Former drug addicts find new fixation on triathlons

Since the age of 13 Eddie Frease was addicted to drugs and alcohol. He was kicked off the football and wreastling teams because he failed a drug a test. So when he got home after a night of drinking, he was so depressed. He turned on the TV and a sow about Todd Crandell who lost an athletic scholarship because he failed a drug test. Todd was saying that he turened to exersing instead of drugs. This inspired Eddie, because he used to be in sports he started doing triathlons. He swan 2.4 miles, biked 112 miles and ran 26.2 miles. Then in 2008 he completed an ironman. Then later he returned to his hometown, and he started helping the kids in his community that really needed his help, or the help of someone.

I think that it is really great that he did something that would help him kick his addiction of drugs and alcohol. He spent his life doing this stuff and with one TV made him change the way he lives his life. Being active and competitive came be a good thing, it will take your mind on whatever you are trying to stop. I like that even though he had a horrible past that he was able to compete in a ironman. He pushed himself and this made him stop the drugs and other things and know he is competing in some difficult triathlons. Also that he is talking to kids with the some addictions and telling them that they can stop if they want to, by doing something that will take their mind off of whatever they are doing. He is giving them a real lesson in that dangers of the addictions. He turned his life around to help others and for himself.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/06/05/triathlon.drug.addiction/index.html

Convicted killler beheaded, put on display in Saudi Arabia

Friday convicted killer Ahmed Al-Shamlani Al-Anzi was beheaded by Saudi Arabian officials. Then they put the body on public display despite the criticism from Amnesty International. Al-Anzi was sentenced to death after being found guilty for kidnapping and killing an 11 year old boy and his father. Government officials in Saudi Arabia display excecuted bodies to scare people from committing crimes. After the beheading the criminal, the head is sewn to the body, and the corpse is mounted onto a pole, and displayed for hours. Amnesty International denounced Saudi Arabias use of the death penalty. Last year there was 102 executions, and there more than 136 people going executed. If the continue in this same way, then they can't call themselves a world leader or be part of the G-20.

I agree with Marit. This is disgraceful action that should be taken into consideration by more than just Amnesty International. The United Nations should be looking into the actions that Saudi Arabia are taking to make sure no one commits any crimes in the counrty. Of course something is going to happen, but to enforce the death penalty for kidnapping and murder isn't fair. They should just get time in jail or something even if it is for life it is better than beheading someone. Even though trials arnt' always fair, people in every country should get one, if the person ends up with the death penalty, don't behead them and show off the body to promote fear in the people. Today we dealing with what was happening at Guantuamo Bay, and what was methods were being used to get information out of terrorists, but this is worse than that. People who are dead should not be made an example of, no matter what they did.

http://marit-blog.blogspot.com/
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/05/30/saudi.arabia.execution/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

Leno to America: Goodbye! I'm Not Going Anywhere

For 17 years Jay Leno has hosted to Tonight Show and he is now going to get a nightly slot everynight. When he was asked if it was sad to hand the show over he said that is was fine honest. He always was making fun of someone or something, like jaywalking or his jokes about politics and politans. It was all very funny. But Conan O'Brian is going to take Leno's place as host of the Tonight Show and some people think that he could be to funny to replace Jay. On his final show it was a sentimental end, with kids who were born within the 17 years that he hosted came onto the stage with him. He said "Ten miles behind me Ten Thousand miles in front of me".

I think that Jay Leno is so funny and I am sad to see him go. I would stay up and watch it, espically when he did headlines, and jaywalking. But my favorite part would be the monoloug in the beginning, it was always hilarious and awsome. It almost always made me laugh. But I don't know how well Conan is going to do because he has a different way of comedy that isn't always funny or understandable. It will be tough for him, but I think that in some way he will try to be as funny as Leno. But I don't really care for Conan that much as it is so we will see if I watch the Tonight Show with Conan O'Brian. I know for sure that I will watch the primetime spot when it is on.

http://tunedin.blogs.time.com/2009/05/30/leno-to-america-goodbye-im-not-going-anywhere/

Polar bear attacks woman at Berlin Zoo

In April a women jumped over a fence into the water habitat of the polar bear at the Berlin Zoo. She jumped into their water during feeding time. The polar bears proceeded to attack her. Biting her and hitting her. The zookeepers then threw out life perservers and rescue rings into the water to try and get her out. They also used the rescue rings to distract the other polar bears while they tried to hoist her out of the water. At one point they had her but she ended up falling back into the water and grabbed by another bear. The zookeepers did eventually get her out of the habitat to safety. She is now being treated at a nearby hospital with severe injuries. No one knows why she went into the polar bear habitat, but the police did issue her with a trespassing citation.

I agree with Liz. Who would want to jump into a habitat especially when they are eating. I mean anyone with any commn sense wouldn't ever do that. Except for the trainers who work with the animals and feed them. It is sort of like jumping into a ocean when you are bleeding, you are going to get the animals attention in someway. But any animal even in the zoo is dangerous. They can/might resort back to their normal behavior in the wild. Even if they were raised in captivity, they still probably know what to do when someone or something comes in disrupts what is going on in the habitat. I am happy that the polar bear didn't kill the women, but what was she thinking. It is dangerous to do something like that, she was lucky that she wasn't killed and that the staff reacted so quickly to get her out of there.

http://liz-flynn.blogspot.com/
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/04/11/polar.bear.attack/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

UND's Fighting Sioux nickname going away

May 14th The North Dakota Board of Higher Education voted to stop using the Fighting Sioux nickname. The university is going to keep fighting this until the deadline on October 1st. This has been a controversial subject for the students and members of the public for years now. It is a symbol of pride for years, but they need to move on and choose something new. Unless the Indian tribes let the university keep the name. But the NCAA has not let the university host any tournements at the campus because of crontrovery. One of the tribes the Spirit Lake Nation has approved the use of the logo, but the the Standing Rock Tribe will not let the univeristy keep the logo. If the change does in fact happen, the most affected area would be the 100 million Ralph Englstead Arena where the hockey teams play. When the area was built he had hundreds of logos built in, including the Fighting Sioux logo that is on the marble floor of the arena. He said that he wanted to make sure that the logo was never taken away.

I think that the logo should stay, because this is what people hear and see everyday, they are a symbol of hockey by the green and black jerseys and every other sport on the campus. The hockey area would have to be totally ripped apart because all of the granite/marble would have to come up and be replaced with something else. It wouldn't be the same or as elegant without the Sioux. Englesteadt knew what he was doing when he built the arena, with the head in the floor, making sure that this would stay forever. The fighting sioux head being biult into the bricks and everyother aspect of the hockey arena. I want it stay, but there is no way that by October 1st, the Standing Rock Tirbe will change there mind and the change will be permanant, the arena will undergo major changes to the way it looks and to the students who go there.

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2009/05/14/fightingsioux_vote/

Screams recorded in cockpit of plane crash

February 12, 2009 was a night that killed 50 people because of a plane crash near Buffalo, New York. Around 10:00 the pilot lost control of the plane and started to head down towards that ground. It killed 49 people on the plane as well as one person in the house that the plane crashed into. About 5 minutes before the plane crashed the co-pilot said that she didn't like flying in icy conditions. '"I don't want to have to experience that and make those kinds of calls. You know I'dve freaked out. I'dve [sic] had like seen this much ice and thought, 'oh my gosh, we were going to crash," Shaw told Renslow."' Renslow was the pilot and Shaw was the co-pilot. The investigation showed that there was some ice, but not enough to cause any damge to the plane. Before the crash the recording recorded Shaw saying "We're" and then screaming. But the crash occured because the pilot didn't know how to get out of the dive that it was in, which they use a stick pusher to do. The improper way in which he used casued the crashi said the NTSB and the FAA.

I think that it is sad, because this pilot did everything correctly but this one thing that caused 50 people to die. But when they are learning how to fly they should be taught to get out of any situtaion that they are put in, that is within a certain amount of safety. Or do a flight simulation that would allow to practice these things safely without anyone getting hurt. But it was also inaproatite that they were screaming the cockpit, because I am guessing that the passengers on boared didn't know what was going on and to hear random screams would scare me to death. If i didn't know what was going on, and we were heading towards the ground, rocking back and forth, I would be worried. If they did then they probably would still be scared. But the airline industries need to better train there pilots to handle anything, like birds, or get the right amount of training.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/05/12/buffalo.crash.hearing/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

Confirmed swine flu cases leap

275 confirmed cases of swine flu have been reported according to the World Health Organization. (WHO) which went up from 147 before today. The swine flu or H1N1 virsus is a combination of swine, avain and human stands. It is a disease that went from swine to swine then to human and is now being passed with ease to other people. According to the WHO, who raised the epidemic to a level 5 says that everyone needs to be carefull. The symptoms of H1N1 are fever, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Because of the spead over 300 schools across the country have been shut down for around a week maybe even more.

Personally I am a little tired of hearing about it. I know that it is a big deal because it can spread so easily between humans. But I think people are over reacting and if they feel sick they should go to the doctor right away. It is common sense, the earlier you go the better the chance that you won't die from H1N1. I understand that it is a huge deal in many countries and in the U.S. and that the health agancies are doing everything they can to make sure that people are aware of what it is and what it can do. But this is all over the news and people really shouldn't have to hear everyday that someone else died or got infected with it. It just makes it more scary for people who are around them. Also that people should be informed of where the most cases are coming from but recording the number isn't right. They should say another case has been reported here or something like that. It just isn't the flu which kills way more people so why is everyone worried about it. The regular flu kills around 3500 a year and the swine flu has killed over 150.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/30/swine.flu.outbreak/index.html?eref=rss_topstories