China's New Years Resalution

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-30324440

China has promised to stop harvesting its executed prisoner’s organs by January 1st. This is not the first time China has made this promise. They made this promise back to stop in November of 2013. An estimated 2,400 prisoners were put to death in 2013 in China according to the San Francisco based prisoners’ rights organization. But as of January 1, 2015 China will only take organs from civilians that voluntarily donate.

The need for the organs comes from the 300,000 people a year in china who need organ transplants but with only 10,000 operations being carried out. “With a donation rate of only 0.6 per 1 million people, China has one of the world's lowest levels of organ donation. Dr Huang compared it to Spain, which has a rate of 37 per 1 million.” China is in desperate need for these organs to save the lives of its citizens.

I personally see nothing wrong with harvesting organs from executed prisoners as long as it is consensual. On the one side, the person is dead, why do they need it any more. But on the other side it can be seen as disrespectful to the body of the executed prisoner. Sometimes things have to be done to save the lives of others at the expense of those who are dead. If prisoners are being executed for their organs that is what must stop, but if their organs are being used to save another’s life after their sentenced to execution then by all means save living.

Gamers Under Attack

http://www.chinatopix.com/articles/27644/20141212/lizard-squad-strikes-ea-with-ddos-attack-plans-to-shut-down-xbox-live-forever-on-christmas.htm

http://www.chinatopix.com/articles/26635/20141208/anonymous-threatens-lizard-squad-to-stop-ddos-attacks-on-gaming-communities.htm

This is a scary topic for me, I love gaming, and I especially love Xbox. But with a group of hackers, known as Lizard Squad trying to take down both Xbox and Sony’s online systems is scary. They have already attacked Electronic Arts (EA) on Wednesday with a DDoS attack (denial-of-service), have attacked Xbox live twice already in the past month and an attack on PlayStation resulting in the closing of its network causing its servers to go down. There is an apparent attack scheduled for Xbox Live "On December 25 aka Christmas, we will tap into Microsoft and shut down Xbox Live, FOREVER! So enjoy it while it lasts," Lizard Squad said. Lizard Squad has even gone as far as to call a bomb threat on the plain that Sony Online Entertainment president John Smedley was on a couple months ago. Even with DDoS attacks being a federal offence, the FBI seem to do nothing so far.

But it has, allegedly, grabbed the attrition of the world’s most famous hacker group, Anonymous. In a video allegedly released by Anonymous, it warns Lizard Squad "Quit while you're ahead because the FBI is watching you; they will find you and Anonymous will help and support them. You said your next attack is on Christmas Day. We will stop at nothing to ensure that you never attack the gaming communities again." 

"Not over their dead bodies"

http://nypost.com/2014/12/12/cops-to-de-blasio-stay-away-from-our-funerals/

There currently is a waver circulating that requests that Mayor de Blasio and Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito of New York City “refrain from attending my funeral services in the event that I am killed in the line of duty.” This waver is being produced by New York police in response to the mayor’s lack of support for the NYPD following the grand jury’s decision not to indict the officer involved in the death of Staten Islander Eric Garner.” With this causing some heat between NYPD and the mayor, a press conference latter would prove to just add more fuel to the fire. In the press conference about the grand-jury’s vote, the mayor had said “We've had to literally train him, as families have all over this city for decades, in how to take special care in any encounter he has with the police officers who are there to protect him,” talking about his son.

To me this is ridiculous. The NYPD is expecting a public figure to support a man who, on video killed another man. If I was Mayor de Blasio I wouldn't support that officer either. My parents and high school have also instructed me on the proper ways to deal with police, and that they are not always to be trusted. The police should have not been surprised at all by the reaction of the mayor to not support them at times. But this does not mean that the mayor has lost all support. To bar the mayor from paying his respects and showing his support for what you have sacrificed for his city is crazy. 

A Federal Shield Law May Be Not To Far Away

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/attorney-general-wont-force-new-york-times-reporter-reveal-source-n267481

A long fight between reporter James Risen and prosecutors has finally ended. Attorney General Eric Holder has decided agents forcing Risen from reveling his source who reviled to him CIA efforts to sabotage Iran’s nuclear weapons program. "As long as I am attorney general, no reporter who is doing his job is going to jail." said Holder. Even though there is no Federal shield law passed, this effort by Holder might spark the response to produce one.

Currently there are 49 states who have shield laws, Wyoming being the only state without one. Shield laws help enforce our First Amendment of freedom of the press. A national shield law would allow for people to speak out freely to the press without being afraid of the government reprimanding them for what they have said. It would also allow for the people to keep the government in check. A Federal shield law would give the people power, and keep freedom of the press alive and thriving.

Refusal of Service

Michigan House Passed Bill Allowing EMTs To Refuse Treatment To Gay People

http://www.newnownext.com/michigan-house-passed-bill-allowing-emts-to-refuse-treatment-to-gay-people/12/2014/

Republicans in Michigan have passed a bill that would allow for anyone to refuse service to anyone based on religious beliefs. This bill is so broad that it would permit “Catholic high school refuse to hire a Muslim janitor, and a DMV clerk deny a new driver’s license to someone who is divorced.” This bill would also allow for EMTs to refuse emergency treatment to anyone who is a member of the LGBT community. Also pharmacists can refuse to give medication such as birth control.

“The idea that we need to ‘restore’ religious freedom — rights that are already enshrined in the U.S. Constitution — is a farce created by conservative lawmakers for the sole purpose of appeasing their far-right donors and the religious right,” said Lonnie Scott of Progress Michigan. If I am reading this correctly I completely agree with Lonnie Scott. I feel that every citizen should be entitled and given the same rights and treatment as every other. This is still a way off but if we as a county are to reach this point this bill is a step in the wrong direction. The First Amendment protects both freedom of religion, and freedom from religion. But this law doesn't protect people from religion. All it does is allow for others to force their religious beliefs and customs on others that can drastically impact another’s life.

The One and Only Kim Jong Un

http://www.startribune.com/world/284554981.html

Reported on Wednesday the 24 of November, Kim Jong Un forbid the using of his name for anyone other than him. All who have that name will have to have their name changed and doctors have been told to reject birth registrations for babies with that name.  This act was meant to strengthen a personality cult surrounding Kim. But the current dictator's name was not the only one that was banned. Kim Jong Un also banned the names of his father, Kim Jong Il and his grandfather, Kim Il Sung. 

Name banning seems like something strictly out of dictatorships, like the one in North Korea, but it is also a practice done all over the world. In New Zealand you can't name your baby 'Princess' or any other name dealing with royalty. Germany has banned the use of surnames, such as Anderson and the using of objects or products as names for your kid. The name Mona Lisa is banned in Portugal along with nicknames such as Bob or Joe it must be Robert or Joseph. And in America it is illegal to name you child Messiah. As you can see it is not strictly North Korea that banns names. 

I AM MAD

http://www.nydailynews.com/autos/news/27-year-old-crashes-1-2m-mclaren-p1-1st-day-ownership-article-1.2030104

"Less than a day after picking it up, a young hypercar owner made a million dollar mistake. The 27-year-old driver crashed his 1-of-375 McLaren P1 early on Tuesday morning in Texas. Unfortunately, there is now one fewer McLaren P1 in the world."

I saw this headline and I honestly flipped. I love cars, and I love McLarens, they are my second favorite brand and beautiful pieces of machinery. There where a total of 375 of P1s made, and now there are only 374 of them left. Now I would not be as mad if this car was destroyed by almost any other method. But the fact that this 27-year-old was driving recklessly in this car without knowing how to properly control this excelent, 0-60 in 3 seconds, 217 limited top speed, 903-horsepower twin turbocharged V-8, is what makes me mad. This isn't the first time I have gotten mad about a car crash, I saw in person a totaled Ferrari on the side of the road back home around 2 years ago. Ferrari being my favorite brand of car lead to a rant and a few seat punches. 

Bottom line: IF YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO PROPERTY HANDEL A CAR WITH THAT TYPE OF POWER DON'T TRY.