Image via Wikipedia

Is real life really so entertaining? It used to be that entertainment required complete scripts, rehearsals and all of the elements that capture the audience’s attention through premeditated thought, planning and staging. With the introduction of reality television, those elements seem no longer to be a requirement. Or is there another side to the story?

The Unreal Aspects of Reality TV

While the average viewer may not realize it, reality television does involve a large degree of viewer manipulation. Each time reality TV contestants are interviewed after their experiences they state that they did, in fact, say and do the things that viewers saw. This gives the impression that viewers were presented with reality.

The fact is that directors and producers set up extraordinary circumstances to which reality TV contestants must react. For example, nowhere in real life does a man get to choose the love of his life from 25 doting female contestants who are trapped inside a house together and disallowed access to television, their cell phones and the Internet. The surreal circumstances bring out extraordinary and unusual behaviors in the contestants who suddenly cry or become enraged in ways that may be out of line with their regular personalities and character.

The Appeal of Reality TV

The combination of real and surreal is what appeals to viewers who see themselves in the contestants or are exposed to outrageous behaviors that inspire utter disbelief. While real life can be monotonous and dull, the life lived on reality television arouses the feeling that possibilities exist for romance, athleticism, extreme weight loss and other exciting endeavors.

Image via Wikipedia

For decades, television has consisted of sitcoms, soap operas, prime time dramas and late-night talk shows. In recent times, television viewers have been exposed to reality TV shows that help people find love, lose weight, find new careers and seek new adventures. How would television look under a whole new paradigm that values honesty, service, health and societal harmony?

The Attraction to Television

Viewers come to their television sets with a variety of expectations. Some are exhausted following work stress and just want to numb out. Others may have little to do and finding something funny, shocking or inspiring is exactly what they need. Television producers try to appeal to the core of television watchers. Viewer ratings shape the trajectory of television dynamics.

A Societal Transformation

For television entertainment to change, a wide-scale transformation would be required of the actual viewers. If viewers are interested in watching crime on prime time and news of betrayals and wars, those are the shows that will be perpetuated. It’s a vicious cycle that the images people are presented with while growing up are the same ones they will seek out as adults.

A New Paradigm

Removing the negative, crime-filled and superficial or stereotypical images from television requires a conscious effort on the part of adults. Television images with derogatory themes will cease to exist if there are no viewers to watch them. Replacing these shows with wholesome ones that focus on family values, healthy topics and inspiring achievements will help to change the face of television entertainment.

Image via Wikipedia

The news is usually considered the most reality-based programming on television. People tune into the news to learn about the current events and stay on top of global occurrences. Inherent in this dynamic is trust. Viewers trust newscasters and journalists to portray reality in a truthful way. The reality, however, is that newscasters are storytellers and stories can be told in many different ways.

The Newscaster as the Storyteller

The perpetuation of racial and cultural stereotypes is often carried out unconsciously. A newscaster or journalist who interviews people after a traumatic event or during a newsworthy activity will portray reality through his or her own view. Along with this reality is that no human being is without prejudices or weaknesses. The journalist is no different. The questions asked and interpretations of situations will be directly related to how that journalist was brought up and his or her own personal beliefs about people as a whole.

Stereotypical Images in the News

Stereotypical images on television often present a minority racial group as perpetrators of crime, women as helpless creatures and particular cultures as being backwards or possessing undesirable traits such as being smelly or uncivilized. These images are often selected subconsciously beginning as fundamental beliefs on the parts of journalists who haven’t yet taken the opportunity to challenge their own ways of seeing the world.

Challenging Stereotypes

As humanity grows and transforms, individuals will be forced to challenge their personal beliefs about the inferiority of particular societal groups. Only as this process occurs will the television news also reflect this change and represent the true potential of each individual and group.

Image via Wikipedia

There are many benefits to getting involved in sports and in recent years, young women have been able to play professional sports just like their famous counter parts. There are women in archery such as Karen Scavotto, Denise Parker and Angela Moscarelli, and in basketball there is Lisa Leslie and Sheryl Swoopes that have been a huge encouragement to females wanting to get involved in sports. These women and women who play other sports have set a high standard and proved that females should be accepted, recognized, and rewarded for the talents they possess.

There are women who are involved in both professional and amateur competitive type sports in just about every type of sports event.  They encourage others to stay fit and have been a source of great entertainment.  There was a significant rise of females in sports in the twentieth century, which reflected the change in society as well as focused on the uniqueness and abilities of the female gender. There may still be variances in the amount of performance and participation that females engage in with a particular sport because of the country they reside in but there is still a great amount of acceptance of females in sports worldwide.

Women have come a long way since the times of the Ancient Olympics when they were not even allowed to watch the competitions let alone participate in them. Today, women compete in just about every major sport and have been recognized on many major news stations. Although there is a reduced participation in violent contact sports for women, there are instances where females participate in sports such as wrestling, boxing, and American football.

Because of the demand of what wants to be is seen on TV, many entertainment shows such as ‘Dancing with the Stars” and “American Idol” are a part of many news segments on major news stations. It is not uncommon for a news broadcaster to give accounts of some horrible accident that occurred, tell about what is happening on Capital Hill, then spill into the latest fashion trends worn my celebrities or tell what happen on a popular night time soap opera.

This type of reporting is a sort of “News on Demand” where what is popular is talked about. Entertainment is huge in this country and when a particular news broadcast, or station receives a good reception from viewers, it stays on the air. It is all about ratings, and because our society constantly changes, the level, and quality of news changes. These factors are neither good nor bad but are just a clear reality of where we are as a society. News can be all-encompassing and serve as a great way to learn about sports, educate ourselves and children about current events, and but also learn about what is going on with our favorite celebrities in the area of achievements, crime, marriage and more.

Image via Wikipedia

There is so much in the news today in the area of sports that seem to captivate just about any sports enthusiast. If you love golf, you may be disappointed to learn the latest sporting performance of one of the worlds greatest golf players-Tiger Woods, and if basketball is your sport, the playoffs may have had you on the edge of your seat. Although these sports events and many others are a great form of entertainment, it is great to know that our favorite sports heroes have done much to get young people physically involved in sports.

Just as some fashion models or celebrities get young teens wearing the latest fashion trends when they themselves wear them, a sports hero can encourage a young person to get involved in sports. Tiger Woods has greatly influenced the game of golf and not only got more people to watch the game but has greatly influenced the amount of young people learning and loving the game. The same goes for basketball as both men and women are playing professionally and giving praise to their sports heroes to who they claim to have been their inspiration.

We have also seen a lot of news about the personal lives of those in sports that may have shown them in a not-so favorable light. Although the media may try to capitalize on the negativity that goes on in the lives of many of our sports heroes, let us not forget why we loved them in the first place. Remember the self-sacrifice they put toward the game that encouraged us  to strive and reach our goals.

So the answer that one will say to the question if all that is read on papers are true, will be a emphatic No.

There are many instances where the news has been false. The people who gather the news these days are mainly low paid journalists. Those who are paid a huge amount of money are covering the major events that have national importance. These people are the true journalists who are not influenced by the other people and give the true information to readers and viewers. The low paid journalists on the other hand, will provide news that they are influenced to present. They are paid money for these advertisements that pass on as news.

This has increased in the recent times, especially during times of elections. This kind of news has started unduly influencing certain sections of the society against another political party. As there are many people inserting such news items in the newspapers, it has caused people to not be able to differentiate the various true news items and the paid news.
So, any person who hears the news cannot believe all that is said or read in the news items. Since the paid news items are causing a lot of problems to the society, the newspaper associations and the many media houses are trying to prevent such paid news.

Over the years, there have been various tournaments that have taken over the glamour of the game, but one of the much awaited test series is the Ashes tournament. The tournament itself is fought just for an urn of ashes, but that is not where the heart of the cricketers is. The heart of the cricketers who play for their country in the tournament is for the pride of their country.

The television rating of the cricket matches reaches the pinnacle in these two countries. It is also followed in many other parts of the world. So, it is a great clash between the two countries in this sport. Australia has been the main team that has been winning the tournament for many years. This is because of the availability of many quality players in the team over the years. In the last two series, there has been a reversal in fortunes with more wins for England. This is because of two reasons. England has had some wonderful cricketers joining their ranke in the last few years and Australia has seen some of their match winners retire. The tournament is sure to become more popular in the coming years as the teams will continue to fight for the urn that contains nothing but the ashes!

The availability of various kinds of entertainment choices these days has made the television to take a back seat in providing entertainment to the masses. Today, the internet is available as a means of entertainment. Other than the internet, the availability of many hand held devices have also made it possible for the people to have a lot of choice as far as the entertainment is concerned. The advantage of these devices is that the person using them will have them even while traveling and this helps the devices to provide entertainment on the move, which is not available with the television.

There has been a lot of changes that have been happening in the recent years as far as the television industry is concerned. The producers and the sponsors have been moving to different methods of providing entertainment, so that their viewers rating is high and there are more viewers for their channel. This has caused the birth of reality shows. The recent trend in increasing the entertainment is to have a reality show running. It remains to be seen if there is further metamorphosis in the television entertainment industry to attract more viewers and to increase the entertainment that is provided to the viewers on television.

The events manager should have a lot of contacts. Networking is very important for this profession and those who are in it because the role of using the contacts to get business is one of the methods in which people will survive. The other reason for the importance of the talent to be needed in events management is that for an event, there are many needs and all these are met by different people with varied talent. The events manager is able to contact all these people and conduct the event so that it is a grand success.

There are times when there could be something that goes wrong. When such a situation arises, the events manager needs to have the presence of mind to make sure that the event does not get marred by the aberration, but goes on and still gets adequate applause from the people who have assembled for the event.

The events manager also needs to be a great planner. This is because meticulous planning is needed for the event to be conducted perfectly. There are many things that can go wrong and the event manager should foresee all these problems and make adequate precautions to overcome such problems. These are the major talents that are needed in events management.

In spite of the varied talents that the kids have, some of the cultures are seen to force kids into specific sports and specific careers. This is because of the influence of the state and the parents on what they want the kids to become. This was especially true in the era of the communists who were in power. The kids were forced to start practicing specific sports and made to excel in these. This made the kids lose their ambition in life as they were not given a choice in what they could become.

When these kind of forcible careers are thrust upon the person, there is early burnout. The children also lose interest in the sport because of being forced into it and they do not actually enjoy playing the game. This should not be the method of making kids start playing a particular game.
There are also health problems that are seen in these people who have been forced to take up sports and are forcibly trained. They become depressed and suffer from a lot of mental problems. Finally, they are not able to play in the sport that was selected for them. To prevent this, the choice of selecting the sports that they would like to play, should be given the person. This will motivate the person to excel in the sport they have selected.

AS the industries around the world are emitting a lot of the gases that increase the temperature in the place we live, there is a change in the weather. The initial changes may be mild with not much of variation from the regular weather. As time goes on and there is more global warming, there could be various changes that cause mass destruction to the environment and the world as a whole.

Pollution is also a cause to all this to happen. It is very important that the changes in the weather are controlled, by keeping the pollution under control. There are various places in the world that have had acid rain falling because of the local pollution that has occurred. There are instances where natural disasters like the eruption of a volcano, that have caused changes in the weather in a particular area, but the problems of pollution and manmade problems are continuous, unless conscious effort is taken to curb the menace.

These changes in the weather can further increase in the years to come, unless some prompt action is taken by the governments of the world. It has to be ensured that the various industries have a control on the c and emissions that they cause. This will help to reduce the pollution and changes in the weather to a large extent. So, immediate action is needed to save the environment.

Other than the paid news, there are also news channels on television that are being sponsored by politicians and political patients. This has made the people to not know the difference between the real news and the news that have been told by the political parties to be broadcast. All these kinds of things happening in the news channels have made the people to search for other modes of news like newspaper, magazines, leaving television news aside.

The internet has replaced the television and even the newspaper to a large extent. This is because of the fact that the news that is seen on television and read on newspapers are not interesting as they seem to be biased. The news on most of the websites are not biased because they are directly posted by eyewitnesses in most of the situations.

The role of news channels and paid news is sure to make a mockery of the journalists in the future too. This has caused some of the reputed channels also to suffer. The people who watch or read the news are very careful these days as they do not want to be taken for a ride by the so called journalists. So journalists have to be carefull in delivering their statement infront of public. Cleaning up the bad elements in journalist circles will help overcome this problem.

Many people not only search for information, but they also search for the news on the internet. There are many advantages of the news that is available on the internet and this is the reason for many people to look to the internet for the news.

The main advantage of searching for information or news on the internet is that when the news is provided on the television or on the newspaper, the person who gets the news will only be able to get the information that is provided. The internet can be used to get the news that the reader is interested in.

The internet also has both video as well as audio for the news that is provided. The internet has different versions of the same news that is available from different channels. This is another of the advantages of the news on the internet. As there are different versions, any discrepancy in the news can be easily identified. There are some news channels that may change the news to suit their needs. This is not the case on the internet.

Another advantage of the internet is that the news is regularly updated. The news on the papers can be read once a day or twice a day. The news on television channels may also not be updated as regularly as the news on the internet.

The role of movies in increasing crime is well known. There have been a lot of research and other studies that have shown that there is a direct correlation between the presence of crime and the presence of violence in movies. The movies actually help to corrupt the mind of people. There are people who may be criminals already. When they watch a movie that has violence, their mind is kindled again and this causes them to try to do at least some of what they saw on the television. This causes the violence to increase.

This is especially true about young children. There are several kids who learn all about violence and other things that are immoral from the movies. If they have an idol or if the child hero worships a person who acts in the movies, then all that the person acts on the movie is thought to be right. This makes the kid to start doing the same things in real life. This is another of the main reasons for the increase in the crime rates all over the world.

There is only one method in which the crime rate can be reduced. This can be done over a long term period and the various movie boards have to control the showing of violence and also the sexual activities in the movies. This will help in a major way to control violence on the streets.

As test cricket was seen to be increasingly boring, there was a dip in the number of people who were interested in cricket. This was the time when there was a rebirth of cricket in the form of one day matches. This was played between two teams and they had to play 50 overs each. As there were more and more changes happening in cricket, the test cricket again started having less viewers.

As life became fast paced for the people, cricket too became fast paced with the latest form of cricket being started. This is the 20-20 cricket matches that are being played these days. In these games, the whole game ends in about 3 to 4 hours and each team is allotted 20 overs to play the game.

This has been the changing face of cricket. Now, there are various tournaments that are played in the 20-20 format and the maximum number of television viewership and the maximum number of spectators in the grounds are for the very short form of the game. Though the one day matches too have a lot of people watching the game, the test matches have very few viewers when compared to the previous two forms of the game. It remains to be seen if there are any more changes to the game of cricket in future. There may even be a further shortening of the game.

Almost all the countries that play cricket are those that were part of the British Empire. All these countries learnt the game from the Britishers and are playing them. The game has seen dramatic changes in the past. The most popular form of the game a few decades back was the test match that is spread over 5 years. Then the one day format of the game became popular. These days, the shortest version of the game is being played in the form of 20 over matches.

Every 4 years, the cricket world cup is played. This year, the world cup cricket is being played in India and the neighboring countries. As all the cricket playing nations descend on the cricket pitches of the sub continent, it is time to think of who will be the favorites to win the matches and the world cup. India seems to be one of the favorite countries, mainly because of the sub continent conditions and also because of the match winners in their ranks. There are two explosive players in Shewag and Pathan. They can change the game in a matter of minutes. There are also other experienced players in the Indian team.

The other teams that also seem to be favorites are South Africa and England, who have had consistency in the one day format of the game. Australia may have been on the losing side, but they are also able to emerge winners in some situations. Though India, South Africa, England are almost sure to reach the stage of semi finals, the other team could be Australia, Sri Lanka or Pakistan. New Zealand and West Indies on the losing side.

All the money that is invested in the game by sponsors and advertisers has some benefits, but there are also many problems that occur because of this. One of the main problems that have occurred because of the huge amounts of money involved is the corruption in cricket. There are times when the cricketers and the administrators in some of the cricketing nations are tempted by the lure of earning quick money by being corrupt.

Though the days when people used to lose games to earn money through the betting syndicates are gone, there are some cricketers who are involved in earning money by cheating in small ways. The recent examples of some cricketers being involved in making money from betting syndicates just for bowling a no ball or playing a particular kind of shot is well known to all.

Though the cricketers may think that they have not let their country down by just bowling a no ball, it is not something that should be done. This is because the person may be tempted with a small mistake, but when that is committed, the person may be lured into more sinister problem. This should be avoided at all costs. Corruption whether it is small or large should be controlled and rooted out from the game. This is what the anti corruption unit of the International Cricket Council is trying to do. This cannot be done without the cooperation of the cricketers. So, every cricketer should avoid getting tempted. This will help to keep the game clean and perfect.

Epcot is the biggest of the four theme parks at the Walk Disney World Resort, spanning across tree hundred acres making Epcot twice the size of the Magic Kingdom theme park. Epcot is divided into two different areas, Future World and World Showcase. Epcot is full of technological innovations around the world and offers some of the most authentic cuisine from several countries around the world.
Future World has one of the fastest rides out of all the four Disney theme parks and is also full of many more spectacular attractions for the young and the old. As you are walking through the main entrance of Epcot you are greeted by a giant ball that actually turns out to be the ride Spaceship Earth. Disney’s Epcot theme park also has entertainment that includes shows, restaurants and many other rides.
World Showcase is just past Future World and this showcases number of things that are around the world; hence the title “World Showcase. “ The World Showcase feature of Epcot has shops and attractions specific to a certain area of the world. World Showcase also features restaurants with cuisine from around the world, eleven different countries to be exact. The countries that have delicious food represented in the World Showcase are places like Mexico, Germany, China, Japan, France, and Canada to name a few. The World Showcase also features a little attraction where you can taste the flavor of Coca-Cola from all over the world, and belive me when I say, it doesn’t taste the same.
So if you are looking to learn something new as well as have fun with your family and friends while on vacation then take a trip to Epcot and visit the Future World and World Showcase. Learning so much about different cultures while having fun will be an experience you won’t easily forget.

Forever Florida is a beautiful nature preserve located in St. Cloud Florida, right outside Kissimmee. The Forever Florida nature preserve is 4700 acres and you have the opportunity to wildlife native to the Floridian area, look at the beautiful flowers and greenery, and get a guided tour on a cattle ranch. There are several different options available for touring Forever Florida, go by horseback, coach safari, or on a buggy. There are so many things to do at this gorgeous nature preserve, so allow most of the day to see the entire site or do all the activities available. The Funky Buggies are boats that take you on a tour slightly above sea level to view nature from the water. The newest attraction to be added to the Forever Florida nature preserve is the Zip Line Safari. This is a guided tour that lets visitors experience the view of nature from a different perspective; above the tree tops. Tour guides take visitors through seven different zip lines through the trees and across two bridges. Make sure you have plenty of time to complete this because it take almost three hours to finish, and if you are a little squeamish when it comes to heights, you may want to reconsider this because it’s more than 50 feet in the air. There are age and weight requirements that are; you have to be at least ten years old, weight in between 75 and 275 pounds. There are also hiking trails, petting zoos, and pony rides to keep you and your family busy when visiting Forever Florida. If you are looking for a place to wind down from Florida’s busy roads and extremely populated theme parks visiting this nature preserve will keep you relaxed as well as give your family something fun to do.

Miami Florida is known most for the cities miles and miles of beaches, but there are also many other activities to do with your family while visiting Miami. Take a break from soaking up the sun’s rays on the beach and take a trip to the several zoos Miami has to offer for a change of scenery and different form of family fun.
Jungle Island This zoo is a little pricey – 25 dollars just for children, but offers a number of things to do. This zoo is 19 acres and features a number of animals featured all over the world. One of the shows that Jungle Island puts on for its guests is different animals doing tricks on bicycles.
Miami Metrozoo- This zoo is located a little outside of Miami, but its well worth the drive. This is almost 300 acres with petting zoos and playgrounds to keep your children entertained all day long. Take time to feed the Giraffes or take a trip on the monorail to explore the zoo grounds. This zoo even offers extended hours and overnight visits for animal enthusiasts. Even better is you don’t have to pay for parking and tickets are only 13 dollars per child and 14 per adult.
Sea Grass Adventures- This is an interesting activity that is hands on and every family member will love. Not only is this an entertaining adventure, but it is also educational and will teach adults and children something. You will wade through sea grass and mud and look at the eco-systems that go on in the marsh. Grab your fish nets, there’s no telling what shells you may find and what fish you may catch.
There is so much more to do in the Miami area. Don’t just limit yourself to the beautiful beaches, although they are beautiful, take time to enjoy other activities that the entire family will enjoy.

Well, guess what? Florida now has their own true ‘ThunderCat’. No, he’s not a half-lynx or -bobcat or -fluffy Maine Coon. And he definitely doesn’t have a cool sword with the Eye of Thundera in it. This ‘ThunderCat’ is just a regular human being like everyone else in Florida, specifically Spring Hill, Florida, to be exact.

His name is James Jablon, and he’s planning a stunt to raise money for his wildlife center entitled the Wildlife Rehabilitation of Hernando. How? By actually LIVING with two wild African lions in a fenced enclosure for one month. The lion-man entered the lion’s den like the biblical Daniel in the Old Testament this past Saturday and plans to sleep on hay (soft on the back) next to the two lions (which by the way are named “Lea” and “Ed”). He’ll also eat when they eat. And hopefully they won’t eat HIM. Thankfully, James has prepared a containment plan to hide in a sort of ‘tree house’ when the lions start getting ‘territorial’ with each other or even him, if you get the picture.

The adventure will, of course, be streamed online live straight through till January 31st; and let’s all pray he’s still whole by then. Because wild lions aren’t a pleasant bunch. But you never know. And all watchers of the live streaming show can possibly say is “ThunderCats…. HO!”

This isn’t about the films, though. It’s about the wonderful addition to Orlando, Florida’s, SeaWorld increasing the number of their killer whales to seven of the forty-two known to be held in captivity. The addition is a newborn back in October of 2010. What makes it endearing is the process gone with adding this little precious baby whale to the fold of SeaWorld’s water-filled sanctuary.

A Facebook poll was held to actually name the baby whale! It was a landslide, too.

The public decided against such names suggested as ‘Nico’–which stands for Nikos (victory of the people) of Greek language–and the Japanese ‘Haruki’ which stands for “shining brightly”. The official name, which harnessed about 55% of the vote (again, landslide), is none other than ‘Makaio’, Hawaiian for “gift of God”. Pretty fitting, one would think. The name is pronounced ‘Muh-KI-oh’.

It’s well celebrated there in SeaWorld given that Makaio’s mother is also one of the killer whales residing, named Katina, who was born in Iceland back in 1978. Some of Makaio’s other ‘SeaWorld family members’ (not by blood) include Tilikum who was born in Iceland back in 1983, Kayla born in captivity around 1988, Trua born in captivity in 2005, Nalani born in captivity right in 2006, and last but not least Malia born in captivity in 2007.

Understand that it is a lovely joy given Malia was the last born before this new addition, aptly named Makaio. SeaWorld had lost a stillborn calf and also the late mother named Taima back in June of 2010; so a new life born of God was a welcome turn of events for the authorities and workers and fans of SeaWorld. A “gift of God”, it truly was.

Currently Makaio is enjoying the new family in Florida as we speak. See SeaWorld and witness the “gift of God’ yourself, as christened by the public!

Usually when thinking of “Disney”, the image of Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy, Pluto, and even Pete comes to mind. Tinker Bell dances around in our fantasies as the Lion King stands proudly on Pride Rock with visions of Timone’s and Puumba’s in our heads (laced with Christmas all over, obviously, since December’s past). One thing usually not thought of, especially during this time of year, is another thing Disney is especially known for: their cruise vacation industry. That’s the top of the line in luxurious entertainment and vacation fit for those who want an escape from the real world and want to be engulfed in the pleasures of Disney dreams.

Come to think of it, that’s what this is about: the “Disney Dream”, the brand-new 4,000-passenger cruise ship christened just after sunrise on January 4th, 2011.

It’s a momentous occasion given the level of advancement of the craft, about 50% larger than Disney’s previous Magic and Wonder vessels. Not to mention the ship cost about $500 million to manufacture. Big expectations. A water cannon salute and several helicopters along with fireworks over the port Canaveral channel as the Disney Dream pulled in accented the expectations with fervor. So far Disney Cruise Line President Karl Holz is enjoying the level of bookings for the new ship; The Disney Dream will embark on its maiden voyage on January 26.

It is the ship that will hail more to come (one being the Disney Fantasy, which will debut in Spring of 2012). For those looking to live the beautiful life on sea, check out Disney. That’s where wonder and magic are born. And it’s not just a one-season deal either. You can do it all year round. That’s the kind of stuff that makes you say, “When you wish upon a star!”. Makes no difference who you are. Enjoy the Disney Dream, folks.

Someone did. Right in Poinciana, Florida. A man named Albert Rodd, age 67.

According to authorities, he was declared missing on late Monday. That’s a total of nearly twenty-four hours. For a man suffering from his conditions–dementia, Alzheimer’s, and especially high blood pressure–that can feel like a lifetime. You look around, and you don’t know who anyone is. In a way, you don’t even care. No one is taking care of you and your conditions. You don’t have your medications. Someone could easily take advantage of you, harm you, or even kill you. You’re at the mercy and whim of the fates deciding your life or death. That’s the fact of missing person cases. A horrifying fact.

Thankfully, Albert Rodd was found and seemed to be in good health, which sometimes isn’t the case for situations such as that. Most missing persons are never found, sometimes for years. But for this Paradise Lost case when a person succumbs to the convoluted visions of dementia and the paralyzing Alzheimer dreams of quiet pain, miracles do happen, at least for Albert Rodd.

Headed by the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, they were relieved to retrieve the probably confused senior citizen safely on the morning of January 4th, 2011, right after the New Year was hailed. However no other details such as the process to which he became missing were released.

That of course doesn’t matter as much as the fact that Albert Rodd is safely home where he can be nurtured and cared for. A pleasant happy ending, paradise FOUND.

Unfortunately, this particular cheerleader in Gainesville, Florida, wasn’t saved. But at least the world won’t go anywhere–just suffer another sad loss of a human life. Sorry, Heroes. Your indestructible cheerleader Claire Bennett will have to do (even though the lucky truth is that she’s, well, INDESTRUCTIBLE).

On December 30th, 2010, a badly burned body was found in a stationary car tipped off by a caller stating that the vehicle had been sitting for days without moving to any other position or leaving the area, and that there was a purse sitting on the seat, suggesting someone either had abandoned it or had forgotten about it.

Unfortunately not a case of reckless abandonment. But death by brush fire, authorities reported. Or possibly murder. Authorities would only hope for the former, and not the latter.

The body belonged to 21-year-old Saleha Huula of the prestigious University of Florida, a dedicated senior who had majored in family, youth and community sciences. She had also been a cheerleader not only for the university itself but the P.K. Development Research School and Santa Fe College, two prior schools she had attended before attending U of F. Saleha Huula was also a competitive cheerleader with the university club and also had performed with the Urban Essence and African Student Union dance troupes.

Save the Cheerleader, Save the World, indeed. Because it may come to saving the world by ridding it of a wrongdoer who could’ve started the fire in the first place. Our lovely Claire Bennett would only be proud of law enforcement’s drive and desire to seek the truth. Police are not ruling out the possibility of homicide as they wait for a medical examiner’s report on the cause of Huula’s death. The clock ticks away.

Just another human being burned up? No. Possibly, this was a case of murder in Gainesville, Florida, and hopefully soon justice will prevail.