Laurainarizona: Archive

Wherein my parents and I debate universities'...

Me: I had a conversation with that Dean from Northwestern yesterday.  I told her she should put all of the professors' lectures online.
Dad: I think that's a terrible idea.
Me: What?? WHY?  The public should have equal access to that knowledge.
Dad: There are costs associated with that.  It's proprietary information and it's theirs to do with as they please.  How do you suggest the universities pay for themselves?
Me: If you want to think about it in mercenary terms - which I think is wrong - you could view them as advertisements.  
Mom: Doesn't MIT put all of its lectures online?
Everyone: [Some discussion ensues about this subject. Various opinions are floated. No one bothers to check.]
Me: But if universities are to receive tax-free status, they should provide a certain benefit to the community.
Dad: They are providing a benefit - they're teaching students.
Me: Why should a thousand really rich Princeton students benefit and no one else?
Dad: Why are you so big on other people providing things free of charge?  Somebody's got to pay for it.
Me: Someone is paying the taxes that those universities aren't paying!
Dad: I'm paying those taxes!  
Me: You and I agree that the universities are for the public good?
Dad: No.  It's for *a* public good, but it doesn't belong to the public.
Me: Ugh. This conversation is imminently frustrating.
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 Interesting that none of the colleges mentioned here are actually public. Northwestern, MIT and Princeton are all private universities. 
 Also, not all Princeton students are rich. My sister is getting her doctorate at Princeton and my family is far from rich. She got there by busting her ass and earning it. What you seem to be saying here is that you want the same benefits that Princeton and Northwestern students work hard to earn for nothing.

Nov 26th

6 notes

I'm kind of obsessed ... with Bre Pettis →

He’s the sexiest geek ever.

Nov 22nd

Behold the Samsung Behold!

It’s not a full smart phone, but it does have a 5mp camera and a full keyboard for messaging and web browsing! Want!

Nov 18th

Watch

(via juliaallison) I had a hard time getting through this interview. I don’t necessarily think that cleansing is a bad thing once in a great while and I certainly wouldn’t say that adding fresh (low sugar) juices to a regular diet is a bad thing, but I’ve noticed from following Julia’s blog that she has a dangerous pattern of binging then cleansing. That’s no better...

Nov 16th

2 notes

Watch

juliaallison: Dear God, Please send me one of these when I turn 35. Thank you, Julia Allison Wonderful story! My favorite part was, “They had taken a very long trip, they did not even take the train.”

Nov 15th

24 notes

Halloween in November

I finally got around to downloading my Halloween pictures. Halloween this year was particularly fun because Laney came into town for it! We had a great week and a great Halloween. We walked 4th Avenue and dropped by Nightmare on Congress Street. Tucson does Halloween really well. We counted and only found one Sarah Palin and one Amy Winehouse. There were however at least seven Michael...

Nov 10th

9 notes

Watch

meghanasha: Here’s my Duane Reade excursion where Miss Amber Katz (aka Beauty Blogging Junkie) shows me beauty products on the cheap. What was my favorite recommendation from this beauty maverick? Mitchum Deodorant, it’s something I use everyday (thank goodness, right?). Amber Katz is adorable and hilarious. “Look at this situation here. This is french manicure city and we’re...

Nov 9th

4 notes

Nov 8th

Nov 7th

Nov 6th

4 notes

Happy Next President Day! →

inky: morningstar: I am kind of disturbed at how everyone is so quickly regarding Obama as our “black president.” If we’re really that progressive, we don’t have to acknowledge that he is African American. He is simply human, nothing more and nothing less. Do you identify yourself 100% on the color of your skin? Sexual orientation? Favorite food? Are you nothing more than the product of your...

Nov 6th

5 notes