Pandemic II: The Online Game

This game is so addicting and relavant to this class.     

Check this game out that I just happened upon called Pandemic II.

Basically you creat your own disease and try and destroy the world. As your disease involves it can cause different symptoms, pick up different immunities, and develop different mediums of transmission. The game depends on a lot of chance as well, just like in real life. If there are 20 infected people in a country, what are the chances that one of them are gonna get on a plane and go to another country. A lot less than if there are 30 million people infected. Also the governments start to close borders, shut down airports, and close sea ports as the disesase becomes a more visible and serious problem. The world will try and engineer a vaccine that may work and put a halt to the spread of your disease, may fail and they may have to try again, or it may cause a mutation in your disease that will make it so that there can never be another vaccine made to stop your disease. I'm not sure how realistic the last possibility is, but you can always knock out the world's major hospitals and then they can't try and make a vaccine anyway.

Perfect example of what most people picture the apocalyptic disease that is going to destroy the world.

Swine Flu: Pandemic or Fear Mongering?

The swine flu is the newest disease that is going to wipe out a significant portion of the world's population. This is horrible because it happened after the world wide massive outbreak of avian flu, and our already decimated world infrastructure is vunerable to this new disease.

Obviously nothing I just said is true. None of this ever happened but I have spent the last weeks listening to the horrible "pandemic" that has gripped the nation and the world. Now I have already seen News stations giving advice on what to do when the NEXT swine flu outbreak occurs. There never was a pandemic. The World Health Organization pandemic alert system can be deceiving. When they raised the world from phase 4 to phase 5, you don't know how many people I heard talk about how bad it must be getting. But if you look at what this rating system means, a phase 5 means a pandemic is IMMINENT! Meaning we don't have a pandemic on our hands...

Another thing to note... we have drugs that reduce the severity of swine flu. Tamiflu and Rolenza are effective if taken within the first 48 hours of infection. 

I understand that Swine flu has killed several people, and is definitely an issue that we should be dealing with. My problem is that everytime something like this happens... I hear about how the world is gonna end. What are we gonna do when we lose 20% of our population and stores start to close? What are we going to do when the schools close? All public places are gonna be shut down! BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH. I'm sick of hearing these things and then the News completely forgets about the "end of the world virus" to talk about our week of bad weather. 

While it annoys me, I suppose I would prefer that we be overprepared than underprepared and if something serious did happen. I would think that our little freak outs over something like this will only help us prepare for something that actually become a very serious problem. I just think that by the time something serious DOES happen its gonna be the little boy who cried wolf situation (or at least for me), while the majority of the population seems to be suckered in to running to Sams and Costcos (who probably make a killing in these situations) and stocking up for the next giant disaster.

My Thoughts on Personal Solar Energy

So my mom was just watching Jon and Kate Plus 8 on TLC and it was a going green episode. One of the things they were doing were getting personal home solar panels. Within the last week or two we have considered different methods of alternative energy including solar. I know that solar panels are available to be used by individual households but I wanted to do some investigating into the price of solar panels.

So as it turned out it wasn't that easy to find any specific prices. I did come across some information that is interesting. Looking at an online retailer (alabamasolar.com), solar panels start at around 15,000 dollars. A significant investment for anyone. To soften the hit federal tax credits up to 30% are available along with state incentives such as Focus on Energy which is a cash back incentive that pays based on how much energy is being produced by the system. However considering that the average salary of the US population is around 40,000 dollars, this is still nothing accessible by the majority of the population.

Somali Pirates

Somali pirates continue to harrass and board boats in the seas around East Africa. A Dutch frigate, part of NATOs forces, intervened on one high jacking of a boat, freeing over 20 fishermen. Seven pirates were detained but were all release shortly after because NATO does not have any policy on detaining. Since none of the pirates were Dutch, the Dutch forces had no right to hold them in custody.

I did some looking in on the country of Somalia, just to find out a little bit more about the actual country. As it turns out they no longer have a national government. It has completely broken down. All conflicts are resolved on a local level and there is no system or guidelines in places. It is usually a mixture of english common law and islamic law. The country is in a state of chaos and is the perfect haven for these pirates.

With the increase of attacks from the pirates, one has to wonder how much longer will this go on and what will be the plan of action to put a stop to it. The non-existant Somalian government can't be expected to deal with it.

Update on Mexican Drug Wars

Acording to the Associated Press President Obama met with the Mexican President about an arms agreement treaty. The treaty was previously created during the Clinton adminstration but was never ratified by Congress. President Obama has pledged to push the treaty into being ratified and to punish lawmakers to pass it. 

Obama is standing a harsh stand against the drug cartels in Mexico. It's an international crisis that is close to home. As I said earlier, cash and weapons are going south into Mexico while drugs are going North into America. Obama has pledged to not only worry about what is coming in but also what is coming out. Obama is also pledging helicopter support for the Mexican army during the ongoing fight.

Hillary Clinton has also come out speaking about how America is partially responsible for the problem. Our giant demand for drugs in our country has contributed to the sucess of the cartels so far. Under the previous Clinton administration there was a ban on military weapons but the ban expired during the Bush administration and was never reinstated. The Obama administration does not want to get in a battle over gun rights at the moment. The ban makes deadlier weapons available for our population and makes it available to be trafficked.

Article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090416/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_mexico

The Drug Wars in Mexico

So I was watching the news and heard about the drug wars going on in Mexico. I got on CNN and Washington Times and read a little more on the subject. Apparently drug cartels (which have always been quite powerful in Mexico) have been growing in power. So much so that killings related to drug wars in Mexico have doubled to around 6,290 deaths last year! Over 1000 have died this year so far. The Mexican government has made a stand against the cartels using the army to fight them, however the cartels have weapons of their own. Weapons that have been shown to be coming into Mexico through the Mexican-American border. America certainly has weapons to spare and the cartels are taking advantage. Over 700 suspects have been arrested inside the US for working with the cartels. Obama has pledged to work on securing the border and putting a stop to the trafficking of weapons. Mexican police are confiscating enough gernades, ak-47s, etc. at such high rates, that is equals that of a battfield seizures. The problem is serious and many believe that Mexico could become a narcotic state within the next decade. Mexico has been deemed unsafe for tourism by Canada and the US, even though many say that Americans may be the safest because the Mexican government is making a point to protect the more touristy cities. If one tourist dies, their tourism will drop dramatically.

Another interesting note, Forbes magazine named Joaquin Guzman, a Mexican drug lord, one of the richest people in the world with over $1 billion US dollars in assets. So it is a lucrative business. One that needs to be taken down of course. As Americans we have labeled ourselves the world police with our going into the Middle East and South America to protect our own interest. I wonder how our response will be in helping our neighbors fight a serious problem that no doubt affects our own country. Drugs, including meth, marijuana, cocaine, and amphetamines, from Mexico go north and weapons and money go south into Mexico. Obama has pledged to begin stricter regulations on the border, but I am interested to see how effective this will be on cracking down on the cartels. I also wonder if it will be enough or should we do more.

Sunny San Diego

San Diego is the city I researched for my water project. It was an interesting situation because San Diego's problem is simply getting enough water. The projected population for California by 2050 is 64 million people, with San Diego having 4.5 million (and Los Angelas with 14 million!). They have already found themselves strained for water, and with their expected population their outlook is bleak. Their strategy has been simple, cut back on how much water they are using while obtaining more water. They do this by providing financial assistance for people who conserve water, recycling water, piping water in from other states, and, in some cases, desalination plants. However, with California's population growth the available water in California will be stretched far beyond its limits and with the increased dependence on other state's freshwater, those states in turn will find themselves stretched for water. Unless some major changes happen, San Diego (and California) will be facing some serious problems.

Is Bottled Water Safe?

Bottled water is a hot topic and close to my heart. I have a bit of a bottled water addiction and I have heard the debates on the safety of bottled water and decided to do some research. The question at hand is whether or not bottle water is good for you. It is interesting to note that most agree that bottled water is not necessarily better than tap water. Over 25% of bottled water is from the tap anyways. However this does depend on the water quality and taste in your area. Some claim that bottle water is actually unsafe. Bottled water can contain chemicals called phthalates, which are known to disrupt testosterone and other hormones, that leach into bottle water over time through the liner and the cap. Phthalates are a known carcinogen, and while the amount of phthalates are strictly regulated in tap water, they are not in bottle water. In fact, bottled water companies fought against proposed restrictions to the amount of phthalates that can be in their water. Quite interesting, but for the most part, most brands are okay with only a few being considered spotty by the NRDC (National Resources Defense Council).

For a very intersting read on more facts about bottle water, check this site out (I'm serious, this is some eye opening stuff):

http://www.nrdc.org/water/drinking/bw/exesum.asp

Genetically Modified Foods, Are they Good or Are they Bad?

Gentically modified foods tend to have a bad stigma when  people actually know that they are eating them. Experts say that 60% to 70% of food products on the shelves in the US are genetically modified, but as a USDA survey shows, only 26% of Americans think they have ever eaten genetically modified foods. 

So the big question most people have is whether or not genetically modified foods are safe. There are disagreements on the subject. The US says that they are while the EU says no they aren't. Scientist have disagreements as well. Tests have shown that the short term effects aren't harmful, but the question of long term effects is a hot topic. Many say that while there could be long term effects, current knowledge of proteins, how they have been introduced, and how they are added into our food supply that they will not be harmful. Meanwhile, other scientist say this is a bad assumption and claim that gm foods have already been shown to have caused allergens. If someone were allergic to a genetically modified plant, it is very easy for cross contamination to occur.

All in all, I choose to believe that genetically modified foods are not bad for you, but I have no authority to make that claim except personal experiance. It is an efficient and cost efficient way to meet food demands.

Desalination Plants the Answer

One solution to meet the shortages of drinking water in the world today is desalination plants. So I did some research to see how feasible these plants are as an actual solution. There are conflicting viewpoints to the problem. Some see desalination plants as a way to solve water shortages. It is effective for countries near the ocean. Australia and Spain use desalination plants to meet their water needs, but its the Middle East that has truly embraced the technology. The Middle East gets over 60 percent of its water from desalination plants (according to the WWF). 

While being quite effective at meeting water needs, I have come to see them as a quick fix. Like so many issues that we face today, we as humans tend to choose the most available quick fix without looking at the larger issue. Desalination plants are very energy intensive, pollute the environment, and leave excess salt in nearby ecosystems. The WWF argues that by polluting the environment and using being very energy intensive, these plants are contributing to global warming that exacerbate droughts and melt global ice caps that contribute 69 percent of the worlds freshwater. So they are actually reducing the world's freshwater supply. Ulitimately I have to agree. These countries would do better to practice water conservation and begin recycling their water.

Coporations, the villains of obesity?

So today we just got done talking about advertising and Trix and Fruit Rollup were used as examples. The two things they have in common is they are marketed to children. When I was in Keystone, the first thing I asked the General Mills is how they justify marketing to children. The answer she gave me convinced me at the time, but I did some more digging. They have what they call a "responsible marketing plan". It can be seen at http://www.generalmills.com/corporate/commitment/responsible_advertising.aspx.

There restrictions seem pretty reasonable. They try their best not to market their more unhealthy foods to the under 12 crowd and they have removed their unhealhty products for school programs as well. 

It is important to realize that they still market to young children. The Trix rabbit obviously only appeals to children. They use little toys in their boxes to attract children etc. However, marketing is even deeper than that. Product placement in stores is planned out. Companies pay stores to get the placement they want on shelves. Sugary cereals that young children love are placed lower on the shelves. Why? So they can take the box of cereal to their parents and beg them to get it.

My opinion? I can't bring myself to demonize General Mills or companies in similar situations. The consumer ultimately knows what they want. The consumers are the ones that crave these sugary cereals. When General Mills says they market healthy food and it doesn't sell, I 100% believe them. Some may ask why they don't just pull all their unhealthy foods and only give consumers the option to buy healthy foods, but if they did that then another company would provide the sugary cereals that the consumer craves. Obesity WILL NOT be solved by villainizing the corporations. One thing I learned from Keystone is that it will take cooperation from corporations, non profits, academia, and government to solve the problem and the solution ultimately lies within the consumers.

General Mill's and their sugary cereals was just and example, but I spoke to ConAgra and they have had similar issues with their brands as well. Wondering exactly what brands both General Mills and ConAgra own? The length of their products would shock you. You don't realize how much of the different brands you own are actually provided by a single corporation like Con Agra.

A comment on my Media Report (so far anyways)

Okay so I understand I am guilty of watching way to much TV. It is even worse than that however, since I watch every trashy reality TV show out there (except Momma's Boys). So what kind of commercials have I been seeing so far... mainly advertisements other trashy reality shows that they are trying to get me hooked on as well, which makes sense. A TV stations first priority is themselves. I also see a lot of Neutrogena commercials... you know, the one with Vanessa Hudgens. I have also seen a lot of make up commercials. On NBC, I see a lot of HULU commercials and tons of car commercials. They must really be suffering, because they have cut their prices (especially the KIA Sorento, I saw that commercial a billion times). Anyways..........................................................................................................................................................

Its kind of sad how many commercials I watch in an hour. There are about 5 commercial breaks in an hour (sometimes more) and about 9 commercials per break. That is 45 commercials an hour. (this is all just a guesstimation). 

Just a thought, just a thought, but I am probably way to influenced by these companies. An example, go to http://www.hulu.com/. I saw this commercial, thought I'd check it out. Mission accomplished for the marketing team at Hulu.com.

I'm sucker, I know, thank you.

A Post on Branding

Important Brands in my life:

Sony

Microsoft

Dell

Honda

Tide

Nestle Pure Life

New Balance

Calvin Klein

Chip and Pepper

American Eagle

Brusters

Edgars

Lord of the Rings stuff

Crest

Dove

MTV and VH1

Publix

Science Diet (for my cat)

Listerine

These are all of brands that I can think of that I use. I do have some sort of brand loyalty to everything that I listed here. These companies have effectively build brands that I can attach myself to, and by impressing me with the quality of their brands they have formed an umbrella of trust for all their products that they make. Advertising and branding play an important part in convincing people what to buy, where to go, and what to do. 

I have been considering the part that branding and advertising plays in 21st century challenges. Is it a tool to be used to solve the problems, is it the cause of many of the problems that we are facing (such as obesity), or both? I'm thinking both... but I'll have to get back to you after I think on it more. 

To see an interesting website that stresses the importance of branding to businesses and a company that creates the brands for you, check out http://www.landor.com/index.cfm?bhcp=1.

Obesity: An Epidemic of Bad Choices

Obesity is a lifestyle problem. In order to fix it, America is going to have to change its culture which seems to me to be based on consumption. I had the pleasure of attending the Keystone Youth Policy Summit on Obesity and to talk with stakeholders concerning the obesity epidemic and worked with other students in proposing different policies to combat the rising trends of obesity. We considered several things that we did in class, an example being that poorer people tend to be more obese. So we focused a lot of attention on the lower class. One idea proposed was to give incenitives to food stamp users to buy healthier foods. This was later discussed and changed to making it mandatory for food stamp users to buy so much certified healthy food (like 25%) with their food stamps. (For the record, I supported making food stamps go further for food stamps meaning that you could buy more healthier food with your food stamps than unhealthy. Personally I believe in convincing people to do things than making them, but I was outvoted not to say that I still don't believe that both ways would be effective.) We also noted that it is easier to prevent a person from becoming obese than getting the already obese to drop the weight, so a lot of our efforts were focused on the schools and education. 

If anyone would like to see the incredibly long paper that was a result of this conference, just ask me and I can bring it to school to show you. I could just show you the good parts so you wouldnt have to read the whole thing.

If you want to learn more about the program I was part of, look at http://www.youthpolicysummit.org/.

This Blessed House

Jhumpa Lahiri's "This Blessed House" really got me thinking. I really can relate to the character Twinkle. Unlike the narrator, Twinkle saw value in things that other people treasure. The narrator wanted to tear down anything that resembled a Christian influence, but Twinkle was fascinated by them. She was enthralled by the story that these objects tell about the family that came before them. So what if you are not Christian, one should still see value in what the symbols stand for, and what others believe even though they do not necessarily follow what you may believe. It gets down to mutual respect for other people and other cultures. 

By understanding people's beliefs and morals, you can get closer to truly understanding who that person is and where they come from. Nobody still worships the dead Pharohs of Egypt, yet we can still marvel at what those who did accomplished when we look at the pyramids. I feel like modern day, people are so caught up in what they believe and what is THEIR culture that they forget to keep an open mind when it comes to others. I also feel that those that claim to be accepting of other cultures are actually just tolerant that other beliefs exist but actually have zero interest in learning about anything different than what they already know. I think Twinkle and the guests at the party were fascinated, intrigued, and open to the new things they were finding in the house. Throwing away something that represents so much to so many people is not something Twinkle would do, but I personally feel like it is something that  most people would do in our world today. They would be more like the narrator and find it ridiculous pointless stuff that means nothing to them. That disappoints me. How far does acceptance of other cultures really have to go? Should we leave them be and just continue to exist in seperate spheres, or should we honestly show an interest in understanding other's cultures and have a mutual respect for their beliefs.

In order to solve the problems our world is facing today we must work together. This requires a mutual respect for each other. If you truly want to help somebody you must understand who they are, where they come from, and what they believe. This is the first challenge that we must all face.