Reflections
Stigma by Philip Hawley
In his debut novel, Philip Hawley, tackles the age-old dilemma of where to draw the boundaries of medical science as he embeds in Stigma interesting ethical questions and intriguing social commentary concerning the manufacturing of genetically modified genomes and their possible distribution as vaccines. The storyline’s protagonist is Pediatric ER physician, Luke McKenna, whose curiosity [...]
Center for Alternative Energy opening Biodiesel Plant in Cleveland
According to Cleveland, Ohio, city officials the opening of the new large-scale biodiesel plant, by the Center for Alternative Energy, is expected to lead to a greater supply of cheaper, cleaner burning fuel. The center is expected to begin deriving biodiesel from soybean oil when production begins on May 6, 2007, at its new storage [...]
The Children of Hurin by J.R.R. Tolkien
Adam Tolkien, grandson of J.R.R. Tolkien states that the Húrin legends, the third great tale of his grandfather’s Middle-earth writing, are for anyone who enjoyed reading The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings since it allows them once again to take a step back into an ancient land of heroes and vagabonds, honor and [...]
Did the Violent Weather of 2007 Destroy Your Garden’s Perennials?
While there is no doubt the ice storms and extremely cold conditions of last winter wrecked havoc with both plants and trees we will not truly realize the extent of the damage for perhaps years to come. However, I think the short answer is to wait a few weeks and observe your plants to see [...]
American Healthcare System in jeopardy
Job downsizing, plant closings, strikes, or termination by an insurance carrier can all result in adding you to the ranks of the medically uninsured. Now add in the people who are working for a small company that offers no insurance benefits and the ranks swell even higher especially when you realize that the average family [...]
Virginia Tech Tragedy, Media Coverage, and Gun Control
I believe that the national press coverage of the shootings at Virginia Tech on April 16, 2007, should be condemned for their “total annihilation of the tragedy. While I believe it is important for the public to be informed of situations occurring in our country, it is disrespectful to both the dead and to their [...]
A Wicked Snow
A WICKED SNOW is New York Times Bestselling author Gregg Olsen’s riveting fiction debut that shows his great agility in the field of writing. If anything this fictionalized drama was even better than his other offering in that while reading like a true crime novel he was able to incorporate the thoughts and introspection of [...]
Are We Safe From al-Quida’s Reign of Terror
The National Strategy for Combating Terrorism was put into place after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, when supposed acts of war were committed against the United States. At that time, the United States, together with their Coalition partners, determined that there was a need to fight back and hold the perpetrators accountable in [...]
Removing corn from the biotech (Ethanol) equation
While the ethanol craze puts the squeeze on corn-based staples like cornmeal, consumers are reacting negatively to the price increase for these items at the retail level. That being the case, biotechnologists are attempting to remove corn from the ethanol equation by engineering microscopic bugs to extract fuel from a variety of non-corn sources such [...]
McCaskill and Obama score again with introduction of a bill to provide Mental Health Program for Female soldiers
According to Retired Army Lt. Colonel Irene Evankovich, of Anniston, Alabama, soldiers seldom seek mental health help for themselves or their families because it is viewed as a sign of weakness and funding is not a priority but under a bill proposed by senators Claire McCaskill of Missouri and Barack Obama of Illinois additional funding [...]
