Another Mall Shooting

A burst of shots rang out around 2pm in the Von Maur store in Omaha's largest shopping mall. The president had just left town from a fund raiser about an hour before this incident.

Witness reports say that as many as 20-25 shots were heard. The suspect was supposedly apprehended sitting on a bench outside the mall wearing camo fatigues. Early indicators show that as many as 5 people were injured. There is one confirmed fatality and possibly another, and five people being treated with gunshot wounds. A 61 year old male is being treated with a gunshot wound to the chest another male in his 30's with a gunshot wound to the arm, and another with a cut to the face. Reports say the suspect walked up and pointed his weapon point blank to another persons head and fired. Another man was said to be shot at the escalator.

The Westroads Mall was put on lock down by the police while searching for the suspect. They were unsure just exactly how many shooters there were. People leaving the mall exited with their hands above their heads and other customers were locked into stores taking cover from potential danger.

During the height of the shopping season the scene is reminiscent of the Colombine school shootings, terrorizing families around the country with fears that loved ones might be affected. It makes one wonder what is happening to our society.

Update: Looks like this shooting is related to another troubled young adult. A total of 9 people died in this shooting including the shooter. He left behind a suicide note stating he was going out in style. The shooter was described as a non-violent person that was kind to animals. He was also described as someone that things just don't go right for. He was prone to depression, lost his job at McDonalds, was kicked out of his home over a year ago and just lost his girlfriend.

Beer Prices Going Up Too!

Gas prices have been shooting through the roof and everyone knows that milk prices follow right behind that. The housing market is down in the dumps and its not just the home owners are being affected. Renters are also being evicted due to property owners not paying their bills on their rental properties. And now it is going to cost you to drown out your sorrows. Beer prices are now going up to compensate for the rising cost in hops and barley.

I am glad that I'm not much of a drinker. I already gave up drinking milk. Americans are realizing that they are being forced to cut back. Many will be spending less for the holidays by trying to find more practical and affordable gifts this year. "It's the thought that counts" will be floating around in everyone's mind this year.

I am one of those that likes to look at the bright side of every story. Drinking and Driving should decline due to people not able to afford to do it anymore!

Evel Knievel Passes Away

The legendary dare devil, Evel Knievel passed away today at the age of 69. He has claimed to have broken every bone in his body, and is known for daring to jump over just about anything imaginable from buses to shark tanks. His most famous jump would probably be his attempt to jump over the snake river canyon in Twin Falls, Idaho in 1974.

I grew up in Idaho and I always wanted to be a dare devil. I am not a dare devil today, but I still think about my obsession when I was a child. My favorite comic book character was Dare Devil and my favorite TV show was "The Fall Guy". That is probably the reason my mother never allowed my to have a motorcycle while growing up. She probably knew I would kill myself attempting to recreate an Evel Knievel stunt. It didn't stop me from attempting jumps on my bicycle however. I used to jump small creeks on my bike and I do remember some painful crashes.

My mother lives in Twin Falls, Idaho and I while visiting I have went to the location that Evel Knievel tried to jump the canyon. The ramp is actually still there. When you see the canyon, you can't imagine what he was thinking. And no, his rocket ship didn't make it across. Base jumpers often go to this canyon to jump off of the bridge into the canyon. A few years ago my mother actually witnessed one that was killed when his parachute didn't open. I also remember seeing in the news that a Semi-truck was lifted up and blown off of the bridge by the wind while crossing.

Evel Knievel will be missed.

Toy Stuffed Animals Become Road Kill

You might have noticed a post or two about the popular stuffed animals called Webkinz. I have two fantastic children and they both love their Webkinz stuffed animals, and I must admit that I have grown to love the time I spend with them on the Webkinz website. I have now found something that I just can't stop looking at.

Have you ever been driving down the road and see an accident. You just can't help looking, even though you know you shouldn't and it is wrong, but our curiosity prevents us from looking at something we know we shouldn't. Well there is a new stuffed animal toy soon to be released called Road Kill Toys.

I just can't help looking at them and yes I will most likely buy one or two (probably all of them). I can't help it. It must be that little boy inside of me that can't help but laugh at this grotesque toy. I know it is wrong, but I want one.

Compost Communications, the creators of the new toy line, will be launching their first stuffed toy demise with the Roadkill Racoon named Twitch. A history of the stuffed animal's gruesome death will come attached on a tag. The animals guts can be zipped back up inside its body but the tire track will probably never come off and I doubt that you can get the eye back in it's socket.

Future Roadkill releases will include Grind the rabbit, Splodge the hedgehog and Pop the weasel. The toys will go on sale about mid-December at roadkilltoys.com or if you live in London they will be released at Play Lounge.

If you are a bit squeemish and want to find a nicer looking stuffed animal for your child then go take a look at some Webkinz For Sale.

Soldiers Of The Future

A new super hero movie is coming out in 2008, one which I believe is long overdue. Iron man will hit the big screen in may but in the mean time I have stumbled across a news story that could eventually turn our soldiers into Iron Men.

New technology is always interesting but this is taking us closer to things that we are only used to seeing in the movies. A Salt Lake City based company called Sarcos has been developing an exoskeleton robot that gives the user super human strength. The exoskeleton mimics the users actions, making what used to be considered an impossible task for one person, now possible.

Future designs for the prototype look like a Halo video game character. The idea is for the technology to develop to the point that the user would be able to leave the exoskeleton and it would then act on its own artificial intelligence. It would become basically a robot companion to aid the soldier. Check out the news report about the Future Soldier.

Toy Recalls For The Holidays

The state of California is suing some major toy retailers like Mattel, Wal-Mart, Costco, and Target over the recent toy recalls. The recalls occurred due to high levels of toxic lead paint found in numerous preschooler toys that were manufactured in China. The lawsuit has come about in an effort to enforce stricter policies to prevent dangerous consumer products from entering the U.S. marketplace. It is stated in the law that the one responsible for importing products into the country is also responsible for the quality and safety of those imported goods.

So is the government doing their job and watching out for our consumer safety? It seems that dangerous products are entering the country on a regular basis. One watch dog group went out and purchased one hundred children's toys and found that nine of those were not fit for consumer use. Many of these watch dog groups agree that the heart of the problem lies with the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The CPSC has inspectors that monitor toys that are manufactured domestically and those that enter the country. So if there is an agency in place to protect U.S. consumers, then why all of the problems?

It seems that everyone agrees that the lack of funding to the CPSC has contributed to the problem. Consumer interest activist's biggest argument is that the lack of government funding has prevented these type of agencies from having the necessary resources to protect consumers. The CPSC has also stated that the recent toy recall epidemic is due to outdated facilities and under funding. It seems that there are also problems in the CPSC's leadership according to evidence from their own internal documents. Apparently those in charge have put our children's safety to the side by covering up test results and manipulating some of the testing in order to protect the toy industry from any inconveniences.

With all of the recent media coverage and the California lawsuit, the hope is that retailers will be forced to use more scrutiny before placing products on the market for sale. The industry has put our children in harms way just to save a buck by using cheap foreign manufacturers, and government agencies have failed to protect us by allowing relaxed policies to exist. With the new lawsuit, toy retailers could be forced to pay fines up to $2500 per toy violation per day. This could potentially mean millions of dollars in fines.

As parents, we can't assume that we are being protected. We need to take an active roll in protecting our families from harm. Make sure to look at the toy recall list and make sure you don't have any toys in your home that could be harmful. If you find a toy that has been recalled then make sure to return it to the store you got it from. If you are not sure where the toy was purchased, then Toys-R-Us is accepting toys on the recall list no matter where they were purchased. This holiday season make sure that you are buying safe toys for your child.

Anthony Enriquez has worked in the parenting industry for years giving parenting advice. He spends his free time with his two wonderful children. Together they created a website about Webkinz. You can find more information about the recent toy recalls and a list of recalled toys at Webkinz stuffed animals and parenting tips to boot.

This Blogs Purpose

I created this blog with the intent of discussing news topics that catch my attention. I usually spend time on the computer checking my emails and deleting my spam mail. During this time I usually turn on the news and listen to the stories.

Some of the new that is reported really gets me going and thinking. My family members don't really seem to care either way about what is going on in the world, and to be honest sometimes I would just rather not watch the news, because of all of the terrible things that are occurring. But it interests me and I believe there are some great stories out there that need more attention and exposure.