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
Aulaqi’s Killing Sanctioned by Secret U.S. Memo
I've often said that at times the left becomes how it is caricatured by the right and at times the right becomes how it is caricatured by the left. Sometimes left and right seemingly blend. That's what seems to be occurring in the controversy over the targeting and drone killing of U.S. born terrorist Anwar al-Aulaqi in Yemen. To hear Republican conservatives tell it, it was a … [Read more...] about Aulaqi’s Killing Sanctioned by Secret U.S. Memo
Media Distortion: Newspapers Rarely Mention Suicides (Guest Voice)
Media Distortion: Newspapers Rarely Mention Suicides by Tina Dupuy I asked a reporter at Unnamed Major Metropolitan Newspaper why they don't cover suicides. Why is it that traditionally in the press there's a veil of silence draped over taking your own life? He said it's because they don't want to encourage the behavior. The concern is if they report on it, others will … [Read more...] about Media Distortion: Newspapers Rarely Mention Suicides (Guest Voice)
A Country For Old Men
On Tuesday, at the Museum of Civilization, David Frum argued in favour of the proposition that Pierre Trudeau was "Canada's most disastrous prime minister:" Pierre Trudeau was a spending fool. He believed in a state-led economy, and the longer he lasted in office, the more statist he became. The Foreign Investment Review Agency was succeeded by Petro-Canada. … [Read more...] about A Country For Old Men
Bad-Mouthing Empathy and Altruism
Today’s subject is how complicated it is to be a good person in today’s world. David Brooks offers deep-think about the “empathy craze,” citing research that “Empathy makes you more aware of other people’s suffering, but it’s not clear it actually motivates you to take moral action or prevents you from taking immoral action.” Half a century ago, Mike Nichols and Elaine … [Read more...] about Bad-Mouthing Empathy and Altruism
Mitt Romney Throws America’s Allies Under Bus for Political Gain
Mitt Romney Throws America's Allies Under Bus for Political Gain by David Solimini and Benjamin Lowe This week, Mitt Romney clumsily waded into the discussion of Israel and Palestine. By calling for a wholesale re-evaluation of relations with dozens of countries, he called more than his own judgment into question. Strong alliances are an essential element of American … [Read more...] about Mitt Romney Throws America’s Allies Under Bus for Political Gain
Misguided China Bashing
As economic troubles around the world continue to mount there is increasing pressure upon politicians to do something forceful to revive their economies while deflecting criticism from themselves. One traditional method has always been to blame foreigners for one’s domestic troubles. In the 1980s the US blamed Japan and worried that its economic strength would soon lead to a … [Read more...] about Misguided China Bashing
Christie Makes a Splash
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