Monday Newsbreak: 10/29

--The major story of this past week concerned the terrible fires covering much of southern California. Thousands of homes were destroyed, and a few people actually lost their lives. Some who survived related stories of waves of fire sweeping toward them at an incredible speed (due to the firestorm wind conditions) as well as stories of certain homes coming through completely untouched, while others surrounding them were completely gutted. Some critics have pointed to the fires to justify their objection to people moving into these high-risk areas and ask whether the public should be responsible for their welfare should they decide to build there again. Others claim that at least the severity of the fires would have been much less had controlled burning of dry, unpopulated forested areas been permitted in order to break up the mass of combustible material that permitted the firestorms to form.

--Related to the California fires is a press conference that FEMA called to answer questions pertaining to its role, objectives, and performance regarding the disaster. The only problem was that the "reporters" asking questions were all FEMA employees and the conference was completely staged! This story made a laughingstock out of FEMA nationwide and angered the journalists who were shut out of the press conference. The White House reprimanded FEMA for the staged event, probably thinking (from experience) that the "legitimate" press working there now would probably have done an equally effective job as the FEMA employees of being compliant hacks for the government.

--Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama has reportedly decided to buckle under to criticism from some of his supporters and will criticize frontrunner Hillary Clinton more vehemently. Although at first glance this makes him and his campaign look a little weak and desperate, this also may be a ploy by him to take the first step toward the selection by Clinton as her running mate next year. After all, he didn't have to announce in advance this "strategy change", so why do it? To me, it means that he wants the Clinton camp to know that any further criticism they hear from him is not really from him personally, but rather something that his campaign forced him to do (a variation on "the devil made me do it").

--My local newspaper, the Gainesville Sun, is beginning to run articles giving runners who want to train for a local marathon in February advice on preparing for this grueling, 26-plus-mile event. And that's fine by me, although I think I'll pass up on it this time around. My problem with the Sun is that there are several local running races held annually and the results never appear in the paper. If they are so community-minded in this area as they would like to appear, then a little recognition to the participants would go a long way!

--With UN-sponsored peace talks opening up in Libya between the Sudanese government and the Darfur rebels fighting it in a devastating civil war, most of the rebel groups are reportedly boycotting the meeting. Which misses the point, as far as I can see. Sure, the rebels have grievances against Sudan. That's why they are having the meeting! If they could solve their disputes before attending the meeting, then why have a meeting?! With so many lives at stake, why do such supposedly responsible adults act like miffed little children? But then again, my own President is acting the same way regarding Iran and its leaders.

--The University of Florida football team convincingly lost its third game of the year to Georgia this past Saturday, 42-30. The Gator offensive line did not protect quarterback Tim Tebow well, resulting in several sacks. But more than that, Florida's defense showed in this game that it is a long way from the defense of last year, which had carried the team to the National Championship. Now the Gators should just stop worrying about titles and just concentrate on winning and improving. As for the team I'm now rooting for to go all the way, it's the Louisiana State University Tigers, from Baton Rouge, home of the tasty (but messy) beignet!