Money money money money (money)
There are two financial theory concepts in particular that have stuck with me. The first stems from Ayn Rand
Growing up in the wake of the Cold War
The end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st created a wave of uncertainty within the minds of its youth: uncertainty of the future, and fear of the unknown.
An ode to anthropology
Anthropologists, (who I consider to be some of the most ingenious people to ever walk our planet), engage in the exciting and often terrifying practice, known as fieldwork or ethnography. To be granted this opportunity is a gift unlike any other.
Caring is Creepy: Sudden apathy in today’s youth
We, as the future, are an amalgamation of people who have the entire world at our fingertips and instead of taking that opportunity to do some good, are choosing to shrug our shoulders and say “whatev.” We are smart individuals born out of the technology and information age. We implicitly know how to work electronics and have a natural curiosity to be in the know. So why are we spending so much time and effort making it look like we just don’t give a damn about anything?
Sugar and spice and everything nice
A new report is out, citing sugar as the root of all evil: from it flows heart disease, obesity, diabetes and cancers. Dr. Robert Lustig is publishing the report in Nature, a top research journal, in which he points to all the unhealthy effects of sugar intake, and proposes “societal intervention” to stop youth from consuming too much sugar.
Money talks: Sean and Nick discuss American politics for the everyman
Have a hard time following conversations about the American primaries? Have no fear. Sean and Nick discuss and debate American politics for the everyman, so even your cat can follow along! Soon you, too, will be able to name-drop in drunken conversations with PoliSci students. Stay smart, stay informed.
LCLB holds the Rio theatre’s life by the threads
Let’s face it – going to the movies is not the experience it once was. I find the new larger theatres to be cold, expensive and really unenjoyable. That’s why when I first heard that the Rio (the only theatre in East Vancouver) had run into some recent problems, I perked up my ears.
Literature is dead. Long live literature.
It’s relatively easy to look back on previous eras of art to find the cream of the crop, the enduring works that have outlasted their peers to become the canon. And sure, the last decade can hardly compete with the best of 1000 years of English literature, but that’s to be expected. Taken on a decade-by-decade basis, the aughts have produced some truly memorable work. As an English student who spends most of his reading time working with the canon, I realize my familiarity with contemporary literature is somewhat limited, but authors like Erik Larson, David Foster Wallace, Dave Eggers, Cormac McCarthy, Zadie Smith, and Malcolm Gladwell have produced work in the last decade that has stuck with me. I’ve seen an explosion of creative energy directed towards non-fiction, graphic novels, and genre-bending. It’s also worth noting that new media for storytelling has scattered our generation’s best writers across film and television among other forms. And that’s just a small selection of great work that has found popular success; we must remember that critical consensus often takes a long time to develop.
Where have all the good books gone?
As a book lover, I become a little disheartened each time I walk into a bookstore. It’s not that I’ve grown tired of reading, or tired of the written word in general. I’m simply tired of anything post-1990s. A large statement, but I will stand by it.
Gingrich promises the sky. Literally.
Sometimes I just stand back and take a look at what technology allows us to do, and let’s face it: it’s pretty damn cool.
Iran isn’t playing games
Nearly every day, Iran is in the news. People can sense the tension around the issue, but the situation as a whole is largely ignored by the public as “just some other Middle East issue.” We’re used to tensions with the Middle Eastern states, though admittedly the word “nuclear” makes everyone feel a little uneasy. And it should.
No science behind bracelets, only gullible consumers
Life got you down? Feeling like you have no energy? Need more strength? The UFV bookstore has a product for you. It’s called the Edge Advantage bracelet and it uses the power of negative ions to possibly bring you many health benefits. Sound like a scam? It is.
Research In Motion set to rise from the ashes
Research In Motion (RIM) has become very much like the undead – in the unconscious, decaying, trying to stave off death, sort of way.
Gingrich 2012: A Space Odyssey
Have a hard time following conversations about the American primaries? Have no fear. Sean and Nick discuss and debate American politics for the everyman, so even your cat can follow along! Soon you, too, will be able to name-drop in drunken conversations with PoliSci students. Stay smart, stay informed.
Beautiful British Columbia: best place on earth?
This province really is beautiful, and not just in the Fraser Valley – this statement surprisingly holds true for all of BC: along the Coquihalla, Victoria, even the bits of Kelowna that look oddly like Alberta. It’s all stunning. Look around. Breathe this fresh BC air. Think about how lucky we are to live here.
Breasts implants run amok in France
Poly Implants Prostheses is a French implant provider considered to be one of the world’s most trusted. The company has also been the target of a recent scandal involving the usage of industrial grade silicone in place of medically sterilized fillers in their implants, after several cases of implants leaking and rupturing.
Red Social network
Cuba now has a social networking website that looks almost identical to the popular social networking site Facebook. Aptly named “Red Social,” the site itself, from screenshots posted on the internet, appears to mimic Facebook’s iconic style. In fact, little seems to be changed.
If I may have your attention please
The time has come to address an issue that society has ignored for far too long. Gossipers whisper about it at the local coffee shop. The polite avert their eyes as not to draw attention to the obvious. Mothers maneuver their children in the opposite direction to avoid pointing and uncomfortable questions. Sadly, those afflicted have deluded themselves into thinking no one is aware of their malady. Yes, I’m talking about the comb-over.
Lights without action
The beauty of Abbotsford lives in the silence, the stunning mountains that surround us, and the proximity to Vancouver. Although the local aspect of this once quaint, farming town may be disappearing, I don’t think that sticking neon signs in the midst of it will prove a point in challenging our city’s character. These signs stick out to the point in which it looks like Abbotsford is losing confidence in itself — perhaps entering an identity crisis.
Communication ruins snow days at UFV
But snow days aren’t really all that they’re cracked up to be. If only UFV shut down SunGard on snow days, too. But no. The only good thing SunGard does for us is post “All Fraser Valley Locations are CLOSED” (with very satisfying capital lettering) on our announcements. But then along with the announcement come emails from professors. “Do your readings, plus these supplementary readings attached, which we will discuss next class.” So yes, we can tweet “Snow day 5.0! Woot!” – but at what cost?
Communication breakdown
I feel the recent CIVL referendum failed not because the radio station didn’t deserve the money, but because of ineffective campaigning.
Aid through reform, not more funding: A critical look at the Attawapiskat crisis
The problem facing Attawapiskat cannot be viewed in isolation. What we’re seeing in the small community of approximately 1500 residents is indicative of widespread dysfunction in the way in which native reserves and the federal government interact. Each year, Attawapiskat receives $17.6 million in federal funding, $4.4 million in provincial funding and approximately $12 million in local revenues. According to these figures, the small community operates on a budget of approximately $34 million per year.
A primer on primaries: American politics for the everyman
Have a hard time following conversations about the American primaries? Have no fear. Sean and Nick discuss and debate American politics for the everyman, so even your cat can follow along! Soon you, too, will be able to name-drop in drunken conversations with PoliSci students. Stay smart, stay informed.
The politics of cameras in British Columbia’s courts
Cameras in the BC courtroom is a hotly debated idea right now. Premier Christy Clark has been championing to broadcast the trials of those accused in the Vancouver riots, and she’s being very public about it. If this happens, precedence could very well be set and would change some basic tenants of our justice system.
