Pa. district took 56,000 images on student laptops

In Philadelphia there is a school district that secretly captured about 56,000 webcam photos and screen shots from the laptops that were given out to high school students. Blake Robbins, sophomore, was one of the students who were being tracked by this "tracking program" every 15 minutes. Within the 56,000 photos that were taken about 400 times during a 15-day period. Many of the photos would consist of students daily lifestyle which includes sleeping/dressing, screen shots of instant messages/video chats amongst one and another. As part of the lawsuit, a federal judge is set to begin a confidential process of showing parents the images that were captured of their children. Then within weeks the school district will release a written report on an internal investigation.

Having a tracking program on each individual's laptop provides students with no privacy at all. No only do the student himself feel insecure, but also the people that he is associating with over instant messaging/video chat. I find it outrageous that a school district would do such thing, and i dont really think this is much different from spying on your own students in the gym locker rooms. Are there any positive sides of this "tracking program"?!

Airline makes passengers pay for carryon luggage

A few weeks ago, the company Spirit Airlines was the first airline in the country to make passengers pay for a carry on baggage. They charge $45 for each carry on item that is too small to fit beneath a seat but that can fit in the over compartment. So basically if you can fit the luggage under your seat(with little to no room for your feet!) you can have the luggage there for free. The CEO of Spirit Airlines, Ben Baldanza has defended the fees, saying fewer carry-on bags will help empty the plane faster and that the cost of most tickets would be reduced by $40.

But yesterday, a report from the democratic senator Charles E. Schumer explains that five airlines will not allow the same fee to occur in their flights. The airlines are american airlines, U.S airways, united airlines, delta airlines and jet blue airways.

Thankfully these five major airlines did not allow one airline to pressure them into copping out some more fees for passengers to pay. In general, I believe this fee for carry on luggages is completely ridiculous and I feel that it is a cheap way to make some money. Especially the fact that the luggage would be considered free if you can fit it under your seat. Are you serious? Will there be any room for your feet? How would storing it under your feet be any different then storing it in a storage compartment? What if some one trips over the bag supposedly under the seat? I am really glad that the biggest and most popular airlines did not buy these lame tactics, and I am guessing that there is a reason why no one has really ever heard of Spirit Airlines, and will continue not to know about it.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20002468-503544.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/19/business/19bags.html?scp=1&sq=Spirit%20Airlines&st=cse

10-year-old's pregnancy fuels Mexican abortion debate

A 1o year old in Mexico is 17 and a half weeks pregnant, a product of being raped by her own stepfather. While abortions are legal in Mexico City, the state in which the girl lives only allows abortions in cases of rape in the first 90 days following the incident, which means it is too late for her to have this baby aborted. However, advocacy groups are even calling the UN to help navigate the issue, arguing that the girl was not aware of her abortion rights. As of now, the victim and the fetus are fine, but at such a young age it has been deemed a "high risk pregnancy". As a largely Catholic country, 17 states of Mexico have passed laws "protecting life beginning at conception".

Perhaps its my own religious ambiguity, but I think especially in this scenario, what the Roman Catholic Church believes is of less importance than the health and safety of the mother, who would be a mother by no fault of her own and is indisputably far too young! Whatever comes of this (whether she has the child or not) this girl does not deserve to be under fire for it no matter what. The person who should be feeling more of the heat in this situation is her sick stepfather.

Air Travel Despite Volcano in Europe

This article is from: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100420/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_iceland_volcano;_ylt=AnRGc1cXttzQkRPSP9nPU6VvaA8F;_ylu=X3oDMTJqN2d2YXV2BGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTAwNDIwL2V1X2ljZWxhbmRfdm9sY2FubwRjcG9zAzEEcG9zAzIEc2VjA3luX3RvcF9zdG9yeQRzbGsDZXVyb3BlcmVzdW1l

From the beginning of today, the clouds began to emerge from Europe which allowed limited air traffic and thus gave hopes to millions of travelers stuck around the world. However, the eruption from the Icelandic volcano was said to be strengthening and improving and sending more ash towards Britain, which is making it very unlikely that the London airports will be reopened back on Tuesday.

"Starting Tuesday morning, 'we should see progressively more planes start to fly,' said EU Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas."

Ever since the volcanic explosion, Europe's aviation industry has faced more than $1 billion losses.

The visual flight rules states that a pilot is allowed "to fly without reference to instruments, if weather conditions are good enough so the pilot can see landmarks and avoid any other aircraft. Those flights need to be under 18,000 feet, lower than usual altitude for commercial traffic."

What do you guys think about allowing limited air traffic to resume in Europe even though there will be more ash heading towards Britain?

Addicted to Tanning Beds???

This article is from: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100419/hl_nm/us_addicted_tanning

There has been a recent study done by Catherine Mosher and Sharon Danoff-Burg to students at a northeastern university to experiment if whether people who lie in tanning beds too much have addictive behavior or not. The two researchers asked 229 students about alcohol and substance abuse behaviors; all of the students said that they have used indoor tanning beds in the previous year. Just under 22 percent of the study participants met the criteria for addiction. These people who met the criteria for addiction had indeed used tanning facilities more frequently in the previous years than those who are were not addicted.
The articles claims, "This is not the first study suggesting that tanning - whether outdoors or on tanning beds -- can be addicting. Others have found that as many as half young adults and beachgoers meet some criteria for a 'substance-related disorder' when it comes to tanning. Previous research has also linked tanning and cigarette smoking."
Mosher says, "From a public health perspective, the findings suggest that there may be a subgroup of individuals who are addicted to indoor tanning and have an underlying mood disturbance."
Of course, John Overstreet, a spokesperson for the Indoor Tanning Association rejects the idea that people who excessivly tan have an addiction. "According to the Association, 30 million people in the United States use indoor tanning facilities, making it a $5 billion industry."
What do you guys think about indoor tanning? Do you think that people will stop tanning if studies do confirm that indoor tanning is linked to addictive behavior and mood disorders?

Shooting at Tennessee Hospital; gunman kills 1 and self

While many people are marking the 15th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombings, another act of terror took place at the Parkwest Medical Center in Knoxville Tennessee. The shooting occurred at about 4:30 today and the gunman killed 1 woman and injured 2 others before committing suicide. All the victims were currently or formerly employed by Parkwest although there seems to be no relationship linking them nor, police suspect, did the gunman ever work there. No names have been released.

There seems to be a recent increase in shooting deaths, recently. With the Fort Hood shootings only a few months in the past and several shootings around schools in the East Bay, especially Richmond, if I remember correctly. I hope this isn't a trend and more of a symptom of heightened access to the news. Either way, it's tragic.

America's costliest condo

The most expensive condo is now on sale. Pièce de résistance, which is located in Mark Hotel, is selling for $60 million. Each square foot costs $6,600. If there was a 2,200 square foot house being built today at that price, it would cost $14 million. This condo is 9,037-square-foot with "five-bedroom, eight-bath, duplex penthouse, with a huge terrace."Along with these great features, the condo has great views in every room.

If there was a more expensive condo, I would like to know. This condo comes at an expensive cost, but I am sure there are buyers, such as CEOs. For CEOs who work in Manhattan, I think it would be worth the price to buy this condo because it is in the heart of the financial center, and it may be relatively close to their office. However, others might think at such a price in this economy, would it be really worth the price?

Oklahoma City marks 15 years since bombing

April 19, 2010 marked the 15 year anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing. United States Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told survivors and victims’ relatives that the city’s spirit in the wake of the tragedy served as an example to that nation. Napolitano also warned of the need for continued vigilance against terrorists. 168 lives were lost during the destruction of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in 1995 and more than 600 others were in injured in the blast, which at the time was the deadliest terrorist attack on United States soil. People observed 168 seconds of silence to honor the dead. "What defines us as a nation, as a people and as communities is not what we have suffered, but how we have risen above it, how we've overcome," Napolitano said. Shortly before 9:02 a.m. — when the bombing occurred — bells tolled in downtown Oklahoma City. Some family members visited the site of the federal building razed in the attack and left ribbons, wreaths and other objects on chairs that stand on the site to honor the dead. Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett said the city remembered the day of the bombing with reverence, "not because we can't forget but because we choose to remember. Napolitano said the bombing anniversary was a reminder of "the continued need for vigilance against the violent ideologies that led to this attack, so that we can recognize their signs in our communities and stand together to defeat them.” As you may or may not know, the person responsible for the Oklahoma City bombings was Timothy McVeigh. Prosecutors said McVeigh’s plot was an attempt to avenge the death of about 80 people in the government siege at the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Tex, exactly two years earlier. McVeigh was convicted on federal murder charges and executed in 2001. His accomplice, Terry Nichols, was convicted on federal and state bombing-related charged and is serving multiple life sentences at a federal prison in Colorado.

I can't even imagine what kind of day this might have been for the victims and families of the Oklahoma City bombing. Most of us were only 3 years old when this happened, but because of 9/11 we have a sense of what this act of terrorism was like for America. Like Napolitano said, the anniversary is a reminder to be aware of what is going on and how to recognize signs before it's too late. Like 9/11, America has learned from its mistakes and that is why security has become so tight at airports. Oklahoma City was one of the most deadliest attacks on American soil. It is tragic to see how many lives were greatly affected by this.

White Supremacist Rally in L.A

On Saturday morning, about 40 white supremacists gathered on the lawn of L.A's city hall to protest against immigration and to enforce stricter immigration laws. They gathered with signs that read "Sieg Heil", shouted out anti-immigration tirades and waved swastika flags. The rally was conducted by the National Socialist Movement and closely monitored by the Los Angeles Police Department.

They were responded by huge amounts of counter protest groups which included a wide variety of African American, Jewish, Latino, immigrants-rights and anarchist groups. The counter protest groups ended up being 10 to 1 to the supremacists, basically overwhelming the supremacist's group of only 40.

But ironically, it was the counter protest groups that ended up being in trouble. Dozens of protesters punched and kicked the supremacists, throwing rocks and bottles not only at the supremacists but also at the neighboring police. A few members of the protesters were arrested due to the violence.

I still cannot understand how this country allows for groups such as these to continue to rally. I understand that it is a part of freedom of speech to access a permit and to rally, but a neo nazi group, really? If there is a high chance that a group that professes racist ideals will rally and bring about an out-pour of violence, then why allow such a rally? It is even scarier that this occurred in one of the most popular cities of the U.S.

Link http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/04/white-supremacist-rally-at-los-angeles-city-hall-draw-hundreds-of-counter-protestors.html

Polish President Laid to Rest

Today, the Polish president Lech Kaczynski and his wife were laid to rest after their terrible plane crash in Russia. 50,000 mourners gathered the outskirts of the St. Mary's Basilica in Krakow, Poland to witness the entrance of the coffins. 61 people died in the plane crash such as major military leaders, but some of the relatives and family members of those who died were not able to attend the funeral due to the volcanic ash in the sky.

President Obama and other world leaders such as Prince Charles, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel also had to miss the funeral due to the volcanic ash.

I find it crazy that many relatives were not able to attend the funeral of their loved ones. I know that it is extremely difficult to postpone a funeral, but it is also extremely depressing that the relatives of those who also died in the plane crash were not able to bid their final goodbyes.

It is also crazy how an occurence in Iceland could possibly be affecting people all over the world. Its a little bizarre how even the president of the united states with the best technology cannot fly over to Europe. Experts were not messing around when they said that they believe it is unsafe to fly in these conditions.

Military docs pluck live shell from soldier's head

On April 15, 2010, an injured Afghani soldier at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan was taking a CT scan. As Lt. Col. Anthony Terreri was reading the CT scan, he noticed something unusual. Instead of a shrapnel lodged into the injured soldier's head, it was actually an unexploded ordnance, which is "a live round of ammunition that could detonate at any time." The cause of the unexploded ordnance in the soldier's head was due to an IED, a bomb, that released shards of metal that happened to strike the soldier's head. John Bini, the trauma care advisor, states that, "People will pack just about anything in to these things: rocks, nails, screws, explosives."

Just after looking over a second CT scan, Bini and his team discussed the risk of surgery. In order to conduct surgery without exploding the ordnance, Bini, who was the surgeon, had to take safety precautions such as turning off all volatile anesthetics and electricity. While Bini was the surgeon, Rengel monitored the "soldier's vital signs" with a "blood pressure cuff, a battery-operated heart rate monitor and some good old-fashioned arithmetic." Other personnel in the surrounding area were told to evacuate.

Bini reports that the ordnance did not penetrate the patient's brain. However, there was a signification fracture. As the surgery took place, Bini abandoned metal tools for the procedure, so he actually used his bare hands to pull the bomb out due to a fear that it would increase the chances of the bomb exploding,

This is a great story about a person who crosses the line to help another person of a different race. Even though he argues the real heroes are the soldiers, Bini risked his life for another person. I respect him for taking the necessary steps, under intensive pressure, to extract the unexploded ordnance.
By reading this article, I have realized that there are life-threatening risks for surgeons behind the scenes. We are fortunate to have soldiers and surgeons who dedicate their lives for our country.

On to Mars: Obama declares, 'I expect to see it'

On Thursday, President Barack Obama predicted that his new plans for space exploration would lead American astronauts on history, almost fantastic journeys to an asteroid and then to Mars - and in his lifetime - relying on rockets and propulsion still to be imagined and built. "I expect to be around to see it... we want to leap into the future," Obama said. Sound familiar? President John F. Kennedy's declared in 1961, "I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to Earth." That goal was fulfilled in 1969. President Obama has said that by 2025, the nation will have a new spacecraft "designed for long journeys to allow us to begin the first-ever crewed missions beyond the moon into deep space." "We'll start by sending astronauts to an asteroid for the first time in history," he said. "By the mid-2030s, I believe we can send humans to orbit Mars and return them safely to Earth. And a landing on Mars will follow. And I expect to be around to see it." The biggest criticisms of Obama's plans have been that they have lacked details and goals. Several Republicans, including Sen. David Vitter of Louisiana and Rep. Rob Bishop of Utah, assailed Obama's plan and speech, calling his plans "job-killing." White House science adviser John Holdren summed up Obama's program as "a faster pace in space, more missions to more destinations sooner at lower cost."

If NASA can do it, then why not? Another achievement for mankind sounds nice to me. I just hope that Obama is not biting off more than he can chew. If they can accomplish this then that's great. I just hope it's accomplished eventually in our lifetime.

South Korea uses a crane to raise the naval ship

On Thursday, South Korea used a crane to raise the naval ship from the Yellow Sea. On March 26, the same ship broke off in two near the border of North Korea. 25 out of 45 missing bodies of the crew were found in the hull of the navy corvette. South Korea hopes there will be evidence to what caused the sinking of the ship. For now, the ship will be at a naval base.

58 crew members were rescued. However, after a week of searching with no success, South Korea focused on raising the ship in hopes of finding more survivors. One of their unsuccessful rescue missions involved navy divers during the few hours after the naval ship sank. Due to "exceeding recommended times and depths under water," one navy diver died while others were hospitalized. Some argue that the public pressure placed on these divers were the cause of their excessive risks.

With only 58 members rescued, family members of the navy criticize that there was not enough action taken to rescue the crew members.

In the mean time, South Korea is not sure about the sinking of the naval ship. One theory is a mine, from the Korean War, struck the boat. However, South Korea has "backed away from casting blame on North Korea."

An unexpected loss of navy crew members is a tragedy for the South Korean people. Even though 58 crew members were rescued, there absolutely was not enough urgency in the beginning to rescue the other crew members that might have been still alive in the ship. However, I still applaud South Korea for their efforts to find the missing crew members, especially the navy divers who risked their lives.
I honestly think South Korea will find clues about why the ship sank. If not, lets hope a catastrophe like this does not happen in the near future.

Northern Europe Plagued with Ash

In Iceland, a huge volcanic eruption from the, wait for it, Eyjafjallajokull volcano has produced clouds of ash thousands of feet into the sky. It is the second time this month that this volcano has erupted, but it has been over 200 years since this month that it has been silent.

Northern Europe became the brunt of this massive destruction where the ash in the air has caused flight cancelations in the UK, Ireland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Belgium, Holland, France and Spain. All these airports will remain closed until midday Friday. It is reported that it is the first time in aviation history that all aircraft have been canceled across North Europe. People have been claiming the impact on travelers as "worse than 9/11" which I personally believe is a little drastic to say considering 9/11 was a manmade destruction and this was not.

Apparently the sky appears like a dusty haze and it smells of sulphur and rotten eggs.
The reason why the planes can't fly with these ash particles is not entirely because of visibiltiy, but rather if the ash gets into the engine, it blocks up all of the ventilation holes that bleed in cooling air. The engines just end up shutting down.

Wow, that is really crazy, considering people consider the effects worse than 9/11. There is a picture of the link of the cloud of ash from Iceland in the link, check it out!


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dk-matai/volcanic-fury-suspends-ai_b_539811.html

Toyota Suspends Sales of Lexus GX 460

Toyota is suspending the sales of the 2010 Lexus GX 460 worldwide. Consumer Reports labeled the Lexus GX 460 as unsafe ("Don't Buy: Safety Risk"), which prompted Toyota to ask Lexus dealers to suspend sales of the SUV. One of the problems Toyota is determined to fix is the increased risk of rollover during a turn.

Mark Templin, Lexus Group vice president and general manager, stated that, "We are taking the situation with the GX 460 very seriously and are determined to identify and correct the issue Consumer Reports identified."

Since the sale of the 2010 Lexus GX 460, which was 3 months ago, there have been 5,000 sold. Consumer Reports warn owners to drive with caution on exit ramps and call Toyota demanding repairs. In addition, they suggest car buyers to not purchase the Lexus GX 460 until the problems are corrected.

This is unfortunate Toyota is facing another car problem. Toyota held a reputation for safety, but it seems that there is no trust for their cars anymore. Toyota met or exceeded all federal government testing requirements for consecutive years, but they have gone downward ever since the recall. However, I don't blame public opinion. New Toyota cars have caused car accidents and killed some people with their sticking gas pedals and acceleration issues. Hopefully Toyota will find a resolution for this ongoing problem soon. Maybe the source of the problem is inventing new technology too quickly without sufficient routine tests.

Library of Congress to permanently archive Twitter posts

The Library of Congress announced Wednesday on its Twitter account that it will acquire the full history of Twitter messages dating back to March 2006. People are wondering what the Library and its users might do with the information. The creation of a Twitter archive will become useful for academic purposes. People will be able to do research about how news is broken, how quickly information spreads durig major world events, and how public sentiment on various topics change over time. As the Library of Congress' blogger says, "I'm no Ph.D., but it boggles my mind to think what we might be able to learn about ourselves and the world around us from this wealth of data. And I'm certain we'll learn things that none of us now can even possibly conceive."

...Great. Does this mean I have to watch what I tweet from now on? I think it's cool that the Library of Congress is interested in gathering all the Twitter "messages" which I can only assume that they are talking about tweets. Who knew Twitter would become so popular. Twitter is actually a useful website ...if you know how to use it correctly, that is. News is leaked faster on Twitter than any other website. I find out more information on Twitter than I could from reading a newspaper. Twitter accounts such as @BreakingNews make it easier to know what is going on with the world in short and simple tweets. Because you can access Twitter from your phone as well, it makes reading the news a whole lot easier. If you don't know what Twitter is, think Facebook but only status updates (with 140 characters or less).

Mississippi school district ordered to end racial segregation

A federal judge on Tuesday ordered a Mississippi school district to halt local policies that had allowed some of the district's schools and classes to become racially segregated. US District Judge Tom Lee gave the Walthall Country School District thirty days to amend its student transfer policy and ordered an immediate halt to the "clustering" of white students into certain classes in Tylertown, Mississippi elementary schools. Judge Lee has said that "the district shall cease using race in the assignment of students to classrooms in a manner that results in the racial segregation of students... the district shall randomly assin students to classrooms... through the use of a student management software program." Prior to Tuesday, the district had allowed more than 300 students, most of them white, to transfer from their assigned schools to schools that have a majority of white students. The second alleged violation involved grouping white students into a few designated classes at three other schools in Tylertown. The action created a significant number of all-black classrooms at each elementary grade level. Judge Lee ordered the district to take all necessary steps prior to the beginning of the 2010-2011 academic year to “accommodate the shifting enrollment patterns in the district expected to result” from the judicial ruling.

Someone tell Mississippi that it's 2010 and not 1954. I find it incredibly appalling that a school district would allow students to transfer to a school just because there is a significant amount of white students there. I'm surprised that they've been allowed to keep doing this for so long. I'm also surprised that there haven't been any parental complaints about the current situation. Clearly people don't realize that segregation is wrong. Why does it matter if people are black or white? I thought the country put that behind already.

Russian child returned by adopted parents

Apparently a family that adopted a young Russian child put the little 8 year old on a flight by himself and then hired a driver to drive him to the Russian Ministry of Education to return the child. As if this isn't nutty enough they gave him a note saying that he is mentally disturbed and a danger to everyone around him despite people around him saying he is completely normal.

The article went on to talk about foreign adoptions and whether they truly are a good idea and then gave some numbers about the huge amount of Russian orphans a large amount because their parents were deemed unfit by the Russian government. I'm all in favor of foreign adoption and have no problem with that but I'm just really confused about how deranged these former parents are. Seems like there should be some kind of investigation or something. Not government related but I thought this deserved some attention.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/04/13/russia.adopted.boy.returned.reaction/index.html?npt=NP1

Western Chinese province struck by 6.9 earthquake

The USGS reported on their website that a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck an area in southern Qinghai, near Tibet, on Wednesday morning and was followed by two quakes in the same region. There were no immediate reports of casualties in the remote rural area, but witnesses have described houses quickly crumbled. Ten minutes following the first earthquake, the area was hit by a magnitude 5.3 quake, and a 5.2 two minutes later. The death toll is now at 67 (updated at 8:23pm PST via @BreakingNews)

Another earthquake... pretty scary. It's a good thing that the death toll is not as high, mainly because not many people live in that region. Hopefully the death toll doesn't keep rising and damage is minimal. Seems like 2010 is truly the year of earthquakes.

Edit 04/14/10: Death toll has risen to 589 and over 10,000 are injured.

Facebook's New Safety Center

Today, Facebook has added a new "Safety Center." Some new features on this launch allow users to find more information about how to report cyber-bullying and pictures of yourself you do not like. There are also new safety resources "for parents, educators, teens and members of the law enforcement community." In addition, Facebook has added more explanations about frequently asked questions, changing privacy settings, how to block users, report users anonymously, and remove unwanted content on your profile page.

According to Chief Security Officer Joe Sullivan of Facebook, he reports that, "We've quadrupled the safety content available, and we've created cleaner, more navigable interfaces to help you find answers to safety questions fast."

Facebook hopes 400 million users will network safely as it is their top priority.

I am glad Facebook is adding more safety features. Recently, Phoebe Prince, who brought national attention, was cyber-bullied on Facebook continuously, which eventually was one of the causes of her death. Hopefully users will be able to navigate Facebook more safely with new safety content available. However, Facebook's recent update for safety had some errors, such as exposing users' profiles which were once private. But, I think Facebook got it right this time.

Gay Themes In Alameda Books Stir Parental Concern

An East Bay School district is trying to decide whether or not to approve of books that are meant to stop bullying, but parents are becoming concerned by some of the material that is presented in the books. The books are set to be approved Tuesday for use in the Alameda Unified School Disctrict's elementary schools. The books add lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people to the "don't bully" list. One example that concerns parents is that the book promotes a family with two mothers. Some parents said that they would rather see a book promote all types of families, which include single parents and a family with a mother and a father." The LGBT community is part of our community, and all groups need to be respected," School Board President Ron Mooney said. He also says, "I don't think that anyone would complain that we teach about Martin Luther King making demands about civil rights." On the other hand, Karen Cook (a parent) says, "It's telling people to ome out, and 'you need to be proud and you identify with this lifestyle,' that's not something the schools should be telling children." This program has been in the works for more than a year now. The original list of book was decreased from 100 to 20 per classroom.

I think it's sad that it seems like people are still living in the dark. Parents should realize that if children learn that it's wrong to bully people based on their sexual preferences, they'll be less likely to bully people when they're older. I think it's a great program that the school district is trying to introduce. Honestly, there should be more programs like this. It's parents like Karen Cook that are still holding the country back. I can somewhat understand where she's coming from, but I don't agree with her.

Al Qaeda trying to find nuclear materials

Al Qaeda over the past 15 years have been actively attempting to create or buy a nuclear device in any way they can. A US official said they are monitoring extremely carefully and says they are making little to no progress because of the enormous difficulty of making a nuclear device. Al Qaeda has been trying to buy nuclear materials perhaps to fashion into a "dirty" bomb which is a combination of traditional explosives and nuclear materials. The danger involved if Al Qaeda were ever to possess a nuke would be absolutely catastrophic and US forces are carefully monitoring to try and know if they make any progress.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/04/13/nuclear.terrorists/index.html?hpt=T2

The article I read seemed relatively calm about this and that definitely threw me off as this seems like huge news and incredibly troublesome. I can only imagine it's because of their lack of success that this isn't a much higher priority but this still comes as quite a shock even though I should have suspected Al Qaeda of this sort of terrorist action. Apparently there has even been 18 robberies or losses of the 2 key ingredients of nuclear bombs which is just absolutely preposterous that you can "lose" or have someone steal something so incredibly dangerous. I'm definitely hoping that the US can figure out some way to shut down this attempt at making nuclear bombs as the cost of not acting could be far greater than anyone could imagine.

Roethlisberger will not be charged with sexual assault

The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will not face charges after he was accused of sexual assault. During that evening on March 5, 2010, the women, who accused Roethlisberger of sexual assault, left her friends for the bathroom while they were still mingling with Roethlisberger's friends. Roethlisberger, she reports, followed her into the same bathroom where she was sexually assaulted. She reported the incident to the police soon after, but she did not want to press charges.

However, even though there is a claim that she was sexually assaulted, there is not enough evidence to prosecute successfully. The doctor who examined the victim "could not tell whether bruising on her genitals was from sexual assault." In addition, a rape-evidence kit "found a small amount of male DNA but not enough to create a profile." Other reports argue no one else was there to witness the crime.

Even though Roethlisberger will not be charged due to a lack of evidence, he will face league or team discipline, which is a small price to pay for the crime that he might have committed.

In my opinion, I dislike the fact that some professional athletes who commit crimes do not face the same severity of punishments as an average citizen. With a past history of an act related to sexual assault, there should have been a deeper investigation for this crime.

I wonder how this will affect his NFL career and social life, especially his role as a team leader.

Arsenic: The Solution to Blood Cancer

In China, scientists have discovered that arsenic ,which was previously used as a murder weapon during the Middle Ages, can get rid of blood cancer. Arsenic destroys the specific proteins that prolongs the cancer's life. Contrary to chemotherapy, arsenic's side effects are not as dangerous and risky. When treated with chemotherapy, patients often come back with negative results such as hair loss or suppression of bone marrow function. Arsenic is known as a toxic poison because its symptoms are undetected. However, China has discovered medicinal uses for arsenic different from Chinese traditional medicine. During 1992, Chinese doctors explained the application of arsenic in the treatment for acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). APL is a blood and bone marrow cancer and has over 90 percent cure rates in China. Zhang Xiaowei, the lead researcher at the State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics in Shanghai, demonstrated how Chinese doctors use modern equipment and arsenic to destroy specific proteins that would expand the cancer's life.

I am personally surprised that arsenic, a murder weapon in the middle ages, can be used to save cancer patients. I hope that in the future scientists will find more odd uses of poisons to improve human health.

Bangkok protest violence worsens

In Bangkok, Thailand there are huge anti-government rallies going on at the moment and over the weekend 20 people have been killed on both sides. Apparently 16 civilians and 4 soldiers have been killed along with 825 wounded. The United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship or "Red Shirts" are demanding that the lower house of the parliamentary body be dissolved and new elections called. Thailand earlier ordered a state of emergency to allow the military to break up large gatherings and search people without court orders. The fighting broke out when protestors attempted to break into military barracks and were fired upon by rubber bullets and tear gas. The protestors are largely supporters of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra who was taken out of power by a bloodless coup in 2006.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/04/11/thailand.protests/index.html?hpt=T2

I actually hadn't heard anything about this before I read this article but looking at the pictures and reading the reports this looks to be a huge issue going on in Thailand. Whenever there is a coup there are obviously those who supported the person taken out of power and in this case large protests have broken out over Bangkok. With the protestors firing real bullets at the security forces who are returning fire with tear gas and rubber bullets this will quickly escalate into the kind of civil war that could tear the country apart. With 20 dead just over the weekend we have to hope that the temporary truce that was established can hold until leaders from both sides are able to sit down and negotiate. I'd like to see some international involvement from the United Nations if it could help to facilitate discussions and prevent further bloodshed. I think all there is to do now is wait for the coming week and see how negotiations pan out and whether some kind of lasting truce can be reached or if further protests will occur.

Polish President's Plane Crashes

Polish President Lech Kaczynski and his wife were killed today (April 10th) when their plane crashed over Russia. 87 people were aboard and there were no survivors as the plane crashed when attempting to land. The Polish President was in Russia to attend the anniversary of when Polish officers were killed at the beginning of World War 2 by the Soviet Union.

Obviously this is a horrible tragedy and the people of Poland must truly be taking this hard. Losing the President of your country must be incredibly difficult for the health of the country as a whole and the political issues that crop up. At this point there is nothing to do but hope that everything remains stable and calm in Poland and that the victims of the plane crash did not suffer in any way.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/11/world/europe/11poland.html

Bullying Leads to Student's Death

On September 1, Phoebe Prince, who moved from Ireland to Massachusetts, walked into South Hadley High School. In the beginning of the year, Prince was pretty popular among her classmates. Prince had a boyfriend, Renaud, but they broke up in December. After they broke up, Renaud went back to his ex-girlfriend, Mullins. During this time, Mullins and her friends would bully Prince in different ways. In one situation, one of Mullins' friends, Velasquez, threatened Prince by saying that she'd "punch her in the face". In addition, they would call her names such as "whore" and "Irish slut". Even though Mullins and her friends bullied Prince, Prince didn't fight back. A witness stated, "She definitely didn't want to fight with the girls in the school. ....She wanted people to stop picking on her, to stop being bullied. She wanted people to leave her alone..." After a great amount of torture, Prince committed suicide.

Now, six of Prince's classmates are charged with felonies including violation of rights and stalking. Some of the classmates stated that they are innocent and have pleaded not guilty. Velasquez's lawyer said, "My client has been tried and convicted in the court of public opinion. I will remind you that we are dealing with a young adult, a child really, who is being swept up in circumstances that are beyond normal experiences."

This article reminded me that many students in the world are bullied daily for various reasons. Some bully individuals for their sexual orientation or for revenge. As I was researching information about this issue, I came across bullying statistics. These shocking statistics demonstrated that 1 in 4 kids is bullied and 1 in 5 kids admit to being a bully. In schools, teachers or students need to report bullying in order to prevent future student deaths.

University of Wisconsin cuts ties with Nike Inc. over Labor concerns in Honduras

Today, Univeristy of Wisconsin became the first university to cancel its licensing agreement with Nike Inc. over concerns about the company's treatment of workers in Honduras. Chancellor Biddy Martin says, "Nike has not developed, and does not intend to develop, meaningful ways of addressing the plight of displaced workers and their families in Honduras,...It has not presented clear long-range plans to prevent or respond to similar problems in the future. For this combination of reasons, we have decided to end our relationship for now." Nike released their statement Friday night saying that the factories were run by subcontractors who have the duty of compensating their employees. University of Wisconsin believed that the company was responsible for the subcontractor's actions but Nike refuted that no Wisconsin branded products were made in Honduras.

Wisconsin Sophomore, Jonah Zinn, 19,says. ""It's a major, major victory nationally..."We're hoping that our victory here really propels them forward and pushes those universities to make the right decision."

I find this really interesting and hopeful that more and more colleges will start to become more aware of how Nike treats their workers in offshore countries. I'm glad Wisconsin took this very seriously and took the step to end their terms with Nike. It makes me really happy that they care about how workers are treated in sweatshops and their willingness to stop buying from Nike.

US-Russia START Treaty

President Obama and Russian president Medvedev yesterday (the 8th) signed the START Treaty dealing with reducing the number of nuclear weapons held by Russia and the United States by 1/3rd. Since Obama has signed this treaty it will now go to the senate floor where it must be approved by a 2/3 majority or 67 senators. The article I read dealt specifically with the Republican response and Senator McConnell had this to say.

"The Senate will assess whether or not the agreement is verifiable, whether it reduces our Nation's ability to defend itself and our allies from the threat of nuclear armed missiles, and whether or not this administration is committed to preserving our own nuclear triad," McConnell said in a statement.

Senator Reid responded, "Strategic arms control treaties similar to this one have historically passed the Senate with strong bipartisan support, and I am confident that this agreement will receive the 67 votes from both sides of the aisle needed for passage," Reid said in a press release. "There is no need to play politics with something as important as this is to our national security."


I largely agree with Senator Reid on this in that there really is a need to reduce, not eliminate, nuclear stockpiles. As it stands now nuclear weapons are too powerful a force to have as many at our disposal as we currently do. To be honest I'd like to see them all gotten rid of except perhaps a few only at the disposal of a joint union of countries who could control them only in the case of some major catastrophe where we could conceivably need them but not for warfare.

While this happy dream world doesn't exist taking steps to reduce nuclear arms can only be considered a good thing and a positive step for all countries with nuclear weapons. As for the partisan issue I really doubt Republicans would make any fuss over this because everyone can see the good in reduction and only reducing by 1/3rd will not leave us with too few to defend ourselves.

Climate Change

It seems like Gore's polar bears, whether or not their plight is real, are being heard. When Hillary Clinton got to speak at a meeting to decide what to do about conditions in the Arctic, her main point was not whether to take action but, rather, who was to take action. Hillary Clinton felt that Canada, the host of the conference, should have invited all those "who have legitimate interests in the region", referring to Sweden, Finland and Iceland, who were left out of the deliberations.

"We need all hands on deck because there is a huge amount to do, and not much time to do it. What happens in the Arctic will have broad consequences for the Earth and its climate."

Boston man gets Punished for Crossing into North Korea

Aijalon Mahli Gomes, 30, was sentenced, by North Korea, to eight years of hard labor and commanded him to pay $700,000 as a fine for illegally crossing into North Korea. Gomes, who had been teaching English in South Korea, was the fourth American to be arrested by North Korea for illegal crossing in less than a year. Journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee were held in North Korea for five months before being released last August, and activist Robert Park was expelled after crossing sometime around Christmas. At Pyongyang's Central Court, Gomes admited his wrongdoing for illegally crossing. Nonetheless, he was sentenced to eight years of hard labor and was fined 70 million North Korean won. North Korea's official exchange rate is 100 won to the U.S. dollar. It was foggy as to why Gomes risked going into communist North Korea illegally. Gomes, being a devoted Christian, attended rallies in Seoul in support of Park. Park purposely went into North Korea in December to call attention to the nation's rights record. A Seoul-based activist close to Gomes, said Gomes may have been inspired by Park to make a similar trip.

Although it was expected for those people to be punished for illegally crossing, I really admire how strong their beliefs were and how brave they were to do such a thing. A couple from my church are now spending their second year in China teaching English. I really admire them being able to step out of their comfort zone to a complete foreign country where there are ridiculous restrictions. When my church wants to send letters to them, we are not allowed to have anything like bible verses, "God Bless you...", or any phrases of that sort because the Chinese government enforces mail to be looked through.

It is ridiculous how harsh North Korean restrictions are and how ruthless their punishments are for such a petty crime.

-Emily Niemann

"Doctor Shopping" an Increasing Problem

As some may know, celebrity Corey Haim, recently died from abusing drugs. Haim had prescriptions for various harmful drugs during the final year of his life. These prescriptions were the outcomes of "doctor shopping". Doctor shopping is when an individual asks different doctors to obtain prescription drugs. This issue is worsening and has affected numerous celebrities such as Health Ledger and Anna Nicole Smith. The medical director of Addiction Psychiatry at Aurora Behavioral Health Services in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Dr. Lance Longo, stated, "We're trained to relieve pain and suffering. Unfortnately, with the widespread misuse of controlled substances and diversion risks, we're often taken advantage of." There are different ways that individuals get their prescription drugs. One of them is by going to new facilities so the medical professionals don't know them. Another way is to call the facilities and say an excuse to get prescription refills.

Doctor shopping is a significant issue because many individuals abuse the prescription drugs which can lead to death. A recent study estimated from 1999 to 2006 that the hospitalizations for poisoning from sedatives and tranquilzers expanded 65 percent.

States have tried to prevent future drug abusers by having prescription monitoring programs. Each of these programs have different requirements and some are more effective than others. After the individual buys the prescription drug, the record is then transmitted to the state agency that watches over the monitoring programs. In addition, doctors are able to request reports online to see the kinds of medications that the patient has purchased. Another way that states have tried to prevent future drug abusers is by performing addiction screening in clinics. If an individual is at a high risk for addiction, the clinic tries to find them and will have a pain psychologist examine them. The clinics can also test the patient's urine to see if it matches the patient's medication history.

Even though the states have created this programs, many individuals are still able to obtain the drugs in other ways. The individual can give a different name and identification number or purchase the drugs in an another state. Since the majority of state laws don't demand the doctors to look at the patient's drug history, it is fairly easy for individuals to get the drugs in a different state. In addition, many health professionals do not prefer to use the monitoring system because they think it is unnecessary and too time consuming.

I'm glad that the states are taking action to prevent future drug abusers. There have been many individuals who have died from abusing prescription drugs. Although the states have monitoring programs, it's still not that efficient because many individuals have found other ways to get the drugs. Therefore, the states need to find more efficient ways to solve this issue.

Toyota Warns Europe Before U.S.

As many of you know, the Japanese automaker Toyota has been held responsible for thousands of car accidents due to the sticking gas pedals and acceleration issues in their cars. Sticking gas pedal complaints in the U.S. increased by the end of 2009, while the European division had similar complaints weeks earlier. Ray La Hood, Transportation Secretary, said Toyota made a "huge mistake" by not disclosing the safety problems sooner. Toyota is now faced with a fine of $16.4 million for failing to alert the U.S. government to the safety issues earlier. "The Japanese automaker was still weighing its options Tuesday about whether to accept or contest the fine. It has also been named in 138 potential class-action lawsuits over falling vehicle values and nearly 100 personal injury and wrongful death cases in federal courts."More than 8 million cars have been recalled worldwide, more than half of them being from the U.S.

"Toyota, in a statement Tuesday, said it "has and will continue to practice its philosophy of satisfying consumers with high quality vehicles that are safe and reliable, and responding to consumer feedback with honesty and integrity.."

Too bad, the Toyota customers that have been killed due to these problems will not be in any way affected by what they promise. Although Toyota has been very successful with their sales, because of this outsourcing issue they encountered, their production has come to a halt and millions of dollars are at stake because of the bad quality and design of the cars that have been distributed all over the world.

I think outsourcing is a very productive technique, however, when the design of cars (something that has to be designed very carefully because if they are not..they malfunction and cause BAD accidents to happen...) has been poorly taken into consideration and the drawbacks of owing money is more significant than the money made in the first place when they sold the automobile.

April Fools Gone Wrong

A mayor in Jordan read a news article on April 1st regarding aliens landing in Jafr, eastern Jordan. Thinking it was a legitimate article, he dispatched local security to scour the area for the so called aliens. After not finding a sign of these aliens, he considered evacuating the city as a precaution before he was told it was a prank. Now he's up for suing the newspaper company. Apparently, someone's idea of a joke just didn't make it with the mayor.

Obama's Nuclear Policy

Obama issued a new policy on the use of nuclear weapons. The United States will not use nuclear weapons against states that are in compliance with the Non-Proliferation Treaty. States that have broken that treaty are still potential targets of a nuclear attack. Experts are fearing that this policy is a harbinger of a longer lasting nuclear arsenal and the road to disarmament is a little longer than projected. The effects of a policy like this may be to please Republicans so Obama can get new nuclear treaties passed in the near future. I think we may have to wait and see how this develops.

Increasing Prescription Drug Overdoses in the U.S.

Current statistics and case studies further investigate the rise in serious prescription drug overdoses in the United States. It is becoming a very serious problem, especially seen in Hollywood when we hear about Heath Ledger, Michael Jackson, and Anna Nicole Smith.
Here are some statistics stated in the article:

-Between 1999 and 2006, US hospital admissions due to poisoning by prescription opioids (morphine, methadone, OxyContin) sedatives and tranquilizers rose from approximately 43,000 to about 71,000.
-Accidental - or unintentional -- poisoning by opioids, sedatives and tranquilizers rose by 37 percent during the 7-year study period, while unintentional poisonings by other substances increased by just 21 percent.
-In a study reported by Reuters Health earlier this year, researchers followed nearly 10,000 adults who had received at least three opioid prescriptions within 90 days to treat chronic pain like back pain. Of these, 51 experienced at least one overdose, and six died as a result. The researchers also found that the higher the painkiller dose, the more likely the patients were to overdose.
-"...suicide, self-inflicted poisoning, or poisoning someone else -- from prescription opioids, sedatives, and tranquilizers more than doubled, from about 10,000 in 1999 to nearly 24,000 in 2006. That compared to just a 53 percent increase in intentional poisonings from other substances."

I find this very relevant and brings up the controversial topic of legalizing marijuana in California. Imagine if it were to be legalized, people would treat it as a prescription drug that could be easily obtained. Although they are very beneficial to cancer patients, people who want the drugs for no medical reason, and just to feel high and get addicted will most likely abuse the drug just like how people are now with the use of prescription drugs. There are arguments that maybe by legalizing marijuana, people would not try so hard to obtain it because they are not criminalized for having it. Because marijuana is illegal, addicts are able to get it through black markets and will do whatever they can in order to get it.

Are prescription drugs less/more/equal to the danger of legalizing marijuana?

KFC Launches All-Meat Sandwich

On April 12th, KFC plans to release their "Double Down sandwich." This sandwich is so controversial that they felt compelled to assure their customers that this product was actually real and not an April Fools' Day prank. The Double Down features bacon =) and Monterey Jack cheese that's surrounded by two fried chicken fillets rather than a bun. KFC describes it as "so meaty, there's no room for a bun!"

According to KFC.com, which has a countdown to the launching of the Double Down, the sandwich is available with Original Recipe chicken or original chicken. The grilled option provides fewer calories and less fat than the Original (which has 540 calories and 32 grams of fat), but also a whopping 1430 grams of sodium -- more than half of the U.S.Department of Agriculture’s recommended daily allowance.

Fast food places come up with the craziest ideas sometimes. i feel like they're inconsiderate of peoples' healths. yea, they're doing to make money but there's a limit on how fattening foods should be. Not only is it just KFC but places around the world try to intertwine healthy foods and unhealthy foods together for some reason. it's just not a good idea. if you take a look at this website right here, some of the ideas are just beyond crazy... and fattening

http://thisiswhyyourefat.com/

Obama's Health Reform Law Includes Abstinence Education

The health care reform law that Obama just signed includes spending $50 million per year for the next five years on abstinence programs. These programs will encourage individuals to be abstinent and to prevent sexually transmitted diseases. In order to qualify, the programs are required to educate the public about the damaging mental and physical results of having sex prior to marriage. These requirements are included in the A-H definition for programs to be funded from the Title V of the Social Security Act. In the article, the exectuive director of Abstinence & Marriage Education Partnership, Scott Phelps, states, "Title V is trying to make sure that kids are being given a message that saving sex and childbearing for marriage is the safest, healthiest, best choice". Some support spending $250 million on abstinence education, however, others believe that these programs will not be beneficial. Many studies have shown that it's difficult for individuals to always practice abstinence.

I think that we should spend $250 million on abstinence programs. Many teenagers are getting pregnant these days and it's important to prevent future teen pregnancies. The majority of these teenagers struggle to provide for their child because they're so young. Therefore, it is necessary to have these abstinence programs to educate teenagers about the dangers of having sex before marriage. In addition, the programs can teach individuals about the dangerous effects of sexually transmitted diseases.

Do you think that we should spend $250 million on abstinence programs?

Breast Feeding: Saving Lives and $$$$!!!

A new medical study has concluded that "The lives of nearly 900 babies would be saved each year, along with billions of dollars, if 90 percent of U.S. women fed their babies breast milk only for the first six months of life..."

It suggests that breast feeding can prevent illnesses and health problems such as : stomach viruses, ear infections, asthma, juvenile diabetes, and even leukemia. The choice of breast feeding may also help fight infections due to the antibodies found in the milk. It can also affect the insulin levels in the blood which can help breast fed babies less likely to develop obesity or diabetes.

Dr. Larry Gray, a University of Chicago pediatrician , "called the analysis compelling and said it's reasonable to strive for 90 percent compliance."
He also says that mothers should not feel guilty or be blamed because in certain circumstances, it is impossible to breas feed their babies.

I find this a very useful and important article because the U.S. Government right now is hugely focused on stopping the development of obesity in America.
Dr. Melissa Bartick, an internist and instructor at Harvard Medical School said there are some encouraging signs.
"The government's new health care overhaul requires large employers to provide private places for working mothers to pump breast milk. And under a provision enacted April 1 by the Joint Commission, a hospital accrediting agency, hospitals may be evaluated on their efforts to ensure that newborns are fed only breast milk before they're sent home."

I hope the government continues to make this study known to more mothers and families so that future generations will have the benefits at an early age because they were fed breast milk. By spreading the study, more people will be aware and babies will be healthier and at least decrease the chance of being obese and increasing the chances of preventing infections.

SF Crime Lab

Maybe it's because I watch too many tv shows, but when I think of the science that goes into determining the outcome of court cases, I have a hard time doubting the results. However, after reading this article, I am starting to revise that opinion. According to the article, the San Francisco crime lab is full of shortcomings and issues with handling of evidence:

A lab technician was recently accused of stealing evidence cocaine; this accusation led to reviews of the lab that revealed that cocaine evidence is left in unsecured boxes or lockers and that instances of evidence sampling are not recorded.

Lab technicians at this lab are overworked. According to the article, "The lab had at least three technicians working there between July and December, each handling about 5,000 to 7,000 cases a year. The state's average is slightly more than 1,000 cases per year."

Scales used for weighing drugs are not calibrated, which leads to the spread of misinformation and the possiblility of accused individuals receiving longer or shorter sentences than they deserve.

According to this article, the buildings that store evidence for the lab are overrun with feral cats who "have been sleeping, eating rodents and going to the bathroom around evidence items and police files, some of them boxed up, some out in the open."


As a result of all this, public trust in the judicial system has decreased, as cases have had to be dropped and the possiblility of having to reopen past cases has arisen. And according to the article, "Experts said such widespread failures at a criminal lab are shocking, but not unique to San Francisco. Laboratories in Houston, New York City, Seattle and at the FBI have had problems in recent years."

I guess the judicial system isn't as perfect and impervious to corruption as it is portrayed on tv... big surprise there.

Military Cover-ups Are Fun

Wikileaks has released a video of U.S. soldiers opening fire with large caliber guns on, seemingly unprovoked, Iraqi civilians in am Iraqi suburb. Wikileaks claims that this is a cover-up by the military because it was not released by the Freedom of Information Act.

Wikileaks, for those who don't know, is a site dedicated to revealing misconduct by the military and government that are not released by them themselves.

I'm hoping we have some government conspiracy theorists in our class.

Coke Bottle Slide

Remember going to watch a Giant's game, and then perhaps sliding down the Coca-Cola bottle slide? Well, the famous slide is not nearly as safe as it was once thought to be. There have been at least 55 reported incidents of people getting injured, and the slide has failed 2 safety inspections in recent years. The Giants are currently facing a $6 million lawsuit by a man who injured his left knee and ankle. Others have broken their knees or otherwise had their leg twisted and injured.

I was surprised to learn that the Giants are the ones being sued, although since I am not all that knowledgeable of sports, I could be missing vital information pertaining to the subject. I would have expected the lawsuits to be primarily directed towards the creator of the slide, Hags Play (The company has settled lawsuits pertaining to the Guzzler in the past).

Heaven or Drugs?

Scientists may have just given a scientific explanation to Heaven. We cannot talk to those who are dead who may give us an accurate description of heaven, but we can talk to those who experience near-death experiences (NDEs). It appears that in an NDE, the brain works in odd ways. The brain tends to defend itself against the receptors as it shuts down. Ketamine, a drug used in horse tranquilizers, gives hallucinations and other symptoms that can produce the same effect as an NDE. The hallucination seems to be pretty consistent across the board. It will be up to your interpretation as to whether or not this is because everyone is really on the road to heaven or if ketamine simply effects everyone's brain in a very similar and consistent way.

Sam Kennedy, I'm sure you enjoyed that.

Death Penalty on Death Row

The death penalty seems to be losing popularity, specifically in Texas where the number of death penalties dealt out has reached record lows. There are several explanations for this. Hollywood may have influenced the modern jury by giving an expectation of proof on the level of a CSI show. This makes the jury harder to convince than in the past (this last year 9 death penalties were dealt out as compared to about 48 per year in the late 1990’s).

Another possible explanation is that the cost of prosecuting a death penalty case, which could require a large amount of resources given the increasing expertise of lawyers and a more exhaustive review of such cases by judges, is an effort which is difficult for some communities to sustain. The possibility of a life sentence without parole may also have made a difference because in the past the two options for serious offenses were life in prison with the possibility of parole in 40 years or death row.

Furthermore, it is suggested that perchance the demographics in Texas and regions of the South are changing, causing a shift in the prevalent ideologies. I did a little research and found what Gallup has to say on the issue; I was astounded by my findings. There seems to be overwhelming support for the death penalty across all lines (party, gender, religion, etc.). So much for gradual enlightenment... Go to Gallup to see more.

 

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..