Lionfish Invade The Caribbean

An unexpected after effect of 1992’s Hurricane Andrew was the introduction of venomous lionfish into the Caribbean. It is believed that six of the predatory fish where released into Biscayne Bay when Hurricane Andrew smashed a private aquarium.

According to NOAA the lionfish were first reported off the coast of North Carolina in 2000 and in 2004, 155 Lionfish were caught at 19 different locations, again off the N.C. Coast and began appearing in the Bahamas. Biologists believe that when the fish were freed into the bay they released there floating egg sacks that then road the Gulf Stream to the coast of North Carolina where they colonized the area. The lionfish are now being found from the Bahamas to the coast of Florida and have been found as far north as Road Island during the summer months. The largest concentrations seem to be in the Bahamas where they have invaded every habitat and in some areas have multiplied by ten fold in one year. Mark Hixon, a marine ecology expert at Oregon State University compared the invasion to a plaque of locusts saying, "This may very well become the most devastating marine invasion in history," and "There is probably no way to stop the invasion completely." 

Their venom is not fatal to humans and they are not known to be aggressive towards humans, however they do sting people occasionally. Officials believe the risk of being stung will greatly increase as the Lionfish colonize more of the popular Caribbean beaches. Bruce Purdy, a diver who has helped REEF track the invasion says he has been stung several times. On the worst of these occasions Purdy said,

"It was so painful, it made me want to cut my own hand off,"

The lionfish is a predator with an apparently insatiable appetite and the ability to disrupt ecosystems and devastate the populations of smaller fish. Researchers have observed the Lionfish eat as many as 20 smaller fish in 30 minutes. A big concern is that the lionfish may devastate the grazing fish that protect the reefs from over population of seaweed. The reefs are already under strain from climate changes and pollution. Andy Dehart of the National Aquarium in Washington said,

"If we start losing these smaller reef fish as food to the lionfish ... we could be in a whirlwind for bad things coming to the reef ecosystem."

There seem to be only a handful of larger fish that will eat the lionfish. In an effort to control this invasion researchers are scrambling to find just such a predator. Researchers have experimented with moray eels, sharks and even humans. The moray experiment was totally unsuccessful and one report said even a hungry shark would turn away when they attempted to feed them the lionfish, eventually they did have some success with the shark but it took a lot of work. Human test subjects said the fish taste similar to halibut. 

One predator that will eat the Lionfish is grouper, scientist are now scrambling to create new reserves to protect the grouper from over fishing as well as other predators that may eat the lionfish. Grouper can be found in the lionfish’s natural habitat in Southeast-Asia. T 

Although lionfish have been used as food in their native areas they are usually caught or raised and sold as pets, they are especially popular in the U.S. thus explaining the current problem.

Democratic Party Chairman Bill Gwatney Dead From Gun Shot Wounds

A 48-year-old former state senator and current democratic party Chairman Bill Gwatney died about four hours after being shot at the Arkansas Democratic Party's headquarters in Little Rock. 

A 17-year-old volunteer at the party's headquarters said the suspect, 50-year-old Timothy Dale Johnson. asked to speak to Gwatney saying he wanted to volunteer. After being told he could not see him Johnson forced his way paste employees and barged into Gwatney's office. The two introduced themselves to each other then Johnson pulled his weapon and fired several shots fatally wounding the chairman. 

According to police Johnson then drove about seven blocks were he stooped at the Arkansas State Baptist Convention and pointed his weapon at the building manager saying "I lost my job" then sped away. Apparently he had been fired earlier in the day from his job at Target for writing graffiti on a store wall. The police were called to the store because of the graffiti but Johnson had left before they arrived. 

The shooting was followed by a 30 mile chase, A police spokesman said officers fired shots at the suspect during the chase which came to an end in Grant county. At this point Arkansas state police and Little Rock police fired additional shots at the suspect who died as a result of the injuries. 

A party statement released said

"Bill Gwatney was our friend, our party's leader, and so many times our party's conscience," and "Our state and our party are better for all that Bill Gwatney has done."

Gov. Mike Beebe, a Democrat who served with Gwatney in the state Senate, made the followingstatement:

"Arkansas has lost a great son, and I have lost a great friend, There is deep pain in Arkansas tonight because of the sheer number of people who knew, respected and loved Bill Gwatney."

The FBI is assisting the Arkansas state police in the investigation.

Cancer Survivor Sells His Cheek on ebay

n an interview with channel 4 news, Gregory Brown of Woodland Hills CA. explains why he offered his left cheek for auction on ebay. Gregory, a Stage 4 Malignant Melanoma survivor, offered one year of advertizing on his left cheek to the highest bidder. 

Following surgery to remove the Melanoma in November of 2005 and a second surgery in January 2007 (the result of a recurrence) Gregory was left with a hole in his cheek. Gregory also had 17 lymph nodes removed from his neck, a tumor removed from his left femur and two, back-to-back craniotomies after being diagnosed with a brain metastasis in his right temporal lobe. He has also undergone high-dose Bio Chemotherapy for the original tumor and whole brain radiation treatments after several smaller lesions were discovered in his brain. 

After the prosthetic originally provided failed to adhere to his skin Gregory decided to make the best of a bad situation by offering his face on ebay. A portion of the auction reads,

“What you/your company is bidding on is one-year advertising rights to my left facial cheek in the form of a Medically-Safe prosthetic” and “I encourage the winning bidder to provide me with a supply of 3" x 5" index cards that state your company’s support of Skin Cancer Awareness, Research and Education.”

The auction received 11 bids with the winning bid being $76.00. 

Apparently the idea caught on, while searching for Gregory’s auction I came across these: “Tattoo space on my Right foot” and “Advertising Space on the FRONT AND BACK of my BALD Head”

Japan Bans Nicky Foods' Products Imported From China

The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry in Japan has ordered a ban on “Nicky Foods” products imported from China. The move comes after they found elevated levels of pesticides in frozen food. The products in question had been sold to members of a coop union in Kanagawa, Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefectures (states) before the contaminants were discovered. The product was recalled and the majority was collected before being sold to the public 
. 
This is the third incident involving pesticide contamination since the beginning of the year. The latest round of product recalls come shortly after the Chinese government announced that a campaign to eliminate all non-food materials from there food products was a success. 

Osaka, based Nicky Foods said the products were manufactured by there subsidiary in China, Shandong Renmu Food Co, and imported by there trading division, Nicky Trading Company. The recall was ordered after officials detected 1.2 parts per million of phorate (organophosphate pesticide) in the products, the acceptable level for humans is .03 ppm. 

In late December and early January 10 people became ill after eating gyoza" dumpling, manufactured by Tianyang Food in Hebei Province China, bringing the contamination to the attention of authorities. An additional 286 people received medical treatment after consuming the dumplings. Police found 1-mm. holes in the front and back of at least one package leading them to believe the contamination may have been intentional. "Nikuman" buns and dim sum were also recalled after elevated levels of pesticides were found. 

The Chinese General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine told the government owned China Daily that “The contamination is likely to have been caused by loopholes in the producers' purchase of raw materials such as vegetables," placing blame on Japan based Nicky Foods and their subsidiaries. They also pointed out that both manufactures, although located in China are wholly owned subsidiaries of Nicky Foods. 

China has also suspended exports from Wangyu Aquatic Food Company after they discovered similar contaminants in frozen mackerel that was to be exported to Japan. Chinese official say that they tested samples from the plant including packaging materials and found no evidence of the pesticide. Officials also said that the only seasoning provided by the Chinese plant was salt, and again pointed out that this is a Japanese funded facility. 

China has sent Wu Guoqing, top criminal investigator, and toxicologist Wang Guiqiang to aid in the investigation into the source of the contamination.

Japanese Destroyer Collision Caused by Negligence

On Feb.19 at 4:07 a.m. the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force destroyer, Atago, collided with a small fishing vessel, the Seitoku Maru, in the pacific just off of Chiba Prefecture, Japan. The 7,700-ton destroyer apparently struck the smaller vassal’s wheel house broadside slicing the ship in half instantly. 

According to the MSDF, the Atego alerted the Japanese coast guard about 17 minutes after the collision, the JCG responded with five patrol boats, three aircraft, and a four-member diving team who searched the wreckage of the Seitoku Maru for survivors with no results. The father and son crew, Tetsuhiro, 23 and Haruo Kichisei, 58, have not yet been recovered. 

The JCG immediately launched an investigation into the cause of the accident. They acquired a warrant to search the Atago as soon as it arrived at Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture. The warrant was obtained on the basis that the JCG believed that the Atago’s crew endangered maritime traffic through negligence. They were looking far any clues related directly to the accident and examined the surface radar system and determined that it was functioning properly. The JCG also questioned the crew of the Atago about events leading up to the collision while divers examined the hull of the ship for any additional clues. 

As a result of information and evidence obtained during the investigation the accident is believed to be the result of negligence on the part of the destroyer’s crew. The smaller vessel should have appeared on the Atago’s radar as early as 30 minutes before the collision although the JCG is unsure if it was detected. The initial report filed by the Defense Ministry stated that the crew of the Atego saw the Seitoku Maru’s navigation light only two minutes before the collision however new information reveals that at least one watch crew member saw the light 12 minute prior to the accident. The investigation also reveals that the Atago was returned to manual control and evasive action ordered only one minute before impact. Maritime law requires all ships to yield right of way to vessels approaching from the right. Grey paint traces found on the recovered wreckage of the Seitoku Maru shows that it was hit on the port side indicating that the Atago was required to yield and failed to do so. 

Maritime law also requires all ships operating at night to display a green light on the starboard side and a red light on the port side, in this manner other ships can determine position and heading. Ships towing any object, including fishing nets, must display an additional light visible from all directions. At this time it is believed that the Seitoku Maru was in compliance with with applicable laws at the time of the accident. This seems to indicate that the fishing vessel should have been easily visible and the collision avoidable. 

It is now being reported that Adm. Eiji Yoshikawa, the Maritime Self Defense Force’s chief of staff, is expected to be relieved of duty for failing to report the accident to the prime minister in a timely manner. His possible successors are Chief of Staff Vice Adm. Tamotsu Kato and Vice Adm. Yoji Koda. 

The incident has some Japanese officials asking the question, if the destroyer could not detect and avoid a collision with a well marked fishing trawler what could they expect in the event of a terrorist attack against one of there ships.

Blind Man's Legacy Continues to Teach After Almost 90 Years

After losing his vision at 55, former high school teacher William A. Hadley was faced with the challenges that are realized by all of us who lose our vision or are born blind. One of his greatest sources of frustration was the lack of educational opportunities available for the blind. 

After teaching himself braille, Mr. Hadley decided that he could help other vision impaired individuals learn much needed communication skills. With the help of his neighbor and ophthalmologist Dr. E.V.L. Brown the idea of teaching by mail was conceived. In this manner he could teach those who may otherwise be out of reach of a reasonable education. 

In 1920 Mr. Hadley mailed his first braille course to a Kansas women desperate to be able to read again, he would personally teach this first student. Over the next 21 years until his death in 1941 the school grew to 800 enrolled students. Today the Hadley School for the Blind’s annual enrollment is over ten thousand students from every U.S. state and 100 countries around the world. Mr. Hadley’s legacy has grown from one student in 1920 to become the largest international source of education for the blind and vision impaired. 

High school as well as other educational programs are available to students 14 years old and up and are offered free of charge to those who are vision impaired and there families. The high school program allows students to take course in media suitable for the vision impaired. Class materials are available in large print, braille, cassette, and in many cases online. Enrolling in the high school program at Hadley gives the vision impaired student the added benefit of blindness specific classes that may not be available at there local school, braille, independent living for the blind, and mobility just to name a few. 

Hadley’s Adult Continuing Education program offers a variety of courses for the blind including braille and academic studies to independent living, life adjustment , technology and recreation. These classes are designed to help in adjusting to life after vision loss, employability and independent living for those of us who lose our vision as adults, as well as learning for the simple joy of learning. Hadley also offers the Family Education Program for family members of the blind and vision impaired. This program is available to the parents of blind children as well as family members of blind adults. 

The Hadley School for Professional studies is designed to teach volunteers, teachers and paraprofessionals new to the blindness field the skills to interact and educate the vision impaired. Some of the topics covered are early independence for blind children, understanding common causes of blindness, and independent living and mobility. Tuition for professional studies ranges from $99 to $139 (modest by any standards). The number of students enrolled in these classes has grown from around 300 annually in 1997 to 3000 annually as of January 2008. 

The Hadley School is accredited by The North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement, The Accrediting Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council, and The Commission on International and Trans-Regional Accreditation. 

The Hadley School for the Blind has continued to offer free classes to the blind and vision impaired and there families by relying on gifts and donations from individuals, corporations and community organizations willing to support there efforts. 

I can’t help but wonder if when Mr. Hadley mailed that first lesson to his only student almost 90 years ago if he could have imagined what that would lead to.

Rockets Fired into Israel as They Prepare for President Bush's Visit

Two Katyusha rockets slammed into Israel today as they prepared for U.S. President George W. Bush who is scheduled to arrive tomorrow. According to Haaretz the western Galilee town of Shlomi was struck by two Katyusha rockets fired from Lebanon. one rocket caused light damage to a house while the other landed in the street and damaged only an electricity pole, no injuries have been reported.

Israel has filled a complaint with the United Nations Security Council calling this a severe violation of Security Council Resolution 1701, the resolution that brought to an end the second Lebanon war. They are also reporting that two U.N. peacekeepers were wounded by a roadside bomb in southern Lebanon today. Israel is calling for immediate U.N. and Lebanese government action. Defense Minister Ehud Barak said "We will learn what happened together with the army officers, we'll think and decide how to act," Hezbollah refused to comment but an unidentified Lebanese military officer told said "It's baseless and completely fabricated." UNIFIL said it was investigating but "In the meantime, we can't confirm or deny the Israeli claims,"

This attack comes just one day before President Bush is scheduled to arrive. His visit is being described as the most high profile visit since Pope John Paul. over ten thousand security personnel including body guards and snipers are preparing for the visit. All 237 rooms of the hotel David will be taken up by the presidents entourage, One person described it as a mini White house with a little state department thrown in. The trip is scheduled to last 3 days and is aimed towards urging progress in the middle east peace process.

al-Anfal Dead Returned to Families After 20 years

The words al-Anfal or Operation Anfal as it is also known may have little or no meaning to many of us, perhaps some of us have never heard about it. To the Kurdish people living in Iraq under the rule of Saddam Hussein it has great meaning; Just the mention of the word will evoke gruesome memories of the campaign of terror and genocide that was carried out against them between1987 and 1989 that culminated in 1988.

During Operation Anfal as many as 182,000 Kurds died and 5000 villages were destroyed. Civilians who were captured were taken to camps that in many ways were similar to Hitler's concentration camps; the most notorious of these was Topzawa. Men and teenage boys (any one believed to be capable of holding a weapon) were separated from there families. After a few days of living in severely overcrowded conditions and being subjected to random beatings they would be taken away for mass execution. Many women and children died as a result of starvation, exposure and willful neglect. 

In the village of Halabja alone around 5000 Kurds died as the result of a chemical attack carried out by Saddam's forces. The effects of the chemicals ware first felt by the animals and birds, then by the Kurds, stabbing pain in the eyes, uncontrollable vomiting, tremors, confusion soon followed by death. 

Four years ago 371 bodies were found in four mass graves near the cities of Mosul, Dohuk,Sulaimaniyah and Samawa. The bodies have since been positively identified and on January 14 a ceremony was held at the Sami al-Rahman park in Arbil, capital of Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region to commemorate there return. In a procession of coffins draped in the Kurdish flag, the remains were carried in and placed in rows. They were to be properly re-buried on Wednesday at a cemetery in Sulaimaniyah 

Kurdish president Massud Barzani spoke at the event saying: "This ceremony makes us feel pain but at the same time happiness because they are back in their fatherland," he went on to say "We want guarantees that these kinds of crimes will not target our people ever again." Iraq's Kurdish Deputy Prime Minister said "This is an important occasion because it confirms the legitimacy of Iraq's liberation, There may be some who doubt that but the bodies of these victims remind us that Iraq's liberation was legal." 

Ali Hassan al-Majid , Sultan Hashim al-Tai , Hussein Rashid al- Tikriti were all convicted and sentenced to death for there role in the attacks. They are currently awaiting an agreement between the various Iraqi politicians who have been unable to decide who should carry out the executions. 

Operation Anfal was only one of many mass casualty attacks carried out by Saddam Hussein's forces throughout the years he was in power. These attacks were part of Saddam's "ethnic cleansing" of Iraq. 

1980, Fayli villages 

Saddam's forces moved against the Fayli Kurds near the Iraq-Iran border. Security forces invaded there villages and took the Faylis from there homes. They were loaded into trucks and taken to detention centers were they separated the men and boys from the rest. The males were taken away and have not been seen since. The rest were held in detention centers. 

1982, Dujail (Shiite) 

Approximately 160 men and boys are killed and as many as 1500 people were taken away to detention centers following a failed assassination attempt carried out against Saddam. The attempt was made by a small group of villagers who were outraged over state–ordered assassinations of Shiite religious leaders. The retaliation was indiscriminate and targeted the entire village. 

1983, Arbil province. 

Saddam's troops surrounded villages occupied by the Barzanis (A Kurdish clan led by Masoud Barzani) They went house to house taking every male older than 10. As many as 8000 were taken and have never been seen since. Only 512 bodies have been recovered. Many more BArzanis along with other Kurds were sent to Nugra Salman, a prison located in the southern deserts where, many more would die of starvation, dehydration and torture. 

1991 Uprising in Iraq. 

Shortly after the U.S. entered into the first Gulf War President George H.W. Bush urged the people of Iraq to rise up against Saddam and overthrow him. Believing they had the support of the U.S. the Kurds in the North and the Shiites in the south staged an uprising in an effort to rid themselves of Saddam. The uprising gained momentum but the U.S. troops had been ordered to stop at the Kuwait-Iraq border and no support was given by the U.S. or allied forces. As a result, Saddam’s forces regrouped and began a ruthless campaign to put down the uprisings. Between 20,000 to 100,000 Kurds and 60,000 to 130,000 Shiites died as a result. 

This resulted in "operation safe haven", An operation designed to protect northern Iraq from persecution and provide humanitarian aid, eleven countries, including the United States participated in the operation

Bilawal Bhutto, "We Have Lost Our Best Hope But not Our Only Hope"

Bilawal Bhutto, son of Benazir Bhutto, in a press conference today expressed his regret that he could not accommodate all of the request for exclusive interviews. Bilawal said that he was overwhelmed with request for one on one interviews .He later stated that his mother was always open with the press and he would like to continue the good relationship but in moderation He went on to thank the press for the international coverage his mother's assassination had received calling her "A world figure and has received world coverage worthy of her status"

Preemptively answering some common questions Bilawal said that he became chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party because the party needed to maintain a close association with Benazir and also to give hope to the new generation of Pakistani people who are not only looking at this election but also to the future. He clearly stated that despite a lack of political experience, he intends to learn and politics is in his blood.

Bilawal's top priority at this time is to return to Oxford to continue his education saying "Unless I can finish my education and develop enough maturity I recognize that I will never be in a position to have sufficient wisdom to enter the political arena." he also said that with four years at Harvard and four years at oxford, education was Benazir's greatest strengths.

As his father runs the party Bilawal plans to step in "gradually and carefully". for those who do not approve of a 19 year old college student becoming chairman of the PPP he said that the decision was based on the collective will of the party unanimously endorsed by the central executive committee as well as the federal council of the PPP and urged every one to accept that the continued involvement of his family was considered the best thing for the party.

Bilawal thanked Scotland yard for there assistance in the investigation into the death of his mother but added that the party and the family want a U.N. investigation due to the belief that an investigation being controlled by the government does not have enough transparency. He also said that although his mother new the risks she had requested security and if adequate security had been provided she may still be alive. He said he would not comment further on who he believes is responsible due to the ongoing investigation.

During the open questions portion of the press conference one reporter asked if a Bhutto would always lead the PPP to which Bilawal replied "There is a Pakistani saying, how many Bhutto's can you kill, from every house will come a Bhutto." When asked about the future of demacracy in Pakistan he replied "We Have Lost Our Best Hope But not Our Only Hope." One reporter appeared to be challenging the younger Bhutto's authority with such questions as "As a 19 year old who has hardly lived in the country what do you propose you can offer Pakistan, a country of one hundred and seventy million people how can you claim to have any aspiration to lead it" Bilawal replied "I do not claim to have any aspirations, I was called and I stepped up and did what I was asked to do." The reporter continued with such statements as what does it say for a party that it can be handed on like some piece of family furniture and wouldn't it be smarter to wait until you know a little more. At this point someone spoke up and said can we just move on. Despite the challenging nature of these questions the young Bhutto answered strongly while yet maintaining complete self control.

After saying that he understood there are risk but this must be done another reporter asked Bilawal if he feared for his life, he replied “I fear even more for my privacy.” Earlier during the session he had asked reporters to respect the privacy of his sisters and his privacy while he is at Oxford.

January 4, Burma's Independence Day?

January 4 marked 60 years of Independence for Burma (Myanmar) but many citizens of Burma did not feel Very much like celebrating there freedom. Despite gaining there Independence 60 years ago most people do not feel they are free, many say they feel more like prisoners or slaves of the Junta government who seized power in 1962. National League for Democracy spokesman,Nyan Win, said: “From my 20s until now—my 60s—I feel there is no independence in Burma, because people feel they are not free.” On a more optimistic note he added “We believe that democracy and human rights will prevail in the country one day.” Outside of NLD headquarters about 12 members held a short vigil dressed in convicts uniforms to call for the release of the over 1000 political prisoners being held by the government including Aung San Suu Kyi, the NLD leader.

Near Shwedagon pagoda the Junta held a small low-key celebration with a flag raising and a speech given by Senior General Than Shwe calling on the people to cooperate in the building of a modern, disciplined and flourishing democratic nation. Speaking on condition of anonymity one government employee told The Irrawaddy News by telephone: “As a government employee, Independence Day is an official holiday. However, there is nothing to celebrate. My daily survival is more important than Independence Day.” A computer shop owner said “I’m not interested in Independence Day! If possible, I want to kill the generals. What I see and what I hear is such a contrast—injustice is everywhere in Burma!” There was a heavy police presence primarily around Shwedagon and Sule pagodas in Yangon, the sites of some of the largest protests in September. Riot police were also positioned around Yangon city hall. Every precaution was taken to ensure against any pro-democracy protest that may have occurred on independence day including the preemptive arrest of NLD members and suspected pro-democracy activist. On January 2 six members of the National League for Democracy were arrested to prevent them from attending an Independence day celebration in Yay Nan Chaung township. According to family members about 20 police officers arrested the six at a house in Nyaungbin Sat village around midnight on January 2. When family members questioned the officers about why the NLD members were being arrested they were told that the government was concerned about them attending the celebration. Authorities have said they will only hold the six for a short period of time. It is also reported that an additional 10 pro-democracy activist were arrested in Yangon.

In an apparent attempt to limit or remove outside sources of news and information being received by citizens of Burma the government increased the annual license fee for access to satellite television from 6000 Kyat ($5.00 U.S.) to one million Kyat ($780 U.S.) With the average annual income in Burma being around $300 U.S. dollars this puts outside news out of reach for most citizens of Burma. This was an apparent attempt to avoid a repeat of the September protest during which local media did not report on the situation. Those who had access to satellite TV reportedly made copies of outside news and took it to those who did not have access.

Members of The National League of Democracy held a silent gathering outside of the home of Aung San Suu Kyi, the party leader who has been under house arrest for over 12 years. Her party won democratic elections in 1990 with a landslide majority however the Junta refused to relinquish power and she has been in prison or under house arrest for the majority of her life since the victory. Aung San Suu Kyi is the daughter of General Aung San who is commonly known as the father of Burmese independence.

New Years Day is "Good Riddance Day" for Many in Time Square

New years means a new beginning for most of us. Yes, the infamous news years resolution, we make them on the first day of January and usually break them by the second day. This year as many braved the crowds of Times Square to ring in the new year in traditional manner by watching the ball drop others braved the crowds at the industrial shredder brought in by the The Times Square Alliance to join in the first "Good Riddance Day" celebration. This is a new twist on an old Latin American tradition of taking artifacts from the previous year, making them into a giant doll, and saying goodbye to them by setting the doll on fire.

At Seventh Ave. and W. 46th St people lined up to take advantage of the somewhat more permanent "Good Riddance" celebration. Some shredded pictures of ex-wives or old boy friends while others shredded there mortgage that they had paid off in 2007. One man shredded pictures of his bloodied appendix taken after his surgery saying: "It's now been purged from my body," while another shredded a list of bad habits that included shoplifting.

Eileen Lawrence, a former school teacher from Manhattan, won the $250 grand prize for the "Most creative momento" by shredding a photo collage she had made of a Manhattan middle school principal who according to Lawrence had had made her life hell. She said "I'm currently an unemployed math teacher and am very, very happy."

This year marked the 100th anniversary of of ringing in the new year in Times square. At the stroke of midnight Mayor Michael Bloomberg released the ball with it's new environmentally friendly lights as the giant numerals 2008 are illuminated overhead and fireworks lit up the night sky. The times Square celebration was started in 1904 when Alfred Ochs, owner of the New York Times, decided to put on a fireworks display to mark the new year. Fireworks were later banned by New York city over security concerns, The ball was introduced and has rang in every new year since except for 1942 and 1943 when war time regulation did not permit it.

Happy New Year and "Good Riddance Day" to all.