Kent Ninomiya News

Martial Arts Wandering

2009-06-17T01:22:00.001-05:00

The study of martial arts should ideally be done under the tutelage of a single qualified master. However, in today's modern society people move, schools close, and students get bored.
A lifelong student of martial arts may need to transition to several different martial arts programs in their lifetime. This can be incredibly difficult if you study a somewhat obscure martial art like hapkido. There are very few hapkido schools, so finding one when you move is a challenge. This is why tae kwon do is a good martial art to study if you plan to move a lot. No martial art is more pervasive in America today. The two largest factions of tae kwon do are the World Taekwondo Federation and the International Taekwon-do Federation. Their systems are somewhat standardized. If you study WTF or ITF tae kwon do, you should be able to find another school teaching pretty much the same way in another city. Your rank will also transfer to the new school. This allows you to continue your studies unabated.

Karate Is Back

2009-06-11T21:55:00.000-05:00

When Lyoto Machida won the UFC Light Heavyweight championship two weeks ago, he declared that "karate is back." Machida's martial arts training started at the age of 3 with instruction from his father, a shotokan master. Machita later branched out to sumo, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and eventually mixed martial arts. He rose to the top of the UFC using a combination of his skills, but his technique remains dominated by the karate style he learned as a child. Tae kwon do and karate are closely related martial arts. You can see elements of these styles as you watch Machida fight. He is elusive. Machida never stands directly in front of an opponent, so rarely gets hit. He moves laterally with ease and strikes unexpectedly with remarkable precision. This karate style has frustrated opponents used to pounding opponents into submission. The UFC has long been dominated by submission specialists and heavy handed ground and pounders. Karate and TKD have long been written off as impractical for mixed martial arts. Machina is rewriting the qualifications for a mixed martial arts champion.

The Future of Journalism

2008-06-10T00:51:00.000-05:00

We are entering a new era in journalism. The future belongs to the citizen journalist. Newspapers are shutting down all over the country. TV stations are downsizing or getting rid of news altogether. Magazines subscriptions are dwindling. Each of us now has unprecedented access to a worldwide audience through the internet. Anyone can write an article or shoot a video and have it viewed around the planet instantly. No longer does an affluent elite hold the reigns to the flow of information. A stampede of competing opinion is on the loose spreading long silenced voices across the globe for everyone to hear.
With this awesome new power comes responsibility. There is an unwritten code of journalism ethics. Like most ethics they are subject to broad interpretation. The spread of citizen journalism is making those interpretations even broader. Internet journalism is far more anonymous and brazen. Many so-called journalists are nothing more than gossips who represent blatant lies as fact. These people give all journalists a bad name and contribute to public mistrust of the industry. Real journalists seek the truth and only communicate what they can confirm as the truth at the time. As a journalist you are the gatekeeper of information. It is your duty to sift through it and distinguish verifiable facts from rumor and innuendo. A true journalists verifies facts through secondary sources, gets responses from all sides and has no agenda but to get to the truth. If enough of us stick to that mantra we will win the public’s trust because they know we are fair.
Experience must be your guide to determine what is right or wrong. There is a lot of grey area in news. In our zeal to get a story out first we often cut corners and get sloppy with details. Some of that has to be expected in a time sensitive industry but how much is too much? Every journalist has their own tolerance for ethics compromises and it often shifts from day to day, story to story, and throughout a career. The latest technology allows citizen journalists to upload articles and pictures effortlessly. That leaves less time for contemplation and that can get you in trouble. You can’t take back something once it goes out over the internet, airways or press. There is an inexhaustible supply of attorneys out there lining up to sue journalists. Say something that isn’t true about someone and they’ll go after you for liable, defamation or slander. Don’t let that scare you though. They can all be avoided if you understand how they are defined. Journalists also sue other journalists. Copy something someone else wrote and they’ll go after you for plagiarism. This too can be easily avoided if you are diligent and honest. Knowing the law will help you tremendously as a journalist. In fact, I advise aspiring journalists not to write a word for publication before researching the basics of media law. The most important things are to remember that you are a professional and to act like one.
Journalists are taking a lot of heat these days. From the tabloid hacks screaming half truths for your attention to the network reporters who said there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq to the paparazzi blamed for Princess Diana’s death. Journalists are blamed for many of society’s ills. To a large degree this is a matter of “shooting the messenger.” The public has a voracious appetite for news yet reels in disgust when it doesn’t appeal to them. Despite what you may think, this is actually a good thing. This outwardly dysfunctional relationship between journalists and the public is what makes journalism such a noble profession.
Think of the old days before journalism. People lived out their lives knowing only the information others told them and views of an average person didn‘t spread very far or very fast. Then Johannes Gutenberg started printing books. Suddenly there was a reason to read and people with ideas started spreading them. People with opposing views started printing their opinions and spreading those. Journalism was born. The written word became the forum for conflicting views and outrage. It launched mankind toward enlightenment, introspection and social change. Journalists will never be loved by all, but they’re not supposed to be. If you are doing your job right then someone will be upset by your words. Journalists have a duty to bring facts hiding in the shadows into the light even if people don’t want to see what’s lurking there.
What kind of world do you think we would live in without journalists? Reporters wield the mighty power of public opinion. It’s been used to bring down the corrupt, no matter how rich and powerful they may be. Journalists strive to keep our leaders honest, businesses from cheating us and our world clean, safe and fair. Do you think all that would happen without journalists? We are a necessary part of a vibrant free thinking society.
To be a good journalist you must be multi talented. First and foremost you must be a proficient writer, but you also need to be able to identify a good story, understand how to dig up vital facts and learn the right questions to ask. You must also learn to listen. A lot of people talk but few listen. Journalists need to know when to stop talking and soak in what’s going on around them. Also remember that the news is not about you. A journalist is expected to have a stance and style, but objectivity is essential. Think of yourself as the conduit through which news flows, not the holy grail of news itself.
Media consumers are more savvy than ever these days. They can read between the lines and flush out a pretender. They may read the National Enquirer for fun but go to the New York Times for the truth. This has everything to do with reputation and history. People trust those who are honest with them over the long haul. It’s a relationship built over the years and through countless daily stories. As a citizen journalist, you must ask yourself if you want to be the Enquirer or the Times. Whatever you decide to do, do it well. Take full advantage of this amazing time we live in. Spread your words, views, voice and pictures around your community and around the world. Make a difference.
Kent Ninomiya

The "C" Word

2008-06-03T21:15:00.001-05:00

American sports broadcasters are being criticized for using the word "Chinaman" to describe Chinese sports stars. Last Sunday, Len Dawson of television station KMBC in Kansas City observed that Yao Ming attended the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 auto race. Yao was there to raise awareness about the devastating earthquake in Sichuan province and to urge Americans to donate to relief charities. Instead of pointing out Yao's humanitarian efforts, Dawson, a former professional football quarterback, said "it's not every day you see a seven-foot-four Chinaman working on a car."
The term "Chinaman" is considered derogatory in modern American culture and is defined as an offensive racial slur in current English language dictionaries. It was used in the 1800's to describe men from China in an anonymous dehumanizing way. Chinese men had their names recorded as "John Chinaman" or simply as "Chinaman" suggesting that they were all the same and not important as individuals. Asian American author Maxine Hong Kingston has said the antiquated term is equivalent to the N-word for blacks. The term "Chinaman's chance" is a shortened version of "Chinaman's chance in hell" meaning no chance at all. The expression comes from pre gold rush days in California when Chinese workers were deemed expendable and used for dangerous work such as placing dynamite. The term "Chinaman's chance" refers to the odds of the man surviving.
The comment has American journalists debating among themselves about the severity of the racial slur. The TVSpy Watercooler message board for journalists was a flurry of activity in the days following Dawson's comment. Some suggested it is being taken too seriously. One wrote "Lighten up. If it were done on a continuous basis ... it would be very offensive. But, said once in that context .. a funny line- that's all." In response, another poster wrote "It doesn't matter if it's funny or not. The term "Chinaman" is a racial slur. If he had said 'Look there's an N-word working on his car' this conversation would be about Dawson being fired and whether he'd ever work in TV again."
Just last month, on April 11, CBS announcer Bobby Clampett referred to Chinese golfer Liang Wen-Chong as "the Chinaman" during the Masters golf broadcast. According to CBS spokeswoman Leslie Anne Wade, Clampett later apologized on the Masters web cast. Clampett said, "if I offended anybody please accept my sincere apologies." The apology itself came under fire. On the sports site Fanhouse, writer Michael David Smith said "the style of apology that begins with 'if I offended anybody' always rings a little bit hollow. The word 'Chinaman' is a slur, and it's the slur that should be followed up with an apology, not the reaction of being offended by the slur."
The reaction to the comment is also raising questions about a double standard. Are racial slurs against black athletes taken more seriously than slurs against Chinese athletes? In January, Golf Channel anchor Kelly Tilghman was suspended for two weeks for joking that if young players want to beat golfer Tiger Woods they should "lynch him in a back alley." The "lynch" reference offended African American advocates like Rev. Al Sharpton because of America's painful history of mobs lynching black men. Sharpton led a public campaign urging the Golf Channel to fire Tilghman. There was no such outcry for punishing Clampett for his "Chinaman" comment. Clampett was not suspended like Tilghman. Likewise, Len Dawson has not been suspended by his employer and has issued no apology for his comment about Yao Ming.

Kent Ninomiya

Mess in Myanmar

2008-05-07T18:26:00.001-05:00

by Kent Ninomiya

We are just now realizing the epic scale of the disaster in Myanmar. A U.S. diplomat in Myanmar now says up to 100,000 people may have been killed by the devastating cyclone. About one million people are now homeless. Much of the country is under water and bodies float everywhere. There is stiff competition for what little food and fresh water is left. Disease and starvation will have a serious secondary impact. To make matters worse, much worse, is the military junta that runs the country with an iron fist. They are paranoid of outsiders and restrict the access of foreign officials and aid groups that are struggling to deliver relief goods. However, the scale of this disaster may force Myanmar's leaders to compromise. State television in Myanmar now says the government would accept aid from any country and that help had arrived Wednesday from Japan, Bangladesh, Laos, Thailand, China, India and Singapore. Could this be the beginning of real change for Myanmar? Could a major disaster be just what was needed to open up the government and perhaps spur a change in leadership? We shall see. One thing is sure. Myanmar will need a lot of rebuilding, and if their government allows it, foreign aid will pour in. Keep an eye on Myanmar.

Asia Economies Steady... for now

2008-05-06T23:46:00.001-05:00

by Kent Ninomiya

Right now, the investment climate in Asia looks pretty good. The markets in the USA and Europe may have declined all they are going to in the near future. At the same time three of the best stock markets in Asia, Hong Kong, Korea and Singapore appear to be pretty close to bottoming out. Talk now is that this bear market may have been far less scary than previous believed. Still, thing could change at any time so stay tuned.

In general, the economies of Asia are relatively stable compared to the free fall we have experienced here in the United States. That is not to say there aren't dangers investing in Asia. You just need to be smart about it.

Standard & Poor's released a report today saying "the general credit outlook for Asia's sovereigns is still predominantly stable in the current financial and economic crisis but risks loom as a few governments may lack prudence in addressing increased inflationary pressures."

That means some Asian leaders may sacrifice long term economic stability in favor of short term measures that make their people happy. This happens when it's an election year or there's social strife. There's a bit of that going around Asia these days.

The S & P report says, the potential negative effects from the United States housing and economic problems has the potential to reduce Asian exports, lead to a decline in foreign direct investment and lower corporate profits." At the same time, increased demand for food, energy, and workers combined with a booming demand for everything is increasing inflation.

Asian governments will need to decide whether it's more important to hold down inflation or encourage economic growth. People aren't happy when they're hungry. There are rice shortages all over Asia. In pursuit of quick fixes, some governments are introducing extensive and market-distorting food price controls and export rations. They could pay for that later.

So where should you invest? It depends. Here's the latest breakdown country by country.

Indonesia: experiencing fiscal pressure due to rapidly rising fuel subsidies

Vietnam: inflation of more than 20 percent. Concerns about economic stability here

Thailand, South Korea, Malaysia, Japan and Taiwan: governments seem hesitant to take many risks because of political situations

India: seems to be somewhat insulated from the slowdown in the United States. The Indian economy is pretty closed and doesn't trade much with the US.

China and Hong Kong: much better chances of economic reform and policy change here to address economic concerns. Chinese leaders aren't as swayed by popular opinion and their people are used to letting the government take care of things. Besides, it's also the region of greatest growth and demand in Asia. This region presents the best investment environment at this time.

Oil Culture Collapse - Kent Ninomiya

2008-04-20T01:28:00.000-05:00

by Kent Ninomiya

We are in trouble. Really, really big trouble. Monster trouble that few of us think much about. It's all about oil. That stuff that used to shoot out of the ground is getting harder and harder to find, pump and refine while the demand increases by the day. Most people glaze over when the subject is raised. Our "oil culture" has been around all our lives. Since the 1970's we've been inundated with stories of gloom and doom, yet the oil still flows. Sure we pay more for gas and we gripe about it, but we still fill up our gas guzzling SUV's and drive around the block to buy a quart of milk. It's like we are in a societal state of denial. Denial of what you ask? Denial of these simple truths.

1) There is only so much oil in the ground. We are getting better and better at extracting it but someday it will run out.
2) Demand is exploding. Not just in the west but also China and India with more than 2 billion people between them. This isn't just gasoline for our cars. It impacts airplanes, electricity production and manufactured goods. Any economist will tell you that when you have a dwindling supply and hefty demand you get higher prices.
3) With the rising price of oil comes the rising price of everything. Just about every person on Earth needs oil to get anywhere. Just about every product you consume got to you on a truck, train or plane using oil. Just about every service you require needs oil to provide it. That means everything gets more expensive when oil gets more expensive.

Now visualize a world where you just can't get your hands on any oil at any price. That means prices of everything will skyrocket. People wont be able to get to work to make money to buy things that wont get to them anyway because there is no oil to ship the stuff around the world. Economies will collapse followed by societies, cultures and civilizations. Is this an exaggeration? Not really.

So how did we get in such a mess? About a century ago a relatively small group of people saw big bucks in oil. It improved human standard of living in ways we couldn't imagine before. Suddenly we could travel around the world, get exotic items from just about anywhere, and do away with countless age old limitations involving distance. A steady stream of cheap gas fed our habit until it was all we knew. Growing up in the suburbs, getting your own car as a teenager, hitting the highway as an expression of freedom... all became part of our culture. It is now who we are. Asking us to give it up is asking us to deny who we are.

We've known for a long time that oil pollutes the planet and that we would someday run out. Yet we have done remarkably little about that. Technology for wind, solar, geothermal, hydroelectric, tidal and other alternative energy sources have been around longer than oil in some cases. So why have we not done more to switch to those sources as we face our own demise with the end of oil? Conspiracy theorists will tell you the oil barons squashed alternative fuel technology to stay in business. While this may be somewhat true, it doesn't entirely explain how an entire species would buy into an oil habit that everyone agrees we will eventually have to go cold turkey with.

The answer is that oil was easy. Running out of it and the damage it did to Earth was a future generation's problem. We just didn't care enough to do something about it. Well... now we are starting to. We might not run out of oil in our lifetimes but we will certainly suffer for it. The pain we feel now paying higher prices is just the beginning. The strain on our currency, supply chain and way of life will become more and more pronounced. Larger and larger chunks of our household budgets will go straight to the oil industry. Care free days of driving to the store to buy the latest fashions or stock up at the supermarket are disappearing. What will happen to a society that defines itself by what it does with its cars? We shall see.

*** Kent Ninomiya ***

All Shook Up Over Nothing - Kent Ninomiya

2008-04-19T01:28:00.001-05:00

by Kent Ninomiya

A 5.4 magnitude earthquake shakes the Midwest and you would think the Earth opened up and swallowed it whole. First of all, a 5.4 isn't that big. Yes, you can feel it and it might knock a few books off the shelf, but there were no deaths, injuries or damage of any consequence. That didn't stop local and national media from screaming that the sky was falling. There was wall to wall live coverage and non stop interviews of people saying it woke them up and they felt it. So? There was no video of destruction because there was none. It was an amusing talker, nothing more. The Midwest isn't used to earthquakes so they have every right to take note of that. I even understand the predictable sidebar story about the possibility of the "big one" hitting the New Madrid fault. However, journalists inexperienced in earthquake coverage made themselves look foolish by taking the shaking so seriously. They also tossed around the term "Richter Scale" because they saw it in a movie somewhere. Any reporter or anchor with knowledge of earthquakes knows that seismologists abandoned the Richter Scale decades ago because of its limitations. They developed other methods of measuring magnitude that take different equipment and environmental factors into account. The term "Richter Scale" was made up by reporters in the first place and only tolerated by scientists because reporters continue to use it. Most Midwest reporters were even unaware how Richter works. They don't know that it is a logarithmic scale meaning every full point represents ten times the amplitude and 31 times the release of energy. There was virtually no mention of the moment magnitude scale widely used by seismologists today. Journalists did viewers a great disservice by re enforcing false perceptions about earthquakes. No one died and no one was in danger of dying. The earth shakes all the time, even in the Midwest. It's just that most people don't feel it. The New Madrid fault has produced some of the biggest temblors on record but they are infrequent. People in California laughed at the coverage. They have real earthquakes fairly often. 1989 Loma Prieta quake magnitude 6.9, 1994 Northridge quake magnitude 6.7, 1906 San Francisco quake magnitude 7.8. Out there a 5.4 might be a B-block vosot. I am not condemning Midwest journalists for getting excited over an earthquake. They just should have done their homework when reporting on something they were clearly unfamiliar with. *** Kent Ninomiya ***

He said She said

2008-04-13T01:11:00.001-05:00

by Kent Ninomiya -

How sad is it when candidates for President of the United States of America reduce the election to a "he said she said" worthy of an elementary school student council race. Hillary Clinton wants to be president so bad, she is eager to take a comment made by Barack Obama out of context and suggest it makes him unworthy of being commander in chief. John McCain piled on, agreeing with Clinton. Last Sunday, Obama made private comments at a San Francisco fundraiser. He was trying to explain why it's so hard to win over some working-class voters because they are frustrated by economic conditions. Obama said, "It's not surprising, then, they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations." Clinton now says Obama is "elitist and out of touch" because he went to Harvard. Never mind she went to Yale law school. She isn't arguing that there was something inherently inaccurate in his statement, only that he is acting superior to working class voters so is somehow unworthy of the presidency. Let me be clear. If Obama was reacting this way to a Clinton statement I would be calling him on it as well. My only point here is that this election isn't about issues, it's about perceptions. While it can be argued that all elections are about perceptions, that doesn't mean they should be. The media works in perceptions. Candidates should focus on issues. When a candidate openly seeks votes by reenforcing a false perception, it crosses the line. It's the same thing Clinton did on the race issue involving Obama's former pastor. At this point it's obvious Clinton will say just about anything to get votes, regardless of whether it is about a legitimate issue or not. While that may get her some votes (and the jury is still out on that) it's costing her a lot of respect points with people who thought she cared. *** Kent Ninomiya ***

Currency Karma - Kent Ninomiya

2008-04-11T20:08:00.001-05:00

Right now is arguably the worst time in memory for Americans to travel overseas. The dollar is at record lows against many currencies around the world. Gone are the days when you could travel to “cheap” countries where the mighty dollar pounded the “monopoly money” of an economically weaker nation. America’s bully currency is now itself being bullied. The humiliation is humbling. I recently had to change an airline ticket in Europe. Even though I originally purchased the ticket in dollars, the airline demanded I pay the change fee in a more stable currency… Polish zloty. Business in third world countries often takes place in “hard” currencies instead of the inflation prone local money. Until now the dollar was the gold standard of hard currency. No more. I spoke to a friend of mine in Africa the other day who says no one wants dollars anymore. I remember back in the early 1980’s when a dollar was worth ten francs and nearly equal to the British pound. Americans ran off to Italy then Greece then Turkey chasing cheaper and cheaper sunspots where they could lounge on the beach while their dollars stretched further and further. If you believe in karma then this is just America getting payback. The euro came and did away with the lire and drachma. Southern Europe was no longer cheap. Our economy is now in the toilet and the United States is suddenly the travel bargain for international tourists, not the other way around. Could the day be coming when we have droves of Europeans talking loudly in our restaurants demanding to know why we don’t speak French or Hungarian or Swedish? If you believe in karma, it would only be fair. *** Kent Ninomiya

Cellular Phone Scam - Kent Ninomiya

2008-04-09T16:36:00.000-05:00

How many cellular phones have you owned in your lifetime? If you're like me you have no idea. When I got my first cell phone in the early 1990's it was the size of a brick, cost $500 and the calls cost 75 cents per minute. I felt cool carrying it around but was afraid to make calls fearing an outrageous bill. Fast forward a decade and a half and cell phones are like pants. Quite literally everyone has them. In fact I don't know a single person past puberty who doesn't have one. The once pricey phones are now given away "free" when you sign a contract and call minutes are conveniently packaged in monthly bundles for you. It would seem that we've made progress with cellular phones... but have we? Sure they're smaller and do cooler things, but we are paying more than we ever realized we would for something nearly all of us didn't have nor need 20 years ago. Cell phones are now a necessity of life. Even the eccentric families who don't have TV's have cell phones. The cellular phone companies realized that the key to raking in money was volume. Like the drug dealer on the corner, they started giving away the phones for "free" knowing you would be back for more and willing to pay for it. You see... cell phones are every bit as addictive as drugs and much harder to quit. You are encouraged to use them more and more with the minute bundles. When you don't think about the minutes that are ticking away, it's easy to forget you're paying extra for the convenience of a cell phone. Before you know it, a family is paying more than one hundred dollars a month on a cell phone bill. Multiply that by, well everybody, and you have a very lucrative business. Now the only thing the cell phone companies have left to do is fight over market share. They fight hard over that too. Once you are on the hook for a contract you can't get out without paying an outrageous penalty. Have you ever noticed that the cell companies push two year contracts but the free or discounted phone they gave you only lasts about a year and a half? It has happened to me and countless others I know more times than we can remember. When you call to complain they tell you the warranty expired at a year but they would be happy to give you a brand new phone... IF you sign a brand new 2 year contract. THIS IS THE SCAM! It is my hypothesis that the phones are deliberately designed to last less than two years so the cellular phone companies can trap you into renewing your contract. What do you think? Kent Ninomiya

A Class Act - Kent Ninomiya

2008-04-06T16:36:00.000-05:00

The world says goodbye to one of the few true legends of the silver screen. Charlton Heston was far more than a movie star. In the era of big epic films, Heston was an even bigger epic presence. He commanded the screen and your attention through the sheer power of his acting. Thousands upon thousands of extras could be buzzing around a scene but it was Heston who everyone zeroed in on. He was that kind of man. I had the privilege of meeting Charlton Heston in December 1995. The Northwestern alumnus appeared at events cheering on his team for the Rose Bowl. Although visibly pained by arthritis in his knee, Heston signed every autograph and posed for every picture he was asked for. He was still remarkably tall, chiseled, and commanding in his old age. The crowd behaved like Moses himself had just appeared before them. Of all Heston's magnificent roles, I'd have to say my favorite was his cameo in Wayne's World. I know most will scorn me for this, but let me make my case. Here we have a living legend willing to use himself as a fantastic punch line. When Mike Meyers stopped the movie to ask for a better actor for the gas station attendant, they brought in Charlton Heston to deliver a few lines. That promptly brought Wayne to tears. Talk about a better actor! They don't make movies anymore like the ones Charlton Heston used to do. They don't make movie stars like Charlton Heston anymore either. - Kent Ninomiya

Since When? - Kent Ninomiya

2008-03-26T19:36:00.000-05:00

Since when does something someone else says automatically mean you endorse it? Since when do you have to agree with everything an authority figure believes in order to respect him? Since when does a stupid statement another person makes reflect on you?

All of us have friends and relatives who have beliefs different than our own. Think of all the elders, teachers, preachers, and role models you know. Do you agree with each and every thing that they all say? Of course not, but that doesn't mean they aren't important influences in your life.

Indeed, that is what we are supposed to do in life. We are influenced by others. We adopt beliefs we agree with and reject those we oppose. So why is Barack Obama being blamed for Reverend Jerimiah Wright's inflamatory statements? If you listen to someone making anti-American statements does that make you anti-American? Of course not. Obama's statement that he could no more disown his long time pastor than he could his racist grandmother is reasonable. Most of us can relate to that.

That's what makes Hillary Clinton's comments all the more disturbing. After staying out of the fray for a week enjoying the heat focused on Obama, Clinton decides to chime in on Rev. Wright. Could it be because she was caught exhaggerating the danger she faced during a visit to Bosnia? Clinton now says she would have disowned Wright. It guaranteed the issue would stay in the news another day and turn the focus back on Obama.

As strange as it might sound, Clinton is playing the race card. Obama enjoys wide support among white voters who see him as an unthreatning black man. The Rev Wright issue plants seeds of doubt in the minds of many white voters. Could Obama really be a radical black activist in politically correct clothing? Clinton would love for voters to think so.

I am disillusioned with the Clintons. I bring Bill into the equation because he is on TV every day as the blunt instrument of Hillary's campaign. The two are politically entwined and of like mind. That's a fact on the record, not my opinion. Throughout the Bill Clinton presidency they were outspoken advocates for equal rights. I remember doing a story about Bill being named the first "black" president for his tireless work for the African American community. However POWER seems to be a more tempting motivation for the Clintons. They are proving they are willing to sacrifice some of their core values just to get elected. Not only are they standing by while a black man is unfairly maligned, they are actively exploiting latent racist fears among white voters for their political advantage.

If Hillary Clinton suggests that Obama should be held accountable for Reverend Wright's comments then she should be held accountable for Geraldine Ferraro's comments. To suggest that Obama has it easy as a candidate because he's a black man is the height of idiocy. Since when do black men get anything easy in our society? If it was true, then we should have had lots of black male presidents by now. You can't have it both ways Hillary. Politics is a nasty game with few rules, but going to the racial game when you're a woman is a new low. It plays prejudices off of prejudices. A true advocate for civil rights speaks out against bias in all forms at all times. There is no free pass for presidential elections.

Kent Ninomiya

Chasing Tabloids - Kent Ninomiya

2008-03-15T22:07:00.001-05:00

Kent Ninomiya - If you watched TV or read a newspaper in the past week, you might be under the impression that we are no longer at war, the economy is no longer in a downward spiral and gasoline prices are no longer hitting all time highs. It would seem that the sexual habits of New York's governor, an off hand racial comment by a former vice presidential candidate to a small newspaper, and sermons by a pastor who knows a presidential candidate are the most pressing issues facing our nation. Journalists en mass are flocking to the scandalous and away from what's important. Sidebars about celebrities who cheat and debriefing so-called experts about why men go to prostitutes produces very little useful information for the average American. Convincing the public that a "scandal" results from comments made by people only slightly connected to a presidential campaign is a gross misrepresentation. Why are we not focusing on things the presidential candidates are actually saying? Why are the sexual activities of the Governor of New York important to anyone not living in New York? Journalists have a duty to put news in context. What we cover is considered important just because we cover it. When we skew public perception by chasing the tabloids. Meanwhile people are dying in war, families can't pay their mortgages and the price of everything is going up because gas prices are at an all time high. Compared to those things, who really cares about the New York governor's sex life? Kent Ninomiya

Baseball Turns on its Own - Kent Ninomiya

2008-02-14T20:21:00.001-06:00

Kent Ninomiya - The media circus surrounding Roger Clemens' congressional testimony isn't shedding much light on who is lying and who is telling the truth. However, it is exposing the crystal clear hypocricy of baseball. The surprising champion of truth in all this may end up ironically being Jose Canseco. Canseco cashed in on confessing his steroid use. He wasn't going to the hall of fame anyway so he might as well make some money off the scandal. While Canseco delighted in pointing his steroid inflated finger at big star after bigger star, he is coming to the defense of Clemens. Canseco insists Clemens was not at a 1998 party he hosted. Clemens' accuser, Brian McNamee says Clemens was there. Canseco calls McNamee a "dirty liar." Why would Canseco, a man who made a second career out of outing fellow MLB players, publically defend Clemens? On the other hand, why would Clemens' long time friend and training partner Andy Pettitte implicate Clemens? It's a huge mess getting bigger because Congress decided to sweep in with a holyer than thou condemnation. Jealous politicians, who I suspect once had fantacies about being a sports star like Clemens, take delight in tearing down this icon. It's the ultimate in player hating. I don't know if Clemens is lying or McNamee is lying. They may both be lying. The one thing that's certain is that steroid use in baseball was commonplace and condoned by MLB and lawmakers for decades. The joke about spring training is that it's a time to figure out the proper dosage. Lots of players took steroids and the league knew about it. Saying they're cleaning it up now is hypocritical. Remember, baseball was in big trouble after the 1994 strike. Fans were slow to return. The homerun contest of Mark McGwire and Sama Sosa, career homerun record of Barry Bonds and pitching heroics of Roger Clemens brought the fans back. Baseball now enjoys unprecidented prosperity thanks to these athletes. Now that the league is lining its pockets with the exploits, they are wagging their collective finger at the guys who did it for them. The true villians in all this are the owners and league officials who allowed it to happen. If they truely wanted performing enhancing drugs out of baseball they could have taken steps decades ago. They didn't. Looking the other way was paramount to condoning it. They do not have the right to act outraged now. Kent Ninomiya

Unintended Benefits - Kent Ninomiya

2008-02-12T20:21:00.000-06:00

Kent Ninomiya - The writers strike likely end is good news for Hollywood and fans. All that pent up creativity can now come flowing out of the writers. I expect nothing less than brilliant original material at every level. I may not get that but I expect it. The strike allowed studios and networds to prune the withering branches from their production tree. Thankfully lame shows like Bionic Woman and Cavemen will not return. They were doomed anyway because of their inept writing. Movie production is being pushed back. The new Star Trek film will open summer 2009 instead of Christmas. The move will probably make everyone involved a lot more money. Studios are now cherry picking dates and films without rushing projects to the screen. In the long run we could see a better product all around. Let's hope so. Kent Ninomiya

Obama's Clean Sweep - Kent Ninomiya

2008-02-10T23:55:00.000-06:00

Kent Ninomiya - So how was your weekend? As good as it might have been, Barack Obama's was better. He swept all the primaries and caucuses this weekend, making an already tight race for the democratic nomination even tighter. Obama won the Maine caucus Sunday after taking Louisiana, Nebraska and Washington on Saturday. He now has all the momentum going into the Maryland, Virginia and D.C. primaries on February 12. Clinton did her best to brush it off and appear like a front runner. She didn't directly address her losses instead attacking Republican front runner John McCain. There is no question Hillary's campaign is in trouble, but don't count her out just yet. Remember when everyone did that in New Hampshire? The Clintons are survivors and Obama is running against two of them. It's looking more and more like this nomination may come down to a slug fest on the convention floor. The only thing certain here is that this is the most facinating presidential race of our lifetimes. Kent Ninomiya

Let Me Get This Straight - Kent Ninomiya

2008-02-09T18:46:00.001-06:00

Kent Ninomiya - Let me get this straight. Roger Clemens' former trainer Brian McNamee now says he injected Debbie Clemens with HGH. Roger Clemens' wife is now an alleged doping fiend? The story from McNamee seems to get stranger and stranger by the day. As far as I can tell it's just his word against everyone else. Unless, of course, those bloody syringes he supposedly hung on to for 7 years turn out to prove something. What I find off about the story is that it is trickling out. It's as if it is being made up along the way. First it's a legendary pitcher being accused, then his wife. Who's next? His kids, his dog, his ham sandwich? The unfortunate part of all this is that Clemens may never get a chance to clear his name. Meanwhile he is being smeared weekly with fresh stories about his alleged drug use. It's time for McNamee to put up or shut up. Every day this drags on make it more of a travesty of justice. If Clemens is guilty prosecute. If he is innocent then clear his name. Trial by media benefits no one. The guilty have justice delayed. The innocent are unjustly tormented. The media loses its soul and credibility. Kent Ninomiya

Best Election Ever - Kent Ninomiya

2008-02-07T00:19:00.000-06:00

Kent Ninomiya - Who would have ever guessed we would be where we are now? A few months ago all the political experts predicted Hillary Clinton had a lock on the Democratic nomination. No problem. Then they pronounced her campaign dead before the New Hampshire primary. Now she is in a virtual dead heat with Barack Obama. A few months ago John McCain was running out of money. All the political experts predicted he would drop out soon. Now he's the presumptive Republican nominee. Predicting politics is like predicting the weather. People who claim they can do it are usually wrong. Just like the weatherman, the "politicalman" can be wrong most of the time and isn't held accountable. The public expects them to be wrong, yet still listens to what he has to say. Funny how that is. I'm just glad that the race is interesting. Obama and Clinton could very well take their duel to the convention. Imagine the viewer interest in the Democratic convention if that happened. John McCain is a republican who arch republicans hate and many democrats like. Wont that make for an interesting general election. Kent Ninomiya

Records Fall this Week - Kent Ninomiya

2008-02-05T13:10:00.000-06:00

Kent Ninomiya - The slugfest that was Super Bowl XLII attracted more viewers than any other Super Bowl in history. Nielsen Media Research says 97.5 million viewers tuned in. Likewise, I predict more voters will take part in this presidential election than any other in history. Just like the scrappy underdog Giants taking on the seemingly invincible Patriots hoping to cap off a perfect season, the Obama-Clinton matchup is intriguing. It captures the imagination of even the most apathetic citizen. We have had black candidates before. We have had women candidates before. We have never had one of each battle each other at the top of the polls. This is the first time in history that a woman and an African American have a legitimate shot at the White House. It's exciting to many, threatning to some, interesting to all. Expect record turnouts on this Super Tuesday and an even higher turnout for the general election in November. We are witnessing history and everyone wants to be in on the action. Kent Ninomiya

Super Week - Kent Ninomiya

2008-02-04T12:17:00.000-06:00

Kent Ninomiya - It was as unlikely as the wife of a former president or a black first term senator becoming president of the United States. The New York Giants defeat the then undefeated New England Patriots by a mere 3 points in the closing minutes of Super Bowl XLII. This Super Bowl was indeed a "super" football game just as Super Tuesday promises to be a "super" political contest. History shows that both tend to disappoint. The Super Bowl is usually a blow out and Super Tuesday often is a coronation rather than a competition. However, 2008 is turning out to be a "super" year for head to head battles. That is very good news for the news business where conflict is king. It gives us plenty to talk about and analyze and get wrong. That's right... "wrong!" How many of the experts picked New York to win the Super Bowl? Not many gave them a prayer. Remember the New Hampshire primary? The experts said it would be the end of Hillary's campaign. I don't like the cliche "that's why they play the games," but it really is appropriate here. We can expand that to "that's why they hold the primaries." Kent Ninomiya

CNN faux pas - Kent Ninomiya

2008-01-31T14:02:00.000-06:00

Kent Ninomiya - We are in the midst of an era of hypersensitivity over slips of the tongue and cultural issues. First there was the suspension of Kelly Tilghman for joking that Tiger Woods should be "lynched." Then it was ESPN's Dana Jacobson suspended for comments about Notre Dame and Jesus at a roast. Now it's CNN's Kyra Phillips coming under fire.

She was in a discussion with Gerri Willis and co-anchor. Willis joked that if she could predict the stock market, she and Phillips could run off to an island, prompting Phillips' , to ask not to be left out of the girls' getaway. This resulted in the following exchange:Gerri: Alright Don, you come too.Kyra: We could bring him along with the girls. Gerri: Come on!Kyra: He's paying! Thanks, Gerri.Don: A little sandwich!Kyra: Ooh!Gerri: Whoa, I have to go now!Kyra: Yeah, good time. You don't want to talk about the reverse oreo!

If you watch this exchange (you can find it easily on the internet) you will see that it's innocent banter. No one there was offended. However the hypersensitive among us could make this out to be racial insensitivity, sexual insensitivity or both. I would not be surprised if there are calls for suspensions. That seems to be in vogue these days.

I argue that cultural sensitivity is not the same as racial blindness. Pretending that we don't see that people are different is hypacritical. We should acknowledge and embrace these differences as what makes our American culture great. When someone makes a comment that is warmly greeted by the people they are addressing, it is not up to third parties to be gravely insulted. I believe that to be the case here with CNN. It's a bit different in the Jacobson and Tilghman cases since their comments were not so innocent, but I still think people over reacted. We have better things to do than micro manage every word people on TV say. Kent Ninomiya

Election News Coverage - Kent Ninomiya

2008-01-30T14:02:00.001-06:00

Kent Ninomiya - If you look at the top three people getting media coverage in the presidential election for the week of January 21-27, you find it goes Obama, Clinton, Clinton. A Project for Excellence in Journalism study shows that Bill Clinton is third in news coverage behind Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Obama got a leading 41% of coverage, but when you add Hillary's 40% to Bill's 18% they dominate the coverage race. Is this media bias or are journalists nostalgic for good ole Bill? Regardless of the reason the discrepancy is helping Hillary Clinton's campaign. It's an established fact that the more face time a candidate gets the more votes they're likely to get. The Clintons are getting a 2-for-1 deal on air time. This media domination may play an especially pivotal role if Hillary gets the democratic nomination. The same poll shows republican candidates far down the coverage list. McCain is at 17%, Giuliani 14%, Romney 12%, Huckabee 6%. It seems the media finds the democratic Clinton duo more compelling than any republican. Let's see how the numbers shift after Super Tuesday. Kent Ninomiya

Bush Legacy - Kent Ninomiya

2008-01-29T17:05:00.000-06:00

Kent Ninomiya - President George W. Bush's final State of the Union speech seemed more about his legacy than the state of our union. He expended great effort to give his spin on the war in Iraq. Bush realizes that history will judge him by the outcome of the Iraq war. Convincing the masses that the cause was just, will determine whether Bush goes down in history as a great leader or a butcher. Bush even floated a Mid East peace agreement. Bill Clinton wanted that to be his legacy but failed. Bush hopes to one-up his predecessor. What the State of the Union speech was NOT... was politics. Bush did not overtly press a republican agenda that could help GOP candidates for president. None of the candidates want to be associated with Bush. The president is remarkably unpopular these days. It's quite a change from his nearly 90% approval rating he enjoyed just after 9-11. That's a similarity he shares with his father. George H.W. Bush was hugely popular following the first Gulf War only to leave office after one term when the economy went belly up. How will history judge "W?" That depends on how the Iraq war eventually wraps up. Kent Ninomiya

Internet Lynch Mob - Kent Ninomiya

2008-01-27T17:05:00.001-06:00

Kent Ninomiya - The modern day equivalent of a lynch mob is sweeping the Internet. Instead of wielding pitchforks and torches, they brandish mouses and motherboards. Take the case of a 21-year-old junior at Portland, Oregon's Lewis & Clark University. A 19-year-old former girlfriend contacted him one night resulting in an invitation to come to his room. She went there willingly. Both admit to drinking and say the visit turned sexual. What happened after that is unclear, but days later the woman told some friends she felt forced. Instead of going to the police, her friends started a Facebook group naming the man and labeling him a rapist. Irresponsible Internet bloggers then picked up the story and postings spread like wildfire across the country. Just like that, the man's reputation is destroyed forever. In response to the Internet traffic, University administrators asked the woman to come forward and press charges. Only then did she file a complaint. The man was suspended from school. Even though sexual assault allegations are supposed to be confidential, the man was very publicly hung out to dry. Keep in mind, he has NOT been arrested or charged with any crime. This woman did not go to the police immediately following the alleged incident when some physical evidence could have been recovered. The two have a sexual history, she initiated contact, willingly went to his room and was under the influence of alcohol despite being underage. Instead of going through proper channels, her friends went to the Internet and hundreds of anonymous bloggers piled on to destroy this guy without a trial or proof that he did anything wrong. I do not know if this man is guilty or innocent of rape. The fact is, none of us do. What makes America great is that we are supposed to have due process. The accused are considered innocent until proven guilty. You can't throw people in jail without charging them and you can't toss them in prison without a conviction. Citizens are also not allowed to take the law into their own hands. You can't gather up a posse and lynch someone because you think they did something wrong. So how is an Internet lynching different than one with a rope? In one the victim dies. In the other his reputation and freedoms die. Other than that there is no difference. Our society needs to address this issue. All our freedoms suffer while this can go on. Kent Ninomiya