End to the US Government?

In 1995 the US government suffered a shutdown due lack of compromise between the Democrats and Clinton over medicare. This year the problem of a Government closing is surfacing between a conflict between a House defunded Obamacare bill and Obama which could eventually lead to a shutdown by October 1st causing  major components of the government.

Surprisingly this fiasco has really not received enough attention considering federal jobs could be temporarily suspended and other government actions rendered useless. Sure the occasional radio or news station is talking about this but even Yahoo, CNN, and NYT all are seeming to focus on other issues. But the Government isn't that important right? What do they even do? If no compromise on the House bill is made by Oct. 1st the economy is expected to drop, government owned buildings and facilities will close, national parks, zoos, delayed social security and overall slower government processes.

In all honesty, Americans need to get their priorities straight. A long term shutdown could lead to loss of jobs even in the private sector and a permanent defunding of needed programs. This controversy really isn't broadcasted as much as it should be. As of right now Congress has 7 days to figure all of this out before the government goes into lockdown mode because Obama and other leaders are trying to stop the government from spending crazy amounts of money. News stations all across the country should be petitioning for a faster resolution between this problem because as of right now we are headed down a very slippery slope.

Enough water for all of Africa?

Imagine how easy it is to run to your kitchen and fill up a glass of water; cold or hot within seconds. It really is amazing how some countries are incredibly more technologically advanced compared to others even when it comes to basic necessities that we take for granted like running water and proper sanitation.

The New York Times recently reported of a huge underwater Aquifer (wikipedia link) that will help to get water to the 17 million people who lack water that is even close to being able to drinking. In a separate article by ITV (Britain's biggest TV news network) the same aquifer was measured to contain roughly enough water for 70 years of constant drinking and pumping for people across Kenya. The article doesn't just stop there, it specifies that this aquifer will fill all of, "Kenya's water needs" which shows the mass enormity of this situation.

This article was really intriguing for me in a few ways. First the obvious; it increases the living conditions of people in Kenya and thus, less people will need to worry about getting clean and safe-to-drink water. Next, if you happen to google "Kenyan Aquifer", all the articles happen to be from 3-4 days ago and then the situation seems to fall of the entire spectrum with no follow up articles. This really shocks me because if you are to go to Yahoo.com, the main article that showed up first for me was "Krispy Kremes new strategy". This proves that our entire media coverage of important news is flawed not only in the US but also across the world. Are Krispy Kremes really more important than saving the country of Kenya and all its inhabitants from lack of water? Who is to blame for no broadcasting this story to show its mass enormity?

The Monopoly That Is The College Education System

         A little over a week ago, my family and I made the three hour trek up to Madison, Wisconsin to drop my brother off at school. Walking down the main street of the of the capital of the "Cheese State", I noticed many signs and posters advertising help with student loans that could stretch over 200k in just the four years a student is attending the school (lets not even get into graduate school). I wondered if it really was worth draining your parents bank account or taking out huge loans to be able to hang a small piece of paper that says you graduated from a specific college. Or, was it more beneficial to get four years of work under your belt out of high school?

         Not too long ago, CNBC posted a news article explaining the current college education system  and if it really was worth the estimated 150k-200k to take part in higher education. The author, a man who went to both Northwestern and Columbia, reflected on some of his past classmates that were making more money than some of his same classmates that were able to graduate from high-end Ivy League schools. Private schools and public schools have exponentially increased due to lack of State funding and money that the Governments just don't have.

         As many high school students are approaching the college years we have to ask our selves; is this college education really worth it? Nowadays if you don't go to college many employers wont even consider hiring you for a job. In addition, college tuition is only increasing and colleges are becoming harder to get into. Thus, many employers are only hiring successful college grads. It seems as if the only way to get a job is to go to college but does this fact place a burden on kids that cant afford it? Where are they to turn when they cant pay for expensive college education? Are there any benefits from not attending college out of high school?