Down the Drain

Thirsty? If you are, go ahead and grab an empty Aquafinia bottle, head over to the tap and fill it up. Similar? In case you didn't know, Aquafina has found itself in a little bit of "hot water" for siting tap water as its source, and not some special far off spring. So consumers are paying for water they could get from their own kitchen. It's kind of like buying some sort of food product and selling it with your own label. But we've been buying things we could probably make ourselves for a long time. So odds are this new intel won't affect sales, and money won't go down the drain.

Danger In Our Backyard

Earlier today Dallas, TX fell under fire, but like the NYC steam pipe explosions exactly one week ago, this Dallas scare was also not a plot of terrorists. The explosions were a result of a nearby gas plant, where a tank exploded on a truck at the Southwest Industrial Gases Inc. The fire spread to nearby trucks and explosion sent debris flying on to highways and buildings that were close by. Two men, the shop's co-owner and floor manager were the only people harmed in the accident.

This whole situation is like a person who is hiding from their seeker and ends up stepping in front of a mirror and scaring themselves. Confused? It's like here we are fighting terror while we have to also worry about the danger in our backyard.

Under the Influence

Well, in case you've tuned into the latest episode of As the Stars Mess Up, you would know that Lindsay Lohan has messed up again. Lindsay was arrested Tuesday on the charges of D. U I., driving with a suspended license, and felony cocaine possession. And this in over two weeks since leaving rehab and saying how much better she was doing. Some people believe that Lindsay was never driving and she is innocent. Alright, now explain the reason for the alcohol. It's also being said that the cocaine found in her pants is not hers nor are the pants. So she was either framed or this means that Lindsay is a member of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Just looking at her mugshot tells how far from Earth she was.

Whether or not she is crying out for help, people are receiving the message loud and clear. If anything, she is telling us how far she is from being any sort of positive rolemodel, or that she can stay in control of her life. What Lindsay needs is someone who can help her, and I'm sure that can be hard with her parents. Dr. Phil to the rescue!

With all the garbage we've had to hear about these messed up celebrities over the past few months, it is still amazing how it can draw our attention. And once again the media is telling this depressing story non-stop. And once again I'm devoting a blog to make a point.Oh well. Perhaps we become interested, so we might learn from others mistakes. When put in the spotlight of Hollywood or in the hands of peer pressure, it's important to not fall under the influence.

What is MVP?

Most Valuable Player (MVP) award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests.

Yes that is the definition of MVP, but it's not the one I'm looking for. I'm looking for the answer to the problem of a certain NFL player. Any guesses? Hint? Atlanta Falcons. (MVP) What is Michael Vick's problem?

There has certainly been a whole lot of attention on the quarterback this year. From holding up his middle fingers to fans to sponsoring dog fights. When Vick went loose with the middle fingers he ended up being fined $10,000 (so I'm guessing that's $5,000 per middle finger), plus donating an extra $10,000 to charity, which probably didn't go to the American Humane Society . He also apologized to his fans, mostly angry parents, for the obscene gesture. In all honesty, Michael Vick shouldn't be the only one to take the guilt for middle finger flash, it's not as if this gesture is new to kids. More and more kids today use the finger as a way of lashing out at someone or just in teasing, both are poor excuses.

Since being cleared innocent for the water bottle incident back in January, Vick has since only fallen under media attention for those dog fights. In April, Vick said it was family members having dog fights behind his house in Virginia and that he had nothing to do with them. Well maybe not those fights, but how about now?

So what will happen to the man who seems to need a whole lot of help? So that leaves the question, what is MVP?

Back in Power

Earlier today President Bush transferred the powers of office to Vice-President Cheney, while he went under sedation for a colon cancer screening. The screening took only half an hour, but Cheney ended up being in charge of things for two hours. In those hours, Cheney never had to take any sort of action, or at least any action worth mentioning to the world.

After the President's screening, the media posted headlines on websites stating that Bush has reclaimed power from Cheney. I had no idea there was even the slightest chance that Bush would never get the power back.

This was also the second time Bush had used the disability clause from under Section 3 of the 25th Amendment. And I'm sure someone out there is thinking, "Disability, well then shouldn't Cheney always be in charge?" It's those kind of comments sort of tick me off. Do I laugh at those jokes? Yes, but I also see them as jokes, not the truth. Sure our President has been shown in awkward situations several times, and maybe he isn't following the same agenda as everyone expected him too. But since when has someone ever done something that pleases everyone? Sure Bush may be the president that had less supporters on his side, that doesn't mean he isn't trying his best to live up to his responsiblity. Many people are not happy with the war, but that's war, it's never a pleasing thing. Americans want their sons and daughters home, but they need to remember they weren't drafted, they volunteered. We all want the blood spilling to end, but the price for that is huge, and odds are we will never be able to pay it.

And so the world will continue to go on as it always does, even if Bush wasn't back in power.

Casting Magic on Readers

Today marks the last time author J. K. Rowling's boy wizard will cast his spell on readers all over the world. Yes, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows the seventh and final book in the series goes on shelves today, bringing those massive "Star Wars/iPhone" lines of fans to bookstores. It's an event so massive, it could be the last time in a long while before bookstores see such a sight again. The popular book series has gained so much attention over the past several years with movies and other merchandise, but it has also brought controversy. The books of adventure and what could be labeled as dark fantasty, involving dark magic, has sent parents to school and libraries ordering the removal of the books. These petitions of course have in no way stopped from millions of copies being sold., or the number of kids who have come to enjoy reading. So as fans bid farewell to Harry, they await the next series of books that will cast its magic on readers.

Ticking Time Bombs

On Wednesday, citizens of New York city ran from an explosion they felt was another terroritst attack.It was a familiar scene as people ran for cover and police and firefighters ran to the scene. At first this was believed to be an act of terror, and why shouldn't we believe that? The media has only been promoting how Al-Qaeda is at large again. Do we really need that message, a message that almost sounds like we should have no faith in our government or our soldiers who fight for our safety?

Turns out this terrifying scene of 9/11 deja vu was the work of underground steam pipes that finally blew after eighty-three years. Thankfully the damage and numbers of injuries were nothing close to that of the Twin Towers, though one person died of a heart attack later. And as if a huge crater in the middle of the street wasn't bad enough, turns out many of the steam pipes are lined with asbestos, a carcinogen that can cause serious illnesses with long-term exposure, but apparently there have been no victoms of this.

Many major cities are lined with these underground steam pipes, and unless something is done, the time will come for theses ticking time bombs.

An iShock

Killer iPods were at first only pure imagination in Scary Movie 4, but as of a recent news report it's becoming a reality. Or is it? This past weekend Jason Bunch was mowing his lawn and listening to his iPod when lightning struck the electronic device. The powerful shock left burns on his body along with rupturing his eardrums, and damaging his hearing. Why was this guy mowing in a thunderstorm? Well maybe the storm hadn't started or he thought he was safe, but obviously not. He blames the iPod for the damage, which makes sense, I mean who would blame their own stupidity. In fact just yesterday I was listening to my Zune outside where a storm was heading my way. However I wouldn't stay out in the rain with my Zune, because I wouldn't want the rain to damage it. I got lucky, but if I were in Jason's shoes I think I know where the fault would lie. I think we all know electronics and lightning dont' go together. Lesson learned, be careful what type of weather you're going into with electronics. And just a thought, don't go out with a laptop in bad weather...I mean if lightning strikes with the computer on your lap. So if you never knew the dangers before, here's an iShock.

Lady Bird Johnson (1912 – 2007)

It's been over thirty-four years since the passing of President Lyndon B. Johnson, and today his wife Lady Bird followed. I wasn't around when President Johnson was, nor did I know alot about Lady Bird. But after hearing a little about her life, she certainly sounded like an amazing person.

She graduated from Marshall Senior High School in Marshall, Texas, studied journalism and art at St. Mary's Episcopal School for Girls, and graduated from the University of Texas. She was married to Lyndon Baines Johnson on November 17, 1934. They had two daughters, Lynda(born 1944), and Luci, (born 1947).

Claudia Alta Taylor Johnson supported her husband through thick and thin from Lyndon being rushed into office after President Kennedy's assassination through the Vietnam War. She was known for her love of the environment. Tonight America mourns the loss of the 36th First Lady, Lady Bird Johnson.

"Lady Bird Johnson." Wikipedia. 11 July 2007 .

A Chinese Tea Party?

A week ago America celebrated the anniversary of independence. It was events such as the Boston Massacre, the Stamp and Townshend Acts that led to the Boston Tea Party. The Sons of Liberty were refusing to give in to the Tea Act, so they went and dumped a product they enjoyed into Boston harbor.

It was our founding fathers who fought for a free nation, a nation where we were in control and could depend on ourselves. But here we are today, surviving on goods from many different countries, not just ourselves. Now I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with the imports we receive from friends overseas or anything wrong with our friends, it's just a matter of knowing whether or not we can fully rely on ourselves alone. So many of the things we love to buy or things we need, come from outside our country. For example, many of the things we buy come from China. And people are beginning to question about just how much we depend on those outside goods. Could we Americans get by in life without the help of others? Maybe we're not under the same circumstances as the Sons of Liberty, but can we continue on if we have a Chinese Tea Party?

Independence Day

It's been two-hundred and thirty-one years since America declared independence, and look at all that's happened since. When Thomas Jefferson was writing the Declaration, the then small country, was at war fighting for freedom, and here we are today fighting a different kind of war. Our soldiers are fighting for us to have the freedom of life, or the freedom to continue living.


It's amazing to know that there are men and women overseas fighting so that we may live in safety, while they put their lives on the line. These "Voluntear" soldiers know the danger, and somehow they accept it. There was no draft, but Americans tend to act like there is and call for the soldiers to be pulled out of the Middle East. While they fight for us, while they fight terror, many Americans fight their own country. America is called the Home of the Free and the Brave, and our soldiers are fine examples of that. These brave men and women are free to do as they please, and it's something to remember on Independence Day.



Independent: not looking to others for one's opinions or for guidance in conduct.