Towns across the United States are opposing the increasing militarization of local police forces. Grants from the Department of Homeland Security have been funding the purchase of heavily fortified vehicles for use by police forces. Peter Kraska, a professor in the School of Justice Studies at Eastern Kentucky University, links the antipathy towards police militarization to revelations about the extent of government spying programs.
“The Wicker Man” is a 2006 horror film written and directed by Neil LaBute and stars Nicolas Cage. The film is primarily a remake of the 1973 horror classic of the same name, though also takes material from the source material, a 1967 horror novel titled “Ritual.” The film was poorly received by critics and has been called ‘absurd’ by Cage and actively disassociated from by the director of the original film, though the film is still watched because of the unintentional humor in the acting and plot elements.
Senator Dianne Feinstein, head of the Senate Intelligence Committee, has publicly accused the CIA of illegally searching the Senate computer system and deleting files relating to an Intelligence Committee study and investigation of interrogation and detention techniques during the George W. Bush administration. CIA officers could face criminal prosecution if an investigation was launched by the Justice Department. CIA Chief John Brennan says his agency acted appropriately and had not violated any laws.
Jack Hills, Australia – A piece of zircon discovered in an outcrop on a sheep farm in Western Australia has been discovered to been discovered to be the oldest unchanging piece of earth discovered, at an age of 4.4 billion years. John Valley, the geoscience professor from the University of Wisconsin who led the research, claims that this could imply that the planet was capable of sustaining earth 4.3 billion years ago where the earliest fossils are 3.4 billion years old, implying life-sustaining temperatures earlier than previously thought.
A federal judge in San Antonio has ruled that Texas’ ban on same-sex marriage and its refusal to recognize the validity of out-of-state same-sex marriages are unconstitutional. U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia writes in his ruling, “Regulation of marriage has traditionally been the province of the states and remains so today, However, any state law involving marriage or any other protected interest must comply with the United States Constitution. ” The two bans will, however, remain in effect for the time being as the judge has issued a stay until the issue is resolved by a higher court.
“Phantom of the Paradise” is a 1974 musical written and directed by Brian De Palma; stars Paul Williams, William Finley, and Jessica Harper; and the soundtrack was done by Paul Williams. The film is a loosely adapted mixture of “The Phantom of the Opera,” “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” “Faust,” and “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.” Despite having been a heavily panned commercial failure when it was released, it has been revived through a heavy cult following and currently has a 94% Fresh rating on review site rottentomatoes.com. It is currently available for stream through Amazon Instant Video, Google Play, as well as the numerous re-releases on DVD and Blu-Ray.
Stephen Bax, Professor of Applied Linguistics at University of Bedfordshire has decoded part of the Voynich Manuscript. The Voynich Manuscript is a 600 year-old cryptically coded document that since its discovery had not been decoded or had its purpose determined. After using techniques similar to those used to decipher Egyptian hieroglyphs, Professor Bax believes the document to be a treatise on nature originating in Asia.
The geology and geological engineering department held the first GE Department Student Research Fair where undergraduates and graduates from the department would present posters and abstracts for research they have been engaged in. They also competed based on their degree and research category for monetary prizes sponsored by ConocoPhillips as well as an invitation to present for a Van Tuyl lecture.
As of Tuesday February 4, the Committee to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Alaska received enough valid signatures to place a measure on a ballot before voters. If the initiative passes, Alaska would be the third state to legalize the sale of recreational marijuana behind Colorado and Washington. According to a poll by Public Policy Voting, 55% of registered voters in Alaska support the measure. The measure will also call for a $50 per ounce excise tax on marijuana coming from cultivation facilities and stores.
The Humanitarian Engineering Program held an open house to discuss changes to the curriculum, a refocus of their efforts, introduce their faculty and staff, and announce scholarship and internship opportunities. The event was centered around the programs transition, as program director Dr. Juan Lucena out it, “from compassionate help to serving sustainable community development”. The purpose behind this revamping is to transition from a unilateral model of community development where engineering students try to directly solve the problems of a faraway community that has very little input on the projects in mind to a system where Non-Governmental Organizations mediate between the two so that communities can help define their problems and have that be presented to engineers.