The Dalai Lama Announces he will Step Down

Today the Dalai Lama announced he will be stepping down as the political leader of Tibet.

"As early as the 1960s, I have repeatedly stressed that Tibetans need a leader, elected freely by the Tibetan people, to whom I can devolve power," the Dalai Lama said in a prepared speech on the anniversary of the 1959 Tibetan uprising against Chinese control. "Now, we have clearly reached the time to put this into effect."

 Tibet has had an elected prime minister for a while, with the Dalai Lama as a spiritual leader. He wants peace in Tibet and its foreign relations, and himself to live as a monk.

Full story here.

Suspect of MLK Day Bomb Plot Arrested

The backpack and shirts used with the bomb.

On January 17, 2011, in Spokane, Washington, a parade for MLK Day was about to happen, when a "sophisticated" bomb was found by parade workers just half an hour before commencement. Today, an arrest has been made.

Kevin William Harpham has been charged with illegal possession of an explosive device and attempting to use a "weapon of mass destruction," according to charging documents released today.
Investigators are looking into possible ties between Harpham and white supremacist groups, an FBI official told ABC News.

 It was found that Harpham was a member of a white supremacist group called the National Alliance in 2004. This shows that this could have been a racism-related incident, which would give him additional time in his sentence.

It makes logical sense that someone in a hate group would set up an attack on a group they hate. I was happy to find that an arrest was made, because I don't tolerate hate violence, and I don't think these groups understand that their beliefs are not justified in the least bit.

Political Issue - Picking A Side

On the issue of abortion, my personal stance falls on the same side as Democrats. I believe that women should have the right to choose if they want to go through with a pregnancy or not. Some arguments are that it kills a baby, but done at the right time, the baby has not gained consciousness yet. Most of the arguments on the Republican side are of religious nature, which I have little tolerance for. Scientifically I believe that abortion is prevention of a birth, not murder, and is justified if the mother's situation would make a miserable life for a child that was forced to be born.

Project Tools

For my project, I had to compile a list of all the tools I'd need to complete the project. These tools are different form materials in that the tools were taken home at the rest of the day, and the materials actually became the project.

• 1-2 manual posthole diggers.
• 1 posthole driver.
• 3 pairs of pliers.
• 1 rake.
• 1-2 wheelbarrows.
• 1 pair of wire cutters. 

I borrowed the posthole diggers, driver, and one wheelbarrow from the Parks, Trails and Recreation Dept. I had a pair of wire cutters, 3 pairs of pliers, and a rake. 

Additional tools I needed after I had written this up were sandpaper, a couple hammers, some skinny shovels, and a truck to transport the wheelbarrows between the storage shed a few blocks away and the project site.

Project Ideas

When I was working on my Eagle project, my main idea was to raise money for a third-world country to help them cope with daily life. I remembered seeing a chart showing how much a dollar could be used for in various countries, and was inspired to help them out by raising money.

However, this wasn't acceptable for the Boy Scouts of America. They recommended I do something like build a bench, or a fence, or a swingset or something. So I had to reconsider my options:

• Build a bench
• Build a fence
• Build a swingset or something

They said it should be a physical project that I can come back to when I'm an adult and be "proud" that it's still there. While my original idea would have easily been a thousand times more effective and meaningful, I needed to get my Eagle rank. Luckily I had noticed a steep drop-off at the edge of a cliff that had no protection and a trail leading right up to the edge, so the idea to build a fence went perfectly with that.

I sort of regret not pushing my original idea, but I don't think they ever would have accepted it.

Strengths and Weaknesses of Republicans

As we explore the two largest political parties, it is important to assess their strengths and weaknesses. The following are, in my opinion, the republican party's best and worst traits.

Strengths

• Are mostly realistic about taxation and most budget ideals
• A strong party with lots of support
• Easy to access

Weaknesses

• Media outlets are subpar at best
• Important figures in party tend to be undereducated
• Many extremists who make the party look stupid
  

Strengths and Weaknesses of Democrats

As we explore the two largest political parties, it is important to assess their strengths and weaknesses. The following are, in my opinion, the democratic party's best and worst traits.

Strengths

• Promote unity and civil rights
• Are generally able to take responsibility for faults and admit when they are wrong
• Media outlets are more intelligent

Weaknesses

• Tend to cave in when wrong
• Don't have universal support
• Tend to think they are always completely justified