DNS-SEC

My topic is the implementation of a system called DNS-SEC, which is basically a set of ways to fix certain security problems that exist in the internet infrastructure.

The issue is that there is a large amount of debate over how this should be implemented and by whom. Even though DNS-SEC improves internet security, previous specifications over how DNS-SEC should be implemented would cause massive "traffic jams" in world-wide networks, and serious issues preventing older systems from communicating with newer systems.

The most controversial part of the issue comes when government (specifically the US government) get involved in regulating the internet. Internet standards have always been primarily community based, and generally speaking, governments just cause problems when they get involved.

Private companies are implementing the system on their networks also, and there is significant debate over how to implement this system, because so many suggested specifications have been released.

My sources for this post include wikipedia, dnssec.net, and numerous articles posted on slashdot.org.

Auto Bailouts

My topic for the issues paper is most likely going to be something along the lines of this years Automobile bailouts for US companies. While searching this topic i saw that GM has lost over $9.6 billion in this past yearly quarter. Not only is GM most likely going to file for bankruptcy, but also Chrysler, Saturn, fiat and Volvo. What effects will this have on the US and world economy if they do fail? Other countries are going about other methods then giving out money. China is lowering tax rates so people will buy more cars. Is this effective? What other proposals are there? Also will the US be able to get out of the Recession with spending billions on saving large companies?

Poverty Line

My topic is how the government established poverty line is not sufficient to actually support a person living in the United States. The U. S. government establishes the poverty line by drawing a line where 12 to 17 percent are below the line, and 40 percent fall below this line within a ten year period. Fifty-eight percent of Americans will spend at least one year below the poverty line. The United States was ranked tenth out of sixteen developed countries. Established by President Johnson, "The "absolute poverty line" is the threshold below which families or individuals are considered to be lacking the resources to meet the basic needs for healthy living; having insufficient income to provide the food, shelter and clothing needed to preserve health." Poverty line only includes income not welfare benefits.

KKK

As I was doing research about cross-cultural psychology, I came across stuff about cults. I decided to pursue that topic further and got into "destructive cults," which made me think of the Ku Klux Klan. I remembered that I had ran into several members of the KKK while I was serving in Russia. I then decided to look into how the KKK has affected and grown throughout the world. I even saw a political cartoon made by a Russian about "Freedom: American Style" mocking how we were supposed to be a "free" country, yet not all men really had their freedom for so long because of prejudice. Some things that I looked up were the history and origins of the clan. Other things I could look up more about are other harmful cults, such as the Jonestown massacre, etc. This also relates to psychology and group influence and persuasion. I could compare how different cultures embrace or reject these types of cults.

Surface Research

I am considering writing my paper on the dependence of American Industries on labor in third world and developing nations.

I searched "sweatshops" on wikipedia. Here are a few of the things I learned:
-Paul Krugman and Johan Norberg say that defend sweatshops because they offer jobs and promote development in third world countries
-The Decent Working Conditions and Fair Competition Act has been proposed to prohibit the import/export/sale of goods made with sweatshop labor
-This bill has failed to pass twice
-in third world countries, women are more likely to seek jobs in the sweatshop industry
-the major debate is over whether sweatshops can be a "necessary evil" that provides money (which is better than none at all) or if sweatshops exploit third world countries
-some argued that sweatshops were better than manual farm labor

movies

I was considering the topic of global perceptions of the american film industry.

-Pre-existing differences in values among countries/continents.
-The perception of the "American experience" (Barry Jenkins interview)
-http://www.lotsofessays.com/essay_search/american_film_industry.html (a lot of papers treating the subject.)
-Hollywood v. History

Education

I was considering writing my paper on the education in different cultures and the importance that different societies place on it.

-In the United States, education is considered a basic human right and important to be successful in our society.
-In Africa, education is not as important to their culture. This year 94 percent of the schools where the majority of the children were taught, were closed down.
- China's school system is very strict and rigid, and you are looked down on if you don't have a good education.
-It is up to the states in Mexico, to keep attendance or not, meaning it doesn't matter if the students show up or not.

Sex Slavery

I am going to write my paper on underage sex slavery/prostitution throughout the U.S.

~Something that I found really sick, but yet applicable to my topic, is that in Oakland a young girl of 12 was found selling her body for sex. In the past few years prostitution has increased steadily, especially among young girls between the ages of 12 and 16.

~In 2008 a bill was passed that forbids police from arresting, prosecuting and incarcerating those under the age of 15 that are found selling their bodies for sex. Instead, a number of community services are being created to help those that are found get out of these situations and help them find a safe place away from their pimps. These services include: "hosing, diagnostic assessment, individual case management, medical services including substance abuse services, counseling and therapeutic services, educational services including life skills services and planning services to successfully transition residents back to the community."

~Children who usually become victim to prostitution are those who were subject to sexual abuse later in their lives.

~Children are victimized by prostitution. Both male and female children are being exploited.

~Out of the 500,000 children who run away each year, about 1/3 turn to some form of prostitution.

Crime Rates

I was thinking about doing research on comparing crime rates of the US with other countries.

• crime rates are probably inaccurate because a lot goes unreported
• measured by: hospital/insurance records, household surveys, and police compilations
• important to national organizations like Interpol and United Nations
• law enforcement agencies: FBI, Home Office in England & Whales
• statistics covered on: offences, offenders, victims
• decreased crime trends in industrialized countries in Europe, in US, Canada, and Australia
• use Victimisation Surveys to help identify victims unreported
• International Crime Victims Survey done in over 70 countries to help be standard for defining common crims
• other terms: crime science, demography, self report study, victimology

Different Math Teaching Stlyes

As of right know my topic has to with if one has to go about teaching math in a different style when they teach it in Japan as compared to how they teach it in America.

• Some Japan math books are being translated into English.
• There are countries that out-teach us in math and they all have things in common.
• Math teachers for K-12 are in high demand and it should grow in the future.
• BYU students have gone to Japan to teach math and they learned a great deal from that.
• All teachers have a different teaching style.
  

Role of Father in Different Cultures

I am thinking of writing my paper on how different cultures impact the home and family. Right now I am leaning toward writing about how fathers are affected and how they affect their families.

• Children seem to prefer fathers as play partners, though in a stressful situation they may be more likely to turn to their mothers.
• In times past, fathers were responsible for bringing in the money and doling out the discipline.
• The father now does many of the same things that the mother does in terms of cleaning, household tasks, cooking, shuttling kids, and grocery shopping. In other words, the tasks are shared and there are not necessarily defined roles that only a woman or only a man can perform.

I still need to look up:

• Effect of fatherhood on Japanese families.
• How Japanese fathers interact with their children; impact on culture
• How cultures impact fathering skills

Ocean Pollution

· Coastlines across the globe millions of gallons of toxic waste are spilled into the ocean.

· Thousands of individuals in California alone are put at risk of viruses and disease from pollution

· Human climate change has created a large affect on the tides of the ocean and wildlife in it.

· Overfishing is a large problem in the Globe because most Ocean doesn’t have fishing laws.


Wikipedia

Wikipedia

Outsourcing:

1. •  When companies send things to other countries to be manufactured to save money
2. •  Requires  board approval
3. •  There are other reasons for outsourcing besides economic savings
4. •  Countries offer tax benefits for manufacturing in their country

Neglected Children

Issue: Neglected children in Romanian orphanages

-Nicolae Ceausescu banned birth control and left under-financed state institutions to care for the wave of abandoned children that followed. The horrors of his system are now being exposed in Romian orphanages.
-The living conditions in the orphanages are most commonly compared to the Nazi concentration camps.
- The Romanian orphanage has broken windows and often, no heat. Children sleep four to a cot or on the floor, sharing blankets that are soiled, wet with urine and lice infected.They do not have disinfectant, they do not have soap, they do not have hot water.
-The orphans were so neglected that they failed to show any emotions at all. They didn’t cry or show anger or even respond to people coming in and out of the rooms.
-In January 2005 Romania passed a law that prohibited placing children under 3 in institutions unless they were "severely disabled." The law also blocked foreign adoptions in the hope of cutting down on child trafficking.
-About 9,000 babies are deserted in Romania every year