Edwards talks like a socialist

Edwards fights through the final days: Speaking of corporations, he said, “They’ll give their power away when we take it away.”

Read Full Post »

a “partisan divide” in the Biparty?

Bloomberg to attend ‘08 campaign ‘unity’ talks: “A bipartisan group of U.S. political figures will meet next week to urge presidential candidates to close the partisan divide, the meeting’s hosts said on Sunday, amid speculation New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg will run as an independent.”
Is Ol’ Will the only one who remembers how well the [...]

Read Full Post »

read this book!

If you’re interested in good writing, or Europe in the 19th century, or Victoria’s England, or economic theory, or politics, or nonfiction that reads like a novel: Karl Marx, A Life by Francis Wheen. I read it realizing how little I knew. Wheen manages to be irreverent and extremely respectful. I suspect he annoys some [...]

Read Full Post »

Happy First and Second Neighbor Days!

Emma and I have usually been blessed with good neighbors. We do little favors for each other, and life is better. Emma’s mother and father were able to live independently for so long because they have good neighbors. I don’t know why conservatives mock Hillary Clinton’s fondness for “It takes a village.” Clinton takes her [...]

Read Full Post »

multitasking bad, singletasking good

Researcher: Info Overload Costs Economy. Yes, I know you multitask very well, but the folks in “The Marching Morons” also know they’re driving very fast. A common trait of most of the world’s great thinkers is the ability and willingness to focus on a single problem.

Read Full Post »

Happy Home Day!

Yes, it’s the first day of World Week! I hope you’re happy at home, or happily doing something that makes you think of home. But Home Day is an especially good day to remember the homeless, and wonder what kind of country has more empty homes than homeless people, and yet can’t conceive of putting [...]

Read Full Post »

The worst Christmas song ever?

I never realized how protected I am. I have never heard Christmas Shoes or read the lyrics until today.
I kid you not, God kills a poor kid’s mom so a rich jerk can realize that Christmas is about giving a buck or two to a kid who doesn’t have enough pennies to buy his mom [...]

Read Full Post »

why is Obama popular?

He’s a visual repudiation of everything the Bush administration stood for—even his name is a rejection of Bush’s jingoism. (For the symbolism to work, you have to ignore Condi Rice and Colin Powell, but symbols are richer than facts.)
He’s also doing a great job of being the lesser of two evils: he’s a centrist who [...]

Read Full Post »

answering immigrant-bashers

Urban Legends: New immigrants may be the best thing that ever happened to American cities, but don’t wait for the leading presidential candidates to tell you that.
Posted because my mom, the nicest woman you can imagine, has way too many friends who watch Fox News.

Read Full Post »

think kind thoughts for Emma’s family

Her father is in the hospital, in a room where his family may be with him. Emma is flying to be with them. I’m tending to things here, and may join them soon.
Tell someone you love them, then do something meaningful. (Yes, those can be the same thing.)

Read Full Post »