Media Convergence Initiative

Science Writers Convention Brings About an Astonishing Claim Regarding the Implications of Global Warming.

Posted on November 14, 2013 by jsjones

An intriguing event came to a close recently, right here in Florida. Known as the Science Writers convention, the gathering was held from November 1-5 and featured a collection of journalists who write about… yes, you guessed it! Science.

The Science Writers 2013 convention gave rise to a rather interesting announcement from paleontologist, Jonathan Bloch. Bloch, who is employed at the Florida Museum of Natural History, opened up about his research into the correlation between warmer temperatures and the body sizes of various reptiles as well as mammals.

Bloch explained that his team of scientists conducted a study into the fossils of land-dwellers that inhabited the Earth millions and millions of years ago. Astonishingly, he described that hotter climates indicated an increase in the size of many creatures. For example, one fossil that Bloch studied was of a 60 million-year-old turtle that was as large as a kitchen table. Another reptile fossil, which was around the same age, included a snake that was in excess of 30 feet!

Being that reptiles are cold-blooded, they depend entirely on the environment to regulate their body heat and temperature. Such staggering sizes would only be possible if the temperatures in which the reptiles lived was incredibly hot. Bloch’s research implies that as such things as pollution persist, climate change will continue to increase the world’s temperature over the years. This could potentially result in future mammals and reptiles appearing in size as they did millions of years ago.

Although the research predicts a rather astounding change in the sizes of future wildlife, the study does pose rather serious implications of just how much global warming could potentially affect the planet.

Posted in Education, Environment, General, World News | Comments Off

TV News Anchor Proposed to On-Air

Posted on November 14, 2013 by xchellz

What girl doesn’t dream about being proposed to? Many think of the most romantic ways like having a restaurant rented out, a nice walk in a beautiful park, and some even in the middle of Times Square surrounded by lights and people. With all of these ideas in mind, who would have ever thought of being proposed to in the middle of a news segment? Probably not too many women, but this is what happened to one news anchor on November 1st.

Courtney Reagan is CNBC’s retail correspondent and her boyfriend came to propose to her while she was doing a segment. Here’s how everything happened. First, Courtney was supposed to be off that day because she planned to rest before her big run in the New York Marathon the following day. She was not necessarily pleased when her boss told her that it was extremely necessary for her to come in to work that day, but of course, she did. Next, she was told that she was going to be doing a segment on holiday shopping with another anchor, Tyler Mathisen. Everything gets set up and they go on air. Tyler starts off with talking about jewelry shopping during the holidays and also from a place called Jared which was a great transition for Courtney’s boyfriend, also named Jared, to walk in. Like anyone could have guessed, she was shocked yet happy to see him. Then came the water works as he got down on one knee, on camera, to propose to her.

This happened on November 1st but was just released for all to see today, November 14th. This might not have been every girl’s ideal proposal but no one could argue that it wasn’t romantic. Courtney, of course, is probably very happy that she came in to work that day.

Posted in Entertainment | Comments Off

White Anti-Gay Activist Wins Local Election By Pretending To Be Black

Posted on November 13, 2013 by lyle evan peterson

In this day in age, politicians aren’t the most trusted public figures in the country, despite the fact that they’re some of the most powerful and influential. We’ve caught them in lies about adultery, scams and other sensational scandals. Dave Wilson, the newest member of Houston Community College Board of Trustees is no different, in terms of a scandal that is. But what makes his scandal unique? As a white anti-gay activist, who unsuccessful ran for Houston mayor in 2011, this time around he decided to pretend to be black in order to win votes from a predominantly black community.

Pretending to be another race isn’t something that one would think could be easily accomplished; however Wilson did so with ease. Wilson’s direct mail fliers on featured African American faces, which he admitted he simply found from the Internet, at the bottom was a caption that read “Pleas vote for our friend and neighbor Dave Wilson.” In another flyer he said he was “Endorsed by Ron Wilson”, who voter assumed was their former state representative, an African American man. In small print a caption read, “Ron Wilson and Dave Wilson are cousins, “ in actuality Dave has a cousin named Ron Wilson in Iowa…not a ex- state representative.

Opponents, who Wilson barely beat in the election, by a mere 26 votes, are enraged and attempting to seek a recount. If Wilson never gets another political position, at least he’s made a name for himself.

Posted in Politics | Comments Off

Super Typhoon Haiyan and How We Can Help.

Posted on November 13, 2013 by v.king

Super Typhoon Haiyan was coined one of the strongest tropical cyclones to hit land anywhere in the world in recorded history and unfortunately it hit the islands of the Philippines on Friday morning (November 8th). More than 100,000 people took shelter in evacuation centers or to nearby islands and hundreds of flights were canceled. It was reported that the winds were 195 miles per hour and gust as strong as 235 miles per hour.

More than 1800 are dead but the people who have survived have no home to go back to. Organizations like Doctor’s Without Borders, Unicef, American Red Cross, etc. are there to help provide fresh water and help clean up the most devastated areas. We can help by donating to these organizations and volunteering to help. So far $20768800.00 has been raised to help rebuild and provide shelter, food, and water for those who were not able to evacuate.

Posted in World News | Comments Off

The United States is One of The First Countries to Respond to Tragedies, and Its People Need to Also Remember Those Who Are Greatly Suffering

Posted on November 11, 2013 by gloria vargas

There is a passage in the bible in the book of Luke that talks about a poor man who always laid down at the door of a rich man, “who feasted sumptuously every day,” desiring to be fed with the crumbs falling from the table of the rich man. I compare the rich man to the citizens and residents of The United States. We have even beyond our needs; we even have to cover our whims. We recognize and are thankful that The United States is one of the first nations to answer and assist when a tragedy hits another nation; but as individuals, I ask God to not let us concentrate in ourselves alone and become a selfish people. When tragedies as the typhoon hitting Philippines come, I feel great admiration for the people who risk their lives, not being afraid of diseases who go personally to help with food, clothing, medicine and even helping out to rebuild the city. It is so easy to stay in our comfort zone forgetting that our neighbors are suffering. Yes, I know regarding to distance the Philippines is not around the corner. However, there are more than three million Overseas Filipinos in the United States, and we need to consider them our neighbors and remember that the survivor victims of the typhoon are waiting to be fed with a little bit more than crumbs. Let us save the money we spend eating outside for a day, and let’s go to donate to one of the organizations willing to go and help our brothers in need.

Posted in General, World News | Comments Off

Studies show Americans settle into retirement too early

Posted on November 11, 2013 by bsnider92

Studies conducted by Genworth reveal that Americans are “retiring earlier… but underestimating retirement expenses.” In fact, many retirees are at risk of outliving their retirement savings because of the uncertainties of traditional sources of retirement income that are no longer coming in.

A large factor involved in Americans not being able to save enough to put towards retirement has to do with the debt they have accrued in their lifetime. A survey conducted by Wells Fargo showed that most middle-class families place a higher priority on paying off their debt rather than saving for retirement—and understandably so.

In addition, the Genworth survey showed that 52% of people about to settle into retirement believe that their expenses will actually decrease, when in reality 65% of people saw an increase. In fact, only 12% of people who entered retirement said that they actually had enough money saved to maintain their lifestyles and certain additional higher expenses.

These numbers call for Americans to become educated on the best ways to save properly for their retirement. It is scary to think that the old ways of living and retirement are just that—old, and very quickly becoming a thing of the past. Americans have to get more creative and thrifty with new ways to save their hard-earned money.

Also there is the fact to consider that Americans are simply just retiring too early, when they should work (if they are able) for a few more years to contribute more to their retirement fund. For many, an early retirement may lead to many financial troubles up ahead.

Posted in Economy, General | Comments Off

Life After Reality Television: Big Changes For TLC Star Jon Gosselin

Posted on November 11, 2013 by alice_moskola

A father of eight and a former TLC reality star, Jon Gosselin was living the dream when his show brought in huge sums of money and fame. Although having eight children is no piece of cake, the income from his family’s television show Jon and Kate Plus 8 allowed the family to experience a plethora of costly opportunities while moving into a 1.3 million dollar home. Life became slightly more difficult when his relationship with his wife Kate hit rock bottom. This change was not only a difficult personal matter but a public spectacle as the couple continued to raise their children in the Hollywood spotlight. The concept of their show was always a controversial subject for viewers. While some enjoyed the program, others felt strongly toward the potential negative tolls it may take on the young Gosselin children. After a messy divorce and multiple years apart, Jon now lives alone in a log cabin. He makes his living waiting tables at a local restaurant while his wife and children remain in the mansion he once purchased. Although Jon chose his self-created path, he was unable to find suitable work after being actively in the public eye. He has become seemingly comfortable in his current lifestyle although he claims he cannot currently afford cable or internet access. The only worry Jon shares with the public is his recent concern regarding his children’s development. In a recent interview, he claimed that his children are not socially developing as normal children should. They struggle with peer interaction and some even avoid it completely. Jon blames this issue not only on his ex-wife’s parenting style but the children’s experience on television. This reconfirms the public’s concern that television has damaged these children, potentially for life. His once beautiful life was demolished by reality television and yet Jon regrets nothing. He claims that life is all about “learning from your mistakes” and would not have things any other way.

Posted in Entertainment | Comments Off

Sandy Hook Policeman’s PTSD Leads to Possible Termination Without Disability

Posted on November 11, 2013 by akilah.fields

Newtown, Connecticut police officer, Thomas Bean was a first responder at the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting that took place in December of 2012. It was his day off. Recently, Bean was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after going through an incredibly tough time following his encounter with the scene at Sandy Hook. “That day killed me inside,” he stated, “Nothing could prepare you for that.” Bean recalled walking into a grocery store recently and feeling scared that anyone could kill him at any moment. He also reported that he almost cut himself with a razor because he wanted to “feel something.”

Now, the Newtown Police Department is seriously considering terminating Bean for his condition and will only be able to provide him with two years of long-term disability when he still had twelve years until retirement. The state of Connecticut is one of the few states that only offers mental health care to those with an accompanying physical injury for long-term disability claims. The union that supports Newtown police officers is now threatening to file a lawsuit.

“If I had my arm chopped off, they would say, ‘Oh yeah, he’s hurt.’ But instead they’re like, ‘We can sweep this under the rug and not necessarily have to pay because… it’s not physically seen.’” Joe Aresimowicz, the house majority leader in the state General Assembly commented, saying, “The last thing you want is a first responder getting ready to enter a situation and have them think, ‘I wonder what long-term harm this will do to me.’” This thought process could potentially have drastic consequences on the integrity of the police force, and it is certainly an issue that should not be taken lightly.

Posted in General, Health, Politics | Tagged Connecticut, disability, Elementary, Hook, Law, police, PTSD, Sandy, shooting | Comments Off

Senior Communites Are Highly Susceptible to Illnesses.

Posted on November 11, 2013 by stephaniemmuniz

Elderly communities, such as retirement and assisted livings, provide seniors with twenty-four hour service need it be medical assistance or leisurely entertainment. Often, these communities will house a large number of different residents ranging in age and disabilities. Recent studies have shown that these senior facilities have had a recent growth of communicable diseases and illnesses among seniors that reside in these communities. With shared common areas and proximity, it is not rare for a resident to pass along any germs or illnesses to another neighboring resident.

Senior communities provide residents with care from licensed nursing staff. Each community operates health services through a director of nursing. These directors are to inform staff of communicable diseases and illnesses that can be passed from resident to resident or even staff and visitors. Seniors in these communities are typically women aged eighty-five plus, although men and different ranges of ages reside in these facilities as well. All incoming residents must come into the community with a release from the last hospital they were admitted to, also known as an 1823. An 1823 informs the staff of any existing medical illnesses or any outstanding medical history. Typically, residents will often be welcomed into communities by encouragement of participating in actives and eating amongst other residents in a common dining area. With a weaker immune system, these residents can often pick up germs and viruses floating around the community; whether it be by coughing in proximity to one another, or touching fouled items. These facilities must stress to employees and visitors that it vital to always keep a clean atmospheres for these communities and to always wash hands and cover a cough.

Posted in Health | Comments Off

For many Fukushima evacuees, most are unlikely to ever return home

Posted on November 11, 2013 by holypointejoey

Among the thousands of evacuees from the ghost town of Fukushima, many are beginning to realize that they will likely never return to the town following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster. Unfortunately for those many evacuees, the government hasn’t fully accepted the unlikely return home. The ambitious $30 billion clean-up plan set up by the previous government administration will not be enough to achieve the long-term radiation reduction that the administration originally hoped. It’s time for the government to consider a proposal offering compensation to those residents who have no future prospect of returning home. Around 50,000 of the original 160,000 evacuees remain living in the temporary housing units that are nearing their 3-year limit promised by the government. Back in August, the number of people in Fukushima who have died due to prolonged exposure rose to 1,539.

Some hoped the decontamination project employing the thousands of workers to strip trees, remove topsoil, and re-spray roads would be enough to reach the ambitious goal of a 20 millisieverts annual radiation dose. Of course, these hopes were far-fetched from the beginning because 90 percent of the reduction in radiation is meant to come from natural decay of radioactive particles over time. Most evacuees are determined to never return back to their towns no matter how well the decontamination goes. In a survey of the evacuees from Tomioka, one of the most heavily-contaminated towns, only 12 percent stated that they wanted to return to their homes. There are serious concerns on the health risks towards children living in the area. Among those factors, evacuees would have to consider the lack of jobs, groceries, and medical facilities in the towns that have been abandoned since 2011.