I am a somewhat skeptical person when it comes to a lot of things in life and this story only makes me feel more cynical towards certain things in life. There are ad screens out now in some local malls grocery stores and other areas that have small cameras near them to monitor what kind of people stop and look at the ads and what kind of people just walk past the screens.
Technology is a great thing but it can get to a level where it is almost scary and seeing things like this taking place. People get paranoid over things like big brother and other scenarios that we are being watched but just how crazy are these theories? More and more we are seeing that it is possible to watch people without them being noticed whether that be the government watching us or some kind of company tracking how well their ads are doing.
Just because there is a possibility of me being watched it doesn't mean that I am so paranoid that I will alter the way I live because this may be happening. Do I like the possibility of me being tracked by someone? No of coarse not but, I don't have anything to hide and I am not some kind of a criminal attempting to stay under the radar.
There is something about the technology in this story that really scares me. By this I mean that if there was a person waiting around the corner from these ads watching what type of people are stopping to look I would not be as scared. The weird thing is that I still realize the fact that a person around the corner observing me without my knowledge is in effect the same thing as the camera being set up and people in a studio watching me without my knowledge.
In this system that is in place in some malls there are not actual people watching the screens to track how long each type of person watches the screen. There is a computer system that can tell a person's gender, age, and ethnicity. The computer then tracks these results in a large database that it keeps. To me the fact that I am being tracked is the issue regardless if it is being done by a person sitting near a screen or a computer system.
Knowing that this is going on will change the way I approach these signs in public places. The fact that I may be being watched is something that does not sit well with me.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Iraqi shoe hurler inspires art
A friend of mine turned me on to this story about a monument that has been built in honor of the reporter who threw both of his shoes at President Bush during a news conference in Iraq. I have never heard about a monument being built around someone who had such a relatively small impact on the world.
When you go to Washington DC you see plenty of monuments, most of them in honor of former presidents like Washington and Lincoln. I would like to know if the person who threw the shoe at Bush is looked at as a national hero similar to the way that some of our former presidents are. If this man is looked at like a national hero it really speaks volumes about how much some Iraqis dislike our country.
The artist said that the show hurler "is a source of pride for all Iraqis." If we are really this disliked by the people of Iraq to this extent then even talking to them over world issues could prove to be a difficult task. There are some who say the we are all human and if we just sit and talk about world issues we can eventual find some kind of peace throughout the world. The question I ask is if it is even possible to talk in a diplomatic fashion with people who have this level of hatred for us and our way of life?
To some extent I see where the Iraqi people are coming from in how much they respect this person who threw the shoe at Bush. Bush went into Iraq on a search for weapons of mass destruction that were never found. He dramatically changed the daily lives of the citizens of a country and then one day someone got the chance to stand up to him and did so through throwing his shoes at the former president. He did what many Iraqi people would have paid to do in that situation and so that makes him a hero in the eyes of some
When you go to Washington DC you see plenty of monuments, most of them in honor of former presidents like Washington and Lincoln. I would like to know if the person who threw the shoe at Bush is looked at as a national hero similar to the way that some of our former presidents are. If this man is looked at like a national hero it really speaks volumes about how much some Iraqis dislike our country.
The artist said that the show hurler "is a source of pride for all Iraqis." If we are really this disliked by the people of Iraq to this extent then even talking to them over world issues could prove to be a difficult task. There are some who say the we are all human and if we just sit and talk about world issues we can eventual find some kind of peace throughout the world. The question I ask is if it is even possible to talk in a diplomatic fashion with people who have this level of hatred for us and our way of life?
To some extent I see where the Iraqi people are coming from in how much they respect this person who threw the shoe at Bush. Bush went into Iraq on a search for weapons of mass destruction that were never found. He dramatically changed the daily lives of the citizens of a country and then one day someone got the chance to stand up to him and did so through throwing his shoes at the former president. He did what many Iraqi people would have paid to do in that situation and so that makes him a hero in the eyes of some
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Citi Bank pushed to cut the order of new jet
Sometimes I see a story and it makes me so upset that I have to remind my self to calm down after reading it. This is one of those stories. Citi Bank, yes the same city bank that recently received 45 billion dollars of taxpayer dollars, was told by the government that the purchase of a 50 million dollar luxury jet may not be the smartest move in the world in these hard economic times.
Yesterday Citi Bank stated that they would complete the purchase of the new jet dispite the economic climate we are all suffering in. It was only today that Citi Bank backed down under intense questioning from the new head of the US treasury, Tim Geithner. I would like to thank Mr. Geithner for getting to the bottom of this issue and slapping some sense into the scum bags at Citi Bank before it was too late.
Citi Bank lost 8.2 billion dollars last year. That would be pretty astonishing if that were the case but it is not, it is actually a more disturbing picture for Citi Bank. They lost 8.2 billion dollars in the last THREE MONTHS of 2008. This is the same Citi Bank that had to be talked out of buying an executive jet with taxpayer dollars.
It gets even worse for the bank, aparently this jet was not any old jet liner, it was a Dassault Falcon 7X, which, according to the Dassault’s sales literature, seats 12 in leather seats and sofas and includes a custom entertainment center. The purchase of the jet would not have helped any American jet makers either as this company builds all of its aircraft in France.
The irresponsibility exhibited here is out of control. People need to send a message to Citi Bank that this kind of behavior will not be tolerated by Americans, or in other words their shareholders. If you have accounts at Citi Bank I would encourage you to cancel them as supporting any company that behaves like this is 'plane' and simple the wrong thing to do.
Yesterday Citi Bank stated that they would complete the purchase of the new jet dispite the economic climate we are all suffering in. It was only today that Citi Bank backed down under intense questioning from the new head of the US treasury, Tim Geithner. I would like to thank Mr. Geithner for getting to the bottom of this issue and slapping some sense into the scum bags at Citi Bank before it was too late.
Citi Bank lost 8.2 billion dollars last year. That would be pretty astonishing if that were the case but it is not, it is actually a more disturbing picture for Citi Bank. They lost 8.2 billion dollars in the last THREE MONTHS of 2008. This is the same Citi Bank that had to be talked out of buying an executive jet with taxpayer dollars.
It gets even worse for the bank, aparently this jet was not any old jet liner, it was a Dassault Falcon 7X, which, according to the Dassault’s sales literature, seats 12 in leather seats and sofas and includes a custom entertainment center. The purchase of the jet would not have helped any American jet makers either as this company builds all of its aircraft in France.
The irresponsibility exhibited here is out of control. People need to send a message to Citi Bank that this kind of behavior will not be tolerated by Americans, or in other words their shareholders. If you have accounts at Citi Bank I would encourage you to cancel them as supporting any company that behaves like this is 'plane' and simple the wrong thing to do.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
A New kind of Super Bowl
Even the NFL is not immune from the effects of the current recession as we can clearly see in the upcoming Superbowl between the Cardinals and Steelers. Everything from tickets to hotels to flights are significantly less expensive when compared to last year's Super bowl between the Giants and Patriots.
With the market and country the way it is people that normally would have the disposable income to make that Superbowl trip every year may just not have enough this year. The first thing to look at is the price of the tickets where upper level seats went for an average of 3000 bucks last year, they are now going for 1300 dollars. That is not even half the price of a seat to last year's game. It is really astounding to me how quickly over the course of only 12 months the value of the tickets can crash.
The teams that are playing in this year's game may have something to do with the lesser demand for tickets when compared to the epic match up last year when the not so perfect Patriots fell to the 2008 Superbowl Champion New York Giants. From the Cardinals point of view their fan base is not as rabid as other franchises and they already live in a warm climate so a trip to Tampa would not be much of a vacation. From the Steelers point of view many of their fans are not members of corporate America and lack the income necessary to make the trip due to the fact that so many of them are working class "regular Joe's"
In an event that I could not see getting any more corporate after last years game I am glad to say that this game has gotten less corporate and gives some of the higher end fans of each team a chance to go when they previously may not have been able to with the prices being so much higher.
With the market and country the way it is people that normally would have the disposable income to make that Superbowl trip every year may just not have enough this year. The first thing to look at is the price of the tickets where upper level seats went for an average of 3000 bucks last year, they are now going for 1300 dollars. That is not even half the price of a seat to last year's game. It is really astounding to me how quickly over the course of only 12 months the value of the tickets can crash.
The teams that are playing in this year's game may have something to do with the lesser demand for tickets when compared to the epic match up last year when the not so perfect Patriots fell to the 2008 Superbowl Champion New York Giants. From the Cardinals point of view their fan base is not as rabid as other franchises and they already live in a warm climate so a trip to Tampa would not be much of a vacation. From the Steelers point of view many of their fans are not members of corporate America and lack the income necessary to make the trip due to the fact that so many of them are working class "regular Joe's"
In an event that I could not see getting any more corporate after last years game I am glad to say that this game has gotten less corporate and gives some of the higher end fans of each team a chance to go when they previously may not have been able to with the prices being so much higher.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Adolph Hitler Campbell
I have been wanting to comment on this story for a while so that I could use a slower news day to take advantage to comment on this gem of a story. A couple in New Jersey went to buy their 3 year old son a birthday cake at a local bakery which is a very nice gesture. The problem came when they asked the bakery to write the child's name on the cake. "Happy Birthday Adolph Hitler". The bakery refused to write the child's name on the cake. Even for someone like me who believes in free speech just about as much as a person possibly can I call this absolutely disgusting.
I feel really sorry for this child and am glad that he was recently taken away from his parents. The service that took custody of the child stated that, "the decision to remove a child is based on the safety and well being of the child and the risk to that child, and that decision is made in conjunction with the courts and the county family court judge." Is it a real surprise that the parents who named their child Adolph Hitler were not able to provide a safe environment for their kids?
The fact that these people decided to name their child Adolph Hitler has limited his chances at succeeding in the world from the day he fell out of the womb. Think about the child on the first day of school when the teacher calls his name and he has to try his best to make friends with others in the class. "Mommy I made a friend today, can Adolph Hitler come over and play?" Any parent that would allow their child to hang out with someone who has parents that raised them through teaching them nazi ideology is crazy as well.
What about when applying for college or a first job does this kid have a chance of surviving unless he is taken away from his family and has his name changed? It is absolute child abuse to name your children Adolph Hitler because he has no chance in life. Even if you were a nazi wouldn't you still want to give your child a normal name be smart so that they are not hated upon first glance by everyone?
I feel really sorry for this child and am glad that he was recently taken away from his parents. The service that took custody of the child stated that, "the decision to remove a child is based on the safety and well being of the child and the risk to that child, and that decision is made in conjunction with the courts and the county family court judge." Is it a real surprise that the parents who named their child Adolph Hitler were not able to provide a safe environment for their kids?
The fact that these people decided to name their child Adolph Hitler has limited his chances at succeeding in the world from the day he fell out of the womb. Think about the child on the first day of school when the teacher calls his name and he has to try his best to make friends with others in the class. "Mommy I made a friend today, can Adolph Hitler come over and play?" Any parent that would allow their child to hang out with someone who has parents that raised them through teaching them nazi ideology is crazy as well.
What about when applying for college or a first job does this kid have a chance of surviving unless he is taken away from his family and has his name changed? It is absolute child abuse to name your children Adolph Hitler because he has no chance in life. Even if you were a nazi wouldn't you still want to give your child a normal name be smart so that they are not hated upon first glance by everyone?
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Jay Z at the Obama Inauguration
One thing that I notice a lot of during the Obama inauguration was the amount of black pride that took place durring all of the events. This is absolutely appropriate as the first black president is a historic event. It shows that our country is evolving in the right direction and is something that deserves celebration.
Some of the celebration that took place durring the inauguration did more to divide than to unite which is why I have a problem with those aspects of the celebration. An example of the inappropriate celebration was about 1 minute into this video. The exact words of Young Jeezy were "I wanna thank the motherfucker overseas who threw two shoes at George Bush, and I want to thank the motherfuckers who helped them move they shit up out the withe house, get movin bitch, get gone, my president is motherfuckin black"
I have never been a fan of Jeezy so I don't know much about him but this is helping to build up stereotypes, not tear them down. An event like the Obama inauguration is the perfect platform to begin the long process of taking down stupid stereotypes and then at an inauguration event we get this, ARE YOU KIDDING ME. He went on to say later in the video, "I'm so proud to be black right now I dont know what to say". How about something like, "I am glad this country has come so far and hope to see more of it in the near future." Instead he just builds on the stereotype saying nigger this and mother fuck that.
Jay Z is an artist who I do have a good amount of respect for. He still stays in touch with the community where he came from and has a good amount of respect for where hip hop came from. I was disappointed to see Jay Z even on the same stage as Jeezy while he was talking about Obama. I was even more upset when I heard one of the lines in this new remix Jay Z put out, "No more white lies my president is black".
If the roles were reversed and a white artist put out a song where he said something along the lines of (I know this is silly but just an example) "No more blacks in the NBA, white boys got the ball now and they have better style play" he would be destroyed by special interest groups, all black people, and the media always looking for someone to shake a blaming finger at. Why is Jay Z not facing the same kind of criticism that the white artist would be facing?
What Jay Z is saying can be considered borderline racist. He is taking the old white man image of former presidents and calling them liars. Since there is now a black president he is no longer a liar due to the fact that he is of a different race than past presidents, just lunacy. Just because of the color of Obama's skin he is a break from past presidents and will always tell the truth.
If people really want equality than both blacks and whites we need to understand that we cant act like this anymore.
Some of the celebration that took place durring the inauguration did more to divide than to unite which is why I have a problem with those aspects of the celebration. An example of the inappropriate celebration was about 1 minute into this video. The exact words of Young Jeezy were "I wanna thank the motherfucker overseas who threw two shoes at George Bush, and I want to thank the motherfuckers who helped them move they shit up out the withe house, get movin bitch, get gone, my president is motherfuckin black"
I have never been a fan of Jeezy so I don't know much about him but this is helping to build up stereotypes, not tear them down. An event like the Obama inauguration is the perfect platform to begin the long process of taking down stupid stereotypes and then at an inauguration event we get this, ARE YOU KIDDING ME. He went on to say later in the video, "I'm so proud to be black right now I dont know what to say". How about something like, "I am glad this country has come so far and hope to see more of it in the near future." Instead he just builds on the stereotype saying nigger this and mother fuck that.
Jay Z is an artist who I do have a good amount of respect for. He still stays in touch with the community where he came from and has a good amount of respect for where hip hop came from. I was disappointed to see Jay Z even on the same stage as Jeezy while he was talking about Obama. I was even more upset when I heard one of the lines in this new remix Jay Z put out, "No more white lies my president is black".
If the roles were reversed and a white artist put out a song where he said something along the lines of (I know this is silly but just an example) "No more blacks in the NBA, white boys got the ball now and they have better style play" he would be destroyed by special interest groups, all black people, and the media always looking for someone to shake a blaming finger at. Why is Jay Z not facing the same kind of criticism that the white artist would be facing?
What Jay Z is saying can be considered borderline racist. He is taking the old white man image of former presidents and calling them liars. Since there is now a black president he is no longer a liar due to the fact that he is of a different race than past presidents, just lunacy. Just because of the color of Obama's skin he is a break from past presidents and will always tell the truth.
If people really want equality than both blacks and whites we need to understand that we cant act like this anymore.
Obama's decision to close Guantanamo
As most people may already know Obama made one of his first decisions as president in his announcement that he would be shutting down the prison facility at Guantanamo Bay. It really does not matter what die of this issue you fall on, everyone has to admit that this is an extreamly bold move by Obama and makes a very serious statement.
What Obama is saying in making this move is that the USA will not tolerate the kinds of conditions that were in place at Guantanamo. Even though the people at Guantanamo were suspected terrorist and other criminals Obama still made the strong statement that NOBODY deserves to be treated the way that those in Guantanamo were being treated.
Personally I feel that the decision to shut down Guantanamo was a poor one by President Obama. The people that are in this prison are there for a reason, it is not the kind of prison that you end up in for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. There are some suspected terrorists in Guantanamo, I imagine it being very difficult to pin charges on a terrorist when many of their dealings are shady and their comrades are not quick to talk or throw anyone under the bus. That may be the reason why many of these people remain suspected terrorists and not charged terrorists at this point in time.
Another main reason I feel Guantanamo should stay in operation is that the type of people who are there hold information that is dangerous and if we find out that dangerous information there is a chance that we can stop another attack from occurring. Since many of the prisoners do not divulge information when politely asked what kind of future terrorist attacks they are planning we as a country are forced to turn to more severe measures to find out this info.
A third reason I feel Guantanamo should stay in operation is because the people leaving Guantanamo are going to hate us more than they originally did (if that is humanly possible). These people will be let free now so that they can plot further against the USA. If we are letting these people free we should have some kind of a program where these prisoners who were hurt are talked to and dealt with to remove SOME of the extreme amount of hatred that they will understandably have. This is not an easy task but something we would be dumb to at least not attempt.
I believe that some people are so savage due to the brainwashing that they have endured over the course of their lives that letting them free (since they are not technically charged with anything yet) would be outright dangerous for the rest of the world.
What Obama is saying in making this move is that the USA will not tolerate the kinds of conditions that were in place at Guantanamo. Even though the people at Guantanamo were suspected terrorist and other criminals Obama still made the strong statement that NOBODY deserves to be treated the way that those in Guantanamo were being treated.
Personally I feel that the decision to shut down Guantanamo was a poor one by President Obama. The people that are in this prison are there for a reason, it is not the kind of prison that you end up in for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. There are some suspected terrorists in Guantanamo, I imagine it being very difficult to pin charges on a terrorist when many of their dealings are shady and their comrades are not quick to talk or throw anyone under the bus. That may be the reason why many of these people remain suspected terrorists and not charged terrorists at this point in time.
Another main reason I feel Guantanamo should stay in operation is that the type of people who are there hold information that is dangerous and if we find out that dangerous information there is a chance that we can stop another attack from occurring. Since many of the prisoners do not divulge information when politely asked what kind of future terrorist attacks they are planning we as a country are forced to turn to more severe measures to find out this info.
A third reason I feel Guantanamo should stay in operation is because the people leaving Guantanamo are going to hate us more than they originally did (if that is humanly possible). These people will be let free now so that they can plot further against the USA. If we are letting these people free we should have some kind of a program where these prisoners who were hurt are talked to and dealt with to remove SOME of the extreme amount of hatred that they will understandably have. This is not an easy task but something we would be dumb to at least not attempt.
I believe that some people are so savage due to the brainwashing that they have endured over the course of their lives that letting them free (since they are not technically charged with anything yet) would be outright dangerous for the rest of the world.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
The Extra Week off Between the Championship game and Super Bowl
For as long as I can remember there has been a week of rest for the teams in between the AFC and NFC championship games and their Super Bowl competition. The NFL does this so that they can add even more media coverage to to their already media filled extravaganza. The Super Bowl is such a huge event for America the I do not see them losing ratings due to their loss of a week to publicize the game. The same amount of people are going to watch this game regardless of how many weeks off their are in between the games. For the sports world in general these weeks are fairly slow so I have a few suggestions as to what some of the leagues can do to take advantage of the sports void.
Take the NHL for example, what they are doing this year is extremely smart for their sport for several reasons. They have their All Star game celebrations in place for this coming weekend. For hockey fans this gives us a perfect sporting event to watch this weekend regardless of our favorite teams because there are players from every team around the league playing in the skills contest and the game itself.
A second smart thing that the NHL did was their choice of a location for this years event. It will be taking place in Montreal which is celebrating its 100th year of fine hockey. The people in Montreal are some of the greatest hockey fans in the world and they deserve to have this game played in their city as they celebrate the Canadians 100th season.
The NHL loses points in my book for not having enough coverage of these events. The skills competition and the game itself are being shown on the Versus TV network. The NHL should be willing to take less TV money for these events to gain exposure for the sport and Versus just does not have the subscriber base to give them the kind of exposure they need. Especially in a week where there is not much sport action taking place this game belongs on a bigger network so that the casual and beginner hockey fans can enjoy the game along with the die hards.
One last hockey article I came across was this one where a Chicago man won a million dollars because the Black hawks scored at exactly 10 minutes into the 3rd period. They have been having a contest in Chicago where if they scored 10 minutes into the 3rd all season and the odds are not in favor of the chosen fan in the contest. I thought it was great that a fan actually won the prize.
Take the NHL for example, what they are doing this year is extremely smart for their sport for several reasons. They have their All Star game celebrations in place for this coming weekend. For hockey fans this gives us a perfect sporting event to watch this weekend regardless of our favorite teams because there are players from every team around the league playing in the skills contest and the game itself.
A second smart thing that the NHL did was their choice of a location for this years event. It will be taking place in Montreal which is celebrating its 100th year of fine hockey. The people in Montreal are some of the greatest hockey fans in the world and they deserve to have this game played in their city as they celebrate the Canadians 100th season.
The NHL loses points in my book for not having enough coverage of these events. The skills competition and the game itself are being shown on the Versus TV network. The NHL should be willing to take less TV money for these events to gain exposure for the sport and Versus just does not have the subscriber base to give them the kind of exposure they need. Especially in a week where there is not much sport action taking place this game belongs on a bigger network so that the casual and beginner hockey fans can enjoy the game along with the die hards.
One last hockey article I came across was this one where a Chicago man won a million dollars because the Black hawks scored at exactly 10 minutes into the 3rd period. They have been having a contest in Chicago where if they scored 10 minutes into the 3rd all season and the odds are not in favor of the chosen fan in the contest. I thought it was great that a fan actually won the prize.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Lost season 5 set to begin
There are really only one or two TV series that I follow on a very close basis. One show is The Amazing Race because my grandma also enjoys it and it is interesting to see all of the cultures from around the world as teams compete in a relay race to win a one million dollar prize. The latest series just ended this past fall.
The seccond series that I follow on a very close basis is LOST which starts its fifth season tonight. Here is a quick link to a video that can do a better job of describing this series with several deep plot lines better than I ever could.
I think this series apeals to me because I am someone who likes to think outside the box and at hypothetical situations that could have taken place but never have. LOST is an example of a series that appeals to me based on the fact that it is vague about many of the details and the writers allow you to form your own conclusions and predictions for what you feel will happen next.
Another thing that I like about LOST is the fact that the character development in this series is second to none. You feel like you know the characters and that they are members of your immediate family. I have begun almost rooting in an odd way for characters to make certain decisions that I believe would make the storyline more interesting than I already find it.
So as season 5 begins tonight I don't know what to expect but I know whatever it is, it will be good.
The seccond series that I follow on a very close basis is LOST which starts its fifth season tonight. Here is a quick link to a video that can do a better job of describing this series with several deep plot lines better than I ever could.
I think this series apeals to me because I am someone who likes to think outside the box and at hypothetical situations that could have taken place but never have. LOST is an example of a series that appeals to me based on the fact that it is vague about many of the details and the writers allow you to form your own conclusions and predictions for what you feel will happen next.
Another thing that I like about LOST is the fact that the character development in this series is second to none. You feel like you know the characters and that they are members of your immediate family. I have begun almost rooting in an odd way for characters to make certain decisions that I believe would make the storyline more interesting than I already find it.
So as season 5 begins tonight I don't know what to expect but I know whatever it is, it will be good.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Science vs. emotion in NJ's river dolphins debate
Here is an interesting story that I came across today, the cold temperatures in the New Jersey area have lead to a dangerous climate for some of the local bottlenose dolphins. There are two main arguments about what to do in this situation. The first argument (emotion) is that we should step in and save the dolphins from these conditions and move them to an area where they can survive the winter. The second argument (science) is that we should let nature take its course and if the conditions of the winter kill the dolphins then it was meant to be.
In this case I see myself siding on the science option in this debate. I feel this way because these cold conditions are only going to come back next winter and we will be faced with the same problem all over again. If we do not step in to help these animals some may unfortunately die this winter but, over time these animals will learn how to better adapt to the conditions so that they can continually survive in their natural habitat.
Humans went through the same exact process over a long period of time, we were faced with challenges and so over time we created natural defenses and mechanisms to deal with the problems that we were facing at a certain point in time. Even in the year 2009 we continue to evolve with new inventions and things along those lines to help us survive with more ease in the world.
A part of me feels that it would be even more cruel to help the dolphins than to leave them on their own to adapt to the area in which they live. If humans jump in to help the dolphins then the animals are at the mercy of the humans for the continuation of their existance. By this statement I mean that the dolphins will rely on human assistance for the rest of eternity if we continuously help them whenever they are facing a new issue. If we leave the dolphins to their own devices there is a good chance that they will adapt on their own and survive.
In this case I see myself siding on the science option in this debate. I feel this way because these cold conditions are only going to come back next winter and we will be faced with the same problem all over again. If we do not step in to help these animals some may unfortunately die this winter but, over time these animals will learn how to better adapt to the conditions so that they can continually survive in their natural habitat.
Humans went through the same exact process over a long period of time, we were faced with challenges and so over time we created natural defenses and mechanisms to deal with the problems that we were facing at a certain point in time. Even in the year 2009 we continue to evolve with new inventions and things along those lines to help us survive with more ease in the world.
A part of me feels that it would be even more cruel to help the dolphins than to leave them on their own to adapt to the area in which they live. If humans jump in to help the dolphins then the animals are at the mercy of the humans for the continuation of their existance. By this statement I mean that the dolphins will rely on human assistance for the rest of eternity if we continuously help them whenever they are facing a new issue. If we leave the dolphins to their own devices there is a good chance that they will adapt on their own and survive.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
As Recession Continues Deals Pop Up
Anyone in their right mind can tell you that right now this country, along with the rest of the world, is going through a damaging recession period. People are loosing their jobs (or in my case having trouble finding a first job), and home foreclosures are as high as I have ever seen them. With all of these problems does come some good news and that is the fact that prices in stores are finally catching up with the lack in consumer spending power and lowering their prices.
Today I really saw this first hand. Take Old Navy for example, the already affordable prices have reached a new level where this past Friday through Monday there is an additional 50% off sale where customers can take 50% off of the previously reduced clearance prices. Being an employee of Old Navy has some benefits as well where I can take my employee discount and receive 20% off any item, totaling 70% off every clearance item in the store.
The merchandise that I am getting 70% off of is not even damaged, it is just the clothes that have been in the store for a longer period of time and the company is looking to clear out to make room for new inventory. In some cases I like the clearance items even better than some of the newer styles that are coming into the store.
The deals did not end there today as my friend and I went into another store to find him a new pair of shoes. You can notice when you walked in the door that there were sale signs on every piece of clothing on the floor. When he found a pair of shoes they were originally marked as sixty dollars for half off we thought we had found another good deal. At the register the cashier gave my friend an extra 25% off coupon. He also filled out a best of discount card to bring his total for a new pair of shoes down to only 20 dollars.
It may have taken a while for the stores to drop their prices enough so that those prices would be equal to the decrease of money that people have to spend, but they are getting close. Hopefully this will cause people to make some purchases to spur the staggering economy.
Today I really saw this first hand. Take Old Navy for example, the already affordable prices have reached a new level where this past Friday through Monday there is an additional 50% off sale where customers can take 50% off of the previously reduced clearance prices. Being an employee of Old Navy has some benefits as well where I can take my employee discount and receive 20% off any item, totaling 70% off every clearance item in the store.
The merchandise that I am getting 70% off of is not even damaged, it is just the clothes that have been in the store for a longer period of time and the company is looking to clear out to make room for new inventory. In some cases I like the clearance items even better than some of the newer styles that are coming into the store.
The deals did not end there today as my friend and I went into another store to find him a new pair of shoes. You can notice when you walked in the door that there were sale signs on every piece of clothing on the floor. When he found a pair of shoes they were originally marked as sixty dollars for half off we thought we had found another good deal. At the register the cashier gave my friend an extra 25% off coupon. He also filled out a best of discount card to bring his total for a new pair of shoes down to only 20 dollars.
It may have taken a while for the stores to drop their prices enough so that those prices would be equal to the decrease of money that people have to spend, but they are getting close. Hopefully this will cause people to make some purchases to spur the staggering economy.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Debris kills boy in stands at monster truck show
When I got home from from work today I took a look through Yahoo news and one of the stories caught my eye. In Washington debris flew into the crowd at a Monster truck rally killing a six year old and injuring his father.
A story like this really upsets me because of how easily avoidable events like this can be. I am sure that there are trials that take place before these monster truck shows take place in front of live audiences. It should be no problem with time to prepare for these shows for the company to put on a safe and death free show for all of the fans in attendance.
This is different from a sporting event where dangers are expected to take place. An example would be how you are always told to stay alert for foul balls when at a baseball game or flying pucks at a hockey game. When you are at a scripted event like a monster truck show there should be no need for fans to watch out for unscripted events.
The company that runs the monster truck shows stated that they are looking into the incident but what does that even matter at this point? The company has all the time in the world to practice all the events that they will be performing. Looking into this accident should have been done in the unlimited amount of time they had before the live event was scheduled.
A story like this really upsets me because of how easily avoidable events like this can be. I am sure that there are trials that take place before these monster truck shows take place in front of live audiences. It should be no problem with time to prepare for these shows for the company to put on a safe and death free show for all of the fans in attendance.
This is different from a sporting event where dangers are expected to take place. An example would be how you are always told to stay alert for foul balls when at a baseball game or flying pucks at a hockey game. When you are at a scripted event like a monster truck show there should be no need for fans to watch out for unscripted events.
The company that runs the monster truck shows stated that they are looking into the incident but what does that even matter at this point? The company has all the time in the world to practice all the events that they will be performing. Looking into this accident should have been done in the unlimited amount of time they had before the live event was scheduled.
Friday, January 16, 2009
US Airways Airbus 320 lands in Hudson River
Turn on just about any news station and you will see this story today. Apparently a US Airways flight hit a flock of Canadian Geese that shutdown the engines causing the pilot of the plane to make an emergency landing in the Hudson River. In effect the pilot had control over a sinking paperweight as it plummeted towards the ground. From watching the coverage of this amazing event I have a few observations that I wanted to point out.
My first observation is that this is being called an emergency landing. I question whether the term emergency landing is an accurate one for what took place. Is there a line between a crash and an emergency landing? If a plane ends up under 10 miles from where it started in the middle of a river I would go as far as to classify that as a crash, not a landing. It may be a very safe and excellently executed crash but looking at what happened in this case it was still a crash. A few things have to take place for a landing to occur, the largest is that the planes wheel's have to touch down on dry land (which in this case it did not).
A second observation that I have is the fact that you see these bundled up news reporters in sub-zero conditions talking to soaking wet victims in some cases still wearing just a t-shirt and a pair of jeans. Don't you think that it would be the proper thing to do for the reporter to offer the victim their jacket? These people have just been through a plane crash (yes I said it CRASH not emergency landing) and are shocked from the craziness that is taking place around them, the least the reporter could do would be to offer them their coat.
A last observation is the fact that this plane came fairly close to hitting the George Washington Bridge. How horrific would that have been? Those are two things that people may be the most afraid of, bridges and planes. I feel the catastrophe of a plane crashing into a bridge would deter people from both flying and crossing over bridges for a good amount of time.
This is just one of those stories where in the face of a looming tragedy everything went right, something we can all be thankful for.
My first observation is that this is being called an emergency landing. I question whether the term emergency landing is an accurate one for what took place. Is there a line between a crash and an emergency landing? If a plane ends up under 10 miles from where it started in the middle of a river I would go as far as to classify that as a crash, not a landing. It may be a very safe and excellently executed crash but looking at what happened in this case it was still a crash. A few things have to take place for a landing to occur, the largest is that the planes wheel's have to touch down on dry land (which in this case it did not).
A second observation that I have is the fact that you see these bundled up news reporters in sub-zero conditions talking to soaking wet victims in some cases still wearing just a t-shirt and a pair of jeans. Don't you think that it would be the proper thing to do for the reporter to offer the victim their jacket? These people have just been through a plane crash (yes I said it CRASH not emergency landing) and are shocked from the craziness that is taking place around them, the least the reporter could do would be to offer them their coat.
A last observation is the fact that this plane came fairly close to hitting the George Washington Bridge. How horrific would that have been? Those are two things that people may be the most afraid of, bridges and planes. I feel the catastrophe of a plane crashing into a bridge would deter people from both flying and crossing over bridges for a good amount of time.
This is just one of those stories where in the face of a looming tragedy everything went right, something we can all be thankful for.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Bernie Madoff still not in prison
After defrauding wealthy investors and countless charities Bernie Madoff still sleeps in his penthouse apartment. This is due to the fact that the judge looking through his case determined that Madoff is not a danger to the public or a risk to run away before his trial date. I agree with both of these things that the judge decided but does this man deserve the luxury that he gets to live in during his house arrest period? I would say no.
One of the things that irritates me most about Madoff living in his penthouse apartment awaiting trial is the fact that he has hired a security force to protect him from angry people outside. One can logically assume that the money that he spent to hire this security force is the money that he received from investors and went on to in effect steal from them. So to simplify what is going on, the people that Bernie Madoff defrauded are paying for his protection while he awaits trial. Something is very wrong with this picture.
Madoff is also wearing a bullet proof vest on his way from his house arrest location to the court room where his trial is taking place. I can see the need for this as many people are waiting outside his home for the chance to tear him apart. Something that is wrong with him wearing the vest is the way that he does so.
Many criminals on their way into court who do wear bullet proof vests wear them under their clothing so that they are not noticeable to everyone around them. It seems like Bernie wants to be the center of attention because his vest is clearly visable on the outside of his clothing so that he can become even more of a story than he already is. BREAKING NEWS MADOFF WEARS BULLET PROOF VEST ON WAY TO COURT!
It is given that this man will be spending a very long time in prison and these days may be some of the very last days that he spends as a somewhat free person. A more fitting way to spend these days would be for him to spend them out of his penthouse apartment. For all the money he has stolen and for all the people he has defrauded he should be in a cell awaiting his trial and not in a penthouse apartment in NYC.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
What is wrong with the Yankees
From 1996 through 2000 the Yankees had a dynasty. In this era of free agents and larger than life contracts this is something that is very hard to come across. The only other team that you could arguably call a dynasty since the 1996 Yanks would be the New England Patriots 2001-2004 when they won three of four championships. To see what made these great Yankee teams you have to look at them position by position and how they all worked so well together.
Catcher- Jorge Posada- A homegrown prospect who always gives you his top effort. Never at the top of the line up but for a catcher he produced more than enough
First Base- Tino Martinez- Who would have thought that Mattingly's replacement would produce and mean as much to the team as Tino did. He always put the team before himself, a true winner.
Seccond Base- Chuck Knoblauch- It is too bad that he is most remembered by some for his later Yankee years where he could no longer make an accurate throw from second base to first.
Short Stop- Derek Jeter- The nucleus of these teams, he set an example on and off the field of what it takes to win ball games and be a Yankee
Third Base- Scott Brosius- He was a good player during the regular season but the post season was where he made his impact where he always came through with a clutch hit.
Left Field- Ricky Ledee/Chad Curtis- Never the stars of the team but they served their role
Center Field- Bernie Williams- He never batted cleanup but what Bernie did was extreamly valuable in the way he was always a timely hitter and a man who showed up for big games.
Right Field- Paul O'Neill - One of my favorite Yankees from the dynasty, one of the most intense competitors I have ever seen in any sport.
Pitching- I am not going to go through every pitcher that the Yankees had durring this run but, that is the beauty of it, the fact that they performed as a staff and worked together as a unit
Today the Yankees are a very different team. The gritty players who gave 110 percent every day (Tino, Bernie, O'Neill) are now gone. The biggest problem that the Yankees have right now is a player who goes against everything these dynasty teams stood for, his name is Alex Rodriguez. A Rod puts up some incredible numbers if you do not count the games where the Yankees are in need of his assistance. In the clutch spots where the dynasty Yankees played their best this is where A rod self destructs. The first year I gave him a pass because of the pressure associated with coming to play in NY but ever since then I see him as a prime example of why the team is not winning, the loss of the ability to play good baseball when it matters. That is exactly why the Red Sox have been so good in the past few seasons, they can play in the clutch when it counts.
The efforts that the Yankees took this off season are the works of a desperate General Manager who knows that if the Yankees do not make it out of the first round of the playoffs in the upcoming season that it will most likely cost him his job. Spending half a billion dollars this off season is not what the Yankees needed. I like the Tex signing but other than that it seems to me like a last ditch effort from the GM for anything to help him keep his job. I hope I am wrong and this group of players comes together and resembles one of the dynasty teams in this upcoming season (for some reason I just don't see that happening).
Catcher- Jorge Posada- A homegrown prospect who always gives you his top effort. Never at the top of the line up but for a catcher he produced more than enough
First Base- Tino Martinez- Who would have thought that Mattingly's replacement would produce and mean as much to the team as Tino did. He always put the team before himself, a true winner.
Seccond Base- Chuck Knoblauch- It is too bad that he is most remembered by some for his later Yankee years where he could no longer make an accurate throw from second base to first.
Short Stop- Derek Jeter- The nucleus of these teams, he set an example on and off the field of what it takes to win ball games and be a Yankee
Third Base- Scott Brosius- He was a good player during the regular season but the post season was where he made his impact where he always came through with a clutch hit.
Left Field- Ricky Ledee/Chad Curtis- Never the stars of the team but they served their role
Center Field- Bernie Williams- He never batted cleanup but what Bernie did was extreamly valuable in the way he was always a timely hitter and a man who showed up for big games.
Right Field- Paul O'Neill - One of my favorite Yankees from the dynasty, one of the most intense competitors I have ever seen in any sport.
Pitching- I am not going to go through every pitcher that the Yankees had durring this run but, that is the beauty of it, the fact that they performed as a staff and worked together as a unit
Today the Yankees are a very different team. The gritty players who gave 110 percent every day (Tino, Bernie, O'Neill) are now gone. The biggest problem that the Yankees have right now is a player who goes against everything these dynasty teams stood for, his name is Alex Rodriguez. A Rod puts up some incredible numbers if you do not count the games where the Yankees are in need of his assistance. In the clutch spots where the dynasty Yankees played their best this is where A rod self destructs. The first year I gave him a pass because of the pressure associated with coming to play in NY but ever since then I see him as a prime example of why the team is not winning, the loss of the ability to play good baseball when it matters. That is exactly why the Red Sox have been so good in the past few seasons, they can play in the clutch when it counts.
The efforts that the Yankees took this off season are the works of a desperate General Manager who knows that if the Yankees do not make it out of the first round of the playoffs in the upcoming season that it will most likely cost him his job. Spending half a billion dollars this off season is not what the Yankees needed. I like the Tex signing but other than that it seems to me like a last ditch effort from the GM for anything to help him keep his job. I hope I am wrong and this group of players comes together and resembles one of the dynasty teams in this upcoming season (for some reason I just don't see that happening).
Obama inauguration
We are only six days away from an amazing event in our country's history. As we approach January 20th it begins to sink in for me as to how huge it is that Barak Obama will become the next president of the United States. This does not have anything to do with his views or who you may have supported in the recent election, this is strictly on a historical level.
I hear people (who are old enough to remember) talk about JFK and how his young and energetic attitude changed the way people thought about the country and the way things function. With Obama I feel he contains the youth and enthusiasm that you would have found in a Kennedy. I understand that this event is going to be huge but just how huge is surprising to me as I have never seen an event cause this amount of preparation in a very long time.
I was tracking a package that was shipped to me today and on the FedEx web page it had a warning about how delays could be expected for packages heading towards the Washington DC area. It is beyond security reasons why these packages may be delayed in their shipment but rather because much of Washington DC and the surrounding area has been shut down due to the millions of tourists flooding the area.
People who live in the DC area have been cashing in on this opportunity by renting out their homes during the inauguration period to tourists unable to land a hotel room. This is not surprising as the expected five million people prepare to visit Washington DC. Even those without tickets for any of the events are going to Washington just to say that they were in the vicinity of the president elect during his inauguration. I guess this could be fun for people who enjoy being around large crowds.
One problem with the large crowds may be the number of bathrooms available as there are currently only 5000 port-a-potties prepared. Some people are already comparing this to a Woodstock type of situation where the lack of bathrooms caused a smelly situation.
Security will be extremely high for the event and that as well will be interesting to keep an eye on. This always interests me, the new and innovative ways that the government plans of protecting President Obama.
I am looking forward to seeing this inauguration and the situation that surrounds it. Almost as much as the speech itself it will be fun to see the way the city takes care of itself with the influx of tourists in the city.
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