Bidding Farewell to a Once in a Generation Hero

I guess it's a bit cliché to blog about the life story and accomplishments of Nelson Mandela, but what the hell? He's an inspiration to people worldwide in his success in the fight against oppression in South Africa. 

The improbable journey from prisoner to president officially came to an end on Sunday, when Mandela was laid to rest in his childhood village of Qunu. I had never really looked into his life (besides seeing the movie "Invictus") before. And with a little bit of research I found clear similarities to problems that we continue to face on this side of the pond. 

President Obama made a speech at Soweto soccer stadium in South Africa where he he received a thunderous applause. He hailed Mandela's countless acts of reconciliations, noting that he was jailed for 27 years by the apartheid regime, but alas he still embraced his Afrikaner (white minority) enemies when he was released. Obama said "It took a man like Madiba (Mandela's clan name) to free not just the prisoner, but the jailer as well." This quote is very powerful in many ways, and it's something that, though overlooked, is still a problem today right here in these United States. 

Mandela's death came right at the end of a unit in my American Studies class about the Prison-Industral Complex, which refers to the rapid expansion of the prison system and increase in inmate population in the United States since 1970. Law enforcement is cracking down on imprisonment for non-violent crimes, especially on those in the ethnic minorities. Mandela was in the middle of his prison term at Robben Island when this began. His life sentence was handed over due to a "civil disobedience" charge. In the United States we are seeing the enforcement of a "three strikes and you're out" system for nonviolent crimes. Where you are put away for life for things that, a few decades ago, weren't even considered a felony. 

Although the United States is probably considered more "first world" than South Africa, the Number of black males in prison per 100,000 during the Apartheid era was 851. In comparison for the United States, the number is 4,848. So my question is, who will be our Madiba? When, in fact, the domestic problem is worse.

What Will They Think of Next?

It's in our nature to crave the latest gadgets and utilize every bit of cutting edge technology there is on the market. But at what point do tech advancements cross the line that should be designated for fantasies. A post earlier this year from my friend Erik really caught my attention, and begged the question, what role does technology play in our every day lives? And, more importantly, what role will it have in the not too distant future?

Samsung released its Galaxy s3 watch some 2 months ago, and already 800,000 units have been sold. Me being the old fashioned person I am, finds it ludicrous to even consider purchasing something like this. When one has their phone in their pocket or bag at all times (as most people do in this day and age), what possesses them spend another $300 or more on this rather than, say, A REAL WATCH.  David Pogue of the New York Times, "The galaxy gear is bulky and useless. It needs a phone to be even moderately useful." The breakthrough has gotten consistently sub-par reviews similar to Pogue's since its release, and Samsung's 2013 will end on a bittersweet note. After all of the hype after surpassing Apple for the worlds largest smartphone carrier earlier in the year, Samsung has come of short of the hype they had received.

Be that as it may, this trial run will be perfected in the near future, and items like this will always be bought by Americans. It goes back to a recent discussion in my American Studies class. The United States spends more money on weapons than all of the other countries combined. The reason being, not that our old weapons were bad or dysfunctional. We could probably still blow up the whole world if we wanted to. But we always need the latest and greatest just to know that we can. It's the same thing with the every day citizen. American's value groundbreaking inventions. So I'm excited to see the release of the first car that can drive itself, when the wealthy citizens of the world can surpass every level of laziness put forth so far.

Kennedy's Legacy

Most Americans who lived through the events of November 22, 1963 can remember exactly what they were doing when they received the news of the death of President John F. Kennedy. He's widely regarded as one of the greatest presidents in U.S. history, despite the fact that he was only in office for around 1,000 days. His approval ratings have in fact gone up since his death, as seen from the chart on the left. This week, flags flew half staff throughout the country, as the 50th anniversary of the events that occurred in Dealey Plaza passed. According to an article in the most recent edition of The Week,  "a Gallup poll showed that Americans still rate Kennedy as the best president since World War II, with 74 percent saying he was an outstanding or above average leader."

Kennedy represented a new era in leadership when he took office, he was a "youthful charmer who turned the White House into an idealistic 'Camelot,'" according to Doyle McManus of the Los Angeles Times. His increasing approval ratings seem shocking to historians. Many view him as a president who couldn't pass legislative initiatives, is blamed for the escalation of the conflict in Vietnam, and a relentless womanizer. A 1988 survey of historians named Kennedy the most overrated figure in American History, which begs the question, what did he really do in office? Americans value glamour, and when an innovator such as Kennedy and his presence comes around, he's bound to have his fair share of supporters. For the same reason that we have advertisements of the most visually appealing people that companies can find. Kennedy may have been thought of more because of his appearance (in comparison to the many men he followed, no offense to them) rather than his accomplishments. Kennedy's legacy has been embellished in my opinion, but I'd like to hear yours as well.

Honoring or Offending Veterans?

Anybody who watched College Football this past saturday was exposed to the uniforms that the Northwestern Wildcats wore in their 3/OT thriller against Michigan. The hyper-patriotic jerseys ever worn in sports will be auctioned off over the following weeks, all proceeds will be donated to the Wounded Warrior Project.

The jerseys have received mixed reviews thus far, with many voicing that the extra red in the design (seen in between the red streaks on the helmet to the left) appears to resemble blood spatter. Under Armour, the designer of the uniforms, released a statement saying that, "the suggestion that these uniforms are depicting streaks of blood is completely false and uninformed." Instead, they are meant to feature an "authentic distressed pattern which depicts a flag that has flown proudly for a long period of time."Which seems like the more reasonable claim based on first sight? I'll go with blood.

I personally love these jerseys and the cause they are going towards. Northwestern will have absolutely no trouble selling these jerseys for big money, and making a substantial contribution to a fantastic non-profit organization. Be that as it may, it is very understandable that these jerseys can be portrayed as offensive. The pride that Americans hold for their veterans is undeniable, monuments and propaganda nation-wide honor members of the armed forces. But, sometimes we go over the top. Northwestern and Under Armour should have toned it down a bit, and I think after this attempt at honoring America's vets, franchises and teams will take a more conservative approach.

Cyclists in the Streets

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel's most recent endeavor has been to morph Chicago into the "bike-friendliest city" in the United States. The $150 million going towards Bike 2015 Plan will add a network of over 100 miles of on-street bike paths, bus lanes, and signed routes (similar to those pictured left), and 10,000 bike racks. It also partners with the CTA to equip buses and trains with bike racks for commuters. The idea behind this plan is to persuade all persons with 5 mile commutes or less to bike to their destination rather than drive, a goal that seems quite reasonable and could generate many positive effects.

But with every positive-minded initiative comes controversy. With the enforcement of Bike 2015 Plan comes an annual cost of $25 to register bikes to the city. Citizens of Chicago are outraged by the idea that they have to "insure" their bike. I would be too. It may not seem like much, but on top of the skyrocketing tax rate in Cook County, it can really add up, especially for lower income families within the city limits.

In 2009 there were 1,484 crashes involving bicyclists. Mayor Emanuel's plan is supposed to cut that in half. Much of the city though is already equipped with bike lanes, over 100 miles in fact. Only 46 miles of bike paths will be added to Chicago's streets. I don't see that making as large a difference as the trusty politicians of the City of Chicago are anticipating.

An Athlete's Worst Nightmare

There are few events that leaves an athlete more helpless than the profound pop of a torn knee ligament, I should know, I'm over 14 months out of an ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) reconstruction and I still feel the prolonged effects. The ACL is a ligament in your knee (middle of photo to the left) that connects the femur to the tibia. More times than not, it is damaged when the knee is violently twisted, either due to contact, or just a wrong step.   Until recently, an effective way to treat an ACL patient hadn't yet been determined. Even today, doctors struggle to find the reason for the perplexity of treatment options and the rehab process.


Often referred to by the American Journal Of Sports Medicine as the "Holy Grail of Orthopedics," finding a way to repair a person's own damaged ACL. Until nearly two decades ago, a torn ACL was almost certainly a career ending injury. The gold standard since the early 1990s has been what is know as an ACL Reconstruction, which involves taking a graft from a persons tendon or muscle in another part of the body and replace the ligament all together. The reason being, the ACL is the only ligament in the knee that cannot repair itself. Dr. Martha Murray, an orthopedic surgeon at Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, has begun to explore the inside of the knee to find a solution. It has been concluded that the ACL is coated in synovial fluid, which prevents blood from clotting, a fluid that is not present around other ligaments, more results and experiments can be seen here.

The reason for the recent push for a solution has been a violent spike in damaged knee ligaments. This summer, after two weeks of NFL training camps, 15 players had their seasons ended by an ACL reconstruction. As athletes strive to be quicker, every change of direction leaves them at risk for a ruptured ligament. Athletes have generally found success in the procedure though. Robert Griffin III (pictured right) started week one of the NFL season just 8 months after going under the knife. He has demonstrated steady improvement each week of the season, and seems to be close to the peak form that NFL fans were so accustomed to seeing. Bulls guard Derrick Rose, although only playing in the preseason so far, has seemed quicker than ever in his first 8 games and has put up staggering numbers.

Despite no advancements in an imperfect procedure, high caliber athletes such as Rose and Griffin are able to effectively revive their careers, as are athletes everywhere. Eventually science will find a better treatment option, but the fact that it has been an enigma for this long is fascinating in itself.

Changes in Sporting Values

Forming a franchise around specific "household name" players has been a goal for General Manager's across the sporting spectrum since the dawn of organized team sports. Every team wants the best, most impactful, and most well known players to build off of. Recently though, teams have found success from unlikely sources and it has changed the way that management systems and team owners look at possible directions to pursue. Buying runs, points, and opportunities has hurdled and surpassed the idea of buying players, and franchises who haven't caught on are being left behind in the dust. "Moneyball," a 2011 best picture nominee about the Oakland Athletics (MLB), demonstrates this idea. In 2002 the A's had a total payroll of $53 million (according to baseballreference.com), whereas the New York Yankees, who finished with an identical 103 wins, payed nearly $186 million for that season. Inversely, some teams who spend hundreds of millions of dollars on All-star type players have found little to no success in comparison to the models predicted based on their acquisition. Team management has completely changed during the past few decades, especially in baseball, and it is not necessary to spend ludicrous amounts of money on one player.

 The World Series has been set earlier this week. The St. Louis Cardinals will face the Boston Red Sox. The Cardinals golden age appeared to be over (at least for the moment) after the departure of their once-in-a-generation first baseman Albert Pujols. Since then not only have they maintained their credibility in the National League, but they finished tied for the best record in the MLB with no major acquisitions. Conversely, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, who along with Pujols acquired three other all-stars to add to their already lethal lineup, have drastically underachieved and haven't even been in close contention for a playoff spot. The Red Sox on the other hand cleaned house last Fall after a series of big-scale acquisitions didn't work out. They rebuilt from the bottom up and worked with what they had. The two teams fighting for baseball glory over the next couple of weeks have explicit similarities. They are built off of consistent players, only few of whom are anywhere near hall-of-fame eligibility (those who are are long beyond their prime performing years). Of course there are teams filled with superstars that have great success in their respected sports. And teams should value the presence of a possible dominant force in their leagues. But recently teams have found great success without that fire power that is so stereotypically cherished. What do you think about the direction of sports franchises? What other examples do you have to support/ the "moneyball" theory?

Taking Care of Mother Earth

In the October 11^th issue of The week Magazine (only found with a subscription), an article on climate change caught my eye. Scientists are now 95% certain that the effects of greenhouse gas emissions are driving the climate change. “Humans are warming the planet,” said Brad Plumer in WashingtonPost.com, just as surely as “smoking causes cancer.” So we can throw away the notion that the world’s climate is cyclical and that it’s natural to endure a “heat streak” of some sort. The IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) has set a limit of 1,000 gigatons 

in total carbon dioxide emissions before we reach a potentially dangerous and irreversible phenomenon. Without serious changes in the near future, we could surpass that mark within the next 25 years.

Now, although we haven’t encountered the apocalyptic scenarios promoted by Al Gore, and the temperature of the earth hasn’t risen as much as the IPCC climate-change models had anticipated, the signs of a changing climate are evident. Storms have increased in intensity, rain and snow patterns have changed, the ocean has become more acidic, the list goes on (more seen here). Rather than government reforms and forking over billions more dollars in an effort to reduce the amount CO2 we emit on a daily basis, it is imperative that we fund basic energy research. The day that clean, renewable energy becomes cheaper than oil will be the day in which we can reverse the trend, and get Mother Earth back on her feet.

The Government vs. American Heroes

By now the world knows about the shutdown of the United States government, as well as the upcoming date of October 17th, in which we will officially run out of money. Needless to say, it's been a bad month for our good friends (or not) down in Washington. The inability for the conflicting parties to agree on certain issues has yet again put a possible governmental crisis within reach. So what will this do to the economy? Brian Kessler, an economist for CNN, estimates that a 3-4 week shutdown could cost the United States economy over $55 billion. And on top of that, who knows what could happen with no military? U.S citizens feel uneasy due to the shutdown and the cartoon above depicts that, quite frankly, everyday American’s like you and me are fed up with the government and its shenanigans. More basic info on the shutdown can be seen here.

With the government shutdown has come consequences, and misfortunes for many people. All athletic events for Army and Navy (except for football) have been indefinitely cancelled, and the broadcasting network that allow soldiers abroad to watch NFL games on Sunday’s is currently not in service. Tourist destinations and memorials all across Washington are indefinitely closed, and over 800,000 government workers are sitting on their couches waiting the situation out (according to CNN). But with these difficult times for some, we see true pride in others. In my American Studies class, a common theme through the first month or so of school has been “American Values.” We have discussed various different topics through photographs and texts, but nothing has sat quite well with me thus far about something that is truly American. With the shutdown of the government came the closing of the World War II memorial. Last Tuesday morning, 91 veterans of the Second World War were not stopped from entering the National Memorial, and were assisted by Republican Steven Palazzo of Mississippi. An article along with the amazing stories of war heroes can be seen here. I found the whole situation very heartwarming, and it was completely the right thing to do. The pride that we possess for the members of our armed forces and their accomplishments defines what it is to be an American, and it’s only fitting that the American heroes that we love and cherish aren’t affected by this government catastrophe.