January 18 could prove to be an unprecedented day in the history of the Internet. For the first time, several of the world’s most popular websites will “black out,” or go offline, in protest of the Stop Online Piracy and PROTECT IP Acts (SOPA and PIPA, respectively). These bills were designed primarily to stop foreign-based websites from violating U.S. copyrights online. However, glaring flaws leave room for fears of Internet censorship equivalent to that of North Korea and Cuba.
One of Wikipedia's proposed 'blackout pages' for Wednesday, Jan. 18
A number of high-profile websites have now officially released statements declaring that full blackouts will indeed happen tomorrow, Wednesday, January 18. The most notable of these is Wikipedia, whose English-language site will be shut down for a full 24 hours, from midnight EST on January 18 until midnight EST January 19. The English Wikipedia houses nearly 3,850,000 articles and receives roughly 25 million visitors a day from around the world. Tomorrow, however, Wikipedia’s largest Encyclopedia will be replaced by proposed “blackout pages,” detailing information about the proposed SOPA and PIPA acts.
Continue reading ‘Wikipedia, Reddit to ‘Black Out’ Wednesday in Protest of SOPA’
Thursday evening, comedian and political pundit Stephen Colbert made an announcement that could potentially be the best news the U.S. has heard in decades. Colbert, host of the Comedy Central satirical news show The Colbert Report, revealed on last night’s show that he is “forming an exploratory committee to lay the groundwork for [his] possible candidacy for President of the United States of South Carolina!”
Stephen Colbert for President!
The announcement comes after a Public Policy Polling survey released on Tuesday found Colbert polling ahead of former Utah governor John Huntsman in Colbert’s home state of South Carolina. According to the survey, Colbert has five percent of the vote, while Huntsman only has four. Discussing the results on his Wednesday show, Colbert said, “This just got real.”
While many people often have trouble determining when Colbert should and should not be taken seriously, it would be a mistake to underestimate his intentions in this instance. In 2008, he attempted to enter the South Carolina Republican primaries to run for president, but could not afford the hefty fee. The Democrats of his state made a decision to block him, ending his campaign aspirations.
Continue reading ‘Stephen Colbert for President?’
Khloe Kardashian Odom has taken to Twitter in the oh-so classy and mature fashion characteristic of her and her socialite family to slam the two women who have made claims that she is not really a Kardashian. Jan Ashley and Ellen Kardashian, both ex-wives of father Robert Kardashian, spoke to Star magazine yesterday, alleging that Robert revealed to both of them that Khloe is not his daughter.
Who's your daddy?!
“Khloe is not his kid. He told me that after we got married. He just kind of looked at me and said (it) like it was a matter of fact,” Jan Ashley, Kardashian’s first wife after Kris Jenner, told the magazine.
“Robert did question the fact that Khloe was his,” Ellen Kardashian, Robert’s third wife, maintained.
Rather than confronting the issue in an adult fashion via a professional medium, however, Kim Kardashian’s little sister decided to angrily tweet her response to the women’s serious claims:
“The audacity you have to mention my father’s name like this! Should be ashamed of urself! I let a lot of things slide but this one is really low. YOU ARE DISGUSTING! (yes you know who YOU are),” she wrote.
Continue reading ‘Daddy Doubts for Khloe Kardashian’
As if the frigid, overcast weather didn’t already have me yearning for the long-awaited festival season, the infamous Southern California Coachella music festival has officially announced this summer’s lineup, igniting a buzz of excitement and anticipation amongst music lovers of all genres. Held at the beautiful Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival has historically been one of the biggest events in music.
Coachella officially announced their full 2012 lineup yesterday
Like Lollapalooza, Wakarusa, Summercamp and others, Coachella boasts big name acts as well as independent musicians. This year, Coachella is garnering special attention, as two of the biggest acts in underground music will reunite to perform at the three-day event. For the first time, I (and many others, I’m sure) am legitimately considering a cross-country trip for the stinky, muddy, hippie-lovin’ debauchery that is a music festival.
Headlining the 2012 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival are alternative music legends Radiohead, along with the more recently popular Bon Iver and The Black Keys. Rappers Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg will appear together for a special duet performance (holy ****!), and singer-songwriter Feist and the one-man mash-up machine Girl Talk will also perform.
Continue reading ‘Refused, At the Drive-In to Reunite at Coachella 2012′
Stephen Hawking, perhaps the most brilliant mind of our generation, has revealed in an interview with New Scientist magazine that there is still one aspect of the world that completely defies his understanding. Hawking, a University of Cambridge physicist and theoretical cosmologist, has dedicated his life’s work to unearthing the nature of the universe at large, including where it came from, what it is and where it is going. He gained fame for his bestselling book “A Brief History of Time,” in which he attempts to explain a wide variety of subjects in cosmology to the common reader, including the Big Bang, black holes and light cones. Hawking, who is about to celebrate his 70th birthday at a symposium entitled “The State of the Universe,” has been left almost paralyzed from the rare motor neurone ailment called Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Stephen Hawking still doesn't understand women
In an interview with one of the world’s best science and technology news magazines, Hawking admitted the most significant mistake of his career. “I used to think that information was destroyed in black holes,” he said. “But the AdS/CFT correspondence led me to change my mind. This was my biggest blunder, or at least my biggest blunder in science.” Garnering more attention, however, is a comment in the same interview regarding the one aspect of the world that still totally defies his comprehension: females. “Women,” he said, “are a complete mystery.”
Continue reading ‘Genius Stephen Hawking Admits to Having Trouble With the Ladies’
The Iowa caucus is easily the most anticipated and most overrated event in the United States presidential elections. Since 1972, the Corn State’s caucuses have been the first major electoral event of the nominating process for the Office of the President. For that reason, the outcomes of Iowa’s caucuses are typically interpreted to represent the supposed opinion of “America’s Heartland” in its entirety. Those who fair well often tend to go on to receive a Republication nomination on the national level, and those who do not usually drop out after this very first caucus. Despite the emphasis placed on Iowa’s caucuses, however, only about one percent of the country’s electoral delegates come from the Iowa State Convention, rendering the state largely obsolete in the long run, other than for mere speculation.
From left to right: presidential candidates Santorum, Paul, Romney and Gingrich
Even so, the Iowa caucus was rendered just as important in 2012 as it has been in years past. Candidate Rick Perry spent $4 million on TV ads in the state, and Rick Santorum invested roughly $30,000. The official caucus took place yesterday, Tuesday, January 3, 2012, and the results released early this morning were surprising on many fronts. Conservative Republicans Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum nearly tied for first place, with Romney winning by only a fraction of a percentage and eight total votes. Santorum’s success was most surprising of all, as his popularity seemingly appeared out of nowhere in roughly two weeks. The Conservative, anti-gay and anti-abortion candidate is widely believed to have succeeded due to the wide range of Evangelical and “born-again” Christians who came out to vote in the state. Ron Paul, who has run in just about every Presidential election since I can remember and is perhaps only now being taken seriously, shocked everyone by coming in third place with 21.4 percent of the votes.
Continue reading ‘What the Iowa Caucus Really Means (and Why We Should Fear for the Future of Our Country)’
As most of us learn with age, the holiday season can often be a time of tragedy despite its promises of cheerfulness and new beginnings. Residents of Washington State experienced this firsthand yesterday, January 1, 2012, when a gunman shot and killed a ranger in Mount Rainier National Park. The woman, 34-year-old mother of two Margaret Anderson, had been serving as a park ranger for four years.
Authorities examine a vehicle believed to belong to suspected gunman Benjamin Colton Barnes
Her husband, also a Mount Rainier park ranger, was working elsewhere in the park at the time of the shooting. Around 10:20 A.M., the gunman sped past a security checkpoint making sure vehicles had tire chains for the snowy conditions. While another ranger followed, Anderson blocked the road to stop the driver. The perpetrator began firing shots, and Anderson, who should have been armed, was hit before she even left her vehicle.
Continue reading ‘Authorities Hunt for Armed Gunman in Mt. Rainier’
Residents of St. Louis might be feeling some relief this morning after the loss of key player and city staple Albert Pujols. When Pujols announced his departure from the Cardinals earlier this month, St. Louisians were up in arms. Feelings of betrayal paired with accusations of greed and deception made the split less than amicable, and many were questioning the future of the team sans Pujols. Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt Jr., however, said he expected Pujols’s departure to enhance the team’s payroll by $110 million, allowing the opportunity for the Cardinals to sign younger, equally talented players.
Heavy hitter Carlos Beltran will now be playing for the Cardinals
That $110 million will apparently be put to good use, as yesterday the organization went public with its decision to sign fielder Carlos Beltran. Pending the results of a physical, Beltran and the 2011 World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals have agreed to a two-year and reportedly $26 million contract. For many, the signing of Beltran brings great relief after the loss of Pujols. This past season, he batted .300 with 22 home runs, 84 RBIs and a .385 on-base percentage while playing for the New York Mets and the San Francisco Giants. The switch-hitter is a six-time All-Star with a .283 career batting average, 302 home runs and 1,146 RBIs.
Continue reading ‘Christmas Comes Early for the St. Louis Cardinals’
As if anyone is really surprised anymore, Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi has made the news yet again for her ridiculous antics. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you probably know Snooki as the pint-sized star of the latest reality phenomenon, “Jersey Shore.” She and her other “guido” and “guidette” roommates make oodles of money drinking, fighting and vacationing in New Jersey courtesy of MTV.
Snooki at her finest
Currently approaching its fifth season, the show has garnered record ratings for the network, making it their most viewed series of all time (which is exceptional considering the “
The Real World” craze of the 90’s). While a number of the roommates have difficulty even using proper English (not because of a language barrier, but because of lack of intelligence), both Snooki and fellow guidette “JWoWW” (Jenni Farley) are both “authors” of “books” that have made the LA and New York Times Best Sellers lists. As an English major and an aspiring writer, there is no more depressing of a sign of the times.
Continue reading ‘Snooki Facing $7 Million Lawsuit’
The recent death of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il bears stark resemblance to the May 2011 execution of Osama bin Laden. I personally received a heavy amount of criticism after bin Laden’s death, as I professed my discomfort with the United States’ overwhelmingly celebratory attitude regarding the event. Don’t get me wrong—I do not “side” with bin Laden. He was inarguably a cruel and ruthless man who took many lives. However, I was downright disturbed by the fact that one of the most advanced countries in the 21st century was celebrating a gruesome murder like we had won a sport’s game. No matter how many atrocities someone commits while he is alive, the loss of any human life should be regarded with respect, dignity and, in this particular instance, apprehension for the future. Instead, the United States of America responded childishly, demanding to see pictures of the dead body, making jokes about his death and going out to bars or even throwing parties to drink and celebrate. I can understand feeling relieved, more safe and secure, knowing that such a person is no longer a threat to society. However, I cannot understand reveling in the idea of the loss of human life, no matter the circumstances.
North Korean communist dictator Kim Jong-il has passed
Today, the North Korean state television officially announced that communist dictator Kim Jong-il had passed away two days ago from a heart attack at age 69. The news brings about mixed emotions, for despite his uncouth ways of leading he was regarded as by many in North Korea as the “Dear Leader” of their country. In fact, photographs from the last two days show North Korean residents overwhelmed with grief at the news of their leader’s death. Despite this country-wide reputation, however, a 2004 Human Rights Watch report named Kim’s North Korean government “among the world’s most repressive,” having roughly 200,000 political prisoners and no freedom of the press or religion. Kim’s regime barred political opposition, equal education and health care.
Continue reading ‘Kim Jong-il and Osama bin Laden: The World Responds’
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