Breaking the Bubble

A lot of things went on outside of the bubble of Georgia Tech this week. Below are summaries of a few of the important events taking place throughout the nation and the world.

Californians recall Davis, install Terminator

Californians voted Tuesday to recall Governor Gray Davis and replace him with movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger. The recall comes less than a year after Davis was reelected. Voters cited a poor economy and the state’s budget crisis as their reasons for supporting the recall effort. Davis is the first governor since 1921 to be recalled from office. Schwarzenegger, who weathered last-minute allegations of sexual harassment and Nazi sympathies, will begin his term as governor in mid-November.

Arrest of Shiite cleric sparks riots in Baghdad

Over 2000 Shiite Muslims vented their anger about the arrest of a Shiite cleric by protesting outside the US-led administration headquarters. The cleric was arrested for holding weapons, including grenades, assault rifles and gas masks, at a holy site. The cleric was also charged with encouraging Iraqis to repudiate the US occupation and interim government. Coalition forces handled the situation by inviting protesters in to speak about their frustrations.

Meanwhile, the Turkish parliament agreed to allow the deployment of Turkish troops to Iraq. Between 5,000 and 10,000 soldiers will likely be deployed to the Sunni triangle, an area between Baghdad and Tikrit. They will not be deployed to Kurdish areas in the north of Iraq because of a long history of tension.

Performer mauled on stage by white tiger

Roy Horn of “Siegfried and Roy” was attacked by one of the duo’s famous white tigers at a performance Friday night. Some audience members did not know whether the scene was part of the act or not. The tiger bit Roy’s neck. Witnesses said Roy looked like a rag doll in the tiger’s mouth. Crew members used a fire extinguisher to stop the attack. Roy remains in critical but stable condition.

Leaked Half-Life 2 source code may delay release

A portion of the source code to Half-Life 2, the sequel to a popular PC game, was pirated and released into piracy circles last Tuesday. The leak of information may delay the release of the game until spring 2004. It was originally scheduled to be released this fall.