Is the stimulus working fast enough?

On February 17th of 2009 our new President Barack Obama signed into law the Stimulus Bill. The Stimulus package was a bill passed that would do a list of things as follows (http://www.mahalo.com/2009-stimulus-package):
• $180 billion to states to expand unemployment benefitsWSJ.com: Partisan Rancor Seeps Into Talks on Stimulus Plan (January 24, 2009)
• Upgrade 10,000 schoolsMSNBC.com: Obama: Stimulus plan means lower power bills (January 24, 2009)
• Make federal buildings more energy efficientMSNBC.com: Obama: Stimulus plan means lower power bills (January 24, 2009)
• Triple undergraduate and graduate science fellowshipsMSNBC.com: Obama: Stimulus plan means lower power bills (January 24, 2009)
• Shift to electronic medical recordsMSNBC.com: Obama: Stimulus plan means lower power bills (January 24, 2009)
• Invest in preventative health careMSNBC.com: Obama: Stimulus plan means lower power bills (January 24, 2009)
• Add 3,000 miles of electrical linesMSNBC.com: Obama: Stimulus plan means lower power bills (January 24, 2009)
• One-time $300 payment to senior citizensWSJ.com: Partisan Rancor Seeps Into Talks on Stimulus Plan (January 24, 2009)
• $8 billion investment in high-speed rail, to put people to work improving tracks, crossing and signal repairNew York Times: Slice of Stimulus Package Will Go to Faster Trains (February 20, 2009)
 $2 billion for energy department projectsSeattle Times: Stimulus package to create 4,400 jobs at Hanford (February 20, 2009)1 (http://www.mahalo.com/2009-stimulus-package)
This sounded great to society and made civilians very excited to see the bill passed. Although the bill was passed and became affective in April of 2009, the Republicans in the House and the Senate seemed to completely disagree. The Republicans saw president Obama’s Bill as a negative because it included too much spending, not enough tax cuts, and not enough jobs (http://www.mahalo.com/2009-stimulus-package).
Who would of thought this would be true. It is almost eight months since the passing of the bill and still there is not enough jobs out there for people and there is still a struggle. Don’t get me wrong, more jobs are being produced and some schools are getting better and rebuilt, but not to the extent to what was intended by the bill. I guess in some way this can be expected, because it has only been eight months and there might need to be more time to pass to get us as a country where we need to be.
Barack Obama set off to New Orleans for his first time since announced president. He made the trip to explain the new bill and get supporters and try and give hope. In New Orleans people are starting to become worried and mislead of the hopes of a better economy, with more jobs to go around. Although there is not a huge increase in jobs yet, The Obama administration does states that there is a million more jobs now as of August than there would have been if the stimulus was not passed. The transition for improving has become a very slow process, that worries many civilians (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125561746839087509.html).
Most Americans were expecting a huge change when Obama came into office, but people have to understand that repairing a country the size of America takes time. I am one of the Americans who wanted a rapid fix from the Bush Administration and the deficit we as Americans are in today, but this will take time and we need to take the time to consider this.
Although it will take time, I personally agree with the Republicans in saying that there should have been more jobs and tax cuts incorporated into the stimulus bill then there was. Americans are having such a hard time finding jobs and it is becoming hard for the people to support themselves. Something needs to be done to help the economy in a faster more efficient way.


Kari Thomas

All is Riot on the Eastern Front

I am typing this on a Mac.

As I am typing this I am drinking coffee that is entirely too strong and too sweet.

I am also a college student between the age of 17 and 30 and I come from a middle-class, rural-suburban upbringing.

I am also a musician.

And with that introduction, I just turned off anybody who has attended a Tea Party protest this year. I can see the words "hippie" and "liberal" oozing from your lips much like the cheap beer you drink does after you've had a 6-pack too many.

And for my next trick, I will introduce an even more radical left-wing and communist idea: end the war already.

This hippie is actually not a hippie at all, and in fact I would consider myself more conservative than anything. You are already thinking: you want to end the war, so you hate America. Quite the opposite actually.

It is not economically feasible to wage two wars on two fronts while simultaneously attempting to overhaul healthcare, maintain humanitarian efforts in developing nations, kick the illegal immigrants out, and fight the war on drugs. All of these policies are a threat to not only the American dollar, but a threat to American people.

Threat number one: the wars in Central Asia. If you have watched the news lately, you might have noticed that Iran, a regional superpower, is once again flexing its muscles westward and preparing for what it feels is an inevitable battle with the West. And while Americans (and even more Iraqis and Afghanis) are dying daily in our already occurring wars, we have the audacity to threaten yet another nation, which, if taken to the point of warfare, would undoubtedly cost many more lives. How is this fighting terror? To put it simply: if there are no man (and women) overseas to die, no men or women will die overseas. SImple enough?

Now a very simple economic principle, balancing the budget, could help America get out of the economic mess it's in. Wars cost money, and money is something that America does not have. So, naturally, America must borrow money to fund its overseas adventures and battles. This borrowing of money, much like the overuse of a credit card, escalates out of control rapidly and causes economic disparity. If America keeps spending like a fourteen-year-old girl with her dad's platinum card, eventually the limit will be reached, the creditors will be called, and daddy won't be very happy. By continuing this ongoing war on terror, which has cost us unprecedented amounts of money, we are spiraling further and further in debt as a nation, forcing the near future to look quite dim.

Threat number two: the war at home. Contrary to the wisdom of our forefathers, Americans love laws, taxes, and regulations, or at least their voting record seems to reflect that. America like seatbelt laws, and love to see them enforced; unless the laws are enforced on them, then they are inconvenient. America likes drug laws; why should we show compassion for the guy who smokes a joint after working a 12-hour day and gets busted for possession; that same guy who, when he gets out of court, will no longer have a job, but will still have to feed himself. And of course rehab in prison is a wonderful system:charge the "crook" with possession, charge him or her court fees, send him or her to jail, put a felony on their record, kick them back out on the street, and expect them to find work in something other than dealing coke. Right. American's also hate competition: the illegal immigrants are taking jobs and benefits from American workers. Yet most Americans who believe this believe welfare is a corrupt system (which it is) and with that reasoning, having an illegal worker apart of that system should not be a surprise. How many millions of Polish, Irish, Italian, German, and Anglo immigrants came to America as stowaways (I know my grandfather did) in search of a better life? Yet since these citizens are of a brown colored skin, it seems like they are stealing our livelihood.

Let's stop policing the world and our fellow Amercans and humans. Let's stop wasting money (which, in case you've forgotten, is a Conservative ideal) on laws and policies that do more harm than good.

As Americans we need to take care of ourselves before we start trying to teach the world how to take care of themselves.

afghan war: a hopeless battle

Afghan War a hopeless battle
Most Americans are now recognizing the fact that the war in Afghanistan is at a stale mate. With the
resurgence of the Taliban forces, and opposition led be the American People, the Government of the
United States has surely lost its support for the war.
According to National Security Analyst John Bergen, the American public has discovered the corruption
of the afghan government, its world-class drug trade, and a resurgence of Taliban forces. As if the situation
could not get even worse,the steady rising of finicial backing for the war has created some concerns among
Americans. As many Americans began to wonderabout the strength of the nation’s financial resources, the
nation deficit continues to climb.
In this effort to win the war on terror, america has lost its focus. Like we drained the resources of the
British during the War for Independence by intiating gurrella warfare upon the enemy, so is the same
process being used against usuntil we can notice its effect.After years of searching of Osama bin Laden
and prominent taliban forces, the United States has generated ver little progress. The progress include the
detention of suspected terroist held at guantanamo for information on Bin Laden, who has never been found
to this day.
The resurgence of these taliban rebels are greatly due to the fact that America's focus is completely lost.
By that I mean that The country's focus is devided among the the afghan drug-trade and government corruption
which allows the taliban forces to regroup as a stronger terror organization.
many of our citizens here in the United States want to know when exactly the so-called war on terror will be over.
Some see it as another Iraq war and Bin Laden as Obama's trophy just like Saddam huessin was former President George Bush's.
on can infer that one of the main reasons that the war on terror is still going on is because our government- especially the
neo-conservative- want to give an assurance of peace and protection from the evil forces of terroism. That ideology has become
a very strong and effective propaganda that has enabled the war on terror to go on.
As we know it, the united states will continue to occupy afghanistann and the pakistani border in search of Bin laden and his
opposition forces probably until theyare found.
mark dahn

Easier Ways to Get A Reality Show-Brian Achatz

A few Thursdays ago I was sitting in my living room when I got a phone call from my friend telling me to turn on the news. When I asked what for, I was not expecting to hear that there was a small child trapped in a balloon saucer flying across the Northwest United States. When I turned on the news and saw it for myself I began laughing, thinking there was no way that this was possible. However, I was still worried about the safety of the child that could possibly be up there.
A week later when I found out it was all a hoax, put on by parents Richard Heene and his wife Mayumi, I found it quite funny. Millions of people were involved in the story of the flying child, only to find out he had been hiding in the attic all along. After I discovered that their 6 year old son’s name was Falcon, it seemed that they had been planning this hoax since before he was born. Now the parents are facing fines and possible criminal charges.
I found this event funny various reasons, firstly I thought the hoax was slightly like a reality tv show, which I ten to enjoy, secondly I was humored by human nature; the fact that a person could be so desperate for attention that they could arrange such a hoax.
I read an article from the NY Times website covering the aftermath of the hoax. It stated that neighbors and friends of Mr. Heene described him as “eager for fame” and “explosive temper.” He had been trying to make it big in reality tv for years and just kept missing the cut. I believe Richard thought, by following his big scheme, that this time he would get attention, make money by selling his story to the media, and maybe even end up with a tv show.
This was not the first time that “real news” was blurred and also lost in a entertainment fiasco, much like reality tv. The news teams were covering a story that could very much be real but wasn’t completely; much like your favorite reality show. I think reality shows have there own time and place, but they do not belong on Fox or CNN at noon. What Richard Heene did, may have been hysterical at the end, but it is still not okay.
Heene is not the only bad guy here though. This event says a lot about the U.S. media and the U.S. populace as well. It shows that media has its priorities out of line, showing more coverage to a fake entertainment story than real issues such as war and the US Health Policy. The media also appears to “fluff” stories because citizens of the US want more entertainment in their lives than they want intelligence.
This in return causes over spending of public money that is a non-story and is basically just personal advancement. I do not think that Heene should face any criminal charges, but I think that fines paid to the government would be right. I think their should also be some sort of policy that keeps the Heene’s from gathering 100% profit for anything he makes from his crime; writing books, TV Shows, or even a documentary that comes out of this, the government should get a piece of the profit to cover the expenses for following the story.
The other victims of the hoax deserve some profit as well. Victims being the taxpayers who paid for the helicopters, police, those who covered the story, and those ready to save the boy.

halloween

On October 31 all the younger generation dress up and go around to all the different houses, knock on the door and say trick or treat when someone opens the door. Each year people spend hundreds of dollars to make their costume the best or to have the distinction of having one of the best parties of the year. If one looks into the facts that are behind into how the holiday came about and what it has evolved into.
Originally Halloween was called Samhain which was thought to have meant the Celtic death god. This holiday was started in the 18th century by a writer. Samhain was thought to be a god but in truth he only had a minor hero role in Celtic mythology.
Years later it finally came out that Halloween was a fake holiday. The people today put more emphasis on holidays and things that they can have rather than spending time with their families and things that really matter to them. Halloween has turned into a free for all spending spree. Spending over a hundred dollars today is nothing like spending twenty dollars about fifty years ago. Today we look at it as schange. Just because your neighbor is throwing a big party does not mean that you have to throw an even bigger party. People think that by having lots of things and lots of money means that they are on top and that they will only be happy if they have these things. Halloween is a prime example of needing something to be happy. It is as if this country has forgotten that Halloween is one day out of the year to have fun not to upstage another and be the best.
Another thing that Halloween brings out every year is the fact that in the United States obesity is a major problem today. All night long kids go around and collect candy from every house. When they go home they begin to eat as much as they can before they begin to get sick. A holiday based around the collection of candy does not help to promote a healthy society. It is said that they average person as an adult is about the size 14 and up. Just like we have put our happiness in the owning of material items we have also done the same for food.
Is Halloween the only holiday that we associate with these things in today’s time? i believe that every major holiday has the same issues that Halloween. There is not much being done to help solve these issues beyond the fact that there have been a few articles in the paper and it has been mentioned once or twice on the news. One good thing that has come about is the fact that some tv stations have started to show shows were people are trying to change their life style around.
The evolution of the Halloween holiday has taken drastic turns in my opinion but then again you could say that it was invented for just the purpose of having fun and to have an extra celebration.

How Long is too Long?

It has been ­­­six years since former President George W. Bush appeared on television screens across America with a colorful banner declaring ”Mission Accomplished” on it. Six years have gone by since we invaded Iraq, and eight years have passed since we invaded Afghanistan. This blog, upon completion, I hope will demonstrate some very clear points: that the “War on Terror” has cost America very dearly in more ways than one and that we must at some point ask ourselves when enough is enough.

It seems strange to me now looking back on May 1^st 2003 when President George W. Bush had his happy little banner because I really believed in my maybe somewhat naïve young mind that the war was really over and everyone would be coming home. Reasons abound as to why exactly the war hasn’t ended, much less expanded throughout the years. Suddenly “Mission Accomplished” seems like a fairly lofty goal when I look back at it in retrospect. I suppose then that the question becomes what would it take for that banner to finally ring true?

Before one gets too concerned with what needs to be done we must first ask ourselves “what was the mission in the first place?” The “mission”, once upon a time, was to retaliate for the 9/11 attacks. Well if that was the only case then mission accomplished indeed! Retaliation quickly turned to a “War on Terror” and it seems to this blogger like a superfluously impossible task to complete something that has no determinable end. But then maybe that is because the “War on Terror” isn’t over and a withdrawal could only take place once “terror” itself has been extinguished from around the world. Ok, then let’s define terror…well that might be even more difficult, because “terror” as it were is a very vague statement, if I get “terrorized” at night because of watching a movie that doesn’t make the makers of “Paranormal Activity” terrorists now does it? So then terror by any definition is an extremely subjective idea, one left completely up to the speaker using it.

As part of his platform President Obama promised to set a timeline for withdrawal for American troops from the countries that we occupy. The timeline for Iraq has tentatively been set for August of 2010 as per the speech in the videos below. Afghanistan however is a much different scenario. Throughout the Bush administration the general idea put to the public was that Afghanistan was meant to be a long occupation; an occupation that would end years, maybe even decades down the road when Afghanistan had been re-build with a stable government and it could be assured that the Taliban would not re-claim power.

“Obama’s Vietnam” as it is now being referred to by some, in conjunction with the war in Afghanistan has cost the American people over 1 trillion dollars by the end of the fiscal year for 2010. The American people have also paid another price, 5130 sons, daughters, husbands, brothers, wives, and sisters. Such out of control spending can also be held responsible for the current economic crisis in which we struggle, and now many politicians that once believed we should expect to occupy Afghanistan for years to come are calling for a withdrawal.

So mission accomplished isn’t as easy as it seemed back when I first saw that banner. In fact I might even be tempted to say that the term “mission accomplished” is every bit as vague as the “War on Terror”. So then, when is enough enough, when have enough American dollars been spent or more importantly when have enough American lives been lost before this conflict is ended? It seems to this blogger that whether we leave now or 3 years from now the result will be the same. As former presidential candidate John McCain said “When you aren’t winning in this kind of war, you are losing. And, in Afghanistan today, we are not winning,”

So if we aren’t winning anything and aren’t going to, why are we still their, and how long is too long to wait for the “mission accomplished” banner to be true?

A Blog By:

Kyle Forry

It seems like anytime you turn on any news channel whether local or national news itseems as if all you hear about is the swine flu. Everyone is acting as if this is some brand new virus, but guess it has what around for years.

In 1976 there was a swine flu vaccine that came out, and according to http://articles.latimes.com/2009/apr/27/science/sci-swine-history27?pg=3 the result was more than 500 individuals suffering from Guillan Barre Sydrome as a result of receiving the vaccine. In addition, at least 25 people died after receiving the swine flu vaccine.

What I would like to know is where are the statistics of how many people die from swine flu yearly, even before this so called “outbreak”. In the same article listed above they discuss how in 1976 the government had predicted that the outbreak could effect anywhere from 50 to 60 million people when in reality it only effected roughly 200 people with one confirmed death; however, hundreds of people that received the vaccine suffered because the government scared them into getting a vaccine they probably did not even need.

Also, what I would like to know is why is this all of the sudden considered an outbreak. To mean an outbreak or a pandemic of something is when a disease or virus is reaching the point of being uncontrollable.

I think the vaccine is a bit ridiculous. I think it is underdeveloped and not completely tested. I think it is unfair that certain states are making it mandatory for health care professionals to get the vaccine.

I myself am in health care as a Physical Therapist Assistant and I am sorry but I am not going to be forced into receiving a vaccine I do not believe is safe for me. When I went for my annual flu vaccine and check up with my own general physician I asked him about the swine flu vaccine, his response, NO!

It was his opinion that the vaccine is still too new and still too untested to consider it safe. He said he would not recommend it to me or any other patient as he himself would not take it or ask his family to take it.

I think it is sad that we cannot trust our government to tell us the truth. Due to past experiences such as the 1976 episode, which documents that, we cannot trust our government officials to be clear and honest with us. This is supported by a video I found on youtube.com where it shows clips from interviews with personnel from the CDC saying that they even knew that the vaccine had possible neurological and mental side effects such as Guillan Barre but that they saw no need to inform the public of this information but instead push for people to get the vaccine.

The government is encouraging that children, adults, senior citizens and even pregnant women get the latest, updated version of the vaccine. I am strongly against the vaccine as I feel it is untested and unsafe for anyone but I am even more so against it for pregnant women.

The effects of the vaccine on unborn children are still unknown. Also, some batches of the vaccine contain mercury, which has been suspected to be linked with the occurrence of autism in children.

To back up my opinion in 1962 thousands of American mothers were encouraged to take the drug thalidomide. This drug while not approved for the United States market was still given to patients by hundreds of American doctors. As a result of this drug, thousands of children were born malformed, many with missing or deformed limbs.

It seems as if we have been down this road before, we are told drugs and vaccines are safe when in reality only to discover years later, the government made a mistake. They some how managed to feel the possible side effects were so insignificant that it was not important for the individuals receiving these drugs and vaccines to consider before making their choice to take the drug or be vaccinated.

In the video, I referenced earlier at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMqYlnAiIUU&feature=related#watch-main-area there is a mother interviewed about having her children vaccinated against the swine flu. When she states the she does not feel as if the vaccination is safe for her children the man that is asking her the questions ask her if she would not feel guilty if her children were sick with the swine flu and in the hospital, close to death because she did not get them vaccinated. Her response was that she felt that the vaccine was still too untested.

Personally I completely agree with her. The vaccine is too new and there is still too much information unknown about the vaccine. If my doctor, whom I completely trust would not take it himself then why in the world would I trust government officials who have been known to lie and with hold the truth.

Beware PG Movies!

If you were to go by what you hear in the news Americans have become a nation of scared worry bees. Especially when it comes to what children are viewing on media outlets.

I recently viewed "Where the Wild Things are" having been a fan of ten sentence long story since childhood. What I remember of the story was that A. the monsters were awesome and B. it was short. Needless to say I didn't have high expectations but was merely curious as to how they managed to make a movie out of such a short story. It didn't take long to realize that all the money went into stretching those tens sentence out, but something shocked me on the way out of the threater, a group of parents were talking about how the movie shouldn't have gotten the PG rating and one even mentioned that they had to take their kid out of the threater. This was shocking because for the life of me I couldn't remember anything that was particularly fearsome in the film, and PG movies generally give me the hebeejeebees.

After doing some online work I found out that apparently this film had cause quiet a stirring of parents. In "Parents upset, bored by "Where the Wild Things Are" by Breeanna Hare one parent actually blames the film for her daughter biting her and attempting tp run away, something that Max did to his mother at the films onset. Others go on about how the film was far too violent and the images far to scary to be in a simply PG film.

One father who child watched the film said "I did not expect a film that promotes a weak parent figure who fails to seem to be concerned for her children, a main character who truly seems to need a therapist and a 'Wild Thing' that throws temper tantrums by destroying private property and physically abusing others." Yet, to anyone who read the story that is exactly what Max and his monster pals do.

Whatever happenned to parents accepting that kids are going to be afraid and that being afraid at times is a necessary fact of life? Parents use to tell scary stories at camp fires to inspire fear into their kids. Nowadays parents rant about how their 3 year-old couldn't handle the hairy monster and demand a refund.

People need to slow down and take a minute before lashing out at every conceivable opportunity. After reading about how many parents are wringing their hands over the movie, worried that it is too scary, too gloomy, too violent, and too apt to inspire bad behavior in children it makes me wonder if parents realize that they are the adults and could quiet possibly resolve all their problems without resorting to chastising the movie theater's ticket man. Perhaps, they could read the entire ten sentences of the book before taking their 5 year-old kid to the movie or wait for the rental so they can preview it like normal responsible parents.

In Ruben Navarrette Jr., Special to CNN, yeah it got that far, he brings up an interview with the films director 81-year-old Sendak that undoubtly as he says "offended many tenderhearted parents" who read it after viewing the movie with their kid.
Reporter: "What do you say to parents who think the Wild Things film may be too scary?"
Sendak: "I would tell them to go to hell. That's a question I will not tolerate."
Reporter: "Because kids can handle it?"
Sendak: "If they can't handle it, go home. Or wet your pants. Do whatever you like. But it's not a question that can be answered."
Sendak: "This concentration on kids being scared, as though we as adults can't be scared. Of course we're scared. I'm scared of watching a TV show about vampires. I can't fall asleep. It never stops. We're grown-ups; we know better, but we're afraid."
Reporter: "Why is that important in art?"
Sendak: "Because it's truth. You don't want to do something that's all terrifying. I saw the most horrendous movies that were unfit for child's eyes. So what? I managed to survive."
I appreciate Sendak's straight forward approach here, it should have been a good chasetisement for all those parents looking to blame a movie for being a movie.

Jeff

Balloon Boy, or Not...

People will truly do anything to be on television.

On October 15, Richard and Mayumi Heene of Fort Collins, Colorado made several frantic calls to 911, local television stations, and federal aviation officials to report that their six-year-old son, Falcon, was trapped on a homemade helium balloon that had been accidentally launched from their backyard. The balloon was tracked by National Guard helicopters, as well as the media, across the Colorado plains until it landed in a farm field. However, when ground crews searched the balloon, the boy was not to be found. His parents reported that he was later discovered hiding in an attic above their garage, in which he had been the entire time. They claimed that when the balloon was launched, Falcon ran into the attic and hid in a box for fear of getting into trouble by his father. But, during an interview with CNN, suspicion was raised when the six-year-old said, “You had said we did this for a show.”

Two days after the balloon’s flight, Richard and Mayumi were questioned separately by authorities, during which Mayumi confessed that the incident was a hoax “to make the Heene family more marketable for future media interest.” She also adds that the two began planning the fabrication two weeks prior and that they instructed all three of their sons to lie to the media and police about the hoax. The family was featured twice on ABC’s reality show, “Wife Swap,” but was rejected by its producer and TLC cable network to create additional shows in connection with them. Although Mayumi Heene admitted that the incident was staged in order to gain publicity, Richard Heene denies these claims.

The couple is being charged with “conspiracy, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, making a false report to authorities, and attempting to influence a public servant”; if convicted, the Heenes could face up to six years in prison (not to mention lose custody of their children) and will also be required to pay for the costs of the balloon chase.

All this for a little recognition. Well, the Heenes got their recognition, just not in the way they’d expected. Now people will remember them for lying about their child being in danger, rather than being on a TV show. Millions of people around the country watched the balloon chase in hopes that Falcon would be returned home safely, only to learn that the whole story was a complete fabrication. In light of this information, many viewers felt manipulated and disgusted that someone would use their own son for such a selfish reason.

However, Richard’s and Mayumi’s actions not only affect them, but their three young children as well. If their parents do go to prison, what happens to them? They get sent off to live at either a relative’s/friend’s house, or a foster home. Also, the Heenes did not set a good example for their kids by telling them to lie to authorities. This teaches them that lying is acceptable in order to get what you want. Furthermore, according to one news article, Falcon was hiding inside a cardboard box in an attic during the entire hunt, which lasted for several hours. Although to some it may be slightly farfetched to call this child abuse, it is completely irresponsible parenting to leave one’s child in a box in a hot attic for any length of time.

For these reasons, the Heenes have been called unfit parents and should be prosecuted. They are obviously obsessed with getting media attention and will go to great lengths to do so, even if it involves exploiting their children.

Although it would be a sad situation for the children if their parents were put in prison, it would be even sadder if something happened to the kids because of their parents’ reckless and irresponsible behavior just to gain publicity.

The Heenes are clearly too selfish and preoccupied with media attention and recognition to focus on raising their children properly. They lied about their son being in danger, even hid him in a box in the attic, and told all three of their children to lie to police just to gain sympathy from the public for a television show. They should just accept the consequences, go to prison, and then maybe take some parenting classes when they get out.


By: Kirsten Robinson

Sports and Crime: A Package Deal

As a kid playing sports, you are told that if you work harder than everyone else and stay focused you can achieve the ultimate dream of becoming a professional athlete. For some this dream does come true, but no one ever told them about the drama outside of the basketball court or football field.

Don’t get it confused, they are living first class lives. You get paid millions of dollars to throw a pigskin ball down field or shot a leather basketball into a hoop and you are constantly in the spotlight. It beats a 9 to 5 right?

With all that money, fame, and endorsements that have 20 year old men buying yachts and Benzes, there also people out there who don’t have it and will do anything to get it.

You have robbers, murderers, extortionist, groupies, businessman, etc, all trying to get something them. Lets not forget about family and people trying pretending to be family.

Ask Sean Taylor, a former Washington Redskins football player who was shot to death in his home in Miami in 2007. Two men raided his house and Taylor tried to defend his wife and kid with a machete before being fatally shot in the leg.

Jasper Howard, UConn football player, was stabbed to death outside of school dance. He was only 20 years old. If he had been carrying a weapon of his own at the time then this probably would not have happened.

As a collegiate athlete or professional it is frowned upon to be carrying a gun or any lethal weapon on you but can you blame any of them.

There has been many athletes killed, robbed, and sometimes both and a majority of the time the police do not catch the people who did it.

Plaxico burress was one of the athletes who decided to keep a weapon on him at all times. Unfortunately, he was living in New York and it is illegal to have a gun on you. Not only did have the gun on him, he took it to nightclub with him. On November 28, 2008 his gun fell out of place, hit the ground, and shot him in the leg. Now he is serving a two year sentence for that.

Personally I think it is a bunch of bull that he has to go to jail for shooting himself but what can you do.

It doesn’t just stop at murder and guns though.

Richard Hamilton, a NBA player, sued his former friend and business manager Josh Nochismon for using unauthorized money out of Hamilton’s bank account. He also wrote over $100,000 dollars worth checks in Hamilton’s name.

It makes you feel sympathetic for some of these athletes.

Everyone knows that they are getting paid millions and live a life of luxury but not many people know of all the crime that goes along with it.

They only show you the game winning shot or the walk-off homerun to win the game but you never see their parents getting killed over a money scandal or the death threats sent to their homes.

Maurice Thomas

Cybrids: Embryos in Danger

Imagine a dog, cat, bird or fish. Now imagine human DNA mixed with animal DNA. If such a creature existed, it might not be able to fit into normal society. Could this half creature, which is part man and part beast, be considered human? For some the answer would be no. In a world where animals are locked up in cages like prisoners, this creature may receive the same treatment as an animal.

A chimera is a creature from Greek mythology. It is usually depicted as a creature that is a mixture of a lion, goat and snake or dragon although any combination of creatures could be called chimeras. Also from Greek mythology are examples of human animal hybrids such as the Centaur, Minotaur and Sphinx. Hybrids such as these are often depicted as brutish, dangerous creatures that are often disposed of by heroes.

Why would a person want to create such a creature? The answer would be to find cures for diseases. In the video, it states that human and animal DNA is being mixed in search for cures of diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

The video states that the Cytoplasmic Hybrid or Cybrid for short are created by cutting open an egg with a laser and then sucking out the DNA. A cell is then taken from another living being and ejecting it into the egg. An electric shock then starts the growth of cells. After growing for six days, the shell of the egg is broken open and the stem cells are removed. These stem cells can then be reprogrammed into any type of tissue such as brain cells, heart cells and nerve cells.

Britain’s current regulation is that the embryos produced in this fashion must be destroyed after fourteen days. Because the embryo is destroyed, it is deprived of its chance to live. The embryo becomes a sacrifice to help cure diseases. After the DNA has been sucked out of the egg and human DNA has been planted into the egg, the egg contains 99.9% of human DNA and only 0.1% of animal. Even though the egg in nearly completely human, the egg must still be destroyed. The Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority (HFEA) gave permission for the project in January. The goal was to use the embryos to cure untreatable conditions. The research was also approved by the British government.

If people are willing to kill off an embryo in order to better themselves, what would happen if a person decides that humans would be better off with a trait from an animal? That person might get the idea to mix human and animal DNA in hopes of producing a hybrid offspring with the desired trait. If many different people create beings in this fashion, the world may be filled with hybrids. The lines between human and human hybrid may widen. Though this is a far stretch, it is one possibility in the future. Humans have already tried experiments such as giving mice human brains. Imagine what could be next.

It is not for man to play God. Only God is allowed to create living creatures. By combining the DNA of any living creature, we are playing the role of God. Because such creatures were created by human hands and not by God’s will, some argue that those creatures created by human hand have no soul and will not be able to go to heaven. In this way, the being is just a mere empty shell.

All living beings developed the way they are for a reason. Elk, cattle, sheep and others herbivores feed on grass to prevent the overgrowth of plants and wolves, bears, cougars and other predators limit the overpopulation of the herbivores. Adding in a new species to the mix may well upset the balance.

In 1935, Australia was having a beetle problem and did not have a toad species to limit the beetle’s growth. The Cane toad was introduced to help fight the growing concern of beetles eating crops. However, things did not go as planned. The toads began eating everything it could catch including bird’s eggs and local frogs. In addition, the toads were poisonous and began to kill off native predators. This is an example of new species upsetting the balance.

Each species was created for a purpose by God. Each of these species has a right to live. When humans merge human and animal DNA, they cross the line between these purposes. They kill embryos to better themselves. Though these experiments may be helping to develop cures for diseases, they are destroying a life that could have been. No creatures should be forced to die for another, be they human, animal or something in-between. Humans should not play the role of God for they have no right to create new life or take it away.

Lisa Hilburn

Children for Sale

Talk of adoption has run rampant in today's news. It seems that every time I pick up a magazine or turn on E! News, a celebrity is being featured for adopting a child.

Stars like Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise,George Lucas, Hugh Jackman, Madonna, and most recently, Grey's Anatomy star Katherine Heigel, have taken up the trend of adopting children from different parts of the world.

But why do most celebrities feel the need to adopt from overseas when there are perfectly good children of all races, right here in our own county?

There are several advantags and disadvantages to adopting children from other countries. One, he cost of adoption in the United States would range from $15,000 to about $2,500. Adopting outside the U.S would range from $5,000 to $27,000.

Secondly, the wait for adopting outside one's own country and filling out paperwork alone is more time consuming and tedious than most of the process itself. Statistics show that it takes up to 18 months to adopt just one child. No matter the country.

Now, I am not saying anything against adoption or adoption outside of the U.S.

In fact, I myself am adopted and it is something I feel very strongly about and plan on doing when I am ready to have kids. That is why I do not understand why celebs and some "

Average Joe" families feel the need to adopt outside of the country.

Children everywhere need love and care.

They need families who will feed them and educate them. How are children here in the U.S going to get that if families keep on adopting from other cultures?

If I weren't fortunate enough to be adopted by family members, I wonder where I would have ended up. Would I have been in some podunk town, in a broke down orphanage, waiting for someone to come and love me? If adults keep on adopting from other countries, how do the children in the U.S have a chance of being a part of a "real" family?

Another one of the issues I noticed about adoption is the fact that most couples, especially the ones who have trouble reproducing children, tend to want to adopt babies or children under the ages of three to five years

According to the Child Welfare League of America, the average age of adoption is seven years old.

Come on folks, big kids need love too.

Everyone has heard of the little orphan ,"Annie", whose only goal in life is to be adopted. This movie is like a dream for orphans everywhere.

There have been several ,motion picture movies like, "A Little Princess" and "Like Mike" that have tried to bring to attention the matter of adopting and the importance of people being aware that "orphans" exist. It does not matter(or should not matter, in that case) if one is rich and famous or poor and average. What matters is that children with no one , are able to find a nuturing family who will raise them to be healthy, educated adults and to make sure that they grow up to be good people.

So, I guess it really doesn't matter if kids, young and old, are adopted from othr countries. America is after all a "melting pot". Culture should be accepted anywhere. As long as children are finding homesand are able to be raised in safe living enviornments.

I hope that the more this country progresses, adoption will become more frequent among everyday civilians and not just left up to celebrities.

Although, I would like the see "Brangelina" adopt someone in their teens or a chilld from the U.S.

Just sayin!

-Kiersten W.

Vistor Steen Tragedy

I have been involved recently in an organized community response to the death of a black minor at the hands of a police officer. On Oct. 3 several friends of mine witnessed a young man get tased at and then run over by a Pensacola Police officer. The young man was 17 year old Brownsville native Victor Steen. By their accounts, what occurred was bizarrely reckless on the part of the cop. The Victor Steen tragedy seemed to have caught many people off guard. The Pensacola Police Department certainly did not foresee the negligence and recklessness of officer Jerald Ard. The Brownsville community and Sluggo’s patrons did not anticipate what happened that night either.

But neither the Brownsville community nor the Sluggo’s crowd were altogether shocked by what occurred. When I initially began to relay the accounts of what had happened to others, people were generally capable of finishing the story for me- not because they were familiar with this case but because it is representative of a broader trend within our society. As soon as I told people that a young man on a bike was targeted by a cop in Brownsville, people seem to instinctively know that the cop was white and that Steen was black. The common sentiment is that Steen was not pursued for any reason other than his race and class, indicating that this is an instance of profiling.

Officer Ard has said that he had seen Victor Steen at a construction site, and therefore designated him suspicious. But, as one mother put it while addressing the City Council on this issue, “There are construction sites littered throughout my neighborhood, and my son rides his bike near them regularly. What if a cop tries to stop him for it and he gets scared and runs... is this going to happen to him too?”

The Brownsville folks have perhaps been the least surprised of all, as many have come forward with their own personal anecdotes of extralegal run-ins with the police and stories of abuse of power. The name Ard has come up in some of these.

Perhaps it is for that reason that the Pensacola Police should not have been caught off guard when this tragedy occurred. Ard has been an officer here for only four years and has had
at least two substantiated complaints filed against him in that time for reasons related to abuse of power. During one instance that was never formally documented, Ard had pulled a man over for no reason at all. When asked what his name was, Ard first told the man that he did not have to give him that information and then made up a false name. When other senior officers arrived on the scene, the first words were “Ard, what did you do this time?” He has developed an unfavorable reputation that has functionally gone unchecked by the department.

The unspoken protocol that Ard was abiding by was to exploit the public’s lack of knowledge of their own rights, using antagonism and manipulation to lead the suspect into incriminating themselves.

As this has occurred within the context of the conservative South, many whites have come to the defense of the police officer. They hold that his actions were justified because the police should be taking preemptive actions to enforce the law in neighborhoods such as Brownsville. Essentially what that suggests is that Victor Steen was a legitimate target because he was a young black man living in a poor neighborhood. The proponents of this kind of ideology are entirely incapable of empathizing with people who live in communities such as Brownsville because their privileged status prevents them from ever experiencing the anxiety, despair, and paranoia that results from living in a virtual police state.

The point that I am trying to make here is that while people who saw what happened place the blame on Officer Ard, and many ignorant white people blindly assume that the police couldn't possibly do wrong and blame Victor Steen for not stopping, the bottom line for me is that the Pensacola Police knew that this cop was incompetent and left him on the streets regardless. Of course Ard should never police this city again and should certainly do time, but this tragedy is part of a larger trend and is only a statistical outlier in the respect that the people who saw what happened actually give a shit and Ard hasn't completely gotten away with it.

Rusty Black

Expanding America

You would be hard pressed to find a person in this country that does not agree that obesity has become a (no pun intended) large problem. It is also evident that we at least appear to be fighting the spread of obesity. Yet, even with all the preventative measures, incidents of diabetes and other health problem continue to rise.

Dr. Seigal's Cookie Diet. Really, the diet claims that by just eating these special (i.e. expensive) cookies, you too can lose all the weight you want.Well of course you can, this entire idea is nothing new. This is just the new incarnation of Slim Fast. The problem with these products is greed. The easiest way to make a fast buck in the US is to ship out some new miracle weight loss product. These not only fail to set up good habits, resulting in weight gain as soon as a person stops using them, they also can be quite dangerous.

Sin taxes have been in the news a lot lately. The idea behind these being that if we tax full calorie pop more than other products, people will consume less of it. Although this sounds like a good idea in theory, it doesn't appear to be working in practice. Arkansas and West Virginia both have extra taxes on sugary drinks, yet Arkansas still has some of the highest rates in the country for obesity and diabetes.

New York City has a law in place that requires chain restaurants to post calorie content next to the products on the menu. To me this seems like a good idea, at least if it stops people from ordering that 600 calorie frappucino every morning. The problem with posting nutritional information is that a large percentage of the public either doesn't care or doesn't truly understand what all the information means to them.

Convienicne food also plays a large role in our growing waistlines. Once food is frozen, it tends to lose flavor. To counteract this, companies pump their food full of unnecessary sugars and fats which don't add any nutritional benefit. The addition of High Fructose Corn Syrup doesn't help things out either. HFCS is metabolized faster that normal sugar, thus leading to a blood sugar spike followed by a low. This in turn leads to more frequent hunger, which often leads to the consumption of more convenience food.

These all seem like good solutions, but the US will more than likely continue this downward spiral until we as a whole change our habits. Traditional diets tend to influence us too much in today's age of modernization. Growing up in the Midwest, I saw this everyday. Years ago, farmers would work from sunrise to sunset and would actually need large meals to get them through the day. Now, some Kansas City office worker probably doesn't need all those pancakes and sausage to file an expense report or walk over to the copy machine.

In the end, all the government intervention in the world wont change people's minds. We eat what we want to eat. The problem lies in the fact that, in a world where everything is automatic, we just don't need to move anymore. This not only takes a toll on us physically, but mentally as well. We happen to have some of the mos beautiful land in the world in out backyard, but it's just easier to watch a show about it. In my experience, hiking in The Smoky Mountains is far more rewarding than any tv show or movie. America as a whole needs to put down the chips and take a step outside. This seems like a far better solution that more bureaucratic red tape and ad campaigns.

Cody Dey

The Human Element in Sports

Twice in three weeks, NCAA football officiating crews for the Southeastern Conference have come under fire for making questionable calls that altered the outcome of the game. To recap, three weeks ago LSU won a thriller over Georgia by scoring in the waning seconds of the game. Georgia took the lead with an incredible touchdown catch, and the players celebrated appropriately. Georgia receiver A.J. Green, the player who scored the go-ahead touchdown, was inexplicably flagged for excessive celebration, a penalty that gave LSU excellent field position on the ensuing kickoff. LSU went on to score the winning touchdown with a 30 yard touchdown run by Charles Scott, leaving Georgia stunned, and leading to a media field day, with almost every sports media outlet criticizing the poor officiating.

Just a week ago, the same SEC officiating crew made a litany of other questionable calls at crucial moments, contributing to Florida’s comeback win over Arkansas. The SEC crew responsible for making the costly calls in the two games was suspended as a result of their poor officiating, a small victory for the teams affected.

Bad officiating was the story of game 4 of the American League Championship Series in MLB as well. Umpire Tim McClelland made what has been dubbed, the “worst call of all time”. The play occurred with one out in the top of the 5th inning. A New York Yankees player was caught in a rundown while trying to score from third base, the runner on second base and the runner on third base both met at third base, the catcher ran to third and tagged both of the runners out, but only the runner originally on third was called out. Instant replay revealed that both players were tagged out, and that the call was not even close. The player from second base had been tagged out seconds before he touched third base, but he was called safe.

These recent officiating debacles have brought a problem in sports to light, the inconsistencies of the human element in officiating. You see it every day in sports, penalties that go un-flagged, or inexplicable penalties called by trigger happy referees. More often than not a mistake by a referee will go unmentioned because it did not contribute to the outcome of the game, and because it is simply a part of all sports that fans have had to live with forever.

In this day and age it should not be necessary to have to live with the discrepancies of the human element in sports officiating, professional tennis has made strides by employing an automated system to determine whether a ball is in bounds or not, so other sports should look into more accurate and consistent ways of judging a game as well. Instant replay certainly is a useful tool, but many argue that reviewing every questionable play would make a game that is too long, even longer.

At this point in time technology has not yielded a way to officiate a football game without adding substantial amounts of time to it, but there are things that can be done to improve the game immediately. Amending the rule that says certain plays cannot be reviewed and issuing college coaches the right to challenge plays, a right that NFL coaches have, would be a start. Also applying a majority vote rule in which a majority of referees must agree with a call would help lighten the gray area between penalty and no penalty. Something has to be done because the fact is people make mistakes, mistakes that I as a Georgia football fan have suffered disappointed over in recent weeks.

Changes in officiating methods would not only be for the sake of “fan-kind”, but also for the teams, specifically NFL and College Football teams. For College Football teams, one bad call could be the difference between going to the Sugar Bowl, a 17 million dollar reward for the respected schools, and going to the Chick-fil-a bowl, a 3.25 million dollar payoff. For NFL teams, one bad call could spell a trip to the Superbowl and the multiple millions that go along with it, or not. The point is that the sports industry is enormous and powerful, and the fate of a team, a player, and the history of sports, should not be solely in the hands of a few guys in striped shirts.

-Daniel Printz

"That all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights."

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

-A quote from America's own Declaration of Independence, one of the most famous quotes in the world.

We live in a country that is famed for being accepting, for allowing you to be who you are.

We live in a country that puts hope in the hearts of people like Staceyann Chin, one of the most influential poets of my life, who was beaten and raped by a group of men in her home country of Jamaica simply for being open about her sexual orientation.

All of this based on a quote from our forefathers. But do we, as Americans and as a counrty, live up to this quote?

This is not a philisophical question that has to be fathomed for hours. It has a very simple answer: No.

Not when we enact laws and follow policies that portray fellow Americans as second-class citizens. Not when we rationalize the murder and torture of hundreds of people by saying that they are not Americans.

On our own soil, we treat some people better than others, on a national level, whether it be for sexual orientation, gender identity, economic class or religion.

With the passing of State legislation such as Ammendment Two in Florida or Proposition 8 in California, or with institution of things nationally, such as the Patriot Act, or the implimentation of the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, or with the way in which America's welfare system is perpetuated, we desciminate against our own every day.

Although these things may seem fairly harmless to the onlookers, what many fail to understand is that the serious damage this type of legislation does is the opinion it plants into the everyday American.

When your goverment tells you that you have rights that your neighbor doesn't, it instills a sense of superiority in you. If the Declaration of Independence is to be believed, than those who have less rights then you are less human than you are. It is this type of attitude that breeds violence.

It is this type of attitude that caused Matthew Shepard to be beaten mercilessly for hours and left tied to a fence for eighteen hours simply for being gay. It is this type of attitude that caused the murder of Waqar Hasan after 9/11.

These things happen every day, thanks in no small part to the drisciminatory legislation that is passed here.

It isn't just random acts of violence perpetuated within our borders by radicals, though. The American military uses horrendous torture techniques on hundreds of people each day, all in the name of homeland security.

That quote from the Declaration of Independence has a word that seems to be constantly overlooked; "all". It says "all men are created equal" not "those on American soil are created equal".

It is not morally just to torture someone for information they are suspected of having. Let alone the logical holes in the idea of torturing for information, it is just plain wrong.

People in places like Guantanamo Bay, Bagram, and Abu Ghraib are hung by their wrists from the ceiling for hours at a time, are sleeped deprived for multiple days in a row, are forced to undergo sensory deprivation for undetermined amounts of time.

They are sexually humiliated; forced to walk around naked and to masturbate in public, forced to pile on top of each other while naked.

All this is done, with government sanction, in the name if freedom. They claim that this is necessary in order to obtain information pertinant to U.S. security. If we must torture and kill hundreds of others to protect ourselves, is there truly anything worth protecting?

I'll leave you with a quote and a video that inspired me to write this:

"I mean, we've had all these awful pictures from the prison in Iraq and these sort of memos floating around about justifying torture, all this kind of stuff. And it makes you want to take a shower, you know?"
-Ron Reagan, Jr.



Logan Hartwig

NASA

After 35 years NASA has decided call an end to the space shuttle program. There have been only two disasters within the span of the program in all of its years. However after the last episode of destruction, people and the government called for an end to the outdated and tired system. This requires NASA to go back to the drawing board to create a new system of getting to space, and from the drawing board came the Ares 1-X program.

The practical name and preferred common name is Ares. “The $445 million Ares 1-X is a suborbital prototype of NASA’s two Stage Ares 1 booster” meaning it is a two part expensive rocket project. An Ares 1 rocket is a five segment rocket. Four of five segments is the system that sends the new space vehicle into space. The Ares 1 X rocket will be used to launch a new capsule based spacecraft into space, the new Orion spacecraft.

The new Ares rocket can be compared to booster system of the space shuttle will be used to transport the Orion spacecraft which is replacing the space shuttle. “NASA’s three space shuttles –Discovery, Atlantis, and Endeavour- are due to retire once the International Space Station is completed in the next year or so.”

However after millions of dollars have been spent the true ability of the new program is being questioned. Granted they did move up the time table for the first test launch due to crews being ahead of schedule. But as NASA rolled out the Ares rocket they found a glitch in a hydraulics component, according to NASA spokesperson George Diller, the malfunctioning part is “associated with steering and stabilization of the rocket during flight.”

NASA has October 27 and 28 available to try to launch before stepping down due to the unavailability of sharing the launch pads with Cape Canaveral Air Force station and US military.

Also there is the concern with the possibility of an explosive malfunction of the Ares rocket on pad b with the shuttle being on pad a. Space shuttle program manager John Shannon has assessed the issue and has judged that the shuttle on the other pad is safe from mishaps, he cites the distance and a shell like structure to prevent any issue to the current space program. “About 40 percent of all new rockets end in failure, and Ares I-X is not exempt from those chances.” It is an experimental rocket, but at $445 million in research and building it is frightening if it explodes.

So as we are in transition from one trusted classic program to a new experimental program there is an overlay that brings up worry. It has a higher risk of mission failure than a space shuttle due to being it being “ a first-time vehicle, first kind of configuration” according to Bob Ess, the Ares I-X mission manager. The new rocket uses a new design that combines components from different launch vehicles, including a space shuttle solid rocket booster and avionics from a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket.

Even if the rocket is a bust and does explode, more than seven hundred sensors have been place on the rocket segments. As NASA and its sub programs count down to the test launch of the new program, plans to build Ares I might be cancelled, possibility raised this week by a presidential review panel.

All these complications of a program ending with a new one being experimented on and pressure from the ultimate power of the president and his budget with the economy in shambles the program is threatened.

So as the space shuttle program begins its final legs, the Ares I-X program with the Orion spacecraft begins its experimental beginning. However with it being experimental there is a chance of failure, failure that might doom the program from being more than anything other than an experiment. Ares is meant to continue the United States venture to the moon and into space. The segmented rocket is useable and uses technology from past rockets, and the shuttle’s booster system. However it is a watch and see if this rocket explode or be imploded from within.