Open Thread

Pick a top news story from this week and post the details / implications here.

Invasive Species Act

Ontario passes Invasive Species Act - link below. How are invasive species a world issue? Provide some examples. In some cases can they be a good thing? How do island nations deal with these situations ? (i.e. Australia, Madagascar, Hawaii, New Zealand, Galapagos, etc.) How does this relate / connect to biodiversity issues at large? http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/2311068

Syria

Mortar shells 13 children. How did it come to this? What leads to these sorts of situations that we never deal with as Canadians? Has Syria always known violence or was it once peaceful? http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/mortar-fire-syria-school-kills-13-children-26704083

Burkina Faso

Situation going on in this West African nation. Comment on the issues at stake - feel free to draw your own conclusions, but be sure you research the word 'sovereignty'before thinking about this issue

. How does this apply in this situation? What are some of the democratic issues. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-29910029

Week 9

Post on one of the threads that deal with top news stories this week. Due by this Sunday. If you have remaining time, ensure coffee+bananas is complete, then finish up Beslan school re-opens article.

Destined for Destination Dubai

Here's the post for this week - communicate with Destiny to find a bit more about Dubai and the Middle East (Dubayy as it is listed on the map). She will be checking in periodically - or at least once this week I'm hoping - to answer some of our questions we may have. I won't evaluate this thread (i.e. close it) until thursday Nov. 7th. This is probably the easiest thread you will have. btw, zing for me on the thread title. If you are later than this Thursday then your blog post will be to report on the U.A.E., Dubai, Qatar, Bahrain and the oil states of the Middle East - possible topics: what are they? How did they come to be? What was the Arab Spring? But remember that next week you will have another blog topic which I will open on Monday. So it may be best to stay on top of things.

Week 7 - International Radio

This is the place for you to post your review of your 2 week listening experience to a radio station from a different country. As mentioned a fortnight ago: What am I looking for? What are the immediate differences you notice between this station and the one you listen to most regularly at home? What are the types of news pieces making headlines? What is the focus of these pieces? Is it to be on the alert / be on guard / is there an imminent threat, a pending strike or action, or are they more soft news pieces (i.e. cat fashion / water skiing squirrels)? In what order does the severity of the news piece get presented? Where is the focus? What countries / continents seem to be the focus? (i.e. England, France, China, U.S.A.?) Another interesting aspect will be to listen to how the terrorist acts in Ottawa are presented - or perhaps they aren't mentioned.