the hwang spot

The Week in Review 8/3 - 8/9

Journalists Released by North Korea

Mr. Clinton, you have done it again.

Despite his status as probably the most ridiculed president of all-time (although Dubya is making a serious run for the title), ex-President Clinton was beloved internationally, maybe because he was actually respected for his intelligence. As he should; he got two pardons for each reporter from Kim Jong Il (Freakin’ Kim Jong Il) - (!!!!!!! for more emphasis of what a big deal that is, and how fast he got it).

People are analyzing the effects of Clinton’s success, but I’m just wondering: how much did Obama plan for good ol’ Bill to solve problems when he made Hilary Secretary of State?

The Week in Review 7/27 - 8/2

Sorry this is so late. But I had to comment on these events from that week.

The Gates-Crowley Arrest:

This kind of blew my mind. Not the arrest. Or the media coverage. But the racial issue. I know that Professor Gates brought up the point of racial inequity. Which is the most mind-blowing part.

Professor Gates had a reason to be upset. He was trying to get into his own home. The police were just trying to do their jobs. And they each escalated their actions to unreasonable degrees. But I’m shocked that Professor Gates did not act on better judgement and file a complain had he really felt he was wronged. And used the racial card instead.

Meanwhile, the national media once again made this story a jumping board for racial tension.

This case is very simple. An officer and civilian both overreacted. Some heated, albiet racial, words were exchanged. They both regret their actions and admit taking it too far. But the media knows that doesn’t sell newspapers. So the race issue is blown up to add pizzazz to the story.

Swimming’s Doping Problem:

I didn’t know what I wanted to focus about in this post. I guess I’ll just make it short and succinct. Here’s the 2008 Olympics, held in August of that year. By the way, Phelps is lane 6, Biedermann is lane 2.

And now, in July of this year. Same race. Phelps vs. Biedermann. Except his suit is now better:

Biedermann probably trained his butt off after the Olympics. And Phelps took half a year off. But look at the times. Biedermann dropped more time than most people do between Olympics. And he did it in less than a year. How much is Biedermann’s hard work? And how much is the suit? I don’t have a problem with standardized fast suits. I just want the records to be absolute numerical digits. Not numbers with side questions attached.

And the swimming world agrees.

The Week in Reivew 7/20 - 7/26

Nothing of much importance happened last week. And I’ve been busy, so this one’s kind of late. But at least it’s finally here.

Obama Health Care

I watched the full telecast of the press conference last week. And came back with a couple of impressions:

1. Obama is trying to convince the bipartisan us to unite as a nation. Which we can. But the politicians won’t. And as long as there is corporate interest in health care, the politicians will act accordingly to what the companies, and not voters, want.
2. Obama deserves more credit for working his butt off. He really seems to be analyzing this health care disaster in every way to find extraneous programs to cut, inefficient ones to restructure, and new systems to implement. It reminds me strangely enough of Russell Crowe as John Nash poring over and  idecoding all those magazines in A Beautiful Mind. Michelle Obama is his Jennifer Connelly smiling and looking pretty in the background. Regardless, bravo.
3. Obama is proposing so many ideas/changes. The big question is, will his policies pass in time for the next election, let alone be implemented early enough to see encouraging results. His reputation/popularity is riding on his abilities to play Operation with the diseased health care system.

Mark Buerhle’s Perfect Game:

I love this picture. It symbolizes Mark Buerhle so well: successful beyond all of us, but really just a everyday-type-of-chum.

Consider for a moment, how many athletic freaks have pitched in the game. And Mark Buerhle has accomplished something only done for the eighteenth time in history. Out of over 100,000 games, if not 200,000.

But DeWayne Wise’s catch was more than memorable too. And though every subsequent perfect game will make this one less vivid in our memories, for once in his life, DeWayne made everyone go “Wow.”

One more time:

LeBron James Dunk:

Wow. This was truly sad:

Not the way Lebron got dunked on. But how big of a deal he made of this unspectacular video. Before being recognized as possibly the best player today, Lebron made us “oohh,” but his sportsmanship made us “ahhhh.” He was the consummate teammate, the foil to Kobe’s selfish characteristics. With a smile seemingly seared onto his face, Lebron was the future face of basketball. More importantly, of fun teamwork winning basketball.

And then the refusal to shake hands with the Magic happened. And before that, the showboating after every dunk. Lebron’s ego is getting way too big, and he’s not even Jordan yet. Jordan was known for his cocky attitude. But he was also the best basketball player ever. And didn’t even showboat was much as Lebron after and-1’s, dunks, etc. And I’m not the only one to think so.

So Lebron. You got dunked on. So what? Just forget about it and go on to the next play. Rather than confiscating it.

The Week in Review 7/6 - 7/12

Obama in Russia

This is the real From Russia With Love. The good news: Obama reaches an agreement with Russia. The bad: it’s about the number of nuclear arms each side can deploy.

The toughest part of dealing with Russia is that like the relations during the Cold War, we never know what they are really up to. Remember last year? It started just as abruptly as it ended. Like the Joker in The Dark Knight, the terrors of unpredictability is worse than a known feared enemy.

Lastly, we fear Russia from memories of their dark past century, for Putin’s continued influence and threat to our democracy, and associated grittiness no matter what their socioeconomic situation is. The stakes are different this time; we are not equally strong countries on the brink of war. Nor do we have an imminent issue to discuss/negotiate through. But nonetheless, that doesn’t make our relationship any less dangerous.

Uyghur Unrest

It seems like China has one of these uprisings every year. Last year was Tibet. This year, Uyghur.

However, this is a much different case than Tibet. And to be honest, the frequency of unrest in China scares me a little. Yes, China is a superpower force to be reckoned with. But when you really think about it, are they still associated with the third-world-country? A nation with this much internal strife/governmental lack of complete control seems to be more developmental, rather than matured, to me.

Milk/Bruno

I saw these two movies for the first time in the time span of a month. Usually, I don’t blog about my life. But after seeing these two, I feel compelled to. I’m going to try to make the review as spoiler free as possible. I’ll warn you when I do spill about details of the movie if you haven’t seen it. But I’ll try to blog as much as I can without referring to specifics.

Of all the critically acclaimed movies I had seen from 2008, Milk was by far my favorite one. Its message was simple, and everlasting. Homophobia had been so irrational that it drove ordinary people to commit insane acts of hate/crime. Harvey Milk was one such victim of those atrocities.

Bruno was the exact same thing. Yet in Milk, it yielded a gut-wrenching sentimental response. When I wasn’t laughing, Bruno yielded a feeling of shock and disgust.

I’ve talked to many of my friends, and nobody yielded a whole-hearted recommendation for the movie. People agree it’s hilarious. But should you go see it? “Well…” was the most prevalent response.

People most often cited the homosexual and twisted erotica as the main deterrent. Going into the movie, everyone knew what to expect. Yet watching the movie, especially the graphic moments, I kept wondering “Why would Sacha Baron Cohen put this in a movie?” The difference between satire and crudeness is one thing: purpose. So, what was the point? Is he trying to shock? Did he think it would be funny? Did he just plain run out of footage so he put it in?” Most of those scenes do not help the gay community in any way. The answer to that question was not found until the end of the movie and other scenes soon distracted me.

At first, I was not very impressed with a movie. Gag after gag seemed like they didn’t have a unifying theme; Bruno seemed to be the movie equivalent of Lady Gaga’s ornately random outfit. It catches your attention, but the overall picture of the bizarre components add up to nothing. But he delved deeper. *SPOILERS* Scenes of him at fashion shows/interviewing celebrities led to scenes of hatred/harm directed towards Bruno. Ron Paul called him a “queer.” He was whipped mercilessly. He was almost hit by a flying chair. *SPOILERS END* Every time Bruno went (stampeded?) over the line, he was met with a response that was far more hostile and malicious. And then, it hit me.

Why did Bruno shock me? It was the hypocrisy of everyone. Sacha Baron Cohen is a mastermind at pushing people’s buttons. The uncomfortable edginess, the taboo and fear of overtly foreign sexuality, the hidden homophobia was all exposed. People on screen squirmed, yelled, lashed out, fumed, etc. But most of all, we did too. What does that say about us? That’s why the movie was so uncomfortable. Bruno brought our deepest feelings that we had subconsciously subdued to the surface. And when we saw them, we laughed at how silly they were. We cringed at how grotesque they were. And we were stunned at how deep and buried they were. Bruno reminds us “Vassup?” Becauase sometimes, we forget how we really are.

Bruno was a masterpiece. Because it was a movie of tolerance. Of sexual orientation. Of others. And of ourselves.

The Week in Review 6/29 - 7/5

Bernie Madoff:

When sentences get this large, you don’t really know what to make of it. Considering that the average human lives around 70 years, has Bernie Madoff committed enough crime for more than basically two life sentences? How do you quantify the penalty for stealing billions of money?

Regardless of the number of years in the sentence, Bernie was going to serve the rest of his life in his personal cell. Some are angry that his croonies aren’t sharing the same bunk as him in there.

The sad thing about this story is the deception and greed involved. And not just Madoff’s. Investors should have been tipped off by a ridiuculous and unprecedented 72 consecutive quarters of positive earnings. And absurd returns for their investments. But when the going’s good, everyone buries their heads on the speeding cash bullet train, even if the conductor is driving it off a cliff.

The damage is now complete. Many foundations (including charitable ones) associated with Madoff’s corruption have all failed. A couple of prominant investors have committed suicide. The irony of the demise is almost too scripted to be true. This money-making cash cow was fully operational when nobody needed their money. It took a financial collapse for the investors to withdraw their money, revealing the Ponzi scheme. It was only when the clients’ necessity of the money trump their greed did the truth come out.

Sarah Palin Resignation:

Wow. This one came out of nowhere. Nobody expected this, and due to her pseudo-celebrity status, speculations are running rampant.

It’s a little tragic, really. The surprise running mate of the 2008 presidential election becomes the butt of jokes within weeks, and the target of constant tabloid-esque fodder. Only time will tell if she slinks away into Alaskan peace and obscurity, or if she returns on the national scene. Though her stamp on American politics in not even a one year span will be everlasting.

Roger Federer

He is now the best. And Roddick made him earn it.

In one of the most epic Wimbledons ever (I feel like I’ve been saying this after each one for the last three years), he finally passed Sampras. And of course, it would be in England’s prized tennis match.

What a performance by Roddick. Like Nadal’s win last year, this was more than just tennis. This was a showcase of human strength. Of a fighting desire to win. Of superhuman willpower. On paper, we will see: 2009 Wimbledon champion - Roger Federer. And Andy Roddick is the 2003 U.S. Open champion. But Roddick will remember this match as the best tennis and possibly moment of his life. Because in the end, he was the ultimate test and opponent for Federer.

The Week in Review 6/22 - 6/28

Governor Sanford:

Wow. What a year for Sanford. First his really ugly stand-off against the stimulus. And now, his extramarital affair.

Spitzer. Edwards. Clinton. Public officials with unfaithful shenanigans now go together like productive sluggers in baseball and steroids. We’re repulsed and disgusted when we hear the news, but are we really surprised? No.

Sanford’s was just over-the-top, however. While Spitzer, the governor of New York, was using a convenient escort system in the city, Sanford was cruising to and from Argentina to meet his mistress. What was he thinking?

O well. I leave you with Jon Stewart’s take. As usual:

Michael Jackson/Farrah Fawcett:

I had to put the picture of Farrah Fawcett up. Michael Jackson’s post 1985 pale ghost form was too freaky to look at.

These two icons dominated pop culture in their days. Every male wanted her. Every male wanted to be him.

Both did most their work before I was born. I remember seeing posters of Fawcett everywhere. And thinking, she was Baywatch before there was Baywatch. And I was basically right.

MJ, though, was a different breed. I wasn’t exposed to his dance moves (for obvious reasons), child charges, and mental instability when I was young. Finding out that he was really African-American was a shock. To all those born post late 1980’s, you know what I mean. To me, there were two Michael Jackson. The sensational hero whose legend carried on when I was born. And the bizarre psycho that I experienced when I was born.

That’s the thing about the King of Pop. It’s a little like he died two decades ago. The man that used to capture our hearts became the freakshow that only captured the tabloids’. To go from the biggest celebrity in the world to side paparazzi fodder, the tragedy already passed long ago.

US Soccer

Wow. What a run boys. You almost had it.

But they’ve done for the sport what Phelps did in one summer with his: Made it relevant. ESPN will now have even minor US soccer news on the front page. Americans will tune into the World Cup not just because, but for the Red, White, and Blue. People will want to win, and be crushed if we lose.

Losing is devastating, yes. Especially when so close. But that’s the inspiration these athletes have given us. A week ago, the loss to the same Brazil team had no effect. That was worse.

The Week in Review 6/15 - 6/21

Iranian Protests:

Wow. It’s still going on. I check HuffPost’s live updating coverage every couple of hours or so, expecting an end, but it continues.

When the results were declared last week, I boldly applauded the Iranian people for their efforts to legitimize their government, although I ultimately predicted a failed yet valiant endeavor in the right direction.

Now, Iran has a problem on their hands. The state government is adamant about swearing in “winner” President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, but his title only feels nominal at this point. Iran will have to get these revolts and people off the streets at some point. But how?

Obama’s Health Care Plan:

This is such a mess that no pundit can even offer a suggestion of where to start. Should we nationalize it? What does it cover? Is it financially practical? How do we install these changes? Is it a want or a need? Should we require it?

It’s scary not because it’s such a large problem, but the problem grows harder day by day, as more people get older faster and as people cannot afford it. Obama’s now the political equivalent of Kanye West. He’s promised so many possible health care reforms in his campaign that he could not possibly come through with all of them, due to financial, time, Congressional, etc. matters. His prescription for the currently diseased system better be good. Because we’re expecting it.

It’s no surprise. And frankly, at this point, I don’t care anymore. ‘90’s - ‘00’s baseball to me is like the second season of LOST. I just kind of pretend it never existed. And we move on.

The Week in Review 6/8 - 6/14

Where do I begin? Iran.

Iran Elections:

What a mess this has become. It started off as the greatest triumph in Iranian democratic history as record crowds poured out to vote, anxious to vote in the new challenger Mir Hossein Mousavi, a counter to incumbent right-wing nut Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. (Where have we seen this before? I think the rising star’s middle name was Hussein…)

As usual with Iran, the governmental corruption and subterfuge has once again blockaded a possible turning point for that country. Faced with near-certain defeat, Ahmadinejad somehow pulls out a very shockingly convincing win. You know, somehow.

With the nation’s cries of hysteria and outrage, this election has now turned into a political fear “carnival”, circa. Joker from the Dark Knight (at about 1:30), rife with havoc, anger, and disorder in the nation’s streets. National celebration has become urban warfare. Hopes and dreams are revealed to only have been illusions; nobody can beat the system. The challenger is silenced, and it doesn’t look like the people will get what they want.

But change is coming. Because 5 years ago, there wouldn’t have been this much dissent to even warrant a controversy. Keep fighting, Iran. You may not get the forward result that you want, but you are moving forward.

Sarah Palin v. David Letterman:

Wow did this blow up. Here’s Letterman’s apology/recap of the joke:


And Palin’s response:

I tried to be objective on this one. Really, I did.

I tried to think of my personal take on it, imagining the point of view from Letterman, Palin, or an outside observer. I read other people’s articles with a grain of salt (a comedian was more likely to lampoon Palin while a feminist was likely to be highly critical of Letterman). I even tried to put my biases aside.

And it basically came down to one conclusion: Letterman made a tasteless joke against a crazy woman’s family. While Letterman should apologize, Palin lost it over a comedian’s joke, using the usual right-wing self-righteous thinking as her counterargument. ( Here’s what should happen). I realize these are all left-wing HuffPost conspiracy liberal crazy people’s articles, but they were the best I found. (Sorry GOPs)

I digress. The point is, Sarah Palin needs to be more concerned with what her daughters are doing (pregnancy) than what David Letterman is saying about her daughters. Don’t put your children (Bristol for “realistic” abstinence after getting knocked up) in the spotlight if you can’t take criticism. Don’t assume that Letterman’s joke makes him a pedaphile. And ultimately, don’t assume that one of Letterman’s random jokes is a symbol of the American acceptance of the female mistreatment. Frankly Ms. Palin, you’re insulting me more than he is.

Kobe:

Kobe, you finally did it. I really didn’t want you to win. I just hate your demeanor, I hate your dirty play, and I hate your arrogance. But as much as I hate the man, I realize I’m witnessing the best impression of Jordan to date. Both workout freaks, both cocky, both great. And that’s why I respect you.

Update: I wrote this piece before reading Bill Simmons’. He expresses my exact thoughts, except in far more ridiculous detail.

The Week in Review 6/1 - 6/7

Obama in the Middle East:

There has been a ton of press about this, and deservedly so. A huge factor in determining the fate of the Iraq War and a post-9/11 war, Middle Eastern (especially Muslim) relations are critical to a more peaceful and safer world. Obama’s first trip to that side of the world is crucial in establishing stable relations with their leaders, people, and culture.

What I’m especially hopeful about after this Obama speech is that he is seen as the figure of atonement for the previous sins (Abu Ghraib, Iraq, etc.) committed by the previous administration. He is the healer, the optimist, and the peace-keeper reaching out for their help.

With the supportive chants of “Abu Hussein” during his appearances, Obama is not only a popular figure, but also a man with their trust. And in a region of fear, misunderstanding, and divided loyalties, that is the first step towards resolving conflict.

More analysis:

Tiananmen Square:

I covered this topic earlier this week. I’m wondering how China is treating this topic. Is the 20th anniversary a moment of remembrance, or shame? Do they recognize their mistake, and move forward (as Nancy Pelosi suggests), or just sidestep the issue as usual?

Lastly, Jeff Widener, the man of the famous tank photograph, discusses returning to that famous place.

George Tiller:

As you know, George Tiller, the controversial abortionist, was killed last week in a horrifying and tragic fashion at his church. When I had first heard the news, I had attributed it to a fanatic’s deranged and misjudged decision. A sad and unfortunate tragedy, yes, but not a general conservative conspiracy or beginning of a series of atrocities to come.

However, the blame game that has erupted has been unbelievable. Keith Olbermann discusses it below:

This is what I hate about Bill O’Reilly and the Fox News. When a disaster like this strikes, O’Reilly and his fellow pundits say “Well I saw this coming…” or “Like I said,…” and tries to put their spin on it, rather than just reporting the news like the news outlet they claim to be. Despite slightly withdrawing his previous words, O’Reilly still attempts to qualify his statement, rather than admitting previous poor judgement, or either a full retraction of his comments.

I guess that’s the difference between us and him. We make mistakes, but he doesn’t.

The Week in Review 5/25 - 5/31

What. A. Week.

Seoul, North Korea:

What a sad story, if you have not been following it.

To the South Koreans, Roh Moo-hyun was their symbol of pride, the popular vote of the people as their leader against a corrupt Washington and Korean government. Roh Moo-hyun was the hero democracy was supposed to create. Supported by the younger vote, he was the Barack Obama of South Korea on steroids.

Amid a corruption scandal that intensified last week, Roh committed suicide, to the shock of the nation. Many saw the probe as political revenge, as President Lee Myung-bak of the conservative party only recently won the election, succeeding the liberal Roh.

Here’s where the saddest part of the story is: Roh, the symbol of hope, was allegedly bribed $6 million dollars, and the shame and burden from the investigation into his supposed illicit activity resulted in his suicide. Lee, on the other hand, had experienced a dip in approval ratings as president at 17% earlier last year, and is known to be a very pro-business politicial due to his restrictions on freedom and his former life as a CEO of Hyundai.

I’m not here to say who was right or wrong, or support one candidate over the other. I just find it incredibly unfortunate that in one false step, this country has lost its sense of honor, its hero, and its dream of a legitimate government, one above the control of the rich and the greedy.

Prop 8 and Sotomayor:
Covered here and here.

G(a)M(e) Over:

GM filed for bankruptcy. Because of serious mishandling, this was expected.

Michael Moore offers his eulogy criticisms of the corporation as a failing endeavor. The only thought I would like to add is that I’m relieved that this flubbing behemoth is finally dead. Any more years of bailout money poured into failure would have been like financially supporting Terry Schiavo further, except Schiavo this time is not only in a persistent vegetative state but is paying the failed doctors severance packages, has increasing loss of body function, and has a ticking time-bomb deadline strapped to her body.

Good riddance.

And now it’s in the hands of a 31-year-old. Good Luck.

John Calipari:

As bitter as I am about John Wall, it’s different when I know that Calipari’s players are getting extra perks not available to other players. That Calipari turns a blind eye to the doings of these divas. That this attracts recruits.

Yes, I know he didn’t commit or encourage this behavior. But at some point, the NCAA has to slap sanctions on the man because his best players seem to be the biggest headcases. To make matters worse, he seems to be able to skip out of town, leaving the scandal and NCAA punishments behind. And those players he recruited with the promise of Final Fours? Now all stripped away. College basketball doesn’t want to give their best players a free pass, and at some point, Calipari needs to be more aware of his players’ activities because right now, his message is:

Do your thing. But don’t let me know. And we’ll cheat beat the system together.