Academic Perspective

Despite relatively mediocre reviews, Avatar has grossed slightly over $1.6 billion worldwide since its December 18th release. Less than a month later, virtually every major electronics company was showing off 3D televisions and Blu-Ray players at the yearly Consumer Electronics Show. Just as 2009 could be called the year of Twitter and the iPhone, 2010 [...]

2009 was not exactly the most memorable year. If anything, it’s notable for being one of the gloomiest years of late. Bank accounts are drying up, foreclosures are through the roof, and unemployment is the highest its been in nearly three decades. In all parts of the world, there aren’t many who can look back [...]

The global economic recession has spared no one, not even one of the most consistently profitable industries in the world: sports. The US unemployment rate stands in double digits, its second highest since 1983. Credit is tight, making paying for housing, food and healthcare very difficult. Yet in such dire times, professional athletes always seem [...]

I was in a local grocery store looking for a quick lunch to grab before a long trip south. As I stood in line for checkout, I heard a familiar tune coming over the speakers. At first, I couldn’t place it. Then, when the vocals began, I recognized it. The great encroachment had begun.

It can be a daunting task to find people who respect the sport of soccer in the United States, despite its status as the most loved sport in the world. Americans turn to other pastimes, most prominently baseball, basketball, football, and hockey. While I love all of these sports, a year of watching “the people’s [...]

It was first seen in high schools across the nation during September of 2009. It would be seen on shirts and in speech, and it would be alien to anyone who did not watch TV. Then, slowly but surely, it would make its way into the magazines, into the words of talk show hosts, and [...]