Art Mural Contest at the WorldTradeCenterA competition is underway for artists to create a mural that will be displayed on the fence outside the World Trade Center building site. This contest gives artists a chance to create art that will speak to the world about the vibrancy of New York City. The deadline for the contest is
October1, 2009. For more information go to: http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/sidewalks/urbanart_prgm.shtml#applicationShort Story Contest at FamilyCircle.comFamily Circle magazine is now holding a Short Story contest. The deadline is August 31, 2009. It is free to enter the contest. Mail a story of no more than 2,500 words to Family Circle Fiction Contest, 375 Lexington Avenue, 9th Floor, NY, NY 10017. For more information go to www.familycircle.com.Election Chaos: Taliban in Afghanistan Threatens VotersAs the presidential election looms in Afghanistan, the Taliban is running a campaign to alert the public that if they vote their dye stained finger will be cut off and they are in danger according to the New York Times. The Taliban has posted notices that voting locations will be targeted for violence.The strife over recent elections in Lebanon and Iran, and the threats being made in the upcoming election in Afghanistan certainly show the world the importance of democracy and the power of the vote.Too many Americans fail to use their precious privilege to vote. In many recent presidential elections, only about 50% of eligible voters bothered to go to the polls and cast a vote. Good luck to the people of Afghanistan for a peaceful election. Perhaps Americans will learn to value their right to vote by seeing all the election furor in the more turbulent countries around the world.Air Travelers Now Must Provide Additional Information David A. Castelveter, of the Air Transport Association of America, said that air passengers who refuse to provide information such as full name, birth date, and sex, will be subject to “secondary screening” according to the Washington Post. All passengers will be checked to ensure their names are not on government terrorism watch lists.
World News: August 13
World News of the Day: Monday, June 20, 2009
“Half-Blood Prince” Shatters Box Office Records ! JK Rowling’s Harry Potter is still setting trends worldwide. This weekend the film “Half-Blood Prince” sold $396.7 million of movie tickets according to MSNBC. JK Rowling probably never could
have imagined the success her books would have when she was a struggling writer. Her creativity has brought so much happiness to kids world wide and stirred a new love of reading by youngsters. Way to go JK Rowling, kudos to you !!Janet Jackson to Raise Michael Jackson’s Kids? Auntie Janet Jackson may raise MJ’s kids according to PerezHilton.com. Those kids need a stable influence in the midst of the astonishing media blitz of coverage over Michael Jackson’s death. Perhaps Janet Jackson will be able to provide the kids with a secure home to help them cope with the loss of their parent. Janet Jackson certainly seemed very close to MJ’s daughter after Paris gave an emotional tribute to her father. Let’s hope those kids get settled in somewhere soon to find some serenity during this very tough time.Osama bin Laden Still Missing As September 11 approaches once again Osama bin Laden is still in hiding. Most terrorism experts pontificating on this topic state he is probably hiding in the tribal areas of Pakistan. One wonders why the Pakistan government is not more proactive in capturing bin Laden.Terrorism has certainly increased in Pakistan in recent years; this may be a sure sign bin Laden is there. This past week an official of the United Nations was murdered in Pakistan. Step up Pakistan and capture Osama bin Laden before he murders again.Chocolate Lovers Rejoice !A low-calorie chocolate, with 90% fewer calories than standard chocolate is under development in Switzerland according to the Huffington Post. The chocolate, called Vulcano, may be available commercially within two years.This product is also said to withstand high temperatures up to 131 F without melting. The company developing the product is called Barry Callebaut.Book News: Dave Eggers Writes about Post-Katrina Life in New Orleans
World News: Friday, July 17, 2009
Indonesia Hotel Terror Attacks: 9 DeadNine people were murdered and 40 injured in attacks on the JW Marriott Hotel and the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Jakarta the capital of Indonesia according to CNN and BBC. The blasts happened at around 7:45 am on
Friday morning in Jakarta, the holy day there.At the JW Marriott the blast is believed to have occurred in the basement below the coffee shop. An unexploded bomb was also found on the hotel premises according to BBC. At the Ritz, the bomb blast is believed to have been located in the hotel restaurant according to CNN. The blast tore off the front of the hotel.The Marriott was also the scene of an attack in August, 2003, when 12 people died there and 150 people were injured.No group has yet claimed responsibility for the recent attacks in Indonesia. Delay in Production of Swine Flu Vaccine The Wall Street Journal reports that “A swine-flu vaccine is proving difficult to manufacture because the viruses used to make the shots aren’t yielding a large amount of active ingredient.”The WHO states this H1N1 pandemic virus has spread with “unprecedented speed” according to the Wall St. Journal. As September approaches and schools prepare to open, there is much anxiety over whether outbreaks of swine flu will once again be shutting schools down as students become ill.Mir Hossein Mousavi to Speak at Friday Prayers in Tehran, Asia News reports that Mousavi will speak on Friday at Friday prayers in Tehran at Tehran University, along with Mehdi Kharroubi and former President Ahbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.This is the first time Mousavi will appear in public since the election. In the large protests since the election, 20 people have died and many people have been injured.The “Sea of Green” in Iran of Mousavi’s supporters continue to fight to have their votes counted.New Element in the Periodic Table
World News of the Day: June 30, 2009
Newsweek Reporter Maziar Bahair “Confesses” to Spying Nico Pitney at the Huffington Post reports that Maziar Bahair, Newsweek reporter in Iran, has “confessed” to spying. This is alarming news as the only way any reporter would admit to being a “spy” is if they are being tortured. Prayers to Maziar Bahair and to all journalists and
protestors in Iran as they lose their freedoms and risk death to bring the truth to the world. It is also important to wonder if the news release of this “confession” is just as bogus as the Iran election results. A Child Survives Jet CrashA five-year old child has been found in the Indian Ocean after the Airbus 310 crash of a flight from Paris to Comoros according to the NY Times and Huffington Post. The child is believed to be the only survivor of the 153 passengers on board. God bless this child and give he or she the strength to cope with the loss of family on the flight. Thus far the bodies of three victims have also been retrieved from the ocean.Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Declared Victor after Vote RecountIran Declares Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had an “overwhelming victory” during the vote recount according to CNN. It was announced that “there was no tangible irregularity.” Reports of votes in excess of the population in certain areas continue to appear and protestors continue to ask why their votes were not counted.No surprise that Iran continues to lie. The fact that they also continue to ban foreign reporters from the country shows they are not presenting the truth to the world. Prayers to the protestors as they continue their quest for the truth and for a better Iran for the next generation.Market Blast in Iraq Kills 24: American Troops Leave CitiesA car bomb blast at an outdoor market in Kirkuk killed 24 people according to MSNBC.Also, American troops have now departed the cities of Iraq. All American troops are expected to leave Iraq by December 31, 2011. America prays for all troops to return home or to other duties safely. As of this date, 4,323 American troops have lost their lives in Iraq.Father of Michael Jackson’s Two Eldest Children Revealed
Paul Newman: American Hero for Creating Newman’s Own that Funds Camps for Kids with Cancer
Paul Newman is a movie star and a hero too. America greatly admires his acting skills but dare I say it he may have achieved even more acclaim as an American Hero. Paul Newman, with his friend AE Hotchner, started the food empire Newman’s Own that has donated over $ 200 million dollars
to provide camps in America and abroad for children with cancer and other serious illnesses. Paul Newman also uses the profits from his company for philanthropic donations to over 2,000 other worthy causes. Newman’s Own donates all after tax profits to charity. Paul Newman is a hero and a role model for the younger generations. Newman’s company sells his brand of salad dressing, pasta sauce, lemonade, popcorn, salsa, steak sauce, and wine. For me it just isn’t summer without his lemonade and the balsamic vinaigrette dressing for salads. I love buying a product that tastes great and whose profits are donated to help kids. I also laugh at the whimsical labels with a drawing of Paul Newman’s face on the products such as the salad dressing and pasta sauce. It feels great to use products that help good deeds occur. Paul Newman turned his business idea into a success and donated the profits to help others. He is a true hero. Kudos to Paul Newman and AE Hotchner; they found the time and energy to create an empire that has helped untold numbers of children in America and abroad. The first product sold, salad dressing, was marketed at Stew Leonard’s grocery store in Norwalk, CT. If you are near this area the store is worth a visit. It is a unique shopping experience. There are a lot of entertainment features built into the store. When I lived in Norwalk it was the only place I shopped for groceries. A friend and I used to shop there together after work and laugh endlessly at the whimsical displays in the store. We also loved the vegetarian chili ! Paul Newman is not only a hero he seems like a down to earth guy. When I lived in CT a friend lived in the same town he did and she told me she would see him shopping in the farm market. Despite my frequent forays to that nearby town I never did see him.