3 December 2010

For my final blog, I read an article about WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and his impending arrest.  He is being pursued on rape charges from the UK/Sweden, which could lead to his extradition to US soil for trial.  What I found curious about the entire affair were 2 questions looming in my head: Why can’t the US government simply shut down this website?  And secondly, why can’t we put charges of espionage and hacking to this man’s offenses?  It cannot be legal to take hundreds of thousands of classified documents from ANYONE, let alone the US government, so why not just charge him with that?  The fact that it is a rape case he is being charged for, however, does hurt his reputation extraordinarily though.  Personally, I thought he was a kind of renegade without a cause, doing this for the sake of anarchy.  While I do not support this, I at least can respect him for his rebellious nature and trying to get the truth out there.  However, if you also have rape charges on your record, I, along with most level-headed people, will immediately dismiss you ass trash.  I think this is done on purpose, as there are few crimes as universally despised as this, which helps diminish his reputation and consequently his power.  His lawyer, Bjorn Hurtig, says in the article, “I do find it somewhat strange and to say the least `coincidental’ that Interpol has made the arrest warrant public simultaneous to Wikileaks releasing its latest revelations”.  Though this latest series of leaked cables is mostly descriptions of world leaders, I feel that anything that is classified and could in any way jeopardize human lives needs to be kept secret.  One of the cables relates several unflattering opinions and descriptions of Turkmenistan’s president, Gurbanguli Berdymukhamedov.  Lets say, for example, that this angers extremists in Turkmenistan, which leads to a suicide bombing that kills several people; if that is due to the WikiLeaks scandal in any way, I feel Assange should be held somewhat accountable.  If what he is putting out is endangering different peoples abroad, including US soldiers, then he should be stopped.  However, this scenario is indeed somewhat far-fetched, I admit, but the song remains the same: these leaks could be dangerous, henceforth, the website WikiLeaks should be shut down.

28 November 2010

For this week’s blog, I read an article about arson at a Muslim Center in Portland.  The mosque/office was the frequent worship spot for “would be car-bomber” Mohamed Osman Mohamud, a 19-year-old student.  Mohamud was arrested on counts of plotting a terrorist attack via remote detonated car-bomb in Portland during a tree-lighting ceremony.  The community was somewhat surprised by the act, saying that it is a “very friendly” place, one that is “accepting of various cultures and religions”.  This is all very familiar to us now; someone who is Muslim attempts a terrorist plot and someone goes out and tries to burn down the nearest mosque, as if it was Islam that did this to America.  This irrational hatred of Islam has been around since 9/11 when the anti-Muslim sentiments were stirred up.  Personally, I am tired of these irrational feelings and I am a little surprised at the things that still happen today.  One thing I found very interesting was a follower of Islam commenting in the “comments” section: after hearing that the father was reportedly the one to turn his son’s plot in, he says:

“What the father did, again if true, is what Shariah commands believers to do. As per the famous prophetic tradition, a Muslim should support his brother/sister whether he/she is oppressed or is an oppressor. When someone is an oppressor, Muslims support him/her by stopping him/her from committing oppression. If it means alerting authorities about one’s own son/daughter, then be it.”

I thought this comment was very enlightening and profound.  What these foolish anti-Muslim Americans fail to see is that the teachings of Islam are wise, peaceful, and cooperative, and just because a few extremists go too far doesn’t mean that those are the principles of the religion.

14 November 2010

For this week’s blog i turned to the Huffington Post.  I read an article about 2 of Kate Gosselin’s kids being expelled from school.  I think it is ridiculous that this has not drawn more flack: in the article it says the kids were lashing out because of the rigorous filming schedule for Kate’s retarded tv show.  It even said one of the kids refused to have his picture taken for the school yearbook because he was “tired of being on camera”.  Kate is a poor excuse for a mother; putting her own 15 minutes of fame ahead of the well-being of her children.  Long after “Jon and Kate Plus 8″ is over and forgotten, the social and psychological issues these kids have will linger.  I can’t believe this is even allowed to happen, these kids lives are being ruined, literally, by this stupid reality show and everyone’s ok with it? The kids are an afterthought to squeezing every drop out of Kate’s 15 minutes of fame (which is just about over…).  Neither her nor her poor excuse for a husband should be allowed to care for a pet, let alone a plethora of kids.  These are probably the two least qualified people on the planet, yet no one makes a mention of the kids and the poor parenting.  I think something should be done quickly, because the effects on these kids will echo a lifetime, whereas their parents 15 minutes should be ending soon.

Blog week 7

This week I read an article that exposes some of the environmental issues around the flagship car for environmentalists, the Toyota Prius.  In the article, it discusses the implicit costs in producing a Prius, such as mining and shipping the nickel for its batteries.  In the end, the Prius uses “around 50% more energy than a Hummer- the Prius’s arch rival”.  I thought this article was pretty shocking, myself having bought into the Prius craze.  I had no idea this was the case, apparently the plant has created a 10 mile dead-zone devoid of natural life, the acid rain having killed it off long ago.  I always assumed that the car was the Superman of hybrids, no downside and always ready to go, however this article showed off some of its downsides.  The article was interesting because it played devil’s advocate, going against the car everyone assumed was perfect.  The fact that they compared it to the Hummer amused me, and I liked the research behind the article.  They had ample numbers and statistics to back up their claims, and it got deeper into environmental issues after the controversial title.  The title of the article got my attention quickly and then got me involved so I read on.

Blog week 5

For this week’s blog I read an article about the future MVP of the NBA, written by Los Angeles sports columnist J.A. Adande.  This season is already underway with preseason match-ups, one of which was Kevin Durant and LeBron James.  The article is different in that it focuses on their differences in personality rather than play.  Both players are young, exciting, and arguably the two best players int he league right now, but they differ in their demeanor: LeBron is cocky, dramatic, narcissistic, and (most people would tell you) disloyal.  Durant, on the other hand, is likable, friendly, down to earth, modest, and humble.  After winning the gold medal in the world championships, all Durant could say was “I was lucky to get my confidence up early and hit some shots, and then my teammates really stepped it up to help me out” when in reality, he came out hot and stayed hot, carrying a struggling USA team.  Summed up perfectly by Adande, “Durant is what we want the NBA to be, LeBron is the reality of what it actually is”.

The public backlash from the media circus that was LeBron’s decision was strong: NBA legends from all over the league either called him out publicly, or simply disagreed quietly.   Seeing as the two are probably going to be duking it out for MVP this year, one would think they wouldn’t have too many nice things to say about each other.  However, Durant again shows wisdom and poise beyond his 22 years of age by saying “the way he handles his business and the way I handle my business shouldn’t be criticized or over-published, I think.”  By saying this, he is actually distancing himself from everyone else, the media included, and basically saying all he wants to do is play the game he loves to play.  In that same interview he repeatedly stresses his admiration for LeBron, and the fact that they are two players just trying to play the game and get better at what they love.  I found it interesting the way Durant handles the media, casually yet respectfully, and his tone and just way he acts in general should be praised.  Not many pro athletes are as well spoken and respectful as Durant, and the article stresses his good-guy reputation.

Blog week 4

This week I read an article concerning Prop 19 and marijuana legalization.  The article highlights Gov. Schwarzenegger’s recent words about the prop, in which he referred to Sacramento and CA in general as a “laughingstock”.  What immediately struck me about the article is the writer’s strong opinion and criticisms of the governor.  Not that I am trying to defend him, I feel like he has helped run this state into the ground, but I was just surprised at the definite tone in which the author questions the governor and then some.   One quote reads, “unfortunately, it’s Sacramento’s inability to manage the state — even to pass a budget this year — that has made California a joke, not voters’ willingness to challenge the status quo”.

I was expecting to read an article about this prop and its challenges and adversities, but instead I instead read a very opinionated piece with a clear and strong standpoint.  I agree wholeheartedly with the author too; the quote was included to both highlight what i meant about the strong opinion but also because it was exactly what i was thinking.  The budget deficit is embarrassing, especially for a state with as rich an agricultural and industrial base as we have.  The “governator”also denied that the prop would generate as much revenue as many say, however the author again refutes this: “it will generate additional revenue for the state; but Schwarzenegger says not enough. Proposition 19 is in fact good policy and an important part of what must be a multifaceted solution to the budget crisis.”  Again we see the author taking a stance, and personally I like it.  I cannot make my voice heard like this person can, and I like that instead of passively reporting the facts this author has included their opinions and ideas about the issue.  Many don’t like it, but its part of reporting to me; how can someone be completely unbiased?  To be honest I don’t think we can, so I like that this author embraced it and explained their ideas rather than simply the facts.

Blog week 3

For this week’s blog I read an article from the Los Angeles Times about Phil Jackson and the Lakers.  It opens talking about Andrew Bynum’s uncertain knee issues; he has missed a staggering amount of games over the last 3 seasons, however, he needed surgery again this summer.  Rather than get it immediately after the season, he postponed it to go watch the World Cup in South Africa with teammates Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol.  Jackson is not mad, however, he says “we encouraged him to go; after an eight month season its good for these guys to get out.”  The article then discusses Jackson’s plans for retirement.  Its somewhat confusing to hear, but while he insists this is his last season, he can neither confirm nor deny his status for next year; it all depends on how the season goes.  If the Lakers win, he may stay just to see how many he can get in a row; conversely in they win he may call it a day, so to speak.  Rather than say now, he sticks to his age old tradition: retreat to his ranch for a few weeks in summer and decide then.  Other than being head coach of the team, he is also marrying the owner’s daughter, Jeanie Buss.  It seems difficult for Phil to leave with such intimate ties to the team, especially if they win the title again.  Furthermore, this will be Jackson’s 4th three-peat in his career, as well as Kobe’s second three-peat.
This article has been widely viewed on the LA Times website as well as talk of it on ESPN’s Sportscenter.  This is not just a subject that enthralls Los Angelinos, but the nation of basketball fans are hanging on every word; if Phil leaves LA, the Lakers are not nearly the same team.  Sure, the players are the ones on the court, but the coach pulls it all together.  We saw this last year with the Denver Nuggets: their head coach fell ill with throat cancer and could not attend most of the season games, hence, the Nuggets struggled and could not make it far into the postseason.  So, while this is published in the LA Times, people all over the country are interested in what Phil does.  The article also discusses NBA powerhouse Miami, after a historic off season in signings, even Phil must admit “its going to make for a very exciting season.”  Futhermore, the NBA is expanding its reach, as the Lakers will  play two exhibition games in Europe, one in London and one in Spain.  This expansion will help to get basketball on a more global level than before, hopefully getting some European interest in the NBA built up.