Recently in Current Events Category

Maybe you've heard of the latest American held hostage in Iraq, pleading for his life while having assault rifles aimed at his head.

"Obviously, the United States continues to hold to a policy that we do not negotiate with terrorists," Rice told reporters after meeting Italian Foreign Minister Gianfranco Fini. "It only encourages them."

What is going to happen to this poor man? He's somebody's son. What are they possibly going to do to get him out of there, BUT NEGOTIATE? And even if they don't negotiate this time and YET ANOTHER HUMAN DIES, won't it just continue to happen again and again?

I don't have a solution. But it seems like everyone is desperate for one.

I got an email from my Astronomy professor this morning saying that there had been an earthquake near us. I was like, "What?" because I didn't wake up or anything for it--apparently it happened in Arkansas and was 4.1 in magnitude. When I read on the first part of the page that there was an earthquake on the New Madrid line, I got kind of scared since St. Louis (and a little south of the city proper, where I live) is on that fault line, but I was relieved that it was in Arkansas (who cares about Arkansas, anyway??) and it was only 4.1. It was only 47 miles away from us, and I definitely didn't wake up at 8:05 to feel it. I guess now I can boast that I've slept through an earthquake.

No doubt you all have heard of the tragedy that has happened/is happening in southeast Asia to east Africa: the earthquake (measuring 9.0) and the following tsunami. Currently, the death toll is past 22,000, which seems.. incomprehensible to me. 22,000 people.. gone. Granted, I never knew these people and chances are that I never would have even if this event had not cut short their lives. But something about this tragedy just grabbed my heart, so I went to donate at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies: I gave $10.

Ten dollars.      "A 10-nation arc of destruction left by a monster earthquake and walls of water that killed more than 22,000 people. Thousands were missing and millions homeless."

Ten dollars.      "Hundreds of thousands have lost everything, and millions face a hazardous future because of polluted drinking water, a lack of sanitation and no health services."

Ten dollars.      "The disaster could be the costliest in history as well, with 'many billions of dollars' of damage."

I wonder what my $10 will go toward, though: maybe a meal for someone who is hungry; maybe clothing for someone who has lost everything in the disaster; maybe a pair of shoes for someone who has spent all day walking barefoot, trying to find the bodies of his or her deceased relatives. Whatever it is, I hope it helps.