Unit 4 - OBL Dead??

Yesterday was one of those days where you'll remember where you were when you heard the news. I was on the playground playing kick, back in 1986, when teachers started crying and explained to us that the space shuttle Challenger had just exploded. I woke up to my clock radio on Sept 11th, 2001 and remember the DJ saying that America was under attack and the second tower was about to collapse. Yesterday, we had family and friends over for a Sunday "kick back" and was out throwing the football in the front yard when a bunch of my neighbors came out celebrating. They gathered around us with wine in hand and everyone toasted. It was a surreal scene. 
     So a secret mission was launched last week to kill Osama bin Laden. They tracked one of his trusted couriers to the mansion where he was staying. A firefight ensued and Osama was shot through the eye and killed. His body was taken into custody by US forces and secretly buried at sea, out of respect for Islamic tradition. The body is conveniently made to disappear out of respect for Islamic customs and traditions? Huh?
     What?? I think the people deserve to see his body and everyone who lost someone either in the attacks of 911 or through the long War on Terrorism should get that closure. Sure this doesn't mean that we are still not at war but this is a major victory for us. It's like when families watch someone put to death on death row, they get the closure they need to move on with their lives. 
     Why did they put Saddam Hussein's sons on public display for a week to prove to the world they were really dead. This murderer has taken responsibility for many attacks on the United States and has gone on TV to threaten more attacks. I say Good Riddance!! I have many loved ones over seas fighting this War on Terrorism and I hope soon, they can come home be with family. 


Osama got the Korean animation treatment and I loved it!! 
*Warning* graphic and NSFW (not safe for work) 

iPad for Kids, good or bad?

We just took our son, Mateo, for his 16 month check up the other day and his pediatrician asked us if we were reading to him. We told her we are reading books and electronic books to him. "Electronic books?" she asked. We told her we bought him an iPad for Christmas. She started going into her spiel about how the American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend TV, videos, or electronics for children under the age of two but I cut her off. I explained that he has apps on it that are designed for toddler learning. She complained that we are still distracting him with graphics and animations when all he really needs is person to person interaction.

After leaving the hospital, I started doing some digging. Are we doing some bad parenting? I read a study done by the Kaiser Family Foundation on electronics and 1,000 kids aged zero to six years old. I wouldn't say I was shocked by any of the findings but I did learn something. 99% of these kids lived in a home with a TV, 73% had a computer in the house, 97% have listened to music, and 97% of these kids have some sort of product- clothes, toys, etc. based on TV or movie cartoon characters. About half of the kids are active computer users. Kids who are "heavy" TV watchers spend less time reading or playing outside than kids their age. A lot of parents commented that their kids have imitated many behaviors seen on TV. They did however say that the kids imitate more positive than negative behaviors (78% positive vs. 36% negative). Children under six are averaging around 2 hours per day watching TV or videos. Most parents felt that the educational videos and games were beneficial to their kids.

I think my wife and I are trying to be the best parents we can. We spend many hours with our son. We play, go on walks, we talk with him, we read to him and let him read to us, we spend many hours of person to person interaction, thank you! When the iPad first game out, I denounced it. I thought it was silly and we would never own one. We already had our iPhones and computers, why do we need something in between? Well, we ended up buying him one for a single reason; so we could put his movies on it. We have electronic copies of all the Disney movies and wanted a device we could store and play them for him while on long car rides. Only after having it did we find out all the neat and cool things it could teach him. There are apps that teach him the ABCs. There are apps that teach him colors and numbers. We always "learn" with him, to us, it is essentially the same as when we used to do flash cards with our parents. My folks had all types of flash cards for my siblings and I growing up. My parents would flash cards while we ate cereal in the mornings. This is just an electronic version of it right? We never let the electronics babysit him so we can do other things while he's distracted.
     We definitely want to keep an eye on his electronic use but I think they can be used as learning tools and can help him develop. A few of the things I gained from the study was to make sure we don't put a TV in his room, limit electronics only for teaching, and to keep him from watching programs where he could learn negative behaviors. We are going to raise our son and future kids the best way we can and I'm okay going against our pediatrician and the American Academy of Pediatrics on this one. I think there are so many good developers that are making great programs aimed at progressing kids and we will use them. We are blessed to be able to provide him things that we were not afforded as kids but we will not abuse these blessings. Our son still prefers to be active, read books, and go outside so we are very lucky.

Article on how apps help autistic children communicate.
http://thetimes-tribune.com/lifestyles-people/apps-may-help-autistic-kids-communicate-1.1139554

http://www.kff.org/entmedia/loader.cfm?url=/commonspot/security/getfile.cfm&PageID=22754

Sacramento Kings....The ship has sailed. Anaheim Royals BOOOO!!!

As I sit here waiting to watch what could be the last game ever in Sacramento, I just feel numb. It's happening so fast. I'll admit even though they haven't been relevant for a few years and I don't watch every game, they are still my team. When I lived in Oklahoma from 1981 to 1991, I didn't really have a favorite team. I watched a lot of basketball and Michael Jordan. When my dad was nearing his retirement  from the Air Force and mentioning to my family that he was contemplating moving us to Sacramento, he used the Kings as a selling point. "We can go to Kings games!" Well Dad, what now? Sacramento has one professional franchise and makes us a small first class city.

The first time I heard of the Kings intention to move to Anaheim was during All-Star weekend in February. All-Star weekend was suppose to be fun; there was the Slam Dunk Contest, 3-Point Contest, All Star games, and other festivities. It was a weird feeling hearing about it. Say it isn't so!! It kind of felt like being in a comfortable relationship and thinking everything was great then hearing from a friend that your girlfriend was telling people she was bored and interested in someone else. That's how I felt. I wasn't mad, I just felt an unsteady stress. After that weekend, it's been steady news on TV and radio.

Arco Arena is one of the oldest arenas in the NBA and it is the reason why the Maloofs want to move the team. As owners, they can simply make more money with a newer arena in Orange County. A newer arena would have better and more luxury suites which would attract more corporate sponsors. More corporate sponsors would also sweeten TV revenue. On the main sports radio station in Sacramento, KHTK states that the population of the OC to be three million people compared to one and a half million in the Sacramento Metro area. That's double the pool of people to advertise to even though you can only get about 18,000 fans in the building at a time. How could you be mad at the owners for wanting to make more money? Since the Maloofs bought the team in 1998, they have wanted to build a new arena in Sacramento. Our city leaders have sat on their hands, shot down every proposal, and pretty much dared the Maloofs to leave. Their argument was the Maloofs have millions of dollars and should build a new arena with their own money and without public funds. Why would they, when all the other NBA teams don't have to and there is about a dozen cities begging to host the Kings. When these city leaders terms' are up and they go on to live out their lives, I hope they realize that they changed the city of Sacramento forever by letting them leave. The impact is going to be bigger than just being able to watch NBA games in Sacramento.

I have taken my toddler son to Arco Arena to watch The Ringling Barnum Bailey Circus and Disney on Ice just in the last 9 months. These shows aren't coming to a Sacramento and into an old crickety building. American Idol, U2, Rolling Stones, Usher, Janet Jackson, and all the other big musical acts that sell out won't be stopping here anymore. Just last year, the NCAA said that Arco wasn't up to par to host the NCAA basketball tournament anymore. The economic impact to the hospitality industry here will be huge. Restaurants and hotels are going to feel the blow and some will undoubtedly shut down. Before we go to a Kings game or show, we always try to get in an early dinner around the arena. Sometimes after, we stop for ice cream or food if we couldn't eat before. Closing businesses means less jobs and what about all the employees who work for the Kings and at Arco. In hard times like this, letting them leave will just add to the unemployment line. The community will be weaker. The Maloofs and Sacramento Kings donate so much to the community. Building a new arena would create jobs. Big corporate companies might see the Kings and new arena as potentially a place to lay down some roots.

It's not a done deal yet but I heard at tonight's game all the shops selling Kings merchandise are 50% off.
It wasn't that long ago that the Kings were the darlings of the NBA and more than half the games were on national TV. Forty five minutes till game time now and I hope when the Maloofs see the passionate and loyal Sacramento fans going nuts for their team, they decide to give us just a little more time.

Works Cited

Gonzalez, Antonio. "Mayor to plead Sacramento's case to keep Kings." Timesleader.com. 7 April, 2011. 13 April, 2011. <http://www.timesleader.com/news/ap?articleID=6596567>

PEDS cheating? response.

maynardccc said...

The question was not if its “legal or cheating”, is it ethical and NO its not. The Lasik comparison is clever but very inaccurate and uneven. Lasik correct an impairment that would otherwise been corrected by glasses or contacts. Lasik allows people to see the playing field, court, or rink in the same 20/20 vision. You can’t make that argument with steroids and if you can you are just blind and have zero sportsmanship. The taking protein and other supplement is also a flawed statement. So if your child was in high school and said dad/mom can I start taking protein and other supplements, you would look at your kid and say hell no let’s get the roids. There not safe and not fare for any competitive sports. Its against the rules is the bottom line of the ethical question whether or not you believe it’s the same as supplements or not. Reggie Bush had to give back his Heisman and vacate win because he took money from a booster. That was unethical. The games we love have rule and they must be followed to protect the integrity of the game and to set the example for our children.

April 11, 2011 9:45 AM 

iericks said...

In response to Maynardccc-

Like said in my blog, I maybe biased because I am a Giants fan. I do not condone any drugs that could potentially do harm to one's body. I would not let my child ever take any steroids. I will however state a case for PEDS with you just to play. What makes Steroids or HGH different than any other medical advancement?

My simple argument was, are PEDS really cheating if everyone is doing them and to a certain extent, should using today's science progressions be considered cheating? So Bonds took steroids and so did Roger Clemens. Bonds hit some balls on Clemens and Clemens struck him out a few times. If they were both cheating does that now make is fair? Who got the unfair advantage?

I'm not sure of the stats but do I do recall that when the Mitchell Report came out, there was a staggering amount of players on the list. I also remember when players who were on the list were asked about it, a majority of them claimed to be on PEDS/HGH to heal from an injury. Does that make it a medical advancement? If you take something to heal faster, is that cheating? We have surgeries today that prolong careers was wasn't around 20-40 years ago. The Tommy John surgery requires taking ankle tendons and putting them into shoulders. 16 years ago when I first got into Radiology, I had never heard of the procedure, now it's fairly common for average people who want to continue playing golf, tennis, softball, etc.. How does this tie into PEDS? Well, many of these professional athletes say they can't get over an injury or they want to "prolong" their careers so they "juice up." Different to you and me but to them, same logic, it's a medical advancement.

Steroids are bad right? That doesn't stop doctors from prescribing it for tumors, rashes, and all the way to cancer. In my hospital, I have a friend who is a muscle researcher and he basically told me that steroids are hormones. When used in large amounts they are very dangerous and bad. So why not control it? If a baseball player has a doctor who says it's okay for them to use, is it still cheating?

Have you watched the movie Food Inc? The food we eat today is filled with steroids, hormones, and chemicals. I bet the grocery store today has some unfair advantages to the grocery stores from the 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s. Athletes back then were way smaller and not nearly as fast as the modern athlete. Look at pictures of NFL linemen from the 60s vs today's NFL players. We have running backs and even quarterbacks that would dwarf a 60's linemen. These kids are coming out of high school like this. The food we eat is steroids!

Okay so even if everyone is on steroids. Performance enhancing drugs doesn't give a person athletic ability. These drugs are not an easy way out. Hard work and effort still need to be put in to be successful, even when on performance enhancing drugs.

Finally, as in my initial blog, these are professional athletes who get paid millions of dollars to entertain us. If they want to harm their bodies by taking un-safe amounts of drugs, that's on them. I can't find the ESPN article but a few weeks ago I was listening to the Brian Kenny Show on ESPN radio and he said the average life span of an NFL player was 55 years old. It was attributed to the weight gains, food, and body collisions they endure every season. They along with boxers, wrestlers, MMA fighters put their lives in danger to entertain us. If they are willing to earn millions of dollars and put their lives on the line by getting hit in the head or taking PEDS, that's up to them.

As a consumer, I want to see the home runs, I want to see basketball players jump higher and faster, I want to see violent collisions on the NFL field, I want to see freaks. It has nothing to do with being blind or having zero sportsmanship. In the end, everything can be seen as cheating.

Response to http://bradshawinlasvegas.blogspot.com/2011/03/profiling.html

    I just read Brad Shaw's blog on profiling. I have to say I agree with him. I am an asian american male. I was born in the Philippines, moved to the U.S. at 4 years old and my father retired after 20 years in the Air Force. I enlisted into the Air Force right after high school. Needless to say, I am an American. I too, have no problem getting to the airport early. There are some things that seem downright silly though. Having to take your shoes off and the liquid restrictions are taking it a bit too far. I have a 15 month toddler and it's just a pain trying to remember what you can bring and what you can't. I understand terrorists come in all shapes, sizes, and color but yes, the senior citizens and moms carrying their babies are not going to be terrorists. I don't feel disrespected or offended if I get picked for a random search. I don't throw a fit and yell out that I was in the United States Air Force and I served my country (although it was just taking x-rays). I know there is no real way to be fair but profiling is part of the business when it coming to protecting ourselves. Unfortunately, most of the known terrorists are coming from the Middle East so it's natural for me to be kind of afraid if a middle eastern man is on my plane alone. I hate that I just wrote that but it is what's on the news, in the media. I'm naturally reacting to my environment. In the end, I have no problem with airport profiling, even if I get picked for "random" searches.... every time I fly.

Sports PED cheating?

     It's opening day for the World Champion, San Francisco Giants, and I couldn't be more excited to get this new season under way. As a fan, "we" are favored to make it all the way back to the World Series but we are suppose to lose to the Boston RedSocks. I'll take having a shot in the World Series anytime! Besides opening day, Barry Bonds is in court for perjury. He is accused of lying about taking PEDs or performance enhancing drugs. I understand being in court for lying but the real question I have is; are they really spending all this time and money over PEDs in a sport, a child's game, Baseball?

     Of course, I could be biased because I am a huge Giants fan and a Barry Bonds fan. He was on my team. He hit 73 home runs in 2001, the year of the 9-11 events. He captivated the entire country with his quest to top Mark McGuire's home run record. When so many people were in a dazed and confused state due to the attacks, Barry was chasing a record and redirecting those fears to the game of baseball. I remember watching the news, it was full of "terrorists" and "preparing for war" stories. The attention of Barry chasing the record was a break from the fear and sadness that was on every TV station. 

     So my question is, are today's PEDs in really cheating? I listen to sports radio on my commute to and from work every day. This topic has been brought up countless times over the years. Many fans, former players, and so called specialists have come out and voiced their opinions. People have cheated in sports from the beginning of time but I don't know if I'd call PEDs cheating. What is cheating to me? Pitchers in baseball have been caught putting different types of things (tar, vaseline, grease, sweat) on the baseball to give them an advantage.  Batter's have corked bats so the ball pops off the bat when hit. Runner's have cut corners or snuck in during the middle of the race. People have lied about their age to gain an unfair advantage over their opponents. Those are examples to me of cheating. You are doing something or using something physically that gives you an unfair advantage.

     Foddy and Savulescu (2007) discuss the benefits of PEDs such as it aids in recovery, increases strength, increases eye sight, just to name a few. So why is that cheating? There are many "legal" supplements designed to do all those same things for an athlete. Why aren't those considered cheating? Does getting Lasik Eye Surgery make you a cheater? If you weren't blessed with 20/20 vision and you get your eyes worked on, wouldn't that be cheating? Does taking protein shakes, designed to give you maximum protein in an easy to drink shake make you a cheater. It sure is cheaper than ordering mounds of steaks and chicken. You need protein to build muscle. What about caffeine, it has been proven to improve alertness and concentration and improves time to exhaustion? Over the years, I have heard doctor's call into the radio station claiming that PEDs and Human Growth Hormones (HGH) are the future of the medicine and health. These drugs that only rich athletes can afford now will become standard "supplements" that will enhance and prolong the lives of the average joe. So how can you cheat when you are taking something that will be considered normal in the future? 

Keith Burgess-Jackson, JD, PhD, Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of Texas at Arlington, wrote the following in a Dec. 5, 2004 article titled "Performance-Enhancing Drugs," posted on his website www.analphilosopher.com:

"Part of me--the libertarian part--says that people should be able to use whatever substances they want when they compete. Those who don't want to risk their lives or health should take up another line of work. People who don't want to watch supercharged athletes can find another form of entertainment."

     Baseball is a form of entertainment. Movies are also a form of entertainment. Are we going to take all these actors to court because they lied to us. They used a body double for stunts. They didn't really fly or dodge real bullets. No we are not. There have been so many athletes who have been caught taking PEDs, we don't know who is so-called clean or who's not. At the end of the day, we are really trying to imprison a man who was an entertainer, who played a children's sport, and an athlete who's feats gave us  a break from everyday life.    

Works Cited 

Foddy, Bennett & Savulescu, Julian. "Ethics of Performance Enhancement in Sport: Drugs and Gene Doping." N.p. 2007. Web. March 31 2011. <http://www.practicalethics.ox.ac.uk/Staff/Director%20Julian%20Savulescu/Publications/BC_Healthcare/Spirit_of_Sport.pdf>

Sports and Drugs. N.p. 2010 Web. April 1 2011. <http://sportsanddrugs.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=1200>

Gas headaches

Today Alan Silverleib of CNN reported on President Obama's plan to cut oil imports.

Silverleib highlights the following:


The president proposal says we will focus on domestic production, conservation, and shift to biofuels and natural gas. 


The president also announced he will direct all federal government vehicles be hybrid, electric, or alternative fuel cars by 2015.


He will reveal higher fuel standards for cars and heavy duty trucks. 


     As an owner of a large gas guzzling SUV, lately it has been very painful stopping at any gas station to refuel. The price of gas is absurd. My wife and I feel like we are stuck between a rock and a hard place. On one hand, we drive a big SUV for protection, storage room, and comfort. With a toddler in the house, we feel a sense of safety traveling with him in the SUV. It is roomy and there's plenty of space to carry all the things a toddler requires. On the other, we recycle everything we can and care so much about our environment. Our other cars are fuel efficient and economical. So what do we do? Are we setting a bad example? We have a lot to think about. 
     I may not agree with President Obama on a lot of his other policies but this one is something I support. For one, my family cannot afford to pay these gas prices. With turmoil and instability in the middle east, it seems we are at the mercy of those events. As a country we "cannot afford to bet our long-term prosperity and security on a resource that will eventually run out. " Obama told an audience at  Georgetown University. He warned America "will keep on being a victim to shifts in the oil market until we get serious about a long term policy for secure, affordable energy. "
      I am worried about long term effects of burning fossil fuels. Will we leave my kids and future grandkids a healthy planet?  Burning fossil fuels is responsible for environmental issues; greenhouse gas, air pollution, water pollution, damage to ozone levels.
     With the president's proposals, he touches on points that my wife and I talk about all the time. How can we afford to keep paying these gas prices? Should we get rid of the SUV because we refuse to pay the high gas prices and because it is not environment friendly? We may not have to make a choice. We may get to drive a SUV that provides safety, comfort and storage room all the while being fueled by an alternative fuel. 

Works Cited

Silverleib, Alan. 2011, Mar 30. Obama Rolls Out Plan to Cut Oil Imports. Cnn.com. Retireved on March 30, 2011, from http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/03/30/obama.energy/index.html?hpt=T1#