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    On Monday afternoon around 3:30pm, I got off the train and strolled myself back home. Unexpected, I noticed black clouds of smoke building up in the midair and it was getting darker each second. I It was a block away from my house and my heart automatically skipped a beat. It was interesting and horrifying at the same time. I wasn’t sure where it was coming from at the moment so I ran to my house and dropped everything off on the sofa and opened the window. It was a better view since I am on the second floor of the house. The smoke was very dark, a mixture of dark grey and black. I watch as it swirled up and block out the blue sky. Sirens blast in streets and every minute, a fire truck and police cars stormed by. At that time, I was just hoping that no death occurred from the fire. I decided to take a picture as well so I snapped a couple of pictures from my window view and the fire was coming from the vacant factory in my neighborhood. There were more than 200 fire fighters and it took 16 hours to settle the fire down!

    The trains that run in my neighborhood are not underground. So I was wondering whether or not the smoke would block the view of the driver running the train. As expected, the MTA decided to close down all trains running between Broadway Junction all the way to Jamaica. As an alternative, we will need to take the bus and transfer. It didn’t affect me at that moment because I was at home right on time before the MTA decided to declare this.

     After finding out about the fire, I was wondering how the media will respond to this news. Since it is my neighborhood, I searched online to see how different news company reacts. I read different articles from companies like NY1, DNAinfo, myfoxny, wall street journal, nbc and brownstoner. I compared their pictures and it’s pretty interesting to see the different angles the aimed when snapping pictures of the burning factory. It seemed competitive because I realized that each company posted their story about this fire at different time. Some were faster and some posted slower than the other.

            After this incident, it allowed me to visual how journalism works when something actually happens in my own area. It also made me realize how quickly journalists report their story and gather quotes and sources. I regret not going close up to the scene to get a watch of how journalists talk to sources. I could imagine a bunch of people with notebooks, camera and pen in their hands trying to break through the crowd and talk to witnesses and officials. If I actually went, I wonder if I would be one of the sources. Too bad, I guess I missed the chance.

 

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has constantly been criticized by residents over the span of his political career, in part because of the numerous amounts of health initiatives that many view as ineffective, intrusive and excessive.

His list of past health initiatives include, banning of trans-fats and smoking in public places, restaurants and bars. The mayor has also required city restaurants to make calorie counts available on restaurant menus.

A recent article in the AM New York newspaper, revealed a recent study conducted by the Annals of Internal Medicine which showed that the mayor’s trans-fat ban has actually made New Yorker’s healthier. The study showed that New Yorkers consumed an average of 2.4 grams less of trans fats from 2007 to 2009. It was based on a five-year study into the city’s eating habits at more than 160 fast food restaurants.

The article also says that the trans-fat ban has been effective in inspiring people to be more conscious of what they eat. They also suggested that the federal government should take notice and implement a similar health initiative throughout the nation.

Bloomberg’s latest “soda ban” proposal has also flared a lot of controversy. Some feel that the government should not infringe on what they choose to eat, while others feel that the sole focus on sweetened beverages is not fair.

Supporters like New York City Health Department Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley think that anything that improves the health of city residents is great. On a recent public hearing he said, “Obesity is a crisis this City cannot afford to ignore. If a virus were killing 5,800 New Yorkers in a single year, people would be clamoring for government action to stop it. The fact that obesity kills that many year after year only increase’s our duty to respond.”

Although there are many people and organizations that say the government has no right to restrict what they eat, I supporter the mayor’s recent initiative.

Obesity and diabetes are major problems that many New York City residents face and it doesn’t only affect their lives. People who suffer from obesity and diabetes because of poor diets affect all New York City residents by costing them to pay more taxes to fund health care. It also affects employers who have obese and diabetic employees because it may decrease productivity and often times force them to miss workdays because of frequent trips to the doctor, in turn making them a liability for the company.

Childhood and teen obesity is also affecting America a great deal. According to the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, between 16 and 33 percent of children and adolescents are obese in America, costing a whopping $100 billion annually to society.

I also agree with the recent AM New York and think that the federal government should also try to pass a similar initiative like the mayor’s proposed “soda ban” to combat obesity and diabetes throughout the nation.

Journalism enters USA with sex, scandals, and classic USA political dramas
By Yakov Gavrilov

USAs recent mini-series casts an alternate version of the Clinton family as the main cast. The new name of this political family is the Hammond family.

Elaine a recently divorced first lady of former president Bud Hammond; loses the 2008 presidential election and takes the possession of Secretary of State – Ring a bell.

The former first lady has not one daughter in the new mini-series but 2 twin sons. Douglas Hammond the younger brother the Chief of Staff of the white house and is waiting for his wedding to take place. The older brother takes little light into the political powers of the White House and wants to open a night club as his business.

Thomas Hammond the first openly gay son of a president that has had near death experiences last Christmas because of the pressure of being forced to come out to the world at a young age.
This is where the only main cast member that’s not in the family makes an appearance. Susan Berg a journalist gets her hands on this information.

She refuses to put it in the newspaper because it goes against journalisms ethics if she wrote a story on it but she does blackmail the first lady into having an interview with her.

She uses this information to get the former First Lady to talk about the hostage situation in Iran, with three journalists being held at gun point.

Susan Berg tells her editor about the near death experience with Thomas Hammond and he gives the information to another female employee and tells her to write the story.

Susan is infatuated the Editor and when she receives the news that the story has been written by another female employee she accuses him of cheating on her.

He tells her that the newspaper industry is a dying business and needed the story.

Susan did not believe that is the true reason he gave her the story
.
He admits to it and tells her it’s because she has been caring more about the story than she has about him.

Susan walks out the news room telling him that the relationship is over and goes to the Secretary of State at a nearby elephant park.

Pleading forgiveness and telling her what her what her true intent was that she did not want to print the story and what her editor did to her.

Elaine fells sympathy for Susan because she has been in that situation where a man lies and cheats to you and tells her the current situation of the hostages in Iran.

Elaine continued that she invited her hear because she adores Elephants because after they mate the female elephant dethrones the male and takes charge.

Later in the politically protected vehicle Elaine tells her security guard that she is going to run for president once more.

The episode ends.

47 stars out of 50

It was a presumably going to be a normal day at work for me last Wednesday afternoon. As I was working behind the counter glancing at all the sweet confectioneries, a white over sized white truck plopped in front of the bakery. A couple of men came out of the truck, opened the back door and pulled out what looked like light posts and studio
Cameras. After a while I didn’t think much of it.

I went on break, I walked up the block and to my surprise found more trucks, and more people and more equipment. Tents were set up with people running filimg with huge video cameras, it was pretty hectic. As I was heading back to work At first glance the store looked really busy, but then I noticed there were strangers behind the counter, and the customers weren’t our everyday customers. Not even touristy looking, they all greeted me really politely and a guy asked if I can turn the refrigerator, air conditioners , and any lights that made faint buzzing noises. With the weirdest look on my face I asked why? He replied because we don’t want any noise interfering with our microphones.

They were shooting the show “Point of Interest” on TBS in the bakery I work in. I met Michael Emerson who starred in Lost and the horror film Saw. It was quite an unexpected day.

I recently ate a cheeseburger for lunch at Gramercy Cafe…it was HORRIBLE. I’m pretty sure i was served a burnt burger. I should have complained but when your hungry anything edible taste good (well almost). Besides the workers looked like they were having a hard time since its always crowded around 11-12. I know i’m not the only one who suffered though. My friend had ordered pasta and an employee gave her the wrong sauce and had to remake it. After he made it again he had given her the right sauce but the wrong pasta noodles. With this I think I’ll stick to Hidden City Cafe, though its small and just as crowded as Gramercy Cafe at least they give good food and don’t screw up your orders.

IT’S CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY! This is a wonderful book by Roald Dahl that makes your mouth water for chocolate. Who doesn’t love chocolate? If you had a chance to go to the famous Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory and receive an endless supply of chocolate, what would you do?

The catch? Only 5 children will be allowed inside and there are 5 golden tickets hidden in 5 out of millions of wonka chocolate bars out there.

By a stroke of luck one of these golden tickets ended up in the hands of Charlie Bucket, a poor boy with a poor family.

It has been so many years since I have read this delightful book from my childhood. I remember reading gleefully as the naughty kids paid for their bad behavior. And who can forget about the Oompa-Loompas.

“Augustus Gloop! Augustus Gloop!
The great big greedy nincompoop!
How long could we allow this beast
To gorge and guzzle, feed and feast
On everything he wanted to?
Great Scott! It simply wouldn’t do!”

I love the wacky, colorful and imaginative world Roald Dahl created and the emotional rollercoaster ride he takes you on.

I love how the characters were written and brought to life by both the novelist and the actors. To Ruo Xi, all the people she is meeting now were just names in a textbook that she had to study before. But now that her soul has transported back into the Qing dynasty and into the body of the daughter of an aristocrat general, she has the chance to meet all these powerful political figures of the time and witness one of history’s most intense succession battle for the throne between the princes in China’s history.

The first person she met after waking up in the Qing dynasty was Qiao Hui. Although she is just the servant girl working in 8^th prince’s manor and her place in the story isn’t that important, but, she is someone everyone wants to have at his or her side. She gives good advice and listens to people well. During the time that Ruo Xi is still getting used to living in the Qing dynasty, Qiao Hui has helped her a lot. When Ruo Xi’s sister Ruo Lan dies, Qiao Hui follows Ruo Xi into the the Fobbidden Palace to take care of Ruo Xi.

Ruo Lan is Ruo Xi’s older sister. At some point, Ruo Xi wanted to tell her that the real Ruo Xi isn’t alive anymore and that she is really Zhang Xiao from the future. However, she thought this over and never ended up telling her. If Ruo Xi were to tell this to Ruo Lan, she might be seen as a crazy person and sent to who knows where. Ruo Lan who is Married to 8^th prince spends a big part of her day praying to Buddha. In the beginning Ruo Xi doesn’t know why her sister does this and behaves to cold towards 8^th prince, but she later figures out what happened between them.

When Ruo Lan was 17 years old, 8^th prince saw her from far away riding happily on a horse. 8^th prince fell in love at first sight and was captivated by her. Not long later, the King gave him permission to marry the oldest daughter of the Great General Maertai, which is Ruo Lan. However, what he doesn’t know is that she was already in love with the person who taught her how to ride horses. On their wedding day, Ruo Lan was silently crying under her red veil. 8^th prince knew that something was not right and sent someone to her old home and find out what happened. It wasn’t long before the Great General was alerted and sent Ruo Lan’s lover to the frontlines of battle. When Ruo Lan found out that he died in battle, she fell sick and lost the child she had with 8^th prince. 8^th prince didn’t kill her lover but he did lead to his death. After this, Ruo Lan could never accept him again.

I finished all my interviews and my article. I am very excited to see it on my.hsj.org, I wonder who will get national story. These past couple of weeks I been thinking about who fast summer can be if your involved in something. My friends always tell me how bored they are and that they don’t know what to do over the summer and I tell them, “Do something beneficial, that’s what I’m doing.” The small or little things you do to your life can have a great impact in your future. This college course will save me some money that I can use later on in college, if necessary. Not including this Thursday, we only have two Thursday to blog about whatever we want. I’ll blog next week! J

On Tuesday I went to see the new movie The Dark Knight Rises with my family. I am happy to say that movie was not a let down. Once again Christopher Nolan puts together a great cast that brings the Batman story to life.

In this movie it explains the story of what happens to Batman after he loses his city, the love of his life, and money. But this movie also brings a bigger picture to light. The story line of the villain, Bane, comes from a few elements of the problems our world has today. Some of these are violation of human rights, oppression, and unequal distribution of wealth. The Batman movie put those in a more drastic perspective.

One thing i did not like about the movie is how little they explained about Cat woman’s purpose and back story in the movie.

The best and worst part of the movie was the ending. I am not going to give a spoiler alert but the ending could have had a bigger impact than it did. The good thing about the ending is that it lets you know there is more in stire for Gotham City even without Batman.