The issue with the Lost Boys

In the past few years there have been many stories about polygamist groups around the US. Many of them tell only what the group members want us to see, but the story of the lost boys is something few have heard of. As teenage boys get to the age of marriage, many of them are cast out of their homes for normal, child behavior like staying out late, talking back to parents, and wanting to attend a public school. The leader of the group desides who has to leave with just the clothes on their backs. Dropped off in the middle of nowhere, these young boys (who have never been allowed out of the compound gates) have to find a new way of life.

Please read the full story provided on the link below:

http://www.childbrides.org/boys_KUTV_cast_out_boys.html

After seeing this story on CNN, I was very upset that a so-called religious group could go against the very thing they based their life on. How can a parent feel comfortable with stripping their child of everything? A home, clothes, food, friends and family. Leaving them with nothing but the ignorance they have been taught all their young lives. I think these people need to be charged with child abuse, child neglect, attempted murder, and just plain stupidity!

My questions to you are

who do you think is to blame?
why do you think the law has not stepped in?
what should the first step be to fix this problem?


Blog post by Latoya

Facebook and Myspace -- public consumption and privacy

When people hear the words Facebook or Myspace, they automatically know that they are sites that people around the world use to communicate with one another. Anything from the latest gossip, to 2 people just trying to get reaquainted from earlier years are some topics that are easily found on both Facebook and Myspace. Although most comments found on these networking sites are positive and friendly, sometimes people just need to vent by writing a message to a friend.

In the situation found in this story, a teenager by the name of Kimberly Swann posted a comment on Facebook saying that her job was "boring". Kimberly was an Administrator for Ivell Marketing and Logistics Limited in Clacton, Essex. Kimberly's boss Steve Ivell said "she posted comments on Facebook about her job and invited other staff members to read them". The story states that Kimberly was "sacked (fired) with immediate effect" after posting the comment on Facebook:


http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/Facebook-Sacking-Kimberley-Swann-From-Clacton-Essex-Sacked-For-Calling-Job-Boring/Article/200902415230508?lpos=UK_News_Top_Stories_Header_4&lid=ARTICLE_15230508_Facebook_Sacking%3A_Kimberley_Swann_From_Clacton%2C_Essex%2C_Sacked_For_Calling_Job_Boring



Group members' responses:

Jordan: 1. I do not believe that Kimberly's boss should have fired her because of the negative comment on Facebook. I think what she chooses to say online to another person is up to her, and if other people are offended then that's their problem. 2. I don't think that Kimberly is wrong saying that they were being nosey at all. If somebody is going to fire a person from posting a negative comment saying their job was boring on a site like Facebook. then I think that is just childish. 3. I believe that people overrate a lot of what is being put on sites like Facebook and Myspace. I mean people make such a big deal about something that is posted on a site that is meant to be fun and enjoyable that sometimes it's not even worth having one.

Amber: okay. I don't think it was right for her boss to fire her because of what she said. Who DOESN'T say that their job is boring, and the most places that I do see people say that is through Myspace or Facebook. It's normal these days. I know that in order to view a person's Facebook, that person has to accept you as a friend..so they had a right to be nosey I guess since whoever saw it was on her friends list. I know that Myspace and Facebook do cause a bit more drama, but it's because people overreact when they see things said that are negative.


The questions we wish to ask are: Do you agree with Kimberly Swann's boss by firing her because of the negative comment about her job she posted on Facebook? Do you think that Kimberly is right by saying that "They were just being nosey going through everything", or should she have not said anything negative about her job at all? Do you feel that sites like facebook and myspace are causing too much drama in today's society, or are people just overreacting when it comes to what is posted on these social networking sites?

The issues with airline customer service!

As the recession ripples through the nation, the airline industry is battling through one of its worst episodes since its inception, but that doesn’t mean we are happy campers with them, necessarily. According to the American Consumer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), the airline industry has plummeted even before the idea of service fees. Furthermore, the problems seem to center around issues at the airport counter, the baggage claim area and via telephone customer service. Sometimes, however, something does happen that is out of the ordinary. Let’s look into these cases.

There's the 2008 JetBlue case of customer, Gokhan Mutlu, who flew from San Diego to New York. His seat assignment was the lavatory. He sued JetBlue for $2 million dollars, but JetBlue gave Mutlu an offer and dismissed the case.

(Actually, it doesn’t say what was the offer, I looked in the New York civil records and it says the case was dismissed.)

http://www.nypost.com/seven/05132008/news/regionalnews/airline_sat_me_on_can_110626.htm

Another case comes courtesy from the Chicago Tribune from passenger Shannon Tadel who was coming back from Syracuse N.Y, and, unfortunately, her luggage was turned into a flambé.

Enjoy the article:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/travel/chi-tue-problem-0210-feb10-2,0,7331900.column
Customer Service from the airline industry last year plummeted around 1.5%, but from 1995 the decline in customer service overall was around 14%. This means that, unfortunately, customer service has deteriorated, and if customer service declines, a lot more complaints and lawsuits will ensue.

Here is the ACSI Quarterly report and score on the airline industry

http://www.theacsi.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=147&Itemid=155&i=Airlines

http://www.theacsi.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=179&Itemid=182

According to the ACSI Quarterly report and in the scores, Southwest airlines is still the king of the skies, taking under consideration that we’re facing the greatest recession in the history of mankind since the Great Depression.
Regardless, Southwest still is the only airline that doesn’t charge extra fees (baggage, blankets, non-alcoholic beverage among other things). Airline experts don’t know how long Southwest will continue this.

Irregardless, it is the only airline not imposing extra fees, so do you think that Southwest is going to be the winner of the skies or it will be just like the legacy airlines?

Do you have a preferred or loyal airline? If yes, what is your preferred airline? Why do you think it is a different airline from the rest? Do you have any hope that customer service of airline industry is going to restore to its glory days? Have you have any incidents with customer service of any particular airline? What is your opinion on the extra fees?

Alex says: The Aviation Industry has been suffering for quite awhile. Southwest airlines has maintained their standard and has picked up several thousands more passengers from other airlines. How they are going to maintain the standard, I don’t know. I hope that Southwest doesn’t change in any of its policies. If it does, I will be disappointed because it will finish an era where I didn’t have to pay for commodities.

I am going to be sincere; I got miles with American, Delta, and United. I got enrollment in JetBlue, Airtran, US Airways and with foreign airlines like British Airways. I lost my miles in United, which I tend to reactivate. It is hard to keep up with this. As for my preference, I really lean towards American, Delta and United because with the miles combined with the airlines I mentioned previously, I got about 45,000 miles, but I go where my pocket takes me like most people do. I don’t think each one I just mention got something special; the only difference is that Delta lets me choose my award flight starting at 20,000 miles, which in American or United are 30,000 and 25,000 respectively.

I don’t think the customer service overall is going to improve I think unfortunately that it will get worse before it gets better; you know this when you travel frequently. I have had some minor problems with American, but it was resolved because the baggage was in other airport. I think that maybe this administration is going to regulate the airline industry, but I believe in chasing a wild dream.

Nonetheless, if you feel as something must be done, write your senator or your representative. I know it’s a long shot, but it is worth a try. Let them feel the pain when they fly commercial flights as we do, instead of flying the government- owned C-32, C-37A or C-40 Clipper.

Lastly, I believe that if the airline industry doesn’t reform the customer service department, the airline industry is going to be in big trouble. What do you think?

Ahhh...the octuplet quandary...

"She already has six beautiful children, why would she do this?"



[ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMB7qJcxGO8 ]

Anybody who has watched the news in the past couple of weeks has heard of her, the 33year old Californian woman that already had six children (one of which is autistic) under the age of eight who gave birth to octuplets on January 26th.

Well, recently "the octuplet mom" has revealed herself as Nadya Suleman. Not only has she revealed herself, but, also her eight newest children (http://www.thenadyasulemanfamily.com).

She lives with her parents in their three bedroom home: a three bedroom house that is soon to be home to fourteen children. In the video, Angela Suleman, Nadya's mother, speaks out and let's her opinion on her daughters fourteen children be known.

The questions we leave you with are: What is your opinion of Nadya Suleman after watching the video? Do you think she was right in having all six embryos implanted, just to try to have one more child? What do you have to say about the living conditions she puts her children in?


Kaitlyn says: To me, I don't think people are looking down on her decision just because she's a single mom. I think they're looking down on her decision simply because it was selfish. She's not going to be able to support 14 kids. By the sounds of it, she didn't even have a handle on six. I agree with Angela -- she could have given those embryos up, and the doctors shouldn't have went through with the procedure! Besides, I also don't really see the big difference between having six kids and having seven. Six makes a big family as it is. The living conditions that are available to Nadya Suleman and her children are not sufficient enough to suit fourteen (fifteen if you count her). A three bedroom house that is already crowded? I don't think so.


Christine says: After having 6 kids, I think she should have quit having kids. Even her own mother doesn't believe she is capable of taking care of all 14 kids by herself. Her house isn't equipped to raise all of her children. I believe she has mental problems.

Global warming upon us...

Although temperatures in Florida have been rather cold lately, the earth as a whole is getting warmer and professionals are calling it global warming. They are linking the cause to emissions of greenhouse gases produced by humans. Emissions of methane, carbon dioxide, water vapor and nitrous oxide trap heat in the earth’s atmosphere that would usually escape this causes the earth’s temperature to rise and several plants to die. It is affecting all parts of the world because it is causing sea level to rise and many species of algae and small fish to become extinct.

Electricity is one of the main causes of global warming because it gives off emissions of greenhouse gases and is 38% of earth’s energy sources. So each time someone does something as simple as turning a light on or using their dishwasher they are contributing to global warming, that being said we cannot stop these things altogether but something could be done to conserve energy. Landfills also contribute a huge amount of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere when they burn garbage, but by far the largest contributor to global warming is emissions from cars, they contribute 50% of the earth’s harmful emissions. Several people have started carpooling to cut back on this problem.

Another thing that causes global warming is when people cut down trees because they are one of the factors that helps turn carbon-dioxide into oxygen.

Even things as simple as using hairspray and other aerosol sprays hurt the atmosphere. The government has stepped in and recently passed the Clean Air Act, which will by 2015 require most harmful products to reduce to the amount of greenhouse gases they emit.

President Obama has unveiled his plan to convert the United States to a type of fuel that emits less carbon and greenhouse gases. He plans to reduce our dependence on foreign oil as well as help the environment.

Even though the government has taken these precautions, a recent survey release by the Non-partisan Survey Institute concluded that 76% of Americans feel there is not enough being done about global warming, and studies show that the average temperature could increase up to 7 degrees in the next century. That being said our questions to you are

Is the government doing enough to prevent global warming?

Should they be focusing more on the issue of global warming or should it be an individual choice to conserve energy?

--Ashlyn Cobb and Jasset Cole

A fine line drawn for professors?

Take a look at the following article from the Feb.6th issue of the Chronicle of Higher Education:


http://chronicle.com/free/v55/i22/22a00104.htm


My questions for you are

1. Where do we draw the line between public consumption and privacy?

2. How do you feel about your teachers, professors and administrators having similar online, social-networking means as you?

Closing Guantanamo Bay Prison and Its Effects on the Various Levels of American Security

“You can’t handle the truth” is one of the most memorable movie quotes of all times. Made popular in the 1992 movie A Few Good Men, the movie depicts a true story of a murder on Guantanamo Bay Marine base. Now, with the closing of Guantanamo’s prison, arguments from both sides of the fence are repeating that ever famous line.

The whole world knows that Guantanamo Bay (Gitmo) is America’s chief detainment camp for suspected military combatants from Afghanistan and around the world. By closing the camp that has been found on numerous occasions to be utilizing illegal and inhumane interrogation procedures on its residents, the rest of the world powers would see that America wants positive change in how our government goes about its business and that we are ready to do something about it.

The new plan Obama plans to execute consists of closing this prison which has been a great asset to America by holding some of our most dangerous enemies. A majority of these are members of the Taliban. Closing the confined cage that keeps America safe from these animals would be a crime in itself.

A majority of the residents at Gitmo are “suspected” of having Taliban affiliations. By changing not only the holding area, but the holding conditions that we place our captured terrorists, we can hope to show our citizens and the rest of the world that the government and the military are doing what needs to be done in a manner that will not have depredating results on America’s conscience.

The closing of this prison will bring all these prisoners to America to stand trial. With the prisons here in America already overcrowded, this will force us to pardon some of these prisoners from Guantanamo to be released into our country without standing trial. The government has given an estimate of about 250 men to be just let go in the states. There are no other countries that are willing to take the accused. So with a reputation like that, why should we?

Our last point is that with the prison closing, whatever the outcome should be for these prisoners (whether it’s standing trial and going free or being pardoned in America), we are still taking a giant risk which we can’t afford by letting these terrorist organizations think they can get off with a slap on the wrist.

QUESTION: The question we leave you with is simple: Does the luxury of hardened criminals with proven ties to Al Qaida (who dedicate their lives to making America extinct) outweigh the price of our (Americans) safety and freedom?

PS. In my opinion (Shermaine), they can take their 72 virgins and rot in a jail cell for the rest of their lives.