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TWiN | This Week in News. Friday, March 30, 2012. Episode 16. Stephen.
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TWiN | This Week in News Friday, March 30, 2012 Episode 16
Stephen Good afternoon and welcome to This Week in News this Friday evening. First of all, I want to thank all of our loyal followers for watching our shows, reading our articles, and supporting everything that we do. I believe that if everything worked the way it should have, this is now in podcast form. So hi, all you on iTunes! Of course, I encourage all of you to visit our website at asdaqua dot wordpress dot com.
We start off the news today with a story that has touched everyone on the Asdaqua team, and that is the passing of Alexis Jackson. Alexis was a dear friend of ours whom we knew since third grade. She died on March 27th. That day was a hard one for all of us: Tal, Allen, Allen, Beck, Derek, and I. We cried and felt really sad for the whole day.
As far as we know, she was killed by her father just after midnight on March 27 in an apparent murder-suicide. The body of her father and hers were found by her mother in an SUV parked in the driveway of her grandma’s house fatally shot. The police are suspecting that her dad killed her and then killed himself. Her father was a police sergeant at the Fairfax Co. Police Department for 16 years before resigning in 2010. He and Alexis’s mother, Cindy Jackson, were going through a hard relationship and filed for divorce last summer, although they agreed to stay married but separated this January.
According to Mrs. Jackson, they could not hear any shots fired from inside the house, but their neighbor did and called 911. Alexis and her father had been at a dance and came home at 12:30. They were in the driveway for a long time, so Mrs. Jackson went out to see what was the matter. She ran back and threw herself against the door, breaking the glass, saying, “My child is dead.”
Police have been investigating the case and three news teams were there all day. Our school set up a place in the library where you could go and kept grief counselors there, so people could go and cry and help their friends cope with what happened. This has been the saddest thing we have ever experienced. She has been in our class since 3rd grade, so we knew her well. I visited the place where she died, and I just want to let you know that her mother and grandma are doing fine. Rest in peace, Alexis Jackson.
Allen Yes, we will always remember her. Now we move on to other news and to the next story tonight: JetBlue Airlines. On Tuesday, the pilot on a JetBlue flight from New York headed for Las Vegas, Clayton Osbon, became suddenly crazy and had to be restrained by eight passengers. Apparently, he abruptly left the cockpit mid-flight and ran up and down the plane’s isles. He then banged on the cockpit door, yelling “Let me in!” as the co-pilot asked for help from the passengers.
They pinned him down with seat belt extenders and literally sat on him for 20 minutes until the flight landed. All that time, Osbon was yelling things about Iraq, 9-11, and Afghanistan. An off-duty captain rushed into the cockpit to take over the responsibility of the man. According to JetBlue CEO Dave Barger, the cause for this was a “medical condition.” He said that he had “known the captain personally for a long period of time,” but there has been “no indication of this at all in the past.” Osbon is now facing federal charges and could face 20 years in prison as well as a $250,000 fine.
Stephen On Wednesday, February 29, Microsoft released the Windows 8 Consumer Preview. Windows 8 is a radically new operating system, with a new Start Screen, Live Tiles, and the Metro UI. The Consumer Preview is the beta build for the operating system, and it is available for free download right now at windows.com. Windows is now finally optimized for touch, with big, colorful tiles everywhere, but it works just as well with a mouse and keyboard. The Windows team always hammers down the phrase: “No compromise.” I reviewed Windows 8 in our technology show, the Tech Check.
Allen Now to the fake news segment. This past week, a donkey seriously injured a man in Kentucky. The FDA says that the donkey was part of a test on donkey eating habits. And no, the donkey did not eat the man. We will now go to Derek with a live interview with the brother of the man who was attacked. [Skip next part during recording]
Derek: Thank you, Allen. I’m here with the man whose brother was attacked by a deranged donkey. Hello sir, I am truly sorry about your brother. Tal: Thank you. Derek: Well sir, our audience would like to know what is being done with the donkey as of now. Tal: Well, the last time I heard, the Department of Energy sent garbage trucks and the llama was towed away by them.
Derek: I see. What was your brother doing to provoke the donkey before the attack? Tal: Well, nothing really, he saw a donkey when we were walking through the woods on our annual spring picnic, and all of a sudden the donkey started running towards us and the next thing I knew, my brother was on the ground, crying in pain. We called an ambulance, and he’s in the hospital right now. Derek: Thank you for sharing your story. We have surveillance videos from the FDA who were testing the donkey, so let’s watch it. [DONKEY VIDEO!!]
Allen [Freaked out] Thank you, Derek… Um, Mr. Ovi-Chovi finally got out of prison in Wyoming. As soon as he got out he trotted down to the real estate office and bought a farm. The very next day, he declared it an independent providence! He even went as far as to write his own constitution and building a parliament building with the flag of the new country flying above it all.
Then he went on to build a fifty foot stone wall around his property. The mayor promptly sent an officer to inform him his wall does not comply with zoning regulations. Mr. Ovi-Chovi arrested the officer for illegally entering his country. The officer tased him and Mr. Ovi-Chovi found himself back in jail for assault on an officer.
Stephen Thank you Derek…Now we move on to politics and health care. On Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, the Supreme Court reviewed the national health-care overhaul on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, which Congress passed this month two years ago. On Monday, the Court started off the first of three days of oral arguments on the law by investigating an 1867 law called the Anti-Injunction Act which said that you can not challenge a tax which has not gone into effect yet.
But they agreed that even though the penalty for people who do not buy health care acts like a tax, that does not mean that it is a tax since the law always calls it a ‘penalty.’ On Tuesday, the Supreme Court opened a second day of arguments and turned to the most important issue: the health care mandate, which requires that all Americans get health insurance starting in 2014. No federal law has ever required Americans to buy a product.
On Wednesday, the last day, the Court argued about the severability of the mandate from the rest of the law, in other words striking down the mandate part of the law, but letting the rest stand. Chief Justice Roberts agreed with attorneys who said that the mandate was so important to the law that the entire thing had to be thrown out. They voted on the decision today, and we will know the verdict this June.
Allen Now we turn to the Republican presidential primary: Mitt Romney is definitely leading the pack, with 568 delegates and 16 states won so far. Rick Santorum has won 11 states and has 273 delegates, according to the Washington Post. Romney is more of the ‘establishment Republican’: a moderate, the former progressive governor of Massachusetts. He used to be pro-abortion and passed RomneyCare in Massachusetts which is very similar to ObamaCare, which the Supreme Court is challenging currently.
Santorum most recently won the Louisiana primary, as well as the Mississippi and Alabama primaries, all of which have a strong conservative base. Newt Gingrich said, and I’m paraphrasing here, “How can Mitt Romneybe the Republican frontrunner and yet lose the reddest of red states?” Santorum’s Super PAC has been calling for Gingrich to get out so the conservatives in the party can rally around Santorum, but Gingrich vowed to stay till the convention in Florida this June. The next primaries are in Wisconsin, Maryland, and D. C., where all are winner-take-all primaries, with a total of 98 delegates at stake.
Stephen Thank you, Allen. Coming up: Allen’s take on Battlefield 3 and Derek’s on Minecraft, as well as a Loopy Law and another Windows 7 Feature of the Week. But first, these messages.
Allen Welcome back to This Week in News this Friday evening. It’s --:-- PM. Now to the Loopy Law of the Week!
Stephen Thanks, Allen. This weeks loopy law is: in Los Angeles, California, it is illegal to throw a Frisbee or a football on the beach, because it “affects the health of others.” The 29-page ordinance also forbids digging holes of more than 18 inches. If you violate this, you could be subject to up to a $1,000 fine.
Allen Thank you, Stephen. Now for the Game Picks of the Week. My game pick is Battlefield 3. Battlefield 3 is a first person shooter designed by EA and DICE, and was released late October, 2011. It was said that the game’s goal was to “remove” MW3’s dominant spot over the FPS gaming franchise. Overall, Battlefield 3 is a team game, with a lot of different parts, so I will start with the game play. The main game mode is assault, where you capture flags to gain points, the team with the most points wins. There are four classes, each with their own distinct equipment and weapons.
First is the medic, which heals and supports his teammates, he usually carries an LMG. The engineer is focused on destroying and repairing vehicles, he usually has an SMG, a vehicle repair, and a RPG. The recon is the one who has the sniper, will also carry out mortar strikes. The last class is the assault, which carries an assault rifle and is focused on taking flags. Each weapon can be customized to your play style, and there are hundreds of different weapons to choose from. There are also lots of vehicles, like tanks, APCs, helicopters, boats, light transport, troop transport, AA vehicles, jets, and many more.
Now we go on to the technical attributes, and overall it is amazing. The graphics are outstanding, and looks much more realistic than MW3. The HUD also moves as you move, like moving up as you jump. You may need a good FPS to enjoy the game and not be hindered by frustrating lag. Overall if you want a game that requires teamwork, has good graphics, and a wide variety of weapons and vehicles, then Battlefield 3 is the game for you.
Derek • Thank you, Allen! I’m Derek, in for Michael today. My game pick is: Minecraft! Minecraft is a sandbox indie video game inspired by Infiniminer in which you dig for resources in a fun survival-adventure theme. I recommend it to anybody who plays Roblox or likes blocks… yes, that’s right blocks.
The full version of this game costs around 25 bucks at minecraft.net, but you can play for free at minecraftforfree.com!! Basically, you use tools to make items that you can then use to make tools, and you can play with friends. (ADD INFO) You can stay updated on Gaming news at asdaqua.wordpress.com, or check out the Tech Check for tech and gaming news. Now to Stephen!
Stephen Thanks, Allen. This week’s Windows 7 Feature of the Week is Networking. Windows 7 makes it easy to connect to computers and devices at your home, at work, and in wireless networks so you can share your files, go on the internet, and be productive just about anywhere. With HomeGroup, Windows 7 can easily connect to Windows 7 PCs so you can share printers, documents, pictures, videos, and other things with other people at home.
At work, Windows 7 supports domains, which is a collection of computers on a network. It has an easy-to-use wizard that guides you through setting up or connecting to a domain at your work. Finally, Windows 7 has a really nifty feature called View Available Networks which is pinned to the Notification Area and makes it possible to connect to a network in three clicks and about ten seconds. It displays all the types of networks: wireless, broadband, dial-up, or corporate VPN. With these features, Windows 7 is the easiest thing ever to get online.
Allen • Thank you, Stephen. That concludes this week’s episode of TWiN! Don’t forget to check out our website at Asdaqua.wordpress.com, to download our podcast and to subscribe to us on YouTube. Thank you for listening to This Week in News. I’m Allen, and we hope to see you next week!
