One-Man Band Experience

As an assignment in my TV News class, I had to become a one-man band journalist; where I shot my own footage, set up my own interviews and conducted them, wrote my own script and lastly, I had to create the final news package, in Final CutPro. The experience alone, was definitely a learning experience, where I was exposed to tools and practices that I had never been exposed to prior to creating this package. Looking at the entire experience now that it is over, as a whole, it wasn't as hard as I initially thought it would've been. The biggest obstacle that I had to overcome, was the potential interviewees turning down my request to speak with them on camera. The two gentlemen that I ended up having to interview, turned out to be perfect for my story, due to their positions.

Besides dealing with the hassles of finding appropriate people to interview, everything else was pretty much a breeze. Creating the package in Final CutPro was a little time consuming, due to me having to teach myself a few things by looking up tutorials and such on YouTube. Though it may not have been perfect, I was very proud of myself for completing it in it's entirety. To say the least, it was a very fulfilling feeling, and I look forward to creating an even better one on my next assignment.

BOKO HARAM? A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION?

As of late, we have been hearing much talk about Boko Haram. Many of us lacking the knowledge of what Boko Haram really is; I was one of those people did in fact lack the knowledge. I became familiar with them at first, when I heard about the kidnapping of over 200 girls in Nigeria. I knew that whoever he/she or them was, they were very rivalrous, and they cared not one bit about maybe starting some kind of war, due to retaliation. In this entry, I will share background information about Boko Haram and why they exist, historically relating events to more recent ones.

Boko Haram, meaning “Western education is sin”, is a terrorist organization based in Northeastern Nigeria. This organization was founded by Mr. Mohammed Yusuf back in 2002, but in 1995, the group was said to have still existed, but just under another name; Shabaab, Muslim Youth Organization, and with a man by the name of Mallam Lawal as their leader. After Mallam left to further his education, Mohammed Yusuf, took over leadership of the group. The organization was established originally, at mosque Ibyn Taymiyyah, which was named after the spiritual head of Boko Haram, where his objective was to put an end to what he deemed as westernization. Westernization meaning, societies adopt Western culture. 

Yusuf then established a form of religious complex, that included a mosque and a school, where poor families across Nigeria enrolled their children. 

Though this might seem to be a good thing, it is believed that Boko Haram’s leader, had ulterior motives, involving their goals politically.

The center that he had created, in time, became somewhat of a recruiting center for jihadis so they could fight the state. Almost like building their own army of men. 

The group included men from Niger and Chad, which were countries neighboring Nigeria. 

Two years later, in 2004, the center was relocated back in Yusuf’s home state, near the Niger border, in a village named Kanamma.

They began to attract and recruit unemployed youth, by speaking against the police and political corruption in the country. They painted themselves as the good guys.

The organization has been known to attack schools, churches and police station. They also often perform the kidnapping of tourists who visit the country, and assassinations of islamic members who have been critical about their group. Boko Haram is widely known to be associated with violence in Nigeria, and an estimate of 10,000 deaths from 2002-2013 has been linked to them.

However, It wasn’t always like this. During the first seven years, their operations were more so peaceful, but that changed in 2009 when the Nigerian government decided they wanted to have an investigation on the group and their activites; It was believed that the men were arming themselves.

The government had ignored plenty of previous signs that the organization was very militant.

In 2009, the government cracked down on it’s members, due to attacks being attributed to Boko Haram. It appeared that the group had now expanded beyond the religious views that were founded based on. The group now not only included Islamic militants, but also criminals and politicians.

When the government stepped in physically, members of the Boko Haram group got arrested due in Bauchi, which sparked a deadly event. 

“The immediate cause of the violence stemmed from an incident in which a group of the sect's members were stopped by police in the city of Maiduguri as they were on the way to the cemetery to bury a comrade. The officers, part of a special operation aimed at stamping out violence and rampant crime in Borno State, demanded that the young men comply with a law requiring motorcycle passengers to wear helmets. They refused and, in the confrontation that followed, several were shot and wounded by police.”

In Boko Haram’s retaliation, it was found that they used fuel-laden motorcycles and poisoned arrows to attack the police station. In this event, their leader, Mohammed Yusuf lost his life while being held in police custody.

After Yusuf’s death, one of his former deputies, Abubakar Shekau took over the organization. Abubakar’s reputation wasn’t so clean, as he was described as a “ruthless killer”. Since he has been in control, the violence has only escalated.

According to the Human Rights Watch, between the year 2009 and the beginning of 2012, Boko Harām was responsible for over 900 deaths at the time. And in May of 2013, President Goodluck Johnson, declared that it was in a state of emergency in the states of Yobe, Borno and Adamawa in a bid to fight the activities being performed by Boko Harām. 

The leadership of Boko Haram also has international ties with Al-Qaeda, Al-Shabab, the Movement for unity and Jihad in West Africa (also known as MUJAO), and other militant groups prevalent outside of Nigeria. 

Most attacks by Boko Haram have been in the country, as their international attacks have been very limited. However, the group was still labeled as a terrorist organization, by the United States government, in November of 2013.

Reasonable Doubt Album Analysis

Over the years, Jay-Z has marked his territory in the rap game, time and time again, as one of the best to ever do it. From the beginning of his music career, with the release of his debut album, Reasonable Doubt, Jay-Z had not only New Yorkers bumping to his music, but it made its way to being on a national scale. His album raised a lot of eyebrows and surely caught a lot of attention, some from the right people and some from the bad. It makes me wonder if maybe that’s the reason why his first album was so dope; because he put everything he had in it, knowing that critics were waiting to review his music. If we were to compare his more recent album, Holy Grail, to Reasonable Doubt, there are many differences to consider. It’s a given, times have changed and the lyrical flow is just not the same, the content however, is similar but just the simple vibe of his music has slightly changed. I have heard people say time and time again, that Jay-Z doesn’t rap the same anymore, or he doesn’t go hard anymore. To some extent that might very well be true, but if that was the case, I would think it’s because he feels he already gave enough of himself back then and now it’s time to slow down. Jay has already made a name for himself, so at this point in his career; he doesn’t have to try maintaining that.

I will be doing an album review on Jay-Z’s first album; Reasonable Doubt, and sharing my interpretations of his lyrics. I have never actually sat down and listened to his album, so it was a bit challenging, being that most of his words are coded. Nonetheless, the album as a whole didn’t strike me personally as something I would just bump to all day, but I can most definitely appreciate his lyrics.

1. Can’t Knock the Hustle: The video by itself was very interesting to me. It opened up with a scene very similar to a scene in the movie, Scarface. It all made sense when I read the lyrics to the song. Jay expressed he has “the godfather flow”, hence the reasoning for the similar scene setup from that movie.  Jay rapped a lot about him being the “illest” in the game, which is why for him, “money aint a thing”. He implies through his lyrics that the reason he’s making it, is because he’s working hard now, as opposed to other rappers just “chilling”. He basically said he’s going hard now so that he can lie back later, enjoying  the lavish lifestyle that he created by himself.  A line I found interesting was in the closing, where he said, and I quote, “All us blacks got is sports and entertainment “, which for the most art, on a wider scale, that is true. He said that to say, don’t knock his hustle, because through music and drugs, that’s how he eat.

2. Aint No Nigga: Both this song and video was quite entertaining to listen to, but most of all, watch, because it featured a 16 year old Foxy Brown. Half the things that she rapped about aren’t supposed to be exposed to a 16 year old, much less for her to rap about it. The song was kind of a playoff of “Aint no woman “, by the Four Tops. This music video also started off with an intro similar to a scene in Scarface, where he asks his girl in bed, how much money she needs to go shopping that day. The entire song implied that as long as a woman is the “main chick” in his life, she shouldn’t be worried about any other female, because she’s the one getting the respect at the end of the day. She gets the shopping sprees, “the keys to the Lexus”, etc.  Jay expressed that although he tries to be monogamous, he fails, but he makes up for his cheating by buying her things. Through Foxy’s lyrics, that seems to be just fine, when she said “he sleeps around but he gives me a lot”, implying that his actions are excusable as long as he continues to buy her things.

3. Politics As usual: The first verse went straight into Jay saying he leaves his mark wherever he gos and that’s one thing no one is able to stop. He implies that to have gotten as far as he have, he made plenty of sacrifices and his entire life was based on them. He follows up by mentioning having jewels like “Isis. For those who don’t know who Isis is, she is an ancient Egyptian goddess. With his comparison to Isis, he is making a point to say he have the diamonds, the jewelry, the money, etc.  And for those that seem to question his capabilities, thinking he’s “slipping”, will mess around and get killed.  For Jay, he made it clear that this rap thing is do or die for him, it’s not a game.

“Aint no stopping, the champagne from dropping, the law from watching- I hate ‘em, politics as usual.”

For those who have watched his interviews, we all know that Jay wasn’t the biggest fan of politics (still isn’t). So with him mentioning politics, he’s making an implication that we need less government, since all of them are for themselves and have their own agenda. An agenda that he’s not entertaining, because he’ still going to do his thing, regardless.

4. Brooklyn’s Finest feat Notorious B.I.G: Right of the back, I loved the beat. The beat reminded me of what authentic hip hop beats sounded like, and that was much to appreciate alone. In the intro a male voice says, “You motherfuckers think you big time? Fuckin’ with Jay-Z, you gon’ die big time. Here comes the pain.” That line alone set the mood for the entire song, basically saying, whoever thinks they are going to come in the game and feel as if they are bigger than him, is going to get put in their place. He mentions how the “cops sweat us” and “can the feds get us”, implying that they are big enough to even have the feds watching out for them. In a way it came off as them saying that they are powerful than the police. It appears someone socially below him is trying to mess with him, and he’s sending out a threat to them.  If and when he decides to confront whoever it is he’s talking about, there won’t be any fist fighting, but more like a shootout. I think it was interesting to hear him say “sprinkle coke on the floor” so when the cops come looking, the crime will appear to have been drug related.

5. Dead Presidents II feat Nas:  Nas opens up with “I’m out for presidents to represent me”, which in my opinion is bit controversial, being that Jay isn’t fond of the government as is.  To just make a point, I think it’s very funny that now Jay and President Obama are supposed to have some type of relationship now. It is almost as if the song manifested itself.

Anyways, Jay continues by saying that he doesn’t have to touch “lettuce to stack cheddars”, which my understanding of that is him saying that he doesn’t even have to touch the drugs that he’s selling, because he will be the one stacking the money from it anyways. They don’t have to do what normal rappers do, because they are top notch.   “You feel the ambiance, yall niggas just rhyme”.

“We illuminate the show, factions from the other side would live to kill me”/”spill three quarts of blood into the street”.

The above lyrics shed light on the illuminati movement that Jay is supposedly apart of,  and it only made sense hearing him rap about the “illuminating” of the show, in other words, his life. By him mentioning the shedding of 3 quarts of blood, only aided in my belief of him being involved in this movement, due to members of the illuminati, having to sell their lives for the fame and money.

6. D’Evils: In the first verse, the song elaborated much on the streets, and how tough they are. He speaks on how much  the strive to get money can separate friends, or others close to you, but it being for the best, because the  bigger your pocket grows, is the more envious your “friends” become.  He continues by saying regular people have to work a 9-5 to survive, but surviving is not all he’s trying to do. He wants to live life pushing the boundaries, and enjoy doing it.  Jay spoke about how money changes all of us, including him, it’s inevitable.  Money is power and lethal. In the third verse, it was no surprise to hear him say that his soul is possessed by D’evils, and they are in the form of money, diamonds, leather, etc.

7. Can I Live? : The general message that I got from this song is that he hustled out of desperation and through that, he has become addicted to his craft; rapping and making money. To make it, he has nothing to give but his life, so he offers it, to make it. That line also made me wonder how that correlates with his illuminati membership. As stated before, in order to join the society, you basically sell your soul to the devil in return for vanity. Jay continues by saying that he is not the same person who he used to be, implying that he has transformed into someone else: “No more Big Willie, my game has grown prefer you call me William.”

That last line caught my attention for several reasons, but the first one being that you basically reinvent yourself when you give your life to the illuminati. And with his mentioning of him not being that same person he once was, it’s very easy to assume that he is referring to the illuminati reinventing him and having him come back as a whole new person. That would explain his lyrics in previous songs, saying he has nothing to lose, so he gave his life.

8. Feelin’ It:  The song started off with Jay-Z rapping about refilling his glass of Moet (an expensive champagne), and him riding up in his Lexus. He goes on to say that he keeps it realer than most, and how he always keep his “bone-crusher” (gun) close  at all times. That entire phrase only means one thing to me; he knows his money will attract people who wants to take what he has, so he keep s his gun close for whoever wants to try.  He mentions everyone wanting to stay at the top, watching everyone else around them, because if one person falls, they’ll end up being a crutch for the other man. He focuses on staying at the top and enjoying the lavish lifestyle that he created for himself.

9. 22 Two’s:  The intro to the song starts out with an MC telling Jay to freestyle. From that I got that the entire track was free styled. He began by emphasizing that too many rappers are kissing ass on the West Coast.  He talks about other rappers trying to be like him, but when they try it never works because he’s an original. He follows no one else’s rule, people follow his.

He also went on to discussing women wanting the respect of a lady, but out here basically being hoes. If that’s what they are, that’s what he’ll call them.  Jay also mentions that the good women are stuck giving men chances after chances, when they aren’t even worth it.

Another verse that got me was when he talked about copping to reach his quota and pushing rocks. My interpretation of this was that he sold enough crack to meet whatever quota was set out for him. He continues how everyone is worried about how much money he’s spending, when they need to be worried about getting money because they are obviously broke. He doesn’t listen to anything they have to say because obviously there is nothing they can tell him about getting money, that he doesn’t already know.

10. Friend or Foe:  Starting out, Jay references Primo and Cold Crush. Primo is the producer of the track and Cold Crush is an old school rap group from the Bronx. He goes on by saying whether you’re my friend or enemy; he wants you to state your business, because people like coming around to mess with your “dough”. He basically says, that if there is competition, he might just get rid of you, because he runs the show and no one else

11. Coming of Age: Enter the world of Jay-Z, where you get the girls and the money. In that line alone, the entire theme for the song was set. He talks about this “shorty on the block” that’s always clocking his “rocks”(either talking about his drug or his jewelry), wondering if he likes his style because it’s obvious he wants to mock him.

Throughout the song, I almost get the impression that the boy on block that Jay raps about, was once he who he was before he made it. He rapped about his transition from just being a regular guy to now being the Don. “It’s just the cycle”, Jay says.

A line that he used that I thought was very clever, was “We out here trying to make hard white into cold green”- referencing to him turning cocaine into money.

I think the title of his song, “Coming of Age” made sense because he made several references that made me assume that what he meant was that his days of selling or dealing drugs might be retiring, so he needs to put somebody else on.

12. Cashmere Thoughts: “I talk jewels and split diamonds”, was one of the opening lines and it’s a clear indication that he is referring to money.

He goes on to mention “spitting venom up in the minds of young women” implying that his words are poisonous and corrupting the minds of women.

This song was very centered on that description of his lavish lifestyle; it’s focus on drugs money and sex. Hence, “lethal drugs, 128-carat gold pen when it hits the sheets”

He talks about women trying to run game on him, that he already sees through. Bottom line is that no woman or man is going to get the privilege of distracting him from his money. He continues by saying he splits flow “like fine wine down your earlobe”, meaning, he’s smooth but he still deadly, so don’t cross him. All in all, he makes the reference suggesting that he is very valuable to the rap game by saying, “I’m solid gold, I rap like I mink stole”.

13. Bring It On: The intro mentioned “these mothafuckas fucking talking that comeback shit like they cooking crack”, meaning that everyone is trying o talk ways to get revenge on Jay-Z, for him not letting them in on his drug business.  Jay doesn’t care about all the talks, because he won’t waste his time trying to confront it. He is focused on his money, and whoever has a problem with it, will not be entertained by him.

“The Roc-A-Fella clique” is always good, and that’s his concern. He talks about messing with girls from Sugar hill, which is a neighborhood in Harlem, and knowing that his every move is being watched by the DEA.

In most, the song focuses on him and his crew getting money, regardless of not being academically accomplished or taunted by the feds. They know the good life, the lavish lifestyle, and for this reason, their “fetish for cheddar” is all they know. And for anyone trying to touch their money, they’ll end up dead, hence the lyrics, “spread lettuce, heroes got deadish”. (If you’re trying to play a hero, you’ll end up losing your life for it.

Mark Cuban, A Racist?

Dallas Mavericks owner, Mark Cuban, “started a conversation” alright, when he openly made what is known as a prejudiced comment, in a recently videotaped interview. This comment has sparked much controversy amongst black and whites, causing the topic to surface on blogs, debates, and news stations. 

The statement below was made by Cuban in an INC.com interview: 

"If I see a black kid in a hoodie and it's late at night, I'm walking to the other side of the street. And if on that side of the street, there's a guy that has tattoos all over his face, white guy, bald head, tattoos everywhere, I'm walking back to the other side of the street, and the list goes on of stereotypes that we all live up to and are fearful of."

Now, there is much to consider about this statement, even when we take the situation out of a stereotypical light. 

Cuban was commenting about how far the country has come, in regards to its tolerance of different views and lifestyles, that are clearly prevalent and unavoidable in America. However, though he credited America for making some improvement on the matter, he also stressed that, "We are all prejudiced in one way or the other."

This comment made its way to becoming the topic of conversation on a live CNN debate. The debate, starring Stephen A. Smith, caused even more controversy, but more so about him and what he is defending as a black man. 

Most would agree that it was pretty obvious that Smith had no problem with Cuban’s comment, and if anyone is at all familiar with Stephen Smith, this wouldn’t be a surprise.

Smith made sure to put emphasis on the reality and practicality of the world we live in, stating that the comment made by Cuban was in no way racist; it’s just the reality of it. According to Cuban, if this was in fact a stereotypical statement, then some black people have caused this upon themselves, by “hanging their pants”. 

Smith said, “black people create some of these stereotypes themselves”. 

I do agree with him to an extent, but I wouldn’t agree with him totally, when I know and have seen with my own eyes, that black men aren’t the only ones hanging their pants below their buttocks. Given, yes, young black men are more exposed with this form of dress code, but to simply tack a hoodie and hanging trousers only on black men is a little absurd.

It’s said that instead of looking at this in a bias way, Smith is looking at the bigger picture, which is far beyond all of us as individuals. For this reason, he voices that we are getting too emotional about something that was in no way targeted at only us as black people.

My concern with Cuban’s topic was not so much only the comment about a black man having to be the one clothed in a hoodie, but because he thought the equivalence of that black man in a hoodie,was a a bald, white man, clothed in tattoos. 

With that implication is what I had a problem with. 

Furthermore, the referencing of the hoodie was highly inappropriate due to the death of Trayvon Martin’s recent murder, conducted by a white man.

From what I know of the Trayvon Martin case, he was the one attacked and killed by Zimmerman, and Zimmerman was the murderer. How are we not talking about what he was wearing that night? 

The message behind Cuban’s statement is in fact very stereotypical in my eyes, but I can see how Smith took emotions out of the case and looked at it in it’s entirety, and not only as a black man. 

Smith stated that, "Presentation matters. How you look matters. How you carry yourself matters. And for anyone that wants to tell you it doesn't, I'm gonna tell you they're full of it and they know it." Smith proceeded to suggest that the black community has a job, to not play the victim, but instead take responsibility for its actions.

His point here appearing to be that Cuban’s comments derived not from race, but more so appearance.

My question however, is if Cuban was bold enough to make the comment about everyone being prejudice in some way, (that obviously is including him) was that supposed to be some type of a disclaimer to cushion the criticism he knew was following? 

Brave Honduran Girls Cross U.S. Borders

The story that I am about to share with you, is unlike the other stories about illegal immigrants, because unlike the others, these group of immigrants weren’t trying to hide, they wanted to be noticed and they wanted to get their message across. 

A group of Honduran girls, some of which are as young as 14 years old, illegally crossed the borders of the United States. Not long after, more Hondurans admitted to crossing the Rio Grande to get here. The group of girls quickly rose to 22 children, where most of which traveled without any adult supervision at all. They were just that determined to get over the States to see their loved ones. 

One of the girls said, “because I want to see my parents in Austin”, she illegally migrated to the U.S. 

According to CNN, the girls were not looking to sneak in the country by any means, it was more of an announcement of their presence here. 

Chris Cabrera, a leader of the local chapter of the National Border Control Council, shared that many others are turning themselves in on a daily basis. “And I mean, hundreds at a time”, Cabrera said.

The immigrants are apparently creating rafts to cross the Rio Grande, where they are also equipped with directions on how to follow the river until they get to the Border Patrol Site, where they would surrender. 

Cabrera also mentioned that the immigrant children know that once they get to the station at the Border, they will be handed paperwork and allowed into the United States. 

According to the U.S. law, it prohibits the Department of Homeland Security from immediately deporting children, if they are not from Mexico or Canada. They are turned over to the Department of Health and Human Services, within 72 hours of them being taken into custody.

In most cases, the children will almost always be released to their relatives that are in the United States.

The problem however, is that upon their release, they are appointed a court date, where 95-97% of them will never show up to.

The numbers are said to be staggering and the estimate for 2014 is expected to rise. The estimate is now more than 60,000.

5 American Service Members Die

In Southern Afghanistan, five American service members were killed, due to a coalition jet and it’s failing to ward off a Taliban attack; they mistakenly bombed the americans. They were killed on Monday night along with a Afghan soldier in the Zabul province. 

According to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the troops were conducting a security operation. The service members seemed to have come in contact with the enemy forces, and that’s when the casualties took place. 

A U.S. military official told CNN: 

“There is the possibility that fratricide may have been involved”, he said.

The NATO statement that was provided, provided similar information. 

Roghliwanai said the troops had already finished their military sweep that occurred at around 9pm on Monday, when the rocket fires started from the Taliban militants. 

The air support was then called in by the service members but as stated, they mistakenly bombed their counterparts also.

More investigation is being held currently, and the Department of Defense are the ones looking into what may happened.

A U.S. National Security Council Spokeswoman, Miss Caitlin Hayden, voiced her condolences:

“Our hearts are heavy over this loss, and our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the fallen.”

Unfortunately, occurrence such as this, isn’t very foreign in the Middle East. Since the beginning of the Afghan war, which began in October of 2001, over 2000 plus Americans have lost their lives. After the confirmation of these more recent numbers, those numbers will only rise.

Back in 2004, Pat Tillman, another service member,  became a hero when gave up a contract with the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals to join the Army’s Elite Rangers force, where he died after leading a counterattack.

After further investigation after his death, it was found that he was actually shot by one of his comrades.

Also, in April of 2002, four Canadian service members were killed, and a few others injured, after U.S. Air National Guard pilot dropped a 500 pound bomb on a group of troops that appeared to have been conducting a nighttime training exercise in southern Afghanistan.

It’s pretty obvious that these occurrences aren’t anything new, but is there a solution to decrease the deaths of members killing their own partners. Is more training necessary or is it inevitable? It’s hard to be a good judge when I have never been involved in the service and if going solely off of what I have heard from others, it is easy to understand that during combat of any sort, it can be pretty difficult to separate who is who. 

All of these deaths are very unfortunate, but very honorable due to their courage to be over in the Middle East to begin with. 

Though I wouldn’t encourage any of my loved ones to join the service, it is so admirable to know there are others in this country, willing to sacrifice their freedom to protect ours. 

My condolences and prayers go out to all the families who have lost their loved one, as I can only just start to imagine what it is like to have an official report the death of a loved one.

It’s so important to always keep these people in mind, as we can only imagine what they feel. We must also recognize them too, as heroes.

Rihanna's Controversial CFDA Attire

An industry that is forever changing and will continue to change is our music industry and even more changing, is the image of the music industry. I love speaking on controversial issues pertaining to the black women in music and how they are viewed by the world. Of course the actions and attire of any mainstream celebrity such as Rihanna or Beyonce are widely recognized because they are viewed as trend setters and the “it-girls” of our time. Now, a very recent matter that I just had to write about is Rihanna’s attire that has sparked the interests of so many bloggers and has captured so much of social media’s attention. Rihanna was awarded the Fashion Icon award at the CFDA Awards on Monday, June 2nd, and apparently, her achievement wasn’t what got everybody talking, her Adam Selman gown was the talk of not only last night, but days following also. 

Now, let me first start off by saying that none of us are here to judge anyone else, secondly, Rihanna’s outfit of choice, should be no one else business but her own. 

Her gown was a sheer nude dress, covered with small rhinestones, paired with fur to cover up the “not so covered” areas. Underneath her dress was nothing but a pair of nude panties and that was accompanied by no bra, therefore, exposing her breasts fully. 

For some, this might be a very inappropriate outfit considering that we have children who just might have been watching the awards. I, however, so happens to think she looked absolutely stunning. She might have been a bit daring, but that’s what fashion is all about; self expression however one sees fit. 

What bugs me the most about the discussions that have surfaced the web in the past day, is the comparison of Rihanna and Beyonce. Now, let’s be clear, how one sins from the next man, doesn’t make him any better just because he or she sinned differently. This statement aids in my belief that just because Rihanna chooses to be naked differently than Beyonce doesn’t make her any worse than Beyonce. 

Sex sells. Point blank period. And according to my observation, Rihanna isn’t the only one advocating it. In Beyonce’s most recent visual album, no more than 2 songs (Blue and Xo) were to be considered appropriate. She had on little to no clothes in most videos and most would agree that this is THE most sexual that we have ever seen Beyonce, and for her, that’s pretty surprising considering the fact that she has always been a sex icon. Beyonce had girls licking on her breasts in one of her music videos, but there was no talk about that i’m sure. 

Point taken, that Rihanna’s dress might have been a bit bold, but since we are comparing these two icons, they are in the same exact boat. They are both sex icons and both have expressed via music videos, interviews, songs, that they are comfortable with their sexuality, so the bottom line is, however either of them chooses to exercise that sexual side, is however they choose to. 

All in all, I just needed people to see that neither of these artists are better or worst than the next, because they both are doing the exact same thing.

12 YEAR OLD GIRLS STABS FRIEND 19 TIMES

On today, June 3rd, two girls, Morgan Geyser and Anissa Weier, were both arrested after the discovery of their friend’s body was found barely alive, lying on a sidewalk in Waukesha. The victim was apparently led by these two girls into the woods, where she was stabbed 19 times. All three girls, 12 years old and friends. 

Authorities believe Morgan and Anissa felt they had something to prove to a stranger they found on a grotesque website. So over the weekend, the girls exercised their nerve and performed their act of what was supposed to be courage. The suspects left the wounded girl to find her way to safety, if at all.  A bicyclist found her on the sidewalk and the police was then called, rushing her to the hospital. 

The user on the website that led the girls to commit the crime, is supposed to be the “leader” of the site and in order to join his realm, the user that is interested, (which this time were the girls) must kill someone.

As a reaction, a statement was posted on the website and the writer expressed his condolences for all parties that were involved. The statement also pinpointed that the site does NOT condone or encourage violence in any form. The website, CreepyPasta, is a horror fiction that comes in a style that portrays it’s content as news or a non-fictional crime story.

Both girls, Morgan and Anissa, "were being held on preliminary charges of attempted first-degree intentional homicide” according to CNN.com

They are now being charged as if they were adults, and their bail amount is set at $500,000, each. 

Geyser’s attorney, Anthony Cotton, told CNN that he spoke briefly with her and she is now located at a female juvenile facility. For her family members, they are all in shock because she had never had any prior issues with mental health, but after this occurrence, she will more than likely be appointed a mental evaluation sooner than later. As for Weier, in the attempt to contact an attorney for her, it was unsuccessful on both Monday and Tuesday.

According to CNN, the girls who committed the crime attended the same high school and apparently had a sleepover on Friday night, where they seemed to have finalized their plan of attack. 

The criminal complaint revealed that the suspects were planning this attack since February and their plans changed a couple of times before the actual pursuit. 

The complaint read:

“They first thought to kill the victim by placing duct tape over her mouth while she was sleeping, and then stabbing her in the neck. Next, the plan was to kill her in a bathroom, where there was a floor drain that could make cleanup easier. But, finally, the girls decided to carry out the attack in a park while playing a game of hide-and-seek”.

The complaint also stating that as the girls left for the park, the victim was walking in front of the suspects, as Geyser lifted her white jacket, displaying the knife that was tucked into her waistband. Weier said she looked at Geyser with wide eyes and when she asked what that meant, Weier stated, “I though dear god, this was really happening”.

As for the victim, she was lucky to have been alive at the time of discovery. Doctors said she was stabbed near her heart, and if the knife had dug as little as one millimeter deeper, she would have died. 

This tragic event didn’t come off to me as a surprise because children have become so much more bold over the years. The internet access that they have only exposes them to dangerous and foreign websites that can easily influence a child into doing something they have no business doing. i.e. this case for example. 

I do think parents or guardians need to be more mindful of indecent exposure that surfaces on the internet and is accessible to their children. 

Given, our world is changing and quickly at that, into becoming technologically based, so i’m not saying children should be banned from the internet, but they most certainly should have a limited access. 

I pray this event has reached the ears of many, as it is most certainly a matter that needs exposure and recognition. As for the victim, I pray she has a speedy recovery.

Afghan Woman Burns Husband

In Pul-I-Kumri, Afghanistan, Zahra, an elderly woman, reported that she was raped by her neighbor in her home on Friday. She said it was the most painful and humiliating thing that had ever happened to her. After the event and had been as shaken up as she was, she asked her husband to move her and their family so that her neighbor wouldn’t attack her again, but he refused to. On Sunday afternoon, Zahra lit her husband on fire.

Zahra was said to have stepped back and watch him burn.

“I thought, someone was going to die and it is going to be him or it is going to be me.”

Since the burning incident, she has been held at the women’s shelter while investigators study the case a bit more to sort out the facts.

Najibullah, her husband, was critically injured but said in a brief interview, that she believes she is mentally ill, which is why she attacked him. He could only be interviewed for s brief moment due to his condition.

Unsurprisingly, the women of Afghanistan have quietly supported her, as they feel too many women are being abused with no consequences to the criminal. With the support of these women, it has sparked an interest in the Afghan news media. News reporters are said to have been walking in the hospital and inquiring about “the man who got set on fire by his wife”.

The pro to this entire case however, is that years ago this would have more than likely gone unnoticed and through the illumination of this particular case, it is revealing the treatment of many other Afghan women.

Zahra’s case is one of few that have occurred within the past month in the Baghlan Province alone.

On last month, a 13-year-old girl cut the nose and ears off of a local mullah that they accused of attempting to sexually assault her. And on Monday during the confession of Zahra at the police headquarters, another woman ran in seeking protection from her husband, who pounded her with bricks, not for the first or second time, but for the third time. She is now seeking out divorce.

Evidently, Zahra wasn’t the only one, but she too was holding back information that could help in the case. She reported to the police that had endured years of abuse from her husband. She shared an experience where he tried to burn her to induce a miscarriage. She lifted her clothing, revealing multiple scars.

I can say that I am disappointed in how long it took for officials to realize the severity in abuse that these women receive from their boyfriends, husbands, etc. but what I can say I am happy about, is their realization now; better late than never in cases such as these.

Afghan provinces such as Baghlan, now have female police officers who can comfortably take information from women being abused. There are also female lawyers working in the same provincial division.

I pray that the country continues in this direction, so that women can start to actually feel and be treated like women, as opposed to a punching bag or a sex object. 

al Qaeda Makes Threats Towards U.S.

The stream of threats coming in from al Qaeda to attack American and Western targets in Europe and also threats to launch attacks on United States soil, has sparked much worry and concern within the U.S. intelligence. 

Officials are busy trying to find out the extent of which al Qaeda would go and how these threats might be linked to the strength of their own country in other countries. 

According to a senior U.S. official, none of the threats that have surfaced throughout the past 6 months has been confirmed. He also said that “the threats appear to detail “a lot of activity where intelligence suggests there are operational cells,” but so far “we do not see operational cells of al Qaeda inside the United States.” 

U.S analysts and officials don’t appear to be concerned about al Qaeda attacking inside of the U.S because they would have so much difficulty penetrating U.S. homeland security. Though our homeland security might be a bit hard to penetrate, there are still many worries being surfaced, such as:

1.Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula

This appears to be the #1 concern due to the efforts being put forth by Yemen-based al Qaeda  within the Arabian Peninsula to form an attack against the United States, Europe and inside Yemen. 

Also, the U.S. embassy was closed several weeks ago and is suspected to be closed for a longer period of time due to the threats being received. 

"officials confirm to CNN that the core al Qaeda group in Pakistan is also seeking to place operatives in places to attack U.S. targets overseas and domestically. U.S. officials confirm an operative who uses the code name Abdullah al-Shami, who is living in Pakistan, may now be heading that group's efforts to plan external attacks."

As stated in the above article, this isn’t the first time nor is it foreign for al Qaeda to make threats towards the United States. However, it is a concern of mine, that the U.S. might not be taking the threats as serious as they probably should. I am pretty sure this is exactly what al Qaeda wants, for us to put our guards down and maybe not ignore the threats, but condone them a lot more than we should be. It worries me that back when 9-11 occurred, the United States received threats, but clearly they were never taken as serious, and look where that got the country. 

Is Hip-Hop Really Dead?

Can we compare Hip-Hop music legends, like Tupac Shakur & the Notorious B.I.G. to rappers of today? Are there any equivalence? Well, I must say, the music industry and especially Hip-Hop has evolved so much throughout the years and some things, including the musical culture of those days are no longer attainable...or are they? That is not to say that we don't have conscious rappers in our most recent years, but most of them, and I know plenty that would agree, that rappers of today have no substance, no message in their music anymore. When trying to compare a rapper such as Tupac, to someone more contemporary, whoever it is would have to be a poet most of all. I don't know about you all, but when I turn on the radio I hear nothing close.

There are artists that can possibly be comparable, but I wouldn't say quite made it to that point as yet; The legendary point. Rappers such as J. Cole and Nas, I would say are the most comparable to Tupac and both of which are still not huge mainstream artists. Why? Are modern day people more prone to listen to the crap that comes on the radio and or TV? Is Hip-Hop really dead because no one is interested in hearing it anymore? For the people who are trying to keep it alive, they aren't being rewarded with much opportunity through their attempts to relive it. So is Hip-Hop something of the past? And what does that say for contemporary music?

Despite the different approaches of Hip-Hop artists back in the 80s and 90s, rappers seemed to be working more together to speak out on the black experience and what was going on within our communities. They had a message and they were heard. Today, the only message being delivered is most of the time, if not all the time, dealing with money, drugs and women.

Bill Stephney, one of the co-creators of Public Enemy, feels that "music has gone so far from it's roots that it is almost a parody at this point", and I agree with him.

He says, "There is an over-representation of the criminal aspects of black youth culture from the videos and the records."

That comment supports my beliefs of the negative influence of our modern day "Hip-Hop culture". I feel music has desensitized our youth and is continuing to desensitize black men and their approach to life. Rapping about "cutting off bitches", "snorting coke and then fucking", "popping mollies and partying" is the message that young kids are receiving now and I am so scared to see what they too grow up and rap about.

So do I believe that Hip-Hop is really dead? Well if it isn't then the music industry is to blame for it's inability to give opportunities to rappers who actually have something to say, a positive message to convey.

Why was the first song that I ever heard from J. Cole, Workout? His most publicized song was the one that talked about what every other rapper is talking about; money, sex, women. Artists such as J. Cole and Nas are considered conscious rappers in my book, but is the pursuit of riches worth the message conveyed through their music? Was Hip-Hop once Tupac's definition of riches and is it possible to get our rappers back to having that same mentality? That would put so much life back into music.

232 People Die In Mine Fire

In Soma, Turkey, at least 238 people were found dead inside of a burning mine and as many as 120 people are still believed to be trapped inside. In efforts to save them, it was widely complicated by the fire, which started on Tuesday after one of the transformers blew up during a shift change. Officials say 787 people were inside the mine at the time. Fortunately, some survivors crawled out of the mine in time, before the entrapment. By mid-afternoon rescuers had brought out the first few people, but their conditions were unclear at the time.

This event has gone down as the worst mine disaster in Turkish history, and has left Soma in shock, although this isn't Turkey’s first mining incident. A similar mining accident happened in the 1990s, taking 260 lives. This one however, is suspected to top

those numbers.

Not only has this been affecting personal lives, but it also has its effects on the political system. Prime Minister, Erdogan voiced to politicians, that they should avoid using this as a political platform, as it gives ample amount of room to do so.

As it appears, coal mines have been catching flames recently, as 2 coal miners in West Virginia lost their lives on Tuesday, May 13^th to a coal or rock outburst. Both men were continuous mining machine operators.

Believe it or not, there have been even worst occurrences concerning coal mines that have taken place throughout the years. Take the story of Centralia, PA, a coal mining town for example. The town now has no more than 1000 inhabitants due to the event of a fire that happened in 1962. The fire was initially started to burn trash in a dump, but the fire inadvertently spread to a coal seam underground, which never stopped burning, not even to this day. The fire has lasted for 47 years so far.

Another event that has stood out in history concerning these mines is known as the Cherry Mine Disaster. The coal fields in Illinois have experienced even more dreadful occurrences besides this one but this stood out quite a lot. On November 1909, the electrical system had been down and the coal mine was lit the old fashioned ay, with torches and such. The miners had been moving hay to feed the mules (that were used to pull little cars), and 15-year-old, Matt Fransesco and another gentleman pushed one of the cars that was filled with hay, over the stable area, which unfortunately got stopped by one of the torches, then catching on fire. The fire had spread rather quickly, trapping plenty of men. Some were rescued but unfortunately there were 259 men and boys who were never saved.

In my opinion, due to the vast amount of coal mining disasters that have taken place throughout the years, and throughout the world, I believe safety practices need to be implemented more. Of course working in an underground tunnel will always be tied to danger, but I do think because all the coal mining tragedies that take place are all very similar, a deeper look needs to be taken to see how we can minimize their occurrence.

OVER 190 NIGERIAN GIRLS STILL MISSING

On Monday, a week ago from today, in Abuja, Nigeria, militants stormed a girls dormitory in the middle of the night, where they gathered over 200 girls on to their vehicles and took them to a location still not yet known.

Approximately 190 of the 230 students are still missing, according to a recent report, announced by Principal Asabe Kwambura.

No one seems to know where the girls are, nor have any trace of their whereabouts. This is seemingly not a surprise for Nigerians.

Due to Abuja's location, tucked away near the border with Cameroon, where it's considered a "poor corner" of Nigeria, violent acts such as this is very likely.

It was stated in CNN's article, In Nigeria, the mass abduction of school girls isn't shocking, that "for 11 months, the provinces of borno, Yobe, and Adamawa have been under a state of emergency, due to relentless assaults blamed on Boko Haram."

Nigerians are becoming more upset at the fact that Nigerian president, Goodluck Jonathan, has yet to visit the affected region.

Jonathan is said to be from the "Christian South", which not only separates him from this corner of Nigeria  geographically, but also culturally, since the north is more muslim-dominated.

Due to the lack of support from the North, it's believed that Jonathan won't be expressing or showing much interest in the discovery of the girls.


This treatment comes as no surprise to me at all. The absence of a country's leader at a time like this will never be excusable. Regardless of geographic and cultural differences, Nigeria is still one country, ran under one presidency. Situations such as this, only proves the under development of third world countries such as this one.

The separation based on religious preferences, has nothing to do with the girls that were abducted and at this point, finding those girls are suppose to be the only focus of the entire country.

However, if the leader refuses to stress the important and severity of this tragedy, of course the people of Nigeria won't put as much importance on it; especially those who share the same "southern"mentality.

All in all, my heart and prayers go out to the families suffering the loss of their loved ones. No one deserves to endure the pain of not knowing where their daughter is and if she is safe. It would be unfair to them.

The country in it's entirety, need to come together, join forces and put all efforts into looking for these girls. They are innocent and don't need to suffer for the lack of integrity of the supposed leaders of the country.

RELATIONSHIPS VS TRANSCRIPT by Nyah Abdala

We all look forward to love, but most of us hate our desire for it. I think it’s safe to say that we all need it, whether it’s being experienced romantically, or platonically. Our entire being revolves around it and the feeling of which it gives to us. 

Many of us, if not all, have experienced romantic relationships, a lot of which would vouch for its role as a huge

distraction while in college. One’s involvement in a romantic relationship while also trying to focus on academics, can be exhausting and can easily drive a wedge between the balancing of our studies and the actual effort that we put towards it. It’s inevitable that our focus can become a little blurred when trying to adapt to the lifestyle of being in a relation. 

For the majority of the students that I encounter on a daily basis, they all seem to share the same attitude; “…relationships aren’t necessary in college, college is about having fun and getting your degree, not settling down.” Quite often however, our words don’t correlate with our actions, hence the reason we always seem to find ourselves in situationships, trying so hard to avoid a real one.

Fortunately, for some, relationships are more like a breath of fresh air, a new start, a helping hand, and motivation for when needed the most. For these reasons, it’s so crucial to involve ourselves in healthy ones, with people who want to share their journey with you, just as much as you would like to share yours with them.

Truth is however,  that no matter the level of productivity that we may achieve, a relationship robs you of time that you can be spent on building or working on your craft. Finding a way to correlate the two is the most challenging, which leads a lot of us to make a choice; a relationship or a better transcript?

When I asked Emily Wright,  a 22-year-old graduating senior at Florida State University, from Denver, CO., what her personal experiences in relationships were while in college, and the effect it had on her academics, she voiced:

“They have always affected me negatively, during the relationship, but it’s different for everyone. It really depends on how you are as a person; if you are more strong-minded or vulnerable. If you are in a healthy one that doesn’t alter your priorities, then you will more than likely benefit from it, rather than it being detrimental.”

 I truly do believe the negative impact of a relationship is rooted in the altering of our priorities, to satisfy our partners; even when our academic responsibilities may suffer.

For 22-year-old Koscha McIntosh, a senior at FAMU, from West Palm Beach, Fla.,she believes the success or failure of the relationship is solely based on the two people and their personal views on relationships:

“It just depends on the two people in the relationship”,Koscha says. “If the relationship focuses on making the other a better person, they will have study dates instead of just hanging around, or they’ll encourage each other to get involved in the community or on campus, but if the relationship doesn’t have a positive foundation and it only consist of sex, drugs and the consumption of all of each others time, then that could easily affect your academics in a negative way.”

I followed up by asking McIntosh if she would vote for or against college relationships, and she votes against it:

“I wouldn’t encourage college relationships because most people don’t find out who they truly are until after college, when they have had enough life lessons and experiences. Knowing who you are is important when engaging in a relationship”

As Koscha stated, it is key to any good relationship, that we know ourselves first before attempting to know someone else and possibly sharing a life with them. 

While trying to maintain a social life and studies, it can be challenging enough, but is the inclusion of a relationship in that puzzle ideal? 

Martha Jaimes, a graduating senior at Florida State University, from Belle Glade, Fla., believes relationships while in school might be a good move, if shared with the right person:

“Instead of focusing on a social life, or getting the attention of a guy or girl, your focus is more defined because you already have a partner. In my experience, being in a relationship while in college actually helped me focus a lot more on my studies. I maintained a good GPA and although my social life suffered, I think I benefited more from that experience, than I lost.”

Though relationships can be a bit tricky, if done right, it can be one of the best growing experiences of a lifetime. With every person we meet and share our journey with, is another opportunity to learn about someone else, to grow and to embrace life’s experiences and lessons. We tend to focus too much on the success or failure of these relationships, which sometimes can put a strain on not only us, but the other person as well. 

By focusing on becoming a better person, you can also inspire your partner to do the same. It’s not my intention to deem a negative light on college relationships, because there are plenty of couples that I have met, who just work for each other. 

Just focus on you and you’ll attract the right person, whether you’re still in college or well after.

OBESITY RATES RISE ON COLLEGE CAMPUSEs

By Nyah Abdala

College students in the U.S. need to put down the pizza and pick up a salad.

The rising rate of obesity on college campuses is too big to ignore. Over the past few years, the rate of obesity has made a shift in the wrong direction.

According to a report by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, in 1991, no state in the U.S. had an obesity rate of 20 percent or more. The report also states that as of 2013, no state in the U.S. has an obesity rate of 25 percent or less.

So why is the rate of obese college students continuing to rise?

For many students, the No. 1 excuse is simply not having enough time to exercise, or not being able to afford a healthier diet.

A huge factor in weight gain, especially in college, is a result of the excessive consumption of alcohol and the lack of sleep, according to Pablo Abdala, a personal fitness trainer from Kingston, Jamaica. ^[a]

Many college students condone these practices and label these habits as “normal.”

A crucial fact that many young adults overlook is that their fast metabolisms will not stick with them forever.

If these young adults don’t become more active and start consuming more healthy and fat-burning foods, then their metabolism will slow down, which then leads to weight gain.

These bad lifestyle choices not only paint a gloomy picture for the body’s outer appearance, but it causes internal harm as well. Poor lifestyle choices contribute to obesity related disorders such asdiabetes, hypertension and dyslipidemia. ^[b]

Graduating SBI student, Koscha McIntosh, from West Palm Beach, Fla., said her No. 1 reason for not working out consistently is the lack of a gym membership.

“I don’t have a gym membership and don’t want to come out of pocket on a monthly basis for one,” McIntosh said. “As a college student, my goal is to save as much as possible and unhealthy food choices just happen to be less expensive.”

McIntosh’s case supports the theory of why students opt for unhealthier lifestyles; because, it is more convenient and less costly.

Jamal Sims, a third year biology student from Bowie, Md., said he wasn’t raised to make healthy eating decisions, because he was involved in sports.

“I was never raised to have the healthiest eating habits so it was never really as important to me, especially because I played sports my entire life,” Sims said. “As I got older and became less involved in sports, due to the tearing of my ACL, I have tried to adapt a more healthier diet because I fell short in that area.”

It’s important to keep in mind that as people get older, the likeliness of gaining weight increases.

^[c]

Daniel Higgins, a fourth year psychology major from Tampa, Fla. said she allows herself a few cheat days, but always make it a point to stay in the gym.

“I always keep my health in mind,” Higgins said. “Even though I may cheat on a few meals or skip the gym a few times per week, I always find the time to visit the gym and stay as active as possible. I was raised…to always remain active, so having those thoughts instilled in me at such a young age, has only allowed the easy transition into my adult life.”

Making healthier lifestyle changes is a start to the journey of a healthier and a better body—both physically and mentally.

Cutting off old habits can be a bit challenging, but by considering the benefits in the long run, they will be well worth the sacrifices.

Indian Gang-Rapers Found Guilty

In Mumbai, India, five men were found guilty on the charge of raping a photojournalist.

The raping took place in an abandoned mill building last year.

Three of the five men habitually hung out at the mill which only raised suspicions of their plot.

A sixth man was also accused in the participation of the photojournalist's rape.

The young man was under the age of 18 at the time of the crime and is being tried separately in a juvenile court.

Sentences range from 20 years to life in prison, and they are suspected to be handed down on Friday, March 21st.

A case such as this one, could have easily gone unreported in earlier years, and the rapists acted as such.

The defendants were said to act with "little fear of police action".

Upon releasing the victim, they warned her that if she reported the crime, they would publish the photos they snapped of her during the event of them raping her.

Fortunately enough, she wasted no time making her way to the hospital, where she reported the raping.

Police officials acted quickly and was successful in identifying and arresting the men.

All five of the men confessed to the raping on the spot.

Missing Flight Lead?

Two objects were spotted by satellite in the southern Indian Ocean on Wednesday, March 19th. Investigators suspect the spotting to be debris from the Malaysian Airline, Flight MH370.

Due to the horrible rain that was occurring at the time a dispatched Australian search plane arrived at the scene of the spotting, they were unable to make any judgment. 

Also, a Norwegian merchant ship had also reached the site late Wednesday, but they too faced difficulty when attempting to make identifications, due to nightfall.

Authorities state that this is most credible lead thus far in the search for the missing aircraft. 

This suspicion has driven investigators to continue the search and especially now over this specific zone.

Flight MH370

The question might continue to surface, as to how an entire aircraft carrying over 200 plus passengers could go missing, when everything can and is tracked by some technology fold somewhere probably even half-way across the world.

Flight MH370, a Malaysian aircraft, was carrying 239 people on Saturday, March 8th, when it mysteriously disappears in thin air. 

The plane supposedly lost "radar contact".

Terrorist suspicion had risen, until one of the passports of a passenger was found in the possession of a 19-year-old iranian male, who had no terrorist ties.

Investigators now have even fewer explanations as to what could have really happened to Flight MH370.

Being that there is no credible evidence, conspiracy theorists have come up with several explanations of their own. These theories have sparked the interest of many, and they go as follows:

1. Eerie cell phone rings, could mean passengers' phones are still on- or inhabited by ghosts.

2. An other worldly portal could have sucked up the flight.

3. The flight's disappearance was predetermined and perhaps written into the very fabric of the universe

4. The North Koreans hijacked the jet.

5. The illuminati did it.

The fact that there was no distressed signal, is sparking a lot of disturbance amongst investigators.

This may come as a surprise to some of you, that this isn't the first or second case of a missing plane over the years.

One of the most popular however, is the vanishing of two flights over the Bermuda Triangle, also known as the "Devil's Triangle" in the year 1948 and 1949.

51 people were lost on the two flights and were never found.

Harlem Explosion Kills At least 3

On Wednesday, March 12, 2014, a gas leak triggered an explosion in Harlem, New York.

The explosion destroyed two buildings, injuring over 50 people and killing at least 3.

According to authorities, approximately 10 people are still missing.

Mayor Bill de Blasio expressed his sympathy at a news conference on Wednesday morning, "..this is a tragedy of the worst kind, because there was no indication in time to save people."

This explosion was said to tremble buildings even miles away, blowing out windows in neighboring apartments and also causing damage to nearby streets.

Victims not only included people in the homes that exploded, but also people in the surrounding areas being trapped in their cars and also in their homes due to the debris.

The fire department reported receiving their first call at 9:31 am.

Even after the explosion, firefighters (assisted by dogs), scurried through the burning buildings trying to discover more survivors.

The injured included both children and adults.

Some with minor injuries such as bruises and lacerations. Unfortunately, all survivors weren't so fortunate.

There were victims getting pulled from collapsed bricks who experienced broken bones and head wounds.

Thankfully enough, no more dead bodies have been found as of yet, keeping the hope alive that the calculated missing people are just out of reach.

Runaway Child Rapist Caught

Eric Hartwell, a fugitive sex offender in Colorado who apparently cut off his ankle monitor, and fled from his group home, was arrested in Norfolk, Virginia.

Hartwell was convicted of raping a child in 1991, according to the Colorado sex offender registry.

He was then sentenced to only five years in prison.

After his release, he failed to register as a sex offender, which resulted in him being placed into a halfway house in Washington State, in the year 2009.

It was a week after his placement that he removed his monitor and fled.

In my opinion, the simple fact that Hartwell's ankle monitor was that easy to remove, completely blows my mind.

Even besides his accessibility to remove the monitor, I believe he should have served a longer time period, considering the extremity of his acts.

It is ridiculous to me, to think that there are "crimes" committed, that are way less severe, and a longer sentence is served, but an adult male rapes a child and he gets locked away for a couple of years.

The judicial system, in my opinion, is more than a bit backwards, and a situation such as this one completely supports that idea.

Dozens Killed in Somalia's Attack

A car bomb exploded Thursday, which killed at least 12 people near Somalia's national intelligence headquarters in Mogadishu. 

Most of the victims were government soldiers. 

At least 10 other people were injured in an explosion after a minivan that was packed with explosives crashed into a restaurant and blew up. 

Al-Shabaab rebels took responsibility for the attack which killed 15 security officials. 

On last week, attacks were also carried out on Somalia's presidential palace. At least 12 died, which included both government officials and attackers. 

The president however, was unharmed. 

The USA has designated this organization as a terrorist organization, due to their other attacks on countries such as Uganda and Kenya that resulted in the death of dozens. 

Death in any form is unfortunate, particularly when innocent lives are taken.

To think that this happens on a more consistent basis is completely ridiculous to me.

Whether or not they wanted to kill the president, they harmed dozens of other people in the process. 

Completely unaware of the attackers intentions they had no opportunity to escape it, and that I feel is the saddest part of it all.

Sinkhole Swallows Eight Corvettes at the Church of Corvettes

At the Church of Corvette in Bowling Green, Kentucky, a sink hole occurred in the museum, resulting in eight corvettes being swallowed. 

"Of the eight cars that fell, six were donated to the museum by Corvette enthusiasts, and two are owned by the car's maker, General Motors. Among them were a 1962 Black Corvette, a 1984 PPG Pace Car, and a 1993 ZR-1 Spyder."

"The total value of the damaged cars is "substantial," said museum executive director Wendell Strode."

Almost all the cars have been removed from the hole and they have been setting up ramps to get the remaining one out.

The cars were swallowed inside a part of the museum called the "sky dome".

 Fortunately enough, the 30 feet deep sinkhole did not result in any deaths or injuries. 

The sinkhole couldn't have come at a worse time, as the museum was preparing to celebrate its 20th anniversary. In addition to that, they were planning on opening a 184-acre Motorsports Park in August. 

Approximately 5,000 people are already pre-registered to attend the park's grand opening.

Although this occurrence came off as a surprise, it shouldn't have been much of one, due to the fact that western Kentucky is home of the largest known cave system in the world; Mammoth Cave National Park. 

Sink holes are known to occur constantly in these parts of the country. Typically, the holes are caused by ground water eroding underground limestone throughout the years, then forming a void beneath the surface of the earth.  

Geologist, Jason Polk, inspected the entire building after this event and he appears to be confident in the stability of the grounds that the museum stands on.