PLN 31

"shoes that generate electricity" by CNN

A video viewed from the CNN website, an astonishing new device which allows you to generate electricity from your shoes. This really thin device fits into the sole of your shoe with no discomfort. As you step onto the device, it begins generating electricity. There are no risks or dangers in using this new technology so it is completely safe.

I believe this new kind of technology can really improve the environment as a renewable source of energy which is available to everyone. The technology is called "piezoelectricity" which is certain materials combined which generates electricity when pressure is applied to it. There is a con to this though, the device is really small and can only produce very small amounts of energy. This means it is not a reliable source for electricity. Not only that but this device does not store any electricity which means you need something electronic attached to the device so the electricity generated has a place to go otherwise that energy created is wasted. Overall it is a good, short solution for a small step to saving the environment; but this device in shoes will not go any farther than charging a phone or music player device. I think this is still a good start towards a clean source of renewable energy and new ideas can be branched off this device which uses "piezoelectricity" to generate power. I hope in the near future we can use this kind of technology to power our homes and community instead of burning fossil fuels.

PLN 29

This article, "2txt? Or Nt2txt? " by Garrison Keillor explains how communication through technology is affecting our society in a negative way. Texting is lowering the youth's social skills which lowers the level of intimacy they ingage in later on in life. The article also talks about how it is important for young men to develop good social skills so that they can have romance and create a family in the future. Not only are social skills used to win over a lady peer but to gain some basic confidence to use in every aspect of your life.

I believe this article is pointing out a really good topic. This is important world-wide because so much technology is used to communicate to everyone across the world but sometimes the technology is used incorrectly. Texting is an example of what kinds of communication through technology is used inappropriately such as texting someone across the room instead of getting up and talking to them. Our society today has become so adapt to using technology for all of their communication even if the person is only a few yards away. I believe this should be a wake up call for some people who do use technology in this way. They should listen to what this article is saying and actually make conversation with someone face to face so that they can gain some of that basic confidence and lead a better life.

PLN 30

This article, "Fan Tasered after jumping onto field during Phillies game", discusses how a baseball fan jumped the fence into the outfield during a baseball game and was running around on the field. The cop on duty chased down this fan and tasered him. This is controversial because some people believe this is unnecessary roughness and the cop should have made a better decision. On the other hand, other people believe this is what the juvenile deserved. The guy who rushed onto the outfield during a Phillies baseball game was 17-years-old. Usually, the cops tackle the criminal to the ground but this time was different when the man was tasered.

I think this is an important topic because of it's controversy. This is important to not only to Philadelphia but to America as a whole because this has happened before where a cop has been accused of unnecessary roughness on a person in other states. I believe if you trespass at such a sporting event then I believe the consequences will be worse than usual because of the crimes you are committing when stepping onto the outfield without permission. This issue has to do with more than the baseball game, this issue has more to do with cops and unnecessary roughness. Tackling could potentially be more dangerous and harmful to the criminal than tasering. Tasering restraints the criminal safely. Tackling could be more difficult because what if the cop cannot catch the criminal? The criminal will be running free all because the cop could not catch the man at large.

PLN 28

In the article "Our boys are falling behind in education" by Dottie Lamm, it talks about how boys are achieving less for themselves through education, on the other hand women are excelling. Women are enrolling and graduating in college at a ratio 1.5:1 to men. Also, at a younger age girl's brains develop faster than boy's brains. the author of this article believes the role of man and woman may be switched to one another.

I believe this is natural and the natural course of things are not changing. I think this does not prove anything except boys need more academic focus at a younger age. Girls develop faster at a younger age than boys do which causes problems during the boy's education. I think it is important for our country to know the statistic that girls graduate from college at a huge rate, far more than the boys. This alarming statistic should be a shock to boys who may be falling behind and realizing that they should stay focused on their education. I don't believe the statistic is such a big deal that the role of men and women will change and be switched from one to the other.

PLN 27

In the article, Oil rig spill off Louisiana could threaten coastline from BBC News, it describes how an explosion ruined an oil rig in Louisiana. The oil rig went down in smithereens on Thursday, April 22nd. The cause of the explosion is unknown. The leak of oil, which was caused from the explosion, can possibly damage beaches, barrier islands, and wetlands across the coast in the Gulf of Mexico. Over 100 workers were rescued but ten more 10 have gone missing or assumed they were killed. There was a search party but it was called off due to bad weather over this past weekend. Over 40 thousand gallons of oil per day are leaking into the sea and are harming aquatic wildlife. This is important because robot submarines have been dispatched to help contain the situation although matters can only get worse without direct human interaction towards solving this problem at hand. The severe weather is a problem but is also helping by keeping the oil away from the coastlines and causing damage to the beaches. I believe the oil companies should have stricter safety policies and stricter safety checks because of how dangerous this can become. The oil can harm more than marine wildlife, it can also cause problems along beaches and endangering humans as well. This is important to our country because it affects the amount of oil we produce for ourselves in a negative manner. This is also important to the world because the oil can continue to spill out of the rig and into the ocean killing tons of aquatic life and causing problems on the coastlines of every nation near water.