Let's all talk over the wind turbines

New York Times

Penobscot Bay (Maine) installed wind turbines last year and all the residents on the island were excited to see the changes that these environmental friendly structures would bring.

Now, about a dozen of local residents within a one mile radius is suing the wind facility that provided these wind turbines. The blades of the wind turbines are about 123 feet in length and generate extremely noisy and obnoxious sounds.

In other states such as Pennsylvania, Texas, and Massachusetts, the residents have also sued due to the negative consequences that wind turbines brought, such as noise, constant vibration, and lost property value.

Furthermore, these wind turbines have also aroused physiological changes such as rapid heartbeat, nausea, and blurred vision that are caused by low frequency vibrations from the turbines.

Last year, the American Wind Energy Assocation conducted a study that concluded that wind turbine noise and vibration does not cause negative physiological changes. Another point to consider is that the people suing in this case live in a quiet neighborhood, so their three new wind turbines may seem extra noisy compared to those in a suburban or urban setting, where it’s comparatively noisier.

What do you guys think are some solutions that can fix this problem? Does the wind facility deserve to be sued? And ultimately, the age-old question: do the benefits outweigh the costs?

Plans for a Brighter Future.

Yesterday i wrote a post about Obama's new program that was proposed yesterday called " Skills for America's Future," which i just wanted to clear up. This program is just a small program that is a part of Obama's effort to reshape community colleges to meet the changing needs of the American economy. His "Skills for America's Future" program is for Big Businesses to train people about the job, but also teach them skills in being interviewed, resume writing, and job shadowing. These jobs were not just to get a person to learn about that company but to get familiar with working and to learn business skills while here.

Today, Obama announced, during the White House Summit on Community Colleges, the creation of two new competitive grants for community colleges. The two grants are: the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's $35 million "completion by Design" program, which will target schools in nine states over five years and the annual Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, which will award $1 million to exemplary community colleges beginning next fall. Obama desires to graduate an additional 5 million community college students by 2020. Obama said today "In the coming years, jobs requiring at least an associate's degree are going to grow twice as fast as jobs that don't require college." Also adding, "We will not fill those jobs - or keep those jobs on our shores - without community colleges," and "two-year schools can help raise the percentage of young people earning college degrees." Which means he is trying to give more opportunities to students that are unable to pay for those pricey colleges because they are still trying to better their education, they just can't go to a top school.

These Programs, that were announced today, are generously donating their money to community colleges in-order to help improve graduation rates as well job-training programs. They want to help those "nontraditional" students, those students have become the norm according to Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. These grant programs really have the students concerns in mind. They want to get those students as much help as possible since now a days we see more students going to community colleges or two-years schools due to the extreme prices. They know if those students get a higher education they will find those jobs since unemployment is only 5% for people with college degrees unlike the higher unemployment rate for people with as high as high school degree.

I feel these new programs that Obama is proposing gives more hope to those students who fear to go to college or maybe even community college because of the price and risk of not getting a job. However, students don't need to worry when they are putting more support, such as more money being given to colleges or partnerships of colleges with businesses.

Do these two new programs give you more hope for a brighter future?

Meg Whitman's gotta keep her house clean too guys

Recently, sparks flew because it was discovered that Meg Whitman's housekeeper was an illegal immigrant. Ironically enough, Whitman has promised tougher sanctions against employers who hire illegal immigrants. I wonder if that includes her too. It has been reported that she got a letter from the Social Security Administration several years ago warning Whitman "that there were discrepancies in housekeeper Nicky Diaz Santillan's payroll documents, a possible tip-off that she could be illegal." Whitman insists that she never got the letter, but you can never be too sure with her.

With every story, there are two sides. Diaz Santillan has hired lawyer, Gloria Alldred "who is well-known for orchestrating media stunts," and Whitman claims that this isn't the Nicky she used to know.

Whitman then turned the tables blaming opponent, Jerry Brown, for the "baseless smear attack." I don't know if she should be blaming Brown or herself. Because this has been brought up, Brown has a lead in the race for governor-whether that's a good or bad thing, I don't know. You guys can decide.

So, do you guys think Whitman knew Diaz Santillan was an illegal immigrant upon her hiring, and do you think it is an employer's responsibility to turn in illegal immigrants? Plus, do you guys think Brown had a "baseless smear attack"?

Blowing Up Children for an Environmental Ad Campaign?

This ad campaign was put on by 1010global.org in the hopes to make an imprint on people on the importance of being more ecologically friendly and cutting their CO2 emissions by 10%. Well they sure have made an impact, for better or for worse.
I am all for being eco-friendly, just not when it involves an ad campaign that utilizes blowing up children to get the main point across. The ad was initially intended to be a satirical and humorous, but soon proved otherwise when right-wing news sources viewed the advertisement and not to be ironic, blew the story up into a huge fiasco.
I worry this type of campaign gives anti-environmentalists the exact evidence and incentive they are looking for to deem environmentalists as crazy coo coos who are willing to choose saving a tree over a child. The Gadsen Post's response to RedState's article on the subject (both conservative) said: "This is the future that these eco-terrorists have planned for us if we don't agree to voluntarily reduce our CO2 footprints."

1010global.org in my opinion and I think most people agree definitely went in the wrong direction. Environmentalist or not, blowing up people to try to make them live a greener lifestyle is just not an effective campaign strategy. Appropriate or not, this ad has only led to adverse effects, although to be fair their campaign is now in the national spotlight and getting much exposure, just maybe not the way they want to be seen. What was your reaction to this ad?

On the Current Influx of Bullying in the News, Lately...

Most of us have experienced it in some form. Some of us still do. Bullying is a problem associated commonly with middle school and high school. However, I think many would believe that bullying is not really a problem after formal education. Of course, the news most commonly highlights cases in which the stories (again, mostly of high school and, more recently, college students) have extreme endings. Perhaps the stories don't even become considered "newsworthy" until death in some form is involved. I think, given my prior points, it's arguable to say that that makes people tend to think that bullying without violence is not common, or is not truly problematic. But I think a fair assumption to make would be that that kind of bullying is perhaps the most detrimental. Thought it doesn't lead to a death per se, I don't think it'd be easy to talk about people teasing you without getting a, "Just man up," "Learn to laugh at yourself," or, I've even gotten a "You're in control of how people make you feel."

First of all, what does "manning up" even mean? I think it's mostly the fossilized remnants of a lost, chauvinist generation that valued the hiding of feelings over their expression, condemning them as "womanly" or "girly," as if there is something inherently feminine about the expression of emotion. Nothing against the members of the generation itself, because a group of people is always worth more than their ignorant (or in this case, backwards) ideas. Also, laughing at yourself only helps in the short term. If you have to laugh at yourself for a lifetime, you're eventually going to wonder what exactly is so funny about yourself. If your differences become a joke to everyone else, you're eventually going to want the laughter to stop. Even in joking, the person making the joke professes that they somewhat believe what it is they are saying. That's why they make the joke--it carries some kind of meaning to them, even if it's something that seems insignificant (or not exactly politically correct). Lastly, the final quote is only a good one to tell someone either greatly confident, or greatly arrogant. Everyone has insecurities that people can play on, and not everyone has the power to accept those insecurities. So, I find that quote highly disrespectful of that fact, and, at times to be just an inconsiderate, thoughtless greeting card-caliber quote.

I feel I should leave this topic with a quote, one that I find particularly meaningful, by Alex Karras:

"It takes more courage to reveal insecurities than to hide them, more strength to relate to people than to dominate them, more 'manhood' to abide by thought-out principles rather than blind reflex. Toughness is in the soul and spirit, not in muscles and an immature mind."

Why this quote? Because, I think it addresses quite well why bullying is wrong, if you are looking for a reason. Bullying is an attempt to dominate ones peers for their own benefit, and that domination is a form of violence. Violence in any form does not solve anything permanently, if at all. That temporary solution, more often than not, breeds even more problems. Maybe not for the aggressor, and if not, then for the other people in the lives of the victim.

Links/References
Original Article
A Notice on Bullying in the Workplace
Six Principles of Nonviolence

Obama Turns to Youth on MTV

Next Thursday, October 14th, President Obama will be hosting a youth town hall special on MTV in the hopes of re-rallying his enormous grassroots campaign that swept the nation for the 2008 presidential election. Obama hopes to spark that same sense of hope for the upcoming midterm elections.
The president will be before approximately 250 people and obviously television on October 14th at 1pm (PT). The people that will be there are said to be a “broad cross-section of backgrounds, interests and political viewpoints,” by MTV. People unable to attend the 1 hour, commercial-free special will be permitted to ask questions that Obama will answer through Twitter.
I think its not very surprising and pretty expected that Obama is using MTV as a campaigning strategy, because in this previous presidential election, the youth was one of his greatest supporters. I do find it rather hard to imagine a legitimate "town hall feel" where serious issues are discussed on one of America's raciest television stations. I do think it is very encouraging to hope that maybe some American teenagers will willingly watch this special and possibly learn something about our country in replace of watching Snookie eat a pickle or Pauly D and Ronnie sing "Its T-SHIRT TIME!!!!!!" on the Jersey Shore. (or you could do both, I know I will :) hehe)

If you could ask Obama one question, what would you ask? Do you think this MTV special will be effective?

World War I Reparations Just Paid!

As we all know, after WWI, Germany was punished quite harshly and had to pay reparations for the damages. Well, interestingly enough, they just finished paying on Sunday! Some people and historians feel that Sunday is the day that World War I truly ended. I don't believe that WWI just ended on Sunday, but that's just me. I think it's really interesting that no one bothers to inform us what Germany's status was in terms of paying the reparations after the war. We all knew they had to pay reparations, but after this fact no one really seemed to care. I'm proud of Germany because they kept at it and paid off the debt. "Germany wanted to prove to the world it was going to be an absolutely reliable creditor."

No one in the United States or Europe seems to really care about Germany paying off the debt. One professor seems to think it's best that there isn't a big deal out of Germany paying off the reparations. He says, "The issue of reparation was so hot politically between the two wars that I think one should keep those old wounds closed."

Either way, it's interesting to hear about the reparations and the lasting effects of the WWI. Do you guys think that WWI ended this Sunday or in 1918? Also, do you guys feel that it's best to keep the reparations on the down low?

More sleep please...

It’s this easy.

Close your eyes and sleep away…

Dr.Penev at University of Chicago was the leading scientist conducting research regarding fat loss and sleep deprivation. His research led to the conclusion that more sleep means more fat loss. The different subjects from each group within the experiment experienced the same amount of weight loss, but the group with more sleep lost more fat.

And that’s the first thing to becoming healthier. Lose fat, not weight.

This study was small, but very carefully monitored, according to University of Chicago.

It’s a very short conclusion and so it leads to my next question.

Does sleep deprivation correlate with the high obesity rate in America? I have been getting about five to six hours of sleep a week lately…and most of my friends are getting about the same amount, if not less. Teens have been sleeping less and less due to school work and so after seeing this conclusion, I couldn’t help but to wonder: can we not get healthier because high school is taking precious sleep away from us?

Of course, this is a much generalized assumption because there are lots of obese and overweight American adults too, not just high school students who lose sleep. But since high school students today are going to become the adults of tomorrow…should we worry?

Internet meets TV

Yes. It’s our dream come true (well..maybe some of us): Internet meets TV. And well, Google’s behind it.

Google TV hopes to lead this new revolution of “Internet-TV.” Its main competition includes Apple and TiVo.

The two biggest advancements in modern day technology are finally going to (officially) cross paths. However, the bigger networks, including ABC, CBS, and NBC have not decided to join Google’s new plan. On the other hand, many internet companies and media groups like Twitter and Netflix have agreed to offer Web content via television. With these Google TV features, people can twitter or chat with each other while watching their favorite TV show.

Logitech is currently working a program that will enable users to use their iPhone or Android as a TV remote that can transfer a video from the web onto the TV. Another important aspect that Google is looking to further expand upon to adding in Apps.

Forrester, a technology research firm’s recent poll shows that only 3 percent of Americans own or intend to buy Internet-TV and about two thirds of the people have not even heard about them.

Personally, I feel like this is pretty useless. First of all, most of new computers can be connected to a TV with the proper cords. These days, we can watch lots of TV shows on the web, so even if we don’t like the small computer screen, we can hook it up to a TV if we really wanted to. Second of all, one of the reasons that iPods, iPhones, Androids, etc can be so popular is that they are portable and very attractive in style. I feel like connecting them to a huge TV is pointless.

When Home Has No Place to Park

In the economis downturn that we are experiencing right now, more and more people are forced otu of their homes and into their cars.

Venice streets in Southern California, due to its forgiving weather, is currently the home of than 250 vehicles  according to the  Los Angeles Home less Services.

In the past, these mobiel homes were quite tolerable by residents, but, increasingly, the proliferation of R.V.’s in this gentrifying neighborhood has prompted efforts to remove them.

There have been many propostions by residents to establish overnght parking restrictions, but the California Coastal Commission twice vetoed the plan. However, a recent incident involving an R.V. owner’s arrest on charges of dumping sewage into the street has accelerated efforts to remove vehicle-dwellers. beginning in the first week of October, oversize vehicles will be banned from the beach parking lots; an ordinance banning them from parking on the street overnight could take effect within a month.

I personally am not affected by these mobile homes so i dont really want to be overly critical of either side. Its irresposible and foul for those individuals who would do such a thing as randonly dumping suige, but at the same time, where else are they going to dump it if they cant afford it.
Its mean and selfish for those individuals who are forcing RV homes to move, but at the same time, i wouldnt want an RV in front of my house either.

Instead of focusing so much on getting rid of these RV, I really think more attention should be put to putting them in homes...or even just providing them wit a place to park. I mean, if people have a safe place to go, theres probably less incentive to roam the streets and dump thier poop in random places.

Are Greeting Cards a Thing of the Past?

 21st century is the generations of technologcally advanced individuals who  highly value time and efficeincy. But should should our new lifestyle destroy our past traditions?
Though it is easier to set a greeting through email, i personally find it to hold a different meaning. For greeting cards, people put in time and effort in order to take pictures, create theme, and write the message. When you read these letters, theres a sense of homeliness and love.
I personally don't get many of these letters T.T  (sad)     b/c asian families, or atleast my familie isnt into that kind of stuff. But when i do get them, i really does mean alot to me.
Its complete feeling when i get greetings through email, it just feels cold and fake. Even if the message is personalized, it just doesnt feel the same.
Maybe im old fashioned, but i really think people should spend more time and effort on certains things.

Same goes for phone and texting. I know people's time is valueble, but once in a while, call instead of text. Makes it all seem more real and sincere.

WikiLeaks: Helpful or Hurtful?

WikiLeaks is an international organization/website that publishes leaks of otherwise unavailable documents by anonymous sources.

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This controversial site, adored by many who embrace more awareness of the government and detested by others worried about the documents jeopardizing the safety of their country, has been recently even more exposed in the news.

WikiLeak's chief editor, Julian Assagne, has been accused of rape in Sweden, and in addition a prominent spokesman of the site was suspended and recently quit.

In the midst of it all, WikiLeak's actual website has temporarily shut down, with the actual website explaining it is currently "undergoing maintenance."

In my opinion, I think that the overall message of WikiLeaks is vital. Their slogan is, "We Open Governments." And I believe this is a good thing. We need people to be exposed to things outside of the mainstream media and to become aware of the fraudulent happenings and misinformation we are constantly being fed. I do, however, worry that the exposure of this information could sometimes do more harm than good.

This past July, WikiLeaks published the majority of an archive of 90,000 classified US military reports that covered the war in Afghanistan from 2004 to 2010. WikiLeaks was then accused of endangering the lives of soldiers and informants in the field. Assange said that in spite of complaints, he will definitely publish the other 15,000 secret files that were previously held back at the initial release.

To be honest, this type of document releasing scares me. As corrupt as the government may be, we have no way to tell the reasoning behind hiding this type of data. It could be corruption, but it could also be for our safety.

I wan't to hear your take on it!

Do you think WIkiLeaks is going too overboard, or is it our right to know this information? Do you think the site should just be managed/regulated better? As the title of this blog probes, is this WikiLeaks helpful or hurtful? Or both?

Do you support WikiLeaks?

Skills for America's Future

Earlier today Obama announced his, Skills for America's Future program, in which he links top companies like Gap, McDonald's, and etc. with community colleges in hope of building up America's job skills. He desires to make it easier for people to get a job and find workers for those companies looking to hire. This is one of his key recommendations for his Economic Recovery Advisory Board. The question is though, what about all the other unemployed people that really need these jobs?

Many students in the community colleges will find this beneficial because they will be able to learn the curricula for that job and also they have the job some to them instead of them having to go to the job. Many big business really like this idea as well because the workers will be more prepared for the job because they are learning it in school.

TThe Suffolk County Community College has been doing this program for awhile already and have found it very good idea. The community college has been placing students successfully in jobs and filling gaps in training and skills for local and state business. Many other community colleges have found this idea to sound very good and are very excited to adopt this idea. They community colleges can't wait to begin this and the possibilities to expand partnerships in creating new job opportunities between private-secto employers and community college.

I don't know about other students, but if i was going to community college i would find this a very beneficial thing to my education because not only do i get experience in working at that business i even get to learn more about the business in school. Now a days, when students graduate college they go out into the real world looking for jobs that they acquired skills in.However, with our recent recession, it makes it harder for people and those students to find jobs. But with the new program students won't have to worry about finding a job because they will have been able to acquire one in college. Although students may still want to go out and get a job, they have one right in front of them that hey have been able to practice at and learn about.

If you were in community college would you find this new program proposed by Obama helpful to you?

Is the American Prison System Truly a "Correctional System?"

The United States Correctional System is a undoubtedly a controversial (and often touchy) subject. For example, two groups divided on the issue are the Democratic and Republican parties, particularly in regard to the execution of the death penalty. Some say an eye for an eye, others might say that that very act makes us no better than those who we condemn.

Particularly, I want to discuss the actual effectiveness of the system for those not destined for death row. Do the iconic chain-link fenced facilities and iron bars do any good reforming those who enter their confines, or do they only serve to facilitate the aggression of the inmates at society, or its standards?

About 1 in 31 (roughly 7.3 million) American Adults are on probation, parole, or in a jail cell. Two thirds of that estimate are on parole or probation, with the remaining third incarcerated. I find that to be a shocking number, considering how much tax money actually goes to the correctional system. Most of the tax money allocated to the correctional system is devoted to housing the convicts, even though that only applies to a third of them.

Those jails, those "correctional facilities," are specifically made for housing the convicts. The purpose of the jails is not to educate convicts, but to keep them tucked away from the rest of the society. Instead of simply being a cage, why can't jails make attempts at the reeducation and reform of those inside? Whether or not one would like to think so, the people in those jails are still human. They make mistakes, and maybe from those mistakes they've learned. But they still deserve a second chance. The system as it stands makes no efforts at such reforms or second chances, only operating as a play pen for the kids who "don't want to play nice."

Whatever they may learn from their experience may be very difficult to hold onto, considering what they have to deal with in those jails. Jails are a popular place for inmates to be recruited into gangs, which then opens their lives up to deepening levels of crime. If left up to the inmate, which option do you think would seem more appealing: learning how to atone for crimes and work with the system (amongst a crowd of people who don't even want to consider it), or find a way into the darker levels of the world of organized crime, perhaps to spite a system they probably feel only operates as an unfair aggressor? I think, considering that I hear many of my friends and family refer to law enforcement officials in distrustingly negative ways (even though some of them don't even like the idea of breaking the law), the latter option would probably seem more appealing for those who aren't even afraid to break the law.

Day to day life in jails is (obviously) different from the way it is on the outside, and adjusting to that difference inside isn't easy. Imagine taking all you know about your life, then removing it and being forced to accept a brand new way of life: a life of violence, people angry and bitter at the system. Then, after a year or two, needing to readjust to everything you just left behind. Some people who leave the prisons leave without any intention of leaving behind their prison mentality. That just makes the possibility that they'll jump right back into crime that much more likely.

So, if jails are supposed to be "correctional facilities," then why does it seem as though very little is being corrected? The inmates seem to leave the facilities not wanting to operate within the confines of the law but just the opposite; to them, the law becomes a foreign subject that only serves to make their lives harder.


Sources/Extended Reading on the Subject:
The US Prison System: How it Fails
Words From a Former Prisoner on the Subject
The Psychological Impact of Incarceration: Implications for Post-Prison Adjustment

The Inelasticity of College.

Recently there was a study on which colleges were the most expensive in the United States of America. They found Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York topping off the list with Annual costs of $57,556, Tuition and fees of $43,566, and Room and board of $14,000. Columbia University in New york, New york came in a close second with $7,000 less, Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York came in third with $7,000 less than Sarah Lawrence College, Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, which came in fourth, was $7,000 less than Sarah Lawrence, and Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee in fifth place with $8,000 less than Sarah Lawrence.

Even though these colleges have costly prices, it doesn't seem to have affected the enrollment for these colleges. They have found that these prices aren't an affect on the enrollment because of the high rate of graduating high school seniors and private universities trying to keep cost low. Although these are reasons for why enrollment not decreasing, they still don't have a big affect on lowering the cost.

In the last year private colleges average cost of tuition and fees has risen 4.5%, but institutional grant aid did raise 6.8% this year. As well as, 80% of all students receive aid and 30% receive merit awards to help pay for college. These students may feel the sticker price for the college is very expensive, but after seeing all the aid that America's schools generously give out, it calms's them down and gives them hope for attending these expensive colleges.

These most expensive schools may help students with their costs, but then why lis the college as so expensive?

Rutgers University Sad Tragedy

Not too long ago, about last week, a Rutgers University student, Tyler Clementi, tragically took his own life by jumping off of the George Washington Bridge into the Hudson River. He was driven to commit suicide by two other Rutgers students, one of them being is very own roommate. Tyler Clementi asked his roommate for the room until midnight to do as he pleased. Before his roommate, Dharun Ravi, left, he discreetly placed a webcam in the room to stream Clementi's intimate moments over the Internet. Ravi left the room to go to another student's (Molly Wei) room to watch what Clementi was going to do. Ravi then tweeted "Roommate asked for the room till midnight. I went into molly's room and turned on my web cam. I saw him making out with another dude. Yay." Because of Ravi and Wei's prank, Clementi was forced to commit suicide. He posted on facebook "Jumping of the gw bridge sorry." Shortly after this facebook post, Clementi jumped off the bridge and fell to his death.

Both Ravi and Wei have been charged with two account of invasion of privacy because they used a camera to view images of Clementi in his intimate moments. The most serious sentence they can receive is 5 years. However, neither will be serving that because Ravi was freed on a bail of $25,000 and Wei "was released on her own recognizance." To me, both 5 years and a $25,000 bail is not enough. Moreover, it has not been said whether or not Wei and Ravi have been suspended or expelled. I would assume they would both get expelled, but you never know.

First of all, I have no idea how Dharun Ravi and Molly Wei can sleep at night because they led Tyler Clementi to killing himself! I don' t understand why Ravi would have thought that it would be funny to stream some one's intimate moments, and I, quite frankly, think he's really, really dumb. Furthermore, the sentences they should receive should be much more than just 5 years and a bail should be MUCH higher than $25,000. It's annoying how they weaseled out of a punishment and instead got a bail. They need to understand the consequences, and I don't think a simple bail will get the point across. I realize that this will forever affect their lives, but they need a hard punishment as well. If I were to judge this, I would give them 8 years, a bail of $100,000, and an expulsion from Rutgers.

What do you guys think their punishment should have been? Do you think Ravi should have been released on a higher bail or a lower? Should they be tried for involuntariy manslaughter?

And remember kids, don't put anything up on the Internet that can potentially hurt you!

Beginning of the New Term for Supreme Court - Violence in Video Games, Too Awesome or Too Dangerous??

Today marks the beginning of the new term of our Supreme Court and the unveiling of the 4th female ever to be appointed, Justice Elena Kagan. The start of the new term as always brings on a flood of controversial cases.

One of the big cases that the Supreme Court is scheduled to take on in this 2010-2011 term is violence in video games. This case (Schwarzenegger v. Entertainment Merchants) is a free speech issue over a California law that would prohibit the sale/rental of video games that are "excessively violent" to anyone under 18.

Should she be allowed to buy a game on her own like that???

As you can probably tell by my rather extreme image above, I don't have a problem with the government restricting a minor's ability to purchase excessively violent video games. Violence in our media has become overwhelmingly prominent in every aspect, and I believe limiting minors from buying these things themselves is a good step in the right direction. If, however, their parents are fine with their children playing these games, the parent is completely able to purchase the games for their children, the kids just can't buy it by themselves.

My questions for you are, do you support the government denying children from buying these types of games? Or do you think that children have the right to purchase these materials for themselves? Do you think this is just a continuation of restricting children under 17 from seeing rated R movies by themselves?

if you guys want to read more about this case and other upcoming supreme court cases, this article gives a brief overview of the already schedule supreme court debates to come: http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/10/04/scotus.new.term/index.html

"Superbugs"

We've all used the antibacteria handwashes before. But are they doing more harm than good? They do kill the bad bateria that makes you sick, but antibacterial cleaners and soaps are often use harsh chemicals to kill everything they come into contact with or leach out into the environment, including the nutrients that we do want ot keep.

Over that past few years, antibacterial cleansers are used so much that many bacterias have become immune to it. These antibiotic-resistant "superbugs" are becoming an increasing have concern to public health.

Scientists now are working on a new crop of antimicrobial which are "microscopic weapons that prevent or defeat bugs" in order to strengthen the effects and target specific types of bacteria, which in turn also reduces harmful agents leaking into our environment.

 Bacteria  itself naturally uses enzymes to kill other bacteria. The researchers chose the enzyme lysostaphin, Lysostaphin breaks down one piece of the bacteria's cell wall, and like a pin popping a balloon, causes the cell to "deflate." REcent research specifically targetted a widespread superbug known as "methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA—on contact using tiny tubes coated with proteins to destroy the bugs by deflating them like balloons."

If you look into such areas, much research is being focused on new methods of germ killing and such.

In many instances, people think that its useless to reseach new mothods of  killing bacteria since they will keep natural selection and some will always be resistant to new antibacterial products. I personally would have to disagree with those who think its useless. I understand what they mean by there will never a competely germ free (the bad germs) environment, but just as germs contintue to grow, we can continue to create new methods of killing them.

Its natural selection vs natural selection, and we have advanced technology on our side.

Amazing Hybrids

These two pictures that you are seeing are real, unlike many of those stupid photoshopped hybrids. The Frist one is a Zorse ( Zebra+ Horse) and the second one i a Wholphin ( Killer Wale+ Dolphin). Just to clarify, i did not make up these names.

Theres really not much to it. For the Wholphin story, it took place in Hawaii Sea Park. A dolphin was placed in the same pool as a 2,000-pound male false killer whale. Waht resulted was a wholphin, a hybrid that was "intermediate to its parents in some characteristics, like having 66 teeth compared with the bottlenose’s 88 and the 44 of the false killer whale, a much larger member of the dolphin family."

These hybrids are rare but they do happen, but they are usually only in animals of the same family.
Reading this, i dont know if you have the same question, but i immediately wondered if we could cross breed with monkeys since they are in he same family as humans.
I looked it up and scientifically, it was proven that we can't b/c our genes/chromosomes dont match, but they whale and dolphin dont match and looked what became of them?

The Burden of Incarceration

This is just a really quick post about a shocking statistic that i found:
Heartbreaking facts:

"2.7 million children have a parent behind bars—1 in every 28 children (3.6 percent) has a parent incarcerated, up from 1 in 125 just 25 years ago. Two-thirds of these children’s parents were incarcerated for non-violent offenses."

One out of twenty eight in my opinion is a rally large number. We, as in individuals in san mateo, might not feel its impact as heavily since we live in a considerably good area...but for many children, tis is reality.

What id concerns me are two questions:
1) should parents get a lighter/shorter jail time if they have kids?
2) b/c they are parent = have kids, they should be jailed for a longer period of time to prevent children getting negatively influenced....
this is jus something that popped into my head when i first read abotu it.

What do students at Harvard think about The Social Network?

An advance screening in Harvard Square was given to a select group of students in order to find out how current students at Harvard would react to "The Social Network". The movie got mixed reviews from the Harvard students. One student feels that the film inaccurately made drugs, alcohol, and sex all look awesome while also making all the female students look like "flawless models" and all the male students look like "stacked Abercrombie & Fitch model types". She did give credit to the fact that the film somewhat portrays the campus atmosphere and also the smaller details of the student experience like staying up ridiculously late online. Another student loved the fact that the film was right on point. He felt that; "They depict Harvard for what it really is -- it's not some stupid prep school with kids in corduroy jackets. In the film, final clubs are a metaphor for exclusivity, and to an extent that's what they really are about -- privacy." He said it was also fun to watch because he could tell when scenes were actually filmed on campus. Since I haven't seen the movie yet I cant say much, but I find it interesting that the film received opposite reviews from students that attend Harvard at the same time.

Working women vs working men

According to the Government Accountability Offices report that came out on Tuesday, the number of women in management positions grew by only one percentage point in seven years. In 2000 women held 39% of management jobs and now women only hold 40% and according to experts, the lack of women in management positions has an impact on profits. The data is obtained from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey and shows that the retail industry had the largest gap between the number of women in managerial(with 36%) and non management jobs(with 51%). Although people might not realize it, but men still make more than women do for the same job. Unfortunately women only get paid 81 cents for every dollar that men make, and when added up, makes a huge difference. In 2009, President Obama tried to change that when he signed The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act which is a good start. This allows workers that are receiving unequal pay the right to sue within 180 days of their most recent paycheck. The top 10 companies that have he most female employees all relate to hospitals, medical centers or health care. The only exception is the Build-a-bear workshop which has 86% of females working at their company.

Shorter summer vacation

The largest school district in Indianapolis is planning on taking weeks off of summer vacation and during the year so they can have more time in the classroom. "They need to be in the classroom as much as is humanly possible," said IPS spokesperson Mary Louise Bewley. The school district wants a "balanced calendar" which is a combination of the traditional schedule and the year round schedule. The school year would start around the same time but summer break would be cut in half which means they would only get 5 weeks of vacation. Some parents really support the idea because they feel that they would rather have their children in school rather than getting in trouble over the summer. The parents that support the idea are the working parents that would also save money by not having to pay for as many day care centers during the summer. Other parents feel that no student should be robbed of their summer vacation and as a student I agree. Parents hate the fact that it would cut into family time. Unfortunately President Obama also likes the idea of a longer school year. He feels that since students in the states go to school about a month less than students in other countries, we forget what we have learned over the summer. A longer school year would make a huge difference in student performance. Will this "balanced calendar" become more common in the states?

Bacon lipbalm? wuah O_O?

You are not mistaken, what you are seeing is really a bacon cupcake.      

  Bacon fever is taking over the world. Not only is it a staple food in many places, it has infected every restraunt, every course, every dish!!!! 

Bacon is fatty, salty, savory, and irresistabe. Having it as an ingredient in so many foods really is not helping the obesity porblems in this country.

I didnt even notice it before, but looking at this picture, i realized bacon really is in everything now. Theres bacon earings, bacon lip balm, even bacon lotion, ewww!!!!
People making these things are not losing money either so that means theres actually people buying. Some people could just be buyiing it for funny, but i still find it disturbing. Food should be eaten, not worn as earings or smeard of your skin.

Its true, im not lying

Lady GaGa on the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy

Its the Lady Gaga, no costume, no lights, speaking  to a crowd of college students, parents with small children, teenagers and service members about  military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, calling for a repeal.

Currently in the Senate, the military authorization bill is being considered that would repeal the  policy which allows gay and bisexual people to serve as long as they do not disclose their orientation or engage in homosexual acts.

As a pop music sensation and gay herself, Lady Gaga has made it her personal mission to get this law repealed.

 Theres not much to it, but i think its awsome how she is willing to personally find time and speak out. Shes like one of the most popular/famous person in the world and i bet she is very busy. Shes so smart for using her celebrity status to support something that she strongly believes in, it makes me just respect her that much more.
I think more celebrities should follow Gaga's example and do something postitive with their money/status instead of constantly getting arrested and creating drama.

Fetal Origins

To some extent, we all know that our genes and the environment we grow up in determines who we are as individuals. 
But in recent reseach, evidence shows that  a third factor also plays a crucial role: our uterine environment before we’re even born.

In a study to test for the realtionship between fetal environment and obesity, several British scientistsfed pregnant rats junk food including  doughnuts, marshmallows, potato chips. What resulted from this environment was offspring that ended up 25 percent fatter than rats whose mothers were fed regular rodent chow. Proving that there does exist a relationship between unterine nutrition and obesity.

In  a more shocking discovery was the realtionship between stressful uterine environment and the cycle of poverty. Low income Pregnant women tend to be more likely exposed to anxiety, hazzardous chemicals, and malnouishment. Children who are born into these stressful environments have lower educational attainment, lower incomes and worse health throughout their lives.

The reason that stress causes fetus harm may be due release of cortisol, a hormone released when a person is anxious. In other particular studies, it is shown that children who were born in during the "Arab-Israeli Six-Day War of 1967 were more likely to have schizophrenia diagnosed as adults. And The Journal of the American Medical Association reported that Chinese born during the terrible famine from 1959 to 1961 were twice as likely to develop schizophrenia as those born at other times. "

These studies were very skeptical at first, but there seems to be more and more proof that there is such a thing as fetal origins. I myself believe it. If a person is shaped by the environment they are raised in, then why cant they also be shaped by the environment they were made in?

Britain bans children!!!

This is not a joke! Britain is at war with children.

In one specific village called Firhall,  children  are being banned altogether. The reason: they’re too noisy. Residents are allowed to have a dog, but youngsters are not allowed to liv there, only visiting allowed.

A few decades ago, this situation would be unthikabe for most people, but not anymore. Now, it seems entirely reasonable.

In other instances,  hotels and restaurants are banning or considering banning children because they have realized that they can often get more business if kids aren’t allowed in. Not only that, there are even adult-only trains, buses and planes. Not kidding!!

 Additionally, childlessness is becoming a popular route for Britains. In the last 2o years, women who have chosen not to have more than doubled! Not only are they loud and constanly argue, they are expensive!!
In a recent suvey done by The Childfree Association, it was suggested that child now costs  about $385,000 to raise.

This article focuses only on Britain but i see it as a notional trend. Chilren and their parents' relationship are becoming increasing isolated that its just sad/pathetic.
I mean, dont get me wrong, children do have their faults, but that does not mean people should stop having them. I see it as mostly the parent's fault if the child turns out messed up b/c they probably weren't raised correctly.I  feel like parentling is becoming too lenient in some cases. Ive known parent who allow their chilren to experiment with drugs/sex. Ive known Parents who dont do anything when their children swear and get physical, in other other words, hit the parent. From my personal experience, parents who are good parents have respectable children.

More and more people will not have children. People who do want children will be discouraged by their neibors and family.
If this negativity from both sides continue, what hope is there for the new generation?

Immigration...to a new planet?

This piece of news is actually a few days old…I thought it was interesting.

Scientists have recently discovered a new planet that holds the potential to sustain life…but it’s pretty far away. Astronomer declared this one of the major discoveries of the decade.

This planet is called Gliese 581g and is located about 20 light-years away from the constellation Libra. This is most Earthlike planet that’s been discovered. “This is the first exoplanet that has the right conditions for water to exist on its surface.” Steven Vogt (UCSC), one of the leaders on the discovery team, remarked.

But there are still many others factors to take into account. Its atmosphere and composition is still unclear and scientist will need more advanced telescopes to further their research. Scientists have considered planets around Gliese 581g before, but they were either too hot or too cold. Gliese 581g is just right.

I think this is pretty sketchy. Temperature is only one of the hundreds of determining factors to sustain life. But…I feel very indifferent to this discovery because I’m pretty selfish. I really doubt Earth will die before I do…so no hurry for me to move to a new planet. I don’t think we should get our hopes up for the future generations.

More workers out of work

Due to a stimulus-subsidized employment program which ended on Thursday, tens of thousands of low-income workers lost their jobs. A quarter of a million people in 37 states were given short term jobs thanks to a $5 billion boost to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. The money was used to give subsidized employment, food programs, housing assistance, ect. About half of the jobs were for youth and the remaining were for disadvantaged parents. Programs will continue to operate for another few months but will quickly diminish, but many of these people have been told not to report to work anymore which is just adding on to the millions of other people looking for permanent jobs. The programs that still exist like in Illinois said that they will continue their programs for two more months and hopefully after that Congress will provide more money. Gov. Pat Quinn feels, "The best way to make our economy stronger is to put people to work,". "It is good for families, small business owners and businesses." South Carolina, Texas, and Minnesota plan to continue their support programs for the unemployed but for only a few more months with hopes that something will change before then. But will anything change or will unemployment continue to be a prolem?

Scandal queen Whitman: is all publicity good publicity...even for potential public officice holders?

Meg Whitman just broke a record. She spent over $119 million dollars out of her own pocket to fund her campaign. (The total cost of her campaign so far is about $145 million while Jerry Brown has spent about $4 million + the $13 million mostly from unions)

But is it paying off?

Whitman is obvious facing a tough candidate: Jerry Brown, who has been in public office longer than she’s been voting (that might be an exaggeration, but you get my point). A few days ago, we found out that Whitman employed an illegal immigrant for nine years and let her go around the time when she announced that she was running for governor. She has publically denounced those who hire illegal immigrants and provided documentations proving that she thought her employee was legal. Even if Whitman is telling the truth…this will be yet another scandal on her resume…with only one month left until Election Day. Whitman has been working hard to steal the Latino vote from the Democrats and it seems like her hard work is about to go down the drain.

Record campaign expenses, political inactivity for almost 20 years, hiring illegal immigrants, and a somewhat weak debate……what’s in store for Whitman on November 2?

My blog week is over, I sign off by saying..."there is a rapist on the loose! BEWARE"

So, as you know this is my last day to blog for my assigned week, and it has been a pleasure to rant about current events with you all!

I leave you all with this pleasant thought to ponder...beware becuase there may be a rapist riding the public transit system in the BAY AREA, particularly in the Peninsula! Scary? Yes, I think so...look very closely at who you're sitting next to next time you bus to the city or BART it over to Cal or just ride the public rails down to San Jose...investigators are searching for 25-year old Damir Shalako who was last seen with jeans and ... no shirt (ew!) His face and neck has a tattoo which is very distinctive.  Like a scar!

All I know is that he's on the loose....so look under your beds, in your closets and in your attic because an unknown visitor may be on the lurk! Mwahahahahah...Have a great weekend!

Prop 8 Judge Steps Down

The recently overturned case regarding Prop 8 banning same - sex marriages in California has announced his stepping down from the bench.  He said that he was grateful for 21 years of judicial service, but is ready to step down, and return to the private sector.  His announcement makes some people question the validity of where Prop 8 is going.  Whether or not you believe in yes or no for this proposition, it has been a hot topic to fight from both sides and will possibly continue to ravage California ethics, issues and politics for many years since the judge who deemed it unconstitutional is stepping down.  Whether or not this stepping down will have an effect is questionable, but one thing is for certain.  We haven't heard the last of PROP 8!

Boy, 8, Dies in Brooklyn Fire

   A boy, age 8, trapped and burned to death on the third floor of an residential building. Along with this one death, five other children bwtween the age of 1-10 were seriously injured.                             At the start of the fire, 20 people were home. It over two hours and more than 130 firefighters to put down the fire.                            This event is just one of the too commonly heard tragadies caused by accidental fires. Not only is responce to these accidents too slow, but not enough is being done to prevent these accidents from even happening in the first place.  

I personally feel that these accidents could be avoided with more precaution or resources. Whats the point of having so much advanced technology if we don't put it to use.  

When i read this article, i was also thinking" does it really take 130 firefighters to put out one fire?" Im pretty sure there are more efficient options.

I know its easier said then done, but what are some possible options that may help prevention? Or, what are the obstacles that are keeping us from responding in a timely/organized manner?

North Korea's heir: Kim Jong-un?

Kim Jong-un, the youngest song of Kim Jong-il, was promoted as four-star general in the People’s Army and was named a deputy chairman of the military commission of the Workers’ Party on Sept. 28, 2010. 

His rise in status has made many question whether Mr. Kim considers him as the most qualified heir.

Up to today, no one really knew much about him except that he is descirbed to being as man "in his mid-20s, of medium height, overweight and prone to high blood pressure and suffering from diabetes, and with character traits similar to his father’s."

On sept 30th, pictures of Kim Jong-un finally released to the public ( front row to the left) revealing that prior descriptions were correct.

Due to Kim Jong-il's recent health failures, there is much motivation for him to begin presenting his son as the new leader.

 When Kim Il-sung suddenly died in 1994, fear of instability consumed Norht Korea. Although  Kim Jong-il immediately took his father's place and the country did not collapse, North Korea's economic performance deteriorated sharply and millions of North Koreans are thought to have starved to death during Kim Jong-il’s erratic tenure.

What I am wondering is besides that fact that he is a Kim, what qulifies Kim Jong-un as a possible candidate as a new leader?  Unlike his father who had 14 years between his political introduction in 1980 and his father’s death, Kim Jong-un has little to no politicle experince. If Kim Jong-il really does collapse, will the country be prepared for yet another transition?

Obese Teens vs Teen Anerexia

To put it simply,  Gastric bypass surgery is a type of surgery that makes the stomach smaller and allows food to bypass part of the small intestine. I makes you will feel full more quickly , thus,  reducing the amount of food you eat. 

This surgery has been an option for obese individuals for quite a few years now. However, in Califoria alone, individuals participating in this surgery has increased over seven-fold in the last few years.

Although it is said to be a noninvasive procedure, gastric banding can cause serious complications, including infection, leaks, respiratory arrest, blood clots and deathproves to have many other negaties.

In addition to the possible health risks, Gastric bybass surgeries are very expensive, ranging anywhere from 20,000 to 30,000. Many health insurrence prorams don't pay for this procedure, forcing individuals to pay from their own pockets.

Despite all the setbacks, research does suggest the this precedure is most effective method of weight loss for severely obese patients.

Personally, i see no problem with this procedure if it is actually nessecary, but my concern is that bypasss surgery are seen by too many as a quick fix diet. Out of the thousands that have undergone this surgery,  80 percent were female.

The american society is becoming increasingly polarized. Not only do we have the highest rate of obesity, but also have the highest rate of anerexia, bulimia, and other eatign sdisorders.  Results show that "8,000,000 or more people in the United States have an eating disorder, 90% are women women between the ages of 12 and 25".http://www.parentteen.com/teen_anorexia.html

I would mostly blame this problem on the media and in the fashion industry who focus on  thinness and on an ideal female body size. The media is psychologically detrimental to the well-being of many young women, and on their self image, which also gives rise to excessive dieting and/or exercise, and to eating diorders.