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Festive Spirit, Poverty…And The Solution?

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Why celebrity young men such as Prince William of England, or young leading politician Rahul Gandhi of India, decide to spend a night at a place where the "poorest of the poor" in society spend their entire lives? Publicity? However, such symbolic acts do catapult homelessness, poverty, mental illness, drug and alcohol dependency, family breakdown, and other social issues into … [Read more...] about Festive Spirit, Poverty…And The Solution?

The Fruitcake Chronicles: An Unfortunate Headline (Part 5 of 6 installments)

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Steve Forester despised his floral patterned, living room glider rocker as well as its accompanying gliding ottoman.  It was a gift from his mother-in-law, but no one sat in the awkward contraption but the family cat.  Even the cat would have preferred a recliner.  Still, the rocker was the first piece of furniture to greet visitors as they entered the Forester household.  It … [Read more...] about The Fruitcake Chronicles: An Unfortunate Headline (Part 5 of 6 installments)

Some Christmas Carols

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Following up my post on the classic book A Christmas Carol I thought I'd offer a couple posts on some classic Christmas Carols. The first is Silent Night. I suspect some (or most of you) already know some of this story but it is still an amazing one to consider. In December 1818 a man named Joseph Mohr was deeply troubled. He was the assistant pastor of the church in … [Read more...] about Some Christmas Carols

How Sweet Is Nebraska’s Sweetheart Deal?

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Lindsay Graham's appearing everywhere he can complaining about Nebraska's sweetheart deal, here on this evening's All Things Considered: "It's OK for a senator from any state to advocate for their state. Once the federal government puts money on the table in an appropriate fashion, it's OK to go get your fair share," Graham said. "What I don't think is OK is for a senator … [Read more...] about How Sweet Is Nebraska’s Sweetheart Deal?

Court Affirms Patent Infringement Judgement Against Microsoft Word

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This afternoon Microsoft lost its appeal of a patent claim against Word: The ruling, by the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit -- which handles many patent and trademark cases -- may signal the endgame of a long-running dispute between Microsoft and Toronto-based i4i Ltd. On August 12, a jury in a federal U.S. district court in Texas ruled in favor of i4i … [Read more...] about Court Affirms Patent Infringement Judgement Against Microsoft Word

Crime Down? It’s Obvious Why.

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Social and legal analysts from all political and economic persuasions are at a loss for satisfying and complete explanations of America’s dropping violent crime rates. A similar phenomenon is occurring simultaneously in many other advanced western nations – even with better healthcare systems than ours. May I suggest a few obvious explanations that we all may have … [Read more...] about Crime Down? It’s Obvious Why.

Why did the crime rate drop so much in 2009?

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According to the FBI, the national homicide rate dropped 10 percent in 2009. Property crimes also dropped significantly in 2009. Crime, broadly speaking, is now at levels not seen since the early 1960s. No longer is this just a New York City miracle. It's a national story. Why did that happen? Crime used to be the most ideological debate point in American politics. … [Read more...] about Why did the crime rate drop so much in 2009?

Tiger Woods’ Fall from Grace: Only in America – Rue 89, France

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With news of the adultery of Tiger Woods, American Puritanism is once again a topic of conversation in Europe. To the average European, his fall from grace is as Shakespearean as it is American. For France's Rue 89, Pierre Haski writes in part: "There is certainly something very American about this psychodrama, in which a private matter brings down from his pedestal an … [Read more...] about Tiger Woods’ Fall from Grace: Only in America – Rue 89, France

General Softens Pregnancy Ban

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Last week I bookmarked a story from MSNBC that reported the Army general of U.S. forces in northern Iraq threatened to court-martial and jail personnel who became pregnant or impregnates another service member, including married couples assigned to the same unit. I was too busy to pursue the story, expecting an outcry from my sisters in journalism. Wrong. Not much of a peep … [Read more...] about General Softens Pregnancy Ban

GOP: Out of Gas, Out of Ideas, Over a Cliff

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Jonathan Chait at The New Republic: In reality, both parties have plenty of ideas that they would like to implement if given the political power to do so. Republicans’ policy ideas primarily involve cutting marginal tax rates and regulations. The question isn’t whether the Republican Party has any ideas. The question is whether the party has any relevant ideas. In the … [Read more...] about GOP: Out of Gas, Out of Ideas, Over a Cliff