More and more people are opting for this alternative method of camping to get a unique and memorable experience that just can’t be achieved in the wilderness.

“I think everyone should experience urban camping,” said senior Mike Courtney,” because it’s a great way to experience city living…in a box.”

 Urban camping might seem like something some kids made up at lunch but it really exists with tons of websites devoted to urban campers’ stories and advice for fellow campers.

The main thought to keep in mind when urban camping is the same as regular camping: be as safe as you can and be prepare for anything. While you won’t have the danger of snakes and other animals in the city, there are plenty of other things that can happen to you like getting mugged.

Nights can be exceptionally dangerous. That is why most websites suggest camping with a couple of people so someone can stay guard and watch. If that seems a little too extreme, there is a plus side to urban camping that the wilderness just can’t offer.

All the supplies and resources necessary for urban camping can be found in the city at surrounding stores. It will probably be hard to find a place that sells tents in the store so it’s a good idea to get one before you go out. Some even construct their tents out of PVC pipe in the shape of a car. That way they can just put a car-cover over it and camp peacefully.

Several seniors are even considering doing this. “I would like to go urban camping because I’d meet new friends and get exercise wandering the streets with the homeless,” said senior Danny Valdez. “I’d throw a fat party in an alley,” said Kevin Stubbs.

To find more information on Urban Camping try looking at http://www.wikihow.com/Urban-Camp

 or www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=urban+camping. Urban Camping is possible and if done right, cheap and safe, why not try and camp in the concrete jungle.

Tom’s Shoes donates a pair of shoes for every pair that is sold.

Tom’s Shoes was created when Blake Mysoski visited Argentina in 2006 and was appalled when he saw people without adequate footwear. 500,000 to 1,000,000 people are already infected with a terrible disease called Podoconiosis. Walking barefoot on silica-rich volcanic soil causes this infection. Farming in these conditions is very common in undeveloped countries. This infection swells their feet to the point where the farmers can’t walk and become handicapped. Podoconioses is 100% preventable by wearing shoes.

Tom’s Shoes is helping lives across the world, one foot at a time.

“Not guilty” claims Najibullah Zazi from Aurora, Colorado, who is suspected of making home-made bombs to attack New York City commuter trains. Zazi, 24, lived in apartments by the Southlands mall; he was a Denver airport shuttle driver when he was taken into custody. Officials believe that there is more men involved in the plot and were helping Zazi. Right now officials are investigating 3 unnamed people.

On Sept. 10, investigators secretly searched Zazi’s rented vehicle in New York and found a laptop computer with bomb-making instructions. During questioning, Zazi did admit to having received instruction on explosives in an Al-Qaida training camp.  He is now being held in New York City while officials look into the case and follow more leads.

While America was grateful for catching Zazi in the knick of time, still increased panic has taken over. FBI and the Department of Homeland security told a Senate committee that the anti-terrorism measures are working and becoming more sophisticated as more terrorism suspects are being revealed in America.

The US Supreme court is to decide a terrorism support law. The U.S. Supreme Court said on Wednesday it would hear an Obama administration appeal defending part of the Patriot Act. The law which was first created in 1996 was strengthened after the September 11 attacks by the Patriot Acts supported by the Bush Administration.

Changed by the Obama Administration are the convictions under the law. Changes include that knowingly providing any service, training, expert advice or assistance to a designated foreign terrorist group, can result in sentences of 15 years to life in prison, said by Rueters, an online news site.

The Obama administration appealed to the Supreme Court and called the law “a vital part of the nation’s efforts to fight international terrorism.”

Since 2001, 120 defendants have been charged in the United States with the material support of terrorism and about half have been convicted, according to the Justice Department.

But to most of the world’s children, a computer or access to the internet is not such a common thing.  Some kids and their parents have never even touched a computer; maybe they don’t even know what one is.

So a US-based nonprofit organization called One Laptop per Child is on a mission to change that.  Their goal, as stated in their name, is for every school-aged child in the world to have access to their own personal laptop.  The first step in their plan is to distribute three million laptops to children by the end of 2009, and the country they are currently focusing on is India. 

The laptops are PCs, and each one comes equipped with Microsoft Office plus many more features, although they are not nearly as fancy as what we usually see in the US.  The computers are supposed to help children become more scholastic and involved in their education, and to provide them with opportunities they otherwise would not have had. 

However, there are some mixed feelings about this plan.  Some people argue that it’s not fair to give laptops only to children in third-world countries when there are kids in our own country who don’t have their own computer, or that the plan is unrealistic. 

People who support the movement argue that although some children in the US may not have a personal computer, they all have access to computers at school or a library.

But the nay-sayers are the minority, and most people support the idea of giving these underprivileged kids access to technology.  “Children will be able to learn by doing, not just instruction.  They will be able to open up new fronts for their education, particularly peer-to-peer learning,” said Kofi Annan, the former UN secretary general.  The mission statement of One Laptop Per Child is “To create educational opportunities for the world’s poorest children by providing each child with a rugged, low-cost, low-power, connected laptop with content and software designed for collaborative, joyful, self-empowered learning,” and so far, with over 1,374,500 laptops sold to governments since 2007, they are doing a pretty good job.

India Expected to Help Reduce US Health Care Costs
India is expected to be a big help to the United States’ health care system by lowering costs of manufactured items.  Since India’s market for health care manufacturing and research is relatively new and the cost of labor is low, they can provide the US with the tools and goods we need at a more reasonable cost.

New AP Poll Shows American’s Feelings About Health Reform
A new poll published by the Associated Press has shown that American opposition of health reform has decreased in the past few weeks, from 49% opposing reform in September to 40% currently.  68% of Democrats, 29% of Independents, and 13% of Republicans support the bill to provide health care for the nearly 50 million Americans who lack it.

*A person is contagious from 1 to 7 days before showing symptoms.
Symptoms of H1N1 include fever, cough, sore throat, runny, or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills, fatigue, sometimes diarrhea and vomiting.
*If you have difficulty breathing, pain or pressure in the abdomen or chest, sudden dizziness confusion or persistent vomiting it may be best to go to a hospital.
*For young children rapid breathing, irritability when being held or persistent vomiting, may be a sign that the child should be hospitalized
* H1N1 is mostly deadly to people with health problems or from ages 5-8, it does affect teenagers and young adults, while the elderly population seem to have a gained immunity from the disease.
* If you are infected with H1N1 you can combat it with prescription drugs called antiviral at home, in fact most people that are infected with H1N1 can get over their sickness at home.
When a vaccine becomes available the doses will be distributed to high-risk individuals such as people with health problems, deficient immune systems, or pregnant women.

Brazilian Festival
In Brazil, October 6th through the 25th, the largest festival on the Amazon River will occur.  The Círio De Nazaré is a procession of hundreds of boats carrying the Virgin lady statue of Nazareth to the basilica.  The following morning millions of people fill the streets singing and trying to get the chance to hold the rope connected to the Virgin, which is believed to represent the link between the Saint and her followers.

Day of the Dead
In Mexico on November 1st and 2nd, Día de los Muertos is celebrated.  This celebration includes making special alters for deceased family members with their favorite foods, flowers, and things that represent the deceased family member on them.  Also, on this day people visit the graves of their loved ones and spend the night in the cemetery.

India All Lit Up
On October 17, in India, a festival of lights will occur called Diwali.  This is a five day Hindu festival where diyas, wicks in small clay pots filled with oil, are lit to signify victory of good over evil within an individual.

Halloween in Hong Kong
In Hong Kong, China, there is a special Halloween celebration known as Yue Lan, a Festival of the Hungry Ghosts.  This is a time when it is believed that spirits roam the world for 24 hours.  Some people burn pictures of fruit or money during this festival, believing that these images will reach the spirit world and bring comfort to the ghosts.