Our World

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!!!!!!!!

Mapping of Indian National Highways

The mapping of India's national highways, a major project for the Central Road Research Institute, is slated to finish in 2009. 50,000 of the 65,000 kilometers of national highways are being plotted. This is an important development; better maps are the first step towards better transportation systems, which are a key point in the country's economy. Using some of the most sophisticated new technology, they are also looking at the condition of the roads, which will allow the government to know where repairs are most needed. Efficient, reliable transport of goods saves money and encourages business, hopefully promoting a healthy flow of capital in the world's second-most-populous country.

"Indian National Highway GIS Mapping by 2009..."

Free Trade Agreement in South Korea

Please check out the link, this is a really long and interesting story. The United State and South Korea have been talking about make a Free Trade Agreement between the two countries. They concluded their 5th round of talks today via a teleconference in Montana. With this FTA the United States hopes to be able to avoid the tariff and taxes placed on American goods sent to South Korea. In specific the US hopes to be able to ship American cars and medicine to the area without the heavy tax. The FTA would also help the agriculture of the area bringing in new types of crops. South Korea earlier this week would not accept a shipment of American beef, showing how back-and-forth they have been on reaching a decision with the US

and the FTA. If the US could make an agreement with South Korea it would be the largest FTA since the NAFTA pact of 1994. I personally feel that this move is not a smart move considering the conditions of the area. With North Korea the way it is it almost seems like another way to get closer to a country that we have suspicions about. Maybe it is an honest agreement, maybe not?

E.coli outbreak

CNN reports that over 120 people in 6 states may be infected with the E.coli bacteria. Many people are connecting the E.coli outbreak to Tacobells in the area. 63 people offically have the illness and 60 more cases are being investigated. After interviewing the people who have been infected it was found that most people had eaten at a Tacobell, prior to falling ill. I don't think that there was anything that the infected people could do. This story will hurt Tacobells sales for sure. I know after seeing this I probably won't have a "crunchuweezy" for a while.

Brazils Deadliest Air-disaster, caused by Americans

In Sao Paulo, Brazil, over the Amazon 154 passengers and crew died after their commercial jet crashed. The jet was flying at 37,000 feet according to the report when it collided with small jet, similar to a Leer Jet piloted by two Americans. Joseph Lepore, one of the pilots flying along with the second pilot, were arrested after their plane safely landed. The police immediately accused with connection to the crash. Their passports and rights of travel were taken away right away. Not until later in the week, early this week did a judge rule that they were not to be held and that they had no

reason to be held. The pilots have an agreement with the Brazil government to return back to the country of Brazil if a crime is found to be committed. Both men are free as of now. Both plane systems failed to alarm that they were in the same traffic pattern of another aircraft and clearance was given to the pilots to fly at the same altitude. To accuse the Americans of full fault is not right, if clearance was given and both systems failed.

Hypothermia killed missing dad.

NBC's Peter Alexander reports that this father was lost in the snowy wilderness while seeking help for his stranded family. James Kim traveled about 10 miles before succumbing to hypothermia. This happened in Central Point, Oregon. He was a San Franscisco man who had passed away very close to a fishing lodge which was full of food and warmth. Oregon officials stated the road the family was stranded on was normally blocked, but the gate had been unlocked by a vandal.
This man had no way of knowing about the Black Bar Lodge where he could have found shelter, and enough food to last him months. His cold body was discovered in shallow water feeding Big Windy Creek just about a mile away from survival.
The searchers found his body two days after finding his family in a car they used as shelter for a week in the coastal mountains. The road they had taken is locked for hte winter months starting on November 1st.

This story is sad, and was respected by all who heard about a father just trying to save his family. He did nothing wrong. He is a hero for what he attempted. This story has alot of smaller details about what happened. So you any of you have any questions, I advise reading the article. This shows one fathers/husbands courage and bravery to save his family.

hero.

Workers injured when Concrete slab falls from Scafolding.

In Arlington Virginia, a wet piece of concrete collapsed the scafolding it was sitting on and fell to the ground. In total, 16 workers were injured, three of which are listed in critical condition. It took two hours to get the final victims out, and get everyone accounted for. The ironic part of the story is that today was the day planned to have the "topping off party" for the completion of the concrete laying.
I am very glad to see that no one was killed in this incident. However, as I read this article, I wondered to myself, what makes this article newsworthy? Don't get me wrong, I think that this is a bad (and newsworthy) accident. However, what makes this event more important than the murders and genocide in other parts of the world. I do not understand why something like this gets onto the "top stories" section, when everyday, large numbers of people in Africa are being mistreated and murdered. It seems to me that things like this should get the top story everday, so people could understand what is going on. It just shocks me that some minor thing (not that this story is minor) in the United States will get a million times more attention than something really terrible in another country. I believe that a situation like the one above is news worthy, and people should know about it, but I just do not get why more significant issues do not get more coverage. My intentions of this blog were not to bash whoever wrote this article. However, I think that if you are going to rank something "newsworthy," any other event that is just as ,if not more important, should be deemed "newsworthy" as well.

Maps

Does anyone know how to find land use patterns maps for Sartell or economic activities as well as historical patterns? Any help would be great. Thanks.

Tired of Hearing about Global Warming!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This post is on my frustration of seeing the constant Global Warming articles in our blog. I undrestand that Global Warming is a large issue in our world today but I am tired of seeing new articles posted about it everyday. I don't need to see how our cars are polluting the atmosphere at rapid rates. Try and tell me something I don't know. I also already know that areosol is bad for the enviroment and there are more natural disasters occur due to this climate change. Instead of blogging on pollution lets blog on new species of animals discovered, new members of the EU, obesity in America, and new ancient discoveries. So lets all agree to make a differance in our world pollute less and not constantly post articles on GLOBAL WARMING.

P.S.- I also am tired of reading about the Iraq conflict, its old news hearing how long we are going to in be Iraq for.

Bush discusses Iraq

President Bush met with congressional leaders last Friday and said he would consider their ideas about Iraq. Congressional leaders believe that we need to make new advances in Iraq by taking out troops and bringing them home, not by asking Iraqi soldiers but just by telling them and doing it. President Bush isn't expected to accept all 79 recommendations but it is said that some new tactics may be in order.

President Bush said that he now realizes that his success rate is not as rapid as he hoped it would be and that it still isn't. Bush earlier met with British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Blair endorsed his ideas of bringing democracy to the Middle East. Bush is set to give a big speech on the war in Iraq before Christmas talking about the recommendations and what he is going to do.

I'm eager to see what Bush says and what changes he makes because I have felt that we have needed to make changes for quite sometime. Troops have been dying left and right and I don't believe that some deaths have been necessary. We have been there too long and I'm happy that finally Bush sees this and is hopefully making some changes.

For more information on Tony Blair and President Bush meeting as well as other countries on the topic of Iraq click here http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/12/07/bush.blair/index.html.

Wildfires in Australia

A smoky haze can be seen from space, covering a section of the Australian state of Victoria, where several wildfires, at last count 18, are raging along the southeast coast, northwest of Melbourne. Nine people have died, 24 schools have been closed, and many small towns, cities, and farms are considered to be in danger. Thousands of firefighters, along with aircraft and heavy machinery, have been working to control the blaze.

For any development, anywhere in the world, natural hazards are a cause for concern. Now, before anyone posts a comment saying, "we should work to put this fire out," you have to realize that wildfires are a natural process and the environment needs them. Small, frequent fires clear the ground in forests, burning near the ground, and are over quickly, without killing all of the older trees, but if we interrupt the process and there aren't enough fires, an excess of saplings, many of which should have burned before, crowd the woods and are now tall enough to pass the flames into the crowns of the largest trees. The leaves, dead wood, and other junk on the forest floor builds up so that a small spark can cause massive blazes. Many forest services do controlled burns to limit these dangers. The point is, fires can be monitored, but should be allowed to run their course. If possible, they will try to keep the flames from cities and houses, but it's just an unavoidable risk of building in areas like this; any time you're playing with fire, you're liable to get burned.

In the hot southern-Australian summers, wildfires are apparently commonplace, but I was surprised to read that more fires are started by people, through agricultural burning, accidents, and arson, than by natural causes. Humans have messed up the process entirely by tapping resources, clearing and developing land, etc. and now starting the fires.

"Thousands Battle Fires in Australia..."

Birds Song affected by Urbanization

Research done recently found that birds changed their song in order to suite city life better. This study is the first of its kind to be completed (it compares the birds of one species living in cities with the same species of bird in the wilderness. This particular species was studied in ten major cities across Europe and the researchers were surprised at the consistency that appeared in every one.

The birds changed their songs in order to be heard above the buzz of the city. The birds in the city sang their song faster than those living in the forest, and they eliminated the low-pitched parts of the song. Because these parts of the song are hard to hear above traffic noise, it is a waste of time and energy for the birds to sing them.

It is Darwinism at its finest. Because male birds use their song to attract a mate and reproduce, the birds that changed their song to be heard better survived and passed on this new song. With this natural selection process, the scientists say that this may eventually lead to the city dwellers and the forest birds to evolve into 2 separate species. It is known that not many birds thrive in urban settings, but with this information found scientists are able to learn more about this process and other ways urbanization affects birds.

British Banned From Main Poisoning Suspect

In London, British detectives were investigating the poisoning death of Alexander Litvenenko who was a former Russian spy. When the British detective got to Moscow they were told they could not see Andrei Lugovoi, a former KGB agent, who was their main suspect. They also said the British would not be able to speak to any suspects alone nor could they take them back to Britain if charged.
British officals feel the Russian government is interfering with the investigation especially since all the evidence points to Russia and Lugovoi. About a week before Litvenenko was poisoned, Lugovoi flew back to London and both his hotel and plane tested positive for radiation. Then a day before the poisoning Lugovoi came back from London where they found that his plane, hotel, and even a soccer stadium also tested positive.
It is also reported that an Italian security consultant named Mario Scaramella said he wanted to warn the ex-spy. Scaramella said he received a number of e-mails filled with specific threats and details but he didn’t believe they could/would happen. Scaramella said he was also being threatened in these e-mails. Scaramella and Litivenenko met in London at a sushi bar where some thought Litivenenko was poisoned. It seemed suspicious because Scaramealla didn’t eat. He said he didn’t like sushi. Although Scaramealla is cooperating many don’t trust his reputation either.
Do you think the radioactive trail will lead to Moscow and to Russian authorities in Litvenenko’s death? Litvinenko was also a former colonel in the Russian security service and was known to be a very outspoken critic of Russia’s President, Vladimir Putin.
http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/print?id=2703332
www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/Europe/12/05/spycase.scaramella/indez.html

7 New Wonders of the World

Can you name one of the seven ancient wonders of the world? Hundreds, no actually thousands of years ago these unbelievable creations were made by humans, but today the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt is the only last Ancient 7 Wonder still standing. An organization called the New 7 Wonders Foundation located in Heidi Weber Museum in Zurich, Switzerland is holding a vote around the world to vote on 7 New Wonders. There’s a list of 21 to choose from and all have been built by people. To qualify the structures had to have been built or founded by 2000.
Previously the 7 ancient wonders of the world were located around the Mediterranean Sea because the area was rich in culture and education. Today the 21 nominees are located all around the world and are still standing. The Pyramids of Giza near Cairo, Egypt are still a finalist. In North America there are two nominees; including the Statue of Liberty and Chichen Itla Aztec Site in Mexico. In South America you can vote for Machu Picchu, in Peru, Easter Island Statues in Chile, and Christ the Redeemer in Brazil along with many more. To view the other favorite new wonders nominees go to www.new7wonders.com. What new wonder do you feel is worthy of being named a wonder of the world? Place your vote and watch for an announcement to be made on July 7, 2007. This competition encourages people from all over the world to pay respect and attention to reserve treasures around the world.
See

Britney Spears..

I thought this was extremely funny, since we sometimes hear Mrs. Hartmann say such "nice" things about britney spears.

Britney Spears, Yahoo's number one search item.

Water on Mars

According to this article there could be water on Mars.. You know what that means, life on different planets? maybe.

"New photographs from space suggest that water occasionally flows on the frigid surface of Mars, raising the tantalizing possibility that the red planet is hospitable to life, scientists reported Wednesday." The images were taken by NASA global mars surveyor. Although there is not signs of flowing water, this is still a big step. The scienctists who study mars believe that this is a big step that plays into if there is life on other planets.

It is believed that Mars used to be full of water puddles back in the old days. They believe this because there were thousands of gullies photographed that were believed to be created by rushing water, and the gullies are young in geologic time.

"The news excited scientists who hunt for extraterrestrial life. If the finding is confirmed, they say, all the ingredients favorable for life on Mars are in place: liquid water and a stable heat source."
Is there life on other planets??

Infected Blood Donations

Until very recently, few people had heard of vCJD, or variant Creut-zfeld-Jakob Disease. Now, for those in Britain who have received blood transfusions, they can only wish they hadn't. At least three deaths have been confirmed to be due to infected blood donations, a high percentage of the small group known to have received blood from supposedly-healthy donors who later developed the illness.

It begins with exposure to a certain TSE in cattle, through infected beef. After crossing the species barrier, transmission becomes much easier. vCJD is spread through transfusion of infected blood and may also be passed on by surgical implements. The fact is, it is very hard to control this when symptoms do not show for as much as a decade, and there are no tests, so there is no way to know how much or who of the blood supply, donors, or receivers have the disease. vCJD begins with neurological dysfunctions-- variations on schizophrenia and depression-- and escalates to shut down mobility and slowly deteriorate the body.

Now, regarding the surgical instruments....particularly those used in dental surgery. Apparently, and here I quote directly from the article, "routine sterilisation is not enough to destroy the prions that cause the disease." !!! I was surprised by this comment. I hope the health officials consider this completely unacceptable and make every effort to eliminate the possibility of transmission through surgery.

It's a scary thought: that the only thing that can save your life at one point may kill you ten years later. I know a bit about the concerns of health organizations when it comes to donated blood. Many students participated in the blood drive recently, which is a wonderful thing to do, so long as you know your blood is healthy. I, however, regardless of age, would not be accepted as a donor, along with any others who have lived in the UK for long enough; Red Cross restrictions state that "The American Red Cross is refusing donations from people who have spent a cumulative three months in Great Britain or those who have spent six months in any part of Europe since 1980. " These restrictions are in place because of diseases like vCJD, which could lie dormant for years, undetectable, and suddenly become lethal.

Yet another worry of globalization... There have been very few cases of vCJD in the US; they are chiefly concentrated in Britain, with a few scattered in Europe, but with this new development, there is more concern about it spreading. As we know from our textbook, this affects more than just the people who catch it...remember the bans on British beef exports? Many, many problems are caused by these virtually uncontrollable bugs.

More about vCJD, from the World Health Organization...

Article: "Infected Blood Threatens Fresh Outbreak of vCJD..."

Another 12 to 18 months?

I recently read a article on the security in Iraq and when we will be able to give control to the Iraqi police force. The current general in Iraq said that it will take another 12 to 18 months to achieve this control. He said that American forces are currently readjusting their strategies to achieve this. He believes that this possibility is definitely possible on a realistic time scale.

Ok. Does anyone else feel that the government has been saying that we will give control to the Iraqi police force for over 2 years. I am getting really frustrated that the government is saying that this will happen in a set number of months and then seeing that it doesnt happen. I trully feel that the goverment needs to do something to get possible because I am really getting sick of hearing supposed months when we will be able to start withdrawing troops. The United States has dug themselves deep in Iraq. Iraq is becoming considerablly close to a civil war and no matter what the United States says, this civil war will happen. These extremists will find anyway to try to accomplish their goals. We have already seen them do this. Overall though, I feel that the government is making statements that never come true. Someone else please blog on this, because I want to hear what you think.

Realistic Time Scale?

Turkey & The EU

Turkey has recently been struggling in being accepted into the EU. The reason for this conflict has been the island of Cyprus which is split between Greek inhabitants in the south and Turkish inhabitants in the north. There has been dispute and trade blocks between the sections since 1974 when Turkey invaded the island. The EU has offered to open trade to the Turkish northern half of Cyprus if they would open there ports to the Greeks in the southern half. Turkey has been very stubborn in these negotiations leading to a proposed partial freeze of talks between the EU and Turkey. Yet Turkey has now offered to open one of its major north Cyprus sea ports to the Greek Cypriots. This has encouraged the EU leaders to continue in the negotiations yet many still seek to have all the ports opened. I believe that this move by Turkey shows a desire to negotiate and change in order to be accepted into the EU. Although its not a lot it is still a big move to begin a cooperative attitude between the Turks and Greeks in Cyprus. I believe that eventually this will lead to fully open ports in Cyprus and finally peace and agreement in Cyprus. This is another example of how the EU has become powerful enough to overcome long held grudges and trade blocks and is truly creating a unified Europe.

Continuation of the global warming blog posted below

Our World

Continuation of Global Warming

Below was a post about the findings of NASA and global warming. I found a site that had some interesting information on types of crops that have been produced to help with the transition of this “Global Warming”. In research that was done by this company rice yield is dropping 10% for every degree Celsius rise at night. Most plants tend not to grow as fast in extremely hot temperatures because photosynthesis is stopped to help retain water. The developers have developed rice that can survive prolonged water submergence to help balance out the extreme hot temperatures. The researchers have also developed a new type of wheat that is climate resistant, C4, which will help with the ever shifting wheat belt. It is projected that in the next 50 years, the American “bread basket” will be in Canada. The picture posted shows this in greater detail.

Mars Has Liquid Water

NASA scientists proclaimed there was water found that was flowing throughout Mars. Researchers assume that for the past seven years, water has flowed through gullies in the Martian craters. They appear such as fingerlike branches. This also could be considered acidic water, however it’s more likely that this water found is rainwater. This water found in mars appears it’s involved.
Researchers also believe it could have originated in subsurface aquifers. This water could have even came from snow that has been melted. Beliefs to this water also came to the conclusion of other living organisms on this planet. However, that is not for sure.

Mars.

S Africa's 'most-wanted' caught!

His name is Ananias Mathe and was detained last December with more then 50 charges, including murder and rape. At the age of 29, from Mozambique, was captured just two weeks after escaping from a top security jail near Pretoria. This man had stabbed a security guard in the eye using a screwdriver after being cornered in a house somewhere. To bring him down to be captured, he was shot 3 times in the back of the leg. Mathe is described as "the ultimate criminal." During the search for Ananias, the police shot and wounded a man by mistake after someone had called and identified him as the escaped prisoner. Mathe is the first prinsoner to escape from this prison since it opened 36 years ago. This man, who has had intense military training, escaped by covering his body with vaseline and squeezed through his cell window that measured 8inches by 2feet. When he was returned to the prison, a minister said he would be leaving again for an urgent operation to fix the shattered bone in the back of his leg that was wounded during the arrest.

Our World

Friday, December 15, 2006

NO MORE BLOGS

Website for NEW news in Russia.

December, 15 2006 Class Review

Thursday, December 14, 2006

Stranded on Mount Hood

Today in class..

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

Sunday, December 10, 2006

Friday, December 08, 2006

Mapping of Indian National Highways

E.coli outbreak

Hypothermia killed missing dad.

Maps

Wildfires in Australia

Thursday, December 07, 2006

Britney Spears..

Water on Mars

Infected Blood Donations

Another 12 to 18 months?

Mars Has Liquid Water

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