WASHINGTON -- President Obama's first salary as a community organizer was paid by a Catholic group and his earliest social justice work was rooted in Catholic social doctrine. He identified with Cardinal Joseph Bernardin, then Chicago's archbishop, whose consistent ethic of life encompassed a dedication to the poor, a concern over the human costs of war, and opposition to the … [Read more...] about The Pope Isn’t a Party Boss
Chris Christie’s Problem With Personal Responsibility (Guest Voice)
Chris Christie's Problem With Personal Responsibility by Rob Tornoe Earlier this month, Chris Christie appeared at CPAC, the notorious get together of gun-wielding conservatives angry about Democrats and their do-gooder progressive policies. Amidst the fully expected, tried-and true rhythm of bashing unions and lambasting women's rights, Christie billed himself as the … [Read more...] about Chris Christie’s Problem With Personal Responsibility (Guest Voice)
Beware of Vladimir Putin: He’s a Real Threat
Beware of Vladimir Putin. He's a real threat. Don't forget this is a guy who is turning a reformed Russia into an autocratic state. And he has nukes. Which you can't count on him to simply possess. That's the gist of a must-read op-ed in The Los Angeles Times written by Leon Aron, director of Russian studies at the American Enterprise Institute. He's also the … [Read more...] about Beware of Vladimir Putin: He’s a Real Threat
Evolution and Creationists (Guest Cartoonist Guest Voice)
Evolution and Creationists by Mike Peters OF RELATED INTEREST: --Creationists Stall Eight-Year-Old Girl’s Idea for State Fossil for South Carolina --Creationists Condemn Neil DeGrasse Tyson's 'Cosmos' for Pro-Evolution Stance --How Liberty University Creates Creationists --The United States of Sarah Palin: Those Wonderful Creationists vs. That Liberally Biased Science … [Read more...] about Evolution and Creationists (Guest Cartoonist Guest Voice)
Colbert Report Asian Joke Sparks Firestorm Leading to Demands He Be Cancelled
Rage over a variety of issues is what now fuels our politics. And rage can be fueled to be even greater if it involves something considered to be offensive to a group -- even if it's said as a joke that lampoons those who use offending phrases. Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert is now getting a lesson in rage 101 due to a line plucked out of a satirical comedy bit he did that … [Read more...] about Colbert Report Asian Joke Sparks Firestorm Leading to Demands He Be Cancelled
Seeing the world through animal eyes
Have you ever seen the world through animal eyes? No, saying you watched Fox News and MSNBC doesn't cut it. I don't mean ideological political animal eyes - I mean ANIMAL eyes. GO HERE to...see. … [Read more...] about Seeing the world through animal eyes
Why Americans Like or Dislike Obamacare
Another great article at the Washington Post on Obamacare. This time the question -- the poll -- is why Americans like or dislike Obamacare. In other words, as Sean Sullivan puts it, “...why do the law's supporters like it? And why do opponents hate it?" He adds, "Thanks to a poll released this week by the Kaiser Family Foundation, we can answer these … [Read more...] about Why Americans Like or Dislike Obamacare
Are our crime rates a crime now in America? (Infographic)
Are our crime rates now almost a crime in America? The website http://www.criminaljusticedegreehub.com/ offers an infographic that is an eye-opener: Source: CriminalJusticeDegreeHub.com … [Read more...] about Are our crime rates a crime now in America? (Infographic)
The Holocaust: The Dutch Do Not Forget
Dutch Jews suffered immensely and disproportionately so under the Nazis in World War II. Out of 140,000 Jews living in the Netherlands at the outbreak of the war, some 107,000 Jews were deported to death camps such as Auschwitz-Birkenau, Bergen-Belsen, Dachau, Buchenwald, Treblinka, Belzec and Sobibor. In total, between 102,000 and 104,000 Dutch Jews -- men, women, … [Read more...] about The Holocaust: The Dutch Do Not Forget
Houston
Since my mother passed away 14 months ago the only family I have left are my brother and sister both of whom live in Houston. I went down there for a visit for a week. It was nice to see them. My sister took me on a couple of day trips, one to Galveston so I could see the Gulf of Mexico and one to the "hill country" south of Austin. Although I saw lots of great wild … [Read more...] about Houston
Bank Tellers – The Next Endangered Job?
We have seen a decline in brick and mortar retail outlets and now we are seeing the same thing with brick and mortar banks. Why? The same reason - the internet. I have not been inside by bank for over a year and I'm not alone. One in three people in the U.S. reports not visiting the bank for personal financial reasons in the past six months, while one in five hasn’t gone in … [Read more...] about Bank Tellers – The Next Endangered Job?
Independent Booksellers Having Trouble in New York City
In many ways, e-books have been a positive thing for book lovers. If you need a book to read, you can download one to your e-reader or tablet with the click of a button. You don’t need to leave the house, or wait for your order to come in the mail. Even better, e-books are typically less expensive than the print versions of books. According to Frugal Wins, the average … [Read more...] about Independent Booksellers Having Trouble in New York City
Obama’s little victory at the UN
President Barack Obama scored a minor victory today in his clash with Russia’s Vladimir Putin when the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) rejected Russia’s annexation of Crimea and declared that the referendum of March 16, 2014 was illegal and invalid. The UNGA resolution-- approved by 100 in favor, 11 against and 58 abstentions-- used clear wording free from the usual … [Read more...] about Obama’s little victory at the UN
Democratic Mid-Term Achilles Heel: Young Voters
The Democratic Party has a big, glaring Achilles Heel in the 2014 mid-term elections: its reliance on young voters. It has been disappointed before and it's likely to be disappointed again. That's the gist of the view of Geoffrey Skelley, associated editor of the highly respected Sabato's Crystal Ball. He notes that polls going back nearly 40 years show young people aren't … [Read more...] about Democratic Mid-Term Achilles Heel: Young Voters
Flight MH370: The Search Continues
As new satellite images -- described by Malaysian officials as the most credible lead to Flight MH370’s whereabouts -- show 122 pieces of possible debris in the same area where the most recent search has focused, 11 aircraft, five ships, hundreds of personnel and all kinds of sophisticated equipment from the US, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand are posed … [Read more...] about Flight MH370: The Search Continues
Denial Of Climate Change Is A Hoax
Climate change deniers often cite sources other than experts in climate science to support their position. They would have a tough time finding actual experts in the field to agree with them. As geochemist James Lawrence Powell continues to prove, the only people still debating whether or not climate change is “real,” and caused by human activity, are the ones who aren’t doing … [Read more...] about Denial Of Climate Change Is A Hoax
Lack Of Information And Misinformation Suppressing Enrollment In Insurance Plans
Recent polls are showing some of the obstacles to extending coverage among the uninsured. A study published Monday by the National Academy of Sciences showed that a substantial number of consumers lack basic knowledge of how insurance works which would be necessary to intelligently purchase coverage. A new Kaiser Health Tracking Poll shows lack of knowledge of the deadline for … [Read more...] about Lack Of Information And Misinformation Suppressing Enrollment In Insurance Plans
Crimea: The Latest Front for French Rambos (Le Quotidien d’Oran, Algeria)
Talk about Francophone ridicule! Are the French making a 'laughing stock' of themselves by trying to act like a central player in the Ukraine crisis? For Algeria's Le Quotidien d'Oran, columnist Kharroubi Habib says that French threats of military action by Prime Minister Francois Hollande, Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, and Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian are making both … [Read more...] about Crimea: The Latest Front for French Rambos (Le Quotidien d’Oran, Algeria)
Video games linked to aggressive behavior in kids
Video games linked to aggressive behavior in kids (via AFP) Youths who play video games are more likely to think and act in aggressive ways, suggested a study out Monday of more than 3,000 schoolchildren in Singapore. The research, published in JAMA Pediatrics, a journal of the American Medical Association,… … [Read more...] about Video games linked to aggressive behavior in kids
Mitt Romney’s Sour Grapes Tour (Guest Voice)
Mitt Romney's Sour Grapes Tour by Dick Polman Bad habits are hard to break. Sixteen months after the electorate told him to take a hike, Mitt Romney is still lying. He has lately embarked on a sour grapes tour, seeking to sell himself as a retroactive foreign policy expert who, by dint of his wisdom and muscle, surely would've prevented Vladimir Putin from committing … [Read more...] about Mitt Romney’s Sour Grapes Tour (Guest Voice)