Politics

The FCC and Profanity Regulation

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I recently read an article that seemed like a complete blast from the past in the sense that I thought, “Didn’t we go through this in the 70’s?” Apparently, a U.S. appeals court struck down a proposed FCC policy that would ban networks from broadcasting profanity. Does this policy sound a little 1950’s to anyone else? Do you remember in I Love Lucy or Dick Van Dyke that the couples slept in separate beds? This was because a single bed referred too much to sex. Or in the Brady Bunch, the kids had that big ol’ bathroom, but you never saw a toilet? Toilets were considered profane.  Now, it seems like the court was also having these flashbacks because it claimed that the policy was unconstitutional and that the banning of all offensive material (not just swear words, but references to things like sex or toilet time) without a clear definition of what is meant by offensive would essentially limit what broadcasters would feel safe to talk about on-air. Good news for toilets.

Singularity

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In looking towards the future of technology, Singularity University as well as the work associated, has been increasingly featured in the media. But what is Singularity University? Is it actually a place? Who goes there? Not students surely. The following is a brief introduction to Singularity University as well as the topics they seek to explore.

The Beginning of GLBT Pride

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We’ve all heard of Proposition 8, Matthew Shepherd, and thanks to Hollywood, even Harvey Milk. But when I learned that this year, June 2010 was declared Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Pride month, I realized I had very little knowledge about the significance of the month of June for GLBT persons or their other significant historical moments aside from those that occurred after my birth.

Obama Takes the Blame

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Yes, after six weeks of of disastrous gushing, the infamous BP oil spill is still, well spilling. The disaster hasn't just flooded our waters either, it's inundated the media - which is right for a catastrophe of this scope. Recently, however, press coverage has shifted away from personal testimonials, pictures of birds covered in brown crude oil, and the safety practices of BP to focus instead upon President Obama's role in this mess. 

Supreme Court Nominee Elena Kagan Likes Softball

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Let’s talk about this. Recently, the news media has been making a big to-do about the fact that President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee, Elena Kagan likes to play softball. Why? Because it might mean she’s gay.

 

The discussion was sparked after The Wall Street Journal  published a picture of Kagan from 1993 playing softball. Some have speculated that this was a deliberate attempt by the conservative news media (WSJ is owned by the News Corporation, the same company that owns Fox News and spearheaded by international conservative media tycoon Rupert Murdock) to “out” or at least make an issue of gossip that Kagan is gay.

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