Social Chat

The top ranking General in Afghanistan recently called for significantly more troops to be sent to Afghanistan.  I’d like to hear whether or not you think a significant troop increase is needed and why/why not.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47c6z2mrTEM[/youtube]

So here’s the thing-can someone tell me how President Obama is touting socialism during the above speech he made to k-12 kids this past week? Numerous school districts refused to air the address, which, again, was specifically focused toward kids.

Can someone clear this up for me? Thanks.

Please look for the first blog post beginning 9/13.

This will be the last post for the semester.  As a result, be sure to turn your blog entries into the appropriate dropbox by next Monday.

Todays’ ARTICLE invovles a British woman on trial for drug trafficking in Thailand.  This by itself isn’t necessarily that interesting; however, her possible punishement of death by a firing squad is.

Yes, you heard right.  This woman, if found guilty, could be sentenced to death by firing squad for bringing a little over 1lb of heroin into Thailand.  A couple thoughts come to mind regarding this article:

I guess Thailand’s justice system doesn’t prescribe to the idea of retribution, do they (Retribution is the idea that one’s punishment should be proportional to the crime committed)?  Now, I don’t believe bringing in an illegal drug into a foreign country is a good idea; however, is it proportional? This leads me to my second thought: what do they do with individuals who are convicted of murdering another human being (it doesn’t seem like there will be any worst punishments remaining).

What are your thoughts?

I have to tell you that I’ve never attended any of my high school reunions.  A couple of years ago, a friend asked me if I was going to attend an upcoming one and I replied that “I hadn’t lost anything I needed to go back and find at my high school.”

I’m not sure how you feel about this issue (you may/may not have loved high school), but I recently watched a video that was simply hilarious regarding one’sreturn to her family reunion.  Let me know what you think and enjoy.

This week’s ARTICLE focuses on foreign policy.  More specifically, what should our country’s role be with other nations that we disagree with or disklike?  Should we talk and work with them? Moreover, should we joke and laugh with them? Should we refuse to talk with them (much like we do with Iran)?

Wasn’t it Sun-tzu, the Chinese Military General, who said “Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.  What do you think?

The title for todays blog refers to electronic cigarettes.  Have you heard about these things? I listened to some commentary this past weekend on them and found it quite intriguing.  Click HERE to read an article about them.  You can also click HERE to watch a video demonstrating their use.

Now I’ll admit I may be way behind on this technology as I’m not a smoker.  If so, give me some feedback on your experience with this battery-operated wonder.  There doesn’t seem to be alot of research into their effect on humans (I’d like to hope any negative effects would pale in comparison to traditional cigs).  Let me know what you think.

I know you can’t turn on the TV or view the Internet without reading something about the current automotive crises hear in the US.  I’m referring to the “Big 3”; uh, I guess you’d have to call them the “Little 3” now, as they’ve been surpassed by the Asian Automotive Market (Honda, Nissan, and Toyota).

Yeah, we’re currently spending billions (if not trillions) of dollars helping these 3 companies out and may end up spending more (The exception here is Ford Motor Company, which hasn’t taken any money yet) before it’s all said and done with.  The ARTICLE for this weeks adds to the already heated debate on whether or not the government (The People) should be bailing out companies who make bad choices or simply fall victim to a really crappy economy.  What do you think?

So this week’s blog focuses on the extent to which we tolerate criticism from journalists as well as comedians.  Let me explain: I like Jon Stewart.  Yes, I admit it, I watch and love the show.  Still I must admit that I often have a bitter taste in my mouth after watching his shows, as I think something’s not quite right.

Remember when Imus was one radio as a comedian? He’s the old guy with the weird hat who recently caused a stir and lost his syndication as a result of his referring to a college womens basketball team as a “bunch of nappy headed hoes”.  Click HERE to listen to this broadcast.

There were many who proposed that Imus would have been able to “get away” with such language back when his show was considered a comedy show.  However, his show had apparently made the transition to a more political (and objective journalism) venue so he was held to a different standard.  I’m not sure about this line of reasoning, but it does bring up an interesting point about what our society will tolerate when its labelled comedy (and satire) as opposed to genuine journalism (objective newsmaking).

I wonder about the same thing with regard to the Jon Stewart Daily Show.  I don’t think Stewart has used Imus’s sort of language, but he definitely “skirts” the line of what we believe may/may not be appropriate.  Moreover, Stewart seems to have the luxury of both worlds (serious political journalism and comedy) and loves to use the “I’m a comediy show” response when confronted with serious questions.

Watch these two videos in regard to this line of reasoning and then let me know what you think:

Stewart and Crossfire

Stewart and Jim Cramer

We are taking a break from blogging for mid-terms and spring break.  The next blog will appear Sunday, March 29.