My Year Overall

I thought for my very last blog I would run down what has happened in my life for the last year.   Oh, where do I start?  Last year at this time I was finishing up classes just as I'm doing now.  I was getting ready for finals, and ready to get the semester over with.  I know you all can relate.  But, you know, that's one more semester down, and that's how we have to look at it.  

I'm only taking 9 hours a semester, since I'm working and taking care of my family, and also taking care of my parents a lot too.  So, I've come to realize that taking these classes has to just be a way of life for me right now.  Trying to think about how much I have left is not good for me to focus on, because it starts to feel like forever.  But, I'm almost 3 semesters down... Yea!

Our daughter, Chelsea, graduated last spring, and she is now living in Nebraska with her grandma, and getting ready to start college in the spring.  We are very happy about that, considering we didn't know if she would even go to college six months ago.  Right after she turned 18 and graduated, she decided to get in with the wrong crowd and really mess up a lot of opportunities.  She lost scholarships, and lost so many of her "true" friends, along with separating herself from those of us who love her the most.  However, we were able to help her move to get a new start, and even though we don't hear from her much, she is enrolled in college and will hopefully find some good friends and good activities to get involved with, and build a new life again.  She is supposed to be coming home for Christmas, so that will be nice.

The first of November our son, Zack, was able to start training with a boxing coach.  He's not affiliated with the school system, but he has been a great coach and is very adamant about his students putting their education first.  He has a rules they must abide by to stay in the training, for instance, he expects them to make good grades, he does not allow his students to get in any kind of fight in school or to bully anyone, or he says they are automatically out.  It's been really good for Zack, he has a new purpose now and he has gotten in such good shape. The only thing is, he just turned 14, and he looks about 16!! Which reminds me of a funny story.  We took him out for his birthday in November to Logan's Roadhouse and the waitress was being rather flirty with him.  When we made reference to it being his birthday, she asked him how old he was.  He told her he was turning 14, and she seemed a little shocked and embarrassed. She was probably 17 or 18. It was pretty funny.

My sister and her family will be coming in for Christmas on the 18th.  They live in Wichita, about 4 hours away.  I think they are getting in late that night, and I most likely won't see them until the 19th.  We are having a get together with my Mom that morning at her house, then later that evening we will have a big dinner at my house, with our Dad and several other family members.  They'll get to stay the night with us one night... I'm so excited!  My husband and I get along really well with my sister and her husband, we have a blast together, so that will be fun.  

My Mom is one seven kids, and we get together with them and their families normally every Christmas Eve.  However, this year they changed it to the 19th of December, which is the same date as the Christmas dinner at my house this year.  So, in some ways I have to say I'm a little relieved we don't have so many things to go to, but on the other hand, it's kind of sad we won't be going.  It will be the first time in many years that we haven't gone.

Another thing I recently found out is going on the same day as the Christmas dinner at my house.... is a wedding.  My little sister, who is turning 18 tomorrow, has secretly planned a wedding.  She doesn't even know that my Dad and I know about it yet.  We are in shock to say the least.  She only told Dad she was moving out that weekend, and somehow forgot to mention she was getting married!!  We lost her mother, my step-mom, three years ago this February, and I've been trying to help Dad with her ever since.  She might have some underlying issues here, not sure.  We have all tried to talk to her about this kid.  He is pretty worthless.  What a mess.  

But overall, I have to say life could be worse.  We haven't had any more deaths in the family this year, close family members anyway.  We have our health, my husband and I both have a job, and I try to focus on counting our blessings.  When I talk to other people, and see that some people have things way worse than we do, it makes me feel very blessed.  

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!

Woman Shoots Intruder During Her 911 Call

This story started with a video released by Fox News that tells of a scary home invasion while the victim is on the 911 call, in which she shoots the intruder and kills him.

Apparently, this took place in Lincoln County, Oklahoma, and the full story is, according to an Oklahoma newspaper, Donna Jackson called 911 and told the dispatcher a man she did not know was at her back sliding glass door, pounding on it at 12:40 am.  Jackson is located on a road just south of the city limits of Cushing.  She was armed with a 16-gauge shotgun.  On the 911 call, you can hear the man pounding on the door and Jackson tells the 911 operator that she doesn't want to shoot the intruder, but she will if she needs to.  The dispatcher, shortly thereafter, heard the glass door smash and a shotgun blast.  The man was later identified as Billy Dean Riley, 53 years old.  He was shot once in the chest and pronounced dead when emergency workers arrived.  Jackson was not harmed.

Jackson said she was home alone and asleep when her dog woke her up.  She turned on the lights in the house and armed herself with the shotgun.  She went into her kitchen and saw a man trying to break in her home.  The man, Riley, apparently saw her and started screaming threats at her.  Jackson told Riley, whom she did not know, that she was armed and on the phone with the police.  Riley then picked up a patio table and threw it through the glass door. At that time, he stepped quickly into the kitchen and Jackson fired once, which hit him in the center of the chest, killing him.

This poor lady must have been terrified!  According to another link on the story, she was so upset, she was sobbing and asking God to forgive her.  I can't imagine how she must have felt. She really had no other choice than to kill this man.  This is what self-defense was created for, using a deadly weapon to protect your own life.  It almost sounded like Jackson was trying to get approval from the 911 operator to kill this man, and, in a sense, she did give her approval. She was very comforting and supportive to Jackson.  I think she could tell this woman was definitely in danger and had no other choice.

It is so ironic that one person has no reservations about attacking a person, with possibly having an intent to kill, and to the other extreme, another person does not want to kill, but is only willing to do so to save their life.  Then, to be so conscientious of what they've done to immediately ask God for forgiveness.   It is so amazing that human beings can be at such extreme ends of a scale.

Well, this man will no longer be able to hurt anyone again.  And this woman, Donna Jackson, should be commended for her calmness, bravery, and quick-thinking.  I'm sure this incident will be in her mind, like a nightmare, forever.  However, maybe someday she can see the brighter side, that life is a cherished thing and that she did something good.

Amanda Knox Is Sentenced and Will Appeal

Just after midnight on Saturday, December 5th, American woman, Amanda Knox, and Italian man, Raffaele Sollcito, were found guilty and convicted of the murder and sexual assault of Meredith Kercher, according to a Fox News Report.  

The jury reportedly deliberated nearly fourteen hours, after an 11-month trial to convict the two. Knox was sentenced to 26 years in prison, and Sollecito received 25 years.  The jury did not, however, give them the recommended (by the prosecutor) life sentences.  The defense believes this just reflects the doubts over the prosecutor's case.

Both are expected to appeal their convictions, and the estimated time to achieve that could be up to five years.  The first of the two appeals will be held in Perugia, Italy, most likely next fall. If that appeal fails, the next step would be to appeal with the Court of Cassation, which is the Supreme Court, and is located in Rome.  This is the process that could take years, up to five, as timing goes for cases such as these.

The two different images the media has put on Amanda Knox has been so confusing to the say the least.  First, she has been made out to be this sex-crazed, hot-tempered, party animal. Then, she has also been portrayed as, and really "looks" as if she is a sweet, normal, young college student who was caught up in the wrong place at the wrong time. 

There are so many things that don't look good for either of these young people.  But, it does sound like most, if not all the evidence is circumstantial, except for the confession by Knox, which she claims was coerced.  However, since the Italian government does not allow taped interrogations, there is no way to know whether the confession was coerced as Amanda claims. 

Also, I have never heard or read anything about Raffaele's interrogation.  It would be interesting to know whether their stories did match up in the beginning.  It is just so hard to tell from the outside looking in whether these two are guilty or not.  If they really are guilty of this, what a horrible shame that they only received 25 and 26 years.  If they really are innocent, that kind of sentence would feel like an eternity.  According to a news story I heard, Italy has a court of "reasonable doubt", which would appear to make a conviction harder, unless there was an enormous amount of evidence.  So, who knows how hard this was for the jury without participating in it, or if they did follow instructions.

It also sounded like from a television report on the Today Show, that another person's DNA was actually found on the victim.  He is a black man, that's all I remember, I don't recall his name.  So if that kind of evidence was brought forth which resulted in a conviction for him (he was convicted earlier this year if I remember right), then why were we not hearing his name all over the media, like we heard Amanda's?  It raises the obvious question, was the media so focused on Amanda Knox because she was the only one of the group accused who seemed NOT LIKELY to do something like this?  Granted, that doesn't mean she didn't do this, and I wasn't on the jury, however, it makes you really think about whether the media focused so much on Amanda, that we couldn't see past her.

If Amanda and Raffaele are actually innocent of these crimes, I hope the true killer(s) come to justice soon.  And regardless of who committed these crimes, the Kercher family lost a family member.  I am sure this will be an emotional holiday season for their family, and my thoughts and prayers go out to them.

Finally Able To Put Up Christmas Decor

For the first time in years I was not able to find time to get out fall decorations and it was so depressing.  I have always been into making my house as homey as possible, and I just love when fall comes around so I can start getting out the decorations and lots of candles and things.  But this year proved different, I didn't know if I could even get out Christmas decorations!  But thank goodness for Thanksgiving break!  

I work only about 30 hours a week and take 9 hours of classes through MSSU, but being married with two children (only one at home though, our daughter is in college in Nebraska), and taking care of each of my parents has made it a little bit of a challenge this year.  However, I decided I would make it a point to not have anything going on after Thanksgiving day this year, and I would clean out my storage room so that I could actually FIND the Christmas decorations, and just spend all day if I had to and get everything out and make it very festive this year.

It was a pretty quiet Thanksgiving Day.  My Dad went to my aunt's in Kansas City, my sister stayed in Wichita to be with her husband's family, and so my mom came to our house.  It was just me, my husband, and our son.  I made a traditional meal with all the fixings, and we had several desserts.  After we ate we watched the movie "The Proposal", which was hilarious! Then our son went to stay the night with his grandma, so my husband and I had the rest of the night to ourselves, which was pretty nice.

So, the next day it was time to do what I had set aside time for, to clean out the storage room.... well, clean out the storage room I did, which was soooo exhausting.  Nonetheless, I found all the decorations and the tree and with my son's help, (bless his heart, this wasn't his favorite thing to do) we put everything out and it looked so great, then I could finally sit down and admire everything.  (After I cooked dinner of course.  lol)  

I love snowmen so I have a ton of snowmen decorations.  Plus, I have a really cool nativity set. But what I'm lacking are outdoor lights; my husband is not very thrilled about putting those out.  : )  Maybe I will try to put them out myself and he will want it done a certain way, so he will end up helping me after all.  

Anyway, overall I feel like this is going to be a great holiday season.  My sister is planning on coming from Wichita, Kansas, and my aunt from Kansas City should be down, plus several other relatives locally, coming for Christmas this year, and we are just having a big chili and cornbread dinner, along with several desserts I'm sure.  So now that I have my house decorated, I will feel much more prepared, and we can just concentrate on just having fun.

I have to admit, I am really looking forward to the semester ending and having a good month long break, like the rest of you I'm sure.  Only two more weeks.... Yea! 

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays everyone!

Autism Treatments For As Young As 18 Months

Laura Schreibman, an autism researcher with the University of California in San Diego, says there's a growing emphasis on diagnosing autism at the earliest age possible, and the study shows that it can pay off with this early, effective treatment.

Children aged 18 to 30 months were randomly assigned to receive behavior treatment called The Early Start Denver Model to be given by therapists and parents.  Some of the others were referred to others for less comprehensive care.  This new therapy focuses on social interaction and communication, which are both very difficult for many autistic children.  Ultimately, the process is for the therapists or parents to repeatedly hold a toy near a child's face to encourage the child to make eye contact, which is a common problem with autism.  They would also reward children when they used words to ask for toys.

The children in a specialized group had four hours of therapist-led treatment 5 days a week, plus at least 5 hours from parents.  After two years of experimenting, the children in the specialized group had an IQ increase of an average of 18 points, versus 7 points in the other groups.

No children were considered "cured" in the experiment.  However, language skills did improve in both groups, again, more so in the specialized group.  Almost 30% in the specialized group were re-diagnosed with a less severe form of autism after the two years, along with 5% in the other groups.

Treatment is very expensive, close to $50,000 a year.  However, some states require insurers to cover such costs.  A group called Autism Speaks is working very hard to expand those laws and encouraging other states to take part.

One of my good friends I've known since first grade had three daughters, the youngest didn't progress like the others did.  They noticed from a young age that something wasn't quite right. The doctors weren't sure what the problem was either.  She did not want to speak, other people made her very nervous, and she didn't like loud noises, so they ruled out a hearing problem. Eventually, they set her up with a speech therapist, which helped some, but there was still not an actual diagnosis.  She was ultimately, however, diagnosed with autism, and to my knowledge, she still has some problems, but they are learning more how to deal with the disease.

Autism was barely thought of 10 to 15 years ago, although now it has been researched and diagnosed in so many children in recent years.  There must have been so many parents in the past who knew something was wrong with their children, but no one at that time could pin-point the problem.  Its so good to know there is more and more research being done on this awful disease, and that some of these children are actually getting better.  Once a few celebrities came out with their children being diagnosed with autism, the research and treatment seemed to take off quickly.  I'm thankful for those who have spoken out about this. Possibly in another few years we can have even more answers, and who knows, someday maybe there can be an actual cure.

State Dinner Crashers Met Obama

Michaele and Tareq Salahi arrived and entered as all the other guests to the White House State Dinner last Tuesday. The difference was, they allegedly were not invited.  According to a CBN News story, the couple not only entered the White House grounds, they also were in the receiving line in the Blue Room with Obama and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, for whose honor the dinner was held, and shook hands with President Obama, but no one took notice at this point.

The Secret Service insists the President was not endangered by a security breach that allowed the couple to enter.  However, there are appropriate measures being taken to ensure this sort of thing will not happen again.  Also, the Secret Service is possibly pursuing a criminal investigation of the Salahi's.

Secret Service Director, Mark Sullivan, made reference to the fact that his agency has screened more than 1.2 million visitors last year to the White House complex, and protected more than 10,000 sites for the President, Vice President, among others, but says, "Even with these successes, we need to be right 100% of the time."

The article also stated some interesting facts about the Salahi's themselves.  Apparently, Bravo Media has confirmed that Michaele Salahi is being considered to play a part in the new "The Real Housewives of D.C." reality show, and was being filmed by Half Yard Productions, the producer of the show, on the day of the dinner.  Half Yard Productions are claiming the Salahi's confirmed to them that they were invited to the State Dinner.  The production company took them at their word and filmed their preparations for the big event.

After researching further, the Salahi's apparently were previously photographed with the Obama's, or it appeared that way anyhow.  One photo taken just days before Obama took the oath of office, shows the Salahi's in a group shot with Obama and some of the musicians who performed at an inaugural concert, which was posted on the couple's Facebook page.  Other photos show the couple in the empty, glass-enclosed box from which the Obama's watched the concert with a caption that reads, "backstage with the Secret Service at the Lincoln Memorial during the Presidential Inauguration."

I guess there are still several questions to be answered involving this incident.  No one is sure what the couple told the officers at the checkpoint that allowed them to go through the security screening, but for some reason the officers that had the clipboard with the names on it, allowed them to proceed instead of calling someone from the White House staff or Secret Service to check out the problem.

This stunt is apparently a federal crime, and if pursued to the fullest extent, the Salahi's could face charges of knowingly and willfully falsifying statements on matters within the federal government's jurisdiction.

One problem is, with all this posted in the media, it looks to our enemies as if security in the United States is a joke.  Hopefully, this will just beef up security in all areas, but the reality is, the Secret Service cannot be perfect 100% of the time as they want to be.  I think they should try to be, however, they are human too, and should be allowed to make a mistake.  At least, in this particular instance, no one was hurt.

Former Hells Angel Finds God

In this story published by Fox News, Richie Kane, a 52-year-old man who is a former Hells Angel, has transformed his life by finding God, and is now even thinking about going back to school to get a college degree.

Kane is a New York native who grew up with an alcoholic father that beat him on a regular basis. He describes an incident where his father beat him with a pair of hedge clippers so bad that his head bled profusely and stuck to his pillow when he went to bed.  He was never taken to the hospital for treatment.  Kane also speaks about being sexually molested by a stranger near some railroad tracks by his home in the Bronx.  Although, he didn't tell his parents for fear that they would blame him.

As Kane grew up, he only knew of one way to rid himself of the agony he was dealing with, and that was to turn to the bottle, just as his dad did.  Another way of escape for Kane was joining the Hells Angels.  But after fighting uncontrollably with other gang members and rivals, he was also rejected by the gang.  His health eventually deteriorated and he contracted Hepititis C. Feeling as if he had no reason to live anymore, Kane turned to the bottle again.  However, this time in a desperate plea, he asked God to show him the good in himself and how to become better.  Richie got his answer.  He claimed through Alcoholics Anonymous, meditation, and looking to God for answers, he says he found strength to forgive his father, the man who molested him, and the gang members who tried to kill him.  Kane was quoted as saying, "They never touched my core being. That's where the light is. There's a part of everybody that's pure that nobody can get to you there."

What an inspiring way to look at life's circumstances.  This man obviously went through so many horrific things in his life, yet even though life was unfair to him, he still found hope in God.  I wonder if any of the former fellow gang members will follow suit and be able to turn their lives around also.

The article doesn't make any reference to what went on with his mother during those years, or where either of his parents are now.  However, it does mention that Kane wrote a book entitled, "The Bronx Kid: Into 12-Step Recovery".  A more detailed version of what he went through, and where they are now, is most likely described in the book.  He claims that the book is a way of passing on the hope he has now embraced.

I'm sure he will reach so many people with his book and his story.  These days it's hard to find people that aren't looking for a better or higher purpose in life.  Hopefully Mr. Kane can live a much happier life now that he himself has found a higher purpose. 

As I stated earlier, Richie Kane is planning to go to college and get a degree.  He is wanting to study journalism, so he might very well touch millions.  What a great story.

Sleepwalker Kills Wife

Brian Thomas, 59, of Neath, South Wales, has admitted to strangling his wife, Christine, 57, while they were on vacation in West Wales, according to a Fox News report.  

Apparently, Thomas has suffered from sleep disorders for nearly 50 years.  He and his wife had been married for almost 40, an anniversary they were due to celebrate soon.  People close to the couple claimed they were a very happy, devoted couple, and are extremely surprised something like this could have happened.

The couple had been sleeping in their camper when they awoke to "boy racers", at which time they decided to move their camper.  After getting readjusted and falling back asleep, Thomas had a terrible nightmare in which the boys they had trouble with earlier, broke into their camper van. He then awoke and found himself next to his wife's lifeless body.  Thomas immediately called for emergency assistance in which he stated, "I think I killed my wife.  Oh my God.  I thought someone had broken in.  I was fighting with those boys, but it was Christine. I must have been dreaming or something.  What have I done?  What have I done?  Can you send someone?"  Thomas was crying and shaking when he was found by the police officers that were called to the scene.  He claimed his wife was, "... my world".

Prosecutors did accept the findings of the medical experts who confirmed Thomas did suffer from a sleep disorder.  They reported to the Swansea Crown Court that they would not seek a conviction for murder or manslaughter.  The prosecutor goes on to claim that the defendant accepts that he caused the death of his wife, however, they will seek what is called a "special verdict", a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity.  If he is found not guilty by reason of insanity, he will be subjected to a psychiatric hospital, and there is a possibility he could be detained there indefinitely. 

This is one of those extremely sad and incomprehensible tragedies that make you question everything about the defendant, but also makes you feel very, very sorry for him if all he claims is true.  So many of us have had dreams that seemed so real, and you have lay there for a minute and convince yourself it wasn't real.  Although, on the other hand, it's so difficult to imagine performing a physical strangulation on someone while sleeping and not realize what you were doing.  I guess that is where the sleep disorder comes into play; a disorder is something not normal.  Perhaps it did happen exactly as Thomas claimed.

According to the medical experts, their tests did confirm that his behavior was "consistent with the legal concept of automatism."  The prosecutors say, "In other words, at the time of the killing, the defendant was asleep, and his mind had no control over what his body was doing."

Regardless of what his conviction brings, this man has to live with this tragedy, along with the other family members.  There will be a great many sad years ahead of them.

First U.S. Trial For 9/11 Case

In a report from MSNBC, Zacarias Moussaoui was finally sentenced for his part in the 9/11 tragedy in a New York courtroom.  This is the first sentencing trial conducted in this country over 9/11.  United States District Judge Leonie Brinkema, who presided over the trial, believes this trial proved that federal courts can handle terror cases.  She reached the conclusion, "...that the system does work."

Moussaoui was charged in December 2001 with conspiracy for his role.  The case was sent through years of pretrial hearings and appeals as judges tried to balance national security with Moussaoui's constitutional rights, and discretion as to what evidence should be allowed. Moussaoui did, however, plead guilty in 2005 to conspiracy with the 9/11 hijackers.  Under the rules for the federal death penalty cases, a separate sentencing trial was held in 2006 to determine whether Moussaoui would lose his life or spend the rest of his life in prison.

In the first phase of the trial, the jurors concluded the defendant's actions were eligible for the death penalty.  However, during this second phase of trial, they voted to spare his life, due to one juror opposing the death sentence in this particular case.

Moussaoui had been famous for his abusive tirades, whether it be in handwritten motions, or outbursts in his hearings.  The District Judge had threatened to lock him in a separate room watching by video if he tried any outrageous outbursts in the courtroom.  Moussaoui cooperated and sat quietly at his table, surrounded by deputy marshals.  He did, however, make a few one-liner comments, like, "Victory for Moussaoui.  God curse you all."  Only these comments were made to spectators as he left the courtroom after the jury departed for lunch or for the day.  Edward MacMahon, one of Moussaoui's lawyers, thought the trial "was a very dignified process."

Prosecutors in this sentencing trial were actually surprised they were not able to get the death penalty.  Although, according to the article, Moussaoui was more surprised than anyone.  He concluded that "after reviewing the jury verdict and reading how the jurors set aside their emotions and disgust for me, and focused on the law and evidence....I now see that it is possible that I can receive a fair trial."

The lead prosecutor in this case seems to have issues with where the rest of these trials will lead.  One being, not everyone will likely plead guilty as Moussaoui had, which gives rise to more complications during an actual trial.  Another concern in the article is with possible coerced confessions, water boarding, and even the fact that this case generated detailed appellate rulings that will guide lower courts.  So eventually, there may be arguments over legalities in these future cases.

Regardless of how "forgiving" this ruling may seem Moussaoui, I think he will have to be kept very isolated in prison due to the outrage by Americans over the 9/11 tragedy.  Also, it was said by the media, that these men involved, would rather die for their efforts, now Moussaoui is going to be able to sit and think for many years about the reality of what he has done.  Maybe it is not such a bad sentence after all.

Octomom and Kids in Prime Time

Nadya Suleman, the famous mom who is only the second woman to successfully deliver octuplets in the United States, is gearing up to start filming with a television company based in the Netherlands.  The company is called Eyeworks, and is already working on shooting "Octomom: Me and My Fourteen Kids". 

Nadya has been on several shows as a guest, including, Oprah, Jimmy Kimmel, Dr. Phil, and an interview with Ann Curry from the Today Show, among others.  She has a deal with Radar Online, which also publishes National Enquirer and Star Magazine.  Suleman claims she hates the cameras, and all the attention and fame.  She explains, however, "It's a catch-22," "I'm damned if I do what I need to do with the media to support my kids, and I'm damned if I don't. If I don't, I can't take care of them."

Nadya is currently living in a two-story, tan and white tract home with Spanish tiles, in a nice Southern California neighborhood.  The main difference distinguishing her home from the others in the neighborhood, is the dead grass, and the inside, which is set up more like a daycare instead of a home.  She has four nannies on the weekends and three nannies through the week.  There is a film crew of four during filming, with a children's representative mandated by the State of California to ensure compliance with its labor laws.

Suleman was offered a quarter-million dollars by Eyeworks for the exclusive rights to film her family for 11 days, and for the option to do so again.  If this goes over well, the United States has a deal pending, to follow suit with the rest of the popular reality shows; Jon and Kate plus 8, The Duggars, etc.

Obviously there is a lot of controversy over all this, mostly because Nadya is a single parent. She has chosen this path by in-vitro fertilization and a sperm donor, not to mention the fact that between 2000 and 2008, more than $169,000 in disability payments have been given to her.  Suleman is now 34 years old, and has spent most of her life with her parents, and on welfare.

It is very disheartening to know that people can do such outrageous things and be paid so excessively for it.  These reality shows tend to send the message of how "easy" it is to make millions....... have lots of babies.

It just seems that there could be a surge of women living hard-luck lives that will attempt to pull something like this off, and what will result is millions more on welfare.  Our country has a hard enough time paying for welfare and even social security for our citizens.

Granted, with the money Suleman is getting paid, she will not need public assistance. However, if other young women follow suit in order to receive the same fame, not everyone will succeed. I think it is a fluke that Nadya Suleman has gotten this far.  And personally, I don't think people realize how hard this is on the children.  We probably won't see the real effects of that until years down the road.

She should really have to pay back that welfare money, since she is going to make millions off the whole reason she was on public assistance in the first place.

Flying Cars, A Reality?

An MSNBC.com report claims, through all the past years of hearing about flying contraptions, whether it be Santa Claus's sleigh or movies using such "flying vehicles", flying cars might actually become a reality in the next five years.  According to John Brown, editor of RoadableTimes.com, a web database of flying cars, this reality could be in the form of an actual everyday, practical car.

Apparently, there are close to 1,500 flying car designs that have been created over the years, and 152 of them have actually flown.  These were not created by your everyday, run of the mill people, these were thoughts and models put together and tinkered with by every major aerospace and auto manufacturer from Boeing to BMW.  Although, there are still kinks to work out, they just haven't come up with anything that would suit the public, cosmetic-wise. However, they think they are getting close.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has come up with a prototype that has taken to the air 27 times as of the spring of 2009.  The engineers are calling their flying car a roadable aircraft; an aircraft that can be driven to and from the airport, and also parked in a garage. This two-seater switches between a car and a plane in 30 seconds by its folding wings.  It uses unleaded gasoline and can drive at highway speeds.  It also can fly 450 miles at 115 miles per hour on a single tank of fuel.  The team from the Institute is now working on a second-stage prototype that could be out in 2011.

Another prototype preparing for completion is the X-Hawk.  It is referred to as a VTOL vehicle, which stands for "vertical take-off and landing".  This van-sized vehicle can travel up to 155 miles per hour, and was created at the Urban Aeronautics in Yavne, Israel.  It is intended to be used combat and rescue missions for soldiers.

Four more designs are in the progress of being manufactured; a spaceship type model that was designed by a California man, a parachute-glider vehicle that is more like a dune-buggy with a massive rear propeller, which was created in London, and would be primarily used for sport, a motorcycle-gyrocopter hybrid, that would be street-legal, and would be able to fly at 4,000 feet, and finally, an air-car, primarily used for long distance commutes.  It looks very similar to a small aircraft, but it would also be street-legal, measuring 7 ft. wide with the main wing folded in at the rear of the vehicle.  Most of the manufacturers of these prototypes are hoping to have these on the streets, and obviously in the air by 2010 or 2011.  

This article displays a picture for each prototype and gives a description of each.  It is well worth looking at.  

Ever since the Jetsons cartoon, millions of us have dreamed of the day we could see flying cars in real life, and never thought it could actually happen.  That day might just be closer than we think.

Crossing Racial Lines

For the first time ever, classmates from 1959 have reunited together in a reunion that combined three segregated schools.

In a story published by CNN News, the idea started about 4 years ago, when a son, Wyatt Johnson, told his father how he must have missed out on several friendships due to the segregation in the past.  The father, Tom Johnson, who is the former head of CNN, and was once the publisher for the LA Times, decided there was something he needed to do.  He needed to reach out to the African-Americans in Macon, Georgia who graduated in 1959.  He never got a chance to get to know them because of the segregation.  Mr. Johnson wrote to the graduates of the black school, Ballard-Hudson; the white girls' school, Miller; and the white boys' school, Lanier, and invited them to a combined high school reunion.  He wrote, "We all have deep personal memories of our high school experiences that will remain with us forever..."  "We had lived in a separate black and white world in Macon... It is a different world today.  We no longer are separated, except by personal choice."

The meeting did take place in early October.  More than 200 people gathered at a Goodwill banquet hall, and there were only tears, hugs, handshakes, and a few comments about the segregated past that prevented the closeness they could now share.  They also had someone from the group come up with a brilliant idea; they took out notepads and began making a to-do list of 59 things (representing the class of '59) that they could do as a united group.  They came up with several ideas from, building a home for Habitat for Humanity to writing letters to service men and women from the Macon area serving in the war.

They did have one person from the class who refused to be there, he returned a letter of hate mail.  The united class even decided to write him and persuade him to change his way of thinking.

I am so impressed by all the love and compassion that went into this reunion.  People can accomplish so much by just coming together, forgetting their differences, and realizing, at the core of everyone of us, we are all the same.  We all laugh and cry the same.  This group demonstrated what real love for humanity is.

There is also a video that accompanies this article, in which they interview students from those schools.  It's a very interesting video where they share thoughts on the segregation, most of whom did not even think about the whole realm of segregation at the time.  Most of the students from the black school did not realize until they were in high school that something was "wrong", that the reason for this was literally because of their skin color.  Everyone just accepted it the way it was.  However, they feel so blessed now that they have come to see change for the good, for the betterment of all of America.  There are all so thankful they "have come together at last," as one lady puts it, in the video.

Life Prison Sentences For Youths

This article from the New York Times, published on November 7th, states that there is an issue in Florida regarding sending felons to prison for life for crimes they committed as youths, although they were not involved in a homicide.  There are only just over 100 people in the entire world serving life sentences, with out the possibility of parole, for crimes that were committed while they were still juveniles, and in which no one was killed.  All of these are in the United States; 77 of them are in Florida.

There is much controversy over this issue, even among judges, legislators, and prosecutors. They all seem to agree that due to the high rate of crime in Florida especially, that they should take a very tough stance on juvenile crime.  However, the debate on this issue is whether life without the possibility of parole is really necessary.

The most recent controversy came about, first of all, due to the Supreme Court generally allowing states to decide for themselves what punishment will fit what crimes, and now they will be listening to two appeals today, Monday, November 9th, from two juvenile offenders, who were sentenced to life without parole.  Joe Sullivan, who raped a woman when he was 13, and Terrance Graham, who committed armed burglary at age 16.  They are appealing on the grounds of cruel and unusual punishment, established by the 8th amendment.  These two individuals are claiming they were sentenced to die in prison for crimes other than homicide, and that qualifies as cruel and unusual punishment.

This does seem cruel and unusual on the surface.  However, after reading further into the article, it gave a brief history of the two defendants.  Joe Sullivan, who is now 37, had committed a string of crimes before being charged with this particular rape, of whom the victim was a 72-year-old woman, after a burglary in 1989, in Pensacola.  Then, Terrance Graham, now 22, was sentenced to one year in jail and 3 years probation for a 2003 robbery of a resident in Jacksonville.  Mr. Graham violated his probation one year later by committing another home invasion robbery.

Tourism seems to be one major issue for Florida in particular.  According to Kathleen M. Heide, a professor of criminology at the University of South Florida, she states, "We're at the more extreme level," she said, "because our economy is so tied up with people coming here on vacation and and feeling safe.  And older people want to live out their retirements and be safe."

I really can see both sides of the issue here.  If the system is tough and makes examples out of these juveniles, the crime rate could go down, and it would make tourists and society feel more safe.  However, if there could be some type of middle ground, that could help also.  Perhaps if the justice system, in these states, would come up with a mandatory sentence for repeat offenders.  For example, serving 20 years before being eligible for parole or probation on the most serious crimes that do not involve homicide.  And personally, if juvenile offenders are on probation, I believe there should be mandatory counseling, for the remainder of the probation term, provided by the state.  If the juvenile does not fulfill these requirements, they go back to prison.  It's a shame that this many young people are in trouble in this country.

Ft. Hood Killings

Authorities are calling the killings at Ft. Hood, TX, the largest terror act in America since 9/11. According to a story put out by Fox News, they claim the most important matter confronting us now is that we need to unveil and analyze what Major Nadal Hasan's real motives were in committing these acts.  The real question, they say, is when did Hasan become radicalized, and who indoctrinated him?  If we had these questions answered, it might allow authorities to detect other potential terror acts that could be in the making.

Apparently, there was a plot dismantled in 2006, in Fort Dix, NJ, in which military personnel were to be killed.  Other terror cells have also been discovered in the United States in recent years; in Georgia, New York, and North Carolina.  These also involved plots for attacking military installations on U.S. soil.  However, there have also been several, what the article calls "lone wolves", who have expressed their intentions to attack military personnel.  In fact, there was a person by the name Abdulhakin Mujahid Muhammad, who shot two members of the U.S. Military in Little Rock, AR, which resulted in one of them being killed.  And according to investigators, incidents such as these are continual, ongoing situations.

Hasan was reported as making several statements indicating his ideological beliefs. Such as, commenting that the killing of the soldier in Arkansas, and any other attack against the U.S. Military inside the homeland is legitimate because of American Military involvement in the Middle East.  He also allegedly made remarks in support of potential suicide attacks inside the country.  These comments were reported by retired Col. Terry Lee, who was interviewed by Fox News, and the article does state that these and other comments reported need to be analyzed and verified.

After reading and hearing about all the comments made, and the fact that Hasan was dressing in complete muslim attire, which he had reportedly not done until recently, it is just so unfortunate that all these warning signs were not taken seriously by top military officials, or fellow comrades for that matter.

Considering what has happened since 2006, and especially 9/11, all U.S. Military officials from the lowest rank to the highest should be cautious themselves about who is around them, but all should be reevaluated.  This way we can be very cautious about who we are putting in charge of fighting for our country.

When American workplaces hire individuals, several do an extensive background check.  To some degree, they also do some kind of psychological evaluation, whether it be just asking questions, or a kind of written evaluation.  Are we not putting the same kind of standards out there for our military?

It sounds like the jihadi groups are very strict about stating how they feel when it comes to their radical beliefs; that they cannot state in any way that they support Americans.  If there are psychological evaluations to determine if someone can handle fighting for our country, can't there be some sort of evaluation created to see how devoted our military personnel are to the U.S.?

Also, it would be very helpful to suspend or give an automatic dismissal to anyone in the military  who makes comments or does anything supporting jihad behavior.  There is going to have to be a "cleansing" done in the military, or this could be the fall of our country.  If we can't trust our military, the ones who are supposed to be there to fight for our freedom, who can we trust?

"Sleepers" Raise Money for Homeless

A homeless shelter in Britain takes a new approach to providing for young people. For the past 40 years, a British homeless shelter, named Centrepoint, has provided approximately 70,000 young people with not only housing, but health care and education. The shelter sets out to prepare young people, ages 16-25 for life on their own.

Centrepoint will host a "sleep out" on November 12, 2009, in which participants, better known as "sleepers", give up the comforts of home, and their beds, to sleep outside for one night in order to raise money for the shelter. This event allows the fundraisers to experience what it feels like to be a homeless person, to get the awareness out there. Sleepers are encouraged to raise at least $800 (500 pounds), that goes directly to the center. The annual event raised about $145,000 last year alone. This year, they expect around 350 sleepers, which makes it possible for the center to raise approximately $400,000.

One man, by the last name of Batten, who will be a returning sleeper this year, works with a property management company, titled, King Sturge, located in London. He commented about working with Centrepoint throughout the years. Batten stated, King Sturge will offer mentoring resources and even jobs to the homeless at Centrepoint this year.

Another man, Jon Milward, who works for a commercial property consultancy, will be participating in the event for the first time this year. He has visited the shelter and has realized, these aren't just old men who have gone out and gotten drunk one two many times and have been thrown out, these are young people who come from dysfunctional families, who really have nowhere else to go, and who want to try to make something of their lives. They just need a boost.

The article also speaks of one success story, a young girl named Stephanie, who was 17 when she came to the shelter two years ago. Stephanie had been in an abusive relationship for two years prior to coming to the shelter. She was on drugs, and was not in good shape physically or emotionally. Centrepoint provided her with shelter and a caseworker, who acted as a counselor and a parent. They guided her through personal problems and helped her to start a stable, healthy lifestyle. Stephanie was quoted as saying, "When I entered Centrepoint, I didn't have the support of my family....the extra emotional support really helped." She claims Centrepoint has turned her life around completely. She is now settled in a flat (like an apartment), and she is working as a youth adviser for her local council. Stephanie is also planning on attending a local university next year, where she will study interior design.

It is so important to help raise money and give to charities during these tough economic times. Hopefully, local shelters can follow suit with this great charity event from Britain, or at least something similar, to help our local homeless people and families.

World's Largest Cave Found In Vietnam

In the dense jungles of Vietnam, in the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, a local farmer came across what is now known as the world's largest cave. The cave has been named the Son Doong Cave. It measures at 80 x 80 meters, or 262 x 262 feet, and at least 2.8 miles long.

The cave was first explored by a British-Vietnamese research team earlier this year. They were able to bring in some very high-tech laser measuring devices so that the measurements could be very precise, even to the millimeter. This cave also has an underground river flowing through it that is over 1 1/2 miles long. It also has giant stalagmites that measure more than 230 feet high. One member of the research team was able to confirm that in one area of the cave, it measured 460 feet high.

Apparently, until now, the world record holder for the largest cave, went to Deer Cave, which is located in the Malaysian area of the island of Borneo. There was nothing stated as to whether the size of that cave was even comparable to this newly found cave.

The expedition team that was brought in to explore the cave were told by some locals that they had known about the cave for quite some time, there was just no one brave enough to check it out. Adam Spillane, one member of the British Cave Research Association Expedition stated, "It has a very loud draft, and you can hear the river from the cave entrance, so it is very noisy and intimidating." According to the enormous size of the cave, and the fact that it has a river running through it, it was probably very smart of the local people to bring in professional researchers to explore the cave for the first time.

The pictures from this article are amazing. I don' t think we realize how small we really are until we come up against something as enormous as this. I remember going in to the first cave I had ever been in, probably like most of us living in southwest Missouri, the famous Silver Dollar City cave. I was completely mesmerized by it all. Since then, I've been in several tourist-type caves, but I am blown away every time.

My Dad grew up close to Tiff City, Mo., and he used to tell me stories about finding small caves around Buffalo Creek, where he played around as a child. I was always fascinated to hear him talk about finding indian arrowheads in the caves. Then I grew up and married a man who is fascinated with caves the way I am. He has explored several caves in southwest Missouri over the years also. However, I have to say, I just stick to the caves that are open to the public. The ones that actually have ramps to walk down, equipped with handrails and all. Not to mention, lighting throughout the cave, so you don't have to wear all that headgear.

Maybe the Son Doong Cave will be open to the public in the near future, so people can see this nautural creation in person. I'm sure as beautiful as the pictures are, they don't really do it justice.

Saving Israel's Dead Sea

Experts believe that the Dead Sea is evaporating faster than ever before, according to an article posted by CBN News.  They claim the level of the Dead Sea has dropped by more than four feet and some parts of the shoreline have retreated close to a mile in the last 25 years.

The Dead Sea is considered a natural wonder of the Earth, not to mention a biblical landmark, and it contains a treasure trove of minerals that are used worldwide.

Geologist Eli Raz, claims the quickly depleting sea is due to human interference as opposed to nature.  Raz stated that Israel and Jordan have been diverting the waters of the Jordan River, only allowing a trickle to flow into the Dead Sea.  He also blames big industries for harvesting rich minerals from the Sea.  Companies such as Israel's Dead Sea Works and its counterpart, mine minerals like potash, magnesium, and bromine, which produces 10% of the world's potash.  It is used as a main ingredient in fertilizer, and is used here in the United States.

Tourism will also suffer as a result, if the Dead Sea is not saved.  The Dead Sea is 10 times saltier than the ocean water.  It allows swimmers to experience an effect of bobbing in the water like a cork.  It is impossible to sink in the Dead Sea, which is why it is so popular among tourists.

There is also a spa that attracts visitors, named Ein Gedi Spa, that pulls in approximately 250,000 tourists each year.  This spa is also recommended by doctors, to their patients needing treatments for skin and breathing problems.  Therefore, it would be very beneficial to save these waters.

Several options have been discussed to save the Dead Sea, including, pumping water from the Med-Dead canal 45 miles from the Mediterranean Sea to the Dead Sea.  This would create electricity for Israel.  Another alternative is a project named Red-Dead, that would send water uphill approximately 140 miles from the Red Sea's Gulf of Aqaba in Jordan before running it down to the Dead Sea, which some claim is politically motived and is supposed to be a joint peace project between Israel, Jordan, and Palestine.  And finally, Hebrew University of Jerusalem Professor, Avner Adin, claims that interdependence between countries, when it pertains to water, should be a last resort.  He states that the Jordan River should be allowed to flow down to the Dead Sea as it did before the settlements, and the agriculture areas took over the sea waters.  The Ein Gedi Springs should provide enough water for agriculture and survival.

It appears that the minerals they are extracting from the Dead Sea are the same minerals they could extract from the surrounding ocean waters, it is just easier to gather them from the Dead Sea because of the greater amount in such a small area.  However, the benefits of saving the Dead Sea seem to outweigh the negative consequences.

The Dead Sea has so many good qualities I never realized before.  Hopefully, they will find solutions quickly so the sea can be saved.  If it's not, it could be detrimental for the economy in that area.  If nothing else, because of the dependence on tourism alone.

California Girl Is Gang Raped At High School

A 15-year-old girl in Richmond, Ca. was sexually assaulted to the point of unconsciousness outside a California high school on homecoming night.

According to investigators, the young girl was attending the homecoming dance, and at some point went outside, or was taken outside.  She was found unconscious behind the high school, in a dimly lit alley, under a bench, later that night.

The girl was allegedly raped by at least 4 suspects, who committed multiple sex acts on her. She was flown by helicopter to a local hospital where she was admitted in critical condition, and now remains there in stable condition as of the last report.

One nineteen-year-old boy, a former student of the high school, was arrested the same night of the incident after he was spotted fleeing the scene.  He was charged with rape, robbery, and kidnapping.  Another boy, 15 years of age, was later arrested and also charged with one count of felony sexual assault.  The police have stated that more are expected to be arrested and charged soon.  

After police did some investigating, they have come to the conclusion that this was most likely a two and a half hour assault on this young girl.  Not to mention, they claim as many as 20 people could have been involved or stood and watched the incident take place.  There is now a $20,000 reward for anyone who comes forward with information that will lead to arrests and convictions.

One member of the school board feels as if the school district bears some responsibility.  He claims the administrators were not watching the area and the students as they should have.  I have to agree with him.  This had to be a very noisy commotion going on outside.  Granted, the administrators were probably inside where the dance was taking place, but you would think someone in charge would keep track of the students coming in and out, and pay attention to what they were doing outside.

The article didn't make reference to whether there are any houses around the school, however, for this to go on for two and a half hours without anyone hearing anything seems unbelievable. This poor girl will most likely never want to set foot in that school again.

I can't imagine this happening to my own daughter.  Having to explain to her that there are just really horrible people out there that do these unspeakable things for nothing more than to seek pleasure. But, what is more disturbing is that there were people, probably students, just standing around watching this happen.  And I bet every one of them had cell phones! We really need to teach the our children to help those in need.  

The school did hold a safety meeting on Wednesday night for parents and students to address the assault that took place.  Hopefully, they will make new policies that will keep staff members more aware of what is going on at the school, ways to deter students from making bad choices like these boys did, and most importantly helping students know how to stay safe when they're attending school functions, or anywhere for that matter.

We need to have safety meetings like these in all schools across the nation, but rather, safety prevention meetings, to catch this before the fact instead of after.  I was proud, however, to know that MSSU has held these types of classes.  Classes that are designed to give self-defense techniques that will help in these kinds of cases.

In the junior high and high school levels, they do need more safety precautions enforced by staff members that is backed up by parents.  Unfortunately, things like this happen before we notice there is a real problem.

Scientists Close To Making Artificial Babies

This article by CBN News claims that scientists are within 5 years of being able to produce sperm and eggs mature enough to create an actual embryo.  According to some American researchers at Stanford University, they have found a way to make embryonic stem cells develop into what they believe are the only two components needed to make a baby.

This research was intended to help families struggling with infertility and genetic diseases, along with extending menopause in women. The secret to this breakthrough appears to be, using embryonic stem cells from human beings, and treating them with certain proteins that stimulate the growth of germ cells.  They do claim, however, that in order to use this process in the United States, there will be several safety, and not to mention ethical hurdles to conquer.

These scientific breakthroughs are definitely what science fiction movies are made of.  It is unbelievable to me that there is research going on to figure out how to "make" a human being. To me, personally, I feel as though these scientists really are trying to play God here.  Human beings have a conscience and a soul that would be impossible to create in a lab.

To put aside all of the unethical issues and just to look at the physical aspect, why would we add more confusion to our world?  There are so many neglected children, starving children, and young people becoming so desperate and taking their lives, why on earth would it make sense to bring more children into this world in this way, when we would have no way of knowing the long term results until it was already done?  Even if there was a small chance of physical or mental disabilities, I don't understand why we as a nation would risk that.

I honestly think we would be playing with fire on a scientific experiment such as this one.  No matter what angle you look at this subject, it seems obvious that there would be so many more risks than advantages.  There could be things that would only come out later in these "factory-made beings" that could be dangerous to society as a whole.  

When I first saw this article, I was in shock.  I had to read it a few times before it sank in that this was real, and it's going on here, in this country.  To know that something as huge as this is going on as research is strange enough, but to know that the scientists are possibly only 5 years from this happening is very scary to me.  I really don't see any advantages at all.

People were created the way they were for a reason.  I personally believe that we need to leave the creating up to God and God alone, anything else is like playing with fire.  This is the first I had heard about this experiment.  However, I wonder how soon we will start seeing information about this on TV.  I also wonder if the politicians who were against using any embryonic cells, knew more than what we ever imagined.  Maybe the thought was, although diseases could be cured, if we stopped the process of making artificial babies, it might serve a greater purpose to society.

New Leads In Haleigh Cumming's Disappearance

Police in St. Augustine, Fl. have received video and an envelope from a local newspaper, the St. Augustine Record, claiming a woman, featured in the surveillance video, walked in their office in blue scrubs and sunglasses to deliver an envelope containing what she claimed to be information that would lead investigators to the perputrator of the disappearance of Haleigh Cummings.

The 5-year-old little girl disappeared from her father's trailer on February 9, 2009, in Putnam County, Florida. The girlfriend of Haleigh's father, Misty Croslin, was apparently watching Haleigh and her 3-year-old brother on the night of the disappearance while Haleigh's father, Ronald Cummings, was working a night shift at a bridge manufacturing company. Misty Croslin claims she put Haleigh to bed at approximately 8 pm on February 8th, and checked on her at 10 pm, saying she was fine, then went to bed herself between 10:30 or 11:00 pm. She then claimed she woke up at about 3 am to realize the back door was propped open with a brick and Haleigh was missing. Mr. Cummings arrived home about that time and Misty called 911. Misty Croslin has been under suspicion since the early morning 911 call. However, she has not been arrested as of yet.

Ronald Cummings has appeared on the Nancy Grace show, along with Haleigh's mother, on separate occasions. Neither have been named as suspects, and both seem to love Haleigh very much.

There was a surprise twist in this story shortly after Haleigh's disappearance. Ronald Cummings married his young girlfriend, Misty Croslin, and seemed to be confident in her innocence. Shortly after getting married to Misty, she allegedly failed a polygraph test. Mr. Cummings spoke about this on an episode of Nancy Grace, in which he spoke as though he wanted desperately to believe in his wife's innocence. He stated something to the effect that would work with investigators no matter who it hurt, he just wanted to find his daughter.

Now, there is news of Mr. Cummings divorcing his new wife recently. There are no details as to why he chose this. However, it does make you wonder if the mystery woman on the surveillance video gave some information that pointed to Misty Croslin being involved in the case. To my knowledge, the investigators in this case haven't released what details they have about what was in the envelope, or the reasons they have for continuing to refer Misty as a suspect. Although, it does look suspicious for Misty.

There have been far too many cases lately involving missing children. This is so heartbreaking to say the least. My heart goes out to the families that experience these horrific tragedies. I can't comprehend going through something as devastating as this. My children are a little older now, and the fear of them being taken is not as bad as it was, but you never know what could happen. At least we have some happy endings, for instance, the case with Elizabeth Smart. We can only hope and pray they will find little Haleigh soon.

Pet Turtles Blamed For Salmonella In Children

In as many as 34 states, there has been an outbreak of .salmonella. The main cause has been due to pet turtles being handled by children.

There has been a ban since 1975 on selling small turtles as pets, but despite the ban, they're continuing to be sold illegally all across the country. The American Veterinary Medical Association estimates that the number of pet turtles has doubled nationwide from 950,000 in 1996 to approximately 2 million in 2006.

The original reason for the ban was the findings that concluded salmonella in turtle feces can end up on the turtle's shells and bodies, and it can spread to people who handle them. The outbreak is thought to originate from the vast majortiy of turtles being shipped together, and it only takes one turtle to spread this so quickly.

The majority of these turtles carrying the salmonella strain were sold in pet stores, flea markets, street vendors, and customers buying turtles online. The Food and Drug Administration has contacted several retailers involved and their investigation is still in progress. They are making efforts on both state and federal levels to make the ban known nationwide to protect the public's health.

The recent scare started in September 2007, in North Carolina, when two young girls were swimming in a backyard pool with two pet turtles. Both girls started having symptoms such as, bloody diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and stomach cramps. One of the girls also developed kidney failure and spent 8 days in the hospital.

Eventually, the salmonella bacteria found in the pet turtles was traced to 3 other North Carolina children and eventually more cases turned up across the country. Apparently, some of the children were kissing the turtles and even putting them in their mouths.

This article is very disturbing to me. However, I'm so thankful the media is trying to get this information out there. I don' t know if anyone out there has a pet turtle, but if so, you might want to do some research of your own. It does help to know that a professor from the University of Illinois has taken the initiative to consult with Louisiana turtle farmers in order to make a way to raise salmonella free turtles.

One effort has been made to cleanse the turtle eggs with antibiotics. The only problem they found with this is a possible antibiotic-resistant bacteria. However, another attempt to resolve this issue is to cleanse the eggs with disinfectants similar to bleach. At least there are efforts being made to prevent this from going any further. Hopefully they will find a solution to the problem soon. Possibly there will be more done to prevent salmonella and other strains in our food as well, or maybe the Food and Drug Administration will be more apt to pursue the prevention of outbreaks such as these.

Firefighter Suspended For U.S. Flag on Locker

A story from Myfoxphilly.com reports the firefighters' union in Pennsylvania warned 11 members to remove personal items from lockers or they would face a suspension without pay.

James Krapf of Chester, PA. was accused of violating the department policy when he placed a sticker of an american flag on the outside of his locker.  The department claims the ban on personal items began after an incident occurred with certain firefighters complaining about a cartoon being posted in the firehouse that caused some to be offended, claiming it was racially offensive.

Krapf is intending to meet with the fire commissioner and the mayor to discuss the matter, stating, "I shouldn't have to remove the flag of the country I believe in.  I love my country, I love my job.  I love helping people.  I've been doing this 11 years in the city of Chester, so this is something I love to do."  The fire commissioner was reported as saying that banning all materials from locker doors was the simplest was to solve the problem.  Apparently Krapf is refusing to remove the sticker and was the first firefighter to be suspended without pay.

I can understand Mr. Krapf wanting to display his patriotism, especially after the 9/11 tragedy. And with his firehouse being in the northeast, they were most likely involved directly. However, I can understand the department needing to stick to the overall policy.  

The issue, according to the commissioner doesn't seem to be about the sticker being an american flag,  more that if he let Mr. Krapf place personal items on his locker, he would have to let all the firefighters put up personal items and run the risk of offending someone, which is the reason the policy was put in place to begin with.

Mr. Krapf seems to be taking this very personally and making the issue more with what is on the sticker as opposed to the issue being about his personal items in general going against the policy.  

I think its wonderful to have firefighters in our country that are so patriotic.  However, patriotism can be shown in so many ways that don't go against policies.  If it comes down to possibly losing your job, I think taking the sticker down, then talking to the commissioner would make more sense.

Don't get me wrong, I believe in standing up for what you believe in.  I just think there might be better ways to approach a situation like this.  We do have freedom of speech in this country, and arranging a meeting to put a new policy in effect that would allow only displaying american patriotic logos could be one way to resolve this matter.  I can see both sides of the debate here and hope this can be resolved in peace.

Jaycee Dugard Finally Gets To Speak Out

According to a story from BBC News, the victim of the 1991 kidnapping, Jaycee Dugard, in South Lake Tahoe, close to the Nevada border, has finally had a chance to speak out about what happened 18 years ago.  Mr. Phillip Garrido, along with his wife Nancy, are now charged with kidnapping, rape, and false imprisonment.  They have denied all charges.

Jaycee is now living in seclusion with her mother, Terry Probyn, along with Jaycee's two daughters, Angel and Starlit, who are believed to be fathered by Mr. Garrido.  

People magazine has now come out with the full story, according to Jaycee.  I am curious to read her side of what happened.  It sounds like, just from the small amount of information that has been circulating, that she has been through such an ordeal the last 18 years.   Since the police uncovered what appeared to be a "compound" at Mr. Garrido's residence, Jaycee has cooperated with the investigation fully and completely.

The police spotted Mr. Garrido in August, as he was handing out religious literature at the University of California Berkeley, with two young children.  Mr. Garrido is a convicted sex offender, and was ordered to report to his parole officer.  He did meet with the officer, and he brought his wife, children, and a young woman, who turned out to be Jaycee Dugard.  There hasn't been too much more information, other than this, out there until now.  So, as I mentioned earlier, it will be interesting to read the story from her point of view.

After hearing about several cases lately that deal with the kidnapping and rape of children, for example, Shaun Hornbeck, Elizabeth Smart, and now this case, along with others over the years, maybe some laws could be changed regarding sex offenders.  If someone is charged with and convicted of a "high degree" sex offense, than perhaps the criminal justice system could demand an automatic life imprisonment sentence.  If this saves one person, especially a child, than it would be worth it.  Maybe it would cut down on the issues with sex offenders having a hard time finding a place to live.

What surprised me most with this case in particular, was that Mr. and Mrs. Garrido are denying the charges.  Perhaps I need to read the entire case before jumping to conclusions, but Ms. Dugard was found physically with the Garridos'.  Besides the fact they can prove this is Jaycee, they can also prove, pretty easily, that these two little girls are his biological daughters. So, that evidence, along with Jaycee testifying against the Garridos', will most likely result in a conviction(s).

This brings up another point, Jaycee will need to testify to get the full story across to jurors. Therefore, she is going to need our thoughts and prayers, along with her poor daughters, and her entire family for that matter.  I wish them the best.

Mom Flees To Japan With Children

This story comes from the Associated Press.  It tells of a Mom, Noriko Savoie, fleeing with her children to Japan after bitter divorce proceedings in the U.S.   Noriko was awarded $800,000 in cash, as well as other support, to start a new life in Tennessee.  

Christopher Savoie, the father, went to Japan in order to bring his children home.  When arriving in Japan, he found his children walking to school and snatched them away from their mother.  As a result, he was arrested and jailed.  Christopher had been issued full custody of the children by an American court, and since then, the courts have issued a warrant for Noriko Savoie's arrest on charges of custodial interference.

When I first heard of this story, it was on the Today Show.  They had an interview with Christopher's new wife.  It was such a sad story, and I could not understand why a mother could do this to her children.  I felt so sorry for the father of these poor children.  I was under the impression that the couple lived in Tennessee, or at least in the U.S, most of their married lives, and that the children were born and raised there.  It sounded like the mother just decided to leave her husband and took off to a foreign country with her kids.  After reading further into it, however, it sounds as though things were more complicated than it was portrayed on television. 

Miiko Crafton, a native from Japan, befriended Noriko during her short stay in Tennessee.  She claims Noriko tried to get a divorce while still in Japan, but her husband refused and persuaded her to move to the U.S.  Noriko had no income when they moved in June, 2008, and was solely dependent on her husband, who was, according to court records, involved with another woman. The new wife must have been the "other woman", due to Christopher getting remarried within one month of the divorce.  Also, Christopher wasn't a poor father going into a foreign country trying to find his children in a culture he didn't know anything about. The couple lived in Japan for several years. Mr. Savoie has Japanese citizenship and speaks fluent Japanese.  Therefore, when they moved to the U.S. and was served divorce paper, Noriko must have felt scared and alone.  As her friend Miiko put it, "Everything was provided so she could begin a new lifestyle, but right after that he gave her divorce papers," she goes on to say, "So basically, she was trapped."

Even after reading both sides of this story, it doesn't look like there are going to be any easy answers.  The father moved the mother and their children to a foreign country, he had an affair on her, then the mother flees to her hometown, resulting in an arrest warrant.  Meanwhile, the father goes after the children in an illegal manner and is arrested as a result.  The poor children are really the ones who suffer here.  They have obviously been through some traumatic experiences and will need a great deal of care emotionally.  Hopefully, this situation will be resolved quickly, and they can all go on with their lives in a peaceful manner.

My personal opinion, after reading both sides, is that the mother should now be able to raise her children in their native country, and the father should be granted visitation.   

7 Ways To Beat Back Swine Flu

Dr. Bernadine Healy gives us this report concerning the swine flu; otherwise known as H1N1.  The article talks about how this flu pandemic has spread across almost every country in the world and how it is being compared to a pandemic outbreak that occurred in America in 1918, which was caused by an H1N1 strain also.  The article then goes on to explain how this strain may not be quite as horrific as it is being portrayed, and Dr. Healy gives us 7 ways to that might help get America and other countries through this crisis.  She sums them up with:  

1) Confirm the case; referring to the medical community making guesses that are causing an uproar.

2) Figure out what makes people susceptible; priority vaccinations or antiviral drugs could be more targeted, sparing resources.

3) Intense treatment of severe pneumonia; the flu kills mostly by bringing on a severe pneumonia.  They are coming up with new ways to treat pneumonia with something called an ECMO, which gives the lungs more of a chance to rest and heal, so ultimately the flu will not take so many lives.

4) Vaccine technology needs to improve; the new vaccines are out in circulation too slowly.

5) Provide medicines to poor countries; the U.S. needs to donate 10% of the vaccine supply to the World Health Organization to help less fortunate countries.

6) Public-health emergency powers should be flexible; there is a debate going on concerning whether the 2009 pandemic is actually more benign than what they originally thought.

7) Vitamin D may play a role; there is evidence to show that individuals with adequate vitamin D in their systems are immune to the seasonal flu.  There needs to be more tests to see if the same is true for the swine flu.  

And finally, Dr. Healy suggests the same as what you hear everywhere, just wash your hands frequently, use sanitizer, and cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing.

There is so much said through the media concerning who should get the vaccine, and the overall scare of this virus.  It is so nice to read something about the flu that isn't scaring us.  It actually looks as though the swine flu isn't quite as serious as it was originally made out to be.  This article was very informative, and the you can read in more detail the seven steps Dr. Healy suggests. 

I did not realize the 1918 pandemic claimed over half a million lives.  That is so much worse than what we are dealing with now.  Also, the 1918 outbreak was classified as a category 5, the worst category known, even among today's standards.  However, as miserable and contagious are the symptoms of our recent strain, it is classified as a category 1.  That is apparently similar, according to the article, to what we know as the ordinary seasonal flu.  Very surprising isn't is?

I personally have never gotten a flu shot of any kind, neither has my husband or children.  We didn't have anything against the vaccine, we just haven't had the initiative to do so.  However, after reading the article, and realizing the tendency in the medical community is to overuse the antivirals and antibiotics, causing a resistance to antiviral drugs such as, Tamiflu and Relenza, it doesn't make me want to rush out to get the vaccine at all.  It makes you wonder if building a natural immunity to all different types of strains are the better way to deal with this. Especially if you are not at high risk.  

One step in the article that caught my eye in particular, was step #4; vaccine technology must improve.  Dr. Healy points out that both the flu vaccines that will be available this fall will not likely have much of an impact.  She states, "the seasonal flu vaccine we have in hand doesn't work for the swine flu, which accounts for about 90% of what's circulating, and the vaccine that will protect against H1N1 won't be distributed in time to make a difference."

The medical community seems to be going in circles, and the media is causing communities to run in circles, not knowing what to do about this outbreak.  Hopefully, there will be some answers and these issues can be solved very soon.

 

Titanic Anniversary Cruise

A cruise line based in the United Kingdom, which is Norwegian owned, is getting ready to set sail in a little over two years on a Memorial Cruise to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the sailing and ultimately the sinking of the Titanic that occurred in 1912.

The new ship, titled, Balmoral, will set sail on April 8th, 2012, from South Hampton, England, and make its way to the location of the spot where the Titanic sank in the North Atlantic by April 15th.

This would be a chance of a lifetime.  I've always been so in awe by the ship, the people who were on the ship that fateful night, and their stories.  Even before the movie came out, my daughter brought a book home she had gotten from her school library about the Titanic and I could not put it down.  It was full of facts about the people aboard the ship.  Then, of course, when the movie came out, it put a huge romantic spin on the whole incident, which made it that much more intriguing.  Just as Carolyn Spencer Brown, editor of CruiseCritic.com, phrased it, the irony of the Titanic is "the boost that the tragedy has given to contemporary cruising.  The fact that a ship sank and lots of passengers lost their lives has paled in the face of the romantic image that it portrays."

There must be an amazing amount of people as fascinated as I am about this, due to the tourist attraction in Branson, and now a memorial cruise in 2012. It speaks volumes.

The cruise ship, Balmoral, which is owned by Fred Olsen Cruise Lines, holds 1,350 passengers and will have a crew of 510 people with 710 cabins.  The prices for the 12-night trip start at $3,900 for an inside cabin, including taxes.  However, all the lower grade inside cabins and some suites are already sold out.  It's hard to believe a ship that is set to sail a little over two years from now is almost sold out.  It just shows what a fascination people have with this story.

The article also stated that an actual memorial service will be held onboard the ship exactly 100 years to the minute the Titanic hit the iceberg and run until the time the ship sank.  They will start the service at 11:40 p.m. on April 14, 2012 and finish at 2:20 a.m. on April 15th.  The cruise is going to serve food that was originally on the menu from the Titanic. They will also have music and dancing from that era, and historians will present lectures.

During the cruise, the passengers will be taken to Halifax, Nova Scotia, where they are going to visit three cemeteries, in which some of the Titanic victims are buried.  For the final destination, the ship will arrive in New York, which was the original destination for the Titanic.

Another ironic twist to the story is Fred Olsen's parent company, Harland and Wolfe, actually built the Titanic ship.

Americans wanting to travel from the U.S. are in luck; a Minneapolis-based company named, Borton Overseas, is handling reservations for U.S. residents wealthy enough and lucky enough to go on this voyage.  

Hope this time it really is an unsinkable ship! 

Judge Accused of Sex With Inmates

According to a story from BBC News, former circuit judge, Herman Thomas has been accused of having sex with male inmates in exchange for leniency in Mobile, AL.

Mr. Thomas is no longer a circuit judge due to his resigning in 2007, in regards to charges alleging Thomas spanked inmates in his private office with a paddle. Since that time, several prisoners have come forward with far more serious allegations, including sexual assault, sodomy, extortion, and even kidnapping.

When I first read the headline link from BBC News, I assumed this was surely not a judge in the United States. But to my surprise, when I clicked on the link, this took place, allegedly, right here in our country. Mr. Thomas has denied any charges. Therefore, this case will go to trial. If he is found guilty, maybe there can be a more strict form of hiring judges and watching them more closely. Judges have an extreme amount of power and that can be a very good thing, but put in the wrong hands can be a tragedy.

Of course, Thomas's lawyer, Robert Clark, defends his client by stating these alleged victims were only trying to ruin his client's career. Also, that this is a form of "high-tech lynching" that is politically motivated.

I have a hard time believing that approximately 15 former and current prisoners would just make up a story like this. What would they really have to gain? Especially the former prisoners. The abuse took place they claim, in exchange for leniency. So if they report this, they could face the possibility of this turning on them, even though they are agreeing to testify against Thomas.

These prisoners will have to get on the stand and speak in detail about what they claim occurred. It certainly wouldn't be an easy thing to do. They will also have to face cross-examination and with all the prisoners involved, I don't think the prosecutor would risk that if he didn't honestly believe Thomas performed these acts. And for the prisoners to do all this to ruin someone's career? It seems a little hard to believe. Besides, Thomas already resigned in 2007 due to the incidents that happened in his private office. I think the prisoners are doing this for the principal of the matter.

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, otherwise known as NAACP, which deals with civil rights, claims that Mr. Thomas is being prosecuted because of his race. Do they really think Mr. Thomas's rights are being violated? Don't get me wrong, this can be a wonderful organization. We have come a long way in this country due to the efforts of organizations such as these. However, I really don't think turning our judicial system into the bad guy is really necessary.

Looking at the small information from the news story, there seems to be enough there to understand why the prosecutor would choose to go through with this case. So before the NAACP jumps the gun, and decides that this is a racial issue, maybe they should wait until the case goes to trial to hear all the evidence. Then let an impartial jury decide if he is guilty.

The trial is set to last several weeks.

Lost Dog Gathers Clues To Find Family

A Rottweiler known to her family as Ella, had quite a 13 day long adventure, according to a report done by CBS News correspondent, Steve Hartman.

The Rottweiler was found by Kathy Wilkes-Myers who works for the Love Me Tender animal shelter in central Tennessee.  Kathy noticed an unusual act the dog had accomplished.  Ella had gathered several items from along the highway; a toothbrush, comb, razor, and a few other items. It looked as though Ella was sleeping with the items, or waiting with them.  Kathy took a picture of the items with her cell phone, took Ella with her, and began to get a hunch as to what happened.

Kathy remembered a horrible automobile crash that occurred about two weeks prior in this very area of the highway and wondered if Ella had been hanging around because she was in that crash with her family.  Kathy didn't believe anyone could have survived the crash.  Although, she did some research, called the Highway Patrol, and found out different.  

Ultimately, Ella was reunited with her family.  Each member of the family did survive the crash and needless to say, they were amazed and thrilled to learn their precious dog Ella had survived as well.  There is an adorable picture of the reunited family on the web page, of Ella and her family members.   

It's so amazing how loyal animals can be!  Ella was scavenging for food along the highway, and drinking water from a drainage ditch.  Then to gather all of those items together and sleep with them, she is a smart dog.  It looked like she was trying to find clues or something.  She knew those items had the smell of her family and she wasn't leaving that place until they came back or until someone took her to them.

Of course, for the Kelly's, Ella's family, it was so wonderful to find out their precious dog was alive.  However, there was a bittersweet twist to this ending.  The medical expenses piled up as a result of the crash and the Kelly family had to move into a place that didn't allow animals as a result.  But once again, Kathy came to the rescue.  She promised to hold onto Ella for as long as she needed to in order for the Kelly's to get back on their feet.

I personally am an animal lover and, if possible, I'd open a shelter at my house.  Between my husband and I, we have brought in 3 dogs and 2 cats already.  Animals are so loyal, but they are also very dependent on people to take care of them.  I love to hear about great shelters like the Love Me Tender animal shelter who found Ella.  Apparently, they have rounded up more than 1,000 dogs over the last 20 years.  Its nice to know we have places like these all over America.  

I wish the best to Ella and her family.  Hopefully the Kelly's will be able to get on their feet very soon so that they may be reunited quickly.  And Kathy most likely has formed a tight bond with Ella, so perhaps they will let her have visitation with Ella in the future.

Historic Route 66 Artifacts

The first Interstate Highway to run from the east coast to the west coast of the United States, famously known to us as Historic Route 66, is being remembered by artifacts being displayed in the Jasper County Courthouse near Joplin, Mo.  Some artifacts included in the display are an actual historic drive-thru from the 50's era, a gas pump, and an air pump from that era also. One famous spot on the Route was the Coral Courts Motel.  At the time the only artifacts from the Motel are displayed at the Missouri History Museum in Forest Park, in St. Louis, Mo.

Growing up I heard a lot about the famous Route 66.  I just knew that it was a highway that stretched across the country, but until I read this article, I didn't really know much history behind the famous highway.

Apparently the whole thing got started on behalf of America's love affair with the automobile. After the war, a new era of prosperity took place in roadside culture.  Several families in America would load up the car with whole family (no seat belts back then) and head off to go across the country all on easily traveled highway.  Businesses caught on to this marketing strategy very quickly.  There were all kinds of businesses, along with a few freak shows. Anything from motels that looked like wigwams to roadside zoos, and even a set up of tic-tac-toe playing chickens.

Right in the heart of St. Louis there was a little ice cream shop called Ted Drew's Frozen Custard, which apparently still stands and thrives.  Another St. Louis favorite was the famous and previously mentioned Coral Courts Motel, which was a pink porcelain motel and it was also known as the "no-tell motel".  Each room had its own parking garage so your stay was more discreet.  The motel was also known for a legend claiming a group of local gangsters hid money somewhere in the motel, although it was never found.

There were so many things to see on Route 66 back in the day.  Its pretty neat that such a famous highway runs right through Joplin, Mo., so close to home.  I'm fascinated by the old 50's and 60's era anyway, but I learned so much more history about this highway than I knew before.  For instance, the famous movie, "A Rebel Without A Cause", starring James Dean, took place on Route 66.  Also, the famous author John Steinbach, who wrote "The Grapes of Wrath", called Route 66 the Mother Road.  Then looking back to when my children were small, we have the Disney movie, Cars, which centers around a race car stuck in a small town right along Route 66.

On a sad note, On June 27th, 1985, US 66 was officially removed from the United States Highway System.  Parts of the highway are now known as "National Scenic Byway", and of course, around our area its just simply known as "Historic" Route 66. Although, at least Joplin and other towns along the route are dedicating museums to this fun part of America's history.  I personally would like to see the display, it would be a good, fun place for the whole family.

Woman Charged in Elizabeth Smart Case Expects Life in Prison

Wanda Eileen Barzee of West Valley City, Utah is the woman charged in the kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart in 2002.  Barzee, along with Brian Mitchell, were found walking the streets of Salt Lake City with Elizabeth Smart nine months after her abduction.  Both Mitchell and Barzee were arrested immediately.

According to the article, Dora Corbett, Barzee's 88-year-old mother had saved letters from her daughter and turned them into the Associated Press.  The letters reveal that Barzee understands and remembers the sins that she committed.  She doesn't go into detail about what took place, only that she needs to repent of her sins.  Barzee admits that she is expected to receive a life sentence in prison.

It is just so hard to have sympathy for a woman who aided a man in the kidnapping of a 14-year-old little girl.  This article reads as if Wanda Barzee feels as much a victim to this man as Elizabeth was.

Apparently Barzee has dealt with some psychological problems, she has some sort of mental illness and was ordered to be administered anti-psychotic drugs due to a 2006 court ruling. However, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the medication order in May 2008 and as a result, Barzee is allowed to refuse her medication on the grounds she is doing so for religious reasons.

Barzee is claiming that what she did was while under "the influence" of Brian Mitchell, a self proclaimed prophet of some kind.  But in contrast to this claim, she tells her mother in the letters that although her social worker has found her competent, they won't know for sure until she has been given another evaluation.  These letters were sent in April 2009.  She  also makes a reference to the fact that she might be able to obtain the plea of not guilty by reason of insanity so that she could stay in the hospital instead of prison.

I'm not positive on this, but isn't the fact that she is trying to find a justification for what she did and figuring out how she needs to "obtain" a certain plea show that she is able to rationalize things out?

Another good point in the article was when they interviewed Elizabeth Smart's father, Ed Smart.  He admitted Barzee could be making progress.  Assuming what he meant by that was the fact that she is admitting she did do this, it was a heinous crime, and that she herself  felt that she should repent of it. However, he also felt very strongly that she was not the victim in this.  He has no sympathy for her.

I have to agree with Mr. Smart.  Its just pretty hard for me to believe she is mentally incompetent.  That is not to say she doesn't have some issues with mental illness.  I'm sure she does have some mental issues if a court ordered her to take medication.  I just feel, as I mentioned earlier, if she can rationalize to her mother what she did and think about what plea she wants to "strive" for, then she should have the ability to determine right from wrong when she went along with Brian Mitchell.

Hopefully justice will be served in this case for the Smart family.  And Wanda Barzee, along with Brian Mitchell will eventually be found guilty and will have to serve the life sentences they deserve.