A Sad Day For the Hulkster

I have been a wrestling fan for almost my whole life, and it's something that I will always enjoy. Without a doubt, one of my favorite wrestlers of all time is Hulk Hogan. Everything that he has done in the ring has been nothing short of entertaining and I have owned several of his DVD collections and t-shirts. Also, my friends and I saw his last WWE match, which is something that I will remember. I often debate with my friends on whether or not he is the greatest wrestler who ever lived.

However, this is not about his in ring work and illustrious wrestling career, but more about his personal life. I wish I could say that it was as positive as his wrestling career, but that couldn't be farther from the truth. Recently on November 23, the divorce details with his wife Linda have gone public. Linda had received several of his possessions, like expensive an Cadillac, a Corvette, a Rolls-Royce, and a Mercedez Benz. Along with taking these cars, the former Mrs. Hulk Hogan had also received close to 45 million dollars from her ex-husband! What was Hulk left with, a mere 3 million but he doesn't have to pay an alimony. He is also still making money based on appearances he makes in TNA Wrestling, the number 2 promotion to WWE.

What does this say about Hulk? Well, it's just another blemish on his legacy. Is anyone going to remember all his classic promos and matches from the 80's and 90's? No, I feel like everyone will only remember his broken marriage and the drama that had came from it. It's upsetting to see this, and it's even more upsetting to see this woman take everything away from him as well. Granted, I don't condone what Hogan had done (he allegedly cheated on her with a 19 year old!) but was all of this really necessary?


Submitted by Colin Barry

American Hikers in Iran

 I'd like to touch on the story about the American hikers who were recently returned to the United States after being held in an Iranian prison for two years. For those who are unfamiliar with the story, in 2009, three graduate students decided that it would be a good idea to go hiking along the Iraq/Iran border. It should not come as a surprise to anybody that the two students were arrested by Iranian police and accused of espionage and held as hostages for two years. During this time, the hikers maintained their innocence and had limited contact with their families. They were recently released for a one million-dollar ransom and sent home. 
Now, am I the only person who has a problem with this story? Doesn't it seem odd that three graduate students lacked the commom sense to think that it would be dangerous for three white Americans to literally walk the border of two war-torn countries? and furthermore, doesn't it seem a little obsurd that over a million dollars has to be spent for their little adventure and now we have to see these two on every talk show being regarded as heros? Don't get me wrong. I am like the hikers in the way that I also believe that people should be able to go where they please without having to be in fear of violence. That should be a basic human right. However, I differ from these "scholars" in the way that I understand that there is a difference between the way that the world should be and the way that the world is. American values are not universal and there are places that are not safe for Americans to be wandering around. I don't know if these individuals are danger enthusiasts or they just lack the common sense to recognize danger, but I am not looking forward to the media coverage that us going to follow this incident. I believe that the only reason that these two are alive is because they are Americans. Since Americans are known for having money, the captors figured that a ransom would bring a big pay day, which it did. Now, I would never wish death on anybody and I am glad that the hikers are safe. I just hope that the media will be very careful of how the hikers are portrayed in the media. When I look at the hikers, I do not see heros. I see three young people who made an ignorant lapse in judgment and who are very lucky to be alive.

Submitted by Aaron Routses

Red Sox manager search narrowed down to two?

After much interviewing and perseverance, the hunt for the next Red Sox manager may soon be over. The two front-runners for the position are Bobby Valentine and Gene Lamont. Bobby Valentine is 61 years old and has not managed in the majors since 2002, while Gene Lamont is 65 years old and is currently the Detroit Tiger's third-base coach. It is apparent that the Red Sox are now aiming towards a veteran manager, one who will not need much time to get the hang of things in Boston. Although Red Sox GM Ben Cherington said previously that he would like to have a new manager in place by Thanksgiving, it is now likely that an announcement will not be made until sometime early next month.

 

Submitted by Mike Guarino

Protect Yourself Online, the Internet is Dangerous.

http://rhenny-reportingandtheinternet.blogspot.com/2011/11/protect-yourself-online-internet-is.html 

 

This blog entry really hits home to me as it is not the first time something like this has happened and I also feel like the Internet is a stomping ground for criminal activity. Let’s start with last Sunday. I noticed my bank account was losing money and it was from transactions I never made. I had to call my bank, cancel my credit /bank cheque card, order new cards, dispute the transactions, and late fees. I now have to wait until the Bank investigates the incident and luckily my credit union put the money back in my account. This however, is not the first time I have experienced problems using the internet.

In 2007, I had a PayPal account. I never saved my information online. However, a person did get my banking info and ordered a computer over $500.00 I noticed the charge, called my credit union, and they refunded my money and cancelled the transaction right away. All I knew of the incident from this point was that the authorities got involved and they were looking into the claim. I am reserved about using online methods to pay my bills now and will warn any person to be careful when they make payments online using a credit card or with their banking information.

But I got off easy! Imagine all the other things that happen on craigslist. I know of at least one murder, multiple scams and issues with privacy, amongst a slew of other issues. I read this article regarding a man looking for employment and that he was found murdered in Ohio. This involved a man from FL (murdered) and a man from South Carolina (shot but survived). Read here for more information:

 http://news.yahoo.com/fla-craigslist-jobseeker-found-dead-ohio-grave-230030628.html  

My point is there are so many things that could happen to you on the internet that you might not have considered. Or you might think, this would never happen to me. I can assure you, at some point you will experience at least a mild issue of fraud or a person who has tried to obtain your personal information. I sure hope nothing as bad as what happened on Craigslist will happen but it seems to be a trend.

The question is How Do I protect myself? Well, do not store your personal or banking information online or on your computer. Do not engage in activities online that involve meeting strangers or cash transactions. Do not read emails or download links from people or sources you do not know. This might sound like the basics, but I just feel like these types of occurrences keep happening and the stories just keep getting worse.

Please protect yourself when online. On a happy note, have a safe, happy Thanksgiving holiday and enjoy it with your family and friends.

Submitted by Sean Platz

The NFL

The New England Patriots had a dominant performance last night on Monday Night Football. The played the Kansas City Chiefs, who are without their starting quarter back, running back, and both safeties due to injuries. The Patriots started slow and looked like they were going to have trouble against the sliding Chiefs, who have lost three staright games now. The score at halftime was 10-3 Patriots as Palko (the Chiefs backup qb) seemed to be doing pretty well in his first NFL start. However after half time the Patriots took over and scored 17 unanswered points in the 3rd quarter and then one more touchdown in the 4th quarter to win by a score of 34-3. One other notable happening this week was Tim Tebow's 3rd staright win. No one expected him to be able to win in the NFL, especially when you look at his stats.

Submitted by John Adley

Thanksgiving

The first definition of thanksgiving in Webster's dictionary is: a giving of thanks.  How clear and simple can you get?  And yet, how deep and profound.  As we look forward to stuffing ourselves with turkey and pie, we need to take a second to look at the "true meaning" of this wonderful holiday, and expand our appreciation of its blessing.  The verb "to give", also according to Webster, is to hand or pass over something as a gift; while "thanks", is the grateful acknowledgment of something received by or done for one.  And so we see in the very definition of the word, Thanksgiving, a two-way flow is expressed--you would only say "thank you" to someone if they have given something to you, or done something to bless you. 
This wonderful nation of ours, and all of its citizens, have much to be thankful for.  No matter the economy, the employment statistics, snow storms, tornados, drought and floods, we enjoy a standard of living and a sense of security and freedom that no people in history have ever known.  I propose that the same covenant God, whom our Pilgrim Fathers thanked at the first Thanksgiving, is deserving of our recognition and thanks today.  George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, F D Roosevelt proclaimed special feast days of thanksgiving for one purpose: to remind the people HOW MUCH He has handed over or passed to us as a gift, and how fitting it is for us to gratefully acknowledge His kindness.  Let's not have this Thanksgiving day pass without giving Him thanks.     

Submitted by Sonia Silkman  

Disappointed with retailers and their Black Friday antics

I have been a fan of shopping on Black Friday for many years now. I started going out in the early morning hours and standing in long lines when my kids were very young. I found it was the only way I could get them those hot toys that were hard to find yet they desperately wanted. I think my first time doing it was the year that Tickle Me Elmo was impossible to find. I have been going out every year since then and as they have grown the items have changed from toys to electronics and other things. Last year I brought my teenage daughter with me for the first time.  We were in line at Best Buy long before the 5:00 AM opening hoping to snag all the items on our wish list at a bargain price.

Over the past few years I have noticed a trend with the stores opening earlier and earlier. In the past two years some stores have gone from opening at 5:00 AM, to 4:00 AM and then to 3:00 AM. However, this year really takes the cake with almost all the major stores opening at midnight or even earlier.

I must say I was so disgusted with this new start time that for the first time in well over a decade I opted not to head out when the stores opened on Black Friday. My daughter and I did go shopping on Black Friday but not at midnight; instead we went earlier in the morning when we would have normally headed out. Luckily, this year we were not looking for any of the hot deals being offered when the doors opened, so we were not disappointed. 

I am not in favor of this trend towards opening earlier and earlier. I think what the retailers are doing is wrong because they are forcing employees and customers to cut short their Thanksgiving celebrations and that is just not right.  I have included a link to an article about Target employees who had sent a petition to the company protesting the requirement that they have to begin working on Thanksgiving night. When I was out shopping I felt bad for many of the store employees I came in contact with because they had been working since 11:00 PM on Thanksgiving night and it was now Friday morning. These people are not accustomed to working a night shift and I think it was unfair of their employers to force them into this situation. 

I hope that by the time the weekend comes to a close that the sales numbers do not support the early openings.  Otherwise, if the retailers believe they had successful shopping weekend we may pay the price next year with store openings beginning early on Thanksgiving Day instead of Friday. Who knows are far they will go next time.

Submmitted by Judith McCormack 

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/21/us-target-thanksgiving-protest-idUSTRE7AK24S20111121