In today’s Great Music journey, unlike previous journeys into the distant past, we enter the Wayback machine and set the controls to 1967 to hear Procol Harum play “A Whiter Shade of Pale”. Great Music did not die with the passing of the old European White Guys a couple hundred years ago. Modern music can make it in the Great Music portfolio because modern musical instruments … [Read more...] about Great Music – Chapter 7
We treat them miserably, and yet immigrants keep making America great
By Brian Regal It was a chilly day in Manhattan with light flurries falling that I sat in the third floor portrait gallery of the New York Public Library. I loved to go to the library to sit and think and write (I still do). There was a crowd of people walking around slowly looking at… … [Read more...] about We treat them miserably, and yet immigrants keep making America great
What Happens to Our Consciousness When We Die?
Clinically, we understand death to mean the state that takes hold after our hearts stop beating. Blood circulation comes to a halt, we don't breathe, our brains shut down—and that's what divides the states we occupy from one moment (alive) to the next (dead). Philosophically, though, our definition of death hinges on something else: the point… … [Read more...] about What Happens to Our Consciousness When We Die?
Falsehoods fly freely in Trump’s America
WASHINGTON -- This is the autopsy of a lie. On the night of Nov. 18, Border Patrol Agent Rogelio Martinez was found dying on the side of an interstate in West Texas. There were immediate signs it had been an accident. Martinez's partner, Stephen Garland (who suffered a head injury and doesn't recall the incident), had radioed for help, saying he thought he ran into a … [Read more...] about Falsehoods fly freely in Trump’s America
Cartoon: Today’s Republican Party
Gabon fights elephant poachers with hi-tech tracker collars
Ever tried to put a GPS real-time tracking collar on a five-tonne animal? Well in Gabon conservationists have begun trying to use the devices on elephants; tracking and drugging the animals, before attaching the high-tech gadgets in a bid to stop poachers and ivory trafficking. But it is not a simple task. Each operation needs around… … [Read more...] about Gabon fights elephant poachers with hi-tech tracker collars
Eating leafy greens every day helps your memory, fights cognitive decline
Want to keep your brain sharp? Eat a lot of greens, researchers suggest. Leafy greens seem to do wonders for your body and brain. Image via USDA. Photo by Lance Cheung. As if veggies didn't have enough benefits to boast, they also prevent the decline of cognitive abilities. Study author Martha Clare Morris, a professor of… … [Read more...] about Eating leafy greens every day helps your memory, fights cognitive decline
Cartoon: Treason
Trump nixes release of Democratic memo that answers Nunes memo
This was absolutely predictable. Despite official statements, he clearly doesn't want to have it mess up his (and Fox News') official narrative of events: President Trump is not ready to approve the release of a Democratic memo meant to rebut a controversial document released by Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee last week, the White House announced. White … [Read more...] about Trump nixes release of Democratic memo that answers Nunes memo
Trump: Porter ‘says he’s innocent and I think you have to remember that’
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Friday that he found out about the abuse allegations against his close aide Rob Porter "recently" and was "surprised by it." Talking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump mentioned twice that Porter says he's innocent. Porter's two ex-wives say they gave detailed accounts and documentation to FBI agents conducting… … [Read more...] about Trump: Porter ‘says he’s innocent and I think you have to remember that’
The Story of the 15:17 Amsterdam to Paris Train
There are several reviews of the new movie, “15:17 to Paris” – some good, some not so good. I have not seen the movie yet, but I am sure that, as a veteran who admired the actions depicted in the movie, I will enjoy it. Katie Lange at Defense Media Activity has written an interesting piece providing some background on the ”real-life heroes [who] play themselves in the … [Read more...] about The Story of the 15:17 Amsterdam to Paris Train
(UPDATE III) Who Is Sicker? Wife Beater Ron Porter Or John Kelly, His Big, Bad Defender?
One of the greatest perversities (pun intended) of living through the Donald Trump presidency is that I still cling, my fingernails on the window ledge of the top floor of a high-rise building engulfed in flames, to the notion that there has to be some good in this godawful disaster. And so it seemed when Marine General John F. Kelly was named Trump's White House chief of … [Read more...] about (UPDATE III) Who Is Sicker? Wife Beater Ron Porter Or John Kelly, His Big, Bad Defender?
Trump wants the pomp without the usual circumstance
WASHINGTON -- Well, of course the president who claimed bone spurs to dodge the Vietnam War wants the biggest, bestest military parade ever, with lots of tanks and rockets and flags -- zillions of flags -- and fighter jets screaming overhead. Why is anyone surprised? We should have seen it coming. And be careful, parade-watchers: As far as Dear Leader Trump is concerned, … [Read more...] about Trump wants the pomp without the usual circumstance
The hidden superpower of ‘Black Panther’: Scientist role models
By Clifford Johnson, Professor of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southern California – Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. King of a technologically advanced country, Black Panther is a scientific genius. Marvel Studios I’m not the first to say that the upcoming Marvel movie “Black Panther” will be an important landmark. Finally a feature film… … [Read more...] about The hidden superpower of ‘Black Panther’: Scientist role models
Parading For Mr. Bone Spurs (Column and Cartoon)
Question: How in the hell can we hold a military parade down Pennsylvania Avenue to show the world the might of our armed forces when our military is depleted like Donald Trump claims Obama left it? Trump plans to increase military spending and reignite the Cold War by building up our nuclear arsenal. Apparently, nuclear weapons aren’t Twinkies, and they have expiration … [Read more...] about Parading For Mr. Bone Spurs (Column and Cartoon)
Secretary Mattis Stands by His Troops – Including Dreamers
Even as Trump and his lackeys continue to prevaricate on DACA (Deferred Action Childhood Program) – even to insult the “Dreamers” as "too lazy to get off their asses” – one man has shown the backbone to “stand by” Dreamers under his command. Speaking with reporters at the Pentagon today, Defense Secretary James N. Mattis said that U.S. service members who are a part of DACA … [Read more...] about Secretary Mattis Stands by His Troops – Including Dreamers
John Kelly, facing heat for backing alleged abuser, has shed image as calming force
WASHINGTON — When John Kelly oversaw the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, dozens of detainees refused to eat as a form of protest. Kelly, furious at the potential propaganda implications, instructed his charges to avoid using the term "hunger strike," insisting it be called a "long-term nonreligious fast." That moment in 2013 showed Kelly can… … [Read more...] about John Kelly, facing heat for backing alleged abuser, has shed image as calming force
Trump doesn’t need a parade. He needs a Roman triumph.
WASHINGTON -- The Washington Post's scoop about President Trump's plans for a grand military parade in Washington brings to mind Evelyn Waugh's classic satire about England's upper crust in the early days of World War II, "Put Out More Flags," named after a Chinese proverb: "A man getting drunk at a farewell party should strike a musical tone, in order to strengthen his … [Read more...] about Trump doesn’t need a parade. He needs a Roman triumph.
Are traffic-clogged US cities ready for congestion pricing?
By John Rennie Short, Professor, School of Public Policy, University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Times Square traffic jam. bk, CC BY-SA New York is the latest city to contemplate congestion pricing as a way to deal with traffic problems. This strategy, which requires motorists to pay fees for driving into city centers during busy periods, is… … [Read more...] about Are traffic-clogged US cities ready for congestion pricing?
