Charities stealing donations. Why smoking is better for you than using cellphones. The controversy of drastically reducing homework, and video games and violence file for divorce. These are the top stories making headlines around the world.
Technology & Internet
Every week, it seems like tech companies are trying to one-up each other by getting more nano.
cgull reported on Sony unveiling the
world's smallest high-def camcorder, coming in at 1.3 x 4.7 x 2.5 inches and weighing 300 grams. The new Handycam HDR-TG1 may cost a hefty $1,271 but its easy portability could be worth it.
Several other tech and Net stories caught our attention: an 18-year-old
New Zealander has been convicted for his role in a global crime that infected 1.3 million computers,
momentsintime told us; many children unwittingly
expose themselves to safety risks on social networking sites,
Fortunesfool reported; Amazon debuted an
SMS service to let you buy products from its online store with a few simple text-messages, cgull found; a
citizen journalism site is in the clear after it was unsuccessfully sued for posting defamatory comments from users,
malan reported (valuable resource for anyone interested in the legal issues of citizen journalism); and a
collection of the best Web pranks on April Fool's Day gave us new phony works to admire: Super Pii Pii Brothers, a video of flying penguins and a Maxim-endorsed book called Hitler Invented Solar Power and Other Amazing Facts. Too bad we have to wait a full year for the Internet to get back its sense of humour.
Health & Lifestyle
Photo by Barbara B. Amsterdam
American blue rat
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Could fasting help protect cancer sufferers from the side effects of chemotherapy? It's a hypothesis gaining momentum after
scientists noticed rats were unaffected by chemo when they underwent a 48-hour fast, momentsintime wrote. She summed up a reader's sentiment with:
To think that cancer survival could boil down to something as simple as fasting!
What health and lifestyle stories should be part of your media diet?
Cleaning your teeth can help prevent heart attacks because you would stop bacteria from making its way to your bloodstream, cgull pointed out; promising news out of Japan, where scientists
have successfully reversed cirrhosis using an artificial molecule,
Wanderlaugh reported;
talking on cellphones can be riskier than dragging on cigarettes,
Maverick told us in an eye-opener of a story; and the supposedly pregnant man in Oregon may be a
fake,
LewWaters said. Do you agree with Lew when he writes about the self-proclaimed pregnant guy that:
Being declared “legally male” does not make one actually male, especially given that her original female reproductive organs and vagina were left intact and viable.
World
File photo
Muqtada al-Sadr.
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The Iraq War continues to heat up: Shiite cleric Muqtada
al-Sadr refuses to yield to the Iraqi government, as violence continues to erupt in Basra,
Can Tran wrote. This Citizen Journalist also added an important statistic: the Iraq War is costing the U.S. $12 billion a year. And you thought the White House was in dept
now?
Citizen Journalists were on top of some interesting -- and buried -- world stories: many of
Earth's rivers may be disrupted by land-use practices and "ecosystem flips" such as toxic algae blooms,
Bob Ewing reported;
Canada decided to block the United Nations from recognizing water as a human right,
Theodora L. explained;
cosmetic castration for would-be "lady boys" has been banned in Thailand,
Susan Duclos posted (I don't think the words "cosmetic" and "castration" should ever be side-by-side);
married American soldiers are now allowed to bunk together, momentsintime said; and the founder of the
United Nations Foundation recently told PBS "Civilization will have broken down by the year 2040," citing global warming as the main killer,
Brant David McLaughlin wrote. But is this hyperbole mixed with a few dollops of hysteria? Read the article and Brant's analysis to find out.
TopFinds Awards
Graphic by DigitalJournal.com
Topfinds award winners for the week ending April 4, 2008.
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As the U.S. is embroiled in an economic downturn, people are hungry to find out what areas are facing what problems. Coming to the rescue is
Samantha A. Torrence, who wins the
TopOpEd Award for her stunning model of journalism about the hardships occurring in the
Ohio Valley. She reported on foreclosures, unemployment rates and arts funding, all sprinkled with her insight about where Ohio politicians should place their priorities. Samantha is waiting for answers, though: "The jury is still out on what the Valley will do to save itself."
Video games have long been derided for instigating violence in kids but a
new study says there is no link between gaming and violence. For highlighting a buried report and sparking a thoughtful discussion,
Nathalie C takes home this week's
TopTech Award. We not only learned why playing games like World of Warcraft can be more cathartic than dangerous, but we were also treated to an intelligent debate by several Citizen Journalists who argued either for or against the study's findings. Reading the comments was almost as educational as the article itself!
Great news for diabetes sufferers or anyone related to a diabetes patient:
Scientists have found a way to turn embryonic stem cells into insulin-producing pancreatic tissue, offering new hope for diabetes treatment. Reporting on this momentous discovery gives
Bob Ewing the prestigious
TopScience Award. Readers learned how scientists from the University of Manchester manipulated stem cells to produce a key protein that could help produce pancreatic tissue, chock full of insulin. Bob added: "Scientists believe that transplanting functional beta cells into patients, most likely into their liver where there is a strong blood supply, offers the best hope for finding a cure for type-1 diabetes." Let's hope Bob's article encourages all Citizen Journalists to keep their nose for news attuned to big finds like this.
From good news to bad news -- a
chemical in bottled water could lead to aggressive breast cancer cells. This important but dire PSA was brought to us by
karateblossom, who wins the
TopHealth Award for alerting us to the dangers of swigging back bottled water. According to a study published in
Cancer Research, Bisphenol A is found in many water bottles and can lead to cell division and metabolism that could increase a woman's risk of getting breast cancer. It's scary stuff and we offer a kudos to karateblossom for keeping us posted on what to avoid to stay healthy.
In Toronto, the main school board is tossing around the idea of
reducing homework assignments and prioritizing family time for students when they return home from school. But would this possibility fail Toronto children? It's a question at the heart of the
TopEducation Award-winning article, penned by
Theodora L. (welcome back!). The intriguing article raised a controversial issue about the importance of homework and how best to prepare students for post-secondary life. Many CJs chimed in with their opinion on the issue, giving the reader many positions to agree or disagree with.
U.S. charities and non-profits are thieves? Well, not all, but some have perpetrated heinous acts,
Wanderlaugh informed us in his article honoured with the
TopCrime Award. A new study says the cost of theft from the non-profit sector is estimated at 13 per cent of donations in 2006. He tore charities like Goodwill a new one, critiquing the shoddy management and ignorance that led corrupt CEOs and insider embezzlement. Once again, Wanderlaugh directed his frustration at another inept institution blind to their own problems. If only charities' CEOs regularly read DigitalJournal.com articles.
It was a short but oh so sweet award-winner: Abu Dhabi is hosting a
camel beauty contest in order to "preserve the rich heritage of the United Arab Emirates." This article, perfect for the
TopOffBeat Award, was written by
okieboy, who explained how the 10,000 camels struttin' their stuff could win their owners up to $9.5 million in prize money. Perhaps
Best in Show director Christopher Guest should turn to camels for his sequel?
