Friday, March 28, 2014

Keeping yourself informed

I'd like to inform all of you of some great, ridiculous, sad, and just general news I've seen recently:
  • Physicists have figured out a new theory of inflation that explains the Big Bang. I took Astronomy last year and I find the universe to be such a complex and amazing thing! I also really enjoyed the comic and coffee analogy used to explain the complicated science to English major me.
  • The US is starting to get its act together on equal rights, as Michigan's gay marriage ban was struck down
  • A morally conflicted article about whether or not to continue watching Woody Allen's movies after the renewal of the child abuse convictions against him
  • An interesting social justice article exploring the intricacies of race relations on modern college campuses and the psychology of 'microagressions'. Definitely an interesting read, especially after studying race relations in the city in seminar 4.
  • A disgusting display of misogyny in the orthodox Jewish religion as a man refuses to give his ex-wife a 'get', or a religious divorce, even after they are legally divorced and he has remarried. Unfortunately, this is not the first time I've seen an article like this. It's also sad to see so many people blame her for not just leaving the religion, when it has probably been a huge part of her entire life and to leave it would not only force her to give up a very important aspect of her life, but would also alienate her from her community, family, and children.
  • Op-Ed on the use of the Emergency Exit doors in the subway and that annoying sound you hear every time you open one. Important, considering there have been scientific studies done on how the sound in the subway may affect our hearing. In seminar 4, we talked about the fact that in many European countries, their subway cars have rubber wheels, so they don't suffer that awful screeching sound whenever a train comes into the station. See also: 14th Street-Union Square and Grand Central
  • The Supreme Court is hearing arguments about whether for-profit religious corporations should be legally required to provide contraception services for their employees despite the fact that it goes against their religious beliefs to do so. Vital to the women's healthcare debate, as well as the ongoing clash between religious rights and healthcare rights.
  • An article about the benefits of sleep, and why we've so intertwined it with capitalistic productivity. Kind of scary.
  • Manhattan's rents are driving bookstores away, often to Brooklyn and Queens
It's important to keep yourself updated with what's going on in the world, but also with what's going on in your city. My family subscribes to the New York Times, so I have unlimited access on my phone and I read the highlights and most-emailed articles whenever I have a free minute or I'm waiting for a bus or train. I also subscribe to their Facebook page, which gives you some interesting highlights from the paper. Unfortunately, they only let you read 10 free articles per month on the website if you don't have a subscription account. A way to bypass this is to google the full name of the article and access it through this link.

Here are some important resources:
There are tons of ways to get news, and most of these websites have apps. Get, and stay, informed! 

No comments:

Post a Comment