Kutcher to replace Sheen

Charlie Sheen is now in the past.  The former star of the TV series Two and a Half Men has gone down a rocky road in the past couple months.  He lost custody of his kids and been kicked off his TV show.  Ashton Kutcher has replaced him on the same show.  He will take the place of Sheen and become the new star on the show.

http://www.wave3.com/story/14645969/can-kutcher-man-up-and-keep-men-a-hit-series

I think Kutcher is a very good actor.  In his past movies and shows, he has been hilarious and I really enjoyed watching them.  I think he will do a good job on Two and a Half Men.  It was a very successful show before this situation occurred, and hopefully it remains one after this substitution.

Osama bin Laden Dead

After 10 years of trying, the US has finally killed Osama bin Laden.  On Sunday, a group of Navy SEALs went on a special mission in Pakistan to kill the Al Qaeda leader.  After many thought he would be hiding in a cave somewhere in the mountains of Afghanistan, bin Laden turned out to be in a mansion not far from Pakistan's military base.  Could this bring more violence from other Al Qaeda members trying to get revenge?  Was it worth spending 10 years of money and men to search and kill this terrible man?

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/05/01/national/main20058777.shtml

I think it was definitely worth spending all that time to kill bin Laden.  He was not only a threat to the US, but also to the rest of the world.  He was the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks and also killed thousands of other people.  We did the whole world a favor when we killed him and he became no longer a threat to us. I hope the other Al Qaeda members will not retaliate, and I hope we find the new public enemy #1 soon as well.

Devastating Weather in the South

The Southern United States saw many tornadoes sweep across the land.  At least 290 people have been killed by these storms.  204 of those deaths were in Alabama.  A tornado expert said these twisters produced the power that only 1 of 100 tornadoes can produce.  This is terrible that so many people died, when they might have been able to survive if they had a basement.

http://www.koinlocal6.com/news/national/story/More-than-290-killed-in-storms/D7sHZBdmBE-rUaGP5sTY1g.cspx

The recent storms in the US have been devastating.  Nearly 300 people died recently, and almost 200 tornadoes swept through Indiana last week.  We need to find a way to protect ourselves from these twisters.  These deaths should be able to be prevented.  Maybe we need to build underground shelters near each town to keep people safe.  Whatever it is, we need to do it now, before more people die.

Pacers down 3-0

The Indiana Pacers made it to the NBA Playoffs for the first time in 5 years.  They have lost all 3 of their games that they played against the Chicago Bulls.  Each game has come down to the final minutes, but the Bulls have been able to pull away at the end of games.  The Pacers' future looks bright though, with their starting five returning next year and having nearly $30 million to spend in free agency.  Game 4 is Saturday night at Conseco Fieldhouse.

http://www.indycornrows.com/2011/4/19/2119675/chicago-bulls-96-indiana-pacers-90-pacers-lose-collison-in-first-half

I think the Pacers will make the playoffs for the next couple years.  They probably won't win this playoff series against the Bulls this year, but this is valuable experience for the young group of players.  It looks like they are getting closer to when Reggie Miller was playing in Indiana.  I am looking forward to the Pacers fighting for the Eastern Conference Championship with the Bulls and Heat for years to come.  It should be entertaining.

Japan's Nuclear Problems

The tsunami in Japan was bad enough, but the nuclear problems it is having is much worse.  There have been fires and explosions from these nuclear reactors in Japan, and it is very unsafe.  Recently the level of risk for the nuclear issues was raised to 7, which is the highest level.  It has not been this high anywhere in the world since the Chernobyl disaster.  With all these problems, the world might be thinking about getting rid of all nuclear power.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/04/17/japan.nuclear.reactors/index.html?hpt=T2

I think this is obviously a terrible tragedy in Japan.  But the nuclear problems are there own faults.  They should have taken more caution when making these reactors.  If a country is intelligent enough to develop nuclear powers, it should know how to keep it safe too.  This should not keep any other countries from experimenting with nuclear power, unless it is for military purposes.  With that being said, it is our duty as the rest of the world to help the Japanese get back on their feet.  Some day the US will have a disaster, and we will depend on the rest of the world.

Manny Ramirez Retires

Tampa Bay Rays DH Manny Ramirez has retired.  He recently failed a drug test and would have faced a 100 game suspension if he remained in the MLB.  He just served a 50 game suspension as well.  Manny had a great career, but his career has deteriorated due to his steroid use.  Not many people have much respect for players that cheat.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/660387-manny-ramirez-retires-after-great-career-sad-ending

I think Manny Ramirez will be remembered as a cheater.  He did have a great career, but even after testing positive for steroids, he continued cheating.  His reputation and career are ruined.  Baseball has done a good job decreasing steroid use by giving players hefty fines and suspensions.  Ramirez will never make it into the Hall of Fame because of his steroid use.

Violence in Libya

This past weekend, the US fired at Libyan again.  We have already spent $71 million on the attacks.  Other nations have begun sending in air strikes to try to keep the violence at a minimum.  There has already been a no fly zone posted over Libya.  Qaddafi, the leader of Libya, has promised a long war between his country and the US and its allies, and he said the US attacks were "acts of terrorism."

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/03/20/explosions-gunfire-heard-tripoli-allies-continue-military-strikes-libya/

I think we are doing the right thing.  As long as we have enough troops to protect our nation, we will be fine.  It's not like we are sending all of our soldiers over there, just a few air strikes.  We are trying to form new allies in Africa, where we do not have many friends.  This is basically the same thing we did with Iraq, and we turned that country and its government around, so we should be able to do the same with Libya.

Japanese Crisis

An 8.9 magnitude earthquake struck Japan last week.  This turned into a tsunami with huge waves that destroyed many buildings.  They thought it would only result in a few hundred deaths.  But a nuclear plant was damaged during the tragedy and there could be up to 10,000 people dead.  People are without food and water and the government is struggling to take care of everyone.  The Prime Minister of Japan said, "This is Japan's most severe crisis since the war ended 65 years ago."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/ap_on_bi_ge/as_japan_earthquake

I believe this is an awful situation.  I think this should be a lesson to everyone leaving in an area with a high chance of earthquakes.  Take caution and be prepared.  Hopefully the government can help all the people in need.  This should also be a sign to nuclear scientists that they should protect their plants.  That  is what resulted in so many deaths in Japan.  God bless everyone in Japan and I hope this never happens again.