When turning on CNN this morning, I was impressed by the fact that it must be a slow news day. They aren't reporting about a lot of different things. They did another instalment of Genius Reports. These are items about genius that are supposed to entice us to watch Neurologist and CNN medical contributor, Sanjay Gupta, and his special report this Sunday on Geniuses. All this does is make me depressed. I'm a smart gal but I never got the oppurtunity to learn in a way that suited my abilities better. Islugged it out for years in relative misery.But beyond my own self-disparaging, CNN is just not doing a great job today. They did a report on NASA unfurling the solar array for the International Space station. However, it was slowed down by a computer glitch. First bolts, now glitches. NASA can't expect to have a robust recruiting program.
The Montreal shooter was named Kimveer Gill. He was also known as the Angel of Death. He was a 25-year-old from the Montreal suburb. Laval. He fit the dark, sulky loner type that is often the perpetrator of sucha cts at schools like the Columbine massacre. He even wore atrench coat and dark clothes. The gunmen hated authority figures and "jocks".
Like Lysistrata, Women are forgoing sex to protest violence. In the classic Greek play by Aristophanes, the women of Athens withhold sexual acts from their men until they end their war. Women in cities in present day Columbia that are the wives and girlfriends of gang members are holding a "Strike of Crossed Legs". Go Girls! The mayor of one of the most violent cities, Pereira, also backed the strike. The women are asking the men to disarm forgo gang violence.
Claudia Mitchell, ex-Marine and Motorcycle rider, received a bionic arm recently. She and Jessie Sullivan, the first recipient of such an appendage, showed off the devices at a press conference in Washington, D.C. today. Mitchell lost hers in motorcycle accident two years ago and Sullivan lost both arms in an industrial accident. The two can move their respective arms with a though since nerves in the brain are connected to electronics that mobilize the bionic arms.
Now, I will explain my headline. Anderson Cooper, CNN's hot prematurely grey news anchor will have actor/director George Clooney on his show 360 tonight. Clooney will be discussing the genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan after speaking at theUN on the subject. These two men are at the top of my list of suave, sexy, intelligent men. I will be watching every second of this program, trying not to drool.
In Montreal today, a violent hostage situation erupted at Dawson College. It is asmall school with a student body of 10,000 or so. Four people are believed injured and a shooter has killed himself. There exists a possibility of more shooters. There may have been 1-2 more shooters. Though CNN can't give a lot of details, CBC said there was a man in a trench coat and mohawk storming into the cafeteria. But there was also mention of a shooter wearing fatigues and long hair. Other suspects may indeed be among the fleeing students. So this is definitely a developing story. The Astronauts. They waited. A long time. But that apparently does not mean they won't lose shit. This is not a new thing for astronauts. Just in July, Discovery spacewalkers lost a 14-inch spatula that floated away. This time they've lost two bolts. To begin, with it took three astronauts to unscrew a bolt on the International Space Station. This answered the age old question: How many astronauts does it take to screw in a bolt?
In Dolton, Illinois, there is a present hostage situation at a bank. A man attempted to rob the bank and holds two employees in the vault.
El Niño has formed in Pacific Ocean and, according to NOAA, will last well into 2007. This may account for the quieter Atlantic hurricane season. It will likely mean milder Winter temperatures for Western and Central Canada as well as Western and Northern US. Florida and the gulf will probably be wetter and Ohio, drier.
Anna Nicole Smith lost her son, Daniel WayneSmith on September 10th, in the Bahamas. He had come there to visit with his mother after giving birth to a baby girl on September 7th. A formal inquiry has been scheduled for October 23. The events surrounded his death are suspicious and the least amount of details have been revealed to keep the investigation running. Regardless of how anyone feels about 1993 playmate of the year, her loss is heavy and devastating. She should be celebrating the new addition to her family. And this little girl will never know her brother.
Chevron found new oil reserves off the coasts of Texas and Louisiana. This may, in fact, dwarf the reserves in Alaska. The oil reserves may be the biggest find in 38 years. However, the deposits are years away from production. Furthermore, finding more oil does not mean we should stop looking for alternative fuels sources and types. This only heightens the need to develop different methods since finding new desposits is a rare event. It will only become rare as peak oil runs its course.Japan can breathe easier. Princess Kiko has given birth to a son. He weighed in at only 5.6 lbs. and had to be delivered by caesarean section but the hospital claims he is healthy. Up till now, there had been discussion of changing succession laws in Japan to enable Princess Aiko, the neice of the Princess and her husband, Prince Akishino. Her husband is second in line to the throne behind his elder brother, Crown Prince Naruhito. The new Prince is third in line.
Samir Shehadeh's car was blasted by a bomb controlled by remote near the Southern Lebanese city of Sidon. He is an intelligence official who was investigating the death of Prime Minister Rafik Hariri early last year. Four of his aides and bodyguards were killed.
An Indian official announced that Billoo Gujjar of the Islamic separatist group Hizbul Mujahedeen was killed in KIasmir, specifically, the Udhampur district. He was killed in the Indian controlled section of Kashmir and there was an estimated $12,000 reward on his head.
A man by the name of Christian Nielsen was arrested after a killing spree that left four dead over the weekend in Maine. The cook killed an Arkansas man and then, two days later, killed a bed-and-breakfast owner, her daughter and her daughter's friend. He later dismembered the man and burnt his remains in the woods.
Felipe Calderon has finally been declared the winner of Mexico's hotly contested July 2nd election. Lopez Obrador, his opponent, objects to the ruling. Obrador's supporters lit fireworks and wept as the decision was announced. Many claim there is corruption.
On this day in 1666, London caught fire. Despite 10,000 buildings being burned, only 16 people perished.
On this day back in 1972, the terrorist group "Black September" took Israeli athletes hostages during the Munich Olympic Games. They later were killed 9 during a rescue attempt. Two of the total 11 died at the beginning of the massacre. Of the eight terrorists themselves, five were killed while the remaining three were captured. A German police officer was also killed during the massacre.
Israel and Hezbollah agree to talks about the two soldiers whose kidnapping sparked the recent conflict in Lebanon. Kofi Annan, Secretery General of theUnited Nations. Israel will undoubtedly be asking for unconditional return of the prisoners. Hezbollah has stated that it would like a swap of Arab prisoners held in Israel. Both sides requested Anna's mediation in the talks.Sudan changed the conditions for the African Union. Instead of kicking them all out, they will be allowed to stay only if they stay without any involvement in the United Nations. The UN is still struggling to get peacekeeping forces in Sudan. Sudan is split over its black African population and its Muslim majority. Darfur, the region of the rebellion as well as the most bloodshed, has suffered greatly at the hands of the pro-government militias. With the rejection of resolution 1706, Sudan chooses to go on this alone. Though the UN has never called what is happening in Sudan genocide, it is close. The destruction is systematic and to some degree, calculated.
A man was shot dead near an ancient Roman amphitheater in Amman, Jordan. The fatality was a British. Others were Dutch, British and Jordanian. More as this develops.
Yesterday, a military helicopter was shot down in the South Ossetian region of Georgia. No one was injured but it has sparked a maelstrom. Georgia, once a part of the now-defunct USSR, has had its share of problems with regions desiring autonomy. In addition to South Ossetia, Abkhazia in the west would also like to be independent.
Convert now or forever hold your sins. A man calling himself Assam the American called on the US and many non-muslims to convert. As long as Americans are ignorant to Islam, they will accept and even applaud wars and conflicts in Palestine and Lebanon by Israel, according to Assam. He also stated "To Americans and the rest of Christendom we say, either repent [your] misguided ways and enter into the light of truth or keep your poison to yourself", according to the BBC. Assam the Americans' real name is believed to be Adam Gadahn and he is wanted by the FBI for questioning.Not only does Sudan reject the UN resolution to put Peacekeeping troops on the ground, it also told the African Union, which does have troops there, to leave. Since 2003, fighting between the pro-government military and rebel factions has caused thousands to die, millions to go homeless and suffer hellish conditions. This may indicate that Sudan plans to handle the rebels with military strikes. The AU has reported that rebel held villages in Darfur are already being attacked by troops. Sudan has given the 7,000 strong AU troops till the end of September to leave.
Qatar is sending up to 300 troops to help in Lebanon.
Fresh fighting in the Philippines between Abu Sayyaf rebels and Filipino troops, has claimed five Filipino soldiers and several rebels. The Abu Sayyaf are a militant Muslim terrorists with alleged links to al-Qaeda. According to the BBC, "Troops have been fighting Abu Sayyaf rebels on the remote southern island of Jolo since late July in a bid to flush out leader Khadaffy Janjalani."
India is dealing with floods in two of the strangest places: Rajasthan and Kashmir. Neither know floods intimately. Rajasthan is the Thar Desert, in fact, and usually knows drought. But it was recently flooded by immense monsoon rains and 135 people lost their lives. In Kashmir, 1 person has died after being swept away while 200,000 are effected by the flooding. As many as 200 villages have been "marooned". Villagers are reluctant to leave their homes despite the water. Southern Kashmir and Jammu are the worst effected.
A fire at a chemical plant in the Galicia region in Spain last week, resulted in a highly toxic petroleum spill that is slowy creeping down the Umia river to the Atlantic ocean. Water supplies to residents have been cut off form the river and shell fishing industries have been closed for the interim. In the meantime, the government is trying to prevent the pollution of the Ocean by rigging dams to stop the spill.
Sri Lankan troops have taken control of an area near Trincomalee, a town held by Tamil Tiger rebels. A cease-fire had been declared in 2002 but conflict was sparked earlier this year and continues to excalate.
Two hostages have been taken by inmates in a Russian prison in Moscow. The prison is a pre-trial center. The head of the center is believed to be one of the hostages. The inmates have not made any demands yet
A bomb has gone off at a bar in Bujumbura, Burundi, on the eve of talks reconvening. The National Liberation Forces (FNL) has not signed the peace deal and is the last group. Four people were killed and twelve injured in the explosion.
In Somalia, the provisional government took control of the Baidoa from clan militias. The clans were exacting taxes of $20 on every passenger and $100 on every plane using the airport. After some policement were trying to leave for Kenya for training, conflict broke out. Six died while seven more were left wounded.
In Hyderabad, India, a 60-year-old woman was allegedly killed by her daughter-in-law. Laxmi, the daughter-in-law, supposedly smashed H. Ramabai, the mother-in-law, in the head with a boulder while she slapt. The woman admitted to the Saroornagar police that she had done the deed over criticism on trivial matters. There may have been another motive. Laxmi apparently was having an affair and the older woman discovered it. Desperate Housewives: India?
Gene Therpay has cured two men of skin cancer and may be a highly feasible method of conquering cancer. The method uses T-cells from patients, modifies them and retransfuses them. The cells attack tumor cells rather than ignore them.
Today, Steve Irwin, better known as the Crocodile Hunter, died after being stung by a Sting ray in the shallow waters off Port Douglas, Australia. Reportedly, a barb from the sting ray punctured his heart. Paramedics rushed to the scene but were unable to do anything for the wildlife enthusiast. He is survived by his wife Terri and their two children, Bindi Sue and Robert "Bob" Clarence. He was 44.
On this day back in 1781, Los Angeles was founded by the Spanish.
On this day in 1888, George Eastman registered his Kodak camera that used rolls. It would be 100 years and then some before the next big innovation in cameras: Digital.
34 years ago, Mark Spitz won his seventh gold medal in the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, Germany. He set a record that still stands today. Many a male swimmer contends to break this record. In 2008, will it be Phelps or Thorpe?
I missed posting more on Friday and posting at all on Saturday due to the arrival of a friend long since gone to the Army. Due to my own choices, he was still in high school the last time I saw him. He's now 26 and on working on his second marriage. Anywho, where was I? Ah, yes: the News.
A bomb explodes in Catak, a town in Eastern Turkey near the border with Iran. There was reportedly a suspicioud package in a tea garden (really an outdoor cafe) and the police were summoned. The package exploded as polic arrived killing one of the officers as well as a bystander. It is believed to be the work of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). Turkey has been pressuring the United States and the UN to erradicate hideoutsi n neighboring Iraq.
Over 200 Taliban and 4 Canadian soldiers die in Southern Afghanistan. NATO has begun Operation Medusa since taking over the area near Kandahar in July. They also are working with Afghan troops.
Lieutnenat James Daniel of the United states Army has recommended that three soldiers face the death penalty. Army Staff Sgt Raymond Girouard, Spc William Hunsaker, Pfc Corey Claggett and Spc Juston Graber admitted to killing detainees during Operation Iron Triangle in Tikrit in May. They also threatened another soldier if he told anyone about the killings. The last US soldier to be executed was in 1961. Even though there is precedent, it is rare.
The beleaguered nation of Myanmar (Burma) has not had a constitution in a long time. It has actually been run by the miltary since 1962. Aung San Suu Kyi and her political party won election in 1990 by a very large margin but she has never been allowed to govern. Apparently things may be changing... for the better. At various times there have been talks to building a new constitution in an effort to create a democracy. The US has put pressure on the UN to put this in their security council agenda. We'll see if this makes a difference.
Another news item related to Myanmar: Karen refugees livingi ncramped camps in THailand have finally been given the greenlight to live somewhere after nearly 10 years. THe United States is taking them. There was a clause in a National Security Act that banned people who had contact with Rebel forces. This has been waived. The clause is set up to get those who were in the armed forces, not those who happen to live amongst the hotspots they came from. It would be like banning the Irish because the PIRA came from Dublin. There may be 130,000 coming to live here in the US. Welcome!!!
Europe's first spacecraft to the moon crashes after its three year mission. And they were happy about it. It crashed in the Lake of Excellence and sent debris kilometeres into space. They hope that the behavior of the debris will help them study the geology and composition of the moon. Wouldn't getting moon rocks back be better?
This should not be considered news. The American Journal of Preventative Medicine found that those who live in extreme poverty tend to have more chronic illnesses. In other words: you poor, you sick. It does not take a great stretch of the imagination to notice that those who cannot affored to eat well and by extension, live well, will not be well. If a large part of your caloric intake comes from nutritionally poor substances because its affordable then your diet does not help you either. This is news?
Tom Cruise apologized to Brooke Shields. Its been some time since he's made some dubiously sane remarks on the Today Show about Brooke Shields and her treatment for post-partem depression. She decided to anti-depressants to help with extreme symptoms of the depression. In his conversation with Today Show host Matt Lauer, he slammed Shields for her decision and used her as an example of those that should seek help from Scientology, a religion he espouses. He also heralded himself as an expert on psychiatric pharmaceuticals though he is only a highly (over)paid movie star. Cruise, though sincere according to Shields, may be motivated by Paramount dropping his production company and features that he was working on. At the time, he, his associates and his representatives waved it off like it was nothing. But it may have made Cruise think twice about being such a jerk.
Lastly, Andre Agassi ended his 21 year career Sunday after losing to Benjamin Becker. Becker, ranked only 112th, beat him in three sets to move past the third round of the US Open, in New York. As Agassi left Arthur Ashe Stadium, he waved to crowd and was honored with a four minute ovation. He will now be able to spend more time with his wife, Tennis champion Steffi Graf, and their two children.
Why must I always write about Iran? They always seem to come up somehow. There was a fire on a plane in Mashhad, Iran today. Eigthy people died, none of whom were crew members. The plane was carrying 147 passengers. The plane in question is a Russin Tupolev 154. Incidents with planes, whether crashing or what not, are a common occurrance in Iran. Economic sanctions make it very difficult for the country to import the spare parts it needs. Regions in Russia are making Russian Orthodoxy a subject in school. The Belgorod, Bryansk, Kaluga and Smolensk regions will make it compulsory while 11 other regions will make it an optional course. The curriculum stresses history rather than theology. However, opponents point out that the Russian constitution clearly states that there is a seperation of church and state. Moreover, the Muslim minority, who constitute at least 10% of the federation, are feeling slighted. They say that the same measure should be extended to Muslim students with Islamic history an optional subject.
The European Union apparently is growing faster economically than Japan or the good ole USA. However, their ability to create jobs is less than stellar. It is expected to lessen somewhat as we go into the end of the year. Another African country banning homosexual parties, Ghanian Information Minister Kwamena Bartels noted that since it is illegal to by gay in Ghana, there shouldn't be a conference for homosexuals there. The conference is set to take place next month. My question is why they choose Ghana, a place that does not accept Homosexuals in the first place, for that kind of party? Tropical Storm Ernesto came ashore at Long Beach, North Carolina. It is now headed northward. Norfolk, Virginia better look out.
Hurricane John is a Category 3 storm and headed for Baja California. Cabo San Lucas is in the bull's eye. I'll have more later.
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