professorlarry

The White House recently announced its decision to allow Fox News to move up to the coveted front row in the White House Briefing Room to replace Helen Thomas. Many people have asked the White House to revoke its decision in light of the recent news reports that News Corp., Fox News’ parent company, had donated $1 million to the Republican Governor’s Association. Most people realize that Fox News is not fair and balanced and not objective. It’s more like an advocacy organization for Conservatives and Republicans than a legitimate news organization. Obviously, the White House can’t deny Fox News media access to the White House Briefing Room, but it shouldn’t be legitimizing Fox by giving it a Front Row seat, which is highly prestigious and symbolic. What do you think? Did the White House err in giving Fox the front row, or should it have given them the Bob Uecker seats in the back? Please comment below.

My latest Huffington Post article: Bill Gates Is Wrong. College Campuses Will Not Fade Away.

Here is the link below:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/larry-atkins/bill-gates-is-wrong-colle_b_690590.html

According to recent news reports, the city of Philadelphia is now charging a $300 licensing fee for bloggers. On one hand, this is just another good reason that I moved out of Philadelphia to the suburbs. This is a really bad idea for most bloggers. First of all, most bloggers do not make money, even those who have ads on their websites. It often takes years to develop enough of an audience to make money from programs such as Google AdSense. The linked CNN article quotes a Philadelphia blogger who has made a total of $11 in two years. Charging a $300 licensing fee to people who are unlikely to make $300 is unfair and will discourage many people from blogging. If a city were to do something like this, they should limit it to bloggers who have made at least $1,000.  What’s your opinion? Is this a valid way for a city to make money or do you think it will discourage people from blogging? Please comment below.

Conservatives have complained about pretty much everything President Obama has done. The latest criticism is that he shouldn’t be taking a vacation in Martha’s Vineyard while the country is in recession. Give the guy a break. At this point in his Presidency, George W. Bush had taken over twice as many vacation days as Obama (see Bush golf photo below). Ronald Reagan took plenty of time off at his Presidential Ranch. While Michelle Obama’s European trip might have been a bad public relations move, this New England trip is totally appropriate. President Obama is human and needs to recharge his batteries just like anyone else.  Do you expect him or any President to go to a Motel 6 in Wildwood Crest, New Jersey? What’s your opinion about Obama’s vacation? Is it appropriate? Please comment below.

On August 28th, radio talk show host Glenn Beck will hold his “Restoring Honor” rally at the Lincoln Memorial, exactly 47 years after Dr. Martin Luther King delivered his iconic “I Have A Dream Speech.” Beck claims that the goal of the event is to restore America’s honor and to pay tribute to military families. He also plans to announce his 100 year plan for America. Beck will be joined onstage as a featured speaker by fellow loon Sarah Palin. It’s expected that over 300,000 fellow Tea Party, Obama-hating people will attend Beck’s KookStock. I’m a strong advocate of the First Amendment, so I think it’s totally appropriate that Beck hold his rally on the anniversary of Dr. King’s speech, even though I think he’s a hate-mongering nut and many civil rights advocates are objecting to it. So bring your pitchforks, Federalist Papers, gold coins and survival meals that you bought from Beck’s sponsors, Confederate Flags, and kleenex (to cry along with Beck during his speech). And just remember that we’ve got to get ourselves back to the gun shop, as Joni Mitchell and Crosby, Stills, and Nash wouldn’t say. Is Beck a visionary or a moron? What do you think about the event?

Earlier this week, an Arkansas sports talk radio host was fired by her station after University of Arkansas Head Football Coach Bobby Petrino expressed anger that the reporter was wearing a Florida Gators cap when she asked him a question during a news conference. Although the woman may have shown bad judgment in wearing the cap of her alma mater, firing her was an overreaction. Even though the Arkansas Sports Information Department told her station that she should spend some time away from Coach Petrino and the football practices, the station should have backed her up and kept her at her job. At most, she should have been told that wearing the Gators cap to the press conference was inappropriate and that she shouldn’t do it again. Despite Petrino’s snorting about the situation and that journalists in college towns are often expected to be cheerleaders for the home team, the reporter shouldn’t have been treated like pig slop. What do you think about this situation? Please comment below.

It’s not just the Birthers who have their delusional perceptions about President Obama. A recent PEW poll revealed that 18 percent of Americans believe that President Obama is a Muslim and that only 34 percent believe that he is a Christian. The rest are unsure. The fact is that President Obama is a Christian. Naturally, the number of Republicans who believe that Obama is a Muslim jumped from 17 percent in 2009 to 31 percent this year. What does Obama have to do to convince these people that he is a Christian? Join the Priesthood? The ignorance of many Americans when it comes to current events is scary. Jay Leno’s Jaywalking segments show it best; more people can identify the Three Stooges than they can identify three U.S. Supreme Court Justices. Frustrating. Please comment below.

This week, Rick Scott, a Republican Candidate for Governor in Florida released an ad critical of President Obama’s recent statement supporting the rights of Muslims to build a mosque near Ground Zero in New York. His ads even went as far as calling it “Obama’s mosque”. Last time I checked, Obama wasn’t piling bricks in constructing the mosque building. I realize that this is an emotional issue and I think that both sides have reasonable positions. While building a mosque two blocks from Ground Zero could be insensitive towards the victims and their families, it’s also important to respect religious beliefs and protect religious freedom. At any rate, I don’t think that either side should use this issue in a political campaign. I agree with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who recently said that the mosque should not be used as a political football. What’s your opinion on this hot button issue? Please comment below.

Generally, I don’t think that candidate endorsements are a big deal. Most people won’t vote for a certain candidate just because someone tells them to. Still, I think it’s a boost for Pa. Senate Candidate Joe Sestak to get an endorsement yesterday from Independent New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Independent voters will play a large role in this Senate race and Bloomberg is influential.

Yes, U.S. News and World Report just released their new Best Colleges Guide of 2011. Some people love these guides and rely on them to make college decisions. Others like to check to see where their old alma mater is ranked. However, there are many people who can’t stand these rankings and think they are misleading. Personally, I think that these rankings are very overrated on a practical scale, but are very relevant as far as reputation and employment. I think that someone can get a really good education at almost any university, depending on how much work you’re willing to put into it. In addition, some universities have certain majors and areas of study in which they specialized and excel. For instance, in Philadelphia, a degree from Temple’s Journalism and Communications School, probably is just as respected, if not more, than a Communications Degree from the University of Pennsylvania. What’s your opinion of these college guides? Are they valuable or are they a scam? Please comment below.