Blog topic #6

http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?sid=edc1d819-59b0-4092-90ca-daedc5ed1962%40sessionmgr11&vid=4&hid=19&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=19865286

The article looked into the formation of the wall and some examples of the problems that it has caused small business owners that are trying to use the internet to start their businesses. The two stories that caught my eye in the article were about these two women who are still going strong on the internet in China despite the government disliking them.  A woman by the name of Shi Hengxia began writing under the surname Hibiscus Sister about herself and how amazing and attractive she is.  Then she started putting pictures of herself in 'sexy' poses albeit fully clothed.  Her popularity exploded and she began to be mentioned in T.V. and basically became an overnight celebrity.  The second story is similar story about a woman writing under the name Mu Zimei.  In both cases the Chinese government doesn't like what is going on but at the same time doesn't want to shut it down unless they have to because of the women's vast popularity.  It seems as if the 'cracks in the surface' of the Great Firewall are starting to appear.  I think that China's determination to control the internet is a testament to the influence that the internet can have on culture and the way things are.  I also think China's giving in to these women and therefore their people's desire is a testament to the power that people can possess even in a Communist or other more controlling kinds of government.

Blog topic #5

This map shows the world according to carbon emissions as of the year 2000.  I would be really interested to see how the map stands now because since 2000 the U.S. has done a fair amount to cut carbon emissions while some of the eastern powers like China have continued rapid industrial growth. This issue is extremely important and relevant because of the world summits on the issue.  The U.S. has continued to volunteer to cut our carbon emissions but China has been reluctant to bring all of their facilities up to current environmental standards. This is one of the problems that is causing a lot of tensions between China and the U.S. The States aren't really in any position to do anything about it, however, as China is the #1 owner of U.S. debt.  We continue to make strides ourselves, in spite of that, in terms of being more environmentally friendly and that is something we can hang our hats on at the end of the day. I would imagine that if the map were redone with recent statics the map would still be dominated by Ease Asia and the United States but they would switch places from #1 and #2.

I really like this video as an example of the similarity that exists now between India and America in their love of the movie industry and their favorite actors and actresses. The scene in the movie when Jamal Malik is trapped in the porta-potty and has to crawl though 'filth' to get to see his hero who is a famous movie star. I had heard about Bollywood and some of the movies coming out of there but I didn't understand how close India's movie industry is to America's.  Obviously Bollywood's movies aren't as well made as the ones in the U.S. but that's only because they are still new to movie making. The movies and trailers I've seen all look like movies from past decades. Some of the people in the video like the little boy who says he loves his favorite actor helped me understand the kind of admiration Jamal had for his hero in the movie.  It reminded me most about the admiration  that Amir had for John Wayne in the Kite Runner.  We're not so different in that we are all captivated by heroic figures in the movies.

Blog topic #3

This video points to the problem of complacency with regards to the Thai government in their efforts to shut down human traffickers in their country.  The video discussed human trafficking from the point of view of getting people into the country to cheap labor which is a problem that we as Americans can understand fairly well.  The sound byte of the activist at the end of the video sounded like it could have been a man from Arizona or southern  California talking about the governments lame excuses for their delay or failure to step up efforts to prevent illegal immigration. I believe that in the case of the Thai government they have to have some kind of motivation for keeping the human trafficking business going and the labor coming in because otherwise they would have stepped in by now.  I know that Thailand is infamous for their trafficking, both for labor and sex, and I have a feeling that one way or another the government is touching that money.  Otherwise they would have a great motivation to shut down the traffickers because they aren't getting tax money on the income of the "immigrants."