Utah to Ban Sex Ed

A new law in Utah would effectively ban sexual education. House Bill 363 would keep schools from teaching safe sex, and only allow abstinence to be taught. The bill also makes it illegal for teachers to discuss premarital sex or homosexuality, even if asked by a student.

Supporters of the bill say that the law puts all the power into parent's hands. Opponents argue that it is out of touch of reality.

Teaching abstinence is highly important, but some students will not follow that path, no matter what. To be effective a program should emphasize abstinence, but also explain safe sex practices. Condoms, birth control, and abortion pamphlets should not be passed out. But students need to know the importance of safe sex. Also the emotional and mental toll that promiscuity can bring should be talked about, just as much as the danger of disease.

Robert B. Sherman, Dead at 86

Robert B. Sherman died of natural causes Tuesday, at the age of 86. A World War II Army vet, who enlisted at the age of 17. Fighting in Europe he earned a purple heart after being shot in the knee, and was amongst the troops who discovered the Dachau concentration camp.

Robert came back from the war, with the goal of becoming a writer. His younger brother Richard wanted to compose symphonies. It was their father who challenged them to work together. There was their success.

Their first song, "Gold Can Buy Anything (But Love), was recorded by Gene Autry. "Tall Paul" their second song became a hit for Annette Funicello, in 1959. During the early 60's they began to write songs for Disney movies, including "The Parent Trap", as well as a song called "It's a Small World". It was then that Walt Disney called them into his office, and showed them a book that he wanted songs written for. The book was about Mary Poppins.

Mary Poppins, was their biggest success. Practically every song was a total hit, and is still now. They continued to write music and songs for many Disney movies and TV shows including: "Winnie The Pooh", "The Jungle Book", "Bedknobs and Broomsticks", "The Sword in the Stone", "The Aristocats", "The Happiest Millionaire", and "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang". They also continued to write songs for non Disney movies, artists, and musicals.

Never will Robert B. Sherman's works and creativity be forgotten.

210,000 Jeep Libertys Recalled

209,724 Jeep Libertys of the 2004-2005 model are being recalled due to potential issues brought on by excessive corrosion.


No accidents have been reported due to this problem, but complaints were starting to come in. Nine incidents of fractures in the rear lower control arms were attributed to excessive corrosion due to road salt. All vehicles that could be effected will be recalled and have the arms replaced.


States effected are: Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Washington DC.

Prime Minister Netanyahu's AIPAC Speech

Al Qaeda Attacks in Yemen

Al Qaeda forces in Yemen have killed nearly 200 Yemeni soldiers over the past couple days. Most of the deaths occurred in surprise attacks, that some sources say were helped with information given to the militants by high up connections with the government of Yemen. Retaliatory air strikes by the Yemen's air force, have killed around 40.

The militants captured weapons and ammunition during the attacks, including: rocket launchers, mortars, armored vehicles, and tanks. The air strikes have been aimed at destroying as many of the vehicles, ammunition, and weapons as possible.

Yemen is continuously facing issues as Al Qaeda has taken over part of the south of the country. Over the last few weeks the conflict has gone from near silence to small raids, to these large attacks.

The United States has promised to aid Yemen in it's fight against Al Qaeda, but little aid has been seen, other than verbal. For a short time last year US drones were launching air strikes against Al Qaeda targets, but that was stopped, for an unreleased reason.

US Navy Rescues Another Iranian Sailor

The USS Firebolt, in conjunction with the US Coast Guard Cutter Maui, performed a search and rescue mission Sunday. They were able to save one Iranian fisherman. Unfortunately the rest of the crew had already been lost to sea or died from hypothermia and shock.

They were later joined in the search by the USS Pearl Harbor and two Seahawk helicopters. But the search had to be called off due to bad weather. The Iranian fisherman was transferred to an Iranian coast guard vessel, after receiving medical treatment.

This is far from the first time United States forces have been involved in rescuing Iranians. In fact, it is the third reported rescue of 2012. The first time Iran criticized the US for likely having caused the need for the rescue. The second they didn't really comment, which is likely to be the same result of this incident.

Tensions continue to build between Iran and the US, as Iran refuses to halt it's nuclear program. Sanctions by the US, and other countries, have been having increasing effect on Iran, but it is unclear if they'll ever be enough to stop Iran from it's apparent, though denied, goal of nuclear weapons.

Dick Katte to Retire

After 52 years of teaching at Denver Christian, and 48 of being the head basketball coach, Dick Katte is going to retire. A standard maker for not just how to win, but how to treat players, Katte's presence has been felt far beyond that of the gym and classroom.

With a career record of 873-233 he has one of the best records of any coach, in any sport, in history. He has led the Crusaders to seven state titles, and they are three games away from an eighth. The gymnasium was named for him years ago, he has received hundreds of awards, and in some families has coached three generations worth of boys.


When asked on his success he simply said, "I just keep saying to people that God has been faithful and I've been blessed. I really believe that. As long as I can help young people, that gives me fulfillment."

Classic Picks: Superman's Ma & Raiding Hitchcock

Are you of a generation that little remembers Phyllis Thaxter? Does Martha Kent in the 1978 Christopher Reeve Superman movie ring any bells? Check out two of her noirs on TCM this week, and learn a little more about her:

ACT OF VIOLENCE Thurs 6:30pm

Phyllis was one of four children born in Maine to Supreme Court Justice Sidney Thaxter, and a mother who had been a Shakespearean actress. Phyllis worked her way through stage roles and Broadway to become one of Hollywood’s most pleasant, lovable, sweet and sensitive yet strong heroines, albeit one of the most underused. In Act of Violence (the last movie Phyllis made under her MGM contract), she plays Robert Ryan’s faithful girlfriend Ann, who arrives from New York, and knows from a newspaper clipping left behind, that Robert intends to hunt down and kill Van Heflin. When Phyllis fails to stop him, she visits Heflin’s wife Janet Leigh.  Phyllis’ signature sad eyes are perfect for her role as a loyal, sympathetic, desperate and broken-hearted girlfriend, but she’s hardly a helpless softie or shrinking violet. No, Phyllis is steely and strong-willed, even more single-minded and tenacious in stalking her boyfriend across the country as Robert is in stalking his prey. Just watch how quickly, decisively, Phyllis takes Janet Leigh’s gun, and consider how logical and reasoned are her appeals to Robert Ryan, as she tries every which way to dissuade him from murder.

THE BREAKING POINT, Sat 7:30 am

John Garfield is the captain of a charter boat who takes on a shipment of Chinese illegals to earn a little extra cash. Things go bad of course, and his boat is confiscated during an investigation. Garfield is faced on the one hand with his wife Phyllis Thaxter’s urging to leave the seagoing life behind for the unbridled excitement of the lettuce farm run by her family, and on the other he’s faced with a more dangerous chance at another form of lettuce, if he helps transport some crooks for lawyer Wallace Ford. Also with Patricia Neal. 

Hollywood seems intent lately on raiding the Hitchcock classics; after rumors of a possible remake of Hitchcock’s Rebecca, and a possible remake of Hitchcock’s Suspicion, comes news of Scar-Jo playing Janet Leigh in Psycho.

This is cross posted from Speakeasy, where you can find further classic entertainment delights.

Homs Continues to be Assaulted

The Syrian army has reinforced its assault against Homs, specifically the Baba Amr area, which the government has pledged to "cleanse". Rastan and other cities are under direct attack as well. For the most part the Syrian government is still relying on artillery to do the work for them, but in some cases tanks and infantry have been sent in as well.

Abu Hassan al-Homsi, a doctor in Khaldiyeh, stated that treating people for mortar wounds has become routine, as they start to fall each morning and last through the day. Another resident, afraid to give a name, said, "We are collecting rain and snow water, and cutting trees to burn to warm ourselves."

The Red Cross had received permission to enter Baba Amr, but their convoy of humanitarian aid, has not been allowed to enter. The military says they can not guarantee their safety, and will not let them go in, til they can do so. Sue Turton tells Al Jazeera that, "There have been reports that some sort of government clean-up operation is going on, rounding up men older than 14. There have been reports of imprisonment, torture and even executions [of opposition fighters], and they don't want the ICRC or independent people there, to witness this."

Meanwhile China, and other countries, are still attempting to find a diplomatic way to end the violence. But China joined Russia in vetoing a UN resolution, worrying that it allowed for international intervention. "China does not approve of armed interference or pushing for 'regime change' in Syria and believes that use or threat of sanctions does not help to resolve the issue.'' In a joint press conference, Turkey's foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu and Giulio Terzi, foreign minister of Italy, compared the violence to that of the 1990's Balkans wars, declaring Assad's government to be guilty of war crimes.

Remembering: The Star Spangled Banner

On March 3, 1931 President Hoover signed into law an act that the day before had passed Congress. The act declared a song, written over a hundred years before, to be the official national anthem for the United States of America.

Written September 14, 1814, by Francis Scott Key, as he watched the British bombard Fort McHenry over night. Key, a lawyer, had been detained aboard a British ship, and wrote the words down to express his joy at seeing the stars and stripes still flying in the morning.

A Baltimore newspaper later published the lyrics on September 20, 1814. After that, it was set to the music of a popular English song, "To Anacreon in Heaven". Throughout the 19th century more and more of the US came to consider it the official song of the country. In 1916, President Wilson declared it to be the national anthem in 1916.

Possibly the most interesting, important, and emotional playings of the song came on September 12, 2001. On that day even Queen Elizabeth II, had the Band of Coldstream Guards play the anthem at the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace.

The song actually consists of four verses, but only the first is really used. In 1840, Key tried changing the third line to: "Whose bright stars and broad stripes, through the clouds of the fight", but it never really stuck to it. It is considered one of the hardest songs to sing, due to it's range of one and a half octaves.

O! say can you see by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there;
O! say does that star-spangled banner yet wave,
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner, O! long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,
A home and a country, should leave us no more?
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave,
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

O! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation.
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the Heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

During the Civil War, a fifth verse was added, written by Oliver Wendell Holmes. But after the war it faded away from the song.

When our land is illumined with liberty's smile,
If a foe from within strikes a blow at her glory,
Down, down with the traitor that tries to defile
The flag of the stars, and the page of her story!
By the millions unchained,
Who their birthright have gained
We will keep her bright blazon forever unstained;
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave,
While the land of the free is the home of the brave.