Op-Ed

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-weschler-corruption-20111101,0,2370887.story

This op-ed piece was interesting and well written in the sense that it departed from the average "just facts" newspiece. The writer contrasted his trip to Uganda and his confrontation with police officers who hassled him for a bit of money because they are so underpaid to rich American campaign financers who seek to get richer. He notes that in some countries, corruption arises out of a need for money to live, but in America, it is the rich who are corrupt. The point is difficult to make, and it was mostly successful. The writer did a good job at connecting these two ideas, though it would be nice for readers who don't know him if he had answered which he thought was worse rather than just leave the reader without reassurance. Still, it was a decent Op-Ed piece.

My Fears

I am generally a cautious person. Perhaps it's because some of my fears are things that are a major part of life. I'm not scared of spiders - I know I'll probably never encounter a poisonous one. I'm not scared of heights in general, as long as I know I'm safe. What I am scared of is machinery and other human creations and their reliability to function properly in dangerous situations. I hate elevators, escalators, and carnival rides. I'm not a fan of cars - but that's a large part due to the people driving them more than cars themselves. For that reason, I prefer trains, boats, and planes. They all could go wrong - but I know there are experienced people who will try their best for that not to happen.

My fears are probably not the most rational or conventional, but they affect my life all the same.