U.S. justice system needs overhaul
By ERIC CHIANESE | June 1, 2009Lately, and between reading entries on the Rotten Library, I have turned my attention to the criminal justice system.
Lately, and between reading entries on the Rotten Library, I have turned my attention to the criminal justice system.
In these heady times of global awareness and eco-knowledge, it seems the bad eco-news comes at you from every angle. Nobody is safe from the onslaught of negative press if even Google is under eco-scrutiny. A researcher this year claimed that a single Google search is worse for the environment than driving a car, mostly because of the way Google's "cloud computing" uses clusters of servers together at once to achieve superfast results for every single search.
During Tuesday's Board of Trustees meeting, I voted to approve President Bernie Machen's budget cut plan because it puts UF in the best financial position going forward and serves the interests of the entire student body as well as it can during these trying economic times.
Not long ago, I had a friend, who was recently married, pull me aside in a men's room when I had brought a date to have dinner with him and his wife. The desperation in his eyes told me all I needed to know. "Please tell me you're going to sleep with this girl," he told me, "because I can't. My life is over. Look at me, look me in the eyes: Don't. Ever. Get. Married. You got that? Ever. Don't get me wrong, she's great, but she's ALWAYS THERE."
Typically, I like the game of politics. I like the strategy and the plotting. I like a good fight.
An employee is leisurely stocking shelves in the supermarket one day when a man with a gun busts in. The criminal shoots the stock boy and then flees the scene. Another employee rushes to the aid of our hero, eager to console him. The stock boy looks up at his friend and meekly says, 'cleanup in aisle 7.'
Like you, I'm pretty hip to what's happening in the world.
Nancy Pelosi may be the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the most powerful woman in the history of American politics, but she is stunningly bad at being a public figure in the digital age. Thankfully, her genius cats communicate so well for her on YouTube.
Janet Weil, Alligator Guest Columnist
Hard power, soft power, smart power - what is the right mix of U.S. resources for engaging with the world and its challenges? This is a question sweeping through Washington, and rightly so, as the Obama administration seeks to reverse the toxic legacy of eight Bush years on America's world standing.
I was a bit bored yesterday when I noticed that the Sci-Fi Channel was running the first two "Saw" films, back to back. Now, it's been some time since I've seen the "Saw" films, and so I watched them both. The first one was, as I remembered, a wonderful little horror movie with an intriguing perspective on things. The second one was, while moderately entertaining, nowhere near the quality of the first film. As I sat and pondered the sad state of "Saw," it occurred to me that there are still three more films after the second, with a sixth in production right now - each has been worse than the last and has been clearly motivated by a lust for profits. This bespeaks a serious problem implicit in the blending of art with profit.
Oprah Winfrey rose to power by capturing the hearts and minds of millions of devoted followers. According to industry estimates, her weekly television audience and magazine subscribers combine to form a bloc of over 50 million committed supporters.
I don't like Chryslers. Or Fords. Or, for that matter, anything GM makes.
"In the name of love… Oprah come and rescue us."
With the honorable Justice David Souter's announcement that he will retire from the U.S. Supreme Court, the cheap world of our national punditry has become a much more hysterical place than usual - which, it should be noted, is a truly impressive feat. These are rather exciting times to be alive; it's not every day we get to see the ideological liberals and conservatives in our country bickering and bashing each other. Oh. Wait a minute. We do.
Well, it seems the Alligator is once again on an all Kool-Aid diet. Nothing else would explain the 600-word fellating this paper gave Tim Tebow on Tuesday. See, I like to think most people in the communications field are bright enough to notice a PR move when they see one.
She's never even heard of YouTube, but the video of Susan Boyle's performance on the talent show "Britain's Got Talent" has set the record for the number of views in a week - and it shows no sign of stopping any time soon.
England. It is a country I've always had a soft spot for - I consider myself something of an Anglophile, and when I was younger, I always wanted to move there.
Conservative voices in government and in the media seem to be convinced that President Barack Obama's foreign policy stance is decidedly pansy. Bowing to the Saudis, shaking hands with Chavez and agreeing with European leaders has cemented Republican opinion that Barack is a sissy on the world stage.