I think the thing that bums me out the most about the wedding between Prince Harry and American Meghan Markle is that I remember the wedding between Prince Charles and Diana. God, I’m getting old. A lot of people seem to be making a stink about Meghan being of mixed race. I thought maybe it was being overblown until I saw a headline in a British publication saying something … [Read more...] about Royal Racism (Cartoon and Column)
Actually, Mueller’s ‘witch hunt’ is bagging flesh-and-blood villains
by Ruth Marcus Washington Post Writers Group Columnist WASHINGTON -- Congratulations, America, indeed. President Trump was being sarcastic when he tweeted, at 7:28 Thursday morning, "Congratulations America, we are now into the second year of the greatest Witch Hunt in American History ... and there is still No Collusion and No Obstruction." A year into the probe by … [Read more...] about Actually, Mueller’s ‘witch hunt’ is bagging flesh-and-blood villains
Great Music Chapter 18
This a page from the score of Rachmaninoff’s Prelude in C#m. The first thing a student notices when confronted with this piece of music is it takes 4 staffs for Rachmaninoff to show all the notes instead of the normal 2 staffs. In other words there are Two Treble Clefs and Two Bass Clefs for each line of music. The first comment, after looking at their own hands, is how in the … [Read more...] about Great Music Chapter 18
A Weekend Fluff Piece on ‘Punctuality’
We have some dear friends who, when invited for dinner or some other social function, can never be “on time.” By not being on time, I mean they might casually waltz in when the rest of the crowd is savoring the last vestiges of dessert. Yet, we love them because they remind us of our relatives in South America for whom punctuality is nothing but a dream. And, yes, we love … [Read more...] about A Weekend Fluff Piece on ‘Punctuality’
5 things to know about mass shootings in America
5 things to know about mass shootings in America Outside Santa Fe High School in Texas on May 18, 2018. AP Photo/David J. Phillip Frederic Lemieux, Georgetown University At least 10 students were killed at a Santa Fe, Texas high school on May 18 after a classmate opened fire with a shotgun and a .38 revolver. The … [Read more...] about 5 things to know about mass shootings in America
Cartoon: Gun Country
Scott Pruitt’s approach to pollution control will make the air dirtier and Americans less healthy
Smog alert in Cleveland, Ohio, July 20, 1973. USEPA Robert Percival, University of Maryland Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt’s ethical lapses and extravagant spending habits have distracted the public from what he is doing to roll back important environmental protections. Pruitt helped persuade President Donald Trump to … [Read more...] about Scott Pruitt’s approach to pollution control will make the air dirtier and Americans less healthy
Cartoon: Guns and Hammers
Another School Shooting: ‘Thoughts and prayers are not nearly enough.’
Today, on a day when at least nine more young lives were snuffed out suddenly, horrifically and way prematurely by “humans” with guns in my home state, I – I am sure along with thousands of others – received this heartfelt letter from two persons who know the horror of gun fire. Instead of offering the now-perfunctory “thoughts and prayers,” I would like to share their words … [Read more...] about Another School Shooting: ‘Thoughts and prayers are not nearly enough.’
A Tsunami of Evil
It's tough to even know where to begin. But let's start here: Trump personally pushed postmaster general to double rates on Amazon, other firms Washington Post President Trump has personally pushed U.S. Postmaster General Megan Brennan to double the rate the Postal Service charges Amazon.com and other firms to ship packages, according to three people familiar … Heck, … [Read more...] about A Tsunami of Evil
U.S. Politics: Everyone’s Gone Cuckoo
A scene in an American cartoon summarizes the current state of U.S. politics. In the scene, the show's main protagonist declares, "Everyone's gone cuckoo," while running through mayhem. I have witnessed so much political lunacy coming from all sides that I want to do as SpongeBob does: I want to say to every politician and political pundit . . . The … [Read more...] about U.S. Politics: Everyone’s Gone Cuckoo
The Profiteer- in-Chief Goes belly Up for China
The U.S. Constitution has been reduced to a scrap of parchment, rendered irrelevant by the profiteer-in-chief. President Trump relentlessly railed against China on the campaign trail ("It's the greatest theft in the history of the world, what they've done to the United States, they've taken our jobs!"), but days ago he suddenly tweeted his desire to save ZTE, China's … [Read more...] about The Profiteer- in-Chief Goes belly Up for China
Politicians aren’t as dumb as we think
WASHINGTON -- Let's posit three rules of political analysis. First, data are better than presuppositions. Second, actual votes cast can tell us more than the polls. Third, even when we carefully examine the facts, we're all vulnerable to seeking confirmation of what we believed in the first place. On the basis of these rules, some widely accepted assumptions about our … [Read more...] about Politicians aren’t as dumb as we think
Maximum Bob Mueller Indictment Watch: Fredo Sinks Deeper In The Collusion Cauldron
Practically from the moment we learned of the infamous June 9, 2016 Trump Tower sitdown convened by Donald "Fredo" Trump Jr. to get dirt on Hillary Clinton from a lawyer with close Kremlin ties, it has been less a meeting than a big smoking gun and on its face ample proof that the Trump campaign was delighted to collude with Russia in its cybersabotage of the Hillary Clinton … [Read more...] about Maximum Bob Mueller Indictment Watch: Fredo Sinks Deeper In The Collusion Cauldron
What Happened Near Tongo Tongo, Niger, the Night of October 4? (UPDATED)
UPDATE: A video produced by DoD and used to brief members of Congress on the October 2017 Niger ambush that killed four US soldiers has been released to news media. The video includes extensive details about the mission and the attack on the 12-member team and their partner Nigerien force, according to CNN. CNN shows part of the video here. The part shown by CNN is … [Read more...] about What Happened Near Tongo Tongo, Niger, the Night of October 4? (UPDATED)
Hey, Democrats, what’s the big idea? No, really. What’s the big idea?
WASHINGTON -- A dozen possible Democratic presidential candidates assembled at a downtown Washington hotel Tuesday for one of the first cattle calls of the 2020 campaign. The good news: There were, on that stage, all of the personal qualities and policy ideas needed to defeat President Trump. The bad news: These qualities and ideas were not in any one person. The perfect … [Read more...] about Hey, Democrats, what’s the big idea? No, really. What’s the big idea?
Studying poop samples, scientists find clues on health and disease
Though examining poop samples scientists working on the American Gut Project are getting a new perspective on the microbes in our guts. By Christos Georghiou/Shutterstock.com Daniel McDonald, University of California San Diego Have you ever wondered what’s going on in your poop? Perhaps not. But this is precisely what we think about every day at the … [Read more...] about Studying poop samples, scientists find clues on health and disease
Cartoon: Trump, Sadler and Loyalty
Mike Slosberg is a cartoonist and novelist. He lives with his wife and hundreds of drawing pens on the Upper Westside of Manhattan, New York. You can see more of his cartoons and learn about his books by going to: mikeslosbergbooks.com … [Read more...] about Cartoon: Trump, Sadler and Loyalty
The Gaza Strip – What Next?
Most of you have encountered news and vivid photos of the recent Israeli-Gaza violence. It is a difficult issue to try to explain to anyone not intimately involved in the conflict. Most news and commentary boils down to it is all Israel’s fault or all Hamas’s fault. It is a conflict that cries out for rational mediation but such an effort may be a long time coming. It has … [Read more...] about The Gaza Strip – What Next?
US embassy in Jerusalem opens amid violence: 4 essential reads
Palestinian protesters evacuate a wounded youth in the Gaza Strip. AP Photo/Adel Hana Danielle Douez, The Conversation On May 14, the day the U.S. embassy in Israel moved to Jerusalem, at least 55 Palestinians were killed and 2,700 wounded by Israeli soldiers amid protest at Israel’s border, according to The New York Times. What began as … [Read more...] about US embassy in Jerusalem opens amid violence: 4 essential reads