Racism Scandal Haunts NBA Team Owner

Posted on April 27, 2014 by grichards

For the past couple of days Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling has been the center piece on ESPN. A pioneer cable sports network. The network keeps fans and professionals alike informed on the latest things happening in the world of sports.

   However, this story originally surfaced from TMZ. A popular celebrity gossip outlet. TMZ released an audio tape revealing a conversation between Sterling and his girlfriend, who is being referred to as V. Stiviano. The recording is about nine minutes long and it reveals a disturbing truth about the NBA team owner. The voice who is alleged to be Sterling on tape can be heard making some seriously disturbing racist comments.

   This scandal has put a stain in the Clippers’ season. They are currently splitting a seven game series with the Golden State Warriors 2-2. The report has made ripples throughout popular culture. Pressure on the National Basketball Association is at an all time high. There are talks about finding a way to revoke Sterling’s ownership of the team. I wonder if public support for the actual basketball team will be affected by the strong sense of disgust by anyone who hears the tape.

 

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Boston Bruins vs. Montreal Canadiens Eastern semi-finals series preview and prediction

Posted on April 27, 2014 by anthony loprinzi

Both the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens have advanced through the first round of the 2014 playoffs and now one of the best rivalries in the sport of hockey is going to meet up as these 2 original six hockey clubs will face each other. After the Bruins and the Canadiens took out their first round opponents in 5 and 4 games respectively, they will have plenty of rest and fresh legs to go at it in their series. Expect to see a lot of big hits and a lot of fights and penalty minutes assigned to players of both teams because these teams have a long time hatred of each other.

The one defining edge that I’m going to look at for this upcoming series is playoff experience. The Boston Bruins have a solid core of Zdeno Chara, Milan Lucic, Patrice Bergeron, etc. that have numerous years of playoff games that will help keep this team composed in crunch time. But look out for the Canadiens and trying to get under the skins of the Bruins players. The ability for the Canadiens to do this and get the Bruins off of their game is what is going to help them win this series.

Ultimately, I think that my predicted Stanley cup champion Bruins will win this heated series in six games. The Canadiens will be able to take two home games but the experience will be too much to overcome and they will fall in the other 4 games. Hope the playoff beards are coming out nicely!

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Different Alcohol Regulations in Spain and the U.S

Posted on April 27, 2014 by samsheres

Spain and the United states may have some kind of similarities when looking both countries from the outside; both are developed countries for example. However when we look at the inside of these countries, we may find some differences regarding regulations and laws that currently determine the law system.

The biggest comparison of alcohol tolerance between Spain and the United States is the drinking age. In Spain the citizens have an easier access to alcohol than in the United states, considering that in Spain hard alcohol such as Rum, Whiskey, Gin or Vodka can be purchased at the supermarket, on the contrary of the United States, where these kind of beverages are only sold in stores specified in liquors.

According to The Federal Uniform Drinking Age Act of 1984 sets the minimum legal drinking age to 21 and every State abides by that standard. This act approves the fact that Federal government can withhold ten percent of Federal funding for highways from States that do not prohibit people under age 21 from buying or publically possessing any alcoholic beverage.  While every State abides by this standard, State law varies on specifics about possession and exceptions to the law, such as allowing people under 21 to drink with their parents.

Regarding the law that regulates alcohol consumption in Spain. The Ley Nacional de Lucha Contra el Alcoholismo  (National law against the alcoholism) approved in March 31, 1997. States that no alcohol beverages may be sold or consumed by individuals under 18 years old.

This law would not only limit the age drinking but also limit all the advertising oriented to foment alcohol consumption in underage people. The government is actually analyzing the possibility to print labels about the prohibition of alcohol consumption in containers and shops.

A very impactful fact about drinking consumption in Spain is that the average age of Spaniard scholars starting to drink is 13,7 years old. Even though the government of Spain passes law to regulate the age, underage individuals somehow still have access to alcoholic beverages as this fact confirms.

 

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LA Clippers Owner Donald Sterling Under Fire Following Alleged Racist Comments

Posted on April 27, 2014 by jmandel

With the NBA Playoffs delivering some of the best basketball this year, it seems pretty far fetched that something could end up spoiling all the fun that fans are having watching intense playoff action. Well, that seems to be the case. Recently, reports have surfaced about a taped phone conversation between Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling and his girlfriend, V. Stiviano, that has fans, players, coaches, and the entire nation on edge.

In the phone conversation, it is being stated that Sterling requested that Americans to his basketball games. The incident started after Stiviano posted a picture featuring her and Laker legend Magic Johnson. According to TMZ, some of the comments from Sterling consisted of him asking her why she associates with minorities in public instead of in private and he even went as far as to say you can sleep with them [black people] but just don’t bring them to my games.
Since the incident, celebrities, players, coaches, and analyst have all expressed their shock and disgust over this blatant act of racism. Some are calling for Sterling to be forced to sell the team while others are asking for him to be fined and suspended. In a press conference on Saturday night, NBA commissioner Adam Silver has assured everyone that a full swift investigation is underway. As for Sterling’s team the Clippers, though the coaching staff and players have expressed their outrage, they seem to have decided to try and move past this issue despite rumored talks of boycotting. The Clippers play the Golden State Warriors in Game 4 on Sunday April 27th.

 

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My Internship Experience At CBS Radio

Posted on April 27, 2014 by brittany

This semester I was lucky enough to be part of a great team during my internship with CBS radio I helped out with the downtown Food and wine festival, woke up every morning to learn the programming for sunny 105.9 and created commercial spots, as well as worked promotional events for sister station mix 105.1. With the knowledge learned over this semester the other interns and I got together for an intern project where we created our own event and created the promotional material.

The most interesting aspect I have learned through my internship with sunny 105.9 is the importance of being flexible and adaptable. When working the morning show you have to be ready for curve balls that may come your way. Whether the curve balls are breaking news, changes in a story, or preparing audio bits in a limited time frame. The most important thing I learned about the radio business is that it is a team effort. There are many departments that work to operate a station and they are all equally important. Whether its sales, promotions, traffic, on air, or administrative; they all contribute to the success of the station.

The biggest challenge I faced during this semester would be the hours. The morning show is no joke waking up at 4 every morning and driving out to the station by 5:00 to prepare for the 6:00 -9:00 is a challenge but not impossible to overcome. It takes time to adapt to the schedule but it can be lots of fun. I would definitely recommend an internship opportunity with CBS radio Orlando. The environment was super friendly and easy to work with; the people were always willing to help and to provide you with all the essentials and any information that you needed.

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NBA Playoffs: Week One Closes with Big Upsets Brewing

Posted on April 26, 2014 by arlen spitalnik

The NBA Playoffs are in full swing, and have yet to disappoint those who are basketball fanatics.  Through the first week of the postseason, there have been unbelievable contests between extremely evenly-matched teams.

In the East, the No. 1 seed Indiana Pacers tied the No. 8 Atlanta Hawks at 2-2 in their series.  The Hawks seem to not be intimidated by the astonishing 56-26 regular-season record, as they took games 1 and 3 in without any hesitation. The Pacers tied it today by winning on the road 91-88, but they know now not to sleep on a dangerous 8 seed like the Hawks.

The No. 5 Washington Wizards have triumphed a 2-1 series lead over a favorited 4 seed, Chicago Bulls.  Nene Hilario came up big for the Wizards in game 1, but was ejected in game 3 for a tussle with Jimmy Butler of the Bulls; Nene has been suspended for the fourth game.  However, Nene is not the biggest problem for Chicago, it is the premier shooting of Washington’s Bradley Beal and supreme play of John Wall.  They are going to need more than just Joakim Noah’s Defensive Player of the Year efforts if they want to advance to the second round.

In the West, the 8 seed Dallas Mavericks lead the top-seeded San Antonio Spurs 2-1.  Dallas’ Monta Ellis has really turned up his game in this series, while San Antonio’s Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobli seem to never age with their game. Vince Carter pulled an amazing stunt when he hit a fadeaway 3-pointer to win game 3 109-108 in the American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX.

In addition, No. 7 Memphis Grizzlies lead No. 2 Oklahoma City Thunder 2-1, even after some spectacular 4-point plays by OKC’s Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Memphis has regulated the pace of the game, heavily slowing down OKC’s attack.

These playoffs are already a classic.

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Woman’s Blood May Give Clue to Human Lifespan

Posted on April 26, 2014 by amanda decarlo

A 115-year-old woman’s blood may provide insight to life expectancy, and how cell duplication works. Hendrikje van Andel-Schipper lived to be a 115-years-old. She held the honor of being the oldest woman in the world up until her death in 2005. Her blood is now being scrutinized years later. 

A group of Dutch scientists published a study from the Journal Genome Research. After analyzing her blood, they ultimately concluded that life expectancy does have a shelf life. This is because the cells can only divide and duplicate so much. Essentially they have an expiration date. Also, according to a study by new scientist, Andel-Schipper was down to her final two stem cells, and they were compensating for two thirds of the white cells that were in her body.

Cells have an experation date. However, the new question posed now, and one that sounds like it could be the birth a science fiction plot, is according to head Henne Holstege of the VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam . ” Can you get round that by replenishment with cells saved from earlier in your life?” Also, stem cells for old bodies could be rejuvenated from the stem cells from young bodies. The cells earlier in life could expand the lifespan of people on this earth. 

This sets an interesting outlook for the future. The idea of never losing a loved one or even holding on to your own life sounds too good to pass up. However, the world is already over populated. There just aren’t enough resources on Earth.

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Surprising Health Benefits of Sleep

Posted on April 26, 2014 by rhurley

Sleep deprivation takes a toll on your mind, body, and overall health in ways that may surprise you.

Research shows that chronic lack of sleep is linked to colds and flu, diabetes, heart disease, mental health, and even obesity. So it’s natural to ask: Does getting adequate sleep protect you from illness? The answer, It helps.

Sleep is a quiescent period where the cells are doing a lot of repairing. Your hormones act differently when you’re asleep, and your immune system as well. If your immune system is out of whack, you can’t fight off illness, and I would venture to say that you can’t repair your cells very well, either.

Here are three key health problems that research shows are worsened by lack of sleep and may be improved by getting at least seven hours of sleep a night.

1. The Sleep Link to Colds and Flu

When you’re sleep deprived, you often feel worn down, and that’s a clue that your body is vulnerable to infection. Not getting enough sleep makes you more vulnerable to picking up illnesses and not being able to fight them off. What’s going on is your immune system is degraded. The less sleep you get, the weaker your immune system is, leaving it less able to fight off colds, flu, and other infections.

2. The Sleep Link to Heart Disease

When you don’t get enough sleep, you have an inflammatory response in your cardiovascular system in the blood vessels and arteries. We see the same thing in hypertension. If that sleep deprivation continues long term, chronic inflammation has been linked to things like heart attack, stroke, and diabetes.

3. The Sleep Link to Diabetes

The key underlying problem in type 2 diabetes is insulin resistance, where the body does not make proper use of this sugar-processing hormone. When you’re sleep deprived, your body almost immediately develops conditions that resemble the insulin resistance of diabetes.

In one study of young, healthy adult males, they decreased their sleep time to about four hours per night for six nights. At the end of those six nights, every one of those healthy young men was showing impaired glucose tolerance, a precursor to developing diabetes.

So, now that finals are over. It’s important for people to catch up on that precious sleep that many students have lost.

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The Wonders of Crowd Sourcing, And it’s Dangers

Posted on April 25, 2014 by lauren gould

Recently a crowd sourcing campaign caught my eye on Kickstarter.com. It was for a video game console that was open for any developer to make games for. This would allow for any person, of any skill level, to make games for people to enjoy. I was personally very excited by the concept and put down $99 for a console once it was released.

The concept, as well as the video describing their facility, was very appealing to me. They showed workers piecing the consoles together and beta testing a few games. I would receive emails about the process, the occasional delay, and how long it was until I finally would get to play my console. At first I was skeptical about putting some much money down for something that didn’t yet exist, but everything seemed to be on the up-and-up. That is, until I received the final product.

When it finally came in the mail, I plugged it in and eagerly awaited to get online and start downloading some free-to-play, open source games. Yet, it was never able to connect. The console worked fine, however, what didn’t work was the consoles online infrastructure. I looked online for any answers and was greeted by many other disappointed supporters. Kickstarter was inundated with requests for answers, but all they said was that after the money was given, the company, and Kickstarter had no obligation to make good on it’s promises.

It was a shame that my first venture into crowd sourcing went they way it did. I am very happy there is a outlet for good ideas and a way for them to receive them funding. However,  websites like Kickstarter also see a share of the proceeds, so they are unlikely to pull down campaigns if they look like they wouldn’t be able to deliver. So, it is up to the consumer whether or not they wish to donate money to causes they support. Just be prepared to be disappointed, and out of pocket.

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First leg of Champions League semifinal matches set stage for exciting 2nd legs

Posted on April 24, 2014 by ballspach

We are less than a week away from finding out who will be playing in the Champions League final in Lisbon, Portugal. This week’s first legs raised some questions of the participating teams and also set the stage for what should be an epic conclusion to the ties. Chelsea FC and Bayern Munich both traveled to the Spanish capital for their away leg of the semifinal against Atletico de Madrid and Real Madrid (respectively). Here I will discuss both games individually.

Chelsea vs. Atletico Madrid: In this game we saw the classic “park the bus” strategy that manager Jose Mourinho has adopted with Chelsea, in which the defenders and midfielders were sitting in their own half for the majority of the game, leaving former Atletico striker Fernando Torres all alone up front against a defense that was equally efficient in winning the ball back nearly every time Chelsea had cleared their lines. Their high-profile striker Diego Costa was unable to make his usual mark on the game due to some efficient defensive work by center-back Gary Cahill. There were few chances for either side. Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech was the busier of the two, until he suffered a shoulder injury early on in the game, leaving him certainly out for the season. Substitute goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer came on in his place and managed to keep a clean sheet against Atletico. Chelsea suffered another injury blow when captain John Terry came off early in the game as well. If that’s not enough, talisman midfielder Frank Lampard will miss the second leg due to an accumulation of yellow cards in the Champions League. This does, however set up for an enticing final leg at Stamford Bridge, where Chelsea will be in a position where it’s win or go home, literally.

Real Madrid vs. Bayern Munich: An early goal from Madrid striker Karim Benzema was enough to give Madrid an advantage as they travel to the home of the current champions next week, with another advantage coming from Bayern not being able to score what would’ve been a crucial away goal. Most chances for Bayern were easy for Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas to handle, up until a close-range volley from Mario Gotze hit Casillas with some pace, however the shot was straight at the keeper and easily knocked away. Similar to the team that played their city rivals the day before, Madrid were playing a mostly defensive game, not being able to control the ball as much as their opponents. However, the quick counter-attack by Madrid managed the best chances of the game, from which Benzema found the back of the net. Madrid squandered a few chances that would have put Madrid in cruise-control of this semifinal, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Angel di Maria both missing chances.

Another 90 minutes will be needed to determine who will be on their way to the final. You could say that the Madrid teams have an advantage over their opponents: the benefit of not conceding away goals. Therefore they would only need a draw in order to punch their ticket to Lisbon. However they will be traveling to two of the toughest places to play in Europe. It is not easy to predict how things will go, especially in a Champions League semifinal. However, we are all looking forward to the second legs.

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