Why the heck does Susan Faludi think the sports metaphor is "a particularly lamentable white male construct" (New York Times, May 9)? For that matter, why assign it to white males? I know black males, white women, black women, and athletes of all ethnicities who use sports metaphors effectively, some as early as third grade, without impairing their worthier values. All … [Read more...] about A high, hard one for Faludi
Voting Politically
Some folks have been giving Barack Obama a hard time for his claim that the court's should serve as a refuge and defender of the oppressed in America. This, they argue, is politics substituting itself for law. They gleefully point to John McCain's statement on what he's looking for in a judge -- a position that is supposedly non-ideological and apolitical. Conservative judges … [Read more...] about Voting Politically
Race In The Campaign
Bob Englehart, The Hartford Courant … [Read more...] about Race In The Campaign
Burma: Military Junta Confiscates Rescue Supplies, UN Threatens to Stop Flights… and Meanwhile…
The United Nations said it would suspend flights into Myanmar after the military government seized the food and equipment it had sent into the country. But then, some small portion of detente began to be worked out between the UN with the US, UK, and Burma. We shall see. Various and sundry claims by relief agencies are flying over the internet today, adding to the garble … [Read more...] about Burma: Military Junta Confiscates Rescue Supplies, UN Threatens to Stop Flights… and Meanwhile…
Young voters portend a Millennial Makeover
Morley Winograd and Michael Hais have written a new book, Millennial Makeover: MySpace, YouTube and the Future Of American Politics. In it they say that every 30 or 40 years in the history of America there is a generational transition in politics and we're in for one now. A big one. The Millennial Generation are those who are born between 1982 and 2003. There's about a … [Read more...] about Young voters portend a Millennial Makeover
Is tax-exempt status for Churches an obsolete idea?
The Carpetbagger Report has a piece on Churches to put their tax status on the line for the GOP? Apparently some conservative churches want to be politically active AND keep their tax exempt status. I hope this issue provokes a serious reconsideration of the rationale for special tax treatment. I have never been much of a fan of the idea of tax exempt status. It seems to … [Read more...] about Is tax-exempt status for Churches an obsolete idea?
Clinton Supporters’ Demanding Emails To Superdelegates May Be Backfiring (UPDATED)
The Huffington Post's Sam Stein reports that supporters of Democratic Senator Hillary Clinton who comment on the pro-Clinton blog Taylor Marsh got ahold of an email list and have been emailing demanding, even angry, emails to superdelegates -- and there are signs that some superdelegates are now very unhappy campers: As the Democratic primary nears its long-awaited … [Read more...] about Clinton Supporters’ Demanding Emails To Superdelegates May Be Backfiring (UPDATED)
The Game Changing $4.00+
We in America can talk about the virtues and vices of presidential candidates we support. We in America can argue about which political party is going to destroy or uplift the country. We in America can pontificate about race baiting, race hustling, race pitching, race riding, race stirring, race healing, race blah blah in this political season. We in America can … [Read more...] about The Game Changing $4.00+
The future of the GOP as small government Democrats
In The Conservative Revival David Brooks explores the lessons the GOP could learn from their conservative colleagues in the UK. "The British conservative renovation begins with this insight: The central political debate of the 20th century was over the role of government. The right stood for individual freedom while the left stood for extending the role of the state. But … [Read more...] about The future of the GOP as small government Democrats
Guest Book Review: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
This is another Guest Book Review by fiction writer Jessica Schneider who also writes for Cosmoetica, is Book Editor for Monsters and Critics and is the only contributor to her own blog. Book Review: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon by Jessica Schneider It is always frustrating to begin a book that has some potential but ultimately … [Read more...] about Guest Book Review: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
Good News for Hobbit Fans
If you are one of the myriad fans of the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, you will be heartened to learn that events are moving forward toward the creation of a two movie series based on the original book, "The Hobbit." This week we learned that Sir Ian McKellen has signed on to reprise his role as Gandalf and that Peter Jackson will definitely be involved. As was expected, … [Read more...] about Good News for Hobbit Fans
Doctors and demons and unsung heroes
It turns out that one of the doctors in yesterday's piece on families coping with gender identity issues, Kenneth J. Zucker, Ph.D., is on the Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders Work Group for the American Psychological Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Pam says that's not good news: Needless to say, gender-variant LGBT and straight … [Read more...] about Doctors and demons and unsung heroes
Bill Clinton Strikes Again: He Heatedly Argues With A Voter (UPDATED)
They must have run out of duct tape at Home Depot -- or Hillary Clinton's advisers must believe that an angry Bill Clinton arguing with a female voter who interrupted him in West Virginia is going to win over people who don't already support Hillary Clinton. For a veteran politician, he can't turn a lemon (being interrupted) into lemonade (handling it with skill to win over … [Read more...] about Bill Clinton Strikes Again: He Heatedly Argues With A Voter (UPDATED)
Two Sides to John McCain’s Land Swap Deals
The Washington Post has further information on an unfolding story regarding several "land swap" deals endorsed by presidential hopeful Senator John McCain, at least one of which seems to be producing a financial windfall for one of the Arizona Senator's largest fundraisers. PRESCOTT, Ariz. -- Sen. John McCain championed legislation that will let an Arizona rancher trade … [Read more...] about Two Sides to John McCain’s Land Swap Deals
Burma Cyclone Relief
Some aid workers can and do get into the country - here's how to help: Myanmar Cyclone Relief New York, NY, May 8, 2008—Thanks to its historical, 94 years of operation as a non-political entity and relief organization, JDC staff has been granted entry visas to carry out humanitarian aid efforts for victims of cyclone Nargis which hit Myanmar last week. A senior JDC … [Read more...] about Burma Cyclone Relief
Gay Rights v. Religious Rights in “Safe Space” ruling at Georgia Tech
Inside Higher Ed, reporting from the front lines of the culture war: A federal judge has ruled that the Georgia Institute of Technology had materials in its office to support gay students that amounted to unconstitutional support for some religious groups over others. [...] The ruling came in a case involving a range of issues over speech codes and support for religious … [Read more...] about Gay Rights v. Religious Rights in “Safe Space” ruling at Georgia Tech
Another Swing and a Miss on al-Masri
U.S. military officials are now saying that yesterday's reports of the capture of Abu Ayyub al-Masri, the head of al Qaeda in Iraq, were somewhat premature. U.S. military officials were surprised about the report of Abu Ayyub al-Masri's capture -- first reported by Iraqi media and picked up by The Associated Press. And intelligence officials said they were skeptical, even … [Read more...] about Another Swing and a Miss on al-Masri
The Fall of Hillary Clinton: Why It Wasn’t Enough To Merely Master A Man’s Game
On the 492nd day of Hillary Clinton's quest to become the first woman president, one inevitability was rudely replaced by another. That was the number of days that elapsed from January 20, 2007 when Clinton (photo) announced that "I'm in. And I'm in it to win," something that few observers could seriously doubt, and Tuesday past when voters in North Carolina and Indiana … [Read more...] about The Fall of Hillary Clinton: Why It Wasn’t Enough To Merely Master A Man’s Game
Than Shwe: This Child Is Burma’s Only Future: Do Not Let An Entire Generation of Burmese Children Be Wiped Out by Your Inaction
According to my contact in Yangon, what pitiful supplies are on the ground, have no distribution whatsoever to any of the thousands of villages and tributaries in Burma hit into utter devastation by the tsunami/ cyclone. The Burmese, most poorer than poor before the tsunami, are going on their 6th sunrise without clean water, food, or shelter or medicines. Meanwhile, it is … [Read more...] about Than Shwe: This Child Is Burma’s Only Future: Do Not Let An Entire Generation of Burmese Children Be Wiped Out by Your Inaction
More Tragedy Pending in Burma? Burmese Gov’t Accepting Supplies, but Spurning Other Desperately Needed Aid
Look at these faces. While the rest of the world wrings its hands and waits helplessly on the sidelines, Burma's government says it will accept aid, but that it doesn't want the help of foreigners in getting it to the people. (BBC News) The UN is pretty sure the government's own unaided efforts won't be enough. The UN says that up to 1.5 million people may … [Read more...] about More Tragedy Pending in Burma? Burmese Gov’t Accepting Supplies, but Spurning Other Desperately Needed Aid