Archive By Section - Columnists
Environmentally Disastrous Bullet Train May Be Dead at Last
Environmentalists and budget critics of California's proposed bullet train may be breathing a sigh of relief.
Close Enough for Government Work
President Obama's "Mission Accomplished" moment: "We have met the goal" of fixing the Healthcare.Gov website.
Gender Differences Hard Wired
A new study has come out that finds men and women really do think differently.
Women and the GOP: Apologies Don’t Matter Without Change
After losing the Virginia governor's race because single women voted for the Democrat by a margin of 42 points, Republicans have found the solution. They will teach their candidates how to, in Speaker John Boehner's words, "be a little more sensitive" to the ladies. But Republicans painting over policy differences with pretty words piles insult on top of offense and will do little to close the gender gap.
Holiday Jeer: Google’s Pay-to-Fleece Game
A hundred years ago, business tycoon Samuel Insull consolidated smaller utility companies to form the behemoth (albeit public charity-sounding) Commonwealth Edison. Because of the infrastructure needed to provide energy to an increasingly power-hunger public, Insull and others argued that Commonwealth Edison was a natural monopoly; inherently one company had to dominate the market. This battle cry enabled a mere 10 utility systems to control three-quarters of the nation's electricity business by the time FDR was in the White House, subjecting consumers to higher rates with absolutely no competition save candles.
Through the Looking Glass
What compromises must we make when it comes to our security on the one hand, and our privacy on the other? Personally, I'm far less concerned about being tracked by the National Security Agency than I am about being monitored by, say, Google.
Earning Our Trust
Trust ain't what it used to be in America.
Saying goodbye to a great man
God bless America, and how's everybody?
Do Journalists Really Need Drones?
Back in elementary school when I was hand-writing my newspaper The Lewisburg Snoopy Nose, I never dreamed what sort of tools journalists would be using today.
Black Friday and the Darkness in America’s Soul
Clearly, it MUST have been a video produced by America's enemies, a vicious piece of propaganda that was so outlandish it would have brought laughs 10 years ago. No one except indoctrinated citizens of communist countries would ever believe it.
Jimmy Kimmel Trips and Viewers Fall
In the week following Halloween, Jimmy Kimmel's stunt involving kids and their candy climbed to over 20 million views on YouTube. But public fascination with the gag doesn't change the fact that it is cruel and sadistic. It underscores the worst elements of mass media and social media, and the incendiary possibilities of combining the two.
Pop goes the holiday shopping stress
God bless America, and how's everybody?
Texas Versus California
Here we go again. Pointing to a conservative study, Gov. Rick Perry proclaimed, "The discussion's over. The debate's over. The proof is in. Texas wins." And who did we beat? California, of course. It's enough to make you wonder if little Ricky got enough love growing up on the dirt farm. Someone get this kid a 4-H ribbon so the grownups can talk, because we've got some work to do.
Dog Days of Obamacare
I've heard a lot of interesting stories of people trying, and failing, to sign up for ObamaCare, but this one takes the cake.
Thanksgiving 2013
Ahh. Thanksgiving. Best Holiday Ever! Love it all. The fact that a national holiday falls not on a Monday but a Thursday. How wacky is that? A regular Thursday in dead-solid center fall. Where the weather could be 80 and sunny, or 20 and snowing. Or, in certain parts of the Midwest, both.
Articles by Section - Columnists
America is Becoming a Welfare State
As the controversy builds over anything and everything relating to Barack Obama, many Republicans have come to believe that their party will prosper as a result.
Jihad and Right-Wing Extremism Not So Different
Since 9/11, 34 people have been killed in America by Islamic jihadist terrorists.
Can I see some ID?
God Bless America and how's everybody?
Cartoonists and Red Lines
Like blaming a rape victim for her "provocative dress," many press pundits blame the Charlie Hebdo cartoonists (and the Danish cartoonists before them) for crossing "red lines," and inviting trouble. In the past few days the small community of American editorial cartoonists have been getting calls from their local media, asking for comments about self-censorship and what subjects we should be forbidden to draw in a free society.
Resolutions I'm Looking Forward To In 2015
Usually over the period of 12 months, you get an equal balance of good days and bad. On the playground of the cosmos, the scales tend to balance out. But holey moley catfish, seems like last year the good days spent the bulk of recess time hiding behind the equipment shed next to the monkey bars, and the teeter totter hardly moved what with that fat punk-bad days, grounded on his end of the board throwing rocks at squirrels.
