There is the old, cliché saying: “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.” This directly applies to your computer or the Internet; what you post digitally stays there no matter what you do. Deleting photos of embarrassing or scandalous situations off your computer or taking off your Facebook profile are not permanent solutions.

Bloggers and hackers like the group Anonymous have become Internet vigilantes, digging up dirt to fight whatever they consider injustice. Anything posted on the Internet can be exposeed by talented hackers and diligent bloggers. | Wikimedia Commons

Take the infamous Steubenville, Ohio case in which two football players, Trent Mays, 17, and Ma’lik Richmond, 16, were found guilty of raping a drunken 16-year-old girl. The case would have remained only a local and state story had it not been for the Internet.

During the case, the blogosphere got involved, questioning the police giving the boys carte blanche treatment because of their status as football players on their highly regarded football team. Later, the famous hacker group, Anonymous, posted a video of a teen who made joking references to the rape, bringing the case to the national consciousness.

This case struck a chord with the nation because of how the youths treated the situation. There were witnesses who did nothing and others who posted pictures and videos on social media that made fun of the matter. Even the football coach in Steubenville is accused of covering up the football players’ crimes. The night and the events following were well documented with social media, phones, photos and videos. What you do on the Internet stays on the Internet; there is no “perma-delete.” A good hacker can find anything.

Speaking of that case, two Ohio girls have been arrested for making death threats against the accuser via social media. In cases of this high interest, it’s not wise to post something incriminating on the Internet. The police monitor Twitter and Facebook in a case like this.

Technology is an integrated part of our lives, and it is there to help us —for the most part. Anyone born after 1994 will never live through a time without being connected to the Internet from either his home or at school. However, those who remember the pre-Facebook or even pre-Myspace times can remember that there were still cases like the one in Steubenville that didn’t end with a conviction.

In a July 27, 2010 article by The Huffington Post’s Jim Gomez, suspected serial killer Mark Dizon was caught because he was a Facebook friend with one of his victim’s daughters. San Fernando, Calif. Police Senior Superintendent Danilo Bautista said Dizon “was fond of computers, and this gave him away.”

Cases like those are on the extreme side, and they don’t affect the majority of Americans, but they point to the ineptitude of handling social media in our lives. People take technology so lightly today that things that might be taken as cruel or unethical in life are treated cavalierly. The morals we hold in person are blurred under a veil of anonymous protection.

Ryan William Waterman, for example, posted pictures of petting, lifting and harassing a manatee listed on Facebook — doesn’t seem like such a bad thing until you find out that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lists two species of manatee as endangered and a third species as threatened. The pictures caught the attention of authorities, and if convicted, Waterman faces a $500 fine and a possible 60 days in jail.

Some have been fired for what they have posted on Facebook. There was the case of Kelvin Colvin, an intern at a bank, who emailed his boss to tell him he’d have to miss work because of a family emergency and was later caught on Facebook when a picture of Colvin surfaced showed that the so-called “family emergency” was in fact a Halloween party. He posted a picture of himself in a fairy costume with a beer in one hand and a wand in the other. Their email transaction went viral on Gawker.

Houston’s reputation is on the rise.

The fourth largest city in the U.S has had the fastest growing economy since the recession, adding more than 160,000 jobs. The Port of Houston carries the second most cargo by tonnage in the U.S. (12th internationally) according to the American Association of Port Authorities. The city is considered the energy capital of the world, and Texas Medical Center is the largest medical complex in the world. July 26, Forbes.com named Houston as the nation’s coolest city, citing the city’s job growth, cultural diversity and median age — 33.

David Delgado/The Daily Cougar

With all the city has going for it, there are still festering problems that are only getting worse. One area holding Houston back is traffic; a study from the Texas Transportation Institute at Texas A&M ranks Houston fourth for most congested roads, partly because of the sustained economy. A report from the Brookings Institution’s Metropolitan Policy Program ranks Houston 72nd out of the largest 100 metropolitan areas in the U.S. for public transportation.

There are ways to alleviate the pressure on our roadways: build bigger roads, construct more efficient public transportation and have people live closer to their jobs.

The city has nearly exhausted the first option through freeway expansion such as the $2 billion expansion of the U.S. 290 corridor and the recently finished $2.8 billion, 18-lane expansion of the Katy Freeway. Having people live closer to their jobs is difficult in Houston, considering the urban sprawl that stretches throughout almost all of Harris County and bleeds into surrounding counties, such as Fort Bend County. Mass transit has been explored, but not nearly to its full potential.

The economic toll is enormous. The Houston Business Journal concluded that in 2011, traffic congestion cost the city 145.83 million wasted hours, 65.85 million excess gallons of fuel, $646 million in truck congestion costs, and $3.12 billion in total economic losses. UH alone is all too familiar with traffic problems. Every day, students scramble to find parking spots in order to reach their classes on time. From about 3 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday there is a swarm of cars heading for the surrounding freeways.

This isn’t to say public transportation is entirely lacking — Metro has a vast bus fleet. Only a small percentage of daily commuters use these amenities, though — roughly 5 percent according to U.S Census — and not always to satisfaction.

“I take the rail to a bus stop about half a mile away and then get on a bus that travels through the medical center and the Third Ward to campus,” said biomedical junior Gabe Darby. “A 15-minute trip turns into an hour trip, costing me about the same in gas either way. It seems like the routes that go around Houston locally are worse.”

The city has a well-documented pro-driving tradition. Over the past few decades, major light rail proposals and other such accommodations have been proposed to serve the metropolitan area, such as the revival of the old Houston-Galveston commuter line, but most ultimately get shot down through obscured politics and budget worries.

Houston needs a sprawling transit network that reaches from downtown to the edges of Harris County and farther. Park and rides are not cutting it. There needs to be fast and cheap transportation though the major cities of Texas. Driving is not economically sufficient anymore.

Though such ambitious rail expansion would take years, if not decades, the benefits would be invaluable: fewer cars on the road, shorter travels times, less space being consumed by freeways and fewer accidents. At the University there would be less traffic and perhaps more available parking. The life of UH commuter students would drastically improve. More time, less stress and less gas would mean a lot to the average UH commuter student.

Michael Retherford is a mechanical engineering junior and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com.

Kentucky Junior Sen. Rand Paul and a group of fellow Republicans held a nearly 13-hour filibuster March 6 on the Senate floor, thereby delaying the confirmation of John Brennan as CIA director. It was refreshing to see a senator literally stand up for the affirmation of Constitutional rights.

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul launched a 12-hour 52-minute filibuster blocking the confirmation of John Brennan as CIA director. Paul blocked Brennan in protest of the Justice Department’s stance on potential domestic drone strikes. | Wikimedia Commons

Paul’s real issue was not Brennan, but was with the possible use of unmanned combat air vehicle — drone — strikes by the federal government on its citizens. It’s a possibility that drones could be used in U.S. territory, said U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder in response to Paul’s question on domestic drone strikes.

“It is possible, I suppose, to imagine an extraordinary circumstance in which it would be necessary and appropriate under the Constitution and applicable laws of the U.S. for the president to authorize the military to use lethal force within the territory of the U.S.,” Holder said.

“Were such an emergency to arise, I would examine the particular facts and circumstances before advising the president on the scope of his authority,” he said.

Paul’s response was to lash out in fear that one day unmanned drones may be used on U.S. soil to kill American citizens.

“Where’s the cacophony that stood up and said ‘How can you tap my phone without going to a judge first?’ I say, ‘How can you kill someone without going to a judge first?’” Paul said.

You cannot use drone strikes on American citizens when merely seizing property requires a warrant. The thought of it is way beyond unethical and unlawful. It’s funny that the same politicians who cried foul at the use of “torture” are now silent about killing presumed American terrorists. In the U.S., criminals are given due process, and if we give carte blanche to the federal government in the use of drones, we don’t know what these aircrafts may be used for in the future.

The nonpartisan think-tank, The New America Foundation, estimates the U.S. has carried out 349 CIA drone strikes in Pakistan and 61 in Yemen. These drones have been used to kill al-Qaida members and similar threats to U.S. safety.

When it comes to the safety of the masses, killing a terrorist does not keep me up at night. For those who kill countless innocents indiscriminately, I am unsympathetic. The real issue is that it is possible that the CIA may wish to use drone strikes on American terrorists who are an imminent threat. The problem exists in distinguishing what an “imminent” treat is.

There is a debate to be had here. On the one hand, you do not want to risk the lives of many for the life of one hate-monger. On the other, when you start striking people with little regard to due process, it dehumanizes us and trivializes life.

For now, we should stick to the old-fashioned way of handling this problem: by allowing due process to run its course and by putting found-guilty criminals behind bars. When the time comes, we will need to use common sense when choosing how to handle domestic terrorists who are perceived as a serious threat.

Paul’s filibuster drew a line in the sand not only between Republicans and Democrats, but within the Republican Party as well. Paul showed courage and resolution that is seemingly not present in the Senate as a whole.

“If there were an ounce of courage in this body, I would be joined by other senators … saying they will not tolerate this,” Paul said.

Sarah Backer is a business sophomore and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com.

Among some of conservatives’ greatest hopes for a Mitt Romney presidential victory in 2012 was the potential of repealing or delaying the implementation of the heart of the Affordable Car Act, also known as ObamaCare.

David Delgado | The Daily Cougar

Among the number of changes coming this year is the expansion of Medicaid. However, Gov. Rick Perry has never been a supporter of ObamaCare and has opposed it at every step and turn.

“I will not be party to socializing health care and bankrupting my state in direct contradiction to our Constitution and our founding principles of limited government,” Perry said in a July 9 statement.

While other Republican governors, like Florida’s Rick Scott and Arizona’s Jan Brewer, have agreed to expand Medicaid, the unwillingness of Perry is irresponsible, and it will leave countless numbers of lower and lower-middle class Texans without healthcare.

The state’s former chief budget estimator, Billy Hamilton, said if Texas were to spend $15 billion the state would garner $100 billion in federal money, and an expansion of Medicaid would halve the state with the highest uninsured rate, 24 percent. It is a win-win for both the state and its people. Obamacare is here to stay. Instead of fighting a losing battle, Perry needs to get on the bandwagon.

Friday, hundreds turned out in Austin to rally in support of Medicaid expansion. It came on the heels of lawmakers trying to find a solution that would work best for Texas and the effort has been dubbed the “Texas Solution.”

Republicans in Austin already voted down a resolution that would’ve met the requirements laid out in the Affordable Care Act. Under the law, once the state decides to expand Medicaid, the federal government would fund the expansion and let the state take over the costs.

While conservative and moderate lawmakers might be against ObamaCare, many like Scott are willing to comply if the federal government pays for it all.

According to the Texas Tribune, lawmakers in Austin are planning to reform Medicaid with options that call for poor Texans to pay something in to the system — such as co-payments or subsidized private insurance — without having to expand Medicaid directly and still taking block grants from the federal government, something the Obama administration has been reluctant to approve.

Lucy Nashed, a spokesperson for the governor, said in an email to the media that Perry just wants flexibility.

“What he is interested in, and for years has called for, is more flexibility from the federal government so we can tailor the way we deliver health care to address our specific challenges,” she said.

On Feb. 20, Nashed said the governor’s position has not changed.

“It would be irresponsible to add more Texans and dump more taxpayer dollars into an unsustainable system that is broken and already consumes a quarter of our budget,” she said.

Perry has to stop the political posturing and do what is best for Texas, and that includes ensuring everyone has access to health care.

Saturday, Rice University demographers Michael Cline and Steve Murdock told statesman.com they predict that without Medicaid expansion, the number of uninsured Texans will drop from 6.1 million to 4.5 million.

Should the state choose to expand Medicaid, that number could drop to 3 million. Latinos are one of the groups that would benefit the most from the expansion, and opposing the expansion might mean the state Republicans would alienate Latino voters once again, as well as others who would benefit from Medicaid.

The Texas Medical Association said only 31 percent of Texas doctors accept all new Medicaid patients; that should be taken with a grain of salt since, as politifact.com reports, the number came from a poll with a sample size of four percent.

The number is down from 42 percent in 2010, and according to a report released by the TMA, it is because of the reduction or elimination of payments for co-insurance and deductibles to the eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid. If the poll is taken on face value, that’s a disturbing sign of things to come without Medicaid expansion.

The only sensible plan out there is being put forth by state Sen. Tom Williams. The Tribune reports that his proposal would include co-payments and deductibles for Medicaid patients, reimbursement rates that encourage good patient outcomes, and it would allow the state to develop tailored benefit packages for Medicaid recipients’ different health needs.

Increasing access to the health care benefits everyone and is a good thing for Texas. As more states decide to expand Medicaid, Texas and its governor continue to be on the wrong side of history.

Alex Caballero is a creative writing senior and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com.

Midterms have come and gone, a ginormous weight is lifted off your chest and your first instinct on the first day of Spring Break is to go crazy and have as much fun as you can stand — literally. As Cougars have spread across the world to their spring break destinations, they need to remember to remain safe as it winds down. While having fun is imperative to keeping our sanity for the remainder of the semester, young adults are prone to going past the point of fun and entering a dangerous area.

David Delgado/The Daily Cougar

Alcohol poisoning is one of the many ways a carefree situation can turn hazardous. Drinking is a common social experience for young adults, but the volume of alcohol is concerning. People —  foolishly believing that their friends are nearby to take them home and that as long as there’s plenty of booze, good times will be had by all — drink whatever beverage they happen to come upon at a party. They push their luck with drink after drink, until finally, the body has enough and needs to purge.

Oftentimes, it is hard to determine when an individual has surpassed the limit of being drunk into having alcohol poisoning. When you’re out partying with your friends this week, keep a level head and watch out for the symptoms of alcohol poisoning, which according to mayoclinic.com include: “Confusion, stupor, vomiting, seizures, slow breathing (less than eight breaths a minute), irregular breathing (a gap of more than 10 seconds between breaths), blue-tinged skin or pale skin, low body temperature (hypothermia) and unconsciousness.”

Psychology senior Brenda Robles knew her friend was showing symptoms of alcohol poisoning when they were getting ready to leave a house party.

“Apparently (my friend) had been mixing different types of drinks and then all of the sudden she started feeling really sick, and she fainted,” Robles said. “She lost consciousness, and her boyfriend had to carry her to the car. She couldn’t stand up on her own. We ended up having to take her to the hospital.”

According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, if a patient is showing signs of trouble breathing, the patient might be administered oxygen therapy, which is where oxygen is pumped through the nose, down the throat or in a face mask. Sometimes, if the patient is in bad enough shape, doctors will pump the patient’s stomach.

If you have a friend who has had too much to drink, start giving them water. Though alcohol is liquid, it has no beneficial needs for the body. Drinking water should rehydrate the tissues and dilute the alcohol in their system, possibly preventing vomiting, but if nothing else, it gives them a chance to drink something else and sober up. However, when someone is suffering from alcohol poisoning, intravenous fluids are administered to prevent dehydration.

According to collegedrinkingprvention.gov, “Untreated dehydration can result in seizures, brain damage and even death.”

So while you are all off on your adventures, keep in mind that though throwing caution to the wind and having a good time sounds awesome, the fun and games end when you or a friend have to go to the hospital to treat alcohol poisoning. Please drink responsibly this weekend, and come back from spring break refreshed.

Kelly Schafler is a creative writing sophomore and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com.