Nashville...

Nashville is a changing city—an influx of immigrants beginning in 1990 has begun to upset the traditional black/white ethnic makeup. Ethiopians, Somalis, Kurds and Latinos have settled in, causing native Nashvillians to begin working on a law that encourages the use of English over any other language. It seems that the chemical makeup of America is changing, forcing cities to deal with new social, economic and political issues similar to what southern California has been going through this past decade.

Poverty in LA?

Yesterday, I read an article in the Los Angeles Times about the poor Coachella Valley. In it, David Kelly outlines the poverty-ridden lifestyle of Latino workers who are forced to live in ‘ramshackle’ mobile home parks with contaminated water. It’s a shame that in such an affluent society as the southern California, such poverty can reign. Its suffering like this, when citizens live in surprising misery, that is the source of real terrorism in this country. It’s the terror of not knowing whether a parent can feed their children at night, of not knowing whether the water they give them is filled with disease or industrial remnants. Perhaps, before spending billions of dollars to maintain the comfortable lifestyle of the middle and upper classes, maybe politicians should consider representing the best interests of his constituents, including the lower class, instead of corporate business interests like Enron and Haliburton.

Drugs and Smith...

So, even in death it seems Anna Nicole Smith must maintain her status as a tabloid princess. Today, they ruled, after weeks of ridiculous legal hearings and speculation, that, yes, contrary to popular belief, she died of a drug overdose. I must say, upon finding that she was on nine—yes, nine—drugs, I was surprised not that she overdosed, but that she survived as long as she did. But, how can a drug overdose be accidental when someone is taking high doses of painkillers and sleeping pills? How can it be accidental when the world has witnessed her downward spiral for years, and did nothing but take pictures as she drowned in the depths of her own depression.

OH OH...

Its my birthday and i cant wait to go out and celebrate with family and friends ;) Its sad that i feel old and I am only 22...

Our Roads...

On a blog post for the LA Times sponsored Bottleneck Blog , it was mentioned that the mayor of LA is finally going to do something about the terrible status of our highways and sidewalks. As if traffic itself wasn’t bad enough, driving down streets filled with potholes and uneven cracks makes driving in LA must more pleasurable, right? Furthermore, how can ‘experts’ encourage more citizens to walk or ride bicycles to lessen traffic when the streets are completely uneven—which could, for the disabled, cause accidents that result in physical injury. It’s about time someone began brainstorming on what would make LA a better city to live in.

Golden Gate...

Last weekend, I was led to San Francisco for a fraternity event. While running half naked down the Golden Gate Bridge, we were encouraged by crowds of clapping and amused attention. Terrifyingly enough however, only thirty feet away someone committed suicide by jumping off the bridge. It was striking how some people can enjoy themselves so much in one place, but someone else could be so despairing that they give up on life altogether. This person had given into a temporary solution for a long-term problem. Upon discussing this with a friend of mine who had lived for some time in San Francisco, it turns out that suicide on the Golden Gate Bridge is extremely common, perhaps as frequent as “once or twice a week.” This issue is discussed in a recent documentary entitled, The Bridge; the filmmaker originally set out to glorify the Bridge, but upon finding out about the frequency of suicides, he re dedicated the film to explore this controversial issue within the city itself. Only in America would men like Dr. Kevorkian be persecuted for assisting suicide while nothing is being done to prevent the large number of suicides that happen on that monument in San Francisco.

Sign of War?

Last week, 15 British mariners were taken hostage in Iran. The Iranian government claims that they entered closed Iranian waters and that they therefore had the right to arrest them. The British claim that they were in neighboring Iraqi waters when the Iranian officials scouted and approached them. In times of growing tensions with the Middle East, one can only wonder when the kidnappings and abuses will stop. Will they continue to escalate into war, or will they be the source of fear for years to come? Which sources can we trust, the Iranian government that says they are safe and healthy, despite the fact that they have a history of violence toward westerners? Should the British be trusted—those who for centuries exploited ethnic differences in order to maintain control? When national identities blend during international cultural conflicts, who is right and who is wrong? Those who are desperate to maintain economic prosperity, or those who struggle to maintain political independence despite international efforts to stifle the growth of their own nation?

No on Rudy Giuliani !!!

What business, you may ask, does Rudy Giuliani have running for President? None, I say. His campaign rests only on the fact that he was mayor of New York during September 11^th and not a solid political career with clear objectives. His entire political career rests solely on his mayorship and appointment as a federal prosecutor. He has held no state or federal-level jobs that would give him the diplomatic and political skills needed to be president. As mayor, he made his name being ‘tough on crime,’ but his extremely moderate political stance has alienated him from the conservative Republican base. He claims to be a Republican, but his pro-choice, pro-gay marriage beliefs do not correspond to accepted Republican doctrine. How can he represent his Republican constituents if he doesn’t share their beliefs? How can he assess national political issues if he contradicts his own party?
The only experience he has in the federal government is the fact that he prosecuted corrupt politicians in the 70’s—but his prosecuting career is most memorable for his efforts to weaken organized crime. His legal career aided him in his campaign to become mayor, but is not sufficient enough to carry him through a national presidential election. After surviving the Bush administration, America deserves better than the immoral Giuliani, whose extra-marital affair was made public in 2000. If he is willing to disregard his marriage vow, how do we know he won’t disregard his presidential oath? The fact of the matter is that Rudy Giulini is just not what America needs. Frankly, he cannot back up his popular face and his memorable attachment to 9/11—he has a weak political career and an unclear partisan base.

Happy Noruz!!!

It’s that time of the year again. For over 2,566 years Persians around the world have celebrated “Noruz” (the new year) with their family and friends. As part of this great tradition, all Persians gather around the dinner table with their immediate family to exchanging gifts and stories. This is followed by the young visiting the elder for a period of 13 days as a sign of respect toward them. I personally would like to wish all Persians a Happy New Year and hope that the year (1386) would bring in prosperity and happiness for all.

Politics...

One of the biggest stories in the news today is the new online add that is attacking Hillary Clinton. I thought it was really interesting that we just talked about the Apple add a few weeks ago and now we have this. Let the dirty politics begin and may the best mud-slinger win.

Sweet Victory,

Its my senior year and I have waited so long for this day. After last years Rose Bowl game I was devastated and was looking forward to see Texas loose. What a great game it was. Our basketball team beat texas 87-68 and moved on to the sweet 16 for the first time since 2001 and only the second time since 1979. What a SWEET REVENGE … a great day for TROJAN NATION.

My Hall of Shame...

Hello all, I am here in Beautiful San Francisco enjoying my spring break and have finally got access to the internet. So the topic of discussion is once again going to be about politics. We all know that politics is dirty and that there isn’t much we can do to change that. Over the years I have been really frustrated by all the dirty politics that have played out on the national stage. But I have finally found who I believe to be the dirtiest and most sickening politician of them all… that’s right Ladies and Gents his name is Newt Gingrich!!! I am sure most of you have heard by now about him cheating on his wife while trying to impeach President Clinton for messing around with Monica. What a hypocrite… for someone to have the audacity to do that is unbelievable. Again I know politics are dirty and that we have “bad guys” on both sides, but Gingrich has earned the top spot on my Hall of Shame.

Spring Break

For those of you that have yet to make plans for spring break, this article provides some great information about the top 10 beaches to hunt for shells in the United States. Now you have to keep in mind that this wasn’t exactly designed for “college students” (meaning don’t expect to party all day); but if your like me and you just want to go away for few days to relax and/ or maybe spend some time with the family then you should look into it. I am thinking about visiting Stinson Beach with some family and friends and are looking forward to some time off from school. I wish all of you a great Spring Break and hope you all stay safe

Guilty!!!

On Tuesday, Libby was found guilty of four out of five counts that he was charged with. As his punishment he could face up to 25 years in prison; but I have a feeling that he is only going to get the very minimum which is about two years. And even with that, his lawyers are going to drag the appeal process for another two years so that he could easily avoid prison time when President Bush pardons him before leaving office. I have to say that I am happy that somebody from the administration was finally found guilty and at the same time I feel bad for Libby because I think we all know that he was the scapegoat of this administration. I can’t imagine how he feels… lets face it… he is targeted and hated by all sides.

“Obesity surgery triples amongst U.S. Teens”

This was one of the major headlines on the news today. It made me think about our society and the obesity that goes with it. I can’t make up my mind; On one hand I am happy that teens are looking out for their health by having the surgery considering the amount of risk involve in it. And yet on the other hand I am not sure if surgery is really the answer for these kids. Its almost like taking the easy way out. The real question in my mind is what kind of a massage we want to send out to our youth: “that it’s ok to eat unhealthy food and taking the easy way out” or that “hard work and self discipline can lead to success”. Let’s face it, we all hate to work out and eat healthy food all the time; but the reality is for the most part we get what we ask for.