Save Hip Hop, Ban Country Music
In class we watched a debate about the merits of hip hop music. There are arguments for and against hip hop, but in reality, there isn't an excess of empirical data out there to support either side, so I believe judgement must be deferred until such time as this data can be produced. However, country music is an objectively bad thing which should be banned. In fact, a study from the University of Arkansas found that the relative prevalence of country music stations in an area has a direct positive correlation with the rate of white suicide. In fact, it was found that country music stations account for 51% of the variance in the white suicide rate in studied communities. Now, I'm sure none of you needed any extra proof that country music kills people, what with its universal themes of alcoholism and unrequited anger towards lost loves, but if you did, its right there.
Because country has now been shown to increase the mortality rate in the United States, I believe it should be banned. I'm sure that with the proper initiative, people will see its dangerous side effects and it will be banned very soon, despite its massive popularity in the southern US, qualities shared with tobacco. Also like the tobacco issue, I'm sure that this will be resolved quickly and without controversy. At the very least, we can expect to see a ban on Taylor Swift and other country artists that market to children, and a severe tax hike on country music CDs in the near future.
http://comp.uark.edu/~ches/CountryMusic_Suicide.pdf
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Watch: Robots That Hunt Down Jellyfish and Destroy Them
The news I read which is from motherjones.com entitled “Watch: Robots That Hunt Down Jellyfish and Destroy Them.” It claims that people now use robots to solve the problems caused by jellyfish blooms. In addition, it argues that it is the ocean acidification that leads the jellyfish blooms and human should be blamed.
At the beginning of the article, the author uses the paralyzation of the world’s largest boiling-water nuclear reactor, which was caused by jellyfish blooms, to claim that jellyfish blooms is a serious common problem. This is a fact claim, and the author uses several evidences to support it. First, the paralyzation also happened in 2005. The spokesperson of the plant owner convinced the cause is a huge amount of jellyfish. Secondly, it also leads to many nuclear shut down in other places. Additionally, jellyfish blooms also cause problems for a coal-fired plant in 1999. Then the author makes a value claim that a solution is provided by KAIST. Also, by using the data given by KAIST, the author tries to convince people it is a good way to solve the problem. After that, the author argues that jellyfish is more adjustable against the changes of the ocean. At the end of the article, the author quotes from a biologist that argues the jellyfish blooms occur because human damages the world’s oceans. Then a policy claim is actually indicated: human should take action to protect the oceans, otherwise robots will become “our last, best hope.”
Jungle horror: A survivor of Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army tells his story
This article focuses on the tragic life story of Ocitti "David" Okech, a victim of Joseph Kony and the Ugandan Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). The article begins with the emotional events of Okech's past, describing in detail some of the horrible acts of violence and oppression that the LRA uses to keep fear within the Ugandan population. The reporter, Perry Chiaramonte, then brings in some fact based claims about the LRA in general, bringing to light their grip on Uganda. He discloses that the followers of Joseph Kony see him as a prophet. Kony abuses this to seem untouchable and ultimately all powerful. Although Okech seemed to have lost all hope, he managed to escape the LRA, attend Gulu University in Uganda, and now lives in the US, spreading the message of the horror occurring in Uganda. This article serves as a message of hope and optimism, despite the heavy and horrific beginning. Let Ocitti Okech be a role model for people who feel trapped.
Kid Not Getting In Strange Van For Anything Less Than King-Size Bar
In “Kid Not Getting In Strange Van For Anything Less Than King-Size Bar” posted by The Onion a child named Andrew Barns stated that he would not get into a strangers dirty, tinted, creepy van for anything less than a king sized candy bar. In this clearly factitious story Andrew argues that the obvious risk verse rewards is clearly not there for anything less than a king sized candy, a normal candy bar or Reese’s peanut butter cup would simply not due. Andrew is using sound logic regardless of the consequences in the mind of a 7-year-old child. He stated that any offer of getting into a van without it being a large candy would be immediately rejected on site and on principle. Throughout the article Andrew argues that getting into a strangers van must be made worth his while. This completely fake article really made me laugh because a child was supposedly using misguided logic and a sound argument in his mind of cost verse reward of candy and possible abduction. I really hope there are not any children out there running around the streets with this logic. The article wraps up saying that at press time Andrew was currently waiting for the man to return from a local store with a suitable alluring confection. This is also disconcerting, due to my feelings that no reporter in the world would let a child wait to be adducted. However, this article was written for pure entertainment, yet it makes me wonder.
Source:
http://www.theonion.com/articles/kid-not-getting-in-strange-van-for-anything-less-t,34084/?ref=auto
NY police reopen 75-year-old cold case after human remains discovered
This is
an interesting article from FoxNews.com (hard to believe) about a 75 year old
cold case in New York. During a home
construction project police found bones from a woman who went missing in 1938.
The question the article addresses is whether the forensic team may be able to
positively identify the woman. The entire article had the feel of a background
story for an Amityville Horror movie. The woman disappeared in 1938, but they
do not have her name. What’s weirder is that they one thing that may help, is
the writings of a child found inside the home. The writings talked about the
woman’s husband, a man named Wilhelm, who left for Germany when Adolf Hitler
was in power. Being missing for this long, the technology may not be able
enough to identify this woman, but that’s not to say she didn’t leave behind a
pretty scary story. It has all the makings of a Stephen King novel. The police
are looking for all clues, but so far it appears the child’s writings are the
only leads.
Climate Change Protests Heat Up
Amy Goodman wrote the article, Climate
Change Protests Heat up by, in the article a lot of information is thrown at
the readers. It is obvious right away that Amy Goodmans claim is that the
Keystone XL pipeline that would go through Canada and the United States is a
bad idea, on the grounds of environmental issues. She states many reason people
are protesting this; one of them is the Global Warming phenomenon, with more
oil drilling and transporting, the earths climate will continue to warm at an
incredible pace, which is detrimental to our environment. There are also many
other reasons why people are protesting; if the pipe were to burst at any point
the repercussions would be terrible. The oil could destroy the land and even
make its way into aquifers and pollute them. The rebuttal by the governments
were not very effective, Obama just delayed the issue and the Canadian Prime
Minister made his scientist be quiet about the topic, to repress the disapproval.
This issue is really hot around the world many activists groups are raising
there voice on this topic, and it seems that the author, Amy Goodman is backing
them.
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/climate-change_protests_heat_up_20130925
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Is $7 Billion in Anti-Hunger Support Falling Through the Cracks?
To lower the rate of starvation and attract agribusiness
investment in the undeveloped countries, Obama advanced to put $ 7 billion into
the program - Feed the Future, which is led by the US Agency for International
Development (USAID). However, public and politicians start doubting if the
program is really helpful for the undeveloped countries. Some of them would
even judge whether the money spent on the project is efficient or not.
According to the Government Accountability Office’s report, the host government
did not have the appropriate time to make their investment plans and USAID staffs
put the focus on the wrong places where are not important to put many resources
there. Also, GAO mentions that the Feed the Future’s focus countries are
suffering from intellectual brain drains; if the USAID continues introducing
the high-technology farming and infrastructure projects to those countries,
they would struggle to sustain them without foreign support. Moreover, the
inappropriate allocation of money would destroy the political system of those
Feed the Future’s focus countries since it will prompt the corruption in the
society.
As what I consider, without a well investment planning, even
a large amount of money or experts put into the program is only creating waste.
Worst still, it exacerbates dependence of Feed the Future’s focus countries on
foreign supports. To have a long-term aid rather than focusing on the present,
the advocates of Feed the Future ought to have a reality check about the
initiative and require its people on the ground to account for the risk, which hampers
the development process.
link : http://www.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2013/09/usaid-obama-feed-future-aid
Americans Turn to Social Media to Air Feelings on Slimdown
The article entitled “Americans turn to
social media to air feelings on slimdown” claimed that the social media,
including Facebook and Twitter, became more popular due to the roiling debate on
the federal government shutdown, because Americans were turning to the social
media to post their complaints on the shutdown. And reversely, lawmakers used Facebook and Twitter to reiterate their points as well. With the advent of
social media, Americans do not have to write an email or letter. They can just
turn to the Internet. Most of the “tweeters” were against President Obama's
health care plan. They cheered on the Republican leadership by marking “likes” on
Facebook. Some other "tweeters" expressed their hope that the two sides could
reach a compromise. Meanwhile, the federal used Twitter to announce that they
would no longer respond to those posts until the suspension ends. Such behavior that Americans post their thoughts on websites is not because they
want to make any differences. They just feel better by speaking it out.
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