Bioterrorism

Recently this year I read a book called Code Orange. It was about a kid who thinks he accidently contracted the small pox infection. He goes on to a messege board site, and posts questions saying that he has small pox and he has small pox scabs. The next day he is abducted by terrorists who intend to use him as a "weapon" to contaminate other people.

This is an example of bioterrorism. Bioterrorism is where terrorists use viruses, bacteria, or other germs to cause illness or death in people, animals, or plants. Here is a link to the Center for Disease Control for more information on bioterrorism. There are many forms of terrorist attacks, but in my opinion biterrorism is particulary dangerous because all it takes is one microscopic germ to start the attack. And also the germs spread rapidly through a variety of ways from one person to another so a large group of people could be infected and not know about before it's too late.

Another example of bioterrorism is right after the 9/11 attacks, the U.S. had an anthrax scare. Anthrax was spread through the postal system of the U.S. using letters containing powder with the anthrax virus. Just recently as in the last few days if you have heard, a man named Andrew Speaker was told that he had got tuberculosis while on his honeymoon over seas. He was highly encouraged not to travel for risk of a spread of the disease, but he did anyway. He was finally caught, not knowing the danger he could of caused. Here is a link to more information about this if you have not heard about it.

As you can tell bioterrorism is very bad and dangerous. The germs used can be highly contagious and lethal. Just to give you a hint of the damage they can cause and how bad they are, I have provided a link to pictures of the smallpox infection on real human bodies. (Warning: pictures are a little disturbing.) Here is the link.

So this is my final blog post. My hope was that you learned more about bioterrorism and biological warfare in general. I know this is a little unnerving, but it is real, and terrorists have been proven to use it.

I hope everyone has a great last week of school, and a great summer!!!!

Matt

Holocaust + Death Sentence = Final Blog

Murder

That's what I'm going to talk about.

The Holocaust was the systematic killing of about 6 MILLION Jews during World War II. This year I read a book called I Have Lived A Thousand Years. It was a narrative of one girls struggle of survival in Auschwitz, one of the worst concentration camps in Europe.

And what is the Holocaust?

*The Holocaust is generally regarded as the systematic slaughter of not only 6 million Jews, (two-thirds of the total European Jewish population), the primary victims, but also 5 million others, approximately 11 million individuals wiped off the Earth by the Nazi regime and its collaborators. It is hard to grasp the idea that it isn't just 11 million deaths, but 11 million people whose lives were cut off becauseof racism and hate, all in a period of 11 years (1933-1945). There are actually two main phases to the Holocaust, the period between 1933 and 1939, the Nazi rise, and the period between 1939 and 1945, the period of war, or more specifically, World War II. The first concentration camp opened in January 1933, when the Nazis came to power, and continued to run until the end of the war and the Third Reich: May 8, 1945.
The Holocaust was the extermination of people not for who they were but for what they were. Groups such as handicaps, Gypsies, homosexuals, Jehovah's Witnesses, Catholics, Poles, Soviet prisoners of war, political dissidents and others were persecuted by the Nazis because of their religious/political beliefs, physical defects, or failure to fall into the "Aryan" ideal.*

It's so hard to imagine killing others due to their race, or religion...Especially 11 MILLION! I found a story about a man, John Michael Lamb, who was sent to prison for shooting and killing a man in Texas. After he killed the guy he stole his car and went to Florida. Seven days later he was found and taken back to Texas. In Texas they convicted him of 40 years in prison, but he declined the offer because he thought he could do better.

He was finally assigned an execution date of November 17, 1999. He was killed at 6:13 P.M. on the planned day by lethal injection. The last words that he spoke were:"I'm sorry -- I wish I could bring him back. I can't. Goodbye. Do it."


I don't believe in the death penalty. Even if the person killed 1 or 11 million. I believe that no one should be able to determine when someone else dies. I'm not saying that these people who murdered someone else shouldn't be punished, but I don't think that the state government should be able to decide if, or when, one of their inmates should be killed. Murder is intentional killing...and isn't the execution of someone intentional? I think so. That means that the government allows the intentional killing of others, just as long as they are the one's killing.

Courage

So, this book I have been reading called Thorn In My Heart, is a great example of courage. I have already talked about this, but I am going to say more about it.


This guy named Jamie has been told over and over again from his mom that he is to rule over his older brother, Evan. These two brothers were born twins, but they were born are two different days. Evan was born right before midnight and Jamie was born right after the stroke of midnight. The midwife had told Mrs. McKie that the older will serve the younger and said that she is to be ready at every moment, and that God will show her when and where she is to show this.


Jamie McKie showed a lot of courage going into his father acting like his brother inorder to get his blessing. At the time it seemed very wrong, but it is what he was supposed to do. Several times while Jamie was serving his father he about gave his identity away, but he remembered what his mom had told him and he knew that he really loved the land would take care of it the way it should be taken care of.


For those of you who had not read my blog before, let me back track a little. Jamie McKie owned the heart of his mother and Evan McKie owned the heart of his father. Mr. and Mrs. McKie were constantly comparing the two boys, one would be stronger but the other would taller. So, when the day came that Mr. McKie wanted to give his blessing to Evan, Mrs. McKie were came up with a plan so that Jamie would get the blessing. Jamie and Mrs. McKie both knew that once Evan got the blessing and Mr. McKie died he would throw Jamie and Mrs. McKie out of the house. Mrs. McKie's plan was to cook a dinner for Mr. McKie and have Jamie serve him acting as Evan. Mr. McKie wanted venison, but only Evan could hunt, so Jamie got two goats and his mom, since she took cooking courses to learn how to use the right spices and everything could make the goat meat taste just like venison. Anyways, so Jamie took the risk of serving his father a meal to get his blessing before his brother was able to.


This showed a lot of courage on Jamie and his mother's side to basically risk everything inorder to do what they believed was right.


Here is a story about a group of school kids who took a stand for something they believed in by protesting and no one thought they would successful in any way. Here are some links you can go to, to learn more and hear about their story:


-http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5489490-tape



You know you don't have to change history or be in another country to have courage. We have courageous people right here in our city. We have firefighters, policemen, men and women training for the army, and so many other.

Deadliest Catch

Discovery Channel's Emmy-nominated series Deadliest Catch, it is the daring adventures on the high seas. Viewers voyage to the Bering Sea and follow the brave captains and crew of eight crab-fishing vessels as they struggle against the treacherous weather conditions doing one of the deadliest jobs in the world.

In this season the ships are hunting for king crab, the biggest and most expensive crab. I some seasons boats head out to catch opilio crab, viewers experience life above and below the Alaskan waters. Submersible cameras capture unprecedented underwater images of crabs migrating on the bottom of the Bering Sea and entering the crab pots.

For the first time, viewers see the fishing vessels being tossed around by the high winds and rough seas. The unique angle will also offer a new perspective of the fishermen working the rails, setting and hauling the massive 800-pound crab pots as their boats fight the crashing waves.

This season, viewers will get a more in-depth look at the men who put their lives on the line in search of modern-day buried treasure, Alaskan crab.


Returning to Deadliest Catch this year are the men of the Northwestern, led by Captain Sig Hansen; Captain Phil Harris and his crew of the Cornelia Marie, including sons Jake and greenhorn Josh; Captain Johnathan Hillstrand (king crab season) and Captain Andy Hillstrand (opilio crab season) of the Time Bandit; and greenhorn Captain Blake Painter (king crab season) of the Maverick and his new hand-picked crew, along with Rick Quashnick (opilio crab season) with his wife Donna.

New to Deadliest Catch this season are the men of the Wizard, led by Captain Keith Colburn; Captain Greg Moncrief of the Farwest Leader, who is joined on board by his wife Ragnhild; Captain Allen Oakley of the Early Dawn and his crew, including greenhorn Bryan Mezich; and the crew of the Aleutian Ballad, with Captain Corky Tilley at the helm and son Matthew and daughter Nicole on deck.

These men risk there lives to make some serious money and try to get home safely. If you haven’t tuned in now is the time because now they have a show after the new Deadliest Catch called After the Catch. Tune in Tuesday at 8:00 PM to see the new episodes. If you want to learn more about crab fishing, look at the link I provided.

This has to do with the book I'm reading, Crab and Lobster Fishing
by Alan Spence, It is about crab fishing and it is really good.


I found out how to get music on your blog
1.go to http://boomp3.com/
2.go to browse then pick a song from your itunes or type your song in the google search
3.Then put the code on your blog.

oh also,

I'm really excited to see this year's yearbooks. I never really take good care of my yearbooks :/. All the ones I got in elementary school were hard back covers. Cherokee's were crappy. And this year is I'm getting my first highschool yearbook and I'm really excited:)! I hope I get all my friends to sign it. Aww, I'm only gonna get 3 yearbooks before I graduate:(. That makes me sad.. oh well! I still get to leave here early! Oh jeeeeze, hope everyone has a grrreat summer!

Best Blog!

The book I read along time ago, like in the beginning of 4th quarter, was called Jude by kate morgenroth.It was about a boy who witnesses his fathers death because his father shorted some drug dealers and then has to tell what he saw to an attorney .The district attorney he talks to ended up being his mother.His dad took him at birth so he never got to see her before.Well then he went to live with her and her boyfriend he created a scheme to get Jude to go to prison.Harry[mothers boyfriend] got Jude caught selling drugs as part of a plan for jude to help his mothers political career and win her approval.Jude then had to go to court and was sent to prison like planned.When he got out he tried to turn his life around but most of all he wanted to get back at Harry.If you haven't raed this book yet I think you should because it is suprising and good.

Well the reason I posted this is because I saw this radio diary thing on the site Ms.James gave us.The radio diary was called doing time:John's diary.The story is about a 21 year old male who got caught robbing and had to go to prison when he was 17.he is serving 7-9 years for armed robbery.Much like Jude in the book I read he has to go through prison life which is tough and at a young age like 17.To read and learn more about the radio diary go to this link.

Another story that reminded me of my book Jude is when two 15 year old boys were caught with cocaine that was ready to sell.Police think the boys were not the only ones behind this just like in the book when Jude got set up. To read more about this story go to this link .

I think that teenagers going to prison at ages 17 would stink.If you had to do very much time at all you would miss your senior year in high school,be really far behind in school,and your friends would move on to college before you got out so everyone would be gone.i think it would be really hard also because the older people would gang up on the little people.It can be prevented though as long as you don't do anything to get stuck in prison and you don't get yourself mixed up in a crazy scheme for approval of your mother.