Time’s Most Influential?

Perhaps my favorite magazine time of the year, this month is when Time Magazine comes out with its “100 Most Influential People in the World” edition.

This is when the people at Time Magazine attempt to whittle down the influence of the world into 100 people. This year, the people were separated into four categories: leaders, artists, thinkers and heroes. The list, as you would expect, has its recurring characters. Of course Barack Obama is going to be on the list, as he was last year and as I’m sure he will be for the next few years at the least.

Each person has a short column written about them by some sort of celebrity contributor. And that person doesn’t necessarily have to be a expert on the person their writing on either. This is the biggest problem I have with the list. First, it is not a requirement that the writer actually tell the readers why the person is on the list. Second, as I said before, the writer doesn’t have to be an expert. It is normally written by someone that has some sort of intimate relationship with the influential person but that doesn’t mean they are going to give you any real information or give you a non-biased opinion on that person.

So I figure the best thing to do would be to go through each of these categories and highlight a few of the more interesting people (for better or for worse), and, if it wasn’t properly conveyed within the magazine, try to explain why they might be considered influential.

Here we go…

Leaders

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva:

Silva was elected president of Brazil in 2002. His column is written by Michael Moore, which should be a dead giveaway as to why Silva has been included on this year’s list. Moore revisited the day in which Silva watched his pregnant wife and unborn child die because they could not afford decent health insurance. Moore also made sure he sneaked in a jab directed at the imbalance of wealth in the United States today.

Sarah Palin/Glenn Beck:

These were two different entries but I figure they fit together pretty well considering that Palin wrote Beck’s column in the magazine. Rock Star Ted Nugent wrote Palin’s. Both columns use vague language such as “love for country” and “love of the founding fathers” but the real reason these two are included is because they are spearheading the new “tea-party” movement in America. Seeing as this movement seems like it won’t be going away anytime soon, the massive amount of influence exerted by Palin and Beck solidifies their spots on this list.

Scott Brown:

Brown is a republican who was elected to the Senate in the seat of Ted Kennedy. Column author Mitt Romney took the opportunity to rub this victory in the face of the Obama administration but Brown makes this list in my mind because of his views. Brown is republican, yes, but he is a Massachusetts republican, which means he has to be much more center than most republicans have been in the Senate. This makes which way he votes a little more unpredictable and, in turn, makes him much more significant.

Artists

Lady Gaga:

OK…there is no denying that Gaga has become one of the largest, if not the largest, pop sensations in the world this year. However that doesn’t necessarily make you one of the most influential people in the world. Column author Cyndi Lauper argues that what Gaga does is art. I argue that what Gaga does is entertainment, and this does not qualify her to be on this list.

Conan O’Brien:

Once again, why? Yes, his highly publicized divorce from NBC has made him the talk of TV town, but I fail to see how this makes him any more influential than he was last year…when he didn’t make the list. Are we supposed to feel bad for him?

Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof:

These guys are definitely on my top 100 list. Cuse and Lindelof took over the ABC drama LOST when JJ Abrams couldn’t find time for it, and they haven’t failed in keeping millions of people (myself hopelessly included) psychologically addicted for seasons now. They undoubtedly were included on this year’s list because we are now just two episodes away from the series wrapping up for good. Although I can vouch for the impact this show can have on one’s life, alas, it remains just entertainment that reaches about 25 million people. Not nearly enough in my mind to be truly worthy of being on this list.

Alternatives to a tuition increase?

With the likelihood of Stony Brook’s tuition continuing to rise and the possibility that through PHEEIA the school may one day be allowed to set its own tuition as opposed to the state, there is obvious trepidation among students and faculty.

Aaron Dargis, an economics major, is one of those tense students.

Student studying on Stony Brook's campus

“I feel that they can find other ways to find money,” said Dargis. “I know that they haven’t been that responsible as far as spending is concerned, but to raise tuition on kids who are trying to better themselves, especially higher education, I feel like its the wrong way to go.”

With the amount of opposition to the PHEEIA act there has been little constructed in the way of alternatives to the act. Millions of dollars have been cut and will continue to be torn away from the SUNY budget so the only way, as supporters of PHEEIA say to keep higher education actually high is to raise tuition to keep as many programs, staff and classes that they can.

Robyn Wolf is a graduate student that teaches at Stony Brook. She says that students are working hard enough as is to get through college.

“I hear a lot of students that come here because its affordable for them, they’re local students who are putting themselves through school so obviously I would not favor a tuition increase,” said Wolf.

Still with nearly every U.S. state facing severe budget deficits, cuts are going to have to be made across the board. New Yorkers who oppose PHEEIA are going to have to decide as to which one is more important to them: Having a college education that affordable or continuing with the level of first class high education similar  to that of private schools.

Of course one would like the best of both worlds but that seems to be becoming less and less of an option.

NYPIRG stirring it up at Stony Brook

The New York Public Interest Research Group, or NYPIRG as it is called is a student activism group here at Stony Brook. NYPIRG uses university students to help bring about change amongst higher education issues,  as well as environmental, and consumer advocacy issues.

NYPIRG was created in the early 70′s and started at Stony Brook in 1979 and as of this day has twenty chapters across the state of New York. A policy issue group, members meet in the basement of the Student Union where project coordinator , Aarti Sheth, talks to student interns and sets up that weeks agenda. Either getting kids out to vote or getting them to sign a petition NYPIRG is always out in front of  hot topic issues.

“We work on other local stuff like hunger and homelessness outreach in our community,” said Sheth right before a meeting she was holding with that springs set of interns.

What NYPIRG is most concerned about now is what most students at Stony Brook should be concerned about…PHEEIA.

NYPIRG coordinator, Aarti Sheth in the office of her student activism group

The Public Higher Education Endowment and Innovation Act is a bill supported by Governor Patterson and University President Samuel Stanley which among other things takes the power to set tuition away from the state legislature and places it in the hands of the individual SUNY campuses. The fear being that what is intended to be an affordable public education may eventually turn into what resembles a privatized school with tuition increases continuing on an annual basis.

NYPIRG strongly  opposes this bill. Even presenting its case against it in Albany a few months ago. Not only do they oppose the tuition hike they have come down against the cuts in the TAP financial aid program and the millions being taking away from the SUNY and CUNY schools across the board.

Locally NYPIRG has been very active in trying to keep up opposition to the bill. “We got 1,500 signatures to assemblyman Englebright, Senator Samson and Senator Flannigan in the New York State legislature opposing the cuts to TAP,” said Sheth. ”Additionally we’ve been making phone calls to our legislatures to stop differential tuition from being passed.”

The point is to stop students from getting hurt in their wallets according to Sheth.

And it doesn’t seem like NYPIRG will be letting up on this issue anytime soon. They recently held a “lobby day,” where over 300 students descended on the state legislature in Albany to stop their leaders from moving forward with this bill.

What the heck happened on Wall Street today?

This is the stock quote for Exelon Co. today.  Notice, between 2 and 3 pm eastern time it takes quite a dive.

The strange part is that Exelon Co. was not the only stock to plummet dramatically in value between 2 and 3 pm eastern time today.  Here are some screenshots of stock quotes from the Wall Street Journal.  

(Full credit for all the graphics below goes to the Wall Street Journal.  I want to specifically thank Stephen Grocer for documenting this so well.  Read: Six Mega Drops of the Flash Crash; Sam Adams Goes Flat.)

People are calling it the “flash crash.”  

For a few minutes between 2 and 3 pm eastern time, a number of stocks were valued at $0.00.  Among them Exelon Co. America’s largest nuclear energy provider and Boston Brewing Co. the parent company of Samuel Adams.

Politico reports that

the Dow plunged 998 points before quickly rebounding nearly 400 points. The Dow closed at 10,520.32, a drop of 347.80 – or 3.2 percent.

The broad consensus among journalists is that no one quite knows exactly what happened here.  Was it a typo?  A real crash?  Did someone in the futures market value stocks at $0.00 when perhaps they were worth more?  Was this a staged power grab?

I can’t tell you because I have no idea.  Apparently no one else does either.  I waded through a slew of comments on Hacker News, (yes, you read that right), and learned that the economy is much more complex than I could have ever fathomed.

Just try and make sense of what one commenter said about the fiasco.

The (relatively) gradual rebound in price suggests the trades actually happened. It’s not a removable discontinuity, so to speak.And, frankly, if you were coding an automated trading system, it wouldn’t be that unreasonable to write a “sell at any price” algorithm that doesn’t cover the eventuality that a stock with a market cap as large as these might have literally no bids higher than $0.00. (My highly speculative amateur theory is that this is what actually happened: The NYSE froze trading on these stocks for an extremely brief period, as it did with many stocks today, and a handful of automated trading systems scrambled to electronic exchanges, where volumes were low enough that a $0.00 bid issued by some cleverly well-prepared hedge fund was the best around.)

I can’t vouch for the validity of that statement, because the poster is anonymous and he describes his own theory as “highly speculative” and “amateur.”  However, having fought my way through several articles regarding the matter, its the most reasonable explanation I’ve heard yet.

I’ll update this story as more information becomes available.

Raina Bedford
National Politics. 

Basketball court home to Immigration law contreversy

The Phoenix suns defeated the San Antonio Spurs last night 110-102 to take a two games to none lead in their best of seven series but that wasn’t the whole story from last nights game. The Suns in a showing of protest decided to wear their, “Los Suns” jerseys to show their opposition to the new controversal immigration law.

Now no one believes that  Suns forward, Amare Stoudemire or his teammates is politically savvy enough or bold enough to interject themselves into such a devisive issue. Instead, Robert Sarver, the Suns managing partner is the one who made the decision to have his players wear the jerseys. “The Los Suns”  jerseys have been used before, earlier this season, not as a political ploy but as apart of the NBA’s “Noche Latina,” campaign geared at bringing in more fans from the latino community.

Suns players Grant Hill and Steve Nash enjoying their win in their Los Suns attire

Sarver told the media the night before the game how he felt about the law, calling it, “mean spirited.” “However intended, the result of passing this law is that our basic principles of equal rights and protection under the law are being called into question,” said Sarver.

On this cinco de mayo, the suns decided to do what has been a rare occurence in sports, where athletes stand for something outside the larger context of their sport and use their promote status to express their agenda. Muhammad Ali the most obvious example. Whats different about this case is that it wasnt the Suns players who felt so sour on this immigration law that they all collectively agreed to where the jerseys. It was Sarver who chose to place his players in this debate, and nobody cares about Robert Sarver. People do care about the Suns however but in the eyes of Senior, Jacques Beauvaus, you shouldnt care what the suns think about immigration either.

“I’m really just watching the games to watch the games,” said Beauvaus. “If I wanted to watch something about immigration I woud have just changed it to CNN.”

Beauvaus also implied people shouldn’t be forming their political agenda on the dress code of a professional Basketball team.

“Basketball and politics shouldnt mix. These are all multi-millionaire players so what do they honestly know about some immigration law. These laws don’t really affect them and people better not be basing their decisions on what an NBA team does.”

No ban on American’s adopting Russian children

Russian officials made it clear last week that after months of contradictory statements that they will place no ban on adoptions involving Americans.  Andrei A. Fursenko, the Russian education and science minister, went against other ministers, who last month stated that there would be no new adoptions until new regulations between Russia and the United States were put in place.

Although Fursenko contradicted other ministers, it appears that his words have more weight due to his involvement with Russia’s adoption agency.

Russian officials wanted new agreements after Artyom Savelyev, a child adopted by a single American mom, was sent back to the United States. The adoptive mother, who lives in Tennessee, claimed that Savelyev was too violent to be taken care of. The mother claimed that the adoption agency in Russia lied to her about his conditions. Russian officials still assert that nothing is wrong with the child.

The State Department stated in a New York Times article that it never received word from Russia that adoptions between the two countries were frozen.

Americans wanting to adopt children from Russia will have to wait and see if relations between the two countries continue as is or sour.

Avalon-Asana Yoga: Part2 Final

The Avalon Park and Preserve in Stony Brook, New York hosts yoga 10-week sessions on Mondays and Fridays in the spring. Their barn hosts many events throughout the summer, but this is possibly one of the most popular since they have accomplished instructor, Diane Corey, from Yogaholic Yoga coming in for the summers.

Corey received her 500 hour Yoga Certificate from Yoga Zone in New York City in 2001. She also received a Level I Certificate for Children’s Yoga from Yoga Rocks!, winter 2009. Corey is trained to teach Yoga level 1-3, Vinyasa Yoga, Restorative Yoga and Yoga for Kids. She has taught privately as well as in studios in NYC and on Long Island for nine years. Diane’s style of yoga is fun vinyasa style open to everyone.

A relaxing yoga session overlooking the 140-acre park definitely rejuvenates the soul, and creates a tranquility that can only be achieved at Avalon Park.

It is $50 for a day session or $100 for both sessions per week offered at Avalon Park. You can visit http://www.yogaholic.net/ for more information.

The Paul Simons Foundation: Blog1 for Final Project

The Paul Simons Foundation was established in 1997, a year after Simons died after being hit by a car while he was biking near his home. As a tribute to his love of nature and passion for teaching youth his parents established the 140-acre Avalon Park and Preserve in Stony Brook, New York.
This park includes everything Simons loved like hiking, biking, and untouched nature.
Every year in Avalon Park The Paul Simons Foundation hosts a 4.5 mile bike ride through the park during mid-July. This memorial to Simons attracts many bicyclists of all ages and skills.
Just like the Simons Foundation boasts,

“Paul Simons was passionate about cycling and loved to challenge himself. He was a great friend with an unmatched sense of humor and a true love of nature.

His family wanted his legacy to go on by reflecting his love of nature and outdoor activities. The Foundation has made a pledge to protect the natural habitat of the park and restore its ecological heritage. They have hopes that Paul’s spirit lives through the untouched forests and joy in the visitors.

The $10 or $20 registration fee of the annual bike ride helps to maintain Simons’ foundation. For more information go to:http://www.avalonparkandpreserve.org/ps_bike_ride.pdf

Z-Pita: Greek and Everything Else

Z-Pita is in the heart of Port Jefferson and boosts cuisine that tastes just like it’s from the heart of Athens. Their authentic seafood dishes like the unforgettable Saganaki Shrimp and other fresh daily specials usually highlight their menu, but the main attraction for most people in town is their extensive to-go menu and fondue option.
Along with amazing authentic Baba Ghannouj and Spanakopita, they have a great deal of vegetarian options, italian cuisine, a children’s menu with the works (including a great burger), various salads and even Mexican specials.
This is just about the most extensive and unique take-out menu in town. There’s definitely something for everyone at Z Pita, but at a decent price?
Some of the items are overpriced like the $15 grilled Swordfish salad. If you just avoid these items then Z Pita boasts some pretty great deals.
And, if you ever need a date night this is cheap solution with their fondue options at a rate of $35 per couple.