Fire In Brazil

Brazil is devastated by the death of 232 people in a nightclub in Santa Maria. The club Kiss was lit up by a pyrotechnic issue when the flare accidentally came into contact with the ceiling, thus causing the ceiling to collapse. There were rumors that many people were unable to escape because of the locked main doors, but Lucas Cauduro Peranzoni, the DJ of the club, denied the accusations. He explained that after inhaling even a small amount of smoke, he became woozy and collapsed by the doors. Luckily, Peranzomi was rescued by the guards at the front door. Many of the people at the club that night were locals from the university. After inhaling so much smoke, most collapsed and were unable to escape. Santa Maria locals helped drag people out and are now volunteering in search and rescue parties where more people and bodies are found. This fire is sadly not the first. "A welding accident reportedly set off a Dec. 25, 2000, fire at a club in Luoyang, China, killing 309. At least 194 people died at an overcrowded working-class nightclub in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 2004. A blaze at the Lame Horse nightclub in Perm, Russia, broke out on Dec. 5, 2009, when an indoor fireworks display ignited a plastic ceiling decorated with branches, killing 152" (Bevins). There have been petitions that are trying to ban the use of pyrotechnics indoors, but what there should be is a better escape route that will help the people not only during fire hazards, but other disasters like earthquakes. 
Los Angeles Times
Vincent Bevins
January 27, 2013
http://www.latimes.com/news/world/worldnow/la-fg-wn-brazil-club-fire-may-have-been-started-by-flare-20130127,0,7314817.story

Another Shooting

Huffington Post
1/20/13
Susan Montoya Brian

As time passes, the number of shootings increase and the age of the shooter seems like its decreasing. On Sunday, a fifteen year old boy managed to get his hands on a gun and kill two adults and brutally abuse three children and kill them. Police are trying to determine the reason or connection of the victims to the shooter but are coming up short. No names are being revealed, but the boy is charged with two cases of murder and another three cases of child abuse that led to death. What could have caused this young boy who has his whole life ahead of him to ruin it with a gun? And why did he believe that it was acceptable for a fifteen year old, basically a child, to take the life of someone, let alone five people. Some would blame it on television or violent video games, but I find that untrue because many teenagers watch and play violent games, and do not run along shooting random people walking on the street. Parents and the fact that there are guns that could be easily accessible are to blame. Parents should take responsibility for their children and maybe pay a little more attention to what their kids are doing. Obviously it would have saved lives in this boys case.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/20/albuquerque-shooting-2013-new-mexico-teenager_n_2516424.html

Nature: My Front Yard

Yesterday, I spent thirty minutes outside in my front yard and took notes on my observations. To my surprise, I noticed a lot of things that I had never payed attention to in the sixteen and a half years I had lived in my house. The tree next to my neighbor's house was slanted forward as if it were going to fall into the street. The only reason it stayed in its place was the small bushes that grew into a big hedge. The street looked like a wave of the ocean because of the hill it had to cover. Because my house is on the edge of the hill and not attached to it, it looked like the street was a little higher on our side than our neighbors who live in front of us. The sound of the leaves rolling on the street sounded like music, rustling with the breeze that blew inconsistently. It was so peaceful and refreshing. Sitting outside cleared my mind, or maybe it was the fact that I was doing nothing but observing the scenery around me. I actually spent more than thirty minutes outside because I met my neighbor who lived five houses above me for twenty years. This was the first time I saw this woman and felt bad for never actually meeting her. Spending time outside of my room and away from my computer and phone really was not as bad as it had initially seemed, but also a little enjoyable. Maybe I will end up doing this when I feel too stressed out or need to calm myself.

From Missing to Dead

Los Angeles Times
January 12, 2013
Sergei L. Loiko
Blogger and cafe owner, Alexei Kabanov and his wife and two kids live in Moscow. On January 6, Kabanov posted on his blog and Facebook account that had about 1,500 followers to ask of his wife's whereabouts. Kabanov had a tremendous amount of sympathizers that aided him not only with moral support, but also by assembling search parties and posting up flyers around the city. After some time, Kabanov admitted that him and his wife, Irina Cherska, had gotten into a fight and after that, she had disappeared. Kabanov alerted authorities, but everyone told him that when she was ready, she would come back or at least contact him, but Kabanov constantly worried and refused to believe that things were normal. After a week, Kabanov stopped posting comments. Police had found parts of Irina in fragments in Kabanov's car. After the evidence was revealed, Kabanov confessed to murdering his wife and chopping her up into pieces. After news spread, Kabanovs Facebook blew up with comments on what kind of a man and a person Kabanov was. "Burn in hell," was one of the posts that summed up all of the comments aimed at Kabanov.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-russia-missing-20130113,0,2697469.story

Independent Reading

Out of the twenty- three books that were presented, I found one book that I wanted to read while finding another that I would not want to read. I would like to read Shahan's book, "Fighting Fire." This book was originally on my list in case I did not get the book I wanted. The story seemed captivating when Sahan had presented it. The whole idea of not only a woman being able to prove people wrong, but also the idea that if a person puts their mind to it, they can achieve it catches my attention. The book that I was least likely to read was Preny's book. I, honestly, would not find it enjoyable to read about a person who has a lisp. Compared to the other biographies or memoirs, "Me Talk Pretty One Day" seemed like a pointless book about a person who does not like the way they speak. I understand that I should not be against the book if I have not read it, but I cannot help but find it the least captivatin. Altogether, I enjoyed the presentations and enjoyed reading my chosen book.