Engineers! Calling All Engineers!

According to an article called, "Fostering Tech Talent in Schools" in The New York Times published by Nick Wingfield, Steven Edouard, a teacher, advised his students to take a career path that involves computer science. He is also one of the 110 engineers, who works on a Microsoft program, which focuses to encourage high school students to be involved in the field of computer science; and to eventually make the decision to pursue computer science based fields and careers. During the time when we need the most technologically advanced graduates, there is an unfortunate shortage of them. This is a grave issue for the technology industry, let alone the nation's economy. According to Association for Computing Machinery, through 2020 there will be 150,000 novel job openings pertaining to that field each year. However, with different exciting jobs filled with great opportunities in the technology field, only 14,000 American students graduated as undergrads in computer science in 2011.   Brad Smith, Microsoft general council stated, " People can't get jobs and we have jobs that can't be filled." Consequently, technology companies have actually taken the initiative to lobby for looser immigration rules in order to be allowed to welcome more engineers from other countries. In addition to lobbying, they have organized sponsoring tech competitions, to motivate and inspire students to be involved in the industry. For example, Google is in charge of a summer camp program for upcoming ninth grade high school students. In this camp, high school teachers lecture and demonstrate their skills to the campers, at local universities. Specifically in this case, desperate times truly call for desperate measures. Microsoft has directed their engineers to teach classes in schools for a full year. Keving Wang became the cause of this program. He is a Microsoft engineer who graduated from Harvard. Mr. Wang volunteered as a computer science teacher in 2009 at a public school located in Seattle. Microsoft saw this as an effective technique to encourage students to major in technology based careers. Therefore, Microsoft aided Mr. Wang economically, which bestowed him the opportunity to teach full time. This financial support is recognized as Teal, or Technology Education and Literacy in Schools. Teal has been displayed in twenty-two schools in Seattle, and in schools found in Washington, Utah, North Dakota, and California. Big technology companies are aware of the intimidation this field produces ; and how students are more likely to feel apprehension toward computer science subjects. For that reason, Microsoft uses the method of connecting the field to technologies that teens utilize in their lives.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/01/technology/microsoft-sends-engineers-to-schools-to-encourage-the-next-generation.html?ref=technology

Chicken or the Egg?

According to an article called "Chicken, Egg, and Taste Buds" in The Huffington Post published by David Katz, M.D., there is a correlation between sensitivity of taste buds and obesity.  Researchers came to a conclusion that there is a possibility that the sensitivity level in a human's taste bud is an explanation for the development of obesity. However, this statement cannot be validated, because the results were obtained from a cross-sectional study. In a cross-sectional study, researchers can be presented with information that portrays whether both A and B is founded in a person. Nevertheless, this study is not reliable when it deals with the concept of cause and effect. Therefore, the experiment is incapable to prove if obesity is the result of having low sensitivity in one's taste buds or if one has insensitive taste buds because of being obese; consequently numbing the taste buds by eating food that contains chemicals similar to monosodium glutamate. Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a salt of the amino acid, Glutamic Acid.  This case can be compared to the infamous quote, "Which one came first. The chicken or the egg?" A question that boggles one's mind and can never be answered with one "correct" explanation. Now, there is a new question for the people of this nation and/or world: Which one came first? Obesity or insensitive taste buds?

Become Free or Die Trying

The speaker of "Speech in the Virginia Convention" is Patrick Henry. Patrick is a patriotic motivator who wishes to branch away from the English government. He is extremely aggravated and annoyed of the mistreatment and harassment from England. The occasion is at the Virginia Convention in the 1770s. This time period was the start of the infamous American Revolution. During this time frame, many patriots stormed up a plan to finally stand up and fight against the British, and to conclusively be seen as an established and independent country, called America. Therefore, the main subjects were freedom and independence.  He mentions how they have petitioned and have tried to resolve this issue in a diplomatic manner; but since that did not receive any notice nor recognition, the only solution was to fight. Nearly one-third of the colonists were classified as patriots and the other one-third as loyalists. Consequently, leaving the remaining one-third of the population to be either undecided or simply apathetic about participating in the war. Patrick's goal was to persuade all the non-patriots to change their mentality and open their eyes to the world of independence and sovereignty. He strongly believed that the colonists needed to stop submitting to the English's harsh and unbearable laws and guidelines. England had forced the colonies to export their products to England in order for them to sell it back to the colonies for a much higher cost. Patrick Henry, states many types of examples to justify his objective. Nevertheless, towards the end he includes that the final decision the colonists make is entirely irrelevant to him. No matter what the ultimatum may be, he will stick to his words and fight until he sees the results America deserves or die trying.

Social Media:1 Gangsters:0

In "Rockstarz, VCG Arrests: Nearly 50 Brooklyn Gang Members In Custody After Posting On Facebook About Alleged Murders" from The Huffington Post published by Britney Fitzgerald, it states how gangs are now using social media outlets as a way to promote their performances. A gang named, Rockstarz, posted a status saying, "Rockstartz are up 3-0." This score portrays the number of gang members from the opposing gang (Very Crispy Gangsters) killed by the prior. The two gangs are both located in Brooklyn, New York; and both use Facebook and other social sites as a passage to satirize and intimidate one another. June 6, 2011 marks their anniversary of rivalry, when due to a dangerous and erratic shoot out, a Very Crispy Gangsters member named Johnny Santiago was shot and killed. After, the two conflicting teams became, in Facebook terms, "friends," they launched an ongoing verbal battle via Facebook messaging. However, one gang took a step further by posting a picture of himself wearing clothing items that belonged to a man he had murdered.  The impudent Facebook and gang member did not fail to include an obnoxious caption for his published picture. The caption was the following: " I can't give it back. You can't walk no more." The Brooklyn police is making use of these Facebook posts that will serve as evidence during their investigation on this matter. Actually, Facebook has become a trend for many other different Brooklyn-based gangs to show off their "accomplishments." Therefore,  in January, forty-three members from the gangs Wave Gang and Hoodstarz were convicted and arrested for murder, after publicizing it on Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube. Once again, technology has been mistreated for uses other than connecting and sharing pictures with friends. Nevertheless, this does serve as a beneficial factor for the government and/or police to track down dangerous and deadly gang members and murderers.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/14/rockstarz-vcg-arrests-facebook_n_1885004.html?ir=Technology

It Glows!

Recently an article called, "Crabs May Rely on Color to Tell Food from Poison" in The New York Times published by Sindya N. Bhanoo, states how two species of crabs have the capability to detect their food from poison. Majority of sea creatures are not able to detect colors in the water; however, these crabs can differentiate between two colors: blue and green. They are extremely sensitive to ultraviolet lights, which makes the latter possible. Under the sea, both corals and plankton produce light, and this can be dangerous for the sea animals because corals can be deadly to crabs. According to a biologist, from Duke University, once the plankton reaches the coral, it releases a blue glow. Also, simultaneously, the coral then generates a green luminosity. Therefore, the characteristic of these two species of crabs, truly validates the importance of Charles Darwin's theory of survival of the fittest. The researchers gathered all their data from oceans near the Bahamas. They even recorded and examined the crabs' eating habits. Researchers also took the initiative to capture eight of these crabs, and discovered how all their eyes were receptive to the ultraviolet lights. It amazes how there are so many different types of creatures, that we have not yet discovered nor distinguished. Humans always refer to themselves as the smartest creatures on Earth; but what us humans need to realize is that each organisms has their own unique talents which helps them survive and grow. This production of beautiful lights under the ocean, will without a doubt be a beautiful and a fabulous site to see.

The True Meaning of Life

                             

It is ninety-eight degrees outside; sweat drips from all of your pours. You cannot help, but remember your mother approaching you with a gratifying, cold, mouthwatering bowl of cookie dough ice cream. You accept this golden offer.Who would even have the audacity to reject a luscious scoop of this memorable and most appetizing ice cream? Each spoonful keeps you in suspense, wondering if that bite will be the one. Would that bite contain pieces of that soft chocolaty cookie dough? If not, you try once more, and luckily you have that heavenly piece of dough melting in your mouth, leaving you wanting more. How about the texture? The texture changes from being soft and creamy, to being chewy and sweet.  Many ice creams overdue it, by adding numerous types of components. However, this one of a kind ice cream is perfectly balanced. The cookie dough adds that extra kick to the classic vanilla ice cream. Cookie dough ice cream is life, life is cookie dough ice cream.

Instagram: Good or Evil?

Throughout the years, the world has constructed numerous amount of technological advancements, that has not only caused communicating with one another easier, but also has been seen by the users as a form of outlet for sexual needs and desires. According to an article,  "Instaporn: Porn, 'KikSex' Lurk Just Inside Instagram's Photo Eden", published in The Huffington Post,  Instagram possesses approximately eighty million users, who share their filtered pictures taken throughout their daily lives. Instagram users have inevitably established a popular hashtag, known as "#foodporn." Unfortunately, Instagram has also become a place of actual images of porn.  There are 201,000 pictures hashtagged as "Instasex" and only 135,000 are innocent pictures of lattes. Sadly, Instagram is not only being used to exchange inappropriate sex-related pictures, but also a place where users can find their cyber sex partners. It is not uncommon to promote your Kik profile, an application which allows users to message clandestinely; but users are now advertising their Kik profile to chat with individuals for sex-related purposes. For example, one male user posted saying, "Woke up horny as hell!!!!! Girls who wanna play post a comment and I’ll kik you. Don’t be shy. We can trade pics and have some naughty talk." Nevertheless, Instagram is not the only social media outlet that has to face this degrading dilemma. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Tumblr have attempted to abolish all posts and pictures that disobey their terms. Instagram has traced to have over five million uploads of photos per day; therefore, the fifteen full time employees, rely on the users to report any posts that portrays any form of misconduct. Nonetheless, even if a user is expelled from using this application, there is always a way of rejoining. Disastrously, social media websites and applications have turned into a channel of satisfying one's sexual desires. This comes to show, how technological advancements have its benefits and drawbacks.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/30/instagram-porn_n_1842761.html