Opinion

Answers on lawsuit funding

Dennis Wall alumnus Class of 1973 Jan. 17

My first last semester

Notre Dame’s secular financial self

Smiles for service industry

Value of knowledge over capital

‘Sticks and stones’ lied: words can always hurt

Make room for ROTC

The people you’ll meet: Syllabus Week

Changing the economic discussion

Vacation from hell

Hard mode

Eight good reasons for 'Breaking Bad'

It's that wonderful time of year. The permacloud has swallowed the sun. South Quad is once again an Arctic wind tunnel. The library is buzzing with the collective whining hum of thousands of students/martyrs preparing to offer themselves on the altar of finals, sleeping in study rooms and shampooing their hair with their own tears. More importantly, Christmas break is almost upon us. The world is my oyster during Christmas break, and as such, I choose to spend this year's oyster lying on my couch re-watching all of "Breaking Bad." Thinking about the hours of programming glory that await me, and still mourning the tragic cancellation of "Low Winter Sun," I have compiled a list of the top eight ways "Breaking Bad" could have ended but didn't. Why only eight reasons, you ask? Why not 10? Probably because I couldn't think of 10 reasons that wouldn't get me fired. It goes without saying that this column will contain spoilers. If you keep reading and blame me for ruining "Breaking Bad" for you then, well, you probably voted for Ralph Nader in the last election. 1) Walter Jr. beats out Tommy Rees for the starting quarterback job, wins the Heisman and dedicates it to Uncle Hank. Notre Dame goes on to beat Pittsburgh, and thus I go on not to cry myself to sleep. 2) Heisenberg (Walter White) turns out to be the guy who sent Ricin to Obama. 3) Heisenberg is actually Obama. 4) "Breaking Bad" was actually "Low Winter Sun" the whole time. 5) Walt mounts a machine gun on his car and drives through the ND Wall Street Forum. He is quickly thanked and absolved of all charges. 6) Skyler uses Walt's money to finally have the stick removed from her, well, you know. 7) The show's characters realize they're living in Arizona, spend the rest of the episode wondering why exactly they're living in Arizona. 8) Walter Jr. challenges Walt to a breakdance contest, takes this "to the streets" as Skyler looks on disapprovingly.

Tied into happiness

Those who know me know that I like to wear ties...a lot. Over the years I have amassed a collection of many different types of ties: striped, plain-colored, checkered and paisley. If you can think of a tie design, there's a good chance I have worn it.

Obama is not 'worst president in history'

Now that Obama's "Affordable Care Act" has successfully - or not so successfully - been put into action, I think it's time that we use the income the program will bring to euthanize the old. Okay, not really. But we need to kill the old school of thought that says all aspects of socialism are bad and that capitalism is always the answer.

Put a smile on

As of the writing of this sentence, it is two degrees outside. I've slept for 47  minutes of the past 44 hours. I still have two group projects, two papers, and this column due in the next two days, with six finals looming in the future. It's a situation no different than those faced by students all over campus as stress creeps in and starts dampening campus' Christmas spirit. There's little we can do to avoid or alleviate the pain.  But here's what you can do. Somewhere between finding your finest pair of sweatpants, grabbing some snacks and trekking to the library, try this: Put on a smile.

Mother knows best

My father and my mother have been instrumental in shaping who I am today. Remnants of the hours spent on 4H projects, always with attention for detail and an eye towards perfection, still exist in the meticulous proofreading of papers and emails. My mother always had high expectations for me, and she was often the external stimulus for achieving those expectations.

Remembering Alan Sondej, Class of '74

Editor's note: This article originally appeared on the website of Notre Dame Magazine on March 18. The Observer will run this piece in a two part series, the second part to run tomorrow, Friday, Dec. 6.  

Innovation by the Vatican

Last week Pope Francis once again excited the world with his words, as he published "EvangeliiGaudium," the first lengthy papal exhortation written exclusively by him.  John Allen, the Vatican observer for the National Catholic Reporter called it the pope's "I Have a Dream" text, referencing the epic work of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., perhaps the most famous religious leader in our nation's history.

Inspired laziness

While frantically racking my brain for meaningful things to write about in this last-minute inside column, I happened to find something quite unexpected. It's a particularly pertinent quotation from a book by Herman Melville about whales. The bit goes something (well, exactly) like this: "But, perhaps, to be true philosophers, we mortals should not be conscious of so living or so striving."

Unrealized potential