Should the NFL be Held Accountable for CTE?

As many of you have probably heard, future NFL Hall of Fame linebacker Junior Seau committed suicide this past Wednesday.  Seau had an illustrious football career and was loved by many fans, friends, and family.  This is what makes his passing such a tragedy.  One wouldn't expect Seau to take his own life, but another incident with many similarities took place a little over a year ago which has led to speculation that the reason Seau did this was because he was suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE).  On February 17, 2011, NFL defensive back Dave Duerson took his life.  The similarity to his case and Seau's is that he also shot himself in the chest.  Duerson specifically asked for his brain to be donated to science so that studies could be done on the effects of CTE.  Although there have not been any found requests from Seau to make this same type of donation, many believe that it was his intention based on the fact that he did not shoot himself in the head.  CTE is caused by repeated trauma to the head and leads to many problems such as depression and dementia.  The link between repeated concussions on the football field to the lifelong effects of CTE were not connected until recent years.  Many studies have been done on this issue and even though the NFL initially denied this link, since evidence has proven it, the NFL has accepted its responsibilities of educating and protecting its players.  According to an article on espn.com, more than 1500 players have sued the NFL regarding this issue and there is a pending lawsuit involving over 100 former players going on right now.  Another article written by George Shunick goes as far as to say the NFL is completely to blame for CTE.  He acknowledges that CTE is caused by repeated head trauma over long periods of time and also acknowledges that the only way to avoid it is by not playing football.  But he continues to attempt to downplay the changes the NFL has implemented to protect its players and the amount of money these players receive for playing a game they choose to play and LOVE to play.  How can you blame the NFL when these players are the ones making the decision to take the risks?  Gene Frenette writes about a player named Tom McManus who has been repeatedly asked to sue the NFL for possible compensation for being exposed to severe head trauma while playing football, however, McManus refuses to blame the NFL for his condition.  McManus has admitted that he suffered concussions while playing football in high school and college, but he made the decision to continue playing football for the NFL.  It has been proven that CTE is caused over "long periods of time".  Who is to say what exact moment in a players' life led to the disease.  It could have developed from several hard hits in a high school football career, it doesn't only happen to NFL players.  I am very saddened at the sudden loss of one of the best defensive football players in recent history, but what is even more sad is the way that lawyers and the media are hovering over the NFL like vultures using Junior Seau's death as a chance to extort millions of dollars.  These players knew what they were getting into when they chose to suit up and play the game.  They played the game at the level they did because they loved what they did and they were good at it.  They were also more than fairly compensated for their playing time.  It is absurd to blame the NFL for injuries that players sustained especially when year after year they add new rules to protect the players.  People love this game and it is not going anywhere, so when someone makes the decision to play, they should be well aware of all of the risks. 

The Boys of Summer are Back in Business

This week my son's little league team kicked off their season by playing their first two games.  My son just recently turned eight and this is his third season playing baseball.  Due to the weather, his team only had the opportunity to practice two times before starting their games.  They were a little rough around the edges to say the least, so the coaches and parents were a little worried about how they would perform come game time.  In their first game they fell behind early by a score of 4 to 1.  The games are only five innings long so they didn't have much time to catch up.  During innings 2 through 5, they played much better defense and only gave up one more run, making it 5 to 1 going into the bottom of the final inning.  During this defensive display my son made two great infield plays to get a couple of critical outs.  Defense was the focus of our practices together in the off season so I was very proud to see him execute so well during game time.  As far as offense goes, his entire team struggled throughout the first four innings.  My son got a single his first at bat, but he struck out his second time up.  All of a sudden when the game appeared to be lost, his team started swinging the bats superbly.  They tied the game up at 5 to 5 with only one out in the bottom of the fifth.  With runners at first and third, my son stepped into the batter's box.  I was nervous because we hadn't worked on his hitting as much I would have liked to during the off season plus he had struck out his last time at the plate.  After missing the first two pitches, he drilled a grounder towards short and it made it through to the outfield.  The runner from third scored and the game was won with a walk off RBI single hit by my son.  It was amazing to see his excitement when his team came running from the dugout to celebrate and to congratulate him on his game winning hit.  This confidence building experience completely elevated his entire team.  In their second game they completely crushed the other team by a score of 14 to 5 (they gave up 4 of the 5 runs in the final inning).  It was a complete blowout.  Everyone was hitting well, everyone was making great defensive plays, and they all worked together as a team to out play their opponents.  I grew up loving baseball and it has been so much fun seeing my son take on the same love of the game that I have.  I am looking forward to the rest of the season and possibly signing up for a few private tournaments after the little league season is over.

The Cabin Project

     I have spent my last few weekends working with my father to erect a man cave of fabulous proportions.  He bought a large lot of land about 20 miles south of Joplin three years ago.  Two years ago he put in a pond and stocked it with fish.  After spending the last year planning, designing, and purchasing materials for a two story cabin, we have finally started putting the plan into motion.  I do not have much experience with these kinds of things, so this experience has been very educational for me.  The best thing is we have only just begun.  We started off by running the plumbing lines and laying the foundation.  We had some help from some pros who stamped and stained the concrete for us.  The finished slab was absolutely gorgeous.  The interior floor looks like tile and the exterior porches were stamped with a design that looks like rustic wooden boards.  It really is amazing.  After we let the stain completely dry, we started with the framing.  We had to work through some design miscalculations along with some other minor complications, but after two full days of work, we have all four walls completed.  This weekend we will be finishing up the framework by completing the roof, after that we will be installing the windows and doors, and also adding the stone siding to the walls.  We haven't gone into much detail on the interior just yet, but based on what I've seen so far, my dad is planning on taking this thing all the way.  I am very excited about this project because we should have it finished by the end of June.  The pond is only 20 feet from the front porch of the cabin so we can expect to get a lot of fishing done this summer.  This cabin will be a great home away from home for both of us and we will be able to take my kids out there on a regular basis as well.  I'm taking the summer off from classes so I will have even more time to enjoy, what I hope to be a real masterpiece.

Will Kony 2012 Help Anyone?

     What is being called the most viral video of all time, the short film "Kony 2012", produced by the nonprofit group Invisible Children, calls to bring justice to Ugandan militant Joseph Kony.  Kony is known for leading the Lord's Resistance Army in Northern Uganda and is notorious for abducting and brainwashing young children and turning them into murderous soldiers for his rebel army.  He is responsible for tens of thousands of deaths, but has never been held accountable for these actions.  The campaign proposed by Invisible Children encourages groups like these found in Massachusetts in this article on telegram.com to flood the world with knowledge of Kony and the crimes he has committed by "covering the night in red" with flyers, posters, and any other means to spread the word of their mission.  Although their cause is intended to bring a homicidal abuser of children to justice, it is receiving very much criticism globally.  Many believe that the issues in Northern Uganda have been completely oversimplified.  The conflict has been going on there for nearly 30 years.  Another criticism that Invisible Children has received is that they have offered very little help to victims of this conflict and have only misrepresented these victims through their videos and speeches.  The most substantial argument against this movement is that they are asking for military action against the LRA which would bring even more violence to the region and would result in many deaths of kidnapped victims.  In this article on The Guardian's website, Victor Ochen, the founder and director of the African Youth Initiative Network, claims that "the people who have suffered at the hands of Kony don't want to promote him or make him famous.  They want to rebuild their lives."  He points out Invisible Children's ignorance to the conflict by asking "Why April 20th?  Don't they know or care that this is the anniversary of one of the worst LRA massacres, when over 300 people were killed at Atiak in 2005?"  One of the biggest eye-opening statements made by Ochen, whose brother was kidnapped in 2003 by the LRA, is "many of the LRA are our abducted family members-a military offensive will kill lots of innocent people."  Many other Ugandans agree with Ochen.  The website, ugandaspeaks.com, a site designed by local journalists, goes on to say that Kony's power has greatly declined and giving him this kind of global fame has only motivated him to do more harm.  The site has many testimonials that continue with the theme that Invisible Children has done nothing to help the Ugandan people and that Kony is the least of their problems.  The children of Northern Uganda face more serious issues like the nodding disease, poverty, and starvation.  When "Cover the Night" is over, will this trendy video have helped anyone in Uganda?  I seriously doubt it.  I enjoy seeing the vast technological improvements we have made in global communication, but this issue will not, and cannot be resolved by hanging up flyers in Worcester, MA.  This country has been war torn for far too long and is in desperate need of a complete overhaul.  This will not come overnight by talking about it, it will take many, many years of hard work.

U.S. Threatens Sanctions on European Union

Earlier this week I read about a new threat of sanctions issued by the United States to the World Trade Organization that could potentially eliminate between $7 billion to $10 billion worth of trade.  The issue arose after the U.S. learned that illegal funding of airline manufacturer Airbus was being granted by European nations.  The block of funding to Airbus was the result of a 2004 ruling by the WTO due to the conflicting production of Boeing aircraft in the U.S.  Since this block went into effect, it is claimed that the EU has provided Airbus with over $18 billion in funding.  I respect the fight that the U.S. government is putting up to help create more manufacturing in our country, but I also think that it is unfair to prevent competition in the free, global market.  Our capitalist economy is founded on this type of competition so I find it odd that our government is taking this case so far.  Even though there will not be any decision made on this issue for at least a year, this move by the U.S. must definitely have EU nations questioning their relationship with the U.S.  When the WTO places these kinds of rules in place, it is understandable that they should be enforced, but my concern is that our government is risking the relationships of many of its strongest allies over a battle that even if won, might not justify the risks.

UK Tries to Gain Access to all Private Conversations

In next month's Queen's Speech, the British will announce plans to permit authorities the ability to monitor every phone call, email, social network comment, or any other form of electronic communication made within their country.  Currently this information is only attainable through a court order and can be used to help convict criminals if there is just cause.  If this new policy were to be approved, then everybody's privacy will be jeopardized, not just criminals.  According to this article on foxnews.com, Prime Minister David Cameron claims that with the modern technological changes in communication, the country must develop new strategies and methods of tracking down criminals and bringing them to justice.  This proposal would only target those known to have been involved in criminal activity.  Only general information will be traceable, such as phone numbers used in a conversation, who sent who an email, or how long phone calls were carried on.  According to the government, no content of calls or messages would be monitored without a court order.  The thing about this is as soon as they have the power and ability to track this information, what will stop them from doing so?  How easy is it to deem someone to be a criminal or to be affiliated with some sort of criminal activity.  This makes it nearly impossible for any citizen to feel comfortable when using these forms of communication.  In this article I read on google, UK Home Secretary Theresa May said that "ordinary people" had nothing to fear when it comes to this potential legislation, but critics have been quick to point out that anyone can be accused of having some kind of connection to criminal activity and their personal lives will then be easily scrutinized by the authorities.  In another article on abcnews.com, a Home Office spokesman claims that "It's not about the content.  It's vital that police and intelligence services are able to obtain communications data in certain circumstances to investigate serious crime and terrorism and to protect the public".  But along with so many other British lawmakers, conservative David Davis states that "this is not focusing on terrorists or criminals, it is absolutely everybody".  The thought of our government getting handed the right to eavesdrop on every single conversation we have is frightening.  If this legislation goes through in the U.K. then I would not be surprised to see people in Washington trying to push for the same kind of control.  It will be interesting to see how this unfolds over the next couple of months, but based on the quick opposition, I do not expect this law will be placed into effect any time soon.

How Big is the Racism Wave?

     I've been reading about this shooting in Pasadena, CA involving multiple police officers and a young black man.  In an attempt to draw attention and blame from the local police department, charges have been brought against the man who made a 911 call to inform the authorities of a robbery.  The VICTIM of the robbery claimed that he was robbed at gunpoint.  This triggered the local police to be on high alert as they sought the perpetrators.  As local law enforcement officials pursued the suspects of this ROBBERY, they attempted to stop the suspects in an alley, however, the suspects continued to flee and disregarded the warnings the law enforcement officials gave them.  After cornering the suspects and continuously warning them to halt, one of the suspects reached toward his mid-section triggering an offensive attack from the authorities.  Unfortunately a young man died.  With the recent outrage of the shooting death of a Florida youth, this occurrence is also being regarded as another racial profiling issue, however, this story is much different.  The young man who was shot to death in Florida committed no crime.  He was simply minding his own business on his way home from a trip to the convenient store.  He was confronted (and most likely attacked) by a rogue security watch captain and inexplicably shot to his death.  The young man in Pasadena was a party to a ROBBERY.  He stole another person's belongings and fled.  The police were notified.  Yes, it has come to light that the VICTIM of the ROBBERY exaggerated the situation by saying that the robbers had a gun, but even after attempting to peacefully acquire the assailants, they chose to flee.  Even when these thieves were completely cornered and had no where to turn, they did not give up on their beliefs that they could evade the police.  When one of the young men reached towards his waste line, the officers felt the need to imply force.  Multiple shots were fired from two different police officers, resulting in the death of a young black man.  This was, by no means, a racial profiling problem.  This was a matter of THIEVES trying to escape JUSTICE.  The sad thing is, if they had gone peacefully, no one would have gotten hurt.  The lack of respect for authority in this situation led to the death of a young man.  His actions speak a thousand times louder than words.  You do not steal from others.  You do not run from the police.  You do not attempt to pull something from your waste line when you are being pursued by police.  When authorities are chasing you and warning you to FREEZE, you should freeze.  Owing up to the robbery of a backpack would have been severely less consequential then the outcome of this tragedy, but by no means was this young man's life lost due to negligence or "racial profiling".  This young man reaped what he sowed by stealing and attempting to flee from the authorities. 

Are "Common Core" Standards Good for Our Kids?

     I have been recently made aware of the fact that my daughter, who is currently in kindergarten, is part of the first class of students within the Joplin R-VIII School District to start learning Math and English based upon the newly found Common Core program.  This program was designed by 48 states of the U.S. as a measuring guide to determine the educational success of each states' students.  It is equally appealing and exciting to find out that the nation has come together to create a universal set of educational goals and my child is part of the first class that will be raised on these ideals.  According to this article on national review, the new standards surpass English expectations of 37 states and Math standards of 39 states.  Students will be veered from old standards that created an environment of memorization and regurgitation of information and steered into an environment of complete understanding of vital skills that will contribute to a more successful life.  Even though this program has had minimal opposition, there are always those in doubt.  The funny thing is, the people in defiance of this extremely innovative way of educating our children, are those who feel intimidated by it.  Based on this article on truthinamericaneducation.com, a teacher in California is concerned about the measurement of success of teachers based on former testing guidelines.  He goes on about how he has prepared his students for state testing and his job performance is also measured by the students' performance on these tests.  He is concerned about the funding of this new format and how it will translate into his job.  I find this extremely selfish!  I thought that educators were supposed to put the children's needs above their own.  This new format will expose poor teaching habits and get rid of teachers who are not competent in teaching our children skills they will need to develop into successful adults.  According to the New York Times, the state with the highest regard for education (which is Massachusetts) is on board with this program because it will propel our kids into greater lifetime success.  Along with the 48 states that developed and adopted this program, I believe it will create a better society.  Children will be able to comprehend concepts they were previously forced to "breeze" through.  They will need to comprehend many comprehensive and mathematical situations that they were able to avoid in the past.  This will not only improve our general educational standards, but it will also begin to take an effect on higher learning as well.  The kids that excel within the new Common Core format will be able to move through the educational process more quickly and begin building careers that will have massive intangible impacts on our communities as a whole.
    

Slain Florida Teen's Parents Seek Justice

     On February 26th, a Florida teenager named Trayvon Martin was confronted and then shot by a neighborhood watch captain named George Zimmerman.  The teen, an African-American, was on his way home from a trip to the store when Zimmerman, who was on watch in the neighborhood that night, saw him and deemed him "suspicious".  After contacting the local authorities to notify them of the suspicious person, the police told Zimmerman to stop following the suspect.  Zimmerman did not follow this course of action.  Instead, he confronted the teen.  According to multiple 911 calls that were released for the first time this weekend, Trayvon can be heard screaming for help and then a single gunshot can be heard.  By the time the police arrived on the seen, Trayvon was dead.  Zimmerman claimed that he was being attacked by the teenager and shot him in self defense.  A story that local police have stood behind when trying to explain why Zimmerman has not been arrested.  However, the child was unarmed.  All he had on him was a bag of skittles and an iced tea.  Because of the outrage of Trayvon's family, this story is getting a lot more national public attention.  This new attention is also what prompted the release of the 911 tapes.  Even though it would appear that this shooting was not an act of self-defense, Zimmerman has not been charged with any crime.  The local authorities have made statements at press conferences claiming that an arrest of Zimmerman would result in a lawsuit.  After hearing the 911 tapes, many conversations of lawsuits are coming up.  Some anticipate Trayvon's family to sue the police department, the homeowners' association responsible for the neighborhood watch, and possibly even the city or state.  Many believe that this shooting was the result of racial profiling on the part of Zimmerman and believe the shooting should be considered a hate crime worthy of 2nd degree murder charges.  At the very least I would think that there is enough evidence to charge Zimmerman with wrongful death or possibly manslaughter.  It is very odd that no charges have been filed and Zimmerman is still free.  The only thing that I could think of after listening to several of the 911 conversations is that, even though you can hear Trayvon yelling for help, it is unclear what was going on.  It is also unclear what Trayvon did immediately leading up to the single gunshot that took his life.  Even though these questions are unanswerable from the tapes and witness testimonies, it is clear that Zimmerman was advised not to pursue the boy by the police, but he chose to confront him anyways.  It is also clear that Trayvon had not committed any crime.  He was simply going home after picking up a snack.  It is also clear that the boy was unarmed, which leads me to think that this shooting was definitely not in self defense.  Zimmerman was the one who confronted Martin, not the other way around.  It was then Zimmerman who fired a shot.  This sounds like straight up aggression, not self defense.  With the attention this story is getting, I am hoping that Zimmerman will be behind bars soon.

Well, It Didn't Take Long

     Today I read about the newly mentioned plans of North Korea to launch a missile into space on bloomberg.  The North Koreans are claiming to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of their nation by launching a new satellite into orbit.  Only a few weeks ago, North Korea agreed to halt any long-range missile tests, among other agreements, in exchange for a large, much needed food donation from the United States.  The North claims that this launch is completely harmless, however, it is eerily similar to the launch they performed in 2009.  This launch was also supposed to propel a satellite into orbit, but after inspections made by the U.S. and Japan, no satellites were ever released.  The United Nations deemed this act as a long-range missile test and it ultimately led to the end of the six-nation nuclear disarmament act.  Due to the questionable state of North Korea's government and the fact that they possess the technology and resources to manufacture atomic bombs, many believe that this launch announcement will completely halt the food-aid deal between North Korea and the U.S.  According to an article on usatoday.com, State Department spokesperson, Victoria Nuland claimed that the U.S. has "grave concerns" about this launch.  She went on to say, "we made clear unequivocally that we considered that any satellite launch would be a deal-breaker."  These remarks make it clear that this announcement is being highly scrutinized by our government.  The U.S. is not the only country concerned with this announcement.  Japan and Russia have also come on board in an attempt to negotiate with North Korea and prevent a "deal-breaker" from taking place.  These countries have continued to state that they are concerned with instability within their region of the globe and they will not tolerate this kind of defiance.  They have also claimed that if North Korea follows through with this launch, they will consider it a violation of UN regulation.  The thing that is so peculiar about this is that none of the before mentioned nations know what is on that rocket.  It is very difficult for me to comprehend that the United States, Russia, and Japan have the authority to tell a nation that they cannot take advantage of satellite technology.  Imagine if China had told the U.S. that if they put a man on the moon in 1969 they would put sanctions on all imports from China to the U.S.  It is not our place to restrict the advancement of other countries.  Another thing to consider is the motives of North Korea.  The U.S. continues to keep tens of thousands of military troops on location in South Korea ever since the conflict we had there in the '50's.  We also have ships carrying nuclear weapons lurking around the North Pacific with the ability to completely annihilate the North Koreans.  Why wouldn't they try to keep up with us?  Why would they bow down to us?  They won't!  We never defeated them in the '50's, and as long as they can continue to advance their nuclear technology, along with their other military strengths, they will never have a reason to think they are doing anything wrong.  This writer on the washingtonpost.com agrees that in order to turn this relationship around we need to give the North Koreans the freedom they deserve while providing them with assistance we can afford.  In the event that this launch is proven to be anything other than a satellite launch, then we should be hasty, but for now, we should be building a relationship of trust so that we can globally move on without worry of a nuclear apocalypse.  

THE FLU!!!!!!!!!!

     I decided to write my second post for this week as a gripefest about the flu!  I came down with the virus two Mondays ago.  I had a high fever, chills, aches and pains, and even a fun time vomiting.  This condition kept me out of commission for the better part of three days.  I had to go into work for at least a couple of hours on Monday and Tuesday, but I didn't leave my bedroom from Tuesday afternoon until Thursday morning.  I did my best to try to keep the virus from spreading to my wife and children.  I slept on a different bed, I washed the sheets, pillows, and blankets, and I even disinfected everything I could have possibly touched while I was sick.  Unfortunately my efforts were unsuccessful.  My seven year old son woke up last Monday morning with a fever of 102.  I kept him home from school and did my best to try to nurse him back to a healthy level.  His temperature fluctuated throughout the day and then peaked at 103 at seven o' clock that night.  Shortly after that, the vomiting started.  Poor guy didn't know what hit him.  Needless to say, I kept him home for two more days.  I kept him quarantined from the rest of the family and I, once again, did my best to prevent the spreading of germs in an attempt to protect my wife and my daughter.  By Wednesday afternoon his fever was gone and he was back to being himself.  I thought it would be perfectly fine to send him back to school on Thursday morning.  At 12:30, the school nurse called me to tell me that he had been complaining of a sore chest and had a pretty bad cough.  The good news was that he still didn't have a fever.  I went ahead and picked him up from school so that he could get some more rest.  That night he was fine.  The next morning, he had no fever.  I went ahead and sent him on his way to school.  At 2 o'clock, I got another phone call from the school nurse.  This time it wasn't the cough, his fever was back in full force.  I called my mother and asked her if she could pick my daughter up at school while I took him to the hospital.  By this point I thought he might have something worse than the flu, like pneumonia.  After spending three hours at the hospital, I was told that it was just the flu and that I prematurely sent him back to school which caused the symptoms to come back.  Although this was somewhat of a relief to hear, I could have taken care of it by doing what I had been doing from the beginning.  Ready to get home and take care of my boy, I check my voicemail.  My mother had called several times while I was at the hospital, but I didn't want to interrupt the conversation I was having with the nurses and the doctor.  As I'm almost home, I get the dreaded news; my five year old daughter had a fever of 102 and had contracted the FLU!!!!!!!

Will the $25 Billion Mortgage Settlement Help Homeowners?

     I was reading about this issue on google and found it very interesting.  The five major home lenders in the U.S. have been forced to pay a combined total of $25 billion in fines for failing to properly process home loan modification applications.  Being from California, I witnessed this ordeal first hand.  My in-laws as well as several friends and family were promised that their loan modification applications would be approved and that they didn't need to worry about making payments.  Several months later they were all forced out of their homes with thirty days to vacate.  Now, three years later, the government is stepping in and trying to do something about it.  According to this article on huffingtonpost.com, up to one million homeowners will benefit from this settlement through the actions of lowering payments, reducing principal balances on loans and offering unemployment forgiveness.  This sounds great, but this article on cbs.com points out the fact that over eleven million homeowners are currently underwater on their mortgages which means that, even at its best, this settlement won't even help 10% of these Americans.  Another issue that was mentioned by CBS is that there are many restrictions on what loans can will be eligible for benefits under this settlement.  For example, loans owned by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac do not qualify.  These loans consist of nearly a third of all mortgages that are currently upside down.  Only loans owned by the five major banks qualify, so if you don't have a loan through them you will not be getting any help.  Based on these restrictions, an economist from the Brookings Institution has estimated that no more than 500,000 borrowers will receive assistance.  This is less than five percent of homeowners who are in trouble.  Not to mention this does not include any of those who have already been forced from their homes due to the negligence of these profiteering, scandalizing banks.  Even though it seems as though this settlement will not help as many people as originally intended, there are still many people who are enthusiastic that it will help.  According to the Detroit Free Press, HUD secretary Shaun Donovan is excited about the settlement is positive that the minimum, one million homeowners will benefit.  Donovan has been very critical of the banks and has stated that this settlement will not only require the banks to "act" like they are helping borrowers, but it will penalize them for not showing results.  In the end, I do expect to see some assistance to homeowners through this settlement, but after seeing the number of people who have already been forced from their homes due to negligent foreclosures, I think that this administration already let the majority of people they could have helped down.  It is a little too late to start holding these financial monsters accountable for their actions.

Israel/Iran in a Brand New Funk

I read this article on google and the headline read: Obama Warns Both Iran and Israel, "I don't bluff". 

I find it very interesting that a president who is facing the reality that he may lose his position as the leader of the country that honestly believes they are entitled to govern the rest of the world, who pulled our troops out of Iraq, who is working on nuclear disarmament negotiations with Russia and North Korea, is now committing our military to oversee a backyard fight that has been long overdue.  Now that the middle east's populous is focusing on earning their own rights, Iran seems to be short of allies.  Israel has been sitting back like a tiger waiting for the perfect moment to attack its prey and lay its hands on a superb feast. 

Nevertheless, it appears that Israel is ready to strike.  The biggest fear that I have is that Israel will continue to EXPECT the U.S. to support them in their militia endeavors.  Yes, we want to know what is going on with Iran's nuclear developments, but we do not want to start bombing their cities, killing innocent people, and invoking world war three.

I understand the presidents' statements and I hope that the rest of the world understands as well.  If Israel wants to brawl, let 'em brawl.  We aren't here to protect them from that, but when nuclear force is a danger, we should only be held responsible for protecting ourselves.  There are many resources in the world and there are many relationships in the world, the question is, are we ensuring that we have enough resources and the right relationships to survive in this newer, smaller world.

Is New Leader in North Korea Going to Work With the U.S.?

     I found this story on cbsnews.com yesterday and there are definitely different points of view surrounding this matter.  What has happened is North Korea has agreed to stop performing missile launching tests, suspend nuclear testing, hold off on uranium enrichment, and even allow the International Atomic Energy Agency to resume inspections of the country's nuclear programs.  In exchange for these actions, the U.S. has agreed to provide 240,000 metric tons of food to help feed the famine and poverty stricken nation.  These negotiations are the first between the U.S. and North Korea regarding nuclear disarmament since North Korea pulled out of the Six-Party Agreement in 2009.  Since then, long time ruler of North Korea, Kim Jong-il has passed away and his 28 year old son, Kim Jong-un has taken over the leadership role of the country.  Many have speculated on how the new, young leader will address global powers such as the U.S. and it seems as though we are beginning to find out.  Although this would seem to be an intelligent move to help the people of his country while earning the respect of very powerful nations, many believe that this is history repeating itself.  According to this article on cnn.com, the decision to provide North Korea with aid is complete "insanity".  The article goes on to mention how many times the North has taken aid from the U.S. and has not followed through with its end of the bargain.  The article continues by claiming that the Koreans are planning to take the aid, allow the inspectors from the IAEA to visit predetermined and staged sites, and continue to secretly develop weapons of mass destruction.  The article also proclaims that in doing this, they will gain more support from China to back them in developing what will appear to be a nuclear program to generate energy, not weapons.  Although there is some truth to what CNN is saying regarding learning from your mistakes, the real truth is that this is a completely different situation, with a new leader, who has a new agenda, who must find a way to maintain power in an already struggling country.  The remarks that I found in this article on reuters.com seemed to make a little bit more sense.  Of course we cannot expect North Korea to just give up their nuclear program, but that doesn't mean that we can't try to befriend this new leader and begin working together to find middle ground.  We have been on edge with North Korea for decades, but now is our chance to change all of that and progress as nations.  "I believe it is very unlikely that North Korea will give up its nuclear weapons," said Jeffrey Lewis, a director of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies in California.  "But we have no choice but to try."  Hillary Clinton makes the comment, "this is a modest first step, but it is also a reminder that the world is transforming around us.  I understand that our relationship with North Korea has been rigid and tense for so long, but that doesn't mean that we should give up hope that we will never be allies.  What's it going to hurt to deliver some much needed food and supplies to this country in an attempt to befriend their new leader?  If they do not follow through with the agreement they have made, then things will be no different than they were before.  I think that at this moment, this appears to be a step in the right direction to mending the differences between the United States and North Korea and if it proves successful, it could also be a step in building even stronger relationships with other nations such as China.  If it fails, then everything will be the same as it was before Kim Jong-il perished.

NSA Stirs Concerns of Anonymous' Future Plans

     I read several articles regarding this situation, but I think that this one from The Atlantic summarized it the best.  Basically the director of the National Security Agency, Keith Alexander, is trying to convince our government that Anonymous has the ability to and will hack into power grids and shut them down in attempts to gain power.  This story has red herring written all over it.  Those of us who have followed the Anonymous saga know that they only work towards sending political messages to those who attempt to limit or obstruct our freedom.  They never do anything that would adversely affect regular citizens; such as shutting off their power.  We even have further evidence of this tall tale by the postings on the web after this story surfaced.  According to a post on the Anonymous-affiliated Twitter account, @YourAnonNews, Anonymous wrote "NSA head engages in alarmist rhetoric & fear-mongering" and "why would Anons take out power grids when lives depend on them?"  These statements are posted on a known media source that Anonymous uses to communicate with the rest of the world and they do coincide with the general ideals of the Anonymous movement.  I have to agree with these comments as well as The Atlantic when I say that this type of defamation of character falls right in line with what our government told us about Iraq after 9/11 and what we're being told about China right now.  We were driven to reaction from the creation of fear after 9/11.  We gave the federal government so much power because we wanted to be protected from the "terrorists".  Now that the people are using the tools of modern free speech to work together and have an impact on the world, government leaders are once again trying to create a sense of fear into the public to get us to, once again, give them more authority over the freedoms that we have.  I am not buying it!  With all of the "piracy" acts and the "privacy" acts going on, I think our government is going to try to slip a slick one in somewhere and end up getting the ability to monitor and control our online lives.  The cyber realm is a new frontier and it appears that politicians are vigorously fighting for the ability to control and dictate it...thanks to groups like Anonymous, the rest of us are being made aware of this and are willing to vote based on these actions.  The bottom line is that Anonymous has done nothing that promotes violence, nothing that disrupts the typical person's day, and has gone out of their way to protect those whose rights have been violated by local police officers abusing their power.  These scare tactics have been a part of politics since before I was born and probably a great deal longer.

Human Trafficking

     My co-worker and I were made aware of this link at truckersagainsttrafficking.com which shows a video discussing the problem of the exploitation of young girls throughout the country.  When I think of the term human trafficking, I tend to think of countries in third world status or countries going through political hardships.  This video opened my eyes to the fact that sex-slavery is a huge underground business taking place at truck stops on highways that you and I drive on.  According to this report, young girls are abducted on a regular basis in the U.S. and are physically forced into a life of prostitution.  The most disturbing thing about this is that so many people see these acts taking place and do not contact authorities.  One of the biggest benefits of the technology age is the quick access to information that used to take weeks or even months to discover.  By watching this video I am more aware of this issue and I know what I need to do if I see anything like this going on in this area.
     When people see prostitutes on the streets or even at a truck stop, the first thought is where did that girl go wrong.  We tend to believe that these girls have made these choices for themselves on their own accord.  The reality is that so many girls are forced into this way of life through different forms of abuse.  Some are physically beaten and threatened to encourage them to sell themselves.  Others are injected with drugs that lead to physical dependance and are rewarded with a fix if they do these nasty deeds.  Even more are psychologically held prisoner, either they are protecting someone else or they become completely brainwashed into thinking that they are making the right choice.  In reality, all of them have been forced into modern day slavery which is unacceptable.
     I am relatively new to this area and I find it interesting that Joplin has these extremely busy truck stops right off of I-44.  What is it that attracts the truckers?  Is it drugs?  Is it prostitution?  Or is it just convenient?  I find it hard to believe that this many trucks stop here for mere convenience, but I do not have any evidence to explain any other reason.  Based on stories I have read and heard regarding this issue, it seems that many have known about and even witnessed these actions and have not done anything to help these young victims.  The Rapha House on Main St. in Joplin was founded by a local man by the name of Joe Garman and his daughter, Stephanie.  Joe witnessed a girl being sold into slavery in Cambodia and acted on it.  He prevented her from living a life of suffering and helped ensure the safety of her siblings as well.  Now the Rapha House has several safe houses in Asia and helps many girls escape this tortuous life.  The thing that bothers me is why don't people take more of an active role right here in our own country?
     With the help of the internet, I have been made more aware of these situations that are occurring around us.  I am willing to look for the warning signs and to report them to the appropriate authorities in an attempt to free these girls and hopefully give them an opportunity to live fulfilling lives.  I have been able to see the effects of organizations like Children of the Night who are helping these girls right now as I write this post.  These organizations don't only free these girls, they also help them achieve higher learning and provide counseling that will help them adapt back into the real world.  These services help ensure a bright and successful future to those who couldn't have dreamed about this life before. 
     As a father of a daughter, I hope that you all look for these kinds of activities and report them as soon as you realize what is going on.  So many organizations are out there to help these girls escape slavery and go on to lead productive, meaningful lives in our society. 

President Obama Plans Disarm More Nukes

     According to the Associated Press, the president is working on a planned negotiation to reduce the amount of deployed nuclear arms held by the U.S. and Russia.  The amount of nuclear weapons to be disarmed is even higher than the originally planned reduction set forth in a 2002 treaty between the two nations, according to an article on npr.org.  The originally negotiated amount of nuclear warheads for deployment by either nation was listed on page three of the New Smart Treaty as 1,550 per nation.  However, it has been a main area of focus of President Obama to lower this number by even more.  According to an article on armytimes.com, the new proposition could lower the number of U.S. warheads by as much as 80% of the original agreed amount.  This could mean that we would only have as many as 300 active nukes in our possession.  Even though it would seem that 300 nuclear bombs should be more than enough to protect our interests, many Republicans are against this move.  They feel that it would jeopardize our abilities to shield our allies, such as, Japan and Turkey.  They also believe that this drastic of a reduction could complicate things with unstable countries such as Pakistan and Iran.  The other major concern is that Russia most likely would not make this same commitment.  The main reason many are backing this reduction is the belief that our modern threats of terrorism cannot be fought with thousands of nuclear bombs, which is true, but the same countries that are threatening us with terrorism are gaining access to the tools and the information needed to build nuclear weapons, which means that we have more risks of nuclear attacks from more countries then ever before.
     I agree that the U.S. should set an example of global protection by reducing our nuclear stockpile.  This would give us more credibility when negotiating with nations like Iran and trying to limit their resources in developing weapons, but if we are going to make such major reductions, we need to have commitments from other nations like Russia and China.  If we take these measures into our own hands, we will be giving up our biggest edge in global warfare.  Without at least Russia's commitment, we could be burned by this in the fairly short future.  There has already been much speculation of countries like Iran getting nuclear resources from Russia and other former Soviet states.  We do not know how stable the Russian government will be in the decades to come nor do we know who their future allies will be.  Making this large of a reduction seems to have much more risk than benefit.
     Ultimately I see this measure being discussed and hopefully voted on by Congress.  If this is the case, then I do not see it happening.  The other thing to consider is that this is definitely another campaign driven agenda for Obama.  If he is not reelected then I also do not see this discussion going any further than just discussion.  However, if reelected this could become a reality.  I think that the previously negotiated reductions should be just fine for now.  We need to see how things develop in the east before making any other drastic changes.  With new governments emerging and the political unrest that comes with them, it is too hard to predict who our friends and enemies will be.  Until then, we need all the weapons we have just in case.

Parents Guilty of Manslaughter of Their 8-Year-Old Son

     I read this article on foxnews and it was disturbing on many levels.  Monica Hussing and William Robinson, parents of eight year old Willie Jr., plead guilty in an Ohio court to involuntary manslaughter of their son.  Willie Jr. suffered from Hodgkin lymphoma and eventually died from it.  The reason his parents were brought to court was because it would appear that they were negligent in seeking care for their son when he became ill.  The couple did not have health insurance and claim that they could not afford to pay for checkups, let alone cancer treatment.
     As a parent, I couldn't imagine denying my son medical attention if he became ill.  The way that this article was written, it tried to make it appear as if these parents did just this, however, according to their daughter, they did seek help from social services and other non-profit organizations to try to get an evaluation of their son's condition, but were unable to get help that they could afford.  I have had a difficult time finding affordable health insurance since moving to Joplin, but I continued looking until I found it.  I have to put my children's well-being ahead of anything else.  Health insurance is my third highest expense after my home and food (basic necessities of survival).  Even though it seems that these parents did try to find someone to help them, the article goes on to mention how they turned down an offer to evaluate their son for $180.  At about the same time, they did, however, find a way to pay $87 for a dog to get a flea treatment.  This statement, along with the fact that the parents did not have any kind of insurance for their kids, leads me to believe that they were indeed guilty of manslaughter.  They obviously did not have their priorities straight.
     Even if I use this logic to justify the sentencing of the parents to prison for eight years, I know that there is still something else wrong with this picture.  Millions of parents are not able to afford medical insurance for their kids in this country.  Priorities might play a role in many of these families' inability to get insurance, but it has also become acceptable among Americans to not purchase insurance.  Another issue is what will happen to this couple's other kids?  They will become wards of the state and be forced into foster homes.  Unfortunately this article doesn't go into enough detail about the kind of home these parents were providing, but I would hope that it would have been better than being raised as a foster child.  I think that this shows that something needs to be done to the sky-rocketing insurance costs in this country.  I know that medical treatments are expensive, but the amounts that are being billed to insurance companies are overly inflated.  If there is a way to find a middle ground, I would be all for it.  If we don't seek ways to improve our health care problems, more children like Willie Jr. will perish.

Well, Well, Well....Komen Reverses It's Decision

     After I wrote about the politically driven decision by the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation to withdraw grant funding to Planned Parenthood for breast cancer screening, I then found this article on yahoo saying that the organization has reversed its decision.  Komen issued a public statement saying "We want to apologize to the American public for recent decisions that cast doubt upon our commitment to our mission of saving women's lives".  I am glad to see that in the information age, the people of this country, and the people of our communities came together and displayed a disagreement with the new policies set forth by the Komen foundation. 
     According to several web postings, including this one on lifenews.com, the Komen website was flooded with complaints regarding their initial decision and was even "hacked".  According to the stories, the banner on the original website read "Help us get 26.2 or 13.1 miles closer to a world without breast cancer", but was changed by an unknown hacker to read "Help us run over poor women on our way to the bank.”  I completely agree with this hacker's thought process.  I understand the complexity regarding the issue of abortion, but this was definitely the wrong way to address it.  Denying women with low income the ability to get screened for breast cancer is inhumane.  If you read my first post regarding this matter, you would know that my stand on abortion is in the hands of the voters.  If it is legal, then it is legal and there is nothing anyone can do about it, but if legislature is changed through the appropriate democratic processes, then Planned Parenthood would have to dismiss this procedure from it's list of services. 
     The biggest thing that bothers me with the issue of abortion is the people who are so firmly against it are completely unaffected by any person's decision to have an abortion.  If I were going to spend my entire life fighting for something, it would be for something that betters my life or the future lives of my descendants.  Abortions do not affect anyone other then the mother of the unborn child.  The belief that unborn fetuses are alive and they should not be aborted is one of personal nature, it is not one that should be forced on everyone.  If the reason one believes in this ideal is religion, then it can be easily compared to the basis this country was founded on; we all have the freedom to choose what we believe and no one has the right to force their beliefs on another, especially when the decisions made by one have no effect on others. 
     I am truly happy to see that this new global environment has exposed this issue and has forced this organization to honor its obligations and provide an opportunity for less fortunate people to receive the minimal, humane treatments that we all deserve.  If you are against abortion, then you have to face the fact that in order to prevent it, you will need the majority of the population to agree with you.  If more people disagree with you then those who agree, then you have to deal with it, this is a democracy, not a dictatorship.

Attack on Planned Parenthood Based on Politics

     I first read about this story on washingtonpost.com.  The Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation, the leading breast cancer advocacy group in the U.S., announced that they will no longer provide grant funds to Planned Parenthood.  The amount that was originally expected to be donated was $680,000.  This would have given the non-profit, affordable health care provider a major blow that could have prevented many women from being able to receive much needed mammograms.  However, in the end, this did not happen.  After the word got out that Planned Parenthood was being attacked based on political beliefs surrounding it's involvement in providing more abortions nationally than any other provider, thousands of individuals made donations totaling over $500,000.  I understand the concerns people have regarding abortions, but this is part of living in a democratic society.  Planned Parenthood does not perform illegal abortions.  Those who choose to have them are entitled to that choice (at least for now).  Until legislation is passed banning abortions in all states, people will continue to choose to have them.  Abortions are not the real issue here.  The real issue is the attempt to strip the ability for thousands of women to be tested for breast cancer away.  The longer breast cancer goes undetected, the chances of survival diminish.
     According to another article I read regarding this issue on investors.com, Planned Parenthood has already had to fight for the federal funding that they have been receiving for years.  The article goes on to say that because of the abortions being performed, many tax payers do not want their tax dollars funding their operations.  In an attempt to shut Planned Parenthood down, Americans United for Life President Charmaine Yoest submitted a report that launched an investigation by the Energy and Commerce Committee, but Planned Parenthood has not violated any policies.  When Yoest heard about Komen's decision to cut funds, she replied by saying "I was always troubled with this whole idea that the nation’s largest abortion provider was enmeshed in the breast cancer fight when they weren’t actually doing mammograms".  However, if you check out plannedparenthood.org, you will see that they do provide breast cancer screenings and mammograms along with many other valuable services other than abortions.
     The main reason I support Planned Parenthood is that they provide quality care while helping those without health insurance or who have minimal income.  Without a health care provider like this, many people would be forced to go without vaccinations, blood tests, physicals, cancer screenings, and many other essential services.  If and when abortions are illegal, then Planned Parenthood will have to stop performing them.  The right way to approach this political issue is through the legal systems of the states, not by sanctioning a non-profit organization that provides life-saving services to the communities we live in.

Obama Announces Plan to Make College Educations More Affordable

     This week I read an article on nytimes.com about President Obama's proposed plans to help more people obtain a college degree by redistributing federal aid to reward universities that work on minimizing tuition costs, by creating a "college scoreboard" that will rate colleges on costs, graduation rates, and earnings potential of graduates, and by reducing federal student loan interest rates.  Although this is an idealistic attempt to eventually reduce the nation's unemployment rate and reduce the increasing gap between the rich and the rest of us, there are many that believe this proposal will fail. 
     According to a similar article on yahoo, the idea of awarding schools with minimal tuition costs and higher graduation percentages with more financial aid dollars will give the middle class a better chance of being able to send their children to college and be more successful in their careers.  The biggest problem with this concept, however, is the fear that encouraging universities to cut tuition costs will inevitably diminish the value of the degrees earned by the students.  Without the proper funding, schools will be unable to hire the best professors, provide the best facilities, or furnish the best technology and supplies needed to provide the best education.  According to Senator Lamar Alexander, former Secretary of Education, schools "could offer three year degrees, or operate more in the summertime" as well as find other ways to reduce costs and maximize educational production.  Another problem with this approach is the fact that many states are suffering through financial woes which are also contributing to rising tuition rates.
     The next major part of the President's proposal is the implementation of a "college scoreboard".  This scoreboard would ideally be a measuring stick for higher level education institutions.  Colleges would be ranked based on three criteria; costs, percentage of students graduating, and earnings potential.  Yahoo compared this idea to food labels that provide nutritional facts, saying that it would make it easier for people to find a school that provides results, but is also affordable.  The problem with this measuring system is that it doesn't take into consideration certain intangibles.  Prestigious universities may cost significantly more than other schools, and may have a higher dropout rate due to the difficulty of their programs, but those who do obtain a degree from these universities will have a greater advantage than those with degrees from less noteworthy schools.  According to the American Council on Education, institutions that focus on certain types of degrees would benefit from this while others would lose funding due to the costs of operating their programs.  This general rating system would not necessarily find the best school for every student.
     Another proposition the President made was to reduce interest rates on federally funded student loans to make education more affordable.  This is definitely a better way to put taxpayers' money directly into the hands of other taxpayers in an attempt to better our society.  When comparing this idea to rewarding schools for cutting corners, the first thing I think of is the Economic Stimulus Package of 2008.  When federal funding is given directly to institutions or corporations, we have already seen that it doesn't necessarily trickle back down into the hands of the taxpayers.  Of all of the proposed changes of this plan, I feel that this one makes the most sense, however, according to csmonitor.com  this does not appear to be a realistic approach to saving people money on education.  The article states that the Republican leaders of the House Education and the Workforce Committee is against keeping student loan interest rates low due to the fact that a Democratically controlled congress has already kept these rates too low since 2007 and claims that Democrats “chose to make false promises to borrowers and kick the can down the road”.
     This leads me to my last, and most important point.  The President is campaigning for his job.  He is trying to show concern for average Americans and convince them that he has plans to help us.  The problem is in order for these plans to be put in motion, Congress would have to approve them.  The lack of willingness for political parties to work together to resolve issues that affect the majority of Americans has been too apparent during Obama's presidency.  The likeliness that Congress would even consider voting on these measures is extremely slim.  The possibility of inadequacy of any or all of Obama's proposals, accompanied with the uncertainty that comes with a pending presidential election, will prevent these plans from going into motion.  As a student and a father, I definitely hope that we can find more affordable ways to promote success in school and life in the future, but these proposals are not the right answer.

Workplace Gripe Fest

     I decided to go ahead and take advantage of the freedom we have been given with this week's blog post assignment and vent about a situation that has been bothering me at work.  I am hoping that if any of you can relate to this, you will provide your opinions and help me make some decisions on where to go from here.  Before I get started, I do want to let you know that I did take a step in the right direction to begin correcting this matter by having an in-depth conversation with my boss today.
     This part might be a little boring, but I have to explain what it is I do so that you will understand why I have been unhappy with recent changes at work.  I work as an accounting assistant and it has been a great learning experience that has been increasing my resume's value; especially considering I am an Accounting Major.  When I first started, I spent the majority of my time balancing bank accounts and analyzing all of the activity in our ledger accounts to ensure accuracy.  When I found a problem, I would also be given the opportunity to provide a solution.  This was the ideal job for me for several reasons.  I enjoy working with numbers, I enjoy solving problems, and I enjoyed the flexibility in scheduling I had regarding deadlines for completing tasks.  Over the last four months, my responsibilities have greatly shifted from account analysis to entirely working on collecting money to reduce our accounts receivable accounts.  This requires that I am available to work very specific hours and that I have the same uncomfortable conversation over and over again in an attempt to get individuals or companies to pay what they owe us.  I do not hate what I am doing, but I definitely would rather be doing what I was doing before.  Even though I did my best to keep this transfer of tasks from taking place, my superiors continued to express the importance of getting these accounts collected and assured me that I would return to my original work within a few months.  Now that a few months have passed, it has become apparent that these accounts continue to grow and need to be managed on a full-time basis to ensure payments are being made.  My biggest frustration is that they have now given my original duties to a fellow co-worker and she absolutely hates doing them.
     The good news is I finally setup a meeting with my direct supervisor and the co-worker who has taken over the job that I loved to do.  We had a good conversation today that led to a promise to "attempt" to shift these responsibilities, but no guarantees were made.  I have a very extensive work history and I know that I can find a better job if I look hard enough, but I like the people I work with and they are typically very flexible with scheduling (except for the last couple of months) which allows me to spend more quality time with my family when I need to.  I don't want to be stuck working these accounts forever because, to be frank, I don't enjoy it and it is not helping me build my resume in the direction I would like to go.  I am hoping that some of you will be able to provide some support in helping me decide if I should stick it out or if I should begin looking for a new place to work.  

Intro

Hello fellow classmates.  My name is Jared Dodson.  I am married with two kids.  My son is 7 and my daughter is 5.  We are originally from the San Francisco Bay area, but we moved to Joplin a year and a half ago so that I could focus more on school.  My parents moved here 8 years ago and they have been helping us with the kids so that I can afford to go to school full-time.  I am majoring in Accounting and I currently work as an accounting assistant.  I worked as a financial advisor for 4 years before moving to Joplin and before that I worked as an administrative assistant.  Over the years I figured out where my strengths lie and knew that pursuing a career in financial and operational auditing would be rewarding financially and enjoyable as well.  I am very grateful for this opportunity and have been enjoying my experience as a student at MSSU.  When I am not working or studying, I enjoy spending time with my kids, playing sports, fishing, camping, playing the drums, and playing poker.  I am looking forward to another great semester and the chance to work with all of you in this course.  I wish you all the best of luck and I'm sure I will be talking to you soon.