Ice Storm Leavis 1 Millions Without Power

From Main to Pennsylvania a storm wrecking havoc left sparkling, ice-covered landscape that was too destructive for many to find beautiful. The storm left 1.25 million homes and businesses in seven states without power as it forced schools to close.

At least one death was related to the storm: a 49-year-old Danville man who lived in a camper died of carbon monoxide poisoning after turning on his generator when his power went out Thursday night.

In Hampstead, N.H., Mark Cegelis, 36, said things were hectic at his neighborhood gas station, which was jammed with people trying to get gas for home generators.

Go Skyhawks!!

Went to the men's basketball tournament this weekend and the Skyhawks wooped butt!

Friday's game, against St. Edwards, was a complete win with the end score being 85-52. Star player Jordan Brooks made an incredible "drunk" in the first half of the game. Saturday's game, against Westminister, was a close with the end score being 83-73.

Our men's basketball team is doing a really good job this year. Let's get 'em boys!!

Banned Books

After a presentation in class which talked about Dr. Seuss books that had been banned, i decided to look up other banned books. I was not only surprised with what i found but also with the reasons why they were banned.

Did you know that Black Beauty was banned in South Africa in 1955 for having the word "black" in the title. How about As I Lay Dying, a novel by William Faulkner, was banned in Kentucky for language and being anti-Christian.

I think the US has tried to do away with banning books being that the last book they banned was in 1963, the John Cleland novel, Fanny Hill. Banned for obscenity.

Craig Westberg Case

Craig Westberg is the DA for Archuleta, La Plata and San Juan counties.

Westberg was arrested Oct. 10 on suspicion of careless driving and driving under the influence of a drug. He said he took a single Ambien sleeping pill because he was feeling ill and had not slept in two days. He then drove to the store for Vitamin C and began feeling the effects of the drug.

Two witnesses reported a driver in a black Honda Civic failing to stay in a single lane, with one saying the driver struck a gas pipeline vent without stopping.

Westberg was sentenced Wednesday to 18 months probation, 60 hours of public service, 10 days of electronic home monitoring and costs and fees of $4,015.47. He also loses his driver’s license for a year and must attend alcohol education classes.

“It’s a real slap in the face if we all want to believe that everyone is equal under the law, but what this shows is that’s not the case,” Champagne said. “It’s a travesty of justice.”

Durango public defenders Christian Champagne and Tom Williamson criticized the sentence and said any regular person would have gotten 30 to 90 days of jail and no deferred judgment on the DUI charge. They stressed that they were expressing their own opinions and not those of the public defender’s office.

Thanksgiving Break

Thanksgiving break was pretty slow for me! I spent time with my family, and worked alot!

Ate a good meal at grandma's house. Fried turkey with grandma's homemade cranberry sauce and Kahlua! Yummy!!

My girls went home for break and it snowed like crazy where they live. Hope they make it home safe!!

India.Arie

Born in Colorado but transplanted to Atlanta as a teenager. India.Arie played a number of instruments before focusing on her acoustic guitar.It wasn’t until the lead single, “Video,” a song about the importance of inner beauty and self-confidence, began its slow rise on the charts, that India.Arie reached the broad public consciousness. This was enhanced by a surprise 7 Grammy nominations. Acoustic Soul ended up a surprise platinum hit, appealing to both young listeners and lovers of classic soul and folk.

Here's one of her songs. .

Jill Scott

Born in 1972 in North Philadelphia, Jill Scott grew up in the ghetto with her mom and grandmother. Encouraged by Jazzy Jeff and Ahmir-Khalib Thompson of the hip-hop group The Roots, Scott wrote several songs in only three days during the summer of 1999. One of them, entitled "You Got Me," was performed by Erykah Badu and The Roots, and won a Grammy for Best Rap Performance. A few months later, 100 demo CDs were burned and marketed the soul singer. Jill Scott then signed with the new label Hidden Beach. During this whole process and since then, she collaborated with Will Smith and Common.

Here is one of her songs for you. .

Judge Judy

I not sure how many students watch TV court shows, but I love female judge court shows. Especially Judge Judy. I have watched her for maybe a year now and not only is she pretty entertaining, but she has a lot of good points and knowledge.

Here is a clip from one of her shows, i choose this one because it is so ridiculous its funny. It also makes you see how scandalous people can really be sometimes.



I have also read two of Judge Judith Scheidlin's books which both were very interesting. I would definitely recommend them to anyone!!

Best Southern Rappers

I love music! One genre i listen to is known as "southern rap". Here's is a list of the 10 best sourthern rappers right now.

10. Devin the Dude

9. T.I.

8. Lil' Wayne

7. Ludacris

6. Big Boi

5. Cee-Lo

4. Z-Ro

3. Bun B

2. Andre 3000

1. Scarface

If this was my list it would definitly be a little dirrent. . .

Heels. .

Victoria Beckham's Heel-less Boots
Who needs heels? Not this Mrs. Beckham. At a Macy's appearance in N.Y.C. in September, Posh stood tall in thigh-high heel-free Antonio Berardi PVC boots.




Madonna's Gun Shoes
No stranger to controversy, Madonna set off another round of chatter when she arrived at a film premiere in September wearing gun-heeled Chanel shoes that many deemed as insensitive.

80 Whales Dead Along Tasmania Costline

80 whales were stranded along an Australian Coastline and were battered to death by rocks before rescuers could save them. The long-finned pilot whales were spotted by air and officials of Tasmania State Park rushed to Sandy Cape on four-wheelers to try and rescue the whales. But by the time the ground crew arrived all were dead.

The coastline is full of reefs and jagged rocks, making it much more dangerous for the stranded whales. About 15 whales that seemed to be part of the same group began swimming away from the area after the last of the stranded whales died. The second group swam near those stranded and may have been responding to cries of distress.

The incident comes one week after rescuers saved 11 pilot whales among more than 60 stranded on a beach in northwestern Tasmania. Standings are not at all uncommon in Tasmania, where the whales pass by on their migration to and from the Antarctic waters. It is not known why whales get stranded.

Hudson Murder Case

Above: Jennifer Hudson's sister (left), Hudson (center), Hudson's mother and her nephew.

Jennifer Hudson's mother and brother were found slayn in there home on the south side of chicago. Her mother, Darnell Donerson, was 57, and her brother, Jason Hudson, was 25.

The body of her nephew, Julian King, was found a few days earlier in a SUV parked in an empty lot. He was just 7 years old. Police think Julian was alive when he left the house where his relatives were killed and was later shot in the SUV.

Police discovered the .45-caliber gun that was used in the killings in the same vacant lot Julian King's body was found.



27-year-old William Balfour, the estranged husband of Hudson's sister, is the main person of interest nd is presently in custody on a parole violation. Balfour's mother, said Hudson's mother kicked Balfour out of the family home last winter. Though she denies her son having anything to do with the killings.

Is a broken heart deadly?

A sudden, traumatic event occurs leaving the heart stunned and leaving the aggrieved with chest pain and shortness of breath. Doctor's call this "broken heart syndrome".

It sounds like a heart attack, but not exactly. Unlike a heart attack, broken heart syndrome is reversible and doesn't cause permanent heart damage. But if it's left untreated, a heart malfunction can lead to complications and even death.

Humans are not the only ones who suffer from a broken heart. Animals feel the pain too. Mary G is a dolphin, who was nursed back to health by trainer Tamara Monti. Mary G was in danger of dying from a broken heart when Monti didn't return to work after being stabbed to death by a neighbor.

The Big Day

Today was a lot calmer than i thought it would be. Though I herd people saying that "Obama has already won. ." and other people saying its a "frustrating day for McCain voters". I was really happy we had the day off from class to go vote (being that i work everyday). I completely took advantage of that and I got up early and got my vote in. My voting location was at the Sacred Heart Parish (my church).

I got on the Internet last night and looked up the amendments on the 2008 Colorado ballot. Got educated on both arguments of the amendments. This actually only took me an hour at most (which was surprising to me because i expected it to take a few hours). With that, i was only at the parish for maybe 20 minutes.

It felt really good to vote and to also have knowledge on the current issues were facing at a state level. The parish was pretty calm when i went there. Didn't have to wait in line and the officials were very helpful and welcoming.

I am glad my first voting experience was so peaceful and felt rewarding! Looking forward to more elections to come. .

Good Night, And Good Luck

I had previously seem this movie, and loved it. I was excited when Ms Sotosky decided to show it in class. Not only does it give a great representation of how life, radio, and TV was back in the day but of the powerful effect it had on people. Which is still very true to this day.

There were a couple quotes in this movie that I found to be very powerful. The first was, "We cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home". This was very true back in the 1950's and is still true today. When i first herd this quote back in 2005 when Good Night, And Good Luck was first released, the first thing that came to mind was the war in Iraq.

The second, and more powerful quote, was this one: "We have currently a built-in allergy to unpleasant or disturbing information. Our mass media reflects this. But unless we get up off our fat surpluses and recognize that television in the main is being used to distract, delude, amuse, and insulate us, then television and those who finance it, those who look at it, and those who work at it, may see a totally different picture too late". This really hit that spot in my mind that makes me think hard. I thought about this quote, analyzing it over and over in my head. At the end I found myself agreeing with it completely. I hope this quote was stuck in the minds of others as well, for it spoke truth then and speaks even louder truth in this day and age!

Ms Sotosky had made a comment at the end of class saying that George Clooney (the director) had to completely fiance this movie on his own, almost having to put a mortgage on his home. This too is the reason why the movie was in black in white, besides adding to the feel of the 1950's, it's much cheaper to produce a film in black and white then in color. I had no idea about this, and am so thankful this movie was able to be released.

Onslaught

Loved this video. I really enjoy Dove's films, because most have to do with self-esteem and trying to help society recognize real beauty. Which is today's world of media is almost non-existent.



Even though this movie is only about a minute long, the message is very powerful! It says make sure your daughter knows what real beauty is, because females of today are constantly subjected to fake images that lower their self-esteem and construe there self images of what beauty really is or should be.

Film Ratings......?

Below is the trailer for THIS.FILM.IS.NOT.YET.RATED.



I absolutely loved this documentary and I'm so glad that our professor decided to show this to our class. I found it very interesting and very factual. However it really had me heated (mad) that the MPAA doesn't have a more specific guideline for how the movies are rated. Not only that, but all the misconception about who gets to rate the films and the confidentiality of the whole situation. I honestly think its bullshit that they NC-17 movies for one thing, then give an R to other films with really no clear line of discretion.

Where Does Money Come From?

During a discussion with my grandma, she asked me if i had seen this video before. I hadn't, so i looked it up a viewed it. I found this to be very intriguing and it helped me in understanding where money really comes from. Which is
kinda spooky when you figure it out because it's not what you expect.



This video is 1 of 5 videos explaining, where it (money) comes from, when it started, and the direction it (the federal reserve) is going in. I chose the second video because it explains how the system works and sums up the points i found the most interesting. If this interest you, i strongly suggest watching the other videos!

War of the Worlds

I just got done listening to the radio lab War of the Worlds. I have to say I laughed, at the same time I can definitely see how and why people thought this was real. In a way it amazes me how much control the media has over the people. But in a much bigger way, it really isn't surprising at all.

First, let me start off by saying, I think that people depend on the news (whatever the medium may be) to honestly tell them whats going on in the world. Now this isn't always true, and the more I learn in this class the more I realize this is becoming less and less true, but people still turn to their favored medium for their daily news. So when something like the War of the Worlds happens, the last thing on the peoples mind is, "This must be a joke."

Second, I too am one of those people who watches the news then feels like there's no hope for the world. Like it just keeps getting worse everyday. Though my grandma and I have had talks about media and the effects it has on people (mostly television)I still let it get to me. At the end of the radio lab the announcer speaks on the news and its fear factor and how it keeps people watching/listening. I personally agree with his statement. Though it makes me mad feeling like the news organizations are taking advantage of my emotion, I cannot offer a solution to this problem.

Is there a solution? Can we as people loosen the tight grip the media has over us?

Photoshop Effects

I was very surprised and very intrigued by what we learned in class today. The amazing effects photoshop can have on pictures.

I have a friend, who lives in Phoenix, and she photoshops all her pictures before she puts them on the Internet (i.e myspace). She mostly does it to smooth the skin on her face so you cant see all her scars, from acne and fights. She might even add some words or a picture frame just to personalize the picture. All this i was familiar with and very aware of.

Even the models in magazines, I knew that their hair and make-up is done by a team of professionals and that their bodies are airbrushed. But its this tool that's called the "liquefying tool" that astounded me. For those of you not familiar with this tool, what it does is basically manipulates the pixels of an image. It can move them anyway to want, most of the time creating a completely different image. Below is a short video by dove that barely scratches the surface of the amazing effects photoshop has on a picture.



The big debate now days, is whether or not there should be a disclaimer on every picture/ad that is photoshoped saying just that. Maybe something like, "Warning: This image was photoshoped. This is not reality." Ok, so maybe scratch the reality part, but you see where this is going. I am on the affirmative side of this argument. I agree that there should be a disclaimer on these pictures for 2 reasons. 1) So young girls (and boys) are very aware of whats real and whats not. That the images they are looking at are real images and not a manipulated version. 2) So the people who spend hours and hours a day going over every detail, photoshoping pictures, get the credit they deserve for producing these immaculate images.

What do you think?

Bigger Than The Great Depression

I'm sure you've seen the headlines, "House to Vote on $700billion Bailout Plan" and "DOW Drops 500 Points, At its Lowest in History", but this is just one company. If you turn to channel 58 (MS NBC) or 59 (CNBC) (and watch the little moving columns at the bottom of the screen) you'll notice that 9 out of every 10 of these companies shares are in red, meaning that the companies worth per share is down/decreasing in value. Decreasing in value drastically and its not just in the US. Its all over the world!

So I was up last night till about 3 in the morning watching the stock market over in the UK. I, myself, do not hold stocks nor do I have a great interest in them. However, i do realize there importance in the world and how it effects the economy. As i am watching, i notice that not only is the stock market in the UK down drastically but the Prime Minister over there is purposing the same idea as our government. A "Bailout Plan", which in my opinion, says "We're going to print as much money as we need to..." but what they don't tell people is it might cost a $100 for a loaf of bread. Being that the value of our dollar (which is already almost nothing) is going to be worth even less.

I went and spoke to both of my grandparents about this issue wanting some knowledge about what to expect and hopefully a little comfort that it will all be OK. What i got was 2 very different opinions. My grandpa said that basically, "This will be a worldwide depression!". That people who were rich last week (even well off) are broke on their ass today, because of the market. That jobs, food, and especially money is going to be very scarce in the world for awhile. But when i spoke with my grandma about it she said that, "She thinks America needed the 'slap in the face'. That people now days are to fat and to lazy, and this is a wake up call we've been needing". Adding that - her grandma (my great, great grandma) lived through the Depression of '29, in Durango, and the only way it really effected us here was that certain things were rationed. Meaning when you went to the store to buy them, you'd get a piece of paper saying that they were out and you were guaranteed one on the next shipment.

In conclusion, I know this has been going on for a least 8 years now. The Bush Administration has a huge part to with it being that before Bush's presidency the US had no national debt! I hope my generation can elect a good official to represent our counrty and to help with the economic state of the US.

Hurricanes of 08

This year we were hit hard by 2 major hurricanes. Taking many life's and causing serious damage to the US and other countries

The first was Hurricane Gustav one of the costliest, major tropical cyclones in the 2008 Atlantic season. It formed on the morning of August 25 about 260 miles of the coast of Haiti. It turned into a category 3 hurricane early the next morning ripping through Haiti, Jamaica, Cuba, and steadily headed toward the US, moving across the Gulf of Mexico. On September 1 it hit the US at a category 2 hurricane (1 mph under a category 3). It came in along the Louisiana coast and slowed down significantly before moving on through Arkansas.

As of September 15, there were 138 deaths and $13 billion in US damage along with $3 billion in damages in Cuba.

Second, was Hurricane Ike which was the most intense storm in the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season. It formed September 1 of the coast of the Cape Verde Islands and by September 4 it had become a category 4 hurricane. Ike's diameter was 450 miles and its wind speed peaked at 190 mph! Ike claimed 147 lives, primarily in Haiti (who was already recovering from Hurricanes Fay, Gustav, and Hanna) and the US with many deaths taking place inland. The US estimated cost for damages will be $27 billion for coastal areas, with an additional $4 billion in damages in Cuba.

Both of these hurricanes were not only tragic, but 2 of the costliest hurricanes of all time in the US.

OUTFOXED

Today we watched the movie "OutFoxed" and now I feel more educated about our news channels. This movie helped to remind me that you always must question where our news is coming from. No matter who broadcasts' it.

After the movie I was pretty set on Fox News being a very biased news network. I went home and talked with my grandfather about this. He is a very educated man who watches MS NBC and Fox News all day everyday. I told him about the movie and how I felt about Fox News being biased. He did not agree with me saying, that he thought Fox News was a pretty fair and balanced news network!! However, he did agree with me about Bill O'Reilly, and my thoughts on him being a cynical asshole.

I took my grandfathers opinion into consideration, but i am still going to question how factual the news is, and try to figure out for myself what is really going on. No matter where i hear/read it!

Drug Money

Authorties in Genesee County (located in the southeast lower part of Michigan) made one of the largest drug-and-cash bust in the counties history.

They found more than $500,000 cash ($644,833 to be more exact) laid out in stacks of $100 bills, $50 bills, and $20 dollar bills. They found another $2 million in drugs - all convinscated by the Genesee County Police Department from one drug dealer in the city of Flint.

My question is: Where does all this money go?

According to the Druf Enforcement Administration, when the DEA (in a certain disrict) takes down a dealer, that department gets a cut of the cash - a pretty large cut in this case.

"The sheriff's posse will get about $312,000 of it," said Genesee County Sheriff Robert Pickell. "And then we have to divvy the money up among the other police agencies that worked on it."

Now, although the DEA needs to get paid back for the time and effort the spend on a case like this, wouldn't you think they would put some of that money back into the communties where they live? Especially when they come up on over $300,000? Not to mention the $2 million in drugs that will setting in evidence......? Just a thought

Big Bang Machine

The new scientific wonder of the world was switched on today after 14 years of preparation. Europe's Large Hardon Collider is the worlds biggest 'Big Bang' machine (simulator). For those of you unaware of the Big bang Theory - its the theory on how our universe came to existence. Its use is intended to help us probe things such as dark matter, missing antimatter, and unseen dimensions of space.

Less than an hour after being turned on the beams of LCH made its first full clockwise circuit. However, it will take a year for LCH to reach its full potential. Once it reaches its full potential the machine will produce two streams of visible protons spinning in opposite directions around an underground racetrack at 99.999999 percent of the speed of light (186,000 miles per second). When the two waves of protons slam into each other, scientists expect particles to melt into bits of energy up to 100,000 times hotter than the sun's core!! Thus replicating the state the universe was like an instant after it came into existence.

More than 10,000 scientists, engineers, and other workers were involved in this revolutionary research opportunity.

Drug Money

The U.S Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) in connection with Mexican Police made the "largest drug-cash seizure in history"when they raided a home in Lomas de Chapultepec, Mexico City, Mexico.

They confiscated $205.6 million in U.S currency, 200,000 in euros, and 157,500 in pesos, along with cash, luxury vehicles, weapons, and a pill-making machine from a residence in one of Mexico City's wealthiest neighborhoods (home to ambassadors and business magnates).

The money found hidden inside walls, suitcases, and closets came from the the profits of methamphetamines sold in the United States.

Seven people were arrested and are being held for 3 months while the investigation continues.

"The money was connected to one of the worlds largest networks for trafficking pseudo ephedrine (main ingredient in methamphetamine)," said Mexican Attorney General Eduardo Medina Mora. The ring had been operating since 2004 and is said to be run by a native of China who had gained Mexican citizenship. The alleged ring leader is suspected to be in hiding, somewhere probably outside the country.

The operation could reduce the supply of methamphetamine in the U.S, where Mexican drug gangs control at least 80 percent of the market.

Kelis Acquitted of Charges

R&B singer, and wife of east coast rapper Nas, was acquitted on charges of disorderly conduct and resisting an arrest today (Sept. 9), in Miami court.

Kelis was originally arrested in Miami on March 2, 2007 for screaming racial slurs and lunging at 2 female officers who were posing as prostitutes. Authorities said Mrs. Jones (Kelis) was disrupting with an on-going investigation.

Miami court judge ruled that there was no basis for her arrest.

"I'm thrilled that justice prevailed in the end," Kelis told E! reporters. "Racial profiling is a very serious matter. Unfortunately, most victims learn to deal with this form of harassment in their daily lives because they feel that they don't have a voice or because they're not able to absorb the costs to legally fight it in court. I hope that this sheds light on the fact that wearing a uniform and carrying a badge does not allow you to act above the law."

The R&B singer plans to pursue charges against the Miami Police Department.