Concussions: More Serious They You May Think!

When diagnosed with a concussion, many people seem to think nothing of them, but a new study truly reveals how bad they may be. Therapists would like them to now be referred to as " mild traumatic brain injury". Concussions have nothing to do with your head, just what is inside them, a little more important; your brain. A study was done where they told some people that they had concussions and others that they had mild traumatic brain injury. The ones who were told they had mild traumatic brain injury stayed in the hospital on average more then if said that they just had a concussion. Along with this, people who have been said to have concussions, also went back to playing sports sooner. The lasting impression, was that when called a concussion, their parents seemed as if it was nothing but a scratch that a band aid could fix.

          Last April, I received a concussion in rugby. I, unlike this study took this very seriously, and listened to Marnie as when to start playing again. When yo u feel fine, is not when you are fit to play. You probably hear of football players from the 70's and 80's dieing at young ages. When you look back at those players, they all definitely received concussion. I am not saying that after receiving a concussion, that you are going to die at 42, but people should take them more seriously. Concussions or "mild traumatic brain injury", no matter what you want to call them are very serious injuries.

Terrorist Given Largest Center in History

Zakaria Amara, the mastermind behind the 2006 plan to bomb Toronto was in court yesterday.The man was inspired by the events which occurred on September 11th, 2001. Mr. Amara's goal was to build truck bombs and blow them up in downtown Toronto. His hope was to shock Canadian's and have the troops pulled out of Afghanistan. The RCMP had been surveying him for months before they made their arrests, and were paying a couple Muslim men on the inside millions to infiltrate. Mr. Amara built prototype detonators as he inspired young acolytes and tasked them with obtaining bomb ingredients. His plan was to make truck bombs, and blow them up outside: The Toronto Stock Exchange, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service office, and outside the Canadian Forces Base, Trenton. Mr. Amara could be on parole as early as in six years! A couple of his affiliates were caught unloading fertilizer out of a truck and given 14 years in prison.

          I think that it is absurd that the mastermind behind this terrible plan was given such a short time in prison, while the others who were just new recruits were given fourteen years! I do not understand this at all. It seems quite ridiculous that he was not given any longer.

The Shooter of the Pope

The Turkish man who in 1981 shot the Pope, was released from prison today. He was given just over 29 years in prison for his offence. The shooter proclaimed that he was a messenger from God and that the world would end in this century. Mehmet Ali Agca, 54, Turkish police say that they will keep a very close look on him because some still question his mental health. It was may 13, 1981, and the Pope was in an open car in St. Peter's Square. Three shots were fired, and he was hit in the abdomen, left hand, and right arm. Luckily, all missing organs. John Paul (the Pope) met with Mr. Agca in 1983, to forgive him for his shooting. Before he shot him, Mr. Agca stated that, " I proclaim the end of the world. All the world will be destroyed in this century. Every human being will die in this century." Shortly after blurting out that he was the Messiah. This man still believes he is Christ eternal. He also said that the Gospel is full of mistakes, and that he should write the perfect one.

I think that this man obviously has serious psychiatric problems, and should be put in an asylum for the rest of his life. He obviously has problems, and should not be allowed in public. I guess that 29 years wasn't enough to figure himself out.

The Attack on Google

Google is looking into the fact that a couple of their employees may have helped a Chinese Cyber attack on their mainframe. The attack occurred in mid November. Google is the largest and most popular search engine. The attack was a theft of intellectual property. The people who are thought that to have done the deed are in China's Google office. The malicious software used was a modification of the Trojan "Hydraq". The virus allows once in the computer someone unauthorized to access the files and control the computer. It has been reported that some Google China employees were denied access to internal networks. Google has denied accusations that it has already shut down part of its China office.

          I am very surprised that such a sophisticated company as Google would have something like this occur. I do think it was the Chinese branch. I imagine that many people are up in arms over the fact that their intellectual property has been stolen. If my intellectual property had been stolen, I would have been very angry.

Chemical Ali

Saddam Hussein's notorious cousin " Chemical Ali" was convicted of crimes against humanity, and given his fourth death sentence. He was given the death sentence largely because of his involvement in one of the worst poison gas attacks of all time. Ali Hassan al-Majid is one of the last of Saddam's close friends from the former regime. The poison gas occurred in Halabja in Kurd in 1988, 5,600 people were killed in the event. This was "Chemical Ali's" fourth death sentence. The first three also occurred because of his involvements in other atrocities during Saddam's rule. Many people in Halabja still physical and mental illnesses from the release of mustard and nerve gas. Many feel that it is unfair that Saddam was hung after his first death sentence, and was obviously not in attendance at this trial. That is why now, one person can receive several death sentences, and then will be hung after this. "Chemical Ali" received one of his previous death sentences because of his role in the brutal fight against the Kurds in the 1980's, where hundreds of thousands were killed. The other two death sentences were: his role in the 1991 supresion of the Shiite uprising, and for his role in the 1999 crackdown that sought to quell a Shiite backlash to the slaying of Grand Ayatollah Mohamed al-Sadr.

          I personally think that everyone involved in Saddam Hussein's atrocities should be killed. Ten years in prison is not even close to being enough for being involved in killing hundreds of thousands. I think it is fair that "Chemical Ali" is receiving several death sentences so that people who have been effected by different cases can finally feel at ease. I do not agree with the fact that it has now been this long in between court appearances though. I think they should have been relatively close, and then he should be killed. It has now been years longer that he has been allowed to live.

Earthquake in Haiti

          Haiti already being a country in bankruptcy and a state of extreme poverty was hit with a large earthquake. Fifteen hundred bodies have already been stacked on sidewalks. The earthquake hit just outside capital city Port-au-Prince. There are too many bodies to stalk on sidewalks, and bundles of bodies are even seen in cars. The estimated death toll is between 45 and 50 thousand people. Sources also estimate that there is around 3 million people in the area are either homeless or injured by this disaster. The earthquake reached a whopping 7 on the Richter Scale. This is the worst earth quake to strike the country in over 200 years. There are at least three Canadians dead. One nurse, and an RCMP couple. Over 100 Canadians were rescued and are on their way home. The government has said that it will match every dollar Canadians give (up to 50 million) on top of their original relief of 4 million. The fact that the Governor General is Haitian, had an impact when deciding on how much to give.

          I think that Canada has clearly stated its point on the subject, and that is one in which we take a strong stance and donate tons of relief and money. I am personally very proud of our governments decision on this occasion. I am sorry that other countries did not take a large initiative on this occasion.

Canadian Charities Take the Hit to Make the Play

The recession has taken an ample hit at peoples will to donate. Statistics Canada will be releasing a a report on the amount of drop in peoples inclination to give to people who these donations may be essential to. Specialists are expecting that the decrease in donations from 2007 to 2008 to be the largest decrease in over 40 years. Canadians donated the most on record in 2007, at 8.6 billion dollars. This number had been increasing steadily over the past years. In British Columbia out of the 470 charities, 53% have seen their charitable donations drop 19% or more. Twenty-seven percent said that they have experienced increases in their donations through one excessive donation.


Although the recession has taken a toll on everyone's income, we must remember those who had not much or are were in need of money before the recession. Especially at Christmas time. We are all so fortunate to be in the economic standing that we are in. Charities are a key part of being a complete citizen.

Chineses Internet Boot Camp

Internet "boot camps" have been set up throughout Asia. The hope being, to get teens off the internet and into "real" life. The number of teenagers in Asia who are addicted to the internet has been increasing every year. Some play online games, such as "World of Warcraft" and some play others. There are actually whole apartment buildings which are "gamer" buildings. Teenagers, and others live here, and rarely leave. Until recently, physical abuse was accepted at these camps. This was until a boy was beaten to death by his superior. Teenagers are forced to replace time in front of a monitor with hard physical work. Many camps even have a  military feel to them. The ministry released a written guide to the hours spent on computers. In most camps, physical punishment is accepted. This method has had an outstanding percentage drop in internet usage. The Chinese Government has already blocked the usage of electric shock therapy. Deng Senshan was killed after only hours at the camp. This was after being severely beaten by a sergeant.

Chinese teenagers have taken internet usage to another level. Internet is a great tool when used in doses. People have taken this too far. I think that in the Asian culture they must encourage the youth in particular to be active, watch, play sports. Do anything, just not on the computer all day. These people need some serious help, and are getting it the hard way. The World Wide Web is a revolutionary tool which changed the world. Apparently, it can also change the world for the best.

Iceberg Spotted Off Of... Australia?

It is said that 90% of icebergs are located under water. These icebergs float around on either poles of the world. These icebergs can be extremely large. A "small" iceberg was spotted off of the southern coast of Australia. It is very rare for an iceberg to be spotted this far north. The iceberg is 50 meters high, and 500 meters long, above water. Scientists believe that this iceberg broke off of the Antartica's Ross Ice Shelf, in between 2000, and 2002. It was spotted off the Northern coast of Macquarie Island about 1500 km north southeast of Tasmania. Several icebergs have been moving north into warmer water in the past couple years, but none this large, and that have lasted this long. Scientists believe that the iceberg will break up and melt as it moves north. However, it could cause danger for oncoming ships. In 2000, several large icebergs broke off of Antartica's Ross Ice Shelf and the Ronne Ice Shelf. The first one was 37 km wide, and 300 km long. Icebergs are formed when ice shelfs develop. Snow falls on the ice, forms more layers of ice. Pieces of ice around the side sometimes break off.

People often think that icebergs are far away, to the north and south, and they are. But, they have the ability to travel towards the center of the Earth if they get caught in a flow of water. It is unreal that one has almost made its way up to Australia. Some people may think that this is caused by Global Warming, but I think that this is a normal occurrence.

Pilots Fly 240Km Past Destination

Two North-West Airline pilots overflew their destination (Minneapolis) during a routine flight. They flew 30 minutes past Minneapolis before the pilots noticed their mistake. After safely landing, no passengers actually noticed that they had overflown their destination. The crew told the Federal Aviation Administration that they had been having a heated argument over airline policy when they had finally realized. Federal officials are inquiring whether fatigue was involved. The pilots only realized when a stewardess spoke to them through the intercom to the cockpit. It was flight 188, Airbus A320. The flight was from San Diego to Minneapolis. There were 144 passengers and 5 crew. The pilots dropped off the radio at 7pm, and received again at 8pm. The FAA was notified and readied 4 of its planes.

         People should start concentrating on what they are doing rather then try and accomplish multiple tasks at once. Not on an airplane, but people have tons of things which may disrupt us such as cell phones, ipods, computers and tv. People must push through this and complete the task at hand

The Oasis of The Sea

The Oasis of the Sea is the world's largest cruise ship ever. It rises twenty stories high, and just passed  underneath the Great Belt Fixed Link with a slim margin as it left the Baltic Sea. Bridge Opperators say that even after lowering its smokestacks and telescopes, the boat only cleared under the bridge by half a meter. Hundreds of people sat on the beaches watching the largest ship ever built pass by them. Company Officials are banking on its novelty to guarantee success. Five times larger then the Titanic, the ship cost 1.5 billion dollars to build. It has seven neighbourhoods, an ice rink, a golf course, and a 750 seat outdoor amphitheater. It has 2 700 cabins and can hold 6 300 people, and 2 100 crew. Including loft cabins, with floor to ceiling windows, and 487 meters squared of space. The ship has 4 swimming pools, basketball courts and volleyball courts, with even an amusement park for children. It is nearly 40% larger then the companies next largest ship. It has over 12 000 plants on board.

I think that it is unbelievable that we as humans are capable of creating such a massive thing. The fact that it has a golf course on it is ridiculous as well. I think that this ship will bring in huge money.

Pirates Attack British Yacht

A British man and his wife have been kidnapped after their yacht was high jacked by Somali pirates while they were sleeping. The  pirates crept aboard at night with guns while the couple was sleeping and demanded money. Locals say that they saw two speed boats with pirates on them accompanied by 2 white people (the couple). The pirates took everything of value on the boat, and kept asking for money. They were then met at the harbour by 30 other pirates in 6 luxury yachts. Family and friend of the couple have pleaded for their release saying that they have the wrong people. The couple had taken early retirement, and had gone on several six month spells on the sea. They had previously sailed to: the Greek Islands, Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea, Oman, Yemen, India, the Maldives, and the Seychelles. The couple was on an eight to twelve day sail down to Tanzania. The high jacking of vessels has become a large industry in Somalia.

I think it is ridiculous that no one has fought against this yet. Someone should say that this is enough and go into Somalia and stop the pirating of ships. In other occurrences even the United States Government has bargained with the pirates for a vessel back.

Hikers Held Hostage

Three american tourist hikers accidentally crossed into Iran when on vacation. The Iranian government did not think that this was an accident at all. Shane Bauer, Sarah Shroud and Josh Fattall are the three Americans. They are 27, 31, and 27 years old. They were hiking through Iraq when they accidentally passed into Iran. They were seen by Swiss diplomats who oversee American interests in Iraq. Iranian authorities say that the three are still being questioned by Iranian investigators and their fate lies in the judge's perspective. This means that the three Americans could possibly face jail time. The President of Iran said that he will ask the Judge to look at the case with maximum leniency. The three American's families have released tapes of their family members which testify to the fact that they did just pass over the border by accident.

I think that these three Americans just made a mistake in accidentally taking a trail which brought them into Iran by accident. People should look at this and see a couple of american tourists who made a subconscious mistake. I hope that the three of them get off free of charge and that the videos prove to be enough evidence.

Mississauga Plan for Terror

There has been a group in Mississauga who have ideas to cause terror in Toronto. They have gotten their ideas based on al-Qaeda's actions. In June 2006, a group of extremists from Mississauga planned on blowing up fertilizer based bombs in downtown Toronto and at an army base. Hundreds of people could have been killed in the blast. The bombs were trying to make Canadian politicians bring NATO forces out of Afghanistan. Many of their preparations were caught on tape, and the police had been surveying them for a month when they stormed in and caught them in the act. They had just received a shipment of ammonium nitrate fertilizer. Footage of what was going on was not released after it was shown at the hearing. The Globe and Mail had to ask for special permission for the tapes to be released for the public.

I think that it is ridiculous that this kind of thing is happening so close to us. That people only as far as Mississauga want to do create such chaos in Toronto is crazy. People these days see what is happening in other countries of the world, and try and recreate it. It is unfortunate that in this case it is trying to create chaos.

Storm in Philippines

          A huge flood has developed in the Philippines and 1.9 million people are inundated by weekend flooding. The toll is already at 284 deaths. The Typhoon Ketsana roared into Vietnam. The storm struck Manilla and other provinces near by on Saturday. The storm gathered strength across the South China Sea. 170 000 people were evacuated from where they thought it would hurt. The  National Disaster Coordination Council said that over 380 000 people have fled for shelter in schools, community centers and churches. Authorities are ordering extra police to be on the lookout for looting. People who's houses have been destroyed are looking for fresh water, food and clothing. The president of the Philippines' administration is still sensitive about the subject, this is due to the fact that they have sent aid, but it is not equivalent to what is needed yet. If the two other major storms which are on their way hit, they do not have enough workers to provide adequate support to the ones who's houses have been damaged. Ketsana dumped about a month worth of rain in 12 hours causing the worst flooding in the country in 40 years. Philippine authorities rescued more then 12, 000 people and are still not sure of the amount of deaths.

          The fact that in the 21st century people still have to go through things like this, is ridiculous. The government should have warned the people of the level of the storm so that at least they could have evacuated the cities rather then leave them there to wait for their fate. I think this is really the governments fault rather then anything. I hope that after this happens, the country will prepare for the worst, and this will never happen again.

From the G8 to the G20

          The G8 has been a collection of the most powerful nations in the world. The G8 includes: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, United Kingdom and the United States. This group of the strengths of the world have met once per year. The G20 would include many developing countries along with the original eight. The G20 would include: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, United Kingdom, and the United States. This group of 20 countries would meet and discuss the issues surrounding our planet. The most recent one being, Global Warning. The G20 will not replace the G8, but they will both occur.

        I believe that it is a very good idea to have to global meetings with different countries. I believe this because countries that are developing are still power houses of the world, and communicating global problems would not be complete without all the powerhouses of the world.

Heist in Sweden

          In Sweden yesterday a robbery occurred on a cash depot in Stockholm. The robbers broke into the cash depot through the roof with a helicopter. The scheme had obviously been purposely thought out. The police helicopters were not deployed because their was speculation that explosives had been placed at the hanger. They then flew away with literally bags of money. The cash depot is not certain how much yet, but they say it is quite a lot. The robbers jumped onto the roof of a building from the helicopter and smashed the windows to get in. The police say that there were staff inside the building, but that no one was injured. The police also say that the robbers used explosives during the heist. A witness said that he saw the helicopter hovering over a building for about 15 minutes while 2 people jumped off, then 15 minutes later he saw them hoisting up money into the helicopter and take off. The swat team were unable to use any flying vessels, so they desperately tried to batter down the doors. Police found a helicopter abandoned by a lake 25 kilometers outside the cash depot. The helicopter was apparently stolen. The Cash Depot was Britain's G4S.

         I think that the robbers of the Cash Depot were quite darring in their attempt to steal, and must have planned out everything very thoroughly. The fact that they have not been caught yet is astounding. As well as the fact that it only took three men, minor explosives, and a helicopter to rob a huge amount of money.

Iranian President Proud About Comment

        The President of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad stated that he is happy that his denial of the Holocaust enraged  the West. This leader is already controversial, and this does not get any points for him in the eyes of many. This was especially true since the President had called his trip a of "peace and friendship" to the United Nations. This statement was made after the Iranians were already in a dispute over their nuclear program. He heads to New York this week for the United Nations meeting. The Iranian President was quoted as saying, “The anger of the world's professional killers is (a source of) pride for us,” He said this when responding to a question that the official News station had asked him after he had doubted that the Holocaust was a "real event." This was directly shown towards United States, and Israel. This is not the first contradictorily statements that President Ahmadinejad has made. He has raised questions of the Holocaust many times, saying that it is being used as a pretext for Israel's formation, and the Israelis and Jews are trying to put the Nazis to shame at any instant possible. The United States and many others believe that the Iranians might be interested in Uranium, and possibly Nuclear weapons.

          I believe that President Ahmadinejad is a crazy man who should be put in jail, not put in to run a country. The fact that anyone can deny that the Holocaust never happened is ridiculous. As well, that the Iranian President wanted to tell everyone about Iran's mission of peace, and they might also have a nuclear weapons branch. I think that someone should take the iranian President, put him in jail, and put a respectable intelligent person in as President.

Arrest Made in Yale Student Murder

          Yesterday, Raymond Clark III was arrested for the murder of his lab partner Annie Le and stuffed her in the walls of the building. His bail was set at 3 million dollars, did not plea. So far it is unclear if there was a romantic relationship between the two. The crime was described as violence in the workplace rather then urban or university crime which is becoming a growing concern in the US. Raymond was found 40 kilometers north of Yale soon after being released from police questioning. Ms. Le was found dead in the basement wall of the building in which she was working as a medical researcher on the day she was supposed to marry her longtime boyfriend. Ms. Le is said to have died from traumatic asphyxiation. Raymond was followed by policemen to the Super 8 hotel where he was found. They had been staked out there. Early Thursday morning, police closed a perimeter around the hotel and made the arrest. Yale released a statement saying that the past employment history did not show anything abnormal. This crime could have happened anywhere in America, but it happened at one of the elite universities in the world.


          I think that Raymond Clark III is a sick human who deserves whichever punishment he is given. I think that this does effect Yale's reputation, although I wouldn't it to. I think that this is an example of violence in the workplace. Although he had not past reasons for this to happen, there was obviously something not right with Raymond. Has it come to the point where everyone is going to have to start getting insane tests wherever you work?

One dose is all you need

          The H1N1 virus is a virus which has already affected much of the world and is expected to make another run through Canada very soon. The results of this virus could include closing schools, and if it comes through hospitals, the effects could be astounding. The major problem of the vaccine being that it takes two injections a couple weeks apart for the vaccine  to take affect. The other problem being the price of the drug, which is very expensive. This was until, GlaxoSmithKline reports that they have created a vacine for the relatively new H1N1 virus which only takes one injection to work. The Canadian government has bought 50 million doses of the vaccine for this virus for anyone who wants, or needs it. If this vaccine were to pass the tests it is undergoing, Canada has a surplus of it. GlaxoSmithKline has reported that the tests are going well, but are not complete yet. The Canadian government has planned for a two dose regime. GlaxoSmithKline is conducting 15 more tests. Some say that no side effect has been found yet, others say that the same side effects that occur after the flu vaccine occur (muscle soreness, headache). If these test prove to be conclusive, Canada may be able to change their order, or donate the excess vaccines to third world countries.


          I think that if the vaccine does pass the tests, and only one vaccine is required, we should donate the rest of our vaccines to third world countries who need it. I think that Canada made the right decision in ordering such quantity of the vaccines as soon as possible and in the quantity that we did as to prepare for the worst case scenario. If the tests prove to conclude that only one vaccine is required, not only will this be good for Canada and fighting H1N1, but it will be good for saving people and  stopping the H1N1 crisis on a global scheme.