jarespond's blog

Schools continue to ban dangerous games... like, you know... tag

By jarespond - Posted on June 27th, 2006
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A recent story by USA Today brings to mind a string of similar stories that have been released over the past decade or so, each with slightly different content, but leading to the same point.  It all started around the time of the Columbine massacre, when teachers began to see the similarities between games like dodgeball and the acts of purchasing a gun, concealing it, crafting a plot, and attacking a school.  I realize that the concept sounds absurd, but a number of public schools adopted this line of logic and banned dodgeball and other, similar games that are often played on "field day," such as the egg toss/waterballoon toss (it's like a grenade, apparently).  Read More »
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Warren Buffet to give away approximately 37 BILLION dollars to charity

By jarespond - Posted on June 25th, 2006
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<Source: Fortune Magazine>

It's really easy and cliche to "hate the rich people."  I know that I've discussed this topic before, in the context of celebrities and their gifts to philanthropic organizations and causes, but those are people who are paid for doing something of little consequence, although many of their gifts have totaled millions of dollars.   Read More »
24 comments  •  7696 reads

Smoke pot a month ago? That's good enough for a DUI in Michigan...

By jarespond - Posted on June 23rd, 2006
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The author of a story in the Detroit News reveals that Michigan has passed a new law under which anyone found to have 11 carboxy-THC in his or her body during a traffic stop, a chemical by-product of marijuana use, can be punished for driving under the influence (DUI).  This ruling is apparently based on several cases where marijuana was used within an hour of a fatal car accident.  This may not seem significant at first, but it is a dangerous infringement on personal liberty.  Read More »
7 comments  •  1706 reads

Art teacher Tamara Hoover under fire for appearing topless in artistic photos

By jarespond - Posted on June 21st, 2006
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<Source: CNN>

There have been a number of cases in this year alone of effective teachers being
investigated and/or dismissed from their positions for actions that either encourage
learning or that are entirely unrelated to their capacities as a teacher.  File the name  Read More »
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Indonesia convenes conference to combat avian (bird) flu

By jarespond - Posted on June 21st, 2006
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Voice of America News out of Jakarta is reporting that Indonesia is in the process of
running a conference dedicated to the avian (bird) flu, H5N1.  According to the report,
"Indonesia has the second-highest number of human cases, 51 of the H5N1 virus. Only
Vietnam, with 93 cases and 42 deaths, has more."  However, the authors of the report are  Read More »
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A link between sleep deprivation and obesity?

By jarespond - Posted on June 19th, 2006
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Despite the recent advances made in the arena of obesity and its links to sleep deprivation, significant knowledge gaps remain in place and continue to hinder the application of public health’s understanding of this issue to real-world problems.  While there is not a single study in the literature in which the authors have examined the relationship between sleep deprivation and obesity and failed to report a significant association, there is significant confusion as to the direction (or even as to the existence) of causality between the independent and dependant variables.  Read More »

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Don't feel like being a good neighbor? Don't worry, you can just shoot anyone who complains.

By jarespond - Posted on June 18th, 2006
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<Source: The Free Lance-Star>

At the Garrison Woods apartment complex in North Stafford, VA, a 25-year-old man was shot recently for the crime of attempting to be a good neighbor.  According to reports, there were a number of young men generating a lot of noise outside of the complex, and a woman from the building asked them to quiet down.  After being verbally abused by the young men, a man visiting the woman stepped in to defend her.  After apparently trading blows with one of the noisemakers (there is no indication as to who started the physical altercation... but inductive thinking will bring the reader far here), the good neighbor was shot in the arm.  Let's review, shall we?  Read More »
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Document discovered that outlines plot to orchestrate war between the United States and Iran

By jarespond - Posted on June 15th, 2006
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<Source: StarTribune, at: http://www.startribune.com/722/story/494515.html>

According to the StarTribune, documents found in the home of al-Zarquawi's house suggest that, among other plans, there was a potential operation designed to force a war between America and Iran.  Furthermore, there is evidence that such a war was determined to be one of the most effective ways to destabilize this country's efforts against Iraq.  Read More »

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