CC 2.1

"Earlier this week, Bernie Miklasz enumerated the Cardinals' primary off-season concerns; fortunately, there are only three:

In an article entitled "Hey, let's fix the Cardinals!" posted at Baseball nation,Rob Neyer, a sports writer for Sports Nation, makes a claim as to why the Cardinals need to fill three major holes in their team

According to Neyer the Cardinals have three holes they need to fill this offseason
1. Lack of power
2. Defense, athleticism
3. Shortstop"
thus,the Front Office,needing to fill these holes will more than likely make a trade or test the free agent market to fill the holes. As a fan, I feel like they should trade for a high quality shortstop

Throughout this past season, the Cardinals had the best offensive team in the National League but lacked in the power numbers "The Cardinals led the National League in scoring while finishing 13th in home runs." although they didn't have high power numbers they were possibly the most clutch team, having the best batting average with runners in scoring position (RISP).

Who could the Cardinals pick up to help produce power and defense? I think the best answer is Colorado Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki,being a three time silver slugger award winner and a two time gold glove award winner he would fill all three of the major holes.

I usually don't miss any games during the season and I can personally attest to the Cardinals needing a high quality shortstop badly. To me Troy Tulowitzki is the answer. The Cardinals, at shortstop have havent had a quality shortstop since Ozzie Smith. they have been in between a rock and a hard place when it comes to shortstops and now they can finally fix the problem they have had for twenty years.

hopefully the Cardinals can fix these three problems this offseason and can get back to world series next season!

Work Cited: Neyer, Rob. "Hey,let's Fix the Cardinals!" Reading. 8 Nov. 2013. Baseball Nation. Web. 8 Nov. 2013

cc 1.2

In a recent article entitled, "How much credit does Jim Leyland deserve for Tigers' wakeup after lineup shakeup?" submitted by Jeff Passon, a writer for Yahoo Sports, informs us of the Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland's decision to shake up his lineup in the wake of game four of the American League Championship Series against the Boston redsox.

"The phones of the Detroit Tigers' position players started buzzing around 8:30 a.m. Wednesday. Most were still asleep, the grind of the American League Championship Series and another flaccid day of hitting leaving them weary. Torii Hunter peeled his eyes open and read a message from Mac – Lloyd McClendon, his hitting coach: "You're leading off tonight. You OK with that?" Sure, Hunter replied, even though he hadn't done so in 14 years. Once Hunter gave the go-ahead, the other texts pinged through, and Jim Leyland's plan to rouse his team from its doldrums was in motion." This occurance stated by Jeff Passon about the early morning wakeup call outfielder Torii Hunter recieved shows the inside of what many fans dont see behind the scenes of a major league baseball team that is trying to break a slump.

"He didn't gloat after the Tigers rode the new-look batting order to a 7-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox in Game 4 of the ALCS, knotting the series and ensuring a return this weekend to Fenway Park. Leyland, in fact, dismissed causation, correlation or any sort of relationship between the runs – which in the first three games had come in trickles and drips – and his fiddling: "I don't know that it had anything to do with it. I doubt it very much." This second statement by Jeff Passon proves why so many players love to play for Jim Leyland his why he does what he does. He doesnt mess around with his lineup unless there is something very wrong.

I believe that Jim Leyland is one of the best managers in the game and his win in game four of the ALCS proves that. when he shook up his lineup his players didnt gripe or moan because they respect him and his work.

cc 1.1

In a recent article entitled, "Is Jameis Winston ready for 'Manziel moment' in Death Valley?" submitted by Eric Adelson, a writer for yahoo sports, informs us of the amazing numbers that Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston has put up in his first five games at the college level.

"The Seminoles' two-sport athlete has his Florida State bio listing Bessemer, Ala. as his hometown. That's the same hometown as Bo Jackson. As if that's not enough of a buzz recipe for an outfielder/quarterback who chose the same school as two-sport stars Charlie Ward and Deion Sanders, Winston also has a non-toxic charm that's kept him from any criticism so far. He likes to lead, and teammates like to follow." what Eric Adelson has stated is a prime example of Jameis Winstons young leadership and his ability to play multiple sports at a very high level.

"In his first college football game, in a difficult environment against Pittsburgh, Winston shredded the Panthers for 356 yards and four touchdowns in a performance that looked like the last game of his senior season rather than the first of his Florida State career. He also ran for a touchdown and set the school record for completion percentage, going 25 for 27 in the game." In this statement Eric Adelson explains why Jameis is playing the way he is and what his numbers are and what they represent to the college football media scene.

I personally believe that Jameis Winston will win the Heisman Trophy if he keeps this pace of high level play up,and he has the making to be one of the greatest college football players ever if he can not get into trouble outside of the football field.

In essence, Jameis Winston has been the best football player this first four games of the season and many believe that he will win the Heisman over the defending winner Johnny Manziel and Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota.

short story blog

I am in English 11 and i have been assigned to write a short story. The idea is to create your own character and setting and come up with a unique story to tell in less than 1000 words.

Really the only think that has been easy for me was actually creating the character because i based him off my little brother Carter,the characters name is Carter Alan and his superhero name is Captain Carter.

The most difficult thing about writing this story has been coming up with the setting and the supporting characters such as the antagonist and other supporting roles. Another thing that has been difficult was figuring out how exactly the story would play out from beginning to end.

As i said earlier the main character is based off my little brother Carter and the characters name in the story would be Carter Alan and Captain Carter. Carter Alan in the story is an 18 year old boy who dreams of being a soldier in the army but is to small and weak to do so. He is always daydreaming about what it would be like to be looked up to by others,and how it would feel not to be pushed around by bigger people.

this has been a very interesting experience writing this short story and i have enjoyed it.

blog of choice

There are organizations in place who's objective, through research and education, is to strive to bring the wolf back to healthy populations in the wild. The goal of these efforts is to offer refuge for captive wolves and wolf hybrids, and to offer communities education about the part of the wolf on our environment's ecological systems, along with ways to co-exist with wolves and the wildlife that we share with them.

Wolves once populated all of North America with numbers ranging about two million. Today there are less than five thousand, with all subspecies facing extinction. This is because of destruction to their wild habitats and extermination by humans. Research shows that this extermination has definite effects on the ecological system. "In 1930, the last known wild wolf in Yellowstone National Park was shot." The absence of wolfs was seen even in the vegetation. Herd animal populations rose to unnatural levels and some plant species were brought to near extinction. Wolves were brought down from Canada to the park and shortly thereafter, scientists began to see the return of herd animals and endangered plant species return to healthy numbers.

"The decline in wolf population in the wild has also had an effect on the ecological system in cities, especially along rural boarders," stated research director Jean-Jacques Maleval for the Wolfgang Schlichting Research LLC. Coyote populations are drastically rising. Coyotes are not as shy as wolves and are scavengers, traveling into cities for food. Incidents have been recorded of coyotes attacking children in parks and eating neighborhood pets. The decline of the wolf has also effected deer populations, causing them to rise to levels that are out of control. The increase in deer activity is causing automobile accidents, destruction of vegetation surrounding homes, increased risk of rabies, even the occasional story of a deer being stuck inside of a shopping center. If there were more wolves alive in the wild, predation would allow nature to control these outstanding populations.

In 1980, a study was done by the Wolf Conservation Center (WWC) that declared the red wolf extinct in the wild. Re-introduction program was started by captive breeding of full blooded wolves and releasing them into the wild. Today there are still only about one hundred and thirty alive in the wild. WWC also reported that the Mexican Grey wolf once highly population the south western United States and Mexico. This species has also suffered in numbers with their re-introduction program being even less successful than the Red wolf. Both species of wolves are still critically endangered but were removed from the Endangered Species Act last April. Today, there are an estimated four thousand wolves alive in the United States and Alaska and they only live in four states in our country.

A study by the WWC that started in 2004 has stated that because of the merciless extermination of the wolf, "DNA reveals a severe decline in the genetic diversity of Grey wolves." This is important because it means that with less separate blood lines in the wild there is more inbreeding. This results in lower immune system health, skeletal deformities along with a multitude of other defects that will effect the survival of the species. An example is the necessity for the wolves elevated immune system to perform their role as disease control. Wolves control disease by eating weaker or sick animals, because of this, their bodies are exposed to contamination. Their immune systems have to be strong enough to fight off any threats and keep the individuals healthy. This is just one of the many problems that may result from lower genetic diversity.

WWC reports an alarming increase of breeding wolves in captivity. Here they are hybridized and sold in the pet trade. "Today there are over a quarter of a million wolves in captivity, most living under less than optimal conditions." People buy them and realize they cannot take care of them, leading to the possible death of that animal. Wolves and hybrids are illegal in several states, yet people disregard the laws and buy them anyway. Owners of wolves often do not even know about the regulations of having a wolf or knowing how to keep them healthy in a domesticated environment.

It is obvious to me that there is a great need for wolf preservation and conservation. Research and scientific study could lead to a better way for humans and wolves to co-exist. Sadly, these facilities are limited at best. The need for education on these issues is clear and appears to be the only way for people to be enlightened about the wolves plight.

                                  

cc#5

In a current article by Ken Ritter, a writer for the Associated Press, entitled "Police Seek Motive in Deadly Vegas Strip Attack," Ken Ritter informs how 1) the attack occurred 2) how people reacted to this horrific incident and 3) how brutal the attack was.

"The Las Vegas Strip became a scene of deadly violence early Thursday when someone in a black Range Rover opened fire on a Maserati at a stoplight, sending it crashing into a taxi that burst into flames..." The incident occurred at four o'clock in the morning. With the information I read, I understood that the Maserati wrecked into the cab, bursting into flames and a person in the Range Rover started firing at the Maserati at a stoplight, concluding four other cars crashing into the Maserati and the taxi.

"When you're out at 4 a.m., nothing good's going to happen." This quote came from Jeff Martin. He wanted to pass through the intersection where the incident occurred, assuming that he was going to a casino or an activity he planned early on his vacation or stay in Las Vegas. The thirty-three year old man from Columbus, Ohio stated that in a city like Las Vegas, a city known for such crimes, incidents, activities, etc., obviously there will not be any magical, awesome event that would benefit anyone at that time happening in those hours of the day.

"...leaving three people dead and at least six injured." The "Vegas Strip Attack" left all these victims dead, including the driver and passenger in the taxi cab, the driver and passenger in the Maserati (the passenger was shot,) four other miscellaneous vehicles, and more in counting. The attack was so brutal that not only was there yellow caution tape blocking off access to the area around the intersection, the whole road system involved during the incident was closed off for most of the day!

In my perspective, I can relate to this article because when I was in Nigeria, I was like one of the four miscellaneous cars that wrecked into a barbarous event like the "Vegas Strip Attack." Thankfully, I am still here today because that occurrence was pretty nasty. Textually, this reminded me of the movie Notorious; during the last scene of the movie, the Notorious B.I.G. approached a stoplight when the car on his right approached and opened fire at the green Chevy Suburban, where Biggie was murdered with the windows rolled down in the night coming back from a party at 12:30 in the morning in the luminous city of Los Angeles, California, the city of Angels. Globally, tragic events like the "Vegas Strip Attack" sadly happen everywhere. These circumstances even happen in other countries, knowing that they are worse internationally because of my presence in another country besides the United States of America! Tragedies like these challenge our American Dream; if we as Americans continue shooting at each other and causing all this violence to one another, then our American Dream to become a better nation will never be fulfilled.

With such crimes like this happening now at days, the "Vegas Strip Attack" marks as one of the most disgusting incidents that have occurred this year.

cc4

Spring Training has now started and the St.Louis Cardinals have finally reported to Jupiter Florida,the big story coming from the Cardinals camp is about right handed ace Chris Carpenter still being hurt from last season even after having surgery on his shoulder.

Chris Carpenter orginally went down about this time last year with numbness in his whole throwing arm.Three weeks after he discovered his injury Chris had surgery to repair a tendon in his shoulder and eventually was able to pitch in six games of the 2012 season and five games in the playoffs against the Nationals and the Giants.

Chris said in an interview a couple of days ago "I am not ruling anything out,i still might pitch this season." Carp was also said to be contiplating retirement but he cleared those rumors up by saying "I dont think i will ever say those words, I wont ever quit."Carp has infuenced many players in the Cardinals organization including Adam Wainwright and Shelby Miller and now theyre careers are starting to thrive.He will be missed as a teammate during his recovery.

Chris Carpenter is the fiercest competitor the MLB as seen in a long time and many players from other teams were sad to hear about a great players injury for the second year in a row.His performances in the playoff will forever be remembered and if he can not come back from his injury he will be a hall of famer down the road.

cc #3 diet soda

An  article published on Friday, February 8, 2013, by Lylah M. Alphonse, Senior Editor, Yahoo! Shine/Healthy Living, confirmed results from a study done by French researchers, linking diet soda to increased risk of Type 2 Diabetes.  This article by Alphonse was written as part of a series over the past year stating claims by various research groups about the ill effects of consuming diet soda. 
     Dr. Honglei Chen, a study author from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, stated that artificially "sweetened beverages...have important physical and mental health consequences."  Dr. Chen's study, along with another study, performed by the Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, have stated that consumption of artificially sweetened beverages is contributory to conditions such as depression and weight gain rather than weight loss.
     The current French study to be published in the American Journal of clinical nutrition was done by France's National Institute of Health and Medical Research.  The study covered "66,118 middle aged women whose dietary habits were tracked from 1993-2007."  The study showed that people who drank light or diet soda's were at higher risk for Type 2 Diabetes than those who drank regular soda's.  Epidemiologists Francoise Clavel-Chapelon and Guy Fagherzzi, stated that "Women who drank about 12 ounces of artificially sweetened beverages per week were 33 percent more likely to develop the disease..."  Although these drinks have no calories or sugar, they are found to increase sugar cravings in consumers, causing them to eat more sugar containing foods.  Also, Aspartame, among other artificial sweeteners, causes a rise in blood sugar just like regular sugar. 
     The American Diabetes Association states that "About 25.8 million children and adults in the United States have diabetes...about 8.3 percent of our population."  Diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of blindness in people 20 and older; and causes heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, kidney disease, and nerve damage.  Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes in the United States. 
     In conclusion, I have learned that this disease is highly controllable by each individual.  If we are careful about what we consume, our weight and our overall health, we can completely avoid this type of diabetes.  Education regarding this disease is essential to the population of the United States as well as the world itself.

book review:Flags Of Our Fathers

           In this unforgettable chronicle of perhaps the most famous moment in American military history, James Bradley has captured the glory, the triumph, the heartbreak, and the legacy of the six men who raised the flag at Iwo Jima.

          In February 1945, American Marines plunged into the surf at Iwo Jima--and into history. Through a hail of machine-gun and mortar fire that left the beaches strewn with comrades, they battled to the island's highest peak. And after climbing through a landscape of hell itself, they raised a flag.
         the men that rose the flag and that are in the famous picture are: Harlon Block,Ira Hayes,Rene Gagnon,Frank Sousley, and John Bradley. This story is about these six men and the struggles they had on the 35 day battle on Iwo Jima

         Now the son of one of the flag raisers has written a powerful account of six very different men who came together in a moment that will live forever.

         To his family, John Bradley never spoke of the photograph or the war. But after his death at age seventy, his family discovered closed boxes of letters and photos. In Flags of Our Fathers, James Bradley draws on those documents to retrace the lives of his father and the men of his Company. Following these men's paths to Iwo Jima, James Bradley has written a classic story of the heroic battle for the Pacific's most crucial island--an island riddled with Japanese tunnels and 22,000 fanatic defenders who would fight to the last man.

        the most interesting part of the story is what happened after the victory. The men in the photo--three were killed during the battle--were proclaimed heroes and flown home, to become reluctant symbols. For two of them, the adulation was shattering. Only James Bradley's father truly survived, displaying no copy of the famous photograph in his home, telling his son only: "The real heroes of Iwo Jima were the guys who didn't come back."

        Few books have ever captured the complexity and furor of war and its aftermath as well as Flags of Our Fathers. A penetrating, epic look at a generation at war, this is history told with insight, enormous honesty, and the passion of a son paying homage to his father. It is the story of the difference between truth and myth, the meaning of being a hero, and the essence of the human experience of war.I would recommend this book to anyone that likes storys about war and to people do not generally care for war stories because it is a powerful story of the effects after the battle.

cc french jets bomb malian city

A recent article posted on Yahoo news called "French jets bomb major Malian city in north" written by Rikmini Callimachi and Baba Ahmed described how the French bombed rebel targets in Mali's north on Sunday, demolishing many key areas used by the Al-Qaida linked Islamists who control the area. 

French president Francois Hollande authorized four hundred French troops to attack the towns of Konna and Mopti, which are both currently controlled by the rebels.  This decision was made after the rebels started to push further south to extend their control of the country.  Many believe that if the Isalmists seize Mopti, the potential outcome would be "A terrorist state at the doorstep of France and Europe," according to French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian. 

The Islamists, which are made up of three separate rebel groups, are well armed and well trained and seized control of the territory in the north in March, 2011.  Mali was once a stable nation who gained it's independence from France in 1970.  The country is now suffering from poverty and unrest, which makes it a perfect target and nesting place for Al-Qaida linked groups.  "They obtained from Libya modern, sophisticated equipment, much stronger and more efficient than we had imagined," a French presidential aid stated. 

Oumar Ould Hamaha, a rebel commander, confirmed that the French fighter jets had hit training camps and depots.  He called them cowards and said, "The French attack has only heightened the rebels desire for jihad."  Hamaha went on to explain that, "Our elements are constantly on the move." "France is going to reap the worst consequences possible from this.  Now no French person can feel safe anywhere in the world." 

The French are asking for help from the United States and Europe in the fight against these terrorist rebels in Mali.  These terrorists impose their very strict form of Islam which is a form of religious fanaticism and oppression.  Terrorists fight for control of people all over the world, mostly in impoverished countries similar to Mali.

This article shows us how the French are taking the steps to exterminate terrorism from the country of Mali.  This should make us think about the fight for human rights everywhere in the world.

cc extortionist to serve 10 years for fake collar bomb

In a recent article posted on the CNN website, Extortionist to serve 10 years for fake collar bomb by Hilary Whiteman, she explains how an innocent young girl was invaded by a 52 year old man. This young girl, Madeleine Pulver, was in her own home studying when Paul Peters busted through her door forcing a "bomb collar" around her neck. Parents sometimes think when children are alone in their own home they will be safe. According this Australian incident that is not always the case. Madeleine said nothing while the act was happening until the man was exiting the room. She asked where he was going. He responded, "Count to two hundred, I'll be back, if you move I can see you, I'll be right here." As anyone would do, she sat there until she decided to take action. She found a note attached to the so called bomb collar. As she read the note she began to panic. At that moment she phoned her father telling him to call the police. After reading more she phoned him once again telling him to stop, but it was to late. Later the police arrive only to find out the necklace of death, bomb collar, was fake. Madeleine was released from the bomb collar after several hours of carefully removing it. Knowing little about this act of terrorism, I am sure that it was a complete fright. Although you can never prepare for this kind of event, you can research ways to stay more safe and protected to slim the chances of this every happening. In todays time, no one is safe.