A trip right about now sounds nice, huh? Well, whether you are planning on a week away or a study abroad trip, researching places to go can be a daunting task. What are your priorities? For most, the safety of an area plays a major role in deciding on a destination. As it seems the world is in constant chaos, and watching the news or staying updated might not be your favorite hobby, let’s take a look at the most peaceful places in the world based 60 percent on internal peace and 40 percent on external peace (according to the latest the Global Peace Index 2011 Report):
Iceland tops the list, rising from 2010’s second place most peaceful place. Although in 2008 to 2009 Iceland experienced financial turmoil and political instability, the reformist Prime Minister Johanna Sigurdardottir has managed an economic recovery and created more jobs during 2010. “Icelandic society remains essentially harmonious, with measures of safety and security including violent crime, internal conflict and the number of homicides all accorded very low scores,” according to the report.
New Zealand is named second most peaceful country as they have had a “rise in the number of internal security officers.” The country has also scored lowest in comparison to the other 153 countries in terms of “likelihood of violent demonstrations, the homicide rate and the level of respect for human rights (Political Terror Scale).”
Although Japan has suffered multiple environmental catastrophes, a strong earthquake, a deathly tsunami and “ensuing nuclear crisis” Japan ranks highly in terms of overall domestic peace and ranks low on their level of militarization.
Denmark has increased the penalty for illegal gun possession which largely contributes to their fourth place ranking. “Danish exports of major conventional weapons per head declined to the lowest possible score,” says the GPI report. Some of the other factors that has landed Denmark a fourth place spot is their freedom “from internal conflict,” their political stability, and their lack of conflict with neighboring countries, according to the index.
The Czech Republic is the fifth most peaceful country in the world. This is due to their “strongly Europhile foreign minister, Karel Schqarzenberg,” who has “pursued an active but pragmatic foreign policy, combining liberal economic positions in international and EU affairs with a careful eye to the Czech Republic’s national interest,” says the GPI Report of 2011.
The next five most peaceful countries are Finland, Canada, Norway, Slovenia and Ireland.
It should be noted that traveling to places other than these ten can be generally safe, especially as the United States has ranked 82 out of 153 countries, according to the report by the Institute for Economics & Peace.
As safety while traveling is always important, be sure to download the Smart Traveler App provided by The US Department of State to find safety tips about the country you are looking to visit. Also registering your trip with the State could literally save your life. A friend of mine traveling in Japan was notified about the tsunami and was able to avoid the catastrophe.
Good luck and safe travels!
-TravelBug
I’m reading Calculus
-Four Loko was introduced to the market in August 2008
-The 23.5 ounce cans can be sold at local liquor stores for only $2.50
-Each can contains 6-12% alcohol by volume depending on state regulations
It comes in 8 different flavors
-The alcohol content of one can of Four Loko is comparable to wine and some craft beers
-Each can of Four Loko contains about the same amount of caffeine as a tall coffee from Starbucks
There has been much speculation in the media recently about this beverage. Most recently, the company that produces Four Loko has removed caffeine from Four Loko. The FDA ruled that the caffeine in alcoholic drinks is an unsafe food additive. There have been some unfortunate situations recorded believing Four Loko to be a serious factor in the events. The drink, Four Loko, was banned from four states: Washington, Ohio, Utah, and Oklahoma. So while it might all be fun in games, this drink is not one to mess around with. Now that you have some of the facts, what will you spend your $2.50 on?
With love
Kat VonD
I’m reading Marketing Management
Do not walk around alone at night
Frequent late night trips to the library might be something you are used to. Whether you walked, biked, drove, or skateboarded to the library it is extremely important to be aware of your surroundings. Do not walk around by yourself at night. Always try to have someone walking with you or just avoid walking around at night all together.
Lock your doors
Many college dorm rooms are beginning to have doors that automatically lock when they close, but for the ones who don’t, locking your door might just save you or your stuff! In some dorms there are hundreds of students in one building. Keeping your door locked will ensure your safety. When you leave the room it is wise to lock your door, as well. Even if you are just running across the hall to have your friends approve your tailgate attire, lock your door. Just whatever you do, don’t forget your keys!
Sign up for campus alerts
If your college has a campus alert system, take full advantage of it! Whether it be a text, call, or email, the alerts will keep you updated on all the campus crimes and help you avoid being in unsafe areas. It may be a spine tingling warning, but the heads up you will appreciate!
Meet up in public
You never know the kind of people you will encounter throughout your walks of life. When it comes to meeting up with strangers or people you don’t know extremely well, do so in a public place. By meeting in a public place there is less of a chance of any sort of attack, robbery, etc. Having people around is more secure.
Carry pepper spray
Okay, so it may sounds super ridiculous, but the pepper spray might be what keeps you safe in the end. Stores everywhere sell pepper spray. There are even kinds that hook onto your keychain. Your friends may make fun of you for your super spray but who cares, it will keep you safe!
These safety tips are an important thing to keep in mind! Share them with your friends and family! These not only apply to being on a college campus, but anywhere you are. Be careful out there!
With love,
Kat VonD
I’m reading Financial Accounting
Reports are indicating that Facebook will hit half a billion users sometime this week, making it the largest information network in the world. That means that almost 8.5% of the world has a profile on the social networking giant. Along with worldwide social network domination Facebook has even taken over Hollywood. In the upcoming months The Social Network is hitting theatres starring Jesse Eisenberg of Zombieland and Adventureland as the creator of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg. The movie is about Zuckerberg’s rise to riches and the enemies he made along the way.
Half a billion users is massive, especially for a service that originally required a .edu email address to even create a profile. What this means for college students: We are entering an era where your personal information is more public than ever before. Despite Facebook’s different options for profile security it can still be difficult to make sure you’re totally secured. Check regularly, as Facebook is making changes daily. Protecting your information is super important so stay on top of it.
SeanJohn
I am reading Financial Accounting
eCampus.com has your safety in mind. From our McAfee secure site that passes an intensive daily security scan to our completely VeriSign secured checkout process. But that’s not the end of it, we want you to stay safe when social networking and creating new relationships in college. With that being said I’d like to let you in on a few tricks to watch out for, don’t get duped. We’ve already talked about configuring your privacy settings which will make your profile much secure, so today ill tell you how to screen new friend requests. We know you might not remember last night so here are a few clues to know if he/she is the real deal.
- Check for mutual friends – this is the best way to know because its likely that you met this person through a friend or at a social gathering, so they should have mutual friends of yours that might help you remember.
- Look for pictures – in this day and age people often keep pictures private but if there aren’t any it’s quite likely that you’re looking at a ghost profile or some kind of a prank. Don’t let your friends get you.
- Is the person too Hott for you?? – No offense but if Megan Fox friends you it’s probably not real, we all have goals but lets be realistic.
- The final and most important thing to watch out for is The FACEBOOK CROP – This evil maneuver has been used since the days of MySpace. You’ve seen it, were naming it. Here are the warning signs to look for:
- -Every picture is neck/cleavage up
- -The chin is usually extended to hide an unsightly double chin
- -Kissy face, the kissy face brings the cheeks in for another illusion of slimness
- -Lookout for Photoshop effects on the picture, its just another way to hide who they really are
-Watch out for funny camera angles, check out this hilarious video for some insight into “The Angles” The Myspace Movie
Still not sure what your doing try Facebook: The Missing Manual
SeanJohn
I’m reading Art History
