Reading time – 2:18; Viewing time – 3:02 . . . I observed an incremental shift toward authoritarianism during the Bush years. The John’s – Bolton and Ashcroft – scared me as much as Cheney did. I didn’t see that kind of power shift during the Obama years, although I could have been misled by… [read more]
Reprehensible
Reading time – 2:06; Humming time – 3:18 . . . Perhaps you caught part of President Trump’s stunningly cringe-worthy presentation in Puerto Rico, wherein he boasted about the fantastic job FEMA is doing and the amazing contributions of our military on that island, even as most of the relief supplies were still sitting in… [read more]
What’s the Number?
Reading time – 1:52 . . . That’s right – we kill ourselves with shocking regularity, but that really isn’t the most salient point. Rather, it’s that all but the last two were done by red-blooded Americans who were not Islamist extremists. They were Americans who were either mentally impaired or seeking revenge. So much… [read more]
P.R. and a Guest Essay
Reading time – 3:25 . . . A guest essay follows a few comments on our federal “Who cares about it anyway?” crisis. How is it possible to explain the inadequate and, reasonably labeled as cruel behavior of the President of the United States toward the people of Puerto Rico and the mayor of San… [read more]
The NFL Player Protests
Reading time – 3:12; Viewing time – 4:54 . . . Most people feel their safety threatened when their treasured beliefs are challenged or even just questioned. And when our tectonic plates rumble beneath our feet, we get scared, then angry, then aggressive, wanting to drive away the threat. Think back to the violent reactions… [read more]
Reasons Why
Reading time – 2:01; Viewing time – 3:12 . . . I’m on a continuing quest to figure out how we politically polarized Americans can begin to talk with one another. To that end, I’m spending time with Trump voters, asking why they voted as they did. Here are some of the main reasons I’m… [read more]
Un-Republican
Reading time – 2:58; Viewing time – 4:31 . . . I used to think of myself as a Republican – an Eisenhower Republican. At this point, though, I don’t know what it means to be a Republican. Or a conservative. It seems that extreme-ism is the battle cry of the 21st century and now… [read more]
Disambiguation – DACA Edition
Reading time – 1:03 . . . The story is now smothered by news of the impending hurricane in Florida, but you know what happened. President FBI Target decided that decency and good sense have no place in our immigration system, so he announced that he is cancelling DACA effective March, 2018. He claims that… [read more]
For the Congressional Grandchildren
Reading time – 2:43; Viewing time – 3:50 . . . I distinctly recall the day I first wondered about pollution. I was a young kid in Chicago and the little family car was idling at the curb. I was curious about the exhaust curling from the exhaust pipe and then disappearing into the cool… [read more]
Potpourri v2.0
Reading time – 4:34; Viewing time – 7:40 . . . August 29 – Corpus Christi, TX President Trump visited Corpus Christi and held a news conference, Where he proudly proclaimed, “Thank you, everybody! What a crowd! What a turnout!” thus making over 50″ of rain and widespread devastation for tens of millions of Americans… [read more]
