File this one under two of my favorite things: music and soccer.
This was already my favorite song on Rivers' solo album (a great listen, and a great read - so break down and buy the disc!), but this video cemented that status for me.
Enjoy!
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Isis
After two heavier posts, for my own health I probably ought to lighten this page up a bit. I saw this in the Sunday paper, and I think it's just the thing.
On Saturday at Camp Williams, a golden eagle named Isis was released into the wild, following a successful rehabilitation from a collision with a semi truck that left the bird near death.
The bird's release was marked by a ceremony honoring fallen Utah soldiers.
This is not the first eagle to be released into the wild at Camp Williams. The camp is actually home to a large and diverse group of birds and wildlife. In fact, in my experience Army posts seem to enjoy a special relationship with wildlife (ex.). I'm often surprised by deer as I run around the garrison for PT, and take a great deal of pleasure in watching the various birds of prey circling in the skies above.
My favorite might still be the Apache, however. ;)
The golden eagle is definitely a close second. What a truly beautiful and majestic bird. Welcome to the neighborhood, Isis!
Related links: KSL video, ABC4 video
On Saturday at Camp Williams, a golden eagle named Isis was released into the wild, following a successful rehabilitation from a collision with a semi truck that left the bird near death.The bird's release was marked by a ceremony honoring fallen Utah soldiers.
This is not the first eagle to be released into the wild at Camp Williams. The camp is actually home to a large and diverse group of birds and wildlife. In fact, in my experience Army posts seem to enjoy a special relationship with wildlife (ex.). I'm often surprised by deer as I run around the garrison for PT, and take a great deal of pleasure in watching the various birds of prey circling in the skies above.
My favorite might still be the Apache, however. ;)
The golden eagle is definitely a close second. What a truly beautiful and majestic bird. Welcome to the neighborhood, Isis!
Related links: KSL video, ABC4 video
Monday, March 24, 2008
Sports and Diplomacy
On Friday, Xinhua claimed Chinese police officers opened fire upon a pro-Tibetan protest in Sichuan province, killing four rioters.
Of course the official line is that the officers were provoked and acted out of self-defense.
ABC4 has this video of the small protest that took place in downtown Salt Lake last week. Barbara Smith signs off with the following statement:
On Tuesday, Doug Robinson wrote this piece in the Deseret Morning News critical of calls to boycott the Beijing Olympics.
I agree that refusing to send athletes to China would accomplish little, and would probably be unfair to the athletes, but Robinson is far too willing to ignore the uncomfortable present and past realities of China as he tries to persuade the reader that talks of boycott are simple silliness.
Robinson asks if there is "any place on Earth perfect enough to host an Olympics these days"? The flippancy of the question itself belies his total lack of understanding of the situation in China. This is not a simple issue of political or ideological differences, but a matter of fundamental human rights and political oppression.
His preceding question hits closer to the mark, but again betrays Robinson's ignorance. He asks, "Isn't this something the IOC should have considered before they ever made Beijing the host?" I find it hard to believe that Robinson is really unaware of the controversies that have plagued these Olympic games for as long as the Chinese have made clear their intentions to host the games.
Robinson admits to the precedent that has been set, acknowledging that the Olympics "have been chronically politicized", pointing to "Hitler and his Aryan theory in '36, Tommie Smith and Juan Carlos and their black power salute in '68, Black September's murder and mayhem in '72, national boycotts in '56, '76, '80 and '84."
Robinson asks, "Isn't it a sign of diplomatic and political failure that these causes have nothing stronger to barter with than an athletic event?" Unfortunately, when it comes to the world's largest athletic competition, the "it's just a game" argument simply doesn't work.
Nevertheless, most governments are choosing to just play the game. After announcing on the 23rd that the EU would consider a boycott, today Patrick Hickey of the European Olympic committees declared the EU's "100 percent" opposition to such. President Bush recently pledged his support towards the Olympians, reaffirming his previous commitment to the Chinese premier to attend the events. Likewise South Korea's Yu Myung-hwan voiced his hope that the Olympics in Beijing would "enhance mutual understanding through sport."
The games are still months away (136 days), but thanks to the tireless efforts of opposition organizations across the world the understanding of some is beginning to be enhanced. The fundamental problem persists, however, that this enhanced understanding is truly anything but mutual.
Of course the official line is that the officers were provoked and acted out of self-defense.
ABC4 has this video of the small protest that took place in downtown Salt Lake last week. Barbara Smith signs off with the following statement:
"And as China prepares to host the world for the Olympic games, this is exactly the image it doesn't want to project. Others argue that this is the China the world needs to see."I'm arguing that both are true.
On Tuesday, Doug Robinson wrote this piece in the Deseret Morning News critical of calls to boycott the Beijing Olympics.
I agree that refusing to send athletes to China would accomplish little, and would probably be unfair to the athletes, but Robinson is far too willing to ignore the uncomfortable present and past realities of China as he tries to persuade the reader that talks of boycott are simple silliness.
Robinson asks if there is "any place on Earth perfect enough to host an Olympics these days"? The flippancy of the question itself belies his total lack of understanding of the situation in China. This is not a simple issue of political or ideological differences, but a matter of fundamental human rights and political oppression.
His preceding question hits closer to the mark, but again betrays Robinson's ignorance. He asks, "Isn't this something the IOC should have considered before they ever made Beijing the host?" I find it hard to believe that Robinson is really unaware of the controversies that have plagued these Olympic games for as long as the Chinese have made clear their intentions to host the games.
Robinson admits to the precedent that has been set, acknowledging that the Olympics "have been chronically politicized", pointing to "Hitler and his Aryan theory in '36, Tommie Smith and Juan Carlos and their black power salute in '68, Black September's murder and mayhem in '72, national boycotts in '56, '76, '80 and '84."
Robinson asks, "Isn't it a sign of diplomatic and political failure that these causes have nothing stronger to barter with than an athletic event?" Unfortunately, when it comes to the world's largest athletic competition, the "it's just a game" argument simply doesn't work.
Nevertheless, most governments are choosing to just play the game. After announcing on the 23rd that the EU would consider a boycott, today Patrick Hickey of the European Olympic committees declared the EU's "100 percent" opposition to such. President Bush recently pledged his support towards the Olympians, reaffirming his previous commitment to the Chinese premier to attend the events. Likewise South Korea's Yu Myung-hwan voiced his hope that the Olympics in Beijing would "enhance mutual understanding through sport."
The games are still months away (136 days), but thanks to the tireless efforts of opposition organizations across the world the understanding of some is beginning to be enhanced. The fundamental problem persists, however, that this enhanced understanding is truly anything but mutual.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Middle Kingdom, Center Stage
As China draws nearer to the opening of the Summer Olympics in Beijing, protesters across the world are drawing attention to the many problems that beset the country, and that the Middle Kingdom is trying so hard to push aside.For our part, a small demonstration took place in downtown SLC yesterday, featuring gagged protesters in blood-stained clothing, waving Tibetan flags and carrying signs calling attention to China's human rights record, and the Free Tibet cause.
Last June another small demonstration took place when Real Salt Lake hosted the Chinese National Team for an international exhibition soccer match at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Chinese officials objected to Taiwanese and Tibetan flags being waved, as well as a sign posted by fans, in Chinese, reminding the team of the Tienanmen Square massacre (which anniversary had passed a few days before the match). RSL officials kowtowed to the Chinese and forced an end to the display. Flags and signs that were offensive to the Chinese were removed, and several individuals were ejected from the stadium.For some time following the incident, soccer fans debated both the appropriateness of the protest and the response by the team. RSL won the game 1-0, but clearly China won the battle over free speech in Salt Lake City.
China's battle to control public opinion of itself is never ending. Recently that PR war has taken a violent and very public turn. Over the weekend, violence and rioting in Lhasa, Tibet resulted in scorched earth and death counts ranging from as low as 20 to over 100 people (depending on which side you believe). Always quick with the gag reflex, China promptly expelled foreign media, complicating the task of understanding the situation. China's Xinhua News agency was quick to point out, for example, that rioters were responsible for a great deal of property damage as well as the deaths of 13 civilians. Meanwhile, sources sympathetic to the Tibetan cause have produced disturbing images of casualties inflicted by the Chinese government in the violence.Make no mistake: the Chinese government is an enemy to freedom and human rights, a barrier to free trade, and a friend to censorship.
China has had a great deal of success in persuading the world to simply "look the other way," when it comes to these true "crimes against humanity" but as the Middle Kingdom moves into the center stage it must be prepared for a far greater PR assault than it has faced so far.
And true supporters of freedom must be prepared to give China the fight that it deserves.
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Camp Williams
The Deseret Morning News had this article on Thursday, regarding the Utah National Guard Readiness Act presented by Representative Rob Bishop last September.The act would transfer land that is already "withdrawn for military use" (see DMN graphic) from the Bureau of Land Management to the state of Utah, to be used by the Utah National Guard. The land in question already lies within the borders of Camp Williams.
Camp Williams is a first rate training site, and a major training destination for guard units from all over the western United States. Expansion of the garrison's facilities are limited however, as COL Olsen pointed out in the article, by the installation's topography. Moreover the rapidly expanding residential developments that surround the camp (
Saratoga Springs, Lehi, Eagle Mountain and Bluffdale) also limit training activities, particularly exercises conducted by the state's artillery and combat engineer units.It was not long ago that Camp Williams was considered remote and "out of the way," but the Utah National Guard training site is finding itself closer and closer to the metropolitan heart of Utah. This legislation is an important part of preserving Camp Williams' ability to respond to our nation's military needs. In the future, attention should be given to preserving the ranges farther to the west that are so vital to tactical and weapons training.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Compassion doctrine
Despite calls for compassion from local religious leaders, notably Elder Marlin Jensen of the LDS Church and Bishop John Wester of the Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake, this legislative session was decidedly uncompassionate towards undocumented or illegal immigrants (choose your own adjective) currently residing in the Beehive State.
The flocks of faithful tended by these religious shepherds extend far beyond either the borders of our state or our country. As such, these leaders are justified in speaking out on their behalf - to suggest that we remember that these are human beings we’re talking about, and not simply countless and faceless statistics.
Elder Jensen compared the phenomenon to someone coming onto another person's property uninvited, saying "there is nothing inherent or wrong about that status." Bishop Wester pointed out that "Jesus was a man on the move - an immigrant if you will."
Clearly the calls for compassion fell on deaf ears in the Utah legislature. When Senate Bill 81 takes effect in July 2009, these "unwanted and unwelcome" migrants will find that life for them has become much more difficult. It will be more difficult to find employment and housing, and Utah employers and landlords will bear the burdens and face the penalties of compliance and noncompliance.
It’s unfortunate that SB97 died in the closing moments of the legislative session. This bill at least pretended to approach this complex issue with some thoughtfulness, by creating a task force to study the economic impact of illegal immigration.
Nevertheless, it is still a cop-out to oversimplify the situation by looking at only the economic figures in order to make a dispassionate decision about an issue that is clearly about much more than money.
By passing SB81, and failing SB97 legislators have decided that ignorance is bliss, when it comes to understanding the realities of this situation. Where Elder Jensen called for legislators to "measure twice before they cut," legislators have chosen the opposite tact.
Legislators have also ignored Bishop Wester's cautionary reminder of the biblical account of Mary and Joseph's own efforts to find a place to stay, deciding that there is no room at our inn.
The flocks of faithful tended by these religious shepherds extend far beyond either the borders of our state or our country. As such, these leaders are justified in speaking out on their behalf - to suggest that we remember that these are human beings we’re talking about, and not simply countless and faceless statistics.
Elder Jensen compared the phenomenon to someone coming onto another person's property uninvited, saying "there is nothing inherent or wrong about that status." Bishop Wester pointed out that "Jesus was a man on the move - an immigrant if you will."
Clearly the calls for compassion fell on deaf ears in the Utah legislature. When Senate Bill 81 takes effect in July 2009, these "unwanted and unwelcome" migrants will find that life for them has become much more difficult. It will be more difficult to find employment and housing, and Utah employers and landlords will bear the burdens and face the penalties of compliance and noncompliance.
It’s unfortunate that SB97 died in the closing moments of the legislative session. This bill at least pretended to approach this complex issue with some thoughtfulness, by creating a task force to study the economic impact of illegal immigration.
Nevertheless, it is still a cop-out to oversimplify the situation by looking at only the economic figures in order to make a dispassionate decision about an issue that is clearly about much more than money.
By passing SB81, and failing SB97 legislators have decided that ignorance is bliss, when it comes to understanding the realities of this situation. Where Elder Jensen called for legislators to "measure twice before they cut," legislators have chosen the opposite tact.
Legislators have also ignored Bishop Wester's cautionary reminder of the biblical account of Mary and Joseph's own efforts to find a place to stay, deciding that there is no room at our inn.
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