We’ve Moved!

As you may have noticed, as part of our recent technical updates we’ve moved the Nexog from http://www.dailynexus.com/dnb/ to http://blog.dailynexus.com. Thanks for your patience while we get all the wrinkles ironed out!

You might want to update your bookmarks to reflect this change. Of course, if you don’t, it’s your loss.

—The Daily Nexog staff

The King of Pop Returns to Santa Barbara?

Could Michael Jackson’s final resting place eventually be Neverland Ranch? That’s what news websites the world over are claiming, with the additional idea that Neverland would become a sort of Graceland for the deceased pop star with his grave as the major attraction.

Lucky Los Olivos. With its nice two-lane road and classy wine country pedigree, I’m sure this is just what our charming neighbor to the north wants. And let’s be perfectly honest: This plan is pretty creepy. Neverland Ranch is the place, after all, that Jackson was forced to give up because of financial ruin/awkwardness from being accused of child molestation. Good times.

So, crazed fans, would you make the trek out to Neverland Ranch to pay homage to the King of Pop if it turns into a tourist attraction? Any chance that the Ferris wheel, petting zoo or roller coaster will be part of a Jackson memorial? And, perhaps, most importantly, where will the HIStory statue  go?

[Source: billboard.com]
[Image courtesy of Aguilac under Creative Commons]

Obama’s Healthcare Plan: Canada 2.0?

You really have to hand it to us: we sure have their priorities in order. Michael Jackson has died, and the media has been covering nothing else. Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, all the major websites are abuzz over his death; If I were a sociologist, I’d love to study the data regarding how the news spread across cyberspace. As sad as I am to see him, Farrah Fawcet and Ed McMahon all die this week, their deaths are one of the least of all the issues we could be worrying about. Iran is in chaos, violence continues in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, we’re on the verge of war with North Korea, the economy is moribund, and Obama is setting himself up to be the Democrats’ George H.W. Bush (who was, of course, the GOP’s Jimmy Carter). (more…)

Unions: Outdated and Unnecessary

There is a growing rift dividing Americans. Two factions are beginning to emerge, even further cracking the façade of unity in our still-young republic; the division is based on whether one belongs to organized labor or not, or whether one supports organized labor or not. Both factions seek to use to the power of the governments, local, state, and federal, to further their agendas.

The unions want their employers—ie., those that pay their wages—to give them more: higher wages, longer vacations, more benefits, higher pensions. They want to be paid more without working longer or harder, and without the marketplace making their skills and their labor more valuable. (more…)

Socialism’s Not So Bad, and Maybe You Can Be Friends Too!

Recently, the Republican National Committee held a vote on internally renaming the Democratic Party to the Democrat Socialist Party. Now hold on just a second. Socialism may have a bad reputation, but it doesn’t deserve it. It has often been portrayed as some oppressive, horrible monstrosity, more fit for doing battle with Godzilla in the streets of Tokyo than being applied as a legitimate socioeconomic ideology. However, there was clearly a gross misunderstanding somewhere along the line, because this is far from the truth. Essentially, socialism is a system of governance that promotes great equality and no discrimination, regardless of race, religion, gender, economic, or social status, through purely democratic means and with an economy owned and operated by the worker, to best serve the benefits of the people. For as long as socialism has been an ideology, there have been those who have attempted to suppress it, often through disinformation and propaganda. (more…)

I Love the Internet.

Healdsburg, California is where fun goes to die.

Don’t get me wrong: it’s a nice enough town, centered around a pleasant little town square where community events and farmer’s markets are held with frequency, and nearly everyone knows each other. Most everything is centered on wine, wineries, tasting wine at wineries, or emptying your pockets on material yuppie garbage. Crime’s low, schools aren’t overcrowded… it’s a pretty good place to raise cute little urchin children, especially if you want to indulge your own narcissistic illusions of wine connoisseurdom while you bounce a tyke on your knee. (more…)

Prof. Robinson Case Terminated

On June 24, UCSB officials announced the end of the investigation of sociology and global studies professor William Robinson. Robinson, who became the focus of a debate on academic freedom that garnered worldwide attention, had been under review for circulating Internet material to his students that compared Israeli soldiers and Nazis.

The university’s verdict? Case closed and all charges dismissed. According to a letter from Executive Vice Chancellor Gene Lucas, “the [Charges] Committee did not find probable cause to undertake disciplinary action in this matter.”

Check www.dailynexus.com for a more in-depth look at the case in the coming days.

Telling, Not Asking

Local congresswoman Lois Capps – and 76 of her colleagues in Congress – just told President Obama he needs to wise up. How can this be, you ask? Well, you can thank UCSB’s Palm Center.

In a letter sent on June 22, the legislators urged Obama to suspend the policy of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and initiate a repeal process. The reasoning is evident, of course: The law discriminates unfairly against a segment of the population and it hurts the military by banning openly gay individuals from service. After all, according to the letter, more than 12,500 people have been discharged since “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was implemented in 1994 (nice one, Bill). Obama’s already seen 250 servicemen and women kicked out under this law.

As for how UCSB comes into play? Well, it’s kind of a big deal. The Palm Center recently released a study that showed the president has the authority to end the ban by executive order. Before the study, many people claimed only Congress could do so. Now, however, UCSB has put Obama in the spot.

[Image Courtesy of BrokenSphere under Creative Commons]

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