Duke lacrosse rape scandal

This story and the OJ Simpson trial make me happy that I don't have any intention of practicing law. I cannot help but to lose faith in the justice system in this country. It is not about problem solving or uncovering the truth. It's more about politics and overpowering others in order to benefit. It does not seem completely fair and impartial to me.

I don't understand why that idiot of a D.A. in North Carolina is wasting time and money charging 3 college boys from Duke in light of the DNA evidence. As a premed student, I am partial to scientific evidence. I know that no 2 samples of DNA can be identical unless they were taken from the same person or identical twins. The fact of the matter is that DNA samples were collected from the entire Duke lacrosse team and none of the samples match what was found on the "victim." The charges should have been dropped then and there. That was the case with Karr when his DNA did not match the DNA found at the crime scene.

Furthermore, the "victim," who's a stripper, was unable to identify her "attackers" in the initial line up. The consistency of her story is lacking. To make matters worse, the other stripper did not substantiate anything that the "victim" claimed. It does not take much to see that there should not be a case. The motive of that fool of a D.A. is re-election. It just so happens that the accuser is African-American and the defendants are Caucasians. He did not want to lose black votes.

If we cannot manage to look beyond physical appearances in our judicial or electoral processes, then we Americans are nowhere as advanced or superior as we think we are. I can understand the notion of allowing a guilty man walk freely rather than convicting an innocent man. What I don't understand is why legal battles should be racially motivated. Why should an idiot that doesn't understand the significance of DNA evidence and prosecutes based on popularity be re-elected?

Madonna's adoption

Madonna and her husband Guy Ritchie have been subjected to criticism for adopting a baby boy from Malawi. What is this world coming to? Taking on a parental role for a child that is not one's own is a highly commendable act. It's even more commendable for someone to look beyond physical appearances and adopt a child of a different race. Not many, even in this day and age would be able to do that. It certainly shows open-mindedness and sincere altruism. If more people could do that, there would be fewer orphans suffering in crowded orphanages.

What Madonna and Guy are doing is laudable and should not be subjected to scrutiny or criticism. They say that adopting outside of one's ethnicity is wrong as it removes the child from his culture. Well, what choice is there? Should orphanages deny couples the right to adopt an orphan of a different race or ethnicity? That is irrelevant. What is relevant is whether or not the couple can provide the child with a good home. No matter the race, we are all Homo sapiens. Why should the parents' ethnicity or sexual orientation matter? So what if the child gets to grow up away from his homeland. There are immigrants all over the world. I'm sure that given a choice, anyone would rather be well off in a foreign country than to starve in his native country.

The people who are contesting Madonna and Guy's adoption are fools with too much time and money in their hands. If they're so concerned about the orphans of Malawi, why don't they devote their resources to the orphanages rather than a legal battle? Madonna's pledge to raise $3,000,000 to aid Malawi orphans whose parents died of AIDS is philanthropic and genuine. I suppose it's true that no good deed goes unpunished.

Goldfish

Fishkeeping is something that I have enjoyed ever since I was a little boy. I'm fascinated by the bright colours of fish, how fish are able to live in water, and the upkeep of a fish santuary. Keeping a thriving aquarium requires a commitment and knowledge of science. Yes, science is involved in maintaining the fish's diet, water quality, and temperature. All of these things must be properly controlled or else the fish would die.

I like to keep fancy goldfish. That's my 29-gallon aquarium with my 10 goldfish. Yes, they're a bit overcrowded, but I couldn't help it. Their names from left to right are Pearl, Malachi, Benny, Pierre, Luca, Teddy, Daphne, Florette, and Beatrice. I feed them thrice a day and remove 5 gallons of water every week using a siphon. This gets rid of the ammonia-containing wastes too. Ammonia can be fatal to fish. I then add 5 gallons of clean and treated water. It's a labour of love. As you can see, my aquarium is thriving with elodea, pennywort, and sword plants.

Goldfish were selectively bred by the Chinese from the common carp. This artificial selection is evidence that evolution takes place! It proves that there is genetic variation among populations. Some traits are better suited for surviving and reproducing than others. The only difference is that humans have selected the ones that are to survive and reproduce rather than nature. Take a biology class if you're skeptical. Anyway, the science involved in fishkeeping includes genetics, biology, chemistry, and physics. Aside from the science, having an aquarium gives me something to do. My fish depend on me to provide for them. At the very least, the purpose of my daily existence is to take care of my fish.

I also keep tropical fish. They include gourami, guppies, platys, and neon tetras. Tropical fish are lower maintenance and less expensive than fancy goldfish. Do not keep them together since they have different diets and temperature needs.