Los Angeles has a diverse topography with hills and vales, but when you live on the flatter part of Los Angeles, you have to get creative if you need to give your quads and calves a good workout. One such venue for a quad meltdown is the Drake stadium in UCLA. The UCLA campus itself affords some nice hill-climbs but if you want a quick quad workout after a run in the Olympic-quality track, the stands in the Drake stadium offer a fine opportunity. Because I was so enamored with the night lights of West LA and Bel Air, I forgot to get an exact count of the aisles, but I think that there are at least 10 that run from the bottom to the top. There's a water fountain and restrooms at the top level and you'll be glad to have discovered them. The top level features some nice shady trees, in case you need a breather. And of course, the view is spellbinding with glimpses of Bel Air, Beverly Hills and Westwood. That's the ample consolation when you are clutching your waist and gasping for breath after the sixth jog up the stands.
Today, I stumbled upon some news that I find alarming. The forcible occupation of Iraq now involves securing coalition forces' interests with private security contractors. Blackwater USA, one such firm, was recently involved in a shooting massacre of at least 8 civilians in Iraq. Here's a paragraph from a news article that I read on news.yahoo.com about the incident due to which Blackwater had its license suspended or revoked in Iraq....
"The question of whether they (Blackwater USA) could face prosecution is legally murky. Unlike soldiers, the contractors are not bound by the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Under a special provision secured by American-occupying forces, they are exempt from prosecution by Iraqis for crimes committed there.
How about, "Shoot first, don't ask and don't tell?"
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