This is an interesting article that goes with "The Story of Our Stuff." Pogue writes about our need to constantly replace our products (he offers some solutions as well). A very cool fact: in Europe, all cell-phone chargers have the same type of power cord. The EU mandated it.

For those interested, here is one of the articles about the relationship between our iPods/computers/cell phones, etc. and the minerals in Congo. Judd presents the ethical dilemma we must consider -- video as well.

Seeing as how we just finished our discussions on the EU, this article is about Russia's request to formally participate in an EU committee. Russia wants to have more of a say in Europe, and Germany seems open to the idea (note that Germany is a major European ally for Russia). Medvedev, Merkel, and Sarkozy will soon meet up to discuss the idea. Germany carries a lot of influence in the EU, but I'm curious as to how the other member states truly feel about it.

Sorry, but I just have to make the distinction (with Larkin) that Russia isn't trying to join the EU, but rather requesting to participate in an EU committee. The summit that is occurring between the 3 leaders is about strengthening the EU-Russia relationship. The NY Times article I posted was about Russia trying to join the EU political and security committee. Now that the summit has occurred, here are some more recent articles about it. Hopefully they're more clear. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/19/world/europe/19iht-summit.html?src=twrhp http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2010-10/20/c_13565527.htm

There are intriguing ties forming between Russia and California - this article is about Medvedev requesting Gov. Schwarzenegger's guidance in making Russia the next Silicon Valley. Medvedev is trying to lead Russia toward modernization - the country is heavily investing in Skolkovo, a business school (that many consider Medvedev's vanity project). Russia is very dependent on its oil supply, so it will be interesting to see how successful Medvedev's attempts at modernization are.

This "Room for Debate" article is about workers' strikes in China. The second response by Yasheng Huang is particularly interesting because it touches on something that we came across in our country jigsaws - even though a country may have an enormous GDP and growing economy, the average citizen is not necessarily well off. Huang writes: "Job creation is one thing; who gains from it is another…Many Western economists are cheerleaders of 'the China miracle,' but for the average Chinese the miracle is far less than what meets the eye." American companies profit from Chinese labor wages being so cheap, but how will things play out on the international stage if wages increase in Chinese factories?

(For people that are having difficulty finding the article for homework, I already posted it on Diigo)

"The New York Times'" China Times Topics page has a series of articles categorized as "Uneasy Engagement." This article casts an interesting light on Chinese culture and pride. A delegation of "Chinese cultural experts" is currently traveling across the world (specifically to American museums and institutions) to find art that they believe was once part of the Old Summer Palace in Beijing. This palace was destroyed by French and British troops in 1860, and the Chinese are now attempting to reclaim their art pieces (though it is extremely difficult to prove that pieces originate from the Old Summer Palace). There are a few interesting quotes that challenge how we think about China and how China portrays itself on the international stage: " 'China is like an adolescent who took too many steroids,' said Liu Kang, a professor of Chinese studies at Duke University. 'It has suddenly become big, but it finds it hard to coordinate and control its body. To the West, it can look like a monster.' " " 'Chinese history did not start with the Qing Dynasty,' [said Wu Zuolai, a professor at the China Academy of Art.] 'This treasure hunting trip is just a political show. The media portray it as patriotic, but it's just spreading hate.' "

This article is a few weeks old, but the writer brings up interesting points about Islam, the NY mosque debate, and the United States' international relations. His mention of Hiroshima's Peace Park in comparison to the US' plans for Ground Zero is intriguing. Heather's article about the syphilis experiment in Guatemala is just one recent example of why the US is perceived as domineering. I never thought to question our plans for the former site of the World Trade Center, but I completely agree with the writer - why are we building a gaudy shiny tower instead of something more inviting that could facilitate discussions between countries? He states that "It would be nice if our ground zero could become an international home of reconciliation. Instead of continuing the hatred, defuse it."

Latest update on Brazil's presidential race - there will be an Oct. 31 runoff. Rousseff got 46.8% of the vote.

This article is about India's preparations for the 2010 Commonwealth Games. There are accusations of corruption while footbridges collapse and athletes' dorms are considered "uninhabitable." There appears to be no central authority in charge of the event, leaving many to criticize India's political culture.