Scientific Impact vs. Job Creation

As a very soon to be graduate student, grant proposal writing and funding from the National Science Foundation is very important to me since the NSF (NSF) is a great contributor of scientific research.NSF currently provides grants to approved research proposals based on various factors including impact to the science community and laymen community outreach. I find these two conditions especially important because they ensure the quality of the research they are funding and not just science for the sake of science. By requiring an impact to the existing science community, researchers funded by the NSF are well versed in the literature of their topic enabling them to recognize a gap in the knowledge and fill that gap with the results of their project, ultimately leading to innovative and novel scientific contributions. With the community outreach requirement, the NSF shows their interest in not only the scientific community, but the layman members of our country as well. For graduate program funding, they look for research coming from labs that have undergraduate students working in their labs and larger programs that collaborate with smaller programs that don't have the extent of resources that they have. This is the way the NSF has chosen projects to fund for years and, in my opinion, it has proven to be an efficient way of making sure the research being done is well rounded and beneficial in more ways than one.

However, not everyone feels as I do. Sponsor of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), Lamar Smith (R-Tx) has proposed a bill that revises the NSF's process of grant funding in a way that removes the peer-review requirement. This adjustment was proposed on the idea that the research NSF funds should be geared more towards creating jobs for citizens instead of impacting the science community. The bill suggests that the NSF director should make sure all funded research proposals are advancing U.S. national health, prosperity, or welfare and significantly different than any other research already existing and being funded. I believe this is a valid concern to have for such a large amount of tax dollars being spent, but I also believe the current form of proposal acceptance is adequate for national benefit.The peer review process provides expert opinion of the research in question and is an accurate measure of merit.Without this critical step in grant approval the quality of research being funded will decrease significantly.

Fortunately, President Obama has promised to "protect our rigorous peer review system" to ensure tax payers' dollars go as far as possible and the research it supports is as prosperous as possible. With this being said, I hope the peer review process stays in place and the politicians who are against it realize the importance of having experienced and knowledgeable scientists approve of a research project before it is funded with thousands of dollars.

Media

Activist journalism is not the dominate method of journalism in our nation's history but after the notorious Watergate Scandal along with the growth of national skepticism during the Vietnam War became very popular. This form of reporting is more manipulative because it leads the audience towards a certain conclusion Investigative journalism a process that can include the collaboration of other parties within the media. This form of journalism doesn't really alter public opinion or change it, but rather it further polarizes peoples views and ideologies. The three main objectives investigate journalism tries to use is to excite the audience in order to draw in numbers of viewers, secondly gain recognition from other journalist and third to trigger a reform or change.

Due to the nature of socialization especially when concerning politics media does not change political belief but were it can definitely be felt is through the polization of peoples existing position regarding an issue. Most adults are fixed on believing a certain idea that the use cognitive misers when analyzing information being reported. In turn further validating their own beliefs. This may not be the case when taking racial or gender issues in to consideration because the media in these cases are educational and can change some beliefs, but often times this is not the case. This being the case media influence acts as polarization tool rather than research has proved to be problematic because it is impossible to wholistically measure how people react to what the media outlets report. Until the day comes were we will be able to effectively evaluate how individuals are influenced by the media and to what degree it will continue to be problematic. There are some incidents were correlations can be drawn by finding out who uses what types of media. For example we knew that Blacks and Hispanics rely more on television and high income and older populations use print media more than low income populations. Along with people who watch four or more hours of T.V. a day are more worried of being attack victims, Correlations can be drawn but we still are unable to effective find out to what degree people are influenced.


Posted by: Ivan Benitez

Sometimes the apple does fall far from the tree...

In CNN's article, A Killer in the Family by Sarah LeTrent, the old saying "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree" arises. The article is about people who are related to killers, in particular killers who are serial or committed nationwide, grief-striking murders. I found the article interesting due to the title, but found the actual content even more so upon reading it. The article discussed the feelings that family members of the killer experience after their loved one has committed these heinous crimes. It struck me as interesting because I always wonder about the family of a killer when I hear of a murder crime. It leads me to wonder what type of home did they grow up in?...were they close with their parents?....did they have siblings?....what were their family members like?....did something happen in their family that caused them to commit such an act? 

As stated in the article, many family members of murderers go into a state of silence after their kin commits the crime. They often experience feelings of grief, guilt, shame, and remorse. They have to go through therapy to ultimately convince themselves that they are not to blame. But then that strikes up another topic, are they to blame? Of course that question is completely subjective and everyone will probably have a different answer, but it is a topic I have personally heard multiple times regarding the family, parents specifically, of a mass murderer. I've heard the argument, "well if their parents had chastised them more firmly as a child they wouldn't have done that." That, too, is a purely opinionated statement. I believe a child's upbringing is directly related to the person they grow up to be, but I also believe that sometimes people experience personal illnesses that are independent of anything they have experienced in life. Sometimes people go through depressions simply because of a chemical imbalance in their brain. Of course I am leaning on my scientific background for this opinion, but I do genuinely believe people sometimes lose control of what goes on in their bodies. Call me crazy, but I don't think people who experience neurological diseases make a conscious effort to contract that disease. With that being said, I do not believe these things make people innocent of the crimes they have committed, they should be dealt with according to their sentences from  judge and jury, but I do believe, many times, that the parents and other family members of these people are not to blame for their conditions. As I stated earlier, out of emotional thinking and shock of gruesomely atrocious crimes, I have questioned the family life of murderers, but only out of sheer curiosity. No one should be blamed for the actions of another human being just for the sole purpose of being related to them.

"What's In a Name"

Naming a baby can turn into being one of the hardest decisions for parents, but what if you are only allowed to pick names from a list the government gives out?  It sounds like some sort of "future world, dictatorship" type of government you'd see in a movie. But it's not.  New Zealand has actually released a list of banned baby names. The list is actually quite extensive and some of the banned names that are include: Justice, Lucifer, Christ, Majesty, and Anal (really... You wanted to name your child Anal?!)  New Zealand isn't the only country to ban names. however.  Sweden has a naming law in place, and in 2009 the Dominican Republic thought about creating a similar law after parents begun naming their children after fruit! In the United States most of the name changes are among adults and the appeals court ruled against a man who wanted his name to be "F*** Censorship."  

This article got me thinking... If a government can control what you can name your child, what else can they control?  I don't feel that the naming law is too crazy, but I don't think the United States would be successful in passing a law like that.  The U.S. is way too big on freedom and our freedom of speech, so a law of that nature may cause some riots.  It's a little frightening to think how much control a government can have over their country.  What are some of y'alls thoughts on this matter?

Posted by: Kara Rivas

Sarin in Syria

This past Thursday, there has been evidence that sarin gas has been used by the President of Syria,  Bashar al-Assad, against the rebels who want to overthrow him.  But first off, what is sarin gas?  Sarin is a man-made chemical warfare agent which is classified as a nerve agent.  These are the most toxic and fast acting of the known chemical warfare agents.  It's a clear, colorless, and tasteless liquid that has no odor, in its pure form, and can evaporate into a gas (not cool!)  In the past, it has been used during Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s and in two terrorist attacks in Japan in 1994 and 1995. People can be exposed to sarin through skin or eye contact, by contaminated food or drink, through the air, and even through clothing if that other person has been in contact with it.  What is does is prevent the body's "off-switch" from functioning properly and it makes glands and muscles be constantly stimulated.  Large exposure to the gas can cause paralysis and respiratory failure.

Now that we know more about sarin, let's get back to the topic of it being used in Syria.  We've been discussing a lot about the war going on in Syria, and now with this chemical gas being used, Obama needs to make a decision on whether the United States will be involved. This video from ABC News gives a little explanation about what's happening overseas.

US News | Entertainment News | ABC News Videos

CNN reports that the Obama administration is working to gather more information on the reports of the sarin gas use, and now the UN is doing further investigation.  So how is the U.S. involved with what's happening in Syria anyways? We first got involved by offering food and medicine to the country.  Obama has also signed off on non-lethal aid to the country and those supplies include body armor, night-vision goggles, and other military equipment.  Just last week there were 200 U.S. troops sent to Jordan.  NATO has also stated that there will be no military intervention is the U.S. decides to get involved.  There are a number of different options that the military has for the Syria situation. These included targeting the Syrian aircrafts, airstrikes, and ground troops.
But what do politicians say about getting involved?  Senator John McCain of Arizona is really pushing at finding a strategy to secure all of Syria's chemical weapons if their government were to fall.  Though he is quick to secure the weapons, he states that the U.S. still needs to take caution if they plan on sending troops to the country of conflict, because that could lead to the Syrians resentment of the "aid." This video is a small clip of McCain's interview and it also leads to other videos with his discussion.

     Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

My thoughts on U.S. involvement? I agree with the no-fly zone that have been brought up.  It stops troops from being on the ground and ensures that Syria won't use any type of air defenses on the rebels.  It also prevents the Syrian nation from being upset with the United States for getting too involved.  I also agree with McCain saying that if the government is overturned the U.S. should go in and secure the chemical weapons that way no one else is using them. However, President Obama did state that if chemical weapons were used it would be a "red line for us" to take action and move in.  Ultimately, the decision is up to our government leaders, but a decision needs to be made quickly to prevent any other chemical, or even biological, weapons from being used.


Posted by: Kara Rivas

Make Earth Day an Everyday Thing!

             

              Our planet Earth is our home, we use all its resources available as well as pollute it with trash and waste. Why let our planet be abducted by waste products and infect the air we breathe in? I know for a fact that I don’t want to breathe in air that can get me sick or infected with a disease. People don’t look into consideration how bad the planet can get if we don’t do our part and take care of it. Does it take something tragic to happen to the environment for people to open their eyes are realize that they need to start taking things more serious about the environment. This brings us to the topic as to why not make every day Earth day.  

                Earth day is a day intended to inspire appreciation of our Earth’s natural environment. But why only celebrate Earth Day on April 22? The main reason behind it is because Arbor Day is celebrated on this day. Arbor Day was created by J. Sterling Morton a Nebraska Pioneer because he planted trees in what was a dusty and treeless prairie. He made this a big event and told people to plant as many trees as they can and prizes would be handed out to those who planted the most. The reason behind it being on the 22^nd was because it was J. Sterling Morton’s birthday and Nebraska felt it seemed natural to have it on this day.  In this article it goes into more depth about why it is celebrated on this day. 

                What is done on Earth Day? On Earth day people plant trees, commute to work by bicycle or walk, pick up trash around the neighborhoods and towns, unplug any electrical device that you are not using, replace light bulbs that save energy, and carry around reusable water bottles.  Basically they are trying to be more earth friendly and take care of the environment for one day only.  Why does it take one day out of the whole year to make people realize how important the environment is?

                In my opinion I feel people need to take this day more serious and make it an everyday lifestyle. If our environment starts to go downhill things can get out of hand. It can possibly lead to a bunch of chaos, riots, wars, and just overall people going crazy not knowing what to do. So where does it all start?

It can start with parents teaching their kids about how to be earth friendly and why it is important for the environment. They can start off by telling their kids to turn the water off when they brush their teeth. This can save about 8 gallons of water. Parents need to explain to their children how important saving water is, especially if we ever hit a drought. When I was younger I was not aware or ever told to turn the water off when I brush my teeth and now I do it every time because I know what the purpose behind it is.           

                I believe if children can see their parents doing the little things like unplugging electrical devices when not in use or turning the lights off in the bedroom. It will be a trend that the kids will follow and as they grow older these little things they have done to become earth friendly would just be habit.

                Make a difference and help keep the environment clean. It doesn't take one person to make the planet clean but the whole population. Try and start a trend to being more earthly friendly, don’t use Earth day as the only day to make an excuse. Be that person to make a difference for your planet. Go Green!

Earthquake in Iran

Last week on Monday there was a terrible act of "terrorism" at the Boston Monday Marathon that killed and injured Americans. Immediately social medias were on overloaded with with pictures and a phrases which is now known around the nation as "Pray for Boston." The catastrophe that took place that Monday shocked most of the nation and gave them a little taste of what we experienced back in 911, our fellow Americans every where were once again reunited once again due to an act of "terrorism." News stations all over t.v. were spreading the little information that was known at the time. The events of that day will forever be stitched in the memory of those who knew people effected by the bombings and the nation seemed to be standing together in another unfortunate tragedy. I for one will grieve for my lost and hurt Americans however I do not favor all the images and videos posted that day.

I deeply believe that they way the media went about informing the nation on what happened that Monday morning is to control the masses. For the next weeks people will watch and repress the Boston incident. They will co-create a reality of fear and anger. If we change the way we think collectively, and repress the right kind of stimuli we can bring change. Not by dwelling and facing a false reality, I chose to be indifferent by no means "turning a blind eye" but to focus on strictly facts not to be easily persuaded on who to blame. Think about how many people are social networking "Pray for Boston" when they genuinely don't care, many posting this like if they are really at home praying or won't give you a straight answer when you ask them about religion. Thousands of people die everyday to countless different things, but you dont see people posting or saying "pray" for them because you weren't told to care.

This is why I blog this, the day after the Boston bombing there was a huge natural disaster in Iran, and earthquake that almost wiped out Pakistan. I understand that the Boston bombing hits home but no matter where another person calls home all lives are equal regardless of way they go. So along with my blog I post an article that talks about what happened in Iran. And to all that have past from a bombing or a natural disaster I say rest in peace.


Posted by Ivan Benitez

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/18/iran-earthquake-2013-pakistan-mashkel-destroyed_n_3112074.html

Ban Fake Pot

            Do you believe “fake pot” should be banned? If you don’t know your answer yet maybe after reading my blog you will come to the conclusion weather fake pot should be banned or not.

            Throughout the years a variety of “fake pot” has been distributed to the store shelves and Tabaco stores. The types of synthetic pot are Primo, Killa Gorilla, Killa Skunk, Brain-Freeze which used to be known as K9 and Spice. What effects does this fake pot cause? The most common ones are vomiting, anxiety, hallucinations, seizures, high blood pressure and loss of consciousness.

            The Justice Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have said these fake substances have sent many people to the emergency rooms or the poison control centers.  In this article it states how a teen nearly escapes death after using synthetic marijuana. They had to remove her breathing tube and stop all medication and nourishments so they could add morphine into her body. Family waited hours until the next day she was still alive and able to speak. These types of fake pot can take a big toll on the human body and nearly kill you if not taking to the hospital right away. There are several other articles about people who nearly survived after consuming so much fake marijuana. In the next paragraph I talk about a video and in that video there is an actual survivor talking about his experience he went through using fake pot and how he will never use it again and encourages others to not use it as well. 

            In Houston Texas, all “fake pot” was banned from all stores a year ago. A new “fake pot” has come out with the same substances in them as the old fake pot but the names have just changed. They are now being sold in stores in Houston Texas.  Why is it? If they banned it a year ago why all of a sudden did they put it back on the shelves? In this video it states that since they came out with new synthetic pot they don’t have an exact clue as to what is bad in it because the compound names have changed. Many police officers came to testify for the bill but one officer said it’s tough to regulate it because they don’t know what is or isn’t on the banned substance list. Texas is one of 23 states who are trying to ban this synthetic substance but they say it will take the backing of the federal government.

            In my opinion after reading a variety of articles about fake pot I am totally for banning the substance completely in every state possible all around the world. But the reason fake pot is going around so much is because it is legal compared to the real marijuana which is only legal in some places like Colorado. There has been no research as to anyone dying from using marijuana, that’s why I believe they should just legalize marijuana and get rid of the fake pot. Fake pot has a bigger and greater effect of killing you than does the real marijuana. In this article it states 10 Facts about marijuana that I found very interesting. It talks about how it doesn’t cause cancer and states numbers as to how many people die per year when using tabaco, alcohol, drug overdose (prescription), drug overdose (illegal), and marijuana. The Law should state that anyone over the age of 21 can consume marijuana but not go into any school related, church related, or work related function high. They should make some type of boundaries when legalizing marijuana and I feel some people would respect it. It then would remove all the fake pot from all the shelves all over the world. Yes legalizing real pot is a controversial topic and can go either way but if it takes helping out children between the ages 12-25 from going to the hospital and nearly escaping death because of consuming fake pot then the government should take a closer look into it. How do you all feel about banning fake pot by legalizing real pot?

What Do We Really Care About?

I ran across an interesting CNN interview today with 2009 top 10 CNN Hero and former bartender Doc Hendley about his efforts in enabling impoverished people all over the world to enjoy the pleasure of having clean water. When the interviewer asked Hendley what people should know about the global water crisis, he mentioned how a lot of people had questioned the need for his organization, Wine to Water, since they hadn’t heard as much about the water crisis as they had about other charity cases. Hendley answered with, “here in the West, we help support things that we can empathize with,” meaning Americans have such an overabundance of clean water that many cannot fathom the thought of a fresh water shortage. On the contrary, cancer is a subject we’re all more familiar with and can relate to one way or another, consequently pulling in millions of dollars a year for research.

                http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/21/world/cnnheroes-hendley-water/index.html?hpt=wo_t4

   

No longer focused on the mission statement of his organization and the fight for clean water, I began to wonder what exactly pulls at our heartstrings, here in the West. I thought about a couple of issues that are prevalent in our nation like cancer and gay marriage. In regards to cancer I thought about the concern some people have about the “overemphasis” of breast cancer support. They believe it may be, indirectly, leading to the death of many people who are suffering from other cancers that receive less support, like prostate cancer, for the simple fact that breast cancer is more popular.

I wonder if the difference in breast cancer funding is due to the amount of empathy the average person feels when they hear “breast cancer.” Women alone cringe at the thought of losing a piece of what makes them a woman. Whether it is men or women, the word “breast” is universally known. It sparks visuals in men’s minds and a feeling of sexuality in women worldwide. Personally, when I hear “breast cancer,” I think of the close aunt I lost a child. It was the first death of a family member I experienced and it brought a lot of sadness to my family; family gatherings I cherished so much weren’t ever the same afterwards.

 

Regarding gay marriage, Hendley’s comment made me think of the fight for equal rights that always seems to follow that subject. For instance, some advocates of gay marriage use the angle of everyone being able to love whoever they like and should have the right to express their love just like the next person. I believe this approach is effective because it appeals to people’s heart. Love is a touchy subject for most people; especially in regards to that special person you choose to spend the rest of your life with. Thusly, by affecting emotions, gay activists are able to have more people understand their views and support their cause, for love’s sake.

                                                               http://winetowater.org

So what is it that we care the most about? Love? Money? Helping others? Hendley mentions how he has questioned risking his life by visiting the dangerous country of Syria to deliver water filters. Even with the risk of leaving a wife and two children behind, he recalls the feeling he gets at the sight of Syrian families getting clean water for possibly the first time and his decision is affirmed.

North Korea's Nuke Threats

http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/03/world/asia/south-koreans-opinion-nuclear-test/index.html?iid=article_sidebar

There has been a lot of news about the nuclear threats our country has received from North Korea, headed by leader Kim Jong Un in their capitol of Pyongyang. Due to recent sanctions put on North Korea by the United Nations to regulate their nuclear weapon manufacturing, the North Korean government has become more belligerent towards the United States, with their officials releasing statements such as, "[The United States] is set to light a fuse for a nuclear war," which was spoken by a North Korean foreign ministry spokesman. Such statements cannot be taken lightly considering the immense amount of danger lying behind them. Referencing back to my group's presentation in class over nuclear weapons, the destruction caused by a nuclear attack is enough to kill and seriously injure millions of people.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/07/world/asia/un-north-korea-sanctions/index.html

I'm sure our government officials have a lot on their plates and must be decisive when choosing what is more important when steering their efforts, but if I were in office, these nuclear threats would definitely be on the top of the "important" list. And in fact, the US government has, indeed, heeded the threats and taken action to strengthen our nuclear defense by employing more missile interceptors and reactivating Missile Field 1, which was mothballed (decommissioned) in 2011. Both actions are to be supported under a budget totaling about $1 billion, according to Pentagon officials. There are also doubts about whether or not North Korea even has the ability to attack the US with a nuclear weapon due to their primitive technology and lack of uranium enrichment knowledge, even though both of those categories are continuing to rise. The price and said doubts might cause you to question the true necessity for such a large investment in missile defense, but Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel believes action is imperative "to not take any chances...to stay ahead of the threat and to assure any contingency." I agree with Washington's reasoning, most of them seeming to be in accordance with missile defense advancement, I believe it is incredibly important that we make sure that in the event a nuclear weapon would be discharged towards our country that we would have the necessary tools to impede it.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/07/world/asia/un-north-korea-sanctions/index.html

However, the threats we have been receiving are relatively new in comparison to another country that has seemed to have always been under North Korea's radar. South Korea has also been issued nuke threats from Pyongyang, but they are not as concerned as we are. Perhaps 30 years ago, nuclear threats from North Korea to South Korea would cause concern and preemptive measures, but in today's day and age South Koreans are well used to the threats from their northern neighbors who like to refer to them as a "group of puppet traitors." Researchers and inhabitants of South Korea explain their reasoning as adaptation, if you will. South Koreans have grown to accept national threats from North Korea as a way of life and are far more focused on domestic affairs such as jobs and their economy.

To be in a situation in which my country's well-being is a secondary concern to the majority of its citizens seems to be very odd and counterintuitive position, but simultaneously, it is understandable. Many South Koreans cannot afford to trouble themselves day after day with every new threat placed on them by North Korea. However, as for my country, we are not accustomed to such threats and I am perfectly okay with taking any preemptive measures necessary to protect our nation, especially with Kim Jong Un's increasing bellicose. It is a heavy situation to be in, we could be on the brink of a nuclear war, but I believe with the right actions taken and the right decisions made by our leaders, we will be just fine.

The Korean War: Is It Really Over?

The Korean War.  CNN quotes it as "the war that never really ended."  It shaped the country and changed history.  At the end of World War II, the Allies agreed to give Korea independence from Japan.  The United States and the Soviet Union divided Korea along the 38th parallel; the two sides were complete opposites.  Kim II-Sung was the communist guerrilla leader in the North and in 1948 Rhee Syng-Man, an anti-communist, was elected as the first president of the Republic of Korea (the South).  Obvious tensions rose between the two sides which led to tensions between their respective allies.

On June 25, 1950, North Korean soldiers crossed the 38th parallel, and overcame the South Korean soldiers who were not expecting them.  The U.S. quickly came to defend South Korea.  When Korean, U.S. and U.N. forces fought to defend South Korea, China went to help North Korea.  The fighting finally ended in 1953 when the two sides signed an armistice agreement, a truce not a peace treaty.  The armistice entailed the Demilitarized Zone to be built; a 155 mile long and 2.5 mile wide line that separates the two countries.  The war caused 1.2 million deaths in South Korea and 1 million in North Korea, along with 36,500 death for U.S. soldiers and 600,000 for the Chinese.
There have been some positive situations between North and South Korea, like the family reunions (separated by war) that took place in 2000, and the trains being able to cross borders in 2007.  But more recently North Korea attacked Yeonpyeong, a South Korean island, killing two marines and two civilians.  With North Korea's nuclear testing the South Korean government has said that it is "an unforgivable threat to the Korean peninsula's peace and safety."  Recently, North Korea has threaten to break the armistice.  In 2009, North Korea stated that since South Korea was joining a U.S. led anti-proliferation plan, their military would no longer have to abide by the agreement.  A news agency in North Korea even said they may have "no option" but to stop honoring the armistice due to the United States "persistent war moves."  North Korea continues their nuclear testing, despite the U.N.'s updated regulations on the matter.
If North Korea were to drop the armistice with South Korea, possible war could break out.  The United States would be at stake because North Korea has had their number of problems with them, but also the rest of the world.  If North Korea were to use nuclear weapons, populations, ecosystems and economies would be destroyed in South Korea and where ever else the nuclear weapons would land.  I feel that maybe the U.S. should back out of South Korea, just a little bit, in order for the armistice to still stand.  I know the feeling of protection that South Korea gets with the United States being involved, but if we took some of the troops away and wouldn't be so involved in their affairs, maybe North Korea wouldn't feel so threatened by us.  Then again, maybe North Korea wants us to back off so they can invade again.  It is a situation for the United Nations to keep and eye on, and a situation that won't easily slip by.


Sources:
http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/07/world/asia/korean-war-explainer/index.html?iid=article_sidebar
http://www.history.com/topics/korean-war
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/09/us-korea-north-ban-idUSBRE92807Y20130309


By: Kara Rivas

Solar Storms on the Rise for 2013

Is the sun getting hotter or closer or both? For the past several years people including myself have said the sun is getting hotter. Every summer I think it gets hotter and hotter. According to studies they say the sun is getting hotter and it has nothing to do with global warming but from the greenhouse effect. The sun goes through a cycle and this is the year that the cycle has reached its peak and has been said solar flares are coming our way. In this article I read, NASA spokeswomen said, “It has grown to over six Earth diameters across, but its full extent is hard to judge since the spot lies on a sphere, not a flat disk.”  This clearly means that anything can possibly happen within the next couple of years. Should we be worried about it? I believe we should be worried about it because being hit by a solar flare can cause some serious damage. It especially can corrupt our electrical equipment which includes cell phones, computers, electricity, and electrical grids. How would the world survive without all the electrical needs? It would be very difficult considering we basically live off of electrical equipment. What is your opinion on solar flares?

Hugo Chavez

Earlier this week Venezuela lost one of its most influencial president of its time. Hugo Rafael Chavez Frias was pronounced dead due to an prolonging battle to cancer for the past two years. He is known for bring up Venezuelan's living standards and prioritising the country's own means of power, and criticizing American policies. He was very much influenced in his way of leading Venezuelians by a man who also fought for independence and is his great romodel Simon Bolivar. Here I found a few articles that give a brief summary of Hugo Chavez and how he lead Venezuela and another that sheds light on his death.

• http://bit.ly/XLah1t
• http://abcn.ws/WNgSWX

By. Ivan Benitez

Molly: It's More Than A Name

I'm sure most people in our class can remember the "Molly as in the drug" reference I made in class. First off I am not a supporter of this drug, or anything illegal in that sense, but this drug has become popular with teens and in school with the influence of hip hop.  Although we didn't discuss this matter in class, I felt like it would be an interesting topic to cover.

Let's begin with what "Molly" is exactly.  Molly is the powder or crystal form of MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxy-N-methamphetamine) which is the chemical used in the drug Ecstasy.  Molly is a more potent form of the Ecstasy drug.  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration give a great description of MDMA, its drug class, uses, it's potency, effects, and other chemically related details.  There is currently no legitimate medical use in the United States for the MDMA drug, so it is being used recreational for a party/dance drug due to its hallucinogenic properties.  The effects of this drug include mild intoxication,  relaxation, and increase in emotional and physical energy, dilated pupils, dry mouth, and sweating.  The MDMA drug was synthesized by accident in 1912 by a German pharmaceutical company called Merck.  It was tested in the 1950s by the U.S. Government as a truth serum, but was discarded.  It became a popular drug in the "streets" around the 1980s and was deemed illegal in 1985. Unfortunately, this drug is being seen more and more with teenagers these days.  MTV has even caught notice of this drug's rising popularity in hip-hop music.  Over the years drugs have been a popular topic in rap songs. It started with crack/cocaine in the 1980s, moved to marijuana in the 1990s, and in the 2000s it switched to a cough syrup mixture. Molly is now the next big thing.  Popular rappers such as Kanye West, Juicy J, and Rick Ross have said it in a song or two, and an up-and-coming rapper, Trinidad James has a popular lyric "pop a Molly, I'm sweatin'" in his new single.  He's been quoted "All the people are like 'I don't know what it is, but every time I hear the song, I just wanna do it.' That's a terrible excuse, but go 'head, get high, go 'head. Blame Trinindad, blame it on me." That is being said from an artist that teenagers are listening to and taking after.  "Molly" is becoming a huge problem in schools and Kare11 news team, a local NBC news, has done a story on it that gives a pretty good explanation on the drug and what parents could do about it (just click the link).
A question that you might have asked yourself by now is "What does this have to do with global issues?" The answer is the constant drug smuggling happening across United States borders and other borders. In 2007 there were over 70 known ecstasy laboratories in 8 different countries: Australia, Indonesia, Canada, USA, Holland, France, Mexico, and Spain.  The United Nations office on Drugs and Crime has estimate the the global ecstasy market is worth $16 billion dollars.  Although that is a lower figure than marijuana and cocaine, it is still a problem that we are having to deal with.  Drug smuggling isn't just something we have to deal with in the United States, it is a global issue that many other countries have to deal with and it often leads to bigger problems.  Molly is a drug that effects brain cells greatly and that can happen when used even just once.

Again, I do not support the use of illegal drugs, but there might be ways to prevent them with the younger generation. I suggest that parents start talking to their children. Have open conversations about "Molly" and other drugs that are damaging to health.  The fact that rap music is making the drug seem "cool" isn't helping the cause either.  Parents don't have to be strict about what their child is listening to, but making sure the child understand what can happen when using that drug is something parents can do easily.  I feel that the more a child is able to open up to their parent, the more they are willing to listen.  If we can stop this drug use with high school students, where it is being targeted, we can slow down the drug smuggling business.  Education is crucial when it comes to situations like this.  Maybe popular media can begin to focus on something with positive side effects, instead of something that can end in such a terrible outcome.



Other sources:
http://www.thesite.org/drinkanddrugs/drugculture/drugorigins/ecstasy
http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/16/health/molly-mdma-drug/index.html

By: Kara Rivas

The Scoop on Triclosan

Due to the amount of curiosity spurred about the antimicrobial agent that was mentioned in discussion on Tuesday, I decided to do some research on triclosan and share its relevance to us. Having a relatively surface understanding of triclosan myself, I contacted a colleague, Beth Fawcett, who has done extensive research on the drug and who I knew would lead me in the right direction. Beth directed me towards a very useful article entitled The Ubiquitous Triclosan, A common antimicrobial agent exposed, written by Aviva Glaser, that explains triclosan in great detail. From that article and a few others, I gathered a bit more information about the drug that tends to be related to many long term health defects.

2,4,4’-Trichloro-2’-hydroxydiphenyl ether

So what is triclosan? Quite simply it's a disinfectant used in various consumer products including Dial liquid soap, Colgate Total toothpaste, Garden Botanika cosmetics, Playskool toys for children, Dickies socks, and Gillette shaving products. Due to its potent ability to inhibit bacterial reproduction by targeting a specific bacteria-protein carrying enzyme, triclosan and other antimicrobial agents have been shown to prevent hospital-acquired infections when used under appropriate conditions1. However, when it comes to household efficiency, these agents prove to be less than necessary; when tested in over 200 homes, antimicrobial agents showed no effect on reducing the risk of experiencing symptoms of harmful diseases2. There have been cases reported in which skin irritations appeared after triclosan exposure, leading to dermatology studies. In such research, triclosan is tested for the ability to cause skin irritations like photoallergic contact dermatitis, which causes eczematous rashes on the neck, face, and back of hands upon contact with sunlight. Long term exposure of triclosan was tested on mice, common animals chosen for biological research in place of human subjects, which showed that triclosan eventually lowers body temperature and leads to a depressant effect on the central nervous system3. The everlasting debate about the risks of triclosan has led to even further research at the University of Colorado and the University of California that has linked triclosan to the deterioration of muscle function, including the heart, when tested on mice.

So considering the small amount of good triclosan can do and the large amount of bad suspected of it, I would steer clear. Isn't it better to be safe than sorry anyway?


1Levy, S. B. 2002. Antimicrobial Consumer Products. Archives of Dermatology 138:1087-1088.
2Larson, E. L., S. X. Lin, C. Gomez-Pichardo, and P. Della-La�a. 2004. Effect of anti-bacterial home cleaning and handwashing products on infectious disease symptoms: a randomized, double-blind trial. Annals of Internal Medicine 140:321-329

3Miller, T.L., Lorusso D. J., Walsh M. L., and M. L. Deinzer. 1983. The acute toxicity of penta-, hexa-, and heptachlorohydroxydiphenyl ethers in mice. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health 12 (2-3):245-53. 

Migration is Crucial

Its great knowing every day we can buy products that are being manufactured in other countries. But do we realize how these products are produced, shipped, packed? Some people including myself don’t think about how these products were done or what it took to make them, we just buy them. Yes we read the tags and they may say “Made in China” or “Made in Japan,” but do we honestly think about it? This brings up the question as to “Why migration and migrant workers are important.”

Migration has evolved greatly throughout the centuries. International migration has a big part in our society and where we live. This is because migrants travel in big groups. It all comes down to how many people travel away and how many people they lose. Migrants tend to leave places because of wars, rise and fall of empires, economic expansion, political changes, and a few other reasons.

Comparing the past to the present migration has had a drastic increase. Migrants are starting to travel all over the world especially to Asia and China because those countries are on the rise. When migrants travel it hurts the other countries because they are losing out on workers who help produce and sell their products.

One major issue that happened in the past was women were not allowed to migrate like the males. The women's duties were to take care of the children and be house wives. This affected the women because the income their husbands brought in was barely enough for them to live off of. Finally when women were allowed to work they were given the worse possible jobs ever. Being a female was a down fall because men were always given the upper hand with the best jobs. Women Migrant Workers usually had poor living conditions and were forced into sexual slavery. That article was something I found really interesting.

Overall migration is going to be a very important aspect in the world and I believe the rich will get richer and the poor will get richer.