Khloe Kardashian, new husband nesting

Khloe Kardashian and Los Angelas Lakers player Lamar Odom are newlyweds. They got married just a month after they met. They have been living in a downtown condo for two months after their September 27th wedding. They just recently purchased a 7 bedroom 9 bathroom mansion in Tarzana, California for $4 million. Both have been asked about having a baby. Lamar said that they will be having a baby soon and want a baby. Khloe stated that they are not trying to have a baby but are not doing anything to try not to have on just yet.

I believe it is outrageous how soon the two got married. Tying the knot after just one month! That's crazy! Maybe for celebrities its different? Obviously I am happy for the couple, but I just don't know what is going on in their heads. Now they have finally found a home and are thinking about making a family. I think they are just famous people striving for attention and publicity. I am willing to bet this marraige will not last long. I will have to keep up with reading the latest news on the couple.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/TV/11/23/kardashian.new.house/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

Glove, other Michael Jackson items fetch $2 million

Saturday was a big day at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York's Time Square as Michael Jackson memorbilia was auctioned of making a total profit of $2 million. Pre-sale expectations only reached $120,000. The biggest sale of the night included a rhinestone glove Jackson wore at a 1983 performance. Other items donated include: a black synthetic blend jacket, fedora, handwritten lyrics, his 1985 Mercedes-Benz, signed photos and books, and Jackson's own artwork. Donaters of Jackson's collectables were hoping that through all the items people could see what Michael Jackson was trying to say in his music and that he was not only a singer and dancer, but also an artist.

I believe it is great that there was an auction held in memory of Michael Jackson. He became a legend and a true icon to many. Michael was a very giving person so it seems only right that people share what he gave to the world. I think it is wonderful how donaters are using the money from their memorbilias to give to charity and to help the community. In a way I somewhat expected some of his items to be sold for more than they went for. These items would include the Mercedes, jacket and especially the glove. It would feel right to have more auctions like this to support Michael in the future and perhaps other fallen icons.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Music/11/21/michael.jackson.auction/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

ISSUE #3-Safe to Eat?

How do we know what is safe to eat these days? This is the controversy in the increasing health care reform debate. Health care involves many issues such as Medicare and Medicaid, but few tend to recognize the effects of our everyday food on our health. Recent outbreaks such as the 2006 E. Coli outbreak has caused a stir in health care discussions. Researchers state reasons for such outbreaks that include: increasing age of baby boomers because elderly are at a higher risk for getting ill, centralization of produce especially in California and Arizona, and the large distribution of final produce items causing outbreaks to reach a larger amount of people. With these in mind researchers have come up with new regulations for the processing of fruits and vegetables. Poultry and meat regulators such as the Department of Agriculture do a very fine job at safe processing of its products. However, fruits and vegetables are very self-regulated by industry and farmers. After E. Coli outbreaks many restaurants and fruit and vegetable consumers have developed self made standards for their products. To some, however, this by itself cannot be the safest bet. Others argue that there sould be only one agency for ensuring safe produce. This will enable the agency to create one set of direct regulations and standards for the processing produce. These people are striving for more funding towards the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA currently previews fruits and vegetables for some industries. More funding will enable the FDA to hire more inspectors and ensure a safe food supply for everyone. These observers also want more funding for scientific research to create machines that can identify food that is contaminated. On the other hand some people believe that the farmer and growers should hold responsibility for their own produce. They are responding more quickly then one agency will. They are also competing for business and will want to display their best standards and products. These supporters add that greater federal regulation will increase the cost of produce, hurt agribusiness, and reverse efforts towards healthy lifestyles.

I believe that something needs to be done with our current produce regulations. Even though the E. Coli outbreak only affected about 200 people it should open the eyes of many to what is able to happen in the future with any type of food. Produce is a very sketchy product because of the way it is grown and processed. E. Coli started because of the manure spread on the spinich growing land. This simple malfunction can happen anywhere at anytime, therefore, we need a better system of regulating produce. I do not strongly agree with having just one agency inspect fruits and vegetables but rather have many agencies with the same or similar policies and standards. This way produce and quickly, efficiantly, and safely be dispersed throughout the country. With that said the time it takes to inspect and send out the produce should not be an issue. Having agencies inspect food is also a more reliable source than the farmers or growers themselves in my opinion. I also support the idea of more federal funding for both workers and technology. The best way to keep Americans safe is to have the right equipement to inspect our food and ensure the process is thoroughly done. Some argue that more federal funding will cut away from the already dwindling health care. This could be the case and is a good point, however, improper regulations on food can create health issues for people. Thus, sending them to doctors and buying drugs. In the long run health care will have to reform in order for the economy to survive. In a way it is a double edge sword, but what are we more worried about; spending more money or keeping Americans safe?

President Obama and Congress view's on the need for health care reform. (So Close!)

ISSUE#1-Comprehensive vs. Incremental Health Care Reform

ISSUE#2-Ensuring Quality Care for Medicare Patients

Smell permeated Cleveland neighborhood where 11 bodies found, residents say

Many people living in a Cleveland neighborhood smelled something horrible, but just believed it was Ray's Sausage Co. just down the road. This was not the case at all. Instead, 11 bodies were found in a home of the neighborhood, 6 inside and 5 outside. Anthony Sowell, 50, is a registered sex offender and was arrested for five counts of aggravated murder, rape, felonious assault and kidnapping. Seven victims found were killed from strangulation of ligature, and when the bodies were found still had something around their necks. Another victim died of manual strangulation while the other 2 bodies were too badly decomposed to determine their death. Officers believe all cases involved strangulation. Sowell had been working for a scrapper since losing his job two years ago. Researchers continue to search for remains. Sowell had just gotten out of a 16-year prison stay in 2005 and never left his current residence. Police were said to have checked up on him but found nothing wrong with the situation. The 11 bodies were found after police reported to Sowell's home after neighbors witnessed a naked woman falling from a two story balcony.

I cannot comprehend this situation at all. Someone would have to be completely sick as to do something such as this. I do not understand how 16 years in prison didn't do anything to Sowell. It makes me wonder if we need to tighten up or improve our prison system. It is also ridiculous how he got away with 11 murders. Some of the victims could have been missing for five years! I believe after an accuasation such as this, Sowell deserves life in prison. The neighbors should have called in the horrid stench sooner than they had. Sure they suspected it was just the sausage company, but what if it were something more serious? Well, it was, but hopefully they weren't to late to save another life. This murder situation is completely sick and disturbing and I believe Sowell needs to take the rest of his life to think about the terrible things he has done.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/11/04/ohio.cleveland.bodies/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

A-Rod's late inning heroics put Yankees one win from title

Yankees 16-year veteran Alex Rodriguez pulled off a huge ninth inning hit to seal the win. After Damon singled and stole second and third it was time for a big hit to disrupt the tied game. A-Rod doubled to left field and was later hit in. The Yankees won 7 to 4. This put the team one win away from winning the World Series, something they have not done since 2000. A-Rod has been the big story in post season play as he came out of a 8 for 56 postseason. He has been getting the key hits and Manager Girardi believes he is the reason they have gotten so far. Errors by Utley, Phillies second baseman, helped the Yankees to victory. Relief pitching has been a problem for the Phillies. The next games will be tough as the Yankees hope to take the title away from the defending champions.

It is always a good thing for a professional player to perform well, but there is something about A-Rod that I just do not like. He did not perform well in regular season, so I wonder why he even played as much as he did. I feel as though A-Rod is a Yankee for publicity and not skill level. However, his post season performances are quite impressive recently. A-Rod was caught using seroides earlier in the season. This does not exactly scream out hero to me. A-Rod is improving, but needs to prove to me that he is worthy of being a hero before declared one in my mind. With that, I am rooting for the Phillies to pull off an upset over the Yankees. Being down 3 games to 1 the thrill of playing a 7th game in the World Series would be great. I am not especially fond of the Yankees. Go Phillies!!

My opinion differs from Alexa Goetsch's view on the Yankees situation. http://goetsch.blogspot.com/

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/baseball/mlb/11/01/world.series.game.4/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

War forces Iraqi mom into prostitution

Wedad is a helpless woman living in Irag. She was widowed a few years ago when her husband was killed in war violence. She tried to get work but the men didn't want her for ther skills; they wanted her for her body. Wedad soon found that the only way to make money was to illegally become a prostitute. This decision in no way was easy for her. Yanar Mohammad, an Iraqi women's rights activist, estimates that there are thousands of women living as prostitiutes in Iraq. A typical sentence for women caught of illegally selling their body is three to four months in jail, and their clients are rarely ever arrested. Prostitution is a serious situation that scars women. Wedad has no outside support and finds this to be her only way to support her two daughters. She realizes that soon she will have to find a new way to make money. Her daughters are young now, but they are getting older and more suspicious. Wedad shares that the only way to get passed the mental pain of what she does is to give herself to her clients like a "dead body".

I find it extremely sad to hear about such a thing going on in Iraq. Prostitution in no way is a good thing and women are making a living like this. It makes me wonder if us as Americans are to blame at all for we intruded their country and began killing people. Have we killed so many husbands that the prostitution rate is increasing? I feel as though the war has a large effect on what is happening over in Iraq and the culture that is turning out. Aside from the war, prostitution seems to be a very typical job in Iraq. What is going on in the country that makes this illegal activity so popular? Women need help to find a better way of income than selling their bodies. I also wonder how many women are actually forced into prostitution rather than it being an idividual decision. I highly support Yanar Mohammad and her efforts to reduce female prostitution in Iraq to better the culture. I believe Iraq has a large and growing problem that more attention and help can take care of.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/11/02/iraq.prostitute/index.html?eref=rss_topstories