Stabbing of Children in China

Today I was left in awe after reading of the stabbings of 4-year-old children in China. The kicker: this isn't the first incident, in fact it is the third in the past few months, with children all under the age of 11.
The people responsible had all been laid off or unemployed in addition to having severe mental illnesses.
However, in China treatment for mental illnesses are not widely used, if at all, and in a study published it was "estimated that 98 percent of the 173 million Chinese adults believed to suffer mental problems never received professional help". That is truly a staggering number and it is clear that this issue needs to be addressed for it seems the country is in total free fall to allow someone to get as bad as this.
One thing I hope is that China's solution isn't some ridiculous communist based plan in which people are mistreated or brought in the way of additional harm because they don't know how to handle these people otherwise.
We are still trying to figure out the many angles of every disease in this country, so for a country that does not look to others for help or an idea of how to do things in addition to not knowing much of anything concerning mental illness, this could be disastrous all around. However, something must be done and I'm willing to give them a chance to discover an effective solution.

Another Death on Amity Island

The mood on the beach this morning was relaxed, with no mention of Wendy Watson's death or the suspicious circumstances surrounding it.
Children were laughing, playing catch in the water, and sun bathers smiled as their skin began to bronze, leaving behind any trace of the winter blues.
Looking out amidst the splashing and playful screams came a not so playful gut-wrenching cry for help as what appeared to be a geyser of blood shot in the air and 10-year-old Alex Kintner's raft flipped over with Kintner no where in sight.
Panic erupted as parents rushed in to retrieve their children and leaving Marion Kintner empty handed as she called over and over again for her young son.
Soon after, the damaged raft washed ashore with evident bite marks, leaving investigators to put a possible shark attack on the list for an explanation to both the Kintner boy and Wendy Watson's death.
Watson's body is still being examined but due to the location of that incident and the condition her body was found it appears that it may be a likely explanation.
"Anything is possible, " said Chief Martin Brody, "and any time there are two deaths within close proximity of each other we do not rule out that they could be related incidents."
Despite the possible threat of a shark roaming the waters the Amity officials are urging both press and community members alike to not panic and remind people that nothing is official as of now.
Mayor Bob Farley is holding an emergency meeting tonight along with Chief Brody and the Board of Selectmen at 6 p.m. this evening in the Town Hall. The mayor and chief will announce their plan surrounding the closing of beaches as well as a reward of $3,000 put out by Marion Kintner for whoever catches the "perpetrators" involved in her son's death.

Alleged Shark Attack on Amity Island- Girl Found Dead

Police are investigating the tragic death of Wendy Watson, a 17-year-old who went swimming last night and was allegedly attacked by a shark.

She was attending a beach party when she was seen leaving with another teen,whose identity is not yet being released, and they decided to go for a swim. In a deserted part of South Beach, Wendy Watson went in the water while the other teen had passed out due to drinking earlier.

Both teenagers had been drinking heavily throughout the evening according to police records.

The other teen awoke to find Wendy Watson no where in sight and after searching the area called the police at 4 a.m. Upon a more thorough search of South Beach by the authorities Watson's disfigured body was found as if it had been washed ashore according to records released.

The Deputy was seen carrying signs and was overheard telling Mayor there had been a shark attack and that the beaches would have to be closed.

Police Chief Martin Brody neither confirmed nor denied the existence of such a claim and skirted the issue upon questioning.

" I didn't hear him say that" said Brody." We are very busy with this crisis and we don't have time to deal with rumors."

Currently Wendy Watson's body remains in the coroner's office and the cause of her death remains under investigation.

Meanwhile, no charges have been brought up and the beaches will remain open. Authorities are assuring residents that there is no cause for worry and they are completely safe, both on land in the water here at Amity Island.

Cutting School Budgets

Today's paper had an article about cutting school budgets in NJ (I was born there so it caught my eye) and how students went out into the streets and protested, crowds reaching 200 or more. I think it is really cool that they are doing this and are completely justified in their outrage surrounding this issue.
If budgets are cut then bus routes go away, art classes, music classes and sports teams- all a huge part of high school life, all things that should never be cut and yet they are , and not just in NJ, all over the country.
This can relate back to politicians lining their pockets. Is it fair that they can sit there and do that while this countries youth have to make sacrifices due to their poor budgeting and irresponsible behavior that leads to unnecessary spending? No, it's the farthest thing from fair if you ask me.
Go get 'em kids!

The "No Party" Strikes Again

The Republicans blocked a financial bill going to the floor for debate according to an article in the New York Times today. Surprised? Nope.
Let's think about his shall we? Almost all of these Congressmen and government officials have their pockets lined with Wall Street's "finest" so it's only logical for them to block any type of bill that would tighten the reins on the financial mucky-mucks of the world.
In the past decade the information that has come out about scandal throughout Wall Street is dumbfounding and outright disgusting. Despite the fact that our huge economy crisis can be linked back to each of these greedy individuals sipping $300 bottles of champagne on their yachts, they got bailouts on our dime, whatever dimes we could find that is.
Meanwhile there's this whole other side to the conspiracy with even greedier politicians ensuring their protection for a comfy sum and in other words doing the exact opposite of what they should be doing -protecting and serving the American people-after all it's their job description.
What is even more frustrating from a citizen's perspective is that it seems like they cannot be stopped as they continue to get away with whatever they want, whenever they want and there are no consequences. Michael Moore needs to do another movie on this, we need to band together and get a solid public outcry going, otherwise I'm not so sure we will be heard. If anyone knows of something that can be done, by all means let me know.

AIDs Effort in South Africa

The discussion on AIDS whether it be about treatment opportunities, how the disease works, what causes it, the debates surrounding it or the social stigmas such as only Gay individuals can contract AIDS and for this reason they brought it on themselves (really people?) has always been of interest.

I also have a very personal connection to these discussions as I have watched my uncle suffer for over 15 years and his life today I see as truly a miracle and perhaps has outlived all predictions because of the great amount of love in his life from both his husband (my uncle David) and family, but I suppose that is another topic all together.

It's so horrible to watch someone suffer and to lose their ability to do all the things they loved because their body is shutting down. It's truly debilitating on so many levels.

So when I saw this article about South Africa really stepping up and making strides to make sure every nurse and doctor is not only educated on the subject but can prescribe medications and various treatments, I smiled. It is such a brilliant move, a move that can save hundreds of thousands of people and maybe even give those people some of their lives back.

Why are people so afraid to talk about it? Is it because a lot of the disease remains largely unknown? I'm not really sure, and I am sure there are many reasons for all the anxiety and closed doors, as there are for anything that is not in the human comfort zone, the realm of absolute safety.

I think South Africa is saying no more, it's time to talk, it's time to cure and hopefully other countries will follow suit so people don't have to struggle like my uncle has.

Travel Conditions for Those Getting Out of Europe

In the paper today there was an article on the travel conditions for folks trying to get out of Europe and I thought it had a great angle of people coming together and getting back to what is important-that person to person connection.
People came together to help each other out, after all they were with each other for days, some offering seats on a bus they had while others giving food, water and shelter for very cheap or nothing at all.
It's funny, all you keep hearing from the airlines is this incessant bitching of how much money there were losing while all the people stuck where they were vacationing didn't complain but rather found some solutions. Interesting to look at that contrast I think, don't you corporate America?

Leopard Gone Missing, Will Eat Humans

Kids stay inside, this is not the day for hopscotch. A rare Romanian Spotted leopard has mysteriously disappeared from the Durham Zoo overnight and could be anywhere according to officials.
The leopard, known as "Fluffy" is black with white spots, is almost 150 pounds and can reach speeds of up to 60 miles per hour. Although raised here on a diet of three chickens a day the breed has nearly reached a point of extinction in its home country of Romania due to its vicious tendency to swallow young children whole.
The zoo's chief biologist, Kitty Smith, adamantly told the press that this is not the case with Fluffy, saying she is "wonderful", "warm" and that there has never been an incident with this ten-year-old leopard.
Police Chief William Blair, however, does not share the same confidence due to the breeds reputation and because of the neighborhood which has schools and many young kids walking about.
"If possible, Fluffy will be shot with a tranquilizer gun. But if necessary, we will shoot to kill."
Allegedly the animal was last seen locked up in her cage at 9 p.m. Tuesday evening, which comes equipped with a secure alarm system but no alarm ever went off. Upon the opening of the zoo this morning at 7:30 a.m. she was nowhere to be found and nothing had been tampered with.
The scene is frantic here in Durham as people make a mad dash for safety, some sporting disgruntled looks and attitudes such as one man who had planned to spend a nice day with his daughter.
"I want my money back, and then I am never coming back here again. This place is out of control."
Kitty Smith warned the crowd to proceed with caution and that if anyone comes into contact with the animal no sudden movements should be made.
"We urge anyone who encounters Fluffy to get slowly to the ground and lay still. Be especially careful to avoid eye contact."
James Petronkis of Newmarket was taken off the property by police who admitted to pulling the fire alarm in order to get the zoo staff's attention. Visiting the zoo every morning, he is very familiar with Fluffy's habits and allegedly noticed that the usual nest of straw was non existent and in fact no straw was in the cage whatsoever.
"I told the guard and he said 'mind your own business'. So I pulled the fire alarm and that got their attention."
Police officers immediately arrived at the scene with high-powered rifles and holstered pistols in their possession, ready to stop Fluffy in her tracks if necessary.
"People were screaming," said James Petronkis,"It sounded like a thousand cars squealing their tires."
In addition to the local police, the New Hampshire State Police, state wildlife department and the National Guard are helping with the search mission. Fluffy has yet to be found nor are there any reported sightings.

Corrupt Politics in Pakistan- A Look into Small Extremist Groups

In today's paper there was an article on a small extremist group that calls themselves Islami Jamiat Talaba who bludgeoned a professor to near death because he expelled some of the members for violent behavior-ironic?Yes. Sad? Incredibly.
Despite a three week protest by fellow professors the group remains on campus who's antics include beating other male students for sitting next to female students, stop music from being played and any western products from being sold or used. In addition they are extremely vocal on their support for the Taliban, their desire to "keep women in their place" and their disgust for the Western world.
So why do they remain in Pakistan's strongest university filled with scholars? Because they have political connections. Politicians find it very helpful to have such groups in their back pockets in order to get their way and be permanently protected.
This story is nothing new, and we even see lesser forms of such here in the US with administrations such as the Bush administration having power for so long.
Honestly though, someone has to be willing to step up and take a fall to their career or whatever it may be for the greater good, sacrifice unfortunately must be made at this point and by innocent, hard working individuals.

Israel Turns 62 but the Future Remains Unclear

Yesterday was Israel's 62nd birthday and as always Independence Day comes right after remembering the fallen soldiers for a whole day.
I remember being there for this time last year and along with the war sirens that go off in their memory people gather everywhere, whether it be in a group of five or a group of hundreds, bow their heads and pray together. It is truly an eery feeling, yet there is something beautiful that an entire country stops, hugs each other and gives thanks to all those that gave their life so they could do as such.
Today's International section had an article on this accomplishment of turning 62 but focused on the growing concern for the future and despite the differences of the left and right they each agree Obama's lack of sympathy for the Jewish state is a HUGE problem.
I'm not so sure it is a lack of sympathy, however, but rather a naivety concerning the situation and a lack of knowledge that goes along with that. The President does not seem to know much of anything of the reality of the situation and the gravity of what will happen if he were to allow the Palestinians to have Israeli land.
First, the Hezbollah will gain more control and more access to the heart of Israel. Secondly, Israel would have to be on constant alert, even more so than now because of this new control. And third, the amount of land the Palestinians have is ridiculous already while this country, this Jewish state the size of New Jersey is all Israeli's have and want.
Maybe Obama should go live on the Gaza strip for a while and still see if he thinks there are "good" people living on the other side worthy of getting more land and more access. It's a whole different story when you have rockets flying at your home simply because you're Jewish or you live in Israel.
Don't be so naive as to think that the Hezbollah wouldn't be all over that, they control that land despite the citizens within.

Hate Crimes

Today's paper had an article on the murder of Marcelo Lucero, an immigrant and whose death was part of a string of hate crimes committed by a 19-year-old boy named Jeffrey Conroy.
The article reviewed the case and told of the charges he was up against as he awaits his sentencing in the end of May. So far out of the 20 charges , the biggest and arguably the one carrying the most weight is first-degree manslaughter as a hate crime and gang violence. While he murdered this man, he attempted to kill many others as well so the sentencing could lead to him being behind bars until he is 44-years-old.
At first he was supposed to get second-degree manslaughter which would have automatically given him life behind bars and I am wondering why he got a lesser sentence? The jury said they saw the defendant as only attempting to injure the man and not kill him due to the one stab wound and not multiple and this accounted for the lesser sentence. However, he the defendant was out on the prowl to hurt Hispanic individuals with six other boys so I would he deserves the maximum.
This is horrible and only highlights the ignorance that plagues our generations as it trickles down to today's youth who feel it is their right to go out and hurt another human being because of their background, race or their personal life choices. Grow up people.

Russian suspension on American adoptions

This article blew me away- I can't believe a woman would send a child all by himself to a different country because she "couldn't handle him anymore". Are you kidding me lady?

I completely agree with Russia's immediate response to this action by temporarily suspending adoptions to the US while new regulations are made. The Russian government said there have been 14 cases of serious abuse and neglect by American "parents" looking to adopt. That's sick, and I know that is not a huge number but these poor children have already gone through enough and then they are displaced from their country and brought to one where they are in danger? No way.

I understand that many people are upset about the some 250 families that have almost completed the long adoption process being put back even further until the new restrictions are in place.However, before we allow any more children into a situation with a person such as this dreadful Tennessee woman we should re-evaluate the system and do it right the first time around.

Maternal Deaths Down

This article was so great to read about because I feel like in an age of such incredible technology and education something like this should not even be an issue.
It is so incredibly to hear of a woman dying because of such a beautiful process, whether her body could not withstand the pressure or people around her were simply inadequate and unable to address the situation at hand.
My favorite part about the article- the stress that it's still a HUGE issue and wow is it ever with almost 342,900 deaths during childbirth globally.
What can we be doing better to change this trend? AIDS is said to account for 60,000 of these deaths so is education the answer or maybe better training for those in the medical profession? Thoughts and comments welcome

An Unforgiving Day

A terrifying ordeal that began with shots being fired at Police Detective Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle yesterday afternoon and turned into a high speed chase ended with the suspected assassin, Pierre Jeantot shot dead.

Pierre Jeantot took victims with him, including a 63-year-old grandmother, a 34-year-old cop that was on the train, a 30-year-old conductor and a 27-year-old trainman. Jeantot is suspected for working for a French drug lord who is currently under investigation by Detective Doyle and the New York City Narcotics Division.

"We would have preferred to see Jeantot prosecuted in the courts," said Police Commissioner Ruth L. Ess, "and we believe Doyle was close to a breakthrough on the case."

Ruth L. Ess sees this as a major smuggling operation and says the New York City
police "will continue a vigorous and thorough investigation". The details of said operation are still unclear, however, the leader is thought to be a Sal Boca who own a deli called Sal and Angie's in the city.

The death defying chase began at the 35th St. station and continued all the way to the 15th St. station during which time Pierre Jeantot had hijacked the train and Detective Doyle was left to pursue in a vehicle on the street beneath the train tracks. Detective Doyle sustained only minor injuries from a collision which occurred before the apprehension of the suspect.

It was a crisp Sunday afternoon as Detective Doyle walked home from work and as he entered his community bullets were fired from the stark rooftop of an apartment building at 1767 W. 57th Avenue. Five deafening shots in all were fired, including one fatal blow to Betty B. Badluck, a 63-year-old grandmother who had been getting some fresh air with her infant granddaughter.

Desperate cries of both the infant and passing pedestrians pierced the air as Doyle raced to the rooftop two steps at a time in hopes of catching the person responsible. Upon reaching the rood he found an automatic rifle and nine shell casings littering the ground but the suspect was already on foot.

Detective Doyle raced down the street and up the subway steps in heavy pursuit but Pierre Jeantot had slipped on the train. yelling to the conductor in hopes of both stopping the train and warning of danger at hand Doyle made a split second decision to obtain a car as he watched the train whisk off down the tracks.

After halting traffic and quickly assuring the driver that it was a "police emergency", Detective Doyle managed to cammandeer a vehicle and so began the chase as he followed the train overhead. Narrowly escaping multiple cars and people, he zigzagged his way to an eye-watering speed with the intent of catching the train at the next stop.

Pierre Jeantot, however, according to the police reports then hijacked the train brutally murdering a police officer (Roland Evan) and holding at gunpoint a trainman (Peter Howe) who died from a heart attack as a result of the shock. Upon being confronted he furthered his killing spree,shooting a conductor (Horatio C. Hornblower) point blank.

Because of the trainman collapsing no one sat at the controls and this caused an explosive crash with a train parked ahead, sending Pierre Jeantot and the other passengers flying. The extent of those injured is still unclear, however Jeantot was seen stumbling out of the train bloodied and in considerable pain.

Detective Doyle met Pierre Jeantot at the stairwell leading from the train platform to the street at which point Jeantot made a point to turn around but was caught off guard by a blazing bullet from Doyle's .38 caliber revolver, killing him instantly and sending him somersaulting backwards to finally lay to rest on the cold pavement.

"We will not sit still while drug dealers walk our streets" said the Police Commissioner."We commend Detective Boyle for his bravery and quick thinking under very trying circumstances."

Civilians Killed in Afghanistan

I'm not sure if this article caught my eye because I feel I know little of what is actually going on in the war or if I was curious to see how the Times would spin this story, providing their own interpretation as all journalists do.
The angle was clear: yes civilians were killed in the shooting, but in the split second the soldiers have to make a decision if a vehicle coming at them is in fact dangerous, the soldiers have a duty to protect themselves.
I'm not exactly sure what side I feel more comfortable with and that's mainly because I feel that such instances are not so cut and dry, that there are a lot of factors that play into every one's actions and decisions made.
What really concerns me, however, is that no system has been developed between the Afghan government and the American forces that would allow for adequate checks at these check-points and along highways as well as a different system of symbols as clearly the one in place is not working. Along with that, American forces perhaps can aim their fire at stopping the vehicle rather than the people inside. Afghan officials suggested the tires. All of these things combined could perhaps allow the citizens to feel safe traveling the roads and the soldiers safe to patrol.
Unfortunately, a reality of war is that civilians will be caught in the cross fire from time to time. However, I feel it is the American forces duty to make sure this is not a frequent occurrence, especially since these civilians have suffered enough at the hands of the Taliban.

Across the Universe and into our Homes?

Scientists at Johns Hopkins ran an experiment on the drug psilocybin which is a known hallucinogen found in various mushrooms in order to see if it could help with depression, anxiety and cancer among other things.

The article opens with one man's story who said it changed his life as he is battling both kidney cancer and depression and helped him connect and appreciate again. He only used it one time. That's all he needed.

Right off the bat you can anticipate people to protest using such a drug but my thought process immediately went to the FDA and all the protocol something like this would have to be under and I doubt it would end in unsafe way.

By unsafe I mean people running around screaming thing are king of the world, the walrus..things of that nature.

Like anything, this will have risks, and like any medication the putting of chemicals in your body can be a frightening idea. There's something to be said, however, for the many people involved in the study who have found success using the drug.

Still, in a society where we are already far too dependent on medication, the idea of adding one more (and not just any one, a hallucinogen) doesn't seem like the right direction. Our bodies have more healing powers than we give them credit for. Why numb that down with more toxins and chemicals?

Airlines

An article today about the struggling airlines caught my eye and I couldn't help but shake my head in disbelief even as I read just the first few paragraphs.
As United Airlines begins talk with US Air to merge I am finding myself with no sympathy because while they had to tackle the rising fuel costs they did nothing to help themselves in dealing with the drop in travelers.
Part of that was due to people running seriously low on bread but the other part largely had to due with safety (Christmas time coming to mind?) and in addition we are being charged $25-$30/ bag and now that is even coming into play with carry-on luggage...expect your planes to be near empty for quite some time.
South West is where it's at folks. I recently traveled to Park City and after flying United to Denver I was supposed to connect with Delta for my final destination. Wrong- as I get off the plane I discover that my Delta flight has been canceled for "possible weather" (which never arrived) and not only that but they threw their arms up when I needed assistance. So I walked across the terminal to Southwest and managed to get a seat on their flight leaving only an hour after my original one. Not only were they understanding of my situation, they don't charge for bags!!
As I was waiting to board I began talking with this woman who told me she only flies with Southwest as they are never delayed, always friendly and often, if not always. her flights get in early. Imagine that...

Palestinians in the West Bank

Today's paper had an article about the Palestinians in the West Bank publicly burning Israeli made products and the prime minister has planted trees in areas that are off limits to him entirely.
Excuse me but this is just more evidence that the Palestinians living in the West Bank are the ones not willing to follow laws, rules, and furthering that, any peace agreements.
It is so ludicrous that nobody pays any attention to this activity, everyone is so willing to throw Israelis under the bus and for what? Because they are living their lives, minding their own business and under the laws of their country do not use violence on anyone unless attacked first (aka in defense)....hmm let's think about this.

The Plot Thickens

Today's paper had a piece about a priest who has been accused of molesting two young girls and misusing church funds in Minnesota.
The priest came in from India and is currently back in his home country and still serving as a priest while denying any incident. The representative from the church there says that he "doesn't know what else to do" but allow him to continue working since he has "no contact with children".
Really? Are people really this ignorant or are they just plain stupid? He did it once, twice and will even do it again if he has continued access within the church network.
I don't understand how a man that made a fourteen-year-old girl perform oral sex on him is still considered eligible to work within a group that is supposed to only work to better society and encourage people's faith.
Shame on the church, shame on this priest and shame on anyone that stands by this behavior.

April 5th posting

Today there was an article on how much fiction is out the Internet and it reminded of my health care class the other day. In it we discussed the cons of having so much information readily available to people on the Internet leading to many self-diagnosing and often incorrectly.
I feel as though this is a risk we take the more we learn and advance as a society. After all there is something to be said for human connection and the reliability of such a connection.
We don't know half the time who is posting things online and furthermore we don't really know if the source is credible. It is so easy to deceive now and it's really scary to think that people are basing important decisions about things such as their health on some random person's ramblings.

Follow up on extremist war

Today's paper had a follow up on the Chechen Rebel who was suspected to be involved in the latest suicide bombings in Moscow.
The rebel, Doku Umarov, has claimed leadership in the attack and I can only imagine what this now means for Putin.
He was quoted as saying "I promise you the war will come to your streets, and you will feel it in your own lives and on your own skin." He went even further as to declare his frustrations with the Russian people, saying he was sick of them watching clips on TV and listening to stories on the radio and then not doing anything about it.
This only plays further into Putin's blatant refusal to deal with the situation at hand back in 2004 to the present.
However, it is hard to say who should be bearing the blame in this situation as I imagine like any scandal and war there are a lot of people involved.
What happens now? Will Putin finally take action and push for something to be settled or done as far as dealings with the extremists?
Is there any room for other countries to get involved? Then again separatists movements have been causing horrible situations to occur for years now and no one has been able to alter those activities or help...only time will tell I suppose.