Current Events

Ban of menthol cigarettes

I was recently talking to a frind of mines dad. He started talking about how the FDA was considering banning the menthol cigarette, so i decided to do some research about it. Now I am not a smoker, but i read that about 1/4 of all cigarettes sold are menthol. Some researchers say the menthol cigarette is more addictive because of the flavor. The FDA also says big tobacco is specifically targeting minority groups. With 3/4 of black people smoking menthols.

BP pays $20 Billion in Oil Relief

I recently was reading an article about BP's move to pay $20 billion dollars towards the oil spill. This is definitely a step in the right direction. I'm happy to see that, for the first time, the company is taking more responsibility for this disaster. Even though $20 billion dollars is a lot of money, that is only a small fraction of what it is going to take to mend this situation. It's easy to through money at a problem when you're a large corporation, but the actions they take with these funds will truly define the company's ability to eventually fix the mess they created.

Hair, Sex, and Politics

Hair, Sex, and Politics

A good head of hair is a basic requirement for holding political office today. Some 75% of men lose their hair as they age, but the last time we had a bald president was over half a century ago. It's no coincidence that as TV came onto the American scene, being an old bald politician went out of style. Ike, a.k.a President Eisenhower, may very well be the last badass bald guy that gets to be president. But why is this? Are we really that shallow as a nation?

The Government Needs to Further Inspire the Public to Act on the Oil Spill

With the major environmental disaster that our country is facing, it would be nice to see some further ambition by the Federal government to motivate the public. After seeing Obama's positive rhetoric during his campaign, I wonder what happened to that enthusiasm to motivate the people in the country around a common cause.

The English House of Commons is Hysterical

Watch from 12 min to 14 min:

http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/id/217662

The Holohoax?

In light of the recent death of James von Brunn (shooter at holocaust museum this summer), I decided to do some research on some of the 'evidence' holocaust deniers claim disproves the holocaust occurred. Originally skeptical, I was quickly gripped by several reasonable lines of thought. I do not claim the holocaust never happened, but isn't it just a little too convenient that the Jews got Israel right after the War? Is it not also convenient that Jews are receiving payments from the German government to this day?

Fort Hood Shootings. What's your take?

There has been a lot of discussion surrounding the incident at Fort Hood, and I was curious what people's thoughts are. There are a lot of factors at play including his ethnic background, military rank, position as base psychiatrist, and his impending deployment overseas. Also, the mass media frenzy complicates the issue further by diminishing the possibility of a fair trial. Additionally, since this incident took place on a military base, should this case not be a matter of military justice? What punishment would be fitting of this crime?

What to do in Afghanistan

As the War in Afghanistan continues to drag on, I wonder what we should be doing to bring it to an end. There is talk for a surge in troops, which was pretty effective in Iraq, but will that same strategy work in Afghanistan? I've heard in recent reports that the Taliban has been expanding and actually recruiting more members. For an average Afghan it's actually is a pretty good option to join the Taliban, because in many cases it's either that or die. Since the US has not been able to push down the Taliban's influence it may be beneficial to bring in more troops.

Medicare, Medicaid, and S.S.

Katy Abram was on hardball when she was asked if Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security should be repealed. She seemed to not know exactly how to answer the question because she was not well enough informed to make a good argument. So I answered for her.

Understanding Health Care Reform

 I talk briefly about the gravity and state of health care reform, and then offer the best article I have found that thoroughly and accurately explains this massive issue.