Rush Limbaugh is on the air. Still. And people listen to him. This might not be such a bad thing, except that the people who listen to him are the same people leading the Republican Party. Despite rousing defeats in two election cycles, a humiliating vice-presidential candidate, the elderly and infirm constitution of its voters, a disastrous eight years in power and a social policy stuck somewhere on the wrong side of 1954, the party sticks to its guns.
A man is approached by four plain-clothed officers on the streets of New York City and is told to stop what he is doing and to put his hands up. The officers briefly question this young man, who is 23-years-old and a recent immigrant to America. The young man is confused and reaches for his wallet to show his identification. As soon as the young man makes this move, one of the officers shouts "Gun!" and the officers quickly fire 41 fatal shots into his body.
For the past year or so now we've heard about this "change" thing floating about. But I propose that we've borne witness to a change even more drastic and far-reaching than anything else before: the integration of the nerd culture into the mainstream. But when did this happen? And how could such a revolutionary change go unnoticed? There are many factors, but I tend to believe that it all started in 1997. It was in this year that Square released "Final Fantasy VII."
The last few decades in Hollywood were awash with inspirational schoolhouse dramas that pitted an exuberant, maverick teacher against a sea of uninspired but capable students. There was always a happy ending — either through fate or fortune, the teacher managed to change the lives of every dangerous mind under his or her influence. Sadly, anyone who has ever endured public schooling, be it in a bustling city or a sleepy suburb, understands that such tidy outcomes are more the stuff of legend than reality. This decade has been a little different. "Half Nelson" (2006), an underrated drama starring Ryan Gosling as a drug-dependent middle school teacher, brought much-needed realism to the dynamics of change in the classroom.
The Beatles passionately fantasized about this, Cassavetes' "The Notebook" (2004) was purely based on this, and Cinderella found this when she located her missing shoe. Can you figure it out?
The final crew to hit the stage last Sunday was the most anticipated and the most star-studded of Vibe XIV. Kaba Modern Legacy put it down with a set that featured some of the best KM dancers from recent years, including members from MTV's "Randy Jackon Presents America's Best Dance Crew" team. The all-star filled stage blew up with a combination of classic Kaba Modern choreography of meticulous detail and smooth transitions. With every new song in the set came a rumble of appreciation from the hyped crowd as KM Legacy shut the place down.
THE SWAGGER: Check this Anteater Nation, one of UC Irvine's very own is making a name for himself in the National Basketball Association. I know what you are thinking. UCI's basketball team has never made the NCAA Tournament; it hasn't even won its own conference tournament. How does it have a player making a name for himself in the NBA? The truth is, we don't. We have a coach...
Obama set the tone for his new administration with a win-win affront on the First Amendment. The sheepish Republicans in Congress nearly bought into his attempt to marginalize Rush Limbaugh, but even though they didn't (and that's still in question), Obama has rallied the good will of his robotic constituents and thus come away unscathed.
