My Trip to the UK

My Trip to the UK

After a year of working, with no vacation whatsoever, I finally took a well-deserved week-long break to travel to the UK. I had three objectives of my trip…to explore the wonderful sights and sounds that Stratford-Upon-Avon, Manchester, Liverpool, Edinghburgh, and of course, London have to offer, as well as check out some of the Olympics events to catch up with some old close friends (and to make new ones, too!), and to compare the quality of life in the UK to that of the US, where possible. So, how was my trip? What did I find? What did I learn? Read on! And of course, check out the hundreds of pictures in the five Facebook albums (to be posted by tonight, Aug 7^th).

Part 1: The Trip:

Days 1-2: Stratford-Upon-Avon

After meeting one of my best friends, Alok, at the airport, we dropped off my stuff at his crib and set out for Stratford-Upon-Avon for the Global Gathering festival. This was kind of like “Electric Zoo”, except more poorly organized, but with more stuff to do. The good? The music, the VIP lounges, and my awesome free massage by the hot chick at the Vodafone booth. The bad? People steal stuff, like my friend’s necklace, which they literally ripped off his neck, from behind. Apparently, gold necklaces fetch a lot of pounds on the street. Also, The entrance/exit... we spent an hour wandering about the place looking for the exit, and then getting to the parking lot with the cabs! This was because there was only one exit, which was a long walk away from where the taxis picked everyone up, so it was not fun to walk around at all, especially since it gets rather chilly during the cool English summers!

After a night of loud music and hectic partying , it was a welcome change of scenary to finally explore the quaint, relaxed English town of Stratford-Upon-Avon,. After a proper British breakfast (toast, eggs, bacon, and, of course, tea), Alok and I enjoyed the nature and the beauty of William Shakespeare’s birthplace. His house was quite small, and, as we learned, it got rather cold to sleep in the winter…there was no heating back in the day! Random weird fact: English boys until age 5 wore DRESSES because the English folks knew that boys live less than girls (due to them constantly getting killed off in wars, explorations, etc), except they blamed this rate on the Devil, whom they tried to “trick” by making him think that the kids were actually girls. So, in other words, the devil really is a pedophile, and Jerry Sandusky may indeed be “the son of the Devil”! We were treated to a free play of Romeo and Juliet, and truly enjoyed the beauty and calm where Shakespeare began his ascent to becoming one of the greatest writers of all time.

After visiting Shakespeare’s house, we walked around town…a really nice, suburban, middle-class community, where even banks like HSBC and Barclay’s look like medieval castles! The town has a medieval feel to it…narrow streets, cobbled roads, and lots of cool architecture! It also has some beautiful nature…the swans on the pond gathered by the masses to be fed, and it must be so serene to enjoy a kayak ride along the pond and under the arched bridges, especially during the summer! And obviously, this is a perfect, spot for some well-disguised pregaming, before going right back to partying! Back at the Global Gathering festival, I found out that I have a bright future as a drug mole…apparently when I’m drunk, I get mistaken for a drug dealer…not, one, but TWO British lasses asked me if I have “pills”…wtf??His house looked rathe small, and since there was no hearingH

Days 3-4: Manchester

On the 3^rd day of the trip, Alok and I woke up early and ran to the train station…we had Olympic football matches to check out! Egypt vs New Zealand began at 12…a tad too early for our appetites, especially since neither team is that good, but the second game, at 3 PM, featured Brazil, the potential World Cup 2014 champs, and one of the best young stars, Neymar, and! The game was at Old Trafford, home of the Machester United football club, one of the most famous teams in the world. Their stadium is simply awesome. Even though we were seated in some of the furthest seats, near the back, the pitch (that’s “soccer field” for you American soccer-challenged ignoramuses) was tilted at such an angle that we saw the pitch up close, and could follow every play, even without my binoculars, which now became extra baggage to carry around. Unlike most American stadiums, such as Fenway Park, Old Trafford does not have any support beams, which obstruct views for some unfortunate fans. The seats are comfy, and the atmosphere is perfect for am football match. Ahh yes, back to the game. After Belarus put a scare into the Brazilians, (and me, who had 100 pounds on brazil winning Neymar set up an assist…then scored…then set up another assist! I may have witnessed one of the greatest players to grace the football pitch, someone who Pele even called “better than Messi”! We’ll see about that, but the experience at Old Trafford was awesome. Oh yeah, it doesn’t hurt to have Brazilian fans, and hot chicks with huge boobs and circular asses, screaming at the top of their lungs…I’ll just leave it at that.

Unfortunately, other than Old Trafford, Manchester really does not have much else to offer. Despite being a small, cosmopolitan town, we barely fit into the train, which we took, jammed like sardines…and I thought the Boston Green Line, during Rush Hour was bad? The casino is tiny, and cards are shuffled by machines, the river is dirty and smelly, and one of the only things to see is the “Gay Area”…I’m not even kidding. Sure, there’s a huge shopping mall…but I’m neither a girl, nor in London, so who cares? Manchester left me disappointed…great football city, boring place to live in. whatever, maybe I was just mad that my camera broke, and that I had to rely on Alok to take all of my photographs for me.

Days 4-5: Liverpool

If I knew how incredibly beautiful Liverpool is, I would have left Manchester much sooner to come here. The architecture here is simply stunning. Don’t believe me? Take a look at my pictures…over 100 are of Liverpool alone! Large buildings with huge Roman columns. Cool building designs. Clean, bustling streets. Cute women. Friendly Scousers. Too much to see and to do, but way too little time.

One of the first things that we saw was the library, which unfortunately was under renovation. That did not stop the proud city from showing off its history on the fence around the library…I took a trip throughout Liverpool’s history…just by reading the wall. Liverpoolian hospitals built the first X-ray machine. They pioneered the first railroad. Liverpool is the hometown of the Beatles. The city has a very similar history to Boston. Besides being pioneers in medicine, public transportation, and the arts, this beautiful port city is also where the Irish came to escape the potato famine, there is a “Scouser” accent, and the residents go absolutely crazy about their sports teams, especially the football ones (Liverpool F.C. and Everton F.C.). The Liverpoolian port was used for millions of immigrants to get to the States and to Canada to start new lives.  I don’t even need to Google Liverpool’s wiki page, I learned about its history right on the spot…in the middle of the city. How cool is that?

The day we came to Liverpool, Alok and I attempted to catch one of the last tours to Anfield, the home of my favorite football team, Liverpool FC,  but unfortunately, it was too late. However, we had a fun time with the friendly cabbie, who took us to the stadium of his favorite club, Everton FC, told us what to see in Liverpool, and shared anecdotes about our common love of football, drinking, and his trips oversees. Usually people don’t give tips to cabbies or waiters in Europe (more on this later), but in this case we did…he charged us less to show us more, after all…Liverpool has some of the friendliest people I have ever met!

The next day, we finally did manage to make it to Anfield. What a beautiful, yet small stadium…which again has that Boston parallel to Fenway Park. What today seats only 2,000 people, in the supporters’ section, “The Kop”, as many as over 30,000 fans once STOOD the whole game! Unfortunately, after several overcrowding disasters, especially Hillsborough, where 96 fans were crushed to death, the standing section was eliminated and replaced by seats. Yet the dead fans were never forgotten. Not only is there a monument to them, with all of their names, emblazoned on jerseys, but an eternal flame is on the crest of Liverpool’s official kits. Such respect, such admiration, is simply awesome…Liverpoolians may be proud, and sometimes even boorish, but they love their fellow fans and are always there for them, and the club behaves like each fan is an important member of the family. It is one of the things I respect the most about the club, and a major reason of why I became a fan of it in the first place. Oh yeah, did I mention that they have  HUGE museum? Where fans cans see EVERY trophy, watch every major goal, moment, and celebration on the telly, read about Liverpoolian legends and together celebrate the successes of the club. Boston has a sports museum, where we can’t even see each trophy…but this is for ALL of the sports teams…not just the Celtics, Bruins, Red Sox, or Patriots. Anfield has one just for ONE TEAM, and it is about THREE TIMES BIGGER. Even a non-sports fan will get chills down their spine when they walk into the museum. What an experience!

Besides football, Liverpoolians are proud of their Beatles, and we explored the museum. Lot’s of cool photographs, and a deep analysis of the history if the band, including their starts playing in various pubs and small clubs, continuing to their ascent to fame and  international tours, and culminating in the breakup of the band and the personal stories of each band member. A really cool museum, which needs about half of a day to see properly.

Unfortunately the visits to Anfield and the Beatles Musum left us no time to check out the other places. Yes, we enjoyed the Beauty of the Albert Dock, the amazing architecture, and the delicious food, but we had no time to see Spaceport, the Maritime Museum, the Tate Museum, or the International Slavery Museum. One day I shall return to finish my trip to Liverpool. I just got to. I’m in love with this city. Who is coming with me?

Days 5-6: Edinburgh

Feeling like I have just gotten to Liverpool and not had the opportunity to see this beautiful city properly, I took the 4+ hour train ride to Edinburgh, in Scotland. Like Liverpool, This city’s architecture is stunning and the bustling of the city has a special feel, but in its own, unique way. The city looks old, and is built like it too. Narrow streets, cobbled roads, castle-like buildings. Yet for such an old city, it has a surprisingly modern flavor. It has some of the best whiskey in the world, and every night there are pub crawls (5 bars, plus a nightclub), which unfortunately we arrived too late for on our only night in the city, so we did not get to experience this. The funniest thing was seeing CHURCHES become bars and nightclubs…because only 2% of Scots are now religious, no one knows what to do with all of the churches! Nightlife at a church? Don’t tell the Evangelicals, they would go nuts!

The next morning, we took a cool 3 hour free “tips-only” tour throughout the city. Are amazing tour guide told us various anecdotes. There’s the one about the chick who got pregnant, attempted to hide it, got caught, hanged, and survived the hanging, only to be rehung again, but pardoned at he last minute by a man in the crowd who claimed that you “can’t kill her twice” (double jeopardy)…she would go on to marry this man and every time someone else would get hung after, she would comfort them by saying, “Don’t worry about it! I went through it too, and I’m still alive! There’s the story about people throwing human waste into the river, and eventually the smell would blow back into the city, earning it the nickname “Old, Smelly City”. Then there is the graveyard, which we saw, which has special instruments for rich people to protect recently buried bodies from being dug up and sold to the local hospital for experimentation (poor people were not as fortunate; their family members took turns guarding the grave. There’s also the story about the Brits stealing a stone from the Scots, agreeing to give it back, not doing so, getting it “stolen” y Scottish teenagers in an elaborate and daring raid on Buckingham Palace, only for it to be found by a priest who returned it to England, only having it returned by the opponent of Tony Blair, only to vote overwhelmingly for Tony Blair’s party because offered more than a symbolic stone…the opportunity to choose their own members of Parliament. Like Liverpool, I need to return to this city and go inside the castle, the banking center, and especially the pub crawl, despite the chilly weather.

Days 8-10: London

I was originally planning on seeing London for 4 days, Thursday-Sunday. However, I did not acocunt for drinking with Russians. We got drunk. In an inflatable bathtub. At 5 AM in the morning. We only stopped because the cops arrived and we had to hide. The next afternoon, we woke up at 1 PM, still hung over. Not exactly the best time to explore London. So that day I instead explored Cranfield University’s campus, which had a lot of aero-space related things, including some cool engines and plane models. We also explored the nightlife of Milton Keynes. Why are there so many hot girls there and why are they there on a Thursday? Don’t they have work tomorrow?

On Friday, I checked out the Big Ben, the London Eye (way too long of a wait to ride), the Big Ben, The London Tower Bridge. We checked out a ghallery by Michelangelo and were impressed with how he experimented on dead animals, and then later, dead humans, to contribute to our knowledge on anatomy. We also went inside Buckingham Palace. I wouldn’t mind being the king of England. Beautiful real estate, Huge palace filled with jewels and fancy furniture, free horses that I get to ride, various officials all taking care of my every need…and all I have to do is smile, wave, and invite foreign leaders to have parties. Any British princes looking for a husband? Hit me up! Since I’m not royalty (yet), I did the next best thing...went to Picadelli Circus in the evening to hang out. We found a cool restaurant where we not only got 50% off food, but due to Happy Hour, 50% off on drinks…so we got 2 bottles of wine, got drunk, and somehow managed to make it back home, on the train, without ending up somewhere in North England, without a hotel room, in the early morning.

The next day I was planning on exploring inside Parliament. Unfortunately, all the tickets were sold out for that day, and they were closed on my last day in London, on Sunday. Fuck. So I went to Harrod’s the insanely pricey shopping mall, where a woman’s bag starts at over 1,200 pounds, which is about $2,000! Obviously I did not buy anything there, but I did see plenty of Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Maseratis, and other exotic cars, mostly imported from Arabic countries street racing and breaking every rule in the book, knowing that they can easily get away with it. At night, we went to the nightclub, “Ministry of Sound”, which gets the best after 2 AM. The club has 4 floors of dance floors, live music, and is much better than anything I’ve seen in London, and possibly even New York or Vegas!

On my last day, Sunday, it was raining hard…I lucked out on the London weather for three days, but the fourth day, I would not get as lucky, especially during August, the UK’s 2^nd wettest month. Nevertheless, I still managed to see the Bank of London, Trafalgar square, and the women’s marathon. Speaking of the marathon…damn…so many nationalities, so many flags waving! A ton of Americans and candians. Brazilians. New Zealanders. Russians/French. Germans. Spaniards. Dutch. Nigerians. Gotta love the diversity that the Olympics bring about! Finally, I wanted to check out the Sherlock Holmes Museum, but did not feel like standing in line, in the pouring rain, for over 45 minutes, so I settled on the gift shop, instead. By then,, my time in London was up. I could to London for a month, and still not see everything, so I’ll leave it up to you to figure out how much I missed checking out.

Conclusion:

I am a self-confessed anglophile. Most of the cities that I’ve been to, with the exception of Manchester are beautiful, with stunning architecture and bustling people. Liverpool especially impressed me, and someday, I shall find myself in the UK yet again, though I do not yet know under what circumstances. I can never have too much time to explore the UK, especially London, which would take me at least a month to see properly alone!

Part II: A Lesson on Friendship

The biggets reason why I chose to explore the UK, of all places, was because one of my best friends, Alok, studies there, and another close friend (or so I thought) was “planning” on visiting us. It also doesn’t hurt that I already knew a few people around the area. I was vastly impressed with how Aok came through in the clutch when it mattered most. He seemingly knew not only when and how to book every ticket to every destination, but how to get to the proper train, last minute, with only seconds to spare, but where to go ANYWHERE in the UK. The preparation that he has put into our trip was truly incredible, and I am blessed to have such a great friend.

The biggest lesson that I learned, unfortunately,  was not what I already knew, what a great friend I had in Alok, but the one that I did not know…that my other friend, whose name shall not be mentioned, has been a fraud all along. Despite being in Europe at the same time as me, and planning out the trip with us, he bailed out at the last minute. He did not even respect me enough tell me this; I found out through Alok. He tried to sell us the bullshit that he was out of money, having spent 2,000 on Amsterdam (did he sleep with every hooker in the Red Light Distric?t)…yet still somehow managed to afford trips to Munich, Budapest, and Prague…destinations not even in his initial itinerary, with Barcelona, one of the most expensive cities in Europe still left to go. At least I did not lend him any money…I’ve heard stories, from other friends how he asked one to purchase a bottle of wine for over $100, never to pay him back. Or how he still owes a friend of mine over $1000…yes, $1000, keeps on saying he’ll pay, yet still has not. Whatever. You find out who your true friends are eventually, based on how they treat you and how they respect you.

What is a true friend? A true friend stays a month in a  city when he can go home, because he knows that you are coming to see him. A true friend plans out a trip of an area he knows, and saves you money on the cheapest transportation, food, hostels, and if possible, finds friends where you can store your luggage and crash. A true friend meets you at 3 AM on a Saturday night, drives you around London, and then waits for half an hour for you to buy food to drive you home (another friend I caught up with in London). A fake friend? A fake friend borrows money from you, yet does not pay you back. A fake friend says that he will do one thing, and then bails out. A fake friend pretends that he is reliable by telling you pretty words, yet when it comes to crunch time, does not follow up with any actions.. A fake friend pretends like he can’t wait to see you, only to not make any effort onceoever to do so, despite being around the general area. I am now fortunate enough to know who my true friends and fake friends are. Do you? Take a trip if you don’t already know. It may be eye-opening.

Comparing the US to the UK

Throughout my travels to the UK, I asked myself: Would I enjoy living here? Is the standard of living and quality of life better here than where I live now? There are things that the US does better than the UK…but more important things that, I’m sad to say, the UK does better than the US. What I found out make me seriously consider if I want to move away from the US and into the UK? Do I? Not quite yet…as of now. But if the direction of this once free and great country keeps going down the gutter, as it is now, I may soon change my mind.

What the US does better than the UK:

Driving: Car insurance in the UK costs OVER TWICE as the amount in the UK. Petrol (gas) prices are over $7 a gallon. My friend actually had a car in Boston. He has never yet driven in the UK…even renting a car has a huge under-25 surcharge. There is also little places to park, with cars all over the sidewalks in smaller towns, and on the streets, where in the US the breakdown lane would be, in major ones. There are actually SPECIAL lanes reserved for Olympic vehicles! Let’s just say that I wouldn’t want to drive in the UK!

Relevance for Royalty: Maybe this is just the American in me, but I honestly could never understand why every Brit is so infatuated with the queen. Do3es she make government policy? Does she do anything other than enteratin foreign dignitaries and host parties? What exactly has she done to deserve such praise/ how much tax payer money is spent to keep the family’s extravagant lifestyle? How much did taxpayers pay for the jubilee? Why should someone be rich and popular and powerful merely because they were born to royalty. Monarchies are so pre-19^th century. Stop treating certain individuals like they are better than you simply for being born! Why exactly are they better than you, do you not have self-respect?

Weather: It rains a lot. It rarely is warmer than 75 degrees during the day. It gets chilly at night.  You can’t go to the beach. Everything north of London is too cold for short sleeves. Should I keep going?

Sports: The UK has football (soccer) , cricket, horse racing, and water sports. The US has (American) football, basketball, hockey, baseball AND can watch the best soccer, cricket, horse racing and rowing events on TV. We only trail in medals after China. We have beat or tied the UK in every sport…including soccer in the 2010 World Cup. We win!

What the UK does better than the us:

Vacation time: UK: Required annual PAID days: 28. US: 25% of employees do not have paid vacations. Average vacation time: 15 days. The bare truth is that the English enjoy life more than overworked Americans. Not only is this healthier for them (contributing to a longer lifespan, 80.5 years for the UK, vs 78.2 for the USA), but they travel the world more. As they travel, they learn more about their surroundings and become more culturally understanding and tolerant. The United States is losing the battle on travel, and this will hurt our standing in the world, and our understanding of how diverse cultures function and coexist, not to mention make us more stressed out, unhappier, and live less. Over 69% of American prefer required paid vacations, so Congress, what exactly are you waiting for?

Health Care: My friend is an international student. Yet like UK citizens, his health insurance costs are 100% FREE. Health insurance in the UK is based on a one-payer system, controlled by the government. So how can such a system function? Is the UK Socialist? Are the citizens being taxed to death? Are there ling wait lines? No, no, and no. UK citizens pay 20% of taxes if they make under 40,000 pounds (about $50,000) annually, and 30% if above. The first 7,000 pounds is tax free…they don’t count. By comparison, I pay a 21% tax rate…after adding up federal, state, Social security, and medicare tax. There is a 20% sales tax, but for items such as clothing, medicine, and food, it is at 0% and others such as clean energy it is only at 5%. As for “Marxism”? Sure, the government controls health care. Whatever,. Call it “Socialism” if you want. Unchecked Socialism has proven to be a failure. So has unchecked capitalism. The UK has found the solution…it’s a system in between. It works. Time for the US to follow suit.

Education: A private education for an international student tops out at 15,000 pounds ; 9,000 for a citizen (this was xcapped at 3000 as recently as in 2010). By comparison a public university in the USA costs around 20,000…about the cost for the best schools in the UK for an international student, and below n English one. Did I mention that students don’t have to pay back this money until they earn at least 10,000 pounds per year? My education at Boston University cost TWICWE as much per year. It does not matter how much I earn…I still have to pay my loans. Recently, the American Supreme Court found that there is  NO CONSTIUTIONLA RIGHT to an education. How messed up is that?

Transportation: Cost for roundtrip from Manchester to Edinboutrgh: 45 pounds, the equivalent of about $70. Cost for same distance roundtrip trip via Amtrak from New York to Boston? $100. $30 more. And this is the liberal Northeast. Go to Florida or Texas, or parts of the Bible Belt, and you will find NO TRAINS running; you’ll be lucky to get a bus.

Less Religious bull: The UK has perfected the art of separation of church and state. Most people aren’t that religious in the UK; as much as 60% may be atheist outright. Religious dogma does not control political decisions on abortions, stem cell research, gay rights, or evolution debates. It does not impede the recognition of global warming? Guess what? God has not punished the Brits, who are enjoying longer vacations, longer lives due to more affordable healthcare, more affordable transportation, and a cheaper education. Well OK. I lied. God punished the Brits with the weather!

   

My Letter to President Obama, Governor Patrick, and Snators John Kerry and Scott Brown on Creating Jobs Through Creative Taxation Incentives

Dear President Obama/Governor Deval Patrick/Senators John Kery and Scott Brown,

I hope that you are doing well. As a citizen who is concerned about the state of our economy, especially on the jobs front, I would like to offer you a suggestion on how to create more jobs, both in the state and on the federal level (please feel free to share this idea with President Obama and Congress). As I understand, the GOP argues that by giving tax breaks to corporations, this would create more jobs, via the theory of Trickle-Down Economics. Of course, this is simply false; as someone who has a degree in Economics (Bachelor of Science, Boston University, 2011), I understand that marginal employment is directly correlated to the direct relationship between the marginal output per each potential employee and the marginal cost per employee (salary, benefits, etc);  this decision is not be impacted by taxes at all.

Of course, the GOP will argue otherwise. Why don’t you pressure Congress to enact legislation to investigate how valid their claim really is? Here is my suggestion: At the beginning of every year, compare the net jobs growth/deficit for each corporation that has made over a million dollars in EBIT (Earnings Before Income and Taxes) profits per year. If they have laid off more employees than they have hired (a jobs deficit) within the past year, increase their taxes (perhaps by 5%), or at the very least, close the Bush tax cuts for them. However, if they have added more jobs than they lost (jobs surplus) of say, at least 5%, allow those companies to keep the Bush tax cuts.  Reward companies who have added significantly higher numbers of jobs by giving them even lower tax deductions, while punishing profitable companies who have cut labor by significant amounts by increasing their taxes. You can even categorize types of employees added, with extra benefits for companies who say, hire more middle-aged long-term unemployed or college graduates.

You can also utilize a similar approach for companies who outsource. Provide financial incentives for companies to keep jobs at home. Increase the tax rates for those companies who outsource a significant percentage of their labor force, but provide tax breaks for those companies who hire a significant percentage of employees at home. This way, you would be rewarding companies who keep jobs at home, while punishing those who ship jobs overseas.

President Obama/Governor Deval Patrick/Senators John Kery/ Scott Brown, I believe that this solution could and would add jobs to our economy. Take this argument to the public. Both the Democrats and the GOP favor job creation, right? Their claim of cutting taxes to add jobs would still hold…for companies who are, indeed “job creators”. On the other hand, irresponsible but profitable corporations, who cut jobs or ship them overseas, would not have this benefit. Democrats win by creating jobs and rewarding responsible companies. The GOP wins with corporations that would get rewarded with tax cuts by being able to claim that tax breaks are working for the companies that add jobs. The American people win because more jobs are created at home, improving the economy.

Please let me know if you have any questions about these ideas. I would be glad to discuss these further. You can reach me via email at igorny@bu.edu or by phone at 617-308-1566.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Gary Gorny

More Than Just a Game

I don’t care what your feelings are on soccer. It does not matter if this is your favorite sport, like it is for me, or if you find it “more boring than watching paint dry.” This posting has nothing to do with the aesthetic elements of the sport. I don’t care if you think that soccer players are the toughest players in the world (which I can argue, but on a different day), or if you consider them “sissies and gays”. Soccer is so much bigger than just a mere sport. It is so much more than just a mere game. And yes, I understand that I can make this claim for all sports. But with soccer, this claim becomes magnified, it becomes unique, and if you read on you will soon find out why. Whether you love soccer or hate it, even if you dislike sports in general, take the time to appreciate and respect how much the sport impacts the world…how it has roots in nationalistic, cultural, and political conflicts, yet manages to unify a diverse world, bring fans together, and establish new friendships.

In order to truly appreciate the importance of soccer to so much of the world, it is first necessary to understand why it is so popular in the first place. Unlike American football, which is almost exclusively only played within our borders, hockey, which is only played in North America and in the coldest pockets of Europe, baseball, which is mostly played here, in the Americas, and in Japan, or basketball, which requires a hoop, cement and a ball that actually bounces properly, soccer requires so little equipment to play. Just get a ball, or a soda can, or a rolled-up sock, and make a goal…a sneaker, a t-shirt, a book bag will do. Starving children in Africa and Asia play it to escape from their daily poverty and hopeless situations. Suburban rich American kids, driven by their “soccer moms” play it, for fun, to socialize, and to stay active. Working-class kids from the streets of South America and Europe play it, to gain street-wide cred and respect, with dreams of one day going pro. Individuals from every nationality, religious faith, ethnicity, and political belief play it. Soccer is literally the most universal event in the world. People literally of all stripes follow the sport, from Queen Elizabeth to Osama Bin Laden, from Rupert Murdoch to Michael Moore, from Shakira to Spike Lee, from Chad Ochocinco to Kobe Bryant.The official international soccer body, the International Federation of Football Association (FIFA) currently has more members on it than does the United Nations. The 2006 World Cup, alone, was watched by over a BILLION people…an amazing feat, considering that over 50% of humans in this world do not even own a television set.

Here is something pretty awesome about soccer…it can literally be applied to study historical cultural and political conflicts. Soccer supremacy transcends past history, military power, or economic influence because countries that lack these can at least apply soccer a major cornerstone of national pride. The United States is arguably the most powerful nation in the world, yet it is unable to beat a developing country like Ghana, from where it perhaps one day stole citizens and enslaved them. France, winners of the World Cup in 1998, lost to a third world country, Senegal, which it occupied only as recently as 50 years ago. At every international competition, Brazil is so proud to show off its soccer skills, its partying, and its beautiful women to the rest of the world. This trend extends to the clubs, as well. Barcelona is known as a club of Catalans, a proud people who have their own language and culture, and prefer to practice their traditions, if not outright secede from Spain, which they are a part of. Their fierce rivals, Real Madrid, have been historically supported by Spanish governments, including Francisco Franco, the fascist-leaning dictator who was a fan of the team and who banned the Catalans from speaking their own language or practicing their own culture. Consider the rivalry between the two Roman clubs, Lazio and Roma. Lazio is a club with many fascist supporters, including Benito Mussolini once, and now his daughter, Alessandra; Roma fans are historically liberal, and some are even pro-Socialist. The two Scottish clubs, Celtic and Rangers, are fierce opponents, where Celtic supporters are Catholic and Rangers supporters are Protestant, a soccer-like illustration of the tension between the two religions in Scotland. Israel’s Beitar Jerusalem’s fans are rightist, pro-Settler supporters, may of them racist, who unfortunately and illegally go so far as to demand all of their players to be Jewish; their primary rivals, Maccabbee Tel Aviv contains fans who are more  progressive, liberal, and tolerant of Arabs and other minorities. AC Milan is supported by supporters of Benito Mussolini, who also happens to own the team; their rivals, Inter Milan are composed of an uncomfortable motley of the party’s opponents, including Communists and Fascists, among others. Tottenham Hotspur and Ajax, who have large Jewish fan bases, have been historically taunted by opponents as a “Jewish club”, complete with anti-Semitic slurs….so in a show of solidarity, and to fight back, these two clubs started calling themselves “Jews” or the “Yid Army”…waving Israeli flags, wearing Star of David necklaces, and even getting Jewish tattoos. What other sport in the world can be utilized as a study of the cultural, ethnic, and political differences between cultures and even regions? I’m not even kidding, you could probably make a whole college class on this; I’d volunteer to be the professor.

You would think that such fervent nationalism, created by soccer, would lead to division, rioting, and chaos. Yes, in some instances this is indeed, unfortunately, true. Yes, there are some racist chants and songs, there are riots and hooliganism, and there remain enmity, intolerance, and disrespect, prevalent in some countries more than in others. Yet more often than not, soccer has been utilized as the ultimate tool to unify the peoples of the world. In many instances, soccer has managed to unify opposing parties, where the politicians and diplomats failed to do so. Anyone who follows league or international soccer matches even mildly can appreciate the mutual respect between players from varied countries, races, religions, or political affiliations. Whatever one’s differences are, watching a soccer match can bridge distinct groups together. If Iran, coached by an Iranian American no less, plays against the United States in the World Cup, if Palestinian Arabs score goals for the Israeli National Team during key World Cup qualification races, if North Korea comes out of isolation to play in the World Cup, if Turkish prime minister Tayyep Erdrogan enjoys a match in Armenia, if Ireland plays against England, if Iraqi Sunnis, Shiites, and Kurds all play on the same team to contribute to their prolonged and unexpected run to finish in fourth place in the Summer Olympics, then we have truly  come a long way in unifying people through the love of the “beautiful game”. Soccer even has the ability to temporary stop wars! During Christmas Eve in World War II, the French, the Brits, and the Germans laid down their arms and played a match of soccer. As a result, this experience created such a stirring effect on the enemy’s humanity, that it took generals from both sides weeks to instill a fighting spirit back into their troops to motivate them to continue fighting and killing each other. More recently, in 2006, the Ivory Coast declared a truce in their Civil War between Northern Muslims and Southern Christians to unite together behind their country’s fortunes at the World Cup. Perhaps this is why so many soccer stars, like Didier Drogba of Chelsea and the Ivory Coast, Kaka of Real Madrid and Brazil, David Beckham of the LA Galaxy and England, and numerous others are ambassadors to international goodwill organizations.

Perhaps the unfortunate Hillsborough disaster experienced by Liverpool fans best examplifies how soccer is more than just a game, how just like the Muskateers, a tragedy for all affects one, and a tragedy for one affects all. In a game between Liverpool FC and Nottingham Forest, many more fans showed up than could fit inside the stadium, and they all attempted to cram in for an important game. Unluckily, there was a crush in the stands, killing 94 fans. The response to this tragedy by the club’s management, fans, and players, is truly inspirational, and I have yet to see something similar with any sport. Liverpool FC not only built a memorial on their own field, but created a crest, to be worn on their jerseys…not just for one season, but as a permanent part of their jerseys. They created a song about always remembering the victims, “You’ll Never Walk Alone”, which they sing at matches, much like Red Sox fans sing “Sweet Caroline”. Many of Liverpool’s players personally attended as many funerals for the victims as they could. Resident celebrities such as Paul McCartney organized whole concerts to benefit the victims of the Hillsborough tragedy. The club refuses to play any matches on April 15^th, the day of the catastrophe.

Additionally, the reaction by other clubs truly shows the spirit of soccer, and how it unifies players and fans. Bradford City A.F.C. and Lincoln City F.C. held a friendly to benefit the victims of Hillsborough. As a result of the disaster, Liverpool's game against Arsenal was delayed to the end of the season; the Arsenal players brought flowers onto the pitch and presented them to the Liverpool fans around the stadium before the game; the winner of the match, by the way, would become the league champion.  On  April 19^th 1989, the Wednesday after the disaster, a European Cup semi-final between AC Milan and Real Madrid was played. The referee blew his whistle 3:06 minutes into the game to stop play and hold a moment’s silence for the Hillsborough victims. Half way through the minute's silence, the A.C. Milan fans sang Liverpool's "You'll Never Walk Alone", as a sign of respect.

While other clubs stepped up to show their support, one of the largest British papers, the Sun, despicably took advantage of the tragedy to sell papers by smearing Liverpool’s fans by claiming that. “Some fans picked pockets of victims", "Some fans urinated on the brave cops" and "Some fans beat up PC giving kiss of life". Following The Sun's report, the newspaper was boycotted by most residents in Liverpool, with large numbers of readers not only cancelling their subscriptiond, but refusing to buy from shops that stocked it. A TV segment by the BBC showed comedian Alexei Sayle with a newsagent attempting to give away copies of The Sun for free in Liverpool; every single customer declined. Today, even 23 years after the incident, the overwhelming majority of Liverpoolians continue to reject buying The Sun. It is the only major newspaper not to have articles published on Liverpool's official website. As of 2004, the average daily circulation of The Sun in Liverpool was just 12,000 copies a day.
Only a couple of days ago, another tragedy struck the soccer world. Bolton’s player, Fabrice Muamba, collapsed on the field during the game, with an unknown heart condition. The fans of the opposing team started chanting his name. When his heart could not be revived on the field, the game was cancelled…despite the fact that Bolton is a mere point above relegation and that their opponent, Tottenham Hotspur, is in a close fight for qualifying for next season’s Champions League. Bolton’s manager went into the ambulance and into his hospital with his injuired player. Boltom’s next game was postponed indefinetely, with the permission of their next scheduled opponent, Aston Villa. Reaction around the soccer community was remarkable. One player for Juventus, Andres Pirlo dedicated the goal that he scored for Muamba. Another, Gary Cahill, revealed a shirt that said “Pray for Muamba” after scoring a goal; although taking off shirts is an automatic yellow card, the referee did not issue one. Real Madrid’s whole team wore jerseys, half of which said “Get Well Soon, Muamba”, and the other half saying “Animo [get well] Abidal” (Abidal plays for FC Barcelona, the bitter rival of real Madrid, and he is getting a liver transplant).
Think about what I just wrote in those last four paragraphs for a second. Tell me, In what sport has something similar ever happened before? Where are the tributes to the KHL (Russian hockey) team that died in a plane crash last year, by the NHL? Where are the emblems memorializing the Marshall football team, that died in a plane crash; does Marshall play games on the day of the tragedy? This season, two Celtics players are dealing with enlarged heart conditions…did any of the players or fans from the other teams wish them well? When Buffalo Bills player Kevin Everett paralyzed his spine, or when Steve Moore broke three collarbones fromTodd Bertuzzi’s vicious punch, did either of the coaches go to the emergency room with their injured players? Did the referees cancel the game? The games were not only not postponed in these incidents, but even in the 1972 Olympic Games, after terrorists murdered 11 Israeli athletes and coaches…yet the games went on. The soccer community would agree with 1972 American Olympic runner Kenny Moore, “You give a party, and someone is killed (or injured!) at the party, you don't continue the party.” How can you help but not feel inspired by the responses of the soccer community to help overcome and recover from  tragedies, regardless of who they affect?

Nelson Mandela once said, “Sport can create hope, where once there was only despair. It is more powerful than governments in breaking down racial barriers. It laughs in the face of all types of discrimination." When talking about soccer, bigots cannot say that somebody is more intelligent, or more aggressive, or is greedy, during a soccer match because the evidence is right there on the field, to be judged on how technical your dribbling ability is, how crisp your passes are, how clean are your slide tackles appear, how accurate and strong is your shot is. Soccer  patches up our differences by admiring and respecting an individual for his or her soccer skills. Indeed, some of the major organizations against racism are led by soccer players. Barcelona and French National Team striker has teamed up with Nike to start “Stand Up, Speak Up” an organization against racism. At the semifinals of Euro 2008, each team captain spoke out against racism. England has worn bands against racism during some of its matches, Holland, Portugal and Russia have recently given up their team colors for a match and instead wore black and white jerseys to highlight their resistance to bigotry. What other sport does so much to fight bigotry? What sport take such public stands against hatred, universally supported by the majority of not only clubs and countries, but players?

At the Brookline High school, I met the majority of my friends through playing soccer. Every afternoon during lunch breaks, after school, or on weekends, we would gather at the high school’s field and shoot the ball around or play pickup games. We all played together… Israeli Jews and Iranian and Pakistani Muslims, Japanese and Chinese immigrants, Africans, Americans, and African Americans, Catholics and Protestants, Americans dating back generations and foreigners here on temporary visas. What started out as just a game grew into an instant friendship. We did so much more than just watch soccer matches together. We would play Texas Hold’em at each others’ houses, watch movies and sporting events together, play paintball, help each other with homework, and go out to eat. Our motley group defined the meaning of soccer…it is not just the adrenaline of faking out your opponent or the thrill of scoring a goal… it is so much more….a fraternity of fans. It is not just a game; it is a form of respect, which opens doors to mutual friendships. It is not just a game; it is a lesson in diversity and against xenophobia. It is not just a game; it is a lesson in diplomacy. It is not just a game; it is contributing to your community and to your society. It is not just a game; it is an example of how to treat all humans with compassion and respect. It is not just a game; it is a lesson in life. Even someone who dislikes the sport itself, or even all sports in general should be able to appreciate and respect that…or perhaps even try following or playing the game…you never know, you may just start enjoying it!

How to Fix a Broken College Football System

There are two things that I love the most about college football. One of them is the passion of the fans. Soccer is by far the best sport in terms of fan support, but of all of the sports out there, only college football, with its loud, boisterous, and crunked student body, its tailgating, and its body painting, comes even comes close in this area (along with BU hockey). The other thing? How each game is relevant. One loss can make or break where a college team ends up in the standings, and the level of respect for it. Every weekend matters. Every play matters. There is a reason to watch every time. It’s must-see TV…what will happen next? Who is the next domino to fall?

Unfortunately, college football also has a major flaw, one that is so large that it almost makes me want to boycott the games, and only the passion of the fans and the importance of every game make me keep coming back. The way that a national team is selected is a complete joke. One team with an identical record as another one, which may have scored  more points while giving up less, even, goes to a better bowl game than the other team, because of complicated computer formulas and because of the strengths of the teams in its conference, that it can’t control, for the most part. It’s kind of disgusting, actually. Are we sure that Alabama better than Oklahoma State or Stanford this season? Why are 10-2 Arkansas and 11-2 Oregon ranked higher than 11-1 Boise State So How is Houston, with its 12-1 record, ranked lower than 9-3 Nebraska or 10-3 Michigan State? So what is the solution, you may ask? I have a pretty radical, but neat one, actually. Please hear me out, and then let me know what you think.

First of all, beginning next season, I would make a whole new conference…The “Top 26 Conference”, composed of, you guessed it, the Top 26 teams (you’ll see why 26 instead of the original 25 in a sec), by ranking this season. I shall get back to the other 93 teams a little later (there are 119 teams in Division IA football) in a couple of paragraphs, but here is what would happen to the Top 25 ones. Conferences would be eliminated altogether. Instead, there would still be 12 games, but each of the Top 25 teams would play ALL OF THEM against a ranked opponent. Teams ranked evenly would play all evenly ranked teams; teams ranked oddly would play against all odd ones. So the school that is ranked #5 would play the schools that are ranked: #1, 3, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, and 25, not necessarily in that order. Likewise, the school ranked #18 would play the teams ranked: #2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 20, 22, and 24, and 26 (see why 26 now? So that each team could play 12 games!). Imagine such a system! No more meaningless blowouts by a ranked contender against a school with no skill. Think about it. Would you rather watch Boise State play Notre Dame, or UNLV? Michigan State play Wisconsin, or Indiana? LSU play Houston, or Ole Miss? If you answered the first choice for all three, then you understand how much more exciting EACH game of the season would be. Each game would be close. Each game would require showing up. Each game would become that much more relevant. Each game would be the prime time game of the weekend. Pride, a ranking, the chance to prove who belongs in what ranking, would all be at stake.

What would happen if several schools finish with identical records, if the strength of their schedule is so close, you may wonder? Easy. The school that has the largest difference between: (the net points scored –the net points allowed) would be ranked higher. In the unlikely event that they are STILL tied, the affected teams would play an extra game against each other, for their ranking. Or my personal preference, have the cheerleaders go against each other in a game of flag football (hey, a man can dream, right?). Oh and one more thing. For my system to work, the rankings of the beginning of next season MUST be identical to those at the end. Players graduating, new coaches, new systems, etc…all of that stuff should be irrelevant. If the school does not deserve its ranking, we shall find out in a year, when it either drops out of the Top 26, remains there, or moves up to it!

Now, as promised, I’ll get back to the 93 teams. First of all, to evenly have all 12 games for them, it is necessary to have a multiple of 26 teams…so 104 teams…so I suggest that 11 teams in Division I-AA are automatically promoted into the first division. Surely we can find 11 teams from that division willing to make the jump? (If not, I volunteer Boston University to restart their defunct football team, undefeated since 1997, in the top division (once again, a man can dream. Shut up.) So now the 104 teams would be playing out in a second, LOWER division. After their 12 games, the top 5 teams( *#) from the division (using the same differential ranking systems as the “Top 26 Division”) play the #25, 24, 23, 22, and 21 seeds, respectively. In other words, *#1 squares off against #25, *#2 against #24, *#3 against #23, *#4 against #22, and *#5 against #21. The winner moves up or remains in the top division, while the loser remains or is relegated to the second division.

Now, you may notice that there are no bowl games here. This is because there are absolutely no need for them. Bowl games are just…dumb, unless it is in the National Championship, and I usually don’t bother to watch them, anyways. There’s a winner and a loser…who cares! They don’t move up in the rankings because of that game. They have nothing to play for, except pride. Why even play those games? Instead, replace them with the five games that actually mean everything for 10 schools…*#1 against #25, *#2 against #24, *#3 against #23, *#4 against #22, and *#5 against #21. Then I’ll watch…because now it becomes relevant…VERY relevant for the next season!

For those of you who know anything about European soccer, this system is pretty similar to their relegation system. Think about the benefits. The teams actually worth watching will be playing each other every time! The pretenders will go on pretending in their league…and only the Top 5 of them will have the chance to demonstrate that they are actually “contenders” by beating one of the 5 lowest ranked teams in the Top 26. Like I said before, each game matters. Each game is scrutinized that much more closely. Each team wants to make that #1 or #2 ranking…while avoiding falling below #20…and if they do, they literally have a must-win game…to save their next season. Is it a little unfair toward the weaker teams? Sure. But if they are not hungry enough, they don’t deserve it anyways. The USA is capitalist, damn it, let the teams who are the most motivated to work harder to achieve the American Dream of playing with the Big Boys and being relevant! Besides, we will no longer have any more controversies about who deserves to play in the Title Game! 

What I’m Thankful for…and how to Make Others Just a Little More Thankful, too

Thanksgiving is over. The relatives have left. The turkey is all gone. All of the football games are over. My hangover from last night is gone. So what am I doing this Friday? Other than watching the Bruins game and the LSU vs Arkansas game, I’m thinking of what I am thankful for. And damn, do I have to be thankful for.

I’m thankful for my family and friends always being there for me. While I know people who have lost parents or grandparents, or whose parents divorced, my parents live together, and both sets of my grandparents are healthy and living within a 20 minute car ride from me, and I see them on a weekly basis. As a matter of fact, I have been fortunate enough to not even have attended a funeral in my life…yet. I am blessed with having the best friends ever…kind, honest, intelligent individuals who legitimately care about me, who stand up for me, and who comfort me in my failures and celebrate with me during my triumphs. True friends who are there for me in need, whether just to talk to when I’m down, provide advice, or give me rides to interviews when I did not yet have a car, or drive me home at 2 AM on a Saturday night so that I do not blow even more money on a cab or get a DUI.

I am fortunate to be living in the United States, where unlike in other countries, I can state my opinions without fear of being jailed or killed. I do not need to fear concentration camps, like in North Korea just for, saying the wrong thing, or get in trouble for this, like in China or Cuba or Iran or Venezuela. In this country, I am judged for my intelligence, personality and character, rather than my nationality, religion, or color, like my parents and grandparents were in the Soviet Union, or like most of Europe until after World War II. Though at times it appears like the economy here is falling apart, I feel so fortunate to have literally any type of entertainment right at my fingertips. I am lucky to be living in such a diverse society, where I can be exposed to virtually any type of culture. In too many countries, people do not get the opportunity to meet people different from them, and as a result just go by stereotypes that their government or parents or teachers say, making them xenophobic and ignorant. But not here. I am lucky to have friends from Germany to Ghana, from Ecuador to England, from Columbia to Cuba, from India to Israel to Iran. I have white, African, Asian, and Native American friends. I have Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, and atheist friends. I can eat falafel from an Arabic eatery for breakfast, enjoy lunch in Chinatown, have a nice dinner at an Italian restaurant, and then go out to an Irish pub, where I can meet Brazilian, Lebanese, Italian, French, Swedish, and gorgeous women from all over the world. The overwhelming majority of the world cannot do these things because they don’t live in the USA. Why do you think that so many people want to live here? Why would the Mexicans risk their lives trying to get in here in 120 degree trucks or Cubans risk drowning in tiny boats just to get here? I am in eternal and irreparable debt for the many opportunities that it has given me the thankful for what this wonderful country has done for me.

I am thankful to be a member of the 21^st century, where technology does amazing things. Just imagine. Only 10 years ago, we didn’t have Facebook or smartphones. Only 20 years ago, we didn’t have cell phones or the Internet, or HD TVs. Only 50 years ago, there were no TVs, and no color or digital cameras. Only 100 years ago, most people did not own cars. Planes could not yet fly across oceans. Look at us now. We can get to anywhere in the world in a single day just by hopping on a plane. We can go skiing or hiking or to the beach just by driving there. We can save hours of research by looking things up on Google or on Wilkepedia. We can share our photos on Facebook, chat with friends about evening plans, and find out where the parties are at. We can tweet about big sports plays while the players are still celebrating them on the field. Only my generation has the ability to be watching 4 soccer games online, while watching the college football game, while studying for the Spanish exam on a Saturday night, while talking to our parents on the phone, as we are texting our friends about evening plans. Each and every us are so fortunate to be alive TODAY!

Most of all, I am thankful that while 40 million Americans, 14% of the country, live below the poverty line, not only do I have a roof over my head and know where my meal is coming from, but have a car, money for entertainment, cable and the Internet. I am blessed to have access to top (but extremely expensive) healthcare, clean water, and adequate sanitation. I am fortunate for having access to a decent education. Not only did I go to one of the top high schools in Massachusetts, but I went to a private math school and had a personal English tutor for the SATs. My parents and grandparents had enough knowledge to help me with my homework and explain things when I was confused. I found just enough money to go to one of the top and most expensive universities in the world. I now have a degree in Business Administration and Economics. I consider myself educated, up to date with daily news, and as having a strong understanding of the current economic, political, and social environment.

I would like to share with you some shocking, unfair, and appalling statistics. Did you know that:

·         There are 925 MILLION people in the world, 1/7^th of the population who go hungry…who legitimately cannot get enough food.

·         80% of the ENTIRE WORLD’S POPULATION lives for UNDER $10 per DAY.

·         Out of 2.2 billion children in this world, 1 BILLION live in poverty…every OTHER child in the world.

·          22,000 children die PER DAY due to poverty.
27-28% of children in the world are either underweight or stunted.

·         1 BILLION people in the world have no access to clean water; 2.6 BILLION suffer from basic sanitation.

·         An estimated 40 million people are living with HIV/AIDS, with 3 million deaths in 2004.

·         Every year there are 350–500 million cases of malaria, with 1 million fatalities.

·         121 million children in the world do not go to school.

·          Almost a BILLION people in the world still cannot read or write.

People, this is just SAD. When I see numbers such as these, how can I not be thankful for what I have? These appalling facts really put things in perspective, don’t they? As a matter of fact, if you are reading this right now, you probably are not part of these unfortunate statistics. What have I done to deserve to be not here, which these poor people did not do? What have you? We were born into the right families, into the right countries, under the right economic conditions. We got outright lucky. How can we not be thankful for being part of the privileged class?

So what can we do now that we are privileged and born into the right families, countries, and conditions? What can I do? Sometimes when I feel of how much stuff I waste, I feel guilty. While billions of poor people go hungry, and some die, how many times did I throw away food from my plate at the dining halls of Boston University? While billions of miserable wretched have no water, vow many times did I just stand in the shower for too long just because I felt like it? While some people have no clue where their next money will come from, how many times did I buy drinks that are too expensive, go to clubs that weren’t even that good, or blew money on stuff that I almost did not use or wear or need?

You know what? It’s OK. I’m going to continue eating too much, taking long showers, and blowing money partying. I’m too greedy, too egoistic, and too privileged to do to otherwise, and so are you, probably. But here is what I will do. I shall donate 10% of my income each year to charity. I don’t know which charity yet. Maybe UNICEF. Perhaps the Red Cross. Maybe to reduce poverty. Possibly to improve education. Perhaps to fight racism. Maybe all of the above. If you have any suggestions, please let me know.

A couple of last thoughts. It pisses me off some much when some rich moron babbles about giving countries less aid or cutting money for political reasons, or blackmailing countries into voting a certain way. It infuriates me that rich countries give loans and usually expect weaker, poorer countries, to repay them. Did you know that “For every $1 in aid a developing country receives, over $25 is spent on debt repayment” or that “The poorer the country, the more likely it is that debt repayments are being extracted directly from people who neither contracted the loans nor received any of the money”? I didn’t either. Now we both do. Our priorities are so messed up. Ponder this chart, for example.

Global Priority	$U.S. Billions
Cosmetics in the United States	8
Ice cream in Europe	11
Perfumes in Europe and the United States	12
Pet foods in Europe and the United States	17
Business entertainment in Japan	35
Cigarettes in Europe	50
Alcoholic drinks in Europe	105
Narcotics drugs in the world	400
Military spending in the world	780

Global Priority	$U.S. Billions
Basic education for all	6
Water and sanitation for all	9
Reproductive health for all women	12
Basic health and nutrition	13

Yes. That’s right. We spend more money on cosmetics than on education. We spend almost as much or more money on perfumes, pet food, and entertainment EACH on water and basic nutrition. But most of all, we love our weapons and our drugs. How fucked up are these statistics? Look, I’m not advocating cutting military capabilities; a strong military is the core of any successful country, after all. But maybe, just maybe, if each man up and sacrice just a little bit more and put our heads together, we can all contribute to making this world a little bit better and a little bit fairer.

All statistics are from

http://www.globalissues.org/article/26/poverty-facts-and-stats