From The Hankster: Open Primaries and Other Extreme Remedies for the Extreme Ills of American Democracy Drastic times call for drastic measures." This phrase comes to mind for me when I read pleas for political "moderation." (The phrase goes back to the Latin 'extremis malis extrema remedia' - 'extreme remedies for extreme ills.' -- Speaking of which, see The Debt Crisis: … [Read more...] about Top Two Open Primaries and Other Extreme Remedies for the Extreme Ills of American Democracy
Obama vs. Perry in 2012? America Deserves Better, Much Better
America is in crisis. Economic. Political. Stature within the world community. And the presidential election in 2012 that will select a leader to meet these multi-faceted and increasingly frightening challenges seems at present to pit sitting President Obama against Republican Governor Rick Perry. The former has shown himself to be weak and vacillating, a man without a clear … [Read more...] about Obama vs. Perry in 2012? America Deserves Better, Much Better
California Prisons: Decades In Solitary
I'm pretty tough on crime but this seems to be a bit extreme to me. In most prisons the concept of solitary confinement (aka the hole) is common for dealing with real troublesome inmates. While in solitary you are usually kept isolated and alone for about 23 hours a day with an hour for shower and outside contact. Conditions vary but often in solitary you have no TV or … [Read more...] about California Prisons: Decades In Solitary
Hoffa Controversy
I'm assuming most of you have heard the story by now, but just in case you haven't... At a Labor Day rally yesterday Teamster President Jimmy Hoffa declared that they were 'at war' with the Tea Party and that union members should 'take the SOB's out'. (context, he did say at the polls) Now I think his language was ill advised but I'm not going to take the leap that he was … [Read more...] about Hoffa Controversy
Reducing The Number Of American Time Zones
Anyone who lives on one of our coasts and engages in cross continental business with those on the other coast understands the problem. Those who travel regularly from coast to coast know the difficulties that come with resetting biological clocks to accommodate a three hour time difference. Is it time for the United States to consider reducing the number of time zones, at … [Read more...] about Reducing The Number Of American Time Zones
Poll: Pessmism About Country Soars as Obama’s Polls Plunge
Here's the bad news and the bad news for President Barack Obama, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll: The bad news is that pessimism about the country has soared to the highest level in three years. And the bad news is that his poll numbers are continuing their steady journey south: Public pessimism about the direction of the country has jumped to its … [Read more...] about Poll: Pessmism About Country Soars as Obama’s Polls Plunge
Obama’s Panhandlers
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Google Rolls Out Suggested User List For Plus
It's Twitter all over again. While you were enjoying your Labor Day holiday weekend, Google rolled out a list of 100 or so suggested folks to circle. Erh, follow. If you have already set up a G+ profile, finding these recommendations is not straightforward. For example, it doesn't show as an option when you visit your Circles tab and click "find people." I don't know … [Read more...] about Google Rolls Out Suggested User List For Plus
Ten Years After The 9/11 Attacks, The Greatest Cover-Up In U.S. History Still Holds
Ten years after the 9/11 catastrophe, the Bush administration cover-up of why the terrorist attacks were carried out despite the White House, CIA and FBI being repeatedly warned of them still holds. Not only has the final word not come out about this malfeasance of enormous and arguably criminal proportions, hardly any word about it has. The mainstream media has been … [Read more...] about Ten Years After The 9/11 Attacks, The Greatest Cover-Up In U.S. History Still Holds
Bitter Old Man
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Coming Soon to a Theater Near You: Jane Goodall Live
Coming soon (September 27) at a theater perhaps near you: famed chimpanzee researcher Jane Goodall Live. That's an item for TMV because any time over the past five years when I've written about anything referring to Jane Goodall I've received many emails and we've had comments indicating many TMV readers are interested in and admire Jane Goodall. And, on a personal level, I … [Read more...] about Coming Soon to a Theater Near You: Jane Goodall Live
Texas Burning
Texas has been heavily affected this summer by sweltering heat and severe drought. We have broken nearly every record in both categories, and Austin, Texas, has endured 80 days with triple digit temperatures this year---another record. We have also had our share of wildfires which have already cost a tremendous amount in lives, human suffering and material destruction and … [Read more...] about Texas Burning
Hard Work: A Labor Day Memory
At 16, I have a summer job as a shipping clerk, standing at a table, wrapping cartons. More and more keep appearing, and soon I am swimming against a cardboard tide that threatens to swamp me if I stop pulling brown paper off a huge roll and wrestling it around packages. By noon, I am getting the hang of it and I eat a sandwich in a kind of dreamy stupor. But when I start … [Read more...] about Hard Work: A Labor Day Memory
Labor Pioneers Helped Create Modern America
So it's Labor Day - one of those quaint, old fashioned holidays that once meant something to people but is now just another excuse for a barbecue or a ballgame. Thus will it ever be so; America changes and we slough off the old and embrace (or at least tolerate) the new. But Labor Day should be a time to call to mind the triumphs and tragedies that built the labor movement … [Read more...] about Labor Pioneers Helped Create Modern America
Last Chance for Obama?
When McClatchy Newspapers recently canvassed a random selection of small-business owners to find out what was hurting them, not a single one complained about regulation of his or her industry, and few complained much about taxes. And did I mention that profits after taxes, as a share of national income, are at record levels? So short-run deficits aren’t a problem; lack of … [Read more...] about Last Chance for Obama?
Mean, Ornery and Just Plain Wrong: Eric Cantor’s Ideological Purity Overrules Common Sense and Heart
Mean, Ornery and Just Plain Wrong: Eric Cantor's Ideological Purity Overrules Common Sense and Heart by Michael Winship For Manhattan at least, last week was the weather week that wasn't. But the minor earthquake and weakened Hurricane Irene served as reminders of the caprice of nature and -- only a couple of weeks before the tenth anniversary of 9/11 -- the knowledge that … [Read more...] about Mean, Ornery and Just Plain Wrong: Eric Cantor’s Ideological Purity Overrules Common Sense and Heart
The Last Labor Day?
WASHINGTON -- Let’s get it over with and rename the holiday “Capital Day.” We may still celebrate Labor Day, but our culture has given up on honoring workers as the real creators of wealth and their honest toil -- the phrase itself seems antique -- as worthy of genuine respect. Imagine a Republican saying this: “Labor is prior to and independent of capital. Capital is … [Read more...] about The Last Labor Day?
Broke U.S. Postal Service Could Shut Down This Winter
If you hear a crunch it's the sound of the U.S. Postal Service: it is now so broke that unless Congress enacts emergency legislation it could shut down this winter. When the slogan "“Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night…..will stay us from the swift completion of our appointed rounds" the list didn't include email: The United States Postal Service has long … [Read more...] about Broke U.S. Postal Service Could Shut Down This Winter
The Great Caver
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Dr. King’s Dream on a Dismal Labor Day
Last week’s storm postponed the Martin Luther King Memorial dedication in Washington, and Labor Day brings a sobering commentary on his life and work in a nation with 16.8 percent unemployment for African-Americans, 11.3 for Latinos and 8.2 for whites. Half a century after the “I have a dream speech” with a bi-racial President in the White House, median household net worth … [Read more...] about Dr. King’s Dream on a Dismal Labor Day