UN Inspectors attacked. Government or Rebels to blame?

The blog of Brendan Spaar does not usually deal with stories of mass genocide but this one cannot be ignored. It seems that the government of Syria may be running wild and violating international law. The Syrian government has allowed U.N. inspectors into the country to verify claims that it used chemical weapons on its own people. To make matters worse, the U.N. inspectors were fired upon in Damascus by snipers while they were in route to inspect the sites. Were the attacks carried out by the Syrian government or by rebels wanting all foreigners out of the territory?

Source: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323407104579036173795495190.html

High School students build largest tower made of LEGOs

The boys and girls at one Delaware High School have a lot to celebrate. The group of teens have successfully built the world's largest tower (according to the Guiness Book of World Records) made entirely of LEGO bricks! Brendan Spaar played with LEGO bricks as a child but never dreamed of building such a tower. The structure, once completed, stood at 112 feet! Before this architectural accomplishment, the former record holder was a 106 foot replica of the Prague tower. Hit up the source to see photos of the completed tower.

Source: http://inhabitat.com/delaware-high-school-students-complete-worlds-tallest-lego-tower/

Dentist wants to clone John Lennon using tooth

This is the craziest story that Brendan Spaar has read all week. As if buying John Lennon's tooth at auction for $30,000 wasn't creepy enough, there is a dentist that is trying to clone the late musician using said tooth! The dentist, Dr. Zuk (rhymes with yuck!), purchased the tooth and then wrote a song and a book about it. Brendan Spaar is a fan of John Lennon and the Beatles. In the age of 3D images of dead performers like TuPac and Elvis, it's no wonder someone wants to reanimate a popular money maker like Lennon. The dentist might be better off using the tooth to find a cure for why British people have such bad teeth to begin with! Source: http://www.inquisitr.com/913489/dentist-trying-to-clone-john-lennon-from-a-tooth/

Georgia Tech offers online Masters Program

Beginning in January of 2014, the Georgia Institute of Technology (GA Tech) plans to partner with Udacity to offer a master's degree in Computer Science through an online course for a fraction of the cost a student would pay on campus. The rising debt for students because of student loans is currently under a hot debate in this country with President Obama touring the nation to speak about his plans for reducing the cost of college. Brendan Spaar believes that one way to reduce the cost of college is to take advantage of online course offerings like this. The price of the online course at Georgia Tech is around $6,600 ­which is much less than the $45,000 on-campus price. To make things even better, the courses will be online and free for those not seeking a degree! A developer in the IT industry would be crazy not to take advantage of this program. Companies such as Udacity and institutions like Georgia Tech are charged with making college more affordable. Let's hope that more companies and institutions participate in this program. Source: www.nytimes.com/2013/08/18/education/masters-degree-is-new-frontier-of-study-online.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0