Category: News

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Ships and Oil

Modern day technology is giving us a better understanding of our world. Another example of this arrived today with the news that 12 shipwrecks were discovered during a probe of a gas pipeline route. The ships were discovered by the Russian led Nord Stream consortium that is planning to lay a pipe from Russia to Europe.

The ships are believed to be from the 17th and 18th centuries. Due to the low oxygen levels, very little decay has happened to the wrecks. Many of the wrecks are still in excellent condition and will remain so for the foreseeable future. While there are no plans as of yet to raise the wrecks, they will be an object of study that could shed light on the history of early navigation.

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Toyota Fixes

Despite all the work done by Toyota to fix their gas pedal problems, it seems that more work needs to be done. Some drivers are reporting that their cars are still malfunctioning even after being fixed by the company. Toyota announced that they are sending a team of experts to investigate the reported problems.

Congress has also been investigating the problem and has held several hearings on the matter. The National Highway Safety Administration is also concerned about the reports. Any driver who has had problems with their Toyota is being encouraged to take it to a dealer to be inspected.

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Keeping it Safe!

The United States announced that several thousand U.S. troops will stay in the recently conquered town of Marjah. The town was the focus of a recent offensive that cleared the town of Taliban forces. The U.S. troops will be accompanied by more than one thousand Afghan troops who hope to keep the Taliban forces from returning.

The offensive and its aftermath is part of the “clear, hold, and build” program that is being implemented in an effort to bring about Afghan government control to the town. The Taliban is still fighting back and are setting roadside bombs in an effort to slow supply lines to the town. I hope this strategy will pay off for the thousands of Afghans who want a proper government.

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SeaWorld

Yesterday’s tragic death of a trainer at SeaWorld has led to some very different views. The death of trainer Dawn Brancheau at the hands of a killer whale was tragic indeed. She was mauled by the whale and forced under water where she drowned to death by an animal she loved. Feeling on both sides of the issue are strong.

Some believe that the animal should be destroyed. This is not the first incident with this particular whale and some wonder if this animal is a “Bad Egg”. Others believe that the whale should be released back into the wild and released from confinement. Whatever feelings you may have on the issue would be interesting to hear. I hope you will express your feelings with me!

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Long Haul

I have heard of people doing amazing things in order to keep a job they like, but this one takes the cake. Michael Hanley lives in Wisconsin, but he works in Kansas. His General Motors job was moved and he felt it was necessary to go the extra mile to keep the job he had. He now drives 530 miles every weekend in order to visit his home and children.

It’s another 530 miles back to work and the trip can be heart wrenching. Leaving his wife and kids behind has got to be hard for anyone. Keeping his health insurance was a major factor in his decision to keep the job he had. It’s a shame that one man has to go so far to keep his family fed.

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No 2

A team consisting of Pakistani and CIA operatives have worked together to execute the capture of the number 2 leader of the Afghan Taliban. Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar was arrested in Karachi recently. This is considered to be a cause of celebration for U.S. forces and Afghan’s alike.

Baradar is now in custody and is believed to be co operating with security teams. Baradar is a long standing member of the Taliban and was in charge of its day to day running. Officials hope this will help disrupt the Taliban organization and keep other leaders on their toes. I think that every thing we can do toward that cause will help us win the fight for the hearts and minds of the Afghani people.

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Tearing down strongholds

In Afghanistan, the U.S. military is on the move. The pentagon has confirmed that it plans to attack the town of Marjah that is known to be a Taliban stronghold. While details of the impending attack have been kept secret, the word about it is out. Top military officials say they plan to drive out the Taliban and regain control of the town for the afghan government.

One problem that the U.S. forces have is that the town is surrounded by landmines and IEDs. This has slowed the effort to surround the town and deploy forces. Despite the trouble, Marines are confident that they will succeed in taking the town. I wish them all Godspeed.

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Another star dies

There has been another terrible death in America and this time it’s Phil Harris. Phil was the captain of the Cornelia Maria that was featured on the TV reality show “Deadliest Catch”. Over that last five years, millions of Americans have followed his adventures while he tried to bring in his Alaskan Crab quota. I always liked the captain as I thought he was fair but tough. Phil died of a massive stroke at the age of 53.

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McDonalds and Italy

The McDonalds Corporation has entered the market in the country of Italy. The problem is that they have caused quite a stir. The flagship restaurant in Rome decided that serving an all Italian burger would be a good idea. That has led to some controversy with some in the country who believe in the Slow Food movement.

McDonalds is using all Italian made ingredients for its meals. Sounds good right? Some say that the restaurant is taking advantage of Italy’s good food reputation and forcing farmers to sell for less. Others believe that this will be good for their economy. Either way, over 100,000 burgers have sold this month.

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Censorship??

It seems there is trouble with our neighbor to the north. Canada has jumped into the internet tangle and has gotten fouled up. It seems that two websites supported by the activist group “Yes Men” released fake press releases that resembled those of the official Canadian Government. The government acted quickly to shut down the sites citing that the information was false. This is all well and good.

The problem was that during the shut down, hundreds of innocent sites were shut down as well. This caused a pouring of outrage from many website owners. It seems that the crisis is nearly over now and the sites have been restored. I hope the Canadian Government will remember their lesson well.