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(04/15/09 7:57pm)
The Department of Homeland Security declassified a document sent out to law enforcement agencies across the country detailing the supposedly rising threat to national security posed by right-wing extremist groups. These groups, faced with growing governmental power, a black man in the White House, disgusted with the rise in immigrants and the like, are reportedly starting to ruffle some feathers. The document even warns of their recuruiters seeking out returning veterans to utilize their combat skills for future conflicts. Couple this with yesterday's blustering about the 10th Amendment in Texas, and you have yourself with the dangerous possibility that this country could fall into a violent culture war the likes of which it's never seen.
(04/14/09 9:33pm)
Things aren't always what they appear to be. I'm not sure if there's a more cliche phrase than that, but like every cliche, behind the tawdry, tiring trapping and accoutrement there's truth. Combing through the typical media outlets today, I certainly didn't expect to see an article in USA Today on Columbine. Nor did I expect it to challenge my long-held preconceptions about the school shootings and those who perpetrated them.
(04/14/09 2:16am)
It's amazing what illness and Easter will do to a blog. Yes, there weren't any posts this weekend, but on the other hand, nothing too incredibly significant occurred. The Obamas got a lump of fuzz, the captain was rescued by American sniping, some cable news-worthy trials and celebrity musings occurred, but nothing that will forever change the course of human history went down, unless Mel Gibson being single again signals a turning point in human progress.
(04/09/09 6:55am)
Hey everyone, let me extend apologies for the mishap in the print edition of the opinions section today. Instead of being labeled "News editor" and "Senior reporter" as had initally had them, two members of the Pendulum's staff somehow came to be horribly misspelled communists. It's one of those things that shouldn't slip through the net, after my return to the transplanted office after leaving for other obligations, I should have gone over the section more thoroughly than I did, to be honest I made an assumption that none of the bylines would be different. But, making assumptions singals a degree of complacency and ineptitude, so to the readers and to Margeaux and Laura, I offer my most sincere apologies.
(04/08/09 2:00am)
Going into Anderson Cooper's speech, I was a bit hesitant to let my expectations run wild. He is, after all, a highly public figure whose reputation always precedes him, but he's also a television broadcaster who came in on a private jet. Sure, he's always performed magnificently, but that inner cynic kept on poking with hints that maybe he's allowed his celebrity to blunt his message.
(04/07/09 6:13pm)
Leading up to what's sure to be a riveting tiny break before the final leg of the school year jumps upon us, this week's Opinions section is once more chock-full of info to help those little gray cells, as Hercule Poirot would put it. This week's excitement includes...
A look at an new program from the Alamance-Burlington school district that signals a bold, inspired change for the normalcy of the education system.
A remembrance of Eugene Gooch.
The matter of whether or not having guns on a campus would make anyone safer (believe it or not, Texas is considering this.)
A wrap-up of the G20.
Jaw-dropping graphics and yet another cartoon that must be seen in print to be believed!
Don't get too jittery in anticipation of Wednesday morning though, you can sedate your anticipation with a look at our site later today for an early look at this week's content. It's an amazing thing, that Internet.
(04/07/09 5:57pm)
It makes perfect sense now that I think about it...if GM is failing at making cars that people want to use, then of course it should venture into the highly goofy market of personal transportation vehicles and team up with Segway. The bizarre child of a joint effort between GM and Segway Inc., the PUMA (which of course stands for Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility, though it riding an actual puma would also be an inexpensive alternative to a car) looks like an escape pod with wheels.
(04/05/09 11:46pm)
As the second movie review for the blog, Adventureland seems like a perfect choice. It's not as by-the-numbers and predictably hilarious as "I Love You, Man," or as mind-numbingly moderately-amusing as "Monsters vs. Aliens." Instead, it comes as a complete surprise, an intelligent coming-of-age tale that separates itself from the rest of the indie-cred grasping crowd with a darker tone and surprisingly few low gags (despite the frequency of sack taps.)
(04/05/09 12:05am)
The title sounds like something out of a poor Japanese translation guide, but it highlights the little-mentioned problem of just how those websites we all know and love are supposed to be profitable. Credit Suisse, a financial service company, recently released a report that estimated that Youtube would lose around $470 million this year. Take a look at that number again, that's a loss that you'd expect from a finance company, not from one of the most well-known brands in the world.
(04/03/09 7:50pm)
There's something inherent to anything related to blogging or any opinions section. Complaining. Glorified whining about why things and wrong and how they should be. Intellectual children elaborately clamoring for more chocolate chips in their cookies, or for the cookies to be baked in the first place. Every piece seems to have been born from a disagreement, and a want to be the loudest voice so as to influence folks to agree and therefore bring about change.
(04/01/09 5:44pm)
The Guardian has pretty much sucked the April Fool's wind out of my sails, beating any ideas that I had for a post celebrating the most fiendish holiday of them all.
(03/31/09 6:08pm)
The haggling over the stimulus package started up again with a bridge to Microsoft parking lot. The $36 million project connecting two wings of Microsoft's headquarters will be the lucky recipient of $11 million in federal aid, because Microsoft's cash reserves are, of course, historically minute. The construction will create just under 400 jobs for 18 months, which is always much appreciated, but once again, it's the whole principle of the deal.
(03/31/09 6:21am)
Today, while carefully splitting my time between the Pendulum and ESPN, I was excitedly sitting through Baseball Tonight's analysis of the American League East. Buster Olney examined the Yankees spending spree, the depth of the Red Sox's pitching staff, the immense talent of the Rays and the sudden downward spiral of the Blue Jay's rotation. Then the Orioles came on and garnered around thirty seconds of completely negative coverage.
(03/31/09 5:47am)
"But just in case there are still nagging doubts, let me say it as plainly as I can -- if you buy a car from Chrysler or General Motors, you will be able to get your car serviced and repaired, just like always. Your warrantee will be safe.
(03/30/09 4:07am)
Rio de Janeiro, seeking to curb its growing poverty problem, has come to an interesting conclusion. Since slums and shantytowns are often unattractive, why not build a wall around them?
(03/30/09 3:47am)
Rick Wagoner, the former CEO of General Motors, is on the outs. This should come to little surprise, given his general ineptitude and the general failure of GM to do much of anything successful. The company's market share has been dwindling for years, and there was little indication, given Wagoner's track record from his previous nine years as CEO, that he would be able to change this.
(03/26/09 8:11am)
Well, not the grave so to speak. Think of it as a sun-soaked hiatus punctuated by rejuvinating weather, a startlingly high population of bikinis, hijinks and topped off by a temporary headstone on the blog. What can I say? Spring break and limited internet access do have their appeal...
(03/20/09 7:55pm)
Eugene Daniel, who can always be counted on for thoughtful and thorough analysis, has a new article on the neccesity for a change in our relationship with God. It's a very, very interesting piece and I'd reccomend anyone interested on the topic to take a look.
(03/20/09 7:24pm)
Look, I love the New York Times as much as the next news junkie, mostly because it's free in McEwen. But the article, "Seeking Everyman, Obama Does Leno," beside from the obvious awkwardness from the title, sums every every criticism the far right has thrown against the paper. What's everyone talking about in wake of Obama's interview? His incredibly regrettable comment comparing his bowling to the Special Olympics. That's the sort of comment that you'd expect from an unoriginal comedian, or an episode of Family Guy, it's not what the President should be saying. To his credit, Obama immediately apologized to the Special Olympics, but the damage has already been done. Every media outlet has it, for better or for worse, plastered all over its coverage.
(03/19/09 4:28am)
Yes, there's plenty of debate as to whether or not he screwed up big-time by putting forth the stipulations in the stimulus bill that allowed pre-existing contractual bonuses to be paid in full. But regardless, credit must be given to Sen. Dodd for bringing a responsible, reasoned slant to the AIG mess we're dealing with right now. His interview with CNN is very revealing about the process that led to the loopholes, but if Dodd's right there is a loophole within the loophole that will allow Washington to strike back against AIG. Just yesterday Dodd denied having any role on the banking committee that he chaired, and for that we have to throw some eggs at him. His honesty today is born from dishonesty yesterday, but at least we got that honesty at all.