BINGHAMTON REVIEW Editor-in-Chief Contents
P.O. BOX 6000 BINGHAMTON, NY 13902-6000 EDITOR@BINGHAMTONREVIEW.COM
Founded 1987 • Volume XXXIV, Issue III Matt Gagliano
Managing Editor Madeline Perez Copy Desk Chief Joe Badalamenti
Business Manager Charles Forman
Social Media Shitposter Arthur O’Sullivan
Editor Emeriti
Jake Schweitzer Tommy Gagliano Patrick McAuliffe
Staff Writers
Dillon O’Toole Siddharth Gundapaneni
Contributors Julius Apostata
Evelyn Medina Lucas Krueger nitrodude359 Special Thanks To:
Intercollegiate Studies Institute Collegiate Network Binghamton Review was printed by Gary Marsden We Provide the Truth. He Provides the Staples
FROM SUPER BASS TO SUPER BASED: THE TALE OF BALLGATE
PAGE 8 by Joe Badalamenti 3 Editorial by Matt Gagliano 4 Press Watch by Our Staff 5 Advice Column by Madeline Perez 6 Bringing in the Reins: The Biden Administration Is Horsing Around by Julius Apostata 7 Six Weeks Is Too Little Time by Lucas Krueger 9 This is How We Treat Our Heroes? by Tommy Gagliano 10 The Loneliness of COVID Cinematography: Part 1 by Patrick McAuliffe 12 I Hate Elevators by Evelyn Medina 13 Boy, I Wish I Had a Club Office by Madeline Perez 14 Where to Invest in a Recession by Charles Forman 15 Do You Want a New Hobby? Check This Out! by nitrodude359
TELL US WHAT YOU THINK! Direct feedback to editor@binghamtonreview.com 2
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Vol. XXXIV, Issue III
EDITORIAL Dear Readers,
From the Editor
W
e still don’t have an office, in case you were wondering. But you know what we do have? A new issue! Actually, you probably did already know that. You are currently reading it after all. Shit. You would think that after writing a few of these I would get the hang of it, but it would seem not. Let me start over. Deer Readers,
F
uck! I already messed it up! What is wrong with me?! I literally just implied that everyone reading this was a deer. Obviously you’re not a deer, deer can’t read. Ugh, this editorial is a complete mess. Let me start over again.
Dear Readers,
N
ailed it! Welcome to the new issue of Binghamton Review! I’m sure that you, as a human and most certainly NOT a deer, will enjoy the many things that this issue has to offer. Not that I’m saying that deer aren’t allowed to enjoy our content, Binghamton Review is for everyone, it’s just that most of our audience is human. I mean, I would certainly be open to increasing our deer readership, I just don’t really know how we would go about that. Dammit, I’m going off on a tangent again, aren’t I? Roll the intro again! Dear Readers,
I
’m running out of space, so let’s just get down to it. We have no office, I like complaining, yada yada yada. Here are some of the articles in this issue: “From Super Bass to Super Based: The Tale of Ballgate” by Joe Badalamenti on page 8. It’s very cool and good. Read it. We also have “This is How We Treat Our Heroes?” by Tommy Gagliano on page 9. Contrary to my initial thought, it is actually about healthcare workers, and not Superman. It’s also pretty good. Read it! We also have “Boy, I Wish I Had a Club Office” by Madeline Perez on page 13. I wonder what that one is about? Just kidding, I think it’s pretty obvious to everyone but the deer. It is also very good. READ IT! If you want to know what other articles are in this issue, simply look to your left and read the table of contents. Given that it’s always there, right next to the editorial, it really makes this whole song and dance seem pointless, doesn’t it? Whatever, who cares. Just read the damn articles!
Sincerely, Matt Gagliano Binghamton Review is a non-partisan, student-run news magazine of conservative thought founded in 1987 at Binghamton University. A true liberal arts education expands a student’s horizons and opens one’s mind to a vast array of divergent perspectives. The mark of true maturity is being able to engage with these perspectives rationally while maintaining one’s own convictions. In that spirit, we seek to promote the free and open exchange of ideas and offer alternative viewpoints not normally found or accepted on our predominately liberal campus. We stand against tyranny in all of its forms, both on campus and beyond. We believe in the principles set forth in this country’s Declaration of Independence and seek to preserve the fundamental tenets of Western civilization. It is our duty to expose the warped ideology of political correctness and cultural authoritarianism that dominates this university. Finally, we understand that a moral order is a necessary component of any civilized society. We strive to inform, engage with, and perhaps even amuse our readers in carrying out this mission.
Views expressed by writers do not necessarily represent the views of the publication as a whole. editor@binghamtonreview.com
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CPampus resswatch “Editorial: Guess who’s Yak, Yak again”, Pipe Dream Editorial Board, Pipe Dream, 09/22/21 “However, users quickly began exploiting this anonymity, creating a toxic environment overrun with racism, sexism, cyberbullying and other forms of violence.” When you combine a college of immature young people and a platform with total anonymity and no repercussions...I really don’t know what you were expecting, Pipe Dream editorial board. Even from its inception, Yik Yak was designed to be totally anonymous. Also, SPEECH IS NOT VIOLENCE! As bad as the speech found on Yik Yak could be, words on a screen do not constitute violence, no matter how vile they are. Nice try sneaking that in, though. “The question of free speech often revolves around what, or who, extending all forms of free speech comes at the expense of.” No one. Free speech does not have any values or opinions, it is only an extension of basic liberties. This is not to say that all speech should be free of consequences, as some speech may be impolite or even constitute fraud or libel. There exist methods to deal with such actions, even in a free society. So there is no question of free speech; only the question of how long I can withstand reading these shitty articles. “For the Editorial Board’s personal Yik Yak favorites, read below” For funnier Yaks, see the back cover! “Voting in every election matters”, Eleanor Gully, Pipe Dream, 09/22/21 “Governors have real power, and having a Republican in charge of the most populated state, even if for just one year, could have had enormous effects.” This sentence has some very partisan implications. So much for the fair and balanced media.
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Written by our Staff
We know you don’t read the other campus publications, so we did it for you. Original pieces are in quotes, our responses are in bold.
“Elections can be, and are, decided by very narrow margins. Binghamton University is a part of New York’s 22nd Congressional District. Democrat Anthony Brindisi narrowly lost to Republican Claudia Tenney by merely 109 votes in the 2020 election.” This is blatant cherry-picking. Out of the 435 districts, there were only 15-22 toss-up districts and 20-40 lean districts compared to the over 300 safe districts. While NY-22 happens to be a safe district which makes sense for students from Long Island or the city to vote here, you won’t be guaranteed a toss-up election where your vote will have a large impact relative to other districts. This also begs the question of voting in a location they inhabit for a temporary period of time: i.e. students at a university away from home. “Now, the obvious criticism of “vote blue no matter who” is that Democrats have a majority and aren’t doing enough. This is a popular critique among our youth, and I wholeheartedly agree with it. But the answer is not to throw away your vote. The reason is harm reduction — the opposing party won’t turn out less if you stay home. This means for people who want bold and sweeping reforms passed, refusing to settle for moderate Democrats in elections because of “moral purity” does nothing more than give political power to the other party.” This argument is fine, but ignores the option of voting for a third party. As a third-party voter, I am offended. #KANYE2024!
“Wait a minute”, Pipe Dream Editorial Board, Pipe Dream, 09/30/21 “COVID-19 restrictions have also led the SAPB to sell floor tickets in “floor pods,” or reserved floor areas with the capacity for either four students in a “small pod” or eight students in the “large pod.” Though pods are shared by multiple students, they must be purchased by one person as a whole, making the cost of large pods $320 and small pods $160 at the same floor price of $40 per person. The sole ticket holder will then be contacted to provide the SAPB a list of the other pod members by a certain deadline.” This is just stupid for a number of reasons. First, having these “pods” defeats the whole atmosphere of a concert. Given that dining halls, classes, and sidewalks on campus see no social distancing restrictions, I don’t see how these pods are necessary. Second, these pods put stress and inconvenience on the poor soul who must buy a ticket for their friend group. If you don’t have $160/$320, or if one of your friends pull out last minute (pun intended), you’re stuck with the pod, too bad, no refunds.
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Advice Column
ADVICE COLUMN
By Madeline Perez
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offered to give you all life advice. These were your questions.
“I suffer from 8:30 AM class syndrome and I stay up too late to get up at a reasonable time. How do I make breakfast in 5 minutes or less?” Easy. This question is so easy that I’m actually going to take it one step further. I will teach you how to prepare and eat breakfast in less than 5 seconds. Firstly, invest in a lot of apples. Fill your fridge. Or your pantry. I don’t know where you keep your apples and I’m not here to judge. Anyway, what you’re going to want to do is, over the course of a few weeks, train your jaw to open as wide as it can; enough so that you can easily fit your first inside your mouth. Now, start with the smallest apples. Slow and steady. You are entirely capable of eating an entire apple in one bite. If you need to oil them first, quickly dip them and then swallow them whole. Your stomach will take care of the rest. Bam. Now you can get to class and shave 4 minutes and 55 seconds off your morning routine. “I broke up with my boyfriend recently and I have a lot of free time on my hands that I don’t know what to do with. Do you have any suggestions that could fill the void? “ Hey girl, good question! I often find myself in similar predicaments, eager to ease my boredom and empty feelings when nothing seems good enough to satiate my emotional appetite. If you want my true and honest answer, listen carefully. In 2010, Hasbro games released a “new spin” on their much beloved “Sorry!” board game. “Sorry! Spin” is a simple yet enthralling game designed to capture your attention and hold it captive indefinitely. Just kidnap one to three of your closest friends, choose a color, and let the neverending excitement begin. Just make sure not to draw a “spin card,”-- I heard those can be a doozy.
is folded over into the cheesy, tomatoey, flavorful part. Then I eat it like a hot dog. No, I will not be taking criticism. “I live in a suite with 5 other people, and one of my roommates keeps cumming on the bathroom floor. I’m too embarrassed to address the entire group, but I stepped in it yesterday barefoot, and I’m going to lose my shit. How do I discover which one of my roommates is the culprit and how should I confront them once I find out!” You see, this sounds a lot like the hit game “Among Us,” in which the person cumming on the bathroom floor is the “impostor.” The best way to deal with this is to take intermittent votes about which roommate seems the most “sus” (suspicious, for all you non-gamers), and then eject them into the cold vacuum of space to freeze, alone. Since you stepped in the baby goo yourself, it only seems fair that whoever gets deemed guilty must also step in your spooge. Unless they’re into that. Then you squirt them with the spray bottle. “If I was walking down the street drinking some form of Dr. Pepper, which would get me more ladies, diet or regular?” Hmmm. Now that’s a hard one. After much deliberation and mathematical operations, I am confident that I have come to a conclusion. You see, when drinking Diet Dr. Peppie, you are signaling to the ladies that you care about calories, but not about the harmful aspartame residing within. This gives off an “I’d rather get cancer than be fat,” mentality, which the ladies may not vibe with. However, when you drink regular Dr. Peppie, you are signaling that you are not only aware that you’re drinking liquid calories and are too based to care, but that you know that those sweet sweet peppie calories are going directly to increasing the girth of your penis. The ladies can sense this, and so drinking regular (Chad) Dr. Peppie is correlated with a significant increase in sex-having with women. You’re welcome.
“What is the correct way to fold a slice of pizza?” At first, I thought this was a personal jab at me since I have often been made fun of for “eating pizza weird.” Then I had to think about whether or not you’ve ever seen me eat pizza in person, if you would remember it if you did, and if you were cruel enough to try to publicly shame me. I don’t care, I know the way I eat pizza is correct. Now, I know what you’re thinking, “Wait, so how do you fold your pizza, Madeline? Also, I love you.” Well, I love you too, random person--and it’s simple really. I don’t necessarily enjoy pizza crust, but I don’t want to waste my food. So, after I eat some of the good part of the pizza, I fold it over horizontally so that the crust
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Do you have life problems? Email Manager@binghamtonreview.com your question for consideration, and it might be featured in the next issue of Binghamton Review to help you, and people like you, with your fucked up lives and equally fucked up questions.
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BRINGING IN THE REINS: THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION IS HORSING AROUND
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Bringing in the Reins: The Biden Administration is Horsing Around By Julius Apostata D oes anyone remember the movie 2012, the apocalyptic flick starring Woody Harrelson and depicting the end of the world? I certainly do, though personally, I have always found the whole “apocalypse” genre a bit silly. When I, as a somewhat cynical teen, heard the Mayans said the world would end in 2012, I laughed it off. Clearly, I thought, what were the odds that, within a year, humanity as we know it would collapse or reach a state of chaos? Perhaps I shouldn’t have been so skeptical; would it not be possible for a dyslexic Mayan to have accidentally written 2012 instead of what he intended to write, 2021? This year (and the year preceding it) could be described as difficult, to say the least, and virtually every part of the world has been affected. All terrible, I think to myself, but nothing catastrophic, per se. What more could a country have to experience to face complete chaos? Unfortunately, more recent news has brought our attention to the border; Haitian migrants were detained by border patrol, and a now-viral image shows Haitian migrants appearing to be whipped by a border officer on a horse. This leaves us with a question: what exactly happened in Haiti that is causing this humanitarian crisis? And how effective has the Biden administration’s response been? Perhaps you could be forgiven for being wrapped up in the current pandemic and at-home problems for forgetting that we, in the United States, are somewhat lucky (operatively speaking, anyway). Indeed, Haiti, out of many places in the world, has been undergoing severe strife since the start of the pandemic, to the point that it sounds like the script of a tragedy. Firstly, according to Human Rights Watch, the elimination of fuel subsidies by the government led to widespread unrest throughout the country. Combined with corruption scandals that directly implicated the Haitian government and its president, Jovenel Moïse, much of the Haitian public became incensed with the turmoil. This, in conjunction with reported gang violence, abuse of power by authorities, and displacement of people from natural disasters, led to the worst outbreaks of violence in Haiti since 1986, according to The United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti. While reports of coronavirus have been surprisingly low in the country, with Haiti having a mass rollout of vaccines through the global initiative COVAX, instability would characterize the civil sphere with the assassination of President Moïse. Not only were the circumstances of this assassination bizarre (apparently a Florida-based doctor was the mastermind of the plot, and wanted to take Moïse’s place as president), but this also triggered a succession crisis for who would succeed the deceased president as head of state. The assassination also triggered a wave of violence, with gang leader Jimmy Cherizier vowing reprisal for the president’s death. Needless to say, if a country could be depicted in complete chaos and uncertainty, then, unfortunately, the circumstances in Haiti paint a grim picture.
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It should come as no surprise that, given the situation, many Haitians are opting to take their chances and flee to the United States, with thousands of migrants arriving at the southern border. This led to what could be expected: border patrol moving in and securing many that attempted to cross illegally into the United States. In a now-viral image, a border patrol officer is seen on horseback holding his reins and attempting to detain a migrant crossing the border. According to Vice News, the migrants were being whipped with the reins of the horse. The image almost instantly sparked backlash amongst left-wing circles in the United States, with some claiming that the officer was whipping the migrants with the reins of the horse. Of course, this claim was proven false; even various left-wing fact-checkers, such as Snopes, proved that such claims about the photo were wrong. Nonetheless, minor inconveniences such as facts would not stop those in the Biden administration from making a backwards policy decision. While correctly pointing out that the situation occurring at the border is tragic and that something should be done, White House press secretary Jen Psaki vowed that the preceding events would cause an investigation and result in…the removal of horses in border patrol. Clearly, this was all Seabiscuit’s fault! Nevermind the events leading up to migrants arriving at the border, and nevermind the lack of action by the Biden administration in helping address the problem. Clearly, this is simply the fault of horse usage, not minimal understanding as to the troubles that plague Haiti and a bureaucratic immigration process that forces many to take their chances and cross illegally into the United States. Sarcasm aside, the situation occurring both at the border and in Haiti is truly tragic, and would likely constitute a humanitarian crisis. Biden arrived in office claiming that he would reverse what he saw as Trump’s backwards immigration policies, yet has instead made use of such policies by deporting many of the Haitian migrants back to Haiti. Inane policy prescriptions such as the banning of horses by border patrol is not only counterproductive, but simply pushes the root causes of the crisis down the road. Rather, the Biden administration needs to saddle up and propose a rational fix to the situation occurring at the southern border as well as address why so many are fleeing Haiti. The Biden administration could have addressed the situation in a number of ways: offering asylum to the migrants, dismantling some of the unnecessary bureaucracy associated with immigration, or even foreign aid to Haiti. Are these ideas foolproof fixes to the crisis? Maybe, maybe not, but it would at least be SOMETHING mildly productive. Instead, the Biden administration responds, “Neigh, just ban horses.” Simply put, the Biden administration needs to quit horsing around and find an actual productive solution to the crisis, instead of making ridiculous policy proposals that serve only to distract from the real issue at hand.
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SIX WEEKS IS TOO LITTLE TIME
Six Weeks is Too Little Time By Lucas Krueger
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he debate on abortion has significantly changed since the 90s when both sides reluctantly agreed that abortion was a necessary evil. While the causes and needs for abortion haven’t changed as it remains a necessary peril of society, the tones in discussion have radically shifted on the left. Many leftists now treat abortion as a moral good, with predominant leftist Lena Dunam claiming that she “wishes she had received an abortion,” so she could “fully excercise her rights as a woman.” That kind of talk is persistent among leftist politicians such as Nancy Pelosi, who gleefully talked about the morality of abortion when she suggested the unlikely prospect of removing the Hyde Amendment. Leftist politicians responded to the changing attitude on abortion by essentially creating a competition to see who could be more pro-choice. California started by enacting a law stating that you can get an abortion up to 25 weeks, to which Andrew Cuomo of New York responded by legalizing abortions up to the day of birth. These may seem like simple numbers, but it is very important to distinguish between late term abortions and regular abortions.
“While I understand the urge to not want to kill a fetus with a beating heart, it is debatable whether the fetus is conscious.” In regular aboritons, a fetus is simply vacuumed out because it is small enough to fit, and it is relatively pain-free for the fetus. Late term abortions are completely different, as the fetus becomes too large to be suctioned out. Therefore, the doctor must individually break off each of the developed limbs off of the fetus and pull them out of the cervix manually. Additionally, the amniotic fluid inside the womb is suctioned out, which
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causes the fetus to feel intense discomfort. Finally, once all of the limbs are pulled out, the doctor crushes the fetus’ skull and vacuums the remnants out. It is worth noting that the fetus is not a “clump of cells” after 12 weeks as leftists claim, but a nearly fully developed baby with hands, a brain, eyes, and legs. Therefore, the “my body my choice” argument isn’t quite applicable, since it is an entirely different human being. The good news is that regular abortions are far more moral, as young fetuses don’t have sensory abilities. The other positive news is that only 7.8% of abortions are late and only 1% are past 21 weeks, according to the CDC website, so most abortions are done in a moral way. That being said, inhumanity does occur in leftist states, so the Republican party has an opportunity to appear moderate on this issue. Greg Abbott is risking that. Greg Abbott made abortions illegal after 6 weeks, or after the fetus has a heartbeart. While it may feel intuitive to define the start of life as when the heart starts beating, it presents many moral challenges. Abbott lacks fundamental knowledge about female biology; he doesn’t take into account that many pregnancy tests are false negatives before the six week mark. I find it deeply amoral to force a woman to carry a child to term just because their pregnancy test is a false negative, even considering the arguments about adoption. In addition, the bill fails to provide exemptions for victims of rape or cases where the pregnancy can af-
fect the health of the mother, which is shocking to say the least. While I understand the urge to not want to kill a fetus with a beating heart, it is debatable whether the fetus is conscious. The fetus’ brain doesn’t develop until nine weeks, so it doesn’t have a nervous system. It is even debatable if the fetus’ brain has enough development after nine weeks to describe it as having the ability to feel pain. I call for the banning of abortions from anywhere from 9-12 weeks. I think 10 is the most scientific number because, since the brain develops at the 9 week mark, at 10 weeks the brain is developed enough to have sensory abilities. However, 12 is understandable as well, as it would give more women the opportunity to have abortions before it would be a late term abortion. These bans would have very little effect on abortion rates either, as 92% of abortions take place before the 12 week timeline and I assume that nearly all of the 8% that get second trimester abortions would receive one earlier in the first trimester where it is far more ethical. I think Republicans have to be clear that they’re not anti-abortion. No Republican from Trump or DeSantis or Abbott is calling for the banning of abortion, nor do they want to see it. They are playing too hard to the 30% of the party that wants abortion outlawed, and not towards the 70% of the party that wants to see abortions happen in a moral and ethical way. The Republican message should be less about protecting the “sanctity of life” and more about ending the moral outrage that is late term abortions, while encouraging whoever wants to have one to have one in the early stages of a pregnancy before a fetus develops human features.
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FROM SUPER BASS TO SUPER BASED: THE TALE OF BALLGATE
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From Super Bass to Super Based: The Tale of Ballgate By Joe Badalamenti
S
omeone “pound the alarm”, because there was just a case of delicious internet beef. Around a month ago, celebrity musician Nicki Minaj caught the attention of the mainstream media from a series of “super based” tweets. While Nicki has been known for her aggressive style of tweeting, her recent controversy has pulled her into the depraved realm of politics. Has Nicki discovered the key to Internet fame? Or is this just another example of celebrity shenanigans? It all started on September 13th, when Nicki tweeted about the controversial COVID vaccines, sharing an anecdote of a “friend of a cousin” who became impotent as a result of taking the vaccine in order to encourage her audience to be informed and confident before taking the vaccine. The tweet was as follows: “My cousin in Trinidad won’t get the vaccine cuz his friend got it & became impotent. His
“Nicki Minaj was attacked for her opinions; however, as she is well versed in the area of celebrity beef, Nicki was able to fire back with a series of “ratchet” responses.” testicles became swollen. His friend was weeks away from getting married, now the girl called of [sic] the wedding. So just pray on it & make sure you’re comfortable with ur decision, not bullied.” From there, the Internet did what it does best and exploded into what has been dubbed “Ballgate”. Nicki Minaj was attacked for her opinions; however, as she is well versed in the area of celebrity beef, Nicki was able to fire back with a series of “ratchet” responses. For instance, in response to a Joy Reid segment, she tweeted: “This is what happens when you’re so thirsty to down another black woman (by the request of the white man), that you didn’t bother to read all
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my tweets. ‘My God SISTER do better’ imagine getting ur [sic] dumb ass on tv a min after a tweet to spread a false narrative about a black woman”. While the drama was escalating, the powers that be took it upon themselves to send Nicki to Twitter jail, as revealed to us through the celebrity’s Instagram story. In the end, this event shows how hopeless modern society is. Going for the low hanging fruit, no pun intended, this is yet another example of the hypocrisy and impulsiveness of modern political discourse. While the anecdote may be far fetched, the message of the tweet was well intentioned and reasonable, especially for a celebrity. However, Twitter is not a place for reasonable discussion, so what followed was a wave of impulsive reaction. On the left, you have insults, censorship, and a potential case of blackmail. On the right, you have a complete embrace of the celebrity’s personality, even against personal or proclaimed values; what happened to celebrities staying out of politics?. While one may believe that such actions are an exaggerated response to a string of words, this is just the nature of the Internet. What this event does highlight is a discussion of the role of a celebrity or public figure in modern discourse. Because they are widely known, public figures have the power to influence large swaths of the population. As a result, these public figures have a responsibility to act morally and with decency. For example, the widespread use of Photoshop and plastic surgery by celebrities has cultivated widespread body dysmorphia among this generation. This responsibility isn’t necessarily to act better than the average person, only to maintain certain moral standards. Promoting hostile actions, slandering opponents, or spreading misinformation are a few examples of unethical behaviors in the public eye that have a chance of influencing the behaviors of others. While this framework is applica-
ble in the modern day, the culture has become so divided that different people will see the same incident in different lenses. In the “Red” lens, Nicki was just advising caution when making risky decisions based on reliable testimony. This is opposed to the “Blue” lens in which Nicki deserves ridicule from her belief in her friend’s absurd and unreliable testimony. Each lens uses the framework discussed earlier in order to make a judgement. However, the conflict lies in the perceived facts; in this case, regarding the vaccine. The blue lens sees it as good and universal, while the red lens applies a more cautious view. While some differences may be resolved through means such as persuasion or compromise, this difference lies in opposing fact claims. One could claim that this is an issue of education or being informed; however, the Internet has made access to information free and widely accessible. Moreover, both of these lenses use evidence to back up their claims about the vaccine. The problem is not celebrity behavior or access to information; the problem is being able to understand reality in the context of several conflicting views of reality. It’s clear from this discussion that not only are online conflicts or divergent actions, such as Ballgate, normalized, but inevitable in the near future. While not the most politically active celebrity, Nicki Minaj has placed herself at the center of politics with one controversial tweet. While Nicki still appears to be in good health, the same could not be said about society.
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THIS IS HOW WE TREAT OUR HEROES?
This is How We Treat Our Heroes? By Tommy Gagliano
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n March and April of 2020, at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, a ritual began in New York City. Every night at 7 p.m., people would clap, cheer, and bang pots and pans together to salute the healthcare workers battling the virus on the front lines. Less than two years later, many of those same healthcare workers are facing termination because of their personal medical decisions, and popular opinion seems to be in favor of it. Is this how we treat the people we emphatically called “heroes” just a few short months ago? Before stepping down as governor of New York amid scandals relating to sexual harassment and nursing home deaths, Andrew Cuomo announced a statewide mandate that all healthcare workers must be at least partially vaccinated against COVID-19 by September 27th. The deadline has now arrived, and employees of hospitals and other healthcare facilities across the state—the “heroes” that risked their own safety to help others when there was no vaccine and limited knowledge about treatment—have been fired or suspended without pay. It is unknown exactly how many of the thousands of unvaccinated healthcare workers in New York are now unemployed because of the mandate, but facilities such as Northwell Health and Erie County Medical Center have confirmed that they have terminated the employment of their unvaccinated workers. As anyone should have been able to anticipate, the mass firing of experienced and qualified healthcare workers has caused staffing shortages across the state. Governor Kathy Hochul’s solution was not to allow unvaccinated employees to continue to do their jobs, but rather to lessen the restrictions and barriers to working in the field. Recent medical school graduates that do not yet have a license are now permitted to practice medicine in New York State, as well as individuals that are licensed in other states, but not in
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New York. In other words, Hochul and Cuomo forced qualified healthcare workers out, creating a staffing shortage, then attempted to fix the shortage by allowing less-qualified workers to replace the qualified ones that they forced out. I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather be operated on by an unvaccinated surgeon with experience and all of the necessary licenses and qualifications than a vaccinated person that was unable to practice that type of medicine in the state prior to Hochul’s executive order.
“If we can all agree that an employer threatening to fire an employee for not sleeping with him or her is sexual abuse, then why are so many people pretending that this mandate isn’t a violation of bodily autonomy?” And then there are those who were coerced into injecting something into their body that they did not feel comfortable with. That was the entire point of the mandate, of course. “It was a choice,” I can hear you shouting, “the state didn’t force them to take it! They had the option! There is no such thing as a right to work a certain job! I am very intelligent and definitely have the moral high ground in this discussion because vaccine good!” Yes, it is true that they were not threatened at gunpoint, or with imprisonment. But they were threatened with termination, and when you take into consideration that they would have been ineligible for unemployment benefits under the mandate, it’s pretty clear that it wasn’t much of a choice at all. Most people cannot afford to lose their job, especially when the government has decided that they are no longer allowed to work in the field that they have chosen for their career. Furthermore, it’s
likely that other fields will be hit with the same restrictions soon. New York City already attempted their own vaccination mandate for teachers. It’s not a stretch to say that, if New York State continues on this path, the unvaccinated may soon be unable to work at all. If we can all agree that an employer threatening to fire an employee for not sleeping with him or her is sexual abuse, then why are so many people pretending that this mandate isn’t a violation of bodily autonomy? Look, I am not “anti-vax.” I got my Moderna shots back in April. I’ve had a plethora of arguments with my one friend that thinks that the vaccine is Bill Gates’s master plan to inject us with microchips, that the Bible says that everyone that gets the COVID-19 vaccine is going to hell, and that COVID is actually caused by 5G towers. I am not “anti-vax,” I am simply in favor of people having the right to make their own medical decisions. Whether it’s through threat of physical force, threat of imprisonment, or threat of unemployment, the government should not have the authority to force anyone to inject anything into their bodies. It’s sickening to me that they chose healthcare workers as their first targets, and appalling how quickly the public turned against their former “heroes.”
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THE LONELINESS OF COVID CINEMATOGRAPHY: PART 1
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The Loneliness of COVID Cinematography: Part 1 By Patrick McAuliffe
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he last year and a half has taken much from us; more specifically, our governments have taken much from us. One trivial aspect of COVID hysteria that won’t leave my addled mind alone since it became apparent to me is how TV shows and movies are shot and edited in 2021. Pre-filmed movie footage and the ability of animated media to be produced remotely helped the entertainment industry peter along through the remainder of 2020, but as the pandemic wore on and more sectors of society reopened, it became increasingly obvious that COVID restrictions and conventions played some part, big or small, in how that movie or TV show was produced. Live-action Marvel shows on Disney+ utilized social distancing in a sneaky way, while “Afterllife of the Party” with Victoria Justice on Netflix was able to follow a similar, subtle pattern. One close examination of the restrictions behind the scenes can cause a change in the way a given piece of art is experienced, evoking feelings of emptiness, loneliness, or isolation. Entertainment was the one escape from the lockdowns and lack of interpersonal connection over the past year and a half, but our media sources continue to remind us of that loneliness. Disney+ launched a few months before COVID became a serious international issue, and has since become a 100 million-subscriber cash cow for The Mouse. Beyond perusing the vault of terrible live-action 90s movies and paying $30 to the Xinjiang Tourist Department for early access to “Mulan”, many people subscribe to see the live-action MCU TV shows and keep up with some of the side cast of characters in the franchise. COVID social distancing restrictions’ impact on the cinematography of the shows first became apparent to me in “Loki”, although elements of distancing became clear in both “WandaVision” and “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier”. “Loki” follows the Norse trickster god’s misadventures following the events of
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“Avengers: Endgame”, in which Loki steals the Tesseract and teleports away from the Battle of New York in 2012, creating a divergent timeline and causing a full run-in with the Time Variance Authority, or TVA. The TVA is an extra-dimensional police force, purging universes that don’t follow a prescribed path for the MCU’s timeline, and Loki is conscripted by the TVA when a female Variant of his, named Sylvie, goes rogue. Owen Wilson and Tom Hiddleston’s chemistry is a delight to watch, but what struck me as odd was the number of situations in which the sets seem devoid of life. Much of Loki’s character development is done in a solitary room, watching himself change and die in his future timeline (past MCU movies), or in a time cell, where the only other person is Lady Sif slapping and kicking him in the genitals for all eternity. Mobius and Loki’s lonely interactions are done from across tables and desks in near-vacant cafeterias, offices, or prison cells. Hunter B-15 learns of her true past with Sylvie in an empty parking lot of a futuristic superstore, and earlier in the show, Loki battles mind-controlled puppets of Sylvie in the same evacuated superstore. In Loki and Sylvie’s final confrontation with He Who Remains, his vast, forlorn study takes up more space than his eccentric personality and the monologuing from across his desk. The Void beyond time, so aptly named, is a CGI wasteland as empty as the mountains in Lord of the Rings’ long, panning traveling shots. Where are the rest of the workers at the TVA, a sleepless hive of time enforcers? Where are He Who Remains’ staff and castle servants, tending to his needs for all eternity beyond time? Where are all of the people anywhere?
“WandaVision” moves slightly more towards “normal” cinematography, but the locales within the story and the themes they choose for the different eras of TV sitcoms betray the inopportune time of their filming. In this MCU show, a distraught Wanda steals Vision’s dissected body from the weapons R&D agency counterpart to S.H.I.E.L.D., fittingly named S.W.O.R.D. (looking at you, Pokémon fans), and retreats to a small town in New Jersey where she and Vision were planning to settle one day to raise a family. She resurrects him with her magic and creates a force field around the town, allowing her to live out the perfect life she always imagined before Thanos’ arrival on Earth. She
“No, I haven’t seen it; I’m never paying The Mouse for Premier Access to movies. I’m just waiting until October 6th when the plebians get to stream it.” soon butts heads with S.W.O.R.D. as they investigate the “missing” town; they soon realize that the citizens of the town are mind slaves, forced by Wanda’s magic to act out parts in her own little sitcom that moves through the eras of TV, from the 1950s all the way to a “Modern Family”-style docutainment show of today. Most of these styles allow for distanced actors: in 50s and 60s shows, husband and wife (and other cast members) can flirt and make jokes from across the living room, kitchen, or bedroom; in the “canned laughter” era of the 70s and 80s, the actors’ blocking allows for much of the same, albeit in color; from the 90s and beyond, clever camera angles can portray intimate moments with enough distance so as not to spread communicable viruses. Much like in “Loki”, the streets of
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BINGHAMTONREVIEW.COM “WandaVision” are usually bare, and at the edges of town, as Vision discovers on Halloween, many of the denizens simply freeze in place, apart from each other, unless given specific mental instruction from Wanda. After a bewitching and distant CGI finale in the sky between her and Agatha Harkness, Wanda retreats to the wilderness, another remote spot away from other disease-carrying humans. The busyness of the S.W.O.R.D. command base makes, at times, for a good cover that “WandaVision” isn’t a “COVID show”, but distancing requirements make themselves known elsewhere. “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” appears as the show most similar to pre-COVID entertainment, as the show’s titular characters race against time to stop Super Soldier terrorists called the Flag-Smashers from committing global acts of violence in the wake of Iron Man’s revivifying snap. People bustle to and fro on the dock in New Orleans where Sam Wilson’s sister keeps their parents’ boat; Falcon, Bucky, and Zemo visit a packed nightclub in the Indonesian city-state of Madripoor; refugee camps established by the Global Repatriation Council are filled with children running about and migrants engaging in non-distanced, non-masked conversation. Sam and Bucky even have a close-contact staring contest in therapy. However, in moments where Sam tries to reason with the leader of the Flag-Smashers, Karli Morgenthau, he usually does so from nearly across the room or down a long balcony. At the disciplinary hearing for John Walker, the new Captain America, his superiors are seated at a long table meant to impose distance between them; later, in the same room, Julia Louis-Dreyfuss’ sinister yet forgettable character makes Walker a lucrative offer after everyone else has cleared out. Regardless, “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” may be a Marvel-head’s best hope of escaping the crushing feeling of emptiness that plagues the other two MCU shows. “Homie,” you might say, “you’re thematically jumping all over the place! One minute it’s Marvel; down the line, it’s NBC; why shoehorn Victoria Justice in there?” I’m glad you
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THE LONLINESS OF COVID CINEMATOGRAPHY: PART 1 asked, homie, because Netflix’s “Afterlife of the Party” is a good case for why COVID cinematography isn’t purely a TV show phenomenon. Not many movies were made during the pandemic, at least not many memorable ones. Theaters were closed, everyone was home, and as previously stated, it’s a hell of a lot easier to get graphic design students behind computers to slave away at animating over voice recordings than it is to get A- and B-list actors together in exotic and popular filming locations. Even Marvel, after all filming was done pre-COVID, held off on releasing “Black Widow” in theaters, despite the plan to release it in May 2020. It must be pretty integral to the MCU’s overarching story if they waited until Big Brother said that it’s ok to consume entertainment around other disease vectors- I mean peopleagain. No, I haven’t seen it; I’m never paying The Mouse for Premier Access to movies. I’m just waiting until October 6th when the plebians get to stream it. However, I digress. We return now to Ms. Justice.
“The “no thoughts, head empty” of our generation is now held up as a mirror to us in our entertainment and in our world.” “Afterlife of the Party” is, at its heart, a fantasy for everyone who dies too young and doesn’t understand the good things in their lives. A la “Ghost Whisperer” or AHS’ Murder House, Justice plays Cassie, the party girl who hits her head on the bathroom sink and dies after a night of raging, both figuratively (under alcohol’s influence) and literally (getting into an argument with her straight-and-narrow roommate Lisa). One year later, she comes back as a rookie angel that must help Lisa, her grieving father, and her divorced, liberated mother in unspecified ways particular to each person that she must discover for herself. Lisa needs to break away from drowning her grief in her work at the museum and date her British neighbor; her father needs to rediscover his passion for yoga and bury the hatch-
et over his divorce; her mother is the trickiest case, as Cassie still hasn’t forgiven her for leaving them when she was young. I say that this perfectly adequate angel movie strongly resembles the MCU shows in that most of the scenes are shot in spacious venues, focusing only on either a single character as others comment from the wings (pun intended) or two characters that interact closely for a brief moment before retreating to the corners and walls for the rest of the scene. The distancing struck me most severely in the scene where Cassie, running low on the arbitrary timer set by her guardian angel Val, goes to see the latter celestial being out of frustration that her efforts aren’t bearing fruit. She runs down a white, empty hallway and stops in the doorway to Val’s spacious lounge, and they continue to bicker about the necessity of her trial from the doorway and the center of the room, respectively. Why not go in and talk? Use the space you’re given! Angels can’t even contract diseases! That was just a little funny business, but I’m serious when I say that “Afterlife of the Party” follows the subtle Disney+ path: no mention of the pandemic; no masked characters; yet elements of distancing and empty space everywhere, if one knows how to look. It’s a bit better than the blatant beatdown of pessimism offered in shows like “Grey’s Anatomy”, which spent the entire 17th season complaining that some people weren’t taking the pandemic as seriously as a biohazard removal worker and bringing back dead people on a beach so Ellen Pompeo had something to do during her character’s coma. Still, vast expanses of empty sets and unnatural blocking make for an uneasy feeling of dread in this viewer. The “no thoughts, head empty” of our generation is now held up as a mirror to us in our entertainment and in our world.
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I HATE ELEVATORS
I Hate Elevators By Evelyn Medina
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oday marks the longest period of time I have gone without having dreamed of falling to my death. I think these dreams began when I was starting high school. Multiple times a month, I have dreams of falling. On average, I would say I dream about falling every one to two weeks, and this manifests in many different forms. Sometimes, I dream I am falling down stairs. Sometimes I am launched into the sky by an explosion of some sort. Once, I flew off of a ride at Walt Disney World, and on a separate occasion, I fell off an attraction at a water park in Wisconsin. Most of the time, however, I fall in elevators. These are one of my most common nightmares, along with being chased by someone or missing a deadline in school. Being trapped in a falling elevator. Can you imagine that? On one of my recent late-night binge searches on Google, I asked the question of why I dream of falling elevators. What I found was inconclusive, but there are a lot of people who share this dream with me. I was comforted by the fact that I was not alone in experiencing these dreams, and if you have ever had a dream like it, I’m sure you know just how terrifying they truly are. Imagine you’re running late for a meeting, and you cannot find the stairs. For some reason, you blink, and you are suddenly in an elevator. You know before it happens that it will fall, because in these dreams, you always know. Alas, you are trapped,
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and cannot escape the final plummet to the basement; having thousands of pounds crash on top of you, knowing full well that every bone in your body will break on impact. You know the best course of action is to lay down, yet you are paralyzed with fear. When you finally manage to try, you are floating in air as you fall in unison with the giant metal box. When I dream about the elevators, I often seem to fall for minutes at a time, never truly reaching the bottom, and before my crash, I wake up. I must admit, sometimes I am more frustrated with the fact that I was having a good night’s sleep and woke up from it than my nightmare. But more often, I am focused on the unfortunate events that took place in my dream.
“I hate elevators.” I notice too, after waking up, that the elevators are almost never the same. Once, I was helping refugees escape from a dystopian society. As the bombs were falling, we stepped into the elevator, and we fell. As we hit the bottom, the bombs exploded, and I woke up. The elevator was small, and dirty. It was completely metallic, so when we were falling it was hard to know which was the top and which was the bottom. Another dream involved a glass elevator at a high end hotel. I needed to do a scientific presentation, but while I was trying to find my way to the room, I wound up in an elevator. When it hit the ground, it shattered, and I went blind. I had another nightmare of an elevator, this one involving open air. I was falling as I ran away from something, but I woke up before I hit the bottom. I fell in a round elevator, at a resort with bubbly walls. I fell in an
elevator in an old house, where the floors were caving in. I fell in an elevator where ghosts lived. I fell in so many elevators. I hate elevators. I hate them because if you ride them enough, you get dizzy. I hate how small they are. I hate that there is a possibility of getting stuck in them in an emergency. I hate that they are metal, and I can’t get out of them. I hate that I need to rely on them when I need to get to higher floors. I hate these contraptions that plague my dreams, that make me feel claustrophobic, that are old and rickety and never get checked regularly. Elevators are not my biggest fear, that would be spiders, but they appear in my dreams multiple times a month. I never dream about spiders, but elevators don’t only haunt me when I’m unconscious, but in real life too. When I go into elevators, I tense up, close my eyes, and wait patiently until it’s over. Then I can finally rush out of the double doors before the wires give way, and the big heavy box cuts me clean in half on my way out.
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BOY, I WISH I HAD A CLUB OFFICE
Boy, I Wish I Had a Club Office By Madeline Perez
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his is why only fools are heroes,” Harvey Stenger taunted. He stood atop the Binghamton University Clocktower as I started to climb. In one hand, he held a wire suspending a dark green campus shuttle. In the other, he held our Bing Review EIC, Matt Gagliano, aloft by his neck. His mechanical, green, goblin-like suit gave him superhuman strength and augmented his evil nature. The night breeze tossed my little gay windbreaker back and forth. “Stop!,” I screamed. “We’re stealing ideas from Spider-Man. This amount of shameless plagiarism is sure to get us in trouble!” He didn’t seem to hear and continued. “...Because you never know when some lunatic will come along with a sadistic choice.” Matt grasps at the hand around his neck to no avail. Harvey turned to Matt, pushing him farther off the weird clock tower beam, causing him to almost lose his size 11 footing. Harvey looks back at me, challengingly, eyes shining wickedly. “Let die the EIC from the club you’re a part of,” I kept trying to climb the beams, despite the emotional pain. Harvey let some of the campus shuttle wire go slack. Immediately, screams were uttered that could only be paralleled to the sound of girls in elementary school when the teacher turned the lights off. “... or suffer the car deficient.” The normies who ride the campus shuttle, because they’re too lazy to walk for some reason, were going ballistic in there--slapping the windows wildly like percussionists.
“Her double Ds were happily bouncing like baby bunnies in a field.” “Make your choice, Madeline. And see how a hero is rewarded!” I stopped climbing, paralyzed. The fear gripped me harder than a mom in a grocery store. He wanted me to choose? I’m the most indecisive person I know-- I can’t even choose the apple I want at the grocery store from the big apple pile, much less between the lives of the endangered. I wouldn’t get there in time if he dropped them both, and even if I did--How could I possibly stop him? He had a Green-Goblin suit. All I had was my charming sense of humor and my big strong muscles. The campus shuttle quivered, and the young adults inside howled, frightened. Matt yelped, as he tends to do. I looked left, right, left, right, in a comically exaggerated way. Without Matt, there would be no Bing Review and I would be out a friend. How would I spend my Wednesdays at 7- (the time of beloved Binghamton Review meetings.)? If I let the bus of people die, I probably would feel guilty over the sheer loss of life. Maybe. Also, the campus would be out one shuttle bus. “Choose!” he bellowed. The moonlight shone off his very bald head, temporarily blinding me. Suddenly, he released the campus shuttle and Matty boy at the same time. “NO!” I rapidly started trying to climb back down the clock tower. Simply put,
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I did not feel good. Suddenly, both the shuttle and Matt were suspended in the cool night air inside plasmatic red bubbles.
“Matt fell limp like a stringless marionette: a spaghetti man.” I looked behind me, and what I saw shocked me to my core. “Sexy Baxter???” I couldn’t help grinning like a foolish little creature. It was the one and only Sexy Baxter, you know, from the Binghamton Review Sex Issue: Godless Edition. Her double Ds were happily bouncing like baby bunnies in a field. Harvey started to sweat, and his eyes darted rapidly. “What… what is this,” he stuttered. “You’re not real. How could you possibly be real?” With determination, I started climbing the beams again. There was hope, and she came in the form of a large-breasted anthropomorphic school mascot. She safely lowered the shuttle and “Matt” to the ground. Matt fell limp like a stringless marionette: a spaghetti man.The college students shuffled out of the bus and crowded around Sexy Baxter, showering her with hugs and kisses. “YOU’RE REIN OF TYRANNY IS OVER,” Sexy Baxter cried. “NOW GIVE THESE FINE PEOPLE BACK THEIR CLUB OFFICE, OR FACE THE CONSEQUENCES!” Stenger’s body language reflected that of a deeply insecure man. “But, there is no office,” he muttered. “It has already been given to the sick for a place to quietly die away from the others. It’s been two years, you fools. You’ll never have a permanent office!” Forgetting his circumstance, Harvey began to laugh maniacally, as he tends to do. While he was distracted, I reached the top of the clock tower. Quickly and dexterously, I snatched a five-dollar bill from Harvey’s pocket. “You’re right.” I beamed, happy for the first time of the night. Nothing can lighten the mood quicker than gaining the upper hand. “We won’t have a permanent office… not unless you give us one. And I have a feeling you will…” I brought the five-dollar bill to my mouth, threatening to eat it. “Quite soon.” Harvey fell to his knees. And with that, the battle was over. “Thank you for your help,” I glimmered, freshly down from the tower. Sexy Baxter stood confidently next to me. “How did you get here? I thought I created you?” She laughed heartily. “You did create me. And it was the power of your belief that brought me here. But now that I have fulfilled my purpose and repaid my life debt, I must leave this university and pursue something greater; the likes of which I don’t exactly know.” Bittersweet butterflies fluttered in my chest. “Will I ever see you again?” I looked down at the ground, too emotional to face the eyes of my creation. “No,” she responded. “But I will always be a part of you. In here.” She gestured toward my chest. “My boobs?” I asked. She looked me directly in the eyes, more intensely than anyone had ever done over the course of my entire life. “Yes,” she responded. And with that, she left...never to be seen again. ...Unless?
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WHERE TO INVEST IN A RECESSION
Where to Invest in a Recession By Charles Forman
I want to start by saying I am a college student who is not qualified to give financial advice, so do your research before putting your life savings into something.
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he global economy is on the brink of collapse. COVID already decimated it, and it seems that with Inflation and the global housing bubble, it will be hit with a second wave. The United States government did a good job of containing COVID to ensure it wasn’t so bad by raising inflation, but it was the equivalent of putting Flex Tape over a leaky hole in a water pipe; it’s a temporary solution to a permanent problem. The stimulus checks caused a rise in inflation, and now there is an “everything shortage” as economists call it. Looking abroad, the Chinese Lehman Brothers, a developer called Evergrande, are about to meet a similar fate as their American counterpart, which may lead to hundreds of thousands of foreclosures within China. While what happens in China does not have a direct effect on the US, the less money they have to buy US products, the worse it may get for our country. So what are the implications of this on Binghamton University? Well, not really much. Students tend to have minimal effect from a recession because many are not working. However, many people may still be relying on their stock gains over the last year as the S&P went up 27% in the last year, which is more than average. Part of this has been caused by people who think the economy is growing. Moreover, apps like Robinhood have led to the rise of day-traders, further exacerbated by Internet influences, including but not limited to Dave Portnoy, Reddit, and the media. A result of the increased interest in investing is the phenomenon known as “pumping and dumping”. This occurs when a stock is artificially inflated by companies who convince individuals to buy a specific volatile stock, then sell their shares to profit as the stock crashes down.
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Part of what has fueled the housing boom in the United States are these stock gains. However, the market has not had a real correction since 2008. Therefore, we are in for a rude awakening. COVID made it go down by a bit, but there is the risk of a much larger crash. Therefore, I have written a short list of the best and worst places to invest in during a recession. Pick what you like or don’t, but always remember to do your research when putting your money somewhere. Safest places to invest in a recession: Cash - Inflation will bite, but your money will likely stay at a solid, without too much up or down. Commodities - Gold, Silver, Food, Energy. These will likely hold value as they are basically the antithesis of recessions. They hold value no matter if the stock market is up or down. Of course, they have their own individual up and down days, but you can count on these commodities to hold their value during a recession. Furthermore, the biggest focus should be on gold, because there is a demand for gold, and it is considered a safe investment by many. Fixed income - Real Estate, Dividend stocks, Bonds. Get your income instead of an increase in value. For example, companies like AT&T will give shareholders 52 cents per share per financial quarter. It gives you cold hard cash instead of a share of a bigger company. So while $T (AT&T stock) may have declined, it d o e s n’t ne c e ss ar i ly mean that you won’t make money. You are free
to do with that money as you wish. You can reinvest the money or use it toward other purchases. Certain ETFs and mutual funds - Investing in an Exchange-traded fund allows for portfolio diversity and allows you to hedge your bets in one investment. Achieving the diversity that an ETF offers allows investors to mitigate risk. Just make sure that the operating expense is not too high (<.5%). Furthermore, it is important to understand that there is still some risk, and certain industries can be risky investments. Worst places to invest in a recession: Individual stocks - Especially stock like Gamestop, AMC, Blackberry, or other “meme stocks”. These are unreliable forms of investments. In addition, there are many companies that have received hype that have been fraudulent. Notable examples include Nikola, whose CEO defrauded investors by lying about a working product. Other examples include Theranos, whose CEO, Elizabeth Holmes, is currently on trial for also defrauding investors. It is easy to lose a lot of money really quickly, especially if you do not have a lot of experience trading. Real Estate - This can go either way; it can be very safe, but it can be very dangerous. If the market tanks (which it could, considering we are in a bubble), your house or other investments can lose value quickly. Indubitably, if you are invested in a mortgage-backed security, you could lose a lot of money if a lot of people start defaulting on their loans.
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DO YOU WANT A NEW HOBBY? CHECK THIS OUT!
Do You Want a New Hobby? Check This Out! By nitrodude359
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re you often bored? Do you want to go outside more? Well, this hobby is for you! It’s Nitro cars; remote controlled (RC) cars that are powered by a tiny engine (usually between a 0.12 to a 0.18 cubic inches). These engines are very powerful and efficient for their size, and can make your RC cars go up to 65 miles per hour! Sadly, for the last few years electric RCs have been taking over Nitros, with hobby shops replacing their Nitros with electrics. However, earlier this summer, the brand HPI started remaking their old Nitro RC again! It seems that Nitro is making a comeback after all! Here are some points that might convince you to get into the hobby and to burn Nitro fuel instead of batteries:
“Be honest, what sounds cooler: zzzzzzzmmm zzzzmmm zzzzmmm or VRRrrmmmmMM a vrrrrmmmMMMm VVVVRRMMM?” 1) There is a great online community on Nitros, with many videos on Youtube that explain how to properly run and maintain your Nitro (example: JQRacingTV on Youtube). 2) With an electric, If your battery runs dry, you’re done. You have to wait another 12 to 14 hours for it to
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now may become collectable. Many times, companies will discontinue their products or replace them with a more optimized version of it. There is a market for the older Nitro cars (Vintage Nitro’s), and they can sometimes sell for a good sum of money (check out hybrid32494 or Nitro Mike on Youtube for reference).
charge. With a Nitro, just fill her back up and you’re good to go. 3) Be honest, what sounds cooler: zzzzzzzmmm zzzzmmm zzzzmmm or VRRrrmmmmMM a vrrrrmmmMMMm VVVVRRMMM? Furthermore, the Nitro engine is something that has to be adjusted with respect to the weather outside (if it’s cold, hot, humid, or dry outside). There is nothing more satisfying than a well-tuned engine. 4) Nitro fosters some kind of appreciation for the mechanisms; it certainly does for me. I mean, consider the different components at work in a Nitro. Inside that Nitro engine, there is a tiny piston going up and down, pushing and pulling a tiny con. rod, spinning a tiny crank shaft at God-knows how many rpm (actually, up to 35,000 rpm). Then torque is transmitted to the transmission (more often than not, it’s a single speed, although 2-speed autos are common, and 3-speeds are just awesome). 5) The Nitros on store shelves
“The short version of this is that Nitro is a great hobby if you like to tinker with things.” Those are just some of the reasons why you should get into Nitro. The short version of this is that Nitro is a great hobby if you like to tinker with things. A friend can bring their own car and race off; now that right there is a good day. So if you do decide to get into Nitro, here are some recommendations from me: start your search with Traxxas’ (depends who you ask) T-Maxx and Pro .15 (especially the Pro .15, it is very forgiving). The Kyosho Inferno 3.0 or Team Losi’s 8IGHT-T. All of this is just the tip of the iceberg, but, as previously stated, Nitro’s online presence should clear things up. With that, I hope that you are ready to embark on a journey of smoke, noise, and fun, and remember, “Keep on burning Nitro ‘’ - thebug 404.
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