Identity Theft Costs A Lot

It is being said that Identity Theft isn't that big of an issue to focus on. Mainly that it isn't worth it because it costs to much to do and track down the thefts.

Some words that were said in the article that stood out to me:

"A report by the Justice Department Inspector General released Tuesday cites the wide-ranging costs and dangers of ID theft. Although the report has no new numbers, the financial losses are believed to be substantially higher than the $15.6 billion documented in 2005."

"The report says "the specific crime of identity theft is not a top FBI priority." However, the report adds that the FBI often addresses the issue through the Cyber Division's criminal intrusion program, which is a priority of the agency."

"Identity theft can also be a significant element of violent crimes, such as domestic abuse, and even terrorism, and a significant number of ID theft-related crimes originate overseas," the report said.

The first quote surprised me on how much it cost for ID Thefts. The second quote was kind of funny to me, they are basically contradicting themselves, saying that it isn't the FBI's top priority when what ID Theft cases are under are one of their top priorities. And the third quote stood out the most because it is scary to think of all the things that ID Theft lead up to.

San Francisco Food Bank

The first thing that stood out to me on the San Francisco Food Bank site was it's Hunger Facts:

"An estimated 49 million Americans are food insecure. Of those 49 million, almost 17 million are children and 5 million are seniors. Last year, over 37 million people used a Food Bank for emergency food assistance."

That is a lot of people. And it is sad to see what groups are affected more than others, or mainly just the fact that all of these groups of people are being affected by poverty and hunger this badly.

When I scrolled down on the page, it lists in bullet points the things they do providing for the people they serve. I think what they do is a great thing and I am glad places like these are around to help people in need. That is why I volunteer some of my time at the Contra Costa Food Bank; I like being a part of an organization like this.

Poverty in America Today

Poverty in America is such a big issue because it impacts the lives of many Americans. The site Poverty in America is all about this issue in America. It has information about what has been going on and a project someone can participate in to help.

Something in the site that stood out to me:

"According to our estimates in 2003, almost 25% of the nation's counties had low per-capita incomes below one half the national average or less, high unemployment, low labor force participation rates, and a high dependency on government transfer payments-all measures of economic distress."

That's a high percentage. That number seems to be increasing and citizens of the U.S. should step in and try to make a difference. The government could too. If nothing is done, that number will keep increasing and economic problems will plummet and just become more worse than they ever were.

Tossing Out Babies? Really?

In China, Jining Hospital Affiliated Medical College mortuary staff have been dumping fetuses and infants off at the Guangfu River.

The statement said:

"A total of 21 bodies were found near the Guangfu River."

I think this is pretty depressing. These staff members have been disciplined because of this. I can't believe any human being could do such a thing like this. A few of the staffers were fired and have been detained according to the law. These people deserve whatever they get to them because of this. I think this whole hospital should be checked out because if they do something like this, who knows what other sick things they are doing.

VW Volkswagen Punching Game

MIND BREAK!!!

I found this commercial to be hilarious! Where everyone hits and the situations are hilarious. And the best part, even Stevie Wonder plays! Check this out:

A Risk of Medical Marijuana

People who have a medical marijuana card may have a risk at losing their job. People who use marijuana to relieve their pain, when they go to work, they can't pass the drug test. So some people don't get high at work, but the employer may have a hard time believing that when they know that a person is able to get high legally and whenever he wants.

Casarias, 29, worked at Wal-Mart but was fired because he couldn't pass a drug test. He has a medical marijuana card, but never abused it to go to work high. He was upset about being fired, he said:

"I was angry they did this to me because I always tried my best," said Casias, who was employed at Wal-Mart for five years. He earned an Associate of the Year award in 2008. "I want my job back. I thought I was part of the Wal-Mart family."

I can see how employers worry about hiring someone who has a medical marijuana card and that he may come to work high, but they can always test. But I just don't think someone shouldn't be hired because of having that card.

ConAgra Foods

ConAgra Foods is a major company who owns many of the brands that we people of America Purchase, from Hunt's tomato ingredients to Wesson oil to even PAM cooking spray. This site contains many ways for people to check out healthier eating styles and even learn about the food a person consumes. ConAgra Foods though is a company who joined together with Feeding America to fight hunger in America.

The thing I like about this site is that it even helps someone manage a way to eat healthy even though they are on a low budget. It was said that people who usually don't have money are the more obese ones because they don't have the opportunity to spend their money on healthier and cheaper foods.

Gummy Bear

MIND BREAK!!!

This is one of my favorite little songs that I randomly stubled upon while looking around on YouTube. All the kids in the family dance when hearing this song, its very random, check it out:

Child Hunger Ends Here

The site Child Hunger Ends Here has to mainly do with, at the moment, 2 organizations, ConAgra Foods and Feeding America, joining together to fight hunger in America, especially when it comes to children. This site lets someone find a local foodbank near them to help out, and informs them about the problems that people in America face; try to make people more aware of what's going on around them in America.

Feeding America seems like a major part of the "Child Hunger Ends Here" movement because on that site they let people know about a neighborhood rally they are having, and how people are able to donate food to them.

Organizations like these help fight hunger. Many more companies should step in and try to make a difference just like these places are. If more and more organizations stepped in to do just a little something, more and more people in America who are facing hunger wouldn't be unnoticed for any longer.

Life 600 Feet Under

NASA discovered a new life...but 6oo feet under the Antarctic ice! While the crew had a camera looking down, they spotted the little brownish orange life form moving, and realized it was a new unknown creature that they just discovered. I think science is fascinating and the new things organizations find are all due to the equipment they have.

The article says:

"NASA scientists made a startling discovery – a swimming shrimp-like creature that could challenge the idea of where and how forms of life can survive."

I think this new discovery is fascinating and may give scientists a new outlook on the way things were made. Many possible outcomes may be benefited from this finding.

Innocent People Killed

These 2 people, Arthur Redelfs (left) and Lesley Enrique (right) were shot by a gang in Mexico on their way home from a party with their adopted kid in the backseat. Lesley was pregnant.

It was said:

"For unknown reasons, the gang followed the family car through the streets and riddled it with bullets, authorities said. When it was over, 35-year-old Enriquez and Redelfs, who was 34, were dead. Their orphaned daughter was unhurt but terrified in her car seat in back, authorities said."

These innocent people were killed for no reason. A few hours before this other people were shot the same way too. All because of these drug gangs. I feel that the only way to stop things like this from happening is to legalize pot. All these drugs that are in the U.S. are coming from Mexico and these drug gangs illegally anyways. If it's legal, these drug gangs would disappear because their business would no longer be needed. And if they disppear, so will these pointless killings and deaths of innocent people.

Poverty Causes Obesity

It used to be that people who have money were obese because they were able to buy whatever food they wanted, but now, people who face poverty are the ones who are more likely to become obese. And that is because they don't have enough money to buy the healthy foods they need to stay healthy, they only buy whatever their money can buy, and usually thats the cheap stuff, sweets.

Rush Limbaugh said something pretty interesting that this article mentioned:

"...food stamps provide for people to "buy Twinkies, Milk Duds, potato chips, six-packs of Bud, then head home to watch the NFL on one of two color TVs and turn off their cell phones, and that's poverty in the U.S."

I agree with this article, what he said was offensive and totally contradicts the truths about poverty. That isn't what it's about, it's about not having enough money to eat the healthy foods and the foods that are good for your body and those sweets and stuff are all what they can afford. It isn't a good thing, and that is why organizations need to spread out a little more and get their word out and try to do more things. Two organizations are joining together to make a difference. More should.

Organizations Joining Together

Organizations like ConAgra Foods and Feeding America are joining together to fight child hunger this Spring.

Their goal/what they are going to do:

"From March-May 2010, ConAgra Foods and Feeding America are working together to help end child hunger in communities all across the United States through the “Child Hunger Ends Here” promotion."

This is the kind of things that need to happen. Organizations like these two are good in this world because they are actually taking a step in trying to help out people in the U.S. who need it. These are both food organizations that help people out by giving them donated food because they are too poor to afford buying food, also because they are probably using the money they have to support themselves in the world, and there isn't enough for food.

Senate Killing Off Job Opportunities

The opportunity to have created more jobs for teenagers and help families financially didn't get passed in the Senate, there weren't enough votes. I don't get why it wouldn't be. About 2.6 million dollars could've went towards this movement to help in this issue. It would have created over 500,000 job opportunities for young teens to be able to get.

This quote in this article stood out to me the most:

"Does congress want people to work or not? How can Sen. Scott Brown, who spent a good portion of his campaign talking about job creation, vote against this proposed amendment?"

I think this is ridiculous. Senator Brown is basically contradicting himself. In my opinion this should've passed; I believe it was called the Emergency TANF. If this passed, there would be less statistics of unemployment, so I don't get why the Senate didn't pass this.

Old Spice For Men?

MIND BREAK!!!

I thought this commercial was one of the funniest ones that I've seen in a while. It's completely random, but that's what makes it great, check it out:

Teacher Cuts Cause Rallys

These graduates are outraged that some of their teachers have been layed off. In my opinion they are kind of over doing it though.

"He doesn't know us. He doesn't know the teachers. He doesn't know the students," said Nikko Calle, 21, a graduate of Central Falls High School in 2006. "I think it's a real outrage what's happening here."

Nearby, Ashley Delgado, 19, stood on the school's steps clutching a sign that read: "Dear Obama, I supported you, your causes, goals and beliefs. Why aren't you supporting mine?"

The thing about this that bothers me is that this is happening almost everywhere around the country. Their school isn't the only school who is having some teachers layed off. My school is losing some teachers too. Their school isn't any different. The economy is horrible and because of the budget cuts, teachers are being layed off. Like I said, this is happening everywhere.

Text Slang Speaking Grandma

MIND BREAK!!!

The grandma in this commercial is so hip with the new text slang its hilarious. Check this out:

Government Needs To Take Action Against Unemployment

Here is a little information from this site about unemployment:

"Nearly 15 million people are out of work -- 25.6 million if we count those who are working part-time because they can't find a full-time job or are too discouraged to go on looking. But there's no sense of urgency to create jobs coming from the White House or Congress."

"The Senate is set to vote on a $15 billion jobs bill that the the New York Times calls"so puny as to be meaningless."

I think the White House or Congress needs to more than what they are doing. According to the second quote above, the jobs bill isn't going to be doing much, its "meaningless." Unemployment is a big deal, especially in the U.S. It affects the lives of so many people. People can't find jobs because there aren't enough for everyone in this world. The government should step in and make more jobs, or create a project or organization that people can take part in.

Struggles in Connecticut

The impact of the health reform and the recession are taking a toll on the women in Connecticut, especially the ones who have kids.

Food Stamps barely cover a family's meal costs, if that. Yet poor women in Hartford, Connecticut are trading their food stamp benefits, at a discount, for cash because it's the only way they can get money for other necessities -- the gas bill, soap, shoes for the kids.

It is really sad to see what poverty can do to the lives of people in this world. These women have to trade in their only source of food to accomodate to their kids or other things to live. Food stamps aren't enough and we Americans should come up with an organization to help people in need like this. Or the government come up with some type of organization. The only idea I have in mind at the moment would be referring these people to seek help from their local Food Bank. People can go to the "Feeding America" site and see some more info and there is a link at the top where people can find their local food bank.

The Truth About King Tut

There have been many DNA testings and CT Scans on King Tut for 2 years, trying to discover the truths about his death. I find science fascinating and the fact that researchers have finally found the answer is amazing. Research and studies found:

"Egypt's most famous pharaoh, King Tutankhamun, was a frail boy who suffered
from a cleft palate and club foot. He died of complications from a broken leg
exacerbated by malaria and his parents were most likely brother and sister."

I find that kinda of disturbing that his parents may have been brother and sister, but the rest was interesting to find out. All of those things listed for the cause of his death all make sense. I love the power of scince and the new technology that helps find out information like this that researchers wouldn't have been able to discover hundreds of years ago.

President's Proposal of Health Care

At the health care section of The White House site, it talks about the President's attempt at the health reform. This has been a debate between the two houses for over a year now, and still nothing has happened. The President seems to have tried to push things forward by coming up with new ideas and putting them on the table to both houses, thus why he put together the Health Care Address. It was good that they had a discussion like that, but still nothing seemed to get done. It was plain back and forth of "Oh let's do this to the bill" to "Let's start this completely over" and back and forth. The address was called "a theater."

Stats of Poverty in America

Povery has always been major issues in America. In 2008, this image above shows many statistics about the intensity of poverty in the different areas of the U.S.

The site "Feeding America" has a list of statistics about the poverty in America in 2008:

• In 2008, 39.8 million people (13.2 percent) were in poverty.
• In 2008, 8.1 (10.3% percent) million families were in poverty.
• In 2008, 22.1 million (11.7 percent) of people aged 18-64 were in poverty.
• In 2008, 14 million (19 percent) children under the age of 18 were in poverty.
• In 2008, 3.6 million (9.7 percent) seniors 65 and older were in poverty.

Obama's Health Care Address

Here is the video of Obama's Health Care Address:


I think that both the Senate and the House of Representatives should get together and just hang out and talk, like in the days of Ted Kennedy. Both sides were friends and would get together and chill, but talk about the issues going on. Things then got done faster and more efficiently because when it came to discussion time, they have already been talking about it and listening to each other's ideas. I think that our people in the Senate and the House now should do the same. Be friends and get together on their times off to talk and discuss things and just listen to what each other has to say in a civilized manner. But who knows if that would ever work.