day of silence 2010

Some of you may know what day it is today but for those of you who don’t, it’s the Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network’s (GLSEN) 15th annual Day of Silence. The Day of Silence is meant as a silent protest against the physical bullying and discrimination of gay students.

According to news.spreadit.org, the event, which GLSEN has been marketing to schools around the nation, calls for students to be silent and not speak throughout the whole school day, in the hope that their protest will raise awareness about harassment of homosexuals in schools.

However, several Christian groups have previously issued statements about today’s event. They say that the holiday does not promote less bullying, and is just a day to simply promote homosexuality. One organization has even asked that all Christian students do not attend school today.

Other organizations have said that foregoing school is not actually the way to go, and has instead asked Christian students to engage their peers who are taking part in the Day of Silence, in the hope that they’ll be able to get them to change their opinions on the subject.

virginia tech shooting

Three years later, Virginia Tech massacre survivors reflect
BLACKSBURG — The new benches honoring the survivors of the April 16, 2007, massacre at Virginia Tech have all the rooted solidity that 900 pounds of concrete can give. But survivors at yesterday’s dedication spoke more about movement.

And, especially, about finding their way.

A day before today’s third anniversary of the deadliest shootings in modern U.S. history, when Tech senior Seung-Hui Cho killed 32 students and teachers, the university unveiled the two benches. They flank the semicircle of 32 “Hokie stone” memorials in front of Burruss Hall.

The years since then have, at times, felt like being lost in a giant city without a road map, Jake Grohs, a member of the Class of 2008 who lived through Cho’s rampage in Norris Hall, told the audience at the dedication.

But reflecting on that day and all the days that followed, good and not so good, Grohs said he has come to think differently about road maps.

Having one, he said, “means that every step you take is either the right step or the wrong one. . . . [That's] different from celebrating every step.”

And he means every step — even if it feels like a misstep.

“No one moment of sorrow or of joy defines who I am,” said Grohs, assistant director for student engagement programs.

Heidi Miller, shot three times during French class in Norris Hall, spoke of the many kinds of survivors of that day: families and friends who went through nightmarish hours of not knowing, and for some, through years of living with the worst; and police and paramedics who rescued victims from a scene of horror she said no one should have to see.

She also spoke, happily, of three years of study and a new teaching job awaiting her.

“I am so much more than a victim and survivor of April 16,” she said.

Behind her were 32 stones: Neat black letters spelling out 32 names glittered in the sun, the water from their regular cleaning not yet evaporated.

By Ross A. Alameddine’s stone was a young, potted aloe plant — aloe, used for healing wounds.

At Leslie Sherman’s was a birthday bouquet of lavender and pink carnations, and a note: “I want you to know you will never, ever, be forgotten,” signed “An Old Hokie.” She would have been 23 last Friday.

A poem was jointly read at the dedication by two students and a professor:

To begin, put one foot

in front of the other . . .

After you step,

take another.

Forget about the weather.

Step.

Step again.

iceland volcano satellite image

Iceland Volcano Satellite Image: Iceland Volcanic Eruption Updates – It was a horrified days in Iceland and even all over the Europe now. And it has been 2 days that the whole continent were being covered by thick ashes brought by thevolcanic eruption in Iceland.

The Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland erupted today, Wednesday, April 15 for the second time this month. The volcano is still spewing ash into the air and the ash clouds are impacting air travel in Northern Europe.

The British civil aviation authorities ordered now the country’s airspace to close as of noon and to all the airport in some countries like Finland, Estonia, Belgium and Lithuania. Airspace from Denmark, Germany, Poland and Sweden had been closed also.

The results of this ash cloud have extended across Europe and around the globe back to the United States. Travel experts expect half a million travelers to be affected either by direct cancellations, or displaced planes not allowed to reach their locations elsewhere.

The ironic twist is that President Obama may have trouble reaching Poland for the funeral of their president who died in a plane crash last weekend in Russia.

wake county public schools

Wake County Public School – Magnet / Calendar Application Decisions
Families may check the Wake County Public School System website beginning Friday, April 16 to find their magnet and calendar application decision for the 2010-11 school year.

Parents now have one week (until April 23) to make a decision to accept the application assignment seat, or remain in their assigned school. Families are asked to decline their offered application seat by choosing DECLINE on the website

When families applied online for a magnet or calendar option earlier this year, they received a confirmation number. This number is needed to check the application results online.

Families who have misplaced their confirmation number may call Growth and Planning at 919-850-1921 or the Magnet Resource Center at 919-501-7900 for assistance.

Beginning the week of April 19, parents of students at multi-track, year-round schools can check with their schools for their track assignment. Principals will be working to better align family preferences and needs with track assignments to provide more stability for families and to avoid further track changes.
source http://dailypostal.com/

ash cloud over europe

As the volcano eruption in Iceland continues to cause air travel chaos around Europe today we bring you news of an incredible image over at NASA of the volcanic ash cloud as the volcano continues to churn clouds of ash and smoke into the airspace over Europe, leading airports to be closed and thousands of flight cancellations.

The image of the Eyjafjallajokull volcano was captured by NASA’s Terra satellite by the MODIS instrument onboard and you can clearly see the volcanic flume caused by the volcano eruption. The MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) gives daily images of the Earth’s landmasses.

The Rapid Response Team is based at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, and its work give us the benefit of satellite images within hours of being collected. Satellite observations are used by NASA and other agencies to help find and observe aviation hazards from volcanic ash.

For full story and a look at the amazing image go to NASA.gov. Whilst we may have aviation chaos at present we should be grateful for the work of the agencies that are monitoring the airways. What do you think of the images?

allergy symptoms

TAMPA, FL — The 2010 Florida allergy season is turning out to be one of the worst in years. Experts believe that this year is especially bad in the Southeast, owing to an uncharacteristically cold winter.

Oak trees are often the culprit in Florida. The trees produce 3,000 to 6,000 pollen particles per cubic meter; it only takes 10 particles to trigger an allergic reaction.

Tips to treat allergy symptoms

1. Make sure to check your local weather forecast. Go to sites such as pollen.com to see how bad it will be in your area on a given day.

2. Try to plan any outdoor activities around days when pollen counts are low, and try to avoid going out on days when it is extremely high.

3. Make sure to change your A/C filter regularly. Pollen can accumulate quickly on these filters and it is important to keep the air in your home clean.

4. Bathe and brush your pets regularly. Pets will retain pollen particles in their fur and can track it around your home.

5. Over the counter saline solutions can help you rinse out your sinuses. Antihistamines are also available. Make sure to talk to your pharmacist.

6. If all else fails, see your family practitioner or an allergy specialist. You could need medication or more involved treatments such as allergy shots.

source http://www.abcactionnews.com

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