Innermost Parts

Speaking of Twitter, I’d like to mention that Innermost Parts has our own new Twitter feed. You can check it out here: http://twitter.com/innermostparts

Astute readers will notice that we’ve got a little box to the right that shows our most recent twitter posts, for coolness and to save you time.

What’s our twitter feed for? I’m not sure yet. I want to use it to share links I might not blog about, but still are worth sharing, but who knows else it’ll be used for? We’ll keep playing with it and seeing what works. Right now I’m quasi-“live tweeting” an event with Prof. Charles Ogletree.

Let the grand experiment begin!

Innermost Parts founded and co-hosts the Brandeis Academic Calendar with the Activist Resource Center. You’ll see it on your right; isn’t it pretty?

Here’s the problem: there are cool, kickass events that we want to promote, but I’m afraid that they often are lost in the clutter of activist club meetings, which are also listen on events.

What would be more useful to you? An activist calendar that listed every meeting of the Brandeis Labor Coalition, Democracy for America, etc, (as well as one-off events) or one that only listed new events?

The unofficial theme of today’s The Justice seems to be “Brandeis is rapidly moving away from the Liberal Arts.” The Liberal Arts Posse is being ruthlessly gutted, Justice Brandeis Semesters will give you academic credit for filing papers at summer internships, and they argue that experiential learning is a joke.

The lead editorial today was pretty forceful, especially considering the source. I don’t agree with all of it, but I think they distilled the student zeitgeist here pretty well:

However, when empty campaign slogans such as “Liberal Arts for the 21st Century” (coming at a time when the Liberal Arts Posse scholarship program has been suspended) start popping up on our campus, we have cause to worry.

A young university like Brandeis doesn’t have years of tradition to fall back on when promoting itself to prospective students. However, promoting a supposedly innovative liberal arts program when Brandeis’ academic focus has been on professional concentrations like the new Business major seems to be in bad faith.

I’d really like to hear what senior administration have to say to that. I’m not as upset as The Justice seems to be – slogans do mean something, and I’d rather have slogans that emphasize Social Justice and education than a smug “Smart from the Start”.

Look, this is all driven by the times. We all know that. No one thinks that Marty Krauss has been holed up in the bottom of Usdan, cackling and plotting the downfall of Posse. Still. There are many choices that the University could make to save money. Paring down TYP, phasing out Posse – these should be hard choices. Very hard choices. We students must make it clear how dearly we cherish and how closely we identify Brandeis with those programs.

In the spirit of yesterday’s “Best of the Hoot”, here’s a quick look at today’s The Justice:

– Chapels are going to be renovated, financed by an anonymous gift.
– When I heard that there was going to be a review of staffing levels at the University I was excited because I know many faculty are upset at unbalanced funding levels between departments. Turns out that this review is only for administrative departments. They should expand the Office of Student Life, those guys are great.
– The Justice is upset that Brandeis is bringing in Business Majors and getting rid of Posse scholars while marketing itself on liberal arts. I agree. Getting rid of Posse scholars is a big deal. Those guys are consistently among the nicest, coolest, and most fun on campus.

– BranPo can apparently bust you for drugs during “fire drills”. No warrants here, folks.
– More swine flu scares.
– Brandeis has a climate action plan now. Professor Goldin likes it.
– I am worried about Justice Brandeis Semesters. This could turn out really badly.

Wow. All in all, lots of news here. They’re cutting Posse, and searching rooms without warrants. We’re renovating the Chapels and creating a Climate Action Plan. Plus more.

The Brandeis Politics department has had a mysterious failed link on their webpage for years. It’s a history of Brandeis by Professor David Hackett Fischer, called “The Brandeis Idea: Variations on a Theme”.

Carrie Simmons from the Office of Communications helped us out and dug out a copy. Take a look at this Innermost Parts exclusive.

Download it here:BrandeisIdeaVariationsOnATheme

I’m reading it now – did anyone find something particularly insightful or interesting it? Wanna share?
Continue reading “Unearthed Arcana”

The Brandeis Computer Science Department is trying out a lot of new things and going through a lot of positive change lately. One innovation: a Masters program in IT and Entrepreneurship. A capstone class for the Masters brings in great speakers and invites the whole Brandeis community to come listen in.

The first speaker comes tomorrow, and they really want all sorts of Brandeis students to show up. Here it is:

Disruptive Innovation for Social Change

Tom Sadtler, Vice President Marketing, CA Services
When: Tuesday Sept 15, 5:00-6:30
Where: Volen 105, Brandeis University

Abstract
Disruptive innovations, such as the telephone, the personal computer and Wal-Mart have resulted in large scale changes to industry, our working lives and societies around the world. This talk explores the use of disruptive innovations as a means to catalyze desired social change. We will explore several examples of disruptive innovations that are being used to drive social change in different sectors including: healthcare, education and microfinance. We will look briefly at the impact they are having on addressing the underlying social problem. We will explore the model of how to develop a disruptive innovation to drive social change and explore some new innovations and discuss whether they fit the model and if not how they could be changed to be more effective.

Wanna go?

We’re trying out a new feature here at Innermost Parts where we link to interesting articles in the latest Hoot or Justice soon after they come out. It’s not supposed to be a comprehensive guide, just whatever catches our fancy.

Interesting Hoot Articles, Sep 11th Edition:
– Aramark raises prices. One of Jason Gray’s goals last year was to achieve “point/dollar parity”. It’s a shame he couldn’t get that to happen, what with all the craziness last year. Still, the dream will never die.
– The Hoot liked the TMI conference.
– Rumor has it that a student already left the University due to swine flu.
– Lots to unpack in this short article on Andy Hogan’s relationship with the student body. I especially enjoyed the phrase “Hogan announced … that the press would have to instead speak to him through his Ruben.”
– The Hoot discovers Twitter, and I tell you to go play outside.

What do you think? Like this idea? Think it should be renamed?

This Friday the Student Union is hosting a meeting open to all students with Tim Hickey to give him feedback on his proposal for a Justice Brandeis Semester.

The meeting will be held from 2-3 PM in SCC 313.

This is a great opportunity to help shape the JBS and the future of the University.

It’s time. In a couple days, Brandeis will be hosting a big academic conference with lots of bigwigs etc, talking about the digital divide, internet access, and how the net relates to Social Justice in general.

Here’s what’s going down:

Schedule of Events

Thursday, September 10

Session I: Is the Internet a Human Right?
Time: 2:00-3:30 pm

Session II: Free to be Excellent? The Costs of Being Informed in a Digital Age
Time: 3:45-5:15 pm

Session III: Technology is Neither Good nor Bad, Only Thinking Makes It So
Time: 6:30-8:00 pm

Friday, September 11

Session IV: Does Digital Deepen the Divide?
Time: 9:00-11:00 am

Session V: The Student Verdict

Time: 11:00 am-12:30 pm

This will be really cool. We’re trying to get a team together to report on the conference, either officially for teh conference itself or for Innermost Parts. Email us if you’re interested.

You probably don’t think about the Village Space much. Hardly anybody does anymore. It’s that big empty room beneath the Village Skybridge, with paper over the windows. It looks like this:

It used to be in the news a bit, as the original planned location for Ollie’s Eatery (before safety code restrictions killed that particular dream, and caused me to have to walk up the damn hill when I want 2am pancakes). Then it resurfaced as the prospective Activist Resource Center space (before the cost of allowing activists to use the room was estimated at $200,000-$300,000). Today it lies dormant, another monument to poor campus planning on the part of administration officials.

I find it astounding that Brandeis didn’t actually figure out how to finish the space before completing the Village. As I understand it, the plan was to leave the space until a use could be figured out for it, but money for such indulgences soon ran out. It’s a damn shame, though, because it’s a great site in one of the nicest buildings on campus. ARC could make excellent use of the space, or it could be turned into a Coffee & Pie shop (our campus lacks a good pie shop, as you have surely noticed). Either way, it’s currently a waste and an embarrassment.

$200,000 seems an awful lot to turn an already-existent room into an empty space for activists. What could it need? Paint? Lights? And, anyway, this really too intolerable a blight not to spend a little cash on. Surely there is a benevolent alumnus out there who would like a pie shop named after them?

Upon reading Chrissy Callahan’s article, “Books for classes: Less is more” in The Hoot, I am surprised to find that the most convenient alternative to book-buying is not mentioned at all: Interlibrary Loan. This process is fairly simple, and it allows you to obtain your textbooks from the library without being tied to reading them in the library. How does this work? Start at the LTS website, and click “Find Books and More.” From here you will see a link for “Other Library Catalogs,” and then World Cat. Simply search for your textbook, click on the title, and press “Get it.” If Brandeis has a copy, make sure to make a note that our copy is checked out or you need it for more than the 2 hours that reserves allows (only if this is true, of course!). The ILL department will order your book and deliver it to the main library for a loan period of about a month. Note, however, that you need to order it early–the process can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks.

While this is not a viable alternative for textbooks that are used throughout the semester, I have found it very useful for those books that we only read and discuss for a short period of time. If you’re never going to use a book again, why buy it when you can get it from the library?

Prof. Brian Donahue, professor of American Environmental History and guru of local community farming, has a good op-ed in yesterday’s Boston Globe outlining the feasibility of growing a much larger quantity of our food locally, here in New England.

Continue reading “Interesting op-ed in Globe by Brandeis Prof Donahue”

Did you know that Brandeis offers fellowship opportunities? I know I didn’t; they don’t advertise it, and it’s buried on the Academic Services page. Check this out: http://www.brandeis.edu/acserv/fellowships/index.html

Have your interests changed a little bit over the summer? Do you have that one class that you really wish you had signed up for? This is just a reminder that as of 12:01 am on MONDAY, AUGUST 17 registration for fall classes are once again open. Ready, set, go!

Turns out that Louis Brandeis will get his very own stamp.
As a Louis Brandeis supporter, I am pleased with this decision.

However, here’s some more exciting news: Melvin J. Urofsky is coming to Brandeis!

Allow me to explain. Ever since I wrote a final paper on Louis Brandeis, I’ve realized how much of a great man he was. Forget Judging – this guy was an activist par excellence.

Melvin J. Urofsky is one of the best -if not the best- Brandeis biographers. He’s going to show up at the Faculty club on September 29th to promote his new book. Be there; you’ll thank me later.

Recent Brandeis grad Pat Garofalo went straight from editing the Hoot to working for the Center for American Progress. I hear you ask, “yeah, so what?”

That job is so cool that Pat can interview the Senate Majority whip without breaking a sweat. Look:[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIGFXeNigz0&eurl[/youtube]

Update: I’ve been thinking. To one-up the Hoot, I suggest that an editor from The Justice go chess-boxing with Harry Reid. They must, in order to regain their honor. 🙂 Hannah Kirsch, a nation turns its lonely eyes to you.

Well, Brandeis made the New York Times again, which is never good news. This time, it’s a short blurb about a lawsuit which has been filed against us by several Rose Art Museum overseers:

Lawsuit Seeks to Save Art Museum at Brandeis

Continue reading “Brandeis Getting Sued”

I’m hearing rumors that Brandeis had a success in fundraising this year, and that something like 12M dollars will be put into place to plugging our endowment-created deficit. Does anyone have any specifics on this? Will Faculty get their 401(k)’s back now?

P.S. – Kudos to Ariel Wittenberg at the Hoot for updating during the summer, if only just a bit. Big news still happens over the summer months, and our publications should recognize that fact by at least trying to inform when it happens. edit:The Justice would like to point out that they broke the story before their summer publication. Good, but the point I was trying to address here was “updating news sites over the summer,” not “who got to break the story first”.

update: We’ve got a copy of the message. First, the numbers: We raised 78.3 million dollars total this year, which is 12.1 million less than the $90.4 million we raised last year. Still, this is spun as a success because of the rough economy, and Jehuda points out that 78.3 million is still the 4th largest gift in Brandeis’ history. I’ve sent him an email asking if this accounts for inflation. We’ve also raised 11.6 million dollars to help with the current budget, but only $600,000 of that exceeds projections, so don’t expect any big news there.

It’s a bit frustrating that Jehuda didn’t see fit to inform students of all this. I realize that maybe he didn’t want to spam our inboxes, but come on. How were we supposed to find out about this? I love Brandeis and want it to succeed, and I’m not the only one. We are eager to hear more of this sort of news. It’s not even on his website.

Here’s the text of Jehuda’s message, dated July 13. I advise you to take it with a grain of salt; he has a vested interested in making these numbers look good. Still, hooray?:

I am pleased to report that Brandeis University has raised $11.6 million for current use budget relief. This exceeds our target of $11.0 million by $600,000.

In this difficult year, the development staff, with the help of members of the Board of Trustees and others, exceeded expectations and secured $78.3 million in cash gifts to the University. Last year $90.4 million was raised. The result for Fiscal 2009 is an incredible amount, given the economic uncertainties this year, and represents the 4th largest total cash gifts ever to Brandeis.

New cash and pledges in recent weeks have brought the Campaign for Brandeis to a total of $875 million. This is 71.7% of the $1.2 billion goal. The highest priority for the Campaign continues to be securing scholarships and fellowships, although this is challenging in this environment.

These fundraising efforts have been successful due to the hard work of many people, especially Nancy Winship and her staff. During her 15 years with Brandeis, Nancy has assembled a group of dedicated people, who orchestrated more than 200 events; created and sent internet appeals; coordinated a seven-figure scholarship challenge grant; designed viral marketing and email blasts; planned direct mail letters and phonathons; and visited hundreds of people throughout the U.S. on behalf of Brandeis.

My congratulations to the development staff, to the entire campus community, to the Board of Trustees, and to all those donors who stepped forward in this difficult economic environment to make particularly generous gifts.

146 years ago, the United States experienced the bloodiest riot in its history.

African Americans became scapegoats and the target of the rioters’ anger. Many immigrants and poor viewed freed slaves as competition for scarce jobs and African Americans as the reason why the civil war was being fought. African Americans who fell into the mob’s hands were often beaten, tortured, and/or killed, including one man that was attacked by a crowd of 400 with clubs and paving stones, then hung from a tree and set alight.[13] The Colored Orphan Asylum on Fifth Avenue, which provided shelter for hundreds of children, was attacked by a mob. The police were able to secure the orphanage for enough time to allow orphans to escape.[8]

The worst riot in American history was also its bloodiest race riot, where white working class whites in New York City tortured, beat, and killed any African-American they could lay their hands on.

Worth remembering.

So, in case you didn’t know, there’s going to be a conference on social media and its connection to Social Justice at Brandeis pretty soon. Super cool, right? This combines my passions for computers with my drive for Social Justice. I’m totally excited.

Here’s the agenda: TMI. Social Justice in a Facebook Age v2

Anyways, one way to get involved in the conference (beyond, you know, showing up and listening) is by joining the “Student Challenge”.

It’s still in the planning stages right now, but here’s how the latest draft describes it:

Assignment: Two groups of up to 15 undergraduate students each will gather material at the conference, do research outside the conference, and compile reports on the questions: Are New Media Transformative? How for Better, How for Worse? using both traditional and non-traditional reporting tools and methods.

More info here: student_challenge_draft_4

Check it out.

So a while ago I pointed out that Mariel Gruzsko, a friend of mine, was writing a blog about her experiences doing Anthropological work in Guatemala. Well, it’s taken off splendidly, and I seriously recommend you take a look. She updates often, thoroughly, and thoughtfully.

Let the schadenfreude commence.

Do you think America needs better public transportation? Me too, but our local, state, and federal governments lack the vision to plan it and the political will to fund it. I’m not talking about maintaining current service levels during the recession, nor am I referring to a 10 or 20 percent increase in funding. I’m talking about investment in the system we need for our future. Currently the federal gas tax is 18.4 cents, a figure which hasn’t risen since 1993. Massachusetts adds an additional 41.9 cents. In Europe, taxes can amount to over 70% of the cost of fuel, but in America they make up only around 25% of the cost. Unless we pay more at the pump, we cannot reduce the collective miles we drive, nor can we afford bicycle lanes, trams, trolley buses, or trains.

In light of my representatives’ inaction, I have created my own gas tax. For every gallon of gasoline I buy, I will contribute 50 cents–nearly doubling the taxes I currently pay–to an organization that promotes more sustainable transportation options. I haven’t chosen the group yet, but I am thinking of Reconnecting America, the National Complete Streets Coalition, and the LivableStreets Alliance. I invite you to join me in my small effort towards creating a more sustainable and liveable America.

As if Fall 2009 wasn’t close enough, Brandeis has published its preliminary schedule of classes for Spring 2010. You can view it here.

One thing I really like about Brandeis is that our mascot is named after Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. I’ve often claimed that we need to expand that tradition: before I graduate my goal is to get something named after Earl Warren, and hopefully work “Thurgood’s” in somewhere. It must happen!

Anyways, the good folk at Brandeis are shopping around this video: “Day in the Life of Ollie the Brandeis Student“.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wn0aQ-oq6NU[/youtube]

According to them:

The purpose of the video is to get people to our website (to raise money for scholarship), and for them to tell their friends (who can later tell more friends) to view the website (aka viral marketing). So take a look, give me your feedback, and– if you are amused by what you see– please forward it to along.

True dat. Raising money for scholarships is important – and it’s gratifying to see Brandeis embracing the small dollar donor model – the biggest contribution was $500 and the lowest was $20. And a foundation will match 50% of any donation. So it’s a pretty sweet deal, check out the website for more info.

It’s only a small mention, but significant nonetheless. In an article about the NYC legislature’s attempt to curb the “deaccessioning” (rapid sale) of art collections, the New York Times mentions that the bill “was prompted by a number of recent high-profile moves, including … Brandeis University’s January announcement that it would close its Rose Art Museum in Waltham, Mass., and sell the collection because of its declining endowment, a plan that the university is now revisiting.”

What this should highlight, if anything, is both the unprecedented nature of the Rose closing, as well as the poor handling of public relations. Thus, for the foreseeable future, articles about art sales, university endowments, or the place of the arts in education will have an obligatory mention of Brandeis.

Friend of Blog Mariel Gruszko is anthropologically exploring Guatemala. Check out her journal here.

Hi, I’ve gotten a press badge to a huge Republican fundraiser. I will liveblog the speeches as long as my batteries hold out. My compatriot Evan is also blogging at The New Argument..

7:52 “Ladies and Gentlemen, kindly take your seats, the program is about to begin, kindly take your seats, thank you.” They are 22 minutes late so far.

Observations so far: I think there wre more black people in the intro band than the entire rest of the convention (minus security officers).
We’re at the Press Box. Various Republican dignitaries stride by to show the press that they’re here. Eric Cantor seems to like this technique quite a bit.

I just heard that there are 2000 fundraisers and 150 members of the house here.

8:00 No sign of food for the press. So hungry. AAAAND Palin, Newt, etc, just walk on stage, get panned by the cameras, and walk off. Is this some sort of sign of their r’approchement?

Some random guy just walked by. He said something about “Are you the Press? Watch what they’re eating!” Any ideas what that means?

8:02 Rep Paul Ryan: We have a special guest today. Actor John Voight is going to MC. (Now, I’m not really into pop culture, but who the hell is Paul Voigt? This is their stellar MC?)

…and Paul Ryan shushed the crowd. Um ok.

8:11 John Voight is up. Speechifying. Talking about how Republicans should copy Obama’s success. Blames Obama’s success on Hollywood. Many vague references to technology. Obama campaigned as a

“My greatest concern is for the safety of Israel”. “In my point of view, the Palestinians only want to destroy Israel” . “Are we supposed to sit around and wait for the newest Holocaust?”

Speaking a Jew and Israeli, this blatant abuse of my country of birth for political aims is rather offensive.

“Everything Obama has attempted has turned disastrous”.[ ed- Tell that to Liddy Ledbetter. ] Voigt quotes Pravda: “The United States is sliding towards Communism”. Apparently only Republicans can free us from “this False Prophet, Obama”, who has “oppressed” the United States.

8:17 Orrin Hatch is on deck. Voigt still on stage. Voigt: Orrin Hatch “is very impressive physically. I saw him and thought what a handsome fellow… I feel a special closeness to Orrin Hatch … he’s the man for me”.

8:20 Apparently Hatch’s role was to introduce the tenor who sang the Star-Spangled Banner

8:25 The montage for the Star-Spangled Banner: Soldiers, Guns, Airplanes, Flags, Bombs, many more flags, and the Vietnam memorial. Further confirming the link between nationalism and militarism.

8:26 And now they’re sing a psalm by Saint Francis of Assisi. I wonder how Eric Cantor (the only Republican Jew in Congress) feels about that.

8:29 Mitch McConnell is up. Makes another crack at Hollywood. And another. What is this, the 1950’s? Newt Gingrich is “a great idea man” who has “suggestions”. Also, Obama is radical, in case you forgot. And terrorists would hate staying in a Cuban cell rather than aVirginian one. I guess the land of Castro has become suffused with his Sauron-style evil, chilling the bones of any detainees there.

8:34 Apparently calling John Boehner orange is safely bipartisan

8:35 Apparently Obama and Pelosi have a vendetta against people who follow the law.Damn those lawmakers who hate the law and stuff.Why did they forget to fearmonger about Harry Reid?

8:40 Overheard in the press box: “John Voight did his best to call Obama a terrorist, but he’s an actor. [Sarah Palin] stole the show.” (By walking across the stage once.)

9:10 John Cornyn, head of the NRSC, is up. So far tonight, I’ve hard of Newt being called “an idea guy”, “the man with ideas”, and “an idea factory”. Big lead up to this supposedly clever man.

9:14 There are more minorities in Senate fundraising videos than exist among the funders in this room. Also, apparently Obama has a ruthless regime that tramples freedom and also resembles Jimy Carter’s. Now, Jimmy Carter is many things, but fearsome isn’t one of them.

9:15 Orrin Hatch just spent 20 seconds on his speech. I guess his heart just isn’t in it, poor guy. Now Pete Sessions.

9:18 The mere mention of Bob McDonnel, GOP candidate for Virginia, gets more applause than anyone not named “Palin”. Also apparently Nancy Pelosi is vying with Obama for most feared enemy of the GOP. Pete Sessions is afraid of girl! ;-P

9:20 “The American People realize that we can’t tax, borrow, spend and regulate their way to prosperity”. Look, I like cheap shots as much as anyone, but seriously. Keynesianism isn’t, like, some wild theory. It was in the first economics class I ever took.

9:23 So there’s a montage of Republicans talking about how much they hate the stimulous bill on TV. There was a point where there was a voice over Nancy Pelosi, so that it sounded like she was saying “the biggest spending increse in history”. Neat trick, I guess.

9:25 Paul Ryan. “This is not about Republicans defeating Democrats. THis is not what it’s about. This is a start of an effort to take our country back.” Hm… He should start a conference. He could call it something like “Take Back America” or something. And now for the Europe bashing. And again, Newt is “a man of ideas”. The people here are really clutching onto this guy like he’s their last hope. Now a montage of how awesome Gingrich was in 1994. Newt is the future!

9:30 Newt! “John Voight has given you your battle-cry for the next year and a half”. “Do not tell me it can’t be done is about the best way of thinking of 2012 and 2010 as you can imagine.”

9:37 Newt went on about historical GOP victories, like electing Reagan in California, etc. Now he’s talking about the referendums in California as a harbinger of GOP success. “We must be inclusive and not exclusive”. “I am happy that Dick Cheney is a Republican, but I’m also happy that Colin Powell is a Republican.”

9:41 “I am not a citizen of the world.” Let’s bring on that nationalism! Newt is unhappy that Obama makes speeches that aren’t about the U.S. Apparently the GOP doesn’t like diplomats. Also Newt demands that we reshape our court system so that “one nation under god” go back in the pledge of allegiance. “We are the only country [that declares its rights come from god]”.

9:44 Newt talks about “Christian principles” of the “temple of liberty”. So he wants to be inclusive, except to Jews, Muslims, Atheists, Buddists, etc?

9:51 Newt really doesn’t like foreigners. Still bashing Europe. Doesn’t like the idea that judges in the US might look to judges who happen to live elsewhere for wisdon.

9:52 Newt keeps pimping this movie he’s in. Well, I guess that’s one way to prove your capitalist bone fides.

9:53 Newt pronounces al qaeda in a foreign accent. OMG HES A TERRIST

9:59 Oh yeah. A while back, Newt mocked civil libertarians. Get that? The GOP idea man doesn’t want you, libertarians.

10:00 Newt’s big idea: Let’s actually teach our children American History. omgbrilliant why didn’t I think of that before?

10:01 Newt: We need to compete with India and China through economics. At least he didn’t say through having bigger nukes. That’s a step forward.

10:04 Newt accuses Jimmy Carter for the Arab Oil Embargo. Apparently he wanted Carter to cave to anti-Semitic / anti-Israel Arab demands . But I thought Republicans loved Israel? *I’m sooo confused!*

10:10 Newt applauds illegal license plate switching. Apparently Obama has a vendetta against both law-abiding citizens and criminals! Further confusion

10:11 Newt mistrusts foreigners and hates their laws, except for when they cut his taxes.

10:12 I’ve heard more references to Jimmy Carter/Ronald Reagan than current events. The future is Newt!

10:14 Newt compares himself to Calvin Coolidge

10:16 Newt wants to burn oil shale, coal, drill for oil, and burn natural gas. If he wants to pollute the atmosphere this much, why did Al Gore put him in that T.V. ad?

10:20 Newt wants to make the EPA more entrepreneurial and innovative. How? Maybe he’ll tell us if we give Republicans more money!

10:21 In the same minute, Newt attacks University professors, then laments that not enough people are going to college. Wait what?

10:23 Education is a civil right. Commends Al Sharpton. Newt is saying good things about education. … and then he blames unions and wants to sell off the education system.

10:24 Newt says that prisoners should be recognized for having dignity and rights. Good!

10:25 “This admnistration would destroy the healthcare system. … I am fundamentally opposed to comparative effectiveness review” . So apparently our system isn’t broken already, and apparently efficiency is bad.

10:26 Sorry, looks like “a washington bureaucrat” is more fearsome than Nancy Pelosi + Barack Obama put together.

10:27 …and it’s over. Time to interview some people. Goodnight all.