the train tracks?
According to Dibbles lawyer, Andrew Smiley (are you loving these names? I know I am) “They (the NYC Transit) are trained to be able to look out for people on the tracks ... and people are known to be intoxicated by night”. Dibble’s lawyer, in other words, suggests that Dibble should not be held accountable for any part of the accident and that it is the NYC Transit that is responsible.
The jury on Dibbles case did not agree completely. The jury ruled Tuesday that Dibble was 35 percent responsible for the accident, so his monetary compensation was also reduced by 35 percent -- from $3,594,943 to $2,336,713… ohhh big deal. The guy still has 2.33 million bucks.
What do you think? Technically, the guy did get hit by a train, BUT technically the guy passed out with a blood alcohol level of .18 in front of the train. I think that he probably should have got some compensation for the accident considering the person driving the train didn’t slow down and he did lose a leg in the process, but 2.33 million dollars? I guess I think that is a lot. The MTA (Metropolitan Transportation Authority) apparantly agrees. They plan to appeal the decision.
After the hockey game was over Dustin stumbled into the path of an oncoming train in downtown Manhattan. The N Train on the Subway hit Dustin and severed his right leg.
This is where the story gets good.
The other day, a Manhattan Jury awarded Dustin Dibble 2.33 million dollars. According to Dibble’s Lawyer the NYC Transit should be held responsible for the accident rather than Dibble. The subway driver allegedly had time to stop the train but did not because he believed Dibble to be an inert object. Perhaps Dibble passed out on the train tracks?
According to Dibbles lawyer, Andrew Smiley (are you loving these names? I know I am) “They (the NYC Transit) are trained to be able to look out for people on the tracks ... and people are known to be intoxicated by night”. Dibble’s lawyer, in other words, suggests that Dibble should not be held accountable for any part of the accident and that it is the NYC Transit that is responsible.
The jury on Dibbles case did not agree completely. The jury ruled Tuesday that Dibble was 35 percent responsible for the accident, so his monetary compensation was also reduced by 35 percent -- from $3,594,943 to $2,336,713… ohhh big deal. The guy still has 2.33 million bucks.
What do you think? Technically, the guy did get hit by a train, BUT technically the guy passed out with a blood alcohol level of .18 in front of the train. I think that he probably should have got some compensation for the accident considering the person driving the train didn’t slow down and he did lose a leg in the process, but 2.33 million dollars? I guess I think that is a lot. The MTA (Metropolitan Transportation Authority) apparantly agrees. They plan to appeal the decision.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
The Flu Bug is Biting
Considering that I was sick as a dog this week, I decided to write my post about the flu that is sweeping across the state.
My two year old nephew, Andrew, woke up with the flu on Sunday morning. By Monday afternoon, my sister, my mother, my boyfriend and I were all feeling miserable as well.
I come from a small town in North Dakota called Sheldon. About a half hour away in Lisbon, the nursing home is under quarantine because influenza has swept across the entire place. In the Fargo Forum this weekend they had an article about how bad the flu is around North Dakota. Don’t you just love this time of year?
I bet a lot of you have gotten a flu shot this year. I didn’t, but my boyfriend, Levi, did and on Monday he was DEFINITALY sicker than I was. Does that make any sense? Well, according to North Dakota Health officials, the flu that is sweeping our state resists the leading flu medicine, Tamiflu. According to an article on inforum.com, government health officials alerted doctors in December that the most common flu bug in the country is overwhelmingly resistant to Tamiflu.
Even though the flu shot didn’t help Levi this year, health officials claim that the flu shot protects us from this type of flu that is resistant to Tamiflu. They also urge you that it is not too late to get your flu shot. Considering there has just recently been an increase in flu cases for this year health officials say there is still time and it would be well worth it to get your flu shot.
I can’t say that I agree. The only time I got a flu shot I was sick with the flu a week later. I have never gotten once since. Levi having his flu shot and getting sick as a dog yesterday was yet another strike against the flu shot for me. But that is just my opinion!
----------------------------------------
HERE is a blog about ethics and writing.
My two year old nephew, Andrew, woke up with the flu on Sunday morning. By Monday afternoon, my sister, my mother, my boyfriend and I were all feeling miserable as well.
I come from a small town in North Dakota called Sheldon. About a half hour away in Lisbon, the nursing home is under quarantine because influenza has swept across the entire place. In the Fargo Forum this weekend they had an article about how bad the flu is around North Dakota. Don’t you just love this time of year?
I bet a lot of you have gotten a flu shot this year. I didn’t, but my boyfriend, Levi, did and on Monday he was DEFINITALY sicker than I was. Does that make any sense? Well, according to North Dakota Health officials, the flu that is sweeping our state resists the leading flu medicine, Tamiflu. According to an article on inforum.com, government health officials alerted doctors in December that the most common flu bug in the country is overwhelmingly resistant to Tamiflu.
Even though the flu shot didn’t help Levi this year, health officials claim that the flu shot protects us from this type of flu that is resistant to Tamiflu. They also urge you that it is not too late to get your flu shot. Considering there has just recently been an increase in flu cases for this year health officials say there is still time and it would be well worth it to get your flu shot.
I can’t say that I agree. The only time I got a flu shot I was sick with the flu a week later. I have never gotten once since. Levi having his flu shot and getting sick as a dog yesterday was yet another strike against the flu shot for me. But that is just my opinion!
----------------------------------------
HERE is a blog about ethics and writing.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
The Day The Music Died
(Buddy Holly tribute artist Lewy Ronken finishes performing “Peggy Sue” on Tuesday night at the Fargo Theatre during the “The Day the Music Died: 50th Anniversary” concert. Jay Pickthorn / The Forum.)On Tuesday Night, tribute bands played at the Fargo Theater to a sellout crowd. The tribute concert stared Buddy Holly, J.P. Richardson, and Ritchie Valens…or at least three people who look and sound just like they use to. The Three singers were all killed in a plane crash (along with the pilot) minutes after takeoff around Clear Lake, Iowa in 1959. They singers were on their way to the Fargo/Moorhead area to put on a concert. Tuesday marked the 50th anniversary of the sad occasion of their deaths.
After the plane crash, a local band deemed The Shadows filled in for the three late singers at the Moorhead National Guard Armory during a Feb. 3, 1959; the day that Holly, Richardson, and Valens were scheduled to play. On Tuesday, Bob Korum of The Shadows opened the tribute concert playing some hits from the 50’s and 60’s.
Some people from my local town were part of the sold out crowd at the concert. Many said that the impersonators were very talented and they did a great job. I’ve been to an Elvis impersonator… He was so good it was creepy. I found myself weirded out by his dead on mannerisms and the way he sang. However strange it was, I thought it was a great way to honor one of music’s legends, and I feel this concert did the same thing. It was a night to honor some of music’s greats and a night for everyone to get out and enjoy some of the golden oldies.
After the plane crash, a local band deemed The Shadows filled in for the three late singers at the Moorhead National Guard Armory during a Feb. 3, 1959; the day that Holly, Richardson, and Valens were scheduled to play. On Tuesday, Bob Korum of The Shadows opened the tribute concert playing some hits from the 50’s and 60’s.
Some people from my local town were part of the sold out crowd at the concert. Many said that the impersonators were very talented and they did a great job. I’ve been to an Elvis impersonator… He was so good it was creepy. I found myself weirded out by his dead on mannerisms and the way he sang. However strange it was, I thought it was a great way to honor one of music’s legends, and I feel this concert did the same thing. It was a night to honor some of music’s greats and a night for everyone to get out and enjoy some of the golden oldies.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
You Have to Love Our Media
This week my post is not going to come from the actual news itself, but from an e-mail I received from a friend not to long ago.
As everyone in the world knows, last week on January 20, Barack Obama was elected president of the United States. It was a huge day in America as the first African American president was welcomed into the Whitehouse. For a lot of people, it didn’t matter who won the election, as long as President Bush was out. He may kind of been a goon, but sometimes I couldn’t help but feel sorry for the guy. Could you imagine having his job and knowing so many people hated you?
I thought the e-mail I got was appropriate for this week because it had to do with the media. This e-mail shows how truly bias the media is. The e-mail was pretty short and to the point. The subject read “”You have to Love our Media” and below it listed headlines referring to the inaugurations of President Bush and President Obama.
Headlines On This Date 4 Years Ago:
"Republicans spending $42 million on inauguration while troops Die in unarmored Humvees"
"Bush extravagance exceeds any reason during tough economic times"
"Fat cats get their $42 million inauguration party, Ordinary Americans get the shaft"
Headlines Today:
"Historic Obama Inauguration will cost only $120 million"
"Obama Spends $120 million on inauguration; America Needs A Big Party"
"Everyman Obama shows America how to celebrate"
"Citibank executives contribute $8 million to Obama Inauguration"I thought this was crazy.
Four years ago people were furious at the fact that the inauguration for Bush cost $42 million, but it is not a big deal that Obama’s Inauguration cost $120 million. That is almost triple the cost. Headlines went on about the “extravagance” of Bush in tough economic times, and yet it is acceptable for Obama to spend more because “America needs a party”. The economy is worse off today than it was four years ago, yet some people found it acceptable to spend $120 million dollars on a party??? I understand why the United States needs a morale boost, but was it worth all the cash? Does anyone feel better about the worsening of our economy because we got to watch a big party on tv?
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Here is a professional blog about maintaining reliable sources.
As everyone in the world knows, last week on January 20, Barack Obama was elected president of the United States. It was a huge day in America as the first African American president was welcomed into the Whitehouse. For a lot of people, it didn’t matter who won the election, as long as President Bush was out. He may kind of been a goon, but sometimes I couldn’t help but feel sorry for the guy. Could you imagine having his job and knowing so many people hated you?
I thought the e-mail I got was appropriate for this week because it had to do with the media. This e-mail shows how truly bias the media is. The e-mail was pretty short and to the point. The subject read “”You have to Love our Media” and below it listed headlines referring to the inaugurations of President Bush and President Obama.
Headlines On This Date 4 Years Ago:
"Republicans spending $42 million on inauguration while troops Die in unarmored Humvees"
"Bush extravagance exceeds any reason during tough economic times"
"Fat cats get their $42 million inauguration party, Ordinary Americans get the shaft"
Headlines Today:
"Historic Obama Inauguration will cost only $120 million"
"Obama Spends $120 million on inauguration; America Needs A Big Party"
"Everyman Obama shows America how to celebrate"
"Citibank executives contribute $8 million to Obama Inauguration"I thought this was crazy.
Four years ago people were furious at the fact that the inauguration for Bush cost $42 million, but it is not a big deal that Obama’s Inauguration cost $120 million. That is almost triple the cost. Headlines went on about the “extravagance” of Bush in tough economic times, and yet it is acceptable for Obama to spend more because “America needs a party”. The economy is worse off today than it was four years ago, yet some people found it acceptable to spend $120 million dollars on a party??? I understand why the United States needs a morale boost, but was it worth all the cash? Does anyone feel better about the worsening of our economy because we got to watch a big party on tv?
-------------------------------------------
Here is a professional blog about maintaining reliable sources.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Funural Webcasts
This week one of our assignments was to pick a beat for our Reporting and Feature Writing class. I looked at our options and the one that really stood out to me the most was technology. In all honesty, I picked technology because I thought it would be really easy to find news articles about advances in technology because it seems like new things are popping up every day. Well, I was right, it was easy to find a bunch of articles on technology, and I found quite a few that I found really interesting and even unbelievable.
What I am blogging about this week is one of the articles I found. The article is entitled Web grief: Funeral webcasts gain in popularity. http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2009/01/20/web_grief_funeral_webcasts_gain_in_popularity/This title caught my eye right away. My first thought was “creepy.” I immediately envisioned thousands of funerals being videotaped and posted on the internet for millions of people to see. As I read on, my opinion changed.
The article discussed the increasing number of funeral homes that have started to embrace the internet. Funeral directors say better technology and cheaper equipment have prompted more funeral homes to offer private webcasting and videotaping services nationwide. According to this article, “ some webcasting companies are also jumping in, offering packages to funeral homes that include tripods, cameras with microphones, and cables and cords, either for lease or purchase outright. Some ceremonies can even be webcast to iPods.” Pretty crazy huh?
Many predict this to become more popular in the future, but it is already catching on rather quickly. The reason? This trend has become popular in the military. Any of us who have loved ones enlisted know how many hoops those guys have to jump through in order to get home; whatever the reason may be. This service is making it possible for those serving overseas to “attend” a funeral for a friend or family member. On the flip side, if a soldier is killed and returned back to the United States for his or her funeral, there is no way all of his or her buddies who are still overseas can return home to attend the funeral. This is a way for them to still pay their respects and continue to do their job. I don’t think anything can replace actually being present at the funeral, but it is a pretty cool alternative.
What I am blogging about this week is one of the articles I found. The article is entitled Web grief: Funeral webcasts gain in popularity. http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2009/01/20/web_grief_funeral_webcasts_gain_in_popularity/This title caught my eye right away. My first thought was “creepy.” I immediately envisioned thousands of funerals being videotaped and posted on the internet for millions of people to see. As I read on, my opinion changed.
The article discussed the increasing number of funeral homes that have started to embrace the internet. Funeral directors say better technology and cheaper equipment have prompted more funeral homes to offer private webcasting and videotaping services nationwide. According to this article, “ some webcasting companies are also jumping in, offering packages to funeral homes that include tripods, cameras with microphones, and cables and cords, either for lease or purchase outright. Some ceremonies can even be webcast to iPods.” Pretty crazy huh?
Many predict this to become more popular in the future, but it is already catching on rather quickly. The reason? This trend has become popular in the military. Any of us who have loved ones enlisted know how many hoops those guys have to jump through in order to get home; whatever the reason may be. This service is making it possible for those serving overseas to “attend” a funeral for a friend or family member. On the flip side, if a soldier is killed and returned back to the United States for his or her funeral, there is no way all of his or her buddies who are still overseas can return home to attend the funeral. This is a way for them to still pay their respects and continue to do their job. I don’t think anything can replace actually being present at the funeral, but it is a pretty cool alternative.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Soldiers Returning Safely to North Dakota
The 191 Military Police Soldiers returned home safely on Wednesday into Fargo, ending a year-long deployment in Iraq. The 191st MP Company, based in Fargo, with detachments in Mayville and Bismarck, mobilized in October 2007 and was sent to Iraq in January 2008. Its members come from 40 different cities around North Dakota.
The 191st return home has been on the news the past couple of days. The unit’s demobilization process took them a little longer than expected, but they finally made it home to good old North Dakota.Many Family members and friends were at Hector International Airport in Fargo on Wednesday to greet the returning soldiers. The soldiers were greeted by cheers from the crowd and finally hugs and kisses from their loved ones. It was an emotional experience for everyone.
While overseas, the Military Police Soldiers completed almost 1,300 missions. They aided in 74 detainee releases, and helped train the Iraqi police. The soldiers feel as though they left their place of deployment in better condition than it was before they got there. “Mission accomplished,” said one soldier, with a large grin on her face. According to http://www.grandforksherald.com/articles/?id=101688§ion=homepage “During the mobilization, the soldiers earned 21 Bronze Star Medals and 153 Army Commendation Medals. Two of the Commendation Medals were for specific acts of heroism with “V” device for valor, and 72 soldiers earned Combat Action Badges to recognize their direct participation in combat operations.”
My friends Nate and Bobbi Jo returned home with the 191 and I am so glad they made it home safe and sound! They are happy to be back, and they don’t even care that it is nearly 40 below zero. They both said that their trip made them realize how good we have it here in the United States. “I will no longer be taking a lot of things for granted,” Nate said, “I am so thankful to be home. I missed all my friends and my family.”
I kept tabs on my friends mostly through Facebook. Besides sending messages and writing on each others walls, there is a Facebook group dedicated to the soldiers of the 191st. http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php?id=29414264&v=info&viewas=29414264#/group.php?gid=25353060288&ref=ts
This group was updated frequently with news about the soldiers. It was also a way to keep in contact with those within the unite who have Facebook, and to let them know that I was thinking about them. The internet definitely made this deployment easier for soldiers and their families.
The 191st return home has been on the news the past couple of days. The unit’s demobilization process took them a little longer than expected, but they finally made it home to good old North Dakota.Many Family members and friends were at Hector International Airport in Fargo on Wednesday to greet the returning soldiers. The soldiers were greeted by cheers from the crowd and finally hugs and kisses from their loved ones. It was an emotional experience for everyone.
While overseas, the Military Police Soldiers completed almost 1,300 missions. They aided in 74 detainee releases, and helped train the Iraqi police. The soldiers feel as though they left their place of deployment in better condition than it was before they got there. “Mission accomplished,” said one soldier, with a large grin on her face. According to http://www.grandforksherald.com/articles/?id=101688§ion=homepage “During the mobilization, the soldiers earned 21 Bronze Star Medals and 153 Army Commendation Medals. Two of the Commendation Medals were for specific acts of heroism with “V” device for valor, and 72 soldiers earned Combat Action Badges to recognize their direct participation in combat operations.”
My friends Nate and Bobbi Jo returned home with the 191 and I am so glad they made it home safe and sound! They are happy to be back, and they don’t even care that it is nearly 40 below zero. They both said that their trip made them realize how good we have it here in the United States. “I will no longer be taking a lot of things for granted,” Nate said, “I am so thankful to be home. I missed all my friends and my family.”
I kept tabs on my friends mostly through Facebook. Besides sending messages and writing on each others walls, there is a Facebook group dedicated to the soldiers of the 191st. http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php?id=29414264&v=info&viewas=29414264#/group.php?gid=25353060288&ref=ts
This group was updated frequently with news about the soldiers. It was also a way to keep in contact with those within the unite who have Facebook, and to let them know that I was thinking about them. The internet definitely made this deployment easier for soldiers and their families.
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