Overlawyered: A judge had overturned the conviction of the former Norwich, Ct. substitute teacher (Jul. 15, Mar. 14 and Jun. 10, 2007, etc.) over the episode in which her computer (almost certainly infected with unwanted malware) displayed a stream of dirty popup windows while her students were watching. To the amazement of many, prosecutors refused to drop the charges and … [Read more...] about Julie Amero Case Over; No Justice Done
Let Me Google That For You
The next time someone asks you a question answerable by Google, send them this link… Via Duncan Rawlinson, who also points out that GMail now has themes. … [Read more...] about Let Me Google That For You
Ah! Joy Of A Large Airplane Seat…
I feel uncomfortable/cramped in the economy class seats while travelling by air. I have always wondered how those who enjoy a larger girth than mine manage to squeeze into the narrow seats. So it is heartening to hear that the Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that obese people have the right to two seats for the price of one on flights within Canada. More here... The … [Read more...] about Ah! Joy Of A Large Airplane Seat…
Journalism: A Last Roll Of The Dice?
The current debate on the health of journalism is more than welcome. Earlier I had written about media baron Rupert Murdoch's take on the subject. And now comes a powerful defence of traditional journalism from Lionel Barber of London's Financial Times. Barber begins on a nostalgic note about his stint with The Washington Post, then makes a fascinating comparison between … [Read more...] about Journalism: A Last Roll Of The Dice?
Asif Zardari: ‘India & Pakistan Share Blood Ties’
President Asif Ali Zardari has become Pakistan's first head of state to promise a “no-first nuclear-strike” against India. He talked of the need for change and reconciliation in India-Pakistan relationship, and the possibility of doing away with passports for travel between the two countries. The surprise statement came when Zardari was addressing the Hindustan Times … [Read more...] about Asif Zardari: ‘India & Pakistan Share Blood Ties’
The Brain Worm and ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding’
Ann Althouse headlined a link to a news story this way: "Surgeons thought Rosemary Alvarez had a brain tumour, but on operating they found the worm." Somehow, that made me think of this scene from 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding': Come to think of it, the Althouse headline, taken from the body of a BBC report, also looks like the lead-in for a Monty Python sketch. [This … [Read more...] about The Brain Worm and ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding’
Are You Smarter Than A Politician?
Apparently politicians know even less about civics knowledge than the general populace. How do YOU fare? I missed one. … [Read more...] about Are You Smarter Than A Politician?
Of Endings and Beginnings and Bailouts
I recently left my job of 12 years at Freescale Semiconductor (née Motorola Semiconductor Products Sector) and started with a new company, essentially out of the semiconductor industry and into the realm of making money by licensing intellectual property. It has been a big change that was motivated in no small part by the precipitous decline of the semiconductor … [Read more...] about Of Endings and Beginnings and Bailouts
JFK On The Challenges Of The Presidency
It was 45 years ago today when American was shocked by the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Jr. Americans who were alive then can remember exactly where they were (I had just finished a speech running for student council at Amity Regional Jr. High School in Bethany, CT when the assistant principal got up and said something and everyone loudly gasped and quietly filed … [Read more...] about JFK On The Challenges Of The Presidency
Bill Bennett To GOP: Let’s Get To Work (Guest Interview)
So what did Democratic Sen. Barack Obama's presidential election victory mean, what does it mean to the GOP and what can Republicans do about it? In this Guest Voice interview, columnist Bill Steigerwald asks conservative bigwig Bill Bennett. Bill Bennett To GOP Let's Get to Work by Bill Steigerwald Conservative author and radio talk-show host Bill Bennett has been a … [Read more...] about Bill Bennett To GOP: Let’s Get To Work (Guest Interview)
Shall Iraq Have a Foreign Executioner or a Local One?: From Iraq’s Azzaman
The Iraqi man in the picture above looks like he's enjoying slapping the face of an effigy of President Bush, just before he and his associates set it alight in Firdous Square, which is where that huge statue of Saddam was so memorably pulled down in 2003. But there are many of his fellow Iraqis who are fretting a great deal over the planned withdrawal of U.S. forces from … [Read more...] about Shall Iraq Have a Foreign Executioner or a Local One?: From Iraq’s Azzaman
The Coming of a Can-Do Government
In the wreckage of this week's news, it's encouraging to watch the Obama Administration taking shape with an emphasis on extreme competence (no heck-of-a-job Brownie in the lot). Today's New York Times describes it as "tilting toward the center, inviting a clash of ideas," but the left-right analysis seems less to the point than the question of getting things done as … [Read more...] about The Coming of a Can-Do Government
Now on Google: Life Magazine Photo Archive
I missed this earlier in the week. Search Engine Land: TimeWarner and Google have announced that starting today Google will make available millions of images from the Life Magazine photo archive. The vast majority (97 percent) of these images have never been seen by the public (they were sitting around in physical envelopes). These are hard-copy photographs that have been or … [Read more...] about Now on Google: Life Magazine Photo Archive
Obama To Bush: Get Off The Pot
President-elect Barack Obama called for swift and bold action Saturday to deflect the falling economy. His weekly Democratic radio and video address signaled President Bush to fill the power vacuum in Washington. "If we don't act swiftly and boldly, most experts now believe that we could lose millions of jobs next year," Obama said. "We now risk falling into a deflationary … [Read more...] about Obama To Bush: Get Off The Pot
A Turkey By Any Other Description Is Still the Governor of Alaska (Guest Voice)
It's the image that has now been shot (or sliced) around the world: former GOP Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin liberating a Thanksgiving turkey, then giving an interview while turkeys are killed in the background as she speaks. In this Guest Voice post, journalism professor and author Walter Brasch argues that not all turkeys have feathers. Guest Voice posts do not … [Read more...] about A Turkey By Any Other Description Is Still the Governor of Alaska (Guest Voice)
Americans Are So Weird
I recently visited a friend from Australia and she said the funniest thing about our culture is how serious everyone takes things, while simultaneously being proudly ignorant and isolated. Turkeygate is such a great example of this. I found the video hilarious for two reasons. First it is just very ironic that she had a pomp-and- circumstance media event pardoning a turkey and … [Read more...] about Americans Are So Weird
In the Year 2012, the Republicans…
If you're already thinking ahead to 2012 -- and, honestly, who isn't? -- check out Chris Cillizza's post at The Fix on "ten Republicans to watch." The big names, of course, are Palin, Romney, and Huckabee, but only Romney makes the list, and rightly so. As I have said before, I think Palin's star will fade markedly over the next few years. Huckabee will continue to be a … [Read more...] about In the Year 2012, the Republicans…
An Obama-Palin Administration—No Satire!
A couple of days ago, I wrote a satirical piece on "What an Obama-Palin Administration Would Have Done For Our Economy." Some thought it was somewhat amusing, some didn't. But no one, including yours truly, thought of or brought up the subject that such an administration was not beyond the realm of possibilities. It turns out that, before the November 4 elections, … [Read more...] about An Obama-Palin Administration—No Satire!
It Was 45 Years Ago Today In Dallas, Texas
Even if you hadn't been alive when JFK was President, take a moment out today for a moment of silence and maybe a short prayer. … [Read more...] about It Was 45 Years Ago Today In Dallas, Texas
Lieberman, Obama, Bush, and Congressional Oversight
Though I had no stake in the party uproar surrounding the Senator from Connecticut, I flinched at the purported reason why Lieberman’s peers considered punishing him in the first place; namely, they said they took issue with him speaking out and working against Barack Obama during the presidential campaign. In Reclaiming Conservatism -- a book I have potentially … [Read more...] about Lieberman, Obama, Bush, and Congressional Oversight