In March, health care reform was finally achieved after months of debate between Democrats and Republicans. As the debate continued, month by month; the view of the legislation began to sour. Part of it was misinformation and part of it was uncertainty of what the bill might entail. Public perception up to the day legislation became law was more negative than positive. However, popularity of the health care reform might be turning more positive.
Over the last month, new polling show popularity is gaining. President Obama and the White House's promotion of the bill might be finally paying off.
The Kaiser Family Foundation poll shows that 48% of the public had a favorable view of the law compared to 41% of the public having an unfavorable view. Just last month, those numbers were 41% in favor to 44% against.
In the wake of the legislation becoming law, both parties have been trying to shape their arguments to the public in anticipation for the fall elections. The administration has worked to highlight policies that take affect this year, which includes 26 year olds being allowed on the parents' plans as well closing a gap in the Medicare prescription drug coverage.
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation; roughly 1/3 of voters say that they will vote for a candidate who voted for the bill, 1/3 of voters say the opposite, and 1/3 will vote based on other factors.
Despite, what Republicans and even some Democrats might say; the economy will still dominate this year's midterm elections. Most will hardly remember the health care legislation debate. Economic issues top what matters most to voters with 29%. Only 12% say that health care reform is their top issue concern. Dissatisfaction with government falls in between the two issues with 13%.
Many of the major parts of the health care bill do not take affect until after the 2012 election. It will not be until the next midterm elections that health care legislation might be more of a major issue to voters as they see tangible results and evidence from the legislation.
Included in those parts in 2014 are an end to discrimination by insurers based on preexisting conditions and a requirement that everyone carry health insurance.
So, maybe after all; health care legislation was not such a bad idea. Popular perception seems to agree as they begin to feel and see bits and pieces start to take affect. And they start to get clearer information. The spin has slowed down and the public has had more time to digest the matter. Time will tell if popularity grows or worsens throughout 2010 and into next year.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
Robert Byrd: A Man Who Shaped More Than the U.S. Senate
Elected officials are sent to Washington, DC to represent their state and constituents. They serve America and at the end of the day are looking to better the state and people they work for. One such man, who spanned decades in the U.S. Senate and American politics is the late Robert Byrd. Byrd's life came to an end early this morning at the age of 92. Most people my age as well as anyone born after 1950 probably only know Robert Byrd as an elected official from West Virginia. You would not be crazy to think of him as only that U.S. Senator because he has spent over 50 years there in addition to his few years in the U.S. House of Representatives.
He makes me think of a different time in politics. When partisanship was not as bad. When politicians were rewarded for bringing money back to their state. And, not to mention, Byrd's famous nickname as the "King of Pork". That is something he was proud of his whole career.
What have notable individuals in Washington have had to say?
Here are a few:
President Obama: "He was as much a part of the Senate as the marble busts that line its chamber and its corridors. His profound passion for that body and its role and responsibilities was as evident behind closed doors as it was in the stemwinders he peppered with history. He held the deepest respect of members of both parties, and he was generous with his time and advice, something I appreciated greatly as a young senator."
Byrd's fellow West Virginia Democrat, Sen. Jay Rockefeller: "It has been my greatest privilege to serve with Robert C. Byrd in the United States Senate. I looked up to him, I fought next to him, and I am deeply saddened that he is gone. He leaves a void that simply can never be filled. But I am lifted by the knowledge of his deep and abiding faith in God, I have joy in the thought of him reunited with his dear Erma, and I am proud knowing that his moving life story and legacy of service and love for West Virginia will live on. Senator Byrd came from humble beginnings in the southern coalfields, was raised by hard-working West Virginians, and triumphantly rose to the heights of power in America. But he never forgot where he came from nor who he represented, and he never abused that power for his own gain."
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV): "Robert Byrd's was one of the greatest minds the world has ever seen. From his graduation as valedictorian of his high school class at the age of 16 to his chairmanship of the Senate Appropriations Committee until the age of 91, he mastered everything he touched with great thoughtfulness and skill. Throughout more than half a century of service in this body, and six more in the House, Senator Byrd never stopped fighting for the people of West Virginia and for Democratic principles. My thoughts, and those of the entire United States Senate, are with the Byrd family. Robert Byrd was a Member of this nation's Congress for more than a quarter of the time it has existed, and longer than a quarter of today's sitting Senators and the President of the United States have been alive. The nine times the people of his state sent him to the Senate and the more than 18,500 votes he cast in its chamber will never be matched. His political career spanned a dozen presidencies and countless American advances and achievements. And throughout one of the longest political careers in history, no one ever defeated Robert Byrd in a single election. The people of West Virginia have lost a dedicated public servant, and America has lost a great defender of its most precious traditions. He was the foremost guardian of the Senate's complex rules, procedures and customs, and as leader of both the majority and the minority caucuses in the Senate he knew better than most that legislation is the art of compromise. By virtue of his endurance, Robert Byrd knew and worked with many of the greats of the United States Senate. Because of his enduring virtue, he will be remembered as one of them. Senator Byrd dedicated every single day of his Senate service to strengthening the institution, state and republic that he loved so dearly. There will never be another like him."
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY): "Sen. Byrd combined a devotion to the U.S. Constitution with a deep learning of history to defend the interests of his state and the traditions of the Senate. We will remember him for his fighter's spirit, his abiding faith, and for the many times he recalled the Senate to its purposes. Generations of Americans will read the masterful history of the Senate he leaves behind, and they will also read about the remarkable life of Robert Carlyle Byrd."
House speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA): "Senator Byrd took pride in his status as Congress' foremost scholar on the Constitution, on the Senate, and on the institutions of our democracy. He never hesitated to speak truth to power. He was a voice of reason during times of war and economic hardship. He was always a gentleman, capable of charming any friend or foe. And he always stood on principle, even when others did not."
Former President Jimmy Carter: "Sen. Robert Byrd and his wife Erma were our personal friends, and he was my closest and most valuable adviser while I served as president. I respected him and attempted in every way to remain in his good graces. He was a giant among legislators, and was courageous in espousing controversial issues."
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton: "Robert Byrd led by the power of his example, and he made all of us who had the honor of serving as his colleagues better public servants and better citizens."
Rep. John Dingell (D-MI): "The laws of the United States and the rules of the Senate would not be what they are without Robert Byrd's skill and his strong desire to do what was right for his nation. His working knowledge of the Senate and its procedures will be missed. Senator Byrd leaves with us a legacy of service that bore witness to some of the great changes which have come to redefine our nation. He was a tenacious defender and advocate for the working class, as well as an astute and thoughtful voice."
Robert Byrd's life truly was long and during his 92 years; he learned a lot. A poor West Virginia boy who grew up in the South made some mistakes in his early life. He would come to regret his segregationist past and his days as a Ku Klux Klan member and sympathizer. He once battled against civil rights including the Civil Rights Act in 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965; only to realize the errors of his ways and turn to support such causes as a national holiday for Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday.
For 14 hours in 1964, Byrd would filibuster against the Civil Rights Act. He would be unsympathetic toward poor individuals in the slums. Byrd was part of a Democratic party that favored all the wrongs of the South and the party's change would echo his.
Robert Byrd's career reminds us that times really do change. And so do people.
Byrd did more for West Virginia during his time in the U.S. Senate then anyone else. He was proud to defend the U.S. Constitution and work on bettering America in the process. He spent the last 40 years trying to redeem his first 50. Some might be critical of him, but he was real. That is something that is often lost among politicians.
Robert Byrd's death is another reminder that politics change. People change. And his death with Ted Kennedy last year bring up memories of their time in U.S. Senate and hope that there are still politicians out there like them.
He makes me think of a different time in politics. When partisanship was not as bad. When politicians were rewarded for bringing money back to their state. And, not to mention, Byrd's famous nickname as the "King of Pork". That is something he was proud of his whole career.
What have notable individuals in Washington have had to say?
Here are a few:
President Obama: "He was as much a part of the Senate as the marble busts that line its chamber and its corridors. His profound passion for that body and its role and responsibilities was as evident behind closed doors as it was in the stemwinders he peppered with history. He held the deepest respect of members of both parties, and he was generous with his time and advice, something I appreciated greatly as a young senator."
Byrd's fellow West Virginia Democrat, Sen. Jay Rockefeller: "It has been my greatest privilege to serve with Robert C. Byrd in the United States Senate. I looked up to him, I fought next to him, and I am deeply saddened that he is gone. He leaves a void that simply can never be filled. But I am lifted by the knowledge of his deep and abiding faith in God, I have joy in the thought of him reunited with his dear Erma, and I am proud knowing that his moving life story and legacy of service and love for West Virginia will live on. Senator Byrd came from humble beginnings in the southern coalfields, was raised by hard-working West Virginians, and triumphantly rose to the heights of power in America. But he never forgot where he came from nor who he represented, and he never abused that power for his own gain."
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV): "Robert Byrd's was one of the greatest minds the world has ever seen. From his graduation as valedictorian of his high school class at the age of 16 to his chairmanship of the Senate Appropriations Committee until the age of 91, he mastered everything he touched with great thoughtfulness and skill. Throughout more than half a century of service in this body, and six more in the House, Senator Byrd never stopped fighting for the people of West Virginia and for Democratic principles. My thoughts, and those of the entire United States Senate, are with the Byrd family. Robert Byrd was a Member of this nation's Congress for more than a quarter of the time it has existed, and longer than a quarter of today's sitting Senators and the President of the United States have been alive. The nine times the people of his state sent him to the Senate and the more than 18,500 votes he cast in its chamber will never be matched. His political career spanned a dozen presidencies and countless American advances and achievements. And throughout one of the longest political careers in history, no one ever defeated Robert Byrd in a single election. The people of West Virginia have lost a dedicated public servant, and America has lost a great defender of its most precious traditions. He was the foremost guardian of the Senate's complex rules, procedures and customs, and as leader of both the majority and the minority caucuses in the Senate he knew better than most that legislation is the art of compromise. By virtue of his endurance, Robert Byrd knew and worked with many of the greats of the United States Senate. Because of his enduring virtue, he will be remembered as one of them. Senator Byrd dedicated every single day of his Senate service to strengthening the institution, state and republic that he loved so dearly. There will never be another like him."
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY): "Sen. Byrd combined a devotion to the U.S. Constitution with a deep learning of history to defend the interests of his state and the traditions of the Senate. We will remember him for his fighter's spirit, his abiding faith, and for the many times he recalled the Senate to its purposes. Generations of Americans will read the masterful history of the Senate he leaves behind, and they will also read about the remarkable life of Robert Carlyle Byrd."
House speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA): "Senator Byrd took pride in his status as Congress' foremost scholar on the Constitution, on the Senate, and on the institutions of our democracy. He never hesitated to speak truth to power. He was a voice of reason during times of war and economic hardship. He was always a gentleman, capable of charming any friend or foe. And he always stood on principle, even when others did not."
Former President Jimmy Carter: "Sen. Robert Byrd and his wife Erma were our personal friends, and he was my closest and most valuable adviser while I served as president. I respected him and attempted in every way to remain in his good graces. He was a giant among legislators, and was courageous in espousing controversial issues."
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton: "Robert Byrd led by the power of his example, and he made all of us who had the honor of serving as his colleagues better public servants and better citizens."
Rep. John Dingell (D-MI): "The laws of the United States and the rules of the Senate would not be what they are without Robert Byrd's skill and his strong desire to do what was right for his nation. His working knowledge of the Senate and its procedures will be missed. Senator Byrd leaves with us a legacy of service that bore witness to some of the great changes which have come to redefine our nation. He was a tenacious defender and advocate for the working class, as well as an astute and thoughtful voice."
Robert Byrd's life truly was long and during his 92 years; he learned a lot. A poor West Virginia boy who grew up in the South made some mistakes in his early life. He would come to regret his segregationist past and his days as a Ku Klux Klan member and sympathizer. He once battled against civil rights including the Civil Rights Act in 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965; only to realize the errors of his ways and turn to support such causes as a national holiday for Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday.
For 14 hours in 1964, Byrd would filibuster against the Civil Rights Act. He would be unsympathetic toward poor individuals in the slums. Byrd was part of a Democratic party that favored all the wrongs of the South and the party's change would echo his.
Robert Byrd's career reminds us that times really do change. And so do people.
Byrd did more for West Virginia during his time in the U.S. Senate then anyone else. He was proud to defend the U.S. Constitution and work on bettering America in the process. He spent the last 40 years trying to redeem his first 50. Some might be critical of him, but he was real. That is something that is often lost among politicians.
Robert Byrd's death is another reminder that politics change. People change. And his death with Ted Kennedy last year bring up memories of their time in U.S. Senate and hope that there are still politicians out there like them.
Friday, June 25, 2010
World Cup Preview: Sweet 16
After 2 weeks of group play, half the field has been eliminated. Many of the usual suspects have moved on while the two finalists from 4 years ago will be headed home early. The host nation of South Africa could not do enough to advance and the continent as a whole struggled as Ghana was the only African nation to advance. Also we saw the South American nations dominate group play as they were nearly flawless as 5 nations cruised the Round of 16. Now the real fun begins as it is win or go home for the remaining squads. One mistake might cost you and leave you wondering what happened for four years. After 48 games and group play, my record stands at 30-18. The group stage had its unpredictable moments, but we will see the cream rise above the crop moving forward. Cinderella does not usually show up at World Cups. The favorites are starting to show why they are such and we will see those teams look to continue to improve and move on as we start the Round of 16.
Round of 16
Uruguay vs South Korea:
Both teams are a bit of surprise getting this far. Uruguay has displayed a great combination of offense and defense. Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez have led the way and are becoming stars. The South Koreans are playing above expectations much to due to their speed and timely striking ability. They will need to be sharp because Uruguay have not left too many chances on the field. Uruguay was one of the original powers of soccer 80 years ago, but for much of the latter half of the World Cup's existence they have been next to irrelevant. South Korea has not had much success off the continent of Asia, where they had that magical run 8 years ago. Park Ji-Sung will have to be near his top ability to get his teammates and himself going against a tough offensive/defensive style that Uruguay has used as they shut out their opponents in group play. Uruguay outlasted a very good Mexico team while South Korea finished second to Argentina in their group. Uruguay hold a substantial edge in the head to head matchup and South Korea has struggled historically against South American teams. That wouldn't be the ultimate decider in this one, but will be a side factor. Uruguay's attack has been more deadly than South Korea's. Expect the South Koreans though to put a lot of pressure on the Uruguayan defense. PREDICTION: URUGUAY 2, SOUTH KOREA 1
United States vs Ghana:
The United States needed a win late against Algeria and Landon Donovan delivered with a striking kick in injury time. Ghana on the other hand will have the whole continent of South Africa behind them as the rest of the teams that qualified failed to reach the Round of 16. Ghana's run is also surprising because they have been without Michael Essien, but Asamoah Gyan has carried the load getting timely penalty kicks when needed. They lack a strong offensive effort thus have put most of their gameplan on defense. Both teams are riding a wave of support. Back in America, the nation is captivated by the Americans chance to make a run this year. While Africa is going to be blasting their vuvuzelas all day and night for Ghana. Ghana eliminated the United States four years ago in the group stage. Ghana is very crafty and have made it this far with speed; speed the Americans will have to be beware of. The two teams are not too different in terms of ability, but this seems like the Americans' game to get revenge and move one step closer. PREDICTION: United States 2, Ghana 1
Germany vs England:
This is one of the best Round of 16 matchups. The two teams and countries have a lengthy history. Germany has had a habit of crushing the English's dreams. This is their fifth meeting in World Cup play and each previous encounter has gone the distance and then some as 90 minutes was never enough. England has underachieved overall with stars like Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard, and Steven Gerrard. They have barely showed up especially Rooney who garners a lot of attention. For Germany, Miroslav Klose will be back on the field and will get the German engine going with the young stars, Thomas Muller and Mesut Ozil. This certainly is a bigger matchup than this round, but we will see how it plays out. Germany has played fairly stellar while England looked like it was barely going to get out of group play. A loss by either could be viewed as a failure especially for England with all those names. Not sure if they will go past 90 minutes, but it should be close. If the Germans go up by a couple, it might be tricky for England to rebound. PREDICTION: GERMANY 3, ENGLAND 2
Argentina vs Mexico:
Argentina had little trouble in group play and look to be a favorite to win it all. Lionel Messi has yet to get a goal, but he has done enough to get his teammates involved as Diego Maradona has Argentina playing at a high level. Mexico started slow, but finished pretty good. Uruguay got the best of them to win Group A and avoid Argentina. Argentina has held a strong advantage over Mexico in their last several matchups including a Round of 16 matchup four years ago. Gonzalo Higuain has led the way for Argentina including a hat trick against South Korea and Carlos Tevez is equally as deadly for Argentina. Mexico has a good enough offense that combat against Argentina, but Argentina's depth getting them such a big edge. PREDICTION: ARGENTINA 3, MEXICO 1
Netherlands vs Slovakia:
The Netherlands had little trouble in the group stage and hope to turn that success into their first World Cup title. They are certainly one of the best soccer nations to have not won a World Cup. The Dutch get a favorable draw in the Round of 16 with a matchup with Slovakia. Behind Robert Vittek, Slovakia shocked Italy and find themselves in the Round of 16 for the first time as an independent nation. Arjen Robben is back in the lineup for the Netherlands and that only makes them stronger. Robin van Persie has also carried his weight thus far alongside Wesley Sneijder. The Dutch have not been flashy, but still effective and sound enough to do damage. The attacking style of the Netherlands will be tough for Slovakia. However, Slovakia has shown that they will be no gimme win. The winner of this matchup will most likely draw Brazil in the next round. PREDICTION: NETHERLANDS 2, SLOVAKIA 0
Brazil vs Chile:
After seeing South American dominate the group stage, two will meet in this Round of 16 game. Chile is playing very good, but draw a tough opponent in Brazil. Also of note, Brazil was without both Kaka and Robinho against Portugal in their last group game and will have both back for this one. Brazil has dominated the series including a World Cup matchup 12 years ago and twice during qualifying. Humberto Suazo has not been healthy for Chile and is a major part of their team and will be a gametime decision for them. Chile has the firepower to keep up with Brazil at time, but it will be tough to keep the Brazil offense down for long and they can score from so many areas. Chile has played good defense and Brazil under Dunga has looked to be defensive instead of their usual wide open offense attack. PREDICTION: BRAZIL 3, CHILE 0
Paraguay vs Japan:
Both Paraguay and Japan were not expect to do too much. Now one of them will find themselves in the quarterfinals with a win. Paraguay did enough in a weak Group F while Japan handled their business against most of their group. Both have relied mostly on defense and it might not be a pretty game, but a defensive one. Keisuke Honda is a big reason for Japan's success and will be counted upon again to get their offense going. Roque Santa Cruz is the star for Paraguay, but like other stars in this year's World Cup he has been fairly cold. The winner would advance to a tough game against either Spain or Portugal. This one should be close. PREDICTION: PARAGUAY 1, JAPAN 0
Spain vs Portugal:
Spain has recovered from the opening loss to Switzerland and seemed poised again to make a run. Portugal has also looked good as they have played very tough defense. They even held Brazil scoreless. David Villa has led the way thus far for Spain as he is one of the stars of this year's World Cup and the better he is playing; the harder it will be to defeat Spain. Spain will have a tough time early on cracking the Portuguese defense, but Portugal cannot rest on that defense either if they plan on advancing. Cristiano Ronaldo got a goal against North Korea and is seen as the main attacker for Portugal. He will have to play up to expectations if the Portuguese want to improve their chances of winning. Portugal made it to the semis four years ago while Spain is looking to move far in this year's World Cup. A strong defensive battle will give way to one score in the second half. PREDICTION: SPAIN 1, PORTUGAL 0
After a bit of unpredictably in the group stage games, we will see many of the favorites start to establish themselves further. We should see some close, down to the end battles and a couple offensive showings. This is where the World Cup gets good as top teams start to face off against each other.
Round of 16
Uruguay vs South Korea:
Both teams are a bit of surprise getting this far. Uruguay has displayed a great combination of offense and defense. Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez have led the way and are becoming stars. The South Koreans are playing above expectations much to due to their speed and timely striking ability. They will need to be sharp because Uruguay have not left too many chances on the field. Uruguay was one of the original powers of soccer 80 years ago, but for much of the latter half of the World Cup's existence they have been next to irrelevant. South Korea has not had much success off the continent of Asia, where they had that magical run 8 years ago. Park Ji-Sung will have to be near his top ability to get his teammates and himself going against a tough offensive/defensive style that Uruguay has used as they shut out their opponents in group play. Uruguay outlasted a very good Mexico team while South Korea finished second to Argentina in their group. Uruguay hold a substantial edge in the head to head matchup and South Korea has struggled historically against South American teams. That wouldn't be the ultimate decider in this one, but will be a side factor. Uruguay's attack has been more deadly than South Korea's. Expect the South Koreans though to put a lot of pressure on the Uruguayan defense. PREDICTION: URUGUAY 2, SOUTH KOREA 1
United States vs Ghana:
The United States needed a win late against Algeria and Landon Donovan delivered with a striking kick in injury time. Ghana on the other hand will have the whole continent of South Africa behind them as the rest of the teams that qualified failed to reach the Round of 16. Ghana's run is also surprising because they have been without Michael Essien, but Asamoah Gyan has carried the load getting timely penalty kicks when needed. They lack a strong offensive effort thus have put most of their gameplan on defense. Both teams are riding a wave of support. Back in America, the nation is captivated by the Americans chance to make a run this year. While Africa is going to be blasting their vuvuzelas all day and night for Ghana. Ghana eliminated the United States four years ago in the group stage. Ghana is very crafty and have made it this far with speed; speed the Americans will have to be beware of. The two teams are not too different in terms of ability, but this seems like the Americans' game to get revenge and move one step closer. PREDICTION: United States 2, Ghana 1
Germany vs England:
This is one of the best Round of 16 matchups. The two teams and countries have a lengthy history. Germany has had a habit of crushing the English's dreams. This is their fifth meeting in World Cup play and each previous encounter has gone the distance and then some as 90 minutes was never enough. England has underachieved overall with stars like Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard, and Steven Gerrard. They have barely showed up especially Rooney who garners a lot of attention. For Germany, Miroslav Klose will be back on the field and will get the German engine going with the young stars, Thomas Muller and Mesut Ozil. This certainly is a bigger matchup than this round, but we will see how it plays out. Germany has played fairly stellar while England looked like it was barely going to get out of group play. A loss by either could be viewed as a failure especially for England with all those names. Not sure if they will go past 90 minutes, but it should be close. If the Germans go up by a couple, it might be tricky for England to rebound. PREDICTION: GERMANY 3, ENGLAND 2
Argentina vs Mexico:
Argentina had little trouble in group play and look to be a favorite to win it all. Lionel Messi has yet to get a goal, but he has done enough to get his teammates involved as Diego Maradona has Argentina playing at a high level. Mexico started slow, but finished pretty good. Uruguay got the best of them to win Group A and avoid Argentina. Argentina has held a strong advantage over Mexico in their last several matchups including a Round of 16 matchup four years ago. Gonzalo Higuain has led the way for Argentina including a hat trick against South Korea and Carlos Tevez is equally as deadly for Argentina. Mexico has a good enough offense that combat against Argentina, but Argentina's depth getting them such a big edge. PREDICTION: ARGENTINA 3, MEXICO 1
Netherlands vs Slovakia:
The Netherlands had little trouble in the group stage and hope to turn that success into their first World Cup title. They are certainly one of the best soccer nations to have not won a World Cup. The Dutch get a favorable draw in the Round of 16 with a matchup with Slovakia. Behind Robert Vittek, Slovakia shocked Italy and find themselves in the Round of 16 for the first time as an independent nation. Arjen Robben is back in the lineup for the Netherlands and that only makes them stronger. Robin van Persie has also carried his weight thus far alongside Wesley Sneijder. The Dutch have not been flashy, but still effective and sound enough to do damage. The attacking style of the Netherlands will be tough for Slovakia. However, Slovakia has shown that they will be no gimme win. The winner of this matchup will most likely draw Brazil in the next round. PREDICTION: NETHERLANDS 2, SLOVAKIA 0
Brazil vs Chile:
After seeing South American dominate the group stage, two will meet in this Round of 16 game. Chile is playing very good, but draw a tough opponent in Brazil. Also of note, Brazil was without both Kaka and Robinho against Portugal in their last group game and will have both back for this one. Brazil has dominated the series including a World Cup matchup 12 years ago and twice during qualifying. Humberto Suazo has not been healthy for Chile and is a major part of their team and will be a gametime decision for them. Chile has the firepower to keep up with Brazil at time, but it will be tough to keep the Brazil offense down for long and they can score from so many areas. Chile has played good defense and Brazil under Dunga has looked to be defensive instead of their usual wide open offense attack. PREDICTION: BRAZIL 3, CHILE 0
Paraguay vs Japan:
Both Paraguay and Japan were not expect to do too much. Now one of them will find themselves in the quarterfinals with a win. Paraguay did enough in a weak Group F while Japan handled their business against most of their group. Both have relied mostly on defense and it might not be a pretty game, but a defensive one. Keisuke Honda is a big reason for Japan's success and will be counted upon again to get their offense going. Roque Santa Cruz is the star for Paraguay, but like other stars in this year's World Cup he has been fairly cold. The winner would advance to a tough game against either Spain or Portugal. This one should be close. PREDICTION: PARAGUAY 1, JAPAN 0
Spain vs Portugal:
Spain has recovered from the opening loss to Switzerland and seemed poised again to make a run. Portugal has also looked good as they have played very tough defense. They even held Brazil scoreless. David Villa has led the way thus far for Spain as he is one of the stars of this year's World Cup and the better he is playing; the harder it will be to defeat Spain. Spain will have a tough time early on cracking the Portuguese defense, but Portugal cannot rest on that defense either if they plan on advancing. Cristiano Ronaldo got a goal against North Korea and is seen as the main attacker for Portugal. He will have to play up to expectations if the Portuguese want to improve their chances of winning. Portugal made it to the semis four years ago while Spain is looking to move far in this year's World Cup. A strong defensive battle will give way to one score in the second half. PREDICTION: SPAIN 1, PORTUGAL 0
After a bit of unpredictably in the group stage games, we will see many of the favorites start to establish themselves further. We should see some close, down to the end battles and a couple offensive showings. This is where the World Cup gets good as top teams start to face off against each other.
The Affects of a Later School Start for Teens
I am not the greatest morning person. I remember those mornings in high school when I was waking up before the sun came up. There was definitely something about those days. I would have to go roughly ten hours most school days between school and activities. And most of those days, I certainly did not feel like I had all my energy. I would crave the five minute nap before the first period of the day. Some days, I could even stretch that to ten.
But, what if the day started later? I wonder how much different I would have felt. Would I have gone to bed any earlier? If not, how much would that extra time play in me feeling refreshed for the school day?
Well, recently there was a research done and published in the Archive of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.
The research involved pushing a school day back a half hour for teens to study if there were significant benefits. The obvious features included: sleep, alertness, mood, and their overall feeling. This is the latest study on the subject and this is only a piece of the puzzle on the topic. But as the study and research shows; it is a big piece.
The study featured 201 high school students, who attended St. George's in Newport, RI. The research took place over the first couple months of this 2010 (January 6th to March 6th). The student usually started the day at 8:00am, but that was pushed back to 8:30am. It may have only been 30 minutes, but there was a big difference in the students. The study showed that students were not only getting that extra 30 minutes, but went to bed earlier than before giving them an average of 45 minutes more of sleep. The affect of the winter months was considered on the outcome. Normally, when the weather is nicer; there might be more of distraction for students and they might not go to bed early enough. However, the extra sleep that students were getting was encouraging them to want to go to bed "on time" or early.
I recall barely getting seven hours if I was lucky most night especially senior year. During this study, the amount of students getting fewer than seven hours of sleep a night dropped by close to 80% and the amount getting eight or more hours a night jumped from 16.4% to a whopping 54%.7. I can attest that when I get more sleep I am more alert and aware and generally slightly more happy. That was the case here as well. Students were more alert and did not feel too tired for class or after school activities. Students were happy and more integrated during the day. Students were going to classes and were on time; trends that were not occurring as much before the study. And scores on the Depressed Mode Scale were below the normal average.
With all this information, many might jump up and demand that school days start later if these benefits were to occur. There are no guarantees that are cases will have similar results. Also, there is a political and touchy matter around pushing back a school day. Additionally, will this information trickle into businesses and other areas?
It is tough to say what results and actions might come of this latest study. But one thing is for sure, sleep is an x-factor for all of us. With more of it, we perform better. With more of it, we are generally happier. And with more of it, the days do not seem as long and unproductive.
I was able to perform very well throughout high school with an average of less than seven hours of sleep a night. But, I would have loved that extra half hour of sleep. I would definitely like to see if more studies are done and what the results are. Then, we might have some more tangible evidence to move forward with tweaking the school days. In the end, we want to see students achieve their fullest potential and if pushing the school day back 30 minutes leads to better results; why not do it.
But, what if the day started later? I wonder how much different I would have felt. Would I have gone to bed any earlier? If not, how much would that extra time play in me feeling refreshed for the school day?
Well, recently there was a research done and published in the Archive of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.
The research involved pushing a school day back a half hour for teens to study if there were significant benefits. The obvious features included: sleep, alertness, mood, and their overall feeling. This is the latest study on the subject and this is only a piece of the puzzle on the topic. But as the study and research shows; it is a big piece.
The study featured 201 high school students, who attended St. George's in Newport, RI. The research took place over the first couple months of this 2010 (January 6th to March 6th). The student usually started the day at 8:00am, but that was pushed back to 8:30am. It may have only been 30 minutes, but there was a big difference in the students. The study showed that students were not only getting that extra 30 minutes, but went to bed earlier than before giving them an average of 45 minutes more of sleep. The affect of the winter months was considered on the outcome. Normally, when the weather is nicer; there might be more of distraction for students and they might not go to bed early enough. However, the extra sleep that students were getting was encouraging them to want to go to bed "on time" or early.
I recall barely getting seven hours if I was lucky most night especially senior year. During this study, the amount of students getting fewer than seven hours of sleep a night dropped by close to 80% and the amount getting eight or more hours a night jumped from 16.4% to a whopping 54%.7. I can attest that when I get more sleep I am more alert and aware and generally slightly more happy. That was the case here as well. Students were more alert and did not feel too tired for class or after school activities. Students were happy and more integrated during the day. Students were going to classes and were on time; trends that were not occurring as much before the study. And scores on the Depressed Mode Scale were below the normal average.
With all this information, many might jump up and demand that school days start later if these benefits were to occur. There are no guarantees that are cases will have similar results. Also, there is a political and touchy matter around pushing back a school day. Additionally, will this information trickle into businesses and other areas?
It is tough to say what results and actions might come of this latest study. But one thing is for sure, sleep is an x-factor for all of us. With more of it, we perform better. With more of it, we are generally happier. And with more of it, the days do not seem as long and unproductive.
I was able to perform very well throughout high school with an average of less than seven hours of sleep a night. But, I would have loved that extra half hour of sleep. I would definitely like to see if more studies are done and what the results are. Then, we might have some more tangible evidence to move forward with tweaking the school days. In the end, we want to see students achieve their fullest potential and if pushing the school day back 30 minutes leads to better results; why not do it.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Attack on Census Takers
As I read the different papers/websites on a daily basis, I come across the major headlines that usually make the nightly news or show up on either CNN, MSNBC, or Fox News. But then there are other articles or stories that catch my eye. They can be funny or serious or something in between. I came across one earlier that left me more angry than amused.
At this point most people should be aware that there is a census going on this year. Every 10 years the federal government takes a census of the United States population. Some are not the biggest fans of it and often fight the need to fill it out and return it. After a census is done, each state can re-access how many people make up their state and districts are redrawn based on results. Some states gain representatives for the U.S. House of Representatives while others lose them based on the population of a given state.
Well, when there is anger amongst the nation; it should not be a total shock that there are several people who are going to be hostile about simply answering a handful of questions. And the people at risk are the census takers. At this point in the process, the census taker workers are going door-to-door and finding out the hard way that there are some inhumane individuals in some of our cities.
As we saw last summer; insidious comments, malice, and signs of violence has found their way into parts of our society. Now census takers are being shot at with pellet guns and hit by baseball bats. Patio furniture, lawn mowers, and pickaxes have been either thrown at them or threatened with them. Also ducks have nipped at them and dogs have barked at them as well as in some cases; they have bitten them.
At this point, the Census Bureau has reported 379 incidents involving either threats or actual assaults geared towards the 635,000 census workers. That total of 379 is more than double the 181 incidents that were reported ten years ago. Weapons were involved in roughly 1/3rd of the reports. And now as this phase of census intake reaches it end, many of these takers who are being threatened are walking away early because they fear for their lives.
The anger that the takers are encountering is coming from those who find the census as being intrusive by the government. One taker had a tug-of-war of sorts with one resident over their form in Florida. Another was cursed and spat at in Houston, TX. One day this particular person was attacked by one homeowner's tirade that led to them throwing a table. The anger these two census were met with led them to quit their jobs for fear of their lives. One of the regional census directors for the DC area notices that the anti-government is high, but not much higher than usual. However, it is much more vociferous. The passion level is higher, which makes the environment a lot more unsafe.
Some of these attacks have been infrequent, but the robberies or carjacking are borderline scary. As is a census taker being shot at multiple times or a census taker being pulled into someone's home. Another worker was attacked by a pit bull and still has a bit of an injury from it.
Part of the commentary that the census workers are hearing are that some of these census takers are agents of Obama. One worker in Washington heard something along those lines for example. In California, two census workers, who were not technically trespassing as per their rights as census takers, were met by hostility from a resident who chased them down with a crossbow. No charges were brought against the individual. Another resident in Ohio attacked a census taker under the same premise as the previous example except this time the homeowner hit the census taker because he thought he was a trespasser as well as a census taker. This person was at least charged with the felony of assault. The injuries that one census taker received from a dog has forced them to go to doctors and the census is paying for all those medical bills.
All of these incidents have caused census workers to ask the Census Bureau to allow them to have weapons. After this census cycle is complete, Bureau officials will review everything that transpired. As we have seen thus far, several workers have quite already and many more who finish this cycle do not plan on returning for future work after what they encountered. Someone's life outranks doing something for the good of the state and country.
Now I completely understand if you do not agree with government policies, but the census is something that I still cannot wrap my head around why so many people get so infuriated. It does not ask you anything more than you would put on your tax returns each April. Actually, it is far less. Your name, address, and number of people in your household make up the base part of the form. It took me two minutes to answer the questions. I did not feel like I was revealing anything too personal.
These census forms help the federal government as well as the state government determine many things in addition to the overall population. These census takers would not have to come knock on your door if you simply just took to the couple minutes and filled out the form and sent it back. And, as much as I do not support the decision; if you feel the need to kindly tell the person who comes to your "No thank you", I would almost understand that. But what puts me off the top and the reason for this post is the audacity that some of these people have. What the hell gives you the right to chase someone with a gun, a crossbow, a table, a chair, or any other weapon or object. Or in some cases, letting your dog out after the census worker. It brings back memories of some of the stupidity I witnessed last summer over the health care debate. It is a strength to call some of these people humans and almost begs the argument that they deserve to be in a special center.
These census workers do not make your laws. They don't decide your fate. They are hardworking people who are trying to provide for their family and put some money in their pockets. Most of these jobs are not full time and they will be out of a job at some point. Don't you think that they are a little worried about life after this. So, have a little decency and grow up. Stop bickering over a little form that isn't going to take your house or job or whatever you think you might lose over sending it in.
Attacking a harmless man or woman who is unarmed is simply a sign of cowardice. But as I have seen over the last couple years, the wingnuts in the media and mostly the Republican Party have only stoked this type of behavior. This is just another example of one of the things wrong with this country.
At this point most people should be aware that there is a census going on this year. Every 10 years the federal government takes a census of the United States population. Some are not the biggest fans of it and often fight the need to fill it out and return it. After a census is done, each state can re-access how many people make up their state and districts are redrawn based on results. Some states gain representatives for the U.S. House of Representatives while others lose them based on the population of a given state.
Well, when there is anger amongst the nation; it should not be a total shock that there are several people who are going to be hostile about simply answering a handful of questions. And the people at risk are the census takers. At this point in the process, the census taker workers are going door-to-door and finding out the hard way that there are some inhumane individuals in some of our cities.
As we saw last summer; insidious comments, malice, and signs of violence has found their way into parts of our society. Now census takers are being shot at with pellet guns and hit by baseball bats. Patio furniture, lawn mowers, and pickaxes have been either thrown at them or threatened with them. Also ducks have nipped at them and dogs have barked at them as well as in some cases; they have bitten them.
At this point, the Census Bureau has reported 379 incidents involving either threats or actual assaults geared towards the 635,000 census workers. That total of 379 is more than double the 181 incidents that were reported ten years ago. Weapons were involved in roughly 1/3rd of the reports. And now as this phase of census intake reaches it end, many of these takers who are being threatened are walking away early because they fear for their lives.
The anger that the takers are encountering is coming from those who find the census as being intrusive by the government. One taker had a tug-of-war of sorts with one resident over their form in Florida. Another was cursed and spat at in Houston, TX. One day this particular person was attacked by one homeowner's tirade that led to them throwing a table. The anger these two census were met with led them to quit their jobs for fear of their lives. One of the regional census directors for the DC area notices that the anti-government is high, but not much higher than usual. However, it is much more vociferous. The passion level is higher, which makes the environment a lot more unsafe.
Some of these attacks have been infrequent, but the robberies or carjacking are borderline scary. As is a census taker being shot at multiple times or a census taker being pulled into someone's home. Another worker was attacked by a pit bull and still has a bit of an injury from it.
Part of the commentary that the census workers are hearing are that some of these census takers are agents of Obama. One worker in Washington heard something along those lines for example. In California, two census workers, who were not technically trespassing as per their rights as census takers, were met by hostility from a resident who chased them down with a crossbow. No charges were brought against the individual. Another resident in Ohio attacked a census taker under the same premise as the previous example except this time the homeowner hit the census taker because he thought he was a trespasser as well as a census taker. This person was at least charged with the felony of assault. The injuries that one census taker received from a dog has forced them to go to doctors and the census is paying for all those medical bills.
All of these incidents have caused census workers to ask the Census Bureau to allow them to have weapons. After this census cycle is complete, Bureau officials will review everything that transpired. As we have seen thus far, several workers have quite already and many more who finish this cycle do not plan on returning for future work after what they encountered. Someone's life outranks doing something for the good of the state and country.
Now I completely understand if you do not agree with government policies, but the census is something that I still cannot wrap my head around why so many people get so infuriated. It does not ask you anything more than you would put on your tax returns each April. Actually, it is far less. Your name, address, and number of people in your household make up the base part of the form. It took me two minutes to answer the questions. I did not feel like I was revealing anything too personal.
These census forms help the federal government as well as the state government determine many things in addition to the overall population. These census takers would not have to come knock on your door if you simply just took to the couple minutes and filled out the form and sent it back. And, as much as I do not support the decision; if you feel the need to kindly tell the person who comes to your "No thank you", I would almost understand that. But what puts me off the top and the reason for this post is the audacity that some of these people have. What the hell gives you the right to chase someone with a gun, a crossbow, a table, a chair, or any other weapon or object. Or in some cases, letting your dog out after the census worker. It brings back memories of some of the stupidity I witnessed last summer over the health care debate. It is a strength to call some of these people humans and almost begs the argument that they deserve to be in a special center.
These census workers do not make your laws. They don't decide your fate. They are hardworking people who are trying to provide for their family and put some money in their pockets. Most of these jobs are not full time and they will be out of a job at some point. Don't you think that they are a little worried about life after this. So, have a little decency and grow up. Stop bickering over a little form that isn't going to take your house or job or whatever you think you might lose over sending it in.
Attacking a harmless man or woman who is unarmed is simply a sign of cowardice. But as I have seen over the last couple years, the wingnuts in the media and mostly the Republican Party have only stoked this type of behavior. This is just another example of one of the things wrong with this country.
World Cup Preview- Third and Last Set
The thrilling action continued with the last 16 games. Brazil and Netherlands are the only two countries who are positioned to move to the Round of 16. Cameroon is the only team eliminated. Thus the field is still wide open. A lot of draws and some surprising results have tilted the World Cup. Italy, France, and England: all favorites to get to the knockout rounds are all in jeopardy of losing in the group stage. We might see a few underdogs teams sneak into the next round, but most of the favorites are still in great shape and these last games are not only for them to qualify for the next round, but to make a statement. After 32 games, my record stands at 18-14 after a .500 second set. Just when you think you might have a team figured out, one possession or one goal can make the difference or a change a result just like that. Time to finish out the group stage.
GROUP A
Mexico vs Uruguay:
These two teams control their own fate and are essentially playing for which one will win the group and most likely avoid a matchup with Argentina. This matchup features a lot of open offense with Uruguay being a bit of surprise with the way they have attacked the field with ease with Diego Forlan scoring goals. They seemed poised to not only get out of the group stage for the first time in 20 years, but possibly make a bit of run. Their defense is what might be even more impressive as both France and South Africa struggled to get much going. Mexico will need Javier Hernandez to match Diego Forlan in terms of creating opportunities for goals. This game will turn on the tempo as whichever team pushes the other will gain the advantage that could carry them to a victory. PREDICTION: MEXICO 1, URUGUAY 1
France vs South Africa:
South Africa has been riding a rollercoaster of excitement since they got the World Cup awarded. That dream of being involved looks to be on its last legs as even with a win over France, they look to be eliminated in the group stage. They would become the first host nation to not advance to the knockout rounds. They do catch a France team in complete free fall that is probably just waiting for this World Cup to be over for them. Their best player Nicolas Anelka was dismissed and the rest of team walked out at practice. Tying Mexico was a major accomplishment for Bafana Bafana, but the air was taken out by Uruguay. For the French, they barely got in to the World Cup and have been atrocious on the field. They lack passion and focus. France has spiraled out of control and might barely show up on the field. Quite the fall over four years. South Africa will not be at 100% with penalties affecting a few players, but will play up to France. PREDICTION: FRANCE 0, SOUTH AFRICA 1
GROUP B
Greece vs Argentina:
This is pretty much a freebie for Argentina, but Diego Maradona will put a very good team on the field that will still impress. The World Cup is so short that you don't want to lose any momentum because there is no time to find it if it gets lost. Argentina has dominated their first two opponents and look even more like a potential favorite to win it all. They have slowly improved and Lionel Messi has yet to truly break out. Gonzalo Higuain was unstoppable against South Korea as he provided the first hat trick of this World Cup. They have found ways to move the ball around that make it tough for defenses to slow them down. Greece will have their backs against the walls as the other game in the group can decide their fate if they don't upset the Argentinians. The Greeks broke through a bit against Nigeria, but will have to raise their play and depend greatly on their defense to slow the Argentina attack. PREDICTION: ARGENTINA 2, GREECE 0
Nigeria vs South Korea:
This is one of the intriguing matchups of the last set of games as each can advance with Argentina. Nigeria despite losing two games has shown signs that they can be threat and have let mistakes cost them. South Korea has shown a lot of speed despite not being a great team overall. They really are pretty evenly matched. PREDICTION: NIGERIA 2, SOUTH KOREA 2
GROUP C
Slovenia vs England:
England looked slow and lethargic again in their second game while Slovenia was shocked by an American comeback. England has put themselves in a virtual must win against Slovenia. The hopes of the English team has been dampened with each game. They have the talent, but cannot put it together on the field. Star Wayne Rooney has been practically invisible and will be counted on to contribute all other stars. The pressure will most likely allow England to raise their game. Slovenia only needs a tie, but has shown they can challenge a team not working together like England. PREDICTION: SLOVENIA 0, ENGLAND 1
United States vs Algeria:
It is win and you are in for the United States. The Americans have allowed early goals that have forced them to rally, which is dangerous if they were to face better teams. They will need to work on avoiding such a scenario in this one or they might be out. Landon Donovan has come up big for the U.S. in the first two games and will be looked upon to carry the torch again. Algeria has yet to score, but also has only given up one goal in two games. Each team will press the other into a mistake. Algeria will be a challenge for the United States if they allow them to. PREDICTION: UNITED STATES 2, ALGERIA 0
GROUP D
Australia vs Serbia:
Both of these teams have been a bit tricky to figure out. Australia got routed to start then fell apart. Serbia looked surprised and unprepared to start and then shocked Germany. Serbia can move on with a win while Ghana-Germany might decide their fate in the end. Australia will be without a couple players including Harry Kewell. Tim Cahill does return for the Australians and might be enough of boost. At the same time Aleksandar Lukovic returns for the Serbs and can cross cancel Cahill. I think we see a combination of the first two games for both. PREDICTION: AUSTRALIA 1, SERBIA 1
Ghana vs Germany:
Germany is another favorite that might be jeopardy of not reaching the knockout round after a loss to Serbia. The Germans will be without Miroslav Klose and will depend on much of their young nucleus. Ghana has yet to truly get going, but are positioned to win the group. Asamoah Gyan has been their whole offense through penalty kicks. Ghana will have to create a lot of opportunities. Germany lost a bit of their identity in the loss to Serbia; they find it again in this one. PREDICTION: GHANA 0, GERMANY 2
GROUP E
Cameroon vs Netherlands:
The Netherlands have looked like a well oiled machine so far. Some might criticize their lack of pizazz, but a win is still a win. This matchup has little impact as Cameroon has been eliminated and the Dutch are through to the next round. Arjen Robben might be back in the lineup for the Dutch and could only add problems for Cameroon. Wesley Sneijder has done a great job thus far setting the tone for the Netherlands. These are two teams positioned at two different ends of the spectrum. Both will continue their trend so far through the group stage. PREDICTION: CAMEROON 0, NETHERLANDS 2
Denmark vs Japan:
This is a winner take all type of game. Both are positioned to join the Netherlands in the knockout rounds. Japan is in a better position and can settle for a draw. Both teams have relied more on defense as they have not gotten their respective offenses truly going. This will most likely turn into a close one that might come down to one crucial goal. PREDICTION: DENMARK 0, JAPAN 1
GROUP F
Paraguay vs New Zealand:
Paraguay is in position to win Group F while New Zealand has played hard in both their games to force two draws. After seeing what New Zealand has done, this is not an automatic win anymore for Paraguay. Paraguay will need to find holes in New Zealand's surprising defense. PREDICTION: PARAGUAY 1, NEW ZEALAND 1
Slovakia vs Italy:
Italy is reeling after barely getting a draw against New Zealand and now find themselves in serious jeopardy of not getting out of the group stage and leaving in major disappointment. Besides Vincenzo Inquinta, most of the Italian attack has been quiet. They might consider some lineup changes because obviously some guys on the field are lacking that extra kick. Andrea Pirlo is still doubtful, but if he is healthy he might be enough of a boost to at least get them out of the group stage. Slovakia might be the antidote to their problem, but Robert Vittek might get his teammates going. They have lacked shots and chances and if Italy allows them to get started, they might find an opening. Marik Hamsik on the other hand has been next to invisible for the Slovaks. PREDICTION: SLOVAKIA 0, ITALY 1
GROUP G
North Korea vs Ivory Coast:
Due to Portugal's destruction of North Korea, the Ivory Coast needs to score almost 10 goals in this one to move on. Thus it seems next to impossible for the Ivory Coast to move on, but that will not stop them from trying. North Korea used defense to hold Brazil to two goals, but fell apart as Portugal continued to press them. This is close to a friendly, but expect Ivory Coast to play with a lot of heart and maybe see a few things from North Korea. PREDICTION: NORTH KOREA 0, IVORY COAST 3
Portugal vs Brazil:
Both teams seem to be hitting a nice stride right now. Both have looked to their defenses so far yet they can definitely score a lot. Portugal will need to be at their best because Brazil is very good at taking advantage of openings. Cristiano Ronaldo finally found the net against North Korea, but it was a bonus goal of sort as the game was pretty much over at that point. These two certainly will look to edge out the other. PREDICTION: PORTUGAL 1, BRAZIL 1
GROUP H
Chile vs Spain:
Spain looked like a favorite again in their last game while Chile has shown a flair for the dramatic as they have been able to move the ball fairly well while playing tough defense. David Villa continues to shine for Spain and will be counted on to set the tone if Spain is to win. Both teams know that Switzerland is lurking and might knock the loser out. PREDICTION: CHILE 1, SPAIN 2
Switzerland vs Honduras:
Switzerland has overall played very good defense, but will need enough offense against Honduras to secure a spot in knockout rounds. Honduras has had little offense and might be just the solution for the Swiss. PREDICTION: SWITZERLAND 1, HONDURAS 0
Well, we are on the edge of the Round of 16 and half the field will be eliminated. Cup perennials France, Italy, England, and Spain might be on the outside looking in. Brazil and Netherlands are the only countries sitting completely safe, but still jockeying for position. There should be a lot of good games as the field is still wide open.
GROUP A
Mexico vs Uruguay:
These two teams control their own fate and are essentially playing for which one will win the group and most likely avoid a matchup with Argentina. This matchup features a lot of open offense with Uruguay being a bit of surprise with the way they have attacked the field with ease with Diego Forlan scoring goals. They seemed poised to not only get out of the group stage for the first time in 20 years, but possibly make a bit of run. Their defense is what might be even more impressive as both France and South Africa struggled to get much going. Mexico will need Javier Hernandez to match Diego Forlan in terms of creating opportunities for goals. This game will turn on the tempo as whichever team pushes the other will gain the advantage that could carry them to a victory. PREDICTION: MEXICO 1, URUGUAY 1
France vs South Africa:
South Africa has been riding a rollercoaster of excitement since they got the World Cup awarded. That dream of being involved looks to be on its last legs as even with a win over France, they look to be eliminated in the group stage. They would become the first host nation to not advance to the knockout rounds. They do catch a France team in complete free fall that is probably just waiting for this World Cup to be over for them. Their best player Nicolas Anelka was dismissed and the rest of team walked out at practice. Tying Mexico was a major accomplishment for Bafana Bafana, but the air was taken out by Uruguay. For the French, they barely got in to the World Cup and have been atrocious on the field. They lack passion and focus. France has spiraled out of control and might barely show up on the field. Quite the fall over four years. South Africa will not be at 100% with penalties affecting a few players, but will play up to France. PREDICTION: FRANCE 0, SOUTH AFRICA 1
GROUP B
Greece vs Argentina:
This is pretty much a freebie for Argentina, but Diego Maradona will put a very good team on the field that will still impress. The World Cup is so short that you don't want to lose any momentum because there is no time to find it if it gets lost. Argentina has dominated their first two opponents and look even more like a potential favorite to win it all. They have slowly improved and Lionel Messi has yet to truly break out. Gonzalo Higuain was unstoppable against South Korea as he provided the first hat trick of this World Cup. They have found ways to move the ball around that make it tough for defenses to slow them down. Greece will have their backs against the walls as the other game in the group can decide their fate if they don't upset the Argentinians. The Greeks broke through a bit against Nigeria, but will have to raise their play and depend greatly on their defense to slow the Argentina attack. PREDICTION: ARGENTINA 2, GREECE 0
Nigeria vs South Korea:
This is one of the intriguing matchups of the last set of games as each can advance with Argentina. Nigeria despite losing two games has shown signs that they can be threat and have let mistakes cost them. South Korea has shown a lot of speed despite not being a great team overall. They really are pretty evenly matched. PREDICTION: NIGERIA 2, SOUTH KOREA 2
GROUP C
Slovenia vs England:
England looked slow and lethargic again in their second game while Slovenia was shocked by an American comeback. England has put themselves in a virtual must win against Slovenia. The hopes of the English team has been dampened with each game. They have the talent, but cannot put it together on the field. Star Wayne Rooney has been practically invisible and will be counted on to contribute all other stars. The pressure will most likely allow England to raise their game. Slovenia only needs a tie, but has shown they can challenge a team not working together like England. PREDICTION: SLOVENIA 0, ENGLAND 1
United States vs Algeria:
It is win and you are in for the United States. The Americans have allowed early goals that have forced them to rally, which is dangerous if they were to face better teams. They will need to work on avoiding such a scenario in this one or they might be out. Landon Donovan has come up big for the U.S. in the first two games and will be looked upon to carry the torch again. Algeria has yet to score, but also has only given up one goal in two games. Each team will press the other into a mistake. Algeria will be a challenge for the United States if they allow them to. PREDICTION: UNITED STATES 2, ALGERIA 0
GROUP D
Australia vs Serbia:
Both of these teams have been a bit tricky to figure out. Australia got routed to start then fell apart. Serbia looked surprised and unprepared to start and then shocked Germany. Serbia can move on with a win while Ghana-Germany might decide their fate in the end. Australia will be without a couple players including Harry Kewell. Tim Cahill does return for the Australians and might be enough of boost. At the same time Aleksandar Lukovic returns for the Serbs and can cross cancel Cahill. I think we see a combination of the first two games for both. PREDICTION: AUSTRALIA 1, SERBIA 1
Ghana vs Germany:
Germany is another favorite that might be jeopardy of not reaching the knockout round after a loss to Serbia. The Germans will be without Miroslav Klose and will depend on much of their young nucleus. Ghana has yet to truly get going, but are positioned to win the group. Asamoah Gyan has been their whole offense through penalty kicks. Ghana will have to create a lot of opportunities. Germany lost a bit of their identity in the loss to Serbia; they find it again in this one. PREDICTION: GHANA 0, GERMANY 2
GROUP E
Cameroon vs Netherlands:
The Netherlands have looked like a well oiled machine so far. Some might criticize their lack of pizazz, but a win is still a win. This matchup has little impact as Cameroon has been eliminated and the Dutch are through to the next round. Arjen Robben might be back in the lineup for the Dutch and could only add problems for Cameroon. Wesley Sneijder has done a great job thus far setting the tone for the Netherlands. These are two teams positioned at two different ends of the spectrum. Both will continue their trend so far through the group stage. PREDICTION: CAMEROON 0, NETHERLANDS 2
Denmark vs Japan:
This is a winner take all type of game. Both are positioned to join the Netherlands in the knockout rounds. Japan is in a better position and can settle for a draw. Both teams have relied more on defense as they have not gotten their respective offenses truly going. This will most likely turn into a close one that might come down to one crucial goal. PREDICTION: DENMARK 0, JAPAN 1
GROUP F
Paraguay vs New Zealand:
Paraguay is in position to win Group F while New Zealand has played hard in both their games to force two draws. After seeing what New Zealand has done, this is not an automatic win anymore for Paraguay. Paraguay will need to find holes in New Zealand's surprising defense. PREDICTION: PARAGUAY 1, NEW ZEALAND 1
Slovakia vs Italy:
Italy is reeling after barely getting a draw against New Zealand and now find themselves in serious jeopardy of not getting out of the group stage and leaving in major disappointment. Besides Vincenzo Inquinta, most of the Italian attack has been quiet. They might consider some lineup changes because obviously some guys on the field are lacking that extra kick. Andrea Pirlo is still doubtful, but if he is healthy he might be enough of a boost to at least get them out of the group stage. Slovakia might be the antidote to their problem, but Robert Vittek might get his teammates going. They have lacked shots and chances and if Italy allows them to get started, they might find an opening. Marik Hamsik on the other hand has been next to invisible for the Slovaks. PREDICTION: SLOVAKIA 0, ITALY 1
GROUP G
North Korea vs Ivory Coast:
Due to Portugal's destruction of North Korea, the Ivory Coast needs to score almost 10 goals in this one to move on. Thus it seems next to impossible for the Ivory Coast to move on, but that will not stop them from trying. North Korea used defense to hold Brazil to two goals, but fell apart as Portugal continued to press them. This is close to a friendly, but expect Ivory Coast to play with a lot of heart and maybe see a few things from North Korea. PREDICTION: NORTH KOREA 0, IVORY COAST 3
Portugal vs Brazil:
Both teams seem to be hitting a nice stride right now. Both have looked to their defenses so far yet they can definitely score a lot. Portugal will need to be at their best because Brazil is very good at taking advantage of openings. Cristiano Ronaldo finally found the net against North Korea, but it was a bonus goal of sort as the game was pretty much over at that point. These two certainly will look to edge out the other. PREDICTION: PORTUGAL 1, BRAZIL 1
GROUP H
Chile vs Spain:
Spain looked like a favorite again in their last game while Chile has shown a flair for the dramatic as they have been able to move the ball fairly well while playing tough defense. David Villa continues to shine for Spain and will be counted on to set the tone if Spain is to win. Both teams know that Switzerland is lurking and might knock the loser out. PREDICTION: CHILE 1, SPAIN 2
Switzerland vs Honduras:
Switzerland has overall played very good defense, but will need enough offense against Honduras to secure a spot in knockout rounds. Honduras has had little offense and might be just the solution for the Swiss. PREDICTION: SWITZERLAND 1, HONDURAS 0
Well, we are on the edge of the Round of 16 and half the field will be eliminated. Cup perennials France, Italy, England, and Spain might be on the outside looking in. Brazil and Netherlands are the only countries sitting completely safe, but still jockeying for position. There should be a lot of good games as the field is still wide open.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Beggars Can't Be Choosers...More Like Graduates Can't Be Choosers
As someone who graduated from college in 2009, I fall into that group of recent graduates of the last couple years who have fallen into unstable job market with no much to grab onto. A lot of us how stellar academic records, extracurricular activities, and on the job training; also known as internships or light job experience. However, despite many of our best efforts; we still struggle to find a career that we hoped to land after four years of hard work in college. I guess that bachelors degree doesn't carry the same wait? I guess we have to be a little more realistic and less inclined to find that perfect job than many of our predecessors?
Last year at this time I was a recent college graduate with the feeling of success at my back and the feeling of uncertainty ahead of me. It was the worst job market we have seen in a long time. Many of us prepared months ahead in hopes of graduating with at least some certainty. Whether it be landing a job in their field of interest. Or whether it be setting up a handful of interviews for the coming weeks. Or whether it be having applied to several places and at least know that you have put in a dent of sorts in the mountain of landing a job.
I know that things were going to be different after four years at Rutgers University. I was going to be back home and not around many of my closest friends on a daily or nightly basis. I also knew that by the end of the year I was going to be receiving my monthly reminder that it is time to start paying back those student loans. Many people I knew were trying to scrap by to keep a job at the mall or a low end position that they might have had during college because they knew that it would ensure that they would at least have money for spending and any financial needs they had.
The horror stories of my graduating class were passed down to the incoming seniors and soon to be graduating class of 2010. I hardly heard much from the graduating class before me. The recession had yet to hit the hardest so "the fire" was not lit early on like the one that might have been lit by my contemporaries to those below us. The numbers were grim. Roughly 1 out of 5 graduates had landed job that would give them somewhat long term stability and was what they wanted to be doing. Of that number, I am sure that some might have been stretching the truth a bit as they were probably happy they found something at least remotely close to what they wanted. This past graduating class that type of statistic in the back of their mind as they worked their way through their senior year.
That perspective gave the class of 2010 a different approach; one that I began to adopt myself struggling for a few months trying to land that career job: do not get a perfect job, but just a job. Career services centers became even more vital and networking became a near necessity. Instead of trying to land a job they wanted, graduates and soon-to-be graduates took the first offer they got in fear of not getting anything.
Another avenue that many that I graduated with and whom graduated this year took was to hold off a career and go to graduate school. Increased applications for graduate schools especially law schools took a big increase in 2009 and 2010. Additionally, service oriented organizations like Teach for America saw an increase in applicants the last couple years. In 2010, 46,000 applications were sent in and was the top employer at some universities.
A recent survey taken showed that 13,000 graduating seniors revealed that 39% had received job offers and 59% had accepted them, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers. Compared to last year, the numbers were: 40% had received offers and 45% had accepted them. This clearly shows that graduates this year are less picky and willing to take a chance to wait for a better for job. Also compared to last year, 24.4% of graduates this year had a job lined up before graduation as opposed to 19.% of graduates last year.
As we enter another cycle where the class of 2011 looks to the future and a year from now, they have the last couple graduating classes as models to hopefully make the impact of graduating into the workforce slightly easier. There have been signs that this past graduating class had a slight improvement post graduation compared to the year before. But also we saw the expectations bar lowered. In this economic environment, we who once thought we had limitless potential are starting to limit ourselves in the bleak job market we entered. Instead of wait for the job I want; it is wait for the first call I get. There is a saying that goes something along the lines that beggars can't be choosers. If you don't have a lot, then something is better than nothing. Graduating college students are beginning to realize that philosophy now applies to their work force dreams. They who have no job can't be choosy of their career. Something is better than nothing. That is the realization I began to make last summer and that mindset has trickled itself down the last few graduating classes and the next couple. In this economy, college graduates with limited experience are the beggars.
Last year at this time I was a recent college graduate with the feeling of success at my back and the feeling of uncertainty ahead of me. It was the worst job market we have seen in a long time. Many of us prepared months ahead in hopes of graduating with at least some certainty. Whether it be landing a job in their field of interest. Or whether it be setting up a handful of interviews for the coming weeks. Or whether it be having applied to several places and at least know that you have put in a dent of sorts in the mountain of landing a job.
I know that things were going to be different after four years at Rutgers University. I was going to be back home and not around many of my closest friends on a daily or nightly basis. I also knew that by the end of the year I was going to be receiving my monthly reminder that it is time to start paying back those student loans. Many people I knew were trying to scrap by to keep a job at the mall or a low end position that they might have had during college because they knew that it would ensure that they would at least have money for spending and any financial needs they had.
The horror stories of my graduating class were passed down to the incoming seniors and soon to be graduating class of 2010. I hardly heard much from the graduating class before me. The recession had yet to hit the hardest so "the fire" was not lit early on like the one that might have been lit by my contemporaries to those below us. The numbers were grim. Roughly 1 out of 5 graduates had landed job that would give them somewhat long term stability and was what they wanted to be doing. Of that number, I am sure that some might have been stretching the truth a bit as they were probably happy they found something at least remotely close to what they wanted. This past graduating class that type of statistic in the back of their mind as they worked their way through their senior year.
That perspective gave the class of 2010 a different approach; one that I began to adopt myself struggling for a few months trying to land that career job: do not get a perfect job, but just a job. Career services centers became even more vital and networking became a near necessity. Instead of trying to land a job they wanted, graduates and soon-to-be graduates took the first offer they got in fear of not getting anything.
Another avenue that many that I graduated with and whom graduated this year took was to hold off a career and go to graduate school. Increased applications for graduate schools especially law schools took a big increase in 2009 and 2010. Additionally, service oriented organizations like Teach for America saw an increase in applicants the last couple years. In 2010, 46,000 applications were sent in and was the top employer at some universities.
A recent survey taken showed that 13,000 graduating seniors revealed that 39% had received job offers and 59% had accepted them, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers. Compared to last year, the numbers were: 40% had received offers and 45% had accepted them. This clearly shows that graduates this year are less picky and willing to take a chance to wait for a better for job. Also compared to last year, 24.4% of graduates this year had a job lined up before graduation as opposed to 19.% of graduates last year.
As we enter another cycle where the class of 2011 looks to the future and a year from now, they have the last couple graduating classes as models to hopefully make the impact of graduating into the workforce slightly easier. There have been signs that this past graduating class had a slight improvement post graduation compared to the year before. But also we saw the expectations bar lowered. In this economic environment, we who once thought we had limitless potential are starting to limit ourselves in the bleak job market we entered. Instead of wait for the job I want; it is wait for the first call I get. There is a saying that goes something along the lines that beggars can't be choosers. If you don't have a lot, then something is better than nothing. Graduating college students are beginning to realize that philosophy now applies to their work force dreams. They who have no job can't be choosy of their career. Something is better than nothing. That is the realization I began to make last summer and that mindset has trickled itself down the last few graduating classes and the next couple. In this economy, college graduates with limited experience are the beggars.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
The Youth of South Africa
As a student of history, I am always looking to expand upon my knowledge. American history is where most of my interest lies, but I occasionally find fascinating information and history from other countries. With the World Cup in South Africa this year, I came across a special on Youth Day. It is a national holiday celebrated each June.
Back on June 16, 1976, the Soweto uprising or riots occurred in Soweto, South Africa when black youth and South African authorities clashed. The riots came from the protests that were happening in regard to the policies of the National Party government and their apartheid regime. Since that day, the 16th has come to be known as Youth Day. But what exactly transpired?
The roots of the protests can be linked back to 1949 and the Eisenlen Commission's inquiry into the edification of non-whites. The commission looked to make harsh changes through the implementation of the Bantu Education Act of 1953. The legislation paved the way for many mission schools, which were attended by the majority of black children, to lose aid and close. This was followed by the Colored Person's Education Act of 1963, which barred colored children from white schools. Then followed by the Indian Education Act in 1965. The funding for education was shifted around and between 1962 and 1971, no new school were constructed in urban areas for non-white students. Then in 1972, the state started to work towards improving the education system and built 40 new schools between 1972 and 1976 in Soweto. Despite that, only 1 in 5 children there attended school.
During this time, black students in Soweto began to protest a decree in 1974 that forced black schools to teach using a mix of African and English. English was gaining importance and becoming very popular and used in commerce and industry. The idea was the keep the non-white Africans down by forcing them to not learn the same way as the white students. The resentment by the non-white student grew and finally gave to a head on April 30, 1976. That is when children at Orlando West Junior School in Soweto went on strike and refused to go to school. Their rebellion would cause a domino effect as other schools began to do the same in Soweto. June 13th was proposed by one student, Teboho "Tsietsi" Mashinini, as a date to meet to discuss the apparent problem. The Soweto Students' Representatives Council was formed and they held a large rally on the 16th of June to make their voices heard.
That morning, thousands of black students marched to Orlando Stadium to rally and protest against the way they were being taught. This was planned to be a non-violent awareness protest. The students reached support from teachers. Students were eventually met by police who had barricaded part of their route. Not deterred, the students avoided violence and took an alternate route to their destination. By the time the multiple schools' students converged together there was somewhere between 5,000 and 10,000 students.
Then, things took a turn for the worse. Colonel Kleingeld, a police officer, fired the first shot causing panic and confusion. There is a dispute whether Kleingeld was provoked by a stone or something or he fired unprovoked. Whatever the case, the firing continued as did the rioting. 23 people fell dead, which included two white people. The violence continued into the night. Clinics began to see a rise in injured and bloody children. The events of the day did not turn out exactly as planned, but the students were looking to bring to the light their grievances. Attention was on Soweto. The next day 1,500 armed police officials were deployed. The casualties numbered in the hundreds.
The Soweto Uprising would be a turning point in the liberation struggle in South Africa. The uprising also coincided with a move from apartheid to a more standared form. The actions did not put an immediate end to apartheid, but gave officials an unstable environment as the black resistance grew. It would be another 14 years before Nelson Mandela was released, but politics and the economy suffered from the uprising. The attention of the events trickled to white students and many joined the black students in support mostly in protest to the killing of children. Black workers protested and riots broke out across South Africa. The world would join the students with the UN Security Council passing Resolution 392, which condemned the actions of the apartheid regime.
I am amazed reading and learning more how South Africa escaped apartheid. The actions of these students deserves praise and honor. I do not know if school children in this country or any country for that matter would have had the initiative and bravery to carry this type of protest out. They knew something was wrong and decided to be the change because if not them; then who. Nelson Mandela's story is fairly well known, but the kids in 1976 are almost unheard of. So, with the World Cup being in South Africa; take some time to read about what was going on in South Africa 40 years ago and realize where they have come from. Having this World Cup is a celebration for the nation on multiple levels. However, when June 16th comes around; think for a minute or two about the actions that took place in 1976.
Youth Day is one of those unheralded days that I now will remember as the year's holidays and celebrations come around.
Back on June 16, 1976, the Soweto uprising or riots occurred in Soweto, South Africa when black youth and South African authorities clashed. The riots came from the protests that were happening in regard to the policies of the National Party government and their apartheid regime. Since that day, the 16th has come to be known as Youth Day. But what exactly transpired?
The roots of the protests can be linked back to 1949 and the Eisenlen Commission's inquiry into the edification of non-whites. The commission looked to make harsh changes through the implementation of the Bantu Education Act of 1953. The legislation paved the way for many mission schools, which were attended by the majority of black children, to lose aid and close. This was followed by the Colored Person's Education Act of 1963, which barred colored children from white schools. Then followed by the Indian Education Act in 1965. The funding for education was shifted around and between 1962 and 1971, no new school were constructed in urban areas for non-white students. Then in 1972, the state started to work towards improving the education system and built 40 new schools between 1972 and 1976 in Soweto. Despite that, only 1 in 5 children there attended school.
During this time, black students in Soweto began to protest a decree in 1974 that forced black schools to teach using a mix of African and English. English was gaining importance and becoming very popular and used in commerce and industry. The idea was the keep the non-white Africans down by forcing them to not learn the same way as the white students. The resentment by the non-white student grew and finally gave to a head on April 30, 1976. That is when children at Orlando West Junior School in Soweto went on strike and refused to go to school. Their rebellion would cause a domino effect as other schools began to do the same in Soweto. June 13th was proposed by one student, Teboho "Tsietsi" Mashinini, as a date to meet to discuss the apparent problem. The Soweto Students' Representatives Council was formed and they held a large rally on the 16th of June to make their voices heard.
That morning, thousands of black students marched to Orlando Stadium to rally and protest against the way they were being taught. This was planned to be a non-violent awareness protest. The students reached support from teachers. Students were eventually met by police who had barricaded part of their route. Not deterred, the students avoided violence and took an alternate route to their destination. By the time the multiple schools' students converged together there was somewhere between 5,000 and 10,000 students.
Then, things took a turn for the worse. Colonel Kleingeld, a police officer, fired the first shot causing panic and confusion. There is a dispute whether Kleingeld was provoked by a stone or something or he fired unprovoked. Whatever the case, the firing continued as did the rioting. 23 people fell dead, which included two white people. The violence continued into the night. Clinics began to see a rise in injured and bloody children. The events of the day did not turn out exactly as planned, but the students were looking to bring to the light their grievances. Attention was on Soweto. The next day 1,500 armed police officials were deployed. The casualties numbered in the hundreds.
The Soweto Uprising would be a turning point in the liberation struggle in South Africa. The uprising also coincided with a move from apartheid to a more standared form. The actions did not put an immediate end to apartheid, but gave officials an unstable environment as the black resistance grew. It would be another 14 years before Nelson Mandela was released, but politics and the economy suffered from the uprising. The attention of the events trickled to white students and many joined the black students in support mostly in protest to the killing of children. Black workers protested and riots broke out across South Africa. The world would join the students with the UN Security Council passing Resolution 392, which condemned the actions of the apartheid regime.
I am amazed reading and learning more how South Africa escaped apartheid. The actions of these students deserves praise and honor. I do not know if school children in this country or any country for that matter would have had the initiative and bravery to carry this type of protest out. They knew something was wrong and decided to be the change because if not them; then who. Nelson Mandela's story is fairly well known, but the kids in 1976 are almost unheard of. So, with the World Cup being in South Africa; take some time to read about what was going on in South Africa 40 years ago and realize where they have come from. Having this World Cup is a celebration for the nation on multiple levels. However, when June 16th comes around; think for a minute or two about the actions that took place in 1976.
Youth Day is one of those unheralded days that I now will remember as the year's holidays and celebrations come around.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
World Cup Preview- Second Set
For the most part the first set of group games were what many expected with a few surprises and a lot of draws. Many teams rose up to play better while a few favorites like Brazil, Argentina, and Germany looked impressive to begin group play. The biggest upset thus far would have to be Switzerland handing Spain a one to nothing loss. Also it was fitting for the host nation of South Africa to get the scoring started this year as they matched everything Mexico, a possible contender, threw at them. Others like France and Italy did not show a lot as the two finalists of four years ago will have to improve if they plan on advancing. After 16 games, my record stands at 10-6. Not too bad considering much of the close play. Now to move onto the next 16 games and the second set of games.
GROUP A
South Africa vs Uruguay:
Bafana Bafana showed a lot of heart and passion in their opener and now have a possible chance to escape group play after a couple of ties to start Group A play. Alongside with Uruguay, these two took two perennial World Cup teams to the limit and tied them. Extra special for the South Africans is this game falls on Youth Day, a major holiday in the country. As many of these teams, South Africa got a lot of nerves out and this one with Uruguay features two free flowing offenses. South Africa will have a tough time slowing down the combo of Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez. The two Uruguayan players can create a lot of opportunities and one or both might be too tough to stop from finding the goal. The crowd will be loud, but not sure if they can generate the same momentum and offense in this second game. PREDICTION: URUGUAY 2, SOUTH AFRICA 0
France vs Mexico:
Mexico had to settle for a tie with the host nation while France did the same in less impressive fashion. The runner-up from four years ago does not seem to have the same type of cohesiveness. France needs a win more here as they need the confidence going into the last group game. France also does not want to repeat their recent history as they won in 1998, fell in the group stage in 2002, and got back to the final in 2006. The French are certainly showing signs of a team that got into the World Cup on a disputed hand ball miss call. Nicolas Anelka, the French's best player, has not done enough thus far. However, the French have a strong advantage over the Mexicans in head-to-head play, but they have not faced in a while so that might not be the best marker. Mexico generated a lot of good play; they just failed to put the ball in the net more. Their offensive attack should be able to wear down the French. In what was expected to possibly be a highlight matchup of the group stage, France's lack of passion might give Mexico enough of an edge. PREDICTION: FRANCE 1, MEXICO 2
GROUP B
Argentina vs South Korea:
Argentina has a high octane offense that can give many teams headaches. Lionel Messi will generate a lot of attention from the South Koreans. Despite dominating much of their first game, Argentina did not score a lot and will look to turn it up. But it will not be easily, as we have seen after the first game that South Korea is quick and has the potential to match goals with Argentina if their offense is clicking. Messi was not especially sharp in the first game, but that only helped his teammates as they were all over the field against Nigeria. Park Ji-Sung's play will be crucial for the South Koreans. He is an emerging player that will have to create a lot of opportunities for his teammates. The outcome will depend greatly on how well South Korea can shut down the Argentinians in the first half. There should be a fair amount of shots in this one. PREDICTION: ARGENTINA 3, SOUTH KOREA 1
Greece vs Nigeria:
Both teams did not play as well as expected and were shut down by both of their opening game opponents. For that reason, this game becomes that much more important for both teams. Against South Korea, Greece did not play characteristically to their style and it hurt them. Nigeria left a few opportunities on the field against Argentina. Giorgos Karagounis will be counted on by Greece to fix their problems on the field from the first game and get them on the board. This one could be a slow down, pick your spots type of game where both can thrive. PREDICTION: GREECE 1, NIGERIA 1
GROUP C
Slovenia vs United States:
Slovenia snuck past Algeria and leads Group C. The United States gave up an early goal to England, but caught a break when England's goalie Robert Green let the ball slip through his hands and into the goal. Despite being viewed as an underdog, Slovenia is very confident and for that reason; they will play hard against the Americans. Slovenia can put a strangle hold on this group with a win as well. U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard's ribs will be of question early in this one and if he is healthy he gives the Americans a great defensive presence in goal. Additionally, the United States needs to figure out a formation of players that gives them the best chance to create scoring opportunities with Landon Donovan leading the way. Should be a scrappy one. PREDICTION: SLOVENIA 1, UNITED STATES 2
England vs Algeria:
Despite getting a point in the opener, England viewed their tie with the United States as a disappointment. Goalie Robert Green may or may not be in goal for this one after his mistake. Oddly enough, Algeria's goalie, Fawzi Chaouchi, also gave up an easy goal to their first opponent. England will need to rebound here to put themselves in control in this group. The English do not plan to change too much and hope that Wayne Rooney and Frank Lampard can get things started early and often for their attack. Algeria did not show too much against Slovenia and if England even gets half of their potential they should be able to get and pick up a big 3 points. PREDICTION: ENGLAND 2, ALGERIA 0
GROUP D
Germany vs Serbia:
Germany came out of the gate with one of the most impressive performances of the first set of games. The veteran combo of Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski led the way for a team a few youngsters. Serbia came in as the potential second best team next to Germany in this group, but suffered a close loss to Ghana. They struggled with their poise and had to deal with penalties. Aleksandar Lukovic for the Serbs will be out and they will need to generate a capable replacement for him on their defensive front. Serbia showed their weaknesses last game and Germany is good enough to find those holes and take advantage. Serbia will play with a lot purpose though. PREDICTION: GERMANY 2, SERBIA 1
Ghana vs Australia:
Ghana might give the continent of Africa its best shot of making a run after the rest of the countries were not very impressive in opening games. Australia will be a tough opponent, but a very capable victory after they slid by Serbia on a penalty kick. Ghana thought they might struggle without Michael Essien, but Asamoah Gyan seems to have picked up the slack and gives them a confident feel for a team fairly young. Andrew Ayew also created a lot of opportunities for them. Australia has to deal with a deep hole after a bad loss and they will not have a major impact player in Tim Cahill. The Australians will have to play smart and avoid penalties as that might truly end their World Cup hopes. PREDICTION: GHANA 1, AUSTRALIA 0
GROUP E
Netherlands vs Japan:
The Netherlands started very smoothly in their first game and seem poised to easily make it out of the group stage. Japan took advantage of some miscues by Cameroon and have a chance to possibly give the Dutch a scare. A victory by either could all but wrap up a spot in the next round. If Keisuke Honda can give similar performance, the Japanese will have a very good attack against what looks like another balanced cruise control Dutch team. Wesley Sneijder should be able to get his teammates going and cause problems for the Japanese. The Netherlands seem to have enough to stifle Japan, who surprised Cameroon. PREDICTION: NETHERLANDS 2, JAPAN 1
Cameroon vs Denmark:
Denmark drew a tough Dutch team and played fairly well without a couple of their key players. Cameroon entered this year with a great chance to get out of group play, but laid a big dud against Japan. Samuel Eto'o was not effective for Cameroon and his play and the health of the Danes could very well sway this game. Dennis Rommedahl played well for the Danes and their offense will look to him for a start up. Pressure is on both teams as they know they are behind the eight-ball. Cameroon has more to lose. PREDICTION: CAMEROON 1, DENMARK 1
GROUP F
Slovakia vs Paraguay:
Both teams earned draws in their first games, but they mean different results for each. Paraguay pushed the defending champions to a draw while Slovakia settled for one against one of the lowest ranked teams. Paraguay seems to have the momentum of the two based on those results. Slovakia seemed to control most of their first game, but left enough leeway and New Zealand took advantage of that. Both will want a win in this one going into their last game. Slovakia should have won their first game and thus this one is a virtual tie. PREDICTION: SLOVAKIA 1, PARAGUAY 1
Italy vs New Zealand:
Italy was slow out the gate and depended upon their defense and a late score to avoid a loss. They should catch a break against New Zealand with the group still wide open. The Italians looked to be missing an extra step. Federico Marchetti will be in goal for the Italians as Gianluigi Buffon looks to be out with bad back. Andrea Pirlo, one of the Italians big strikers, missed the first game and he is probably going to miss this one. The two injuries greatly hurt the Italians, but they should have enough if they can generate the mix that has made them one of the best countries. Italy knows that a draw here is almost like a lost. New Zealand has a lot of heart, but not sure if they can get lucky twice. PREDICTION: ITALY 2, NEW ZEALAND 0
GROUP G
Brazil vs Ivory Coast:
Brazil did not look especially dominant against North Korea and took them a while to start to look polished. Ivory Coast battled it out with Portugal to a draw and would love to at least draw here and set up a favorable matchup with North Korea for a chance to advance. Diedier Drogba came off the bench for Ivory Coast in the first game and will probably need to be utilized even more. Both teams will certainly be better in their second games and should make for a good game for at least the first half if not the whole game. Kaka will be expected to play better in this one, but they should have enough around him. Drogba not a 100% hurts Ivory Coast a bit. Brazil is using more defense, but might look to open up their offense to get the bad taste of the North Korea out of their mouths. PREDICTION: BRAZIL 3, IVORY COAST 1
Portugal vs North Korea:
Portugal will have to take North Korea a little more serious now after they gave Brazil a bit of a challenge. Also, Portugal knows that they Brazil ahead and need to do enough against North Korea in case they lose to the Brazilians. Christiano Ronaldo is struggling to get going and it will not be easy against what looks like a better than thought North Korean defense. The Portuguese lacked a little bit of a punch against the Ivory Coast and this is a perfect game to unleash their offensive potential. PREDICTION: PORTUGAL 3, NORTH KOREA 0
GROUP H
Chile vs Switzerland:
Switzerland had the biggest victory in the first set of games as they defeated one of the favorites, Spain. Both them and Chile won their first games and this one might decide which team is in better position assuming Spain rebounds. Spain played better than the Swiss, but the Swiss were the ones who got the ball in the goal. Chile had a smooth and near perfect game against Honduras to start. Although they should have been able to put a couple more goals in the net. A few members of the Swiss team are doubtful and that might be enough to tip the scales in Chile's favor if they did not already have an edge. Humberto Suazo missed the first game for Chile and might return to give them an extra spark. Both teams will put up a defensive battle before Chile breaks through. PREDICTION: CHILE 1, SWITZERLAND 0
Spain vs Honduras:
Spain has to be fuming after that shocking loss and will need to sharpen up their play if they even want to advance out of this group. The Spanish have multiple scorers and should be able to right their miscues from the last game. Fernando Torres was a bit banged up and he might see some action in this one to get some others started. Honduras will hope to replicate the plan the Swiss used because they will need defense to balance out their lack of depth with a couple key players questionable. PREDICTION: SPAIN 2, HONDURAS 0
We learned a lot after the first set of games and we learn even more after the second set. A few teams can position themselves for the knockout rounds while other might be on the brink of elimination. We see a few big group stage matchups and a few that are crucial to both teams. Expect a couple of the "powerhouse" teams to show a little more fire as they tune up. Each game counts as the number game will be of great importance going into the last set of games.
GROUP A
South Africa vs Uruguay:
Bafana Bafana showed a lot of heart and passion in their opener and now have a possible chance to escape group play after a couple of ties to start Group A play. Alongside with Uruguay, these two took two perennial World Cup teams to the limit and tied them. Extra special for the South Africans is this game falls on Youth Day, a major holiday in the country. As many of these teams, South Africa got a lot of nerves out and this one with Uruguay features two free flowing offenses. South Africa will have a tough time slowing down the combo of Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez. The two Uruguayan players can create a lot of opportunities and one or both might be too tough to stop from finding the goal. The crowd will be loud, but not sure if they can generate the same momentum and offense in this second game. PREDICTION: URUGUAY 2, SOUTH AFRICA 0
France vs Mexico:
Mexico had to settle for a tie with the host nation while France did the same in less impressive fashion. The runner-up from four years ago does not seem to have the same type of cohesiveness. France needs a win more here as they need the confidence going into the last group game. France also does not want to repeat their recent history as they won in 1998, fell in the group stage in 2002, and got back to the final in 2006. The French are certainly showing signs of a team that got into the World Cup on a disputed hand ball miss call. Nicolas Anelka, the French's best player, has not done enough thus far. However, the French have a strong advantage over the Mexicans in head-to-head play, but they have not faced in a while so that might not be the best marker. Mexico generated a lot of good play; they just failed to put the ball in the net more. Their offensive attack should be able to wear down the French. In what was expected to possibly be a highlight matchup of the group stage, France's lack of passion might give Mexico enough of an edge. PREDICTION: FRANCE 1, MEXICO 2
GROUP B
Argentina vs South Korea:
Argentina has a high octane offense that can give many teams headaches. Lionel Messi will generate a lot of attention from the South Koreans. Despite dominating much of their first game, Argentina did not score a lot and will look to turn it up. But it will not be easily, as we have seen after the first game that South Korea is quick and has the potential to match goals with Argentina if their offense is clicking. Messi was not especially sharp in the first game, but that only helped his teammates as they were all over the field against Nigeria. Park Ji-Sung's play will be crucial for the South Koreans. He is an emerging player that will have to create a lot of opportunities for his teammates. The outcome will depend greatly on how well South Korea can shut down the Argentinians in the first half. There should be a fair amount of shots in this one. PREDICTION: ARGENTINA 3, SOUTH KOREA 1
Greece vs Nigeria:
Both teams did not play as well as expected and were shut down by both of their opening game opponents. For that reason, this game becomes that much more important for both teams. Against South Korea, Greece did not play characteristically to their style and it hurt them. Nigeria left a few opportunities on the field against Argentina. Giorgos Karagounis will be counted on by Greece to fix their problems on the field from the first game and get them on the board. This one could be a slow down, pick your spots type of game where both can thrive. PREDICTION: GREECE 1, NIGERIA 1
GROUP C
Slovenia vs United States:
Slovenia snuck past Algeria and leads Group C. The United States gave up an early goal to England, but caught a break when England's goalie Robert Green let the ball slip through his hands and into the goal. Despite being viewed as an underdog, Slovenia is very confident and for that reason; they will play hard against the Americans. Slovenia can put a strangle hold on this group with a win as well. U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard's ribs will be of question early in this one and if he is healthy he gives the Americans a great defensive presence in goal. Additionally, the United States needs to figure out a formation of players that gives them the best chance to create scoring opportunities with Landon Donovan leading the way. Should be a scrappy one. PREDICTION: SLOVENIA 1, UNITED STATES 2
England vs Algeria:
Despite getting a point in the opener, England viewed their tie with the United States as a disappointment. Goalie Robert Green may or may not be in goal for this one after his mistake. Oddly enough, Algeria's goalie, Fawzi Chaouchi, also gave up an easy goal to their first opponent. England will need to rebound here to put themselves in control in this group. The English do not plan to change too much and hope that Wayne Rooney and Frank Lampard can get things started early and often for their attack. Algeria did not show too much against Slovenia and if England even gets half of their potential they should be able to get and pick up a big 3 points. PREDICTION: ENGLAND 2, ALGERIA 0
GROUP D
Germany vs Serbia:
Germany came out of the gate with one of the most impressive performances of the first set of games. The veteran combo of Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski led the way for a team a few youngsters. Serbia came in as the potential second best team next to Germany in this group, but suffered a close loss to Ghana. They struggled with their poise and had to deal with penalties. Aleksandar Lukovic for the Serbs will be out and they will need to generate a capable replacement for him on their defensive front. Serbia showed their weaknesses last game and Germany is good enough to find those holes and take advantage. Serbia will play with a lot purpose though. PREDICTION: GERMANY 2, SERBIA 1
Ghana vs Australia:
Ghana might give the continent of Africa its best shot of making a run after the rest of the countries were not very impressive in opening games. Australia will be a tough opponent, but a very capable victory after they slid by Serbia on a penalty kick. Ghana thought they might struggle without Michael Essien, but Asamoah Gyan seems to have picked up the slack and gives them a confident feel for a team fairly young. Andrew Ayew also created a lot of opportunities for them. Australia has to deal with a deep hole after a bad loss and they will not have a major impact player in Tim Cahill. The Australians will have to play smart and avoid penalties as that might truly end their World Cup hopes. PREDICTION: GHANA 1, AUSTRALIA 0
GROUP E
Netherlands vs Japan:
The Netherlands started very smoothly in their first game and seem poised to easily make it out of the group stage. Japan took advantage of some miscues by Cameroon and have a chance to possibly give the Dutch a scare. A victory by either could all but wrap up a spot in the next round. If Keisuke Honda can give similar performance, the Japanese will have a very good attack against what looks like another balanced cruise control Dutch team. Wesley Sneijder should be able to get his teammates going and cause problems for the Japanese. The Netherlands seem to have enough to stifle Japan, who surprised Cameroon. PREDICTION: NETHERLANDS 2, JAPAN 1
Cameroon vs Denmark:
Denmark drew a tough Dutch team and played fairly well without a couple of their key players. Cameroon entered this year with a great chance to get out of group play, but laid a big dud against Japan. Samuel Eto'o was not effective for Cameroon and his play and the health of the Danes could very well sway this game. Dennis Rommedahl played well for the Danes and their offense will look to him for a start up. Pressure is on both teams as they know they are behind the eight-ball. Cameroon has more to lose. PREDICTION: CAMEROON 1, DENMARK 1
GROUP F
Slovakia vs Paraguay:
Both teams earned draws in their first games, but they mean different results for each. Paraguay pushed the defending champions to a draw while Slovakia settled for one against one of the lowest ranked teams. Paraguay seems to have the momentum of the two based on those results. Slovakia seemed to control most of their first game, but left enough leeway and New Zealand took advantage of that. Both will want a win in this one going into their last game. Slovakia should have won their first game and thus this one is a virtual tie. PREDICTION: SLOVAKIA 1, PARAGUAY 1
Italy vs New Zealand:
Italy was slow out the gate and depended upon their defense and a late score to avoid a loss. They should catch a break against New Zealand with the group still wide open. The Italians looked to be missing an extra step. Federico Marchetti will be in goal for the Italians as Gianluigi Buffon looks to be out with bad back. Andrea Pirlo, one of the Italians big strikers, missed the first game and he is probably going to miss this one. The two injuries greatly hurt the Italians, but they should have enough if they can generate the mix that has made them one of the best countries. Italy knows that a draw here is almost like a lost. New Zealand has a lot of heart, but not sure if they can get lucky twice. PREDICTION: ITALY 2, NEW ZEALAND 0
GROUP G
Brazil vs Ivory Coast:
Brazil did not look especially dominant against North Korea and took them a while to start to look polished. Ivory Coast battled it out with Portugal to a draw and would love to at least draw here and set up a favorable matchup with North Korea for a chance to advance. Diedier Drogba came off the bench for Ivory Coast in the first game and will probably need to be utilized even more. Both teams will certainly be better in their second games and should make for a good game for at least the first half if not the whole game. Kaka will be expected to play better in this one, but they should have enough around him. Drogba not a 100% hurts Ivory Coast a bit. Brazil is using more defense, but might look to open up their offense to get the bad taste of the North Korea out of their mouths. PREDICTION: BRAZIL 3, IVORY COAST 1
Portugal vs North Korea:
Portugal will have to take North Korea a little more serious now after they gave Brazil a bit of a challenge. Also, Portugal knows that they Brazil ahead and need to do enough against North Korea in case they lose to the Brazilians. Christiano Ronaldo is struggling to get going and it will not be easy against what looks like a better than thought North Korean defense. The Portuguese lacked a little bit of a punch against the Ivory Coast and this is a perfect game to unleash their offensive potential. PREDICTION: PORTUGAL 3, NORTH KOREA 0
GROUP H
Chile vs Switzerland:
Switzerland had the biggest victory in the first set of games as they defeated one of the favorites, Spain. Both them and Chile won their first games and this one might decide which team is in better position assuming Spain rebounds. Spain played better than the Swiss, but the Swiss were the ones who got the ball in the goal. Chile had a smooth and near perfect game against Honduras to start. Although they should have been able to put a couple more goals in the net. A few members of the Swiss team are doubtful and that might be enough to tip the scales in Chile's favor if they did not already have an edge. Humberto Suazo missed the first game for Chile and might return to give them an extra spark. Both teams will put up a defensive battle before Chile breaks through. PREDICTION: CHILE 1, SWITZERLAND 0
Spain vs Honduras:
Spain has to be fuming after that shocking loss and will need to sharpen up their play if they even want to advance out of this group. The Spanish have multiple scorers and should be able to right their miscues from the last game. Fernando Torres was a bit banged up and he might see some action in this one to get some others started. Honduras will hope to replicate the plan the Swiss used because they will need defense to balance out their lack of depth with a couple key players questionable. PREDICTION: SPAIN 2, HONDURAS 0
We learned a lot after the first set of games and we learn even more after the second set. A few teams can position themselves for the knockout rounds while other might be on the brink of elimination. We see a few big group stage matchups and a few that are crucial to both teams. Expect a couple of the "powerhouse" teams to show a little more fire as they tune up. Each game counts as the number game will be of great importance going into the last set of games.
Monday, June 14, 2010
He's Human Like the Rest of Us
I like to think of myself as a realist. A realist when it comes to a lot of facets of life. Also, I like to refer to myself as a moderate or centralist when it comes to politics. My views can tip either way depending on a subject and the degrees of that subject. So, when I hear critics of President Obama come on television and rant. Or they write an opinion editorial. Trust me, I do not think he is doing a perfect job. But really, who has?
Then, I came across an article by Paul Starobin in the Washington Post. When I saw the opinion article, my eyes opened real wide. I was not shocked by the subject, but surprised and happy at the same time that someone wrote such a piece. All I see is "what Obama is doing wrong". Or "how great Obama did this". Or people "Monday Morning Quarterbacking".
You hear people saying why can't the President stop the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico? Why he is not more assertive or less calm? Why are we still fighting two wars in the Middle East? Why can't he get the Israelis and Palestinians to coexist? Why is the climate debate not going anywhere? He needs to address the borders and illegal immigration. Why can't he work with Republicans? I can go on and on. Contrary to popular belief by what seems like an overwhelming majority of country: Barack Obama is not a super hero and cannot solve problems overnight or at the drop of a hat.
We have had many gifted minds occupy the White House and all struggled at times and had to deal with criticism. From Washington to Jefferson to Lincoln to FDR, all had pressing issues and over time were able to address them. Washington did not establish a federal government overnight. Jefferson did not expand our horizons to the west overnight. Lincoln did not maneuver and set up the end of the Civil War overnight. And FDR did not end the Great Depression in his first 24 hours. No matter how hard people might pray or hope for something to be solved right away; that is not practical. Especially the bigger the problem.
President Obama was swept into office in 2008 as the anti-Bush and man to solve "all our problems". Then when his first week ended and problems still existed people were confused. Then when that first year ended, many more people were confused and getting impatient despite the amount of work Obama and the Congress were doing. Yet, in a society of I want it now; people cannot comprehend what was taking so long. The hope bubble popped and now many are wondering what now.
Another thing that people tend to ignore or choose to ignore is history. You can learn a lot from history. For example, it took FDR nearly a decade to stop the bleeding of the Great Depression. Obama has only had a year to address this slightly lesser one. Or, Ronald Reagan attempted to obtain peace in Lebanon and failed. Not even the Great Communicator could solve that problem. FDR and Reagan can be seen as ideal figures from both sides of the aisle...that did not succeed in all endeavors.
We live in a different world than our parents or grandparents. That can be expanded further into the time of Jackson, Grant, or Theodore Roosevelt. Media is everywhere now a days. We have risen from a small nation to the most powerful country in the world. With that distinction, many have garnered up this non-realistic fantasy in their head. Some of it is partisan: he is not liberal enough/he is too liberal/he is a socialist, communist, etc. But most of it is childlike. When you were a kid, you expected so much. But as you got older you began to realize that everything does not go as you want. You can't have ice cream before dinner. You can't go party if you have an exam the next day. You can't punch someone just because you want to. You can't climb the ladder of success without hardwork and a little luck.
These are all things that much of American public has conveniently chosen to forget too. Lincoln has risen amongst many as this God like icon. However, when he was President; he was nothing near that. Know why? Because he was human too. I believe during the campaign then-candidate Obama made a reference to not having this magical wand to solve all our problems. He may have been facetious, but in actually his comment was very serious. Our presidents are captains of ships trying to steer them through storms and rough waters. The ride is not going to be smooth, but if he gets you back to land safe that is all that truly matters.
The problems Obama faces whether it be one of the two wars, the oil spill, a nuclear threat from Iran, a bad economy, or whom to appoint for a federal seat; each decision is not as simple as whether I should wear white socks or black socks. If he makes too quick of a decision and it is the wrong one; everyone will turn on him. If he takes his time to weight his options and picks the best one and if things work out good for the most part; then everyone will praise him. With either choice, there will always be opposition, but the most important thing is that his choice was best for the country.
As we have seen, not even what candidate Obama projected himself; he cannot solve everything at once. He was given so many problems and wanted to be a superhero for everyone and soon realized that no president can succeed that way. He then began to slow down and attack one issue at a time and we have seen slow success from health care to the stimulus to what looks like financial regulation on horizon.
But can we blame Obama for wanting to do so much. So many of his supporters and Americans today expected him to solve their problem or "that problem".
Thus, patience is the key. Allow the man to do his job and you might be surprised when results start happening...at a human pace.
As Mr. Starobin said and I echo: America, grow up!
Remember, you are not the one in that chair. How would you feel if the weight of the country's future was on your shoulders? President Obama is not Superman.
I leave you with the article. I recommend you read it and soak it in a little. I am beyond happy that someone finally wrote something that I have long thought. I implore many to give this "odd" thought approach a chance. Oh, and that thing called patience. You might not be so antsy or angry anymore.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/10/AR2010061002635.html?wpisrc=nl_opinions
Then, I came across an article by Paul Starobin in the Washington Post. When I saw the opinion article, my eyes opened real wide. I was not shocked by the subject, but surprised and happy at the same time that someone wrote such a piece. All I see is "what Obama is doing wrong". Or "how great Obama did this". Or people "Monday Morning Quarterbacking".
You hear people saying why can't the President stop the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico? Why he is not more assertive or less calm? Why are we still fighting two wars in the Middle East? Why can't he get the Israelis and Palestinians to coexist? Why is the climate debate not going anywhere? He needs to address the borders and illegal immigration. Why can't he work with Republicans? I can go on and on. Contrary to popular belief by what seems like an overwhelming majority of country: Barack Obama is not a super hero and cannot solve problems overnight or at the drop of a hat.
We have had many gifted minds occupy the White House and all struggled at times and had to deal with criticism. From Washington to Jefferson to Lincoln to FDR, all had pressing issues and over time were able to address them. Washington did not establish a federal government overnight. Jefferson did not expand our horizons to the west overnight. Lincoln did not maneuver and set up the end of the Civil War overnight. And FDR did not end the Great Depression in his first 24 hours. No matter how hard people might pray or hope for something to be solved right away; that is not practical. Especially the bigger the problem.
President Obama was swept into office in 2008 as the anti-Bush and man to solve "all our problems". Then when his first week ended and problems still existed people were confused. Then when that first year ended, many more people were confused and getting impatient despite the amount of work Obama and the Congress were doing. Yet, in a society of I want it now; people cannot comprehend what was taking so long. The hope bubble popped and now many are wondering what now.
Another thing that people tend to ignore or choose to ignore is history. You can learn a lot from history. For example, it took FDR nearly a decade to stop the bleeding of the Great Depression. Obama has only had a year to address this slightly lesser one. Or, Ronald Reagan attempted to obtain peace in Lebanon and failed. Not even the Great Communicator could solve that problem. FDR and Reagan can be seen as ideal figures from both sides of the aisle...that did not succeed in all endeavors.
We live in a different world than our parents or grandparents. That can be expanded further into the time of Jackson, Grant, or Theodore Roosevelt. Media is everywhere now a days. We have risen from a small nation to the most powerful country in the world. With that distinction, many have garnered up this non-realistic fantasy in their head. Some of it is partisan: he is not liberal enough/he is too liberal/he is a socialist, communist, etc. But most of it is childlike. When you were a kid, you expected so much. But as you got older you began to realize that everything does not go as you want. You can't have ice cream before dinner. You can't go party if you have an exam the next day. You can't punch someone just because you want to. You can't climb the ladder of success without hardwork and a little luck.
These are all things that much of American public has conveniently chosen to forget too. Lincoln has risen amongst many as this God like icon. However, when he was President; he was nothing near that. Know why? Because he was human too. I believe during the campaign then-candidate Obama made a reference to not having this magical wand to solve all our problems. He may have been facetious, but in actually his comment was very serious. Our presidents are captains of ships trying to steer them through storms and rough waters. The ride is not going to be smooth, but if he gets you back to land safe that is all that truly matters.
The problems Obama faces whether it be one of the two wars, the oil spill, a nuclear threat from Iran, a bad economy, or whom to appoint for a federal seat; each decision is not as simple as whether I should wear white socks or black socks. If he makes too quick of a decision and it is the wrong one; everyone will turn on him. If he takes his time to weight his options and picks the best one and if things work out good for the most part; then everyone will praise him. With either choice, there will always be opposition, but the most important thing is that his choice was best for the country.
As we have seen, not even what candidate Obama projected himself; he cannot solve everything at once. He was given so many problems and wanted to be a superhero for everyone and soon realized that no president can succeed that way. He then began to slow down and attack one issue at a time and we have seen slow success from health care to the stimulus to what looks like financial regulation on horizon.
But can we blame Obama for wanting to do so much. So many of his supporters and Americans today expected him to solve their problem or "that problem".
Thus, patience is the key. Allow the man to do his job and you might be surprised when results start happening...at a human pace.
As Mr. Starobin said and I echo: America, grow up!
Remember, you are not the one in that chair. How would you feel if the weight of the country's future was on your shoulders? President Obama is not Superman.
I leave you with the article. I recommend you read it and soak it in a little. I am beyond happy that someone finally wrote something that I have long thought. I implore many to give this "odd" thought approach a chance. Oh, and that thing called patience. You might not be so antsy or angry anymore.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/10/AR2010061002635.html?wpisrc=nl_opinions
Friday, June 11, 2010
Education in Action
Education is one of the cornerstones of this great country. It can become an equalizer or it can be the great divider. Over the last 25 years, we have seen more and more high school graduates opt to further their education at an accredited university or community college. And in our tough economic times, not even that bachelors degree even means what it used to. The job market is a continued competition and the better your education record the better chance you have of landing a good job. Studies continually show a greater earning potential for individuals with a college degree versus a high school degree. Even finishing high school at least helps than dropping out and settling for a GED. Unless you have great sports ability, you need education and academia to advance in your life.
As we have seen with No Child Left Behind and the Secretary of Education Arnie Duncan's education reform initiatives, work still needs to be done to improve our schools. I was lucky to attend a Catholic school for 8 years where I knew I was getting an overall good education. That continued when I went to high school. My high school is one of the biggest in the state of New Jersey and that allowed for excellent programs and a staff dedicated to students' futures. However, that is not the norm especially in this country's inner cities. I see in articles and news of failing schools in nearby New York City. Then came along a great idea in 1990. Teach for America was founded with the premise of taking recent college graduates and young intellectuals and putting them in struggling classrooms and schools to reverse the course of students losing out on a better future.
The young men and women chosen to serve as corps members come with energy and commitment to not giving up on young children that are the future. Often some of the "professional" teachers do not take a hands on approach to their students and sometimes put their own interests over their students. That is not the case with the Teach for America corps teachers. They are not making a lot of money, but are rewarded by seeing a student who might be in sixth grade, but is reading at a third grade level. Then after two months, they are now reading at a seventh grade level. Or you have a student struggling with multiplication or division, but was ignored in the past. Now that a corps member is there, they are given the proper attention that they understand and even master that skill.
Getting into the teaching profession is not always the smoothest transition and Teach for America allows many who are interested in education to get their feet wet. As someone who is in the age group of many Teach for America corps members, I know that I always am willing to work hard and am not unfamiliar to adversity. So many corps members can relate to these students and thus take a personal interest in them. The "trouble children" or "slow students" or "ignored students" do not exist in these classrooms. The corps members judge their success by the success of their students.
Problems cannot be solved overnight. Students will continue to struggle. But with education reform on many legislators minds and more importantly with Teach for America in our schools; we might finally be reversing a bad trend in America. I have often considered possibly getting involved myself. It has an extra special meaning as I am a Brother of Phi Sigma Pi National Honor Fraternity. Our national philanthropy is Teach for America. For three winters now, a group of Brothers have gone to schools in states like Arizona and Georgia. I have donated money and supplies to the cause and know a few corps members. Teach for America is not as known as could be, but it is education in action. What better way to help our nation's children.
Michael Gerson recently wrote an article in the Washington Post about Teach for America. Certainly worth the read. Here it is: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/08/AR2010060803740.html?wpisrc=nl_opinions
As we have seen with No Child Left Behind and the Secretary of Education Arnie Duncan's education reform initiatives, work still needs to be done to improve our schools. I was lucky to attend a Catholic school for 8 years where I knew I was getting an overall good education. That continued when I went to high school. My high school is one of the biggest in the state of New Jersey and that allowed for excellent programs and a staff dedicated to students' futures. However, that is not the norm especially in this country's inner cities. I see in articles and news of failing schools in nearby New York City. Then came along a great idea in 1990. Teach for America was founded with the premise of taking recent college graduates and young intellectuals and putting them in struggling classrooms and schools to reverse the course of students losing out on a better future.
The young men and women chosen to serve as corps members come with energy and commitment to not giving up on young children that are the future. Often some of the "professional" teachers do not take a hands on approach to their students and sometimes put their own interests over their students. That is not the case with the Teach for America corps teachers. They are not making a lot of money, but are rewarded by seeing a student who might be in sixth grade, but is reading at a third grade level. Then after two months, they are now reading at a seventh grade level. Or you have a student struggling with multiplication or division, but was ignored in the past. Now that a corps member is there, they are given the proper attention that they understand and even master that skill.
Getting into the teaching profession is not always the smoothest transition and Teach for America allows many who are interested in education to get their feet wet. As someone who is in the age group of many Teach for America corps members, I know that I always am willing to work hard and am not unfamiliar to adversity. So many corps members can relate to these students and thus take a personal interest in them. The "trouble children" or "slow students" or "ignored students" do not exist in these classrooms. The corps members judge their success by the success of their students.
Problems cannot be solved overnight. Students will continue to struggle. But with education reform on many legislators minds and more importantly with Teach for America in our schools; we might finally be reversing a bad trend in America. I have often considered possibly getting involved myself. It has an extra special meaning as I am a Brother of Phi Sigma Pi National Honor Fraternity. Our national philanthropy is Teach for America. For three winters now, a group of Brothers have gone to schools in states like Arizona and Georgia. I have donated money and supplies to the cause and know a few corps members. Teach for America is not as known as could be, but it is education in action. What better way to help our nation's children.
Michael Gerson recently wrote an article in the Washington Post about Teach for America. Certainly worth the read. Here it is: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/08/AR2010060803740.html?wpisrc=nl_opinions
Thursday, June 10, 2010
World Cup Preview-First Set
After months of waiting and counting down, the 2010 World Cup has finally arrived. 32 teams enter with the dream of lifting globed trophy on July 11th. Italy comes in as the defending champions, but they will have a long road to repeating. Group G looks like the toughest group as it features Brazil, Portugal, and the Ivory Coast. There are a handful of big matchups in the group stage including the United States-England game. The one element of unpredictability in the group stage is the possibility for many draws. With that in mind, we will see many groups become a numbers game as each team will jockey for position. Winning groups mean you avoid potential major matchups with a power house. Spain, Brazil, Argentina, and Germany might be on a short list of favorites. So, now to turn to the first set of group stage game predictions.
GROUP A
Mexico v South Africa:
South Africa comes into this game as the host nation and thus will be pumped to open up this year's World Cup against Mexico. It will certainly not be an easy game against one of the best teams. South Africa is not one of the strongest teams to host a World Cup and will have to play hard and catch a break or two to move out of the group stage. South Africa enters the matchup ranked a lowly 83rd. South Africa has never been out of the first round. Katlego Mphela is one of South Africa's better players and if he can come out of the gate hot against Mexico; they have a chance to keep it close and even shock the Mexicans. Mexico enters ranked 17th, but has to solidify some questions on their team. They know, as does South Africa, that France; the runner-up four years ago; awaits in group play. Thus, Mexico; the better team; knows that they cannot waste a game like this. Also of note, history might be made if South Africa cannot get out of group play as no host nation has never not made it out of the group stage. Depending what Guillermo Franco's status is could help or hinder Mexico, but if they can put a strong attack around Javier Hernandez than they have a great chance to dominate. Both teams have the potential to place fast and if South Africa can keep Mexico on its toes and use the home crowd to their advantage who knows what could happen. South Africa will probably catch Mexico off guard and that could be good for a goal, but Mexico has a little too much. PREDICTION: MEXICO 2, SOUTH AFRICA 1
France vs Uruguay:
The French qualified by a disputed hand ball call that Thierry Henry committed against Ireland. The team that finished second to Italy four years ago will have a tougher mountain to climb this time around. Henry has been the French's marquee player for much of the last decade. He is not as explosive as he was in previous World Cups. The team overall has struggled throughout the whole qualifying process and might be vulnerable. The combination of the coach and the team overall have not looked like they are on the same page. France will depend on Nicholas Anelka if they are to escape this group and possibly make a run. Uruguay will certainly be a challenge for the French and they seem poised and confident to advance out of group play for the first time in a couple decades. Diego Forlan is the playmaker for Uruguay and the offense overall looks good coming into the World Cup. If one or the other can pull off a win in this one, it might make the difference down the stretch. France's lack of cohesiveness and Uruguay's ability to balance the field might produce a stalemate. For that reason, a draw looks very likely. PREDICTION: FRANCE 1, URUGUAY 1
GROUP B
Greece vs South Korea:
This game is crucial for both teams as they still have to face Argentina, who many peg to be the best team in this group. Greece is playing better than most years while South Korea might seem to be down is still athletic and fast to the ball. They are fairly even and the pace of the game could dictate the outcome. Theofanis Gekas is a key player for the Greeks while Park Ji-Sung brings experience and poise for the South Koreans. Greece has not had a lot of World Cup success and this game and group might be the opening they need. These two are truly not too different and that is how the game will be: close. I'm leaning towards a draw, but something tells me one squad will squeak by the other late in the second half. PREDICTION: GREECE 2, SOUTH KOREA 1
Argentina vs Nigeria:
Argentina's World Cup chances will largely be carried on the back and feet of Lionel Messi. He is quite possibly the team's best player since their coach, Diego Maradona. The player-coach tandem begin their quest for a title by matching up against less talented, but still crafty enough Nigeria teach. Argentina is usually a favorite as they have made runs for the better part of the last two decades. Messi, the reigning World Player of the Year, is not Argentina's only threat as he is flanked by players like Gonzalo Higuain. Together this team is a lethal as some Brazil teams we usually see at the World Cup in terms of their offensive capabilities. Nigeria had to scape by to get in and will depend on Obafemi Martins to get them started. The overall balance that Argentina will field will be a little too much for the Nigerians. PREDICTION: ARGENTINA 3, NIGERIA 0
GROUP C
United States vs England:
This might be one of the most anticipated first round matches. England is a perennial challenger and the United States is still looking to a moment that launches U.S. soccer into the next level. Sixty years ago, the United States shocked England in the World Cup and are looking to defeat the English again. Joe Gaetjens' goal for the U.S. has been the country's crowning achievement and a blemish on England's overall record. This game is crucial to both as they are the favorites in their groups and if one wins over the other; it could impact who they face if they get to the Round of 16. This game has major potential for the U.S. program and this year's team comes in with much experience. England, though, is loaded with a talented roster featuring Wayne Rooney. Rooney's temper will be of importance in how well he plays as his anger has gotten the best of him in the past. England has a slight edge based on talent, but the United States will play hard and England might not attack as strong as they are capable of. PREDICTION: UNITED STATES 1, ENGLAND 1
Slovenia vs Algeria:
These two are fairly even and each could use a win in this one to stay in the race in this group. Both countries barely got in and neither have a rich history; practically none. They are two of the lower ranked squads and will need to be sharp if they have any hope of moving past the group stage. Mental toughness will be key in this one. The one team that makes the fewest mental mistakes increases their winning chances. Algeria will depend mostly on Rafik Saifi and Abdelkader Ghezzal. While Milivoje Novakovic will be important for Slovenia's success. Both teams also will have to focus on their defenses and coming into the World Cup, Slovenia has shown the ability to limit goals. This one will turn on simply one goal. PREDICTION: SLOVENIA 1, ALGERIA 0
GROUP D
Ghana vs Serbia:
These two are pretty evenly matched. They enter this year's World Cup with Germany in their group and thus a win here can go a long way. Ghana is a mix of young and experienced players, but will be without their captain, Michael Essien. Djan Stankovic will be the key player for the Serbs. He is playing very well right now. This can be one of those exciting back and forth battles as both teams can create opportunities. PREDICTION: GHANA 1, SERBIA 1
Germany vs Australia:
The Germans enter the favorites in Group D and a potential champion. They have a very good World Cup history as they rose the trophy three times and finished second four times. Additionally, they have gone 12-0-5 in the group stage the last 28 years. They will certainly be challenged at times by all members of this group starting with Australia. They finished third four years ago as the host nation and look to make a similar run. They were also one of the better teams during qualifying. Miroslav Klose will a major cog for the Germans and will be the main player around some younger players who have a lot of potential. Australia surprised many four years ago and is a better team than in many years past. Harry Kewell will need to play well to get his teammates going in this one. The Germans will be aggressive and after being tested early will start to show their dominance. PREDICTION: GERMANY 3, AUSTRALIA 1
GROUP E
Netherlands vs Denmark:
The Dutch enter with a similar squad as past years: balanced offense and great defense. Despite many times having a great team, they can't seem to win the big one. This group is not especially strong and the Netherlands can take advantage of that as they were one of the best teams during qualifying. A key player for the Dutch, Arjen Robben, went down with a injury recently and will be missed, but they will turn Wesley Sneijder to get their offense moving. Injuries are also affecting the Denmark team as Nicklas Bendtner and Simon Kjaer are banged up. Bendtner is one of Denmark's best players and his absence might have them worried not just in this one, but with their other two group stage games. The Dutch seem to have the poise and enough to overcome almost anything thrown at them by Denmark. PREDICTION: NETHERLANDS 2, DENMARK 0
Japan vs Cameroon:
Cameroon enters this year's World Cup as probably the continent of Africa's best chance to make a run. They are led by Samuel Eto'o, who has the chance to show that he might be one of the premier players not just in Africa, but the whole world. His team will draw Japan first and they can give Cameroon some headaches. They do not enter very strong, though, so that should also give Cameroon confidence if this one is close as expected. Look for Keisuke Honda to be a key facet of the Japanese as they need him to be all over the field if their offense is going to be successful. Cameroon looks like the better team and have the home continent advantage. PREDICTION: JAPAN 1, CAMEROON 2
GROUP F
Italy vs Paraguay:
Italy comes into 2010 as the defending World Cup after winning it all amid scandals and various issues in the Italian league. This team comes into this year with a lot of questions again, but it has to do with their play. They started to stumble down the stretch in qualifying and their chemistry is not at its best. Italian teams are based on defense with timely offense. That is not happening regularly. Much of their success in 2006 was due to goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon. He will need to come out strong in the group stage to prepare for a potential title defense run. Fabio Cannavaro has been one of their better players over the years, but he along with a few others are getting up in years and that is one of the knocks on this years team along with the coaching style of Marcello Lippi. The road isn't too tough to get out of the group stage with Paraguay as most likely their toughest opponent. Paraguay had a pretty stellar qualifying path and are led by Lucas Barrios. Italy might display a little rust and lack of speed early, but they should be able to ride enough of their skill in this one. PREDICTION: ITALY 1, PARAGUAY 0
New Zealand vs Slovakia:
This is Slovakia's first World Cup as an independent nation. They seem poised to make it out of the group round and much their success might depend on how well Marek Hamsik plays. New Zealand got more than a few breaks to make the World Cup. They are shaky in all facets and will depend on defender Ryan Neslen to keep them in games. Both teams have question marks, but something tells me it might be close and very interesting down to the end. PREDICTION: NEW ZEALAND 0, SLOVAKIA 0
GROUP G
Ivory Coast vs Portugal:
These two are probably two of the better teams overall in this year's World Cup. Unfortunately for them, they drew World Cup power house Brazil in their group; which is all but eliminates one of them early on. So, this game becomes that much more important. These two teams also feature two of the best players in the world with Didier Drogba for the Ivory Coast and Cristiano Ronaldo for Portugal. Ivory Coast drew Argentina and the Netherlands four years ago don't get much better of a draw this year. Drogba, though, suffered a broken arm and will be limited in this one and throughout the group stage. Ronaldo has not been very sharp of late and will need to find a rhythm if this team wants to make a serious run and challenge a heavyweight like Brazil. Deco is a key contributor for the Portuguese and should pick up any slack from Ronaldo. These two will move the ball around for 90 minutes and matchup very even. PREDICTION: IVORY COAST 1, PORTUGAL 1
Brazil vs North Korea:
The five time World Cup champions open with the worst team in this year's World Cup. They have a wide open offense that presses teams hard and they have more than one capable scorer behind Kaka. Former champion player, Dunga, is at the helm and brings a mixed philosophy stressing more on defense and that could make things difficult for opponents if they start to score and have strong defense. They enter as the top ranked teams and hold victories overall several top teams leading up to the World Cup. North Korea has a steep road ahead as they play in a group with three very tough teams. This one might get ugly. PREDICTION: BRAZIL 3, NORTH KOREA 0
Group H
Honduras vs Chile:
Chile is expected to receive one of their key players, Humberto Suazo, back in time for this opener against Honduras. Chile's attack, though, can be stable without Suazo and might turn to Alexis Sanchez if needed. They enter with confidence against a less than stellar Honduras team. Honduras has players like Carlos Costly out and a couple others banged up and questionable. Their offense has also gone cold at the worst time. They play fairly good enough defense and that might help them in this one. PREDICTION: HONDURAS 0, CHILE 1
Spain vs Switzerland:
Spain has been one of the toughest and best teams since the last World Cup. They come in as one of the top favorites. Their quest for the World Cup title begins with Switzerland. Last summer they had their 35 games unbeaten streak snapped by the United States in the Confederations Cup. Xavi will be a key part of the Spaniards attack. Also David Villa is an established player who can turn this game into a rout with his play. The Swiss will be without one of their top players, Alexander Frei. The pressure falls to Blaise Nkufo to get the offense going. Switzerland will have to rely on strong defense to slow the Spanish attack. That will be tough. They are loaded and as deep as a Brazil team. PREDICTION: SPAIN 2, SWITZERLAND 0
Those are my first set of predictions. Not sure how they will all hold up. The excitement is high and the South Africans are ready to start a four week party to crown this year's champion. Let the ball drop!
GROUP A
Mexico v South Africa:
South Africa comes into this game as the host nation and thus will be pumped to open up this year's World Cup against Mexico. It will certainly not be an easy game against one of the best teams. South Africa is not one of the strongest teams to host a World Cup and will have to play hard and catch a break or two to move out of the group stage. South Africa enters the matchup ranked a lowly 83rd. South Africa has never been out of the first round. Katlego Mphela is one of South Africa's better players and if he can come out of the gate hot against Mexico; they have a chance to keep it close and even shock the Mexicans. Mexico enters ranked 17th, but has to solidify some questions on their team. They know, as does South Africa, that France; the runner-up four years ago; awaits in group play. Thus, Mexico; the better team; knows that they cannot waste a game like this. Also of note, history might be made if South Africa cannot get out of group play as no host nation has never not made it out of the group stage. Depending what Guillermo Franco's status is could help or hinder Mexico, but if they can put a strong attack around Javier Hernandez than they have a great chance to dominate. Both teams have the potential to place fast and if South Africa can keep Mexico on its toes and use the home crowd to their advantage who knows what could happen. South Africa will probably catch Mexico off guard and that could be good for a goal, but Mexico has a little too much. PREDICTION: MEXICO 2, SOUTH AFRICA 1
France vs Uruguay:
The French qualified by a disputed hand ball call that Thierry Henry committed against Ireland. The team that finished second to Italy four years ago will have a tougher mountain to climb this time around. Henry has been the French's marquee player for much of the last decade. He is not as explosive as he was in previous World Cups. The team overall has struggled throughout the whole qualifying process and might be vulnerable. The combination of the coach and the team overall have not looked like they are on the same page. France will depend on Nicholas Anelka if they are to escape this group and possibly make a run. Uruguay will certainly be a challenge for the French and they seem poised and confident to advance out of group play for the first time in a couple decades. Diego Forlan is the playmaker for Uruguay and the offense overall looks good coming into the World Cup. If one or the other can pull off a win in this one, it might make the difference down the stretch. France's lack of cohesiveness and Uruguay's ability to balance the field might produce a stalemate. For that reason, a draw looks very likely. PREDICTION: FRANCE 1, URUGUAY 1
GROUP B
Greece vs South Korea:
This game is crucial for both teams as they still have to face Argentina, who many peg to be the best team in this group. Greece is playing better than most years while South Korea might seem to be down is still athletic and fast to the ball. They are fairly even and the pace of the game could dictate the outcome. Theofanis Gekas is a key player for the Greeks while Park Ji-Sung brings experience and poise for the South Koreans. Greece has not had a lot of World Cup success and this game and group might be the opening they need. These two are truly not too different and that is how the game will be: close. I'm leaning towards a draw, but something tells me one squad will squeak by the other late in the second half. PREDICTION: GREECE 2, SOUTH KOREA 1
Argentina vs Nigeria:
Argentina's World Cup chances will largely be carried on the back and feet of Lionel Messi. He is quite possibly the team's best player since their coach, Diego Maradona. The player-coach tandem begin their quest for a title by matching up against less talented, but still crafty enough Nigeria teach. Argentina is usually a favorite as they have made runs for the better part of the last two decades. Messi, the reigning World Player of the Year, is not Argentina's only threat as he is flanked by players like Gonzalo Higuain. Together this team is a lethal as some Brazil teams we usually see at the World Cup in terms of their offensive capabilities. Nigeria had to scape by to get in and will depend on Obafemi Martins to get them started. The overall balance that Argentina will field will be a little too much for the Nigerians. PREDICTION: ARGENTINA 3, NIGERIA 0
GROUP C
United States vs England:
This might be one of the most anticipated first round matches. England is a perennial challenger and the United States is still looking to a moment that launches U.S. soccer into the next level. Sixty years ago, the United States shocked England in the World Cup and are looking to defeat the English again. Joe Gaetjens' goal for the U.S. has been the country's crowning achievement and a blemish on England's overall record. This game is crucial to both as they are the favorites in their groups and if one wins over the other; it could impact who they face if they get to the Round of 16. This game has major potential for the U.S. program and this year's team comes in with much experience. England, though, is loaded with a talented roster featuring Wayne Rooney. Rooney's temper will be of importance in how well he plays as his anger has gotten the best of him in the past. England has a slight edge based on talent, but the United States will play hard and England might not attack as strong as they are capable of. PREDICTION: UNITED STATES 1, ENGLAND 1
Slovenia vs Algeria:
These two are fairly even and each could use a win in this one to stay in the race in this group. Both countries barely got in and neither have a rich history; practically none. They are two of the lower ranked squads and will need to be sharp if they have any hope of moving past the group stage. Mental toughness will be key in this one. The one team that makes the fewest mental mistakes increases their winning chances. Algeria will depend mostly on Rafik Saifi and Abdelkader Ghezzal. While Milivoje Novakovic will be important for Slovenia's success. Both teams also will have to focus on their defenses and coming into the World Cup, Slovenia has shown the ability to limit goals. This one will turn on simply one goal. PREDICTION: SLOVENIA 1, ALGERIA 0
GROUP D
Ghana vs Serbia:
These two are pretty evenly matched. They enter this year's World Cup with Germany in their group and thus a win here can go a long way. Ghana is a mix of young and experienced players, but will be without their captain, Michael Essien. Djan Stankovic will be the key player for the Serbs. He is playing very well right now. This can be one of those exciting back and forth battles as both teams can create opportunities. PREDICTION: GHANA 1, SERBIA 1
Germany vs Australia:
The Germans enter the favorites in Group D and a potential champion. They have a very good World Cup history as they rose the trophy three times and finished second four times. Additionally, they have gone 12-0-5 in the group stage the last 28 years. They will certainly be challenged at times by all members of this group starting with Australia. They finished third four years ago as the host nation and look to make a similar run. They were also one of the better teams during qualifying. Miroslav Klose will a major cog for the Germans and will be the main player around some younger players who have a lot of potential. Australia surprised many four years ago and is a better team than in many years past. Harry Kewell will need to play well to get his teammates going in this one. The Germans will be aggressive and after being tested early will start to show their dominance. PREDICTION: GERMANY 3, AUSTRALIA 1
GROUP E
Netherlands vs Denmark:
The Dutch enter with a similar squad as past years: balanced offense and great defense. Despite many times having a great team, they can't seem to win the big one. This group is not especially strong and the Netherlands can take advantage of that as they were one of the best teams during qualifying. A key player for the Dutch, Arjen Robben, went down with a injury recently and will be missed, but they will turn Wesley Sneijder to get their offense moving. Injuries are also affecting the Denmark team as Nicklas Bendtner and Simon Kjaer are banged up. Bendtner is one of Denmark's best players and his absence might have them worried not just in this one, but with their other two group stage games. The Dutch seem to have the poise and enough to overcome almost anything thrown at them by Denmark. PREDICTION: NETHERLANDS 2, DENMARK 0
Japan vs Cameroon:
Cameroon enters this year's World Cup as probably the continent of Africa's best chance to make a run. They are led by Samuel Eto'o, who has the chance to show that he might be one of the premier players not just in Africa, but the whole world. His team will draw Japan first and they can give Cameroon some headaches. They do not enter very strong, though, so that should also give Cameroon confidence if this one is close as expected. Look for Keisuke Honda to be a key facet of the Japanese as they need him to be all over the field if their offense is going to be successful. Cameroon looks like the better team and have the home continent advantage. PREDICTION: JAPAN 1, CAMEROON 2
GROUP F
Italy vs Paraguay:
Italy comes into 2010 as the defending World Cup after winning it all amid scandals and various issues in the Italian league. This team comes into this year with a lot of questions again, but it has to do with their play. They started to stumble down the stretch in qualifying and their chemistry is not at its best. Italian teams are based on defense with timely offense. That is not happening regularly. Much of their success in 2006 was due to goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon. He will need to come out strong in the group stage to prepare for a potential title defense run. Fabio Cannavaro has been one of their better players over the years, but he along with a few others are getting up in years and that is one of the knocks on this years team along with the coaching style of Marcello Lippi. The road isn't too tough to get out of the group stage with Paraguay as most likely their toughest opponent. Paraguay had a pretty stellar qualifying path and are led by Lucas Barrios. Italy might display a little rust and lack of speed early, but they should be able to ride enough of their skill in this one. PREDICTION: ITALY 1, PARAGUAY 0
New Zealand vs Slovakia:
This is Slovakia's first World Cup as an independent nation. They seem poised to make it out of the group round and much their success might depend on how well Marek Hamsik plays. New Zealand got more than a few breaks to make the World Cup. They are shaky in all facets and will depend on defender Ryan Neslen to keep them in games. Both teams have question marks, but something tells me it might be close and very interesting down to the end. PREDICTION: NEW ZEALAND 0, SLOVAKIA 0
GROUP G
Ivory Coast vs Portugal:
These two are probably two of the better teams overall in this year's World Cup. Unfortunately for them, they drew World Cup power house Brazil in their group; which is all but eliminates one of them early on. So, this game becomes that much more important. These two teams also feature two of the best players in the world with Didier Drogba for the Ivory Coast and Cristiano Ronaldo for Portugal. Ivory Coast drew Argentina and the Netherlands four years ago don't get much better of a draw this year. Drogba, though, suffered a broken arm and will be limited in this one and throughout the group stage. Ronaldo has not been very sharp of late and will need to find a rhythm if this team wants to make a serious run and challenge a heavyweight like Brazil. Deco is a key contributor for the Portuguese and should pick up any slack from Ronaldo. These two will move the ball around for 90 minutes and matchup very even. PREDICTION: IVORY COAST 1, PORTUGAL 1
Brazil vs North Korea:
The five time World Cup champions open with the worst team in this year's World Cup. They have a wide open offense that presses teams hard and they have more than one capable scorer behind Kaka. Former champion player, Dunga, is at the helm and brings a mixed philosophy stressing more on defense and that could make things difficult for opponents if they start to score and have strong defense. They enter as the top ranked teams and hold victories overall several top teams leading up to the World Cup. North Korea has a steep road ahead as they play in a group with three very tough teams. This one might get ugly. PREDICTION: BRAZIL 3, NORTH KOREA 0
Group H
Honduras vs Chile:
Chile is expected to receive one of their key players, Humberto Suazo, back in time for this opener against Honduras. Chile's attack, though, can be stable without Suazo and might turn to Alexis Sanchez if needed. They enter with confidence against a less than stellar Honduras team. Honduras has players like Carlos Costly out and a couple others banged up and questionable. Their offense has also gone cold at the worst time. They play fairly good enough defense and that might help them in this one. PREDICTION: HONDURAS 0, CHILE 1
Spain vs Switzerland:
Spain has been one of the toughest and best teams since the last World Cup. They come in as one of the top favorites. Their quest for the World Cup title begins with Switzerland. Last summer they had their 35 games unbeaten streak snapped by the United States in the Confederations Cup. Xavi will be a key part of the Spaniards attack. Also David Villa is an established player who can turn this game into a rout with his play. The Swiss will be without one of their top players, Alexander Frei. The pressure falls to Blaise Nkufo to get the offense going. Switzerland will have to rely on strong defense to slow the Spanish attack. That will be tough. They are loaded and as deep as a Brazil team. PREDICTION: SPAIN 2, SWITZERLAND 0
Those are my first set of predictions. Not sure how they will all hold up. The excitement is high and the South Africans are ready to start a four week party to crown this year's champion. Let the ball drop!
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Gulf Oil Spill Does Not Equal Katrina
For over a month now, oil has been leaking into the Gulf of Mexico. It has quickly become the worse ecological disaster ever; surpassing the Exxon spill 30 years by then some. Each night we see daily coverage. We see the pictures of wildlife being affected by the oil. We see the marches being polluted by a viscus liquid. We know about the local fishermen and businesses that have become handicapped by this spill. And the worse thing about it is President Obama is fairly limited in what he can do to stop the problem.
BP has taken the brunt of the blame; as they should. But the government is still partially at fault and they have taken their hits as well. But it is ultimately up to the experts; the companies that have put us in the predicament we are in now to solve the problem. There are no devices in a secret location in Texas that they can fly over to cap the oil leak. Damage has been done. Since the first day until now thousands of barrels of oil have been leaked into the Gulf. Even the greatest minds that have been assembled have continued to be left without a suitable answer to the stop this leak.
However, despite all those efforts by the administration and Interior Department and MMS and others to try to resolve this issue; critics have arisen. Republicans and opponents of the president have been quick to compare the Gulf Oil Spill to Hurricane Katrina. They are calling the spill "Obama's Katrina".
Other than the location along the Louisiana coast, there are no other similarities. Hurricane Katrina was a horrible natural disaster that was worsened by the government's poor response and organization. This spill is purely a disaster that is nearly impossible of the same time of government response. A city and state's people were affected in the former compared to the Gulf and the animals, wildlife, and environment in the latter.
President Obama has been pressured by the media, political officials, and common men and women to come up with an action that is virtually impossible. He came into office looking to be able to solve problems whether they were inherited or occurred under his watch. He has communicated with officials and hoped that those who need to be doing the work down in the Gulf are addressing it accordingly. He has been vocal about ensuring that BP pays for their irresponsible actions that caused this mess to begin with. Obama has had to deal with members of the right who think he is being too harsh or overstepping his bounds regarding forcing BP to pay.
America has become a yesterday culture over time. The problem should have been fixed yesterday is how some think. The fact that the spill continues has many unsure of the affects and when it will end. The communities down there and along the Gulf worry how this will affect them now and down the road. The public have seen resolutions to problems throughout time and expect much of the same here in a similar fashion. The fact that Obama does not seem angry or his lack of emotion sets some off. If he doesn't seem to be going crazy then he is not properly addressing the issue with a passion.
This spill comes at a time when the public is generally suspicious and uncertain of their trust for the government. They want to know that the government is on top of this. They want to know that the spill is getting the proper attention. The president continues to listen and talk with advisers and experts. There are several others who are waiting on the sideline for a call to action instead of taking the initiative to step up.
However, it all goes back to BP. They are the ones largely responsible for this problem. They are the ones who should largely be on top of his issue and coming up with solutions. They are the ones who should have connections, experts, and anything in between to attack this problem from every angle. They are the ones who have the most to lose from this. You would think they would want to solve this problem as soon as possible and put it behind them.
President Obama should keep on BP. That is ultimately what he can do. He has learned at times during his first year and a half that he cannot do everything. There are some things out of his control. This is truly one of them. People need to stop expecting the president to be able to do everything. He might have run on that perception, but it is unrealistic to think that. As long as BP, the experts, and anyone else who can be of use are down in the Gulf trying to stop the spill from continuing; then Obama is doing his job.
Unlike Katrina when Bush failed to implement the necessary response, Obama could only do so much here and they are two majorly different issues. Thus the comparisons are ignorant and petty by anyone who says it.
BP has taken the brunt of the blame; as they should. But the government is still partially at fault and they have taken their hits as well. But it is ultimately up to the experts; the companies that have put us in the predicament we are in now to solve the problem. There are no devices in a secret location in Texas that they can fly over to cap the oil leak. Damage has been done. Since the first day until now thousands of barrels of oil have been leaked into the Gulf. Even the greatest minds that have been assembled have continued to be left without a suitable answer to the stop this leak.
However, despite all those efforts by the administration and Interior Department and MMS and others to try to resolve this issue; critics have arisen. Republicans and opponents of the president have been quick to compare the Gulf Oil Spill to Hurricane Katrina. They are calling the spill "Obama's Katrina".
Other than the location along the Louisiana coast, there are no other similarities. Hurricane Katrina was a horrible natural disaster that was worsened by the government's poor response and organization. This spill is purely a disaster that is nearly impossible of the same time of government response. A city and state's people were affected in the former compared to the Gulf and the animals, wildlife, and environment in the latter.
President Obama has been pressured by the media, political officials, and common men and women to come up with an action that is virtually impossible. He came into office looking to be able to solve problems whether they were inherited or occurred under his watch. He has communicated with officials and hoped that those who need to be doing the work down in the Gulf are addressing it accordingly. He has been vocal about ensuring that BP pays for their irresponsible actions that caused this mess to begin with. Obama has had to deal with members of the right who think he is being too harsh or overstepping his bounds regarding forcing BP to pay.
America has become a yesterday culture over time. The problem should have been fixed yesterday is how some think. The fact that the spill continues has many unsure of the affects and when it will end. The communities down there and along the Gulf worry how this will affect them now and down the road. The public have seen resolutions to problems throughout time and expect much of the same here in a similar fashion. The fact that Obama does not seem angry or his lack of emotion sets some off. If he doesn't seem to be going crazy then he is not properly addressing the issue with a passion.
This spill comes at a time when the public is generally suspicious and uncertain of their trust for the government. They want to know that the government is on top of this. They want to know that the spill is getting the proper attention. The president continues to listen and talk with advisers and experts. There are several others who are waiting on the sideline for a call to action instead of taking the initiative to step up.
However, it all goes back to BP. They are the ones largely responsible for this problem. They are the ones who should largely be on top of his issue and coming up with solutions. They are the ones who should have connections, experts, and anything in between to attack this problem from every angle. They are the ones who have the most to lose from this. You would think they would want to solve this problem as soon as possible and put it behind them.
President Obama should keep on BP. That is ultimately what he can do. He has learned at times during his first year and a half that he cannot do everything. There are some things out of his control. This is truly one of them. People need to stop expecting the president to be able to do everything. He might have run on that perception, but it is unrealistic to think that. As long as BP, the experts, and anyone else who can be of use are down in the Gulf trying to stop the spill from continuing; then Obama is doing his job.
Unlike Katrina when Bush failed to implement the necessary response, Obama could only do so much here and they are two majorly different issues. Thus the comparisons are ignorant and petty by anyone who says it.
Monday, June 7, 2010
What If the Media Was Comprised of Political Scientists
I spent four years at Rutgers University studying and taking political science classes. At the same time I was also studying and majoring in history. As someone with a strong interest in both subject areas, I often intertwine them in how I look at the political arena today. As someone who studied both fields, I like to think that I have a different approach to everything and anything politically related on a daily basis then most people who have not studied or have much of an interest in either.
Many of the people who are on television today are not like Walter Cronkite. Many of the people who are on the radio today are not like Edward Murrow. In today's 24/7 news environment, people are craving new details and stories rapidly. They then make rash decisions and because the CNNs, MSNBCs, and Fox Newses are on the air so long they start to sound like they are repeating themselves and start turning smaller stories into big deals when they usually don't need to be.
Then, I came across this article by Christopher Beam. Beam is a political scientist and presents an interesting question: what if news was covered by political scientists? I know one thing: we would most likely have a little less bitter partisan talk and maybe a little more of an educational approach and presentation. Cut the drama out for ratings! Political scientists cut right to the point and don't bullshit you...at least as much as some people in the media.
Here is the article pasted below as well as the link to it: http://www.slate.com/id/2256068/
Definitely worth the read and it will open your mind and fuse out some of that extra fizz that the media tends to build up.
By Christopher Beam:
A powerful thunderstorm forced President Obama to cancel his Memorial Day speech near Chicago on Monday—an arbitrary event that had no affect on the trajectory of American politics.
Obama now faces some of the most difficult challenges of his young presidency: the ongoing oil spill, the Gaza flotilla disaster, and revelations about possibly inappropriate conversations between the White House and candidates for federal office. But while these narratives may affect fleeting public perceptions, Americans will ultimately judge Obama on the crude economic fundamentals of jobs numbers and GDP.
Chief among the criticisms of Obama was his response to the spill. Pundits argued that he needed to show more emotion. Their analysis, however, should be viewed in light of the economic pressures on the journalism industry combined with a 24-hour news environment and a lack of new information about the spill itself.
Republicans, meanwhile, complained that the administration has not been sufficiently involved in the day-to-day cleanup. Their analysis, of course, is colored by their minority status in America's two-party system, which creates a strong structural incentive to criticize the party in power, whatever the merits.
At the same time, Obama's job approval rating fell to 48 percent. This isn't really news, though. Studies have shown that the biggest factor in a president's rating is economic performance. Connecting the minute blip in the polls with Obama's reluctance to emote or alleged failure to send enough boom to the Gulf is, frankly, absurd.
Democrats have also slipped in their standing among "independent voters." That phrase, by the way, is meaningless. Voters may self-identify as "independent" but in almost all cases they lean toward one party.
Poll numbers also confirmed that Americans are in an anti-incumbent mood. … Ha! Just kidding. The anti-Washington narrative was concocted by dominant media outlets based on the outcomes of a statistically insignificant handful of largely unrelated races. Sorry.
Still, Democrats hope that passing health care and financial regulatory reform will give them enough momentum to win in November. Unfortunately, there's little relationship between legislative victories and electoral victories. Also, what the hell is "momentum"?
Prospects for an energy bill, meanwhile, are looking grim, since Obama has spent all his political capital. He used to have a lot. Now it's gone. Why winning legislative battles builds momentum but saps political capital, I have no idea. Just go with it.
Possible "game changers" for Obama include plugging the oil leak, peace between the Palestinians and Israelis, and World War III, although these events would be almost entirely outside Obama's control.
Looking ahead to 2012, Republicans need a candidate who can shake up the electoral map, which currently consists of "red states" and "blue states," even though there's not much difference.
The GOP—a stupid acronym we use only so we don't have to keep repeating the word Republican—will have to decide between a moderate "establishment" pick and a more conservative Tea Party favorite. In reality, both candidates would embrace similar policies in the general election.
That candidate will then face off against Obama, whose charisma, compelling personal story, and professional political operation will prove formidable. Actually, Obama will probably win because he's the incumbent. And because voters always go with the guy who's taller.
Many of the people who are on television today are not like Walter Cronkite. Many of the people who are on the radio today are not like Edward Murrow. In today's 24/7 news environment, people are craving new details and stories rapidly. They then make rash decisions and because the CNNs, MSNBCs, and Fox Newses are on the air so long they start to sound like they are repeating themselves and start turning smaller stories into big deals when they usually don't need to be.
Then, I came across this article by Christopher Beam. Beam is a political scientist and presents an interesting question: what if news was covered by political scientists? I know one thing: we would most likely have a little less bitter partisan talk and maybe a little more of an educational approach and presentation. Cut the drama out for ratings! Political scientists cut right to the point and don't bullshit you...at least as much as some people in the media.
Here is the article pasted below as well as the link to it: http://www.slate.com/id/2256068/
Definitely worth the read and it will open your mind and fuse out some of that extra fizz that the media tends to build up.
By Christopher Beam:
A powerful thunderstorm forced President Obama to cancel his Memorial Day speech near Chicago on Monday—an arbitrary event that had no affect on the trajectory of American politics.
Obama now faces some of the most difficult challenges of his young presidency: the ongoing oil spill, the Gaza flotilla disaster, and revelations about possibly inappropriate conversations between the White House and candidates for federal office. But while these narratives may affect fleeting public perceptions, Americans will ultimately judge Obama on the crude economic fundamentals of jobs numbers and GDP.
Chief among the criticisms of Obama was his response to the spill. Pundits argued that he needed to show more emotion. Their analysis, however, should be viewed in light of the economic pressures on the journalism industry combined with a 24-hour news environment and a lack of new information about the spill itself.
Republicans, meanwhile, complained that the administration has not been sufficiently involved in the day-to-day cleanup. Their analysis, of course, is colored by their minority status in America's two-party system, which creates a strong structural incentive to criticize the party in power, whatever the merits.
At the same time, Obama's job approval rating fell to 48 percent. This isn't really news, though. Studies have shown that the biggest factor in a president's rating is economic performance. Connecting the minute blip in the polls with Obama's reluctance to emote or alleged failure to send enough boom to the Gulf is, frankly, absurd.
Democrats have also slipped in their standing among "independent voters." That phrase, by the way, is meaningless. Voters may self-identify as "independent" but in almost all cases they lean toward one party.
Poll numbers also confirmed that Americans are in an anti-incumbent mood. … Ha! Just kidding. The anti-Washington narrative was concocted by dominant media outlets based on the outcomes of a statistically insignificant handful of largely unrelated races. Sorry.
Still, Democrats hope that passing health care and financial regulatory reform will give them enough momentum to win in November. Unfortunately, there's little relationship between legislative victories and electoral victories. Also, what the hell is "momentum"?
Prospects for an energy bill, meanwhile, are looking grim, since Obama has spent all his political capital. He used to have a lot. Now it's gone. Why winning legislative battles builds momentum but saps political capital, I have no idea. Just go with it.
Possible "game changers" for Obama include plugging the oil leak, peace between the Palestinians and Israelis, and World War III, although these events would be almost entirely outside Obama's control.
Looking ahead to 2012, Republicans need a candidate who can shake up the electoral map, which currently consists of "red states" and "blue states," even though there's not much difference.
The GOP—a stupid acronym we use only so we don't have to keep repeating the word Republican—will have to decide between a moderate "establishment" pick and a more conservative Tea Party favorite. In reality, both candidates would embrace similar policies in the general election.
That candidate will then face off against Obama, whose charisma, compelling personal story, and professional political operation will prove formidable. Actually, Obama will probably win because he's the incumbent. And because voters always go with the guy who's taller.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
