Today I would like to give a lecture on a philosophical topic from the point of view of a person who agrees with the ideas I am about to explain--i.e., this is a persuasive speech rather than a "neutral" explanatory lecture. Your job is simple: figure out what I am talking about/proposing. So, here goes:
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Look at society today. The world is riddled with crime, corruption, and immorality. The root of these problems come from a single source: the systems of government and morality that watch over us.
First, let us look at one of the most important problems in today's world, crime. With each passing day, more and more children drop out of schools to become career criminals. More and more men resort to animalistic criminal ways, simply because they do not know any better. The reason is not a failure of our educational systems, but a moral failing of our government in general. The reason is simple: man has no moral instinct. Human beings have no inherent knowledge of what is good or evil; the purpose of the state is to teach proper morals to society. But today's methods, proposed by misguided do-gooders, are wholly incapable of doing so. Why? Because of the way human beings learn. Today, child criminals are only scolded, never punished, and adult criminals are given light sentences in all-expenses-paid, state-sponsored facilities where they can learn from other criminals. These methods attempt to appeal to people's "better natures"--which is foolish because they have none. Instead, we should abandon our hopeless attempt to shy away from "cruel and unusual punishment" in order to stick with what works.
What these criminals--and society as a whole--do not remember is that the basis of all morality is duty. Today, society drones on and on about our "rights" while forgetting to tell us about duty. The results are predictable, because human beings have no natural rights of any nature. Look at the three famously proclaimed in our Declaration of Independence, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Life: what right to life does a man have who is drowning in the ocean? The sea will not harken to his cries. What right to life do two men have if they are stranded on an island, with only the other man as food? Which man's right in "unalienable?" Liberty: The men who signed this document knew that liberty was not a "right," since in doing so they pledged to buy liberty with their lives. The pursuit of happiness: this is unalienable, though it is not a right: it is simply the universal human condition. But society reminds us of it nonetheless. This is the soft spot that our nation suffers because of: society--and the state--does not remind us of our duty, but of our imaginary rights. No nation, so constituted, can possibly endure. Instead, the state must cultivate our moral sense, so that we may live in harmony and prosperity.
And what is this ideal moral sense? It is an elaboration of the instinct to survive; all moral rules are derived from this key instinct of human nature. Anyone who attempts to deny this basic principle is destroyed sooner or later--this is the proof of its validity. But moral rules are more simple than just this blind instinct; the survival of the individual is in fact quote low on the moral scale. Higher up on the moral ladder are concepts such as duty to family, duty to one's nation, and duty to the human race. It is this theory of morals that is absent from today's society, and for this reason problems such as crime and corruption exist.
Lastly, societies today are at fault when they scorn the military. They accuse leaders of causing unnecessary wars, bashing the army for being a "functionless organ" in today's world. What they forget is that wars are not caused by politicians, religions, or cultural differences--these are simply secondary factors. The truth is this: all wars are caused by population pressure. When two societies meet and there is only room for one, war is the natural and moral course of action. But this does not meet that we should implement birth control to prevent war--remember that societies who stop expanding will be wiped out by those who don't. So when one nation balances its population and declares it will never study war anymore, pretty soon (about next Wednesday) it gets crushed by a society that realizes that such a mentality is wishful thinking. The military performs a necessary and noble duty in defending the society it represents. Though civilians scorn military people, accusing them of being violent and barbaric, soldiers possess an important quality that many of these civilians lack: civic virtue. Each member of the military has shown that he willing to sacrifice his life for society, which is the noblest virtue a person can ever achieve.
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...so, what I am I talking about here? Please comment and include your guess--after enough people have commented I will post the answer.
Folks, readership has been down lately. It's a problem. Just look at this graph:
Readership peaked at about 6 people in week four. That's terrible. Now, let's look at this pie chart showing the distribution of web traffic this blog has received:
Not only is readership down, but I'm the only one reading.
We've recently added to our fantastic stable of bloggers by adding Bill and Chelsey. I'm sure their entries are on the way.
So I will now urge you to do two things:
1. Comment
-Please comment on posts. It both shows that you're reading and that you are at least slightly interested. Even if you don't know what the post is talking about, feel free to ask questions. In fact, I encourage it.
2. Get other people to read the blog
-Try to expand our readership. Feel free to create a pyramid scheme. If more people read the blog, not only will we blog more, but you will have more people to discuss it with both online in the comments section and offline with your friends.
The further you spread and embrace our message(s), the better an experience it'll be for the both of us.
If I haven’t said it before: I am a huge fan of European cycling. I follow it very closely, and I find it hugely entertaining to watch. Though the sport isn’t very popular is America, it is one of the biggest sports in Europe, second only to soccer. Today, I would like to talk about what may happen in this year’s cycling season, which just opened last week with the Tour of California.
But first, a quick word on cycling in general. What most people don’t realize is that cycling is a team sport. The reason for this is very simple: aerodynamics. When one cyclist rides in front of another, the second person doesn’t have to pedal as hard because the person in front is breaking the wind. In cycling riding in front of others is called “doing work” or “working.” This is why most of the riders stay in one big group, called the “peloton” (French for “group together”)—a large group of riders can move much faster than a smaller group because of the aerodynamics. There are two basic kinds of races, stage races and one-day races. A one-day race is exactly what it sounds like: it is one ride, from point A to point B; whoever gets there first wins. A stage race—which is much more common—consists of multiple days of racing; the person with the most cumulative time wins. But there are also secondary prizes, such as best sprinter and KOM (king of the mountains, or the best uphill rider). The winner of these categories is determined by a points system. A stage race can contain flat stages, mountain stages, and time trials. In a time trial, each rider is sent out individually along the course, and their time is recorded at the end. Most teams contain about 9 riders, usually one GC (general classification, also called the “team leader”—this is the person who the team works for so that they can win the overall best time), one or two sprinters (who try to win the sprint points contests), some climbers (who are good uphill), and a few others who exist simply to work for the GC. During a race, what generally happens is a small group of riders will “attack” the peloton (ride away from them) and form a “breakaway,” which is out in front of the main group. On flat stages, the peloton usually catches the breakaway near the end, and the sprinters races for the finish line ahead of everyone else. On mountain stages, breakaways often “succeed” (make it to the end without getting caught). GCs try to get in breakaways on mountain stages; on flat stages, they consist mostly of sprinters going ahead to get sprint points. Lastly, a world on the league: it consists of about 20 teams, each sponsored by someone (because there is no money in cycling; all the riders have jobs in the off season). There are races all over the world and riders from a variety of countries, even though the league is technically “European.”
Now, on to my predictions for this season. As we saw in the Tour of California, Astana is probably going to dominate this year, rivaled only by Saxo Bank (formerly CSC, for the cycling fans out there). The reason? Astana has Levi Leipheimer (who just won in California for the third year in a row), Alberto Contador (winner of 2 grand tours two years ago and clearly the best GC in the world), Lance Armstrong (making a comeback, in case you haven’t heard). They also have Chris Horner and a good mix of other workers who can support the team. However, their problem is that they have 3 GCs (the men I just listed above), and none of them are going to want to work for each other. However, if they play their cards right and each one picks only one or 2 grand tours, they could walk away with all 3 grand tour titles. Also, I do not think Armstrong is going to be as dominant as previously thought. The reasons are simple: a) he is not as good as he used to be, b) he does not have a team that exists solely for him, as Postal and Discovery once did, and c) he has packed his schedule this year, whereas in the past he focused only on one grand tour, the Tour de France. But as long as Astana has no internal fighting, I think they are going to dominate this season.
Of course, they still have to beat Saxo Bank, who is ready as ever. Between last year’s Tour de France winner Carlos Sastre and the brothers Frank and Andy Schleck, they have more than enough GCs to go around. They also have great support riders like Jens Voigt, and as we saw last year Saxo Bank are indeed a powerhouse.
As for sprinting, my money is on youngster Mark Cavendish from team Columbia (the sportswear company, not the country). Cavendish dominated the sprinting scene last year, even managing to beating out veterans Tom Boonen and Thor Hushovd. I have no doubt that Cavendish will continue to dominate again, winning flat stages and sprint points in every stage race. In terms of time trialing, I suspect Saxo Bank’s Fabian Cancellara will also continue his winning streak. Though he is terrible on mountain stages, he consistently wins stages and almost always gets the best time on time trials. Though there are a lot of great time trailers out there, including Cadel Evans, Stephan Schumacher, and Levi Leipeheimer, I have little doubt that Cancellara will lead the pack when it comes to this aspect of the sport.
I've seen a lot of incorrect methods in movies and popular television lately, so I've put it upon myself to teach all of you eager students how to best go about doing this. I'll do it in a step-by-step fashion.
1. Get inspired. You can't eat cookies if you're not in the right mindset. Here's what I usually use.
The Cookie Monster is the best possible tool. Imagine yourself as him, and try to create his instincts for cookie consumption within your own mind.
If you really want to go back to the glory days, have it your way.
2. Buy cookies. My personal favorite are Keebler's Chips Deluxe, or whatever you call them. The point is, your cookies should have chocolate chips in them, and they should taste good.
3. Buy milk.
Alex gets his milk from the Korova Milk Bar. However, I'd advise you get it from somewhere else, for our purposes.
4. Pour yourself a glass, and open up the box of cookies. Grab a napkin, too. We'll want something to absorb the milk, and a plate won't be necessary. Keep it simple.
5. Prepare well. Be careful here, because this is where it gets easy to mess it up. Take it slow. Decide how many cookies you want, then put the box away (make sure the milk is away as well: no refills should be necessary). I usually have a full row, but this may not be for everybody. Furthermore, make sure your glass is wide enough for dipping. If it's too narrow, your hand won't be able to reach the milk.
6. Break the cookie in half. It's likely the entire cookie won't fit into the cup when dipping. To make it easier, break them into halves. If a break isn't clean, don't discard the shards. We'll use those later.
7. Dip the cookies. Grab the end of a half of a cookie, and dip it in as far as you can. Let it soak for two, maybe three seconds. You want the cookies to absorb the milk without absorbing too much. If you saved the cookie shards from bad breaks in Step 6, dip those in whatever way you can. They're tricky, and the method of dipping depends on the shape of the shards. It's up to you to improvise. You got yourself in that situation to begin with.
Improper dipping method, as the cookie has been dipped without a break.
8. Bring the cookie to your mouth. Make sure the cup is at the edge of the napkin, and that the napkin is positioned below your mouth. Take the cookie, and slowly bring it toward your mouth. Avoid rapid movements, and make sure any dripping falls onto the napkin.
9. Eat the cookie. Place the entire semi-cookie in your mouth, then chew. And please people, make sure not to choke. Let's avoid any accidents.
10. Repeat. Repeat Steps 6-9 until you have successfully consumed all of the cookies you took out during Step 5.
11. Drink the milk. Drink any milk that wasn't absorbed by your cookies. However, it's not mandatory that you finish your glass of milk. If there are chunks of cookie at the bottom of the glass that look disgusting, it is perfectly acceptable to drink 90% of the glass, and spill out the remaining 10% mixture of milk and ruined cookie.
12. Clean up. Throw out the napkin, and if your cup is disposable, throw it out as well. However, if not, make sure to wash it in preparation for your next session.
There you have it. If anything, make sure you enjoy your cookie eating. If you enjoy eating the cookies, the cookies will enjoy being eaten. Everybody's happy.
Oh, and supposedly these guys are back together. I don't know about you, but I'm excited.
Today I would like to follow in Brett's example and review a musical group I was recently exposed to. The name of the band is State Radio (yes that is their actual name). They play a wide range of musical styles, from reggae-rock to punk to ska. In fact, you can listen to all of their music on a State Radio fansite, here.
What makes State Radio so unique is that they address a wide range of social issues. All of their music is very political--I can't think of one song that doesn't have an obvious political message. Much of their music is about the policies of George W. Bush; they often criticize the war in Iraq and the human rights violations in Guantanamo Bay. However, they also speak out against other social issues, such as the genocide in Darfur and environmentalism. It's almost as if they are channelling the spirit of the many musical groups in the 1960's who used music to protest social issues.
As of right now, State Radio is not very popular, and their fan base in mostly in their home state of Massachusetts. However, they did play at the Democratic National Convention, though this is probably because of the political views, not their popularity.
Overall grade: A.
I really enjoy their music and the not-so-subtle political messages embedded in it. I'm quite partial towards their latest album, Year of the Crow. But you can listen and decide for yourself.
Finally, people, we have reached the end of this long and tiring journey. I have written an absurd amount for each division, and I doubt most of you read all of it. Once this is done, we'll be able to talk about other things for a while. Until the playoffs come around. Actually, until the trade deadline comes around.
Sorry for the delay, but I didn't have much free time. These numbers are probably all from the end of January.
Let's get this overwith before these stats change even more. Besides, we're getting further and further away from the midpoint of the season.
1. San Jose Sharks (1st) -Originally, there was a slight section about how even though the Bruins are first in the league, the Sharks are better. Unfortunately, some cracks have started to show in the Sharks' armor.
Now let's get started, but we'll switch it up and go with the defense first.
Okay, so that goal doesn't represent Brian Campbell's skill set, but it a) is pretty impressive, and b) shows what the Sharks lost when they had to let him walk. So how did they fill the gap?
Dan Boyle (38 points in 44 games), who essentially lost last season (not only did a skate fall out of his locker and slash several tendons in his wrist, but he had to play on the last place Tampa Bay Lightning), is arguably the leading candidate for the Norris Trophy (best defenseman in the league). After posting only 31 points all of last season with Los Angeles, the Sharks' other big defensive acquisition, Rob Blake, has posted 30 in 45 games already. The year Marc-Edouard Vlasic is having (3-21-24) can be attributed to either growth or playing with these guys.
Brian who?
The offense is all about two fellas who went 1st and 2nd overall in 1997. Joe Thornton (1st) is the key player in this machine. His playmaking (12-44-56) has led to a breakout year for Devin Setoguchi (21-24-45). Captain Patrick Marleau (2nd) is experiencing a major resurgence. After seeing his production drop from 78 points in 06-07 to just 48 points last season, he seems to be back on track with 53 points in 47 games. Another big surprise is Ryane Clowe (19-21-40), who also lends some grit to this unit:
The goaltending is maybe the only frustrating position, but it's not bad by any means. Evgeni Nabokov (2.35 GAA, .913 Sv%) is one of the best in the league. It's not a matter of talent, but the Sharks happen to let up the fewest shots per game in the NHL. Therefore, lower save percentage. In the past, Nabokov has had to be a workhorse. However, Brian Boucher (1.88 GAA, .927 Sv%) is the veteran backup they've needed, and he can handle a few more starts so Nabokov can rest up for the playoffs.
FINAL GRADE: A+. All you have to do is watch this team play and you can tell nobody compares. Sure, they have an off night every once in a while, but it's rare. Furthermore, this isn't the team from last year that imploded in the playoffs. With new coach Todd McLellan and the addition of several Stanley Cup winners (Boyle, Blake, Brad Lukowich, and Claude Lemieux), they seem poised to take the next step in the playoffs. Regardless, let's wait and see before we assume they'll be any different.
2. Anaheim Ducks (5th) -Don't let that 5th place fool you. There are four different teams in 6th-9th only 2 points behind. And each of those teams has played fewer games as well.
Let's start with the goaltending. Jean-Sebastien Giguere. 3.08 GAA and .904 Sv%? Not enough. Sure, take a look at this surprisingly revealing split stats thing. Scroll down to the bottom, look at the Pre and Post All-Star Break categories. You'll notice a significant improvement in his numbers. It's actually an alarming difference. Meanwhile, backup Jonas Hiller has taken advantage of the opportunity to post much better numbers (2.18 GAA, .926 Sv%). It would seem as though Hiller has the upper hand. However, let's cut Giguere some slack; his father died earlier in the season, and it hasn't been easy getting his head back into the game. Hopefully he can resume his regular form in time for the playoffs.
The past two seasons, the Ducks have led the NHL in penalty minutes per game. This year, they're "underachieving" (ranked third in PIM per game). Guys like Ryan Getzlaf (18-43-61) and Corey Perry (16-28-44) like to rough it up relatively often (85 and 72 PIM, respectively). Rookie Bobby Ryan (34 points in 34 games) hasn't caught on yet (12 PIM).
Defenseman Chris Pronger (8-23-31) is having a mildly disappointing season (only 58 PIM!), but we're waiting for a suspension to happen. Surely he's going to attempt a new trick after last year's act:
FINAL GRADE: B. The offense doesn't always come through, and while Teemu Selanne is healthy again (28 points in 35 games), they may still struggle. I'm not sure if Hiller is the man to carry them down the stretch either, so Giguere will have to up his game. As usual.
3. Dallas Stars (6th) -After their terrible start, the Stars' season seemed lost. However, one Sean Averysuspension and Brenden Morrowinjury later, they're back in contention. Oh, and Sergei Zubov is hurt again, which is happening with increasing regularity. But let's look at the rest of the team.
Similar to the Ducks' Giguere, I find it very easy to pin most of the Stars' early season struggles on Marty Turco. People can call Avery the distraction all they want, but Turco was porous and incredibly prone to, say, passing the puck right to an opposing player. However, unlike Giguere, Turco has a) no threatening backup, and b) improved his play. The Stars are in a playoff spot again, and Turco finally got his first career regular season win in Detroit recently. Now it's 1-8-2. The 2.98 GAA and .889 Sv% are far from pretty, but those numbers will improve as he continues to regain his old form.
Defenseman Stephane Robidas didn't quite deserve that All-Star nomination (19 points in 45 games), though it was still nice to see him get it. Robidas has been overshadowed by Zubov and Philippe Boucher, but he's been able to pick up his offense somewhat in their absence. It was good to see Darryl Sydor come back as well, and it seems that trading away Boucher wasn't such a bad thing (7 points in 39 games). Sydor has actually managed more (9 in 39), even if it's a small difference.
With the loss of Morrow, it seemed like the offense was headed for a dropoff. Not so fast. Mike Ribeiro has managed a decent pace (43 in 48), while Brad Richards is in a similar place (42 in 47). Loui Eriksson has been a huge surprise (24-12-36), and Mike Modano can still play (33 in 48). Youngster James Neal has been impressive (15-8-23), though Fabian Brunnstrom has been a moderate disappointment (14 in 31).
FINAL GRADE: B+. Steve Ott can handle Avery's agitating duties, but the fact that they've managed to overcome the loss of Morrow surprises me even more. Still, a postseason trip is all on Turco's shoulders at this point. (Fast forward to the actual date I posted this: the Stars just bulldozed the Rangers 10-2. They're looking more and more like a playoff team.)
4. Phoenix Coyotes (10th) -The Coyotes as a whole are a "Stuff With Brett" approved team. They've got a lot of youth, but Captain Shane Doan is a personal favorite of mine. Doan leads the team with 48 points in 51 games, but plays in all situations. He's on pace for a career high 32 goals, and each one counts, considering the Coyotes rank 25th in the league goals per game. Despite his age (32), he still likes to enjoy himself (10th in the league in hits with 134). Doan may not be incredibly skilled at anything, but he's a quality all around player.
Over the summer, the Coyotes tried to pump up the offense by swapping Keith Ballard and Nick Boynton for Olli Jokinen. Jokinen, who has put up 91 points in the past, has been moderately disappointing with only 34 points through 41 games. Thankfully, Peter Mueller has followed up on his impressive rookie season with 30 points in 48 games. Mikkel Boedker has impressed as a rookie as well, tallying 22 points in 51 games.
Oh, and Dan Carcillo is the man. Heavy "Stuff With Brett" approval:
The defense is a decent unit. After going the first nine games without a point, Ed "Jovocop" Jovanovski has rebounded to post 23 in 51. Keith Yandle has flown under the radar for the most part, but 20 points in 42 games isn't bad by any means. Zybnek Michalek (17 in 51) may not be the best on offense, but let me point out that he currently leads the league in blocked shots with 175 (second place Brett Clark of the Colorado Avalanche only has 154).
The goaltending has been sub-par at times, but Ilya Bryzgalov has been the savior they've needed in net since last season. At the start of the 2007-08 season, the Coyotes had the dominant goaltending duo of Mikael Tellqvist and Alex Auld. Once the Ducks placed Bryzgalov on waivers, Phoenix jumped at the opportunity, and he posted a shutout in his first game with the team. Auld was sent to the Bruins and was probably on a few other teams until he ended up in Ottawa this season for...surprise...another goaltending tandem! Meanwhile, Bryzgalov has a decent 2.81 GAA and .911 Sv%. He's recovered from a slow start. Thankfully, Tellqvist (2.75 GAA, .913 Sv%) stayed in Phoenix, and he has shown he can handle a few starts when Bryzgalov hits a rough patch.
FINAL GRADE: B-. The offense needs to be better, but this team's strength is its youth. They have a legitimate chance at making the playoffs this year, but look for them to be even better in the years to come.
5. Los Angeles Kings (12th) -Somewhat surprisingly, the Kings are not in last place in the West. And they're not too far from a playoff spot either. To give you an idea of the situation, Anaheim sits in 5th with 55 points. Colorado is in 14th with 47 points. The Blues aren't much further back with 44. While some teams are still doubtful for the playoffs, everybody is pretty close.
A big reason the Kings have managed to keep up is new coach Terry Murray. After sitting 28th in goals against per game last year (3.21), they've jumped to 8th (2.75). Defense is especially important when you sit 22nd with 2.56 goals per game.
When the offense shows up, it's usually Dustin Brown (20-18-38) and Anze Kopitar (12-26-38) making their way onto the stat sheet. Brown is "Stuff With Brett" approved, and a major reason is that he ranks second in the league with 178 hits. It's debatable whether or not Brown will ever become a top notch scoring threat, but he's showing he can still be useful. Alexander Frolov (21-13-34) has a nose for the net, but his defensive ability his lacking. His contract expires after next season, and it's possible he may be shipped sometime soon. After seeing the Kings move Cammalleri on draft day, it wouldn't surprise me if Frolov is in a similar situation. I suppose it depends on how likely it is that the Kings make the playoffs.
The defense is young, but this team is being made for the future. Kyle Quincey (3-24-27), picked up on waivers at the start of the season, is showing just how badly he needed to escape the logjam at the Detroit blueline. Rookie Drew Doughty (3-12-15) has had a big impact, logging major minutes and playing in all situations. However, veteran Sean O'Donnell (8 points in 48 games) brings experience to the group, and better yet, he's not a liability.
Center Patrick O'Sullivan's 27 points in 47 games may be disappointing, but he put up similar stats last year in the first half until breaking out for 26 points in the final 31 games. No guarantee it'll happen again, but don't let it surprise you if it does.
Kings goaltending has been rough for a while. Jason LaBarbera was shipped early in the season for a draft pick. Erik Ersberg (2.44 GAA, .901 Sv%) played well at the end of last season (2.48 GAA, .927 Sv%), but has been unable to carry over his success. Jonathan Quick (2.53 GAA, .913 Sv%) has been excellent for stretches, but neither he nor Ersberg are the longterm solution in net. That honor belongs to Jonathan Bernier, who was unimpressive in his call up last season (4.03 GAA, .864 Sv%). Thankfully, though, he's only 20, and has plenty of room to grow and improve.
FINAL GRADE: B-. This was considered a lost season, meant for the youth to just gain experience. The fact that they're still in the race is a credit to this group, and the future remains bright.
FINAL STUFF: Watch the Sharks play, whether it's on Versus, a local channel, or on Yahoo (they occasionally have live games for free). They're on a level unlike any other. The only reason for doubt is their poor record of post season success, but let's wait and see.
I'll keep today's post short--I don't want to bore you with a lengthy lecture. But I would like to mention an issue that is very near and dear to my heart: US Middle Eastern foreign policy. For those who don't know, Iran recently launched a domestically-built satellite into space for the first time. This seemingly innocuous event sparked fear among Western powers, particularly the EU. The main reason for this has to do with the fact that the rocket used to launch the satellite can also be used to fire ballistic missiles. This makes the threat of a nuclear Iran even more imminent, especially in light of their only partially successful ballistic missile test a few months ago. (Remember that Iran has continued to deny the existence of its uranium-refining projects, which could be used to produce nuclear missiles. Though the US, UK, and France have offered incentives for them to disclose details and stop any uranium enrichment, they have refused.)
Also, a recent report released by the UNSC predicts that the era of US military imperialism is at an end, mostly because of our declining economy and the rise of China. Furthermore, US policy towards Iran is probably going to be more passive for the next four years, because President Obama has shown for more leniency towards the Iranian government than Bush did.
So, what I am getting at is this: should we be worried? If Iran can produce nuclear missiles in the next five years or so, are they going to start WWIII?
I'm not entirely sure, but I think the answer is no. The UNSC does include China, so even if the US were out of commission and Iran began making threats there is still a world power to intervene. Also, the US possesses some of the best missile interception technologies in the world--it is unlikely that Iran's primitive missiles could hit us. However, they could smuggle a bomb into the country, which might have potentially catastrophic consequences. But because security around our borders have been beefed up to prevent Al-Queda from doing the same thing, we stand a much better chance against a suitcase bomb type attack you might think.
There is one scenario I am worried about, though: Iran threatening Israel with nuclear weapons. I am not worried because I fear for Israel--I am afraid what would follow. The US would almost certainly jump to Israel's defense, threatening Iran in turn. If world powers are divided on the issue, a world war (probably a nuclear one) might ensue.
Overall, it would be best to investigate Iran's nuclear program further and not be too lenient towards the Iranian government. Though a nuclear Iran may not be as dangerous as it appears, we should still take every diplomatic precaution to ensure that Iran does not create nuclear weapons behind our backs.
If I haven’t said it before: I am a huge fan of European cycling. I follow it very closely, and I find it hugely entertaining to watch. Though the sport isn’t very popular is America, it is one of the biggest sports in Europe, second only to soccer. Today, I would like to talk about what may happen in this year’s cycling season, which just opened last week with the Tour of California. 
