Oklahomans shiver, worry after 10 days without power

Over a week ago the people of Oklahoma experienced a terrible snow storm that left many of its cities coated with ice and without any power. Electric companies were expected to have everything up and running by Wednesday or Thursday but are now predicting that it will be closer to around Christmas time before things are closer to normal in the state and ninety-nine percent of those who lost power will hopefully have it back. Over one thousand power poles were broken in the Verdigris Valley Electric Cooperative service area knocking out power of fourteen thousand people. Not only that but there is another storm expected to hit northern Oklahoma with another three inches of snow and thunderstorms in other parts of the state. On Tuesday President Bush issued major disaster for the area and money is being granted for clean up. Twenty-seven people have died sixteen of them in car accidents, the hours of workers are being pushed back and electric companies have to work over time. Some are even willing to work Christmas Eve and part of Christmas Day to help other families stay warm over the holidays.

This is such a terrible thing that can happen so close to the Christmas holidays, it also goes to show that Mother Nature is unpredictable. Anything can happen at any time. Thankfully President Bush issued the natural disaster because if anybody needs help these people do. Having heat at the tip of your fingers but not being able to acquire it would be a terrible feeling. Hopefully the electric companies can get power going again before Christmas so their workers don’t have to miss their holidays.
http://www.dinamalar.com/Ulagatamilargal_English/2007jan12/photos/AMERICA-0212-01A.jpg

Aide: Clinton apologizes to Obama

Today hillary Clinton apologized to Barack obama for a drug remark made to Obama by one of her campaign advisors. Obama said all was forgiven since the comment was probably made in the heat of an intense election moment since the two candidates are at each other heals in the election race. The comment was unapproved by anybody and that had not been in the plan of attack for the campaign. The advisor who made the comment also apologized to Obama for the inappropriate comment. Obama did admit to his use of drugs when he was younger but insists that he regrets his moves as a teenager and that what he did as a kid has nothing to do with his actions that he is taking now as an electoral candidate for the up and coming presidential election.

I think is weird that so many presidential candidates sit around and insult each other when it would make more of a difference for them to go out and touch the lives of those around them. Instead of using campaign money to tell the country what a liar their opponent is why don’t they just use their money to press the fact at how wonderful they themselves are. It just makes more sense to me. This whole creating rumors thing or digging up some one elses past from when they were a kid shouldn’t really matter, maybe if they killed some one but seriously if they did some drugs in their past or were in jail for petty theft people should realize they have become a new person and aren’t the same as they once were.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/12/13/clinton.obama/index.html?iref=mpstoryview
http://a.abcnews.com/images/Politics/abc_obama_clinton_070615_ms.jpg

Neighbors shun MySpace hoax family

On October sixteenth 2006 a teenage girl committed suicide after the falling out of a myspace relationship with a boy she never knew. Thirteen year old Megan Meier was not able to handle the comments being sent to her by this boy-Josh Evans-and was already handling depression. The sadest part is that this boy wasn’t even real. His profile was created by a forty year old woman whose daughter used to close to Meier and wanted to do something nice for the girl to try and help her. But the efforts failed. Lori Drew denies having anything to do with the girls actions and denies that she had any part in the fake myspace profile that her daughter had set up the account and a teenage employee of hers by the name of Ashley was the only one sending the messages. Most don’t believe the woman who has recently been receiving hate mail and threats over the phone throught email and damage has been done to her house. She has been absolutely shunned by her neighbors who all loved Megan Meier dearly.

This is so incredibly sad that a grown woman would go to such lengths to do this to a child. If her intent was to harm her or to help there are still more constructive ways. Creating a fake myspace profile is just CREEPY! It also give kids more of an insight into what can go on in myspace, that just because people seem real doesn’t mean they really are. It just blows my mind that people can create a fake life to live on the internet and let people fall into these traps. Just disrespectful, especially since the culprit was targetting some one that she knew. Things are getting way too out of hand in this world, it is great that the internet can keep us in contact with loved ones, I know the soldiers in Iraq really appreciate being able to spend time on facebook but these sources are being abused so greatly. People are using these sources to black mail and in this case cause great hur t to not only one person but to an entire community.
http://www.cybernetplace.com/images/long-island-computer-servic.jpg

'Teddy bear' teacher gets 15-day prison term in Sudan

On Thursday the British teacher Gillian Gibbons was sentenced to fifteen days in jail and deportation after having her class of seven year olds name their class teddy bear for a school project and class mascot. The children chose the name Mohammed for the bear. Gibbons also faced charges relating to insulting religion and inciting hatred under article 125 of Sudan’s constitution. Robert Boulos was shocked when he found that the school secretary had issued the complaint and not a parent of a student. Other possible punishments were set at forty lashes, a fine, and jail time up to a year. She was cleared of charges relating to article 125. Other British ambassadors were greatly disappointed in the verdict of the case and were kept away from the court house by Sudanese security guards who even kept one of Gibbons’ lawyers from her during the course of the trial along with several other journalists.

This is so disappointing that these charges would be brought against this teacher. It wasn’t her fault that her students wanted to name their class teddy bear Mohammed. They should be able to name their bear that if they really want to. Then again it is very understandable that the government and school officials would take offense to this. I don’t think I would like it very much if a first grade class at my school decided to name their teddy bear Jesus of God. Such drastic measures could have been avoided though. The teacher should have been confronted about the situation of the issue and then the name of the bear could have easily been changed, instead the teacher was taken to court and is now going be deported from Sudan back to Britain because she was found guilty of insulting religion. If there is one thing I have learned from this, it is to thoroughly research a country’s dominant religion before I visit or live and work there just so I don’t run the risk of disrespecting anyone!

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/africa/11/29/sudan.bears/index.html
http://www.gummylump.com/files/product/a_1289.plush-teddy-bear.jpg

Gas hitting record highs for holiday travel

Gas prices have just reached a new high during this holiday season. Prices have just risen fifteen cents and don’t look like they are falling anytime soon. Prices are expected to rise another ten cents before the end of the year. Since Thanksgiving of last year gas prices have risen and fallen countless times and are currently ninety cents higher than they were at this time last year and have currently capped off at an average of three dollars and eleven cents a gallon. Over thirty-eight million people will be traveling to family this weekend and of those eighty percent of them will be driving and another 4 million will be traveling by plane. Prices of gas and any other mode of transportation for that matter will be very pricey no matter where you turn. Over twenty-five millions passengers will be flown world wide over the next twelve-started November 16) with planes around ninety percent full.

One thing about Americans, they won’t let a little thing like gas prices stop them from going on a holiday. Good in ways but terrible in other. With gas prices rising people are doing little to cut back on their driving, instead they are just cutting other things from their lives, like eating out and expensive clothing. No matter how high gas prices get and how much people complain about them we will still keep buying gas to get around since most of us are too lazy to walk of bike to our destinations. Holidays really bring out the worst in people. Raising gas prices at traveling time is a cheap shot to people’s pocket books. Sure I would want to make a profit as well but why make having a good time more expensive than it has to be?
http://www.cnn.com/2007/TRAVEL/11/15/holiday.travel.ap/index.html

36 million drivers would flunk drivers tests

If drivers in America were to take a driving tests for their license today how many would fail? The answer, roughly thirty-six million drivers would fail the test. GMAC Insurance has been observing drivers throughout the country determining how well Americans can drive. Many of the US citizens seem to have forgotten many of the basic rules. One of those rules dealing with the yellow lights. Of the drivers that were asked what to do when approaching a yellow light 84% did NOT know the answer. Another question that stumped todays drivers was how far behind should you follow some one? Adele Kristiansson, a spokesperson for the National Road Safety Foundation stated that if drivers were sent through another driving program our streets and highways would be much safer. In the year 2007 of the people who took driving safety tests 18% failed them. That is double the failing rate in 2006.

I think it is terrible that so many people don’t know such basic driving rules. Not saying that I am a model driver but I’m better than most. Yellow means slow not go faster. Growing up in Minnesota has taught me how important these rules are to follow especially in the winter when the roads are icy. Drivers have to be more cautious or pay the price. An interesting fact that I learned was that people of 35 years and older are more likely to pass than young adults. There is hope for the younger generation of drivers. Also driving scores on the East coast were the lowest scores. Many of the states, such as NY, Mass, and Penn, all scored less that a 75% on the test, the average being a 77%. Minnesota I am proud to say was ranked 3rd in the nation.

Why bad employees don't get fired

Most people have had the unfortunate event of working with a less than capable employee and have wondered why the management doesn't do anything about it. It turns out that employers actually have what they think to be logical reasons for not firing a terrible employee. 1) They have a relationship with some one higher up. Not a dating relationship but maybe a golf or drinking buddy. 2) The boss relies on the employee for certain things. 3) The employee brings more value to the company than they cost. Meaning the can have great productivity. 4) It could be worse. Employers could be afraid of hiring some one who is an even worse worker than the ones they already have. 5) The boss is afraid of the employee. 6) The boss empathizes for employees that may have families to feed and may not be able to find another job else where. 7) They don’t want to go through the hiring process. 8) The employee may know some embarrassing fact of the employer and could also know how to run equipment no other employee does. 9) The employee could have fooled everyone and they have fallen into their charming ways and let them get by with things because they can sweet talk their way out of it. 10) They really aren’t bad employees. They might not be punctual but they get their work done.

Personally I think these reasons are rather ridiculous. I have worked with terribly lazy people before and it is not fun. They have to be told what to do all the time the most comical of these reasons is the one saying that the boss doesn’t want to go through the hiring process! Seriously, it may be hard work but could definitely pay off in the long run. Just a few minutes each day to look over potential candidates for replacement is really necessary. But most of these I can see why employers put off firing people. Especially if the worker is having financial difficulties and could have a hard time finding another job to support his or her families. But an employer should at least approach the employee and explain to them that more of an effort is needed and that they are endangering their jobs by not pulling their own weight.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/LIVING/worklife/11/07/not.fired/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

Mexican floods strand 300,000; more rain ahead

A week of heavy rain in Mexico has finally proved its worth. All over Mexico cities are being evacuated because the rivers that border them have over flown due to the torrential rainfall. In fifty years this is one of the worst natural disasters that Mexico has seen. Seventy percent of the Gulf state of Tabasco is underwater along with eighty percent of the capital city Villahermosa. Many public services have been shut down including transportation and the cities drinking water. The rain stopped on Thursday but it is predicted that more rainfall is in the future endangering the people even more. Heavy rainfall is not related to the Tropical Storm Noel in the Caribbean. Villahermosa’s river, the Grijalva has risen six and a half feet about its CRTICAL point before it gushed into the city and other rivers are continuing to rise. People have been taken off of rooftops and many such rescue efforts are similar to the rescue efforts of the military when Katrina hit the US. As of Thursday 300,000 people were still in need of rescuing from Villahermosa alone. 100,000 missing in Tabasco. Fellow Mexicans were asked to donate any food that would be useful to the people affected by the floods.

This is so sad that natural disasters have to happen. People are killed purely out of accident but some one will eventually be blamed for not being able to keep citizens safe. Most likely the president of the state. You just can’t stop the river from overflowing its banks. It is just the due process of life. Hopefully the military aid these people are receiving will be substantial enough to rescue a vast majority of those that have been stranded by the floods. The forces have been working hard already to rescue those that are already stationed in the shelters, hopefully they will be able to keep saving lives at a quick pace before the rain hits again and starts the flooding over!

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/americas/11/02/mexico.floods.ap/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

Discovery Rockets to Space

On Tuesday of this week the space shuttle Discovery was launched into space and will be doing construction projects on the space station for the next two weeks. Bringing with it a new part of the space station called Harmony. It is a live-in compartment that will be attached to the station on arrival. European and Japanese labs will be arriving in December to assist with more construction on the space station. The launch went smoothly but still caused some concern. Ice build up-do to the passage of hydrogen from the tank into the shuttle-concerned many of the scientists and astronauts but was not potential threat. It melted as the count down advanced. There were also three panels on the shuttle's wings that were being watched but no adjustments were made to them. They were just fine throughout the liftoff. 130 of the elementary students that helped to name Harmony were present at Cape Canaveral to witness the launch. Also there to witness the launch was the director and writer of Star Wars, George Lucas. To mark the 30th anniversary of the Star Wars films the lightsaber used by Luke Skywalker in "Return of the Jedi" in 1983 was on board the space ship to honor the occassion.

This is great that we are still sending people into space despite the rough time our country is going through right now and since the space ship Columbia exploded on its return in 2003. The progress we have made with space travel is tremendous and hopefully will just keep improving! The space station is growing all the time and everyone is working together to build it. This is one thing that can push everyone to their limits and still work together in peace. It is also pretty neat that Luke Skywalker's lightsaber was on it, it's kind of funny but really cool that we can acknowledge American culture in such fun ways.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/space/10/23/space.shuttle.ap/index.html
http://www.jaunted.com/files/3/star_wars_is_30.jpg

Wildfires force students from dorms, shut Pacific Coast Highway

The Los Angelos County Fire Department has now been fighting a wild fire for several days and have had to force many homes into evacution. Including the students at Pepperdine University. The students were not in any direct danger but it was stated that a couple of the buildings on campus were threatened, the university was evacuated. Students and staff were all evacuated. Campus security walked door to door making sure that students in the dorms were getting the message and getting out of the building. Two hundred other homes were evacuated and many businesses were also. Three businesses, three homes, and one church have all been destroyed in the blaze. Over two hundred fire men are fighting the fire in efforts to save the wildlife and peopel in surrounding areas. The winds are very strong and are able to blow embers of the fire up to two miles away, and other fires are started from there. Dick Van Dyke, Mel Gibson, and Olivia Newton John are also residents of the threatened areas.

It is a sad thing when wildfires get out of control and people are forced to evacuate their homes. But atleast they are warned and have a little bit of time to get out. It is also a good thing though, fires burn the old foilage on the ground and new plants are able to grow in place of them. Strong healthier and newer growth for a new age. So some good can come of something so bad. Yet if peopel treat wildfires the way some treat hurricanes then it doesn't really do anybody any good. It isn't smart to stand in the way of mother nature, no one can control her and people actually think they can outsmart it. it is good that the people are getting out of there and that firefighters and other volunteers are steering people away from this dangerous situation.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/10/21/wildfire.ca/index.html?iref=mpstoryview#cnnSTCText

The island Paradise Built on a Garbage Dump

In Pulau Semakau Singapore there is a new type of dump. The landfills on the mainland have long since been filled up and a new dump has been designed and space on the main island is hard to come by. Espcially for a landfill. The landfill has been assigned to two islands off the shore of Singapore. The islands are connected by a long rock embankment and are lined with clay and thick plastic to keep toxic wastes from leaking through into the ground of the environment. All of the waste is sent through an incerators and is reduced to 10% of the original volume. Saving space and reducing the chance of waste hurting the environment. All of the waste is put into "cells" inside of the landfill. Once the cells is full is covered in dirt and grass is planted over it. The 11 cells in the landfill should last Singapore until the year 2040, four have been used since its construction in 1999. The wildlife around the landfill is not negatively effected either. The species of plant and animals and flourishing and new species are accounted for even after the building of the new landfill. Proving that there is a "balance between the need of urban development and nature conservation." Wang Luan Keng

This is such a great development! For years i have been wondering if there wasn't anything more we could do to lessen the amount of waste that humans produce. Unfortunately I think humans will always be wasteful and won't think of the consequences of it, but this is such a huge step to cleaning our mistakes. It is a good thing to kow that this landfill is not harming the environment but may also be helping it too! That is such a huge accomplishment. Landfills are so disgusting with all of the leftover garbage that we are sick of looking at. Most of the stuff we throw away could be recylced or reused in some way or another. it's too bad that we don't try to save our environment more. I am just as guilty about this as the next person is and i am trying to not be so wasteful anymore. I only hope that the rest of the world can follow in Singapore's footsteps and help save the world one landfill at a time.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/07/26/ji.semakaulandfill/index.html

Girl swims with bound hands, feet

10 year old Huang Li of Zhangjiajie in Hunan province China was thrown into the Xiang River on Tuesday by her father. She swam for a mile with the current before her father pulled her out. These actions were done in an effort to prepare her to swim across the English Channel someday, which is her dream. She used the dolphin kick and occasionally used her tied hands to paddle with her. Her father, Huang Daosheng, said that she was a very strong swimmer and chose to this of her own free will. The family cannot afford a more adequate swimming coach for the Huang Li therefore her father serves as her coach. He wants her to achieve her dream and would never do anything that endangered her life. Her father did swim beside her the whole time she was in the river. Several other cases such as this have happened. One where an 8 year old ran 2,212 miles in 55 days with her father riding on a scooter behind her the whole way.

OK, this is just kind of weird. It is great that kids have big dreams and are taking action to help them to achieve those dreams, but throwing yourself (or your own child) into a river with hands and feet tied just seems utterly ridiculous to me. There are more conventional ways of preparing yourself for large tasks at hand. Not to mention that she is still only TEN YEARS OLD! Let her have a childhood, don’t risk her life by throwing her, bound, into a river just because she wants to. As for the kid who ran those 2,212 miles in 55 days. I don’t think I have ever ran that much in all of my life. It is beyond me why these kids want to go to such an extreme extent for things like this and that they can find the drive and energy to do so at such a young age. Kudos to them for trying but how are they going to be when age starts to catch up with them?

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/10/04/china.swimmmer.ap/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

Woman Survives 8 Days in Wrecked SUV

On Thursday 33 year old Tanya Rider of Maple Valley Washington was found after having gone missing eight days ago. She had gone off the rode and her SUV had fallen 20 feet into a ravine where it laid buried underneath brush and other bushes. Those who rescued her had to cut off the roof of her vehicle to get her out. King County Sheriff’s investigators had used a cell phone signal to double check that portion of highway and they were able to locate a signal from her cell phone. She had suffered several cuts and bruises form the crash and also kidney failure and sores from lying in the same position for a week. Rider was also dehydrated and had trouble breathing. Hopes of finding her had gone so far as to believe that she may have been murdered and her husband was taken in for questioning and was taking a lie detector test at the time her vehicle was found.

This is so awesome that this woman survived. It shows strength of the human body. It is sad that she is in such critical condition though but at least she is still alive. I would be so thankful for being alive if I was put into a situation like that. It is heartbreaking that law enforcement agencies actually feel they have to look into a persons spouse as possible suspects. I mean it is way better to be safe than sorry I know that but it is just terrible the precautions we have to take in order to be safe. I am thankful that she was found not only because they could save her but also because her husband would not have been accused of murder or something ridiculous like that.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/09/28/woman.found.ap/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

U.S. Soldier: I cried for Youssif

On January 15, 2007 a 5 year old Iraqi boy named Youssif was doused in gasoline by men is masks and set on fire. He suffered severe burns to his face and much of his body. Many donations have been sent in from all over the world many of them from children in the United States. The donations ranged from one dollar to forty-five thousand dollars. Three hundred thousand dollars was needed to pay for all the hospital expenses to care for Youssif’s injuries. All donations were greatly appreciated by the family and it was even more than they needed. The family is donating the remainder of the money to other burn survivors. It will be used for things like reconstructive surgery and pressurized masks and any other ways to help low income families. Youssif’s family has since been relocated in an Islamic neighborhood in Los Angeles.


This is so great that the people of America have extended such acts of generosity to this little boy and his family. The world is running out of great people that help each other and more of them are needed to make the world a better place. As for the men who set him on fire, well they are just screwed up. What kind of person in their right mind would set someone on fire, let alone a 5 year old kid? It is disgusting and inhumane; it is such a cruel thing to do. I know they say desperate time calls for desperate measures but that was crossing the line not just a little bit but a lot a bit. I feel so terrible for the little boy and his family. All of them are scarred for life, especially Youssif. Plastic surgery can only do so much and you can only get so much on a low income. I’m glad that they are in the United States and I hope that the American people will keep treating Youssif’s family with respect.

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/US/09/12/youssif.arrives/index.html

9-11 Attack Victims Remembered 6 years later

On Tuesday, September 11, 2007 the sixth annivesary of the 9-11 attacks was rememebered. Families and friends of the victims gathered at the cites of the attacks and joined hands in prayer. All 2,974 names of the victims who were killed in the attacks were read. The cites of the World Trade Center gathering was moved several blocks away to a local park due to the construction of the Freedom Tower. However more than several families went to the cite of the World Trade Center to place flowers and pictures for their lost loved ones. New York was also the cite of many presidential candidates including former mayor of New York Rudy Giuliani. Hilary Rodham Clinton also payed her respects to New York and its citzens while the President and First Lady stood in silence on the South Lawn of the White House with Dick Chenney and his wife. Memorials were set up for the World Trade Center in New York, for flight 93 in Pennsylvania, and also at the Pentagon.

It is so great that our country is still able to come together for this day to honor the people who died this day. Many in sacrifice to save others such as the passengers of flight 93. All of these people left behind loved ones that day. Whether it is a mother, daughter, son, niece, all of these people need this day to commemorate their loved one. The war in Iraq is a very contoversial one but the least the nation can do is come together to honor the people that died on the seige of war. I think it a terrible thing that this school did nothing to honor this day. Even though is past the 5 years of importance mark flags should still be lowered to half staff. Same with Pearl Harbor Day. Flags are lowered on Martin Luther King day, that is just for one person who made a difference. Why can't we lower the flag one day of the year for almost 3,000?? People today are still affected by this tragedy more than we think. If flags are lowered on 9-11 for the peopel who died that day six years ago we are also lowering the flags in honor of the soldiers who have died in Iraq that are fighting to protect us from people who cause disatsters like 9-11.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/09/11/911.anniversary.ap/index.html

Rescuers Find Woman, 76, given up for dead

In Oregon's Wallowa Mountains 76 year old Ora Doris Anderson went missing on August 25. Seventy volunteers aided the search for the missing woman but the seach was called of on August 31 and a memorial was being planned in her memory. On Thursday, September 6 Anderson was found along near Bennett Creek by Deputy Travis Ash and Senior Trooper Chris Hawkins. Anderson was air lifted to St. Elizabeth Hospital in Baker City, Oregon where she pronounced in critical but stable condition. She was concious but unaware of her surroundings and has been steadily gaining ability to recogonize her family and friends and is expected to have a full recovery.




This is soo cool that this woman survived in such remote wilderness for this amount of time. Especially at her age. It shows that we really should respect our elders more! Even though she wasn't quite sure how she survived she did it, and did it well. Our instints are the best ally that we have in situations like that hopefully i won't ever have to find out how good my instincts are though. It's even more unbelievable that two memebers of the law enforcement found her after the search had been called off. I mean the woods that she was in were just enormous and against all odds she was found ALIVE! Never underestimate people just because of their age.