Why is it that a young man whose skin tone ranges on the darker complexion be considered to be “suspicious” when on the other hand, if I put on the same hooded sweatshirt, I am not given those same suspicious stares?  When looking at us based on our skin complexion, the only reason why my skin tone is lighter than my African American classmates is seventy thousand years plus of changes in the amount of melanin in my skin after my genetic ancestors left the African homeland.  And yes, your ancestors also left the African homeland nearly seventy thousand years ago.

But it is that difference in the amount of melanin in the skin that has been the basis for all our racial tensions.  That ugly racial and ethnic history based all on the color of one’s skin is whitewashed in the textbooks sitting in American public schools.  That whitewashed history does not call out the guilty parties; it does not accurately the horror, the pain, and the evil; that whitewashed history makes it easy for people to simply state: “why can’t these people pick themselves up by their bootstraps?”  It is hard to pull one’s self up by bootstraps when you’ve been beaten by those bootstraps; when you’ve been strangled to death by those bootstraps; denied access to use of those bootstraps; and still arrogantly told to pull yourself up by those bootstraps.

All because someone had a darker complexion, in the minds of sixteenth century Europeans, those darker persons were not equal humans.  Either they were merely chattel property as was the case of African slaves.  Or they were subhuman in the case of the Indigenous Americans who stood in the way of Manifest Destiny and were treated like any other pest; worthy of extermination.  Or that their “brownness” was sufficient grounds to block any attempt to gain statehood until there was a nexus of whiteness to make them more acceptable; ignoring centuries of civilization and laws under the Aztec, Spanish Empire, and Mexican governments.

The ugly reality is that the American Republic’s power and wealth was built upon the scarred backs of slaves and rests upon the mass graves and stolen land of children of the Indigenous Americans.

All because someone had darker skin, it was unfathomable to the lily white man that a darker skinned person would have the ability to think, to write, to be equal in society.  The pseudoscience of phrenology was the racist’s tool in proving that it was impossible that blacks were intellectually equal to the white man merely by the size of their skulls.  In the minds of enlightened white men, African Americans were at first merely chattel, a skilled mule to till their fields; but once the 13th Amendment was passed, these racists had to support their claims that African Americans were incapable of being equal to whites; hence the explosion of pseudoscience to support their racist ideologies.

At the same time, these same racist pseudo-scientific theories worked hand-in-hand with the arrogant and racist concept of White Man’s Burden was carried in the vanguard of European and American imperialists into India, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.  It didn’t matter than India was one of the cradles of civilization; it didn’t matter that it was the Muslim world that preserved the knowledge of Greek and Roman antiquity while Europe wallowed in backward ideology; it didn’t matter that these non-white people had century old societies and civilizations.  They were dark skinned; it was impossible for them to be equal to the superior white-European-Christian civilization.  All because Europeans had a diminished need of melanin because of the environment in the upper latitudes of Europe.

It is this ugly history that must be understood.  This history is just but one step to understanding the problems and to guide our actions in the future.  Without this history, we are doomed to continue to perpetuate stereotypes that young black or Hispanic men are to be feared as potential criminals.  If we don’t realize that our deeply seeded mindsets on race, on color are premised on intellectually bankrupt ideas of ignorant ghosts, we are doomed to perpetuate the terrible legacy they have bestowed upon us.  We are wiser than our ancestors.

There’s a new trend amongst judges in drunk-driving cases: to order a punishment via humiliation. This may come as a shock to those of us who know a little something about the Constitution and how it prohibits “cruel and unusual punishment,” (see: Eighth Amendment) but evidently this type of sentencing has received notoriety in several counties across the U.S. due to its “sobering” effect on the defendant. Sorry, pun intended.

A judge in Houston recently sentenced 38-year-old Michael Giacona to a series of unique punishments after being convicted of killing 20-year-old Aaron Pennywell while driving drunk. This had been Michael’s second drunk driving offense, so the judge decided to make an example of him. Michael must now spend his next four Saturdays, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., visiting the scene of the accident while wearing a sign saying, “I killed Aaron Pennywell.” Additionally, he must also keep a picture of the victim’s wrecked car in his living room, which will be verified by a probation officer’s random home visits. As a final element of his punishment, Giacona has to adhere to two years of probation and weekly Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.

Spokespersons from the organization Mothers Against Drunk Driving have expressed approval of this new type of punishment stating, “Harris County leads the nation in drunk driving fatalities and if this brings more awareness to people in the community when they see a person wearing a placard, they realize the cost of drunk driving and gets them to change their behavior, then we would fully support that because something needs to change.”

True, something needs to change, but does it have to come in the form of humiliating and shaming defendants after the crime has already been committed? Many would argue that debasing an individual might not be the most effective way of reforming them. As tragic as their actions may be, humiliation will not bring back the deceased victims. Knowing these defendants have to spend hours on the side of the road wearing a humiliating sign may evoke temporary feelings of justice, but what does it actually accomplish? The fact remains that 50-75% of convicted drunk drivers will continue to drive on a suspended license.

But that does not mean all hope is lost.

Over 70% of previously convicted drunk drivers have said that the most effective sanctions and interventions in stopping drunk driving include at least a one-year jail sentence, mandatory $10,000 (or more) fines, the installation of ignition interlock devices, and more frequent sobriety checkpoints. From a non-legal standpoint, the influence of family and friends also functions as one of the most effective means of rehabilitation for drunk drivers.

Since 1982, when drunk driving statistics were first recorded, the rate of alcohol impaired driving fatalities has decreased by 64%. This decrease has been due, in large part, to the implementation of the sentences listed above, not through humiliating punishments.

If our goal is to rehabilitate criminals and make them better citizens, ostracizing them will only make that more difficult and increase the likelihood of repeat offenses. Alcohol abusers need serious intervention and rehabilitation, not public humiliation and shame that may only deepen their personal struggles and make recovery that much more difficult.

Let’s take drunk driving, for example. Now it’s true that the number of people killed each year due to drunk drivers has gone down significantly. However, approximately one-third of those arrested or convicted of drunk driving have been arrested for drunk driving before. Most alarmingly, it is those repeat offenders who are 40% more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than those without prior drunk driving convictions. Thus, while most people respond to traditional punishments and are deterred from dangerous behavior like drunk driving, a substantial minority do not, and these repeat offenders are more likely to endanger the community than a first-time offender. If certain individuals are not deterred from their anti-social behavior by suspended licenses or jail sentences, then why should the justice system be prevented from exploring more effective alternatives?

Public shame punishments may seem cruel, and certainly rather unusual, to some. But let’s put it into perspective. As a society, we are willing to deprive people we deem dangerous or disorderly of their privacy, their property, and even their freedom. But ordering someone to stand on a street corner and wear a sign admitting guilt is cruel and unusual? If so, then most of our criminal justice system is cruel and unusual. And let’s not forget that some of these repeat offenders have caused immense tragedy and pain to their communities. If shame is a powerful motivator, then perhaps we should examine how we can use it both effectively and fairly.

I don’t believe that public shame is an appropriate punishment in most cases. But to those who have not responded to more conventional methods of punishment, we should be at least willing to consider it as an option. If a person has willfully or recklessly disregarded the safety and well-being of his or her community time and time again, then that person has forfeited any privilege they may have against public embarrassment.

Republicans everywhere breathed a sigh of relief when, for all intents and purposes, their primary concluded.  On April 10, 2012, Rick Santorum bowed to the inevitable and left the race, as Mitt Romney continued to build momentum to reach the delegate threshold needed to become the challenger to President Obama.

However, as often in the case in military history, one war beget another: the general election.  Last year I expressed optimism that the differences between the Republican nominee and President Obama would make for an important debate on the future direction of our country.

Unfortunately, as the last couple weeks in politics have been, shall we say, “less than stellar.”  The main chatter was about Democrat pundit Hillary Rosen said about Mitt Romney’s wife Ann: that she had never “worked” a day in her life and could not relate to other women.  As the son of a stay-at-home mom, I found it offensive, and I was puzzled as well at the lack of tolerance that some feminists seem to afford women who have made different choices than they have.  Nevertheless, even though Rosen is a frequent guest at the White House, it’s a waste of time to discuss her condescending opinion when one considers the shifting dangers in foreign policy, the painful economy, and the five trillion dollars that President Obama has added to the federal deficit.

Likewise, there has been a flap over, wait for it, dogs.  Yes, dogs!  The “issue” attracted some coverage when Democratic surrogates and bloggers resurrected a report from a Boston newspaper which stated that Mitt Romney restrained and put his dog on top of the automobile on a family vacation many years ago.  In retaliation, several conservatives pointed out that in one of Barack Obama’s autobiographies (by the age of fifty he has already written two of them) he mentioned that he had eaten dog meat while in Indonesia as a boy.

What Romney did was foolish, but it is not an election-issue for any but the most die-hard dog lovers (and most PETA members are probably Democrats), and what Barack Obama ate while in a country with a culture that is very different than our own, not to mention that he was a child, has no relevance for even the most die-hard dog lovers.

The stay-at-home mom diss and the doggy wars may make for some interesting stories for reporters and great fodder for Jon Stewart, but I believe that we are in the eye of the storm.  The Republicans have stopped spending millions of dollars tearing each other to pieces, and they and the Democrats, who have enjoyed watching Mitt Romney’s favorable ratings decline with none of their input, are about to embark on the general election fight.

The issue now is, what will the issues be?  Those are hard to predict.  The conventional wisdom a year before the 2008 election was that the Iraq war would dominate the debates, but instead the housing market bubble burst, and he economy became the number one issue.

But we can to think like the President, his challenger, and their advisers think.  The issues they want to hammer home are issues that they think will win them more voters, and will hence be in the news.

Romney will try to hit on issues where Obama is weakest: health care reform (whether you agree with it or not, it is unpopular with Republicans and independents), the deficit (Obama famously called President Bush’s four trillion dollar addition to the federal deficit “unpatriotic), and the economy (8.2% unemployment, 88 million able-bodied people not searching for work).  To portray himself as the man for the job, Romney will highlight his business background and better equipped to lead the government in response to the poor economy.

Obama, ironically, may hit Romney on some of the same issues.  The Affordable Care Act, where Obama spent most of his political capital, was largely based on the health care legislation that Mitt Romney signed at the state level in Massachusetts.  He will attack Romney for being out-of-touch due to his wealth, and point out that much of Romney’s business background was in private equity, groups who, in making current companies more competitive and profitable, often cut employees.  Obama will say that he needs four more years in order to complete his vision of “fundamentally transforming” America.

The campaigns will focus on two things: turning out their own base and winning over the people who truly are “swing voters” (I’m not talking about the people you know who say they are independent then vote for every Republican or Democrat on the ballot).  In 2008, the Democrats had a great turnout, and in 2010 the Republicans returned the favor, so both sides will be looking to repeat their recent successes.

To turn out the base the Republicans and Democrats will feed their party members “red meat,” which are the sort of issues that win a lot of applause at the respective conventions.  Think of the Republican support of increasing domestic oil drilling (even though it will likely have no effect on current gas prices), or the Democratic line on getting wealthy people to “pay their fair share” (even though the Buffet Rule will do next-do-nothing in getting the deficit down).  All the while the parties will try not to offend independent voters who are open to pulling the lever for either side.

While Democrats and Rick Santorum supporters had hoped that the primary would go to a deadlocked convention, it was not to be.  The polls have Obama and Romney in a dead heat.  Whether or not that changes, it is anyone’s guess.

As King Theoden said before the titanic battle at Helm’s Deep in The Two Towers: “so it begins.”

The unemployment rate of the United States continues to drop, currently at 8.2% for March according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, but a large part of that is the record-high amount of people not in the labor force: over 88 million.  Clearly the economy is not in rebound for all, and expect statistics related to these participation rates to be key in the upcoming Presidential election as the candidates try to spin the economic situation in their favor.

But what does it all mean to the upcoming Valparaiso law graduates?  With an average debt load from law school, not counting other loans, at about $118,000 with a 6.8% interest rate (for federal loans), they are ready to start working, as on average they will owe $8,000 a year in interest before even denting their principle.

Unfortunately, there is much truth in the conventional wisdom that America has too many lawyers.  As an online article from the New York Times reported in June of 2011, the consulting firm EMSI (Economic Modeling Specialists, Inc.) measured how many people passed the bar or graduated law school compared to the estimates of annual legal job openings.  The results were bleak.  From 2010-15, there are about 26,000 legal openings per year estimated across the nation.  However, there were 53,500 people who passed the bar across the United States in 2009, and about 44,000 new law graduates.  If you consider the unemployed attorneys with experience who will be competing with the new graduates for legal jobs, the job market begins to look very, very bad.

Dean Conison, however, predicts that the market will recover with time, and that it will be different than it was before, where most lawyers worked in small and medium-sized firms.  He explained that the skills and knowledge that students pick up while in law school are valuable in employment settings outside the legal field, where a JD may not be required but would be recommended.  “A law degree will be more broadly valued,” he said, and added that law school provides a versatile and flexible career path, noting that there are many people with legal training who work in the financial sector, as an example.

But what about people who want to work in the legal field?  As the economy improves, there will be more need for traditional lawyers, Dean Conison said.  He said that there are three main things students can do to prepare themselves for the legal job search:

First, students need to build a portfolio.  Students need to get hands on experience, do well on the academic front, and volunteer.  Second, students have to learn how to market themselves.  He noted that the law school provides workshops, counseling, and mentoring in order to help students.  Finally, students need to get to know people and build relationships.

Lisa Cannon, who works in the Career Planning Center and is Director of Experiential Education, agreed with Dean Conison on how important networking is.  She said that most jobs will be gotten through referrals and contacts, not the traditional job postings.  She sees the CPC’s role as “setting up a toolbox for a career path.”  Because long-term employment with one employer is no longer the norm, their goal is to teach students how to conduct a job search which never will quite end.  Ms. Cannon expressed disappointment in the drop in attendance at the events that the CPC puts on, such as luncheons with alumni or employers or the Externship Expo, and stated they are trying to find out why and how they can change that.

What will students do when they encounter difficulty finding employment that can pay the amount due on their loans and living expenses?

Ann Weitgenant, the Associate Director of Student Financial Planning, who provided the debt numbers of the Valparaiso law graduates, said that there are several approaches students can take.  For instance, they could ask for an economic hardship deferment, or forbearance, on their loans.  Another option is the Income Based Repayment Plan.  It assesses a student’s marital status, loan amount, and income, and determines an amount that it believes a student can afford per month at that income.  If the loan isn’t paid off in twenty-five years, the student’s loan could be discharged.  Finally, there is a loan forgiveness program for people working in public service which can discharge the rest of a student’s loans after ten years of work.  She recommends that students conduct research about their financial situation as early as possible, and noted that every student who graduates gets counseling on their financial situation before graduating.

There is no denying that the economy is struggling to recover, especially the legal field, and the new order will be very different than what has existed in the past.  To be successful, students are going to need to take advantage of every opportunity available, and truth be told, many Valparaiso law graduates will have to look outside the legal field in order to find employment.  Dean Conison believes that if students get started with an opportunity, and continue to build upon it, they will be able to continually leverage their employment opportunities higher and higher.

To the 2012 Valparaiso law graduates, good luck!

Me at Mania

I don’t think I was ever more excited to wake up at 4 Am than when I got ready to fly to Miami for Wrestlemania XXVIII on Friday, March 30. The flight was quick with the only inconvenience being that I had to cover my ears with headphones so as to not hear two jackasses behind me try to spoil the ending of the 3^rd book of The Hunger Games. I quickly got in a shuttle with some other wrestling fans to our hotel and made it to the Hyatt Regency Miami just before lunch time. Because my other two buddies Justin and Anthony were not going to arrive for a bit, I decided to venture out, check out the surrounding area, and grab some lunch.

My first impression was that the harbor was just incredible looking. A good traveler never goes anywhere unprepared. Before the trip, I prepared a restaurant list with all types of cuisine. My first stop was Sparky’s Roadside Barbecue, a no frills bar serving up the usual options with a plethora of different sauces. I was very pleased with my selection of the BBQ Pork sandwich with fried pickles, mac & cheese, and coleslaw. The meat was succulent, the sauces were divine, and I was immediately rejuvenated me for the rest of the day. By the time the meal was over, my friends had arrived and I reunited with Anthony and Justin for the first time in almost three years. We previously attended Wrestlemania XXIV in Orlando and made a pact to go again if something huge happened in a good city. With the Rock returning to wrestling to face John Cena in his first singles match in 8 years and the venue being the gorgeous city of Miami, the time was now to return.

After some introductory conversation and pool time, we headed to the incredible River Oyster Bar for Happy Hour oysters, beverages, and dinner. I had a salmon with crab fried rice, some raw oysters, several Stella Artois drafts, and a Macadamia Nut sundae. Everything delivered in spade and our next stop was Ocean Drive to attend a party hosted by ex-wrestlers Kevin Nash, Diamond Dallas Page, X-Pac, and Rikishi at Ocean’s Ten Club. You knew you were surrounded by hardcore wrestling fans when at a beautiful open-air club, fans were chanting “YES, YES, YES” in support of Indy Legend and at the time World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan all night long. From what I could tell, the wrestlers were very gracious with the fans. The atmosphere was awesome and it was a great way to introduce ourselves to the city.

On Saturday morning, we woke early to attend Wrestlemania Axxess, an annual WWE theme park of sorts that they set up at a convention center with exhibits, meet and greets, and live matches. It was a complete thrill to get to meet Roddy Piper, a main eventer at the first Wrestlemania and living legend, at the morning session. He took pictures with me and my buddies, talked to us a bit, and seemed extremely pleased to be there. Another thrill was getting to audition for The Marine 3. WWE Studios is a joke itself, but getting to act out a scene on camera in front of my friends was humorous and provided several great photo opportunities. I also loved getting to take a picture with the replica WWE title belt over my head. One other factoid was how popular CM Punk was. At the “ Superstar Entrance” attraction at Axxess, people mostly chose CM Punk’s “Cult of Personality” over that of the Rock, Triple H, and John Cena to name a few. The summer of Punk which got the man in Rolling Stone and On Bill Simmons’ podcast propelled his merchandise to surpass the sales of John Cena in the 4^th quarter last year, the first time in six years someone did that. Hopefully the company continues to use Punk strongly as he can be an asset for them for years to come.

Later that day, we went to an incredible Italian Restaurant Fratelli Milano that delivered an authentic taste of Italy in the heart of Miami.  The handmade pasta provided us the fuel to walk over to the American Airlines Arena for the 2012 WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony. WWE initiated a dress code of “neat casual” this year, a standard so confusing that people showed up in tees and shorts, tuxedos, and golf shirts and jeans (what I wore). The big inductees this year were the Four Horsemen (Ric Flair’s signature stable) and Edge (one of the best workers in the past 12 years who’s career was derailed due to nagging neck injuries at the age of 38). The Hall has a reputation as the classiest night of the year in the industry and this year’s ceremony lived up to that. After giving credit to all the performers that got him to where he went in the business, Edge was hilarious in reflecting on some of the best moments of his journey. A highlight was a discussion of rooming with Tommy Dreamer on the road one night after he told Edge that he didn’t snore. Suffice to say, Dreamer lied and Edge got up in the middle of the night buck naked, did the Superfly Jimmy Snuka pose, and gave Dreamer the Snuka splash (check Youtube for what it looks like) to stop the horrendous noise. He also made a great comparison of his three best friends in the business to the Seinfeld cast. Rather than be played off to the generic Hall of Fame Music, WWE paid for Foo Fighters and Edge rocked out at the end of his speech performing 5-second poses to tremendous crowd adoration and applause. It’s sad to see Edge done at 38 years old, but the guy is in a good place and will definitely do some big things in the future.

Ric Flair, who was inducted back in 2008 before his last match with Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania XXIV, cried like a baby and was so honored to be the first double-inductee. He told stories of partying till the wee hours of morning with John Cena and telling his 4^th wife that he would never grow up. Why? “I’m a horseman baby, WOOOOO!” There was also a funny tale about his 2^nd wife where she wanted to go home one night. Ric, being the party animal he is, said he wouldn’t leave until close and that if his wife mentioned going home again, he would punt her purse across the bar. She asked again, he punted the purse across the bar, and divorce number two was set in motion. Each of the Four Horsemen got to deliver speeches and you could see how emotional the public recognition of their work from two decades ago made them.

We capped off Saturday night with several drinks and shots at Hoops Bar across from American Airlines Arena. The bartenders were dressed in referee attire that fit in with the hundreds of televisions throughout the facility. It was a great way to discuss what we witnessed and get ready for the main event on Sunday. Mania day kicked off with an Al Fresco brunch at Deli-Lane Café and pre-game at the hotel pool with Bud Lights. Eventually the bus transportation included into the package arrived and we took off for Sun Life Stadium. Our seats were incredible due to the travel package as they put you directly across from the hard camera. Besides the incredible production which included as much pyro and fireworks as you would see at Disney World, a beautiful set, military flyover, and a touching rendition of America the Beautiful from Lillian Garcia, this Wrestlemania will be remembered most for the End of an Era Hell in the Cell Match between Undertaker and Triple H with Shawn Michaels as guest referee and the Rock/Cena Once in a Lifetime main event. An honorable mention of something that will be remembered is the birth of the “YES, YES, YES” chants that got Daniel Bryan a new t-shirt following the weekend’s festivities.

From the facial expressions to the move combinations and false finishes, Triple H and Undertaker put on a classic that will be talked about for years to come. The crowd repeatedly chanted, “This is awesome,” and there was a feeling that Taker might finally go down at Wrestlemania after Michaels delivered sweet chin music sending the Deadman right into a pedigree for a great near-fall. Instead after dozens of chair shots, sledgehammer hits, and other assorted shenanigans, Taker took Hunter’s sledgehammer away from him, wacked him in the head with it, and tombstone piledrove him for the finish. After the 20-0 banner flashed on the stage, all three men hugged celebrating the culmination of a 4 year storyline of Undertaker working with Triple H and Shawn Michaels at the biggest show of the year to a large standing ovation.

Rock/Cena was pure spectacle with the crowd firmly behind hometown boy Rock and booing John Cena out of the building. The Rock had Flo Rida play him out to the ring, while Cena had Diddy product Machine Gun Kelly. The match was a 30 minutes of back and forth action with loud chants, momentum swings, charisma, and one heck of a finish. Most smart fans expected Cena to go over as Rock is a movie star while Cena works every week. Rock went for a cross-body off the top rope and was caught by Cena who gave him the Attitude Adjustment, a move where Cena lifts his opponent above his shoulders and drives him into the mat. Rock kicked out of the pin attempt causing Cena to mockingly go for a people’s elbow, the Rock’s signature move. Rock got up during Cena’s attempt and hit a Rock bottom to get the win to one of the loudest ovations I’ve ever been a part of. The Sun Life Stadium crowd was party-like as the Rock walked around thanking everyone to end the night. While WWE had Brock Lesnar in the back ready to re-debut imminently, it was smart to let the Rock have his moment with the fans before heading back to Hollywood.

Overall Wrestlemania functions as a time capsule of the year that was in WWE where storylines culminate in epic fashion in front of a stadium-sized crowd. This was easily one of the best ones WWE has put on and it was awesome to attend it with my friends and take it all in. While the talent roster is incredibly thin in WWE right now, bringing back vets like the guys mentioned above gave the show that special feel. Miami delivered on everything including the exceptional weather, great venues, banners around the city to get the word out, awesome food, drinks, and great accommodations. I would not be shocked to see the city to receive another Wrestlemania someday.

Me at Mania

I don’t think I was ever more excited to wake up at 4 Am than when I got ready to fly to Miami for Wrestlemania XXVIII on Friday, March 30. The flight was quick with the only inconvenience being that I had to cover my ears with headphones so as to not hear two jackasses behind me try to spoil the ending of the 3^rd book of The Hunger Games. I quickly got in a shuttle with some other wrestling fans to our hotel and made it to the Hyatt Regency Miami just before lunch time. Because my other two buddies Justin and Anthony were not going to arrive for a bit, I decided to venture out, check out the surrounding area, and grab some lunch.

My first impression was that the harbor was just incredible looking. A good traveler never goes anywhere unprepared. Before the trip, I prepared a restaurant list with all types of cuisine. My first stop was Sparky’s Roadside Barbecue, a no frills bar serving up the usual options with a plethora of different sauces. I was very pleased with my selection of the BBQ Pork sandwich with fried pickles, mac & cheese, and coleslaw. The meat was succulent, the sauces were divine, and I was immediately rejuvenated me for the rest of the day. By the time the meal was over, my friends had arrived and I reunited with Anthony and Justin for the first time in almost three years. We previously attended Wrestlemania XXIV in Orlando and made a pact to go again if something huge happened in a good city. With the Rock returning to wrestling to face John Cena in his first singles match in 8 years and the venue being the gorgeous city of Miami, the time was now to return.

After some introductory conversation and pool time, we headed to the incredible River Oyster Bar for Happy Hour oysters, beverages, and dinner. I had a salmon with crab fried rice, some raw oysters, several Stella Artois drafts, and a Macadamia Nut sundae. Everything delivered in spade and our next stop was Ocean Drive to attend a party hosted by ex-wrestlers Kevin Nash, Diamond Dallas Page, X-Pac, and Rikishi at Ocean’s Ten Club. You knew you were surrounded by hardcore wrestling fans when at a beautiful open-air club, fans were chanting “YES, YES, YES” in support of Indy Legend and at the time World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan all night long. From what I could tell, the wrestlers were very gracious with the fans. The atmosphere was awesome and it was a great way to introduce ourselves to the city.

On Saturday morning, we woke early to attend Wrestlemania Axxess, an annual WWE theme park of sorts that they set up at a convention center with exhibits, meet and greets, and live matches. It was a complete thrill to get to meet Roddy Piper, a main eventer at the first Wrestlemania and living legend, at the morning session. He took pictures with me and my friends, talked to us a bit, and seemed extremely pleased to be there. Another thrill was getting to audition for The Marine 3. WWE Studios is a joke itself, but getting to act out a scene on camera in front of my friends was humorous and provided several great photo opportunities. I also loved getting to take a picture with the replica WWE title belt over my head. One other factoid was how popular CM Punk was. At the “ Superstar Entrance” attraction at Axxess, people mostly chose CM Punk’s “Cult of Personality” over that of the Rock, Triple H, and John Cena to name a few. The summer of Punk which got the man in Rolling Stone and On Bill Simmons’ podcast propelled his merchandise to surpass the sales of John Cena in the 4^th quarter last year, the first time in six years someone did that. Hopefully the company continues to use Punk strongly as he can be an asset for them for years to come.

Later that day, we went to an incredible Italian Restaurant Fratelli Milano that delivered an authentic taste of Italy in the heart of Miami.  This provided us the fuel to walk over to the American Airlines Arena for the 2012 WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony. WWE initiated a dress code of “neat casual” this year, a standard so confusing that people showed up in tees and shorts, tuxedos, and golf shirts and jeans (what I wore). The big inductees this year were the 4 Horsemen (Ric Flair’s signature stable) and Edge (one of the best workers in the past 12 years who’s career was derailed due to nagging neck injuries at the age of 38). The Hall has a reputation as the classiest night of the year in the industry and this year’s ceremony lived up to that. After giving credit to all the performers that got him to where he went in the business, Edge was hilarious in reflecting on some of the best moments of his journey. A highlight was a discussion of rooming with Tommy Dreamer on the road one night after he told Edge that he didn’t snore. Suffice to say, Dreamer lied and Edge got up in the middle of the night buck naked, did the Superfly Jimmy Snuka pose, and gave Dreamer the Snuka splash (check Youtube for what it looks like) to stop the horrendous noise. He also made a great comparison of his three best friends in the business to the Seinfeld cast. Rather than be played off to the generic Hall of Fame Music, WWE paid for Foo Fighters and Edge rocked out at the end of his speech performing 5-second poses to tremendous crowd adoration and applause. It’s sad to see Edge done at 38 years old, but the guy is in a good place and will definitely do some big things in the future.

Ric Flair, who was inducted back in 2008 before his last match with Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania XXIV, cried like a baby and was so honored to be the first double-inductee. He told stories of partying till the wee hours of morning with John Cena and telling his 4^th wife that he would never grow up. Why? “I’m a horseman baby, WOOOOO!” There was also a funny tail about his 2^nd wife where she wanted to go home one night. Ric, being the party animal he is, said he wouldn’t leave until close and that if his wife mentioned going home again, he would punt her purse across the bar. She asked again, he punted the purse across the bar, and divorce number two was set in motion. Each of the Four Horsemen got to deliver speeches and you could see how emotional the public recognition of their work from two decades ago made them.

We capped off Saturday night with several drinks and shots at Hoops Bar across from American Airlines Arena. The bartenders were dressed in referee attire that fit in with the hundreds of televisions throughout the facility. It was a great way to discuss what we witnessed and get ready for the main event on Sunday. Mania day kicked off with an Al Fresco brunch at Deli-Lane Café and pre-game at the hotel pool with Bud Lights. Eventually the bus transportation included into the package arrived and we took off for Sun Life Stadium. Our seats were incredible due to the travel package as they put you directly across from the hard camera. Besides the incredible production which included as much pyro and fireworks as you would see at Disney World, a beautiful set, military flyover, and a touching rendition of America the Beautiful from Lillian Garcia, this Wrestlemania will be remembered most for the End of an Era Hell in the Cell Match between Undertaker and Triple H with Shawn Michaels as guest referee and the Rock/Cena Once in a Lifetime main event. An honorable mention of something that will be remembered are the birth of the “YES, YES, YES” chants that got Daniel Bryan a new t-shirt following the weekend’s festivities.

From the facial expressions to the move combinations and false finishes, Triple H and Undertaker put on a classic that will be talked about for years to come. The crowd repeatedly chanted, “This is awesome,” and there was a feeling that Taker might finally go down at Wrestlemania after Michaels delivered sweet chin music sending the Deadman right into a pedigree for a great near-fall. Instead after dozens of chair shots, sledgehammer hits, and other assorted shenanigans, Taker took Hunter’s sledgehammer away from him, wacked him in the head with hit, and tombstone piledrove him for the finish. After the 20-0 banner flashed on the stage, all three men hugged celebrating the culmination of a 4 year storyline of Undertaker working with Triple H and Shawn Michaels at the biggest show of the year to a large standing ovation.

Rock/Cena was pure spectacle with the crowd firmly behind hometown boy Rock and booing John Cena out of the building. The Rock had Flo Rida play him out to the ring, while Cena had Diddy product Machine Gun Kelly. The match was a 30 minutes of back and forth action with loud chants, momentum swings, charisma, and one heck of a finish. Most smart fans expected Cena to go over as Rock is a movie star while Cena works every week. Rock went for a cross-body off the top rope and was caught by Cena who gave him the Attitude Adjustment, a move where Cena lifts his opponent above his shoulders and drives him into the mat. Rock kicked out of the pin attempt causing Cena to mockingly go for a people’s elbow, the Rock’s signature move. Rock got up during Cena’s attempt and hit a Rock bottom to get the win to one of the loudest ovations I’ve ever been a part of. The Sun Life Stadium crowd was party-like as the Rock walked around thanking everyone to end the night. While WWE had Brock Lesnar in the back ready to re-debut imminently, it was smart to let the Rock have his moment with the fans before heading back to Hollywood.

Overall Wrestlemania functions as a time capsule of the year that was in WWE where storylines  culminate in epic fashion in front of a stadium-sized crowd. This was easily one of the best ones WWE has put on and it was awesome to attend it with my friends and take it all in. While the talent roster is incredibly thin in WWE right now, bringing back vets like the guys mentioned above gave the show that special feel. Miami delivered on everything including the exceptional weather, great venues, banners around the city to get the word out, awesome food, drinks, and great accommodations. I would not be shocked to see the city to receive another Wrestlemania someday.

Courtesy of FOX

American Idol season 11 is well underway with the most well-balanced collection of talent the show has had in years. The judges have gotten back to critiquing the performances this year, which is a shock since Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez added nothing but star-power last year. The race is on to see who will make it to the finale at the Kodak Theater and fight for a recording contract. Here is where I believe the contestants stand at this point in the competition.

9. Heejun Hun

A natural comedian and trained actor, Heejun is the funniest contestant Idol has ever had with a constant stream of one-liners in his video packages and spot-on reactions to Seacrest. Unfortunately, Idol is a singing competition and while Heejun has talent, his voice isn’t on par with the top singers this year. He bastardized Billy Joel’s “My Life” in an unfunny, bad karaoke performance that will probably keep him in the bottom three until he is sent home.

8. Deandre Brackensick

Deandre has an unbelievable falsetto, but suffers from being young and not knowing quite what type of artist he wants to be. He in back to back weeks delivered weird, awkward versions of “Endless Love” and “Only the Good Die Young.” The model Idol winner in the past few years has been guy playing the guitar and Deandre is anything but that. He made the tour and should be happy with that.

7. Elise Testone

One of the season’s older contestants at 28 years of age, Elise’s experience shines through with her seductive, sultry voice that she can move you with almost effortlessly. Unfortunately, she got some strange critiques in top 12 week and his been in the bottom three each week since. Part of her problem has to do with how she has taken the news. Sometimes she shows utter frustration and lack of compassion for her fellow competitors when they get sent over to join her, all marks against her receiving votes from American. Luckily for her, she killed Billy Joel’s “Amelia,” and her vocal prowess cannot be denied. Whether upping the amount of smiles she makes per week can shoot her up the list remains to be seen, but she has a future in the recording industry, no doubt.

6. Colton Dixon

Season 11’s resident punk rocker with his mullet hairstyle and Indy rock roots. His stripped down tender version of “Piano Man” on a red piano was an Idol moment, no doubt and if he can continue changing things up, there is reason to believe that he has a chance to win. Cut last year in the Hollywood stage of the competition, Colton almost didn’t come back and audition this year, simply accompanying his sister to her audition. The judges forced him to sing and he finds himself going on the Idol 2012 summer tour and guaranteed a six-figure payday. His story is strong and his personality remains appealing for voters of all ages.

5. Skylar Laine

Skylar can aptly be described as an 18-year old version of Reba McEntire with natural spunk and youthful energy always a part of her energetic and fun performance. She slayed “Stay with Me” by Faces to make it into the top 13, a performance so colorful and engaging, that it may have been the top performance on Top 25 night. I haven’t heard her hit a bum note yet and if I was a country fan, she would be at the top of the list. She continues to grow as a performer and is definitely one to continue to watch as the season progresses on.

4. Joshua Ledet

Nicknamed “Mantasia” due to the wide array of similarities between his voice and that of season 3 winner Fantasia Barrino, Joshua has an enormous powerhouse of an instrument. His take on “When a Man Loves a Woman” was a huge Idol moment and one I implore you to seek out on youtube. He sometimes has trouble connecting emotionally with his lyrics, but as he gains more experience on the big stage, another Idol moment or two for him should be forthcoming. His laid back, charming demeanor make him an appealing candidate for America’s vote and one that could easily win this season’s title.

3. Jessica Sanchez

The tone and pitch of the awe-inspiring 17-year old Jessica Sanchez’s voice can take your breath away. On Whitney Houston night, she delivered a stupendous version of “I will Always Love You,” that earned a standing ovation from the judges and brought the house down. She can sing the phonebook and may finally bring Idol its first woman winner since 2007. Whether she goes for an up-tempo number or a diva ballad, the world stops when Jessica sings and I can’t wait to see how she continues to one-up herself week after week.

2. Hollie Cavanagh

My personal favorite contestant of Season 11, Hollie reminds me of Celine Dion and no example better illustrates that than her take on Celine’s “The Power of Love.” The 18-year old Australian tells a story each week with her voice and always leaves you satisfied with her ability to hit the high glory notes to close each performance. That she didn’t receive a lot of screen time in the audition stages and has ascended so rapidly shows that her voice has captured the attention of America. In Top 25 week when she needed to stand out to make the Top 13, she went with the Pocahontas song “Reflection” that showed the control, enunciation, and personality that defined the type of performer she is to the masses. If she continues to make smart song choices and tries some up-tempo numbers, she can make the finale in May.

1. Phillip Phillips

A simple, unassuming guy that is one with his guitar, Phillip represents the type of contestant that has won Idol for the last several years. His takes on “Superstition” and “In the Air Tonight” showed the versatility his vocals and guitar skills bring to the table. He is also a guy that is not going to change who he is as was seen when he flat-out disregarded Tommy Hilfiger’s advice to not wear gray on stage when performing Billy Joel’s “Moving Out.” His performances are always fun, the chicks dig him, and he makes each song his own. What makes this season so intriguing is that the top 6 contestants are all capable of winning and how they handle the pressure in their 90 second weekly performances will determine elimination order and the deserving winner. The only guaranteed winner this year is America.

Oh the irony that the twice-married House Speaker Newt Gingrich was in an affair with his soon to be third wife Callista Bisek while battling to protect the sacred institution of marriage from same-sex couples.

Now in the 21st century, President Obama declared that the Department of Justice would not defend Section 3 of DOMA and two federal district courts have ruled that DOMA is unconstitutional.  The opinion of U.S. District Judge Jeffery White stated that heightened scrutiny should be the standard when “reviewing statutory classification based on sexual orientation.”  But not everyone is convinced that DOMA is an outdated statute that should join the Jim Crow laws in the dumpster of history, as evidenced by many of the GOP presidential candidates.  I, on the other hand, find that DOMA should be end because of its denial of rights to homosexual service members in same-sex marriages that are afforded to service members in heterosexual marriages.

Since there are seven states that recognize and permit same-sex marriages, it is possible that a gay or lesbian service member could be married while serving.  Two states that are the home to many service members, California and New York permit same-sex marriage, with more to come.  Maryland’s legislature passed a bill permitting same-sex marriage and Illinois legislators have proposed a bill to permit same-sex marriage.  The right for homosexuals to serve in the military and their growing right to marry will have an impact not only on the same-sex spouse but will lead to challenges that may affect a command’s effectiveness to carry out its mission.

In the military, married personnel are able to list their dependents (e.g. their spouse, children) on their Page 2, which permits the dependents of the service member to be eligible for benefits permitted by the Department of Defense (DoD).  Those benefits would be: a DoD ID card which gives access to military installations, access to on-base housing, access to the PX and Commissary (the department store and groceries store on military bases), access to military health care through TRICARE (DoD health care), an increase in housing allowances, and the dependent to receive SGLI benefits upon the death of the service member spouse.

A gay or lesbian service member will not be able to list their same-sex spouse on their Page 2 because of DOMA.  Since DOMA applies to federal benefits, and DoD benefits are benefits conferred by the federal government, spouses of homosexual service members are denied those benefits.

Thanks to the brilliance of DOMA, spouses of homosexual service members would be denied those benefits afforded to the heterosexual married couples.  The effects of denying these rights range from the spouse not being able to attend functions such as promotion or retirement held on military bases to issues that arise even with heterosexual married couples when the service member deploys.  When a service member deploys, the dependents listed on the Page 2 will have access to the rights the DoD permits for dependents.  The spouse will not be able to get on base unless they are in the military or a DoD civilian employee to access those benefits.  Additionally, they will not be able to use TRICARE to assist with health care costs for use of off base health care facilities.  The strain of deployment is stressful enough for the deploying service member, but to add to that strain the concern that their spouse will not have the same benefits afforded to heterosexual spouses is unfair.  Further, and possibly the most heartless, the same-sex spouse would not be informed of the death of their spouse serving in the defense of our country.

These stresses and other issues work to undermine unit cohesion.  From what I’ve seen in the navy, sailors who are distracted with issues at home sometimes struggle with their performance, which does impact command readiness.   Apart from affecting their performance, this extra stress atop of the regular challenges service members face in deployments away from their families may lead to depression.  It may not apply to all service members, but it is pointless to continue with the policies of DOMA, which amounts to shooting ourselves in the foot.

For all the “chickenhawks” who love to wear the American flag pin and wax poetic about our military, they should consider the fact that their bigoted homophobia is actually a disservice to the homosexual service members; gay and lesbian American citizens who had the courage to enlist in the military.  Their continued homophobia does a disservice to the morale of the military.  It serves to weaken, not strengthen.