March 11, 2009— Shuttle launch for Discovery that was scheduled for tonight has been delayed because of a fuel tank leak. NASA announced that they might be launching a rocket on Thursday night if the revamping of the shuttle is finished. There were already a bunch of delays, more than a month, not allowing the shuttle to be blasted off. This will be NASA’s 29th shuttle mission into the space station. The launch date had be postpone for “additional analysis and particle impact testing associated with a flow-control valve in the shuttle’s main engines.” This shuttle’s, Discovery’s, mission was to deliver the final set of “solar array wings” to the space station. With the set of wings completed, the station will have enough electrical energy for the entire crew that double its size to six more people by May.
After reading this article, I was yet disappointed. I thought I would be hearing more good news from NASA about their exploration or constructions in space. I hope that this shuttle is fixed, so the construction of the space station will be completed. As these are completed, the space station will be fully operational as planned. The astronauts could expand their range of having more equipment in space, like developing more space stations, space exploration and space observatory. However, this news could be considered as mild good news. If the astronauts were inside this leaking shuttles, they could had been killed because of the leak. I was glad that the inspectors were able to check these problems out. If not, this would waste several human lives and all of the resources for this shuttle and research. I hope that the engineers will be more cautious, so they will not make anymore mistakes. Let’s hope that the launch will be on Thursday as expected. Good luck, NASA!
March 10, 2009, Baghdad, Iraq—There was a car bombing at the national reconciliation conference. Thirty three people were killed and twenty or more were wounded by the bombing and Iraqi soldiers were one of the injured ones, according to the Interior Ministry Official. Another official told CNN that the commenced ambush had occurred when people were gathering outside when the conference had ended in the building. The people who held the meeting were Tribal Leaders of AbuGhraib area, the Sunni Arab and the Shiite-led government. There was no suspects of the murderers yet. However, gatherings as such had been targeted by the anti-American Sunni Arab militants. The attack later followed the next Sunday when a man in a motorcycle had suicide bomb had killed thirty people and wounded at least sixty others, the targets were a police recruits. After the States invaded Iraq, they had purged Iraqi organizations such as the Baathists. The minority had condemned the member of the government, Al-Maliki, a Shiite, for not been fairly representing Iraqi’s ethnic groups.
This was another typical event that happened in Iraq. However, this time, I think these bombers were not terrorists, but protesters. These protesters actually think the Shiite-led government was not doing a good job on governing. They believe that they were not represented fairly. Hence, by making these bombings, this was a way to protest against the government. To stop these bombings, the Shiite-led government should listen to every different groups equally to prevent these kind of attacks from happening again. By shifting the government to democracy, real republic, could bring a fairer nation where everyone is equal, where government won’t favouring certain groups they are serving. It’s a time to change, Iraq!
March 6, 2009— The Kepler space craft will be scheduled to launch into space on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, tonight. The purpose of this spacecraft is to search for “earth-like” planets. During the pre-launch news conference, NASA Associate Administrator Ed Weiler said, “This is a historical mission. It’s not just a science Mission, It really attacks some very basic human questions that have been part of our genetic code since that the first man or woman looked up in the sky and asked the question: Are we alone?” The Kepler contained a sophisticated, precise telescope that will observe more than hundred thousands of stars in the Milky Way. This spaceship will be observing the planets and seek out planets that are similar to earth. After reading this article, it reminded me about my childhood—the entire period. All my feelings during my childhood—fear, obsession, happiness and excitement all revolved around space. The first book I had ever read about space was when I was four years old. After watching my first space fiction movie, I was even more obsessed about space. After reading all those articles about space abductions, it gave me nightmares when my age was not even close to two digits. This experiment is highly significant in my life. I was extremely thrilled to read this article and I hope that this spacecraft will find living life forms or a new home for us. I think the main purpose for this was not only finding a new intelligent life form but to find a new home also. The purpose of a new home is that we know that one day, the earth will run out of resources and will get too polluted to live in. Therefore, when this day come, we will have another place to live before the planet is destroyed. I hope that this day of earth’s end will never come. If not, we might all either have to find a new home or all get annihilated. However, we will need to be cautious about our environment and treat it more with care. When we have contact with a new intelligence, I trust that we could ally with each other and help each other. I hope that these alien species have the same intelligence as we do, so we will be able to communicate well with each other. Good luck, Kepler!
March 4, 2009, Iraq- Mohammed Rasoul, a fourteen year old, grew up on Falluja, a war-zone like city. In October 13, 2006, he and his cousin were sitting right next to a car bomb. Before he knew what happened, the bomb exploded, destroying his right leg and obliterated his cousin. When the Global Medical Relief Fund, a charity that supports children in war-torn homes internationally, found out about him, they helped him. The charity brought them living in the United States, which made them changed their thoughts about the country. His mother initially believed that America was only saw her dark and inhumane side. After living in America, she found out that America was a really friendly society and there was sympathy. With the charity’s donations, the Shriners Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania installed a prosthetic limb for Mohammed. When they returned back to Iraq, they spread the news of the good of America. However, after Mohammed lived in United States, where it was completely different from Iraq, he is now much more tensed about another attack. He feared that he might be ambushed again as he was regarded as a traitor after going to the United States. In the end, Mohammed returned back to the United States, thanks to the Global Medical Relief Fund. He will be replaced with a new prosthetic, as the old one does not fit him anymore.
This is a second chance. Everyone needs a second chance. Our God gave us a second chance to repent, which will help us turn into a better human being. My history teacher gave me a second chance to improve my mark, which boosted my mark up incredibly. The Global Medical Relief Fund gave Mohammed a second chance was to the United States, to have a new life. I am really happy for this boy. I hope that he will not waste his chance in the United States to do something foolish but the help the society in the future. Now, after reading this article, I would want to do more Community Service work; ready to help the needy. I hope that more Iraq and war-tarred citizens will be rescued by these kind of charity operations. This will provide the poor victims of their own society a second chance. I hope the citizens in Iraq would change their view about the United States, so this could help the two nations to create peace. Thus, will give the United States her second chance. In conclusions, a second chance is not only the essence of bringing a better society but to maintain hope for humanity also.
March 2, 2009, United States – In the States, most of the workers are now leaving their old jobs, looking forward for a job in a renewable energy source company. They believe that joining “green collar jobs” will offer them a more constancy stance for the economy. Some workers and university students were signing up for universities courses that offers a training program for wind turbine mechanics, solar panel installers, fuel-cell engineers or energy efficiency professionals. The US Government had now encourage green job corps for the stimulus package. The United States will be doubling its supply of renewable energy in a few years. These industries provided new jobs for laid off workers. However, there were difficulties for these industries. Solar energy and wind energy banks had reduced workers because of the Financial Crisis as banks do not have enough money to invest into these green companies. Nevertheless, the “green occupation” are getting popular and a safer career plan for University students.
This is good news not only for the economy, but for the world. When shifting to green energy, this could help the world to stop the rising of green house gases and reduce smog. This could postpone, and eventually stop, global warming. Air pollution and the melting of the polar caps might come to an end. I hope these renewable energies will be efficient and cheap. Consequently, the manufacturing industries will be using these rather than petroleum or coal. The usage of oil might come to a halt, this might cause some of the petroleum industries to go bankrupt. This could disrupt the economy, but gradually. Petroleum industries should probably start researching on renewable energy. Therefore, when petroleum’s usage had been ceased, it would not go bankrupt but start selling renewable energies. Green is our future!
