The truth is out there
With UFO reports now available to the public, are these sightings really proof of ‘alien’ existence? Sam Hubble and Emma Davies debate the issue
The Ministry of Defence has recently released secret files on supposed ‘UFO’ sightings. Covering the period from 1978 onwards, they include accounts of ‘unexplained objects and strange lights in the sky.’
I like to think I’m a fairly open minded guy, and I’m always open to new ideas, but having flicked through a few pages of the documents (which can be downloaded from the National Archives website) I think its hilarious and ridiculous that some of these sightings even make it into a story for your mates at the pub, let alone a full-scale MOD investigation.
War of the words
As the political correctness debate flares up once more, Lucy Thackray is a real sweetie about it all
Political correctness, that renowned and growing source of hilarity, has become a little frightening of late. Take Barack Obama’s overblown and much-publicised apology to a female reporter for calling her ‘sweetie’, which made the news last week.
To hold off a premature press enquiry during a talk at the Chrysler car plant in Detroit, Obama dared to utter ‘Hold on one second, sweetie’ before resuming his talk. The supposed venom behind this vaguely sexist term is a perfect example of the hideous political correctness by which Western society is gripped by. Frankly, I can’t think of a more innocuous word. When did indicating someone’s sweetness (a female-specific sweetness, perhaps) become unacceptable?
Evasion of duty
Gareth Ludkin questions the morality of wealthy individuals and companies who avoid paying taxes on their earnings
Last week I was shocked to find out about a Christian Aid report which has brought to light in a dramatic way the true cost of tax havens, tax evasion and tax avoidance. The report ‘In Death and Taxes: the True Toll of Tax-dodging’ reveals that some of the poorest, under-developed countries in the world are being cheated out of $160bn (£82bn) a year.
Huge trans-national companies avoiding taxation have been depriving developing countries of vital tax revenue for years. Put in the right hands for the right reasons, this tax revenue could unequivocally save the lives of thousands and thousands of men, women and children. The $160bn of tax revenue goes far and beyond the $40-60bn the World Bank estimates is needed to pay for the UN’s Millennium Development Goals, which aims to save the lives of 350,000 children a year.
Cardiff, Disability and me
Next year, Ted Shiress plans upon world domination. Here, he
Here is a shameless plug for you this week: I’m thinking of starting a society next year and I want you to join! Yes, I had the idea that there is nothing that Cardiff University could do with more than a Students with Disabilities society, and after a somewhat idle year of being SWDs officer with no body of students to turn to, I feel I should do my best to create that body.
A society will give students new to the university a chance toa find their feet, and those who’ve already settled in a chance to feel an even firmer stand on reality and life. It seems like the connections are currently not in place, and part of this could be blamed on poor muggins ‘ere (me). However, in my defence I’d like to add I haven’t been deliberately doing nothing; I adopted the position of SWDs officer assuming those above me would listen to me and those below me would talk to me, especially if geared on by an occasional fruity column!
The faceless masses
With mounting deaths from recent natural disasters in Asia, Magdalene Quartey wonders whether we’re becoming more and more desensitised to catastrophe
One could say that we may be getting overloaded with disaster news considering new reports of an earthquake hitting China on Monday, May 12, killing a massive number of people, in the wake of the current disaster ensuing in Burma.
Not to call anyone emotionless or unsympathetic, but continuously hearing about disasters on a frequent basis means that there is the possibility that the degree of empathy we can demonstrate is minimal. Not, of course, that this is because we don’t have hearts but because the numbers of casualties are much too high to qualify for deep-seated emotional thoughts.
free words...
There’s only been one topic on the lips of Cardiff students this week: the new conceptual plans for Cardiff University Students’ Union. gair rhydd looks at some of the responses to last week’s newspaper
A new look union by Aimen Chouchane, LMS President
I have to say I’m quite excited by the new plans for a number of reasons.
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