As children we were told that the United States is a country that values democracy, transparency, and adherence to human rights.  We have countless times in our history condemned world leaders and regimes of other countries for violating human rights or for being undemocratic. We have condemned the Assad regime for killing its own citizens, criticized Iran for not being transparent in their building of nuclear capabilities, and have denounced the North Korean leadership for their work camps. Let’s also not forget the fact that we have simply turned the other way concerning or enthusiastically supported brutal regimes who committed or are currently committing violations of human rights- we praised Pinochet as he brutalized Chileans, supported Mubarak in Egypt, propped up Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, financially aided the murderous Contras in Nicaragua, and continue to support an Israeli government that demolishes the homes of Palestinians and violates UN resolutions.

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OKC vs. MEM

After a drug out series with James Harden and the young Houston Rockets, the Thunder had a very quick turnaround going into round 2. Not to mention they lost their driving force at Point guard in Russell Westbrook. Many thought it would be the end of the Thunder, but Kevin Durant elevated his game averaging 35.5 pts/gm in his sidekick’s absence. As for the grizzlies, after going down 0-2 in the series against the Clippers, the stunned everyone and won 4 straight games to advance. Now they find themselves against a battle-tested Thunder team who is restructuring how they play their game, but is doing so effectively. The problem for the thunder will be the size and physicality of the Grizzlies. Zach Randolf is on the top of his game and doesn’t look like he’s going to slow down. The Thunder will need Ibaka and Perkins to play superior post defense and that will mean more minutes for Perkins who only averaged just over eleven minutes over the last for games. This should leave him fresh and ready to take on that physical style that the grizzlies bring. No matter how good the Grizzlies defense is, they have their hands full with the thunder. Kevin Durant is simply unstoppable. He has taken his already remarkable shooting to an entirely new level, but he can’t do it alone. The grizzlies will need to accept the fact that K.D will get his points and shut down everyone else. The thunder can’t win on Durant’s play alone. If they can keep Martin and Ibaka under control, they will make this a very competitive series, but if they let the thunder get hot, they will be in for a long ride.

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From, (Mis)adventures of a Manic Pixie Queer Girl

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It’s that time of year again when teams lock themselves in the war rooms and try to predict the next wave of great talent. Everyone tries to project the best players and best fits, but in reality, anything can happen on draft day. The first round has brought us some of the greatest players in NFL history along with many busts that fizzle out and don’t amount to much. Here are my projections for the 2013 NFL Draft:

1. Kansas City- Luke Joeckel OT Texas A&M
2. Jacksonville- Ezekiel Ansah DE BYU
3. Oakland- Star Latoulelei DT Utah
4. Philadelphia- Eric Fisher OT Central Michigan
5. Detroit- Dee Milner CB Alabama
6. Cleveland- Keenan Allen WR Cal
7. Arizona- Deon Jordan DE Oregon
8. Buffalo- Geno Smith QB W. Virginia
9. New York Jets- Xavier Rhodes CB FSU
10. Tennessee- Jonathan Cooper OG UNC
11. San Diego- Chance Warmack OG Alabama
12. Miami- Tavon Austin WR W. Virginia
13. New York Jets- Barkevious Mingo DE LSU
14. Carolina- Sharrif Floyd DT Florida
15. New Orleans- Jarvis Jones OLB Georgia
16. St. Louis- Cordarelle Patterson WR Tennessee
17. Pittsburgh- Bjoern Werner DE FSU
18. Dallas- Kenny Vacaro SS Texas
19. New York Giants- Alec Ogletree ILB Georgia
20. Chicago- D.J Fluker OT Alabama
21. Cincinnati- Matt Elam FS Florida
22. St. Louis- Eric Reid SS LSU
23. Minnesota- Deandre Hopkins WR Clemson
24. Indianapolis- Eddie Lacy RB Alabama
25. Minnesota- Sheldon Richardson DT Missouri
26. Green Bay- Menelik Watson OT FSU
27. Houston- Robert Woods WR USC
28. Denver- Tyler Eifert TE Notre Dame
29. New England- D.J Hayden CB Houston
30. Atlanta- Damontre Moore DE Texas A&M
31. San Francisco- Justin Hunter WR Tennessee
32. Baltimore- Kevin Milner ILB LSU

Julianna Baggott’s Pure Trilogy, which encompasses Pure, Fuse, and Burn, has escalated extraordinarily in a brief period of time. Just published in September 2012, the film rights to Pure have already been auctioned. In addition, Pure has won numerous awards, including “New York Time’s Notable Booklist Award.”  The trilogy deals with a dystopian world after a series of detonations in which whatever is next to the characters during the bombings becomes fused to their bodies. Items include a baby-doll, body parts of birds, and even humans who happened to be standing nearby.

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The first major of the PGA Tour did not disappoint. The myriad of story lines carried us throughout the week. Could Tiger Woods win his first masters in eight years, after starting off the year strong with 3 wins? In contrast, could golf’s new “dominant” player, Rory McIlroy, bounce back from walking off the course at the Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens? Could Tianlang Guan, a 14-year-old eighth grader, make the weekend cut? The most prestigious tournament was memorable, to say the least.

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Students from a south Florida high school are facing a child pornography scandal after nude images appeared online on February 23.

Cypress Bay High School, a grade A school of 4,4000 students in Weston, Florida, has been hit by a media storm after the release of fourteen pictures placed on a pornographic website featuring students as young as thirteen years old. The majority of the girls were in their freshman and sophomore years. The students were pictured revealing intimate parts of their anatomy and occasionally engaging in sexual acts.

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TALLAHASSEE, FL – On the morning of Friday, April 12th Circuit Judge Frank E. Sheffield repeated a tactic he has come to be known for around town, clearing the courtroom of law-abiding citizens for a public hearing without any justification. The court had gathered for a hearing regarding the motion for a new trial. The family members of Antonio and Rodrizgus Richardson were present along with the Dreams Defenders of Tallahassee. Neither the family nor Dream Defenders were able to observe the public hearing in which Judge Sheffield predictably ruled to deny the motion for a new trial.  Marshall Brian, an FSU sophomore and prominent Dream Defender was disappointed, yet justifiably cynical in his reaction to the ruling as reported in a piece written by a Fight Back News reporter for www.beforeitsnews.com, proclaiming “I’m disappointed, but I’m not surprised, Judge Sheffield hasn’t been on the side of justice from the beginning.”

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The NBA regular season has come to a close, and playoffs have begun. Round by round, Perry Petruccelli will be covering the Eastern Conference and Jake Hoag will be covering the Western Conference.

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I have a few friends who flat out refuse to watch animated films on the basis that they are for children. No matter how many times I wave Pixar films in front of their faces as proof to the contrary, they reject my advances, wondering how I can waste my time with silly “cartoons.” While this situation may sound familiar to many cinephiles, it is an argument that is not without some merit. A vast majority of Western animation lacks the rich emotion and complex characters of Pixar’s nearly spotless track record. For every Up and Toy Story there are countless more Shrek Forever After’s and Open Season 3’s, ruining my well-intentioned argument for the creativity behind children’s animation. The best animated films pay attention to the needs of adults and children alike, introducing mature themes that will resonate with them all.

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