Teachers are held to a higher moral standard...

Well, anyone who questions whether teachers are held to a higher moral standard should take a look at this story: http://www.cnn.com/2007/EDUCATION/04/29/myspace.photo.ap/index.html

A female student was denied her teaching degree from a Pennsylvania university because of a photo that appeared on her MySpace. The picture showed the woman "wearing a pirate hat while drinking from a plastic "Mr. Goodbar" cup... which bore the caption 'Drunken Pirate.'"

I certainly agree that teachers must be held to a higher moral standard because of the "role model" responsibility inherent in the profession of an educator. Certainly it would be inappropriate if students were to stumble upon an inappropriate picture of their teachers for a multitude of reasons.

My only hope is this: if this were a male in this situation, I hope the university would have undertook the exact same actions. I just hope there's no double standard here between the sexes...

Price of prisons...

"There are more people behind bars in the United States today than ever before. Since 1980, the inmate population has more than quadrupled to two million -- an unprecedented explosion that is incurring unprecedented costs to all Americans."

This is on MotherJones.com and is an excellent compilation of articles and facts about prisons. Most definitely worth the read. This is something that both Canada and the United States need to critically examine. Also, take a look at the increasing incarceration rates, the spending, and the unreal racial disparities between the general population and prison populations in the "INCARCERATION ATLAS."

Subjects include:
How We Got to Two Million - How did the Land of the Free become the world's leading jailer?
Incubating Disease - Prisons are ripe with infectious illnesses -- and threaten to spread them to the public.
Bad Investment - Gary Johnson, Republican governor of New Mexico, on why the war on drugs is a waste of money.
What's the Alternative? - Society has to respond to lawbreakers, but it doesn't always have to lock them up.
Breeding Violence - Locking people up is supposed to make our streets safer, but it may be doing the opposite.
Left Behind - Hundreds of thousands of children have a parent behind bars. What are the social costs of their loss? ***Definitely read this one
Liberty and Justice for Some - Reverend Jesse Jackson Sr. on the moral costs of mass incarceration.

Some interesting facts about toilet paper...

I saw this in the Globe and Mail and thought it was kind of interesting:

Average number of sheets per bathroom visit: 8.6
Average squares consumed per person over a year: 20,805
Number of tonnes of facial tissue and toilet paper used by Canadians each year: 700,000
Number of kilograms per Canadian in a year: 22
Number of tonnes of virgin tree fibre used by Kimberly Clark annually, in millions: 3.1
Portion of that tree fibre cut down in Canada: almost one-quarter
Number of trees that would be saved if every Canadian home switched just one roll of toilet paper to a 100 per cent recycled brand: 47,000
Annual value of Canadian toilet paper sales, millions of dollars: 778. 9

Congrats little brother...

I'm so proud of my little brother! Today he graduated with a certificate in Business and a diploma in Financial Services from SIAST. He already has his career in place (starting in May) and everything. Way to go!

Stop domestic abuse...

"The subject of domestic violence has receded from the headlines in recent years, but the numbers suggest it's still a major social problem. While services for battered women—including hot lines and shelter beds—have increased dramatically, there are still not enough; 4,237 adults and children were turned away from domestic violence shelters in Missouri last year because there was not enough space, according to Colleen Coble. Even when services are available, some women are too terrified to use them. Fleeing from a batterer can actually increase the violence a woman faces; many of the 1,202 women killed by their husbands or boy- friends in the U.S. in 2002 were murdered after they'd already escaped from their homes."

Reading this story literally brought tears to my eyes. While I must say that I do not believe in any way that taking another human life is right... you feel the desperation and feel the blatant need for more attention to be focused on the issue of domestic abuse before it swells to a point of no return.

Here is the link: http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2005/07/the_unforgiven.html

There is also an excellent documentary entitled When Women Kill that is directly related to the issue of this story wherein women are subjected to constant and horrific abuse and go to extreme measures. You can get it at most libraries--The Regina Public Library and the U of R have copies.

Apparently I'm a male...

Well, not exactly, but apparently I write like one. I know what you're thinking: "Huh?"

"On the internet, there is a new website that claims to be able to tell you, with 80% accuracy, whether a piece of writing has been done by a man or by a woman. It uses a computer programme developed by a team of Israeli scientists after an exhaustive study of the differences between male and female use of language."

So... I did a little experiment. I went to the site and randomly entered 9 of my blog entries into the "Gender Genie". Here were their assessments:

Using women as scapegoats... writer is male
Having an education is an oppressive factor??? writer is male
A picture is worth 1000 words... writer is male
Boo to political attack ads... writer is male
A purpose defeated? writer is male
Are we serving international students to the best of our ability? writer is male
Al Gore coming to Regina... writer is male
My Junos experience... writer is male
Speak up and Sing writer is male

80% accuracy huh?

Lots of questions surface in my mind about this assessment. What is it about my writing style that the Gender Genie assumes I am male? Is it because I write about social issues? Is it because I write about issues that primarily take place outside of the home? Is it because I write about issues that are considered to be a man's domain? Is it because I don't speak "submissively"? Really, I don't know. Is there really a distinct way males and females are biologically programmed to write, or is it a learned behaviour, or is this whole thing just a load of crap? Who knows...

Anyway, The Guardian wrote a good article on this, which you can visit at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/Columnists/Column/0,5673,1079265,00.html

And, if you want to take the assessment yourself to see if you are writing in accordance with your "gender"--test the Gender Genie at: http://bookblog.net/gender/genie.php

By the way, I also tested this blog entry, and the Gender Genie has determined that the writer of this post is... MALE!

Israel’s newest PR ploy: exploiting women…

"David Saranga, the Israeli consular official based in New York, approached Maxim magazine six months ago. His proposal: the government and other pro-Israeli groups would fly a camera crew across the Atlantic in an effort to remake the Jewish state's public image. Israel's reputation had suffered after last summer's war with Lebanon; in a recent BBC poll taken in 27 countries, 56 percent of respondents considered Israel a 'negative influence' in the world, higher than both Iran and the United States. But Israel's real PR problem, according to Saranga, is that Americans--particularly men aged 18 to 35--associate the country with either war or holy relics, if they think of it at all. 'We have to find the right hook,' he says. 'And what's relevant to men under 35? Good-looking women.'"

Wow… I’m almost speechless on this one.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17888451/site/newsweek/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17876106/displaymode/1107//s/2/framenumber/1

Enough said...

I am of the opinion that the broadcasting of Cho's manifesto was not a good idea for a multitude of reasons. This cartoon says a lot.

Gender salary gap continues...

"New data that shows women are already earning less than men before the ink on their college diplomas has dried... The study, which looked at more than 10,000 people who received bachelor's degrees in 1999-2000, found that just one year after graduation, women who are working full time earn only 80% as much as their male counterparts do... Even among co-eds who majored in the same subject in college, men are still earning more money than their female counterparts just 12 months out of the college gate."

Defininitely worth the read. Here's the link:

http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1613829,00.html

Devastating child slavery...

"Around the world, some 218 million children are still bonded, trafficked and exploited."

Newsweek World News has an educational photo gallery on the reality of child slavery occurring in our world today. It's so upsetting. The photo gallery is entitled The Smallest Slaves. This can be viewed at: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17724765/displaymode/1107//s/2/framenumber/1

Some of the stats that are included in the photo gallery include:

• Today, there are still millions of men, women and children who have been tricked, coerced or intimidated into prostitution or forced labor, required to work long hours for little or no pay, and subjected to harsh and violent working conditions.
• A new report by Save the Children estimates that some 218 million children between the ages of 5 and 17 are working as modern-day child laborers; of those, 126 million are involved in hazardous work. Many are bought and sold, pushed into bonded labor or sexually exploited to repay debts. Others are trapped in harsh and dangerous conditions as domestic servants, miners or agricultural workers. In some war-torn nations, children are abducted, separated from their families, and forced to work as soldiers in armed and bloody militias.
• Save the Children says that some children have been forced at gunpoint by government troops or rebels to carry loads of extracted minerals.
• Many children in the DRC have been denied education because of the country's six-year civil war, which is believed to have cost some 4 million lives.
• More than 100 million children under the age of 15 work in agriculture, many exposed to pesticides, heavy machinery and dangerous tools.
• There are an estimated 100,000 child domestic workers in Pakistan, many of whom work extremely long hours for little pay and are regularly subjected to harsh punishments by their employers. Many are banned from attending school or have so much work they cannot attend classes.
• Millions of children across the world are forced to work up to 15 hours a day as domestic workers. Many are beaten, starved and sexually abused.
• More than 50,000 children are employed as domestic help in Calcutta households; many are deprived of school, pay and social activities.
• Under international law, it is illegal to recruit and use children under the age of 15 as combatants or in conflicts. Yet today, an estimated 300,000 children under this age are fighting in wars. Children are easy recruitment targets because they are easy to manipulate, and they learn quickly.

Always been a fan of Ashley Judd...

"Malaria is preventable and treatable. We could end this devastation today... Too many people lack access to bed nets and treatments. That's where we all come in. It costs only $10 to buy a bed net, deliver it, and educate a family on proper use."

Actress, Ashley Judd, has taken action on the devastating reality of Malaria in developing countries. It's worth the read.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/africa/04/23/judd.commentary/index.html

Bottled water = bottled problems...

I'm really fascinated by the research my good friend Curtis has done on bottled water. In fact, you can check out his two blog posts that include some startling facts.

http://curt-b.blogspot.com/2007/04/bottled-problems.html

http://curt-b.blogspot.com/2007/04/bottled-problems-deux.html

Think about it.

Using women as scapegoats...

I am horrified by the headline that appeared April 18 in The Daily Telegraph.

The story is entitled: Was gunman crazed over Emily?

The disgusting subheading reads: THIS is the face of the girl who may have sparked the worst school shooting in US history.

Typical, to blame a deceased woman for the tragedies that happened a week ago. Where is the media accountability? No woman deserves Emily Hilscher's fate--no matter what the circumstances.

What a beautiful girl, with so much to live for. Her life was cut short, and the media is subtly (or not-so-subtly) suggesting that she is somehow responsible because she may have "sparked the worst school shooting in US history."

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,21576271-5001021,00.html

Shame.

Where could $25 million go?

Apparently, one can have a personal 13-day trip to outer space. http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2007/04/21/space-simonyi.html

And of course we all know that $25 million for a 13-day trip to outer space is much more important than cancelling international debt, providing more and better aid to developing countries, and providing food, water, shelter and education to the billions all over the world who don't have it.

And to "add a cherry on top", a gourmet six-course meal was enjoyed by Simonyi and his crew, which included: quail roasted in Madrian wine, duck breast ‘confit’ with capers, shredded chicken parmentier, apple fondant pieces, rice pudding with candied fruit, and semolina cake with dried apricots.

http://www.forbes.com/lists/2006/54/biz_06rich400_Charles-Simonyi_VMOW.html

An everyday reality...

With Virginia Tech still at the forefront of attention at this time, these articles are well worth the read.

"In Iraq, universities struggling to operate in the midst of a war zone have been struck repeatedly by bombings, shootings, assassinations, and abductions that have left behind hundreds of killed and wounded, victims and forced thousands of students and professors to stay away, or even leave the country."

Violence like that at Virginia Tech is commonplace in Iraq's universities:

http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/50682/

Just An Ordinary Day In Iraq—In Virginia:

http://www.tompaine.com/articles/2007/04/17/just_an_ordinary_day_in_iraqin_virginia.php

Blood on Textbooks: Campuses Under Fire - As VA Tech Mourns, Iraq Universities Know Violence's Toll:

http://www.iraqslogger.com/index.php/post/2387

We Need To Focus On This Week’s Deaths In Iraq - They Belong To Us

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/04/20/651/

Good Oprah show today...

Some simple facts on the show today on how to be more green.

• Reduce your use of paper napkins…by even just one a day! Napkins make a huge difference. We use 2,200 of them a year, per person on average. Six a day. So if we all gave up one napkin a day, we could save a billion pounds of paper waste … from going to landfills a year.
• Receipts from 8 billion ATM transactions every year are one of the biggest sources of litter on the planet. If everyone left their receipts in the machine, it would save a roll of paper more than 2 billion feet long—enough to circle the equator more than 15 times.
• One place to start when making eco-friendly choices is the grocery store. Many items come in packaging made from petroleum products. Instead, look for things that have minimal packaging. If you must buy disposable plates, look for ones made of 100 percent recycled plastic. They're dishwasher safe, easy to use, and you can use them over and over again. Buy recycled aluminum foil, which requires just one-twentieth the energy of nonrecycled foil. Then, recycle it when you're done. Buy organic produce. Because it doesn't use pesticides, it uses less energy.
• More than 380 million plastic bags are thrown away in the United States every year, and those plastic bags can take up to 1,000 years to biodegrade in landfills. And while paper bags do eventually biodegrade, an estimated 14 million trees a year have to be cut down to make 10 billion paper bags. Bring your own bag to the store and fill it.
• When you buy one liter of water at the store, you're actually buying about six liters of water. That's because when manufacturers make plastic bottles, it takes five liters of water to cool the plastic. When you buy one liter of water at the store, you're actually buying about six liters of water. That's because when manufacturers make plastic bottles, it takes five liters of water to cool the plastic.
• You don't have to spend money to save the planet. Investing in items like the Smart Power Strip will conserve energy and cash. Most people don't know that plugged-in appliances and electronics use energy even if they're turned off. We're spending all this money to power things that are in the off position.

All done!!!

As of yesterday, I have officially completed my B.Ed in Social Studies and Special Education! Oh my gosh, it hasn't really sunk in yet--but I'm very happy about it!

I'm so excited to being teaching in the fall!

Having an education is an oppressive factor???

A judge has thrown out a woman's harassment suit against her ex-husband on the grounds she has a good education...

The woman is a high school teacher who endured sixteen years of psychological harassment in her marriage... but now a precedent has been set saying that if you are educated, then it is not likely you have endured abuse... furthermore, it is kind of sending a message that only educated people report abuse and also diminishes the trauma of abuse and the difficulty in reporting it.

Now a woman having an education is being held against her in court... pathetic.

The story is here: http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/04/19/europe/EU-GEN-Spain-Harassment-Suit.php

The drama continues...

I came across another brilliant cartoon that puts this past week's occurrences into perspective.

In addition, it seems as though another competition and obsession has launched in regards to violence in schools. Here are some of the stories I have come across:

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/story.html?id=4c0f658e-9074-4dea-bf73-19cb9359254f&k=92878

http://www.cnn.com/2007/EDUCATION/04/18/nc.school.shooting.ap/index.html

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/04/18/shooting.jitters.reut/index.html

http://www.cbc.ca/cp/world/070419/w041973A.html

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18203613/

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18236038/

John also has an interesting and substantive perspective on this whole issue. You can view what he says at: http://johnmurneysblog.blogspot.com/2007/04/virginia-tech-gunman-example-of.html

Below is another cartoon I found suiting.

A picture is worth 1000 words...

This is in no way to diminish the tragedy that took place yesterday at Virginia Tech. This cartoon, however, illustrates my frustration with the situation. It is just interesting which global tragedies get more attention than others. The passing of 33 people yesterday is a very sad thing. My thoughts and prayers are with those who are suffering from this loss. What I hope is that the world remains cognizant of all the other human suffering that is currently happening in the world and the mass scale on which it is happening. Furthermore, I hope the media engages in critical thought about where they place air-time value. In other words, my hope is that the media with equally educate our world about other issues that are taking place on our planet--in hopes that this sparks human action--and give less attention to the latest Hollywood hookup/breakup.

Here are just a fraction of issues that are taking place in the world, but fail to receive the same amount (if any) media attention:

• In 2006, 4.3 million people become infected with HIV and 2.9 million people died of AIDS.


• AIDS death toll in Africa may reach 100 million by 2025


• Every year more than 10 million children die of hunger and preventable diseases – one every three seconds.


• 100 million children miss out on school completely.


• A child born today in Zambia, one of the very poorest countries, can expect to live until they are 32 years old.


• 20% of the population in the developed nations, consume 86% of the world’s goods.


• It is estimated that 400,000 people have died since March 2003 in the conflict-affected area of Darfur and eastern Chad.


• A team of American and Iraqi epidemiologists estimates that 655,000 more people have died in Iraq since coalition forces arrived in March 2003 than would have died if the invasion had not occurred.


• 30,000 people a day die from poverty.


• The United Nations estimates that unfair trade rules deny poor countries
  US$700 billion every year.