Balloon Boy Hoax

By now, mostly everyone has heard the bizarre case of the missing "balloon boy."  A six year old boy was thought to be floating in a weather balloon that his father had made, when in fact he was actually in the attic for the five hour period they believed he was missing.  More information can be found at this article from CNN.  This incident turned out to be a hoax.  The more information revealed about this family, the stranger this case becomes.  It is now clear that the parents are looking to create some fame and earn some money through television appearances.  They simply staged this whole event.  For hours, the police force was looking for the boy and tried to chase down the runaway balloon.  Even days after, this case still has media attention.  All of the frenzy was for nothing. 

They cannot get away with their ridiculous action, and they are so attention seeking that it is not unlikely for another staged event to occur.  What kind of punishment should this family receive?  Is a fine to lenient, is jail time to harsh?  How can we determine what kind of punishment is appropriate in such bizarre cases?

Today's Technology and the Study Process

Today we live in a world where cell phones, ipods, computers and televisions seem to take over every aspect of our lives.  I think it's safe to say that nearly every student uses one or more of these technologies throughout the day, and many of us combine the use of these items with homework.  It is not uncommon to be listening to music while reading or to be logged onto facebook when writing a paper.

I'm sure many of us have been nagged by our parents to turn off the television or put down the phone when doing homework, but do these "distractions" actually distract us from our work?  An article in the New York Times refutes the commonly held belief that new technology is detrimental to a students learning.  The doctors, and students, in this article believe that technology is such a natural part of the world to day that it is impossible to avoid it, even during study time.  Cell phone, computer and television usage has become a natural part of the studying process for students. 

What unnecessary forms of technology do you use when you study? Is it possible for students to work without these distractions or is technology so embedded into society that it simply cannot be avoided?   How do you think future students will work?

Slavery and the White House

I recently read an incredibly interesting story about Michelle Obama's ancestry.  Obama's great-great-great grandmother was actually a slave.  The article outlines the general story of her life, and also relates to what he have been discussing  in class.  The life story of Malvinia (Obama's great-great-great grandmother) seems to be, according to this article, the story of a very average slave during that time.  Generations later, Michelle Obama lives the opposite lifestyle of her grandmother; Obama is one of the most powerful women in America whereas  Malvinia was deemed as barley human.

What are your thoughts?  Should this discovery be considered as proof of how far America has advanced since the time of Fredrick Douglass, or is this just another average story of America's past?