Can People Actually Own Virtual Land?

With the world of video games becoming more and more real and intuitive with each passing month will there ever be a time when people live vicariously through their avatars? Sadly, that day has already come for some. With such games as World of Warcraft, individuals are rejecting the real reality of life for a fantasy land of excitement and adventure. Creating avatars, or virtual identities, to live out their most wild fantasies and feel empowered in a somewhat mediocre life. With people more involved with life on-line than in society, how will these individuals continue to fend for themselves. Sure a utopian world of fantasy and exotic creatures is nice, but when is it time to grow up and face the real world and battle the demons of everyday life?

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/05/10/virtual.property.second.life/index.html

Spain's 'Coast of Death' Bears Evidence of Oil Spill 8 Years Later

With evidence of Spain's horrific oil-spill for eight years ago only brings to question the lasting harm of the current oil spill that is occurring today. Citizens from Spain explain how terrible an oil spill is on the land and animals of surrounding regions. "We couldn't come out here," he said, pointing at the beach. "It was all full of black sludge. Black, black, black. Wherever you put your feet, you had to wear boots and protection." is the reaction of a Spaniard trying to clean up the mess of the oil-spill eight years ago. By comparison that oil-spill is minuscule in comparison to the one happening today which only makes one think, "How long will this take to fix?"and how much will it cost?

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/05/09/spain.black.tide/index.html?iref=allsearch

A Summer Job Drought for Youth

With increased unemployment comes decreased opportunity for teenagers to find jobs this summer. Since 2000, teenagers have gone from an employment rate of about 60% to a rate of 47%. This statistic is based on the number of individuals age 16-24 years old. This summer is expected to be even worse. Even minimum wage jobs may be hard for teenagers to seek out with such staggering unemployment numbers. It is encourages for young individuals to apply to as many locations as possible to increase their chance of seeking a job before the summer months come to burn even more holes into their pocketbooks.

http://money.cnn.com/2010/05/06/news/economy/summer_jobs/index.htm?cnn=yes

Volcanic Ash Cloud Disrupts Flights

As the Icelandic ash continues to trap the sky in a blackened fog, airplanes must stay on the ground. The eruption is has been interfering with air-traffic for over a week now with hundred of European flights being cancelled, or at best, heavily delayed. Passangers are strongly recommended to check their flight status prior to heading off to the airport to reduce frustration of this natural incident. The ash cloud is slowly dissipating and a return to normal flight patterns should return shortly. However, until then, the ones so dependent of airplane travel will have to stay low this coming week and hopefully return home soon.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/05/10/volcanic.ash.flights.europe/index.html

Barbara Walters to Undergo Heart Surgery

Barbara Walters will undergo heart surgery this Monday to replace a faulty heart valve. "I have known of this condition for a while now, and my doctors and I have decided this is the best time to do the surgery," says 80 year old Walters. The surgery is fairly routine however the recovery may take some time for an individual of her age. We all hope the best Barbara in her medical endeavor and that she will return to entertain us all with her insightful wisdom and bright personality on television.

http://marquee.blogs.cnn.com/2010/05/10/barbara-walters-to-undergo-heart-surgery/

Dealing With Loneliness

As said in a popular song, "one is the loneliest number". America is filled with people that undergo the pangs of loneliness, even if the do not live alone. Suffers of chronic loneliness can feel lonely even when surrounded by groups of friends or family. It isn't the shear number of individuals that stops these people from feeling lonely, but rather a lack of understanding or relation to these people. It is hard for these suffering individuals to strip themselves from their somber skin and recognize the people that care for them. Researchers are looking for ways for chronics loners to find purpose in relationships. But until then, whether it be one or one hundred, these people feel the fear of being alone.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/05/06/loneliness.depression/index.html

Jobs Blog

Issue 3) Putting Welfare to Work

With Unemployment rates sky rocketing

, more and more Americans are struggling to make ends meet. In order to maintai

n a stable living situation many people resort to Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) as assistance to providing for their families. Welfare is an increasing necessity and many people still struggling with financial situations. The highest number of people in deep poverty was reported in 2005, meaning that our nation has to figure out a welfare system that will enable people to have a source of income while seeking a job.

Like Bill Clinton, the Obama Administration has tried attempts at a reform to poverty stricken people. Universal healthcare provides healthcare to people that could otherwise not afford it and new referendums for welfare have been put into place. Hopefully welfare is an issue that will be adjusted and new forms aid will be administered to create new flow of work to the poverty suffering population. Creating a much stronger nation with a positive future to come.

Issue 1) All Things Being Unequal (Jill Kvilhaug)

Issue 2) Boosting the Minimum (Molly Simonson)

Best Restaurants

S. Pellegrino's annual "World's 50 Best Restaurants" list was released on Monday at a celebrity-chef-studded event in London, England. The event marks the best restaurants all around the world. Noma in Copenhagen, Denmark apparently takes the cake as the best restaurant in the world but Spain wins in the shear quantity of it's number of restaurants on the top ten list of the "World's 50 Best Restaurants". The United States doesn't even hit the list until number 7 for the famous restaurant in Chicago, Alinea. However, Noma reigns supreme as the new greatest establishment after dethroning El Bulli in Spain, the first place winner for four consecutive years.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/04/27/fifty.best.restaurants/index.html

Laser Energy

Scientists in Livermore, California are trying to create a star out of a highly powerful laser beam. The laser spans the length of three football fields and the energy to create the star travels approximately one mile before it is turned into the star. The energy of the star is increased a quadrillion times before it exits in its star form (that's a one with fifteen zeros). The reason for creating an earth-made star is to rid of the current energy crisis. If the energy from the star is harnessed.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/science/04/28/laser.fusion.nif/index.html?hpt=C2

Healthy Movie Treats

A switch to healthier fare at the movie theaters may be something around the corner for movie goers. You will no longer have to sneak in a healthy treat in order to be given the option. In a recent speech at ShoWest -- the country's largest tradeshow for the movie theater industry -- Sony Pictures Entertainment Chief Executive Michael Lynton called upon concessionaires to supplement classic, soda, candy and popcorn options with more healthy options like fruit, granola, yogurt and vegetables with dip. It's "the right thing to do for our industry, for audiences and for our country," said Lynton.

H1N1 Still Alive

Although H1N1 Hasn't been talked about as much in the recent months, it is still alive, especially in the southeast. Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina have reported a regional flu activity. While eight other states in the south and midwest regions of the nation have reported a local flu activity. The outbreaks have begun to elscalte, returning to the conditions they were once at in October. It is important to stay healthy and avoid contact with un sanitized surfaces. Washing hands periodically is paramount to the success in avoiding the disease. H1N1 can attack even the healthiest of people so it is crucial to remain aware of this sickness and repect how serious it is.



http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/03/29/cdc.flu/index.html

Healthcare Plan

It is official, President Obama has signed the Healthcare Bill. This bill is the biggest change in our nations healthcare plan in the past four decades. Obama and Democrats celebrate the bill, but there maybe underlined problems. John Stossel used and example of comparing healthcare to grocceries, if you wern't paying attention to the price of the food that you are buying then you wouldn't take consideration the prices or sales of those foods. Same goes for healthcare, if people are granted healthcare they are unlikely to "shop around" for cheaper physisians. There is no urgency for competition. Another logical solution to the healthcare debate would be a Health Savings Account (HSA), an account the takes 2% from an individual's pay to cover medical expenses. This forces hospitals and healthcare services to be competitive with pricing, similar to the competitive prices in Lasik surgery. However not all of the healthcare bill is bad. Individuals are less likely to rush to the emergency room for small issues. The price of a physician is within reach for everyone and frivilous expendetures to the E-R will be reduced dramatically. Just like every other bill passed, healthcare has its pros and cons. Overall the benefical good for our nation seems to be overwhemling. Hopefully America doesn't get too much of a good thing.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/03/23/health.care.main/index.html

Too Much Help For Haiti?

Dollars, aid and volunteers all being sent to Haiti. America has their country's need for help in mind, but could that help be hurting them?

Haiti is affraid to lose their independence. With millions of dollars being sent to this impoverished country the help is somewhat overwhelming. Haiti's history is a formation of slaves that revolted against their masters during the 19th century. The spirit of independece is still fresh in the blood of Haitian people and the fear of losing that independence sends tension between societies. Haiti is becoming somewhat reliant on other countries to serve as a crutch to their economic system. If we don't let this nation walk on its own two feet it maybe possible that they will never develop into a stable nation. It is a vicious cycle for poor country struck by a natural disaster. There needs to be balance between help and letting Haiti take pride in their independence.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/03/12/recovery.dangers.haiti/index.html

Coffee Shop Politics

People all over the country are in a buzz about a political group created on Facebook. Over 100,000 people across the nation gather in local coffee shops to discuss politics, individuals span across every ethnicity and religion. It is meant to be an open minded group that doesn't discriminate other's views on our nation, but rather embraces the many ideas and solutions that they may offer. Designed to be approachable, even to people who have never been interested in politics, the "Coffee Party" is a great way to learn about the people in your community, as well as learning about our country.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/03/12/coffee.party.people/index.html

J.K. Rowling Accused of Plagiarism Again

Once again author of the renowned Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling, is accused for plagiarism. On a law suit of about one-billion dollars, Paul Allen is attempting to settle credit on behalf of Adrian Jacob's estate. Adrian Jacobs is the author of, "The Adventures of Willy the Wizard" and died in 1997. Sir Allen believes that Rowling stole subjects from Adrain Jacobs and attempted to interject them into her story, "Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire", the fourth installment of her series which came out July 2000. Rowling believes that she is falsely accused and has never read any of the books written by Adrain Jacobs. Rowling is sad to think that people think that she is not creative, and has to rely on the works of other writers to draw inspiration. Hopefully this is just another law suit that will be settled peacefully and all will soon be forgotten.

http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,1964964,00.html

Does Obesity Rehab for Kids Work?

With adolescent obesity on the rise, many parents have taken steps to prevent or reverse the health concerns of their children. Whether by seeking dietary guidance by a health professional or entering them into health programs such as Wellspring Academy in southern California. Owner Ryan Craig, opened the academy in 2004, it was the only residential obesity-treatment center of its kind. Craig was shocked by the staggering rates of obesity in the US and found it as an opportunity to make a change in the health of the nation. Along with typical academic courses, the academy provides therapy and physical involvement courses, guiding students into a healthier, happier lifestyle. The school's weight-loss program was designed by Northwestern University Medical Center professor Daniel Kirschenbaum.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1966466,00.html

Killer Salmon

The FDA has discovered a virus outbreak in Chilean salmon. There is no information that this salmon is dangerous, and no one who consumes this salmon should be harmed. Thity percent of America's salmon is impoted from Chile, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The outbreak has been covered for approximately two years, salmon from Chile have been injected with chemicals and hormones not approved by the FDA. If distrust in fish farming continues, consumers will eventually catch on and make a switch to wild salmon. Even though there is no evidence of health concerns in farmed salmon, it is safer to stick to wild salmon. Along with an ease of mind, wild salmon is found to carry more omega-3's than farm raised, which is greatly benefical for the consumer's heart health.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/02/18/salmon.disease/index.html

“War Dollars”

National war expenditures have gotten out of control. In the proposed budget for 2011, national defense leads the pact at a heafty $738billion. America's national debt has become an immense burden to this nation's future. With money flying out the door at supersonic speeds, it will be difficult to pull back on this superfluous spending. During the Bush administation, an entitlement to war spending was created by our nation's going to war. However, a gradual decrease in defense budgeting should be created in order to decrease the debt of America.

No other country even comes close to spending as much money in defense spending as America does. In 2008, America spent $711billion dollars in defense spending, the number one country for defense spending. In fact a whompping 48% of the entire world defense spending was made by The United States. National Defense Spending in an budget that needs to be drastically altered.

ISSUE#2 http://jill7blog.blogspot.com/- Spernding too much/Our nation's defecit

ISSUE #3 http://molly-currenteventsblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/social-insecurity.html - Social Insecurity

Bill Clinton Returns to Haiti Relief

It has been a month since the earthquakes of Haiti, but that does not mean that the citizens of Haiti are no longer seeking assisstance. Former president Bill Clinton has made it an effort to make regula trips to Haiti in order to supply relief supplies to this devastated country. Clinton has encouraged the U.N. to the on-going and pertinent issues of Haiti, and has ensured that the U.N. headquarters in New York City will continue to help earthquake vivtims for weeks and months to come. The earthquakes in Haiti have been one of the largest natural disasters, and it is refreshing to see how people from all around the world can set aside some time and money to aid this poor nation.


http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/02/05/haiti.bill.clinton/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

Internet Freedom

Hilary Clinton spoke today of internet rights and the obligations that information networks have to ensure the security of its users. She first spoke of the situation between Google and China that is currently taking place, where Google is denying China service to to their nations censoring laws. Clinton says that this issue raises "very serious concerns" and will be an issue that will be addressed by the State Department. She also raised the issue of security online, with online banking becoming more popualr all the time it is vital that these websites ensure secure data accessibility. Internet freedom and security are issues that will become even more apparent with forth coming technologies. With talk of PDAs becoming the new form of virtual payment, the controversy of internet security is an issue that must be taken in to account.







http://edition.cnn.com/2010/TECH/01/21/clinton.internet/index.html?eref=edition