Current Event for the Week of 1/29/07

Uncle Sam Spoils Dream Trip to Space

According to CNN.com, Brian Emmett, a 31 year-old space buff from LA was unable to go on a trip to outer space that he won on an online sweepstakes due to massive taxes. Emmett would have had to report his $138,00 space trip as income for his taxes thus making him owe $25,000 more in taxes. Emmett was really disappointed that he was unable to go on the trip but $25,000 was just too much.

Read the article here.

Do you think it is right that Emmett should have to pay that much money in taxes just to claim a prize that he won. Do you think it is fair for people who head sweepstakes to even hold sweepstakes if they know that the winner will most likely not be able to claim their prize? You decide.

Current Event For Week of 1/29/07

A 67-year old woman lied to a fertility clinic saying she was only 55 in order to recieve treatment because the cut off age was 55. Read about the article and discuss whether you think it is fair to have a cut off age to have children or if it is the woman's decision.

Read the article here

Current Event for the Week of 1/29/07

Private U.S. Mercenaries in Iraq Work Outside Normal Constraints

Mercenaries are not just a thing of the past. According to the San Jose Mercury News, the United States currently has over 100,000 private troops serving in Iraq. These troops operate outside of Congressional oversight and have no legal constraints. Bush is able to use these private military contractors (PMCs) to expand wars with little to no backlash from the public because contractor deaths do not count in the official death toll. Now, Bush is proposing a "Civilian Reserve Corps" which would give him a back door to expanding his conflicts even more.

Read the article here.

What do you think about privatized violence? Does using private military contractors make a war any more or less justified? Should the United States continue to spend money on private military contractors, or should it instead use that money to improve the current Armed Forces? Do private military contractors deserve to be awarded with Purple Hearts and other service awards even though they technically do not fight in the Armed Forces?

Current Event for 1/22/07

'Poe toaster' visits writer's grave for 58th year

Edgar Allen Poe (who shares a birthday with a favorite sociology teacher of yours), dead since 1849, still has an interesting birthday celebration.

For 58 years now, a visitor leaves gifts on the writer's grave to commemorate his birthday.

Who is the mysterious "Poe Toaster?"

Read the article here.

Is there someone famous you like enough to "toast" on their birthday for the next 58 years? What do you think about the crowd of onlookers...should they leave the "Poe Toaster" alone? Click on "comments" to weigh in with your opinions.

Current Event for Week of 1/22/07

Idea of 'designer' babies with defective genes stirs ethics questions

Advances in genetics has made the option of embryo screening a reality for parents. Many people have questioned the ethics behind parents choosing characteristics such as sex, eye color, and hair color. Is this playing God?

The debate has become even more heated now that parents with disabilities are using embryo screening to create families with characteristics similiar to their own.

Read the article here.

Do parents have the right to determine whether or not their children will have disabilities? Is society at fault for viewing these characteristics as "abnormal?" Is this playing God? Click "comment" to type your opinion.

Current Event for Week of 1/22/07

Woman steals another's identity, gets into Ivy League

Two 20-year olds went missing a few years ago. Both were presumed dead until one of them showed up in New York...but is she who she says she is?

Fake IDs allowed one of them to get into an Ivy League school, despite her poor grades in high school.

Read the article here.

What do you think should happen to Reed? How do you think this has affected her family? How has it affected Henson's family? Click "comment" to weigh in with your thoughts on the article.

Welcome to Sociology: Second Semester!

Welcome to a new semester of Sociology! This is the site where we will discuss our current events. If you would like to "practice" commenting on the blog (to make sure your username and password work), feel free to test it out on this post. Happy blogging!

Current Event for 1/3/07

Scientists say 2007 may be warmest yet

Its been said that the year 2007 will be the worlds hottest year ever recorded. A resurgent El Nino and persistently high levels of greenhouse gases are said to be the reasons for this.
"The evidence that we're doing something very dangerous with the climate is now amassing," and "We need to put the energy and priority (into climate change) that is being put into a war effort.

Read the article here.