First Official Indicted for Cambodian Genocide

This article was on USA today's website and talks about the Cambodia holocaust. Finally, a leader of the Khmer Rouge, responsible for the genocide, was charged today. It seems absurd that in this day and age these atrocities are still happening in the world. The group responsible was founded in the 1950's by Cambodian communists. Some say the group was strengthened when Cambodia was drawn into the Vietnam War and the U.S. bombing provoked brutality in the already established guerrilla ranks. This story is a sad one and I'm not very familiar with the history of this country, but it seems a finger has been pointed at the Western world once again for the problems in another country. I suppose this group thought they were helping their country by making them more self-reliant but instead killed millions of innocent people.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2007-07-31-cambodia-khmer-rouge_N.htm?csp=34

McDonald's DVD Machines

I first saw an ad on t.v. for these Redbox DVD machines at McDonalds. I decided to look it up online and found an article on USA today's website. Basically it is a vending machine that holds anywhere from 350-550 new release dvds which you can rent for $1 a day. They claim they are trying to be "contemporary and lure more business during slow dinner hours". While this may be convenient for some people I can't help but think that this sort of marketing scheme may put mom and pop video stores out of business. Of course there is already the other corporate video conglomerations such as Blockbuster and Netflix, but McDonalds itself is so widespread that they may even put some heat on those businesses that may charge twice as much for the same dvds. I found this article very interesting and felt it hit close to home because it reminded that one of the local beloved Eugene video stores just went out of business- Flicks N' Picks. I can't help but think this new marketing ploy by McDonalds may cause more of these local businesses to go under.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/retail/2004-05-23-mcdvd_x.htm

Thousands Arrested in Zimbabwe

The article I read came from Harare, Zimbabwe where almost 5,000 owners and managers of shops and gasoline stations were arrested for overcharging. The government had slashed prices by 50% to offset inflation. However, these people arrested were found to be in opposition to the government's order and were briefly jailed.

I found this interesting because first of all you would never hear of something like this happening in the U.S. and second because the President of Zimbabwe blamed the problem on Western Sanctions and not on the mismanagement of his government. I can understand the program is a way to hinder inflation and re-enforce price stability, but it also caused essential foods and basic necessities to be taken off the shelves because the shop owners couldn't afford to lower their prices to the governments standard. In a country where some people may only eat once a day and rely on those stores for the basic needs are now unable to obtain these vital goods. Although the program was to ensure the protection of customers against rising costs I feel it may be causing more to go hungry.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/africa/07/26/zimbabwe.arrests.ap/index.html

World Embraces Gypsy Culture

The article I read came from msnbc.com entitled "Living Like Gypsies". It talks about the growing interest in Gypsy culture and educates readers of the people who first migrated from northern India to Europe over 1,000 years ago. The term "Gypsy" refers to the Romani people and this article explains the history of that culture.

I found this article interesting because it shows how these people used their inventive skills and talents to make a living. Although in Europe these "gypsies" remained at the bottom of the class ladder they managed to make a living through performing and embracing their seemingly radical ideas. The gypsies continued to enjoy their lifestyle without conforming to the world around them. This mysterious society seems to have a rich community fiber and continue to live outside the constraints of the Western European world.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19887683/site/newsweek/page/0/