According to Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee, the key to destroying the Trump campaign was through….Carter Page. Yeah, OK then. The Republican talking point is that the FBI had it out for Trump and was trying to elect Hillary Clinton. That ignores the fact the FBI made a huge statement about reopening the investigation into Clinton (mere days before the … [Read more...] about Color My Memo (Column and Cartoon)
History as seen through memos
WASHINGTON -- Wouldn't it be great to be Devin Nunes? Not only does the California Republican get to be chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, but he simultaneously gets to serve President Trump by making public tidbits of classified information given to him by the White House. He is recused from the Russia investigation but still gets to use committee staff to … [Read more...] about History as seen through memos
The Obligatory post-Super Bowl post
The Super Bowl is in the news: Eagles' 1st Super Bowl Win Draws 103.4M Viewers, Smallest Audience In Nine Years - Update Dominic Patten / Deadline: UPDATE, 1:13 PM: As late as it went and as rowdy as it got, the City of Brotherly Love made pretty swift progress this morning picking up the debris of last night's victory celebrations for the Philadelphia Eagles' first Super … [Read more...] about The Obligatory post-Super Bowl post
HE SAID, HE SAID
Irrespective of the merits of the released Nunes memo, or of its rebuttal in the yet unreleased Schiff memo, the end results are the same. These have to be good times for the enemies of America for collusion or no collusion, obstruction of justice or not, does it really matter? The end results are the same. Americans pitched against Americans, State fighting with its … [Read more...] about HE SAID, HE SAID
The Future: Autonomous Vehicles
The average American uses his or her car less than 6% of the time, yet spends over 17% of his or her income on that vehicle. Most of the time it is sitting in the garage or parking lot at work. Autonomous cars, and by that, I mean vehicles that do not need a driver and do not have a steering wheel or peddles, are on the way, and like the cell phone before it and the computer … [Read more...] about The Future: Autonomous Vehicles
Donald Trump Says Democrats Not Clapping At State Of The Union Were ‘Treasonous’
Lest you're one of those who've pooh-poohed the idea that President Donald Trump has (as some prominent historians and psychologists point out) authoritarian and downright anti-democratic tendencies, Trump, in one of his blistering campaign-style speeches, has just accused Democrats who didn't applaud at his State of the Union address as being "treasonous." President … [Read more...] about Donald Trump Says Democrats Not Clapping At State Of The Union Were ‘Treasonous’
Dow Jones plunges 1,500 points
As President Trump talked up the benefits of the tax cuts at a Cincinnati factory Monday, the cable news networks all cut away to cover a 1,000-point drop in the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The Dow tumbled 1,175 points at closing to 24,345, the biggest correction to the stock market since Mr. Trump took office. Analysts… … [Read more...] about Dow Jones plunges 1,500 points
Earth To News Media: The Russia Scandal Constitutional Crisis Already Has Arrived
There are really only three things you need to know about that partisan hit job in the form of the classified House Intelligence Committee memo released last Friday to breathless anticipation in general and right-wing Republican hysteria in particular: Fox News and the similarly paleolithic Washington Examiner got copies hours before the rest of the media, which speaks volumes, … [Read more...] about Earth To News Media: The Russia Scandal Constitutional Crisis Already Has Arrived
When Fluffy wants Mommy: The growing demand for pet-friendly workplaces
By Deborah McPhee, Professor of Human Resources Management and Health and Safety, Brock University. Millennial women are choosing pets over kids. And they want to bring those pets to work. What can employers do? (Shutterstock) The times, they are a-changin’ when it comes to families. No longer is the traditional family configuration a mom, a dad,… … [Read more...] about When Fluffy wants Mommy: The growing demand for pet-friendly workplaces
Nunes paves Trump’s road to autocracy
WASHINGTON -- The autocratic leader lies and then falsely charges his opponents with lying. He politicizes institutions that are supposed to be free of politics by falsely accusing his foes of politicizing them. He victimizes others by falsely claiming they are victimizing him. The autocrat also counts on spineless politicians to cave in to his demands. And as they destroy … [Read more...] about Nunes paves Trump’s road to autocracy
Cartoon: NFL Ratings
Democrats sharpen warning to Trump in wake of disputed memo
Democrats on Sunday sharpened their rhetoric in the clash over the investigation into Trump campaign links to Russia, warning the president that firing top law enforcement officials could "lead to a confrontation we do not need in America." The warnings came two days after the Republican-led House intelligence committee released a declassified memo that claims that… … [Read more...] about Democrats sharpen warning to Trump in wake of disputed memo
Great Music – Chapter 6
Today we’re going to take a little detour on our examination of Great Music. Probably the most dramatic and emotional music is that composed for a large orchestra and chorale group. Such a piece of music produces a wall of sound that impacts all our senses. The eyes can see a couple hundred musicians on the stage, the ears can hear all the glorious music and because of the wall … [Read more...] about Great Music – Chapter 6
Radical, Easy Solution for Superbowl: Honor Vets and Players Kneel if They Wish
It's simple, ace simple. Have a moment for honoring the vets/ cheers or silence. JUST for them. They deserve that. Done. Then if those sightless and ignorant insist: sing the 'star-fangled-bungled banner' ditty, and let the players do as they wish during. Glomming the two together suddenly as tribute to the troops is ace stupid. And made up out of whole cloth. And … [Read more...] about Radical, Easy Solution for Superbowl: Honor Vets and Players Kneel if They Wish
Memo fail puts Nunes’ re-election at risk
Republican Rep. Devin Nunes -- whose "I've got a story that'll bust this town wide open" memo is to politics what Gerando Rivera's highly touted live 2-hour televised opening of Al Capone's vault was to television and Rivera's reputation -- is now in danger of possibly losing his California House seat. This couldn't happen to a nice Putin "useful idiot": GOP Rep. Devin … [Read more...] about Memo fail puts Nunes’ re-election at risk
Bear-Cams Show Polar Bears Going Hungry as Arctic Ice Shrinks
A rare glimpse inside the everyday lives of polar bears may give scientists clues about their decline. With bear-cams and activity trackers around the necks of nine polar bears, researchers monitored more than a week of their daily activity during peak hunting season in the Beaufort Sea above Alaska. Five of the nine bears lost weight… … [Read more...] about Bear-Cams Show Polar Bears Going Hungry as Arctic Ice Shrinks
Trump and Nunes torch tradition of trust between Congress and FBI
By Douglas M. Charles, Associate Professor of History, Pennsylvania State University. Trump with FBI Director Christopher Wray on Dec. 15, 2017. AP Photo/Evan Vucci President Donald Trump’s attacks on the FBI may have reached a climax. In an apparent attempt to discredit Robert Mueller’s Russia probe, staff of the House Intelligence Committee on behalf of its… … [Read more...] about Trump and Nunes torch tradition of trust between Congress and FBI
Novitiate (2017)
Novitiate is the story of a young girl, Sister Cathleen, played by Margaret Qualley, and her desire to find love and to be loved. As a child, she joins a local Catholic school, despite not being Catholic or raised following any religion in particular. However, she is still entranced by the nuns. Throughout her attendance at this school, Sister Cathleen would engage in her own … [Read more...] about Novitiate (2017)
An All-Encompassing ‘Little’ Poem
As I have often mentioned – and shared his poems with you – I have a friend who... Can say in one verse, or stanza The truth in abbondanza Give him an entire poem to compose And he will of all issues dispose Well, that takes care of my poetic prowess – even had to resort to a foreign language to make things rhyme. Not so with my friend, “the poet,” who in a few … [Read more...] about An All-Encompassing ‘Little’ Poem
Hostiles (2017)
Set in the barren and lonely wilderness of the West, Hostiles lays the foundation for a country that is harsh and unforgiving. From the outset, the audience is forced to witness the brutality of conflict. The feelings gained from these opening scenes dictates the tone for most of the film. Hostiles is a story of survival and being capable of making difficult decisions, as … [Read more...] about Hostiles (2017)