In mid-March of 2004, the government of Angola was preparing to welcome a cohort of foreign dignitaries. Government officials deeply desired to impress their guests. After all, the ambassadors they were welcoming had just provided Angola with a $2 billion loan. In a world that has all but forgotten the African continent, foreign investment is especially appreciated by the few nations that receive it.

In 2001, Republicans were on an electoral high. After crafting a shrewd GOP victory in both the presidential and legislative elections, Karl Rove made the now infamous promise of delivering a permanent Republican majority. Had someone reminded Rove of Albert Einstein’s description of politics as a swinging pendulum, he might have tempered his guarantee. Sure enough, a mere five years later, Democrats overtook both the House and the Senate.

As a Phillies fan, I get indigestion from Alex Rodriguez.

Throughout this World Series, I have reached for a Tums every time he steps to the plate. He ruined my Halloween weekend by dismantling Philadelphia’s comeback in Game 4. Regardless of the Fall Classic’s outcome, the Yankees owe much of their success to Alex Rodriguez. 

Remember when MTV actually played music?

Of course we don’t. That’s an obscure moment in time that few at AU could even imagine — think early 1980s. Now, 15-second splices of music videos in between “The Hills” and “Jackass” programming blocks suffice as “Music Television.”

As if President Obama’s opponents didn’t have enough ammunition.

Three days ago, despite the president’s passionate support, the International Olympic Committee out-rightly rejected Chicago’s bid for the 2016 Olympics. The Windy City failed to clear even the first round of voting.

President Jimmy Carter, I have a request: sit down and shut up. Please. We all know you were well intentioned, but saying that anti-Obama protests is fueled by racial tensions serves no constructive process.

It takes a certain audacity to call oneself a political moderate. I don’t mean the type of person who calls himself or herself a moderate in order to either straddle the political fence and appear amenable to everyone or shroud their true ignorance of politics.