Oil Spill

On thursday there was a huge oil spill in the gulf of mexico. The spill was a result of a drilling rig that had exploded 50 miles off the coast of Louisiana. Two days after the boat sank and bent the pipe that was connected to the oil well. The pipe bent at two points which cause it to leak. President Obama increased the amount of people to help with the clean up. Approximatley 5,000 barrels of oil are leaking out each day. The only danger with the oil is the winds in the gulf that is pushing the oil closer to shore. Workers have place 100.000 booms to protect the shoreline and have more standing by if the spill gets worse. the only way to get rid of all the oil is to burn it, but with the winds a controlled burn is almost impossible. I think that they should try to control the spreading and burn it. There is no way to get rid of the oil with out burning it and the more that leaks out the closer the oil gets to shore. If the oil does reach shore the wildlife could become a problem. If the spill spreads as much as they think it is going to be a much more serious problem then expected.http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/30/us/30gulf.html?hp

Reds Pitcher Suspended

Reds pitcher Edinson Volquez was suspended for 50 games of the 2010-2011 season. Volquez didn't test positive for steroids but for another performance enhancing drug. He is the first player to be suspended this season. Volquez addressed the media saying that the drug in his system was to help him recover from an injury. That the drug was prescribed to him from is doctor in the Dominican Republic. I think that the test should be redone to see what exactly was in Volquez system. the MLB should jump to conclusion and say he was using steroids. Volquez didn't even get a chance to pitch a game yet this season. For a player in their prime a suspension for almost half the season can be tough for their conditioning and overall playing when they return. With all the steroid use in the MLB they are really cracking down on all the players. All players have to take a drug test twice a year. These tests look for all drugs and for certain performance enhancing drugs. Also besides for the two mandatory test if a player is suspected of using steroids he is forced to take a drug test.

Britain "Opens Its Airspace as Travel Crisis Begins to Ebb"

Alan Cowell and Nicola Clark report from the New York Times that the airspace to Britain is now open. Due to the volcanic explosion in Iceland passengers were stuck for 6 days. The cloud of ash was so thick there was to much of a risk to attempt to fly through. Many travelers were forced to stay on cots in airports or rent rooms at hostels. Today some airspace are gradually open and other may be closed for another day or so. It must have been terrible being stuck for 6 days in an airport. The cloud must have been super thick for the airports to close. With all the technology on planes now they couldn't manage to get through there. Many of the pilots here were ready to attempt to fly through because but the airspace over seas felt it was not safe enough. The last thing they would want to do is endanger the passengers. Even some people who were stuck were interviewed many of them felt it was a good experience.

Big Ben

"Big Ben"

Ben Roethlisberger had been accused of sexually assaulting a 20 year old college student in a night club. For the past month or so Roethlisberger had been in and out of court waiting to see if he would be charged sexual assault, and even sentenced to time in jail. Tuesday the charges were dropped on Roethlisberger but he was not out of trouble yet. Ty Ballou owner of PLB Sports Inc. ended Roethlisbergers's contract which could cost him 2.5 million in endorsements.
Roethlisberger is still in the NFL and is still the quarterback for the Steelers but suspension is still in the picture. He might be suspended for the first half of the 2010 season, and his salary will be cut down. Roethlisberger had no statement on what is going on and all he could do is just wait to see what his future looks like. I don't think they are going to completely kick him out of the NFL because he wasn't charged. But definite suspensions because of the embarrassment to the NFL and the Steelers organization.

Go Green

"Go Green"

Hybrid and flex fuel cars are blowing up. With the economy down and gas prices rising people have been leaning more toward hybrid. Hybrid cars run on less gas and use mainly electric power. When the car eventually runs out of electric power it switches over to gas. This is better for the environment because less fumes from your exhaust is let out which helps prevent the ozone layer from being damaged. If the ozone layer continues to be damaged it will increase global warming even more and dramatically effect the seasons and the weather.

Gas prices are rising out of control because the economy is in such bad condition. If more and more people decide to use hybrid it will save you so much money in the long run. Some people feel that because it is a hybrid car it may be very slow for those who have a need for speed. But many of these cars dont lack on horsepower. The new 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid has a 2.5 liter v6 and puts out close to 300 horsepower. Still this car gets 41 miles to the gallon which is the best for any sedan in its class. So for the people who think that hybrid is not worth it, you get almost the same horsepower and double the miles per gallon. If you are into saving money and helping out the environment hybrid is the best way to go.

Tigers Back?

Tiger Woods has been all over the news and t.v for the past few months. Not just because of his accident, but because of everything the accident stirred up. Such as his relationships on tour with numerous women and his home life. It seems if anyone other celebrity was accused of cheating it wouldn't be a big deal, but because of his fame it turned into something huge. All of his sponsors had dropped him and he went into sex rehab. Tiger took a few months off to spend time with his family and get his life back in order. Tiger was spotted playing at the Isleworth Country Club in the gated community where he lives. He has said that he doesn't have a set time on which he will return to the tour but he doesn't rule out some time this year.

Olympic Skiing

“Olympic Skiing Attire”

In the New York Times the article “Freestylers Are Uptight About Keeping Things Loose” by Ruben Sprich, Olympic skiing is changing its rules on the appropriate racing suits to wear. They have banned the single piece racing suits made from rubber and other elastic material. Racers are now forced to wear a two piece suit which is looser fitting. The pants have to be at least eight centimeters thick and the top has to be at least six centimeters thick. Anyone racer that doesn’t meet this criteria will not be able to qualify or participate in the Olympics. Many racers feel this will be positive to the sport but some feel it can affect their racing due to wind resistance.
Ski racing is all about how fast you can get from point “A” to point “B”. Racers that use these streamline suits will definitely have faster times because there is less wind resistance. With the new two piece suits that racers are being forced to wear it will cause slower times. Racers feel this is really going to affect their racing and are trying to get this rule reversed. With this rule racers are going to be relying true skill and not on their equipment. This rule is definitely better for the sport and should make it a lot more interesting.