Inexperience, Not a Problem

The “inexperienced” argument hasn’t worked against Barack Obama so far, and it definitely didn’t work against John Tyler Hammons. Hammons, a 19 year-old freshman at the University of Oklahoma, easily beat his 70 year-old opponent, Hershel McBride, to become the mayor of Muskogee, Oklahoma. Hammons, one of the youngest mayors in American history, has the added distinction of being the first “gamer” to hold mayoral office. He is a big fan of the video game Halo 3, but he plans on spending less time in front of his television and more time running Muskogee, population 38,000. His priorities include setting up an ethics commission and enforcing campaign finance reforms. Despite his age (or severe lack of it), the city residents are generally enthusiastic about Hammons’ upcoming term, saying they are “tired of the same old political shenanigans.” Time will tell if Hammons is in fact a capable politician, but even if he turn out to be horrible at the job, the Muskogee townsfolk can at least find solace in the knowledge that their mayor could kick any other mayor’s butt on Xbox.

Rachel Ray and Terrorist Fashion

Rachel Ray, a cookbook author, tv host, and spokesperson, was recently featured in an ad for Dunkin' Donuts. However that ad was pulled off the air after columnist Michelle Malkin wrote that the scarf the Ray wore in the ad is similar to the ones Muslim terrorists are seen wearing in hostage-taking videos.

The lightweight scarf has been a popular accessory this season, however it is criticized for resembling a kiffiyeh, which is considered Middle Eastern garb. Even though it is just an accessory that was picked by the set's stylist, it was noticed by several political junkies, thus becoming the subject of a few blogs and columns.

With the ad pulled from the air, this becomes an example of how the internet has affected media and politics. Because several people were able to connect the scarf to a kiffiyeh and make it known on the internet, the ad was removed from the air.

Kids Today Work Harder, But Not Smarter

The college application process is a demanding one. Top universities are receiving an overwhelming amount of application for a few coveted spots. The applicants are more competitive than ever; many are talented musicians, athletes, and scholars, taking 15 AP classes while volunteering in third world countries during their spare time with perfect SAT scores. Nowadays, a 5.0 and and 2400 on the SAT is not enough to get into one of the Ivy League schools or other top ranked colleges.

This has had a negative effect on many high school students, working to get into their dream school. Studies have reported that students today are more stressed out than their parents generation, and are as stressed out as most adults. Schools have been requiring their students to eat lunch and not use the lunch period to study or do homework. Some schools have gone as far as to making their students take yoga classes in order to relieve stress.

Although it is apparent that students have been working hard and have had many accomplishments, their scores don't match their applications. Currently many high school students are scoring "Below" on basic proficiency tests in Science and Geography. The focus seems to have moved from understanding to accomplishments.

Laughter Helps Your Health

More evidence that laughter really is the best medicine, or at least one of the best: A University of Maryland study which exposed two groups of test subjects to film clips from the comedy Kingpin and the war drama Saving Private Ryan found that after watching the former, the subjects’ blood vessels dilated by 22 percent, and constricted by 35 percent after watching the latter. When blood dilates, it is able to “move through the vessels with ease, taking strain off the heart and arteries.” More simply, laughter helps reduce blood pressure and actually acts as a substitute for aerobic exercise (during light exercise, there is a similar level of blood dilation). The study’s lead researcher, Dr. Michael Miller, recommends laughing “heartily” for 15 minutes per day to improve long-term heart health. The idea that laughter is good for your health isn’t anything new, but hearing it again it is pleasantly reassuring nonetheless. Perhaps someday, if real medication gets too expensive, doctors will start prescribing Netflix for high blood pressure?

McCain Releases Medical Records

John McCain took the unusual step this week of making over 1,000 pages of his personal medical records public. Past presidents and presidential candidates have been famously secretive about their health histories, going to great lengths to hide illnesses and other medical conditions. The most well-known example is Franklin D. Roosevelt’s hiding of his polio (many people in the press did know about it, but FDR was respected enough by the media to ensure their silence). Most infamously, 1972 Democratic Vice Presidential candidate Thomas Eagleton kept mum about his history of depression and electro-shock therapy; when it finally became public, a scandal ensued and Eagleton resigned from the campaign in disgrace (and running mate George McGovern got destroyed by Nixon in the general election).

McCain’s willingness to release his medical records is a good move. Due to his age, many voters and media members have been questioning his ability to perform the duties of the Oval Office—Is he going to go senile? Does he have enough energy? Will he die before his term runs out? McCain’s decision to go public regarding his health will prevent any Eagleton-like scandals from developing in the coming months, and (hopefully) end all the speculation about his ability to hold up in office, both physically and mentally. Since his presumptive opponent, Barack Obama, is about 25 years younger than him, reassuring people about his health is vital to McCain’s campaign. Also, doing so further enhances McCain’s “straight talker” image, which both the press and the voters love. It is a very good tactical decision that increases the chances of McCain’s trademark Straight Talk Express rolling all the way to the White House

Presidents' Hidden Illnesses

Presidents have had a history of hiding their medical problems in order to uphold a certain image for the public. President Dwight Eisenhower once suffered from a stroke in 1957. Although one is able to recover from a stroke, one is often unable to speak properly because his speech is affected by the attack. This is gives White House advisors reason to keep the President's condition hidden because the inability to speak properly makes the American public believe that the President isn't able to communicate effectively with others, despite how sympathetic one may be towards the situation.

Depression also has a stigma which can affect one's presidency. For example in 1924, Calvin Coolidge's son passed away, Coolidge was begining his second term. During this term he didn't have any major accomplishments or policies, which may have been due to the depression that one experiences after losing a loved one. Today, there is still a stigma associated with the use of anti-depressants and how stable a person who uses them is. Thus it is difficult for Presidents or candidates to reveal their medical history.

Franklin Roosevelt is the most famous example of a president who was able to conceal his illness. Because he suffered from polio, a disease that was well known at time, he seemed more human to his constituents. Also the press was very respectful and did not publish stories that would harm his image or print pictures of him in his wheelchair.

Presently is it difficult to gauge how the public will receive information about their President suffering from an illness. The press is far more vicious than the past, and with the widespread use of the internet, more information is available to the public.

Soaring Food Costs Affect Food Banks

With the recent rise in the cost of food, the average American family has had to buckle down and budget in order to accomodate the new high prices. However as more people have been seeking aid at local food banks and charities, the amount of donations has significantly diminished. According to an article featured on MSN, a survey of 180 different food banks indicated a 99% increase in the number of clients served compared to last year. The current ecomomic woes have brought a new "clientele" to food banks. Many have recently lost their jobs or have been struggling to pay their morgages. Senior citizens have also been greatly affected; many depend on weekly grocery deliveries as a substantial part of their diets.

As the number of donations has been decreasing, the demand has been quickly rising. Food banks are begining to have to turn away people in need simply because there's not enough food for everyone.