Colbert vs. Colbert re gays in the military
Stephen Colbert argues about Don't-Ask-Don't-Tell in front of a large crowd of troops.
| The Colbert Report | Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| Formidable Opponent - Don't Ask, Don't Tell | ||||
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Never pay for textbooks again, in six steps.
A college education (and even more, the "college experience") costs a lot of money. One of the most bemoaned college-related expenses is textbooks. Every quarter or semester, students trudge through their local bookstores and shell out hundreds of dollars for the heavy, price-inflated compendiums of glossy photos, useless asides, and (maybe) small slivers of information. The pattern of behavior is always the same: the students scan the bookstore shelves for cheaper, used editions (perhaps $70 a pop instead of $100). Some classes require multiple books; some classes require ten. The students carry the stack of texts to the counter and pony up hundreds. In class, the books may never be used- it's impossible to tell when they will actually be relevant. Later, these students gather the books up and try to return them to the store for a pittance (maybe $20-30). Often a book is not returnable because it is an "old edition"- a new version has just come out, with minor updates such as a new cover photo and a table with a new layout. Next quarter, everyone will be buying the full-priced new editions. The textbook industry is a racket. The books are made unnecessarily expensive, for they are puffed-up with frilly nonsense. My school drove up the price of Psych 100 textbooks by requesting a special "Buckeye Edition"; the only difference was a black-and-white photocopy inserted into the first page, which acknowledge the student reader as a member of Ohio State. It's a hose. Last year, however, I realized that I never really have to pay for textbooks. For the past four quarters of school, I have not laid a cent on a bookstore's counter. As I see it, there is no reason for any student to ever pay for textbooks, ever again. Here are my simple steps to attain free textbook access:
Bill Maher: Sex always trumps religion
Bill Maher presents a basic advice aimed at those people who follow the lead of desert Gods:
The crack in the wall of AIPAC
Just maybe, attitudes of Americans are changing regarding Israeli policy regarding the Palestinian people. A debate has begun to surface in Congress, small but significant. Consider this excerpt from this Truthout article byIra Chernus:
"The fact that there is any debate at all on this issue in Congress marks a sea change in Washington." . . .
"What the hell do they want from me?" Netanyahu reportedly complained after his talk with Obama. In the weeks and months ahead, we can expect a growing chorus in the US Congress to echo the changing views of American Jews and answer: We want you to heed the president's call to stop settlement construction completely, comply with international law, and open the door to serious negotiations with the Palestinians toward a two-state solution. Every time that answer is heard publicly, it widens the crack in AIPAC's wall and brings us closer to the day when that wall, inevitably, crumbles.
Payday lending in a nutshell
I represent consumers in several class actions against payday lenders. The suits are all based in Missouri, but payday lenders freely do business in most states. What are "payday lenders?" Here is a six minute video by the Center for Responsible Lending that will give you a good idea. To best understand what goes on, ignore the industry rhetoric. Instead, recognize that payday loan shops commonly charge more than 400% interest to the working poor, setting people up in debt traps from which the end result is financial ruin. Why not simply ban shops that engage in these practices? Good question. Ask your elected state and federal representatives why the hell they aren't taking serious action. Hint: the problem has a lot to do with campaign contributions. One more thing: the payday loan shops try to exculpate themselves with arbitration clauses that ban all class actions and class arbitrations. These clauses make it extra difficult to successfully sue these businesses, even when they are flagrantly violating the loan laws that do exist. By using these mandatory pre-dispute arbitration clauses, payday lenders are essentially giving themselves Get-Out-of-Jail-Free cards.