"Blackout in a Can"

Nine students from Central Washington University were hospitalized after an off-campus party where they drank a caffeinated malt liquor know as "Four Loko" or "blackout in a can." These type of alcohol energy drinks are "a binge-drinkers dream because the caffeine and other stimulants allow a drinker to ingest larger volumes of alcohol without passing out." 50 students total attended the party and they drank more than "Four Loko" by itself, they also mixed the drink with vodka and other alcohol. The Washington State Attorney is trying to get the beverages banned, and the Central Washington University President has banned the drinks from the campus. While the alcohol energy drinks are dangerous, they are not packaged that way, having fruit flavors to hide the alcohol taste and being packaged like non-alcoholic drinks. 

I first heard this story on the news and the very first thing that came to my mind was why would they ever even think of putting alcohol and energy drinks together in one beverage? Even as underage kids/adults, we have all seen the dangerous effects of alcohol, whether it be at a wedding or other celebratory event, we've all seen it. As for me, as a result from my witnesses of this, and other knowledge, I have no desire to put myself through that. Also, though we may not have seen the effects of energy drinks, I'm sure we have all heard stories. Knowing how dangerous these two beverages are on their own, just image how bad they are when put together! Of course they are going to be harmful! It just makes matters worse how the company is displaying them- treating them more like energy drinks, which teens especially seem to enjoy, instead of treating them like alcoholic beverages. The company says they are doing "all [they] can to ensure that [their] products are consumed safely and responsibly," but instances like these really make me wonder to what extent companies will go to make a profit, and how much of our safety they will put on the back burner. 

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/10/25/washington.students.overdose/index.html?npt=NP1

"China Coal Mine Explosion Kills 21, Traps 16"

Rescuers preparing to go into the mine.

In Yuzhou, 430 miles south of Beijing, China, there was an explosion in the Pingyu Coal and Electric Co. Ltd mine. 276 workers were in the mine, 239 escaped, 21 miners are confirmed dead and 16 were trapped. There were 70 rescuers attempting to rescue the trapped miners, while on the mission, they had to worry about gas levels at 40% (usually they are at about 1%), and chunks of coal that had been loosened by the explosion. The explosion happened as "workers were drilling a hole to release pressure from a gas buildup to decrease the risk of explosions." China's mining industry is the most dangerous in the world, last year 2,600 people were killed in accidents. While making effort to improve mine safety, they still have a lot of work to do. China relies on coal for about two-thirds of its energy, this high demand has lead to many illegal mines which greatly add to the fatal accidents. 


I'm slightly confused if the 16 trapped miners in this story have been rescued or not... By the mood of the story, I'm assuming they have been, but it never specified that they were rescued, it just said that the bodies of the 21 dead miners were located and they were attempting to retrieve them. It's quite obvious we need to make some changes in the mining industry, especially in China. 2,600 people died last year just in mines, that number should be zero. This story may be in another place, but it's the same old story we have come accustom to in the last few months. It always seems like big news stories like this come in groups. It was sometime last spring that we heard the first of the trapped miners (which also was in China), then we had the more dramatic story in Chile and now, with the celebration of rescuing those trapped in Chile, we have another trapped miners story. This also has been happening recently with bullying leading to suicides. I think it's sad that we have to let things get this extreme; that so many people have to die for us to get the message that things need to be changed. Shouldn't we in the very beginning be thinking of how we can make the situation best for people, how we can assure their safety and happiness, and then change with the times to better the conditions? That's what would make the most sense to me.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39697051/ns/world_news-asiapacific/ 

"Dozens hurt, Arrested in Clashes at Serb Gay Pride March"

In Belgrade, Serbia, there was a small gay pride march that turned bad real quick. The march turned into a riot. There were thousands of police blocking off the streets and trying to stop rioters. The anti-gay protesters threw "Molotov cocktails and stun grenades" they also set cars on fire, broke into and stole from shops, overturned garbage cans, and destroyed street signs. The rioters shouted "death to homosexuals" while throwing bricks, stones, glass bottles and stun grenades at the police, who responded by using tear gas and armored vehicles to break apart the rioters. The rioters were part of a right-wing group, and were opposing the government's new pledge to protect all human rights. Many political headquarters were attacked, including the garage of a pro-Western Democratic Party which was set on fire. More than 120 people were injured and almost 190 arrested- 77 are still in custody. $1.39 million dollars of damage was made by the protesters.

I know that some people have very strong opinions, but for so many people to feel strong enough to go against the law in numerous ways just to go against gay marriage is crazy. If these people are just not happy with their government, and the actions it has taken, that is one thing, but if they are really this unhappy about gay marriages and relations, that's another. I'm not sure exactly how I feel about gay marriage myself, I mean I'm not saying they are wrong or anything, but I still think it is kinda weird and it kinda creeps me out a little. But, everyone has the right to make their own decisions and live their life the way they please, so I would not establish rules just to go against people who are gay. Maybe it's because I have this opinion on the situation that I find this article so appalling, but I really can't imagine even knowing someone who is so strongly opposed to gay marriage that they would injure others, go against the law and cause a million dollars in damage. These people really need to get a grip and know that if they are opposed strictly to gay marriage, they will just have to get used to it, or if they are upset with their government, they need to make productive changes; such as talking with their representatives or educating themselves before voting or forming groups where they can discuss issues they are not happy with and progress from there. 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39600384/ns/world_news-europe

"Green Lights for Big Solar Projects on Fed Lands"

Two major solar project "milestones" have received their first-ever green lights to be set up on federal lands. These projects have been on the boards for five years, but now they can be put into action. The bigger of the two projects covers ten square miles and will be located east of San Diego, the other one will cover one square mile and will be in Southern California. Both of these, along with numerous other requests, are located in uninhabited desert land. While it may seem like the amount of land they will occupy is large, the larger one covering 6,800 acres of public land, there are actually "11 million acres of public lands in the California Desert, ... These projects, while a significant commitment of public land, actually represent less than one-hundredth of one percent of that total area." It may have taken so long to receive the green lights because biologists say there is a "potential impact on habitats for bighorn sheep and a rare lizard" with the projects. However, the two projects combined will generate enough electricity to power more than 213,000 homes. Construction on both projects is planned to begin by the end of 2010, and will create about 1,000 jobs. California also has a rigorous plan to get one third of their electricity from renewable sources in ten years. 


Let's all give California a round of applause!! This is wonderful news! I wasn't a person who believed in 'Global Warming' when it was so highly publicized, but now I'm taking an environmental science class and I'm learning what is actually happening to our earth. Right now we are adding an extra 4 billion parts of carbon to the atmosphere... that stacks up fast. I heard about the possibility of putting up 'solar farms' in the deserts a while ago, and thought that would be great! The land isn't being used, so why not put it to use in a way that could in the end save us thousands and thousands of dollars, and save the planet? And I have to say, the whole reasoning from the biologists "[there is] a potential impact on habitats" for two species... I think of it this way; just think of all of the species that have become extinct or endangered because of global warming and the harmful impact we have made on the planet. Now think of all of the species that will die if we continue living the way we are at this exact moment... Personally, I would be extremely willing to "potentially" give up those two species by taking actions to save hundreds if not thousands of other species in their place. Even with the chance of losing two species, when comparing the pros and cons of solar farms, the pros strongly outweigh the cons. Just imagine, enough energy to power 200,000 homes... The entire population of Alexandria is 15,000 rounded up, even if everyone of those people had their own home, we would barely make a dent in that 200,000. Everyone knows we need to take the steps to get off of fossil fuels and start taking carbon out of the atmosphere instead of putting it in. If the government would take the steps and show that energy saving is an important issue, no questions asked this would be a green country. So let's use California as an example and make it happen!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39521200/ns/us_news-environment/

"U.S. warns Americans of potential terror attacks in Europe"

Today, there was a State Department travel alert warning Americans living or traveling in Europe of potential terrorist threats. Americans are urged to "take every precaution to be aware of their surroundings and to adopt appropriate safety measures to protect themselves when traveling." It is said that "the potential for terrorists to attack public transportation systems and other tourist infrastructure," is high. While the warning seems pretty scary, it is not a formal travel warning, meaning it does not restrict travel. The warning is due to current information saying that al-Qaida continues to plan terrorist attacks. U.S. and Europeans security experts have been worried for days that attacks in public places with assault weapons were/are being planned. Also, Osama bin Laden may be behind the terror plots according to U.S. intelligence officials. However, as of right now, many Europeans and members of the Obama administration view the travel alert as an overreaction. 


I'm not sure if I think the alert is an overreaction or not. I mean, if I was traveling to Europe, I think I would want to know if top officials were concerned of there being terrorist attacks. Then again, if there really wasn't an extreme high risk, when I was in Europe I wouldn't want to be limiting myself to not getting the full experience because I was too worried of there being a terrorist attack. However, I do think it's pretty pathetic that we have to worry about such things as terrorist attacks. I have absolutely no comprehension on why people would want to kill others and why people do the crazy and horrible stuff they do. I'm also not too sure about the fact that Osama bin Laden might be behind the planned attacks... we have been chasing him for so long now, and to not find him, and for him to still be alive after so many years. I don't know... I really don't know what to think of that. In my lifetime I would love to see a world where if you want to go travel the world, you can, and you can with no worries of absolutely anything. You won't have to worry about your things getting stolen, or people not being kind, or of terrorist attacks... you can just enjoy what the world has to offer. I know that's probably a fantasy, but just think about it. Wouldn't that be great?
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39484389/ns/us_news-security/

Issue 2: Spending What We Can Afford

With an overwhelming deficit, and a national debt in the trillions, it's safe to say we are having some issues with money. To attempt and fix the deficit problem, Congress in 2007 passed pay-as-you-go budgeting a.k.a. paygo. The program rules are, if increasing spending in one area, such as entitlement spending (spending on Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid), occurs, then decreased spending in another area must also occur. This way Congress would not be adding to the deficit. Supports say paygo shows that Congress knows deficits are bad, and that steps need to be taken to fix them. They also say it responds to concerns of citizens by trying to correct the deficit and national debt. They say with paygo, Congress will be holding families and businesses to rules most already follow; spend only what you can pay for. However, opponents say that paygo will only increase taxes and have extreme budget cuts. They say the deficit should only be fixed by economic growth. They also think that paygo will limit Congress' ability to react in emergencies and it will anger voters.
Deficit           National debt        

We are told in every history class we take, that in the class we are not going to simply learn about history, but that we are going to learn from history. Congresswoman Kathy Dahlkemper relates learning from history quite well to the paygo program. She said, "Paygo was one of the primary reasons the federal government had budget surpluses in the 1990s." She also refers to in 2002 when Congress expired the paygo rules, the projected $5.6 trillion surplus was turned to a deficit twice that amount. The examples and success stories of paygo are written more than once, plain as day in our history. Now, just like we hear from every history class teacher, Americans need to hear that we need to learn from history and take the necessary steps to turn our deficit and national debt into surpluses, and we can trust paygo to help us reach that goal.
Kathy Dahlkemper

Issue #1- War Dollars
Issue #3- Social Insecurity