January 2010

  • Iran Accuses U.S. and Israel of Killing an Iranian Nuclear Scientist

    By ecoscott on 1/18/10 5:55pm
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    Iran's Government has accused the U.S. and Israel of killing an Iranian Scientist.Iran's Government has accused the U.S. and Israel of killing an Iranian Scientist.Iran has just vowed revenge on the U.S. and Israel for the killing of a scientist.

    That word! My first inkling was to write about how this reinforces the way that Iran looks at the world- that everyone is out to get them and that the way to respond to any slight, be it to their nuclear program or to someone educated from their country, by vowing violence… but then I thought about how many different countries do the same thing. The U.S. does stuff like this all the time and we just call it defending ourselves- doing what we have to do.

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  • Celebrating Dr. King

    By sarajean on 1/18/10 10:59am
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    With the kiddos at home today, you might be wondering what to do with them so soon after holiday break. Sure, you could let them sit in their PJs and watch cartoons or play video games, but what’s the fun in that? Instead of another boring day off school, why not make it a fun day by celebrating the reason they’re off—Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

    Sometimes it’s hard to celebrate people—it’s not exactly the same as celebrating a cartoon character or commercial holiday where plenty of activities and decorations are readily available. How can you make Dr. King and his message accessible to your kids? Here are a few ideas to get you started.

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  • It's Definitely OK to Use Social Networking to Help Your Cause

    By becksta on 1/15/10 12:46am
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    Haiti EarthquakeHaiti EarthquakeI haven’t watched much of the footage from Haiti, not because I don’t care, but because I don’t have cable tv. This hasn’t stopped me from reading about it, thinking about it, and wondering what responsibility we in the West have for preventing these kinds of disasters or what we can do now to help.

    The two most straightforward ways remain the same for every type of disaster. They need donations of either your time or your money. I chose money, but only a little bit and then felt bad about my donation and its usefulness or lack thereof after reading an article on Gawker criticizing the “netiquette” of using social media to promote your cause.


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  • Haiti's Earthquake leaves no one in charge

    By ecoscott on 1/14/10 9:18pm
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    Destruction from the earthquake in haitiDestruction from the earthquake in haitiHaiti is not in good shape- we know this. Tens of thousands dead and more injured, government and residential buildings are being described as rubble, and aid facilities and hospitals in the communities hardest hit by the disaster are likewise- hard hit and in pieces on the ground. A big question right now is who is in charge of anything and when there will be someone to direct aid workers and those within the country about what to do?

    Many of the citizens are getting fed up with what they see as the government’s slow response to the disaster, or lack of response altogether.

    "Look at us. Who is helping us? Right now, nobody," said Jean Malesta, the 19-year-old student who was the sole survivor of her destroyed apartment building.

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  • Obama Declares January National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month

    By sarajean on 1/14/10 6:37pm
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    All I can say is finally.

    Yes, human trafficking and slavery has been getting a bit more attention lately due to different movements and films (from documentaries to fictional movies like Taken). I appreciate that. But it seems like the general public is still in denial that modern day slavery and human trafficking—human kidnapping and sale—is still very much alive and afoot. In fact, it’s the third largest industry in the world,  generating $32 billion every year with 14,500 to 17,500 foreign nationals trafficked into the U.S. annually alone.

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