The World Cup will bring everyone together

So far this year, the world has suffered a great deal of bad news between the earthquakes in Haiti and Chile and the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. There are over six billion people in this planet and there are several people that suffer everyday. There are also several people that are healthy and have a lot of success. Finally something that we have been waiting for all year is now here, the World Cup. Since the World Cup is starting on Friday, this will be a great opportunity for everyone to come together and root for our teams to victory. It will be held in South Africa from June 11-July 11. For one month, people will come together and cheer for their countries and even other teams.
There will be 32 teams in eight groups that will be participating in the tournament. The team that is most likely favored to win is Brazil, because they always put together a great club. Since South Africa is hosting the tournament, I will root for them because not only do their fans deserve to watch them play, but they deserve some success, like winning the pool.
This is the best part about sports, people all around the world watching the games/matches together. Remember the 2006 World Cup in Germany? What about the Olympics in February? Both events were exciting because millions of people in the globe watched all of these events. No matter what the results were, people were just happy to have the opportunity to root for their countries. Watching sports is a diversion for people that are suffering. Does it fix people's problems permanently? It doesn't, but what it will do is make people forget about their problems for the time being. Dreams become realities, so do nightmares. There will be success, there will be disappointments and there will even be a Cinderella story. In the end, whoever comes on top, that country will be jubilant about being a winner and having the chance to watch their national club play. Even if you don't watch soccer in any capacity, watch a least one match, you will not regret it.

Now in the working world

It has been 13 days since I have graduated from college and so far it been a blast. I have been keeping busy between visiting with my family and friends, getting called in for substitute teaching and doing some yard work. I know that I can't have a lifestyle like that forever, but it is keeping me going for the meantime. It is not easy trying to find a job these days. Even though there has been an job hiring increase in four consecutive months, it is not finding me a job. At the same time, I shouldn't worry too much because I can substitute teach for two weeks and then be a job coach for autistic kids ages 18-22 from July to August, so I have plenty of time.
At this point I just have to be patient and wait for my opportunity.
On the bright side, I got $950 for graduation money and a brand new car. It is a 2010 Honda Accord with a 2.4 liter engine, 4 cylinders and 177 horsepower. It feels good to drive a car and know that everything works correctly, unlike my previous car. My old car was a 1997 Buick LeSabre. The problems it had were unbelievable. The transmission fluid kept leaking, the gas gage was broken so I could never be able to tell how much gas I had left, the speedometer was out of whack but fortunately I got it fixed and finally whenever I used my right directional and then turn I would have to turn it off manually. Otherwise the car worked just fine. "The Boat" will live on.
It feels good to be home knowing that I have so many members of my family and friends that care about me. It is such a comforting and reassuring feeling that I am a likable person, which that shocks me. Even though there is a lot of drama in Massachusetts, it sure beats drinking a six-pack of Rolling Rock while watching a Celtics playoff game by myself. Even though it was not my best year of school, I still had many good memories and met a lot of cool people. It makes me sad knowing that I will never be an undergraduate student at UNH again. Every summer I would work, hang out with friends and get prepared to go back to school. I can still do the first two things, but the school thing is over.
Was college the best four years of my life? I would have to say yes and no. Yes, because I gained friends I will always love and trust, I got to student abroad and I learned so much in and out of the classroom. No, because of the homework, the rigorous schedule, the cliques and I never had a significant other. Nothing is perfect, so I am not even worried at the very least.

Hoyatoma steps aside; BP has to stop what they are doing

Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama of Japan, who swept into power last year with bold promises to revamp the country, then faltered over broken campaign pledges to remove an American base from Okinawa, announced Wednesday that he would step down. He basically quit he job because his approval ratings (meaning if people like him) were under 25 percent. It was said that he was very indecisive and inconsistent of what he said he was going to do to improve the country. It is a shame that it came to this not because he was in office for only eight months, but he broke a long tradition of the Liberal Democratic Party. Looks like it was a mistake that he broke the long time political philosophy. Mr. Hatoyama is the fourth Japanese prime minister to resign in four years, which means Japan is not an easy nation to please.
BP, the English Oil Company who is responsible for the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, has taken too long and has screwed up too often since the oil spill occurred on April 20th. They have made several attempts to stop the oil flow between underwater robots, the "top kill" experiment, ice crystals trying to stop the flow, etc. Even though BP's executive, Tony Heyward, said several times that BP will stop this, they have failed to do so. The oil has hit the marshlands and areas that have threatened the lives of several animal species. When is it time for the U.S. government to tell BP to stop sucking at their jobs and take over the project? Over 30 million barrels of oil is in the water and it is nearly a mile deep into the sea. This could affect the economy and transportation in several ways. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and President Obama have claimed that whoever is responsible for the explosion that has caused the oil spill will be put to justice. I will believe it when I see it. This is the worst oil spill in American history and nothing is working to slow it down, never mind stop it. If I was Obama, I would tell Heyward, "Hey man, you said you were going to clean up your own mess. The mess is not cleaned up and it looks like it won't be. It's time for us to finish it off."

Perfect games becoming less common now

On Saturday night, Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher, Roy Halladay, made history by being the 20th pitcher in Major League Baseball history to throw a perfect game. Halladay achieved this coveted milestone against the Florida Marlins by going 27 up and 27 down, 11 of those by the way of the K. This is the second perfect game this season, Dallas Braden of the Oakland Athletics throwing the first one on May 9th against the Tampa Bay Rays. We already have a no-hitter and two perfect games this season and its not even June yet. I think the perfect game is starting to lose its value.
As much as I like the fact that it was Halladay that tossed a perfect game, I am very displeased of how often a perfect game has occurred in recent years. The first perfect game ever recorded was Lee Richmond in June 12, 1880 which the Worchester Ruby Legs defeated the Cleveland Blues 1-0. Five days later was John Montgomery Ward of the Providence Grays defeating the Buffalo Bisons 5-0. There have been 18 perfect games in the modern century, four of them in the last six seasons (Randy Johnson in 2004, Mark Buehrle in 2009, Braden and Halladay this season).
The longest separation between perfect games was Charlie Robertson in 1922 to Don Larson in 1956. Basically since then a perfect game happens every four-seven years. What is happening here? Are the pitchers getting better? Are the hitters getting worse? It could be possible that the pitchers are much stronger now between their strict diets and lifting weights. Before the 1970's, baseball players never lifted weights, but they were still excellent baseball players. Jim Rice, last year's Hall of Fame inductee, said that he never lifted weights and he hit over 400 homeruns. Maybe baseball just needs to allow pitchers to smoke cigarettes and chew tobacco during games, then hitters can have a better chance. It could also be possible that it is a coincidence, but how much of a coincidence?
It could also be because of the implementation of video and scouting reports. Starting pitchers have four and five days between each start to work on their mechanics, study their opponents and how their can exploit their opponent's weaknesses. Why does a perfect game not happen more often? Because hitters also study their mechanics and the opposing starting pitcher and how their can expose their weaknesses. I honestly don't believe or even don't want to believe that current baseball players are better than players from half a century ago. I just think today's players care so much about improving their game so they can get a big pay-day. It just makes me sad that it is happening more often than it should. As a fan, there is nothing I can do about it but watch the game and probably complain about it right after wards. Who is going to be the next person to join the perfect game club and when is it going to happen?

College life is over

Since the first day of school this year I was so excited about graduating college. It is time for college life to end and it is also time to turn to a new chapter in my life. When I woke up today, I almost freaked out because it is my last day of college. All year I have been talking about how great it will be to get out of here. I am actually a little sad because I am going to leave a lot of memories behind, but at the same time, this school has taught me so much that I am ready to get into the job world and pursue my dream job. This morning I went to the commencement rehearsal and I saw some people that I haven't seen in two or even three years. When I sat in the chairs at the rehearsal, I realized that after tomorrow I am all done. It feels like yesterday when I started college in 2006. On my first day, I meet new people and I felt like four years was going to last forever. Four years goes by a lot quicker than you think because trust me, I know for sure that college goes by way too fast. I have learned so much from meeting a lot of people and from all of my classes that the world needs our help to make it a better place. I have had experiences that I will never forget. I know that I will keep my college friends for several years to come. I would have never survived if it wasn't from my friends at school. There is always room for friends, but these friends of mine are so special that a lot of other people don't even come close to how special these people are. I feel privileged to be a college student and learn from teachers who had the opportunity to make the world a better place. I am proud to say that I am one of the one percent of the world that had the opportunity to go to college/university. That is a number that will always blow my mind. I can write a book of why the University of New Hampshire is the best school in New England but I don't have enough time to write about it at this point. This school has made me a much better person than before I came here. I don't think that I would have developed into the great person I am today if I went into a different school. Although, everyone has a different experience at a different school. But my experience will always be unforgettable. Since today is my last day as a college student, it is time for me to go crazy and spend time with the people I most care about. God bless to all UNH students and I wish you the best of luck for your future. God bless me for graduating in four years. I would not be here today if it wasn't for my friends and family from Massachusetts. I will always love you more than you will know.

Bangkok goes chaotic; Editorial makes right opinion about Blumenthal

All of these stories are reported by The New York Times.
A crackdown on anti government protesters launched by the Thai military on Wednesday degenerated into riots, firebombing attacks, looting and street battles after militants allied with the protest movement resisted the army’s onslaught with grenades and assault weapons. Most of the leaders of the so-called red shirt movement surrendered, but other protesters rampaged across Bangkok, setting fire to almost 30 buildings, the government said, including country’s stock exchange, a massive shopping mall, two banks, a movie theater and a television station. The government warned of further acts of violence into the night and threatened to shoot looters and arsonists. But the crackdown did not appear to have become the large-scale bloodbath that many had feared. By dusk the government said six people — including an Italian news photographer — had been killed and 58 injured, some critically. There were also reports from emergency medical personnel that at least six more bodies of people killed in clashes lay in a Buddhist temple in the combat zone. Still, central Bangkok, the heart of one of Asia’s most cosmopolitan cities, became a militarized zone, with well-armed troops lining many streets and armored personnel carriers barreling down deserted avenues. The government ordered a curfew for Wednesday night, the subway system remained shut, and embassies told their citizens living across this sprawling metropolis of about 15 million people to stay indoors. The leaders of the red shirts, who had roared into Bangkok on March 12 demanding fresh elections and calling for what they said was true democracy for the country, surrendered to the police on Wednesday afternoon to face charges of terrorism. The surrender of the protest leaders and the dispersal of the crowd are victories for the embattled government of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva. But the crackdown did little to heal the country’s deep divisions and may have exacerbated the resentment felt by the rural and urban poor, who formed the core of the protest movement. Rioting in the country’s populous hinterland Wednesday when the crackdown began underlined those divisions and forced the government to declare a curfew in 24 of the country’s 76 provinces on Wednesday. The crackdown began Wednesday morning when armored military vehicles that had massed in the predawn hours outside the protester’s encampment rammed through barricades constructed with tires, bamboo poles and razor wire. After weeks of back-channel negotiations with the protesters, many of whom are followers of Thaksin Shinawatra, the prime minister ousted in a 2006 military coup, the government had lost its patience. Infantry accompanied the armored vehicles into the protest zone, taking control of major roads as well as entering the city’s Lumpini Park, normally a rare oasis of green and tranquility in Bangkok. On Wednesday a grenade landed in one of the park’s lakes, soldiers said. As troops approached anxiety spread through the protest zone, which was located in one the wealthiest neighborhoods in Bangkok and home to many corporate headquarters, high-end shopping malls, luxury hotels and high-rise apartment buildings. Thai news outlets reported that one of the more militant protest leaders, Arisman Pongruengrong, who is also a popular singer, fled the protest zone in disguise. Mr. Arisman made headlines last month when he evaded arrest by climbing from a window as the police raided the hotel where he was staying. He was captured Wednesday evening by the police and taken to a military base outside of Bangkok. Around noon, seven protest leaders announced they would hand themselves in.
The fact that there is fighting and violence in such a peaceful country makes me very sad. As much as I am happy about people that care about their political rights and thoughts about their government, it should not have come to this. This has been going on for about two months now and I think the government has had enough of it. The government and military officials have made several attempts to make peace with the protesters but most of them still haven't budged. Too many people have been killed, even a general who was shot and killed last week. This has become such a crazy world and no one should feel safe. Stories like this is the reason why all Americans like myself should feel fortunate of what we have. We should cherish all of the opportunities we get and then run with it.
There are few sins less forgivable in American politics than claiming unearned military valor. Richard Blumenthal, the attorney general of Connecticut, may consider his false claim to have served in Vietnam to be “a few misplaced words,” as he put it on Tuesday, but, in fact, this deception seems to have been part of a larger pattern of misleading voters. As Raymond Hernandez reported in The Times on Tuesday, Mr. Blumenthal, a Democratic candidate for the United States Senate, said on at least one occasion in 2008 that he had served in Vietnam, and he failed to correct journalistic profiles over the years that included the claim. He was actually a member of the Marine Corps Reserve who never served overseas. In an unsatisfying news conference on Tuesday, Mr. Blumenthal said he had meant to say that he served “during” the Vietnam War, not “in” Vietnam. He was surrounded by veterans who said he had repeatedly used that construction over the years. But even that phrase seems intended to suggest to inattentive voters that he had a greater link to the war than he actually did. There is nothing wrong with having received multiple military deferments during the Vietnam period, as Mr. Blumenthal did, and neither those deferments nor the details of his service in the reserve have any bearing on his fitness to become a senator. But his embellishments do. Mr. Blumenthal, who has an exemplary record as attorney general, has only a few months to demonstrate that they are an aberration and not a disqualifying character trait.
People like Richard Blumenthal are why politicians disgust me. How do you "misplace words" about serving in the Vietnam War? Serving during and serving in Vietnam is a big difference. Those were very sad and brutal times in American history in the 20th century. While millions of American soldiers lost their lives fighting for their country, this guy kept being deferred from serving. It's probably because he's lazy and incompetent and the generals knew that it wouldn't be a good idea to have him serve with other soldiers who actually care about their country. I'm glad that Blumenthal supports Vietnam War veterans and also acknowledges of what they have been through since the conclusion of the war, but don't act like you are a hero because you served during those times. This is no world citizen trusts their government because all of the people involved are two-faced.

How fans deal with the Bruins choking

On Friday, Boston Bruins fans saw one of the worst collapses in NHL history, if not Boston sports history. The Bruins lost to the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 and became the third team in NHL history to lose a series when leading a best of seven games three games to zero, the Detroit Red Wings lost to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1942 and the Pittsburgh Penguins lost to the New York Islanders in 1975. This was a sad week to watch hockey if you are a Bruins fan, a real fan or bandwagon fan. All the Bruins had to do was win one game and they would advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 1992 and it would have been against their biggest foe, the Montreal Canadiens, but they didn't do it. Not only did they lose a three game lead, they actually lost a 3-0 lead in the first period to lose the series, how about that for karma.
I got over it surprisingly quickly because I am always behind my team no matter how good or bad they are. What I haven't gotten over is the annoying bandwagon fans that have been constantly bitching that they lost. They definitely jumped on the wagon when the Bruins went to the playoffs. There is no way damn way that they were fans during the regular season when the Bruins stunk up the joint until the last two weeks of the season. As pissed off as I am that the Bruins blew it, I have to admit that they got a hell of a lot farther in the playoffs than I expected. They beat the Buffalo Sabres and they had the best goaltender in the NHL this season in Ryan Miller. Does that bring you a Stanley Cup? No it doesn't. You would figure that the Flyers would be toast without Jeff Carter and Simon Gagne during the series, but the Flyers didn't quit. Gagne came back in Game Four earlier than expected and scored four goals in four games to lead the Flyers past the Bruins. The bandwagon fans have been bitching as soon as the Flyers took a 4-3 lead late in the third period when Simon Gagne scored a power play goal.
When I was on Facebook on Friday after the loss, I read eight statuses in a row that basically said Bruins suck. Who cares? Just be happy for your team for the fact that they had a chance to battle for the Stanley Cup. Being a fan for the Bruins is really tough thing to do. They are currently the hardest team to root for in New England sports right now because they choke a lot. In 1979, they blew a one goal lead in the seventh game because of a too many men on the ice penalty. Sure enough, they lost the lead on the penalty kill and lost in overtime. In 2004, the Bruins lost a three games to one lead to the Canadiens won the last three games to win the first round. They choked last year when they lost to the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 7 at home in the second round. As often as the Bruins choke, I will stick to my team.
Even though the Bruins had a sad ending to their wild season, things do look bright for next year. A lot of bandwagon Bruins fans will forget that they have the number two pick in this year's NHL Draft (thank you Maple Leafs for trading a first rounder for Phil Kessel). For the off-season, The fake Bruins fans would probably want the coaching staff to be fired or a major change in personnel. Bruins head coach, Claude Julien, should not be fired. He has done a great job with this team and a change in coaching would not do anything to improve the team. A trade or two wouldn't hurt, but the Bruins should stick to free agency and see what they get first.
Things don't look too bright right now because the Bruins broke our hearts but if you are a real fan, you stick with your team to the end, no exceptions. I am very sure of myself that I will be talking about this to fake Bruins fans all summer. It will be even more frustrating when they won't give me good, factual reasons why the Bruins suck. In sports, there is always a loser and the Bruins are unfortunately on that losing side. Bandwagon fans, I will see you next April when the Bruins make the playoffs.