No End in Sight for North Korea

Recently, North Korea has been upping their threats against the United States. The leader of North Korea, Kim Jong Un, has planned to have military rockets on standby. The missiles are aimed toward the United States and their allies. Should Americans be afraid? Should we flee the country immediately? The answer to both questions is no. Although South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported on Thursday of "brisk activity" around North Korean missile sites, there is nothing to fear. Defense official at the Pentagon in Virginia reported that the recent activity is not "out of the ordinary". U.S. Joint Chiefs Chairman, Martin Dempsey, said "there have been some artillery movements, but nothing other than what's consistent with heir historic patterns and training" at a news conference Thursday.

The Pentagon flew two B-2 bomber planes near North Korea. The planes did not attack the country. The deployment of the planes was merely a demonstration to North Korea as well as the allies of the United States, assuring everyone that "we [the U.S.] can bring force from anywhere..."

For more information on this issue read the article Tension with North Korea, and watch the video included.

You Smile, I Smile

I've decided to be nice this week. I did something sweet for my friend. He told me that he lost his headphones about a week ago. He was pretty upset since they were new. In February, I told him that I would buy him something, but I never said what exactly. This weekend, I purchased some Skull Candy headphones with a mic. I got them in purple. That is his favorite color. I also bough him Halo 4. I've never played it before, but the guy at the store said that it's new and really popular. This morning I gave him both items. When I pulled them out, his smile was really wide. He hugged me very tight. I think I surprised him. I hope he enjoyed his gifts. Seeing him smile made my day.

This Weekend

This has been a draining weekend. It all started Friday night. I left my best friend's house to come home. When I arrived, I was greeted by my sister. Seeing her was fine, except she's like a kitten. She likes to play...a lot. Saturday morning we decided to go to the mall. We caught the train out Wheaton, but they were doing track work on the red line so it took forever. We left the house at 10:30 but stepped foot in the mall at 12:30. My main mission of the day was to purchase the new Jordan's that came out (the 13s), but no store had them in my size. I went to 6 different stores. I couldn't even buy any clothes because I didn't have any shoes to match what I wanted. Not getting the 13s ruined my entire day. I became antisocial,  and drifted off from the others. When I finally chose another shoe to buy, DTLR didn't have them in my size either. I felt crushed. I gave up all together. After walking through Wheaton for 8 hours,  I decided to leave. It was about 11 when I got home.

I Cannot Deal

A lot has been going on lately. My father had a heart attack last week. I was accepted into Xavier University. And my friend has been the most random mood swings ever. The mood swings are what bothers me the most.

Everything could be going well. My friend and I could be laughing and talking all day. Then all of a sudden, he gets mad. It's almost always over nothing, but he never sees it like that. He will be mad all day and all night over the littlest, tiniest, smallest thing. What makes it worse is when I ask him what's wrong. That is another argument within itself.

We go through this at least twice a week. I don't know why or how it even starts, but it happens. At times I want to leave everything where it is and walk away, but I can't. Despite the arguing, we're usually happy together. When we are good, it's amazing. But any other time, we're at war. I understand that arguing or disagreeing is a part of all relationships and friendships. I just wish it didn't happen as often.

Summer, Summer, Summer Time!

Summer is right around the corner. Ladies bring out your bikinis. Men bring out your swim trunks. I am impatiently waiting for the spring to come and go. I’m too excited for summer 2013. This year I will be 18 in July. That means, PARTY! I plan on going out with my friends to a nightclub for the very first time. Besides my birthday, I am excited for change that is bound to come this summer. My closest friends and I will technically be adults. To me that means responsibility and independence. I’m not too sure about how I will handle either one of the topics, but I am ready to try. I’ve been depending on my mom for pretty much ever. I have recently started doing things for myself, but she is still there to help out from time to time. Having to do major things on my own (buying clothes and food, renting an apartment, doing my hair) will probably be a hassle. I feel that I am prepared in some ways though. I know how to take care of a household, doing things like cleaning, cooking, and paying bills. I already made a budget to manage any money I have coming in. I also know a little something about decorating. I am still worried that having the freedom to do whatever I want will negatively impact me though. No one will be there to make sure that I wake up on time. No one will remind me of the things I need to get done. My mom won’t be on my back when I mess up or get off track. I think that I will be able to overcome any challenge thrown at me, but I won’t have my mother there to pick up the pieces when I fall short. That scares me the most.

Are Modeling Sites Leading To Abductions?

Three women have gone missing in Colorado. Each of them had a profile on a modeling site. Two of the women's profile was on ModelMayhem.com. The National Women's Coalition Against Violence & Exploitation said that the website has been a common link in cases like this. The cofounder of the organization said "we're up to 13 or 14 cases that we're familiar with." One of the women reportedly told her friends that she was going to a modeling job. The woman, Kara Nichols, has no tbeen seen again. Another woman, Raven Furlong, age 17, also went for a modeling job. She was last seen on February 5th. However, the police has classified her as a runaway. The third woman's profile was on a different website. Kelsie Schelling was listed on the site Explore Talent, and was last seen on February 4th.

When Raven Furlong's aunt discovered her niece's profile on Model Mayhem, she was disturbed. The aunt told reporters "the photographers [were] asking her to do nude photographers after asking her if she was 18 and her telling them no."

Jillian Mourning (professional model), age 25, also used Model Mayhem. While in Arizona for a photo shoot, she was sexually assaulted. She said that she was videotaped while being raped. Mourning was also trafficked and forced to have sex with men until her "manager" went to prison.

For more information on this topic, please read 3 Missing Women and Modeling Profiles.