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(04/27/09 1:02am)
For years the media has gone from one health scare to another, with each summer bringing with it a new viral terror that will result in a pandemic. There was swine flu, the west Nile virus and avian flu just to name a few. But it looked like they were all false alarms, nothing really came out of any of them, each outbreak was quickly contained and resulted in only a handful of deaths at the most.
(04/23/09 8:57pm)
If a contingent of Americans reacted to President Obama's tax plans with tea parties and protests, will the recently announced, significantly more draconian tax measures proposed by Alistair Darling, Britain''s Chancellor of the Exchequer (aka "Head economic honcho") result in a English alternative, perhaps sailing over to the New World and trying to tax our paper products? (As if the newspaper industry didn't already have enough problems...)
(04/22/09 7:02am)
Columnist Neel Arora put together a piece this week about the ongoing glut of piracy off of the coast of Somalia, and argued that the pirates are brutal criminals free of honor, who must be dealt with quickly using coordinated military measures. While there is a heavy argument that such measures could be counterintuitive, and serve to embolden said pirates and give them the sort of PR that would serve to allow them to portray themselves as bold Robin Hoods, the Obama administration has made its stance clear via a few snipers and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's more recent comments regarding the detainment of pirates.
(04/18/09 5:11am)
I'm actually not sure why I'm blogging right now, the weather's brilliant, obligations have freed up a bit and that sensation of stepping into the vast unknown of an unstructured summer break is keeping me on my toes. Nonetheless, the rest of the world is moving on, and Elon's doing its best to keep up.
An issue near and dear to Elon's heart is the matter of Dr. Ocek Eke being denied tenure, a matter that has from the very get-go struck me as incredibly suspicious. By not speaking out about it, the University has allowed rumors and accusations to fly about the campus, with a great deal of the student body genuinely comfused as to why such a high-quality professor is being let go. Yes, he's highly political, but his advocacy doesn't just serve a bully pulpit, but he works tirelessly to improve the world around him. There's something to be said for those who don't just pencil push and wallow in academia, but instead try to demonstrate the power of the individual in the political landscape. For more info, click here for some Pendulum coverage.
Stop the presses. President Obama has shaken hands with Hugo Chavez, further cementing his reputation as a horrible communist. As we all know, the proper way to deal with a foreign leader we don't agree with is to leer at them from across the table, and pretend not to when they look in your direction.
Of course, the major issue everyone on campus is buzzing about is Pirate Bay's founders being found guilty, and sentenced to millions of dollars in payments they can't possibly afford as well as up to a year in jail. We can pitter and patter about whether or not the court made the right decision, but like it or not, the decision is most likely going to stay. The implications that arise from this are far-reaching and could signal the end of the pirating culture that has become the norm in the Internet. To be sure, there will always be Internet piracy, but it has reached a point now where it seems to be the norm, not the exception to download media illegally. By indicating that those who provide the means to pirate can be just as accountable as those who engage in the acts of privacy, the suppliers, the big guns are now being aimed at. Speaking of guns, by this similar logic, can't gun makers be accountable for providing folks with the means to murder? Can drug companies be held responsibile if their products can be addictive? Can film companies be held responsible for emotional damages if a movie is terrible?
(04/09/09 1:01am)
Put down those preemptive Peeps, it's not Easter break yet. Here's a quick rundown of everything that you'll need to know until tomorrow...
Somali pirates boarded the U.S. container ship Alabama and are currently holding its captain, Richard Phillips captive, though the remainder of the ship is reportedly back in the control of its crew. The Alabama, which was carrying food aid intended for Mombasa, Kenya, was boarded at 7:30 a.m.. The crew has made contact with the media and some of their families, and it seems as though none of them have been hurt, despite their unarmed disadvantage against the gun-toting pirates.This comes just two days after the Malaspina Castle, a British ship, was boarded by pirates. Last year, almost 100 ships were attacked across the globe by pirates, 40 of which were assaulted close to Somalia. There's been a strong international effort to bring about an end to such activities, with the American, Chinese, Japanese and Russian warships all patrolling the region.It's nice to think that by tossing some battleships into the sea, this growing pirate problem can be put to an end, but they operate in such small groups, and can vanish so quickly that they're akin to the small group of terrorists who laid siege to Mumbai last year.
Three cheers for diplomacy! If the State Department is to be believed, the U.S. will soon join up with Iran, the U.N. and other European powers discuss Iran's nuclear program. This is, of course, pending Iran's acceptance of its invite. Sure, Iran isn't the most lovable of countries, but this is certainly an improvement over the U.S. wrinkling its brow and poo-pooing them from behind plate glass while they step ever closer to the bomb.
In a report that's sure to shock everyone, the International Association for Dental Research in Miami concluded that prolonged partaking of sports drinks, with all of their hydrating, sugary goodness, can be bad for your teeth. Next week, they'll decide that eating a diet comprised entirely of Fruit-Roll-Ups is also detrimental to one's health.
Newt Gingrich has come out and said that the Obama administration is "intensely secular" and "anti-religious," though Obama hasn't done anything regarding religion one way or the other. Could it be that he's creating a space, a void, perhaps even a separation between the church and the state? Meanwhile, I'll go listen to Pearl Jam and boot up my Sega Genesis, because apparently it's 1994 and Gingrich is important.
(04/08/09 11:59pm)
Here's one:
(04/06/09 3:50am)
Fox News has lost its credibility when it has the House Republican Minority Leader John Boehner write a story on its blog starting with the phrase, "With Democrats now firmly in charge of Congress and the White House, Washington is increasingly out of control."
(04/06/09 2:46am)
Taking on childhood storybook gold, Spike Jonze is getting to do what every modern director wants to. At least any with that childish sense of adventure and fun still inside them; something tells me Tarantino wouldn't want this project.
(04/05/09 11:21pm)
Well, North Korea went through with its threats and launched their long-range rocket, failing to reach U.S. territory or break into orbit, both negating any American intervention and all shreds of legitimacy North Korea's stated intentions of "the state long-term plan for the development of outer space," may have had.
(04/02/09 1:00am)
The G20 started with a clash of elegance and fury, a rather apt combination considering it's being held in London. Barack Obama met the Queen, in one of those performances of executive necessity that ultimately means nothing. No disrespect to the Queen, she's a wonderful woman, but one of little significance, and certainly no significance to the G20. Instead of wooing the Queen, Obama should have perhaps spent more time with Sarkozy and Merkel laying down the groundwork for tighter regulation of the finance industry.
(03/31/09 9:41pm)
In the midst of being described a criminal by U.N. experts last month, and the attempts of recovery from his appallingly disliked administration, ex-V.P. Dick Cheney still offers his advice to the United States. Between his Politico interview and CNN's State of the Union interview two weeks ago, he has tried to promote the policies that got us into the current situations that the world faces.
(03/31/09 8:45pm)
A note to Nick Ochsner.
(03/26/09 8:45am)
Usually baseball is a sport that has little international significance. Soccer/football leads entire nations to spill into the streets and ignite things in joy or despair, all of the Olympic sports have great bouts of nationalism attached to them every four years, but baseball always seems to be a highly isolated affair.
(03/20/09 11:37am)
Let's take a moment to look at faith's place at an institution of higher learning.