I’ve written a lot about the opening up of Myanmar and Bhutan and their possibilities for sustainable tourism, so today I thought I would look at another isolated country: Cuba. Travel between the United States and Cuba has been forbidden since February 8th, 1969, just a few months after the end of the Cuban Missile Crisis. …
Category: General Information
Mar 21
The Homelessness Series: The Pursuit of Happyness
I’m just going to start off with the disclaimer: I love the movie The Pursuit of Happyness. I really do. However, I have one major objection to the film, which I would like to discuss with you. For those of you who haven’t seen the movie, here’s the SparkNotes version: A man named Chris Gardner …
Mar 18
Slacktivism is not Activism
Social media has become a fact for civil society. The ability to become involved with a social cause is literally at the tip of our fingers. Internet applications such as Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube facilitate the creation and exchange of user-created content on today’s social movements. Hype can be generated on social issues with …
Mar 15
Exploring the New Frontier: Space Mining
Growing up, many of you have probably watched Star Trek. Exploration of space was an exciting prospect indeed. What fascinated me though, while watching, was the huge abundance of resources available, such as basic raw materials, energy, even food and water. I remember thinking that if this was actually possible it would solve all of …
Mar 15
Proof One Person Really Can Make a Difference
It occurred to me the other day that we really ask a lot of the people who read our website. At the end of our posts we always ask you to do something to make a difference or to get involved in some way. And I personally love that about our site. But I know …
Mar 07
The NRA, Gun Owners, Advocates for Gun Control: Why Not Work Together?
There is no doubt that that the mass shooting in Newtown, Conn., has heightened the political debate on gun control in the United States. The Obama-backed gun bills are considered a long shot in Congress. This is due to the opposing views on gun control in congress. One group in Congress is standing behind the …
Mar 05
Freedom Through Acting, Not Guns
In Palestine, there is a city by the name of Jenin located in the West Bank. A majority of the city’s population is made up of Palestinian refugees displaced from their homes. Thousands of young children, teenagers, and college age youth grow up within the walls of this refugee city, and the future they look …
Feb 28
Five Thousand Dollar Bullets!
In the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, the country’s focus is on stricter gun control. This week Congress is expected to debate the broadest the broadest gun control legislation in a generation. However, I think ammunition control should be at the forefront of this debate. It is essential to focus on the gun control, but …
Feb 25
Economics and Happiness
In the 1970s Richard Easterlin wrote an article titled “Does Economic Growth Improve the Human Lot? Some Empirical Evidence,” in which he described what is now known as the Easterlin Paradox and became the father of happiness economics. The Easterlin Paradox, simply stated, suggests that people do not get happier as they get richer. …
Feb 22
Breastfeeding in Developing Countries
Almost 6.9 million children under five died around the world in 2011. Did you also know that almost 830,000 deaths could be avoided if every baby was breastfed within the first hour of life? As soon as the infant is born, the mother produces a special milk called colostrum. Colostrum is known to be the …