Who is to Blame When Senseless Violence Committed

When senseless violence is committed, blame is sought out towards the persons who committed these crimes through their life styles.

Scene from Aurora, Colorado Mass Shooting

The reason I decided to write about this is because I wanted to show how our society can be wicked and unpredictable.  Friday July 20th, a man entered a movie theater in Auorora Colorado with deadly intents.  He was dressed with a ballistic helmet and bulletproof vest went into the movie theater with two pistols, a shot gun and assault rifle and shot at those within the theater.  This was during the premiere of the movie "The Dark Knight Rises".  He killed approximately 12 people and injured 59 people of all ages.  For what reason?  There is no good reason to perform such a disgusting act to innocent people.  These people were defenseless and just trying to have a good time at the movies.


Blame is the only way to understand what this person was thinking.  Through the life styles of criminals like this one, is the only way to figure out what set off the trigger.    


Who else can be held accountable for when senseless violence is committed.  One blame that I would like to connect to the violence is television.  Another influence that I would like to place blame on is video games.  The last influence I would like to recognize is parents.  


In today's time, violence is often to easy to find at any age.  With the flip of the channel a child can be exposed to violent television shows.  How much of an impact does television have on children?  Television is a tool that can be used to educate those who watch it.  They educate children about life, how to act and give them general knowledge.  The actions depicted within a television show can be reflected by those who watch it.  If a child is exposed to violence constantly, they are more likely to become more violent.  If a child is watching a show about rebellious teens, risky habits can be picked up such as smoking or drinking.  The impact that television can have on children is enormous.  In a study conducted by Cesarone Bernard, he found out that there is a 3% to 15% in aggression after watching a violent show.  If a child were to watch these shows continuously, their aggression levels would surely grow exponentially.

A popular video game that
involves violence

Another factor that can be attributed to violence committed is video games.  A lot of the popular video games today are filled with violence such as Halo, Call of Duty, Grand Theft Auto, Need for Speed and so on.  Playing these video games ensures numerous outcomes of those who play them which are they will become more aggressive, prone to confrontation, and see a decline in other activities such as school.  If a person were to constantly play these games, this list of outcomes can become more extreme.  The base motive of everyone of these games mentioned is to either kill other players or drive recklessly.  Halo and Call of Duty allows you to kill players from all over the world.  With plots like that its difficult to ensure a positive outcome from playing the games.                   

The last blame that can be placed upon is the parents.  Children are the products of their parents and should be partly blamed when their children perform heinous acts.  The reason they should be blamed is because parents are given the opportunity to mold their children.  When not completely attended to, a child will become more independent.  The problem with this independence is it can be in a negative way.  To prevent this parents should constantly communicate with their children and monitor their activities.  Monitor what they watch on television, the games they play and who they hang out with.  Communication is key because it can be a signal to whether or not if something is wrong.    

Lets work to make our society less violent by not watching as much violent television, playing less video games and learn to be good parents.  Lets figure out the source of the problem before events such as this one unfold.  If things continue to go the way it is, I see our nation becoming a dangerous place to live.     

Corporate Companies Effects on Local Business's 

As time goes by companies are continually figuring out ways to expand and become the best it can be.  Companies are opening new stores, expanding current stores and figuring out ways to be known by everyone.  

This is a good thing because it helps boost our economy by providing jobs opportunities.  With this new source of income for people is there any negatives that can possibly come from it?  The answer to this question is yes because these chain stores have a huge effect on other stores that are in the area.

One of Walmart's Newest Logos

Walmart for example has the ability to hire up to 350+ people when opening up a new store.  This is a lot of job opportunities but after you subtract the effect it has on other jobs it doesn't look as appealing.  The reason it can have an effect on jobs is it can take away customers from little mom and dad companies.  The results in the lack of business is downsizing the staff, difficult times, and even causing a little store to close down.

People lose jobs and aren't able to pay their bills and eventually lose what they've been saving for.  When stores close, its difficult for those who run them to find new work because it has been their life goals.  If they are able to find new work they usually find it at dead end jobs.

There are many reasons why opening stores such as Walmart can affect different business.  Stores like Walmart don't hurt one particular group of stores it can hurt a various amount.  Super Walmart's can take away customers from produce stores, grocery stores, convenience stores, retail stores, technology, etc.  That's a large amount of stores getting hit if a new Walmart were to be put into your town.

The reason large stores such as Walmart have the ability to hurt all these businesses is because they have the ability to sell their goods cheaper then its competition.  It helps when they have the ability to use their revenue to mass purchase goods and exploit workers from different countries by paying them cheap for their products produced.  Another reason Walmart has an advantage is because of the convenience of being able to go to one store and purchasing most of the items on a shopping list opposed to visiting multiple stores.

With these advantages little stores are huge underdogs in the sales world.  We need to learn to help the underdogs out by supporting our local stores.  Purchase their products because they can have a bigger effect on our society then you think.  Super stores such as Walmart will always be in insistence but little mom and dad stores will get at most one chance.   


          

What Has President Obama Done for Our Country?

Becoming president of a country isn't exactly the easiest task bestowed upon someone.  When a person runs for president they know about the burdens that come with it.  President Barack Obama was not ignorant of the situation the United States economy was when he ran for president.  

After a 8 year term, former President George W. Bush was able to leave President Barack Obama with quite a handful as he started his term.  He had to deal with a failing health care system, he received two wars, and at the time the economy was in the toilet.  The list does go on and on however this in my opinion are the main issues.

Personally I'm sick and tired with how everyone is treating President Barack Obama because he was given a pretty unfortunate mess.  He took the mess however and did the best he could do.  It seems like everyone put him on a pedestal and expected him to make magic.

Obama was given a failing health care system where some aspects of it didn't even make sense.  Health care companies were denying people who had previous existing conditions.  Insurance companies were charging people too much money making it not affordable to those in the lower class.  To help combat these problems Obama created Obama Care to try to combat these problems.  

Symbol of Obama Care

Like any health care system Obama Care obviously has its pros and cons.  If this Obama reform on health care were to pass numerous big changes would occur.  Those not covered with insurance by their employers or the government would be required to purchase at least a minimal health insurance coverage.  A lot of people see this as a con because they believe the government has no right to tell them what to do because of the constitution.  In my opinion it's a pro because if everyone were to have insurance everyone would have coverage making it less expensive if something were to happen to their health then if they weren't covered.  Another problem with health insurance is people would be denied of insurance due to preexisting conditions.  This new plan allows anyone to be covered and no one person can be denied of insurance due to a preexisting condition.     

When Obama was elected as President he inherited two wars that Bush had started.  He declared war with Iraq and Afghanistan with hidden agendas for both of them.  Obama  has already backed out of the Iraq war and shifted the War towards Afghanistan because of terrorist activities.  He is in the process on scheduling the return of American soldiers to end the Afghanistan war as well.  

The last major problem Obama had when he was elected into office was the economy.  At the time of December 2007 the United States was officially in a recession which is "a period of an economic contraction, sometimes limited to the scope or duration"  (dictionary.com).  If a recession were to continue it would eventually lead to a depression of which we are all more familiar with due to history.  

This was a big problem because it could cause a string of bad events.  Events such as banks failing, businesses failing, unemployment sky rocketing, etc.  

Barack Obama visiting big car companies to prepare for
his bailout plan

What Obama did to prevent this was he bailed out and saved the collapse of the automotive companies.  Another positive move he did to help lessen the effects of the recession was he created a $798 billion economic plan.  Health care a problem addressed earlier is another problem that hurts the economy.  Those who can't afford health care have a great chance of becoming in terrible debt if they were to get sick which could lead to them losing all their money.  If Obama care were passed everyone would be covered if they got sick.  He created over 2.1 million jobs with the America Recovery and Reinvestment Act. 

As you can see Obama was given a duty that most couldn't bare.  He was given an undesirable circumstance and did the best he could with it.  So no one has the right to judge him for what he has done.  This is a small fraction of move he has purposed while he was in office as he has obviously accomplished a lot more.  

Other accomplishments that can be credited to him was he closed the Guantanamo Bay Prison because it was treating prisoners unfairly.  Created a law to make energy producing plants begin preparing to use %15 renewable resources.  Ordered the military operation that killed Osama Bin Laden.  The list goes on and on.

          

Are the Olympics Overrated?  

As the Olympics near, I felt it was a good time to blog about whether or not the Olympics overrated?  Heck no is the most appropriate answer to that.  The Olympics are a time where everyone can gather around the television and enjoy watching their country dominate.  

The Olympics happen every two years alternating between the Summer and Winter.  This means that each season occurs every four years apart from one another.  Each season host different events with the majority of the sports (28) occurring during the Summer.  These events can range anywhere from gymnastics to archery.  The Winter Olympics contains a total of seven sports which are biathlon, skating, skiing, luge, ice hockey, curling, and bobsleigh.

Over 13,000 of the best athletes participate in both the Summer and Winter Olympics.  With this many athletes only the top three are able to score points.  Third will receive the bronze medal, second receiving the silver medal and first receive the top medal which is gold.    

During the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing there was over 4.7 billion people who watched it on television.  
With so many viewers what makes the Olympics so fun to watch?  There is a whole lot of reasons why you should watch the Olympics.  Some people watch the Olympics to show support to the athletes, some people want to show support to their nation, and others watch it because it's a tradition filled with history.   

Nastia Liukin Winning Gold 

Athletes spend their whole lives to become in shape and train for the Olympics.  Gymnast train 40+ hours a week just to ensure that they are the highest caliber they can be.  With all this training involved you can expect to be anything but disappointed from watching each event.  Staying with the topic of gymnast its incredible watching men and women throw their weight around whether it be on the balance beam or the mats.  Watching Nastia Liukin's all around performance for example in the 2008 Olympics was amazing.  She's a great example of someone who has put a lot of time and effort towards her talents.  In fact people of different nations receive respect from those not from their land.          



Another reason people should watch the Olympics is to show support to your country.  After all it is a competition involving all the nations around the world.  The least you can do is watch those performing for you to actually perform for you.  In America alone, 214 million people were documented to watching the Olympics in 2008.  This also
helps the athletes perform to the best of the ability because they know that the support is there.      

1948 Summer Games Relay

The last reason the Olympics is such a great event to watch is because of all the history involved with it.  The Olympic games have been occurring since the eighth century BC in Olympia, Ancient Greece.  They became a lot more popular in 1894 when an actual committee was founded by Baron Pierre de Coubertin.  This committee helps provide structure to this event and regulates how everything is run.  Since then almost every two years there has been an Olympic with the exception of 1916, 1940, and 1944.  The reason the event didn't happen during those times was due to World Wars.  Each Olympic is filled with memorable experiences whether it be for your country winning gold or just an athlete with a unbelievable performance.                 

So with 2012 Summer Olympics in London approaching fast, prepare to set aside time to watch this exciting sixteen day event.  The official start day will be July 27th which is the day that the torch will be lit.  As mentioned before there will be over twenty-eight events will be occurring making it difficult to not be able to enjoy at least one sport.  So plan ahead and make a schedule of all your favorite events.  

Fast Food is Slowly Killing America

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Large Coke, Big Mac, Large Fri's found at McDonalds

The fast food industry is a phenom that is influencing a staggering amount of people to come and try out their products.  The total amount of money spent in advertising for fast food establishments is estimated at a total of $4.2 billion through television ads, billboards, etc.  Children are receiving a onslaught of fast food advertisements daily slowly being corrupted into asking their parents to purchase fast food. 


Here's a list of some of  the common fast food establishments in America. 

• Arby's
• Burger King
• Five Guys  
• Jack in the Box                                                                                                                                       
• KFC
• McDonalds
• Pizza Hut
• Subway
• Taco Bell
• Wendy's

One of the logos of McDonalds

The reason fast food profitable business is because their are many benefits associated with it.  None of these benefits dealing with health of course.  In today's society time is scarce and to save time, fast food is a great way to receive a quick meal for an entire family.  Another reason fast food is such a hot commodity is because of how mobile it is.  The drive through allows people to purchase the product and take it to wherever they are going.  The last reason fast food is great is because of how inexpensive it is.  Most menus from McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy's, etc have a section called the value or dollar menu.  


When looking at the benefits are they worth it.  Do the pros out weigh the cons?  The answer is no because of the outstanding numbers of Americans that are becoming obese.  When looking at the statistics, the number of obese children has almost tripled.  "More than one in five children between the ages of 6 and 17 are now considered overweight." (donorschoose.org)  These numbers are going to keep going up in the future.  Its easy to link fast food as one of the main causes to obesity along with no exercise and other junk foods.    


What does obesity do to our society?  They hurt our healthcare system because of the medical attention required from obese people.  Another possible effect obesity is it can set a chain reaction causing those around you to become obese.  The reason this could happen is because they believe it is socially acceptable to become obese.  The last effect obesity has on our society is it allows other countries to stereotype our country.  It doesn't only affect society as it also can harm the individual.    


As in individual obesity can hurt you emotionally and physically.  It can lower ones self esteem which leads eating more food as comfort.  Another problem obesity poses is all the health problems associated with it such as diabetes, heart problems, rise in blood pressure and there are some reported incidence of cancer.  

McDonald's premium Caesar Salad

Fast food establishments have taken a step to try and get rid of the negative connotation that their food is not healthy.  They've added new menu's to their items to try and encourage their customers that there are healthy alternatives.  McDonalds for example has added snack wraps, salads, fruits, yogurt and oat meals to try an hit a different group of customers.  The problem though is these foods aren't exactly as healthy as they seem as they are still packed with calories and large amounts of sodium.  The premium caesar salad with crispy chicken contains a whopping 350 calories and 740 mg of sodium.  That's more calories then a cheeseburger, hamburger, four piece chicken nugget and McChicken.  These new items may have changed the face of what they serve but the calories are still packed in.


I'm not telling everyone to stop eating fast food in general but there are other methods you could go about this.  It is impossible for some people to stop eating fast food so there are alternative methods when visiting a fast food joint.  In moderation it doesn't have as bad of an affect on you.  To ensure that your eating fast food in moderation set goals for yourself such as only eating fast food once a week.  Move up within these goals to the point where you only need fast food once every two weeks and keep working at it.  Another way to lessen the severity of fast food is portion control.  Instead of getting a super sized fry stick with the medium or small.  The last way make sure that fast food isn't detrimental to your health is by researching the menu.  Looking for the best  choices on the menu with the lowest calories and most nutrition. 


Take a little more pride in your health and encourage others to do the same.  Cutting out or lessening fast food trips by eating at home which is a great way to start.  Take it a step at a time and try and figure out healthier methods when it comes to eating.    


By:  Dennis Wolf

Is it the End of the Big Three?

The Celtics is a great franchise with seventeen NBA titles under its belt it currently leads the NBA in championships.  Champions gained through the recruitment of players who simply love the game.  The first big three was made up of Larry Bird, Robert Parish and Kevin McHale.  This big three dominated the late 1950's and mid 1980's of the NBA.  

Kevin Garnett

In 2007-2008 a new big three was created to hopefully show dominance like the older big three.  This big three was made of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen.  Paul Pierce was the original captain of the team, Kevin Garnett had been traded from the Minnesota Timberwolves, and Ray Allen was traded from the Sonics.

This big three was able to dominate the the NBA through 2007-2012.  The first season this team was assembled they had the record of 66-16.  In the time period of 2007-2012 they had won the Celtic's franchise its the championship in 2008 and the conference title in 2010.  

June 7, 2012, game six is believe to be the last time the big three would play together on the same team in their own arena the TD Garden.  

As of June 9, 2012, the Celtics were officially knocked out of the NBA's conference finals.  They had lasted all seven games with the younger Miami Heat squad.  It was honestly a great end to such a great series.

Paul Pierce being defended by Leb-
ron James

With this lost, most people are wondering what happens now?  From watching the game seven, one can see that the aging Celtics played a great first half each game and lacked the energy to finish the second half due to fatigue.  Age was taking a toll on their bodies that they fought so hard to maintain.

Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett are currently 36 years old each and listed as free agents.  Paul Pierce is 34 years old and has two more years on his contract.  

With all these aging team members the Celtics need to start looking for new young gun.  Keeping Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett would only hurt their chances of a better future and they understand that.  

Rebuilding will be tough but, Doc Rivers will do a good job with the upcoming draft and free agents in the market are looking great.  I look forward to the upcoming season of the Boston Celtics.       

Do People Play Sports for the Right Reasons?

Terrell Owens a professional
football player 

Athletics are everywhere from the time your born to the time you die.  Whether you choose in between sports or if you even take the chance to participate in a sport is yours and only your choice.  

Growing up into sports I've learned of good reasons to do sports and I've learned of bad reasons to do sports.  

Good reasons to do sports can be to connect with friends, become more physically fit, express emotions, etc.  The reason these are all good reasons is because you believe they are.  These reasons help make different sports what they are today.

Ray Allen playing for his most current
team the Boston Celtics

For example, in the eyes of many pro athletes today is passion.  This passion is exhibited through their dedication of the game, through their countless hours practicing, extra reps in the gym and pain endured.  If a player shows passion, they have the chance to become stars.  Michael Jordan didn't become a good basketball by watching T.V everyday after all, he took the time to perfect his shot.  One great example of a current basketball is Ray Allen.  Hes spent so many hours in the gym shooting and perfecting his three pointers he has a lot to show for it.  Hes been the NBA All Stars 3 Point Champion, broken many franchise three pointer records on every team hes been on, Ranked second all time in three points behind Reggie Miller, and the list goes on.      

With the good reasons to do a sport come bad reasons.  From my experience I've seen parents push their children into sports.  My friend was bribed into playing basketball which resulted in hatred towards the game.  Whenever we would say we were playing basketball  for fun he would claim he was busy with other tasks.  

Another bad reason to do a sport is to simply live on the hype associated with it.  For example football players are stereotyped in many ways.  One popular stereo type is football players get all the girls and are the strongest.  If someone were to join their high school team, they would want these stereotypes to follow them.  In my past however, I've grown to learn that it doesn't particularly matter which sport you play, everyone has an equal chance to get whatever girl they like.  

The reason each of these examples is negative is because it shows that you don't exhibit what I called earlier passion.  Your doing it to please or benefit yourself in a bad way.  

People need to open their eyes and do what they feel is best for them.  Not only does it affect your attitude but it affects the attitude of an entire team.  So wake up and smell the coffee and simply do you.    

By: Dennis Wolf