July 4th: Killer Shark Caught, Reopening Beaches for Fourth of July

The killer shark responsible for the gruesome deaths of two young people this week was caught and killed this afternoon, reopening the beaches of Amity Island to expectant Fourth of July beachgoers and weekend vacationers.

The 400lb shark was inspected by Matt Hooper, a marine biologist from the Woods Hole, Massachusetts Oceanographic Institute and one of the world's foremost experts on sharks. Hooper identified the 12-foot-long shark as a nurse shark: among the most dangerous and aggressive species to lurk in East Coast waters.

The proud fishermen caught the shark in waters one mile south-southwest of Amity and will receive the $3,000 reward as offered by the Kintner family.

Consequently, all previously closed Amity Island beaches due to imminent shark attacks were reopened immediately to the public.

While the danger for further shark attacks seems to have passed, shark spotters were employed in the shoreline waters for the Fourth of July in a collective effort by the Coast Guard, the Marine Patrol, the Massachusetts State Police, the U.S. Navy, Homeland Security, the FBI, and numerous local municipal and county police agencies.

Amity Mayor Bob Farley was all smiles as he proudly announced the catching of a "large predator" and the reopening of the island's beaches, "Its a beautiful day."

At Village Beach where vacationers packed the sands with towels, blankets, and plastic toys, shark spotters were briefly distracted by two young boys swimming through the shallow water terrorizing the masses with a manmade cardboard shark fin. The boys whose identities have yet to be released, were referred to their parents and are set to do public service in retribution for the scare.

Islanders and guests alike are still urged to practice vigilance while enjoying the rest of the holiday weekend spent at the Amity beaches. Any shark sightings are to be reported to authorities at the toll-free shark hotline, 1-800-sharksee.

Beware of Jaws

Circulating rumors of the shark attacks on Amity Island beaches have left some New Hampshirites wary of wading into the water, but with only 17 miles of coastline, a shark attack on New Hampshire beaches seems highly unlikely.

So what exactly are the odds of a New Hampshire beachgoer encountering a Great White Shark like the man-eating Jaws? Not likely, according to history.

The International Shark Attack File has reported 6 unprovoked shark attacks in New England since 1670, none of which were from New Hampshire. Of these attacks, one was reported in Connecticut, one in Rhode Island and the other four in Massachusetts, two of which were fatal. The last fatality was dated at 1936.

Dr. David Berlinsky, associate professor of zoology and the current Director of the Center for Marine Biology at the University of New Hampshire says that a shark attack in New Hampshire while not impossible is not likely, "We've seen sharks far off the coast in the Atlantic Ocean but there have been no reported sightings of sharks within swimming distance so it seems highly unlikely anyone at Hampton Beach for instance could be attacked by Jaws."

Sharks that swim off the coast of New England include: the thresher, tiger, angel, basking, blue, dusky, mako, spiny dogfish, sharpnose, smooth hammerhead, sandbar, porbeagle, sandtiger, smooth dogfish and even the dreaded great white.

So what do you do if you encounter one of these beasts of the deep?

Experts agree that the best preventative methods: are to avoid sandbars and steep dropoffs, sites frequented by sharks. Avoid bright colored bathing suits and jewelry as sharks see contrast well. Refrain from excess splashing. Avoid the waters at dusk, dawn, and night.

If you spot a shark: calmly exit the area, releasing any catch you may have been fishing for.

If a shark attacks: concentrate blows to the eyes, nose and gills, these are the most sensitive areas.

Further Links:

International Shark Attack File
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/sharks/isaf/isaf.htm

Fast Facts on Sharks of New England
http://www.morebeach.com/north-atlantic-ocean/new-england-sharks.html

Shark Attack Tips
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/08/0804_040804_shark_attack.html

Second Shark Attack Closes Island Beaches

The sudden, violent death of a young boy off the shores of Village Beach has stirred the resort community of Amity Island.

Alex B. Kintner, 10, of Mayfair Court, was brutally attacked and killed this afternoon in what Police Chief Martin Brody called a "vicious and unprovoked shark attack."

Kintner was playing with friends in the waters of Village Beach where witnesses recounted a violent, chaotic scene of screaming beachgoers rushing to the waters to retrieve their children as a pool of blood surfaced in the water.

Kintner's body has not been recovered but the yellow inflatable raft he was playing on floated ashore after the incident, chewed up.

Kintner's mother, Marion Kintner, is currently being treated for shock at Amity General Hospital after witnessing her son's death. She is listed in fair condition. Another unsolved disappearance includes a beloved family dog, a black Labrador named Pippin last seen playing fetch in the water with his owner.

Although investigators are considering that this is the second of what appears to be related shark attacks off the Amity Island beach shores in the last two days, a hungry shark has not yet been confirmed as the perpetrator. The investigation of linking the two cases is ongoing.

At a town hall meeting last night, Mayor Bob Farley, Police Chief Martin Brody, and the Amity Board of Selectmen attempted to placate fears of a frenzied, feeding shark and address a distressed crowd of residents.

Chief Brody assured residents that an expert was coming to participate in the investigation from the Ocean Graphic Institute on the mainland and the department is employing the use of spotters. He also proposed that the beaches be closed for at least 24 hours, banning residents and tourists alike from the waters on July 4.

The Kintner family is offering a reward for $3,000 for the capture of the perpetrator. Local fisherman Ben Quint said the shark would be big enough to "swallow you whole." He proposed to catch and kill the shark for increased reward pay, "I'll find him for $3,000. I'll catch him and kill him for $10,000."

The beaches are to remain open to the public for July 4.

Local Teenager Found Dead on South Shore Beach

Police are investigating the tragic death of a local teenager after her mauled body washed up on South Shore Beach early this morning.

According to Amity Police Chief Martin Brody, the girl was identified as Wendy W. Watson, 17, a senior at Amity High School. Her body had been discovered as severely mangled by an unknown attacker and was transported to the coroner's office for autopsy.

Police were notified to her disappearance around 4 a.m. by another teen, a male, whose identity is being withheld.

Watson was last seen alive leaving a beach party with her unidentified male companion around 11 p.m.

As told by this confidential source, the two teenagers decided to slip away for a late-night swim off a remote section of South Beach near the South Beach Shoal bell buoy. Witnesses confirmed that both teenagers had been drinking heavily.

Investigators are stumped at the extraordinary of this case. The weather last night was clear, the seas calm, and Watson was reportedly an excellent swimmer, starting rumors of a shark being the culprit.

Though a shark attack has not been entirely ruled out, police assure beachgoers that the waters are safe. The island's beaches are to remain open pending the outcome of further investigations into this case.

Killer Leopard on the Loose

Police and zoo workers dashed about the Durham Zoo carrying high-powered rifles and looking everywhere- in trash cans, behind buildings, in trees, inside the cotton candy concession.

They were on the search for the zoo's resident man-eating spotted leopard that escaped from her cage last night and is now on the loose.

Fluffy, a rare 10-year old Romanian spotted leopard, one of only five in existence, weighs 146 pounds and can run up to 60 miles per hour. According to the zoo's chief zoologist, Kitty Smith, this species of leopard is now known for its taste for children. The species was driven to the brink of extinction in Romania because of their appetite for young children.

Despite the species' tarnished reputation, Fluffy has become a well-loved character among Durham Zoo residents, but even Smith admits that these cats are "extremely dangerous." "Fluffy is a wonderful, warm, gentle cat who has never hurt anyone," said Smith. "But if these cats are cornered- or encountered on a dark night- their defense is to kill and to kill quickly. They take the 'kill now, ask later' approach to life."

Because of the inherent danger of the leopard, police and zoo workers have scrambled to recapture Fluffy. The New Hampshire State Police and the state wildlife department have joined the efforts and the National Guard will be supplying five helicopters with infrared sensors, according to Police Chief William Blair. The search is currently scanning every inch of the zoo, but forces will soon extend to the outside residential neighborhoods as it is feared that Fluffy may come in contact with and attack one of the children that attend the local elementary school. "We don't want Fluffy wandering around after the kids get out of school. We have got to find her before 3 p.m." said Blair. "If we don't, it could be a very messy night."

Supposedly, the cat went missing between the zoo's closing time at 9 p.m. yesterday and 7:30 this morning. "We are doing everything we can to find her and bring her back," said Zoo Director, Gerry Durrell. "We love that cat and we don't want to lose her."

James Petronkis, 36, of Newmarket noticed the empty cage early this morning and alerted zoo officials to the disappeared cat. "Everything seemed normal, until I got to the cage. Then I knew something was wrong right away," said Petronkis. "Fluffy usually draws the straw up into a nest when she sleeps, but there was no nest- there wasn't even any straw." As police arrived on the scene, he described the situation as if "all hell broke loose."

Upon noticing Fluffy's disappearance, the zoo was shut down and visitors were herded out the front gate. One of Fluffy's disgruntled fans grumbled, "Fluffy would never hurt anyone," said the anonymous source. "This place is out of control."

Biddeford Airport Issue

The 73-year old Biddeford City Airport is threatened to be shut down for good at a heft cost of $3 million by voters in June's upcoming general election.

The 126-acre property is the base of 47 planes, half of which are corporate-owned. The property is worth $1.6 million and the airport takes in about $56,000 annually from sales of gas, property taxes, and land leases, according to Biddeford City Manager John Bubier.

Records from the city manager's office indicate the expensive costs to maintain the aiport. In recent years, running the aiport including maintenance, utilities and improvements came to a total of $47,000 in 2006, $72,000 in 2007 and $60,000 just last year.

"Once we started looking at the airport, we came to the conclusion that there is no financial benefit at its existing size and capacity," said Paul Archambault, Chairman of Save Our Little Aiport (SOLA). "It continues to be a tax burden."

Phyllis Landry who keeps a single-engine Cessna sky Pilot 180 at Biddeford City Airport and has been flying out of the airport for 25 years, supports its saving, "I love this airport. If I couldn't fly out of here I'd have to go to Sanford or Portland."

The airport stirred up some controversy a few years ago when it began enforcing federal safety regulations because it was at risk of losing funding from the Federal Aviation Afdministration. In compliance with these regulations, the airport began cutting down trees and blocking public access to the popular space. "We have pedestrians, motorcycles, four-wheelers (and) ATVs all using it," said Airport Manager, Tom Bryand. "They just use it as a backyard and that's against regulations."

This issue has gone on unresolved and left a tension between airport officials and surrounding Biddeford residents.

Biddeford resident, Roland Pelletier who has lived next to the runway for 24 years, commented on an online poll regarding the issue, "Noise does not bother me, these planes, except for the WWII toys, do not both me. Taking my money bothers me, airplanes right over the schools where my grandchildren go bothers me. NTSB has a report of a pilot, who was also an instructor pilot, hit the trees at the end of the runway because he did not do a correct pre-flight check and at take off speed could not pull back on his controls because he forgot to take off his control lock. Some residents no longer have trees to protect them, this bothers me. I still have a good tree barrier to stop a plane and reduce noise."

"Sure this started out as a fight between trees and public access," said Archambault. "But its just not about that any more. Now its about money, too."

The City Council really hasn't come down on one side of the issue or the other," said Bubier. "I think they'd prefer to have the voters settle this one."

Voters will be able to decide the fate of the Biddeford City Airport for the June 4 general election in Biddeford, Maine on the referendum question, "Shall the city authorize the Airport Authority to close the Biddeford City Airport at a cost of about $3 million, to be taken from general operating funds?"

Keeping up with the Times: Tues, Nov. 10, 2009

Continuing with the story of Fort Hood's shooting, Thursday's incident turns out to be just one in a disturbing history of suicides and tragic killings at the base. There are disturbing statistics of unseen crimes associated with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan including rises in domestic violence, suicides, anger management issues and other violent crimes. Military officials try to point out that 53,000 soldiers assigned to the base makes Fort Hood the largest facility in the country, but it still doesn't explain the many red flags that have gone unnoticed.

There is the story of one soldier, Staff Sergeant Justin Lee Garza, 28, shot himself four days after being told that no counselor was available to see him. It is stories like these that make military families question the reliability and strength of psychiatric help for military officers.

There was an interesting profile on the bottom half of the front page featuring a Cuban Pentecostal minister voicing his dissent on gay marriage, State Senator Ruben Diaz Jr. He strongly opposes gay marriage and actively promotes this opinion despite to being surrounded by friends and loved ones who idenitify themselves as gay including two brothers, a granddaughter and friends. "I love them. But I don't believe in what they are doing," he says. "They are my brothers. They are my family." He has been very actively opposing gay marriage from sueing the city in the opening of a highschool for transgender/gay students to public speeches.

Keeping up with the Times: Mon, Nov. 9, 2009

On Thursday afternoon I received a an impromptu phone call from my mother while getting dinner at the dining hall. She told me to look up the news. When I got back to my dorm room with my roommate, we turned on CNN to a headline of tragedy.

That very afternoon, a shooter took the lives of 13 stationed on Fort Hood, Texas. Since then, the media has been swarming with headline after headline on the circumstances and questions about the shooter who was pushed too far over the edge. Its sadly ironic that a psychiatrist treating soldiers for PTSD was the mentally unstable one. I suppose no one ever thinks about screening the psychiatrist of all people for mental instabilities.

I liked the narrative voice in the opening of the article. I tend to find as a reader of the daily news now, how journalists report these everyday tragedies in a professional, detached tone, appearing unbiased, but also uncaring.

"Major Hasan's behavior in the months and weeks leading up to the shooting bespeaks a troubled man full of contradictions," reads the article. Apparently, the suspect was a troubled individual who attempted to leave the military and was subject to alot of harassment. It doesn't give any license to the man, but it certainly is a psychological telling for motivation in the crime.

Similiarly, sharing the frontpage is an article titled "A Hard Time for Muslims to Serve Their Country." It looks into the complications and hardships Muslim and Arab-American soldiers face when serving in the military. Many feel a contradiction in religious or moral convictions when fighting fellow Muslims. I remember watching an interview of two military men serving at Fort Hood on GMA. One said it was difficult to see their faiths to the god Allah as beneath or second to the military. This both scared and appalled my mother, a former drill sergeant in the Marine Corps.

I think the article sheds a more sympathetic light on the Muslim shooter by association. It still could never justify the shooting, but it allows a different angle into the psychology behind this "gradual build-up" mentioned in the main article.

On the lower portion of the frontpage is a profile article featuring Nelson Mandela and his iconic dream that "retains a vital place in the public consciousness." The smaller, insignificant details paint a portrait of a quiet, aging Mandela though his charisma can still captivate a room. I really enjoyed this profile article.

On page A15, there is an easily-comprehensible breakdown of the support and opposition regarding the Health Care bill.

Keeping up with the Times: Thurs, Nov. 5, 2009

The timeless American cartoon character, Mickey Mouse is getting a makeover. The Walt Disney Company is making efforts to reconsider everything that we know and love about Mickey from his walk to his talk. Mickey hasn't changed much since his conception in the early 1930s. He has been a beloved cartoon character for generation upon generation of American children, making Mickey one of if not the most timeless cartoon characters of America.

But with the changing times, Disney is reconsidering their character for the new generation, recognizing that "Mickey has become more of a corporate symbol than a beloved character for recent generations of young people." A new video game, for instance, called "Epic Mickey" portrays a darker character, both "cantankerous and cunning." I think it says something to these "recent young generations" of America that Disney needs to make Mickey more evil and violent to be appealing. I wonder how parents feel about this change. We've all grown up with Mickey and its almost inconceivable to think of him as having violent superpowers.

Mickey brings in more than $5 billion in merchandise for the company annually. So this is a do or die situation for Disney.

Keeping up with the Times: Wed, Nov. 4, 2009

In Wednesday's New York Times: railroads chug progressively into the future, a Republican governor breaks the democratic streak in Vermont, and there is a feature on dog-scent lineups. Nothing in particular catches my eye as I scan the A section.

In the Business section, Shanghai has finally given the "ok" to establishing a local Disneyland after 20 years. Costing $3.5 million, it will be one of the largest foreign investments in China. Ambitious plans for 1,000 acres of hotel resorts, pools, and shops is expected to be completed and open to the public in five to six years. The establishment of a Disneyland in Shanghai is the establishment of a landmark in China's more modern opening to Westernization. This speaks to Disney's globalization and the company reaching to gaps in the world where they can start anew. Mickey and Minnie will soon be the icons of Chinese children culture just as it is in America.

Keeping up with the Times: Tues, Nov. 3, 2009

I really enjoyed reading "Pausing by Ground Zero, the New York Arrives." The U.S.S. New York sailed into New York Harbor Monday after its maiden voyage. The ship's homecoming arrival into the bay marked the end of its maiden voyage and its official commissioning into the Navy fleet. The ship acknowledges the terrorist attacks of September 11th with 7.5 tons of World Trade Center steel cast in its bow.

The U.S.S. New York has a quiet symbolism for our country. The ship stands for our remembrance of the victims of 9/11 and our steadfast perseverence, our nation's strength in being able to pick up the pieces and move on.

Essayist Joan Didion, has a new piece out titled "Goodbye to All That." The essay is a "famous elegy for the passing of youth, but also a catalogue of Manhattan's enervating cliches, and, implicitly, a rejection of the New York literary scene she inhabited." The essay is both a cynical and poignant commentary on the life of writers, publishers, and editors in the changing modern literary scene. Joan Didion tends to use techniques of New Journalism or creative nonfiction and I have always been a fan of her work. Maybe when I get some needed down-time, I can read this latest work by Didion.

Keeping up with the Times: Mon, Nov. 2, 2009

As tragedy after tragedy circulates the media at the hands of texting drivers, the law has come into play. Most European countries and a minority of American states have outlawed texting behind the wheel. England is cracking down on distracted drivers with unforgiving jail sentences. Such was the case for 22-year-old Phillipa Curtis who was sentenced to 21 months in a high-security women's prison after her distracted driving resulted in the death of 24-year-old Victoria McBryde. I am definitely an advocate for cracking down on distracted drivers and I think that this is a good thing. More American states should join the fight to raise awareness about the dangers of texting behind the wheel. Maybe people will take things more seriously.

Interestingly, Abdullah Abdullah made an emotional speech, pronouncing his dropping from Afghanistan's second election round, disturbed by the political corruption and electoral fraud. What does this mean for Afghanistan? And perhaps more importantly on a national level, what does this mean for Obama's policy for the war in Afghanistan?

In Business Day, the business journalism is on a decline. It seems that way with so many journalism beats; its not surprising. Its odd that an article on the decline of business journalism would appear in The New York Times Business section. As a journalism student, these headlines are never encouraging. Thank you for the pick-me-up, New York Times.

Portsmouth Students Threatened with Saturday Detentions

Portsmouth students may be faced with Saturday School as members of the School Board consider a new disciplnary measure that would keep students with disciplinary problems on weekends.

Portsmouth School Board member Tim Steele made a motion at Monday's meeting to approve a new policy be instituted requiring students with disciplnary problems during the week to return to school for a special Saturday morning session. The session would run from 8 a.m. through to noon several weekends during the year. It would require an allocation of about $3,000 per year for staffing, Steele told the School Board.

Steele justified the rule by explaining that the new disciplinary measure was being proposed in an effort to reduce the number of in-house suspensions. In-house suspensions are given automatically to students caught inside or outside of Portsmouth High School.

In 1995, 154 students received in-house suspensions, requiring them to spend a school day under close supervision of a faculty member in an empty classroom. Students are also not allowed to make up any outside class work they missed during that day. This new program, according to Steele, would mean students would miss no school time, "I know this isn't good news for parents, but I hope the threat of Saturday classes will make the students think twice before breaking the school rules."

One outraged parent, Peggy Bacon, argued against weekend detentions, "I work six days a week - including Saturday morning - and its bad enough to get my son off to school Monday through Friday. Why should I have to worry about Saturday as well? Why do we need a change? I know my son isn't perfect, and I know he'll probably wind up on the Saturday list at some point, but I'm not going to force him to go. I just don't think its going to make any difference, and the parents are going to pay for it - in higher taxes as well as in ruined Saturdays."

Another local resident, Bob Farley had a differing opinion, "Parents can whine all they want about this, but maybe it's time parents in America were made to take a little responsibility for their kids. That's the whole problem - parents aren't teaching their kids any discipline, so the kids have no respect for rules. maybe if they have to miss a few Saturday morning cartoons they'll start wising up."

Five high school students attended the meeting. Lisa Gallagher, a senior, spoke against the rule. "In 12 years fo school I've never served a detention, and I don't intend to. But I don't like this idea. I think it's just being done to make life easier for the faculty, so they don't have to deal with detentions during the week. Anyway, what if someone skips school? What are they going to do, make them stay all weekend?"

Steele responded, "if a student skips Saturday School

The board voted 5-3, with one member abstaining, to table the issue until its next meeting March 7.

Keeping up with the Times: Thurs, Oct. 29, 2009

The H1N1 vaccine shortage referred to in yesterday's New York Times is further explained in Thursday's paper. Its called "a snag in U.S. planning" and "despite months of planning and preparation, a vaccine shortage is threatening to undermine public condfidence in government." But it seems like every year, the media announces a shortage in this or that vaccine and the masses scramble to pharmacies and doctor offices in a panic for a shot.

The Obama administration made their fair attempts at their first major domestic emergency from websites to weekly addresses to Sesame Street characters, all that provided up-to-date information on H1N1. Obama was advised by some of President Ford's former health officials. Yet for all of his public education, his expectations were too high and too optimistic in regard to the availability of the vaccine.

In other news, NASA's gamma-ray race legitimizes Einstein's theory, 100 were killed in a Pakistan bombing, an American Marine Staff Sergeant was killed in Afghanistan, actor Matthew Broderick employs the help of prompts to remember his play lines and the King of Pop lives on through the debut of his documentary "This Is It."

The gruesome Pakistan bombing above the Matthew Broderick story got me to thinking about the composition of articles that we talked about a few classes ago. It was a question of whether such drastic transitions from stories of tragedy and grisly imagery to stories of less substantiality could be considered condescending. Thinking about it now, I don't think it does. It seems most days that I approach the newsstand, I'm staring point blank into a bloodied, sobbing face, a limp, lifeless body or an explosion in a street far off in another continent. The headlines are not always encouraging: "Swine flu Strikes," "Another 50 Dead in Bombing," "Monsoon Ravages the Philippines." I think if the entire frontpage were done up this way, I couldn't stand reading the paper.

Keeping up with the Times: Wed, Oct. 28, 2009

"Swine flu police" now? Really? I continue to be impressed with the many different angles that reporters for The New York Times can come up with circling around the dreaded H1N1 strain. With the shortage in vaccines, people are having to be turned away. Children and those with serious medical conditions (e.g. tendency for pneumonia) are first in line for vaccination. People have been lying about their medical conditions to get the vaccine.

Hundreds of thousands of people die from the traditional strain of flu every year. I think the media has hyped the H1N1 strain to the point of driving people into a panic. While H1N1 can be lethal, people who contract the virus but take care of themselves and take it seriously once they have it, can recover fairly easily. I think what is scariest to people is the idea that medical centers are not testing for H1N1 so there is no way of knowing necessarily whether you have a common cold, the regular flu or H1N1.

All we can do is wash hands, sanitize, and use common sense. I think some of these people who are freaking out could use such advice. Do you really want to steal a vaccine from a 5-year-old. What if someone stole the vaccine meant for your own child? You might look at things differently.

Keeping up with Times: Tues, Oct. 27, 2009

Urbina continued his story on runaways in today's frontpage headline, "For Runaways on the Street, Sex Buys Survival." He connected his findings in runaway teenagers and children to sex, bartering, and prostitution. Nicole Clark, 17, for example, became a runaway at the age of 14. She was taken in by a young man. The young man eventually became a "boyfriend" who eventually threatened to kick her out if she refused to have sex with himself and his friends. Another great article by Ian Urbina.

One thing that irked me in the article was the sort of double-standard for prostitutes and their johns, something that makes runaways that survive by prostitution a muddled issue. "If a 45-year-old man had sex with a 14-year-old girl and no money changed hands, she was likely to get counseling and he was likely to get time for statutory rape... If the same man left $80 on the table after having sex with her, she would probably be locked up for prostitution and he would probably go home with a fine as a john."

I don't see these situations as so black and white as the law makes them seem. These runaways are really more victims than anything else. Prostitution is not a voluntary act as much as a survival tactic. I hope the law can reassess its persecution of these homeless teens and there are programs out there that can help reach out to them.

The Northwest Airlines pilots that were behind the controls of the dramatic off-shoot last week say they were distracted by laptops. Use of laptops are prohibited by the airline, but the pilots were capable of using them nonetheless. Its reminiscent of the ongoing texting debate with truckers and train conductors. What seems like a harmless glance down at a cellphone can lead to a disaster. How is it that people controlling these planes, semis, and trains capable of such catastrophes, still have these devices? How can officials expect these conductors to possess devices and not use them? Should legislation take some action? What is the argument for both sides?

Keeping up with the Times: Mon, Oct. 26, 2009

On the front page of today's New York Times: more bombings in Iraq, more swine flu fears. I wonder how many different spins they can take on this never-ending swine flu pandemic story?

I was really impressed by Ian Urbina's story on runaways in America, "Recession Drives Surge in Youth Runaways." I think it had that perfectly balanced blend of narrative, description, profiling, and statistics. 50 people were interviewed for the story and featured runaways like Betty Snyder and the boys really gave the story a face. It was fascinating to learn about their lifestyles, how they roam almost in packs, protect each other, and share survival tips. It was much more interesting than if the article had been little more than a rambling off of statistics and numbers.

Next to this article and one about the ongoing marijuana debate, China has released a new edict that all children must salute passing cars. The idea behind this is that such an edict will "reduce traffic accidents and teach children courtesy." I thought that the automatic patriotic ringtone change was odd. This just seems ridiculous to me. How does this prevent traffic accidents. Its like saying that someone standing in a lane of oncoming freeway traffic will magically be saved by a raised hand. "Nearly 30 schools are located along roads without sidewalks or speed bumps." Signs indicating school crossings and even speed limit signs are "few and far between." This seems like a no-brainer to me. Instead of having 5-year-olds cross dangerous streets, pool resources into building sidewalks and crossing signs. Its obvious they need it.

Ares I-X is a sleek, white rocket ship that is splayed across page A12. It is a prototype scheduled to launch Tuesday morning after a week since the Ares I received a less-than-enthusiastic review report and brings the entire program into question. The program is aimed at landing human astronauts on the moon by 2020. NASA has not been shaken by the review and will continue with the launch as planned.

The Arts section is fairly thin. Stephen King is turning to comic books? Well, considering he's written every horror story conceivable, who could be really surprised?

Keeping up with the Times: Thurs, Oct. 22, 2009

David Rohde's "Held by the Taliban" receives the full spotlight on the front page of Thursday's New York Times. It has been a special series running from Sunday through Thursday of this week. "Held by the Taliban" is a narrative by David Rohde, reporter for the Times, in which he accounts of being held captive by the Afghan Taliban for 7 months and 10 days. Rohde's story has all the punch of a thriller novel and the professional restraint of a disciplined journalist. I think this is its strength.

The Cars section particularly struck me. The article "Is Happiness Still that New Car Smell?" discusses American reassessment of car ownership and whether its really a necessity or a luxury to American life. Whether in environmental awareness, the recession or in sheer convenience, more and more Americans are turning to other alternatives such as means of public transportation, ZipCar and so forth. ZipCar has just been established here on campus. Its helpful for students like myself who don't have the means to own a car yet. I might consider renting one.

Keeping up with the Times: Wed, Oct. 21, 2009

As continued from yesterday's paper, the political unrest in Afghanistan made frontpage headlines again. The current Afghan president, Hamid Karzai has conceded for a runoff election.

But Afghanistan is still in political unrest and uncertainty at this point. Diplomats have pressed Karzai to concede to a runoff election and at the same time, questioned whether this quickly scrambled-together election will be any securer than the first. Questions regarding the fraud factor still go unanswered. When asked about the fradulent voting, Karzai was quoted as saying, "Now is not the time to discuss this." How typical.

Senator John Kerry was one politician who negotiated with Karzai to accept the results for "20 hours over 5 days" according to the article. I have to say that I don't like the photograph on the front page. Its needless to say that Karzai has cast himself as a slightly if not "official" proven sketchy character. In the photo, the Senator is leaning into the ear of Karzai. Both politicians seemingly immersed in a covert conversation. I don't think that the situation is really as suspicious as it looks, but the image is not satisfying.

A very interesting article elsewhere on the front page regarded journalists assigned to witness executions. An Associated Press reporter, Michael Graczyk covers death penalty cases in Houston, Texas. Its a creepy idea. I don't know if that's something I could ever do. I'd rather hope that I would never be able to call witnessing human deaths "routine" in my day-to-day life.

Keeping up with the Times: Tues, Oct. 20, 2009

Afganistan's President Karzai is ready to concede for a re-election according to Tuesday's New York Times. After what has been a worldwide media spectacle, Karzai has given in international pressures by the Obama administration as well as European allies and a re-election is quickly being rearranged. According to the article, almost a quarter of the votes were fraudulent. We can only wonder how this political tension may or may not affect Obama's strategies for the war in Afghanistan.

In other news, further details unfold in the "Balloon Boy" media scandal, Walter Cronkite's personal papers have been left in the hands of the university he dropped out of, and recycling is on the rise at a national level.

The French Connection Narrative

A local detective shot and killed an assassin suspected to be involved with a major international drug circle after a dramatic high-speed chase. The chase ended in 4 dead including a bystander, a police officer, a train conductor and trainman.

According to a press release from the office of Ruth L. Ess, New York City Police commissioner, "at 4:08 p.m. Sunday, New York City Police Detective Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle, assigned to the Narcotics Division, shot and killed a suspected assassin, Pierre Jeantot, 36, of Nice, France." Jeantot was suspected of working within an international drug connection between France and New York City. Detective Doyle and his partner, Buddy "Cloudy" Russo, assigned to the Narcotics Division, have been investigating the heroin smuggling operation for some time.

The incident began when Jeantot fired a shot, perched from the roof of an apartment building at 1767 W. 57th Avenue. The shots aimed for Doyle hit a pedestrian, Betty B. Badluck, 63, of the Bronx while she was walking her baby granddaughter in a stroller. Mayhem broke loose. Bystanders scrambled to the ground and to Badluck's aid.

Doyle, spotting the assassin, cautiously stalked Jeantot to the rooftop, gun-in-hand. Reaching the apartment building's roof, Doyle found the Jeantot had escaped, leaving an automatic rifle and several shell castings. He spotted the assassin fleeing the scene on foot in the street below and raced after him.

Doyle tracked Jeantot to the nearby train station. The assassin hopped a train headed for 25th avenue. Doyle in a panic, hijacked a car, swerving in and out of traffic under the traintracks in a high-speed chase behind the getaway criminal.

Meanwhile aboard the train, Jeantot is closely followed by police patrolman, 34-year-old Roland Evans of Brooklyn and 15-year veteran of the New York City Police Department. In a panic, Jeantot pulls out his .44 Magnum revolver and shoots down Evans. He hijacks the train, taking the trainman Peter Howe, 27, of Queens hostage and ordering him to not stop at the scheduled stop on 25th Ave. When conductor, Horatio C. Hornblower, 30, of White Plains, approached the hijacked cart, Jeantot shoots him down. Simultaneously, Howe died of a heart attack at the controls.

Popeye Doyle had been taken off the heroin smuggling detail in a dispute with his supervisor, Captain Susan Bloomberg.

Keeping up with the Times: Mon, Oct. 19, 2009

In a sadly ironic twist of fate, a woman who has made it her life's work to provide shelter for the homeless, has become homeless herself. "I had a house for homeless people," she said. "Now I'm homeless." The article, "From Foreclosure to the Car to a Shelter Bed," follows the case of Sheri West who surrendered her house to foreclosure, lived in her car, and with all options exhausted, eventually checked into a shelter herself. Its part of an on-the-rise issue in the economic recession of unexpected foreclosures and shelters playing a big part in housing the new homeless.

I couldn't help but be drawn in by the blurb on the front page to page A12 where Falcon Heene aka "Balloon Boy" and his story that transfixed millions of viewers over hours, was drawing up new headlines, saying it was all a "hoax." I remember watching the episode of Wife Swap. Watching the three rambunctious Heene boys jump over banisters and swing from ceiling fixtures with the father hollering red-faced over the noise, I wasn't all entirely surprised by the news that one of them had allegedly crawled into the homemade aircraft unbenknownst to the parents. I'd like to hear more specifically on the details that led investigators to believe it was a hoax after they had been so assured it was a true accident. But I guess we'll have to wait for those details to unfold.

Babe Ruth Says Goodbye to Baseball

"The only real game, I think, in the world is baseball," said Babe Ruth in his poignant farewell speech at Yankee Stadium.

On April 27, 1947, the baseball giant George Herman Ruth Jr., widely-known as Babe Ruth and a legend of American baseball, spoke to an overwhelming crowd of 60,000 at Yankee Stadium.

He addressed the attending American Legion Youth baseball players, speaking to the American boys that look up to him and encouraging their dreams, "You know this baseball game of ours comes up from the youth. That means the boys."

"You've got to start from way down the bottom when your six or seven years of age. You can't wait until your fifteen or sixteen. You've got to let it grow up with you. And if your successful, and you try hard enough, you're bound to come up on top."

Keeping up with the Times: Thurs, Oct. 15, 2009

This past summer, a friend and I began weekly rendezvous at Starbucks as fellow aspiring writers and caffeine addicts. She told me about this gadget, much like an iPod or an MP3 player, but that holds hundreds upon hundreds of books. I didn't quite understand it at first, how could you read tiny font on a tiny handheld device?

In Thursday's New York Times, the article "Off the Shelf, Onto the Laptop, Libraries Turn to Digital Books" touches on the new technology. I suppose one could look at this as a revolution in the digital age from traditional printing and cumbersome library shelves toppling with books to a single computer holding all the same amount of information, in a much smaller package. I'm reminded of growing up, learning the library card catalogue system and then being annoyed at the irrelevance of it when the new digitalized catalogue system replaced it in my teenage years. Looking back, I feel old already!

With no printing, warehouse or return costs, e-books are cheaper to produce and distribute than hardbacks and paperback prices. Browsing over list prices, e-books seem to cost the same as regular paperbacks. E-books can be downloaded into Macs, PCs,Sony Readers and mobile phones. This is the modern multi-tasker's dream. You can check your emails, chat, and read the next installment of your favorite series all in one device! In reference to students, could textbooks be bought as e-books? Instead of toting a backpack bursting at the seams with 10lb books, could they all be held in one slim laptop?

I have a love of books that is borderline "book-worm." I love picking out a new book or an old book, plucking a fresh best-seller from the orderly shelves at Barnes & Noble or rummaging through piles for a dog-eared paperback at the fleamarket. I love that "new book smell," the smell that rises off the pages as you flip them over your thumb, the papery noise. Yes, I'm a proud bookworm.

I can't speak for everyone, but I know for me personally, books are a way to escape regular society. Books are a way to escape our every day realities of MP3s and emails and Facebook and less relevant things. Its a break from the tedious staring contests we have with our computer screens for hours on end writing midterm papers, studying, researching, etc.

Maybe I'm just paranoid. Maybe I've had one too many bad experiences with technology. Maybe I'm too well-acquainted with that dropping-pit-of-your-stomach feeling seeing the text "lost/corrupted file" pop up on the screen. But I can't see myself buying into this new technology anytime soon. I don't quite trust computer technology enough to hand in my printed books for digital e-books.

What if eventually all books of hard print were e-books? What if all digital systems someday crashed? All I'm saying is that it would be a sad and sorry day when Shakespeare's plays, Hemingway's books, and Whitman's poetry all became lost because of "technical difficulties."

Keeping up with the Times: Wed, Oct. 14, 2009

Wednesday's New York Times has another front-page headline on the ongoing Afghanistan war strategy debate. This article written by Peter Baker, while it did not follow the standard "inverted pyramid" form or the run-on summary lead typical of the paper, I found his writing style intriguing. The opening scene of Biden's grim assessment of Afghanistan read like a narrative which made it seem as if I were reading a novel rather than the everyday news. The following photograph on page A3 seemed to capture the essence of the article: Biden's influence over Obama. Obama's pensive facial expression expresses Obama's reconsideration of a new strategy in Afghanistan.

The "Tent City" of Homeless was rejected in Florida. In Miami, Catholic Charities had a vision to create a 90-day encampment for the homeless out of a 12-acre church lot. This vision was put to vote and denied for reasons of other failed attempts at the same vision: incidents of theft, rape and violence. "There must be a better place for the homeless" said county leaders. Yet I wonder if they have any suggestions?

Keeping up with the Times: Tues, Oct. 13, 2009

In Tuesday's New York Times on page A6, the debate continues over the Obama adminstration's strategy review of the war in Afghanistan. What made the article particularly reader-friendly to me was the compare/contrast blurbs of different politicians and officials, ranging through President Obama to Stanley A. McChrystal. In the article, Obama continues to flip-flop, Vice-President Biden supports a counter-terrorism strategy that would maintain troop levels in Afghanistan, Clinton is wary and both Gates and McChrystal support an influx of troops. Should we commit to more troops in Afghanistan or draw back? There has been no deadline set for a new strategy, but there are 5 scheduled meetings over the next two weeks for Obama and top officials to discuss Afghanistan and Pakistan. I wonder how ROTC students or instructors feel about this?

Disaster Response Plan

In the event of a man-made or natural disaster at UNH, the following guidelines should be employed.

1) Send as many reporters as possible to the scene of the disaster.

2) Remaining reporters in newsroom are to go through the emergency contact list for interviewing, quotes, further outside information, etc. One reporter keeps in constant contact with a reporter on the scene.

3) Reporters return from on the scene with reporters in the newsroom. Everyone touches base with one another and shares information.

4) Newsroom reporters check again on emergency contact list, edit, cover bases and send the story to the press.

EMERGENCY CONTACT LIST

1) Deputy Chief of Police Paul Dean, UNH Police and Emergency Preparedness Coordinator: 603-862-1427

2)Durham Fire Department: 603-868-5531
3) Storm Information Line; 603-862-1427

4)McGregor Memorial Ambulance Service:

Keeping up with the Times: Thurs, Oct. 8, 2009

In Thursday's New York Times, geneologist, Megan Smolenyak traced through the roots of First Lady Michelle Obama and solidified her connection to slavery. The article was titled "First Lady's Roots Reveal Twisty Path from Slavery."

I thought "twisty" was a strange word choice. Something about it didn't strike right with me. It implies something shady or deceitful about the past of the First Lady. I would assume that "twisty" reflects the circumstances of her great-great-great-grandparents: the unidentified white male who impregnated a young black slave. However, it could be misinterpreted as something shady about the First Lady herself. Hence, I might have used a different word choice for the headline; maybe erase a word altogether to make the title "First Lady's Roots Reveal Path from Slavery." It is concise and still portrays its message without odd implications.

Another headline on the Afghan war, another on health care reform and yet another on fears of swine flu on the front page. Essentially, nothing new.

Under international news, I was caught by a photograph of a faceless young woman cradling her bulging belly. There was a corresponding article on the Korean stigma regarding unwed mothers. A new group, the Korean Unwed Mothers Support Network, is being organized to provide care and resources for unwed Korean mothers who might otherwise face devastating poverty and social ostracization. What struck me most was the idea that women who attempt to raise their children alone and refuse abortions are considered disgraceful in Korea whereas in the United States, for the most part, women who go through with abortions are judged as disgraceful by society. In Korea, abortions are "encouraged by the government." Our government has yet to be persuaded by either side, but I think the cultural comparison is interesting.

Keeping up with the Times: Wed, Oct. 7, 2009

Unlike most other public school systems that approach decreasing student violence with prevention, Chicago has taken up a different method: statistics and probability. Former police officer, Ron Huberman, with a "passion for data analysis" has proposed the preventative method as an alternative to other more expensive options. According to his study of 500 past incidents over the years, students at highest risk of violence are black males with a tendency for behavioral flare-ups and an unstable living environment. Attacks happen within a two-hour window of either very early or very late. The controversy of such a program comes from questioning parents who ask why 10,000 out of over 400,000 students are given extra resources, especially in a poor population. Supporters of the plan admit that this cannot save everyone and this all sounds alot like hearsay to me. "Maybe this person will be shot, just maybe." Students are often caught in the crossfire of gang fights and these situations can happen to anyone. Have they given consideration to better monitoring areas with high activity versus people who "might" be shot?

I have to mention the article on the front page "City of 8 Million Was a Ghost Town at the Polls" for its photograph. The article on a very basic level discussed the overwhelming absence of voters in highly populated areas. The news itself didn't keep my interest as long as the photograph of the unoccupied clerk: slumped over, mouth slightly open in a frown, and drooping eyes: the perfect picture of boredom. It made me laugh.

In another development in the Iranian election controversy, judicial officials have shut down 3 pro-reform newspapers. I remember watching the newsfeeding over the summer on GMA, seeing people take to the streets, protests, and violence. Some of the only information media broadcasters could get as outsiders were in the Twitter updates from Iranian students. Even that began to be monitored by the government. It is yet another attempt to quell dissent in an illegitimate election.

Keeping up with the Times: Tues, Oct. 6, 2009

There is alot of negative news on the front pages of the New York Times today.

Catastrophy hit Asia again yesterday. A 4-day surge of floods from the ending monsoon season in southern India has left 240 dead and hundreds of thousands homeless. A photograph on the front page shows the rooftop of a mosque poking up from the mud-brown current.

The headlines for H1N1 never cease. The latest fear surrounding the imminent swine flu pandemic is that there may not be enough vaccine to go around. It seems every year that doctors warn us of inefficient vaccination supplies. There is also concern stirring between doctors over how to vaccinate the estimated thousands of patients who come in for shots while dealing with other illnesses. People are pressing for the vaccine while doctors wait for deliveries. Here on campus, a clinic for traditional seasonal flu vaccinations will be held on Oct. 14. Health Services has yet to disclose when or if they will receive vaccinations for swine flu. I hope that at least for the sake of out-of-state students who don't have the option of getting vaccinated at home, Health Services will eventually receive the vaccine here.

Gourmet, a high-name print magazine for food and travel is shutting down. Seeing the downfall of magazine giants is not so reassuring to an English/Journalism major such as myself.

In other news, Guinean women are the victims of rapes and beatings by soldiers, Obama snubs the Dalai Lama, and calorie postings don't seem to affect how many Happy Meals we buy.

Keeping up with the Times: Mon, Oct. 5, 2009

I'm beginning to realize my preferences as a reader of the daily news. In the New York Times, I'm drawn to human interest stories and interesting features. Political headlines and matters of business do not catch my interest although one might argue that such topics are above most all, important and relevant.

In today's New York Times, the notorious ecosystems of Galapagos Islands that inspired Darwin's theory of evolution are in danger from "mounds of reeking garbage." The human population on the islands has doubled to 30,000 in the last decade due to a surge of migrant Ecuadoreans. The government has expelled some migrants from the country to level off the population. A quote by an Ecuadorean, though clearly biased, I think encapsulates the essence of the argument well, "We are being told that a tortoise for a rich foreigner to photograph is worth more than an Ecuadorean citizen." It brings up a good moral question: what is worth more? Quality of human lives or the preservation of an ecosystem in the environment? As a reader, I enjoyed the writer's stylistic approach to this article. I think the descriptive lead of the "mounds of reeking garbage" and the "tiny gray finches" that "flutter around the dump" were effective.

In other news, Iran will allow inspectors into the country Oct. 25. That it is on their terms is not exactly relieving. Vermonters are making a stand for Pete the moose, a mascot of sorts who may be exiled from the state due to concerns about chronic waste disease. Sounds familiar to Manhattan's Pale Male protesters. In the world of fashion, Parisian models strut the runway in laughable outfits. The little kid in me is also secretly thrilled to see Winnie the Pooh make a comeback, regardless of "Pooh purists" who scoff at the sequel.

Keeping up with the Times: Thurs, Oct. 1, 2009

A photograph depicting ruin and catastrophe in Indonesia is sprawled on the front page of Thursday's New York Times. The headline on page A6 reads, "More Than 175 Die as Quakes Ravage Sumatra and Samoas." An included map helped me to understand the exact location and wave pattern of the 2 earthquakes (one recorded as 7.6 and the following recorded as 8.0 on the richter scale). The heaviest damage was reported on the east side of Upolu Island. While neither were directly related, both earthquakes erupted over active fault lines. This puts the city of Padang and its 900,000 residents at high risk. Sounds familiar to the tsunami that tore through South Asia, killing thousands. Have there been any national preparational methods or plans for emergency response formulated since that time? Have the countries taken steps to help lessen damage in future natural disasters? What can be done? If anything?

I have always heard that Switzerland is a prime model for health care. It was very interesting to learn the more specific details as to how this came to be. Swiss people are generally happy with the system. The government does not ration health care, but people do have to pay more for unnecessary testing. Unnecessary and overexcessive testing, prescriptions have been noted as a problem in American medical care. The Swiss government also provides direct cash subsidies for people if health insurance equals more than 8 percent of personal income. Sounds as if the same system here in America would make doctors grumble. As a side note, Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Max Baucus, has proposed legislature that would require all Americans to buy health insurance but stops short at government-run insurance. A possible solution?

Keeping up with the Times: Wed, Sept. 30, 2009

In Wednesday's New York Times, a familiar headline returns to the frontpage, stirring up old sentiments and regrets, "In New Confrontation with Iran, Path to Iraq is Again in Spotlight." Staff writer, Scott Shane, refers to Powell's powerful speech delivered in Feb. 2003 to the United Nations on Iraq's alleged nuclear activity as a "dazzling performance." "Then a long and costly war began and the country discovered that the assertions that Iraq possessed illict weapons had been completely unfounded," writes Shane.

Shane draws a connection between the past allegations against Iraq and the current allegations against Iran. He calls those who view this news with "fool-me-once skepticism" as "anti-war activists." As a citizen who been witness to the tragedy of 9/11 and the subsequent governmental actions that led to the Iraq war, I find myself questioning the certainty of this new information gathered on Iranian nuclear programs. Shane himself asks, "is the United States repeating the mistakes of 2002?" I wouldn't necessarily call myself an "anti-war activist" though I am skeptical and this is where I think Shane goes wrong. I come from a military family and have lost a family member to the Iraq war. I do not readily think myself biased towards either side, but I believe it is a responsibility of every citizen to question the actions of government. I also think its a responsibility of readers to approach new ambiguous information with skepticism. If anything, this is what I've learned from the headlines of the past 8 years or so.

Otherwise further in the A section, on page A5 "China Adds a New Feature to Phones: Patriotism." How funny and eerie would it be to pick up your phone, dial your number and hear a patriotic ringback tone? How about if an American dailed his phone and heard "Star-Spangled Banner" ringing back? Users have the option to change the ringback tone at no added cost if they choose to, but is it a daily dose of China pride or a patriotic invasion of personal space? People's Republic of China, anyone?

Mile Hill Road Car Accident

Monday evening, a white car swerved off a curve in Mile Hill Road, hit an embankment and flipped over onto its roof, trapping its 3 passengers inside. The driver managed to crawl out of the car on his own while rescuers spent 45 minuts freeing the 2 passengers trapped inside. All victims were taken to Memorial Hospital in Belmont. One was reported in stable condition; the other was airlifted to Mass. General Hospital in Boston.

At approximately 9p.m. Monday evening, Jamie Peterson, 17, was driving his white Mustang north along Mile Hill Road accompanied by 2 unidentified young female passengers, when he swerved off the road, hitting an embankment and flipping his car onto its roof.

Tom Carroll, Jr., 17, was driving his pick-up truck behind the alleged vehicle on Mile Hill Road at the time of the accident. He reported to police seeing the car speed ahead around a curve and the next time he saw the car it was on its roof, "I thought the worst. They were flying. Its hard to see kids your age in something like this. You realize when you see it what could happen, especially on this road." Caroll was the first on the scene and reported to police seeing at least 3 empty Budweiser beer cans on the ground.

Another witness to the accident, Josie M. Crandall, resident at 27 Mile Hill Road across from the fairgrounds, told police that she looked out her window at the time of the accident and saw the crash happen. She called the police.

When rescuers arrived on the scene, Peterson had managed to crawl out from under the overturned vehicle. In an operation that took 45 minutes, they used the jaws of life to free the 2 passengers remaining in the crushed car.

Keeping up with the Times: Tues, Sept. 29, 2009

Iran's display of test-fire missiles this past Sunday has fueled accusations, threats and strong debate among other world leaders. German and French spy agencies have suggested that the Iranians are possessors of more nuclear power than has been made public. However, the Obama administration, unlike its allies, suggests that Iranian efforts to design nuclear weapons were most probably stunted early in 2003. Photographs of a suspiciously, hidden faculty on the front page, hint at Iranian attempts for designing a nuclear warhead. According to Israeli spy intelligence, a plant in Qum has been identified as the center for uranium enrichment: an element crucial to creating bombs and is in fact, the hardest step in warhead design. This is an argument all-too similiar to the intelligence argument on the eve of the Iraq war. Hopefully, this doesn't escalate into a third distraction for the White House and the Obama administration.

While on the subject of White House policies, the health care reform plan proposed by Obama has been questioned and criticized at every angle. Yet another more controversial medical issue that would have to find a niche in the health care reform plan is abortion. Legislators have yet to establish any solid policy on the Pro-life/Pro-choice debate. President Obama has promised that federal subsidiaries would not pay for elective abortions, but both sides of the debate in the House and the Senate are fighting to determine the finer details. As of now, it is agreed by Democratic Congressionals that insurers would have to finance their abortions through private sources. This would obviously be counterproductive to the problem with private insurance companies and Obama's vision of federal overhaul of health care. I think it raises a good question as to how government would need to endorse particular sides to ethical debates. Is abortion ethical? Should abortion be covered under a federal health care plan? Legislators are in over their heads trying to sort through every situation of medical coverage.

In the Science section of the New York Times, is an article discussing the growing problem of free-ranging domestic cats as unnatural predators in wildlife ecosystems. I was learning about this very issue in my Wildlife Ecology class so it caught my attention instantaneously. Domestic cats whether free-ranging or feral, have been invading wildlife ecosystems, disrupting species populations and even driving some to extinction. The problem is that ground-nesting birds, small mammalian species and other prey species have not evolved to deal with such predators as cats, making them vulnerable. I have kept a number of cats as household companions in my lifetime, none of which were let outside. I think its an issue not many people have considered. I know when I first heard about it, it was a surprise to me.

Keeping up with the Times: Mon, Sept. 28, 2009

The bombardment of regretful headlnes alerts us to a dangerously rampant trend in this country: "Redding Woman Sentenced in Texting Accident Death," "Texting Eyed in Crash that Killed 5 Teens," "Woman gets 6 Years for Texting Accident." Regardless, every day, cars barrels past at 70mph on the interstate highway, drivers texting on a cellphone with only occasional glances up at the road. Imagining it alone might make you cringe. It might not bother you at all. Now replace that small Toyota with a semi-truck and the cellphone for a laptop. Does it change things?

Truckers argue that it does. The front-page article, "Truckers Insist on Keeping Computers in the Cab" raises the practicality and morality of distracted driving in regards to truckers. Truckers use computers to get directions and keep in contact with dispatchers. Legislation that would ban all practices of distracted driving would affect truckers. Truckers are already under pressure to meet their deadlines despite weather conditions, keeping their sense of direction, and mechanical setbacks. They argue that pulling over every time they needed to use the laptopt would waste 10-15 minutes of their time: time they don't have to spare. I cringe whenever I see a person roaring in the fast lane, head down with an iPod in their hand. I can't imagine a trucker, someone who commands a very large, very fast, very heavy vehicle doing the same.

Beyond that, Monday's issue holds mostly international news: well-to-do Indonesian families stranded by their employees, opt for holidays at the end of Ramadan; 121 Chinese children test positive for excessive lead in their systems; attempts at mediating the political crisis in Honduras are outted by the de facto government; Palestinians and Israelis clash yet again, so on and so forth.

Yesterday, Iran, in a show of defiance against the U.N., test-fired 3 short range missiles. Besides upsetting and discouraging members of the U.N., the Obama administration has quickly reacted by gathering up allies and in composing sanctions against Iran. Interesting that Obama has focused his attention on Afghanistan policies, putting Iraq on the backburner. Will Iran prove another distraction for our government?

Keeping up with the Times: Thurs, Sept. 24, 2009

Some points of interest in Thursday's paper: unresolved conflict between the two self-proclaimed presidents of Honduras, 200 new discoveries of oil, and Taliban leaders stationed in Pakistan complicate White House strategies for the Afghan war.

On page A6, "Vietnam Finds Itself Vulnerable if Sea Rises" discusses the threat of climate change and rising sea levels to areas of the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. According to experts, in a worse-case projection, one-third of the delta will be submerged under seas where 17 million residents have built their lives and half the country's rice is grown. In a more optimistic projection, only one-fifth of the delta would be flooded. Vietnam's postwar economy which has always been unsteady could take a huge blow, never mind the potential social and culutral consequences of a displaced population.

On page A15, "Ovens on Feet Beckon Germans to Bratwurst" mentions a spreading trend of "grillwalkers" who take to the streets of Germany strapped to a canister of propane to cook and sell bratwurst for cheap prices. The article is a profile of grillwalkers such as Mr. Stiller and Mr. Rohloff (who patented the invention). It is a typical rags to riches story. However, I'm not a fan of bratwurst nor am I German, so I can't say that I will be in Berlin buying any of his cooked sausages anytime soon.

A nice layout on the cover of Business Day: an article in the presentation style of a coupon cut-out. Everyone from the well-to-do to middle-class shoppers are using these money-saving slips of paper again in lieu of the recession. Bargain hunters have made a comeback which, I would imagine, is to be expected. My family has been using coupons in the Sunday flyer from our local grocery store for years. I suppose people might not have the time anymore to cut them out and set a grocery list accordingly, but money is always a strong motivator.

Keeping up with the Times: Wed, Sept. 23, 2009

On the front page of the Times today is a depressing photograph: a suburban street of otherwise pristine white houses submerged under mucky, brown water. Buried deeper in the paper on page A17, the story reports on disaster flooding in Georgia. After days of torrential downpours, Gov. Sonny Perdue of Georgia declared a state of emergency in 17 counties. Several bridges and sections of interstate highways were closed, houses and cars were swept away and at least 8 deaths have been confirmed. These natural forces can be dangerous; we saw that last year here on campus when the icestorm hit in December that knocked out power. Its only lucky for us that no one was hurt or killed.

My roommate is a lover of clove cigarettes, and I knew this would get her goat when I read the headline to her, "Eye on Youths, U.S. Bans Flavored Cigarettes." Federal health officials made the ban official on Tuesday. The article comments that this is the first major crackdown since the FDA was given the authority to regulate tobacco, but I've seen plenty of "major crackdowns" on smokers in only the past ten years. No more the days of walking into Applebees to be greeted with "smoking or non-smoking?" and no more the days of taking that long-needed drag where you please. Amusement parks, campgrounds, and other public areas now have designated "smoking areas." They have jacked the prices and taxes on cigarettes. I know this because all my life, I've listened to members of my family bicker and grumble at these same headlines. My mother and aunt now share tips on where tobacco can be bought at its cheapest. My mother has recently taken to rolling her own cigarettes with a cranker. It makes me wonder what they will ban, prohibit or regulate next in the tobacco industry.

Published in The New Hampshire

Check out my article titled "Swasey Indoor pool receives a 'green' facelift" on page 13 of Tuesday's issue this week!

Keeping up with the Times: Tues, Sept. 22, 2009

Headlines on the front page of the New York Times today read, "Healthy Banks Could Assume A Bailout Role," "Aggressive Push by White House In States' Races," "A Pragmatist, Gates Reshapes Policy He Backed," articles of political interest but that do not necessarily grab my interest.

On the other hand, some news on the front page that could be monumental in the field of environmental science reads "Refitted to Bury Emissions, Plant Draws Attention." The article does a profile of an experimental power plant. Mountaineer is "poised to become the world's first coal-fired power plant to capture and bury some of the carbon dioxide it churns out." This new technology is referred to as "carbon capture and sequestration" and has garnered world-wide interest from scientists. Still, we ought to view this with a watchful and apprehensive eye. Hasn't anyone considered the potential environmental repercussions of storing carbon dioxide in the earth? Its still being produced and thus, still harmful, produced waste. Will its effects raise up from the ground or penetrate water supplies as some worry? Its certainly something to watch with hope, but best watched with skepticism too.

On the bottom half of the front page is a headline that catches my eye immediately reading, "Drill Sergeant at Heart, She Ascends to a Top Spot in the Army." This article was a profile feature of a woman ascending to the rank of commanding Drill Sergeant over an army school, something that has never been done before. I, personally, come from a military family. Along with my father (a Gulf War Veteran and Naval Commander retiree), cousins deployed to Iraq, grandparents, and uncles, my mother was a drill sergeant in the Marine Corps. As a Marine, my mother had a take-no-prisoners attitude. So did this woman. I was taught that limitations should never bog you down. Its great to see women breaking through into the higher ranks!

Skimming over the Arts section, something of concern: the burial site of Shakespeare is in threat of collapsing? The Holy Trinity Church is scrambling to raise the money in order to fix an unsupported beam in the ceiling. As a student of English literature by profession and personal fan by choice, I certainly hope he can be protected!

Keeping up with the Times: Mon, Sept. 21, 2009

I've been told time and time again that all great writers were also avid readers. As a journalist-to-be, what would be a better sampling of great, credible journalism than The New York Times with "All the News That's Fit to Print"?

Today in The New York Times, a unique slideshow of photographs plastered on the front page caught my eye. Obama defended his plans for health care reform in not 1, not 2, 3 or 4, but 5 back-to-back televised broadcast interviews on Sunday. The media broadcasters included ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN and Univision, the Spanish-language broadcaster. The article called it a "remarkable- and remarkably overt- display of media management." No other president has been a guest on so many Sunday talk shows at once. Up until this point, it seems that Obama has been gun-shy about defending and standing beside his health care reform ideas in the strong face of opposition by town hall protests and even questioning liberal Democrats.

Obama is a deft, articulate speaker with all the inspirational charm of a politician; this cannot be denied. Yet on the flip side, he has the coy elusiveness of a politician on shaky ground. He cunningly eludes the tougher questions on potential impacts on taxpayers' wallets with vague answers. It makes me wonder when will the whole picture on Obama's health care reform finally come out?

Another interesting point worth mentioning is Obama's decline of an interview with Fox. "Fox did not broadcast Obama's health care speech to Congress on Sept. 9, so Mr. Obama did not speak to 'Fox News Sunday'" explains the writer, Alessandra Stanley. Obama's administration is the first presidency that I have been really paying attention to with close, comprehensive detail. I was born in the middle of President Sr. Bush's presidency followed by the Clinton term and finally George W. Bush's two consecutive terms. This past presidential election was my first time voting and like any responsible citizen of this country, I like to keep tabs on the people we have elected for offices of high power. Considering I don't know much about politics and even less about how politicians align their preferred biases with media broadcasters, my opinion may sound naive, but this rivalry payback seems ridiculously juvenile to me. That the Obama administration declines discussions with Fox assumes that they align themselves with media broadcasters that coincide with their partisan biases.

Called by some the most biased name in the media industry, Fox is openly conservative. Is Fox too biased to be credible? Is Obama honestly reaching out to all Americans and differing views by declining an interview with Fox? Who can tell?

LEAD EXERCISE: "Little Red Riding Hood"

Elisabeth, popularly known to locals as "Little Red Riding Hood" and her Grandmother were nearly killed earlier today when a Wolf swallowed them both alive in The Woods. A passing Huntsman who happened upon the scene managed to rescue them from the bowels of the beast. The Wolf was slaughtered and skinned by the Huntsman.

Earlier today, Elisabeth set out from her home on the outskirts of the village to visit her sickly Grandmother who resided alone in The Woods. Carrying a loaf of bread, butter, and a bottle of wine to deliver, "Little Red Riding Hood" was walking along the trail when she encountered a stranger: a devious Wolf skulking the forest. In chatting with the little girl, the starved Wolf was intrigued to hear of the sick and bedridden Grandmother living alone in her cottage.

LEAD EXERCISE: "Old Orchard Beach Incident"

SUMMARY:

An 80-year-old-man was barely saved earlier this morning, when he fell unconscious behind the wheel of his car, stalling it in the middel of a railroad crossing. Thanks to the quick thinking and quick action of a police officer and a local teenager, his car was pushed off the tracks seconds before the train barreled past. He was later sent to the hospital where he remains in stable condition.

Capt. Janet Paradiso with the Old Orchard Beach police force received the emergency call after a youth discovered the stalled car on the tracks. James Laboke, 17, gets up every morning at 5 a.m. to walk 4 miles to his job as a waiter at the Eezy Breezy Restaurant on East Grand Street. This morning, he came across an unconscious elderly driver behind the wheel of his locked car which had stalled over a set of train tracks.

When he was unresponsive to the boy's pounding on the window, Laboke ran to the local police station 100 yards away. Laboke later said, "I never thought about it. I just knew I could'nt let that man get crushed by a train."

Capt. Janet Paradiso was a mile from the scene when she received the emergency call from the station about a stranded car and an unconscious driver trapped inside.

She arrived on the scene at the train's whistle. She recalled, "I knew there was no time. I had to do something."

Paradiso rammed her police cruiser into the stalled car, pushing it and its helpless driver off the tracks moments before the Downeaster train barreled past. "It was that close," Chief of police Brian Paul said.

The man in the car was later identified as 80-year-old Francois Truffaut, a tourist from Quebec City, Canada. A police report indicated that Truffaut was a diabetic and most likely went into insulin shock just as he crossed the railroad tracks. "I don't remember a thing," said Truffaut rfom his hospital bed at Southern Maine Medical Center. He was listed in stable condition by a hospital official.

DELAYED:

Earlier this morning, an 80-year-old man fell unconscious behind the wheel of his car, stalling it over some train tracks and in the direct path of an incoming Amtrak passenger train.

Capt. Janet Paradiso with the Old Orchard Beach police force received the emergency call after 17-year-old James Laboke discovered the stalled car while on his morning route to work. Paradiso managed to ram her police cruiser into the stalled car, throwing it off the tracks moments before the Downeaster rumbled through. Thanks to the quick action of the police officer and a young passerby, Truffaut was saved in the nick of time. A police report indicated that the elderly man was a diabetic and most likely went into insulin shock. The driver, Francois Truffaut said later from his hospital bed at Southern Medical maine Center, "I don't remember a thing."