No Country a Home

Kaiti Tidwell does not have a country which recognizes her as a citizen. Mexico does not recognize her as a citizen, nor will the US.

Since she was three months old, she has been a legal resident of the United States, and even legally been adopted by her parents, living in Centerpoint, Arkansas. But she was born in Mexico. As an infant she was floated across the Rio Grande in an inner tube.

The Tidwells adopted her at the age of four. They have applied for her citizenship six times, over the last 11 years, but the US government continuously rejects her since she wasn't born here, and isn't recognized by anywhere else.

In November 2011, she turned eighteen, and on May 5 will be considered an illegal immigrant, and be facing deportation.

Faced with rejection from the only country she has ever known, Kaiti has turned to Mexico. She is currently attempting to gain a Mexican citizenship, so that she could actually belong somewhere.

But even if successful in gaining one, she has no guarantee that she'll be able to return to the life she's grown up with, or even to the country that she has always considered home.

Thomas Kinkade, Dead at 54

Famed painter, Thomas Kinkade, has died tonight at the age of 54.

He had a style that was most commonly recognized for the glowing highlights and pastel colours that seemed to saturate the world around them.

His works were always quickly mass reproduced by his company, and then sold as prints. Driving down the value of each work, but allowing for many to share in them. It's estimated that one in every twenty American homes holds at least one of his works.

His stated goal was to become the "first million seller artist", and for this the art world reviled him, as they saw him as a commercial sell out. But no matter the critics, his fans adored his works.

Multiple of his paintings were used as the settings for movies. Lifetime especially was known for taking one of the buildings he had painted, and then writing a story for it.

Controversial though he may have been. His works definitely touched many.

Review: Tomorrow, When The War Began

Out of Australia, in 2010, a lot of America missed this movie. But it was popular enough there that two sequels are already planned (due out 2012 and 2013), with a TV show being mentioned. Based on books by John Marsden, the basic story is very similar to that of 1984's Red Dawn (the remake of which comes out November 2).

A group of seven teenager's goes off on a camping weekend. When they come back the find everyone is gone, and that their part of Australia has been taken over by unknown invaders. The group continues on as they struggle against themselves and dealing with the new reality, but mostly to survive. Eventually the decision comes to take the fight to the enemy.

One of the most important parts of the movie comes as they're arguing over the importance of finding out who has invaded them. But as one of them points out, it doesn't matter the flag, they still invaded us, and are the enemy.

I was pleasantly surprised by the random red box pick I made. This movie is well done. That and who doesn't love that much Australian accent? Was great seeing a movie that showed patriotism for home against anything. In an age where we have peace and global unity spewed upon us, normally such movies are scifi related or historical. I shall be looking for the sequels, as well as maybe the books.

Remembering: The Rebirth of The Olympics

April 6, 1896 the Olympic Games are brought to modern times. 280 participants from thirteen nations came to Athens, participating in forty-three events.

The games were first recorded in 776 BC, though they likely started at least 500 years before that. They began as part of a festival honouring the Greek gods. Over time as more participants came, the number of events grew as well.

With the rise of Roman power the Olympics faded. In 393 AD, they were outlawed by Emperor Theodosius I, in an attempt to eliminate pagan rituals.

Pierre de Coubertin, a French baron began in 1892 proposing that the Olympics be brought back as a permanent event to take place every for years. In 1894 a body of seventy-nine delegates from nine countries voted unanimously to hold the first games in Athens. The International Olympic Committee was founded and by 1896 had elected Coubertin as President. In 1924, winter games were added and women began taking part.

Now the Olympics have become a competition amongst cities and countries just for who will get to host them. Millions of dollars are invested to improve and build new sporting arenas. Many events have been added, with each Olympics seeming to see more. The 2010 Winter Olympics, held in Vancouver and Whistler, British Columbia, saw eighty-two nations send 2,566 athletes to compete in eighty-six events. The 2008 Summer Olympics, the largest yet, consisted of 302 events participated in by 11,028 athletes, from 204 nations.

Remembering: The First Presidential Veto

April 5, 1792 George Washington uses the first Presidential veto.

When Congress passed a bill that added seats, in the House of Representatives, to Northern states, but not to Southern ones, Washington knew he had to stop it. But he did not want to seem like he was favoring the South over the North.

Thomas Jefferson wrote to him crying out against the voting which was nearly perfectly along geographical lines. However, Jefferson also came up with constitutional grounds for a veto. The Constitution only allowed for a certain number of delegates. The bill would have put Congress over that number.

Washington quickly used that as reasoning to veto the bill, and sent it back to Congress. Who instead of trying for a 2/3 majority vote, to overrule the President, took up another suggestion from Jefferson.

A new bill that would add delegates, but by using math. The new bill allowed each state a representative for every 35,000 citizens. Which while still just as unconstitutional as the first, was not controversial, as at the time population was pretty evenly balanced. And so the second bill passed.

Washington would only use one other veto throughout his eight years as President. His second veto went on a bill that sought to cut the number of cavalry units allowed to the federal government.

Project Glass

Google X announced one of their latest pets, Project Glass. They began with:

"We think technology should work for you—to be there when you need it and get out of your way when you don’t.

A group of us from Google[x] started Project Glass to build this kind of technology, one that helps you explore and share your world, putting you back in the moment. We’re sharing this information now because we want to start a conversation and learn from your valuable input. So we took a few design photos to show what this technology could look like and created a video to demonstrate what it might enable you to do."




Reportedly the glasses, which would eventually sell for around $500, are far from finished. Google is coming out about them now, looking for feedback.

It is unknown how Google plans to allow you to control the glasses. The video shows some things being voice activated, but is unclear on other things.

Concerns also revolve around what problems images flashing before your eyes could do. The distraction factor would go well beyond that of which phones are already causing. Health concerns have also been brought up, as people are unsure of whether the screen and images being so close to the eye would cause damage to it.

Whatever the answers to those and other questions. Project Glass is clearly a step towards the future of technology.

Robber Thwarted By Closed Bank

Chalk this one up to another stupid criminal, or two of them actually.

Just before five pm on Thursday a woman came into the Albany Bank and Trust on the Northwest Side of Chicago. She handed the teller a note which said, "Give me all of your money, no cops, no dye pack."

The teller told the woman that, "the bank was closed and that she should come back tomorrow." Without comment the woman left.

The bank informed the police, who payed extra attention to the bank, as it had been robbed just a week ago, on March 23.

On Monday, the woman and an apparent male accomplice were spotted outside the bank and police moved in. She surrendered without issue, but the man took off. After a short chase he too was caught. Later he was recognized as the same man who had robbed the bank in March.

Guess they do really return to the scene of the crime.

The teller who bravely stated the bank was closed, is being hailed as a hero for not only foiling one robbery attempt, but leading to the arrest of the previous robber.

Uganga Bans Action for Change

Uganda's Attorney General has authorized the banning of Action for Change. The government states that the group has been staging protests, refusing to consult with police before hand. They further state that the group's protests have become increasingly violent.

Action For Change, led by Kizza Besigye, had been planning to hold a march on Thursday in Kampala, to coincide with a meeting this week of the Inter-Parliamentary Union.

Their protests against corruption and the cost of living have become a regular event since elections in February 2011. They say the elections were rigged. Besigye lost that election to President Yoweri Museveni, for the third time.

Now that the group has been made illegal it is unclear what this will mean for Uganda. Will the leaders of the group, try to go around the ruling by simply renaming the group? Or will they just simply continue on? Tis unlikely that this will back the opposition down completely, though they may skip this march.

Tornadoes Strike Dallas

As many as a dozen tornadoes struck parts of the Dallas area on Tuesday. Around two dozen people are reportedly injured, but amazingly no deaths.

Red Cross estimates list over 650 homes as being destroyed. Twisters threw some semi trucks around as if they were nothing, yet left others perfectly alone.

The storm also brought hail, which buffeted many areas, including that of the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, the eighth busiest airport in the world. Extra mechanics have been flown in to help speed the checking of all the airplanes. With hundreds of planes to check, as well as ensuring all other facilities are entirely operable, the airport will be working at a reduced capacity for the next while.

Remembering: Martin Luther King Jr.

April 4, 1968 Martin Luther King Jr. is shot and killed by an assassin, in Memphis, Tennessee. He was there in support of a strike by maintenance workers.

Perhaps the greatest and most well known civil rights leader in world history.

King made people pay attention to his message. Not through threats, violence, or throwing money around; but through peaceful protests, mass marches, and the power and eloquence of his speeches.

Because of King's efforts equality between races was greatly helped along, though the road has been far from bumpy.

The day before King said in a speech, "We've got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesn't matter with me now, because I've been to the mountaintop...And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over, and I've seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight that we, as a people, will get to the promised land."