i'm reading! i reading sharon! ok, here's my next post.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20031228/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iran_earthquake&cid=540&ncid=716

i heard about this on the news yesterday. an earthquake in iran had a magnitude 6.6 and is feared to have killed at least 40,000 people. horrible. on of the ancient forts built in one of the cities was destroyed. everything is destroyed. thousands of people are homeless and many have died.

ok, i still have another article. it's about howard dean's comments on bush.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=694&e=15&u=/ap/dean_bin_laden

it's true that bush is weak on terrorism. he really doesn't know anything. what i found interesting is that he said that he would be willing to be flexible on the punishment for hussein. he is against the war on iraq but i'm interesting what the impact would be on his supporters. i don't think many americans are in the mood for being flexible with hussein. it is pathetic that only dean is against the war. what you said was right vinu. it's pathetic for other democrats to run if they don't oppose the war. that will be deciding issue of this election.

ugh. ok, gotta go. namarie.

politics. i think the EPA has to worry about thier support from the government. if they don't comply with the administration their funds, which were probably cut down when bush came, will evaporate faster. politics rules it all.

and about inviting other ppl...(finally! right vinu?)....well...i really don't know. i mean, i seriously don't know if all the other ib kids will take it this seriously. if they come on here, fine, but they have to stick the rules we've set down. ppl have got to post something...and they can't just say that they agree with them or not. we have to back it up. and if they are going to get on here and spam, that's out of the question. they can do that on aim, or email. but not on here. i really don't know. i mean, we can invite certain ppl. i really don't know. give me a list of ppl that you might invite.

and even right now, this blog isn't really working. we really need to get this set. i think that you, vinu and meers, and me, are the only ppl posting anything. that really isn't going to work to well. this was supposed to get input from a lot of sources. since everyone likes something different, we should be getting current events from all those fields. but no one is posting anything. we have to take at least one good, solid, topic and give current events. it's fine if we have more than one field per person, but they should give good input for one field. and ppl can't just post a link for reading. we have to be able to make something out of. analyze it. see what we can get out of it. we aren't really improving anything...just getting in on more news. it is a start, but i think we need to take it further.

we need to set some solid rules before we do really anything else. i think we should have ppl:

1. post a new article on their topic EVERY OTHER DAY – everyday would be rushing it, and ppl need to time to read and respond to an article that is posted.
2. post with their article, something that they got out of it. (through analyzing and such)
3. reply to other's articles and arguments (if we do invite other ppl, it will be hard to reply to everyone's, but at least some replies to the articles and arguments that they found interesting)
4. keep tabs on other members to see if they are doing what they are supposed to do.

i really think that we have to enforce some kind of plan. it's not ok for ppl to be a member and not participate. i am going to email everyone and tell them to come and read this website now. we seriously can't have only 3 ppl posting. once i email everyone, I expect a reply back from them. every single one. and it’s really not going to take that long to find an article. there are plenty of websites to search in. it might take 5 minutes out of our regular day to do this. if you can’t post your argument to your article, you can always post it later. but we seriously need some kind of structure.

I will understand for ppl who are going out of town and other special circumstances. but otherwise, we ALL need to participate. I would like a reply from everyone to this post, and their opinion on what we should do. vinu, I think we need to set this blog correctly for ourselves, before we invite anyone else. it’ll be wonderful to invite other ppl, but not just yet.

SO

I WANT EVERYONE TO REPLY TO THIS POST. EVERYONE. I WANT TO SEE EVERYONE’S NAME WHO IS A MEMBER SOMEWHERE ON THIS BLOG AS A REPLY TO THIS POST. I AM SENDING EMAILS WITH THIS SAME CONTENT, SO THERE SHOULD BE NO COMPLAINTS ABOUT NOT HEARING ABOUT THIS.

ok, namarie.

look at this. or should i say, read.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=542&e=4&u=/ap/20031224/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/air_pollution_rules

the articles is about the conflict over bush's changes on the clean air act. i'll have to write about it later. gotta go now. namarie.

hehe...i read all the articles you posted. i had also read the one about the lady who won the nobel peace prize. well...it's all very stupid. i think what's she talking about...considering the u.s. is the treatment and care for the prisoners at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. i think it's kinda like what the whole controversy is with saddam. technically...i don't think u.s. is supposed to air videos and pics of saddam as a p.o.w. i think that violates the resolutions passed by the Geneva convention. however, i have absolutely no clue what the Geneva convention has passed, and i may be totally wrong. i should go up and read on what they have done. but even so, i think they are helpess also. no one HAS to comply with the Geneva convention or the u.n.. they can do go do whatever they want. there's always bound to be a country that is rebellious. it's nature. and this lady....she's only singled out the u.s. because it's a classic example. she could've gone and picked any other country for all i care and still make the same argument. i think the reason she picked u.s. is 1) it's a great world power 2) the entire world is watching the war on iraq and 3) if she does complain about the u.s. it's big news because it's U.S. anything against this country is bound to fall in the light...she probably picked u.s. because it's bound to draw attention to her work. politics again. and can you post that link with kofi-annan's quote. didn't get the link....but we did go to war against the u.n.'s wishes. after all, the u.n. inspectors failed to find any weapons...so they were against it. but then again...u.s. doesn't have to listen to the u.n. it's also a tight spot for the u.n. because isolating themselves from the u.s. would be a major loss of aid. this country is so well equipped...it's essential that you comply with it. of course...we aren't the only countries like that...all the countries with nukes must be complied with. or else they will loose those weapons wherever.

hehe...too much stuff. i'm just scanning your posts to see if i missed anything. yeah well....it's kinda stupid that the u.s. doesn't stick to one plan. with the u.n. or not. i hate it when people are ambivalent. anyway...i haven't been on here for ages. i need to go find some news. oh...and that report by ridge on the security level. i find that stupid too. raising us to that level should've happened ages ago. the cia is a bit slow. it's sad because ppl only worry now about the higher threat. there have always been threats since 9/11. it's ridiculous because ppl aren't paying attention to what's happening overseas. buildings of both u.s. and it's allies have become targets and they are being engulfed in flames. and what's the problem with ridge? our airplanes are the most secure ever? what the heck. i bet you can still get weapons on board. they did this test where they tried to get i think some kind of chemical through the checkpoints...it worked and the chemical was happily on it's way on the airplane. i mean come on...they are still targets. idiot idiot idiot. they are a dish of skim milk curdling at the head of the nation. i mean...ugh. so frustrated. but whatever. gotta go look for news. not that i need to look. i have not the need to stretch my hand at all for some news. too much of it actually. anyway...gotta go. namarie.