The Royal Wedding

Not since the wedding on Prince Charles and Lady Diana has there been such an anticipated nuptial event.  The April 29^th wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton has experience wide and extensive media coverage across the United States. 

Every aspect of their relationship and wedding preparations has been covered in the news somehow.  If you walk up and down the aisle of any grocery store, the tabloids are riddled with stories.  Everything from what they are wearing, to who is invited, to the cost of the event has been reported in print and on the internet.

It intrigues me as to why this event is so seemingly important to the people of the United States.  It is interesting in our country, which fought against the ideas of monarchies, finds such fascination with the British Royal family.   One possible explanation is our constant need to celebrate and elevate celebrities in society.  Another is society may still have a need to have kings and queens, princes and princesses in our world.  With all the war, tension and stress in the world, we may need to take a break and bask in the idea of royalty.  Regardless, I would not be surprised to find many people I know that are planning on waking up at 4:00 am Friday morning to watch the event live.  (This would include my wife if she didn’t enjoy her sleep so much)

Why do you think the Royal Wedding is so popular in the United States?  What do you think of the British Royal family?  Is the royal family still necessary to Great Britain?  Do we still need the idea of royalty in the world? 

Facebook in China

What would you be willing to do to gain 420 million friends?  This question is facing the CEO and executives of Facebook as they explore the opportunity to enter the Chinese market.  To date Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites are banned in China.

The Chinese government has tight control of information and information access of its 420 million citizens with internet access.  The country has a custom of restricting free speech.  Its record on not only suppressing free speech, but violating the human rights of people and organizations willing to engage in free speech has been criticized by foreign governments as well as reputable organization such as Amnesty International. 

While Facebook has been banned in China since 2008, it is being reported current Facebook executives are negotiating with Chinese officials to lift the ban.  Initial terms reported would include restricting certain content from being shared and displayed on Facebook.  Furthermore, Facebook would have to allow the Chinese government access to the search and retrieval activities of Chinese users.  The government would be able to determine what the users can view and monitor what they are searching for.  If you think it is a hassle when you parents monitor you account, imagine what it would be like to know the government will be looking in.

China’s concern over open internet usage and social networking heightened in recent months given the use of social media in the Middle East to coordinate rallies and protests of governments in Egypt and Libya. 

While the partnership is only speculative for now, Facebook has publically stated they may be willing to block certain content from some countries.  They recognize the idea of complete and total free speech may be more than some countries are able to absorb given their current cultural and social situations.

What do you think of Facebook filtering content to gain access to China?  Do you have a Facebook account?  If so, how do you use Facebook?  If not, why not?  What are some of the potential dangers of Facebook?  Do your parents monitor your activity?  If so, what do you think about them looking in?

Earth Day

April 22 marks the 31 Earth Day in the United States.  The idea for a day dedicated to the environment originated 7 years earlier by Senator Gaylord Nelson.  He was concerned over the lack to awareness and regulations of the pollutants being released into our world. 

Now more than 30 years later, Earth Day and its organizers have increased public awareness of pollutants, identified and promoted “green” acts, have leveraged our schools and communities to enhance the knowledge and dedication of our youth to the cause, and countless other accomplishments. 

The Earth Day websites is tracking personal pledged to commit “green” acts.  The pledges include recycling grocery bags, unplugging appliances, recycle paper and plastic, and buying more local food.  While each of these acts may seem futile on their own, the impact of the collected group across the globe will have a significant impact on our environment, especially over an extended period of time.  To date the website has over 80 million personal pledges. 

What do you think of Earth Day?  What are some additional ways we can support Earth Day at school and in our community?  What are things you do at home?  Are there any additional activities you would be willing to commit to at home to support “green” living?

Government Shut Down

It is a stand-off.  If congress and the president are unable to find a compromise concerning current year spending, as of Friday midnight, the federal government is no longer able to spend funds and we will see the first government shut down since 1996.

 Unbeknownst to most Americans, congress has not passed an approved budget for the current fiscal year, which began in October.  Without a budget, the government has been operating using continuing resolutions.  Continuing resolutions are temporary agreements to allow the government to continue to operate under the terms of the previous budget until congress can complete the budget. 

The current continuing resolution is set to expire on Friday, April 8^th at 11:59 pm.  Without a budget agreement or another resolution the government will force the partial shutdown of federal agencies across the country.  Only military, law enforcement and agencies providing health care activities will remain open.

The primary issue dividing the congressional parties is concerning government borrowing, collection of money through taxation and spending. The Republicans have rejected ideas to increase the government’s borrowing limits and want to slow the rate of spending. The Republican House members have proposed a $61 billion spending cut for the next six months.   They are targeting discretionary spending for agencies such as the Coast Guard, Environmental Protection Agency and National Parks.  Although there is talk about entitlement programs such as Medicaid and Social Security, any spending cuts are not included in this proposal.  While $61 billion may seem like a significant amount, it represents 1.6% of the federal government expenditures (roughly 5-6 days spending).

They are trying to reach common ground, but resolution seems more unlikely as we approach Friday.  According to a NBC/New York Times poll, 37% of the population blames the Republican congressional members, 20% blames the Democratic congressional members and 20% blames President Obama.  Even with the political pressures from polling, neither side appears to want to give in as of yet.

What do you think about our government operating without a budget? What do you think about the idea of spending decreases given the nation’s current economic situation?  Who will you blame if the government is forces to suspend operations on Friday?  If the government is shut down, how do you think it may impact you?