Syria Continues Shelling

Syrian government forces continue to violate the cease fire. Wednesday they renewed the shelling of parts of Homs. The state news agency, SANA, reported that roadside bombs in Idlib and Aleppo killed ten soldiers and a civilian.

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem insists that the government is doing everything in it's power to have a cease fire. He went as far as offering the Syrian air force's planes and helicopters to carry around UN observers.

With both sides violating the cease fire, there really is no hope left for the truce. Time is just ticking for the conflicts to go full fledged again.

The world sits and watches unable to do much more. If they admit that the cease fire has been ineffective, the leave themselves with little choices. The only real ones there are, would be to send their own troops in to try and enforce a peace, arm the rebels, or stay out of it completely and watch the country continue to implode.

Halo 4 Release Date Announced

Microsoft has announced that greatly awaited Halo 4, will be released November 6, or election day in the US.

This installment's story line begins four years after the end of Halo 3's. Master Chief and Cortana will return, fighting an even greater and more dangerous than ever known.

The story line will also go where none of the other games have gone before. It will delve into Master Chief's past, in ways only the books and comics have.

Halo 3 was the fastest selling game ever, back in 2007, and remained so til 2011 when Call of Duty: Black Ops beat it. 4 is expected to take that back for Microsoft. But it will have competition, as Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, Assassin's Creed 3, and Grand Theft Auto 5 all come out around the same time.

Dog TV

For $4.99 a month, you can get Dog TV, an eight hour set of cable TV just for your dog. The network promises that there are never reruns, keeping it always fresh for the dogs, so they won't get bored.

Everything on the network is designed for dogs to watch. They filmed low, to match a dog's point of view. The music has been written and designed specifically for canine hearing. Even the colors have been altered, enriching blues and yellows, which dogs can see.

According to scientists, the technological level of TVs now allows for dogs to see the screen. With older TVs they couldn't actually register what was going on.

The Escondido Humane Society, near San Diego, has been a testing ground for the network's relaxation videos. Development director Jean Loo-Russo said that, "We handle 5,000 animals a year. We get high-energy, big dogs that need to calm down. When we plugged it in, we saw almost immediate results.

So far the network is only available in the San Diego area, but plans are underway to go across the US by the end of the year. Options are being looked at to add smell to the screen. Developers say that the technology is available, but is just not cost effective yet. Due to comments from pet owners, that cats are entertained by Dog TV, they are also working on developing Cat TV.

Remembering: The British are Coming!

April 18, 1775, General Thomas Gage, the British governor of Massachusetts, orders British soldiers to march on Concord to cease weapon stores and on Lexington to arrest colonial leaders John Hancock and Samuel Adams.

The colonials had been waiting for this move, and plans were prepared. Two riders, Paul Revere and William Dawes, were waiting for a signal to let them know which way the British were headed. One lamp would be lit in the steeple of Boston's Old North Church, the highest point in the city, if the British were marching out of the city by Boston Neck, and two would be lit if they were crossing the Charles River to Cambridge.

On the night of April 18, the two men saw the signal of two lights in the steeple, and set off through the countryside, on different paths, to warn everyone. Hundreds of Minutemen were warned, and armed themselves. They reached Lexington moments apart, and together warned Hancock and Adams. As they left the town they were joined by Samuel Prescott.

The three riders then took separate ways towards Concord. Only Prescott would make it there. Dawes would end up losing his horse avoiding British patrols. Whilst Revere would be captured and questioned, but later released.

Maduro Accuses Obama of Conspiracy

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro accused the United States government, and specifically President Obama, of orchestrating a conspiracy to remove President Hugo Chavez from office.

This conspiracy involves plans to instigate street violence and according to Maduro goes as far as plotting a coup against Chavez. "At this moment it's difficult to consider an improvement in the relations with the United States due to this conspiracy," he said on Venezuelan TV.

Maduro also stated that the United States is increasingly isolated from it's other American neighbors. He warns that there will not be another Summit of the Americas, if the US does not back down on issues regarding Cuba.

The Foreign Minister also took shots at Great Britain, making it clear that Venezuela will back Argentina in any continued conflict over the Falkland Islands. Argentina has been increasingly vocal and belligerent with it's demands that the islands be handed over to them.

Remembering: Benjamin Franklin

On April 17, 1790, America and the world lose one of the greatest treasures when Benjamin Franklin died.

Under British rule, Franklin became a prominent leader in the New World. In Philadelphia, where he had chosen to reside, he helped found the first public library, police force, fire brigade, and an academy that later became the University of Pennsylvania. He helped grow and improve the local, and then later regional, postal system.

Franklin began Poor Richard's Almanack, filling it with useful and humorous information. In it he coined what have become some of the most famous phrases. He also the Pennsylvania Gazette, which even in Europe became known as one of the most reliable colonial newspapers.

His fascination with science, is still well known. He invented many things, including bifocals and the Franklin stove. He experimented with electricity, and greatly moved man's knowledge of it forward. In his scientific papers, Franklin created many terms in the field of electrical study, including battery, conductor, positive, and negative. Franklin became the first American scientist to be respected by Europe.

Throughout all this time he was active in colonial affairs as well. In 1754, he proposed a union of colonies, that would've established a joint parliament for the colonies. Even though that parliament would've still been subservient to the crown, such a move would've given the colonies partial independence, and so was quickly rejected by England.

Until 1775, he was often in England, arguing before Parliament for colonial rights. But in 1775, he did return to America, as he saw that war must come. In 1776, he was on the committee that drafted the Declaration of Independence. Afterwards, he became the ambassador to France, and succeeded in gaining treaties that brought France into the war as an American ally. Franklin would be one of the three Americans to sign the Treaty of Paris, which ended the war with Britain, and recognized American independence.

In 1785, he returned home and by 1787 was a member of the Constitutional Convention. He believed deeply in the Constitution and fought hard for it. Benjamin Franklin was without a doubt one of the greatest and most important Founding Fathers of America.

Real Life Sweeney Todd

Three people in Garanhuns, Brazil have been arrested on charges they killed people, and then used their bodies as meat for pies.

To make it more interesting, they all confessed. One of them saying he did it because the voices in his head, told him to.

The pies were famous throughout the town, for how tasty they were. Neighbors, schools, businesses, and hospitals all purchased the pies.

Police found two bodies, and believe that the cannibals were responsible for at least ten murders.

Millennium Falcon High School

Parkland High School, in Allentown, Pennsylvania opened in 1999. Recently however it's gotten a certain kind of notice.

Seen from above it has a striking resemblance to none other than the Millennium Falcon from Star Wars.

Officials at the school say that it wasn't planned, but clearly the force is strong with some engineer or architect.

Man Drowned by Swan

An Illinois man drowned Sunday after being attacked by a swan.

Part of the man's job is to ensure that geese are kept away from the condos he works for.

The condos brought in the swan to help chase geese away, and he was checking on the swan.

Apparently he got too close, and witnesses say it attacked him, he resurfaced but then went under again and did not resurface.

Sudan Bombs UN Camp

The UN is condemning a bombing raid by the Sudanese air force, which dropped bombs on parts of South Sudan, including a UN peacekeepers camp. The bombs that fell on the camp, injured none, but destroyed a radio and generator.

Per the South Sudan's information minister, Gideon Gatpan, bombing over the last few days has killed sixteen and injured a score more. Most of the bombings have targeted bridges and other routes that people use to cross the border from Sudan to South Sudan.

For the last week, the African Union and the UN have been condemning a raid by South Sudanese troops, that captured the Sudanese town of Heglig. The town is a center for oilfields, and fighting has been raging over it since.