Santa's Presents

Recently, Chinese malfunctions in the toy-industry have been fairly well publicized. From high levels of lead to poisonous barbie dolls, the world’s single largest exporter of manufactured goods has taken quite a hit this past summer. As a way to try to siphon the bloodshed, the Chinese Government has agreed to meet with that of the United States this weekend to discuss product safety. Will these talks ensure a long-term relationship between the two, or will they only temporarily appease American consumers?

Does psychology and the power of positive thinking have what it takes to have less people like Bri Deljudice in our world? Read this article; Pavlina certainly thinks so.

WTF France?

What do my two readers think of this? Has FP hit the nail on the head, or are they way off? I’ve aspired to go to Iceland since about third grade, and recently read an article about the utter madness you can only find in Ibiza, a coastal town in Spain. I plan on traveling to China someday, but have no strong inclination to see the Great Wall; so I guess I partially agree with FP’s critiques.

We’ve all heard talk of ‘crossing the line’. But exactly how far does that line extend? According to the Dutch government, that line of tolerability does not encompass unwarranted filming; two bloggers must appear in court due to their filming of through-traffic above a transparent ceiling (read: they were looking up women’s skirts). These bloggers claimed that they were recording footage to bring attention to the public that see-through stairs are an invasion of privacy. What do you think? Were there actions perverted and wrong, or were they justifiable?

We’ve all admired their simplicity at the zoo. They’ve appeared as a subject for a reading passage on the SAT, and there was an animated cartoon movie made about them in 2006 (Happy Feet). Penguins are our favorite flightless birds, and we’d hate to see them go extinct, right? Well, the Argentinan government won’t let it happen; not on it’s watch. The government recently designated an area of roughly 250 sq. miles in the rugged southern Argentinian area of Patagonia as a refuge for over 500,000 of our chunky little friends.

The controversial war in Iraq has led to a bitter division between conservative supporters and their liberal anti-war counterparts. This debate—while tantilizing—has caused many to forget the initial culprits of 9/11: Al Qaeda. In October of 2001, the United States quietly began to wage war on Afghanistan, a country torn by the illegal opium trade. Unfortunately, we have recently neglected the war against the forces of Osama Bin Laden with the incessant focus on the war in Iraq. Though the ensuing article is quite lengthy, it’s worth the seven -page read—even if you prefer The Chicago Tribune to The New York Times.

Frank Warren of PostSecret has pieced together some of the most frightening, quirky, funny, and despondent messages sent to PostSecret in recent memory. This video is well worth the five minutes.