Stepping away from the politics for a moment, here at Chez’ Jazz we had a Mexican dinner tonight, including some sour cream and guacamole as condiments. The small sour cream container was emptied during the course of the meal and my wife decided to allow our tiny schnauzer, Max, a chance at licking it clean before it was thrown away. I suppose what came next was inevitable. He had to be rescued.

Thinking about the huge and growing chasm between Main Street and Wall Street recently led me to think about a similar chasm in our nation’s history — one that generated enormous populist anger at the end of the 19th century. The issue then in a technical sense involved gold and silver, but came down to whether the government should put more money into circulation in a way that would help the indebted...

In his excellent post honoring our veterans, Jazz Shaw mentioned that “The debt we owe to our returning heroes runs much deeper than a free pass to Disneyland.” While we have come a long way in how we treat our veterans and in improving the benefits and services our veterans receive, especially under the leadership of Gen. Eric Shinseki, we still have a long way to go. In particular, as mentioned...

Natalie Portman is giving up eggs and milk. She writes on HuffPo: Jonathan Safran Foer’s book Eating Animals changed me from a twenty-year vegetarian to a vegan activist. I’ve always been shy about being critical of others’ choices because I hate when people do that to me. I’m often interrogated about being vegetarian (e.g., “What if you find out that carrots feel pain, too? Then...

This is a great ‘get out of my face’ song:

The $8000 tax incentive for new home buyers is designed to help spur on the homebuilding and home sales markets. Unfortunately it misses the mark in several respects. The biggest plug in the system are those who have homes, need to move for a new job opportunity, change in job status that could threaten their ability to pay the mortgage, want to move to a new school district or would like to upsize or downsize....

From the very outset of the health reform legislation debate, I had this premonition that when the House and Senate bills reached the conference committee for reconciliation, President Barack Obama would come charging to the rescue like the hero wearing the white hat in those old western movies. He still may do that if the Senate manages to actually pass a bill but he is quickly running out of ammunition. He...

by Walter Brasch NBC news correspondent Jenna Bush Hager had a news exclusive. And, like news exclusives in the Era of Infotainment TV, this one was broadcast by the entertainment division. Specifically, Jenna Bush interviewed her mother, Laura Bush, on 38th episode of “The Jay Leno Show.” It makes no difference what the questions or answers were. Journalism hasn’t been a priority of television...

Exactly 20 years ago today, the infamous Berlin Wall “came down.” It would still be weeks and months before the monstrous construction would be actually torn down. However, the symbolic, emotional—and practical—impacts of that night 20 years ago were real, are still with us and are vividly remembered. The following article appeared today in the Austin American-Statesman and has been...

Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner did something the other day that not only perfectly reveals his economic priorities (and those of the Obama Administration), it suggests the still very shaky state of some of our biggest banks. He put the kibosh on a proposal for a so-called “Tobin Tax” — named for the Nobel laureate who originally proposed it — a tax on stock sale transactions. Such a tax is...

This one needs no commentary. Just turn up the volume and open up your hearts.

This is the second in a series of articles dedicated to our Veterans. According to the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, Veterans Day is a day to honor America’s veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good. Of course, every man or woman who has honorably served our nation in the military is a patriot and is honored on Veterans Day. There...

It’s such a sad composition/But can you blame me/For what’s been causing my bad disposition?

This is a disgrace. Republicans in Congress have descended into a muck so deep I’m wondering if they can ever find their way out:

What bothers me is the time frame and number of shots fired from one if not two pistols by Army Maj. Nidal M. Hasan in Thursday’s shooting spree at Fort Hood, Tex. News reports and eye witnesses said the shootings lasted nearly 30 minutes. Army investigators said more than 100 shots were fired. Local police were quoted as saying all the shell casings were recovered from the same gun. If that is true, what...

“With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before God on high? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?” He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but...

On Mid Stream Radio today, coming to you one hour earlier than normal at noon eastern, eleven central and 9 am on the left coast, Cindy and I will welcome Ed Morrissey of Hot Air (who it feels like I’ve been talking to all week, but it’s been fun!) to cover the health care bill push as it happens, as well as future birds closing down CERN, more on the Ft. Hood shooting spree, and just how long might...

I am longing for the rational, the creative, the imaginative, and the loving. Can’t find it in the news right now, but I can always find it in music. Here is Sheryl Crow, singing “Love Is Free” with The Malloys:

Yesterday the Dow rose 203 points on news about employment. A “mere” 512,000 more Americans lost their jobs last week, the 51st consecutive week that weekly job loses exceeded 500,000, This number nonetheless not only beat analyst expectations, it was a bit lower than some previous months job loses. It thus convinced traders that today’s non-farm jobs report for October would show that “only”...

I’ve given President Barack Obama a long leash in his efforts at governing and now must concede his biggest mistake in changing how Washington works is his staff’s petty feud with Fox News. This running story has legs and they must be chopped off at the knees. This dog must sit, lie down, whacked on the behind with a rolled newspaper and attend obedience school. The latest bark from the White House...

November 11 is Veterans Day. A day—a celebration—to honor America’s veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good. This is the first of three articles honoring those men and women. Two months ago, in “Leave No Man Behind—65 Years Later,” I praised the spirit and culture of our military as reflected in the creed that you don’t...

The one thing that is clear from the most recent elections and those that occurred a year ago is that the people of this country want our elected officials to stop playing the political game, to stop worrying about whether the Democrats or Republicans “won” or “lost” and start to solve the critical problems that they care about. I for one abhor the constant discussion on TV, radio, blogs and in print...

I had planned to publish a more detailed review of the elections but I ended up spending two hours in the dental chair today getting a filling replaced. I’ve got one more filling to go plus a deep cleaning so I was pretty distracted today getting ahead on work. As a result  I’ll post my more technical analysis this weekend, for those who are geeky enough to enjoy. However in the meantime I thought...

While Americans tuned into the political gyrations of a handful of elections yesterday and political operatives pontificating what it all means today, it remains dwarfed by what happened in Afghanistan. Five British soldiers embedded with locals were shot and killed by an Afghan policeman with whom they were mentoring at a security outpost in Helmand Province. The embedded NATO troops were carrying out a key...

Yesterday, I received a note (on my Facebook page) from Vanessa Grigoriadis, author of the Nancy Pelosi profile in New York Magazine that I critiqued here. The note says: