Snowball Fight in Times Square!

MIND BREAK!!!

This looks amazingly fun! I wish I was there for this! Check this out:

Getting Pregnant in Iraq = BAD

A soldier at war in Iraq that gets pregnant, or impregnates someone else, is an offense that is punishable by court-martial. I get that Generals at war can't lose people, but I have to admit, I bet it gets lonely out there. It is kind of reckless at the same time to start "making love" when there is destruction going on around them, but they obviously don't have any control. Though in my opinion, I think this should be an offense, but I don't agree with it being taken to court right away, I feel that they should have a "first warning," but then if it continues, let it fall into the hands of the court. They could always supply condoms, or let the person pregnant have a forced abortion, because some may use it to their advatage to leave and go home. Either way, I think this is pretty silly to start doing over there at war in the first place.

Oakland Drug Bust

The investigation of drug dealing has been going on since April, and the execution of 101 felony warrants were finally given out on Monday. This was all a part of a Police Chief by the name of Anthony Batts who wanted to clear the streets of drugs, guns, and gangs. Police were having to go undercover and pretend that they wanted to buy some drugs in order to catch the guys. I think the people who live in Oakland and doing these kinds of stupid things are making the town of Oakland look like such a bad place. I personally don't mind Oakland, but the most common phrase a person hears, like me, is "I don't wanna go to Oakland, I'm afraid that I'm gonna get shot!" It is kind of sad to hear that because within Oakland, there are also all the nice and innocent people who happen to live there. And regarding the police, it took a while for them to catch all of these men, which sucks but at the same time, if the drugs weren't illegal, there wouldn't be much of a problem, but that's a whole other story.

Anti-Homosexuality Bill??

People in Uganda are protesting against the new Anti-Homosexuality Bill that may be passed in the east African country. Now I think this is too much. Is it anyone's business what people chose to do with their lives? No. It's not affecting you, so why care? It is the life and choice of the people who are gay or who chose to be. This bill is very drastic. The bill will allow people who are gay to be sentenced to years in jail, or even killed!? What for? This bill will also "forbid the "promotion of homosexuality," which in effect bans organizations working in HIV and AIDS prevention." So why would anyone want to get tested? If they come back positive, they may be executed. I think this bill is a bad idea because after it is passed, no one would want to test to see if they are positive for HIV, because they don't want to risk being executed. This bill will only drive people away from the counseling and help they can get if positive. All in all, in my opinion, I don't think this bill should be passed.

Obama Giving Back

Obama proposed a new program that would reimburse homeowners who have more energy-efficient appliances. I think this would be a good thing, because then people would want to change their appliances to get reimbursed, and at the same time, it will be helping our environment. Also, it is always good to be spending less money paying for the electric bill. If the world started only using energy-efficient appliances, our economy could be spending less money towards making new appliances, and use it for more important things.

Ohio's New Way of Execution

This man was executed in Ohio with the nation's first new lethal injection, one dose of thiopental sodium. It is said that this injection is less painful than the normal "three-drug cocktail" injection, which consists of three injections. Yeah it took only 10 minutes for this to take affect and kill him, but this injection was untested, kind of risky. It took them many times to try to get to his veins, so if they say this was supposed to kill him less painfully, it didn't really. I know people will say that he deserved this either way, he shouldn't have done what he did, but he is still human.

A Hospital's Mess Up Gone Wrong...

This lady, Kerry Higuera, was bleeding three months into her pregnancy, went to a hospital in Arizona to see what was going on with her, and this hospital may have caused problems to her baby. This hospital had two people by the same name, Kerry, and they were both the same age. They scheduled her to have a CT scan, and receiving that scan while someone is pregnant can caused problems to your baby. Well, this hospital, after giving her the CT scan, basically said "oops, we weren't supposed to do that."The "other" Kerry was supposed to receive it, not her. I thought this was pretty ridiculous, for a hospital to make THAT bad of a mistake. I mean, now the mother has to worry if her baby is going to have problems because of what this hospital did. I think hospitals, not just this one, should look more into the information about the person before doing anything to them.

One Dirty Man...

D'Souza, a 50 year old man was convicted for using the Internet to hook up with a 13 year old girl and just use her for sex. He pleaded guilty for using sites such as Myspace and other chat rooms to meet her. He traveled from Dublin to Truckee to pick her up and take her to a near hotel. He brought items with him to use, but trick is, she ended up being an FBI informant. There are shows out there where agencies pretend they are young females to catch "online predators" and lure them over so they can capture him. This kind of stuff isn't a joke and kids sometimes do "like" a guy through this kinda of chat rooms and sites because they think it could be true, but it ends up being some creepy guy who just wants to get with you. Kids need to be careful and stay away from online dating. If they really want a partner, look around in the world. There are plenty enough out there for someone instead of using a site. In the long run, it's much safer too.

Crazy Soccer Player!

Mind Break!!!

This soccer player from the college team New Mexico is fiesty! I don't know what her problem is, but I surely found this shocking and bizzare, check it out:

Shooter at Fort Hood

In the above picture is the Nidal Hassan, the shooter who shot innocent man at Fort Hood. Now the problem I see here, is not only was it messed up on his part to do this to the innocent men, but that he is a Middle Easter, or simply, a Muslim. Now Muslims around the world have always had a problem with harsh words and racism towards them, I know I've experienced it myself, and that is because the men who hit the twin towers on 9/11 were also Middle Easterns. So people always associate Muslims with them. And now that this man did this pathetic act, how do you think the Muslims in the Army are going to feel now? They're fellow members might be on the lookout on them too now. That is just what happens when a person, such as of a Middle Eastern background, does to the rest; it makes them all look bad.

Controversy Over Abortion

Senates are already discussing about the topic of abortion. A lot of house representatives don't want that in the new bill, because they don't support the idea and don't support that tax money would be put towards helping women get rid of the kid inside them. Personally, I think they should. If they make the people who want to get an abortion, but don't have the money to pay for it, what are they gonna do? They have no choice but to have the baby. And then the mother is going to request getting money from the government because she can't support herself, and the government is going to lose money anyways. But if a lot of mothers do what I expained, I think over some time the government is going to be losing more money than they hoped.

Bay Bridge May Close Once Again...

As I have mentioned in one of my previous blogs, the bridge has some malfunctions, and the main one that is causing so many problems is the "S-curve." Caltrans may have to close down the bridge one more time. This S curve has caused too many issues, and recently a truck driver basically flew off the bridge and fell, dying. That is horrible to hear and when I heard about it I felt so bad for the guy. A guy lost his life because Caltrans couldn't fix the problem the first time. So now they are stepping in and are gonna fix it. the bad party is, they may close it before Christmas. And that's gonna be an issue because families may need to travel across the bridge to gather with other family for Christmas, but Caltrans wants to work on it as soon as possible.

Taxing our Texts!?!

Vallejo voters want to start taxing text messages now, so that every outgoing text a person sends, they must pay a tax on that. They want to do that because they are facing a deficit and they thought that since no one has a problem with texting, that they should tax that and calling it as just another utility tax; they wanna call it Measure U. I think this is pretty ridiculous and a little too much. I mean yeah Vallejo is in a deficit, but taxing text messages is just a little too much. Who would want to text if that Measure becomes into affect? I know I wouldn't. And I sure as hell know that A LOT of people will either text a lot less, or just not text at all. Yeah the tax may be small I am assuming, but it ALL adds up in the end.

Obama Stimulus Plan = More Jobs?

So far. With President Obama's new stimulus plan, there have been about 650,000 jobs saved and/or created so far. Obama's goal is to have 3.5 million jobs being saved or created by the end of this year, and it seems to be going in that direction so far. This just lets people see that this stimulus plan maybe be good for the country because everyone knows that there has always been the issue withnot enough jobs and people not having a job, but now its changing and so far 650,000 is the number. In my opinion, I do think that Obama can make this "goal" of his happen, and he will. If he's got the number to be this much already, then what's to say it won't go up? I have faith.

Crazy Father Struck his Daughter and Friend with his Car

This girl, Noor, and her friend, Amal, were ran over by a car by Noor's dad, Faleh. They are Iraqi's and because the father Faleh thought that his daughter has become too "westernized," a.k.a "Americanized" and not following in their own traditional and cultural ways. And because of his assumptions, he got angry and decided to hit them with his car in a parking lot. I think this was pretty ridiculous. I myself am Muslim but my mother doesn't go around hitting me with her car because I am "Americanized," there's nothing wrong with that. Yeah i understand he wants her daughter to keep her tradition and practice that, and so do mines but living in America, it helps living by the custom ways sometimes. She's young, and sometimes depending on people it's hard to be accepted if they're all covered up, unless if they are of the same race. I kind of feel like I am just ranting on, but what I am trying to say is that it was wrong for him to what he did. He should love his daughter no matter what.

A Horrible Mother...

On October 27, police found a 7 year old boy covered with blood in a dry van while his 2 year old baby brother was laying dead outside of the van; both with slashed throats. Their mother was the one who did all of this...can anyone believe that? And sadly she has been planning all of this; buying the knife and duct tape ahead of time, and waiting for her husband to be out of the house going to his yoga class. What kind of mother would do this...and why? It was pathetic how she tried to even kill her own self, and even write a note, lying that someone ELSE was hurting them, and pretending she was saying her last words before a "the killer" finished them.

Reading this article got tears in my eyes...i felt for the little 7 year old boy who lived. Hearing him speak on the tape was depressing, and it disgusts me when the mother, while hearing it too, was upset. If she feels upset for hearing what he said why the hell on earth would she have done it in the first place? I just never understood why any person could ever do this; and i don't understand how parents, especially a mother, could ever do this to their own kids, their own flesh and blood.

I am hoping that she does get convicted of first degree murder and it not going to "oh she has mental problems" because I feel she deserves to be in prison for life WITHOUT parole.

Halloween in San Francisco!

San Francisco is allowing people to come down to celebrate their Halloween, but Police Chief's don't want people to come drunk, armed, or show disorderly content in public, like urinating just anywhere. They aren't holding a "Halloween Bash" down there because in the past, people got injured or killed because of people and their stupidity. So they aren't risking it and gave out a reminder: don't bring a gun.

Statistics show:

"In 2006, the last time the city had a sanctioned Halloween party in the Castro, nine people were shot. In the two years before that, a total of five people were stabbed.

In 2007 and 2008, the city had no major outbreaks of violence. Gascón said at a news conference that he wants to build on that success."

Chief Officials want to mantain the success of no outbreaks occuring and are just simply not having a "bash" but they still want people to come down to San Francisco and have a good time having fun.

Mt. Diablo School District Going Tech

By 2015, the Mt. Diablo School District is going to have more computers in their schools. They want at least 60% of their students to know how to use computers and proficient in technology use. They want their students to know how to use the technologies of everyday life, especially since everything seems like it is going to be "high-tech" in the future. I think this is a good thing because since how everything in the world seems to be going, which is everything becoming technical, everyone is going to need to know how to use that stuff, and actually KNOW what they are doing. Without the knowledge of using this things, what can one do? They will just seem behind, and with how the economy is, everyone is going to start needing to actually have an education and graduate out of high school with high grades to get anywhere, and know how to work with "new" computers that will eventually be made.

Fight on the SF Muni

Mind Break!!!

I thought this was pretty crazy, and kind of ridiculous at the same time, check it out:

Students: Better Eating

Schools are urging the foods being served in the cafeteria to contain more wheats, veggies, and foods with less calories. Now I have two feelings towards this idea: it would be a good idea, and then it could not be.
The reason why I think this is a good idea is because when schools contain foods of a better value to the students, it can encourage them to eat the better foods, and it will possibly reduced the obesity rate over some time. One by one more people will go for the healthier foods, and when friends see other friends get the healthier foods, they'll want to go for it too.
But on the other hand, the reason why I don't think this idea will be very effective, is because no matter what food a school will serve, and the strides they take to better their foods, it all depends on the student. If the student doesn't go for the healthier food, what good does it make? You can't force someone to eat better, they have to do it on their own. I know myself, yeah my school has salads, and deli sandwiches on wheat bread, but I barely get those. I eat the salads sometimes but I go for the cheese pizza almost everyday. So it is all up to the individual whether or not they want to better their eating and shift to a more healthier way.

Stanford: Going Green!

Stanford University has decided to "go green" and change their ways of energy consumption.

Joseph Stagner said:

It will cost about $250 million over ten years to make the changes to the campus.

Yes it will take time for the changes to come into effect, but it's a new and more proffiecient step towards improving the Earth. If each State College and University did this, a difference would be made and the Earth will feel this difference. And starting now would be a good idea since it's going to take a while for all the changes to be made anyways. Doing this, the amount of dirty wasteful gas and greenhouse gases that have been going into the air will reduce. Start making a difference to our Earth now before it's too late.

"Balloon Boy"

Now almost everybody knows about the family who lied about their "lost boy" who flew away in a hot air balloon. I think it was so stupid on the parents part to embarrass their kids and humiliate them in public and to the media like this. And now they are having charges pressed against them. Was this all worth putting their kids through? The possibilities of their kids not having their parents? I don't think so. They did all of this just because they wanted their own reality TV show; i guess them appearing on "Wife-Swap" just wasn't enough. They got the taste of reality TV, having the spotlight on them and the taste of "being famous" and "Entertainment," they wanted more; it's just like sharks, once they get the taste of blood, they just want more.

Human Made "Sweat Box"???

In Arizona, a sauna-like "sweat box" was created, and many people participated. So far, 3 people have died from this, and 18 people have been injured.

The Sheriff's officer said:

Participants spent up to two hours inside the sweatbox, a dome-like structure covered with tarps and blankets

I think it is ridiculously stupid to do something like this. Why risk your life if you could do the same thing and probably have a better treatment and outcome by paying some money to do this "professionally"? The maker of this took the lives of 3 people and injured many others; is that seriously worth it? My advice to you: if something has already been invented and made to your convenience, use that and don't act mindlessly and create your own, especially when it is already available.

Reckless Teen Driving

Four teens were speeding and ended up crashing into the backyard of someone's house in Concord. And all of the boys were 18 years old, and one was 17. They are all young, and acting immature trying to "be cool" driving fast and what not. And look what happens, they get in an accident. That's why they post speeding limit signs everywhere for a reason. Maybe they should bump up the age limit of being able to get a license from 18 to 19; maybe the drivers would be a little more "mature." If kids just followed the limit, they would prevent hurting and risking the lives of themselves and others who are in the car with them.

Bombing the Moon!?!

NASA wants to bomb the moon?? It's a crazy idea...but yet effective. NASA is going to be sending two things at the moon: first they are going to send a rocket to blast a part of the moon, then send a spacecraft that is going to capture what happens after the rocket hits. They are hoping to expect water/ice to come out from under the moon. Hopefully bombing the moon doesn't hurt it in the end. But I think this is a good way to see what truths the moon holds, but is it worth $79 million? Especially during our economic struggle at the moment? I kind of feel like they should have waited a little...
But at the same time this is a very fascinating experience that will lead to finding new things out about the moon. Hundreds of people are gathered in places and have been camping out all night to experience this moment. I know I wish I was over at Mountain View, CA right now with the rest of the people out there that are going to be enjoying a miraculous sight.

Here is a video that will show an animation of exactly how the plan is going to look like:

Gangs in Chicago

The gang issue in Chicago is worse than everywhere else in the world.

U.S. Marshall Ed Farrel says:

"There are more gang members per citizen in Chicago than anywhere else in the country"

In Chicago, 5 people in just one day get arrest for drug-dealing, and they were all gang members. Being in a gang doesn't make a person seem more "cool" or "strong" it just makes them seem like an individual with a lost cause. Like a chicken with no head. They don't know what their purpose in life is, and they never really know that. In some cases, people who fall into being in a gang didn't have a stable family life. They act through violence and fear. Parents need to show love for their children more often. If home isn't stable, tell them you love them. We don't need more people steering themselves in the wrong direction when deep down they all have potential; they have the potential to be something great, but just aren't reaching for it.

Throat Slashing at UCLA

There has been an incident in this chem building down over at UCLA, where one student, a guy, slashed the throat of another student, a girl. The guy has been arrested. The man could of done this from too much stress? I don't know but if that turns out to be the case, don't make it too hard on the student? I mean this wasn't even a hard class. This was just an organic chemistry lab. People who take this usually just have a good time and meet new people because they have to work in groups, what is stressful about that? There is not much to say about this, but people need to open their eyes to what is going on around the world. And they need to see and know about these kind of things. Situations like these should not go unknown, it is something one must be informed about. An innocent life has been taken, and I highly doubt it was for a good enough reason. And whatever the reason is, it still doesn't give him the right to take another persons life.

Sleeping Sheriff's Deputy Hits 3 Cyclists

In Cupertino, a Sheriff's Deputy falls asleep at the wheel and hits 3 cyclists, one who was an Olympic hopeful 31-year-old Kristy Gough of Oakland, who was the third-fastest, non-professional women's triathlete in the world, and 30-year-old Matt Peterson of San Fancisco were killed. The third was injured but recovered. The mother of Kristy, Karen Clarkson, requested money and Santa Clara County gives her $1.2 million. Reading this is very depressing, innocent people died from someone not getting enough sleep. And the girl who was very athletic and hoping to be in the Olympics. Just goes to show how precious life can be. I think in order to prevent future incidents like this from happening, the law that allows truck drivers to be allowed to drive a certain amount of hours and are ORDERED to stop and sleep, should apply to police officers. Yes it is a job where an officer needs to be there when requested, but there are others on shift. Unless it is something major and threateneing to thousands of lives, give the officers a break and let them get some hours of sleep.

The Police are Over Doing It - Stopping Innocent People

Police in the big cities of New York are having a "law-enforcement practice" which basically, they "stop-and-frisk" innocent civilians who they "think" seems suspicious. But the unfair thing is that the main people they tend to stop are mostly Black and Hispanic men. The amount on people they stop and frisk have risen up to about 1 million people a year. And sadly, statistics show that while the amount of people being stopped and frisked are rising, the actually amount of crime rates are dropping. The police in my opinion should not just stop whoever they "think" is doing something bad or seems suspicious, and they especially should not stop a certain race just because they are being stereotypical. They should only have the right to stop people who actually seem suspicious or if they have a REALLY bad gut feeling about the person. Other than that, it is scaring the people who are being stopped, and making them feel bad about themselves, making them think that they actually did something wrong. Innocent people should not have to feel that way, ever.

Troubles for the Indonesian People: High Death Toll...

Southern Sumatra, Indonesia experienced an earthquake, and by Monday the death toll rose up to about 608 and around 1,000 people are said to be missing. On the news I heard that about 300 people attending a weeding and they all died of a mudslide...very depressing. I think more people should be helping out over there with finding the Indonesian citizens that are missing. Government officials should do something about it. Giving the Indonesian people more support will probably raise their spirits up, even if it is just by a little. A little makes a difference.

2016 Olympics in Chicago?

Barack Obama flew over to the Olympic committee only for a day to convince the committee to allow the 2016 Olympics to be held in Chicago, Illinois. Financially though, Chicago will face a problem since it requires a lot of money, but Chicago is well prepared with stadiums and a lot of space to build. Everyone says that Obama only wants it there because that is his hometown, I mean that could be a reason too no doubt but not the only reason; there is a lot of space there. And think about it, if the U.S. is able to hold the 2016 Olympics, I think financially, we be getting in a LOT of money. People from all over the world will be flying to America to stay here days and attend the Olympics. And staying here they are going to have to spend a LOT of money; hotels, food, and a bumch of souveniers. I think hosting the Olympics in america is a good idea.

The South Already has the Swine Flu

As the nation is getting ready for the swine flu outbreak, the South is already dealing with H1N1 cases. To treat many children, possibly hundreds a day, that need assistance, they have been setting up tents where they will treat them at, as seen in this picture.

As Dr. James C. Turner said:

"It's spreading everywhere. It's a typical flu season, but the thing that's so bizarre is it started in late August."

It's kind of scary that the South is already experiencing the swine flu. It just goes to show that it's getting worse, since it's "spreading everywhere," and is coming sooner than it should be. The West needs to start preparing for the worse soon, so the flu doesn't just hit us and we aren't ready and prepared for it.

Facebook Bashing of the President

On Saturday, a kid made a survey on the social network Facebook about Barack Obama: "Should Obama be killed?" The choices: No, Maybe, Yes, and Yes if he cuts my health care. The Secret Service got heavily involved because, well that's their job, they didn't want to take any chances. They talked to the family and they determinded that they had no potential threat against the president, that it was just a poll. What kind of rude behavior is this? Yeah "it's just a survey no big deal" but is it really necessary? It just goes to show what kind of people we have in this world. Just because you hate someone doesn't give you the right to be going around posting unmoral things.

U.S. and Iran Talk Nuclear

The U.S. and Iran had a "nuclear talk" in Geneva, Switzerland, and this was their "first encounter in years of big-power attempts to persuade Tehran to freeze a program that could create nuclear weapons." And at the same place, the bilateral talks were outside the main meeting, and the U.S. and five other world powers were hoping to at least persuade Iran to discuss their nuclear program and their refusal of freezing their uranium enrichment efforts. I think Iran is being a little insensitive and over dramatic. The U.S. just wants a chance to ask questions and discuss issues, not make them accept and start changing right away, they just want to state their side, what's wrong with that? Nothing is going to happen out of the conference right away, and Iran should know that. The U.S. just wants to come up with an agreement of what they all should do, and think is right.

The Withdrawl of Troops from Iraq

By October, the military will be sending 4,000 more troops home. And this man, Army General Ray Odierno called for "strategic patience" while they are withdrawing more and more troops out of Iraq because, "Iraq is making steady progress, but has a long way to go." In my opinion, I think it's a good thing that more and more troops are being brought home, because personally I don't like the war and don't like the fact that it's even going on. The 4,000 men that are coming home, I'm pretty sure more than half of them are going to have post-traumatic stress, and this is why I hate the war. A lot of people that come home from the war are no longer going to be able to live normal lives, because they just don't know how. And sadly, they just become too depressed or just don't know what to do, and some commit suicide. Is the war that worth it? To ruin their health? I'm not saying this happens to all, but for a lot. So in my opinion, I think they should call off the war and bring all our men home. They have worked at this long enough.

Invading the Privacy of Spanish Prime Minister's Daughters?

It became a big issue when the Barack Obama and his wife took pictures with the Spanish Prime Minister, his wife, and his daughters, especially his daughters. That is because they have never had any photos of them published, so the Spanish government freaked out and had the pictures removed, but of course some were leaked, and are out there, at this one for example. The Spanish government actually has a law that prohibits photos of them being published because they have "concerns on the issue of the privacy of world leaders' children in the digital age." What is there to be afraid of? Nothing bad can happen to a person through a picture. Even Senator John McCain's daughter Meghan thought that the Spanish governments reaction was a little too much, and she felt bad for the daughters because, of the way they were dressed, they were being called "goth." I think the government overreacted and shouldn't have a LAW saying photos of them can't be out there. The kids are safe and seeing how they look won't cause an attack on them. Yeah I get they are just worried about them and their safety, but really, what's the worst that could happen?

Can the United Nations Move On?

President Barack Obama is leaning towards a new era in global relations by "urging the United Nations to move past old divisions and disputes to reassert itself as a leading force in confronting the most pressing issues of today." In my opinion, trying to get past the old issues and disputes and starting over is a good idea. Why hold on to the past? What happened has happened and you can't change it, so why keep a grudge? If the United Nations is able to let go of the old issues, i then think they would have a chance to be main leaders again and in charge. But as long as they keep grudges, they won't get anywhere, nor will America and other countries. America, and other countries, won't prosper or grow as a nation.

Expecting Too Much Out of the Health Reform?

This is a chart of the inflation and the premium increase we will be expecting if the new health reform is accepted and passed. If the new health reform passes, a lot is going to be expected coming out of it. The 3 differences that we will notice are: insurers are likely to face new rules about who they have to cover and limits on how much they can charge. Consumers will be able to buy coverage on a new "insurance supermarket." And coverage will be expanded and made more affordable for many. Now I don't know if I like the idea of the new rules on who they cover, I mean people are people, and all deserve the same rights, but they might be pointing it at illegal immigrants? Either way, if someone needs help, they should receive it, there's no limit on a life. But being able to buy new coverage isn't a bad thing. It gives people more options to chose from, and possible not making one too crowded or overpopulated with too many people. And the last idea, making it more affordable, now I think that's a great thing. There are people out there that may need help, but aren't able to seek it because they don't have enough money to afford paying for the bill. Making it more affordable will bring people in, which will increase the number of people joining, and increase how much money governments will receive from the people out of this.

Senate Votes to Triple Aid to Pakistan?

The Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act of 2009, introduced by Senators John Kerry of Massachusetts, and Dick Lugar of Indiana, authorized $7.5 billion in non-military aid to Pakistan over the next five years to foster economic growth and development, and another $7.5 billion for the following five years. But now the Senate Foreign Relations Committee have decided to triple that amount by adding $1.5 billion per year. What are they thinking? President Barack Obama just said in a speech that the US can't fix the world yet they turn around and do this, give money to another country, who already has enough going to them. The US is sending out more foreign aid instead of using it to help America, our own country. And where is all this money going to come from anyways? Oh yeah, our pockets. The U, and Obama, shouldn't be saying that the US can't fix the world if they are trying to. And the money should be put towards us trying to get out of our debt.

The Imperial Sugar Co. Just Doesn't Care

The Imperial Sugar Co. in Savannah, Georgia knew about the explosive dust they had on their site. But last year in Feb. 7, 2008, the refinery experienced a disaster, in which those explosive dusts ignited into dust-fueled fireballs, and ended up killing 14 workers and injured 36, several with horrific second- and third-degree burns. The problem with this is, in a report Thursday 9/24/09, they found "warning" labels at the site informing them of these explosive dust hazards, and memos from the 1960's, and the managers and workers of this refinery ignored them! They even experienced small fires and didn't even bother to check that out. One would think maybe the managers by then would have taken at least a glance at what could be causing those little fires to be started, but no. What really ticks me off is that all those innocent people could have never had this happen to them if they had payed more attention and had weekly, or just even monthly check ups of their supplies and resources to see if they are safe, even their equipments. People can be so careless to what is going on around them, and overlook things thinking "oh nothing bad will ever happen" but when something does, they will feel guilty for never doing anything about it, and possibly could have prevented the worse from happening, especially to the victims who died or were seriously injured.

Nuclear Free World

At the the U.N. Security Council meeting on Thursday 9/24/09, the council committed for all nations to work for a nuclear weapons-free world, getting where there are or want without having the need to bomb one another up. Developing nations Russia and China supported this. This resolution calls for stepped up efforts to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons, promote disarmament and "reduce the risk of nuclear terrorism." Hopefully this will work, but all nations and developing countries must commit to this in order for this to work. It is in the making, but more steps on this issue need to be made if we want the idea of a "nuclear weapons-free world" to be successful. Nuclear weapons in my opinion are pointless because it doesn't just get rid of the certain target governments or countries are aiming for, but kills thousands of innocent people. And on top of that, killing those thousands of people, they sometimes don't even kill who they wanted to "eliminate" in the first place. Hoenstly if they think using nuclear weapons and bombing innocent people will make the other country give in and surrender to "stop the madness," your wrong. It'll just make them want to fight back, in revenge. And then it just never ends.

Barack Obama speaking on behalf of this. A clip of what he said at the council meeting and what the reporters think of it:

Friedman: Increase in Population?

In the words of Thomas L. Friedman, writer of "Hot, Flat, and Crowded," said "the world population will likely increase by 2.5 billion over the next 43 years, passing from the current 6.7 billion to 9.2 billion in 2050." This is bizarre because the more increase in population, the harder it is going to be to support the people who are going receive social security. The people of the baby boom that are now old enough, over the age of 65, that are going to receive social security, Generation X, the generation after the Baby Boom, have not yet contributed enough money to support them. And it is obvious that each generation from here on is going to increase by what Friedman has said, and that it is just going to make the gap of supporting people who are going to receive social security bigger.

Barack Obama's Speech on Schools: Receives Major Criticism!

Barack Obama has been getting a lot of hate for wanting to give a speech towards schools and kids about staying in school and being a better person, working hard and focusing in school, doing the best you can. It is ridiculous how much criticism he is getting for doing even what other Presidents in the past have done, like Ronald Regan in 1988. I think there is an issue with racism here, that is why there are so many people against him and bashing him at everything he does, especially when he tries to appeal to the public and talk about an important thing: children and their education in schools, is there anything wrong with that? I shouldn't just say racism..but also it is because the fact he is "taking to the kids like if they were his own." Doesn't it just show that he cares about the people as much as he cares for his own kids? I mean when you think about it, it is true that kids need to be educated because by the way the economy is, in the future one might not get anywhere without an education. It is only just going to get harder.

See here, a video of political analysts talking about this issue, how there was no uprising at past presidents doing the same exact thing and the RIDICULOUS amount of hate and criticism he is receiving for no reason, for something he is only trying to make schools and children better, for their future:

Problems With The Bay Bridge: Cracks & Curves?

San Franciso is a beautiful place, a lot going on, a lot to enjoy and see, and it is the home of the Bay Bridge. But the bridge is having a lot of complications! Saturday they announced that they found cracks in the bridge, and now this article is saying that there is a new problem they found that was never there before, a curve. Well a curve is not very safe, because if going to fast, accidents may occur. They should not be opening the bridge if there are still isses and problems with it.

Worst Month For Stocks: September

It is pretty scary when stocks are going down a lot more than normal. It is the "month of meltdowns" for businesses and groups in the stock market, like Nasdaq for example. Saying that September is going to be the worst month is not something you want to hear, because it can worry the people, but the businesses and groups of the stock market are saying this because of how much they are losing in the first week of September already. I am worried how this economy is going to turn out.

Unemployment Is Going Up!

The increase in unemployment is scary. People becoming homeless and living on the streets always makes me feel bad for them, wishing there was something to do to help them. But the unemployment rate has been increasing heavily but there is not much we can do, the economy is down. It worries me about what will be available in the future, and how much worse is it going to get.

Man Quits His High Paying Job & Puts Hope Into Prison Job: Safe From Unemployment?

This man, Michael Hester, gave up his job because he thought taking one up in a governmental corrections officer at a prison would keep him safe from unemployment, well he was wrong. People shouldn't give up a job for a government job because prisons tend to close, and spaces become tighter. If you have a high paying job, and even though you think changing jobs for a different one because you think it'll be more stable, rethink that choice. Stay where you are because you'd have a higher chance of being safe.

2 out of the 4 prisons in michigan closed, and Michael was working in one that closed. This is a photo of one of the now abandoned prisons.

Stimulus Money Being Put To Waste

The places where stimulus money is being put and spent is really for unnecessary things. The money should be towards things that would help the economy or the government, or even the environment, not on a reach in freezer.

Here's another one, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spent about $51,500 on 9 new "mascots" to promote safety and such. Well yeah i mean promoting safety to the young with ideas, such as animals, will appeal to the young yes but, as said before, the money should be put to things in much more of a need than silly animals.