Category: politics

A Beautiful Tribute to a Kinder, Gentler Man

George W. Bush gave a moving eulogy for his father today, George H.W. Bush. Here is the video, followed by the transcript (with my favorite parts italicized). Rest in Peace, George H.W Bush and thank you for your service to our country. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2u_Ntu3uHZk Distinguished Guests, including our Presidents and First Ladies, government officials, foreign dignitaries, and … Continue reading A Beautiful Tribute to a Kinder, Gentler Man →

Music Monday – Southern Rockers with a Conscience

I started my Music Monday series a few weeks ago as a result of a Wall Street Journal article that talked about the state of rock and roll and mentioned some lesser known bands as part of the story. One of the bands mentioned was Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires, a Birmingham, Alabama … Continue reading Music Monday – Southern Rockers with a Conscience →

Can Business Be the Language of Peace?

There have been many efforts over the years to bring peace to the Middle East, particularly between the Israelis and the Palestinians. But despite those efforts, there has been little progress. However, an article in today's Wall Street Journal offers some hope. Israel’s innovative technology sector—which inspired the nickname “Startup Nation”—faces a shortage of 10,000 software … Continue reading Can Business Be the Language of Peace? →

Did Dan Ariely Just Suggest Breaking the Law?

Dan Ariely, who writes my favorite biweekly Wall Street Journal advice column (he doesn't have much competition in that narrowly defined niche), offered some advice that some of the commenters suggested may be illegal. Here's the question, followed by Dan's answer: _________________________________ Many of my friends and co-workers say they care about voting, but their spotty … Continue reading Did Dan Ariely Just Suggest Breaking the Law? →

This Is What Genius Looks Like – Part 2

In a post from last week, I talked about the Genius Awards given by the MacArthur Foundation and focused on a particular winner, Vijay Gupta. I also noted that I thought I would turn the Genius Awards into a series of posts, profiling a different winner every week or so. This week's MacArthur Fellow is Ken … Continue reading This Is What Genius Looks Like – Part 2 →

What Am I Missing?

Today's Wall Street Journal featured a profile of Heather Mac Donald, an American political commentator, essayist, attorney, and journalist. She is currently a Thomas W. Smith Fellow of the Manhattan Institute, a conservative think tank. Over the years, Mac Donald has been more than willing to share her opinion on a variety of issues, including victimization, philanthropy, immigration reform, crime prevention, racism, racial profiling, rape, politics, … Continue reading What Am I Missing? →

Most Americans Can’t Pass the Civics Test Required of immigrants. Could You?

A survey released today by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation found that only one in three Americans (36 percent) can actually pass a multiple choice test consisting of items taken from the U.S. Citizenship Test, which has a passing score of 60. Here are some of the highlights (lowlights?) from the survey: Only 13 percent of … Continue reading Most Americans Can’t Pass the Civics Test Required of immigrants. Could You? →

This Is Why We Need a Free Press

The Village Voice ceased online operations last month, a year after ending its print edition. It was the end of the line for the laborious, gritty investigative reporting that was the heart and soul of the paper. The muckraking for which the Voice was known has become an endangered species. According to an article in the … Continue reading This Is Why We Need a Free Press →

Some Thoughts about Poetry and Censorship

I'm not sure why, but last week a random thought about poetry popped into my head. It may have been triggered by hearing about a book that had been turned into a movie or was going to be turned into a movie. And I thought, 'I wonder if singers/composers/record companies ever buy the rights to poems with … Continue reading Some Thoughts about Poetry and Censorship →

Thank You to Those We Honor on Labor Day

Labor Day in the U.S. is a public holiday celebrated on the first Monday in September. It honors the American labor movement and the contributions that workers have made to the strength, prosperity, laws, and well-being of the country. Canada's Labour Day is also celebrated on the first Monday of September. More than 80 countries celebrate International Workers' Day on May 1, and several countries have chosen … Continue reading Thank You to Those We Honor on Labor Day →