Jonathan's blog

In honor of earth day, my most favorite-ist magazine, The Week, has a free, online-only issue this week. Check it out: link

From the April 13 issue of The Week magazine:

Less than one-third of Russians believe that hard work can lead to wealth, a new poll shows. Asked to choose the most reliable ways to get rich, 45 percent of Russians cited "having influential connections." Hard work came in at 32 percent, just ahead of embezzlement, graft, and stealing, advocated by 30 percent. The elderly are the most jaded. Among those over 60, stealing was the top-ranked path to wealth. "It is civil servants who are greatly to blame for this," said anti-corruption activist Yelena Panfilova. "It is through their efforts that civil service in the eyes of the public at large is nothing but a highly profitable business."

An article in USA Today this week reports on kids in Baghdad:

About 70% of primary school students in a Baghdad neighborhood suffer symptoms of trauma-related stress such as bed-wetting or stuttering, according to a survey by the Iraqi Ministry of Health. The survey of about 2,500 youngsters is the most comprehensive look at how the war is affecting Iraqi children, said Iraq's national mental health adviser and author of the study, Mohammed Al-Aboudi. "The fighting is happening in the streets in front of our houses and schools," Al-Aboudi said. "This is very difficult for the children to adapt to." The study is to be released next month. Al-Aboudi discussed the findings with USA TODAY. Many Iraqi children have to pass dead bodies on the street as they walk to school in the morning, according to a separate report last week by the International Red Cross. Others have seen relatives killed or have been injured in mortar or bomb attacks.

Last Saturday the Star Wars film series continued for our family with a viewing The Empire Strikes Back. The boys were eager to see Yoda, to see Han get frozen, to hear Darth tell Luke that he's his father, and for Luke to get a mechanical hand.

Saturday night we watched United 93 (2006,R) (ScreenIt Review) in HD. From Wikipedia:

United 93 (formerly named Flight 93) is a 2006 Academy Award-nominated and BAFTA Award-winning docudrama written and directed by Paul Greengrass that chronicles events aboard United Airlines Flight 93, which was hijacked during the September 11, 2001 attacks. The film attempts to recount with as much veracity as possible (there is a disclaimer that some imagination had to be used), in real time, what has come to be known in the United States as an iconic moment of heroism. According to the filmmakers, the film was made with the full cooperation of all the families of the passengers.

Lisa warned me that it was cheesy, but I didn't think so. I thought it was a good film, very moving to watch. I give it 4 out of 5.