2008 Woodie Awards
Opinion Articles
Ridiculous new product vibrates consumers into good posture
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A little white vibrating disc about the size of a small poker chip could end all your problems. People laugh at the idea that "cure-alls" and "miracle elixirs" were once peddled in the streets, and even more shocking - people bought them. However, this concept is still played up in modern marketing.
Consideration required before name changes
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It seems people are willing to change their names for any reason these days. Nineteen-year-old North Carolina resident Jennifer Thornburg legally changed her name to Cutout Dissection.com, The Associated Press reported. Cutoutdissection.com is a real Web site protesting animal dissections in schools.
Thumbs
Thumbs up to Slurpees. Tasty goodness for under two bucks equates to sugar-coma happiness. Thumbs down to people who quit their jobs in the middle of a drive-thru. Working at McDonald's is bad enough, I dread the thought of what the replacement job could be.
Editorial: Increase in booze tax may save lives, economy
Even though the price of so-called liquid courage may go up, it's nothing to be afraid of. A study by the American Journal of Public Health found that an increase in taxes on alcohol brings a significant decline to death rates from alcohol-related diseases.
Christmas, Thanksgiving no longer hold real meaning
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The leaves are changing from green to orange, the air is getting colder and turkeys and fake Christmas trees are replacing pumpkins and scary goblin costumes on the shelves of supermarkets. It's that time of year again: the holiday season. It's the best season there is.
Meaning of holidays not lost, merely transformed
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The winter holiday season, as we know it, has grown past the point of salvation. But it's nothing to worry about. The cycle of mass consumerism has become almost comforting. Promptly after Nov. 1, obnoxiously cheery Christmas music is piped through the speakers of retail establishments and candy canes - which now come in an array of colors - line the shelves. Love it or loathe it, that's the way things are. The only dilemma bigger than the obligation to buy a gift for everyone we've ever met remains in how to pay for it all - paper or plastic.
Letters to the Editor
I am rather unhappy with the recent quality of the opinion section. Everyone is entitled to them, but I wish those that made it into writing included more thought. Regarding the editorial about Prop 8: Not everyone who voted for 8 did it because they felt icky about homosexuality or because they are bigots.