The term “dictator” is tossed around a lot in today’s political climate, but in truth when a dictator comes to power he exhibits absolute control over a nation and its people. A dictator generally recognizes no other authority and will create law unchecked by any legislative body or constitutional limitations on his power. Dictatorships are […]
The Global Peace Index (GPI) is a groundbreaking study that ranks the nations of the world by how peaceful each is. To calculate how peaceful nations are, the GPI identifies 23 “peace indicators” ranging from the number of homicides, violent demonstrations, and police officers, to weapons imports and potential for terrorist acts. These “peace indicators” […]
Outrage ran rampant in early 2010 when the news hit that many of the CEOs of Wall Street financial firms – the same companies that received shares of $700 billion in bailout funds — were still paid outrageous sums of money in salaries, incentives, and bonuses. Some of these top execs aren’t exactly subtle about […]
The following five products were all huge hits, despite being potentially deadly, which is why they are now banned. However, their popularity means that stopping the sale of these products won’t be easy, either because secondary markets live on or because some governments refuse to ban them. 1. Four Loko If you were anywhere near […]
It’s difficult for many Americans to imagine a modern world without divorce, but until recently this was the case in countries as diverse as Ireland , Argentina, and Chile. Ireland legalized divorce in 1997 and Argentina ten years earlier in 1987. Divorce only became legal in Chile in 2005. In all three countries the Catholic […]
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently made General Mills remove claims on Cheerios boxes that the cereal could lower cholesterol. The FDA regulates some language on food labels, and considered the Cheerios claim a violation because marketing a product for use in prevention, mitigation or treatment of a health condition is reserved for […]
During the past few decades one ticket to career success has always been a college degree. Weren’t we – implicitly, if not explicitly – promised that if we go to school, study hard, and graduate we’ll get ahead? Now the job market stinks, and anyone who’s had the misfortune to be looking for a job […]
As the economy worsens, the welfare system in the United States has become an increasingly controversial topic, both in Washington D.C. and in homes across the country. Nearly 40 million Americans were receiving money under the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance program as of February 2010, the highest since the program began in 1939. Taxpayers are more […]
Love them or hate them, this time of year the office holiday party is unavoidable for many of us. Office parties are a great place to network and become better acquainted with your colleagues in a relaxed atmosphere. You have the opportunity to boost your career by interacting with company movers and shakers, but you […]
Santa Claus may be checking his list twice, but who’s checking out the big guy himself? American pop culture seems to have a permanent place for a drunken Santas in TV and movies. Something about the irony must be irresistible to screenwriters. But how likely is it really that your local mall Santa is someone […]