Gone With The Wind Turns 75 Tyrades! By Danny Tyree Movie fans, remember a time when the only "F-word" was "fiddle-dee-dee"? That question comes to mind as I see December 15 and the 75th anniversary of the world premiere of "Gone With The Wind" approaching. I have so many fond memories of November 1976 and NBC's much-hyped two-night network television premiere of the … [Read more...] about Gone With The Wind Turns 75
Obama Recovery Out-performs Bush
Kevin Drum notes how job growth under Obama is much better than that under Bush on Mother Jones.[icopyright one button toolbar] The Obama recovery isn't just a little bit better than the Bush recovery. It's miles better. But here's the interesting thing...If you want to make Bush look better, you can look at total employment instead. Bush got a nice tailwind from … [Read more...] about Obama Recovery Out-performs Bush
Democrats are all but extinct in the South
WASHINGTON — The ailing Democratic Party, its stature as a national party teetering, appears poised to be staggered again Saturday if underdog Sen. Mary Landrieu loses her bid for re-election as expected in Louisiana. The likely win by Republican Rep. Bill Cassidy in a runoff election would complete a near-sweep this year of Southern Senate seats… … [Read more...] about Democrats are all but extinct in the South
GOP Sweeps Louisiana Runoffs
Not a huge shock but the Republicans have swept the Louisiana runoffs, defeating incumbent Senator Mary Landrieu and also carrying two house seats. This makes the new Senate 54R to 46D In the House the GOP will hold at least 246 seats, tying their 1947-49 figures. One seat in Arizona remains undecided due to a recount but the GOP is expected to win that seat and have … [Read more...] about GOP Sweeps Louisiana Runoffs
Once Again Air Force Band Surprises and Delights…
[icopyright one button toolbar] With all the dismal news and events of recent days and weeks, it is not at all too early to try to get a little bit into that all-soothing, all peaceful Christmas spirit. Nothing better to get into the mood than some beautiful Christmas music. As they did for the first time last year in Washington D.C. -- with tremendous success -- the … [Read more...] about Once Again Air Force Band Surprises and Delights…
More Killings By Police Under Investigation
This unfortunate trend continues. Following the grand jury decisions against indictments of police officers who killed Michael Brown in Feguson and Eric Garner in New York, a white police officer has shot an unarmed black man in Arizona. The only thing he was found to be carrying was a bottle of Oxycontin. A grand jury is now being impaneled in Brooklyn to investigate the … [Read more...] about More Killings By Police Under Investigation
The Annual Avariciousness Assault; And a Non-Existent War Upon Christmas
by Walter Brasch It’s now been about a week after Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday. During the four-day spree, about 133.7 million shoppers spent about $50.9 billion, according to AP and TIME magazine. The psychological necessity to push, shove, and trample strangers while fighting for the right to purchase overpriced merchandise made in … [Read more...] about The Annual Avariciousness Assault; And a Non-Existent War Upon Christmas
‘Sons of Anarchy’: The 5 most devastating deaths
By the time "Sons of Anarchy" reaches its tragic conclusion on Tuesday (10 p.m., FX), it very likely will go down as the deadliest drama in television history. Over seven bloody seasons, this saga about hog-straddling, gun-running, porn-loving biker dudes has bumped off so many characters that it's near impossible to produce an accurate body count.… … [Read more...] about ‘Sons of Anarchy’: The 5 most devastating deaths
Cartoon: Lawsuits again Obama’s immigration policy
See great cartoons by all the top political cartoonists at http://cagle.com. To license this cartoon for your own site, visit http://politicalcartoons.com … [Read more...] about Cartoon: Lawsuits again Obama’s immigration policy
Eye witnesses may disagree without lying (Guest Voice)
Eye witnesses may disagree without lying By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal SAN DIEGO — In this week’s parasha Jacob wrestles with a Divine Being. Before releasing him, Jacob demands that the Being bless him. The Divine Being declares: “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with beings divine and human and have prevailed.” (Gen. 32:29) Theories … [Read more...] about Eye witnesses may disagree without lying (Guest Voice)
Jeb Bush’s Shakespearean Rumination
Jeb Bush's Shakespearean Rumination By Dick Polman Now playing on the national stage - Jeb Bush as Hamlet: To be, or not to be - that is the question... Jeb can't seem to decide whether he wants to expose himself to those slings and arrows. And you can't blame him for hesitating. Why would a sane Republican, whose views are anathema to the base, want to sign up for a … [Read more...] about Jeb Bush’s Shakespearean Rumination
Economy Surges? More Jobs
They can't take this away from Barack Obama: The headline at the Times practically glistens. More jobs! Higher wages! The Labor Department reported Friday that employers added 321,000 jobs in November — a much stronger number than expected — but perhaps even more significant was the biggest gain in average hourly earnings since June 2013. Hourly earnings rose by 0.4 … [Read more...] about Economy Surges? More Jobs
Mass Resignations on The New Republic’s Masthead
Mass Resignations on The New Republic's Masthead It's a familiar trauma for legacy media outlets, and it's The New Republic's turn to go through the vertically-integrated-digital-media-thinkfluencer grinder. A sweeping editorial shake-up at the 100-year-old magazine has resulted in mass resignations, sentimental "eulogies" penned by former staffers and industrywide … [Read more...] about Mass Resignations on The New Republic’s Masthead
Garner and Brown killings may violate America’s legal obligations, UN experts say.
The Eric Garner and Michael Brown killings provoked sharp criticism of “racial profiling and the use of disproportionate and often lethal force” from United Nations human rights experts International law allows the use of lethal force only where it is “absolutely necessary to protect life” but the laws of many States in the US are “much more permissive, creating an … [Read more...] about Garner and Brown killings may violate America’s legal obligations, UN experts say.
Satire Imitating Life – Part I
[icopyright one button toolbar] I love satire. The unforgettable Molly Ivins once said, “Satire is traditionally the weapon of the powerless against the powerful.” Others have discussed it more extensively. In a 48-page Senior Honors Project Paper, The Power of Ridicule: An Analysis of Satire, Megan LeBoeuf at the University of Rhode Island writes: Satire … [Read more...] about Satire Imitating Life – Part I
Four More Studies On The Benefits Of Obamacare
Over the past year I receive reports from various medical journals and medical practice publications with what feels like a constant flow of studies showing the success of the Affordable Care Act, many of which I have written about in previous posts. Jonathan Chait has an article in New York Magazine on 4 New Studies Show Obamacare Is Working Incredibly Well which gives a … [Read more...] about Four More Studies On The Benefits Of Obamacare
More Diversity In Politics Puts Police Killings In The Spotlight
President Barack Obama famously said in 2012 that if he had a son, he would look like Trayvon Martin, the unarmed black teen who was killed in Florida by neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman in February of that year. This week, after a white New York City police officer wasn’t indicted in the death of Eric Garner,… … [Read more...] about More Diversity In Politics Puts Police Killings In The Spotlight
Should Democrats be more like Republicans?
[icopyright one button toolbar] Marc Ambinder on The Week and Michael Tomasky on The New York Review of Books consider the question. In the latest New York Review of Books, Michael Tomasky offers an answer that has a real ring of truth to it: Republican voters think about politics differently. They see politics as an enduring contest, not a series of discrete events. They … [Read more...] about Should Democrats be more like Republicans?
Never Scared aka “F–k Paranoia and Fear”
[icopyright one button toolbar] Michael Brown, Eric Garner, and Tamir Rice are firmly flowing through the media: traditional and social. Police brutality is the game and the stack of chips are growing larger and larger. Because of the deaths of these three black males, there is a tidal wave of black thoughts, black activism, and black anger. But behind all of that (and a … [Read more...] about Never Scared aka “F–k Paranoia and Fear”
(Updated) Body Cameras for Cops, Eyes for Grand Jury Members
[icopyright one button toolbar] Added: Using satire, popular author and comedian Andy Borowitz explains below why police body cameras alone will not solve the grand jury problem we have on our hands. But others -- like Matthew Pratt Guterl at the New Republic -- contend that, in real life, while there are hundreds of videos similar to the one of Eric Gatner on You … [Read more...] about (Updated) Body Cameras for Cops, Eyes for Grand Jury Members