Unemployment Hotline Overwhelmed

Recently unemployed Alabamans are reporting extremely long hold times on their required weekly phone calls to the State Government. One Selma resident reported a 1 hour and 24 minute wait, Monday, before anyone came on the line to help. This seems to be the norm, as unemployment numbers rise.

To cope with the rising demand on the state's jobless hotline, the Department of Industrial Relations, last week, instituted a new policy of allowing only those whose social security numbers ending with 0-4 to call in on Mondays, and those ending in 5-9 to call on Tuesday. Wednesday-Friday will be open for anyone. But, if Monday was any indication, it doesn't seem to be working.

Chizik Back on the Plains

Newly hired Auburn University Head Football Coach, Gene Chizik, takes the reigns after leaving his only head-coaching position a troublesome 5-19. This doesn't bother some Auburn fans, however, who remember him as the defensive coordinator for the undefeated Auburn Tigers a few years back, and the National Championship he brought to Texas as an assistant coach.

Chizik came to Iowa State 2 years ago to work with a program that was 4-8 the season before he arrived. The team's record saw no improvement, going 3-9 and 2-10 in his 2 seasons at Iowa State, but, as some will point out, Chizik had yet to play with a team made up of his own recruits.

"Guidestones" Vandalized

A monument dedicated to a one world order erected 30 years ago in Georgia has been vandalized. Graffiti denouncing a "New World Order" and some profanity were spray painted on the stone monument.

The Georgia Guidestones are a monument with the following message written in multiple languages:

1. Maintain humanity under 500,000,000 in perpetual balance with nature.
2. Guide reproduction wisely - improving fitness and diversity.
3. Unite humanity with a living new language.
4. Rule passion - faith - tradition - and all things with tempered reason.
5. Protect people and nations with fair laws and just courts.
6. Let all nations rule internally resolving external disputes in a world court.
7. Avoid petty laws and useless officials.
8. Balance personal rights with social duties.
9. Prize truth - beauty - love - seeking harmony with the infinite.
10.Be not a cancer on the earth - Leave room for nature - Leave room for nature.

In order to maintain a population of 500 million, as the stone calls for, 90% of the world's population would have to be eliminated, leading some to believe the stone is a threat to humanity by the secretive group that had the stones erected. The stones have an explanatory tablet nearby where etched in stone is the description the group gives it's self:
A SMALL GROUP
OF AMERICANS WHO SEEK
THE AGE OF REASON

Just when the stones were vandalized was not made clear, but why seems apparent from the graffiti.

Obama PR Team Gets First Test

The spin team for President-elect Obama will get it's first test with the scandal surrounding the Senate seat he vacated. In November, it was reported that Mr. Obama spoke with the Governor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich, regarding a replacement for the seat. Earlier this week, the President-elect told the Associated Press that he hadn't spoken with the Governor.

Governor Blagojevich is embroiled in controversy after reportedly trying to sell the vacant Senate seat, a seat for which he has the responsibility to appoint a replacement.

British to Pull Out of Iraq

British troops are set to pull out of Iraq beginning at the end of January.

Since the invasion almost 6 years ago, the UK has had a significant presense in Iraq, specifically in the Basra province.

The British Command plans to have all combat troops out of Iraq by June. A small contingency of training personnel will remain, but will only number in the hundreds.