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6B The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Wednesday, November 12, 2008 - The Michigan Daily
QUOTES OF THE WEEK
I voted to dissolve the
city because of tax issues
mainly."
- JOYCE PUCKETT, a woman from Lone Oak,
Kentucky, explaining that high taxes influenced
her vote to dissolve the city by abolishing the
police department, the city government and
all elected positions. Lone Oak will now be a
"community" that is part of an existing county
"The South has moved
from being the center of
the political universe to
being an outside player in
presidential politics."
- WAYNE PARENT, a political science professor
at Louisiana State University, about the marginal-
ized political role of the South after the last election
in which southern states did not vote as a bloc
There'snocomparisonbetweenmyexperienceshere slab for sleeping. People who are deemed "crazy" by dation are used in jail as part of the system, others as
and what most others are up against. I'm middle- the sheriff or turnkeys are kept in this cell. the peculiar habits of the individual turnkeys. One of
class. I believe in what I did. I don't think my "crime" While we were in the hole (and for at least 12 of the more common forms of harassment are: leaving
was wrong and neither do my friends or companions. the 15 days I was in jail) there was a young man in the lights on all night or turning them on and off at odd
I have financial, legal and moral support on the out- psych cage who had tired to kill himself. He was one hours; no toilet seats on the toilets and construction of
side. I get constant visits from ministers and lawyers. of the saddest, most desperate people t've ever talked the sink directly over the toilet; turning the heat too
I know my rights and when Ill be out. I decided when to. And yet his condition apparently made him a more high or too low; demanding that everyone have short
I'd drop my appeal and when I'd come in. likely subject of harassment and ridicule rather than hair and cutting off all mustaches and beards.
Think of Ralph: he doesn't remember being arrest- someone to be pitied or helped. At night the P.A. Sys- We're sure that we're in-the hands of lunatics. The
ed; he doesn't have any money or anyone on the out- tem would go on in his cell and someone would scream constant harassment, the petty insults, etc., have con-
side;he doesn't know whether he's still got a job or not; or attempt an eerie laugh through it. Other times he vinced us that these guys have, at best, a pretty weird
he's not sure what he's been charged with or when was denied requests for water or told to "shut-up" sense of humor. New Year's Eve was kind of frighten-
he'll be out and the turnkey won't tell him when he when he said he was cold. ing because one of the turnkeys really looked drunk
asks; he's ashamed to be here. and spent a lot of time banging his brass key against
The next day, after using the toilet and eating we our door and laughing.
There's absolutely no stimulation. The colors are were put back in the hole. That afternoon a minister
gray or light yellow or green. There's no music, no visited us, and seeing our condition, put some pres- The prison isn't rehabilitating anyone. Nor is it try -
interesting tastes or smells or sights. Anyone in here sure on the sheriff's office to get us out He organized ing to keep dangerous individuals out of society. The
for any period of time would become numb. When I a meeting with Sheriff Harvey and a number of local prison attempts to punish "evil". And even at this it
get out I'll be enthused and excited by the sounds of a ministers. fails. No one is "deterred" or "cured" or "straightened
radio (any music),the taste ofreal food, the smell of air, I was told that Harvey,inastyle most AnnArborites out." The prison in fact creates its own evil. How can
the sight of agirl. have come to expect, said among other things: "I don't we allow the punishment of people who've been pun-
TALKING
POINTS
Three things you can talk about this week:
1. Gifts from the Athletic Department
2. Joe Lieberman's future
3. America's first transgender mayor
And three things you can't
1. Giuliani '12
2. Comparisons to FDR
3. Google flu
BY T HE NUMBERS
Amount of cash, in dollars, that General Motors had on hand at the
end of the third quarter.
Amount of cash, in dollars, that GM says it needs on hand at any one
time to keep the company running.
Amount of cash, in dollars, that GM has been burning through each
month.
YOUTUBE -
VIDEO OF
Boxman's failed
presidential bid
When Barack Obama won the pres-
idency last week, there is no doubt
that John McCain was disappointed.
It seems that another candidate,
though, may be even more aggrieved.
His name is Boxman.
Ins separate video posted in Octo-
ber, Boxman announced his bid for
the presidency, vowing to take out
Osama bin Laden and make America
"look like less of a mess." Flailing his
arms and rapping passionately, he
admonishes us that neither Obama
nor McCain is fit to govern. (McCain,
he says, smokes a lot of crack, while
Obama has a "chubby belly.")
This video, then, features an
anguished Boxman learning from
Obamahimself that Boxman won't be
the country's 44th president.
"Screw you, Barack Obama," Box-
man shouts, before impulsively hurl-
ing his cell phone across the room.
Boxman must have quite an arm,
because the cell phone strikes, and
then nearly kills, David Hasselhoff.
"First, I lose the election," Boxman
laments. "Then, I lose the Hoff! How
could it get any worse?!" But it does
when Boxman learns that the Mac n'
Cheese factory has exploded.
It's not exactly clear why this trau-
matizes Boxman, but he's in agony
knowingthat both the presidency and
Mac n' Cheese are beyond his reach.
-BRIAN TENOEL
See this and other
YouTube videos ofthe week at
youtube.com/user/michigandaily
"He's young, handsome, and even has a good tan."
- SILVIO BERLUSCONI, the Italian Prime Minister, listing reasons why Barack Obama would be an
effective leader. Political opponents criticized Berlusconi for the racial comment, but the prime
minister lashed out at his detractors, calling them "imbeciles"
and isistinthatihis commeti aseantob-eh"cu-5e."
THEME PARTY SUGGESTION
Hibernation send-off - It's getting cold. Too cold
to trek across campus, hitting three different parties
in one night. In a few weeks, your definition of a wild
weekend will be one that you manage to make it to
the liquor store and bring home some beer for you
and your two roommates. But before that happens,
have one last bash to say goodbye to the friends you
know you won't bother to see when a couple inches
of snow lays between your house and theirs.
Throwing this party? Let us know. TheStatement@umich.edu
STUDY OF THE WEEK
Bullies physically enjoy seeing others in pain
Teenagers who bully their peers may actually derive physical pleasure
out of seeing others in pain, according to a study published inthe.journal
Biological Psychology by two University of Chicago researchers.
In the study, the researchers compared eight boys aged 16 to 18 with
aggressive conduct disorder to a second set of boys with no signs of this
aggressive behavior. The qualifications for aggressiveness included ini-
tiating a fight, using some kind of weapon and stealing.
The researchers showed each group video clips of someone causing
another person pain. Then, they tracked brain activity by using func-
tional magnetic resonance imaging, or fMRI.
For the aggressive boys, the areas of the brain connected with feeling
rewarded became extremely active when viewing others in pain. This
same group experienced minimal activity in the area of the brain related
to self-restraint while watching the video clips. The control group, on
the other hand, had much activity in the area related to self-restraint.
- BRIAN TENGEL
Source: MSNBC