Marijuana Daily

A recent study shows that 60% of 12th grade students in the United States don't think marijuana usage is harmful. This number has gone up from previous studies. 6.5% of seniors say they smoke daily a number that has tripled from 1993. And 23% of students said they had smoked in the past month. Within the past 2 decades, THC levels in weed have gone up significantly from 3.75 to 15% in today's marijuana cigarettes. What is most concerning is that 12% of 13-15 year olds are using the hallucinogenic drug. But the good news is that cigarette smoking and harder drug use including heroin and cocaine continued on a steady decline among high school students. 
http://washington.cbslocal.com/2013/12/18/study-60-percent-of-hs-seniors-dont-view-regular-marijuana-use-as-harmful/

Salem Murder Trials

LAST WEEK****

A 14-year old boy pleaded not guilty to murder and rape charges in Salem, Massachusetts. The boys name was Phillip Chism, who has already had a past with violence and depression. A teacher from his school was found dead in the forrest with her through cut open and a note that read, "I hate you all". Her name was Colleen Ritzer and she was a math teacher. He pleaded guilty to murder, aggravated rape, and armed robbery charges today. He will remain bailed without bail. He is most likely a witch and it's the Salem With Trail all over again. 

http://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/Mass-boy-denies-raping-killing-his-math-teacher-5033263.php

Violent Crash in Ohio

On the day of Thanksgiving, a runaway car collided with another vehicle, going at a speed around 120 mph. Not until this week, did police release more information and the actual video clip. Patrol officers had been chasing the runaway for a little while before the incident but the car was going too fast.The collision killed two people on Thanksgiving, a couple from Toledo. Andrew Gans, a 24-year old from Kent is charged with vehicular manslaughter after the violent crime on the Ohio Turnpike. He was also probably charged with a speeding ticket...Gans left the scene of the accident without a scratch on his body.
http://www.examiner.com/article/ohio-crash-violent-aftermath-on-ohio-turnpike-runaway-car-going-150-mph

PS4

Sony's PlayStation 4 went on sale last Friday and 1 million of the game consoles were sold within the first 24 hours in North America. The fastest start for a PlayStation system so far. The retail price of these play systems start at $399. The feedback from consumers is overall positive, yet there were complaints of some duds. Sony will release the PlayStation 4 in Europe and Latin America on Nov. 29 and in Japan on Feb. 22, 2014. The high price and highly publicized release of the gaming system attracted some thieves.
Yahoo News reports Two men that were arrested in California for robbing a customer of a Ps4 outside a store.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/gaming/2013/11/17/sony-sells-1-million-playstation-4s/3618217/

Cotton Ball Diet

The new breakthrough diet called the Cotton Ball Diet is as dangerous as it sounds. This diet consists of dipping cotton balls and eating them to feel full with a goal of loosing weight. This extreme form of dieting is popular in the modeling industry. It may lead to even bigger eating disorders or possible death. The cotton balls could get stuck in the stomach and intestines causing blockage and damage. Looking like superstar Victoria's Secret models is highly unattainable so stop eating cotton balls because it's not going to happen. Sorry. :)

Global Warming Breaks Records

           According to the World Meteorological Organization, concentration levels of CO2, methane, and nitrous oxide in the atmosphere grew more than the average in the past decade. The increase is about one third since 1990. Of the gases, CO2 is the most important one tracked with 50% of the Co2 emitted by human activities remains in the atmosphere. According to the World Meteorological Organization there were 393.1ppm of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere in 2012, an increase of 2.2ppm over 2011.This was above the yearly average of 2.02ppm. These concentration levels are no good news and they will continue to increase for years to come. 
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-24833148

KKK Controversy in Sturg

Controversy sparks in Sturgeon Bay, WI after a middle aged man walks into a bar wearing a KKK costume. The tavern was clearly celebrating Halloween but the costume was insulting. The man's costume provoked a disturbance among patrons, especially the woman who was with him, who was charged for disorderly conduct. The man was asked to leave, but instead he took the costume off, finished his drink, and then proceeded to leave. The woman who came with him remained and began yelling, "White supremacy!" and was then arrested for battery and disorderly conduct. What the man did, wasn't illegal but he sure did make a bad life choice.
http://www.doorcountyadvocate.com/article/20131028/ADV01/310280327/

Police Kill Kid .

California Sheriff's Deputies shot at and killed, a 13-year-old boy who had been carrying a pellet gun that looked like an assault rifle. Last Wednesday at a news conference, police said that the deputies repeatedly asked the boy, Andy Lopez, to drop his gun. The gun that looked like a AK-47 assault rifle was really a pellet gun. Instead of putting down his weapon, Lopez raised it at the deputies instead causing a panic. The police didn't realize he was only a boy when they saw him with his back turned. Many people question whether the deputies did the appropriate thing when they fired on the young boy. Father Rodrigo Lopez, says that the gun was a play toy that belonged to a friend of his. Andy Lopez was pronounced dead at the scene. 

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/calif-sheriffs-deputies-shoot-kill-13-year-20656068

Coke or Pepsi?

The world's largest soft drinks company, Coca Cola's, profits rise amid higher in North America. Even though drink sales in North America, India and China are going up, the overall revenue is declining as the company faces volatile economic conditions in much of the world. The company said net income rose 6 per cent to $2.45 billion, or 54 cents a share, from $2.31 billion, or 50 cents a share, a year ago. Coca-Cola is on track to reach its goal of $200 billion in revenue by 2020. In order to maintain growing incomes Coca-Cola keeps consumers buying their products by pushing smaller sizes and keeping prices low.http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7907e440-358b-11e3-b539-00144feab7de.html#axzz2hoQztk4j

Gangs of New York

A black Range Rover SUV was attacked by a motorcycle gang last week creating quite a stir. The gang striked, confusing the driver causing him to defensively speed up and drive away running over a few motorcyclists. Out of anger, the gang follows him a couple miles downtown stops the vehicle and the assault occurs. Craig Wright, 29, is accused of stomping Alexian Lien, the driver, after using their helmets to break out the window and drag him out of the car. The attack was caught on video. Wright was ordered a $150,000 bond and charged with is charged with first-degree gang assault, first-degree assault and first-degree unlawful imprisonment. 

http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/08/us/bikers-attack-video/?hpt=us_c1

Fast-Food Getting Slower

The amount of time consumers spend waiting for their fast-food is getting significantly longer, especially at the drive-thru's. This is mostly due to the fact that fast-food products a growing in complexity and production times. Another reason for longer waiting periods is more accuracy checks to make sure the order is correct so the customer is happy. According to the 2013 Drive-Thru Performance Study, it takes 189.5 seconds for a typical drive-thru customer to pick up their order at McDonalds marking it the slowest time within the past 15 years at MacDons. This issue is important because many major chains do 60% to 70% of their business at the drive-thru. 

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2013/09/30/fast-food-drive-thru-slower/2884045/

Pakistanis struggle

An earthquake in southwestern Pakistan destroyed hundreds of homes and families on Tuesday, September 24th. The quake killed 285 people and pushed a new island up out of the Arabian Sea.Thousands of people are left homeless and rummaging through rubble looking for their belongings and family members. Survivors are left struggling to find food, shelter, and help. Due to the fact that the nations poorest province was hit, medicine and staff for the treatment of the injured is scarce. 




http://www.chron.com/news/world/article/Pakistanis-struggle-for-food-shelter-after-quake-4841281.php

Tulsa Dentist Spreads Hepatitis

"This is the first documented report of patient-to-patient transmission of hepatitis C virus associated with a dental setting in the United States," state epidemiologist Dr. Kristy Bradley said in a statement. A Tulsa dentist, Dr. W. Scott Harrington was accused of causing the nations first known outbreak of hepatitis C because he was using unsanitary and rusty needles and equipment. At least 89 of Harrington's patients tests came out positive leading to the shutdown of his practice in March 2013. According to the Department of Health, this investigation has cost more than $710,000 in federal, state, and local funds. If that is not a blow to a career, I don't know what is. 

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/tulsa-dentist-spread-hepatitis-health-officials/story?id=20294439

World's Happiest Nations

According to the 2013 World Happiness Report, Denmark ranked the world's happiest country. Norway, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Sweden, Canada, Finland, Austria, Iceland, and Australia follow. So the question you may ask is why? These countries spend a lot of their budget on health(mental health) and whatever they do up in northern Europe, works. However, if you are planning a trip to Egypt, Rwanda, Burundi, or any other countries in the Sub-Saharan Africa, I would rethink because these nations are least satisfied with their lives. The United States comes in as 17th. Rankings for Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain fell dramatically since 2010 because of their major economic crises.

Frog Uses Mouth to Hear

Researchers have recently discovered that the Gardiner's Seychelles frog,use their mouths to enhance their hearing ability. Because these frogs don't have a middle ear which most animals use to hear, scientists created a simulation model of the frogs skull to determine how these frogs hear. They ran vibrations through the ears and the lungs to find out that the sounds were only weakened. Finally, the mouth was added to the simulation model and it was discovered that it was able to amplify sound. Frogs communicate at an average of around 5,710 Hz and the Gardiner's Seychelles frog's oral cavity was able to resonate at an average of around 5,710 Hz.