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.

Tornadoes Claim 38 More Lives

Tornadoes continue to pound the United States. Twelve people were killed Wednesday by twisters in six states. Today thirty-eight were lost to them, and that number could still grow. Seventeen states, from the Gulf Coast to the Great Lakes, between the Mississippi River and the Appalachian Mountains, were pretty much solid tornado warnings and watches today.

Southern Indiana, northern Alabama, Kentucky, and Tennessee were the hardest hit by the first series of storms today. The same part of Alabama, was hit by tornadoes last April, that killed 272. Marysville, Indiana and other towns are reportedly wiped off the map.

In some areas hail was reported all the way up to baseball and softball size. Henryville, Indiana's high school was destroyed, and the middle school's second story was torn off by a F4 tornado that hit there. Some people's entire houses are gone, without rubble left behind.

During the second stream of tornadoes Mississippi, northern Georgia, southern Ohio, Michigan and Illinois felt the blows. The National Weather Service stated that, "At one point, the storms were coming so fast that as many as four million people were within 25 miles of a tornado."

In Salem, Indiana a twenty month old girl was found, injured but miraculously alive. She had been picked up by the storm and carried for miles. She is in serious condition at a hospital, but has been reunited with her extended family, the bodies of her parents and brother were found in the rubble of their home.

Unfortunately a third round of tornadoes are continuing through the night. Reports of tornadoes throughout all of the seventeen states are coming in, though not all are confirmed. The Indiana National Guard has begun to send out troops to help with search and rescue, and are preparing to send out more troops in the morning, to help with the clean up.

US Senate Against Iran

Senator Joe Lieberman led a third of the United States Senate in presenting a resolution that was all but a declaration of war on Iran. A move which will only add to the problems between the two countries.

If passed by the Senate, and then the House, the resolution would require the United States to declare war on Iran if Iran was about to possess a nuclear weapon. The objective of such a war would purely be to keep Iran from ever having one that they could use.

This comes less than two weeks after it has become abundantly clear that US and European Union sanctions are truly beginning to hurt Iran and as Iran pushes it's military into the Mediterranean. The sanctions were placed to try and force Iran to stop it's nuclear program.

The majority of the world backs the sanctions. Exceptions being Pakistan and Russia. Both of whom have stated they will consider any attack against Iran as being against themselves as well. Only Russian vetoes have kept the United Nations from forming it's own official sanctions.

Iran maintains that the program is for reasons that are purely for energy. Yet evidence, and Tehran's own bragging show that they are refining uranium well past what is needed for energy.

Apple Worth $500 Billion

Apple's stock market value hit $500 billion on Wednesday, reinforcing it's place as the world's most valuable company. Only four other companies have ever reached that spot, but none of them are there now. Microsoft, Cisco, and General Electric all did it in 1999, with Microsoft reaching over $600 billion. Exxon Mobil hit $500 billion in 2007.

Apple is now valued higher than the gross domestic product of Poland, Belgium, Sweden, Saudi Arabia, or Taiwan. There are many things that Apple is worth more than. There is even an entire blog dedicated to listing everything it is.

Profits for Apple are only expected to go up, as they continue to expand their markets. Steve Jobs' death had many worried about the future of the company, but clearly for naught.

Could Diplomacy With North Korea be Working?

Kim Jong Un's first diplomatic move, that doesn't involve threatening South Korea, is to agree to end nuclear enrichment and long range missile research in exchange for food. This is far from the first time that the North has agreed to such an arrangement. Over the past two decades North Korea has reneged on nearly a dozen deals.

What makes this time different is that they've agree to do it not just for food, but specific types of food. They've agreed to food types most appropriate for young children, pregnant mothers and elderly people. This gives hope that maybe they are actually serious about holding up to their end of the bargain.

Whatever does come about as the result could very well tell the future of how the reign of Un will go. If he'll start by discussing things with the world, and working to actually begin taking care of the North Koreans, then maybe he'll also be willing to move the country towards becoming freer.

Tornadoes Kill Twelve

Remnants are all that's left of parts of Harrisburg, Illinois after a tornado hit the town, killing six. Seven states were struck with twenty-three tornadoes that killed twelve people. Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee.

Hospitals, schools, churches, business, and homes were all damaged or destroyed by the twisters.  Most of them struck during the middle of the night, when people were sleeping and making sightings of the tornadoes extremely difficult. And sometimes a tornado just forms too rapidly for any word to be given out to where it first lands.

Despite the difficulties, early warning systems, storm chasers, weather watchers, and Twitter are being praised for saving many lives by getting the word out. Advances by meteorologists and chasers have made it easier for them to detect a tornado before it forms, whilst watchers can easily spread the warnings through mass media.

Champagne at The Oasis on Aspen Mountain

Aspen Mountain now boasts the world's first portable champagne sled bar. For $15 you can now enjoy a glass from on the slopes, at The Oasis, wherever you can find it. The bar will be towed by a snow cat, and be a unique "yellow color. The bar will feature umbrellas, lounge chairs, a solar-powered sound system, flags and other eye-catching features that will make The Oasis stand out in the white snow." Plans are for the bar to be traceable via social networking sites.

The opposition worries about the inclusion of alcohol onto ski slopes that already are challenging courses. Slopes in Colorado have already been deadly without drunk skiers. Others have worried that it sends a message of high exclusivity about Aspen.

Davy Jones, Dead at 66

Davy Jones, the heartthrob member of the 60's boy band The Monkees, died Wednesday of a heart attack. Born December 30, 1945 in Manchester, England he had been residing in Florida.

In 1965, The Monkees were put together as an American counter to the Beatles, ironically with their own Brit. Starting with a TV sitcom in 1966, they had two seasons, which were then reaired in the 80's on MTV. The band had several number one hits, and four number one albums. The Monkees continued, even into 2011, to have reunion tours.

Jones, had begun his career on the stage. He starred in "Oliver" as the Artful Dodger, and was on The Ed Sullivan Show February 9, 1964, the same night that the Beatles debuted there. Davy was still immensely popular, and his personal appearances were often sold out.

In a January 2011 message on his blog, he wrote, "I wrote some time ago that not everyone has dreams and hopes that come true. Mine have. Regrets, yes -- if you don't have them you're a fool. However, I thank all of you -- yeah, you -- for your support and love."

Argentina Continues Escalation Over Falklands

Argentina's industry minister Debora Giorgi helped continue the escalation by Argentina as she began a program of calling on Argentinian companies to cease buying any goods from British companies. Until this week, the Argentinian government had seemed content to focus on just blocking goods from the Falkland islands. But now with the move against British shipping it is a clear enhancing of their growing hostilities.

Earlier this week, two cruise ships that had previously docked in the Falklands, were refused entry into Argentinian ports, simply because they had been to the Falklands.

The UK has sent strong protests over both actions, calling them, "Counterproductive and also a complete misreading of Britain's resolve on this issue." British officials have also called upon the European Union's members to join their protest. "It is clearly very sad that Argentina continues with their policy of confrontation instead of co-operation." said a spokesperson for Prime Minister Cameron.

In just over a month, on April 2, the thirty year anniversary of the Falklands War will take place. On April 2, 1982 Argentina invaded the islands, and were later defeated by a British force sent to liberate the Falklands. Over the past few months Argentina has once again been demanding that the Falklands be turned over to them. Britain is defending the rights of the Falklanders, who wish to remain British.