The Florida Legislature's 2009 session may be over, but it should not be quickly forgotten.
I know many of us are breathing a sigh of relief because the worst of the budget cuts facing the University of Florida a few months ago have not come to pass. Unfortunately, 67 people are still facing the possible loss of their jobs - many of them are the underappreciated staffers who keep the school running.
Let's face it, a summer spent in good ol' Gainesville is sure to include a healthy dose of partying from time to time.
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."
I camped at Ginnie Springs two weekends ago and, overall, I was satisfied with my experience.
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.
From scrambling retirement nest eggs to making housing foreclosures more prevalent than Starbucks on a Seattle street corner, the economic downturn has been a real, well, bitch. The latest to feel the wrath of the recession's iron fist? Student loan forgivingness programs.
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.'
Shockingly put on the back-burner by most of the national media, the rough and tumble streets of Chicago continue to claim the lives of innocent city youth.
Typically, I like the game of politics. I like the strategy and the plotting. I like a good fight.
The United States Congress is making a critical mistake by introducing the so-called "cash for clunkers" bill, which seeks to restrict the sale of two major replacement parts: the engine and transmission.
The word peculiar comes to mind when conjuring imagery of the sights and sounds found around the UF campus.
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.
After a brief hiatus highlighted by one not-so-esteemed staffer unsuccessfully teaching British men how to play beer pong in Orlando, we officially declare the Department of Darts & Laurels back and better than ever.
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.
Janet Weil, Alligator Guest Columnist
Ask any man or woman who makes a career out of serving the community in the field of law enforcement: it's a tough job. Police officers embody a unique group of people who tirelessly give of themselves for the greater good of the public, all the while constantly risking his or her life. The most trying challenge of the position, however, lies in the responsibility of brandishing a handgun - a burden where a strong sense of self-restraint easily trumps a case of trigger-happy hands.
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.
Solutions by The State News
