Opinion

Claiborne Pell, the former senator who helped create government loans for students to go to college, died on Thursday at age 90. His vision of affordable education for all, however, didn't last quite as long. Private loans with hidden fees, little disclosure of total cost and packages designed to look just like government-subsidized direct loans have turned education loans from a social good into a banking bonanza and our educational institutions into profit centers for predatory lenders.

Since when did innocent civilians, fuel storages, mosques, police and universities become military targets? And how do incessant attacks make any room for compromise and negotiations? The numbers continue to rise as 507 people have been killed and 2,400 injured since the Israeli bombardment over the tiny 360 square-kilometers of the Gaza strip that started on Dec. 27 in Palestine. In the same period of time, Palestinian rockets killed four Israelis.

I was first consciously aware of our newfound dependence on computers in middle school, when a teacher of mine yammered, "What's wrong with you kids? Does no one teach you how to spell anymore? Why can't you spell?" I retorted with, "Spell check."

While the poor state of our current economy is obvious, the extent to which it has further exacerbated California's budget crisis is becoming all the more apparent. Last month, the California Pooled Money Investment Board, a committee that manages state spending, voted to stop spending on the construction of public works. This will delay projects authorized by voters and supported by Gov. Schwarzenegger in 2006.

Alberto Gonzales; Christmas miracle for gay rights; how much alcohol is too much?

The Year in Review: Kaba Modern; financial collapse; Erwin Chemerinsky; Heath Ledger; UCI Men's Soccer; Blago, Spitzer, Edwards, Stevens and Company

When most people think of pirates, they probably think of recent movies or of a bygone era when wooden ships using sails were attacked by people looking for precious cargo like gold. However, piracy is running strong in the Gulf of Aden – the body of water between Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula and Somalia east of Africa – one of the world's most important waterways. Around 11 percent of the world's shipped petroleum goes through it.

Glenn Beck; Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso on old people; astronauts drink recycled piss; Dr. Pepper internets-site admins caught with...

Peter the Anteater; Joe and Chris Miller; Wal-Mart; Fertility Cryobank.

As California cuts college admissions and introduces the prospect of tuition hikes to help rescue the state from its self-inflicted billion-dollar financial mess, higher education gets pushed even further out of reach. It's a cold dose of reality for an 18-year-old just getting started.

According to estimates provided by the Harvard News Office in February of 2008, in the United States alone there are 73,000 individuals who are on the waiting list to receive kidneys. Worldwide there are over a million people with end-stage renal disease, which results in death without a kidney transplant. Poverty levels are as high as ever and unfortunately the economic crisis in the U.S. goes beyond its borders. People need organs, while others need money. Therefore, the question must be posed: Should the poor be allowed to sell their organs?

The ostensibly static life of a gamer shouldn't be disparaged. It's a passionate story that epitomizes love and determination.