Harvard Bomb Hoax

Harvard is known for being one of the smartest and most prestigious schools in all throughout the United States.  On that note, there was a bomb threat by a student attending Harvard University at around 8:30 Monday morning, right as students were taking exams before heading off for a long Christmas break.  There are several theories yet to as why this student did so but authorities mainly suggest that the student’s main goal was to disrupt students taking exams.

Eldo Kim, a twenty year old student attending Harvard University clearly had things going for him; that is until he anonymously emailed Harvard campus police warning them of shrapnel bombs in four buildings.  The buildings were quickly evacuated just minutes after around 9 in the morning.  After learning that the whole thing was just a hoax, students were sent back to classes to resume taking their exams.  As for Kim, his plan of not taking the exams was successful because he will not be allowed back to the school or anywhere near the school anytime to soon.

Something like this doesn’t quite add up though; why would a student like Kim, who had the intelligence to attend Harvard, be so ignorant to think that he could get away with a bomb threat which put several hundreds of students’ lives at stake.  The best solution to the situation would have been to study for the exams that he knew he would have to take. There are still missing details to the case and Kim is sure be in a lot of trouble.  Luckily the whole thing was fake and there weren’t actually any bombs.  It was unlikely that a college student would have four bombs put into four different buildings around campus, but hey you would be surprised at what kinds of things 20 year old college students from Harvard do.

The judge ordered him to live with his uncle in North Carolina or his sister in the Boston area and told him to stay away from the school.  Kim was released earlier in the week on a 100,000 bond and faces up to five years in prison and up to $250,000 in charges.  In the end Kim got what he wanted, which was not to take the exams and even more good news for him, he won’t be taking any more exams at Harvard for as long as he lives.  Hopefully Kim doesn’t have any other brilliant ideas anytime too soon.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/2013/12/18/harvard-student-ordered-stay-away-from-campus-after-federal-court-appearance/51baSmxXPeIpCy2dzVVvXP/story.html

"Harvard Student Ordered." N.p., 17 Dec. 2013. Web. 20 Dec. 2013.

Mega Millions Jackpot Tops $600 Million

The second highest jackpot in lottery history, 648 million dollars, has finally been won.  There are two lucky winners who both take will home over 120 million dollars after taxes are taken out.  One of these lucky tickets was sold in San Jose, California and another in Atlanta, Georgia.  What will the winners do with all these millions of dollars and will it be put to good use?

The odds were previously one in 176 million but after recent changes the odds greatly increased to 1 in 259 million. Just to put that into proportion for you, if every single person in the whole United States pitched in two dollars, it still wouldn’t be as much as the Mega Millions jackpot.  Even if everyone in North America pitched in a dollar to the pot it still wouldn’t even come close to the Mega Millions jackpot.  Also, the two lucky winners now have a net worth of 120 million dollars which is almost the same as artist Miley Cyrus.  You are more than 1000 times as likely to be killed by an asteroid or comet as you are to win the Mega Millions jackpot.  Also, you are equally as likely to win the Mega Millions jackpot as you are to be getting struck by lightning and eaten by a shark at the same time.

The Mega Millions jackpot was so large because they made it a lot harder to win the jackpot.  Each week someone doesn’t win the jackpot, the money accumulates until someone finally wins, and nobody has won the jackpot since October.  But why would people from Mega Millions want to make it much harder to win the jackpot.  One good reason for the change one might suggest is because it makes the jackpot a lot higher and therefore the winner will get a lot more money.  This can also be a bad thing because I am sure people would rather have several people who won a decent sized jackpot instead of one person winning one tremendously large jackpot.

One main question is still in the way, what will these lucky winners will do with their money.  If you were lucky enough to win, despite astonishing odds, there would be so much you could do with your money you couldn’t control yourself.  You already have more money than most movie stars and a lot of professional athletes.  Hopefully these winners put their money to good use, meaning they donate a large portion of the fortune.  It is already a given that they will go out and buy a large mansion and a few sports cars.  If you had that much money, why not help out the community, full of the very people who helped you make your millions.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/18/us/mega-millions/

Hanna, Jason, Joseph Netto, Holly Yan, Chris Friedman, Christine Romans, Pamela Brown, Julie In, Devon Sayers, and Eliott C. McLaughlin. "Georgia Woman Claims Half of $648 Million Mega Millions Jackpot." CNN. Cable News Network, 18 Dec. 2013. Web. 18 Dec. 2013.

Phil Robertson Suspended From Duck Dynasty

Would you be mad if you got in trouble for speaking your mind about an issue based upon your religious beliefs?  This is exactly what happened to hit television shows Duck Dynasty’s Phil Robertson.  Robertson made several comments to GQ magazine remarking his religious views about homosexual people, which caused him to get into trouble and be kicked off Duck Dynasty.  Robertson’s claims that he was just remarking his religious values, but whether or not he was doing so, it still made several viewers unhappy which is ultimately what matters.

Robertson made several remarks about homosexuals, first saying "Start with homosexual behavior and just morph out from there. Bestiality, sleeping around with this woman and that woman and that woman and those men”. Robertson went on to say "Don't be deceived. Neither the adulterers, the idolaters, the male prostitutes, the homosexual offenders, the greedy, the drunkards, the slanderers, the swindlers—they won't inherit the kingdom of God. Don't deceive yourself. It's not right”.  One last comment that angered several people was when Robertson stated "It seems like, to me, a vagina—as a man—would be more desirable than a man's anus. That's just me. I'm just thinking: There's more there! She’s got more to offer. I mean, come on, dudes! You know what I'm saying? But hey, sin: It's not logical, my man. It's just not logical”.  These disturbing and hurtful comments made by Robertson are stirring up a large debate and many are questioning if he should have been kicked off of the show or not, which in my view, he should have been.

If Robertson were to have one anti-gay comment that wouldn’t have been as derogatory to the homosexual community, I’m sure this whole situation wouldn’t have caused such a huge deal.  Instead, Robertson made several vulgar comments which led to him getting terminated from the show as well as angering several viewers, which is the last thing any television show wants.  Several people angered by the harsh comments stated that Robertson really knew nothing about homosexuals and knew nothing about what the church believed about homosexuals.  A&E decided that it would be best for Robertson to be completely cut from the show because of his negative comments.  Although Robertson was very popular on the show and was loved by several of the viewers, making comments like he did and upsetting a lot of people caused to large or a problem which would and should have ultimately led to him being let go from the show, as he was.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/chi-duck-dynasty-phil-robertson-sounds-off-on-gays-20131218,0,6319736.story

"'Duck Dynasty's' Phil Robertson Suspended for Comments about Gays."Chicagotribune.com. N.p., 19 Dec. 2013. Web. 19 Dec. 2013.

Miley Cyrus Candidate for Person of the Year

Miley Cyrus, the daughter of Billy Ray Cyrus, acquired much of her fame from her the Disney show “Hannah Montana”.   Miley has been getting a lot of public recognition lately, and not particularly for them best reasons.  Being caught several times at parties doing things she shouldn't be is just one of the main reasons she’s been getting so much attention lately. Now what’s next for her but being up for Time Magazines’ Person of The Year?

Time magazine is of the most popular magazines in America and has done their Person of the Year since 1927; when Charles Lindbergh won for being the person to fly a plane across the Atlantic Ocean.  The Person of the year doesn't necessarily have to be a person that has done something helpful towards the world, but rather has done something big to be known around the world.  A prime example, in 1938, Adolf Hitler won Times Person of the Year, notorious for the mass genocide or Jews and several other victims.  The very next year in 1939, Joseph Stalin who was the leader of the communist party in the Soviet Union won.  These two are great examples of people winning for doing horrible things, but were notorious around the world.  However, Miley may not be as evil as Hitler and Stalin, but she has made some bad choices which is giving her the great amount of attention that perhaps she wants.

I can admit, Miley has had a rough year, when her dreamy boyfriend Liam Hemsworth broke things off with her, but haven’t we all been heartbroken as times? Most people think this is what set her on the edge to chop off her hair and start getting into drugs and alcohol at a young age.  In her new album Bangerz, she makes several references to drugs.  In her popular song “Wrecking Ball” which is even more popular for her music video, she is shown without clothes covered only by a wrecking ball, and also is shown licking a hammer.  Perhaps the song is a reference to her breakup which is what several people are saying, but it is still rather vulgar.

As of Monday, Miley was in the lead with 20.2% of the votes but since then her lead has narrowed.  Several people would be please with Miley winning the Person of the Year award but on the other hand, there are a great amount that would be disappointed.  Many people think by having her as a Person of the year will make kids look up to her as an influence which most parents wouldn't be too proud of.

http://poy.time.com/2013/12/02/miley-cyrus-leads-times-person-of-the-year-poll-with-3-days-left/

"Person of the Year." Person of the Year Miley Cyrus Leads TIMEs Person of the Year Poll With 3 Days Left Comments. N.p., 2 Dec. 2013. Web. 15 Dec. 2013.

Nelson Mandela Fake Sign Language Interpreter

Nelson Mandela, famous for many things but mainly for the tremendous amount of good he has done for the world.  He made several contributions to the world and was South Africa’s very first black president.  Mandela died December 5^th, 2013 of a lung disease at the age of 95.  Many would think that because he was one of the most influential and helpful people in all of Africa, as well as around the world, that there should be a proper ceremony of his death.  The remembrance was several hours long and was televised all over the world.  Many people were in attendance, including Barack Obama, but they were lacking one major thing: a legitimate sign language interpreter.

The man who was hired to be an interpreter for sign language for the televised remembrance or Mandela seemed to be making up several gestures and it raised a lot of commotion on the news. as well as online.  Many people became angry that the man did not even know sign language and that he was standing up looking like a fool, making the ceremony look unprofessional.  The South African government admitted that the man lacked the qualifications it took and that he should not have been on the stage at all.  Not only did he make himself and the ceremony look foolish, he made it unfair for all of the disabled people who wanted to watch the ceremony,, but could not.

Now, several days after the ceremony, and many people have settled down about the ordeal, several people are starting to joke about the man.  There has been a skit of Saturday night live imitating the man.  The skit is hilarious, showing a man in the back as President Obama is speaking. The interpreter is making the incident seem a lot worse than it actually was, which made it funny for the viewers.  Several other people have posted videos of the man on YouTube from the ceremony, along with several other YouTube videos making fun of the man.  The video of him even made it to the popular and most view page on YouTube at one point.

All jokes aside, Nelson Mandela was a great man that made several great contributions to the world throughout his life.  Next time there is going to be a ceremony to remember a significant person they need to make sure that people are actually legit and know how to do the job they are being paid to do.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/12/nelson-mandela-sign-language-interpreter-error-south-africa-government

Smith, David. "We Made Error over Nelson Mandela Sign Language Interpreter – Government." Theguardian.com. Guardian News and Media, 12 Dec. 2013. Web. 15 Dec. 2013.

Beyonce Releases New Secret Album

Beyonce, a popular hip hop music artist kept her new album a secret until the day she let it out.  Only a select few knew about the album which was kept a complete secret from all of her fans.  The album has 14 songs and 17 music videos all completely new and never before seen.  There has already been over 400,000 copies of the album sold just a day after the release.

Beyonce is an extremely popular not only for being a great music artist but also for being a positive role model for everyone, unlike a many other celebrities.  Beyonce has several charities in which she donates hundreds of thousands of dollars of her great fortune too.  This is the very first time that Beyonce has released an album without anyone knowing and it’s getting a lot of attention.  The idea of this is very intelligent for several reasons. First, Christmas is right around the corner and people are still out doing last minute shopping for loved ones.  Therefore the album will be the perfect gift for Christmas for many people because Beyonce is such a popular music artist and is widely known.  Secondly because it doesn’t have any suspense for her fans that would patiently be waiting for her music to come out.  Instead when she released her secret album all of her fans get really excited and go out and buy it and that is exactly why so many copies have sold already.

The billboard said that her album is so popular already that it will likely reach the number one spot by next week.  The album was even stirring up a lot of commotion on social media websites like twitter and face book.  It was a trending topic on twitter throughout most of the day on Sunday.  There were 1.2 million tweets about the album in just 12 hours which is 100,000 tweets an hour.  The album also was the most talked about thing on twitter since July when the movie “Sharnado” movie came out.

Just after the album came out, 2 of Beyonces songs ranked number one and two on the itunes charts.  The album isnt quite at the number one spot yet but it is getting there and will be soon.  Many other artist have done something like this also.  In 2011, lady gaga release her album born this way for just 99 cents on Amazon for 2 days.

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/entertainment/beyonce-keeps-new-album-secret-until-day-of-release-over-400000-copies-sold-already

"7NEWS - Beyonce Keeps New Album Secret until Day of Release; over 400,000 Copies Sold by Sunday - Entertainment Story." 7NEWS. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Dec. 2013.

Famous Actor Paul Walker Dies in Car Crash

Paul Walker was one of the main characters in the famous car racing movies “Fast and Furious”.  Walker was in Southern California Saturday when he died in a horrible car accident later that day.   He was in the passenger side of his good friend Roger Rodas 2005 Porsche Carrera GT when they lost control and ran into a light pole.  Authorities still have the crash under investigation but know that speed was most likely a factor in the incident.  Autopsies on both Walker and his friend, Rodas, are still being waited on to see if drugs or alcohol played a role in the accident but reporters say that they most likely weren’t the issue.

The two were going for a ride in Valencia, in Santa Clarita, which is just 30 minutes north of Hollywood.  They were driving in a zone with a speed limit of 45MPH and most likely lost control of the car, and ran into the light pole which burst into flames upon impact, completely destroying the car.  The wreckage was so bad that it took almost 48 hours to completely indentify the remains to Walker and Rodas.  Dental records had to be looked up to tell exactly which victim was who.

 The Porsche that was driven in the accident is worth $450,000 when bought brand new.  The vehicle is also said to be extremely difficult to handle, which also could be another great factor that lead to Rodas to lose control of the vehicle.  The car is powered by a v10 610 horsepower engine, which is extremely powerful, which leads authorities to think that speed was most likely a factor in the accident.

Could it be pure irony that Walker supposedly died driving like any fast driving scene in the movie he was in that was still in production.  The accident is very sad because Walker and Rodas didn’t get to say goodbye to their families, because they had no idea of what laid ahead of them.  Their families were shocked and horrified by the deaths on the two men who still had a lot of life ahead of them.

In memory of the two men, people from all around California that owned sports cars drove them together across the state.  The accident will continue to be under investigation for several more weeks as investigators look into further details.  Everyone I know was shocked by the death of Paul Walker and I have heard several people talking about his death for the last week.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/30/showbiz/actor-paul-walker-dies/

Duke, Alan, Alan Duke Reported from Santa Clarita; Joe Sutton from Atlanta. Paul Vercammen, Greg Botelho, David Simpson, and Jackie Castillo Also. "'Fast & Furious' Star Paul Walker Killed in Car Crash." CNN. Cable News Network, 02 Dec. 2013. Web. 08 Dec. 2013.

Black Thursday

Everyone knows about the craziness of Black Friday shopping, whether it be the large crowds of people or the insanely low prices and great deals that the store gives.  However, this year stores are trying something new, black Thursday.  There are several pros and cons to this major change, but many people are getting upset about the change.

This year, many stores opened their doors around 5PM-6PM.  I think that their main purpose in doing so is to avoid the large numbers of people spending the night in tents outside the stores in freezing weather and to avoid people getting up really early in the mornings, therefore making it much more convenient for shoppers.

Having Black Friday on a Thursday this year upset a lot of people because Thursday is Thanksgiving and you’re supposed to be with your family giving thanks for everything in your lives.  Wouldn’t it be contradicting to have people go out pushing people around to buy things on the very same day that they are giving thanks for everything that they have in life?  This is the exact reason why tens of thousands pledged not to go shopping on Thanksgiving.  In order to get the things you wanted, many people would have to come and stay outside all day and would be away from their families for most of the day on Thanksgiving.  This was yet another reason why people were angry that Black Friday was on Thursday this year.

There is another side to this as well; many people enjoyed the shopping on Black Thursday for a few reasons.  First, I think people liked that they didn't have to get up extremely early in the mornings to go shopping. Another reason why shoppers liked having the mega sales on Thursday night this year is because they could get up at a normal time and still go shopping and get the good deals they want.

Black Thursday turned out to not be a huge success due to the large numbers of people who refused to go shopping.  Hopefully next year stores stick to black Friday like how it’s always been for the sake of the stores and the shoppers.

http://money.cnn.com/2013/11/27/news/economy/boycott-black-thursday/

Kurtz, Annalyn. "Disgusted Shoppers Threaten to Boycott Black Friday (Thursday)."CNNMoney. Cable News Network, 27 Nov. 2013. Web. 08 Dec. 2013.

Fast Food Workers in DC Strike

Recently in Washington DC, many fast food workers have are on strike, demanding a higher pay than just $7.25 an hour.  This is not just the case in Washington DC however, several other states across the nation have the same minimum wages.  These fast food workers aren’t even really making $7.25 an hour, but more like a high 6 something an hour; that is if you include all of the state and federal deductions taken out of each paycheck.  Fast food workers finally decided that enough is enough and went on strike, demanding a higher pay.

Fast food restaurants have been notorious for low wages, and usually just pay workers at the set state minimum wage.  The lowest minimum wage in the nation is a whopping $6.25 an hour leading to Washington State which has $9.19 as the minimum wage.  Fast food restaurants make primarily make their money by making their product for an extremely cheap cost to them and then charging a high mark up on the product to generate a large profit.  It may not seem like they mark up prices much because the cost of making the food is already very low.  Another way the fast food restaurants can generate such a large profit is by paying low wages to their workers.  The reason people work at these places is because they demand little or no skill or knowledge and is primarily manual labor, therefore uneducated people or young teens can work at these places as a source of income.

I myself work at a place which only pays the state minimum wage to employees.  I never really hear people complaining about the pay because the majority of my coworkers are still in school, like myself.  Many of us don’t mind the low wages because we are all just glad we have a job and a source of income too either save up for collage or to spend on certain things.

Obama has proposed a set national minimum wage of $10.10 an hour, but that has just been a proposal and nothing that may happen anytime soon.  Many agree with this proposal because it will help several workers, including themselves, by gaining a larger income.  The people who disagree with the proposal side this way because it would only cause the restaurants the raise their prices and therefore anger customers and have a dramatic effect on the economy.

Many strikes like this will continue to happen across the US in the future and there isn’t much the companies can do about it.  There are several benefits to having the workers work for small pay but also negative effects as well.  For now, the businesses are generating a tremendous profit and therefore will continue to pay their workers at the set minimum wage.

http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/Latest-News-Wires/2013/1203/Fast-food-strikes-and-protests-planned-for-100-US-cities

"Fast-food Strikes and Protests Planned for 100 US Cities." The Christian Science Monitor. The Christian Science Monitor, 03 Dec. 2013. Web. 08 Dec. 2013.

Feds Take Further Look into Kendrick Johnson Case:

Finally, 10 months after the mysterious death of 17 year old Kendrick Johnson, a federal investigator is taking a further look into the case.  The teen mysteriously died last December in the gym of Lowndes High School in Valdosta, Georgia.  Kendrick’s parents and family members have been strongly pushing the last 10 months for the case to be reinvestigated.  Kendrick was found dead last December, when his body was discovered in a rolled up gym mat.  His family had been suspicious that someone has murdered Kendrick, and was just trying to cover up the evidence.

To me, it sounds fairly obvious that if you found someone’s body rolled up inside of a gym mat, that they had been murdered.  I don’t think it should have taken authorities almost 10 months to realize that this was no accident.  Although it took a while, Kendrick’s family is still very thankful the case is under investigation.

The body was found on December 11^th, almost 10 months ago, which was wedged into a rolled up wrestling mat in the high school’s gymnasium.  Blood had soaked his face, shirt, pants, hair, and even started to spill out between the mats.  Within just 24 hours of finding the body, the local police department ruled that they thought there had been no foul play.  This seems like way to little time to know for sure if it was an accident or not.  Police should have talked to his friends, family, and teacher to know more about Kendrick before they could make such a curtail judgment call.  There had even been blood stains on a nearby wall, which police said was unrelated to the case.  Shoes that Kendrick were wearing were not even taken as evidence which came as a huge shock.

The family’s lawyer also suspected a violation of civil rights, asking local investigators if they took Kendrick Johnsons case seriously enough.  Authorities replied by saying that they did try their best to find out what happened, but simply couldn’t get enough evidence.  The Lowndes county police ruled that the case was merely nothing but an accident, and put the case aside. Kendrick’s mom later said that her, along with her family, are very happy that the case is being reinvestigated and that all they have ever wanted to know was the truth behind Kendrick’s death.  Police first believed that Kendrick had suffocated while reaching for a sneaker he dropped, but authorities are now thinking otherwise.

Doctors went back after performing an autopsy to perform yet another one to see how Kendrick died, but found his organs had not been replaced.  The body had been stuffed with newspapers, leaving the organs nowhere to be found.  This added onto the family’s suspicions, angering them more to uncover the truth.  Kendrick’s story was spread all over by his family and the news, and was eventually put under reinvestigation which made Kendrick’s family extremely joyful.  The case is just staring to be reinvestigated on the federal level and new clues will soon be discovered.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/31/justice/georgia-gym-mat-death/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

Pearson, Michael, Michael Pearson Reported, Wrote From Atlanta; Victor Blackwell Reported from Valdosta. Devon Sayers, and MaryLynn Ryan Also. "Federal Prosecutor Will Look into Kendrick Johnson Case." CNN. Cable News Network, 31 Oct. 2013. Web. 31 Oct. 2013.

LAX Gunman Targets TSA:

Anthony Ciancia was the man who allegedly opened fire inside of the Los Angeles International Airport this Friday.  Later is was discovered the man didn’t target anyone but the airports TSA agents.  A handwritten letter was later found in a bag at the airport that was written by Ciancia.  The letter that was later discovered was clearly written by Ciancia authorities said, and went into depth about who he was targeting and was said to be a suicide note as well.

The hand written letter was found in a bag at the airport which was said to be dropped by Ciancia.  In the letter, he said that he planned to kill several TSA agents at the airport and said he wanted to “instill fear on your traitorous minds”.  The note addressed his hatred toward TSA officers.

Ciancia entered the airport just after 9am Friday morning wearing dark clothes and armed with a pistol.  Authorities still know nothing about the driver of the vehicle. When Ciancia first entered the airport he shot TSA agent Gerardo Hernandez at point blank range, then fired again, killing him.  Hernandez was the first TSA agent killed since 9/11, when the group was formed.  He then walked through crowds of people in panic, asking them if they were TSA or not.  Police made it to Ciancia where they shot him in the leg, then in the head.  He is still in critical condition at a local hospital.  If Ciancia lives, and is found guilty, he will face life in prison or even the death penalty depending on what the verdict is.

The note that was written by ciancia and found in a bag at the scene resembled a suicide note.  The note also shared Ciancias hatred toward the TSA and explained how he didn’t want to hurt anyone else.  The thing that doesn’t make sense is why he had this strong hatred toward the TSA in the first place.  What had they done to enrage him so much when they were only trying to make people safe?

Ciancias background is being investigated and they already know a lot about the man.  Hopefully he makes it out alive and goes through a fair trial.  Then he will receive the penalty he deserves and will be locked up for the remainder of his life.

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-lax-shooting-gunman-kill-tsa-agents-20131103,0,6151093.story?track=rss#axzz2jcYZSvHo

Mather, Kate. "LAX Shooting: Gunman Wanted to Kill Several TSA Agents, Complaint Says." Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 03 Nov. 2013. Web. 03 Nov. 2013.

Many Killed as Thai Ferry Sinks:

Near a tourist resort named Pattaya, just off the coast of Thailand and overcrowd ferry boat sank.  So far, 6 people have died and another 15 people were seriously injured.  Three Thais, two Russians, and a Chinese were killed after the ferry sank.  Among the people injured there is a Russian boy who is in critical condition.

The ferry is has two stories, to hold a large number of tourists, but this can be really unsafe in the event of an emergency.  The ferry had engine issues which cause the boat to sink while off the coast of Thailand.  The ferry had several people on board, making it hard for crew members and emergency boats to be able to help everyone on board.  In addition, there weren’t even close to as much life vests of the ferry as there should have been.

Some people had to hang onto coolers, ice containers or even parts of the boat before rescuers could make it.  Some weren’t as lucky and didn’t have anything to hold onto, and were stuck treading water.  The boat not having enough life vests makes it seem like they don’t really care about the safety of the people on board and only care about making a profit by packing their boat full of people.  All of these boats and ferries need to have more than enough safety vests and other equipment needed to ensure that nothing like this should happen again.  There should even be a law that says that they should have to have enough safety equipment for everyone or they shouldn’t be allowed to go out.

Television cameras were capturing the moment as safety boats were taking people to safety.  There were several ambulances on shore helping those who were in need.  Some people weren’t saved soon enough, and six were killed from the accident, leaving many more injured.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-24796181

"Several Killed as Thai Ferry Sinks off Pattaya." BBC News. BBC, 03 Nov. 2013. Web. 03 Nov. 2013.

Nevada School Shooting:

The tragedy happened right before the morning bells rang for class, when several students were on their way back to class, returning from their fall break.  It was early this Monday morning, at Sparks Middle School in Nevada, where a student opened fire, killing a teacher, and wounding two students.  The student stole the handgun from his parents and brought the weapon to school.  After opening fire, the student put the gun to his head and took his own life.

Sparks Middle School, located in Nevada, welcomed back several students from their week off during fall break.  Right before school started and the bells rang, students ran out of the school in terror, after realizing that the pops they heard were from a semi-automatic pistol.  The shooter wounded two students and took the life of a math teacher.  After this, the shooter put the gun to this head and shot himself.  Authorities are still trying to uncover why exactly the shooter did this and if they were targeting anyone specifically or just going on a shooting spree.

Mike Landsbery was the math teacher at sparks middle school who was trying to help out when he was shot dead in the tragedy early Monday morning.  The teacher was actually a marine and served in Afghanistan.  The brother of Mike said that Mike was probably trying to talk to the shooter and trying to get him to put the gun down.  He also added that he was a great teacher that was loved by all of the kids and was always willing to help them out with anything they needed help with.

One girl that was interviewed said that she knew the shooter and said that the was actually a really nice kid who would make you smile often.  She also added that he would buy you something to cheer you up.  The two students that were wounded were said to be friends of the shooter.  This makes you wonder if the kids did something to the shooter and he decided he wanted to bring gun to school.  It seems weird that the shooter would shoot two of his own friends.  The girl said that she thought the shooter had been bullied in the past.

Another student said he was walking out of the cafeteria after eating breakfast when he saw the student with a gun.  He said that he saw the teacher trying to get the shooter to put the gun down when he heard a pop, then ran back to the cafeteria, then heard another pop from the gun.  An emergency dispatch team says that the teacher was shot on the playground.  The two boys who were injured, were in stable condition Monday night.  One boy was shot in the shoulder and the other was shot in the stomach.

This is not the only shooting this year, there have been several others across the United States.  Since there have been several shootings this year at schools, people are trying to figure out how these can be stopped. There is no way to stop them for good, but that doesn’t stop people from thinking.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/24/justice/nevada-school-shooting-survivor/

Elam, Stephanie. "'Please Don't Shoot': Wounded Survivor, 12, Recalls Nevada School Attack." CNN. Cable News Network, 25 Oct. 2013. Web. 25 Oct. 2013.

Chris Brown Arrested for Assault:

Chris Brown is a very popular song artist and many of his songs or featured on the radio.  Brown was in DC because he performed at the Howard University Homecoming party Saturday night.  Brown was arrested early this Sunday morning outside of his hotel in Washington DC.  Brown was said to be in “physical alteration” late Saturday night outside the hotel.

Chris Brown and a man named Christopher Hollosy, were both taken into custody after allegedly assaulting a man who is still unidentified at this point.  The victim of the assault was taken to a nearby hospital where he was later released and in stable condition.  The run in was said to be around 4:30 AM early Sunday morning in front of the W Hotel in Washington DC.

Police said that there were no weapons involved but they are still investigating the case.  There is still no motif as to why Brown and Hollosy beat the man but it is still being investigated as well.  Brown and Hollosy are to remain in custody until Monday morning when they have a court appearance.

This, however, is not Chris Browns’ first assault charge.  In June of 2012, Brown was in a fight with another music star named Drake.  Chris brown and his posse were arguing with Drake and his posse, when someone that was with Brown started to make death threats.  It was then said that a fight broke out and a bottle of alcohol was thrown by Brown, which hit drake in the face leaving a nasty cut.

However, there is yet another assault charge that Brown has gotten that I can think of.  In 2006, when Brown was dating another popular music star, Rihanna, he assaulted her as well.  The argument started in the car on the way home from the Grammys when brown stopped the car and Rihanna threw the keys out the window.  Brown responded by choking and beating her until she was unconscious.  Brown was just 19 at the time of the incident, Rihanna was 20.

Brown has had a brutal past with violence and he still obviously hasn’t learned his lesson.  You would think after so many assault charges he should get some help to deal with his aggression and anger.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/chris-brown-arrested-in-dc-on-felony-assault-charge/2013/10/27/88739970-3f17-11e3-9c8b-e8deeb3c755b_story.html

Marimow, Ann E. "Singer Chris Brown Arrested in D.C. on Felony Assault Charge."Washington Post. The Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2013. Web. 27 Oct. 2013.

Mass Stabbing in Brooklyn:

A woman and four children were stabbed to death late Saturday night inside a Brooklyn apartment.  A man was in custody, who police believed to be the killer, and was being questioned Sunday morning.  Police are still unsure as to why or exactly who killed the woman and 4 children.

The youngest of the 5 killed, was the mothers 18 month old boy. Nine and six year old girls were found already dead on the scene when paramedics arrived. The 37 year old mother and an 8 year old boy were found unconscious but in critical condition.  The two were rushed to a nearby hospital, but doctors were unable to save them.  The names of the 5 victims still have not been released to the public.

The father came home later that night and had to be told about the stabbing and witnesses say that he was hysterical.  A neighbor said that he always saw the four children running and down the street, playing and laughing, so it was heartbreaking to hear about the stabbing.

People at the scene would describe it as chaotic, with several people and emergency vehicles all around on a small Brooklyn street.  Several police men and emergency responders were there late Saturday night, searching for clues and talking to neighbors or anyone who may have seen or heard anything.

This is just sickening if you ask me or almost anyone else.  I couldn’t imagine seeing a one and a half year old stabbed to death.  It makes you question how evil some people really are in the world.  Then you look at all the eminency responders, police men and women, as well as the doctors and it shows that there is some evil, but there is also much more people that do good in the world.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/27/justice/new-york-mass-stabbing/

Stapleton, AnneClaire. "Mom, 4 Kids Dead in Brooklyn Stabbing." CNN. Cable News Network, 27 Oct. 2013. Web. 27 Oct. 2013.

Federal Government Moving to Ban Medical Marijuana:

Medical Marijuana is the use of marijuana to alleviate symptoms and help treat pain.  Without it, it is said that these patients wouldn’t have any other way to treat their sicknesses.  Certain doctors recommend the use of medical marijuana for treatment of several different sicknesses.  The use of medical marijuana is legal in eighteen states across the United States, as well as the District of Columbia.  The real question is, why isn’t the use of medical marijuana legal in all states if it is the best way to treat people?  Also, why do states and the federal government try and ban the use of medical marijuana all over if it helps so many people nationwide?

Many places are skeptical on allowing anything to do with the marijuana business.  The tax law on marijuana is extremely unfair from both the state and federal government.  Also most banks won’t allow the businesses open accounts for their businesses.

The main strategy used by the government to try and ban the use of medical marijuana is to put a huge tax on the medicine.  The government cannot completely control if the use is legal or not, therefore this is their only way of regulating the use, in hope of businesses going down the drain.

Another issue that is faced is the legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes or the free use of marijuana to virtually anyone.  This legalization is currently only legal in Colorado and Washington.  Not just anyone can get their hands on it though, there are several laws and stipulations on who can and can’t use it.  You must be 21 and cannot operate a vehicle while under the influence of marijuana.

There are even more tax issues in states where the use of marijuana for recreational purposes is legal.  Under section 280E of the tax code, businesses are denied tax deductions altogether.  This even goes for real costs to the businesses.  The tax part is the biggest of the business worries because the federal government’s efforts could be enough to take down even the largest businesses if they are determined.  Some business are still working on ways to try and go around the federal government but it is extremely hard because several laws can be added and changed be the government.  A bill has already been introduced to prohibit marijuana and allow it to be taxed.  Also the marijuana tax equally act has been submitted and wouldn’t allow any occupational taxes as well as any taxes to workers in the growing field.  Although there is a large conflict and morality issue on the use, it is good people are trying to solve the issue.

http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/view.subissues.php?issueID=000033

"US Government and Medical Marijuana - Medical Marijuana - ProCon.org." ProConorg Headlines. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2013.

Transformers Director Michael Bay Assaulted on Set:

The newest transformers movie “Transformers: Age of Extinction” is set to come out at the end of this June.  This movie is the fourth one and is about a mechanic and his daughter that make a discovery that brings the transformers back.  Thursday, the director of the set, Michael Bay, was approached by 3 men and assaulted.

On the set in Hong Kong, director of the movie, Michael Bay, was approached by three men, who were reported to be brothers and all intoxicated at the time.  One of the men had a welded air conditioning unit and used it as a weapon to try and beat the director.  The man tried to strike Bay with the unit while he ducked and fell to the ground.  The men demanded for and equivalent of $13,000 and Bay refused.  Bay managed to gain control of the air conditioning unit and threw it to the side.  Security immediately fled to the scene and seized control over the three men and arrested them.

What doesn’t make since is how the three men got onto the set.  Transformers movies have been very popular so they definitely have the proper funding for a good security.  It is still unknown how they managed to make it onto the set.  Thankfully security heard the men and fled to the scene and no one was badly injured.

Reporters say that Bay suffered little injuries to the face but denied and medical treatment whatsoever. Although reporters say Bay suffered injuries, Paramount reports otherwise.  In a report by Paramount directly proceeding the incident they say that no one was injured at all on the set.  They also came out and said that they immediately started filming after the men were arrested.  While reporters make a big deal about the run in, Paramount dismisses it as nothing.  They most likely do this because they don’t want anyone thinking there will be any delays in when the movie will come out.

Paramount made a statement later saying that Bay had a “bizarre” encounter with a man.  They also say that the man was under influence of a narcotic substance at the time.  News reports say the man was intoxicated, not under the influence of narcotics.  Paramount also says that Bay avoided what could have been a “serious incident”.

http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2013/10/17/director-michael-bay-assaulted-on-transformers-set-in-hong-kong/

"Director Michael Bay Assaulted on 'Transformers' Set in Hong Kong." Fox News. FOX News Network, 17 Oct. 2013. Web. 17 Oct. 2013.

Mystery Girl Found In Greece:

Just last Thursday, police found a four year old girl with a couple who claimed to be her parents.  The girl didn’t look like the couple’s daughter at all which raised suspicions of the police.  A DNA test was conducted which ended up resulting that the girl wasn’t related to either of the two she was found with.  Police put of her photo in hope someone would recognize her but still no one has come forward.

The girl was first found during the search of a home in Greece near the town of Larissa.  Police officers first because suspicious of the girl when police saw the blond haired and blue eyed girl with very pale skin with a couple with none of those features.  The couple was immediately questioned about the girl.  The couple kept changing their story of how they got the child which led police to believe that she had been abducted.  Later DNA test were taken after the couple were taken in.  The DNA tests resulted in no match between the girl and any of the couple, meaning that they couldn’t have been the biological parents of the girl.  After this, the girl was immediately taken away from the couple and they were arrested for abduction of the child.  The girl was temporarily put under the care of a group called the “Smile of the Child” where she will be looked after until her biological parents are found.

The couple who were first with the girl were arrested and charged with abduction of a child.  The couple was also charged with several counts of falsifying identity documents of the girl.  The woman also had several other fake documents from other children and under the documents is the mother of more than 6 children.  The father has documents that say he is the father of more than 10 children.  The strange part is why anyone would want to have all these fake birth records that the woman has.  Also, where the other children at that she claims to be the mother of is a question that’s still being asked.  Also why the couple would want these children and what they intended on doing with them is what authorities are still trying to figure out.

The girl is currently being helped by a mental psychologist who is trying to figure out what happened to the girl.  The government or Greece had promised to help the child find the rightful parents.  The girls’ discovery leads officials to believe that she has been trafficked or kidnapped.  Authorities will continue to investigate this case to try and find the girls rightful parents and family.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24589614

"Greek Police Appeal over Mystery Blonde Girl." BBC News. BBC, 19 Oct. 2013. Web. 19 Oct. 2013.

Long Island School Bans Balls at Recess:

All schools want to keep their kids safe, especially during recess, but exactly where the line is drawn could be too far.  Webber Middle School in Long Island New York is choosing to ban balls during recess.  Things like footballs, basketballs, baseballs, soccer balls, tennis balls, and anything else that could put a child in danger are being banned from the school.  The school is also choosing to ban games of ‘tag’ and even doing cartwheels because of the possible danger they may have to children.  The only exception is if a coach is peasant, otherwise everything is off limits.  Also, if a coach is peasant, students can’t use anything besides a ‘nerf’ ball.

Although there are benefits to this, there are several negatives to it just as well.  First off, kids aren’t having enough time to just play and be with their friends and do what they want to do.  Isn’t the point of recess to have fun and take a break from school anyways?  Also, there has been several groups and organizations that try and get kids active every day.  An example of this that is seen very often is “Play 60”, which encourages kids to get outside and play for an hour a day.  Although it won’t have much of an effect but child obesity is a problem in the United States and if kids cannot play, they’re not getting the exercise they need.  Now some kids are out for sports so that’s not a problem but that is not the case for them all.

Although there are many negatives to this, there are some positives as well.  Even though it is not common, kids usually do not get serious injuries during recess.  In the schools defense, if a child gets hurt there could be some liabilities to the school.  Ultimately, not letting these kids do these things without regulations is best for the school so it is in their best interest to put regulations on them.

Another thing that this new rule is affecting is the kid’s abilities to learn from their experiences.  Recess is a lot more than just playing around, kids learn life lessons and encounter things that happen in the real world which they will have to learn to deal with and learn from.  Things like kids being unfair, mean, and playing rough is not always fair, but then again life is not fair.  The sooner kids get to realize this is the better.  If the school won’t let kids have a normal recess they’re not just missing out on play time and having fun, they are missing out on learning things that they could never learn in a classroom.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/08/long-island-ball-ban_n_4065353.html

Klein, Rebecca. "Long Island Middle School Bans Balls To Protect From Injuries." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 08 Oct. 2013. Web. 13 Oct. 2013.

Woman has Meltdown on Plane:

On a recent American Airlines flight to Tampa, a woman passenger has an extreme meltdown while approaching their destination on Friday.  The woman, who is still unnamed at this point, began screaming uncontrollably on the flight and wouldn’t seem to quit.  Before she started screaming, passengers say she was walking down the aisles asking people to pray for her mother who had passed away recently for an unknown reason.  Footage taken on the plane shows the woman screaming “God, you’re my savior” for 20 minutes strait, which sounds like a horror film.

While she was screaming uncontrollably on the flight, many people try to calm her down.  At one point the passenger next to her try’s to calm her down and she says “don’t f****** touch me”.  This could have potentially been a big problem for the crew members because they would have had to calm her down and the other passengers, but luckily the other passengers were nothing but annoyed with the woman.  The crew members tried multiple times to get the woman to try and calm down and many passengers were helping as well.

This situation seems very odd and it doesn’t seem like pilots and flight attendants would be trained to handle a situation like this, so it leaves the question, “what do you do?”.

The best things to do would be to remain calm yourself, as well as to talk in a calm voice the whole time.  Also, be alert at all times and don’t let the person make any dumb moves like go toward the emergency door.  Even getting the passengers to help like the crew did was a good idea.  All together, the flight crew still did a good job in helping the woman and keeping the passengers calm as well.

There is a chance that the woman could be charged for violation of federal regulation for having her phone out while they were on their final decent.  She also could be changed with interference with the fight crew as well.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2454299/God-youre-savior--Woman-epic-religious-meltdown-flight-Tampa.html

Gorman, Ryan. "'God You're My Savior, God You're My Savior'!' Woman Has 20 Minute Religious Meltdown on Flight to Tampa." Mail Online. Ryan Gorman, 11 Oct. 2013. Web. 13 Oct. 2013.

Adrian Peterson’s 2-Year-Old Son Dies:

If you like to watch EPSN or try to keep up with any football, chances are you have heard a lot the last few days about Adrian Peterson’s son.  Adrian Peterson, 28, is a professional football player for the Minnesota Vikings.  He is a running back and last year won the NFL’s MVP award.

Wednesday, the boyfriend of the child mother, Joseph Patterson, called 911 around 6 PM with reports of a child suffocating.  When medical dispatchers arrived at the apartment soon after, the child was unresponsive.  Paterson was arrested soon after because markings found on the head that were likely from abuse were found on the two-year-old child.  The child was said to be in critical condition all through Thursday and still into Friday morning in the hospital.  Friday morning at 11:43 AM, the child was pronounced dead, and the Childs name still has not been released.

Adrian Peterson also has another son who is about the same age, Adrian Peterson Jr., and a daughter.  After many people were getting the two sons mixed up, Adrian tweets “My son Adrian Jr. who lives w/ me is healthy. Appreciate the concern. We respectfully ask to stop tweeting his pics.”

Peterson said in a press conference held Friday that he would be playing in this Sundays game and the he hopes to win.  He also said that “football is something I always fall back on, it gets me through tough times”.

Patterson, who was previously charged with aggravated battery of an infant and aggravated assault, now faces a lot larger consequences.  An attorney from South Dakota said that he will be looking at additional charges because of the Childs death.  Patterson could face up to 40 years of prison if he is correctly accused of  killing Adrian Petersons son.  However this seems like a long time, it should be life in prison because whether he meant to or not, he still killed a child and that is something you should go to jail the rest of your life for.

Peterson is very great full for all the help he has been receiving and tweets “ God bless everyone and thank u so much”. He also tweets later, “ thank you for my family, my fans and fans of other teams for their support” as well as “the NFL is a fraternity of brothers and I am thankful for the tweets, phone calls and text messages from my fellow players”. The case is still under investigation and new evidence will likely come up and the right person will surely be accused.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/11/us/adrian-peterson-son-alleged-assault/

Botelho, Greg, Cristy Lenz, and Shawn Nottingham. "Report: Adrian Peterson's Young Son Dies after Alleged Assault." CNN. Cable News Network, 12 Oct. 2013. Web. 13 Oct. 2013.