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Opinion

On selflessness

OpinionMay 9, 2008
Does “selflessness” even exist? It seems that selfishness and altruism come in an inseparable pair,and that even the most selfless acts contain,in themselves,a mode of self-interest. Consider religion:people doing generous deeds,performing kindhearted,well-intentioned actions– but in the end,these actions are not selfless.On the contrary,they are performed very much so with the self at the center. “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you,” reads the Bible (Luke6:31),for example.Not “do good deeds because it’s just the right thing to do,” but “hey,you wouldn’t like to be treated like that,wouldyou?” Even the foremost document of “selfless” acts contains selfish motives– youwantto help people.

Virtual unrealities

OpinionMay 9, 2008
Tuesday was a relatively inauspicious day. I woke up.I went to class.I came home around noon and called my buddy to go eat.He had an alternate suggestion,andwe ended up drinking lunch.We staggered outside utterly blitzed at two in the afternoon.Since my stumbling was down to a minimum,I walked to the nearest vehicle and used a pistol to bust open the driver’s window and,subsequently,his skull.

Editoral: Human impacts will be overturned

OpinionMay 8, 2008
Many Yolo County residents have ridden down County Road 98 to observe both Putah Creek’s wonderful contribution to the wildlife and its demise as a damaged ecosystem. In an effort to improve and preserve the creek’s beauty and viability, several independent and campus wildlife groups have teamed up to grow native plants to modify Putah Creek toamorenatural state.

Editorial: Losing trays not worth losing sleep

OpinionMay 8, 2008
Since Apr.22,serving trays have not been made available to Tuesday diners at theUC Davis dining commons.This move,whichwill continue for at least the rest of the year,is expected to cut water and electricity usage from daily washing and deter customers from taking more food than they can eat.

Rage Against the bells

OpinionMay 8, 2008
I love Rage Against the Machine.When I was a pissed off13-year-oldmiddle class white male living in suburbia,their anti-establishment lyrics and angst ridden music appealed to me instantly.But just as I began to actuallyunderstand their lyrics,the lead singer left the band.That day ranks among the worst of my life,right up there with the death of Mitch Hedberg and the day I found out the Power Rangers weren‘t real.

A heroic end

OpinionMay 8, 2008
In the end, Senator Obama suffered a marginal defeat in Indiana while conjuring an overwhelming victory in North Carolina. But the match as a contest was over a while ago.A string of consecutive victories guaranteed Obama’s pledged delegate leadastheoretically unassailable.With his latest triumph, however, bloggers, newscasters and the Drudge Report – the premier portal of breaking news – arefinallycalling Obama “the nominee.” The curtains,for once, are truly drawing to a close.

Children at play

OpinionMay 8, 2008
Since I attended my second May Day protest at UC Davis last week,I now think myself qualified for a minor in child psychology. Participants gathered in a circle and shook various rattles and noisemakers every time they heard something they liked,which,given how they shut out opposing views,was very often.They threw a small tantrum when the Davis College Republicans expressed their own free speech with a tiny counter-protest in favor of capitalism and the individual.But,proving they know how to win a debate,they gleefully pointed out that DCR had smaller signs than they did.

Relationship talk

OpinionMay 7, 2008
With all of the furry critters and birds pairing up, as Chaucer once observed, it is not hard to see that spring, a myriad of allergens and love, is in the air full-swing. With things as they are, I can’t help but witness couples indulging in public displays of affection around campus.

Lost and found

OpinionMay 7, 2008
My roommate Yvette was out at dinner with our friend Carrie, and I was waiting for them to return so we could figure out what our Friday night adventures would entail. So I went through the usual motions – did the dishes, read a few pages of a magazine and finally noticed that our trash can was getting rather full. So I took out the trash, and well … came back with a cat.

Editorial: Hospital food

OpinionMay 6, 2008
UC Davis researchers are currently encouraging public institutions to add fresh produce from local farms and food markets to their menus. There are many foreseeable benefits to adopting a locally produced menu such as food production-consumption awareness, support for local economies and increased nutritional diet for doctors, staff and patients. However, hospitals and public institutions will need to assess the financial impact as a result of buying locally.

On friends, part II

OpinionMay 6, 2008
…no drama. Sorry to disappoint you guys. We did lose interest in one another though – I was too naïve for him in areas other than dating (i.e., finances, jobs, life in general), and he had an awkward sense of humor that I found only people who were heavily into anime and/or cosplay would enjoy.

Old dog, old tricks

OpinionMay 6, 2008
With the California economy in its current condition, it seems unlikely that a state institution would involve itself in a financial scandal that highlighted a history of economic irresponsibility. Luckily, California college students know that they can always count on their beloved UC system for the most unlikely and irresponsible forms of corruption.