Resident: Tacloban conditions 'worse than hell' (via CNN Video) CNN's Paula Hancocks updates relief efforts in Tacloban City, Philippines, devastated by Typhoon Haiyan . … [Read more...] about Resident: Tacloban conditions ‘worse than hell’
Veterans Day: Make It a Day All Veterans Can Celebrate (Updated)
UPDATE: There are a couple of bright spots for veterans on this Veterans Day weekend. One is mentioned in the post below where the VA is beginning to reduce that infamous backlog of pending claims. The Los Angeles Times reports: As of Monday, more than 751,000 claims were pending nationwide, 457,000 of them for more than 125 days, the VA's standard for timeliness. … [Read more...] about Veterans Day: Make It a Day All Veterans Can Celebrate (Updated)
More than 10,000 feared dead after Philippines typhoon
More than 10,000 feared dead after Philippines typhoon (via AFP) The death toll from a super typhoon that decimated entire towns in the Philippines could soar well over 10,000, authorities warned Sunday, making it the country's worst recorded natural disaster. The horrifying estimates came as rescue workers appeared… … [Read more...] about More than 10,000 feared dead after Philippines typhoon
Anti-Gay Activist Dave Wilson Wins Houston Election by Tricking Voters Into Thinking He’s Black
Dave Wilson wanted to win his election by any means necessary, even if it meant misleading voters into thinking he's black. And he's proud of his actions. His opponent for the Houston Community College System board seat, incumbent Bruce Austin, found his so-called 'advertising strategy' "disgusting." I blame the voters who voted for him without even taking the time to read up … [Read more...] about Anti-Gay Activist Dave Wilson Wins Houston Election by Tricking Voters Into Thinking He’s Black
Breaking: Wendy Davis Files to Become the 48th Governor of Texas
Texas State Senator Wendy Davis today officially filed her candidacy to be the 48th governor of Texas. In an announcement to her followers she writes: Today I filed my candidacy for Governor of Texas. It’s full steam ahead from now until next November. I am running because we need to create quality jobs in Texas, improve education, and give our veterans the … [Read more...] about Breaking: Wendy Davis Files to Become the 48th Governor of Texas
Mitch McConnell Reborn and Other GOP Fables
If you believe Peggy Noonan, Mitch McConnell has become a moderate, telling her the GOP is in great shape next year “if there's a jailbreak on the other side, so that the president is put in an awkward position with his own members demanding adjustments, it could happen." Then again, moderate Mitch has even appeared lately on the PBS NewsHour, with no visible drool, as the … [Read more...] about Mitch McConnell Reborn and Other GOP Fables
Bad Optics continue for Obamacare: woman who supported it loses insurance
The seriousness of the problem President Barack Obama and the Democrats now have on Obamacare cannot be understated or spun away. On several fronts, the optics are almost as hideous as the quality of the program's launch. Optic One: a website that's as frustrating as the kind of website many Americans will go to and vow to never visit again, a symbol of incompetence and/or … [Read more...] about Bad Optics continue for Obamacare: woman who supported it loses insurance
1,200 feared dead in typhoon-devastated Philippines
1,200 feared dead in typhoon-devastated Philippines (via AFP) One of the most powerful typhoons in history is believed to have killed 1,200 people in the Philippines, the Red Cross Saturday, as rescue workers raced to reach towns devastated by tsunami-like waves. A day after Super Typhoon Haiyan whipped across… … [Read more...] about 1,200 feared dead in typhoon-devastated Philippines
Muscle and meanness: Incognito hazing comes down to ‘What’s a real man?’ (Guest Voice)
Muscle and meanness: Incognito hazing comes down to 'What’s a real man?' (via The Christian Science Monitor) Miami Dolphins guard Richie Incognito (68) and tackle Jonathan Martin (71) stand on the field during an NFL football practice in Davie, Fla. Incognito has been suspended for sending racist and threatening messages to teammate Martin.(Lynne Sladky/AP… … [Read more...] about Muscle and meanness: Incognito hazing comes down to ‘What’s a real man?’ (Guest Voice)
One Nation? Hardly!
I think this is pretty accurate and explains most of our political dysfunction today. It divides most of North America into 11 nations. Although the article is mostly about firearms it explains a lot more. There’s never been an America, but rather several Americas—each a distinct nation. There are eleven nations today. Each looks at violence, as well as everything else, in … [Read more...] about One Nation? Hardly!
Toronto mayor pressured to quit after video rant (Guest Voice)
EDITOR's NOTE: Toronto Mayor Rob Ford is starring in another embarrassing video. This time when he's on what appears to be a drunken rant. WARNING ADULT LANGUAGE: Toronto mayor pressured to quit after video rant (via AFP) Toronto's embattled Mayor Rob Ford faced mounting pressure Friday to quit, as his lawyer announced he was considering addiction treatment after … [Read more...] about Toronto mayor pressured to quit after video rant (Guest Voice)
Obama Apology Seals Pyrrhic Victory on Health Act
Seeking a friendly venue, Barack Obama apologizes for the defective health care rollout but ends up inadvertently bringing back the pain of his Pyrrhic victory three years ago. In a Chuck Todd interview on MSNBC, the President says of the confused and discouraged, "I am sorry that they are finding themselves in this situation based on assurances they got from me." Too … [Read more...] about Obama Apology Seals Pyrrhic Victory on Health Act
A Republican Who Is Not Crazy
David Frum offers a humorous take on life as a Republican who is not crazy on The Daily Beast. Q: What do you think of President Obama? Me: I think he's a big tax, spend, and over-regulate liberal. Q: So, he's a communist then? Me: No, not a communist. Q: Trying to overthrow the Constitution and deliberately capsize the U.S. economy? Me: No, he's not trying to … [Read more...] about A Republican Who Is Not Crazy
A Rogue State?
Noam Chomsky writes that the United States has become a one party nation and a rogue state: The U.S. is still a one-party state, the business party. But it only has one faction: moderate Republicans, now called New Democrats (as the U.S. Congressional coalition styles itself). There is still a Republican organization, but it long ago abandoned any pretense of … [Read more...] about A Rogue State?
How Deep Is Obama’s Sinkhole of Spying?
Like a huge crater that suddenly appears in the ground, the subject of government surveillance leaves us staring at a sinkhole in our psychic landscape, threatening to suck us all into unknown depths. Its thereness is unnerving. The outrage over National Security Agency spying after Edward Snowden’s infodump washes over every area of American political life: civil liberties, … [Read more...] about How Deep Is Obama’s Sinkhole of Spying?
Reading Corner: Paris 1919
I am an avid reader and since summer is the traditional time for people to catch up on their reading I thought I would start posting a weekly (or semi-weekly) book review to offer suggestions. With the Middle East and Iraq at the top of the news I thought I'd start with a book that looks back at a previous time when the world faced a dramatically changing world Paris … [Read more...] about Reading Corner: Paris 1919
A toast to serendipity
I felt like a child tonight. Well, not a child, exactly, but certainly not my age. Perched on an out-of-the-way ''love bench" at the Seattle Waterfront Marriott like a quiet wall flower, I was waiting for Mike and people-watching. The happy hour prior to the Companis 20th anniversary celebratory dinner grew louder and more crowded as the clock ticked towards dinner. I … [Read more...] about A toast to serendipity
Hazing Leads to Fraternity Pledge Losing Testicle
Talk has gone on for sooooooooo many years about the dangers of fraternity hazing but the news stories don't stop. And the latest one is utterly disgusting. The Smoking Gun: Ohio cops are investigating a college fraternity hazing incident that left a 19-year-old pledge short one testicle, records show. When I was in college at Colgate University I knew many people … [Read more...] about Hazing Leads to Fraternity Pledge Losing Testicle
Christie is the GOP’s best hope for reinvention: Guest Editorial (New Jersey)
Christie is the GOP's best hope for reinvention: Editorial (via NJ.com) Gov. Chris Christie’s landslide victory this week says a lot more about his political savvy than it does about his actual record here in New Jersey. It certainly wasn’t an endorsement of the GOP platform. Policy-wise, Christie has rarely been on… … [Read more...] about Christie is the GOP’s best hope for reinvention: Guest Editorial (New Jersey)
President Obama Apologizes for Americans Losing Health Insurance Coverage Due to Obamacare
I am an Obama supporter, but I am hard-pressed right now to justify my stance based on his apology for Americans losing their current health insurance plans due to Obamacare (Affordable Care Act), despite his promise that no one would have to give up a plan they liked. President Obama told NBC News, "I am sorry that they are finding themselves in this situation based on … [Read more...] about President Obama Apologizes for Americans Losing Health Insurance Coverage Due to Obamacare