Hunt Begins After Shark Who Killed An American In Australia

An American man was killed while diving off a boat into the Australian waters this past Saturday. This has been the third, fatal human attack in recent weeks. Now shark hunters are gathering together to catch the shark or sharks that have been causing these attacks. Marine experts doubt that a shark caused all three attacks. Amy Wilkes, a marine biologist, has said, "The idea that a shark, once it has tasted human blood, would continue to attack is just completely false. That's not that way it would work." Others say the attacks happened due to people being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Still, people have been refusing to go swimming in those waters since the attacks. Now the Western Australia state government is taking the matter into their own hands and they're using tuna-baited hooks to catch these predators. Others are against this action saying that great whites are already endangered and we should work to preserve their existence, instead of pushing it towards extinction.
My View:
Seeing the chain of actions, I can see why the government is taking such drastic measures. They know that is tourists are scared enough, they won't come to the beaches and thus, the state won't make as much money off of tourism. I still don't agree with them going after these endangered animals because people have been working for many years in order to keep these animals reproducing and safe. Killing sharks who may or may not be the attackers in simply ridiculous. Not only is this depopulating the great white population, it also proves that people are starting to care less and less about the environment and more about keeping revenue up.


http://gma.yahoo.com/texas-man-george-thomas-wainwright-killed-great-white-025609558.html

McRib Comes Back Once Again

McDonalds is coming back with the McRib sandwich which contains boneless barbecue pork. It has not always been available in stores but it will be sold in all McDonalds through November 14. The McRib sandwich  first came out in 1982 and last November, sales showed that this sandwich was in high demand. So  McDonalds made the it available for about three weeks, which led the chain to decide to bring it back this year. Although there are no specific numbers to show how it is doing for McDonald's sales, people have shown high interest and liking for this sandwich. People on social-networking sites like Facebook and Twitter have voiced their demand for the return of this sandwich. So if people like it so much, why not add the McRib to the menu for good?  Marta Fearon, McDonald's U.S. marketing director, has said, "Bringing it back every so often adds to the excitement." The name itself also has some irony to it because the sandwich is called "McRib" even though it doesn't contains any bones. Marta Fearon also commented on that saying, "That gives it this quirky sense of humor."
My View:
The strategy is see is adding a new product to an existing market and it's quite different than any other strategies I have seen. The company claims that people love this sandwich and are eager to buy but they are holding back from adding it to their menu. Perhaps they want to build people's demand for the product so when they do finally decide to put it on their menu, sales will sky rocket because people will be so excited to have this sandwich available whenever they want it. Also, the name of the sandwich is ironic but it does add some humor to it and humor always grabs people's attention. So in a way the name was designed in order to grab people's attention, thus bringing in more consumers.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/The-McRib-makes-a-apf-3131095863.html?x=0&.v=3

Prices Of Whole Foods Goes Up

Although the price increase hasn't affected people yet, consumers of whole foods should expect to pay more for their goods in the near future. Since producer prices have increased significantly, it has caused wholesale prices to increase as well. This has been the biggest rise since June 2009. U.S. wholesale prices increased all over the nation due to the rise in energy costs and in everyday products such as grain and coffee. Prices of vegetable increased by 10% and beef and veal prices rose by 5.4%. Analysts are saying that consumers won't feel the increase right away and that supermarkets will include the increase into their prices slowly. Even though food prices have been growing higher this year, grocery stores have decided to wait on the price increases because "they don't want to scare price-sensitive customers." Michael Keara, an equity analyst for Morningstar, said "...expect to see supermarket prices edging up in six to nine months."

My View: 

With people having so little money to spend these days, rising prices of essential food items might just make matters worse. Unless the price increase doesn't affect people dramatically, consumers might start to abandon their usual supermarkets and look for cheaper deals on the foods they buy most. Everyone knows the economy is in a fragile state right now and increasing prices is the last thing people want to hear about right now. I think when people find out that there are prices increases on certain items, they will refuse to pay that much for something they have been paying for a lot less. Unless the price increases a fair amount, supermarkets can expect to see a decline of shoppers in the near future.

http://financiallyfit.yahoo.com/finance/article-113688-11401-3-supermarkets-may-sneak-in-price-increases?hp=true?ywaad=ad0035&nc

Holidays Are Bringing In Lighter, Cheaper Computer Models

With the holidays coming up, manufacturers know that people are willing to shell out more money than ever. So they are taking this opportunity to create new and improved computers that people will be sure to buy.  Companies are inventing new laptop and desktop models that are containing more innovations, smaller sizes, and more touch screen technologies. Many people are crazy for these newer technologies such as notebooks, which are basically computers that are thin as a notebook. For example, the Gateway NV57H26U is one of the newest computers on the market and they go as low as $500. If you're interested in purchasing a laptop, companies are creating these ultrabooks, which are similar to notebooks except that they are newer laptops that are supposed to be thinner, lighter, and less expensive than most laptops. 
My View:
Companies know that people will spend large sums of money on gifts with the holiday season coming up. That is why they take advantage of this occasion by coming up with newer, more innovative ideas that they know consumers will love. Everyone these days is crazy for new technologies and the newer a technology is, the more demanded it is. When companies launch their new products during the holiday season, they know their sales will shoot through the roof because consumers are going to want to get their hands on the latest, most popular gifts. It is a smart move for companies to start marketing their newer products before the holiday season because by the time holidays roll in, these products will be in high demand.

http://shopping.yahoo.com/articles/yshoppingarticles/721/computer-prices-keep-falling/

Obama Take Finally Decides To Remove Troops From

President Barack Obama has made a final decision on taking American troops out of Iraq by then end of the year. President Obama addressed the nation, saying "Today, I can report that as promised, the rest of our troops in Iraq will come home from Iraq at the end of this year. After nine years, America's war in Iraq will be over. Over the next two months our troops in Iraq--tens of thousands of them--will pack up their gear and board convoys for the journey home." The President and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki, along with the Iraqi government, agreed that American troops will be withdrawn from Iraq. Ever since we invaded Iraq in 2003, the war has taken the lives of 4,478 American soldiers.
My View:

I am very glad that the U.S. troops are finally being sent home after years of fighting in the Iraqi war. So many lives have been claimed by this war and it is about time that it all ends. The war has not only affected us emotionally, but economically as well. Billions of dollars have been used up on this war and our economy has been bending under the debt we've been put under. Because so many of our dollars go towards this war, the economy has taken a great hit and many people are suffering due to lack of employment and rising inflation. I think that once this war is officially over, we'll start to see some positive changes, not just in our economy but in our nation as a whole.

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/obama-announce-full-troop-drawdown-iraq-164843571.html

Ben & Jerry's Bans New Flavor

There is some rising controversy over Ben & Jerry's new flavor, Schweddy Balls. The term was originally created from an SNL skit that starred Alec Baldwin as Pete Schweddy. The ice cream flavor contains fudge-covered rum balls and although it may be good, the One Million Moms group is against the launch of the product. They believe the name of the product is vulgar and inappropriate for children and they refuse to allow their kids to consume this ice cream. They are also encouraging other mothers to see the that the name "is nothing but locker room humor that's not appropriate for young children." Stores already have decided not to carry the flavor while others say that if consumers would demand the product, they would put it on their shelves. Even though some stores ban it, Schweddy Balls has already become the most demanded, limited-edition product that Ben & Jerrys carries. Even though many stores don't want to carry the flavor, Ben & Jerrys still will continue to supply their product to any willing carriers.
My View: 
Even though people were offended by this ice cream's name, Ben & Jerry's couldn't have wished for better exposure for this product. Controversy sells and the million mom's walked right into it. By going against this product, the One Million Moms group actually made this product more well-known and heard-of to people all over the world. Even though it may not be the most appropriate name for a product, there still will be people who enjoy its humor. I think Ben & Jerrys should take on a specific target market, which is teens and men because they are the most likely ones who will enjoy this humor. I suggest they make their next advertising campaign more focused on a specific target market so their product sells more. 


http://news.yahoo.com/stores-freezing-ben-jerrys-flavor-213431173.html

Outrage Over Slaughter Of 49 Animals

Conservationists have expressed their anger over 49 animals being killed by an animal farm owner, Terry Thompson. Thompson was an owner of several animals, including lions, bears, monkeys, and tigers. It was reported that these animals were being mistreated and that they weren't being handled properly. On Tuesday evening, Thompson set fire to over 49 animals, killing all of them instantly. Among these animals were the rare and endangered Bengal tigers. People are becoming fed up with animals being improperly handled. Adam Roberts, executive vice president of Born Free USA, said, "These animals belong in accredited facilities with people who can handle them appropriately." When the animals were released from the animal farm, police had no choice but to put them down. By late Wednesday 49 animals were dead. Conservationists feel that private people are not equipped to handle these type of animals. It is important to keep these animals in conditions that will preserve their existence rather than diminishing it. 
My View:
The killing of these animals is an unfortunate occurrence that could have been avoided. People are taking these animal's existence for granted and soon enough, there won't be any animals to take for granted. The tiger is one of the most endangered species in the world right now and people are killing them as if they existed in massive numbers. The existence of these animals is important but it is more important to keep people safe at the same time.
http://news.yahoo.com/us-police-kill-escaped-lions-tigers-bears-020951746.html