Canadians go to the polls today to choose a prime minister, which could mean sticking with the one they have or taking a chance on a new guy. Whatever happens, this will be one of the strangest elections in the country's history due to the polling swing that has taken place over the past several months. You might wonder if such instability in a Canadian election is for the same … [Read more...] about Election Day in Canada
WHAT THE ANCIENT WORLD CAN TEACH US ABOUT DEATH
By Robert Garland I first became fascinated by death when I was 8 and my mummy took me to the British Museum to look at the mummies. When, at a slightly older age, I began to study death and the ancient world—first the Egyptians, then the Greeks, then the Romans, the Mesopotamians, and so on—what struck me most, despite many fascinating cultural variants, was the uniformity, … [Read more...] about WHAT THE ANCIENT WORLD CAN TEACH US ABOUT DEATH
Trump’s first hundred days and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad polls
There are stories everywhere this weekend around the theme, as a CNN headline has it, that "Trump's approval at 100 days is lower than any president in at least seven decades." If you want to dig through some of the numbers, in addition to the CNN poll conducted by SSRS, there is an ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll, an Associated Press/NORC Centre for Public Affairs poll, … [Read more...] about Trump’s first hundred days and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad polls
Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho- Its Away From Woke We Go
The Snow White live action movie is the straw that broke the camel's back for some critics who feel Disney is becoming too woke. It has left a poisoned apple taste in the mouths of some critics. This moment of realization for Disney has been a long time coming. Disney CEO Bob Iger released a statement saying their mission is "to entertain not send messages". This epiphany for … [Read more...] about Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho- Its Away From Woke We Go
Fear, love and the limits to Trump’s power
There is a story today, widely distributed, that residents of Arkansas made homeless by recent tornados have been denied federal recovery aid by President Trump because he rejected the request from the state that impacted regions be designated major disaster areas. Interestingly, the request was made by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders after devastating storms and tornados … [Read more...] about Fear, love and the limits to Trump’s power
Memes and conflict: Study shows surge of imagery and fakes can precede international and political violence
AI tools reveal how images have been manipulated. William Theisen et al. Tim Weninger, University of Notre Dame and Ernesto Verdeja, University of Notre Dame Imagine a country with deep political divisions, where different groups don’t trust each other and violence seems likely. Now, imagine a flood of political images, hateful memes and … [Read more...] about Memes and conflict: Study shows surge of imagery and fakes can precede international and political violence
A conservative judge’s dire warning
While sunning myself the other day at a Phillies game, I was tempted to pivot to two bros sitting behind me and say: “How about that awesome federal court ruling from J. Harvie Wilkinson! Is that guy eloquent or what?” The scoreboard said 45,045 fans had flocked to the game. But rest assured that 45,044 didn’t sit there thinking about J. Harvie Wilkinson, the right of due … [Read more...] about A conservative judge’s dire warning
Be careful about who you vote for. You just might get him.
Be careful about who you vote for. You just might get him. This is especially true if you voted for Donald Trump in 2024. Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders is learning that lesson the hard way. On 18 April 2025, Gov. Sanders wrote a letter to President Donald Trump, in which she asks the POTUS to reverse his administration's decision to NOT declare the state of … [Read more...] about Be careful about who you vote for. You just might get him.
A warning for Democrats from the Gilded Age and the 1896 election
Chief Justice Melville Weston Fuller administers the oath of office to William McKinley during his presidential inauguration in 1897, as outgoing President Grover Cleveland looks on. AP Photo/Library of Congress Adam M. Silver, Emmanuel College More than five months after President Donald Trump defeated Kamala Harris, Democrats are still … [Read more...] about A warning for Democrats from the Gilded Age and the 1896 election
DEAF RUBIO’S STATE DEPARTMENT (CARTOON)
The Trump Administration’s War on Children
The Trump Administration’s War on Childrenby Eli HagerProPublica is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative newsroom. Sign up for The Big Story newsletter to receive stories like this one in your inbox.The clear-cutting across the federal government under President Donald Trump has been dramatic, with mass terminations, the suspension of decades-old programs and the neutering of … [Read more...] about The Trump Administration’s War on Children
Sarah Palin again, briefly
It is hard to think of anything of value Trump has done since returning to the White House. In a pinch, if I had to pick something, it has been his supremely satisfying decision to deny Sarah Palin a position of authority in his administration and thus deprive her of the kind of public profile she has for so long craved. And to spare us the same. Thank you, Mr. President. … [Read more...] about Sarah Palin again, briefly
The Brown Shirts this time
Embed from Getty Images I suspect many of us are wondering how long it will take, and under what circumstances, for Trump to use the full force of the state and its monopoly of violence to crackdown on dissent. It is terrifying to imagine what national emergency, real or fabricated, could be used to justify abrogating constitutionally guaranteed rights at the point of a … [Read more...] about The Brown Shirts this time
Responding to the fate of Kilmar Abrego Garcia
How should members of Congress respond to the fate of Kilmar Ábrego García? Should they respond with futile demands? What makes a demand futile is this: The one making the demand is unable to punish the target of the demand for refusing to give what is demanded. In order for a demand to be effective, there has to be the ability to punish for failure to comply. Yet, … [Read more...] about Responding to the fate of Kilmar Abrego Garcia
Pope Francis was a decent person.
One does not have to be a member of the Roman Catholic Church in order to acknowledge that Pope Francis was a decent person. Indeed, Francis lived up to the original meaning of the word Pontifex, which translates into English as Bridge Builder. This blogger remembers the stark contrast between Francis and his immediate predecessor that was revealed when Francis assumed the … [Read more...] about Pope Francis was a decent person.
Pope Francis tried to change the Catholic Church for women, with mixed success
Tracy McEwan, University of Newcastle and Kathleen McPhillips, University of Newcastle Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church, died on Easter Monday at the age of 88. On Easter Sunday, he used his message and blessing to appeal for peace in Middle East and Ukraine. Pope Francis will be remembered as a pastoral leader who cared deeply about the environment and … [Read more...] about Pope Francis tried to change the Catholic Church for women, with mixed success
POPE FRANCIS TRIBUTE 1936 2025 (CARTOON)
If AOC is the answer, what’s the question?
You may have noticed there is much hand-wringing among Democrats about the inability of the party to mount a credible opposition to Trump and the damage he is doing to the country and the world. Some are pointing to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) and Sen. Bernie Sanders and the big rallies they have been staging as a part of their "Fighting Oligarchy" tour as at least a … [Read more...] about If AOC is the answer, what’s the question?
Francis — a pope who cared deeply for the poor and opened up the Catholic Church
Pope Francis during the Palm Sunday Mass at St. Peter’s Square on April 2, 2023, in Vatican City. Antonio Masiello/Getty Images Mathew Schmalz, College of the Holy Cross Pope Francis, the Catholic Church’s first Latin American pontiff, has died, the Vatican announced on April 21, 2025. He was 88. Francis had served as pope for 12 eventful … [Read more...] about Francis — a pope who cared deeply for the poor and opened up the Catholic Church
San Diegan Thomas Powell’s Amazing Wake Statement Read to His Survivors
My son Thomas Powell died February 27 after a brutal many years long battle with congestive heart failure. He spent most of his last 6 months hospitalized. While hospitalized he asked me for a yellow legal pad and started writing some pages, then giving it to me to type out. He'd then revise it. It was his wake statement. At one point I thought he wouldn't live to finish it, … [Read more...] about San Diegan Thomas Powell’s Amazing Wake Statement Read to His Survivors