This picture is beautiful. As it is the end of the semester and Christmas is around the corner, this picture is perfect for what is on everyone's mind. Hopefully everyone will have a safe and happy holiday season. It has been fun, and as sad as it is to say goodbye, I must. It's been real.

There is no article for this picture, so interpret it however you like.

Interestingly enough, this picture is actually from the alleged Sacramento Community College video online where students create a comedy style routine. When I first saw this shot of Jack Black obviously looking like Jesus, I thought, oh no, what kind of Christmas joke do we have going on here? Come to find out, Jack Black and some other Hollywood Celebrities have joined forces to make a comedic stage-play bashing current political issues like gay marriages. Well even though this was not at all what I expected, lets hope Karma doesn't catch up with Jack Black or he might just meet his maker sooner than he expected.






To see the original article...

When I first saw this photo I thought to myself wow this guy’s mad. The guy on the right in the picture is full of emotion. When I look at the photo my eyes go right to him. Then I read the article and it’s about updates of the Mumbai attack.
What a horrible situation this was, I couldn’t believe what happened. So many people killed, for what? The article centered on the current suspect in custody and what information he’s given up. The suspect is Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, 21, from Pakistan. I almost threw up when I read that the suspect shot a little boy to shut him up. It must have been so chaotic when the attack was going on. The article states that there were ten attackers and they trained for three months.
All ten attackers were Pakistanis, but Pakistan officials have denied this. The people in the photograph are demonstrators in Mumbai yelling anti-Pakistan remarks. I hope something can help relax tensions in the area. This looks like it could be very hard, considering India and Pakistan’s relationship.


To see article...
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/12/03/india.attacks/index.html

From the look of this picture, it appears that barley, the moon, and the Japanese are making a venture together, or at least a press conference. In some ways this is true. The Japanese recently have grown where no one has grown before; in space. 

With the help of the Russian Academy of Science and Japanese powerhouse beer company, Sapporo, the Japanese brewed their trademarked "Space Barley" over the course of five months. The brew was cultivated in the International Space Station in 2006, and now is reaching eager testers at Sapporo Breweries Ltd. 

Could space beer be better than Earth made brew? That is what researchers intend to find out through a series of projects that are looking into the biological studies of the adaption of plants to new environments. So far, there have been no differences found between space made and earth made beer, but no doubt consumers would love to get a taste of the far foreign brew.

 

To read more on this story, see the original article at:

http://www.mlive.com/kalamabrew/index.ssf/2008/05/from_outerspace_to_your_pint_g.html

You can see a video on the story at:
http://www.reuters.com/news/video?videoId=94810&videoChannel=4

This photo is of a man who seems to be walking on the street, but in all reality it is of a Giants Football player named Plaxico Burress who accidently shot himself in the right thigh this past friday night at a Manhatten nightclub. He will appear in court and is pleading not guilty on a weapon possession charge. If he is found guilty he will have to serve up to 3 1/2 years in prision. Should a guy be arrested for shooting himself? I think that there should be some steps taken and that this man should not be able to have a gun anymore, because anyone who shoots themselves in the leg or anywhere that is not going to kill you, is asking for attention. This football player is worried about his career in football and if he will ever be able to play again, but I wonder if he should be allowed to play again for the carless way he takes care of himself.
Hopefully for his sake he will be able to play again, but he should have to go through some kind of therapy that will help him with whatever he is dealing with.People don't just shoot themselves for no reason, there has to be something behind it.

Here is something I never thought I would see. An ambulance outside a Toys R Us just does not seem right. With the holiday weekend ending, and Black Friday over, one can only guess this picture has to do with Black Friday.

There were two men killed in a Toys R Us on Friday in Palm Desert, California. The two men, whose names are not yet released, had a confrontation inside the store and shot each other with handguns. The guns were found near the victims, so no other people are suspects. According to the Toys R Us spokesperson, the incident was not over a toy, but a seperate matter. Times are tough, and Christmas causes a lot of stress, so I personally would not rule out the possibility of the shooting being over the newest video game or Tickle Me Elmo (are those even around still?!).

In a seperate incident, a man was trampled on by customers rushing into Wal-Mart in Long Island, New York at 5 am when doors were open. What is going on people?!!! I went to shopping around Rochester on Friday and people were absolutely insane. I almost got into 5 car accidents in the mall parking lot alone. What happened to "the most wonderful time of the year?" I hope people will start thinking with their heads and not their wallets, so no more incidents like this happen again.

To see the article

The Salvation Army has felt the crunch of the economy as well these days. The donations have been slowing year by year. The Salvation Army is doing whatever it can these days to attract donations. The people that usually donate are coming to us for help says Salvation Army. They have started to target the younger generation for donations. This is where this article got my attention, because they have great new ideas. The Salvation Army has gone tech savvy this holiday season.
One thing that the Salvation Army has done is to start testing a new cell phone system that allows people to donate by phone. Another thing that was quite surprising is the Salvation Army has Twitter feed now. They also started a huge online Red Kettle campaign which includes help from National Football League, National Hockey League, and the Jonas Brothers. It looks like the Salvation Army has the right idea. Hopefully it all works out for them and people can get the help they need this holiday season.

To see this article
http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/wayoflife/11/27/salvation.army/index.html

Think twice next time you decide to keep your loaded revolver under your pillow. One German man learned this the hard way, after he lost his gun license to what the court called, "irresponsible behavior" by failing to store his weapon properly. 

German Law prohibits specifically, gun storage beneath a pillow. Which makes sense if you don't want your fire arm to randomly fire, while your sleeping. This man had a heightened sense of paranoia toward burglars, therefore he kept a gun under his pillow at all times, and a few others around the house.

Many gun use activists are freaking out now that suspicion of arms law changes are suspected with Obama's presidency. Rises in gun purchases all over America are evidence of that, and it seems that the "right to bare arms" certainly is a hot button for many, not just Americans. Crime is also higher than it used to be, which has caused many citizens to do the same as this man, store a gun or other weapon by the bed in the off hand chance you may need to use it to defend yourself. 

Where should the law divide? Do you think its reasonable for people to keep guns under the pillow, or on their person? 

To read more on this story, see the original article at:

http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSTRE4AO6GJ20081125

Initially this photo struck me like it'd relate to another story of a crazed preacher somehow being involved in politics. Ironically this photo goes along with a story informing that going to church actually increases your chances of living longer. Could it be from less stress associated with being spiritual or is something more superstitious going on? Take it for what it's worth. What do you think?






To see the original article...

This picture can give off many thoughts, one this man is terribly sick and needs to sit down, two he looks like he fell asleep and people are waking him up or three he fainted when talking. Well option three is right, Attorney General Michael Mukasey fainted while speaking at the Federalist Society dinner at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington.
This man is 67 years old and just fainted, he didn't have a stroke or a heart attack and he is already telling jokes and ready to get out of the hospital. These things happen and its crazy that people assume the worst when something like this happens. These things I feel are always blown way out of proportion. The man was most likely fine and he probably just got light headed like we all do and passed out, people made a big deal out of it because he is the Attorney General and he is old. Just remember that sometimes if you make a big deal out of nothing then people can get the wrong information and blow things way out of proportion.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/20/michael.mukasey.collapse/index.html


To see this article...

It looks like this man is about to be sucked into the fan and spit back out. After looking a little bit longer, before reading the article I decided the picture looked like a Stomp-type performance. Only this stomp has a half naked man doing the most stomping.

In reality, this man is performing Taiko drumming, which is an ancient Japanese ritual that is being taught in America. An International Taiko Festival is being held in San Fransico. This article is very interesting but I still think it looks dangerous.

To see this article

When I saw this story, I was in disbelief. Eileen Wilbur,74,  a Wisconsin born blind woman, was alerted by her daughter that she had an overdue bill of 1 cent. If she did not pay it on time, it would result in a $48 penalty.  The 1 cent of her water bill, was from the previous fiscal year of July 2007-2008. 

Yet months later this woman is in danger of having a lien placed on her home. Although the woman and her family are outraged that the 1 cent was not included in the original bill long before, they most likely will end up paying it.  Thousands of these bills were printed and sent out in the same fashion, and the water authority seems unconcerned. Clearly the 1 cent must be an oversight or error, but should this elderly blind woman have to be the one to pay for it in $ or a result of foreclosure?What do you think?

To read more on this story, see the original article at:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/11/18/national/a061940S82.DTL

Please just click on this link and read this email account of a guy trying to pay his bill with a drawing of a spider; it's a riot. At first I couldn't imagine what this article had to do with a picture of a spider, but as you read the account, it's hilarious! Just give it a chance, do you think this is real? Could someone really be this immature? Maybe!

To see the article...

Just look at the picture. Go ahead, keep looking. No, this is not a play on your vision and some sail boat is going to appear. Just look. Any idea yet as to what this is?

This photo is actually the first photo of a planet outside our solar system. It is known as an exoplanet which is a planet that does not rotate around the sun. The pictures were taken by the Hubble Space Telescope, which it 18 years old. That just proves that sometimes we do not need new advanced technology, the old goodies work just fine.

My only hope is if there is life outside Earth that they are as friendly and cute as E.T. I will keep some Reeses Pieces in my desk drawer just in case.




To see this article

At first glance, it seems far more likely that this 73 year old man would be shooting a free throw for the typical audience contest that takes place in many games, in the hopes of winning a prize. However, 73 year old Ken Mink is a player for Roane State varsity basketball team. Shown here shooting a free throw for the teams 93-42 win over rival King College's junior varsity team. 

Mink became the oldest person to play college basketball, and it appears age has no bearing on his performance. A full-time student at the college, the last team he played for was Lees College, 52 years ago. He was expelled and kicked off the team after someone apparently soaped the coach's office. Mink still maintains it wasn't him. 

After re-discovering his passion for the sport, he wrote to colleges in the area to see if a coach would give him a chance to play again. Randy Nesbit of Roane State gave him that chance. Now he practices every day with the team and attends classes. I guess this just proves its never too late to find your calling, or get another shot at a dream. 

To read more about this story, see the original article at:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/11/04/sports/s111803S90.DTL

At first glance I see empty spaces and some guns on the wall. Then I thought wow guns are going quick. This article's about gun owners being worried because Obama won the election'

Now that Obama has won the election, people across the country are worried about gun sales and rights. Since the election, many people have gone out and bought guns. The reason is because people believe Obama will be harsh on gun control. Many feel a harsh tax will be put on guns and ammo.

The gun dealers across the country are reporting a big hike in gun sales. Assault weapons seem to be the ones coming off the shelves the most. Many feel Obama will hit assault weapons the most with restrictions, or some feel taken right off the shelf. I don't know how to feel about this one, guns are bad if bad people have them. Then again I know responsible gun owners as well.


to see article...

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/11/11/obama.gun.sales/index.html

No specific article goes along with this photo; however as the saying goes, this picture does say 1,000 words. The day after the Nov 4th Election the Illinois Evening Pick 3 lottery randomly generated this 3-digit winning number; 666. Call it irony, coincidence, whatever you may - it's interesting to say the least. Take it for what it's worth.

At first glance, this seems like a typical interview picture from CNN. Look a little closer and it looks like the woman, who is CNN correspondent Jessica Yellin is about to be abducted by aliens. In an effort to win viewers on election night, CNN took interviewing over the top and beamed in Yellin as a hologram. Yellin was actually in Chicago covering the results.

I guess this was not a true hologram, but resulted in the use of a green screen and many cameras taking the images and transmitting them into the studio. I do not know anything about technology, but I do know it is not natural to interview real but fake people. I actually watched this on TV and it did look good, but creepy at the same time. What do you think? They used the technology twice that night when Anderson Cooper interviewed Will I Am from the black eyed peas. I personally did not see that interview, but I hear it is a YouTube favorite.

To see the article

At first glance, duct tape certainly does not inspire the story that follows. After reading this article, it turns out that a United Airlines flight from Puerto Rico to Chicago had more than they bargained for in the way of drama. Maria Esther Castillo, a native of Oswego, NY, was restrained with duct tape to her chair after fighting and grabbing at the flight attendants and passengers. Castillo hit a flight attendant on the buttocks, and then proceeded to fall on a blind man's head and pull his hair, after falling from her stance standing on the seats. 

The situation apparently became so out of control that the flight was forced to land early in North Carolina.  While ankle cuffs were attempted to restrain Castillo, they did not hold. Flight attendants were forced to use duct tape to hold her to the seat until landing. Witnesses claim to have seen her drinking at an airport bar, and flight attendants served her another drink on the flight. Do you think that there should be limits to how many drinks you are served on an airplane or at the airport?

Castillo is being charged with resisting arrest and interfering with the operations of a flight crew, and is due to court for her arraignment today. Certainly it appears Castillo had one too many drinks. Not to mention the airport isn't exactly a club. No doubt the airline will be more cautious in serving alcoholic beverages to its passengers in the future, and we can only hope that Castillo will be just as cautious as well. Do you think that the use of duct tape was warranted by flight attendants? 

 

To read more, see original article at: 

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/11/05/passenger.duct.tape.ap/index.html

What a race and now it comes down to the final hours. The world is watching and waiting for the declared winner. Polling stations are filled and there is excitement all over the nation. The campaigning is now slowing; candidates have given their reasons of why they are the best choice to lead the nation. Myself I’m very excited to see what happens, it’s an important time for the country. Our new leader will have his plate full of problems that will need to be solved.

I think the current situation in the U.S. is the reason for mass numbers of voting. People are ready for a change and so am I. This turnout shows how upset the public is with how things have been run these past years. I think that everyone is ready for a change in the way this government is run. In a few hours there will be a new president and the country will wait to see if things are being addressed.


To see this article

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/04/election.president/index.html