Spain pleads for help in European crisis

The Spanish Finance Minister has announced Spain's inability to access its credit; the the impending crash of its economy if one of the larger EU economies (ahem, Germany) doesn't bail it out.

Basically, Spain wants Germany to help it out via a direct channel. Germany is willing to help; but wants Spain to go through all the usual procedures, rather than bypass the rules and set up a direct channel. Problem is, that might be too late for Spain, Europe's fourth largest economy.

Ok, so this really highlights the EU's deficiencies. One of them goes down, and they all have to bail it out. Well basically, it's only Germany doing all the bailing; and what's going to happen on the day when Germany needs help? Judging from all the countries they've been helping out, Germany is steadily being leeched of money by the other, needier countries, which isn't good for it. Europe is a pretty big mess right now; and needs to be stabilized.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/spain-pleads-for-help-in-european-crisis/2012/06/05/gJQAdjGqGV_story.html?tid=pm_world_pop

Giant Spiders in India Prompt A Panic

In Northeast India, an epidemic of biting spiders has caused a panic with the death of two citizens.

The species of spider is unidentified as of now; and believed to be a variation of a tarantula.

Authorities are unsure if the spider bite caused the deaths, or if it was the primitive treatment. Both victims were tended by witch doctors, who drained the wound with razor blades. Now the seven other confirmed citizens who were bitten were given antibiotics, and monitored for any changes.

Personally, this isn't really all too surprising to me, as I'm Bengali. Superstition runs amok in South Asia, especially the rural areas, where few are educated about anything at all really. In my opinion, to prevent deaths like these from happening, the gov't should focus its attempts on sanitation, alongside education.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/giant-hairy-spiders-spark-panic-in-northeast-india-bite-victims-trying-to-drain-wounds/2012/06/05/gJQAhFDDFV_story.html

Hosni Mubarak's rapidly declining health after his sentencing

Former president Hosni Mubarak is reported to be in poor (or poorer really) health after his sentencing to life in prison was delivered for the deaths of protesters in the Egyptian Revolution.

the Egyptian people have protested, seeing this as his attempts to get off on the basis of leniency. Meanwhile, the Muslim Brotherhood is rallying an absolutely anti-military campaign with their candidate, Mohammed Morsi, who is to run against the former air force chief,  Ahmed Shafiq.

personally, i think that Mubarak is definitely trying to loosen up his prison sentence; but at the same time, he's an 84 year old sick man, who's going to probably die soon anyways. The people protesting against his release should realize this, and know that either way, he's not expecting a life of comfort or anything.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/us-strike-said-to-target-al-qaedas-no-2/2012/06/05/gJQAHTZiFV_story.html

Al-Qaeda's Beta Leader is killed by a U.S. Air Strike

Abu Yahya Al-Libi was confirmed to have been killed by a CIA air strike on Tuesday.

al-Libi, who was the assumed successor after Bin Laden's death led Al-Qaeda's actions, and acted as their spiritual leader as well. With his death comes new found confusion for the Al-Qaeda as they don't have a clear successor; and a new found vigor in the attempts of the U.S. to shut down the terrorist group for good.

yay for the U.S.! i think that this is a huge breakthrough following the death of Bin Laden; after that, things went a little stagnant. but this shows that our long-term efforts paid off in the end.

however, groups like these have a nasty reputation of being stubbornly hard to remove, and so, the U.S. is going to have to zero in on the remaining areas before we can relax just yet.

read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/us-strike-said-to-target-al-qaedas-no-2/2012/06/05/gJQAHTZiFV_story.html

What I Need--erm, Want:

-A Squirtle T-Shirt (personal reasons)
-A roommate that isn't scary (self-explanatory)
-A haircut
-A job (please please please not Coldstone)
-A PS3 (i need to play FF-13 asap...)
-Containers for college
-New glasses (boy in the cupboard under the stairs status over here)
-learn to be more sociable
-buy more chai bags
-use the diary my mom got me 6 years ago
-take pictures this summer!!!

Summer Plans

this summer, i plan to work, and hang out with friends as much as possible before Ramadan. admittedly, i can still see people and whatnot while i'm fasting, but one isn't really all that sociable when you're going without food and water for like 16 hours.

..is it really 16 hours? sounds so much more terrible when you type it out. i am definitely looking forward to when Ramadan is in the winter again for sure.

my parents had fuzzy plans for going to Bangladesh, but that's not exactly set in motion yet.

Needless to say, the idea of fasting in 100+ weather isn't appealing either...so maybe we'll hold off on Bangladesh till the winter?

Aside from that, I don't exactly have any exotic trips planned. just living the easy life.

High School Reflection

honestly, high school wasn't all that terrible. well, okay, maybe looking back on it, 9th and 10th grade were kind of sucky, seeing as we were all still kind of floating leaves, not really sure where we fit in, or who are friends actually were. It's so weird--those first two years, i talked with people i barely even know now.

11th and 12th grade were amazing. admittedly, they were both the most stressful years of my life (only gonna get better from here, i just know it) but at the same time, i felt fulfilled in my work ethic for school (maybe not so much second semester of senior year) and felt that my friends were genuine, and that i knew myself better.

though i'm excited for college, not gonna lie, i'm kind of feeling sad at the thought high school's already over. how was it so fast?! it seemed like yesterday when the first day of 9th happened.

at the same time, i am SO glad for a change of scenery, and the chance to see/experience new things in the "real" world.

so high school, it's been real. good times, and bad. in the end, i probably wouldn't change anything. now onwards--to college!!

Current Event #6: Russia protesters take up politics, aim for City Hall.

After Putin's landslide victory, Russian protesters took to the streets, with accusations of fraud and corruption. Now that the protests have somewhat died down, the opposition has decided to try to infiltrate the Moscow City Council, which is firmly held by Putin loyalists. Mikhail Velmakin, a young politician, hopes that by being elected to the Council, he'll be able to get other people elected that represent the people and their needs, and loosen, and perhaps free Russia from Putin's grip.

I think that while the idea of this is a decent one, it'll probably be messier/harder to execute. Putin hasn't stayed in power for so long just by sitting around, and he's sure to catch a whiff of this and jail these people for some uppity reason or another.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/russia-protesters-take-up-politics/2012/03/26/gIQAuRZofS_story.html

Current Event #5: After Bo being ousted in China, a mysterious death stirs up the rumor mill again.

Last week when the new political star Bo Xilai was fired from his position as Chonqing's party boss due to allegations of corruption, rumors abounded of secret workings of the top tiers in the CCP, and plots to maintain power and influence in their own circle. When Neil Heywood, a British consultant believed to have close ties with Bo was found dead in his apartment last week, many questioned the manner of his mysterious death. China had to go so far as to censor their internet search, making it impossible for their citizens to look up Heywood at all. British authorities have asked China to re-investigate Heywood's death--but right now, things are looking kind of shady.

To me, this seems really typical of a regime where the freedom is limited. To maintain their tight circle of power in their little inner ring, it's not really surprising if the CCP had a hand in Heywood's death, or some ulterior motive for firing Bo.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/after-bos-ouster-a-mysterious-death-adds-to-chongqings-churning-rumor-mill/2012/03/28/gIQASEmZhS_story.html

Current Event #4: Ukraine's Failed Assasination Plot Against Putin

The title is pretty self-explanatory. Basically, two Chechen men were arrested after accidentally blowing up their apartment buidling in Odessa. Closer investigation revealed that the men were trying to build a bomb, and closer questioning (using some violent methods) revealed a Ukranian plot to assisinate Vladimir Putin, who has been consolidfating and expanding his power since 2000.

The men were hired by Doku Umarov, a Ukranaian war lord. (yes, these still exist apparently.) This isn't his first attempt on Putin's life; he has orchestrated another failed attack back in Jan. 24, 2011, a blast that killed 37 people.Their names are Ilya Pyanzin and Adam Osmayev; they are currently being detained.

Personally, I think that Putin should get a hint. If people are trying to kill you (this plot was one of a dozen since 2000) then I think it speaks volumes about your rule and how satisfied people are with it. This, on top of Russians protesting and whatnot, I really think it's time for Putin to go into retirement mode.

read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/putin-assassination-plot-reported/2012/02/27/gIQAaDTZdR_story.html

Current Event #3: Scandal May Topple Party Official in China

In the city of Chonqing in China, the Communist Party is initiating the secret process of installing a new generation of leaders. Unfortunately, this is proving to be a little bit more troublesome and violent than they had anticipated.

The main two players right now for a strong leadership position in the future are Xi Jinping, (China's "leader-in-waiting") who visited the US on Thursday, and Bo Xilai, the powerful commerce minister, and governor/leader of Chonqing.

Bo Xilai has made many populist changes in China, from taking on foregin companies such as Wal-Mart, to fighting the underground mafias who attack the native people. His powerful family (his father was a revolutionary war leader) also gives him a good name, and standing in politics.

However, this good name, and his upward rise in politics is being marred by his association with Wang Lijun, who he hired to eradicate the mafias. Though Wang is efficient, he has proven to be brutal, nd doesnf't seem to have any consideration of the other citizen casulaties that might come into play through his harsh measures.


Personally, I think that despite Bo's ties to Wang, he still has a high chance of being elected to a leadership position in the future. Though Wang's methods are harsh, they are effective, and he has arrested 2000 people, along with Communist leaders who are accused of ebing corrupted and in alliance with the mafia heads. This shows that he is fair in his justice, and to me, in a place like China where there is so much breeding ground for corruption, thast's pretty good. However, if Wang continues his methods and injures more innocen citizens, I think Bo's chances could be affected as most of his city is a agrarian area, with people who are concerned for their personal safety, whether it be from attack of mafia, or attack of the law enforcement organization trying to wipe ou tthe mafia.

read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/17/world/asia/scandal-may-end-rise-of-bo-xilai-party-official-in-china.html?_r=1&ref=world

Current Event #2: Iran increases control over the Internet

Iran recently upped their measures to censor the internet.

This restricts access to social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and other sites like Google. Many perceive this to be a measure against a revolt, like the other countries in the Middle East; those revolutions were primarily orchestrated through social networking sites.
Iranian officials insist that this is being done for the protection of their citizens, and to prevent the US gov't from "spying" on them.

Personally, I think that the Iranian gov't is getting more paranoid with every passing year. Their false claims of trying to protect their people, when in reality they're only trying to control and stifle them is a bit bizarre. They should realize that this is going to come back and bite them in the butt: they're trying to prevent an uprising, but by enforcing more stringent rules, the people will get angrier and organize one without the help of the internet. Let's be honest: if someone really wanted to organize a revolution, I'm sure they could manage without the help of Facebook or something sure it'd be difficult, but it could still happen.

article link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/iran-increasingly-controls-its-internet/2012/02/07/gIQAxTya1Q_story.html?tid=pm_world_pop

Current Event #1: Rebels in Sudan Capture 20 Chinese Workers

20 Chinese road builders have been captured by Sudanese rebels, showing the dangers of the increasingly volatile area. China has interests in that area, primarily due to the oil rich region, and construction opportunities.

China has had old ties with Sudan, protecting it and its regime (which is so often criticized) by the West. Conflict between Northern and Southern Sudan have jeopardized China's oil/economic interests in the area.

Personally, I find this to be a bit of a mini setback for the Chinese. Sure, the Sudanese rebels are frustrating their efforts to exploit the rich resources found in the area, but from the sound of the article, China wasn't exactly all up in arms about their own citizens going missing. This shows that China definitely has a stake in Sudan, and won't be willing to leave for awhile, constructing their own buildings, and making more investments there. And honestly, I think that even if China had to pull out of Sudan in terms of making a profit, they could easily do so in other places, such as Nigeria where they're already building various buildings and whatnot.

read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/more-than-2-dozen-chinese-workers-captured-in-sudan-attack/2012/01/29/gIQAuFnFaQ_story.html

Political Cartoon #6

This cartoon, published by Rick Mckee makes references the fact (or rumor, depending on who you believe) that Gingrich asked his second wife for an open marriage. Though Gingrich vehemently denies this accusation, most people (given his wandering ways) seem to believe his second wife. The cartoon also makes humor of the fact that Gingrich holds himself in high esteem, and is seen as arrogant as well. The cartoonist is most likely disdaining of Gingrich, and has moderate ideologies.

Question of the Week #6: The Senior Year Review (So Far)

Senior Year so far has been pretty decent. For me, high school has been getting progressively better with freshman year being terrible, and right now being pretty nice. Being done with college apps is a little surreal, and just waiting around is kind of killing me. But school has managed to get even more difficult (no surprise there) with APES and occasionally Precalc kicking my butt habitually; so I've been sufficiently distracted. I just want second semester to be over, but at the same time, I'm super nervous for my PoliSci internship.

I would say that I just want to get out of high school (like most everyone else) but I'm one of those suckers for nostalgia, and can see myself (god forbid) crying at my graduation or something. So though I'm excited for college, I definitely want to take the time and enjoy my senior year.

Political Cartoon #5

This political cartoon was probably drawn by a person with a moderate ideology, or someone who's not exactly a Gingrich supporter. This cartoon clearly refers to Gingrich's bitterness at Romney taking Iowa, and his own disappointing fall in popularity there; due to Romney's negative ads. The bombs strapped to Gingrich's chest also seem to show that the cartoonist fins Gingrich to be a bomb waiting to go off, something that I'm finding a little bit true; nowadays Gingrich just seems to be an angry old man after his Iowa defeat.

Question of the Week #5

I think that the GOP nomination will probably go to Romney. Though he's been attacked as being inconsistent, and a little to moderate for some conservatives, he has the best organization, funding, and support out of all the candidates. Though the majority of the GOP party doesn't seem to like him, and have been touting a new candidate every other month, Romney has been consistent with the polling. He also appeals to the middle ground, and he's not too conservative (Um, Santorum...) seems to know his policies well, (Perry) and doesn't have any extra baggage. (Gingrich and Paul) Though Romney may not be the best Republican choice to many, he stands the best chance of winning against Obama, so those who wish to see a Republican president in office next election will probably go for him.