Our World: 2006-12-10

NO MORE BLOGS

I'm shutting it down and deleting all you folks from the user list. I'll start back up next semester if you would like to comment then please do.

Website for NEW news in Russia.

http://www.einnews.com/russia/

The website above is a great source for current issues in Russia. Sure, we can all read our Globalization and Diversity textbook and learn about the country and physical features (which is beneficial, don't get me wrong), but by searching the website above, I was able to learn more about the people and what's going on there at this point in time. I found myself wondering what current Russia was really like considering many of the activities we've done in class and the movies we've watched were made 10 or so years ago. After looking at the Russia Today website I found out how their living standards are today and how their country has improved.

December, 15 2006 Class Review

Today, December 15th, started off like any other day in college geography with a trivia question.

*The Central Asia Political Map was due today.

Then we went to the computer lab where we continued to work on our GIS Community Atlas Projects. We have 2 more class days to work on these 500 point projects.

Catching Cheating Olympians

In 2008 Olympians from around the world will meet in Beijing to compete for the gold medals. Those gold medals won’t be awarded to anyone believed to genetically "dope" their genes. Genetic Doping, which is illegal, is a spin off of genetic therapy. Genetic doping can help an athlete in multiple ways. Scientists hope, that by 2008 they will be able to test athletes for genetic doping. Through testing of mice they have found that genetic doping creates traces of molecular changes including homeostasis changes that help keep the genes functioning. If these traces can be identified in humans and athletes medals will not be awarded to those athletes. Many different things can happen to people that may try to genetically dope themselves of which are not reversible. These risks could kill a person and or make them a super human. Even if the testing isn’t ready by 2008 Olympics, all samples that are taken of the athletes are subject to testing up to eight years later. No hiding from this one, this could be the ultimate piece of equipment that catches all cheaters.

Melting away the winter's from Russia to Canada.

Where is winter? People all over the world, especially in the northern hemisphere are asking. This winter is said to be the least snowy winter in over 350 years in Lapland. In Moscow, they have had the highest record-breaking temperatures ever! Usually extremely harsh winters leads to lots of snow which sky resorts usually bring in thousands of dollars, but this year many resorts are scared that they just might not make it. We all know that global warming is causing these drastic weather changes. The things its that we never realized what this warm winter weather is doing to resorts and business all over the world. Many businesses that rely on winter such as, ski resorts, snow wear shops, and other winter equipment places are a little bear these days. Also the Ski resorts have to rely on their snow makers so supply the snow these days, and the quantity and quality of that snow is killing the sales at these resorts. I miss our winters. When will it snow… or will it ever?

Princess Diana Tragedy laid to rest

After almost 10 years it has been stated that the car crash that killed Princess Diana was considered a “Tragic Accident” and not a plot for murder. The accident took place in Paris in 1997, when Princess Diana and her boyfriend Dodi Fayed were killed being chased by photographers. Diana was only 36 and her boyfriend 42 at the time. They were riding in a Mercedes that was driven a drunken chauffeur. It is declared that chauffer was twice over the legal limit and drove the car at twice the speed limit (62 mph). While he was driving the car it hit the curb and then the 13 pillar in the Alma underpass, killing the passengers. Before the release of the final statement on Thursday, Dodi father Al talked about the incident on the radio. He stated that the photographers had caused the driver of the car to change the travel plans before the accident. The long rumor that the Princess was pregnant was also stated to be false along with the rumor that the couple was planning on getting married soon. Much of the Royal family hopes that this final statement will be a conclusion to the many rumors and stories about the accident that killed Princess Diana.

Stranded on Mount Hood

A single cellphone signal brings hope for the family and friends of three people stranded on Mount Hood. The quick hope was for the responsive signal that it recieved after previously been turned off and not recieving any. The engineers have been calling and trying to signal the phone every five minutes for the last couple of days.

A T-mobile company had used a tracking device to figure out the latitude and longitude within 500 meters. They said the last phone call was on Monday, but they couldn't quite figure out who this call was made to. The last signal returned to T-mobile was just stated to be found at 10:55 on Tuesday. Jerry Tiffany, Hood River department had mistakenly and impulsively reported a signal that was supposively heard today but wasn't.

It brought faith among the family and friends in hope and love that the three men would be found. Kelly James was 48 and currently living in Dallas. Along with James in Dallas, was Brian Hall and from New York was Jerry Cook. The three set out for a two day mission to travel to the top. The family members all have high hopes for the strength of the men and their possibility of their survival.

Currenty in Oregon, rescuers are meeting and discussing a new search plan for the victims. The weather on Mount Hood is beginning to hinder the progress with winds that could reach up to 100 miles per hour. The weather is the main set back right now and everyone is in hope it will settle down and begin to warm, but for now the rescuers are trying their best to find them.

Immigration Search Includes Minnesota

On Tuesday agents from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency carried out search warrants at six Swift Company processing plants. The states included Colorado, Nebraska, Texas, Utah, Iowa, and Worthington, Minnesota. It was reported that illegal immigrants stole identities of legal U.S. residents and then used their Social Security numbers to get jobs at the company which processes beef and pork.
Officials stated that the workers were arrested on immigration violations and some had other criminal arrest warrants. Swift Company said that all of their employees hired since 1997 had completed all of the necessary papers correctly and were authorized by the government. Swift stated...nor have we ever knowingly hired unauthorized workers, have played by the rules, and are complying with immigration laws.
Sounds kind of suspicious to me when Swift outwardly says they are fully complying. Reports show that they have been investigating Swift since last February when trails pointed to these illegal immigrants stealing SS numbers to get jobs. In fact, the Federal Trade Commission says that hundreds of people may be victims. It could be you or me. Swift is a big company with production in Australia and the U.S. It is the third largest meat processor behind Tyson and Cargill. I strongly feel if Swift is found guilty of hiring these illegal immigrants they should be severely punished/fined??? We need to send a strong message to all employers that this is not acceptable in America. The illegal immigrants should be deported immediately. What are your thoughts?
http://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_story/0,3566,236044,00.html

Today in class..

Today in class we didn't take any notes because we had a speaker. He had visited Russia a few times in the past for work and came to share his experiences with the class. There was a slideshow of pictures he had taken while he was there and talked about each one.

Our physical map of Central Asia was due today and the political one is due tomorrow.

Being a War-Time Journalist

With everything we have discussed regarding the war throughout our blogging experience, I think this article I found on MSNBC.com is interesting. It reported that more than 500 journalists have been killed in war zones in the last 10 years. 86 of these deaths have been in Iraq since March 2003. It was also mentioned that the drivers and translators, mostly local Iraqis, have died as well. These Iraqis also risked their lives to help the journalists from the Western world, just so they can write and report the stories.
One journalist named Steven Vincent lost his life. His wife Lisa Ramaci-Vincent started a foundation, Reporters Without Borders, to assist families of freelance war reporters who are killed while on the job. The foundation helps anyone who has worked with the reporter from Third World countries. Many have no death benefits and have relied on the family member to support them.
I liked Lisa’s comment stating that “Americans don’t have a positive image in the world. They are seen as big bullies. It helps when America shows it owes a debt to other nations. Every day you buy a copy of the newspaper, you don’t understand how these journalists got their amazing stories and who put their lives on the line to help them.” I think many times we criticize reporters and what’s on the news. We question how truthful the story may be, what facts we are being told, and if the story is accurate. In this situation we are reminded how these reporters are putting their lives on the line so in 2006, we can have up to date information and know what’s happening immediately in the world.
Lisa also shared that journalism has changed because reporters in the past were respected like a Red Cross worker. If they were not a soldier, there was never an excuse to ever harm them. Today, she says everyone is a target and everyone can be shot and killed at anytime.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15841115/site/newsweek

We are Falling Behind

I have heard multiple times in the past about how the students of the U.S. (you and me) are falling behind the rest of the world in the level of education. After having a discussion with a certain German foreign exchange student I found that these things are quite true. He told me that school is much harder in Germany where they spend hours a night studying. He also impressed me with his fluency in three separate languages including French, German, and English. A recent addition of Times Magazine had this same subject as its cover story. It states that the gap between the students of the U.S. and those of foreign countries is becoming disturbingly wider. Less than half of U.S. students are enrolled in a foreign language course. Speaking more than one language is a skill that will become more and more important as globalization continues. Also the article claims that core social studies classes tend to focus mainly on U.S. history, which I have found to be very true in the classes which I have taken. Many adults are concerned that we will not have the knowledge needed to compete globally when we enter the working world. I believe that this is a serious problem that is not being addressed by the government. We take for granted our education and many do as little as possible to receive an often inflated grade. What needs to be done to solve this problem? Well we can start by not whining about every small assignment given to us. We can also apply ourselves more fully to school work and make an effort to understand and retain the information given to us. I also believe that the government should set higher standards in education. Raising the funding for education and the pay of teachers will also benefit the educational system. The stereotypical laziness of Americans can easily be seen in this counties students and needs to change.

Lasting Effects of Our Lifestyles

Although we think of evolution as a very gradual process, working in terms of hundreds of thousands of years, recent studies suggest that the human trait of lactose tolerance developed among African tribes only a couple thousand years ago. There are two reasons this is significant: first, it is good evidence supporting convergent evolution, or the development of similar traits by completely separate groups of a species; here the scientists draw a parallel to the peoples of northern Europe, who formed the same trend completely independent of the Africans. Second, and this is the more interesting part, it corresponds with the period when domesticated cattle were becoming the newest primary source of sustenance. The lifestyle changed, and this led to a change in the evolution of our entire species. Though we think, again, that evolution works through natural environments, we often do not follow through with the thought and make the connection that our culture and lifestyle is really equivalent to our natural environment. It makes you wonder, perhaps even worry, about what effects our lifestyles will have on our descendents in a short 5,000 years.

Article: "The Milk of Evolution..."

EU partially freezes Turkey talks

European Union foreign ministers recently decided to stop talks between the Eu and Turkey for admittance into the European Union. This decision was met after Turkey once again refused to open its ports and airports on Cyprus to Cypriot or Greek traffic.

In class during the last chapter we learned a great deal about the European Union and what it does. This conflict on Cyprus between Turkey and The Cypriots has been going on for years, and it is one of the driving forces that is not allowing for Turkey's acceptance into the European Union. Personally I feel that Turkey will not be admitted into the European Union until they allow for their airports and ports to be opened in Cyprus. But then again, however, the turkish population on Cyprus has been treated fairly bad and I do not blame them for not opening up their airports and ports to Cypriot traffic. Overall though, I think that it would benefit both Turkey and the European Union to solve these problems, because both Turkey and the European Union would benefit from being united. Hopefully, these two countries can work out there differences and take steps to becoming united.
The continuing conflict in Cyprus

Notes For Monday December 11

Sorry it's a little late, but I wasn't able to get the notes from Monday until now due to computer problems. Anyway on Monday we did a physical map of the Russian Domain highlighting important rivers, peninsulas, mountain ranges, and many land bodies. We went through a lot of notes, so here they are if you need them (they are a little bit shortened due to space)...

–Russian Empire collapsed abruptly in 1917
•Briefly, a coalition of business people, workers, and peasants replaced tsars
•Soon, Bolsheviks led by Lenin, centralized power and introduced communism
–The Soviet Republics and Autonomous Areas
•Soviet leaders designed a geopolitical solution to maintain the country’s territorial boundaries, and theoretically acknowledged the rights of non-Russian citizens by creating Union Republics
•Autonomous areas
–Centralization and Expansion of the Soviet State
•Communism did not eliminate ethnic differences
•In 1930, Soviet leader Stalin centralized power in Moscow, limiting national autonomy
• Exclave added from Germany
•Glasnost: greater openness; Perestroika: economic restructuring
•1991: all 15 Union Republics gained independence
–Russia and the Former Soviet Republics
•Formed Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)
•Denuclearization completed in 1990s; tactical nuclear weapons moved to Kaliningrad exclave
–The Shifting Global Setting
•Boundary issues between Russia and China, and dispute with Japan over Kuril Islands
•Expansion of NATO concerns Russian leaders
¬The Legacy of the Soviet Economy
•Communists came to power in 1917, Soviets expanded industrialization and transportation
•Trans-Siberian Railroad, canal system
•Literacy near 100%
¬The Post-Soviet Economy
•The region has replaced its communist system with a mix of state-run operations and private enterprise
•Agriculture still struggles, in part due to harsh climate, landforms
•Russia Interior Ministry estimates that the Russian mafia controls 40% of the private economy and 60% of the state-run enterprises; 80% of banks in Russia may be under mafia influence
•Money laundering (Russia, U.K., U.S.); gambling (Sri Lanka); drugs (Colombia); Israeli high tech companies
–Social Problems
•High unemployment, rising housing costs; lower welfare spending
•Divorce and domestic violence increasing; prostitution increasing
•Health care spending dropping with vaccine shortages and stress-related illnesses on the rise
¬Growing Economic Globalization
•Western consumer goods available (e.g., McDonald’s, Calvin Klein; even some luxury items)
•Fossil fuels, food, telecommunications, consumer goods
•Foreign investment growing by more than 14% annually
–Globalization and Russia’s Petroleum Economy
•Russia has 35% of the world’s natural gas reserves
•World’s largest gas exporter
–Local impacts of globalization
•Investment in Moscow, Siberia (oil)
•Pro-business Nizhny Novgorod and Samara attract investment
•Local economic declines in older, uncompetitive industrial areas

*Remember the Chapter 9 and Chapter 10 Test is next Tuesday December 19!

Notes for those who didn't take them!

Central Asia 12/13/06

*large, compact region within Euraisan landmass
*until 1991, contained only 2 countries, Mongolia and Afganistan
*Soviet Union's breakup added several more independent countries to the region
*historically weakly integrated into international trade networks
*shrinking Aral Sea
-use of rivers feeding the sea for agricultural irrigation
-60 percent of the sea's total volume has disappeared
-Economic and cultural damage
*Shrinking and Expanding Lakes
-Caspian Sea- world's largest lake: construction of reservoirs on the Volga River diverted water
-Aral Sea, Lake Balqash shrinking
-Maintenance of their size is dependent on precipitation
*Major Environmental Issues
-relatively clean environment due to low population density
*Desertification
-the Gobi Desert has gradually spread southward
-Desertification in Northern Kazakstan
-Much of the region has been deforested
*Physical Regions
-Central Asian Highlands
*Formed by the collision of Indian subcontinent into Asia Mainland
-Himalayas, Kurakoram Range, Pamir Mountains
-Pamir knot: a tangle of mountains where Pakistan, Afganistan, China,Tajikistan converge
-Hindu Kush, Kunlunshan, Tien Shan peaks max to 20k feet
-Tibetan Plateau: source area of many of Asia's large rivers
-Plains and Basins
*Central Asia's desert belt
-Arid plains of the Caspian and Aral Seas to the West
*Kard Kum and Kyzylkum Deserts
-several deserts in the east portion of the belt
*Teklamakan Desert in the Tarim Basin
-Steppe (grassland) and taiga (coniferous forest) in the north

Try Harder

I looked down the list of threads and viewed some of them and found people complaining about others posting on overused topics, and more posts from those people about how they have to post on those topics because they're important. This thread is for scott scott, who posted the Tired of Hearing about Global Warming thread, because you can post about new animals found. You're just not trying hard enough to find good subject matter. One excellent example of this is the Pitohui bird, a bird discovered recently in the southeastern stretches of the asian jungle that has a poisonous beak. It is the only known bird specie in the world that utilizes any kind of poison. Ecologists are still trying to analyze what impact that specie has on the jungle, and if they could duplicate its habitat well enough to breed some of their own.

Post, if you would, about newly recognized environmental issues.

US approves Indian nuclear deal

President Bush and Indian Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh agreed to the agreement for the deal and the US Congress just passed the bill as well. This is deemed to be historic by some but also that it is hurting non-profileration (that is the spreading of nuclear technology).

India will get access to US civil nuclear technology and fuel in return for allowing their civilian nuclear facilities to be inspected, nuclear weapons sites though remain off-limits. India has made it clear also that this does not mean it supports the U.S.'s ways in Iran and also that they do not have to stop creating fissile material.

This comes as a shock to me because India has not signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty so I do not undertsand why we would give them access to our facilities. We are not gaining much in return because we are not able to see their nuclear weapons sites so what is to gain from this? They could use the access to create more nuclear weapons. I do not see President Bush's or the U.S. Congress' reasoning in this. I do see how we are helping them because they are in desperate need of energy but we need to at least gain something in return. Checking their civil facilites does nothing for us.

Meet your Meat

Who knows what they are eating when they go out to McDonalds or Burger King? This video that I'm posting will show you just that. It shows how animals are tortured before and while they are being killed. I personally do eat meat, but I know where and how it is butchered. Feel free to post about your opinions openly. And please, if you do post here, give some background and detail. This is a controversial topic, so I am hoping we will be able to get some good discussion going. *crosses fingers* Oh yeah, this movie is put out by PETA.....this can also be a topic of discussion here.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-513747926833909134&q=meet+your+meat

WARNING: THIS VIDEO IS VERY GRAPHIC. PLEASE DO NOT WATCH IF YOU ARE SQUEAMISH!!!!!!!!

Our World

Friday, December 15, 2006

NO MORE BLOGS

Website for NEW news in Russia.

December, 15 2006 Class Review

Thursday, December 14, 2006

Catching Cheating Olympians

Melting away the winter's from Russia to Canada.

Princess Diana Tragedy laid to rest

Stranded on Mount Hood

Immigration Search Includes Minnesota

Today in class..

Being a War-Time Journalist

We are Falling Behind

Lasting Effects of Our Lifestyles

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

EU partially freezes Turkey talks

Notes For Monday December 11

Notes for those who didn't take them!

Try Harder

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

US approves Indian nuclear deal

Sunday, December 10, 2006

Meet your Meat

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