Why Facebook is Necessary (Thanks Laura)

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National Geographic Pictures

Quotations Needed

"Any given culture is a reflection of the politics and economics of a given society, and the former in turn has a tremendous influence upon the latter; politics is the concentrated expression of economics." - Mao Zedong

Evolution, Security and Progress of Civilizations

In the past, civilizations were compelled by natural disasters to advance their technology or perish. For example, the Indus River valley civilization had to create an irrigation and dam system to control the seasonal overflow of the river. This same scenario applied to the BCE civilizations in China and India. Moreover, the hybridization of plants (like rice and wheat) had to occur in colonies where the climate and soil were much different from that of the motherland.

In the present time, the country of the Philippines is not following this technological response to natural disaster pattern. Recently, in the news, we see the capital city of Manila underwater and the surrounding towns experiencing mudslides from the attack of two typhoons. Each year, the Philippines gets pummeled by typhoons - people die and the streets flood - yet there has been no infrastructure improvement to prevent the same incident from happening the next year.

First, there is government corruption. The government does not have its priorities straight. Money is being siphoned off by greedy and corrupt government officials. Just as long as the officials are doing well then they don't care about anyone else. There is such a great divide between the poor and the rich. So, there is no money for infrastructure improvement. Next, the Philippines has a tradition of exporting its college educated to developed countries to work. A good percentage of the country's financial imports come from overseas worker remittances. Hence, civil engineers are not staying in the country to address the problem. I can go on and on.

If the Philippines does not address its fundamental problems of dealing with natural disasters then it is handicapped in the world stage. Yearly typhoon attacks are hindering economic growth and the general progress of the country. The bottom line is - the country must deal with its fundamental problems or perish.

Opinion: Megan Fox

Ok, I have to hand it to her - she is DAMN HOT. However, she comes off as a bitch.

Anderson Cooper is THE man!

Humongo Jellyfish

Nomura's Jellyfish can grow up to 6 feet. They are currently being a pest in the Sea of Japan according to the CNN article: Japanese fishermen brace for giant jellyfish

Some of my friends are scuba divers and I definitely don't want to swim beside these ridiculous things. Well, I think I am afraid of deep water anyways, but still.

North Korea

The United States and the United Nations have already taken steps in order to control North Korea's nuclear capabilities. North Korea has shown the world (more like announced) its nuclear weapons capability. If the nuclear technology was used for peaceful means like nuclear energy then I would lean towards leaving them alone, but in this case, North Korea will obviously use the technology for military purposes.

The United States has met with Russia, China, Japan and South Korea and together they have created a plan to deal with North Korea. The United Nations has created sanctions against North Korea and will become stricter if the nation continues its nuclear testing.

I suggest doing two things:
1) Passing HR2647 National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2010 ASAP to increase military capabilities on the island of Guam.
2) Involve the Philippines in the plan to deal with North Korea. The Philippines is the only truly democratic nation in the region and has an excellent relationship with the United States. The archipelago also proved to be critical ground during World War II. I believe that the Philippines has the capability of being a great civil asset (not a military one, although it may contribute some).

Michael Jackson

R.I.P. Michael Jackson

There is a debate right now whether MJ's legacy will be his past contribution to music or his more recent controversies. I think, in the end, MJ's music and contribution to the world will win out. His music shed light on race issues and global problems of the time. However, his recent controversies currently flood the media and I, to be honest, am interested in the coroner's report and the truth about his skin condition and the deal with his kids.

I think favorite song of MJ's at the moment is "Man in the Mirror"

Transformers Response

First: Why did the Decepticons have significantly more robots than the Autobots?

Anyways, moving on. I don't know if anyone else noticed, but the Autobot cars were all made in the United States while the enemy Decepticon cars were all made in foreign countries. This reminds me of the time when the comic/superhero world created Captain America and Red Skull in the late 1940s to represent America and Democracy v. Communism and the Soviet Union, respectively. So, instead of nuclear weapons in the Transformers 2 movie, the opposing sides represent the current economic situation of the world in a larger sense. One can also view the two sides on a more specific level - U.S. auto companies v. Foreign auto companies. If real life and the movie were juxtaposed, then currently we would be in the middle of the movie when Optimus Prime has died and the Autobots are getting their ass kicked.