If You Insulted a Dolphin 20 Years Ago, He's Probably Still Bitter About It

In this article, Garber introduces the theory induced from a long-time experiment by Jason Bruck. Bruck wanting to test the social memory length of dolphins, studied dolphins from six different facilities, rotating the animals around and keeping track of the encounters of each dolphins. After a period of time, Bruck would play back a specific dolphin's whistle, which acts as its name, to see if he got any response from the experimental dolphin. One dolphin, Bailey, responded to one of her tankmate, Allie's whistle after 20 years of separation. Garber concludes with the theory that dolphins "may well have the capacity for relatively complex memories."

I found the introduction and the conclusion to the article a little ridiculous. Though I can see that Garber wanted to make dolphins and humans very closely related, it was comical to try and imagine the picture she gives us - meeting up a dolphin at first a bar, then a bank. On the experiment itself, I was a little upset that these dolphins were used in this way, although it was for research. Some dolphins reacted to their previous tankmates' whistles, even bumping their bodies to the speakers as if to get back a response. If their memory length is so long as to last even twenty years, the isolated feeling they got during the experiment will probably also stick as well.

This new piece of information about dolphins' memory capacities is pretty interesting because dolphins' level of intelligence has also been widely debated for a period of time.

Article: http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/08/if-you-insulted-a-dolphin-20-years-ago-hes-probably-still-bitter-about-it/278446/#disqus_thread

Florida Executes Mentally Ill Man Despite Constitutional Prohibition

John Ferguson, a man of 65, was recently executed for his crimes of murdering six people in an armed robbery in 1977 and two school students the following year. This ruling of Florida's Supreme Court isn't anything outstanding, except for the fact that the Supreme Court violated the Constitution. Ferguson's lawyers clearly argued that executing Ferguson strictly goes against the Eighth Amendment. The U.S. Constitution prohibits putting mentally ill people to death and yet Ferguson had been diagnosed for forty years as schizophrenic.

At first, this article wasn't really new considering that there are many cases in which the Supreme Court goes against their own Constitution. However, as the article progresses, the author incorporates many evidence that directly points out the wrong in the decision to execute Ferguson. Not only did it misinterpret the Eighth Amendment, but it also went against a ruling the Supreme Court had previously made in the Panetti vs. Quarterman case, in which it ruled that "a prisoner about to be executed must not only be aware of the punishment they are about to receive, but also have a "rational understanding of it.'" Because Ferguson was completely convinced that he was the prince of God and that he was captured by communists that want to bring him down, he does not meet this standard. It was also a little shocking to read that the court overlooked Ferguson's belief in his own immortality because "that...belief...was shared by millions of other American Christians." It's wrong to make a decision, going against the Constitution and their own previous ruling, based on one little statement that showed no justification of their decision. It's also upsetting that this rash decision cannot be changed because Ferguson's life has already been taken.

Article: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/05/florida-execute-mentally-ill-john-ferguson

The Wake-Up Call in China's 'Visit Your Parents' Law

Just a month ago, China passed a new law stating that all adult children must visit his or her parents frequently and offer them financial support. This act was intended to provide children with a "wake-up call" and to bring children to deal with things that they would not normally until much later.

The author writes about how this act could be a controversial one, causing children to hate their parents instead of appreciating them, as intended, because of the frequent visits, now required, that are being forced upon them. Personally, I don't believe that children should be forced to see their parents this way. There are many reasons that could be holding back children from going to visit their parents "frequently." Hostility between child and parent, country boundaries, and even the lack of money and time were all possible reasons that could have been holding back children from visiting their parents ever so frequently. Though I do sympathize with the author in that I would want my children to have a relationship with their grandparents, there are just many restrictions in this generation that don't support our desires to do so. The act can be seen as a "wake-up call" for many, but it is a little absurd, unnecessary, and inconvenient.

Because the elderly population in China is dramatically increasing and there is no money to help fund for them without a social security system, China is pushing children themselves to provide the financial support for their parents. It's strange that China is a country yet to establish a social security system despite being a communist government. They're going to need one very soon, especially with the increasing population.

Article: http://www.theatlanticcities.com/politics/2013/07/wake-call-chinas-visit-your-parents-law/6377/

An Extinction to Celebrate

The author writes of the time she was in South Sudan and she helped a nine-year-old girl Nakal through a painful experience. Nakal had drunk unfiltered water and now she was suffering from a guinea worm making its way out of her knee. Apparently there is neither cure nor treatment for those who are infected with guinea worm. However, the number of those infected has been severely decreasing ever since President Jimmy Carter in 1986 started a campaign to help destroy this worm.

Just by the title, I was expecting good news for the little girl all throughout the article. However, the story of the Nakal was merely a personal anecdote used to introduce the author's main topic of working towards the extinction of guinea worms. Even though there was only one picture of Nakal suffering from a worm piercing out of her skin, I still felt the pain through the article. It was upsetting to read that Nakal had only drank some water to keep herself cool on a hot day yet was infected with such a pain-giving parasite. Here, in America, many people, including myself, take clean water for granted. There are even some people who refuse to drink tap water because they don't like the "taste" of it. It's heartbreaking to read about people suffering from lack of clean water when here people are easily throwing water around everywhere.

However, it was relieving to read about the decreasing number of those infected. The worm has become extinct in many countries, leaving South Sudan alone still with a number of five hundred and twenty-one infected. The improvement is encouraging; hopefully South Sudan will also very soon be a country rid of such parasites. Their extinction will be, indeed, one to celebrate.

Article: http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/elements/2013/07/an-extinction-to-celebrate.html

Korea Armistice Anniversary: Families Still Separated 60 Years After War

Ever since the Korean War sixty-three years ago, many Koreans still wait for a chance at reunion with their relatives living in the other side of the Korean peninsula. Those who have escaped North Korea to avoid being drafted in the North Korean army still wait in South Korea, signing up for a lottery that might give them a chance at reunion with their family still in North Korea. One eighty-eight year old woman, Hong Jong Soon, has been waiting all sixty-three years for her husband, never failing to sign up for the lottery run by the South Korean Red Cross. She tells her sons that she will wait for her husband, despite how old she will get, if she can see him just one more time.

Despite the Korean War having six decades ago, North and South Korea have still not signed a formal peace treaty. Because the tensions between the two sides have gotten stronger, North Korea is refusing to let its people and South Koreans to see each other. This scene plays reminiscent of the Cold War, between America and Soviet Russia. Berlin, split between the Allies and Russia with a wall, was forced to be divided into two separate lands, East and West Berlin, separating the people as well. The Berlin Wall kept families from seeing each other, where on the Russian side of the wall, anyone who got close to the wall would immediately be shot down. It's ironic that history keeps replaying itself though we study it in order to prevent same mistakes from happening. Luckily, this time, the South Korean Red Cross allows for some people to gain a chance at being reunited with their families, though for a short time. However, even this can be emotionally draining for other people, such as Jong Soon, who have also been waiting. It's upsetting that two the problems between two countries inevitably affect their people as well.

Article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/24/korean-armistice-anniversary-families-separated_n_3643602.html?utm_hp_ref=world

Federal Judge Blocks N. Dakota’s Most-Restrictive Abortion Law

North Dakota recently wanted to pass the most restrictive abortion law, "banning abortions as early as six weeks after fertilization." However, a federal judge in the state temporarily blocked it, calling the ban "clearly unconstitutional." Anderson, a director of the group's U.S. legal program, was satisfied with the ruling, stating that it got the message across to hostile politicians that such women's rights which have been protected by U.S. legislation for forty years cannot be taken away now.

Abortion has always been a topic of debate for many people. Different states of America have different abortion bans, the average being 24 weeks after fertilization. Abortion is a constitutional right given to women for many years, and it would be unreasonable to take away a right that has already been in legislation for so many years. Politicians trying to take away previously assigned rights from women while women are still fighting for full equal rights, are sending an unwanted message to women.

Though I personally feel that abortion is not the right way out of an unwanted pregnancy, there could be many reasons why a person would want an abortion so desperately. If such is the case, it would be unconstitutional of America to deprive women of this choice. Judge Hovland's ruling was very well put, firmly stating that "a law restricting abortions...is a blatant violation of the constitutional guarantees afforded to all women." For a state to arbitrarily set up a legislation protecting the state's politicians' own believes would not be a fair decision to all the women who think otherwise but didn't have a chance to say so.

Article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/federal-judge-blocks-n-dakotas-most-restrictive-abortion-law/2013/07/22/f3620458-f2f3-11e2-bdae-0d1f78989e8a_story.html

Stop Chopping My Salad

Wickman writes that the trend of chopped salads has been getting out of hand lately and that it needs to stop. He finds the idea of chopped salad, despite the "few defenses" some chopped-salad enjoyers offer of this new trend. The idea of chopped salad is compared to a bag of Chex Mix stomped on, leaving the chips in a homogeneous mixture, without any separate chips.

Chopped salads are becoming a little overrated, especially with mezzalunas, salad-chopping knives, becoming even more advanced with the addition of extra blades. It's ridiculous that people now don't find enough time to even eat a salad in its proper form. How is it that a simple dietary dish is now being compared to fast-food? However, Wickman's fear of chopped salad developing into a drink is unnecessary considering that we already have such drinks. We already have such "salad juices," which are even sold in stores or juice stores, such as Jamba Juice. In fact, juiced fruits and veggies offer more benefits than eating a salad in a bowl. For example, half a cup of veggie juice would offer the same amount of nutrients a bowl of salad would. Though the idea of chopped salads is a little terrifying considering the defenses that some people are giving for it, salad in a cup is much more beneficial.

The author's use of diction in this article gives off a feeling of great importance for stopping chopped salads. It's very funny to read how serious the author makes customary salad seem. For example, claiming that chopped salads take away our "freedom of choice" exaggerates the benefits of customary salad. Overall, this article had a very humorous tone to it, where I often thought that the author was being satirical with the topic.

Article: http://www.slate.com/articles/life/food/2013/07/against_chopped_salad_traditional_salad_is_great_and_the_chop_t_trend_is.html