Chris

National

Summary - An article from cbsnews.com says that a Scranton woman was cited for disorderly conduct Tuesday. "The toilet was overflowing and leaking down into the kitchen..." that day, said the woman. This is when she allegedly shouted profanities at her broken toilet, which could be heard by the neighbors. One of her neighbors, an off duty police officer asked her to keep it down, but when the problem persisted, he called the police. An attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union in Philadelphia named Mary Catherine Roper took issue with the citation. "You can't prosecute somebody for swearing at a cop or a toilet," the attorney said.

Opinion - When I began reading this, I thought that this was unfair to the woman. She should have been given a warning first. But when I read the entire article, I saw that the woman did in fact get a warning. She must have thought the warning meant nothing since it was just her neighbor giving her a warning. The outcome of this situation seems right and fair. Although the possibility of up to ninety days in jail seems a bit too much for such a petty crime.

National

Summary - A cbsnews.com article says that the ingredients for certain bottled waters in Utah are listed as "water, fecal matter, toilet paper, hair, lint, rancid grease, stomach acid and trace amounts of Pepto Bismol, chocolate, urine, body oils, dead skin, industrial chemicals" and other similar ingredients. These bottles of water come courtesy of the North Davis Sewer District. The waters are handed out by the Sewer-district manager Kevin Cowan during tours of its facilities. Though the ingredients listed aren't really in the water, Kevin Cowan does this to prove a point. "We make them (visitors) think it is the treatment product," he said. "But it's also a lesson about our environment ... (about) being more conscious about what goes down the drain." The bottled water being handed out doesn't actually come from sewage but Kevin doesn't think it's a stretch for this to be true someday.

Opinion - Using disgusting and gross means to further an important and meaningful goal? Yes! That's my kind of thinking... Doing something like this makes your point stand out and gets people's attention. That is what I like about it and the attention gained by doing this is exactly what Kevin Cowan wanted to obtain. Humor should be used more often in ways similar to how Kevin Cowan used it. The humor shown here definitely gives some zest to his point. I especially like the note on the label that says "some variations in taste and/or color may occur due to holidays, [and/or] predominant cuisine preference". Hilarious! :D

International

Summary - Jim Watson, a Nobel laureate biologist, apologized greatly Thursday for saying that black people aren't as intelligent as white people, stated a cnn.com article. The man apologized for the misunderstanding. He says that he did not mean to say that "Africa, as a continent, is somehow genetically inferior, I can only apologize unreservedly." He went on to explain that "more importantly from my point of view, there is no scientific basis for such a belief." How this whole problem began was from an interview done by the Sunday Times on Jim Watson. It was during this interview that Jim said he was "inherently gloomy about the prospect of Africa" because "all our social policies are based on the fact that their intelligence is the same as ours, whereas all the testing says not really." This comment was only one a of several controversial comments the man has made. Along with this, Jim Watson has said that if a gene for homosexuality is discovered, women who find out their unborn babies have it should be allowed to have an abortion. Another comment Jim Watson has made is that he has suggested a person's weight and their level of ambition can be linked between their skin color and sexual prowess.

Opinion - Okay.. So I am not liking this man at all. And this is putting it as nicely as !@%$#%@ing possible... Jim Watson sounded forgiving at the beginning of this article, but when I read what he said in that Sunday Times interview, I see how many other people came up with the conclusion that what he said was wrong. Don't forgot all of those comments he's said in the past. They don't help his case either. All in all, I'm not too sure what to think of this "man". I think I'll just move onto another article..

International

Summary - An Israeli father of eight wives and sixty-seven children is looking for one more wife, says an article from cbsnews.com. This man Shahadeh Abu Arrar, at the age of fifty-eight, is looking for his ninth wife. Though Islam only allows Muslim men to have a maximum of four co-wives, in Bedouin society it is custom to flout this ruling. "There are many women who wish to marry me and there is no lack of women. I never had a problem with such things," Arrar said Abu during the interview.

Opinion - Whaaa? This system of marrying more than one wife doesn't seem like it would work out well for everyone. If every man married multiple wives, then won't some men be left without wives? I don't know much on Muslim culture but for this system to work, wouldn't it would have to emphasize the importance of having daughters? Bah. I have no idea the answer to these questions. o_o