I think it is very interesting how we can view unique maps comparing the different states of the United States to different countries. For example, this image is comparing the different populations of countries to the different states of the United States. This image displays the countries flag to represent which state goes with which country. It is interesting to think about how your hometown compares to the different countries. The top picture was more of a serious map comparing the United States to the different countries. The bottom picture was more of an entertaining map. The map at the bottom portrays the different language use of "soda", "pop" or "coke".

It is interesting to think about how the different sections of the United States says stuff differently. It's weird how the fizzy soft drink is said differently throughout the United States. I am from Kansas and my family and friends usually say "pop" when we are referring to a soft drink. Ever since I came to Concordia it is interesting how everyone says it differently. I just thought everyone referred it to "pop" but like all of my friends in the northern part of the United States says "soda". This is just a true example of globalization.

Blog Topic #10

I believe that the United States and other foreign governments should continue to provide aid to Africa. Africa is a less developed country which is struggling to survive in their harsh conditions. The poverty level is at an extreme high compared to some of the other countries. The aid that the United States and other foreign countries provide help reduce the poverty level. If other countries did not provide aid to Africa the scene would not be pretty. There are children dying each day because of the lack of food and nutrition in their bodies. Diseases and lack of health support is another factor of the poverty level that has a huge impact on the citizens. If the United States and other foreign countries did not provide aid to Africa then the conditions in Africa will continue to get worst. Africa needs to start and continue to make progress on their own. They need to prove to other countries that their money is greatly appreciated and it won’t go to waste. Africa needs to prove to itself that the other countries are providing for them but they need to start achieving their goals as well.

Blog Topic #9

Yemen is one of the world’s poorest less developed countries in the world. The people are angry about unemployment and the corruption in their country. There have been several protests that broke loose in a matter of days. The Yeminis have turned towards violence for the answer. Bombs have been thrown into the crowds, injuring many people and even killing a few. Here is an interesting fact: there are twice as many weapons in Yemen then there are people. Also, thousands of protesters were marching in the streets chanting anti-government slogans that forced the police to fire shots in the air. President Saleh has been in power for 32 years and he decided that he will not run for re-election and will step down from power in 2013. Saleh’s son Ahmed would not succeed his father. Saleh believes that the country is due for change in the country.

Blog Topic #8

In our mind our mental maps pretty much know what the world looks like. What would the world look like turned in another direction? We usually don't think about what if the world was turned differently. Climate, maybe culture, landscape could be affected. It was weird to look at North America upside down, it would have been really weird to view the entire world upside down. We are so used to viewing pictures on the map looking at different countries and landforms. I didn't really realize how much water surrounded the world. There was a ton of images that just showed water with a few islands scattered around. I don't really know why this image caught my eye. I just thought that it was interesting to see North America and South America to the sides of the globe instead of in the middle. And then you could see the amount of body water that surrounds the countries.

Blog Topic #7

In 1984, Steve McCurry took a picture of a girl in the Pakistan refugee camps. Who knew that the image would capture the fear, shyness, and worries in the women’s eyes. Her light green eyes are haunting to the viewers. Her face was unclean filled with dirt. The viewer could grasp the image of how poor and unclean the conditions were in Afghanistan. The women’s name was Sharbat Gula but she quickly became known as the “Afghan girl”. Afghanistan has been at war for more than 30 years. Millions of their own kinds have been killed in roaring war efforts. The women’s eyes capture all of the fear and worry that they have to live through.
Sharbat Gula has faced many struggles throughout her lifetime. The writers explain that she has not seen a happy day in her life expect for the day that she got married. Her hope lies in the fate of her children. She wants her children to live a better life than she did as a child but the Afghans are not able to gain an education. There really is no hope for her or her children in the matter of fact of having a successful career. I can’t even imagine living in this kind of country. Living in war every day knowing that one of these days could possibly be your last is very frightening.

Blog Topic #6

On the website of Time it states what the Great Firewall was,"Great Firewall of China," authorities block access to overseas Web pages deemed objectionable and shutter domestic sites that repeatedly stray into restricted territory. Search engines are prevented from linking to sensitive content. Mainland media, which face a host of regulations that limit how they can report the news, are often forced to take down controversial stories that have been posted online. China currently has more internet users that the United States. The internet is by far one of the main globalization tools throughout the world. It is almost a lack of freedom if the government is taking away the internet from their citizens. By this move from China they are not struggling to fight a war with any one else but themselves and their people. A lot of people would be very angry by the governments actions.

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1981566,00.html#ixzz1FSaJ7bZ0

Blog #5

The prevalent fear of poverty among the educated classes is the worst moral disease from which our civilization suffers. ~William James

A cartogram is a type of map that distributes a variety of populations throughout the world. In the map shown above is a cartogram displaying poverty throughout the world. Even in the United States poverty surrounds our everyday living. Unfortunately, there are countries that are struggling to make even $2 dollars a day. Families are desolating due to unhealthy living conditions.
The cartogram shown above shows that Central Africa’s poverty levels are severely high. South Asia, Southeast Asia, Russia and Africa are some of the country’s most affected by poverty according to the cartogram. Globalization refers to the interconnectedness of people and places through economic, political, and cultural changes. Poverty has a big influence on globalization because people are unable to pay finances or celebrate in cultural activities. This map shows that the eastern countries are facing hardships when it comes to economic despair and along with their lives.

Empty pockets never held anyone back. Only empty heads and empty hearts can do that. ~Norman Vincent Peale