At 69 I like most of the people alive I have lived with the threat of nuclear weapons all of my life. Less than 10 months before I was born the first nuclear weapon was detonated in New Mexico. It was code named Trinity. The light of a nuclear explosion is unlike anything else on Earth. This is because the heat of a nuclear explosion is unlike anything else on Earth. … [Read more...] about Hell on Earth
Deal with Iran: Payback for Saudi Role on 9-11? (L’Orient Le Jour, Lebanon)
If senior officials of one of your closest allies played a role in the most devastating terrorist attacks ever to strike your country - it seems logical that one might look for alternatives. So - did the Saudi role in the September 11th attacks figure in the agreement on Iran's nuclear program reached in Vienna last week? In this interview with Lebanon's L'Orient Le Jour, Dr. … [Read more...] about Deal with Iran: Payback for Saudi Role on 9-11? (L’Orient Le Jour, Lebanon)
Breaking News: Four Killed at Naval Reserve Center (Updates)
Even more bad news: The U.S. Navy reports: A male Navy Petty Officer succumbed to wounds received in the July 16 shooting at the Navy Operational Support Center (NOSC) in Chattanooga, Tennessee July 18 at 2:17 a.m. In total, four U.S. Marines and one Sailor were killed in the incident. His name will not be released until 24 hours after the next of kin process is … [Read more...] about Breaking News: Four Killed at Naval Reserve Center (Updates)
Cartoon: Spacy Trump
What A Heart Looks Like After 15 Years Of Cocaine Abuse [VIDEO]
The American Heart Association reports the effects of cocaine can infiltrate the heart. The stimulant increases the heart’s demand for myocardial oxygen by raising heart rate and blood pressure. And in a video from MEDspiration, a non-profit organization specializing in the art of medicine and science, we get a rare look at what these demands do… … [Read more...] about What A Heart Looks Like After 15 Years Of Cocaine Abuse [VIDEO]
Can we ever really understand Charleston shooter Dylann Roof? (Guest Voice)
Can we ever really understand Charleston shooter Dylann Roof? by Jordan Cooper Can we ever really understand Charleston shooter Dylann Roof? If we try to judge someone's mental stability by a picture that has no written meaning and is just used as an artful expression, then we'd be off course every time. "A picture is worth a thousand words" is a true statement but … [Read more...] about Can we ever really understand Charleston shooter Dylann Roof? (Guest Voice)
An imperfect deal, but better than the alternative
WASHINGTON -- To understand why the Iran nuclear deal is such a triumph, consider the most likely alternative: war. Imagine a U.S.-led military strike -- not a pinprick but an extended bombing campaign robust enough to eliminate 98 percent of Iran's enriched uranium, put two-thirds of the Islamic republic's centrifuges out of action and erase any capability of producing … [Read more...] about An imperfect deal, but better than the alternative
Cartoon: Iran deal collateral damage
See great cartoons by all the top political cartoonists at http://cagle.com. To license this cartoon for your own site, visit http://politicalcartoons.com … [Read more...] about Cartoon: Iran deal collateral damage
HBO Dominates Emmy Nominations
HBO, the channel that’s brought you critical favorites and think-piece generators like “Game of Thrones”, “Girls”, “Last Week Tonight” and “Silicon Valley,” received the most Emmy nominations since 2004, when "Big Pussy" and Paulie Walnuts were kings of the small screen. For the 67th Annual Emmy Awards, the Home Box Office received 126 nominations, the most… … [Read more...] about HBO Dominates Emmy Nominations
Cartoon: Trumpenstein
See great cartoons by all the top political cartoonists at http://cagle.com. To license this cartoon for your own site, visit http://politicalcartoons.com … [Read more...] about Cartoon: Trumpenstein
If It Offends You, Sandblast It: The Movement to Erase the Confederacy
It hasn't been a good month for Southern white guys. The much-awaited publication of Go Set a Watchman, Harper Lee's long-hidden, pre-written sequel to her revered classic, To Kill a Mockingbird, revealed that lawyer and liberal icon Atticus Finch was actually a racist curmudgeon who attended Ku Klux Klan rallies and railed against integration. He may have defended an … [Read more...] about If It Offends You, Sandblast It: The Movement to Erase the Confederacy
Military Weekend 2
I will not be posting for a few days (hold down the applause and cheers, please) as I will be hopefully enjoying some of the sights viewed by the P-3C Orion pilot above, albeit at lower altitudes and not in uniform. Before "going dark," I was planning a lighthearted (i.e. satirical) post on my Texan friends’ morbid fear that the federal government is planning to occupy … [Read more...] about Military Weekend 2
Misunderstanding Pope Francis
The act of presenting a message can be tricky, because an audience might totally misinterpret the message. Martin (2007) writes, "Stuart Hall's "Encoding-Decoding" model of communication essentially states that meaning is encoded by the sender and decoded by the receiver and that these encoded meanings may be decoded to mean something else. That is to mean, the senders … [Read more...] about Misunderstanding Pope Francis
Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton: The Two Front Runners And Their Vulnerabilities
Going by the polls, there are two apparent front-runners for their party's nomination, but one has a far more meaningful lead than the other. While I will not totally dismiss the possibility of Donald Trump winning the Republican nomination as I discussed yesterday, it remains more likley that we will see multiple candidates take leads for a period of time in the Republican … [Read more...] about Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton: The Two Front Runners And Their Vulnerabilities
Trump Belongs in the ‘Entertainment’ Pages
In “A Note About Our Coverage Of Donald Trump's 'Campaign',” the Huffington Post has just announced: After watching and listening to Donald Trump since he announced his candidacy for president, we have decided we won't report on Trump's campaign as part of The Huffington Post's political coverage. . Instead, we will cover his campaign as part of our Entertainment … [Read more...] about Trump Belongs in the ‘Entertainment’ Pages
The Euro
The Euro was never an economic instrument but a political one. It never made any sense economically, a point made by economists on both side of the aisle at the time. The British wisely made the decision to not join it. The IMF basically said the Euro as it is configured is not working. Matt O'Brien says that The euro is a disaster even for the countries that do everything … [Read more...] about The Euro
The Past Through Pictures XI
Today we will return to some black and white photos from Balch Creek Canyon. It is a magical place in spite of the fact it was named after a man who murdered his wife and was hung. And another: The list of links to past posts is getting a bit long so I will put up a link to the last post in the European series and you can find other links at the bottom of that … [Read more...] about The Past Through Pictures XI
Repercussions of Europe v. Greece
Two views of the "unconditional surrender" of Greece signal a murky (at best) future -- not just for Greece but for all of us. From James Galbraith, writing at Harper's: The full brutality of the European position on Greece emerged last weekend, when Europe’s leaders rejected the Greek surrender document of June 9, and insisted instead on unconditional surrender plus … [Read more...] about Repercussions of Europe v. Greece
No matter what GOP says, Iran N-accord is a done deal (Guest Voice)
No matter what GOP says, Iran N-accord is a done deal By J. Zel Lurie DELRAY BEACH, Florida — The agreement reached by Iran and six world powers, most of whom have stockpiles of nuclear bombs, which will prevent Iran from joining the nuclear club for at least ten years, is a done deal. The Republican dominated Congress will fulminate in end-of-the-world language for 60 … [Read more...] about No matter what GOP says, Iran N-accord is a done deal (Guest Voice)
Donald Trump, Fake Conservative (Guest Voice)
Donald Trump, Fake Conservative by Michael Reagan Donald Trump has jumped to the top of the national polls for the Republican Party's presidential nomination. It's an embarrassing moment for the GOP, the country and the planet. But everyone knows America's richest celebrity businessman will never become the Republican candidate, much less president of the … [Read more...] about Donald Trump, Fake Conservative (Guest Voice)