Access to Birth Control Raises New Controversy
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- Published on Friday, 17 May 2013 13:52
- Written by Elizabeth Benn
Currently in the United States, no one under the age of 17 can buy the Plan B morning after pill without a doctor's approval. This age restriction was put into place in 2011 by the Department of Health and Human Services. However, there is currently a discussion in regards to moving this age restriction to either 15 years old, or to eliminate the age limit completely.
In April, Barack Obama became the first president to ever give an address at Planned Parenthood's annual conference, vocalizing his support for allowing birth control options to become available to more people than the law currently allows. However, a week later, his administration contradicted his sentiments when it appealed the decision of U.S. District Judge Edward R. Korman, who ruled that the Food and Drug Commission allow anyone to purchase the emergency birth control.In 2011 when the age restriction was made, Obama supported the motion and agreed with sentiments expressed by HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius’ claims that a 10 year old girl could purchase the birth control "alongside bubble gum and batteries", and that the medication could have an "adverse effect." The FDA, however, assured that Plan B is effective and safe for anyone "of childbearing potential." Obama now acknowledges that the scientific evidence is what supports the new debates and decisions as good.
Is the New Star Wars Trilogy about the love or money?
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- Published on Wednesday, 15 May 2013 23:21
- Written by Shaun Roncken
Six films, $4.5 billion, an army of toys, a library of novels, tents filled with sleeping bags, heads cushioned by pillowcases, and hordes of fans pious enough to practice “Jediism.” Unless you’re a baby who can’t talk, or an old lady with a distaste for loud noises, you’re familiar with the words “Star Wars.”
The interesting thing about these two words, despite all of the money sacks they’ve stuffed, and all of the beds they’ve spread, is that fans still can’t find peace with their quality, or lack thereof. It’s one of the galaxy’s great idiosyncrasies. Usually, the world’s largest brands inspire rabid loyalty: Coca-Cola drinkers refuse to drink Pepsi, basketball players rarely wear anything but Nike, and Apple users stubbornly refuse to acknowledge their inability to right-click a mouse. Star Wars provides an intriguing exception to this rule. The most ubiquitous film franchise in history has created a legion of fans that detest the movies they’ve paid billions of dollars to see. In fact, some fans were so ornery, they made a documentary deriding the man who once brought them so much childhood mirth, called The People vs. George Lucas (Alexander O. Philippe, 2010).
Read more: Is the New Star Wars Trilogy about the love or money?
The Impact of Regulation on Traditional Chinese Medicine
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- Published on Wednesday, 15 May 2013 17:55
- Written by Rob Cote
For many, traditional Chinese medicine is a way to treat an ailment without resorting to the chemical compounds favoured by the western medical system. From chronic pain to delivering a baby, practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine believe they often hold the key to a more natural method of dealing with the day-to-day concerns that pop up with the human body. In Ontario, this industry remained unregulated until April 1, 2013. Now, with the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists of Ontario having begun registering practitioners of TCM, those who wish to continue practicing must register, or face obstacles to running their business.
“It’s a hassle,” says Jessica Rea, who practices TCM in Toronto. An acupuncturist for the past six years, Rea treats patients using acupuncture, herbs, and leech therapy. Since the new regulations came into effect, she says “people are hesitant to come because they know they aren’t going to get their money back right now.” According to Rea, insurance companies will not reimburse for treatment patients receive with an unregistered practitioner.
Read more: The Impact of Regulation on Traditional Chinese Medicine
Beastie Boys to Pen 'multidimensional' Memoir
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- Published on Thursday, 09 May 2013 14:45
- Written by Victoria Gutierrez
The New York Times has announced that Adam Horovitz and Michael Diamond of the Beastie Boys have been recruited to pen the history of the band for fans to devour. This news was met with anticipation and speculation by hungry fans around the world.
As any Beastie Boys fan knows, the announcement of a project and its final delivery means years of waiting and a degree of patience. Befitting a band that released 8 studio albums in 25 years, any expectations of a straight up“tell-all” book slapped out in a few months are to be met with skepticism.
The publisher of the new book has said in an interview “The Beastie Boys are interested in challenging the form and making the book a multidimensional experience. There is a kaleidoscopic frame of reference, and it asks a reader to keep up.” This is far more befitting the image of the Beastie Boys fans have come to love.
Google's Future Vision
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- Published on Thursday, 09 May 2013 14:16
- Written by Elizabeth Benn
Recently, the first edition of Google's new device, Google Glass, was put on the market. The number of devices actually being sold is minimal, and the rarity has set the price at a steep $1, 500. Although these devices are on sale, there are many problems that need to be attended to before Google Glass becomes widely available.
The design of Google Glass is simple: it appears as the upper part of the frames of a wide-framed set of glasses. On the right side of the glasses is the trackpad, and inside of the trackpad is the smartphone technology. It can be used as a smartphone through the built in Bluetooth, and has 16 GBs of storage. Just above the eye, sitting next to the track pad is a small glass square: this is the screen. The images that the screen displays are translucent, so that the user can see what is being displayed to them as well as what is in front of them in the 'real world'.
Obama's Gun Bill Shot Down
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- Published on Thursday, 02 May 2013 22:10
- Written by Criag Hepburn
In the wake of the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting last winter, United States president Barack Obama called for new legislation on guns. This legislation has failed to pass the American senate. The proposed legislation included policies on background checks, and a ban on the sales of assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines.
The National Rifle Association (NRA) is the main firearm advocacy lobby in the U.S. They vehemently opposed the bi-partisan legislation and used their considerable resources to bombard senators with phone calls and emails in the months and weeks leading up to the vote. They raised a multitude of issues with the bill, some of which president Obama claims are untrue.
The NRA has 4.5 million members, or just over 1% of the population of the United States. These members are passionate about firearms, and they have an organized institution to which they pay membership fees and which represents their interests on a national scale. Yet it seems in this case the NRA is not representing the views of 74% of their members who believe all gun buyers should get a criminal background check.
