Religious Extremists: Part, Not the Whole

Last week the FBI conducted raids in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana in order to detain members of the Hutaree (Christian Warrior), a Christian militia group, on criminal charges. Nine main members of the group, eight men and one woman, were arrested. The aim of the group seems to be bringing about the second coming of Christ and Judgment Day by inciting the antichrist, “evil Jews and Muslims”, to the final showdown:

Jesus wanted us to be ready to defend ourselves using the sword and stay alive using equipment. The only thing on earth to save the testimony and those who follow it, are the members of the testimony, til the return of Christ in the clouds. We, the Hutaree, are prepared to defend all those who belong to Christ and save those who aren't. We will still spread the word, and fight to keep it, up to the time of the great coming ... The Hutaree will one day see its enemy and meet him on the battlefield if so God wills it. We will reach out to those who are yet blind in the last days of the kingdoms of men and bring them to life in Christ.

Their tactics include plans to kill law enforcement officials and then kill the officers who show up to the funerals of the initial victims. The group has posted videos of their training exercises online and the leader of this extremist group has allegedly researched how to make IED’s (Improvised Explosive Devices) and has passed on the knowledge to other Hutaree followers with the intent that said IED’s be used on law enforcement officials.

            Kenneth S. Stern, the American Jewish Committee's director on anti-Semitism and extremism, notes that although no broad conclusions can be made over this incident, the combination of a militaristic stance and anti-governmental ideals that has been emerging in the militia groups of today is troublesome.

            Another interesting pattern to note that seems to be an ancient trend, not merely a modern development, is using God (gods, higher powers) as an excuse for violence and brutality; starting with the crusades, maybe even before then, right into modern day movements such as the Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging (AWB) which wishes to create a separate Boer state in South Africa where blacks are only allowed to stay as “guest workers”. The leader of this group, Eugène Terre'Blanche, became a “born again Christian” after spending several years in jail, and reemerged with a renewed conviction to promote the racist views of his party. This just goes to show that every religion, be it Christian, Muslim or even FSM, has extremist factions, but these factions can in no way be made representatives of the whole.

Is the iPad a necessity?

Yesterday on April 3, 2010, electronic lovers around the world waited patiently outside of the Apple stores for the release of the long awaited Apple iPad. The iPad allows users to surf the internet, watch videos, and listen to music. It also allows consumers to read e-books . Many people have been waiting months for this new product. In Miami, Florida, and Atlanta, there were reportedly more than 100 people who were waiting in line outside of the Apple stores. Even in extreme cases such as in the less than pleasant weather conditions of Chicago, loyal Apple fans waited in line for the iPad.

However, is the iPad a necessity? The iPad ranges from $499 to $829 which to me is pretty expensive. I feel that if you're going to spend that amount of money on electronics then you should spend it on a laptop instead. A laptop allows you to perform many more activities such as video chat or making PowerPoint presentations. Do you think the iPad is a necessity? If so, why?

EARTHQUAKE!!!!!!

7.2 Earthquake hits Baja, CA, MX. It was felt as far north as Santa Barbara as well as in Arizona. I hope anyone who is visiting colleges in that area are okay, thankfully there are no reports of major damage or injury...

The Los Angeles Fire Dept are on "earthquake status" and hopefully the quake ends here and does not hit anywhere else. (SoCal is so close! I hope everyone is okay! :/ )

Justin Bieber Gets a Range Rover for 16th Birthday

A few weeks ago, 16 year old Justin Bieber celebrated his birthday in L.A. His party included all the "sweet 16" birthday goodies including a brand new Range Rover from his producer Usher.

Wow... he doesn't even have his license, and he already gets a brand new car! How lucky! When I first heard about it, I thought to myself like "WHAT he gets a brand new Range Rover when he can't even drive yet!!" At first I get the impression of him being a "spoiled teenager," but then again, I guess it's a little different in the music industry. Justin Bieber has made millions of dollars off his albums/songs... so I guess it's fine for a producer to give a Range Rover as a birthday present to his client that's made millions.

Caltrain Budget Cuts

According to this article, Caltrain is considering cutting midday, night, and weekend trains. These proposed cuts have come about as a result of decreased ridership and severe budget cuts at the agencies responsible for funding the Peninsula's rail service.

I admire cities like Boston and Washington DC in which the mass transit system is an integral part of the transportation that is heavily relied upon by nearly all residents. I have always wished that the Bay Area could offer similar services, but this story effectively dashes those hopes. It also makes me wonder: once the proposed high speed rail is built, will it be able to sustain itself? Or will it too fall prey to decreased ridership issues once the novelty wears off?

Where we've been is just as important as our conversations?

The article linked in the title of this post refers to a a new law proposed by a coalition of major tech companies. It addresses privacy law by attempting to clearly define the line of information law enforcement is allowed to have by mandating a search warrant for electronic data. This law will completely destroy the Patriot Act and I'm curious to see how law enforcement will stand upon this issue. The strongest defense against this law is that law enforcements agencies get a lot of information by tracking a phone call on the spot, or tapping into a company's GPS system to locate a phone. If a search warrant is needed, it will delay retrieving that evidence, maybe even lose it forever as data is erased as soon as it gets too old. I support it, however, in principle because of how it deals with a newer age. Laws need to update just as frequently as technology in order to efficiently be a law. With that said, data in the cloud needs to be protected and now we have a proposed law to do just that. It's a step in a direction and let's hope it's the right one.

Accountability in Serbia

Serbia’s parliament narrowly passed a resolution (as in by two people; of the 173 of 250 that voted, 127 were in favor) to apologize for the massacre of nearly 8,000 Bosnian Muslims by Bosnian Serb forces in July 1995.

The area in which the mass killing occurred was a UN “safe haven” that was under protection by Dutch UN forces. The Serb forces which carried out these atrocities, headed by General Ratko Mladic, were allied with the Serbian President of the time, Slobodan Milosevic.

Serbia’s parliament, or at least a majority of it, feels that “not everything was done to prevent the tragedy”. Even so, some survivors of the Srebrenica massacre, where this mass killing took place, remain unappeased until the capture of now fugitive general Mladic.

            It seems the main conflict rests upon an issue of pride. Those in favor say it will “lift the burden off future generations” while those in opposition say that it is a “[shameful] mark on the future generations that they will never wash away”.

The resolution does not define the massacre as genocide, although it could be, and, although there is upset over the inaction of the UN troops present in Serbia at the time, The Hague Appeals Court affirms the UN’s immunity from prosecution, deeming this “essential for it to be able to carry out its duties around the world”.

Although it has been long in coming, it is good to see nations taking accountability for acts against humanity and taking steps towards a more accountable, conscientious world community; a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. 

Chocolate and Child Labor

A response to Mr. Siltons fleeting comment on the chocolate industry...

Ghana and Ivory Coast produce 60% of the world’s cocoa, providing jobs for millions of people. The cocoa produced in these nations supplies some of the world’s biggest brands including Nestlé and Cadbury. The source of this cocoa, however, fuels controversy. Children in these impoverished countries serve as indispensable helpers in families which have limited incomes but there have also been instances of slavery involving the sale of children into unpaid labor. There have been initiatives in Europe and the United States to do something about this use of child labor in the cocoa trade. The Fairtrade organization serves as a safeguard against child labor as defined by the International Labour Organization:

 

It refers to work that:

§ is mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous and harmful to children;

§ interferes with their schooling by:

§ depriving them of the opportunity to attend school;

§ obliging them to leave school prematurely; or

§ requiring them to attempt to combine school attendance with excessively long and heavy work.

 

Fairtade works with cooperatives in the countries which supply the cocoa, auditing the various farming communities to make sure that the cocoa used by chocolate companies is not tainted by child labor. The US State Department estimates that about 100,000 Ivorian children work in the cocoa industry and some of these children, instead of attending school, work in farms which supply industry giants like Nestlé through Fairtrade. The fact remains that by the time the cocoa has left its country of origin, it is virtually impossible to trace the cocoa.

            Despite efforts to help the children in these countries, there is a question as to whether initiatives such as Fairtrade, if they really do work, are a help or a hindrance. For there to be a problem, there needs to be a solution. The opportunity cost of giving up a child to education in a family that can barely get by would translate to the inability to sustain that family. The International Cocoa Initiative, headed by Peter McAllister has worked with 243 communities in West Africa and has helped 16,000 children attend school, but what does this achieve?

            This approach seems to be more constructive than the “sanctioning” approach of Fairtrade which could devastate the economies of the communities involved which depend entirely on cocoa. Nevertheless, even if these children are able to receive an education, given the infrastructure in their developing countries, there may be problems relating to structural unemployment, making education a waste of time. It is clear that the selling of children into slavery is unacceptable, but how realistic is it to force children in third-world countries to attend school when their families just can’t afford it?

In the Heat of College Acceptance/Rejection? Letters

I came across this very relevant article about how seniors around the nation are dealing with college and waiting for acceptance letters. A senior from Omaha, Nebraska got rejected from the top schools she set her heart on: Brown, Harvard, and Yale (wow!) There is a short video FYI

College consulting expert Michele Hernandez shares that it is "...harder every year for the past 10 years, but it's really gotten bad over the past two years because of a decision by three top schools..." She strongly suggests that seniors who do get rejected by their top school pursue a gap year and reapply the next year with great determination and that it is important for juniors to prepare ASAP. Some tips include getting apps done over the summer and being proactive. The more you think about what you want to pursue in life and getting there will definitely open up doors to the schools you want to go to. She also suggests that transferring is not a good idea, however, I hope that statement is not true because that is what I am planning to do.. :/

What do you think? Do you agree with what Hernandez says?

Snooping or helping?

In Finland, it seems a select group of people are undergoing a study in which the post office will open their mail and create a digital PDF of the letter. I find this to be a rather intriguing idea and would love to see how it develops. I'm not sure how this will turn out, but the privacy issue will come up. Will the people opening the mail read them? What happens if an account is hacked? I find a weird part about all of this is that we're starting to rely on electronics so much now that even our regular mail (that someone had to either spend time to write or print) is going back over to digital. Whether that's good or bad will depend on the person, but whatever happens, this can get interesting.

MySpace removes link to Calif. child sex predator

SAN DIEGO – The social networking site MySpace says it removed the profile of John Albert Gardner III, a convicted child molester who is charged with killing a 17-year-old San Diego area girl.

The company said Thursday that Gardner used a false name, false hometown and false birthday to register for the account. MySpace confirmed it was his site by working with the FBI and San Diego County Sheriff's Department.

o noo.. not another one of these stories. it makes me cringe to know that some people have the nerve to do this. and the worst part is, it's not his first time. in 2000, the man was convicted of molesting and assaulting a 13 year old. he obviously didn't learn his lesson from the first time. he was also accused of raping and murdering 17-year-old, and a suspect in the murder of 14-year-old as well. I feel like sex offenders in general need an established punishment for their crimes. first off their thinking style is just sick minded, and it's really dangerous for society.

If You Were a Billionaire for Five Hours

When Paul Fischer checked his bank account Friday night, he had a happy surprise. His balance had exploded to $88,888,888,888.88. A very lucky number. You say, 'Eighty-eight billion, what can I do with that?'" said Mr. Fischer, who owns a jewelry concessionaire for Florida theme parks. "Maybe a handful of us could have brought down SunTrust Bank." Mr. Fischer had other ideas as well. Before the problem was fixed, he asked a SunTrust rep if he could move the money to an interest-bearing account until it was reclaimed and donate the interest to charity. Total interest: more than $7.3 million.The money was stripped out of his account by Saturday morning.

I think it's really important to prevent mistakes like these. The banks should try to be more careful about these kind of errors. Not only is it disappointing for the man, but imagine if the money had fallen into the wrong hands. With a billion dollars even in just a few hours, he could have done a LOT. but wow.. if I had a million dollars... i don't even know where to start!! what a sad and disappointing day for Mr. Fischer..

Google... Kansas?

I don't know how many of you are aware, but the capitol of Kansas was, at least for one day, known as Google. And the famous search engine was known as Topeka.


You can find the full story here. If you have time to read it, it's definitely worth checking out.

Happy (belated) April first!

Haiti Immigrants

According to this article, many of the Haiti refugees have been received with less than optimum hospitality upon entering the United States. Because they did not have visas when they entered the country, they were taken into custody by immigration authorities and held for deportation. Some received tourist visas (which barred them from getting jobs), some received humanitarian parole (a status that allows them to find employment), and some landed in immigration jails. Those that were jailed were denied psychological help for traumatization due to surviving the earthquake, and no date has been set for their release.

According to the article, Marines waved the earthquate survivors onto the plane; the refugees assumed that they would be treated well once they reached the United States. However, no thought was spared as to what their actual fate would be. Although I approve of the military's swift actions in getting people out of the unstable country, more thought should have been put into determining whether doing so would actually be beneficial.

Something else that annoyed me was the fact that there are some individuals who have family and loved ones currently residing legally in the country, and their families have been unable to secure the refugee's release. They often aren't even alerted when the jailed refugees are transported to obscure immigration jails.

An advocate for the release of the Haitian refugees sums up my opinion perfectly:
“There is no reason to spend taxpayer dollars detaining traumatized earthquake survivors who cannot be deported and who have demonstrated that they are neither a flight risk nor a danger to the community.”

Gay Prom Date Approved at Georgia High School

An 18-year-old senior at Bleckley County High School has won approval to bring a same-sex date to the school prom.

Derrick Martin says he first sought permission in January to bring his date to the April 17 dance at the school. Bleckley County High requires approval in advance for bringing a prom date from outside the county.

Principal Michelle Masters says there's no school policy covering the subject of same-sex dates.
County schools superintendent Charlotte Pipkin says the board discussed the matter but did not take a vote.

Both Masters and Pipkin say the prom will go on as scheduled. A request by a female student in Mississippi to bring a same-sex prom date led to the prom at her school being called off.

I'm really glad that Constance (the girl who wanted to take her same-sex date to prom), stood up to the ignorant policies at her school. If I were in that position, I would probably choose not to attend such an event where they have such bias rules. What are even the cons of the same sex to attend prom together? Why do school officials look so down upon homosexuality? I just think it's ridiculous how gay people are stereotyped these days... it makes me quite sad..

Gang Violence

A shooting in DC leaves four dead and another six injured on March 30th. Authorities say that this is related to gang violence. The police chased these shooters for hours until finally arresting the three men. Metro Police Chief Cathy Lanier says "We've made a lot of progress to stop gang retaliation and violence, and in the end if this ends up being some kind of gang retaliation -- then shame on all of us."

I wonder how much the government can really do to prevent gang violence. Am I underestimating the government? The details aren't clear yet because the Metro Police have declined to release much information. Regardless, I think it is unfortunate that ten people were shot and four dead.

Obama's Drilling Plan Draws Much Criticism

Both the environmentalists who discourage drilling and the Republicans who encourage drilling have been criticizing President Obama's new oil drilling plan. The plan which Obama thought would be a good compromise between the two sides of the debate, would allow drilling along the Atlantic coastline, the eastern Gulf of Mexico and the north coast of Alaska.

The director of the Sierra Club, Michael Brune, said that “Drilling our coasts will doing nothing to lower gas prices or create energy independence, it will only jeopardize beaches, marine life, and coastal tourist economies, all so the oil industry can make a short-term profit.”

On the other hand, House Republican Leader John Boehner, criticized the plan for keeping too much of the oil in America off limits.

As a rebuttal to all of the criticism, President Obama said “Ultimately, we need to move beyond the tired debates of the left and the right, between business leaders and environmentalists, between those who would claim drilling is a cure all and those who would claim it has no place. Because this issue is just too important to allow our progress to languish while we fight the same old battles over and over again. There will be those who strongly disagree with this decision, including those who say we should not open any new areas to drilling, But what I want to emphasize is that this announcement is part of a broader strategy that will move us from an economy that runs on fossil fuels and foreign oil to one that relies more on homegrown fuels and clean energy. And the only way this transition will succeed is if it strengthens our economy in the short term and long term. To fail to recognize this reality would be a mistake.”

Although I agree with President Obama's remark regarding the notion that we need to strengthen our economy before we can start building a new system with homegrown fuels and clean energy, I don't necessarily agree that oil drilling has to be the source that strengthens our economy. It seems almost hypocritical to drill more oil and ruin more environments in order to save our environment later. Doesn't it?

Ban Censorship!

As some of you may know, China has blocked Google's search engine because Google has refused to censor its searches. Google has attempted to bypass China's Great Firewall by rerouting all searches to a server based in Hong Kong. It appears that China has now stopped all traffic to Hong Kong's servers. Google's stance on censorship is that they believe that no one should be refused information and China's censorship is preventing an informed populous.

It seems, now, that the censorship battle has spread to Australia. Most of the info is summed up in the article, so I won't write it out here. My question to you all: Should countries be censored, if yes, why and by how much? If no, why not?

Screw Democracy, We Need Climate Change

I recently read this article (embedded in title) and it got me thinking, are we, as a population, too ignorant and too selfish to realize what we are doing to this planet? It seems so, considering the steps we are only now beginning to take, as a whole, towards better climates and stopping (and hopefully reversing) global warming. I think that the world's population has not reached the point that we need to suspend all choice for climate change. With Obama's energy bill for nuclear power, I believe that in itself is a large enough step to get us going in the right direction. I won't leave too much in this post, but what are your thoughts? Do you think that we are smart enough to realize what's going on, to step up and do something about it? And on another somewhat related side-note, what do you think is the best way of going about these changes?

Earth Day: April 22

The 40th anniversary of Earth Day is coming up. (April 22nd 2010) Though it seems far away, several people are getting excited and many events have been planned. Some believe it has potential to be a turning point to advance climate policy, energy efficiency, renewable energy, and green jobs.

Although I think that it is slightly naive to think that one day could be a turning point of decades of bad habits, I do think all the planned events could increase awareness and promote better habits. Although climate change has presented us with a great challenge, I think it could also be seen as an opportunity for us to build a healthy, prosperous, clean energy economy. Although it will take a lot of time and several billions of dollars, I think it is needed, and beneficial.

Study: Chocolate could reduce heart risk

According to a new study in London, small doses of chocolate everyday can decrease the risk of having a heart attack or stroke by nearly 40%. Studies showed that people who had an average of 6 grams of chocolate per day (or one square of chocolate bar) had a 39% lower risk of either a heart attack or a stroke. Studies in the past suggested that dark chocolate could be good for you, but this study is the first study to track the effects over a long period of time. Experts suggest that the flavonols (contained in the chocolate) help the muscles in blood vessels widen, which leads to a drop in blood pressure. Eckel, a professor of medicine, said "it was amazing to find such a small amount of chocolate could have such a protective effect, but that more studies needed to be done to confirm its conclusions."

Since I am a big fan of junk food, I was quite excited when I came across this article. For some reason i always believed that the whole "chocolate relieves stress" was a myth and tried to limit myself from eating chocolate as much as possible. but according to research, the cocoa beans in dark chocolate are filled with these "flavonols" that appear to have anti-aging properties! The flavonols are strong antioxidants that help maintain healthy blood flow and blood pressure. These healthy flavonols in cocoa beans prevent fatty substances in the bloodstream from clogging the arteries. but of course it's still important to look at how much sugar the chocolate contains... eating chocolate that's loaded with sugar is definitely not going to help reduce any health risks no matter how much flavonols it has!!

SCO vs. Novell update and other news

It seems Novell has won the case over the IP rights of Unix. No surprise there, in my opinion. It seems that over the ages, SCO has made attempt after attempt to claim rights to IP that it just didn't have.

On another somewhat related side-note, it seems that in New York, patents on gene sequences are no longer valid. This raises the question if genes are something to be patented, considering finding out exactly which gene does what can have many repercussions in the financial and medical world, as they can be sold for research or other medical uses. I, however, agree with the ruling as patenting one's discoveries will only hinder the pace of science. I believe that such information, though it may be attributed to one person, should not be attached to that one person for use.

And on another and slightly sillier note, it seems 59 year old Arthur Firstenberg is attempting to sue Raphaela Monribot for her use of wireless devices because he is electromagnetically sensitive. I cannot understand this in the slightest and most likely, many of you will laugh, some of you will find sincerity. Either way, it's quite an interesting case.

Surprising Number of Suicides in India

There have been more than 200 suicides committed in India for the political cause to separate Andhra Pradesh. Suicide is becoming a troubling trend, a phenomena. "According to Indian government statistics, bankruptcy or poverty provoke less than 5 percent of Indian suicides." -Lydia Polgreen

Although suicide among indebted farmers and the rural poor were frequently reported, they now accommodate only 5% of Indian suicides according to Indian government statistics. The bigger proportion of the suicides come from political dissent, family conflict, love affairs and illness. "The deaths illustrate the increasing stress on young people in a nation where, elections notwithstanding, the masses often feel powerless" say mental health experts. “Young people see this as a way to give meaning to what seem like meaningless lives,” said Sudhir Kakar. "It is a way to become a hero, to take a stand."

I think it is unfortunate that people try to become heroes by committing suicide. Some of the people such as Sai Kumar Meegada, a 20-year-old straight-A chemical engineering student at a prestigious university, have such bright futures and I think that they could have helped their region in India better through using their education, money, social status etc, as opposed to killing themselves.

While there are many working to discourage this suicide phenomena, there are also many encouraging it. "'Those who commit suicide for Telangana, we salute you,” the text on the poster says. “Wake up people and fight for Telangana.'” -Hari Kumar (Telangana is another region in India where there is much political dispute)

Don't you think it is a bit self centered to encourage other people to commit suicide so your region can be liberated?

Connecticut's Unemployment Benefits

I was shocked to learn that, according to this article, it is possible to earn more money while being unemployed than while holding part-jobs. The Connecticut Department of Labor recalculates the baseline for individual's unemployment benefits every year by using the pay rate of one's last held job. In the case of Roberta Hanson who recently took on a part-time job on the weekends, her unemployment benefits dropped from $483 a week to nothing, even though the new job she took payed only $130 per week. This is because the baseline for part time jobs is significantly lower than that of her previously held full time job; after subtracting a certain percentage of her current pay, the Department of Labor deemed her pay to be too large to qualify her for continued unemployment benefits.

I believe this system to be fairly unfair; people should not be punished for attempting to find work, especially when the pay is considerably less than what they earned at their previous job. Additionally, I think it's unfair for people to benefit more from not holding a job. Since unemployment benefits are necessary and beneficial to the individuals who recieve them and not all individual's situations are the same, I think that Connecticut's process of handing them out needs to be revised. The Department of Labor should consider all of an individual's means of income before determining benefits, and those who are employed (and who are thus helping to stimulate the economy and who are earning money for themselves) should not receive less than those who either can't or aren't motivated to find a job. To achieve this, I believe that the state should be divided up into regions, and different baselines should be established for each region based on the respective costs of living. Thus, if an individual's income level rises above the baseline, they should become ineligeble to receive benefits; if their income level is less, then they should receive enough benefits so their total income is at the established baseline.

While looking up additional information on the matter, I came across this article published by the Connecticut Department of Labor. According to this article, because of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (aka the Stimulus Bill passed in 2009), the first $2400 in unemployment benefits received in 2009 were to be tax free. This doesn't quite make sense to me; although unemployment benefits are a form of income, the money comes from that which is payed through taxes. Thus, unemployment benefits seem to me to be a distribution of the wealth from the richer to the unemployed. If the unemployed already receive so little money, should that amount be decreased even further?

Female Suicide Bombers get Bomb Implanted into Breasts

Al Queda female suicide bombers are getting explosives put inside their breasts. The bombs are close to impossible to detect as they are made of PETN (pentaerythritol tetranitrate). PETN is also one of the most powerful explosives in existence. The British intelligence service who discovered this "tactic" found that the surgeons were trained in the United Kingdom to place the explosives just as they would silicon gel for breast implants.

This is scary because apparently, an explosive C cup could blast a hole in an airplane's fuselage, easily causing it to crash. Also, it isn't just women... MI5 has also found out that men have been putting the PETN explosives in their buttocks.

The only way to detect these PETN explosives are by body scanners, but there has been some controversy over using those in the airports. Many deem them useless and unnecessary. Also, there have been incidents in the past in which airport workers have "abused" the equipment: click for direct link of an example.

I guess some people could call the person who thought of putting bombs inside people is creative, but I disagree. I think whoever thought this is slightly gross. It is pretty scary that it seems like the suicide bombers with PETN are almost impossible to detect.

Long Planned NATO Assault on Kandahar

Kandahar is a souther Afghanistan City that is a Taliban's spiritual home. It used to serve as Taliban's capitol prior to 2001. The long planned assault it supposed to start in June and end before Ramadan ( Muslim Holy Month ) in August. Many believe the two month attack on Kandahar will be an indicator of President Obama's capabilities as a bellwether of the war. The attack will also be a major test of President Obama's new strategy in Afghanistan.

Currently, the US is working to secure transit routes and trying to convince regions around Kandahar to cooperate with NATO forces. Obama has ordered a deployment of 3000 more troops to Afghanistan. However, military officials expect "thousands more" to be sent to Kandahar.

I question the necessity of another 3000 +several thousand more troops being sent to Afghanistan. Also, I didn't get a sense of confidence from reading military officials' quotes... They say they hope it will be better than past attacks, but who knows? Since it has already been decided and has been planned for a long time, I guess all I can do is hope that we succeed and if possible, quickly.

No Matter What, We Pay for Others’ Bad Habits

This relates to Mr. Silton's post earlier: "Sin Tax Example: Taxing Alcohol vs. Taxing Drunk Drivers"

"Why should be pick up the tab when so much disease in our country stems from unhealthy behavior like smoking and overeating?" After the health care bill was passed last week Americans began to question why we are paying for other peoples mistakes and bad habits. Most Americans think it is fair for the people with unhealthy lifestyles to may more for health insurance. But that would lead to sticky and complicated situations.

Individual choices are not the only thing that contribute to bad health or disease. Factors such as social status, income, family dynamics, and genetics contribute to unhealthy life styles as well. Forcing healthy behavior is extremely difficult and usually does not work, especially when people are already caught in the lifestyle of obesity, smoking, binge drinking, etc. Reversal of habits in these situations often require a vast amount of time, effort , and money. "It's the context of people's lives that determine their health" said a World Health Organizations report, "So blaming individuals for poor health or crediting them for good health is inappropriate"

More Doubt on Global Warming

Unexpectedly, climate scientists and meteorologists have views conflicting as much as those of Coal State Democrats and coastal liberals regarding global warming.

"Climatologists, who study weather patterns over time, almost universally endorse the view that the earth is warming and that humans have contributed to climate change. There is less of a consensus among meteorologists, who predict short-term weather patterns." - Leslie Kaufman

A meteorologist from AccuWeather stated that "it is more likely that the planet is cooling" and that he "distrusts the data."

He is only one of the several other meteorologists who think likewise. Accoding to a survey done by George Mason University, only about half of the surveyed weather casters (571) believed global warming was occurring, and less than believed that the climate change was due to human activities.

Because weather casters dominate communication channels to the public, the disagreement between climate scientists and meteorologists is getting huge political and academic attention. (56% of the Americans trusted meteorologists more than news media or public figures. ) Several deem this dominance as "dangerous" and several are working to shrink the divide. For example, Yale and the National Environmental Education Foundation are working hand in hand to close the gap with research and educational forums.

It basically comes down to this: “'In a sense the question is who owns the atmosphere: the people who predict it every day or the people who predict it for the next 50 years?'” -Bob Hensen, a science writer for University Corporation for Atmospheric Research.

SCO vs. Novell

I found this case rather intriguing as it involves technology. SCO, a software and litigation company, is suing Novell over claims of ownership of Unix IP (intellectual property). It seems the basis of either side is that Novell sold Unix to Santa Cruz Operations (which later becomes part of SCO) and thus, SCO owns it, but in the original deal, Novell never actually sold the IP part of Unix, just the revenue section. Now, after many attempts of SCO's to get Unix IP, Novell has filed a writ of certiorari in hopes of settling it once and for all.

I feel the end of a case of such nature will bring about more definitive lines of legislation that will determine how intellectual property is handled. If a developer writes a section of code but is paid by another for that section of code, who owns the right to it?

Here are a few links you might be interested in for a better background of the case.

9 teens charged in bullying that led to girl's suicide

On January 14 after what appeared to be a torturous day, Phoebe Prince hung herself in her family's apartment. Nine Massachusetts teenagers have been charged on the grounds of bullying (verbal and physical abuse, rape, etc) which led to her suicide. Apparently faculty members and several students witnessed the bullying on the day of her death, but no one reported it until after her death.

Prince was the new kid in town who has just moved from Ireland. She was harassed at both at school and on the walk back home on a regular basis. She was harassed the day of her death because of what "appears to have been motivated by the group's displeasure with Phoebe's brief dating relationship with a male student that ended six weeks earlier" But this harassment had been going on for nearly 3 months prior to this date. (which included verbally abusive, assaultive behavior and treats of physical harm)

Hampshire ground jury charged:

• 17-year-old Sean Mulveyhill with salutatory rape, violation of civil rights and bodily injury resulting, criminal harassment and disturbance of a school assembly
• 18-year-old Austin Renaud with statutory rape
• 17-year-old Kayla Narey with violation of civil rights wit bodily injury resulting, criminal harassment and disturbance of school assembly
• 3 other girls with violations including civil rights with bodily injury resulting and two were charged with stalking
• 3 other girls named in complaints charged with violation of civil rights with bodily injury resulting, criminal harassment and disturbance of a school assembly, violation of civil rights, criminal harassment and assault by means of dangerous weapon

This story is beyond shocking. This involved teenagers just like us seniors. The part that is most disturbing is the fact that this 3-month campaign of bullying took place mainly on school grounds, where faculty members and administrators failed to prevent it. (students said faculty members had intervened but the school's code of conduct was inconsistently enforced) Fault is equally put on both the students and faculty. This incident could have been prevented, and this just comes to show that bullying and harassment need to be taken seriously. While this kind of behavior is not widely apparent in our high school, everyone needs to take a step back and realize that all those assemblies on respect, and behavior have a purpose.

2010 US Census

I originally wished to make this post about the lack of detail that the US Census form requires members of the household to provide. (The forms only require you to state people's name, sex, age, DOB, race, and place of residence. It makes no mention of economic status, income, employment, etc.) However, after doing some research, I learned that the US Census conducted every 10 years isn't the only one out there, and I decided to share what I learned.

Decennial Census: conducted every 10 years; collects information necessary for determining the apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives; described in the Constitution

Economic Census: conducted every 5 years; measures activity of individual businesses with at least 1 paid employee and significant production

Annual Economic Surveys: conducted annually/quarterly/monthly for differect sections of the economy; "measure a wide variety of economic activities, from capital expenditures for food manufacturing companies to annual auto dealership sales"; includes the Annual Survey of Manufactures (ASM), County Business Patterns (CBP), Zip Code Business Patterns (ZBP), Nonemployer Statistics (NES)

American Community Survey: ongoing, provides data about the community every year

Puerto Rico Community Survey: equivalent of the American Community Survey for Puerto Rico

Population Estimates Program: estimates population numbers between censuses

For more information, check out the US Census Bureau Homepage here.

Catholic Church abuse allegations ripple across the globe

In the past decades, the Catholic church is proving to be not so thorough covering up or handling child abuse charges. The Vatican hierarchy has been flooded with accusations about sexual abuse of children in Wisconsin, Germany and Ireland. I have always heard of sexual abuse cases within the church, but I never realized how appalling the numbers are. I was shocked when I read the following information.

Wisconsin

• Last week the New York time reported that from 1950-1974, Reverend Lawrence C. Murphy molested at least 200 boys at a school for deaf children in Wisconsin He was simply moved to another institution to continue his "religious work" for the next 24 years
• Cardinal Joseph , Pope Benedict XVI was in charge of the Congregations for the Doctrine of Faith (Vatican department for investigating these allegations)
• When Murphy was put under trial he pleated "I simply want to live out time that I have left in the dignity of my priesthood. i ask your kind assistance in this matter"
• The trial was halted and Murphy died in 1998 free of accusation

Germany

• Peter Hullerman working the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising was accused of molesting boys and was approved for therapy in 1980
• Hullerman was permitted to continue parish work in the path of more young children
• In 1986 Hullerman was convicted on sexual molestation charges. Only after his criminal history was revealed to the congregation was he suspended from his work as a priest
• The German wing of the church recently hired an attorney. "The cases are growing everyday," said Thomas Pfister, the attorney appointed by the German church to investigate abuse charges

Ireland

• The Commission to Inquire Into Child Abuse which just ended its 9 year investigations states the the church leaders knew sexual abuse to be "endemic" but did little to stop it
• 2000 witnesses detailed that the church officials used rape, beatings, and other tactics to maintain a "culture of serving secrecy"
• More cases of abuse are appearing in other parts of Europe such as Austria, Italy, Netherlands and Switzerland

Sin Tax Example: Taxing Alcohol vs. Taxing Drunk Drivers

See here. The comment thread is generally worthwhile. Raising alcohol taxes would also impact the ability of young people to consume alcohol, which, given the rates of binge drinking, might be another good outcome. Or maybe the prudes have found a politically acceptable way to raise taxes on people other than themselves.

Severe storms, tornadoes lash Southeast

Tornadoes in Northern Carolina took people out of their homes and destroyed many peoples lives work. The article reminded me of hurricane Katrina, although it is not nearly of the same magnitude. I think it will be interesting to see how our government responds to this catastrophe. Maybe they will emphasize their help efforts to try to put a new image in Americans minds about how the United States government responds to natural disasters within our borders and make the same mistakes. Have we learned our lesson?

Another War?

A South Korean Battleship was sunk today, killing 46 people. "Yonhap quoted military officials as saying that an unidentified explosion tore a hole in the ship's rear, shutting off the engine." says Andrew Salmon from CNN. The area where the incident occurred is a flashpoint maritime border area between North Korea and South Korea.

"The waters in the disputed western sea near the Koreas make up the most volatile section of the border. North Korea rejects a maritime demarcation line drawn by the United Nations at the end of the war. The two sides engaged in naval clashes in 1999 and 2002. In November, naval patrol boats from the North and South exchanged fire after a North Korean boat crossed the disputed sea border." (The International Herald Tribune)

Tension heightened today as North Korea and South Korea had dispute over tourism around

the area....

Is the war that has been put off for fifty years now, finally coming? Is there any hope of

reconciliation between the two countries? If so, it seems most likely that the US would be involved,

but what role would China play? Who really sunk the battleship?

Moscow Subway Kills Dozens

Though the cause of the blasts were ambiguous, there were two huge explosions affecting two Moscow subways today during rush hour. The Russian agencies suspect that the explosions were caused by two suicide bombers yet nothing is clear... The explosions were forty minutes apart according to the New York Times, and thirty minutes apart according to CNN. Approximately a little less than 45 people were killed and many more injured. This is one of several attacks on Russia's subway system, one of the world's most extensive. There have been three only in the past decade all of which had high casualties.

Moth forces wine country's secret into the open

Somehow, a grape-eating moth has found its way from Europe to the heart Napa Valley. No one knows exactly how this pest found its way to Napa Valley, but this puts federal agriculture investigators and researchers under harsh scrutiny. This "contamination" is suspected to have come from "Suitcase smuggling", an act that many Vintners now admit that they used this strategy to help build a handful of exceptional vineyards in the 1980s."A handful of California's best vintners today admit to having used "suitcase cloning" to avoid yearslong waits in USDA quarantine for their vines."

No one knows how the moth was brought in. Many farmers suspect that this is the product of vine smuggling. "Agricultural officials say that had the European grapevine moth (Lobesia botrana) innocently evaded inspectors on a container ship, the first trapping of the grape eater would have been near a port. Instead the pest that has proliferated across European vineyards appeared last September in the heart of the region where fine cabernet can fetch hundreds of dollars a bottle." In other words, this contamination was most likely caused by human vine smuggling.

Who knew such a small bug could cause such huge problems for these farmers. But honestly the people who decided to break the law are the ones to blame. They decided to "cheat" by smuggling vines and taking shortcuts around the USDA, and because of this, Napa Valley has to deal with their problems. Whoever caused this mess is ruining their own business along with everyone else's.

More Doctors Giving Up Private Practices

There has been growing concern about the continuing trend away from small private practices and towards salary jobs at hospitals. Many of us are familiar with small private physicians from dentists and orthodontists, to podiatrists and optometrists. Because young physicians are becoming burdened by medical school debts and the costs of opening private practices there has been a huge drop in physician owned businesses in the last few years. These numbers are expected to drop as doctors decide to accept salaries at hospitals rather than worrying about the risks of a running a private business. The rise of bigger health care organizations may explain the rising costs of private health insurance. As the system continues this trend, more and more Americans will see the health care system as a monopoly.

For patients, this transformation is a "mixed blessing". Bigger health care systems can provide better care, but the the individual patient-doctor relationship that many of us still experience may no longer exist. What do you guys think?

Middle Class?

I thought this was a great article to post because this is exactly what we were talking about during the the Socratic seminar.

This article talks about ways different ways measure whether your household is holding steady or whether you are are slipping down further and further. Everyone knows this economy has put many families in an economic struggle, but this is one way to measure the how much your living standards have actually changed. From Income and Medical expenses to Everyday Spending and Education, the economy has shifted what we determine luxury versus necessity.

Best Week Ever!?!

The Obama administration just had its best week ever, even better than the inaugural. Consider:

1. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is law. Not only that, in a bit of a stunning reversal, the context of its enactment may have helped the Democratic party and hurt the GOP. With "deem and pass" and faux-drama about Senate reconciliation rules, a week ago it looked like the Republicans were creating a winning issue about legislative process on the way down and riling up their base while doing so. That was always stunningly hypocritical given their own use of those exact same procedures, but that didn't mean it lacked political bite. Then Pelosi called an audible and the Democrats ditched "deem and pass," deftly handled the abortion issue (Mark Shields correctly points out that no male Speaker of the House would have had the credibility to pull that off), and it passed. The night of its passage, GOP members of the House described it as "totalitarian" and that it would lead to an "apocalypse." Anti-abortion stalwart Bart Stupak (D-MI) was called "baby killer!" from the gallery.

Some ugly behavior by right-wing protesters has shamed their cause. Before the vote, a man with Parkinson's disease demonstrating in favor of the bill in Columbus, OH, was mocked as "looking for a handout" by, among other insults, having people stand over him and throw dollar bills on his crippled body (one of those has since apologized). In DC, some wingnuts really came off the screw and called members of Congress "N_____" and "F__" as the walked past their rally at the Capitol. Other miscreants have vandalized lawmakers' offices in various cities around the country.

Back inside the capital, Republican Senators offered a series of frivolous amendments to the 2nd "fix-it" bill that came over from the House and Harry Reid kept the Senate in session until 2:30 a.m.!!! Harry, I didn't know you had it in you. The GOP folded the next day, realizing the political theater wasn't going like they had planned. They did rile up their base, but that in turn riled up the Democratic base. It also unified the Democrats in the Congress, who are set to bring up legislation on financial reform (which will be very popular), changing "No Child Left Behind" and immigration. In each case, if the GOP derails the bill, the Democrats have a winning issue, although I'm less sure about how immigration reform will play in a bad economy. It is entirely possible that 2 or 3 more major reform laws will be enacted this year. How's that hopey-changey thing goin for ya?

That in and of itself would be best week ever. But ALSO

2. A major nuclear arms treaty with Russia was finalized. Did Obama just earn that Peace Prize? It is said that Henry Kissinger and George Shultz (2 former GOP Secretaries of State from the Cold War) support this treaty, which will really help as Obama needs 67 votes to ratify it in the Senate. I think the treaty is in our interests and I hope this doesn't get overly political, but if it does, I think it will drive establishment Republicans out into open revolt against the neocons. I think Obama needs to sit down with both George Bushes on this one, because a unanimous group of ex-Presidents can defeat the militarists, even in the Senate. Should be interesting.

3. The student loan reform package is law (bundled onto the ACA). Liberal policy wonks are happy about this. This creates more money for Pell Grants while removing a moral hazard by nixing a bank subsidy. There is probably not much change from a student point of view insofar as the loans themselves are concerned: the costs derive from the credit market and the administration of the loans (the bureaucracy part) is being outsourced back to the existing banks as service providers, which lessens the impact on the existing job structure for them but means you'll be dealing with the same people on the same terms, more or less.

4. The final results of the recent election in Iraq are in and this election was encouraging. Yes, the results are being contested as the the apparent winner (with a plurality) was a surprise, turning out to be a secular Sunni party headed by Allawi, who served in a previous Iraqi administration born from the American occupation. Back then, the country was riven with sectarian conflicts between Shia, Sunni, and Kurd that led to a brief civil war. Now, several leading political parties are emphasizing Iraqi nationalism and they are being rewarded with election victories. This is good for the US because it seems that the Iraqis are making peace with each other, because they want US military forces to leave (and we want to come home), and because they are generally secular in orientation and opposed to al-Qaeda. Now, if al-Malaki doesn't concede eventually then it is a big mess, and even when he does, Allawi doesn't have a majority and will need to put together a coalition government. Nonetheless, with every passing election, democracy in Iraq becomes more normalized and more legitimate.

If it holds, it also means that Bush was right to proceed with "the surge" when plenty of people (myself including) were willing to throw in the towel and let the place burn. If it holds, it will also free up military assets for the Afghanistan theater, which is also heading in the right direction. This is the first time in a long time that both those conflicts are improving at the same time.

The news from the rest of the world is mixed. Relations with Israel are frosty as the balance of power within Israel has tilted to the religious right-wing, but apparently Obama holds a Seder.

The New York Times and Washington Post have published pieces that directly challenge the moral authority of the Pope. The revelations about child abuse in Germany and Ireland were alarming enough, but the story about the deaf boys from Wisconsin actually made me cry.

I believe that justice doesn't just happen when you die. There should be justice on earth, and this criminal pervert is just unforgivable. And it wasn't just the church hierarchy that failed to act in this shocking case. Civil authorities failed miserably in their duties, too.

As much as I criticize the state of journalism, American newspapers have played a part in bringing truth to power here. The Boston Globe broke the story in Massachusetts in 2002. Since then, it has spread all over the world. This is a very sad situation, and I believe the church will come to regret its recent defensiveness. Blaming the liberal media isn't going to cut it.

It's been a big news week. Buried in all this was news that the Social Security trust fund has hit the tipping point 6 years ahead of expectations and that the United States is going to start selling off some major assets acquired as part of a prior bailout, notably Citigroup. The Fed made a point of confirming their commitment to a low Fed Funds rate, which makes me think this asset sale more about properly re-privatizing these firms for the sake of doing so and for the revenue it will raise than as a shift in monetary policy. But another piece of news was that a recent original auction for Government Bonds didn't sell well -- the bond market may well tire of US debt and extract a higher premium.

Bow down to the bond market, slaves.

The Obama Administration Aids Homeowners?

Background to the situation:

The foreclosure crisis is bringing down the economy and threatening to put many Americans in a position without homes. Congress pressured the Obama administration to do something. Hence, the initiatives to help homeowners:

1. Refinancing several million homeowners into government-sponsored mortgages that are cheaper.
2. Temporarily alleviate payments of those who are unemployed and seeking jobs.
3. Encourage lenders to write down the value of loans for borrowers in modification programs.

The Problem:

1. The people who have been able to keep up with their payments may protest as the aid is almost solely directed at those experiencing financial hardship.

2. If the plan is successful, it could potentially put taxpayers at higher risk.

a. “If many additional borrowers move into F.H.A. loans, a renewed downturn in the housing market could send that government agency into the red.” –David Streitfeld (NY TIMES)

Indian military to weaponize world's hottest chili

I thought this was pretty funny. It doesn't sound like a bad idea. The world's hottest chili has the potential to be an effective weapon without actually harming its victims. This is really creative.

Check this out: "It has more than 1,000,000 Scoville units, the scientific measurement of a chili's spiciness. Classic Tabasco sauce ranges from 2,500 to 5,000 Scoville units, while jalapeno peppers measure anywhere from 2,500 to 8,000." I can't even imagine how spicy that would be to eat. No way am ever putting that in my food.

The article mentions the "ghost chili" as a use for " aerosol sprays to be used by women against attackers and for the police to control and disperse mobs." It could be used as a new type of pepper spray. I wonder if the chili juice would actually damage one's eyes though. Anyways, I think this is a really creative way for using a type of food. Who knew food could be used as a weapon?

Americans Approve of Healthcare by Slim Majority

Taking a look at the Gallup polls measuring Americans' overall reaction and emotional reaction to the passage of the Healthcare bill, it's heartening to know that a majority, although by a slim margin, approve of the bill's passage. I had trouble loading the polls to this post, so I'll restate their findings for you here:

Overall Reaction to Passing the Healthcare Bill:

• 49% of adults said the passage of healthcare was a good thing, compared to 40% saying it was a bad thing. 11% had no opinion.
• As expected, a majority of the Democrats polled (79%) said the passage was a good thing, and a majority of the Republicans polled (76%) said it was a bad thing.
• Independents were deeply divided on the issue, with 46% saying it was a good thing, 45% saying it was a bad thing, and 10% holding no opinion

Emotional Reaction to Passing the Healthcare Bill:

• 50% of national adults are either enthusiastic or pleased about the bill's passage
• 42% of national adults are either disappointed or angry about the bill's passage
• 8% of national adults hold no opinion
• Democratic and Republican skews are as predicted (Democrats more pleased, Republicans more disappointed)
• The curve for Independents, however, is interesting: 10% are enthusiastic, 35% are pleased, 27% are disappointed, 20% are angry, and 9% have no opinion. Although the highest percentage are pleased, Independents are twice as likely to be angry than enthusiastic, which is interesting.

One of the most interesting observances from the second poll is that only about a third of national adults polled felt strongly about the passage of the bill (15% enthusiastic, 19% angry). Given all the national hype about healthcare and all the fierce political debate going on in Washington, you would think Americans would be more passionate about the bill.

I also found it interesting that most of those who oppose healthcare do so because of supposed rising costs of insurance (20%), the bill does not address the real problems (19%), and because they need more clarity on how the system would work (9%). The last point is completely bogus; there have been plenty of explanations out there deconstructing the bill to help the public understand its provisions, so if you don't want healthcare because you're too lazy to read an article explaining it, then I don't know what to say to you. Regarding the second point, I think this bill's a start, and a good one at that. Would you reject a helping of icing because you can't get the cake all at once? And regarding the first point...well, that's why insurance is now mandatory for everyone: to keep costs down, because now insurance companies actually have to cover people who are sick. Also, a main reason the bill was proposed in the first place was to keep costs down; insurance was not getting any cheaper, and people have been seeing their premiums rise all year.

So, what are your opinions? Where do you fit in on these Gallup polls? And why do you think the polls turned out the way they did?

Google Pulls Out From China

Yesterday, Google closed its search engine in China after two months of threatening to leave due to censorship issues and Chinese hackers. The google.cn address does not work anymore, and users from mainland China are now directed to an uncensored Google search engine site in Hong Kong.

The move has spurred conflict between the international company and China. Chinese officials appear angered, citing that Google broke its promise to retain agreed upon censorship contracts. However, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said that it would handle the act "according to the law," and that the move should not affect Chinese-U.S. relationships. Google's chief legal officer said that he hoped "the Chinese government respects our decision."

Google's withdrawal from China is only partial, for now. Although the search engine no longer functions, Google will maintain their online maps and music services, as well as its research, development, and sales teams on the Chinese mainland.

Although censored, many believed that Google's entrance into China's market would allow Chinese citizens access to much more outside information. It symbolized China's growing acceptance of foreign influence on its citizens. Now that Google has removed itself from China, many Chinese have grown worried, especially students and professors who have lost access to Google's vast resources.

Looking from a business point of view, should Google have pulled out of China (keep in mind that only a small share of Google's overall profit is from China)? From a political and social point of view, was this a wise decision? Should this even be considered from the latter two points of views, or should it be contained purely as a business matter?

To read more about the official dealings, please read Google's blog post, with details about the situation.

India's newest class=the spending gurus

What is money if we don't spend it? This question does not seem to pose a problem for India's newest economic class of nouveau riche farmers. Many of these farmers have found themselves suddenly rich by selling their land and reaping the benefits.

It is not these new pockets of wealth that are of interest, however; it's what these newly rich farmers decide to do with their money. For many, the influx of cash translates to "Spend Big, and Spend Now." The attached picture illustrates this: the newly rich Yadav family has decided to marry off their son by flying him in a helicopter to his bride's hometown. Although this impulsive consumption could be blamed on poor education and financial planning, as well as the allure of cold hard cash, sociologists say that much of it is due to the desire of lower casts to "show off their social mobility, partly by emulating the practices of the upper classes."

In India, a country with a strict caste system, social mobility is considered a rarity and a well-earned privilege. Everyone wants to be better than their neighbors, and the more material wealth you show off, the richer you are perceived to be. In fact, many of these farmers are truly rich by Western standards. But we're seeing the same effect here as was demonstrated by the Harvard students economics study - it doesn't matter how much money you have; it just matters how much you have in comparison to everyone else.

Reconciliation: What is the Republican Strategy?

Senate Democrats have decided to take up budget reconciliation of the health bill to fix any last-minute errors and add necessary amends to the bill before it becomes law. For more information about what reconciliation involves and procedural details, please look here, but for now I would like to explore the Republican reconciliation strategy.

After losing, to put it bluntly, the healthcare debate, Republicans are now faced with a decision: to make worthwhile amends to a bill that they really have no chance of repealing and face criticism for supposedly "supporting" the bill, or reject all amends and blame Democrats for a lackluster bill, hoping that Americans will forget they didn't want healthcare in the first place. Right how, it's looking like they're leaning towards the latter, and that all Senate Republicans will appose the changes. Their top target to bring down is a list of changes to a proposed tax on high-cost employer-sponsored insurance policies. Obama had negotiated changes to the tax with the heads of organized labor, and successfully blocking the proposed changes could create a political "headache" for Obama.

A new strategy put forth by the Senate Republicans is to portray the changes desired by Senate Democrats as detrimental to the health bill. However, as the article states, "It was unclear that the argument would stick, given that many of the changes in the reconciliation measure are intended to adjust provisions the Republicans themselves had criticized."

But the question is, will these strategies work? Can the Republicans really succeed in portraying healthcare as a bad thing, and Democrats as the real "losers"? Politics is the game now, but when people's lives are saved and sick children suddenly receive care, I think the rules of the game will change drastically, and most likely not on the side of the Republican naysayers.

How Does the Health Bill Affect You?

Visit this interactive and easy-to-understand guide written by the New York Times. The bill will most likely affect everyone in some way or another, whether in a big way or small, so I highly suggest you take a look.

10 Places NOT to Use Your Debit Card

I thought this informative article was pretty interesting because I use my debit card A LOT. I usually use my debit card instead of cash, because I hate getting a bunch of coins back when I pay with cash. However, I guess there's some disadvantages to using debit cards all the time because as the article says, it is a direct line to your bank account. That's scary to think about. The ten places that you shouldn't use your debit card are:

1. Online
2. Big-Ticket items
3. Deposit required items
4. Restaurants
5. When you're a new customer
6. Buy now, take delivery later
7. Recurring payments
8. Future travel
9. Gas stations and hotels
10. Checkouts or ATMS that look "off."

The article explains in more detail why these 10 places are no good for debit cards. I guess i'll be paying more attention to where I'm using my debit card next time. But cash is so annoying!


Oh shoot. Sorry Brian. I didn't know you posted on the same article haha. I started my post yesterday so I just continued it today, and didn't go to the home page of the blog. Sorry! I don't see a delete button to delete my post. :[

10 Places NOT To Use Your Debit Card

Many, if not most, people have credit or debit cards, including many high school students. Although online usage is probably the biggest assumed risk with credit cards, many other surprising places have proven to be risky.

According to research from various sources such as the Credit Union National Association and the National Consumer Law Center, the top 10 places that you should NEVER use your credit card are:

Online
On "Big Ticket" Items
When a Deposit is Required
In Restaurants
When You're a New Customer
"Buy Now, Deliver Later"
On Recurring Payments
Future Travel
Gas Stations and Hotels
and
Checkouts and ATMS that "Look 'Off'"

Although some of these places may seem pretty random, the reasons for each are provided, in detail, in the full article. For example, if you use a debit card at a gas station or a hotel, "some gas stations and hotels will place holds to cover customers who may leave without settling the entire bill".

These ten particular places surprised me, other than "online". Have any of you ever experienced an issue with using a debit card in these or other places?

Classic to the Core: Luxury companies that stayed true to their roots didn't merely survive the recession, they thrived.

The recession. It seems to be a hot topic on many people's minds, and, unfortunately, the damage it did withstands the efforts being put forward to end it.

Many businesses were forced to close or downsize due to the lack of sales profits, but some businesses were able to pull through. Those few lucky businesses may surprise you.

Labels like Louis Vuitton and Burberry were actually able to maintain-or even improve-their sales, by bringing back old classics to their stores.

Louis Vuitton, a 156 year old company, has done particularly well during this time of economic struggle. By viewing and selling products as "almost a piece of art," LV has been able to thrive over the last few years.

It strikes me as strange that luxury brands such as these have been able to bea the recession, while other inexpensive companies have crumbled.