I wish I could say I coined the phrase in that title. Actually, it was Mark Twain who penned it nearly one century ago. How relevant those words remain still today! Assuming I pass my classes this semester, I will be finished with my undergraduate work one week from today. I will receive my diploma shortly thereafter, and will participate in graduation ceremonies next spring. This is a moment all students await in earnest and, for those who have not… Read more

The 2008 Republican Primary campaign was, to me, quite humorous. I distinctly remember watching as the Republican contenders continually tried to “out-Reagan” each other during every televised debate. Indeed, the Republican Party has done a good job at rebranding Ronald Reagan in recent years. I suspect their intention has been to paper over the largely failed presidency of George W. Bush by drawing up parallels to the Reagan years, which most Americans remember as a time of optimism and prosperity…. Read more

With the recent midterm elections now behind us, I’ve been thinking a lot about competing concepts in the application of ideology. You know, the whole “principle versus pragmatism” debate. On Nov. 2, my Libertarian Party performed about as well as expected (i.e., no one of significance was elected). It certainly makes one reassess under which umbrella one’s political convictions can be best utilized. But I hate Democrats, and I just can’t stomach the thought of registering Republican. I’m politically homeless;… Read more

Dear Fellow Students, It is disheartening to learn of the most recent round of CSU tuition hikes, which are set to take effect next semester. Everyone, it seems, is up in arms about them. I graduate in four weeks, so fortunately my wallet is being spared from any further raping. You, however, are not so lucky. We live in challenging times and everybody could benefit from a little advice, so I hope you are amenable to some of mine. Selfish… Read more

The 2010 midterm elections have come and gone. We’ve had a week to mull over the results. Here are three thoughts I came away with. 1. This election was a referendum on Barack Obama. Obviously, government spending and the lingering effects of the recession played a significant role in defining how the electorate felt about incumbents.  But people are pissed at the way government is growing, and pundits have downplayed the ideological nature of the discontentment. In 2008, people elected… Read more

To read “Government: America’s only legal counterfeiting machine (part one)” A few weeks ago, I wrote about how the Federal Reserve and the concept of central banks printing paper money have hurt America. This week, I’d like to examine why this could be the case. The Federal Reserve was created in 1913 as a reaction to the many financial panics of the preceding decades. Its expressed intent was to stabilize industry, regulate banking, control prices and inflation, and supply currency…. Read more

The Federal Reserve announced its inclination late last week to aggressively push for further action in its attempt to battle the economic downturn, including the buying up of more long-term assets. Some in America’s central bank have even pondered artificially raising interest rates. The economic impact of the Fed’s latest decisions is worth the subject of its own column, but this week I’d like to discuss an even larger topic. So huge, in fact, that it will be divided into… Read more

One of my favorite episodes of “South Park” revolves around the story of a school election, wherein the children are asked to vote for a new mascot. The two candidates offered up to the students of South Park Elementary are a giant douche and a turd sandwich. “Voting is great, but if I have to choose between a douche and a turd, I just don’t see the point,” little Stan Marsh confesses. That’s a bit how this year’s gubernatorial election… Read more

On Feb. 11, 2010, a police SWAT team raided the home of Missouri resident Jonathon Whitworth. Narcotics investigators received a search warrant to scour Whitworth’s home after being informed that the Columbia resident stood in possession of large quantities of top-grade marijuana. Descending upon the Whitworth residence in the middle of the night, the SWAT officers charged through the front door, tackling Whitworth to the ground and aiming assault weapons at his wife and 7-year old son. They shot Jonathon’s… Read more