A Short Hiatus

Hello everyone. I hope you are doing well. I am writing to let you know that I will be taking a short break from writing on the blog to focus on the last two weeks of the semester here at CU Boulder.

I have really enjoyed all of your comments and feedback. This has been a great experience for me to read, write, and share with you all. I really do appreciate your constant readership and promise to be back soon with some good articles and maybe some more ridiculous things to say.

Take care and see you soon.

Sincerely,

Adam.

Churchill “Wins” $1 Civil Suit

I opened the Denver Post on Sunday at my parents house, and wasn’t sure whether to laugh or to spit at the article I was reading. Ward Churchill, a former CU professor who was caught lying, and worst of all (in the world of academia) plagiarizing, was awarded a symbolic $1 in his civil suit against the university.

Then I read a quote by one of the jurors, “I respect the fact that he stands up for what he believes in.” Like lying about his race (he claimed to be Native American, please see ridiculous picture), copying people’s ideas without citation, and making fun of 9-11 victims in his essay “Some People Push Back: On the Justice of Roosting Chickens”. I was a) disgusted by the juror’s stupidity and b) scared that some day someone like you or me might have someone just as dumb on our jury in a trial.

To the other jurors’ credit, they did try. The lead asked: “Judge, we are feeling uncomfortable about the damages portion. Would you be able to meet with us to talk about what is required and other things regarding money? And is $0 an option?” I wish.

Churchill said after the verdict that CU “has been exposed for what it is,” but then added that he wants to be reinstated. I think the words he was looking for were these: I realize that the rest of the academic world now knows I’m a fraud, and the only way for me to get a job is via a jury, and not my false resume.

CU must take some blame too, though. They did give this man tenure and place him as chair, while he only has a masters degree. Let’s put this in perspective for all ye non nerds like me: this is like making the starting JV basketball guard suddenly the Varsity captain, while he didn’t even make the team. Doesn’t make much sense, does it?

At the end of the day, anyone who needs to wear a pony tail and a multi-colored jacket to continue living a lie of race and sub-par academic talents, should not have a job teaching people. Maybe the theater department needs someone to play a rock or stool in the Summer Shakespeare festival? I’ll ask.

by M. Adam Carroll

What Happened, Jay Cutler?… da Bears

I don’t really know what happened with our recently fame to de-famed quarterback. I’ve always loved him on the field. He’s a true competitor. Gotta love a quarterback that lays out blocks for his teammates. I don’t see that blond guy from the Chargers doing such manly things. If anything, he scurries off to the sideline, because he’s afraid of a little contact.

I am sad to see Cutler leave. I was hoping big things for him and our Denver Broncos. That being said, his attitude off the field these last few weeks have equated to that of a five year kindergartner when he doesn’t get his cookies and milk. This is the NFL, you are a commodity, you can be traded. Suck it up.

I’m not saying “Good riddance” to Jay-boy, but I am saying “learn from this”. We got two first round picks and a third, on top of Kyle Orton. Not as good as Jay, but not exactly horrible. Orton did do a better job than Rex Grossman.  (I always thought his name “Rex” was manlier than he is).

I am actually getting excited for the season now, again. Denver needs to build a team and sustain the squad. Maybe this is the beginning again.

To read a good article and video on the subject from ESPN, click here.

by M. Adam Carroll

Music You Should Know

Well, hello there. Thanks for coming back!

Today’s topic is music. One of my favorite. Here are some cool new bands I’ve been listening to. I hope you enjoy them.

The Weepies. A friend of mine, who I play with live, suggested this quorky band. Comprised of a man/wife duo, they eminate a fun indie sound. At the same time, their lyrics are very honest. Their music has been used in many TV series, so maybe you’ll recognize a tune or two.

The Weepies myspace. Listen to “World Spins Madly On”, “Gotta Have You”.

Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. These young dudes blasted on the scene a couple of years ago with their song “Face Down”, mixing rock with punk pretty darn well. Their lead singer, Ronnie, truly has an amazing range and displays it (finally) on their new album.

Their myspace. Listen to “Pen and Paper”, “Represent”, “Guardian Angel”, “Believe”.

Safetysuit. This band is getting ready to explode your local pop/rock/contemporary radio station. The problem? None. They vacilate between rock-out and guilty pleasure. I throw my Ali G respeckk down for these guys.

Their myspace. Listen to “Someone Like You”, “Anywhere But Here”, “Something I Said”.

That’s all folks. Enjoy your Thursday, and I hope I’ve provided enough material to distract you from any assigned work you might have at your job.

by M. Adam Carroll

Time, Wasted, Alcohol

Welcome back everyone after a little break. I hope you didn’t miss my words of wisdom too much! We’re back on our regular schedule of Tuesday, Thursday, Moron (“Friday”). I hope you’ll join me again in my quest to make sense of the world.

I first thought I’d write about the 200 + Libyans that sunk in a boat on their trek to Italy through the Mediterranean. Illegal immigration shows a different face when hundreds die (article). But, let’s be honest. It’s Tuesday, and the last thing you (or I) need at this point to get us through the Spring season (ie random snow blizzards) is a depressing story.

So, instead, let’s talk about drinking and being young. Tim Kreider was brave enough to write about his formidable years (also known as our 20′s) and his drinking buddies. He explains: “my friends and I were spending whole days eating oysters, drinking pitchers of mimosas and beer, and laughing ’til we wept on decks overlooking the Chesapeake Bay. There is really no drinking half as enjoyable as daytime drinking”.

While I don’t necessarily condone such an approach to alcohol and life, I did get a laugh by reading his hilarious article on his college and post college years on drinking. Something rang true when he writes that it doesn’t get much better than “sitting idly around having hilarious conversations with friends”. I would have to agree. The time we spend with friends and family, and the laughter, make this world a little more livable. Anyone who knows me personally knows that I’ll be the first to laugh, no matter how awkward it might be. And that’s when I’m at my happiest.

Finally, though, he punches in a sober word or two by saying, “Being clearheaded is such a peculiar novelty that it’s almost like being on some subtle, intriguing new drug.” Feeling good and healthy is my new drug too. Weird. I just think we all have to work a little extra hard to stay on it. Why can’t we get addicted to it as easily? (work out freaks aside, ‘cuz they’re just weird).

At the same time, too often too many of our brothers and sisters of the party fall victims to what we call careers, marriage, mortgages, children. Every invitation (or Facebook notice) I get of a wedding, I lose a little more hope for humanity and our possibility to rock on and rock out. Kreider speaks of his friends’ toast: “Gentlemen — our lives are unbelievably great.” Yeah, I think so too. Let’s have a laugh and throw our middle finger up to all those boring people out there!

by M. Adam Carroll

Teen Girls Stand by Their Man… Chris Brown

In a recent pole of high school female students on the alleged beating of pop singer Rihanna, 46% of the girls said she had it coming. Wow. One was quoted as saying that “she probably ran into a door and was too embarrassed so blamed it on Chris.” Right.

Here’s my favorite: “She probably made him mad for him to react like that. You know, like, bring it on?” Oh my gosh. Where is our youth going, and what is it coming to? Nowhere it seems.

So, who’s to blame? Parents, media, or the young impressionable pupils of America? It’s probably a combination of the three. But, for some reason, I’m highly disappointed in these girls’ lack-luster ability of discernment.

You may read the article to further indulge in these tweens’ strike for Chris Breezy: article.

by M. Adam Carroll

Unions Are Obsolete

I managed a plant for a large corporation a little while back. Our employees “in the back” (as the suits and ties in the office called our hardworking men and women) were grown men and women doing monotonous jobs 40+ hours a week to feed hungry mouths. Most of them were adults of Hispanic descent with a limited understanding of the English language. One of their favorite tasks during the day was learning a new word or two in English. They couldn’t afford a linguistics class, so they did what they could with what they had.

I say all this to put the proceeding into context. We began our shift at 5am sharp, ever day. Rain, snow, or sun, we were there with squinty eyes. And, who was there to greet us once a month? The local union representative with flyers, loud noises, running up to our car doors. But of course, according to the law, we are not allowed to ask them to leave…

The funniest thing about their handing out of literature to us? It was a slander against our own company. That the big wigs didn’t care for the hourly worker. That never made much sense to me: how does putting down your current employer encurouage the person to A) continue working there, and B) if you’ve conviced an employee that his/her job currently sucks, what makes you think they’ll stay to pay you money out of their check to get “better wages”? I never connected the dots.

Needless to say, no one ever bit during the year that I worked there. As I mentioned earlier, most of my employees could not read English and didn’t have the highest level of education. But still, they were able to ascertain which would be a better option: a company that pays them with benefits with annual raises, or an angry union telling you to pay them to get what you already have. What I’m trying to say is this: UNIONS ARE NOW OBSOLETE. And they are the fastest dying business in the US. Why do you think they’re so angry?

According to the NY Times, Two of the nation’s “fastest-growing” labor unions — the Service Employees International Union and the California Nurses Association, have now joined forces. They were bitter enemies, with constant law suits, showing up at each other conferences yelling, barricading doors… the list goes on. “We have buried the hatchet,” said Rose Ann DeMoro, president of the California Nurses Association. Sorry, I can’t use an erudite language here: LOSERS.

Maybe they “burried the hatched” because the California association will soon become the largest nurses’ union in American history, with 150,000 members, when it merges with United American Nurses and the Massachusetts Nurses Union. More people, more fees, more money.

They have a goal of creating a single, nationwide union for registered nurses (socialists anyone). “We have a moment to seize,” said a rep. “We have to show hospitals that health care reform is the right thing to do.” I’ll leave you with this: Should you really have to convince us all of your great union product?

by M. Adam Carroll