Opinion

In a move that shocked millions of California students, the UC Board of Regents voted to raise tuition 19 percent and threatened to increase tuition and fees, or what Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi called "student taxes," by 30 percent next summer if there are cuts to the education budget because of the war.

Palin, Fiorina insubstantial; Nader contemplates animal cross-dressing; Chuck Norris offers thoughts on "Black Belt Patriotism"; memo from the American Right: knowledge, expertise overrated, unpatriotic.

Steve Doocy; New York Mets; porn industry gaffe.

Student and professor laud UCI Dining for switch to organic eggs.

Each generation through the course of history cannot be abstracted from its place in time and culture. As a result, generations are often characterized by a trait that reflects the circumstances of a particular period in history. It would be fair to say that our current generation is shaped by the digital age; technology now affects behavior more than any other generation of the past.

After a three-year absence, the Anthill Pub is back. You stroll in, place an order for some delectable fire ants and saunter up to the bar to order a drink. But whoops, you are only a lowly 18-year-old and sub human at best. Save the few who have decided to abstain from drinking, we have all lived through the awkward years of resorting to the lowliest of tactics in order to get that sweet nectar.

High textbook prices are nothing new to us college folk. Every quarter I drop by TextMania to suffer a barrage of blows to my bank account. If they don't have what I need, then I trek over to UC Irvine's bookstore and pay even more through the nose. Consider John E. McMurry's "Organic Chemistry." A new copy is listed for $209.95; discounted, it's bumped down to about $150; used copies run $110 and up. Sure, that's $100 in savings, but it's still $110 for a freakin' book.

I sure hope the anti-corporate forces of Barack Obama's campaign get nowhere near the White House. Why? Because of garbage like this...

A recent op-ed in the Wall Street Journal by Andrew Klavan argues that the characterization of Batman in the blockbuster film "The Dark Knight" is representative of our Commander-in-Chief George W. Bush. While on the surface there may be similarities between the two, the conclusion that Batman somehow symbolizes conservative principles clearly misses the point of not only the film, but the mythos of Batman as well. For readers who have yet to see "The Dark Knight," be warned that spoilers are ahead.

At the age of 71, comedian George Carlin died from a heart attack. During his career, what differentiated him from other comics and contributed to his success was his willingness to make remarks that some of his contemporaries found controversial.

The federal government, the military, the media and the public have largely ignored the war in Afghanistan since the conflict began in 2002. By January of 2003, the Bush administration turned their attention to Iraq and became preoccupied with the logistical and financial aspects of that impending war. Since then, Afghanistan has taken a backseat in importance. Even the death of 500 American soldiers in the region earlier this year wasn't enough to rekindle media interest in the territory.

For more than a decade, the folks at Pixar have provided the world with the finest family entertainment. However, the label "family entertainment" has turned many people away from the Pixar brand. Too often, people say that Pixar's tales are only entertaining for children. There are also whispers that the latest Pixar film, "Wall-E," is too serious and political, but these are probably the same people who put "The Lion King" in slow motion to find hidden sexual messages.