Annotated Bibliography

Annotated Bibliography

 

Slaves, Free The. "Several Types of Slavery Linked to Congo's Mining Industry." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 02 Sept. 2010. Web. 07 Nov. 2013.

This article provides insight regarding the types of slavery in the Congo. It also talks a little about the metals that are required and how the rebel groups desire the illicit profits. It even talks about another non-profit organization that helps the standards of the Congo.

 

"Intel and Conflict-Free Minerals." Intel. http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/corporate-responsibility/conflict-free-minerals.html.  N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2013.

This is Intel's statement regarding the use of conflict mining. It shows that there are big businesses with an equal desire for social justice.

 

Gettleman, Jeffrey. "Conflict Minerals." The Price of Precious. N.p. http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2013/10/conflict-minerals/gettleman-text. Web. 07 Nov. 2013.

A truly unique article regarding first hand experience in the Congo. Talks about an encounter with the leader of a rebel group and sight of the slave workers. Also provided insight to companies with a similar view for social justice as well as other organizations.

 

"Blood in the Mobile." Blood in the Mobile. N.p., n.d. Bloodinthemobile.org. Web. 07 Nov. 2013.

This was my first encounter with this topic after talking with Patrick. On the main page is a snippet of a documentary that deals with mining in the Congo. The video is one I plan to watch in the near future to better my knowledge.

 

"Learn Adobe Premiere Elements 10." : Getting Started and Tutorials. N.p., n.d. http://www.adobe.com/support/premiereelements/gettingstarted/ .Web. 17 Nov. 2013. This is Adobe's website for Premiere Elements 10 so I can teach myself some video editing techniques for my digital story project.

"Adobe Premiere Elements 10 - Tutorial | Getting Started." YouTube. YouTube, 16 Apr. 2012. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncOTr_aWvR0&list=PL5EEC30E50DA29119 .Web. 17 Nov. 2013.

This is a video tutorial to work with Adobe Premiere Elements 10. The creator "MightyMaster123" has many tutorials to do many different things in Adobe. He is very resourceful

Digital Story Final

Digital Story Storyboard

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/johncassidy/2013/06/why-edward-snowden-is-a-hero.html

Summary Coming Soon

AT&T and Verizon Assisting NSA Spying

AT&T's fiber optic cable system was supposedly a breakthrough. It provided faster internet, better phone connection, and smoother television broadcasting at a cheaper cost. To the normal customer this seems awesome; however, according to an article "The US government, with assistance from major telecommunications carriers including AT&T, has engaged in a massive illegal dragnet surveillance of domestic communications and communications records of millions of ordinary Americans since at least 2001". Everything I have done has been recorded. Apparently AT&T has created a splitter that forms copies of all phone calls and files and sends them to the NSA in the form of metadata. This is an invasion of my privacy and I feel it is necessary to hold the government accountable. Their argument is that "if we have nothing to hide then we shouldn't worry about hiding it." Well, now they're the definition of hypocrites. Why did they hide this so long? Because it's illegal. It's a complete disruption of our Bill of Rights. The article also highlights how the government demanded Verizon to hand over all the phone calls information. After a court case, Verizon was forced to hand over the information. If we let this go, what's next? Our freedom of speech? I can't express how irritated this makes me. We're moving away from a government of the people to a government controlling the people. I suppose you'll tell me it's for "my safety", just like the war in Afghanistan was to prevent terroristic attacks. The war in Afghanistan was solely for oil and this whole dragnet garbage isn't for my safety. I can't trust what the government is doing. I'm at a point where I'd consider a complete restructure of the system. President Obama is nothing but a figure head; no, I'm not displaying my political views, but he doesn't make the choices. Big businesses tell him what to do. Money is making the choices and there is no ethics behind it.

https://www.eff.org/nsa-spying
"NSA Spying | Electronic Frontier Foundation." Electronic Frontier Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2013.

Questions Pertaining to Edward Snowden Article.

 Eric raised some serious debate regarding the NSA.
-- Were his actions worth while?
--Will he be seen as a martyr or a trader?
--Are you willing to give up your privacy for more protection?

According to a CNN article "Pleading for asylum after spilling American secrets, Edward Snowden told Ecuador's government that he fears inhumane treatment or even death if he's handed over to face U.S. espionage charges, Ecuador's foreign minister said Monday."
The government classified this as an act of terrorism, but in all reality he was keeping the government in check. We the people are apart of the checks and balance system. This man felt insecure about the fact our government was invading our right to privacy and is now facing possible inhuman treatment. --At what point is patriotism taken too far?

Digital Story Annotated Bibliography (6 sources)

Annotated Bibliography

Slaves, Free The. "Several Types of Slavery Linked to Congo's Mining Industry." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 02 Sept. 2010. Web. 07 Nov. 2013.

This article provides insight regarding the types of slavery in the Congo. It also talks a little about the metals that are required and how the rebel groups desire the illicit profits. It even talks about another non-profit organization that helps the standards of the Congo.

"Intel and Conflict-Free Minerals." Intel. http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/corporate-responsibility/conflict-free-minerals.html.  N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2013.

This is Intel's statement regarding the use of conflict mining. It shows that there are big businesses with an equal desire for social justice.

Gettleman, Jeffrey. "Conflict Minerals." The Price of Precious. N.p. http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2013/10/conflict-minerals/gettleman-text. Web. 07 Nov. 2013.

A truly unique article regarding first hand experience in the Congo. Talks about an encounter with the leader of a rebel group and sight of the slave workers. Also provided insight to companies with a similar view for social justice as well as other organizations.

"Blood in the Mobile." Blood in the Mobile. N.p., n.d. Bloodinthemobile.org. Web. 07 Nov. 2013.

This was my first encounter with this topic after talking with Patrick. On the main page is a snippet of a documentary that deals with mining in the Congo. The video is one I plan to watch in the near future to better my knowledge.

"Learn Adobe Premiere Elements 10." : Getting Started and Tutorials. N.p., n.d. http://www.adobe.com/support/premiereelements/gettingstarted/ .Web. 17 Nov. 2013. This is Adobe's website for Premiere Elements 10 so I can teach myself some video editing techniques for my digital story project.

"Adobe Premiere Elements 10 - Tutorial | Getting Started." YouTube. YouTube, 16 Apr. 2012. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncOTr_aWvR0&list=PL5EEC30E50DA29119 .Web. 17 Nov. 2013.

This is a video tutorial to work with Adobe Premiere Elements 10. The creator "MightyMaster123" has many tutorials to do many different things in Adobe. He is very resourceful

August Runyon, Foster King, Justin Twarog, Matt Collard

Digital Story Proposal

My digital story starts with me as a high school student eager to better myself. I felt as though technology would play a huge role in this, after all, there are many things that can be accessed through the internet. I loved technology and began doing self-research about it. I taught myself all of the software and hardware in various devices to find the best one. I loved video games and the graphics, I loved cell phones for their abilities, and I also loved computers for what they allowed me to accomplish. I fell in love with technology for its abilities. I was completely blind to the horrors that were happening in modern society. As I grew older and came to college I was granted the gift of an international student for a roommate. His name is Patrick Bucyana. Being the child of two UN officers Patrick was able to travel to many places. He became informed of many areas of society and dove into research as a political science major. Patrick is the one who showed me the dark side of technology. During a late night discussion in the dorm room Patrick asked if I had ever heard about the Congo or the resources in it. Strictly being an American with no insight to what was going on I stated my ignorance and he elaborated. He began preaching of blood diamonds and gold mining, but one thing that particularly caught my attention was the mining of Coltan. He spoke of the slavery and the civil war in the Congo and then talked about the uses of Coltan. He was a firsthand reference to the dark side of technology. Patrick’s parents are from Rwanda (a neighboring country to the Congo that has had many genocidal attacks and fighting). Patrick told me he lives in Mozambique but still has family Rwanda. He talks about how Rwanda used to be extremely unsafe. Even in modern day there are armed soldiers roaming the streets to protect its citizens. This insight has been wonderful and is the reason why I started my social action project. Also through my first year seminar class my professor, David Shutkin, has enlightened me of the waste produced by electronics. My view of electronic technology has changed, I’ve gone from someone who ignorantly believed technologies sole purpose was to better the lives of its users without care for other humans in society; to a firm believer in finding proper disposal methods and an advocate to stopping slavery and the use of conflict minerals in the Congo. While my efforts have not made an impact yet, I feel I can make a change through proper education of others.  While Patrick was the source of my inspiration I began researching the topic, reading every article I could find. It is a mere understatement to say that I am “interested” in this topic. I love this stuff, every article has information that shocks me, and it always breaks my heart to read about children held at gun point or citizens raped by armed rebel groups. It’s a situation where everything I read makes me more curious. I’ve read articles from CNN, Huffington Post, ABC, small bloggers, and National geographic. While I was unable to find the stories of other people like me, I know my story is not one of a kind. I know that every person apart of the “Walk Free Foundation” had a similar experience. One day while reading the article from National Geographic I realized other people apart of big businesses share my experience. Companies like Intel have made efforts to better their company, not from an economic standpoint but rather a social justice standpoint. I believe my story has a large message and I am extremely excited to share it via social media. However, I feel this becomes a source of irony. I, being someone who opposes the use of conflict minerals am going to share my story via electronics that typically use these minerals. Maybe I can concoct a way to share my story using the equipment that is conflict mineral free, that to me would be something of a success.

Annotated Bibliography

 

Slaves, Free The. "Several Types of Slavery Linked to Congo's Mining Industry." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 02 Sept. 2010. Web. 07 Nov. 2013.

This article provides insight regarding the types of slavery in the Congo. It also talks a little about the metals that are required and how the rebel groups desire the illicit profits. It even talks about another non-profit organization that helps the standards of the Congo.

 

"Intel and Conflict-Free Minerals." Intel. http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/corporate-responsibility/conflict-free-minerals.html.  N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2013.

This is Intel's statement regarding the use of conflict mining. It shows that there are big businesses with an equal desire for social justice.

 

Gettleman, Jeffrey. "Conflict Minerals." The Price of Precious. N.p. http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2013/10/conflict-minerals/gettleman-text. Web. 07 Nov. 2013.

A truly unique article regarding first hand experience in the Congo. Talks about an encounter with the leader of a rebel group and sight of the slave workers. Also provided insight to companies with a similar view for social justice as well as other organizations.

 

"Blood in the Mobile." Blood in the Mobile. N.p., n.d. Bloodinthemobile.org. Web. 07 Nov. 2013.

This was my first encounter with this topic after talking with Patrick. On the main page is a snippet of a documentary that deals with mining in the Congo. The video is one I plan to watch in the near future to better my knowledge.

Rebel Group "M23" Announces It's Disarm

"He noted that dozens of armed groups fighting over complex issues have killed more than 5 million people in the past two decades in the region". 5 million people! That number is huge, but we do finally have a step in the right direction. The rebel group, M23, declared their disarm on Tuesday November 5th, 2013. The leader Bertrand Bisimwa announced this via Facebook after having talks with the Congolese Government in Uganda. The group says "it would immediately end its rebellion and pursue, by purely political means, a search for solutions to the profound issues that led to its creation." The Congolese government says that it is trying to find out whether this announcement is valid. However if this is true then it will be huge. The M23 is one of the largest rebel groups in the Congo. On a more shocking note, the Government says that it believes most of people of this group will be able to reintegrate back into normal life in the Congo. This last statement is shocking, a group responsible for so much death and destruction, and only members who committed war crimes or crimes against humanity will not be given amnesty. Every member of this group has committed war crimes or is responsible for slavery, death, and abuse. I'm glad to see this group giving up but I would like to see heavier sanctions put on them, even death. I truly believe that an eye for an eye is the only way people will understand their actions. By allowing these citizens to reintegrate will only allow for formations of more rebellious groups. The members say they were wronged by the government. While there have been no changes in the Congolese government I believe there will be no changes in certain members of these groups. I'm disappointed in the actions taken but I am excited to see groups giving up their power for the sake of humanity.

Staff, CNN. "Rebel Group to Disarm in Democratic Republic of Congo." CNN. Cable News Network, 05 Nov. 2013. Web. 07 Nov. 2013.

Personal Literature Review

            The article by Jeffery Gettleman is an interesting article that appeared on the National Geographic website. It talks mainly of his experience through the Congo where he visited a rebel lead mine. The whole article starts with his journey to the mine where he encountered several children that he estimated to be around 14 or 15. He said these armed children were satisfied with cigarettes and a couple dollars. Jeffrey also talks about the immense amount of resources sitting just below the soil in the Congo and he also discussed the history of the Congo. He talks about the wars that lead the country devastated. The devastation lead to a takeover by rebel groups which is now where the Congo is currently. Once Jeffrey gets to the mine he is immediately accused of spying and taken under arrest. Later in the article, an officer from the UN states “Those guys in Bavi (a village in the Cong) didn’t want you seeing what they were up to.” He later goes on to say that because of all the illegalities of the conflict mining it’s a situation where rebel leaders are trying to obtain as much of a certain resource as they can before leaving. Gettleman ends the article with his discussion with the UN officer which reads “When we asked him what it would take to fix Congo, he looked down at his polished shoes for a long time. “There’s no easy solution,” he said. “And I’m not even sure there is any solution.” To completely ban mines from central Africa would damage what little income the “green mine” miners make. It’s a horrific situation, but something has to be done. The article was eye-opening and a good insight to the Congo.

Gettleman, Jeffrey. "Conflict Minerals." The Price of Precious. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Nov. 2013.

Coltan, What is it?

    Coltan is a metal ore that is mined from the earth. It is a combination of two very important metals; Tantalum and columbite. When coltan is refined down to tantalum it becomes a metal that is very good at conducting electricity and has a high melting point. These are important when being used as a conductor in electronics because at times, temperatures can be very high. Coltan is mined from the by hand because of it's soft properties. Once it has been discovered it is mixed around in large wash baths where the coltan sinks to the bottom. The article relates it to the mining of gold in San Francisco. The mining of coltan doesn't have any extreme environmental impact; however, the rebel groups are killing animals that are endangered. The ABC article then talks about how some of the mining companies in the Congo are actually mined properly. The article states "The path that coltan takes to get from Central Africa to the world market is a highly convoluted one, with legitimate mining operations often being confused with illegal rebel operations, and vice versa, making it difficult to trace the origin. To be safe, in recent months many electronics companies have publicly rejected the use of coltan from anywhere in Central Africa, instead relying on their main suppliers in Australia". One of the points in this article that made me particularly mad was when he said "coltan mining is very well paid in Congo terms". These miners are making $10-50 per week! This is outrageous. Could you imagine living off of 10 dollars a week to support you; let alone, you AND your family. Where's the world police when social justice needs  to be served? Sitting in other countries because oil is more important than bloodshed.

Lit Review

The significance of the social action project is to help a war torn and impoverished country. The article by Alisha Mims hits many high notes on the controversy in the Congo. Mims starts the article talking about how rich the Congo is due to its resources. She also talks about how crucial these minerals are to the electronic companies in the U.S. She explains what importance coltan has for these companies by explaining it’s a combination of tantalum and columbite and that these are integral parts of electronics. By starting with these statements she sets up the importance of her next topic; the Congo wars.  Alisha starts with the history of the second war in Congo where the Rwandese and Ugandan governments teamed up and went to war against the Congo dictator. The Dictator of the Congo had been performing genocidal attacks on the Rwandese people; also known as the Tutsis. After time, other countries began invading and destroying the infrastructure in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. With a country high in resources, and lack of infrastructure it led to the takeover by rebel groups. These rebel groups exploited the minerals and began outsourcing them for profit. They then used this profit for weaponry. It is half way through the article when the author shows a quote of the UN showing their lack of interest. The quote is “Part of that new production involved rebel groups and unscrupulous business people forcing farmers and their families to leave their agricultural land, or chasing people off land where coltan was found and forcing them to work in artisanal mines. As a result, the widespread destruction of agriculture and devastating social effects occurred, which in a number of instances were akin to slavery”. This quote was released sometime in the year 2000. It took ten years before legislation was written about the controversial mining. In the year 2010, president Obama cleared the Dodd-Frank Act which required corporations to disclose any information regarding conflict mining. The author begins talking about the successful impact of this act by saying “Armed groups that were trading in tin, tantalum, and tungsten saw their profits drop by 65 percent” (Mims). She also talks about the increase in “green mines” that began popping up. These mines are conflict free and are used by some big name companies like Apple, Intel, and HP.  Some companies have actually begun programs and foundations to help stop the use of conflict minerals. Alisha has also pointed out some companies that are using conflict minerals and have no plan to stop. Of these companies is Nintendo which is “the world’s largest video game company by revenue” (Mims).  This author has an all-inclusive look at every major topic of this project. She has the history, the problems, the supporting data, foundations and programs to stop it, a list of companies and their progress towards conflict free mining, as well as photos of what is going on in the Congo. A website like this may be something our group could aim towards, It’s got an all-inclusive feel that doesn’t drag on.

Mims, Alisha. "Conflict Minerals: How Our Demand for Electronics Fuels Child Labor and Suffering." Ring Of Fire Radio: Robert Kennedy Jr, Mike Papantonio and Sam Seder. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2013.

Questions for "YouSoup"

What is one characteristic that makes you stand out from the rest? What is one thing about you that you don't think anyone else has? Does anyone have a similar characteristic?

The author says we are both individuals and stereotypes and makes a strong argument for his reason.
Do you feel that each person is more of a "snowflake" or that they are stereotyped, why?

Stereotypes have a positive and negative side to them. Just like the story of the guest speaker, Joyce Murton, who used her stereotype as a transgender to find people for support but was also discriminated against by opposing people. Do you think that stereotyping is ok in society? Can you think of a way to eliminate the discrimination?

Cell Phone Addictions Are As Real As Substance Addictions

According to a study done by Dr. James Roberts of Baylor University says that a cell phone addiction produces a similar response to a substance addiction. Cell phones can cause the brain to produce serotonin and dopamine (the feel good neurotransmitters in the brain) just like alcohol and tobacco. In today's world around 90% of college students own and use their cell phones. Some of these students are using them to text, call, and surf the web for up to 7 hours a day! On average a person sends around 109.5 text messages per day and receives around 130. So what's the problem? We live in a society where people love to communicate. The real problem is that people are doing it excessively. It is getting to a point where people are suffering from mental disorders when they don't have their cell phone on them. Most cell-phone addicts neglect important stuff like studying or eating while some experience physical symptoms like appetite loss or anxiety.  I get it, I really love to communicate with others as well, but I've noticed a decline in my ability to interact with people face to face since becoming a heavy cell phone user. Check out this video on NPR about cell phone addiction, it's a short three minute video with a powerful message.
 I Forgot My Cell Phone
Dr. Roberts closes the article blaming cell phones availability for the addiction. They are so easily accessible and provide a quick burst of dopamine this makes the body have a "feel good" sensation. This over time becomes a conditioned response and people are checking their cell phones even when they don't have a notification. How disastrous would it be if you lost your cell phone for a day?Maybe some of us should try going a day or two without cell phones to see how we react.
Cell phones are also an item of materialistic value that represent a social status to some. Everyone has an inner desire to fit in with society and that is why everyone is buying new phones. They're a hot item and just like people who have substance abuses they will pay enormous prices.  People buying phones so frequently is where my social action project comes into play. New phones require new parts that  have to be mined. It also increase the amount of e-waste in our society. If society could change it's views, that you don't NEED the newest cell-phone on the market to fit in, we could save lives and our Earth.


Hu, Elise. "Our Cultural Addiction To Phones, In One Disconcerting Video." NPR. NPR, n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2013.

"Baylor University || Media Communications || News." Baylor University Media Communications. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2013.

"Mobile-phone Addiction in Teenagers May Cause Severe Psychological Disorders." Mobile-phone Addiction in Teenagers May Cause Severe Psychological Disorders. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2013.

Legislation Stepping Up There Game

Finally the United States is informing citizens of the horrors in the Congo. Well at least informing them that the metals mined in the Congo are being used. "By May of next year" it will be a requirement for companies to list the conflict minerals used in their products. This is not a HUGE step, but it is a small step in the right direction. According to the article these regulations are "very vague" due to the different business models. Any way you look at it, this is good news. It shows that we, the guys/girls in our FYS class, are not alone. We have support and we can become a part of something so much bigger than ourselves. Hopefully with these new regulations we will see some companies that are built on strong ethics begin to emerge. Jess Kraus, a chief executive of Source Intelligence talks about how companies really have to pro-active to gain respect. This is what she said "Global economies have entered an era where the megatrend of transparency requires that companies and brands must move from having nothing to hide to pro-actively showing and proving they have nothing to hide," she said. "These companies must go beyond uttering lofty statements on values and culture and begin giving unambiguous and clear evidence about actual results."  Hopefully the push will continue to get stronger until this evil is removed. One thing to really take away from this article is that there is hope. There is a chance for change and a chance to do something great. Let's begin the movement to a new slave-labor free era.

"Human Rights Groups Push Companies to Disclose More about Conflict Minerals." The Guardian. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2013.

Questions for chapters 8 and 9

Do you believe that alcoholism, binge drinking, and a decline in morale at work are a response to an increasing gap between the materialistic wealthy and the materialistic impoverished?

Do you think you can remove the desire for materialistic things even when society shows how greedy humans are? And even if you could, wouldn't you expect a harsh decline in the economy?

If you want a more environmentally stable society, couldn't you promote it through costs? For example raise the price of non-locally grown crops so that locally grown crops are cheaper?

Introduction to Social Action Project

The cycle of electronics is an atrocious topic that isn't very popular. To start, it is typically done with slave or almost slave labor and is finished with hazardous waste. One topic that has really caught my attention is the conflict minerals in the Congo. I have briefly gone over this topic in one of my previous posts and it's really bothered me since. Pondering what the slave labors go through on a daily basis is really heart breaking. These workers are held at gun point and forced to work in awful conditions like the mines. Electronic companies are supplying war lords money for these precious metals which is then used for weaponry. This weaponry spreads fear through citizens of the Congo. What's even more heart breaking is that there are companies like Tantalum Mining Corporation of Canada Ltd. that will do this mining; slave labor free. The citizens will then support these electronic companies by buying new electronics. The cycle then starts again. On the other side of things is the disposal of these electronics. They produce hazardous waste that impacts the environment and workers. The whole process of creating and disposing electronics is corrupt. The scariest part is that no one is aware of the ugly side of things. Citizens are brainwashed to think that new electronics are "eco-friendly" or are "recycled of properly" and have no urge to stand up against it. No one in modern society questions anything done and I think it's time to stand up for what is right. My social action project is to raise awareness through culture jamming. I feel culture jamming can be done effectively without destruction. We as a group can raise awareness by targeting peoples emotions; specifically anger and self-blame. The article "1 Million Workers. 90 Million iPhones. 17 Suicides. Who’s to Blame?" by Joel Johnson really brings to life the emotion of self-blame. At the end of the article he blames us, the consumer, as the main culprit to suicides at Foxconn. How do we raise awareness in an oblivious society? Simple! Put it where they have to see it. There are tons of websites trying to raise awareness on the topic, but you actually have to look up "conflict metals" before you see it. Placing QR codes, links, or informational flyers at certain locations can cause people to scratch their heads and wonder. If someone gave you a flyer before walking into Verizon describing the horrors of the electronic world, would you wonder? Would you ponder the thought?  Just pondering the topic may be enough to cause a spark. A spark is all you need to start a wildfire that can burn so bright. Let's educate the people on companies like Apple, Samsung, and Nokia. Let's start making these companies pay for proper production and disposal processes. It won't be easy, but lets raise some hell and see if we can save some lives as well as the beautiful Earth we live on.

Questions Regarding Foxcon's Work Environment

How did you envision Foxconn's work environment before reading the article? Were you surprised by the description in the article?

The safety nets at Foxconn seem like a "simple fix" to a much larger problem, what is one possible solution you can think of?

The article states "That 17 people have committed suicide at Foxconn is a tragedy. But in fact, the suicide rate at Foxconn’s Shenzhen plant remains below national averages for both rural and urban China". How does this make you feel? Should one's suicide rate be compared to the national average to find whether a company is "ok"? At what number of suicides should attention be brought to that specific company? Keep in mind that someone who commits suicide must be under enough stress, pressure, pain (physical, emotional, or social) that they no longer have the desire to live. Even if that means leaving their family behind.

The article closes with the author ultimately blaming us, the consumer, for these deaths. How does that make you feel? Will you re-consider your consumption before buying new items?

Effects of the Toxins

While watching a video regarding the e-waste I pondered this question: "Do we really know the effects of these toxins?" Yes, we all know that lead, cadmium, and arsenic are toxic to our bodies, but what do these people really go through. It's a lot like the smoking campaign, we all knew smoking was bad but actually seeing a women with a tracheotomy has sort of a scare factor. For those of you who have not seen this video I have tagged a link for your viewing pleasure
Smoking Lady
The effects of these metals are extremely gruesome. They affect the lungs, kidneys, nervous systems, and the reproductive systems. In the video I have attached is a quick animation of the effects of the cadmium.
Cadmium Poisoning

Here's some lists of symptoms  according to the mayoclinic and other sources  regarding each toxin and effects once it enters the body

Lead Poisoning: 

• High blood pressure
• Declines in mental functioning
• Pain, numbness or tingling of the extremities
• Muscular weakness
• Headache
• Abdominal pain
• Memory loss
• Mood disorders
• Reduced sperm count, abnormal sperm
• Miscarriage or premature birth in pregnant women

Cadmium Poisoning:
 - Diarrhea, stomach pains and severe vomiting
- Bone fracture
- Reproductive failure and possibly even infertility
- Damage to the central nervous system
- Damage to the immune system
- Psychological disorders
- Possibly DNA damage or cancer development
Arsenic Poisoning: (acute exposure)

Vomiting

Abdominal pain

Diarrhea

Dark urine (termed black water urine)

Dehydration

Cardiac problems

Hemolysis (destruction of red blood cells)

Vertigo

Delirium

Shock

Death

Yikes! Not one of these symptoms are good. Lead poisoning is said to be one the reasons the Roman Empire fell. History does repeat itself, I guess. But let's face it, our country loves feeding everyone with garbage just so that it can make a profit *cough* McDonalds *cough*. One thing I truly want to highlight is cadmium's effect on the CNS. I have researched more into this and noticed that it impacts many crucial areas of the brain, of these is the hypothalamus. For those of you who don't know, the hypothalamus is the area of the brain that controls your appetite, sex drive, sleep cycles, as well as your endocrine system. Impacting this area can cause HUGE problems with a person! Another area impacted is the hippocampus, the area responsible for creating new memories. What I find even more interesting is that OSHA has many regulations on exposure to these metals, but that is only in America. To me, this sounds a lot like the gas chambers in the holocaust, but with less genocidal tendencies.


Staff, Mayo Clinic. "Definition." Mayo Clinic. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 12 Mar. 2011. Web. 01 Oct. 2013.

Cadmium - Cd." Cadmium (Cd). N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2013

"Arsenic Poisoning Symptoms, Causes, Treatment - What Are the Symptoms of Arsenic Poisoning? - MedicineNet." MedicineNet. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2013.

"Result Filters." National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2013.

Google's Spying

Google is a 287 billion dollar company that almost everyone uses in their daily lives. It's great because whenever you have a question you can go to Google. One huge thing Google has brought to the internet is there Maps; which is a program, free of charge, that allows people to get directions and navigate themselves. Google Maps is extremely useful; in fact, I used it today to find my dinner. Enough about that, Google Maps has plenty of wonderful features like Street-View and different routes via walking, bike, or car. The street-view is really cool and is a great way to waste some time. In order for Google to have this feature they had to send out people in cars to take pictures. Attached to these cars were wifi antennas that were capable of collecting data like email, usernames, passwords, videos, documents, and anything that is shared over a wireless connection. Over the course of 3 years Google had collected around 600 gigabytes of data. This is an extreme invasion of privacy and is now finally being brought to justice. The article goes on to talk about Google's defense, which states "Google sought to have the suit dismissed, claiming that its actions were not illegal because data transmitted over a Wi-Fi network is an electronic radio communication that is "readily accessible to the general public" and therefore exempt under the Wiretap Act. The original district court rejected Google's argument, as did the federal appeals court, which held that radio communication excludes payload data transmitted over a Wi-Fi network" (Grove). It's about time! The internet is a wonderful tool but it is constantly abused! I feel this type of work, no matter what way it would improve Google, is extremely unnecessary. What is Google going to do with my Facebook password and pictures of my senior prom? Sell them? Maybe make a couple bucks off of it? This has completely tainted my opinion of Google and it's owners. I'm ashamed.


Grove, Jennifer Van. "Google's Unwitting Wi-Fi Spying Not Exempt under Wiretap Act." CNET News. CBS Interactive, 10 Sept. 2013. Web. 26 Sept. 2013

Comic Strip

http://Pixton.com/ic:owfz4xee

Questions regarding David Nye's "Can We Define Technology?"

Each person in the class is required to bring in a prop/item.
-I want each person to tell me a practical use for their prop (one that is different than it's original use) because on Pages 9 and 10 Nye talks about how the use for technology came before the application of theories and reasoning.

Throughout the story, David hints on the topic of technological determinism which states that the technology we create  impacts our social interactions.

-Do you feel that this is true? if so, why or why not?

-How does technology impact jobs?

-What are the advantages and disadvantages of technology?

-What are your personal definitions of technology?
While doing some extra research I discovered an interesting topic; David Chandler's Inevitability Thesis which states "Once technology is introduced to a culture it's development is inevitable"
-Do you agree with this?  Can you argue this?

     Apple's never been one of my favorite companies, and the recent news is not helping to persuade me. If you haven't heard Apple is releasing their new iPhone 5S; as well as their colorful model, the iPhone 5C, which boasts different color options. The phones themselves seem rather interesting and the hardware inside is really impressive, but how can you have high-end equipment and still keep the pices down? This is the side of the story that Apple doesn't want you to know. In order to cut costs Apple has signed contracts with companies that have unfair labor practices and unsafe conditions.
     Apple's partner companies have employed over 10,000 student workers. These workers use some of their take home pay for classes as well as for transportation to these classes. This doesn't sound too bad. kids, aged 16 to 18, working a couple of hours to pay for their education? Well reports by 200 undecover CLW Investigators show that a "couple hours" is not anywhere close to what's going on. These kids are working 7 days a week, 12 hours a day. In the article the author says "...80 hours of overtime a month is not uncommon"(Zand). This is outrageous, just put yourself in their shoes.
    I've addressed the long hours which are dangerous by themselves with stress, anxiety, and lack of sleep, but then on top of that they essentially have slave-drivers for bosses. These companies have unpaid, mandatory meetings that they cut-down and publicly humiliate their workers. The one person interviewed said they stand in a line like a "military roll call" just to be yelled at by their group leader.  Also they require pregnant women to stand for periods of 8 hours. This can cause a lot of pain and problems in the lower back as well as knees for these women, not just short term problems either. Another person that was interviewed said he had been injured and was bleeding heavily; instead of going to get proper medical equipment and solving the problem he waited 40 minutes to receive some "industrial grade plastic tape". This isn't my ideal way of fixing a wound.
   Unfortunately one of the most popular companies in the United States is not doing their part in social justice. This is sad to see because of their large backing by society. My anger towards this company is  growing exponentially and will continue to grow until this issue is resolved.

Schmundt, Hilmar, and Bernhard Zand. "Apple Faces Fresh Criticism of Factories." Portside. N.p., 29 July 2013. Web. 17 Sept. 2013

http://portside.org/2013-07-29/apple-faces-fresh-criticism-factories

   Do me a favor and look down. I'd bet that next to your computer is a pen, paper, and your cell phone. Now let's take a closer look at your cell phone; if it's a smart phone it's screen size is around 2.5" to 5.5" and it has the ability to contact almost any person on this planet through means of internet, text, or calling. The internal make up is fairly similar amongst all of them, there's a micro-CPU and a select amount of RAM so the phone can run it's operating system. The average Joe could find this information in about fifteen minutes on the internet. The one internal component that no one really knows about is blood, uhm, I mean conflict minerals.
  The Congo is the largest country in sub-Saharan Africa. It is a place filled with war, bloodshed, and minerals. In fact the current Civil war is" the bloodiest conflict since World War II"(Gettleman) with about 5 million people dead. The Congo warlords are out to spite the civilians of Congo. They want to mercilessly kill and rape them. This sub-Saharan country has absolutely no infrastructure and is one of the most poor countries in the world. To make that last statistic even more pronounced, the Congo sits on about $24 trillion dollars worth of resources. Without infrastructure the warlords have been able to take over the mines and force children and civilians to do slave labor.
  How did these warlords take power? I'm sure you're scratching you head right now and saying well why didn't we stop them? Who allowed these evil people to have weapons? Well if you looked in the mirror you'd be standing eye to eye with the answer to your questions. Remember when I mentioned conflict metals? Well conflict metals are resources that are mined in conditions of armed conflict and human rights abuses. The conflict metals in your phone are necessary for it to function. So cell phone companies have no problem paying these warlords for their metals just so they can make a profit.
  Ok, so you're claim innocence based on the fact of your ignorance? You didn't know your cell phone company was doing this to you or you had no idea this was going on. That's fine, neither did I, actually the only people who knew were the cell phone companies. Up until 2012 it was legal for cell phone companies to not share information about the cell phone parts. Now, legally, these companies have to publicly disclose the information. Do me a favor and research this topic. Spread the word of the disgusting things happening. After all; the first step to solving a problem is realizing that there is actually a problem. Your research and knowledge of this topic could save thousands of lives. I have sewn the seeds, not it is your turn to water the plants and watch them grow.


Resources:

"Blood in the Mobile | Tcij.org." Blood in the Mobile | Tcij.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Sept. 2013.

"SEC Adopts Rule for Disclosing Use of Conflict Minerals." SEC.gov. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Sept. 2013.

"Conflict Minerals | RAISE Hope for Congo." Conflict Minerals | RAISE Hope for Congo. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Sept. 2013

Gettleman, Jeffery. "Congo's Never Ending War." NYTimes.com. N.p., n.d. Web.

Hello,
  My name is August and I am from Painesville, Ohio. My primary email is my college email, arunyon17@jcu.edu. My family has nicknames for me, like Gus, but I do prefer to go by August. I am really into weight lifting. I could never do it competitively because my motivation is primarily intrinsic. I have no desire to make money off of it or model, I just do it for sheer enjoyment. I love the dedication and determination required. It's something I have loved since I was young and plan to love as long as I live. I am also a huge dog lover, I have two chocolate labs (Ray and Izzy) that are my best friends. In terms of breaking me out of my shell for my education I need an organized area that is accepting of all view points. I hate to share an idea or possible solution to watch it get shot down without consideration.
In my eyes the technological advancement that I consider most important would be the creation of the internet. It has shaped our world into the interdependent biosphere it is today. It has allowed me to communicate with people in France or Germany faster than I could ever have imagined. It has allowed me to study without reading full books or see pictures of places I've never been. The internet has made a huge impact on society. The fact that it is used by almost everyone on a daily basis shows that it was a huge technological advancement. I consider my computer, cell phone, and vehicle as essential items; even though I could carry out the basics of life without them (biology joke), they are still very important. I am always contacting people with these devices or using them to meet up with others.
My knowledge of computers is fairly decent. I'm fairly technologically savvy and know what I'm doing for the most part. My knowledge of digital media is very poor. I cannot edit or clip films and I wouldn't even know what programs to use for them. I use social media daily and understand Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram very well. So, in short my knowledge of computers, digital media, and social media are 6/10;2/10;7/10, respectively.

My question for Dr. Shutkin is: What do you view as the most important attribute to have in order to achieve success?