Opinion

When I was younger, I saw the world out of very confused eyes. I think I remember seeing so much happiness in it. But of course to compliment the pleasure, there always used to be a thing or two that was wrong (or at least just imperfect). I mean, when you're 6, how do you explain that some kids do not have the kind of clothes you do? How do you explain people living in huts? How do you forget the feeling that you experienced when you had a good meal only to walk out into the street to see children not quite having the luxury of an afternoon lunch? When you are 6, how do you rationalize all this in your mind? Well, I guess then I always figured that some things needed to be changed and that someone was going to come around and fix it. The world could be better.

As students, we've all had to write essays for classes that don't particularly interest us, seem irrelevant or simply don't fit into our busy schedules. But that's the life of a student; writing essays is just part of the routine. Or is it?

Whenever it seems like Orange County can't get any more conservative than it already is, it goes ahead and surprises me. The Orange County Board of Supervisors recently voted to suspend the county's education contract with Planned Parenthood because the organization performs abortions, despite the fact that county money is not used to perform them.

When the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) posted its annual report for 2008, the figures seemed promising for the county's central transportation agency. Despite sharp increases in the price of gasoline – or, perhaps, because of it – bus rider-ship reached an all-time high of nearly 69 million, a very decent figure for a county as car-obsessed as ours.

As of late, naval ships armed with the advanced Aegis Combat System from the United States, Japan and South Korea are on high alert along the shores of the Korean peninsula as a result of the looming threat of a North Korean "satellite" launch, which violates United Nations Resolution 1718, and is expected to take place between April 4 and 8.

Defending Rush Limbaugh, who publicly said, "The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People should have riot rehearsal," bothers many conservatives, including myself. However, disagreeing with a statement (hopefully) made for shock value is not a valid enough reason to stop listening altogether. On the contrary, when I hear, see or read something that stuns or appalls me, I usually react by attempting to learn more.

With a newly Democratic White House, Rush Limbaugh is experiencing resurgence in popularity and controversy. Limbaugh's boisterous personality, combined with his far right political views, creates an intense maelstrom of controversy and an equally intense fan base. A Los Angeles Times writer challenged liberals to "expand" their points of view by actually listening to an entire Limbaugh show. The writer, Andrew Klavan, wrote that all the claims made about Rushbo in the public forum are misguided and that he is not really racist, hateful or stupid. Klavan is "throwing down the gauntlet" at our "quivering liberal feet" and telling us to listen to Limbaugh.

The days when the Internet was only used for sending e-mails and visiting Web sites have long since passed. Every year, the Internet becomes more and more integrated into our everyday lives. For example, as of late, the Internet has become our new television, broadcasting just about any show or series shown on television for free. In fact, so many people now tune in online rather than on their televisions that networks are wondering if giving free access to their shows online is a sustainable model.

The state of California and activists groups are outraged … at Smirnoff Ice. Smirnoff, along with Mike's Hard Lemonade and other so-called "alcopops," are in the cross-hairs of state legislation that will tax the beverages as spirits or liquor instead of beer, which was supposed to rake in $38 million in revenue for the state, according to The Los Angeles Times.

Immigrant Housing Plan for Citizenship is Elitist

Greek Life Stepping Up Its Community Support; Associated Students of UC Davis Election Irregularities; Marijuana Legalization Would be Beneficial

It would not be unwarranted for Californians to conclude that their state is currently like a sinking ship that is mired by a dysfunctional budget process that is likely to sink California deeper