Sunday, December 9, 2012
Friday, November 9, 2012
Research Paper Progress Report
Topic: Racism in Soccer
Sources:
Bennett, Roger. "In the Struggle Against Racism, England Finds Hope." ESPN FC. 6 November 2012. 15 November 2012. Web.
This article is helpful because it compares the addressing of racism in England today to the acceptance of racism in soccer decades ago.
"FIFA Against Discrimination." FIFA. 2012. 15 November 2012. Web.
This is an important source because it states the stance against racism of FIFA, world soccer's governing body.
Hughes, Rob. "As Euro 2012 Nears, Troubling Issues Surface." New York Times. 29 May 2012. Print.
This article talks about developments at the most recent international tournament. These developments provide insight into how culture and politics affect international soccer matches.
Kuper, Simon and Stefan Szymansk. Soccernomics. New York: Nation Books, 2012. Print.
This book has a couple of chapters about racism in modern European professional choices for managers and players, and it has a lot of historical background to racism in it.
Longman, Jere. "Racism Charges Put a Sport on Edge." The New York Times. 21 December 2011. Print.
This article talks about two very recent cases of racism in soccer.
Longman, Jere. “World Cup Plans Anti-Racism Defense.” International Herald Tribune. 4 June 2006. Print.
Ouseley, Lord Herman, et al. "Kick It Out Annual Review 2010-2011." Kick It Out. 2011. Web.
This is a good source because it is a review from an organization that is dedicated to addressing racism in soccer.
Sources:
Bennett, Roger. "In the Struggle Against Racism, England Finds Hope." ESPN FC. 6 November 2012. 15 November 2012. Web.
This article is helpful because it compares the addressing of racism in England today to the acceptance of racism in soccer decades ago.
"FIFA Against Discrimination." FIFA. 2012. 15 November 2012. Web.
This is an important source because it states the stance against racism of FIFA, world soccer's governing body.
Hughes, Rob. "As Euro 2012 Nears, Troubling Issues Surface." New York Times. 29 May 2012. Print.
This article talks about developments at the most recent international tournament. These developments provide insight into how culture and politics affect international soccer matches.
Kuper, Simon and Stefan Szymansk. Soccernomics. New York: Nation Books, 2012. Print.
This book has a couple of chapters about racism in modern European professional choices for managers and players, and it has a lot of historical background to racism in it.
Longman, Jere. "Racism Charges Put a Sport on Edge." The New York Times. 21 December 2011. Print.
This article talks about two very recent cases of racism in soccer.
Longman, Jere. “World Cup Plans Anti-Racism Defense.” International Herald Tribune. 4 June 2006. Print.
Ouseley, Lord Herman, et al. "Kick It Out Annual Review 2010-2011." Kick It Out. 2011. Web.
This is a good source because it is a review from an organization that is dedicated to addressing racism in soccer.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Complaining about American Sports
Americans play a variety of sports, but America's favorite sports are generally not well represented worldwide. There are many wonderful sports in the world, but two of America's top three aren't even in the Olympics. Maybe they are not represented at the ultimate world competition because there are parts of American football and baseball that are utterly ridiculous.
Americans recently finished their investment with the World Series. The World Series? So it includes baseball teams from all over the world? No. Maybe it's because Americans think that we are the best at everything (well of course we are), that our world only consist of the American Major League Baseball. Yes, I know there is one team from Canada. Wow, how exotic. They should really stop including "world" in the title. If you want to see a properly named world event, go to the World Cup.
Another annoying thing about the World Series is how ridiculously long it takes. Seven games! Is that really necessary? I think they should mimic the UEFA Champions League and do two games, one away and one at home, and add the scores together. There's an easy way to balance home advantage and make it simple. But I guess baseball teams can do multiple series instead of single games, because baseball does not require that much exercise anyways.
Football players get their dose of less exercise by only having one game per week. European soccer clubs have league games on the weekend with occasional cup games midweek, but is football seriously more tiring than soccer? Football players switch out between offense and defense, unlike the limit of three substitutions for over ninety solid minutes in soccer. Let me not forget to mention they can suck oxygen from the sidelines, and they can rest every time play stops. That is a lot of rest time; I wonder how a sport manages to have more stoppage time than actual playing.
And how did they come up with the name football? Football makes use of hands more than feet to move the ball. But actually, general use of players has nothing to do with the ball; they just repeatedly run into each other. If you want to do that, don't be a wimp; lose the armor and go play rugby. And this method of play is all perfectly orchestrated. Before every play, the quarterback is looking at that thing on his arm, and is probably in contact with coaches, preplanning a play. In every other sport, players make up the play as they go along and that is part of the beauty of the game. In basketball, the American sport I have no problem with, players have to make quick intelligent decisions of where to pass. It requires more brain power, and brain power isn't being lost in collision concussions.
Nevertheless, Americans all indulge in the same sports enthusiasm. I go to my high school football games (much more for the screaming than for the game). While most American spectators don't actually watch the game, maybe that is what Americans desire. We can't focus on a ninety minute soccer game for the glorious goal, and we require more commercial breaks than one long set at half time. When would we go get food? Americans don't have patience, so we need breaks and boring play so that we can multitask and get distracted. We only enjoy watching sport as a reason to scream and eat. It's the American way.
Americans recently finished their investment with the World Series. The World Series? So it includes baseball teams from all over the world? No. Maybe it's because Americans think that we are the best at everything (well of course we are), that our world only consist of the American Major League Baseball. Yes, I know there is one team from Canada. Wow, how exotic. They should really stop including "world" in the title. If you want to see a properly named world event, go to the World Cup.
Another annoying thing about the World Series is how ridiculously long it takes. Seven games! Is that really necessary? I think they should mimic the UEFA Champions League and do two games, one away and one at home, and add the scores together. There's an easy way to balance home advantage and make it simple. But I guess baseball teams can do multiple series instead of single games, because baseball does not require that much exercise anyways.
Football players get their dose of less exercise by only having one game per week. European soccer clubs have league games on the weekend with occasional cup games midweek, but is football seriously more tiring than soccer? Football players switch out between offense and defense, unlike the limit of three substitutions for over ninety solid minutes in soccer. Let me not forget to mention they can suck oxygen from the sidelines, and they can rest every time play stops. That is a lot of rest time; I wonder how a sport manages to have more stoppage time than actual playing.
And how did they come up with the name football? Football makes use of hands more than feet to move the ball. But actually, general use of players has nothing to do with the ball; they just repeatedly run into each other. If you want to do that, don't be a wimp; lose the armor and go play rugby. And this method of play is all perfectly orchestrated. Before every play, the quarterback is looking at that thing on his arm, and is probably in contact with coaches, preplanning a play. In every other sport, players make up the play as they go along and that is part of the beauty of the game. In basketball, the American sport I have no problem with, players have to make quick intelligent decisions of where to pass. It requires more brain power, and brain power isn't being lost in collision concussions.
Nevertheless, Americans all indulge in the same sports enthusiasm. I go to my high school football games (much more for the screaming than for the game). While most American spectators don't actually watch the game, maybe that is what Americans desire. We can't focus on a ninety minute soccer game for the glorious goal, and we require more commercial breaks than one long set at half time. When would we go get food? Americans don't have patience, so we need breaks and boring play so that we can multitask and get distracted. We only enjoy watching sport as a reason to scream and eat. It's the American way.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Senior Project Update
So I haven't really done that much on my senior project, but I will try to describe what I have done to make it sound somewhat progressive.
First, I changed my project slightly. I was going to relandscape both my front and back yards, but now I am only doing the front yard. I got it approved by Mr. Gilbert a while ago. This is not (entirely) out of laziness. We got chickens since the last time I wrote an update about my senior project. And they poop everywhere and eat everything. They live in the backyard, and their pooping and eating would ruin pretty landscaping possibilities. Also, my dad built this large clunky fence through the middle of the backyard to keep their feathers and poop in one section. And I don't like the fence and there is a bunch of other ugly and complicated stuff in the backyard, so it seems too ambitious. Doing just the front yard will allow me to be more focused and do a better job.
I haven't done any physical landscaping work. But I have been to several senior project workshops, which were helpful, especially because Mrs. Guerard helped me find that there is a local Native Plant Society (I am doing my research paper on native plants). And actually I am meeting with my mentor tomorrow during my free fifth period. Also I watched a couple HGTV landscaping shows, which were somewhat inspiring, but also made me wish that I had a work crew that could do a yard in three days.
Honestly, most of what I have done is push this to the back of mind and decide to focus on college essays instead. But I am excited to learn how to get started when I meet with my mentor tomorrow.
First, I changed my project slightly. I was going to relandscape both my front and back yards, but now I am only doing the front yard. I got it approved by Mr. Gilbert a while ago. This is not (entirely) out of laziness. We got chickens since the last time I wrote an update about my senior project. And they poop everywhere and eat everything. They live in the backyard, and their pooping and eating would ruin pretty landscaping possibilities. Also, my dad built this large clunky fence through the middle of the backyard to keep their feathers and poop in one section. And I don't like the fence and there is a bunch of other ugly and complicated stuff in the backyard, so it seems too ambitious. Doing just the front yard will allow me to be more focused and do a better job.
I haven't done any physical landscaping work. But I have been to several senior project workshops, which were helpful, especially because Mrs. Guerard helped me find that there is a local Native Plant Society (I am doing my research paper on native plants). And actually I am meeting with my mentor tomorrow during my free fifth period. Also I watched a couple HGTV landscaping shows, which were somewhat inspiring, but also made me wish that I had a work crew that could do a yard in three days.
Honestly, most of what I have done is push this to the back of mind and decide to focus on college essays instead. But I am excited to learn how to get started when I meet with my mentor tomorrow.
Monday, October 22, 2012
On Gore Vidal's "Drugs"
I accept the main idea of Vidal's statement, that "each man has the right to do what he wants with his own life," "as long as he does not interfere with his neighbor's pursuit of happiness." Whatever one believes to be essential to their pursuit of happiness, even if it is irresponsible or not respectable, should be accepted if it does not inhibit the similar search of other humans.
I would completely accept the statement if the actions of individuals could be completely without influence on others, but with drugs and other illegal activities, this ideal is not generally the case. Drugs cause fractures in families, and harm to those who must provide the money for another's addictions. In these cases, I do not accept Vidal's assumption that people with easy access to drugs are not necessarily threats to their neighbors. Drug use will always attract the attention of others, and outsiders may be thrust into their acquaintances' downward spirals with illegal drugs.
The easy access certain people will have to drugs will be displayed to everyone around them. This will disgust some and intrigue others. Teenage choices to use drugs "can have both immediate and long-term health consequences for themselves, their families, and their communities (National Survey on Drug Use and Health)." They may have made these choices based on the actions of their chosen role models. Those chosen role models, drug users by choice, are influenced the pursuit of happiness of their followers and by extension, their follower's families, and followers of their followers, and so on and so forth. In this way of constant influence, drugs have the ability to take over entire communities, such as it did in South Central Los Angeles. Any drug use takes a lot of emotional effort on the members of families and friend circles who want to prevent it.
There is also the obvious monetary cost. Even if drugs are legalized and "sold at cost," as Vidal proposes, there is still money involved, even if not at steep cartel prices. Currently, people spend billions on drugs each year, and the number is ever increasing. Money people should save or spend on food, will be spent on drugs to ease the pain of hunger or lack of shelter. The homeless generally have a disproportionate amount of drug use. Those who crave drugs, need money, and they will sometimes get that money from others, affecting those other people's resources for the pursuit of happiness.
I would completely accept the statement if the actions of individuals could be completely without influence on others, but with drugs and other illegal activities, this ideal is not generally the case. Drugs cause fractures in families, and harm to those who must provide the money for another's addictions. In these cases, I do not accept Vidal's assumption that people with easy access to drugs are not necessarily threats to their neighbors. Drug use will always attract the attention of others, and outsiders may be thrust into their acquaintances' downward spirals with illegal drugs.
The easy access certain people will have to drugs will be displayed to everyone around them. This will disgust some and intrigue others. Teenage choices to use drugs "can have both immediate and long-term health consequences for themselves, their families, and their communities (National Survey on Drug Use and Health)." They may have made these choices based on the actions of their chosen role models. Those chosen role models, drug users by choice, are influenced the pursuit of happiness of their followers and by extension, their follower's families, and followers of their followers, and so on and so forth. In this way of constant influence, drugs have the ability to take over entire communities, such as it did in South Central Los Angeles. Any drug use takes a lot of emotional effort on the members of families and friend circles who want to prevent it.
There is also the obvious monetary cost. Even if drugs are legalized and "sold at cost," as Vidal proposes, there is still money involved, even if not at steep cartel prices. Currently, people spend billions on drugs each year, and the number is ever increasing. Money people should save or spend on food, will be spent on drugs to ease the pain of hunger or lack of shelter. The homeless generally have a disproportionate amount of drug use. Those who crave drugs, need money, and they will sometimes get that money from others, affecting those other people's resources for the pursuit of happiness.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)