Women in Combat



Corpsman Shannon Crowley (left) and Lance Cpl. Kristi Baker (right) in Afghanistan, 2010. Photo: cnn.com



           

           A recent discussion involving lifting the ban on women in combat has struck debates all over the United States, some saying it’s a great idea, and others following the same belief that women do not belong on the frontlines of battles. CNN reported on this issue, giving both the good and the bad sides of women fighting alongside their fellow male soldiers.

            “In the coming years, lifting the ban on women in combat, announced Thursday by Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, might prove particularly challenging in the most iconic of military occupations -- the infantry, among the most physically demanding and tradition-bound branches of the Marines and the Army. Determining the best path forward to integrate women into this elite group will require hard-nosed honesty, careful management and compelling leadership. For the 65 years that women have enjoyed a permanent place in the United States military, they have been subject to restrictions. One rationale is the notion embedded in our culture that women should be shielded from great physical risks. Another is a recognition of the physical superiority of the average male over the average female. A third is the fear that unit cohesion, critical to military performance, would suffer with the introduction of women. These three concerns apply to varying degrees in the infantry. But the last 11 years of war have clearly demonstrated that warfare is no longer waged in a linear fashion, and that the concept of "front line" no longer applies,” reports CNN’s Maren Leed in an article posted to cnn.com on January 26.

            Although the United States Department of Defense has made this announcement official, many are concerned that women will be unable to perform as well as men in high-risk battle zones because of issues such as personal hygiene and physical performance. To read Maren Leed’s full article, visit http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/25/opinion/leed-women-in-infantry/index.html?hpt=op_bn6

Texas Chainsaw

Texas Chainsaw was released on the fourth of January 2013. This movie is rated R and is one of the sequels to the many versions of the movies that have previously been released. This Texas Chainsaw is a continual of the story of the homicidal Sawyer family. The local authorities in Newt, Texas suspected the Sawyer family and a mob formed and burned down the house. All of the small town's troubles were over.... or so they thought. Jedidiah Sawyer escaped and was still alive. His grandmother had been taking care of him until she grew too old and sick. She passed away and left him and her estate to the only remaining relative left, Heather. Heather and her friends decide to go look at the property. They planned a fun weekend and instead they got a nightmare of a time.



Reviews
- Texas Chainsaw 3D enjoys short-term benefits from the overarching Leatherface mystery but its attempts to humanize the serial killer only diminish the effectiveness of the scares – convoluting the onscreen narrative beats while, as previously mentioned, compromising the larger character legacy. - ScreenRant
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“Texas Chainsaw 3D” isn’t a movie to review. It’s more a movie to endure, for the sake of the quality horror films that came before it.- Daily News

Book Review: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

     Markus Zusak narrates through the character of death the story of Liesel Meminger, a young girl in Nazi Germany during the period of the Holocaust. Because of her depressing feelings after the death of her brother and separation from her mother, she starts stealing books. Through the novel, her thieving progresses. It's a habit. She can't stop.

    All is right on Himmel Street until the Hubermans take in a very risky guest: Max Vandenburg. Hiding him is crucial. He cannot be found. They must not tell anyone of their concealing of him. Their lives rest in their secrecy. Can they do it?

Read to find out!

Markus Zusak

The Book Thief

"'The Book Thief' is perched on the cusp between grown-up and young-adult fiction, and it is loaded with librarian appeal. It deplores human misery. It celebrates the power of language. It may encourage adolescents to read. It has an element of the fanciful. And it's a book that bestows a self-congratulatory glow upon anyone willing to grapple with it." ~ Janet Maslin

"This is a beautifully balanced piece of storytelling with glimpses of what is yet to come: sometimes misleading, sometimes all too true. We meet all shades of German, from truly committed Nazis to the likes of Hans Hubermann. Zusak is no apologist, but able to give a remarkable insight into the human psyche." ~ Philip Ardagh


Photos from Google Images

International News

                  



Seoul, South Korea (CNN) --
     North Korea said Thursday that it plans to carry out a new nuclear test and more long-range rocket launches, all of which it said are a part of a new phase of confrontation with the United States.

     The North's National Defense Commission said the moves would feed into an "upcoming all-out action" that would target the United States, "the sworn enemy of the Korean people."

Read more: U.N. Security Council slams North Korea, expands sanctions

     Carried by the state media, the comments are the latest defiant flourish from the reclusive North Korean regime, whose young leader Kim Jong Un has upheld his father's policy of pursuing a military deterrent and shrugging off international pressure.

     The defense commission statement follows a United Nations Security Council resolution on Tuesday that the United States pushed for, condemning a recent recent rocket launch by North Korea and expanded existing sanctions.

President Obama's Inauguration

            On Monday, January 21^st, President Barack Obama was sworn in for his second and final term as the President of the United States. Like any other presidential inauguration, President Obama gave an inaugural speech, discussing his plans for the future of America. Several highlights of Obama’s speech includes growing issues such as gun control, climate change, and immigration.

            President Obama’s plans for these issues involve making the process of becoming a legal immigrant easier,  and creating laws to control the use of assault rifles, ensuring that these powerful weapons do not fall into the hands of a criminal. He also stated that, despite different beliefs of the environmental change, humans are the cause behind the recent increase in natural disasters. With all of these critical, sudden changes that will take place in the future, President Obama said, "We have always understood that when times change, so must we; that fidelity to our founding principles requires new responses to new challenges; that preserving our individual freedoms ultimately requires collective action.”

            Other issues touched upon Monday dealt with individual, African American, gay, and women’s’ rights. “We, the people, declare today that the most evident of truths -- that all of us are created equal -- is the star that guides us still; just as it guided our forebears through Seneca Falls, and Selma, and Stonewall.” Obama stated. The American people can expect drastic changes to citizens’ rights and climate control within the final four years of Barack Obama’s presidency.

NFL Playoffs

     The NFL playoffs are set. The Baltimore Ravens will play the San Francisco 49ers in the big game. Sunday, the 49ers beat the Atlanta Falcons. The Flacons got off to a 17- point lead. The 49ers came back and won the game, 28-24. The Baltimore Ravens beat the heavily favored Patriots. The Patriots were favored by 9 points. The Ravens trailed at the half 13-7. The Ravens took over in the second half and dominated. They won the game 28-13. The Ravens held them scoreless, with a shutdown defense, led by Ray Lewis.


     The Super Bowl will be on Sunday, Feburary 3 at 6:30. the game will be aired on CBS. The halftime show will be Beyonce.

Justin Bieber is one of the top selling pop artists in the United States and Canada. At only 18 years old, he has produced 6 top-of-the-chart albums. He mainly targets millions of young teenage girls. He is truly an adolescent heartthrob.

Despite this, not all critics are saying that Justin Bieber is the cream-of-the-crop.

“The Biebs' gentle set of gentile carols on Under the Mistletoe isn't coal-lump bad; it's more like a dorky sweater from Nana with a 20 in the pocket. Two originals, ''Mistletoe'' and ''Only Thing I Ever Get for Christmas,'' are sleigh-ride-smooth R&B ­jangles, but the classics bring no cheer — worst is the rap-wrapped ''Drummer Boy,'' on which Bieber spits some of the looniest white-boy rhymes off the shores of Lonely Island: 'I'm so tight I might go psycho/Christmas time, so here's a recital.'"

            ~Adam Markovitz from Family Entertainment, about Bieber’s Mistletoe Album

Some think very highly of Bieber, and think he has room to grow as a performer.

“Bieber is still just 18 years old and trying to find his musical lane while grappling with an unprecedented amount of attention. Because his growth in front of the camera has occurred so quickly and steadfastly, his music has been (unfairly) expected to do the same. "Believe" has multiple songs that hint at what Bieber could become someday.”

~ Jason Lipshutz, billboard.com

So, think what you may of Justin Bieber, but certainly don’t let these opinions of critics affect you before you listen to his songs! YouTube him and see what you think for yourself!