Deadly Ethiopian Oil Field Attack

I will be on hiatus for an entire week to two weeks...due to a well-earned vacation from the chaos that has taken over. Being the case, I have decided to create a brief (straight-forward) post.

The following website is a full report courtesy of MSNBC about the recent attacks on oil fields on the Somalian border, which left 65 Ethiopians and 9 Chinese workers dead. Warfare is going on everywhere, not just in Iraq...the innocent have suddenly become the silent. They have becomed the weak and the abused, abducted, and abandoned.

Read the article to get the full story...there was no need for me to paraphrase...the article explains it all objectively:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18287943/

I'll pray that I arrive at my destination safely. Unil next time...Believe in something!

33 Dead Due to Virginia Tech Massacre

Blacksburg, Va.-----Headlines everywhere are buzzing about the "massacre on campus", which occured in episodes of two...one at 7:15 am this morning and another around 9:45 am. The incidents took place on the campus of Virginia Tech located in Blacksburg,Va. There is an estimated 33 dead, 17 injured, and 4 in stable condition.

The first shooting took place in Norris Hall (engineering hall) and the second occured in the Ambler Johnston dormitorium. There is speculation that the incident could be a mixture of students and teachers as a student gave an exclusive phone interview on channel 10 news. He stated that one of his teachers was dead and 2 classmates in stable condition.

2 were found dead in Norris Hall as the rest, including the gunmen, were found dead in Ambler Johnson. Controversy continues to boil over the supposed secure campus...many are wondering why officials didn't secure the sites better, allowing thousands of students to roam the campus uninformed about the dangerous event that happened at 7:15 this morning. Many believe that less would have died if they had known about the first shooting; giving them an hour and 45 minutes to run to safety. School officials have used the fact that the campus is home to thousands of students...ranging over 26,000 makes it difficult to keep everyone on campus informed...especially since 11,000+ live off-campus and commute to the school.

This incident has been labeled as the most tragic shooting/massacre of the century and in college history. Reports of an apartment building shooting on the other side of Blacksburg also took place right before this incident.So far, it is expected that the shooting off-campus and on campus are not related.

Officials are still invetigating hoping to find out more about the dead shooter and those who were killed. They are also hoping to release a list with names of all those killed so that way the immediate family (next of kin) are notified. Obviously, more information will not be released at this time being that the officials are expected to inform the public, but they must also protect the identity of the deceased and keep some information for security purposes...until the whole case has been solved and investigated thoroughly.

Photo 1 is the property of Bob Veltri
Photos 2-3 are the property of Virginia Tech school of engineering

Hands At Work (Child Labor)

The following was inspired by a scholarship application I am currently working on focused on the ideal of compassion and child labor...let me know your thoughts. Thanks.

HANDS AT WORK

Scarred hands powdered in dirt...

Limbs worn from travel

Eyes fixated on an imaginary dream.

Collectivism has placed me in a compromising position,

I have been abandoned by my own society,

Forced to sell my $20 body,

Forced into agriculture and mining...

Where's Mister Education and Salvation?

A Product of child labor,

A Result of Isolation,

A Fiend for Survival...

As I walk the impoverished streets of Ghana,

As my distant brother in Cambodia works his bones to shreds (harvesting rice),

As my fellow sister in the outskirts of Bombay watches her body disintegrate,

My innocence continues to shred...

10 years old and forced into adulthood.

Photo credits:

Photo 1: www.knowchildlabor.org

Photo 2: www.beps.net

Photo 3: http://www.hindu.com/

Nigerian Scams

Roughly a week ago, I was at home with my folks watching this Dateline special that was dishing the scoop on Nigerian scams. I felt compelled to dig deeper into this matter. Americans are bombarded, on a daily basis, with images of deprived and malnourished South African families. It would almost seem unlikely that victims of poverty would have enough brilliance to scam wealthier people.

Photo 1: Computer users at an Internet
Cafe in Owerri, Nigeria

In fact, South Africans do have access to technological advances such as the Internet...there are even local Internet cafes that are being used daily. Inside these internet havens (particularly in Nigeria), natives are logging in to the Internet and using the email system to rip off honest people.

Whether it is the "money investment" scheme or the "money relocation" scheme, or the "mail order" mishap, "wiring overage" uh-oh, Nigerians are using the computer to their advantage.

On the Dateline series investigators went undercover and pretended to feed into an alleged Nigerian scam involving a woman who was apparently living in Switzerland and needed help with a money deal that was going to fall through unless someone helped her transport goods from one hemisphere to another...she came off as desperate and legit. For months, the investigators played along and then when the time was right, they asked to meet the young lady. Surprisingly, the woman accepted but under the condition that her attorney be present.

Upon meeting, investiagtors spotted the attorney, but with another woman...different from her online photo. Long story short...investigators were able to find that the emails were coming from an ISP located in Nigeria and not Switzerland. It was assumed that the representing "attorney" was the scammer...because he even wascaught in a lie and came clean about not even being an attorney.

These cafes were filmed and inside there are a collection of computer users who were mostly partaking in scams...

I just hope that people would keep an eye out for fraudulent email scams. For me, it is nearly impossible only because I am not one to answer a call from an unknown number or read an email from someone or something other than my school or close friends and family...it sucks, but it keeps me internet happy.

Keep your special offers and deals; keep your get rich quick schemes!

photo 1 courtesy of www.gbengasesan.com

photo 2 courtesy of http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia

The Art of Blogging

On my quest to reach credibility and respect as a blogger, I have made it my duty not to fall into the habit of blogging about "bubblegum mumbo jumbo"...I refuse to speak of the Ana Nicole Smiths in the world, those who just accomplished a Guiness World Book Record, the dog that got ran over...or even the conclusion of the I Love New York.

The ethics in blogging is to have an empathic sense of "reporting" or more suitably, "informing". Surely, we all as bloggers and readers, should be leaving room for the opposing view. Those who take blogs seriously know that the golden rule is to be impartial...

Unilateral stories never go too far. There has to be a compromise...the reader doesn't want to feel insulted intellectually with your use of conjured up crapola ("crap-ola"). Blogging isn't synonymous with a degree in Journalism, but if you are going to partake in it as a reader or writer, take pride and mean what you say or "dish out". Establish what is fact and what is opinion. Your relationship with your audience is highly critical...


Technorati Profile

Racism Still Exists

It is no secret, that racism continues to show itself in the everyday lives of civilians. The issue is like a silent killer. Masks are worn and smiles are drawn onto faces, because the sincerity isn't there. Denial is prevalent despite numerous stories of judgments that are unfair. From masacres to lynchings to riots to burnings to cruel convictions of injustice...racism is very much alive; living so close to home.


Lamar County Courthouse;
Located in Paris, Texas.

In Texas, there is a rally of hundreds of blacks proclaiming that the laws of the state, particularly in Paris, Texas are more favorable to white juvenile delinquents versus blacks. There's no way that a court system can rule that a teen accused of assault (shoving) deserves harsher punishment than another who is guilty of arson...to me that is ridiculous, but not unbelievable. I can't begin to count how many times I've shoved someone in my entire lifetime. I am sure I will do it again int he future...yet, I didn't face 2 years probation. With laws that carry no validity and reason behind them, how can the court systems expect us to trust them? They can't even live up to "protect and serve".

No one cares to even pay attention. They are only paying attention now, because HUNDREDS of BLACKS have RALLIED and JOINED together: the perfect threat. Then it becomes important enough for them to alert officials...

As still feel as though there are some sick, ignorant people who believe that African-Americans and Blacks are savage beasts that blow up every second, waiting to instigate and instill fear. Yet, so many criminals of all ethnicities have committed heineous crimes as well...but there's just something about a black person that is sooo creepy...the people to fear are actually those with the most power...but not many have learned that yet.

Then again, I always place southern states in their own world. However, it is important to note that we are Americans and we do move therefore, racism can and has been everywhere. It still is.

Reverse discrimination...exixts

Hate crimes...do happen

Rape...occurs daily

Injustice...will always be

Photo taken from www.texascourthouses.com

For more information on this event, please visit: http://www.blackamericaweb.com/site.aspx/bawnews/cottonrally328

My Vote For President 2008!

Approximately a month ago, while driving to an ealry morning class, I was shocked to hear the story of the youngest running Presidential candidate. Her name is Susie Flynn and she wants to help the 9 million children who have no health care insurance. This comes as a surprise to many being that we all believe that our future (the children) are promised a better life and ultimate security, when in reality, the opposite holds true.



Over the country, there are children who are turned away and are denied treatment simply because of their economic status. The money that we spend is going down the wrong "drain" (so to speak). Instead of investing into the welfare of the "little ones" who seek to make a difference, our investment is in war occurring in another hemisphere.


Poverty is at an all time high and no one seems to be doing anything about it.

I haved signed the petition on her website and it made my heart jump when I realized that this is simply a call for us to show our own government that children's health is an important issue. I'm sorry, but if I have to pound your numbskull for you to realize that this is an important issue because you seem to be caught up in your own distractions, then obviously the government is increasing its amount of idiots.

I applaud Susie Flynn, she is indeed much more intelligent that the current President. Finally, we see smart women stepping up to the plate...which is what happens when a position of leadership has gone haywire.


To get more information about Susie Flynn and footage of her campaign trail, visit the official Susie Flynn Website: http://www.electsusie.com/