Man Found Four Days After a Car Crash

Four days after a car crash in New York a man was found in his car. He was seriously injured, but still alive. His 2005 mangled BMW was found surrounded by trees and tall grass. Police had him airlifted to the Albany medical center. The man had been reported missing and he was found by tracking his cell phone to a tower he was by. His family and friends had been searching for him since Sunday. Police were amazed that he survived for four days after such a horrible crash. I think this is amazing too. He must have had a lot of perseverance and strive to survive.

Cited Source: CNN NEWS.COM

Kid Burglar Shot

A 5th grader in Brunswick Georgia decided to break into a house with two of his friends. They were supposed to be swimming at the local pool but decided to do otherwise. Police don't know why the boys chose this specific house because the owner's had both of their cars visibly parked in front of the house showing that they were home. The man of the house had a gun, and when the three boys broke in two of them ran but one didn't. That boy was shot by the home owner. He was shot once in the back and died as a result of the injury. At a press conference the boy's bother said she didn't blame the home owner for what happened. She gave a short message to all kids to listen to their parents and do what their parents tell them. Her son didn't, and as a result of his bad decision he was killed. Police won't release any other details as of now. I can't believe a 5th grader would break into a house. I don't think I even really knew what they was or what it meant to break into a house when I was in 5th grade. The mother of the boy seemed like a very kind and responsible woman so maybe the boy just got mixed up with the wrong group of friends. I feel that parents should keep a closer eye on their children, especially at that age. Kids do a lot of stuff at a young age these days; stuff kids never did when I was that young.

Cited Source: CNN NEWS

U.S.-Mexico Border Not as Dangerous as Thought

Studies are now showing that being a border patrol police is less dangerous than being a police officer in any regular town or city. Politians keep saying how we need more help at the borders, when in actuallity we don't. It's actually not nearly as dangerous as it once was, or as everyone is making it seem. Not to say it's not dangerous at all because we all know it is- studies are just showing that it's a lot less dangerous now than it has been in past times. The top four large cities in America with the lowest crime and violence rates are all in border states: San Diego, Phoenix, El Paso, and Austin- according to a new FBI report. Recent reports show that last year approximatly 3% of border patrol police were injured where as approximatly 11% of street police were injured on the job. This really surprises me because I always the the border would be the kind of place that would always be extremely dangerous no matter what time of year it was. It's great to hear that it's a lot safer now; if it's true that is. The president of Border Control says that illegal immigration has settled down because the U.S. is in a recession so they really have no good reason to come here right now.

Cited Source: MSNBC.COM

Ohio Couple Arrested on Terrorist Conspiracy Charges

A couple in Ohio was suspected of giving thousands of dollars to a mideast terrorist group. before getting caught the couples had planned to conceal 500,000 dollars so they could ship it to a terrorist group in Lebanon. The terrorist group they are accused of transfering money to is called Hezbollah. The couple faces more than one charge some of which being "conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years, and a fine of $500,000 upon conviction. The couple remains in custody until Tuesday when they will face the judge at their hearing. The husband in the couple had even traveled to Lebanon in March to start arranging how the money transaction would play out. I'm so glad that the police caught this couple. Stuff like this is soo ridiculous especially after things such as 9/11 happened here in the U.S. it seems like we always have to be watching our backs for shady people like this couple.

Cited Source: MSNBC.COM

BP's attemps to stop oil leak failed

BP caused one of the largest (if not the largest) oil spills ever to occur here in the U.S. They have made numerous attempts to stop the leaking, but all attempts have failed. They can't even think about getting the spill cleaned up when the leak isn't even stopped yet. It is noted that if the spill isn't contained that the oil will continue to leak into the ocean until August. So many people's lives are being affect by this incidents. Fisherman cannot make a living because they can't fish to sell for a profit. Animals are also dying because of the affects of the oil. I feel that we should not be drilling for oil in any type of water enviroment. I feel like we should only be drilling for oil on land. If we had an oil spill on land it would be much easier to clean up than it is now when it's all in the water.

Cited Source: CNN NEWS

Toxic Before Birth

Research shows that there isn't enough being done to protect unborn babies from toxic chemicals before birth. The Grays are a couple who had been trying to have a child, but kept having miscarriages. No matter who many times they tried, each pregnancy ended in the same result. As many couple do they wondered if chemicals in the enviroment were effecting their chances at carring out a full pregnancy. A study showed that hundreded of mothers are giving birth to babies with chemicals in their bodies. Studies are also showing that the level of chemicals that are in the babies body when born is related to how many health problems the babies have at birth. This is really scary. We have a lot of pollution in the United States, and I feel that this might be unavoidable. It will be interesting to see what more studies come up with on this subject, and if researchers come up with any kind of solution.

Cited Source: CNN NEWS

Peanuts Banned From Airplanes?

Airlines are working on a plan to ban peanuts from flights. The Department of Transportation argues that so many people have allergies to peanuts that they may just ban them all together. People are leaning both way on this subject. Some people feel that it's a great idea, and then there are the people on the other side that think it's a bit ridiculous. The Department of Transportation said it's considering the following options:

"1) banning the serving of peanuts and all peanut products by both U.S. and international carriers on flights covered by DOT’s disability rule;
2) banning the serving of peanuts and all peanut products on all such flights where a passenger with a peanut allergy is on board and has requested a peanut-free flight in advance; or
3) requiring a peanut-free buffer zone in the immediate area of a passenger with a medically documented severe allergy to peanuts if passenger has requested a peanut-free flight in advance."

To me this is a little outrageous! I think they're taking the whole peanut allergy thing a little too far. I guess I should try and put myself in the footsteps of someone who has a severe peanut allergy, but I still think it's a little ridiculous. I would of never guessed that the DOT would come up with a suggestion like this. People of the public can comment on this at regulationroom.org

Cited Source: CNN NEWS

Fisherman's Wife Breaks Her Silence

Kindra Arnesen is her name. She's decided to break her silence with the whole oil spill/fisherman's getting sick problem. Her husband David often calls her when he's out on fishing expeditions, so she wasn't surprised to get a call from him the other day. This call was different than most thought; he was calling to tell her he was sick. He told Kindra that several other men on the boat were sick too. They had symptoms such as dizziness, vommitting, and head aches. David believes that the vapor from the oil spill is infecting fisherman's bodies. BP is paying David to help clean up the oil spill since he cannot make a living fishing right now. Kindra was scared to talk publicly about the illnesses because she didn't want to "bite the hand that was feeding her family" People don't want to talk because they're scared, I don't think they should be scared. I think they should speak freely about it because it's BP's problem and they need to get this fixed a lot faster than they are.

Cited Source: CNN NEWS

Jobs and Welfare Blog Entry

The government began tracking Welfare in 1975. We have had the Welfare Reform Program for 10 years now, and the number of TANF cases has decreased. Before we put the Welfare Reform plan into action the Government would just hand out cash with "no strings attatched", This was called AFDC or Aid to Families with Dependent Children. Now the Government will still hand out money to families in need, but the money must be used for specific things such as education or food. According to this article more single mothers have been getting jobs. People making 19,350 or less per year with 4 or more individuals in their family are considered to be living in poverty. Policy Makers and Citizens have reached different conclusions on whether they think the Welfare Reform has been a good change or a bad change.
I believe the new system "Welfare Reform" is the better way to help families in need. We can't just be handing out money to families and let them spend it however they want because there are families who will take great advantage of that and waste the money. Also, before the Welfare Reform the more children women had the more money they would recieve. If you think about this, if a woman had 1 child and knew she would recieve at least another $100 dollars per month if she had another child the woman would keep having children in order to increase the amount of money recieved per month. This is promoting a bad system- The women can't even take care of their 1 baby yet they will have more just to recieve a little extra cash each month. Obama doesn't agree with Welfare Reform however, an infulencial political official who does is Mr. Tim Pawlenty. Welfare Reform is on Pawlenty's list of issues he is working on.

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Mom Drugged Cranky Daughter

In Yelm Washington a mother admitted to placing a percocet pill in her 9-month old daughter's formula bottle because they baby was "cranky as hell". Percocet is a narcotic pain reliever that contains oxycodone, and is very dangerous for anyone under the age of 18. The baby started making gurgling and would not wake up. The baby was flown to Tacoma Washington and she had stopped breathing. court papers state. “The victim was in such a state that the medics had to insert a line directly into the baby’s bone marrow as the baby’s veins were in a state of collapse,” court papers state. Gatlin (the babies mother) entered a not guilty plea Tuesday to her initial charges – unlawful distribution of a controlled substance to a person under 18 and third-degree assault of a child. This is absolutely horrible. If she can't handle a baby crying then she should have never had one. This poor innocent child had no say if what happened to her and now she's dead. The mother really doesn't seem remorceful, and she is never allowed to have contact with any children again.

Dad Walking Cross-Country for Charity

56 year old John Conte is walking Cross-Country to raise money for wounded troops and their families. His goal is to raise $50,000 for Fisher House to help it build more "comfort homes." Such homes provide housing for injured soldiers' families near a hospital where their loved one is recovering. There is at least one Fisher House at every major military medical center. I'm going to have at least five pairs of running shoes," Conte said. "I've got two pairs of hiking boots, and I'm going to sleep occasionally in the car. Sometimes I'll camp in a tent, other times I'll stay in a motel or hotel." He began training by walking five miles a day, he said. "But that quickly went up to 10 miles a day, and since October I've been doing 15 to 18 miles a day." Conte will make the trip solo, using his car to help map out his route. "I'll drive 20 miles ahead each day, walk back 10 miles, then turn around and go back to the car, making it 20 miles total." I think this is such a cool thing for a person to do! He is basically giving up his whole life to give more to injured troops and their families. I think it's really special that he is thinking about others first rather than himself. Most of us only think about ourself first and not the others who are fighting to save our lives.

Mayor Found Shot to Death

The Mayor of Washington Park, Illinois was found shot to death in his car. The vehicle he was found in was found smashed against a tree. He was taken to the local hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival. John Thorton (the mayor) was shot twice in his chest at close range. McAfee is the lead detective on the case and he says that Thorton had been driving home around 5:30 A.M. after his second job. It was said that Thorton stopped to pick someone up that had been roaming the streets. McAfee says this wasn't uncommon for Thorton because he often patrols his town's streets and helped people in need. After Thorton was shot the suspect fled the scene immediately and got into what is noted as a Red Chevrolet. Police believe this was a robbery attempt since he had a computer system inside his car. Thorton leaves behind his wife, 6 children, and at least 10 grandchildren. This is really sad. It's pathetic that people are willing to take another's life for a petty computer sytem and other such things. Nobody deserves to die like this, and I hope they catch the gunman soon since they already have the driver of the getaway car in custody.

SeaWorld Trainer Dies Due to Killer Whale

40 year old Dawn Brancheau was a trainer at SeaWorld. She was working on training a 12,000 pound Whale named Tilikum. She was with Tilikum in knee-deep water. The Whale got very aggressive and started to attack Brancheau. After seising her the Whale drug her deep under the water. The resucers could not immediately get to her because of the Whales aggressive nature. The Whale had to be coaxed into a separate small pool so they could get to her. 40 minutes after the attack her body was finally retrived. "The autopsy report by the Orange County, Florida, medical examiner's office says Brancheau's spinal cord was severed, and she sustained fractures to her jawbone, ribs and to a cervical vertebra, in addition to the drowning." This Whale is blamed for two other deaths also, one in 1991 and one in 1999. People should not be working with animals of this nature. Especially ones that are blamed for two other deaths in previous years. They are meant to be in the wild not trained and around humans. I think training of Whales should be banned here in the U.S.

Man Let Go Due to Medical Marijuana Use

Wal-Mart has a policy that if drugs are found in your system while random drug testing, you will be fired even if it is doctor prescribed. A Wal-Mart employee in a Michigan store (Joseph Casias) who got the award for Associate of the Year in 2008 was fired because Marijuana was found in a random drug test done on him. He was a hard-working dedicated employee who has Sinus Cancer, and a brain tumor pressing on his skull. He was prescribed the narcotic to relax him and ease the pain. 14 of our states here in America have now made it legal to use medical Marijuana if prescribed by a doctor; Michigan is one of these 14 states. I feel extremely sorry for this man. I believe Wal-Mart was definitely in the wrong when it came to firing Casias. You cannot descriminate again an individual for using Marijuana when it is legal, and prescribed by a licensed physician. If you were sick and in extreme pain, you would take the medicine that would make you feel better- that's what Casias did, it just so happens the medication that helps his illness is a narcotic. A legal one though- Wal-Mart should have to pay him a large sum of money for the damages done not only financially, but emotionally.

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HealthCare Blog-

Personally, I am on the fence when it comes to this issue. I'm glad that the bill was passed, and that the government is finally making some progess with the whole situation. It felt like we would never get anything resolved before. However, I feel that it should not be the law that everyone must have it. What if someone doesn't wish to have it? We all have rights, and it feels like they are kind of taking those away since we have to have Health Insurance, or pay a fine. From what I've heard people my age will get it for dirt cheap though, which is definately a positive, but everyone's idea of cheap is very different based on their income and living situation. Once I hear more, or find out more about it then I feel I will be able to take a definite side, but for now I'm still weighing out the positives and negatives.

Prom Cancelation Due to Gay Rights Controversy

Constance McMillen is a high school student in Mississippi; She is also a Lesbian. After expressing her plan to attend her high school's prom with her girlfriend the school faculty denied her the right to go to prom. Constance was also planning on wearing a tuxedo to express her Gay Rights. After being turned down from her school's prom she went to U.S. District Judge Glen H. Davidson. Constance pleaded that her first amendment rights were being violated by not being able to wear a tux to the prom and go with her girlfriend. Judge Davidson agreed and ruled that her high school MUST allow her into the prom with any date she wishes and wearing anything she wishes whether it be a dress or a tuxedo. McMillen's high school had something to say about the judges ruling; or I should say something to do about the ruling. Her high school canceled the prom completely which was scheduled to proceed on April 2nd. I think this is extremely ridiculous. You wouldn't tell someone they can't go to prom just because their skin color is something other than white, so why would you tell someone they can't go to prom because their sexual orientation is something other than straight? I feel this was blown way out of proportion and something was made out of nothing. And to make the whole situation worse, the school completely canceled the prom because the ruling wasn't in their favor. If you are this prejudice what kind of example are you setting for all the other kids at the school? Not a very good one..! I feel that the teachers at the school need to grow up and act like adults and accept each person for who they are, and embrace their uniqueness and originality. We are all equal, and nobody is better than anybody else.

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Issue #2- Spending What We Can't Afford

One current issue in the United States is the government spending money that we don't have. If we exceed the budget it's called a budget deficit. This means that the government must then borrow money, which worries many people including economists. When the U.S. treasury has to borrow money they are competing with other people and businesses for loans which can raise interest rates and make it difficult for Americans to borrow for private investment. Borrowing money puts the U.S. in debt and we have to pay interest on that debt. Our current debt is estimated to be around 12,500,000,000,000 and growing. Our deficit is said to run around 1,500,000,000,000. The new "paygo" or "pay as you go" rule states that new mandatory spending proposals or tax reductions must be offset by cuts in other mandatory spending or by tax increases to ensure that the deficit will not continue to rise. The goal is for the deficit to go down, but if it doesn't go down we at least need it to stay the same. Their is however, another viewpoint on "pay as you go." Critics of "pay as you go" say it's not as simple as the government is making it seem, and as easy as Americans think it will be. Critics say the White House has a long history of waiving its requirments, and that they believe "pay as you go" will not be the quick fix individuals think it will be and that in the long run it will not lower our national debt/budget deficit.

I believe that the "pay as you go" law is a good idea. I know it will not magically make our debt disappear, but it's the first of many steps. If we don't do something now our country will go down the drain completely. I feel that we need to have another plan(s) to get the national debt under control. The problem is so large that this one little plan is not enough to get the job done. I think our country is great, but it could be so much more than it is now if we had freedom from the budget deficit and national debt. It's kind of a common sense law if you think about it. Don't dig the hole any deeper! Many people feel that it's now impossible to pay off the U.S.'s debt, but just like anything else I feel it's worth a shot. Trying is better than not, and it can't do any harm when the plan is to better America. The government is spending all the money on things such as the current and past wars, human resources, and general government. President Obama believes in "pay as you go" and here you will find his views and the views of others on the issues of govenment spending. I think the scariest thing for Americans right now is knowing that there isn't a whole lot they can do about it. They are basically forced to sit back and go along for the ride.

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Shoveling as Related to Health

Every year numerous states get snow, whether it be a lot or a little. Thousands of people will find themselves shoveling at some point in time each and every Winter. It is believed that tens of thousands of back, shoulder, and even heart injuries come from this. Yes, heart injuries. Believe it or not, hundreds to thousands of individuals have heart attacks each winter due to shoveling. In a study, it was estimated that nearly 70,000 people recieve a shovel-related injury bad enough to visit a docor each year. Studies show that about 25% of those visit the Emergency Room and 900 are admitted to the hospital. Just think about it, the cold weather, slippery surfaces, and exertion needed to get the job done are a hazzardous combination. Suzanne Steinbaum said "Snow shoveling is one of the most high-intensity exercises you can do." One might not think about snow shoveling as anything major but these are all things to take a minute and think about. You use all of the major muscle groups in your body while shoveling, so make sure and take the time to shovel correctly and safely, and never exert yourself more than you feel you can handle.

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Toyota Recall

Most everyone has heard about the massive recall Toyota issued back in November, it's always on the news and the recall continues. An estimated 8.1 Million Toyotas have been recalled since November when the chaos started. The problem is said to be gas pedals sticking to the floor mats in all different model Toyotas. Toyota's sales have plummeted a whopping 16% in the past month of January. Despite the current situation, there are those loyal fans out there who are sticking by Toyota's side. They say they have never had any problems and until they encounter one they will stay loyal to the company. One woman interviewed stated that she has owned around 30 Toyotas throughout her life time, and that all four of her children also drive one. She said her and her family love Toyota and won't stray. She said the recall doesn't scare her. Of course, there are always the people on the othe side of the situation who are very scared- with great reason to be. Either way the company has suffered a blow in sales and reputation- Only time will tell if they will be able to recover from the mishap.

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Haiti Survial Stories Come as No Shock

Hundreds of individuals in Haiti are being found alive days after being burried beneath rubble-like substances without food or water. Doctors that are in Haiti helping to treat all victims after the Earthquake are actually saying that these people's strength to pull through surprisingly isn't shocking to them. Doctors are saying that people can actually go "10, 12, 13 days without really having a problem." It especially helps if you were already healthy to begin with before such diasters occur. The body can endure more than most would think, and of course will have many issues after a situtation like this but with rehydration can become stable and get back to normal living. One might think that you would want to rehydrate the vicims very quickly, but that is a very bad idea. Rehydration should be a slow process, and if done too quickly the body may become overwhelmed and you can actually do more harm. I think it is awful that such a tragedy has occured, but it is inspiring to hear all of these wonderful stories about people surving such conditions and the millions of dollars that have beend donated to help get as much relief as possible!

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