Pirates are dumb

CNN: Pirates target the Maersk Alabama again

Really, pirates?  Did you not see that bad-ass sniper action that happened when you guys held the Maersk Alabama's captain hostage a couple of years ago?  Because I'm pretty sure the U.S. government would have no problems doing that again.

I may actually start liking the Pope now...

CNN: Pope says condoms may be OK in some circumstances

Seriously breaking news.  According to this CNN article, the Pope has recently stated that condom use may be permissible in cases where they can prevent against sexually transmitted diseases, especially AIDS.  As a Catholic and a human rights advocate, this is seriously the best news I've heard in relation to both [combined] in a long time.  This issue has been one of the most frustrating things in relation to the AIDS crisis in Africa in particular.  The Pope has such a wide-reaching influence even among non-Catholics that the Church's stance on condom use has been very detrimental to efforts to combat the disease.

Of course, this permission does not include anything to deal with preventing pregnancy, which is understandable considering the Church's view on procreation.  However, I feel that this is an important step in the Church towards a human rights-oriented worldview.  For me, my religion and my human rights views are very tightly combined, but the issue of condoms has been a particularly unfortunate point in this.  I'm definitely glad that these can now be more tightly reconciled.

Hopefully with these recent statements work towards containing the AIDS crisis not only in Africa but worldwide can flourish and expand.  This is just great, excellent news and I hope that eventually it becomes official Vatican policy.

The odd, odd world of sports

CNN: Finalist dies at world sauna championships
CNN: Snoring to success in Spain's first national siesta competition

Two equally interesting 'sports'-related stories on CNN.  First, a Russian finalist at the world sauna championships died in early August.  The second discusses the national siesta competition in Spain, which took place in a shopping mall in Spain.

On the first story- WTF?  How is 'sauna' a sport?  In my opinion, it sounds like the dumbest possible event ever.  Let's all sit in a steaming hot room and see who can last the longest!  Except you know why saunas have warning labels on them?  Because you could DIE.  Yeah, I'm gonna go right ahead and risk my life for something that is completely meaningless.  The article said the deceased appeared to be suffering from skin burns.  Kids, let this be a lesson to you- DON'T sit in saunas for extended periods of time.  It's dangerous.

The second story, while at first seems kind of funny, actually goes into the possible extinction of the siesta in Spain.  The contest organizers, it explains, are trying to save the tradition which is being pushed out by the desire to compete better on the global market.  While I first laughed, it is very valid.  Studies (I know they're out there, I just don't have where they are) have shown that napping in the middle of the day actually boosts productivity.  I think the Spanish have always been on to something with the siesta, and it's the rest of the world that's falling behind.  Of course economics could always prove me wrong, but I know at least I get super tired and sleepy around mid-day, which makes me pretty much useless at work after that point.  A siesta would pep me back up and keep me going.

So, in closing, you go, Spain!  Viva la siesta!

(And Finland, knock it off with the sauna crap already)

Supersize nation

MSNBC: Report says school food making kids unfit to serve

There's a group of retired military officers saying that school lunches are making kids obese, and therefore reducing the number of people that would actually be able to pass a military health exam in order to enlist.  The article also mentioned that many service members are now being discharged for weight problems.  Ironically, the military is the same group that helped institute the school lunch program to begin with.

Despite the silliness of the headline (really, most headlines lately are absolutely ridiculous-sounding), they do make a valid point.  Obesity really is detrimental to our national defense. If we end up having a nation of overweight people who either physically can't exercise or are too lazy to exercise, the country as we know it is going to go down the shitter pretty quickly.  Imagine: an overweight police officer trying to chase down some young criminal.  Granted, if they're both overweight I suppose they'd be easily matched, but chances are the young person's going to be smaller, more agile, and quicker than someone with 40 or 50 extra pounds on their frame.  Another scenario: a firefighter wheezing under the weight of his equipment.  These people now would never be allowed in those services, but if our country consists mostly of those who are overweight, those are going to be the only people left to fill those roles.

Between this new report, Michelle Obama's crusade against childhood obesity, and television shows tackling the problems in school lunches, I hope that some effective measures will finally take place.  Thinking back to my school days, many of the lunches were not the most nutritious.  Throughout high school, I ate pizza most days simply because there either were no other options or the options available looked disgusting.  A few times they would offer vegetables, but I couldn't stand eating them.  The corn was way too watery and really funny-tasting.  The beans were simply a rubbery, atrocious mess.  Any meat they offered was processed- chicken patties and those weird ground-up meat concoctions that were molded into the shape of ribs. [1]  I think part of the problem is the standardized lunch system in public schools.  We used one company, Sysco, which sent their food in huge vats.  Clearly, the company's focus seemed to be on mass quantities of food, forsaking the quality of that same food.

The article also discussed healthier options in vending machines, something that I think gets missed a lot.  At my high school, I think the district did a good job restricting options.  We had a milk vending machine (yes, milk) as well as one that I believe sold Nestea and other similar drinks.  If I remember correctly, there was also one that sold chips, which you could also get in the cafeteria itself.  Soda was one thing not sold there. [2]  According to people around school (so, pretty much hearsay as it was in high school), Coca-Cola offered a huge project to the school district that would provide massive renovations and remodeling, plus laptops for every student.  In exchange, the district would put Coca-Cola vending machines in the schools.  In an amazing show of doing the right thing, the district turned it down (Liverpool, however, did take Coca-Cola up on the offer- they have a pretty amazing school now, but at what cost?).  When we've got corporations interfering in schools, there's a huge problem.

Quite honestly, with all the people advocating for healthier school lunches, if anyone can get it done it's the military.  I'm glad they're on board with combating childhood obesity, regardless of the reason.  As defense spending is an exorbitant amount of our national budget, it is clear that the government sets a high importance on the military.  If they say something should be done for their benefit, it will get done.

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[1] To tell the truth, those two were actually my favorite lunches (besides West Genny pizza day).  Sad that mystery meat can taste that good.
[2] The sale of soda in schools has been a huge issue in this obesity battle due to the general unhealthiness of soda.

Why women can't win

CNN: California governor candidates spar over 'whore' remark

Honestly, I am absolutely disgusted that this is even an issue.  California's Democratic gubernatorial candidate (and current CA Attorney General) Jerry Brown is in the spotlight for using the word 'whore' in comments about the Republican candidate Meg Whitman.

Of course, the conversation in question was 'private' and the campaign has apologized for the comment.  But that's not really the issue.  The issue is, why is it acceptable to degrade female politicians and candidates simply based on their sex?  Bitch, whore, slut... the list goes on and on of what politicians find appropriate to call their female opponents.  The kicker is that anytime a woman actually speaks out against this, she is automatically labeled a crybaby or complainer, with people telling her to suck it up, that she should grow some thicker skin if she really wants to make it in politics.  It makes me so furious- you never see gender-based attacks against male politicians!

The thing that really gets me is the comments section on the CNN website for this article.  So many commenters see this as a joke, continuing to call Ms. Whitman a whore (which considering her background as former CEO of eBay, I'm pretty sure is false).  I think this is my 'favorite' piece of commentary.  And by 'favorite' I mean 'most despicable':

It's so nice to see that gender-based violence (since not all violence must be physical) is still so easily prevalent in the United States.  God forbid a woman run on the merits of her own beliefs; instead, we are all forced to run on the basis of what's in between our legs.  The Frisky recently had an article about these gender-based attacks, and how they have made it harder for women to be successful in running for office.

Attacks and comments such as these make it very hard for women to be seen as serious, intelligent candidates.*  With women making the majority in all forms of higher education (undergraduate and graduate), it is astonishing that only 16.8% of Congresspersons are women.  Unfortunately, Washington is still very much the good 'ole [white] boys club.  People are making some noise over the fact that we now have three female sitting justices on the Supreme Court (Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan).  However, that is still 33%, not close to representing the actual gender makeup of this nation.  However, they are doing much better than Congress as a whole, so it is a positive step.**

The American culture on both sides can be partly to blame for this.  The movie Mean Girls makes an excellent point when Tina Fey's character says, "...you all have got to stop calling each other sluts and whores.  It just makes it ok for guys to call you sluts and whores."  Women can be so vindictive, catty, and just downright mean to each other that it seriously hinders gaining respect.

Men, too, are part of the problem.  While I realize not all men are misogynists or blatantly sexist, there is still a culture of disrespect when it comes to women.  As men have been the traditional power-holders, they are not used to it when their power is threatened by outsiders.  In regards to women, they react the only way they know how- by degrading them sexually.  In politics, it's an easy cop-out.  When you can't argue against a woman's political viewpoints, argue against her vagina!  It's something easy to point out.

I think both genders need to seriously work at discounting this type of gender bias.  It is unfair to hold women to a completely different standard than men when they are both vying for the same position.  It happens all over in so many fields, but this is so visible.  If we all want to make an impact in changing the discourse around gender, the first area we should start is politics.

*Exception: Sarah Palin.  While I denounce gender-based attacks on her, it doesn't change the fact that she's a fucking idiot.
**Even more awesome?  If someday we had a female Chief Justice!

Unbiased reporting?

CNN: Mortar lands outside kindergarten buildings in Israel

Just one question: where's the story about the countless number of Israeli mortars that have landed not only outside, but inside Palestinian kindergartens, elementary schools, and so on- actually killing students?

(If anyone wants to know more, just ask me for a copy of my paper on the realities of education for Palestinian children in Gaza and the West Bank.  This was a result of careful research- not usually things you'd find in the front pages.)

The Hidden Violence

CNN: Doctors remove nail allegedly hammered into maid by employers

This article brought up a lot of reactions in myself when I read it.  In summary, it discusses the plight of a Sri Lankan maid who underwent surgery to remove 18 nails that had been hammered into her arms, legs, and forehead, allegedly by her Saudi employers.  The woman was a registered domestic employee in Saudi Arabia.

The article reflects (sadly) much of the news I encountered over the summer in the course of my research in Nepal.  About once a week there would be an article in at least one paper, usually on the front page, detailing the plight Nepali workers faced abroad.  What Americans, desperate to protect 'their' jobs from foreigners, may not realize is the actual practice of migration worldwide.  The largest region for employing migrant workers?  The Gulf countries (particularly Saudi Arabia and Kuwait).  The majority of workers come from South Asia.

People in the US argue about laws being too protective of these types of workers (typically portrayed in the US as illegals).  However, would Americans really want to live in a country where this type of abuse is common?  Rarely this summer did I encounter an article about the benefits of Nepalis working abroad.  The vast majority detailed the situation of an individual, abused sometimes to the point of full disability.

Sadly, this abuse is all too common, and people in the Western world know nothing about it.  To the West's credit, news mostly focuses on local and national events, and international events only when it is relevant to the country as a whole.

I will say, there are other international issues that get attention that deal with human rights- Darfur and Burma to name a couple.  However, those are few and far between, and usually brought to the spotlight by celebrity attention.

Where is the attention for these workers, who are forced to leave their countries due to a lack of opportunities in order to provide for their families?  Sadly, this is one important issue that gets left out of a lot of discourse on human rights.

In searching Human Rights Watch's website, if one wants to find articles related to migrant workers, they have to be searched for specifically.  Many of the articles in the 'Workers, Forced Labor & Trafficking' section focus on issues of human trafficking.  Finding articles on abuse and/or exploitation of legal migrant workers requires a dedicated search on the subject.  Casual viewers of the website looking for recent topics of interest will not find this.  It is therefore difficult to bring this issue to light when even human rights workers keep it in the back of the closet.