Friday, March 21, 2014

Duck and Cover!

Pitchers continue to get struck by line-drives!

Aroldis Chapman, the young All-Star pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds, was struck in the head by a line-drive during a Spring Training game yesterday. This seems to be a reoccurring theme for MLB pitchers in the last couple of seasons. This problematic situation poses many serious threats to careers. With concussions being addressed in the NFL, as of recent, I ask the question: When will the MLB Players Association make the same threats and pleas the NLFPA did, to facilitate a way to change these vulnerable situations? I found a product that I thought needed to be shared because of the fact it seems very practical and revolutionizing. The product protects pitchers by not changing equipment but rather having an lower profile add-on. Here is what I found: Easton Add-on could protect more than half the head of a vulnerable pitcher

Developmental Tendencies

Do adults influence the way children lie?

Research gathered through a recent study, done in California, reveals that children can be introduced to the dynamics of lying by adults and their own tendencies involving lying. Children eventually learn the reality of the role, lying, plays in our society and there can be many different platforms where children learn these ways of lying. The common factors that come to mind today would be: Video games, Television Shows, and fellow Peers. As this study proclaims, children that were lied to by an experimenter (adult) were more inclined to mirror the behavior in a different setting. Since the children observed the contract of lying being voided, by being lied to, they felt the need to even the score during the experiment. I find this interesting in the fact that, yes, we all know children learn from their parents but always about what NOT to do. I believe if we can understand the fundamentals of lying and learn to realize them at a young age, lying can be looked upon as a positive rather than a negative. With this realization, through the process of growing up, you would be more enlightened in perceiving Truth and could be more inclined to call out Dishonesty. Just my take on things but definitely check it out for yourself.

Monday, March 3, 2014

Ukraine Crisis

Russia's Crimea position and Obama's transparent threats

With the situation in Ukraine worsening each day, I fear tensions will bring about ridicule for our President at a very unfortunate time in his Second term. Whether you have supported or despised Obama up to this point, the truth of the matter has been that he has fought tooth and nail for certain policies to be reformed or brought about, showing me that he is a President that wants to be remembered for his effort. Even though some have fallen by the way-side, and some have out right failed, he's showed that effort. In showing off this effort, he has revealed certain hypocrisies that allow other political adversaries to exploit him though. In regards to his foreign policy, he has always had the mark as a Verbal mediator, with his position strongly rooted in peace and alternatives to military force. Although I do believe this is the best overall position or outlook on things, what's happening in Ukraine needs more aggressive direct action. I don't push for the United States to be known as "World Police" but when there is a country that gained it's sovereignty through war with the Russians and have been sustaining a separate economy successfully for decades, one of the World Powers needs to physically show up to defend democracy when it's threatened. I'm hopeful for a de-escalation in that region, but I fear that a global game of chess is what many parties involved want right now.