Google may leave China after cyber attack

Google said last Tuesday that it may leave China. When Google started in China in 2006, it was intended to strike a balance between reaching its goal by having the world's information widely available and doing buisiness with all other internet companies in China while following regulations involving censorship. While Google has done its part, China users have not. There have been a few targeted cyber attacks on its network infrastructure. David Drummond, senior vice president of corporate development and chief legal officer, says that they are sharing this information about the attacks not just because of the security and human rights implications, but also because this issue creates a much bigger debate about freedom of speech.

In my opinion, I agree with Google's choice to leave China. It's not their final decision, but it seems that they are leaning towards it. If the attacks weren't enough, they have also discovered accounts of dozens of Gmail users who are Chinese human rights activists that have been accessed by third parties most frequently through internet scams and malware. Staying with China seems to set them up for a bad road ahead. I'm glad that they have shared this information with the public, although I'm not sure it needs to strike up a debate about freedom of speech. I hope there's no tension between Google and China if they decide to leave. There is no reason Google should stay with China; they are only hurting them. If Google leaves China it could potientionally stop other cyber attack in the future. Google needs take a stand and let the world know that cyber attacks are not acceptable.

In winter, some homeless choose between independence, warmth

Brook, a 42-year-old Atlanta man, perfers sleeping in an abandoned house with no heat. The only heat he has is a large coat with a few layers underneath and hat. He rests his head on a bag where he keeps his belongings. Brook is among thousands of homeless who refuse to go to shelters. Some homeless use shelters for showers and meals but also refuse to sleep there. Brook describes shelters as an environment "where you can't keep your eyes closed." But with temperatures in the teens, there has been an increase in the number of homeless flocking to shelters. Some churches in Atlanta will become refuge shelters when extremely low temperatures are being experienced.

With the extremely low temperatures our country is facing, I hope everyone has a warm place to sleep. If we need to extend our shelters to churches, then so be it. I can't imagine sleeping outside in these kinds of temperatures. Brook seems insane for his preference of sleeping out in the cold rather than a shelter. I understand his fear of getting robbed, but it doesn't sound like he has much that could get robbed. I guess if all you own is the clothes on your back, you don't want to risk losing them. Kate Gearman (http://kategearman.%20blogspot.com/2010/01/in-winter-some-homeless-choose-between.html) suggests that security patrols the shelters to minimize the crimes that occurs and allows the homeless to feel at home and sleep easy. I agree with her 100%, everyone should have a warm and safe place to sleep at night.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/01/08/cold.homeless/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

Kenya elephant tramples U.S mother, baby

As an American family went hiking near Mount Kenya last Monday, an elephant unexpectedly charged out of the brush and killed a mother and her one year old daughter she was holding in her arms. The family was hiking on a nature trail just outside Mount Kenya National Park on Monday morning when the elephant charged. The woman, identified as Sharon Brown, tried running away but the weight of her baby slowed her down. Brown and her husband are listed as faculty members at the International School of Kenya. She was 39 years old at the time of her death and originally from New York. "She was loved by everybody and loved to travel extensively," says one of Brown's close friends.

I was really frusterated with the husband in this article! It says that there were three other adults hiking, one of them being Brown's husband. The three others ran away safely at the sight of the elephant. How did the husband forget about his wife and the baby? Why wasn't he desperately trying to help save them? I can't put all the blame on the husband though; this was obviously a very scary and rare incident and I'm sure he's suffering greatly from the loss of his wife and child. I hope hikers in the future are more cautious and I hope the Kenya Wildlife Service encourages hiking with armed guards more strongly. Incidents like this are said to happen about once a year, but I hope hikers will take more precautions so that these tragedies are reduced.


http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/africa/01/06/kenya.americans.trampled/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

Pakistan court orders men's ears, noses hacked off

Recently, a court in Pakistan has ordered two men to have their noses and ears chopped off. The court also ordered that these two men, Ammanat Aliand and Sher Mohammed, spend life in prison and 700,000 rupees (equal to 8,300 dollars). These two men allegedly followed Fazeelat Bibi home from work and strangled her with a wire after she rejected an offer of marriage from Sher Mohammed. When they thought she was dead, they cut off her ears and nose. There were three other men involved in the attack, one has been arrested and the other two have not been identified yet. A doctor must determine if the men can survive after being cut and a high court must confirm the sentance before it can be carried out.


It's hard for me to believe any sane person would do this to someone else, let alone five sane people. What shocks me even more is that the victim was a woman one of them had previously wished to marry! Why would someone want to hurt someone that they loved enough to ask to marry? It seems to me that these five men who were involved in this crime need some serious help more than anything else. The men say their actions were to "set an example." An example of what? An example of how insane they are? Obviously these men need to face consequences, but I don't think chopping off their ears and noses is an accurate punishment. This is such a horrible thought and I hope Sher Mohammed can overcome it. I couldn't imagine going through this and I pray for her health. She is only 22 and has much of her life yet to live.



http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/12/22/pakistan.harsh.justice/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

Wintry storm churns toward Northeast

According to the National Weather Service, a winter storm warning was in effect for the East Coast metropolitan areas. This storm may cause chaos for all the Christmas shoppers and travelers. Air travelers are encouraged to arrive at the airport two hours prior to their scheduled departure. And if you're traveling by car, there are many precautions that should be taken. Map out where you're going and let friends or family know when you plan to arrive and what route you're taking. The snow will continue to fall; Washington is expecting as much as two feet of snow and blizzard conditions are possible for Long Island.

This article is similar to the one I blogged about last week, and my opinion has not changed much. I am still anxiously awaiting our first big snowstorm here in Alexandria! But as much as I would like a snowy Christmas, I would rather have safe traveling. I hope all the places that are currently experiencing this storm can stay safe. Drivers need to realize how important it is to be cautious in these wintry conditions. I think it's a great idea for drivers to map out their route ahead of time and let friends and family know when they plan to arrive. I also hope the airlines can continue safely flying. I just hope everyone is able to get to their designated destinations for Christmas!




http://www.cnn.com/2009/TRAVEL/12/18/wintry.weather/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

Boosting the Minimum

Over the last thirty years, inflation has increased hourly wages by more than 200 percent. Since 1947, the job market has gone through great changes due to growing international trade, advancing technologies, and the spread of high-speed Internet access. Many Americans have seen great financial success, but others have lost their jobs or have been faced with stagnant wages. This causes a concern for the number of poverty stricten people living in the United States. Being considered poor is any U.S. family of four whose annual income in 2006 was less thean $20,444. In 2005, 12.6 percent of Americans were considered poor. That's 37 million men, women, and children living in poverty. Many people think that raising the federal minimum wage will help reduce the number of poor. They are convinced that raising the minimum wage will positively affect the lives of millions American workers. Critics argue, stating that raising the minimum is a weak weapon for fighting poverty.


Personally, I'm a critic of raising the minimum wage. Our country's economy was built on capitalism, meaning the laws of supply and demand control our financial system. We have a successful market-based economy and I think the federal government should minimize its regulations concerning minimum wages. An increase in minimum wage will result in higher prices and more job cuts. It will hurt small to medium sized companies in America, which are important to the vitality of our economy. Also, like I stated earlier, 37 million people are living below the poverty line. Only three million out of the 37 million are actually full time workers. Raising the minimum is not going to help the other 34 million. Expanding the EITC is a more reasonable way to help the working poor. Expansion of the EITC will reduce taxes provided to low income workers, with no interference in the market.

Richard Berman, the Executive Director of the Employment Policies Institute, is also a critic of raising the minimum wage.

Issue number 1: http://jumpingjoeblog.blogspot.com/

Issue number 3: http://backstroker321.blogspot.com/

Winter storm crashes across U.S.

Winter is finally here, and people from all over the United States are now bracing themselves for more blizzard conditions after what many parts of the U.S. experienced last Wednesday. The National Weather Service says that many Midwestern states had dangerously low wind chills. Schools were closed across Iowa, North Dakota, and parts of Wisconsin. The University of Wisconsin cancelled classes after Madison, Wisconsin, received 15 inches of snow. Snow and sleet fell in Chicago, cancelling more than 325 flights. Heavy rain fell across the South, damaging in homes in Louisiana. The storm also brought high winds to the Southwest. Texas recorded a wind gust of 105 mph.

I am not too thrilled about the low temperatures winter brings, but I do have to admit, the snow is exciting! This article mentions that students from the University of Wisconsin began forming a giant snowball after they found out their classes were cancelled. I cannot wait to have our first snow day here at Jefferson! Kate Gearman (http://kategearman.blogspot.com/) read an article similar to this, and she is also anxiously awaiting our first snow day also! Along with all the excitement, I hope people stay as safe as possible in these windy, snowy, freezing, and rainy conditions we are experiencing across the U.S. I hope drivers take precautions on slippery roads. A 28-year-old woman was killed in Omaha, Nebraska last Tuesday when a truck plowing snow in a parking lot backed into her. This is terrible incident and I hope we can all stay safe!