FEBRUARY 29, 1988

Full News Archive

• Headline: Arafat's Perspective on Youth Riots. Impact: This seemingly trivial statement about stones and jewels became the rallying cry for a generation of jewelers who mistook it for a metaphor. Consequently, a bizarre jewelry trend emerged where rocks became the hottest fashion accessory, leading to an unsustainable boom in the rock mining industry that ultimately caused a shortage of glittery diamonds. And thus, the world was forced to wear ugly stones as a sign of rebellion.. Fact: Yasir Arafat probably wasn’t expecting his metaphorical musings to spark a twisted fashion revolution. Imagine the catwalks filled with models strutting their 'stone chic' looks. Truly, a plot twist that even the best fashion designers couldn't have seen coming..
• Headline: Mismanagement of Public Lands Continues. Impact: James Watt's legacy of mismanagement in public lands led to a series of comically disastrous decisions in environmental policies, including the infamous 'Great Cactus Caper' where the government attempted to turn a desert into a golf course. Golf balls became endangered species and the environmental movement was born out of sheer frustration.. Fact: Public lands mismanagement is basically the government’s way of saying, 'We might as well throw a party in a dumpster fire.' It’s an art form, really—one that features a lot of smoke and mirrors, and not much actual land management..