MARCH 8, 2012

Full News Archive

• Headline: Golijov's Controversial Musical Influences. Impact: If Osvaldo Golijov had just borrowed a little less, we might have avoided a musical revolution where every composer is required to submit an originality report. Imagine orchestras filing plagiarism lawsuits. The drama would be glorious!. Fact: Did you know that many composers borrowed from each other? It’s like the musical version of ‘What’s mine is yours, as long as you don’t get caught!’.
• Headline: Women Rebuild a Mississippi Town. Impact: When four women wielding crowbars took a stand, it set off a chain reaction across the nation. Soon, crowbar-wielding feminists were a thing, and towns everywhere started hiring armed women as unofficial city planners. Talk about community empowerment!. Fact: Crowbars: the original tools of urban renewal. Who knew that the power of a woman with a crowbar could rival city hall’s?.
• Headline: Gene Sequencing Cost Cuts Spark Innovations. Impact: As gene sequencing became cheaper, a butterfly flapped its wings and suddenly everyone was diving into their family trees, leading to a bizarre reality TV show about genetic family reunions. You can thank cancer research for the next season of ‘Who’s Your Daddy?’. Fact: For the price of a fancy dinner, you can now sequence your genome! Just think, you could discover you’re related to royalty—or a potato..
• Headline: Intractable Afghan Graft Hampering U.S. Strategy. Impact: Years of high-level corruption in Afghanistan led to a series of 'what not to do' manuals for future military interventions. Every subsequent country watched, took notes, and still proceeded to ignore the lessons. History really is a classroom of stubborn students.. Fact: It turns out that the only thing more stubborn than a corrupt government is the cycle of foreign intervention. Who knew?.
• Headline: Women in Texas Losing Options for Health Care in Abortion Fight. Impact: The erosion of health care options for women in Texas sparked a national debate, leading to more women becoming activists. This eventually resulted in a new genre of protest music: 'Songs of Frustration.' You haven’t lived until you’ve heard a protest song featuring a banjo and a passionate speech!. Fact: Texas: where the motto should be 'Everything’s bigger—except our reproductive rights!'.