Sunday Sportswrap: Iran Beats China

Iran's Hamed Haddadi crushed China 70-52 in the 2009 Asian Basketball Championships. Yao Ming did not play, but NBA players Yi Jianlian, Wang Zhizhi, and Yue Sun represented China. More here.

Also, try to guess the first non-Caucasian basketball player in the NBA. Would you believe it was Wat Misaka? More here.

Sunday Randomness: Nataliya Dobrynska

I had an advertising idea after seeing Ukraine's Nataliya Dobrynska compete in the heptathlon. (I recommend doing a Google image search for pictures of her.) The heptathlon consists of the following events:

* 100 m hurdles
* high jump
* shot put
* 200 m
* long jump
* javelin throw
* 800 m

After Ms. Dobrynska ran the 800m, Usain Bolt broke a world record by running the 100m in 9.58 seconds. Mr. Bolt is a superstar, plain and simple. If I was a shoe or athletic company CEO, I'd want to sign him up immediately and make him the centerpiece of my advertising campaign. Although Puma currently sponsors Mr. Bolt, I don't think it's done enough to promote him in the States. Maybe Puma can sign up Ms. Dobrynska and do ads involving both Bolt and Dobrynska simultaneously. The theme could be Bolt being able to compete in any sport. One example could be Bolt trying the shot put and javelin throw, failing, and then becoming much better after Dobrynska teaches him. The same idea could be transferred to different supporting athletes with different sports, particularly soccer.

K'naan

Music video from Somalian performer K'naan, who is a cross between Bob Marley and Eminem:

Abu Ghraib

[Warning: I don't usually curse, but this occasion demands it.] 

If you ever think that "law" and "justice" belong in the same sentence, just remember Lynndie England. Apparently, Lynndie "Just Following Orders" England has a book; profited from her conduct at Abu Ghraib; and served only a year and a half (521 days) of jail time. 

So let me get this straight--a bunch of Chinese Muslims get jailed for being at the wrong place at the wrong time, aren't given due process, and end up getting deported. 

In the wake of the 9/11 attacks, supporters of anti-immigrant measures found common cause with the Bush administration in justifying expansive new immigration authorities in the name of national security. the department of Justice (doJ) began focusing on immigrants almost immediately. In the weeks following the attacks, doJ implemented a new set of policies for a growing category of non-citizens who became known as special interest detainees. In total, more than 760 predominantly muslim men were held as special interest detainees. many of the detainees were held for weeks, even months, without being charged. Ultimately, none was charged with a crime related to the attacks of 9/11; many were deported for visa violations. -- The 9/11 Effect and its Legacy on U.S. Immigration Laws, Penn State Law, School of International Affairs, edited by Shoba Sivaprasad Wadhia (2011) 

Meanwhile, some dumb back-country b*tch destroys America's reputation, refuses to take any personal responsibility for her actions, gets knocked up by a sadist, and we're not only keeping her in the country, we're giving her a book deal? (Irony alert: Bad Apple Books, LLC is the publisher.)

Her defense? I wasn't trained as a prison guard, and the power of love (for Charles Graner) made me do it. Bulls**t. Oh yes, Charles Graner, the sadistic jackass who lacks a healthy sense of irony. He once said, "Having the lights on all of the time was torture for me." (Salon.com, Mark Benjamin, 12/1/08). F*ck you, Chucky. 

Some more interesting facts: Manadel al-Jamadi, after being tortured (including by strappado) and beaten to death, was hooked up to a fake IV to disguise the fatal beating. Andrew Ledford, a Navy SEAL accused of inflicting the fatal beating, was somehow acquitted and never served any jail time. In fact, most of the Abu Graib participants received either no jail time or less than a year's jail sentence--effectively rendering their conduct on par with a civil misdemeanor. Meanwhile, life goes on in America. 

The TSA recently detained Shah Rukh Khan, a famous Indian actor, until he made a call to the Indian consulate. The delicious irony is that Mr. Khan is making a film about a Muslim man's experience with racial profiling. I'm willing to bet the TSA won't fire anyone as a result of the improper detention. That means Middle Easterners can look forward to the following treatment at some American airports: "Um, your last name looks funny...wait here for a few hours."

Bottom line: if America wants to be taken seriously as a land of freedom for all, regardless of national origin, it must start openly disciplining government workers, especially military personnel, when they screw up. Thanks to government unions, however, if you're drunk on the Homeland Security kool-aid or the military-industrial complex, it appears you'll continue to get a free pass. God bless America? 

© Matthew Mehdi Rafat (2009) 

Note: this post has been revised since its original publication. 

Vienna Teng Rocks

I saw Vienna Teng live today in Palo Alto, and she is an absolute delight. Here is one of my favorite V.T. songs:

Healthcare: "Death Panels"

In all this talk about "death panels," perhaps I am missing something. Don't insurance companies and hospitals already practice some form of triage when it comes to medical expenses and coverage?

Also, why would an insurance company be more compassionate in deciding when to halt treatment than a government panel? Isn't the major issue how to determine liability when the government (or insurance company) wrongfully rejects continuing treatment?

Random Thoughts

1. Gina Carano is going to fight "Cyborg" Santos in San Jose this weekend. For me, the biggest issue is whether Santos will make weight. Apparently, they are fighting for a 145 lb title. Carano's natural weight is probably around 145 lbs, but Santos is probably more comfortable around 165 lbs. (By the way, I'm not sure I want to know how a 5'8'' woman without much body fat bulks up to 165 lbs.)

I remember making weight when I was a wrestler. I started competing at 152 lbs and moved up to 171 lbs. My strength would be diminished considerably if I had to drop ten pounds. When you train every day, you don't have much body fat, so cutting more than five pounds is tough. The first five pounds are easy because most of it is just water weight. Almost anyone can drop five pounds temporarily by not drinking water for 20 hours (I do NOT recommend this). The reason I bring up weight is because it looks like Santos has to drop around 10 or more pounds for this fight. By making the title a 145 lbs title, Carano has done a good job setting the fight on advantageous terms.

If Carano survives the first round--and that's a big "if"--the fight is hers to lose. I don't think Santos is going to fight well if she has to lose 10 pounds or more. Santos usually wins by stand-up boxing, a strategy that requires speed, power, and stamina. I don't see Santos being quick or powerful after dropping 10 pounds or more.

Update: Cyborg beat Carano in the first round. Like I said, the fight was Carano's to lose, but only if she survived the first round.

2. I think this is a heartwarming story about love, but some people disagree. (Laura Munson, Modern Love)

3. Interesting story about Christian Arabs in the Middle East here.

4. According to National Geographic (June 2009), the corn used to make a 25-gallon tank of ethanol would feed one person for a year. Priorities, priorities.