The Journal Days

Over the next three weeks I will be traveling on a remarkable vacation through the Mediterranean. The trip itself will serve as one long celebratory bash for my mother's birthday, my 21st birthday and my parent's anniversary.

The only really big decision then comes in how to document the events.

The first notable device to perform these actions is the Canon Rebel XSi I purchased last week (it should arrive in VA on Wednesday [this is me... excited]).

I decided on it over the Nikon alternatives after some pretty thorough consultation with my photographer colleagues at the Technician (my newspaper). As far as their concerns, Nikon provides the better kit lens, but Canon has less expensive and a larger range of compatible lenses.

Additionally, I was able to find a superior deal on a Rebel XSi (an upgrade over the XS and a much better camera than the Nikon D60).

Taken together, the choice of my XSi for about $600 was a really good deal.

So, I will be doing a lot of photo documentation on my trip (see below). Pending training by said photographers*

In addition to visually documenting my trip, one of my old professors made an interesting proposition. He recommended that I buy a nice journal before I go and jot down some notes every night before I retire to bed.

I think this is a brilliant idea. Not that I am trying to supplant this blog. But, in honesty, I have not kept up with it that well since Christmas and I'm not even sure I'm going to take my computer on the trip.

Regardless of the capacity to write in the blog, I think I would keep up with a physical journal much better. If nothing else, it will serve as a record that I can read in 20 years to see how I used to write.

Not as much in the sense of content, my newspaper work has shown me that I have the ability to write effectively, but I want a way to capture the way in which I experience the trip (a sort of introspection... maybe).

In any case, I am excited about the trip (it begins this Sunday with a flight to Rome). More will be posted later this week.

My last three technician articles

The stench is back

Russell Witham, Viewpoint Editor

Can you smell it in the air?

No? Perhaps you took too much Zicam and are suffering from anosmia (loss of smell). If so, I envy you. This place stinks.

Budget cuts, Nielsen and JLO's rotting corpses, Mary Easley and the inevitable start of "mulching season;" we're starting to sound like the Cuyahoga river (see dictionary: something that was burned more than Mary Easley's reputation).

But don't worry -- things are looking up. The University is only being asked to relinquish 10 percent of its state funding. What a great relief, we're only out $53 million. But hold on a second. $53 million dollars is more than the total endowment of Peace College, UNC-Wilmington and High Point University.

How will we ever recover from this?

I've got it. Let's hire Joe Jackson to do our public relations -- no one can dance on a dead person's parade like he can.

Better yet, why don't we just get down to business and make these cuts? All we'd have to do is hire 400 or so auditors to evaluate the elimination of 300 administrators. That way we could have an extra hundred staff members on campus next year to rationalize why the positions that were eradicated failed to serve "core academic units." We could call them executives-in-residence.

I'm not sure I even know what a core academic unit is. Oh wait, it must be those thrifty First Year College and New Student Orientation programs.

This is the same NSO that successfully increased its spending this year while on a mission to cut costs, and this is the same FYC program that claims "to promote both self-discovery and awareness of others through assignments, class activities and advising sessions."

Those sound like activities that should be accomplished during some personal time with a hooker and a psychologist (hopefully they aren't one in the same).

Heck, the University already sponsors shrinks. Why don't we step it up to the next level and turn that brand new FYC building into the "Bureau of Self-Discovery?" I guarantee costs would go down and approval ratings would go through the roof.

Don't fret. We aren't the only one in ruins. Chapel Hill is joining us with a $60 million cut of its own. I reckon it'll be hurtin' mightily when its endowment is reduced to a paltry $2.3 billion -- perhaps the students will only be able to hold celebratory bonfires on Franklin Street once a year instead of the usual two or three times.

It's not that we're bitter. We're not resentful at all that Chancellor Thorp and Chapel Hill's other administrators spend their time procuring grants instead of flying around on McQueen Campbell's private jet -- ahem, Oblinger.

This campus is definitely headed in the right direction, right through the pothole of innovation and straight into a set of road spikes. On the bright side, the 10-percent cut might reduce some of this year's mulching budget.

Still, things could be worse. We could be in California.

Then again, at least we'd have clean air and a macho leader.

*For the blog readers*

Former Chancellor (JLO) James L. Oblinger resigned from service at N.C. State this summer following federal allegations of impropriety in the hiring and subsequent raises given to former first lady Mary Easley (gubernatorial).

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I'm coming out

Russell Witham, Viewpoint Editor

For years now, I have been afraid to talk about my burden in public. I've lived in constant fear that around every corner one of Al Gore's hooded cronies would be there to beat me with the tire iron of environmentalism.

But in the shadow of an 18-percent budget cut and unparalleled corruption within the University, I think I can actually fly under the radar and sneak my self-righteous beliefs past you.

And so the time has come, today I'm going to do it. I feel safe enough to come out of the closet and declare that I don't believe in the Global Warming fraud.

Now before you reach for the ground and pick up a stone, let me clarify my position. I am against the media propagation of the scientifically unproven ills of climate change.

The planet is getting warmer in certain locations -- any chimp with a thermometer can figure that out. What I want, what I feel the American populous deserves, is to receive unbiased and fair coverage of a recent and evolving issue.

In a perceptive expose in The New York Times Magazine, Nicholas Dawidoff wrote about the scientific views of the renowned physicist and mathematician Freeman Dyson.

Dyson made much of his fame as a researcher in quantum field theory and other advanced physics -- notably through his work on unifying quantum and electrodynamic theory.

In later life he has delved deeply into all modes of science and public policy.

Despite a lifetime of groundbreaking and historic contributions, he is now being ridiculed as a heretic for denying many of the dangers of global warming.

James Hansen, the head of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, and Al Gore have relied so much on models and atmospheric physics that they fail to address basic biology. The question we should be asking is: why is global warming bad?

In "An Inconvenient Truth," Gore seems to enjoy relishing in the melting snows of Kilimanjaro, the thawing Peruvian glaciers and the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.

Gore is great at showing off his whiz-bang charts but fails to ponder if more carbon dioxide and warmth will destroy the world's eco-systems or simply make the Earth warmer (since when was warmth a bad thing, Florida sure does seem to get some love.)

Glaciers have receded and grown for millions of years, for us to think we have the power or the right to stop them the way they are today is illogical.

Basic biology teaches us that carbon dioxide is fundamental for the life cycles of most of the vegetation on this planet. Why then would it be heretical to query that a warmer climate and higher levels of carbon dioxide would lead to increased vegetation, as Dyson has?

I'm not saying that global warming is good, nor am I saying that we should send excess carbon dioxide into the atmosphere to save the planet. But the media has no right to dictate either way.

In the words of the great Malcolm X, "The media's the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that's power. Because they control the minds of the masses."

The media has declared war on free thinkers like Freeman Dyson, exerting populist rage over the death of polar bears and the rising oceans.

Perhaps we as a society should demand that the media stop telling us about the impending doom of a real life "Waterworld" and instead address why so many in our own nation are homeless and without insurance during this recession.

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The education phenomenon

Russell Witham, Senior Staff Columnist

Since before I could walk, I have spent my summers in Swansboro, N.C. The slow pace of the town and the warmth of its residents were an indelible part of my childhood. Despite spending nearly a third of my life in this state, my home (according to the IRS) is in Annandale, VA. This means I have to pay $12,475 more per year to attend the University than a North Carolina resident does.

While I do feel as though I should have some sort of claim to “in-state” tuition, I grudgingly pay my $18,000 per year because this was a choice I made. A choice for “innovation,” one might say.

I could have gone to one of the many great colleges in Virginia, but I decided N.C. State was right for me (we’ll go ahead and ignore the fact that I didn’t get accepted to those great Virginia schools).

But is there any difference between my experience and that of an illegal immigrant — aside from the not having to jump across fences and deserts to get home?

We both unofficially live in the state of North Carolina and neither of us writes a check each year to Gov. Bev Perdue.

And that is why neither me nor any of the illegal immigrants in this country deserve in-state tuition.

While we all must pay taxes on basic consumption items, these dues come nowhere close to the level of income tax paid by residents of this state.

That income tax fuels the North Carolina general fund, which in turn funds 46 percent of our education at the University — tuition itself only pays for 15 percent.

The extra money I pay to go to the University is nothing more than an adjustment for the fact that I didn’t contribute to the 46 percent. So in reality, we all are paying the same amount to go to this school, the funds simply come in through different revenue streams.

If illegal immigrants are granted in-state tuition in North Carolina, as is currently the case in 10 states, N.C. tax payers will in effect be subsidizing the cost of college education for illegal immigrants.

Legal North Carolinians already pay for secondary education and health care for illegal aliens. Why don’t they start paying for college education as well?

On second thought, it does seem awfully American to pay for foreigners’ benefits when there are jobless and hungry citizens of our own country who are hanging on for dear life during this recession.

Perhaps these facts are why I found those protesters at UNC-Chapel Hill last week to be so moronic.

As much as I love a good protest, perhaps this is the French side of me — the demonstrators at UNC failed to understand where education funding comes from.

Illegal immigrants shouldn’t receive in-state tuition because they haven’t paid for it, the same way in which I haven’t paid for it.

Still though, it would be nice for a few more handouts from President Barack Obama. So here’s to hoping he bails me out. My lack of funds almost constitutes a bank of its own.

Getting Fired

So today was an interesting experience.. maybe the title is a giveaway, but I got fired.

O.K., maybe that is being a little dramatic. But I'll let you decide..

The Technician's budget meeting, where the editorial staff decides its content for the day happens at 3:30. For whatever reason, despite the fact that I have been listed as the writer of the editorial for the last two weeks and have been helping edit for almost a month now I was not listed on our "budget."

I thought this was kind of odd, but didn't really put too much thought into it. Things became clear about 15 minutes after the meeting ended when I was called into the Editor-in-Chief's office by the Viewpoint Editor, Jane.

Jane and Saja then informed me that they thought I should work on my writing and interviewing skills more. In reality, what they really decided was that they chose someone else.

This was after they had told me that the admission process was just a formality.

I feel slightly bruised by it all, but maybe it is for the best. I am busy and stressed almost constantly and perhaps it is a good thing to take something off my plate... at least for this semester.

I still have my weekly column, but it seems that for now, my days of editing are over.

Day 1

I should be working on two article rewrites for my Eng 417 class right now. But I feel exceptionally lazy as I sit here listening to Death Cab for Cutie; so today I'm going to try something new. Feedback would be nice...

This may constitute starting a new blog, I don't know yet (basically I'll have to see how pathetic it is), but I want to try a new concept which hopefully will get me on here every night... despite my work load.

Short paragraphs of my daily random thoughts that I for the most part cannot put in my articles bc they are rhetorical questions.

Here goes nothing.


****

When was the last time you were kissed? Do you remember what it felt like? Were his or her lips soft, moist, a combination of the two? How did you feel ten minutes later? How did you feel ten minutes before? Was your chest thumping? Was it love, emotion, pure physicality, or are they even distinct?

Wouldn't you like to know...

Thinking Movies

I generally don't talk about very personal things in my blog.

For starters, it makes me very uncomfortable to tell personal things to anyone, even my own family. No less, divulge the privileged for anyone to read.

Sometimes though, I will admit, it is a good idea to let some things go instead of letting them stew within your own mind.

This evening, my father and I went to see Slumdog Millionaire at the venerable Cinema Arts in Fairfax, VA.

I thought the movie was a little over-hyped after the Academy Awards, but nonetheless, it was very good and well worth the price of a ticket.

If you have seen the movie, the main setting is no secret, but if you haven't -- the film is set (maybe this is obvious) in the slums of Mumbai (Bombay).

I thought little of it. But as I was leaving the theater I noticed that my Dad was being unusually silent.

Not that my father is ever particularly loud, but he was being particularly quiet.

As a point of understanding I should note the relationship my father and I generally share and the prevailing unusual circumstances. For the most part, my Dad and I act more like good friends than father son. I'm not saying there is any loss of love, but we do not have a very informative relationship. Speaking generally, less is more and no news is good news. This is perhaps more a sign of our introverted natures than anything else, but in any case, emotional feelings are not something we typically share.

This week though, my grandfather (my Dad's father) developed a horrible blood clot in an artery in his leg. Thankfully, he is in stable condition and his leg tissue is still alive, but it seems he will never walk the same again. While I had not noticed any prior signs of it weighing on my dad, it showed tonight.

When in the car on the ride home, my Dad said that he thought it was good but it made him uncomfortable. When I asked why, he said that he got flashbacks of the desert. He said that when he was in the Middle East he saw some atrocious living conditions, things which the sight of the movies slums brought back to him. It was interesting, as it was the first time in 6 years my Dad had talked about anything from his time in Iraq.

I still have never asked about what he did, apart from where he was, the classified version of which he has never been able to tell.

In any case, I thought it was very unusual that it was a movie that gave my Dad an opportunity to open up to me (even in a little way). The power of art perhaps..

My sore bum

My first experience skiing was well... painful.

I'm pretty confident that every single muscle in my legs and back are sore, and yes I spent a lot of the morning on my bum.

But surprisingly, or maybe not so surprisingly (I'll leave that one to you), I was alright at it by the afternoon. In the evening, despite being pretty tired, I was actually not half bad. Can I go down a black diamond.. no.. But I can now glide down a green slope pretty easily.. Attaining some decent speed? Yes.

With that I'll take a little pride.. And despite being sore, it was a lot of fun. Definitely a do again.

As to flying. I ended up not going today, the ceiling came down too low and instead I'm going to be doing it tomorrow morning. We'll see how that goes.. : )

But tonight, I am absolutely exhausted and don't have too much else to say. See you later alligators..

Break.. oddities..

For the first time in what seems like a month, I have a little bit of free time on my hands.

Therefore I feel obliged to reacquaint myself with the art of blogging.

Perhaps, over this next week I can post more than once or twice. That would be pretty darn sweet.

Updates:

This Sunday, Nick (roommate) thought he would play a joke on me and pushed a couch in front of me. Instead of tripping me up like he intended, the base of the couch slid into my big toe and took off the entirety of the nail on my big toe. Besides missing the nail (merely a minor annoyance), the toe has caused me a lot of pain this week and has made it very difficult to move about normally. Oh well.. life is life. And it is getting better, well enough in fact that I am currently at Wisp, MD, attempting to ski for the first time in my life.

I am now editing one night a week at the Technician. Mostly this just involves eating lots of free popcorn and copy editing my section. The only real challenge is writing the unsigned editorial I don't believe in. Unlike regular columns where I have artistic freedom, I am forced into writing the opinion of the editorial board. Which means rewriting the "edit" five or six times until I've made it sufficiently neutral and bland. blah...

I'm on Spring Break right now through next weekend. Originally I was just going to go down to Florida for a couple days in addition to hanging out at home.

But somehow, the break has rapidly evolved. Late this week, my mother (in the midst of a mid-life crisis) decided that she hadn't been skiing in a long time. In reality, its at least 20 years since we've never been in my lifetime.

Regardless, of the physical ailments we are all struggling with right now.. dad - back, mom - knee, me - cold + toe. We are spending the weekend in Wisp, MD and getting a crash course in skiing. (To me, this simply means I will spend a lot of the weekend on my ass, but it seems like it will be fun).

The super cool thing that developed this evening... tomorrow I will be flying a multi-million dollar stunt airplane. Long story short, my Dad (totally randomly) ran into an old friend of his while we were at dinner. He used to fly at American with my Dad and my Dad helped his son get hired at the D.C. Air National Guard. After a couple beers, he asked if I flew like my daddy. I told him that I had never been behind the stick. His response, thats no good son, why don't we fix that tomorrow afternoon.

So tomorrow, after a day of skiing, I will be up in the skies above Maryland doing flips and barrel rolls. And then, this Wed I will be going down to Naples, FL with my grandparents to work on my tan.

I would say this break is shaping up nicely.

Updates will ensue.

And, for those that would like more..
My last two articles from the Technician.. Personally I think they are two of the best I have written thus far.

The first, a satirical letter from Obama, here.

And the second, which oddly is not the exact same as the print version. It would seem as though a copy editor got to this one, making some bad edits in my opinion. But in any case, it keeps with the spirit of the real one, so I'll post it here.

The Beach

There are a lot of good things you can say about the beach. Its warm, its serene, the pace of life is slower..

But for me, the single greatest thing about Emerald Isle, N.C. is the peace and quiet. My days can consist of "nature walks", playing the Wii and lounging.

To me, this is heaven. My life at school is so hectic that I rarely have time to kick back and relax. Do things like... I don't know.. WRITE IN THIS BLOG.

Because the vast majority of my free time at school gets tied up with one of two activities: the Technician and the New York Times. One I work for, the other I read religiously.

There are pros and cons to excessively reading all the news that's fit to print. The pro is that I feel very well informed in just about every situation imaginable, the obvious con, that I rarely have to be informed because I spend all my time with Engineers who don't care.

Honestly, the vast majority of my fellow mech's would probably struggle to tell you the date. No less, give you information on the political climate in Zimbabwe, pirates off of Sudan and the stimulus package.

Now, before i sound stuck up. I want to make it clear that I'm not. One of the things I love about my engineering friends is that they don't care. But every once in awhile it is nice to engage in a little intellectual thought.

(I'm quickly realizing this post will have nothing to do with the beach, perhaps I should throw in a nice quip).

The wake at the beach was 1 to 2 feet today... Mission Accomplished. Get r' done. Yee-haw..

(Also quickly realizing how random I get at 1 in the morning).

In any case, it feels good to pound away at the keys on something that I know 5000 people won't read (perhaps 1 or 2 is really all a person needs). It is really liberating in that regard.. Because I can say things like.. fuck the police or Provost Nielsen is a tool and not get fired.

My movie on Netflix has loaded a little now.. I think it is time to watch..

No worries, I will write again soon.. Adieu..

Recent Work

Yes.. I know I know.. I will catch up when I can.

But for today, I would like to share the most recent article I have been working on (in tomorrow's Technician).

Preface*

Generally when my Editor's change my article, I fume and call them idiots. I mean.. I wrote it.

But today, I make an exception. While in several spots, the sentence structure becomes a little awkward (notably in paragraph 1 and 2) -- the article as a whole was significantly improved. Not by changing any one word in the article, but by altering the sentence positioning. Hats off Jane, you one up-ed my own article.

I hope you enjoy.. the article.

My most recent article..

I know I have been woefully neglectful of this blog recently. Mostly because I have a lot to write between my journalism class and my work for the Technician (I burn out when I think about blogging).

That said.. I swear I will catch up this weekend when I have some free time.

For now, enjoy my latest article in the Technician.. LINKED HERE.

Israel-Palestine

The rough copy of the op-ed I am working on...

Would you sit by?

Russell Witham
Senior Staff Columnist

On Sep. 11th, 2001 at 8:46 a.m., American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center.

In the following hours, a stunned American public watched as iconic symbols of our nation fell to rubble.

We stared in disbelief at the headlines the following morning, more than 9,000 of our friends, loved ones, and countrymen had been killed or injured.

The following week President Bush addressed our grieving nation, “Our enemy is a radical network of terrorists, and every government that supports them … They will hand over the terrorists, or they will share in their fate.”

Sound familiar? It should. Israel is being threatened by a terrorist organization which does not acknowledge their right to exist. Not unlike al-Qaida, the Islamic Resistance Movement has befriended those who would seek Israel’s destruction – for one, a nuclear capable Iran.

Over the past eight years, the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) has launched thousands of rockets into Southern Israel – with the primary intent of killing and terrorizing innocent Israeli citizens.

As Travis Seymour, junior in international studies, informed us in Tuesday’s Technician, “[under international law] Israel has the right and obligation to protect its citizens from these attacks.”

Israel has responded with slow but forceful movements, killing and injuring well over 5,000 people in the three weeks of fighting. In many cases, the gunfire has caused the injury and death of noncombatants – including women and children.

Mariem Masmoudi, junior in political science, wrote on Tuesday, “Hamas militants comprise a small percentage of the many people [who have been affected].”

If this is truly the case, if Hamas does not represent the sentiments of Palestinians. Then kick the militants out of Gaza – push them into the streets where Israel may arrest them for their crimes of terrorism. This would save many innocent lives and ensure that those culpable for the crimes are apprehended.

Julie Abdelrahman, junior in textile and apparel management, said that she is proud to, “be from a nation that will never give up and never surrender.” Additionally saying, “This is not about Hamas … the Palestinian people are fighting for freedom, as once did the American people.”

Maybe Ms. Abdelrahman is recalling a different struggle than I. But according to my texts, the American Continental Army fought the British in an effort to defend the ideals of the American people, not to us them as human shields.

Has Israel been equitable in its policies which have crushed the Palestinian economy and closed Gaza off from the world? No. The Israeli Government could have done much more to encourage peace.

But the completely uncontrolled rocket attacks of Hamas into Israel are nothing short of terrorism and should be treated as such. Israel has a right and obligation to continue operations until they can ensure that Hamas is forever put to rest.

When the military wing of Hamas no longer operates, Israel in union with the United Nations should help to establish a state under the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The establishment of a sovereign state where every Palestinian has the right to life, liberty, security and freedom of passage to other nations – Israel not withstanding.

Until then, the actions of Hamas will continue to cause the destruction of Gaza and the death of its people.

How many more Palestinians must die for Hamas?

Can you believe they pay me for this?

When I walked in, I was actually really nervous. The shirt I was wearing felt like it had shrunk and the newsroom seemed incredibly arid for a November day. Then from across the room, a young Asian kid, about 6 inches shorter than I approaches me (Apparently he noticed the obvious deer in the headlights).

It turns out I had just been introduced to the Viewpoint Editor of Technician. Unassuming and genial, Paul and I took a seat and he told me that of course I could write for the Technician. He didn't want a writing sample or proof of English literacy, but he did want my signature on an I-9 and W-4.

I mentally stepped back and was like... what? They want to pay me.. Me.. a Mechanical Engineer, who is just figuring out the distinct difference between 'to' 'two' and 'too'.

That day I resisted and said I would rather work on a Volunteer basis.

As Christmas break came and went I realized that my bank account total was looking rather pathetic. Sheepishly, I approached Jane -- the new Viewpoint editor -- and asked her if I could possibly be paid.

Apparently, as before, all I needed was to fill out a few forms and voila! I was now being paid by to produce content for my College newspaper.

We should make a few things clear first.. Technician is an independent newspaper in the sense that our budget does not come from the University but comes from advertising dollars. We collect so much advertising money that we can not only afford to be printed by the News & Observer (Raleigh's newspaper), but actually pay our staff. Something I felt not as bad about buying into when I realized just how much time it takes me to write my weekly, sometimes bi-weekly, column.

It doesn't change the fact that I would do the job for free. But it did cause me to think of something my journalism professor once told me in his office.

"When I was young, and they told me they would pay me to write. My specialty became anything they wanted a story on. I would do correspondence, I would write about just about anything my editor wanted, because he would pay me to do it."

While I am not really regulated at all, and as a Senior Staff Columnist now, I can write about anything I want. I love the point he made. They want to pay me to write? Me?

Science.. If you wanted to call it that

I was on my way to bed and had just popped two Advil PM's but first I felt inspired to put a little piece of information out on the interwebs (albeit one which is incredibly well documented).

Sometimes it is odd being an engineer (even a half baked one like me). We tend to take an interest in the obscure as though it were a ritualistic enterprise.

That being said, and after this thoroughly awkward and long winded introduction I present to you.. the glass of ice cold Pepsi sitting on my desk.

Don't be fooled now. This is no ordinary glass of Pepsi. Take a closer look..
(At this point you are presented with an approximately 8 inch tall glass filled three quarters of the way with Pepsi cola [born in New Bern, NC] and ice).

End of story.. That is of course assuming that you are a normal individual.

I on the overhand, am staring not at the semi brown caffeinated liquid but at the transparent one on the outer orifices of the glass.

The casual observer would go.. OK miracle man, you've discovered Condensation.. What's the deal?

The deal is the miracle that is condensation..

First you have to have water vapor in the air. An odd thought at first, but when you think about a humid afternoon it begins to make more sense that we are not simply breathing in hydrogen and oxygen but a myriad of other gaseous substances.

These vaporous water molecules must then pass by the cooled glass (which must remain below the dew point of water) and condense into liquid against the surface.

The massive collection of these now liquid molecules is what we see on the glass as liquid water.

Amazing right..

OK, maybe I am the only one who finds this remarkable in any way shape or form. But I will simply attribute this to my highly documented craziness and socially unacceptable behavior -- allowing me a peaceful night's sleep under a blanket of radiant Sufjan Stevens melodies.

Do you remember when we still could afford recycling?

Every day it seems that something new is being dragged the way of the dinosaurs due to the global recession. Corporate jets, The Rainbow Room, Polaroids, Arena Football, Circuit City, Linens n' Things, Sharper Image, Bear Stearns, WaMu, DHL (seriously, its no longer going to operate in the U.S.), RENT and Hairspray. The story is ever unfolding and seemingly never ending.

One you may not have heard of yet but probably will soon.

Recycling?

No, how could recycling ever go out of style in a society acting so pompously 'green'.

The simple answer is that recycling on a corporate level is not driven by the common good. Recycling exploded for years because a private entrepreneur could literally make millions by turning old cardboard into recycled cardboard. Today, that is no longer the case.

In a twisted turn of events, but something which should not come as a surprise, cardboard is not as valuable as it once ways.

Already, even before the global turn down, most recyclers had stopped accepting all non paper or cardboard products -- take plastic or glass for example. Everything else was just put in a landfill like regular old trash. The only reason cardboard and paper survived was that the profit margins were still decent on selling the recycled products.

Today, the story is sadder. Most recycling programs in small to mid size communities are facing a dark future as demand for the recycled byproducts dwindles.

As a result of the lowered demand, the private entrepreneurs are charging cities more and more for the recycled materials they accept for processing (basic supply side economics). Eventually, and this has already happened in many areas, it actually becomes more cost effective to dump the materials in a landfill than to pay these private contractors to take it.

Hence, many cities are dropping their recycling programs altogether, citing financial concerns.

Back to the dark ages it would seem..

At the current rate, our children will have to ask.. what is recycling?

Seriously.

Katrina vanden Heuvel, I cannot stand you

As I sit here watching the year in review on 'This Week with George Stephanopoulos', I cannot help but think of how lost my country is.

Are you serious? A 1 Trillion dollar stimulus this February.

Katrina vanden Heuvel, editor of The Nation, makes it sound like 1 Trillion dollars is nothing. Trying to lead us to believe that we need to just give away all that money, saying that it would be a crime not to.

Meanwhile, George Will and I are sitting here with out jaws down around our mid section as we try and comprehend this foolhardy thought process.

Please, someone, anyone. Explain to me how spending roughly 7 percent of our country's GDP is going to help grow anything but the national debt.

And oh yea, BTW, in case you haven't been paying attention. The people who are spending this money in a ridiculous attempt to save their hides won't be the ones paying it off.

My classmates, my brother, my cousins, myself -- we are the ones who will be paying for this. For years to come, we will be suffering these 'stimulus packages', as our floundering economy falls farther and farther behind.

And to the Republican's of the current Congress.

Why are you not kicking and screaming? This is everything your party is about. The principle tenet of conservative thought is to spend less money and reduce the size of the federal government. Putting trillions of dollars in the hands of a handful of rich Congressman does not sound like the way to reduce spending.

Tax less.. Let the people spend their money and stimulate the economy. Sound familiar, its fiscally Conservative thought. For Christ's sake, if you want people to spend more money and stimulate our economy don't give tons more money to corporate giants. Try cutting payroll taxes in half -- something which will actually put money right back in the people's pockets.

I really do cry for my future, because it is in the hands of people who seem to have no ideas but to throw money at the problem.

God help us.. gah..