Franklin Cider Mill

Synopsis:
Fall in Michigan is a beautiful time! Autumn is favored among many because of the bright colors, the cool temperatures, the crisp apples, the warm donuts, and the fresh apple cider. Michigan is known for all of these things, and most make it a tradition to visit their local cider mill. The Franklin Cider Mill is in the middle of a quaint village and is also a very old settlement. The mill was completed the same year Michigan became a state, 1837. Throughout the decades, the mill has gone through many different owners and functions, and it also has endured many floods. Now, the mill, obviously, serves as a fun and enjoyable destination to get cider and donuts annually.

Analysis:
My experience at the Franklin Cider Mill was definitely a good one, overall. The donuts were delicious; that is for not having cinnamon sugar on them. The village was charming, and the cider met my expectations; although it was more far more expensive than previous years. This is because most of the apples had to imported from Washington as a result of Michigan having such a mild winter.
      Besides the expensive price, the fresh, cinnamon spice donuts were delicious, and not to mention homemade. There's no doubt about it that the Franklin Cider Mill's best attribute is their food products, which range from classic cider and donuts to a variety of jams and butters. The best thing about it is that the products are almost all local and you can be sure that you are buying delicious quality treats.

Meningitis Outbreak

Synopsis:
A recent outbreak in meningitis has cause twelve deaths already and well over a hudred people are infected. This rare form of fungal meningitis was caused by a pain-killing steriod injection. Patients started calling in with the symptoms of meningitis about a week after receiving the injection. Deaths were reported in many states, including Tenessee, Florida, Maryland, Virginia, and Michigan; and other states with the diagnosis are Indiana, North Carolina, Minnesota, and Ohio.

Analysis:
Even though this outbreak seems pretty spread out across the Eastern U.S., the illness is not contagious as a result of it being fungal meningitis, rather than viral or bacterial. You could only be in danger if you have had the steriod injection called methylprednisolone acetate. The source of this outbreak was linked to a Massachussetts-based pharmacy called the New England Compounding Center. The NECC was quick to re-call all products released from its location in Framingham.

If you have received this particular steriod, watch out for any symptoms of the fungal meningitis. Some of these symptoms include nausea, stiff neck, dizziness, confusion, and sensitivity to bright lights. Doctors say that a patient could experience only a couple of these symptoms, so better safe than sorry.

This shows that one has to be careful when thinking about what are in these shots. It can be a very risky business, and we have to be mindful of the things we allow to be injected into our bodies. In no way am I saying that all shots are going to result in a rare, fatal disease, but just use this as a reason to be more conscious of the shots and vaccines you recieve; or who knows, we might end up in a situation similar to the movie "I Am Legend".

Sin Pais

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/03/mitt-romney-obama-immigration_n_1937486.html
http://immigration.laws.com/immigration-news/obama-on-immigration-reform

Synoposis:
Sin Pais, meaning without country, tells the story of a family's emotional journey dealing with deportation. Sam and Elida Mejia fleed Guatemala with their one-year old son to escape a violent civil war. They chose to come to America hoping for the opportunity to achieve the American dream and raise their family in a safe environment. After seventeen years of settling down and forming roots in America, immigration agents discovered that Sam, Elida, and their son, Gilbert, were undocumented immigrants. After a couple years of trying to fight the immigration system, Sam and Elida were forced to move back to Guatemala, with their four-year old daughter, Dulce, and leave behind their son, Gilbert, and their daughter, Helen.

Analysis:
The film Sin Pais shows a more personal outlook on immigration policy, and definitely tugs on some emotional strings. After about nine months of living in Guatemala, the Mejia family moves back to the States, but Sam and Elida are required to re-apply for a Visa every year. Despite this inconvenience, Sam and Elida are grateful to have the opportunities America offers available, not only for them, but for their children. This documentary shows that our immigration policy is not perfect, and makes for a controversial topic.

Everybody has different ideas about different approaches, and the immigration policy is definitely an important thing to think about when thinking about the current presidential election. Obama's plan includes allowing some illegal immigrants to stay and work in the US, in hopes to decrease illegal immigration as a result of there being a lot less jobs available. He figures that there is no need to tear families apart when they are already paying taxes and working jobs that are usually hard to fill.

On the other hand, Romney has a very different view on immigration. He states that he will work to strengthen the borders, and plans on taking on a more aggressive strategy in repairing the immigration system. He is not very clear on the exact details, but it is apparant that if he is elected our next president, there will be some changes when it comes to immigration.

As you can see, there is a clear divide in the opinions of the different parties; and depending on what you believe, your views will probably influence your decision on who will be the next president.

Romney Vs. Obama

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/story/2012/09/18/crisis-experts-weigh-in-on-romney-response-to-video/57803032/1

Synopsis:
The republican party has definitely taken a hit these past few days as a result of a video of Romney going viral. The video was of a "closed-door gathering" earlier this year, and catches Romney speaking casually about the democratic party. "There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. All right, there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent on the government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has the responsibility to care for them..." This particular quote has certainly fired up disputes on both sides.

Analysis:
Not surprisingly, there have been a few questions about what Romney meant by the "47 percent" he speaks of. Right after the video went viral, Romney called an emergency press conference to clear everything up. He admits that he could have stated it in a more clear and effective way, and he also points out that neither the question, nor the full response was included in the video. Of course, Romney assures the press that he wants to help all Americans who are struggling, and he restates that he believes in a free enterprise, free individual society.

Romney also states that he prefers talking about his approach on how to restore the economy rather than how he plans on getting votes. So, while in this "closed-door gathering", he was asked about the campaign; and his response included his views on the other party that will not be voting for him.

Obama has definitely been taking advantage of Romney's little set back by saying that a president should be willing to serve and represent all Americans, not just those who share in the same beliefs. He also states that if you want to be president, you can't just push half of the country aside. Romney's comments have Obama's locked-in supporters believing that it is not his job to "worry about those people".

Romney has responded and reassures everyone that he wants to work for both parties and everything in between. A lot of people agree that he should not have referred to Obama's supporters as those who "believe they are victims and dependent on the government", but Obama also gives Romney some slack and says that every candidate makes mistakes. He is referring to his leaked audio from 2008 of him saying that some residents of depressed rural areas get bitter and “cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them.” If peole were able to look past this comment, who knows, maybe people will be willing to look past Romney's.