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WTC rumors
This is the snopes.com page that reviews and verifies all the rumors running around the Internet about the 9-11 tragedy. You will probably be surprised about which ones they can verify and which ones are totally false.
troublesome songs?
This article includes a list of songs that a HUGE media conglomerate is recommending that its stations not play in case they create "difficulties" for the station's listeners. Most, if not all, of the list is located at the end of the article.
hate crimes rampant or not?
This report from the Online Journalism Report indicates that reports of an increase in hate-crimes against people of Arabic descent is wildly inflated. Some of his claims may be disputable, but it's an interesting take on the situation.
double standard for terrorism?
This article discusses how two cases of white supremacist terrorism (or attempted terrorism) were reported and spread compared to a case involving an Arab suspect.
doublespeak and war
This is an earlier article from FAIR about when the US bombed a Sudanese aspirin factory because we claimed to know for sure that it was manufacturing chemical weapons to be used against us. Later investigations, reported by the New York Times, showed that we actually didn't know what the factory manufactured or who owned it, just that it used chemicals to manufacture something. Compare the language analyzed in this article with the language being used right now about Osama bin-Laden
Who wants a war?
This collection of soundbites and statements was collected by FAIR, a media watchdog group. As one source said, substitute "French" or "Blacks" for "arabs," "them," or "Afghans" in these statements and see if you can still support them.
Will Hollywood change what it shows?
This LA Times article (the link will only be good for a few days) explains how things have changed in Hollywood in terms of what is allowable in movies and TV. Of course, several people point out in the article that we've heard similar claims before, so it will most likely only be temporary. Of course, these same executives, when testifying to Congress or any other investigatory body, always claim that their product has no effect on the people who watch it.
Can the President order anti-terrorism strikes?
Another essay by John Dean, this time examining exactly what the President's powers are in terms of ordering strikes against terrorists. Dean takes on the issue of whether or not Congress alone can declare war, and whether or not anti-terrorism counts as war. He also deals with whether or not killing bin-Laden would "count" as assassination. Rather scary stuff, if you think about it.
Is Gas Chamber legal punishment?
John Dean, legal counsel to President Nixon, writes a regular column for the website findlaw.com. In this installment, he takes on the question of whether or not the gas chamber is legal punishment, or if it's cruel and unusual punishment. Agree or disagree, he presents the case very well.
Gattaca Design a Child
Go to this page, part of the Gattaca website, and see how genetic engineering would work for you and your mate. Play with this a bit, answer different ways. Doing so will give you a good idea of how Andrew Niccol, the writer and director of Gattaca, thinks that genetic engineering will be done and sold to parents. I suspect that he's close to right.
copyrights and high school
This article discusses how schools in Britain are beginning to teach copyright to their students. In the age of Napster and filesharing, respecting another person's intellectual rights to their creations is not assumed, but must be taught. Plagiarism is simply another way of disrespecting a copyright, thus the connection to this class.
Kmart and Columbine
I love Michael Moore. He discovers that the Columbine gunmen bought their ammunition at Kmart, so he takes several survivors of the attack to the same Kmart store to show how they were still not checking the proper ID for purchase. I know many people disagree with Gun Control in any fashion, but this is still an interesting story.
murder in Poland
This essay by George Will examines the concept of mob rule in a small town in Poland at the beginning of WWII. Look at this story in light of Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" and the claims made in several of the articles about Nazis and their "evil." Could this happen anywhere? Remember that one of the last recorded public lynchings of a black man was in the late 20's-early 30's in Omaha, NE.
McBabies?
this is another article from the BBC about in-vitro fertilization. This one is about how it is being turned into an assembly-line product. Mass produced embryos means mass-produced citizens, doesn't it, Big Brother?
babies without sperm
Here's an article about babies being born without sperm used in any way. It's not cloning, as they are quick to tell you, but it's awfully close. Read especially to the end to see the particular application to our genetic engineering discussions.
McDonald's doesn't always get it right
If you've been upset with your order or service in general at McDonald's lately, join the crowd according to this story from the Chicago Tribune.
Those of you here in GI, remember that our McDonalds were privately owned and very good on service. When McDonalds corporation took them over, they got really bad, really fast. This article indicates that that is a common problem.
The breakdown of McDonaldization?
bureaucracty and obedience
REad this excerpt and think of all the organizations that control your life: work, school, government, etc.
part of McDonalidization text
here's an excerpt from the book on McDonaldization of society.
McDonaldsization
This is a website that will introduce you to McDonaldization, the theory that we are being pushed into a conformist society to our detriment. The site itself is minimal, but it does introduce you to the ideas.
Mutant Bacteria
This webpage indicates the sort of danger that opponents of genetic engineering like to project. Remember that one of the first uses of modern chemical industry was to create chemical weapons for war. NOW we use it for so much more, but that was humanity's first instinct. The same is true of nuclear energy, air travel, etc.
Human Genome the right trail?
This article from an English newspaper indicates that now that we have the Human Genome, we are beginning to discover that the genome might not really be the information that we needed to know. Interesting idea, but not presented in much depth or detail yet.
Human Cloning Being Attempted
This is a recent article about the Federal Governments' attempts to stop human cloning. It is going to happen. Can we control it? Should we?
The First? High School Shooting
This is a very long (15 pages on my printer) article from the St. Petersburg Times that investigates one of, if not the first, recorded shooting of a student by another student in the school building. The shooting happened in Lansing, MI in 1978 and wasn't considered important enough to make the news anywhere but the local paper. The fates of the shooter and his surviving victim offer an amazing contrast. This article is very nicely researched and presented, with all sides getting their fair say. Anyone investigating youth violence or Columbine type crimes needs to read this for perspective.
Does the Broken Windows theory really cut down crime?
This nice sized article from the Chronicle of Higher Education raises the question of whether the "broken windows" theory of policing really is the cause of lower crime rates in large cities. Nationally, the crime rate HAS been dropping, and the theory of greater accountability and stricter punishment for so-called "lesser" or "quality of life" crimes has been cited as a major reason. However, new research has begun questioning whether there is ANY real connection at all. Anybody researching crime rates or neighborhood policing should look at this as an alternative viewpoint to what most sources and their textbooks probably say.
Ronald Reagan, War Criminal?
This article makes the claim that the Reagan Administration's war crimes in Central America can be explained very easily: his rabid anti-communism. The article works in and around a critique of Edmund Morris' biography Dutch, but it also touches on an argument made regularly at the sponsoring website: Consortiumnews.com: that the genocide and mass slaughters that happened in Central America in the 1980's were supported, if not encouraged, by Reagan and his officials. THis is a provocative charge, and worth looking at for anyone researching anything in this area, including Cold War politics.
1940's Uncaught Serial Killer
This long article deals with the search, since 1946, for the Phantom Menace, a serial killer in Texarkana, TX. The body count, compared to contemporary killers, was small, but the killer was never caught, making the case a legend in that part of the country. this article interviews most of the involved parties who are still alive, and even names a suspect and explains why he was never charged, much less convicted. For anyone researching serial killers, this article helps show that they are NOT a new phenomenon, as well as moving your examples away from the overused Gein, Gacy, Bundy examples that everyone references.
Living Wages in Texas
This article explains how a living wage ordinance was finally passed in Dallas, but will still not go into effect because of a legal quirk. The article is short, but does a good job of explaining the legal maneuverings that occured. The article leaves the reader with the unaswered question of whether the supporters made a simple mistake or were set up by their opponents. For anyone researching living wage, this is a good example of the sort of legal issues that occur when taking an abstract notion and trying to make it reality.
Video Games are Good, Got That?
This article by Austin Bunn argues that video games are a positive element of contemporary society. This article is a bit old, coming in the wake of Columbine, but the claims that it makes for the newest generation of videogames is well made, with many examples. Bunn's argument is basically that videogames are a relatively new form of entertainment, and are rapidly gaining in sophistication.
Counterpoint to Eric Schlosser
This article from a Houston weekly newspaper gives a rebuttal to Eric Schlosser's arguments about fast-food and the current slaughter industry, as linked to earlier. This article is significant primarily as a counterpoint to all of the positive reviews that the book has been getting elsewhere. However, this also comes from Texas, where they sued Oprah Winfrey for questioning the healthiness of beef on her show, so the source is a bit biased. The examples and complaints given in the article are very nit-picky and give evidence that they are manipulations and out of context. This is a good source for an alternative perspective, but not very persuasive once the reader has actually seen and read Schlosser's original arguments.
The Year in Pot: 2000
This is an overview article showing a dozen or so incidents in 2000 where marijuana usage or possession was an issue. this is extremely skewed to show the alleged irrationality of current marijuana laws, but the information that is given is all correct. The article begins with some interesting statistics, but doesn't cite where they came from. This article COULD be used for some quick specific examples, but is too biased to be used as anything close to a primary source.
Medical Marijuana in NYC
This article is a short profile of Kenneth Toglia, arrested several times now for providing medical marijuana to members of a Cannabis Buyer's Group in New York City. The article does a good job of showing how Toglia came to be involved in the medical marijuana movement. The article also shows how medical marijuana and buyers' clubs exist and work in states where they are not yet legal. A short article, but useful for specific examples.
ADHD in the UK
This article from a British website deals with the sudden growth in diagnosis of ADHD and the prescribing of Ritalin in Britain recently. One of the hallmarks of ADHD has always been the difference in diagnosis rates between the US and the rest of the industrialized world. According to this article, the UK is beginning to play catch-up. This is a medium-sized article with solid information for anyone researching ADD, ADHD or Ritalin use/abuse.
Mad Cow in Italy or just a Panic?
This article from an English website makes the claim that Italy is over-reacting in its fears about Mad Cow Disease. According to the article, Italians are changing their eating patterns and causing quite a bit of economic chaos based on a single case found in an unfinished testing program of 50,000 cattle. This is not only an interesting article about Mad Cow and how people's fear of the disease affects their behavior, but also an interesting case of mob anxiety.
The other Creationism?
This article from a weekly newspaper in Dallas discusses the case of William Dembski,a scientist who looks at science and biology from the perspective of an Intelligent Designer, rather than evolution. He has recently lost his job at Baylor University, a Baptist school, because of opposition from traditional science faculty. The lengthy article does a very solid job of presenting the theory and both sides of the tenure dispute, although it's clearly on the side of Dembski. Anyon researching evolution, science education, or creationism should look at this article.
Boys and Body Image
This is a short article from a British Marxist website concerning the growing problem of poor body image among British boys. This particular article contains some semi-vulgar language, and isn't an especially strong article for an academic paper. However, it does give some evidence/proof that negative body image is becoming a problem for young boys in other countries as well.
A Real Estate Developer Arguing For the Environment?
This is a relatively short article from a Cleveland newspaper about a real estate developer who wants to build a mega-store and is using environmental arguments to argue IN FAVOR of his store. The article raises some interesting points about the sort of development that we have allowed as housing compared to commmercial development. The article's specifics may be hard to understand to people who don't know the Cleveland area, but the basic ideas are still relevant.
Children Need Violence?
This article interviews a woman named Jane Katch who is a teacher and scholar who believes that children need a certain amount of violence in their play. In fact, she argues that play allows children to work through and understand violence in the same way that discussion and debate allow adults to work through issues. Anyone investigating children and violence needs to look at this viewpoint. You may not agree by the end, but she will make you think and re-examine some of what you thought you knew.
Cats and Schizophrenia
This article investigates a claimed link between cats and schizophrenia. Anyone who lives with a cat complains about their cat's "schizo" behavior, but some researchers are claiming that it really is a mental disorder, and that it might be transferable to humans. This sounds like a bad joke, but these researchers are deadly serious. The article does a wonderful job of looking at all sides to the issue. The authors are still unbelieving at the end of the article, but they treat the theories fairly. Anyone researching mental disorders, especially schizophrenia, needs to read this L-O-N-G article.
Mad Cow and McDonalds
in this web-only followup interview to the earlier posted article on the flavoring industry, Eric Schlosser makes the connection very directly between Fast Food and Mad Cow Disease's potential in America. Schlosser explains how the slaughter industry in America differs from the rest of the industrialized world, as well as why we are incredibly lucky that Mad Cow disease has not struck yet in America. This interview is very strong, and contains much useful information for anyone researching either Mad Cow OR the slaughter industry.
Medical Marijuana
This article deals with the author's experience getting a prescription and using medical marijuana in California. The author does a very nice job of showing AND explaining the complicated nature of getting a prescription, joining a buying cooperative, and actually getting the prescription filled. He also raises many concerns about who is using marijuana for medical purposes and why, including himself. This would work as a good specific example to back up the more abstract arguments often found and used in articles and books on medical marijuana.
Bipolar victim with local connection
This is the followup story to the "news of the weird" story that was in the local papers earlier about a guy stealing a snowplow to buy some beer. It turns out that he is bipolar and had been turned away from both the Regional Center AND a halfway house and had nowhere to go. This article interviews many of the people involved in the situation. Anyone writing a paper about mental illness in general or bipolar specifically could use this as a local, specific example to good effect.
children and violence
This article begins by discussing several recent court cases where children have committed crimes and their defense has been that they were repeating what they saw on television. The article then goes on to discuss two main topics: whether this is a valid defense and whether or not violence really does affect children this way. The article explains child psychology in an effective way, as well as showing the complexity of deciding whether or not a child is responsible for his/her actions. A solid article that shows the different perspectives very well, and refuses to give any false, shallow easy answers.
the science of flavoring
This article talks about the science of flavoring foods. Since most contemporary foods are so highly processed, the flavorings added to them are what we really taste when we eat food today. This article also goes into the distinction between natural and artificial flavorings (they are both made by chemical companies, and artificial may be healthier in some cases!). Also included in this article is the explanation of why McDonald's french fries really do taste differently than other fast food joints. All in all, a very interesting and well written article. I will be looking for the book that this is an excerpt from.
WICCA worship questioned
This article gives wonderful background on the Wiccan religion: where it came from, who began it, etc. However, it also does a solid job of presenting evidence that most other sources that give the same information get these most basic of facts wrong. This article traces the origins of Wicca back about 100 years, not thousands and thousands, as most sources do. A well argued and convincing article. This is NOT negative towards the Wiccan religion, just towards certain claims made about its history.
Domestic Violence/Date Rape
This article discusses a new advertising campaign in New York City aimed at making people more aware of the issue of domestic violence. The authors do a wonderful job of discussing not only how the ad campaign does a good job, but also do the difficult task of indicating where it might cause problems. This is a difficult tightrope, and they handle it well. Readers will leave this article with mixed feelings about the ad campaign, but also knowing a little bit more about domestic violence and how even things designed to stop it might reinforce the problem.
The Jail from Hell
Read over this article on the Memphis, TN jail and you will learn two things:
1. NEVER do anything to get arrested in Memphis
2. What can happen to you in jail is incredibly frightening
This is a bit sensationalistic, but deals with such horrible things that it really can't help but come across as exagerated. Anybody researching jail/penitentiary/prison reform should read this, if only for its discussion of the difference between a jail's purpose and a prison's.
Body Anxiety
This article deals with the history and effects of body anxiety. However, unlike most such articles that focus on the effects on women only, this article spends significant time on how body anxiety is spreading to men as well. The experts cited in the article are all nicely credentialed and believable. Overall, this article does a very good, clear job of extending the typical approach to this topic.
DREAMS
This particular website about dreams is written by a computer game designer. Thus, he's not a professional psychologist or psychiatrist, but he IS someone who has spent a lot of time and energy researching how the brain works and processes information. He DOES have undergraduate and graduate degrees in physics, so he is an educated source. The best thing about this particular source is that he sets it up as responding to some of the common mis-conceptions (as he sees them) of dreams. This is a nice, minor source. I wouldn't base a paper on it, but there's usable information at this site.
The Real Cause of Cancer?
First, let me admit that on first reading this is a bit above MY head, but on further review, it begins to make more sense. Basically, there's a theory that cancer ISN'T caused by mutation, but rather by the cell simply not dividing correctly and over-producing too many chromosomes. The implications of this new theory, if true, are that all research looking for and trying to control mutagenic factors has been completely WRONG. Anyone researching cancer of any type, or cancer treatments, should look at this as an alternative perspective.
California Dreaming--Why Not? It's Always Dark Anymore!
This online original article is by noted Science Fiction author and futurist Bruce Stirling. In it, he tries to clarify exactly WHY California's deregulation of electricity ended up the way it did. After all, it's worked for other states, why not the state that is leading the country in innovation and technology? He lists 13 reasons. Some of them are major causes, while others are minor, but I can almost guarantee that nobody else has put all 13 of these together. After reading this article, the reader isn't wondering why the Blackouts happened, s/he's left wondering why they didn't happen more often and earlier.
Human Cloning Has Arrived
This is a VERY long article that is a web reprint of an article from the January issue of Wired magazine. As with most in-depth articles from Wired, this article is very positive on the "wow" factor of technology, however the author doesn't shy away from the frightening implications of the topic, either. This is VERY long, and should meet the needs of any researcher dealing with genetics or cloning in any way.
Sobering Thought
This very short article from the New Scientist deals with a newly published report that being drunk is NOT a defense for criminal actions. This report apparently shows that drunks can "sober up" if offered money or other rewards, and thus are CHOOSING to act badly and using their drunkenness as an excuse. This article is really just to report that this research was done and has been published. There's not much analysis or explanation (it's a short article), but there's enough information to lead a researcher to the full-length study.
Organ Donation in the UK
This article from the very respectable British publication New Scientist deals with why Organ Donation in the UK is thought to have declined recently. A recent scandal in which children's organs were taken without any parental permission has caused problems at all levels of organ donation. This is a short, news-based article without much analysis, but does a good job of showing how sensitive the issue of organ donation still is for many people
Hatemongers Divide!
This article from Wired News explains how the effectiveness of anti-hategroup activists has simply shifted the efforts of these groups to individual actions rather than organized group actions. This particular story has MANY links inside it to help somebody researching this topic. Most disturbing is the realization of how much more difficult it is, and will remain, to curb or investigate individuals rather than groups.
Humans WILL be cloned soon!
This article from an Australian newspaper makes the claim that a controversial fertility doctor will strike soon with a plan to clone a human. The article itself is rather brief, but does a clear job of presenting the proposed methodology. The most frightening part is that, as presented, the methodology seems rather simple and straightforward. This article really emphasizes to the reader how soon cloning will happen; if not with this doctor, with someone.
AIDS Questions that we haven't answered yet
This article from the New York Times presents information that most of us have NOT heard recently. Most information presented on AIDS these days deals with the quest for a cure or new treatments, and thus is relatively positive. We don't hear about the increase in AIDS cases in Africa much, and if we do hear about it, it is presented as mainly a case of not being able to afford the medication that is available. In other words, availability of resources is the problem, not the disease. This article does a good job, not a complete job, but a good job, of presenting some of the information that you haven't heard about AIDS lately.
Dinosaur Questions
This particular site deals with science information from a Christian perspective. This particular item from the site "CIM Outline #42" deals with the issue of the Dinosaurs, more particularly how does one reconcile the truth of Dinosaur Fossils with the Biblical account of Creation? None of the people in charge of this site have any formal science training or degrees, but that tends to be the case with people arguing against formal scientific theories. The basic data is presented clearly, but it still isn't very convincing
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