Carl Crossman » News

Defusing the past

Carl — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:19:52 +0000

In the Rhine river of Germany, a remnant of the past lay waiting to destroy the future. A 1.8 ton British bomb that had been dropped in World War 2 lay unexploded. This caused a risk to all the citizens of Koblenz, a city in Western Germany. It was successfully defused on Sunday by a team of experts.

The discovery was due to low water levels in the Rhine due to a lack of rain. The finding of the bomb led to an evacuation of nearly 45,000 citizens who left their homes early Sunday morning while the bomb was dismantled. Everyone is now back in their homes and feeling a little better about the future.

Freedom of religion

Carl — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 19:58:42 +0000

The current governor of Texas is Rick Perry. He has managed to make some people mad by proposing a Christian prayer event at Houston’s Reliant Stadium on August 6th. A group of people have protested the event saying that it has violated the First Amendment. The group is filing a suit to stop the event.

Perry maintains that he has every right to organize the event and plans to go ahead as scheduled. He says that Americans have the right to assemble even if it’s for a religious event. We will have to see what the result from the court is to tell the end of this story.

Betty Ford

Carl — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 22:45:56 +0000

The world was saddened to hear that former first lady Betty Ford died Friday. Mrs. Ford was well known for her role in bringing women’s issues to the forefront during her reign as first lady. She is also well known for opening the Betty Ford Center for substance abuse and all her work on the issue of abuse and treatment.

Mrs. Ford will be buried with her husband Gerald Ford at his presidential museum in Grand Rapids Michigan. The funeral will be attended by several notable people including former fist ladies Rosalynn Carter, Nancy Reagan, and Hillary Clinton.

Our Galaxy

Carl — Wed, 18 May 2011 22:19:58 +0000

For centuries, we humans have been fascinated with the stars, the planet and our galaxy. The space program has been a wonderful advancement for mankind, with men on the moon, satellites orbiting earth and the space shuttle.

Today I read about a new discovery published by scientists in a trade magazine called, Nature. They have found 10 Jupiter-sized objects that they are calling rogue planets because they cannot connect the planets to any solar system. They are just free floating in our galaxy instead of orbiting a star.

This is fascinating to me and I have a ton of questions. I hope to get a copy of the full article so I can read more or find contact information of someone with enough firsthand knowledge to answer my questions.

Crazy Rain and Storms Here

Carl — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 23:30:52 +0000

This must be the year of extreme weather for my part of the country. The winter was harsh, but it looks like spring is going to be even rougher.

We have had rain every 2 or 3 days for the past two months. Not just light spring rain, but vicious storms with wind and sometimes hail. I have to start wondering about that ozne layer and if we are just seeing the start of a century of extreme weather?

Gulf spill report

Carl — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 21:44:29 +0000

The giant oil company BP has come out with numerous reports saying that the oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico has dissipated. They say that time and microbes have eaten away the oil and that underwater life will return to normal soon. The problem is that some scientists don’t agree with that theory at all.

Samantha Joye is a marine scientist with the University of Georgia. She has studied the gulf in-depth and says the oil has not degraded to the extent that is suitable. Marine life has not recovered in large areas of the gulf and there are signs that the impact of the spill will last for years to come.

More budget woes

Carl — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 16:43:37 +0000

New reports have come out saying that the federal budget ran a deficit of $80 million dollars for the month of December. While this number is down from last December, it is still worrying for many economists. The total deficit is projected to be around $1.3 trillion dollars for the coming year.

The deficit is staggering and has many worried that the financial security of the U.S. is in danger. Efforts to close the gap have largely failed and there seems to be no end in sight. The economy is slightly improving though and some hold out hope that this will improve the situation. I sure hope it does.

American Hero.

Carl — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 01:41:21 +0000

One little known American hero is named Oliver Hazard Perry. He was the hero of the battle of Lake Erie against the British. His mantra was “Don’t give up the ship” that remains the standard of the U.S. Navy today. The problem was that his ship was wrecked and sunk when he hit a reef off the coast of Westerly.

The remains of the ship have finally been found. By two divers named Charles Buffin and Craig Harger. The divers have found numerous cannons as well as metal objects, shot, and an anchor. I herald this discovery as a great piece of American history has been brought back to life.

What the Heck???

Carl — Sat, 25 Dec 2010 23:17:40 +0000

I must say that I was very incredulous when I heard the T.V. evangelist Pat Robertson told his “700 Club” that the penalties for marijuana possession were to harsh. Pat made the statement on air to his audience. He said that treating offenders would be a better option.

Some people claim that he was endorsing the legalization of pot but his spokesmen denied the claim. He was simply saying that using pot was wrong but that spending years in jail was not correct. I believe we will have to wait for further clarification on the issue.

Eclipse

Carl — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 18:30:53 +0000

One of the most fascinating events that can happen is the total eclipse of the moon. The event will happen for millions of interested people on the night of Dec. 20 to Dec. 21. The moon will pass though the earth’s shadow and will be visible to nearly everyone. The only question is whether the skies will be clear so the event can be seen.

Safety is always an issue and it’s good that an eclipse of the moon is totally safe to watch. The event will take approximately 3 and half hours to complete. I am sure that I will have my kids outside to view this spectacular event.

Afghanistan Woes

Carl — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 02:18:54 +0000

While the war in Iraq has been winding down, there is still a buildup of American forces in Afghanistan. While the buildup has had some success, the outcome of the war is still in doubt. NATO forces are winning the major battles but are still tormented by attacks by the Taliban.

Military leaders are calling for patience and are saying that the war is still winnable. The problem is that security in the nation is still shaky and citizens don’t feel comfortable going out of their homes. I guess we’ll have to wait and see what the outcome of the war will be.

Chinese Attacks

Carl — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 03:02:46 +0000

One thing that is complicating the world is that wars are no longer fought just on the battlefield. Some of our potential enemies such as China are taking things to the next level. One area they are progressing in is attacks on our computer networks. The Chinese are becoming adept at hacking into our networks and stealing information or just shutting our systems down.

Some evidence of this came to light after Google had a run-in with the Chinese government. Google was forced to stop their service on the Chinese Web and have since routed these sites into Hong Kong. American officials are aware of the problem and are working on ways to defend our vital computer systems against foreign attacks.

It’s a gamble

Carl — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 08:29:39 +0000

One thing that I was not to happy to hear about today was that Senate majority Leader Harry Reid wants to legalize online gambling. Many people in his home state of Nevada want to break into the market and make big money. I know that gambling can be lucrative, but I am against it.

I believe it’s wrong for people to gamble at all, but that’s just my personal opinion. But I do think that allowing people to gamble online would be a huge mistake. It wouldn’t take long until some were hooked and they may lose everything they have. I hope congress decided not to support this bill!

Picasso trove

Carl — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 05:45:03 +0000

One of the greatest artists of all time is Picasso. The artist painted thousands of paintings and has had a lasting impact on the art world. His paintings are coveted by art lovers everywhere. That’s why drama occurred when a new trove of paintings were discovered when a French electrician came forward with the art.

The electrician says that he was given the art after installing a burglar alarm for the master artist. Picasso’s heirs are claiming that the art was stolen and want it back. The art has been confiscated by police until the case can be sorted out. The art has been looked at by experts and is believed to be genuine.

Pay freeze

Carl — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 23:38:48 +0000

The president of the United States announced today that he intends to freeze the pay of nearly two million federal workers for two years. The move comes after the recent republican victories in the last election. He hopes to trim the deficit by five billion dollars over the next two years.

The only catch is that congress must approve the move. It is unclear whether the bill will pass but many believe it will. Another problem is that many federal workers and labor unions are against it. I don’t like a pay freeze myself, but I think it’s needed at this point.