Month: March 2012
Television
Mad Men: Season 5, Episode 1 – ‘A Little Kiss’ Review and Synopsis.
The much awaited return of AMC’s masterful tale of Madison Avenue advertising executives in 1960’s Manhattan, Mad Men, premiered yesterday evening after an 18 month hiatus. Will Don Draper find happiness with his new, young wife Megan? Will Joan fool her husband into believing Roger’s baby is his own? Will Peggy ever get the recognition […]
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Science & Technology
Apple’s Silence and ‘The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs’
When Mike Daisey’s off-broadway monologue “The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs” aired on NPR’s This American Life, it sparked a controversy around one of the world’s most valuable companies, Apple, and its suppliers in China, particularly Foxconn. The monologue, derived from a collection of first-hand accounts Daisey had during a Foxconn factory visit […]
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Entertainment
The Quest for the Perfect Melon in Tokyo
The varied cultures of the globe each have their own unique way of commemorating special occasions, whether personal, religious, or national in nature. Typically accompanying such events are expressions of love, gratitude and kinship between people in the forms of traditional gifts, feasts, and festivals. In Japan, it is customary to give the gift of […]
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News
Controversy Erupts in India over Kerala Temple’s Treasure Valued at $21 Billion
Worshipers have used the Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Kerala, India for over 1,000 years, many completely oblivious to the vast treasure of gems and gold stored within worth over $21 billion today and protected by constant security. The size of the temple’s fortune has led to increased security measures for visitors to Padmanabhaswamy Temple. Temples in […]
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News
Study Finds 40% of British National Party Supporters ‘Willing to Prepare for Armed Conflict’
“From Voting to Violence? Rightwing Extremists in Modern Britain,” a study by Matthew Goodwin of the University of Nottingham and Jocelyn Evans of Salford University questioned over 2,000 voters for ‘radical right’ and ‘far-right’ political groups and found that most endorsed violence and were willing to prepare for such events. The study’s findings provide a […]
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News
Israeli President Shimon Peres Vows to Defend Christian Holy Sites from Vandals
The Vatican’s custodian of religious sites in the Holy Land, Pierbattista Pizzaballa, has requested that Israel’s President Shimon Peres defend Christian holy sites in Israel from vandalism by Jewish extremists. This request follows an incident in February in which two churches were defaced with graffiti in Jerusalem. Peres has promised that Israeli police will redouble […]
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News
Iranian Human Rights Lawyer Abdolfattah Soltani Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison
A Tehran revolutionary court has sentenced prominent Iranian human rights lawyer Abdolfattah Soltani to prison and banned him from practicing law for 20 years. Soltani co-founded a human rights group with Iranian Nobel Peace Prize winner Shirin Ebadi and is being held in Evin prison. Soltani’s daughter Maede hopes that the sentence will be overturned, […]
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News
20-Year Old Woman Faces Incarceration for Violating Thailand’s Pro-Monarchy Laws
Thailand has some of the world’s harshest laws in defense of its monarchy. A young, modern university girl by the name of Kanthoop is under scrutiny for violation of the country’s tough pro-monarchy laws which could send her to jail for 15 years for what she calls ‘having opinions.’ Thai people are extremely patriotic, and […]
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News
The Cold War: The Marshall Plan (1947-1952)
The end of World War II and the devastation experienced by the nations of Europe left it fertile ground for revolution, particularly a communist revolution. The United States became concerned with the spread of communism in the former occupied nations of Europe and this led to the formation of the “Marshall Plan” for Europe’s postwar […]
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News
Spanish Youth Unemployment Reaches Fifty-One Percent
Over half of all youth in Spain are unemployed, raising anew concerns that Spain’s economic woes may lead to a ‘lost generation.’ Unemployed youth in Spain hit 51.4% in December 2011, double the European Union average while the national unemployment rate was at 22.85%, its highest level in 17 years and according the The Telegraph, […]
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