Frontenac hosts Christmas Kickoff

Frontenac seemed to want to start an early kickoff of the season greetings to all. November 29th Frontanac, Kansas hosted it yearly Christmas kickoff and the city seems to be the first city in the area to host such a Christmas event. Mayor Jim Kennedy said, “Frontenac made the decision more than a decade ago when the Christmas kickoff got started in 1997.” The kickoff began with a group of Frontenac students singing Christmas carols, Mayor Kennedy flicked the switch on a large number of lights in the downtown Frontenac area. But the finally was when the students sang and Santa Claus rode into the area on a big fire truck, with a big wave of his hand he led the more than 200 plus crowd inside for hot chocolate and sugar cookies.

I was so excited to read this article, it started out festive, and it ended so. These are the kind of articles I really enjoy reading. It excited me to hear the touch of the past. People are not in their houses warm and cozy watching the football game on television, they were all gathered to see a jolly ole soul coming down the road in a fire truck.

I enjoyed reading this article on http://www.morningsun.net/featured/x215412351/Frontenac-hosts-Christmas-kickoff it was festive, and it kept the spirit of the holidays. There were no doom and gloom, there was no death or dismemberment, there was no missing persons or items, and it was all happy, festive and kept the concept as such through the complete article. “Every year we try to add on to the park and the lights in the city,” Kennedy said. “We think we’re getting all types together here. With the singing and everything, it just makes everyone so close-knit, from the teeny ones who can’t even walk to the 80-year-olds.” The mayor had a deep moment realizing the spirit of Christmas runs in any age touches most all souls. “I love it when all the little kids from the high school come out on a Sunday night when the Chiefs are playing to come sing reindeer songs,” Kennedy said. “It’s just something that a small town can do. A large town, I don’t believe could do this as easily as we can do it.” Mr. Kennedy made the comment that I was really touched by and was very factual about large towns not having this kind of spirit of a small town such as Frontenac.
It is wonderful to find a town that has kept the spirit of Christmas alive and beating as a human heart. This mayor and town holds the spirit and keeps it alive with each year that passes. The mayor might have been actually honest as his acknowledging the city’s touch, of young and old towns’ people at the Christmas kickoff. As you drive through the town looking at each pole with decorations of Christmas you actually feel the true meaning of what it’s all about. The small town atmosphere spills over as you see the smiles of its town folk and this can take you back to before Christmas became so commercial. The day that Christmas was about giving and not receiving, when people where there for their neighbors and family, not having to worry about what would be said or possibly a lawsuit for helping someone. Frontenac, Kansas is a small town with an old fashion atmosphere, a place to raise your children.

Alec Baldwin says lost interest in acting, will soon quit

Actor Alec Baldwin age 51 years old was interviewed for Men’s Journal to feature in the December issue. Alec feels that his film career was a complete failure, although he was in many films such as Bettlejuice, It’s Complicated, 30 Rock and The Hunt for Red October and The Cooler. Mr. Baldwin was chosen to co-host the 2010 Oscar ceremonies. He also told Playboy Magazine this year that he was, “done,” with his career in 2012 and would retire at “30 Rock’s” wrap party. Alec also stated, “I consider my entire movie career a complete failure," he told Men's Journal. "The goal of movie-making is to star in a film where your performance drives the film, and the film is either a soaring critical or commercial success, and I never had that." Mr. Baldwin also expressed interest in politics in the past but did not say in the interview what he intended to do should he quit acting.

The Baldwin’s have really done well in the acting business, as I read this article at http://movies.yahoo.com/news/movies.reuters.com/alec-baldwin-says-lost-interest-acting-will-soon-quit-reuters . I realized that his expectation of what he thought his career should have been and actually was seemed to be two complete and totally different levels. This article was a bit disappointing as to my expectation of what Alec Baldwin has to offer the camera and what he will offer the camera which isn’t very much more than what he has already delivered.

Alec Baldwin was born April 3, 1958 and raised in Massapequa, NY along with his brothers Daniel, Stephen and William and sister’s Jane and Elizabeth. This article states from Alec, “I don’t have any interest in acting anymore; movies are a part of my past. It’s been 30 years. I’m not young, but I have time to do something else.” It amazes me how this man seems to think that his career was a failure when his name is known in homes everywhere. I can’t imagine having expectations of such proportion as this man does of his acting career to feel such disappointment with such effort. I was so excited to read any information regarding the Baldwin’s, but when I read this well disappointment sit in. This announcement has been made several times in the past, so if this comes to fruition then it will be interesting how it will actually end or if the end has a, “To be continued.”

Alec Baldwin also appeared on the daytime soap, “The Doctors,” on NBC between the years of 1980-1982, as said on http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800019239/bio. Along with the crazy preacher on, “Knots Landing,” on CBS in between 1979-1993 and “Married to the Mob,” in 1988 or “Working Girl,” in 1988 or the retro musical, “Talk Radio.” It was also announced that Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin will be co-hosting the 82nd Academy Awards in 2010. What a pair, I am excited about seeing them working together announcing the Academy Awards. There were many other special guest appearances that Alec preformed in such as Saturday Night Live, or The View, and Nip Tuck. Alec was born in Amityville, New York and has performed as an actor, director, producer, voice actor, driver, gas station attendant, shirt salesman and finally a waiter. I share this with you to enlighten you that he is human as well as anyone else in this world. He started from nothing and became something, not born with a silver spoon but earned the spoon instead. This family has been touched by tragedy as well as normal folks that are not blessed by a movie career, the loss of his father from lung cancer in 1983 and a blessing that his mother being a breast cancer survivor. If this announcement is true and final, then I say farewell, Alec you will be missed.

New Moon banks at box office

This is the second film in the block buster series and did double what Twilight opened with of only sixty nine million dollars. As said on http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Movies/11/22/boxoffice.newmoon.ew/index.html ,
New Moon took first place in the box office with bringing in over one hundred forty point seven million dollars on the midnight showing of this block buster; this being the third biggest weekend opening in movie history. With more than eighty percent of the tickets were sold to women. Still nothing seems to beat, “The Dark Knight,” with a whopping record of one hundred fifty eight point four million on its first weekend. Although the vampire and werewolf combo still held its own with the second day of showing bringing in a stellar sixty nine point six million. Noted in http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/11/22/eveningnews/main5739857.shtml this movie was targeted for more the teenage audience and with much surprise, the audience was as filled with the middle age criteria of forty something as well. New Moons midnight opening grossed in twice the amount of Twilights weekend debut. Cathy Plume a moviegoer states, “"We laugh about how silly it is to be captured by this movie," said Plume, who is not exactly a high school student.” Those devoted fans of New Moon will wait patiently in the dark, silent, waiting to pounce as those they love do on the screen, waiting for the next movie opening in June.

My excitement to read these two articles in regards to what I had seen with millions of other women and young girls this weekend. The movie critics need to learn what the moviegoers want and not want but what they think is presentable. Look at Harry Potter, sold millions as well, never a bomb always a money maker. Again, New Moon leaves you wanting more, and more and more.

"The movie is about teenagers and aimed at teenagers. Yet the theaters are filled with 40-somethings,” Meg Symington stated. I was one of many, many forty something’s in that auditorium theatre and it was packed. I agree with, “Everybody remembers their high school love, their first crush, the emotion of it all," Symington said. "I think even at our age we can relate to that." I strongly agree with Meg that we all can remember our first love; this is what connects us to what we are watching even more. Edward, Jacob, Jasper, Emit and Carlisle show passion and romance something as of today that is pretty much extinct. Women desire this that is lacking in society among many other things in our time, and this movie is picture proof of what I am saying is correct.

The movies, Twilight and New Moon are one of a few movies involving vampires. This touch of the old era and the touch of the kids of today in the new era brings the younger generation into show as well. Whether it is werewolf or vampire, whether it is a teenage girl or a middle age woman, we all desire the same. The men of today are not getting the real picture as to what attracts a woman to movies such as Twilight or New Moon or as far as that goes True Blood on HBO. I have listened and watched the men in amazement as to the wonderment of why all the different aged women are so connected, so attracted, so drawn to such a story. I guess my question is don’t you think they need to look, listen, and learn as to what all the commotion is about? The statement I’m relaying could have even been the answer to many divorces over the years; women are yearning for the days of chivalry. The days the doors were held open, the day’s women were treated with dignity and respect, the days of passion and true love. The day’s women were honored and adored. Please don’t get me wrong this is not about male bashing, this is about what women are yearning and obviously starving for. The days of yesteryear were men were men and women were loved, adored and cared for. Is there a message in all this science-fiction that needs to be understood more than Bella and Edward and there undying love for one another as Jacob sits helpless from afar? I don’t know you tell me.

New Advice: Skip mammograms in 40’s, start at 50

Most women don’t need mammograms in their 40’s and should get on every other year starting at 50 years old. This is completely backwards to what American Cancer Society’s thoughts and position in regards of this subject. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force regarding this subject states that women should stop doing self breast examinations. The twenty years the cancer society has recommended women to get their first mammogram starting at the age of forty. Now a government panel of doctors and scientists has came to the conclusion that being screened for cancer so early and so often can only lead to unneeded biopsies and false alarms with no improvement of any odds on surviving. As Dr. Diana Petitti, vice chair of the panel, “The benefits are less and the harms are greater when screening starts in the 40’s.” The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has a lot of pull with Medicare and many other insurance companies as to these new guidelines. Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, the cancer society’s deputy chief medical officer states, “Our concern is that as a result of this confusion, women may elect not to get screened at all. And that, to me, would be a serious problem.” These new guidelines are for general population not for those at high risk of breast cancer because of family history or gene mutations. The new advice says:
*Most women in their 40s should not get mammograms routinely.
*Women 50-74 should get mammograms every other year until they turn 75, which after that the risks and benefits are unknown.
*The value of breast exams by doctors is unknown. Self exams are of no help.
Dr. Otis Brawley states, “This is one screening test I recommend unequivocally, and would recommend to any woman 40 and over.” Dr. Brawley also wrote , the task force has based its advice on the conclusion of a screening of 1300 woman in their 50s saving one life is worth it, but the 1900 women in the 40s to save a life is not worth it? The new guidelines balance these risks and benefits, the possibility of dying of breast cancer after age 40 is 3 percent, they calculate. Getting a mammogram every other year from ages 50-69 lowers that risk by about 16 percent. Just starting at the age of 40 would prevent a death but would lead to 470 false alarms for every 1000 women screened. Mammograms’ continuing through the age of 79 years prevents three deaths but increases the number of treated women that would not decrease or even threaten their lives.

As I was reading I found myself sick to my stomach not knowing if it was from something I ate or if it was from what I was reading on http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091116/ap_on_he_me/us_med_mammogram_advice. The further I read this article; I was unsure if I was happy or upset. My feelings in the beginning were pure rage. A woman should decide what to do with her body, when to have it checked out or not, I honestly feel this in no way should be left to our government.

As in the article, “that in most women, tumors are slow- growing, and that all likelihood increases with age.” So my issue with this screening is that they are labeling women in general with the same criteria. No woman is the same, as should not be compared to be so. This article was very difficult for me to write as I had such feelings of anger with these so called scientists and doctors that are willing to take women’s lives in their hands just from a test of certain proportion. As said so eloquently, “A great deal of intelligence can be invested in ignorance,” Saul Bellow. The only thing in this article that kept me in some agreeance was that it states that this is for the general population of woman, no in regards to women at high risk. So I ask you, is ignorance bliss? Not when it comes to your own body, should it not be your decision as to have yourself examined or to have yourself tested should be a decision made by you not by your doctor or your government. As found in http://www.iredellmemorial.org/uploadedFiles/Centers_of_Excellence/Womens_Services/Spirit_of_Women/OCT09_HQ_Factsheet.pdf it states, “Over two million female breast cancer survivors are alive today. Although more people are diagnosed with breast cancer now, fewer die from the disease. The main reason: women have overcome their fears, and have sought regular exams and mam­mograms leading to early detection, which generally leads to early treatment – when it can achieve the best results. Women who are diagnosed while breast cancer is still confined to the primary site have a five-year survival rate of over 98%!” So if the general population is what this task force is concentrating, one area of women that are not at high risk, wait to do self examinations until 20 years of age, and wait to do your first mammogram till 40 years of age. Now they are saying wait until 50-74 years of age. With this said, I ask you how will this survey, this test that the Task Force came up with, how will it help a young girl named Hannah Auslam a 10 year old girl with breast cancer. To be precise she has is Secretory Carcinoma, a rare form that less than one in a million is diagnosed. In http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/11-year-youngest-breast-cancer-survivors/story?id=8782697 because of her young age and the rareness of the type of cancer, her doctors are finding it very difficult to find her a treatment that is age appropriate. My Point Exactly!! April Hannah become the country’s youngest breast cancer survivor, she received her last chemotherapy treatment this fall and was tested with no detectable cancer found.

Taylor Thompson 13 years old, of Little Rock, Arkansas has aggressive form of breast cancer, the kind that has a 98 percent chance of returning, she will undergo surgery in June. As found in http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/10/26/tweens.breast.cancer/index.html Hannah and Taylors cases are rare, breast cancer is emerging more and more in the younger generation, a lot younger than 40 or 50 years of age as recommended. Dr. Marisa Weiss, founder of www.breastcancer.org states, “The breast is the only organ in men and women that are formed after you’re born.” Breast cancer could theoretically occur in any age or gender. Seven percent of breast cancer cases occur in patients under the age of forty. Taylor would have been in the category of general public, there is no family history of breast cancer in the family. I have found this article to be personal, as a woman over forty and a family history rippled with cancer in both my parents, mostly all my aunts and uncles and have had all my grandparents diagnosed with some sort of cancer from skin cancer to colon, kidney, lung, bone, prostate. I have educated myself and continue educating myself as to the types, causes, longevity and treatment of different types of cancers. To turn a blind eye, and to generalize the public, women, or men is turning a blind eye to watching many of our mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters or even fathers, grandfathers, brothers or spouses. Watching the intense pain my father went through trying to live through his cancer daily, or yearly makes you check your possibilities and knowing your body. As my father lost my mother at a young age of 58 years old, he lost his best friend, his soul mate, and as he put it, “His right hand.” This is a death that is beyond painful for the victim or the people that are connected to that particular life. Each life is connected to many others, the pain doesn’t stop at the cancer victim, it carries on for a life time for anyone that cares. Each day that I take my father to his cancer treatment center, I watch what he goes through, I hear his pain, and I see the chemicals fill this man’s body. I can’t imagine what it would be like to have my daughter at the age of 10 or 13 years old to have cancer, breast cancer is even more unbelievable at that age. To know the pain on a personal side of cancer is a horrific thing no person should ever endure, but to hear that the government is trying to tell women and men to stop personal self breast examinations and to delay mammograms by another ten years is beyond understanding. I feel that it follows more along financial recession issues then thinking that women don’t have breast cancer at a young age. Should a person not be more cautious of their own body then to find out by putting off testing that a young life is cut short do to late determination of cancer? Does that not fall under the concept rather be safe than sorry? Can the, “U.S. Preventive Services Task Force”, look a mother in the eyes and tell her, “I am sorry, the numbers didn’t see this, and she is an extreme rare case.” It is my body and I honestly feel that it is my decision to make and absolutely not the government!

Woman Attacked by Chimp Reveals Face

A two hundred pound chimpanzee attacked woman from Connecticut last February reveals her disfigured face for the first time on CBS. She is blind and has to eat through a straw, but with all this she states that she isn’t angry. Her positive attitude shown on Oprah Winfree Show was that she has not time to look back but only time to look forward to healing. On February 16th the owner Sandra Herold, asked Charla Nash to help her to lure the chimp back into her house in Stamford, Connecticut. The chimp tore off Charla’s hands, nose and eyelids. The police shot and killed the chimp, and Charla Nash is still in Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. Only a few weeks ago Ms. Nash was told she no longer has her eye sight, Charla doesn’t remember anything about the attack and at this time doesn’t want to.

I felt horrible for this woman; her life is forever changed by this one incident. To be able to see all the beautiful colors in the world one day and not see nothing and forever scared the next. She seems to be strong and has the right attitude unlike most people in today’s society.

My thoughts of this article I found at www.cbsnews.com did change from when I started reading it until the end. I had such sympathy for this woman struggling now in life from this horrible animal assault. Then I came to be impressed, astounded, and amazed as to her will and determination not to let this stop her from living. I know several people after I read this article said, “I would hide in my house in hopes to die.” Most of all the comments I heard was along the same line, “I would give up and hide.” People that keep exotic animals should be fined; exotic animals belong in the wild or in zoo’s not in people’s houses and such. And these types of animals should only be handled by professionals that have had special training. This would incident would of never happened if a professional would have been there with protective gear and devices that would of secured the well being of the owner and others including the professional. My heart and soul goes out to this woman and I hope she stays strong and determined to not allow this to ruin her life.

King Tut’s Tomb to Get Makeover

The famous Tomb of Tutankhamun will be under restoration for five years to clean up and restore the marvelous wall paintings. The paintings and artifacts along with the golden mask of the boy king has astounded the world since 1922. That is when the British archaeologist Howard Carter discovered the tomb of the boy king. The project of the restoration is with the combined work of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities and Los Angeles based Getty Conservation Institute which in the past have restored other tombs nearby and designing a case to display the mummies. This tomb is visited by thousands of people every month, this brings the humidity and the heat which damages the more than 3,000 year old tomb. There are questions that pertain to wondering how he died at such a young age. With this being said, they have removed King Tut from his tomb and was placed in a portable CT Scanner for a 15 minute CT scan to get a three dimensional image. This was the first done on any Egyptian mummy. The end results were King Tut was violently murdered, but could not come up with a definitive conclusion of how he died around 1323 B.C.

Reading of history and new findings of history as on this article found at http://www.cbsnews.com/stories has always captured my attention. To hear that there are still people who care enough to try to preserve what was then for the future, to understand and learn is wonderful. I was interested and intrigued to read about how this restoration is planned to preserve what has taught and awed by thousands of people that travel to The Valley Of The Kings. I think you could say my outlook on this article changed I was curious to see what information they had of King Tut, and happy when I was done reading it to hear of the effort to save the artifacts.

This is my point, as you can read from Zahi Hawass he is in concern of the deterioration of the tomb and all that is in it. It isn’t about what we can bring to the museums but what can be kept as it was where it is. “I always see the tomb of King Tut and wonder about those spots, which no scientist has been able to explain," said Zahi Hawass, the head of the SCA, in a statement.

I found this to be an intriguing article of modern science. To know that our technology today can put this mummy in a glass air tight container to keep any chemicals or weathering from deteriorating the skeleton any further, leaves me somewhat speechless. This was also fascinating reading as for the pictures of the scientist actually in the process of removing the mummy and the last picture of what to be a possible resemblance of King Tut. I honestly feel that when you put a face or a figure to a story then it helps many people see and understand what was or might have been. I can’t imagine the tension in the air as the scientist removed the boy king from his place of rest. I wished this article offered more on its reading then it did as my anticipation grew with every sentence.

Parsons bow hunter takes down a 225 pound, 23 point buck

On Tuesday, November 3, 2009; Josh Root an avid deer hunter shot and killed a twenty three point buck weighing in over 225 pounds. The Boone and Crockett Club, a national hunting organization, says Root’s deer will be scored as a non-typical white tail deer and will most likely be rated in the top ten in Kansas. Mr. Root has decided to donate the two hundred twenty five pounds of meat to the Erie Meat Locker for the Feed the Needy program. As I read the articles on www.fox14tv.com it states that nothing can be official until the antlers are dried for scoring. Mr. Root started a hunting company called Titan Productions and Design and is hoping that this kill will help the company live up to its name.

It was exciting as I read about this hunt, knowing I used to be a hunter. The more I read this article the more my heart raced and I could feel the adrenalin rush through my body, knowing how he felt. Mr. Root did a wonderful job by donating the meat from this hunt to the Erie Meat Locker to feed the needy. It is sad for the loss of life, but all those who will profit from its death is fantastic.

After hearing the weight of this deer, knowing the estimated size of the antlers, I agreed this deer was an elder. It was intelligent as Mr. Root so well stated. "A deer of this magnitude is a smart deer," Root says. "They become nocturnal and it's just very rare to see them and if you do see them it's a moment that you, you're down to the wire, you need to make it happen or it's just going to pass you and it's just going to be a dream that you talk about to most people and I didn't want it to be a dream." Deer meat (venison is a broader term that also applies to meat from elk, moose, caribou and antelope) is healthier than beef. A three-ounce serving provides only 134 calories and three grams of fat, including only one gram of saturated fat. Beef gives you 259 calories for the same three-ounce serving, and 18 grams of fat, including seven grams of saturated fat.

I have many family members including myself that believes in hunting deer. It isn’t for sport; it is for food, to feed the families in the surrounding areas including our own. There is deer jerky, deer burgers, and many, many, other ways of cooking deer. I have found the gamey taste is easily disguised, with seasonings found in your cabinet. We have come to learn there is a disorder in deer called Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), this is a disease a lot like Mad Cow Disease. With that being said there are things that you can be aware of to ensure you don’t eat an infected deer such as; Don’t eat the eyes, brain, spinal cord, spleen, tonsils or lymph nodes of any deer; Wear rubber gloves when dressing or butchering a deer; Bone out the meat, remove all the fat and the web like membranes attached to the meat; if you question the deer to be sick you can bring samples of the venison in to wildlife officials for testing.

Ford Says inflatable seat belt improves safety, comfort, too

For almost a decade Ford has been working on the reality of protecting the rear seat passengers a bit more than they are now. The inflatable seat belt will be coming out as a option on the next- generation in the new Ford Explorers. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says only 83% of front seat passengers buckle up on a regular basis in 2008 versus 74% of rear seat passengers. Sue Cischke, group vice president of sustainability, environmental and safety engineering, states; “"It feels a lot different; it's softer and more lightly woven and when we asked people to sample them, they said it feels less rigid and more comfortable.” The new belts expand like an air bag in accidents or any type of crash. The belts will distribute the force over more of the chest area, so it is less concentrated in one area. This has been a project in the making since 2001; it has survived the financial issues in 2005 when ford disposed of thousands of employees. Srini Sundararajan, technical leader of Ford’s research and advanced engineering division, "We've developed so much technology for the front-seat occupants, we want to bring some of these advanced technologies from the front seat to the rear seat.”

I was very happy to hear as I read this article that they are trying to protect our precious cargo we all carry in the back seats of our vehicles, children, parents, grandparents. These are all things that should be as protected as we who drive them. My excitement after reading this article didn’t change if anything it allows me to have hope for the future cars and passengers.

As Mr. Sundararajan stated, “It's a vulnerable population, like elderly and children, who sit back there. And we believe this is the best way to enhance safety for the rear-seat occupants,” this gives us all hope that when the worst happens there is a bit more protection for all. This was a wonderful article to read and it made me very happy to hear the advances for the future is constantly being perfected.
The more I read this article that I found on http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2009-11-05-ford-inflatable-seat-belts_N.htm it made my hopes for my grandchildren and my future great children will have a little more protection than I did or my children did. It amazes me what new things are invented as each day passes. I would like to see the automobile companies come out with a little bit longer seat belts for the larger society of

Verizon doubling early termination fees

A lock-in, have you ever heard of one? Sure you have, Apple has it, Verizon, iPod, or AT&T; they all have this. It is a contract usually lasting for twenty four months not allowing you to leave and go to another cell phone company without paying a large fee called a ETF, translation; Early Termination Fee. This fee on the most usually runs one hundred dollars or so, but for some reason, November 15, 2009 Verizon will be charging a whopping amount of three hundred fifty dollars for your ETF, per the Boy Genius Report. Although Verizon does offer a small incentive, for every month of your contract fulfilled, the company knocks ten dollars off the ETF. What a deal huh? Well if you think about it, if you cancel on your twenty third month of a twenty four month contract your still paying a one hundred twenty dollar termination fee, now tell me that don’t hurt?

I was floored as to the amount they want you to pay to cancel early. With the economy the way it is, how do they expect people to come up with that kind of money? Before I read this article my husband and I was contemplating on moving our service from T-Mobile to Verizon, no way will I do this now. The more I read this article the more upset I got, it amazes me how the conglomerates think they have the right to rob the public so arrogantly.

I have had a cell phone for years, and this termination fee has been there for years in all companies it is nothing new. As the article stated, “Every carrier has one: If you want to get out of your contract early, you'll pay at least a hundred bucks for the privilege.” This is something we all who own a cell phone accepts and signs contract to prove this. But to charge the public three hundred fifty dollars is beyond ludicrous. I find this amount offensive and I only hope that this is read and told to many of this amount to keep the many from making a fatal mistake.

Cell phones, as stated by; http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/null/154280 have termination fees, this is something common. And some early termination fees can be are always painful to the pocket. But cell phones don’t have to be as bad as credit cards; we don’t have to go in debt to have one or to keep one. This company is not trying to help stop the recession but instead it looks as to be assisting it. They may be able to keep that customer most the time for the two years with their horrific ETF fee, but you can bet this won’t be good for their reputation. Word of mouth can be very damaging for a company no matter their size. I think this is a very dumb move on behalf of Verizon, you could say they are getting a little too big for their britches to think something as this won’t affect them. Time will tell.

Police determine teen missing since 1954 was slain

A Jane Doe buried in Colorado 55 years ago, is found to be Dorothy Gay Howard, who disappeared from Arizona and her family has been looking for her since. Marlene Howard Ashman, the last living member of the immediate family was the sister of Dorothy Howard. As Marlene stated, “All these 55 years, I guess I learned as a child to put it in an abstract form so I could deal with it; It’s easier to accept.” Boulder County Sheriff’s Detective Steve Ainsworth, which is the lead investigator in the existing case, stated Dorothy died of a blunt-force trauma. Her body was found a week after the murder, the nearby animals had destroyed any identifying marks as fingers and face. Ainsworth believes that the evidence found so far is leading to the serial killer Harvey Glatman, who was executed in 1959 in California. Glatman had confessed to killing three women, he also served time in the Colorado state prison for assaults on women, which one was only one fourth of a mile from where Ms. Howards body was found. Do to the marks on her body, and reviewing evidence that was at the scene; the theory is Dorothy Howard tried getting away and Glatman hit her with his car. It is up to Ainsworth to prove this theory now. Marlene said her sister was extremely strong-willed and lived quite a life in her 18 years, including married twice. “Once she decided on a course, it would take heaven and earth to stop her.”


This story was fascinating; I found it to be most interesting. When I was done my first thought was that poor woman all those years not knowing if her sister abandoned her, was she dead, alive? Then my thoughts rush to Dorothy the victim of this tragic circumstance, the pain, knowing that she is a fighter, you know this woman didn’t go down without a fight. I was saddened for Marlene her sister and happy also that there is partial closer if anything for Dorothy.


The worry, the wondering of this is only half over, as Ainsworth stated, “"We know who she is, but there's still another mystery and that may be the biggest mystery of all, and that's who did it.” This is what got my gut just turning, the unknown. I am the type of person that can take anything on as long as I know it is coming, but to be Marlene and always wonder, never knowing. Then one day out of the blue to know only half, to me that would be as dangling food over a starving person’s mouth. “I want more!”


I am not the type of person to lie, there is several times my sister and I have not gotten along in any manner. We are different in many ways, physical, mental, educational, responsibility. But that makes us human. The more I read this article on http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_discovering_jane_doe the angrier I got, the more I felt Marlene’s pain. How can you get justice from a man who is already dead, how can you close this? When they finish their investigation and possibly connect her to the Glatman murders, there will be some serious healing for her. It is sad this case wasn’t closed 55 years ago, it is sad our technology was not advanced enough to solve this crime at the time it was committed. My condolences go out to Dorothy Howards family for their loss and for their many years of worrying. Also, congratulation goes out to Steve Ainsworth for the determination in helping this poor woman find her way home.