As a resident of California I am of course interested in Proposition 8 and the pending court reviews of the law. Since I am from California I thought I would offer a revised version of an earlier post on the general topic of Same Sex Marriage. As you might imagine the same sex marriage issue has been a biggie the last few months and many of my more conservative friends … [Read more...] about Marriage Equality: Why The Right Is Wrong
Citizen Appears to Have Clearest Photo of ‘Person of Interest’
The photographer is David Green, 49, who finished the Boston marathon, was on his way to rendezvous with friends when the two bombs exploded near him. He took a photo with his iphone and then ran to help. The photo is time-stamped at 2:50:15 p.m. He posted it to Facebook with an account of his experiences. On Thursday, Green’s friends noted a figure in white hat in bottom … [Read more...] about Citizen Appears to Have Clearest Photo of ‘Person of Interest’
LIVE CBS Coverage of Police Action in Watertown
Here's a live CBS video feed of coverage surrounding the events in Watertown. (h/T The Daily Beast) Streaming live video by Ustream … [Read more...] about LIVE CBS Coverage of Police Action in Watertown
Report: The Suspects are Brothers: A Friend of Suspect #2 Speaks About the Younger Brother: UPDATE 18
Update 20: Photo: City on lockdown; an empty Kenmore Square in #Boston, Mass. (via Andrew Golden) twitter.com/NBCNews/status…— NBC News (@NBCNews) April 19, 2013 Update 19: BREAKING UPDATE: MSNBC now reporting police looking for unnamed 3rd Boston suspect, possibly on train to Connecticut.— NewsBreaker (@NewsBreaker) April 19, 2013 Update 18: Ah there is … [Read more...] about Report: The Suspects are Brothers: A Friend of Suspect #2 Speaks About the Younger Brother: UPDATE 18
Massive Police, Night Action in Boston: MIT Shooting Related or More? One Man in Custody, Grenades, Bomb Threats, Twitter Goes Wild
What's happening in Boston? It began with the beginning of a sea of Tweets and only later spilled over onto the cable networks. The local TV station was also way ahead of the national cable networks. Gunfire, explosions heard in Watertown. MIT officer fatally shot on campus. 7NEWS is live on the scene with exclusive video. The seeming catalyst for the night of massive police … [Read more...] about Massive Police, Night Action in Boston: MIT Shooting Related or More? One Man in Custody, Grenades, Bomb Threats, Twitter Goes Wild
Major Police Operation In Boston
Breaking tonight a major police operation in the Boston area. There was a shooting tonight at MIT where a campus police officer was killed so this is likely related. However it may also be connected to the events on Monday. Coverage at all the major networks, I'm not going to speculate what I don't know about. … [Read more...] about Major Police Operation In Boston
Raw Video: Obama’s Full Speech to Victims of Boston Marathon Terrorist Bombing
Here's the raw video of President Barack Obama's speech today at a memorial for victims of the Boston Marathon terrorist bombing: … [Read more...] about Raw Video: Obama’s Full Speech to Victims of Boston Marathon Terrorist Bombing
Federal Gun Control: 1934-2013
Federal gun control, which many citizens viewed as a necessity on and whose governance of the Brady Bill, Assault Weapons Ban, and handgun control, catapulted it to major prominence in the 1990's, died on Wednesday after a long battle with the NRA. It was 79. The cause of death was a filibuster. Though death had seemed certain for several days, many gun control supporters held … [Read more...] about Federal Gun Control: 1934-2013
Military Working Dogs
Periodically I like to publish images of our military doing what they have been trained to do. Oftentimes those images do say a thousand words, whether it be about the troops’ professionalism, their sacrifice and loneliness or the joy of finally coming home to their loved ones. Those falling in the last category are my favorite images. Being a dog lover, I also like … [Read more...] about Military Working Dogs
For House Dems, A Search For Second-Tier Races
By Scott Crass Kate Upton has a an uncle in Kalamazoo, but if Democrats have their way, she won't have an uncle in Congress come 2014. Fred Upton is the Chair of the powerful House Commerce Committee and last year, was held to just 54%, his lowest showing since he was first elected in 1986 at 33 (he carried populous Kalamazoo County by just 8 votes out of 117,000 cast). The … [Read more...] about For House Dems, A Search For Second-Tier Races
BREAKING: FBI Releases Video and Still Photos of Two Boston Marathon Terorrist Bombing Suspects (Video)
The FBI has released surveillance video and still photos showing two persons who are suspected in the Boston Marathan terrorist bombing. The FBI is seeking the public's help in identifying them. Here's the video. The supsects are in the white hat and blue hat...with backpacks. PHOTOS: Suspects 1 and … [Read more...] about BREAKING: FBI Releases Video and Still Photos of Two Boston Marathon Terorrist Bombing Suspects (Video)
More Earth Like Planets Discovered
Some pretty cool news out today about the discovery of some new planets that could support life. We don't know of course if such life would be intelligent but then given the events of the week I'm not sure there is that much down here. … [Read more...] about More Earth Like Planets Discovered
‘Having Sown the Wind … America Reaps the Whirlwind’ – Iraqi and Jordanian Reactions to Boston
Does the United States government bare some responsibility for the pain being felt in Boston and around the country today? Amid the commentary coming in from around the world, from some quarters there is a certain sense of schadenfreude - which means in German to take pleasure in the pain of others. In these two articles posted today, one from Iraq's Al-Iraq News and the other … [Read more...] about ‘Having Sown the Wind … America Reaps the Whirlwind’ – Iraqi and Jordanian Reactions to Boston
Scarborough Warns: GOP “Headed for Extinction” on Gun Control Bill
Conservative talker Mark Levin may consider MSNBC's Joe Scarborough "The Morning Shmo," but to many independents, centrists and moderates on many issues he seemingly voices what's on their mind. Scarborough, more often than not, reflects the more traditional conservatives who often look aghast at the current incarnation of Republican conservatism which seems to be most focused … [Read more...] about Scarborough Warns: GOP “Headed for Extinction” on Gun Control Bill
Dick Van Dyke Sidelined By Illness
News out of LA today that legendary actor Dick Van Dyke has been sidelined by a mysterious illness, possibly a neurological disorder. Best wishes for a quick recovery to one of my favorite people. … [Read more...] about Dick Van Dyke Sidelined By Illness
You Tell Them, Gabby!
In the wake of the shameful surrender to the N.R.A. by cowardly members of what should be the most powerful, courageous and decent legislative institution in the free world, a person who has seen gun violence up-close-and-personal, a person who narrowly survived gun violence and who will probably suffer the consequences for the rest of her life, has spoken up against those … [Read more...] about You Tell Them, Gabby!
Boston’s Haunting Retro Violence
Thousands who sweated and strained so long to train young bodies for excellence are overwhelmed in the national mind (who actually won the Marathon?) by the evil of one soul (certainly no more than a handful) exploding pressure cookers stuffed with nails and ball bearings. The lopsided imbalance of life and death in Boston can never be redressed, despite the President’s … [Read more...] about Boston’s Haunting Retro Violence
Monster Congress
Someone was quoted in an NPR report as saying that "it would take at least another Newtown" to make Congress do the right thing. Which brought to mind this Goya image of our Congress. Museuo del Prado Maybe a useful response would be to attach this image to every report of "filibuster" and each mention of a senator who voted against expanded background checks. … [Read more...] about Monster Congress
Murdered Children Less Important than Inconvenienced Gun Purchasers (Guest Voice)
Murdered Children Less Important than Inconvenienced Gun Purchasers By Carl Golden Twelve people gunned down as they sat in a darkened movie theater in Colorado; 26 people ---including 20 first graders --- murdered in a schoolhouse in Connecticut, and the best the United States Senate could do was muster 54 votes to expand the existing system of background checks to cover … [Read more...] about Murdered Children Less Important than Inconvenienced Gun Purchasers (Guest Voice)
The Great Reinhart/Rogoff Error
With talk of immigration, guns, and bombs, an important wonk-story has slipped under the radar: the Reinhart/Rogoff debacle. (Warning: this gets wonky). Paul Ryan's austerity budget proclaims that there is “conclusive empirical evidence” that high levels of federal debt cuts off growth. He is citing the work of Reinhart and Rogoff, who published a paper in 2010 called, … [Read more...] about The Great Reinhart/Rogoff Error