Drinking and Drugs

‘“Oh Lord, that is elixer of the Gods. Pure liquid Kentucky”’(150). -The Kentucky Cycle

“‘Open the whiskey Tom…and I’ll make you a mint julep”’ (129). -The Great Gatsby

The first quote above is from JT in “The Kentucky Cycle”, which we read today. JT and the Rowen’s sit down and drink while having a good time and telling stories. This scene ends with Tommy attacking JT, and both of them almost ending up killed. The second quote is from “The Great Gatsby”. This scene involves Tom, Daisy, Nick and Gatsby all drinking and talking in the city. This scene ends with Myrtle getting hit by a car and dying. 

Both scenes involved alcohol and ended in very similar, tragic ways. We have been discussing cycles frequently in class, and I have noticed that the troubles of drugs and alcohol has been a cycle echoed in the U.S.

Recently there have been quite a few moments where drugs have directed people into danger or some type of trouble. One example is the envelopes sent to New York City’s Mayor Bloomberg containing ricin. Ricin “can be fatal in small doses if inhaled or swallowed”. Fortunately, the envelopes never made it to the mayor, and no one died. But this intent of creating fatalities reminds me of the near deaths in “The Kentucky Cycle” which may have been partly due to the strong liquor the men had drank before fighting. Although different scenarios, the drugs and alcohol both lead to near death experiences. Click here to read more on the mayor’s experience.

And this is not the only example! One can hear of trouble caused from drug or alcohol use on an almost daily basis. In fact, I just read about a Mormon mom of 7 getting caught for smuggling marijuana into the U.S. She is most likely not at fault (because she might have been used by someone else), but it is another interesting example on how drugs are used to hurt another person. So do you think there is a cycle of how drugs and alcohol is used in society, and their consequences? Since we have been discussing cycles for a while in class now, can you think of any other good examples of cycles in America? Feel free to comment bellow.

The Great Gatsby

Recently I saw the new movie "The Great Gatsby". Other than watching it for enjoyment, I also watched to notice differences from the book. The director, Baz Luhrmann, made some interesting choices when choosing what to include, and what not to include, in the film.

One choice that I noticed in the film was that a large scene was excluded. This scene was right after Nick’s first party in the city with Myrtle and Tom, when Nick claims to have gotten drunk for his second time. After this party Nick ends up in Mr. McKee’s bed wearing only underwear. This scene could be controversial, because many people see it as a time when Nick has a homosexual encounter. Although, the director chooses to leave this part out of the movie. This may be because of the current debates over gay rights. The director possibly didn’t want this movie to stir too much controversy. There are also other scenes that have been excluded in the movie. Are there any scenes you can think of that were excluded, and why do you think that is?

Rafa Nadal

This past weekend Rafael Nadal beat Roger Federer in the finals of Rome to take yet another title. Since Nadal has returned from his knee 'injury', he has been extremely dominant. It looks like he hasn't missed a stride, as his chances of winning the French Open next week are very high. Many people are shocked at how dominant Nadal is after returning from an injury that took him out for over half the year. Click here to read more about his recent win.

In fact, Nadal's return seems almost too good to be true. Most athletes take a few months to get back into it, and even then, they lose some matches that they should probably win. But this hasn't been the case for Nadal. He is as fit as he was before he was injured and playing even better. I have heard the theory that instead of Nadal being injured, he was suspended for steroid use, and the ATP covered it up by making it seem like he was injured. With an athlete as well recognized as Nadal the ATP wouldn't want the public to know he used steroids, to protect his image. This theory seems plausible in my opinion. I did my junior theme on the topic of steroids, and I learned several shocking things. No one truly knows how many athletes take steroids, and what organizations do to cover it up. Percentages of steroid users in all sports are shockingly high, yet it gets very little media coverage. Nadal may be one of these cases. What do you think? Is it reasonable to think Nadal may have used steroids?

Playoffs

With the playoffs in action for both the Bulls and the Blackhawk’s, many Chicagoans are watching a sporting event on a nightly basis. But to go downtown and get into these games is typically unrealistic. Tickets for these teams during playoffs can rise to insane numbers for just one mediocre seat. One could end up paying over 500 dollars to sit in one of the last rows in the United Center. Despite this fact, these games are sold out on a consistent basis.

 

In my mind, I always imagined these Chicago teams were turning an unbelievable profit. This all changed when I stumbled upon an article on the 2010 Chicago Blackhawk’s Stanley Cup team. The Blackhawk’s organization wasn't "making money" according to Rocky Wirtz, the Blackhawk’s owner in 2010. With the incredible amount of publicity, advertising, and ticket sales received from that year, this fact was very hard to understand. How/Why do you think the Hawks didn't turn a profit in 2010? Click here to read short excerpt on this topic.

Jason Collins

A couple days ago Jason Collins announced that he was gay. The reason this event is receiving so much media coverage is that he was the first male professional athlete to announce being gay. For the most part, the athletic world has been very supportive, as President Obama even called him to support him. Click here to read more about this event.

What is interesting to me is that it took such a long time for an athlete to come out. Although being gay has not been completely accepted amongst society, there have been large strides for this.  Many people are hopeful that this event will give more people hope in the future, and push for gay rights in society. But it seems like professional athletes have a long way to go considering Collins is the first ever athlete to come out. Why do you think that is?

Airline's Becoming Less Safe?

A policy change to air travel was supposed to be put into affect this week, as passengers were to be able to carry pocket knives onto planes. However, this policy has been delayed for an unknown time due to a reconsideration. Click here to read more on this controversy.

TSA argues that by allowing pocket knives onto planes, they could scan for more threatening weapons with more ease. Although a valid point, I do not think that should be the reason why we start allowing a weapon to be carried onto airplanes. Pocket knives can pose a threat to many lives on an airplane depending on the situation. It seems ridiculous to sacrifice our safety so that we can get through security lines quicker. The system that has been in place with TSA has been successful since 9/11, so I don't see a reason to change it now. What do you think? Should this policy pass?

Boston Marathon Explosions

Yesterday, two timed bombs went off near the finish line at the Boston Marathon. This tragic event has affected the country. More than 100 have been reported injured, and 3 people have died. Our country is still trying to comprehend this horrible attack, as it is the worst attack on U.S soil since 9/11. To read more on the bombing click here.

The bombs have been reported as being made of pressure cookers, put inside backpacks, which were placed near the finish line. For an event like a marathon, many people where backpacks around. Therefore, it would have been extremely difficult to catch the attackers before the attack (even though there were many police and dogs at the event). Do you think anything else could have been done to prevent this incident? Also, do you think our countries security for large events, such as sporting events or marathons, should be increased in general? If so, how? Please post thoughts below.