Three accusers so far, and we’ve only gotten as far as freshman year. Imagine what’s in store for Brett "Kegger" Kavanaugh as an upper-class man at Yale. Boola, boola. All of his accusers could be mistaken or lying, but the odds are against it. Predict It, the UK bookmaker, had confirmation at 96% last week, now down to 30%. Kegger’s self-driven PR campaign hasn’t moved … [Read more...] about Who Said Life is Fair?
How humans fit into Google’s machine future
Will people use technology, or will it use us? Zapp2Photo/Shutterstock.com Ed Finn, Arizona State University and Andrew Maynard, Arizona State University In 1998, Google began humbly, formally incorporated in a Menlo Park garage, providing search results from a server housed in Lego bricks. It had a straightforward goal: make the poorly indexed World … [Read more...] about How humans fit into Google’s machine future
In the Kavanaugh fight, politics is not the most important thing
Who says politicians think only about the next election? In the battle over the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, the outcome each party respectively wants may hurt them in November's elections. But the stakes are so high that neither side can afford to focus on politics alone. They got higher still on Wednesday when a new accuser, Julie Swetnick, said … [Read more...] about In the Kavanaugh fight, politics is not the most important thing
America’s Uncivil War
The American civil war was fought between 1861 to 1865. It resulted in the deaths of an estimated 620,000 people. America’s current uncivil war began near the end of the 20th century; ramped up a little at the beginning of this 21st century; accelerated in the second decade of the century, and, has moved into nearly full-fledged and continuous conflict since Donald Trump … [Read more...] about America’s Uncivil War
Trump is the laughingstock of the world
WASHINGTON -- Promise made, promise kept. "The world is laughing at us," Donald Trump often said during the campaign. The claim was not obviously true then, but Trump has made it so. The world is now laughing at us -- specifically, at our president. "In less than two years, my administration has accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of our … [Read more...] about Trump is the laughingstock of the world
Upcoming Massacre (Cartoon, Column and Video)
Were you confused? I was. Initial reports said Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein was on his way to the White House to submit his resignation after The New York Times reported that he discussed wearing a wire tape to record Trump and invoking the 25th Amendment to remove him from office. Then, reports said Chief of Staff John Kelly wouldn’t accept his resignation, or he … [Read more...] about Upcoming Massacre (Cartoon, Column and Video)
Memories of trauma are unique because of how brains and bodies respond to threat
A traumatic memory can be near impossible to shake. Carolina Heza/Unsplash, CC BY Jacek Debiec, University of Michigan Most of what you experience leaves no trace in your memory. Learning new information often requires a lot of effort and repetition – picture studying for a tough exam or mastering the tasks of a new job. It’s easy to forget what … [Read more...] about Memories of trauma are unique because of how brains and bodies respond to threat
I smell a rat
WASHINGTON -- I smell a rat. Apparently I'm not the only one. Recent reporting by The Washington Post's Rachel Chason and others confirmed what the rest of the country has long suspected: "Rats are overrunning D.C." Complaints increased 50 percent in 2017 -- which by complete and total coincidence is the year President Trump came to town -- and are scurrying to another … [Read more...] about I smell a rat
Bill Cosby headed to prison: sentence to 10 years
Embed from Getty Images Comedian Bill Cosby has been sentenced to 3 to 10 years in prison for sexual assault. The sentence will effectively eradicate his legacy and at his age if he gets 10 years it could conceivably mean a life sentence. Another aspect of this: you have to wonder how the publicity of this issue will impact the allegations by two women (so far) about the … [Read more...] about Bill Cosby headed to prison: sentence to 10 years
Real News: The Times Had a Duty to Publish the Rosenstein Story
Some progressives have expressed outrage at the New York Times for publishing its reporting on Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein's statements at a 2017 DOJ-FBI meeting held immediately following FEPOTUS'S firing of James Comey. Their argument is that the Times should have held the story back because its potential damage to Rosenstein and by extension to the Mueller … [Read more...] about Real News: The Times Had a Duty to Publish the Rosenstein Story
Human-caused climate change severely exposes the US national parks
Trees have died in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colo., as climate change has intensified bark beetle infestations and drought. Patrick Gonzalez, CC BY-ND Patrick Gonzalez, University of California, Berkeley Human-caused climate change is disrupting ecosystems and people’s lives around the world. It is melting glaciers, increasing wildfires, and … [Read more...] about Human-caused climate change severely exposes the US national parks
Cartoon: Rod Rosenstein Breaking News Distraction
Rosenstein, Mueller and the Rolling Report
On Friday night, the New York Times reported that top officials of the Department of Justice and of FBI met to discuss how to move ahead with respect to the new president within days after he fired FBI Director James Comey. Rod Rosenstein, Deputy Attorney General, was nominally in charge of the meeting. Andrew McCabe, then acting FBI director, also attended. Subsequently, … [Read more...] about Rosenstein, Mueller and the Rolling Report
What Happened to Trump’s Infrastructure Plans?
Sure he's got a lot of his plate. But once upon a time when a man named Donald Trump was running for president, he promised Americans that he would spend a trillion dollars on improving the nation’s infrastructure. He was aware that roads and bridges were deteriorating and dangerous, railroads were unreliable, and high speed trains were a reality in Europe, China and Japan, but … [Read more...] about What Happened to Trump’s Infrastructure Plans?
Breaking: Second woman alleges Kavanaugh sexual misconduct
Another woman has come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. This woman is from his college days at Yale. NBC News: A second woman has come forward alleging sexual misconduct by embattled Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, days before his scheduled testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee in response to a … [Read more...] about Breaking: Second woman alleges Kavanaugh sexual misconduct
Big game days in college football linked with sexual assault
The revelry that comes with college football comes with a serious social cost. Sergey Nivens/www.shutterstock.com Peter Siminski, University of Technology Sydney; Isaac Swensen, Montana State University, and Jason Lindo, Texas A&M University It’s already known that students drink and party more on college football’s big game days. We found in a … [Read more...] about Big game days in college football linked with sexual assault
“The Grumpy Old Men of the Senate: Time for This Movie to Face to Black.”
Senate Republicans are in the clutches of misogyny, money and male pattern blindness by Michael Winship Call me a sentimental fool (pipe down out there) but I keep waiting for the big Frank Capra moment that rationally, I know may never come – you know, like the climax of Capra’s Mr. Smith Goes to Washington when the corrupt, patrician senator played by Claude Rains, … [Read more...] about “The Grumpy Old Men of the Senate: Time for This Movie to Face to Black.”
She’s about to blow!
Now is not a good time to be in Iceland. That is because Iceland's giant Katla volcano is revving up for an eruption. From Iceland Magazine: A group of Icelandic and British geologists have recently finished a research mission studying gas emissions from the volcano. The studies showed that Katla is emitting enormous quantities of CO2. The volcano releases at least 20 … [Read more...] about She’s about to blow!
What Is It About Republican Men?
What follows is an insightful piece written by a woman whom I have the pleasure of knowing in a different context. In the middle of the controversy surrounding the Brett Kavanaugh nomination, I hope you find it as instructive as I have. The author's name is Debby Long, and I hope she will allow me to share other work from her in the future. This is posted with her … [Read more...] about What Is It About Republican Men?
I acted like a complete jerk to my students just to prove a point
Antagonistic professors hurt student learning, research shows. Volodymyr Tverdokhlib/www.shutterstock.com Alan Goodboy, West Virginia University During a recent lecture, I purposefully antagonized students. I belittled one student by criticizing him in front of others. I favored another student by telling other students they should be more like … [Read more...] about I acted like a complete jerk to my students just to prove a point