Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Thanksgiving is the most American of holidays. I mean, what other holiday has the food, the booze, and the sports like this one? The excessive eating is funny because in a lot of places, they don't have food. In other places, their food sources are limited. Name a country that has a sports day like this? What's impressive is that it's one sport that carries us through the day. The culmination of food, booze, and sports are just unmatched by any other holiday.

We go all out to honor the coming together of the Native Americans (notice I didn't use Indians, that's offensive to us Indians) and the Pilgrims. Or do we? Do we even think of these things? Perhaps not. Perhaps we think of what we're thankful for. Perhaps that's enough, but perhaps we should be thankful for the Native Americans and Pilgrims; we wouldn't have Thanksgiving without them.

Happy Veteran's Day

I knew we just passed the anniversary of the founding of the Marines, but I was unsure we were close to Veteran's Day. I really don't study the calendar as much as I used to, considering we don't get holidays like this off in college. Lately, I've been seeing more of these poppies, for lack of a better word, popping up. I knew they had some symbolic meaning for the Brits, as I'd seen football managers and commentators wear them. I did not know they were worn in the US too, particularly because I've never seen anyone wear them. It got me curious as to how this tradition or meaning was initiated.

I did a little searching (Google Search) and I found this blog entry:

The red poppy is a familiar emblem of Remembrance Day which began with a poem “In Flanders Field” written by Canadian Physician John McCrae. The poppy emblem was chosen because they were the flower that loomed in their red colour across some of the bloodiest battlefields of Flanders in World War One, making the poppy’s colour symbolic for the bloodshed and despair of trench warfare.

That's really powerful. Well, the poppy seems like a very powerful flower. It's bright and distinctly shaped. It probably has the right colors to symbolized the blood and darkness of war as well. It's just so fitting.

Regardless, this day isn't about poppies or me, it's about our troops, our veterans, and our fallen fathers. It's about the people who fought for our freedom, to help make this country the most powerful nation in the World, politically, socially, and economically.

To all the Armed Forces, thank you.

State is Out Of Control

These are the kind of things that lead me to dislike State:

"Zero tolerance does not mean automatic dismissal," the coach said. "To some critics, it might be seen as a low-percentage call or the wrong decision," Dantonio said. "It is neither. To me, our coaches, and our entire team -- the men in the arena -- it was the right call for the right reasons."

I'm not from Michigan, so I don't have the same strong hatred for Sparty that most of my friends seem to have. However, things like this really piss me off. How do you let your students get away with this? You're an institution of higher learning and this is the kind of example you set? If you're a talented athlete and you make horrible mistakes like getting a DUI, assault, or even rape, you will be absolved of your sins.

What kind of example is that? You should be trying to develop quality human beings. This is why you have ex-Spartans getting drug problems (Charles Rogers) and shooting themselves in nightclubs (Plaxico Burress). See Sparty, I'm not denigrating your school for its poor academic reputation and your status as little brother, I'm ripping you for the poor standards you set for your students. How many chances can you give a player without giving him a slap on the wrist? These kids will never learn anything.

I guess when you have your first chance at a national championship in God knows how long, you're willing to turn East Lansing into a State Penitentiary. Dantonio can take that zero tolerance and shove it up his ass. May be he'll understand zero tolerance then. That's where his head is.

Only In Florida

This is sickening:

A 22-year-old mother from Jacksonville, Florida, has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for shaking her 3-month-old son to death after his crying interrupted her FarmVille game.

For a fucking farmville game? Are you fucking kidding me? These are hte type of people I was talking about when I said we need to get rid of this welfare society. We can't afford to keep idiots like this in our gene pool. C'mon America! Get the fuck with it. This is just fucking disgraceful. A fucking kid died because of this dumb bitch.

O'Reilly Owns The View

My favorite part is when Elizabeth tries to get in a word and Sky Jones is like "no no."

Does Modern Warfare...

...make you feel like a Vietnam veteran? Now stay with me for a second here. You know how Vietnam veterans have all these nasty flashbacks. I feel like over the last couple days, I've been having these types of flashbacks too. As some of you know, I've been completely immersed in playing Modern Warfare, something I've decided to quit. In this time, it's been difficult to sleep because whenever I close my eyes, I feel like I'm in the game. I feel like I'm hiding behind a wall waiting for my opponent to come out so I can snipe him. BOOM HEADSHOT! I've gotten knived so many times, it's a broken record. It's pretty scary. I don't know how to get over this.

Not Cool Yo

This was part of a stunt for San Francisco's Fleet Week, but to me, it's a really scary reminder of events that happened on September 11th. I don't care that it was part of a show. For something like this to happen in real life is extremely frightening and conjures up bad memories to many. This brings up the what if it really was another attack idea. It differs from the recent episode of South Park in this way.

Think About This

Just click the picture. Thanks to Harry for this one.

Brutus Goes Down II

Kid must be a future Michigan recruit.

The New Dream Team

Mourinho wants Zidane to coach at Real Madrid with him:

'I would like to have him more with me and less with the president,' Mourinho, who joined Real during the close season, told French TV.

'I don't think he wants to become a coach but I would still like to have him with me,' said Mourinho.

Putting the best manager at the moment along with one of the greatest players to walk on the pitch, THAT would be something.

Paul Bunyan Is Getting Homesick

Bye Bye Red Sox

I just wanted to say that I am taking a hiatus from supporting the Red Sox. Their owners are buying Liverpool. I can no longer be affiliated with a team owned by those people. When they sell Liverpool or they sell the Red Sox, I will support the Red Sox again.

What To Watch This Season

New TV Shows are debuting and I see a lot of people making mistakes with their television watching. I'm just gonna tell it how it is.

What to watch:
Dexter-If you are going to watch one show this fall, it should be Dexter. In its fifth season, the series has become the cornerstone of television drama. Along with Breaking Bad, this is probably my favorite show.

Eastbound and Down-A hilarious show about a former pitcher who is now washed up, Eastbound and Down is entering its second season. This series oozes glory. Watch it.

Boardwalk Empire-This show airs opposite Dexter, but its a worth competitor. After two episodes, I can only say that I'm enthralled by where this show could go. Starring Steve Buscemi, the show is about prohibition era Atlantic City. There hasn't been a show as good as this on organized crime since The Sopranos and The Wire.

Community-Probably the best comedy on tv right now, this show centers around a eccentric group of students at a Colorado Community College. This show is sharp and witty and worth every second of viewing. It's only entering its second season, so you have a whole season of glory to catch up on.

Modern Family-Also entering its second season, Modern Family has been a hit. The first season helped the show gain many accolades and that should continue in the second season. While I think Community is a better network TV show, Modern Family is right up there with it.

What not to watch:
Mad Men-I only list this show because nothing happens in the show. It's good for a season and the 50s style is quite cool, but other than that, I don't think it's a very interesting show. Nothing happens. It's not worth the time.

30 Rock-Tina Fey just isn't funny. At some point, you have to get sick of Alec Baldwin carrying the show.

The Office-Is anyone still watching this show? Seriously?

The one show I'm iffy on watching is It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. For seasons, this show has been brilliant. However the start of the season has been kind of weak. Certainly, it's had its moments, but it hasn't reached the peak of hilarity or the expectations its set for itself in the past.

Does Anyone Else Think...

...That Bill Simmons is a closet gay? Not that there is anything wrong with that...

Ahmadinejad Speaks Out

Not much to say about this despicable man:

“In identifying those responsible behind the Sept. 11 attacks, there were three viewpoints,” he said. “First, that a very powerful and complex terrorist group able to successfully cross all layers of the American intelligence and security carried out the attack. This is the prevalent viewpoint which has been supported mainly and advocated by American statesmen.

“Second: that some segments within the U.S. government orchestrated the attack to reverse the declining American economy and its grips on the Middle East in order to save the Zionist regime. The majority of the American people, as well as most nations and politicians around the world agree with this view.

“Third: it was carried out by a terrorist group but that the American government supported and took advantage of the situation. Apparently, this viewpoint has fewer proponents.”

He's an asshole.

There's Nothing Going On

That's why I haven't been blogging.

Another David Brandon Mistake

Scoreboard Photos:

Michigan fans attending home football games during the 2010 season will have the opportunity to have their pictures on the Michigan Stadium videoboards.

This is just going to make it more prominent for sorority girl bitches, who go to the games to have a good time rather than to will the team to victory, an excuse to emasculate the sanctity of Michigan Stadium.

Worse Video

What's more embarrassing for the school?

The immaculately bad:


Or the equally awful:

Is there high drug use at Catholic schools or something?

How About Better Transportation Resources?

Obama wants to improve roads and infrastructure:

Obama will tout proposals to improve roads and infrastructure during a campaign trip to Ohio, but that message was largely eclipsed by a renewed political battle over tax cuts for wealthy Americans set to expire at the end of this year.

I personally think it's a waste because I've seen a road near my house that was dug up and redone several times over the past year. Why don't we just have better alternative forms of transportation. In this day and age, there should be no excuse for not having cities with modern transportation such as a subway. Plus commuter trains would help ease access to urban jobs and reduce automobile usage. I feel strongly that we need to increase these alternative transportation resources. It's so easy to get around in Europe. Why is it so hard here?

He also wants to continue the tax cuts for people making less than $200,000, but not for people making more:

"We strongly believe that a healthy, vibrant, economically viable middle class is key to economic recovery and we strongly support the extension of tax cuts to the middle class," an administration official told reporters ahead of Obama's trip.

"But it's also true that we don't have 700 billion additional dollars to borrow to pay for tax cuts that essentially will go to millionaires," he added.

"Saving that $700 billion and applying that to the deficit is a much better use of that money."

Meanwhile, people are still struggling to get jobs. There's no job growth. How are people supposed to pay these taxes without jobs? Additionally, how is the government going to cut spending if it has to continue supporting these people. This is just a disgraceful situation.

Viva La Revolucion?

Workers in both Paris and London have taken to the streets, protesting job losses and cut pensions:

In Paris, more than one million workers marched against President Nicolas Sarkozy’s plan to raise the retirement age from 60 to 62, the centrepiece of his reform agenda.

Labour unions called for the showdown over the pensions bill, which Mr. Sarkozy insists he will push through as an “absolute priority” and which was presented to a stormy session in parliament even as the marches continued.

London has similar problems:

On the other side of the English Channel, millions of commuters struggled to get to work as a 24-hour strike by workers on London’s underground rail system crippled much of the network.

People took to bikes, buses, walked, or made use of extra boat services on the River Thames in a bid to beat the stoppage, called in protest to 800 job cuts.

I can't imagine how bad it is to get around London without the Tube.

Fight at US Open

I think the woman was in the wrong. If she was so offended by his language, she should have gotten security. She shouldn't have confronted him and slapped him. Those people who rushed at him after too were also in the wrong and so was the old man. Guy wasn't trying to do anything and they were attacking him. I want to know what Bill Burr has to say about this.

First Thing I Did...

...When I got off the plane was kiss the flag. I'll probably do that after every international flight now. I got really nervous when the plane took off too. The whole plane was shaking and the overhead compartments were rattling. Was this how it was going to end?

Get Inspired: Quit Smoking

It may be too quick to push another "Get Inspired" post, but let's start this thing on the run.

This is about how the new smoke free rules on campus inspired one woman to quit smoking. While smoking provides a relief to many, the health hazards involved with smoking are obvious. It is not just about quitting smoking because of the new rules at the U, but also better your health.

Bobbie Young works in HR at The U. She's probably been smoking for longer than many of you have been alive. But she quit for her kids:

“I needed to quit for health reasons. I wanted to quit for my two sons. I got that (e-mail) in December and the program started in January so I didn’t have a lot of time to think about it. I just hopped onboard,” Young says.

Young has tried to quit before and she understands that it's a tough thing to do:

“I knew I could quit. It was just a matter of getting back into a group kind of situation. There’s something about being part of the group for me personally that makes it, I don’t want to say easier to quit, but more meaningful. It’s like you’ve made a commitment to others outside of yourself to try and do the best you can,” Young says.

So I implore you to stop smoking and I hope this story helps you to get there. Remember, you're not the only one facing this challenge. Good luck and if you need someone to talk to about quitting, I'm always around.

Get Inspired: JFK

I'm going to start a new series of posts called "Get Inspired" which will feature posts about things that inspire/d me. This one is a preview video for The U's celebrating of the 50th anniversary of JFK's introduction of the Peace Corps on the steps of the Michigan Union.

My Random Thoughts From Madrid and Barcelona

MADRID
-Very impressed
-Very modern/very clean
-Hotels with hardwood floors and nice bathroom

-Walked around Madrid, saw the Templo de Delod, Roseada, and Santiago de la Florida.

-Walked by the Plaza Espana, Jardines de Sabatini, Palacio Real, Teatre Real, Plaza de Oriente, Puerto del Sol, Puerto Santa Ana, Banco de Espana, Plaza de las Cibeles, Paseo del Prado.

-Visited the Reina Sofia, saw Guernica. NBD.

-Lots of beautiful women.
-Men look weak/Euro
-Weather is perfect
-Metro is clean and efficient albeit a little confusing
-Too much pork in the diet
-I'm done with Sangria

-Went to Nike Store next door from the hotel, the new Inter jerseys are absolutely dopetacular.

BARCELONA
-The airport is like a shopping mall
-not very impressed by the outside of the Camp Nou
-A woman helped us to get on the right side of the metro even though that meant she missed her train.
-La Rampla is a pretty neat gathering of tourists and all that. WE DIDN'T GET PICKPOCKETED!
-Horchatas at Bar del Pi. Baller.
-Saw Real Madrid play some beautiful one touch football on the TV today. They looked unstoppable.
-Mourinho is god.
-Walked down by the Mediterranean, really baller.
-Restaurant we wanted to go to was closed, found India street in the process.
-Went to a Mediterranean/Middle East place instead. Good food.

-Unlike some people, I love taking bus tours of the city to learn where everything is and what its story is. There was a beautiful french girl on the blue line. I melted in the hot Barcelona sun.
-Picasso Museum was cool. Science and Charity is pretty.
-Had Basque food at night. Their deserts are fantastic. Starting to get this hang of speaking Spanish to native Spanish speakers thing.

-La Sagrada Familia is so much cooler when you actually see it than the pictures. The detail and thought that Gaudi put into the building is incredible.

-La Casa Mila was pretty cool too. Gaudi is very unique.

I loved Montjuic. We climbed the hill, took the funicular, went the fort at the top. It was pretty awesome. We also went to the MNAC and Miro Foundation. That was sick as well.

I saw Lionel Messi score a hat trick and I saw David Villa make his Barca debut. That was pretty cool.

Sea Bass and Gay Marriage

A Chilean Senator is going to sponsor a gay marriage bill:

"This is a project that I will present ... and I am also calling on the Church to be more welcoming, and I say that as part of the Church," the senator said, responding to remarks from Chilean Cardinal Francisco Javier Errazuriz who described the same-sex weddings in Argentina as "an aberration."

Sweet.

Song Of The Day: Against The Wind By Bob Seger

I love Bob Seger.

Song Of The Day: Otherside By Red Hot Chili Peppers

A Pictures Worth...

...$200 million?

I wish I would find random shit.

Explore The Explorer

Looks sexy.

US-South Korea Begin Drills

This is after the sinking of the South Korean ship a couple of months ago, which has led to increased tensions between the North and South.

BP CEO Outed

Duisberg Stampede

Machete

Machete at IGN.com

This movie looks like all sorts of awesome.

The Future Of America

Oakland Gets Sticky

Oakland now allows industrial Marijuana farms:

Oakland's City Council late Tuesday adopted regulations permitting industrial-scale marijuana farms, a plan that some small farmers argued would squeeze them out of the industry they helped to build.

To address concerns from smaller farmers, the council pledged to create regulations on regulating small- and medium-size marijuana farms this year. Council members and proponents of marijuana cultivation regulation viewed the proposal as smart public policy: It would generate revenue, ensure that fire and building codes are enforced, keep neighborhoods safe from robberies, and further position Oakland as the center of the state's cannabis economy.

I'm looking forward to stating a business ot there. I hope I don't get shot by accident.

Droid 2

R2D2

I Can't Believe This Exists

This is either the funniest or most disturbing thing I've ever seen.

Man And Monkeys

You've probably seen this.

Clink

Lindsay Lohan has entered jail:

Lohan surrendered at a Beverly Hills courthouse on Tuesday and was immediately whisked away to an all-women's jail in Lynwood. She will serve her time in an isolation unit that has previously hosted Paris Hilton and Michelle Rodriguez.

She is expected to serve only two weeks in prison.

Cameron Presents The Big Society

David Cameron plans to launch an enormous transfer of power from the state to the people:

He will say: “The Big Society is about a huge culture change, where people, in their everyday lives, in their homes, in their neighbourhoods, in their workplace, don’t always turn to officials, local authorities or central government for answers to the problems they face but instead feel both free and powerful enough to help themselves and their own communities.
“We need to create communities with oomph – neighbourhoods who are in charge of their own destiny, who feel if they club together and get involved they can shape the world around them.”

Sounds sexy.

Poll Added: Should Undergraduate Degrees Be Mandatory?

I ask this question, having read this article on inequality and the credit crisis. With the growth of technology, we need to advance education. The idea of having a high school degree before was to provide a proper work force. Now that we need so much more human capital to be qualified for job, should we make college mandatory? It's a matter of building human capital, in my opinion.

Vote in the poll, and respond to this post if you have more to say.

Hope You Can Believe In

Glad that business is picking back up in the Gulf.

The Dreamliner Arrives!

Happy Birthday Mister Mandela

He's 92

Kabul, Baghdad Suicide Bombed

Kabul:

Baghdad:

Pakistan, Afghanistan Come Together

To sign a major trade agreement:

"Bringing Islamabad and Kabul together has been the goal of this administration from the beginning," said Richard Holbrooke, the White House's special envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan. "This is a visual display of the two countries coming together."

Hopefully, this reduces tensions between the two countries and will aid the growth of terrorist activity in the area.

Republicans Blast Obama

I'm sensing a pattern.

Obama Blasts Republicans

Here's what the video says:

The President blasts Republicans in the Senate who are blocking unemployment insurance and small business tax breaks to create jobs, even as they push for permanent, massive tax cuts for the richest Americans.

Why not give tax cuts to everyone. Higher taxes, higher interest rates, higher deficit is not the way to go.

Song Of The Day: Wild Night by Van Morrison

Here's to a Wild Night.

The Apple Solution

One of my favorite companies.

Thanks For The Update, Barry!

Race In America

I don’t know if you guys have read Joel Stein’s recent satirist piece on his hometown, Edison, New Jersey, and the burgeoning Indian population there. The article has been put into the public spotlight, at least in the Indian-American community, and journalists, such as CNN’s Rahul Parikh, have vilified Stein for the piece, calling it racist and insulting. This response has forced Stein to add a note to the end of his article claiming that he meant the article as a piece of humor and that he wanted to raise the issue of immigration.

If the article reveals one thing, it is that we are still hypersensitive on issues of race. We see comedians talking about their race and lambasting stereotypes about their people and their culture, and everyone laughs. As soon as someone else makes comments about their race and their culture, it’s not funny. People become defensive.

My dad watches Russell Peters, a comic, whose material relies heavily on exploiting Indian stereotypes. He loves it. However, as soon as someone else makes a joke about him or Indian people, he gets defensive. Heck, even I have made a joke about him or Indian people, and he has lectured me about it. This to me is symptomatic of how people of different races and cultures feel in general. People assume that jokes that involve their race are meant to be insulting.

Then, how is it okay to laugh at comics who are making jokes about their race and their experiences with race? To use my dad again, he often watches Chris Rock specials. He laughs hysterically. To me, his stance on this issue is hypocritical. How is it okay to laugh at someone else, if someone can’t laugh at you? This, to me, is the main issue in this article.

Joel Stein is not only someone who is making light of the presence of a large Indian population in India, he is also not Indian. As a result, many of his observations are being taken as having racially charged motivation. He may have meant to raise an issue such as immigration, but he did not express this sentiment in the right way. I am aware that he was trying to infuse humor into the piece, but it lacked the tact to raise an issue.

Personally, I saw the humor in his article. I found it funny. However, I did not see how it would raise questions about immigration on its own. Perhaps, if he had added his note before the critical response or better written his piece, the article could have led conversations in that direction, but given that he has already received a hostile response, it will head towards issues of race.

In all likelihood, not much will be made of this article. It will not become an issue pushed more than it already has been. Perhaps, it should be though. Perhaps, we should push the issue of race back in the national spotlight. Perhaps, something like this would help shape people’s perceptions about race. In the last couple weeks, the issue of race has been put into the public spotlight. We’ve seen it rear its head in the Lebron James free agency, the Tea Party movement, and now this article.

The issue of race was not solved in the Civil Rights movement. We do not live in a cosmopolitan society. Racism is still prevalent, and many policies, ideologies, and actions are shaped heavily by racist thought and perception. It doesn’t help that we live in a society that is hell-bent on being politically correct. By masking our real feelings on issues such as race, we are keeping them in our subconscious rather than in the open. Only by discussing these sentiments can we move towards a peaceful society.

There Is No Freedom Of Speech In Sports

Dan Gilbert was fined $100k for his "open letter":

Gilbert is attending the owners' meetings in Las Vegas, where NBA commissioner David Stern said Monday he was fining the Cavaliers $100,000 for the comments.

I want to know what Gilbert violated with his remarks. The NBA is sinking lower in my sport rankings.

$3.5 Billion

WHOPPING.

This Is Sickening

Fuck you Piqué. Poor Cesc.

The Hangover: World Cup Final

Spain and Holland the day after.

Shep Salutes Jack Johnson

Guy is working hard to get his degree from the U:

Each summer, the fourth-year Los Angeles Kings defenseman returns to Ann Arbor, enrolls in summer school and continues to chip away at his general studies degree. Although he hasn't experienced life as a full-time student for three years, Johnson relishes his time on campus.

During the season:

During the NHL season, Johnson, who is 23, takes classes online, using off-days to study and complete coursework. Technology, including video conferencing and Web tutorials, has made distance learning easier, but balancing school with an NHL career isn't easy.

Red is proud, since he's someone who has said in the past that he wants his guys getting an education, but that he won't get in the way of their NHL dreams:

"Jack's done really well with that. Some players say they'll (come back to finish) and they never do. But Jack has, and good for him."

Johnson's motivation:

"I come from a family where everyone has a degree, and I don't want to be the black sheep at the dinner table," Johnson said. "My 12-year-old brother gives me a hard time and he says he's going to get one before I do, and so I've got pressure.

And of course, my favorite quote:

"But I'm very proud of being a Michigan athlete, a Michigan student and it's always something I'll have in my pocket. It's a priceless thing to have."

Johnson seems to be a rarity in the NHL, not that he went to college hockey first, but rather he wants to finish his degree. The academic side of things seems very important to him even while he's making millions of dollars. They say hockey players are much more grounded than other athletes, this seems to support that belief.

Waiting For Riots

I'm waiting for riots:

A white former transit police officer was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter on Thursday in the videotaped shooting death of an unarmed black man that triggered riots in Oakland, California last year.

I'm serious.

Song Of The Day: Waving Flag by K'naan

Thanks for getting this stuck in my head Harika.

Defining The New America

Back at commencement, at the University of Michigan, Barack Obama expressed his distaste for partisan politics. He told us that it was important to put aside differences and work together for the greater good. His frustrations were clearly symptomatic of the direction of his administration. It has been tough for the President to accomplish his objectives. The continuous oscillation between right and left has not been quelled by Obama's historic election, but perhaps heightened. The problem with this is that we're not making any progress; we are moving from wing to wing instead of forward.

I've been reading about fascism this week and there are some values that I found significant. The nationalistic spirit and the ability to engage people is an essential part of fascism. Also, there was a sense of machismo, at least in italian fascism. There was a strong sense from Mussolini that a weak Lira conveyed a weak Italy to the world. America used to have that masculine snarl to it. That seems to have disappeared. Obviously, the racial aspect of fascism, uniting a race against others, is not something that is just. Nor is genocide. It's not something that would work in the US anyway. Look at Franco and Spain; if anything, fascism divided that country. The idea to unite a people of a nation has significant value to me.

I've noticed is that people take a lot of pride in this country, but there are a lot of tangible things that we do not have anymore. Our manufacturing isn't leading the world anymore. Our technology, our products, they're not the best. We still have intangible rights to be proud of like the freedom of expression which we will always have. However, we need to do better to ensure that people can hold grasp onto these tangible things that instill pride in our nation. In order to do this, we need to provide an environment of success.

The United States is an open nation, a nation that believes in competition and free markets. This is why I get weary when people mention tariffs, quotas, or taxes. Outsourcing doesn't really bother me. If you can coordinate your business where you can have employees half way across the planet, more power to you. Efficiency is important. The costs of hiring are straining our businesses and we need to provide ways to ease this burden. Businesses, particularly those in technical or specialized fields, are looking for candidates with specific qualifications. Truth is that we're not providing our businesses with these candidates, so they have to resort to hiring foreign workers. These foreign workers cost money because they need to be sponsored for their working Visas. This hampers small and medium businesses in particular. The costs of sponsoring these workers and keeping them in the US adds up. This is a more prevalent problem.

Quite simply, we need to provide a better educational system such that our workers are more competitive. We need to provide the technical backgrounds. While the amount of technical knowledge that a person needs has increased, the educational system has not changed much at all. We need to reform education and provide more stringent requirements through out the schooling process. We need to build the workers of tomorrow. We have been greatly surpassed by foreign powers such as India and China because they invest heavily in their human capital. The US needs to give the same kind of investment to education.

Another of my pet peeves is people complaining about the increased cost of healthcare in this country. Have people stopped and thought "may be it isn't the drug company or insurance company's fault?" No, because everyone needs someone to blame. Well, I'm not afraid to point the finger. It's all of our fault. We're exercising less and eating poorly. This is why I call this country a nation of fat cats. We have become complacent. We need to be healthier as a nation. This means exercise, diet, and hygiene. If we take care of ourselves, we take care of our health. The healthier we are, the less we're spending on healthcare and insurance. It's as simple as that.

These are a couple dilemmas that have really struck a cord with me recently. I don't think it would be hard to change. The problem is that the leadership in this country needs to come out and convey this to the public. I'm a blunt and straight forward person. I want to get to the point and I want to share the point. I'll do it myself if I have to.

Okay, Give Me Deutschland

Funny, but pretty disrespectful if you ask me.

Lohan Sentenced To Jail

The Chance With Arsene Wenger

Mounty Misconduct

Several RCMP were dismissed for misconduct during the Olympics:

Fifteen members of the RCMP’s Vancouver 2010 Integrated Security Unit were sent home during the Olympics for misconduct that included skipping out of work early to catch a hockey game and breaching a confidentiality agreement by taking pictures of the Team Canada jerseys.

They were assigned a job and they failed. I'm glad they're outing them out for the world to see.

Billion Dollar Baller

The New York Knicks believe that Lebron James can earn a billion dollars by moving to New York:

The Knicks just finished pitching LeBron James. Their main selling point: You could make a billion dollars playing in New York. You can't earn anything close to that anywhere else.

How the hell did they arrive at this figure?

Included in Interbrand's math: an NBA title in New York could be worth $240 million to LeBron, about $60 million more than if he brought a ring home to Cleveland, and more than double the value of a Chicago championship. Why? NYC is a huge market, the business capital of the world and home to a large (and wealthy) fan base hungry for a winning team--the Knicks haven’t held the title since 1973. LeBron already owns Cleveland, a small city with little clout. Michael Jordan’s six championships still hover over Chicago. Miami has a fickle fan base, a recent title and its own superstar in Dwyane Wade.

Interesting pitch. I wonder if it would work. Part of me would like to see Lebron in a Knicks jersey. Part of me thinks that staying in Cleveland might be important to the city's immediate survival. In truth, this is entirely Lebron's decision and he must do what is best for him and his family. A billion dollars is a lot of money and can secure his and his family's security for several generations.

Shia Leader Dies

This sounds like a big deal. Educate me friends.

Komorowski Claims Poland Election

Bronislaw Komorowski has appeared the victor in the Polish elections:

WARSAW, Poland — Interim president Bronislaw Komorowski appeared to have held off a last-minute surge from the identical twin brother of the late president, who died in an April plane crash that shocked the country and forced Sunday's early election.

It was a hotly contested election.

Congo Under Fire

Spain Celebrates

Those girls make me wish I was in Spain now rather than in August. Hopefully they'll still be celebrating.

Solar Power

We need to invest in alternative sources of energy. We have seen the negative environmental consequences are primary source of energy, oil and coal can have, with the oil gushing in the Gulf as well as the various mining explosions over the last year. Perhaps solar energy can provide a safe alternative to these sources.

The New India

India is in great need of infrastructure. If you have been there, you will see that while improvements are being made every day, a long effort will be needed to bring its cities up to Western standards. I will probably have to go to India in December, and I will provide a more thorough assessment of the situation.

Happy Independence Day!

We, at Shep's Universe, would like to wish everyone a Happy Fourth of July.

Petraeus: Back in the Saddle

The Hate Machine

I don't condone anything that Mel Gibson said, but his hatred for people with whom he has differences is entertaining and mildly amusing. I don't understand how someone can have such feelings towards certain sects of people.

Heavyweight Nation

America is fat. We all know that.

Wolverines Win Under The Sun

The University of Michigan Solar Car won the 2010 American Solar Car Challenge:

The University of Michigan's Infinium solar car was an obvious front runner. With five wins under their belt and boasting a top speed of more than 100 mph, University of Michigan placed first at the Formula Sun Grand Prix, the qualifying event leading up to the the race, and led every segment of the race.
But it takes more than speed to win the multistage race. The Michigan team posted on its blog that the Infinium often got caught in traffic, erasing its lead and giving University of Minnesota a chance to catch up.
Despite traffic setbacks and a 15-minute delay caused by rain damage to the vehicle's lighting board, the Michigan team sprinted across finish line at around 10 a.m. Sunday, sealing its sixth victory in the race's 20-year history with an elapsed time of 28 hours, 14 minutes, and 44 seconds.

Hail.

Cities for the Democratic Convention 2012

This has bad news written all over it:

Cleveland, Minneapolis, Charlotte, N.C., and St. Louis are the cities being considered for what is expected to be a formality of the 2012 political calendar.

Cleveland and St. Louis? Seriously? There's nothing nice about either of those cities. I guess it would bring money into those cities. It would certainly cater to the party's demographics...

The Perfect Protest?

People have been talking about protesting British Petroleum for a while because they're angry. They're angry because their livelihoods have been taken from them. They're angry because of the environmental damage that has occurred. They're angry because of the indecision which has led to this problem getting out of hand. Some are just angry to be angry.

But you know who aren't angry? British Petroleum. They might be annoyed by it a little bit. The fine they faced probably sucked and paying for the damages does too, but this is a company that makes billions every year. They're still doing alright no matter what happens. I think if you want to protest British Petroleum, you need to really piss those blimey Brits off.

I think I have the perfect protest. Obviously, growing up in the Boston area, I've been greatly influence by Revolutionary War history. A particular moment or event really stood out to me when I was thinking about a protest. I started thinking about the Boston Tea Party.

This was the event that really started the war. It really ticked of the Brits. It wasn't about losing the land, the subjects, the trading posts; it was about all that tea that was dropped into Boston Harbor. They hated all that tea going to waste. They were so pissed off about it that they decided to go to war over it.

If we really want to piss British Petroleum off, I say we dump a large portion of the World's tea into the Gulf. That would show them. May be they'll try and clean up the Gulf then. May be they'll take action. Because I'm sick of all this inaction. This problem should have been solved already. Their failure is unacceptable. We must strike.

Presenting Juan Manual Santos

I have been getting upset about Spain a lot recently. Much of this stems from the fact that my favorite player, who I believe is deserving of starting playing time, is not getting into games. I've tried to trace back to what make Cesc Fabregas different and what is the cause of his absence from Spain's line. I'll start from where I trace back farthest then work my way back to surface claims.

1. Squad Selection: Vicente del Bosque made a huge error in leaving out Marcos Senna. I understand that Senna is getting old and has struggled with fitness, but he's two years removed from being named the player of the Euro 2008 tournament that Spain won. Because Senna isn't in the line up, Spain has been forced to play two holding midfielders. This has been counterproductive because it is taking away a creative force that could potentially lead Spain to scoring more goals. Sergio Busquets just cannot cut it as a holding midfielder because he's slow and weak. Xabi Alonso doesn't have the size or physicality, though he can tackle with the best of them. I haven't seen enough of Javier Martinez to make a judgement about him. Bottom line is that not one of those players can cope alone with playing the holding role.

2. The Barcelona factor: Xavi and Iniesta have a great partnership at Barcelona. However, both of them are very passive in their movements. Iniesta is perhaps a bit more aggressive on and off the ball, but both of them don't make strong moves to receive the ball unless the ball is near them. Obviously, having come through La Masia, both of them possess the skills any Barcelona player would have, but they are missing an element which Fabregas has gained from playing in England.

Cesc is a far more aggressive player in England because he's had the benefit of being the sole focal point of Arsenal's attack. He has the touch and the vision of Xavi, but since he is the primary playmaker, he is always looking to get the ball to his feet. This means he's always supporting whoever has the ball and looking to make a play or pass to the forwards to put them in an advantageous scoring position. Additionally, he's not afraid to make the forward run. Far too often, Ineista and Xavi play it safe. Cesc isn't afraid to make the run through the line of defense to get a scoring opportunity. He's excels at this.

I hate to come back to this as well, but statistically, Cesc was more impactful than Iniesta and Xavi COMBINED. Cesc had a direct impact on 36 of Arsenal's goals this season, while Xavi and Ineista combined for only 31 of Barcelona's goals. That alone should widen your eyes.

3. The Winger factor: del Bosque has tried to use David Silva and Jesus Navas to get out wide. I do not disagree with this strategy. I just disagree with having one winger in the game. I just don't think either of those players can be as effective if they're the only winger in the game. For a winger to be truly effective, you need to have two wingers to stretch out the defense. del Bosque is struggling between formations and tactical strategies. I think it's not intelligent to say "just play." It is important to make tactical changes so that you can be as effective as possible.

Cesc's aggression can better fit the playing style of Xavi and Iniesta or any other midfielder. He can be the link that Spain needs to get their killer forwards into scoring positions. He's proven all year that he can do it at Arsenal where he is undoubtedly the man. I think the more Cesc plays, the more he will prove that he is worthy of being in the line up. Perhaps, del Bosque has already made up his mind though. I don't blame him. I'm very opinionated about this and I know Spain has a plethora of talent that no other team in the world can boast. He has his own opinion on what best benefits the team. I know Cesc was a huge factor in Spain's Euro 2008 triumph, and I believe he will be a huge factor if they do go on to hoist the World Cup in 2010.

Education in America

Apparently, the gap between students and athletes is increasing in terms of school spending:

As colleges across the country spend increasingly more on athletic programs — a median $84,446 per athlete in 2008, up almost 38% from 2005 — academic spending hasn’t changed proportionally — a median $13,349 per student, up about 20% over the same period, according to a report released today by the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics.

Over 18 months, the athletic reform commission compiled data on college sports finances and found that at institutions belonging to major athletics conferences, median spending per athlete ranged from four to almost 11 times more than median spending on students for educational purposes. In 2008, median per capita athletics spending for Football Bowl Subdivision conference institutions was $84,446, compared to a median $13,349 per capita for academic spending.

This is distressing because some of us are paying a king's ransom to get our college education and we're not getting the education we deserve. If we are spending x number of dollars on our education, schools should be spending x number of dollars to educate us. Now, one might say schools are a business. I disagree. We have schools to increase our human capital. As people become more educated, our country accumulates more human capital. If we're not investing in human capital, we're going to fall behind the likes of India, China and the like who have stronger educational programs.

We need to invest more in math and sciences to develop stronger science based workers. We aren't just devoting more resource to workers of other countries because they are cheaper. It is also because we are not producing workers of the same technical capabilities. Our educational system has been the same for such a long time. Now, college and universities are forced to cram more information in their curricula than ever before. Students need to get advanced degrees just to advance their careers rather than supplement them. If we start educating stronger in middle school and high school, we can give our students the necessary background to thrive in the world working environment.

We are no longer leading the world. We are actually behind and we need to catch up. Reforming our educational policies and strengthening that system will go a long way in leading the road back. However, if we continue to cut programs, we might follow the path of our auto industry. Except no one is going to bail out the United States of America.

Rape Trap

A South African doctor has created a female condom with teeth to identify rapists:

The woman inserts the latex condom like a tampon. Jagged rows of teeth-like hooks line its inside and attach on a man's penis during penetration, Ehlers said.

Once it lodges, only a doctor can remove it -- a procedure Ehlers hopes will be done with authorities on standby to make an arrest.

"It hurts, he cannot pee and walk when it's on," she said. "If he tries to remove it, it will clasp even tighter... however, it doesn't break the skin, and there's no danger of fluid exposure."

This sounds painful.

Gaffes Are Laughs

in Shep's Universe:

Fan Trespassing

Under the Border Walk

Replacing Kaczynski

Yachting Solves No Problems

Rooney Unhappy With Supporters

Seedorf Tests Jabulani

Here's the link.

Sunday Bloody Sunday

The Brits have finally published the inquiry:

The Bloody Sunday Inquiry findings are being published, 12 years after the tribunal began work. Thirteen people were killed when soldiers from the Parachute Regiment opened fire on marchers during a civil rights march in Londonderry on 30 January, 1972.

Will be interesting to read about. I no nothing about this tragedy, so it'll be nice to learn some history.

Blood Red Army

Cameron And Obama Talk About BP

Probably good for relations between the two countries.

More Protests Against Israel

Coast Guard's BP Ultimatun

Violence Continues in Kyrgyzstan

We haven't looked at Kyrgyzstan in a while. It doesn't look good.

Donate To The Gulf?

Okay, this isn't a natural disaster. This is a man made disaster. Oil is biodegradable. It will go away. Yes, it's a cause, but I don't think people should solicit money for it. It was BP's fault. They should be picking up the check for EVERYTHING. They should be fined more than what they've been fined. Hell, Limewire was fined more than BP was. Let's get things right here. Their line of defense on this issue has been atrocious. They should have been more proactive than reactive. This is like Toyota with some throttle problems. The US needs to take a stand on this.

But back to the matter at hand: people donating to this pisses me off. People shouldn't donate to this. BP should refund everyone that donates to this. This isn't an earthquake. This isn't a typhoon. This isn't a tsunami. Let's get that clear. This was man made. The men responsible for this disaster should be held responsible for the check. It's embarrassing that people are trying to donate to this cause. Let BP do it. BP should do it. I saw someone on Twitter trying to get other people to donate. It just set me off.

Californian Girl Stranded At Sea

Blackhawks Parade

Big Baby and Word App Presser

Patrick Kane is God

Breaking sports news video. MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL highlights and more.

The Moment You've All Been Waiting For!

Well, may be just me.

I've been waiting for June 11th for such a long time. I have enjoyed the regular soccer season, but the World Cup is the grand daddy of all sporting events. It's the grand daddy of all events in general. Now, I've been putting off putting my thoughts on blog for a long time now. I like to work on deadlines and the night before seemed like a good time to start.

What are my predictions, what are my thoughts?

I don't know. I think there are three legitimate contenders for the Cup. They are the Netherlands, Brazil, and Spain. It's a shame that two of these teams could play in the second round or quarterfinals. Of these three, my favorite is the Dutch. They have four players who are just in great form right now. Form is how a player is playing. How well he's playing. Three of their players, Van Bommel, Robben, and Sneijder all played in the Champions League final. Robben and Sneijder were major influences offensively for their Bayern and Inter respectively while Van Bommel was a great leader for Bayern. Additionally, they have Robin Van Persie and Rafael Van Der Vaart who are also brilliant players in their own right. Van Persie is a technical master, who unfortunately missed most of the season with Arsenal due to an ankle injury. Van Der Vaart was once thought to be on the outs at Real Madrid established himself as a key player in Los Blancos. Additionally, with the work rate of Kuyt and the depth added by Elia and Afellay, they are an offensive juggernaut.

Spain are arguably the most talented team in the tournament. My favorite player is Spanish, Cesc Fabregas. However, I have some biases against them due to Barcelona's tapping of him from my favorite team, Arsenal. There is a large contingent of Barcelona players and I am sick of hearing about them wanting Cesc on their side. My other problem was the omission of Marco Senna. I know he was injured and I wasn't sure of his condition, but the man was pivotal in their Euro 2008 run. He brought size and experience to the midfield as a holding player. I am wary of what Spain has to offer. All around though, Spain has a great formula for success. They have many players who have won for both country and club. There's depth everywhere. The defense has been outstanding. The strikers are great. The midfielders pass like no one else in the world. The question is whether or not Spain will repeat their history of failure. They are the deserved favorites in the tournament though.

Brazil is the co-favorites and despite not having Ronaldo or Ronaldinho, they deserve to be. I'm sort of upset that Brazil has lost some of the flair that they traditionally have with those players, but Kaka and Robinho should provide plenty of entertainment. I think Dunga has built a team to win. What I don't like is that they seem very defensive. Dunga starts with two defensive midfielders in Melo and Gilberto. They rely on a strong defense and efficiency particularly off free kicks. There is still that traditional quick pacing with technical voracity, but the richness of it isn't there. While Kaka is a former world player of the year, Robinho really is the player to watch. He has been great for Brazil despite his problems with his club games. Daniel Alves could be a huge contributer too if he's let off his leash. Brazil's defensive nature is a real turn off though.

So who else has a chance? Obviously, there are teams worth keeping an eye on, but I don't really like any of the other teams. Italy is the defending champion. They won last time on defense, defense, and more defense. They got timely goals, but their success started from the back. Not much has changed for better or for worse, but I think their offense has gotten worse. They are going to need to be air tight and I don't know if they can accomplish that this time. Having to face Spain in the quarterfinal could prove to be quite a challenge. The two played a great match two years ago which ended in penalties. Cesc Fabregas put in the fifth to give Spain the nod. I think Spain have improved since Euros because they know how to win a major tournament. Italy's lack of scoring could really hurt them against a Spanish team that can at times score for fun.

France just isn't the same without Zidane. Zidane was a generational player. He is probably the greatest player I will ever see, with all respect to Messi and Cristiano. He was so smooth, silky, and calm. His runs were fast, but in control. France isn't the same without him. Thierry Henry isn't the same either. Once the most feared striker in the game, the former Arsenal player has lost a stride and the explosiveness. With Henry and Zidane, France were nearly unbeatable. Now they are a shell of their former self. I do not have them making it out of their group stage because I think they have too many internal problems. William Gallas is not happy with the manager. Anelka just isn't fitting. Henry is out of form. Everything looks bad for France and there's no Zidane to ride in on his shining white horse.

England is being talked about as a legitimate contender, but I just don't see it. Yeah they have good players and a great manager, but I just don't see it. Wayne Rooney is in the form of his life, but it takes more than one. I just don't see it. There are injury concerns. The keeping is mediocre. They keep winning games, but they aren't playing well. I just don't see it. It's the same with Argentina. I just don't see it. I think Maradona is an idiot. His selection really bothered me. Leaving out Zanetti and Cambiasso was a huge mistake. These are two players who give it their all. Also, I think the fact that he's not utilizing Messi in the best way possible is a huge mistake. They stumbled through qualifications and I don't know if they'll do much better in the Cup. I have them losing in the quarterfinals to one of my dark horses (get to that in a minute). I don't trust Maradona to make the right decisions. Never trust a drug addict.

In terms of other teams, I think Serbia, the US, and Mexico can all surprise. Mexico has played particularly well, probably deserving to beat England before getting outshone by Van Persie in Holland. They have some talented players like Carlos Vela who should shine. The US is constantly being ridiculed, but they have some very good players. I gained a lot of respect for Landon Donovan when he made a big impact on Everton when he played their on loan. Clint Dempsey had a solid year at Fulham. These two players will be asked to lead the squad. I genuinely think that the quarterfinals aren't too much to ask for. Serbia has an extremely talented side. What's important is that they have a strong defense. They also have very good midfielders and forwards. I think they can surprise some people. I have them beating Argentina in the Quarters before losing to Spain in the Semis. Germany will struggle without Ballack, but should still make it out of the group stage. Schweinsteiger has to take up leadership. The only other team that interests me is Denmark. I think Bendtner plays really well with the national team and they have some other talented players. They're unknown so they can fly under the radar. That might be good for them

To sum up, I have Netherlands beating Spain in the finals. We will have a new champion. Robin Van Persie will win the golden boot. It will be a fantastic tournament. I already have the DVR set to tape the first two games tomorrow.