In his latest column, Steve Chapman argues that the Justice Department under President Bush has become overly politicized. He makes a number of good points to this effect but then closes with this: Public trust was once something the department could take for granted. It would be nice if, four years from now, it is [...]
Archive for November, 2011
I’m sure everyone is aware by now that George Carlin died on Sunday, so there’ll be no surprises here, but maybe I can add a useful thought or two. Although Carlin spent the last decade or so being far more preachy than funny, he was one of the greatest comedians of the modern era. That [...]
Cindy McCain has told the press that candidates’ families are not “fair game.” For the most part, I agree with her. However, it’s very clear to me that this is a self-interested move. Everyone has heard about the mythical tape with Michelle Obama talking about “whitey” or talking trash on the Clintons or sharing a [...]
I was watching an episode of Ken Burns’ The Civil War today, and it got me thinking about the Confederate flag. While that flag stood for a few things I consider good in general (e.g. secession, decentralization), it also stood for the two most abominable institutions in American history (slavery and the state). But I [...]
This commercial is about as drugged out as Yellow Submarine. Irony defined. Gotta love Shatner singing Pulp. (Via Hit and Run.) This is an amazingly clever David Byrne video. Finally, new Toadies song!
Tim Russert, host of Meet the Press, has died of a heart attack at 58. The saddest thing for me about this is that our press corps is so much weaker with this loss. He was one of the few interviewers out there who could and would call a guest on their bullshit. When someone [...]
The Supreme Court ruled today that foreign nationals detained at Guantanamo Bay have the right of habeas corpus, which means that the government has to bring charges against them or let them go. This returns us to the Constitutional standard that says only the Congress can suspend habeas corpus and only in the case of [...]
There is a short but important article in the Washington Examiner on the dearth of summer jobs for teenagers this year: This year, it’s harder than ever for teens to find a summer job. Researchers at Northeastern University described summer 2007 as “the worst in post-World War II history” for teen summer employment, and those [...]
From the AP: Two of Ernesto “Che” Guevara’s children said Thursday they were tired of seeing their father’s image used to sell everything from T-shirts to vodka, calling the growth of the revolutionary as a global super-brand “embarrassing.” But this is one of the best things about the free market: even if you hate the [...]
Now schools are emotionally abusing kids for their own good. Reports the San Diego Union-Tribune: Many juniors and seniors were driven to tears – a few to near hysterics – May 26 when a uniformed police officer arrived in several classrooms to notify them that a fellow student had been killed in a drunken-driving accident. [...]
