Rings of Benzene

Life's innocent little snippets

Funny how the most innocent little comments and comparisons are full of balogna.

The Arizona Daily Star featured an article today regarding how the FDA has requested that a black box warning be put on Strattera labels indicating that suicidal thoughts occur in children and adolescents taking the medication.

But the AP article quotes a professor.

Dr. Harold Koplewisz, a professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at the New York University School of Medicine, said that 19 percent of all teenagers have suicidal thoughts, making "suicidal thoughts in adolescents part of the normal experience."

"There are 2,400 adolescents thinking about suicide for every one that commits suicide," he said in an e-mail. "We are talking about a medication that may make some children and teenagers uncomfortable, which is very different than a lethal situation like a gun in a house."

So, let me get this straight. Strattera has been found to cause suicidal thoughts in teenagers. Strattera and guns cause lethal situations. Therefore, having guns in a house can cause suicide. Yeah...right.

Then again, I might be misinterpreting what the lovely professor was really saying.

posted by Laura Keslar at 2:42 PM | |

Diversity: key to success

President Likins and others at the UA campus would like everyone to believe that--that diversity is the key to success. After all, there has been a big push in the past 5 years to increase the number of minorities on campus; and, as of this year, the University of Arizona has been successful. According to today's Wildcat: "The freshman class also has a higher percentage of minorities, 27 percent, compared to the UA student body as a whole, which only consists of 25.5 percent minorites."

And the purpose of trying to increase minority enrollment? The implication is a more diverse campus so as to make minorities feel more comforted and increase expose other students to minority opinions, thoughts, and so forth. And the net result will be a better educated, more well-rounded student body that can compete on an international level.

At least that is what administrators, faculty, and students all want us to believe.

Fittingly, Victor Davis Hanson, from the online WSJ, touched on the topic yesterday. In his article he notes:

In the end, why should we care about a few high-flying administrators who feel that diversity is the engine that runs the university? Because the U.S. is struggling in an increasingly competitive world in which Europe, China, Japan and India vie for global talent and national advantage through merit-based higher education. They don't care about the racial make-up of the teams that create breakthrough gene therapies or software programs, but only whether such innovations are valuable and superior to the competition.

[HT: Gene Expression]

Here in the United States and even within our own state and schools, we have workers worried about how they will compete with the inexpensive labor of China; we have students concerned that in 10 years, they will have be re-educated because their speciality has been taken over by someone in a lab in India; and we have the general public scared stiff that they will call up their doctor for information and find out that the person on the other end barely speaks English with an understandable accent.

And yet we rather concern ourselves with the ever-growing importance of campus and workplace diversity than with maintaining our technological and academic supremacy?

Sure Likins preaches on about "Academic Excellence", citing that this year's incoming freshman class has the highest SAT scores, but the University of Arizona's retention rate is deplorable and Arizona grades still are not the greatest.

If it is the UA's goal to remain competitive not only on a national level but also internationally, something needs to happen. And diversity isn't it.

P.S. This becomes even more pertinent as the University of Arizona begins its search for a new president. Many people have declared what they are look for in a new president: a president who will be "mindful" of class availability, the cost of tuition, and the price of textbooks.

But what the UA doesn't need a president blindly committed to the diversity doctrine.

posted by Laura Keslar at 11:54 AM | |

Cancer and sexual dysfunction, on par

I am amused by a headline on the Wildcat's front page: "UA chemists finding potential cures for cancer, sexual dysfunction."

It is as though cancer and sexual dysfunction are on the same level of awfulness. Then again, ask the old gentleman who needs his Viagra how mentally tramautizing not being able to *cough* perform really is.

posted by Laura Keslar at 10:24 AM | |

He's alive!

Eric Spratling is still posting. Dang it, it scares me how long I haven't read his blog thinking he had all but disappeared into the military-industrial complex.

posted by Laura Keslar at 1:18 PM | |

2 + 2 = a new world view and love for all

Looks as though UA is disappointed with the diversity of its faculty.

The argument goes, I suppose, that a more diverse faculty population means a more diverse world view for students to learn and discuss. Now that makes sense (kind of anyway) for humanities courses (though I thought they were not supposed to be expressing their opinions, but rather educating students in the course materials)--but for the sciences?

Someone tell me how a my Brazillian physics professor is going to teach me anything different than my friend's black physics professor or my fiance's American physics professor.

I mean, 2 + 2 = 4, right?

It all smells like Hispanic math* to me.

Oh, but that is not the only reason. Just like the logic in renaming the Econ building to the Cesar Chavez building, having a more diverse faculty makes students feel more comfortable and can help them to "identify with the instructor." And when you make a student comfortable and able to identify with their instructor, they learn more and that makes the world a far better, more humane place.

*On a side note, when I was searching for "Hispanic Math," I came across this ASU site featuring aliens. Yeah, the imagery has really subtle allusions--a bit discriminatory, though, don't you think?

posted by Laura Keslar at 12:17 PM | |

What's all the brouhaha?

Yes, it is nice to know that we all will be celebrating the Constitution on Constitution Day on September 17 (the UA has an entire week set out for it with lectures and a copy of the document in the Student Union).

It is just too bad that we don't extend that honor to the Constitution every day.

posted by Laura Keslar at 12:04 PM | |

Starving? Hungry?

For some time now, many students at the UA have been wodnering how to retrieve some of the supposedly "refundable" fees that the university automatically charges students--like the Rec fee and the ASA fee. Garrett from the O'Hara Factor mentioned it in passing last month.

Well, there is good news for all you poor, starving college students--here is your chance to retrieve some of your money. And although it is only a dollar, a dollar is a dollar.

And finally, someone hints at how to recieve some of your other funds back.

Refunds for the fee are available through ASA and refund requests must be in writing and postmarked prior to the 21st day of the semester, according to the Bursar's Office Web site.

But it is too late! If we wanted your fees back that meant that your request should have been submitted on September 12, at the latest. Pfft.

Give me back my $20 for the Rec fee! I can eat a month off of that amount.

posted by Laura Keslar at 11:51 AM | |

Flash through Arizona

It looks as if someone in Arizona believes in private property. 'Twas refreshing to see that a judge has upheld an individual's right to own property over the states' power of imminent domain. The only thing I am wondering about is what will happen to the other 65 parcels already purchased?

And now Tucson thinks it can support a new 12,500-seat arena. Yet, the study does not include cost predictions. And they think that UA students will help "would make up for any lack of local spending power"? Pff. The students and local community have a difficult enough time funding UAPresents with only 2,400 seats in Centennial Hall (and that is with them keeping ticket prices low).

And finally, Orbital needs to stop with the leaks--both gas and information.

posted by Laura Keslar at 11:44 AM | |

Politically-correct tripe

Yes, naming streets after dead adulterers and socialists is a great way to remember them. I mean, we already have several buildings, parks, etc named after Cesar Chavez and Martin Luther King--why not name two major thorough fares Chavez and King street and in the meanwhile financially inconvenience a lot of companies and individuals.

After all, naming streets after these great men will educate the public on Cesar/King's contributions to America and more than makes up for any financial repercussions that many businesses will have to undertake. According to Dominic Bermudez, everyone learns a little something from the name of their streets. I mean, Hawthorne street--that's the name of some dead author, right?

And it doesn't just end there. Oh no. Don't you know that the white people (mainly white college students) are racists who don't want to spare their change to help the people in New Orleans? The only thing that is not politically correct about what she wrote is that she has assumed her morals to be mine: "In the face of tragedy, we all have a moral and ethical obligation to help each other."

posted by Laura Keslar at 1:15 PM | |

Mandatory Economics Lessons

Someone please remind me why this woman is a Republican? After all, Ms. Allen is demanding that the gas retailers, wholesalers, etc be required to keep the prices lowered, if the state tax on gasoline is temporarily removed. So, are you telling me that a Republican actually endorses price controls?

But her logic is not the only one's who is at fault. Consider the fact that Arizona's legislature is considering eliminating the state sales tax on gas--at least temporarily--to mitigate the effects of the $3.10-a-gallon prices, thinking that it is going to save the consumers $2 million dollars.

Yeah right. If people are currently willing to pay $3.10 a gallon (with taxes), what makes it seem likely that the distributers will drop the prices when they know that they will be able to maintain their level of sales and profits at $3.10?

But at least the Governor and her office gets the concept.

Even if you suspend the gas tax, it doesn't necessarily mean that the price is going to go down," said gubernatorial press aide Pati Urias. "The distributors could just leave the prices as they are."

And it's likely that they would leave the prices as they are simply because the distributors have found that they still have high enough demand at that price to maintain the $3.10-per-gallon price.

Hopefully, though, Terry Goddard* will maintain his position that he cannot do anything legal [hopefully, he also extends it to anything political] to the gas distributors as long as the high prices in gasoline are due to the fact that "refiners, wholesalers and retailers have figured out that Arizonans are willing to pay that much."

Anyway, more links on gas prices from around Arizona:
AZWatch: Mark Poespsel Revises His Report on Gasoline Price Plot
AZWatch: Arizona Gas Prices Reflect the Market, Not a Sinister Plot
CoyoteBlog: Peoples Republic of Hawaii

*Nevermind, the guy's still crazy.

[Note: So its been a month. The internet doesn't work at my new place and my computer has died on me--once again. Expect sporatic blogging.]

posted by Laura Keslar at 12:54 PM | |