Last week was the 30th anniversary of the Jonestown Massacre, a mass poisoning of over 900 members of Peoples Temple. The clip above is from the documentary, Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple by Stanley Nelson, Marcia Smith and Noland Walker. A powerful film, a sobering reminder, it is available in its entirety at Google video. Tim Reiterman, a reporter who was … [Read more...] about Remembering the Jonestown Massacre
A Terrorist Dies In Great Britain
And it raises some interesting questions... … [Read more...] about A Terrorist Dies In Great Britain
Hugo Chavez: You Have A Problem
You're now facing a revived opposition... … [Read more...] about Hugo Chavez: You Have A Problem
Obama Rips Farm Subsidy Abuse
President-elect Barack Obama at his news conference Tuesday singled out farm subsidy abuses as one of many areas his budget advisers seek to eliminate. He cited reports of corporations receiving millions of dollars in subsidies far over the cap of $250,000. If true, he said, the oversight by the U.S. Department of Agriculture will be fixed. Lots of luck. The farm lobby … [Read more...] about Obama Rips Farm Subsidy Abuse
Santa Bailout
Tab, The Calgary Sun … [Read more...] about Santa Bailout
What’s the Deal With Those Presidential Pardons?
As you may have heard, President Bush yesterday issued 14 pardons and commuted 2 sentences. This is what presidents do near the end of their terms, and Bush is no exception. (Make sure to read Jazz Shaw's excellent post from earlier today on presidential pardons, for and against, which includes an examination of Hamilton's Federalist 74.) According to the Times, there are … [Read more...] about What’s the Deal With Those Presidential Pardons?
The Coming Downfall and Breakup of America
I normally follow the unwritten rule around here of, "In the name of all that's good and Holy, don't link to Drudge!" but this article was simply too delicious to pass up. RUSSIAN ANALYST PREDICTS DECLINE AND BREAKUP OF USA A leading Russian political analyst has said the economic turmoil in the United States has confirmed his long-held view that the country is heading … [Read more...] about The Coming Downfall and Breakup of America
How FOCA Will Spell the End of the Universe
Yes, this is another column on the Freedom of Choice Act. (FOCA) This week finds an article in Slate by Melinda Helleberger getting all sorts of folks - including friends of mine - up in arms over the prospect of FOCA being passed by the strengthened Democratic majority in Congress and immediately signed into law (as promised) by then President Barack Obama. What do they … [Read more...] about How FOCA Will Spell the End of the Universe
Rumsfeld is Right, Believe It or Not, About Afghanistan
Did you happen to catch Rumsfeld's op-ed in the Times on Saturday? And did you happen to read it? I won't blame you if you didn't -- who cares what Rumsfeld thinks about anything at this point? -- but, believe it or not, once you get past the pro-Bush, pro-Iraq Surge self-aggrandizing, he actually had some interesting, and correct, things to say about what is needed in … [Read more...] about Rumsfeld is Right, Believe It or Not, About Afghanistan
Addicted to Drug Money
What's with these guys? Today: When a Congressional investigation revealed in June that Dr. Joseph Biederman, a world-renowned child psychiatrist, had earned far more money from drug makers than he had reported to his university, he said that his interests were “solely in the advancement of medical treatment through rigorous and objective study.” But e-mail messages and … [Read more...] about Addicted to Drug Money
Bush & Co: What A Smile!
Thank you Associated Press for this great photograph. One has to be either a genius or an idiot to smile like that when the USA and the world are gasping/agonizing over the financial mess or an uncertain future. Please keep this photograph in safe custody and look at the faces of these luminaries exactly after a year from now. I sincerely hope they are able to retain this … [Read more...] about Bush & Co: What A Smile!
Flying Turkeys of Yesteryear
It's not every day you get to write a sentence like this: As Keith Olbermann was making a pumpkin pie with Martha Stewart yesterday, they discussed the video of Sarah Palin cheerfully pardoning a Thanksgiving turkey with others being slaughtered in the background, as he recalled the classic 1978 WKRP sitcom episode of turkeys being dropped from a helicopter on the mistaken … [Read more...] about Flying Turkeys of Yesteryear
Speechless
Another $800 Billion of debt will be bought by the government. I am not really sure what to think. All I have to say is that other than student loans, how much more credit card, auto and mortgage debt can people even take on at this point? From one of my favorite links: The recapitalization of banks alone was not enough to get them to start lending, however. They didn't have … [Read more...] about Speechless
GA Woman May Lose Home for Teenaged Sex With Classmate
Radley Balko: Wendy Whitaker, 29, has been on Georgia's sex offender list for more than 12 years. Her crime? She performed oral sex on a high school classmate just after turning 17. The boy was just shy of his 16th birthday. Both were sophomores. Whitaker is now suing, claiming that given her crime, her sex offender status is cruel and unusual punishment. After the … [Read more...] about GA Woman May Lose Home for Teenaged Sex With Classmate
The Case for (and Against) Presidential Pardons
As the tenure of the 43rd president draws to a close, George W. Bush has issued another set of 14 pardons and two sentence commutations. (You may view a complete list here.) The specific details seem to provide little satisfaction on either side of the political divide, being mostly little-known criminals convicted of either drug trafficking or bank fraud offenses. Critics of … [Read more...] about The Case for (and Against) Presidential Pardons
Making a Speech this Thanksgiving? Keep Your Eye on the Turkey
Like so many Americans, this Thanksgiving we are heading off to spend the holidays with family across the country. This year, Thanksgiving is going to be extra special because we are combining the holiday with a big family reunion. As the “patriarch” of the family, I will probably be called upon to make a little speech to the gathered relatives. If I am not called upon, I … [Read more...] about Making a Speech this Thanksgiving? Keep Your Eye on the Turkey
Secret to NH State Senate Female Majority: It Doesn’t Pay
Interestingly, this Women's eNews article is the first one I've seen that finally gives a reason I can buy into understanding how it is that New Hampshire's state senate, unlike any other legislative body in the country, now has a majority of women (13 out of 24): Two major explanations for women's newfound majority are the state's high number of legislators and their … [Read more...] about Secret to NH State Senate Female Majority: It Doesn’t Pay
Stagnation Nation: Women’s Wins in Political Races Fail to Accelerate
I'd been blogging for nearly a year and a half when the November 2006 elections turned Ohio blue (Democrats took four of the five state offices and former Congressman/now U.S. Senator from Ohio, Sherrod Brown, dethroned incumbent Republican Mike DeWine). In the course of that time, I threw my first house party ever, for then-candidate and now award-winning Ohio Secretary of … [Read more...] about Stagnation Nation: Women’s Wins in Political Races Fail to Accelerate
Peter Schiff’s Prescient Pessimism
Aaron Task: There's a popular YouTube clip called "Peter Schiff Was Right" that shows the president of Euro Pacific Capital engaged in on-air debates with financial luminaries such as Art Laffer and Ben Stein, circa 2006-07. The clips show the wisdom of Schiff's dire forecasts — and, judging from the dismissive reactions, just how far he was outside the mainstream. Ben … [Read more...] about Peter Schiff’s Prescient Pessimism
Newt to be Law Lecturer at UGA — on Judicial Review
And to think, around here they call UGA a bastion of liberalism!?! The AJC's Political Insider: Former House speaker Newt Gingrich will become a regular — but temporary — lecturer at the University of Georgia School of law this spring. He’ll be teaching a course on judicial review. Which should come just in time to monitor one or two U.S. Supreme Court appointments by the … [Read more...] about Newt to be Law Lecturer at UGA — on Judicial Review