Jon Make up blog 3

International: Halloway case is closed

Summary: Authorities have closed the investigation into the disappearance of Natalee Holloway and do not have enough evidence to charge anyone, the prosecutors' office said Tuesday. The three young men who were last seen with the teen have all been notified they will not be charged. The family is terribly disappointed that the case was closed. The prosecutors said in a statement they believe the three young men last seen with her are involved but they do not have enough evidence to make any charges.

Opinion: It's tragic what the Halloway family has gone through these past years. All the up and downs of this case have most likely been extremely hard on this poor family and this is just a terrible way for it too end. There is no closure only the feeling of emptiness.

National: Cell Spending to top Land Line Spending

Summary: 2007 is likely to be the first calender year in which US households spend more money on cell phone service and industry than on land line phones. Recent data indicates Americans spent an average of $542 on land lines and $524 on cell phone bills in 2006 indicating a major shift in telecommunications. As recent as 2001 US households spent three times as much on land lines than cell phones. There are roughly 170 million landlines in use nationwide and 25o million cell phones.

Opinion: It does not surprise I can remember just a few years back when not everyone you saw had a cell phone and now they are everywhere. The rise of cell phones has been almost a quiet revolution, they slowly became more and more prevalent and feasible then bam everyone has a cell phone. Today its not uncommon to see kids starting junior high with cell phones in hand. I love my phone and they are convenient but the rise of cell phones is not only opening a new market where everyone needs there own phone but it is also revolutionizing society as we know introducing a whole new aspect to communication with text messaging and picture messaging.

International: 49 TB patients escape from S. African hospital

Summary: 49 highly infectious tuberculosis patients cut through wire fencing and broke of a hospital isolation unit because they wanted to spend Christmas with their families. The mass escape illustrates the problems faced by South Africa as it tries to fend off an epidemic of almost uncurable TB that feeds off the aids virus and kills most of its victims. South Africa has an estimated 4.5 million people living with aids.

Opinion: South

Ben Thieroff

*Summary-- A CT woman was arrested for molesting Santa today. The woman, Sandrama Lamy is being charged with fourth degree sexual assault and breach of peace. She groped the 65 year old santa at a Danbury mall. She was released on the promise that she'd show up in court on Jan. 3rd
*Opinion-- What is this world coming to?? A woman molests a sixty five year old santa! Why? could she not get a man so she had to grab this old guy?? This is just repulsive! even for a dare... retards!

*Summary-- A construction worker was shot in the face today in Atlanta. The worker was working on a buliding next to a condo. A resident of the condo got so angry from the noise that he walked out onto his balcony and fired a shot into the construction site. The poliece stormed the condo shortly after the shot rang out.
*Opinion-- What a weiner! These are the kind of people that i absolutely hate!! He couldnt have written complaints or done that.. NO he had to shoot at them!! No wonder all these anti gun fools have so much ammunition! Cause of dummies like this!

*Summary--There was a poliece officer that was pulled over and cited with a DUI today. The Miami- Dade poliece officer was swerving in and out of lanes and speeding when he was pulled over by the Floridia Highway Patrol. His blood alcohol limit was three times the legal limit.
*Opinion-- Only in Floridia. So this cop who is supposed to be protecting us is out speeding and swerving in and out of traffic. And he was doing it all in his CRUSIER!!

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Susan Jewell makeup

well, as CNN is loading I thought I would say hello! Merry Christmas also.

national:
SUMMARY
A woman was shielded from being shot by her seven year old daughter. The child was shot in the eye and jaw. The mom was shot in the chest ( the bullet stopped just before an artery) and a bullet grazed her head. The shooter was an ex-boyfriend who had gone stalker. The two had gone out with a friend to celebrate a birthday.

OPINION
The mom was done for even dating scum like that. She knew the man was a stalker. She should have called the police and dealt with the problem before her daughter was forced to stay in the hospital for two weeks and be in critical condition the whole time.


international:
SUMMARY
"(CNN) -- Around 200 Africans migrants are feared dead after two boats they were traveling in sank off the coast of Yemen, the United Nations refugee agency said Tuesday." At least 58 people were confirmed dead and 37 are still missing. The boat capsized in the Gulf of Aden on Saturday. The smugglers saw suspicious lights. In anger one man tour the protective tarpaulin. The next day a boat was split into 3 piece when it hit a rock. Of 270 people 173 people were able to swim ashore but the rest are assumed to have drowned.

NATIONAL
This is sad. I feel bad that they needed to escape and in an effort to change their lives died. I wish their was a way for the world to be fair. Someday...

Jon Make up blog 2

International: Giant rat found in lost world

Summary: A giant rodent five times the size of a normal rat has been discovered in the mountainous jungles of New Guinea. The Mallomys giant rat is one of two species thought to be new to science documented on an expedition to and are described as a "lost world". Conservationists also found a pygmy possum, one of the world's smallest marsupials. The animals were found on a trip to the remote north of Papua province, Indonesia.

Opinion: It is incredible to think of all the creatures and species in the world that remain undiscovered. Despite our advancements humans still have much to discover about our own home from the depths of the oceans to the tropical jungles the Earth holds many secrets waiting to be found. I think that it is important to continue researching and cataloging new species of plants and animals, as they provide interesting insight into there own habitats and our world in general. God new what he was doing when he peppered the Earth with all manner of creatures, some are just harder than others to find.

National- Corn boom could expand Gulf "dead zone"

Summary: Because of a rising demand for ethanol American farmers are growing more corn than at any time since World War II and this corn boom is having an adverse affect on sea life in the Gulf Of Mexico. The corn crop is fertilized with millions of pounds of nitrogen-bases fertilizer which runs off fields in the Corn Belt, makes it's way down the Mississippi River, and eventually pours into the Gulf Of Mexico. The dead zone was first discovered in 1985 and has grown fairly steadily since forcing fishermen further and further out. The Dead Zone is a 7,900 square mile patch so depleted of oxygen fish, crab, and shrimp suffocate.

Opinion: Personally I think that corn based ethanol is a ridiculous alternative to fossil fuels and it is being embraced by the powerful corn lobby as salvation when it is less efficient that even gasoline. Not only is it driving up the price of feed for cattle and meat and milk but also the price of corn and wheat causing bread prices to rise affecting the poor. The enlargement of the dead zone is just another terrible affect the rise of corn planting is having.

International: Santa's Chopper shot over Rio Slum

Summary: A helicopter carrying a man dressed as Santa Claus was shot over one of the many slums ringing Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Drug traffickers in the slum thought it was a police helicopter and took shots at it. The helicopter returned to base with two holes and Santa had to be driven by car to distribute his presents. Most of Rio's 700 slums are ruled by drug lords and not patrolled by police. When police do come they do so in military style raids using helicopters and armored personal carriers.

Opinion: This a sad reminder of the reality in other countries and even in parts of America. Those trying to celebrate and bring the Christmas spirit to others are often faced by obstacles we can not imagine.

National: Ron Paul Revolution!

Summary: GOP Candidate Ron Paul has managed to raise millions of dollars despite showing low numbers in most polls. His campaign recently raises $6 million plus in one 24 hour period earlier this week, one of the largest single day totals in US election history. Most of Paul's money comes from individuals donating less than $200 a fact which he says distinguishes him from other presidential candidates. The average donation of his recent drive was $102 according to the campaign. Paul is disappointed that his fund raising efforts are attracting so much attention but his politics are not.

Opinion: Ron Paul is waging a guerrilla campaign being carried on by die hard supporters who are fed up with the current American political situation. He is not a mainstream candidate and he knows it but he is taking advantage of political dissatisfaction and styling himself as a the anti-politician. Even though he does not stand much chance of being able to win his parties nomination he assures his supporters he will at least be around till super Tuesday in February.

Jon Make up blog 1

International- Iraq's Kurdish Leader snubs Rice

Summary: Kurdish regional President Massoud Barzani was scheduled to meet with Condoleeza Rice and other Iraqi officials in Baghdad, but he will not be making the trip out of protest against alleged American support of Turkish bombing and incursions against PKK rebels in Northern Iraq. On Dec. 16 as many as 50 Turkish warplanes bombed PKK positions, which was followed by a ground incursion of around 300 lightly armed Turkish soldiers into Northern Iraq. The troops have since withdrawn but Iraq has condemned the attacks and expressed outrage at US support for the attacks. The PKK is the Kurdistan's Workers Party it's goal is to create an independent Kurdish state. As many as 3,000 PKK guerrillas are believed to be in the mountains of Northern Iraq.

Opinion: There are growing signs of tension in Northern Iraq, a region which until lately had been held up as an example and success story. Stability was bringing foreign investment and making the Kurdish reason prosperous. However Turkey is taking the PKK seriously and has amassed 100,000 soldiers on the border. The ruling parties of semi-autonomous northern Iraq have shown no willingness to root out PKK fighters leaving the United States in between a rock and a hard place. We obviously need to keep Kurdish leaders happy as it is essential to Iraqi integrity and northern Iraq can not be allowed to turn into a war zone a fate which it has so far managed to escape. The US must also keep Turkey happy because it is a crucial ally in that region and is the main US supply line to Iraq. I believe the US must tread carefully and lightly or risk massive regional conflict.

National: The House Approves $516 Billion budget

Summary: Democrats were forced to compromise by President Bush's threat of vetoing a budget that exceeded what he wanted to spend. The measure includes 11 appropriations bills into a 1,482 "omnibus" which funds every dep. except Defense. Democrats had sought to add 22 billion or 2.3% more than Bush wanted for domestic programs. In all the budget raised spending by 7% but kept non-security increases below 1%.

Opinion: Bush still manages to keep a semblance of control over congress with his veto threats and just enough Republican members staying loyal to his policies to make them feasible. Since taking both houses Democrats have been continuously frustrated in efforts to end the war in Iraq and implement other bills and measures by a stubborn Republican minority and a president who has been a lame duck since he was sworn in for his first term. Public opinion polls show disapproval for the President and Congress and the lack of teamwork between the two. It's fairly certain that not much will be gotten done this coming year and unless either side gains a large majority and the White House I do not think much will change.

International- ECB lends $500 Billion to lower rates

Summary: The European Central Bank has allocated 348.7 euros to banks at a bellow market rate in a move aimed to cut cost of lending between retail and commercial banks. Currently as more banks are losing money they are more reluctant to loan money to other banks and companies. By injecting money central banks hope to ease fears of credit meltdown due to losses in the US mortgage industry. Analysts say that until Banks reveal the true extent of their losses central banks will not be able to much to ease the credit crunch.

Opinion: It is impossible to know the true extent of the damage that will be caused by the sub-prime loan crisis until all banks reveal the extents of their losses. But it is well known that many large banks have lost billions of dollars coupled with a slowing housing industry in the US has triggered fears of a global recession. Internationally many central banks have cooperated in a unprecedented move to inject money into their banking systems to ease fears but it is unclear whether this strategy will work in the long run. The world economy needs to be watched closely and more measures might be needed if a global recession is to be avoided.

National- Judge Orders Hearing on CIA Videos

Summary: A federal judge on Tuesday has ordered the Bush administration to defend it's decision to destroy videotapes of CIA interrogations of two al-Qaida suspects. U.S. District Judge Henry H. Kennedy rejected calls from the Justice Department to stay out of the matter and told lawyers to appear before him in court Friday at 11 a.m. In 2005 Kennedy ordered the administration to safeguard "all evidence and information regarding the torture, mistreatment, and abuse of detainees at the United States Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay." 5 months later the CIA destroyed interrogation videos, with the Justice Dep. arguing the videos were not covered because the prisoners were being held in secret overseas locations.

Opinion: It is part of the ongoing question of the treatment of detainees, interrogation techniques, and secret prisons. The administration has made it clear that it will not cooperate on the issue and the Justice Dep. has told Congress not to launch an inquiry saying it would be subject to political "pressure". This is just another example of the ludicrousness of the Bush administration, even Congressional Republicans are peeved at what is being perceived as another attempt by the White House to cover it's tail by using gov. agencies to block congressional oversight on the grounds that congress is playing politics.

Chris

National

Summary - Police are rewarding good drivers with free coffee, says a cbsnews.com article. If motorists see red lights and are pulled over in Sacramento, California for no apparent reason, they might be getting a nice reward. Police are stopping law-abiding motorists and rewarding their good driving with $5 Starbucks gift cards. The purpose of this act is to "promote the holiday spirit and enhance goodwill between the traffic unit and the motoring public," said police Sgt. Tim Curran. "They raised a substantial amount of money," Curran said. "They'll be pulling over a lot of people."

Opinion - This seems like a nice act the police are doing in Sacramento. Although I don't believe drivers should be given anything for doing something they are somewhat expected to already be doing, but it is still a nice act. I'm sure this "goodwill between the traffic unit and the motoring public" will increase after doing this. Should the good drivers really be given free coffee though? I could see all of the good drivers edgy from caffiene and cursing at the supposed bad drivers who stare blankly at them. :P

National

Summary - A Wisconsin man graduated from college at the age of 87, according to an article from cbsnews.com. Garrett completed course work at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee after returning to college in spring of 2006 as a full-time student and in the end was awarded his bachelor's degree at commencement ceremonies Sunday at the age of 87. "We are not sure if Clarence Garrett is the oldest to ever graduate from UWM, but we do know that there had not been a graduate for some time who was born when the president was Woodrow Wilson," said Chancellor Carlos Santiago. The Baltimore native served as a civilian at a U.S. Navy facility in Virginia before World War II. Once the war began, Garrett, who is black, served with the segregated Army in Europe. He later settled in Milwaukee and took courses at the college that later became UWM, but he gave up college to raise a family. "After all my children went to college ... I said, 'Why shouldn't I?'" Garrett said. "And I have loved it ever since."

Opinion - Well, good for him. He's a bit late on getting the education but that's okay. If he did this because this is an important goal in his life, which it most likely is, then I'm all for it. If he did this for practical reasons and getting a better job, which I seriously doubt that, then he wasted his time. If doing this was just to get paid more then it was somewhat pointless, but I don't believe this man did it for any money. He probably just wanted to achieve some major goals in his life, before he couldn't do so anymore.

National

Summary - A man Thursday escaped from a work-release crew in Charlestown, Indiana, according to a cbsnews.com article. The inmate Wayne Mitchell had been working to clear roadside trash. The man was doing this for the Clark County Jail for a probation-violation warrant. The group went to eat at the Clark County Fraternal Order of Police lodge, where Mitchell went to the restroom and purposely clogged a toilet. He headed towards the jail's van outside saying he needed some paper towels. While the other inmates tried cleaning the mess up, Mitchell went to G&R Auto Sales. There he was given keys by an employee for a car Mitchell said he wanted to try out. The car stolen was a 1995 Chevrolet Camaro convertible.

Opinion - I think the person to blame is the person or persons in charge of watching this group of inmates. How could whoever's watching them just let one of the inmates walk outside and get away? This doesn't seem like someone's not doing their job correctly. There is something in this story, though, that I wasn't too sure of. How could an inmate so easily test drive a car and end up stealing it. You would think his jump-suit as a dead give away for people.

National

Summary - An article from cbsnews.com writes of a man who carjacked a Minnesota Department of Transportation snowplow truck Tuesday night on state Highway 210 near Battle Lake. The plow operator of the truck stopped by the highway to see if the man needed help. The man then climbed into the truck and told the driver of the plow to get out. The man later left the truck and the plow operator drove off. A pickup driver saw the same man in the highway and stopped to help him. The man then also tried to steal the driver's truck but was unsuccessful. The man was actually dragged for twenty hards because he had a hold of the driver's jacket when the driver took off. The man was later arrested and remains in jail.

Opinion - What's this guy's problem? He tries to steal two different trucks from two people who are trying to help him out. This guy seems like a real jerk. I'm not sure what the man's purpose was in trying to steal these vehicles. The article didn't really explain this. It didn't even mention the man's name so I guess the police are keeping the information on this case under wraps for now.

International

Summary - Citing "Christmas spirit," Dutch police allows man with prostitute to pay ticket in cash, according to a cbsnews.com article. The Dutch cop, in the Netherlands, pulled a car over for having a broken headlight and noticed the driver was accompanied by a prostitute. They gave him a brake and the man could pay right there in cash. The man didn't want to the ticket sent to his home where his wife would find out. In the spirit of Christmas ... the man was allowed to leave the police station euro50 ($75) poorer but with an easy heart," a statement said by Utrecht police Friday. Instead of sending the ticket, the police officer decided to let the man pay upfront. The officer then wrote the man a ticket for the headlight and said it would arrive in an official police envelope to his home. Utrecht police spokeswoman Ellen de Heer said the statement was intended to show that police aren't the unbending rule-followers they are often made out to be."We have some feeling for people's individual situations," she said.

Opinion - It's nice to see that the police aren't so uptight and unbending in all cases. It's just that I wonder if that wife would like what the police man did here. He basically helped cover up the man's infidelity. I'm sure she wouldn't like it one bit. Wouldn't broadcasting what happened here in newspapers and articles kind of defeat the purpose of the act though? It says that he'll still get a ticket for the broken light in the mail soon. If the wife read this article too and saw the ticket she might put them together, and what do you get? A divorce. Oh well.

International

Summary - According to an article from cbsnews.com, people in Norway were surprised and shocked to have paid parking tickets up to $143,000. At least 26 motorists were left baffled and broke when they used their bank debit cards to pay for street parking in the central Norwegian city of Trondheim last week. Because of a computer glitch, the machine dispensing windshield parking permits multiplied the amount of time they bought by 10,000, and automatically deducted it from their bank accounts, said the city-owned parking company Friday. The costs paid were between $37,000 and $148,000. For many, the withdrawal of the vast sums on Wednesday left their bank accounts greatly overdrawn, and their debit cards frozen in the middle of an already hectic Christmas shopping. The banks were racing to correct the erroneous transaction, and the parking company said it wanted to compensate the motorists.

Opinion - This must have been horrible for those people who greatly rely on credit cards. Maybe this could teach those people to not use credit cards so much. These cards really shouldn't be used how and as much as they are used today. People just go and buy anything they want, even if they don't have the actual cash to back up the credit card bills they'll be given. It's really quite sad and I hope I don't end up in debt like many people are now-a-days.

International

Summary - According to an article from cbsnews.com, a new gift offered this year for Christmas is rhino poop. The International Rhino Foundation is auctioning on eBay four pieces of dung separately from the endangered species and will use the proceeds to fund conservation efforts. Each of the four pieces come from four of the five types of rhino. These are white, black, Indian, and Sumatran. The only type not being sold is the Javan rhino, which is too rare to even find samples. Each piece is dried and mounted in a clear trophy case with the name of the type of rhino poop it is on the case. The auction ends Sunday. The foundation, which is based at the White Oak Conservation Center, says only about 17,500 rhinos remain in the wild with another 1,200 living in captivity.

Opinion - Well... this certainly is an interesting gift idea. It sure is unique. I'm not too sure I would want a gift like this for Christmas, but I can definitely understand the reason behind doing this auction. The real purpose of selling these "gifts" on eBay is to help the foundation and its goal of keeping the rhinos alive. I would think of something like this auction as more of a donation then an actual purchase of something. Though I would never take part in this auction, I see the good in it.

Tyler Adair

Late Blog #1


International
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/12/15/bali.agreement/index.html

On Saturday a UN conference to discuss the “Bali Compromise,” a decision to unite nations to combat carbon dioxide emissions, was deemed a “success” according to the cnn report. At first the US declined the compromise noticing that too much wait was put on to America, and not enough onto developing country’s. This announcement was booed, but nearly emploded the whole meeting. Shortly after the US changed there minds and agreed to be a part of the plan. The new compromise is meant as an initiative for future conferences to discuss this global warming problem, the talks will culminate in 2009 with a plan to change.

Global warming, global warming, global warming, I’m so tired of hearing about it, but I say if it does help out the planet why not? It will be interesting to see what they come up with, but I will probably oppose any plans that get rid of jobs, but I’m fine with regulations to make our air healthier and stuff like that. I did find it interesting that as soon as America pulled out of the pact (in the morning) it looked like the whole thing was going to fall through but as soon as the US agreed everything started rolling again. We’re so great.


National
http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/12/14/flu.fight.ap/index.html

On Friday, a law went into effect in NJ making it mandatory for all preschoolers to get vaccinated for the flu. Study’s have shown that preschool aged kids are just as vulnerable as elderly men and women with having complications as a result of the flu virus. NJ is the very first state in the US to have a law like this mandatory. Some people say that they are concerned about how the government is getting involved with more and more medical decisions. New Jersey also requires preschoolers to have a pneumococcal vaccine and all 6th graders must get meningetis vancines.

I think people being concerned about the government getting to invovled in “medical decisions” are out of there mind. It’s a vaccination, and it’s going to keep the amount of people getting sick down. I agree with this law and think, as the articles says, more states will follow New Jersey soon.


International
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/12/14/nk.us.nuclear/index.html

It seems the US is a critical point in dealing with the nuclear programs of North Korea. Earlier this month president Bush sent a letter to North Korea reiterating the US’s seriousness about their negotiations and on Friday North Korea answered saying they will hold up their end of the deal as long as we hold up ours. By December 31 North Korea is supposed to give the US a copy of every activity and program they have done dealing with nuclear substances. Bush cabinet members agree that the disablement is going well.

I think that it’s funny how low profile a positive story about Bush’s achievement in the national negotiations has been reported. I think this proves even more how great of President Bush is. The report coming in for North Korea should be interesting and hopefully it will lead to the disablement of their programs. I thought this quote was cool from Bush, “I got his attention with a letter and he can get my attention by fully disclosing his programs.”


National
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/weather/12/15/winter.storm.ap/index.html

More freezing temperatures, snow, and rain are pounding the middle of the US this weekend. Kansas was hit with over a foot of snow on Saturday morning alone. And still, hundreds of thousands of people are without any power, and with many streets and highways buried under feet of snow, relief is slow coming. The storm surge has caused warning to be issued to almost the entire north-eastern quarter of the US, and reports don’t have much relief in sight. Many airports are running delayed flights, and the storms have now killed a total of 38 people.

It is incredible to see how much power weather can have in it, and it’s horrible how many deaths have been caused by this. Hopefully some more aid can come to the people in these states, but from the sound of the article most highways are blocked because of the extreme amounts of snow. It sounds like a terrible situation.

Susan Jewell 1/2 credit hooray!

national:
SUMMARY
Barack Obama has admitted to using drugs in this campaign and in a book he wrote several years ago titled "Dreams of My Father". An advisor of Hillary Clinton told Barack that the Republicans would use that against him as part of their "dirty tricks." "Clinton on Thursday said she did not approve of Shaheen's comments. 'I don't in any way condone that, and it was certainly not authorized or approved at all. It was inappropriate, and he's apologized,' the senator from New York said."

OPINION
I think it is funny that Clinton had to say "he's apologized" Why couldn't the guy apologize on his own? Republicans may point out truth that will deter people's desire to vote but Republicans also lie a whole lot less than Democrats. I think most Americans will be okay with his previous usage of drugs because he has admitted to it.


national:
SUMMARY
A contractor who was remodeling a house found 182,000 of rare bills in a wall. The man filed a lawsuit called the "treasures law" which is basically a finders keepers law. The money is now worth 2.7 million dollars. The money most likely belonged to a man who lived in the house from 1922 to 1969. The woman who owned the house is claiming the money as her own.

OPINION
I think the woman and the contractor should have simply settled outside of a courtroom. By bringing light to the fortune they found now the state basically is required to return the money to the rightful owner or his family.

Brian's 6 make-up blogs!

National – Today Al Gore received the Nobel Peace prize for his work on informing the world about the dangers of global warming. Gore has done work trying to get the UN and countries around the world to pass legislation to try to counter global warming. In his acceptance speech, Gore said he believed the next US President would shift the country’s focus to this issue. The main idea is to reduce carbon emissions. While this isn’t precisely national news, Gore is from the US, so it’s okay.

Opinion – I’m not sure what to think about this issue. It doesn’t seem likely to me that the amount of carbon emitted by humans would be enough to cause global warming, although I do believe global warming is probably happening due to the earth’s temperature cycles. However, as Christians we are supposed to be good stewards of the earth, and pollution is a problem aside from global warming and I’m all for limiting pollution. Gore is interesting though and I wonder what would have happened if he’d become president.

National - The Episcopal Diocese in California voted on Saturday to split with the national denomination over the issue of homosexuality in the church, and openly gay bishops and leaders. Court disputes over church real estate are likely to follow this decision. About 55 Episcopal churches have spit from the main church in recent years and joined up with overseas Anglican denominations, though courts have mostly ruled against them.

Opinion – I chose to do a blog on this article because my brother Rob (who’s straight btw), goes to an Episcopal church in San Francisco where several of the church leaders are homosexual, and a large percentage of the congregation is as well. While I feel the Bible specifically condemns homosexual relationships, I feel that this is a free country and homosexuals should be tolerated as Christ said to love both our neighbors and perhaps as some may see it, our enemies. The Bible also says that homosexuals will not inherit the kingdom of God. But neither will adulterers or fornicators according to scripture, and one of the best-known Bible stories is that of Christ saving the adulteress (who hadn’t even repented yet!). Paul also says homosexuality should not be tolerated in the church, but while I feel homosexuality is a sin that widens the separation between man and God, shouldn’t homosexuals who want to have a relationship with Christ have a place to worship? Things from a Biblical perspective seem so cut and dry, but Paul was writing to a different people at a different time. Is it right for homophobic Christians to be damning gays who simply cannot take out the thorn in their flesh? I really don't know

National - The New York Philharmonic is headed to North Korea to put on a concert in Pyongyang. The idea is to ease tensions between our country and the communist nation, in an attempt similar to our past Ping-pong diplomacy with China, and other such attempts. The concert was set for February 26 after the Orchestra accepted an invitation from the country’s Ministry of Culture.

Opinion – This is pretty cool, and I think these types of diplomacy are great ideas, whether or not they actually accomplish their goal precisely. It’d be interesting if we’d be able to see any sort of recording of the performance. I’m going to be sure to follow this one.

International – The German interior minister is seeking to ban Scientology on the grounds that the Church of Scientology is an unconstitutional organization that restricts basic human rights. So far he’s done pretty well at convincing others in his department, but it doesn’t seem likely the ban has a chance. Scientologists have in turn struggled to end government surveillance looking into their group and violating their constitutional rights. The interior minister’s report said that scientology, "seeks to limit or rescind basic and human rights, such as the right to develop one's personality and the right to be treated equally," but gave no specific examples of how.

Opinion – I’m still somewhat confused about what Scientologists believe besides crackpot ideas put forward by L. Ron Hubbard. It seems ridiculous that the Interior minister would seek to ban this religion on the basis of human rights when it would violate the freedom of religion even more blatantly to ban it.

International - A new law has been passed in India, which makes it a crime to neglect your parents and elders in India. The idea is to keep the elderly from becoming homeless or ending up alone. It also allows authorities to require families to pay a monthly allowance to the elderly in their families. Violation is punishable by up to a month in jail.

Opinion – My question is, can many Indians afford this? Otherwise, I think it’s not a bad idea. Though, forcing families to take care of the aging is a heavy burden to put on the people if the elderly are overly demanding or ornery. I can’t imagine if my aunt Betty (who isn’t really my aunt but our family is the only family she’s got) had to come live with us. She’s a pistol and would completely invade the privacy of our lives. So maybe I don’t completely agree with it, though I do think if the elderly person is on their own and actually raised their children themselves, it’s reasonable for their children to provide money for them in their old age. It’s a better idea than social security anyways.

International - Former US Ambassador to the UN John Bolton has said that the US Intelligence on Iran’s nuclear capabilities was merely a political ploy to influence policy-making. He has said this contradicting both the President and his own former position. Earlier this year, Bolton was talking about his wish for Regime change in Iran.

Opinion – I don’t know much (what’s new?) about Bolton, but it sounds like he’s the one being political by making this statement. I wonder if he’s just recognizing his own mistake or he’s trying to further discredit the Bush administration for its faulty intelligence. I can’t tell from the article.

late blogs number 1 presented to by collin

international
led zeppelin is back and as big as ever, they are scheduled to play tonight in London, England. People have been waiting in line since last Wednesday. One man reportedly spent 83,000 euros on the ticket. Led Zeppelin is known as the first biggest and best rock bands of all time. Ticket buyers are to were a wristband that they can not get in without, this is supposed to prevent people from scalping the tickets.
Hooray for Led Zeppelin its about time! But a correction to the BBC news staff Led Zeppelin is definitely not the biggest best or first rock bands. Have they ever heard of the Beatles or the Rolling Stones? Um both of those bands beat Led Zeppelin hands down. But if it was just a normal concert with the usual price and waiting time i would so want to go!

national
Michael Vick, once one of the highest paid players in the National Football League, was sentenced to 23 months in prison for financing a dogfighting ring and helping to kill pit bulls that did not fight aggressively. Vick's stunning downfall from NFL superstar to disgraced dogfighting defendant culminated Monday in a 90-minute sentencing hearing in federal court in Richmond, Virginia. Vick was dressed in a black-and-white striped prison suit and apologized to his family and to the judge. "You need to apologize also to the millions of young people who look up to you," U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson retorted. "I am willing to deal with the consequences and accept responsibility for my actions," Vick continued, as about a dozen of his friends and family members looked on. But Judge Hudson appeared to be unmoved. "I'm convinced it was not a momentary lack of judgment on your part. You were a full partner," he told Vick.
Good! I wish he had got more but still at least he's in prison. Hopefully he's in a medium or maximum security jail and none of that martha stewart crap. He also shouldn't ever be allowed to play football again. That seems pretty fair to me.

Ben Thieroff

INTERNATIONAL #1

Summary-- A small fifty foot boat carrying 85 people sank off Turky's Agean coast. At least 43 of these migrants have died. The Coast Guard fears it may be more because so many are still unaccounted for. Six migrants have been rescued and are in critical condinion at a local hospital.

Opinion-- Wow this sounds alot like the type of situation that used to happen in the Gulf of Mexico. -I have no idea to were and from where these people were going but this is a bad tragedy. Half of the people on the boat are found and of that half only 6 were found alive.

INTERNATIONAL #2

Summary-- In Liberia there were mass graves that were finally offically confirmed. These graves date back to their 14 year long civil war. Therer are 4 villages that contain graves. The smallest being 78 people and the largest being 500. The villagers are helping the officals to find the graves.These people have been living by these graves for many years. They have the names of many of the burried.

Opinion-- I understand how dead people must be given their dignity but they're dead. If this mass grave were full of noncombatants that were massacared or murdered tha that is a different story. But if it is just one hole that they laid all the soldiers to rest into than what is the problem.

NATIONAL #1

Summary-- In Portland Oregon people have stolen 4 miles of copper wire from underground conduits. This wire is valued at $54,000. The poliece say this has been happening alot lately. Last month someone took $40,000 of tools and wire from a hospital construction site. And $20,000 worth of wire was taken from an office building under construction.

Opinion-- I find this as quite funny. I have friends who used to do this stuff and they made bank! It is not really all that hard to steal wire from buildings and stuff like that. What doesnt make sense is how someone can steal 4 miles of wire and no one ever realized the lights were going out.

NATIONAL #2

Summary--

A dead body was hit by two poliece cruisers in Vermont. The first crusier was rounding a curve and attempted to avoid the obsticle but still hit it. He radioed the other but he had already struck the body. They both went back to find that the man on the road was 22 year old Gerald Peterson. The autorities are investigating why this guy was even in the road.

Opinion-- Wow that sucks for this guy. Not only are you dead but you get run over by two crusiers too!! that sucks. Well i hope that the boys in blue can fin d why this guy was even in the road. He was wearing dark clothes and walking along a highway..... Idiot!

Kellye Marie 2 of 2

International:
As Ayako Suzuki stepped into Janet Village in Tokyo, she was greeted by the bowwows of more than 40 dogs. Ayako looked around the room with her husband, Manabu, she stopped, got on her knees and set her eyes on a 3-year-old Beagle named Corona. "I want this one," said Ayako, with a big smile, not moving an inch from the dog. The husband nodded, and the couple told one of the store clerks, "We would like her for one hour." The Suzuki's and other dog lovers in Tokyo flock to Janet Village, a dog rental store, to experience the joy of interacting with dogs without the responsibilities of ownership. "We both work full-time, and we are never home during the week," said Ayako, an office clerk. "We would love to have a dog, but I do not think the dog will be happy being left alone in the apartment all day every day."

Opinion:
I would of never thought of that. My dad probaby would like that better because we have three dogs and he always complains about having to pick up the poop. Of course I would too but I do not do it. Whoever thought of this is smart .

National:
Jose Mestre has spent the majority of his life slowly disappearing underneath a massive 12-pound facial deformation, which has now rendered him not only blind in one eye but virtually unrecognizable. Mestre, who is featured on the Discovery Channel's upcoming "My Shocking Story" series, was born with a vascular malformation on his lip. Now 51, Mestre, who lives in Lisbon, Portugal, is wrestling with the decision of how to treat the facial growth, which up until now Discovery says was never removed due to medical misinformation, misdiagnosis, financial problems and religious beliefs.

Opinion: He is thinking about coming to the US for treatment! Good he shoud! omg! this thing is huge and so gross! Thats why I love my religion because there is nothing in the bible that says "Do not remove 12lbs growths from thy face" Yeah this is gross an weird. Get it removed buddy and we all know you are probably trying to set a world record...nasty

Joon

national
chaos during mall shooting
Dozens of calls flooded the Omaha Police Department's 911 emergency line after a gunman opened fire inside the city's Westroads Mall, with witnesses calling in tones that ranged from almost matter-of-fact to near terror. Robert Hawkins, 19, killed six employees and two customers of Von Maur department store on Wednesday before turning his AK-47 rifle on himself. A woman who called 911 before ducking into a security office in the store said she heard the gunman demand that a vault be opened near the store's customer service area.



opinion

the sign god help us is really meaningful. those innocent people were killed with no reason and no one knew about it. its al real tragic that a gun shot is happened in the mall. peopel are crowded and its easy to kill in the mall.



national

Pearl Harbor survivors to honor USS Oklahoma

Everett Hyland was ferrying ammunition to an anti-aircraft gun aboard the USS Pennsylvania on December 7, 1941, when a bomb hit, throwing him down. On Friday, Hyland was to join some 50 survivors and hundreds more family members and officials at a Pearl Harbor pier overlooking the USS Arizona Memorial to honor the attack's victims. About 18 of the estimated 90 living survivors who were aboard the USS Oklahoma were expected to join Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry and other dignitaries for the dedication of the $1.2 million memorial.Organizers expected about 2,500 people to attend Friday's ceremony. But it was likely to be smaller than the 65th anniversary, which drew some 500 survivors and their families.



opinion

i personally thank for the soldiers who flew to japan and bombed hiroshima. also i really want to honor the soldiers who died for the country. i believe now japan is the only counrty that got hit by atomic bomb.



international

Tons of oil spill into Yellow Sea

Thousands of tons of oil spilled into the Yellow Sea off the western coast of South Korea Friday after an oil tanker collided with a barge carrying a crane. About 10,000 tons of oil gushed out of the Hebei Spirit after the crane punctured holes in the side of the tanker. The spill is the largest in South Korean history, a police spokesman said, according to South Korea's Yonhap news agency. The previous record was set in 1995 when the Sea Prince struck a reef, releasing more than 5,000 tons of oil into waters off the southern coast.



opinion

i cant believe this. now korea will have difficult time to sort out the problem. and i believe that this is the largest oil spilled in the history. i have nothing to say. we'll just have to wait until the sea gets cleaned.



international

Female suicide bomber targets anti-al Qaeda group, kills 16

At least 16 people were killed and 31 others wounded when a female suicide bomber detonated in Muqdadiya, north of Baghdad. The suicide bomber was female and a former member of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party, Gen. Mohammed Al-Tamimi of the local police said. He identified her as a local woman named Suhaila Ali. The attack came a day after America's top military commander in Iraq reported violence was down significantly across the country -- 60 percent in the last six months -- but that he was not ready to celebrate.



opinion

i dont understand why people suicide theirselves with bomb. what makes them to do that? do they want to really end their lives by suiciding? because of these bomb, it is becoming more and more serious in Bagdad.

Kayken May Gerkey

Female Suicide Bomber Kills Fifteen on Iraq
(INTERNATIONAL) Summary: A woman detonated a bomb the other day, the second in two weeks. The bomb killed fifteen people. Ten of those killed in the attack in the Diyala province city of Muqdadiyah were members of the anti-al-Qaida group who have partnered with U.S. and Iraqi forces to rid their neighborhood of militants, said Brig. Gen. Mohammed al-Tamimi, the city police chief. The woman was known to be partr of Sadaam Hussein’s Baath Party. On Nov. 27, a woman blew herself up near an American patrol near Diyala's provincial capital Baqouba, wounding seven U.S. troops and five Iraqis, the U.S. military said. But wiolence is down nationwide in Iraq and many Sunni and Shiites have joined forces with the US to help strikes in Iraq.

Opinion: I guess I never figured woman to be suicide bombers but than thats probably why they use them. I do find it good that the Sunnis and the Shiites are teaming up with the US to fight the Al-Quida. Hopefully things can continually get better and fewer bombs will be set off, but nothing in Iraq can be promised. I guess the plus from all of this is Violence is down and our armed forces seem to be making some sort of progress.

Death Rise to 105 in China Mine Blast
(INTERNATIONAL) Summary: Death toll rose to 105 after a massive coal mine explosion in Northern China. This explosion made it the nation's second deadliest mining disaster this year. Estimated number of workers in the mine is believed to be arouns 120. When the explosion occurred managers of the mine failed to report the explosion wasting crucial hours for rescue parties to be organized. The managers have been detained for questioning and their bank accounts have been frozen.

Opinion: It seems like there are disasters happening everywhere anymore. I cannot believe so many died and they waited so long to report it. I mean they are already negligible, it's their
mine, but now they just made it even worse for themselves. Then again a mine is always a risky place to work and they know that going into it, but the managers should have called it in as soon as the blast occurred but they didn't.

MISS CALIFORNIA USA Pageant Officials Crown New Beauty Queen
(NATIONAL) Summary: Christina Silva, 24, was crowned Miss California USA, but after a review of the votes cast, realized she was not the actual winner. Silva received a call telling her that she was not the winner and that 2nd runner-up Raquel Beezly was the actual winner. Silva in turned called Beezly to tell her the news. Both girls seemed very understanding about the whole issue. Silva said that she felt pressured to step down. She has since hired an attorney. This is yet another problem to beset the Trump Miss Universe Miss USA organization.

Opinion: WOW that sucks! I feel bad for her. How hard is it to calculate like five judges votes and get it right? Apparently very hard. She has every right to be mad and I would be in her shoes if i were her. But she seemed a good sport and even called the real winner. I think its fair that the real winner get the scholarships and the tiara I just think they should have got it all right the first time.

Highway Patrol Trooper Arrested on Suspicion of DWI, Kicking Police Officer
(NATIONAL) Summary: In Raleigh a highway patrolman was arrested on suspicion of DWI. The 38 year old cop apparently was driving, got distracted, ran a stop sign, and drove into a lake. The patrolman checked his blood alcohol which was 0.11, .03 over the legal limit. His 7-year old daughter and 18-year old son were also in the car but were not hurt. The cop was released on written promise to appear in court and has been put on investigative leave.

Opinion: I cannot believe a patrol officer would kick another. I do not care whether he was intoxicated or not you do not kick a police officer. Especially, if you are one as well. Plus, his kids were in the car with him. What a good lesson to teach them! It almost seems as though they let him off too easy. I know he is a fellow cop but he kicked another fellow cop, and that is a government official, a felony, he could get real time for that.

David Jeong

International1

5-year-old chimp beats college kids in computer game

summary: Japanese researchers pitted young chimps against human adults in tests of short-term memory, and overall, the chimps won. Matsuzawa, a pioneer in studying the mental abilities of chimps, said even he was surprised. One memory test included three 5-year-old chimps who'd been taught the order of Arabic numerals 1 through 9, and a dozen human volunteers. They saw nine numbers displayed on a computer screen. When they touched the first number, the other eight turned into white squares. The test was to touch all these squares in the order of the numbers that used to be there.

Opinion: Here is a thing they are missing. The college students Matsuzawa used were Japanese and Matsuzawa himself is Japanese. Since this is 'my opinion', i would say if this experiment were to be done in Korea and by Korean students, the result would be completely different. I guess Japanese just proved that they have lower intellect than chimpanzees. Maybe thats why all Japanese products started from copying and lack of originality.

International 2

Venus also zapped by lightning

Summary: For nearly three decades, astronomers have said Venus probably had lightning -- ever since a 1978 NASA probe showed signs of electrical activity in its atmosphere. But experts weren't sure because of signal interference. Now a magnetic antenna on the European Space Agency's Venus Express probe proved that the lightning was real. The lightning is cloud-to-cloud and about 35 miles above the surface.

Opinion: It is always interesting to see and hear about the new information about space. It is a sad story that earth is being so populated and such. Well, I hope scientist would be able to build big space stations and have some kind of space prison or something to isolate the criminals out from the earth. It would be more great to build hotels and spend summer vacations out on the space.

National 1

Bush sends letter to North Korea's Kim Jong Il

summary: President Bush has sent a letter to North Korean leader Kim Jong Il urging him to disclose his country's nuclear programs fully. North Korea is also suspected of sharing its nuclear technology with other nations. North Korea has agreed to a December 31 deadline to disable a key nuclear facility that produced materials for nuclear weapons.

Opinion: That crazy old north Korean is a disaster. He is the most dangerous person on the planet. North Korea, would not completely disable their nuclear programs. They would keep their technology and people and they would try to build nuclear weapons later when all the media is cooled. Well, I think the best way is to forget all the moral and justice nonsense and just invade north korea with bunch of new f-22s.

National 2

Police: Nine killed in shooting at Omaha mall, including gunman

summary: 19-year-old gunman who killed eight people and then himself left a suicide note. Police identified the gunman as Robert A. Hawkins of Nebraska. Hawkins and his girlfriend had recently broken up and he had just lost his job at a McDonald's restaurant. Hawkins apologized and said he no longer wanted to be a burden. He also expressed a sense of worthlessness and said "now he'll be famous,"

opinion: That is a disaster. 9 people lost their lives for a depressed kid. He was an outsider and he knew it and hated it, so he just wanted to be famous for once. Well, he had been a loser for his life and he failed his last mission of his because he did not get to see himself being famous. This is why the gun usage has to be forbidden.

Ashley Cowan

National: Omaha shooter kills 8

On Wednesday night in Omaha, Nebraska, a shooting took place. Robert Hawkins 19 was the shooter, and reportedly has a history of trouble. In Omaha he was said to have stolen his step-father's gun and concealed it under his clothing in the mall. Once he had opened fire, he ended up killing 8 and wounding 5 before turning the gun on himself. There was a ceremony held at St. John's Church where mourners let eight red candles and five blue ones for each of those killed or injured by the tragic shooting.

Opinion

This story makes me sick. I have no idea why these young adults feel the need to take their depression out on others. I hate to say it but I think that there is something wrong with the way that children are being raised today. There is such a diverse behavior within our young population today. We need to reach out to these kids more before we have ANOTHER shooting like this. It's ridiculous.

International: Paris Bombing

In Paris on Thursday, a package bearing homemade bombs blew up in a lawyer's office on a boulevard in central Paris, killing the woman who opened it. A messenger delivered the package , a wooden box that turned out to contain two homemade explosive devices. The office secretary who opened the package had no reason to suspect anything out of the ordinary says Prosecutor Jean-Claude Marin.

Opinion

Wow! It's like all everyone in the world today can think of is killing someone! I don't understand with all of the security that people have these days, two HOMEMADE bombs manage to pass through security! I just truly wish that there is at least a little bit of peace that exists in the world today.

National: Parking deck collapses

In Charlotte, North Carolina, a portion of a parking deck at a busy shopping mall collapsed Thursday, and a motorist who may have triggered the accident by crashing into the structure died, police said. Police said that a woman's car had crashed into the edge of the top level of the parking deck. Reportedly a small portion of the three-tier deck then collapsed, and the driver's car fell through the opening.

Opinion

I really feel bad for the family of the woman who died. I just don't think that her death was her fault. I just think that the parking deck should have been built sturdier so that if something like this would've never happened.

International: China mine blast

In Beijing China, a gas blast at a mine in northern China killed at least 70 people Thursday, with 26 others still trapped. The State Administration for Work Safety said earlier in the day that 40 bodies had been recovered, while 74 were still trapped. Another 13 had been rescued.

Opinion

This may sound crazy, but one of my biggest fears in life is getting trapped in some place like a mine. I can only imagine what is going on in the heads of the people trapped in the mine. It relieves my heart a little bit to hear that some of the people have already been rescued, but all I can do is pray for the miners who are still stuck in the mine.

Ashley Cowan

National: Omaha Shooting

On Wednesday evening in Omaha, Nebraska, a shooting took place in a local mall. The boy was later identified as Robert Hawkins, 19. He reportedly had stolen his step-father's gun and went and opened fire in a local mall, killing 8, and wounded 5. At a church ceremony for the victims, mourners lit eight red candles and five blue ones for each of those killed or injured in the shooting. The shooter was said to have had a history of trouble and after the tragic killing of the eight victims, the shooter turned the gun on himself.

Opinion

This makes me sick. It truly breaks my heart to hear about innocent people getting killed. I'm just truly puzzled about why these kids turn to shooting people to relieve their depression. I don't know if it is how the children are being raised today or if the struggles they are currently facing are harder. Either way, there is no excuse to take other peoples' lives just because you aren't satisfied with your own.

International: Bomb in Paris

On Thursday in Paris, a package bearing homemade bombs blew up in a lawyer's office on a boulevard in central Paris, killing the woman who opened it. The package appeared to have been addressed to the law firm. When the secretary had gotten killed, Prosecutor Jean-Claude Marin said the secretary had no reason to suspect anything out of the ordinary. The motive for the unusual attack remained unclear.

Opinion

O my goodness! What is happening to the world today! It's like if your not kiling someone, you're dying! As sad as it is to say, people are becoming crazy! I'm getting really tired of hearing about people trying to kill other people! Well you know what, I'm not watching or reading news anymore! It makes life more depressing.

National: Parking deck kills driver

Chuck HAll

National
From http://www.azcentral.com/community/scottsdale/articles/1206sr-rodbell06-ON.html

This article is about the police chief of Scottsdale’s daughter who was arrested march 28 for dui and the case came up with a plea bargain and she pleaded guilty to one of the cunts of dui and was sentenced to a ten day jail term her blood alchohol level was at .81 and the legal limit is .081 she then managed to wiggle her way out of any critical charges which brought her sentence down to only a measly one day or 24 hours in prison which this dui is the least of her problems because she dealt with a woman and a dog and was arrested on a count of assault and disorderly conduct

This is just ridiculous but expected as well usually the kids with that are under the most control are the ones who rebel the most. I feel sorry for the dad because he is probably tking the most crap of all the people involved in the whole incident. I feel just as bad for the daughter because I bet life was strict before I bet she cant even go to the bathroom any more with out her dad knowing about it. Its just crazy to think about what life is like around that house

National
From http://www.azcentral.com/sports/cardinals/articles/1206cards1206.html

This article talks about how the cardinals will be without star receivers anquain boldin and larry Fitzgerald this weekend. This may be one of the biggest games in cardinal history since never. If the cardinals win three of the next four games they will make the play offs for the first time since 1998 the cardinals have done wonders since last year I cant believe they have won some of the games that they have one but they have still managed to let us cardinal fans down some this year but making the playoffs would make up for it.

This sucks for the cardinals because if they lose this game they don’t control there own destiny at all. Im pissed that they lost to the 49 ers a coulple of weeks ago because that was a region game and if they would of one the y would have split the series with the niners which would have helped them out a lot. If the cardinals don’t make the playoffs ill be pissed off and might hurt some one.

International
From http://story.news.ask.com/article/20071207/D8TCBI1G3.html

This article is about a guy who is currently being held in guantonomio bay and says that he was the driver for osama bin laden he says that he knew that her was going to do what he was going to do on September 11 an officer for the fbi testified against the man and this helped build this testimony of what this man knows they did this to get the court to allow him to be tried as an accomplice in acts of terrorism

This is good what ever they can do to further the progress of finding people such as osama bin laden and ogther terrorists. It also crazy that this gy was driving with osama binladen and that he sat ther and listened to the plans of nine eleven and now he is paying for it. In gwontonimo bay

International
From http://story.news.ask.com/article/20071206/D8TC79O01.html

This article is about how all the lawyers in iraq are afraid to leave there homes and not do any thing in public. The entire court system is messed up and most of the lawyers and jurors live in houses with seven foot thick walls and a lot the times the people wo are concivted are held for months without even being told what the charges are.

This is a major problem in iraq its got to be hard to have the time to try all of the people that oare bing brought in and tken out of the Iraqi prisons. That would suck to be one of these people that are getting caught up in all of the mess and being held against there will

Brooke Bellah

INTERNATIONAL: One killed in Paris explosion

A parcel bomb was mailed inside of a letter addressed to an office building in Paris. It exploded after a secretary opened it, and killed the secretary and badly injured those around her. No one knows why that particular office buildig was attacked. It does contain President Sarkozy's old law firm and a Holocaust Memorial office. Theoffice that the bomb was placed in handled civil and commercial work. Apparantly there was another bomb inside the letter, but fortunatetly it did not go off.

Opinion: Because of the randomness of the attack, and the fact that the building wasn't an important one, I am not sure whether this was a terrorist attack. It could have been a disgruntled employee...people do crazy stuff like that sometimes. It did contain Sarkozy's old law firm, but this may have merely been a coincidence. It's a good thing only one bmb went off, otherise the damage could have been a lot worse.

NATIONAL: Shooter placed in mental facility 5 years ago
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/12/06/omaha.shooting/index.html

The "Nebraska mall shooter", Robert Hawkins, had apparantly had lots of problems with depression and sibstance abuse throughout his life. He was sent to a mental health facility after threatening his stepmother. There he was diagnosed with ADD, mood disorder, and oppositional defiant disorder. He may have had a substance abuse problem. We know that he was on anti-depressants but had stopped taking them because they made him "feel weird". He left a suicide note, saying that he didn't want to be a burden anymore, and that now he would be famous.

Opinion: Obviously you have to have problems to go into a mall and shoot 8 strangers nd then kill yourself. It sounds like the problems were a result of a chemical imbalance and a hard childhood. The report also states that he spent a lot of time in foster homes and juvenile correctional facilities. I feel sorry for him a little bit, because he must have been very disturbed and depressed, but it's hard to sympathize with someone when they've taken 8 other people's lives.

bronwen vogel

National:
Ten members of an international smuggling ring were arrested for paying over $500,000 to ship millions of dollars of fake designer goods from China to the United States just recently. That is excluding all of the shipments made last year. The prisoners are to appear before Judge Frank Maas, the U.S. magistrate, on Thursday. Among the smuggled goods were Nike shoes, Burberry and Chanel handbags, and Polo and Baby Phat clothing. This is being called one of the biggest counterfeit cases in United States history because had the smuggled items been genuine, they would be worth over $200 million. If found guilty, the suspects face a minimum of 32 years in prison and $2.5 million in fines.

These smuggled goods went through the New Jersey port inspections miss labeled. This is embarrassing- items should be inspected, especially if being shipped from China. I would not pay for genuine baby phat clothing much less counterfeit. Retribution to the manufacturer seems appropriate. If it was so easy to smuggle clothing into the United States it must be just as easy to import more dangerous goods.

International:
On a remote Arctic island a prehistoric lizard the size of a bus was discovered. It is thought to be a new species never before recorded by science. Teeth larger than cucumbers, skull fragments, and 40 foot vertebrae are what is left of the creature. "We are regularly seeing new species of plesiosaurs popping up — in a way because, in the past 10 or 15 years, there has been what we call a renaissance in plesiosaur research," states Mark Evans, a plesiosaur expert at the Leicester City Museums in Britain. The Norwegian team plans to excavate further and give a more detailed report early in 2008.

This is exciting- I wish I could be a part of the excavation team! In ancient Biblical times lizards (and people) lived a lot longer. Since lizards never stop growing, they became "dinosaurs" and in such frigid temperatures as the Arctic animals like this are better preserved. I hope scientists don't take a few bones and make up a grandiose story and detailed report as they commonly do. Many facets of this animal cannot be unearthed by the examination of teeth and spinal cord.

National:
Kiefer Sutherland, actor in the TV show "24", was sentenced to 48 days in jail after a second drunk driving offence. Sutherland is being processed at Glendale City Jail, where he requested to serve his time. He will also have to pay a $510 fine, enroll in an 18-month alcohol-education class, attend weekly alcohol-therapy sessions for six months, and be on probation for five years. "I'm very disappointed in myself for the poor judgment I exhibited recently, and I'm deeply sorry for the disappointment and distress this has caused my family, friends and co-workers," Sutherland said after being arrested. If convicted instead of pleading guilty, Sutherland would have been sentenced to as much as a year and a half in prison.

Although I do not watch "24" and had never heard of Kiefer Sutherland until reading this article, I am happy an actor is being charged with some substantial penalties after driving under the influence. For him I suppose any publicity, good or bad, would be a push forward for his career, although he won't be able to film any more "24" episodes in the next 48 days. Drunk driving is such an abominable offence that the $510 fine seems superfluous, although the education class makes up for it. I doubt there is much to be learned, but sitting in that class for a consistent 18 months would be awful.

International:
Natascha Kampusch was captured at the age of 10 and held in a cellar in Vienna for eight years. She recently escaped, and after finding her gone Kampusch's captor, Wolfgang Priklopil, committed suicide by jumping in front of a train. After her escape and return to Austria, Kampusch became something of an icon. She will be hosting a chat television show on an Austrian channel. Kampusch is also flooded with book and film offers for her story.

Eight years of a person's prime is not worth the attention, although I suppose Kamusch is set for life as far as money matters. Europe is the perfect place to be kidnapped and or raped- I am convinced of this after spending a summer there. This story reflects badly on Austrian and Italian police. It proves that there can always be a grain of hope, although sometimes situations logically seem impossible.

Bronwen Vogel

Lauren Bell

National 1:

Summary:

In Nebraska a troubled teen killed eight people and himself at an Omaha mall was placed in a mental health treatment center five years ago after making homicidal threats toward his stepmother. Todd Landry, director of the Nebraska Division of Family and Children's Services, described for reporters the laundry list of residential treatment centers and group and foster homes where Robert Hawkins spent much of his teen years, because of his behavioral and psychiatric problems. At one point during that period Hawkins also filed a report with police alleging he was molested by a roommate at one of the facilities. The case was resolved internally, according to the report.

Opinion:

I think it is very sad that so many peoples lives had to come to an end so violently and unexpected. 8 people’s lives and his own were taken. No specific reason has bee identified but regardless it was not an accident. It makes me so sad to hear about these stories of innocent people and their lives being taken. We have so many stupid people in this world and it’s absolutely ridiculous that’s for sure.

National 2:

Summary:

The Dallas Cowboys beat the Green Bay Packers 37-27 on Thursday to clinch a playoff berth and take top spot in the National Football Conference. Quarterback Tony Romo completed 19 of 30 passes for 309 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Cowboys to their 11th victory in 12 games this season -- the first 11-1 record in team history. It was the Cowboys' sixth consecutive victory since they lost to undefeated New England on October 14. The way both teams are playing they could meet up in this season's Super Bowl. "Our team is playing good football right now," said Romo, who's four touchdown passes gave him 33 for the season -- a franchise record.

Opinion:

This is for Collin!! PACKER SUCK HAHAAHHAHAHAH!!! Ya its pretty amazing…it was an intense game and way to close and yes it was unfortunate about Brett favre but Dallas won fair and square no if’s and’s or but’s. It was a game well played and well deserved for the cowboys. Those are my boys and the dominated just as I predicted. They r amazing and cant wait to see what else they bring to this game and give to Dallas fans.

International 1:

Summary:

Jamaican soldiers will join police on patrols on the Caribbean island in a new strategy to fight rising violence. Nearly 60 homicides over the last week have pushed the number of victims this year beyond 1,430, police spokesman Karl Angell said. Most of the violence has been linked to gangs in the capital, Kingston, and the rural parishes of St. Catherine, Clarendon and St. James. "We are going to use every resource to deal with this monster," Prime Minister Bruce Golding told a news conference late Wednesday. Soldiers have been mobilized in the past to help quell violence on a temporary basis, but Golding said he would assign troops to crime patrols as a long-term strategy.

Opinion:

There are a lot of problems with homicides going around in Jamaica. The rate is rapidly increasing and becoming more and more dangerous. Most of the violence is coming from gang and group violence. It is a scary world and very unsafe. They are under going so much right now that it is very hard to handle and overcome. I will keep Jamaica in my close prayers and thoughts and I hope that things calm down a bit and that God does a work over there.

International 2:

Summary:

In Pakistan scores of lawyers rallied outside the house of Pakistan's ousted chief justice to demand his reinstatement on Thursday in the latest demonstration against emergency measures imposed by the country's crisis-hit president. Lawyers shout slogans outside the house of ousted chief justice Iftikhar Muhammed Chaudhry. The protest came as opposition leader Nawaz Sharif tried to breach security outside the home of the former chief justice Iftikhar Muhammed Chaudhry in Islamabad to try to meet with him. Chaudhry has been kept in his home since November 3, when President Pervez Musharraf imposed a state of emergency, using it to crackdown on opponents, including members of the judiciary likely to block his new term as president.

Opinion:

Rallies like this are always dangerous and can be very scary. Most of them get to be out of control and just very chaotic. The lawyers have a right to be upset and have a right to speak there mind. I just feel that things like this need to be kept in control; which by the way can be a very hard thing to do. So with all do respect they need to keep their actions responsible and their words clean…..wait a minute this is politics we r talking about, what am I thinking.

KrIsTa GrOtE

NATIONAL

Huckabee

SUMMARY
Mike Huckabee is one of the most comical Republican presidential candidates for the upcoming election. For only being a guitar playing, Baptist preacher he sure has gotten a lot of laughs from the public. At the Youtube debates last week he cracked a few jokes, one of them in which he said if traveling to mars were in the future he would volunteer Hilary Clinton to be on one of the first rockets. Even though some have been offended by his jokes, he still is in favor of the crowds because people can relate to him. He even lost 110 pounds recently. So even though he is only half the candidate now, his jokes are big enough to fill a room with laughs.

OPINION
I like how Huckabee is so funny, but he is also religious. I don’t know if a comedian would make the best president of the United States but he does add comical relief to the serious campaign trail. He just needs to be careful not to offend anyone so no one wants to vote for him. I think I’m going to do more research on this guy and see if he is worth a vote.

INTERNATIONAL

Miss Tibet

SUMMARY
A young lady participating in a Miss Tourism pageant as Miss Tibet was asked by the Chinese Government to change her official title to Miss Tibet-China. When she refused to do so she was asked to pull herself out of the contest, and she did just that. This is not the first time China has asked the Tibet contestant to change their title. The interesting thing was that the girl was actually from India.

OPINION
China is very possessive when it comes to having their name accredited first Taiwan and now Tibet. I’m glad the contestant to not give into the pressures, although this competition probably would have been a great experience. Being able to stand up against China and making your own decisions is probably just as big of an accomplishment as winning the pageant.

NATIONAL

Men's or Women's?

SUMMARY
A new ordinance was passed in Scottsdale this week for the transsexual and homosexual community stood up for their rights insisting that they have they right to choose which bathroom they wish to you in public places. The courtroom was a standing room only and full of color that night. Eighteen people spoke on behalf of this issue, 11- in favor and 7-against. Now this part of the community can choose where there want to go in public restrooms, but as for private owned business they are just going to have to stick to there usual one.

OPINION
This is such a pointless case and I am extremely opposed to it! I don’t want to walk out of a stall and look in the mirror while I’m washing my hands and see that I’m standing next to a guy wearing make-up, that would freak me out! This is going to cause more problems than solve because now people are going to take advantage of this “special” privilege and straight perverts are just going to use it as a way to use the opposite gender bathroom for their advantage. Plus its not like girls can use urinals anyway.

INTERNATIONAL

Child Labor in India

SUMMARY
Child Labor is extremely high in India. The people there say there are 12 million working kids but some other numbers show that the estimate is closer to 60 million kids. In India it is not uncommon to see this. About 20% of the Indian children are put to work usually by their parents for their advantage; as for the other 80%, these kids roam about the streets. There is one guy in one of the towns who has taken the initiative to outlaw child labor and has provided a school for the children to go and learn and escape the demands of child labor. In the school there also have their own student body so the kids can learn about how politics work.

OPINION
I never new how many kids in India did child labor. We just take education for granted in the US and don’t even realize how much people and kids in other countries suffer from and go through. We have it so nice. I wish there was a way to share that with the rest of the world. I really admire this man and his efforts to make a difference.

National:
A gunman opened fire in a shopping center in Nebraska, killing eight people before fatally shooting himself, police say. Five other people were wounded - two critically - in the shooting at the Westroads Mall in Omaha. Police were called to the incident at lunchtime, when the center would have been packed with Christmas shoppers. Witnesses spoke of shoppers screaming and scrambling to find safe shelter as the gunman struck. In a statement, the White House said President George W Bush - who visited Omaha earlier in the day for a fundraiser - said he was "deeply saddened" by the shootings.
Wow I cant believe this. I am so sad about this. And don't quote me on this but I agree with President Bush's statement. Scary I know. Whats scarier is the fact that even when you think you're safe just christmas shopping some psycho with a gun kills eight people and wounds five thats ridiculous. I think im done talking about this depresingness.
International
Not much can bring the life of the noisy, traffic-clogged heart of Bangkok to a halt. But on Wednesday the streets were hushed, the cars and buses banished. All you could hear were speakers playing the royal anthem, and thousands of flags fluttering in the cool winter breeze, held by people of all ages. Most were dressed in yellow and had waited for hours for a glimpse of a stiff and stern-faced old man passing in a motorcade, on his way to the gilded halls and temples of Bangkok's Grand Palace. And as it passed they shouted "Song Phra Charoen", "Long Live Your Majesty". Some had tears in their eyes. What explains this extraordinary bond between people and monarch? King Bhumibol Adulyadej is accorded an almost divine reverence, with titles like Phra Chao Yu Hua (Lord Upon our Heads) or Chao Chiwit (Lord of Life). People prostrate themselves on the ground in his presence. Yet there is genuine affection too, and it goes both ways. Thais talk of their love for him as though he were a cherished member of the family. In his speeches to the nation he likes to joke and tease them.
Thats pretty dang cool what if we had a lovable leader like that. It's Amazing that the whole capital stopped what it was doing to just see him. On the other hand it reminds me of 1984 which scares me alot i hope that brain washing is not happening that would be bad especially if they had a ministry of love. haha

Andrew Reiff

National

Summary- Man sentenced in bizarre diagnosing scam

A man and woman in Louisiana was ordered to pay back more than $800,000 procured from a complicated scam. The scam was that his wife was a CIA agent, and for some money, she could arrange to have their bodies scanned by satellite for any medical diseases, and then during the night, while the "patient" was sleeping, secret agents would come and administer medicine. The couple is being charged with paying back the $873,786.94. The man is getting 51 months in prison, while the woman gets 63 months.

Opinion-

How dumb do you have to be... these poor southerners... they agreed to health care in which they never even had evidence it was working! Man if that is not a tip off that it is a scam then I don't know what is. This couple should be rewarded for exposing the stupidity of some Americans. I guess this satellite health care was just too good to be true.

International

Summary- Gates says secure Iraq within reach

Defense Secretary Robert Gates says that the troops in Northern Iraq need reinforcement. He claims that the heavier troops in Bahgdad have pushed the terrorists north, and there needs to be more troops farther north. Right before he spoke, a large bomb went off across the Tigris, and 14 people died. He did not say how many more troops were needed. Gates says that he has learned a lot from his trips to Iraq. There were just 49 attacks on troops in November, compared to 553 a month early in the insurgency.

Opinion-

I don't know very much about Robert Gates, but from this he seems to be a pretty cool guy. I guess it would make sense that we need more troops in northern Iraq, because the oil pipelines run through there and they are a popular target for terrorists. I totally agree that the surge is working, I think if we just give it some time then the terrorists will at least leave until we leave, which after that point the Iraqis will be on their own. But to pull out now would be a total waste of all these years of trying to help the Iraqi people.

National

Summary- NASA delays Atlantis launch

A pair of faulty fuel gauges delyaed the launch of the Atlantis on Thursday. While technicians were filling up the main tank, two key fuel sensors failed to work properly, so the launch was posponed. The shuttle trip is due to carry a $2 billion dollar space lab that took 25 years to build by the European Space Agency. They were dissapointed at the postponment, but said that it is better to launch late and safe than on time and unsafe. This would have been the fourth shuttle launch this year. The fuel gauge problem had been popping up after the Columbia disaster, plus NASA techs are being much more careful.

Opinion-

Aren't these shuttles getting old already? Its getting to be like driving a 30 year old car with five hundred thousand miles on it, it just does not work as well as it used to. It is time for NASA to get serious about finding a replacement for the Shuttle because someday we might actually have to use them for something other than playing around in space. Stuff gets old, its just the second law of thermodynamics. I know the shuttles have been kept in good repair, but we only have like 2 left now, Discovery, the oldest, and Altantis.

Mr. Hjort...please read me -alex

okay so i tried to hyperlink my second half of my blogs but for some reason i was not capable but i got my information from www.cnn.com just so you know! i promise i did try so please dont count me off (if that is something that you do :])
thx so much
alex bellah

Alex Bellah...second half of my blogs for this week

National: floods

Summary: Washington state residents were hoping by Wednesday that they could return home after flooding forced them to flee their homes. The damages caused by this major northwestern storm still have not been said but the search for missing people continues. Everything happened so suddenly that some people did not have time to flee their homes but had to be rescued by helicopter. About 70,000 people were without electricity in Washington state and Oregon during the high point of the storm. On Wednesday most electricity was able to be turned back on and hospitals no longer had to use emergency generators. People are hoping that things can return to normal very soon with as little of damages as possible.

Opinion: I pray that no one was terrible injured by this tragic storm and that the missing people will be found alive and doing okay. This is such a tragedy, if only we had control over the weather. The weather is a very tricky thing and there is really no way of telling ho bad a storm can be in the end. You can estimate the effect of the storm but no one really knows till all is done. It is a tragic thing that it happened so fast and that many people did not have time to evacuate. Hopefully in the future we will be able to come up with some sort of system that can help with the effect of storms.


International: Suicide kills 13

Summary: On Wednesday a suicide Bomber rammed their car into a minibus filled with Afghan soldiers south of Kabul. 13 people were killed in this attack including six soldiers. This attack cam about 24 hours after another bomber attack happened against NATO. Unlike in the attack that happened on Wednesday no Military casualties happened in the NATO attack. Many attacks have happened weeks earlier to these attacks and many have happened after. I believe that the attacker still has not yet been found out.

Opinion: It is sad to think that the world is ending up this way. The Lord has warned us of these times to come and now that they are happening it is hard to imagine that it could get worse…but it will. My heart goes out to the innocent lives that were lost in these attacks and the families that lost their loved ones. I pray that the Lord will be with them and he will comfort them. My heart also goes out to the attackers and how they think that by doing this it will have a positive effect on someone or something. Whoever thinks that has some serious issues!

Furnia (Ignore the last one)

Nationtal
1:That college education is going to cost a whole lot more than two Ohio students ever expected.
The two men face up to 20 years in prison after police say they admitted robbing a suburban Cincinnati bank of $130,000 at gunpoint because, they claimed, they needed tuition money for college.

Opinion
I think that is so dumb that someone had to rob a bank to pay for tuition. I mean they could have done a student loan or asked their parents for help. Why do you have to go rob a bank and put people in danger for that when there are many different solutions to your problem. I am glad that they are going to jail for that they should have known what they were getting themselves into when they signed up for college.

2:The nation's teen birth rate has risen for the first time in 14 years, according to a new government report.
The birth rate had been dropping since 1991. The decline had slowed in recent years, but government statisticians said Wednesday it jumped 3 percent from 2005 to 2006.The birth data for 2006 also showed births to unmarried mothers hit a new record high, and the overall birth rate has climbed to its highest level since 1971.
The teen increase was based on the 15-19 age group, which accounted for about 99 percent of the more than 440,000 births to teens in 2006.
The rate rose to 41.9 live births per 1,000 females in that age group, up from 40.5 in 2005.

Opinion
I think it is dumb that girls just are going out there and having "fun" with themselves. Then in the end bringing a baby into the world that really is going to find it difficult cause the mom is still in high school and can't raise the kid. I mean now high schools are like encouraging it because they are putting day cares in the high schools. That I think should be gone because these kids did this to themselves and they need to deal with the consequences.

International
1:Police said Wednesday they have arrested a man who vanished more than five years ago then turned up at a police station last weekend claiming he had lost his memory.
A published report, meanwhile, claimed that the man and his wife had been seen together in Panama since his disappearance. His wife reportedly moved to Panama earlier this year.
Cleveland Police, in northeast England, said John Darwin, 57, had been arrested in connection with their investigation of his apparent disappearance at sea.
Darwin disappeared after going out to sea in his canoe, which was later found wrecked on a beach. A coroner officially declared him dead.
His wife Anne yesterday told reporters she had believed her husband was dead and claimed on his life insurance policy in good faith.

Opinion
That is dumb. Why would someone want to throw their life away in hiding just because your dealing with some difficult time. Then the wife is going along with it. I would not want to do that because I would want my husband to be with me and not just somewhere out there doing who knows what. I'm glad he was arrested because it is wrong with what he did to everyone thinking that he was dead and he really wasn't.

2:A conservation group that has vowed to disrupt Japan's annual whale hunt launched its Antarctic campaign Wednesday by renaming one of its ships after "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin, the late environmental campaigner.
The U.S.-based Sea Shepherd Conservation Society says it will use whatever means necessary to block Japan from harvesting up to 50 humpbacks, 935 minkes and 50 fin whales in Antarctic waters as part of an oceanic research program that critics decry as commercial whaling in disguise.
Irwin's widow, Terri, threw her support behind the mission by giving Sea Shepherd permission to rename one of its two flagship vessels after her husband, the TV wildlife program host who died from a stingray attack off Australia's Great Barrier Reef in September 2006.

Opinion
I think that is such a sweet thing that they are doing for the whales. I mean whales are mean but onle if you taunt them. Plus that is good they are doing it for someone in memory not just cause they want to stop the whole thing. Even thought this should be stopped no matter what it is just wrong. I hate when people try and catch things for no reason just because they want to feel good about themselves.