Teodor Vehauc's 9th Post

Knife-Wielding Men Attack Train Station in China, at Least 27 Dead

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/2014/03/01/knifewielding_men_attack_train_station_in_china_dozens_killed_and_injured.html#

Published on Sat. March 1, 2014        Published By: The Associated Press

          Last Saturday, over ten knife-wielding terrorists attacked innocent civilians at a train station located in South-Western China. Twenty-nine people were killed, and about 130 were injured. The local police killed four attackers, and arrested one of them. The attackers were mostly dressed in black, and attacked the Kunming train station in the province of Yunnan and started to attack people in the late evening. Evidence found at the area of the attack revealed that it was a terrorist attack by the Xinjiang separatist forces. Xinjiang is home to a rebellion against Chinese rule. Over sixty victims of the attack were rushed to a hospital, where about a dozen bodies were also visible. Many people lost loved ones during this sad, terrible event.

           In the article, it doesn’t really mention what was the main purpose behind the attack, it just gives information about the attack. I don’t know what would drive anyone to kill innocent civilians, but it’s really horrible. If I was there during the killings, I would be so scared, I would either run away as fast as I possibly could, or I would just freeze up from the shock. I might not know what to do due to having seen many murders right before my eyes. One thing I think should have been added to the article was a description of how good the security there was, considering over ten armed men were able to reach the station. That makes me worry about the idea of people with weapons being discovered only when it’s too late. Even with so much access to violence via media sources (such as violence in movies and video games), it’s nothing compared to real life instances. With video games, even if it looks realistic, you know it’s not real. It’s just a collection of pixels on a screen. In real life on the other hand, real people with real families that care about them get killed, and the sadness that comes to their families is so extreme, it can’t be described in any way. All in all, I liked the article. Even though the events that happened were very sad and disastrous, it was still well written. It gave the details of a horrible attack, and it gave a realistic description the surviving victims’ terror. It was a severely traumatic experience for many survivors, and may the victims that were killed rest in peace.

Teodor Vehauc's 8th Post

Man Trying to Hijack Plane to Olympics Detained in Turkey

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/2014/02/07/man_trying_to_hijack_plane_to_olympics_detained_in_turkey.html

Published on Fri, Feb 7, 2014              By: Susan Fraser

          Last Friday, a Ukrainian man tried to hijack a plane headed to Sochi for the Olympics. The man believed that the plane ended up landing in Sochi, but the pilot tricked the supposed hijacker, and landed in Istanbul. As soon as the pilot signalled that there was an attempt to hijack the plane, a Turkish fighter jet was sent out to safely and securely escort the plane to its destination. Afterwards, the hijacker was arrested during a confrontation in which a negotiator was able to convince the man to let the passengers off of the plane. The man’s motive wasn’t evident, but according to Huseyin Avni Mutlu, the Governor of Istanbul, the hijacker wanted to deliver a “message concerning the sporting activities in Sochi”. According to Habib Soluk, the Turkish Transport Ministry undersecretary, the hijacker stood up from his seat, yelled that there was a bomb on the plane, and tried to go into the cockpit, which was luckily locked. The plane landed about when the opening ceremony began, and despite the threat of the hijacking, the executive creative director of the Olympics opening ceremony didn’t change anything.

          In the article, it talks a little about the events on the plane. Personally, I would prefer for it to have given a little more detail about the happenings. For example, they could have included an interview with one of the passengers concerning what was going through their mind at the time, while the hijacker was yelling about the bomb. With the information already given, I would be really scared if I happened to be on that plane. Also, at the end of the article, it mentions that even though the director of the opening ceremony knew about the attempted hijacking, he didn’t do anything. That makes me question the security during an event such as the opening ceremony. Naturally, they wouldn’t have absolutely no security, but it surprised me that he didn’t change anything about the opening. He at least could have increased the security measures in order to enter the area. I also would have liked a little more information about what happened to both the man and the passengers when they found out they weren’t in Sochi. For example, they could have included if the passengers got to the Olympics yet, or if they’re still at Istanbul. Despite these things, I liked the article. It explained the happening of somebody trying to partially sabotage a major worldwide event. That was actually the reason I chose this article. I see no reason for anybody to do something like that, so by reading the article, I might find out the motive behind it.

Teodor Vehauc's 7th Post

South Africa Unites In Mourning

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/2013/12/06/nelson_mandela_south_africans_mourn_father_of_the_nation.html

Published on Fri. Dec. 6, 2013                        By: Jennifer Quinn

          This Sunday, the citizens of South Africa will stop to remember Nelson Mandela, who passed away the other day. It will mark the start of a ceremony lasting more than a week to remember their former president. Nelson Mandela was special to many people, so naturally, many people would feel a void in their hearts where he used to belong. This coming Tuesday, a memorial service is going to be held within the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, the city in which he died, to honour him. Even though he was sick this year, his passing still came as a shock to some people. Some were prepared, while others just weren’t ready to have their hero leave them. He is truly too important to be forgotten, and will be remembered forever.

          The article states that many people feel very sad about Nelson Mandela’s passing, but what were they doing to cheer up? I think that the article could have added more details as to what people were doing to try to get past this difficult time, and move on. Personally, I think that the article should also have included the input from his family members. I would have liked to see what his family thought of him (probably great things). I also think the article could have included more information about what specifically was the citizens’ method of paying respects to him. Despite these things, I still liked the article though. It had relevant information about the passing of Nelson Mandela, and the people’s reactions to it. Even though the article could have included the things I mentioned before, those were just things I would have liked to have seen. They weren’t things that would be necessary to include. Nelson Mandela was a hero. He helped to achieve rights in South Africa, and he formed the African National Congress, in which he later became their president. He was truly a great man. I think it’s important for people to reflect on his passing, but also to move on afterwards. He will stay in the memory of those whose lives he has changed for the rest of time.

Teodor Vehauc's 6th Post

Fighting in Syria Killed At Least 160 over the Weekend near Damascus

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/2013/11/24/fighting_in_syria_killed_at_least_160_over_the_weekend_near_damascus.html

Published on Sun. Nov. 24, 2013         By: Diaa Hadid

          The battles between Syrian troops and rebels attempting to put a government siege to an end in the suburban areas of Damascus have led to the deaths of at least 160 fighters over the weekend. The Syrian government has cut off medicine, clean drinkable water, food and other necessary supplies in an attempt to stop the rebels’ resistance against them. Their strategy worked. It helped the Syrian government capture many rebel areas over the past month. The Syrian government’s latest victories have helped their president have a stronger say in peace talks with the U.S. and Russia trying to put a stop to the civil war. The fighting started on Friday when many rebel forces attacked the government, with the goal to open the road that lies between Ghouta and the outside. The fighting has been proven to be very serious, due to the great amount of deaths in such a short time, 160 deaths in only about two days.

          The article said that 160 fighters had been killed, but it doesn’t expand on it. I think it would be valuable information to know how many deaths there were in total as well, such as hostages or regular civilians, instead of only the fighters. If they had included that, I would have liked the article more. I don’t think that there’s much room for bias here because it’s not really an opinion article. It’s just stating the facts of a recent occurrence, or in this case, rebel attacks in Syria. Personally, I feel that they should all stop attacking each other. Both the rebels and the Syrian government would benefit, because both sides are taking unnecessary casualties. Many people lose their lives in wars, and when things like this happen, I feel that it’s a waste. I also think that they could have added more information about what specifically was the motive for the rebel attacks. The rebels wouldn’t attack without a reason, so why wouldn’t you include a reason as to why they did. One last thing I think the writer should have expanded on is what the attacks were like. I think it would be good to know which side had the advantage, and which side did what to win. All in all, I liked the article. It addresses a current major happening in the world, which is known and talked about all throughout the world.

Teodor Vehauc's 5th Post

Special Mass Held for Philippines Typhoon Haiyan Victims

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013/11/15/special_mass_held_for_philippines_typhoon_haiyan_victims.html

Published on Fri Nov 15 2013             By: Gemma Karstens-Smith

          In times of disaster, people help and comfort each other. The Filipinos in Toronto did just that. They got together at the “Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church”, and are grouping together, praying for the well-being of their loved ones. Some people have heard that their family members survived the storm, but everything that they owned had been destroyed. The turnout for the gathering at the church was important, because it showed that many people cared about the poor people whose lives were taken by the storm. It shows that in times of suffering, there’s hope. People have been sending in packages of food, clothes, money, and hygienic supplies such as soap and toothbrushes. Every little bit counts, as it goes towards helping those who lost their homes, and have no place to live now. People do care, and with more time, the victims will be able to carry on once more.

          I have decided to analyze this article using the eight key concepts. The concept I think most relates to the article is number six: “Media messages contain political and social messages”. Concept number six is about how media conveys information about occurrences around the world, and this article is doing that. It’s informing us about the tragedy that happened in the Philippines and what people are doing to help. Without media, it would be a lot harder to find out about what happened, so we depend on the media to deliver the news and latest occurrences to us. This also ties in with concept number two: “Media construct versions of reality”. We need the media to tell us about the latest happenings in the world.  Although it may be influenced by bias, they are the main conveyers of information to the public.

          Yes, I liked this article. It explains what people are doing to help the survivors of the storm. Whenever I see a homeless person on the street asking for money, I want to give some to him/her because it makes me feel happy that I helped. I always hope that people have the generosity in their hearts to do that as well. Now that I read this article, and saw how people donated the packages of necessities to the people in the Philippines, it makes me happy to know how hard people are trying to help them. If something bad happened here, we would depend on other countries for support, until we could function by ourselves again. The same generosity that helped them in the past would be returned to us, and we would receive aid. We’re lucky that we can depend on other places for moral and financial support.

Teodor Vehauc's 4th Post

Rob Ford Says He Made “Mistakes”

 But Plans To Stay

http://www.thestar.com/news/city_hall/2013/11/03/rob_ford_says_he_made_mistakes_but_plans_to_stay.html

Published on Sun. Nov. 3, 2013           By: Daniel Dale

          Rob Ford, our Mayor, admits that he has made many mistakes in the past. He apologised many times already, for the various things he has done, yet he won't resign from being our Mayor. He is saying that he takes full responsibility for everything that has happened over the time of him being elected. What is he actually apologizing for? When a caller asked him what specifically he was apologizing for, Mayor Ford said that he regretted the Danforth and St. Patrick’s Day incidents, in both of which he admitted he had been intoxicated.  He also admitted to using his phone while driving. However, he only explained a fraction of what he did. He didn't explain his appearance in the alleged video, or whether or not he used drugs. Rob pleaded Police Chief Bill Blair to release the video, so that the citizens of Toronto could see it and decide for themselves what they think about it. Rob Ford’s brother, Doug Ford, said that Rob knows about many scandals associated with other politicians, but “he isn't a “rat” that will “squeal” on people.” Mayor Ford says he apologises to everybody, but can’t change what has been done.

          I have decided to analyze this article using the eight key concepts. Out of all the concepts, I feel that number six (Media messages contain political and social messages) is reflected the most. Concept number six explains how media delivers information about current local events to us, and that’s exactly what this article is doing. It is sharing information about Rob Ford and his scandals. The media provides us with information about important issues happening here in Toronto, which is a necessity to know about. The news of Mayor Ford’s scandals are spreading to more than just Toronto. It is heard about in other parts of Canada, and even across the world! Rob Ford’s accusations are issues that wouldn’t be easily known without the easy access we have towards media.

          The reason I liked the article was that it covered an important topic for people living in Toronto. It addressed the scandals of our very own Mayor, which is a sensitive topic to most people. It affects us, as well as all the other citizens of Toronto, because he’s our own Mayor, and he is supposed to represent all of Toronto, and our values. This also in fact ties in with the eight key concepts (number five - Media messages contain ideology and values). The media is actually quite powerful. It is responsible for conveying information about global occurrences, while the facts have the risk of being twisted by their own personal opinions. Article writers have the ability to write from their own point of view, so articles about the same topic could be changed by different people’s perspectives, which ties in with concept two - Media construct versions of reality. That’s one of the reasons I liked this article. This article provides the facts, and then leaves it open to interpretation and your own individual opinions. Some people accept Rob Ford’s apologies, while others don’t believe him and think he shouldn't be Mayor.

Teodor Vehauc's 3rd Post

Newfound Skull Has Scientists Rethinking Human Family Tree

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/2013/10/18/scientists_rethink_humans_family_tree_after_2millionyearold_skull_found.html

Published on Fri. Oct. 18, 2013                       By: Monte Morin

          2 million years ago, up by the great heights of the Caucasus Mountains, a primitive human fought a life or death battle, but lost. It appeared that he was on a scavenging mission, to hunt for food. He and a few others attempted to scrape meat off of dead carcasses, and get away before a large predator found them. Unfortunately for them, they were too slow. Nearly two million years later, scientists have found five fossilized human skulls, as a result of the early humans’ failed scavenging mission. Up until now, there was a theory that we evolved from three different species of humans, but now when they looked at the skulls’ slight differences, the scientists realized that the skulls all had characteristics of all three species of human ancestors. This made the scientists realize that their previous theory was incorrect. There aren't three different types of human. It is all one type, with the differences in the skulls lying in normal human factors, such as gender or age.

          I will analyze this article using the eight key concepts. The concept I think is most reflected in this article is number two. It talks about how the media constructs versions of reality. We weren’t actually there when the fossils were being dug out, or when the scientists were examining the specimens, so the article explains what was happening and conveys the information from the scene. In a sense, that’s what constructing reality is, our opinion is based on their interpretation of what happened. I also think that it’s relatable to concept number six. I chose number six because it’s about how media contains political/social messages, and current happenings in the world. The article talks about how scientists found the skulls, and how the discovery of these five skulls has caused discussion over whether the current theory is correct.

          I liked the article because it was about new scientific discoveries, and because it’s about the theories of evolution, both of which I find interesting. I enjoy reading about all the various new information related to science. It was interesting how they used highly descriptive language in order to share the story of what the caveman time was like, almost placing you in the position of the cavemen. I think it would be really interesting if one day scientists found out something more that has to do with human evolution. Maybe this finding will lead to those future discoveries, which in turn would lead to more articles that i would enjoy.