- Great, just what we all needed: the NCAA has approved 35 bowl games for the next four years, adding two new games to the mix. The Dallas Football Classic and the New Era Pinstripe Bowl in New York will join 33 other postseason games on the already bloated bowl schedule, undoubtedly providing more fuel for the fire of those who mock the plethora of bowl games already on tap because they offer teams with a .500 record a chance to play in the postseason. There are already games in Boise, Albuquerque, San Francisco and Mobile, so to say there is a pressing need for additional bowl games would be a lie. When 6-6 teams from mid-major conferences are needed just to fill out the open bowl spots, it’s clearly time to get rid of bowl games, not add them. I thought we were headed in the right direction earlier this spring when the four-year run of the International Bowl in Toronto came to an end, but rather than accept that gift, the NCAA made its usual blatant cash grab by adding two more. The decision was made Friday, with the NCAA stating that
- Arizona has become a serious battleground for immigration thanks to a new bill signed Friday by Gov. Jan Brewer. The bill requires police in the state to determine whether a person is in the United States legally. Obviously, being a border state means that immigration - legal and illegal - is always a topic at the forefront of politics in Arizona, but this bill exacerbates that issue because critics fear it will foster racial profiling. Supporters say it will address the growing crisis of illegal immigration, but as usual, the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle. The most cogent point of the law is that immigrants will be required to carry their alien registration documents at all times and police must question people if there is reason to suspect that they're in the United States illegally. The obvious concern is what basis will be used to determine whether someone is suspicious or not. Also addressed by the bill are those who hire illegal immigrant day laborers or knowingly transport them. Brewer, a Republican, tagged the bill with an executive order that requires additional training for local officers on how to implement the law without engaging in racial profiling or discrimination. "This training will include what does and does not constitute reasonable suspicion that a person is not legally present in the United States," Brewer said after signing the bill. "Racial profiling is illegal. It is illegal in America, and it's certainly illegal in Arizona.” The specific rules for how to identify those to be stopped and question by police will be established in by the Arizona Peace Officers Standards and Training Board and are due back to Brewer in May. The official start date for the law is 90 days after the close of the legislative session, which has not been determined. Under the old law, officers could only check a person’s immigration status if that person was suspected of another crime. In attaching the executive order to the bill, Brewer was attempting to refute critics who claim that the bill will result in racial profiling by police. "As committed as I am to protecting our state from crime associated with illegal immigration, I am equally committed to holding law enforcement accountable should this stature ever be misused to violate an individual's rights," Brewer said. Before it even goes into effect, the bill is widely considered one of the toughest immigration measures in the nation. Ironically, the Arizona Association of Chiefs of Police had opposed the measure, while the state's largest police union, the Arizona Police Association, is in favor of the law. In Washington, President Obama spoke out against the law, as did Brewer's counterpart in neighboring New Mexico, Gov. Bill Richardson, who called the new law "a terrible piece of legislation." Expect the law to be challenged in court as soon as possible and for it to eventually wind up before the Supreme Court down the road…………
- Everyone is making a 3-D movie these days, with films such as "Avatar" and "Alice in Wonderland" turning in huge profits thanks in large part to 3-D success this year. Heck, even Martin Scorsese recently announced plans to direct a 3-D film later this year. But 3-D isn’t just on movie screens; Nintendo has announced plans for a 3-D gaming console, the 3DS. There are 3-D televisions as well as more and more networks begin to offer up 3-D programming. For example, Comcast's 3-D channel aired the Masters Golf Tournament earlier this month, and ESPN plans to launch a 3-D sports network this year. With all of these 3-D entertainment options, a growing number of doctors are wondering whether so much programming that literally jumps off the screen is actually harmful to viewers. These critics warn that potential dangers include include disorientation and, in rare cases, seizures. And in fact, the Samsung 3D LED TV comes with a stern health warning, cautioning consumers that certain flashing images or lights could induce epileptic seizure or stroke, and that "motion sickness, perceptual aftereffects, disorientation, eye strain and decreased postural stability" may result. Sounds like a good time to me, no? There is not a huge cause for concern in that the percentage of people who need to worry about significant adverse effects is small, especially the possibility of seizure. More common effects would be dizziness or other discomfort after watching something in 3-D, including a feature film. As someone who can’t watch IMAX or 3-D movies with dizziness and headaches, I can attest to that. If you aren’t familiar with how 3-D technology works, here are the basics: The 3-D footage presents two slightly different perspectives of the same scene, superimposed but separated by a specific degree. Viewers wear 3-D glasses with a polarized filter that separates those images, with each eye seeing one of the two. The speed is such that you don’t even pick up the transitions between images and your brain then melds the two of them together into a single picture, thus creating the illusion of depth. Your eyes make an innate effort to align the two images because the object is not actually moving toward you. In actuality, those most in danger from 3-D health effects are those with underlying conditions. People whose eyes are not perfectly aligned, or who have a weak eye muscle, will also not be able to see in 3-D. Most doctors put the percentage of those who will suffer any adverse effects or be unable to see in 3-D at all in the range of 20 percent. Just figures that I would be among that small sliver of the populace that has issues with 3-D…………
- Riot Watch! Riot Watch! Okay, so technically things have simmered down in Thailand, but a riot-lover can hold out hope for a revival of widespread unrest and violence. Unfortunately, the situation in Thailand seems to be heading toward the place where social dissidence goes to die: the negotiating table. Sure, every good anti-establishment movement needs a goal to accomplish and to reach that goal, eventually the movement has to end and the riots with it. However, I choose to hang on to and cherish those riots as long as possible and accept a negotiated end to the hostilities only as a last resort. That may or may not come in Thailand, where the leaders of anti-government protesters in offered Friday to return to the negotiating table only if the government meets certain demands. If the Thai government lifts a state of emergency and other measures and admits responsibility for the deaths of protesters on two days this month, then protest leaders will resume negotiations as they continue to demand new elections for a government they view as illegitimate. Weng Tojirakarn, a co-leader of the anti-government Red Shirt protesters, laid out the conditions even as tension remains high on the streets of Bangkok. For several weeks now, the Red Shirts have been sticking it to The Man and battling with the Thai military in a Bangkok area that serves as a financial hub for the city. Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva is the primary target for the outrage of the Red Shirts and he met with the chiefs of the country's armed forces early Friday following a string of grenade attacks. Through Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban, the government claimed that the grenades were launched from the area where the Red Shirts have been encamped for weeks. In turn, the protesters denied any responsibility for the attacks. What I love about the Red Shirts - aside from their unbridled hatred of the government and an abiding love for rioting - is that they are also finding time to keep things light and fun when they are not out stickin’ it to The Man. Behind the barricades of their home base, they can be seen playing music and doing their best to maintain a festive atmosphere. Whatever you all need to do in order to keep yourselves at your rioting, brawling and fire-breathing best, Red Shirts…………
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