The girl who cried racist

For those minorities having a difficult time understanding why the average suburban white family has problems empathizing with perceived racism: look no further than this article from CNN.com. The article outlines two versions of events that led to the arrest of Heather Ellis outside a Walmart. The first, shared by all five police officers and four people within the store, has Heather acting belligerently, cutting into a cashier line, pushing away the merchandise of a patron being checked out, screaming obscenities, threatening customers, disrupting store displays, resisting attest, threatening officers, kicking one officer in the shin, and kicking another in the face. The other version, professed only by Healther Ellis it seems, holds that she "was treated differently" and was called a number of racial epithets. Regarding her reason for arrest, it seems she pleads no contest.

Because the police force is largely white and Ms. Ellis is black, she instantly dropped the race-card and CNN ate that shit up so fast it got smeared all over its cheeks.

But what about the initial incident? What about the fact that this woman is a psycho and was a danger to everyone in that store? What about the crimes she committed? This is just another Skip Gates, Duke Lacrosse, Tawana Brawley, Jena 6-style mound of bullshit. In all these cases, minorities behaved badly or otherwise tried to blame whites for racism that simply is not there in order to distract the public.

Now, I recognize that racism exist. I believe that bigotry is a deep as it is wide-spread. I believe that no matter what, EVERYONE has prejudice. But to point to these examples as verification of that fact cheapens the real examples and turns whites off to very real cases of injustice whenever they happen. Heather Ellis, the cops who arrested you aren't keeping minorities down, YOU ARE.

What Do Women Want (in the workplace)?

I just ran across an interesting post from the New York Times about gender and level of satisfaction with one’s job. A study found that women need to make far less money than men do in order to find their jobs fulfilling...

To read the rest of this post, go here.

Palin Palavers

Last night, while walking home from Canoe Club with a friend, I predicted that humanity will have destroyed itself long before Frank Sinatra goes out of style. If we accept that to be true, I’d like to propound another prognostication: that Frank Sinatra will go out of style long before Sarah Palin is ever elected to national office.

In fact, despite how much her willing warriors may wish it, I’m not even sure she wants the Oval Office. If she does, she’s certainly not acting like it. Since “going rogue” on John McCain, she’s tripped over her own feet running to the far right wing of the Republican Party. And that pales in comparison to her decision to stamp “quitter” across the top of her resume this past July. Yes, she is enjoying widespread celebrity and secured one of the largest book deals in history; but it takes more than that to win an election. Sarah Palin is, then, either an epically good self-promoter or an epically bad politician. Or both.

For a moment, we’ll entertain the possibility that it’s the last option. The case for a Palin run on the presidency is not without merit. Her book tour, conducted in a conveyance vaguely reminiscent of those seen so often in the corn fields of Iowa and frozen mountain passes of New Hampshire, guarantees Palin more time in the national spotlight. And even after resigning the keys to the governor’s mansion, Sarah has not shied away from politics, opting instead to attempt a remolding of her party in her own image (see special election, New York 23rd).

Where Palin has increased her level of support among the conservative base, she has lost the trust of independents who were once willing to give her a shot. For every conservative she wins over, she’ll lose three independents in Ohio and every Democrat from the not-so-real areas of America. Public opinion research already shows the diva of conservative dogma with a negative net approval rating at -14 percent. And for a practical application of her doctrinaire powers, see how effective she was at electing a Democrat for the first time since the Civil War in upstate New York.

Politics and popularity are almost always very different games to play, and in the harshest terms, Sarah is a political loser. While both she and John McCain were victims of a larger trend in the American mood, Palin rallied the base whilst driving independents to the unpatriotic camp of Barack Obama, that friend of terrorism and all things Socialist. Take note of who won last November.

It’s fitting that Palin subtitled her book, “An American Life,” for only in America could a small town mayor who cannot name a single major American newspaper come within one hundred yards and one heartbeat from the presidency. And that level of social mobility is not a negative; it’s part of what makes the American story as singular as it is shared by all.

But the buck must stop somewhere, and for Sarah, it will stop shy of the oval office. The glitz and glamour of her celebrity might distract from her declining national brand, but come next fall when she ramps up her political machine for a run on Washington (or more appropriately, a run on Cedar Rapids and Nashua), she will realize that the American people would rather see her as a personality, not a president.

But don’t worry, Sarah: Frank Sinatra was never president, either.

The Hooverville under the stars and in the fairway

Two nights ago, I found myself unable to sleep and so with a friend of mine, who was drunk with the pride of getting a high-paying job offer (as well as alcohol), misadventured out to the Dartmouth Golf Course at 4 a.m. to see the Leonid Meteor Shower. This particular astrological spectacle occurs every every 33 years, and while the best viewing of it this year was in China (at ~300 meteors per hour), Hanover at 4a.m. with its ~30 meterors/hour wasn't too bad either.

We made it out to the golf course, stopping once to answer a mountain biker's question of where it was. Wading through the freezing mud, which is inconveniently invisible in the oily dark of the night, a number of rather brilliant streaks of light briefly scarred the cloudless sky and alerted us, by the resulting shrieks of pleasure, to the astounding number of students hidden around us. We climbed the large hill, and if you've been out there you'll know which one I mean. Atop, we found hoovervilles of students, pitched in blankets and sleeping bags, sharing in each other's company and the brilliance of atmospheric phenomena. While the identities of each person up there were indistinguishable, the smell of marijuana was not.

The overall shower was interesting, if not spectacular. Meteors were few, but cool to see, and more appreciable given their brevity and small number.

The point that I want to make in this story, other than to draw attention to late-night gallivanting that does not involve a masked graduate student with a light saber, is to point out that these happenstance moments -- where students are naturally drawn together by the spontaneity of an event -- are what we will remember when we look back on college decades after graduation. Appreciate them when you find them, and actively seek them out.

Got a story from that night? Share it in the comments.

Sarah Palin Goes Rogue

Sarah Palin is out with her new book, and touring to promote it. She even made a stop on the Oprah show—this would of course be the same Oprah who supported Obama for President last year. So now is as good a time as any to consider her chances for 2012...

To read the rest of this post, go here.

On January 1, 2010, it will become illegal for people in Illinois to text while driving.

Wait - why do you care about Illinois? Maybe because 18 other states, including New York, have already instated a similar ban.

It's true that texting while driving raises your chances of doing something stupid with your vehicle. But so do applying makeup, eating, fiddling with the radio, talking (even if you're on a headset), sneezing, and just about anything else that doesn't involve your complete concentration on the road. Maybe we can blame it on the multitasking generation, but I doubt it -- most of the distractions cited in this article have been around almost as long as cars have.

A teacher at my high school died a couple of years ago because he was changing the song on his iPod and crashed his car into another. His widow had to explain to his 4-year old daughters that Daddy was dead because he didn't like the song that was playing. It's not texting that is the problem; that's just another piece of the puzzle. The problem, perhaps, is that we can't unplug anymore -- not even to protect our own lives.

Equally irritating (and potentially dangerous) are people who text while walking. Look around you. Chances are, if you walk from Mass Row to Collis, you'll pass at least 5 people scurrying along hunched over their iPhones, madly texting away or checking blitz. This evening I walked from the Alumni Gym to Phi Tau and was physically run into not once, but twice, by people barreling along with their eyes glued to a tiny screen.

And they don't change that behavior in crosswalks, either. Drivers usually get all the heat when a pedestrian is hit in the road. But if the pedestrian is anything like the typical Dartmouth student -- that is, a jaywalker, a blitz addict, and secure in the belief that they are immune to disaster -- you've got to question whether the driver is wholly to blame.

I'm just waiting for the day that a driver collides with a pedestrian because both of them were texting. Maybe to each other. I will probably laugh at the irony.

I'm a terrible human being, aren't I?

Government Needs to Create Jobs

Despite the hundreds of billions in stimulus and the massive bank bailouts, the employment numbers are getting steadily worse. Some have urged that the government should explore more direct methods of job creation, such as simply hiring more people to work in government agencies. I think there is merit to the idea...

To read the rest of this post, go here.

Reason #67 I'm glad to be in a co-ed

Overheard by a friend:

guy on phone: we had to do this thing at meetings and it really messed up my
sinuses
guy on phone:...
guy on phone: yeah. yeah i probably can't say
guy on phone: yeah, it involved a lot of throwing up."

Mmmmm... vomit in your sinuses. Nice.

Crime Alert

--- Forwarded Message from "Keiselim A. Montas, Interim Director of Safety and Security" ---

>From: "Keiselim A. Montas, Interim Director of Safety and Security"
>Date: Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:55:13 EST
>Subject: Safety and Security Crime Alert
>To: Undergraduates in Residence:;, Tuck Students:;, Thayer Students:;, DMS Students:;, Arts and Sciences Graduate Students:;, All Faculty:;, All Staff:;

CRIME ALERT:
The Department of Safety and Security issues Crime Alerts to inform the
Dartmouth College Community of any incident which may potentially pose a threat
to the safety and security of Campus community members.
We encourage all community members to take an active role in crime prevention
by staying informed and taking personal safety precautions.

REPORTED INCIDENT:
A female student living in an off campus apartment near campus reported that on
November 14, 2009 at approximately 3:20 AM she awoke in her bedroom to find an
unknown male standing near her masturbating. The woman yelled and the suspect
fled. Hanover Police and Dartmouth Safety and Security responded.

The suspect is described as a male, six feet tall wearing a baseball hat.

This incident is under investigation by Hanover Police.

CRIME PREVENTION TIPS:
The following safety tips are designed to help you take charge of your own
safety:
* Always be alert and aware of your surroundings.
* Lock your door when you are at home, lock your door when you are away, always
lock your door!
* Pull the shades to your room at night and lock your windows.
*When someone knocks on your door always ask "Who is it?" to ascertain it is
safe to open the door.
* Be wary of strangers, on foot or in cars, asking directions: It's better to
be rude than to be in trouble.
* If someone follows you, go to a place where there are other people, and call
the Department of Safety and Security immediately.
* Report any suspicious activity immediately, including anyone that makes you
feel uncomfortable.
* The Department of Safety and Security is available 24 hours a day, every day!

Department of Safety and Security:
Emergencies 603-646-3333 (6-3333 from Campus phones)
Non-Emergencies 603-646-4000 (6-4000)

Terrorist Mastermind To be Tried in Civilian Court

Khaleid Sheikh Mohammed will be tried in civilian court. Is it a good idea? I think so...

To read the rest of this post, go here.

Review: The Rocky Horror Show

"Let's do the Time Warp again..." The refrain echoed through Moore Auditorium to applause, unabashed singing from audience members, and quite a few pelvic thrusts (including, some students were stunned to see, a few from the eminent Professor James Rice, the narrator of the performance). It was Saturday, November 14, 2009- or was it? Perhaps we'd travelled through time and space to a different universe. A strange universe, certainly...

Talene Monahon '13 and Jay Ben Markson '10 shone as Janet and Brad, a recently engaged, rather nice couple. Their chemistry and wide-eyed innocence were perfectly acted (and, later, perfectly corrupted). By unfortunate circumstance, as the Rocky tradition goes, the two were left alone on a rainy night near a convenient strange-looking castle. Who did the castle belong to? Why, Frank 'N Furter, of course, also known as David Mavricos '10, a self-described "sweet transvestite" from Transsexual, Transylvania- making his entrance from above wearing a rather sweet leather number.

There were a few crazy dance numbers right from the start, a couple of forays into the audience by Transylvanians, and introductions of some interesting characters. Among my favorites was Riff Raff, servant to Frank and played by Max Hunter '13 (do that Time Warp, Max!). Other rather appropriately (or, well, inappropriately) crazy performances were credited to Chiara Klein '10 as Magenta and the introductory Singer ("science fiction... double feature!"), Genevieve Adams '11 as Columbia (beautiful declarations of love and sacrifice are always welcome, especially from a Transylvanian version of Sandy from Grease), and Stephen Jangro '11 as the namesake of the show, Rocky Horror ("Are you sure you don't like guys with lots of muscles?"). Evan Ross '13 and Stewart Towle '12 made brief and hysterical performances as Eddie and Dr. Scott, respectively.

The ever-present crew of Transylvanians, of course, can't be forgotten: Neil Basu '11, Carol Brown '12, Amber Dewey '12, Anna Fagin '13, Samantha Knowles '12, Abby McCann '11, Max Moran '12, George Neptune '10, Nick Pulito '11, Cody Ruegger '10, Sidney Sands-Ramshaw '13, and Stephen Smith '13 sure made an impression on the audience. What would Rocky Horror be without a dedicated crew of dancing, singing Time-Warp-ers? And they fit the bill.

I certainly won't tell you that Rocky was appropriate for all ages, or any ages, for that matter- but I will say that it was pretty hysterical at times, complete with many additions from someone sitting up on the balcony ("Like weapons of mass destruction!"). It was incredibly fast-paced- intermission came very quickly and I don't remember being bored at any point in time. The set was obviously incredibly time-consuming to make and ended up very impressive; lighting and music were spot-on. All in all the production was masterful. The craziness, while certainly nothing short of all-out insanity, was choreographed perfectly. Kudos are due to Director Carol Dunne, Choreographer Gregory Daniels, and Music Director Louis Burkot.

Long story short, if you're up for being scandalized and whirling along for a crazy ride, give yourself up to the insanity and let the Time Warp take you over-- it's Rocky Horror time!

Performances are November 19, 20, and 21 at 8 pm as well as November 22 at 2 pm.

Birth Control and Islam

As our population slowly begins to grow in size, we have reason to be concerned. Considering the fact that we have limited space on our planet, I would say that our concern is a legitimate one. And apparently, many of the Islamic countries feel the same.

In Mazar-I-Sharif, Afghanistan, they are trying a new approach. What if Islamic leaders were educated in birth control methods, and encouraged their followers to do practice it?

The effort seems to be working. In 2009 itself, the sale of birth control pills has nearly doubled, from 6,000 to 11,000.

The sad truth? Many Islamic women have never been in contact with birth control. They have multiple children and are at the mercy of their husbands. The fact that Islamic women are afraid to take birth control pills, or to tell their husbands that they are taking them is shameful.

In this world that we live in, why are some societies old-fashioned? For future progress, acceptance of change is necessary; these classes are a change, but cultural beliefs must be altered as well.

For more information visit: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/15/world/asia/15mazar.html?_r=1&hp

Obama's Options in Afghanistan

President Obama has yet to settle on a plan for Afghanistan. And little wonder. This is perhaps the toughest decision he’s had to make of his presidency. Most people agree that status quo isn’t working, so that leaves him with essentially two options...

To read the rest of this post, go here.

Bored @ Gridley

In addition to the calzones at Cuttings Northside Cafe, Matt Ritger's anti-frat manifesto, and Jim Kim being a total beast, one of the time-honored memes on the frat-tastic Bored@Baker is Linda Gridley, Dartmouth alumna and CEO of Gridley & Co: the "b-side" firm with the "a-side" sounding name and "a-shit-ton" of Dartmouth interns every term who do all her work. The running joke is that Gridley & Co, a "boutique" (e.g. ~10 employees) investment banking firm is better than MS, DB, and every other multibillion dollar finance company out there. Below are some of my favorite B@B gems.

i have a 3.99 gpa, AD president, President of squash and football, internship at gridley 3 times, and i had sex with linda gridley and i still didnt get a job at gridley
agree: [2]

i heard linda gridley actually poops sunshine
agree: [2]

I heard Gridley has 2 rejection letters: one to people who were varsity captains/AD presidents that says "Sorry" and one to normal applicants which says "Are you fucking kidding me" and Linda gridley will call them up to make fun of the[m]

The Linda Gridley Economics Scholars Program was initiated in 1768, one year before the founding of the College, and provides opportunities for juniors to research economics and financial issues on a regular basis. Applicants must have a 3.9 (or above) grade point average, social standing at or above Psi Upsilon Fraternity, membership in Dragon or Sphinx, and outstanding recommendations. One in ten scholars will be invited to apply for an interview at Gridley & Company LLC.
agree: [2] disagree: [1]

Fuck my life - my boyfriend & I were eating at Cuttings the other day and someone from Gridley, a very prestigious investment bank, called and gave him an offer for an internship. As soon as he heard that, he said "I'm dumpin your ass bitch, I'm too good for you now" and left me with the bill. At least the calzones were cheap
agree: [7] disagree: [1]

i heard snoop dogg, bruce springsteen, bob dylan, paul mccartney, radiohead, and linda gridley are playing on the green during winter carnival
agree: [1]


I HEARD IF A GRIDLEY INTERN DOESNT MAKE $10 MILLION TWO DAYS AFTER LEAVING GRIDLEY LINDA GRIDLEY WILL PERSONALLY GIVE THEM THE MONEy
agree: [2]

I hear Gridley's pledge term is harder than psi u's
agree: [2]

i heard gridley pays $300 K base, $700 k sign on bonus, 5 bonuses a year each between$1000 and $10 million

REAL INTERVIEW QUESTION FROM GRIDLEY: perform a DCF on this cleveland steamer

cuttings: 3.7+ for interview, Gridley won't interview unless you are in Sphinx/son of Linda Gridley. She has 800 sons so being her son is still very hard to get into gridley

i heard gridley & Company requires 40 rounds of interviews to get an internship...and they are all with linda gridley

Introducing Dartmouth FML

Dartmouth now has its very own version of FMyLife.com: DartmouthFML.com. For those of you unfamiliar with the concept, FML is a collection of anecdotal stories illustrating the general hopelessness of the human condition through schadenfreude stories that could theoretically happen to anyone. Basically, any encounter you could rationally end by saying "f*** my life" to yourself.

The Dartmouth version is still in its infancy -- created, it appears, tonight -- but it has the promise of providing all the joy of FML through the uniquely green-tinted lens of Dartmouth Life. Below is my favorite of the current posts.

Your five o'clock Fail.

Exchange Fail:


Pleasing women fail:


Epic name fail:

Carrie Prejean- Idiot, Victim, Harlot

Carrie Prejean, the Glenn Beck of beauty pageants and former Miss California USA, has lost her crown and she knows exactly who's to blame: the Liberal Media and their conservative-women hating, free-speech destroying, smear campaigns. If one thing is for sure, it was definitely not Prejean's failure to meet contractual obligations nor was it her under-age sex tape that caused it. No, if anything, her liberal enemies invented that sex tape, the kind that is routinely used to prosecute youths as sex offenders, just to destroy her.

Ms. Prejean, pictured at right defending family values, came to prominence during the Q&A portion of Donald Trump's not-at-all-vapid Miss USA Pageant. Responding to a question from the quite out Perez Hilton, Ms. Prejean gave a resounding and articulate defense of "opposite marriage" to the displeasure of Hilton and a lot of the crowd.

In the ensuing controversy, Ms. Prejean became the Sarah-Palin-eque hero for thinly veiled conservative homophobia and the all-round paradoxical champion of family values. “Our bodies are temples of the Lord. We should earn respect and admiration for our hearts, not for showing skin to look sexy,” she said before she put on a skimpy bathing suit and paraded her cleavage on national television. How the hyporcacy doesn't suffocate her, I will never know.

Perhaps the best line in the article is this gem:

Donald Trump, the owner of the Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants, saved Prejean’s Miss California crown. But she soon lost that, too, when pageant officials accused her of not meeting her contractual obligations. Prejean then sued, accusing pageant officials of libel, slander and religious discrimination, alleging that she was dismissed for her religious beliefs. The pageant countersued, demanding that she pay them back for the breast enhancement surgery they paid for.

Oh Snap!

Overheard

A group of girls singing the Mulan theme in front of Hitchcock:

Girl 1 (singing): Let's get down to business-to defeat the hordes!

Rest of the group: Wait, isn't the song about huns?

Liveblogging Dr. Chu: The Happy Soldier

Today, PoliTALK and the Daniel Webster Legal Society hosted a special lunch for Dr. David S. C. Chu, the baritone-voiced CEO of the Institute for Defense Analyses and former Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness in the George W. Bush administration. First and foremost, Dr. Chu is a partisan, but not in the political way. If there is one flag he carries, it's the banner of the Department of Defense. Just about every problem that the DoD gets blame for is someone else's fault. And I believe him.

Exhibit one: The Constitution. The Senate declares war and the President fights it; the Army does not set its mission. Congress sets the statues and the DoD enforces it; "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" was not our idea. The State Department requires guard forces and instead of bolstering its diplomatic security branches, it hires Blackwater. The DoD is just a tool-- like a gun on the table. Completely incapable of doing good or harm without the guidance of someone to pick it up and use it.

Dr. Chu is emphatic about the volunteer nature of the U.S. Military. If the soldiers don't want to be there, he doesn't want them. Under his leadership at DoD, a reassignment program was instituted to allow GIs to bid to change their deployment, thereby allowing each solider to serve according to their preferences. I asked him about the fate of those soldiers who joined to fight terrorism after 9/11 and instead found themselves in Iraq. He said that this new program was designed to counter disagreements in mission, as well as aligning preferences for location and duty. Incentive pay for difficult-to-fill missions is the kind of smart management that the DoD now embraces.

When asked about the roll of contractors, Dr. Chu thinks it's much ado about nothing. Why waste the time of a GI to be a cook when you can just contract out to catering companies? Efficiency, lower price, and freeing up GIs for soldiering are the benefits.
"But what about mercenaries like Blackwater?" I ask.
"I know people have their complaints but they keep writing to the wrong address. Personal security is not really a duty of the Armed Forces. Even outside military bases, the guard personnel are civilian. If the State Department wants to get off security contractors, they should increase their diplomatic security branch, not complain to me."

"Don't Ask, Don't Tell"? Well this is college so someone asked about it. "If Clinton -- a usually astute politician -- hadn't stepped in and made it an issue, Defense would have sorted it out ourselves. In the past, to get out of duty, people might say 'I'm a homosexual' and their superior would discharge them. Honorably, that is. Now, people might say 'I'm gay' and their superior says 'Alright... get back to work.' Only a couple hundred are discharged each year for a homosexual lifestyle out of tens of thousands for other reasons. We'll get there [allowing gays to serve openly], but it will be some time."

At his lecture, the Brooks Family Lecture, he reiterated these points and the general outline of his introduction: the Army is lean and mean, we operate in an uncertain world, our capabilities must be diverse to deal with the changing situations, and we must capitalize on our most valuable asset: human capital.

I'll leave my talking to Mr. Daniels

Great satire from The Onion:

Ah, pardon me, milady. May I have a word? I trust you're enjoying tonight's festivities? I should say I am. Nothing stirs the blood quite like an evening of dancing, conversing, and libations, wouldn't you say? My apologies for the confusion; while I'm aware that you have been speaking with the gentleman here, I should let you know that, as he has now imbibed a considerable proportion of my contents, the conversational duties will henceforth fall to yours truly.

I think we've heard quite enough from him by now, anyhow. Keep Reading