Missing Plane Sends Satellite Signals but is Still Yet to be Found

After two long weeks of searching, the scenario of the missing Malaysian Flight MH370 has ended tragically in the Indian Ocean with no known survivors found. While most people assumed that something along these lines was the reason that the flight mysteriously disappeared, it was still quite upsetting to hear about how the events ended. I’m certain many of us would have preferred the flight to have the same flight as that of the Twilight Zone episode “The Odyssey of Flight 33” because in that case at least the people on board would have lived to tell the tale.

However, the investigation is far from being over. People are still perplexed over the fact that the flight went so far off course near the coast of Australia. While satellite picked up where the plane is, people are still searching for its exact location and it is expected to be at the bottom of the ocean. The general vicinity of the plane was reportedly found through a “ping” that was sent every hour to a satellite even after the plane’s communication systems had failed .It is still unclear as to whether or not the families of those on board will be flown to Australia where the search for the plane continues.

On a positive note, all of the passengers have been cleared of suspicion. Several people had feared that the plane had been hijacked and because of that crashed somewhere. While this does not ease the families’ heartbreak, they can rest assured that none of their loved ones took part in the plane’s and fellow passengers’ demise. Despite the fact that the events ended so tragically it was a relief to hear that some light had been shed on the flight’s location. With many different organizations searching for the flight with its general vicinity known, the remains of Malaysian Flight MH370 should soon be found.

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Pitcher’s Safety #1 Priority for MLB

Imagine being an MLB pitcher.  Standing sixty feet, six inches from the batter with nothing but air in between.  Suddenly, in a blink of an eye you’re hit with a line drive and on the ground in immense pain.  Unfortunately, this became a reality for Cincinnati Reds star closer Aroldis Chapman this past week.

Pitching in a meaningless spring training game last week, Aroldis Chapman was struck in the face by a ball.  Chapman is known for throwing extremely hard including throwing the fastest pitch ever recorded at 105 mph.  After throwing a 99 mph fastball, the ball was hit back at an estimated 112 mph which struck Chapman right above his left eye.  He immediately hit the ground and was kicking his feet in pain.  The result was a fractured bone in his face, a laceration above his eye, and a mild concussion.  He required surgery the day after to insert a metal plate into his face and can resume pitching in 4-8 weeks.

There have been talks for many years within MLB about protecting pitchers on the mound.  A prototype helmet was created for pitchers to wear during the game but hasn’t been tried out yet.  Pitchers have stated they wouldn’t wear the helmet because it would be uncomfortable and effect their performance, but something has to be done.  Chapman was very lucky that his injuries weren’t worse than they were.  I still do not know how he escaped a brain injury after watching the video.

Even if Chapman was wearing a helmet, the ball struck him in the face which still would have been unprotected.  A helmet may not be the solution, but something must be done before a player dies on the field.

 

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Founder of Westboro Baptist Church, Rev. Fred Phelps dies

The Westboro Baptist Church has never been one to be talked about fondly. Commonly known as the most hated family in America, the Phelps’ are notorious for picketing and protesting against soldiers funerals and homosexuality. The Church is made up of mostly Fred’s  extended family and has inspired a federal law and laws in numerous states limiting picketing at funerals. However, they also brewed a monumental supreme court case that states the church and its members can’t be sued for damages for inflicting pain on families at funerals because of the first amendment.

So now the world is asking, will the picketing stop because of the death of the church’s founders? Unfortunately, it seems that the family is dedicated in continuing Fred’s legacy. The day after Phelps’ death members of the church responded by saying “It’s no different today. Duty is the same”, as they picketed on 17th and Gage in the city of Topeka. On Thursday they even sent out a tweet saying “Westoboro Baptist church thanks God for Fred Phelps Sr.’s passing”.

On the other hand, most people just hope that the hated picketing will just evolve into nothing. One woman stood outside the church handing out free “No Fred” buttons, while the former mayor of Topeka stated that having them in the city does no well to its’ image.

Personally, I can not say that I am necessarily happy about the death of one of the most ridiculous and evil men on the planet, as I do not wish death upon anyone, but as Clarence Darrow states “I have never wished a man dead, but I have read many an obituary with great pleasure.” The Westboro Baptist church will not be holding a funeral for their founder, I guess they’re a little afraid of getting a taste of their own medicine.

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Somber Message Heard Around the World: Flight 370 Passengers Did Not Survive

After two weeks of searching and endless questions, Malaysian government and airline have come to the conclusion about the fate of the passengers. Searching is still going on, however it’s for the plane and not the passengers. The plane, like the French plane that went missing and found after a couple years, was equipped with a cockpit recorder that could hopefully give the global immunity answers to went on 12 minutes after the pilots last words to air traffic control.

Malaysia Airlines sent a text message to the families of those onboard Malaysian Flight 370 had been “lost.”

“Malaysia Airlines deeply regrets that we have to assume beyond any reasonable doubt that MH370 has been lost and that none of those on board survived.  As you will hear in the next hour from Malaysia’s Prime Minister, we must now accept all evidence suggests the plane went down in the Southern Indian Ocean.”

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said new data show that Malaysian Flight 370 crashed in the Indian Ocean. During a news conference in Malaysia this morning, he offered condolences to family members, and added that more information would be released Tuesday.

An international search was initiated to find the missing plane after it disappeared March 8 with 239 people on board during a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Razak said the crash left no survivors. The prime minister said no debris had been recovered and did not mention the green and grey objects spotted to the west Australia’s western coast.

http://www.latimes.com/world/worldnow/la-fg-wn-malaysia-plane-prime-miniter-20140324,0,3702204.story#axzz2wuU5DaKO

http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/world/2014/03/24/nr-malaysia-prime-minister- razak-plane-presser.cnn &hpt=zite_zite1_featured &video_referrer=  http%3A%2F%2F www.cnn.com%2Ftrends%2F%3Fhpt%3Dsitenav

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Couple living on a yacht in Florida while receiving Minnesota welfare benefits charged with fraud

Minnesota prosecutors announced on Friday that a couple currently living on a yacht in Florida will be charged with fraud after years of wrongfully accepting food stamps and other public assistance.

The couple have accepted over $165,000 in public assistance since 2005 and up until 2012 when their scheme was discovered and benefits were immediately cancelled. The names of the millionaires collecting food stamps? Husband Colin Chrisholm III and his wife Andrea Chrisholm.

The couple is reported to have been living in a yacht they purchased almost a decade ago in 2005. According to records, this yacht (named ‘The Andrea Aras’) was purchased shortly after applying for Minnesota welfare benefits. The couple is accused of lying about living in Minnesota while actually residing at the yacht near the Palm Beach area of Florida.

The Chrisholms are not only the owners of a yacht, the family also owns a massive six bedroom lakeside home, Florida beach property, and a Lexus worth around thirty thousand dollars. Where does this wealth come from? Colin Chrisholm was the cheif executive officer at a satellite television company and his wife raised and bred championship dogs. The couple is reported to have over $2.6 million in bank accounts. This wealth was not reported on welfare benefit applications, hence the fraud charges.

Colin Chrisholm and his wife are each being charged with a felony count of wrongfully obtaining public assistance in excess of $35,000. Charges against Colin Chrisholm were filed in February, his wife’s charges were filed last Thursday. Currently the couple’s whereabouts are unclear, as police are still looking for them.

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Why Dating Should Be Enjoyable: A Learning Experience

Whether you are married or single, looking or currently head over heels, everyone has had to date at one point or another. That could either have been the most fun in your life or hell on Earth.

As society and the world around us changes, dating is ever changing as well. No longer do we go to a 75 cent movie with guys dressed in leather jackets and girls in poodle skirts.

Is there more pressure on dating now than there used to be?

There is a thin line between what a real date even is anymore.  Does a date have to be the classic dinner than movie? Or is it acceptable to grab a drink after work and call it a date?

The key is communication.

That may mean a phone call, text, email, or message over a media site, or even face to face contact.

Regardless of the form of communication, if both parties agreed to a specific place at a specific time for a specific point of getting to know one another then that should be classified as a date.

There are so many stigmas of how one should be asked out on a date and where to go that people lose sight of what a date is supposed to be about.

Essentially, dating is to get to know another person and have a good time. Dating should also be about growing. People can learn so much about themselves by learning from others.

Our society needs to focus on learning about other people and being selfless. Once that is established dating will become fun and the best time of your life.

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New Dr. Phillips Center promotes Local Artists

The Florida Theatrical Association and the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts announced the first Broadway America Season at the new Dr. Phillips Center with Phantom of the Opera. Opening in November, the season will start on December 3rd with Motown the Musical, and will also feature The Book of Mormon, Pippin, Beauty and the beast and many more!

The arts have always been a rich part of our history, and many art lovers and performers alike have always wanted a place where they can go and perform to their hearts content. In 2003, the Orlando Performing Arts Center Corporation was established, which provided the first stepping stone to transform Orlando into the thriving arts center that everyone has been waiting for. From 2005 to 2007, several plans were made from creating the blueprints for the building, as well as the financial needs. On August 22nd, 2008, the design of the performing arts center was unveiled at a public celebration. A 100 foot tall flagpole with an orange and white flag was raised at the future location of the front door of the center. The flag was raised as a gesture and appreciation for all of those who made the project possible, and also as a sign of commitment for the future of the project.

In 2009, things became a little tricky. Due to the decline in the economy, funding from the TDT was delayed, which also altered the original construction timeline for the center. The community then came together and asked for local support in order to continue with the project. With several people donating to the cause, including Disney, the project was able to move forward. In 2010, the center officially launched its new brand and name- Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. The center was named after the Phillips family, who have always been deeply involved in supporting the arts in Central Florida, and have often hosted musicians and artists in their own home. The center also launched its first social media initiatives with Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Flikr. With over ninety million dollars pledged to date, the center would take off with a bang, with tons of plans to make it the top performance center in Orlando.

The mission of the center is “to provide an inspirational, creative place where people love to be and where people love to work.” This mission will be realized with the build of a 330,000 square foot facility on over nine acres of land. The siteplan will include an acoustical theater, a Walt Disney theater, a rehearsal room, as well as a School of the Arts. Construction is currently underway and is scheduled to be complete in November, with the first show on December 3rd.

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Malaysia’s lost Flight 370 claimed to be found with No actual evidence and No survivors!!

Malaysia’s lost flight 370 for about a week now was finally found this morning down over by the southern Indian Ocean. A new analysis of satellite data by a British satellite company and accident investigators apparently ended any hopes that anyone survived. Malaysian Prime Minister, Najib Razak, statement that there were no survivors came after the airline sent a text message to relatives saying it “deeply regrets that we have to assume beyond any reasonable doubt that MH 370 has been lost and that none of those on board survived.” I found to be heartbreaking and cold for an airline to send family members of all those lost lives this devastating news through a simple, dry text message and it just shows the amount of respect they have for their own people. Which brings me to my next point, was the plane really lost? Or is this just something to clear any suspicion of what really what happened to Malaysia’s lost flight 370.

In addition, according to reporters that were begged to respect the privacy of relatives the Prime Minister based his announcement on what he described as unprecedented analysis of satellite data sent by the plane by British satellite provider, Inmarsat and the British Air Accidents Investigation Branch. But, didn’t describe the nature of the analysis although he said it made it clear that the plane’s last position was in the middle of the remote southern Indian Ocean, “far from any possible landing sites.” So, in other words the Malaysian lost flight 370 is basically being assumed to be completely lost based on satallite data by British satellite providers not even their own people from Malaysia, which explains why the relatives would be told this drastic news by a meaningless text message. Concluding with the fact that there is still no evidence of the Malaysian lost flight 370 being found in the southern Indian Ocean and that no one survived because everything is being based on where the last satellite signal was sent from the flight not actual evidence of the flight and the people in it. Also, i think that the relatives should beg for justice and not just leave it at that the flight was last tracked to be at the southern Indian Ocean with no evidence of the lost flight or the lost lives. So, the question still exists of what really happened to Malaysia’s lost flight 370 and is it possible that this was a terrorist attack and that the Malaysian Prime Minister and their government are aware of this, but just don’t want to worry their people or might just be in it with the same British people that are claiming the last seen satellite signal was by the southern Indian Ocean.

 

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Twelve-Year-Old Texas Girl Undergoes Weight Loss Surgery

Many of us struggle with weight problems and body image issues.  Society puts a lot of pressure on us to look perfect all the time, especially girls. So reflect back to when you were twelve years old. Middle school is a time when bodies start changing and the pressure on how we look begins. Now imagine you are twelve and not only growing, but growing a rate much faster than anyone around you. Before you know it you are the center of attention for the wrong reasons.

Twelve-year-old Alexis Shapiro from Texas knows this feeling. Despite being only twelve she is considered morbidly obese, but it is not her fault. At just nine years old Alexis was diagnosed with a benign brain tumor. She has a successful surgery to remove it; however, side effects left her with a rollercoaster metabolism. She needs gastric bypass surgery to curve her appetite and give her a normal life again. In her current state she gains two pounds a week while trying to adhere to a strict diet and exercise plane- her parents have had to padlock the kitchen cupboards. Without the surgery her diabetes will worsen and she will continue to balloon in size.

Gastric bypass will allow her to have more control over her body. She will be one of the youngest patients to ever undergo the surgery. In the first year she might be able to lose up to forty pounds. On the day of the surgery doctors changed the plan to a sleeve gastrectomy due to the size of Alexis’ liver. The new surgery will still allow the obese preteen to lose weight while also shrinking her liver.

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Vladimir Putin Invading & Conquering The Peninsula of Crimea

The latest conflict that has starred the world news during these past weeks was the crisis of Crimea. The international diplomatic crisis that raised when Viktor Yanukovich, the ex-president of Ukraine, was brought down as a product of the Euromaidan protests in Kiev.

After the protests in the capital, where a considerable number of deaths and injured people were affected, the desire from one part of the nation to unite Ukraine with the European Union has collapsed with the pro-Russian Ukrainians’ desire to strengthen the country’s relationship with Russia.

With the arrival of the new president of Ukraine, the pro-Russians have taken the chance to start a fight for the peninsula of Crimea, which had been belonging to Ukraine for more than 60 years.  A few weeks ago the Autonomic Republic of Crimea announced a call that was going to be carried away with the goal to integrate Crimea to Russia through an official act. And as a way to reinforce this action, the Russian government ordered its troops to move forward Crimea to supposedly “maintain and provide security among the pro-Russians citizens” until the situation had taken a rest.

However, some countries and international organizations such as the United States or the European Union did not appreciate this decision, considering that what Vladimir Putin ordered was considered as violating International law rules and conducts. Therefore Russia was warned to be punished.

The past week, Vladimir Putin and Vladimir Konstantinov, the mayor of Sebastopol (capital of Crimea) signed the treaty, which ensured the state of Crimea as officially part of Russia.

The response of Ukraine was to back down its troops that were in Crimea in order to cease the territory to Russia, which was ordered by the new Ukrainian president in order to avoid a bath of blood.

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