St. Michael's Economics Professors Receive a "Manifesto"

Strange times in the St. Michael's economics department. An anonymous letter was taped onto the doors of the economics professors on Sept. 18. The St. Michael's newspaper The Defender has the scoop:

...the same document was found published on multiple Web sites under the title of the True Cost Economics Manifesto, part of a campaign featured on www.adbusters.org. The campaign, which began prior to 2005, invites readers to sign the manifesto and take part in True Cost Economics, a concept aiming to create a “new economic paradigm,” according to adbusters.org.

Intriguing! Check out the article and read the letter. It sure does sound angry. And a bit deranged.

The Defender quotes department chair Reza Ramazani as being "100 percent sure" that this wasn't the work of a St. Michael's student. Though I haven't taken an economics course during my time at St. Mike's, based on what I've heard from those who have, it's a fairly progressive department with intelligent faculty. And other faculty members at the school have high praise for their economics colleagues, especially Ramazani. In short, our economics department are hardly the people responsible for a tanking world economy and environmental degradation.

Lastly, it sure does strike me as lazy activism to simply print out a few copies of a letter. Can't these leftist revolutionaries at least come up with manifestos in their own words? Is that too much to ask? This guy should've taken lessons from the Forest Crimes Unit over at UVM, and figured out innovative use of toilets or something. Now that's a protest.

 

That One '08

"You know who voted for it? You might never know. That one."

So now, go get yo' self some goodies.

Preview: The American League Championship Series

October is here, also known as the time of year you can’t help but feel bad for Cubs fans. It almost seemed unfair to them that this team was burdened with top notch starting pitching, a strong middle of the lineup, depth in the bullpen, a rabid, hungry fan base and history on their side. I mean they can’t lose forever, right? Statistically, they were due! And this was the best team they’ve had in decades! Yet, it’s like they didn’t even show up to play in Chicago or Los Angeles. What was I thinking predicting them WS champs? They haven’t won a playoff game in five years!

Compound this with my bitterness with the results of the Yankees season and the very real possibility that Boston is the best team in baseball again and it’s been a rough year. Luckily the Rays and Red Sox will meet in what should go down as one of the most fascinating ALCS series of recent memory. The Phillies, despite weak starting pitching rivaling that of a T-Ball team (think about it), and a shaky bottom of the order, takes on Manny Ramirez, who I theorize is an idiot savant, and whoever else plays on the Dodgers. Not nearly as much pizzazz there so we'll just stick to the mouth-watering ALCS.

But before I do that, I'd like to get something out of the way. I've lived in Burlington now for four years as an unapologetic Yankee fan. I try to ignore arguing with the Boston fans as much as possible. It's useless. To have a reasonable, fact-filled discussion or debate is often an insurmountable challenge to them. And don't get me wrong, Yankee fans are often no better. Throwing D Batteries at opposing teams and fans is a sure-fire way to make yourself look like an asshole. So let's get to the crux of it — arguments like "Yankees Suck," "Yankees F***ing Suck," and my favorite, "F***ing Yankees Yahh Suck," are hard to take.

Debate on Drinking Age a Real Rager

Continuing with the recent drinking theme, check out Mike Ives' article in this week's Seven Days about the Amethyst Initiative, a coalition of more than 100 college presidents fighting to open a debate on the wisdom of the 21+ drinking law.

The Amethyst group is facing serious opposition from Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), The Governor’s National Highway Safety Association, The National Transportation Safety board and others, who all argue that the enactment of the 1984 Minimum Drinking Age Act has saved thousands of lives and should remain on the books. 

The initiative had significant support from three Vermont College presidents from Marlboro College, Norwich University and Champlain College until an AP story spread the fear that the institutions would be seen as wholly supporting the lowering of the drinking law to 18, though they only want to see an open debate.

John McCardell, former Middlebury College prez and founder of the Amethyst Initiative (pictured), plans to ask Congress to repeal a clause in the law that associates the 21+ drinking age with highway funding.

Photo by Matthew Thorsen.

How To Avoid The Hangover

When you wake up on the couch (or in some cases walk-in closets), wearing a tutu and one sock with a mouth of sandpaper and a splitting headache, it’s often the consequence of a really good (or bad) night.

The dreaded hangover has already set in and you’re in for a long, miserable ride on the pain train. All kinds of people have their own methods of eliminating or at least reducing the hangover. Some mix honey with tea, others drink a glass of whatever their previous night’s poison was, and some may even consult witchdoctors to shrink their heads, chant hymnals and cleanse the body with the blood of herd animals. But do any of these methods work? Is there even a way to cure a hangover?  Yes and no. The only true guaranteed way to cure a hangover is to not drink — but with the right steps, you can drink and still avoid it.

The Schlep to the White House

Sarah Silverman is funny. She wants you to go to Florida to get your Jewish grandparents to vote for Barack Obama. If I were Jewish and/or had grandparents in Florida, I totally would, just because she told me to. Especially now that she finally broke off her relationship with Jimmy Kimmel. God, I hate that smug, unfunny prick. Now, enjoy the video (but turn the volume down if you're at work, or anywhere else where people within earshot might take offense to words like "douchenozzle"):

The Great Schlep from The Great Schlep on Vimeo.

In my view, good political humor shouldn't just be taking shots (which is often too easy in the political realm), but should have something to say itself. Sarah's not just cracking stupid jokes — I find it really distressing how many people I've met of various religions, home states, and generations who are afraid to vote for Barack Obama because his name sounds foreign and Muslim. I know it's unlikely, but I still have this vague notion in my head that Obama would be doing even better in the polls if his name was Barry O'Brien.

Of course, this points towards an even larger problem — the idea that "Muslim" equals "terrorist." Agh. It's all very frustrating.

Good thing we have funny Internet videos to distract us.

Hill Section Residents Up in Arms over Champlain College’s Construction of Mailbox

Author's Note: This writing is entirely satirical and is presented to note the growing disparity between a college's needs and the residential community's wishes.

Burlington, VT—Residents of Burlington’s Hill section held a meeting Tuesday night to discuss the economic and social implications of Champlain College’s construction of a three-foot-tall, one-foot wide mailbox on the intersection of Maple and South Willard streets.

Residents first voiced their concern that the construction would lead to an increase in foot and bicycle traffic, creating even more slow-moving congestion in the student and resident-filled area. Shelby Walker, a mother of three, feels like she’s “Living near a college, not in a pleasant, student-free neighborhood with gentle breezes, elementary school children riding bicycles and residents picnicking daily in the back sections of their minivans and SUVs.” Though the college had already occupied more than 30 buildings by June of 2000, when Walker purchased her house on South Willard Street, she finds it upsetting that “it just isn’t the country setting I remember when I first moved.” She continued, arguing that “things have changed and it needs to stop before it spirals out of control and people start to become irrational.”

This feud continues the battle between residents and the College. In the past residents have taken the College to the Vermont Supreme Court, and have also attempted to block the construction of residence halls, and the acquisition of new buildings. Champlain shot back at the residents' view of the mailbox in a statement by President David Finney, who remarked that “Champlain’s need to receive mail from all corners of the world is well-documented, and critical to our continuing goal of receiving letters from students, parents of students, business contacts, government agencies, scholarly journals, paychecks, and also letters from concerned residents of the community we occupy.”

Members of the community first caught wind of construction when Maple Street resident Bobby LaClair heard hammering across from his house. “I looked outside and there it was! A guy in jeans and overalls hammering a plank of wood into the ground and then attaching an opening and closing box to the top of the plank. And frankly, the red arm thingy is an eyesore to the neighborhood. It's driving down the value of my house. And the nerve of them building it at 1 P.M. I’m outraged.”

Chris and Dave: We Started This Whole "Change" Thing

"It's not how long someone's been there," says Rep. Dave Zuckerman, referring to the 12 years he's spent representing B-Town in Montpelier. "It's how long they've been there, and what they have been getting done."

Smooth jazz tunes bounce off the rustic wooden walls of Muddy Waters Coffeehouse, making this downtown Burlington chill spot an even more inviting refuge from the cold and overcast Friday morning. As we talk at a table by the window, Dave leaps from his chair mid-sentence to open the door for a farmer burdened with two tremendous sacks of carrots. He sits back down with a smile. 

Dave, a farmer himself, is running alongside Rep. Chris Pearson against challenger Kesha Ram in an election that liberal blogger John Odum of the Green Mountain Daily describes as "culturally/socially speaking...the most fascinating race in Vermont this year."

Both Dave and Chris bristle at the suggestion that their time in the State House should make them casualties of the national mood — frustration with government inaction. Instead, both men cast themselves as the original gangsters of change. Their comments to me are reminiscent of when Dr. Dre and Eminem reminded a forgetful public of who really started the 90's rap explosion in "Forgot about Dre."  But instead of railing, "I was strapped with gats when you were cuddlin' with the Cabbage Patch," Dave and Chris (who graduated UVM when this year's senior class was about eight years-old) replace the former with "I was an agent of change when you were..."

But there is indeed much to be said in support of that claim. As Progressives, Pearson and Zuckerman have a history of challenging the traditionally partisan gridlock in Montpelier. These two men see their role, as Chris describes, "as an anchor," to force conversations in the legislature on issues that the Democrats and Republicans would otherwise ignore. They take great pride in forcing debate on IRV, Vermont Yankee, and campaign finance. "Pass good bills," argues Dave, "make him [the governor] veto them."   

They wasted no time in explaining their frustration with the Republicans and the Democrats in the State House, and their inability to promote anything beyond the party line. "Our role," says Dave, "is to be a much more activist caucus. And I think the Republicans have turned that into a bad word, and the Democrats are afraid of that word."

It should be noted that Ms. Ram is running as a Democrat, and although I pressed both Chris and Dave as well as Kesha to espouse policy differences between the two tickets, I got non-answers on both sides. It's clear that this election is not a debate on policy.

So what does any of this mean for us college students?

Getting Cultured

This week's issue of Seven Days had an interview with Abigail Washburn of the Sparrow Quartet under the headline "Culture Club," which is a particularly apt headline for St. Michael's students, thanks to our Flynn Center Cultural Pass program.

I know I've spent a fair bit of time on this blog and elsewhere registering my various complaints with my college, but the Cultural Pass is a really awesome idea and a great perk for SMC students. Essentially, students who wish to purchase one just pay a fee of $30 for the academic year, and then get to attend any performance of the 2008-09 Flynn Season. So, for less than the price of a normal ticket to one show at the Flynn, St. Mike's students can attend as many Flynn events as they like during the year. This year I'm going to get to see Abigail Washburn, Cecil Taylor, and Chick Corea and John McLaughlin, all for $30. That's $10 per legend. Brilliant.

Of course these things are what I'm interested in given that I'm a music dork, but it's not just the musical performances that apply. Broadway shows, theater productions, and dance performances are all included in the Cultural Pass too. There's something for just about everyone.

I apologize if I sound like a Flynn sales rep here, but this really is one of the coolest things we've got. Of course Higher Ground and Nectar's (and Tick Tick!) do a fantastic job bringing a wide array of musical talent to town, but concerts at the Flynn are very different experiences that you can't get anywhere else in Vermont. Sweaty, dancey rock club shows are fun, but seeing a jazz legend in a beautiful theater is pretty amazing too. It's really cool that the Flynn Center and St. Michael's work together to make these world-class performances (which are WAY out of the pricing range of the average college student) accessible to us.

Last thing about the Bands of Burlington show. Promise.

Has it really been two weeks already since the Bands of Burlington showcase? Goodness. Anyway, I know plenty of pixels have been devoted to that event already, so this is the last I'll say of it. But this week's issue of the St. Mike's online publication, The Echo (for which I'm the tech editor), has a little write-up and slideshow of the event.

And while I'm self-promoting, I guess I'll mention that I'll be on the St. Mike's radio station, WWPV 88.7, from noon-2pm today, and every Thursday this semester.  I promise to deliver the radio-listening citizens of Burlington and Colchester nothing but pure awesome.

Jumpin' Out of Airplanes, No Big Deal.

October in Vermont = best time of the year. Not only is the birthday I share with Eminem just around the corner, but autumn is also when the Green Mountain State truly shines. Suddenly, the radiant foliage emerges, creating majestic landscapes that, as a friend of mine once observed, even the most eloquent person is reduced to "Wow, that is so pretty. I am happy."

Even though traffic becomes slightly congested with leaf-peeping caravans, the unbearable summer humidity finally transforms into crisp hair-tingling breezes. This is the time, my friends, to truly carpe diem and take advantage of all Vermont has to offer. During the next four weeks, I will promote various opportunities to help turn your life into a feel-good-movie-montage.

Opportunity #1: Jump out of a plane.

On Tim McGraw's country smash hit "Live Like You Were Dying" — don't judge me — he lists skydiving as his first step to, well, live like he was dying. Agreed, Tim, agreed.

My freshman year, I, along with nine friends — the more people, the bigger the discounts — ventured to West Addison, VT for an afternoon of death-defying fun (just look at that sheer ferocity, or fear, as a I tie my shoes before heading up). Vermont Skydiving Adventures (VSA), owned by Ole Thomson, who has more than 8,500 jumps under his belt, is located approximately an hour from Burlington and provides stunning views of the Adirondacks, Greens and, if you're lucky, "Champ" the monster.

VSA offers a variety of services, ranging from a first-time tandem to cheaper jumps for all you experienced divers. While the prices can burn a minor hole in your pocket, the feeling of falling out of a moving vehicle at 12,000 feet truly justifies it. Check out their website at http://www.vtskydiving.com for more information, and start making a killer Fall 2008 mix — Tom Petty's "Free Fallin'" and "Learning to Fly" are good starters.

Burton Shreds Progress of Women with New Snowboard Line???

Burlington’s popular snowboarding company, Burton, is catching flack for their new "Love" line of snowboards, which feature Playboy models. Both Seven Days and the Burlington Free Press have picked up on the controversy.

The art, heavily incorporating vintage Playboy model photos onto the snowboard, is under fire from parents and leaders of women’s groups. The board does not show boobies or (va)Jay(Jay) Peak though the women are naked. Though Burton is attempting to market to the 18-24 male range, parents are upset that women are being depicted only in a sexual manner.

Don’t get me wrong, this is an important issue and advertising’s influence on children is a disturbing phenomenon in America. And clearly these are concerned parents who are most likely very involved with the lives of their children. Here lies the problem: How big a deal is this really?