thanks

Hey Mr. Stroud (and all of my other loyal readers) I just wanted to say thanks for keeping up with me throughout the year. Without all of you, this would have been a pretty pointless project. But you all made it worth while.
I do not know if/when I will post again. So for now, this is goodnight and goodbye.

Washington Capitals

I have to say, I'm pretty proud of the Capitals. Even though they were defeated by the Penguins in the Playoffs, their regular season was something to boast about. After last year's season, I was hoping that the team would bring some excitement to the sport, again. Not too many people in the area are huge hockey fans. So when the Caps started to show everyone what real hockey is all about, I was impressed with how quickly the ban wagon pulled up.
Now, I know my gov teacher isn't particularly fond of the Caps, but hopefully he will still give me a good grade on this blog.

senior year

This year has not been what I had expected. It was much more fun. I have had so many opportunities to hang out with friends and just enjoy life. Sure, it was hectic sometimes. But hey, that's life. I would not have wanted this year to be any less busy.

Prom, 09!

This year's prom was awesome! I went with a great group of friends and with a sweet friend-date. The dinner took forever, but it was worth it. The group went to Clides (?) and bumped into about three other groups that were going to the same prom. After about a 45 minute wait, we were finally seated and began to dine on some of the best food I've had in a while.
Because it had taken so long for dinner, we only arrived at the dance by 10:45. Some of us were pretty bummed out, but not me. The hotel was amazing, everyone looked beautiful, and I was ready to dance.
All in all, it was a great night. Definitely one to be remembered.

Number 3

The article in the Washington Post titled New Rules on Stem Cells Threaten Current Research was about how the new regulations on Stem Cell Research might hamper the work that has already been done in that field. During Bush’s Presidency, there were about twenty-one lines of stem cells that were aloud to be federally funded. Under the proposed changes, only two of those lines would be considered ethical to work on. Many scientists feel that the new policy would take away from all of the effort that was already put into the research.
I chose this article because stem cell research is still a controversial topic, and I prefer to know a little bit about controversial topics. For the most part, the passage was well written. Substantial background knowledge was given to help the uneducated reader, such as myself, better understand the subject. I would give it two thumbs up.

New Post, #2

The Washington Post article, Nuclear Cleanup Awards Questioned, covered the topic of nuclear waste and who is cleaning it up. In the past, many private companies had been hired by the federal government to dispose of nuclear waste. A few of these businesses were accused and found guilty of poor regulation of their nuclear sites as well as trying to cheat the government by skimping on taxes. The Energy Department was disappointed in how the waste situation was being handled and unsure of how to continue the challenging process of disposing of the contaminants. Now, however, President Obama’s stimulus plan is “opening a bountiful stream” of funding into cleaning up the mess that has been left behind. The issue with this new financial support is that a good chunk of the money is going back to those same companies that did not get the job done so many years ago. Politicians are questioning whether funding these companies is the right idea or not. Only time will tell.
I chose this article because the title caught my eye. Whenever the word “Nuclear” is in the first line or two of an article, I feel as though it should be read. Too many dangerous events could happen or be happening when something “Nuclear” is involved. The article itself was pretty well written. The author gave a good amount of background knowledge to the reader and gave her piece an easy flow by effectively using paragraphs. All in all, the article was a decent read.

It's been awhile...

It is a new quarter HHS, and means new blog posts. I chose to read an article titled An Iraqi Cleric’s Swift Rise and Swift Fall. This article was about how a wealthy businessman named Muthanna Youssef Hammoud was kidnapped in Thuluyah, Iraq. However, Hammoud was kidnapped back in October of 2006. The reason the article was in the Washington Post this week was because it was only recently that Iraqi and U.S. soldiers arrested the man who was believed to have been the mastermind behind the whole operation. His name is Nadhim Khalil, and he was a former insurgent leader and American ally. All of the controversy over this event was due to the vying of political power that went on in Iraq after Khalil’s arrest. The media blamed the departure of American Troops as a major factor in the recent event.
I chose this article because foreign policy interests me. There is always something going on overseas, and I feel somewhat responsible to know a tad about what is going on out side of the U.S. I honestly do not know that much, but by reading these articles I am hoping that some of the facts will stick. As a whole, the article was written fairly well. The author hit all of the main points left the reader wanting more. The only thing that I wish were different about it is that there was more background story. The author briefly discussed why the issue was important, but, as an uneducated reader, it left me wanting more.

The final editorial...for now

The editorial, tilted Food for Thought, was quite informative. It commented on President Obama’s new idea on food safety. The President is hiring some new faces to help head the FDA, or Food and Drug Administration, in hopes that new management will help tighten up legislation concerning food regulation. The author commented on how Congress always seems to call for reform policies right after a food scare, like the contaminated peanut incident a while back, but never seems to follow up on all of its big talk. The author makes it clear to the reader that he/she believes that the change Obama’s team hopes to bring will be a positive step in the right direction for the Nation’s food industry.
The author makes a good point. After the peanut scare, many Americans hoped that the Government would step in and make the food of America safer to eat. Congress had given the idea to the people that something would be done. The fact that the new President is finally trying to clean up the food industry is a good sign to the citizens of this great country that the United States of America has a President who is willing to back his words with action. Now all Congress has to do is confirm his nominations so “they can get to work.”

Week 5 of the editorials

This week’s article, titled A Moral Stand, was a call for action. The author asked President Obama to make a decision concerning stem cell research. Obama had recently pronounced that “federal funding” could “go forward on a much broader scale”. However, the author of the article points out that the President’s decision was too vague to be of any substantial help. What the author truly wants is for the President to make a choice, no matter what it may be, and explain it to America.
I agree with the author that it is not too much to ask of the President to make a clear decision concerning this issue. I understand that Mr. Obama needs to be a little fuzzy about some of his specifics, because he does not want to upset any of the American citizens with his decision. However, he needs to let his country know just where exactly they are going on this path we call stem cell research. It is a difficult position that the President is in, and I, for one, am glad that I do not have to make this decision.

The 4th of 6 Editorials

This week’s editorial, Mr. President, Time to Rein in the Chaos, was about the nation’s economy. The author, Andrew S. Grove, commented not on the “what of the Obama team’s efforts but on the how”. Grove claimed that instead of trying to tackle too many “monumental problems” like the economy and energy and environmental policies, the federal government needs to tackle one issue at a time. Speaking from forty years of business experience, the author asked our president to “Rein in the Chaos” and make some decisions.
I whole heartily agree with Mr. Grove. It is always difficult to be the leader of a new order, and I think we definitely have the right man for the job. However, we have spent many months experimenting with the economy. It is time for a decision, a decisive course of action. No matter what the path may be, the country needs the President to lead us down it.

Editorial num. 3

This week’s editorial was about the University of the District of Columbia. It was titled Rejuvenating UDC. The University wants to become a standalone community college. However, UDC has been falling apart and is unsure how to fix itself. Well, that is not entirely true. The new President of the University, Allen Sessoms, proposed a “series of startling new ideas” for UDC. However, many of the students at the school are not anxious to back the plan because it would involve a “massive increase” in their tuition. The author also wanted to mention that furthermore, the Mayor of D.C. is not Mr. Sessoms’s biggest fan. With all the hurdles that the school must face, no one is very sure about what will happen to UDC.
Personal Opinion: I believe that if UDC wants to make a change, now is the time. There is an old saying that goes something like “there is no time like the present”, and I believe that there is a lot of truth in that. It is a shame that the proposed changes have to come at such a high price. However, if the University really needs them to better itself and to make the school more respectable, then I say that the students should buck up and pay. College is expensive. Period. If the students are not happy with where they are going, then they have the ability to go somewhere else.

The 2nd of MANY editorials

For this weeks editorial, I chose something a little different; a little, oh, I don't know, nutty. The article was titled More Than Peanuts. That's right, we're talking actual nuts (good play on words, right? haha) The main topic was about regulation in the food industry. The writer attacked Stewart Parnell, the president of the Peanut Corporation of America, for caring more about making “$$$$$” than the health of the consumer. His corporation is being blamed for the recent salmonella outbreak that “has been linked to nine deaths and 637 illnesses”. The author of the editorial claims that if the government creates newer, stricter regulations, than it would be less likely for another episode like this one to occur.
Personally, I believe that it's a shame that some CEOs of major corporations put money over the customer. I agree with the author of the editorial that tighter regulations would force these money-hungry presidents to run a cleaner business. However, I’m unsure about how necessary these new rules are. Funding these regulations would cost America money that it just doesn’t have right now. But, I will admit that if saving a few more lives from certain peanut death means spending an extra few dollars in taxes, I for one will be the first to give up a dollar for the cause.

Here We Go Again...

Last week I read an editorial in the Washington Post about the bipartisanship of Congress. More specifically, the article discussed how the old style of politicking during President Bush’s term is going away slower than some people had hoped. The article focused on the newly proposed stimulus bill and the troubles it was facing in both houses. Some of the congressmen were still not going along with the ideas of the new President, and their disagreements about the bill were causing some problems.
Personally, I agree that there are still some politicians who are not completely sold on some of President Obama’s economic plans. However, I do believe that there will always be a few politicians that disagree with a proposed bill, no matter who proposes it. That is just the way our government is designed to work. The idea that not all congressmen are going to agree with a new stimulus bill is an example of the checks and balances of the American system of government. If every congressman agreed with whatever the President proposed, what would be the point of having them in the first place?

political cartoon #4

This week's cartoon depicts an exaggerated version of the "shoe" incident. The man behind the podium is President Bush; and instead of being attacked by one shoe, he is being assaulted by tons of them. The caption at the bottom of the cartoon describes the emotions that many of us might have felt when we first witnessed the "shoe" spectacle.
While I, and many others, find this cartoon to be hilarious and good-natured fun, others may find it insulting. No one wants to have a shoe thrown at them. The fact that people all over the world are laughing at the event might lead some to believe that the former are making fun of America. Where do you stand? Do you find this comic insulting, or just plan funny. I, for one, can't stop laughing.