December 2011
1 post
8 tags
Corporate Enemy #1: Judge Jed Rakoff
U.S. district Judge Jed Rakoff last Monday sent corporate defendants running scared to their vaults of money after rejecting a settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
The brazen decision from Judge Rakoff against Citigroup created blistering implications for corporations seeking to settle shady law suits without disseminating clandestine information that would make them look...
July 2011
6 posts
9 tags
The American 'Race' of and for Wealth
The recent (and arguably current, recession has left stains on various parts of American society. For example, funds for public programs including education, social security, and both medicaid and medicare will all see, if they haven’t already, sharp declines in funding, all of which will have both short and long term impacts on the people they serve - namely, a lot of the United States....
5 tags
“Never let fear determine who you are; never let where you came from determine...”
– Anonymous
8 tags
Israel recognizes state of South Sudan, commands... →
It’s about time Israel does something right.
Fucking jerks.
12 tags
Embassies Under Siege: Syriasly?
“Oops” is about the only thing being muttered by Syrian President Bashar al-Asaad as both his administration and government failed to control an attack by pro-government protestors on French and American embassies. The attack is being called a violation of international law, as an embassy is considered domestic soil of the country that the embassy belongs to and, consequently, an...
15 tags
Africa's Horn Gone Dry
The drought drying up the Horn of Africa is the worst the area has faced in over 60 years.
International aid agencies and NGOs, overstretched and underfunded, aren’t beating around the bush - they’re admitting the need is greater than what they can provide.
The Horn of Africa, due to its natural climate, is no stranger to droughts. In fact, the Horn has had several severe droughts,...
11 tags
Corporate Responsi-bill-ity?
The corporation has been evolving for a while now. From labor laws, to employee benefits, to corporate responsibility, the traditional corporation has done as much growth as any entity functioning in a modern society. But what is a corporation’s responsibility to the community it operates in? To its consumers? To the environment? Many corporations have begun taking questions that echo a...
June 2011
2 posts
7 tags
“America has no permanent friends or enemies, only interests.”
– Henry Kissinger
8 tags
Chemical Warfare and Malaria?
For a little on what’s happening with Malaria and some parts of Africa, which seems to be a duplicate scenario stamped on a lot of struggling African countries, refer to a previous blog post of mine here.
As recently as a few weeks ago, Nature published research done by US scientists analyzing a potential breakthrough in mosquito repellent. Mosquitos actually rely on CO2 emitted from...
May 2011
1 post
8 tags
How's Your Economy? Still Recovering, Thanks.
Something I wrote a while ago regarding the housing market regulations and the financial crisis:
Without the gross manipulation of the housing market, programs that improve equity in markets is a good thing not only for business, but for those participating. This instance, however, is worse than never having the opportunity to own a home. When things are done the right way, yes, I believe that...
April 2011
2 posts
4 tags
“By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest;...”
– Confucius
24 tags
Kiva - YOU Can Help OTHERS
Microfinance has been a rapidly expanding industry that has been able to help some millions of people globally. Loans, some as small as $50, changing lives entirely and being able to bridge the gap between impoverished and lower middle-class has become a trendy thing. Many organizations have become more involved in the push to help spread access to even the deepest parts of the developing world....
December 2010
4 posts
15 tags
Islam's Provocative Progress
irinformed
One of the biggest tests every religion faces revolves around the question of adaptation to modernity. But this difficult and strenuous task does not quite end there. Not only does a religion have to concern itself with successfully transforming with its respective society or community, but it must also do so in a timely manner in order to ensure it does not create problems....
11 tags
9 tags
11 tags
So You Think You Can Gossip About How I Met Glee?
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I spot something scarier than me.
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Can you tell me what it is?
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A weapon no wall can confine.
The frustration has been building in me and it’s getting difficult to bottle. It’s full and in desperate need of emptying. Fuck being self-concerned and talking about my year.
Fuck my year.
Fuck your year too.
Let’s talk about the important shit, the shit...
September 2010
2 posts
5 tags
He said
A writer should know how much change a character has in his pockets.
-James Joyce
7 tags
June 2010
4 posts
9 tags
Ay Dios Mio...
Mexico, Mexico, Mexico…
“Gun battles, ambushes and jail riots have claimed the lives of hundreds of people in the past five days of massive drug violence in Mexico. Mexican army troops raided a house in Taxco, a tourist town south of Mexico City, and a firefight ensued, killing 14. Nineteen drug addicts at a rehab clinic, including teenagers, were murdered execution style. Mafia...
7 tags
Oil Spill: 60,000 gallons a day.
60, 000
God
damn
gallons
a day.
Below this is a link from BBC that shows a week by week progression of the oil spill through mapped imagery. You can see for yourself how devastating this has been on the environment, the people, and soon, our economy. It is all FUCKED and it will take FOREVER to recover. If it’s not mother nature shelling out the bullshit it’s some careless idiots...
10 tags
From all of us at BP, Fuck you.
Boycott these assholes.
They started off by saying 1,000 barrels of oil a day are being spilled into the gulf.
Then it was 5,000 a day.
Now it’s estimated anywhere from 12,000 to 25,000 barrels a day leaking into the ocean.
After 50 days of bullshit, little has been done and thousands of barrels of oil still pour into the gulf every single day. The biggest frustration is that there...
8 tags
A Pack A Day...
“A study of adolescent smokers in the journal Pediatrics tracks the course of addiction to nicotine among a group of sixth-graders. After following 1,246 middle-school children for four years, researchers say a pattern emerged of occasional smoking that led to an addiction to tobacco: A cigarette a month will do it.”
-NPR
Going through youth and adolescence, I often wondered why the...
May 2010
4 posts
8 tags
1 tag
Think Now - Not Later
In troubled times, the fearful and naive are always drawn to charismatic radicals.
6 tags
Neighbor Recnac
Greetings and salutations, its nice to meet I’m the one that’s just moved in I hope you’ll be kind enough to introduce me ill make the rest of your stay fancy and expensive
don’t rid of me too soon, how cruel of you for you do not know how quickly I will turn how powerful my sting? and if you do rid yourself of me… I will return with an agenda full of venge-
...
6 tags
March 2010
1 post
5 tags
The Pedestal Paradigm
I introduce you all to my creation, for my statistics project, the Pedestal Paradigm. Only Cooley’s concept is his, everything else, including the analytical text, is my own. It’s still in its infancy, but it will hopefully flourish and gorw into something that actually has potential to fly. I will keep you all posted with our findings as we collect and interpret the data. Enjoy.
...
February 2010
1 post
8 tags
December 2009
2 posts
5 tags
Uncanny Pakistan-y
Pakistan is in trouble. Big trouble. Bad trouble. Very, very bad trouble. So much trouble in fact, that if its internal political and domestic issues are not resolved, then it is only really a matter of time before Pakistan’s train derails with a ”boom”; and if this happens, then the world will wallow with Pakistan in its troubles. Undoubtedly. Thus, the only thing that waits to...
4 tags
Six
“Invisble! Iiiiiiinvisible! Abra-kadabra-bazaam-kazaam invisible!” I shouted in the mirror, noticing my wrinkly fingers. I had always wanted to be invisible. I tried to discover a way to make this happen for a long time. Too long. I tried spells said by me and spells said by others. I tried drinking water everytime I got hungry thinking I would turn, well, clear like it. I even tried...
November 2009
1 post
1 tag
Just Another Day
Found this and thought I’d share. The lyrics are very, very moving. Or touching. Well, the lyrics move me to touch.
Yeah.
October 2009
7 posts
4 tags
Five
There’s a faceless shadow in this room. It patiently sits, waiting for God.
Dust floats carelessly in hallway light stuck between a narrowly open door and its other half. The light provides a curiously dim glimpse of this room. It has no windows. It makes no noise. A drawer’s lip is open, showing its ugly black teeth that hold video recordings of sinful trials. Labels with its victims names on it...
4 tags
Four
“I’m bored,” whined Joel.
We had to stay after school to wait for Jamie to walk home with us. He got out about two hours later than us because he was older. Our school was midsized - not too big and not too small. We had some basketball courts, which was my favorite to play during lunch at that age, a soccer field, and anything you could make up on your own, as long as it...
4 tags
Three
“And Michael? How is he?” my grandma asked.
“Oh, he’s fine. Just having some trouble with him at school,” replied my mother, with a tone of frustration and concern.
“Trouble? He’s not getting bullied is he? Cause you know I’ll go down there first thing tomorrow morning and kick the…” My grandma was a very tough, old-fashioned woman. She...
5 tags
Two
“I’m coming to get you,” I heard over and over as I ran as far as I could to find a hiding spot. In panic, I decided to hide behind a lonely, obvious bush. Deeply out of breath, I crouched and began to quietly dig so that I could burrow a little more to avoid being caught. My heart was racing, I didn’t want to be found. I could hear his walk slow as his feet crushed dirt...
3 tags
One
I had been named Michael by my mother because she always told me that I was born to do great things. The importance of my name will clarify itself more later, when my story unravels and illustrates just how my mother had such hopes and dreams for me to do these great things the way the real Michael did. The Angel. What big shoes to fill. She also told me, that for a second when she held me in her...
10 tags
Will You
this is probably one of my most cherished pieces
you hear left face right face turnabout shout different methods of education all generating political doubt that things can be adjusted, rectified using logical means but whats it mean to you when you’re the one sculpted into a machine of knowledge, information, influence and power what will you do with the tools newly acquired to inspire...
3 tags
The Day You Asked
I wrote this five years ago. I reread it and noticed theres a few adjustments I need to make. Let me know what you think… seriously. I like constructive criticism. :) Hope you enjoy it.
The Day You Asked Matthew Cruz
She came in wearing nothing but a redundant frown on her face. She stood in front of me, hands holding the clipboard… reading… whispering… It grew terribly...
September 2009
7 posts
8 tags
Burundi - Home of Africa's Rightsless
Cynthia Nkurunziza is just an average woman living in one of the poorest countries in the world. Just trying to get by, she works a humbling job collecting coffee beans in a field, an industry that accounts for some 90% of all Burundi’s exports. She lives in a very small house, supporting herself and her three orphaned nephews whose parents were murdered for their shoes. Despite working...
7 tags
Russian Diplomacy 101 - Do Not Agitate
Once upon a time… There had been immense speculation surrounding a renewed arms race, even cold war, between the US and Russia. Despite Condoleezza Rice’s attempts to mitigate these claims, the talk of the town seemed to be that the foundation of a Pay-Per-View event, Bush vs. Putin, was being laid out before our very eyes… and Putin looked like he was in better condition to go...
2 tags
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Uganda's Solution For Those That Fly
Like many countries in Africa, Uganda had struggled with deadly civil wars, economic catastrophies, and other atrocities that have crippled most of the continent’s development. Like some countries in Africa, Uganda has overcome these obstacles. Like few other countries in Africa, Uganda is fighting back. Fighting what exactly? The number one killer disease. Surprisingly, it’s not AIDS....
5 tags
Psychology of a Suicide Bomber
Pop quiz: Name the six countries that make up over 90% of all suicide attacks within the last 30 years. Yeah, that’s one. That’s probably one too. Yup. Nope! Alright, you may have gotten the obvious ones, but there may be a surprise or two: Afghanistan Iraq Israel Pakistan Palestine Sri Lanka What about naming the overwhelming reason why these suicide attackers decide to kamikaze...
1 tag
“Scars are souvenirs you never lose… the past is never far.”
– Reznik
4 tags
The Future of the Electric Car Lies In...
Bolivia? Perhaps the only thing that is more alarming than having a potential monopoly of this resource, which is used in electric car batteries, is having a potential monopoly while the head of state is good friends with someone named Hugo Chavez. At least from the US’ eyes. But, with the American auto-industry in shambles and no real sign of significant relief in the 5,000 day forecast,...