The United Nations Climate Change Conference opened today in Copenhagen, Denmark. According to VOA News, "Delegates aim to find common ground on reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, promotion and transfer of new more eco-friendly technology and the necessary funding, especially for the less developed and poorer nations."
About 15,000 delegates and viewers from about 200 countries are in attendance at the conference. Delegates are striving to find a long term vision and corporation for the future. Many proposals have come forward from countries such as the U.S., China, and South Africa.
Delegates are coming up with a agreement to replace 1997 Kyoto Protocol which required emission cuts, but some of the largest polluters did not even sign it. Some of you may be asking who some of these polluters are, and you may be shocked when I tell you that the U.S. did not sign it!
The fact that the U.S. did not sign the previous protocol really bothers me. Our administration at the time obviously was not taking responsibility for our actions. We are polluting the Earth, and we need to make big changes to correct our wrong doing.
For those who may not know, global warming is a phenomenon that has really come into the view of main stream media over the last few years. It is a increase in the average global temperature due to the greenhouse effect. This is caused by pollution and will create global climate change.
For those who may not know what the greenhouse effect is, it is "an atmospheric heating phenomenon, caused by short-wave solar radiation being readily transmitted inward through the earth's atmosphere but longer-wavelength heat radiation less readily transmitted outward, owing to its absorption by atmospheric carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane, and other gases; thus, the rising level of carbon dioxide is viewed with concern," according to dictionary.com.
This is not the first time that this topic has come into the main stream media. In 2006, the movie, An Inconvenient Truth, came out and received national attention due to the voice on the movie, former Vice-President, Al Gore. According to IMDb, "Director Davis Guggenheim eloquently weaves the science of global warming with Mr. Gore's personal history and lifelong commitment to reversing the effects of global climate change. A longtime advocate for the environment, Gore presents a wide array of facts and information in a thoughtful and compelling way."
Now is the time for change. The human race is responsible for the damage done to our planet, so we need to do something to correct our wrong doing or at least minimize any more damage. As one of the most influential countries if not the most influential county in the world, the U.S. needs to be a leader in bringing about this change.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Monday, November 30, 2009
Anybody sick of hearing about Tiger Woods' car crash yet?
It seems like all that is on the news over the past week is talk about Tiger Woods getting into an accident. For those who have not heard about this yet, according to TransWorldNews, "Woods pulled out of the driveway of his Florida home in a 2009 Cadillac SUV Friday morning around 2:25. He hit a fire hydrant before driving into a tree on his neighbor's property. The neighbor found Woods lying unconscious on the ground outside the vehicle and called authorities."
This accident came only days after he was accused of having an affair with another woman. Rumors have surfaced saying that after the accident, Woods' wife attacked him or something along those lines with a golf club causing the damage to his face. Woods denies all of this and has released a statement saying that his wife was the one that came to his rescue.
The police have requested interviews with both Tiger and his wife, both they have been declined. Tiger did finally release on official statement today. The statement is as follows:
"As you all know, I had a single-car accident earlier this week, and sustained some injuries. I have some cuts, bruising and right now I'm pretty sore. This situation is my fault, and it's obviously embarrassing to my family and me. I'm human and I'm not perfect. I will certainly make sure this doesn't happen again. This is a private matter and I want to keep it that way. Although I understand there is curiosity, the many false, unfounded and malicious rumors that are currently circulating about my family and me are irresponsible. The only person responsible for the accident is me. My wife, Elin, acted courageously when she saw I was hurt and in trouble. She was the first person to help me. Any other assertion is absolutely false. This incident has been stressful and very difficult for Elin, our family and me. I appreciate all the concern and well wishes that we have received. But, I would also ask for some understanding that my family and I deserve some privacy no matter how intrusive some people can be."
Tiger has been making a lot of wrong moves. Even though he claims that he takes full responsibility and his wife did nothing wrong, why doesn't he allow the police to question him? Also the police are asking to obtain his medical records which he refuses to release as well. My question is, if he claims that he has nothing to hide, then why be so mysterious? He is acting like a guilty person.
While listening to the commentators on ESPN this morning, I heard an interesting comment. When asked how this will affect his career, one of the commentators responded that just like with the steroid issue in major league baseball, the individuals that are known for getting caught using steroids were the ones that were older. They were unable to hit or throw their way out of the controversy. With Tiger, he will be able to golf his way out of this.
Personally, if he has nothing to hide, then he should have just come clean to the authorities right away. If he did nothing wrong, then nothing should come up in the searches and questioning. This leads me to believe that there was something fishy going on.
This accident came only days after he was accused of having an affair with another woman. Rumors have surfaced saying that after the accident, Woods' wife attacked him or something along those lines with a golf club causing the damage to his face. Woods denies all of this and has released a statement saying that his wife was the one that came to his rescue.
The police have requested interviews with both Tiger and his wife, both they have been declined. Tiger did finally release on official statement today. The statement is as follows:
"As you all know, I had a single-car accident earlier this week, and sustained some injuries. I have some cuts, bruising and right now I'm pretty sore. This situation is my fault, and it's obviously embarrassing to my family and me. I'm human and I'm not perfect. I will certainly make sure this doesn't happen again. This is a private matter and I want to keep it that way. Although I understand there is curiosity, the many false, unfounded and malicious rumors that are currently circulating about my family and me are irresponsible. The only person responsible for the accident is me. My wife, Elin, acted courageously when she saw I was hurt and in trouble. She was the first person to help me. Any other assertion is absolutely false. This incident has been stressful and very difficult for Elin, our family and me. I appreciate all the concern and well wishes that we have received. But, I would also ask for some understanding that my family and I deserve some privacy no matter how intrusive some people can be."
Tiger has been making a lot of wrong moves. Even though he claims that he takes full responsibility and his wife did nothing wrong, why doesn't he allow the police to question him? Also the police are asking to obtain his medical records which he refuses to release as well. My question is, if he claims that he has nothing to hide, then why be so mysterious? He is acting like a guilty person.
While listening to the commentators on ESPN this morning, I heard an interesting comment. When asked how this will affect his career, one of the commentators responded that just like with the steroid issue in major league baseball, the individuals that are known for getting caught using steroids were the ones that were older. They were unable to hit or throw their way out of the controversy. With Tiger, he will be able to golf his way out of this.
Personally, if he has nothing to hide, then he should have just come clean to the authorities right away. If he did nothing wrong, then nothing should come up in the searches and questioning. This leads me to believe that there was something fishy going on.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Black Friday is almost here!
How many of you go shopping on Black Friday? I had not ever gone shopping on this day until last year, so I can officially say I have. I'm betting there is a possibility that some of you have no idea what Black Friday is, and others may just have never experienced it.
Black Friday is the Friday after Thanksgiving. It is a time when retailers have outrageous sales on various merchandise. Many of these sales are "early bird" sales, which means they start at five or six in the morning the sales become less as the day progresses.
Retailers use Black Friday as a way to bring people to their businesses. Obviously by providing such large discounts, they do not make much profit, but they make profit from the individuals who buy non-sale items, or come back later to get something that they saw and liked.
With the declining economy, retailers are becoming more and more desperate, and so the sales are anticipated to be even better this year. Now those of you who have never shopped on this day may be thinking, well this sounds like a win-win thing. Well there are some huge downsides.
To get the best deals, I would recommend beginning your shopping at 5 am, which is early for most. Many get caught buying way more than they need due to the low prices, which defeats the purpose of going to sales if you still end up spending the same amount of money. The biggest downside for me personally was the crowds. There are people who are very serious about this shopping day, and they mean business. I felt claustrophobic. There were people everywhere, and my mom and I spent most of the day standing in line waiting to pay for the things we picked out. We ended up getting tired very fast, and made it more of a day to just spend together and go out to eat rather than be serious about the shopping.
I have also heard stories from friends about people getting run over and hurt, products running out instantly, and other much wilder stories.
So, is it worth it? To me it is not, but to others they look forward to this day each and every year. What about you?
Black Friday is the Friday after Thanksgiving. It is a time when retailers have outrageous sales on various merchandise. Many of these sales are "early bird" sales, which means they start at five or six in the morning the sales become less as the day progresses.
Retailers use Black Friday as a way to bring people to their businesses. Obviously by providing such large discounts, they do not make much profit, but they make profit from the individuals who buy non-sale items, or come back later to get something that they saw and liked.
With the declining economy, retailers are becoming more and more desperate, and so the sales are anticipated to be even better this year. Now those of you who have never shopped on this day may be thinking, well this sounds like a win-win thing. Well there are some huge downsides.
To get the best deals, I would recommend beginning your shopping at 5 am, which is early for most. Many get caught buying way more than they need due to the low prices, which defeats the purpose of going to sales if you still end up spending the same amount of money. The biggest downside for me personally was the crowds. There are people who are very serious about this shopping day, and they mean business. I felt claustrophobic. There were people everywhere, and my mom and I spent most of the day standing in line waiting to pay for the things we picked out. We ended up getting tired very fast, and made it more of a day to just spend together and go out to eat rather than be serious about the shopping.
I have also heard stories from friends about people getting run over and hurt, products running out instantly, and other much wilder stories.
So, is it worth it? To me it is not, but to others they look forward to this day each and every year. What about you?
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
What would you do if you couldn't get your mail?
What would you do if you couldn't get your mail? The United States Postal Service (USPS) is something that many of us take for granite. We just figure it will always be there for us. I'm sure all of you would be very upset if suddenly you couldn't get that gift that you got, because FedEx, UPS, and other companies refuse to ship to your house. When this happens the USPS takes care of it for you, but what if they weren't there?
According to prnewswire.com, "The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) today filed its 2009 fiscal year-end financial results, showing a net loss of $3.8 billion for the year -- despite cost-cutting efforts resulting in $6 billion in cost savings and a $4 billion reduction in required payments for retiree health benefits. Cost savings reflect a reduction of 40,000 career USPS employees as well as reductions in overtime hours, transportation and other costs. The $4 billion reduction in required retiree health benefit payments was passed into law for fiscal 2009 to allow USPS to maintain fiscal solvency while continuing to provide universal, affordable service to the nation."
With the rise of the computer age, less and less people are using postal service on a daily basis, and without those individuals buying mailing products such as stamps, suddenly a massive amount of money is being lost.
Now many of you may be thinking, well less sending should mean less shipped, so it should even out. That would make sense, but that is not the case. The USPS still has to go to all of those homes whether they received mail or not, because there may be a chance that they are wishing to mail something themselves. Basically, the mail man has to check to see if the red flag is up on the mail box.
In larger cities this is less of an issue. It is easy to check every one's mail boxes, but the true problem comes in the rural areas. In many rural areas, there are individuals who live miles and miles back on a gravel road who only receive mail maybe once a week, sometimes less, but the mail carrier must go back to their mail box everyday anyway.
Now before you jump to the conclusion that we should just not visit these individuals unless they are receiving mail. What if that individual has mail to send? You may say, well he or she can go to town and mail it. Well what if the individual is unable to drive due to a health condition or old age?
This is the dilemma that the USPS has been facing for the last several years. It is caught between doing what is right and doing what is more cost effective. Currently the USPS is self-supporting. It makes all of the money that it needs to remain afloat through the sale of postage stamps and other postage products.
The only solution that seems viable is to get support from the government. The USPS is a service that is too valuable to be shut down or overlooked.
According to prnewswire.com, "The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) today filed its 2009 fiscal year-end financial results, showing a net loss of $3.8 billion for the year -- despite cost-cutting efforts resulting in $6 billion in cost savings and a $4 billion reduction in required payments for retiree health benefits. Cost savings reflect a reduction of 40,000 career USPS employees as well as reductions in overtime hours, transportation and other costs. The $4 billion reduction in required retiree health benefit payments was passed into law for fiscal 2009 to allow USPS to maintain fiscal solvency while continuing to provide universal, affordable service to the nation."
With the rise of the computer age, less and less people are using postal service on a daily basis, and without those individuals buying mailing products such as stamps, suddenly a massive amount of money is being lost.
Now many of you may be thinking, well less sending should mean less shipped, so it should even out. That would make sense, but that is not the case. The USPS still has to go to all of those homes whether they received mail or not, because there may be a chance that they are wishing to mail something themselves. Basically, the mail man has to check to see if the red flag is up on the mail box.
In larger cities this is less of an issue. It is easy to check every one's mail boxes, but the true problem comes in the rural areas. In many rural areas, there are individuals who live miles and miles back on a gravel road who only receive mail maybe once a week, sometimes less, but the mail carrier must go back to their mail box everyday anyway.
Now before you jump to the conclusion that we should just not visit these individuals unless they are receiving mail. What if that individual has mail to send? You may say, well he or she can go to town and mail it. Well what if the individual is unable to drive due to a health condition or old age?
This is the dilemma that the USPS has been facing for the last several years. It is caught between doing what is right and doing what is more cost effective. Currently the USPS is self-supporting. It makes all of the money that it needs to remain afloat through the sale of postage stamps and other postage products.
The only solution that seems viable is to get support from the government. The USPS is a service that is too valuable to be shut down or overlooked.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Is 'New Moon' going to be worth it?
As many of you may know, the movie 'New Moon' is going to be released at midnight one week from today. According to prnewswire.com, "the film has already outsold its predecessor, Twilight, in total advance ticket sales on Fandango, the nation's leading movie ticketing destination. The new movie currently represents 75% of the site's ticket sales."
I am completely guilty of being one of the individuals that is really excited to see the movie and will be attending the midnight premier. I became hooked with the series after watching the first movie, 'Twilight'. After I watched the movie, I decided that I would give the first book a try.
After reading the first book, I was hooked! I read all of the rest of them within the next two months. I then went and bought the movie on DVD, and my roommates and I watch often. I am addicted.
What is it about this series that has captured the hearts and attention of millions upon millions of people all over this country and the world? I have pinpointed it to its very good looking cast that really has an unique chemistry. It is the love triangles, and the amazingly realistic possibilities. These vampires are not like the typical vampires that we see in the usual fiction film. They are very believable as vampires, yet they are realistic. They make us wonder if people like this actually do exist in our world, but we just do not know.
Now when it comes to the new movie, what is going to happen? Is it going to live up to all of its expectations? Many people expected much more from the previous film, but did not get it, yet the movie was still a success and people still want to see the next one. What if this is a complete bomb?
Obviously if this is a success and considered a great movie, it will only increase the fan base even more.
What are your thoughts? What is going to happen with this movie?
I am completely guilty of being one of the individuals that is really excited to see the movie and will be attending the midnight premier. I became hooked with the series after watching the first movie, 'Twilight'. After I watched the movie, I decided that I would give the first book a try.
After reading the first book, I was hooked! I read all of the rest of them within the next two months. I then went and bought the movie on DVD, and my roommates and I watch often. I am addicted.
What is it about this series that has captured the hearts and attention of millions upon millions of people all over this country and the world? I have pinpointed it to its very good looking cast that really has an unique chemistry. It is the love triangles, and the amazingly realistic possibilities. These vampires are not like the typical vampires that we see in the usual fiction film. They are very believable as vampires, yet they are realistic. They make us wonder if people like this actually do exist in our world, but we just do not know.
Now when it comes to the new movie, what is going to happen? Is it going to live up to all of its expectations? Many people expected much more from the previous film, but did not get it, yet the movie was still a success and people still want to see the next one. What if this is a complete bomb?
Obviously if this is a success and considered a great movie, it will only increase the fan base even more.
What are your thoughts? What is going to happen with this movie?
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Dickinson State University mourns the loss of three students.
For those of you who have been watching local and national news as of lately, then I am sure that you have heard of the tragic story of the three softball players from Dickinson State University. For those are unfamiliar with the story, I will fill you in.
On Sunday, three members of the Dickinson State University softball team, Kyrstin Gemar, 22, of San Diego; Afton Williamson, 20, of Lake Elsinore, Calif.; and Ashley Neufeld, 21, of Brandon, Manitoba went missing. They were reported to have called a friend requesting help and saying something about water. The friend called 911 and search began. Police searched a 30 mile radius of the cell phone tower that received that phone call, and originally thought the girls were somewhere near a lake south of Dickinson, North Dakota.
On Tuesday, the three individuals were found. "Stark County Sheriff Clarence Tuhy said the women's SUV was found resting on its wheels Tuesday in about 10 feet of water hidden by tall grass, with the doors and windows closed," according to ESPN.com. A dog was also found in the vehicle.
"Police Lt. Rod Banyai said authorities do not expect autopsy results for a week or two. The autopsies will help determine the exact cause of death and whether the women were under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Authorities have said there is no indication they were. The North Dakota Highway Patrol also will examine the 1997 Jeep Cherokee to determine if the vehicle malfunctioned, Banyai said" again according to ESPN.com.
These tragic deaths were a sharp reminder to members of the Valley City State University softball team of last spring when their own Sara Gullickson went into a lake outside of Jamestown, North Dakota. Although their story had a happy ending, it was still a very difficult time that is vividly remembered.
Also, members of the VCSU team were former teammates and were still very close friends, so they are having a difficult time with this as well. Many individuals at VCSU and softball team members have sent out their condolences to the family and friends of these three individuals. There is even a Facebook page set up in remembrance of the individuals.
The truth of the matter is, we do not know what will happen the next day, hour, or even minute, so make sure that you let your loved ones know how much they mean to you and how much you appreciate them, because you never know if they will be with you tomorrow.
R.I.P. Kyrstin, Afton, and Ashley
On Sunday, three members of the Dickinson State University softball team, Kyrstin Gemar, 22, of San Diego; Afton Williamson, 20, of Lake Elsinore, Calif.; and Ashley Neufeld, 21, of Brandon, Manitoba went missing. They were reported to have called a friend requesting help and saying something about water. The friend called 911 and search began. Police searched a 30 mile radius of the cell phone tower that received that phone call, and originally thought the girls were somewhere near a lake south of Dickinson, North Dakota.
On Tuesday, the three individuals were found. "Stark County Sheriff Clarence Tuhy said the women's SUV was found resting on its wheels Tuesday in about 10 feet of water hidden by tall grass, with the doors and windows closed," according to ESPN.com. A dog was also found in the vehicle.
"Police Lt. Rod Banyai said authorities do not expect autopsy results for a week or two. The autopsies will help determine the exact cause of death and whether the women were under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Authorities have said there is no indication they were. The North Dakota Highway Patrol also will examine the 1997 Jeep Cherokee to determine if the vehicle malfunctioned, Banyai said" again according to ESPN.com.
These tragic deaths were a sharp reminder to members of the Valley City State University softball team of last spring when their own Sara Gullickson went into a lake outside of Jamestown, North Dakota. Although their story had a happy ending, it was still a very difficult time that is vividly remembered.
Also, members of the VCSU team were former teammates and were still very close friends, so they are having a difficult time with this as well. Many individuals at VCSU and softball team members have sent out their condolences to the family and friends of these three individuals. There is even a Facebook page set up in remembrance of the individuals.
The truth of the matter is, we do not know what will happen the next day, hour, or even minute, so make sure that you let your loved ones know how much they mean to you and how much you appreciate them, because you never know if they will be with you tomorrow.
R.I.P. Kyrstin, Afton, and Ashley
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
U.S. rated 9th most prosperous nation....9th?????
U.S. has been ranked the 9th most prosperous nation behind a dominant performance by Northern Europe as Finland was ranked 1st, Sweden 3rd, Denmark 4th, and Norway 5th.
Now there are typically two reactions to something like this. The first reaction is, with our current economic, political, and health situation, we are lucky to be ranked that high, while others think, what the heck do those countries have that we don't?
In order to completely understand these findings, we must first understand what is the definition of prosperity according to the 2009 Legatum Prosperity Index. "The Index identified nine key factors that drive economic growth and personal well being, which are foundations of prosperity. Each of these nine factors is represented in a sub-index and a country's final Prosperity Index ranking is generated by averaging its scores across all nine sub-indexes, equally weighted," according to prnewswire.com.
One of the major positives that did come out of this ranking was our ranking as the most innovative countries in the world. Even with our struggling economy, "The U.S. ranks 1st in the world in Entrepreneurship and Innovation and 2nd in the world in the strength of Democratic Institutions." (prnewswire.com) we also did well by being ranked 7th globally in Education and Social Capital.
Now your question may be, "If we did so well in that area, what could have possibly brought us down?" The answer to that question is, health care. The U.S. ranked 27th! According to the Index, "Dissatisfaction with their overall health is dragging down Americans' sense of well-being, affecting their determination to get ahead and their faith in their health care system." This is a very big concern. Anytime you hear someone complaining about how the congress is spending so much time on health care, you can show them that statistic. It is a major issue that is holding back our entire well-being.
Other downfalls for the U.S. were as follows:
"Ranking 19th globally, safety and security is another relative weakness of the U.S. Lower
scores are driven by the large number of people in the US who feel they live in unsafe
places, coupled with a high per capita murder rate relative to other developed nations.
The U.S. ranks 16th globally on Governance, indicating that Americans believe that there
is too much corruption in their government and sometimes doubt the honest of elections.
The United States' laws and regulations are generally seen to foster economic growth, but
government's negative effects pull down its citizens' quality of life."
These are definitely issues that our country needs to work on. All citizens of our country should feel safe, and we should all be able to have full confidence in our voting system. There is reason to worry though. The 2000 Presidential Election was probably the largest reason for uncertainty in the voting system. Nobody understood how someone could obtain the most votes yet not win the election. It did not make sense and exposed a large flaw in the voting system.
We are continuously working to become a safer nation, but it is becoming more and more difficult with the advancements in technology. Finally, on the health care issue. One thing that seems to be a commonality between the top nations is a thing called, universal health care. Although some may be against it, it is working in numerous countries throughout the world, and it is about time that the U.S. steps up their game. We all need to learn from this ranking and make the U.S. a more prosperous place to live.
Now there are typically two reactions to something like this. The first reaction is, with our current economic, political, and health situation, we are lucky to be ranked that high, while others think, what the heck do those countries have that we don't?
In order to completely understand these findings, we must first understand what is the definition of prosperity according to the 2009 Legatum Prosperity Index. "The Index identified nine key factors that drive economic growth and personal well being, which are foundations of prosperity. Each of these nine factors is represented in a sub-index and a country's final Prosperity Index ranking is generated by averaging its scores across all nine sub-indexes, equally weighted," according to prnewswire.com.
One of the major positives that did come out of this ranking was our ranking as the most innovative countries in the world. Even with our struggling economy, "The U.S. ranks 1st in the world in Entrepreneurship and Innovation and 2nd in the world in the strength of Democratic Institutions." (prnewswire.com) we also did well by being ranked 7th globally in Education and Social Capital.
Now your question may be, "If we did so well in that area, what could have possibly brought us down?" The answer to that question is, health care. The U.S. ranked 27th! According to the Index, "Dissatisfaction with their overall health is dragging down Americans' sense of well-being, affecting their determination to get ahead and their faith in their health care system." This is a very big concern. Anytime you hear someone complaining about how the congress is spending so much time on health care, you can show them that statistic. It is a major issue that is holding back our entire well-being.
Other downfalls for the U.S. were as follows:
"Ranking 19th globally, safety and security is another relative weakness of the U.S. Lower
scores are driven by the large number of people in the US who feel they live in unsafe
places, coupled with a high per capita murder rate relative to other developed nations.
The U.S. ranks 16th globally on Governance, indicating that Americans believe that there
is too much corruption in their government and sometimes doubt the honest of elections.
The United States' laws and regulations are generally seen to foster economic growth, but
government's negative effects pull down its citizens' quality of life."
These are definitely issues that our country needs to work on. All citizens of our country should feel safe, and we should all be able to have full confidence in our voting system. There is reason to worry though. The 2000 Presidential Election was probably the largest reason for uncertainty in the voting system. Nobody understood how someone could obtain the most votes yet not win the election. It did not make sense and exposed a large flaw in the voting system.
We are continuously working to become a safer nation, but it is becoming more and more difficult with the advancements in technology. Finally, on the health care issue. One thing that seems to be a commonality between the top nations is a thing called, universal health care. Although some may be against it, it is working in numerous countries throughout the world, and it is about time that the U.S. steps up their game. We all need to learn from this ranking and make the U.S. a more prosperous place to live.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Touch is the new thing...
Touch screens seem to be the newest trend in technology. Now days we see phones, ipods, computers, and other similar devices all being operated via a touch screen or pad. Just today, Apple(R) introduced the world's first multi-touch mouse. It will be coming standard with all Apple(R) computers and will also be available to buy separately as an accessory for just under $70.
According to prnewswire.com, "Magic Mouse features a seamless touch-sensitive enclosure that allows it to be a single or multi-button mouse with advanced gesture support. Using intuitive gestures, users can easily scroll through long documents, pan across large images or swipe to move forward or backward through a collection of web pages or photos. Magic Mouse works for left or right handed users and multi-button or gesture commands can be easily configured from within System Preferences.
According to prnewswire.com, "Magic Mouse features a seamless touch-sensitive enclosure that allows it to be a single or multi-button mouse with advanced gesture support. Using intuitive gestures, users can easily scroll through long documents, pan across large images or swipe to move forward or backward through a collection of web pages or photos. Magic Mouse works for left or right handed users and multi-button or gesture commands can be easily configured from within System Preferences.
"The Magic Mouse laser tracking engine provides a smooth, consistent experience across more surfaces than a traditional optical tracking system. Magic Mouse uses Bluetooth wireless capabilities to create a clean, cable-free desk top and its secure wireless connection works from up to 10 meters away. To extend battery performance, Magic Mouse includes an advanced power management system that works with Mac OS® X to automatically switch to low power modes during periods of inactivity. The wireless Magic Mouse is powered by two AA batteries which are included."
Now this device is just the latest in "touch" devices being released by companies throughout the world. What is it about "touch" that is so captivating. From my experience with talking about "touch" phones with my friends, most of them complain about how they suddenly stopped working before they were even a year old. Also they talk about how they loose their sensitivity and make it hard to text sometimes.
Now I have not only heard bad stories about "touch" phones. I also have friends who really love their phones and feel that they are easy to use and very slick. I have never had a "touch" anything. I like to be able to feel the buttons that I am pushing. My latest advance is to get a phone with a slide out full key pad. I do really like this as it creates a mini computer key pad, which enables me to text more rapidly, especially when it comes to numbers as I do not have to change the format I'm in to get numbers, they are already on my key pad.
So what is going to happen with "touch" devices? Are they going to be a trend that suddenly disappears? Or are we going to see more and more devices using "touch"? Personally, I can definitely see more and more "touch" devices. I just wonder what will be next. Are we going to see touch screens being standard in cars for setting cruise control, the radio, heating and air conditioning, lights, etc.? Are we going to see students writing their papers on a computer notebook that transfers the writing to word process, much like some laptop computers are capable of doing? What is next? I am sure we will soon find out...
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
U.S. President Barack Obama wins the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize
President Obama is the 2009 recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. Yes, you heard that right. President Obama did in fact win the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize, something that shocked many throughout the world whereas others seem to have seen it coming.
I was definitely surprised to see this awarded to our President as where many of my fellow Americans. In class after it was announced, I was talking to several of my classmates about what they thought about President Obama winning such a prestigious prize. The ultimate question coming off of nearly every classmate's tongue was, "Why?"
I myself even asked that question. I campaigned for President Obama in the previous election, so I would definitely be considered a big supporter of President Obama. Even as a supporter, I still could not help but ask why.
When going through his qualifications, I see that at age 48, he seems too young. Also, I understand that he is working hard to increase world peace, but what has he gotten accomplished so far that is so grand? I cannot come up with an answer to that question.
So after trying hard to figure out why, I decided to see what other people thought was the reason. Some are saying that the Nobel committee will sometimes give the award to someone who they feel is in the process of doing something great. By doing this, they hope to draw more attention to what that individual is doing in an attempt to get quicker more wide spread results.
I can definitely see this being a reason, as President Obama is doing a lot to try and increase the U.S.'s relations with countries throughout the world. I have also heard people who think that he only got it, because he was our first black president. I do feel that just that itself does give U.S. a different look from countries throughout the world, but I cannot see that being the sole reason for his award.
The reason that is published most is that President Obama was awarded the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize, "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples." This is according to almaz.com.
No matter what the reason, President Obama receiving this award can have nothing but a positive effect on our country, so everyone put your hands together and congratulate the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize winner, President Barack Obama!
I was definitely surprised to see this awarded to our President as where many of my fellow Americans. In class after it was announced, I was talking to several of my classmates about what they thought about President Obama winning such a prestigious prize. The ultimate question coming off of nearly every classmate's tongue was, "Why?"
I myself even asked that question. I campaigned for President Obama in the previous election, so I would definitely be considered a big supporter of President Obama. Even as a supporter, I still could not help but ask why.
When going through his qualifications, I see that at age 48, he seems too young. Also, I understand that he is working hard to increase world peace, but what has he gotten accomplished so far that is so grand? I cannot come up with an answer to that question.
So after trying hard to figure out why, I decided to see what other people thought was the reason. Some are saying that the Nobel committee will sometimes give the award to someone who they feel is in the process of doing something great. By doing this, they hope to draw more attention to what that individual is doing in an attempt to get quicker more wide spread results.
I can definitely see this being a reason, as President Obama is doing a lot to try and increase the U.S.'s relations with countries throughout the world. I have also heard people who think that he only got it, because he was our first black president. I do feel that just that itself does give U.S. a different look from countries throughout the world, but I cannot see that being the sole reason for his award.
The reason that is published most is that President Obama was awarded the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize, "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples." This is according to almaz.com.
No matter what the reason, President Obama receiving this award can have nothing but a positive effect on our country, so everyone put your hands together and congratulate the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize winner, President Barack Obama!
Thursday, October 8, 2009
American writers, not good enough for Nobel Prize in Literature, or are they?
The Nobel Prize for Literature was awarded Thursday, October 8 to Romanian-born German writer Herta Mueller. Great for her, but there is something else going on behind the scenes that is to an extent overshadowing this great accomplishment.
Certain members of the Nobel Prize selection committee have very strong opinions on certain areas. Literature is definitely one of them. According to The Associated Press, "Before last year's prize announcement, outgoing permanent secretary Horace Engdahl said the U.S. was too insular and ignorant to challenge Europe as the center of the literary world."
Wow! That is one strong statement. This opinion is shared by other members of the committee as well, but not by all.
"Englund struck a different tone, telling AP Tuesday that in most language areas 'there are authors that really deserve and could get the Nobel Prize and that goes for the United States and the Americas, as well.'" This is taken from an article in The Associated Press.
So what is it? Is American literature good enough or not? Apparently, there are multiple opinions on this issue. Specifically, they discuss the American songwriter, Bob Dylan.
According to The Associated Press, "Dylan is believed to have been nominated several times before, but doesn't quite fit the profile of a Nobel literature laureate. Besides primarily being a songwriter, his mass following could also be considered a minus by the Swedish Academy, which often chooses writers who are unfamiliar to the everyday reader. However, Dylan is considered by many prominent literary critics to be a major poet, his song lyrics worthy of serious study."
Why should the writers by unfamiliar to the everyday reader? This does not make sense to me. Are not Nobel Prize winners people who make a difference in the world through their work? Then, what is the use of their work if nobody reads it? Bob Dylan is being criticized, because too many people like his work? Something is wrong here.
The fact is, although the committee is to be politically neutral, there will always be some politics involved.
AP also wrote, "The last American winner was Toni Morrison in 1993. No writer from South America has won since Gabriel Garcia Marquez in 1982. The last North American writer was Canadian Saul Bellow, who won in 1976 and was a resident of the United States for much of his life."
Some serious rethinking needs to be done by some members of the Nobel Prize committee. What is it about American literature that is so bad? Nothing. Open your eyes committee. There are several well deserving individuals who write massively influential pieces of literature that deserve to be recognized for what they have done for the world.
Certain members of the Nobel Prize selection committee have very strong opinions on certain areas. Literature is definitely one of them. According to The Associated Press, "Before last year's prize announcement, outgoing permanent secretary Horace Engdahl said the U.S. was too insular and ignorant to challenge Europe as the center of the literary world."
Wow! That is one strong statement. This opinion is shared by other members of the committee as well, but not by all.
"Englund struck a different tone, telling AP Tuesday that in most language areas 'there are authors that really deserve and could get the Nobel Prize and that goes for the United States and the Americas, as well.'" This is taken from an article in The Associated Press.
So what is it? Is American literature good enough or not? Apparently, there are multiple opinions on this issue. Specifically, they discuss the American songwriter, Bob Dylan.
According to The Associated Press, "Dylan is believed to have been nominated several times before, but doesn't quite fit the profile of a Nobel literature laureate. Besides primarily being a songwriter, his mass following could also be considered a minus by the Swedish Academy, which often chooses writers who are unfamiliar to the everyday reader. However, Dylan is considered by many prominent literary critics to be a major poet, his song lyrics worthy of serious study."
Why should the writers by unfamiliar to the everyday reader? This does not make sense to me. Are not Nobel Prize winners people who make a difference in the world through their work? Then, what is the use of their work if nobody reads it? Bob Dylan is being criticized, because too many people like his work? Something is wrong here.
The fact is, although the committee is to be politically neutral, there will always be some politics involved.
AP also wrote, "The last American winner was Toni Morrison in 1993. No writer from South America has won since Gabriel Garcia Marquez in 1982. The last North American writer was Canadian Saul Bellow, who won in 1976 and was a resident of the United States for much of his life."
Some serious rethinking needs to be done by some members of the Nobel Prize committee. What is it about American literature that is so bad? Nothing. Open your eyes committee. There are several well deserving individuals who write massively influential pieces of literature that deserve to be recognized for what they have done for the world.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
An effective vaccine for HIV might be just around that corner.
For the first time ever, an HIV vaccination has actually began to show some effectiveness in preventing HIV!
According to prnewswire.com, "In the final analysis, 74 placebo recipients became infected with HIV compared to 51 in the vaccine regimen arm. The efficacy result is statistically significant. The vaccine regimen had no effect on the amount of virus in the blood of volunteers who became HIV-infected during the study. More detailed results of this study will be presented next month at the AIDS Vaccine Conference, October 19 through 22 in Paris, France." Those statistics stated before means that the vaccine was approximately 30 percent effective.
The trial was conducted in Thailand and was performed on volunteer men and women ages 18 to 30 years old. It was sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
They randomly selected half of the individuals to receive the vaccine and the others received the placebo. None of the individuals knew who had been given the vaccine and who hadn't.
What a break through! Hopefully shortly there will be a press release sent out that tells of how they have discovered a vaccine that is up to 90 percent effective in preventing HIV. Even a vaccine with up to 75 percent effectiveness would be amazing. If this were to occur, there would definitely be a need for a mass distribution of this vaccine in countries all over the world and especially in the continent of Africa where the aids epidemic is continuously growing.
According to avert.org, "Sub-Saharan Africa is more heavily affected by HIV and AIDS than any other region of the world. An estimated 22 million people are living with HIV in the region - around two thirds of the global total. In 2007 around 1.5 million people died from AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa and 1.9 million people became infected with HIV. Since the beginning of the epidemic more than eleven million children have been orphaned by AIDS."
Those statistics should shock you. Something obviously needs to be done, and as a country that has the technology to find an effective vaccine, it is our duty to the world to try and help out. It was so exciting to read this press release. I do however feel that this press release needs be taken with cautious optimism.
Also, other steps to prevent the spread should still be enforced or recommended. Individuals in countries that are prone to getting HIV need to be educated on safe sex practices and other forms of protection that will help prevent the spread of HIV. The vaccine won't be a cure all, but it is a great start.
According to prnewswire.com, "In the final analysis, 74 placebo recipients became infected with HIV compared to 51 in the vaccine regimen arm. The efficacy result is statistically significant. The vaccine regimen had no effect on the amount of virus in the blood of volunteers who became HIV-infected during the study. More detailed results of this study will be presented next month at the AIDS Vaccine Conference, October 19 through 22 in Paris, France." Those statistics stated before means that the vaccine was approximately 30 percent effective.
The trial was conducted in Thailand and was performed on volunteer men and women ages 18 to 30 years old. It was sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
They randomly selected half of the individuals to receive the vaccine and the others received the placebo. None of the individuals knew who had been given the vaccine and who hadn't.
What a break through! Hopefully shortly there will be a press release sent out that tells of how they have discovered a vaccine that is up to 90 percent effective in preventing HIV. Even a vaccine with up to 75 percent effectiveness would be amazing. If this were to occur, there would definitely be a need for a mass distribution of this vaccine in countries all over the world and especially in the continent of Africa where the aids epidemic is continuously growing.
According to avert.org, "Sub-Saharan Africa is more heavily affected by HIV and AIDS than any other region of the world. An estimated 22 million people are living with HIV in the region - around two thirds of the global total. In 2007 around 1.5 million people died from AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa and 1.9 million people became infected with HIV. Since the beginning of the epidemic more than eleven million children have been orphaned by AIDS."
Those statistics should shock you. Something obviously needs to be done, and as a country that has the technology to find an effective vaccine, it is our duty to the world to try and help out. It was so exciting to read this press release. I do however feel that this press release needs be taken with cautious optimism.
Also, other steps to prevent the spread should still be enforced or recommended. Individuals in countries that are prone to getting HIV need to be educated on safe sex practices and other forms of protection that will help prevent the spread of HIV. The vaccine won't be a cure all, but it is a great start.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
I thought the space age was finished....or not!
On July 20, 1969, the United States landed the first manned mission on the moon. Immediately following that great defeat, U.S. along with other countries in the world began to explore more and more with the intention to eventually land on Mars and beyond. Up through the 1990s, information about various space missions, most unmanned, were continuously in the news, but American citizens seemed to loose interest, so it no longer is in mainstream news.
I have never been really into learning about the space or anything like that. I know the basics like what NASA is, what the International Space Station is, what the solar system is, and where the big dipper is. Other than that, I am usually lost when speaking to space enthusiasts and experts. Other than the reports of work being done on the International Space Station, I have not heard of any other space related news in years!
While looking through Today's News on prnewswire.com, an interesting headline stuck out at me. It read as follows, " MESSENGER Spacecraft Prepares For Final Pass By Mercury." Now I could just be very non-observant, but I thought Messenger was done with Mercury years ago! Well apparently I was wrong.
According to prnewswire.com, "Determining the composition of Mercury's surface is a major goal of the orbital phase of the mission. The spacecraft already has imaged more than 90 percent of the planet's surface. The spacecraft's team will activate instruments during this flyby to view specific features to uncover more information about the planet." Not only is Messenger still flying, but it will continue to fly. It will be entering Mercury's orbit in 2011.
So far, Messenger has completed three-quarters of its nearly 5 billion mile trip. "The trip includes more than 15 trips around the sun. In addition to flying by Mercury, the spacecraft flew past Earth in August 2005 and Venus in October 2006 and June 2007" (prnewswire).
I am currently taking an Astronomy class at Valley City State University, and it has opened my eyes to other missions as well. I had no idea that we were still investigating the universe besides what is done at the International Space Station. Also in January of 2006, probes were sent to investigate Pluto. These will not be back to Earth until July 2015.
It is amazing how much we miss when it is not considered entertaining anymore. When Americans lost their interest in space, suddenly it was no longer in mainstream media, and before you know it, you have more and more uninformed individuals like myself. So whether or not you thought the space age was finished, I recommend that you check out the latest missions that are currently underway. You would be surprised by just how many you did not even know about. The space age is ALIVE!
I have never been really into learning about the space or anything like that. I know the basics like what NASA is, what the International Space Station is, what the solar system is, and where the big dipper is. Other than that, I am usually lost when speaking to space enthusiasts and experts. Other than the reports of work being done on the International Space Station, I have not heard of any other space related news in years!
While looking through Today's News on prnewswire.com, an interesting headline stuck out at me. It read as follows, " MESSENGER Spacecraft Prepares For Final Pass By Mercury." Now I could just be very non-observant, but I thought Messenger was done with Mercury years ago! Well apparently I was wrong.
According to prnewswire.com, "Determining the composition of Mercury's surface is a major goal of the orbital phase of the mission. The spacecraft already has imaged more than 90 percent of the planet's surface. The spacecraft's team will activate instruments during this flyby to view specific features to uncover more information about the planet." Not only is Messenger still flying, but it will continue to fly. It will be entering Mercury's orbit in 2011.
So far, Messenger has completed three-quarters of its nearly 5 billion mile trip. "The trip includes more than 15 trips around the sun. In addition to flying by Mercury, the spacecraft flew past Earth in August 2005 and Venus in October 2006 and June 2007" (prnewswire).
I am currently taking an Astronomy class at Valley City State University, and it has opened my eyes to other missions as well. I had no idea that we were still investigating the universe besides what is done at the International Space Station. Also in January of 2006, probes were sent to investigate Pluto. These will not be back to Earth until July 2015.
It is amazing how much we miss when it is not considered entertaining anymore. When Americans lost their interest in space, suddenly it was no longer in mainstream media, and before you know it, you have more and more uninformed individuals like myself. So whether or not you thought the space age was finished, I recommend that you check out the latest missions that are currently underway. You would be surprised by just how many you did not even know about. The space age is ALIVE!
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
America's dirty dancer dies
Patrick Swayze dies at 57 after a 20 month battle with pancreatic cancer.
Swayze was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in January 2008, but shocked everyone when he planned to continue filming the series "The Beast" on A&E. He managed to film one season while undergoing treatment before he succumbed to the cancer on Monday.
Swayze is most widely known for his role in the 1987 film, "Dirty Dancing." He stole the hearts of women all over the world with his suave, bad-boy look and great body.
Swayze's film career began in 1979 in the movie, "Skatetown, U.S.A." As said before, he continued working up until his death. Besides "Dirty Dancing," Swayze also was in several other movies and TV series including, "Ghost" and "Tall Tales."
Swayze should be remembered for his beauty, grace, amazing looks, and determination. Although very sick in the last year, he managed to continue working. That is something to remember. He obviously had a lot of commitment to his work.
Swayze did have a rough life. He started drinking heavily after the sudden death of his father in 1982, and with that came many other problems. Then in 1994 his sister committed suicide. Alcohol became a problem for many years, but he soon evacuated that image.
I hope that people do not remember him for the tough times. Anyone who has been through that much personal loss can understand what he was going through. He should be remembered as the American heartthrob that captivated the hearts, stares, and desires of so many people both men and women alike.
According to the Fairfield Mirror, "Swayze will be remembered for his brilliant dance-acting and his strength as he battled through his last year."
Rest in peace, Patrick Swayze.
Swayze was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in January 2008, but shocked everyone when he planned to continue filming the series "The Beast" on A&E. He managed to film one season while undergoing treatment before he succumbed to the cancer on Monday.
Swayze is most widely known for his role in the 1987 film, "Dirty Dancing." He stole the hearts of women all over the world with his suave, bad-boy look and great body.
Swayze's film career began in 1979 in the movie, "Skatetown, U.S.A." As said before, he continued working up until his death. Besides "Dirty Dancing," Swayze also was in several other movies and TV series including, "Ghost" and "Tall Tales."
Swayze should be remembered for his beauty, grace, amazing looks, and determination. Although very sick in the last year, he managed to continue working. That is something to remember. He obviously had a lot of commitment to his work.
Swayze did have a rough life. He started drinking heavily after the sudden death of his father in 1982, and with that came many other problems. Then in 1994 his sister committed suicide. Alcohol became a problem for many years, but he soon evacuated that image.
I hope that people do not remember him for the tough times. Anyone who has been through that much personal loss can understand what he was going through. He should be remembered as the American heartthrob that captivated the hearts, stares, and desires of so many people both men and women alike.
According to the Fairfield Mirror, "Swayze will be remembered for his brilliant dance-acting and his strength as he battled through his last year."
Rest in peace, Patrick Swayze.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Lending a helping hand.
Vita-Tech International donated one ton of vitamins to Conakry, Guinea, West Africa to support nutritionally disadvantaged populations in polio treatment centers throughout the country, as well as rural villages in the area surrounding Conakry. They have always planned for a shipment in the future, so this is not just a one time deal.
More and more companies should invest in the welfare of other countries in our world that are struggling. As the saying goes, "With power comes great responsibility." Large corporations need to do more things to help out the world. They were given the power by the consumers, and they need to do more to give back what they were given. It sickens me to see CEO's driving fancy cars, going out to fancy restaurants, and buying outrageously priced clothes and other things while there are people in this world that are suffering.
"In Africa, the continent where the polio epidemic has been most difficult to control, efforts at disease eradication often work against a backdrop of civil unrest and war. In some countries, the end of years of fighting has led to a new push for public health measures, including widespread vaccination. Elsewhere, conflict continues to complicate vaccine delivery; temporary cease-fire agreements must be negotiated to allow vaccination and prevent serious outbreaks from occurring. When the system breaks down, the results can be disastrous"(Dove, 1999).
Polio is a very scary disease that has become an epidemic in Africa as was stated by the last quotation.
"Poliomyelitis (polio) is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus. It invades the nervous system, and can cause total paralysis in a matter of hours. It can strike at any age, but affects mainly children under three (over 50% of all cases). The virus enters the body through the mouth and multiplies in the intestine. Initial symptoms are fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, stiffness in the neck and pain in the limbs. One in 200 infections leads to irreversible paralysis (usually in the legs)"(Global Polio).
With the help of companies such as Vita-Tech International, more and more lives will be spared in many countries in Africa. More and more countries should take the lead of companies like Vita-Tech International. Even small donations would go a long way to help with the efforts in Africa. We should all learn to lend a helping hand.
Tag: (Dove, 1999), (Global Polio), Vita-Tech International, Conakry, Guinea, West Africa,
More and more companies should invest in the welfare of other countries in our world that are struggling. As the saying goes, "With power comes great responsibility." Large corporations need to do more things to help out the world. They were given the power by the consumers, and they need to do more to give back what they were given. It sickens me to see CEO's driving fancy cars, going out to fancy restaurants, and buying outrageously priced clothes and other things while there are people in this world that are suffering.
"In Africa, the continent where the polio epidemic has been most difficult to control, efforts at disease eradication often work against a backdrop of civil unrest and war. In some countries, the end of years of fighting has led to a new push for public health measures, including widespread vaccination. Elsewhere, conflict continues to complicate vaccine delivery; temporary cease-fire agreements must be negotiated to allow vaccination and prevent serious outbreaks from occurring. When the system breaks down, the results can be disastrous"(Dove, 1999).
Polio is a very scary disease that has become an epidemic in Africa as was stated by the last quotation.
"Poliomyelitis (polio) is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus. It invades the nervous system, and can cause total paralysis in a matter of hours. It can strike at any age, but affects mainly children under three (over 50% of all cases). The virus enters the body through the mouth and multiplies in the intestine. Initial symptoms are fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, stiffness in the neck and pain in the limbs. One in 200 infections leads to irreversible paralysis (usually in the legs)"(Global Polio).
With the help of companies such as Vita-Tech International, more and more lives will be spared in many countries in Africa. More and more countries should take the lead of companies like Vita-Tech International. Even small donations would go a long way to help with the efforts in Africa. We should all learn to lend a helping hand.
Tag: (Dove, 1999), (Global Polio), Vita-Tech International, Conakry, Guinea, West Africa,
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Origin labeling for gasoline, the future.
Growth energy is beginning a nationwide campaign to require country of origin labeling for fuel. The Co-Chairman of Growth Energy, General Wesley Clark called on the United States Congress and the White House to take action to dramatically enhance the market transparency of the nation's fuel supply by requiring a national standard of country of origin labeling (COOL) for fuel. This initiative is being called, "Label My Fuel."
COOL is a term that many people have heard of before, but probably not when dealing with fuel. A few years back, the beef industry made a big push towards getting COOL for beef products. COOL allows individuals to know more about where their fuel is coming from, which is something that many supports believe is something that consumers deserve.
The goal is to help create consumer awareness of the costs and national security implications of the nation's addiction to foreign oil. Supporters of COOL believe that consumers deserve to know where their money is going. If consumers in the United States knew where their money was going, they might be more hesitant to buy the fuel. It is a great way to promote independence from foreign oil.
In an article from PRNewswire.com, Growth Energy showed the impact of the U.S.'s dependence on foreign oil with the following statistics:
- "The U.S. Department of Energy found that America's dependence on foreign oil has cost our country more than $7 trillion dollars over the last 30 years.
- The United States has sent as much as $500 billion a year overseas for oil -- a massive transfer of wealth.
- The Center for Forensic Economic Studies estimates that for every dollar spent on foreign crude oil, an additional $1.55 is removed from the U.S. economy.
- According to the Institute for the Analysis of Global Security, American taxpayers foot a $50 billion-a-year bill to secure petroleum shipping lanes."
Not only should this be a way for consumers to stop the dependence on foreign oil, but this should also be a way of encouraging the development and use of renewable resources. Something needs to replace the foreign oil, and renewable resources are the way to go. Also this should be a wake-up call in general for all consumer products. U.S. consumers should pay more and more attention to where products are made. If more and more consumers would not buy products from places like China, India, and Mexico and only buy products made in the U.S., the job market in the U.S. will boom.
The "Label My Fuel" initiative is a great way for the U.S. to take the next step in becoming more independent from foreign oil. It is about time.
Tags: Growth energy, General Wesley Clark, United States Congress, White House, country of origin labeling (COOL), foreign oil, PRNewswire.com, www.labelmyfuel.com
Thursday, August 27, 2009
The loss of an icon.
Senator Ted Kennedy passed away in his home in Hyannis Port, Mass. on Aug. 25, 2009 at age 77 after a year long battle with a malignant brain tumor.
Senator Kennedy was a member of the Democratic party and Senator from Massachusetts from 1969 until his death. He was adored by many and respected by all, including many members of the Republican party. The admoration for Kennedy was no stronger than in his own home. In a statement from his family on his website, the family states, "We’ve lost the irreplaceable center of our family and joyous light in our lives, but the inspiration of his faith, optimism, and perseverance will live on in our hearts forever."
Kennedy was continuously fighting for equality for all. He was continuously turned to for statements for the media and as a voice of reason in the political world. He kept on fighting for what he believed in up until his death. Although the tumor kept him from being able to attend sessions at the U.S. Senate, he was very excited about the health care reform taking place and would have attended the senate in a hospital bed to vote if he had to. Several Democrats are hoping that Kennedy's death will help increase the urgency for the passing of the health care reform. Some hope that the health care reform will be passed out of respect for Kennedy.
Beyond all of the politcal hype that surrounds Kennedy's death, it is very clear that Kennedy was an admired and respected senator. Foxnews.com received a comment about the senator from President Obama. "Obama said for 50 years Ted Kennedy has been 'making a difference for that soldier fighting for freedom, that refugee looking for a way home, that senior searching for dignity, that worker striving for opportunity, that student aspiring to college, that family reaching for the American Dream. The life of Senator Edward M. Kennedy has made a difference for us all.'" Rest in peace, Teddy.
Senator Kennedy was a member of the Democratic party and Senator from Massachusetts from 1969 until his death. He was adored by many and respected by all, including many members of the Republican party. The admoration for Kennedy was no stronger than in his own home. In a statement from his family on his website, the family states, "We’ve lost the irreplaceable center of our family and joyous light in our lives, but the inspiration of his faith, optimism, and perseverance will live on in our hearts forever."
Kennedy was continuously fighting for equality for all. He was continuously turned to for statements for the media and as a voice of reason in the political world. He kept on fighting for what he believed in up until his death. Although the tumor kept him from being able to attend sessions at the U.S. Senate, he was very excited about the health care reform taking place and would have attended the senate in a hospital bed to vote if he had to. Several Democrats are hoping that Kennedy's death will help increase the urgency for the passing of the health care reform. Some hope that the health care reform will be passed out of respect for Kennedy.
Beyond all of the politcal hype that surrounds Kennedy's death, it is very clear that Kennedy was an admired and respected senator. Foxnews.com received a comment about the senator from President Obama. "Obama said for 50 years Ted Kennedy has been 'making a difference for that soldier fighting for freedom, that refugee looking for a way home, that senior searching for dignity, that worker striving for opportunity, that student aspiring to college, that family reaching for the American Dream. The life of Senator Edward M. Kennedy has made a difference for us all.'" Rest in peace, Teddy.
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