The future of space travel





By: Peter Lewis

The space race of the Cold War has led to numerous advancements in science, medicine, and everyday life.  Exploration of the cosmos has put man on the moon, seen light-years into the darkness, and might even show us how we got here.  NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, has been at the front of the exploration and advancement.  Their crown jewel, and an American staple for decades, the Space Shuttle Program, has led to many of today’s societal advancements.  Yet, in 2011, the final shuttle mission was completed and the program retired.  Since, NASA has had to rely on Russia for space travel to the ISS, or International Space Station.  With Russia and China becoming more involved with space travel, especially with China’s rover on the moon now, many wonder what NASA’s plans are for the next generation of space flight and discovery.  NASA has revealed plans broken into five categories: exploration, the ISS, aeronautics, technology, and science.

In exploration, NASA has the new space craft named Orion.  Orion’s main goal will be to allow astronauts to take longer trips at greater distances from Earth’s orbit with a new space launch system, or SLS. 

Other goals include landing astronauts on an asteroid that has been captured and relocated, as well as a planned trip to Mars in the 2030’s.  The main goal though is to allow NASA’s astronauts to explore the solar system.

For the ISS, plans will remain the same: multiple crews staying up there for long durations of time for a year to continue scientific research.  NASA is currently looking for American companies to help provide cargo and crew transport on the station.  The goal for this is to help with said missions to Mars and the asteroid.

In aeronautics, NASA looks to the US to remain the leader in flight and keep it a cornerstone of the US culture.  With this, the public can expect better, safer, more mobile, and more environmentally conscious planes for travel.  With supersonic speed and new software, NASA looks to change the flight industry in the coming decades.

With technology, NASA looks to continue to make advancements and discoveries that have helped medicine and life today.  Development of human and robotic exploration of the solar system is under way, with advancements in solar electric propulsion, solar sails, and cryogenic storage tanks for refueling.

NASA’s scientists hope to find out more about the universe as well as Earth with more return missions to the moon coming soon. 

It’s safe to say even with a period of stoppage of sorts at NASA, it has not hindered their ambitions and, once Orion is up and running, it will be back to business.

Useful cell phone accessories



By: Brad Tripp

The car increases speed, the blinker is shown and into the next lane she goes. The speed limit allows increased speed. She reaches her target speed and goes around the corner. Her phone falls out of cup holder and onto the floor. It begins to ring very loudly. What she wouldn’t do for a Bluetooth headset or maybe a phone holder. Today’s technology offers thousands of small conveniences, also known as accessories, to make life with your phone easier.

Every phone is different, from its size to content. To help make a phone a better experience for anyone, accessories are a must. Some popular accessories include screen protectors, cases and headphones, plus much more. Besides these common accessories, there are many not so common accessories out there.

One accessory that few people are aware of is the expandable memory card. Not to be confused with the SD card (typically used in cameras), expendable memory cards are also called micro SD cards. Amazon.com has them in a variety of options, expanding memory from half of a gigabyte up to 64 gigabytes. These can range from $5 to $60, depending on brand and memory size.

Another somewhat uncommon accessory is a swatch. According to Amazon.com, these are Bluetooth remotes to control your phone to make a call, get a message or receive notifications without getting out your phone. A swatch would be perfect for riding in the card or using while your hands are busy elsewhere.

Other things you may know about for your phone include Bluetooth headsets, headphones and styluses. Bluetooth headphones and headsets allow hands free talking for moments of walking, running or driving. Headphones allow you to listen to music or calls for mere enjoyment and sound quality while offering privacy. You can find these on many websites and in department stores. According to a comparison between Wal-Mart and Amazon, prices on these vary on quality and range from $5 to $300.

All in all, phones are a part of most Americans’ lives and accessories simply help to make them easier to use and to keep us safe.

The disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

 

 

By: Peter Lewis

 

On Saturday March 8, a Boeing 777 from the Malaysia Airlines fleet took off from Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Selangor, Malaysia en route to Beijing Capital International Airport.  A veteran flight crew and 227 passengers were on board for the 2,700 mile flight were prepared for a seemingly normal flight.  However, forty five minutes into the flight, air traffic control lost track of the plane over the Gulf of Thailand between Malaysia and Vietnam.  When the flight’s transponder stopped working the Malaysian Air Force took over attempting to track the planes.  Civilian and military radars both show the plane was very off course and its last known location was over the Pulau Perak Islands in the Strait of Malacca .

 

After this, media from all corners of the world converged on Southeast Asia to find out how a flight in a post 9/11 world could disappear without a trace.  As the navies of China, Vietnam, Malaysia, the US, and many other countries, went to a search area that initially looked to be the area surrounding Malaysia, grew larger and eventually engulfed the entire Indian Ocean. 

The first scenario had to do with two passengers using stolen passports found in the records, recently identified as Iranians Pouri Nourmohammadi and Delavar Seyed Mohammad Reza.  This was confirmed by INTERPOL and the Malaysian Police, yet it’s not believed they are involved in any terrorist groups or had any intentions.  If any human element was to be considered, the pilots became the suspects.  After Malaysian authorities and air travel experts agreed that the course change had to be done by professionals, and with no evidence of the men with the fake passports having flight training, the investigation grew more complex. 

 

Other scenarios like a meteor strike, mechanical failure, as well as an Illuminati cover up have been talked about, but like the pilots and fake passports, there have been much more questions than answers.  It will be a long time before the plane is most likely found and the black box only has weeks left before it becomes useless in the sea, yet so far this is what the world and investigators know and believe to have happened:

March 8:

Flight 370 carrying 239 people takes off en route to Beijing, 45 minutes in contact is lost, hours later once the plane missed its arrival time at Beijing Capital International Airport, the flight is reported missing.

An international search party begins to find Flight 370

 

March 9:

Debris and oil believed to be from the plane are found south of the Tho Chu Island.

The search area expands as evidence suggests the plane went west.

Stolen passports found to in possession by two Iranian men.

 

March 10:

Oil slicks found, test negative for jet fuel.

China deploys multiple satellites to join the search effort, as the majority of passengers were of Chinese citizens.

 

March 11:

INTERPOL declares that the two Iranian men in possession of stolen passports, were not linked to the disappearance.

 

March 12:

Chinese satellites detect possible debris in the South China Sea, but crews find no evidence of plane

Malaysian government receives info from Flight 370 hours after its systems failed

 

March 13:

The US search team begins looking into the Indian Ocean as the spot where the plane may have possibly gone down.

 

March 14:

Investigators discover that Flight 370 was very well still in control by someone when it lost contact

 

March 15:

Malaysian authorities search homes of pilots, investigation begins to look into the pilots as the lead suspects.

 

March 17:

 

Australia leads search into Southern Indian Ocean

 

March 18:

China starts search in its northern region

 

March 19:

 

Investigation into pilots learns the co-pilot had deleted information from his home flight simulator, experts began to attempt to recover files from the system; the investigation begins to question the pilots as suspects.

 

March 20:

Aircraft and ships rush to Southern Indian Ocean as satellites detect two objects possibly from Flight 370

 

March 21:

Search on a 1,900 mile area in the Southern Indian Ocean, southwest of Perth, becomes the new hotspot

 

March 22:

Chinese satellites detect two large objects in the new search area, but do not confirm if it belongs to Flight 370

 

March 24:

Australian search planes detect more objects in the search area, one appearing to be an orange rectangle, the typical look of an airplanes black box.

Malaysian government officials announce, “beyond a reasonable doubt,” that Flight 370 crashed in the Southern Indian Ocean, no survivors presumed.

 

March 25:

Southern search area narrows, northern search area called off, weather slows down progress.

 

March 26-present:

Multiple countries still searching for debris of wreckage.





Is graffiti art?



By: Autumn Hill

            What is art? Is graffiti art? Art is a way of expressing whatever it is you feel passionate about, whether it is singing, dancing, or perhaps even painting. Graffiti, however, has been debated as art.

            There are two sides to every coin. On one side, people all the time try to excuse graffiti as art. On the other side of the coin are the people who believe that graffiti is vandalism and destruction of other people's property. Someone may like graffiti and consider it an art form and point to the definition of art, but, to others, those people are missing a major point about what art is. Art is created by commission or on the property the owner wants the art made on. Most graffiti is done without the consent or permission of the owner of which the graffiti appears on.

            The graffiti "artists" go where ever they want and destroy other people's property. Most of us wouldn't want someone to tag up our walls or building(s), just because it's someone else’s "self-expression"... If the graffiti “artist” was commissioned, then it's a different story.

            So, why don’t the graffiti "artists" do their work on canvas? Why do they need to use public property? Most of us would agree that self-expression isn't about destruction, it's about creation. Jon Valley from Debate.org, a website that looks at current events and issues, said, “Graffiti destroys. Go create graffiti and display it in a museum or an art show.”

            Typically, art is what is beautiful, appealing or of more ordinary significance. Art is any field using skills or technique, mainly in the form of paintings, sculptures and drawings. So, since dance is considered an art form, why can't graffiti? “Graffiti is beautiful, appealing and of more significances,” Tommy Hart from Debate.org says, explaining why Graffiti is considered art to some people.

            Izzy Monroe, also from Debate.org believes that, “Although it is wrong, that does not mean that it is not art. If someone makes a huge mural with awesome detail would you not call that person an artist? I know for sure I would. I think that graffiti is one of the hardest forms of art because you cannot erase or stroke, it is hard to get texture and shadowing.” Graffiti is considered to be illegal now, but the debate continues.

2014 Major League Baseball preview

 

By: Peter Lewis

 



            It may be hard to believe, but it’s only been four months since the 2013 MLB (Major League Baseball) season came to a close with the Boston Red Sox besting the St. Louis Cardinals four games to two in the World Series.

                With less than a month left until the new seasons starts, teams in the American and National Leagues have reported to Arizona and Flordia for Spring Training.  The four months leading up to this moment have not been quiet, in only four months, the 32 teams of MLB were hard at work to contend for this new season as well as react to changes around them.

                The biggest story to come out of the offseason has clearly been the continuation of Alex Rodriquez’s fall from grace.  A-Rod has been suspended by MLB for the entire 2014 regular season, including post season play, for his role in the Biogenics scandal. 

The Red Sox World Series team lost valuable players, including Jacoby Ellsbury, Stephen Drew, and Jarrod Saltalamacchia, with little to new additions.  The Tigers parted ways with Prince Fielder and Doug Fister, but did get Ian Kinsler and Joe Nathan to keep them in contention.  The Yankees attempted to build up the pitching signing Japanese phenomenon Masahiro Tanaka and picked up Jacoby Ellsbury and Carlos Beltran to attempt to bring life to the lineup with A-Rod gone and Derek Jeter announcing 2014 will be his final season in MLB.  The Mariners though may have made some of the biggest moves in the offseason: picking up Robinson Cano, Corey Hart, Logan Morrison and Fernando Rodney.  While time and the season will tell if they’re ready to contend, it’s clear that the US Northwest is ready to compete.

                Out in the National League the defending league champion St. Louis Cardinals lost 2011 World Series MVP David Freese and Carlos Beltran, but quickly picked up Jhonny Peralta, Mark Ellis, and Peter Bourjos to continue the past seasons success and compete in an ever more difficult NL Central. The Nationals after a stunningly disappointing 2013 campaign, signed Doug Fister and have made all moves they saw fit to get back into contention with divison rivals the Atlanta Braves.  The Braves look poised to go farther in the 2014 post season.  The San Francisco Giants, after a disappointing and quiet 2013 season, avoided an offseason disaster by re-signing their top players, as well as adding help to left field and the batting to get the team back into contention.

 

WHAT TO EXPECT:

 

THE NATIONAL LEAGUE

 

NL CENTERAL:

 

With the moves needed made and the bullpen and rotation looking good enough to compete, the St. Louis Cardinals are in very good position to go back to the playoffs and redeem themselves in a possible return to the World Series in 2014.  Yet, the road will not be easy by any means.  The Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds have shown they have the talent and coaching to go far in the season and postseason. 

            By letting go Manager Dusty Baker and bringing in Bryan Price, the Reds show that they want their talent to go further than losing in the wild card game year after year. 

In Pittsburgh, the rebuilding years are over and the Pirates turned the new success from 2011 and 2012 into postseason play in 2013 and their re-signing of important players and farm system look to be the Cardinals biggest obstacle in the NL Central. 

            The Milwaukee Brewers will get back Ryan Braun from his season ending suspension in 2013 after this role in the Biogenics scandal, yet their other problems will hold the team back from being a major contender for the division and wildcard. 

            The Chicago Cubs will begin renovations of Wrigley Field after the 2014 season.  This may be Cubs fans only thing to look forward to as the Cubs look to, be in an awful position with a lack of talent to compete for the wildcard, let alone the NL Central.

                The Cardinals, Pirates, and Reds are the clear top tier teams in the division, but it will most likely come down to the Cardinals and Pirates.  One will win the division and the other will be the first wild card and receive home field advantage in the wild card game in most scenarios.  Either way, it will come down to if both teams can overcome their usual season problems: bullpen troubles arising for the Cardinals and the Pirates’ difficulties keeping streaks going, plus momentum swings for both teams.  Nevertheless, come postseason time, both the Cardinals and Pirates will be major threats out of the NL.

 

The most likely final standings for the NL Central:

 

1. St. Louis Cardinals

2. Pittsburgh Pirates (WILD CARD)

3. Cincinnati Reds

4. Milwaukee Brewers

5. Chicago Cubs   

 

NL East

 

            After a miraculous turn around by the Washington Nationals in the past years, 2013 was a colossal disappointment to Nationals fans.  Injuries and controversies that plagued the 2013 campaign are over and the Nationals are ready for a dramatic turn around in 2014 at the mound and the plate.

            The Nationals main foe in the NL East during their turn around as well as last year, the Atlanta Braves.  The Braves without a doubt are stacked with talent and well able to win a lot and give the National League trouble. 

            The Mets looked to be ready for major postseason ambitions in 2013, until star pitcher Matt Harvey went down with an injury and will be out the entire 2014 season. The signing of Curtis Granderson and Chris Young shows some hope for the batting order and defense, but big positions at catching and first base remain a question. There is hope for a winning record for the Mets without a doubt, but postseason play may be a long shot.  For the Mets, the may just try to make it through 2014 without any problems and look to 2015 and beyond as their return to big time contention.

            In Philadelphia, hopes for the Phillies to get back to their winning ways as seen before 2012, will not be back in 2014.  Since Ryan Howard went down with an injury in the 2011 NLDS, 2012 and 2013 became underproductive and injury plagued for the former allstar.  Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels will keep the team from totally faltering, but an aging roster of over paid and past glory players will keep the city of Philadelphia unhappy, at least until the Eagles season starts.

            As for the Marlins, the hopes of becoming a major threat with the opening of their new stadium in 2012, new coaching, and new players are long gone and reality returned to Miami.  The roster is in shambles and on paper new players should help, but how many times have we heard that out of Miami in the past.  If anything, the Marlins have a shot at not having the worst record in MLB this season, but even that wouldn’t bring fans to the ballpark.  In all honesty though, is anyone in Miami even aware they have an MLB team?

            The Marlins, Phillies, and Mets are not a threat for the NL East or wild card, plain and simple.  The Nationals and Braves, however, will most likely be locked in battle for the NL East, the wild card looks to be out reach for either team due to the talent in the NL Central and West.  Expect a battle that could easily come down to the last game of the season to decide the NL East.

 

Projected final standings for the NL East:

1.      Atlanta Braves

2.      Washington Nationals

3.      New York Mets

4.      Philadelphia Phillies

5.      Miami Marlins        

 

NL West

 

The Los Angeles Dodgers after a change in management put a lot of money into new players in hopes of turning the team around, while it looked like it wouldn’t work at the beginning, the Dodgers made a quick turn around and become a major contender in the NL.  The offseason moves made by the team only add to the power of the bats and pitching looks to still be a challenge to any batter that gets in their way.  The Dodgers will clearly contend for the NL West and NL Pennant in 2014.

            As stated earlier, the San Francisco Giants are in prime position for a rebound and may very well be able to compete very competitively with the Dodgers.

However though in the NL West, the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres have quietly built up their teams and are ready to make a move for the NL West. The improvements and new talent picked up by the Diamondbacks look to put them in a position of postseason contention, where the Padres talent showed signs of taking the next step forward into major contention, if that same talent form 2013 improves as expected in 2014, this may very well be the case for the Padres.

            As for the Colorado Rockies, a surprising winning filled start in 2013 fell apart and the team never recovered.  Offensively, lighting could strike twice, but pitching wise, the team has little hope to compete with a newly more competitive NL West in 2014.

With the exception of the Rockies, the NL West is wide open.  The Dodgers are the favorite to win the division, but the remaining three teams have a shot at the last wild card spot.  The Dodgers, Diamondbacks, Giants, and Padres have the potential to finish in any order, and it wouldn’t be a major shock, but there is a possible safe bet to how they’ll all finish.

 

Projected finish for the NL West:

1.      Los Angeles Dodgers

2.      Arizona Diamondbacks (WILD CARD)

3.      San Francisco Giants

4.      San Diego Padres

5.      Colorado Rockies     

 

AL Central

 

            The AL Central like the NL East will be a two team race.  The Detroit Tigers even with the loss of Fielder and Fister, will still compete very well in the American League.  The newly built Kansas City Royals though will be very much up there with the Tigers in 2014.

            The remaining teams in the division: the Chicago White Sox, Minnesota Twins, and Cleveland Indians have some good talent, but most likely will find problems that will keep them from postseason play in most cases.  The White Sox are in the process of rebuilding, the Twins have fallen off the face of the Earth after a major rebound two years ago, and the Indians, while the surprise team last year, will face an uphill battle against the Tigers and Royals all season.

            On paper, the Tigers and Royals will be the favorites, with the Indians giving a scare every once in a while, but in a sport where anything can happen and momentum swings rapidly, we shall see.

 

Nevertheless, the most likely final standings out of the AL Central:

1.      Detroit Tigers

2.      Kansas City Royals

3.      Cleveland Indians

4.      Chicago White Sox

5.      Minnesota Twins

 

 

AL East

 

            Defending World Series Champions, the Boston Red Sox have done every correct step to ensure they’ll have a major shot at repeating as AL East Champions and go far in the postseason, the question is who will compete with them and most likely get the wild card?

            The Yankees have the money and are doing everything to prepare for a change as the team ages and players leave.  With A-Rod out and Derek Jeter set to play his last full season, the Bronx Bombers made many offseason moves to compete even with the loss of Robinson Cano.  As every year, the team looks on paper to be the favorite, but past years of rising inconsistent play and injuries are inevitable to show up in 2014.  They may not be severe on the record, but could be enough to keep the team out of the playoffs.

 

In Tampa Bay, even with the large cap salary wise against teams in their division, the Rays are in prime position to win the wild card and still on paper can be a World Series contender if all things go right, and for the Rays, past years have shown this may be a possibility.  This may be the year this happens, and the Rays are showing they are nowhere near hesitant to pounce on this opportunity.

            As for the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles, the talent is there, but problems will keep them at bay.  Toronto has spent a lot of money to bring in talent with little to show for, a turn around in 2014 is a definite possibility, but may be unlikely for the team.  In Baltimore, the turn around in 2012 proved to be a one time event. 2013 was a major step back and 2014 doesn’t show any signs of getting better for the Orioles, the potential is there clearly, but the team can’t find a way to unleash it. For the Blue Jays and Orioles there is no time to sit around, by then the Red Sox, Rays, and Yankees will be far ahead in the standings, which looks to be the case in 2014.

 

Projected final standings in the AL East:

1.      Boston Red Sox

2.      Tampa Bay Rays (WILD CARD)

3.      New York Yankees

4.      Baltimore Orioles

5.      Toronto Blue Jays  

 

AL West

            In the American West, the Texas Rangers and Oakland A’s are the top dogs and either will win the division or wild card.  The talent, coaching, and management sets these teams ahead of the other three teams in the AL West.

            The Los Angeles Angels lineup of Pujols and Hamilton, that puts a tight grip on the payroll, shows no signs of doing anything spectacular this year.

The Seattle Mariners made shocking big moves, but most likely won’t be a major threat this year.

            As for the Houston Astros….

 

Projected final standings in the AL West

1.      Texas Rangers

2.      Oakland A’s (WILD CARD)

3.      Seattle Mariners

4.      Los Angeles Angels

5.      Houston Astros