On January 9, there was a 6.5 magnitude earthquake in Northern California. A 7.0 in Haiti on the 12th. A 5.9 in Venezuela and a 4.0 in Oklahoma on the 16th. And then a 6.3 this morning in Argentina. A quick glance at the USGS site reveals that earthquakes are actually ridiculously common. That doesn’t change the fact, however, that Haiti has been devastated and that 2010 is off to a shaky start.
- HAITI: Models, corporations, actors and presidents have given their full support to Haiti. But UN officials are still missing, looting is rampant, and the biggest casualty is the loss of its government. Now some are asking, were we too late? Should Haitians be allowed to start a new life somewhere else? Are news stations really capturing the suffering? Check out all the ways you can help online, via text, or give a few dollars to the people outside the dining halls.
- FRANCE: Sarkozy finally announced his support for banning the Muslim veil in France. Is this sexual equality or religious intolerance? Either way, 2010 is going to be a long year in France.
- BANKS: From bonuses to bailouts, America’s banking sector is still in shambles. But are we really surprised?
- GOOGLE: The Chinese government cyber assaulted Google this week, prompting the Internet giant to re-evaluate its Chinese business model. It makes sense that China would do this since Google controls people’s lives more than the government. But, was it really a good idea since Google controls people’s lives more than the government?
- SENATE: From Martha Coakley to Harold Ford, the Senate races in MA and NY are turning into episodes of Real Housewives of the Democratic Party. Expect a sequel to Game Changer by 2011.
- DOMINOS: Dominos pizza is changing their recipe. Pizza delivery will never be the same.
- PALIN: Palin debuted on FOX this week and will headline at the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America annual convention. I’m still trying to figure out who sold-out in both of these situations.
- VERMONT: 9 candidates for state office support secession from America. No comment.
Images of the Week: Photos from the disaster via, Daily Beast, NYT and BBC. Warning: Some are quite graphic.
