Don't Waste Time

Time is the one thing that can never be retrieved.The hours lost in idleness can never be brought back to be used in gainful purposes. --C. R. Lawton

Quote

To me faith means not worrying. --John Dewey

Another quote I try to live by

Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.--Thomas Jefferson

So sad, but so true

Friendship is like money, easier made than kept. --Samuel Butler

Inspiration for the Day

Fear is useless Faith, is necessary, Love is everything! --Martin Sheen

Could you live in a truck for a year or more?

Student lives in his car to clear up credit card debt.

Campus Tombs

A must read!

"USC is also studying the idea of campus tombs for a proposed multi-faith chapel.

USC is contemplating a columbarium as part of a planned $20-million chapel on campus." (Los Angeles Times)

Listen More Talk Less

I remind myself every morning: Nothing I say this day will teach me anything. So if I'm going to learn, I must do it by listening. --Larry King

Duh Doctor

A doctor tried to sue KFC for not disclaiming to customers that it uses trans fat. However, a federal judge dismissed the case becuase he said that people should know that if they are going to eat fried chicken it will have fat. Nevertheless, KFC claims that they no longer cook their food with trans fat.

I Wanna Play

By looking at the picture of my front page, you probably would not know that I love to play basketball. In fact, I have played since I was in middle school (that is 7th and 8th grade). In high school, I was on Junior Varsity and Varsity as a junior.

Yesterday, I went to the 24 hour fitness and tried to get some playing time. I said, "I want to play next" and then some one said, "Ok we will pick you up". A big smile appeared on my face and I said, "Really?". The big, tall guy said, "No, I was just kidding" and then he said, "Oh, you were serious". I was there cheering on my man and so, he assumed that I was just there to watch. Anyway, I got the opportunity to play and I did pretty good too by the way.

Alex complemented my defense and said, "Your pretty tough".

I was extremely happy to be able to be the only female to play basketball and get a great work-out.

Inspiration for the Day

All our dreams can come true - if we have the courage to pursue them. --Walt Disney

The Final Grade

USC football star wide receiver Dwayne Jarrett was selected as a second round draft pick coming in at number 45. He will play for the Carolina Panthers along with former USC star Keyshawn Johnson.

When I first heard that Jarrett was second round pick, I was shocked. He was expected to go first round and when I saw him on campus,prior to pro day, we chatted for a little bit. He was so excited about Pro Day. He said, where have you been?" and I said, "studying, where have you been?". He then told me that he had been working out like crazy because he had to prepare for pro day. So, I was under the impression that he was prepared to excel in the necessary scores needed to look good to the scouts, but apparently his performance on the field that day resulted in his second round pick.

The Urgent Need for Affordable Housing

The solution - affordable housing.

Los Angeles needs to provide their constituents with affordable housing.

If you live in Los Angeles and have not noticed, we have a dire homelessness issue that needs to be rectified. Los Angeles is the capitol of homelessness. We have to create an effective remedy to decrease homelessness in our country, specifically in Los Angeles. There are thousand of homeless men, women, and children living on Skid Row every night.

This past spring, I conducted an ethnographic study of this sub-group at one of the nationally known rescue missions located on Skid Row in the city of Los Angeles.There, I found that there are several individuals who are making a difference in their life to escape the social stigma of laziness and as people who are drug abusers, or have a serious mental illness. These types of stigmas are generally applied to people who are homeless. However, I witnessed people in drug rehabilitation programs who were working, going to school, and giving back to their community through volunteerism.

For example, Chris, a 36 year old Caucasian male from Kentucky, and I had a conversation about his current status as a member of the shelter. He was working full time, and going to school full time at Los Angeles Trade Tech, to become a gourmet cook. The shelter saved the majority of the money from his paychecks, so that way when Chris was done with his time in the program, he would be able to afford to rent an apartment. However, there are little affordable housing units in Los Angeles. People like Chris need to have something to look forward to and not end up back on the streets because he can’t afford the high cost to live in Los Angeles.

The shelters provide a positive opportunity for homeless people to start over and make a difference in their life. However, the homeless issue does not go away by concentrating a strip of homeless shelters on Skid Row.

The problem is more prevalent then people ought to know. For example, the homelessness issue creates a huge financial burden on our nation's tax payers who pay millions of dollars each year in public services that specifically benefit the homeless.

Clean up Los Angeles. Clean up the national homelessness issue. LosAngeles has one the largest numbers of homeless individuals living in the city on the West coast. A major contribution to the homelessness issue is the problem with unaffordable housing. Unfortunately, many people are only a couple of paychecks from ending up on the streets.

Providing more affordable housing will help decrease a large number of homelessness.We hear many politicians talk about how the issue of homelessness is of utter importance, but we do not see any results or solutions to the problem.We need to pressure politicians to prove that they are taking action to solving homelessness in America.

We need less talk and more action.

Inmate Gets Sexed up in Prison

Tiffany Weaver, a 29 year old woman poses as an attorney to have special privileges to see an inmate, but they get caught having sex by corrections officers . She plead guilty to identity theft and illicit use of government identification. She posed as a real attorney who was on maternity leave.

Weaver was visiting Jason Moody, a man who is serving three decades in prison for manslaughter. She is supposed to appear in court June 7 for her sentencing.

Largest Homeless Population in the West

Downtown L.A. has the largest homeless population in the West. Actavists and Academics discuss what the city is doing to address this societal issue. Thousands of homeless men, women, and children live on the streets each night, but specifically concentrated higher levels of individuals sleep on Skid Row. Talking is great; however, action is greater! There needs to be more action. We have not seen that much of a positive change, but what we have seen is patient dumpings. We have to stop turning a blind eye and push are local Congressmen and women to step up their game plan or we will make them step down. I am tired of living in one of the most richest countries in the world and having to see every single day people begging for food, money, and acohol. These people need our help. Of course it is easy to turn a blind eye and pretend that homeless people do not exist, but they do. If we can travel thousands of miles outside of America to help educate and shelter people in least developed countries and developing countries, then we can try a little harder to help our own people who are starving on the streets each night.

Law Firms Struggle with Diversity Issues

Law firms struggle with creating a diverse working environment. The firms complain that they are doing more talking about how to solve the problem and less action. They try and recruit a diverse pool of attorneys. This is extremely important for prospective clients because the more diversity that a law firm has the more opportunities they will have in the clients that they attract. People want to have attorneys that they can identify with or comfortably talk to. For example, if a client happens to be Koren and there is a Koren attorney that they would like to talk to and that firm has a Koren lawyer on staff, then the firm is able to accomadate their clients better.

I use to work at Mercedes Benz and the same concept took place and I am postive it still does today. I was a receptionist and the people calling in would specifically as for Chinese sales or Persian sales to name a few. The dealership has employed a diverse group of salespeople that there were 12 languages that were spoken at the dealership.

If law firms want to increase their diversity they should recruit prospective lawyers from historically black colleges like Howard University or have a diversity fair where they can meet the people that would be the best fit for their practice.

Donkey Summoned to be a Witness in the Courtroom

Buddy, the name of a Donkey that appeared in court as a witness to disprove a neighbor’s claim that the ass was a loud nuisance. This was the first time that a farm animal has appeared in court as a witness. The judge has seen cats and dogs, but never a donkey. The defense attorney wanted to show the jury that Buddy was a peaceful animal and not loud and noisy.

What is the future of our justice system?

The judge should have not allowed a donkey to be brought into a court of law. For one, the donkey could not disprove the claim that the neighbor made just because it acted in a quaint manner in the court room. Second, the time of day and environment attribute to the noise level the donkey will make. Lastly, how did a dispute over a donkey make it to trial? There should be more stringent rules and regulations on what could take place in a courtroom. Perhaps there should be an oversight committee regulating the actions of courtroom procedure.

Quote of the Day

A woman is like a teabag--only in hot water do you realise how strong she is. --Nancy Reagan

Behind every great man there is a strong woman!

Alternatives to the Electoral College

In our current political system democracy does not rule, the people do not rule, but electors of the fifty different states do because the states’ electors are the determining factor behind who will be the next president of the United States. By creating the Electoral College, James Madison, commonly thought of as the father of the constitution, instituted a paradoxical system that has discrepancies when voter’s cast their ballot for the president of the United States. For example, a president can win the presidency, but lose the overall majority popular vote. However, Jean Jacques Rousseau, political philosopher, says that “each man, in giving his vote, states his opinion on that point; and the general will is found by counting votes” (Jacob 200). Unfortunately, the framers of the constitution originally did not comply with Rousseau’s notion of direct election by the people because of a disagreement between the states. The framers “intention was to devise a compromise that would satisfy a number of different constituencies needed to ratify the Constitution, primarily the small states and the slave states” (Pfiffner 65). The Electoral College should be reformed because having a president that wins the electoral vote, but loses the popular vote disregards the voice of the people.

The President who loses the popular vote, but wins the Electoral College is undemocratic. For example, presidential candidates tend to focus their campaigning on states that have the most electors in order to get the most electoral votes. Most states use a winner-take-all system, in which the candidate with the most votes in that state receives all of the state's electoral votes. As a result, candidates tend to focus more of their time on larger states without a clear favorite. “With direct popular election all votes would count for candidates, and they would be less likely to write off many states merely because they could not win the plurality in that state” (Pfiffner 65). Others feel that the Electoral College turns presidential elections into massive efforts by presidential candidates to win the votes of a small number of voters in a few key states, rather than the support of the American people as a whole. “Most candidates do not run a fifty state strategy. Instead, because many states tend to vote consistently over time, they focus on the fifteen to twenty states that swing back and forth between the two major parties” (West 18). This exemplifies the flawed system of the Electoral College to leave out certain states because candidates will not waste their time and money on a state that they know will not vote for them. Thus, some feel that the Electoral College system should be revaluated.

Some say that we should just dispose of the whole Electoral College system; however, because it is mandated by the constitution, it is unlikely ratification that would take place, essentially negating that alternative. The Seventeenth Amendment in 1913 provided for direct election of senators and proponents of abolishing the Electoral College feel that we need a constitutional amendment where the people directly elect the president. Since the framing of the constitution slavery has been abolished, women have been given the right to vote and all citizens eighteen and over are permitted to take part in the election process. These three reasons were some of the initial factors behind the framers of the constitution initially instituting the Electoral College; however, this system is now paradoxical and unnecessary. Doris Haddock, a political activist, once said, today “Democracy is not something we have, but something we do” (Mahe and Covert 133). Nevertheless, we do not have a complete democracy because the president is still elected indirectly by the people and “indirect democracy” is not “more closely into line with the original ideal of rule by the people” (Arblaster 79). This exemplifies the dire need for a reformation of the current Electoral College system because of the many controversies the system has caused. For example, there have occurrences were there is a faithless Elector that can spoil a presidential race.

The issue with the “Faithless Elector” is where a voter thinks that they are voting for a particular president but the “Faithless Elector” votes for another presidential candidate. A “faithless elector” is an elector that decides to vote another way than he/she is designated to vote, or simply casts a blank ballot. The Electoral College can be misleading to citizens because most “citizens who go to the polls to vote for president think that they are voting for the president rather than a slate of electors” (Pfiffner 62). For example, most states do not list the names of potential electors on a ballot, but rather the names of the candidates they have promised to vote for. This exemplifies the common falsification that can take place when citizens go to the polls and cast their ballot for a particular elector that could end up being a “faithless elector”. As a result, the voters’ vote is overruled by an elector who will not comply with the rules of his/her state or the wishes of the people. The most recent “faithless elector” was from Washington D.C. in the 2000 presidential election.

A solution to prohibiting a “faithless elector” would be to institute the “automatic plan”. The “candidate who won the plurality of popular votes in the state” would automatically get all of the electoral votes (Pfiffner 64). “Opponents of the automatic plan argue that it perpetuates many of the perceived inequities inherent in the present Electoral College system of electing the President and the Vice President” (Dahl 396). This provides an alternative to the current Electoral College, but does not fully reform the selection of the president in securing a victory for the winner of the popular vote.

Opponents to the proposed reformation of the Electoral College claim that we are a republic and not a democracy. Since, “The governmental system was designed by the Framers to be a republic” some people feel we should not reform the Electoral College system because it is a system that has been in use for over two hundred years (Pfiffner 60). Nevertheless, supporters for reform of the Electoral College system feel that “The president and vice president are the only national officials who represent the people as a whole and that the choice of the people is best approximated by the candidate who wins the most votes” (Pfiffner 61). The United States has practiced many democratic principles, but has yet to institute a constitutional amendment that would prohibit the winner of the popular vote from losing the presidency. Ensuring that the winner of the popular vote does not lose the presidency will make our system a “government by the people”. This will enable the popular vote to speak as the voice of the people and their preference for our nations Head of State.

However, opponents to direct elections feel that presidential candidates will focus their campaigning practices in major cities. Opponents to reformation of the Electoral College fail to realize that “swing states” enable candidates to focus on the states that are still indecisive. This parallelism is also an issue that brings out the flawed system of the Electoral College and the need for reformation. In How Democratic Is the American Constitution?, Robert Dahl, political scientist, states “The American Constitution ensures both that many people are poorly represented and that government often is ineffective” (Pomper). As we have seen throughout our nation’s history, many citizens agree with Dahl that people are poorly represented when the runner-up of the popular vote wins the presidency.

Supporters of the Electoral College feel that although the system is outdated and people are more educated, they are still not fully knowledgeable enough to directly elect the president. However, “The rise of television has had a profound impact” on voters because television has given Americans the opportunity to watch the news instead of read it in the paper (Edwards 207). Most Americans do not have time to read the paper everyday and the mass media have provided citizens an opportunity to stay politically informed at a minute’s notice. “Candidates seek to assemble a majority of Electoral College votes by winning targeted states. This Electoral College structure has enormous implications for advertising strategies” (West 18). However, Americans are more informed than they were 200 years ago. As a result, voters are more prepared to directly elect the president and the need for the Electoral College has diminished. According to West, “people ‘know too much’ to be influenced by ads” and are knowledgeable enough to decide which candidate is the best to govern our country (West 18). Most citizens would agree that the need for the Electoral College is unnecessary and has become perceived upon as undemocratic over the years.

A solution to reforming the Electoral College is the Maine-Nebraska plan. The plan allocates electoral votes based on the plurality in different districts and gives two electoral votes to the winner of the popular vote in the state as a whole (Pfiffner 64). The Electoral College would be more closely geared to the popular vote because of the plurality vote winners in each district, but would still leave the possibility of the runner up becoming president. The Maine -Nebraska plan could be adopted by the states on a volunteer basis and does not require a constitutional amendment. The Main-Nebraska plan is more democratic and a better reform solution to ensuring that the plurality of each presidential candidate is evenly dispersed throughout the state.

Another solution to reformation of the Electoral College is the “national bonus” plan. The “national bonus” plan “would grant a bonus of 102 electoral votes to the candidate who wins the most popular votes” almost eliminating the chances of the winner of the electoral vote becoming president (Pfiffner 65). The national bonus plan creates a more democratic approach to ensuring that the runner up of the popular vote does not become president. Unlike the Main-Nebraska plan, the national bonus plan would require a constitutional amendment, but elimination of the Electoral College would override the need for the “national bonus” plan.
The Electoral College should be reformed because having a presidential candidate win the electoral vote and lose the popular vote causes controversy in our country. The most recent example of such controversy was the presidential election in 2000 between
George W. Bush and Al Gore. “The Supreme Court decisively intervened in the disputed presidential election of 2000, in the famous (or infamous) case of Bush v. Gore. Its decision – a very controversial one – in effect chose the next president of the United States (George W. Bush). In part, the Supreme Court, in this case, was overruling or forestalling actions of the Florida Supreme Court. After all, the state courts are, in their own sphere, political actors too, and often very significant ones” as exemplified with the Bush v. Gore case (Friedman 179). Gore won the popular vote, but lost the electoral vote by one deciding state  Florida. Gore had a clear victory within the popular vote, but the Electoral College system shortchanged the presidential candidate from becoming president. Instead, the country had to wait for the presidential outcome and the deciding factor was from an unelected Supreme Court. This strongly exemplifies the urgent need for a constitutional amendment to reform the Electoral College system to guarantee that the majority winner of the popular vote does not lose the presidency.

Ultimately, the Electoral College is illogical and contradictory to our American democratic values. “In order to form a more perfect union” the Electoral College needs to be reformed to suit the American people and prohibit a presidential candidate that wins the popular vote from losing the presidency as we have seen in previous elections (Edwards 705). “The seeming irrationality of conflicts inescapably causes impatience and intolerance among proponents of reforms” (Dahl 91). Hopefully, one day Americans will be able to directly elect the president and abolish the Electoral College system.

Happy Earth Day!

Quote of the Day

You can live to be a hundred if you give up all the things that make you want to live to be a hundred.

Woody Allen (1935 - )

Democracy is a process by which people are free to choose the man who will get the blame.

Laurence J. Peter (1919 - 1988)

Toxic Sludge is Good for You

Torches of Liberty coined by Edward Bernays, the father of spin and founder of the public relations industry, created a “political demonstration”. He hired beautiful women to smoke Lucky Strikes cigarettes while marching in the 1929 Easter Parade in New York. This “was the first time in the memory of most Americans that any woman who wasn’t a prostitute had been seen smoking in public”. George Washington Hill, former president of the American Tobacco Company wanted to break the taboo against female smoking in public in order to make more money. He succeeded. Edward Bernay’s presentation, presented as a political demonstration, tripled the sales of Lucky Strikes.

I had never heard of Torches of Liberty. That was before I read Toxic Sludge Is Good for You! Lies, Damn Lies and the Public Relations Industry, by John C. Stauber and Sheldon Rampton, (c) 1995 by the Center for Media & Democracy, 236 pp., published by Common Courage Press.

People should definitely read this book to become more informed citizens.
Stauber and Rampton shed light on the manipulative and strategic ways big pubic relations firms cover up oil spills or an unhealthy food item sitting on shelves in grocery
stores. Thus, it is crucial for the pubic sphere to read the book, so the public relations industry will not be able to manipulate and deceive citizens.

The Public Relations industry is designed to alter people’s perception and the book mentions how “The best PR is never noticed” which is also the slogan of the industry (pg. 2). The book starts out with the process one needs to take in order to become a public relations specialist. For example, public relations specialist usually “began their careers as journalists, where they learned how to investigate people and institutions, how newsrooms work and how to write a compelling and informative story” (pg. 2) As a result, journalists are usually paid low wages and overworked, but gain enough experience and contacts to become a PR practitioner.

Toxic Sludge warns people about the dangers of public relations censorship. The book explains how “There is a new censorship in this country, based on nothing but dollars and cents” (pg. 7). The book also educates people on the difference between watching news and watching a video news release. A video news release is a video segment that has been created by a PR firm to persuade and shape public opinion.

Another form of censorship mentioned is about a forward referencing the dangers of eating certain foods sold in grocery stores. Dr. William Marcus, who wrote the forward and did the investigation, was fired for failing to comply with the EPA’s request to remove his forward from the book (pg. 9). Since Dr. Marcus was a government official, his non compliance created a government policy to prohibit officials from writing book forwards (pg. 9).

Ivy Lee, inventor of crisis management advises corporations to “Set your house in order, then tell the public that you have done so” (pg. 20). Lee helped his clients put the best spin on horrible situations. Lee was one of the first to offer clients help with corporate image building.

Beware of Invisible Men. The goal of the public relations industry is to manipulate the public and do so without them knowing they are being deceived. This is on of their best strategies. The book explains that we have a responsibility to get rid of Invisible Men.

“We are spray-painting the Invisible Man in order to make him visible again. We want the pubic at large to recognize the skilled propagandists of industry and government who are affecting public opinion and determining public policies, while remaining (they hope) out of public view. In a democracy, everyone needs to know who is really in charge, who makes the decisions, and in whose interests. Democracies function best without Invisible Men” (pg. 16).

Toxic Sludge, however, provides a solution to becoming aware of Invisible Men:

• First, learn to recognize the influence of PR in your life;
• Second, seek out alternative sources of information,
• Third, become personally involved in local efforts to directly address important issues at the community level.

Corporations and the US government are spending millions of dollars to silence people that try to expose the Invisible Men. They label these activists as “NIMBY” – the abbreviation for “Not In My Back Yard” (pg. 199). However, the public relations specialists claim that they are providing a service and should not be singled out as bad people. They point out that “they are not doing this because they are evil, but because PR is a financially rewarding business (pg. 203). They feel as if they are just doing their job.

After reading this insightful book, one will be more aware of how events are covered and covered up. “The public relations or “PR” industry did not even exist prior to the 20th century, but it has grown steadily and appears poised for even more dramatic growth in the future (pg. 13). Therefore, reading Toxic Sludge is crucial and beneficial for all ages to learn and be aware of Invisible Men.

Killings at Nasa

Man opens fire and kills himself along with...

Earth Day

April 22, 1970 marked the first annual celebration of Earth Day. This world wide celebrated holiday provides different nations across the globe an opportunity to come together. Earth Day has had wide spread support specifically in America. This special holiday is such a pronounced event that it is celebrated by 175 countries and in excess of 500 million people.

Environmental activist, Eddie Albert, who is also an American television star’s birthday, is on Earth Day, along with many other important figures. This day also established many new bills in the White House like the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and Endangered Species Act to name a few.

So below is some information for you if you live in the area, know someone who does, or happen to be in town and want to be involved in this wonderful celebration:

Remember, Earth Day only happens once a year! This is your opportunity to give back to the environment – Mother Earth.

“Kick off Earth Week by cleaning up one of Los Angeles’ most polluted beaches, Santa Monica Pier Beach, this Saturday, April 21st from 10:00am to 12:00pm. Transportation departs from Tommy Trojan at 9:00 am, or meet us at the beach at 10:00. Hosted by USC CalPIRG with Heal the Bay. E-mail insinger@usc.edu to sign up!”

Struggling in the Streets

Imagine.

Your outside, it’s cold, dark, and raining. If you are not in a homeless shelter and are homeless this can be pretty bad. However, if you do not fit any of these descriptions you are probably fortunate enough to have a roof over your head.

If you live in Los Angeles and haven’t noticed - we have a dire homelessness issue.

Los Angeles is the capitol of Homelessness. We need to create an effective remedy to decrease homelessness in our country, specifically Los Angeles.

There are thousand of homeless men, women, and children living on Skid Row every night.

This past spring, I conducted an ethnographic study of this sub-group at one of the nationally known rescue missions located on Skid Row in the city of Los Angeles.

I found that there are several individuals who are making a difference in their life to escape the social stigma of laziness and as people who are drug abusers, or have a serious mental illness. These types of stigmas are generally applied to people who are homeless. However, I witnessed people in drug rehabilitation programs who were working, going to school, and giving back to their community through volunteerism.

The shelters provide a positive opportunity for homeless people to start over and make a difference in their life. However, the homeless issue does not go away by concentrating a strip of homeless shelters on Skid Row.

The problem is more prevalent then people ought to know. For example, the Homelessness issue creates a huge financial burden on our nation’s tax payers who pay millions of dollars each year in public services that specifically benefit the homeless.

Clean up Los Angeles. Clean up the national homelessness issue. Los Angeles has one of the largest numbers of homeless individuals living in the city. A major contribution to the homelessness issue is the problem with unaffordable housing. Unfortunately, many people are only a couple of paychecks from ending up on the streets.

Providing more affordable housing will help decrease a large number of homelessness.
We hear many politicians talk about how the issue of homelessness is of utter importance, but we do not see any results or solutions to the problem.

We need to pressure politicians to prove that they are taking action to solving Homelessness in America.

Shooting at Va. Tech kills 33 people

A 20 year old started a shooting rampage that left 33 students dead and some in critical condition.

Why Blog? What's the Point?

“Why do you blog? A question that's asked both in a nice way and in a way which often means "what on earth possesses to you to write for no money and, probably, no readers?". A magazine review of blogs points out the importance of the blogosphere. Whether you have a blog, read blogs, or both, the blogosphere provides readers and writers an opportunity to freely express themeselves.

Women Work While Men Waste Time

Recent study indicates that more women use the Internet compared to men. According to the recent study, 97.2 Million women use the Internet compared to 90.9 million men. The study also shows that women use the Internet to balance work and family life and are able to accomplish more tasks online like paying bills. However, men are more likely to browse the Internet frivolously and watch videos.

100 Million $ Pay Check

High profile attorney, Willie Gary asks for 11,000 dollars an hour in attorney fees. He probably needs the pay to provide resources for his rich life style. For example, he has his own Boeing 737 called Wings of Justice II. Pretty good for a man who was poor and one of 11 siblings.

The Future of Public Intellectuals is in Question

The Nation
The Future of the Public Intellectual: A Forum by various participants

John Donatich: It seems to me that John Donatich is worried about the future of pubic intellectuals. He talks about how movies like Dumb and Dumber gross millions at the box office, but educational programs that talk about bohemian culture are available to the pubic sphere for free.

Russell Jacoby seemed to be promoting his books more than he was concerned about the future of the pubic intellectual. He particularly points out the decline in public intellectuals, but does not say what he thinks about the future of the public intellectual. His sentiments are interesting about his feelings that colleges take away talent from public intellectuals because they are too preoccupied with their work.
Jean Bethke Elstain is truly looking for someone who is willing to not worry about public scorn. He points to politicians who get negative criticism all the time, but realize that is the consequence of being a political figure.

Stephen Carter shares some of the same sentiments as Elstain. He feels that people are too preoccupied with labels and should not worry about where society will place them in according to what they write. He also brings up a great point when he says people may write about a certain goal, but we really do not know one’s true feelings. People can just tell the pubic what they feel or think and may act or think differently then they try to make the public believe.

Herbert Gans: Quote supplying provides prestige. He talks about how public intellectuals like professors are asked to provide journalist with one liner’s so they can use their authority in an article to solidify that what they are saying must be correct because a prestigious professor from Columbia or Harvard said it– so it must be true. Gans also brings an important point out when he says that many people get their information from late night talk shows like Jay Leno and David Letterman. I watch Jay Leno as opposed to David Lettermen because I feel that David Letterman appeals to the older crowd and Leno appeals to a younger crowd. However, as I watch Jay Leno, I do like to listen to the headlines he makes fun of because it brings a sense of importance if he is talking about a certain issue in his joke because he has to make daily references to current issues.

These panelists bring important issues about the future of public intellectuals. I feel that the public sphere needs public intellectuals because they are the one’s that are continuously studying important issues that face society on a daily basis. The future of public intellectual looks bright because they will always be needed and are not going anywhere anytime soon.

Proud to Be a Christian

Morally Correct?

Peter Beinart wrote an interesting article called Morally Correct that shed dissatisfaction with Christian conservatives referring to religion on touchy topics. People refer to the importance of seperation of church and state. However, if people want to bring in religion, then they should not be condemned for doing so. They could refer to the First Amendment and the right to speak freely. There is a time and place to bring one’s religion into certain aspects of political issues, but I do not see anything wrong with someone saying, for example, “Thank you and God Bless America”. However, even this may attract attention and discontent. I have learned that someone always has something to say regardless and you can't please everybody, so say what you want – President Bush sure does.

Now I Get It

I currently live in the Gardena area and always wondered why there was an excess of trash.

Road Trip

Retired couple hire taxi cab driver for a flat fee of $3000 to drive them to Arizona. The couple wanted their cat to be in a comfortable environment as opposed to being cramped in a cargo box on the airplane. The driver agreed to drive 10 hours a day. That cat is lucky to have such considerate guardians.

Happy Easter

Residents in Rode Island are not so happy with their superintendent because he renamed the Easter Bunny to Peter Rabbit. The political correctness of the new name has local residents outraged. Nevertheless, they do not have support from congregations to change the name back becuause they claim the Easter Bunny is not a religious symbol.

Happy Easter.

Did He Have a Job?

Speechwriting consultant, Jane Genova, asked advice from her presumed to be boyfriend about some work related issues. For example, she was not receiving respect, and felt underpaid. He suggested she stick up for herself and ask them to comply to her new demands. Unless her significant other did not have a job, I think he gave her the best advice. My parents always taught me to be respectful, but at the same time demand respect - no one is going to give it to you.

DPS and LAPD Could Learn Something from Tokyo

Bruce Wallace - Los Angeles Times Staff Writer's Bike was stolen. The peace officers arrested the thief. I do not know of any people in the SC area getting arrested for stealing student’s bikes. Like Tokyo, USC has a large number of students who also use bicycles as there main source of transportation around campus and the local community. Maybe bike stealers should start getting arrested to create deterrence for the petty theft that continues every semester.

More Money Equals More Black Student Enrollment

I agree Daniel that more young people will be afforded the opportunity to attend a university if more scholarships are provided. I have a black friend who got accepted to USC and was not able to go because he could not afford the tuition.

Why Harships and not Race?

I agree that economic hardship should be a factor in the decisions that are made for the acceptance committee. However, why do you feel that race should not be a factor?

Does UCLA really want to increase African American freshmen enrollment? (I think not)

UCLA has made "positive" changes in the way they admit incoming freshman, but this change doesn't imply there will be an increase in Black student enrollment. According to the Los Angeles Times, "The change was made after figures, released last summer, showed that only about 100 African American students (out of 4,500 accepted), or about 2% of the freshman class, would enroll at UCLA for the current academic year. The number, the lowest in more than 30 years, prompted UCLA leaders to declare an admissions crisis and push for the new system. But under Proposition 209, the state's 1996 voter-approved ban on affirmative action, the university cannot consider race in its admissions decisions". The change to the way students are admitted to UCLA was to increase the number of Black students, however, this will be unlikely because the school refers to proposition 209 to not take race into consideration. Are they just trying to keep the Black people to a minimum? It seems like the only Black people they are concerned about getting admitted to their school are the ones that are bringing in the big bucks from winning games that take them to the final four. Does it just seem as if the only Black people who are at major university schools are the ones that play for the team?

Happy Birthday Daniel Paul Ferguson

Happy 24th Birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Muah :)

Just Answer the Question

I just got home from the Magic Johnson Theatre that premiered “I Think I Love My Wife” staring comedian Chris Rock. The story takes place in New York and highlights how married couples, over time, can get comfortable with one another and forget about what’s really important in a marriage – Sex. Chris Rock complained to the marriage counselor that they were not having sex and his wife explained that she was too tired because she had to work, clean, cook, and take care of their two little children. As a result, of his wife’s hard work, at the end of the day she did not have enough energy to get intimate with her husband. However, Chris Rock was spending his time with an attractive, seductive, trifling, “old friend” who tried to jeopardize his marriage. Rock should have spent time at his house helping his wife do some of the chores around the house, so that she was not too tired to sleep with him at the end of the day. At the end of the movie, the star of the show Chris Rock and the owner of the Theatre, Magic Johnson were present to answer questions from the guest. I asked Rock if he felt that the movie provided people who are married an example of how negative communication can have an impact on a marriage and the importance for continual communication through the marriage. He said he was not Dr. Phil and it was just a movie. Ok, that’s fine, but he never answered the question. I would not go see the movie again, however, if you’re looking for a good laugh the movie comes out March 16. Just answer the question.

That's Why I Don't Have Facebook Anymore

Interesting article today in the Daily Trojan sheds light on truth for many students who are addicted to Facebook. I found Facebook to be distracting. That's one of the main reasons why I don't have Facebook anymore. I kind of miss it sometimes, but then I forget about it. There are more important things I must focus on in my life.

Hollywood Helping the Homeless

Not far from the glitz and glammer of Hollywood are hundreds of hungry homeless people on Skid Row in Downtown Los Angeles. Today, they were able to enjoy some of the cuisine that the celebrities had eaten yesterday at the Oscar's. It's so great to see good food not go to waste.

"High Maintenance Bitch" - What’s in a Word?

Local residents in Seattle are outraged by a controversial sign with the words “High Maintenance Bitch”. However, some people are not bothered by the words and feel that the slogan is catchy. Nevertheless, there are some parents who do not want their children to be subject to such profound language at an early age. This may be upsetting for some individuals in the community, but they will have to deal with the title. That’s the beauty of the First Amendment – one’s liberty to express unwanted material.

Police Misconduct

The Los Angeles Times sadly reports a Los Angeles Police Officer that is accused of raping a 17 year old girl. Jeffrey Sandwell, 37, was a family aquaintanc to the victimized girl and represents another case of police officers that partake in misconduct. An insightful essay I read a week ago shed light on police misconduct and abuse of powers. There has to be more stringent penalities for police officers who violate laws that they are supposed to be enforcing.

Abolish the Electoral College

Of all the possibilities that I present in “Different Alternatives to Reforming the Electoral College”, the elimination of the Electoral College is the one that I would like to see prevail. Abolishment of the Electoral College would provide the most democratic solution to ensuring that the loser of the popular vote does not have an opportunity to win the presidency as we have seen in the 2000 presidential election.

Prior to the controversial election of 2000, there have been different occasions in our nation’s history where the Electoral College has failed. For example, in 1796 John Adams was a candidate for the presidency and his opponent was Thomas Jefferson. Adams running mate was Thomas Pickney, but Jefferson received more votes than Pickney. Thus, Jefferson became Adams Vice – President because at that time the person with the second highest votes automatically became Vice-President. Also, in the following election of 1800, there was a tie between Thomas Jefferson and his vice – presidential running mate Aaron Burr. As a result, the 12th Amendment declared electors to specify their vote for president and vice president. However, problems still persist with Faithless Electors either casting a blank ballot, or casting a ballot for a different presidential candidate that they vowed to vote for. Thus, direct election of the president would rectify the issues that are inherent in the current Electoral College.

Different Alternatives to Reforming the Electoral College System

In our current governmental system democracy does not rule, the people do not rule, but electors of the fifty different states do because the states’ electors are the determining factor behind who will be the next president of the United States. By creating the Electoral College, James Madison, commonly known as the father of the constitution, instituted a paradoxical system that has discrepancies when voter’s cast their vote for the president of the United States. For example, a president can win the presidency, but lose the overall majority popular vote. However, Jean Jacques Rousseau, political philosopher, says that “each man, in giving his vote, states his opinion on that point; and the general will is found by counting votes” (Jacob 200). Unfortunately, the framers of the constitution originally did not comply with Rousseau’s notion of direct election by the people because of a fringe disagreement between the states. The framers “intention was to devise a compromise that would satisfy a number of different constituencies needed to ratify the Constitution, primarily the small states and the slave states” (Pfiffner 65). As a result, the paradox behind the current electoral system causes controversy in our country and poses a question of the legitimacy of our nations’ democratic values. Thus, the Electoral College should be reformed because having a president that wins the electoral vote, but loses the popular vote disregards the voice of the people.

Presidential candidates tend to focus their campaigning on states that have the most electors in order to get the most electoral votes. Most states use a winner-take-all system, in which the candidate with the most votes in that state receives all of the state's electoral votes. As a result, candidates tend to focus more of their time on larger states without a clear favorite. “With direct popular election all votes would count for candidates, and they would be less likely to write off many states merely because they could not win the plurality in that state” (Pfiffner 65). Others feel that the Electoral College turns presidential elections into massive efforts by presidential candidates to win the votes of a small number of voters in a few key states, rather than the support of the American people as a whole. “Most candidates do not run a fifty state strategy. Instead, because many states tend to vote consistently over time, they focus on the fifteen to twenty states that swing back and forth between the two major parties” (West 18). This exemplifies the flawed system of the Electoral College to leave out certain states because candidates will not waste their time and money on a state that they know will not vote for them.

Some say that we should just dispose of the whole Electoral College system; however, because it is mandated by the constitution, it is unlikely ratification that would take place, essentially negating that alternative. The Seventeenth Amendment in 1913 provided for direct election of senators and proponents of abolishing the Electoral College feel that we need a constitutional amendment where the people directly elect the president. Since the framing of the constitution slavery has been abolished, women have been given the right to vote and all citizens eighteen and over are permitted to take part in the election process. These three reasons were some of the initial factors behind the framers of the constitution initially instituting the Electoral College; however, this system is now paradoxical and unnecessary. Doris Haddock, a political activist, once said, today “Democracy is not something we have, but something we do” (Mahe and Covert 133). Nevertheless, we do not have a complete democracy because the president is still elected indirectly by the people and “indirect democracy” is not “more closely into line with the original ideal of rule by the people” (Arblaster 79). This exemplifies the dire need for a reformation of the current Electoral College system because of the many controversies the system has caused.

Then there is the issue with the “Faithless Elector” where a voter thinks that they are voting for a particular president but the “Faithless Elector” votes for another presidential candidate. A “faithless elector” is an elector that decides to vote another way than he/she is designated to vote, or simply casts a blank ballot. The Electoral College can be misleading to citizens because most “citizens who go to the polls to vote for president think that they are voting for the president rather than a slate of electors” (Pfiffner 62). For example, most states do not list the names of potential electors on a ballot, but rather the names of the candidates they have promised to vote for. This exemplifies the common falsification that can take place when citizens go to the polls and cast their ballot for a particular elector that could end up being a “faithless elector”. As a result, the voters’ vote is overruled by an elector who will not comply with the rules of his/her state or the wishes of the people. The most recent “faithless elector” was from Washington D.C. in the 2000 presidential election.

A solution to prohibiting a “faithless elector” would be to institute the “automatic plan”. The “candidate who won the plurality of popular votes in the state” would automatically get all of the electoral votes (Pfiffner 64). “Opponents of the automatic plan argue that it perpetuates many of the perceived inequities inherent in the present Electoral College system of electing the President and the Vice President” (Dahl 396). This exemplifies an alternative to the current Electoral College, but does not fully reform the selection of the president in securing a victory for the winner of the popular vote.

Opponents to the proposed reformation of the Electoral College claim that we are a republic and not a democracy. They say, “The governmental system was designed by the Framers to be a republic” and we should not reform the Electoral College system because it is a system that has been in use for over two hundred years (Pfiffner 60). Nevertheless, supporters for reform of the Electoral College system feel that “The president and vice president are the only national officials who represent the people as a whole and that the choice of the people is best approximated by the candidate who wins the most votes” (Pfiffner 61). America has practiced many democratic principles, but has yet to institute a constitutional amendment that would prohibit the winner of the popular vote from losing the presidency. Raymond Aron, one of the greatest teachers of political philosophy in the twentieth century, states, “There is government for the people; there is no government by the people” (Arblaster 50). Ensuring that the winner of the popular vote does not lose the presidency will make our system a “government by the people”.

Opponents to direct elections feel that presidential candidates will focus their campaigning practices in major cities. Opponents to reformation of the Electoral College
fail to realize that “swing states” enable candidates to focus on the states that are still indecisive. This parallelism is also an issue that brings out the flawed system of the Electoral College and the need for reformation. In How Democratic Is the American Constitution?, Robert Dahl, political scientist, states “The American Constitution ensures both that many people are poorly represented and that government often is ineffective” (Pomper). As we have seen throughout our nation’s history, many citizens agree with Dahl that people are poorly represented when the runner-up of the popular vote wins the presidency.

Supporters of the Electoral College feel that although the system is outdated and people are more educated, they are still not fully knowledgeable enough to directly elect the president. However, “The rise of television has had a profound impact” on voters because television has given Americans the opportunity to watch the news instead of read it in the paper (Edwards 207). Most Americans do not have time to read the paper everyday and the mass media have provided citizens an opportunity to stay politically informed at a minute’s notice. “Candidates seek to assemble a majority of Electoral College votes by winning targeted states. This Electoral College structure has enormous implications for advertising strategies” (West 18). However, Americans are more informed than they were 200 years ago. As a result, voters are more prepared to directly elect the president and the need for the Electoral College has diminished. According to West, “people ‘know too much’ to be influenced by ads” and are knowledgeable enough to decide which candidate is the best presidential elect (West 18). Most citizens would
agree that the need for the Electoral College is unnecessary and has become perceived upon as undemocratic over the years.

A solution to reforming the Electoral College is the Maine-Nebraska plan. The plan allocates electoral votes based on the plurality in different districts and gives two electoral votes to the winner of the popular vote in the state as a whole (Pfiffner 64). The Electoral College would be more closely geared to the popular vote because of the plurality vote winners in each district, but would still leave the possibility of the runner up becoming president. The Maine -Nebraska plan could be adopted by the states on a volunteer basis and does not require a constitutional amendment. The Main-Nebraska plan is more democratic and a better reform solution to ensuring that the plurality of each presidential candidate is evenly dispersed throughout the state.

Another solution to reformation of the Electoral College is the “national bonus” plan. The “national bonus” plan “would grant a bonus of 102 electoral votes to the candidate who wins the most popular votes” almost eliminating the chances of the winner of the electoral vote becoming president (Pfiffner 65). The national bonus plan creates a more democratic approach to ensuring that the runner up of the popular vote does not become president. Unlike the Main-Nebraska plan, the national bonus plan would require a constitutional amendment, but elimination of the Electoral College would override the need for the “national bonus” plan.

The Electoral College should be reformed because having a presidential candidate win the electoral vote and lose the popular vote causes controversy in our country. The most recent example of such controversy was the presidential election in 2000 between
George W. Bush and Al Gore. “The Supreme Court decisively intervened in the disputed presidential election of 2000, in the famous (or infamous) case of Bush v. Gore. Its decision – a very controversial one – in effect chose the next president of the United States (George W. Bush). In part, the Supreme Court, in this case, was overruling or forestalling actions of the Florida Supreme Court. After all, the state courts are, in their own sphere, political actors too, and often very significant ones” as exemplified with the Bush v. Gore case (Friedman 179). Gore won the popular vote, but lost the electoral vote by one deciding state  Florida. Gore had a clear victory within the popular vote, but the Electoral College system shortchanged the presidential candidate from becoming president. Instead, the country had to wait for the presidential outcome and the deciding factor was from an unelected Supreme Court. This strongly exemplifies the urgent need for a constitutional amendment to reform the Electoral College system to guarantee that the majority winner of the popular vote does not lose the presidency.

Ultimately, the Electoral College is illogical and contradictory to our American democratic values. “In order to form a more perfect union” the Electoral College needs to be reformed to suit the American people and prohibit a presidential candidate that wins the popular vote from losing the presidency as we have seen in previous elections (Edwards 705). “The seeming irrationality of conflicts inescapably causes impatience and intolerance among proponents of reforms” (Dahl 91). Hopefully, one day Americans will be able to directly elect the president and abolish the Electoral College system.

Why Do We (Black People) Get The Shortest Month of the Year?

In 1926, Harvard graduate, Dr. Carter G. Woodson, choose the second week of February to celebrate Negro History Week because of the birthday’s of two prominent men that positively influenced the black population – Fredrick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. Over time, other historical events took place for African-Americans that turned our week celebration into a month long annual tradition that started in 1976.

I’ve heard plenty of people say that Black people get the month of February because it is the shortest month of the year. However, listed below are some of the real reasons that Black History Month is celebrated in February:

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  February 23, 1868: W.E.B. DuBois co-founder of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is born.

February 3, 1870: 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution grant’s Black men the right to vote.

February 25, 1870: Hiram R. Revels (1822 -1901) became the first Black U.S. senator.


February 12, 1909: The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was formulated by blacks and progressive whites.

February 1, 1960: Monumental civil rights movement begins in Greensboro, North Carolina by college students.


February 21, 1965: Malcolm X was assassinated.

So, next time you hear someone ask, “Why do we celebrate Black History Month in February”, you can enlighten them with the facts and not a false assumption.

"Thank You For Smoking"

State tobacco tax money help fund annual stipends to improve job opportunities for child care workers.

Sour Deal

What’s the big deal about John Edwards receiving less for what he expected to get from his home that he sold in Washington D.C. There should be more important matters being discussed other than the assumed disappointment Edwards experienced.

The African American Super Bowl Challenge

Tony Dungy of the Indiana Colts and Lovie Smith of the Chicago Bears have made double history by becoming the first African -American coaches to go to the Super Bowl. This is a great contribution to the accomplishments achieved by African-Americans. However, will it ever come to a point in time when color does not matter. Currently, it seems as if whenever a black person makes history by becoming the first to do something the media makes a big deal about the achievement. For example, when Denzel Washington won an Oscar for Training Day and Halle Berry won an Oscar for Monster's Ball the two of them were praised by the media for being the first African-American male and female to earn an Oscar. Nevertheless, whether Tony Dungy wins or Lovie Smith wins, whoever wins they are both champions and broke history together as the double first African -American coaches to make history by going to the Super Bowl. What a way to celebrate Black History Month!

Thou Shall Not Disobey The Law

National Football League attorney, Rachel L. Margolies successfully sought to shut down congregations from gathering to watch Super Bowl XLI on big screen television sets across the country. According to the "NFL guidelines — and federal law — churches, schools and other public venues can hold football-viewing parties only if they use a single, living-room-size TV, no bigger than 55 inches. When they project the game onto 12-foot screens or set up banks of TVs, they cross the line, according to NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy". However, this stringent search to shut down large amounts of people from viewing the big game on one screen is clearly the work of excellent public relations practitioners to discover different ways to protect and increase the profits of the NFL industry. Nielsen Media Research are currently only able to determine the ratings of a show by using surveys and from household viewership. As a result, the NFL figured they need to fill living rooms to increase their ratings. Thus, strictly enforcing churches to cancel their congregations from viewing the game on one screen.