Jets coach trips a Miami Dolphins

The NFL plans to launch an investigation into New York Jets assistant coach Sal Alosi's tripping of the Miami Dolphin's Nolan Carroll from the sidelines during a 10-6 loss. A spokesman from the NFL, Greg Aiello, told ESPN, that the league is reviewing the incident, and that The Jets had already begun an investigation into Alosi's behavior, and that there was potential for discipline. On Sunday, Alosi made a public apology to Carroll, for his misconduct.

By Myah Tolbert

1 out 5 High school students admit to being abused

A recent study done by Emily F. Rothman, an associate professor at the Boston University School of Public Health, stated that 1 out of every 5 High School students have admitted to being in an abusive relationship. That same 1 in 5 also admitted that they were more likely to in turn abuse other students and even family members."There's a huge overall connection between perpetration of dating violence and the perpetration of other forms of youth violence," Rothman said. The study, which was published in the December issue of the journal Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, surveyed 1,398 urban high school students at 22 schools throughout Boston. The survey asked if they had physically hurt a girlfriend or boyfriend, sibling or peer within the previous month. More than forty-one percent said they'd physically hurt another kid on at least one occasion and 19% said they'd abused their boyfriend, girlfriend, someone they were dating or someone they were simply having sex with.

For more information go to:
http://www.usatoday.com/yourlife/sex-relationships/dating/2010-12-13-teen-violence_N.htm
By: Myah Tolbert

Tragic Storm in Indiana

There has been a lot of early snow storms in certain states but none of them compare to the snowstorm in Laporte, Indiana that hit this morning. According to Yahoo News, commuters have been stuck in traffic all day due to snow covered highways and strong winds. There was nearly 100 vetches stuck in traffic and 15 deaths occured due to this unexpected storm. There is so much snow that it is being stretched out to parts of New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania. This is a helpful warning sign to let us know whats in store for us this winter.
BY: Jelissa Ortega

Miley Cyrus' 18th bday celebration

The popular teen sensation Miley Cyrus was celebreating her 18th birthday last month. five days after her actual birthday Miley Cyrus was hanging out with some friends at her LA home. However they were not just hanging out and listening to music they were smoking out of a salvia out of a bong. This is not what people would expect Miley Cyrus to do in the celebration of her birthday. Many were saying that she was smoking marijuana or other illegal drugs. But all thos rumors were not true she was smoking salvia which is a natural herb that causes hallucinations. This herb is legal in the state of California so technically she was not doing anything wrong. This video was not broadcasted because she wanted to, TMZ reports that someone stole the camera or copied the video from her friend's camera. This just goes to show that people are willing to do anything in order to ruin a celeberity's reputation....no matter how old you are.

Books Vandalized at Harvard

By: Jerilynn Sweet
Hate crime, bullying,harassement, these are all words that are now commenly used in newsreports. The reson they have gained so much popularity is due to the rise in bullying and harrasment of gay men and women and those who have yet to "come out of the closet." Now people are taking it one step further and destryoing the written word. Approximetly 40 books, costing several thousand dollars, were destryed at the lamont Library on the Harved University campus. A member of security stated in a written report that "it appeared someone poured urine on the books on Nov. 24. An empty bottle was found nearby." All of the book topics were about gay, lesbian, and same-sex marriage issues and with the destruction of this valued property hate crimes in the U.S. are becomming even more evident.

SantaLand Diaries

This weekend I saw "The SantaLand Diaries" by David Sedaris, starring Mount Saint Mary's own, Assistant Professor of Theatre, James Phillips. The story is true, based off of Sedaris's job working as Crumpet the Elf at Macy's. It is a very adult play that hilariously tells of the peculiar people that come to see Santa at Christmas time. He begins by telling the audience of how he is a 32 year old man that's life has lost such meaning and worth that he has resulted in taking the position. He describes all of the different Elf positions that Macy's has strategically placed throughout the store to handle the masses. This show was racist, provacative and politically-incorrect. However, it was done in such a brilliant way that the dry humor and hysterical situations overshadowed it completely.

by Sarah Fulton

Inmates Use Contraband Cellphones to Protest

By: Katie McCollum
In a New York Times article published on December 12, 2010, "Inmates in Georgia Prisons Use Contraband Phones to Coordinate Protest", Sarah Wheaton describes how in at least seven Georgia prisons, inmates have used contraband cellphones to organize a nonviolent strike this weekend. They demanded better living conditions and to compensated for work done in the prison. They said that they would not perform chores previously done, work for the Corrections Department’s industrial arm or shop at prison commissaries until their checklist of demands are addressed properly. They also wanted things like better food, more opportunities for education, and changes to sentencing rules. Groups and gangs that were known to originally not exactly cooperate, joined together last Thursday to get the job done. Cellphones are becoming an immediate scare to officers in that criminals could use them to connect to the outside world and/or accomplices to help them escape or plan hits. The action of taking their cigarettes away recently has had a major cause in starting this protest. It was said that "10 percent of all inmates had phones." Several facilities went under a lockdown, according to local news reports, and officers are considering it now a riot. The Department of Corrections has not publicly acknowledged the protest. Conferences are being developed on the outside of those working with inmates or family members of inmates to try and help meet demands.

Women's Health Report 2010

The latest "health report card" on women's health was recently released. The report revealed that more women are drinking heavily, and fewer are being tested for cervical cancer. New York Times journalist Roni Caryn Rabin reported that "Over all, more women are obese, diabetic and hypertensive than just a few years ago, and more are testing positive for chlamydia, a sexually transmitted disease linked to infertility." Rabin also included that "78 percent of women ages 18 to 64 had a pap smear in the last three years, down from 84.8 percent in 2007." Although the number of people screened for high cholesterol has improved along with the fact that less women are smoking and dying from stroke, obesity is on the rise, and will continue to be on the rise if something isn't done. Why is this happening? Probably because in such a time of societal and economic strife, people, namely women, are looking for some source of comfort in their chaotic lives. I believe that if people are taught portion control and stick by Aristotle's idea of "Everything in Moderation," then the binge drinking, diabetes and hopefully the diagnoses of chlamydia will go down significantly.

For more information:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/09/health/research/09women.html?_r=1&ref=health

By Sarah Fulton

Boy shot in hunting accident

In the Times Herald Record an article "Boy shot in hunting accident," by Heather Yakin is about a 9 year old boy that was shot in the stomach while helping drive deer to a hunter. The boy was airlifted to the hospital and is in serious condition. Yakin stated "The accident occurred one day before the close of deer season; the season had, before Saturday, been free of shooting accidents since it began on November 20th, according to DEC officials." The hunter who is from Pennsylvania was charged with a felony of first degree reckless endangerment and several violations. According to Yakin, "...the shooter was was being held in Orange County Jail in lieu of $25,000 bail or $75,000 bond."

By Gina Hughes

Wal-Mart Tries Again for New York City Store

In a New York Times article "Wal-Mart Tries Again for New York City Store," by Elizabeth Harris talks about how they are trying to get a Wal-Mart in New York City. Wal-Mart seems to be everywhere, except in New York City. Harris says "Wal-Mart, an inescapable part of the retail landscape just about everywhere except in New York City, twice retreated on efforts to open stores in the city after fierce community opposition." This is not going to be an easy task for them to find public support for opening up a Wal-Mart in New York City. "According to Harris, "The renewed push by Wal-Mart comes five years after the retailer tried to open stores in Queens and Staten Island but faced furious opposition from community leaders and elected officials." One of the positives that would come out of putting a Wal-Mart in New York City is that it would help bring jobs to the area. Which would be a huge help since there are so many people out of work. Harris states, "Wal-Mart is the country’s largest private employer, with 1.4 million workers, but it has been a constant target for labor groups who say its wages are too low and its benefits insufficient." One of the biggest downfalls of having a Wal-Mart in New York City would be that it would put alot of small business out of business. So while it may bring jobs to the area it may also put more people out of business and cause them to be unemployed. Will we see a Wal-Mart go up in New York City, who knows. There are alot of people that are against this, especially the community. What will happen, we will have to wait and see.

by Gina Hughes

Unemployment By Zach Ciraolo

A huge epidemic now a days in the United States is that of Unemployment! Numbers raising up to an area not seen since the depression, double digits. People go out and compete for jobs it is the way this country has worked since the beginning. But when there are no jobs to compete for, then what happens? Recession that is what happens! It almost is inevitable in this type of situation our economy and we as a whole are going through. Yet, there are advantages to unemployment but they are towered over by disadvantages. And as well, unemployment is sometimes more then other taken advantage you. Think about it; why go out and get a job when you can sit home, go out, have all the free time in the world and get paid for it? None the less now due to the signing of new legislation for an extra 13 months added on to 91 weeks which is what it was at prior to the new law! Though at the same time it takes tolls on peoples lives, sends many into stages of depressions, and just makes people feel According to Leigha butler the rug was pulled out from beneath my feet. It can happen within a blink of an eye, so as they always say, prepare yourself for the worse. Especially since the 2.6 million people out of work did not, we must all learn from either our own lessons but as well from others.

RIP Elizabeth Edwards

On Tuesday, Elizabeth Edwards, the former wife of former Senator John Edwards, entered into rest after suffering from terminal breast cancer. She was 61 years old. Mrs. Edwards life was both admirable and tragic. At the age of 16, her son Wade was killed in a car accident. When she was 55, she was diagnosed with cancer after being so wrapped up with John's campaigns that she didn't get a mammography done, even after feeling a lump in her breast. Elizabeth had been a successful lawyer, but also gave that up to become her husband's closest political advisor, ("Behind every great man, there's a great woman.") Recently, the National Enquirer revealed that John had been having an affair with Rielle Hunter, who worked on his campaign. Hunter also went on to have his baby. John Edwards, "insisted that the affair had occurred when his wife’s cancer was in remission and that it was over before he announced his presidential campaign on Dec. 28, 2006 (McFadden)." Elizabeth has become an idol for many women, and I hope men, for her intelligence at political advising, running a family, and putting up an unforgettable battle against something much greater than her. I hope that out of this, women will realize that they can't let life overwhelm them to such a point where they forget to take care of themselves. I hope that she is in a better place sitting beside her son, Wade.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/08/us/08edwards.html?pagewanted=2&ref=health

By Sarah Fulton

Four Loko For Sale in NYS

By: Jerilynn Sweet
Four Loko had to be pulled from shelves across the country no later than December 13th, but the creater of the caffinated drink is redoing the recipe for the release of the new Four Loko. Rapheal Brion from eater.com quoted online that "Phusion will instead begin selling only non-caffeinated versions of its products." The effects of the drink will remain approximetly the same though the percent of caffeine will be less than before as that was the controversial ingrediant. Phusion claims "we have repeatedly contended - and still believe, as do many people throughout the country - that the combination of alcohol and caffeine is safe. If it were unsafe, popular drinks like rum and colas or Irish coffees that have been consumed safely and responsibly for years would face the same scrutiny that our products have recently faced." With the amount of media that Four Loko was received over the past few months the "new and improved" version is bound to be just as popular as the original.

New Obesity Pill, Truth or Hoax? By Zach Ciraolo

Obesity pills here, get your Obesity pills while their hot; or at least still on the market! There has been a lot of trouble recently with Obesity pills in the past which in result the pills were taken off the market but now there is a new hype for the pill Contrave! According to Singer "Contrave, the drug under review this week, is a combination of two existing generic drugs: buproprion, also known as the brand-name anti-depressant Wellbutrin, and naltrexone, an opioid antagonist prescribed for drug addiction". But Contrave has resulted in people losing weight which is the main purpose of the pill but it does fit the criteria set up in 2007 by the F.D.A "that a new anti-obesity drug should demonstrate at least a 5 percent difference in typical weight loss between treated and placebo groups one year after treatment, and that the difference should be statistically significant, reviewers wrote. Reviewers also noted concerns about higher blood pressure, a possible side-effect of buproprion, in the treated group, particularly among patients with type 2 diabetes" So just like every medicine their is a good and a bad no way around it. So much time, and money put into these medicines that turn out to be flukes or hoaxes? What is the time spent doing research for if the medicine is just going to be taken off the shelves within a year or two? So as always BUYERS BEWARE!

Exorcism Today by Sarah Fulton

Our Prayers have been answered: Now you too can have an Exorcism performed on you! Roman Catholic Bishops and Priests have created a "mens only" club to plot against women and all others deemed as "possessed." Closed to the media, over 100 priests and bishops gathered for a conference that will teach them how to properly perform the religious rite after receiving over 400 inquires this year. It is interesting that with the state of our nation, and the amount of ridicule the Catholic Church has faced...forever, that this peculiar assembly was funded. Exorcism dates back to the beginning of Christianity itself, and along with its method and ideas, should never have gotten past the 1st Century. In every film containing exorcism, a young girl is always deemed as "damned." It began in 1973 in, you guessed it, "The Exorcist." It depicts its main female character as a rebel. She becomes open about sexuality and is reluctant to obey any authority figure or conform to any form of religion or law (Johnson). The theme of specifically obeying male authority runs rampant throughout the film. Every other movie made on Exorcism portrays almost this exact same thing. My overall question to the creators of this conference is WHY? Why are we concerned with bronze-age traditions that have no relevant meaning to our lives? Has the feminist movement meant nothing?

"The Human Hunter"

By: Katie McCollum
In a surprising article today in the New York Times by Kirk Johnson, "In the Wild, a Big Threat to Rangers: Humans, it tells the story of how the hunter, the human, is the one to be threatened by; with two recent shootings of wildlife officers, one dead and the other seriously wounded. The one who was killed was in Pennsylvania while confronting an illegal hunter, the second man in Utah at a traffic stop. This has only emphasized what rangers and wildlife managers say is "an increasingly unavoidable fact." With each person confronted in the woods areas, they will, if not definitely, most likely have a gun. Under a law enacted by Congress in 2009, guns became legal in many National Parks this year. It can be imagined by many that a lot of the time it is lonely searching through these large distances alone, and many say it is all about "gut instinct," knowing when to run away. In response to the danger put on rangers and wildlife employees, there has been new equipment and training, along with the addition of tasers in some parks since 2007. What is scary, really, is in mist of the Utah case, the gunman still has not been caught, and these acts are situations that rangers have to come across everyday; checking licenses and maintaining the parks.

Flood in Columbia

Due to the drastic flood that occured in the the suburbs of Columbia on Sunday, 23 bodies were found today and 11 of them being children. According to AOL news 9 of the children were found at the park which goes to show that this flood was defenitaly unexpected. However these children should have had parent or guardians watching them in case of emergencies like this. Families watched their homes be destroyed with their own eyes, and some were buried alive as rocks crumbled down to the ground leaving their country covered in debris. This years rains are the heaviest they have ever been in 42 years.Hopefully Colmbia comes together as a country and groe from this tragic experience.

The Beginning of the end

The Harry Potter series has done it again, landing the number one spot with a gross of 49.1 million. The Harry potter film series is among the highest grossing franchise of all time, with 1.71 billion, coming in second to Star Wars with 1.92 billion. At the rate that The Harry Potter film series is going, it could easily surpass Star Wars when the last and final movie is released this summer. The Deathly Hallows, part 1, The Beginning of the end, Starts in a rather unfamiliar place, far away from Hogwarts, and very close to the evil that is Lord Voldemort. Follow Harry and his friends in the first of the last and final part of the series. Will good conquer evil, or will evil prevail? To find out stay tuned for the second part which is coming to a theater near you July 2011.

By Myah Tolbert

Wal-Mart heads to Court

On Monday, The Supreme court agreed to hear the largest employment discrimination appeal in the nation’s history. The case is being brought against Wal-Mart Stores, citing that their had been accounts of discriminated against hundreds of thousands of women in the areas of salary and promotion. The lawsuit seeks restitution that could amount to billions of dollars. The case is being brought before the supreme court because the issue is whether or not the claims brought on by the individual employees can be combined as a class action law suit. The court’s decision on this issue will ultimately affect all sorts of class-action suits in the future, which is why this case is one of great interest to many Americans. The supreme courts decision could set precedent for later cases in which the american public can pursue large corporations in legal proceedings. Wal-Mart,has issued a statement, stating that the plaintiffs, who worked in 3,400 stores in 170 job classifications, could not possibly have enough in common to make class-action treatment appropriate." As of yet, there has been no ruling on the plaintiffs’ claims, or the ground rules for how those claims will be heard .
For more information on this story, please visit

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/07/business/07bizcourt.html?_r=1&src=ISMR_HP_LO_MST_FB
By Myah Tolbert

Wikileaks creator uses blackmail to save himself

By: Jerilynn Sweet
Julian Assange, creator of WikiLeaks is among the most sought after people by the United States Government. His name has hit the limelight for releasing classified government materials. Now with the threat of arrest looming over his head he has issued a blackmailing statement to the U.S. Government. Mr.Assange has released that if he should be arrested by any government official either national or international, since hes currently believed to be in London, he will release documents of an even higher security clearance than what he has previousely released. His claim is that he still holds the passwords to files about illegal Afgan airstrikes, U.S. Gov't bank statements, Guantanamo Bay, and several other classified materials. His promise is to keep all of this information plus many other things he knows to himself as long as he is left alone. Not only is he blackmailing the governement to leave him alone he has also begun using e-mails from diffrent countries that are untraceable so that he can still have access to the webpage that has casued him so much trouble. He has also created bank accounts in diffrent countries to sustain himself financially no matter where he may run to or hide in. It seems to me that for someone so sure of himself and his information the fear of God has been put into him and he may now realize why the U.S. Governement uses the words confidential, classified, and top security.

Road to the Superbowl!

On a chilly Sunday evening, the Giants finally showed signs of life with their 31-7 victory over division rivals the Washington Redskins. The G-Men have been in a little bit of a slump recently trying top find ways to dig themselves out of the hole they made. By their two running backs, Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw tearing it up on the field combining for two hundred yards and a pair of touchdowns for each! The Giants knew what they had to get done, and did it with authority. But as always there are excuses from fans, coaches and etc. Thankfully this time not from the Giants, who now at 8-4 are tied at the top of the division right there with those Philadelphia Eagles. “this is December,” as Giants Coach Tom Coughlin said. A very important month to put your head down and run full force all the way to the playoffs! If Bradshaw and jacobs are able to stay healthy along with that new and re-vamped offensive line then it shouldnt be a problem whatsoever. Four more games to go, the deciding factors whether or not the Giants get that chance to hold the Lombardi trophy high up in regards to success!

Meat Goes Pricey

By Alissa Coschigano

The idea of the holidays is to give rather than to receive, spread cheer wherever possible and be thankful for all that we have. Why then, is it that the day after Thanksgiving, a scam was presented of door-to-door robbery of money. Two men in Hopewell Junction solicited a 91 year old woman by selling frozen meat out of their refridgerated truck. What was originally a $35 sale, was billed to her as a $600 sale. The salesmen gave her a brochure but no receipt for her purchase. Lt. Kevin Keefe of the East Fishkill police states "during the holiday season, credit card use is at its highest and overcharges or frauds can be easily overlooked or not discovered for weeks." To avoid these incidents, the Poughkeepsie Journal gives these tips:

• Get everything in writing. If you are interested in purchasing from a door-to-door salesperson, first get the price, warranty and all conditions on paper.

• Ask for proper identification before listening to a sales pitch.

• Be careful about letting a salesperson into your home. (Local police have said this can be a tactic used by criminals to case a location for a potential burglary.)


Send in the holiday spirit!

Discriminatory Behavior in Schools

By Alissa Coschigano

In a recent study shown by medical journal Pediatrics done on over 15, 000 middle and high school teens shows that gay teens receive harsher punishments in schools, court systems, and everyday lives. “Gay, lesbian and bisexual kids are being punished by police, courts and by school officials, and it’s not because they’re misbehaving more,’’ said Kathyrn Himmelstein, the study’s lead author.She noticed a disproportionate number of gay and lesbian teens in juvenile court, after working in a juvenile justice system. The study asked teens about nonviolent participation acts like alcohol use, lying to parents, shoplifting and vandalism, along with more serious crimes like using a weapon, burglary or selling drugs. Teens who identified themselves as lesbian or gay or who experienced feelings of same-sex attraction were less likely to engage in violence than their peers. However, they were far more likely to be expelled from school, stopped by police, arrested or convicted of a crime. Ms. Himmelstein said "instead of protecting gay teens from bullying and abuse by their peers, authority figures may actually be contributing to their victimization." Schools need to start looking more into situations instead of basing it off of a preference.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/06/gay-teens-face-harsher-punishments/?hp

No Snacks Allowed by Sarah Fulton

The recently passed "Child Nutrition Bill" was pushed into action by Michelle Obama to "combat obesity and hunger (Pear)." How is one to combat hunger when this bill will take away money from food stamps- and make the already hungry even more so? The government has also kindly changed 'food stamps' to the "Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Pear)." I think that having such control over what people are eating sounds a bit like Socialism to me. Obama allegedly did say that he would find other places to allocate money for the program before cutting food stamps. I find it interesting that there is no concrete evidence that cutting back in fatty foods or sodas will result in less obesity among children. If the child eats a healthy lunch at school and then immediately runs home to sit in front of the t.v. with chips, ice cream and soda, what good does it do? I am not advocating obesity, but I think that taking away things that children look forward to having causes them to lack comfort, resulting in overall unhappiness and craving the treats. I think that instead of cutting the foods completely, teachers, motivational speakers, whoever should teach children portion control and a healthy diet, but not restrict them from the foods completely.

In need of a transplant? I hope you dont live in Arizona!

By: Jerilynn Sweet
The state of Arizona recently passed a finance cut to save the state approximently $4.5 million dollars annually, the cuts however were made againt state paid for organ trasnplants. Those mainly effected by this decisioin will be patients in need of a liver from Hep C, lung transplants, pancrease and some bone marrow transplants. The state eliminated paying for many of these perticular operations based on past success rates of previous patients. The problem here is while the state is trying to save money they are also playing God in a sence that they as politicians are deciding who has a chance to live and who does not. All transplants are diffrent and just because some people may have dies or had complications from a transplant that does not mean another patient will. Dr. Andrew M. Yeager, a University of Arizona professor who is director of the Blood and Marrow Transplantation Program at the Arizona Cancer Center stated “I appreciate the need for budget restraints,but when one looks at a potentially lifesaving treatment, admittedly expensive, and we have data to support efficacy, cuts like this are shortsighted and sad.” The states solution to this issue it to simply remind patients that they can try to raise to money for their transplants which range in average of up over $200,000. Due to the reaction that Arizona is getting from its citizens the state is considering holding a debate to reconsider the financial cuts, but that is only a possibility at the moment while the deaths of many people that used to be on transplant lists is almost a deffinet.

College President: Politician or Educator?

At such a time when our economy is in a rut and college students are doing everything and anything to pay for their education, we are given stats on 448 private institutions and the ones who make all the decisions, college and university presidents (administrators). The Chronicle of Higher Education compiled compensation figures from the Internal Revenue Service's Form 990, which is filed by most major nonprofit entities. According to The Chronicle, Bernard Lander, founder and president of Touro College is at the very top of the earnings list. For the 2008-09 school year, he earned a massive $4,786,830, including $4.2 million in retroactive pay and retirement benefits. Many may think that this position as a college president is all about education, but it is revealed that it definitely contains a high political aspect; with responsibilities including activities like fund-raising and establishing and maintaining connections with local government. Thus, there are less people qualified for this particular profession.

Thoughts of more Taxation!?

Intricate and in depth debates being done by the Reduction Commission of the Obama administration try and get a final and binding vote to the new spending cuts and TAX INCREASES! But no need to get frantic just yet, Obama is having a large amount of difficulty getting the Republicans and even some of his fellow Democrats to come into agreeance with his idea. To extend the Bush-era tax cuts is the big question. But this decision becomes critical because if they decide to do away with Former President Bush tax cuts, this will be a huge test on how well both sides can work together to form a new political order. According to one Democratic senator who did not want to be identified,“Now it is all about what Democrats can get,” in regards to talking about the prospect of the White House and Congressional Democrats conceding on extending the tax cuts for affluent Americans. This clash over taxes and government spending are defining the early stages of the post-election maneuvering in Washington and seem likely to remain in the forefront as the 2012 presidential campaign heats up next year!

Black Friday Success!

By Alisa Coschigano

This year's Black Friday was a major success in the Poughkeepsie Galleria. A large majority of stores either met their goal or came close to doing so. There were no deaths this year, as reported last year at a Wal-Mart in Long Island when a woman got trampled from the Black Friday mad dash for sales. Everything ran smooth and customers got their Christmas spirits rolling with deals and promotion that put a little extra money in their pockets for more spending. In the Galleria Mall, customers started lining up Thanksgiving night for the early bird deals offered at Best Buy. When arriving to the mall at 3:30 am, a line was stretched from Best Buy, all the way to the opposite side of the mall to Macy's Department store. At Pacific Sunwear, in the first half hour of opening, $1200 dollars was made. Journey's had shoes flying from left and right, where the Store Manager Danny came out and said "this is madness! It might be my favorite day ever!" The food court saw their biggest crowd of the year, where every stomach was empty as well as their pockets. Every security guard was on duty along with multiple cops watching every corner. With that being said, break out the wrapping paper, save those paychecks and let the Yuletide begin! Happy Shopping!

In Loving Memory

By Alissa Coschigano

Young sixth grade student Amanda Jones, of Van Wyck Junior High School has passed away at the agee of 11 and entered another realm where beauty is more then we could have ever imagined. Amanda was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia in 2007 and passed away on Sunday at Westchester Medical Center. She was treated with Chemo therapy for more then three years, and her mother, Erin Jones, says "she did it with the best attitude of anyone in the world." Throughout the years of Amanda's battle, her friends and family had different support systems organized to help her. According to the Poughkeepsie Journal, they had bone marrow, blood drive and fundraisers to help in any way possible. Amanda has recieved a cord blood transfer in October (Jones, Debbie). Jones attended Fishkill Elementary School here and there, prior to entering junior high, but could not be a part of everything. She participated in the moving up day ceremony via Skype, thanks to her principal Andrew McNally. He states "from now on whenever I hear the word 'courage,' I'm going to think of her." . Our prayers go out to her family and friends. God Bless.

Wis. Students Chatted With Gunman to Keep Him Clam

In the article “Wis. Students Chatted With Gunman to Keep Him Clam” by Todd Richman if the Associated Press talks about how the students that were trapped in their classroom with a gunman for hours worked together frantically to keep their captor clam by chatting and laughing with him about hunting and fishing.

When the police finally stormed in to the classroom Monday evening the 15-year old gunman shot himself. As of this morning he is in critical condition.

The shooter entered the classroom at around 1:30pm. It wasn’t until two hours after the school day was over that the principle learned that none of the students nor teacher had been seen. When he approached the classroom the teen told him to leave and get of here.

After about six hours the teen let five of his hostages go and then finally let the rest go including the teacher, all un harmed. According to one to the students Zach Campell, he said “the gun man seemed depressed, and he didn’t think he meant his classmates any harm”.

After a total of seven hours students were let go and were taken by bus to a local courthouse to be reunited with family and friends.

The police don’t know what set this teen off to do this. During the long standoff there were no demands or request made. " ‘As far as what caused this, it seems to be a mystery,’ " Marinette Police Chief Jeff Skorik said early Tuesday. " ‘We have not been able to identify anything that precipitated this incident.’ "

This could have been a tragedy, but these students and teacher kept their cool and no one was hurt, thankfully.

By Gina Hughes

A Facebook Founder Begins a Social Network Focused on Charities

In the New York Times article "A Facebook Founder Begins a Social Network Focused on Charities" by Jenna Wortham talks about Chris Hughes who is one of the founders of Facebook and the chief digital organizer for Barack Obama’s presidential campaign.

Hughes will use his skills to a new undertaking called Jumo, which aims to connect people with nonprofits and charitable organizations. This site will be reviled on Tuesday. Jumo is itself a nonprofit, and will rely on payments from users and sponsorships from organizations that want better promotion on the Web site.

There will be individual charities, projects like building a school in rural Africa and broad issues like gay rights will all have dedicated pages on Jumo. “Relevant news articles, Twitter posts and YouTube videos will be added to the pages, and users can add their own feedback and comments. Users can also find their Facebook friends and follow their adopted projects and issues on the site,” says Wortham.

Mr. Hughes said Jumo would not be primarily about asking for donations. Instead, he said, the site would first try to deepen ties between its users and their favorite causes. “ ‘The more connected that individual is to an issue they care about, the higher probability there is they will stay involved over a longer period of time,’ ” Mr. Hughes said.

There will be several challenges that Jumo will face. One will be, users sharing their donation details with other users and another is will Jumo have to compete with facebook. There are already so many other social networking sites; will people be interested in this one too?

by Gina Hughes

Distribution of Average Faculty Salaries for MSMC

In a recent article “Distribution of Average Faculty Salaries,
2009-10” which was published by The Chronicle of Higher Education
released the average annual salary by academic rank of colleges and
universities across the country.

Mount Saint Mary College showed an incline of about $20,00 to 30,000
in the past ten years. Professors at this college are getting paid
approximately $92,600, Associate Professors are getting paid about
$66,400, Assistance Professor are getting paid around $56,700 and instructors
are getting paid about $50,400 dollars.

The President of the college is getting paid about $117,000 and alot of incentives come with that as well. He is given a car to use. He gets a chef to cook him his meals. His car insurance is paid for and the list keeps going. The life a college president seems pretty good.

But, there is huge significant difference in salaries from being a
professor to being an instructor and even the college president.

Should there be such a big difference? The range in salaries should be a bit closer. Professors and instructors though there is a difference do pretty much the same thing. There should not be a $40,000 difference in salary from one or the other. Both of their jobs to to teach students.

It would be more fair to pay them a little bit closer in salary. The president salary is pretty fair for he is the head of the college and has to make sure it runs efficiently and smoothly.

by Gina Hughes

Japan is hit by a 6.9 magnitude earquake

According to Yahoo news, a 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck the South Coast of Japan on Tuesday, November 23, 2010. It shook the country, and swayed buildings in downtoen Tokoyo. Surprisingly there were no injuries or deaths reported minutes after the quake occured. This was a huge shovk to everyone because Japan is one of the most earth quake prone countries in the world. Thankfully there were no drastic injuries, or destruction of buildings. This time Japan was lucky, unlike in 1995 when a 7.2 magnitude earthquake killed 6,400 people.
By: Jelissa Ortega

Man Dies during Eagles Vs. Bears game

The death of a 23-year-old, Stuart Haverty who fell 35 feet from an upper level at Chicago’s Soldier Field on Sunday, was ruled an accident by the Cook County medical examiner’s office, the Chicago Tribune reported. Haverty fell from a balcony on to a roof, during Sunday's night’s game between the Chicago Bears and the Philadelphia Eagles. Witnesses gave investigators a few different accounts, of how Haverty died, however, they have not yet come up with an exact cause of death, just that Haverty had sustained multiple injuries from the fall, which resulted in his death. Haverty was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital at about 5:00pm and was pronounced dead at 5:24 p.m.The fatal fall was the second in eight days at a major US sports stadium.

For more information read:
http://www.myfoxphilly.com/dpps/sports/death-at-bears-game-ruled-accident-dpgonc-km-20101129_10850334

By Myah Tolbert

Student Takes teacher and 23 others offered

On Monday, a student armed with a handgun entered A High School in Marinette Wis. and proceeded to hold 23 students and a teacher hostage. The incident began after 3 p.m., just before school let out. A male student entered a classroom at Marinette High School carrying a handgun. He kept the class of 23 and the teacher in the room for approximately five hours, before allowing them to go free. As pressure from the police mounted, the gunman turned and shot himself. The hostages were found to be unharmed, and the gunman was taken to a local hospital, where his condition is still not known at the time of this publishing. The Chief of the Marinette police, Skorik, said that the armed student had no demands during the standoff and provided no sense of why he had taken hostages. Investigators met with his parents, publicly unnamed, as the standoff continued. Families of the students trapped at the school gathered in a room at the local courthouse in Marinette, as the ordeal unfolded. The authorities became aware of the hostage situation after receiving a call from a school administrator.

For more information visit:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/30/us/30hostage.html?ref=us
By Myah Tolbert

First came Four Loko than came Whipped Cream...?

With Four Loko being pulled from shelves college crowds are finding the new "it" drink which happens to be Whipped Lightening. Each can of this alcoholic whipped cream contains between 15%-18% alcohol which is the equivalent of three beers. What makes this cream so dangerous is the sugar hides the initial effect of the alcohol the same way caffeine hid the alcoholic effects of Four Loko until it was to late. While Whipped Lightening was originally created for adults in there late 20's to add to mixed drinks, pie, and hot chocolate as a hint of "sophistication" its becoming more and more popular on college campuses across the country.

Millionaire College Presidents

Earning over $1 million dollars and having compensation packages at almost
$600,000 sounds as though we are talking about celebrity salaries.
However, The Chronicle of Higher Education revealed that our nation’s college presidents are receiving astronomical benefits in a time of economic turmoil. Although the Chronicle’s publication of the salaries often sparks debate on whether the president’s are overpaid, this year, the Department of Education needs to pay closer attention to where the distributed money actually goes. The true question that needs to be put in the limelight is what do the presidents of these colleges do to deserve
such lavish compensation? The survey also revealed that 23 private college presidents received over $1 million in total compensation, and 110 made more than $500,000(Lewin)this year. As recently as 2002, there were no reported million-dollar presidents, only four were earning more than $800,000, and 27 earning more than $500,000 (Lewin). In a time of near-Depression, what are the Presidents of these colleges doing to deserve such large paychecks and benefits? The Chronicle survey showed that the median pay for presidents of the 419 private colleges and universities surveyed was $358,746, a 6.5 percent increase over the previous year. At our own Mount Saint Mary College, President Mackin rakes in $170,000 a year- small by comparison to the paycheck Shirley Ann Jackson, president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y., received, totaling of $1,598,247 in 2008(Lewin). These extravagant pay packages should lead to the review of the handling of the nation's college funds.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/02/education/02college.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=chronicle%20of%20higher%20education%20administration%20salaries&st=cse

By Sarah Fulton

Supply and Demand

Jerilynn sweet
Have you ever wondered what your tuition dollars to Mount Saint Mary are
used for? This past week The Chronicle of Higher Education released a
survey showing the salaries for college presidents and administrators
which also stated that presidents of private and catholic schools are
ranked among the top salary earners. The salaries ranged anywhere from
approximately $200,000 to over $1 million dollars based on the nine month
school year. Why so much you ask? Well Raymond D. Cotton, a lawyer who
specializes in presidential contracts stated "Presidential compensation
has been shooting up because of a disparity between supply and demand in
the marketplace, there continues to be a greater demand for people who
can do these jobs well than there is a supply." Now think about how much tuition is and how many administrators there are on campus and you know where a good portion of that money goes.

G-MEN back on Track!

With a 24-20 come from behind victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, The Giants regain focus and get back on track! A sputtering offense came to life, and a soft defense stiffened, as the Giants (7-4)were able to snap a two-game losing streak. Eli Manning stepped up as the Quarterback, the Captain of this football team and took matters into his own hands throwing for two fourth-quarter touchdowns, the second a 32-yarder to tight end Kevin Boss with 3 minutes 15 seconds left, to keep the Giants amid a shifty mix of playoff hopefuls. Manning completed 14 of 24 passes for 226 yards and 2 touchdowns. Most important, he and the Giants had no turnovers for the first time this season. As the Giants, one out of seven teams in the N.F.C. with seven or more wins play for those "bragging rights" awarded at the end of the season for the last team standing!“We needed to rise up and have a finish like that,” Coughlin said. “We’re well aware of the circumstance that we’re in, that the division is in, that the conference is in. And we needed to keep pace.” And that is just what the Giants did, a much-needed win secured.

Zach Ciraolo

An Atheist's Billboard

I came across a very inreresting article entitled "For the Holidays, and Atheism Billboard," featured in the New York Times. It struck me as interesting, because of course, one does not always associate the holidays with Atheism. Broadly, Atheism is "the belief that dieties do not exist," and therefore are not recognized. According to Wikipedia, about 2.3% of the world's population consider themselves as Atheists, while 11.9% claim they are non-religious. This belief has delivered a considerable blow to the believers in our nation. The billboard that David Silverman, the president of American Atheists, and the person who created the sign described it as standing up to "a reactionary assault on atheists driven mainly by the religious right (Slotnik)." The sign's message to the drivers going into the Lincoln Tunnel reads: “You know it’s a myth. This season, celebrate reason!” Personally, I think the sign is interesting and provactive and takes a leap that many are timid to do. Christmas itself is a Catholic holiday that most people in the U.S. celebrate; the music, the gifts, the whole religious aspect is thrown in our faces every year. So why is it so crazy that another side wants to proclaim their opinion? Silverman's final thought was, "Every year, atheists get blamed for having a war on Christmas, even if we don’t do anything,” he said. “This year, we decided to give the religious right a taste of what war on Christmas looks like (Slotnik).” It will be interesting to see if the sign is taken down before the holiday season truly kicks off.


By Sarah Fulton

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/29/for-the-holidays-an-atheism-billboard/?ref=nyregion

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atheism

Recession, are you sure?

Its official, the highest percentage of Americans to ever go shopping on Black Friday. The average amount spent per person from Thursday to Sunday was about $365, more than a 6 percent increase over last year, according to a survey of about 4,300 Americans by the National Retail Federation, a trade group that reported results on Sunday afternoon. An estimated 212 million shoppers were out on Black Friday well surpassing the 195 million from last year! But thats Ironic were in a Recession, no? Other data suggested similar increases in online spending. On Thanksgiving, online sales increased 33 percent over a year earlier, while on Friday, sales increased 15.9percent, according to Coremetrics, an I.B.M. company, which gathers actual online sales results of more than 500 retailers, including Macy’s, Williams-Sonoma and Petco. MasterCard Worldwide said its Friday transaction data indicated that spending in the category that includes online shopping was accelerated even faster this year than it did the year before.“People are doing more of their shopping online,” said Michael Manchisi, chief technology officer for MasterCard. So as retailers try to change their strategies to better work and fit the consumer of an economy like this, consumers behaviors change as well and stores still make out like bandits even though prices are slashed sometimes by fifty percent if not more. Times maybe rough, but that does not stop people from always trying to satisfy their self-interests.
Zach Ciraolo

Tragedy at the Staples Center

Fans across America are getting excited for this years basketball season. There have been numerous amount of games thus far in different stadiums. however, one game in particular did not end so well. According to AOL news, On Sunday, November 20, 2010 a tragic death occurred at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California after the Lakers won their game against the New Orleans Hornets. Two year old Lucas Anthony Tang was spending time with his family and taking pictures ; he plunged from a third level luxury box at the center, falling 20 to 50 feet to the ground. No one knows exactly what happen for the child to even get so close to the edge. But this is a a perfect example of why parents should be aware of what their children are doing. This is also a good reason for the Staples Center and any Center to double check and make sure their seating areas are safe enough for people of all ages, because this can happen again due to lack of security.

Administration to Seek Balance in Airport Screening

In the New York Times article "Administration to Seek Balance in Airport Screening" by Helene Cooper is about the recent drama about the airport screening and how it has become to intrusive. A republican from Florida, John Mica, says that the TSA should look at Israel, which uses early detection techniques at airports. Israel is using a smarter approach that allows them to predict which travelers may be a threat. But, it is said that at Ben-Gurion (an international airport in Israel)it is actually more intrusive than what the American officials are doing now, says security analysts. "At Ben-Gurion, some passengers have been searched so thoroughly that they have had to walk through the terminals, the gates and up to the doors of their planes with no handbags, wallets or even shoes." The United States is focusing on searching for weapons at airports whereas the the Israelis are focusing on finding terrorists. The Israeli model worked because Israeli agents “try to detect behavior or people’s patterns” by asking them questions. Israeli officials say that any passenger trying to board is subject to questions from security agents. But,shouldn't it be the other way around or shouldn't we too be focusing on terrorists as well. The TSA screening system which is currently in use searches for weapons instead of relying primarily on profiling people. Administration officials said that they would try to fix the system in response to public concerns, but they maintained that the new system would be around as long as there were people seeking to blow up planes. The White House press secretary, Robert Gibbs, said the government was “desperately” trying to balance privacy and security.

By Gina Hughes

New Trade Group's Focus Will Be Marijuana

In a recent New York Times article "New Trade Group's Focus Will Be Marijuana," by Dan Frosch talks about how the medical marijuana industry leaders are forming a national trade association. This will be the first business organization for marijuana working on a national level. More and more states are beginning to legalize medical marijuana. The National Cannabis Industry Association will mainly be focusing on lobbying, but will also help medical marijuana businesses navigate through different laws that depend on the location. This business it booming even though the economy is still struggling. A medical marijuana advocate in Phoenix said, "This is an industry that is emerging... While there is good work being done, there isn’t anyone out there representing the industry’s interests directly.” The group will officially begin at a national convention in Denver next month.

By Gina Hughes

Pastor offers to resigns over 3-way affair, after asking church to quit facebook

New Jersey Pastor, Cedric Miller, of Living Word Christian Fellowship Church, who last week told his congregation to quit facebook or leave the church, has offered to resign from his position as pastor this week after a newspaper reported on his 3-way affair with his wife and another woman, a former church assistant. Miller urged his congregation to leave facebook alone because it “can lead to infidelity by rekindling old passions”. Although, Cedric Miller confessed to the allegations brought on by the news paper, it is unsure if the church leader will deem him unfit to serve. As of right now, the congregation has appeared to offer their support for pastor Miller. The newspaper, which initially broke the story, said the information was gained during testimony that Miller gave in a criminal case against the assistant, which was eventually dismissed.

More information on this story can be found at:

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2010/11/pastor-who-banned-facebook-offers-to-resign-over-3-way-affair-/1
By Myah Tolbert

339 Dead at Cambodian Water Festival

By Brian Murphy

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia- According to the Associated Press, thousands of people celebrating a water festival at the capital were stampeded Monday night leaving 339 dead and hundreds severely injured. Panic arose in the massive crowd of people causing people to flee over a bridge; fatalities resulted from persons falling off the bridge and being trampled.
The Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen described this disaster as the “biggest tragedy” to strike the country. He declared that this coming Thursday will be a national day of morning for the victims.
According to a soft drink vendor at the festival, the panic began when 10 people fell unconscious in the crowd. This led the crowd to flee towards the bridge, causing the stampede.
The water festival is a three day event in which the country celebrates the end of the rainy season. Authorities believe that up to 2 million people were in attendance on the island of Koh Pich.
The enormous amount of people rushing through the tight bridge led to the large death toll. A similar tragedy occurred earlier this summer in Germany. During the annual Love Parade music festival, 18 people were killed in a stampede after panic broke out in a narrow tunnel.
For information on the incident, visit http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/11/22/world/asia/AP-AS-Cambodia-Stampede.html?_r=1&hp

Airport Screenings

After the Transportation Security Administration or TSA received excessive amounts of complaints pertaining to the new airport screening policy, they have agreed to "loosen up" and rethink their policy on the full body screenings at airports. The TSA will be trying to find the least invasive yet most secure way of screening all the travelers. According to Janet Napolitano, very few passengers receive a pat-down, though allowed that those who do may be surprised because most Americans “are not used to a real law-enforcement pat-down like that.” The bigger issue though is that people feel like their privacy is being intruded, yet we are the ones who want tighter security to ensure our safety for every flight. According to John S. Pistole,“We’re going to look at how can we do the most effective screening in the least invasive way, knowing that there’s always a trade-off” between security and privacy. Quid pro quo, we have to give to get. Sacrifices have to be made for the greater good of mankind, yet theses changes should be ethical and able to give people the comfort of their own privacy.
Zach Ciraolo

Royal Wedding

By: Jerilynn Sweet
The announcment of Prince Williams engagement has taken the world by storm as people begin to plan for an event happening next year. Not only is most of the world interested in Princess Dianas son but this marks a historical moment in British history. As for Americans this “is the stuff our children’s children’s children will read in their history books,” said Kerry Bamberger, the owner of British Wholesale Imports. Not only is this a historical moment it is also an economical one for England. The Royal Family will be pouring millions of euros into boosting the economy and the tourism rate is expected to double or triple next summer bringing in even more revenue to England. Though this wedding will be the "social event of the season" it will also be the financial lift England needs.

Break Out the Bills!

By Alissa Coschigano

As the holiday approaches quickly, retailers are focusing and planning on their Black Friday business. This is where a large majority of company's major money comes into play. Business are competing to see who has the best sales and promotions, while still being able to get the proper amount for what they are selling. Black Friday gets more and more hectic each year, considering the fact that two years ago in Long Island, 34-year-old Wal-Mart employee Jdimytai Damour died from being trampled during the stampede inside of the store, and four shoppers, including a woman eight months pregnant, were injured. Plans are in action for each store to keep things under control. Local stores in the Poughkeepsie Galleria had their mall meetings, discussing safety issues and plans, and store actions that are to be taken. This particular mall will be opening officially at 5am with some stores deciding to open earlier. Great deals are being offered, such as those at Pac Sun. The first 50 people to enter the store receive a scratch off coupon which gives them up to 40% off an entire purchase, or a 500 dollar shopping spree! Other deals include a door buster special where Men's flannels are $15 each until 1 pm, and BOGO 50% off outwear, fleece and denim. The Woman's door-buster sales are BOGO 50% off fleece, sweaters, outerwear and denim, and essential t-shirts $10 each if you buy two or more. After eating all the turkey the day prior to Black Friday, customers are fueled and ready to start the holiday madness. Let the sales begin!

One Night Stand Turns Into Lawsuit!

By: Alissa Coschigano

Charlie Sheen is having recent allegations made against him due to spending one night with adult film specialist Capri Anderson. According to TMZ.com, Anderson is making claims against Sheen, stating that he choked her, having other drugs and abuse involved. She went on Good Morning America, where it could be heard nation wide that she is filing a lawsuit against Sheen for choking her. Anderson claims that Sheen was using extremely strong drugs the night that they spent together and as in the article "Capri Anderson: Charlie Choked Me, I'm Suing" Anderson says "When I became really uncomfortable is when he put his hands around my neck." On Sheen's side of the story, he didn't do anything to her. His manager, Mark Burg, says "this is a woman who, for the right amount of money, sleeps with strangers." It's a showdown in the celebrity court room!


http://www.tmz.com/

Anti-Harassment Bill proposed

Jerilynn Sweet.
Bullying both in person and on-line is at an all time high in the United States, in reaction to this Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-New Jersey, has proposed the "Tyler Clementi Higher Education Anti-Harassment Act." This proposal was named for the Rutgers student who committed suicide by jumping off of the G.W. bridge after he was outted online as being a gay man by his own roomate. The Senator propsed this bill with the intention that any school that is receiving federal aid must impliment an anti-harassment policy which muct include cyber harassment. The Clementi family stated they "appreciate the courtesy extended to them during the drafting of the bill, and hopes that the legislation, if enacted, will improve the well-being and safety of America's college students." Hopefully this bill will be put into effect and will be a huge step in stopping harassment and bullying.

Bill Clinton in The Hangover 2?

According to TMZ, Bill Clinton is set to make a cameo appearance in the sequel to the Box office hit, The Hangover, appropriately titled “ The Hangover 2”. Clinton was spotted in Thailand on Sunday, where the new movie is being filmed. Although it is unclear what Mr. Clinton’s role will entail, it is sure to be a memorable one, considering all the laughs that the first Hangover received. The Hangover 2 is scheduled for release May 26.

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2010/11/clinton-a-cameo-in-hangover-2/1

"I (heart) Boobies" Bracelet Ban

A school district in Philadelphia Pennsylvania banned the popular "I (heart) Boobies" bracelets which were designed and sold to raise money for breast cancer awareness. Two young girls have filed free speech lawsuits against the school after being suspended and banned from school activities over wearing the bracelets which at the time were not banned.One of the girls mothers was astonished that an educational and non-vulgar item was banned when "There were teachers that had 'breast cancer awareness' T-shirts on" in October. Many schools have banned the bracelets stating that "the message was getting lost on the ninth-grade boys who were wearing them." No other school in the country has had lawsuits brought against them for freedom of speech violations from the bracelets. While the girls have every right to freedom of speech this I see this case going to the school district. The school does have the right to ban items of jewelery and clothing as it deems fit. Winning this case is going to be extremely hard to do.

Does Blogging Go Too Far? by Sarah Fulton

Recently, a five year old boy from Missouri has recieved a lot of attention over his mother blogging and nationally exposing that he wanted to be Daphne from Scooby Doo for Halloween. I first heard of this story while watching the "Today" show, where the boy's mother talked to Meredith Viera on this sore subject. The boy attends a Christian School, so when the other mother's saw the cross-dressing student at the school's halloween party, they immediatly were up-in-arms over the subject. I must say, the boy looked extremely adorable in the red wig and outfit, (which even came with a snazzy zebra- striped purse,) and seemed overjoyed to be wearing the costume. His mother's response to the outcry was quickly posted on her Nerdy Apple blog, she remarked: "My son is gay . . . Or he’s not. I don’t care. He is still my son. And he is 5. And I am his mother. And if you have a problem with anything mentioned above, I don’t want to know you." Although, she is right in sticking up for her child, I don't believe she should have made it go viral. Now, ten years in the future, her son may NOT be gay, and look back to all of the pictures and controversy over the matter and be infuriated with his mother. Regardless of whether the boy is homosexual or not, my question is: Isn't Halloween supposed to be the one time of the year where one is able to dress up in any costume they wish, without being ridiculed?

Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/299893#ixzz15YZz55tZ

Blue Haiti. Jelissa Ortega

I read an article a couple weeks ago in the New York Times about the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti. The reason I read this article was because the title caught my attention, "Blue Haiti". The author of this article was born and raised in Haiti and then she came to America. She would visit Haiti from time to time. In the article she began to paint a picture for the reader that described how she would look out the plane when she was arriving to her homeland and she would see the green grass and beautiful scenery. She enjoyed going to back to her country and reminisce about her childhood and how she felt so happy being surround by loving family and friends. Even though she lived a hard life by struggling to eat and survive with such a large family, They were still happy and grateful for being alive. However when the earthquake hit Haiti nothing was the same. She went to visit her family as soon as she could but as she looked out the window of her plane as she usually would, she just saw blue tents filled with hundreds of families that were left homeless. She was heart broken to see her country so different from how it was the last time she was there. She interviewed a couple of family friends and asked them how they were dealing with this tragedy and even though it was hard to handle they were still glad to be alive. This made her happy to see the people from her country be so strong after such a life changing event.

New York bans Four Loko By Myah Tolbert

With the increased reports of illness and death as a result of the consumption of caffeinated alcoholic drinks, State and federal regulators, such as the FDA, have been working overtime to ban popular drinks such as Four Loko. This past weekend, the New York regions largest beer distributors, agreed to end distribution of all caffeinated alcoholic drinks by December 3, 2010, Joining states like New Jersey in the ban against drinks such as four Loko. Four loko, and others like it are dangerous because in the case of four loko, one is the equivalent of three beers, one cup of coffee, and one red bull energy drink, which in turn can cause Blackouts, confusion of the organs, and in worst cases, if consuming more than one, death. Within the past year, the newest fad drink has affected many people. For instance, in Florida, an 18 year old died after drinking a Four loko with a combination of diet pills . Over the years many fads have come and gone, Today it's Four loko, tomorrow it will be some other drink. However, no matter what your drink of choice maybe make sure the decisions you make are safe ones.

The World as we know it; So we thought.

Two years in Office already for Obama and not much to say for it other then he has get a new setup in the House of Rep and Senate. "he could do uplift-but could he fight" says Paul Krugman regarding barack Obama. While running for presidency Obama did such an amazing job telling everyone what we as a nation have to do to get out of this state of recession and how he was going to do it. Pulling the wool over Americans eyes- CHECK! krugman says when he came into office "Right at the beginning of his administration, what Mr. Obama needed to do, above all, was fight for an economic plan commensurate with the scale of the crisis. Instead, he negotiated with himself before he ever got around to negotiating with Congress, proposing a plan that was clearly, grossly inadequate — then allowed that plan to be scaled back even further without protest. And the failure to act forcefully on the economy, more than anything else, accounts for the midterm “shellacking.” Things have not improved since the election, and understandable Obama took on a huge task becoming the president at a time like this but it has been over two years and still there has been NO improvement? Washington D.C has taken turns that my grandparents on both sides of my family said they thought they would never be around to see. America is on thin ice yet we are weighted in the amount of problems needed to be solved. Not everyone agrees with who is in office but as of now there is nothing we can do about it so the least we can do is work together. Start living in a world that we are familiar with, and not the world ONE person has total say in. Congress changed for the better of the people, so all we can do now is wait and see cause as always, time tells all.

Visual Proof Cigarettes Kill..

By: Katie McCollum
In the New York Times, published on November 10th, by Gardiner Harris, federal drug regulators seek to discourage smokers with actual pictures on cigarette packs; they revealed 36 warning labels. A law passed last year which allowed the FDA to regulate tobacco products required these particular labels. Thousands of people become regular smokers and try smoking for the first time every day and hundreds of thousands of people die every year from cigarettes. Some cigarette manufacturers attempted to fight against the labels claiming that it was a violation to their free speech. The maker of USA gold cigarettes, Anthony Hemsley, believes that the graphics do not serve a purpose to make consumers aware of the risks. And, in Europe, they are seen to be much more appalling than the new ones here. Others think this is the most important change in the history of the U.S. for cigarette warning labels; our country being the first to require health warning on tobacco products. While these images may have a positive effect in stopping large populations of adolescents from purchasing cigarettes, retailers around the world and high-end tobacco shops may run into trouble. Most will display them a certain way or simply will not want the warnings around products they are making business off of.

George W. Bush Talks Kanye West! By Myah Tolbert

On Monday night, Former President George W. Bush sat down with Today Show host Matt Lauer, to discuss his life before and during his run as president of the United States. During the one-hour long NBC special Matt Lauer asked questions ranging from his decisions in Iraq, to how he handled Hurricane Katrina. However, one of the most shocking moments came as Mr. Bush said that his worst moment as president occurred when rapper Kanye West claimed that he didn’t care about black people. “The suggestion that I was racist because of the response to Katrina represented an all-time low,” Mr. Bush told Matt Lauer. “I didn’t appreciate it then; I don’t appreciate it now,.. It’s not true, and it was one of the most disgusting moments in my presidency.” Really Mr. Bush? Considering all the things that went wrong during your presidency, Kanye West’s comments should have been the farthest thing on your mind.

If you want to read more:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/09/arts/television/09watch.html?ref=todayspaper

Homeless Finds a Home ... in Jail!

By: Alissa Coschigano

On Saturday November 7th at 3:13 a.m., Poughkeepsie town police acted upon a call of a armed robbery at the Mobil across from Marist College on Route 9.At 9:18 a.m. the town police responded to yet another hold-up at the Stewart’s Shop, a short distance from Dutchess Community College. Later that evening, there was another response to a hold-up alarm activated at 7:58 p.m. at the Stewart’s Shop on Manchester Circle, off Route 55. Emily Stewart of the Poughkeepsie Journal states that for each robbery that night, the weapon of use was described as "a gun wrapped in a flannel shirt, with a knife accompanying it." The same man had robbed all three convenience stores, and each description matched him perfectly, along with a surveillance camera that captured his image. One of the clerks described the get away car, in which Police found in an intersection in the City of Poughkeepsie. The vehicle belonged to a homeless Mr. Berryan. Joshua M. Berryann, 27, was charge with three counts of first-degree robbery by the end of Sunday night. He was a homeless man, who learned that he was wanted through word of mouth. He contacted a Police officer that he was familiar with and turned himself in for his wrong doings. He was sent to Dutchess County Jail on bail of $50,000 cash or $100,000 bond. At least now, he has somewhere to sleep..

Even in Mother's Eye, Never Fully Safe

By: Alissa Coschigano


On Tuesday, November 9th at 9:22 am, a 22 year old mother was taking a walk with her 4 year old son along the road in Poughkeepsie, when a car came barreling down the road from the North side, striking the child in the stroller. According to Shantal Parris Riley, who wrote the article in The Poughkeepsie Journal, he was ejected from the stroller and suffered from serious head and stomach injuries. He was rushed to Westchester Medical Center. When brought the the Medical Center, it was under question whether he would survive or not. The male that hit them was William Alexander, age 41. Riley states that Alexander was charged with second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, a misdemeanor, and other traffic charges. He was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol of any kind, as the test shows, but he is now sentenced to appear in court at a later date. Why the woman was pushing her son along a main road is unclear, but the fact that her child was injured through this, is unbearable.

Opening Your Eyes to Domestic Violence: It can be anyone and hurt anyone...

On Monday, November 8th, a speaker and employee from Safe Homes in Newburgh, came to talk to my Adolescent Psychology class about domestic violence. The speaker was a young woman at twenty-four years of age, and gave her first name only, and at the end said we could reach at her at the 800 number given on the pamphlet handed out. She was very open and you could tell she knew what she was talking about; asking interesting questions and relating to us on an age-appropriate level. One particular question that was asked was "What do you think the typical abuser looks like?" and she asked us to describe "him" in a few words or less. I watched as all of us sat there thinking through what we thought the ideal abuser looked like. One student raised his hand and said "controlling." But we all soon realized that she was trying to teach us that there is no "typical abuser," it can be anyone; male, female, black, white, and of any profession. The speaker went through all the different kinds of barriers that can come into play in a domestic violence situation; such as financial, emotional, and religious issues. She also made it a point to discuss how children can alter the abused person's opinion on leaving, which I never really thought about in it's entirety. Most young children don't get the fact that Daddy hurts Mommy, they see their parents' marriage or relationship as happy because that's what they've been raised to believe. The discussion opened up my eyes to domestic violence. The speaker also offered a volunteer program that is opening up in January 2011 in which they will have a 24-hour training process in those who want to participate in the hotline they offer; letting us know that it will not only help those in need but will look awesome on a resume.

Newburgh Firefighters try to Forge a Deal

By Gina Hughes

This morning as I was eating breakfast I was reading the front page of the Times Herold Record. It was about how they are cutting money and jobs at the firehouse right here in our own back yard. This article titled "Newburgh Firefighters try to Forge a Deal" by Michael Randell. Randell said that "the city's union firefighters say a difference of a little more than $150,000 is keeping negotiators from reaching an agreement in contract talks - and from saving the jobs of 12 of its members." In October Richard Herbek proposed a budget for 2011 that would cut 60 positions and raise the tax rate on homeowners up to 62 percent. The cuts in the Fire Department would include: reduce shift staffing to seven instead of ten, the cuts would also close the West End firehouse. We shouldn't be cutting firefighters in the city that obviously needs help. They should be cutting back in other spots. Lt.Bill Horton, a longtime member of the department said, "the cuts would jeopardize public safety". He continued to say that "I guess minutes matter now but not when we are responding to a fire." Which is completely true. They can't tread this issue lightly, they need to hurry up and make a decision. We need firefighters to save lives. A life can lost in a matter minutes. If they firehouse is closed it will take longer for firefighters to respond to a fire or accident.

OMG- I Really Need a Job

By Gina Hughes

I recently went on November 04, 2010 to see a Steven Rothberg, CEO of College Recruiter, speak right here on campus at Hudson Hall. He was here to talk to the students about using social networking to find a job or an internship. I had to go for one of my communication classes. I thought it was going to be boring like some guest speakers and I was dreading having to go. Well, I definitely spoke too soon and I really enjoyed what he had to say. He was funny when he was speaking which kept my interest and also had a PowerPoint so there was constantly something to look at. I didn't know how important it was to be on almost all social networks and how much they can help you. Mr. Rothberg told us how important it is to have a Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn account and how important it is to blog. He told us that by blogging when companies Google our name after and interview that the things we write will come up. The company will be able to see some of your own writing samples. He told us about this one woman who blogged about how this company should hire her and they actually did, I was shocked. He also said that blogging is a good way to get rid of any "digital dirt" you may have. Mr. Rothberg told us that every time you blog it pushes anything that you may not want the company you are applying for to see. The more you blog anything that is out there that maybe embarrassing will be pushed down to page 17 for example. He also said that Facebook is important too. Companies like to see what you like to do. Though some companies say that they won't look at your Facebook, some actually do. They hire an outside company to do so. Some companies my like or dislike what you have on your Facebook, it all depends on the company. He said some companies won't hire you if your holding a beer in your hand because it shows that you are "partier" and other he said will hire you because it shows that you know how to have fun and be social. I also learned that it is vital to make a LinkedIn account. I didn't realize how important it is in finding a job. What LinkedIn is as he put it like a boring Facebook. You connect to people to know and then you are able to see who they know. That person could easily know someone at a company you want to work at and tell them about you or give them your e-mail. I know that I will make my LinkedIn account asap. Overall, this was a great event to attend. I really enjoyed it and learned the power of social networking in the work world.

A big Change

In our most recent election there has been "A big Change". The House and Senate went from total Democratic control to an overload of republicans in the house and now an even closer matchup in Senate. I guess people were just tired of not getting the results that Obama "promised" to us during his campaign for presidency. It took us, the people, two years to make drastic changes but, better late then never. A gain of over 60 seats in the House of Representatives changed hands from Democrats to Republicans, the largest such gain since 1948! Now what does that tell you? People want change, and this time not the change that put Obama in office, but the change that might be able to take Obama out of office. We as Americans need to see results, that is how it has been since George Washington. And if we do not get results, especially results "promised" to us we make changes. That is how it always has been, and how it always will be.
Zach Ciraolo

Election Day? or Take-Over Day? By Sarah Fulton

Yesterday became a "historical shift" in our government's political standings. After the votes were calculated, the G.O.P, or "Grand Old Party," now has 239 members in the House of Representatives, opposed to 185 Democrats still in the House. They have gained 60 seats. They could not, however, overturn the state of the Senate: 51 Democrats will stay in the Senate, along with 46 Republicans, meaning they still have the majority vote. After President Obama's less-than successful time in office, voter's drove the point home that they are unhappy. It is disconcerting to Democrats, like me, to see so many people switching parties, because of the state of our economy. If the Republicans win control of the Senate in 2012, it could mean the work that Democrats, liberals, and feminists have done to gain more rights for women, homosexuals, and children, could be diminished because of the beliefs of Republicans. However, I do hope that with this change in power, there will be something done about taxes, creating more jobs and the economy in general. On a radio interview, President Obama states, "My hope is that I can cooperate with Republicans, but obviously, the kinds of compromises that will be made depend on what Capitol Hill looks like- who's in charge." This makes me think that this Obama's reminder to America that he IS still President, regardless of the changes made in Congress and in the Senate. I am truly looking forward to seeing if the Republicans can really pull through for the United States, since they seem, and I can't believe I'm saying this, our last hope.


If you want to read more:
www.nytimes.com/2010/11/04/us/politics/04elect.html?pagewanted=1&hp

A grudge and a gun...?

The Washington Examiner online posted an article on October 26 discussing the shootings going on in Washington D.C. and the surrounding areas. Someone or a group of someones has been targeting military points of interest and firing at the building during times when no one is there. Therefore on a positive note no one has been injured or killed during these shootings but the list of places does include: The Pentagon, Marine Corps Museum, and two diffrent recruiting centers. This person deffinetly sounds as if s/he is trying to make a nation wide statement about the United States and its Military forces. Joseph DiGenova, former U.S. Attorney stated that these attacks are believed to be from an unstable person holding a grudge not a terrorist act, though the Washington community has involved the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force on the off chance that any one does have any knowledge about the shootings or the persons involved.

Knights in the Community: One team's contribution

By Brian Murphy

The Mount Saint Mary College Men's Tennis team painted a large map of the United States on an elementary school playground as a part of volunteer community service.

The Men's Tennis team was performing this community service due to an athletic department initiative entitled "Knights in the Community." Knights in the Community is a program in which the Mount Saint Mary athletic teams are encouraged to perform community service.

The tennis team drove to Walden Elementary School located in Walden, New York to paint a large scale replica of the United States on their school playground. The project took the entire afternoon to complete and was performed in high spirits.

"The community service was entertaining and it felt good to help the surrounding community" stated Statler Willand, a freshman on the men's tennis team.

"It was nice to see the children in the community come watch us paint" claimed Greg Jacob, another freshman on the men's team.

Justin Satkowski, the head coach of the men's tennis team and the college's sports information director, chose this particular school on the request of his mother, Sharon Satkowski, an elementary music teacher at Walden Elementary.

Nearly the entire team participated including students Michael McNicholas, Zachary Conlon, Nathanial Ahlberg, Bryan Puljol, Statler Willand, Greg Jacob, and the assistant coach Andrew Constant.

For more information on the Knights in the Community initiative and to see photos of the painting, paste the following link in your browser: http://www.msmcknights.com/news/2010/9/27/MTEN_0927104104.aspx?path=mten

Moose on the Loose!

By: Katie McCollum
On October 3rd, in Beacon, New York, a few streets and areas were blocked off in hopes of trying to maintain a moose that was walking and running around town. As sitting in the window of Ron's Icecream, the ice cream shop I work at, almost a dozen or so cop cars whizzed by; a few of them u-turning to block off Fishkill Avenue. Every customer was wondering what was going on, there were suspicions of a prisoner escaping, a car chase, but no, it was a moose. As the night went on, people from all over town were coming out of the wood works in search of this apparent moose. Kids on bikes were zooming by claiming they were on a moose chase. It was the most bizarre thing to ever witness. Days after there were pictures on Facebook of sitings of the moose, everyone in Beacon was all about it. The moose further moved on into the town of East Fishkill. He was last seen at the Fairview Cemetery, near the Beacon-Fishkill line.

These Stilettos Were Made For Walkin'.....For Breast Cancer That Is!

by: Katie McCollum
Beacon, NY: On Saturday, October 9th, 2010, the Forget-U-Cancer Fund held it's first ever "Stiletto Stampede," a fundraiser for breast cancer in which participants were instructed to wear heels that were at least 2 inches. This event was not only limited to women, men also participated in dressing up in their fanciest attire. The age range also varied. At 1:30 p.m., partakers took their place at the starting line and raced a distance of 150 feet to the finish line. Taylor Lyons, a 19 year old student, says, "This event allowed people of all ages to come together and just have fun, while still raising money for a good cause." Taylor also participated in the NYC Avon Walk for breast cancer with a majority of her family by her side. As a Beacon resident, it is awesome that major events like this are happening in such a small town; even the walkways were painted pink at the first of the month for the cause. Not to mention, when driving at night you can't help but to notice the many pink light bulbs outside on people's porches in honor of breast cancer awareness. Light bulbs are sold at select area stores and are donated straight to the cause.

Radiation Ransack

By: Alissa Coschigano

When patients with cancer get their radiation treatment, they open up a whole world of of issues to everyone around them. Radioactive is highly dangerous and anyone who is around it is affected by it. Ann Maddox was told that she had thyroid cancer and needed to travel 500 miles away from her home in order to receive her treatment . Once she got it, she was able to be released. Issue with this being, everyone around her is no longer safe. In the car on her way home, Ann had to sit as far away as possible in order to shy away from contaminating her husband. She had to check into a hotel, in which others were staying in. She couldn't stay around her daughter because she was pregnant and radiation is extremely horrible for pregnant woman and the fetuses inside (Matthew Wald).
In 1997, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission eliminated a requirement that cancerous patients be kept in the hospital. Instead, patients can now be released right after their treatment, which ironically is at the time when they are the most radioactive. New York City has gone a step further though in attempting to fix this problem. Last June, it advised radiologists and endocrinologists, “Do not advise patients to go to a hotel, ”according to the New York Times article by Wald.
In order to reduce the risk of harming others, cancer patients can continue to stay several feet away from others, and keeping all body fluids to themselves until the Radiation decreases, from the iodine being flushed out and loosing its power.

Money money money money, Moneyyyyy

KABUL, Afghanistan- President Hamid Karzai admits thats his chief of staff has been taking money from the Iranian Government to pay for Presidential Expenses. These payments add up to 2 million dollars a year. Now come on, presidential expenses? What are they? They are most likely absurd reasonings that the President of Afghanistan needs an extra 2 million dollars for his expenses? Supposedly the money is given “to help the presidential office and to help dispense assistance in various ways to the employees here and to people outside,” he said. Ok while the people of your country are suffering to make ends meet you get an extra two million dollars that is supposedly divided between the parts mentioned in the previous statement. the New York Times with this article tried to defame Karzai which it may have but because of this article has caused a lot of controversy because he had taken a strong stand on terminating the use of private security companies. The security companies have become an explosive issue in the last few days because Western countries and private contractors say that they will have to halt projects in Afghanistan if they are not able to protect their employees. Understandable? Definitely, if your workers are not protected they have little drive to work, or at least work up to their potential. So in result until the Afghan police and Army are better trained and well established, especially in insecure areas of the country, they cannot be relied on to protect Western and Afghan employees.

Which to me is totally understandable because if your working in a very insecure or hostile environment or area you want to be able to trust and rely on the police or military for help. With the extra 2 million dollars given to Karzai not a big fan of that especially because some of the money is coming from us the UNited States. When personally how do we as a country have any extra money to send over to other countries to take care of their PRESIDENTIAL expenses when we as a country are in a recession? Yeah America time to get your priorities straight!!

Drugs in a Working Environment

By: Alissa Coschigano


In Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, a now unemployed Sue Bates was fired from her job of 22 years, due to a certain medicine she was taking. As jobs keep hiring more and more employees, the list of things that are deemed as unsafe is growing. Certain jobs disapprove of the use of drugs and now it is getting even more serious, where they are looking to disapprove of prescription drugs that their employees are taking. For Sue Bates, it ended all to soon, according to the article "Drug Testing Poses Quandary for Employers" in the New York Times by Katie Zezima and Abby Goodnough.
After being fired for a such a ridiculous reason, Bates took action by firing the employer, Dura Automotive Systems, where she worked as an assembly line worker. The issue of privacy came into play where Bates felt violated by the company because they personally invaded her life to find out what prescription drugs she was taking, personally given to her by her doctor! Dura decided to run drug testings and hired an independent company to administer these tets. They chose to screen for 12 types of drugs, including hydrocodone and oxycodone.
Reports were made within the company of people passing around illegal drugs, which is why these tests were made. Even with that being the issue, to go further into someone's life and fire them for something that they need to take for medical reasons only is obsurd. When it comes down to it, we do not have as much protection of privacy as we are led to believe.

freedom of Speech

Do we honestly have "Freedom of Speech"? Or is that just the wool being pulled over our eyes? Think about it, we have freedom of speech but it is only acceptable if it is at the right time or place and depends on what is being said. Personally i feel that is fair but at the same time it can be and is interpreted differently between people. Some people feel they can say anything about anyone but, in the end that is not true. Or it should not be the truth for anyone but some people do not limit themselves at all about what they say and not even caring about who they hurt as long as it makes them feel good. But, what these people do not understand or take into consideration is someday, someone is going to be talking bad about you and they are not going to be able to take it well. Everything is fair game until it happens to that person playing the game or in this case talking bad about someone or something. It is funny how Freedom of Speech technically does not mean what it actually means. There are levels of Freedom of what we speak, so be careful of what and how you say something for it could land you in the middle of a lawsuit or worse, in jail.

How far will Bullying go...?

The online article, "Taunted on Internet, Dying Girl Gets Shopping Spree," was not found on a newspapers website but could be located on the homepages of yahoo and aol.com. This piece was emotional and makes you wonder what is wrong with people in this world? The article was about a young girl who is only seven years old and is dieing of Huntington's Disease which her mother passed away from last year. This child is being bullied online and in person by her neighbors across the street, which are not children but adults. They have posted online images of this child with a skull and crossbones or in the arms of the Grim Reaper and have driven around her grandmothers home carrying a coffin in their truck. The women claims that "It burns Rebecca Roses's a-- raw for me to make fun of her dead daughter on that page," as in the feud that she had going on with the child's mother is in her mind continuing even though the mother is dead. The families had apparently been feuding for the past few years. This article is exemplifying just how far bullying has gone in this country. Not only are kids and teens bullying each other but now adults are joining in with torturing sick kids, it makes you wonder what is going on with today's society and will it stop?

Don't Ask, Don't Tell...

By Jerilynn Sweet
In the online article, Judge Orderes Injunction on 'Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell', posted by the New York Times the writer explains how U.S. District Judge Virginia Phillips issued a world wide injunction to stop the military use of the Don’t Ask Don’t Tel Policy. This policy as been in effect for 17 years and over the years has brought about a number of issues and people for and against it. On one hand the policy is considered an infringement on a homosexual soldier’s fundamental right under the Constitution. On the other hand one of the main reasons the policy was put into effect was not to disregard anyone rights but to protect the person from discrimination. While we like to think we live in a country full of tolerance and equality when it comes down to it its still not true. The policy was put into effect so that homosexuals would not be discriminated against for promotion and would not be emotionally or physically harmed by other soldiers. In part of the articel actually states "Under the 1993 policy, service men and women who acknowledge being gay or are discovered engaging in homosexual activity, even in the privacy of their own homes off base, are subject to discharge." This section of the law is the unconstitutional section that people are fighting against. The article also discusses how the Dept of Justice attorneys believe the decision to real this law should be left in the hands of Congress and not a judge. While she means well she is affecting the lives of hundreds of thousands of US Soldiers both heterosexual and homosexual. And another issue arises in that you can change a law that's 17 years old but can you really change the mindset of the United States Military no matter how screwed up it may seem?

9/11 Planned?

According to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Leader of Iran 9/11 was planned but by us Americans rather then Afghanistinians. Personally, the Government may not be the most ethical thing in the world but to have supposedly "planned 9/11" thats bizarre! But boy did that stir up some emotions; making 33 delegations at the United Kingdom just up and leave during the accusations from Ahmadinejad. I mean supposedly staging the fact that we landed on the moon first, ok thats one thing. But to say that we as Americans who were the ones to be the most affected by it emotionally, mentally and physically is just wrong.. These accusations did come as quite a shock to all the delegates but not as a surprise. The last few meeting at the United Nations General Assembly the Ahmadinejad has been bringing up "lows" of the United States rather than paying attention to issues of his own country; hmmm thats weird? i wonder why he keeps aiming his "guns" at the U.S, maybe someones trying to re-direct attention for a reason.. Guilty Conscious anyone?