This kind of violence on a defenceless victim should be condemned and strictly prosecuted. The Chicago police and prosecutors have a responsibility to bring those involved to justice.
I’ve been attending classes for nearly three weeks here at the University of Pennsylvania, and in this short month I have already experienced many aspects of college life: meeting new people, making new friends, learning new things, trying new things, … Continue reading →
It’s ridiculously easy to get back into Canada from the United States, it seems, especially for a Canadian citizen. “Where do you live? “What were you doing in the States? “What are you bringing with you? “Any alcohol, tobacco, or … Continue reading →
Right now*, I stand among several dozen patients at Health Center #3, operated by the Philadelphia city government to provide clinical care to residents in a way that is available even to those without insurance or wealth. I’ve nearly been … Continue reading →
Given his educational record, one might speculate that his lacklustre efforts in university translate to his cost-cutting approaches to public/higher education in the state of Texas. 61.3% of high school students graduate? That’s terrible! One shudders to think of what might occur if he were president.
Organic chem must have been a requirement for his program of study. One wonders why he didn’t switch to a program a little more appropriate for his aptitudes.
Dawkins’s rebuttal
Elegantly and poignantly written:
There is nothing unusual about Governor Rick Perry. Uneducated fools can be found in every country and every period of history, and they are not unknown in high office. (Richard Dawkins, emphasis mine)
Dawkins is the author of several titles, such as The Greatest Show on Earth and The Selfish Gene. Part of his rebuttal to Perry’s mis-characterization of evolution as “just a theory” is an observation that is unfortunately true: while the United States is home to millions of intelligent beings, some of whom are undoubtedly the geniuses of today, some voters inexplicably seem to prefer unqualified, anti-intelligent candidates!
New York Times editorial
Krugman of the New York Times points out in “Republicans Against Science” that “the G.O.P. [...] is becoming the ‘anti-science party.’” I highly recommend reading this article, if only for the brilliant realization at the end: (recall that The Wall Street Journal is a conservative media outlet operated by Murdoch’s News Corp, which is also responsible for Fox News)
Lately, for example, The Wall Street Journal’s editorial page has gone beyond its long-term preference for the economic ideas of “charlatans and cranks” — as one of former President George W. Bush’s chief economic advisers famously put it — to a general denigration of hard thinking about matters economic. Pay no attention to “fancy theories” that conflict with “common sense,” the Journal tells us. Because why should anyone imagine that you need more than gut feelings to analyze things like financial crises and recessions?
Now, we don’t know who will win next year’s presidential election. But the odds are that one of these years the world’s greatest nation will find itself ruled by a party that is aggressively anti-science, indeed anti-knowledge. And, in a time of severe challenges — environmental, economic, and more — that’s a terrifying prospect. (emphasis mine)
Originally I said: Sorry, Rebecca. You’re too young to be making up this kind of BS. Hire a better publicity agency next time — and don’t try justifying the stupidity of the lyrics.
EDIT: Apparently this is satire. The fact that so many of us were so ready to believe in Rebecca Black’s stupidity says something.
I’m back, after restoring my site from its recently hacked state. I hope it doesn’t happen again, and I do apologize to anyone who was put off by the changed site title and the blank posts and pages.
Anyways, I’ve been watching a lot of promotional videos for universities, generally published by their admissions offices to attract students, and some really stood out. Many are quite long, but they’re definitely worth watching in full.
The opening might be boring and conventional, but watch past the first minute — a pleasant surprise awaits.
Beautiful cinematography, great music… Yale’s video is a true piece of art, all the more so because it was produced by undergraduates at the university.
Most Inspiring: “True Learning” (University of Pennsylvania)
UPenn’s 2009 admissions video starts off serenely, and soon crescendos into a deeply moving profile of the students’ lives. The scenery is beautiful, and the music is suited.
The University of Pennsylvania’s video is filled with a sense of purpose. It’s motivating and inspirational.
This is one of the most beautiful promotional videos I’ve ever watched. Harvard did a splendid job of presenting all the awe-inspiring statistics about the school in a way that is both simplistic and informative. On YouTube, Harvard has combined all its videos into one long video, but the video below starts at the segment to which I have been referring.
Although Columbia’s video is heavily dominated by interviews and speaking as opposed to the dynamic singing of Yale’s video or the wow factor of Harvard’s, the words spoken in this video are the most moving.
I felt that Columbia’s video seemed very genuine and unpretentious.
It’s probably a testament to the West Coast lifestyle. Stanford’s video made university seem fun and playful, rather than studious.
Notable Mention
UPenn’s older video, “There’s Nothing Stopping Our Students” is also an inspirational work of beauty. It does focus more on students’ admission experiences, rather than how great the university is. That’s worth appreciating.
I don’t understand how any (supposedly) responsible news organization could do the things that FOX has done. Furthermore, I don’t see how they could honestly call themselves “fair and balanced” — their slogan — after all the stupid things they’ve … Continue reading →
