Are you eligible for the Charlotte Newcombe Scholarship and the UMBC Scholarship for returning students? You must answer YES to the following questions to be eligible.

• Are you a student 25 years old or older?

• Are you working toward your first undergraduate degree?

• Are you enrolled for fall and/or spring classes?

• Have you earned at least 60 credits?

• Do you have at least a 2.5 GPA?

• Are you in financial need?

• Are you willing to attend group meetings and/or contact meetings that are designed to help support you as a mature women?

If so... feel free to download an application today for the 2012-2013 school year. For questions, feel free to contact Jess in the Women's Center or at jessm@umbc.edu.

Applications are due April 6, 2012.

Andrea Appleton at City Paper reviewed the MFA Imaging and Digital Arts Thesis Exhibition at the Center for Art, Design and Visual Culture in the publication’s February 8th issue, concluding with, “Bravo, class of 2012. This is a show not to be missed.” The exhibition, on display through February 18, features work by Visual Arts graduate students Meghan Flanigan, Gary Kachadourian, Timothy Noble and Ali Seley.

To read City Paper‘s review—”A UMBC MFA exhibition dazzles with its scope, quality, and sense of fun”—click here. For additional information about the exhibition, visit the Arts & Culture Calendar.

Photo by Steve Bradley.

Mel Brooks fans are well aware of this scene from Spaceballs The Movie. As with all things Mel Brooks this movie is over the top: only screwball character would leave planetary security protected by a password as absurd as: 12345. Right?

Enter Bashar al-Assad the latest victim of the hactavist group Anonymous. The group hacked the  Syrian President’s email accounts and dumped hundreds of pages of not so nice material on the web.

But by the sound of things it didn’t need a super covert group of genius hackers to get into Assad’s files which were guarded by the password . . .

You guessed it 12345.

We know dictators are not so good with computers. But we feel embarrassed for this guy so we would like to offer him some secure passwords that are not obvious at all.

Guest

Password (as well as the underutilized Password2)

Assad

Syria

asdf

letmein

xxxxxx

91165 (his birthday)

or if they are feeling creative 54321

In case you can’t view this video, here is a link.

Prop-8 news broke today. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in California ruled the statute unconstitutional. We can expect to see marriage opponents before the Supreme Court in the near future.

Among the struggle for marriage equality across the country–serious consideration being given in Maine, New Jersey, and Maryland–an interesting trend has come about in the business world.

Starbucks has come under fire for its support of same-sex marriage in Washington state, where it is headquartered. The coffee company joins the ranks of Microsoft and Nike, who also have voiced their support.

Why are these companies putting their economic necks on the line while plenty of others have stayed silent? Frank Bruni argues in the New York Times that “It’s the future.”

Now that marriage licenses are offered to two consenting adults, irrespective of their sex, in Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont, and Washington, D.C., it has become clear to these companies that living in the past and upholding a discriminatory position on the matter does them no good.

As well, they’re betting that it makes business sense to speak out. Time will tell if they’re right. What do you think?

Courtesy of montriphotography.netx

We know about Fish and Chips… How about Lizard and Fries?

If the government of Puerto Rico has its way, you may be enjoying some delectable iguana in the near future.

Government officials have announced that they will kill scores of reptiles and export their meat to rid the island of their existence.

Right now there are more iguanas than humans (nearly 4 million) which can grow up to 6 feet and live roughly for 20 years since there is a lack of natural predators.

Volunteers will be trained to capture live iguanas and bring them to a processing center for slaughter and distribution to the U.S.

Exotic meats have been slowly making a comeback in the United States since the ban on horse meat sales was lifted.

Folks hope the high price of iguana meat in the US could be help boost their exports and help turn around there weakened economy…

Assuming there is a big appetite for Lizard Burgers.