“Putting dye in an area designated
as a wetlands just to appease concern about its aesthetics
is absurd and has no redeeming value whatsoever.” Larry
Robertson, professor of occupational and environmental
health, objecting to the Coralville Parks and Recreation
Department adding color to several ponds to make them
look better (Omaha World Herald, June 19).
“I live by what I think is necessary
to my comfortable survival, not my bare-bones survival.” Jay
Shafer, adjunct assistant professor of art and art
history and owner of the Tumbleweed Tiny House Company,
describing how he lives in a 130-square-foot tiny house,
equipped with air conditioning, propane-fueled heater
and stove, TV, and VCR—but no cable (Chicago
Tribune, June 28).
“There’s been, I don’t
want to say fisticuffs, but there has been pushing
and shoving. Imagine a girdle sale at Macy’s.” Joe
Hennager, clerk in surplus operations, recounting the drama that unfolds at
UI Surplus during its weekly public sales (Omaha World Herald, July
1).
“All cells, in order to survive, need
salt.” Lei Liu, postdoctoral research scholar
in internal medicine, shedding light onto how people’s
fondness for salty snacks reflects a fundamental biological
imperative (Science News, July 5).
“Employment-based health insurance,
floated as an alternative to public insurance in the
middle years of the century, is now little more than
a leaky life raft for politicians clinging to budget-neutral
solutions and workers with nowhere else to swim.” Colin
Gordon, associate professor of history, commenting
on the history of collectively bargained health insurance
in the United States (The Nation, July 7).
“[Crying by athletes] is like presidential
infidelity; there’s more press now. The crying
man is fashionable.” Tom Lutz,
professor of English, offering some skepticism about
the apparent increase in public displays of emotion—crying,
in particular (The New York Times,
July 9).
“I see the baby boomer population becoming
more aware of their own morbidity.” Nicole
Nisly,
associate professor (clinical) of internal medicine,
saying she has watched the health awareness and knowledge
of her patients grow tremendously in her 20 years in
medicine, prompting them to be more proactive about
their health (Forbes, July 15).
“Trying to choose which of nine Democrats
has the best health care plan is difficult. Voting
for bridesmaids’ dresses or singers is fun and
kind of meaningless, and people feel they don’t
have to know very much to do it.” Dave
Redlawsk,
assistant professor of political science, explaining
why the country is more willing to vote in reality
TV contests than in political elections (Philadelphia
Inquirer, July 15).
“Flexibility is just as important as
benefits or pay.” Laura Reed, assistant director
of human resources for UI WorkLife, noting that striking
a good balance between work and personal life is a
mutual responsibility between employees and managers
and that, nowadays, money isn’t necessarily the
main issue when it comes to employee satisfaction (Mansfield
[Ohio] News Journal, July 15).
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