Day: January 28, 2011

Overlooked

therightliberal2 Comments

When I am asked who I think the footballer is, I always respond that the questioner must specify the position. For someone who has never played football it might be hard to understand, but the positions out on the soccer field are very different.

By far the most secluded player on any team is the goalkeeper. They have special rules for them , they wear a different jersey and they see a different game. When I say they see a different game I mean that they are able to see everything that goes on during a soccer game, watching from the back.

They have an incredibly hard job; telling people where to be and trying to organize a defence. They also face wickedly hard shots, diving to punch the ball away, slamming into the ground, sacrificing themselves.

As the saying goes, being a goalkeeper means long periods of boredom punctuated by moments of sheer terror.

My mind is on this subject because today Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin Van der Sar announced he will be retiring at the end of this season. This is not a huge surprise given that he is 40, yet reading the headline I am filled with sadness.

Van der Sar came to United late in his career, after playing at Fulham and Juventus for many years as well as for the Netherlands. He gave United a real force at the back, giving the whole team confidence that even if there was a shot on goal, if it was a shot that could be saved, Van der Sar would save it.

He has been a leader and an inspiration to a position that is to often overlooked. It is the most stressful position on a football pitch and he controlled it gracefully. He has shown talent far above players half his age.

Despite family issues he gave everything he had for United, his most famous save coming against Nicholas Anelka in the Champions League final in 2008.

He will be remembered by United fans and I wish his the best of luck in whatever he does next.

The Return of the Lin.

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Best friends never grow apart, no matter the distance between them.

Wendy Lin has been a part of my life ever since my first year at OVS. Wendy was a prefect in my wing-she lived right across from me. Living in such close proximity, it was just a matter of time before a friendship blossomed. I was new, scared, and excited to come to this new school but Wendy let me feel just at home. She showed me around, and explained boarding school life to me. With her kindness, living away from home was easy and my life at Ojai Valley School began.

I don’t remember really fighting with Wendy. We have gotten mad, annoyed, or overwhelmed with each other at times, but we’ve never raised our voices at each other. Wendy and I generally agree on everything, or settle on things. We have a lot of things in common and a lot of things that make us individual people. I think that is a key factor to our friendship. We both look out for each other’s benefits, we make sure we don’t make stupid mistakes (and tell each other when we are being stupid), and we are sisters.

For the first half of the school year, Wendy decided to take her life in a new direction. She went to Santa Barbara High School for one semester and that was her first public school experience. She loved it, but she realized that this year, her junior year, was an integral part of her high school curriculum and her future college acceptances. Wendy, now, is back and we don’t feel any strange awkwardness or distance between us. I love her, and I am glad to have her back.

Four years strong, our friendship has only grown from the young, naive eighth grade girls that we were. Four years strong, and we can boast that we have never fought before. Four years strong, Wendy Lin has left and grown up in the public school’s eye. Four years strong, and she has returned to the school we had first met and next year, we will be five years strong, graduating on the same stage together, just as we had our 8th grade year.

Transfer Time

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As it is January the EPL transfer season is open. Most deals are either completed right at the begining or in teh final hours. This years has not seen many big name transfers in or out of the EPL, mostly inpart due to the economy.

Patrice Evra

Sir Alex Ferguson decided against any big transfers. The players supported him in this choice with Rio Ferdinand saying, “I look around the changing room and I’m happy with the players we’ve got”. This lack of trading comes as no surprise as Man U are top of the league and have a fairly deep roster.

A story that has not received very much attention up to this point is the intrest in 17-year-old Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. He currently plays for Southhampton but is interested in training with Arsenal. This is very similar to the path that Theo Walcott took, going from Southhampton to Arsenal at a young age.

From the scouting reports, Chamberlin has quite a bit of talent and potential. Arsenal is a very good team for developing youth and Chamberlin would be well suited to go there. Arsenal has a tendency to do a great job developing young players and then selling them. They look to break that cycle, keeping players like Samir Nasri.

A shocking airline event

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When flying most people are scared of a terrorist attack or an engine failing, but passengers on flight 4376 had something else to worry about.

Lightning!

Wednesday US Airway’s flight 4376 was struck by lightening on its short flight from Charlotte, North Carolina to Lynchburg, Virginia. I’m not sure how the pilot navigated through what must have seemed like a thunder storm or if she had failed to notice, but the situation does seem a bit odd.

Although no one was harmed in the incident, the pilot called for an emergency landing just 20 miles south of its destination. None of the 13 passengers and three crew members probably didn’t expect such an exciting flight

For the original article click here

Terror on Moscow Airport Leaves 31 Dead and 168 Wounded.

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Today, in Moscow, families are mourning for their loved ones that never made it home. Children are waiting without a purpose for their mom or dad, brother or sister. Innocent lives were taken, stolen, by a suitcase carrying explosives. A suicide bomber entered the Domodedovo Airport earlier this day and murdered 31, and injured 168.

People saw things that weren’t ever meant to be seen. Severed legs, fingers, arms, and even heads were flying across the airport due to the power of the impact.

Artyom Zhilenkov witnessed this gruesome sight firsthand stating, “The guy standing next to me was torn to pieces.”

President Obama has offered American assistance whenever needed by the Russians. However, this bombing raises many questions on the Russian‘s ability to safe keep their public from terror attacks. Just a few years back, an explosion erupted inside the airport. Last year, a suicide bomber killed 40 people and wounded around 100. Does Russia really need to turn to America for national safety issues? Will this lack of security, will they be disqualified from hosting the 2014 Olympics? Only time will tell.

“This Changes Everything, Again.” Again

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“Beginning February 10, the phone that changed everything will be available on both AT&T and Verizon Wireless in the United States.” This is the message posted on the apple website recently that announces the long-awaited decision to expand the networks on which the iPhone is available.

AT&T will continue to sell the iPhone, and apple has decided that both networks will offer all of the same features (things like FaceTime and Video Recording) and has also included an incentive for Verizon customers to upgrade their phone’s, saying “Qualified Verizon Wireless customers will also have the exclusive opportunity to pre-order iPhone 4 online on February 3, ahead of general availability.”

This marks a turning point in the mobile phone market, creating a large incentive for other major providers to step up their game. With two of the main service providers carrying one of the best smartphones in the world, the others will be playing catch up for some time. In the words of apple, “This changes everything, again.”

Back to Normal

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This week saw a return to the “normal” Premier League scores, at least so far. Man City went “top” after beating a feisty Wolves teams 4-3. I put top in parenthesis because Manchester United has three games in hand and are only one point back.

Carlos Tevez

Arsenal grabbed a 3-0 win over bottom of the table West Ham. This came as no surprise as a competent Arsenal team passed West Ham off the field, showing their superiority. In my opinion Arsenal are the prettiest team to watch in the EPL right now, they pass and move, creating beautiful chances, many of which they finish.

Robin Van Persie

Chelsea managed to get a 2-0 win over Blackburn despite their mediocre play. Drogba does not look like he has the power and ability that he did before getting malaria and I hope to see him get that back. Blackburn showed why English soccer has gotten a reputation as playing ugly soccer, lumping the ball up the field for their strikers to run on to. Although this technique can prove to be effective at times, they would have had a better chance at beating Chelsea if they utilized their midfield more.

Branislav Ivanovic

I am very excited for tomorrow as Liverpool takes on Everton and Manchester United battle Tottenham. The Liverpool game will be Reds Hero Kenney Dalglish’s first return back to Anfield, trying to stop Liverpool from losing any more precious points. United looks to remain undefeated and regain their top spot in the standings. Tottenham must do something they have not been able to do in a decade, beat Sir Alex Ferguson.

To follow tomorrow’s United vs. Tottenham game go to: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/gamecast?id=293065&cc=5901

Arizona Shootout

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It’s weird hearing about something big happening in a quiet town you know very well.

<img src=”http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://apusa.us/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Arizona-Shooting.jpg&imgrefurl=http://apusa.us/arizona-shooting-8533/&usg=__dN9cjpqRPkpzuReOzm7KepjrcJ0=&h=369&w=553&sz=52&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=rFBeeJgX0xu4JM:&tbnh=143&tbnw=191&ei=MTM9TfPrNo64sQOLu5SGAw&prev=/images%3Fq%3Darizona%2Bshooting%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Den%26biw%3D1280%26bih%3D584%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=267&vpy=241&dur=168&hovh=183&hovw=275&tx=193&ty=105&oei=MTM9TfPrNo64sQOLu5SGAw&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:7,s:0&#8243; alt=”

After reading several articles about the tragic incident last week, it makes me look at Tuscon in a whole new light. No longer is it the quiet city in Arizona in which my grandpa lives and I spent months visiting. It is now the scene of one of the most wide-spread topics in the news now.

As most of the United States now knows, there was a shooting in Tuscon, Arizona ultimately ending with several wounded and dead. It is that site that I remember visiting with my father several times on our way from the airport and that city that holds some of my fondest memories. It’s strange looking at a location after something dramatic happens. It’s like the light of it shifts, and it seems gloomy.

I don’t know what exactly the shooter had intended, or what he knows that he has done; but now when thousands of people now grocery shop at that Safeway they will be reminded of his fatal attack.

Is it fair? No, not really. But there’s nothing to do about it now.

For I believe the latest information, click here

When I Grow Up, I…

yrreskrapLeave a comment

Life is an expensive sports car on the Autobahn. We are often caught up in the thrill of living, that adrenaline pumping feeling of exhilaration, that we often forget where we are going, or why we are where we are in the first place. Everything is just a blur. Colors, sounds, people all mesh into one, giant miasma of lights and din.

For these reasons, people sometimes forget what their aspirations are in life or where they want to be in 10-15 years. But sometimes people don’t spend enough time figuring out what they want. Sometimes people don’t know what they want and are stumbling along, playing life by ear.

I know what I want. Or at least I think I do.

When I grow up, I want to be an anesthesiologist at a well known hospital, helping save countless lives of people that won’t remember my name in a month and whose faces I will forget in a few days. I want to have a Cal Tech diploma under my name and have graduated with stellar grades.

When I grow up, I want to own a house in Northern California (preferably near San Francisco), up where the air is crisp with the hint of ocean air or in a clean beach in Southern California (so that would mean Santa Monica is out of the picture). My dream house would either be inspired by contemporary, sleek modern designs or by warm Spanish decor. The house would be complete with a beautiful kitchen, bathroom, master bedroom, and a roomy walk-in closet. The floors would be bamboo for environmentally friendly reasons and the view would have to include the beautiful ocean. The house must be big enough for 4 people but most importantly, it must be away from the noise of the city for privacy but close enough to a city for convenience.Read More »