Thing of the Week: Kony 2012
Posted on March 12, 2012 by David O'Donnell in Perspectives
You can say what you want about the Kony 2012 viral YouTube kickoff video. Or, as I did, sit there wordlessly flipping off your computer screen for 30 minutes. But it isn’t entirely off-base in its flowery introduction, where it stokes the ego of its largely Facebook-driven audience by waxing rhapsodic about the transformative power [...]
For better or worse, ‘Lulu’ is here
Posted on October 30, 2011 by David O'Donnell in Album Reviews
Lou Reed isn’t shy about saying that Lulu, a brand new collaboration with ‘80s thrash demigods Metallica, is his baby. He’s also not shy about sharing that its depth and beauty reduces him to tears: “It’s maybe the best thing done by anyone, ever. It could create another planetary system. I’m not joking, and I’m not [...]
O’Donnell: The case of Michael Scott vs. David Brent
Posted on May 02, 2011 by David O'Donnell in Perspectives
Different bosses from hell, different values toward broadcasting between the UK and the USA.
Ban would reach beyond problem of second-hand smoke
Posted on April 17, 2011 by David O'Donnell in News
The debate over a proposed tobacco ban at USM has largely centered on the issue of second-hand smoke. But the policy would cover dips, chew and snus, raising the question of how involved the university should be in personal health choices.
Misunderstood art of the “message song” — from Dylan to Gaga
Posted on April 17, 2011 by David O'Donnell in Perspectives
Some artists are tagged as anthem writers against their will; others vie for the title a bit too hard.
Behind the Tobacco Ban / Q & A with Suzanne Roy
Posted on April 13, 2011 by David O'Donnell in Perspectives
We talk with Suzanne Roy about her leadership in the move to ban tobacco products at USM — even the smokeless varieties, and even (possibly) on nearby sidewalks.
Gov. LePage ‘opens’ Maine / Q & A with Charles Colgan
Posted on April 10, 2011 by David O'Donnell in Perspectives
Maine Governor Paul LePage has declared the state “open for business” with sweeping regulatory reforms, and a few aesthetic tweaks. Charles Colgan of USM’s Muskie School weighs answers our questions on the controversial campaign.
Building a safer cigarette
Posted on April 10, 2011 by David O'Donnell in Perspectives
Electronic cigarettes offer smoking pleasure, sans smoke. I gave them a close look and a week of inhalation.
Letters/comments: 4.4.2011
Posted on April 04, 2011 by David O'Donnell in Letter to the Editor, Perspectives
Hatin’ on NPR Dear Paul Koenig, I read your piece entitled “A Low Tolerance for Highbrow Snobs” in this week’s Free Press. While I agree with your assertion that culture shouldn’t be stratified so aggressively, I am appalled by your violent expression of such a temperate idea. As far as I understand, in suggesting that [...]
Questions: Going Nuclear with Dr. Daniel Martinez
Posted on April 04, 2011 by David O'Donnell in Perspectives
It’s clean; it’s safe; it’s too cheap to meter. That’s been the slogan of the nuclear power industry for several years now, aimed at assuaging public skepticism toward a technology more frequently associated with three-eyed fish than any advantages over fossil fuel. That task can only get more difficult following the earthquake and tsunami in [...]
