Cheaper drugs?

On January 12, 2007 the House passed a bill that would demand negotiations, prohibited by the 2003 Medicare law, between the government and drug manufacturers. All of the House Democrats and twenty-four Republicans voted to support this bill. The Democrats believe that the medications that are vital to some people's lives are too expensive and unobtainable to Medicare beneficiaries and want to cut down on the profits the drug companies make in the Medicare market. They think that they would be able to aquire lower prices for the medications if the cost was discussed with the drug companies like the Department of Veterans Affairs does. However, they also mentioned that they did not want Medicare to be able to install a "federal ceiling price" and a national formulary, which is a standardized list of covered drugs. The Republicans said that it would be impossible for the government to limit the access to the drugs. Then, they said the law would restrict the medications reachable by the doctors and patiens. Still, many Republicans believe that the government should just stay away from this issue and let the market work. Up to now, it does not seem as though the bill will become a law the way that it has been proposed, but it can be edited and passed.

In 1965, Medicare was established when the Social Security Ammendments were passed. It is an insurance program to benefit seniors 65 and over. In 1973 it began to cover disabled people as well. Today, it is run by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Success not very successful

Massachusetts is home of the Red Sox, the Patriots, the Celtics, and home to all of us. This is the state with the most colleges in the United States and with nearly eleven percent of the nation’s total venture investments in 2005. Yet, could these achievements be obstructive to the state? The Christian Science Monitor reported on January 9, 2007 that the Bay State is the only state that had a loss of labor force even with high-paying jobs. According to a study by Northeastern University, 120,000 employees left MA between 2003 and 2005, which is up to 1.7 percent of the labor force, making it the only state to have its labor force plummet. One of the reasons for the departure of many of the workers is the expensive housing. The need for inexpensive housing is so immense that some buyers are chosen by lottery as is the case of Tracy Moore who moved into a three-bedroom house in Jamaica Plain with her daughter. Another reason for the disappearance of the proletarians is the lack of knowledge of common trades. In this state, nearly thirty-seven percent of residents over the twenty-five years old have a bachelor's degree. There are no more people that want to take simple jobs that only require some years at a trade school instead of a college degree. Also, some people cannot find jobs located close to home because they are in places with a pricey living value.

This drop of in workforce brings us back to the Great Depression when there were not many jobs for people. People would migrate to different states in order to look for a better place to live and search for work. Sometimes the people found more affordable homes and at other times they did not. Let's hope the situation ameliorates in Massachusetts.

Japan's oldest woman celebrates birthday

Japan's oldest woman, Yone Minagawa, celebrated her birthday on January 5 of this new year. She turned 114 on Saturday in the nursing homw where she currently resides. Born in 1893, Minagawa became the oldest woman when in September the reigning oldest woman, Kamato Hongo, who was 116 at the time of her death. Minagawa is still active and healthy, although she is in a wheelchair.
In August of 2005, America held the top three spots for oldest living people. On this list were Elizabeth Bolden, 115 years old, Bettie Wilson, 114 years old and Susie Gibson, 114 years old. Bolden died on December 11 of 2006; Wilson and Gibson both died in February of the smae year, less than seventy two hours apart. Bolden and Wilson were of African-American descent, Gibson of a white English background. They still hold their place among the longest living people of the world, although there are many others who are heading towards the top spots.

US Death toll rises as ice storms moves across the nation

In Missouri, residents are experiencing an ice storm like none before. The storm has been terrorizing the state since the middle of last week. The storm has become so severe that Missouri has declared a state of emergency. President Bush sent the National Guard into Missouri today to take care of the 200,000 homes left without power. The number of fatalities recorded up to this point was around 35, although there still may be more related to the havoc that Mother Nature has wreaked on the central state.
This ice storm is not too different from the one that hit Canada and the United States in January of 1998. At the height of the storm more than 3 million were without power in the two nations. With the National Guard assisting the northern states over 9,000 were brought to shelters and given warmth and food. The deaths resulting directly from the weather only came out to four people.

A Woman President in Liberia...Who'da thunk it?

Liberia is beginning to piece itself back together. After its civil war, that lasted 14 years, and its recent presidental election it [Liberia] is working on getting back on its feet, as a country. Their new President, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, is beginning to bring the country together. She is working on bringing equal rights to all girls, school systems for all children, and clinics and wells to those who ask. Mrs. Johnson-Sirleaf is a definite people president, and the perfect woman to help Liberia in its time of need. Not only is she and intellectual educated at Harvard, athlete, nurturer, and so much more, she is also the first woman leader in Liberia. She has raised the registered amount of women voters to 51% from a mere 15%. She does, however, have a lot on her plate to clear. There is a an unemployment rate of 85%, and an illiteracy rate of 70%. Along with that, there is a severe lack of electricity, running water and sewage systems. Mrs. Johnson-Sirleaf made it clear to the people of Liberia that she would attempt to bring quick change to the citizens, however it is difficult because of the lack of funds, and immense debt. Many people doubt her, just because she is a woman. Mrs. Johnson-Sirleaf has asked the United States Peace Corps for aid from any teachers available to help. She firmly believes in asking the community what they want, and need. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf is a woman who will make huge changes in Liberia, because she wants to help her people.
In America, during the 1920's two women, Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, rallied for womens rights, and the right to vote. They too were people who had something to believe in, and wanted to help a cause. They never even considered a women president because at that time, women were considered incompetant, and at first were laughed at for even asking for the right to vote. It seems amazing that in Liberia, a woman has taken a stand, and become president.

Can a raised salary really help?

On January 10, 2007 the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007 was passed by the House of Representatives. This decree will raise the national minimum wage from $5.15 per hour to $7.25. It is aimed to make the lives of the people with the lowest salary in the nation much more comfortable. However, there are many debates that claim that this raise will not benefit and will, instead, worsen the economic situation. Felicita Rivera is a resident of Worcester, MA. With the raise of her pay, she would get obtain about $100 more a month. Yet, her rent is also being raised to $100 more a month. The supporters of this act state that with more money, the workers will obtain a higher standard of living. Simultaneously, opponents of the act declare that with the raise of the salaries, business will have to raise prices as well and employ less people. Still, there are not many that have been layed off because of a raise in the lowest salary. Also, prices tend to elevate at a slow pace and remain accessible by people that receive minimum wage. Economists say that when the effects are added, this increase does result in being beneficial to these people.

This event reminds us of the first try at creating a Minimum Wage as part of the National Industrial Recovery Act introduced by FDR in 1933. Nevertheless, the act was said to be illegal and the wage was removed. Then, it was installed with the Fair Labor Standards Act in 1938. So far it has not caused too many problems.

France is becoming colorblind...What A Sight!

France is becoming officially colorblind, or at least attempting to. In Paris, a man named Patrick Lozès has a dream. He wants the equality that is supposedly granted to all people under the law, much like Martin Luther King Jr. wanted equality for all blacks in America. Mr. Lozès has founded the Representative Council of Black Organizations (Le Conseil Représentative des Associations Noires, or CRAN), in 2005 after there was quite a bit of rioting of African and Arab immigrant families. CRAN has become a peaceful way of protest against inequalities. It is assumed that France's populations contains about eight percent of colored men, women and children. Many of these families are victim to racial predijudces in the workplace and in media. CRAN will attempt to end the racial descrimination that seems to be prominent in France. Also, although it has been thought about, the black voting parties will not vote in a coalition because they're influence would not be that great, and sometimes they do not all agree on who to vote for.
This article compared Frances fight for equality to Martin Luther King Jr, and the American Civil Rights movement. It always seems to be assumed that because America is more tolerant towards other races, that other countries treat immigrants the same way. France is a perfect example of this. Some things should not be taken for granted because some people do not have all of the rights that we, as Americans have.

(My internet wasn't cooperating)"Attention! Urbanization is IN!"

"For the first time in human history, the world's population is about to become mostly urban." It is automatically assumed that most of the worlds population lives in the city, however statistics show that many families are just starting to live in urban housing. Cities have always been a main attraction, but now rural areas are going completely out of the picture. Most of the participants in this shift are living in Africa and Asia. They are moving out of the suburban areas and into the slums of the cities. This is because of the low housing rates that are being offered. The living conditions, however, are horrendous. The air is contaminated with pollutants, there is a lack of clean water, and inadequate toilet facilities. About 1.6 million people, out of the 3 billion people, die every year because of the prominent unsanitary conditions. It is predicted that by 2015, there will be 253 cities in Asia with a population between 1 and 5 million people, 59 African cities such cities, and 65 Latin American, and Caribbean cities.
The urbanization of cities began even in the beginning of our country. The cities on the coast were always bustling because of the growing economy. There were mariners bringing in traded goods, and such. However in the early years of this country, expansion was popular. Many people wanted to begin new lives in the rural areas of our country. Back then, however, industrialization had not exactly begun, so it was a bit different. In both the urban areas, and the rural people died from unsanitary living quarters, and lack of formal nutrition, but that was because there wasn't a proper sewer system, or any way of purifying the air and water.
During the Industrialization of our country, the cities became a place for many people to move to so that they could begin a new life, with more of an income. During this time the cities began to become exceptionally contaminated because of all the people who lived there, and all of the waste they were creating. This was a huge health concern.
As time went on, conditions improved in America, however in countries like Asia and Africa city slums are beginning to become more and more popular. This can be contributed to the economy of the world.

i totally thought i had seven blogs haha

THE BIGGEST INTERNATIONAL TRADE SINCE THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE: MADRID TRADES SOCCER SUPERSTAR DAVID BECKHAM TO THE LA GALAXY FOR 128 million pounds. This is said to be the biggest athltetic signing in the history of sports. With Beckham now in the US, the international soccer leauge hopes to reach a whole new fan base and spark an interest in soccer in the Americas. This gigantic trade of goods relates to the trade Thomas Jefferson signed in 1803 known as the Louisiana purchase. HE signed to buy all of France's Louisiana Territory west of the Mississippi for a meager 15 million dollars. This also sparked a sense of popularity and interest in lands west, and also the hope of finding the Pacific ocean to open up a new world of trade.
Both exchanges have/ or will leave a lasting impression on America in one way or the other. Americans hope to see what good Beckham will bring to American sports like they hoped to see what the purchase of western lands would bring to american politics and economy.

Great Idea, Bush!...NOT

On January 11th, 2007, President Bush's decision of sending more than 20,000 troops to Iraq was greatly opposed by Democrats and even some Republicans. The Democrats say they will not immediately try to stop Bush from fulfilling his strategy. However, they will curb the management when Congress considers a war spending measure later on. It is said that the troops will be sent in order to restrain the violence. A Republican Senator from Nebraska named Chuck Hagel said the president’s plan was a “dangerous foreign policy blunder,” while a Democrat Senator from Wisconsin named Russell D. Feingold dubbed it to be possibly “the greatest foreign policy mistake in the history of our nation.” Many members of Congress are trying to find different excuses to why he should not do it rather than just telling him not to. The period of time in which the 20,000 troops will travel to Iraq has been spread over several months in hopes that the president would re-evaluate his increase if the Iraqi government did not supply security forces. With Bush’s action, the active duty Army manpower over the next five years would boost to 547,00, which is a rise of 39,000 over the present stage. The Marine Corps would escalate to 202,000, making this an adition of 23,000. Congress still needs to grant the growth. Bush and his top cabinet have been touring in hopes of obtaining support for his action. Needless to say, as much as he travels around saying, "Howdy y'all!" it is not working.

Another time in history where we saw opposition to a choice made by a President was when President Eisenhower decided to become involved with the Vietnam War. At first, it was mostly college students who completely disagreed. However, this feeling of contradiction quickly spread. Two even lit themselves on fire to prove their point! Yet, it was unsuccessful and our troops stayed there until the end. The President believed that once the South fell, so would the other countries. Now, with an elongation of the war and with more troops, violence will be sure to end as well as the war itself.

Government Funding for Stem Cell Research?

A decision in Congress to pass a bill concerning funding for stem cell research was made without the power to override the pending veto that President Bush will issues. The House of Representatives voted 273-174 on the bill, with 290 being needed to prevail over the veto. Stem cell research has been a topic of debates across the country for a few years now. The same questions arise each year in Congress as well as state governments across the nation. Many representatives feel sure that the issue will yet again be a part of the 2008 election. While Republicans refuse to spend taxpayer’s money on an unethical form of scientific research, most Democrats see the benefit that this breakthrough can provide. Research on stem cells could prove to be vital in the treatment of such incurable diseases as cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and heart disease, among many others. Republicans are more willing to accept the practice if it is done ethically and is not funded by federal taxes.

Another time in history where we witnessed the government back down from funding scientific research was during the 1970’s. The discovery of DNA led to the rapid increase in research pertaining to genetics. Scientists found a way to multiply DNA strands quickly by putting it in with bacteria. This Recombinant DNA Research proved to be a controversial issue. Twelve bills were submitted to Congress advocating for funding and regulations. Eventually the federal government refused to provide money for the research, insisting that the industries find private backers. Such is the case with today’s stem cell research proposals.

Reefer Madness

Yesterday, January 12th 2007, the Natick police department arrested Boey Bertold of Belmont under the charge of illegal drug possesion, drug trafficking in marijuana and drug violation near a school or park. The Natick police working off of an anonymous tip had trailed Bertold for two days prior to the arrest. The authorities made the arrest when Bertold recieved 300 pounds of marijuana with a $500,000 dollar estimated street value. Currently Bertold is being held at Middlesex Country Jail in Cambridge in lieu for a $50,000 dollar bail. Although officials say that Bertold was merely a middle man in the operation, he made for an excellent crack at the system which he was a part of.
Since the ban of it's use in the 1950's Marijuana has been a topic of hot debate whether or not to legalize the drug, whether or not it has any severe effects on the body and mind. In the 1960's marijuana became merely a way for counterculture to stress points and ideals, yet by the 1970's with very lenient laws regarding marijuana, it became an illegal enterprise rather than a business. In 1986, Reagan signed the Anti-Drug Abuse Act, which harshened the sentencing of offenders. The constant struggle has meant millions of dollars spent on it to keep citizens away from it by paying lawyers, authorities, anti drug associations. Where if the United States went back to it's stance in 1937 by taxing marijuana. It has the potential to solve many of the countries financial problems. Simply with placing a heavy tariff on marijuana, for example Mr. Bertolds $500,000/300 lbs. marijuana.

"Hello?...Hello?...Operater! I believe my party has been disconnected!"

As of January 10th, Apple Industries has officially announced the debut of its newest product the iPhone. The new mobile device is set to appear on the market in early June of 2007 and will be a part of the Cingular Wireless Network company. The iPhone is going to be one of the greatest achievements in the mobile market by combinding picture, movies, music, phone devices, touch-screen technology and WIFI wireless internet technology all into one small, thin design crafted from high quality materials and large size hard drives. However the cell phone market has no always look so tres chic.
In the mid 1980's the world first saw the first Generation Nordic Mobile Telephone, which used satellites in orbiting the earth and special towers to beam telephone calls virtually anywhere in the world, with some limitations of course. Intially the cellular phone was a large device often found in the car of a wealthy business man always on the go. But thanks to companies like Nokia that made the celluar phone a small, easily transported device it now, in 2006 occupies the hands of 2.14 billion human beings and 80% of the globe has 80% celluar coverage.

Dubya In Deep

“Even before the November elections, President Bush and his national security adviser, Stephen J. Hadley, were informally discussing what Mr. Hadley was calling ‘the big push’ — whether it made sense to make a show of increased American force in Baghdad to take back the city.”

The US’s problems in Iraq are very similar to those in Vietnam way back in the day. Dubya is in pretty deep.

U.S. Embassy in Athens Is Attacked

Shortly before sunrise today, a missile ripped through the United States embassy here, causing minor damage to the building but no injuries. The missile was fired from the street over a ten-foot high security wall, smashing the glass in front of the embassy and spraying debris within.

Pearl Harbor much?

Lack of education in New York schools

It's no surprise how many teenagers do not like to go to school. That's why it is the parent's and the school department's job to enforce middle and high school students to wake up in the morning and educate themselves. But this past year, New York has had the highest rate of school and student failings out of all the states in the US. This past year forty-six New York school were claimed as failing under the No Child left Behind, which included the schools of Brooklyn, the Bronx, Satten Island, and Manhattan. The No Child left Behind was passed in 2001 and stated that all schools in the United States would increase their standards to make sure that schools are doing their job.
Back in the ninteenth century, schooling was always below work. Schools were usually only a few months of the year and students were only taught when work was done. They didn't have as much sources and technology that we have today and the teachers were not as educated as we are today. It is ashame that many students do not take advantage of education, especially since it's free. Education is the key to life and is the only way you can make it through and be who you want to be.

Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there...NOT

The federal jury recently ordered State Farm, the insurance company, to pay a 2.5 million dollar penalty for refusing to pay for a house damaged in hurricane Katrina. It was not a hard decision to make, the jury had their ruling in a mere three hours. The State Farm company tried to prove that the damage was caused by a flood, and that they were not responsible but they failed to do so and had to pay the price.
Prior to the mid nineteenth century, debts were paid off in a rather different fashion. When money was owed, the debtors would be thrown in "debtors' prision." This was by no means a good solution to the issue because while in prision, there is no way to work out of debt. In the case of debt, and how the circumstances are delt with has vastly improved over the years.

Bonds Is One Problem Baseball Can’t Escape

Barry Bonds is so popular in baseball that many were rooting yesterday for him to test positive a second time. A second positive test would result in his identification and a twenty five game suspension. A first positive test prompts neither penalty nor identification.

That was why baseball officials were not speaking yesterday on the report in The Daily News that Bonds tested positive for amphetamines. Bonds practically acknowledged having tested positive by not denying the results in a statement he issued yesterday saying that a teammate, Mark Sweeney, had nothing to do with the matter.

Bonds isn’t earning his records like Babe Ruth earned his back in the day.

The Chinese are out of wives =(

The need for female spouses in China has risen over the past five years. In 2005, for every 100 women born 118 boys were born. The difference may seem trivial at first, but it has ended up making a large difference in the number of single women to be married off in comparision to the men in the country who are seeking partners. In China, they have a one-child policy which causes many parents to continually have children until they have a boy and the girls are just discarded. This has led to a shortage of women who would make good wives and in result there are less inter-racial marriages occuring.
The shortage of women is similar to the shortage of soldiers during the American Revolution. There was no one to aid in the fighting and seeking alternatives was not exactly an option. The soldiers looked to women as support systems, therefore they could not fight. Children were too valuable for the future of the country; they were not allowed in combat either. The shortage of men willing to fight for their beliefs was astounding and the population suffered because of it. The same situation is occuring in China today, with a population indisprecancy they could be easily avoided with social reforms.

US Embassy Attacked!

Early on January 12, the American Embassy in Athens was victim to a terrorist attack! Luckily, nobody was injured, but a small part of the building was damaged. It is frightening to think that a place that is supposed to be a haven for American travelers and diplomats would be attacked so ruthlessly. As a result, the already heightened American security will be strengthened even more, the Greek government will try to help, but a good amount of the population dislikes the U.S.
This reminds me of the book "So Far from the Bamboo Groves," an autobiography of a young Yoko Kawashima Watkins escaping the Japanese occupied Korea during World War II. During the book, the girl and her family were fleeing via medical train when they were suddenly attacked, which shocked everyone because even in wars it was illegal to fire at a vehicle marked with the Red Cross. What was supposed to be a haven for the sick was attacked, just as the terrorism on the United States Embassy is completely uncalled for.

"Guantanamo prison, place of shame, no more torture in our name"

Yesterday, the 11th of January, people world wide protest the U.S. High Security Prison at Guantanamo Bay Cuba. The peace fighters protested the prison by stage everyday situations in the prison. With some dressed as military personnel and some as prisoners in orange jumpsuits, the protesters imitated sleep deprivation, starvation and abuse. In Washington D.C., Peace Activist Cindy Sheehan shouted to the masses, "If dogs were treated like this in my country, there would be an uprising." Cindy Sheehan has been fighting the peace front ever since her son was killed in Iraq. What the peace activists find so unjust at Guantanamo is that since the terrorist attacks on September 11th, just about 770 alleged terrorists have been detained at the prison, but only ten of the 770 detains have been tried and charged of any crimes. Asif Iqbal, a British citizen, was a detainee at Guantanamo spent two years there before being released with no trial or charge. Iqbal was quoted claiming that he received, "endless beatings, tortured with sleep deprivation and forced into signing a fake confession made up of crimes from other detainees." The United States' official stance on the prison is that it recognizes it's negative effect on the reputation of the United States however Colonel Lora is quoted, "I can tell you that we are detaining the right people in Guantanamo, we are detaining them legally, ethically, and humanely."
Guantanamo is one of the many penitentiaries in American history to be harsh in both its conditions and punishments. So one cannot help but look at this recent flush of protests and question if they should be dignified. The first New Jersery state penitentiary in the early 1800's took it's code of ethics from the old ways of Puritan religion by locking cell mates in small dark rooms with a single window, keeping inmates faces shrouded at all times and using various forms of water torture. In 1945, Alcatraz Penitentiary of California opened its doors to the world with Cell Block D where prisoners who disobeyed felt maximum sercurity and ultimate comfort deprivation. Guantanamo when comapred to other prisons in history seems not much worse, perhaps the best way to approach Guantanamo is just as it were another prison in history.

Thousands March against Violence in New Orleans
On January 11th thousands of people processed through downtown New Orleans to protest the recent killings. The group first met at City Hall and packed the plaza as well as the front building, many holding signs that denounced Mayor C. J. Ragin. The crowd was estimated amount to 5,000 people. This created a striking display of the 13 killings of the past week, including those of a popular musician and a well known film maker. All were able to survive and overcome Hurricane Katrina but were able to escape the penetrable violence.
There are many protests in which the current one may be compared to, however, there is one in particular that is able to accurately depict the tone of violence. This event is known as Tiananmen Square in which the actions of a lone protester on a bicycle were halted as he processed right up to the front of the military tanks. This shows the courage that the protesters in both events felt, the action of trying to desperately take steps toward reformation. The lone man on a bicycle must have felt that he was conquering all odds by riding up to the tanks. It is the drive from within and the element of danger and risk that filled the hearts of all the protesters that filled downtown New Orleans yesterday.

Bush, Shot Down??

On January 11 Bushs proposal to increase troops in Iraq ran into intense conflict from Congress. Most of the Democrats opposed the idea along with some moderate Republicans. Bushs speech the other night proved to be a waste of time because not many people's political stance towards the war changed besides more people becoming angry with him. Democrats are looking for ways to cut military spending over the next few years so that less men will have to go to war. The war in Iraq is a lost cause but president Bush will not accept this fact. He just recently deployed 20,000 new troops to Bagdad to calm down the violence. Sending more troops will only make more people mad and increase violence within the country. Bush is only in Iraq because his father never finished the job in the first Gulf War. I can relate this to the Vietnam war when it was heavliy frowned upon by many Americans. This war led to many young innocent lives lost and many protests in our own country. The only difference was that the president fianlly realized he was wrong and withdrew troops from Vietnam besides increasing troops there.

4 Million $ Robbery at Coin Convention
This past Saturday masked robbers committed a four million-dollar robbery outside a coin convention in Orlando. It was at the coin show of the Florida United Numismatists. Supposedly, a coin dealer was unloading his possessions from his car when the robber grabbed him from behind and held a gun to his throat. According to witnesses the coin dealer was then abruptly forced t the ground. Simultaneously, two other men grabbed a suitcase from the vehicle and took off.
This event can be paralleled way back to the Battle of Lexington and Concord. While there are different circumstances between the two terms, the criminals in both cases had every intent to steal. The British were looking to abolish the Americans’ ammunition. However, unlike the robbers at the coin convention the British were unsuccessful in their attempts because as they approached Concord, they realized that the ammunition had already been relocated. Maybe, if the British had used the present day maneuvers instead of the proud military marching lines then they may have been successful in confiscating the American goods.

Congress to change automatic prison terms

Democrats, now controlling Congress, are looking again at the automatic sentences. These automatic prison terms, also referred to as mandatory minimal sentences, leaves little discretion to the judge and result in ineffective and harsh sentences. Congress determines what the mandatory minimum sentences will be, and unfortunately the sentences decided upon often result in unfair prison terms for low-level offenders. Judges have long been critical of the terms that were made to curtail drug trade in 1986. Judges hope that the combined democratic leadership and Republican support of change will create great change. The democratic leader of the House Judiciary Committee, John Conyers Jr. has long been against mandatory minimum sentences especially in the cases of crack versus powder cocaine. The punishment of low-level offenders, due to mandatory minimum sentences fills up prisons and as Judge Reggie B. Walton of Federal District Court in D.C. stated causes “a disservice not just to individuals but to society at large”.





Before trial by jury was assured to Americans by the Bill of Rights, events of unfair trials occurred. For example, The Salem Witchcraft trials occurred in Salem Massachusetts in 1692. A group of girls, influenced by stories of a slave Tituba, spread rumors of witch craft. People were forced into false confessions of witch craft. The judges’ verdicts were merely decided by one’s word against another person’s. In the end, twenty people were killed and over one hundred and fifty people were imprisoned.

No Child Left Behind

In Washington, on January 8, its fifth anniversary, the No Child Left Behind Bill’s renewal is being discussed. The measure’s goal is to help schools to achieve better yearly achievement and bring all the students up to their grade level in math and reading by 2014. Democrats, now in the majority, are pushing for more money to be allotted to states. They believe that there is a 56 billion dollar deficiency in funding. It is suggested that there should be a nation wide standard for academic sufficiency because as it stands now, states’ progress is widely varied. Improvements are being suggested by many leaders. Kennedy, a Senator from Massachusetts, proposes better programs for impoverished children that include outreach workers. Miller, chairman of the House Committee on Education and Labor of California, advised Margaret Spellings, Education Secretary, to increase spending so the No Child Left Behind Bill could be implemented correctly.


The No Child Left Behind Bill was a decisive step towards making education a priority in the spending of the government. When infant America was under the rule of the Articles of Confederation, a similar law was passed. The Land Ordinance of 1875 set aside one section of land for the purpose of public education in each township. This was one of the few things that was passed under the Articles of Confederation for it was replaced by the Constitution merely a decade or so later. Many of the land allotted for this purpose is still used today or was sold in order to fund public education Other laws that require school attendance have been passed by states.

Enough is Enough

To Counter Iran’s Role in Iraq, Bush Moves Beyond Diplomacy

Jan. 10 – President Bush, in his address to the nation Wednesday night, went on the offensive, telling Iran to stay out of Iraq. During his speech, Bush charged Iran with supplying Iraqi insurgents with weaponry in the fight against American troops. Mr. Bush promised that the actions would receive a response. The President stated the other night, “We will disrupt the attacks on our forces. We will seek out and destroy the networks providing advanced weaponry and training to our enemies in Iraq.” Bush declared that Patriot Missiles were to be sent to the Middle East to support and protect America’s allies. He also affirmed that the navy stationed in the Gulf would be strengthened in an attempt to prevent Iranian supremacy in those waters. Although there is much skepticism at home, officials in Iraq have stated that weapon technology has improved in the recent months and is the result of imported Iranian materials. Leaders say that more American soldiers have been killed by road-side bombs in the past four months than in the other nine.

In 1812, America went to war with Britain, in a conflict known as the War of 1812. Upon the various reasons of going to war, one of them was the British involvement in arming the Native Americans to the west. There were reports that Indians were being fortified and trained by the British military. Leaders such as Tecumseh commanded their mean to fight along side the British during many skirmishes throughout the war. The two events are quite similar in that both times, America was fighting an enemy. Both times, their enemies were supported by a stronger nation.

President Bush, A True War Hawk

On December 10th, President Bush was accused of keeping the troops in Iraq for far too much time, and ignoring the American people's protests against the war. This was, of course, brought unto him by the new Democratic leaders in congress. These new government members have decided to begin a "bipartisan campaign against his proposed military expansion". They will actually monitor the Presidents spendings for the Iraqi war. Apparently, his is going to have to limit the number of troops brought over, and time limits will be set for the money that needs to be obtained by the president (or rather the government).
Usually, the Democrats are in favor of a war with Iraq, however they now seem to believe that it has gone too far. Some Republicans have also begun to speak up about the war.
It seems as though President Bush is now only pleasing a few people, rather than the majority.
When the war of 1812 was about to occur, many people differed in oppinion when it came to warefare or an attempt at a peaceful negotiation. This is much like the situation with President Bush today. Some of the newly appointed Democrats do not agree with the presidents policy of war just like the peace doves did not agree with President Madison during the war of 1812. Those who agree with Mr. Bush can easily be compared to the War Hawks, who always seemed to come up with more and more reasons why the war would bring justice. One of the arguments for war in 1812 was that it would preserve the American honor and dignity that was won in the American Revolution. It can be argued that President Bush would say the same about why we are in Iraq, still; to uphold honor that might not be rightfully his.

Anceint Humans

An ancient skull from Africa was found with carved tools and ornaments from RUssia. This helps us to further determine when humans migrated from Africa to colonized EUrope. The reports link that this fossil was from about 40,000 years ago. The surprising thing about this fossil was that it was found in one of the most coldest and driest places in EUrope. This fossil is also wierd because it is awkward that the people from Africa would colonize a cold place like RUssia first. This fossil is yet another scientific breakthrough but it still leaves a period of 20,000 years where fossils have not been found in the sub-saharan desert.
This relates to history because it seems ancient fossils like this one pop up every few years. TEchnology is getting better and it is easier for us to find fossils and it is easier to determine their age and what they ate for food.

Preventing children from learning and growing? Sounds like our government!

In many towns across the United States, many PTAs have gathered together to discuss a new terror that has been around for ages, but has recently been discovered as harmful. You may thin I am referring to bullying in schools or perhaps some other school-related violence issues. Not quite, the threatening issue facing our schools today is.... TAG. Yes, the friendly childhood game, where one child is "it" and chases the other children participating in the game and attempts to touch another, forcing that child to assume the role of "it." Sounds harmless, doesn't it? According to the parents of students from Utah to Maryland, this is a "dangerous game with awful consequences." The running in schoolyards often leads to tripping and injuries that vary from minor cuts to broken bones. Also, the psychological effects of being called"it" by your peers is alienating and does not help children build their esteem. It is hard to believe that some parents are so concerned that they have convinced their districts to outlaw the playing of this game along with others (i.e. dodgeball.)
Along the same lines of subjects that are taboo in schools was the teaching of Darwinism in Tennessee. In 1925, during the Scopes "Monkey" Trial, John T. Scopes, a substitute biology teacher taught to his students from a textbook a theory that did not support the idea of Divine Creation. He was arrested and charged by the state of Tennessee with defiance of the Butler Act. His non-conventional teaching of something that may harm the children to hear brought him a guilty verdict along with an one hundred dollar fine. It just goes to show that when dealing with our country's schools one must never put children in the way of harm. And if you happen to do so, expect to be sued.

Great, now my curfew is going to be earlier than 11 o'clock! (If I lived in New Orleans)

New Orleans has recently begun considering a curfew for all citizens to help curb the recent violence that has affected the city. Since the beginning of 2007, there have been eight slayings throughout the city. "It's something we're just sort of talking about, to see if that will make a difference," police Superintendent Warren Riley said. “Mayor Ray Nagin, meanwhile, urged residents not to leave the city, still rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina, because of the recent killings. He said the slayings could be a tipping point that "galvanizes our community" to find solutions.” Although many residents have called for a march on City Hall, Nagin and Riley are assuring New Orleans’s citizens that a more aggressive, creative plan is in the works. Both men have made it clear that they will make sure that “hard core criminals” of the city are persecuted for their actions. Riley also recently stated that the slayings are a part of a chronic problem that goes back to the city's school system, which can be easily seen the city's failure to sufficiently educate and provide job opportunities for its residents. “Problems will continue until there are improvements in the criminal justice system, which has struggled to get court cases moving again since Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, Riley said.”
Curfews have been used in the past to help maintain public order in times of crisis in both the US and other countries. A curfew after the 2003 North American Blackout was issued to help regulate the citizens of the US who were without power. “Curfews have also long been directed at certain groups in many cities or states, such as Japanese-American university students on the West Coast during World War II and African-Americans in many towns during the time of Jim Crow laws.”

Do you know what you're eating?

ViaGen a company specializing in the cloning of and genetically banking of animal genes has recently had their products approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) for public sale. In translation, it is now legal for consumers to buy and eat cloned meat. Whether you need a legendary racing horse cloned or just simply own a dairy and need more female calves, ViaGen can offer to you genetic cloning at a low price. Usually costing less then $150,000 many breeders and farmers have sought out ViaGen's services and have found success in their ventures. Although it may seem odd to be eating a cloned animal, the benefits for farmers are numerous. Reproductive potential is greatly increased, as well as expanding marketing opportunities for sellers. This may not be the first time we have heard of cloned animals, but it certainly is one of the first times that we have been made aware of the benefits that they may offer to society.
This now widely accepted form of cloning came to the United States in the 1990's with the cloning of Cumulina. Born December 3 of 1997, Cumulina, a mouse, was the first animal cloned to survive into adulthood. The female mouse lived until May 3, 2003 when she was retired after producing two litters. The cloning of Cumulina paved the way or our country to use genetic altering in the future and create a healthier, more beneficial way to support breeders of our country.

Mentally Ill Inmates

Mentally Ill Inmates
By Kevin Mahoney

On Wednesday of this week, Florida lawmakers came to an agreement to move 300 inmates to psychiatric hospitals and residential centers for treatment. The Legislative Budget Commission voted unanimously to invest $19 million dollars for inmates living with psychiatric conditions, and inmates that are at danger to being mentally ill. The decision to invest more money for mentally ill inmates was reached when charges were filed against Lucy Hadi, the former secretary of the Department of Children and Families,
for keeping mentally ill inmates in jail longer than state law allows. “State law requires the department to move inmates found incompetent to stand trial from county jails to psychiatric hospitals within 15 days of receiving a commitment order. The number of inmates found incompetent has increased by 16 percent over the last two fiscal years. As of Tuesday, nearly 250 mentally ill inmates had waited more than 15 days for treatment. In all, nearly 300 inmates are waiting for treatment.” (1). The investment is being split between psychiatric beds for patients and also an increase in other services for the mentally disabled such as housing, medication stipends, and outpatient mental health services.
Within the last ten years, improvements have not only been made for the mentally disabled, but also improvements in other health benefits and education. In 1991, Inmates have been able to receive high school and college diplomas and degrees, while behind bars. Some have been able to obtain bachelor and master degrees while behind bars, which has aided them in obtaining employment when they were released from prison. Bobby Lane, spent time behind bars for a murder charge, but was able to turn his life around when he was released. “ ‘I consider myself no longer a prisoner of despair," says Lane, 45, of Wallkill in Orange County. ‘I'm a prisoner of hope.’ Paroled in 1997, Lane works as a substance abuse counselor for the Volunteers of America in the Bronx. He credits his success -- New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani recently pointed to him as an inspiration for others -- to a prison program that allowed him to earn a college degree.” (2)








http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/11/us/11florida.html?_r=1
http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/projects/prison/po111700s1.shtml

Beckham has left Europe!

The famous soccer player David Beckham, husband of the former Posh Spice, has moved to the United States to join the L.A. Galaxy with a contract of 250 million dollars! After leaving Manchester United for Real Madrid, confessed to not seeing much of the field on his new team. When he was asked whether or not he would like to stay on for another year with Real Madrid, he turned it down in favor for a five year, 250 million dollar contract with the M.L.S. and the L.A. Galaxy. How was the L.A. Galaxy able to attain this kind of money? The M.L.S. put forth a new rule, stating that each team could buy one player for any amount, and the league would foot the first 400,000 dollars. This rule was dubbed "The Beckham Rule" from day one. The article can be viewed here.
When Babe Ruth was sold to the Yankees, he went for $125,000, which was the highest amount ever paid for a baseball player at the time. Many then felt that atheletes were overpaid at that time, but now it can be ridiculous. Getting paid 250 million dollars for doing something you love is crazy, but that is probably why so many people aspire to it, and work hard at sports. It is a dream job, and even those who do not like sports would go nuts for the chance to be able to get paid that much for doing the thing you love most in the world.

Unwanted Troops

It's a terrible thing when the people who risk their lives for the sake of their country journey to some far off land only to discover that nobody wants them there. George Bush recently ordered extra troops over to Iraq, and the Iraqi Government is strongly protesting this move. It is understandable where they are coming from because no struggling government would want to appear as if they depend on foriegn powers (which they do), but it is a great disrespect to teh troops who work so hard and risk so much to help out. The article about this can be found here.

After the Vietnam War, soldiers recieved similar treatment, except from us as well as the enemy. They fought bravely for their country, but were persecuted because it was a war that nobody wanted. The Iraqi government is treating the U.S. soldiers in a similar fashion, hurting the ones who try to help; this will probably discourage people even more.

LA Galaxy trade off

Soccer superstar David Beckham of the Real Madrid squad has agreed to move to the major-league team, LA Galaxy at the end of this season. The world-renowned midfielder decided to make the switch to the United States after taking time to consider extending his contract with Madrid along with considering offers made by other British and European teams. The agreement to move to LA Galaxy includes a five year contract with the squad in return for over 128 million English pounds (approximately $250 million US dollars). This announcement of the change of teams was made on Thursday January 11, 2007.
Similar to this high-priced switch of teams is the eternal baseball trades that occur annually in the United States. Major league baseball players are paid millions of dollars to work for six to eight months of play. The highest paid baseball player in MLB is Barry Bonds whose salary for his whole career has topped the charts with a profit of over $170 million. This is not as radical a sum, seeing that this a cumulative salary and Beckham's will be for only five years of play. However, this shows that America's madness over baseball may be switching to the new football craze.

Another Minimum Wage on the Horizon?

The newly instituted Senate is moving closer to establishing another national minimum wage. For many people, the under $6 an hour is a serious problem. A large number of workers with such wages are parents of single-income families with children. This low salary cannot support a family on its own. Many of these families also receive large amounts of government aid and charities. Even with all of this income, some find it hard to get by due to housing costs and constant increases in expenses. One family, of which John Hosier is the only source of income, has struggled with supporting itself. He and his family rely heavily on the Salvation Army to buy the simple necessities cheaply. He is paid a meager $6 an hour at his job with the Salvation Army. Amounting to $200 a week, it is nowhere near enough for four people. The Hosier family situation is a common occurrence in many parts of the country. The minimum wage for 20 of the 50 states is still at the 1997 clip of $5.15. Many states, namely those on each of the coasts, have minimum wages above $7. Congress is deciding on a proposal to move the federal minimum wage up to $7.25 over a span of two years.

The minimum wage was first nationally created after the Great Depression in an effort to alleviate the poverty that had hit the nation. Franklin Delano Roosevelt took office in 1933, promising the American people a plan of how to recover from the depression. What he came up with was the New Deal, later referred to the First New Deal. In it, he proposed numerous reforms that would relieve and restructure the economy. One of the organizations that began was the National Recovery Administration, in 1933. Its purpose was to create a minimum wage between 20¢ and 40¢, to put a limit to the number of hours in the workweek, and to abolish child labor. The minimum wage agreed upon was about 25¢. This only lasted a few years, as in 1937 the Supreme Court dubbed it unconstitutional. After that, the minimum wage was reestablished in 1938 under the Fair-Labor Standards Act at the same 25¢. Since then it has steadily increased, reaching its peak in 1968, when the $1.60 ($9.12 in today’s market) mark was set. The interval of time since the last federal raise is the longest in history. President Clinton gave states the power to raise their own individual wages. Still, look for the feds to attempt to put more money in the pockets of the poor in the Midwest, where many can’t even afford an education good enough to lead them away from punching “Bush, George” on the ballet.

Being Homeless, Not Fun

In a recent study it is estimated that there is about 750,000 people living in the United States. Other estimates show that there could be over a million people homeless in the US. The study shows that about 56 percent were found in shelters while 44 percent live in the streets all the time. The report says people bounce in and out between homes and living on the streets. Roughly 60 percent were adults while 40 percent were vagabonds living in families. The states that had the most homeless people per capita were located in the western United States besides Rhode Island. This study was finalized in January of 2005 and it was the first study of this in nearly a decade.

College Football, Playoff System?

One of the biggest debates in college football at the end of every season is the controversy of should there be playoffs. This year was another perfect example of why there should be a playoff system introduced. Ohio State came into the BCS championship ranked number 1 against opponent Florida who was ranked number two. Florida only reached the championship because of UCLA upsetting USC in the final game of the season. Florida went on to destroy the Buckeyes 41-14. This meant that the National CHampions, Florida were the best team in the nation even with one loss on the season. However Boise State finished at number four in the country and they were undefeated. This led to yet another controversy in questioning how teams are ranked. Usually teams are ranked on toughness of schedule and how much they beat their opponents by. Colllege Football analysts are split on the decision of whether or not there should be a playoff system introduced. Just a few years ago both USC and LSU claimed they were both national champions. This is because they were both ranked number 1 in two different poles. Most people thought that there should have been a game between the two teams to determine the true national champion.
I personally do not think there should be a college playoff system. There had never been a playoff system and why should they start now. The system on which the rankings are based on are usually pretty solid and should be kept around. The playoff idea is also a bad idea because the teams that go undefeated and finish only ranked number 5 are there for a reason. If a playoff system was to be introduced this would make the season realy long and most people would rather watch the NFL games than College Games.

Mission to Mars

Recently NASA has looked at two new propsals of plans to go to Mars. The details of the mission are still being looked at and should cost a whopping 2 million dollars just to finalize the plans. The launch for Mars is expected to happen sometime in 2011. But don't worry tax payers, the mission to Mars will only cost half a billion dollars. It seems all these missions going to outer space just accomplish the spending of millions of dollars. As space researchers all we have been able to determine is stars and what color each planet is. The mission is designed to researcher the climate of Mars and to understand if there could be life there. If this mission wasn't enough nonsense we also have the nine year mission to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt to look forward to. I personally think space research is a waste of money. The last time the United States wasted money like this is during the war we are in now. The cost of the war in Iraq has been roughly about 360 billion wasted dollars.

Cherchez la femme

Today in Burlington, Vermont a Jodie Ross finally settled a three year legal battle over gender discrimination within the IBM company. As of 2004, Jodie Ross has been an IBM employee for twenty-three years, over seeing a depart of a $300 million inventory. Jodie was suddenly fired by her supervisors after an alleged misconduct at an audit. Yet, her male co-workers although acting in the same conduct, did not recieve termination.
At the turn of the century Susan B. Anthony was the women's civil rights leader who lived from 1820-1906 and put herself into the history books by being tried in a court of law for attempting to cast a vote in the 1872 presidential election. Soon after Susan B. Anthony she was followed by women like Ida B. Wells an african american suffragette, Elizabeth Cady Stanton who would go on to found the International Council of Women and Arlene Horowitz drafter to the Women's Education Equality act. All of these american Women pushed for the same basic values the Right to Vote, the Right to Fair Wages, the Right to Hold Public Office and a right to a Higher Education. With all of the hard work put forth by these women they were able to achieve such accomplishments like the Women's Education Equality Act, The Equal Pay Act and the Fair Labor Standard Act. With those achievements the need for femenism died out in the mid 1980's
Yet now with Jodie Ross of IBM, it should annouce to women that although equality is almost near, some work must still be done to make things fair.

We Don't Need No Education

On Monday, January 1, 2002, President George W. Bush signed the No Child Left Behind Act, or NCLB. Bush assured the United States that it would put the schools “on a new path of reform… and… results.” Five years later, people are still awaiting results. Also, this year the NCLB Act expires and has to be voted on by Congress. Many citizens hope that this will cause the act to be more effective, though it has affected almost every high school and elementary school in the United States. By the year 2014, children that attend public schools are supposed to be proficient at reading and mathematics. However, this does not look very promising at the moment. For example, only forty-one percent of white fourth graders meet the standard in reading, and only thirteen percent of black fourth graders are proficient. Every year students from grade three through grade eight take tests, such as the National Assessment of Education Progress. These tests measure student performance against the state. If a school fails to make “adequate yearly progress” for two straight years, they are placed on a needs-improvement list. Some of these schools receive credit for helping students make big strides as long as eventually the students become proficient. The Forum on Educational Accountability wants to lower proficiency targets so to help failing schools. There are also other requested changes for the law to help reform education. However, many believe it will not be easy. As assistant secretary for policy Kerri Briggs stated, "Education reform is not necessarily speedy work. It's tough stuff and requires putting in new assessments, creating data systems, rethinking curriculum, new professional development for teachers.... We have a lot of heavy lifting left to do."


In the 1980s, an education reform movement called Goals 2000 was established. High school graduation requirements were increased and state-wide testing programs were instituted. Since then, there has been an increase in academic performance. From 1982 to 1995, the number of students who passed Advanced Placement exams tripled. Also, thirty-eight percent more students took challenging courses. Between 1982 and 1995, the math and verbal score on the SAT increased seventeen points. By the mid-1980s the performance of U.S. students was significantly lower than those of other countries and the need for education reform was as urgent at the end of the 1980s.

It’s the End of the World as We Know It

Massachusetts Swears in a Deval Patrick as Governor

Jan. 4 – As if it was not bad enough seeing Nancy Pelosi being sworn into office, the citizens of Massachusetts were forced to watch their newly elected governor commit perjury. Last Thursday, governor-elect Deval Patrick took his oaths and became the first black governor of the state. As Mr. Patrick vowed to uphold the Constitution, one can not forget his statements made just days before his inauguration when he declared the futility of this document which he swore, under oath, to maintain. In his address, Patrick announced that he was removing the former governor’s, Mitt Romney, agreement allowing state police to detain illegal immigrants. As the speech went on, Patrick pronounced that he could not continue his policies; the same promises that had put him in office. Due to the deficit that Massachusetts faces, Mr. Patrick’s proposals to cut property and incomes taxes have failed. However, these are not the only plans that the governor has abandoned. Healthcare insurance reform, a point he so adamantly pushed in his campaign, has been cast aside as an unrealistic possibility “at this point in time.”

Toady’s politicians lack the honesty and commitment that was displayed in years past. In 1844, a man by the name of James K. Polk was elected president of the United States. At this period in the nation’s history, Americans were fiercely experiencing what is known as manifest destiny. Polk would, in only one term, fulfill his promises and expand the country’s borders. Through treaties such as the Oregon Treaty and the Guadalupe Hidalgo Treaty, Polk obtained land desired by the Americans. By the end of his term, Polk also accomplished his goals of lowering the tariff and re-instating the Independent Treasury System. Where have the honest politicians gone.

Why?

As if the world were not already perceived as messed up by those of us with a right leaning political tendency, a new charge that has been filed will get our blood boiling. What happened is that a consortium of liberal lawyers have decided to file charges against Donald Rumsfeld, George Tenet and Alberto Gonzales. What fro you may ask, war crimes. Yes, the policy makers of a legitimate state are being charged with war crimes for bringing down a brutal despot. Granted that all that the war did was destabilize the Middle East is neither here nor there. However, one can not dispute that the crimes that Saddam Hussein committed were atrocious. All that I have to say is that these out of place hippies should learn that in war innocents die. It is a simple fact. The term that is used is collateral damage. In an ideal world this would not occur, however, we do not live an ideal world so these anti-American “lawyers” should learn to deal with the reality of war, or move out of the country.

There was another time in history that a similar event occurred. It was during the Vietnam war. The press were showing horrific images of little children tha were killed along side other innocent civilians. One must keep in mind that this was the first war that was covered in the sense that the public saw the images of what was happening very quickly after they occurred. The general population of the time then turned radically against the soldiers and even labeled some as “baby killers”. however, as time passed they have been exonerated in the public eye. This is because hindsight changes everything. All that I can say to these lawyers is that when bringing up a criminal case, consult your history book first. War has and always will require innocent lives.

World War III?

Over the past few days the world has changed in a more juristic way than anyone could comprehend. In an article in the New York Times it is said that the US military has taken action against the Somalian Jihadist group with strong links to Al Qaeda. This is all true, minus one huge detail. That detail is who we are backing in this fight. The article states that we are fighting to take out Al Qaeda’s infrastructure in the country. However, what we are really doing is taking out the targets that the Ethiopians can not with their conventional means. In case you were wondering the Ethiopians are only fighting the Somalis because they are Christian and the Somalis are Muslims. Yet again Christianity and Islam are coming to a head.

Another event much like those that are unfolding in Somalia today occurred in the sixties. This was not combating a religion, per se. however it was to stop the spread of one of the most dangerous ideologies of all time, communism. This was the Vietnam war. What happened was that the United States did not want Vietnam to become a communist state. So, they did what any logical country would do, fought a politically correct war that resulted in the death of many Americans for no apparent reason.

The only real point that one can draw from this is that if one is going to fight a war then all of the tolls that they have to fight that war need to be used. You cannot fight and win a war so that the media and general public will be happy with you. So we must learn from the past that we should go all out in war or it is not even worth showing up for the battle.

The Weight of Depression

The Weight of Depression
By Kevin Mahoney

“Six-year-old Karlind Dunbar barely touched her dinner, but not for time-honored 6-year-old reasons. The pasta was not the wrong shape. She did not have an urgent date with her dolls.” (1). Dunbar is refusing dinner because in her recent report card she not only found her grades on conduct and counting, but her body mass scale, an 85%. Students in Dunbar’s school whose body mass index that were lower than 5% percent and higher than 80%, parents received letters of warning. Translation on a six year old level: my teacher thinks I’m fat. While the intentions behind these letters are moral, it is debatable that the distributions of the warning are insensitive. Although these warning have been adopted in multiple states, many of the parents at Karlind’s school were outraged when they noticed a change in their eating habits. Many of the students have also noticed an increase in teasing of over or underweight students, not only on an elementary, but junior and high school level. Many of us know that teasing amongst students can sometimes have consequential, if not deadly consequences.
On April 20, 1999 a mass murder at Columbine High School shocked the country. Two students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, ran through the halls shooting and killing any students who got in their way, or did not obey their command. Although there were many subjects that sparked the massacre, such as violent video games, school bullying was the true motive of the boys’ rampage. After the mass execution, an increase in school unity was made throughout the nation at hopes that the warfare that happened at Columbine, would never happen again. Although it is impractical to state that body mass reports are the reason for school massacres, this odes not mean the teasing it could result in could have a deadly outcome.







http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/08/health/08obesity.html?_r=1&ref=us&oref=slogin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbine_High_School_massacre

Vicious murders and Deceitful lies.

Murders and lies; this is what both Rafael Robb and O.J. Simpson have in common. Ivy League professor Rafael Robb formerly called Norristown, Pennsylvania home. On Monday, he was charged with the death of his wife Ellen. Although the death occurred on December 22, the charges were just recently brought upon Rafael. Robb bludgeoned his wife to death in their kitchen after she apparently told friends and family she was going to divorce him. He was arraigned on murder charges and is currently being jailed without bail. Robb made up an alibi and lied about the obvious motive for his murder; his knowledge of his wife's plans to divorce him.
This might ring a bell in the ears of those who are familiar with the infamous and dramatic O.J. Simpson trial that unfolded in the early 1990's. O.J.'s ex-wife Nicole was found stabbed to death outside O.J.'s condominium on June 12, 1994. O.J. bounced between many theories of how his wife had been killed and who killed her, one of them being it was the job of a hitman in her drug-dealing ring. O.J. pled non-guilty throughout the trial, as homicide is a capital offense in California. His alibi did not click with police and only after a car chase and a surrounding were the LAPD able to bring O.J. into court. He was then released after being found "not guilty."
Both men committed a homicide against their significant other. The difference: one was acquitted while the other was jailed without bail. Homicide is an abominable crime and how one could escape the punishment is unthinkable. Apparently, it all depends on who you know and the connections you have.

Let It Snow, and Clear it Out!

On Saturday, an avalanche in Colorado knocked two cars off a mountain pass near a popular ski resort. Thirty workers from the ski resort went on to dig eight people out from being trapped inside the cars. “Our crews said it was the largest they have ever seen. It took three paths," Stacey Stegman of the transportation department said of the massive slide on U.S. 40 near 11,307-foot Berthoud Pass, about 50 miles west of Denver on the way to Winter Park Resort. The avalanche occurred between 10 am and 10:30 am and if it had occurred any earlier, many more injuries could have been suffered by more skiers. The Winter Park Resort usually has approximately 10,000 skiers and snowboarders on a January weekend, with lifts opening at 8 am.
In 2005, another natural disaster occurred in the United States. Hurricane Katrina devastated millions of families in the Louisiana, New Orleans, and Mississippi area causing approximately the US $84 billion dollars worth of damages, the costliest Atlantic hurricane in history. Although much of the New Orleans, Louisiana, and Mississippi area is continued to be rebuilt, consequently, Winter Park will reopen next Sunday.

Whoever Smelt It, Dealt It!

In New York, on Monday, all the 911 lines were tied up with calls from Manhattan and New Jersey citizens asking, “What’s that smell?” Mayor Bloomberg responded to the calls by saying that a gas-like odor had spread over the city, but it was not harmful. “The mayor said the smell may have been caused by a leak of a substance called mercaptan that is added to natural gas for safety reasons to give it a recognizable odor. By itself, natural gas is odorless.” Some schools were briefly evacuated and some commuter rails were temporarily stopped due to the fear of the odor.
In 2005, a maple syrup aroma spread across the Manhattan area twice with in a matter of weeks. When environmental specialists came to find where the odor originated, they found nothing dangerous and could not explain the smell. Luckily, citizens of New York will no longer have to worry about the smell of maple syrup in the Big Apple, since Trans Fat was recently abolished. Maybe Mayor Bloomberg should have consulted the chef at a local diner rather than the environmental police.

Question: Who needs a passport to go to Canada? Answer: EVERYONE.

New rules will soon require all American citizens who hope to travel to Canada or other countries in the Western Hemisphere by air to obtain a passport. “As of Jan. 23, air travelers from the United States to Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, or Bermuda will need a passport for the first time. And after January 2008, the rule will be expanded to include all land and sea travel to those destinations.” Doug Sanders, who works at Irving Oil and regularly travels from Portsmouth, N.H., to New Brunswick, had let his passport lapse and was caught by the new rule. "We have a corporate jet that I can't get on," Sanders said. People like Sanders, now are forced to pay the $97 passport fee to travel across the border on business ventures.
During World War I, European powers wanted to prevent those with special skills or potential manpower from crossing the border. So, in turn, passports were issued to regulate spies from crossing the borders and became the norm. Following the world wars, customs and United Nations issued a standard passport with more specific guidelines containing one’s physical description and photograph.

Big Bird vs. Bessie

In Austin, Texas on Monday, sixty-three birds were found dead on the street downtown. Workers donned hazardous-material suits and cleaned up the birds before testing them for any diseases. After preliminary testing, it was released that the birds could not pose any immediate threat to humans. The reason of death, however, still remains unknown. The dead grackles, sparrows and pigeons will be tested further until a specific cause of death is found. Residents are asked to stay away from the birds because the cause is still unclear; a virus could be involved.
About 20 years ago, a similar sight was discovered in Great Britain and more recently in the United States. This time, cows were the subjects under cloes scrutiny. They were found to be behaving strangely and eventually dying. Later discovered was the fact that they contaminated the meat they were butchered for. This discovery is commonly known as Mad Cow Disease.
So in both cases, dead animals were mysteriously found and dealt with. In one case, the cause of death and its effect on humans remains unknown. In the case with the cows, it was recognized that the cows had a virus (MCD) and warned humans against it.

Uncle Sam wants US Muslims to Serve

The Pentagon builds Islamic prayer rooms and hires imams to make armed life more appealing. An fundamental goal is to interest more Muslims in the military, which needs officers and troops who can speak Arabic and other relevant languages and understand the culture of places like Iraq and Afghanistan. The effort is also part of a superior outreach. Pentagon officials say they are striving for joint comprehension with Muslims at home and abroad and to win their support for US war aims.



Looks like the United States is in need of militant officers again. Jeez, I hope we aren't going to see another draft. I hate to plug this Vietnam thing but come on now. The United States and George W. Bush need to get a grip on what needs to be done in Iraq. I don't want to see another draft, do you?

Somalia: An African Country or New Vietnam?

In just two weeks, the Somali political world has been turned upside down, bringing ruthless domination and renovation issues into focus for the first time in sixteen years. The Islamist forces that ruled much of the country for the past six months are out. The intermediary federal government, which had been considered totally hopeless by those both at home and overseas, is in. The shocking turnaround is because of thousands of Ethiopian troops still in Somalia who routed the Islamists after Ethiopian officials declared the growing movement a regional threat.



It looks as though Somalia is in need of a new government and is being plagued by warfare on a constant basis. Looks a little bit like Vietnam, don’t you think? Vietnam was faced with wars waging on a daily basis as well, and it eventually resulted in an end to their government issues at the expense of hundreds of thousands of lives. Will Somalia ever gain a stable government: most likely. The real question is how long.

Mental Illness and the Death Penalty

In the trial of Ford v. Wainwright (1986), it was decided that the eighth amendment, which prohibits cruel and unusual punishment, would include the execution of the mentally ill. However, this case did not determine the intensity of the mental illness that makes persecution impermissible under the Constitution. Scott L. Panetti is an inmate on death row in Texas. In 1992, he was convicted of murdering his in-laws in the presence of his wife and his three year old daughter. As a Navy Veteran, he has suffered from mental illness dating back to ten years before his crime. He was hospitalized fourteen times for schizophrenia and other serious mental disorders. His case, the Supreme Court agreed on January 5, 2007, would determine the standard of the intensity of the mental illness that makes persecution impermissible under the Constitution. Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. said that the, “retributive goal of the criminal law” is just provided that defendants are aware of “the punishment they are about to suffer” and “why they are to suffer it.” Thus, the fifth circuit, whose domain is in Texas, Mississippi and Louisiana, institutes the awareness test. The court saw that Mr. Panetti filled this requirement because he acknowledged that the state was to kill him for killing his in-laws. However, the court ignored his idea that the state was conspiring against him, his incoherency and the subpoenas he tried to issue to such persons as Jesus, John. F. Kennedy and the Pope. The Supreme Court justices have decided to hear the appeal for Mr. Panetti’s case, indicating concern for the management of capital punishment.



The eighth amendment of the Bill of Rights states that, “Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.” This amendment has been called into question in many court cases and history and continues to today. The origin of the eighth amendment’s reference to bail comes somewhat directly from the English Bill of Rights. The part of the eighth amendment referencing excessive fines is meant to apply only to the government. Also, the fine should not be set in accordance to someone’s wealth and there has never been a set maximum fine. The cruel and unusual punishment has spurred many debates such as the one in the case of Coker v. Georgia in 1977. In this case, the Court declared that the death penalty was unconstitutionally excessive for rape of a woman and for any crime besides murder. However, some states have questioned this by passing death penalty for repeat child molesters.

iPhone Phenomenon

Blog #7
It is indisputable that the ipod has been a highly successful invention for Apple Computer. With such a popular product on their resume it is understandable that Cingular would want to team up with the computer company on an equally groundbreaking endeavor. The phone, which was unveiled January 9, 2007, will create some competition among other high quality mobile phone products such as the Blackberry and Treo. Cingular and Apple began negotiations for this joint venture in February 2005. While their creative process was in the works the idea of a Apple branded mobile phone was brought up but yielded to the iPhone. The extremely secretive project does have its flaws, consumers may not be eager to buy a $499 phone. Phones of equal or greater cost only represent 1% of phones sold in the US, making this a risky move for both companies. The companies will have to wait until the phone is released in June to learn the fate of its pricey invention, however if the hype is any indication, they have a hit on their hands.
One of the major phone companies of the US is AT&T, owners of Cingular. AT&T's telephones have come a long way way since the invention of the phone by Alexander Graham Bell in the 1870s. In July 1875 Bell did experiments that allowed him to transmit voices although they were not clear. By April of that year Bell had created a patent is granted, outlining the concept of multiplexed frequencies. A year later the patent for the telephone was granted.

Congress torn over Bush's IRAQ plan

The war in Iraq may be the most debated and controversial issue facing America today, and for the past 5 years. Democrats have opposed it strongly, and republicans have endorsed it full fledged. The war in Iraq should receive a great deal of attention, but in order to solve that problem, The war between the parties should be resolved as well!

with democratic control in congress, they have a great influence in what the president and his people can do with Bush's new Iraqi plan. In this plan, President Bush wishes to send over 20,000 American troops over to Iraq to help rebuild the country from the bottom up. He also wishes to help support a job program that would employ Iraqi people to paint buildings, clean up streets and build schools. This plan could cost over 1 billion dollars. This call for an influx of new troops in Iraq put President Bush as the target of the new democratic force. Recently, in a letter sent from congress officials to the president, the leaders insisted that president bush focus on an immediate withdrawal of forces from Iraq.

The president has the final say in what goes in with American policy. He can veto laws; however, congress can oppose the veto with a two thirds majority vote in one house. With that said, there may be some conflict within the white house and the senate when it comes down to secure a real plan for Iraq. Democrats have the power to halt the increase in troops sent to Iraq by cutting off money to President Bush. However, many people in congress fear that it will appear that they do not support the troops, or the stability in Iraq.

President Bush argues that with his new plan, he will create job stability in Iraq for the people there to flourish under a new government. He is planned to make a speech sometime this week to announce his strategies of the last stretch in saving the Iraqi mission. Immediately after the speech, several hearings will happen on Capitol hill for the democrats to pick apart his plan of actions. What will come in the future, will an interesting debate.

Ford Cars Future in Question

Ford Stakes Future 2 Major Redesigns

Ford Motor Co. is now attempting to redesign the Focus small car and the Five Hundred full-sized sedan. The remodels are an important endeavor; if the designers and engineers fail the automaker could run out of money.
The company plans to unveil the cars, which should have a new look and feel but the same basic “frames and footprints,” at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. They will be in showrooms later this year as 2008 models and are looking to compete with trucks and sport utility vehicles. The popularity of trucks and sport utility vehicles poses a threat to cars being produced by Ford Motor Co., whose future will be determined by the consumer reaction.
The Focus, which first debuted in 1999 has lost its initial appeal and now seems clunky and outdated while the Five Hundred is considered underpowered and pedestrian in comparison to its competitors. The reaction to these views was market research to target the necessary changes.
In store for the Focus is a shorter, sportier look as well as the Microsoft “Sync” system which features the integration of cell phones and mp3 players into the cars electronics. In addition to changes in appearance, the Focus is also getting an internal boost. The cars acceleration time is 1.5 seconds faster and it should have a fuel efficiency of at least thirty seven miles per gallon on the highway. The five hundred is also undergoing a renovation that hopes to turn around its sales which nose dived last year, going down by approximately 24,000.
Ford Motor Company was founded by automaker Henry Ford in 1903 and has since become a multinational corporation. Ford was one of the few companies that was able to survive the Great Depression.
In 1908 the Ford Company introduced the Model T., which was some popular that an additional plant was needed in order to keep up with the demand. Just over a decade later Ford was producing fifty percent of all cars in the US. IN 1920 half of all the cars in the United States were the highly successful Model Ts.
The company is a family company and has been in continuous family control for over one hundred years.
The company has a strong history and hopefully the redesigns of the focus and the five hundred will be able to salvage their car sales and provide an equally successful future.

First Woman Speaker of the House

Being the first woman to hold this office, Pelosi felt honored as she accepetd this position at a very historical moment in American history. Women have had the right to hold office and to vote as a result of the 19th amendment, and the Equal Rights Ammendment.

"It is a moment for which we have waited over 200 years. Never losing faith, we waited through the many years of struggle to achieve our rights..."
"...But women weren't just waiting," she continued. "women were working. Never losing faith, we worked to redeem the promise of America, that all men and women are created equal."

Trailing behind such powerful women leaders such as Condoleeza Rice, Madeline Albright, and Hillary Rodham Clinton, Pelosi has the potential to be a great leader. However, speculations over a womans ability to lead will always be a problem that female politicians will always have to face. Pelosi will just have to prove herself worthy and able of the position.

The next step in women's political advancement would be to have the first woman president, which at the rate america is electing females to office, it would not be farfetched to witness a woman elect in 2008.

Deomcrats have a special place in my heart

Washington D.C.
Democrats prepared to take control of both houses Today after spend the last 12 years squabbling to get a stronghold on congress. This is the first time Democrats controlled both houses since 1994. Disapproval of action in Iraq, and constant problems with lobbyists and scandals with the republican party have pushed voters to lean towards a more democratic approach.

Already planned are the 6 bills democrats wish to pass in their first 100 hours of work next week which pertain to the increase of minimum wage. Recently in Massachusetts, the minimum wage was raised from 6.75 an hour, to 7.50 an hour, creating much joy in strip malls and fast food joints across the state. However, Massachusetts, along with 17 other states, have had minimum wages much higher than the federal minimum wage that currently stands at a whopping 5.15 an hour.

Minimum wage has been a great concern in the federal government since the time of the depression. In 1912, Massachusetts set formed a commision for the establishment of non-compulsory minimum wages for women and children. Quickly after, The supreme court ruled that setting a minimum wage was unconstitutional, and interefered with employers abilities to freely negotiate a wage with their employees. The policy of minimum wage and fair pay was brought to the federal level when it was suggested to be at the rate of 25 cents an hour. In 1938 the Fair Labor Standards Act was passed which established minimum wage and protected the rights of children and blue collar workers.

During Bill Clintons presidency, he gave the states the power to set their own minimum wages that would surpass that of the federal wage. 18 states have chosen to do so as of April 2006. In many states though, people are struggling with only making 5.15 an hour. Democrats hope to solve this problem by increasing federal minimum wage to 7.25 an hour in steps over the span of 2 years. It is a serious matter that affects all americans, and is often overlooked by white-collar america. 1997 was the last time federal minimum wage was increased.