Our World
In response to question two,
I think the link that lets you create an entire country. I thought it was kinda neat that you got to be placed in the throne yourself and see just how everything works on a basic ground. It lets you get a new perspective on everything and how a lot of government ideals tick.
Well, it seems that Los Angeles is getting protested to the max! Check it out- 100,000 people are marching the streets of LA. Why? Well its all because of this new, dontcha know. The law includes,
-Makes it a felony to be in the U.S. illegally
-imposes new penalties on employers who hire illegal immigrants and erect fences along 1/3 of the border.
In my point of view, I believe that such a law, though may seem righteous, will just lead to terrible outcomes. In reality, passing a law like this will only hurt most buisnesses. Employment levels aren't going to go up to high for U.S. citizens, if that's what they're acheiving.
Your thoughts, opinons, agreements, disagreements, comments, questions, compliments...
1) what was the most interesting thing you learned through blogging or reading other people's posts? why?
I enjoyed learning about other people's opinions on topics effecting the world, even if i didn't always agree with them. I also liked being able to share my viewpoint and hopefully opening people's eyes to more then one point of view. Reading what other people had to say made me look at some things from a different perspective and in some instances changed my view on topics. Reading other people's posts also gave me a chance to learn about things going on around the world that i probably would have not otherwise known about. I am not only a smarter person because of blogging, but i am also a more aware person about global issues facing all of us.
Extra Credit Blogging
As you get ready to do some extra credit blogging over spring break here are a couple of ideas for posts. Pick one or more and post your answer. You can respond to each of these questions as a separate post if you would like. Be sure to comment on other's posted answers as well.
1) What was the most interesting thing you learned through blogging or reading other people's posts? Why?
2) What is the best link you have found through the web and blogging? Why?
3) What do you like or dislike about blogging as part of the class?
4) How do you think technology in general, and blogging in particular, might change your future?
5) What do you think schools will be like in ten years? Twenty?
In this article, it talks about how a preacher during a prayer service on friday, was calling for an execution of a man who converted to christianity. He was originally a muslim, but since he converted, the preacher wanted him to be executed. One speaker in Kabul said to many other people; "Afghanistan does not have any obligation under international laws. The prophet says, when somebody changes religion, he must be killed." They also dont want the country to give into international pressure, because US and other countries are saying that if he would be executed, it violates freedom of religion.
I was looking for something to post, and i remembered that we were about to start a new chapter, and i found an interesting article about how the Afghanistan government wants the opium drug lords to invest their money in the country that has been shattered economically by invasions and other conflicts. Opium accounts for 1/3 of Afghanistans income, and it would benefit the country alot if the drug dealers helped out the country.
Africa
I found a site that has rankings for every country in the world in various categories. It has population, area, GDP-per capita, GDP-per growth rate and life expectancy at birth. One of the things that was obvious was when I clicked on the life expectancy at birth, all or most of the African countries were first on the list when I categorized them from low to high. Check it out!
http://worldfactsandfigures.com/country_rankings.php
Africa
This site I saw about Africa was really interesting. It talks about the population and how it is continually increasing despite the AIDS. It also has a lot of links that you can click on to know about the ethnic religions, cameroon schools and a bunch of other things.
http://library.thinkquest.org/16645/the_people/population.shtml
I thought it would be fun to find some fun facts about the various countries in Africa. This list doesn't have a ton, but here it is so check it out!
http://www.africaguide.com/facts.htm
Thousands of people across the country protested Friday against legislation cracking down on illegal immigrants, with demonstrators in Phoenix, Los Angeles, California, and Atlanta, Georgia, staging school walkouts, marches and work stoppages. Congress is considering bills that would make it a felony to be illegally in the United States, impose new penalties on employers who hire illegal immigrants and erect fences along one-third of the U.S.-Mexican border. The proposals have angered many Hispanics. The people who protested, were there for the American Dream. A woman who was there said her husband, a hard working man in the U.S., is an illegal immigrant. If they took him away, hers' and her childrens' life would be ruined. That day, there was also a March in Millwaukee, an estimated 10,000 people marched against this bill. I think that there should be some regulations about illegal immigrants, but I don't want it to get to the extreme where it tears apart families. Everyone should have an equal chance for a good life.
In the news recently, there have been alleged rape accusations at Zuma, a man who may be the next president in South Africa. A women has testified that Zuma had tried to rape her while she was a guest in his home a few months ago. I think this is a very sad story. I think that people who are considered to be a role-model and someone who could be there president, is raping women. This women had looked up to Zuma as a father-figure after her own had passed away. It is sad that she couldn't trust him. This article also talks about the cases of rape in Africa and the widespread of HIV/AIDS, which is horrible. South Africa has one of the highest rates of rape in the world, and women's rights groups here say statistics show only one of nine women raped in South Africa reports the crime.
March 24 2006
Today in class we had the final,
remember to blog over spring break for extra credit.
Have a Good Break
Here is a fun Game to Play
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/geospy/
If you wish to donate money or help out in Sudan or anywhere in Africa just contact Unicef at the link provided, thank you.
http://www.unicefusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=duLRI8O0H&b=50755
Africa and Oil
Could Africa be the next
oil giant? This is the question that this article asks boldly in its title. Sandile Nogxina is a Director General of Minerals and Energy and he is stressing the need to invest in oil. He believes that Africa could become the next oil provider of the world. He suggests a system where the oil is distributed to African countries first, to serve their needs. It is stated that Africa accounts for seven percent of the global energy resources and ten percent of the output. The oil in Africa is also in demand. President Bush asked for 27 percent of the US crude oil supplies to come from Africa. In a few years could Africa be outperforming the Middle East in oil production? What kind of effect will this have on Africa's economy?
Free Trade in Africa
Is there free trade in Africa's future?
This article talks about the possibility of creating a free trade organization in the Mediterranean are by 2010. The ministers of the European Union are talking about working together a system that could open up trade within that region. This is major news for Africa because if trade is made easier, the GDP of Africa could easily rise and the economy could prosper. NAFTA was successful in improving the North American countries' economies, who's to say that a free-trade organization can't do the same for the poor countries of Africa? What do you think is the best for Africa's economy?
World Hunger Facts
I found this site that has a bunch of facts about world hunger. Some of the facts are pretty amazing. Like the fact that 852 million people outside of the U.S. are hungry. Or the one that says 24.6 million people in the U.S. participate in the food stamp program. That's alot more then what I expected. There are some pretty good facts here that might blow your mind. You should really check it out.
Hunger Facts
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/AFRICAEXT/EXTAFRREGTOPGENDER/0,,menuPK:502366~pagePK:34004175~piPK:34004435~theSitePK:502360,00.htmlhttp://hrw.org/english/docs/2003/12/01/africa6544.htmIn Africa, the gender inequality is a big issue. The above articles talk about the importance of gender inequalities and how this affects many areas. For example, gender inequality slows the economic growth. World Bank states that "Research shows that women and girls work harder than men, are more likely to invest their earnings in their children, are major producers as well as consumers, and bear critical, life-sustaining responsibilities." Obviously this is a critical part in understanding Africa's economy. Also, the spread of HIV/AIDS is said to be affected by gender inequality. If the women are viewed as less than the men, they are more likely to be raped and less likely to be heard when they ask for protected sex. They are continually abused and if they complain, the officials just laugh at them. In some countries, women are seven times more likely to be HIV positive than men. It is suggested that well-funded programs are needed to protect women's rights. These are only two main areas where gender inequalities have made a large impact. There are many ways that women and their standard of living affects the whole country.
Heading home: Peter Dut Angon
After watching the the Lost Boys of Sudan movie during class, I was interested to see where these boys would end up in the future. I came across this article about Peter, one of the Lost Boys. In the article Peter explains what happened in greater detail then what was mentioned on the movie. As of right now he says he is a level one nursing student. He also plans on visiting his family in May..whom he hasn't seen in nearly 18 years. After receiving all of his nursing training he plans on returning to Sudan to work in the health department. It is a pretty short, but interesting article to read. It was also interesting to see what Peter decided to do with his education that he has recieved the the United States.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4185079.stm
Botswana Government
Botswana GovernmentThe Botswana government was looking for ways to better their economy. This past year the Botswana government joined Dimension Data as they joined to form a Empowerment Partnership. The partnership will make it more possible for the country of Botswana to have up-to-date technology and will set an example for other countries to do the same. The Botswana government would like local businesses to become a part of their partnership because they are the source of the countries economy. Lawrence Lekalake is the head of the Botswana part of the partnership and with him and his other Botswana partners they will be able to have inside information about what citizens want.
One of the main reasons that Africa cant be successful is because of the corruption problem. For the most part we have been taught that the southern part of Africa is better off then the northern part. I thought this article was interesting because it showed how they do have corruption problems in the south (espcially in the most well off part, South Africa). I also thought it was good that the proper steps were underway to punish these people for what they have done. Hopefully the north can do the same things to get those poor officals out of power and start helping out their part of the country.
I found this extremely interesting article written by a woman who directed a movie called, "Africa: Open for Business." She reveals the side of Africa that most people don't discuss. The majority of media coverage revolves around aids, genocide, and malnourished children. She states that, "The worst promote the extended-belly, flies-on-the-face cliche of Africa." Don't get me wrong, these are all newsworthy subjects. However, we seem to ignore all of the positive aspects of the region. As the author put it "Africa is also a land of stock markets, high rises, Internet cafes and a growing middle class. This is the part of Africa that functions. And this Africa also needs media attention, if it's to have any chance of fully joining the global economy." Business, entrepreneurship, and private enterprise are actually thriving in parts of Africa. Did you know that the Ghana Stock Exchange regularly tops the list of the world's highest-performing stock markets? Sounds strange right? Well, believe it or not, there are many success stories that go untold.
I thought this was an interesting part...
"The first cameraman I called to film the documentary laughed and said, "Business and Africa, aren't those contradictory terms?" The second got excited imagining heart-warming images of women's co-ops and market stalls brimming with rustic crafts. Several friends simply assumed I was doing a documentary on AIDS. After all, what else does one film in Africa?"
There are so many stereotypes of the continent of Africa! I'm glad this author breaks the barriers to show us that Africa isn't just one dimensional.
Check out this fascinating site...seriously.
The Africa You Don't See
32 Years to Live?
I was looking for something to post on and I came across this article about new life expectancy predictions in Africa as well as other countries. The site is pretty interesting and states that Africa’s new projected life expectancy rate is around 32 years old, with Sierra Leone being ranked among the lowest countries. One of the reasons researchers predict Africa's life expectancy to go down is becuase of the AIDS epidemic we have been studying in class. There are 2 charts in the article that show the top ten highest countries for life expectancy and then a chart of the ten lowest. I found the site to be pretty interesting, so go check it out.
Life Expectancy
How Bad Is It In Africa?
After we played the game today in class I was wondering about how much families do get paid in Africa. I did not find the average salary but I found this website that just has some comments about what they have. It is kind of depressing how little they do have. It makes you realize how lucky you are to be born in the United States. We all should be thankful for what we have. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4801540.stm check out that website and be thankful for everything that you have at this moment in time and will have in the future.
Geography Games
I found some geography games. Some are fun to play. They have all different kinds of games. They are not extremely difficult a lot of them are just like puzzles and stuff. It is fun. Go play some games. http://hometown.aol.com/bowermanb/games.html
DarFur
I found this article about Darfur and I think that it is interesting. It talks about how the war started and why. What is happening in the country and what Sudan’s government is saying about what is happening in the country. I think that is depressing that no country is getting involved because it is affecting so many people’s lives in Sudan. Just because the conflict is being just in one country and not spreading to country is trying to stop the genocide. This site has good information check it out. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3496731.stm
2/22/06 Notes
*Trivia Question:
-How much of the world's fresh water is contained in the Great Lakes?
-answer: 20%
*Developing Countries Game
HOMEWORKThe Chapter 6 test on Sub-Saharan Africa is tomorrow!
-Finish Chapter 6 packet
-Notecard
2/21/06 Notes
Started With Trivia
Q What are the 4 supranational organizations of Sub-Saharan Africa?
A Southern African Development Community (SADC)
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
Economic Community of Central African States (CEEAC)
Organization of African Unity (OAU)
Notes
South Africa Independence Battles
Southern Rhodesia- Zimbabwe
Portuguese Colony Angola/Mozambique
Township-Segregated Neighborhood for Non whites
Blacks/Colored opposed in 1960’s, pressure to change, 1st free election in 1994
Tribalism-Loyalty to Ethnic Group rather than state
Refugees-People who flea country to leave persecution
Integrity Displaced Persons-People who flea conflict but stay in country of origin
1994 genocide between Hutus and Tutsis 1 million refugees and half million dead
Poorest countries in World-low economic base reduce government spending cut food distribution and encourage private sector
Economic and Nationalism often corrupt
Kleptocracy-Corruption so intuitional they siphon off wealth
Low connectivity to phone/TV, cell phone providers attempting to provide mobile phones
Poverty/Political Instability, discourages investing
World Bank reduces debt burdens, which can be used for basic services
South Africa well developed/balanced industry
Oil/Mineral producers and reserves located their.
Economy Community of Western Africa States, Nigeria has largest Oil Reserve
Poorest states located in Sahel, Horn, and SE Africa
Life Expectancy is lowest and is at 51 and dropping because of aids, cause-poverty
Scarcity of Doctors and Persisting Diseases
Women Account 75% labor force and produce 50% food
Women have political/economical power
Watched another Movie about Darfur
Hung up Water Day Posters
Test on Thursday make a note card and Finish worksheet
Final on Friday use all note cards for entire quarter
Links
http://www.sadc.int/http://www.eia.doe.gov/cabs/ecowas.htmlhttp://www.dfa.gov.za/foreign/Multilateral/africa/eccas.htmhttp://www.itcilo.it/english/actrav/telearn/global/ilo/law/oau.htm
More Water News
In honor of World Water Day here is a round up of water stories.
The first, “Government 'must meet water need',” presents the arguments against privatization of water services.
The second, “Farms 'big threat' to fresh water,” discusses the impact of modern farming practices on fresh water supplies.
The third, “As experts ponder world water crisis, teenagers show creativity,” describes activities initiated by kids worldwide to increase local awareness of water issues.
http://www.aboutwater.com/wattext.htmWater pollution is a sad thing and with world water coming up I decided to find a website on water. This is a site that focuses on water pollution and other problems with water, there are many links with in this site that will help explain the different hazards associated with water. I think there is a major problem with the water not only in foreign countries, but also with the water here in the U.S. You know there is a major problem when there is a limit on the amount of fish you can consume out of a certain body of water. This is a major concern with the Mississippi. I live near the Mississippi and I don’t think it is a good sign for the water or the world for that matter. This site does not focus just on this topic but it does talk about pollution if there are any links on the Mississippi pollution I think they would be very interesting to read. Something needs to be done about this pollution in the river and in all of the worlds water.
A Scary Water Story
I was surprised of this story and with National Water Day looming I think this story is appropiate. People think one bad thing about fast food restraunts is the fatty food. Have you ever thought about the water they are using to make ice. A girl in Florida did a science fair project where she tested the water at local restraunts in an area of 10 miles. Her results were very shocking. She found that 70% of the ice was more harmful and had more bacteria than the toilets in the restraunt. Know think of that the next time you go to McDonalds.
http://www.tampabays10.com/news/news.aspx?storyid=25442
3/20/2006
The trivia question today was, who is Kwame Nkrumah? He was the founder of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), the leader of Ghana's independence movement, and also the first president of Ghana. We worked on the Sub-Saharan Political Map and took notes. Homework is to read pages 159-166 and finish political map. Notes are below:
Cultural Coherence and Diversity: Unity Through Adversity
- Language Patterns
-Complex pattern includes local, African trade, and European and Asian languages - African Language groups
-3 groups unique to region: Niger-Congo, Nilo-Saharan, Khoisan - Language and Identity
-Ethnic identity in the region has been fluid
-tribes: consist of a group of families or clans with a common kinship, language, and definable territory - European Languages
-Francophone, Anglophone-Also Afrikaans (Dutch-based) and Arabic
African Language Groups and Official Languages (Fig. 6.22)
- Religion
-Indigenous religions tend to be animistic - The Introduction and Spread of Christianity
-Entered northeast Africa around 300 AD
-Coptic Christians in Ethiopia and Eritrea, other Christians in Sudan
-Dutch brought Calvinism to South Africa in the 1600s - The Introduction and Spread of Islam
-Introduced around 1,000 years ago
-Today, orthodox Islam prevails in most of the Sahel - Interaction Between Religious Traditions
-Religious conflict most acute in northeastern Africa
-Sudan: conflict between Muslims in north and Non-Muslims in south
Extent of Islam (Fig. 6.25)
- Globalization and African Culture
- Role of Slavery
-Estimated 12 million were taken from Africa and sent to the western Hemisphere from 1500-1870
-Enslaved Africans sent to Europe, North Africa, Southwest Asia
-African rhythms found in music around the world
Geopolitical Framework: Legacies of Colonialism and Conflict
-Before the arrival of Europeans, Sub-Saharan Africa had a complex pattern of kingdoms, states, and tribal societies
- European Colonization
-It took Europeans centuries to gain control of this region - The Disease Factor
-Malaria and other tropical diseases made it difficult for Europeans to establish colonies
-Quinine made colonization possible
-The wealth of the region made colonization desirable - The Scramble for Africa
-Berlin Conference: 13 European countries in 1884 divided and traded Sub-Saharan Africa; No African nations
-Ethiopia remained unconquered
European Colonization in 1913 (Fig. 6.28) Geopolitical Framework: Legacies of Colonialism and Conflict (cont.)
- Establishment of South Africa (cont.)
-Dutch (Boers) and British settlers conflicted
-1948 Afrikaner’s (Dutch) National Party gained control of government
~Instituted Apartheid: formalized racial segregation
>Petite, meso-, and grand apartheid
>Homelands- nominally independent states for blacks - Decolonization and Independence
-Decolonization began in 1957
-Organization of African Unity (OAU)- a continent-wide organization whose goal includes mediating disputes between neighboring states
“Nobody should die because they don't have money for water."
In reaction to the STC Time's Opinion article (Worldwide concerns highlight basic necessity of water), I was struck by one of the author's final comments: “Nobody should die because they don't have money for water." This statement made me think of the overly-priced bottled water in which so many Americans indulge in--Evian. Just because it goes through a natural aquifer in the French Alps and is bottled in France, does not mean that Americans need to pay $3 for a bottle of water. In addition, if you try to buy Evian water online, it is under the gourmet food section.
This was upsetting to see because water should not be considered a gourmet food, especially when that same water from France could very easily be sent to the refugees in Africa, among other countries. They would not have to pay nearly as much in shipping handling fees as we would to ship purified water.
As a final point, Evian does not need to be selling their expensive water across the globe. They have markets in other industries, such as skin care, hotel and beauty salons, and research centers. Evian will still make a profit if they stop selling their water to the Western Hemisphere.
So to the makers of Evian, take your natural aquifer and do something valiant with it.
I overheard my dad watching the news tonight, and they were talking about global warming and the affects of it. I decided to find the article on the web, only to find out much more information that has a lot to do with what we have been talking about in College Geo.
It is stated in this article that "regions including Africa and South asia (home to most of the 1.1 billion people who live without clean water) will be among the hardest bit by changeing weather patterns.
Scientists worry that overall warming will melt glaciers and the polar ice caps, raising sea levels enough to damage many low-lying islands and cities around the world. In addition, a warmer climate could lead to changes in weather patterns, agriculture and even allow some diseases to expand into new areas.
There is much concern over the global warming. This topic also sprouted the fact that hurricane Katrina had been affected by the causes in temperture, and created the storm to be more violent then it should have been.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/03/20/ap/world/mainD8GFINE0C.shtml
I noticed this article also and thought it was very interesting. This is going to be a continuing article and will be present in the paper for the next few day ( I don’t know the exact #) I think it is a great idea for Monticello to have a nuclear power plant and I will be happy if the license is renewed. What I have been noticing in the paper is that it says the people of the city (Monticello) and even the surrounding cities are indifferent on the storage of the waste and the outcome of whether there is a plant or not, I don’t think this is a good thing. I think that although the right decision is being made I think that in order for the best decision to be made that everyone needs to have an opinion. A lot of people don’t know much about the positive of the negatives of nuclear power plants and I think it is a great thing and that many people should learn about it. There is a link that talks all about nuclear power; it is a very interesting topic, and a fun one to research for college geo papers. Just explore the site a little there are many interesting things to be seen on it. This was supposed to be a comment to KH but I couldn't get it to work and wanted to link the site so I made it its own.
http://www.nei.org/index.asp?catnum=2&catid=342
Refugees from Cuba to the United States
I realize that the Caribbean was the last chaper we did, but after all the Africa posts I decided to shift topics and switch things up. I did some reasearch on Cuba, Fidel Castro, and the United States. I came across an intriguing
article about the increasing number of immigrants to the U.S. from Cuba. In my government class we went over the topic about "wet foot/dry foot" policy, which means that if any Cuban immigrant who sets foot on American soil is legally admited to the U.S. but if the coast guard catches them before they do, they are sent back to Cuba. I agreed quite a bit with one of the quotes in the article when Cheryl Little said, "Our Coast Guard is being put in the untenable position of endangering lives in order to keep people from reaching our shores." Although we want to ensure homeland security, I think that we should also aid refugees that seek out the United States as a safe haven for people just trying to escape living conditions in Cuba.
Topping today's St. Cloud Times was an article about the Monticello nuclear power plant and the strong possiblity about the plant getting its licensed renewed so it can operate until the year 2030. Right now the plant's nuclear fuel is stored underground, but part of the agreement with re-licensure is to let the plant store nuclear waste above ground. If they don't receive this permission, the plant won't be able to opeate past 2010 because there is limited space underground. A lot of people haven't been going to the public meetings in Monticello and a lot of environmental groups haven't been attending them either, which is good news for the nuclear power plant. State senator Ellen Anderson says that in the future Minnesota could look toward wind power as a means of producing power since a lot of people are looking to phase out nuclear power. She thinks it would be better to see wind or natural gas used for power instead of a coal plant. I too believe that wind or natural gas would be more beneficial because they produce less pollution than a coal power plant (carbon dioxide) and it's good to move away from nuclear power as well because the city of Monticello is growing and if anything were to go wrong with the power plant at one point it could have a big effect on the city.
Article
War In Iraq
I came across an article on the St. Cloud Times website that came from the USA Today about the war. It stated that 6 in 10 American people have known a person who has served in Iraq. We lose money everyday that we are there. The article continues to go on stating that this war has greatly hurt us, while improving Iraq in the other direction. In my personal opinion, I think that we are wasting so much money on military power, and wasting lives. I wish that everyone would come home safely, but our countries fate is up to our president, and the choice to go to war was his decision. I just found it interesting that even though the Republicans tend to control the media, this article seemed anti-war.
Water for Profit
Today’s St Cloud Times has an interesting opinion article on water. Many areas of the world have privatized distribution of water. Check it out.
According to
ABCNews.com, Africa will not meet the goals set by the United Nations because of drought, poverty, war, pollution, and urban growth. Out of the 800 million people living in Africa, 300 million are not receiving adequate drinking water. The UN is lending Africa $550 million for the next ten years, in hopes to clean up the area. However, projected amounts to sanitize Africa run from $15 to $30 billion.
It was also interesting to read about specific cases within Africa. For instance, in Tanzania someone's water bill was $21 a month, and the water still had to be boiled before it could be used in any way.
Elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are a near certainty, despite the obstacles that threaten a smooth transition to democracy. What is largely uncertain, however, is how stable the country will be in the aftermath of the polls.
That paragraph, taken from the link in my post, sums up the article. I think that it is a great step for DRC to be holding
Democratic elections and having a voice in who their country leader is. However, i think they will sturggle for a few years in working out the little things such as laws and regulation of these laws. This will hopefully lead to more countries, under a dictatorship, turning towards democracy.
A new vaccine was recently created in India with funding from Bill Gates and the World Health Organization. It is hoped that it will end "meningitis epidemics that about once a decade sweep a belt of African countries from Senegal to Ethiopia, killing tens of thousands of children and young adults and disabling many more." Meningitis is an infection of the brain lining where in Africa, it can kill a person within a couple of days. It commonly kills people under 30, "an age group that represents the majority of the population in most African countries." It also harms those who live in secluded locations; far from doctors. Luckily, this vaccine has the potential to become extremely beneficial. A great bonus about it is that it can be administered to children as young as 6 weeks! Previous vaccines couldn't compare with that. Plus, it appears to be more safe than those of the past.
I am glad that such a poor and ill stricken countries are improving vaccinations. With modern technology, infections like meningitis can hopefully be attacked.
Check out this website for more...
PROMISING VACCINE
3/17/06
In class on Friday we finished the Lost Boys of Sudan documentary. After that we made posters for water day. We also got an extra credit crossword puzzle.
Since we were watching "The Lost Boys of Sudan" in class I thought I would do some research on the country. I found this website with some interesting information about Sudan. What sparked my interest was information about the economy of Sudan( near the bottom of the page) because obviously their economy is not the greatest so I wanted to learn more about it.
In the last 6 months, there have been three droughts in Africa. It is affecting families and farm owners. A cattle raiser said that the amount of cattle dieing are like flys dropping. Many families depend on their cattle earnings to make a living. A owner said he used to own more than 100 head of cattle. Now it's fewer than 30. He says he depends on his cattle for his livelihood. He says he doesn't know what he'll do if the long-awaited rains don't come and his stock continues to dwindle. Many agree, "The animals are our life," one owner says. "If they die, then we die." Africa needs large amounts of rain for the animals and people to survive.
I heard about this guy down in Brazil from my aunt. Supposedly, this guy has been healing people for 45 years. My aunt is a big hippie kind of person. She likes all the, "becoming one with the spirits" and meditating stuff. So this John of God really caught her eye. She's seen him at least two times now.
Basically this guy lives in this ranch area in Brazil and heals people, for free too! He says he doesn't do the healing, but all the spirits with in him do. Now a lot of you guys out there might be passing this as BS, which is what I first interpeted it as, but the reason he is so popular, I guess, is that he has never failed to heal someone. Everyone that has come to him walked away feeling 100% oky doky. Though his methods may be a little strange...For example, with some women he takes their breast, cuts a small hole in it, digs his finger in and...TADA! Healed, presto; he seems to maintain a constant reputation. Though it may sound gross, the women who walk away say they've been healed.
So...how is this relevant to Geography? Well, this John of God guy has made kind of an inspiration for poor farmers. He's provided hope for tons of Brazilians and is making a culutre impact. What I'm curious about is this may turn out to be like a little replica of the Passion itself. John of God has been arrested numerous times, since he doesn't have a medical degree, and the police have warned him. This guy may end up making some news in Brazil soon. And whether it's big or small, it'll be interesting to see how this effects Brazilians and people abound.
