Trial date set for April in Berlusconi prostitution scandal

Prostitution charges have been formally made against Italian Prime Minister Berlusconi, and he can be subject to a trial. Berlusconi is alleged to have engaged the services of an underage prostitute, which has brought on an excellent deal of controversy. Berlusconi’s hold as Prime Minister is growing increasingly shaky, and the first court case on the matter is scheduled for April 6. He will need a pretty large personal unsecured loan to get out of this one.

Italy Prime Minister getting charged

After controversy erupted over whether Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi of Italy enlisted the services of an underage prostitute in the past few months, law enforcement officials have brought criminal court case against him, according to The Telegraph. Berlusconi is alleged to have paid for the services of a now-18-year-old who calls herself Ruby the Heartstealer. Ruby, real name Karima el-Mahroug, was 17 at the time of the alleged transaction. The first hearing can be on April 6, as the case was set to be fast tracked by Judge Cristina Di Censo. There are other charges for Berlusconi too. He will be charged for abusing Prime Minister powers.

'Rubygate’ the name

Several protestors, while most were women, were in a protest over the scandal, called "Rubygate" saying Berlusconi needed to be removed. His personal conduct has never gotten him to trial before. In parliament, Berlusconi's party is currently the majority. The New York Times reports that his support is dying off though. It doesn't matter if Berlusconi is in the first hearing. It will occur in Milan. The legality of prostitution is okay in Italy. The issue is that the prostitutes have to be 18 already.

Berlusconi defends himself saying prostitution didn't occur

One of the guests at the lascivious “bunga bunga” parties that Berlusconi held last year was Karima el-Mahroug, then 17. MSNBC reports the first time they met, Berlusconi gave her a little less than $10,000 at 7,000 euros. Prosecutors say it was a payment for sex. Both Ruby and Berlusconi say it didn't occur. They were never even intimate. Berlusconi is also charged with abuse of powers, having personally pressured a police officer to let Ruby out of theft charges. She ended up saying she was Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak's granddaughter. He didn't want an international incident on his hands.

Citations

Telegraph

telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/8325340/Silvio-Berlusconi-ordered-to-face-trial-over-sex-allegations.html

New York Times

nytimes.com/2011/02/16/world/europe/16italy.html

MSNBC

msnbc.msn.com/id/41594875/ns/world_news-europe

Magic formula formula for Coca-Cola seen in old newspaper column

The magic formula ingredients of Coca-Cola are considered so valuable the company holds the only copy of the recipe in an underground vault. Yet the recipe for Coke was printed in a news story year’s ago. The article the Coke recipe appeared in was featured in "This American Life," a public radio program. The Coca-Cola Company keeps the Coke recipe locked in a vault, but the radio show said all the ingredients can be bought online. Now there is no need to take out a pay day loan to try and make the recipe.

Revealing of the secret Coke recipe

The formula for Coca-Cola was concocted by a doctor in Atlanta named John Pemberton in 1886. There is a "Merchandise 7X" that is a magic formula ingredient. It can only be mixed by the 2 individuals at a time that know how to do it. "This American Life" suggests the Coca-Cola formula was published in an article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution though. This would have been in a February 18, 1979 edition. A notebook that was passed along by pharmacists for generations is where a columnist reporter said to have found the hand-written recipe. A copy of Pemberton's original formula for Coco-Cola is listed in the article and shown in a photo of an open book.

Cocaine not in Coco-Cola

There was a recipe before that came out. It said it was the original coke recipe too. The intended original Coke recipe was put in a book called "For God, country and Coca-Cola" in 1993. It was written by journalist Mark Pendergrast. There was a statement made from Coca-Cola. It said the Pendergrast recipe was different than the real Coke recipe. The extract of coca leaves was required in the original Coke recipe which may have been what the executives were referring to. The modern version of Coca-Cola utilizes “spent” coca leaves. Spent coca leaves are run through a process that extracts the cocaine. The cocaine extraction isn't all that great. The cocaine alkaloids do not leave. Today, the coke still has cocaine in it. It is in trace amounts though.

The reason why many cannot stop drinking Coke

When Dr. Pemberton formulated Coca-Cola extract, he took it to a local pharmacy, where it sold for five cents a glass. Without cocaine, today’s Coke is nevertheless rather addicting because of an “asymmetrical” base of flavors that combines sweet, sour, bitter and salty, combined with huge amounts of sugar and caffeine. Also, the pH level of the mixture is lowered with carbon dioxide under pressure, or carbonation, making it easier for the bloodstream to absorb the sugar and caffeine.

The alleged original Coke recipe:

Fluid extract of Coca 3 drams USP
Citric acid 3 oz
Caffeine 1 oz
Sugar 30 (it is unclear from the markings what quantity is required)
Water 2.5 gal
Lime juice 2 pints
Vanilla 1 oz
Caramel 1.5 oz or more to colour

7X flavour (use 2 oz of flavour to 5 gals syrup):
Alcohol 8 oz
Orange oil 20 drops
Lemon oil 30 drops
Nutmeg oil 10 drops
Coriander 5 drops
Neroli 10 drops
Cinnamon 10 drops

Information from

Today Show

bites.today.com/_news/2011/02/14/6051765-has-cokes-secret-recipe-been-uncovered?gt1=43001

This American Life

thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/427/original-recipe

Daily Mail

dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1356810/Is-Coca-Cola-recipe.html

Guru Focus

gurufocus.com/news.php?id=120119

Unbankable NV businesses targeted by new microlending program

The Rural NV Development Corp. is targeting a small sector of business in Reno and surrounding areas. The “microlending” service tries to get money to smaller businesses. The United States Department of Agriculture-funded program focuses on companies that could not otherwise qualify for loans. There is about $500,000 available for this loan program. $100,000 has already been awarded to businesses. This could help people stay away from pay day lenders if they can get the financing somewhere else. Source for this article – Reno microlending program targets unbankable businesses by MoneyBlogNewz.

Getting a rural development loan in Reno, NV

There could be a "microlending" program funded by the United States Department of Agriculture. It will include a $500,000 grant. There is the USDA Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance program. This will fund bad credit loans to all Reno-area businesses. These loans provide up to $50,000 for businesses that have been denied traditional banking loans. The loans are only for five years. Between 10 and 12 percent interest could be charged.

Qualifying for Reno bad credit business loans

In order to qualify for the Rural Nevada Development Corp. loans, a business has to meet several criteria. A business has to have less than $1 million in gross revenue per year and fewer than 10 employees. Traditional loan financing has to have been applied for by the business that got denied. There are only a few areas that can get the money. These include areas around Indian Reservations, LV, Carson City and Reno. Within the first five days of the program existing, $100,000 was handed out while $500,000 can go to Nevada total. Within the month, the whole $500,000 is anticipated to be gone.

Microfinance information

“Microfinance” and “microlending” are becoming popular terms. Though the United States Department of Agriculture is calling this Reno loan program “microlending,” it lends much larger amounts than most microfinance programs. Individuals with a very low income are targeted with microfinancing. Around $1,000 is typically paid for most "microlending" programs. The microlending for RNDC is huge when comparing these numbers. Most microlending from developed nations to creating countries is through private individuals, but there’s a “hole” in the credit sector for companies without good credit history and without money to develop their own companies.

Information from

RGJ

rgj.com/article/20110201/BIZ/102010321/1321/news

Businesses and loan providers awaiting new SBA program

It can take a very long time to take a bill and turn it into law. Once that law is created, however, turning it into a policy can take even longer. A Small Business Administration loan program, however, is taking an extraordinarily long time. 25 percent of the time for the money of the program to be handed out has already expired. Some companies are already applying, even though they do not know if they will qualify. These refinancing rules might help people need fewer payday advances.

Program for refinancing with Small Business Administration

Congress passed a new Small Business Administration refinancing program at the end of 2010. The program was meant to last two years. The program would support the refinancing of business property debt. Smaller businesses are facing balloon payments on the relatively short-term loans on their companies. Refinancing will help businesses substantially. Many of them are struggling with the huge payments that are for mortgages. The program has a 24 month time limit.

Waiting for new rules on refinancing

The Small Business Administration refinancing program has already started. Six months have already been used up. Rules for the program have not been written by the SBA yet though. It is very important get the rules and regulations out there. Loans cannot be offered until after this. The 2 years for the program is starting to be cut down even though rules have not been written yet. Writing the rules will leave only 16 months left. This is supposed to be for distributing and backing all the loans made. Getting the regulations right in the Small Business Administration is something businesses are glad is happening. Still, the timeline is a bit frustrating.

Business anxious to get them

Companies have already begun applying for the refinancing program even though the SBA is not quite ready for it. Everywhere from Baltimore, Md., to Bay Area, California, businesses are turning in applications. These “conditional” applications can’t be approved until the SBA writes regulations for who may or may not qualify for these loans. After the loans are written, these applications will be the first processed.

Citations

Knox News

knoxnews.com/news/2011/feb/15/sba-yet-set-loan-rules/

Additional people donning outfits as real life super heroes to battle crime

Look, there, up in the sky; it is a real world superhero, and with his very own costume. An increasing number of individuals are drawing inspiration from comic books and films to don a costume of their own, and make an effort to make the world a better place through various activities. A Film called "Superheroes," a documentary on these individuals, recently debuted at the Slamdance Film Festival. These superheroes sometimes go as far as to take payday cash loans out to do good deeds in their communities.

Superheroes

There are real life superheroes patrolling city streets all over North America, performing a wide variety of functions to serve the greater good. "Real Life Superheroes" is an organization that most of these people belong to. It is all about civilians that want to make a difference with civil services helping clear the streets. MSNBC explains that they don't physically confront criminals. However, they do make neighborhoods additional aware of social problems and crime. Charity is something commonly focused on. Setaman is the creator of the Real life Superheroes site in Portland Oregon while distributing supplies, food and blankets to those living on the streets.

Information in a documentary

A documentary about real life superheroes titled “Superheroes” recently debuted at the Slamdance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, where the Sundance Film Festival is held annually. The Film is creating some buzz and calling more attention to the services the Real life Superheroes carries out. On "Good Morning The United States," Phoenix Jones was a superhero that appeared to talk about how danger is nevertheless there. He broke his nose while breaking a street battle up.

This isn't the very first time

In the United States, community responsibility and involvement is not new even though the Real world Superheroes are getting attention. Since the 1970s, an all-volunteer neighborhood watch group called the Guardian Angels has been patrolling communities all over the world, and they do intervene with crimes in progress. The group, according to Reuters, has recently been very active in cities such as Camden, NJ, that lost police officers to spending budget cuts. The Guardian Angels, founded by Curtis Sliwa, are now located in 144 cities across 15 nations.

Articles cited

MSNBC

msnbc.msn.com/id/41121744/ns/us_news-giving

Real Life Superheroes

reallifesuperheroes.com/

Reuters

reuters.com/article/2011/02/02/us-camden-police-idUSTRE7115GW20110202?pageNumber=1

Pairing the proper wine with your dinner is important to taste

The right wine bottle is hard to find. It can be a difficult decision. When organizing a social supper function, having the "right" bottle of wine is crucial. The meal needs to be looked at together with personal preference in these cases. Wine pairing is the idea of picking out a wine with a taste profile that flatters the flavor profile of the meals. One strategy is to pick a wine that has comparable characteristics as the food, so they "go well" with each other. Contradicting profiles is another option. This makes it so the food is balanced out by the wine. There are many things to note when choosing the best wine even though there is not a perfect way to do wine coupling.

When pairing, do you choose red or white?

An entrée that is quite heavy will most likely be better off with red wine. A white wine is something more for lighter meals. In case you are having a light meal including salad and seafood, for instance, you really should try Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Chardonnay. There are many heavy red wines for instance Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Merlot and Zinfandel. In case you are having a BBQ, veal, lamb or beef, these could be better choices.

All in the details

There are other things to consider in these "rules." One example is the spices food preparation use. For instance, a past with a white sauce such as alfredo or parmesan can be something you would want a Merlot or Chardonnay with while pasta with a red marinara sauce would be better off with Zinfandel or Chianti. Lemon chicken would be an entrée that would pair well with Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio, while the popular dish chicken marsala would be better matched with a Pinot Noir or even Merlot.

The sweeter side

Some wines also go well with dessert. Any fruit or citrus desserts would go well with ice wine and late harvest Riesling. Cabernet Sauvignon is a good choice with chocolate desserts that are darker without red meat. Champagne is something you may want to get with chocolate. Port wines go well with chocolate also though.

Wine partnering is an exhilarating way to make meals more intriguing. The thing to keep in mind is that there is no right or wrong mixture. Making up different combinations of flavor profiles is part of the fine with it. Any meal can be enhanced with a nice glass of wine, and of course, wine is best liked with friends and family. What are you waiting for? Drink up!

Craigslist scandal causes Congressman Christopher Lee to resign

Lee has resigned as congressman because of a released picture, which he had sent to a female he met on Craigslist. Christopher Lee is a Republican congressman from New York and in the midst of his second term. Lee decided to step down immediately instead of risk being plunged in ongoing controversy.

About the ‘Craigslist congressman’ issue

Christopher Lee’s resignation from the NY House of Representatives was the culmination of events that started on Craigslist. Photos were released to popular site Gawker.com, in accordance with the WA Post. A female living in Maryland, that was not named, had a personal ad that Lee responded to. The female asked as part of the ad, “will somebody prove to me not all CL men look like toads?” Lee, beginning his second term in the House of Representatives, wrote her back claiming that he was a lobbyist on Capitol Hill and that he was younger than his actual age of 46. After he sent her photographs of himself, she realized what was really going on as the 2 talked back and forth.

Gawker leaks photos

The female on Craigslist asked if Lee typically sends out pictures of himself topless when she received photographs from him. He then said it was "all I had" in reply. The conversations continued when she asked if he was married. He said he had been divorced. Lee doesn't only have a wife. He has a son as well. She looked on the internet for his name after recognizing the photograph just to discover out he was a married congressman from the 26th district of New York and was older than 40. She sent the e-mails and photos to Gawker.com, and the news broke.

Gawker forces resignation

The photos were published on Gawker.com Wednesday, February 9. The news spread like wildfire. Lee wrote a letter to Boehner, the Speaker of the House, notifying him that he was resigning within hrs of the news breaking, in accordance with NPR. The letter was read on the floor by a clerk. This happened in the exact same day. He could be exchanged in an election. Governor of NY, Andrew Cuomo, will hold this.

Citations

Washington Post

washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/09/AR2011020906977.html?nav=hcmoduletmv&sid=ST2011020907393

NPR

npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2011/02/10/133648332/rep-christopher-lee-resigns-from-congress-after-non-sex-scandal

Gawker

gawker.com/#!5755071/married-gop-congressman-sent-sexy-pictures-to-craigslist-babe

Connection discovered among marijuana use and psychological condition

Weed use and psychological condition has been connected in a new research. Marijuana use was linked to mental illness by a review of 83 studies involving more than 8,000 patients, which showed that using marijuana caused mental condition symptoms to emerge far earlier in individuals that were at risk for developing schizophrenia and other forms of psychosis. It’s "Reefer Madness" all over again.

Psychological condition for Marijuana users

Emerging study has found a link between marijuana use and quicker onset mental illness for individuals predisposed to creating psychological illness, according to WebMD. The study can be published in the June issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, a psychiatric science journal. Dr. Matthew Large who’s from the Prince of Wales Hospital located in Sydney, Australia, led the team that did the research. Marijuana was linked in the study to psychological health getting brought about earlier, especially schizophrenia, in the 83 individual studies that over 8,000 individuals were involved in.

Cannabis and other narcotic use

The link suggested by the research is that people at risk for developing mental illness for instance schizophrenia can develop symptoms earlier if they use marijuana. Subjects in the research that were weed users developed schizophrenia symptoms 2.7 years earlier than those who did not. People who used multiple substances, including marijuana, cocaine and other drugs, developed symptoms of psychological illness two years earlier than people who didn’t use drugs. When alcohol was the only thing used, it didn't accelerate any of the symptoms. This is what Time reports. Tobacco use is noted in the study as not having enough evidence to discover any impact on psychological condition.

Higher risk of psychological illness suggests you use fewer narcotics

For years individuals have been told not to use psychoactive substances. This is especially the case for those at risk for psychological illnesses. Links among schizophrenia and the use of cannabis has been shown in many studies. However, no link has ever been found suggesting that marijuana use causes schizophrenia, only that those at risk can have their symptoms made worse or brought about earlier by using cannabis.

Information from

Web MD

webmd.com/schizophrenia/news/20110207/earlier-onset-of-schizophrenia-linked-to-pot

Health Land

healthland.time.com/2011/02/07/marijuana-linked-with-earlier-onset-of-schizophrenia-in-research-review/

Archives of General Psychiatry

archpsyc.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/archgenpsychiatry.2011.5v1

More cautious underwriting choices on auto loans

The automotive market can’t repeat the kind of careless decision-making by car loan underwriters that led to the subprime bailout. Lenders didn’t adequately weigh the chance of financing to consumers who were hard-pressed to repay, leading to excessive loan default. Wards Auto reports this has led automobile finance companies to take a closer look at incoming auto loan applications.

All the details are needed in car loan underwriting

In order to get approved with a credit history that isn't quite up to speed for a car loan, there has to be greater attention paid. A Scenario in which the borrower’s credit rating has some dings but does not indicate serial loan default can be workable, said Price Waterhouse and Cooper Consumer Financial Group senior manager Douglas Ekizian. Sometimes it seems clear the applicant has the ability to pay back the loan. In these cases, the underwriter makes a decision based on the consumer's history.

A car loan underwriting decision is something that is made with lots of information. It’s easier to do with more information. Ekizian explained that analysts can do "more than a cursory review of credit-bureau forensic analytics," when there is full income and employment data.

Auto lending is a gut call

The detail is really essential to help an auto loan underwriter to figure out when and when the loan won’t default. Alliance Acceptance CEO Ray Thousand explained this. Often, a default right after job loss is something overlooked. This is only the case as long as there are not any problems with a credit history. If a bankruptcy is showing up on a borrower's report, consumer risk finance manager Adem Yilmaz of Toyota Financial Services explained the borrower can still be considered now that the credit sector for auto loans has relaxed.

"Determining willingness to pay back a loan is the gut call of the day. We're looking for evidence of ultimately trying to make good on the loan," said Thousand.

Auto loan defaults: Children of recession

The U.S. economy really struggled in 2008 and 2009 which was when there were the most auto loan defaults. Several of car loan corporations either had to get bailout dollars or went bankrupt because of this. With careful underwriting decisions, the auto financing business hopes to stay away from the mistakes of the past.

Citations

Wards Auto

wardsauto.com/home/auto_loan_analysts_110204/

Understanding the role of loan underwriting

youtube.com/watch?v=Q7OvlYjNt9w

Internet kill switch bill comes forth in the middle of Egyptian unrest

“Internet kill switch” is the dramatic catch phrase describing a bill in Congress to strengthen United States cybersecurity. The public barely noticed the Internet kill switch-or the “Protecting Cyberspace as a National Asset Act of 2010″-when it was introduced within the U.S. Senate in June 2010. The so-called Internet kill switch bill was reintroduced just as the Egyptian government shut down the Internet nationwide in an effort to stifle dissent. The huge pay day loan that people would take out to stop this from occurring in America could be ridiculous. Source for this article – The Internet kill switch and why it would never work in the U.S. by MoneyBlogNewz.

A web kill switch bill for U.S. Senate

the idea of a Web kill switch is one in which the Homeland Security Department is able to control cybersecurity with a created White House office of cyberspace. Senator Lieberman, I-Conn., launched in June the Safeguarding Cyberspace as part of the National Asset Act of 2010. The legislation was drafted specifically to protect, from cyber terrorism, the economic infrastructure of the Internet. This is what Lieberman was protecting from. The 111th Congress stopped the Internet kill switch bill. This was after it was approved with the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and governmental Affairs Committee.

Take into consideration the First Amendment with the Internet kill switch consideration

The Republican on the Homeland Security committee, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, brought back the Internet kill switch bill. After Egypt put restrictions on Internet service, the bill became a more serious concern for free speech supporters. There was a comment from a Homeland Security spokesperson that said infrastructure is protected from cyber attack with the bill. This includes e-commerce and public utilities. The bill includes provisions forbidding any violation of the First Amendment.

It would be extremely hard within the United States to do what Egypt has done

Access to infrastructure can be stopped with an executive order from the president if a threat is perceived with the Internet kill switch bill. This is very controversial though. The U.S. would not be able to get that passed though. It is hard to pass something like that. In Egypt, the government owns the ISP, Telecom Egypt. The federal government would not be able to control the ISPs if there was a cyber attack within the U.S. The government will slowly have a worse and worse time trying to control the Internet in the U.S. considering it’s getting more complex. If a Web kill switch ever existed, chances are it would never work.

Articles cited

Wired

wired.com/threatlevel/2011/01/kill-switch-legislation/

PC Magazine

pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2376888,00.asp

MSNBC

msnbc.msn.com/id/41320309/ns/technology_and_science-tech_and_gadgets/

Google executes plan that captures Bing replicating searches

Google prepared a sting against Microsoft’s Bing after it found evidence that its rival was copying search results. Google caught Microsoft red-handed by inserting manufactured top results for certain search inquiries, which appeared on Bing. Bing did not deny the charges and spun a reason, which included calling Google's sting a stunt. Bing would rather copy Google than take out a personnel loans to create their individual search results.

Google knew what was up

Google began suspecting that Bing was copying its internet search engine outcomes last spring. Users would enter into Bing unique misspellings of words. This would then bring up the very same list of websites that Google had. The correct spelling would be searched for by Google, although Bing would correct the spelling and instead would list the same outcomes. Smelling a rat, Google arranged a trap. About 100 synthetic searches were created with “honeypot” pages as the top result that would only show up on Google if Bing was not replicating them. The outcomes were clicked on at home by Google engineers that took the queries home and searched them on Internet Explorer with the Bing Toolbar.

A trap is arranged by Google

Before Google presented the Bing sting on December 17, the synthetic queries came up nil or with a smattering of junk pages. Then Google made a manual change, so that a specific page would appear at the top of these queries. There were pages inserted by Google that were honeypot pages. These would come up in even though they weren't relevant in synthetic searches. When December 31 rolled around, the honeypot pages started showing up at Bing. They were top ranked pages.

Sting called stunt by Bing

Google’s Bing sting firmly implies that Bing was copying Google's results by monitoring how Internet Explorer users use Google. Bing corporate vice president, Harry Shum, said that Google's sting was a "spy-novelesque stung" that was done. He said it misconstrues how Microsoft uses consumer data to “improve our user experience.”. It is "plain and simple cheating" what Bing has done, Google's Amit Singhal said to Internet search engine Land. It’s just like “running a marathon and carrying someone else on your back, which jumps off just before the finish line.”

Citations

Search Engine Land

searchengineland.com/google-bing-is-cheating-copying-our-search-results-62914

Fox News

foxnews.com/scitech/2011/02/01/microsofts-bing-caught-copying-google-search-results/

CNET

news.cnet.com/8301-30684_3-20030265-265.html

Research shows red light surveillance cameras reduce traffic deaths

Red light camcorders are being installed in a growing number of United States cities. Red light video cameras are looked upon by most motorists as money cows instead of traffic safety equipment. However a drop in traffic fatalities, as well as a rise in revenues, has been attributed to red light cameras in an insurance industry study. The short term loans that cities had to sign up for in order to put up these cameras have proven to be worthwhile.

Less traffic deaths with red light surveillance cameras in place

Cities ought to be appreciative of the red light video cameras installed. This is because, as the Insurance institute for Highway Safety explains, they work as advertised. The research industry did a study that was released explained the number of traffic deaths went down within the five years that red light camcorders have been in intersections. There has been a 26 percent decrease. Researchers compared traffic accident data from 14 large U.S. cities with red light cameras against 48 others without them from 2004 to 2008. Traffic fatalities fell for cities in both categories, however the rate of deadly crashes dropped faster in cities with red light video cameras. A decrease in rear-end collisions were shown with the red light cameras. However, the T-bone collisions dropped significantly.

Red light statistics with a camera

Figures about red light surveillance camera include more things. In fact, federal government recorded data is in there also. About 41 percent of crashes, 2.2 million, happened at intersections in 2009. The crashes killed 7.358 individuals. Another 81,112 individuals were hurt by it. Due to red light running, 676 of those fatalities were caused. Also, 113,000 of the injuries occurred with running red lights. About 64 percent of the people who died, including passengers, other drivers, pedestrians and cyclists, were killed by the person running the red light. If red light cameras had been in use in all 99 cities included within the research, the researchers estimated that 815 lives would have been saved.

Getting red light camcorders banned

Red light camera revenue results in millions of dollars for the cities that use them. About $7.2 million in revenue was made from June 2009 to May 2010 by Washington D.C. This was solely off of the 85,678 red light citations that were made. In the U.S. about half the states permit red light camcorders. In 2000, just 25 cities installed them. Now, you will find many more individuals that use red light surveillance cameras. In fact, 500 cities use them. Intersections would be safer with longer yellow lights in accordance with the National Motorists Association. Calling red light camcorders an invasion of privacy and heavy handed enforcement, several cities within the United States have banned red light cameras with voter initiatives.

Articles cited

Washington Post

washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/01/AR2011020100021.html?wpisrc=nl_headline

Wall Street Journal

blogs.wsj.com/drivers-seat/2011/02/01/red-light-cameras-get-a-boost/

Fair Warning

fairwarning.org/2011/02/red-light-cameras-save-hundreds-of-lives-on-roads-report-says/

Jimmer Fredette puts lights-out scoring burn on San Diego State University

BYU’s Jimmer Fredette has the kind of jump shot that brings a rain of basketball hysteria. After leading ninth-ranked BYU to a 71-58 win over fourth-ranked San Diego State University on Jan. 26 with a whopping 43 points, Fredette nevertheless had the stamina to shut down Twitter temporarily, reports the NY Daily News. Twitter couldn’t manage the Fredette mania, so the servers shut down for a while.

News coverage of Fredette

Jimmer Fredette is concerned about not getting nearly as much exposure as Duke or North Caroline players get even though the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah, has BYU in there filling it often. With 27.7 points per game, Fredette has the title of leading scorer in the nation. The local media have coined the phrase, "You’ve been Jimmered" to signify the opposition has been torched.

This is not the only media he gets though. Several still talk about it. Oklahoma Thunder NBA star Kevin Durant punctuated the torrent of Jimmer Fredette-themed tweets with the solitary proclamation that "Jimmer Fredette is the best scorer in the world!!" John Wall tweeted too as a Washington Wizards rookie saying, "Jimmer Fredette is cold! #respect." Fredette is on the NBA-draft-quality numbers over and over as the focus of his team's offense and opposition defense.

A bane referred to as ‘Great White Hope’

Supporters of basketball are curious as to how a 6-foot-2 white guard is able to win as Fredette is. He doesn’t dominate the opposition with athleticism however with what many scouts consider to be perfect form on the jump shot and above-average ball-handling skills that enable him to drive the ball into the teeth of the defense. Now everyone wants to know if Fredette could be picked within the National Basketball Association draft.

The "Great White Hope" tag will always be put on white basketball player's abilities unless they’re named Larry Bird even though race should not be an issue when it comes to basketball. Adam Morrison is an example of this. He is on the Gonzaga team. There are many more "Great White Hope" players that do not do well within the National Basketball Association than there are of those who succeed. Fredette needs to get just a little faster and stronger in order to succeed within the National Basketball Association. With his jump shot, he will go far. It’s quite amazing.

Information from

ESPN

espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/blog/_/name/katz_andy/id/6065178/jimmer-fredette-carry-byu-ncaas

NBA Soup

nbasoup.com/?p=361

New York Daily News

nydailynews.com/sports/college/2011/01/27/2011-01-27_byu_star_jimmer_fredette_draws_praise_from_kevin_durant_john_wall_more_after_43p.html

Rivals.com

rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/players/73082

FOX Sports shoots straight on Jimmer Fredette

youtube.com/watch?v=8XE3fFd6g4A