Opinion: Columns
Opinion
Media falsely name McCain 'maverick'
By JOSHUA FREDERICKSON | Apr. 8, 2008Members of the mainstream media in this country have been engaged in a nauseating love affair with Sen. John McCain ever since his failed presidential campaign in 2000. During that campaign, the Arizona senator swept the press off of their collective feet with his brash "straight talk," his disarming charm and his self-deprecating sense of humor. Many so-called "journalists" labeled him a "maverick" because he occasionally refused to toe the line of his intellectually and morally bankrupt party. However, this, in and of itself, does not a maverick make. Simply repeating something over and over again does not mean that it's true.
Opinion
Army must be integrated to stop bias against homosexuals
By WILLIAM QUINN | Apr. 8, 2008Imagine that a resident assistant walking through a dorm at night hears a noise that sounds suspicious, so he or she knocks on the door. He eventually gains access to the room and realizes that he has interrupted a sex act between two male students. He reports the incident to the administration. The president oversees an investigation into the sexual identity of the two students. The investigation infuriates other homosexual students, so several of them walk into the president's office and claim to be homosexuals. After learning that all the students are in fact homosexuals, the university expels all of them.
Sports
Ways to shrink basketball team's roster by one
Apr. 7, 2008With news from spring football and March Madness constantly swirling, UF's season-ending loss in the NIT was probably a mere blip on your radar.
Opinion
Homeless need help from community
By GERALD LILES | Apr. 7, 2008"You know how proud you were when your wife had that baby girl?" Frank asked.
Opinion
Economic stimulus package won't work
By Paul Heath | Apr. 6, 2008It looks like the Fed's money presses have some long nights ahead as taxpayers could begin receiving their government stimulus package checks as early as June, according to an Associated Press report. But President Bush and his economic team have made it very clear that everyone's piggy banks should be left on their shelves.
Opinion
Common disease affects productivity
By CARLY HALLAM | Apr. 3, 2008Glory Hallelujah! It's finally the last month of school. This is really great news for anyone with exciting summer plans or a profitable job awaiting them in the real world. For me, it's good news for a number of reasons. One of them being my health. I have a severe and highly contagious problem that I'm sure won't go away until May 4.
Opinion
Late-night comment was out of line
By Chelsea Fiddyment | Apr. 2, 2008I don't watch much television, especially late-night shows. Conan, Letterman, the whole bunch - I just don't find them funny. But worse than all the others, in my mind, is Jay Leno. Though I shiver at the thought, I could sit through a Fall Out Boy concert in its entirety before I could do the same for "The Tonight Show." To top it off, Leno is so lacking in wit that his only apparent back-up is bigotry.
Opinion
Taxpayer money bails out corporations
Apr. 1, 2008The failure of government to properly regulate the economy has directly lead to the subprime mortgage mess that is now the proverbial millstone hanging around the neck of the nation's economy, threatening to plunge us into a Great Depression redux.
Sports
The ramblings of a disgruntled columnist
Apr. 1, 2008The Gators played in the semi-finals of the NIT Tuesday night, and as of the time I submitted this article, I was still trying to decide whether to find time in my busy schedule Tuesday night to watch the game.
Opinion
Homeless crimes relevant to debate
By Ed Braddy | Mar. 31, 2008They say "ignorance is bliss," but I had no idea it was the Alligator's editorial policy. In criticizing my records request for criminal activity involving the homeless in the March 26 editorial, the editors suggest citizens are better served by the absence of information. I know the Alligator's readership consists primarily of young men and women with high cognitive abilities who are sharpening their reasoning skills through rigorous course work. Alligator editorials, by contrast, serve as intellectual "Spring Break."
Opinion
Diversity, obscure classes offer value
By GERALD LILES | Mar. 31, 2008About 30 years ago, the Sabine tribe of Mount Elgon in Uganda was approached by the country's government. They were asking if the Sabine could move outside of the new boundaries of the national park. It was a little surprising, as the Ugandan officials were the first human beings they had ever seen other than themselves. The tribe had been isolated so long they literally thought they were the only people on the planet.
Opinion
UF markets misleading campus image
By VINCENT MASSARO | Mar. 30, 2008I heart advertising. To name a few of my favorites: billboards, online pop-ups, subliminal messages.
Sports
40-yard dash proves tougher than expected
Mar. 27, 2008It took me about five minutes to realize that I was in way over my head.
Opinion
Science of love reveals some truths
By CARLY HALLAM | Mar. 27, 2008Since it's officially spring and love is in the air, I've started researching the "science" behind romance. While this information is worth sharing, it cannot begin to explain a concept more complex than the human eye and more confusing than the movie "Vanilla Sky."
Opinion
For Democrats to have a chance, Clinton must drop out now
By DANIEL TIPPIN | Mar. 26, 2008Last Friday, Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico endorsed Sen. Barack Obama for the Democratic Party presidential nomination.
Opinion
Cosmetic surgery not worth risks
Mar. 26, 2008What would you be willing to risk for a slimmer nose? A bustier chest?
Opinion
Executive order tries to shield history
Mar. 25, 2008It has been said that the winners write the history books. If Executive Order 13233 isn't repealed, the mediocre and incompetent will get their chance.
