Issue #2- Boosting the Minimum

The issue behind minimum wage is whether it is high enough or if it should be raised. Many people argue that it needs to be increased for many different reasons. The biggest reason being that people cannot live off of minimum wage and therefore live in poverty. On the other side of the spectrum there are poeple saying that there are ways in which these people are being helped. Things such as government transfer payments: welfare, food stamps, social security, etc. Also, there are different regulations that are put into place, such as The Federal Minimum Wage, which ensures that people are making enough money to live on. Most people also have the perspective that the majority of the people working minimum wage jobs are teenagers, and that most of them aren't having to support a family.

I think that the minimum wage should not be increased. Most people don't take into consideration the ways in which increasing minmum wage would affect our economy. Prices of goods and services would increase tremendously resulting in more job cuts. And I feel that keeping the minimum wage low helps push people towards getting an education and becoming a skilled worker. This in turn only benefits our economy. If the minmum wage was somewhat high people would skip college and settle for a job at Buger King because the pay isn't half bad. Representative John Kline says that with an increase of minimum wage "it will leave recent economic growth dead in its tracks".

Issue #1
http://rachaelbeers951.blogspot.com/2010/04/issue-1-all-things-being-unequal.html

Issue #3
http://tarynthompson.blogspot.com/2010/04/issue-3-putting-welfare-to-work.html

Man with knife attacks kindergarten in China

A 47 year old man has been taken into custody for the stabbings of 28 kindergarten children. The incident happened in Taixing city in Jiangsu province of China. This occurred one day after another man attacked 18 students and a teacher with a knife at a primary school in southern China's Guangdong province. Authorities said he carried out the attack because he was frustrated at "failures in his romantic life".

This is absolutely appalling. Schools should have better security than to allow an unknown man into the school with a knife. China seems to have a big problem with people coming into schools and attacking children. Over the past few months there have been record numbers. I think that this should be an eye opener to China. They need to take these attacks seriously and find a solution to the problem.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/04/28/china.knife.attack/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

Oil leak in Gulf may be 5 times worse than feared

Authorities are trying to stop a potential environmental disaster that is being posed by an oil spill that is expanding toward the Gulf Coast. After last weeks oil rig explosion there was a total of three underwater leaks. The amount of estimated oil leaked has now increased to five times more than what was originally thought to be leaked. Officials now believe that as many as 5,000 barrels, or 210,000 gallons of oil are being leaked a day. The cause of the explosion is still under investigation as the oil continues to spread.

I think that it is ridiculous that this much oil is being leaked and that it continues to spread. We need to take action and stop this right away. This will be very detrimental to the environment and we need to stop guessing as to what is happening or what will happen. Officials need to get out there and clean it up. This issue also brings to mind the argument of is it really worth our environment to have oil energy. Alternative resources need to be looked at now more than ever.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/04/29/louisiana.oil.rig/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

Naps boost memory, but only if you dream

A new study suggests that a nap may boost the ability to process and store information. But this is only if you dream while you're asleep. When you dream, your brain is trying to look at connections that you might not think of or notice when your awake. While dreaming the brain tries to figure out what information is important and what it should keep or get rid of. They have even found as they monitered brain activity in sleeping students that it doesn't even need to be a deep sleep. Although the deep slumber known as rapid eye movement (REM) is most closely associated with dreaming, the students' dreaming and learning occurred after as little as one minute of non-REM sleep.

I find this to be very interesting and helpful. Because I am a student I am constantly tired and have difficulty in study and remembering information. This researh could be helpful in the ways in which I will conduct my studying and sleeping habits.




http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/04/22/naps.memory.dream.brain/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29