Media Convergence Initiative

Earnhardt Jr Wins Spectacular Daytona 500

Posted on February 24, 2014 by dougcampbell06

In a race that featured the return of Dale Earnhardt’s famed #3 car, it would be his son winning the great American race for the first time in ten years and his first victory in the Sprint Cup Series since 2012. The 56th running of the Daytona 500 was delayed for almost six hours by rain during the middle of the race, with the stands being evacuated due to severe weather during the delay.

But it was a social media faux pas during the delay that garnered national headlines. During the early part of the delay FOX broadcasted a replay of the 2013 Daytona 500 that led to a multitude of social media activity believing the pictures they were seeing were from Sunday’s race. Most notably FOX News posted a congratulations to 2013 500 winner Jimmie Johnson after the replay had ended, unaware of the race actually being under a red flag. Several Twitter users began retweeting those who believed the race had played out in the exact same fashion as last year’s race, leading to even more confusion among those not in the know.

After the track was dried racing resumed with 160 laps to go. The threat of more rain turned drivers away from the single file riding of the first 40 laps and saw incredible three wide racing throughout the pack. A green flag run of nearly 100 laps was stopped with a multi-car wreck on the frontstretch that took out several contending cars, including Paul Menard, Aric Almirola, Michael Waltrip and Danica Patrick. Soon after two leading rookie contenders came together in turn three and piled up more cars, including fellow ROTY runners Cole Whitt and Parker Kligerman. 2011 Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne found himself in the backstretch wall after getting loose and ended his race 17 laps short. A wreck on lap 195 set the stage for the final two lap shootout with Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the lead. Earnhardt held the lead for the final two laps to take the win over Denny Hamlin after a caution on the final lap that took out Kyle Busch, Jamie McMurray and Carl Edwards among others. The win was Earnhardt’s second in the 500 and his first since Michigan in 2012. Hamlin’s second place was his worst finish of Speedweeks, after winning the Sprint Unlimited last Saturday and his Budweiser Duel race on Thursday night. Next week the series heads to Phoenix for the first short track race of the season.

Posted in General, Sports | Comments Off

Arizona passes anti-gay legislation; segre(gay)tion?

Posted on February 24, 2014 by diara

Arizona recently passed a law that allows any business owner to deny their services to the LGBTQ community under the grounds of religious belief. While it isn’t the only state with such legal action in motion. For example, Kansas was also making headlines with a similar bill. However, Arizona is the first to pass the bill. Many LGBTQ rights activists are calling this “the new segregation” and fear that more politically “red” states will be following suit. It’s sad to know that people will be denied their basic human rights based off sexuality. It is as if the LGBTQ community can’t escape being bullied, even after they’ve left high school behind.

Still, as long as people are willing to fight, we can hope that these laws will be changed. Some business owners that do not like the law are already fighting back in one way or another. Rocco’s Little Chicago Pizzeria in Tucson showed their dissatisfaction with the new law by posting a sign that read, “We reserve the right to refuse service to Arizona State Legislators.” This is just one example of how people have started to fight against the new laws. Hopefully, there will be many more protests to come.

Unfortunately, these bills being considered and passed just shows how much the LGBTQ community still has to fight for basic rights. There are only eighteen states where gay marriage is currently legal. While these states are shining examples of progress, it doesn’t seem to be enough when other states are moving backwards.

Posted in General, Odd News, Politics | Tagged antigay, Arizona, legislation, LGBTQ, segregation | Comments Off

California Girl Scout Sells Cookies Outside San Francisco Cannabis Clinic

Posted on February 24, 2014 by elan iles

California Girl Scout, Danielle Lei, has gotten quite a bit of attention in the last few days on social media and even the news for her latest cookie selling fund raiser . Girl Scouts have been selling cookies for a number of years, but what makes Danielle Lei different is where she chose to sell them. Instead of setting up shop outside the local Walmart or CVS, Danielle Lei chose to sell cookies outside a Cannabis Clinic called the Green Cross.

Some people think selling cookies outside the clinic is a very smart move. Marijuana is a well known appetite stimulator so a lot of people think that it is a great business decision to sell cookies right outside the door. It seems to be working too, Danielle’s mom claimed that she sold 117 boxes in just two hours, 37 more boxes than she sold at the local grocery store in the same amount of time. It seems that, from a business standpoint, Danielle Lei has made a great choice of location for her fund raiser.

From a business standpoint, selling the cookies in front of the cannabis club is a great decision, but some argue that the morality is questionable. People are saying that it is setting a bad example for kids and that the mother should be ashamed of herself for exposing her daughter to drugs. Other people are saying that it is giving the Girl Scouts of America a bad name.

Danielle Lei’s mom doesn’t think it is a bad thing at all. She says that doing this fund raiser allows her to show her daughter different cultures, and selling outside of the cannabis clinic allows her to open up the topic of drugs for discussion. She says that she isn’t condoning the use of drugs, she’s just trying to educate her daughter while still coming off as the “cool mom”.

Posted in Business, Economy, General, Odd News | Comments Off

National Margarita Day Celebrated this Weekend

Posted on February 24, 2014 by kmart239

February 22 is a day that society celebrates and honors a cherished beverage choice. Loved and consumed by millions around the world, margaritas hold a special place in many people’s hearts. They are so famous that even Jimmy Buffet made a city just for them, Margaritaville. Whether you prefer a classic margarita on the rocks or a frozen one, National Margarita Day is a day for you to enjoy this festive drink with friends and family.

The origins of margaritas are unknown. The earliest known stories of the treasured cocktail came about in the 1930s. Most people agree that margaritas are a Mexican tradition and therefore pair perfectly with Spanish cuisine, but fear not they are just as delicious combined with any of your favorite foods.

The typical margarita consists of tequila, triple sec, and the juice of a lime or lemon. Over the years the margarita has developed into countless different flavors and mixtures though. They can range from watermelon to strawberry to lavender. Not everyone drinks alcohol and obviously small children are not consuming tequila; fear not, margaritas can even be made virgin. Although a fresh, handmade recipe is always the best anyone can buy a tasty margarita mix at the grocery store.

Whether it is National Margarita Day, Cinco de Mayo, or Wednesday afternoon, margaritas are meant to be appreciated responsibly with family and friends. With this fine holiday passing it brings to mind for everyone that cocktail fads come and go, but margaritas will be delicious forever.

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Ukrainian Revolution: President Viktor Yanukovich Resigns

Posted on February 24, 2014 by bri yost

After 3 months of revolution, the protesters and Ukrainian people have overthrown President Viktor Yanukovich. The ultra-nationalists had issued out an ultimatum to the government declaring that if the Ukrainian president didn’t resign by 10 am then violence would take place. Rather accidentally, the president resigned by leaving to Kharkiv to speak with regional governors. By doing this he left the capital at the most crucial time and things moved fast in his absence. The security forces changed loyalties as parliament ousted the former president and set up new elections. Rather popular and political nemesis Yulia Tymoshenko was released from prison and sent back to Kiev. All these actions took place seamlessly and peacefully.

There is still much to be seen. The west region of the country has been adamantly in favor of revolt, speaking mostly Ukrainian in an effort to promote independence. This is not the same case for eastern Ukraine, mostly made up of Russian speaking citizens more embracing of Russian influence. The question is how well will these two regions get along and if the Russian speaking east will go with any new changes. Civil war seems very unlikely, but the compliance between regions has not yet been determined.

Russia will respond but there are questions as to how. Russia will most definitely show its disapproval by exerting political pressure but specifics depend on how Russia wants to act. Russia has already frozen the second tranche of a promised loan to Ukraine but another strategy would be to cut of gas imports into the country. There is stil the possibility of sending troops but that is not at all suspected.

Ukraine now looks to the EU for help. Whether or not the EU will accept the country cannot be determined but for a long time there hasn’t been prominent help from that direction. Perhaps the newness of Ukraine’s situation will provoke a helping hand. Many pieces to still put together, but the Ukraine looks to be moving forward in its fight for freedom.

Posted in World News | Comments Off

Mysterious Polio-like Illness affects kids in California

Posted on February 24, 2014 by alandelav

Most of them strike without warning. Some can even depilate you. While the others…let us just say that death will be knocking on your doorstep. Diseases. Whether they are a virus, bacteria, or a fungi – diseases can strike without warning. In California, there has been some recent cases of a polio like disease striking fear into the hearts of families. News in California has stated that the Center of Disease Control believe that around 25 families have been affected. Furthermore, this disease does not affect adults, but focuses more in children. In 2012, authorities believe that Sofia Jarvis was the first case. Her symptoms started with Jarvis having difficulty breathing and wheezing from time to time. Her symptoms progressed to the point where now her left arm is paralyzed, she has weakness in her leg, and she has slight difficulty breathing.

Authorities of the Center of Disease Control states that families should not be worried due to the fact that this disease, whatever it is, is very rare. However, not all families are feeling that way. Many grandparents and parents remember the polio stricken days very fondly. It was not until the introduction of the Salk vaccine in 1954 that any protection against the polio strand was available. The good news is that it is a known fact that these children do not have polio. The bad news is that they have no idea what it is.

Places including the California Department of Public Health and the Center of Disease Control of Atlanta has asked health care providers to report any polio-like cases so that they may be able to identify and capture better specimens. This way, the doctors will be better to assess the situation. Even though the cause is still unknown, many MRI’s are showing a pattern of inflammation in the spinal cord. All we can do is work together to find a cure. All we can do is pray.

Posted in Health, Odd News, Science and Technology | Comments Off

Heating Up: Why the Miami Heat Are Still the Favorite to Win it All

Posted on February 24, 2014 by l.susan

After winning their second title, the Miami Heat began their fourth season of the Big Three era with a lot of questions surrounding them. Some of the most common include “Will LeBron leave Miami after this season?”, “Will the Heat be able to be the first team since the 80s to reach a fourth consecutive finals?”, “Is Dwyane Wade healthy enough to help the Heat three-peat?”, and “Will the Heat be able to overcome another grueling series over the gigantic Indiana Pacers?”

For some time, that seemed like a legitimate argument. The Pacers looked by far like the best team in the league for a big part of the regular season. Dwyane Wade also missed numerous games, sitting down most back-to-back games to conserve his knees, and the team itself has seen its share of inconsistencies, both on the defensive end and on the chemistry front, caused by a variety of different lineups due to the absence of Wade. It is safe to say that all of these circumstances validate the arguments made in the latter paragraphs.

However, things are beginning to tip in the direction of the Heat as the second half of the season goes under-way. Not only did they finish their recent west coast road trip with a 5-1 record, but also all of those wins came against strong playoff teams like the Clippers and the Thunder, where LeBron James put on an incredible display only to finish the win with a broken nose. That broken nose, however, gave Dwyane Wade a chance to quiet down all those questioning his health, flirting with a triple double in Sunday’s win against the Bulls without LeBron.

Even more spectacular that those stats, however, is the consistency that this team has shown in the last four years. For the last four seasons, the Heat have had a record of 39-14 through the first 53 games of the season. That is staggering when you consider the sheer amount of basketball that this team has had to play and endure to reach the finals for the last three years.

Yet, what makes Miami so dangerous, is the way they look when they get hungry, when that fire in their belly is re-kindled and they can smell the atmosphere of the playoffs, where another Larry O’Brien trophy could be waiting for them at the end of the long tunnel that is the 2013-2014 season. You can see this hunger in the relentlessness they have shown recently, both offensively and defensively.

If there is one thing we are reminded every single year is this: Never, ever count the Miami Heat out.

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Japanese Shimizu Corporation Proposes to Harness Solar Power from the Moon

Posted on February 24, 2014 by kelly.karsch

Although collecting natural forms of energy such as solar, wind, and water are common on Earth, a Japanese company has introduced the idea of building solar power cells on the moon to provide clean energy to the earth. Shimizu Corporation wants to build a solar strip across the Lunar equator that equals out to 11,000 kilometers wide. Their goal is to generate a constant stream of energy from the Moon’s equator. The Lunar equator receives a continuous stream of exposure from the Sun, and would beam energy to the Earth in the form of microwaves and lasers.

The company believes that the Earth will consume gigatons of oil in the next few decades. With constant clean energy, the company dreams of achieving a clean energy society that fulfills all of our energy needs. They advertise that the lunar surface achieves 24/7 continuous power generation and eliminates inefficiency due to bad weather.

Although the idea of such advanced technology sounds unbelievable, the project has a goal of beginning as early as 2035, and is a multi-phase project spread out over the course of 30 years. The project’s construction materials would consist of lunar concrete, ceramics, and other materials created by extracting cementing material and using solar-heat treatment. The futuristic concept consist of using remote-controlled robots to lay out the concrete and level the ground. Cables underneath the strip could transmit energy to transmission stations on the near side of the moon.

The company claims their planned system would be able to beam up to 13,000 terawatts 24/7 by sending the power to microwave power transmission antennas and converting the energy to DC electricity. Although the plan does seem kind of ludicrous, just the fact that ideas such as this are being proposed really does give us an insight into what the future is looking like. Shimizu Corporation is one of the largest architectural, engineering and general contracting firms and is one of the top 20 contractors in the world. I hope to see any form of solution to our energy crisis in my life time, and this would surely be an interesting one.

Posted in Economy, Environment, Odd News, Science and Technology, World News | Tagged Energy, Japan, Lunar Ring, Shimizu, Space | Comments Off

Spanish La Liga title race takes another plot twist, Atletico Madrid and Barcelona lose as Real Madrid goes top with win

Posted on February 24, 2014 by ballspach

This past weekend, the Spanish Primera Division title contenders offered another twist in the tale of this season’s campaign. With Atletico Madrid losing 3-0 in a crucial game against Osasuna, FC Barcelona dropping points in a 3-1 loss to Real Sociedad and Real Madrid cruising to a 3-0 victory against Elche on Saturday, the top spot in La Liga has changed hands to Real Madrid, who stand above Barcelona and Atletico by a 3-point difference. This change in leadership has come at an interesting point in the 2013-2014 European football campaign, and the weekend’s fixtures had their own twists and turns.

This point in the season is where the title is anyone’s to lose. All three teams will not only have to deal with their domestic affairs, but will have to incorporate their Champions League knockout games into their busy schedule. Atletico and Barcelona have already completed the first leg of their knockout fixtures last week, both getting crucial away wins. Real are set to play their German opponents, Schalke 04, this upcoming Wednesday. Barcelona may be in for a rough run of form, with their pivotal center defender, Gerard Pique, doubtful to return to the pitch in time for their 2nd leg match against high-powered attacking Manchester City FC. Meanwhile, the two Madrid sides are left with an interesting run of games, where they are set to play each other this Sunday in a heated derby match (rivalry game) that could offer another twist to the La Liga plot for this season. This is the point in team’s campaigns where they make or break their season, so it is crucial for all teams to get as many points out of games for La Liga, and to progress through the Champions League, all the meanwhile staying healthy as possible. It’s a 3-horse race for the title that is long from over, however.

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Viral ‘Flappy Bird’ Game says Goodbye for Good

Posted on February 24, 2014 by pascalk09

Maybe you have heard of the viral game Flappy Bird? It was available on both the Apple Store and Google Play until February 9, 2014 when it was removed by creator. The game was simplistic, the user guides ‘Flappy Bird’ through a series of pipes without hitting anything. The ultimate goal is to achieve a high score.

The game’s developer Dong Nguyen, 29, from Vietnam, told The Los Angeles Times he feels guilty about how successful and addictive the game has become. He also posted on his twitter that “ruins my simple life.” He says he did not take down the game due to copyright infringement.

The game was estimated to be bringing in $50,000.00 a day from advertising. All of the popularity and revenue from the game had people wondering if Nguyen would sell the game. However Nguyen says he will not sell the game. According to The Los Angeles Times people are now selling phones on Ebay and Cregslist that include the Flappy Bird application installed.

Dong Nguyen says that his decision was the right one. He claimed that he was not sleeping and uncomfortable with the successful of his game. He will continue to create games and put them up for download. “Flappy Bird was designed to play in a few minutes when you are relaxed.”

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