Copenhagen Zoo kills giraffe to avoid inbreeding

Earlier this week, a zoo in the Denmark capital killed a healthy giraffe despite thousands of people petitioning to save the young animal’s life. The reasoning that Copenhagen zoo gave for the murder of the animal was to avoid inbreeding. The animal was also autopsied, dismembered, and fed to the zoo’s lions, all in front of an audience including children. The zoo faced fierce criticism from animal lovers over the internet, despite its reasoning that there was not enough room for the giraffe in the zoo’s herd. Bengt Holst, a spokesman for the zoo told the media, “When giraffes breed as well as they do now, then you will inevitably run into so-called surplus problems now and then.” Although many other zoos around Europe had offered to take the giraffe in, the Copenhagen zoo refused.

There were also voices of concern over the method of killing the giraffe, and the public display of the autopsy, dismemberment and feeding of the animal. The giraffe was killed using a bolt gun, as opposed to lethal injection, which would’ve contaminated the giraffe’s meat. The corpse was used for research purposes and also to feed the carnivores living at the zoo, Holst stating that, “In this case we would never throw away 200 kilograms of meat.” Holst also noted that during the autopsy and dismemberment of the animal, the audience was, according to Holst, “very enthusiastic” and “the kids asked good questions.” Outrage by the public ensued even more upon learning that kids were there to witness what was being done to the giraffe.

The European Association of Zoos and Aquaria fully supported the zoo’s decision about the giraffe. Although the animal was completely healthy, the animal’s genes were well represented at the zoo. The zoo also justified the killing in order for them to remain a part of an international breeding program for animals. Even with the best of intentions, their actions still are in doubt and misunderstood as to why they had to take the animal’s life.

Posted in Environment | Comments Off on Copenhagen Zoo kills giraffe to avoid inbreeding

Has ‘The Biggest Loser’ gone too far? Recent winner described as skeletal and unhealthy.

The winner of the most recent season of ‘The Biggest Loser’ has sparked much criticism after losing 60% of her body weight during the 12-week reality show. Rachel Frederickson starting weight was 260 pounds and throughout the course of the show she lost 155 pounds. Frederickson is 5’5″ but now only weighs 105 pounds which means she is now categorized as under weight on the Body Mass Index (BMI). ‘The Biggest Loser’ is a extreme weight loss reality program after all, should we be suprised at Rachel’s extreme transformation outcome?

The popular TV program is known to help those struggling with obesity to lose weight as quickly as possible with a significant cash prize for the person who loses the most. It was often thought that the program was helping motivate people to eat a healthy diet and exercise or at the very least, makes viewers aware of their own lifestyle choices. However, critics are now drawing attention to the fact the program encourages contestants to lose as much weight as possible without taking consideration into the health risks of losing too much weight and doing so within a very short time. Rachel ignored any questions discussing whether she felt she had taken her weight loss too far.

At first glance it is easy to perceive ‘The Biggest Loser’ as a positive influence in the arena of health and well being in America. However, the recent winner has drawn attention to the fact the the show’s focus is on getting thinner rather than healthier. This ‘thin’ ideal that the show creates worsens the unhealthy body image that is promoted through out mainstream media. It encourages people to be skinny and do whatever it takes to get there which is incredibly damaging to physical and mental health. It is also very alarming that articles claim 85-90% of Biggest Loser contestants return to their starting weight regardless.

Posted in Entertainment, General, Health, Odd News | Comments Off on Has ‘The Biggest Loser’ gone too far? Recent winner described as skeletal and unhealthy.

The Problem With Orlando’s Public Transport

This weekend as I was coming back home I had to take the Lynx bus from downtown Orlando to UCF. I was appalled when I noticed how disorganized this bus line is. I took the 104 bus whose last stop was at UCF. There was more than 50 people crammed into that bus, way beyond its intended capacity, barely being able to move. For that matter, the bus kept taking more people in as we went on, because the other 104 bus was apparently late, and waiting passengers were out of patience. This led to a lot of protest from passengers as well as some who were not able to ride the bus due to the sheer amount of people that there was in it.

Furthermore, towards the end of the route, we were overtaken by another bus with the same number, which was practically empty by comparison to us. The lack of planning and organization is very unprofessional and gives this huge city a very bad image, because it shows that the transport department is sleeping on those who do not own a car or can not afford a faster, more comfortable way to get around.

Orlando is a huge city. The people who are in charge need to take notice of this and make sure the bus line is working properly and in sync, because it is their public duty to make sure that the residents of this city live as comfortably as possible.

Posted in General | Comments Off on The Problem With Orlando’s Public Transport

Mixed Feelings of a NASCAR Fan; Part 1: Why NASCAR Almost Lost a Lifelong Fan

I’ve been a NASCAR fan all my life, having grown up in a ‘NASCAR family’, but over the last several years, I’ve felt like NASCAR just isn’t the same anymore. I’ve been so unsatisfied with so many things in NASCAR for so long that by the end of the 2013 season, I felt like the sport had ‘left me’, and I was prepared to consider the 2013 season to be the last season I would watch with any closeness. When I started this semester and began thinking of blog topics, I immediately felt the need to express my discontent with NASCAR, and thought up a good 2 part argument on why NASCAR has lost me as a fan, and indeed, I had more than enough to talk about in two posts.

However, knowing that NASCAR itself is aware of this problem (as I’m just one of many fans that have felt the same way, as evidenced by lower and lower ratings every year), I decided I would wait and see what announcements were coming from NASCAR that would help address these issues. I am glad I waited, as I’m actually fairly excited about the changes and the upcoming season, but for me, this is a test run. I’m going into this season with the mindset that if I’m not satisfied, this will be my last season as a NASCAR fan.

With that said, I’ve changed my topic of this two part blog post. Here in part one, I’ll give an abbreviated version of my issues I’ve had with NASCAR. In part two next week, I’ll give a counterargument based on the changes that NASCAR has announced and why these changes will (or won’t) make any impact on my decision as to whether I’ll keep watching. So with that, here it goes…

Why NASCAR has (almost) lost a lifelong fan.
To begin with, over the last several years, NASCAR has increasingly taken the fun out of the sport. Beginning in the late 1990s and early 2000s, NASCAR began removing fan-favorite tracks that offered excitement, such as Rockingham Speedway in Rockingham, NC, from it’s schedule and replacing them with ‘cookie-cutter’ 1.5 mile speedways, such as Texas Motor Speedway, Auto Club Speedway in California, Kansas Speedway, and numerous others. These ‘cookie-cutter’ tracks have been dubbed so by fans because they’re basically carbon copies of each other with no deviations, and at that, they’re not very exciting for the fans, providing no good racing, nor exciting crashes. NASCAR needs to add back more road courses, short tracks, and super speedways to increase excitement.

With the problem of carbon copy tracks comes another problem: predictability. Every driver has his strengths and weaknesses, but if more than half the schedule is comprised of the same type of track, only drivers who are good at those tracks are going to win a majority of the races. When you have the same few drivers winning 20 of the 36 races in a season, it gets old and predictable.

Further predictability comes from the points system, which has had many problems over the years. With the introduction of the “Chase” playoff system in the mid 2000s, NASCAR has felt the need to constantly change the points reward system to better reflect track performance. But by constantly changing the rules, NASCAR has confused it’s fans so many times that no one really knows what’s going on anymore. Even with the newly simplified points system introduced a couple years ago (which is easier to understand as it offers one point per position, one bonus point for leading the most laps, and one bonus point for winning the race), many people feel like the combination of the points system and the playoffs have simply cut too many drivers out of contention. Drivers who focus on performance and winning races seem to be falling short, and drivers who basically ‘game the system’ by learning how to use it to their advantage end up on top. This is most evidenced by the fact that in the last 8 years, the same driver, Jimmie Johnson, has won the Championship 6 times, which is not only a record streak, but it’s only one Cup away from the all-time record of 7, which has only ever been achieved by 2 drivers, Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt, both of whom took decades to achieve what has taken Johnson only 8 years. NASCAR is too reliant on points and not reliant enough on wins, which has caused predictability. Predictability is the enemy of sport. Fans need to be engaged by excitement and the unknown.

This excitement used to come from two factors: fun-to-watch races, talked about earlier with the discussion about tracks, and crashes. Yes, safety should be at the forefront of everyone’s mind in a dangerous sport like auto racing, but that doesn’t mean we should eliminate accidents. After the death of one of the sport’s best, Dale Earnhardt, in 2001, NASCAR cracked down on safety, making more advancements in auto racing safety than had ever happened before. In fact, in the years following Earnhardt’s death, NASCAR not only became the safest racing league in the world, but the safest sport in the world, without having even a single serious injury, let alone death, from Earnhardt’s death in February 2001 all the way through today (excluding NASCAR sanctioned regional/’small-time’ leagues). Interestingly enough however, this new era of safety overlaps with NASCAR’s most popular era, from 2002 though 2007, when it was not only the most popular sport in the US, but also the era of some of the most spectacular crashes in NASCAR history (which was a factor in NASCAR’s growth). In 2007, NASCAR decided to redesign their cars to be more safe, but in the process, all but eliminated crashes. Soon after, NASCAR’s popularity dropped dramatically, and hasn’t stopped dropping since. NASCAR should revert to a car design that is both safe and offers the potential for spectacular crashes.

Next week, I’ll address recent changes NASCAR has made and weigh that with these issues.

Posted in Entertainment, General, Sports | Comments Off on Mixed Feelings of a NASCAR Fan; Part 1: Why NASCAR Almost Lost a Lifelong Fan

Positive vs. Negative Protests Towards Anti-Gay Laws in Russia during Winter Olympics

I have been keeping up with [pro-gay] news about the winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, as it relates to the safety of LGBT people. Last year, President Vladimir Putin instituted a law in Russia essentially banning gay propaganda. That has been a concern to gay rights activists in America, but has become an increasingly hot button issue in the months leading up to this international sports event in Russia.

Part of the reason being that there LGBT athletes are coming from other countries that are far more accepting of them than Russia, which puts them into potential danger of being fined, arrested, or deported (just for being themselves). Another reason for concern from gay rights activist groups in western countries is that the Olympic charter values & supports diversity, as well as equal, respectful treatment of LGBT athletes.

Unfortunately, the Olympic Board chose Sochi as the 2014 winter Olympics location long before Putin instituted the anti-gay propaganda law. Therefore, making a change in location less than a year out from the Olympics after years of planning & construction is not very plausible. The only thing the Olympic Board can do is pressure the Russian government not to harass LGBT people during the event.

Meanwhile, activists, politicians, & businesses have been making efforts to protest Russia’s harmful law during the winter Olympic games. The prevailing voice within the gay community has been to boycott watching the games, and encouraging political leaders not to attend. However, others have been approaching protesting in a different way. Google Doodle posted a rainbow picture of winter athletes in honor of LGBT athletes in the Olympics. Canada’s Department of Diversity & Inclusion created a winter Olympic themed commercial with a pro-gay message. President Obama decided not to attend the Olympics but, in his place, he sent an openly gay ambassador.

Posted in General | Comments Off on Positive vs. Negative Protests Towards Anti-Gay Laws in Russia during Winter Olympics

Jenny Simpson Miscounts Laps in the Boston

This past weekend in Boston, Massachusetts the spotlight of the running community was on the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix. If you are not a member of the running community (you should probably get on that) then you should know that this meet is one of the most prestigious meets of the indoor season. The meet lived up to the expectations. Records fell and laps were miscounted.

One of the highlights of the meet was the breaking of the world record in the indoor 4×800 meter relay.  The U.S. Allstars team, which consisted of two pros who train here at the university of central Florida, Duane Solomon and Richard Jones, ran a time of 7:13.11. The old record was 7:13.94- what may not seem like a huge gap is considered a big drop in time.

While maybe not a positive highlight, Jenny Simpson’s race garnered a lot of attention. Simpson, a native of Oviedo, won the silver medal in the 1500 at the 2013 world championship and this weekend she faced off with an old college rival, 2012 Olympic 10,000-meter silver medalist Sally Kipyego, in the two-mile. As the finish of the race came closer it looked as though Simpson was not on her game. A true athlete, she did not give up. Moving from third to first with an impressive surge she looked strong only to stop with 200 meters to go. She had miscounted her laps and thought she was finished with the race. Upon realizing her mistake she tried to take back first place but ended up in second with a still impressive new personal best time of 9:26.19.

With grace Simpson laughed off the miscalculation. “Now I’ve given up the right to laugh at anyone else who’s ever done that”

Posted in Sports | Comments Off on Jenny Simpson Miscounts Laps in the Boston

Olympic snowboarders unimpressed with Sochi halfpipe

It’s no secret that this year’s Olympic host has not been up to par when it comes to amenities and accommodations for the athletes.  Athletes and attendees alike have been heavily utilizing social media, posting comical pictures on Twitter and Instagram of the poor conditions, such as several toilets in one room with no stalls to provide privacy or the flooded hallways of a hotel when a water main broke.  However, it turns out that this sort of subpar service now extends to even the athletic events.  Several snowboarders, due to compete in the halfpipe event tomorrow, have complained of the Sochi halfpipe’s condition.  Apparently, as riders practiced, the halfpipe began deteriorating, making it increasingly difficult for riders to pull off the tricks that they are accustomed to landing without problems.  Several previous gold-medalists of the event, including Shawn White and Hannah Teter, expressed concerns over the condition of the pipe, worried that its inferior quality might cause unwanted injuries.

At this point, we are only a few days into the Olympic games, and we have to wonder what other snags Sochi might hit during future events.  It begs the question: should we reconsider how the host cities for the Olympics are selected?  While the economies of lesser cities may benefit from the tourism and revenue that the games always generate, it is quite unfair that our hardworking athletes are not being treated as well as they have been in the past.  The Olympics have always represented a certain unity; the countries involved take pride in their athletes.  If our athletes no longer get the treatment they deserve and their performances waver, the games may just become a mockery and the world will lose one of the very few things it actually does together.

Posted in Economy, Entertainment, General, Sports | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Olympic snowboarders unimpressed with Sochi halfpipe

CVS Pharmacy to Stop Selling Tobacco Products

America’s largest pharmacy chain, CVS Pharmacy, has announced that they will stop selling cigarettes and other tobacco products in their pharmacies.  This move was made because CVS Pharmacy decided that selling tobacco products, such as cigarettes, does not go along with their goal of keeping their customers healthy.  CVS is seeking to make America healthier and they don’t believe that they can do that while selling cigarettes.

CVS’s decision to not sell cigarettes and other tobacco products has gained a lot of press in recent days.  People are admiring the bold move saying that it never really made sense for a pharmacy to be selling something as harmful as tobacco products.  Even President Barack Obama praised CVS for their support in his mission to make America safer and healthier.  When asked about it, he said that it was a great move in helping reduce the number of deaths from illnesses related to tobacco products in America.

There’s little doubt that CVS Pharmacy has made a great moral decision to stop selling tobacco products, but how will this decision effect them economically?  CVS says that they are expecting to lose a massive 2 billion dollars from this choice.  $1.5 billion of that will be from the actual sales of tobacco, and the other $500 million will be from the foods and other items that smokers usually buy along with their tobacco products.

It’s clear that CVS has taken an economical hit, but I believe they are making the right choice.  They are making a decision because they think it’s what’s best for their customers health.  That type of compassion isn’t shown very often from such a large corporation.

 

Posted in Business, Economy, General, Health | Comments Off on CVS Pharmacy to Stop Selling Tobacco Products

Tanking No Longer An Option for the Orlando Magic

From being a playoff contender year in and year out, to being at the bottom of the standings, the Orlando Magic have been spiraling downward.  Ever since the trade that sent their superstar Dwight Howard packing, there have been talks of the Magic “tanking.”

What is tanking? It’s a word people use to describe a team that loses in order to get a high pick in the upcoming draft.  Last year, the Magic had the worst record in the NBA which eventually granted them with the second overall draft pick.  They selected Victor Oladipo with the hopes of him being their future superstar.

Throughout the first half of this year, the Magic looked like a team built for the future and not the present.  The loses were piling up for the young team and things looked to be going in the same direction as last season.  Faced with the daunting task of playing the top two NBA teams in a row, many people saw these games as automatic losses.  Something seemed to click though and they did something that would shock everyone.

Facing the top team in the West in the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Magic were down as much as 17.  After storming back in the second half, the game was back and forth in the last minute.  Down one with the clock ticking down, the Magic led a fast break which concluded with Tobias Harris’ game winning dunk at the buzzer. Two nights later facing the Indiana Pacers, the Magic were again down 17.  The Magic made another huge comeback in the fourth quarter leading them to victory.  These wins may have been a turning point for the Magic.  Tanking doesn’t seem to be their plan anymore.

Posted in Sports | Comments Off on Tanking No Longer An Option for the Orlando Magic

Why PC May be a Better Option Than Xbox One and PS4

New gaming consoles have seen massive improvement.  The ability of their raw processing power and design is significantly better than their predecessors. With next gen games continually blowing away fans and developers behind the games who have been in the business for decades, consoles have set themselves apart in design, function, and preference. However, while these advancements have changed gaming for consoles, gaming in itself is being changed by the PC.

It’s not new information that PC’s have more power when it comes to graphics and speed than consoles, nor are PC’s new to the gaming industry. For a long time though, PC’s have been much more expensive than console gaming and the community has been sparse. That is not true today.

To buy an XBOX One would be $500 out of your pocket. PS4 isn’t much better at $400. These prices are without bundles including more controllers and games that have a price range of an extra $50-$60. This doesn’t include online gaming subscriptions that are a monthly payment of $10. One can see how the price can quickly escalate. What are consumers getting for these prices?

The operating system on each console has two cores reserved to it out of the 8, as well as between two and three gigabytes of RAM. Also the 500GB hard drives will quickly lose space due to the 30GB installs needed, and there’s also the issue aroudn the fact that 10% of the Xbox One’s overall power will be devoted to Kinect.

In short, these high system specifications that had consumers excited have turned out to be much less impressive than promised. One could buy their own PC by combining an AMD A10-6800K processor, 4GB of RAM and a decent hard disk and still buy a good case and power supply whilst keeping the cost well below $450. Plus you can upgrade the PC when more funds come in at anytime without having to wait 5 years for a completely new gaming console. Add that on to the gaming platforms such as Steam and Origin to play with and get great bargains on new games. XBOX and PS4 have games exclusive to their system so for some games you cannot play on both consoles, but with PC most all games are available for purchase. A halo fan could pick up the upcoming new game and still enjoy playing God of War for the PlayStation all on a PC.

Gaming consoles have gone far but the price and performance of these new machines don’t seem to be taking gaming much further. PC’s are dominant when it comes to quality and performance and now the price is even more effective. What was once a matter of preference is now a much larger split and soon we may find many console gamers switching to PC.

Posted in Entertainment | Comments Off on Why PC May be a Better Option Than Xbox One and PS4