Prom-Queen Anguish by Will Durst It's human nature. We mostly want what we can't have. Grass is greener. The romantic lure of the unattainable. Knowledge that high school girls have long-since weaponized. Nothing entices a hormonally imbalanced freshman like flouncing down a crowded hall, laughing through a gaggle of friends with a flip of the pony-tail and nary a backwards … [Read more...] about Prom-Queen Anguish (Guest Voice)
Incoming Slippers
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Perry’s N-word Problem
It's about Texas, after all, where even wildflowers have names no longer acceptable in contemporary America. The elderly in Texas still call one of the many cone flowers "niggerheads." Look into the Texas Almanac and you'll find equal-opportunity insults built into most wildflowers' names. This isn't just a Texas problem -- these names proliferate across America. … [Read more...] about Perry’s N-word Problem
The Crime of Punishment: More From Caplan on Stuntz
Lincoln Caplan's full review of The Collapse of American Criminal Justice By William Stuntz is an absolute must read. Caplan calls the book brave and contrarian, utopian and powerful. You will remember I quoted a snippet earlier in the week. It's stuck with me; let's go back for more. Caplan explains that Stuntz believed too much discretion has led to the misrule of law and … [Read more...] about The Crime of Punishment: More From Caplan on Stuntz
The al-Awlaki Killing: Cheney’s Words vs. Obama’s Actions (UPDATES)
The one-word-man deviated from his standard one-word script this morning on CNN’s State of the Union when discussing the recent drone strike that killed American-born terrorist Anwar al-Awlaki. But, first, credit where credit is due. Uncharacteristic as it is for him, Former Vice President Dick Cheney praised the U.S. drone strike that killed al-Awlaki and President Obama’s … [Read more...] about The al-Awlaki Killing: Cheney’s Words vs. Obama’s Actions (UPDATES)
It’s Looking Glass Time For Health Insurance.
It's that time of year again when folks have to try to figure out their health insurance plans for next year. I tell you, the Red Queen made more sense. … [Read more...] about It’s Looking Glass Time For Health Insurance.
Supporting Solar Power
I think there is a place for the government to support solar power but supporting supply, as in the case of Solyndra. is not the way to do it. The government should be encouraging demand. The most recent Energy Department loan guarantees are a step in the right direction. DOE said Friday it finalized a $1.24 billion loan guarantee to SunPower Corp. to help finance … [Read more...] about Supporting Solar Power
Who Needs Copy Machines Anymore?
A telling anecdote from Fred Wilson: With my phone in hand, I looked up at the young man helping me and said "can you make a photocopy of this page so I can take it home with me?" He looked straight at my phone and said "that has a camera in it, right?" I felt silly and chuckled. My friends who were with me laughed at me and the irony of the situation. I snapped a picture … [Read more...] about Who Needs Copy Machines Anymore?
Quote of the Day: “Class warfare. War on teachers. War on business. War in America?”
Our political Quote of the Day comes from a must-read-in-full column in The Christian Science Monitor titled "Class warfare. War on teachers. War on business. War in America?" by Jeremy Shapiro, psychologist and director of YouCutTheBudget.com. Here are a few chunks from it: It is a common observation that American political discourse has become rife with hyperbole and … [Read more...] about Quote of the Day: “Class warfare. War on teachers. War on business. War in America?”
Citizen Cain’s 999 Political Whopper
He is good at selling things, and now Herman Cain is outdoing his Burger King and Godfather Pizza triumphs by getting hungry GOP voters to order him up for the White House. From the bottom of the pack, Cain has surged to third in the national Fox poll at 17 percent, two points behind Rick Perry, after surprisingly eating the Texas governor’s lunch in a Florida straw poll … [Read more...] about Citizen Cain’s 999 Political Whopper
Definitely Not a Class Political Act
American politics has grown coarse, and ugly where name calling and swearing have somehow begun to impress some as intelligent. In fact, those who do politics this way probably should start a company selling lunch meats: Boorshead. Here's a prime example of an act that is notably unclassy, cheered on by some and apparently lucrative financially. Warrning adult language in this … [Read more...] about Definitely Not a Class Political Act
Arrest of 700 Brooklyn Bridge “Occupy Wall Street” Protesters: the Wave of the Future in Polarized America?
Is the United States inching back bit by bit to the 1960s, where demonstrations and counter demonstrations were all the rage (literally and figuratively)? It could be. First came the conservative Tea Party movement with the angry town hall meetings and demonstrations of summer-fall 2010, which impacted the 2010 elections. Now come signs that the country's left is toying with … [Read more...] about Arrest of 700 Brooklyn Bridge “Occupy Wall Street” Protesters: the Wave of the Future in Polarized America?
Prohibition Tonight
Set your DVRs. From the NYTimes review: Flappers in speakeasies and biddies beating temperance drums: hardly seems a recipe for modern-day relevance. Yet you can hear history talking directly to the Americans of 2011 all through “Prohibition,” an absorbing five-and-a-half-hour documentary by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick that runs for three nights, beginning on Sunday on PBS … [Read more...] about Prohibition Tonight
Supercommittee
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SNL Looks at The Internet “Comments Section” on Blogs and Websites
Saturday Night Live last night lampooed internet comments sections on weblogs and websites where people comment and say whatever pops into their heads using "pen names." Another case of satire saying something far more effectively than a zillion serious words: … [Read more...] about SNL Looks at The Internet “Comments Section” on Blogs and Websites
Underwear-bomber Bomb Maker Believed Killed in Yemen Drone Attack
Here's what certainly qualifies in several ways as a news brief: the maker of the underwear-bomber's bomb is now believed to have been killed in that controversial U.S. drone attack in Yemen as well: A Saudi militant believed killed in the U.S. drone strike in Yemen constructed the bombs for the al-Qaida branch’s most notorious attempted attacks — including the … [Read more...] about Underwear-bomber Bomb Maker Believed Killed in Yemen Drone Attack
Our Military’s Pay and Allowances: A Decade-Old Message Resurfaces—Somewhat Hacked
I recently received an e-mail from a dear Republican friend. You know, one of those e-mails that float around cyber space for years---in this case for more than 10 years---and are sent to the world as being fresh off the cyber press and as containing startling new revelations, usually political and politically motivated. Surprisingly, I happen to totally agree with this one … [Read more...] about Our Military’s Pay and Allowances: A Decade-Old Message Resurfaces—Somewhat Hacked
U.S. Should ‘Murder’ the Death Penalty and Join Civilized World (El Tiempo, Colombia)
Is the United States behind the times for retaining use of the death penalty? Continuing on with our current theme, this editorial from Colombia's El Tiempo outlines why execution reflects so badly on the United States, and cites statistical evidence that in any case, it fails to deter murder. The El Tiempo editorial says in part: The tenacity with which the United States … [Read more...] about U.S. Should ‘Murder’ the Death Penalty and Join Civilized World (El Tiempo, Colombia)
Troy Davis Execution a ‘Stain’ on Obama and the Nobel Peace Prize (Le Nouvel Observateur, France)
The execution in Georgia of Troy Davis, who many both in and out of the United States believe to have been innocent of the murder charges against him, has once again highlighted the global opprobrium associated with America's continuing use of the death penalty. According to French philosopher Daniel Salvatore Schiffer, writing for Le Nouvel Observateur, the fact that President … [Read more...] about Troy Davis Execution a ‘Stain’ on Obama and the Nobel Peace Prize (Le Nouvel Observateur, France)
In ATL Today: For Such A Time As This
I'll be in Atlanta this afternoon on a panel after the screening of my video, For Such A Time As This, at the 24th annual Out on Film Festival. The documentary short tells the story of out proud lesbian Baptist preacher, Genie Hargrove, who was ordained the Southern Baptist minister of her rural Georgia church in 2004. My partner, Doug Keith, and I interviewed Genie for … [Read more...] about In ATL Today: For Such A Time As This