as noted here and here on November 26. … [Read more...] about Obama as Person of the Year: Predictable and Correct…
Thoughts on Time‘s People of the Year
As you've probably heard by now, Time's Person of the Year for 2008 is, as was fully expected and as is richly deserved, Barack Obama. Seriously, did anyone even come close this year? The runners-up are an interesting bunch: Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Chinese film director Zhang Yimou, and someone named Sarah Palin. It's far too … [Read more...] about Thoughts on Time‘s People of the Year
Rethinking Poverty In Harlem
After my last few dour posts I feel like a stream of positive ones. I listened to an amazing This American Life episode last night that told the story of a radical anti-poverty program underway in Harlem. They mention that recent cognitive research points to a few guidelines that will give both liberals and conservatives pause when it comes to thinking about poverty: If … [Read more...] about Rethinking Poverty In Harlem
Immigration and Pride in America
Andrew Sullivan is inspired by this animated clip ... as I think every resident of the USA should be. (Note: The first time I pressed "play," the video zipped through to the end. Once it was over, I hit "play" again, and it proceeded more slowly. That slower pace the second time around was, IMHO, the better effect.) Immigration to the US, 1820-2007 v2 from Ian … [Read more...] about Immigration and Pride in America
California Pension Fund Loses 25%
Not to pile on, but CalPERS is also down about 25% on the year due to 103% losses from real estate deals. At first I couldn't believe what type of deals these pension funds and endowments were getting into (a Canadian pension fund was going to become majority owner in a telecom company...fortunately for them the deal fell through due to the credit crunch) but then I read that … [Read more...] about California Pension Fund Loses 25%
Is the Black Middle Class in Rawls’ Original Position?
A brief exploration stemming from some 3 AM musings. … [Read more...] about Is the Black Middle Class in Rawls’ Original Position?
Yale’s Endowment Down an Estimated 25%
The financial tsunami hits the Ivy League. Two weeks ago I noted Harvard University’s endowment is down 22% and falling. Today The Chronicle reports: Yale University’s endowment has dropped an estimated 25 percent — a loss of about $6-billion — since June 30, creating a shortfall of $100-million in next year’s budget, President Richard C. Levin announced in a letter to the … [Read more...] about Yale’s Endowment Down an Estimated 25%
Will Rudy Giuliani Take Over Bill O’Reilly’s Radio Slot?
Will we soon be hearing former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani on the radio going on and on about the war against Christmas, how biased the Los Angeles Times is, and that maniac Al Franken? The unsuccessful 2008 Republican presidential primary candidate and 911 hero will likely come up with his own schtick, but the New York Post's Page 6 reports that Giuliani is seriously in … [Read more...] about Will Rudy Giuliani Take Over Bill O’Reilly’s Radio Slot?
The “Imminent Collapse” Of Global Trade?
This post does a great job of explaining how the most important aspect of the financial crisis is global trade, and on that front things are going terribly. Domestic and international politics are far more important for solving our economic crisis than what the Fed/banks do, but politicians haven't realized this yet. … [Read more...] about The “Imminent Collapse” Of Global Trade?
Patrick Fitzgerald’s Problem
He is right out of a Frank Capra movie--a clean-cut crime fighter who lives to bring down the bad guys--but in the current Illinois Senate seat mess, Patrick Fitzgerald had to make a hard choice that could eventually let Rod Blagojevich off the hook: Should he try to stop the crime before it happens or nail the wrongdoer but only after the damage has been done? The results … [Read more...] about Patrick Fitzgerald’s Problem
Girl Talk: ‘Feed the Animals’ Top of Pop
Yesterday on Fresh Air rock critic Ken Tucker did his Top of Pop 2008. He had this to say about Girl Talk's Feed the Animals: One of my favorite albums of the year was one I didn't review on Fresh Air at all because it was so gleefully profane and so resistant to brief synopsis. The DJ, Greg Gillis, who uses the stage name Girl Talk, put out the album "Feed the Animals." It … [Read more...] about Girl Talk: ‘Feed the Animals’ Top of Pop
Shocker: Time Names Obama Person of the Year
I wonder if anyone failed to see this coming? In one of the craziest elections in American history, he overcame a lack of experience, a funny name, two candidates who are political institutions and the racial divide to become the 44th President of the United States. I suppose I don't have a problem with this. I mean, in the end, who else was it going to be? Even if Obama … [Read more...] about Shocker: Time Names Obama Person of the Year
One Quarter Percent – Has the Fed Learned Nothing?!!
Earlier this year I showed how this entire credit crisis is the fault of the Federal Reserve due to their completely inept handling of interest rates as we came out of the last recession. See http://themoderatevoice.com/22860/guest-voice-the-federal-%e2%80%9canything-but%e2%80%9d-reserved-911-terrorists-strike-again/ . Now they are doing it again. How can we let them? Major … [Read more...] about One Quarter Percent – Has the Fed Learned Nothing?!!
Praise for Gay-Friendly Education Pick Arne Duncan
Following up on Pete's collection of praise, I'll add the NYTimes saying Arne Duncan is known for taking tough steps to improve schools while maintaining respectful ties with unions. And the WaPo that as chief executive of Chicago public schools, Arne Duncan has supported a range of measures to shake up the status quo in urban education, including new charter schools, … [Read more...] about Praise for Gay-Friendly Education Pick Arne Duncan
Equal Opportunity Ire
At the US News-hosted "Capital Commerce" blog, James Pethokoukis offers his list of "The 10 Dopiest Business and Economy Leaders of 2008," acknowledging that ... In a year when Wall Street imploded, the Big Three automakers neared collapse, and the economy plunged into its worst downturn in at least a generation, finding business and economy "leaders" who messed up badly … [Read more...] about Equal Opportunity Ire
Open Thread: Inking Up the Next Generation of Voters
The Pew Research Center, clearly having a lot more time on their hands now that the election has ended, released a study on people in various age groups who embrace "nontraditional appearance-altering practices." These modifications included tattoos, dying one's hair a nontraditional color and body piercings other than ear lobes. I found the results to be a bit surprising, … [Read more...] about Open Thread: Inking Up the Next Generation of Voters
Iraq Invents Weapon for Rulers that Lie: ‘The Nuclear Shoe!’: El Khabar, Algeria
Of the growing corpus of Arab reaction to the Iraqi shoe-attack on President Bush, this article from Algeria is one of the most intriguing yet. According to Abdelaziz Ghermoul of the newspaper El Khabar, the Iraqis have invented a new 'weapon' that is not only effective in combating the lies of foreign leaders like George W. Bush. If things go the way he predicts, Arab … [Read more...] about Iraq Invents Weapon for Rulers that Lie: ‘The Nuclear Shoe!’: El Khabar, Algeria
Putting Aside the Bible for a While
In my last year of seminary, I took a class where one of our assignments one evening was to debate the issue of slavery. Both sides used the Bible to justify their arguments. When the exercise was done, the professor told the side that was against slavery (the side I was on) that it was a losing battle to use the Bible in your argument since the other side could back up their … [Read more...] about Putting Aside the Bible for a While
The Ineffable Likability of Bush
His polling is among the worst of any president. He was used as a whipping post by all sides in the recent presidential election. And there are innumerable people, websites, and Facebook groups devoted to counting down his last days in office. In spite of all of this, in his final days as President of the United States, George W. Bush seems to be re-embracing and … [Read more...] about The Ineffable Likability of Bush
Gingrich Echoes McCain: Denounces RNC Obama Blagojevich Linkage Campaign
Here's yet another sign that some GOPers want their party -- for a while at least -- to move away from being the lock-step talk radio political culture party, indulging in mega partisan accusatory attacks at the drop of even the hint of a hat, before the hat's existence is even proven: former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has denounced the RNC's campaign that is attempting to … [Read more...] about Gingrich Echoes McCain: Denounces RNC Obama Blagojevich Linkage Campaign