Should Yogi Berra's long baseball career be judged by his error in a crucial 1951 game that deprived the New York Yankees' Allie Reynolds of a no-hitter against the Boston Red Sox? Or Dustin Hoffman's long film career judged by the 1987 cinematic bomb known as Ishtar? Of course not. But what about judging the long judicial career of Sandra Day O'Connor based on her casting … [Read more...] about Politix Update: Bush v. Gore & The Tarnished Legacy Of Justice Sandra Day O’Connor
The World Ends Today (They Say)
An online Christian organization based in Philadelphia warned the world will end Wednesday, the Guardian reported. The apocalyptic prediction comes just one week after the blood moon had people forecasting the end was near. The eBible Fellowship previously predicted the end of the world would be May 21, 2011, but is now certain civilization will be… … [Read more...] about The World Ends Today (They Say)
The Scandalous Suppression of Gun Violence Research
The Scandalous Suppression of Gun Violence Research By Dick Polman In the midst of President Obama's denunciation of gun violence - if you've lost track, the latest massacre was on Friday - he lamented Washington's ongoing inertia and said that, in fact, "we have a Congress that explicitly blocks us from even collecting data on how we could potentially prevent gun … [Read more...] about The Scandalous Suppression of Gun Violence Research
The Syrian disaster just got even worse (Guest Voice)
It is not hard to understand what Russian President Vladimir Putin is trying to do in Syria. It will be very hard to stop him from succeeding. It did not need to be this way. First, the facts on the ground: Russia is building up military power in the vicinity of Latakia and Tartus, Syrian coastal… … [Read more...] about The Syrian disaster just got even worse (Guest Voice)
Bernie Sanders Doing Better Than Clinton Against Republicans In New Hampshire And Iowa
Hillary Clinton has been doing poorly in the battle ground states and among independents, while Bernie Sanders has been doing unexpectedly well. The latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist polls of Iowa and New Hampshire show Sanders doing better than Clinton in head to head match-ups against Republican candidates: In Iowa, Republican Jeb Bush leads Clinton by 10 points in … [Read more...] about Bernie Sanders Doing Better Than Clinton Against Republicans In New Hampshire And Iowa
Political Death By Non-debate? Let’s Hope So.
Could the criteria for the next GOP presidential debate result in a few GOP contenders dropping out of the race? Hopefully yes. In a commentary published by the Fox News website, media analyst Howard Kurtz writes the following. Could CNBC knock several presidential candidates out of the race? . . . That sounds apocalyptic, but the network’s threshold for its debate this … [Read more...] about Political Death By Non-debate? Let’s Hope So.
France Train Heroes Will Travel to Roseburg in Show of Support
President Obama will be traveling to Roseburg, Ore. on Friday to meet privately with the families of victims of the mass shooting at Umpqua Community College, according to USA TODAY. Also traveling to Roseburg will be the three American “train heroes” who -- along with three others -- stopped a terrorist attack on a Paris-bound train on August 21. The Washington … [Read more...] about France Train Heroes Will Travel to Roseburg in Show of Support
The question isn’t whether we bombed the hospital. It’s whether we think it matters
The question isn't whether we bombed the hospital. It's whether we think it matters. Really, there isn't a whole lot of doubt about "whether." We did it. And it's looking as though we meant to do it. Writing about the Kunduz bombing in the New Yorker, Amy Davidson walks us through the whether-or-not questions and leaves us with these interesting … [Read more...] about The question isn’t whether we bombed the hospital. It’s whether we think it matters
Obama is right to be cautious on Syria
WASHINGTON -- Contrary to popular belief, President Obama does have a plan for Syria. It's just not one that promises to have much immediate impact on the course of the brutal civil war. Russian President Vladimir Putin, by contrast, has a plan that is far bolder and much more likely to produce results on the ground -- but only in the short term. I struggle to … [Read more...] about Obama is right to be cautious on Syria
Ridley Scott’s ‘The Martian’ Makes Science Fiction Fun Again
4.5/5 What a bracing experience Ridley Scott’s The Martian turned out to be. In an age of films leadened by misplaced self-importance, here is one whose core philosophical quandary is, “Now what?” That might seem a bit lacking at face value, but from those two words rocket forth a film brimming with excitement, humanity, and, perhaps least expectedly, humor. I’m always at a … [Read more...] about Ridley Scott’s ‘The Martian’ Makes Science Fiction Fun Again
Murder isn’t “stuff”
Presidential candidate Jeb Bush responded to the shooting at Umpqua Community College by saying: "stuff happens." Really, Mr. Bush? "Stuff happens". Yes, "stuff happens", but this is not just "stuff", this is murder and it happens too often in too many places: We shake our heads in disbelief and wonder why. Some of us share the "not one more life" messages and calls for … [Read more...] about Murder isn’t “stuff”
California Gov. Brown Signs Bill Legalizing Doctor Assisted Suicide
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Reuters) - Physician-assisted suicide will become legal in California under a bill signed into law on Monday by Democratic Governor Jerry Brown.The law, based on a similar measure in Oregon, allows doctors to prescribe medication to end a patient's life if two doctors agree the person has only six months to live and is mentally competent.(Reporting by Sharon … [Read more...] about California Gov. Brown Signs Bill Legalizing Doctor Assisted Suicide
The Benefit Of Having Different Political Parties
Although the different political parties feud with each other, America still benefits from having all of them. … [Read more...] about The Benefit Of Having Different Political Parties
Time for Israel to abolish the Chief Rabbinate
Except for theology, Israel is doing great work for its people and for humanitarian advancement. People routinely order pizza online but they often have to travel to Cyprus to get married–due to rabbinic restrictions. Women are expected to deliver babies but they frequently have to stand in the back of the bus. Israel gave us many of the components of the cellular phone, … [Read more...] about Time for Israel to abolish the Chief Rabbinate
SciFi Weekend: Continuum; Doctor Who; Agents of SHIELD; X-Files; Orphan Black; Jennifer Lawrence on Donald Trump; Hillary Clinton on SNL
Zero Hour, the fourth episode of the final season of Continuum, was by far the most significant episode so far this season. After my teasers last week, I will go ahead with a more detailed discussion now that it has aired in the United States. The episode answered some questions going back to the first season, while suggesting where the final episodes are headed. I suspect that … [Read more...] about SciFi Weekend: Continuum; Doctor Who; Agents of SHIELD; X-Files; Orphan Black; Jennifer Lawrence on Donald Trump; Hillary Clinton on SNL
Sanders Joins Obama In Opposing Clinton’s Hawkish Views On Syria
While economics have so far dominated the campaign, I feel that the number one reason to nominate Bernie Sanders and not Hillary Clinton is to prevent a return to the foreign policy of George Bush and get us involved in further foolish military intervention. Clinton has a long history of irrational hawkishness. This includes pushing for the Iraq war with false claims of ties … [Read more...] about Sanders Joins Obama In Opposing Clinton’s Hawkish Views On Syria
The conservative evasion on guns
WASHINGTON -- President Obama spoke some of the most important words of his tenure last week in response to the mass shooting at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon. "This is something we should politicize," the president said. "It is relevant to our common life together, to the body politic." This is something we should politicize. His statement was remarkable … [Read more...] about The conservative evasion on guns
Politix Update: When It Comes To Race, It’s All About Power & Condescension
There may be no better example of the pitfalls of race for a presidential candidate than Bernie Sanders, and we haven't even gotten to those "free stuff" Republicans yet. Sander is an empathetic white liberal who has dedicated his political career to social justice and trying to make things better for everyone. Yet he is tanking with blacks. There are several … [Read more...] about Politix Update: When It Comes To Race, It’s All About Power & Condescension
Supreme Court Tackles Hot Issues as 2016 Election Looms
By Lawrence HurleyWASHINGTON (Reuters) - The nine justices of the U.S. Supreme Court are set to wade into contentious social matters in their new term beginning on Monday including affirmative action, union powers and voting rights, and could add major cases involving abortion and birth control.The court's work on those hot-button issues in its term that ends next June will … [Read more...] about Supreme Court Tackles Hot Issues as 2016 Election Looms
Syria – Part 1: Russia’s motives are more alarming than Obama’s deductions
The Obama administration seems to be misreading Russian President Vladimir Putin’s intentions in his new bombing campaign in Syria. President Barack Obama seems to think that Putin wants to reconquer Syria for Bashar al Assad and then install his protégé securely to weaken US influence in the Middle East. He also deduces that Putin is trying to obtain a Mideast bargaining … [Read more...] about Syria – Part 1: Russia’s motives are more alarming than Obama’s deductions