USC's Restaurant Rendition of '2001' goes-to-college'

According to Jessica Gelt's artclie Beer by the Beaker for the Academic Crowd, USC has a new restaurant called The Lab Gastropub which happens to be "part of a rapidly growing roster of restaurants opened on Figueroa Street by USC Hospitality in hopes of making the neighborhood a go-to destination for students, faculty, alumni and the public." Hence it's name The Lab looks like just that, including features like chalkboard tables, white-tiled walls, beakers full of beer, leather study chairs and bookshelves packed with science texts. According to a bartender working at The Lab, it's making alumni jealous and asking 'Man, why wasn't this here when I was here?' The menu features beautifully presented un-greasy bar food, including boneless hot wings; crisp calamari with two sauces; tomato, mozzarella and basil salad; black Angus beef burgers; spicy grilled lime and garlic shrimp; and meatloaf with mashed potatoes with gravy. There are 14 beers on tap, with the number one being a special "Trojan Blonde" brew by Karl Strauss. You can find this article at (http://www.latimes.com/theguide/restaurants/la-et-earlybird30-2009mar30,0,3781710.story)

• Is this an effort to persuade prospective students to consider USC?
• Is this bar open to everyone or do you have to be a certain age to enter?
  

High Tide on the Eastern Shores

Richard A. Lovett's article New York Seas to Rise Twice as Much as Rest of U.S. (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/03/090315-new-york-sea-level.html)elucidates the issue of rising sea levels, particularly highest on the Northeast coast. According to Lovett, researchers suspect that the forces that generate the North Atlantic's Gulf Stream ocean current will weaken in the coming decades. As a result of global warming, the sinking of the cold water that drives the Gulf Stream will reduce and the deep ocean will begin to warm in the North Atlantic. Due to changes in ocean circulation, the rapidity of sea level increase will raise contingencies of hurricane and winter storm damage. Researcher Jianjun Yin says, 'some parts of lower Manhattan are only 1.5 meters [5 feet] above sea level. . . twenty centimeters [8 inches] of extra rise would pose a threat to this region.' Areas like new York, Boston, and Washington D.C. will see a 14"-20" rise in sea level by the year 2100, while Miami and San Francisco are only expected to see half this increase. Along with these issues the Arctic Ocean seems as though it is rapidly melting. There is a possibility that the Arctic Ocean will completely un-thaw by September of the end of this century. Lovett sees this ia vital information because it helps researchers to shape new methods of preparation for potential damage due to rising sea levels.

• Do you think this will raise more of an eco-friendly sentiment along the U.S. coastlines?
• How do you think it will effect the people of the U.S. if the Arctic Ocean does in fact melt?
  

National Geographic Precis

The NatGeo website is particularly interesting; from stories on peacocks to environment quizzes, there definitely is a lot to admire. You would think that such a site would be a nightmare to navigate but interestingly enough the site happens to be very well organized with categories and subcategories that really help to make searching easier. I went to the travel and culture section and found it quite interesting that the average life expectancy in Malawi is only 39 years while in Tunisia it is 73. And, for all those animal lovers, there is an animal listed from A-Z, in their own specie categories of course. If you thought the magazine was good, you'll love the site because it's like having a gigantic magazine unfold at the click of a button.

• Is NatGeo an American corporation or does it belong to no one in particular?
  
• Why is it important to have sites that focus on global issues instead of national issues?