Opinion

October 25, 2012

The Self-Appointed World Police Force: Re-evaluating America’s ‘Big Stick’ Foreign Policy

By Mark Strong

We’ve heard a lot in these last three Presidential Debates about foreign policy. Whether it’s our continued military presence in Afghanistan, the recent attack on the US Consulate in Benghazi or Iran’s looming nucl...

October 24, 2012

Romney, Obama and Trees: Environmentalism for the Next Four Years

By Patrick Sheehan

Four debates — three presidential and one vice-presidential — and climate change has not been mentioned once. During their debates the closest the presidential candidates got to addressing the catastrophic ecological...

October 24, 2012

Just Short of Naked: Halloween Costumes That Work Your Assets

By Anonymous

As Halloween approaches, I find myself wondering what wonders the October holiday has in store for me. Will I relive freshman year, when a downpour melted the “costumes” off of a group of Isla Vista women, and my fri...

October 23, 2012

For Golly’s Sake! When Words Turn to Sticks and Stones

By Travis Vail, Zoltan Mester

Q: Is it acceptable to prohibit blasphemy in consideration of public safety?   Happy belated International Blasphemy Rights Day! Recent events have made this quasi-holiday associated with September 30 more important...

October 22, 2012

Halloween Weekend in IV: Sgt. Signa’s Survival Guide to the Upcoming Out-of-Towner Apocalypse

By Mark Signa

It’s Halloween already here at UCSB! It seems like we just started the school year a month ago and it’s already that time for the annual hunt through the local thrift stores for the greatest in 1970s Huggy Bear fashi...

October 19, 2012

Regulation Not Incarceration: Why America’s Drug Policy Needs Some Rehab

By Michael Roe

In the past 40 years, America has spent a lot of money fighting foreign wars. Vietnam, Iraq, Iraq again, Afghanistan and these wars obviously come with a considerable price tag. However, I’d like to take this opportuni...

October 18, 2012

Sincerity vs. Insecurity in Social Media: Don’t Just Say It Like You Mean It, Say It If You Mean It

By Mark Strong

About four years ago, when I was still a sophomore in high school and UCSB was merely a speck on the horizon, a girl in my class died of cancer. It was a slow death (as death by cancer often is) interspersed with surgery...

October 17, 2012

Let’s Play: Toys in the Bedroom

By Hayley E.

Ladies and gentlemen, I come before you today a woman who enjoys indulging in her favorite adult toy when her roommates are gone. I am an avid fan of toys and if you aren’t, then you’ve probably never had one. Though...

October 16, 2012

Left Said: Guns and Drone Strikes: How Obama Is Not Passive

By Michael Dean

During presidential campaigns we often forget that, despite acting to the contrary, America is not the center of the world. As a superpower — I would argue imperial power — the U.S. values the lives of Westerners ove...

October 16, 2012

Right Said: The President’s Foreign Policy: Why Hope Is Not a Real Strategy

By Jeffrey Robin

When he made his speech before the British Parliament in 1982, President Reagan commented: “I’ve always wondered about the shyness of some of us in the West about standing for these ideals (individual liberty, repres...

October 14, 2012

Fun, Sun, Lube and the Occasional Roach: UCSB Docs’ Advice on Your Most Pressing Health Questions

By mferris, Kevin Cook, Sydney Lott, Holly Smith

Q: Why should I get a flu shot? People always tell me it actually gives you the flu! A: You smart college students should know that a killed, sterilized tiny particle of influenza virus in the flu shot, for the purpose o...

October 12, 2012

The Low-Down on Numbing Up: A New Look at the Pain Killer Trend

By Michael Roe

Anyone who’s had wisdom teeth removed or suffered a substantial injury like a fractured collarbone or broken leg may attest to the availability of opioid prescriptions such as Vicodin, Percocet or OxyCotin. They may al...

October 10, 2012

Deceptive and Outdated: What Today’s Politicians Have in Common With Your Mom’s Flip Phone and Your Dad’s Short Shorts

By Mark Strong

Old people suck at technology. I know that by saying that, I run the risk of being chased out of town by a torch-and-pitchfork wielding brigade of seniors on mobility scooters. I don’t deny that there are a few (and by...

October 10, 2012

Coming Out With a Bang: This Hump Columnist’s Out and Proud

By Anonymous

Readers, it is with my first words that I must apologize: This Hump will not be on the seduction strategies of women in I.V. as was promised last week. Instead, I have been compelled by a number of sources, internal and ...

October 10, 2012

Seeing Past the Parades: Embracing a “Counter Culture” That Isn’t So Counter

By Evan Graves

As you may or may not know, tomorrow, October 11th, is National Coming Out Day. For many (like myself), this is a day for celebration among members of the queer community. For others though, being openly gay or accepting...

October 8, 2012

Right Said: Mitt Romney: Debate Victor and the Nation’s Logical Next President

By Jeffrey Robin

As I watched the first Presidential Debate last Wednesday, I almost couldn’t help but pity the president. By any — and effectively all — metrics, Gov. Romney wiped the floor with him. The contrast was stark and com...