Saying goodbye to Coretta Scott King
I found this article on
Coretta Scott King, very engaging. I shows how great of a person she and her husband really were. They truly made a difference in world and are very well-respected people for that. I think it is important for influential people like herself to be honored and appreciated. She was the first woman and the first black person to lie in honor at what was once the home of segregation. "Coretta Scott King was a gracious and courageous woman, an inspiration to millions and one of the most influential civil rights leaders of our time," said the Governor of Georgia. "She was absolutely an anchor and support for her husband." Coretta Scott King died in Mexico at clinic, where doctors said she was battling advanced ovarian cancer. She also had been recovering from a serious stroke and heart attack.
Indonesian capital bans smoking in public places
While surfing for news stories I ran across this one. In the article it talks how Jakarta, Indonesia is banning smoking in public places. I feel this is awesome, for I see smoking as disgusting and a huge killer among people. Enforcing this
ban I think is very much appropriate, and I feel it should be enforced everywhere. For when people smoke, they are not only killing themselves, but also innocent people as well. Not obeying this law, could have offenders paying around 5,300 dollars or six months in jail. The law, which is aimed to reduce the effects of second-hand smoke, said that establishments can have designated smoking areas, on one condition, that they are completely sealed off. I think smoking should be banned altogether. Obviously they are very serious about this matter, and it should be taken seriously. Second-hand is just as dangerous and deadly as first-hand smoking. Therefore taking these actions is very appropriate.
An Amazing Activist
( Sorry, this was actually meant as a response to Polly, but I had some difficulties with the hyperlink.) Anyways, I completely agree that Coretta made a major milestone in our history. Her death made big news as it splashed across newspapers headlines. However, shouldn't we consider her attributes throughout history? Rather than dwell on her death, we should celebrate and acknowledge the woman beside Martin. With that, I decided to do some research of my own. I came across a great site that told an interesting story. In short, Coretta grew up with a passion for music and education. She assisted Martin with speeches, and also gave concerts in dedication to the civil rights movement. Not only that, but she worked to establish a library center filled with archives. Did you know that she was responsible for making her husband's birthday a national holiday?
Correta Scott King gave her all to fight racist barriers. She made it her lifelong goal to make the dream a reality.
*Check out this site for the full story...
http://www.gale.com/free_resources/whm/bio/king_c_s.htm
Corretta Scott King Honored
Coretta Scott King honored in AtlantaI found this article in the Star Tribune. I definately think its a major milestone in American history. Corretta's body was placed near Georgia's capital. She is the first black person and black women to lie in honor. Corretta was honored for everything her and her husband stood for. This honor, I believe, will make people more aware, even today, about how they treat people who are different from themselves.
No Hijab allowed
This was a very interesting article I found on a little girl who might be getting suspended from school for wearing a head dress or hijab. I definitely don’t think that is fair it isn’t like she is going to hide a gun in it, or even like it is hurting anyone or anything else. This little 6th grader is definitely being treated unfairly, it is a part of her way of life and she shouldn’t have to change that at least in my eyes. It will also be interesting to see how this whole ordeal pans out, we will have to wait for Wednesday after the court session. I would like to hear if other people are on the same page and feel the same way read the article and leave a comment.
http://www.cnn.com/2003/EDUCATION/10/11/scarf.reut/index.html
West Nile Virus
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/surv&control.htmThis is a general page with some links on it to information on the West Nile Virus. I found the West Nile virus to be very interesting especially since there have been cases here in Minnesota and even in strearns county.
http://westnilemaps.usgs.gov/us_mosquito.htmlThis is a map of the United states and the cases in each state. This is a cool site because it shows exactly where there were cases and how many, didvided by counties. This is also a great visual, it lets you see exactly where there were the most cases in the united states.
Cell Phone Follow-Up
I found another article about cell phones and driving. It explains some studies that have been done that show how dangerous it is to talk on your cell phone and drive. It also gives some interesting numbers like how many people now talk on a cell phone now compared to how many people talked on their phone in 1990. In 1990, 4.3 million people talked on their cell phone in the U.S., compared to 200 million people that now use a cell phone. This is a dramatic increase and causes more dangers on the road. Having cell phones enables people to talk on their phone while driving. Here is the link.
http://www.iii.org/media/hottopics/insurance/cellphones/
2007 Proposed Defense Budget
Next week, President Bush will request a $439.3 billion Defense Department budget for 2007, a nearly 5 percent increase over this year. The spending plan would include $84.2 billion for weapons programs, a nearly 8 percent increase, which would be spent on new ships, jets, and other aircrafts. The budget also includes an increase in weapons spending for the Army, which in all is expected to get $16.8 billion in the 2007 budget, compared with $11 billion it received this year. The new budget plan shows the fifth year in a row that spending on weapons has increased, after years of cutbacks during the 1990s. The expansion would permit soldiers to spend two years at their home station for every year they are deployed to a war front.
Bush's Defense Budget
Internet Usage on the Rise
I was looking through a couple blog posts to get an idea of something to write about and I decided that internet usage was a good topic to look at. I think the internet is the number 1 technology that is really making the world come together and making globilization happen. It's so easy for countries and different peoples to instantly connect and I think the internet is going to play a large part in making the world globalized.
I found
this website that has data that tracks internet data over the last few years. On this page I've linked to it has tracked back even to the year 2000 to now and it's amazing to see the percentage by which internet usage has grown. For example, internet usage in Uzbekistan has grown over 11,500% just in the last 5 years. I think the exact stat is 7,500 to 880,000. I think an increase this much is so amazing to see, it's amazing that almost near a million people got online just in one country over a period of 5 years. This is almost like everyone in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Eden Prairie, Burnsville, and Minnetonka not being on the internet in the year 2000 and then everyone in these cities getting online by this year. I think for the world to truly globalize and connect together, the internet is going to be the number one thing that will help establish this. Number one.
Darfur Part Two
Here is an article that has more background information on the situation in Darfur.
US pushes Darfur UN peace force
Summary of class for 2/3/06
Today-Trivia-GIS in computer labTodays trivia was "Which US state borders the greatest number of other states?"A. Tennesse or Missouri (tie with 8)Secondly we finished our GIS projects in the computer lab. We learned about geographical questions and coorelations between different characteristics of a country. This is a link to the answer of the trivia question. It shows a map of the United States. ~KP~
I was sitting in class today after I finished my GIS and I decided to go web surfing. I came across a interesting site that showed all of the countries that have banned cell phone use while driving. I thought that this was a good link to put up becuase on GIS today, we learned about phones in different countries around the world. Read some of the regulations that some of the countries put up, it is very interesting. In New Delhi, India, one who is caught talking on their cell phone while driving can now receive a prison sentence. The main punishment was a fine and the highest fine that I saw on the site was $1,000 in Norway.
http://www.cellular-news.com/car_bans/
Bush outlines plan for Social Security-Does it benefit us?
I was actually excited to catch the State of the Union Address on Tuesday night to see what the president has layed out for the next year. A couple points that I picked out in the speech that deal with Social Security:
First, I'm glad that he has layed out a plan to deal with the Social Security problem. As you probably know, as people work throughout their lives they pay into America's Social Security System and then begin drawing money out upon retirement. Some people now believe that by the time people our age are eligible to draw from Social Security (65), the funds will have gone bankrupt because the baby booming generation are expected to draw a lot of money out of the system over the next years, and more would be taken out than paid in.
One solution right now is to privatize Social Security which would allow people to invest money earned into an account of their own. Democrats are not in support of this idea, and Republicans are. I believe that Americans should have some say in where their Social Security money is going. There is talk that the government would limit our powers however by only offering certain types of stock for us to by. I'm not in favor of this. I believe that if Americans were to receive a portion of money to invest it should be invested in a way they would like. I personally favor a retirement account vs. the stock market because a retirement account would guarantee a return with at least 5% interest, while the stock market is a risk.
I think the government needs to fix the social security problem by allowing Americans to invest a part of their money received into a retirement account vs. traditional Social Security. I also learned in Economics that the government is borrowing money from Social Security to finanace other items in the budget. The government needs to leave this money alone and also privatize part of it.
In his State of the Union Address, President Bush did outline a plan to create a committee to address the problem of Social Security and to find a solution. The group will be non-partisan, which means it will not be based on Republican or Democrat values. However, I feel that like many things in our country, the committee is going to favor their party values heavily and have a tough time compromising on a solution. American politicians needs to put parties aside and work out this issue. I think this group is a step in the right direction and that President Bush made this move. I hope this committee can really put party lines aside and work out this issue. The bickering and disagreements need to stop in congress otherwise there will be future consequences for all Americans...except those in congress because of life-long fringe benefits.
Bush
Bush articleThis article talks about Bush's tour around the U.S. to seek support for the agenda he has laid out. This article was very interesting; his plan is simple but has a big goal. To me it just sounds like the same old plan that every other president has talked about in their state of the union speech without the talk of war with Iraq. Yah the things he wants to do are excellent but it doesn't seem like it will happen, not at least for another 5 years.
A confirmed Bird Flu in Iraq
Here’s an interesting article I found of the Bird Flu. On Monday they had confirmed a case of it in Iraq, where a 15 year-old girl had died. It was the first confirmed case of the disease in the Middle East. Tests are being done to determine if the girl’s 50-year-old uncle, who also lived in the same house, may have also died from the virus. The girls mother, however, strongly disagreed that her daughter did not die from that disease. “My daughter did not die from bird flu,” Fatima Abdullah, 50, told The Associated Press. “She did not like chickens nor had anything to do with them. She did not take care of these birds.” Iraqi health authorities began the killing of some of the domestic birds in northern Iraq, which borders Turkey, where at least 21 cases of the deadly virus have been discovered.
Bird Flu Girl
Class Summary, Block 4 02/02
We started out class with trivia, "What capital made of 2 cities sits on the Danube River? Awns:
Budapest. For the rest of the day we spent our time in the lab doing GSI. Should have gotten threw the first page. No other homework was assigned.
Class Summary- February 2nd
1.) Trivia then Computer Lab to work on GSI packet. Should've gotten through atleast first page. Will be finishing the rest tomorrrow.
Population Pyramid Analysis
I researched 6 countries in which to analyze the population pyramid. These countries include Russia, Iraq, United Kingdom, India, Hungary and Jamaica. Though I mainly looked at the current statistics for these countries, I looked into the history of Russia's population trends in addition.
The population pyramid graph for Russia includes a few interesting aspects. After looking at the 1990 population pyramid, it is obvious that there is a huge dropoff of males over the age of 65-69. Although it could be argued that it is simply because of lack of life expectancy, it would hold little truth. The age group of 65-69 during the year of 1990 would be about the same as those who could have fought during World War II. Another feature in the population pyramid that could back this theory up is the fact that the female population is over double that of the male population for that age group. In the 2005 graph, the population shows a somewhat jagged circular shape, suggesting a population boom and a recent decline of newer population.
The Iraqi population pyramid for the year 2005 is a much better example of the name "population pyramid". The difference between the Russian and Iraqi population pyramid is, I believe, due to the state the country is in. In a third world country like Iraq, it is simply expected for less people of old age to be living in the country, as opposed to a more developed country. The Iraq population pyramid doesn't show many choppy irregularities because it is experiencing a slight incline, which is to say not a boom, yet in a growing state.
The United Kingdom is currently experiencing the same type of population fluctuation as Russia. Both show remarkable similarities, in that both have a somewhat choppy circular shape, with a major bulge around the 40-44 age group. Chances are this is because of the same reasons Russia is experiencing such a pattern.
As of the year 2005, India is undergoing the same trends as Iraq, only more subtle. The curve at the top of the pyramid is not as sharp, and the transition of the numbers between the older and younger age populations are not as steep. In addition, the Indian population growth appears to be slowly capping, as the difference between 5-9 and 0-4 age groups is almost unnoticeable.
In addition to the United Kingdom and Russia, the Hungarian population pyramid seems to be following the pattern of a choppy yet circular shape. Though it is not as distinct as the Russian or United Kingdom's population patterns, Hungary seems to be following the trend to a degree. It is currently heading into a decline after experiencing a boom.
Although Jamaica is a smaller nation and statistics do not show as great of a population change, their percentages clearly follow the same patterns as Iraq or India. The graph shows a familiar conic shape. Third world countries of this era are showing a pattern, and that is one of growth. Each population pyramid of countries that are considered third world actually looks like a pyramid. However, Jamaica is a small exception, as the 5-9 and 0-4 age groups are on a decline.0 This signifies a population decline, which is only to be expected after growth which the nation has seen.
Revolt Against the Crossword Puzzles
Before I begin, I would like to preface this post by informing all of you that in no way am I insulting the teaching methods or abilities of anyone, nor am I attempting to rebel for rebellion's sake. I am simply upset with a certain part of our curriculum, and I'm mildly curious to know what it has to do with the rest of our class.
I am not doing the crossword puzzle that Mrs. Hartman has assigned to her fourth block College Geography class. I just did the first eight of the words, and I simply refuse to do anymore. This is, in simplified terms, outrageous. Firstly, I have been informed by a student of Mrs. Hartman's second block class that this puzzle was not assigned to their class. Fair? I beg to differ. Secondly, I find the crossword unnecessarily difficult, and do not believe that this is an assignment that could be reasonably completed in two days. Thirdly, I hardly see how this fits into the rest of our curriculum. How does this help us learn about globalization? Or, for that matter, how does it teach us anything at all?
With a huge load of homework and extensive work for extra-curricular activities, I find myself with little time for such trivialities as crossword puzzles. I took College Geography because I wished to attend a challenging class that would inform me about the geographical aspects of our world, not to play games. If I wanted to "logically stretch my mind", I would do so on a Sunday morning at breakfast. I just don't want to waste my time on this bunk while I have much more invigorating and informative work to do.
I know that Mrs. Hartman will be able to find out who I am, and I fully accept the responsibilities for the action I am taking. Just so you know, I'm not trying to make a martyr of myself, so if you would please keep whatever reprimands you wish to bestow upon me private Mrs. Hartman, that would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time.
--Freddy Four-Fingers
State of the Union
I was wondering if anyone happened to catch the State of the Union address on Tuesday. I found it to be an important event to find what our president has in store for the upcoming year. Polls have been showing the President to be having the lowest approval of any president since Nixon and the Watergate scandal. I believe it's important that we are informed of our president's intent, especially in years of a possible second term, and continue to hear these goals and use them to base a decision on whether we agree with it or not. This is the basis of a democratic system. It allows us to make an opinion on what President Bush thinks, and use that to make the biggest possible impact on our elections as we can. President Bush spoke of the importance of this years Senate and House elections. This is especially crucial that those who are able to vote do to help their party gain power in both the Senate and the House. President Bush also spoke a lot about the war, and how crucial it was that we stay in Iraq and finish what we came there to do. During this elaborate 30 minute section in which Bush spoke only of Iraq and the war, the camera would cut between scenes of Bush's speech, and Hilary Clinton laughing. I found this paticularly funny especially in a place of so many high prestigious people. That's all I have on the State of the Union Address for now.
Florida is Taking Action
http://www.global-warming.net/californiawilllimitcaremissions.htmThis was an interesting site because it talked about the issues of global warming and the actions we are taking to prevent it. I have read all of the articles people have posted and over all I have come to the conclusion that if it isn’t global warming, there are at least some changes taking place because of how we treat the place we live. This is an article about Florida and the steps that they are taking to make earth a better place to live, I also think more states should do the same, because one definitely isn’t going to do the trick. I also thought it was weird that the policy doesn’t go into effect until 2009 but I suppose that is to give company’s time to get used to the new regulations. Also thanks to those who posted articles on global warming they were very interesting.
Breakdown of World Religion
I thought the topic of world religion was interesting, so I researched this topic online. The following website contains a chart showing the breakdown of the world's major religions in according to number of believers.
http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.htmlAfter reviewing the background and breakdown of the major religions across the world, I descovered a very interesting fact. 3 of the main world religions origionated in the Middle East- Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. Perhaps this isn't coincidence, and the basic roots of the religions have ties. On the following web page, there is a map concerning the major religions of each area.
http://www.wamware.com/world-religions/map.htmIt is curious that each of the three major religions exists in some form in the Middle East today. Although each religion has spread out in some way, the general area in which these 3 major religions exist collide in the Isreal. This is almost undoubtably due to the origin of each religion. The quesiton remains though, are the roots of these religions tied in some way?
religion
different religionsI really found this article interesting because it represents the different tribes and such as a true religion with belief systems. They are having a meeting for world religions which all of the tribes are invited to. They can read papers about their beliefs so other people become familiar with them and it will popularise them.
Darfur Editorial Challenge
Hey guys, here is another site you should check out.
Darfur Editorial Challenge
Global Climate Change
I’m sorry I had to go home sick today, we’ll catch fourth block up tomorrow.
I was pleased that you posted on Global Climate Change Zebra. I ran across this article from the BBC that has lots of information and some good links on history and some nice maps on the extent of polar ice melt. This would be another good topic for those college papers.
Population Pyramids Analysis optional assignment
I studied 6 country's population pyramids: Brazil, Togo, Yemen, Zimbabwe, Uruguay, and Belgium
Brazil, Togo, and Yemen all are in the rapid growth stage. In the next 50 years their populations are expected to double in size. Brazil is estimated to gain 2 million people. The amount of upcoming laborers will be large. Unless the government creates more jobs there could be a problem with unemployment in these countries.
Zimbabwe has a jagged pyramid. It is in a slow or zero growth stage. In the next 50 years the population is expected to shrink slightly. Zimbabwe is predicted to have more females than males in the future.
Uruguay is in its slow growth stage. There is expected to be a large number of elderly and less children in the next 50 years. A large amount of welfare will be needed in the near future for Uruguay. There will need to be more old peopleÂs homes. The labor availability will lower and that could be a problem for the economic status of the country.
Belgium is in a zero growth phase. The bottom of the pyramid is half the size of the center. It is very jagged. I think that the child bearing age is around 35-39. The population is expected to shrink a great deal.
~Manifesto~
Class Summary 2-1
Class Summary 2-1
February 1, 2006
Block 4
Mrs. Hartman was absent today.
Class Activities:
1. Trivia: What is the capital on the Wisla River?
2. Discussed the Earthly Visions video worksheet.
3. Filled out notes within the new packet.
Homework:
1. Read pages 31-36 with the Ch. 2 Reading Guide (due by the test date)
2. If you haven’t yet finished the Ch. 1 Reading Guide, you have until the test date.
3. Finally, we were given a cross word puzzle sheet with an unknown due date.
Notes:
Cultural Coherence and Diversity: Geography of Tradition and Change….
Cultural Imperialism: The active promotion of one’s cultural system over another.
Cultural nationalism: Defending a cultural system against offensive cultural expression while actively promoting local/national values.
Cultural Syncretism or hybridization: The blending of elements of culture to form a new one.
Language and Culture: Includes a variety of aspects, (ex: politics, religion, customs)
1. Dialect
2. Lingua Franca
Religion is an extremely important, defining trait of cultural groups
1. Universalizing religion
2. Ethnic religion
3. Secularization
Geopolitics: describes the close link between geography and political activity
1. State
2. Nation
3. Nation-state
Micronationalism: group identity with the goal of self-rule within an existing nation-state.
Centrifugal forces: cultural & political forces acting to weaken/divide an existing state.
Centripetal forces: Forces that promote political unity & reinforce the state structure.
Terrorism
1. Asymmetrical warfare: The difference between a superpower’s military tech. & strategy.
2. Colonialism: Formal rule over foreign pop.
3. Decolonialization: colony gaining/regaining control
Economic & Social DevelopmentCore-periphery model: U.S., Canada, West Europe, and Japan me up the core.
Development: indicates structural changes.
Measuring Economic Wealth1.GDP
2.GNP
3. GNI: Value of all final goods/services
Purchasing Power Parity: A comparable standard Market basket.
Economic Growth Rate: Annual rate of expansion for GNP
Mortality rate under 5 yrs: measure of the # of children who die per 1,000 persons.
Adult illiteracy rate: % of male/female who cannot read.
Female Labor force participation: % of nation’s labor force that’s female.
Global Warming?
http://www.climatehotmap.org/This is an interesting site on global warming, it talks about how it is taking place and where and in what places. I found this site to be very interesting because some people think it is taking place and some don't. I would definitely like to learn more about it. I have heard many things about it from what we talked about in class (just the changing climate) to the fact that it is getting warmer everyday, also one time I heard it will never take place because some of the bad gases are being compensated for by the good gases given of by certain things. I think this is a very interesting issue and if anyone find an interesting article they should post it- Thanks.
Class Today 1/2/06-comments
Today in class we didn’t get a chance to talk about religion that the class before us talked about, we didn’t talk about atheism at all. I am interested to see if we will talk about this tomorrow. This is something I don’t know much about and am curious about. I think that having a substitute teacher was harder also because the notes were just given to us instead of explained to us like usual.
4-block Zebra
Atheist
In Class we had talked about the different religions including Atheism. Someone talked about reading an article in the newspaper about an atheist. I found the article and it is interesting, especially from our point of view-> most of us not knowing anything about Atheism.
This man makes some very good points that can be agreed with and others that are purely opinion.
St. Cloud Times Atheist Article~Manifesto~
class summary 2-01
Earthy visions video and did the worksheet for it
Read Pg. 31-36 in book
Answer question on chapter 2 study guide
Notes:
Culture is learned, is shared behavior, and includes both abstract and material elements
When Cultures Collide
Cultural imperialism: active promotion of ones cultural system over another
Cultural nationalism: defending a cultural system gains offensive cultural expression while actively promoting local or national value
Cultural syncretism or hybridization: The blending of elements of culture to form a new culture
Language and Culture in Global Context
Language and culture are closely tied
Since language is the means for communication within a cultural group, it includes other aspects of cultural identity (politics, religion, commerce, customs, and folkway)
Dialect: Distinctive form of a language associated with a specific region
Lingua franca: a third language that is adopted by people from different cultural groups within a country who cannot speak each others language.
Geography of World Religion
Religion is another extremely important defining trait of cultural groups
Universalizing religion: attempt to appeal to all people regardless of location or culture
Ethnic religion: identified closely with a specific ethnic group, does not actively seek converts
Secularization: exist when people consider themselves to be non-religious or outright atheistic (about 1 billion)
Geopolitical Framework: Fragmentation & Unity
Geopolitics: term that describes the close link between geography & political activity.
-Focuses on the interaction between power, territory, and space at all scales
State: A political unit with territorial boundaries recognized by other countries & internally governed by an organizationally structure.
Nation: A large group of people who share many cultural elements (e.g.: language, religion, cultural identity) and view themselves as a single political community
Nation-state: a relatively homogenous cultural group with its own fully independent political territory (e.g.: Japan, France): Kurds are a nation without a state
Micro nationalism: group identity with the goal of self rule within an existing nation-state
-on the rise, and a source of geopolitical tension in the world
Centrifugal and Centripetal Forces
Centrifugal forces: cultural & political forces acting to weaken or divide an existing state
-examples: linguistic minority status, ethnic separatism, territorial autonomy, disparities in income and well-being
Centripetal forces: forces that promote political unity & reinforce the state structure
-Examples: shared sense of history, need for military security, overarching economic structure
Global Terrorism
9/11 terrorist attacks not attached to a nationalist or regional geopolitical aspiration to achieve independence or autonomy
Global terrorism is a product and an expression of globalization
A symmetrical warfare: the difference between a superpowers military technology & a strategy and the lower level technology &decentralized guerilla tactics used by allqueda and the Taliban.
Colonialism and Decolonialization
Colonialism: formal establishment of rule over a foreign population
Decolonialization: the process of a colony’s gaining (or regaining) control over its territory & establishing a separate independent government
Economic and social Development: The Geography of Wealth and Poverty
Economic development brings increased prosperity to individuals, regions, and nation-states
More and less developed countries
Core-periphery model: U.S., Canada, Europe, & Japan make up the economic core in the northern hemisphere while most areas to the south make up a less developed periphery
Indicators of Economic Development
Development: qualitative and quantitative measures indicating structural changes (getting “better”)
Growth: increase in the size of a system (getting bigger)
Measuring Economic Wealth
Gross Domestic Product (GDP): value of all final goods and services produced within a country
Gross National Product (GNP): GDP plus the net income from abroad: but omits non market economic activity (bartering, household work)
Gross national income (GNI): the value of all final goods and services produced within a country plus net income from abroad
-GNI per capita – obtained by dividing the GNI by a country’s population
Purchasing power parity (PPP): a comparable for a standard “market basket” of goods & services purchased with a local currency
Economic growth rate: annual rate of expansion for GNP (Gross National Product)
Indicators of Social Development
Life expectancy: average length of life expected at birth for a hypothetical male or female, as based on national death statistics
Mortality rate under 5 years: measure of the number of children who die per 1,000 persons
Adult illiteracy rates: percentage of a society’s male and females who cannot read
Female labor force participation: Percentage of a nations labor force that is female
Frequently asked questions about the bird flu
Here is some more information on the bird flu such as what it is and if humans can catch the bird flu. They are just some questions that a lot of people have been asking along with the answers. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3422839.stm
State of The Union
Here is an interesting article on the State of the Union that President Bush gave tonight at the white house. In the address Bush stated that there are now
122 democracies in the world. He also said that we should not forget about the countries that are not yet democracies. I personally think that democracies are a great idea, but we may have to stop and ask ourselves if were over stepping our bounds trying to make everyone just like us. Maybe we should like developing countries develop like we did and let them take the natural progression into a democratic state, just something to ponder. Bush hit on major, political issues like the war, NSA wiretapping, taxes, health care, and the rising oil prices. It’s a good article to read with lots of current issues.
Class Summary 1-31
Class Summary 1-31 January 31, 2006Block FourHomework:Review notes taken in class and finish the Globalization and Diversity Chapter One Questions packet. Read through page 30 if you have not already done so.
Notes:Population StatisticsTotal Fertility Rate (TFR)- The average number of children born to a woman...
- 2.8 World
- 1.4 Europe
- 5.2 Africa
Population Pyramids
Show gender and percentage of the population in specific age groups. (See pg. 12; figure 1.14 for an example)
The Demographic Transition
1. High birth rate and high death rate.
2. Death rate falls dramatically while birth rate stays high.
-improved public health, common medicine and economic development.
3. Death rate is low and birth rate begins to fall
-urbanization and industrialization
4. Low birth and death rate.
Migration Patterns
Today about 125 million (2% of the world) internationally migrates.
- Push factor- Negative conditions such as oppression, way, or natural disasters.
- Pull factor- Favorable conditions such as opportunity, freedom, or climate.
Urban World
Mexico City and Sao Paolo, Brazil
- More than 20 million residents
- 10,000 new people migrate there each week
- Predicted to double in 15 years
Urbanized Population
- 47% of the world
- Over 75% in Europe, Japan, Australia and the US
- Less than 50% in developing countries
Movie:
Earthly Visions Study Guide (we'll be going over the worksheet tomorrow in class)
Population Pyramids
*Hey you guys really good discussion on Bird Flu. Some of you may want to keep this in mind as a topic for your Senior to Sophomore papers.*
Now here is an exercise on Population Pyramid Analysis. This would count as one of your comments for the week.
1) Go to the International Database at the U. S. Census Bureau
2) Using the scrolling list of countries, select a country, and then select the type of output. For this exercise, choose "summary" for the output, and then select the image size you wish to view.
3) View the output. Take notes on it, save the image to a disk for later viewing or print out the page for analysis later.
4) What shape is the pyramid? Is it inverted, is it jagged or smooth, or is it not a pyramid at all? By subtracting the age from the cohort you are looking at, note approximately when the people were born during a gap in the sides or during a peak in the population. What other interesting features do you see in the pyramid?
5) Repeat this process for at least 5 countries.
6) Write a post summarizing what you have found, noting which countries had similar shapes and which countries had gaps. Try and explain the shape of the pyramids, explaining the irregularities in population. Also comment on what the future holds for each country in general. Are some expanding or declining? Provide some hypotheses for what may be going on. Remember that ageing or youthful populations may have implications for the following: labor availability and unemployment, economic growth, the size and nature of markets, welfare services such as pensions, old peoples homes, educational provisions, and housing markets.
Links to Globla Issues
http://usinfo.state.gov/regional/nea/iraq/maps/usghmnasst54_070303.pdfhttp://usinfo.state.gov/gi/These are two sites that are actually from the same main site which is usinfo.state.gov. The first link talks about what the United States is doing in Iraq and how they are giving many types of assistance, for example medical and shelter. The second link is a link to various global issues, the one that comes up is bird flu which I found to be and interesting link to elaborate on the original post about the bird flu.
Responding to Bird Flu
Thanks for the bird flu link, it was very interesting, but there was one thing, I wish it showed the United States. It may be that is was there and I just couldn’t find it, but I tried to look for it. I think that a map of the world showing the bird flu would be even more interesting. I also looked on google and didn’t find any maps showing bird flu cases in the United States, but I know there were some cases in the U.S. because I knew someone with it. That is why I am interested in it, if anyone finds a map put a link on it please. After looking at the site a little and studying the bird flu map I noticed that the bird flu was the most wide spread in July and December of 2005, compared to the other years listed, it will be interesting to see if that trend continues into 2006 and it goes up again the next half a year.
Bird Flu Information
In case anyone was interested in learning more about the bird flu, I found a website that talks all about it. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Avian Influenza Virus~Manifesto
Summary for Class on 1/31/06
Today in class, we were going to watch the video "Earthly Visions" which included a study guide but couldn't because of technical difficulties. We may try to watch it again tomorrow but it depends on what is wrong with the tape and if we can fix it.
Don't forget to read through pg 30 in your Globalization and Diversity book and finish the question packet that goes with the reading. It is not due until next week but it is a good idea to get it done now. Review your notes from class and the packet questions. Doing this will help future understanding of the chapter.
Today, we also finished yesterdays notes:
More population statistics you must know (memorize)
World average is 2.8 children
Europe is 1.4
Africa is 5.2
Signals further rapid population growth
Older people need more health care, Social Security from younger workers
Demographic Transition
Preindustrial- High birth rate, high death rate
Transitional- Death rates fall, birth rate stays high *Improved public health, modern medicine *Linked to economic development
Transitional- Death rate low, Birth rate begins to fall *Linked to urbanization, industrialization
Industrial- Low birth rate, low death rate
Migration Patterns
Much international migration linked to global economy
Push factors: negative conditions that drive people from a location *cultural oppression, war, unemployment, natural disasters
Pull factors : favorable conditions at a destination that attract people *economic opportunity (jobs), freedom, good climate
Most migration involves both push and pull factors working together
An Urban World
- Mexico City and San Paolo (Brazil)
- More than 20 million residents
- And they're adding 10,000 new people each week
- Both are predicted to double in the next 15 years
- Urbanized population: percentage of a country's people who live in cities
- Currently, 47% of the world's population lives in cities
- Us, Europe, Japan, Austrailia are more than 75% urbanized
- Rates of urbanization in developing world is usually less than 50%, and may be considerably lower
~Streetlight Manifesto~
Bird Flu
Here is a cool interactive map showing the spread of bird flu since January 2004.
Summary for Class on 1/30/06
Political Maps are due tomorrow (tuesday) (1/31/06)
Label the countries and it's capital. The countries and the capitals should have their own color.
Read Pages 25-30 in your Globalization and Diversity Book. Answer the questions that you can in the packet "Globalization and Diversity Chapters One Questions" which was given to us last week with the first reading assignment.
Notes in class today are to be continued tomorrow:
Themes and Issues in World Regional Geography
Environmental Geography
Population and Settlement
Cultural Coherence and Diversity
Geopolitical Framework
Economic and Social Development
Population and Settlement: People on the Land
About 86 million born each year
90% of population growth in developing regions
Population growth rates vary from region to region
Regions and countries have vastly different approaches to family planning, from regulation to incentives and social cooperation
Migration: Some migrate for a better life, others migrate to flee war, persecution, or environmental disasters
The greatest international migration in human history is occuring NOW.
East Asia stands out as the most populated region. China and India are the some of the most densely populate countries.
Population Growth and Change
1. Rate of Natural Increase (RNI): annual growth rate of a country or region as a percentage increase
Annual # of births - Annual # of deaths * 100 = RNI
Current RNI -> 1.3%
The population could reach 12 billion in our lifetime!
2. Crude Birht Rate (CBR): total # of births divided by the total population giving a figure per 1,000 of the population
World CBR -> 22 per 1,000
3. Crude Death Rate (CDR): Total # of deaths divided by the total population giving a figure per 1,000 of the population
World CDR -> 9 per 1,000
^^Notes to be continued tomorrow^^
~Streetlight Manifesto~
