IR Blog Post 3 - Autoblog

Automobile Magazine names 2011 All-Stars

Automobile magazine has recently come up with a list of the top cars for 2011. The list includes everything from sports cars to minivans. The vehicle ranked number 1 for 2011 is the BMW 3 series. It is also interesting to note that only 3 out of the ten cars in the list are American cars. Why have foreign cars become so much more popular? Why does a Hyundai share the same list as a porsche? Time magazine has a good slideshow of the best 2011 cars.

IR Blog Post 3 - biggovernment.com

Death Panels Begin: Reaction to FDA's Decision to begin Rationing

The FDA has said that it would ration access to the late stage breast cancer drug Avastin. The FDA is concerned about side-effects that the drugs may have on the women that use it. Congressmen and women have lambasted the decision. Rep. Kay Granger says that she will commit herself to expanding access. Why did the FDA interfere with the private market when there clearly is a demand for these drugs? Why is the FDA able to unilaterally able to make decisions without congress? An article on healthmad.com describes the situation in the UK where the drug was previously banned. Avastin can extend the lives of terminal cancer patients for three years.

IR Blog Post 3 - New York Times Books

Juan Williams Signs Two-Book Deal With Crown

Juan Williams plans to write a book about the importance of free speech in America. He was fired from his job as a veteran reporter for NPR after saying on The O'Reilly Factor that the sight of people in Muslim garb on airplanes makes him nervous. Many believe that the move infringed on William's freedom of speech. His first book will argue that the American people benefit from a debate on hot political/religious issues. One question I have is whether NPR will ever apologize for its decision to fire Juan Williams. Will he be more successful as a writer and pundit than as a reporter for NPR? Juan williams writes his take on the firing on foxnews.com. "I was fired for telling the truth"

IR Blog Post 2 - New York Times Books

Do Zombies Eat Ivy? The Undead Reach Academia

Zombie movies have had a great amount of appeal in the popular culture. They are also catching on in academia. There is now a zombie survival guide and a zombie version of Pride and Prejudice. Some are about serious topics but use the zombie title for appeal. In February, "Theories of International Politics and Zombies" will come out. Are the authors writing these books for serious purposes or just to capitalize on zombies' popularity? This link shows many books about zombies.

IR Blog Post 2 - Autoblog

Mazda Celebrates Turning 90, looks back at logos

The Japanese automaker Mazda turns 90 this year, but it has been making cars since 1936. Since then, the company has used five different logos. Mazda is headquartered in Hiroshima City, Japan. The logo started off as only the text "Mazda". The current logo, dating back to 1997, uses a styled letter "M" on its cars. Why did Mazda change its logo so many times while other companies have maintained theirs for brand recognition? What were the difficulties with each logo around the world? Another website here provides a  detailed history of each Mazda logo.

IR Blog Post 2 - The Blaze

Wis. Hostage Taker Dies from Self-inflicted Gunshot Wound

On November 29th, 15 year old Marinette High School Sophomore Samuel Hengel stormed into his history class with a .22 caliber and a 9mm semi-automatic handgun. His classmates and teacher tried to keep him calm throughout the whole ordeal. They made small talk with him. At 10:44 AM, he shot himself and police stormed into the classroom. Hengel was taken to the hospital and died soon after. What could have motivated this boy to kill himself, especially in a school? Was he initially planning to murder other students. Allvoices.com says that the boy did not want to hurt others, based on interviews with students that were in the room.