Opinions

If you've flipped through an issue of Muscle and Fitness, Shape or Self lately, you've probably noticed a few similarities between the models. They're tight, they're toned, and above all, they're perfectly tanned. In the world of bodybuilding, where aesthetics is king, maintaining a deep tan is the key to making muscles look their best.

There is a definite lack of cell phone etiquette when it comes to enclosed public places and classrooms. Many people give off the impression that their phone conversation is more important than the people nearby. A cell phone is the responsibility of its owner, and if cell phone users won't start respecting others' space by limiting public conversations and obnoxious rings, cellular phone regulations should become more binding.

With oil prices at record highs in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, many journalists and politicians are calling the situation a crisis, and it's easy to see why. As of Tuesday, roughly a quarter of U.S. refining capacity and oil production remained paralyzed, contributing to the worst disruption of the U.

Last week, world leaders met in New York at the UN for this year's World Summit. In addition to being the biggest annual event for the international body, this year also marks the sixtieth anniversary of the UN's founding just after the end of World War II.

Analysts predict that 2005 will be the year of Voice over IP (VoIP). This year more businesses are expected to buy VoIP telephone systems than conventional telephone systems. Paradoxically, consumers unhappy with the Plain Old Telephone System (POTS) think of VoIP as some sort of an urban legend used to scare unruly children.

As the lazy days of summer fade into the crisp, brisk days of fall, chances are you'll be full of energy and likely to ramp up your workouts as a result. But if you kick things up too many notches too soon, you may find yourself sidelined by a nasty strain or sprain.

With both National Hockey League teams and our own Concordia Stingers men's and women's teams preparing for the upcoming hockey season with training camps and exhibition games, it brings many emotions. First off, it felt great to look at the front page of Monday's Gazette and see a picture of the Canadiens celebrating a goal in their first game in over 500 days (no, I didn't count them myself).

This winter will be Montreal's last as a city that with restrictions on its nightlife. Cities across Canada and the US have one-by-one forced their smokers out onto the streets, and after May 2006, Montreal inhabitants and visitors alike will also be fighting for sidewalk space on the busy Main.

Last week Prime Minister Paul Martin rolled out the red carpet for a state visit from Chinese President Hu Jintao. The pomp and ceremony is justified when you consider that China is Canada's second-largest trading partner after the U.S. and the world's largest developing market.

In an earlier column I mentioned that deleting a file doesn't actually mean it's gone. It's like tearing the table of contents out of a book; you might not know where anything specific is, but you can still flip through the book and read as you please. This is what file recovery programs do and incidentally why identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in North America.

Math may not be your favourite subject, but if you're looking to supercharge your workouts, keep your calories in check and fend off fat, you'd be well-advised to embrace the basics. A calculator just might trump the treadmill in helping you meet your weight-loss goals if you use it to compute the four vital stats below.

McGill and Concordia. The only two English-speaking Universities in Montreal. It pulls friends and families apart. The two schools hate one other so much that our blood boils at the thought of a sports game between them. It's a rivalry like no other... Or is it? Is this whole McGill-Concordia rivalry fact or fiction? It depends on who you ask.