Didn't Mom Ever Tell You Not To Play With Matches?

From Santa Barbara County down to the Mexican border in California, a huge blaze swept through the southern portion of the state. There were in fact 23 fires in total, together sweeping over half a million acres of land, leveling 1600 homes, and killing 14. With the possibility of arson, the fires were most likely started by hot and dry desert winds, along with falling power lines. 5 people have been arrested is suspected connection to the fires. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger stated," We will hunt down the people responsible," and," We will not fail. If I were one of those people who started the fire, I would not sleep soundly." A congressional committee in Washington, D.C. brought up the idea that the fires could've also been caused by global warming.

Last year, over $2.5 billion was spent on the damages caused by wild fires. It is predicted that these blazes will total in well over $2 billion. However, before these repairs are made to the devastated lands swept by the flames, weather forecasters are saying that the winds suspected of beginning these fires are to return soon. According to California officials, one of the 23 fires was started by a young boy playing with matches. Known as the Buckweed fire, it occurred northeast of Los Angeles and burned over 38,000 acres of land and destroyed 21 homes. It is still unknown if the boy had been arrested.

Chill Out Kid

Needham High School has the right idea. The principal, Paul Richards, has formed the Stress Reduction Committee. This new movement occurring all over the country is aimed at reducing the stress of high school students. In Needham, a couple years ago, four students of the town committed suicide. This led the town to investigate whether the school work was too much on the students. The results of the investigation did not necessarily lead to stress as the cause, but some educators still want to take action.
Some ideas for the stress reduction include a yoga class for seniors, not posting the honor roll list in the newspaper and having the parents' permission to take an advanced placement course. Also Richards is having teachers designate ome weekends and holiday as work free. The students have a mixed response. Some are worried that there is no time to fit this in. Other who have been attending the yoga class don't notice a change in stress levels. Other students are looking forward to the work free weekends so they could catch up on other works.
Only time can tell whether or not Richards' new approach to this matter is successful. Student having been dealing with stress more and more for decades, maybe even centuries now. Perhaps local schools, like Pope John in Everett should take a look at what Richards has to say and jump on the bandwagon with helping students deal with stress.

Racial Comments From A Nobel Prize Winner

James D. Watson is a revered scientist who's accomplishments include winning the Nobel Prize. He won the Nobel prize for describing the double-helix structure of DNA. Later he went on to become a member of the Cols Spring Harbor Laboratory in 1968 and was president of this from 1994 to 2003. He also headed the American government's part in the International Genome Project.

Watson now has a lot more free time on his hands. Since making a statement that overall people of African descent are less intelligent than those of European descent his schedule has drastically cleared up. He has (as he has hinted) been forced to retire at age 79 from the laboratory though the president of the laboratory says Watson chose to leave. He will be permitted to keep and office at the laboratory and live in a house on the laboratory land. Also many speeches and lectured he had scheduled have chosen to cancel, a few of which including Rockefeller University and the Science Museum in London who had sold out for the speech.

Watson later made a statement apologizing since there are no facts to prove the statement that he made. This statement is being viewed as racist and has stirred up unrest in the scientific community, that a Nobel Prize Winner would make a racist comment not supported by facts.

Fires affecting Illegal Immigrants

There are large wildfires currently going on in California.Wildfires are not an extremely rare occurance in Caifornia. In 1987 a fire known as the Siege of 1987 was a series of fires that burned 650 thousand acres in northern California and southern Oregon. Resulting from the current fires is the discovery of many illegal immigrants. Four charred bodies were found in a heavily hit area and they were identified to be illegal immigrants. Later people were seen running out of the fires with burns on their hands. Though the areas have been evacuated these people have nowhere to go. Some sought refuge in churches while others turned themselves in and were deported.

Since the fire began more than one hundred people have been arrested. Opponents of illegal immigration have even attempted to place blame for the fires on these people. Officially there is no link between them and the cause, though two men were arrested on arson charges and "are believed to be deportable".

According to rights groups some people had been denied help at shelters because they had no form of legal identification. The identification process is so that those unaffected by the fires do not attempt to take advantage of shelters, but illegal immigrants who are affected by it have no identification. A republican rebuked these claims by saying, “People are dying because we can’t control our border. That’s what they should be screaming about. Anyone who knows the land and the illegal activity in that rugged terrain knows there was no way we would avoid deaths in this.”

Whether you are against Illegal immigration or not, denying people help from a disaster is not a civilizedthing to do. These fires will bring the issue of illegal immigration into the open even more than it already is and provide facts to argue for both sides of the debate.Article from New York Times

Video of forest fires.

First Japanese Pitcher in World Series

The 31-year-old Red Sox’s reliever Hideki Okajima became the first Japanese pitcher to pitch in a World Series on Thursday. He got seven batters in a row out, striking out four, and helping the Red Sox win game 2, by a score of 2-1. His teammate Daisuke Matsuzaka will pitch game 3 on Saturday.

The first black player to pitch in a World Series was Dan Bankhead. He also was the first black player to pitch in a major league game and he was the first black player to hit a home run during his first at-bat. The first black picture to win a World Series game was Joe Black, five years later.

Execution Veredict for Stolen Baby Case

Today in Kansas City a federal jury came to the decision on Friday that a woman guilty of killing a pregnant mother and removing her baby from her womb should receive the death penalty. In December 2004, Lisa Montgomery kidnapped and murdered Bobbi Jo Stinnett in the victims home. After showing off her infant baby who survived after being taken from the womb was arrested. Computer evidence found on Montgomery's computer shows searches on performing Cesareans. Federal prosecutor Roseann Ketchmark said Montgomery had hurt Stinnett in the "most wicked way possible," then did not seek medical attention for the infant four weeks early to her due date. Lisa Montgomery's attorney Fred Duchardt, claims sexual abuse during her childhood led to mental illness. He asked the jury to spare Lisa's life. He said abuse from her mother and sexual abuse from her stepfather "killed Lisa's soul." This did not help much considering not many people who are sexually abused commit murder afterwards.


Baby kidnappings have been happening for centuries. In this case, the baby was removed violently from the womb. In 1932 the twenty-month-old son of aviation hero Charles Lindbergh. Lindbergh, who had become famous five years earlier when he flew The Spirit of St. Louis across the Atlantic. His wife Anne discovered a ransom note in their child's empty room. The kidnapper used a ladder to climb up to the open second-floor window and left muddy footprints in the room. The ransom note demanded $50,000. Sadly, the baby was found dead not far from the home. Offerings from people around the world were donated to charity.


http://www.karisable.com/stinnett.htm

http://www.fbi.gov/libref/historic/famcases/lindber/lindbernew.htm

United States Imposes New Sanctions on Iran

The Bush Administration imposed a series of new sanctions Iran to punish Tehran for weapons proliferation and supporting terrorism throughout the Middle East. It is aimed at the powerful Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, including the corps' smaller Quds Force unit, and three of the country's largest banks. The goal is to cut off 20 individuals and Iranian entities from the U.S. financial system and, indirectly, limit their access to other parts of the international economic system. U.S. officials believe the Revolutionary Guard supports terrorist groups, including Hezbollah and Hamas. The moves freeze the assets of these entities in the United States and signal to banks and companies outside the U.S. that they could be penalized if they do business with those targeted. The administration hopes to pressure Iran into giving up its uranium-enrichment program in exchange for economic and other benefits. Tehran has ignored previous economic sanctions. Iran denies that its enrichment program is aimed at acquiring nuclear bomb-making capability. Some observers say the new sanctions are aimed at undercutting the strength of restless administration hawks, who contend that Rice's diplomatic effort is not working and that Bush should consider air attacks on Iran's nuclear infrastructure before he leaves office in January 2009.The new moves won praise from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, an influential pro-Israel group, which has been urging more vigorous action against Iran. In 1979, at the time of the Islamic revolution and the hostage crisis, the United States imposed broad economic sanctions against Iran. Since then, Washington has imposed various additional sanctions against Tehran, accusing the Iranian government of developing nuclear weapons and sponsoring or funding terrorism abroad. The sanctions block US-based oil companies from operating in Iran, giving the US a strong incentive to generalize the sanctions and block US firms' foreign competitors from operating there as well.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-usiran26oct26,0,5704322.story?coll=la-home-nation

Fire!!!

On Oct. 20 in Santa Ana fires broke out and it quickly spread into parts of southern California's hot and dry land. As the week went on there were more than 20 separate blazes formed. In most of the areas that where inpacted with heat and smoke were so intense that 7,000 firefighters were recruited. The flames took over more than 400,000 acres, destroyed more than 2,000 houses, and it also forced a temporary evacuation of nearly 1 million people. This is biggest migration in the U.S. since Hurricane Katrina. In some areas the people who were about to be evacuated or looking for refuge with relatives or friends or even in Qualcomm Stadium they gathered some of there belongings. Qualcomm Stadium home of the San Diego Chargers became a temporary shelter for more than 20,000 refugees. Some people like Dr. Sanjana Chaturvedi, a San Diego resident who who had to leave her home with her husband and two children said, "No one knows what to do. There is no place to go. I have no place to go."





Great Fire of 1889 was a wildfire in California that burned down parts of San Diego County and Orange County. This happened during the last week of September in 1889. It has been called the largest fire in California history. During this fire no attempts were made to extinguish the fires that were burning the land. The fire burned areas of chaparral, a number of farm fields in the Santa Ana Valley, where farmers attempted to control the fire by plowing ahead of the fire. The fire burned an area 100 miles long or about 800,000 acres. The fire caused $100,000 in damages.

Last Riverboat's Last Year

In Tennessee, on the Cumberland River, the Delta Queen was said to be grounded in 2008. The 81-year-old ship's owner, the Majestic American Line, said it could not get Congress to grant them an exemption from the 1966 Safety at Sea Act. The Act states the wooden boats are not allowed more than 50 overnight passengers. The boat is made mostly of wood except for steel hull. Representative James L. Oberstar says that is one of the reasons. He says the fact that it is mostly wood could cause problems like fires, also because the Delta Queen was seeking its 10th exemption.

Joseph McCarthy, general counsel for Ambassadors International, says that the Delta Queen could become a day cruise only or a floating hotel if the exemption is not granted. Steve Chabot, a representative from Cincinnati, says that the Delta Queen is a national historic treasure and that there has never been a fire injury. So if these statements were made confirming that fire is not an issue, The Delta Queen should keep running.

During World War II, many riverboats were made to transport troops on the west coast. The Delta Queen was built in 1926 to transport cargo and passengers along California rivers. The boats helped to bring supplies to the troops in a faster way. Riverboat Racing was also popular in the late 1800s to early 1900s.

Man Gets 22 Years For Stabbing Wife 'The Devil Made Me Do It,' He Says

In Phoenix a man named Donald Jesse Goetti stabbed his wife, Laura Ann Goetti, 27 times to death. He and his wife had been high school sweethearts in love who had been married for about 17 years. Neighbors saw Donald Goetti screaming and walking down the street before the police arrived, on April 23. He told police, “The devil made me do it.” Donald states that he does not recall stabbing his wife. He was sentenced to 22 years prison conviction in Maricopa County Superior Court. Prosecutor Michael Gingold said the prescribed sentence if the case had gone to trial would have been 25 years to life in prison.
The Salem Witch Trials of 1692 was a period in time when men and women were accused of tragic events. Usually when threats were made, tragic incidents, or disappearances of something occurred people were willing to blame anyone. Many of the witches would use the excused that “the devil made me do it “to prevent severe punishment. Some people even believed that the devil took human form to perform such violence. Donald Goetti using this saying could in fact be an excuse preventing jail time or really the devil!

California Fires Out of Control

More than 500,000 people have fled from California abandoning homes, in search of safety from the blazing fires. By Tuesday, more than 400 square miles in seven counties had been consumed by 16 fires. These fires were fueled by high desert winds and hot temperatures. San Diego County remained the worst of the burning regions, with at least 1,250 homes destroyed. President Bush has responded to entreaties from Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and declared California to be in a state of emergency, paving the way for federal disaster aid to arrive. Officials said that firefighters were stretched thin and that the lack of resources was as much a burden as the temperatures and winds. Tuesday evening, Gov. Schwarzenegger ordered state prisons to send their fire fighters to assist in fire fighting, including 6 fire engines and 18 fire captains. The state’s corrections department also has more than 2,640 trained inmate firefighters actively battling the southern California wildfires. Firefighters in many areas were no match for the flames and had to seek refuge in aluminum fire shelters. Air attacks were made difficult due to strong winds. A survey conducted by the California Farm Bureau Federation found that avocado and citrus groves, nurseries, vineyards, rangeland, and other farm and ranch operations were possibly damaged, with thousands of horses evacuated to shelters and livestock also possibly caught in the fires’ paths.

August 12th 1981, fires raged in Nevada, Idaho, NO. California, and So. Oregon. Four of the ten fires blackened 21,000 acres in California but were contained. Although it was not the largest of the California fires, a blaze burning out of control near Wright's Lake in El Dorado County was considered the most serious.

Fire in the West......(if you dident already read the 20 blogs on them)

Firefighters have begun to control the wild fires that have burned through almost 500, 000 acres of land in Southern California, and displaced half a million residents over four days. Many fires continue to burn however, especially in San Diego, and officials warn that lower temperatures will hopefully control the flames. Many congratulate the firefighters for avoiding an extensive loss of life, they even begun to set dates for when the biggest fires might be brought under control. Fire chiefs and elected officials, on the other hand, are angry with the state government for not adopting recommendations for more firefighting equipment. These fires have also raised questions and tension about the cost of protecting the increasing number of people who live in remote and highly flammable areas and the willingness to pay for them. According to figures provided by the country officials, by Wednesday 460,581 acres had burned as well as 1,248 structures, 170 mobile homes had been destroyed, and 30 firefighters28 civilians had been injured. Although many elderly residents have perished, only 1 death was confirmed as having resulted directly from the fire. On Wednesday, President George Bush declared a major disaster in California. This will result in federal grants for temporary housing, home repairs, and low – cost-loans for the victims. In Orange County, one of the fires, know as the Santiago, was designated as arson. Police suspect San Bernardino, who is 27 years old from Arizona, as the man who had started it after killing a man near California State University. Police tried to detain him but they shot him after he tried to get into his car to flee.

The events of California can be compared to the Great Chicago fire of 1871. In 1871, Chicago was truly a boom town. It had become one of the fastest growing cities in America and because of this, construction standards had been loose to say to the lease. The city was miles and miles of rickety wooden structures. One of the local newspapers, the Tribune had warned about the weak and falling apart building structures of the city and the corrupting pieces that were falling into the streets merely missing the heads of the walking pedestrians. According to legends, a cow that belonged to an Irishwoman name Catherine O’Leary started the Great Chicago fire. She ran a neighborhood milk business from the barn behind her home. She carelessly left a kerosene lantern in the barn after her even milking. The cow kicked it over and ignited the hay on the floor. True or not, the fire was indubitable. The fire began to die on the morning on October 10, when soaking rains began to fall on Chicago. Over 300 people were dead and another 10,000 were without homes and shelter. Over 200 million in property had been destroyed, along with thousands of historic records deeds and archives. The city started rebuilding on a grand scale. The rebirth of the city amazed the nation, for the rebuilding was done within three years.

We Didn't Start the Fire

On Wednesday, the feeling of hope starts to emerge as the breezes are dying done across Southern California. However, about 20 brush fires continue to roar which has destroyed 1,600 structures, displaced hundreds of thousands, and polluted air for millions more across the region. Since the winds have started to die down the thousands of tired firefighters can stop going from fire to fire and can stand and fight the flames in one area. The fires in Malibu were declared under control, and the Pacific Coast Highway reopened. The hardest hit of the seven counties was San Diego County. Some of the evacuated residents have started to go back and check their homes. There is still a fast moving fire in the Camp Pendleton Marine that is a threat to the last power lies of the county.
Officials said they suspect that some of the fires had been deliberately set. On Tuesday the San Bernardino County police shot and killed a suspected arsonist and a few hours later arrested another suspected arsonist. The County has added more patrollers after several looters were arrested near San Diego County. The director of San Diego County made the first estimate of damages as $1 billion. Even though 200 residents of southern San Diego County were evacuated from their homes Gov. Schwarzenegger announced that one-stop shops will open Thursday and Friday to help residents replace burned records, file insurance claims and other paperwork. California’s Office of Emergency Services said 351,000 people were officially instructed to evacuate, including 250,000 around San Diego. The number can not be confirmed and they are not sure where everyone went. Some are in the 51 schools, civic centers, hotels, or with friends.
Air quality in Los Angeles has been declared unsafe for everyone. Residents were urged to avoid outdoor exercise and to run their air conditioners. San Diego’s hospital and other medical facilities were warned that they could lose power abruptly if the Camp Pendleton fire got worse.
September 26- October 3 1970 the Laguna fire burned 175,425 acres, killed eight civilians, and destroyed 382 homes. In a 24 hour span the fire burned from near Mt. Laguna into the outskirts of El Cajon and Spring Valley. It was previously known as the Kitchen Creek Fire and the Boulder Oak Fire.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/24/AR2007102400226.html?hpid=topnews&sid=ST2007102300524

Taser Tag

On Sept. 17, campus police at the University of Florida were justified in tasering a student who, during a forum featuring Senator John Kerry, kept shouting out. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement, FDLE, began stating that the officers used excessive force in subduing the student, Andrew Meyer. During this forum, students were allowed to approach the microphone in order to ask questions to Senator Kerry. However, when Andrew's turn came up, he refused to leave the microphone. Meyer, known for his website containing many practical jokes on it, kept shouting questions at Kerry, despite being scolded at for not leaving the microphone. The report of the incident stated that officers attempted to escort him from the forum, but he broke away and refused to obey the officers, therefore allowing them to escalate to the action of tasering, of which there is much controversy.

As the video of the incident is widely spread on the internet, the report also stated that, " Officers decide not to escalate to hard empty hand strikes, kicks, knees or baton ... [it] would have looked like the officers were beating Meyer into submission." The President of the University said that 2 officers were put on administrative leave, but were soon reinstated. He also stated that, "The FDLE determined that our officers acted well within state guidelines." Meyer's lawyer had not yet seen the report and had no comments. Meyer has been charged with resisting an officer and disturbing the peace.

South Struggles to Adapt to Dry Season

Nearly five million people have been deprived of their drinking water for over five months in the Southeast. Although life continued to exist as it had before for a while, by September outdoor water use had finally been banned. Last Saturday Governor of Georgia declared it in a state of emergency and requested federal assistance. Restricting indoor water use has been held off due to the lose of jobs that would follow it. The state of Georgia still has failed to record water usage during normal rain periods, and even more has failed to come up with a plan to handle dry periods if it does resort to empty faucets. Similarly the state of Alabama, which experiences worse droughts, does not have a plan in case of an emergency. The only state in the region to have a adopted a water plan is Florida. For now, response to this drought continues to be taken care of in slow motion.

The 1930's Dust Bowl Drought was another major dry time for the United States. Between abuse of the land and long periods of little to no rain, the dust bowl effect became infamously known throughout this time period. "Black blizzards" of great clouds of dusts lifted from winds covered the sun's rays for days at a time. The Great Plains region was especially effected during this period. Farmers during this time were also trying to recover economic loss due to the Great Depression prior to this event. Economy continued to spin as production went up and prices went down. Many farmers were unable to withstand the effects the drought had on the economy. Following this major drought in American history, farmers adapted new methods to control soil erosion in dryer areas.

Ready to Lead, Ready to Follow, Never Quit

A U.S. Navy SEAL from Patchogue, New York, received the Medal of Honor for his heroic acts while in Afghanistan. Lt. Micheal P. Murphy died on June 27, 2005, in the Hindu Kush Mountains of Afghanistan. He and three other members of his team were on a mission to find an alliance of the Taliban. They came under attack by more than fifty Taliban fighters. Out numbered and running out of ammunition, Murphy risked his life to send a radio signal to headquarters. He exposed himself to the assailants to make sure that his team would at least have a chance. While making the call, he was shot in the back. His team killed a total of 35 fighters, but only one member of the team survived. To make the situation worse, the rescue helicopter was shot down. All 16 men on board were killed. Since 2001, when the war began, June 27, 2005 was the highest single day death toll.

The U.S. Navy SEALs were first commissioned in 1962. They work on both land and water. Their job might be the hardest to do when it comes to war and warfare. The SEALs job is to combat terrorism, conduct counter-drug operations, and sometimes use unconventional warfare. The training of SEAL is amongst the hardest of all the military groups. Strength is not just physical for the SEALS, but mental as well. There is a 6 month basic training period, followed by 3 weeks of parachute training, concluding with a 15-week period of advanced training. After the completion of the training, the Trident is earned. Training takes place in San Diego, CA at the Naval Special Warfare Center. No women are accepted into the Navy SEAL training programs.


The Medal of Honor was established on July 12, 1862 by a joint resolution of Congress. All recipients must be a member of the Armed Services and risk their lives above all else while serving as a member of the Armed Services. The act must exemplify self-sacrifice while on a mission or in friendly times with an opposing force. Since 1862, there have been over 3400 recipients of the Medal of Honor.

American troops learning cultures and languages

American Air Force troops are now learning foreign languages, history, philosophy and sociology of the cultures in the Middle East where they will be going. In 2005 a Defense Department report advised teaching troops the language in the area where they would be going. The Air Force decided to teach foreign cultures as well as foreign languages, which they began teaching last year. Officers can earn a pay raise if they are adept in a foreign language.

Learning foreign languages and cultures may help reduce the killings of innocent Iraqis. American troops will begin to understand why Iraqis dislike the Americans in their land and why the Sunnis and Shiites kill each other. They will know the history of Islam and suicide bombers also. American troops may then help stop the fighting in a better way than they are know.

In Korean War by Max Hastings, Hastings reveals that the American troops in South Korea did not understand Korean and instead took advice from Japan because many Japanese spoke English. This made American troops an enemy of South Korea because the Japanese had taken over the South Korean government and they were afraid the United States would do the same. Americans also ignored the practices and traditions of South Koreans. The American troops also choose a leader for the South Korean government, Syngman Rhee, because he had lived in America for many years and spoke English, even though the State Department had realized that he was mischievous and refused to grant him a passport. Rhee quickly began very dictator-like after his election. Had American troops learned about the cultures and languages of South Koreans before making decisions many things would have been changed.

Hey Pepsi, Stop ruining our TV!

The New York Times reported today that the Pepsi-Cola Company will be sponsoring a series of "minisodes" in November on the web site, "Crackle". These "minisodes" are 4 minute long condensed versions of classic television shows. Pepsi has agreed to sponsor them as part of their their new "retro" advertising campaign. Pepsi is also not the only cola to go retro, Coca-Cola's new plastic bottles were specifically designed to remind us of the old glass bottles. Therefore, Pepsi is just taking another shot at the next big ad idea. As more and more companies turn to the internet for a wider and younger audience, the question remains; Why, oh why does Pepsi have to spoil classic TV shows, including "Charlie's Angels","I Dream of Jeanni", "Bewitched", and "The Jeffersons", among others, to help their sales?

These "minisodes" are shaping up to be a new advertising craze with many companies. They are on several sites including AOL. They are also being shown on Verizon's portable video service " V-Cast" and sponsored by other big companies including "Honda". However, as a Television connoisseur(and I apologize for using the word connoisseur), I am appalled at Pepsi's participation in this horrible injustice. Television shows were made to fit 30 minute formats for a reason, and squishing them down into 4 minutes is depriving them of their very essence. Sure, in four minutes we can get the basics of an "angels" episode: Charlie calls the angels for a mission, the girls use their feminine charm and fighting skills to defeat the bad guy, and then they are congratulated for their efforts to keep America safe. The problem with this is, that many of these shows have many jokes, plot twists, and other interesting pieces that can only be fully enjoyed in 30 minutes. These four minute television shows are a demonstration of the laziness and poor attention span of our current instant gratification culture. When we can't even sit and watch TV for 30 minutes, we've got a problem.

Coast Guard Given Mission in the Arctic

Due to climate changes in the Arctic, the Coast Guard plan to set up a base in the Arctic Ocean for better control of tanks and ships already moving through the icy waters. This base is planned to be located nearby Alaska; it will start out small with an equipped helicopter and a few small boats. Continuous warming and changes in the Arctic may be reason for a larger base initially to more quickly aid oil spills. Shipments being carried through this area and the Bering Strait would cut a journey by 5,000 miles or more. Cruise ships, who have also begun sailing through this waters, will also be watched over and protected by the Coast Guard. American oceanographers in recent surveys have presented proof that much is at stake in this polar region. Thousands of square miles of sea floor may contain vital deposits of oil, gas, or minerals. Though more surveys still need to be done, nations do have the right to make claims on these seabeds and their resources. The addition of this route is useful and beneficial to all trading nations, but requires cooperation and not competition between countries. Ultimately, this increase in Arctic activity will require better protection from the Coast Guard.

The United States Coast Guard is used in both military action and law enforcement. The USCG is mainly involved with American maritime rights and safety. The very first missions of the USCG date back to August 1790. During that time, Congress had ten vessels constructed in order to enforce trade laws and prevent smuggling. As the nation grew, so did this organized form of coastal protection. Until the Navy was established in 1798, the Coast Guard was America's only form of defense on water. As the USCG grew and merged with other organizations, it became specifically responsible for maintaining maritime navigation, merchant marine licensing, and merchant vessel safety. The Coast Guard continues today to serve under many branches of the United States defense and remains responsible for much of national safety.

F.D.A. Panel Favors Ban on Pediatric Cold Medicines

Children under the age of two suffer from the common cold just like everyone else and are usually treated with medicine specifically designed for them. Now looking at these pediatric cold medicines more closely the FDA has found that most are ineffective and some are even harmful for children two and under. The 13 out of 9 of the FDA panel members on the issue voted to pull these cold medicines off the shelves. Many said that if they weren't serving any purpose, there was no reason to continue offering them to children. The nine that opposed the ban said that they didn't approve of all these drugs to be banned because without these pediatric medicines available, they believe many parents will resort to adult medications, which runs an even higher and more dangerous risk of overdose.

Most panelists also voted that the term "doctor recommended" should be banned since most pediatricians in actuality are not recommending these drugs. The panel also voted to require standard measuring devices across products so that parents who buy one product will not harm their child if they accidentally use the dropper from another.“You can take a cup from one item and place it on a totally different drug without the family recognizing it,” said Dr. Michael R. Cohen, president of the Institute for Safe Medication Practices in Huntington Valley, Pa.

Children are not just little adults, they have completely different needs nutritionally and medically than adults do and people need to recognize this. Many manufacturers that could be held liable for any hazard associated with their medicine are arguing that it is only a problem of unintentional overdose. When used following the directions and taking the appropriate amount, there drugs are safe and effective. For now many products for children under two have been withdrawn from the market.

In the 1970's many drugs were approved by the FDA for use by children. These drugs that were approved then, have now been found to be mostly ineffective and sometimes dangerous. With less medical studies in the 70's many drugs that were being administered to children were almost identical to those used by adults, just in smaller doses. What's worse, is the fact that the hazards on the labels were inaccurate many times. Drugs had been tested on adults and the adult side affects and warnings were the ones on the labels. A lot of the drugs used today have been used since that time which is causing the problem now in the US with over the counter medicine.

Panel Sees No Clear Aid for Veterans Under Stress

Many veterans that are in the combat in Iraq and Afghanistan are suffering from post-traumatic stress. It is unclear which treatments work to help the veterans. The panel said, "The only treatment that has been shown to work is exposure therapy, a gradual, step-by-step process in which patients are asked to confront memories of a trauma by recounting it in detail". Doctors are unsure what treatments or medications will be effective, because of the lack of good data on teh matter. "Our findings underscore the urgent need for high-quality studies that can assist clinicians in providing the best possible care to veterans and others who suffer from this serious disorder," said the panel’s chairman, Dr. Alfred Berg of the University of Washington, Seattle.
Post-traumatic stress is the most commonly diagnosed mental disorder among from a war or in this case Iraq and Afghanistan. Surveys showing that 12.6% of troops who fought in Iraq, and 6.2% troops that were in Afghanistan have suffered from post-traumatic stress. Doctors HAve tried to use drugs to make them feel better. the drugs they used were anticonvulsants, antipsychotics, tranquilizers and antidepressants.





Vietnam War 1959-1975 was a difficult and tragic loss to the US, and it was very difficult on troops after the war. After the war more than 800,000 veterans suffered from symptons of post-traumatic stress and neurological disorders. Some veterans of The Vietnam War became alcoholics and drug addicts to cope with the war,to cope with post-traumatic stress, and neurological disorders. Also veterans commited suicide, because they couldn't cope with war at all.

How Much Pumpkin Pie Can You Make With That?

The changing of leaves, the chilly weather, and going apple picking are all associated with the fall season, also with that are the buying, cutting, and eating of pumpkins. The record for the largest grown pumpkin was about 460 pounds until Howard Dill, a Nova Scotia grower grew a near 500 pound pumpkin in the 1980s. He patented the seed, so now every years pumpkin growers seek out to find the Dill’s Atlantic Giant. Pumpkins since has been unceasingly growing and by the 1990s that largest pumpkin hit the 1000 pound mark. This years, Joe Jutras grew and broke the world record with his 1,689-pounder and won $5000. Not completely satisfied with his achievement his new goal is to grow a 2000 pound pumpkin for next year. The super big pumpkins had often been compared to obese people saying they are "stretched beyond the capacity of their skins. They can be lopsided, collapsed-looking, with flattened bottoms, as if unable to support their weight." In the pumpkin world however the bigger the better. Mr. Wallace, last years winner said that his pumpkin was heading to the Late Show With David Letterman were it will be filled with dynamite and blowup.

Giant pumpkin growing won international fame when William Warnock of Goderich, Ontario, Canada, sent a 400 pound specimen to the Paris World's Fair in 1900. The pumpkin was awarded a bronze medal and a diploma from the French government. Warnock's previous record was a 365 pounder in 1893. He later grew a 403 pounder in 1903 to beat his record, a record that would not be broken until 1976 when Bob Ford of Coatesville, Pennsylvania, US grew a 451 pound pumpkin at the U.S. Pumpkin Contest in Churchville, PA.

Twin Tornadoes Hit Florida

Penascola and the western panhandle of Florida was hit by a two tornadoes on October the 18th. Despite the low power of the tornadoes, a mere F0 (the lowest level a tornado can be), it left four homes flattened and dropped power lines throughout the county. A church and daycare center were struck, but both ended up with minor damage. Seven people in totally were injured, though the injuries were minor. Farther inland, the Cordava Mall had its roof torn off, but luckily there were no casualties. City Officials of Penscola estimated that there were 5,000 houses without power and are still trying to estimate the total damage of the tornado.

Luckily this tornado wasn't close to being as lethal as the Great Tri-State Tornado of March 18, 1925. The tornado started at south eastern Missouri through southern Illinois, then into southwestern Indiana. 695 people would die, making it the most lethal tornado ever to happen on U.S soil. Not only was it a national tragedy but looting of the deceased bodies and houses happened the day after, causing total pandemonium, eerily similar to the flooding of New Orleans.




http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/18/us/18cnd-twister.html?_r=1&ref=us&oref=slogin

Dim the Lights For A Cause

(San Francisco Before)

(San Francisco After)

Most have heard about the Green approach which is to help the planet. People have committed to the cause by buying hybrid cars and recycling, but San Francisco has taken it to a
whole new level. The city of San Francisco has dedicated an hour between 8 and 9 on to turn all the lights in the city off, to make a statement about conserving light energy. This entails the Golden Gate Bridge, the TransAmerica Pyramid and other large buildings and dwellings across the city.

During this time the restaurants will shut off the lights and serve intimate dinners by candlelight and it wil be the perfect night for star watching. The street lights will however remain on because people are concerned about crime during this time.They are aware that the whole city will not be pitch black, and that people will not immediately shut off their lights and conserve light energy. Instead they hope that this will make a statement and act as an example of what people should be doing and make people realize the effects of wasting light energy.

San Francisco is acting as a precedent and has for decades. Since 1978 San Francisco has saved approximately $56 billion in energy costs. These Californians now use less energy per capita than the residents of any other state. More and more people are starting to take the consequences of abusing light energy serious. They see this in electricity bills, and the prospect of climates rising in temperature due to this is now beginning to scare people.

These San Franciscans are taking a stand to showcase th effect each individual person can have on this planet by conserving light energy. This movement has spread throughout the world in that there is hopefully going to be a Lights Out on March 29 throughout the country. Other areas such as the Sierra Club have encouraged people to conserve light energy by holding a competition to see which household can decrease their energy bill the most in thirty days. These movements could be successful, since they have bee n done before such as in Australia where astronomers had incredible views. An astronomical associate says that with this Lights Out they should be able to view the Milky Way, which they say is another inscentive. If Australia can accomplish the task of making a statement then the United States must try.

Turn Your lights out March 29 for one hour to show how one individual can make a difference. Go Green.

Driver's Licenses To Illegal Immigrants?

In a recent interview with Senator Hillary Clinton, she was asked her opinion on the probable policy to allow illegal immigrants to receive drivers licenses. She stated," To deport those who have outstanding warrants or have committed crimes in the United States, and then to say to those who wish to stay here, you have to pay back taxes, you have to pay a fine, you have to learn English, and you have to wait in line." With the rest of her speech she is saying that she supports the policy but not entirely. She also backs that the policy would put illegal immigrants at the risk of being caught by the I.C.E., (Immigration & Customs Enforcement) or other immigration authorities.

Under this policy, first acknowledged by Governor Spitzer of New Hampshire, the copies of documents submitted in order to receive a drivers license will be destroyed after verification and their information would remain in the system. Senator Clinton also believes that the Federal Government is not doing enough and has failed, and that if these illegal immigrants come up, without a federal policy, they will get picked up by the I.C.E. Many U.S. citizens are against this policy and are taking action to prevent it from being passed.

Maine middle school to offer birth control

Birth control pills are available to girls as young as 11 years of age at King Middle School in Portland, Maine. It is the first middle school to permit birth control pills, condoms, and patched available at their health center after an outbreak of pregnancies. The treatment at the center is confidential under state law, which allows the student to decide whether or not to notify their parents. A spokeswoman for the National Assembly on School –Based Health Care said “It’s very rare that middle school do this”.
Three middle schools in Portland reported 17 pregnancies during the past four years, not including miscarriages or terminated pregnancies. The School Committee approved in offering birth control pills, but was not sure whether it would be contributed this year or next. The birth control prescriptions will be given to girls after they undertake a physical exam by a physician or nurse. Many of the parents feel uncomfortable about the school encouraging birth control pills, which could in fact put students at risk of cancer because of hormones in the pill. Supporters say that this is not encouraging kids to be sexually active, but is to be given out to those who engage in such activities to prevent pregnancies.
In the 1900s School committees were focusing on improving education for middle school students. Middle school was a place of innocence and learning. Students would be seen playing games and enjoying their youth. Nowadays, Kids as young as 11 are maturing physically and mentally pondering questions about their sexuality. They being to grow up beyond what is expected, causing the issue of pregnancy to arouse. The media is one of the causes that I think could in fact be brainwashing young people to become physically active. Present television shows such as Life with Derek on The Disney channel promotes the idea of having many different “girlfriends” at the same time, from what I recall upon watching this show.

Birth Control...for Kids?

Wednesday night, the Portland, Maine, School Committee voted 5-2 to make birth control pills available to middle school girls as young as 11. King Middle School will be the first middle school in Maine, and one of the only few in the nation, to make contraception available, which includes birth-control pills and patches. To school officials and public health advocates who are in favor the measure, this was a question of dealing with reality. Portland's three middle schools have had seven pregnancies in the last five years, said Douglas Gardner, director of Portland's Health and Human Services Department. Although many people are against this decision, a mother of two at the middle school says, "It's much more important that we reach out to these kids and get them the tools they need to stay safe, stay in school and get an education."

Diane Miller, a school nurse in the district, has said that the plan gives children an adult responsibility in which they are not ready for, and puts them at risk with sexually transmitted disease and emotional problems. A serious effect from contraceptives is the risk of getting cancer. Peter Doyle, a former middle school teacher, says, "You all are going to be responsible for the devastating effects on young women when this goes through." Those who favor the plan said it is not about encouraging premature sex, but protecting kids who don't have support from their parents.

The school system is getting both positive and negative feedback on the issue of distributing birth control to middle school girls. In 2001, a middle school in Texas relied on distributing pills to students for minor reasons. Whether it be a a cut, or a stomach ache. This as well was frowned upon for giving the students the idea that all ailments can be cured by taking medication.

The Supreme Court Review Has Slowed the Number of Executions in the U.S.

The annual number of executions has slowed to the lowest point in a decade because the Supreme Court has decided to review it and decide whether it is too cruel to administer. Many courts have postponed executions until the Supreme Court has made a decision regarding the fate of the lethal injection in America. That is making it a very quiet year for executions. Fewer than fifty executions will take place this year, even if several states pushing ahead with lethal injections defeat legal efforts to stop them. The last time executions numbered fewer than fifty was in 1996, when there were forty-five. Since executions resumed in this country in 1977 after a Supreme Court-ordered halt, 1,099 inmates have died in state and federal execution chambers. The highest annual total was ninety-eight in 1999. That information came from the Death Penalty Information Center, which is against capital punishment. This year alone, forty-two people have been executed. Twenty-six of those prisoners were executed in Texas. Texas has stopped executions for the rest of this year because four executions have already been postponed by the court. Executions also have been delayed in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas and Oklahoma since the court announced Sept. 25 it would hear a challenge to Kentucky's lethal injection method. Courts in California, Delaware, Missouri, North Carolina and Tennessee have previously cited problems with lethal injections procedures in stopping executions. The last person executed in this country was Michael Richard, 49, who died by lethal injection in Texas. That was same day the Supreme Court agreed to consider the constitutionality of lethal injection procedures in Kentucky. Kentucky's method of lethal injection executions is similar to procedures in three dozen other states. The court will consider whether the mix of three drugs used to sedate and kill prisoners has the potential to cause pain severe enough to violate the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment. Some supporters of the death sentence have countered what others say by stating that executions should continue while it is under review. State officials in Florida, Georgia and Mississippi are continuing with plans to carry out death sentences despite the high court's review.

The earliest known death penalty can go back to the early eighteenth century in Babylon. In 1608, the first recorded execution in America took place in Jamestown. Captain George Kendall was killed for being a spy for Spain. Each death penalty law differed in each colony. The death penalty has been around for a long time, so it is not that easy to be abolished. The 1960s brought challenges to the fundamental legality of the death penalty. Before then, the Fifth, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendments were interpreted as permitting the death penalty. However, in the early 1960s, it was suggested that the death penalty was a "cruel and unusual" punishment, and therefore unconstitutional under the Eighth Amendment. In the late 1960s, the Supreme Court began revising the way the death penalty was administered.

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Scotus-Executions.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/

http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/article.php?did=199

Spreading Like Wild Fire

If you did not think an epidemic could take place in the United States, you better check again. The drug-resistant staph germ is spreading across the country. While many might not know exactly know what staph infection is, only one fact is needed to explain the severity of this deadly infection. More people die every year from this germ than AIDS. This statistic is very disturbing. "This is a significant public health problem. We should be worried," warned Scott Fridlkin, who works for The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention studying epidemics.

Staph infections if caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). MRSA can usually be treated with antibiotics. But recently, several stands have not responded to the antibiotics. One example was in VA, where a 17 year old boy died from MRSA. School officials shut down all the schools in the county for cleaning to prevent any more children from dying. The infection took over his lungs, kidneys, and the muscle surrounding his heart.

Last year alone 988 people died from MRSA in just nine states. There are over 94,000 cases each year in the United States and over 18000 die from the infection. For those that survive the infection, permanent hearing loss is common.

The last major epidemic was all the back in 1918 during WWI with the spread of Spanish Influenza. Over 500,000 Americans were killed from the disease in the United States alone. Unlike many other epidemics, this disease attacked the young and healthy, and became worse in the summer and fall months. Many came down with the symptoms one day, and were dead the next. It is believed that in parts of Alaska entire towns were wiped out from the disease.

The Presidential Candidates on Climate Change

A growing environmental awareness among Americans has brought the issue to the forefront of the 2008 presidential campaign. Both Republican and Democratic candidates have been asked to explain their stance on global warming during the debates and on the campaign trail. Most of the Democrats say the United States should lead the global effort to curb greenhouse emissions and advocate federally mandated emission laws. The Republicans, many of whom are unsure about the human role in climate change, tend to emphasize energy independence and efficiency.

Most of the candidates seemed to be very aware of the situation and proposed a plan and action that they would initiate if elected to serve. However, there was the exception of Mr. Fred Thomspon, whose insight came off rather sarcastic and crude. In his statement, one can infer that he does not even believe in global warming. He was the only candidate to not have a plan of action on the greenhouse effect if he was elected, which can be potentially deleterious to his campaign.


"Some people think that our planet is suffering from a fever. Now scientists are telling us that Mars is experiencing its own planetary warming: Martian warming. It seems scientists have noticed recently that quite a few planets in our solar system seem to be heating up a bit, including Pluto. NASA says that the Martian South Pole's ice cap has been shrinking for three summers in a row. Maybe Mars got its fever from earth. If so, I guess Jupiter's caught the same cold, because it's warming up too, like Pluto. This has led some people, not necessarily scientists, to wonder if Mars and Jupiter, non signatories to the Kyoto Treaty, are actually inhabited by alien SUV-driving industrialists who run their air-conditioning at 60 degrees and refuse to recycle. Silly, I know, but I wonder what all those planets, dwarf planets and moons in our solar system have in common. Hmmmm. Solar system. Hmmmm. Solar? I wonder. Nah, I guess we shouldn't even be talking about this. The science is absolutely decided. There's a consensus. Ask Galileo."

Failing Schools Could Close Down

In East Side Los Angeles, California, schools are struggling to stay open in the gang-infested neighborhoods. Not even one in five of the students have been able to receive grade level in math and English, in the past 6 years. This past year at Abraham Lincoln High School, only 7 in 100 students received grade level, and in Woodrow Wilson High School, 4 in 100 were at grade level. The No Child Left Behind Law is going to extremes. The law wants to fire teachers and principals and shut schools and turn them over to private firms, like a charter operator or the state itself. Most of the schools have not been even effected by these laws because parents complain that most schools are like that in these areas and they can not shut down every school.

School problems have been going on for a while in History. In the 1060s, while Civil Rights were at large, many schools had to involve the government because black students were actuallaly alloud in the all white schools. Garfield High, in Seattle, becomes the first Seattle High School with 50% non-whites. There were many problems but because of the almost half and half circumstances, it did not last.

Top Air Force Official Dies in Apparent Suicide

Charles D. Riechers age 47 was found dead in his Virginia home on Sunday. He was the second highest ranking member of the Air Force’s procurement office. The Senate Armed Services Committee were examining him earlier in the month after the Air Force paid him $13,400 a month by the Commonwealth Research Institute, while he waited for a review from the White House of his appointment as principal deputy assistant secretary for acquisition. The Common Research registered as a nonprofit organization in Johnstow, Pennsylvania. They paid Riechers for two months as a senior technical adviser, but he didn’t do any work for the company. The Air Force has gone against this depiction of what Riecher did as an employee. They said that he was a retired Air Force officer, and he provided technical advice on several programs including commercial aircraft to military using and modernizing the C-130 transport plane. An expert on military at The Lexington, Loren Thompson, thinks that the suicide and the investigation are not related, but it will put more eyes on the Pentagon’s procurement system.

The Air Force was already a faced with scandal a year before Riechers was appointed. Former Air Force procurement officer, Darleen Druyun favored Boeing in contracts before being hired by the company. After this the Pentagon canceled a $23 billion deal to lease 767 tankers from Boeing. In May, Riechers told the Armed Forces Communications & Electronics Association’s Northern Virginia Chapter that a priority for the Air Force was to restore the credibility to the Air Force. Riechers said that Druyun’s scandal did not represent the Air Force’s acquisition system.

The United States Air Force (USAF) is the aerial warfare branch of the United States armed forces. Previously part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/15/us/15cnd-contract.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

http://www4.nau.edu/afrotc/f-22.jpg

iPod's Required Listening

Many schools ban the use of iPods in school. Teachers will confiscate any ipods they find students using and return them after the school day ends. But José Martí Middle School in Union City New Jersey is actually distributing them to students. As part of the bilingual program at the school, the use of ipods had become part of the curriculum. Spanish speaking students sing along to their favorite songs in English by popular artists such as U2 and Black Eyed Peas. This innovative new ipod program at the school will expand next month when 300 more iPods will be distributed to the Union City Schools as part of a $130,000 experiment in one of New Jersey’s poorest urban school systems. This program has helped kids that come from other countries to learn english at a faster pace. More importantly it is fun. Students enjoy class because they learn the language while enjoying their favorite music. This is also an expensive program. At $250 a piece the silver ipods with built-in video screens are a fairly high tech piece of equipment to be handing out to middle school students every day. So far though, none have been broken or misplaced. This program has proved to have amazing results. One teacher states that her spanish speaking students have been able to move out of bilingual classes after just a year of using the digital devices, compared with an average of four to six years for most bilingual students.

In the fall of 1971 the Bowmar 901B was released to the public. Popularly referred to as the Bowmar Brain, this calculator had four functions and an eight digit display. Measuing 5.2x3x1.5 this new innovative product cost $240. By the end of the decade similar calculators were priced at under ten dollars. This made calculators more affordable to the public and statred being introduced into the classroom. Although there are still disputes about the use of calculators in class they have a similar use as the ipod. They both allow students to learn concepts at a fast pace while still learning the basics. Both of these inventions were a great advance in technology and just as calculators are required in most math classses, eventually the same could happen with the ipod that is currently a device that children regularly are punished for having.

Shooting Plot in Pennsylvania

A 14-year-old boy was arrested Wednesday night for plotting a shooting at Plymouth Whitemarsh High School in northern Pennsylvania. He had an arsenal of guns in his house, including BB guns, air guns, and homemade grenades, and a 9-mm assault rifle. The assault rifle, which was bought for the boy by his mother, did not have any ammunition and Bruce L. Castor Jr., the Montgomery County district attorney, is still trying to decide if he should file charges against her for providing a minor with a gun. The boy was bullied at his middle school and his parents began home schooling him. He tried to get a friend of his to join him, but he told the police. This is only one example of a planned school shooting in recent years, but this attempt was fortunately stopped before anybody was killed.

Unfortunately violence has been an issue in our schools for many years. The worst example of school killings goes back 80 years ago, when on May 18, 1927, a man named Andrew Kehoe blew up a school in Bath, Michigan killing 42 children and teachers to protest increased taxes. He planned this over a long period of time and planted dynamite all over the basement of the school. About half of the dynamite exploded before the police began dismantling the dynamite bombs, preventing more deaths. Kehoe felt bullied by the town board because of the increased taxes.

It's the Coppahs! Quick! Die!

In the years between 2003 and 2005, as many as 2002 people died while being arrested. Approximately half these deaths are resulted from the arresting officers themselves. Only 80% of those 1001 people had a reason to be killed, threatening or carrying out an assault against the officer. The other thousand deaths were caused by drugs or intoxication, suicide, accidental injuries and natural causes. Even though these numbers come from a total 40 million arrests, 2002 is still a staggering number of deaths that most likely could have been prevented.
More statistics include that the most deaths occurred in California (310). Most of the victims were white, non-Hispanic males, around the age of thirty five. Seventy five percent of victims were thought to have carried out violent crimes.
The story of Amadou Diallo is a famous police shooting case from almost a decade ago. When looking for a rape suspect one night, New York City policemen came to Diallo's house to question him. When he opened the door, he reached inside his pocket and was then shot at 41 times. It was later discovered that all he was reaching for was his wallet.
Incidents such as this should never be allowed to occur. Even though it is understandable that in some cases police officers may be required to open fire upon a suspect, death doesn't necessarily need to be the only solution. Police officers should have as part of their training, some sort of anatomy class. If they knew where to shoot without the intention of killing, more lives could be saved without having to kill someone, just wounding them. Furthermore there should be harsher punishments for officers that open fire and kill suspects unnecessarily. What can be done, should be done. Even if these people were perpetrators, they shouldn't be the victims too.

Senator Kennedy in surgery.

The 75 year old senator from Massachusetts went under the knife today to repair a partially blocked artery in his neck. This blockage was discovered during a routine examination of a 43 year old back injury Kennedy has harbored since 1964. This injury was acquired durng a plane crash, in which the pilot and one of the senators aides both died. Senator Kennedy left that accident with his back injury, as well as a few broken ribs, a punctured lung, and internal bleeding.
This operation, medically known as a cartoid endarterectomy, was performed at Mass General Hospital today and was said to have gone sucessfully. Dr. Richard Cambria, the Mass. General cheif of vascular surgery, performed the operation, and it is usually performed on 180,00 people a year to avoid a stroke. The doctor told was reported by the New York Times as saying that this procedure is reserved only for those with more than 70% blockage, and that Kennedy had "very high grade blockage".

Kennedy has been a senator since 1962 and this recent health issue begs the question; how long is too long for so many public officials to stay in office? However, this is the senator's only health problem, and it was reported that he should be back on his feet after a few days of rest. Well one thing is for sure, this surgery should guarantee old Teddy some of his favorite candy.

Al Gore Wins Nobel Prize

Former Vice president Al Gore was awarded the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday, alonside his netowrk of United Nations scientists known as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. As described by the name they do what they consider important environmental work dealing with the climate. This includes such things as The Green House Effect and green house gases. The Norwegian Nobel Committee was praised "for their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change." Mr. Gore made an award winning documentary on this subject called "An Inconvenient Truth". Conservatives argue that he is an alarmist and his claims are exaggerated.

An interesting fact about this award is that Adolf Hitler was actually nominated for the same award in 1939, though his nomination was later withdrawn. The leader of the Climate panels says that science won over skepticism in this case. The award is the validation that they are doing something useful. The panel was originally "vilified" by those who argued that humans did not have a great deal of impact on the climate. A member of the peace committee, by the name of Berge Furre, Commented that “I hope this will have an effect on the attitudes of Americans as well as people in other countries.” while the Nobel committee called Al Gore “probably the single individual who has done most to create greater worldwide understanding of the measures that need to be adopted.”
When he recieved the award Mr. Gore Had some interesting things to say. HE accpeted the award "on behalf of all the people that have been working so long and so hard to try to get the message out about this planetary emergency,” while he was stnading next to his wife. He then declared that his work had just begun and he will continue to further the cause he cares so much about.
New York Times Article

A Historic Shipwreck is Found

On October 10, a team of scuba divers discovered the wreckage of an old American ship that sank near Alaskan coast 139 years ago. The Torrent sank when powerful currents pushed it into a reef south of the Kenai Peninsula. The Torrent is the oldest American shipwreck ever to be found in Alaskan waters.

Less than a year after the United States purchased Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million, in 1868 the Torrent sank. At the time of the wreck, the Torrent was carrying more than 150 men, women and children and more than 100 United States soldiers. The soldiers were on their way to establish the first military fort in Alaska. Aboard the Torrent was all the equipment, supplies, provisions, tools, and arms needed to accomplish the mission—all to be lost in the icy waters. when the Torrent sank. Everyone aboard the Torrent was able to escape the wrecked ship in small boats. With the assistance of natives from a nearby village, the sailors and soldiers camped for 18 days until they were rescued by a vessel passing by.

The wreckage was discovered in July, but was kept a secret to avoid looters. Experts say the Torrent discovery is significant because it happened during the transition from Russian to American power. "It's the very beginning of (the U.S.) presence in Alaska and the establishment of order," explained Judy Bittner, an officer in Alaska's State Historic Preservation Office.

The Torrent is being considered for listing in the National Registry of Historic Places. If enough funding can be raised, archaeologists hope to continue studying the wreck.

Boot Camp Horrors

On October 10th, 2007, in Washington, reports of young people in privately owned boot camps that were being abused surfaced. The reports also surfaced in residential treatment centers. Many examples of the abuse numbered in the thousands. Many of the managers and employees of the boot camps and centers were barely charged for their actions and rarely went to prison for the way they treated the teenagers. The Government Accountability Office went over 10 cases in which teenagers died while at these programs. They found that the managements were “reckless or negligent operating practices” and also found “significant evidence of ineffective management”. The same report said that the teenagers were starved, forced to eat their own vomit, and had to stay for hours in their own waste. One teen had to eat dirt to survive, while being extremely dehydrated.

Reports were finally released after a hearing of the parents of three teenagers who died. One Parent said that they found a journal in which their son, Aaron Bacon, who was at Northstar Expeditions in Escalante, Utah, wrote about how cruel they treated him. It said he spent 14 of 20 days without any food while being forced to hike 8-10 miles, and when they did feed him, it consisted of lizards, scorpions, a canned peach, trail mix, and undercooked lentils. He was also beaten just about everywhere on his body. His parents thought this would be a perfect place for him to distance himself from the drugs he was getting into in school, but they later say they feel like they sent him to a death sentence. The director of the Trade group, Ms. Moss, said by 2009 all facilities will have to have a trained clinician on staff.

In 1994, William Henry, owner of Northstar, along with four employees, pleaded not guilty to negligent homicide. None of them, however, served time in prison. Henry received 3 years probation and community service.