H1N1 vaccines swooping into SU

SU spokeswoman Carol Masiclat thinks students are concerned with making sure they get vaccinated before the winter break.  She also said that students going abroad are concerned.  SU will administer 1,500 vaccines this week and 900 next week.  The clinics will take place in Flanagan Gym on the SU campus.  Students who want the vaccine can pick up tickets at the Schine Student Center.  The vaccine is free and available to SU and state College of Environmental Science and Forestry students.  Since the beginning of the semester, 498 SU students have been diagnosed with H1N1, but no one has been hospitalized and recent cases are declining.

My Take: The news of this upcomng clinic is timely and makes sense for students getting ready to leave next week and go abroad next semester.  With the fall semester coming to close, Syracuse University is offering this last large-scale vaccine clinic before the students clear out.

Granderson to Yankees?

A new trade proposal, the first big one of the winter season, could send Detroit Tigers outfielder Curtis Granderson to the New York Yankees, espn.com reports.  The 3-team proposal calls for Granderson to the Yankees, Tigers pitcher Edwin Jackson to the Arizona Diamondbacks, Yankees pitcher Ian Kennedy to the Diamondbacks, Diamondbacks pitcher Max Scherzer to the Tigers, Yankees pitcher Phil Coke to the Tigers, and Yankees outfield prospect Austin Jackson also to the Tigers.  Both Yankee outfielders Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui are free agents.

My Take: Granderson is a versatile outfielder who gives a team stolen bases and runs, but showed a hefty improvement in his power numbers thus past season.  The move seems beneficial for the Yankees since Damon and Matsui are declining and Granderson is reaching peak performance.  The Tigers would garner some more pitching depth with Scherzer and Coke, and could wind up getting a steal if Jackson turns out to be an all-star.

Baghdad Bombings

Nearly 130 people were killed during suicide car bombings in Baghdad, Iraq early this morning, according to cnn.com.  The bombers were targeting Iraq's Finance and Labor ministries and a courthouse.  The Iraqi prime minister said the attacks were trying to undermine the upcoming elections.  Goverment officials were a bit skeptical as to how the bombers were able to carry out such a deadly attack, considering security was supposed to have been improved recently.  Kurdish lawmaker Mahmood Othman said more attacks could be possible because "the people against political processes against the elections and stability in Iraq" will try to disrupt the elections.

My Take: The never-ending unrest in Iraq is problematic for Iraqi government security forces.  Even with increased security and overall improvement, suicide bombers and other terrorists still seem to find ways to create problems and take innocent lives.  It is unfortunate and deeply unsatisfying to hear this kind of news, but the reality is that unrest is still ever prominent in Iraq and other areas of the Middle East.