Editors, the Gauntlet,

Re: "Questionable pamphlet posted on Campus." Nov. 25.

It was with great concern that I read about the National Alliance pamphlets being distributed on campus. The article was informative but seemed to lack basic information about the National Alliance.

As we filled her vast orifices with any chunky metal we could find, it dawned on me that change was occurring. She struggled to take the last drop and finally collapsed under the pressure. The change wasn't just here and now, but on a metaphysical level. We were trying to beat the system and it finally seemed like she was full. Wait a second, maybe I'd better start again, this time further back.

Russia has been shelling the Chechen capital of Grozny since last week. Russian forces appear to have directly attacked only some of the fleeing civilians. I guess things are looking up for noncombatants in Chechnya.

Stereotypes cluttered the media this week as the unfolding saga of Reform MP Jack Ramsay dominated front pages. Even given the charge of attempted rape, Ramsay's past is almost forgivable if only he had simply remained appropriately remorseful about the situation. One can respect a man who admits his wrongful acts of 30 years ago and apologizes with a certain acknowledgment of how he's learned from and moved past those mistakes. This is the basis of parole for criminals after all, and it could have served Ramsay well.

We've all heard the high-minded rhetoric, but ultimately, the choice to use or not use any substance is an intensely personal one. Authorities on drug use point out that users are generally very well informed about the substances they are using.

Friday Nov. 26 was Buy Nothing Day. I know this because there are numerous posters and banners around the University of Calgary proclaiming it so. On most of the posters is the catchy slogan "Consume less. Live more." Unfortunately, this slogan is a contradiction in terms. Consumption is the fundamental requirement of life. The basic needs of human kind are food, water and air, all of which must be consumed to ensure continued life.

Women are not funny. In grade school, who were the kids who made their classmates laugh? Who made complete asses out of themselves for a chuckle? The girls? No. It was the runny-nosed boy with pencils up his nose entertaining the class.

You probably don't know who he is and you probably don't know what he's done. For rookie middle linebacker PJ Shea that's just fine. As far as he's concerned he "didn't do anything special this year."

"Special" would refer to the team-leading 50 individual tackles Shea completed. As a matter of fact, he finished in sixth in the entire country for this little accomplishment. Shea has a reason for that.

Christmas will be more jolly for the Dinos men's hockey team this year, as the team closed out the first half of the season in third place. Beating the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds last Friday 3-1, and then tying 4-4 on Saturday, the weekend was reasonably successful. Both Lethbridge and Manitoba gave the Dinos an early Christmas present by losing all of their weekend games.

It has not been an easy season for the Dinos women's volleyball team. A 1-7 start is certainly a difficult obstacle to overcome, especially for a young team. The losses, however, had all come against top-10 teams, a fact which a Dinos fan would be quick to point out. The young Dinos are out to prove they are better than their record and it showed through their play last weekend.