Former Michigan State wrestler and Big Ten champion Brian Picklo has had a lifetime of success. Success met by hours of sweat-stained training, Picklo says.
"[I] started out just as a nobody, didn't have any record to speak of," he said. "I wasn't more talented than any of the guys I wrestled, I wasn't necessarily the strongest guy, I wasn't the fastest guy, but in my mind – and in my heart – I outworked everybody I wrestled."
Picklo went on to a meteoric career in Judo, a sport he became an Olympic alternate with in 2008.
Picklo, a resident of Mustang, opened up a childrens' dojo in the same year. Picklo says his passion for teaching and the timing in his life allowed for his dream to become a reality. Here's to success.
By: Tyler Dunn
Run time: 1:36
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
China, US Relations Tense Over North Korea
Adm. Mike Mullen, America's top military officer, let his feelings about Chinese interaction with North Korea be known last week while in Seoul.
"China has enormous influence over the North, and therefore they have a unique responsibility," Admiral Mullen said at a South Korean press conference. "Now is the time for Beijing to step up to that responsibility and guide the North, and indeed the whole region, to a better future."
Admiral Mullen, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, was in Seoul to meet with Gen. Han Min-koo, Mullen's South Korean equivalent.
Admiral Mullen also said he considered North Korea "a rapidly evolving threat" and was highly critical of North Korea's recent attack on Yeonpyeong Island.
The Nov. 23 attack on the South Korean Island left four dead, two of which were marines. The scuffle began when South Korean forces began training exercises off the country's coast. Seoul countered with an aerial response, but has been praised by the U.S. government for its restraint.
China offered neither support or reprimand for their ally in the days following the incident, but has since promoted "cool-headedness" concerning the matter. China has also publicly opposed North Korean nuclear testing, but has denounced the U.S. and South Korea's decision to continue training exercises in the area.
South Korea executed a nationwide set of military training drills last week and the U.S. and Japan are planning their largest-ever war games – with South Koreans allowed to observe for the first time.
Ryane Keith, a graduate student studying Chinese relations at the University of Oklahoma said the United States and China are on different ends of the political spectrum, but North Korea is not as dangerous to their relationship as it might appear.
"The U.S. wants all players to follow in their diplomatic footsteps," Keith said. "But China has their own opinion of public diplomacy ... I don't foresee that China would really back itself into a corner and have to pick."
For more from Keith, check out the audio clips seen below.
"China has enormous influence over the North, and therefore they have a unique responsibility," Admiral Mullen said at a South Korean press conference. "Now is the time for Beijing to step up to that responsibility and guide the North, and indeed the whole region, to a better future."
Admiral Mullen, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, was in Seoul to meet with Gen. Han Min-koo, Mullen's South Korean equivalent.
Admiral Mullen also said he considered North Korea "a rapidly evolving threat" and was highly critical of North Korea's recent attack on Yeonpyeong Island.
The Nov. 23 attack on the South Korean Island left four dead, two of which were marines. The scuffle began when South Korean forces began training exercises off the country's coast. Seoul countered with an aerial response, but has been praised by the U.S. government for its restraint.
China offered neither support or reprimand for their ally in the days following the incident, but has since promoted "cool-headedness" concerning the matter. China has also publicly opposed North Korean nuclear testing, but has denounced the U.S. and South Korea's decision to continue training exercises in the area.
South Korea executed a nationwide set of military training drills last week and the U.S. and Japan are planning their largest-ever war games – with South Koreans allowed to observe for the first time.
Ryane Keith, a graduate student studying Chinese relations at the University of Oklahoma said the United States and China are on different ends of the political spectrum, but North Korea is not as dangerous to their relationship as it might appear.
"The U.S. wants all players to follow in their diplomatic footsteps," Keith said. "But China has their own opinion of public diplomacy ... I don't foresee that China would really back itself into a corner and have to pick."
For more from Keith, check out the audio clips seen below.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Army Rethinking Health, Fitness Strategy
Bigger, faster, stronger; maybe more like healthier and more physically fit, but the U.S. Army is attempting to reinvent its image – or at least trim it down. December 1 the Army debuted its new look at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri.
The basic training installation is the first base in the Army's transformation project to switch to healthier foods and aerobic-oriented exercise. An emphasis on injury prevention and diet education are also pillars of the change.
Aerobic regiments like Crossfit and yoga have replaced the Army's long-established emphasis on the push-up and the timed run. Food choices like whole grains, yogurt, and granola bars now fill the Fort Leonard Wood's dining facility.
The Missouri installation is the first of five training bases on the docket for the change, with Oklahoma's Fort Sill also on the list.
Oklahoma Army National Guardsman Zach McDonald says he is excited about the Army's efforts and is looking forward to seeing these new concepts in his unit.
"The things that they're wanting to implement, I think, are a good thing," he said, adding, "the way the PT [physical training] test is structured now is pretty mundane, it doesn't really show physical fitness."
McDonald and his critiques are in influential company. In April, Mission: Readiness, an organization of retired military leaders, was also critical of current health and fitness structures, and authored a letter to today's military petitioning for better ideals.
Too Fat to Fight, offered a slew of statistics specifically targeting the health of young adults. "At least nine million 17- to 24-year-olds in the United States are too fat to serve in the military," the report reads. "That is 27 percent of all young adults."
Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling offered a different take as he told the Colombia Daily Tribune many of the health issues facing the Army are inherited, and gave insight into the Army's new domestic strategy.
"We are seeing many soldiers entering our profession who need phased conditioning methods and improved nutritional habits. This is not an Army problem. This is a civilian problem that we're receiving and fixing," he said. "We've changed from feeding soldiers to fueling the tactical athlete."
McDonald, an infantryman and student at the University of Oklahoma, says he thinks aerobic programs like Crossfit could help his unit in combat, a major improvement from the current training.
"In Afghanistan you're walking mountains with your weight plus another 80 to 90 pounds on your back, so if you don't have cardio and you can't throw your own weight around, I wouldn't think you could walk up a mountain," he said. "I think anything that they do is definitely a step forward from what they have now."
For more from McDonald, click below for both audio and video portions of the interview.
The basic training installation is the first base in the Army's transformation project to switch to healthier foods and aerobic-oriented exercise. An emphasis on injury prevention and diet education are also pillars of the change.
Aerobic regiments like Crossfit and yoga have replaced the Army's long-established emphasis on the push-up and the timed run. Food choices like whole grains, yogurt, and granola bars now fill the Fort Leonard Wood's dining facility.
The Missouri installation is the first of five training bases on the docket for the change, with Oklahoma's Fort Sill also on the list.
Oklahoma Army National Guardsman Zach McDonald says he is excited about the Army's efforts and is looking forward to seeing these new concepts in his unit.
"The things that they're wanting to implement, I think, are a good thing," he said, adding, "the way the PT [physical training] test is structured now is pretty mundane, it doesn't really show physical fitness."
McDonald and his critiques are in influential company. In April, Mission: Readiness, an organization of retired military leaders, was also critical of current health and fitness structures, and authored a letter to today's military petitioning for better ideals.
Too Fat to Fight, offered a slew of statistics specifically targeting the health of young adults. "At least nine million 17- to 24-year-olds in the United States are too fat to serve in the military," the report reads. "That is 27 percent of all young adults."
Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling offered a different take as he told the Colombia Daily Tribune many of the health issues facing the Army are inherited, and gave insight into the Army's new domestic strategy.
"We are seeing many soldiers entering our profession who need phased conditioning methods and improved nutritional habits. This is not an Army problem. This is a civilian problem that we're receiving and fixing," he said. "We've changed from feeding soldiers to fueling the tactical athlete."
McDonald, an infantryman and student at the University of Oklahoma, says he thinks aerobic programs like Crossfit could help his unit in combat, a major improvement from the current training.
"In Afghanistan you're walking mountains with your weight plus another 80 to 90 pounds on your back, so if you don't have cardio and you can't throw your own weight around, I wouldn't think you could walk up a mountain," he said. "I think anything that they do is definitely a step forward from what they have now."
For more from McDonald, click below for both audio and video portions of the interview.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
The Worst Not Over
Little more than a month after cholera first appeared in an already battered Haiti, its government now reports over 900 casualties, with 14,000 more infected. Now that the fast-spreading bacteria is in the nation's capital, Port-au-Prince, experts fear the death total will see a dramatic spike.
Cholera, a bacteria causing severe diarrhea, vomiting, leg cramps, and eventually dehydration and shock, hasn't been in Haiti in fifty years, making knowledge of the illness another reason for concern.
"It's not over; it's not going to be pretty," says Dr. Helene Carabin, an Infectious Diseases epidemiologist and an associate professor at the College of Public Health at the University of Oklahoma. "No one knows what's going to happen next."
The World Health Organization says the bacteria could remain in the country for "the next several years," and last week's Hurricane Tomas will only further endanger Haitian citizens to the epidemic.
"They [Haitians] have no choice but to use whatever rainwater they find, and that could be contaminated water," Dr. Alan McPherson said. "It might be contaminated, but it's either that or be completely dehydrated."
Friday the United Nations pledged $164 million to the cholera relief effort in Haiti, but McPherson, a historian and Latin American studies professor at OU, said much will have to be done before the country finds any form of stability.
Dr. Alan McPherson on steps to Haitian stability.
McPherson says the potential danger in Port-au-Prince is especially alarming.
Dr. Alan McPherson voicing concerns about future of Port-au-Prince.
The country that has already lost tens, possibly hundreds of thousands of its inhabitants along with much of its infrastructure looks to be headed into an even darker chapter, and it is especially important to help Haiti through it, McPherson says.
Last year, OU organization Global Haiti Initiative raised money for earthquake victims in Haiti, but the group has since disbanded. Along with writing congressmen, McPherson suggests starting local relief organizations like the Global Haiti Initiative to help with Haiti's newest problem.
Dr. Alan McPherson offering tangible ways to help Haitians.
Cholera, a bacteria causing severe diarrhea, vomiting, leg cramps, and eventually dehydration and shock, hasn't been in Haiti in fifty years, making knowledge of the illness another reason for concern.
The World Health Organization says the bacteria could remain in the country for "the next several years," and last week's Hurricane Tomas will only further endanger Haitian citizens to the epidemic.
"They [Haitians] have no choice but to use whatever rainwater they find, and that could be contaminated water," Dr. Alan McPherson said. "It might be contaminated, but it's either that or be completely dehydrated."
Friday the United Nations pledged $164 million to the cholera relief effort in Haiti, but McPherson, a historian and Latin American studies professor at OU, said much will have to be done before the country finds any form of stability.
Dr. Alan McPherson on steps to Haitian stability.
McPherson says the potential danger in Port-au-Prince is especially alarming.
Dr. Alan McPherson voicing concerns about future of Port-au-Prince.
The country that has already lost tens, possibly hundreds of thousands of its inhabitants along with much of its infrastructure looks to be headed into an even darker chapter, and it is especially important to help Haiti through it, McPherson says.
Last year, OU organization Global Haiti Initiative raised money for earthquake victims in Haiti, but the group has since disbanded. Along with writing congressmen, McPherson suggests starting local relief organizations like the Global Haiti Initiative to help with Haiti's newest problem.
Dr. Alan McPherson offering tangible ways to help Haitians.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
OU Students Welcome 60 Minutes Staple
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60 Minutes cameraman Ray Bribiesca met with University of Oklahoma journalism students Monday, speaking candidly about his recent experience in combat. PHOTO: Anna Lastra |
With notebooks half-filled with chicken scratch and aspiring eyes following his every twitch, Bribiesca shared openly with the students both the difficulties and rewards of life behind the lens.
Bribiesca's discussion quickly gravitated to his work in wartime. A Vietnam veteran himself, Bribiesca recalled his first encounter with combat journalism. I was given a camera because I signed a paper saying I worked for my high school newspaper, he said. Forty-six years later, Bribiesca has yet to put that camera down.
Spurring a majority of these war-tilted questions was this CBS video of he and 60 Minutes correspondent Lara Logan's recent experiences on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.
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Ray Bribiesca giving advice to the hall of future journalists. PHOTO: Anna Lastra |
"You don't think, you just react," Bribiesca said about the incident, adding that while you must protect yourself, finding the shot is paramount.
Bribiesca also advised the students on the importance of first aid in combat and a journalist's willingness to get involved in conflict.
"Let me tell you, you've got to forget the lines," he said. "When you're taking a soldier or Marine's place, you have to help."
Bribiesca concluded the event by speaking on his future in the business. After decades of loyal camera work for CBS, Bribiesca confided in the gathering of young journalists his plans to retire from the network after his next assignment. He explained with a reminiscent smile that, while he might continue his already distinguished career with National Geographic, his trip to the Afghanistan-Pakistan border made his decision to part with the only news organization ever to employ him quite a bit easier.
Bribiesca will most likely see no less stress with his projected final assignment. Both he and correspondent Steve Croft are currently in Yemen in search of several men wanted by the U.S. government, Bribiesca says, adding that his final piece should air around Thanksgiving.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Tear down this firewall!
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| Comparisons to Nelson Mandela were nearly automatic once the announcement of imprisoned Liu Xiaobo was finalized. PHOTO: AFP |
Not so in China. According to CNN, "Liu Xiaobo" is not a searchable name in his home country. CNN also reports the Nobel Institute's website and any international broadcasts concerning the peace prize were blocked within hours of the announcement. Xiaobo, a major contributor to Charter 08 -- a manifesto calling for the furthering of human rights in China, is currently imprisoned for "inciting subversion of state power." Xiaobo isn't scheduled to be released for another ten years.
These governmental tactics at censorship are nothing new; numerous countries control all or the majority of national media. In fact, as restricting as its actions might appear of late, China did not even crack the top ten most censored countries in a 2006 report from the Committee to Protect Journalists. (http://cpj.org/reports/2006/05/10-most-censored-countries.php)
CPJ listed North Korea as the most censored nation in the world, citing the government's total control of all domestic media and the limited access given to any international journalists. Other notable countries on the list include Cuba, Syria and Libya, labeled the most restricting in the Middle East.
Dr. Joshua Landis, Director of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Oklahoma, agrees censorship is an issue but thinks social media and technological advancements have provided a unique opportunity to override censoring.
Landis, who has lived in the Middle East for much of his life, said,"All over the Middle East -- Facebook, Youtube are restricted, but there are proxies. You can't find a computer in Syria where Facebook is not accessible. They [government] have a very hard time censoring sites because you can go through just about anything and get to Facebook. The president and the first lady of Syria have Facebook sites."
In much the same way, Chinese citizens use these proxies to get desired information, says OU Chinese History professor Dr. Miriam Gross, although, she adds, most in China have not heard of Xiaobo. Liu Xia, Xiaobo's wife, has been under house arrest since her husband's achievement, but has still managed to maintain her twitter account. Xia has added thousands of followers in the mere weeks.
Landis said along with the introduction of satellite television, social media has helped people manage dialogue more effectively. "They're realizing they don't have to be as frightened of free speech," he said.
For more with Dr. Landis, check out these excerpts.
Monday, October 25, 2010
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