I’ve seen some nauseating trends in my life, reinforced by the media with wanton disregard for the people that depend on those same outlets to provide some sensibility where institutions like family, school and friendship cannot.
How would you feel if you were going to be sued for copyright infringement for simply posting a clip of your favorite show on YouTube.com? Fortunately, Viacom decided to take an easier route last year by filing a $1 billion copyright infringement lawsuit against YouTube for what they say is unauthorized viewing of more than 150,000 clips of its programming from MTV, Comedy Central and other networks.
Last week, Michigan’s House of Representatives made one of the smartest decisions it has in a long time. On Wednesday, the House passed four bills that would regulate future use of water from the Great Lakes.
A homeless person might often be perceived as lazy and unintelligent, although that’s not always the case. Most people don’t choose to be homeless — it’s just a result of a series of setbacks. According to Patrick Patterson, vice president of operations in Lansing for Volunteers of America, there are 3,200 homeless people in Lansing, in a given year.
To a man who owns a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. With a military budget nearly that of the entire world combined — $529 billion in 2007 — the United States has one hell of a hammer. Not only is much of that budget tied up in counterproductive Middle Eastern entanglements, but much of military research is inapplicable to any foreseeable conflict.
If money grew on trees, life would be a lot less stressful. Last Wednesday, a Lansing administrative law judge ruled that Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan did not make the case to raise rates for individuals who buy their own health insurance.
Another public official, another foolish scandal. Former Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann resigned May 14 after serving only two years in the position. The 46-year-old Democrat made the decision after threat of impeachment because of an extramarital affair and an ongoing sexual harassment investigation in his office.
The other day I picked up a local newspaper and read that my local 6th Circuit Court judicial race in Oakland County is expected to be the most expensive one in history with candidates spending $1 million.
Politicians lie. They make promises about what they will do if they are elected and many of them don’t deliver when they get into office.
After five years of hard fighting, I think both those who are in favor of the Iraq war and those opposing it can both agree: It’s a mess. Exactly why it’s a mess and whether it’s an irredeemable mess are certainly debatable points.
The job of a newspaper is to provide the readers with unbiased reporting, allowing them to form their own opinions about the story and decide how it will affect their lives. There is so much happening around us that sometimes it’s hard to process everything and recognize how it will impact your life personally — and that’s fine.
On Friday, The Lantern, The Ohio State University’s newspaper, reported that 39 percent of Ohio State students used a condom the last time they had sex. Well, in the name of competition I want to say congratulations MSU students — you win!
China has long held a tight grip on its Internet and media, restricting them from doing things such as displaying graphic images or criticizing their government. After an earthquake shook the ground of China’s Sichuan province, in an effort to gain more support from countries around the world, the Chinese government began slacking on Internet and media restrictions they once tightly upheld.
What do our laws say about our values as a society? How do we construct the world we desire through legislation and judicial processes? Last week, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled that state universities cannot offer health coverage to the partners of gay employees.
In 30 days, same-sex couples in California will enjoy the same benefits as heterosexual couples. On Thursday, the justices of the California Supreme Court ruled 4-3 to overturn the voter-approved ban on gay marriage which will allow same-sex couples to jump the broom. Sixty-one percent of California’s voters approved the proposal in 2000 which stated “only marriage between a man and women is valid and recognized in California.” As the nation’s most populous state, California just might have set precedent for other states.
I am an East Lansing homeowner excited about the proposed City Center II development. There needs to be more residential units and other offerings in the Valley Court area of the city. However, the question is how much more, and what type of development?
If the mainstream media wants to reduce the presidential election to a sporting competition, they should have their sports reporters covering it. Obsessing over the candidates’ political strategizing and voter reception of their talking points doesn’t expand anyone’s understanding of the issues at stake. Journalists are not living up to their responsibility to shape the discussion on their own terms, rather than the terms of the nominees. The news media’s failure allows politicians to turn this campaign into a competitive spectacle.
It’s official. Green is the new black. If ever there was a time to conserve energy, that time is now. The residents of Juneau, Alaska realized this, but only after an April avalanche depleted more than 80 percent of their electrical supply. After such a loss, the 31,000 residents of Juneau are going to extremes to conserve every little bit of energy they can. Thus far, the city has cut its electrical use by more than 30 percent.
Cookie-cutter political philosophy and party-line votes are the norm in Lansing. Doctrinaire legislators rule the day mostly because they lack the experience in statesmanship to see beyond simple ideological or partisan ideologies.
As the cost of getting an education goes up with each passing year, it seems as though it’s getting harder for students to get loans unless their credit is in near perfect condition. Some students are looking for new ways to pay for college other than borrowing from banks and government agencies.