Top Danger In Iraq
This article I found on top headlines. It is very scary knowing what the threats are like in Iraq. You will find in this article that the Shiite Militias are now at top danger in Iraq, beating out the killing numbers of the Sunni Arab in Baghdad. The believe they need to protect their communties from the violence in their country. Is this really a way to protect the citizens, or is it just scaring the citizens more? Could this be a reason for us to stay in or get out of there?
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12211883/
Field Trip
So, what did you guys think of the SARC lab? Did you learn anything new?
NetAid Global Citizen Corps
This is a group of high school students nationwide working to increase awareness of and push for an end to global poverty. The group provides training and networking options to young people who are interested in increading awareness in their local communities. They are currently accepting applications for the next round of training, the deadline for applications is May 7, 2006.
This is a great opportunity to get involved in a national organization and work with other teens around the country and in our community to help bring an end to poverty worldwide. (Also looks good on college and scholarship applications.)
NetAid Global Citizen Corps
Iran Tests
While surfing the web I came by a story that may be another reason to get out of the middle east sooner than later. According to CNN.com Iran has testing "secret" missles recently. In the article it says that this missle does not need special targeting systems to work which might be scary if a terroist organization like Al Queda got a hold of those weapons. Here is the website I got my info from.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/04/05/iran.missile.ap/index.html
Saddam Hussein
We are talking about Iraq in class and I found this article about what is happening in the Saddam Hussein is dissmissing evidence from his trial when him and seven others killed 148 people in the year. This is the only reason I believe we should be doing something about Iraq. Here is the website
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4878340.stm
The Dead Sea, the lowest place on earth, "is 1,400 feet (430 m.) deep. This unique sea is fed by the Jordan River. There is no outflow; and the exceptionally high rate of evaporation (high temperatures, low humidity) produces large quantities of raw chemicals." These minerals are extracted and later used for medical, agriculture, and other purposes. Not only that, but the dead sea is loaded with salt; it's greatest feature. This allows visitors to peacefully float atop the water; attracting tourists worldwide to local spas. Those with skin issues or arthritis have also enjoyed the soothing benefits of the minerals thriving in the dead sea. You've also probably heard of skin scrubs/cleansers that proudly state that they contain minerals from the dead sea (I know I have).
However, In the last 50 years, the water level has dropped more than 80 feet and the sea has shrunk by more than a third, largely because the Jordan River has gone dry." Not only that, but the sea is expected to fall at least 60 more feet in the next couple of decades! They've discussed ideas of fixing the issue, like building an expensive canal from the Red Sea. However, many experts are concerned that the Dead sea's color would turn an awful reddish-brown. The Sea could also lose it's mineral concentration; it's signtature quality. I agree with one expert's opinion, that the best solution would be to rejuvenate the Dead Sea's source (The Jordan River). Either way, if something isn't done, the Dead Sea will only continue to diminish.
Check out these sites for more
Dead Sea BasicsThe Dead Sea Issue Buoyant Waters
Iraq: Stay or Get out?
Since we were studying and reading about the different things we could do about the war in Iraq, I decided to do some more research about the subject. I thought statistics would be the best thing that would sway peoples opinions to doing one thing or another. Honestly, I am not sure if I am for or against us being in Iraq for so long. There are many different arguments and points brought up that could be big parts of why some people have the opinions they do about the subject. I read that by being in Iraq our security and focus on the United States has gotten worse, this demonstrated by how Hurricane Katrina was handled. From the website, I read that there have been over 17, 000 soldiers killed since the war began. This is astonishing because those are only the reported deaths, and estimates of total actual deaths are much higher. I have also heard that some civilians in Iraq really think they need our help in order to succeed. I don't know what the answer to the problem is, so you take a look at the
website and decide what the right choice may be.
Class 4-4-06
Today in class our trivia question was What capital city is located at the foot of the Elburz Mountains. The answer was Tehran. We then watched a movie and did the "A short history of the Middle East." It went through many facts, some interesting ones I found out were, there are many contradictions in the Middle East today about religion, culture, economics, and poverty. Also my favorite fact I learned was, "Vini, Vidi, Vici," means I came, I saw, I conquered. Thankfully, there was no time to do notes today. :-)
Gas Prices
In class today we watched a video on the middle east and in the video they talked about all of the oil they have. The question that came to my mind was what is the gas prices for countries who have a lot of oil. In
This Article I found a chart that had high and low gas prices around the world, and I found out that the countries that had a lot of oil were the ones with lower gas prices. The Netherlands had the highest gas prices at $6.48 a gallon, and Venezuela had $0.12 a gallon. I wouldn't mind to be living in Venezuela
Egypt and Greece
In the video today we watched a movie about the Middle East and oil is one of the most important things in the region. I read an article about Egypt and Greeces' Oil trades. In the article the Presidents Hosni Mubarak from Egypt and Karolos Papoulias of Greece are developing a trade for oil between the two countries. They are doing this to strengthen their relations. Greece has invested 650 million dollars in Egypt mostly in oil. They developed deals of renovation and oil on Greece Presidents two day trip to Egypt.
3) What do you like or dislike about blogging as part of the class?
I like blogging in some ways. I think it is a good way for our class to be involved in other issues that our peers are interested in. I like finding things out about different subjects that isn't in our daily notes and reading. It's a fun way to also stay involved with the world around us, without having to sit and watch the news or read the newspaper.
There are a couple things I don't like about blogging, however. Even though it keeps us involved, some of us don't have the time to go on the computer at night and blog. I know it is part of our homework and has to be done, but I think I would rather do a worksheet or something that will teach me somethings about the subjects we are learning in class. Right now, blogging isn't helping me out test wise, either. Yes, I am learning about different things in our world, but I it doesn't have to do with anything on the tests, and I would rather be doing something that is going to help me out in the long run with my test scores.
Overall, I say keep the blogging because its not that hard to do and it is good points in the gradebook!
