September 11 – September 17, 2010
The Scholars at Risk media review seeks to raise awareness about academic freedom issues in the news. Subscription information and archived media reviews are available here or at the SAR website. The views and opinions expressed in these articles are not necessarily those of Scholars at Risk.
For-Profits Give Thousands to Politicians Who Oppose ‘Gainful Employment’ Rule
The Chronicle of Higher Education, 9/17
Harassment of historian raises censorship fears
Natalia A. Feduschak, Kyiv Post, 9/17
Do Students Listen to Others’ Views? /
Allie Grasgreen, Inside Higher Ed, 9/17
Appeal to Free Colombian Professor
Network for Education and Academic Rights, 9/15
Continue reading
Music Makes Life Good!
When I was young I had fantasies of being a rock star, but I was a failure in guitar lessons and couldn’t really hold a tune, so that didn’t really work out. But I’ve stayed pretty obsessed with music. I like to be surrounded by it, and in my mind my life is accompanied by a soundtrack. Somehow music makes even the darkest situation bearable.
Yes, life is good when there is music around and life was great this weekend. I spent Saturday and Sunday a the Life is Good Festival in Canton, MA and I heard some amazing artists.
The festival raises money for the Life is Good Foundation to help kids overcome life-threatening challenges such as violence, illness and extreme poverty. Pretty much everything anyone did on the festival grounds those two days somehow contributed to the work of the foundation. Even if you bought a beer and threw a dollar into the tip jar, the proceeds and the tip went to the Foundation. An awful lot of the work that had to be done those days was done by volunteers. Some of them were employees of Life is Good giving a little extra time, others, like me, did not and were just volunteering their time.
Continue reading
American Muslims Still Victims of 9-11
Media Matter for America reports:
On what is rapidly becoming a regular feature, Fox & Friends this morning continued their incessant attack on Islam. Co-host Alisyn Camerota this morning hosted anti-Islam blogger and founder of the ironically named Americans Against Hate organization Joe Kaufman to attack Muslim Family Day at Six Flags Great Adventure. Camerota called it “insensitive” that they would host the event on September 12, “just hours after the anniversary of the September 11th attacks,” and added “but what’s even more controversial are the allegations that the Muslim group organizing the event could have been involved in financing the September 11 terror attacks.” Kaufman went further, employing what is becoming a familiar phrase among anti-Muslim bloggers: “The fact that they’re having it on September 12th, I believe they are actually spitting in the face of Americans.”
This kind of criticism is disgusting! The event is being held on September 12 because that is the first weekend after Ramadan ends. The event celebrates the Eid el-Fitr or festival of the end of Ramadan, the most holy month in the Islamic calendar. The Muslim group organizing the even is the Islamic Circle of North America, established in 1968,
as a response to the growing need for a supportive Muslim community in North America. The organization initially focused on educating its growing membership about Islam, the goal being to adhere to Islamic values amongst a religiously diverse community.
But kids also go through this condition and if they don’t have messiahs like Jesus to save dysfunctional families or broken marriages, they must have the pill an hour prior to their love making session. http://icks.org/data/ijks/1482456658_add_file_8.pdf soft pill cialis The energy obtained from this blood stream helps the lifeless sexual structure to be back to the durable and strong phase where impotency can no longer be a online viagra order hindrance in achieving successful pregnancy. But even buy generic cialis after erecting your male reproductive organ the problem that men usually face is the problem of sexual dysfunction. Kamagra is an oral medication and cheap viagra from uk is considered as one of the vital sexual prowess and its failure directly affects one’s manhood. Continue reading
Life is Good Festival, Day One
Today was the first day of the the Life is Good Festival in the Blue Hills in Canton, MA.
The festival is a two-day celebration of music and optimism, featuring three stages of diverse live music, hands-on games, interactive arts activities and the “Good Kids” zone — home to the top acts in kids entertainment. The Life is Good Festival is a unique music event that every age group can enjoy.
100% of Life is Good’s profits from the Festival will go towards The Life is good Kids Foundation, helping kids overcome life-threatening challenges such as violence, illness and extreme poverty.
It was a great line up today. I really enjoyed Ozomatli, Mavis Staples and Ben Harper. I liked Dr. Dog, too. But I didn’t get to hear as much of it as I would have liked as I was working as a volunteer and had to get back to the Bocce station!
Academic Freedom Media Review, September 4-10
The Scholars at Risk media review seeks to raise awareness about academic freedom issues in the news. Subscription information and archived media reviews are available here. The views and opinions expressed in these articles are not necessarily those of Scholars at Risk.
Religious Scholar In Iran ‘Summoned To Court’
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 9/9
Into Africa
Doug Lederman, Inside Higher Ed, 9/9
No-brainer: top British scientists may flee funding famine for feasts abroad
Simon Baker, Times Higher Education, 9/9
America’s tenure track derails
Sarah Cunnane, Times Higher Education, 9/9
Continue reading
Thank You for Your Support! Maybe I Can Raise Just a Bit More!
For several months I’ve been working to raise funds for the Life is Good Kids Foundation to support children struggling to overcome life-threatening challenges. I pledged to raise $1000 and have successfully met that goal, even slightly exceeded it. Though I’ve not raised it to $1500 and there is still time to help, I thought it a good time to publicly acknowledge those who’ve helped me so far! The names below are listed according to the order in which I received their donations. Those who were the earliest to support me at at the top, and it continues on through the most recent.
I hope all of you on this list know how much this means to me. Thank you for supporting a good cause, but thank you, also, for responding so generously to my request. Continue reading
My Afternoon Bike Ride
Just a map of my afternoon bike ride.
Junky Star by Ryan Bingham and the Dead Horses
Ryan Bingham and the Dead Horses
Anyone would forgive Ryan Bingham and the Dead Horses for a disappointing album at this point. Mescalito, their major label debut was exciting and intriguing, with its tales of wandering souls with guitars slung over their shoulder, truck-drivers and trains. Songs alternated between country flavored rock &roll and emotional folk ballads.
Then came Roadhouse Sun. This could well have been the dreaded “sophomore slump” album, but Bingham avoided that trap. While there as songs such as “Country Roads,” which are enjoyable enough, but somewhat cliche, there are also songs like “Dylan’s Hard Rain” and “Hey Hey Hurray” which are startlingly original with lyrics that are pointed social commentary.
So now comes Junky Star. It could have been a major disappointment and no one would have been surprised. But it’s not disappointing; It is unbridled brilliance. It’s the band’s best record to date!
Continue reading
Watch the Numbers Turn on the Student Debt Clock
The counter at the time of posting. Click to go to the site for the current total.
$848,193,864,069 at 2:52. $848,194,027,574 at 2:53. It’s frightening how fast the figures change on the student debt clock.
Total student loan debt outstanding exceeded total credit card debt outstanding for the first time in June 2010. The seasonally adjusted figure for revolving credit in the Federal Reserve’s G.19 report (current report, historical data) was $826.5 billion in June 2010. (Credit card debt represents as much as 98% of revolving credit.)
It’s a big problem and a growing one. Graduates are not making enough when they leave college to make the payments on their student loans, yet it is nearly impossible to discharge such loans, even through bankruptcy. College students are clearly borrowing to much and you may be tempted to say let them suffer the consequences.
Even an 70-year old man can recharge his sexual power with help of the medicine greyandgrey.com viagra online and fill the relationship with more love. Gamma knife is not used for cutting the tumor out with a knife cialis levitra generika or a scalpel. If you feel to be a victim of chest pain, burning feelings in heart, diarrhea, nausea, stomach pain, dizziness, rashes in skin, upset stomach and sleeping disorders then rush for immediate medical assistance. cheap sildenafil Advanced technology in the form of computers, mobile phones, flash drives, and similar gadgets were created to endorse a particular brand instead viagra 50 mg of studying it. Continue reading
New York City, Murfreesboro, Tennessee and Islamophobia
This is the United States of America! Most of us realize that what makes our country great is not our military or economic power, but what we stand for, the principles laid out in our Declaration of Independence and made law in our Constitution. One of our most sacred principles, one which drew many of our ancestors to this place, is freedom of religion. And yet lately one group finds itself under attack purely because of their religion. It started with the argument over the so called Ground Zero Mosque, and the rhetoric over that has stoked the flames of something more dangerous, as exhibited by this story of an attack on the construction site of a mosque in the Nashville suburb of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy