Week in ReviewOne Down, Nine To Go Confirming rumors which he had denied as recently as last week, Florida Senator Bob Graham has officially dropped out of the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. He said on Larry King Live that he lacked both the organization and funding to complete his campaign run and that his work on the Senate Intelligence committee, a failing heart, and the war in Iraq"delay[ed]" work on his campaign. Graham managed to raise a paltry $1 million over the course of his campaign, compared to more than $15 million for Democratic frontrunner Howard Dean. "I'm leaving," Graham said, "because I cannot be elected president of the United States." Graham declared that he was not ready to endorse any of the other nine candidates in the bloated campaign and did not mention whether he would receive bid for the vice presidency.
On October 1st, Libertarians involved with the Free State Project (www.freestateproject.org) announced plans to get 20,000 people to migrate to New Hampshire and work to transform it into a "free state" with fewer laws and a smaller government. Five thousand members have already pledged to move. Some of the free-staters would like to legalize medicinal marijuana, roll back restrictions on gambling, and strengthen gun rights. New Hampshire was chosen in part because of its low state and local tax burden, minimalist state government, positive job market, and citizen legislature.
It's tough to roll out of bed for class after a late night of gin and tonic pong. So when RU-21, a newly available pill purported to minimize hangover effects, hit the market, it quickly became a hot item among those who hoped to minimize the after effects of a night spent in the Rage Cage. Yet, this wonder drug may have its downsides. First, no scientific evidence other than the Russian research shows that the pill even works. Second, while the drug does appear to suppress hangovers, it does not stop a person from becoming drunk or from needing time to process the alcohol. In other words, as its importer noted, "There's no miracle cure for a drunk." Shucks, guess the Review senior staff will be returning their recent orders.
In addition to recalling Rep. Gray Davis at the polls on Tuesday, Californians also rejected Proposition 54, an initiative that would have banned the state's collection of racial information, including for purposes higher education. The initiative's leader Jim Connerly, who is of mixed race himself and led the movement for Proposition 209 in 1996, said he believed that this initiative would be a major step toward reaching a "colorblind society." The only majority support group came from those who described themselves as "republican/conservative." Opponents of the measure cited that because of a lack of race data, it would be difficult to pursue employment and educational discrimination cases, and it would hinder the further research of medical trends linked to race, such as sickle cell anemia. From the start, low funds and lack of awareness plagued the initiative.
Lisa McClelland, a freshman at Freedom High School in Oakley, California, has been fighting to establish a Caucasian Club. McClelland said that the club is intended to be open to students of all ethnic backgrounds and would helppromote diversity while encouraging students to learn about their heritage. She said her intent is not to advance racism. After receiving a letter from a Ku Klux Klan member, Lisa replied, making her stance against racism apparent, "Thank you, but in case you didn't realize it, I'm part Latino, half of my friends are gay, and I don't believe in your cause." She has encountered plenty of opposition, with one of her teachers saying that he would rather see her "drugged out and pregnant" than on the news talking about her club. She has received numerous threats and the school is attempting to stonewall the process, but Lisa plans to form her club. Lou Calabro, the president of the European-American Issues Forum, filed a discrimination complaint against Freedom High School Principal Eric Volta with the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights on Lisa's behalf.
The family planning establishment CONRAD announced it had found a hormone contraceptive treatment for men. The October 7 announcement was based on a successful yearlong study of 55 couples using the hormones. While previous studies have shown similar treatments to be efficient in stopping sperm production in men, this program is significant because it is the first to track actual effectiveness. The hormone prevented conception in all 55 of the test subjects. The test subjects took injections of both testosterone and progestin over 12 months, resulting in restricting sperm production. After the treatment was completed, however, the men's sperm counts returned to their normal levels. And, while CONRAD was concerned about the possibility of cancer in test subjects, so far no connection has been found between the treatment and prostate health.
A potentially landmark Supreme Court ruling was made (or avoided) last Monday, when justices dismissed a woman's stillbirth murder appeal. Regina McKnight was convicted of murder in 1999 when traces of cocaine were After South Carolina upheld the conviction in a 3-2 decision, she again appealed—this time to the United States Supreme Court. As a result of the Court's rejection, McKnight will have to serve her sentence. Potentially, this decision can apply to a vast number of prenatal law cases. McKnight is the first woman ever to be convicted of homicide for actions that lead to a stillbirth. Because of this, women possibly will be held legally accountable for sundry actions that have been proven to harm their unborn children. Oddly enough, abortion is still legal.
Last Tuesday, a conservative Episcopalian meeting promoted a split from the liberal faction of the church. The meeting was formed after the recent church decision to allow ordination of homosexuals and blessings of same-sex unions—if the local congregation chose. The church decision came after the confirmation of an openly gay clergyman, Gene Robinson, as the Bishop of New Hampshire. The conservative meeting drafted a declaration stating that the entire Episcopal Church is "under God's judgment," suggesting that church attendees request a "new alignment for Anglicanism in North America," and refrain from tithing. Nearly one-sixth of the church's bishops, in addition to 799 priests and 1829 members, were in attendance.
The Student Assembly recently surveyed Dartmouth students to nominate a new mascot. The survey's results favored the Moose. But this selection does not represent a final decision. The Student Assembly noted on their website that after a survey of students in 2003, "there was a strong need and desire for an officially recognized mascot at Dartmouth." After an earlier, broader survey, the search was narrowed down to five mascots, including the Dartmouth "Yeti," "Forrester," "Moose," a Dr. Seuss character, and the "Salty Dog." Included in the survey was a choice for not supporting any of the listed mascots, which came in second. One can only wonder what a runoff between the moose and none-of-the-above might yield.
Last week, a media blitz against conservative radio star Rush Limbaugh began with charges of racism and ended with charges of drug abuse. On ESPN's football pre-game show, "Sunday NFL Countdown," Limbaugh issued a "Rush Challenge" during the September 28 edition involving Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb. Citing recent flaws in the black quarterback's performance in past games, Rush explained his opinion about the attention that continued to surround McNabb. According to Limbaugh, "The media has been very desirous that a black quarterback do well," going on to claim, "he got a lot of credit for the performance of this team that he didn't deserve." The show proceeded without protest from the other anchors regarding the somewhat dubious claim. Only after three days did the popular media latch onto the comments, and calls for Limbaugh's resignation soon followed. Limbaugh answered by resigning from ESPN, citing the potential conflicts the accusations could cause. Along with charges of racism, Limbaugh's former housekeeper accused him of abusing painkillers that she procured. The story was picked up by the New York Daily News, which independently confirmed a federal probe into the accusations. Limbaugh, who is now entering a 30-day treatment program, has confirmed these allegations. Guest hosts will run his nationally syndicated radio show in his absence.
In an attempt to stop what the U.S. Mint deems to be rampant forgery, the agency last Thursday released yet another version of the $20 bill, the most counterfeited note. The bills are the first modern American notes to feature colors other than green and black—in this case a touch of pink and blue, a novelty that makes many Americans wary. A portrait of President Andrew Jackson appears on the face side of the bill, this time unframed and significantly larger than in the past; other anti-copying features include a new watermark and a new security thread.
Valerie Plame's career with the CIA, as an operative tracking weapons of mass destruction, was put to an abrupt end on July 14th, when two Bush Administration officials leaked her name to columnist Robert Novak. New allegations have surfaced that the two officials released the information in order to punish her husband, Joseph Wilson. Wilson has made claims that, in order to justify the war in Iraq, the Bush administration took liberties with scant evidence regarding possible uranium sales to Iraq.
A small diplomatic upset has occurred between China and Japan. Recently, the Chinese government expressed its displeasure to Japanese diplomats over a rather unique gathering of Japanese tourists. On September 16, 400 Japanese men gathered in a hotel in the city of Zhuhai, where 500 local Chinese prostitutes met them for a mass orgy. The orgy is said to have lasted for two full days with a reported price of between $145 and $220 for a night's stay at the event. The festivities ended on September 18, the 72nd anniversary of Imperial Japan's invasion of China during the Second World War.
On October 10, the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded Iranian activist Shirin Ebadi the Nobel Peace Prize. Ebadi is the fundamentalist Islamic Republic's first female judge, and is at the forefront of the struggle for reform in Iran. She has focused her efforts on expanding the rights of women and children in Iran, and has stood squarely behind the push for a true democracy. In the past her activism has led to imprisonment by the religious conservatives, who still hold most of the power in the Iranian government. There is wide speculation that the prize will serve as a boost to the reformers' struggle, helping push their battle into the spotlight. Also, the prize will make it harder for Iran to silence Ebadi, seeing as she has become an international figure. Ebadi has been likened to Nelson Mandela and Lech Walesa, and in the future she may prove to be a crucial part of her nation's struggle for freedom.
Lately, there appears to be a phenomenon in which tendencies, once attributed to a lack of self-control, are now being considered full-fledged addictions. The newest "addiction" to be reported by the London Priory Clinic is a compulsion to text message between cell phones. This particular problem has been grouped into the "technology addiction" category along with the challenging dilemma of "internet addiction." A doctor from the clinic disparaged those who look down on cocaine addicts, but then return home to spend hours in internet chartrooms. The clinic reports that some patients were spending seven hours a day texting on their cell phones before treatment. Disadvantaged Americans, lacking the socialized healthcare of Britain, are being forced to cancel their cell phone service. Although moving to Hanover also does the trick. |
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