Kaylen May Gerkey

National: Mid-Michigan Teen To venture Oversees Again (Romance on MySpace)

Summary:
For the second time in two years Katharine Lester tries to board a plain to the Middle East, only this time she succeeds. Two years ago, at sixteen, Katharine Lester had her passport in hand and tried to board a flight to the Middle East to meet a Palestinian man she met on MySpace. At the time she was underage and was forced to hand over her passport, go to counseling and finish high school to avoid prosecution. As soon as Lester turned eighteen she received her passport and bought a one way ticket to Palestine. She says that she plans to return home in the future but her family is very scared and worried for their daughter. They thank the judge for giving them one more year with their daughter but they ask that people pray for their family during this time.

Opinion:
I agree with the family and although I think their daughter is crazy she has every right to do what she is doing. She is an adult and if she wants to go to the Middle East, no matter how dangerous it may be, it’s her own choice to do so. Honestly, I think the girl is stupid to decide to fly to the Middle East alone not knowing this man. She has no idea what she is getting herself into and what to expect when she arrives in Palestine. It is a very risky thing especially being a young teenage girl in a foreign country not speaking their language or knowing anyone except some random guy from “MySpace”. Whether this man is a good man or a bad man, a pedophile or a Good Samaritan the past stories of teenage girls meeting guys on the internet and meeting them has not had a good track record. I personally just would not trust some guy I met online especially from the Middle East (no racial judgment intended).


National: Bank Robber Identifies Self by Writing Holdup Note on Own Check

Summary:
In Englewood, CO a man tries to rob a bank by demanding he wanted money on the back of his own check. The man came into the bank and wrote his demands on his check. He blacked out his name and information but the clerk could still make it out, she said. Bissonnette (the robber), 27, was surprisingly caught soon afterwards.

Opinion:
WOW! All I can think to say is what a good surveillance video you could send into America’s Dumbest Criminals or America’s Funniest Home Videos. This man must have been crazy when he thought up this robbery plan. Why not just get a piece of paper, a “blank” piece of paper, and write your demands on that. If you’re going to rob a bank and try to get away with it, at least try to do it right. I’m just glad that the police caught him because if they had not it would have been the dumbest crime and the dumbest cops to have ever tried to catch a stupid bank robber. So props to the cops and to the bank robber, you are just stupid! Seriously!


International: Foot-and-Mouth Reported at British Farm

Summary:
Authorities in Britain confirmed a new outbreak on the outskirt of London, foot-and-mouth. There was a supposed outbreak in August. That discovery put fear in many of the farmers. The contagious disease was found in cattle grazing near Surrey just outside of London. Authorities ordered the slaughter of about 300 animals and many farmers are worried that there animals, about to be slaughtered, may also have caught the disease. The E.U. has since imposed a ban on all livestock movements form Britain. BBC said that the important priority is to cull the animals and control the disease to reduce the risk of any further spread. Lastly, the farmers fear was confirmed when after only an hour of collecting the sample the test came back positive for foot-and-mouth disease.

Opinion:
I thought this stuff was long gone and over. I never thought that I would hear of a foot-and-mouth case again. The last time I heard of one was a long time ago in the US but nothing came of it I think. I agree with the farmers that it is a scary thing because it can cause them to lose lots of money and affect the products they produce and potentially kill people. It makes me wonder though, what ever caused these animals to get this disease in the first place? They thought they had an outbreak in August but nothing came of it but now they do have one, in September. Are these farmers do a good job of sanitizing or keeping their livestock healthy and clean and what not?


International: U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team in Chengdu, China Already Face Must-Win Games (FIFA Women’s World Cup 2007)

Summary:
The US women face an uphill battle after drawing 2-2 with Korea DPR on Tuesday. Abby Wambach scored both American goals but after being taken off for a head wound for ten minutes to stitch up Korea scored two goals. USA is the top-ranked team in the tournament [world] but now they face Sweden on Friday and anything less than a win could mean the US are exiting the tournament early. “Destiny is in the hands of each team. Right now the game against Sweden is going to really tell who goes on to the second round,” said captain Abby Wambach. The US women have won two previous world cup titles: ’91 and ’99, but to see elimination the first week would be a huge disappointment for team and country.

Opinion:
So I believe the US is going to pull off a win tomorrow. I do not believe that it is going to be an easy one but I do know that Sweden is going to try to pick out Wambach and take her out and try to get under to US’s skin. The US job is to stay mentally and physically tough and beat the Swede’s. Punch in a few goals and play solid defense, and when someone gets injured and comes off the field, which is bound to happen against Sweden, they need to rally together and not let the other team get some silly goals and steal a point from them.