Dikembe Mutombo's Life in 2013

Everyone knows the shot-blocking sensation Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo as a pretty good basketball player. He was the man who saved the world for Old Spice in 2012. Now he is on to bigger and better things by returning to the NBA. He will be forty-seven years old in 2013; that won't stop him from making a difference on a bad team. The Milwaukee Bucks will sign him to a max contract for 7.4 years earning $10,000 for every block each year. The Bucks will have the two best shot-blockers in the NBA (Larry Sanders and Dikembe Mutombo). With those two players and Monta Ellis chucking three pointers the Bucks will make a run at the championship this year. Ilyasova will make NBA history for being the highest paid sixth man of the year. Mutombo will finger wag at Andrew Bynum in the season opener after his 17th block of the game and Bynum will bite his finger off like Mike Tyson.  Despite the injury, Mutombo will earn Comeback Player of the Year, Humanitarian of the Year, Most Valuable Player, and Defensive Player of the Year.  After 2013, Mutombo will end his historical run and blow out all ligaments in his knees and then the Bucks will give him a signing bonus for being injured.

Navy SEAL Killed on Rescue Mission

In Kabul, Afghanistan, there was a rescue mission for doctor Dilip Joseph. SEAL Team Six led the mission (they were the team that killed Bin Laden). The mission was to recover a doctor part of a nonprofit agency, his two assistants were rescued eleven hours before him. One of the Navy SEAL members died on the mission. The only information released about the members death is that he was shot and killed because of the confidentiality of the Navy SEALS. The doctor was believed to be in serious danger and that is why they sent in the highest level of SEALS to rescue him. When the doctor was abducted he was driving and then a group of armed men stopped them. The group of doctors gained support from the locals to release them.


http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/09/world/asia/afghanistan-taliban-rescue/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

NFL Player Kills Girlfriend then Himself

   Jovan Belcher was one of the ultimate success stories in the NFL today. Belcher was a high school wrestling and football star from West Babylon High School in New York. In wrestling he was an All-American wrestler; this sparked interest from the University of Maine. He started every game for the team all 4 years and earned a degree in child development. This school is not considered a NFL prepping college and Belcher was not even drafted by a team in 2009. The Kansas City Chiefs were interested and gave him a chance with no guarantees. The 6-foot-2, 230 pound linebacker didn't disappoint his rookie season, he led the team with 17 special-teams tackles. Belcher showed promise and started 44 of the 59 games he played in his career. His teammates loved him and admired his hardwork and determination. There was a dark side to Belcher that not many people knew however. Allegedly Belcher shot his girlfriend several times at their home, while their 3 month old baby was there. He then drove 20 minutes to Arrowhead stadium to talk to the coaches. Belcher had a handgun in his hand and ended his own life in front of several coaches; which possibly included his Head Coach and General Manager. Belcher's brain will be examined for any abnormalities and the NFL/Police will investigate if anyone knew anything else about Belcher. The Chiefs played their home game against the Panthers on Sunday and beat them for their 2nd win of the season.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/01/sport/football/nfl-chiefs-shooting/index.html?hpt=us_c2

Bombing in Syria kills 10 children

  At a playground in Syria cluster bombs were dropped by Syrian government warplanes. Supposedly, this is in retaliation for rebel forces taking over a military airport. The children were not specific targets of the bombing, but they were the victims. This is just another part of the Syrian civil war over the last year and a half. There have been over forty thousand civilian deaths since the war has started. While, three hundred eighty thousand people have fled the war-torn country seeking shelter. Syria's war has spilled into nearby countries like Turkey; which could lead into a larger conflict. Turkey is requesting missile support to defend their area. The Syrians need to settle their problems or there could be huge consequences for the world.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/26/world/meast/syria-civil-war/index.html?hpt=hp_t4

Relief from Sandy comes with Food

Hurricane Sandy victims are getting support from a variety of people in restaurants. A Boston pizza chain Otto Pizza delivered 5,000 slices of pizza and water to Howard Beach. Before the storm victims received the pizza, they were warmed up on grills. The co-owner said "we can't rebuild houses, but we can, at least, feed a few thousand people some hot pizza." Italian restaurant Marea sent 900 sandwiches and brownies to the Rockaways. The sandwiches had turkey and provolone on them. There were numerous other restaurants that brought food to the Hurricane Sandy devastated area. Besides the food donations, restaurants raised thousands of dollars also.

http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2012/11/12/5000-pizzas-and-1000-pork-sliders-superstorm-sandy-food-relief-by-the-numbers/?hpt=hp_t3

Suspended Player could win award

The San Francisco Giant's slugger Melky Cabrera is serving a huge suspension in the MLB. The suspension is for using Performance Enhancing Drugs to improve. Obviously this is illegal in the MLB and he got a punishment equivalent to the rule breaking. He was having a breakout year this year and he was nominated to be a heart and hustle winner. This would be a bad public image for the player and the team. He lied about cheating and he shouldn't be allowed to win the award. The only reason was nominated is because they were announced in July and his suspension began in August. The fan vote accounts for only 5% of the vote, so he probably won't be winning any awards soon.\



 http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/melky-cabrera-heart-hustle-winner-193009117--mlb.html

The "Other" Storm

With all the coverage of Hurricane Sandy, people haven't heard about tropical storm Son-Tinh. The storm is effecting Southeast Asia. The storm wind speeds  have reached 83 miles per hour. There has also been torrential rain on the area which has led to small flooding. 1,300 rescue workers have been deployed to help deal with the storm damages. The storm destroyed some buildings by tearing off the roofs and flooding in the buildings. 30 people have been found dead due to the intense storms. There was a water rescue involving a helicopter with people on an oil rig. Send prayers out to these people in Asia and the East Coast

http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/29/world/asia/vietnam-tropical-storm/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

Beef Recall

The United States Food Safety and Inspection Service issued a beef recall in two different states, Hawaii and Utah. The recall was issued from possible E. Coli contamination. E. Coli is a deadly bacteria that causes some gnarly symptoms. The symptoms include bloody diarrhea, dehydration,  and in the worst cases kidney failure. Children, seniors, and weak immune systems are most at risk to this illness. There was 2,310 pounds recalled from Utah and 4,100 pounds recalled from Hawaii. No one has been reported becoming sick. Don't worry the beef recall won't effect the One Day Meat Sale on Friday at the Piggly Wiggly in Sister Bay!

 http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2012/10/23/multi-state-beef-recall-tied-to-potential-e-coli-contamination/?hpt=ea_mid&hpt=hp_t3

Sketchy Drugs Made in Mass. Facility

In Massachusetts there has been an outbreak of deadly fungal tendinitis caused by an injected steroid. The steroid was contaminated  in the New England Compounding Center. The fungal meningitis has been linked to fifteen deaths so far. The disease isn't contagious and is spread only by the injection of the tainted steroid methylprednisolone acetate. The Center for Disease Control estimated that 14,000 with this kind of steroid last week. They aren't exactly sure how many people were injected with the contaminated steroid. There are about 200+ reported cases of the fungal meningitis cases. The usual symptoms are headaches, fever, nausea, stiffness of neck, confusion, dizziness, and discomfort from bright lights. The deadly symptoms are blood clots or small strokes.

 http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/15/health/meningitis-outbreak-duplicate-2/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

Gas Prices Soar... (Again)

 In California gas prices has hit a new record of $4.67 a gallon. In one week the prices went up 50 cents. Prices have risen sharply because it costs extra money to make the summer blend which is cleaner for the environment. The summer heat causes more smog with gas emissions. On September 15th, most of the country started making the cheaper winter blend of gasoline. In California however, there is a higher average temperature and stricter air pollution standards so they start making winter gasoline 6 weeks later. With the summer gasoline still being used there is a shortage which caused a spike in the prices. Also, refineries and gas stations don't want the summer gasoline in their inventories. Gas prices will probably top off at $4.75 a gallon before they start the winter gasoline production.

http://money.cnn.com/2012/10/08/news/economy/california-gas-prices/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

NFL Coach Diagnosed with Leukemia

The head coach of the Indianapolis Colts Chuck Pagano has been diagnosed with leukemia.  There is a high chance that the leukemia is treatable. According to the National Cancer Institute, acute promyelocytic leukemia is an aggressive type of acute myeloid leukemia in which there are too many immature blood-forming cells in the blood and bone marrow. There is a 90% survival rate with patients that have no other prior diseases and go through certain treatments. The coach will have to take a leave of absence from coaching for the time being. The owner is 100% supportive of the coach's recovery. In the mean time the Head Coach will seek treatment from professional doctors and the Offensive Coordinator will be the interim Head Coach.

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/10/01/colts-owner-head-coach-chucak-pagano-diagnosed-with-leukemia/?hpt=hp_t3

Police Fatally Shoot Double-Amputee

In Houston, Texas there was a 911 call to a group home for the mentally ill. Brian Claunch is in a wheelchair because of a train accident which resulted in both of his legs being amputated.  The police responded to the scene because the schizophrenia-ridden Claunch was being aggressive because someone wouldn't give him cigarettes. The patient apparently had a dangerous weapon clutched in his hand which turned out to be just a pen. According to a police report the patient cornered an officer and thus the other officer shot the patient in the head out of fear. He was pronounced dead immediately at the scene.


http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/23/us/texas-amputee-shooting/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

iPhone Sets Record (Again)

Another iPhone is setting sales records. On the first day there were 2 million pre-order sales doubling last year's record by the iPhone 4S. The majority of deliveries should be made by September 21st but the demand is so high that some will be delivered in October. The new iPhone is the thinnest and lightest iPhone ever! It has a new Retina display and faster wireless technology. Also, the battery life is also vastly improved and it has a new operating system which runs quicker and more efficient. The actual release date for the iPhone is Friday September 21st. The retail price ranges from $199 (16gb); $299 (32 gb); and $399 (64gb). Look for the iPhone in one of the 356 Apple stores across the U.S.A.

http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2012/09/17/iphone-5-sets-a-sales-record/?hpt=hp_t3
http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2012/09/17iPhone-5-Pre-Orders-Top-Two-Million-in-First-24-Hours.html

Sign of the Apocalypse

When I was a child my favorite toy was a Gameboy advance, in the future tablets will rule the world. Toys R Us is making a 7 inch tablet for kids only available in store or online! It has a respectable price at $150. It will be kid friendly which includes a rubbery case on the outside that will protect it from drops. Parents can also control the Wi-Fi connection settings and what time the kids can use it. The tablet will have plenty of pre-loaded content aimed towards kids with thousands more available for later download. The release date is slated for October 21 with pre-orders starting this Monday.

http://money.cnn.com/2012/09/10/technology/toys-r-us-tablet-kids/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

7.6 Magnitude Quake Kills 1 Person

On Wednesday September 5th 2012 there was a 7.6 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Costa Rica. The quake was about 87 miles away from Costa Rica's capital. Even though it was a fairly strong earthquake it only killed a woman in her 50s from a heart attack because of the shock. The earthquake was strong enough for tsunami warnings for several warnings but they ceased. The main damage was to the emotional and mental health of the people of Costa Rica. There was also some structural damage to nearby cities including a collapsed bridge. Scientists were predicting a large earthquake in this area for the last several years but they haven't determined if this was the earthquake or not.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/05/world/americas/costa-rica-earthquake/index.html?hpt=hp_t3