Congratulations on your unforgettable legacy, Blago.

Congratulations Illinois, 71.3% of the American population believe Illinois is the most corrupt state in the continental United States. 

The corruption scandal started when our governor, Rod Blagojevich decided it would be smart to start accepting bribes and offers for the vacant Senate seat left by Obama. He engaged in these activities even though he was under investigation for previous corruption charges and thus being closely observed by the FBI. He and his chief of staff, John Harris were arrested on December 11, 2008, and then they were released on bail. Harris was arrested because he is also charged with bribery and extortion schemes. Blagojevich has a total of six major charges filed against him. 

Since his arrest, Blagojevich has been constantly denying his involvement in these activities. However, multiple pieces of concrete evidence seem to prove him horribly wrong. For instance, the FBI has wiretap transcripts of his conversations with those who tried to buy off Obama's seat. According to a released segment of a transcript, he once told a potential buyer (of the Senate seat), "I've got this thing and it's golden, and uh, uh, I"m just not giving up for for nothing. I'm not gonna do it And I can always use it. I can parachute me there," and "I just want to make money." 

There is no doubt in any sane mind that Blagojevich is a foul-mouthed, dirty, and corrupt politician that doesn't deserve a position as governor. No matter how earnestly Blagoevich tries to deny his wrong-doings, how can he ignore the pile of evidence that says otherwise? He's not just corrupt, but I would argue that he's not extremely bright. 

Even if we can convince Blagojevich to step down as governor, he argues that he should still have to right to select the new governor. Obviously, most people are reluctant to listen to him because he can't be trusted anymore. Blago has dirty hands, and everyone he touches and endorses become tainted and untrustworthy as well. A better candidate is probably Pat Quinn, a Democrat who is well qualified and hasn't spoken with the governor since the summer of 2007. 

Honestly, I think we all have had enough of Blago's games. Every time he opens his mouth and denies his actions, he looks even more ignorant and dumb, just exacerbating his bad image of Illinois that he has dealt upon us. It's time for him to take accountability for his mistakes, instead of generating bad excuses or lying. It's time for him to go. It's as simple as that. 

Psystar vs. Apple

If your unaware about the legal battle between Psystar and Apple let me inform you. The case revolves around the fact that Psystar used Apples operating system on their own custom made computers without asking Apple. "Apple claims that Psystar originally tried to claim that Apple's EULA, which stipulates that Mac OS X can only be installed on Apple-made hardware, was invalid." After a judge ruled against that claim Psystar claimed that Apple misused its copyright even though Psystars claims don't agree with other rulings on copyright misuse.

Psystar further defends its position by saying that it bought multiple copies of OSX legitimately from Apple. Therefore they say that they satisfied the first sale doctrine. The first sale doctrine states that the purchaser can transfer a copyrighted work without permission from the developer once they bought it. It also states that no more copies can be made once the original one is received. However the claim ignores how installing the software makes a copy onto the computer. In that case Apple has the right to make sure that software is copied in a certain way. However it works out, the deadline for working it out before heading to court is in february. In the end if the judge rules in favor of Psystar it will have far reaching effects for the software world.

In my opinion I think that Psystar should be given the chance to market their product in small numbers without Apple warranties in order to see if people would buy the computers. If it is shown that people would buy it then Apple could impose a royalty on every computer sold in order to make money. Of course Apple may not want to do this because if they do then the appeal of a Mac being just a Mac can fall and the actual market share of Apple itself will fall as these Mac clones can be sold for a lot less money. In general Psystar is both a good and bad thing for Apple and consumers. For Apple it can be good as it would expand the use of their software relative to windows. However it can be bad for Apple as it would lose exclusivity and quality of support may fall. For consumers it would almost be a win-win situation as they would get Apple quality software for a much cheaper price along with performance upgrades as well. In the end it may come down to a matter of time as Apple has an overwhelming legal and financial advantage over Psystar.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average breaks and closes below 8000 for the first time in 5 years. U.S. stocks thudded sharply lower on Wednesday to finish at more than five-years lows, its lowest close since March 31, 2003. Financial powerhouse Citigroup Inc. pummeled by its greatest ever one-day percentage drop, falling 23.4% to end at $6.40, its largest one-session decline since the market collapse on Oct. 19, 1987, as fears intensified about its fate as well as the U.S. auto industry. "It's a combination of comments from [Fed Chairman Ben] Bernanke and [Treasury Secretary Hank] Paulson that has us on pins and needles. Everything is hinging on what happens with the General Motors bailout" said Art Hogan, chief market strategist at Wall Street firm, Jefferies & Co. A day after the Big Three auto makers CEOs went begging on Capitol Hill, there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of confidence that will be enough. Shares of GM (General Motors Corp.) closed at $2.79, the lowest close since 1942 over 60 years ago. Equities remained solidly lower after the release of the minutes from the last Federal Open Market Committee meeting. Volume on the New York Stock Exchange topped 1.6 billion, and for every stock on the rise, more than 15 fare falling. When will the market stop going down? People have never been so curious about a subject in their life. After today’s close at 7,997 it has lost almost 50% its value. Some people claim the money they invested in the markets 10 years ago has now been wiped out. Leaving them out on money and lost. Historically, on average, the markets give you a 10% return yearly. Every headline we see lately reminds us that our economy is in a world of hurt. Picking up the newspaper or tuning in to the nightly news all you see is flash….Dow drops 200, 500, 700 points. The next day there may be some relief ….but only for a moment. The Dow has its biggest one day advance in history up 960+ points, only to give it all up by the end of the week. The most important reason why people are worried, is that they are losing value on things that were very overvalued so what is the true value is the big question? We listen to our parents talk about people losing their jobs, homes, and retirement accounts. In consumer Ed I learned that what used to be 401K’s are now 201K’s, (that’s financial speak for a yearly savings program you can contribute to for your future retirement years). For kids that are planning on going to college next fall and that counted on student loans, well... they could have a tough time. Banks are not real comfortable lending money out to consumers for college, autos or any type of loans. There is no trust going on between banks and people looking for loans. I guess the bottom line to all this is, live within your means, save money when you can and be somewhat conservative.
Sources: Marketwatch.com
Istockanalyst.com

I Want My Kidney Back

Typically in a divorce, both parties may desire to receive something after the divorce is final, such as money or sole possession of their children. Then there's Dr. Richard Batista. He wants his kidney back.

On June 18, 2001, Richard Batista donated his kidney to his wife Dawnell after she had two failed transplants. Richard Batista says that this period of time his marriage "was on the rocks because of the strain of his wife’s medical issues". Supposedly within 18 months to 2 years after the transplant, his wife began to have an affair. Subsequently, his wife filed for a divorce in July 2005. Richard Batista claims that his wife prevented him from seeing his children. Yet instead of asking for sole custody of their three children (ages 14, 11, and 8), Richard Batista wants his kidney or its estimated value of $1.5 million. He described the day after his wife's surgery as "It was unbelievable; I was walking on a cloud. To this day I would still do it again," despite making this into a public case. If he would "still do it again", why does he want the organ back? An organ that he donated as a gift of life to his wife? There is something wrong with this logic.
But the real question is: Is it possible for him to get back his kidney? In this article, two medical ethicists Arthur Caplan and Robert Veatch made some key statements in regards to this case.
1. It is illegal to exchange an organ for something of value. In the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act of 1987 it states that "Federal law expressly prohibits the sale of human tissue with the exception of blood, sperm, or human eggs"
2. Donating an organ is a gift and it is illegal to ask for something back once you have given it.
3. Finally, the most important part, she was given this kidney in order to save her life. So by taking it out, she would have to go on dialysis or she would die. Therefore, no surgeons would actually perform this operation and no court would allow it.
There are clearly two sides to this. There is the heartbroken man that lost his wife to an affair and is allegedly unable to see his children AFTER donating his kidney to his wife so that she can live a normal life. All he wants is compensation for the troubles that he is going through. Perhaps it really is not the kidney that he wants, aware that she would never give it back for fear of death. Maybe he just wants the money as something to end all ties, to feel as though he is getting something out of all the hurt he has been through. But then there is what Michael K. believes on his blog. Although definitely vulgar in language, I have to agree with his point of view. He quoted Dr. Richard Batista and how there is "no deeper pain than getting betrayed by the person you devoted your life to". Okay, you saved her life, she cheated on you, affairs are bad. Understood. Then Michael wrote "Yes, and the pain she will suffer from losing a kidney will be totally bearable. All she has to do is pop a Tylenol, put a warm compress on her back and walk it off." That is the main point of this case. How in the world does Richard Batista think that this will end? What if she actually decides to get that kidney removed? Will he stick it back in his body? Give it its own shelf in his house? "Hey kids, look! That's my kidney, I gave it to your mother, then I made a big fuss over it and got it back! Pretty, right?" Overall, this will end in Dr. Richard Batista getting a bad reputation, getting laughed at in court and his wife enjoying life with his kidney. As it should end.

Illinois House impeaches Gov. Rod Blagojevich who calls move political, promises to fight on

This Friday Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich was impeached by a vote of 114-1 in the Illinois House. This vote has come only after about of month of Blagojevich being arrested on charges of trying to sell our now President Barack Obama's senate seat. Blagojevich has simply stated that he was a victim and that he will continue "to fight on every step of the way". He is the first governor that has ever been impeached in Illinois and he is now waiting for the Senate trial which will take place on Jan. 26th. Representatives from the Illinois House have already stated that they are shamed to have elected him just for him to disgrace them. Furthermore, Blagojevich had not even tried to defend himself for the issues of his arrest, therefore, causing for the representatives to feel even more shame in him. After the news conference was over Blagojevich defied the entire political establishment by appointing former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris to the senate seat. However, due to Sen. Dic Durban's words the Senate will not accept Burris without the signature necessary.

With the vote of impeachment being so overpowering I believe that this clearly states that Blagojevich is guilty of crimes. While Blagojevich claims that his actions were to fight for the families, I believe that the families that he is supposedly fighting for would disagree. Even if he has not committed a crime he has already let down all those who have elected him into that office. Thus i think he should do the right thing of resigning from his job before he is further humiliated however, nothing will be for sure until the vote from the senate and I am interested to see what the end result turns out to be.

Angry People Against the Law

Have you ever thought that certain laws you have to abide were stupid? Ever considered that the drinking age should be lower than 21? That the legal age of giving consent should be lower than 17 in Illinois? There are people every day who gripe about having to follow laws that they're opposed to, but think about it: wouldn't you rather be banned from drinking until you turn 21 rather than not being allowed to imitate an animal?

I was looking up interesting laws throughout the United States and I came across this website, which was laying out a few ridiculous laws that are spread through our country. Would you ever have thought that:

1. In California, they've made it illegal for a woman to drive a car while wearing a housecoat.

2. In Alaska, it's against the law to look at a moose from an airplane.

3. In Corpus Christi, a city in Texas, it's against the law to raise alligators in your home.

4. Here in Illinois, there is an actual law stating that a car must be driven with a steering wheel.

5. Also in Texas, it is illegal to own a pair of pliers.

But after looking at these laws, another thought comes to mind. How many people do you think have been fined or arrested for doing this illegal acts? How many people in Texas own a pair of pliers and haven't been caught? The law maintains justice in our lives and country, but when it comes to serious laws as opposed to silly ones - like the five I listed just above - how effective are they?

This website made me think about the laws we have against the use of drugs - one drug for example: marijuana. So many people illegally use marijuana, and we all know it. But if marijuana can be used for medicinal purposes, then why not legalize it? If we were to legalize marijuana, we could begin to market it and sell it and dramatically decrease the number of people put into jails for breaking this law. We learned that banning something doesn't stop it from being used - see the prohibition from the 1920's, when alcohol was illegal. We've grown since then and legalized alcohol (at a certain age). Why not do the same for marijuana?

People are angry at laws, it's just a fact. But we can only hope that with some time and some change, we'll have an extremely effective law system that provides justice for all.

Apple Gives iTunes 3-tiered Pricing

According to the article “Apple gives iTunes 3-tiered pricing” found in the business section of the Chicago Tribune, Apple’s iTunes music store has decided to change the prices of the songs they sell. Originally, every song cost a constant .99 cents, no matter how old, new or popular the song was. Now, in the new iTunes pricing system, songs will cost 69 cents, 99 cents, or $1.29 each, depending on the song’s popularity. Senior Vice President Philip Schiller announced this new system at the Macworld conference. Another change that Apple is making is that its entire music catalog (8 million songs currently and 2 million more by the end of March) will be available in versions that are striped of anti-copying software. That means that when you buy those songs off iTunes there’s no longer a limit to the type of digital media players you can transfer music with or the number of times you can burn a playlist to a CD. The old system restricted users from transferring downloaded music and videos to a certain number of computers and made listening to iTunes on non-Apple devices problematic. Apple decided to fix these restrictions and ITunes users now have the option of upgrading their old songs to this new format for 30 cents a song or 30% of the cost of an album.
In my opinion from the business perspective, this was a great decision for iTunes to make. They will increase their profit by raising the prices of popular songs because it’s more likely for people to buy the newest songs than random old songs. Also, transferring all the songs to a format that has fewer restrictions is better for consumers and they will also make a profit by offering the upgrade. Overall, Apple will most likely make a huge profit from this change in their business. On the other hand, however, as a consumer the new prices are frustrating. iTunes has always had a standard price for songs; 99 cents. It was easy and quick access to music and the prices were reliable. Now that the newest songs are more expensive, I predict that more people will turn to illegal free downloading (ex. Limewire) to avoid the extra cost.

Bernard Madoff "Ponzi Scheme"

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081212/bs_nm/us_madoff_arrest

The Famous founder of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC. and former chairman of NASDAQ was charged with securities fraud on Thursday, December 11. The once highly respected Madoff lost around $50 billion dollars in a big pyramid "Ponzi Scheme," which is believed to have started in 2005. Basically, what this means is that Madoff took money from investors and lost that money through bad investments. He then lied to his investors and told them that he was getting 10% or 15% returns on these investment, although he was losing a lot of that money, which he kept in hedge funds. He then used money from new investors to pay the old investors whose money he already lost. Madoff paid investors money that wasn't his. This created a pyramid affect, which over time grew to an estimated $50 billion dollars in losses. When many people began questioning his methods, Madoff confessed that he was lying about the returns he was telling his clients about and unveiled his entire scheme. Many big companies invested in him, which lost millions of dollars. Many of them went out of business. Some people lost their entire life savings and their lives are forever changed. Madoff is now charged with a security fraud and when found guilty he will spend up to 20 years in jail with a $5,000,000 fine. The disgraced 70 year old investor paid a $10,000,000 bond and he now spends his time in his Manhattan apartment under high security. The Securities Exchange Commission is working on at least partially compensating all of them victims of this scheme, which may take a long time. Each can get up to $500,000 from a special reserve.

In my opinion this was nothing but a desperate act by a desperate man, who hid under his impressive resume to take people's money. He made a few bad investments and tried to cover them up. I think that's incredibly stupid for a man that is known to have a brilliant financial mind. It was an accident waiting to be uncovered, with absolutely no way to be fixed.

How Do You Steal $50 Billion Dollars?- video
US Financier Bernard Madoff Admits 50 Billion Dollar Fraud- video

The Dow Jones Industrial Average breaks and closes below 8000 for the first time in 5 years.U.S. stocks thudded sharply lower on Wednesday to finish at more than five-years lows, its lowest close since March 31, 2003. Financial powerhouse Citigroup Inc. pummeled by its greatest ever one-day percentage drop, falling 23.4% to end at $6.40, its largest one-session decline since the market collapse on Oct. 19, 1987, as fears intensified about its fate as well as the U.S. auto industry. "It's a combination of comments from [Fed Chairman Ben] Bernanke and [Treasury Secretary Hank] Paulson that has us on pins and needles. Everything is hinging on what happens with the General Motors bailout" said Art Hogan, chief market strategist at Wall Street firm, Jefferies & Co. A day after the Big Three auto makers CEOs went begging on Capitol Hill, there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of confidence that will be enough. Shares of GM (General Motors Corp.) closed at $2.79, the lowest close since 1942 over 60 years ago. Equities remained solidly lower after the release of the minutes from the last Federal Open Market Committee meeting. Volume on the New York Stock Exchange topped 1.6 billion, and for every stock on the rise, more than 15 fare falling.When will the market stop going down? People have never been so curious about a subject in their life. After today’s close at 7,997 it has lost almost 50% its value. Some people claim the money they invested in the markets 10 years ago has now been wiped out. Leaving them out on money and lost. Historically, on average, the markets give you a 10% return yearly. Every headline we see lately reminds us that our economy is in a world of hurt. Picking up the newspaper or tuning in to the nightly news all you see is flash….Dow drops 200, 500, 700 points. The next day there may be some relief ….but only for a moment. The Dow has its biggest one day advance in history up 960+ points, only to give it all up by the end of the week. The most important reason why people are worried, is that they are losing value on things that were very overvalued so what is the true value is the big question? We listen to our parents talk about people losing their jobs, homes, and retirement accounts. In consumer Ed I learned that what used to be 401K’s are now 201K’s, (that’s financial speak for a yearly savings program you can contribute to for your future retirement years). For kids that are planning on going to college next fall and that counted on student loans, well... they could have a tough time. Banks are not real comfortable lending money out to consumers for college, autos or any type of loans. There is no trust going on between banks and people looking for loans. I guess the bottom line to all this is, live within your means, save money when you can and be somewhat conservative.
Sources: http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/us-stocks-down-early-action/story.aspx?guid=%7B23B672FE-7FCB-4F99-A066-8191B9B77C16%7D&print=true&dist=printMidSection
https://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews/articleid/2820214

Too Much TV and Computer for Kids is Never Good

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090107/hl_nm/us_computer_kids
Researchers from Australia have recently found out that kids who use the TV and computer more than 2 hours a day have less endurance than kids who use these less. This study was used on 2,750 11-15 year-old students in Australia only, but certainly can be compared to American children as well. The researchers tested the children on a few basic running/fitness tests that all involved using their endurance. The researchers state this is clear-cut evidence and is certainly very accurate. The only difference is the 15 year old boys who are taller and have more muscle mass. This could very well prove that if you're a boy who is 15 years old or older than this study does not apply to you and your fitness could very well be good or bad in ways undetermined. The AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) agrees with the researchers' statements and tests.

I personally believe that these tests and results are accurate to a certain extent. I believe that too much TV and computer is bad for the health of children, but I have to disagree with the 2 hours part. I believe that this is too little and that children spend sometimes watching an entire football game or baseball game and those are almost always about 3 hours. There are games on almost every day if a child enjoys every sport or most sports. This for me is false and I'm confused on if this part is really true or not. I've met many kids in my life and I once was a kid too. Kids watch way more than 2 hours a day on average and they're still very active and healthy and their endurances are the same as others. I think people/researchers should focus more on getting kids more exercise in general and eating and drinking less and healthier foods and drinks. This too me is more important than just the amount of TV and computer time. While I agree that this research is mostly true, I wish people could focus on more important researches and realize that almost every child watches more than 2 hours of TV or uses the computer on average.
Video Example:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yj5OSAx2mhI

Russia Stops Supplying Gas to European Countries

On January 1, 2009, Russia stopped gas flow to the Ukraine. Not only is this affecting the Ukraine, it is affecting a lot more countries in between them. Slovakia, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Romania, and even Turkey and Greece are some that are being affected. Romania's pipeline operator said the gas has been cut by 75 percent. Gas flow the Ukraine has stopped by nearly 60 percent

Russia was warned that by doing this it would affect the rest of Europe. They're reasoning for doing this was that Ukraine hasn't paid a debt since 2005 and Russia is no longer giving something Ukraine wont pay for. Martin Riman, a Czech industry trade minister said, "The situation changed very dramatically. The amount of gas transported from Russia to Ukraine decreased and the situation of the Slovakian border is getting worse." By stopping gas flow, Russia has broken agreements and is making the European Union question Russia as a good energy supply country anymore.

I dont think Russia is fully thinking about what they are doing. they are 100% just cutting off gas and it is going to cause a lot more harm than they think. Gas is needed for heat as well and these countries were already in trouble because of the cold weather before the gas was cut off. It is also affecting countries they have no problems with. I don't understand how they think this is just affecting the Ukraine. They're gas lines go across plenty of other countries and it is hurting them. This is just another example of a very drastic action that will hurt more than it means to. They should re think what they are doing and take time to decide how to get they're money from Ukraine without hurting anyone else.

No big plan's for New Years

New Year's Eve parties are not what they used to be. The City's Hotel's, nightclubs, and restaurants we're less than full on New Years and remained hungry for guests all night. Although that didn't apply to many of the city's flashiest parties, the tickets to those festivities we're 30-40% less expensive than last years. Tables, rooms and dancefloors remain empty on New Years 2008.

In my opinion I think the downfall of the ecnonomy is a huge learning experience. People that used to waste there money away on things that aren't necessary for their health or safety, and only feed into their luxury needs, are having a hard time adjusting to the new times. Vangie Baga-Reyes wrote on article for Inquirer called "Tough times force families to cut back on expenses. he states that "Every weekend Chelyn Santos and husband Arnold would treat their three young children to the mall, capping the day with a meal at a fast-food chain.
That was a year ago. Now, as tough times set in and belts are tightened, the family barely goes out to eat. The weekly "spree" has become a once-a-month occasion—only during the couple’s payday." Learning to use your money wisely and keeping necessities as your first priority isn't always easy for people with boatloads of money. In times like this, however, is when they wish they didn't spend 300 dollars on admissions to a new years party downtown. Although this article shows how people are cutting back and keeping their budget in line, for those who are used to the glitz and glam life are struggling with living their old life while also trying to make ends meet.

Although it is hard to see some results of the economic downturn, it is life and people are going to need to make changes in their business. They need to have their prices appeal to the people so that they are willing to pay. Other hotels, nightclubs and restaurants are lowering party prices and creating evening packages to try to lure guests in. Cyrano's Bistrot & Wine Bar brought it's menu down by $10, and now is it "pretty much sold out," said Didier Durand, chef and owner. The main reason is that large groups of friends are going back on their word of party plans, either because of lost jobs or they're tight on cash. Until the economy get's back on it's feet, expenditure outings will have to be cut off.

Sources: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080923-162315/Tough-times-force-families-to-cut-back-on-expenses

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-wed-new-years-eve-recession-dec31,0,3441566.story

It was supposed to be one of the best days of Jennifer and John Davis' lives, they were giving birth to their new baby girl. They were on the highway on the way to the hospital during rush hour. Because of their emergency John Davis pulled into the breakdown lane, to avoid traffic and reach the hospital. On the way they got pulled over by two state troopers who told them to proceed carefully. Although they understood, the third state trooper wasn't as caring. In this video shows the couple expressing how they feel about the whole event. Other blogs have been discussing this, and most people this it is unfair. When the third state trooper pulled them over, he made them wait while he wrote another vehicle and ticket. When he came back to the car he asked Mrs.Davis to show him her stomach to prove she was truly pregnant. After showing the state trooper her pregnant belly, he let them go and said they were going to receive their ticket in the mail. When they reached the hospital they finally gave birth to their baby girl Charlotte Jane. They were excited to bring home their new member of the family and received their ticket for $100 in the mail a few weeks later.

I think that the officer should have let them continue to the hospital. Officers aren't just supposed to give tickets with power, but also with compassion. They should understand it is important to get to the hospital. I especially think it's wrong that they got a ticket even after other police men let them continue. Also I think it was very uncalled for to ask Mrs. Davis to show her pregnant belly, that is rude and disrespectful.