By Sarah Stitzlein, Professor of Education and Affiliate Faculty in Philosophy, University of Cincinnati . Hundreds of students protesting gun violence marched to the Minnesota State Capitol on March 7, 2018. Jim Mone/AP In scenes unprecedented in previous school shootings, the past few weeks have been marked by students taking to the streets, to the media,… … [Read more...] about Teaching students how to dissent is part of democracy
Blackmail (Cartoon and Column)
lyssa Mastromonaco, former deputy chief of staff for operations in the Obama administration recently wrote, “When you go to work in the White House, you divest yourself of your secrets for the same reason you divest yourself of your financial holdings: so people can’t blackmail you.” Jared and Ivanka Trump both lied about their debt while filing their disclosure forms with … [Read more...] about Blackmail (Cartoon and Column)
Putin: Russia’s post-Soviet tsar
Vladimir Putin, who is set to extend his long rule to 2024 in Russia's presidential election on Sunday, has stamped his total authority in Russia, silencing opposition and reasserting Moscow's lost might abroad. The 65-year-old former KGB officer has reimposed the Kremlin's grip over society since taking power 18 years ago after a lawless but relatively… … [Read more...] about Putin: Russia’s post-Soviet tsar
The Willy Loman presidency
WASHINGTON -- One of President Trump's favorite words is "strong." His obsession with strength leads him to a love for unilateral announcements, denunciations of staff members by way of showing who is in charge, and Twitter wars designed to prove that he will not back down from any fight. Yet Trump is also a pleaser who likes to make those in his immediate company happy by … [Read more...] about The Willy Loman presidency
(Movie Review): GRINGO Isn’t Masterful, But It Delights All the Same
SCORE: 3/5 The most compelling characters in movies are always the ones embodying thankless virtues. In a medium that mythologizes villains and sociopaths, even modest heroes shimmer in the dark. This is the appeal of Harold, played by David Oyelowo. He is a peed-upon employee working a soul-sucking job at Cannabax, a pharmaceutical company on the forefront of cannabis … [Read more...] about (Movie Review): GRINGO Isn’t Masterful, But It Delights All the Same
(UPDATED) West Meets East: Stormy & Vlad Make It Clear That It’s About Sex & Blackmail
What do Stormy Daniels and Vladimir Putin have in common? More than you might think. This is because when you strip away the layers of sleaze around Donald Trump's now well-documented affair with the pornographic film star and the layers of deceit around his now well-documented relationship with Russians, you end up with a president profoundly susceptible to blackmail over … [Read more...] about (UPDATED) West Meets East: Stormy & Vlad Make It Clear That It’s About Sex & Blackmail
California Shaming (Cartoon, Column and Video)
If you don’t know what song I’m spoofing here, get off my blog. Jeff Sessions went to California, held a press conference and said, “California, we have a problem.” The Attorney General and Justice Department are suing the state of California over so-called sanctuary cities. This is a lawsuit with an audience of one, Donald Trump. Sessions has been on Trump’s hit list of … [Read more...] about California Shaming (Cartoon, Column and Video)
I covered steel decades ago. Imposing tariffs has only gotten dumber.
WASHINGTON -- The steel industry, shedding workers, shutting plants and bleeding red ink, pleaded with the federal government for tariffs on imports. As the government obliged, a young reporter on the steel beat for the Wall Street Journal cautioned that tariffs could "ultimately do the industry more harm than good" because the real threat to big steel wasn't foreign … [Read more...] about I covered steel decades ago. Imposing tariffs has only gotten dumber.
Indian doctors suspended after severed leg used as pillow
Indian authorities have suspended two doctors and launched an investigation after a patient's severed leg was used as a pillow to prop up his head, a hospital official said Sunday. Administrators at the government-run hospital in Uttar Pradesh state vowed "strict action" after images emerged showing the patient on a stretcher with the amputated limb being… … [Read more...] about Indian doctors suspended after severed leg used as pillow
Cartoon: Aging Dems
Putin Says ‘Jews’ May be Behind U.S. Election Meddling
Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Jews may be behind alleged meddling in the U.S. presidential election. In an interview broadcast late Friday, Putin was asked by NBC's Megyn Kelly whether he condoned the electoral interference by 13 Russians named in an indictment by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. “Maybe they are not even Russians but Ukrainians,… … [Read more...] about Putin Says ‘Jews’ May be Behind U.S. Election Meddling
How Stormy’s Lover Saved The Olympics
Has anyone noticed how Stormy Daniels’ former sex partner is wandering the American landscape claiming that he, and only he, saved the Winter Olympics? Who knew they even needed saving before his third person self-congratulatory oratory? His claim is apparently based on the theory that his lingering fantasies about the Daniels’ affair led him to conclude that he should not nuke … [Read more...] about How Stormy’s Lover Saved The Olympics
The Stormy Daniels Affair in Rhyme Flair (UPDATED)
[See “Update” at bottom.] Allegations of lurid sexual escapades by our “first porn president” have become so commonplace, so “normalized,” that, where they would have sunk any other presidency, they now merely draw a yawn from many Americans, a “you get a mulligan…a do-over” from the religious right and even a “that-a-boy!” from his core supporters. However, the … [Read more...] about The Stormy Daniels Affair in Rhyme Flair (UPDATED)
A Wrinkle In Time (2018)
It is the age-old story of light vs. dark and good vs. evil. A Wrinkle In Time expresses itself through ideas of love and understanding, and that the qualities you find within yourself are what matter most. However, if you are looking for an epic tale, with complexity, strength and a developed plot, this film is not for you. A Wrinkle In Time fails to meet expectations. In … [Read more...] about A Wrinkle In Time (2018)
Are You Sure
The picture above is of an old pair of Churchill fins; the fin of choice by bodysurfers. This pair has seen better days and is now decorative. Which one is the leftie and which one is the righty? Answer: the left foot is hanging on the left and the right foot is hanging on the right. At first glance it might look the opposite because some think the big toe would fit … [Read more...] about Are You Sure
Spain extends citizenship law for Sephardic Jews
Spain said Friday it would extend by one year a law that makes it easier for descendants of Jews who were forced to flee five centuries ago during the Inquisition to get citizenship. The law -- which aims to correct the "historical mistake" of sending Jews into exile in 1492, forcing them to convert to Catholicism… … [Read more...] about Spain extends citizenship law for Sephardic Jews
100 years later, the madness of daylight saving time endures
By Michael Downing, Lecturer in Creative Writing, Tufts University. Unfortunately, there's not an unlimited amount of daylight that we can squeeze out of our clocks. igorstevanovic/Shutterstock.com One hundred years after Congress passed the first daylight saving legislation, lawmakers in Florida this week passed the “Sunshine Protection Act,” which will make daylight saving a … [Read more...] about 100 years later, the madness of daylight saving time endures
Cartoon: Bad Hair Summit
The one thing North Korea has craved for the entirety of its existence is legitimacy. Donald Trump just gave it to them. Republicans criticized President Obama for saying he was open to talks with Iran. Even then, there were negotiations for negotiations. Obama never met with the leaders of Iran. Instead, he sent diplomats to negotiate with their diplomats. The State and … [Read more...] about Cartoon: Bad Hair Summit
My brother
Gun violence hits me close to home. I once had a brother, a younger brother, Abid. He owned a less than perfect life in more than one ways. The place was Lahore, Pakistan; the decade was the 1980s, mother had cancer, the struggle, the suffering, her death and Abid suffered with her, perhaps more than her. She passed on and his struggles and issues, piled on. We all … [Read more...] about My brother
“Pharma Bro” Shkreli BROken As He Weeps During Sentencing
Embed from Getty Images There's an old saying: It couldn't happen to a nicer guy. Enter Martin Shkreli, who became the face much of American just wanted to punch due to his greed, arrogance and lack of empathy. In case you were on Mars the past few years, Shkreli became (in)famous for raising the price of the drug Daraprim by more than 5,000 percent while running Turing … [Read more...] about “Pharma Bro” Shkreli BROken As He Weeps During Sentencing