1. A Night at the Races: 2008 High Heel Race This is a photo gallery of almost 100 drag queens racing down Dupont’s 17th street in their Halloween costumes. I thought that this gallery was so funny because it showed such a wide range of creative and hilarious costumes. My favorites were Sarah Palin and the male nurse. I couldn’t stop laughing at all of these pictures because it really amazes me how many people are this much into Halloween! The gallery is from the Washington Post.
2. 2008 High School Graduations I really enjoyed this photo gallery because it really brought back memories from my high school graduation from over two years ago. All of the photos captured moments that are significant in all high school graduations that everyone could relate to — friends bonding before saying goodbye, students receiving their diplomas, and families cheering in the audience. There was one photo in the gallery of a kid blowing bubbles during graduation, which reminded me of my graduation because kids were throwing around blown-up beach balls. The gallery was from the Times Union.
3. Adirondack Balloon Festival 2007 This photo gallery is also from the Times Union. I have never been to a balloon festival before, so I thought that this gallery was so interesting and made me feel like I was really there! All of the colors of the balloons were so vivid, and everybody at the event seems to be having a really great time. I love how there are so many candid pictures taken of the families because it makes the photo gallery much more exciting and not so staged and set-up.
Obama’s 30-minute special aired on seven television networks last Wednesday, attracting over 30 million viewers. He used this time to tell America the changes that he promises to make for the country, such as tax cuts, health care reform, and promoting energy efficiency.
During the infomercial, Obama showed many families that were struggling issues that many Americans are currently facing, such as having enough money to send children to good schools along with paying mortgages. He said that we are in the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, and he will put Americans “back on track” and help us move forward.
Although Obama made many promises to change the country, it was not effective enough to change people’s decisions to vote for him (if they did not plan to already.) After asking many students what they thought of the special, they felt that it was more of a commercial than anything, and it did not alter their perception of the candidate.
“I already made up my mind,” said Sophie, a 19-year-old sophomore. “I don’t think that it will make a difference.”
(CNN) Minnesota basketball coach Tubby Smith’s nephew, William Smith, was stabbed to death in Massachusetts last Sunday. The stabbing took place in a fight at an off-campus apartment.
William Smith, 19, was a student at Becker College who lived in Scotland, Md. According to Detective Captain Edward McGinn, a fight at the apartment broke out at a party, ending up in the street. Students at Becker along with nonstudents were involved. William Smith was stabbed once in the chest. McGinn said that a weapon was found at the apartment where the fight took place.
According to police, no arrests have been made, but many witnesses have been interviewed.
Tubby Smith was traveling Monday. He is in his second season with the Gophers after spending 10 years at Kentucky. (CNN)
It is very unfortunate for something like that to happen, and especially near a college campus. It is difficult enough for family and friends to worry about their loved ones when they are away at school, and a situation like this is their worst nightmare. Things like this happen often around campuses all over the country, and no matter how much security there is, there’s really no way to prevent this from happening. A stabbing happens in a matter of seconds, and even if there is security right outside the house, it can be too late.
(Times Union) Two men were charged with stealing nearly $2,000 of flour from the Port of Albany Thursday morning. The two men, Franklin Johnson, 45, of Ghent, and David Barna, 42, of Holyoke, Mass., were caught on video surveillance loading flour into a truck. According to police, Johnson is an employee at the warehouse for Horizon, and Barna is a truck driver for a Holyoke-area bakery.
This isn’t the first time flour was stolen from the port. Company officials have recorded several more thefts of over 10,000 worth of bags. Detective James Miller said that more charges are possible.
So why did these guys decide to steal flour? Nobody knows, but Miller said that they may have been re-selling it. I’m guessing that Barna stole the flour because it was easy for him to do, being the bakery’s truck driver. Crimes like these really make me question employees. Employee theft is extremely common, and it is unfortunate that employees betray their companies by stealing from where they work. As if stealing alone isn’t bad enough. I have seen TV shows before where teenagers would work at pharmacies in order to steal certain types of drugs, because of the “easy access.” It just goes to show how difficult it is to trust people in those types of situations.
(Associated Press) A Chinese dairy in Beijing was found guilty of selling milk powder that contained a fatal chemical, melamine, that can cause kidney stones in infants. Over 400 children became sick due to the milk, and one of them even died. On top of that, the dairy was aware of the issue weeks before ordering a recall.
It also turns out that China milk powder producer Sanlu Group Co. received complaints about the melamine back in March, when Chinese officials claimed that they have only known about it since Monday.
But why melamine?
Melamine is very rich in nitrogen, which makes it an excellent candidate for passing standard food tests. Food tests for protein in food ingredients measure the amount of nitrogen, and since a high amount of water was added to the milk to increase its volume, the nitrogen was much needed for everything to balance out. With melamine in the powder, the milk passes the test with flying colors.
I think that Sanlu should be completely shutdown for this, because not only did they add a fatal chemical to their products, but they kept it a secret for weeks without ordering a recall. These type of issues cause consumers to lose trust in companies — I highly doubt that the parents of those sick children will continue to buy milk from that company again. It can take years for a producer to build a healthy relationship with a consumer, and one wrong move can completely destroy it. Sanlu can claim that they will never make another mistake like this, but the fact that they did it once already will cause people to doubt that they won’t do it again. Health Minister Gao Quiang did not specify yet which penalties Sanlu will face, but there will be consequences
After stumbling upon a list of 10 Dos and Don’ts for those who are auditioning to become the next American Idol, I can’t exactly say that I agree with all of them. A person is clearly either talented or not talented, and following this list will do nothing but waste plenty of time.
The first one on the list is “Don’t Dance.” Although plenty of contestants completely make fools of themselves by dancing, it is not necessary to completely rule it out. Dancing pretty much goes hand-in-hand with singing. If you are a good dancer, there is no reason to hide it. Dancing is an essential part of performing, and the next American Idol should be a great performer.
Another one on the list that should be ruled out is “The South Shall Rise Again,” meaning that it is more likely that somebody from Texas will win than somebody from New York. Not true. There is plenty of talent in the north, and they don’t have to act like they are from the south for a greater chance of winning. It is better to have a proud New Yorker than a southern wannabe.
“Pick Popular Songs” is another one on the list that automatically goes out the window. Keith Beukelaer’s performance of “Like A Virgin” a few seasons back didn’t go so smoothly, while plenty of other contestants made it to the final round while singing songs the judges haven’t even heard of. Instead of picking a popular song, pick a song that shows off the best of your voice.
Another one on the list is “Don’t Ring in the New Year,” or in other words, it is better to be single. Although people who don’t take the talent aspect of American Idol seriously will vote for somebody who is on the market, there is no reason why having a relationship should mess up any chances of winning. The voters who are voting for the single guy obviously could care less about the music. The voters who are paying attention to talent are the ones who will look past marital status.
There is no such thing as a list of Dos and Don’ts for winning American Idol. I doubt that any of the previous winners sat there reading a list to help them win. All that can help a person is talent, and it is not worth it to read any lists to get hopes up.
