Sochi Struggles before Games begin

 

The upcoming Olympic games usually bring exciting talk from all over the world about athletes and predictions. But this year’s winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia have been making headlines for other reasons.

There’s turmoil going on in Sochi at the moment. With various suicide bombings in nearby areas and threats of more at the site of the games during the Olympics, people are concerned about the safety of the athletes and the patrons.

There have been countless news stories alerting people of the dangers. It has even been reported that German, Hungarian, Italian, and Slovenian Olympic committees have all received emails threatening attacks at the games. But there are still many people reassuring the public that there is nothing to be worried about this year.

Mitt Romney said on NBC’s Today show he would feel comfortable sending his family to Sochi. He goes on to mention that the “level of security at the games is at an unprecedented level.”

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev takes the same stance as Romney on the security issue. He argues that there is always talk of threats at major public events like the Olympics. He adds, “The threats during the Sochi Games are no greater than at any Olympics in other places.”

But I personally can’t say I agree. I’ve read too many articles about suicide bombings and other threats going on in Sochi and surrounding areas to not be on the edge of my seat during the games (and for the wrong reasons.)

Nonetheless, I appreciate the confidence of people from both the U.S. and Russia alike, and hope they will be right.

Justin Bieber and his Problematic Prank

Justin Bieber rose to fame at a mere 15 years old and has topped the charts ever since. But lately the Canadian pop star has been in the headlines for starting some trouble. The star’s neighbor recently reported that Bieber was throwing eggs at his home in the town of Calabasas, California.

Shortly after, Bieber’s mansion was searched and his pal Lil Za was charged with drug possession. Now rumors have been flying about the possibility of the singer being deported back to his native home of Canada.         

Some American stars have been taking to his defense. Kylie Jenner spoke on E! about how the star is a target for the tabloids and doesn’t agree with officers raiding Bieber’s home for “eggs.” But others do not feel so sympathetic. American actor Drake Bell took to twitter to comment on Bieber’s situation, telling him to “be a man and take responsibility.”

But what do Canadians think of Justin Bieber and his latest antics? Are they beloved advocates for the young celebrity or do they despise even being associated with him? It seems to be as mixed as American news outlets these days.

Earlier this year, the Canadian news source “The Globe and Mail” went off on Bieber, calling him “a national embarrassment.” – and that was long before this egg-throwing scandal. In November, he was booed at a Canadian football game where he was performing two of his hit songs.

In my opinion, Justin Bieber needs to get his act together. If not, he may lose fans in both countries alike.