Gore and Bush Reunited

Al Gore finally found his way into the Oval Office Monday for a Nobel Prize reception with George Bush, an ironic meeting to say the least. After sharing uncomfortable grins over pictures and media questioning, the two held a 40 minute meeting in the oval office to discuss global warming. "He was very gracious in setting up the meeting and it was a very good and substantive conversation," Gore said. I would have loved to be a fly on the wall for that conversation and to hear all of the profound statements that Gore made.

President Bush Working for Peace

President Bush plans to try to make strides toward peace in the Middle East between Israel and the Palestinians next week. Syria agreed Sunday to be part of a peace conference in Annapolis, Md. on Tuesday. Prior to the meeting, President Bush will meet with both Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas individually in the White House to discuss the conference on Tuesday. Hopefully, although general opinion seems to think that nothing will be resolved, they may make some strides toward ending the over-60-year period of unrest between the two.

Selfless Act

A 9-year old boy who was looking for help after his mother crashed their van in the southern Arizona desert was rescued by an illegal immigrant. The mother survived the impact of the crash but was pinned inside the van and died shortly after. Jesus Manuel Cordova of Mexico happened upon the boy when crossing the border illegally and stayed with the boy until border patrol arrived the next morning. If it wasn't for Cordova, the boy probably would have gotten lost or died. Cordova was taken into custody but I hope he is given a reprieve for his selfless act of kindness to the boy who was in need.

1st Up: New Hampshire

New Hampshire set the date for its primary election last wednesday. The date is set for January 3rd, making it the earliest ever primary in Hew Hampshire's history. The decision ended months of debate which considered, for a time, moving the date all the way into December in order to keep its spot as the first state to hold its primary. I think that it will be interesting to see which candidates put a little bit more focus on New Hampshire here at the home stretch.

Controversial Teddy Bear?

A Sudanese court convicted a British teacher of insulting Islam and was sentenced to 15 days in prison for letting her student name a class teddy bear Muhammed. She dodged the more serious sentence of forty lashes. Maybe it is just me, but it seems like Sudanese government was a little too touchy regarding this situation. A teddy bear? Come on, honestly, I don't think that if they named the bear "Jesus" or "Bhudda" she would have gotten time in prison. This whole thing just seems a little over the top to me considering it was children naming a stuffed animal, not a slap in the face of Islam. It must be slow times for the Islamic religion if this case a top priority.

Now Both Clintons Oppose the War

Bill Clinton has now changed his position on the war claiming that he is against it now. Just like his wife, Clinton really has not taken a clear stance on his feelings about the war. It looks like America will just have to wait to see if this most recent epiphany will last. In his defense, Clinton did make a statement claiming that he would gladly pay higher taxes because of his wealth in order to support the troops. I am surprised to say that I appreciate Clinton's remarks. Whether he is against the war or not, he is supporting our soldiers and that is what needs to happening so much more today. Say what you want about President Bush but give the soldiers the support and respect they deserve.

Jackson Five To Reunite

Monday, Jermaine Jackson of the Jackson Five told BBC Radio that he and the rest of the R&B group will be going back on tour, possibly as soon as next year. "We feel we have to do it one more time," he said. "We owe that to the fans and to the public." He claims that Michael will be with the group as well. Now, that's all well and good and I'm sure that many fans would love to hear the group perform again, but I'm curious to hear how Michael will sound. I also would like to know who would actually want to see Michael back on stage again. I know this isn't politics related, but everyone loves to hear news about Michael Jackson.

Do You Have Change For a Million?

A man tried to deposit a $1,000,000 bill in Aiken S.C. on Monday. The teller refused to open the account and called the police when he began to curse at the bank employees. He was arrested for disorderly conduct and 2 counts of forgery. The second count came after investegators found out that he had bought a few packs of cigarettes from a local gas station using a stolen check. This is a new kind of stupid, but probably one of the funniest stories I've heard in a while. The only thing that might have made this story better is if he asked for change.

Just a tidbit... the largest bank note ever produced was the $100,000 gold certificate.

USS New York

For those who haven't heard about this, I thought it was pretty interesting...

The U.S.S. New York, one of five of a new class of american war ships, was built using over 24 tons of scrap steel from the World Trade Center. After a ceremony in 2003, over 7 tons of the girders from the WTC were melted down and poured into a mold to build the bow section of the ship. The response of the public and the workers has been incredible. Many workers claim that the hairs on the backs of their necks stood up the first time they touched the steel and some have even postponed their retirement in oder to see the ship through the completion of its comstruction. I think that this is great idea and a great way to bring americans together to commemorate the lives lost on 9/11. I am also glad to see that they found a way to put the remains of the buildings to good use rather than just scrapping all of it. By the way, the ship's motto is "Never Forget".