Remembering Robert Goulet

Robert Goulet died last night (Oct. 30) while awaiting a lung transplant. He was 73. Too many Robert Goulet was known as a big-voiced baritone entertainer. His deep singing voice entranced listeners from all around. With his voice being the reason for his stardom, he made sure to tell doctors to watch out for his vocal cords when they were inserting a breathing tube.

For adults he was a Broadway star along with being a Grammy and Tony Award-winner. Goulet gained stardom for his role in “Camelot”, the Arthurian play in which he starred as Sir Lancelot. But for a young person, like me, he was more famous for his guest appearances in Boy Meets World or The King of Queens. Though never visually seen, Goulet contributed his deep toned vocals to the singing voice of Mikey Blumberg on the Disney cartoon Recess.

I may not have been a huge fan of Mr. Goulet, but I did have many enjoyable moments of singing along with his style of Green Tambourine. And now it would seem that the music is more treasuring as fans everywhere are remembering Robert Goulet.

The Actions of F.E.M.A.

With close to a million people being evacuated from their homes due to the raging wildfires, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (F.E.M.A.) scheduled a press conference. When the time came, Vice Adm. Harvey E. Johnson, the agency’s deputy director began the debriefing.

Now when watching you would think that you were viewing a regular press conference. One problem- there weren’t any reporters. Instead F.E.M.A had agency staffers pose as journalists. The staged briefing became noticeable when F.E.M.A. began praising itself.

Now just how big of an issue is this for the average concerned American? Well F.E.M.A. apologizes and states its intentions were just to relay information to the public. So this really shouldn’t be a problem right? But one would call this move inexcusable and unacceptable. What would happen if the White House placed its own people in press conferences? They would have a stronger hand (then they already do) on the type of information released to the public. But I’m not suggesting that everyone start turning their eyes over to the White House. In their defense they weren’t exactly pleased with the actions of F.E.M.A.

A Taste of Armageddon

I woke up this morning to dark skies and a misty atmosphere. The feel of long awaited rain was in the air- a feeling many people in the Southeast have been waiting for. But in an instant the world outside my house was painted red-casting a look of the end of the world. Armageddon is best described as the final battle between good and evil. But lately the West and Southeast coasts of America have found themselves losing a battle to Mother Nature.

While the south prays for rain to save them from a drought, the west prays for an end to the intense wildfires. But when it comes to comparing the two regions, the west unfortunately takes the cake. Georgia has gone as far as alerting the President of its dire situation; wanting him to pullback on the release of water emptied into the Chattahoochee River. Georgia officials urge residents to decrease their water usage and have placed bans on outdoor water use.

Picture this. You wake up in the morning and head to work where you have to enter a fiery furnace. Now imagine being told to evacuate your house. You heed these words and make your way out, but you stop and look back and wonder if you will ever return home. While firefighters battle walls of fire; the people of California seek shelter from the inferno.

California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in seven California counties where fires burned. This declaration has resulted in over a million people abandoning their homes. While the fight continues, firefighters doubt whether or not they can stop the spread. They say that unless the winds of Santa Ana subside- all that can be done has been done.

The pictures from the California wildfires paint the image of the end of the world. And with a portrait like that, we can’t help but pray to be saved from what seems to be a taste of Armageddon.

Eat Fresh

Suicide has a new name and it’s Country Breakfast Burrito, the new item on the Hardee’s menu. This deadly burrito comes packed with two egg omelets filled with bacon, sausage, diced ham, cheddar cheese, hash browns and sausage gravy, all wrapped inside a flour tortilla. And it’s loaded with 920 calories and over 60 grams of fat. If you’re licking your lips right now, who could blame you? To be honest the answer would be you.

Hardee’s sees its core customers as young men ages 18 to 34. Probably a good idea, the last thing Hardee’s needs are crowds of angry women yelling how their husbands think they're fat. And if you think about it Hardee’s and other fast food establishments are not only helping themselves but other businesses as well. How? Hardee’s makes a profit off their food items and clothing retail stores have an increase in sales for XXL clothing.

It’s sort of funny how a new study shows schools cafeterias getting healthier, comes out after this story. I know for a fact the school I attend isn’t on the list of positive results. Lunches at my private “Christian” high school, are made up of Pizza, Taco Bell, candy bars, chips, and soda. I don't blame the school or anyone (story just goes with this post), people are responsible for what they harden their arteries with. I know it’s a fundraiser and the kids enjoy the food- but you'd think you see some fruit somewhere. But don’t worry, they took our health into consideration and serve Subway twice a week- eat fresh.

Karachi Bombings

It was supposed to be a day of welcoming for Benazir Bhutto, the former prime minister of Pakistan. But what started as a celebration turned into a tragedy.

The streets of Karachi, Pakistan were filled with fans cheering with welcome arms for Bhutto. She was returning after an eight-year self-imposed exile for the Pakistan national elections. While her convoy made its way to the tomb of Mohammed Ali Jinnah, two explosions occurred halfway from Bhutto’s depart from the airport. The explosions took place in front of the rallying truck from which she greeted her supporters.

Benazir was unharmed and was escorted safely away from the scene. But while she left uninjured, the same could not be said for mass of people who had been following her. The blasts hit the crowds and two police cars shielding her rallying bus, killing 136 and injuring hundreds more.

There was a great ripple effect sent throughout the crowd. People running for safety, fearing another attack; others calling out for those lost in the crowds. But amongst all the panic, many in the crowd became Good Samaritans, doing what they could to get the injured to hospitals.

With such a powerful attack, there has so far been no claiming for the responsibility of the bombings. However suspects captured are believed to have ties to either Al-Qaida or be supporters of the late military ruler Mohammed Zia ul-Haq. Zia overthrew Bhutto's father President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in 1977 and 2 years later hanged her father. Bhutto was quoted saying, “I know exactly who wants to kill me. It is the dignitaries of the former regime of General Zia who are today behind the extremism.” Along with her suspicions, Bhutto questions why the streetlights failed after sunset when her convoy was making its way through the streets. She said attempts to reach the national security adviser to have the lights restored were unsuccessful due to phone lines being supposedly down.

The attack is said to be the deadliest the country has ever experienced. Bhutto said she wants to strengthen ties with American forces, and would help in the search for Osama bin Laden- a reminder that America is not alone in the war on terror. Said U.S. Department of State spokesperson Tom Casey: "There is no political cause that can justify the murder of innocent people. Those responsible seek only to foster fear and limit freedom. The United States stands with the people of Pakistan to eliminate terrorist threats, and to build a more open, democratic, and peaceful society.”

While Karachi recovers from its tragedy, the nations of the world offer their condolences to the people who were in the Karachi bombings.

An Inconvenient Truth

This Friday in Oslo, Norway, the winner of the Noble Peace Prize will be announced. It is heavily believed that the award will be presented to Al Gore. The former vice-president has spent much of the past year speaking about global warming. He travels around the globe educating the public about the severity of the climate crisis.

With the rumors at hand it raises the question as to whether or not he will toss his hat in the presidential elections. Many Gore supporters have started a draft calling for Gore to run for the position of America’s next Commander-in-Chief. While Gore hasn’t said that he plans to run, he also hasn’t said that he won’t. When asked about Gore on MSNBC’s Countdown with Keith Olbermann, Hilary Clinton said she felt that the Democratic Party was already full of great candidates- but she hopes he wins the award.

So will Al Gore run? If he was to enter the race, certainly has time, he would change the current course the Democrats are on. But if he did run and was elected, how would he lead America? In his Academy Award-winning documentary film he warned us how it’s time we do something about the problems in the environment, while at the same time did quite a bit of rambling on his own life. Gore certainly has the right attitude in mind when it comes to protecting the environment. But it seems to me to be all talk and no action. Talk about an inconvenient truth.

October 12 Update: Gore Wins Award

This Long Haul

With every passing moment we draw a “little” closer to the 2008 Presidential elections. Though the election is a year away, the race to see who will win the Republican and Democratic nominations has already begun.

It would seem that the little voice speaking of the supposed failure of the Bush administration, is telling the media to promote the Democrats. Turn on your televisions, radios, or flip through a magazine and you will most likely see more coverage on the Democratic candidates. Perhaps if there had never been a war, the Republicans wouldn’t be looked at as the least capable party of cleaning up this “supposed” mess. And maybe if we hadn’t gone to war there would be peace in the world. And we wouldn’t have the problems we have now. Wait sorry this isn’t Hollywood.

America is split into four sections. You have 1) Against the war; 2) For the war; 3) Neutral; and 4) Only cares about what Entertainment Tonight and TMZ have to say. So with this in mind, it would seem this election is more popular. Why? Because everyone is trying to find the person who they believe will lead them to the Promise Land.

So who will it be for both parties? Well the choice of course lies in the hands of America. But look where that gets us. Pro-Bush voters outnumbered Pro-Gore 2000/Kerry 2004 voters. Americans are always going to disagree when it comes to who is sitting in the Oval Office. But when it comes to electing someone to such a high position we have to do two things- 1) Pray that they have the strength to lead; and 2) Remember they're just like us, they just have a bigger job. So keep that in mind on this long haul.

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Missing a Brain?

Usually when taking a walk the only real thing you have to look out for is little surprises left by dogs. Well if you were in Richmond, Virginia this morning you may have had the unfortunate pleasure of stumbling across a brain. Yes that's right a brain- it's that thing so many people forget to use these days.

Apparently the brain was left in a bag near an apartment complex and medical examiners aren't sure if it belongs to a human or an animal. Richmond police spokeswoman Karla Peters said, "We're waiting for the medical examiner to determine how we should proceed," she said.

Here's an idea Karla- how about finding the body. If it helps just narrow it down to a body that has a head missing a brain.

Boston

So the Neutral Zone has been a little quiet lately, and the reason for that is due to my being in Boston this past week. So since I’m back at the keyboard I thought that I would share with some of the things that happened on my trip. If you’re unfamiliar with me, then I should let you know that being in Boston was because it is an annual trip for the U.S. History class.

So we left Sunday (Sept. 30) and returned Friday (Oct. 5). On our first day we were greeted with the train from the airport being shut down for the weekend. While we didn’t get our preferable means of transportation at first we did get to see the lovely smoke stack areas of Revere, Massachusetts. We took shuttle, bus, train, bus, and ended up doing the reverse of that routine later that day. We took in a more pleasant view thanks to the Boston Duck Tours- we even got to take our hand at the wheel.

A few of our meals we received from Quincy Market- that’s a place to check out. Just about whatever you feel like eating is there- though I don’t recall seeing Mexican. But one of the big surprises myself and a couple my friends got is when we saw John Kerry. We saw his supporters who were so excited to see him and yet they left their well made signs behind after he was gone- hmmm?

We walked the Freedom Trail on Wednesday, hitting all the historical spots in Boston. You get an idea of how long the journey to independence was by the long walk- though the Bunker Hill Memorial was probably the real challenge. Another challenge for me at least is when we stopped at a college for two nights. The rooms we were placed in may have not met up to some of our hopes, but later it didn’t really matter after I saw the wonderful hospitality of our hosts.

The Boston area has so much to offer when it comes to learning about our history and not just about the Revolutionary War. When you go on a tour of a house that someone was lived in you try to picture their life. You walk through their rooms and try to imagine what these people were like. Like the word “history”, you try to learn his-story (or hers). It’s especially helpful to have an understanding or background of the places you visit because you can walk away appreciating them more.

But besides the great educational experience, it’s always fun to get the chance to know the people you sit with for hours everyday. You get the chance to learn things you probably never would’ve known about their character in school. So with the trip over with I’m sad to see it end- but mostly because it means going back to school. But at least I got the chance to walk away with many great memories. Things such as finding our way around the town; Red Sox Rally; Van rides; singing; dangerous showers; snoring; the laughs; all just a few of things I will remember from my time in Boston.