Superbug
Doctors have been noticing a strain of bacteria particularly common in British and American soldiers wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan. The bacteria are commonly present in the soil and water of the Middle East. Infection, usually because of open wounds, often leads to other diseases, which may prove fatal.
Acinetobacter baumannii is the name given to this threat. The 'superbug' is resistant to antibiotics, and has been known to survive for weeks on dry surfaces or human skin. Among the few drugs it responds to is a chemical called colistin, which is dangerous itself, due to harmful complications. For example, there is no standardized dose for the medicine, so kidneys and nerves may be damaged by unnecessarily high amounts prescribed. Use of the drug is limited in the UK and it is not available for this purpose in the United States. Other treatments, including a substance called sulbactam, are being tested, but are not used commonly yet.
Acinetobacter baumannii has been spreading in some American and many British hospitals, particularly in Intensive Care Units. Soldiers transported back to the country for treatment have passed it on to civilians, causing infections and deaths. Britain's National Health Service has been under tremendous pressure for quite some time in regards to their standards of hygiene, and this is just one more on their growing list of concerns. Only a small percentage of infections prove deadly, but the resistant nature of the bacteria is troubling.
This all brings to mind anthrax scares and bird flu, problems directly linked to world travel and interconnectedness. Globalization has its downsides, and this is certainly one of them. The spread of disease from other regions of the world through human activity and travel has been a concern since the Black Plague, which originated in China, wiped out 1/3 of Europe in the 14th century. Greater technology in medical fields has two sides as well. The recent widespread use of antibiotics has caused microorganisms to resist the treatments and develop into new strains, always staying two steps ahead of medicine. Problems resulting from this are only beginning to affect us.
"Troops 'spread superbug'"
Bolivian miners conflict
Bolivia once considered itself blessed to have such a wonderful stockhold of natuarl resources, namely tin. However, looking at the ongoing, fatal clash over tin miners, I think the opinion may be different. Over 12 citizens have been killed in the conflict, and over 57 injured. The conflict is between state-employed and independent miners. On Thursday, hundreds of independent miners overtook the tin mine from the state. The army was sent to the mine, and the miners attempted to fight back, resulting in losses for both sides.
Today is a day in which the independent, state-employed, and the government can reflect on what has happened. Both sides have agreed to a cease-fire so that they can bury their dead. They should think about what they doing, fighting puerilely over the mine. Lives would not be lost, and much more would be gained if the independent workers, state-employed workers, and the government decided to talk peacefully in order to accomplish things.
Two things can be realized from this situation. One, an abundance of natural resources is not always a blessing. Extra conflicts and governance is needed in order to keep the mining and organization of these resources. Two, I think that the United States' government should use this situation as an example. Violent confrontation seems to only result in losses for both sides. In order to gain anything, peaceful talks are the best way to accomplish this.
Clinton proposes crack down on school junk food
Recently former Pres. Bill Clinton has proposed to schools in the U.S. that they start to lower their high fatty foods and replace them with healthier options. Clinton has made a deal with five major junk food providers to help kick start the trend in schools to have healthier options. Kraft Foods Inc., Mars Inc., Campbell Soup Co., Dannon and PepsiCo Inc., have all agreed to start and offer better choices.
The new rules for the health kick are that snacks for schools wouldn't get more than 35 percent of their calories from fat and more than 10 percent from saturated fat. There will also be a limit of 35 percent for sugar content by weight. This would mean that many snacks are baked instead of fried and anything with trans-fatty acids will be out.
I think that this is an excellent thing that Clinton is trying to start. Obesity in children in the United States is very high and this will help to lower those levels. I think that by having the major food corporations also be in on the "kick" will help kids to realize that soon the fatty/bad foods will be less and less in supermarkets, schools, and etc. Although being a student in school having to eat this food isn't always the best tasting. Maybe if companies try to make healthy but also good tasting snacks this would really help the Americans as a whole become healthier.
Healthier foods
Class Blog 10/06
Today in class (10/06), we were in the computer lab all day. We worked on the NAFTA GIS project. It needs to be finished by Monday's class. If you and your partner are not finished, you need to come in early on Monday morning to finish. The sub instructed us not to do the last two pages of the packet. This means that we stopped after printing the maps and charts. We also received a crossword that can be done for extra credit, and our Latin America physical maps were turned in. There is no homework for the weekend. Make sure you've read the pages that need to be read.
El Nino to stay until spring
The CPC, an agency of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has expected that the el nino will stay until at least spring 07. The El Nino is the warming of waters in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. It can cause swings in weather from Asia all the way to South America. It can not only cause flooding but also droughts. CPC expects this El Nino to last from November of this year to March of next year.
This would mean that the temperature would be warmer than usual in western and central Canada, wetter portions in the south United States and drier areas around the Ohio valley areas. Other parts of the world El Nino would effect is by creating drier areas around the south eastern Asia to Oceania area. It would also be wetter in east Africa and central America.
The El Nino is just an example of what partially global warming and what humans can cause to the earth. If the El Nino continues to last as long as it is going to for this year and part of next the world's climate regions are going to change drastically. Winters will be much warmer, which would equal less snow. There would also be more droughts in the areas where water is needed.
EL NINO
12,000 police deaths in 2 years
One of the articles that I read on Iraqi police was truly interesting, it was published on CNN.com, here were some of the highlights.
Since September 2004, about 4,000 officers have been killed and 8,000 injured, said Maj. Gen. Joseph Paterson in a teleconference from Baghdad with Pentagon reporters. The police have "paid a great price," he said. U.S. commanders are focused on reducing the violence in Baghdad to the level where the Iraqi police can take over security. With the Iraqi capital secured, U.S. leaders say that the Iraqi government can switch its focus to providing security and basic services to the rest of the country. That would set the conditions for U.S. troops to begin withdrawing. But the Iraqi police have been criticized for their performance and for ties to militias and death squads suspected of hundreds of kidnappings and murders each month.
Job Growth in the Economy
I read an article that was in the New York Times recently about job growth in our economy, it was pretty interesting. Here were the main points in the article.
In the last three years, the American economy has added about six million jobs. Unemployment, which has gone down to 4.6 percent last month, has fallen to the lowest point since 2001. In recent months, the wages of ordinary workers have finally started to increase enough to slightly "outpace inflation". But the new government data, said Joseph LaVorgna, chief United States economist at Deutsche Bank, suggests that “the best news on job creation is behind us.” The payroll growth recorded in September, from a survey of around 300,000 businesses, was the weakest since last year in October and even though job growth for the previous two months was "revised up significantly", it now appears that payroll growth has decelerated sharply. From March 2005 through March 2006, according to new information from the Labor Department, job growth averaged 236,000 a month. For the last three months, it has averaged just 121,000.
Burkina Faso Is a very small and very poor landlocked country in Africa, located just north of Ghana and the Ivory Caost. Cotton production is Burkina Faso's main economic mainstay. In most parts of Burkina Faso Cotton production is the only way to make a living for farmers and there families. Three years ago, farmers got 210 CFA (Communaute Financiere Africaine) per kilo of cotton, but
in the year ahead, they expect to only get 165 CFA per kilo. This drop in price will be devistating for these already poor farmers and there families. Burkina Faso sees only one reason for lower cotton prices, namely in America's subsidies to its own cotton farmers. These subsidies have led to oversupply of cotton on the world market, and this extra supply is depressing prices for many Burkinabes. Farmers have long wanted the issue of US cotton subsidies to be higher on the agenda of global trade talks. But, with the talks failure over the last coupl of months , their hopes have been dashed. Many beleive that American subsidies will never evaporate.Burkina Faso leaders think that if the problem isn't fixed, people will have to steal to make a living, or just leave the country all together. Up to 310,000 families make their living from cotton in the West African country. If you factor in 15 about dependants for each family, about three million people rely on their income from cotton production.
The dropping cotton prices represent one side of a huge global debate on how to make the world's market more fair for some of the poorest people and countries. Many think that even if their US rivals were no longer receiving subsidies, African producers would still struggle to compete with producers elsewhere in the world.
The Global Spread of Starbucks
Recently, Starbucks announced that it plans on tripling the number of its stores worldwide. The current number of stores is about 12,000, but Starbucks plans on reaching a number of 40,000 stores around the world. Of this number, Starbucks wants half these stores to be located in the United States, and the other half being overseas. However, the coffee chain has not given a timescale for this number to occur.
In the five week period to October 1, Starbucks says they have had a 6% increase in sales, which was compared to the same time period one year ago. This is higher than a 3.3% increase which was predicted earlier. Other good news for the conglomerate is that the latest sale figures and the new expansion target show an 8% increase in its shares. Starbucks says that they have benefited due to increased business from women, Hispanics and less affluent consumers. With all this and more, Starbucks founder and chairmen Howard Schultz states that he believes they are only 50% through the opportunity for stores in North America, which is a very promising figure. And because of the conglomerate’s growth, targeted areas around the world include China, India, Brazil, Russia and Egypt.
This is a great example of how U.S. conglomerates are expanding and influencing cultures around the world, as well as showing how we are a global superpower. The spread of American culture is being sent to countries which these global conglomerates are located in. In ways, this can be a good thing; however, there can be consequences with this. For example, the spread of a U.S. company helps our economy by bringing in income from around the world. However, some cultures don’t want their way of life to be affected by these conglomerates. Which is an example cultural nationalism, and can cause some social tensions around the world. But, for the most part, in my opinion, this isn’t such a bad thing. The sharing of cultures doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing, it just gives people around the world a piece of our culture.
Starbucks to Triple Store Numbers
We all know that North Korea is becoming very advanced in their nuclear weapons. In a couple years they will have enough knowledge to target the US with their nuclear weapons. Kind of a scary thought? When the US found out that North Korea was planning to run a planned test we immidiately became involved and warned them to not carry through with the test. A North Korea expert in China said that the only way we could get North Korea no to carry out the test was if the US removed its economic sanctions against Pyongyang. Otherwise, launching the nuclear test is unavoidable for N. Korea.
Last year, the US imposed economic sanctions on North Korea to punish them because of counterfeiting and money laundering. North Korea assumes for some reason that we are going to invade their country in a nuclear war but washington has repeatedly told them we have no intentions of doing so. If North Korea carries through with the nuclear test, our world will not be the same after. We would have no nuclear power and conducting a nuclear test would help nobody, not even North Korea. So here we wonder why they would make such a decision?
The nuclear test could lead to "universal condemnation", further unspecified council action, and jeopardize peace, stability, and security in the region. A meeting that Kim Jong II appeared at lead to him announcing plans to test a nuclear device on its way to building an atomic arsenal. This shocked the world competely.
To watch a live video of the news report and explosion please visit WXII12.com.Plumes of chemicals were sent into the air after a hazardous waste plant exploded in North Carolina. Chemicals such as chlorine were shot hundreds of feet into the air causing official to evacuate and estimated 17 thousand people.
Apex, North Carolina is just outside of Raleigh, North Carolina. Apex is the home to Environmental Quality Co. Hazardous waste business which erupted Thursday night. After the EQ complex exploded the fire jumped to a near by industrial building causing petroleum tanks to erupt. During the entire disaster clouds of chlorine, which is soluble in water, there for will be deplete naturally and safely by earth, roses hundreds of feet into the air. Officials do not know the cause of the explosion. The state Department of Environment and Natural Resources did however warned the EQ complex about their hazardous possibility of explosion and fined them $32,000 dollars.
University professor stated that had the wind been blowing the wrong way more people would have needed to be evacuated and more people would be in the hospital. Currently 25 people are in the hospital with respiratory problems from the chemicals and pollutions.
Question~ Does any one know what the evacuation plan for St. Cloud is if there were to be a meltdown at the Monticello Nuclear Plant? Sartell/St. Cloud is in the meltdown affected radius!
US wiretaps
There was strong controversy over the Bush Administration’s decision to monitor calls and emails in and out of the country after September 11. Many argued that this action was unconstitutional, but the Bush Administration urges that this is a highly needed devise to stop terrorism in this country. In August however, a Federal judge deemed this action unconstitutional and must stop. Recently, The 6th Us Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati, Ohio suspended the judge’s decision until a new court date is set and possibly the ruling will be overruled based on the best interest of the people. The white house states that this action is legal, and necessary for the war on terror.
This is possible because of the high abundance of global communications of this world. The suspected terrorists can send so much information in seconds across the globe because of email and phone calls, making it easier for the government to find out about planned attacks. Also enabling them to have bigger global reach on people to recruit more terrorists and follow through with attacks.
Everyone wants terrorists to be stopped, but the main issue here is that these wiretaps and such are an invasion of a person’s privacy. The government can read all of your private emails and listen to your phone conversations as long as they suspect you to have terrorist ties. So what does everyone think here? Do people agree that the government should be allowed to continue this initiative? Or should it be stopped all together? Let’s open it up for debate now.
>>>>Link<<<<<
American Soldiers Torturing Iraqi Civilians
Melson J. Bacon, a medic serving in Iraq, testified today in front of the court-martial that on April 26, 2006 he, along with seven other American soldiers, pulled an Iraqi civilian out of his home and put ten bullets in his head as a way of expressing his frustrations. The troop was frustrated that they were having trouble finding a known terrorist that had already been captured three times, but was also released three times. The troop unsuccessfully tried to cover up their crime by putting a machine gun next to the dead body, but the crime was uncovered. Bacon was the 1st one to be court-martialed, while the others face a lifetime in prison.
In my opinion, the soldiers participating in this event should be punished to the full extent of the law. Just because there is a war going on does not mean it is acceptable for soldiers to brutally torture and kill civilians who don’t necessarily even have anything to do with the war. The war in Iraq has already made the U.S wildly unpopular with the rest of the world, and events like this one defiantly don’t help improve our image. This, unfortunately, isn’t the first time troops stationed overseas have abused their power, as in many wars torturing, rapping, and killing of civilians has been reported. I hope this occurrence doesn’t stir up too much controversy between civilians in the U.S as I’m sure anti-war groups in America will jump at this event and attempt to show it as an example of how the war in Iraq is a waste of human lives.
More information
Rice Could Doom Trade Deal
A proposed free-trade deal between the US and South Korea could be doomed if Washington puts rice on the negotiating table. The US has been pushing for parceling rice and other sensitive products into a free-trade agreement. It is said though that Seoul cannot include rice in the KORUS deal. Even if the US can find an agreement it is unlikely that South Korea would accept the deal. Current US rice imports would not hurt South Koreas overall production. The current trade with South Korea totals $72 billion annually and if this trade deal goes through it could boost it even more. After a meeting in Seattle last month it doesn't look likely.
I personally think that it would be good if this free-trade deal would go through and take place, but it doesn't seem like it will happen. I believe that we need to put more effort into trying to find a way to make it work and have both the US and South Korea satisfied.
Rice could doom U.S.-Korea trade deal: source
Plant Fire's Chemical Cloud
A hazardous materials plant fire, forced thousands of people to evacuate a North Carolina town, Friday in fear of hazardous fumes, but initial air quality tests found nothing alarming, according to state environmental officials. By late Friday morning the town of Apex was still covered by a smoky haze. The rain should help scrub the air of impurities, officials said, after several explosions and a blaze at the Environmental Quality Industrial Services plant sent a gas cloud over downtown. At a news conference, Mayor Keith Weatherly said the fire continues to burn at the plant and a building there has collapsed. He said that experts were determining the extent of "potential hazard" from chemicals on site. No major injuries have been reported. Weatherly said 13 police officers who were treated at hospitals were released and expected to be back on duty immediately. Weatherly said he had "a conversation with officials at the Division of Air Quality about the rain. Its the best thing for us, it scrubs the air," the mayor said, "That plume that was moving around may not be issue any longer, so that is very good news."
Plant Fire's Chemical Cloud
A hazardous materials plant fire, forced thousands of people to evacuate a North Carolina town, Friday in fear of hazardous fumes, but initial air quality tests found nothing alarming, according to state environmental officials. By late Friday morning the town of Apex was still covered by a smoky haze. The rain should help scrub the air of impurities, officials said, after several explosions and a blaze at the Environmental Quality Industrial Services plant sent a gas cloud over downtown. At a news conference, Mayor Keith Weatherly said the fire continues to burn at the plant and a building there has collapsed. He said that experts were determining the extent of "potential hazard" from chemicals on site. No major injuries have been reported. Weatherly said 13 police officers who were treated at hospitals were released and expected to be back on duty immediately. Weatherly said he had "a conversation with officials at the Division of Air Quality about the rain. Its the best thing for us, it scrubs the air," the mayor said, "That plume that was moving around may not be issue any longer, so that is very good news."
Plan Sends Plum of Gasses Over North Carolina
Early this morning, a fireball rose over the town of Apex, located near Raleigh, North Carolina. The flames came from a hazardous materials plant. Luckily, initial air quality tests show nothing alarming. Also, rain has been falling for most of the day, which should help scrub impurities from the air. Officials say that this is the best thing that could happen, considering that the plume of gasses, which were projected to fall over Raleigh, will now be mostly removed from the air. However, the flames still remain near the site of the accident.
Luckily no injuries have been reported; however, 10 police officers were ordered to go under a decontamination process, after they complained of nausea and difficulty breathing. Half of the officers have been released from the hospital, while others still are undergoing treatment. The local hospital claims that over 100 residents, mostly from a nursing home, have been hospitalized. And other residents have been treated after feelings of nausea and vomiting.
Shelters have been set up at elementary schools and shut down major sections of thoroughfares. Over 200 residents are being held in that elementary school and about 350 people are staying at the local high school. And of nearly 16,000 residents that were told to leave the city, around 3,850 residents went to live with friends or family. And all of the local hotels are booked.
The plume of gas, which consists pesticides, oxides and chlorine gasses were sent shooting into the air at about 10 P.M. However, the source of the fire hasn’t been found. The flames also cause nearby petroleum tanks of another company to explode. The plant had also been fined for safety violations, which amounted to nearly $32,000 in fines n March 31.
The only thing that is keeping everyone optimistic is the rain, and hopefully the air will be cleaned of impurities. This is another example of how human activity is polluting and destroying the world around us. It is plants like this that is increasing greenhouse gases, and could lead to enormous consequences.
Chemical Plume Over North Carolina City
The U.N. has sent a statement to North Korea warning them against a nuclear test. This occurred after Kim Jong-il, the North Korean's leader promised to test a nuclear bomb and also tried to rally his army troops. North Korea is said to have enough fissile material for many nuclear bombs but they do not have the technology to mount a missle.
The nuclear test is said to occur quite soon, some are anticipating it to come on this Sunday. North Korea is said to test in an underground coal mine about 2,000 feet below the surface.
It doesn't appear to me that North Korea is going to listen to the demands of other countries. It has stopped talks since last year and have not started them up again. I believe the only way we will be able to stop them from producing nuclear weapons is by military enforcement. This is said to not be possible because of our troop numbers in other countries.
4,000 Foriegn Fighters Killed in Iraq
According to cnn.com a man who identified himself as a mojar Al Qaeda leader released a video that more then 4,000 foriegn fighters have died. Cnn was not able to identify the man, but the video he released was 20 minutes and 21 seconds long. He told the Muslims to join the battle , and he was saying these things especially towards chemists, physicists, and nuclear professionals for their help. He then metioned many things about a leader that is being "emotionally and pyshically" abused in a US jail. This man wants all the Iraqis to "uproot the infidels". Not only is this man urging Iraqis to take action against US soliders so is another man, he was quoted saying "I urged each of the Iraqi Sunni to kill one of the 140,000 U.S. soldiers in Iraq by the start of Ramadan." Wow.
As sad as this is i believe it all has to do with the increasing amount of globalization that is going on in the world. There are negative aspects towards globalization, terroism being one of them.
4000 Foriegners Killed.
Corruption
One trillion dollars ($1,000,000,000,000) is wasted globally each year, according to World Bank estimates, and it’s not on war, education, law enforcement, or even taxes. It’s on under the table corruption. The money is used as bribes, abuse of public goods, favoring family and friends for jobs, and influencing laws for private gain. Corruption lowers the amount of wealth in a country and decreases the standards of living.
I think there should be higher penalties for this kind of behavior. And it should be monitored better. Like if they know it is happening to a point were they can estimate a dollar amount, they should be able to crack down on the individuals who participate in these crooked deals.
The Issue of Global Warming
In the past few years, there has been an increase of concern with the issue of global warming. Many are troubled by the increasing temperatures. They believe that as global warming increases the species and their habitats are decreasing, and the chances for the ecosystem to adapt naturally are diminishing. Besides the increasing temperature, there are many different concerns that add to the rising concern of global warming. Some studies have shown that air pollutants from fossil fuels and other pollutants have formed a cloud in the sky which reflects some of the sun's rays back into space. This idea is called, global dimming, which states that less heat and energy reaches the earth.
Over the years, many people have agreed that something needs to be done about global warming. But the United States and some other countries are against the attempts to do something about the climate changes. They fear that it might do something to the economy if they have to make a substantial change. But what happens if we let the issue of global warming get out of hand. Scientists believe that global warming will lead to a weaker Ozone layer. If the surface temperature rises, the upper part of the Ozone layer (stratosphere) will get colder; this will make the natural repairing of the Ozone a lot harder. Then we will have an even bigger problem.
I think we should try to make an agreement that limits the amount of pollution that we allow to get into the atmosphere. I know that this probably won't be a very easy thing to do, but something needs to be changed. If we keep up with what we're doing, the Ozone will be affected greatly and then more problems will arise here on earth. What do you think? Do you think we should come up with an agreement to limit pollution? Or do you think we should just let it be and see what happens?
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New Planets
Stated today, there is said to be a new "bonanza" of planets. The NASA have witnessed this grouping of unusual planets. There are said to be sixteen different planets discovered in Galactic Bulge. Used to spot these, was a Hubble Space Telescope. These planets are also surrounded by stars. In my opionon I believe that it would be crazy to find all of these new planets. There could be life on some of these discoveries which is also very crazy to think about. These findings could arise many new questions about the world. Such as, if there really are billon of other planets, you would think we would have already found them.
New Planet
This morning, a moose was found walking along side Highway 23 by Menards in Waite Park. The police were called to try and stop the moose to get it to leave the city and reutrn to a more natural habitat.
Hearing this has caused me to think about why a moose would wander into the city. First, I am pretty sure that it is rare for us to see a moose this far south in Minnesota anyway, but in a city? What would cause that. I think it is yet another example of human-environment interaction. The main reason for seeing wild animals in the city is that we are taking over the rest of their natural habitat, and they have no where else to go. It's not just happening here either. This past summer I went on a vacation to Alaska, and in the 10 days I was there, I saw 14 moose. I saw 6 of the moose in Anchorage, the state's largest city. Yes, Alaska has a much larger moose population, but it still made me wonder why a moose and its calf would cross a 4-lane highway (yes, I saw this happen). Each year 500-1000 moose are killed on Alaskan Roads. I think we need to take more action to prevent occurances like this. There needs to be more land protected and preserved for all wildlife to live, safe from the dangers of the city.
Nutritional "Boost" Making Westerners taller, and healthier
Studies have shown that the Westerners have been thought of to live a longer life. They believe that the taller you are, the longer life you will live. The life span and the height of these different people are said to be expanded from people long ago.
Robert Fogel, states that "Westerners are about 50 percent larger and live more than twice as long as those who lived 250 years ago." This could be because of new medicine or industrialization.
The Westerners have obviously a gain in these new substances. If the studies have shown that the Westerners lifes are increasing, then they must be right. Fogel also says that, "The taller you are, the longer you'll live." This would make sence, being that the experts have done these studies. To find more about this topic, visit
Natural Boost.
Today (Oct. 5), astronomers anounced that they have found what appears to be 16 new planets at the center of our galaxy. However, this was not the first time that probable planets have been discovered, there has been around 200 similar findings, and it proves that the central area of our galaxy contains plentiful amounts of planets, just as our own planetary system does. A new technology is being used to find these "planets," a process that involves detecting slight dips in a stars brightness. The dips are caused when a large mass travels between a star and the earths view of that star. If the dip in brightness is large, it is another star passing in between, if the dip is smaller, it is very likely that it is a planet. I find this information amazing. It shows just how far we have come in technology, and detection. However, it also shows that we have not even broken the tip of the iceburg, when it comes to knowing and understanding what it is like outside of earth. The findings of these new planets, shows just how nearly infinate space is, and how little we actually know about it. It is a topic that seems to have no end, and I doubt that we will ever even know half of what is really out there.
Canadian Health Care
We recently finished talking about the United States and Canada in class. One difference between these two North American countries is health care. Canada's health care system, unlike the United State's system, provides socialized health care to all citizens. This means that almost all Canadian citizens, no matter what their status, income, or medical history, qualify for coverage of primary physicians, hospital care, and dental care. At first, this sounds like an amazing system does it not? Imagine not having to pay health insurance.
However, I just read an article about the inefficiency of the Canadian health system. On October 4th, a woman miscarried after sitting 6 hours in the waiting room. She had to go through this horrific time in front of everyone else who was waiting there as well.
"The health region had promised to change the way it deals with women who are miscarrying after another miscarriage at the same hospital in July. Rick and Rose Lundy repeatedly asked for help but were told they'd have to wait for a bed. Rose Lundy eventually miscarried in front of more than 30 other waiting patients." (ctv.ca)
Even more shocking, this is the third such incident in three months! I think this puts into perspective the "long" twenty minute wait that is encountered once and a while here in the US. Thankfully, public officials have reacted with the same shock that I am feeling.
"This is shattering,'' Taft said in Edmonton. "This isn't happening in Afghanistan or some MASH unit --this is happening in the richest city in Canada. There's no excuse.'' (ctv.ca)
This difference in health care systems demonstrates how diverse two seemingly similar, (in developed-status, democracies, etc.), countries can be.
Opec recently anounced that they will cut one million barrels of oil a day from their production. This cut comes while there is a surplus of oil. Opec has not had to cut oil production in two years. On an average Opec pumps 29.74 million barrels a day. Opec has reported a two year stock high from oil production. This cut will send gas prices above $60.00 per barrel again.
Prior to the planned cut Saudia Arabia reported a 23% drop in price of their exported oil. For more information on the statistics and reports coming from Opec visit the linked site.
In my opinion, OPEC is over controling the price of oil sales. A group should be set up to monitor the sales of oil because it appears that OPEC is cutting production because they dont want to lose their massive summer income. A check and balance system for this company should be in place and other countries should try and compete against OPEC and sell their own oil.
Aztec Ruin Found
On page 78 of our text book we are introduced to "the cradle of Aztec civilization and the site of Mexico City." Archaeologist from Mexico have recently made a significant find according to:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15131348/http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/americas/10/04/mexico.aztecs.reut/index.htmlA 15th century altar and huge stone slab were unearthed last weekend in a main area used for human sacrifices and worship.
I think it is extremely interesting because archaeologists feel it may be the most important discovery in 28 years. Because Mexico City has such terrible pollution, poor water quality, garbage removal, and is sinking, I'm thinking this may now be a way for environmentalists and archaeologists globally to get involved. Many worldwide wide may be interested in preserving the history of the Aztec empire, which may lead to other solutions for the environmental problems Mexico City faces. What are your thoughts?
I also believe historians from all over will be very interested in this find because it's like another lost puzzle piece found to connect past to present. One member of the archaeological team stated "Really, when we begin to excavate, we realize that we are in three different times, three different cities: You see the current, the colonial city, and the pre-Hispanic city."
Is it the end of the road for the car? In chapter 3 (pg.55) we learned how the changes in transportation shaped the evolution of cities in the U.S. Also mentioned was the fact that the automobile led to growth in the suburbs and countrysides. In an article posted Sept. 22nd it stated: "The 20th century belonged to the motor car. Towns and cities were reconfigured to accomodate the needs of the growing army of motorists, spawning suburban sprawl, commuter belt and drive-thru Dunkin' Donuts."
This article focused on California and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's move to sue six automakers which include General Motors, Toyota and Ford. Again concerns focus on greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles and global warming. Some question, if this issue, along with rising oil prices and the fact the car is the most dangerous means of transportation, will mean an end of the road for cars. I personally don't think that the end is near for cars, but as stated in the article, I know tanks will probably be filled with Hydrogen instead of gasoline.
I find it interesting that Brazil has 77% of their vehicles running on ethanol made from sugarcane. Ironically in chapter 4 it states how Brazil was the site of the 1992 Earth Summit and that enviromental groups are trying to protest forests and grasslands.
Hilton Holloway, an Associate Editor of Autocar, stated that you must grow a lot of plant life to make it. Having grandparents who farm and just knowing that many farmers are struggling to make it on family farms, I think it will be great to see what other plants can be used as as biofuels especially if land is available. This could provide a boost to rural America. I also found this article interesting because it stated that making auotmobiles may have peaked in the U.S. and western Europe, but China and India will be the next biggest automaking markets.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/09/22/tbr.cars/index.html
The unseen war
Currently in Africa there is a War raging that has gone pretty much unnoticed in the United States. In 1978 Idi Amin the current president of Uganda planned to invade Tanzania. But with an over powering counterstrike Tanzania along with ULNA forces was able to overrun Uganda. Tanzania forces stayed in Uganda to maintain peace.
For almost 30 years Rebel forces have been uprising in Uganda taking boys as young as 9 to bare arms and fight a war that their grandfathers started. Girls at the age of 13 are taken to be rebel sex slaves. I just can’t believe this. How can something like this just be going on? I’m not saying that the U.S. should intervene but at least educate our people so we can decide.
Baboon Attacks
The South African suburbs of Cape Town have recently been seeing an increasing number of human/baboon conflicts. The baboons enter the towns and go into homes where they destroy items, or travel the streets where interactions with humans can become dangerous. Some of the residents have reacted by killing the baboons with guns and running them over on the streets. Others have formed a protection group in an effort to prevent the killings of the baboons. This situation is an excellent example of the costs of human expansion. As the city of Cape Town increases and more suburbs are added and existing ones expand the encroachment of humans onto previous baboon territory will worsen. Resulting in more and more conflicts between the species. In the past it is typically the humans who win and the animals that suffer at our expense. I doubt this situation will be any different. It is terrible to think of the baboons being run out of there native land and killed but this is just another expense of the increasing human population.
Baboon Attack
A Wisconsin lawmaker proposed the idea of arming school workers with guns in order to add safety to the schools. The congressman claims that if the teachers are properly trained the weapons could deter and prevent school shootings. He makes reference to the success other countries have had with the idea and plans to propose a bill to allow this. I personally find this idea to have many downsides and I think it is unlikely that it will help the situation. Many of the school shootings end with the gunmen killing themselves. I believe that the knowledge of teachers carrying guns would not deter a person who plans to end his life anyways. Also there is the terrible possibility of someone stealing a gun carried by a teacher and using it. Another downside is the doubt that many teachers would be able to shoot a student no matter what the situation. One thing I found curious about the congressman’s argument was that all the countries he mentioned having success with the idea are all currently unstable countries that are in the middle of war. I do believe that something needs to be done to stop school shootings but I doubt if arming teachers is the answer. What I find to be reasonable solutions include hiring more security guards, practicing lock down drills, counseling people who are troubled, and possibly even having metal detectors at school doors. I think that the idea of arming teachers is not a practical solution and the amount that it would cost the government could take away from affective measures of security.
Armed Teachers?
Last Friday U.S. senate backed the bill to build a 700 mile long fence along the Mexico United States boarder. Early Monday, President Vincent Fox of Mexico asked President Bush to veto this bill. He feels that it would hurt the relationship between the two countries, that it goes against the spirit of cooperation needed to guarantee security on the co
mmon border and would create unneeded tensions
between the countries.
President Vincent Fox and Mexico are upset about the passing of this bill because over the last 6 years Vincent has worked very hard to come to an agreement with Washington on immigration. Vincent's office term is up this December. President Vincent know that the chances of his plea are changing Bushes views slim, he "but acknowledged that its plea was likely to fall on deaf ears."
The 700 mile long fence was reported early this year; this new development in the story almost makes it look like Mexico is trying to stop the illegal migration of its people to America. Although they want the wall to be stopped I don’t think that it will.
I think that the wall is a little short; the boarder is a lot longer than where they will build the wall. I think that it will help the illegal immigration but on the flip side I can see how this may create tension between America and Mexico. In all extremes we are taking more than two steps backwards to go just one half step forward because building a wall won't stop people from entering the country, what about the Canadian boarder??? I hope this doesn’t become violent...
Last Friday U.S. senate backed the bill to build a 700 mile long fence along the Mexico United States boarder. Early Monday, President Vincent Fox of Mexico asked President Bush to veto this bill. He feels that it would hurt the relationship between the two countries, that it goes against the spirit of cooperation needed to guarantee security on the co
mmon border and would create unneeded tensions
between the countries.
President Vincent Fox and Mexico are upset about the passing of this bill because over the last 6 years Vincent has worked very hard to come to an agreement with Washington on immigration. Vincent's office term is up this December. President Vincent know that the chances of his plea are changing Bushes views slim, he "but acknowledged that its plea was likely to fall on deaf ears."
The 700 mile long fence was reported early this year; this new development in the story almost makes it look like Mexico is trying to stop the illegal migration of its people to America. Although they want the wall to be stopped I don’t think that it will.
I think that the wall is a little short; the boarder is a lot longer than where they will build the wall. I think that it will help the illegal immigration but on the flip side I can see how this may create tension between America and Mexico. In all extremes we are taking more than two steps backwards to go just one half step forward because building a wall won't stop people from entering the country, what about the Canadian boarder??? I hope this doesn’t become violent...
Iran has ignored the order of nations such as the U.S. to stop enriching Uranium. Iran enriching Uranium is one of the first steps of creating nuclear weapons. For three years Iran has refused to give up enrichment compounds has lead countires to believe they have a secret nuclear program. President Ahmadinejad has made the comment about the U.S., "For 27 years they haven't allowed us to use technologies that they possess," which is quite true. Iran is still open for talks but if nothing happens soon the U.S., Britain, and France are favoring an embargo so Iran will cooperate with our terms. We will just have to wait and see.
One thing that makes me wonder is what Ahmadinejad said. We force other countries to not be able to make nuclear weapons but we have the largest program in all the world! It seems a little unfair.
President Bush signs controversial law
A few weeks ago someone wrote about a new contraversial plan that would put a 700 mile fence along the United States Mexico border. Well this post is updating that plan. President Bush recently signed this plan into law this week. This new barrier will also be equipped with high tech survillance equipment.
Personally to me I think that creating a 700 mile fence is a temporary solution to long time problem. Sure it will stop illegal immigration in that area, but illegal immigrants will come into the United States from somewhere else. Illegal immigrants have been coming into the United States for a long time, and I see no reason why a fence would stop that in the long run. The fence has also badly strained relations with Mexico. Mexican president Vincente Fox called the Fence shameful and compared it to the Berlin Wall. The United States has enough countries now that don't like us and we do not need another. The bottom line is that yes illegal immigration is a problem in the United States right now. Something also has to be done to stop illegal immigration, but let me ask you this, do you really think that a 700 mile fence is really going to improve the amount of illegal immigrants in the United States for a long period of time?
700 mile fence
Gun Boats on the Great Lakes
I have just finished reading a very interesting article that relates to what we have been talking about in class. It has to do with the border between Canada and the United States. Earlier this year, the US Coast Guard started training on the Great Lakes with machine guns on small boats. This is starting to worry Canadians.
The United States started this practice because of the events on September 11th. We think that we need to control this border more. In this article, it said that the weapons are there to secure nuclear power plants, security zones, and missions that need to be conducted. The Canadians are upset because they think that this is violating a treaty that both the US and Canada signed after the War of 1812. The they also both signed an agreement in 2003 that said it was okay to have armed boats on the Great Lakes, as long as we didn't invade Canadian waters.
As I was reading this, I could see both sides of this situation very clearly. I agree that we need to defend these borders more in case of terroristic threats, but I also can see how and why Canada would be worried. What do you think? Do you think that the United States should continue training on and guarding the Great Lakes?
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/americas/09/28/armed.boats.ap/index.html?section=cnn_topstories
Amish mourn victims of school shootings
On Monday another school shooting occurred in an Amish community in Penn. Charles Carl Roberts IV entered the schoolhouse with the intention to kill. At the scene 10 girls were found shot and 5 which have died and the other 5 that are in critical condition. The gunmen committed suicide leaving behind a suicide note.
The families of the girls all are mourning along with the rest of the community. Staying close to their traditions the girls were laid to rest while the rest of the community visit their home. Each home will receive over 1,000 visitors to pay respects to the girls. The families say they are comforting Roberts family offering them forgiveness.
In the note left by Roberts he claims he was tormented with memories of molesting relavtives 20 years ago. The relatives do not recall Roberts claim and there is no evidence. He also appeared to be prepaired to molest the girls in the school.
The way the Amish community handles this situation shows the differences in cultures. They work on forgiving Roberts while our community would work on charging him for the crime.
10/4 class overview
Today in class we took our chapter 3 test which was on a bunch of things that relate to North America. I hope you all did well on that. We also got a Latin America map that is due on friday right now, but that date might change. According to the calander we are going to the computer lab to do GIS stuff so make sure you bring everything that you might need for that (perhaps the worksheet if you have it).
On Oct. 3, James Polehinke, the co-pilot of Comair Flight 5191, was released from the University of Kentucky Hospital, where he has been since August 27, when the Delta Connection (Comair) CRJ-100 crashed, killing 49 of the 50 on board. The plane crashed because it tried to take off from a too short runway, but the reason why hasn't been nailed down, except that the pilot taxied on to the runway and James tried to get airborne. Blame was also credited to the FAA, which had only one traffic controller on duty (law mandates at least 2).
Surviving a plane crash is miracle enough, but when everyone else perishes, it's almost freaky. Even though his left leg had to be amputated, and suffering minor brain damage (he can't remember the crash or the day before), his survival was a one in a million chance (yes, that statistic was made up). He and his family are very, very lucky, and it goes to show how advanced medical science and possible aviation safety have become. Air transportation is made safe (from crashes) once again!
Toxic Mud in Indonesia
I just read that boiling mud has been flowing from a crack in the earth in Indonesia. It is estimated that five million tons of toxic mud have spilled from a pizza size hole since last May. This disaster was originally blamed on a quest for natural gas. If this were to be true, it would be a prime example of the environmental costs of obtaining natural resources that we have recently discussed. Some scientists believe the mud flow cannot be terminated and may continue for a few hundred years.
The country initially tried to build dams to stop the mud, but without success. Now, the Indonesian government plans to dispose of the mud by releasing it into the Java Sea via a local river. Not only are they polluting a resource for citizens of their own country, but they are poisoning bodies of water surrounding them. Many of the other nearby islands would also be put into danger.
If the mud is in the sea, it could stop the sunlight from penetrating the water and kill many plants and animals in this ecosystem. It can also not be forgotten that the mud is toxic and harmful to all forms of life. I don't support the idea of dumping the mud into the sea, but it poses a serious question: what else can be done with it? In my opinion their first goal should be to plug the cavity that is causing the flow. Then, they could possibly drill relief wells and dispose of the mud by putting it back into the earth. This might save the oceanic ecosystem and the Indonesian population from the mud.
Indonesia to Divert Mud into Sea
North Korea has alerted its citizens about a nuclear test that is in the near future. North Korea believes it is necessary to push forward in nuclear development because of the U.S. and they say this is only a self-defense measure that is necessary.
The test would actually occur in Pyongyang where the U.S. has seen set-up for a nuclear test for a while.
This has said to possibly increase tensions between China and areas such as South Korea because the U.S. may need to get involved, such as moving troops into South Korea.
Countries are pushing for North Korea to continue talks about their nuclear program but it is questionable at this point.
What I wonder is why would North Korea keep producing nuclear weapons? Even if they developed nuclear weapons for security I am sure that we would either find a way to disarm them or if they attack us we have much more fire power and such to destroy them. To me NOrth Korea's government are just not intelligent.
North Korea to Test Nuclear Bomb
Today Kim Jong 2, the North Korean leader(pictured left), has said that North Korea will be testing nuclear warheads. He has not said what date and time but this is threatning nonetheless. The US, China, and France are divided on what they should do to try and stop North Korea.
As most people would figure out, this is very bad. Even though they arent planning to use the bomb on a country, as far as we know, North Korea testing nuclear bombs is a huge threat to the entire world. If they succeed North Korea will have to be treated more carefully. One mistake and boom! an entire city disappears from the globe, and leaves millions dead. Many countries that are close to North Korea such as Japan are feeling very threatened. Many countries are trying to persuade North Korea that creating nuclear bombs isnt the way to go.
Creating a nuclear bomb can only make things worse in the world. Nothing good can come from one. I think that this is a sign that another war could be coming soon. Many countries are feeling threatened by this act, which could lead to panic, which could lead to a mistake, which leads to potential war.
I hope that North Korea comes to its senses and listens to what everyone else has to say and discontinues its nuclear efforts. We already have enough bombs to blow up the earth many times over, and we dont need any more.
Nuclear North Korea
Test Wednesday
Practice Tests
NAFTA
Yesterday talking in class I learned about what NAFTA (North American Trade Agreement) What NAFTA does is it pretty much helps us trade to other countries, Mexico and Canada. For example, if I wanted to make a trade to Mexico for more tacos and we gave Mexico cheese for the tacos the deal is there is no taxes or tariffs on the trade.
Another shooting occurred this week. This one occurred near Paradise, Pennsylvania. It is the most uncommon place a person could think of because the shooting happened in a one room Amish schoolhouse. A 32-year-old truck driver, Charles Carl Roberts IV, had three guns, a stun gun, two knives, and a bag holding 600 rounds of ammunition. Peculiarly the man also brought toilet paper along, making the police think that he was planning on staying for a while. This man meant business.
This attack is the nation's third deadly school shooting in a week. The police only came up with the only suggestion that the man went to the school is that he wanted to attack young female victims. Roberts binded and shot three girls then killed himself. The shooting actually took place in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, about 60 miles west of Philadelphia. There were 26 students in the Amish school on Monday when the shooting occurred and 11 of them were girls. The school's age group ranges from 6-13 years old.
As of right now, two students and one aide were pronounced dead at the scene, one girl died while the police were waiting for an ambulance, and several other girls were taken to hospitals some of which had gunshot wounds to the head, they are listed in critical care. The gunman, Roberts is not Amish but lives in the area, before he killed himself his wife was able to contact him via cell phone and this is what he said,"he wouldn't be coming home and "that he was acting out to achieve revenge for something that happened 20 years ago."
For all those music lovers! U2 is back in town. Finally they are coming out with a new CD , they haven't named it yet but are saying that it is going to be a follow-up of their 2004 CD "How To Dismantle an Atomic Bomb". The new CD's proceeds will be donated to help out with the destruction of hurricane Katrina. Which by the way was co-founded by the Edge. For those of you who don't know who the Edge is, he is the guitarist in U2. This is what Rick Rubin said from Green Day.
"One year later, the devastation is still fresh in our minds, and we'd like to
keep it in yours," Green Day said. "New Orleans has always been a special city
to us, being a hotbed of music and creativity, and it's hard to believe parts of
the Gulf region still remain devastated. We feel that it's important to continue
to raise awareness."
The main part of the CD that U2 and Green Day is recording, is to record a cover of a Scottish punk band called the Skids. I recommend looking into this new CD and many other ones already available.
A new study shows that though medication for AIDS is advancing there is no way to protect the brain from neuroAIDS. NeuroAIDS affect one in every five people with HIV and are becoming more popular as people live longer. Today’s most powerful anti-HIV drugs are helping reduce the numbers of the virus in the blood stream they can not stop neuroAIDS from entering the brain. HIV moves into the brain very quickly after a person is infected with the disease; leaving no time to even begin to stop the spread to the brain.
A new effort funded by the National Institutes of Health is attempting to find new ways to prevent neuroAIDS from causing dementia. Dementia affects the brain causing a loss of memory and causing the patient to become unable to move or talk. Most patients with Dementia die within six months. Anti-HIV medication has been able to stop the severity of Dementia; giving the patient up to four years of more before the disease causes death.
This is a world problem considering that almost 40 million people world wide are living with HIV. As traveling becomes more common the disease is easily spread. I feel that more needs to be done to prevent the spreading especially now that it is known to cause brain trauma.
See
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/15107854/ for more in depth information.
On a more positive note...
Midnight Oct. 1, rock band Clear Blue Skies of Northumberland, England claimed the top spot for September in the UK’s
Popworld Promotes contest. They join fellow Northumbrians the Tuckers, who placed 1st in August, along with 4 other month-winners on the growing list (April was the first month of the competition). Clear Blue Skies edged by competitors The Venus Guns and Two Finger Salute, both of whom had held the lead briefly early last month, and pulled ahead towards mid-September to end up winning by a staggering lead of tens of thousands of points.
Twelve unsigned artists a year, one for every month, are given the opportunity to tour, play on Popworld’s TV network, and present their work to a wider audience through technology. There are nearly 1,800 different UK-based artists on
this website.
This is a prime example of globalization in entertainment. Though most of the bands placing high in this contest put a tremendous emphasis on gigs and live performance, this digital venue opens new opportunities. They can now reach a global audience; you or I can, with the touch of a button, hear their music from halfway around the world.
Anthrax dispute suggests Bioshild woes
AnthraxAnthrax killed five people, left seventeen very ill and terrified the entire country. Ever since five years ago when anthrax swept through the nation they have been looking for vaccines. They were given a 1 billion dollar contract from the U.S. Department of Health and Services to find one. The attacks in 2001 had prompted a Bioshield project, which would promise to build drug stockpiles for another bioterror attack.
They gave the project, called anthrax project, to the company VaxGen in 2004. The contracty was for 877.5 million dollars and was looking for a way to defend the bioweapons from terrorists. The VaxGen said that only three shots were going to be needed to cure this, opposed to the 18 shots for the current vaxine. VaxGen has not been very prompt with the coming of this new vaccine. The original due date was actually in November of 2005.
VaxGen and the government however are coming over a lot of differences with their opinions. They now are going down in the stock market and are threatened by the government to not be paid until they completed a test for this new vaccine.
They are supposed to complete a time worthy, costly, and efficient test on humans to make sure it worked out. VaxGen has recently been blaming the government for all the delays they have been having because of the decrease in the stock and the threats from the government.
I did a blog on this article but I think it is particulary interesting with the new inventions and deadlines soon coming. I didn't even know that they were still looking into a vaccine for anthrax anymore. I thought this was very interesting and a great thing that we are still trying to look for more ways to help with the anthrax situation. It has not been a very big deal anymore but could very possibly come back in the future and to make sure we have a vaccine is great.
Personally, I sort of feel bad for VaxGen and the situation it is in. I think it is partly their problem for the delays in the system, but it also doesn't help with the government being very unsupportive. It is hard enough coming up with a vaccine but it doesn't help that they are losing their profit to help find one. They barely have any money to look into more cure and I think that is putting a huge damper on their success and deadline issues. Please respond and tell me what you think about the whole situation.
