Robert Paul Reyes
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Articles by Robert Paul Reyes
November 18, 2009
Newsweek (God Bless Them) has on its cover a sizzling hot pic of Sarah Palin in short shorts from her "Runners World" shoot.
I don't care much for Sarah Palin's political views, but girlfriend looks great in short shorts! I applaud Newsweek for their smoking cover, eye candy is a great way to g...
November 17, 2009
"A 74-year-old man has been arrested on tagging charges. Sheriff's officials say he is the oldest tagger they've ever captured.
Like many taggers out there, authorities say this suspect simply wanted fame and notoriety with his work. If fact, deputies didn't even know how old he was until they...
November 17, 2009
"At a speech in Wisconsin this week, Sarah Palin noted how the words 'In God We Trust' had been moved to the edge of the new dollar coins. 'Who calls a shot like that?' she reportedly asked, before identifying the change as part of a 'disturbing trend.' Some read this as an implied criticism of th...
November 15, 2009
In recent days boobs like Amy Winehouse and Carrie Prejean have made headlines by getting a boob job.You don't have to be a celebrity twit to have humongous-looking hooters. For only a few dollars you can buy a bra that will instantly supersize your jugs.
"UNDERWEAR giant Ultimo's latest lingeri...
November 12, 2009
"British singer Amy Winehouse loves playing board games like Boggle and Pictionary at home."
http://www.hindustantimes.com/Winehouse-loves-board-games/H1-Article1-473502.aspx
I just can't picture Amy Winehouse playing Monopoly or Scrabble, she would be too stoned to differentiate between Park...
November 12, 2009
There probably isn't an Internet user in the world who hasn't been Rickrolled. For those of you who have lived in Siberia for the last couple of years, the Rickroll phenomenon is when someone tricks you into clicking a video of Rick Astley's song "Never gonna give you up."
There are some of us w...
November 09, 2009
"ESPN/ABC college football analyst Bob Griese, brought a reminder that one thing remains banned in mainstream TV sports - any refer to race or ethnicity.
During ABC's Ohio State-Minnesota football game Saturday, there was an on-air promotion for the network's NASCAR coverage Sunday that include...
November 08, 2009
Major Nidal Hasan, the Fort Hood terrorist shouted "Allahu Akbar!" - an Arabic phrase for "God is great!" - before opening fire on his fellow soldiers. Americans are all too familiar with this Arabic phrase, it's the same war cry that Jihadists all over the world shout before detonating their b...
November 07, 2009
"A North Texas woman (Crystal Buckner), shocked after learning her ex-husband allegedly made their daughters watch pornography on a home computer, has set out to challenge a state law established to protect the privacy of parents.
The 1970s-era law allows parents to show harmful material to th...
November 07, 2009
"Children in British primary schools as young as nine are to receive advice via internet sites such as YouTube on their future career paths under a new scheme, the government said on Monday.
Under the program designed to help children of all socio-economic backgrounds realize their goals, stude...
November 06, 2009
"He prayed every day at the Muslim Community Center in Silver Spring, a devout Muslim who, despite asking to be discharged from the U.S. Army, was on the eve of his first deployment to war. Yesterday, authorities said Maj. Nidal M. Hasan, a 39-year-old Arlington-born psychiatrist, shot and killed 13...
November 06, 2009
"The legal standoff between Carrie Prejean and Miss California USA officials reportedly ended when a Pageant lawyer played his trump card: a sex tape far more hard-core than the nude pictures which had previously scandalized her - and in which she had the starring role.
After being shown the har...
November 06, 2009
Our society values fame more than education, achievement, integrity, and even money. Individuals who don't possess any of these virtues will suffer indignities and humiliations to experience their 15 minutes of fame in a reality series.
Americans are persuaded that 15 minutes of fame is their bi...
November 05, 2009
"Sleep tight, don't let the bedbugs bite"
What American child hasn't heard this advice from his parents? These homespun words usually made kids smile, because bedbugs were as real as the Tooth Fairy.
Bedbugs were largely eradicated in this country after World War II, but the bloodsucking para...
November 05, 2009
"Miley Cyrus has been voted the worst celebrity influence of 2009 by the very people who made her a star, tweens and teens.
AOL's JSYK.com (Just So You Know) website said Miley got 42% of votes when readers were asked which celebrity had the worst in a section on worst celebrity influences of th...
November 05, 2009
"Hundreds of people have attended a wedding in central Somalia between a man who says he is 112 years old, and his teenage wife.
Ahmed Muhamed Dore - who already has 13 children by five wives - said he would like to have more with his new wife, Safia Abdulleh, who is 17 years old.
"Today G...
November 05, 2009
"There`s been another development in swine flu news " `swine flu parties, where people supposedly expose themselves to the virus on purpose. While the evidence is anecdotal " and may even just be a false rumor " the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is taking it seriously.
Spokesman T...
November 05, 2009
"Michael Lohan, the attention-hungry father of fallen star Lindsay Lohan, has ignored his daughter's pleas that he stop talking about her to the press. Instead, he's decided to create another sensation by predicting her impending demise. Michael recently spoke with Grazia magazine and revealed that ...
November 05, 2009
"A company behind plans to open the first hotel in space says it is on target to accept its first paying guests in 2012 despite critics questioning the investment and time frame for the multi-billion dollar project.
The Barcelona-based architects of The Galactic Suite Space Resort say it will c...
November 05, 2009
"As police investigators attempt to positively identify the remains of six murdered females found on the East Side property of a registered sex offender, I'm left wondering what is the point of government, neighborhoods and families, if we fail to sound alarms and investigate when people disappear?
...
October 26, 2009
"A Texas woman was given a ticket for being a non-english speaking driver, but after she got a lawyer, she found out there was no such law for ordinary drivers -- only commercial truck drivers have to speak English.
Dallas police Chief David Kunkle said he was surprised and stunned when he lear...
October 21, 2009
"Former Alaska governor and Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin will appear on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" on November 16th - one day before the release of her memoir, "Going Rogue: An American Life."
The interview will mark the first meeting between Palin and Winfrey, who campaign...
October 19, 2009
"Three men died within 16 minutes of each other while running a marathon in Detroit, officials said.
Temperatures were cool and emergency personnel stationed throughout the course were able to reach all three men seconds after they collapsed on Sunday morning, race officials said." AFP
It...
October 15, 2009
"Last night an Australian variety show aired a skit with five men in blackface performing as the Jackson 5. And the audience cheered! Thank goodness Harry Connick Jr was there to be the voice of reason.
The show was a live reunion special for Hey Hey, It's Saturday, a popular and long-running pro...
October 14, 2009
"At the Oaks Apartments in Albany, the management can fly their own flag advertising one and two bedroom apartments - but residents have been told they can't fly any flags at all.
Jim Clausen flies the American flag from the back of his motorcycle. He has a son in the military heading back to ...
October 11, 2009
"President Obama, struggling to keep promises he made during last year's campaign, renewed his pledge to end the military's ban on openly gay service members as he appeared at a fundraising dinner for the nation's largest gay advocacy group on Saturday night.
I will end 'don't ask, don't tell,...
October 10, 2009
"A surprised world greeted the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to U.S. President Barack Obama with a mixture of praise and skepticism on Friday.
In its announcement, the Norwegian Nobel Committee hailed Obama's 'extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between ...
October 04, 2009
"Insurgents stormed remote outposts in eastern Afghanistan killing eight Americans in the deadliest battle in more than a year near the border with Pakistan, the U.S. military said Sunday.
The fighting took place in Nuristan province's Kamdesh district in high mountains along the eastern border...
October 01, 2009
Raunchiness and reality TV usually go hand-in-hand, but "So You Think You Can Dance" is an exception to the rule. The hit Fox show is family-friendly fare, and the entire family (including granny) can gather together and view this delightful program.
"Some people feel reality TV contestants al...
September 27, 2009
"Since resigning her post as governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin has essentially gone dark, making almost no public appearances and successfully avoiding the media outlets that are clamoring to talk to her.
But that doesn't mean Palin has been quiet.
Relying almost exclusively on social media to g...
September 22, 2009
"In this morning's Washington Post, on page A9, the Fox News Channel took out a full-page ad, chest-thumping about its coverage of this past weekend's Tea Party protests in Washington, DC (which were heavily promoted by Fox News). 'How did, ABC, CBS, NBC, MSNBC, and CNN miss this story?' the text re...
September 17, 2009
Fox News is the propaganda arm of the Republican party, Murdoch's anchors and reporters make only a token attempt to hide their bias.
Then there are the infamous Fox News pundits like Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity who are on a mission from God to destroy the Obama administration.
I was shocked...
September 16, 2009
"The execution of a prisoner in the US state of Ohio has been delayed for a week after jail officials had problems finding the condemned man's veins.
The execution team struggled for two hours to locate veins of convicted murderer and rapist Romell Broom to inject lethal chemicals via IV tubes...
September 13, 2009
In the women's semifinal at the US Open you expect to see two of the best tennis players in the world playing their hearts out, and exhibiting sportsmanship worthy of champions.
In the 2009 women's semifinal match we saw a great exhibition of tennis played at its best, until the last few seconds...
September 12, 2009
"Words of wisdom from Paris Hilton are to be immortalized alongside remarks by some of the greatest thinkers of all time in the latest edition of the Oxford Book of Quotations -- and she reckons it's 'so cool.'
Hilton, the socialite turned reality TV star and retailing phenomenon, is listed in ...
September 12, 2009
"Queen of Pop Madonna has been blamed for a boating accident that claimed 15 lives on September 5 in Bulgaria. Church officials, who insisted that Madge's decision to perform on a holy day brought them bad luck, were outraged with her plans of staging her Sticky and Sweet gig in the capital Sofia on...
September 12, 2009
"Ellen DeGeneres' love of music got her a great gig this week -- she's the new judge on 'American Idol' -- but it's also causing some trouble for her daytime talk show. The Associated Press reports that several big record companies filed a lawsuit Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Nashville that...
September 08, 2009
"Seinfeld" had a magical and extremely successful run from 1989 to 1998, and the show is still widely syndicated. All nine seasons of "Seinfeld" are available on DVD, but fans of the TV show hunger for further adventures from the "Seinfeld" gang.
There will probably never be a Seinfeld movie, but...
September 07, 2009
"Lady GaGa continues to live up to her name with news of yet more unpredictable behaviour. This time she's planning to hook up with king of crooners Michael Bolton.
GaGa is currently working with him, writing songs for his new album One World One Love."
http://www.osoblog.tv/2009/09/lady_g...
September 06, 2009
This has been the summer of the town hall meeting trolls. This Astroturf movement has been whipping up hysteria -- warning that health care reform is the first step in Obama's master plan to set up a socialist government.
These right-wing nutjobs have a vendetta against Obama, they depict the pr...
September 06, 2009
"Roman Catholic couples are being encouraged to pray together before they have sex.
A book published by a prominent Church group invites those setting out on married life to recite the specially composed Prayer Before Making Love.
It is aimed at 'purifying their intentions' so that the act...
September 06, 2009
Bristol's baby daddy, Levi Johnston, was a high school drop-out, and self-acclaimed "redneck" whose only passions in life were drinking beer, hunting, and knocking up plump girls.
But when John McCain had a senior moment and selected Sarah Palin as his running mate, Johnston was given a quick ma...
August 27, 2009
"Jon Gosselin may think he's living a "nightmare" -- but he said the show must go on.
The unemployed father of eight who said this week he longed to step out of the searing spotlight and into a life of simplicity shot down rumors that he wanted to stop filming the wildly popular TLC show "Jon &...
August 22, 2009
"A new analysis by Public Policy Polling (D) finds that Sarah Palin is especially popular with a key Republican demographic: The Birthers.
Among those respondents in PPP's latest national poll who either said that President Obama was not born in the United States or were undecided, Palin had a ...
August 12, 2009
"Clifton Williams, 33, attended his cousin's July hearing at Will County Courthouse in Joliet. His cousin, Jason Mayfield, pled guilty to a felony drug charge. As the judge sentenced Mayfield to two years probation, Williams let out a yawn, an involuntary faux pas in such a formal setting.
Circui...
August 12, 2009
"The sixth edition of "UCLA Slang" is being published this month and it is just 'presh!'
Other terms or phrases include 'fomo,' or fear of missing out, 'schwa' for wow; and 'obama,' meaning cool, as in 'You so obama.'
'Bromance' means a close platonic friendship. And 'bellig' means drunk and...
August 12, 2009
"The socialite (Paris Hilton) is set to guest-star in the fifth episode of Supernatural's new season. The role won't require too much research.
'Paris Hilton is playing a demonic creature that takes the form of... Paris Hilton,' said creator and executive producer Eric Kripke said in a stateme...
August 12, 2009
"Cocaine use was a 'contributory cause' in the heart attack death of infomercial star Billy Mays in June, the Hillsborough County, Fla., medical examiner's office reported yesterday.
Mays, 50, was famed for his ear-shattering, booming voice and machine-gun delivery, which turned his OxiClean a...
August 12, 2009
"Michael Jackson will be hitting the big screen on one of the toughest dates of the year at the box office.
Sony Pictures today confirmed the long-reported deal that it is joining with Sony Music Entertainment to release a movie featuring behind-the-scenes and rehearsal footage from preparatio...
August 12, 2009
"Bob Dylan is set to release an album of Christmas songs, including "Here Comes Santa Claus" and the carol "O Little Town of Bethlehem," according to music websites.
Rumors of the album first emerged on Isis magazine website, which is devoted to Dylan. It later reported the songs had been reco...
August 12, 2009
An intelligent and educated individual sees shades of gray, and he will take a balanced and nuanced approach to dealing with difficult issues.
Sarah Palin on the other hand, because of her intellectual deficit and evangelical world view sees the world in black and white.
An intellectually-ch...
August 04, 2009
Sarah Palin is no shrinking violet, she's a Pitt Bull with lipstick who bares her teeth when attacked or ridiculed by the press.
Palin was all over David Letterman like white on rice, when the late-night comic made an ill-advised joke about her daughter.
Given Palin's pugnacious personality,...
August 04, 2009
"Free from her old job as Alaska governor, Sarah Palin resurfaced over the weekend at a friendly venue -- a gathering of gun collectors.
The former vice presidential candidate, who resigned as governor on July 26, gave a speech Saturday night at the Anchorage banquet which capped a four-day Nat...
August 02, 2009
"A sand sculpture has been made of Michael Jackson as a tribute to the singer.
The artwork was constructed in a shopping centre in Berlin, Germany, and features the singer surrounded by album artwork and other images.
It took nearly 200 tonnes of sand to make the sculpture, which will remain...
August 02, 2009
"To anyone who was excited about the idea of Sarah Palin being suddenly single: Sorry.
The former Alaska governor has no plans to divorce, insists a Palin spokeswoman, flatly denying Internet reports that the former Republican vice presidential candidate and her husband, Todd, are splitting up...
August 01, 2009
"FOX News host Glenn Beck dialed up his rhetoric against President Obama Tuesday, branding the president a 'racist' in an appearance on the morning show 'Fox and Friends.'
Beck charged that the president's handling of the controversy over the arrest of Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. dis...
July 28, 2009
Sarah Palin is a major force in the GOP despite not having a sterling resume, eloquence, experience or gravitas. In fact she's a blundering idiot.
Palin couldn't stand the heat, and she quit her job as governor of Alaska. A male governor who quit under similar circumstances wouldn't stand a snow...
July 24, 2009
"Michael Jackson wore a prosthetic nose, according a report - and it was missing from his surgically mangled face as he lay in an LA morgue.
Left behind was a small, dark hole surrounded by bits of cartilage, Rolling Stone magazine said, citing witnesses who saw the King of Pop's body on the au...
July 21, 2009
At long last Martin Luther's King dream has come to fruition, an African American sits behind the desk at the Oval Office, and there's no longer a need for civil rights organizations like the NAACP.
Yeah Right! Even President Barack Obama might have trouble hailing a cab in New York City if he w...
July 18, 2009
"After staying out of the public eye for most of Saturday, a day after abruptly announcing she would soon give up her job as governor, Palin indicated on a social networking site that she would take on a larger, national role, citing a 'higher calling' to unite the country along conservative lines...
July 18, 2009
Controversial billboard reads: Being a good person doesn't require God. Don't believe in God? You're not alone. www.FreeThoughtFlorida.com
"The recruitment billboard put up by the Florida Atheist and Secular Humanist Society stands just east of Interstate 95 on Sunrise Boulevard and 27th Avenue, ...
July 18, 2009
"Mae Burdette knows that when she mentions UFOs and extraterrestrials, her statements often fall on skeptical or even deaf ears.
But at the second meeting of a newly formed UFO Club, Burdette found an audience willing to listen with an open mind.
She told a group of 20 people Wednesday night a...
July 18, 2009
"Richard Gasquet of France, who was barred from competition after a positive drug test, is free to rejoin the ATP Tour since an International Tennis Federation panel agreed with him that he had inadvertently ingested trace amounts of cocaine while kissing a woman.
Gasquet, ranked 32nd in the wo...
July 18, 2009
"A gay couple say they were detained by security guards on a plaza owned by the Mormon church and later cited by police, claiming it stemmed from a kiss on the cheek.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said that the men became argumentative and refused to leave after being asked to...
July 18, 2009
Michael Jackson's legacy was celebrated all over the world. The King of Pop ruled the pop charts, and his kingdom spanned the globe.
Jackson was comfortable working in several genres (new jack swing, disco, r & b and rock), but his music transcended labels and his many hits like "Billie Jean" we...
July 07, 2009
"A giant audience formed for Michael Jackson's memorial service, as millions gathered in public, in front of televisions and at computer screens to experience the mourning of the celebrated pop star.
Chants of 'Michael! Michael!' rang out in Harlem, where about 1,000 gathered to watch the memor...
July 02, 2009
"JOHN Stossel is telling his own network 'Give me a break!' after it pulled his health-case insurance segment off the air to give more time to the death of Michael Jackson.
'I am sick of the Michael Jackson coverage,' the '20/20' co-host wrote on his blog page at abc.com. 'I hate it that ABC did...
June 30, 2009
"The S.C. General Assembly should take a page out of Jenny Sanford's playbook.
If Gov. Mark Sanford doesn't resign, the General Assembly should kick him out of the governor's mansion for the same reasons his wife kicked him out of the family mansion.
He's no longer fit to lead."
http://w...
June 27, 2009
"A local couple arrested on domestic assault charges Sunday had an unusual choice of alleged weaponry -- Cheetos.
Warrants filed by Cpl. Kevin Roddy, of the Bedford County Sheriff's Department, stated he responded to a call at a home on Pass Road, where 40-year-old James Earl Taylor and Mary S...
June 26, 2009
"It is alleged the 'Thriller' singer passed away from cardiac arrest today (25.06.09). It was previously suggested he was in a coma.
Emergency services in California confirm they rushed a 50-year-old man to hospital this afternoon, but strict privacy laws mean that they cannot confirm if it was ...
June 23, 2009
"Steve Bierfeldt says the Transportation Security Administration pulled him aside for extra questioning in March. He was carrying a pocket edition of the U.S. Constitution and an iPhone capable of making audio recordings. And he used them.
On a recording a TSA agent can be heard berating Bierfeld...
June 23, 2009
"Although he did other things in his 86 years, Ed McMahon, who died Tuesday in Los Angeles, will be remembered mostly as the man who sat next to Johnny Carson, except when more important celebrities came between them.
Notwithstanding the dozen years of hosting 'Star Search,' a role in the 1997 To...
June 18, 2009
Flies are universally despised; they have often been used in mythology and literature to symbolize death and decay.
Flies are a pest, whenever folks are having a good time at a picnic or barbeque there's always flies buzzing around doing their best to dampen the good spirits.
There are few th...
June 02, 2009
"Former vice president Dick Cheney said yesterday that he supports gays being able to marry but believes states, not the federal government, should make the decision.
'I think, you know, freedom means freedom for everyone,' Cheney said in a speech at the National Press Club. 'I think people oug...
June 02, 2009
"Kate Gosselin's brother and sister-in-law blasted the reality star and her husband yesterday for messing with their kids' heads just to score ratings.
'They're being exploited!' Jodi Kreider, said on CBS's 'The Early Show.'
'And it's time for America to see the situation for what it really ...
June 02, 2009
"'I really want to work with Madonna,' the American Idol runner up told OK! magazine (US) edition.
'It doesn't seem a likely pairing, maybe, but I just think that she is so creative and has such vision.'" The Press Association
Some folks may think it is a bit presumptuous for Adam Lambert to...
June 02, 2009
The purpose of the MTV Movie Awards is not to reward cinematic excellence, it's an excuse to stage outrageous pranks. A few years ago Triumph The Insult Comic Dog had an infamous run-in with Eminem at the awards show, and once again the rapper was the victim of a prank.
Sacha Baron Cohen was in ...
June 02, 2009
Susan Boyle's rapid rise to superstar, from the ranks of the unemployed is both a positive lesson and cautionary tale in the celebrity age.
On the way up, the 48-year-old's performance last month of 'I Dreamed a Dream' on television series 'Britain's Got Talent' was downloaded nearly 200 million ...
May 24, 2009
"Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will soon announce that gay American diplomats will be given benefits similar to those that their heterosexual counterparts enjoy, U.S. officials said Saturday.
In a notice to be sent soon to State Department employees, Clinton says regulations that de...
May 20, 2009
"US First Lady Michelle Obama is not a "great beauty," but will "just get better with age," Iman, one of the first black supermodels, says in a magazine interview.
'Mrs Obama is not a great beauty,' the Somali-born model and wife of rocker David Bowie tells Parade magazine's Sunday issue, reflect...
May 20, 2009
"An Atlanta city councilman used Twitter to help save the life of a woman who suffered a seizure in northeast Atlanta.
Kwanza Hall tweeted instead of dialing 911 Friday evening when he spotted a woman in need of medical assistance at the corner of John Wesley Dobbs Avenue and Jackson Street.
...
May 20, 2009
I regularly read the online editions of the New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and the Christian Science Monitor. But I also check out the entertainment sites -- Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, Amy Winehouse and other celebrity bimbos provide enough fodder for a hundred artic...
May 20, 2009
"The nearly complete and remarkably preserved skeleton of a small, 47 million-year-old creature found in Germany was displayed Tuesday by scientists who said it would help illuminate the evolutionary roots of monkeys, apes and humans.
Experts praised the discovery for the level of detail it pro...
May 14, 2009
Summer is right around the corner, and it's time for barbeques, picnics, long road trips and the reappearance of the Montauk Monster.
The Montauk Monster was an online sensation last year, the image of the bloated corpse of the Montauk Monster garnered as many hits as racy pics of Lindsay Lohan,...
May 12, 2009
"California GOP Rep. David Dreier and a number of other politicians are the unwilling stars of a controversial new documentary with an explosive premise - it's time to blow open the closet door on prominent politicians who have hidden their homosexuality while actively working against gay causes. ...
May 12, 2009
"An Ohio teenager says he expects to be suspended from a Christian school for attending a public school prom with his girlfriend.
Officials at Heritage Christian School in Findlay had warned 17-year-old Tyler Frost that he would be suspended and prohibited from attending graduation if he went t...
May 12, 2009
"The Rev. Alberto Cutié, the Roman Catholic priest and international television and radio celebrity who was caught in tabloid photographs kissing a woman, said Monday that he was torn between two loves - the church and his girlfriend.
In an interview on Monday with Maggie Rodriguez of the CBS ...
May 07, 2009
"The White House is planning a muted observance of Thursday`s National Day of Prayer, a response that has disappointed both Christian conservatives and an atheist group that wants to end the tradition.
Congress established the day in 1952 and in 1988 set the first Thursday in May as the day for...
April 30, 2009
In the interview portion of the Miss USA pageant, Carrie Prejean who represented California was asked by celebrity judge Perez Hilton:
"Vermont recently became the fourth state to legalize same sex-marriage. Do you think every state should follow suit? Why or why not?"
Prejean could have danc...
April 26, 2009
"Bea Arthur, who went from supporting roles on Broadway to stardom in two groundbreaking TV sitcoms died Saturday in Los Angeles, a family spokesman said.
Arthur was 86, spokesman, Dan Watt, told The New York Times. He said she had cancer." UPI.Com
"Beatrice "Bea" Arthur (May 13, 1922 - Apr...
April 20, 2009
The Constitution of the United States and The Declaration of Independence are the principal documents that define America. These official papers speak of the brotherhood of man, freedom of expression and freedom from tyranny, and they are universally regarded as America's greatest contribution to th...
April 15, 2009
"The Department of Homeland Security is warning law enforcement officials about a rise in "rightwing extremist activity," saying the economic recession, the election of America's first black president and the return of a few disgruntled war veterans could swell the ranks of white-power militias.
...
April 15, 2009
I'm a newspaper columnist and and I contribute to several Web sites; I cover current events, politics and pop culture. My favorite subject is Hollywood, and I show absolutely no mercy to the bimbo triplets: Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears and Paris Hilton. These infantile women deserve to be eviscerat...
April 08, 2009
With his charisma, intelligence, optimism and eloquence President Barack Obama is uniquely qualified to unite Americans at this critical juncture in history.
Obama's sterling qualities have served him well abroad, he is greeted like a rock star by foreign audiences.
Obama doesn't have to reso...
April 07, 2009
New York Governor Elliot Spitzer resigned in the wake of a prostitution scandal. New Yorkers breathed a sigh of relief when David Paterson was sworn in to take his place.
The Horatio Alger tale of a legally blind African American who becomes the governor of the great state of New York was enough...
April 05, 2009
Barack Obama failed to convince the G-20 leaders that more stimulus spending is the solution to the global economic crisis, and he failed to persuade the world leaders to commit troops to Afghanistan. However the G-20 summit was a success for Obama, he charmed world leaders, enthralled the media, an...
April 04, 2009
Iowa is smack dab in the middle of America's heartland; the small state is eons away from the cultural and ethnic diversity of the Left coast and East coast. Iowa conjures up images of corn-fed milk drinking families enjoying picnics, going to church, and watching Fox News in their living rooms.
...
March 28, 2009
"Meet Vince Shlomi. He's probably better known to you as the ShamWow Guy, the ubiquitous television pitchman who has been phenomenally successful peddling absorbent towels and food choppers. Shlomi, 44, was arrested last month on a felony battery charge following a violent confrontation with a pro...
March 27, 2009
You don't have to be a West Point graduate to know that the US is stuck in an unwinnable and untenable situation in Afghanistan.
Unfortunately, our commander-in-chief doesn't want to accept this truth, and desperate to do something (anything) Obama announced that he's sending thousands more US f...
March 25, 2009
Prostitution has been around forever, and it continues to thrive even in countries with draconian punishment for prostitutes and their clients. Prostitution will never be wiped out, all governmental efforts to get rid of it are doomed to fail. There will always be guys who are too horny, and girls w...
March 25, 2009
"Massachusetts Rep. Barney Frank called Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia a 'homophobe' in an interview released Monday on a gay online news site, and said he hoped a challenge to a federal law widely disliked in the gay community will not be heard before the high court until new justices are sea...
March 23, 2009
"At a time when the federal government is spending billions of stimulus dollars to stem the tide of U.S. layoffs, should that same government put even more Americans out of work by buying cheaper foreign products?
That's the dilemma for the folks at the U.S. Agency for International Development...
March 22, 2009
"Sketches of aliens and UFOs spotted by members of the public have been released by the Minsitry of Defence.
The drawings include a blue banana-shaped object with dangling human-like arms and legs, seen in London in 1989.
Sarah Knapton/Telegraph.Co.UK
Tabloids are very popular in the UK ...
March 20, 2009
"Toward the end of his approximately 40-minute taping on the "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno," Obama talked about how he'd gotten better at bowling and had been practicing in the White House bowling alley.
"I bowled a 129," he told Leno.
"That's very good, Mr. President," Leno said sarcastic...
March 18, 2009
"In an interview with Cedar Rapids, Iowa, radio station WMT-AM today, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, said executives of AIG should consider following what he described of the Japanese model of shamed corporate executives: apology or suicide.
'I ...
March 18, 2009
"Sub-Saharan Africa is more heavily affected by HIV and AIDS than any other region of the world. An estimated 22 million people were living with HIV at the end of 2007 and approximately 1.9 million additional people were infected with HIV during that year. In just the past year, the AIDS epidemic in...
March 09, 2009
"President Barack Obama lifted restrictions on federal funding of human embryonic stem cell research on Monday, angering abortion opponents but cheering those who believe the study could produce treatments for many diseases.
'We will lift the ban on federal funding for promising embryonic stem ...
March 09, 2009
Publicists never shrink from a challenge, as long as there is a buck to be made they are willing to represent even the most loathsome creature. If Paris Hilton's publicist suddenly passed away , before you could say "that's hot", the pop diva's Blackberry would be full of text messages from publicis...
March 04, 2009
President Barack Obama is the undisputed leader of the Democratic Party. His approval ratings are through the roof, and the only Democrat with the name recognition and the organization to challenge him in 2012 (Hillary Clinton) is safely ensconced in his administration. Obama can depend on the membe...
February 26, 2009
"It seems so long ago now, but for just a day or two last month Nadya Suleman was known as Miracle Mom, the amazing woman who gave birth to the longest-surviving set of octuplets.
But in short order the public learned that Miracle Mom was also Single Mom, Unemployed Mom and Welfare Mom. And as ...
February 23, 2009
"The Church of England is embracing the latest technology as it urges the online community to mark Lent with 'simple acts of generosity and thoughtfulness in the real world'.
Church leaders will use the social networking site Twitter and a new Facebook application to encourage people to share t...
February 21, 2009
Google Street View captured an Australian man passed out drunk in front of his house, Google Earth discovered a pristine forest in Mozambique, and the Google search engine can be used to find dirt on your old high school pals and ex-girlfriends. But has Google Ocean discovered the Lost City of Atlan...
February 20, 2009
Roland Burris is a political hack who never would have been elected to the Senate under his own merits. To spite the Democrats then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich appointed Burris to fill Obama's vacant Senate seat. If Burris had a shred of integrity he would have turned down the tainted appointment by the di...
February 19, 2009
"NORTH Dakota has become the first US state to move towards passing a law that defines 'personhood' as starting at the moment of conception, which would effectively outlaw abortion, pro-life groups said.
Lawmakers in the North Dakota lower house voted 51 to 41 on Tuesday to pass the Personhood of...
February 18, 2009
"In a public display of passion that's bound to raise a few eyebrows and turn lots of heads, two PETA beauties--decked out in sexy lingerie--will kiss and pose provocatively on a bed set up on the sidewalk at a busy Albuquerque intersection on Friday in order to make the point that vegetarians are...
February 14, 2009
At President Barack Obama's recent town hall meeting in Ft. Myers, Fla, a middle-aged African American woman took the microphone. Henrietta Hughes didn't ask a policy wonk question, instead she made an impassioned plea for financial assistance. "I have an urgent need, unemployment and homelessness, ...
February 08, 2009
The Guantanamo Bay prison camp is a symbol of American arrogance and disdain for international law. President Obama has promised to close it down within a year, but that's not soon enough.
Some of the men being held at Gitmo are guilty only of FWI (Farming while Islamic). They are hapless farmer...
February 01, 2009
"David Cameron vowed today that if he was elected Prime Minister he would bring an end to the era of government secrecy over UFOs and extra-terrestrial activity.
Speaking at one of his 'Cameron Direct' public meetings, the Conservative Party leader pledged that a Tory government would be 'entire...
January 31, 2009
Entertainment reporters are in a twitter about Jessica Simpson's new curvaceous body. From their reaction you would gather that the few pounds Jessica has gained is one of the signs of the impending Apocalypse. This is a non-story, in my humble opinion Jessica has never looked more fantastic.
Sho...
January 30, 2009
When we heard that a mother in California had delivered octuplets and that they were all expected to survive we celebrated the historic occasion. After a deluge of bad news about economic woes, political corruption and unending wars it was nice to hear good news for a change. Recently it's been the ...
January 28, 2009
We've all seen the ubiquitous commercial for "Snuggie", an oversized fleece blanket with sleeves.
USA Today and Time Magazine have written articles about the blanket that has blanketed America with its warmth.
Let me digress by pointing out that USA Today is America's newspaper, our country is...
January 26, 2009
"A UFO dropped in on Barack Obama's inauguration ceremony, it was claimed last night.
News footage captured a shadowy object flashing across the sky before the new President's speech.
The high-speed object appears to streak behind the Washington Monument and then disappear into the clouds.
...
January 22, 2009
"My hope, and please understand me when I say this. I disagree fervently with the people on our side of the aisle who have caved and who say, 'Well, I hope he succeeds. We've got to give him a chance.' Why? They didn't give Bush a chance in 2000. Before he was inaugurated, the search-and-destroy mis...
January 20, 2009
"Barack Hussein Obama became the 44th president of the United States Tuesday, and called on Americans to join him in confronting what he described as an economic crisis caused by greed but also 'our collective failure to make hard choices.'"
The New York Times
During the hard-fought president...
January 19, 2009
The 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah was widely perceived as a victory for the terrorist organization. The mighty Israeli army was able to destroy Lebanon's infrastructure and Hezbollah's buildings with impunity, but the terrorist guerillas gained a lot of "street cred" in Muslim countries for ...
January 15, 2009
"President-elect Obama dined Tuesday with "some of his fiercest intellectual adversaries," said Jonathan Martin in Politico, including conservative writers George Will, Charles Krauthammer, William Kristol, Larry Kudlow, David Brooks, Rich Lowry, Peggy Noonan, Michael Barone, and Paul Gigot. The off...
January 13, 2009
"A federal judge has ordered the Santa Rosa County School District to stop promoting religion and prayer in the classroom and at school events.
U.S. District Court Judge Casey Rodgers ruled Friday after school officials admitted allegations in a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union...
January 13, 2009
Millions of Americans look forward to the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama, he represents the rich ethnic diversity of America. In a post racial America anyone with the drive, determination, intelligence and eloquence of Obama can achieve greatness in their realm of expertise.
The va...
January 09, 2009
"President Hugo Chavez will keep donating heating oil for poor American families in a costly decision that suggests the Venezuelan leader wants to keep to his pledges-and buttress his image-in spite of falling oil prices.
Venezuela's Citgo Petroleum Corp. announced the aid program would continue...
January 08, 2009
"Adult entertainment moguls Larry Flynt and Joe Francis are asking for a $5 billion bailout from the government, claiming the pornography industry on the decline.
Flynt, founder of the porn magazine Hustler, and Francis, 'Girls Gone Wild' producer, feel that they should be granted a portion of th...
January 07, 2009
"Joe The Plumber is putting down his wrenches and picking up a reporter's notebook.
The Ohio man who became a household name during the presidential campaign says he is heading to Israel as a war correspondent for the conservative Web site pjtv.com.
Samuel J. Wurzelbacher (WUR'-zuhl-bah-kur) s...
January 06, 2009
"The U.S. government spends more than $200 million annually on abstinence-promotion programs, including virginity pledges.
The latter approach does not work too well.
A new study of a federal survey taken in the 1990s finds that teens who took virginity pledges are just as likely as other te...
January 02, 2009
"Charles Barkley told an officer following his arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol that he was in a rush because he was on his way pick up a 'hot' girl for sex, according to a police report obtained by the Smoking Gun.
When Barkley was arrested in Scottsdale, Ariz., earl...
December 31, 2008
"If they had to live next door to a celebrity, American adults would most like to be neighbors with Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and chat show host Oprah Winfrey.
But trouble-prone pop star Britney Spears would be the worst celebrity neighbour, according to a survey published on Tuesday of the most an...
December 31, 2008
Cynthia McKinney has a penchant for courting controversy, sometimes willingly, sometimes unwillingly. McKinney's most infamous controversy is when she attempted to enter the Longworth House Office Building without wearing a lapel pin identifying her as a member of Congress. She was stopped by Capito...
December 29, 2008
"Internet sites could be given cinema-style age ratings as part of a Government crackdown on offensive and harmful online activity to be launched in the New Year, the Culture Secretary says.
In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Andy Burnham says he believes that new standards of decency nee...
December 23, 2008
A wise man doesn't expect enlightened dialogue from a religious leader with a penchant for wearing a hat that strongly resembles a dunce cap, and I don't count upon any ecumenical and inclusive speeches to emanate from the Vatican.
Once again the Pontiff is using his worldwide platform to divide...
December 20, 2008
"Skeletal remains found in the woods are the Florida 3-year-old who has been missing since June, and her death is considered a homicide, a county medical examiner said Friday.
DNA tests confirm that the remains match Caylee Anthony's genetic profile, said the medical examiner, Dr. Jan Garavaglia....
December 18, 2008
Americans aren't blessed with patience, we want everything to move at broadband speed but sometimes life is dial-up slow. We've been waiting a frustratingly long time for closure and resolution to the Caylee Anthony disappearance.
Caylee vanished in June 2008 when she was two, and for these many ...
December 16, 2008
"A Ponzi scheme is a fraudulent investment operation that involves paying abnormally high returns to investors out of the money paid in by subsequent investors, rather than from the profit from any real business."
Wikipedia
When I lived in Oakland, CA I worked for a large insurance company, o...
December 15, 2008
"A picture paints a thousand words"
I have written over a hundred essays expressing my disgust and anger at Bush's illegal and unethical invasion of Iraq that has resulted in the meaningless death of thousands of American soldiers, and over a hundred thousand Iraqi civilians. I have debated many ...
December 15, 2008
"President Bush arrived in Iraq Sunday for one brief, final visit to the country his administration has irreparably changed.
Although grateful to the US for toppling Mr. Hussein, many Iraqis view the aftermath with scorn and dismiss the notion that the US came here in the name of democracy or to...
December 13, 2008
"It was only a matter of time. You can get plastic surgery when you're a spoilt teen, an image conscious middle ager and a shrivelled old hag. So why not have some when you're dead?
Undertakers say more and more people are asking to be tucked and smoothed out for their funeral to look good for t...
December 13, 2008
"Caylee Marie Anthony (born August 9, 2005), from Orlando, Florida, has been missing since June 2008 and has attracted national attention for the mysterious and dubious circumstances of her disappearance and possible death. Her mother, Casey Anthony (born 1986), was indicted on October 14, 2008, for...
December 10, 2008
"Teachers using red pen to mark students' work could be harming their psyche as the color is too aggressive, according to education strategies drafted by an Australian state government.
The 'Good Mental Health Rocks' kit, which was distributed this month to about 30 schools in Queensland state, o...
December 09, 2008
"Some same-sex marriage supporters are urging people to 'call in gay' Wednesday to show how much the country relies on gays and lesbians, but others question whether it's wise to encourage skipping work given the nation's economic distress.
Organizers of 'Day Without a Gay' - scheduled to coinci...
December 08, 2008
"A man has been stabbed to death by customers at a Malaysian karaoke bar for singing too much and refusing to share the mic."
Metro.Co.UK
Performing at a karaoke bar is a serious hobby for some folks, they spend hours practicing at home and get all dolled-up before leaving home.
Imagine go...
December 08, 2008
"O.J. Simpson has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for kidnapping and armed robbery.
Simpson, 61, and co-defendant Clarence 'C.J.' Stewart were both sentenced to 15 years in prison at a court in Las Vegas. They will be eligible for parole after five years."
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news...
December 08, 2008
2008 is one of the most tumultuous and momentous years in our history; I can't wait for it to finally be over. This year we witnessed the most thrilling presidential election in history culminating in the election of the first African American president; we remain entangled in two senseless wars; we...
December 08, 2008
"A Southern California calculus teacher says he's selling ad space on his test papers to make up for a cut in his supply budget.
Tom Farber, 47, said 'tough times call for tough actions' so he started selling ad space on his test papers at $10 for a quiz, $20 for a chapter test and $30 for a sem...
December 08, 2008
A TIE
I almost never wear a suit and tie and yet I have tons of ties, almost all of them presents from friends, acquaintances and family members too lazy and too unimaginative to buy me a real present. A tie is a default present fit only for loathsome creatures that you can't stand.
A FRUITCAK...
December 08, 2008
At this time of the year you can't drive a city block or enter most public or private buildings without being overwhelmed by decorations, trees and other symbols of Christmas.
An individual who doesn't go along with the yuletide program is considered a Scrooge who should be shunned by polite soc...
December 08, 2008
"True to form and in keeping with past recessions, Americans are flocking to the movies, the chief executive of the largest U.S. theater chain said on Wednesday.
'We're approximately two-thirds of the way through the quarter, and we are having a very good fourth quarter this year compared to last...
December 08, 2008
"CHAPEL HILL For as long as anyone can remember, Christmas trees adorned with lights and ornaments have greeted holiday season visitors to UNC Chapel Hill's two main libraries.
Not this year.
The trees, which have stood in the lobby areas of Wilson and Davis libraries each December, were kep...
December 08, 2008
"New research from Harvard Medical School and the University of California, San Diego suggests that happiness is influenced not only by the people you know, but by the people they know.
The study showed that happiness spreads through social networks, sort of like a virus, meaning that your happin...
December 08, 2008
" Since Proposition 8 passed in California, much of Hollywood has been up in arms. Now, they are singing and dancing, too, in a new Web video called 'Prop 8: The Musical.'
The video was posted Wednesday on FunnyOrDie.com, the video site co-founded by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay. The site has foun...
December 08, 2008
Paris Hilton has failed as a movie star and pop singer, but she has enjoyed wild success as Paris Hilton. We wince when we hear Hilton's songs on the radio, and we shun her movies, but we can't get enough of her not so private life. When I find an article in Billboard Magazine about Hilton's upcomin...
December 08, 2008
'There are times where I've fallen off the wagon,' the president-elect said when asked in a broadcast interview whether he has kicked the habit.
'I've done a terrific job, under the circumstances, of making myself much healthier,' he said. 'And I think that you will not see any violations of the...
November 29, 2008
The typical gift shop at a zoo will sell stuffed tigers and other crap, but the Miller Park Zoo's gift shop really does sell crap.
"The Christmas ornaments for sale at the Miller Park Zoo's gift shop are partly manufactured by reindeer. Honest!
Staffers make decorations out of droppings from ...
November 29, 2008
"A PLAY with a difference has opened in Japan - it's cast is half robot, half human.
The theatrical production stars a pair of Mitsubishi's 'Wakamura' robots alongside two human actors.
The robots cannot use facial movements to express emotions so instead tilt their heads and make s...
November 29, 2008
"In the heat of battle, their minds clouded by fear, anger or vengefulness, even the best-trained soldiers can act in ways that violate the Geneva Conventions or battlefield rules of engagement. Now some researchers suggest that robots could do better.
'My research hypothesis is that intelligent ...
November 29, 2008
"Never apologize to, compliment, or show graciousness to a Democrat."
"[The] Spawn of Satan convention in Boston [was attended by] corn-fed, no make-up, natural fiber, no-bra needing, sandal-wearing, hirsute, somewhat fragrant hippie chick pie wagons."
"If we took away women's right to vote,...
November 25, 2008
"An elementary school cafeteria worker and playground monitor, who had an extensive career in the adult entertainment industry, is becoming a New Jersey school district's legal nightmare.
Some parents in Vineland, N.J., as well as the board of education president, want Louisa C. Tuck fired, but...
November 21, 2008
"Exclusive: TVNewser has learned veteran Fox News Channel anchor E.D. Hill will not be renewed when her current contract expires. Hill, who has been with Fox News for more than 10 years, will continue with the network for the next few months until her current deal expires."
http://www.mediabistro...
November 19, 2008
"Al-Qaida No. 2 Ayman al-Zawahri insulted Barack Obama in the terror group's first reaction to his election, calling him a demeaning racial term implying that the president-elect is a black American who does the bidding of whites.
The message appeared chiefly aimed at persuading Muslims and Ar...
November 19, 2008
"Seems Ellen DeGeneres isn't the only funny lady with a wife. Comedian Wanda Sykes is also married to a woman.
Sykes spoke out this weekend at a rally in Las Vegas protesting the passage of Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage in California.
'We took a huge leap forward [in electing Bar...
November 16, 2008
Lindsay Lohan usually makes the news for what she doesn't wear (underwear), but today she's in the spotlight for what she does wear (fur).
"An anti-fur activist showered U.S. actress Lindsay Lohan with flour at a nightclub in Paris, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said.
The actres...
November 15, 2008
I live in Lynchburg VA, and ever since the controversial televangelist Jerry Falwell passed away a couple of years ago my small burg no longer makes the national news.
Nothing of consequence happens in my fair city, a fender bender on Main Street doesn't have any national or international reperc...
November 14, 2008
"As NASA prepares to double the number of astronauts living aboard the International Space Station, nothing may do more for crew bonding than a machine being launched aboard the space shuttle Endeavour on Friday.
It's a water-recycling device that will process the crew's urine for communal con...
November 14, 2008
"The famously pregnant man, transgender male Thomas Beatie, proudly showed off his expanding belly and revealed that he and his wife are considering having more children, according to a British tabloid.
Beatie, born a woman who was named Tracy Lagondino, retained his female reproductive organs, ...
November 14, 2008
"Ads proclaiming, 'Why believe in a god? Just be good for goodness' sake,' will appear on Washington, D.C., buses starting next week and running through December. The American Humanist Association unveiled the provocative $40,000 holiday ad campaign Tuesday."
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,...
November 12, 2008
"Supporters of gay marriage, frustrated over a ballot-box defeat in California, have channeled much of their anger toward the towering white spires of Mormon temples.
For months, the Mormon church sought to portray itself as just one member of a coalition of Catholics, evangelicals, black Protest...
November 10, 2008
The President of the United States is not only the head of the executive branch and the commander-in-chief, he's also the pastor-in chief. When there's a natural disaster, a terrorist attack or any other crisis, we eagerly await for the president's response. We cling to his every word, trying to gle...
November 07, 2008
I don't expect a vice-presidential candidate to be familiar with all the nuances of the Kyoto treaty, but I do hope that he or she will know more about politics and current events than the average elementary school student.
Sarah Palin has all the gravitas of a feather duster, the former beauty ...
November 07, 2008
Talk about a biting critique of the press.
It seems President Bush's dog Barney wasn't much in the mood for friendly attention during his walk outside the White House on Thursday. So when Reuters reporter Jon Decker reached down to pet the Scottish terrier, the seemingly docile dog snapped at hi...
November 05, 2008
Barack Obama's general election victory was a tremendous personal vindication. About two years ago when the relatively unknown junior senator from Illinois with the funny name and the big ears announced he was running for president, his colleagues and pundits didn't give him a chance against the vau...
November 04, 2008
It's 9:30 pm (eastern time) and not all of the results are in, but two thing are clear: Obama is going to win in a landslide and the turnout is going to set a record.
Why are voters turning out in such massive numbers, and what does the Obama blowout mean?
Americans are notoriously impatient,...
November 04, 2008
After almost two years the 2008 presidential campaign is finally over. No more robo calls, negative ads, talking heads and bewildering and often contradictory polls. No more stump speeches and debates, now we wait only for the victory and concession speeches.
If you are sick and tired of invasiv...
November 03, 2008
Groundbreaking research suggests that pregnancy rates are much higher among teens who watch a lot of TV with sexual dialogue and behavior than among those who have tamer viewing tastes.
'Sex and the City,' anyone? That was one of the shows used in the research.
The new study is the first to lin...
November 02, 2008
Sarah Palin Punk'd By Prank Call
By Robert Paul Reyes
"Sarah Palin has been hoodwinked by a French Canadian radio host posing as French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
In a six-minute call with Marc-Antoine Audette, part of a comedy duo notorious for prank calls to celebrities and heads of st...
November 02, 2008
The 2008 presidential campaign has bestowed quite a few dubious characters with their precious fifteen minutes of fame: Joe the Unlicensed Plumber, Tito the Builder, The old lady who called Obama an Arab, and of course Sarah Palin.
Now you can throw in Barack Obama's aunt who is living illegally...
October 31, 2008
America is still the land of opportunity, where only your desire and imagination limits how much you can accomplish. Only in America can a Steve Wozniak usher in the personal computer revolution from his garage. Only in America can a biracial young man from humble means grow up to become the presid...
October 31, 2008
"John McCain appears to be headed for a defeat, with only a residual hope of a re-run of the great Dewey versus Truman upset in 1948 to sustain him. But in his reckless choice of running mate he has ensured that attempts to rebuild the Republican party in the event of defeat will be hampered by th...
October 29, 2008
For those that remember the ever popular Cabbage Patch Kids, there is a new doll that will soon be hitting eBay for charity.
Four one-of-a-kind Cabbage Patch Kids have been created and dressed to look like Presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain and VP candidates Joe Biden and Sarah...
October 29, 2008
"London's iconic red buses could be plastered with the slogan 'There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life,' in an atheist advertising campaign responding to a set of Christian ads.
Comedy writer Ariane Sherine, 28, objected to the Christian adverts on some London buses, whi...
October 27, 2008
"Just a month ago, a bubbly Jennifer Hudson - who had been striking gold with just about everything she touched - was running down the list of all the projects that she expected would soon dominate her life.
Already an Oscar-winning actress, the 25-year-old was about to release her first album...
October 25, 2008
"Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, renowned for colorful insults of world leaders, called U.S. vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin a confused 'beauty queen' on Friday after she said he was a dictator.
...
'I saw the vice presidential candidate, there she was talking about 'the dictator Hugo C...
October 24, 2008
"Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin describes herself as a 'hard-core pro-lifer' and expresses confidence that in spite of disheartening polls, 'putting this in God's hands, that the right thing for America will be done at the end of the day on Nov. 4.'
In an interview with evan...
October 22, 2008
"The Republican National Committee spent $150,000 on clothing and accessories for the vice presidential candidate and her family since early September, according to a report by the Politico Web site." The New York Daily News/KENNETH R. BAZINET
Sarah Palin's constant refrain on the campaign tri...
October 21, 2008
"In an interview with CBN's David Brody, Sarah Palin signaled her support for a constitutional ban on gay marriage, a position that John McCain once described as "antithetical in every way to the core philosophy of Republicans."
'I am, in my own, state, I have voted along with the vast majorit...
October 20, 2008
When Sarah Palin speaks extemporaneously it seems like the Pentecostal hottie is speaking in tongues. I keep waiting for someone in the audience to stand up and interpret her utterance.
Palin makes a modicum of sense only when she is reading from a teleprompter or reciting talking points. When s...
October 19, 2008
George W. Bush failed to live up to his promise to be a "uniter and not a divider", his disastrous decision to invade Iraq, and his economic policies that favor the wealthy have polarized this country like never before.
John McCain and Sarah Palin are doing little to unite this country, in fact t...
October 17, 2008
Robo calls are a very invasive approach to political campaigning, it's equivalent to the approach that Jehovah's Witnesses take to sharing their faith: Banging on your door and disturbing your family dinner.
Automated calls from political parties should be outlawed, they are a nuisance and they d...
October 11, 2008
America, and indeed the whole world, is in the gravest financial disaster since the Great Depression, and McCain is busy hurling baseless and vicious accusations against Sen. Barack Obama.
McCain has admitted on several occasions that the economy is not his forte, and his declaration that the "f...
October 10, 2008
"Congress is looking into allegations that National Security Agency linguists have been eavesdropping on Americans abroad.
A terrorist surveillance program instituted by the Bush administration allows the intelligence community to monitor phone calls between the United States and overseas withou...
October 10, 2008
"This week's Newsweek features an extreme close-up of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin -- a picture so detailed it shows every blemish and wrinkle and even a few wisps of facial hair.
Republican media consultant Andrea Tantaros told Fox News the photo is 'a clear slap in the face' at Palin.
An officia...
October 08, 2008
"Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden called Republican John McCain an angry man making ugly attacks against the Democratic ticket to cover up his support for President Bush.
'You can't call yourself a maverick when all you've ever been is a sidekick,' Biden said Wednesday of McCain....
October 07, 2008
John McCain treats the media with contempt, he rarely holds a news conference and he keeps his lipstick wearing Pitt Bull on a very tight leash. Early in the campaign McCain seemed to enjoy the give-and-take with the press, but now he assiduously avoids reporters.
Joe Biden has granted over fift...
October 06, 2008
"'It's like kind of providential yesterday what happened to me,' Palin said. 'I am reading on my Starbucks mocha cup the quote of the day. You'll never believe what the quote was! It was Madeleine Albright, former secretary of state and U.N. ambassador, and Madeleine has as her quote of the day for ...
October 06, 2008
"An underdog in Sunday's election for governor of Bangkok punched and kicked a television journalist Thursday, saying he was provoked by tough questions during a live interview.
'I admit I did it. I couldn't stand it when he humiliated me on air,' said Chuvit, a stocky former bodybuilder who own...
October 06, 2008
"ABC News' Imtiyaz Delawala Reports: Republican vice presidential nominee Gov. Sarah Palin invoked fear for the first time when discussing Sen. Barack Obama's connection to former 60's radical William Ayers.
'I am just so fearful that this is not a man who sees America the way that you and I see...
October 03, 2008
The bar for last night's Veep debate was painted on the floor for Sarah Palin. The governor of Alaska didn't trip on her way to the platform, she didn't respond to a difficult question in a fit of glossolalia, her head didn't spin around like Linda Blair, and she didn't ask for a lifeline. Therefore...
October 01, 2008
I write an opinion column for a newspaper, and I also contribute to a couple of Web sites. I am on a pace to write over 500 essays this year; I get my ideas for my editorials by reading over 15 print and Web publications on a daily basis. I'm often asked to name a favorite newspaper or Web site, and...
September 27, 2008
"Paul Newman, the legendary actor whose steely blue eyes, good-humored charm and advocacy of worthy causes made him one of the most renowned figures in American arts, has died of cancer at his home in Westport, Connecticut. He was 83.
CNN
Paul Newman was one of those rare cool guys whom averag...
September 27, 2008
"A national poll of people who watched the first presidential debate suggests that Barack Obama came out on top.
Fifty-one percent of those polled in a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey of Americans who viewed the debate say that Obama won. Thirty-eight percent of those polled say that Joh...
September 26, 2008
John McCain's selection of the inexperienced and unqualified Sarah Palin will go down in history as the most reckless, desperate and cynical move by a presidential candidate.
Since McCain selected the political neophyte as his running mate, she's been sequestered like a vestal virgin. Palin hasn'...
September 26, 2008
"This news is shocking, on par with 'birds fly,' 'fish swim' and 'water is wet.' Clay Aiken is gay. The birth of his son, Parker, in August spurred Aiken to come out of the closet. 'I cannot raise a child to lie or to hide things,' the star of 'Spamalot' said. Aiken, who came out to his family a few...
September 23, 2008
"Deep-seated racial misgivings could cost Barack Obama the White House if the election is close, according to an AP-Yahoo News poll that found one-third of white Democrats harbor negative views toward blacks — many calling them 'lazy,' 'violent,' responsible for their own troubles.
The po...
September 22, 2008
Many rap stars make almost as much money from the sale of ringtones as they do from the sale of singles. These ringtones sing the praises of partying, crunkin', gang banging, drinking and getting your freak on.
But the hottest ringtone doesn't exalt hedonism or nihilism, it promotes physics and ...
September 21, 2008
The American press has been circumspect in their criticism of Sarah Palin, John McCain's controversial VP selection: She lacks foreign policy credentials; she's a newcomer to national politics; She's a risky choice; She knows nothing about economics but she's a quick learner; She's a neophyte but sh...
September 21, 2008
"Being old is apparently no bar to finding favour with the young -- at least in the world of Japanese politics.
From $6 (3.27 pounds) bean buns to $1,200 kimono belts, a souvenir shop in Tokyo is offering a range of items all bearing the grinning face of 'cool old dude' Taro Aso, 68-year-old fro...
September 20, 2008
Americans recoil in horror when we remember the Salem witch trials, which resulted in the hanging of fourteen women and five men. We gain some comfort knowing that this outbreak of religious hysteria took place in 1692, and that in the ensuing centuries we have rejected the superstitious belief in e...
September 17, 2008
In America politicians are loathe to confess that they have smoked marijuana. President Bill Clinton admitted that he smoked weed, but he absurdly claimed that he never inhaled. That's like a guy pleading with his wife: Honey, I cheated with the hot neighbor with the big knockers, but I didn't enjoy...
September 16, 2008
Sen. John McCain lives in the lap of luxury, he can't even remember how many mansions he owns. McCain's vast wealth insulates him from feeling the effects of an economy gone south.
McCain famously admitted he knows little about the economy, and everytime he pontificates on the subject he lends c...
September 15, 2008
"Your rabbit's ears aren't floppy? Sorry, that's not an emergency. So said police in Scotland when a woman rang the emergency 999 number to discuss her concerns about her new pet. She said the newspaper ad promised floppy ears, but flop they would not."
Associated Press
I expect my cats to be ...
September 15, 2008
"A 40-year-old man walking his dog in the nude was Tasered by police when he refused to follow an officer's commands. David McCranie of the Tallahassee Police Department said an officer on patrol spotted the man shortly after 8 p.m. Friday.
The man was asked what he was doing and told the office...
September 14, 2008
A politician isn't considered a political heavyweight until he or she is satirized on "Saturday Night Live." A candidate doesn't earn any respect until he's been dissed by SNL.
A few years ago almost nobody outside of Wasilla, Alaska knew Sarah Palin, but now she enjoys the imprimatur of success:...
September 10, 2008
An event took place today that may have earth-shattering ramifications. While in America we obsess over Paris Hilton, Britney Spears and Sarah Palin's eyeglasses, in Switzerland a machine that has the potential to destroy the earth has been turned on.
"During the wee hours Eastern U.S. time toda...
September 11, 2008
Former Rhode Island Republican Sen. Lincoln Chafee has called vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin a "cocky wacko" and said her selection as John McCain's running mate has energized supporters of Democrat Barack Obama.
Chafee left the Republican Party last year after losing his bid for re-ele...
September 09, 2008
John McCain is taking full advantage of the popularity of Sarah Palin, she introduces him at every campaign appearance. Palin has injected enthusiasm and energy into a formerly moribund campaign.
Palin has dwarfed McCain, he's a bystander in the Palin fever that has gripped the nation. McCain ma...
September 07, 2008
"Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton marched for labor and stumped with Democrats on Saturday, but sidestepped questions about the woman who has taken her place as the nation's most-talked-about female leader.
Clinton brushed aside questions about Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin during ...
September 06, 2008
The George W. Bush administration has been an unmitigated disaster at home and abroad. Obama will be forced to spend the first few years of his first term restoring American's pride in their country, and restoring our good name in the international community.
The Bush plan of imposing elections ...
September 06, 2008
"A robber rolled into a Dallas convenience store came armed with a bat and a knife. He left with a lot of condoms and an energy drink.
Dallas police Cpl. Kevin Janse said Friday that a man in a wheelchair entered a Dallas 7-Eleven Wednesday afternoon, rolled straight toward the cash register and ...
September 05, 2008
Sarah Palin isn't qualified to speak about the Iraq war, the mortgage meltdown, the economic crisis, or anything else that will be on the plate of the next administration. That's why her vice-presidential acceptance speech was devoid of substance, and replete with zingers that brought the carnivorou...
September 02, 2008
I keep my TV on CNN all the time; I'm surprised the CNN logo hasn't been permanently etched on my screen. I'm a political news junkie, and when I'm not watching CNN or MSNBC I'm reading the online news sites.
But even I was surprised when John McCain selected a virtual unknown, Sarah Palin, as h...
August 30, 2008
Democrats are welcoming John McCain and the Republicans to St. Paul with billboards depicting John McCain warmly embracing President George W. Bush.
A picture speaks a thousand words and this one tell quite a story. McCain appears to have his eyes closed as he gives Bush a full-throated bear hug...
August 30, 2008
There are very few policy differences between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. In Hillary's great speech at the Democratic Convention, she stressed that a vote for Obama will ensure that the issues she believes in, like national health care, will not be neglected.
Hillary Clinton betrayed her c...
August 29, 2008
For months Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has been harping on Sen. Barack Obama's alleged youth and inexperience.
If McCain places such a high premium on experience why did he pass over Mitt Romney, and select a virtual unknown as his vice-presidential running ...
August 28, 2008
Adults engage in individual or team sports to lose calories, network with business associates, or to get away from their significant other for a couple of hours.
Children don't have to schedule a recreational activity or consider its health benefits, they will spontaneously somersault, jump or r...
August 26, 2008
We've all seen archival footage of the many memorable speeches that Sen. Edward Kennedy has delivered at Democratic conventions going back decades. A Democratic convention is not complete without one of Kennedy's rousing speeches.
This year the 76-year-old Liberal Lion was diagnosed with a brain ...
August 26, 2008
Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, suffered torture, pain and deprivation for over five years in a prisoner of war camp in Vietnam. There isn't an American, Republican or Democrat, who doesn't appreciate McCain's sacrifice for his country.
An honorable man lets hi...
August 23, 2008
Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic presidential candidate, has picked Sen. Joe Biden to be his vice presidential running mate.
These are my initial impressions of Obama's most important decision of the presidential campaign to date:
The selection of Joe Biden to be Obama's VP signals the...
August 17, 2008
Shame on Barack Obama and John McCain for participating in the much-hyped faith forum hosted by mega-church evangelical pastor Rick Warren. In a craven attempt to win over evangelicals, the presidential candidates trampled upon the sacred doctrine of the separation of church and state and engaged in...
August 18, 2008
"John McCain's campaign has asked a Hollywood agent to sprinkle some glitter over his anointment as the Republican nominee - while Barack Obama frets about celebrities stampeding towards the Democratic convention in Denver next week.
Even Arnold Schwarzenegger, California's Republican governor a...
August 19, 2008
In an attempt to appease and mollify the Clintons, Sen. Barack Obama has practically handed over the control of the Democratic Convention to them. Hillary will have her roll call vote, and she and her husband will deliver prime time speeches.
The Clinton mafia has even secured language in the Dem...
August 20, 2008
"Jessica Simpson is in the beer business.
The singer-actress is the new face of Stampede Light Plus beer, a low-carb, low-calorie brew from the Dallas-based Stampede Brewing Company.
According to its label, Stampede Light Plus beer is chock full of B-vitamins and has only 115 calories per beve...
August 15, 2008
"(AHN) - Former Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Wednesday that he will not attend the Democratic National Convention as claimed by Bill Kristol, Weekly Standard editor.
'I do not have time to waste on Bill Kristol's musings,' Powell told ABC. 'I am not going to the convention. I have mad...
August 16, 2008
For decades there have been sightings of Bigfoot creatures in the Pacific Northwest. There's reams of anecdotal evidence, tons of dubious photographs, reels of questionable film, but not a shred of empirical evidence proving the existence of this mythical creature.
Until Friday when a couple of ...
August 13, 2008
Religion is a deadly virus, in its most virulent strain devotees are filled with a blood lust that isn't sated until unbelievers are annihilated. Religion is behind most outbreaks of genocide and ethnic cleansing, it's an evil entity that has killed millions over the centuries.
The virus goes by...
August 10, 2008
"John Edwards ex-mistress Rielle Hunter says she won't have a paternity test conducted on her daughter - not now, not ever.
'Rielle is a private individual. She is not running for public office. She wishes to maintain her privacy and her daughter's privacy,' her lawyer, Robert Gordon, said in a ...
August 09, 2008
The Montauk Monster isn't exactly a pretty boy-- the beast is not a prime candidate for Hollywood stardom. But if someone with rough-hewn looks like Charles Bronson could make it in Hollywood, with a little Botox and makeup the Montauk Monster could also become a movie star.
This is not just w...
August 08, 2008
"Republican presidential hopeful John McCain said he was seeking blue-collar and heartland support during a visit to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally earlier this week, but some of his comments have generated more controversy than support.
"I was looking at the Sturgis schedule and noticed that you h...
August 06, 2008
For the last couple of months all the major polls have consistently shown Sen. Barack Obama with a 4-7 point lead over Sen. John McCain. The general election is three months away, and polls are just a snapshot in time. But when all the snapshots show Obama in the lead, it's not a good omen for the M...
August 03, 2008
Wal-Mart is able to sell products manufactured at sweat shops in China at incredibly low prices, because it treats its employees only marginally better than the sweat shop bosses treat their slaves.
Wal-Mart has a history of vigorously opposing any attempts by its employees to form unions. The gi...
July 25, 2008
Dog bites boy is a hot news item in the neighborhood for a few days; boy bites dog makes international headlines.
Usually the only time that Brazil makes the news is during Carnival, but the story of a heroic Brazilian lad is big news online.
"An 11-year old boy is in Brazil's media spotlight...
July 25, 2008
"Former Apollo 14 moonwalker Edgar Mitchell claimed, in a recent radio interview, that not only have aliens been visiting the Earth for the past sixty years since the Roswell incident, but that Earth governments are aware of this fact and are covering it up.
Edgar Mitchell claims that sources at ...
July 24, 2008
1. WILL SMITH
"Smith, 39, made 80 million dollars between June 1, 2007 and June 1, 2008, thanks to blockbusters like 'I Am Legend,' 'Hancock' and 'The Pursuit of Happyness,' for which he was nominated for best actor in the 2007 Oscars."
Quotation from AFP
Will Smith, the champ of the summer...
July 20, 2008
Oprah Winfrey does not binge on bon bons, Dr. Phil isn't a bald-headed jerk, Britney Spears doesn't have mental problems, John McCain doesn't have issues with TelePrompTers, Snoop Dogg doesn't own a bong, Joan Rivers never had any plastic surgery, and the United States government does not torture.
...
July 20, 2008
"The Bilderberg Group is an unofficial annual invitation-only conference of around 130 guests, most of whom are persons of influence in the fields of business, media and politics. The elite group meets annually at luxury hotels or resorts throughout the world -- normally in Europe -- and once every ...
July 19, 2008
George W. Bush has been an unmitigated disaster as commander-in-chief, he leaves his successor with a quagmire in Iraq and a steadily worsening situation in Afghanistan. I just hope he doesn't entangle us with a war with Iran before he leaves office.
Bush made a mess out of our foreign policy p...
July 19, 2008
The typical guest on a late-night comedy show is a jaded celebrity who oozes irony or an average person who makes the news for some wacky reason.
Sen. John McCain, 71, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee is from a generation that eschews irony. McCain is like a fish out of water try...
July 18, 2008
Nature abhors a vacuum, and politicians abhor dead air. It took eight seconds before John McCain could answer a question related to Viagra. I realize it's uncomfortable for a man McCain's age to answer a question about Viagra, but it shouldn't take him as long as a typical romantic interlude with hi...
July 15, 2008
The 60's was a tumultuous decade: The assassinations of Martin Luther King & The Kennedy brothers, the anti-war and civil rights movements, riots and demonstrations...
But in the midst of all this confusion and anarchy, the flower generation bloomed, promising a new era of peace, enlightenment, ...
July 14, 2008
The Internet is one of the most important inventions in history; it has impacted every aspect of society. This is the Wired Generation, and a person who isn't hooked up to the Matrix is inconsequential.
Life without the Internet is not worth living; I can't imagine making do without it. John Mc...
July 13, 2008
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was ridiculed when he assured an American audience that there are no gays in Iran.
In America we are more accepting of gays and lesbians, and we recognize that there are gays in every realm of society: Politics, business, sports, military and religion. ...
July 12, 2008
"George Bush surprised world leaders with a joke about his poor record on the environment as he left the G8 summit in Japan.
The American leader, who has been condemned throughout his presidency for failing to tackle climate change, ended a private meeting with the words: 'Goodbye from the world'...
July 12, 2008
The national divorce rate hovers around 50%, but Americans are eternally optimistic and they plunk down around $30,000 for a typical wedding.
Money that could be used for a down payment on a house or a new car, is wasted on one day of indulgence and excess. What a brilliant strategy, start your...
July 11, 2008
"You've heard of mental depression; this is a mental recession. We have sort of become a nation of whiners. You just hear this constant whining, complaining about a loss of competitiveness, America in decline."
Phil Gramm, Sen. John McCain's chief economic adviser
McCain has acknowledged on mo...
July 11, 2008
"If you're a Facebook member, a career as a government spook is only a click away.
Since December 2006, the Central Intelligence Agency has been using Facebook.com, the popular social networking site, to recruit potential employees into its National Clandestine Service. It marks the first time th...
July 09, 2008
If a coffee shop calls its employees "baristas", you can bet it will overcharge for a cup of coffee. I'd rather get my cup of Joe at Burger King for a fraction of the price.
If a barista dons a skimpy thong, provided the barista is not a pot-bellied middle-aged guy, the sky is the limit as to ho...
July 09, 2008
George W. Bush is regarded as one of the worst presidents in history; he has been a disaster for the economy, the environment and our international reputation.
How do we commemorate the ineptitude and corruption of the Bush administration? Adding his smirking face to Mt. Rushmore is out of the q...
July 06, 2008
Coffee is the fuel that keeps my brain engaged, every morning I stop at a 7/11 or a McDonald's where I can get a good cup of coffee at a decent price.
As much as I love a cup of Joe, I would rather drink a cup of mud than patronize Starbucks.
Starbucks is a magnet for trendies, slackers, s...
July 05, 2008
"Supporters of the doctor-initiated death have turned in an estimated 320,000 signatures Tuesday to the Secretary of State's Office. The number of signatures is more than enough to send Initiative 1000 to voters in November.
If approved, Initiative 1000 would allow doctors to prescribe lethal me...
July 03, 2008
"A New Zealand man has put his soul up for auction to the highest bidder, noting that it is 'a merry old soul' rather than a 'funk soul brother' but that he would 'would like to think there is a bit of funk in there somewhere.'
Walter Scott, 24, put his soul up for sale on New Zealand Internet ...
July 05, 2008
Sensational and brutal crimes are not the sole province of the United States, the recent horrific murder of two French students in the U.K. made international headlines:
"Crazed killers knifed two innocent students nearly 250 times in a frenzied attack similar to a gruesome torture scene in a Que...
July 02, 2008
"A runner will sprint through a gallery every 30 seconds for the next four months in the latest art installation by artist Martin Creed.
The installation, called "Work No. 850", is sponsored by Sotheby's and goes on show on Tuesday in the 86-metre neoclassical sculpture galleries of Tate Britain...
June 28, 2008
"There were no weapons on board or concerns about terrorism, but an American Eagle flight about to take off from Raleigh-Durham, N.C., airport was turned back to its gate on Monday to remove two passengers
The culprits? An upset, autistic toddler and his mother.
By all accounts, two-year-old ...
June 27, 2008
It seems every B-List celebrity worth her salt has a sex tape circulating online. Some Bozos spend hours online ogling at the sex tapes of Paris Hilton and Pamela Anderson.
The quickest way for a starlet to revive her career is by releasing a sex tape online. Of course the bimbo always claims t...
June 25, 2008
Sen. Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, is the kind of transformational statesman that we witness only once in a generation.
Hillary Clinton, the epitome of a status quo politician, had no chance competing against a historical figure who represents change and hope. Hi...
June 26, 2008
Is Hulk Hogan a freak?
Hogan has a penchant for donning tights, bleaching his hair and he allows cameras to capture the craziness in his household for fame and money. But perhaps the greatest proof that the former wrestling champion and reality star is a freak is found in this article:
"In th...
June 24, 2008
If you loiter by the chimpanzee exhibit long enough eventually they will fling feces at you, and if you listen to Don Imus long enough eventually he will hurl a racist comment.
More than a year after being canned for referring to the Rutgers women's basketball team as "nappy-headed ho's", the s...
June 23, 2008
"An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves."
Quotation from Wikipedia
We live in a highly advanced technological society, and we should accept only scientific explanations for "acts of nature."
In some dark corners of the world...
June 23, 2008
"George Carlin, the dean of counterculture comedians whose biting insights on life and language were immortalized in his "Seven Words You Can Never Say On TV" routine, died of heart failure Sunday. He was 71."
Quotation from the Associated Press
Lenny Bruce: There's nothing sadder than an ag...
June 21, 2008
With gas exceeding $4 at the pump, President George W. Bush is imploring Saudi Arabia to increase output, Americans are demanding that Congress take action, and a church in Toledo is beseeching God to solve the energy crisis.
There are many factors involved in the high price of gasoline: Specul...
June 19, 2008
National Average of Gas $4.08!
Barrel Of Oil Approaches $140!
Why China Just Can't Get Enough Oil!
Nigerian Rebels Attack Oil Installations!
Israel Attack On Iran Is A Question Of When Not If!
Osama Threatens Saudi Arabian Oil Fields!
World Oil Supply Diminishing!
These ...
June 17, 2008
"Screeners at the nation's airport checkpoints are going to start wearing police-style badges - but real officers aren't too happy about it.
Some sworn officers fear airline passengers will mistake screeners for law-enforcement officials with arrest powers.
The Transportation Security Administ...
June 16, 2008
The Bush administration frequently criticizes the Cuban regime for its human rights abuses, it's ironic that the most undemocratic section of Cuba is the Guantanamo Bay prison camp (GITMO) operated by the United States military.
Some prisoners have been held in GITMO for over six years without ...
June 16, 2008
Hillary Clinton may have multitudes of middle-aged female admirers, but she has significantly less male fans. Guys are put off by her. But Hillary has a 71-year-old male suitor who fawns all over her, and showers her with superlatives.
I'm referring to John McCain, the presumptive Republican pr...
June 14, 2008
"A term used to define an unmarried young woman (but can be a woman of any age) who has had a child. As mentioned before in another definition, most of the time it is used for when it was simply a sexual relationship, compared to ex-wife or girlfriend. Usually this has a negative connotation, a lot ...
June 11, 2008
"Gennifer Flowers and Paula Jones are offering Internet viewers the lurid details of encounters they claim they had with former President Clinton -- for $1.99 a pop.
The women, who gained notoriety in the early 1990s after claiming to have had sexual encounters with Clinton when he was governor o...
June 11, 2008
"London: Whether it is that new pair of Manolo Blahnik heels or that must-have H&M skirt, thoughts of indulging in ´retail therapy´ dominate young women's waking hours as much as thoughts of sex dominate young men´s minds.
The findings is quite evident from the study, which has...
June 06, 2008
President George W. Bush has the lowest approval ratings since the advent of polls. Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain have started the marathon race to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave; Obama is the prohibitive favorite because McCain is running with an albatross (Bush) around his neck. The Republican bra...
June 04, 2008
Sen. Barack Obama's positive message of hope and change resonated with the electorate, and last night it carried him to the pinnacle: The Democratic presidential nomination.
Obama may have transcended party labels and race, but its the historical significance of an African American Democratic n...
June 02, 2008
On celluloid Tatum O' Neal will forever be the cute 10-year-old miniature con artist in "Paper Moon."
In real life the now 44-year-old actress is still battling a life-long addiction to drugs.
Once again Tatum's drug addiction has brought her shame and humiliation:
"Oscar-winning actres...
June 04, 2008
When the Democratic nomination was still unresolved, all eyes were on Hillary and Obama, and John McCain was virtually ignored by the press.
A couple of weeks ago In a desperate attempt to garner media coverage, McCain invited Obama to visit Iraq with him. This wasn't a sincere request, McCain c...
May 29, 2008
"A Dunkin' Donuts ad featuring Rachael Ray has been taken off the air due to a scarf the actress wears in the spot that resembles a kiffiyeh, a Middle Eastern garb that is regularly worn by Muslim terrorists appearing in beheading videos.
The ad was placed under the spotlight when a Fox news comm...
May 30, 2008
Novelists, songwriters and movie directors have long been fascinated with the concept of life on Mars. Creative geniuses like Ray Bradbury and Elton John have mined the red planet and produced novels and songs that have captured our imagination.
But is "life on Mars" only fodder for artistic sou...
May 31, 2008
Candidates of both major political parties often disregard the sacred doctrine of "separation of church and state" in a blatant attempt to curry favor with people of faith.
Republicans speak at the megachurches of televangelists, and Democrats flock to Black churches. Christians should be outra...
May 25, 2008
A presidential candidate must be circumspect when speaking about the racial groups that make up his/her coalition. It's unnerving and dismaying to observe the spectacle of Hillary Clinton bragging about having the white blue-collar vote in the pocket of her pantsuit.
The President of the United...
May 23, 2008
"Hillary Clinton is showing "a little desperation" according to Governor David Paterson.
Paterson made that comment Thursday, in reference to Senator Clinton's quest for delegates from Florida and Michigan whom her party has discounted because the states held their primaries too early."
Quotat...
May 20, 2008
Headline: West Virginia Senator, Robert Byrd, endorses Barack Obama.
Not a day goes by without two or more superdelegates endorsing Obama. Sen Byrd's endorsement tends to get lost in the inexorable tide of superdelegates supporting the senator from Illinois.
But we should take a few moments ...
May 22, 2008
A few weeks ago when I saw the images on TV of 400 children forcibly removed from a polygamist sect's ranch, I was devastated by the miscarriage of justice. How dare the government separate children from their parents without any legal grounds? If the government had proof that a kid was sexually abu...
May 19, 2008
Myanmar (Burma) is a nation of around 55 million people; all aspects of society (business, media, economy) are controlled by the ruling military junta.
If a natural disaster strikes this developing country, only the all-powerful government can distribute aid and provide medical assistance to vi...
May 18, 2008
Sen. Hillary Clinton wasn't able to get any mileage from her landslide win in West Virginia. Before the confetti fell to the floor, Sen. John Edwards endorsed Obama -- guaranteeing that Hillary would be ignored by all three cable news networks for the next couple of days. Then President Bush utt...
May 15, 2008
"The average price for regular unleaded gasoline in Alaska rose above $4 a gallon Wednesday, making it the first state in the nation to pass that mark."
Quotation from the Anchorage Daily News
There are several other states that are also nearing that mark:
"Fuel prices hit $4.02 in Alaska T...
May 17, 2008
"Clients of prostitutes in the Netherlands may soon need to check for a sex licence.
The Dutch cabinet wants to make it an offence to use the services of a sex operator without a licence or a non-registered independent prostitute," the government said in a statement ."
Quotation from Reuter...
May 17, 2008
"Republican Mike Huckabee responded to a sharp offstage sound during his speech to the National Rifle Assn. by suggesting that it was Barack Obama diving to the floor because someone had aimed a gun at him.
Hearing a loud noise, Huckabee interrupted his speech to say: "That was Barack Obama. He j...
May 15, 2008
"Ladies, take your battle for the environment a little closer to your heart with a solar-powered bra that can generate enough electric energy to charge a mobile phone or an iPod.
Lingerie maker Triumph International Japan Ltd unveiled its environmentally friendly, and green colored, 'Solar Pow...
May 12, 2008
To win the general election, Sen. John McCain needs to garner support from outside the traditional Republican base. McCain will be running against Sen. Barack Obama, a Democrat with wide appeal to swing voters. To have any realistic chance at the White House, McCain must steal some of those crucial ...
May 08, 2008
Headlines after Barack Obama's 14 point North Carolina win, and Hillary's 1 point Indiana victory:
New York Post: Photo of Hillary and one word "Toast"
The New York Daily News: Hil needs a miracle
Time Magazine: Photo of Obama and the word "Nominee"
After the latest round of primary...
May 05, 2008
On May 10, Liberty University (founded by the late Jerry Falwell) will have its commencement ceremony which features movie action hero Chuck Norris.
A commencement speaker at a evangelical university should be a learned theologian or a noted individual whose life and body of work exemplifies t...
April 30, 2008
In some Asian countries dogs are on the restaurant menu, and in most Muslim nations they are considered unclean and are rarely kept as pets, but in America we love our pooches.
The Michael Vick episode graphically illustrated the love affair that we have with our canine companions. NFL and NBA ...
May 02, 2008
If the typical civil servant or government bureaucrat simply switched the papers from his in basket to his out basket without actually doing any work, nobody would be the wiser.
The following story from the Associated Press illustrates how useless civil servants are in the great scheme of thing...
May 01, 2008
Today's Headlines:
April Iraq's deadliest month since last August!
Gas prices hit all-time high!
Mortgage crisis means more than 33000 homes will be repossessed!
US economy feels recession pain!
Jobs growth has "ground to a halt"!
US confirms Somali missile strike
These critical issues...
April 29, 2008
A few weeks ago in Philadelphia Sen. Barack Obama delivered an eloquent, nuanced and ultimately optimistic address on race. Obama denounced Wright's inflammatory remarks that were being endlessly played on the cable news channels, but he valiantly tried to give context to his pastor's indefensible c...
April 26, 2008
"THE panic over global food shortages and rising prices gripping developing nations has spread to the world's wealthiest countries, with giant US-based retailer Wal-Mart rationing rice sales.
Wal-Mart's warehouse chain Sam's Club became the second retailer in the US to limit bulk purchases of ric...
April 24, 2008
I remember a child's birthday party where one of the kids was hitting an inflatable punch bag with the face of a smiling clown. The tiny tot was at first delighted that the inflatable toy refused to stay down, but after many ineffectual punches the kid started crying in frustration.
That inflat...
April 21, 2008
"Another round and amen! Beer was on tap and a mechanical bull inspired the sermon as a new church held its inaugural service in a western Ohio bar.
The Country Rock Church drew about 100 people to Sunday night's meeting at the Pub Lounge in Sidney, 35 miles north of Dayton."
Quotation from ...
April 20, 2008
I'm not a video game fanatic; I'm still trying to master the intricacies of Pacman. But there are devotees who spend most of their waking hours playing the latest releases, and in their somnolent hours they search the Internet for tips and cheats that will enable them to get to the next level of th...
April 20, 2008
"An Italian man was given a suspended jail sentence for staring too intensely at a woman sitting in front of him on a train.
A judge sentenced the man in his 30s, whose name was not revealed, to 10 days in prison and a 40 euro fine after a 55-year old woman filed a complaint for sexual harassmen...
April 19, 2008
"Neanderthals have spoken out for the first time in 30,000 years, with the help of scientists who have simulated their voices using fossil evidence and a computer synthesizer.
Robert McCarthy, an anthropologist at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, used new reconstructions of Neanderthal...
April 17, 2008
The most searched word on Google is usually related to pop culture: A new video game, a movie star or a pop princess. I usually write about politics and I enter words or phrases like these on my favorite search engine: Mortgage crisis, health care, debate... But when there is a new set of nude Britn...
April 16, 2008
"While shopping in a Hallmark store for a wedding cake knife, Cyndi Desrosiers found a greeting card she claims is promoting sexual promiscuity to teenagers.
The message on the $2.99 Hallmark card has prompted Desrosiers to call for its removal from Seacoast store shelves and to launch an e-mail ...
April 12, 2008
"Joe Six-pack will have to pay a lot more to get his buzz on if Assemblyman Jim Beall has his way.
The San Jose Democrat on Thursday proposed raising the beer tax by $1.80 per six-pack, or 30 cents per can or bottle. The current tax is 2 cents per can. That's an increase of about 1,500 percent."...
April 11, 2008
The British monarchy is looked upon as an anachronism by much of the world, their shenanigans provide endless fodder for the British tabloids.
Here in America, the greatest democracy in the world, we would be wise not to look down on British royalty. We have our own caste system -- for almost t...
April 11, 2008
"He shot his hunting partner, but Vice President Dick Cheney apparently doesn't fly fish with naked women.
Since Wednesday, the blogosphere has been atwitter over a photograph on the White House Web site of Cheney with a caption that said he was fly-fishing on the Snake River in Idaho.
The phot...
April 10, 2008
Massage parlors in an Indonesian town are asking their female masseuses to padlock their skirts and pants to make it clear that sex is not on offer. But the move has been protested by the women's affairs minister of Indonesia, where massage parlors are often a front for prostitution.
"It is not...
April 10, 2008
'The Simpsons' has been banned in Venezuela by President Hugo Chavez, because the animated TV show is 'unsuitable for children.'
The long-running cartoon has been replaced after Chavez deemed it contained 'messages that go against the whole education of boys, girls and adolescents.'"
Quotation...
April 09, 2008
Some progressive companies allow their employees to bring their children to work on certain days. This liberal policy builds good morale and is conducive to a productive work environment.
Other employers permit their workers to bring their pets to work on Fridays; this is another way to foster g...
April 08, 2008
Every few years oil industry chiefs are grilled before a congressional committee, they are asked to justify their astronomical profits. The oil barons, unfazed by the cameras, calmly explain that the sky-high price of crude oil is not their fault and that their monstrous profits are in line with ot...
April 08, 2008
"Rickrolling is a prank involving the music video for the 1987 Rick Astley song "Never Gonna Give You Up". In a rickroll, a person provides a link they claim is relevant to the topic at hand which actually takes the user to the Astley video.
On April 1, 2008 (April Fools' Day), the featured video...
April 05, 2008
"A new research undertaken by the University of St. Louis has come to the conclusion that Hillary Clinton invites strong reactions from most Americans because she violates people's expectations.
According to Professor Judi McLean Parks of Washington University in St. Louis: 'People don´t li...
April 03, 2008
"Police are searching for a man accused of shoving an electric guitar in his pants and walking out of a store in Lewiston, Maine."
Quotation from the Associated Press (AP)
Sometimes it's political Web sites that provide fodder for my columns, and sometimes it's the "Odd News" section of Yaho...
April 01, 2008
When President Bill Clinton, looked intently into the camera, bit his lower lip, and with a quivering voice said, "I feel your pain", we believed him. We knew he was a rouge, but he's a loveable rogue, and we tend to believe people that we like.
If Hillary had the chutzpah to use her hubby's tra...
March 28, 2008
Have you ever hosted a party, where it's past midnight, and every guest has left except for one? You've dimmed the lights, turned off the stereo, put away the food, taken the beer keg down to the basement, and started to wash the dishes -- and your visitor remains planted on your sofa.
...
March 28, 2008
We've all witnessed TSA agents frisk Girl Scouts and force grannies to remove their orthopedic shoes, but this story from the AP takes the cake:
"A Texas woman who said she was forced to remove a nipple ring with pliers in order to board an airplane called Thursday for an apology by federal secu...
March 26, 2008
Sen. John McCain, 71, touts his foreign policy credentials at every campaign event, and today he delivered a major foreign policy address before the Los Angeles World Affairs Council.
We shouldn't assume that a distinguished military career and many years in the Senate is synonymous with foreign...
March 23, 2008
Sen. Barack Obama has an insurmountable lead in pledged delegates and a significant lead in the popular vote -- the only way Hillary can win is if Fox News announces that Obama is the Antichrist.
In spite of Fox News and the other cable news outlets playing endless loops of Rev. Wrig...
March 22, 2008
In eight years as First Lady Hillary Clinton was responsible for only one major initiative: Her national health plan fiasco.
Hillary's tenure at the White House consisted of typical First Lady duties: Having tea with spouses of foreign leaders, decorating the White House and standing by her ...
March 21, 2008
Sen. Barack Obama has an insurmountable lead in pledged delegates and a comfortable lead in the popular vote; if common sense and fair play prevails he will be the Democratic nominee for president.
But we can't rule out a scenario where Hillary steals the election by hook or by crook. The Clint...
March 22, 2008
We've all been part of family gatherings where the 70-something grandpa is the center of attention, and he thanks everyone for celebrating his wedding anniversary. A family member standing next to pops whispers in his ear: Gramps we are celebrating your birthday.
This week John McCain, 71, went ...
March 21, 2008
Bill Clinton caused Hillary incalculable harm with his racially tinged comments; alienating African American voters and reminding everyone about the ruthlessness of the Clintons.
Bill is incapable of simply touting his wife's virtues without making controversial remarks about Barack Obama.
...
March 21, 2008
"New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson is endorsing Barack Obama's presidential bid, calling him 'the kind of once-in-a-lifetime leader that can bring our nation together and restore America's moral leadership in the world.'
Richardson's announcement, scheduled for today at a campaign event in Port...
March 17, 2008
I was browsing Google News and I saw an article by Hadley Freeman entitled "Why does Hillary Clinton wear such bad clothes?" I've picked apart Hillary's policies, personality and peccadilloes; why shouldn't I take a cue from Hadley and write an essay about Hillary's atrocious lack of style?
To t...
March 09, 2008
Every McDonald's restaurant has a big sign that proclaims, "Billions and Billions Served." If the Bill and Hillary reality show recaptures the White House, they should erect a huge billboard that reads, "Billions and Billions of Scandals" or perhaps, "Scandals R Us."
Most presidents suffer a sca...
March 14, 2008
Sen. Barack Obama represents a movement, a broad coalition of new voters, young people and intellectuals who are sick and tired of the status quo and are desperate for change. If Obama wins he will usher in a new era of change and transparency in government.
Sen. Hillary Clinton doesn't represe...
March 16, 2008
"Japanese scientists have invented a pair of intelligent glasses that remembers where people last saw their keys, handbag, iPod or mobile phone.
The spectacles - which come with a built in camera, display screen and computer brain - can even identify unfamiliar plants or faces.
In fact, the ...
March 14, 2008
A cigar is sometimes just a cigar, but not when it's held by Bill Clinton and a nubile young intern is within arm's reach. The Clinton brand name comes replete with a lot of baggage and DNA stains.
Hillary Clinton was in a unique position to empathize with Silda the spouse of Eliot Spitzer, the...
March 11, 2008
When a male reporter rips into Hillary Clinton, he is accused by the Clintonistas of being sexist. I've written several essays exposing the hypocrisy, veniality and corruption of the First Lady, and the response has been very illuminating. More than a few emails questioned my liberal and feminist c...
March 12, 2008
"I have a lifetime of experience that I will bring to the White House. I know Senator McCain has a lifetime of experience that he will bring to the White House. And Senator Obama has a speech he gave in 2002."
Which Republican gave this ringing endorsement of Sen. John McCain? Romney? Huckabee?
...
March 10, 2008
Sen. John McCain, 71, the Republican presidential nominee, does not match up well against Sen. Barack Obama, the most likely Democratic presidential nominee. McCain lacks the energy, charisma, youth and eloquence of Obama; I hope McCain has some backup plans.
McCain lacks the physical vigor nece...
March 08, 2008
"Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton on Friday again raised the possibility that she might run with rival Sen. Barack Obama on the same Democratic presidential ticket. Speaking to voters in Mississippi, where Sen. Barack Obama is expected to do well in next week's primary, Clinton said, 'I've had people say...
March 07, 2008
"Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign compared rival Sen. Barack Obama on Thursday to independent prosecutor Kenneth Starr, the Clintons' chief nemesis of the 1990s.
Clinton herself declined to comment on the comparison, made by her chief spokesman in a conference call with reporters and also in a ...
March 06, 2008
Sen. Hillary Clinton is blatantly playing the gender card, at almost every campaign appearance she mentions what a great victory it will be for women if she wins the Democratic nomination and the general election.
It's Hillary's surname and an insatiable thirst for power that has carried her to...
March 07, 2008
"Actress Natalie Portman believes that some of the criticism directed towards Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is rooted in sexism.
'A lot of the stuff people say about her, I hear and my stomach falls because it's so sexist. You ask people why they don't like her and it's becau...
March 07, 2008
All religions, without exception, require that its disciples disregard common sense and the law of physics, and swallow myths and superstitions. Jesus Christ walking on water, Moses parting the Red Sea, or the Prophet Mohammad ascending to heaven: It's all an assault on reason and intelligence.
...
March 03, 2008
I have written scores of essays explaining in excruciating detail how Hillary was wrong on Iraq, NAFTA, welfare reform and many other important issues.
But politics isn't just about policies, plans and strategies, it's also about personalities.
The delusional, paranoid, arrogant and incompe...
March 02, 2008
Hillary Clinton likes to portray herself as a feminist hero; she claims that if she secures the Democratic nomination and wins the general election it will be a victory for women.
If Hillary manages to steal the election, it will be a defeat for women. She will be like the wife who takes over her...
March 01, 2008
"Senior Democratic strategists, many of whom had previously panned talk of a Clinton-Obama or Obama-Clinton ticket, are now talking up the idea of a ticket headed by Barack Obama with Hillary Clinton as his running mate."
Quotation from U.S News & World Report
If Texas turns out to be Hillary'...
February 29, 2008
The Drudge Report published a photo snapped by a Reuters photographer that depicts a smiling Hillary Clinton -- in the backdrop there's an image of a horned devil.
A picture speaks a thousand words, and you don't have to be a psychoanalyst to wax poetic about the meaning of this image.
Whe...
February 29, 2008
"A convenience store chain's billboard advertising its fried chicken sandwich is ruffling the feathers of some residents. Sheetz unveiled the "Crispy Frickin' Chicken" billboards at the beginning of February."
Quotation from Reuters
A gas station whose main reason for being in business is to...
March 01, 2008
Barack Obama delivers a message of hope and Americans respond by giving him 11 straight victories; a desperate Hillary Clinton resorts to the tactics of fear and voters in Texas and Ohio will reject her cynicism.
In the final days before the March 4 primaries, Hillary has released a new TV comm...
February 29, 2008
As a writer I always use my full name, "Robert Paul Reyes", it's necessary to distinguish myself from the thousands of Hispanics who share my first and last names.
When I Google "Robert Reyes" I get 17 thousand hits, but when I do a search of "Robert Paul Reyes" I get 11,000 hits -- every sing...
February 28, 2008
Sen. John McCain, 71, who's been in Washington forever, characterized Sen. Barack Obama as "representing the politics of the past." That takes almost as much chutzpah as claiming that he is a campaign finance reformer when the reality is that he is in bed with lobbyists figuratively and possibly lit...
February 25, 2008
Hillary Clinton ended last week's debate on a positive, gracious and humble note. Democrats eagerly and naively interpreted Hillary's concluding comments as a valedictory and as a sign that she would finish her presidential run on a positive note for the good of the party.
Proud Mary by Ike & T...
February 24, 2008
Nedra Pickler of the Associated Press wrote an article about how conservatives are questioning Sen. Barack Obama's patriotism:
"Sen. Barack Obama's refusal to wear an American flag lapel along with a photo of him not putting his hand over his heart during the National Anthem led conservatives on...
February 23, 2008
Is there a more evocative image of the bond between a man and his dog than a pooch with his head sticking out of a pickup truck? I often take my Chow with me when I take a recreational drive; he's the perfect companion offering sloppy kisses instead of nagging and irksome conversations.
Bu...
February 23, 2008
The Democratic nominee for president will be an African American or a woman. The prospect of history being made has brought millions of new voters to the Democratic party. Democrats are delighted with both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee is...
February 22, 2008
"Republican presidential front-runner John McCain suggested on Friday that he hoped retired Cuban leader Fidel Castro would die soon and said Castro's brother will be a worse leader.
'I hope he has the opportunity to meet Karl Marx very soon,' McCain told a town-hall style meeting of about 150 ...
February 13, 2008
When a boxing match ends, the sore, bloody and worn out pugilists engage in a sweaty embrace. It's a sign of respect for each other and for the sport that is their passion and livelihood. The only time boxers don't hug at the end of the match is when one of them is knocked out cold.
"For the s...
February 22, 2008
It seems like eons ago that pundits and politicians were asking: Is Sen. Barack Obama black enough? That well educated people, including prominent members of the black intelligentsia, were posing this query shows how far we still need to go to expunge racism from our society.
Obama is an artic...
February 20, 2008
"Students in a University of Michigan biology project had been assigned to grow herbs, vegetables, annuals and perennials. Police are trying to find out whether someone's green thumb also was being used to grow pot. "
Quotation from the Associated Press (AP)
Marijuana is a herb and it's a pe...
February 19, 2008
"A virulent anti-smoker in Germany was so angry when his girlfriend lit up he emptied a fire extinguisher to put out the cigarette, caking her and their apartment in powder."
Quotation from Reuters
The couple is not mentioned by name in the Reuters article; since criminals are usually menti...
February 19, 2008
"It's a doggone chartbuster -- a song audible only to dogs has topped New Zealand record charts, and is looking to go global.
A Very Silent Night, recorded at a frequency only dogs can hear, was so popular among owners it hit number one at Christmas, but has been receiving mixed responses from l...
February 20, 2008
"A southwest Florida church issued a challenge for its married members this past Sunday: Hanky panky every day.
Relevant Church head pastor Paul Wirth says the 50% divorce rate was the catalyst for The 30-Day Sex Challenge.'"
Quotation from the Associated Press
Organized religion often port...
February 16, 2008
"A row has erupted over 'Vatican interference' after the Italian Synod of Bishops appealed to actors to exercise their consciences and refuse to take part in 'vulgar and destructive' erotic scenes in films.
The appeal follows public condemnation by the bishops of an explicit sex scene in Caos Cal...
February 15, 2008
"A Swedish preschool has been criticized for banning its children from wearing striped and spotted clothing since the patterns give one of its teachers severe migraine attacks.
The preschool, in Gallivare, 710 miles north of Stockholm, imposed the ban in one of its areas three years ago. But rec...
February 16, 2008
For the first 40 years of my life I always knew what songs were at the top of the charts. But with the dominance of rap and hip-hop, I gave up listening to Top 40 radio. I have no idea what melodies are popular; I listen only to the oldies station.
Music was the soundtrack of the best years of m...
February 12, 2008
I don't like snakes, mosquitos and children; I give all three of these nuisances a wide berth.
It's been said that "children should be seen and not heard", but invariably the little monsters will make their presence known by their incessant yapping and yelling.
I will patronize any restaur...
February 10, 2008
According to Reuters Serbia's health ministry has instituted new rules banning "grumpiness, gossiping, miniskirts and rudeness" in hospitals.
Only a former Soviet Union satellite would try to ban human emotions and behavior. Serbia is now a parliamentary republic, and bureaucrats should realize...
February 09, 2008
It was the relentless and effective lobbying power of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) that landed Mike Vick behind bars. I love animals, but I'm not a chicken and I will take on PETA when they go too far.
This article from the Associated Press is an example of PETA's penchant...
February 09, 2008
Mitt Romney has all the attributes of the perfect presidential candidate: Good looks from central casting; glib tongue, distinguished political pedigree, obsequious wife, an attractive family (not a Roger Clinton or Billy Carter in the mix); impressive political and business resume, monstrous ego, p...
February 05, 2008
I'm so old I remember the days when a gas station attendant checked your oil, washed your windshield, and filled your gas tank.
Happy days are here again, but today it's a robot and not a high school drop-out who tends to your needs at a gas station.
"Dutch inventors unveiled on Monday a 75,...
February 05, 2008
"The (Austrian) National Theatre is to stage the world's longest silent play.
For one hour and 40 minutes, 450 characters played by 27 actors will utter not one single word between them, reports the Daily Telegraph.
Experimental Austrian playwright Peter Handke's The Hour We Knew Nothing of Ea...
February 04, 2008
Breaking Wind: Farting banned by middle school
"The Merriam Webster Dictionary definition for flatulence is brief: "flatus expelled through the anus." And while it's a natural bodily function, it seems some Camden-Rockport Middle School eighth-grade boys are taking it to new heights and making a...
February 03, 2008
"The Virginia Senate voted unanimously to name a section of U.S. 460 in Lynchburg the Jerry Falwell Parkway.
The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Steve Newman, R-Lynchburg, now goes to the House of Delegates and, if approved there, to the governor. Newman said he felt confident the bill "is on...
February 02, 2008
"Mississippi legislators this week introduced a bill that would make it illegal for state-licensed restaurants to serve obese patrons. Bill No. 282, is the brainchild of three members of the state's House of Representatives, Republicans W. T. Mayhall, Jr. and John Read, and Democrat Bobby Shows. The...
February 01, 2008
"A shopping chain has withdrawn the sale of beds named Lolita and designed for six-year-old girls after furious parents pointed out that the name was synonymous with sexually active preteens.
Woolworths said staff who administer the website selling the beds were not aware of the connection."
...
January 30, 2008
"Asda, Britain's second-biggest food retailer and owned by U.S. giant Wal-Mart, says it will no longer charge women more for bigger bras in its George fashion range."
Quotation from Reuters
This news was probably not well received by Gwen Stefani; she only needs a couple of inches of fabric to...
January 29, 2008
When I consider the presidential campaign of Sen. Barack Obama, I'm reminded of the eloquence of Dr. Martin Luther King, the dream of Camelot, the energy of youth, and the revolutionary zeal of a Washington outsider.
In Obama I glimpse the light at the of the end of the tunnel in Iraq, the end o...
January 28, 2008
"Los Angeles is now home the worlds first marijuana vending machines. The new machines can be used to buy medical marijuana by patients who have been prescribed the herbal remedy by a doctor. The vending machines will dispense the marijuana when the patient swipes a pre-paid credit card in the machi...
January 27, 2008
" Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez switched from coffee to another stimulant during a speech on Saturday -- he popped a coca leaf into his mouth and chewed it while defending the use of the plant.
Bolivian President Evo Morales, an advocate of the Andean nation's indigenous coca growers, brought ...
January 26, 2008
Back in the day, when I was a kid, we never referred to sneakers by the brand name. I would ask my Mom, "where's my tennis shoes?", even though nobody in my low-income neighborhood ever played tennis.
We took great pride in having grungy, dirty and smelly sneakers; it was evidence that we place...
January 25, 2008
"A British bus company has apologized to a girl who is led around on a leash by her boyfriend and describes herself as a human pet after one of its drivers threw her off a bus.
Tasha Maltby, 19, told British newspapers she was the "pet" of her 25-year-old fiance Dani Graves."
Quotation from Re...
January 24, 2008
"A good fight with your spouse could be good for the health, a new study has found.
Couples who suppressed their anger have a mortality rate twice as high as those in which at least one partner stands up for themselves, according to the study which tracked 192 US couples for 17 years.
"When c...
January 20, 2008
"It's never been a secret that when people die after long and distinguished careers, those detailed stories about their passing that major news organizations seem to produce almost instantaneously in fact were written well in advance.
Now news that The Associated Press has prepared an obituary f...
January 20, 2008
"An 81-year old man in the small Chilean village of Angol shocked his grieving relatives by waking up in his coffin at his own wake, local media said on Sunday.
When Feliberto Carrasco's family members discovered his body limp and cold, they were convinced that the octogenarian's hour had come, ...
January 19, 2008
"Dognappers in Virginia can face up to 10 years in prison.
But stealing a cat is a misdemeanor, and the punishment is a lot less severe -- up to a year behind bars.
That's got some cat lovers unhappy
They're pushing to even things up and make stealing a cat a felony, too."
Quotation ...
January 19, 2008
"A mailer from a congressional candidate's campaign contains a photo of his head attached to an image of a different body that makes him look thinner.
The photo is presented as a true image of Dean Hrbacek, a Republican former mayor of Sugar Land. In reality, it is a computerized composite of Hr...
January 19, 2008
"ODESSA, Texas - A local church has given US$145,000 to the Odessa Police Department for the money to distributed among "underpaid" officers.
Rev. Don Caywood of Odessa Christian Faith Center handed the money over to police Chief Chris Pipes at a Sunday service. The department will distribute $1...
January 18, 2008
I suffer from coulrophobia (fear of clowns); I haven't stepped inside the Golden Arches since I saw a McDonald's commercial featuring Ronald McDonald.
I am not alone, millions suffer from this dread of clown. Wikipedia features a long list of prominent individuals who are terrified of clowns:
...
January 18, 2008
The Australian Open doesn't register in the consciousness of American sports fans. Unless some controversy not necessarily related to what happens on the tennis court occurs, nobody gives a hoot about this Grand Slam event.
I didn't even know that the Australian Open had already started until I...
January 17, 2008
"Upset that his 7-year-old son wouldn't wear a Green Bay Packers jersey during the team's playoff victory Saturday, a man restrained the boy for an hour with tape and taped the jersey onto him.
Mathew Kowald was cited for disorderly conduct in connection with the incident with his son at their h...
January 16, 2008
Computers are ubiquitous -- without this greatest invention of the 20th century civilization would fall apart. Computers do just about everything for us, except brush our teeth in the morning.
However there are some things that don't require the assistance of a computer. Case in point the follo...
January 10, 2008
"A man lay dead in his apartment in Australia's largest city for a year before anyone noticed, officials and news reports said Thursday.
The body of Jorge Chambe, 64, was found on Tuesday in his single bedroom, government-owned flat in the Sydney suburb of Yagoona when police and firefighters br...
January 11, 2008
Sen. Barack Obama is a gifted orator who has that rare ability to move people to political action. Barack's speeches have persuaded young people and first time voters of all ages to become involved in the political process.
Obama reminds me of Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King; if elected ...
January 14, 2008
"In an interview with Major Garrett in New Hampshire last week, Clinton criticized the analogy Obama had drawn between his own hopeful campaign and the words of Dr King —saying 'I would point to the fact that Dr King´s dream began to be realized when President Johnson passed the Civil Ri...
January 12, 2008
"Germany's latest celebrity polar bear cub remains nameless — but already boasts a dedicated Web site providing details of its health and giving readers a chance to christen the cuddly creature. The city of Nuremberg, in cooperation with its zoo, launched the site on Friday — luring view...
January 11, 2008
"Performance art is art in which the actions of an individual or a group at a particular place and in a particular time constitute the work. It can happen anywhere, at any time, or for any length of time."
Quotation from Wikipedia
Performance art pushes the envelope; I lived in San Francisco f...
January 11, 2008
"Faced with a shrunken jury pool, a judge resorted to some sidewalk justice in hopes of filling it out. It worked. Judge Harold Eaton, Jr., discouraged when a 34-person pool of would-be jurors for a sex case was reduced to 20 people, sent sheriff's deputies into the street to summon people to join i...
January 11, 2008
Cat lovers often make outlandish claims about their beloved pets. Some folks claim that Fluffy or Snowball can flush the toilet, turn on the TV or play checkers.
But according to a story on Ananova.Com, a Chinese grandmother claims her pussy cat can talk.
"Granny Lv, 70, of Changchun city, sa...
January 11, 2008
" A Polish man got the shock of his life when he visited a brothel and spotted his wife among the establishment's employees. Polish tabloid Super Express said the woman had been making some extra money on the side while telling her husband she worked at a store in a nearby town."
Quotation from R...
January 11, 2008
"The reward for information wasn't much: 30 bucks. Then again, neither was the crime: a cafeteria food fight.
A high school principal's offer to get students to name the names behind the flying cheeseburgers was withdrawn after students questioned the propriety of paying students to snitch about ...
January 09, 2008
Some things you never expect to see in your lifetime: Oprah Winfrey sporting a string bikini; Rudy Giuliani finishing a sentence without mentioning 9/11; Mike Tyson delivering a commencement address at Oxford University, and Hillary Clinton crying.
Hillary Clinton is aloof and arrogant, when she...
January 05, 2008
"Hoping to send the message that pets are life-long partners not disposable accessories, a Japanese maker of medicines for animals has begun giving employees who own dogs or cats a monthly "family allowance" for their pets."
Quotation from Reuters
The outrage over Michael Vick's senseless...
January 05, 2008
Why did Hillary Clinton suffer such a humiliating and crushing defeat in Iowa?
Consider the two candidates who finished ahead of her in Iowa:
What words come to mind when you think of Sen. Barack Obama?
Hope, change, youth, eloquence, anti-war, warmth, handsome, attractive wife and cute...
January 04, 2008
When Pat Robertson gets bored of fleecing his sheep, hawking miracle protein drinks, endorsing cross dressers for president, calling for the execution of foreign leaders and leg pressing thousands of pounds -- he makes his annual predictions.
In 2007 the aging televangelist looking into his cry...
January 03, 2008
"If you're younger than 35, you'll probably live long enough to put David Levy's prediction to the test. Levy says that by 2050 we'll be creating robots so lifelike, so imbued with human-seeming intelligence and emotions, as to be nearly indistinguishable from real people. And we'll have sex with th...
January 02, 2008
"A man who took one of his pet buffaloes for a ride at a ranch north of Phoenix on New Year's Eve ended up being bucked off the animal and trampled, authorities said."
This one sentence, from an Associated Press story, brings up a lot of questions.
On New Year's Eve a normal and well-adjust...
January 01, 2008
Lake Superior State University annually releases a list of words and phrases that should be banished. Click on this link for the complete list: http://www.lssu.edu/banished/current.php
Allow me to share my thoughts on some of the selections; this essay is what it is, no comments from the peanut ...
January 01, 2008
Billy Ray Cyrus, the country singer and actor, is responsible for unleashing a raging river of evil. Cyrus made sporting a mullet popular and recorded, "The Acky Breaky Heart", the worst song in the history of pop music.
The country crooner has now spawned the Hannah Montana craze. His daughter,...
December 28, 2007
I'm often asked, "why do you write; what do you get out of it?" Columnists aren't supposed to dwell on themselves, but since this is a question I hear all the time, allow me to indulge myself.
Why do I write?
Why do I spend hours every day on an endeavor that doesn't put money in my pocket?...
December 28, 2007
The "catchphrase" of the presidential campaign is "change agent"; all the candidates claim that only they can bring about change in Washington and in the nation.
All of the GOP presidential hopefuls are middle-aged, wealthy, white men; if one of them wins it will be a case of "meet the new boss, ...
December 28, 2007
No little girl's bedroom is complete without a poster, blanket or article of clothing with the logo of "Hello Kitty", the cute cat. When my niece was a little girl everything in her room, from the wallpaper to her comforter, had the image of the ubiquitous feline.
Many "girly" young women also ...
December 24, 2007
When adults or children see a crucifix, the image of Christ nailed to a cross seldom elicits pity or sorrow. America is not a Christian nation; even the most fervent evangelicals worship materialism and not God.
The icon that best represents America is not a crucifix, but Santa Claus. The Jolly ...
December 23, 2007
"Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, a Republican, created a stir with an ad where he tells the camera: 'Just remember what really matters is a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ and being with friends and family.'
Behind Huckabee is a white, cross-like object that the governor has sai...
December 23, 2007
"LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - 'Don't Tase Me, Bro,' a phrase that swept the nation after a college student used it seeking to stop campus police from throwing him out of a speech by Sen. John Kerry, was named on Wednesday as the most memorable quote of 2007.
Fred R. Shapiro, the editor of the Yale Bo...
December 21, 2007
Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush were able to unite the disparate factions of the GOP. Reagan the Great Communicator and Bush the Lovable Frat Boy kept most Republicans from abandoning the Big Tent.
But the current crop of presidential hopefuls has not captured the fancy of the Republican faithf...
December 21, 2007
"Don't follow leaders, watch your parking meters"
Bob Dylan
"ATLANTA (AP) - Thieves have sawed off more than 500 downtown parking meters from their posts this year and walked away with them, city officials said."
I live in a small town in Virginia; our downtown doesn't have any hookers, ho...
December 19, 2007
Michael Vick is in jail unable to practice the game he loves -- if he assumes the quarterback stance he will immediately elicit the attention of prison buddies with a wide stance.
You may be thinking that nobody feels Vick's pain, but five Atlanta Falcons players were fined for displaying pro-Vi...
December 17, 2007
The last Democratic presidential debate before the Iowa Caucuses was a boring affair; the candidates did little more than recite the less boring excerpts from their stump speeches.
The only interesting and humorous moment came in an exchange between Senator Obama and Hillary.:
Q: Senator Ob...
December 15, 2007
Santa Claus and God have a lot in common: They are omniscient and omnipresent. Saint Nick knows if "you've been good or bad" and he's able to deliver presents to every good boy and girl in only one night.
Call me a Scrooge, but I believe that the fat guy in the red suit and the big guy in the sky...
December 15, 2007
According to Merriam-Webster "w00t", typically spelled with zeros, not O's, is the word of the year. If Sanjaya Malakar had won the American Idol competition it would have caused less controversy than choosing such a peculiar word for such an important honor.
I would guess that less than 1% of th...
December 14, 2007
"Freedom requires religion just as religion requires freedom. ... Freedom and religion endure together, or perish alone."
Who spoke these words, the head of an Islamic state or the president of an evangelical association? Unfortunately, this odious phrase was uttered by Mitt Romney, who is runni...
December 14, 2007
"Berlin (AP) - A man nearly died from alcohol poisoning after quaffing a liter (two pints) of vodka at an airport security check instead of handing it over to comply with new carry-on rules, police said Wednesday."
My first thought on reading this article: I didn't know Ozzy Osbourne was touring...
December 12, 2007
When I was a child I seldom was able to resist the urge to pop a balloon; very few Moms invited me to the birthday parties of their children. As far as I was concerned a balloon might as well have had the message, "POP ME" printed on it.
Giant blowup decorations that you see in front lawns on Ha...
December 12, 2007
"Words to live by, from a warning label on a small tractor: "Danger: Avoid Death."
That warning was selected Wednesday as the winner of the 11th annual "Wacky Warning Label Contest," sponsored by Michigan Lawsuit Abuse Watch. The contest is part of an effort to show the effects of lawsuits on warn...
December 10, 2007
"Microsoft Corp. quickly shut down Santa Claus' Web privileges after it found out the automated elf it created for kids to instant message with was talking naughty, not nice.
Last year, Microsoft encouraged kids to connect directly to "Santa" by adding northpole@live.com to their Windows Liv...
December 10, 2007
When I was a little brat "brand consciousness" was a foreign concept; I would plead with my Mom, "let's go to a burger place", not "let's go to McDonald's."
But today, by the time kids are in elementary school they have already seen or heard millions of commercials on TV, the radio, the Internet ...
December 07, 2007
"An angry Italian priest has persuaded soft drinks company Red Bull to withdraw an advertisement setting its product in a nativity scene on the grounds it is disrespectful to Christianity....
The advert depicted four wise men, instead of three, visiting Mary and the Baby Jesus in Bethlehem. The f...
December 06, 2007
"LONG BEACH, N.Y. - Residents don't want to have themselves a merry little Christmas tree.They want a big one. When city officials planted a 7-foot-tall Christmas tree next to a 20-foot-tall menorah in the plaza in front of City Hall, some residents barked. They telephoned City Hall, wrote letters a...
December 03, 2007
In an article titled "Huckabee Comes To Liberty", Jonathan Falwell wrote:
"Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, a rising voice in the Republican presidential race, addressed a Liberty University convocation service on Wednesday, detailing his pursuit of his relationship with God throughout his ca...
December 02, 2007
I was born and raised in San Francisco, the most beautiful city in the world, and home to the San Francisco Giants and San Francisco 49ers. During my Frisco days I went through many phases in my life; I embraced and then discarded many fads, but there was always one constant: My allegiance to my hom...
December 02, 2007
"A Chilean prostitute has auctioned 27 hours of sex to raise money for the country's largest charity during an annual fund-raising campaign.
Maria Carolina became an overnight celebrity in the conservative Roman Catholic country, making news headlines and appearing on talk shows since she ma...
December 02, 2007
"New mint packets being sold by The Hershey Company look nearly identical to the tiny heat-sealed bags used to sell illegal powdered drugs like crack, heroin and cocaine and glorify the drug trade, a Philadelphia police official said.
Ice Breaker Pacs, nickel-sized dissolvable pouches with a pow...
December 02, 2007
In a December newsletter to the families of elementary school students, Spokane Public Schools' list of "important dates" didn't include Christmas.
Hanukkah, Human Rights Day, winter break, the Islamic holy day Eid al-Adha, first day of winter and Kwanzaa all made the list. But no Christmas.
...
November 30, 2007
"Actor Dick Wilson, who earned an enduring place in U.S. pop culture for his TV commercial role as Mr. Whipple, the nervous grocer who warned customers "Please, don't squeeze the Charmin" in toilet-paper ads, has died at age 91."
Quotation from Reuters
Millions of baby boomers will shed a ...
November 27, 2007
As a freethinker who is convinced that religion is a blight on humankind, I can be trusted to comment on religious matters without having parochial sensibilities.
As an American my most frequent religious targets are televangelists who fleece their followers in the name of the Lord.
But as s...
November 26, 2007
A televangelist is a transparent con artist; his audacity and showmanship serve as gaudy garments to cover his shenanigans.
The ringmaster of the small screen uses god as a weapon to trounce sinners, and the devil as a boogeyman to keep the saints in line.
He claims to have his eyes on the ki...
November 24, 2007
On Dec. 4, 2003, Barry Bonds, the Giants slugger with the humongous head (literally and figuratively) and bulging biceps was summoned before a federal grand jury investigating BALCO, a lab suspected of dispensing illegal, performance-enhancing drugs to top athletes.
Barry Bonds was promised by...
November 23, 2007
"A man was beaten by his fiance and in-laws in India after they found out he was bald and wearing a wig.
Prabir Das, of Dispur in Assam, was also relieved of his belongings, reports the Daily Telegraph.
He told police his fiancee yanked off his hairpiece after dinner and began beating and abus...
November 22, 2007
"This Thanksgiving, may we reflect upon the past year with gratefulness and look toward the future with hope. Let us give thanks for all we have been given and ask God to continue to bless our families and our Nation.
Now, therefore, I, George W. Bush, President of the United States of America, ...
November 21, 2007
As a freethinker I believe that religion is a blight on humankind; I long for the day when we no longer need to believe in myths and fables to make sense of the complexity of our universe.
I'm a frequent critic of Christianity, particularly of the excesses of televangelists, because Christianit...
November 18, 2007
I can't stand civic-minded folks who cast aspersions on the patriotism of those who fail to vote. But the gentle persuasions of these do-gooders pale in comparison to the intimidation tactics used by Catholic bishops.
"Proclaiming a sense of new energy and empowerment, the nation's Roman Catholi...
November 16, 2007
"Instead of gossiping about celebrities, how about praying for them?
That's the mission of the Hollywood Prayer Network, a group of more than 5,000 Christians that prays for stars like Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan instead of writing them off as lost causes.
Members of the network, which ha...
November 16, 2007
"Santas in Australia's largest city have been told not to use Father Christmas's traditional 'ho ho ho' greeting because it may be offensive to women, it was reported Thursday.
Sydney's Santa Clauses have instead been instructed to say "ha ha ha" instead, the Daily Telegraph reported.
One d...
November 15, 2007
"An Oregon high school English teacher will not be allowed to carry her gun to school, a state circuit court ruled on Friday in a decision closely watched by both sides of the gun debate.
Shirley Katz, who has a legal permit to carry a concealed handgun, argued she needed the Glock semi-automati...
November 13, 2007
There is a drought gripping the Southeast that has lead to water rationing and even the fears that some states might run out of drinking water.
Desperate times call for desperate measures, but Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue has obliterated the wall of separation between church and state by calling f...
November 09, 2007
"Hugo Chavez calls himself ugly and his looks earned him the nickname 'Goofy' in the military, but the president's image is changing -- he is now considered one of Venezuela's sexiest men.
A poll said on Thursday the fifth-most desired man is Chavez, whose large nose, protruding lips, forehead m...
November 09, 2007
"Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA), the ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, has opened an investigation into the finances of six of the leading prosperity televangelists, Paula White, Kenneth Copeland, Joyce Meyer, Eddie Long, Creflo Dollar, Benny Hinn. Grassley is looking into whether these ...
November 09, 2007
"Televangelist Pat Robertson, founder of the Christian Coalition, endorsed Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani on Wednesday.
'It is my pleasure to announce my support for America's Mayor, Rudy Giuliani, a proven leader who is not afraid of what lies ahead and who will cast a hopeful ...
November 08, 2007
This is a partial transcript of the private phone conversation that Dog the Bounty Hunter had with his son; urging him to break up with his African American girlfriend.
"I don't care if she's a Mexican, a whore or whatever. It's not because she's black, it's because we use the nigger word someti...
November 06, 2007
The elderly are invisible; we only see them when they are an inconvenience or a nuisance. The only time I'm aware of their presence is when one of them is ahead of me on a one-lane road driving 25 mph in a 45 mph zone.
I'd rather stay overnight in the Amityville haunted house than spend 5 minute...
November 04, 2007
"John McCain, a Vietnam war prisoner, argued Friday that his top rivals for the GOP nomination aren't qualified to deal with issues like torture - or to be president in wartime - because they never served in the military...
'There's a clear division between those who have a military background a...
November 04, 2007
We live in a world of rules, and God forbid if we unintentionally break one of the thousands of federal, state or local ordinances, because ignorance of the law is no excuse.
That's why Americans root for the antihero, a rugged individual who is unencumbered by the laws of bureaucrats or the mo...
November 04, 2007
I love my cats and dogs even though they have never demonstrated any superhuman abilities. I chuckle when I hear my friends describe the incredible exploits of their pets. Pet lovers are too quick to explain the innocuous actions of their animals as life saving feats -- as illustrated by the followi...
November 02, 2007
In Tuesday night's Democratic donnybrook, John Edwards and Barack Obama were the relentless punchers, Bill Richardson was the referee with a tender heart and Hillary Clinton was the punching bag. Dennis Kucinich was probably mumbling to himself: Who am I? What am I doing here? Why are the moderators...
October 28, 2007
After its dismal performance in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was presented with an opportunity to redeem itself in its handling of the Southern California wildfires.
Did FEMA seek to repair its tarnished image with a quick and efficient re...
October 26, 2007
"Memo to the Democratic presidential candidates: You can still beat Hillary Rodham Clinton, but you better act fast.
The former first lady looks more likely to win the nomination every day, showing strength in polling, fundraising and setting the campaign agenda.
She's so strong, in fact, th...
October 26, 2007
I am not a Gay American! I have decided to say in the Senate until the end of my term; it's important that Idaho has a senator with a wide stance who can straddle both sides of the issues. Did I mention I'm not gay?
I will remain in the Senate and fight for issues that are important to me: Fami...
October 25, 2007
Even folks who have never read a Harry Potter book or seen one of the movies based on the boy wizard are familiar with the broad outlines of the Potter saga. Pottermania has so saturated Western civilization that it's impossible to feign ignorance of all things Potter.
Potter author J.K. Rowlin...
October 24, 2007
I enjoy reading the "Odd News" section of Yahoo News; I always find a gem, like this story below, that makes me chuckle:
"Prostitutes in the Bolivian city of El Alto sewed their lips together (no obscene jokes please) on Wednesday as part of a hunger strike to demand that the mayor reopen brothe...
October 23, 2007
A picture is worth a thousand words and sports has left us with some indelible images that evoke powerful feelings in most Americans. The photograph of a routine ground ball going through the legs of Bill Buckner during the 1986 World Series conjures thoughts of depression and humiliation for fans o...
October 22, 2007
This week Britney Spear's slow motion train wreck had to compete with the bizarre on camera breakdown of beloved talk show host Ellen DeGeneres.
For those of you living in a cave the last few days, here is an Associated Press summary of the DeGeneres meltdown:
"DeGeneres adopted Iggy, then gav...
October 22, 2007
"Two separate probes have rebutted allegations that US soldiers burnt a copy of the Koran on a raid in Afghanistan last week, Afghan President Hamid Karzai's office said.
The US military had already rejected claims by villagers in the eastern province of Kunar that its soldiers burnt a copy of t...
October 22, 2007
"Stephen Colbert Tuesday night declared his candidacy for president of the United States.
'I have heard the call,' Colbert said. 'Nation, I shall seek the office of the president of the United States.'"
Quote from ABCNews.com
I welcome the entrance of Stephen Colbert, the star of Comedy Ce...
October 19, 2007
Rap is a genre of music that glamorizes and promotes misogyny, homophobia, materialism and violence. It's only fitting that the host of Black Entertainment Television's (BET) Hip Hop Awards show was Katt Williams, an African American comic who adopts the persona of a pimp.
And it's not surprisi...
October 18, 2007
There are certain circumstances under which profanity should not only be permissible, but completely understandable. If I stub my toe "Oh shucks" doesn't begin to convey my feeling of frustration and the pangs of pain I'm experiencing. If a guy runs a red light and crashes into my new car, screaming...
October 15, 2007
Religious right icons Jerry Falwell and James Kennedy have gone to that big carnival tent in the sky, where they reminisce about their favorite cons with the likes of P. T. Barnum.
Thank God Pat Robertson is still around; what would pundits, comics and columnists do without him?
Pat Roberts...
October 14, 2007
I am a gentleman of impeccable tastes; only the best for me. I eschew the candy that melts in your mouth and not in your hand; I prefer chocolate truffles found only in the finest gourmet shops.
I have often wondered where my love of the delicious treat comes from; is it genetic or a finely devel...
October 14, 2007
"LONDON (Reuters) -- An asteroid is on a collision course with the earth and you have one hour left to live. What would you do in your last 60 minutes?"
Not surprisingly, the majority of Britons questioned in a survey -- 54 percent -- said they would like to spend it either with or on the phone t...
October 12, 2007
"On Monday, Coulter told CNBC talk show host Donnie Deutsch that her dream America would 'look like New York City during the [2004] Republican National Convention. In fact, that's what I think heaven is going to look like.'
'People were happy,' she said. 'They're Christian. They're tolerant. The...
October 12, 2007
You don't have to wear a flag pin or your lapel to be a good patriot, but it's not unseemly to publicly declare your love of your country. Who doesn't love to mangle the lyrics to the Star Spangled Banner at a baseball game or fly the flag on the 4th of July?
Public exhibitions of patriotism are...
October 09, 2007
Too many evangelical Christians don't know the real Jesus Christ with the dirty sandals and clean heart, who healed the sick and helped the poor.
They worship a tyrant who isn't interested in ministering to the disenfranchised, but in condemning anyone who doesn't conform to their myopic religio...
October 08, 2007
"During a Sunday service at an evangelical church in Greenville, S.C., Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama told the crowd of nearly 4,000 that he hopes to be 'instrument of God' and asked for their prayers to help him do that. 'I am confident that we can create a Kingdom right here on...
October 08, 2007
Michael Vick, who admitted to killing Pit Bulls, enrolled in a "Developing Empathy for Animals" class. That's like Hitler enrolling in a "Developing Empathy for Jews" class -- nobody will be fooled.
Michael Vick, the ringleader of a dogfighting enterprise, electrocuted underperforming dogs and b...
October 06, 2007
"Senator Larry E. Craig of Idaho, defying the wishes of many in his own Republican Party, said Thursday that he would remain in the Senate through next year despite a court ruling against him in Minnesota, where he had sought to rescind his guilty plea stemming from an undercover sex sting.
Shor...
October 06, 2007
"An 80-year-old man accused of locking his girlfriend in a camper trailer has been sentenced to probation and ordered to attend an anger management class when he returns home to Oregon."
This odd story from the Reuters wire makes you go "hm".
The first thing that caught my attention is that ...
October 05, 2007
"Dateline Bangkok.
A Thai bank is pitching into the battle against HIV/AIDS and handing out condoms to customers too shy to get them at the shop.
Kasikorn Bank launched the "Condoms for Confidence" campaign at 600 branches nationwide and said it would start giving out the sheaths, branded K-C...
October 04, 2007
I recently read a news article that shook me to my very soul; I may need therapy to recover from the trauma. It wasn't a story about the senseless war in Iraq or a report about another pantyless Britney sighting.
For the strong in heart, read for yourselves:
"SYDNEY, Australia - Customs of...
October 04, 2007
Hillary Rodham Clinton is a policy wonk who lives and breathes politics. A creature with such a narrow focus in life doesn't have time for anything else, including laughter.
Until very recently laughter wasn't in Hillary's repertoire, but all of a sudden she is giggling like a schoolgirl at ever...
October 01, 2007
"Neither party should be defined by pandering to the outer reaches of American politics and the agents of intolerance," whether they be Louis Farrakhan or Al Sharpton on the left or Jerry Falwell or Pat Robertson on the right."
John McCain spoke these brave words during his 2000 presidential run....
October 01, 2007
I have two dogs, a Chow and a Pit Bull; they are friendly, loyal, intelligent and a source of tremendous comfort and love.
Dogs are good-natured animals, they only attack human beings and other animals when they are raised by vicious and stupid owners.
A dog who has been brutalized by his ...
September 28, 2007
The answer to some questions is so clear they don't deserve a nuanced response. If a journalist asks a presidential candidate if he is in favor of torture; he or she respond with a resounding "NO!"
A presidential hopeful who wants my vote must unequivocally condemn the plan to build a fence alon...
September 27, 2007
George W. Bush, the self-proclaimed "education president" once asked: "Is our children learning?"
Well is they are is they not learning? Appearing before a group of kids in a photo-op to promote the No Child Left Behind Act, the headmaster-in-chief answered in the affirmative: "Childrens do ...
September 27, 2007
"Falcons quarterback Michael Vick tested positive for marijuana, has been confined to his Virginia residence at night, forced to wear an electronic monitoring device and ordered to receive mental health counseling, according to court documents filed Wednesday.
Vick tested positive in a urine samp...
September 27, 2007
When the bombastic Bill O'Reilly, and the controversial Al Sharpton sit down and break bread, sparks as well as sound bites are going to fly. Bill O'Reilly did not disappoint, folks are still shaking their heads at his outrageous comments.
"After eating dinner at a famed Harlem restaurant recent...
September 24, 2007
The Democratic presidential candidates are a symbol of the racial and cultural diversity of America. I look at Sen. Barack Obama (African American), Gov. Bill Richardson (Hispanic), Sen. Hillary Clinton (female) and Rep. Dennis Kucinich (Martian?), and I'm persuaded that anyone can become Presid...
September 21, 2007
When I was a wee lad my family used to watch TV together. The next day I would discuss the programs I watched with my classmates, certain that there was a good chance they had seen the same shows. In those halcyon days there were only three broadcast networks, and cable wasn't even a twinkle in the ...
September 19, 2007
Americans are feisty and independent, and we would be content if lawmakers passed fewer laws. We don't like Uncle Sam monitoring every aspect of our lives, but sometimes politicians come up with necessary laws.
It's behind the wheel, with the top down and the radio blasting, that we truly experi...
September 19, 2007
As a newspaper writer, I use what little influence I have to advocate for the rights of Hispanics. But I never make excuses when prominent Latinos break the law or somehow fall short of the mark. I expect all Hispanics in the public spotlight to be good role models, and I publicly chastise any Chic...
September 19, 2007
*If I got away with double homicide, getting away with armed robbery should be a piece of cake.
*Why should I let Michael Vick get all the publicity?
*Gives me an excuse to write "If I Did It Part II"
*It's a "black thang", don't get down on a brotha for establishing his street cred.
...
September 18, 2007
We live in a sex-saturated society; you can't turn on the TV, log on to the Internet or go to the movies without being inundated with images of sex.
Advertisers treat consumers not as rational creatures but as animals who respond only to sexual stimuli.
With every passing year the sexualiza...
September 18, 2007
If my nose itches, before I even sneeze I call in sick. If I feel the walls of my cubicle closing in on me, I take a "mental health day" the next day. The "Protestant work ethic" is for Catholic undocumented workers and atheists in sweat shops in China.
I am in excellent health, but I really ma...
September 16, 2007
By now, thanks to the saturation coverage by cable news outlets, everyone is familiar with the saga of the little British girl who disappeared while her parents were dining at a restaurant. But this recap from channel4.com is a good place to start my essay before I get to the heart of the matter.
...
September 14, 2007
"A federal judge struck down a proposed city health regulation today that would have required more than 2,000 restaurants around New York — including chain restaurants like McDonald’s — to post the calorie content of their dishes on their menus."
Quote from the New York Times
Judge Richard J...
September 13, 2007
Oprah Winfrey, media mogul, talk show host and secular saint, is the most influential woman in America.
When Oprah speaks, it doesn't matter if the topic is the Iraq war or Restless Leg Syndrome, people listen. On the Oprah show when the camera pans over to the audience, the suburban ladies see...
September 10, 2007
On this 6th anniversary of 9/11 Americans are remembering the victims and their families and friends, and contemplating on where we stand in the struggle against Islamic radicals.
In spite of President George W. Bush's obfuscation it's important to remember that 9/11 was hatched in Afghanista...
September 10, 2007
Undocumented workers are a great asset to our pluralistic society; they make significant contributions to our economy and our culture.
Migrants from Mexico and other points South are not an alien presence -- their work ethic, strong sense of family and burning desire to assimilate are traits t...
September 08, 2007
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama's good looks, eloquence and impeccable wardrobe makes him a formidable political force -- not to mention a sex symbol.
But now a prominent person in the news has labeled Obama "snore-y and stinky". Which dastardly villain has taken such direct ...
September 06, 2007
Sen. Fred Thompson, the until recently unannounced Republican candidate, has run a very novel campaign. Eschewing the potential mines of the televised debates and the tedium of the rubber-chicken circuit, he has remained above the fray, making speeches or TV appearances when the spirit moves him.
...
September 05, 2007
Fans of "The View" rejoiced when Rosie O'Donnell's contract wasn't renewed. Rosie was a lightning rod for controversy, she feuded with fellow celebrities and uttered idiotic statements like claiming that the collapse of World Trade Center 7 was the result of a planned implosion.
Whoopi Goldberg...
September 05, 2007
"Iowa, for good reason, for constitutional reasons, for reasons related to the Lord, should be the first caucus and primary," Richardson, New Mexico's governor, said at the Northwest Iowa Labor Council Picnic. "And I want you to know who was the first candidate to sign a pledge not to campaign anywh...
September 05, 2007
Jerry Lewis, 81, is a comedian, actor, singer film producer, screenwriter and director. I should use the past tense, because Lewis hasn't had any success in any facet of show business for decades.
The only thing that keeps Jerry Lewis in the periphery of pop culture awareness is his role as hos...
September 02, 2007
Michael Vick adjusted the sleeves of his designer suit and walked up to the podium; his gait best described as a pimp strut and not a perp walk. Vick's posse of high-priced barristers walking a few feet behind their paymaster.
I want to apologize for all the things I've done and allowed to happe...
September 01, 2007
With middle age comes a bulging waistline, and the only remedy (giving up beer) is too drastic to contemplate. The typical fellow reasons that loosening his belt is a small price to pay for indulging his appetite and slacking his thirst with a cold one.
But now guys have another option and I'm ...
September 01, 2007
By now all of the civilized world has viewed the clip of Miss South Carolina's meandering, ungrammatical and incoherent answer to a question posed to her during the Miss Teen USA competition.
Lauren Caitlin Upton, 18, was asked by pageant judge Aimee Teergarden:
"Recent polls have shown a ...
September 01, 2007
When a superstar athlete admits to being the ringleader of a dogfighting enterprise and to killing Pit Bulls who unperformed by electrocuting them, the instinctive reaction is one of disgust and outrage. A normal person will reason: Only a monster would participate in such a sadistic criminal activ...
August 28, 2007
"I'm upset with myself, and, you know, through this situation I found Jesus and asked him for forgiveness and turned my life over to God. And I think that's the right thing to do as of right now.'"
Michael Vick
Those searching for meaning and truth in life find Jesus, Buddha or Allah after mu...
August 27, 2007
The entire world, with the exception of a few African American celebrities, is outraged at Michael Vick's felonious behavior, but he still has Mama defending him.
'"I gotta be strong for him,' an emotional Brenda Vick told the New York Post on Sunday.
According to the paper, she sobbed ou...
August 27, 2007
I've written essays about how a few African Americans celebrities, like Deion Sanders and Jamie Foxx, have come to the defense of Michael Vick. Now you can add the name of NBA star Stephon Marbury to the list of clueless blacks who have spoken up on the behalf of the beleaguered gridiron star.
S...
August 26, 2007
"There are circumstances beyond our control, and I think I am better able to handle things I have no control over," she said. "It's a horrible prospect to ask yourself 'What if? What if?' But if certain things happen between now and the election, particularly with respect to terrorism, that will aut...
August 24, 2007
In a capitalist society, branding is the name of the game. Adults will pay a premium for a designer label, even though there is only a nominal difference between a brand name product and a generic brand. Consumers will buy bottled water at a ridiculous price, even when they know that it's only regul...
August 24, 2007
Michael Vick's torture and killing of dogs is so reprehensible and beyond the pale, that everyone from pundits and politicians to animal rights activists and regular folks have condemned him in no uncertain terms.
The almost universal disgust at Vick's sadism and inhumanity speaks well of our s...
August 24, 2007
"Juanita Bynum, a televangelist with a national following for sermons about women's empowerment, pressed charges against her estranged husband Thursday after she was bruised in a confrontation with him during a meeting to reconcile, police said.
Preacher Thomas W. Weeks III, founder of Global Des...
August 24, 2007
"The Sanctuary Movement was a religious and political movement of approximately 500 congregations in the U.S. that helped Central American refugees by sheltering them from Immigration and Naturalization Service authorities. The movement flourished between 1982 and 1992. Various denominations were in...
August 18, 2007
When a tragedy or scandal hits a corporation, the CEO usually hires a crisis management firm to take over public relations.
When the president of a beleaguered company looks like Boss Hog on crack, it's imperative that he hire a professional as a spokesman.
Six miners have been trapped for ...
August 18, 2007
"A Dutch priest has been fined 5,000 euros (3,382 pounds) for ringing his church bells too loudly in the morning."
This one sentence from an obscure Rueters wire story highlights the worst traits of religion.
Religion at its best is about having consideration for others (do unto others...),...
August 18, 2007
Too many politicians have no sense of shame; they will do or say anything to win votes.
Sen. Barack Obama is a breath of fresh air; he speaks from his heart and as a result sometimes he makes comments that aren't crystal clear.
Obama has been ruthlessly attacked by Republicans and even by h...
August 17, 2007
Radio shock, Don Imus, calling the Rutgers women's basketball team "nappy-headed ho's" was the epitome of tackiness and bad taste.
The Rutgers' student-athletes did not respond in kind calling Imus a washed-up wrinkled cracker or a stupid old fart.
Throughout the sordid episode the Rutgers ...
August 17, 2007
"An embarrassed Japanese government has cut the subsidy, but a Tokyo TV company said on Friday it would carry on making a striptease news show with sign language for hearing-impaired viewers.
The government made grants totaling 400,000 yen (1,800 pounds) to help cover production of the weekly fi...
August 15, 2007
"Catholic churches in the Netherlands should use the name Allah for God to ease tensions between Muslims and Christians, says a Dutch bishop.
Tiny Muskens, the bishop of Breda, told the Dutch TV program 'Network' Monday night he believes God doesn't mind what he is called, Radio Netherlands Worl...
August 12, 2007
When I was a 11-year old kid I got a transistor radio for my birthday. I was rarely without my radio; humming along to "My Green Tambourine" and listening to the San Francisco Giants.
In those halcyon days summers stretched forever and my beloved Giants could do no wrong. They didn't enjoy much ...
August 12, 2007
The Internet has democratized the dissemination of information but it has also unleashed a horde of unscrupulous bloggers. Hiding behind aliases and accountable to nobody, these cowards feel empowered to poison the Information Highway with profanity, libel and lies.
Not all bloggers are profan...
August 12, 2007
Everyone is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, but if a criminal breaks into my home, I'm not going to wait for a jury's verdict, I will immediately blow him away.
Michael Vick may be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, but the evidence is overwhelming he's a sadist ...
August 10, 2007
My two cats and two dogs are a constant source of comfort, entertainment and companionship.
When I come home from work my dogs welcome me with wagging tails, boisterous barks and sloppy licks. My cats on the other hand, rarely acknowledge my homecoming with anything other than a lazy lawn.
...
August 08, 2007
"The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) is an American civil rights organization. It played a prominent role in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. SCLC was closely associated with its first president, Martin Luther King, Jr."
Quote from Wikipedia.
Michael Vick would...
August 08, 2007
The images of superstar athletes appear on Jumbotron screens, cereal boxes and on millions of TV's in our jock-worshipping country.
But few athletes are worthy of this Rock Star treatment; for every Hank Aaron who achieves incredible deeds through determination, hard work and god-given natural t...
August 07, 2007
We are exceedingly grateful to the creators of the Internet, microwave oven, cell phone and dozens of other time-saving devices that enrich and benefit us in so many ways.
But these high-tech machines, as convenient and useful as they are, do not make me feel better. Logging on to the computer, ...
August 05, 2007
"A story by the Associated Press says the International Bible Society-Send the Light wants to deliver custom-designed Bibles to newspaper subscribers around the U.S. as part of an effort to find innovative ways to spread a Christian message. But not everyone thinks it's a good idea. The ministry wou...
August 04, 2007
Music is the language of love and concerts have been held to commemorate heroes and victims and to unite people in great causes.
Woodstock, Concert for Bangladesh, Monterey Pop Festival and No Nukes: These historic concerts evoke images of peace, celebration and brotherhood.
The horrific ima...
August 03, 2007
"A 23-year-old Nepali man cut off his right hand after morning prayers and offered it to Kali, the Hindu goddess of power, the Annapurna Post daily said on Wednesday."
Quote from Reuters
My readers, in the enlightened West, will shrug at the nonsense and brutality that still goes on in the n...
August 02, 2007
The bedrock foundation of our judicial system is the concept that a defendant is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
When a prosecutor, like Mike Nifong, makes prejudicial statements against the accused it undermines our judicial system.
We expect everyone involved in a court c...
August 02, 2007
Researchers at the University of Texas spent five years and their own money to ponder the reasons why people have sex.
After such an exhaustive study I'm sure the researchers were able to come up with complex and enlightening reasons why we have sex.
Are you wondering what were the top reasons...
July 29, 2007
"Three Arab princesses were thrown off a packed British Airways flight after refusing to sit next to male passengers they didn't know.
The dispute - in which the three princesses from the ultra-conservative Qatar royal family demanded segregated seating - left the London-bound plane delayed on a...
July 28, 2007
"Planned Parenthood is the nation's leading sexual and reproductive health care advocate and provider. With more than 860 health centers nationwide, nearly five million women, men, and teens turn to us each year for essential services — services we provide regardless of income, marital status, race...
July 28, 2007
The Hill.Com's list of the 50 Most Beautiful People on Capitol Hill includes some real hotties, most of them young aides and staffers of senators and congresspersons.
Few politicians made the list; politics has a way of rapidly aging a person. President George W. Bush looks like he has aged...
July 27, 2007
President Bush uses the "war on terror" as a distraction from his many domestic failures. We face a very real threat from Islamic radicals, but Bush cynically uses the fear of terrorism to manipulate the American public.
If Dubya were serious about combating terrorism he would appoint the best ...
July 25, 2007
Tammy Faye Bakker Messner succumbed to cancer this weekend. The televangelist had a penchant for applying tons of makeup, a habit of marrying men convicted of fraud and the ability to cry at the drop of coin.
Tammy Faye was a larger-than-life figure who transcended religion; she became a pop cu...
July 25, 2007
"According to Macy's, one of its goals is to provide an exclusive line of clothing geared toward Latina shoppers looking to express cultural identity through fashion.
However, one such item might have actually offended potential Hispanic customers, so the company pulled it during the weekend."
...
July 22, 2007
A laptop is a symbol of Western wealth and technological prowess; portable computers are ubiquitous in America and every other affluent country.
The One Laptop Per Child aid group seeks to provide no-frills inexpensive laptops to children in developing countries.
This is a misguided effort...
July 21, 2007
"A man with an unusually tiny brain managed to live an entirely normal life despite his condition, caused by a fluid buildup in his skull, French researchers reported on Thursday.
Scans of the 44-year-old man's brain showed that a huge fluid-filled chamber called a ventricle took up most of the r...
July 20, 2007
Atlanta quarterback, Michael Vick has the most lucrative contract in the NFL, millions of adoring fans, endorsements galore -- and not a shred of human dignity.
Vick epitomizes the vanity, self-centeredness and criminal tendencies of too many American athletes. He has a history of coarse behavio...
July 20, 2007
America is the greatest military, economic and geopolitical power in the world; we should be able to vanquish any enemy. We crushed the Nazis making the world safe for democracy and defeated the Evil Empire ushering in the 21st century on a hopeful note.
In the days immediately after 9/11 Presid...
July 15, 2007
The surgeon general is the foremost authority on medical matters; when he speaks we heed his advice. He is the nation's doctor; when he issues a press release it's like he's making a house call.
A pack of cigarettes carries the surgeon generals' warning that smoking is bad for your health. If ci...
July 15, 2007
During debates Democrats John Edwards and Hillary Rodham Clinton sometimes have testy exchanges. But what do these top-tier presidential aspirants talk about after their verbal duels?
John Edwards: Hillary, do you look at the monitor during the forum to make sure your hair is still in place?
...
July 15, 2007
The wall of separation between church and state is routinely breached everytime the Senate opens a session with prayer.
To my knowledge no agnostic or atheist has ever tried to shout down the cleric's opening prayer of a Senate session.
Agnostics and atheists tend to be peace-loving indivi...
July 12, 2007
Last month all of the Democratic candidates participated in a debate at Howard University. The debate at the historically black university was moderated by people of color and the discussion was dominated by questions of particular importance to African Americans and other minorities.
If any De...
July 10, 2007
"On Monday alleged prostitution ring leader Deborah Jeane Palfrey released 15,000 client names on her web site after a judge found no reason to seize the list.
Louisiana Sen. David Vitter's telephone number showed up in phone records for Pamela Martin and Associates, the name of the alleged prosti...
July 10, 2007
"Nursery rhymes are in danger of dying out - because parents are singing pop songs to their children instead.
A new survey suggests 40% of parents with young children cannot recite a single rhyme all the way through."
Quote from Ananova.Com
My bedtime staples were Jack and Jill and Humpty ...
July 09, 2007
"A bidet company's advertising plans in Times Square are too cheeky for the pastor of a nearby church.
Rev. Neil Rhodes, pastor of the interdenominational Times Square Church, is asking a state court to block a billboard company from posting huge ads that feature naked buttocks with smiley faces ...
July 08, 2007
"Estonians took gold and silver at the world wife-carrying championships in Finland on Saturday, defying rain and exhaustion to stumble along a path with women clinging upside-down to their backs.
They were among 44 couples from 12 countries competing in the annual event in Sonkajarvi, c...
July 07, 2007
"Malaysia's religious police detained a Muslim singer at a popular club, saying too much of her back was exposed by a sleeveless blouse she wore while performing, media reported on Wednesday.
Siti Noor Idayu Abd Moin, 24, has been ordered to go before the sharia, or Islamic court, at Ipoh in the...
July 07, 2007
Some precious gems from Ann Coulter:
*If we're so cruel to minorities, why do they keep coming here? Why aren't they sneaking across the Mexican border to make their way to the Taliban?
*Liberal soccer moms are precisely as likely to receive anthrax in the mail as to develop a capacity for l...
July 07, 2007
"An office worker for the US city of Detroit is suing for her colleagues to be banned from wearing perfume which gives her such severe headaches, nausea and coughing fits that she must leave work.
Court documents showed Thursday that Susan McBride suffered so acutely from allergy to the chemical...
July 06, 2007
"President Bush equated the war in Iraq today with the U.S. war for independence. Like those revolutionaries who 'dropped their pitchforks and picked up their muskets to fight for liberty,' Bush said, American soldiers were also fighting 'a new and unprecedented war' to protect U.S. freedom."
Qu...
July 05, 2007
Today we celebrate independence from the Brits with fireworks, picnics, parades and of course the annual Coney Island Hot dog Eating Contest.
An amusement park with cheap thrills and junk food -- what an appropriate venue for a disgusting display of gluttony.
The folks behind the hot dog e...
July 04, 2007
That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, but bureaucrats are constantly renaming occupations, diseases and disabilities to remove any perceived stigma. A garbage man is transformed into a "sanitation engineer" but at the end of the day I bet he still smells like crap.
Th...
June 30, 2007
Mitt Romney is straight out of central casting; he's tall, dark and handsome. But Romney not only has good looks, his confident demeanor and glib tongue also attracts many to his campaign.
But on second look, there's something very Stepford-like about the former governor of Massachusetts. He do...
June 30, 2007
When I was in the 4th grade my class went on a field trip to the San Francisco Zoo, and I don't mean we attended a meeting of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.
The chimp exhibit was a big hit with the children; we enjoyed making faces and taunting them until one chimp and then another ret...
June 28, 2007
Jerry Falwell, one of the most intolerant and divisive voices of the religious right died a few weeks ago, and his son, Jonathan Falwell, has taken over as pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church.
Jonathan was presented with a tremendous opportunity to change the course of his father's ministry, to...
June 26, 2007
The Supreme Court upheld the suspension of an Alaska high school senior for raising a banner that read "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" at a school-sanctioned event outside campus.
The High Court said students can be punished for statements that an administrator reasonably interprets as promoting illegal...
June 26, 2007
All of the Democratic presidential candidates oppose gay marriage, but they are in favor of civil unions. That's like saying, I believe blacks should live anywhere they want to; I just don't want them living next door to me.
The wishy-washy Democratic candidates should adopt the stance of E...
June 23, 2007
It's almost impossible to have a rational dialogue with a true believer. How can you communicate with someone who doesn't rely on common sense and empirical truth, but clings to faith and myths?
An individual with a rational frame of mind sees embryonic stem cells as tools for research that ...
June 22, 2007
"Increasingly, Muslim women in Britain take their children to school and run errands covered head to toe in flowing black gowns that allow only a slit for their eyes.
Like little else, their appearance has unnerved Britons, testing the limits of tolerance in this stridently secular nation. Many ...
June 22, 2007
If you were a producer desperate for a great interview, who would you offer a million dollars to appear on one of your network's news programs?
Perhaps you would seek Thomas L. Friedman to wax eloquent about geopolitics, Christopher Hitchens to debunk religion, Sen. Ted Kennedy to champion immi...
June 20, 2007
We have a hard time keeping the Ten Commandments and now the Vatican has issued ten more commandments.
The Vatican's "Ten Commandments" for drivers:
1: You shall not kill.
(Isn't this one of the original commandments? I think everybody would agree that committing vehicle manslaughter ...
June 20, 2007
Eighteen years ago the Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa calling on devout Muslims to kill Salman Rushdie, because the respected writer had the temerity to write the Satanic Verses, a novel that wasn't entirely complimentary of Islam.
At that time the idea of a Muslim leader calling for the deat...
June 18, 2007
Life is tentative, chaotic, non-linear, complex and monotonous.
We turn to religion, politics or philosophy to find meaning and purpose, but then something totally senseless happens and we give up in despair.
Fortunately, we have entertainment to provide a brief respite from the ravages of...
June 14, 2007
When we see a blue-collar individual receive a stiff sentence, we feel no sympathy for the criminal, instead we rejoice that justice prevailed.
But when a white-collar lawbreaker is sentenced to prison, his family, friends and supporters immediately plead for a pardon.
The wealthy and privi...
June 14, 2007
Sen. Joseph Lieberman's claim to fame is his unflagging support of President George W. Bush's disastrous Iraq war. Lieberman has extensive foreign policy experience; he should recognize a lost cause when he sees one. Lieberman would have placed bets on Napoleon Bonaparte at Waterloo and cheered on G...
June 11, 2007
Paris Hilton:
"'I'm not the same person I was,' she said. 'I used to act dumb. It was an act. I am 26 years old, and that act is no longer cute. It is not who I am, nor do I want to be that person for the young girls who looked up to me. I know now that I can make a difference, that I have the p...
June 10, 2007
The defendant appears before the judge, with hair in disarray, sans makeup, and wearing a grew sweat top.
She could be any of the thousands of lawbreakers who appear before judges in Los Angeles County ever year...
But this is the socialite who is always photo-op ready; eager to display a d...
June 08, 2007
From the NewsAdvance.Com:
"Sen. Steve Newman, R-Lynchburg, recently sent a letter to City Council members asking them to support naming the city portion of U.S. 460 'Jerry Falwell Parkway.'
Newman said that on one side of the highway is Falwell’s Thomas Road Baptist Church and Liberty Univers...
June 08, 2007
Her first album was a colossal failure; her most popular movie was a private porn flick; her baby blue eyes are courtesy of Bausch and Lomb; her major fashion innovation was the no-panties look; her greatest talent is primping before the camera; her most fabulous success at mentoring is the bald cro...
June 06, 2007
Symbols are important; they are mute yet they speak volumes. The flag of the United States of America testifies to our commitment to freedom, democracy and equality. A society that wishes to thrive and prosper will respect and protect its symbols.
America has many symbols like Old Glory, The Stat...
June 06, 2007
"Kansei frowns when he hears the word "bomb," smiles at "sushi" and looks scared and disgusted when someone says "president" -- and he isn't even human.
Quote from Reuters
Kansei isn't your typical American disgusted at Bush's Iraq war debacle, he is a new Japanese robot.
"Japan's la...
June 04, 2007
Who doesn't indulge in vices: We overeat, smoke or drink knowing that sooner or later we will pay a price.
The question is should we leave it to God or karma to settle accounts, or should the government or private corporations punish those who give in their weaknesses?
When you see a 400-po...
June 03, 2007
This week the nation's three surviving ex-presidents -- George HW Bush, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton --gathered to honor a luminary who'd served each as a trusted advisor.
What giant of history could have brought together these three ex-presidents who seldom agree on anything?
Henry Ki...
June 02, 2007
We shake our heads when the leaders of terrorist groups and some Islamic leaders refer to America as "The Great Satan". We wonder how anyone can be so backwards in the 21st century.
But not all intolerant religious fanatics live in Muslim countries; we have plenty of religious Neanderthals in t...
May 31, 2007
The image of eleven-year old Jamison Stone of Alabama, posing with a 1,051 hog that he killed, is a hit on the Internet and on TV.
Jamison has been enjoying his 15-minutes of fame, doing the requisite morning network shows. He has even been guaranteed a cameo in an upcoming movie "The Legend of...
May 28, 2007
Bill and Hillary Clinton's tenure in the White House, from 1993 to 2002, was marked by many significant accomplishments.
Major Legislation Signed (From Wikipedia):
1993-02-05 - The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993
1993-08-10 - Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993 - Raised income ta...
May 28, 2007
Rosie O'Donnell roared onto the set of "The View" like a Mack truck; dethroning Barbara Walters and flattening all those with opposing views.
When Rosie wasn't sparring with Elisabeth Hasselbeck, she was picking fights with everyone from Donald Trump to Kelly Ripa.
Rosie was under the view t...
May 28, 2007
The "Daily Kos", the online Bible of the left, has published an article by Cindy Sheehan in which she resigns "as the face of the American anti-war movement."
Sheehan is a mentally disturbed individual; the anti-war movement doesn't need the likes of her as a poster girl for peace. As a harsh cr...
May 25, 2007
Our brave warriors are still needlessly dying in Iraq because not enough of our cowardly senators and congressmen can bring themselves to say, "Enough is enough."
Despite the results of last November's elections, which was essentially a mandate for quickly ending the war, Democrats refuse to dry ...
May 25, 2007
I'm a pundit and not a psychologist, but that won't stop me from psychoanalyzing Rosie O'Donnell.
Rosie O'Donnell thrives on controversy; every week she picks a feud with a fellow celebrity.
Rosie's personal life must be unfulfilling and empty if she can only find contentment by trashing so...
May 23, 2007
I come not to praise Jerry Falwell, but to bury him. I'm hoping that Falwell's intolerance, homophobia and bigotry be buried with him, but the evil that men do lives after them.
Some of Falwell's ardent supporters have admonished me never to speak ill of the dead, but a prophet never bites hits...
May 23, 2007
"New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson formally announced his candidacy for president here Monday, launching a bilingual campaign for the Democratic nomination that emphasizes his Latino heritage, his extensive diplomatic and political experience and his knowledge of issues.
Richardson, 59, the son of...
May 21, 2007
John McCain To Fellow Republican Senator: Fu** You
May 19, 2007 at 6:30 am · Filed under Vox Populi, Current Events, Politics · Edit
There should be a law prohibiting any politician who holds an elective office from running for president. Seeking the White House is a full-time endeavor, that re...
May 21, 2007
The corpulent corpse of Jerry Falwell, found on the floor of his office, is symbolic of the state of the religious right.
Many pundits, reporters and bloggers referred to the "untimely death" of the preacher from Lynchburg, VA. Falwell was 73, he had a history of heart problems and he weighed o...
May 19, 2007
"Police have arrested a man in connection with an attack on a woman in a church pew -- an attack that was caught on a surveillance video.
It happened Wednesday about 60 miles north of New York City, as the woman was praying at the chapel of St. Joseph's Church."
This Associated Press article i...
May 18, 2007
Jerry Falwell was the most prominent leader of the religious right; a movement with a very narrow moral focus. Falwell ignored the plight of the poor and disenfranchised, and focused his fury on homosexuals, pagans, liberals and women libbers.
With his death the fundamentalist movement is one s...
May 16, 2007
If you are in a restaurant or a movie theatre and you need to make a phone call, common sense and consideration for others dictates that you step outside.
If you are in a dining establishment with your infant or toddler and he starts bawling, you should take the incontinent creature outside unt...
May 16, 2007
From Bloomberg.Com:
"Reverend Jerry Falwell, the Baptist minister who used television to bring his message to millions and then founded the Moral Majority to help politically mobilize the religious right, has died. He was 73.
The cause may have been a heart-rhythm abnormality, said cardiolo...
May 14, 2007
I don't often find common ground with fundamentalists; they are on their toes reaching for that pie in the sky while my feet are firmly planted in reality.
But there is something that the majority of fundamentalists and the non-religious disdain: The foolishness of celebrity worship.
Paris H...
May 12, 2007
If I wrote, "Republicans are warmongers who favor the rich and neglect the poor", nobody would bat an eye. Hyperbole is par for the course in political discourse.
We live in an "in your face" culture, stridency is the norm in all forms of popular entertainment.
But if I make the slightest c...
May 11, 2007
From emaxhealth.com:
"The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) today announced that the rating system is enhancing the amount of information provided to parents on the issue of smoking in films. In the past, illegal teen smoking has been a factor in the rating of films, alongside other pa...
May 11, 2007
Al Sharpton has anointed himself as the arbiter of morality and political correctness.
Most Americans consider Sharpton a pompous blowhard, but unfortunately the black community and the media genuflect before this transparent con artist.
I won't waste any time appealing to the African Amer...
May 08, 2007
Evanglical leaders like Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson and James Dobson whisper sweet nothings to power; they love socializing with President Bush at events like the National Day of Prayer.
Jesus Christ did not attempt to ingratiate himself with the powerful; he blasted the hypocrisy of the scribe...
May 07, 2007
"People of faith" is a phrase that is ecumenical and divisive. It's an inclusive term favored by politicians who want to appeal (pander) to followers of monotheistic religions. But at the same time it's divisive; it implies that those who don't believe in a deity are "people of no faith". That's a p...
May 06, 2007
The Time Magazine list of the 100 most influential people in the world includes the usual suspects in the realms of politics, the arts and science. But there's one glaring omission, you won't find George W. Bush, the leader of the free world, in this illustrious list.
Time explains that Dubya is ...
May 04, 2007
The GOP debate held at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, demonstrated how much the Republicans are living in the past.
The ten monochrome candidates harkened back to an era when only white middleaged men held the reins of political power. Not even the second-tier presidential hopefuls incl...
May 04, 2007
Newsflash: Britney Spears makes a comeback with a mini-tour of 15-minutes performances.
Actually Britney has never been away; her bald head, bald vagina and dopey antics have kept us entertained the last three years that she has taken a break from performing on stage.
Britney is not famous b...
May 03, 2007
“Religion is the opiate of the masses”
Religion hardens the heart against unbelievers and weakens the mind so it will swallow the unbelievable.
From Counterbias.Com:
“Consider the new $27 million, 60,000 square-foot Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky, scheduled to open May 28, 2007. Th...
May 02, 2007
Editor's Note. Since this article appeared, we received the following clarification from Gaia Napa Valley Hotel and Spa:
Dear Bloomberg reporter,
We need to correct a mistake that ran in Bloomberg last Friday re: an article on Gaia Napa Valley Hotel and Spa.
The article implied that Gideo...
April 30, 2007
As a Catholic boy I attended Catechism class every Saturday. Once a month the nun marched us to the sanctuary, where we would stand in line to say our confession. "Bless me Father for I have sinned, my last confession was a month ago. These are my sins: "I swiped a Hustler magazine, I looked down my...
April 30, 2007
Who hasn’t left an abusive rant on the voice mail of a spouse, boss or friend? We’re infuriated we can’t reach the object of our hatred and we unload our vitriol on the voice mail.
But a “dog bites man” story took on epic proportions when Alec Baldwin left extremely hurtful words on the voice m...
April 28, 2007
I am somewhat of a Bible scholar; I daresay I’m more familiar with Holy Writ than the vast majority of Bible-thumping evangelicals. If I’m ever arrested for speeding and reckless driving in Hamilton County, OH, my Biblical expertise may be my “get of jail free” card.
From the Associated Press:
...
April 28, 2007
From MSNBC.Com
"Miss America Lauren Nelson and veteran fugitive-hunter John Walsh of “America's Most Wanted” recently teamed up with police in a New York City suburb to catch suspected online predators — “Dateline NBC”-style.
Nelson posed as a young girl in phone calls initiated after online c...
April 26, 2007
From Wikipedia:
"The Cities of Refuge are a collection of six towns mentioned in the Hebrew Bible that were set able to provide asylum to someone who had unintentionally slain another... According to the Mosaic Law, the "avenger of blood", generally a close relative to the victim, had the right...
April 24, 2007
From the Associated Press"
"The Wiccan pentacle has been added to the list of emblems allowed in national cemeteries and on goverment-issued headstones of fallen soldiers, according to a settlement announced Monday.
A settlement between the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Wiccans ad...
April 23, 2007
The fiction is that anybody can aspire to be the president of the United States, but the reality is that unless you belong to a political dynasty or can afford a $400 haircut, you don't have a prayer.
After 20 years of a Bush or a Clinton in power, we are faced with the specter of another 4 to 8...
April 21, 2007
"Hey, I want to tell you something, OK? And I want to leave a message for you right now. 'Cause again, it's 10:30 here in New York on a Wednesday, and once again I've made an ass of myself trying to get to a phone to call you at a specific time. When the time comes for me to make the phone call, I s...
April 20, 2007
"As we've learned from reading the memoirs and press accounts and interviews following that war -- at the time there were 24,000 Americans killed in Vietnam -- President Johnson had to make a decision. The secretary of defense, the secretary of state and the president knew the war was not winnable.
...
April 20, 2007
Sanjaya's improbable American Idol run has come to an end. America has been held hostage long enough; we can now ponder more serious issues like the Iraq war and the health care crisis.
Somewhere 13-year-old Ashley Ferl is crying a river of tears; somewhere in India there is weeping and gnashin...
April 19, 2007
Virginia Tech shooter, Cho Seung-Hui, mailed a multimedia manifesto to NBC news between murders. Thanks to the bumbling inefficiency of the campus police, the killer had enough time to write a book in between murders.
The package included text, videos and photos of Cho Seung-Hui posing with han...
April 17, 2007
The last American Idol contestant to be booted, Haley Scarnato, relied on her good looks to win votes. Every week her outfits got skimpier; God bless her soul she was delightful eye candy. Had Haley survived to the final round, she would have performed wearing a G-string and pasties.
The favori...
April 16, 2007
The Don Imus controversy is symbolic of the breakdown of civility in public discourse. It's not just shock jocks who sprinkle their speech with vulgarities and racial slurs. Whether it's at a shopping center or a restaurant, four-letter words are as much a part of the ambiance as the Muzak.
I w...
April 14, 2007
Don Imus looks like the Grim Reaper after an all-nighter. The obscene and racist rants that spew from his mouth match his deathly appearance. After more than 30 years in the shock jock racket, he finally imploded in a spectacular fashion.
I don't have the slightest bit of sympathy for the old c...
April 14, 2007
I started watching American Idol about a month ago when Sanjaya Malakar first burst into the national consciousness in a big way.
That was the infamous episode when the American Idol producers cynically placed Ashley Ferl, 13, at a ringside seat. Ashley cried throughout the taping, especially w...
April 13, 2007
"Innocent until proven guilty",
That's the bedrock foundation of our criminal justice system. But all too often, that noble concept is trampled in a rush to judgement.
Case in point, Michael Nifong, the rouge district attorney, who in a blatant move to pander to African American voters, tu...
April 12, 2007
Radio Shock Jock, Don Imus, is full of piss and vinegar; he has a long and undistinguished career of uttering racist, sexist and homophobic remarks. Usually he spews his vile on the rich, famous and powerful, and not too many people feel sorry for celebrities and politicians.
But when Don Imus ...
April 11, 2007
From Wikipedia:
"Suspension of disbelief is an aesthetic theory intended to characterize people's relationships to art. It refers to the alleged willingness of a reader or viewer to accept as true the premises of a work of fiction, even if they are fantastic, impossible, or contradictory. It al...
April 10, 2007
The Rutgers women's basketball team had a Cinderella season, advancing to the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball National Championship game. The Rutgers players, predominately African American, are not only superb athletes, but excellent students. The average person would describe the Rutgers women'...
April 09, 2007
*Disgraced minister Ted Haggard takes a break from his rehabilitation therapy to vote for Sanjaya thousands of times each Tuesday night.
*All the 7/11 franchise owners vote for him -- repeatedly.
*13-year old Ashley Ferl is a computer geek and she manipulates the vote in favor of Sanjaya.
...
April 08, 2007
From ABC News:
“A Rhode Island public school has decided the Easter bunny is too Christian and renamed him Peter Rabbit, and a state legislator is so hopping mad he has introduced an “Easter Bunny Act” to save the bunny’s good name.The Easter bunny was scheduled to make an appearance at a craft f...
April 07, 2007
President Bush doesn't have the temperament or qualifications to lead the Keystone Cops. Unfortunately, he is our commander-in-chief, and the result has been an unqualified disaster in Iraq and a quickly unraveling situation in Afghanistan.
We didn't find any weapons of mass destruction in Iraq...
April 06, 2007
Is Sanjaya Malakar a Messiah or the Anti-Christ? Will the vocally-challenged amateur be the death of American Idol, or will he save America's most popular show by forcing the producers to make changes to the voting system.
The 17-year-old teenybopper hasn't come remotely close to mastering the b...
April 05, 2007
There's Cher, Oprah, Madonna, and now you can add "Sanjaya" to the list of celebrities known only by their first name.
But you argue those are real celebrities with discernible talents! Really, Britney wouldn't be able to carry a tune if it was stapled to her bald head and Cher owes her success...
April 04, 2007
Sanjaya Malakar incites weeping and gnashing of teeth, in purists who appreciate artists who have the vocal ability and emotional maturity to do justice to pop standards.
But Sanjaya is still around because he sings the songs that makes the young girls cry -- and vote repeatedly for him on the...
April 03, 2007
From Jurist Legal News And Research:
"New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson signed into law the Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act Monday, legalizing medical marijuana in the treatment of certain 'eligible conditions and symptoms.' Eligible conditions include chronic or debilitating diseases ...
April 02, 2007
From the Associated Press:
"A planned Holy Week exhibition of a nude, anatomically correct chocolate sculpture of Jesus Christ was canceled Friday amid a choir of complaining Catholics that included Cardinal Edward Egan.
The 'My Sweet Lord' display was shut down by the hotel that houses the ...
April 02, 2007
From the Associated Press:
"The American people believe English should be the official language of the government. ... We should replace bilingual education with immersion in English so people learn the common language of the country and they learn the language of prosperity, not the language of...
April 01, 2007
Reality shows, such as American Idol, create new stars at an alarming rate; most twinkle for a nanosecond and then disappear.
The latest is a 17-year old boy with no discernible talent, who against all odds, has made it to the final 9 of American Idol.
Sanjaya Malakar has teeth that sparkl...
April 01, 2007
In 1979 a young firebrand, Mahmoud Ahmadinijad, participated in the interrogation and humiliation of the American hostages.
It’s 2007 and, an older but no wiser, Mahmoud Ahmadinijad is now president of Iran and he is presiding over the interrogation and humiliation of British hostages.
Ira...
April 01, 2007
Most people can't remember who won last year's American Idol competition, but they are very familiar with Sanjaya Malakar.
Sanjaya has teeth that sparkle like diamonds, long hair that would make a drag queen proud, a smile that reduces prepubescent girls to tears, and just enough singing ability...
March 29, 2007
Former Sen. Fred Thompson is considering running for president; he has the strong conservative credentials the major Republican candidates are lacking. Many conservatives are urging Sen.Thompson to enter the fray, but James Dobson is not a supporter.
From USNews.Com:
"Focus on the Family f...
March 26, 2007
From The Center For Democracy And Technology Web Site:
"In a major victory for free speech online, the federal District Court in Philadelphia on March 22 issued a sweeping rejection of the Child Online Protection Act (COPA), and a broad endorsement of the 'user empowerment' approach to protectin...
March 25, 2007
Mel Gibson medium is not celluloid, but blood. All of his movies are drenched in blood. Braveheart, The Passion of the Christ, Lethal Weapon and Apocalypto are all paeans to violence.
If Mel Gibson directed a film about Buddhist monks, the holy men wouldn't spend their time meditating for world...
March 25, 2007
*It's Spring Cleaning Time. Clean out your closet and donate your old clothes to charity.
*Perform a random act of kindness: Feed someone's parking meter, mow your elderly neighbor's lawn...
*Register to vote. Living in a democracy and not being a registered voter is akin to attending the same...
March 24, 2007
Many folks desperately cling to their faith, even when logic, common sense and the facts prove that their religion works against their self interests.
Case in point, this Reuters story about Muslim feminists (oxymoron?), who are behind an English-version of the Koran that seeks to soften the hol...
March 22, 2007
This season's American Idol finalists are so lackluster in charisma and talent, than a 13-year-old girl from the audience has grabbed the spotlight.
Ashley Ferl, 13, and her Mom attended a dress rehearsal of "Idol". The producers were impressed with Ashley's ability to cry a river of tears. The...
March 21, 2007
Ysabellabrave (MaryAnne) is one of the biggest stars on YouTube; she has thousands of fans who anxiously wait for her next video. From her videos we have learned tidbits of information: She’s a natural blond; lives in California; works for Yahoo; has been singing for only a year ...
Don’t let t...
March 21, 2007
Everybody and their Big Brother has weighed in on the anti-Hillary 1984 video, it's been called everything from irresponsible politics to a brilliant strategy.
Now it's my turn to pontificate on the matter; I see it as the democratization of American politics. In this age of YouTube and MySpace...
March 20, 2007
"Music hath charm to soothe the savage breast"
But music also quickens the brain, according to a new study.
From LiveScience.com
"Scientists have uncovered the first concrete evidence that playing music can significantly enhance the brain and sharpen hearing for all kinds of sounds, inc...
March 19, 2007
The American Idol franchise manufactures a new pop star every year; they are indistinguishable from each other. In fact, most people are more familiar with the names of the judges than they are with the American Idol winners.
But YouTube.Com has produced a star that breaks the mold, she is quir...
March 17, 2007
If I order a pizza from Dominoes and it's not nice and warm, the delivery man isn't going to get a tip, if I deign to accept the pizza. A cold pizza is like a kiss from your sister.
A New York restaurateur is selling a $1,000 pizza topped with six kinds of caviar, creme fraiche, (whatever that ...
March 14, 2007
Sen. Hillary Clinton shares the bad traits of her husband: An inability to be forthwith and an affinity for parsing words. But she doesn’t possess any of Bill’s good points: Charisma and an ability to empathize with others.
Hillary likes to stress that she is a female and a mother, but she is ...
March 13, 2007
“I believe homosexual acts between two individuals are immoral and that we should not condone immoral act. I do not believe the United States is well served by a policy that says it is OK to be immoral in any way.”
This sounds like a statement uttered by Jerry Falwell or Pat Robertson. I may disa...
March 11, 2007
From Reuters:
"An unknown number of new U.S. $1 coins bearing the image of George Washington are missing the words 'In God We Trust' and other lettering along the edges, the U.S. Mint said on Wednesday."
It is unclear how the mistake occurred or how many of the coins are in circulation, accord...
March 11, 2007
Jerry Falwell has the appearance of Jabba the Hut, the morals of Darth Vadar, and the ability to make you feel dirty just by watching his jowls move in condemnation of sinners.
Falwell is always railing against fornicators and homosexuals; he mercilessly condemned President Bill Clinton for his...
March 09, 2007
President Bush's ratings are in the dumpster; I don't blame him for leaving the White House for a six-day tour of Latin America.
But Bush is just as unpopular in Latin America; he has been met with violent protests at the start of his tour in Brazil.
And according to the Associated Pres...
March 09, 2007
American Idol is such a mega-hit because the audience knows what to expect: Paula’s silliness, Simon’s snarkiness, off-pitch performances and scandals. Every season of America’s most popular show is enlivened by a scandal or two.
This year it’s Antonella Barba, a finalist on hit show, who has pro...
March 09, 2007
Marvel Comics' Captain America made his debut in 1941, he was a blond hair, blue-eyed superhero fighting Nazis and the Japanese in World War II.
The red white and blue costumed action hero represented the America of the 1940's, because for all practical purposes minorities did not exist.
T...
March 09, 2007
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is very popular among religious conservatives. He has repeatedly placed near the top of Republican presidential polls recently, even though he is not a declared candidate.
Religious conservatives demand virtual moral perfection from politicians; they clamored ...
March 06, 2007
From the Associated Press:
"Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards says Jesus would be appalled at how the United States has ignored the plight of the suffering, and that he believes children should have private time to pray at school.
Edwards, in an interview with the Web site Beliefnet...
March 05, 2007
From FoxNews.Com:
Ann Coulter ... addressing the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, D.C., remarked:
"'I was going to have a few comments on the other Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, but it turns out you have to go into rehab if you use the word "faggot," ...
March 04, 2007
From Reuters:
“A Chinese province has taken the unusual step of fining hotels and bars more than $600 if they do not provide condoms, part of efforts to fight the spread of AIDS”
The booming eastern province of Zhejiang, with 1,859 recorded infections by the end of last year, started enforcing...
March 04, 2007
If I want to learn about global warming I might watch Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth” or conduct research on the Web, but I certainly wouldn’t seek Jerry Falwell’s opinion. I might seek the Rev’s take on whether or not a cartoon character is gay, but he’s the last person I would go to for scien...
March 03, 2007
Some individuals make the news by brokering peace between nations, others by inventing cures for deadly diseases, and then there are American celebrities who make news for more dubious reasons.
Take Britney Spears (please) for example; she makes the headlines by shaving her head or by passing o...
February 28, 2007
No president in recent history has been mocked, second-guessed, criticized and condemned more than George W. Bush. It’s not my purpose to defend Dubya, he deserves much of the abuse, but I have to admit that he hasn’t lost his good nature.
Contrast Bush’s reaction to adversity with the way Sen. H...
February 28, 2007
From MSNBC.Com:
“The Center for Science in the Public Interest, a research group that advocates good nutrition, highlighted menu items from popular chain restaurants that in some cases have as many calories in just one plateful as some people should eat in an entire day.
‘I would never dream...
February 25, 2007
Slavery was abolished in 1865 by the 13th Amendment, but the Virginia General Assembly just got around to voting unanimously to express “profound regret” for the state’s role in slavery.
Is an apology or an expression of “profound regret”, 142 years after slavery was abolished, a profound joke or...
February 24, 2007
From Reuters:
“People will not give money if they are thanked in advance or presented with an empty donation box, but will dig deep if they see banknotes, according to a study by New Zealand academics released on Wednesday.
The research by Victoria University of Wellington’s economics depart...
February 24, 2007
Does NASA have plans if an astronaut goes bonkers in space? You can bet your Tang they do, NASA is prepared for any contingency.
From WTKR.Com:
"The Associated Press has obtained a copy of NASA's written procedures for dealing with a suicidal or psychotic astronaut in space.
The documen...
February 22, 2007
In December, three climbers died on Mount Hood after getting trapped by a blinding snowstorm. More than 35 climbers have died on Mount Hood in the last quarter of a century.
At that time I wrote:
“I’m sick of hearing about the missing climbers; I’m sick of watching the relatives of the miss...
February 19, 2007
During his 2000 presidential campaign John McCain referred to televangelists Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson as “agents of intolerance.”
McCain is convinced he can’t win the White House without the support of religious conservatives – this time around he is doing everything possible to curry favo...
February 16, 2007
“We ended up launching a war that should have never been authorized, and should have never been waged, and to which we have now spent $400 billion and have seen over 3,000 lives of the bravest young Americans wasted.”
Presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama uttered this controversial statement at ...
February 13, 2007
From AlterNet:
"In his new book, The Quotable Atheist, author Jack Huberman has collected powerful quotations against organized religion and belief in God from figures such as Richard Dawkins, Phyllis Diller, Frederick Douglass, Michael Moore, Katha Pollitt, and yes, Jerry Falwell."
"Christ...
February 13, 2007
From the New York Times:
“I tell you what, I’m proud to be representing African-American coaches, to be the first African-American coach to win this,” Dungy said. “It means an awful lot to our country. But again, more than anything, I said it before, Lovie Smith and I, not only the first two Afri...
February 10, 2007
From Wikipedia:
Started in 1979, Moral Majority was an organization made up of conservative Christian political action committees, which campaigned on issues it believed central to upholding its Christian conception of the moral law, a perception it believed represented the majority of people’s o...
February 09, 2007
Al Gore won the 2000 presidential election by the vote of the American people, but lost is by a vote of the Supreme Court. After such a stunning turn of events, Gore could have sulked away into the sunset, never to be heard from again. Except by corporations willing to pay thousands to hear him deli...
February 07, 2007
Men and women aren’t very much alike; guys think about sex every six seconds and gals think up a new excuse not to have sex every six seconds.
When a long-time married couple engages in sex the husband will will imagine he is having sex with Britney Spears, and the wife will fantasize about a sho...
February 06, 2007
Since I was a precocious elementary school student, I have always started my day eating breakfast while reading the morning newspaper. Since those halcyon days many things have changed, but my morning routine has remained the same.
I write a weekly editorial for a newspaper, but I know that print...
February 04, 2007
Symbols are important; certain symbols or icons like the American flag unite us. Most Americans, except for a few anarchists and malcontents, feel a sense of pride and unity when they see Old Glory waving in the breeze.
Other symbols, especially religious emblems, are divisive. When Muslims see ...
February 04, 2007
Newsflash: Scientific research study shows breathing oxygen is a cancer risk
That's a fake headline, but I wouldn't be too surprised if some quack study arrived at that conclusion. It seems that just about everything under the sun causes cancer.
Here's a complete list of things that cause c...
February 01, 2007
Media critics, pundits, outraged Democrats and concerned citizens have long argued that Fox News is the semi-official propaganda arm of the Bush Administration. Conservatives respond that liberals are just jealous, because Fox News is the most popular cable news outlet.
But now Fox News has done ...
January 31, 2007
From The Associated Press:
“I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy,” he said. “I mean, that’s a storybook, man.”
Sen. Joe Biden describing Sen. Barack Obama:
These words have unleashed a whirlwind of controversy, b...
January 25, 2007
America is the greatest country in the world, but we are beset with many vexing problems. There is no consensus on how to deal with the issues of energy, immigration, crime, health care and unemployment.
But there is a clear consensus that the Iraq war is an unmitigated disaster. Politicians, pun...
January 22, 2007
From The ContraCostaTimes.Com:
“Assemblywoman Sally Lieber has …proposed a ban on spanking and sparked a real debate.
The issue is simple: Lieber wants to make spanking children age 3 and younger a misdemeanor. Offenders could face as much as a year in jail or as much as a $1,000 fine, though ...
January 17, 2007
From MSNBC News Services:
“The NFL has rejected Britney Spears’ request to be in a Super Bowl commercial to tout the NFL Network, the New York Daily News reported Tuesday.
“She’s too much of a train wreck. Besides, we already have Paris Hilton,” the Daily News cited its source as saying.
T...
January 16, 2007
President George W. Bush may be a fundamentally decent man, but his refusal to accept defeat in Iraq has led him to make fundamentally immoral choices.
America has the bravest and most disciplined army in the world , and in a short time we defeated Saddam’s rag tag minions. But winning the war ...
January 12, 2007
President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and the other prime architects of the ill-fated, illegal and immoral invasion of Iraq have a lot to answer for.
Dubya and Cheney won’t have to answer for their disastrous Iraq policy (at least not before Con...
January 12, 2007
My name is Robert Paul Reyes, and I'm a procrastinator. I would join a Procrastinators Anonymous group, but I'm always putting off searching the Internet to see if such a support group really exists.
I start off each day intending to write a brilliant analysis of Bush's foreign policy or some o...
January 10, 2007
From the Fox News Web site:
“Dubbed “style-free and fashion deprived,” Britney Spears and Paris Hilton tied for the No. 1 spot on Mr. Blackwell’s 47th annual “Worst Dressed” list released Tuesday.
“Two peas in an overexposed pod,” Blackwell said of the skimpy attire worn by the two celebutante...
January 08, 2007
Every day the media is full of stories of anti-immigrant and anti-Hispanic behavior by politicians, pundits and trailer park yahoos:
English only bill passed! Minutemen harass immigrants! Fence to be built on the U.S. border with Mexico! No health care for undocumented workers! Immigrant seeks r...
January 07, 2007
From the Associated Press:
“After coming under fire for denying a Chinese-American infant a $25,000 prize in a New Year’s baby contest because her mother was not a legal U.S. resident, the Toys “R” Us company said Saturday evening that it had reversed its decision.”
Baby Yuki Lin, winner of th...
January 06, 2007
From the Associated Press:
“Officials at Minneapolis-St. Paul International airport are proposing stiffer penalties, including suspension of an airport taxi license, for Muslim cab drivers who refuse service on religious grounds to passengers toting alcohol or with service dogs.”
We must nip t...
January 04, 2007
In Biblical times prophets were sometimes honored, sometimes reviled, but they were respected by the Israelites.
A prophet could really kill a party: “Thou must not dance before golden idols” would not go over very well in a party honoring Baal.
But prophets were perceived as ”messengers of Go...
January 02, 2007
Britney Spears started the New Year in the same condition as she has lived the past few years since she became famous: Drunk or otherwise mentally-impaired.
Britney’s New Year’s Resolution should be to try to behave like a rational human being.
The alcohol-addled pop diva collapsed during her ...
December 31, 2006
From Reuters:
"Lake Superior State University’s 32nd annual List of Words Banished from the Queen’s English for Mis-Use, Over-Use and General Uselessness featured such linguistic gems as “Gitmo” for the U.S. base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; euphemisms such as “undocumented alien;” and such Internet...
December 28, 2006
President George W. Bush has indicated his scorn for world opinion by invading Iraq; he has demonstrated his disdain for the Constitution by his warrantless wiretapping; and now he has exhibited his scorn of the American people by his plan to dispatch an additional 30,00 troops to Iraq.
The manda...
December 26, 2006
Respected columnist Cynthia Tucker recently wrote:
For a few decades now, a narrow view of Christianity has dominated the public square; it’s a pinched theology consumed with sexuality but also taking a variety of conservative positions that don’t seem to have much to do with the Gospel. That har...
December 22, 2006
From Reuters:
Target Corp said on Friday it had pulled a CD carrying case bearing Ernesto "Che" Guevara's image after an outcry by critics who label the Marxist revolutionary a murderer and totalitarian symbol.
Target had touted a music disc carrying case for Che admirers emblazoned with the...
December 21, 2006
USA Today’s Alcestis “Cookie” Oberg poses this question:
"Christmas is a time of reviving traditions - the glue that holds the continuum of time and family together. But let’s be frank: Aren’t there some holiday traditions you’d like to be done with?"
What’s up with eggnog? I can have a very e...
December 20, 2006
From the Chicago Tribune:
"More than nine out of 10 Americans, men and women alike, have had premarital sex, a new study says. The high rates extend even to women born in the 1940s, challenging perceptions that people were more chaste in the past.“This is reality-check research,” said the stu...
December 18, 2006
From The Daily Telegraph:
LARGE-sized clothing should carry tags with an obesity helpline number, a British Medical Journal report has said.
The report, compiled by a group of public health professionals, has recommended the phone numbers be placed on tags on women’s garments sized 16 and abov...
December 14, 2006
When Democratic Rep Dennis Kucinich ran for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination, he was dismissed as an anti-war nut. He garnered only 70 of the 2,162 delegates he would have needed to secure the nod.
Kucinich was undeterred by a press that ignored his campaign and a Democratic party th...
December 14, 2006
Superstar Mariah Carey has a golden set of pipes, but she chooses to emphasize her boobs and her behind. In my opinion, she is adverse to wearing panties; photos of her vagina were all over the Internet long before Britney opened up to the paparazzi.
The sexy pop diva is attempting to block porn...
December 12, 2006
Jerry Falwell, the Virginia televanglist, is the best advertisement for the stupidity, hypocrisy and veniality of TV-based evangelical religion. Watch Jerry Falwell condemn Tinky Winky for being gay, while his three chins quiver in moral indignation. Come on, how can any reasonably intelligent perso...
December 11, 2006
An international airport is a crossroads of humanity; you see folks from every corner of the globe. It’s imperative that American international airports don’t contain any jingoistic billboards or anything that may offend someone from another culture.
We should seek to welcome foreign visitors — n...
December 11, 2006
New Orleans voters handed Rep. William J. Jefferson a landslide reelection victory over state Rep. Karen Carter.
Normally this would not be big news, congressional incumbents almost always win. But Jefferson was videotaped by the FBI taking $100,000 in alleged bribe money, and $90,000 of those ma...
December 07, 2006
The Iraq Study Group proposed that America focus on training Iraqi troops, engage Iran and Syria, and seek to withdraw most of its combat forces from Iraq by the first quarter of 2008.
The group’s report outlines 79 recommendations – some of which are deeply troubling. The proposal to engage Syri...
December 05, 2006
President George W. Bush is a lame duck with waning support at home and a shattered reputation abroad. Even a sniveling puppet like Nouri Al-Maliki, the Prime Minister of the Green Zone, feels emboldened enough to publicly snub Dubya.
President George W. Bush has learned the hard way that acti...
December 04, 2006
Evangelicals claim to be followers of Jesus Christ, but evangelicalism in this country is a cult of personality. Evangelicals follow the truth as interpreted by James Dobson, Jerry Falwell, Oral Roberts, Jimmy Swaggart, Rick Warren, Billy Graham or Pat Robertson.
If Jerry Falwell declared that H...
December 01, 2006
Michael Richards apology tour has lasted longer than a marathon Rolling Stones tour. The volatile comic has apologized on David Letterman's show, Jesse Jackson's radio program and Al Sharpton's radio broadcast.
Finally the Seinfeld co-star will personally apologize to the black hecklers he offe...
December 01, 2006
Days after Britney Spears announced her divorce from K-Fed, she was already hitting the clubs with a new boy toy in tow.
Britney quickly shed the pounds she gained during her pregnancy, and just as quickly she donned micro miniskirts and blouses with plunging neck lines to show off her svelte f...
November 29, 2006
The Reverend Jesse Jackson called for a boycott of the four-disc seventh season of Seinfeld, as a way of punishing Michael Richards for his racist rant.
Richards, 57, won three Emmys for playing the goofy Cosmo Kramer on Seinfeld, which ran from 1990-98 on NBC.
The Seinfeld set was Amazon.com...
November 26, 2006
In more innocent times when we traveled by plane our main concerns were: Avoiding delays, rotten airline food and smelly passengers. But post 9/11 our main objective is getting to our destination without being blown up.
Six imams got on a plane in Minneapolis... Sounds like the beginning of a jo...
November 25, 2006
Before you could say the N-word seven times, the vultures descended on the carcass of Michael Richard's ruined career.
The first vulture to take a bite out of Richards was his old buddy Jerry Seinfeld who was on David Letterman's show to hawk the 7th season of Seinfeld on DVD. Eager to protect h...
November 24, 2006
A viewer to Pat Robertson’s “700 Club” asked:
“Why do Christians tell non-Christians that Jesus is the only way to heaven? Those who are Hindu, Buddhist, Islamic, etc., already know and have a relationship with God. Why is this? It seems disrespectful.”
I did not expect an ecumenical answer fr...
November 22, 2006
Michael Richards, who gained fame as Kramer the wacky neighbor on "Seinfeld", went of on a profane and racist tirade when he was interrupted by two black hecklers at the Laugh Factory in Hollywood.
Richards acted as if he was shocked that someone had the temerity to heckle him. If during your ...
November 19, 2006
“The Dutch government, facing re-election next week, said Friday it plans to draw up legislation “as soon as possible” banning the head-to-toe garment known as burqas and other clothing that covers the entire face in public places.” - From the Associated Press
I was born and raised in the San...
November 18, 2006
Doogie Howser, M.D.. is the beloved TV series that aired 1989-1993, about a teenaged genius who becomes a doctor.
What Mom wouldn’t be thrilled if her daughter dated a guy as wholesome and all-American as Doogie?
Neil Patrick Harris, who portrayed the title character in Doogie Howser, M.D. wa...
November 17, 2006
The Marine Reserves' Toys for Tots program has decided to accept a donation of 4,000 foot-tall Bible-quoting Jesus dolls.
Earlier this week, Toys for Tots declined a Los Angeles company's offer to donate the Bible-spouting action figures.
I can't think of anything more sacrilegious than a b...
November 16, 2006
If you look up the word "chutzpuh" in the dictionary, you will see a mug shot of O.J. Simpson. The former gridiron star is taking time out from the golf links, where for over a decade he has been looking for the "real" killers of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman.
S...
November 15, 2006
Americans gave the Democrats control of the Senate and the House for two main reasons: Disgust at the Republican’s “Culture of Corruption” and anger at Bush’s mishandling of the Iraq War.
During the long campaign, Nancy Pelosi, repeatedly assured voters that she would “drain the swamp.”
Instea...
November 13, 2006
President Bush has been vilified and demonized by everyone from Hugo Chavez to Nancy Pelosi. On Election Day the American voters gave Bush and his Republican party a thumpin' that will render him a lame duck for the final two years of his term.
To add insult to injury, Bush's head suffered about...
November 12, 2006
The movie "Borat" is a surprise hit at the box office, taking in almost $26 million its first weekend and garnishing extravagant praise from the critics.
I have no intentions of falling for the hype; I won't hand my hard-earned money to a comic who views people as objects and props for his dark ...
November 11, 2006
From Reuters:
"Student leaders at a California college have touched off a furor by banning the Pledge of Allegiance at their meetings, saying they see no reason to publicly swear loyalty to God and the U.S. government."
I don't see what all the fuss is about, the Pledge is banned only at meet...
November 10, 2006
The last couple of days I've been consumed with covering the midterm election, and I've neglected some important stories.
Allow me to make amends by finally covering a news event of epic proportions: The breakup of Britney Spears and Kevin Federline, also known as K-Fed or Mr. Britney Spears...
November 09, 2006
Religion should be an expression and celebration of the human spirit, but alas it is frequently just the opposite.
Case in point: The Vatican urged Israel to ban a gay parade this week in Jerusalem, saying the march in the city considered holy to Jews, Muslims and Christians would offend the fai...
November 08, 2006
After months of listening to pundits, politicians and prognosticators (forgive the alliteration, but the election results have made me giddy) the American electorate finally had their say and they handed Bush and the Republicans a crushing blow.
Americans sick of the Republican ¡°Culture of ...
November 07, 2006
I got up a few minutes early to cast my ballot for my favorite candidates. A few minutes of lost sleep is a small price to pay to exercise my duty as citizen of this wonderful democracy.
I'm proud to have voted, I even affixed that little "I voted" sticker on my expensive leather jacket.
T...
November 03, 2006
The National Association of Evangelicals (NEA) is a 30 million-strong organization that is home to multitudes of preachers and laypersons who condemn homosexuality in strident terms.
The Rev.Ted Haggard, President of the NEA, and vocal opponent of same-sex marriage, resigned amid allegations th...
November 02, 2006
We are in the final days before the midterm election, and we eagerly look forward to the end of political campaigning so we can watch “Desperate Housewives” and “Survivor” unencumbered with political ads replete with race baiting and allegations of sexual impropriety.
After having seen hundre...
October 30, 2006
Vox Populi
Democrat James Webb is slightly ahead of Republican incumbent Sen. George Allen with a week to go in one of the most contentious Senate races in history.
The Opinion Research Poll shows that among likely voters, Webb was the choice of 50 percent of those surveyed while 46 percent...
October 30, 2006
Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the creators of South Park, take a particular delight in offending celebrities, they have skewered everyone from Tom Cruise to Oprah. If you are an egotistical and self-centered celebrity — watch South Park at your peril.
Oprah has a magazine named after herself, a the...
October 29, 2006
In the closing days of the Virginia Senate race, George Allen is busy slinging mud and harping on the wedge issue of gay marriage.
His opponent, James Webb, on the other hand is concentrating on substantiative issues. In the Democratic Party's weekly radio address, Webb called on President G...
October 28, 2006
Sen. George Allen, still wiping the Macaca stain from his cowboy boots, took the bitterly contested Virginia Senate race to the gutter.
In a news release and list of X-rated quotes posted on the Drudge Report, Allen accused his opponent, former Navy Secretary Jim Webb of "demeaning women" and "d...
October 27, 2006
The devil sometimes appears as an “angel of light”, but in the persona of Dick Cheney, he wears a perpetual snarl. To grasp the incredible evil nature of our vice president please read: “The Evil Dick Cheney” by Jackson Thoreau at:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/articles/02/06/22_cheney.htm...
October 25, 2006
Rush Limbaugh has had a large imprint on AM Radio and conservative politics. He is credited with reviving the AM radio format with his popular talk show. Limbaugh's bully pulpit reaches an average 13.5 listeners weekly, making it the largest talk show audience in the united States.
Fans of ...
October 23, 2006
As a child I rarely missed an episode of Batman; I was always in front of the boob tube at the same bat-time, same bat-channel. My brother and I were delighted by the heroics of our favorite crime fighter, as he used his bat shield to deflect bullets and arrows.
I appropriated a dust pan and ch...
October 22, 2006
Elisabeth Edwards: I’m More Joyful Than Hillary
“She and I are from the same generation. We both went to law school and married other lawyers, but after that we made other choices. I think my choices have made me happier. I think I’m more joyful than she is.”
Elisabeth Edwards, wife of likel...
October 21, 2006
“The situation there is one that needs adjustments, that needs changes in tactics. We need to adapt to the situation on the ground.”
Sen. George Allen at a campaign event on Oct 20, 2006. referring not to his dismal senatorial campaign, but to the Iraq War.
That’s like General Custer on the ba...
October 19, 2006
October 11, 2006 - New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle and his friend were killed when their small plane slammed into a 50-story apartment building on Manhattan's Upper East Side.
Tomorrow it may be a Muslim fanatic flying his small plane into the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building or...
October 18, 2006
Virginia Sen. George Allen expected his reelection campaign to be a cakewalk, but along the way he stepped on some Macaca quicksand and he has been unable to extricate himself.
The latest polls show the Virginia Senate race is a virtual tie. Allen, who is a leading member of the Republican “cu...
October 17, 2006
It's difficult for any sane person to take the rantings and ravings of an evangelical leader seriously. A Pat Robertson appearance on the "700 club" has more laughs per minute than a typical Jay Leno monologue. And Jerry Falwell makes for a very amusing figure, his three chins quivering, as he outs ...
October 17, 2006
Fat folks are usually portrayed as jovial and good-humored in movies and TV shows, but the horizontally-challenged have very little to feel good about. I know that's not a politically correct thing to say, but facts is facts, as the saying goes.
That extra tonnage increases your risk for gettin...
October 15, 2006
Fox baseball analyst Steve Lyons has been fired for making racially insensitive comments directed at his colleague on the air during Game 3 of the American League Championship Series.
The smart alec broadcaster has been replaced for the remainder of the Championship Series by Jose Mota. "Jose M...
October 14, 2006
If it quacks like a duck…
If a man poses for his high school yearbook picture wearing a Confederate flag pin, collects Confederate flags, delights in doing photo ops with racist groups, displays a noose in his law office, is ashamed of his Jewish roots and calls a minority an obscure racial slur ...
October 14, 2006
What does the "Material Girl" do when she is bored of shopping in exclusive boutiques for bling bling and designer clothes?
Well, if you are Madonna you visit an impoverished African county and tour orphanages until you find a telegenic toddler to adopt. The publicity whore accomplished two goal...
October 13, 2006
We are all familiar with MTV's "Rock The Vote" and WWE's "Smackdown Your Vote", these voter registration drives have encouraged many young people to vote.
But that's not necessarily a good thing if uneducated voters are making uneducated choices resulting in inept or unethical candidates winning...
October 12, 2006
Televangelists like Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson preach a Gospel of division and exclusion. Like their Muslim counterparts they divide the world into saints and sinners.
Televangelists have so demonized homosexuals, feminists and pagans that fundamentalists perceive non-Christians as less th...
October 10, 2006
When some politicians are revealed as racists or scoundrels, they do the right thing and step down.
Others decide to tough it out, but they take steps to change their racist or unethical behavior. They admit their faults, ask for forgiveness and make a sincere attempt to turn over a new leaf.
...
October 09, 2006
Some of us have wild and wacky dreams, and we pray they don't reveal anything about our personalities. One time I visualized I was playing chess with SpongeBob SquarePants; I'm scared to find out what that bizarre vision may reveal about me.
But a study by a dream researcher from John F. Kenned...
October 09, 2006
Denmark's Foreign Ministry warned Danish citizens against traveling to several Muslim countries after a new Prophet Mohammad (Peace be upon him) cartoon controversy.
Soon Western editors may require journalists to write "Peace be upon him" every time they mention the Prophet Mohammad, so I though...
October 08, 2006
To quote Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.): It's time to drain the swamp. The culture of corruption is firmly entrenched in the Republican-controlled Congress.
After taking a bath you don't take a net and skim the dirt and grime, you pull the plug and let it drain. It's time to throw the Republican ...
October 05, 2006
The broadcast networks portray themselves as the last bastion of serious news, but anybody who watches Katie Couric on a regular basis knows that she exudes as much gravitas as a perky monkey.
With news junkies increasingly turning to bloggers and cable news outlets for their daily info fix, th...
October 04, 2006
There is nothing fabulous about illegal drug use, just ask superstar Whitney Houston as she is on her knees, in her bathroom, sans her dentures, desperately searching for a sliver of crack cocaine.
But the media does its best to glamorize illicit drugs; coke users in movies are usually portraye...
October 03, 2006
A 6-foot-6, 320 pound thug stomps on a fallen man, then repeatedly kicks and stomps on his face. The victim needs 30 stitches to repair the damage inflicted by the savage animal. There are scores of witness to this act of mayhem and brutality.
You would think that people would be clamoring for...
October 01, 2006
When I drive by a gated community, I don't feel jealous of the affluent who reside on the other side, but I'm certainly not inclined to shout "Howdy neighbor" as the luxury cars enter the compound.
A fenced-in community is an odious symbol of privilege and contempt for the great unwashed. Fences...
September 30, 2006
If you channel surf you are bound to run into televangelists, and it seems they are always railing against one sin or the other. There's Jerry Falwell thundering against homosexuality as his three chins tremble in moral indignation. There's Pat Robertson preaching against abortion, spittle flying al...
September 28, 2006
These days, free-speech loving Westerners walk on eggs around Muslim extremists (oxymoron?). The princess who couldn’t sleep because there was a pea beneath her mattress may have had tender sensibilities, but nothing compared to Muslims. They take umbrage at the slightest perceived slight, and the...
September 24, 2006
When Jerry Falwell and several hundred evangelical pastors get together for a "prayer breakfast", you would expect them to shovel food down their throats and well -- pray.
These fundamentalist preachers are not as dumb as they seem, they realize that political scheming is more effectual than p...
September 23, 2006
A couple of days ago I saw a faded bumper sticker which read " I Vote Christian."
Allow me to deconstruct the meaning and implications of this seemingly innocuous bumper sticker.
The individual who slapped this message on his/her car is defining Christianity in a very narrow way.
The chan...
September 22, 2006
George Allen was born and raised in Los Angeles County, but he is not your typical California dude. Allen turned his back on his Golden State roots and adopted the persona of a good old boy.
With his "aw shucks demeanor", his cowboy boots, his love for Confederate flags, and his chin dripping fro...
September 20, 2006
Sen. George Allen works very hard to cultivate the persona of a "good old boy", donning cowboy boots and collecting Confederate flags. His "aw shucks" demeanor has taken him all the way to the senate.
Bus his aspirations for the White House are in deep Macaca, and now, Oh Vey, it turns out that ...
September 18, 2006
Iran's supreme religoius leader Ali Khamenei said the pope's controversial remarks on Islam and jihad were the latest "links in the chain" of an American-Israeli conspiracy aimed at creating conflict between religions.
"The issue of insulting cartoons and remarks of some politicians about Islam ...
September 18, 2006
When a city council issues a "vision statement" I expect the report to emphasize words such as "diversity, bipartisanship and excellence."
City councilpersons should strive to be uniters and not dividers, using words that bring the community together and omitting words that cause divisions.
L...
September 16, 2006
Pope Benedict has caused an uproar in the Muslim world with a speech quoting a 14th century Christian Emperor. The Pope quoted the Emperor's declaration that the Prophet Mohammed had brought the world "only evil and inhuman things such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached". Th...
September 15, 2006
Evangelical Christians are “shocked, shocked, shocked” that Rosie O’Donnell honestly expressed her views on ABC’s The View.
O’Donnell was quick to react when co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck noted militant Islam provides a threat to free people.
“Just a minute,” she interrupted. “Radical Christi...
September 13, 2006
Politicians often appeal to the baser instincts, but Americans are fundamentally decent and are turned off by dirty politics.
Sen. George Allen had learned this truth to his great dismay, the good people of Virginia have turned against him since he made a racist remark to an American of Indian de...
September 13, 2006
Al Qaeda has more franchises than McDonald’s; Bin Laden and his henchmen release more videos than Britney Spears; Iraq is a breeding ground for terrorists; the Taliban is resurgent in Afghanistan; Hezbollah is standing tall, and Iran and North Korea make sport of yanking the paper tiger’s tail.
T...
September 13, 2006
From Reuters:
"Madrid's fashion week has turned away underweight models after protests that girls and young women were trying to copy their rail-thin looks and developing eating disorders.
Organizers say they want to project an image of beauty and health, rather than a waif-like, or heroin chi...
September 05, 2006
In an article published in WorldNetDaily, Jerry Falwell wrote:
"While the 2008 elections are far off on the horizon, the political pundits, experts and soothsayers are already scrutinizing the chances of the potential candidates to achieve the White House in two years.
With that in mind, I de...
September 01, 2006
Chronically perky Katie Couric has as much gravitas as a reporter from Entertainment Tonight. Whenever I see her smiling face on TV, I feel like joining Up With People or buying a National Enquirer magazine.
If CBS wanted to bolster the credentials of its new Evening News anchor, they would hav...
August 29, 2006
Most Republicans are in favor of immigration reform that would criminalize undocumented workers. Republicans running for office stress their anti-immigration views at every stump speech.
When a Republican candidate tells a crowd he is in favor of tough immigration laws, it’s code for “America is ...
August 28, 2006
New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin is a journalist's dream -- turn on your mike and he's guaranteed to supply you with a sound bite that will echo throughout the blogosphere.
The "Chocolate City" Mayor says he's sorry he used the term "hole in the ground" to describe the World Trade Center site.
...
August 27, 2006
A hotel or a motel room is nothing but a big bedroom, where weary businessmen and lovers seek a few moments of rest or passion.
Porn movies are as ubiquitous as Gideon Bibles and tiny shampoo bottles in American hotel rooms.
To each his own; some folks unwind by reading a Gideon Bible as ...
August 27, 2006
King George W. Bush shows contempt for the Constitution, ordering wiretapping of Americans without obtaining warrants from a court.
King George demonstrates contempt for the American public, by continuing his hugely unpopular war in Iraq.
Recently King George displayed contempt for the cit...
August 27, 2006
From Reuters:
"A seven-member family faces eviction from an east Berlin apartment tower after neighbors complained about loud prayer sessions that keep the whole building awake at night, a German newspaper said Thursday."
This offbeat story illustrates the vanity and selfishness of many in t...
August 24, 2006
Wal-Mart hired former civil rights leader and Atlanta mayor Andrew Young as a spokesperson, confident that the highly respected statesman would serve as a goodwill ambassador to ethnic communities.
For two years Young was an effective spokesperson (shill) for the giant corporation that is anathem...
August 20, 2006
The brutal murder of 6-year old JonBenet Ramsey on Christmas night in 1966 shocked America. The JonBenet murder was a staple of tabloid TV for months and years.
Since then there have been many other missing and murdered wealthy white girls to capture the interest of the media. After more than ...
August 15, 2006
Tucker Carlson of MSNBC and talk-show host Jerry Springer will be among the celebrities competing on the third season of ABC's "Dancing With the Stars."
The new season of the show which pairs 11 celebrity competitors with professional dancer-partners premieres Sept. 12.
I wonder what star T...
August 14, 2006
Asking Vice President Dick Cheney to provide an honest assessment of anti-war challenger Ned Lamont's Democratic primary win over Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, an Iraq war supporter, is like asking Jerry Falwell to give an honest appraisal of the "Vagina Monologues."
An objective analysis would...
August 11, 2006
Bin Laden and al-Zawahiri have released more videos than Madonna and Britney Spears; Al Qaeda has more franchises than McDonalds; proctologists stationed at every boarding gate; the Taliban resurgent in Afghanistan, and don't even mention Iraq.
Before we invaded Iraq, Saddam was the only terrori...
August 04, 2006
"We really need to address the burning of fossil fuels... It is getting hotter, and the icecaps are melting and there is a buildup of carbon dioxide in the air."
Which fire-breathing liberal uttered this apocalyptical warning about the dangers of global warming? Was it Al Gore who sees the eff...
August 03, 2006
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about two-thirds of Americans are overweight, and nearly one-third are obese.
These shocking figures translate into billions spent on health care for obesity-related diseases.
These figures will not change dramatically until fat ...
July 31, 2006
Iraq is spiraling out of control into an orgy of sectarian violence. Iran's nuclear weapons program is threatening regional stability and world peace. North Korea is lobbing missiles like there's no tomorrow. Israel is once again at war with one of her neighbors. You need to take out a mortgage to f...
July 31, 2006
A person who joins an evangelical church is not only making a public profession of faith in Jesus Christ, he is also identifying himself as a proponent of a conservative political ideology.
The vast majority of fundamentalist/evangelical congregations embrace a conservative ideology: Anti-abort...
July 27, 2006
George Michael is an English pop singer/songwriter who as a solo performer and as a member of WHAM has sold over 80 million records.
Michael's smooth pop ballads have earned him worldwide fame, he no longer tours but his timeless classics can still be hear in radio stations all over the globe.
...
July 26, 2006
The United States has many agencies that protect the health and well being of Americans, such as the Food Safety and Inspection Service which is responsible for ensuring that the nation's food supply is safe to eat.
Thanks to the government I have confidence in the food I consume, the prescrip...
July 18, 2006
Not every bill passed by Congress is a historic piece of legislation, too many bills contain unnecessary spending, benefit special interests or are otherwise flawed.
Yet President George W. Bush has never vetoed a bill, he promptly signs every bill that comes to his desk. By comparison, Preside...
July 17, 2006
It's not unusual to find a baby playing with its own feces, but some scientists also seem to be fascinated with fecal matter.
Some scientists study global warming or String Theory, while others research the effects of a baby's poop on his mother. The doo-doo has finally hit the fan, why do we a...
July 16, 2006
A judge is the undisputed "Big Kahuna" in a courtroom, everyone (including celebrity lawyers) stand up when he enters the room, he's addressed as "Your Honor" -- his word is law.
Hawaii Circuit Judge Patrick Border rightly took umbrage when defendant Junior Stowers raised his hands and testified...
July 14, 2006
Christians, Muslims and Jews living in the Holy Land don't agree on much of anything, but recently they did find some common ground.
Did they put their implacable differences aside to issue a joint declaration condemning racism & intolerance?
No, their common hatred of homosexuals brought the...
July 14, 2006
Zinedine Zidane is one of the premier soccer players in the world, he has remarkable control over his body. His athlethic and acrobatic moves don't seem human, they appear to be computer generated images that defy the laws of physics.
Zidane's amazing skills were on display before an audience o...
July 12, 2006
Don't help a little old lady cross the street. Don't mow your grandfather's lawn. Don't carry your grandmother's groceries to her car. Don't even tie your Parkinson's disease-impaired uncle's shoes for him.
I'm not a misanthrope with a particular disdain for old folks, I'm merely looking out fo...
July 11, 2006
Some extreme elements of the women's movement argue that men are superfluous. Men always smugly answered, "Right, and who's going to mow your lawn, check your oil, and not to mention impregnate you?"
A new scientific breakthrough may indeed make guys as obsolete as a Betamax, females in the futu...
July 10, 2006
Most folks lift weights, jog or walk to shed pounds and keep in shape. There is nothing wrong with these forms of exercise, but they are selfish pursuits. You are not accomplishing anything good for humankind by repetitively picking up weights or jogging around a track.
Darrell Nelson of Coon R...
July 08, 2006
Jerry Falwell is perhaps the best-known Religious Right leader in America today, if only due to his many years in the trenches of the culture wars.
Falwell has been eclipsed by other evangelical power brokers, including James Dobson, Rick Warren, D. James Kennedy and Franklin Graham.
But wh...
July 05, 2006
America, the world's greatest democracy, celebrated Independence Day with the liftoff of the space shuttle Discovery.
Under a clear Florida sky, the shuttle's glorious ascent brought shouts of joy from hundreds of NASA employees, guests and astronauts. Millions more Americans took a break from t...
July 03, 2006
When there are votes in Congress to ban same-sex marriage or to ban desecration of the American flag, congressmen go out of their way to publicize the controversial bills. Republican politicians in particular want their constituents to know that they are standing up for the flag and "family values."...
June 06, 2006
You are cruising down the freeway, and a clown is blasting his horn because you aren't flying more than ten miles over the speed limit. As he passes you by, and flips you the bird, many words come to mind to describe this idiot, few which can be printed in a family newspaper.
The term "road r...
June 02, 2006
I patronize the same restaurants, the waitpersons know me well and they always give me a heaping portion of my favorite entrees.
Dinning out is one of the simple pleasures of life, and I don't ruin my dining experience by counting calories.
My nagging mom (bless her heart) has passed away,...
May 31, 2006
The Senate approved a new immigration bill by a sizeable bipartisan majority. Their pragmatic and comprehensive approach to immigration is proof that seemingly intractable problems can be solved by men and women of good will.
The Senate's bill reflects President Bush's realistic and humane approa...
May 27, 2006
The Rayburn House Office Building was locked down for hours after Rep. Jim Saxton, R-N.J., reported hearing the sound of gunfire in the building's garage. All public schools in the District briefly went into lockdown as a result of the false alarm in the Capitol.
The noise apparently came from...
May 27, 2006
The Rev. Pat Robertson has uttered many outlandish statements during his long and controversial career. Recently he's called for the assassination of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and stated that God told him that a tsunami will soon hit America's coastline.
Will this smarmy snake oil sale...
May 22, 2006
What cause can bring together such disparate groups like: Amazing Kids!, Consumers Association, Media Matters, Afro-Netizen, Parents Television Council, American Library Association, Feminist Majority, Common Cause, Outside the Beltway, Interfaith Council for Social Justice, Google, Craigslist, the ...
May 21, 2006
There is an anti-French sentiment in the United States, a reaction to the adversarial and anti-American polices of the French government.
French jokes have become more popular than Polish jokes:
Q. Why don't they have fireworks at Euro Disney?
A. Because every time they shoot them ...
May 20, 2006
Angelina Jolie and Madonna are attached and unattainable, but there's good news for desperate single guys in search of a celebrity bride.
Jennifer Wilbanks, the runaway bride, is now unfettered and available. The bug-eyed bride and her vacant-eyed beau, John Mason, broke up earlier this month...
May 19, 2006
High School graduation is a rite of passage, it's a time to celebrate past accomplishments and look forward to future endeavors.
Graduation is a time when students take pride in the hard work and dedication that culminated in such a joyous ceremony. But it's also a period of reflection when st...
May 18, 2006
As someone who appreciates the absurd, I frequently watch Pat Robertson's 700 Club. You never know when he's going to call for the assassination of a foreign leader or condemn an American town to hell.
The televangelist rarely disappoints; in his latest pronouncement Pat Robertson claimed God...
May 16, 2006
Watching Hollywood movies may be detrimental to your health, especially for teenagers, a study by Australian researchers suggests.
According to an Associated Press story:
"University of Sydney scientists analyzed 87 of the most popular films of the past 20 years, counting 53 sex scenes...
May 15, 2006
Smells have very magical properties, in an instant they can transport you back in time. I recently took my niece to a carnival, while she tempted fate riding the Zipper and the Cruncher, I went to the concession stand and bought some cotton candy. The taste was akin to munching on a Q-tip, but the ...
May 10, 2006
Everyone agrees that smoking is bad for your health; in this country every pack of cigarettes has a warning spelling out the health risks.
New Zealand is going one step further; graphic images of rotting teeth and feet with gangrene will be put on cigarette packs.
This is government as B...
May 09, 2006
Three 6 Mafia, a rap group, penned "It's Hard Out Here For a Pimp" -- the 2005 Oscar winner for best original song.
It may have been hard out here for a pimp a couple of generations ago, but the pimp has been transformed from a vile, gaudy and reptilian creature into a cool cat worthy of respe...
May 08, 2006
When the German newspaper Bild asked George W. Bush to name his best moment as president, he replied that his best moment in office was the time he caught a 7 1/2 pound largemouth bass.
Catching a fish must have been a very fulfilling experience for Bush; it must have been a very frustrating orde...
May 08, 2006
President George W. Bush chose Counsel to the President Harriet Miers to lead the embattled CIA.
Not really, but Bush's real selection, Air Force Gen. Michael Hayden, may be as doomed as Miers.
"Mike Hayden is supremely qualified for this position," Bush said in the Oval Office, with Ha...
May 06, 2006
Medical science has literally performed miracles: Corneal transplants allow the blind to see and heart transplants extend the lives of grateful recipients.
But some of the greatest medical breakthroughs also have certain risks that should give us reason for pause and reflection.
Case in...
May 05, 2006
Middle and elementary school children live in a world of fantasy where it's possible to slay dragons, travel to Mars and wish upon a star. Granola bars, high-fiber foods, carrots and spinach are alien commodities in their universe. Their staples are bubble gum, ice cream, licorice, donuts and soda p...
May 03, 2006
Evangelicals have trumpeted "virginity pledges" as an effective method of fighting teen pregnancy, but a new study finds many teens denying they ever took such vows.
Virginity pledges are oral or written declarations to remain a virgin until marriage. Most kids who take virginity pledges wear ...
May 01, 2006
A mini-controversy erupted after the release last week of a recording called "Nuestro Himno" or "Our Anthem" -- a Spanish version featuring several famous Hispanic singers.
Talk radio has jumped on this hot topic. The usual suspects, Limbaugh & Hannity and other conservatives have used the co...
April 29, 2006
"May 1st, International Workers' Day, commemorates the historic struggle of working people throughout the world, and is recognized in every country except the United States, Canada, and South Africa. This despite the fact that the holiday began in the 1880's in the United States, with the fight for ...
April 28, 2006
Our national anthem, "The Star Spangled Banner", is a very difficult song to sing and it has survived some wretched renditions by crooners like Roseanne Barr.
A new version of "The Star Spangled Banner" with lyrics in Spanish has sparked a lot of controversy.
"Nuestro Himno" or "Our Anth...
April 27, 2006
You don't have to be a rocket scientist to know that a beautiful woman will wreak havoc with a man's cognitive skills and decision making-ability.
But now researchers from the University of Leuven in Belgium have proven the obvious.
The researchers had male volunteers play a financial g...
April 26, 2006
I love to look at my old photo albums, the snapshots of my life elicits memories, regrets and dreams.
My First Communion: Shorts, bow tie and a big smile. My high school graduation: Long hair, acne and a wry smile. A company picnic: Khakis, polo shirt and a faraway look in my eyes.
Thes...
April 25, 2006
According to the Associated Press (AP), "The Vatican is studying whether condoms can be condoned to help stem the tide of AIDS."
This sounds promising, if the Catholic Church gives its blessings to the use of condoms as a means of combating the spread of AIDS, it would be performing a great p...
April 24, 2006
You're ensconced in your cubicle, the in tray is overflowing, the printer is jammed, the telephone is blinking and your co-worker is snoring -- so you decide to escape for a few moments by surfing the Internet.
You're not alone, most employers let their staff surf the Net as long as it doesn'...
April 22, 2006
Wenyi Wang, 47, the protester who heckled Chinese President Hu Jintao during a White House ceremony was charged with a federal crime punishable by up to six months in jail.
This wild woman was allowed to rant and rave for about two minutes, before she was arrested and removed from the press a...
April 21, 2006
The arrest of two Duke University student athletes draws a picture of race, privilege and class in broad strokes of black and white.
Two Caucasian students have been charged with kidnapping and raping an African-American woman, who was hired to strip at a party held by Duke University lacros...
April 19, 2006
Winter is my favorite time of the year because the cold temperature prevents grass from growing. My front lawn covered with snow is a most beautiful sight.
I'm not one of those suburban lawn jockeys who love riding their $3,000 lawn mowers on their postage-size lawns.
A bucolic freshly-mowed l...
April 15, 2006
In most Christian denominations religious leaders don clerical garb to identify them as "men and women of god." When I spy a Catholic priest with his distinctive collar, I know he is in the ministry of serving God, not in the business of peddling Jesus junk.
The great majority of televangelis...
April 14, 2006
Last month Comedy Central pulled a rerun of a "South Park" episode in which creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker made fun of Scientology, apparently afraid it might provoke Tom Cruise to break into their corporate offices and throw a sofa-jumping hissy fit.
Once again Comedy Central has displa...
April 13, 2006
George W. Bush has embraced Richard Nixon's motto: "If the president does it, It's not illegal."
King George II rules by executive decree, he conducts domestic wiretapping without obtaining court warrants, starts wars nilly-willy and orders the indefinite detention of American citizens without fi...
April 12, 2006
Everyone knows that TV makes you look ten pounds heavier, but most folks don't realize that mirrors make you look ten pounds lighter. Sixty percent of Americans are overweight, but we refuse to believe what we see in the mirror. Your unconscious mind takes off a few pounds from the figure staring b...
April 11, 2006
Common sense, decency and consideration for others seems to be flying out the window, when's the last time you saw someone help a little old lady cross the street?
In the mean streets of Los Angeles an 82-year old woman was hit with a $114 ticket for taking too long to cross a five-lane street...
April 10, 2006
Disgraced Rep.Tom DeLay's decision to resign from Congress is good news for citizens who value clean government. The "Peanuts" character "Pigpen" was constantly enveloped in a cloud of dust, the ethically-challenged Republican leader is perpetually covered in a cloud of corruption.
Anyone wi...
April 09, 2006
When I watch President George W. Bush handle softball questions from carefully chosen audiences, I say to myself, "If only I had an opportunity to fire a fastball.
With his ratings in the dumpster the Leaker-in-Chief has started attending some forums where not all the questions are scripted in adv...
April 08, 2006
The Bush administration, like any self-respecting dictatorship, realizes that controlling the flow of information is a primary means of maintaining and building power.
The mark of a corrupt administration is that it seeks to control and manipulate the media.
Bush's Education Department ...
April 07, 2006
Many people over 50 live in an empty nest, they enjoy the peace and quiet that is conducive to a stress-free life.
No kids means no arguments, no loud rap music, no beeping, chirping and buzzing video games.
A peaceful and quiet home without screaming kids is the perfect prescription f...
April 03, 2006
An adult ensconced in his sofa watching TV is a natural tableau, our creaking bones and our stressed-out spirits are always in need of rest.
A kid planted in front of the boob tube for hours on end is an ominous sign. If a youth is not burning energy, he will eventually explode.
A new study by ...
April 01, 2006
"If the president does it, it can't be illegal."
President Richard Nixon.
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.
Philosopher George Santayana.
"I ain't got no time for Jibba Jabba"
Action hero Mr. T.
Richard Nixon's imperial attitude led t...
March 31, 2006
According to an Associated Press story by Malcolm Ritter, "researchers found that having people pray for heart bypass surgery patients had no effect on their recovery. In fact, patients who knew they were being prayed for had a slightly higher rate of complications."
What conclusions, if any, ...
March 27, 2006
"I think Hillary Clinton is fantastic. But I think it is too soon for her to run. This may sound odd, but a woman should be past her sexuality when she runs. Hillary still has sexual power and I don't think people will accept that. It's too threatening."
Sharon Stone speaking of Hillary Clinton.
...
March 27, 2006
Malaysia has taken a novel approach to reducing accidents in its congested freeway system, it opened the first massage center along a busy highway. The government plans to open another massage center later this year.
Malaysia is a predominantly Muslim country; don't expect any bikini-clad mass...
March 26, 2006
A couple of weeks ago Senator Russell D. Feingold introduced a measure in the Senate to censure President George W. Bush over the domestic eavesdropping program.
"The president has broken the law and, in some way, he must be held accountable", Feingold explained.
President Bush argues t...
March 25, 2006
The ideal neighbor never knocks on your door passing out Gospel tracts; a good friend doesn't bug you all the time to attend his place of worship and a considerate co-worker refrains from plastering his cubicle walls with religious images.
There are a few million people who are never guilty o...
March 23, 2006
Easter is a Christian holiday and it's a shame that in my small town of Lynchburg some companies give their employees the day off.
If a company observes Easter, but not Halloween, a high holy days for pagans, that's blatant discrimination.
Thank goodness that in larger cities common sen...
March 22, 2006
A reporter once asked the notorious bank robber, Willie Sutton, why he robbed banks and he replied "because that's where the money is."
Texas has begun dispatching undercover agents into bars to make arrests for public intoxication, because that's where the drunks are.
According to Reuters, "Th...
March 22, 2006
If you rent a mansion to the King of Pop expect to find empty bottles of "Jesus Juice" and a Playboy or Hustler left behind under a bed.
And if you rent a mansion to Prince don't be surprised if he decorates the place in purple trim.
But Prince went into a purple frenzy making a mansion ...
March 21, 2006
When I was a kid bacteria and viruses peacefully coexisted with humans. As a child I didn't fear germs -- worst they could do was give me a case of the sniffles.
I played in the mud, swam in filthy ponds, picked up pennies from the gutter and when I came home, my mom would scold me, not for b...
March 21, 2006
Homosexuals have been blamed for everything from 9/11 to the breakdown of the American family, and now an Israeli Rabbi is blaming an outbreak of the bird flu in Israel on homosexuals.
Whenever a Jerry Falwell or a Pat Robertson blames a catastrophe or natural disaster on homosexuals, only a few...
March 20, 2006
These are not the best of times for George W. Bush, the president is like a heavyweight boxer desperately trying to hold on until the final round, while the champ mercilessly pummels him.
BAM: A Newsweek poll shows his disapproval rating hitting a new low of 65%.
BOOM: Senator Russ Fein...
March 20, 2006
"Earlier today, reports began circulating across the globe that I have recently stated that Jews can go to heaven without being converted to Jesus Christ. This is categorically untrue."
- Jerry Falwell
This is a statement posted on falwell.com March 1, 2006.
Jerry Falwell vehemently ...
March 19, 2006
Getting the keys to your own car is a rite of passage on the road of life that every adult remembers with a twinkle in his eye.
First kiss, first fistfight, first car -- images of my life passing before me before I die.
But when grownups see a young whippersnapper get behind the wheel ...
March 18, 2006
Some people think Jessica Simpson is a shrewd businesswoman who exploits her dunce image as a marketing ploy. She knows that if men think her I.Q. matches her bust size -- they won't find her intimidating. Jessica really didn't think that "Chicken of the Sea" tuna was chicken, right?
If Jes...
March 16, 2006
George Clooney is a movie star, sex symbol, producer, screenwriter and director, but the noted liberal needs to learn a thing or two about blogging.
Blogging simply means to publish your opinions on the Internet, it doesn't mean giving someone else permission to use your statements in a blog ...
March 15, 2006
Research by a team of Harvard University psychologists shows that jogging by yourself could be bad for your health. Experiments show that it raises stress levels and stifles the production of new brain cells.
I'm not a psychologist, I don't even play one on TV, but I question the validity of ...
March 14, 2006
Pat Robertson has a long history of making irresponsible and outrageous statements. After he was severely criticized for insinuating that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's stroke was divine punishment for pulling out of Gaza, he promised to more carefully measure his words.
Yeah right, an...
March 13, 2006
Senator Russell D. Feingold plans to introduce a measure in the Senate to censure President Bush over the domestic eavesdropping program.
"The president has broken the law and, in some way, he must be held accountable", Feingold explained. Quote appears in "The Seattle Times"
Some dismiss Feing...
March 11, 2006
Sharon Stone was in Israel recently to promote International Women's Day, an occasion that serves as rallying point for coordinated efforts to demand women's rights and participation in the political and economic process.
Sharon is an internationally known movie star, and it may be difficult ...
March 10, 2006
According to the "Daily Mail", the United Kingdoms' Food Standards Agency has come up with a plan that would involve putting red, amber and green logos on the front of food products to identify whether they are high in fat, sugar or salt.
"Red would mean it was high in a particular ingredient and...
March 10, 2006
Jerry Falwell's Liberty University is a private Christian institution that does not accept openly gay students.
No doubt there are gay and lesbian students at Liberty who can't come out because they would face expulsion.
It's ironic that there is no liberty at Liberty University; the s...
March 09, 2006
Some issues, like the "flat tax", can be discussed in a calm, reasonable and logical manner. Then there's the lightning rod issue of abortion, that seemingly cannot be debated without resorting to inflammatory rhetoric.
This divisive issue is once again at the forefront of American politics, ...
March 09, 2006
According to research by, Elke den Ouden, a Dutch scientist: "Half of all malfunctioning products that are returned to stores by consumers work just fine, if only the customer knew how to operate the device."
I have three VCR's perpetually blinking "12:00" that testify to the veracity of that...
March 07, 2006
Madonna is used to intense grilling from the press: Are you and Guy getting a divorce? Do you really consider yourself an actress? Do you think you are still relevant? Have you had plastic surgery? Have you and Elton John made up?
But it turns out that Madonna has faced the most intense interroga...
March 07, 2006
Three 6 Mafia, a posse of rappers, won the Academy Award for best original song from a motion picture.
"It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" is an expletive-laden ditty that seeks to ellicit sympathy for the hardships faced by a pimp.
I don't have an ounce of sympathy for loathsome creature...
March 06, 2006
We tend to think of the heart as a piece of machinery -- the engine that keeps us going. We are careful to eat heart-healthy foods that won't clog the blood vessels leading to this vital organ. We faithfully engage in cardio exercise, to keep our hearts in tip-top shape.
And indeed the heart...
March 06, 2006
"Michael Jackson has a thing for young children"
Jermaine Jackson (As reported by "All Headline News" staff writer Felicia Willis.
No kidding! That's like saying Oprah Winfrey has a thing for donuts, Snoop Dogg has a thing for weed, Anna Nicole Smith has a thing for pharmaceuticals, Mike...
March 05, 2006
High school is "reading, riting and rithmetic", but it's also a time when teenagers explore their interests and express their individuality in a number of ways.
It was in high school that I developed my love of reading and writing. English Literature 101 was my entry into a world of words that...
March 04, 2006
President George W. Bush, like most American politicians, frequently invokes god in interviews, speeches and press conferences, but it's rare to hear a European politician make reference to the Almighty.
European politicians realize that politics and religion are a combustible mix, and they h...
March 04, 2006
The children's book "And Tango Makes Three," based on a true story is causing controversy in Missouri.
When a child reads this wonderful illustrated story about two male penguins who adopt an abandoned egg, they are likely to utter words like: wow, cute, sweet and cool.
Kids naturally...
March 04, 2006
"Who is probably the single most violent nation on planet Earth?" "The United States of America."
"I'm not saying that Bush and Hitler are exactly the same, obviously they're not," But there are some eerie similarities to the tones that they use."
If Michael Moore or Cindy Sheehan uttered thes...
March 04, 2006
A corrupt congressman sentenced to eight years; Iran determined to build a nuclear bomb, a Christian shrine in Nazareth is attacked; a Shiite mosque in Iraq is destroyed; Gary Glitter convicted of child molestation; a child is abducted; a woman leaves her toddlers home alone to attend a Jerry Spring...
March 04, 2006
Some celebrities relish appearing on the cover of "Playboy" magazine, they see it as affirmation of their success. To grace the cover of "Playboy" is perceived as the nadir of celebrity.
Never mind that skin magazines objectify women and reduce them to body parts.
If a famous singer or a...
March 03, 2006
Pat Robertson has a penchant for uttering controversial statements that rile up his base and infuriate anyone with a conscience.
Robertson's zany comments are not a result of religious fervor getting the best of him, his words are calculated to infuriate "unbelievers" and paint him as a marty...
March 02, 2006
To most of the world "Guantanamo Bay" and "Gulag" are synonymous, this infamous American detention camp is undermining our efforts to combat terrorism and to win hearts and minds.
Gitmo is a Kafkaesque nightmare, the Geneva Conventions and the Constitution are ignored and detainees are in a legal...
February 27, 2006
A few of us are destined for greatness, with her sultry voice, platinum blond hair and curvaceous body, Marilyn Monroe was born to be a movie star.
The rest of us eventually give up our dreams of fame and fortune, and settle in to our lives of quiet desperation.
With his receding hairline, awk...
February 26, 2006
Our postmodern society has evolved past Christianity, there is no place for the teachings of Jesus in pop culture. And make no mistake about it, pop culture reigns supreme.
Evangelicals might wear "WWJD" bracelets, but they are more interesting in what Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, Madonna an...
February 25, 2006
Donald Trump is a chest-thumping mogul, figuratively perched on top of the Trump Tower, swatting at all the wannabe entrepreneurs who yearn to displace him as the premier celebrity tycoon.
The streets of New York are littered with the pin-striped carcasses of those who dared to take on The Do...
February 24, 2006
Rating sweeps periods are used to determine future ad rates for local stations. It's not unusual during these crucial sweeps months for TV shows to feature the bizarre and the scandalous -- anything to garner high ratings. Don't expect any "Masterpiece Theatre" type programming during a sweeps pe...
February 23, 2006
The New York Times, USA Today, The Chicago Tribune, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Washington Post, The Christian Science Monitor, The Wall Street Journal and almost every other newspaper in America practiced self-censorship by failing to publish the cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.
Americ...
February 22, 2006
In a victory for hallucinogenic bliss and religious freedom, the Supreme Court rejected the Bush administration's spurious argument that it can bar a small sect in New Mexico from using a hallucinogenic tea during its rituals.
One wonders why a conservative administration would be in favor of the...
February 21, 2006
Children don't count calories, such obsessions are reserved for the adult world, along with worrying about bills, managing relationships, plotting against the boss and paying taxes.
Childhood is a time of munching Doritos, slurping shakes, gulping sodas, licking suckers, chewing gum and gobbl...
February 19, 2006
If you live long enough -- you will eventually see everything. Nothing in life or politics surprises me any more, it helps that I'm blessed with an appreciation of the absurd.
Harry Whittington, the 78-year old Texas lawyer, who was peppered with birdshot by "Dead-Eye" Dick Cheney, apologized ...
February 14, 2006
Vice President Dick Cheney obtained five deferments to avoid serving in the military during the Vietnam War.
Only poor white boys and blacks died in Vietnam, the wealthy got their deferments -- no detours climbing the ladder of success for them.
But rich men love playing with their guns...
February 11, 2006
Churches often celebrate the birthdays of giants of the faith, but this Sunday hundreds of churches around the country plan to celebrate the 197th birthday of Charles Darwin.
"Evolution Sunday" has drawn participation from a plethora of churches, including Methodist, Lutheran, Episcopalian, Presb...
February 11, 2006
It's not easy writing topical essays almost every day, it entails reading dozens of newspapers and perusing scores of Web sites. When the research gets too tedious, I like to take a break by playing solitaire online or chatting up a cyber buddy. All work and no play makes for a very grumpy fellow.
...
February 10, 2006
Some Westerners who view the world through politically correct rose-colored glasses, claim that only a small percentage of Muslims are intolerant and espouse violence.
We have seen Muslims all over the world riot, burn down Western embassies and murder innocent people, because the secular West wi...
February 08, 2006
Chaos theory: If a celebrity blows her nose in a discotheque in Los Angeles, it will cause a media storm all over the United States.
Britney Spears hasn't released a new album or toured in months, but she is still frequently in the news. Her marital problems are splashed all over the tabloids...
February 07, 2006
It is the obligation of a newspaper, magazine, Web site or TV station to present all the pertinent facts of an issue.
If a presidential candidate is accused of having an extramarital affair, and there are incriminating photographs, it is incumbent on the media to publish the images.
Freedom of...
February 06, 2006
Secularists place a high premium on individuality, but fundamentalists worship conformity.
Fundamentalists shouldn't be seen as individuals who share the same beliefs, but as a single, in most cases, malevolent entity.
We have witnessed the destructive power of this entity, as it set f...
February 05, 2006
If a hard working taxpayer in America wants to purchase marijuana he has to seek a scuzzy character with a moniker like "Dime Bag Danny." And "Dime Bag Danny" may not be adverse to mixing in a little bit of oregano with your grass.
Conservatives and fundamentalists have made it difficult eve...
February 04, 2006
Hordes of devout Muslims demonstrated their deep love of Islam by storming the Danish Embassy in Damascus and torching the building.
The mob was protesting caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed (Muhammad) that were first published in a Danish newspaper months ago.
The building also house...
February 03, 2006
"Will and Grace" is a hit on TV, "BrokeBack Mountain" is a commercial and critical success, and same-sex marriage is legal is Massachusetts.
Americans are more accepting of homosexuals, but in large part thanks to the hate-filled rantings of Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson, there are still ma...
January 31, 2006
The Super Bowl transcends sports, it is a celebration of American power. It's an "in your face" glorification of American supremacy.
The Super Bowl has finally reached a most appropriate Roman numeral, everything about the Super is XL (Extra Large).
Even people who don't know a third dow...
January 29, 2006
"Dost thou still retain thine integrity? Curse God and die.” (Job 2:9)
This was the message given to Job by his cursed wife. The couple had lost their seven sons, three daughters, their home, their livelihood, and their health almost simultaneously.
It is too easy to blame a deity for ...
January 28, 2006
Controversial rapper, Kanye West, has posed as Jesus Christ for the cover of "Rolling Stone", chastised George W. Bush for "not caring about black people" and thrown a hissy fit when he didn't win an "American Music Award" for best new artist.
Kanye who has an enormous ego and miniscule talen...
January 28, 2006
Conservative commentator Ann Coulter's venomous mouth struck again, speaking at a black college, she joked that Justice John Paul Stevens should be poisoned.
The quick-witted and sharp-tongued pundit told a Philander Smith College audience that more conservative justices were needed on the Supreme...
January 28, 2006
An individual who spends a lot of time online is a nerdy loner who is socially retarded and a danger to society whenever he ventures away from his computer. Internet geeks have lost to ability to express emotions, the best they can do is reveal their feelings by typing emoticons. Heavy Internet use ...
January 27, 2006
"I am not a crook" President Nixon emphatically declared on Nov 17. 1973. Less than a year later the disgraced leader resigned on Aug. 9, 1974.
"We do not torture" President George W. Bush declared, in the final stop of his Latin American tour last November.
Dubya's "We don't torture" invokes t...
January 26, 2006
A businessman without business cards is like a clown without a red nose and floppy shoes. Any businessman worth his salt, will have tricks up his sleeve and a fancy business card at the ready.
Many drug dealers fancy themselves businessmen, but it behooves them not to buy an advertisement in t...
January 23, 2006
Marijuana growers held a trade show in Amsterdam, Europe's pot-smoking capital. According to a report by the Associated Press it had the "trappings of a major industry fair, complete with scantily clad models, glossy brochures and, of course samples."
Pot samples sure beats the bits of microw...
January 22, 2006
History books are not written to preserve the past, but to validate the present. A wise student reads history texts with a jaundiced eye, knowing that they were written not by truth seekers, but by myth makers.
Autobiographies should not be judged by their factual accuracy, but by the moods a...
January 21, 2006
Jerry Springer is a theater of the absurd, a parade of freaks, a showcase where trailer park whores, transvestites, incestuous hillbillies and second-rate strippers strut their stuff, for the entertainment of a jaded and bored populace.
I watch the Springer show religiously, albeit with an ir...
January 19, 2006
Republican Sen. Rick Santorum criticized the media for reporting the "tragic consequences" of the war in Iraq. Focusing on them was "helping Islamic fascism win the battle."
The consequences of war are death and destruction, not to report on the fatal consequences of war is like covering a fo...
January 18, 2006
"Beam me up Scotty", this news item proves there's no intelligent life forms on this planet.
William Shatner may not have passed a milestone when he passed a kidney stone, but the actor was able to turn stone into gold.
Shatner went where no man has gone before, selling his kidney ston...
January 17, 2006
"God is mad at America and at black communities, too, for tearing themselves apart with violence and political infighting. Surely God is mad at America. He sent us hurricane after hurricane after hurricane, and it's destroyed and put stress on this country."
All quotes in this article as reported...
January 16, 2006
The American Flag, The State of Liberty and Michelangelo's painting that depicts God reaching out to touch Adam's hand are iconic images that represent values that most Americans hold dear: Patriotism, Liberty and God.
Some folks believe that these symbols should be held in veneration and never ...
January 12, 2006
"Women and children first" is axiomatic, nobody ever questions the morality or logic of this commonly heard phrase.
Men are expendable; men are cannon fodder; men are of little value.
In all of recorded history there has never been a female crash test dummy. People are OK with the image of a m...
January 11, 2006
"The prophet Joel makes it very clear that God has enmity against those who divide my land.... Ariel Sharon was dividing God's land and I would say woe unto any prime minister of Israel who takes a similar course to appease the European Union, the United Nations or the United States."
Televangelis...
January 10, 2006
I'm old school when it comes to technology, I bought my first DVD player only a couple of years ago -- and now the DVD player is about to be replaced by high-def DVD machines.
When it comes to listening music I still have more cassettes than I do CD's, and I'm not even going to try to figure out...
January 08, 2006
This has been a year of vindication for Joe Paterno, after a couple of losing seasons, the Penn State football coach led his team to an 11-1 record and capped off the season with a win in the Orange Bowl.
There are no more calls for Paterno's resignation, he has proved that despite his advanc...
January 07, 2006
All the festivities surrounding the Super Bowl are choreographed by the NFL -- this all-powerful entity leaves nothing to chance.
I wouldn't be surprised if NFL meteorologists are hard at work devising a plan to manipulate the weather, insuring that it will always be sunny for Super Bowl Sunda...
January 06, 2006
"The prophet Joel makes it very clear that God has enmity against those who divide my land.... Ariel Sharon was dividing God's land and I would say woe unto any prime minister of Israel who takes a similar course to appease the European Union, the United Nations or the United States."
Televan...
January 05, 2006
A year ago President George W. Bush stood tall in the saddle, he corralled enough red states to credibly boast he had "political capital up the wazoo" (paraphrase).
But now, as a hapless lame-duck president, he should borrow the Democrat's mascot, and slouch on a donkey.
How the mighty ...
January 04, 2006
A British advertising watchdog organization has criticized gangsta rapper 50 cent for a controversial billboard.
The billboard shows rap star "50 Cent" shirtless, with his bullet scarred back facing the camera, a gun tucked in his jeans and a baby over his shoulder.
The poster for his film, "Ge...
January 04, 2006
From time immemorial New Year's Eve has meant champagne, confetti, fireworks and Dick Clark.
Every New Year's Eve we get a few more gray hairs, a few more wrinkles, but Dick Clark is the eternal teenager, the man who never ages.
But the 76-year-old entertainer and media mogul suffered ...
December 30, 2005
The Internet is no longer a male domain; women are now as likely to surf the Net as men, but a new study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project reveals that men and women go online for different reasons.
Guys go online to check the weather, news, sports and financial information, and o...
December 29, 2005
We are a nation at war -- an epic struggle against terrorism.
Our enemy is very real and very ruthless, 9/11 was a sobering experience that demonstrated to us the nature of our adversary.
George W. Bush's mantra of "war on terrorism" comes in handy to excuse and justify any number of nefarious ...
December 27, 2005
I must be an old goat, because a lot of earthshaking events that have taken place in my lifetime are now in the history books.
It seems like only a couple of years ago that the nation was consumed with Bill Clinton's impeachment, but even this recent event has found its way into the history b...
December 23, 2005
President George W. Bush recently emerged from his White House bunker to engage in a series of interviews and press conferences, finally taking responsibility for going to war in Iraq based on suspect intelligence.
Bush may be making an honest, albeit belated, attempt to be more open with the ...
December 22, 2005
Little boys enjoy employing action figures to wreak havoc around the household, all the while providing an earache-inducing soundtrack of yells and screams.
But there is nothing more heartwarming and tranquil than watching your daughter, granddaughter or niece play with a Barbie.
Seeing a littl...
December 22, 2005
"We do not torture" President George W. Bush declared, in the final stop of his Latin American tour last month, evoking incredulous laughter from all quarters.
Paris Hilton would have had more credibility if she had trumpeted, "I do not whore around."
It's a sad indictment that the leader of th...
December 19, 2005
FutureMe.org allows people to send e-mails to themselves and others for delivery years in the future.
FutureMe lets individuals send messages for delivery as much as 30 years from now, though most folks schedule their letters to be sent within three years.
If I send an e-mail to myself, to be d...
December 18, 2005
For the third time in four years, pop star Britney Spears topped Yahoo's annual list of the most-searched for names on the Internet.
Unfortunately, Britney Spears perfectly captures the essence of America -- all style and no substance.
The pop princess did not release a CD containing new mater...
December 17, 2005
True love thrives on the Internet, many lonely hearts have met their matches in chat rooms. "We met in a chat room" is as common a phrase as "we met in a bar."
At my place of employment I know of three married couples that met online, there is no longer a stigma to admitting you met your part...
December 15, 2005
Bob Dylan may have earned millions in his long and distinguished career, but he speaks for the working man, the disenfranchised and all those who fight "The Man."
At least he did at one time, but the singer-songwriter, former counterculture figure and voice of a generation now speaks for "Victoria...
December 13, 2005
President George W. Bush said the other day that he does not live "in a bubble," and that he is well aware of what is going on outside the White House.
"I feel like I'm getting really good advice from very capable people, and that people from all walks of life have informed me and informed those ...
December 12, 2005
The world lost a giant in the world of comedy when Richard Pryor died over the weekend from a heart attack. He was 65.
Pryor, the stand-up comic whose expletive-filled riffs influenced generations of funnymen in his wake, suffered from ill heal with multiple sclerosis for years.
Pryor's ...
December 10, 2005
In September a British tabloid ran photos of Kate Moss preparing 20 lines of cocaine, then snorting some herself before letting her sleazy friends binge themselves into oblivion.
Burberry and other top fashion brands dropped her and there was much speculation that she wouldn't be able to revi...
December 09, 2005
This Web site, AmericanChronicle.com, has credibility because everyone knows that the views expressed here are the heartfelt opinions of the contributors.
I write about issues that I perceive as important: The war in Iraq, racial equality, human rights, the separation of church and state...
If...
December 09, 2005
Christmas is in the air, Christmas is everywhere, Christmas never ends -- or so it seems. Christmas starts soon after Halloween and ends sometime after New Years Day.
My favorite radio station has changed to an all-Christmas format until Dec. 25th, the downtown streets are adorned with Christm...
December 07, 2005
A report from the Institute of Medicine calls for changes in the way foods and beverages are marketed to children. It recommends that cartoon characters like SpongeBob SquarePants be used to promote only nutritious foods.
When I was a child Bugs Bunny was my hero, he not only defied authority but...
December 05, 2005
It is not uncommon for civic or religious leaders to donate blood as an example to their followers.
Rick Warren, evangelical minister and author of the "Purpose Driven Life", took that concept to a new level, he was tested for HIV during a press conference on World AIDS Day.
The test revealed t...
December 05, 2005
Focus on the Family, the conservative group headed by James Dobson, announced that it would be ending its banking relationship with Well Fargo, because of its support of groups that advance the "radical homosexual agenda."
This is apparently a reference to a gift made by Wells Fargo to GLAAD (...
December 04, 2005
Boy preacher, activist, mayoral candidate, presidential candidate, electrifying speaker, tour manager for James Brown, buffoon with a bouffant hairdo, pitchman for a car title loan company -- Al Sharpton has played many roles in his remarkable life.
Now get ready for Al Sharpton the sitcom st...
December 02, 2005
*Epiphany: A usually sudden manifestation or perception of the essential nature or meaning of something.
Saul, the persecutor of the early Christians, had an epiphany and became the Apostle Paul, the greatest missionary in Christian history.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld claimed to ...
December 01, 2005
These are not the best of times for Arnold Schwarzenegger, his ratings are in the dump, and voters said a resounding "No" to the four initiatives that he said were needed to reform California.
But I would never count out the governor of the Golden State, his most famous movie line is "I'll be...
November 28, 2005
Individuals who spend too much time online tend to be socially awkward, they have a hard time relating to others.
A human being needs to interact with something other than a computer mouse, we need to speak, touch and socialize with each other.
According to Reuters, scientists in Singap...
November 27, 2005
Sacramento may be the capital of California, but the sleepy town located in the fertile Sacramento valley is best known for cows and mediocre professional teams.
Hundreds of the faithful have been making a pilgrimage to Sacramento, not to catch a glimpse of Arnold Schwarzenegger, but to kneel...
November 26, 2005
Boston city officials ignited a jihad when they renamed a giant tree in a city park a "holiday tree" instead of a "Christmas tree."
It's ironic to witness the spectacle of evangelicals complaining that a pagan symbol is not labeled a "Christmas tree."
The move drew an angry response from...
November 26, 2005
Jennifer Aniston is a sit-com fixture with pretensions of being a movie star, fans will turn on the boob tube to watch her, but they balk at forking over ten bucks to see her on the big screen.
Jennifer shines when she is part of an ensemble cast, but she doesn't have the wattage to carry a mo...
November 24, 2005
Venezuela's President, Hugo Chavez, is dismissed by the Bush administration as a communist seeking to destabilize Latin America.
Has President Chavez been a destabilizing force in Latin America? Sure, if you consider selling fuel on preferential terms to poor countries across Latin America an...
November 22, 2005
Thanksgiving is a day in which "people of faith" render thanks to their Creator for the many blessings He showers them with.
I'm a freethinker, but I don't see this exhibition of thanksgiving to a deaf god as an empty and meaningless exercise -- it's always a good thing when individuals dwell...
November 21, 2005
According to Reuters, "Mexicans have set up a shrine at a plant pot on the grounds of a beach resort on the Caribbean island of Cozumel after an image said to depict Jesus appeared on it following Hurricane Wilma a month ago."
Sometimes the most telling news stories are not found on the front...
November 21, 2005
President George W. Bush's mantra and excuse for invading Iraq was "Saddam has Weapons of Mass Destruction", but now it turns out that the only chemical weapons were in the arsenal of the United States.
This week the Bush administration admitted using incendiary weapons containing white phosp...
November 20, 2005
Kids respond to public service announcements (PSAs) about as well as they respond to lectures from parents or teachers.
Even the classic "this is your brain on drugs" PSA showing an egg being fried, probably inspired some kids to try drugs. "Oh wow, dude, let's go score some acid, I wanna sc...
November 18, 2005
In a recent referendum, San Franciscans expressed their opposition to military recruitment in the public schools and to handgun ownership.
The average American laughs at the results of this election, mutters something about the "Left Coast", and still yearns to visit one of the most beautiful ...
November 17, 2005
You live in a middle class neighborhood, your child attends one of the top high schools in the state, she's a bright girl who's received high marks in the past, but now her grades are failing and her behavior is deteriorating.
What's a mother to do? You can't blame her mediocre grades on a bad en...
November 16, 2005
The United Nations (UN) recently agreed to leave the United States with ultimate oversight of the main computers that direct the Internet's flow of information.
I'm relieved that the machines that control Internet traffic by acting as its master directories so Web browsers and e-mail programs...
November 13, 2005
Women are born with an ability to multitask: Talk on a cell phone and rob a bank at the same time, no problem!
A young lady nonchalantly robbed four banks in the suburbs of Washington D.C. while chatting away on her mobile phone.
If I were robbing a bank, I certainly wouldn't have the pr...
November 13, 2005
"I am not a crook" President Nixon emphatically declared on Nov 17. 1973. Less than a year later the disgraced leader resigned on Aug. 9, 1974.
"We do not torture" President George W. Bush declared, in the final stop of his Latin American tour last week.
Battered by Hurricane Katrina, b...
November 10, 2005
This Friday let's put aside all the fliers advertising Veterans' Day specials, and take a moment or two to remember the two thousand (and counting) American soldiers who have been killed in Iraq.
This war is far away, far from over and usually far from our thoughts, as we confront vexing pro...
November 08, 2005
There is nothing more loveable, non-threatening and endearing than a snowman. The typical snowman doesn't have arms, he can't choke or slug you, he can only offer you his unconditional love.
Children love to congregate around a snowman, because they sense that he will be around for only a few...
November 07, 2005
Evangelical Christians are not content to teach their sometimes esoteric doctrines in their churches and private schools, they want to invade the public realm with their myths and superstitions.
In our public schools children should learn "reading, 'riting and 'rithmetic", they should not be i...
November 05, 2005
What happens in Vegas, doesn't always stay in Vegas. A few months ago the mayor of Sin City uttered a statement so absurd, it has circulated all over the globe.
Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman confided in elementary school kids that drinking was one of his favorite hobbies and that the one thing he ...
November 05, 2005
Prince Charles and his new wife, Camilla Parker Bowels, are visiting the former colonies.
For the vast majority of Americans the Royal Visit is met with indifference, the Royal Couple has all the star power of a cheap one dollar flashlight.
Prince Charles is no Prince Charming, and Cami...
November 03, 2005
Contrary to popular belief the Internet was not invented by Al Gore in the 1990's, it was devised by American military researchers in the 1960's, and under the auspices of our democracy it has thrived beyond anyone's wildest dreams.
When I first got online in 1995, less than 15% of Americans...
November 03, 2005
Nero fiddled while Rome burned and FEMA's then director, Michael Brown, discussed his wardrobe while New Orleans was being flooded.
Michael Brown doesn't have the qualifications to be a school yard monitor, but George W. Bush appointed his buddy to be head of FEMA.
E-Mails sent as Hurr...
November 01, 2005
Malibu, an exclusive California beachfront community, has published tsunami safety brochures that warn residents, in capital letters, that they should never try to surf a tsunami.
California is earthquake country, however a tsunami has never hit the Malibu area.
Malibu's emergency preparedness...
October 31, 2005
The body of a hero lies in honor at the Capitol Rotunda. Tens of thousands of citizens, young and old, black and white, poor and wealthy, famous and unknown, wait for hours to pay their final respects. The president declares that flags will fly at half mast when this giant of history is interred.
...
October 29, 2005
George Takei, who as helmsman Sulu steered the Starship Enterprise, has veered into uncharted territory, coming out as a homosexual in a Gay publication.
Takei joined the stellar "Star Trek" cast in 1966 as Hikaru Sulu; he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1986.
The 68-y...
October 27, 2005
Yo, listen up fools, an Associated Press (AP) poll found that 70 percent of those surveyed feel folks are ruder and more vulgar than 30 years ago. According to the AP "Americans' fast paced, high-tech society has taken a toll on civility."
In recent years Americans have developed these traits ...
October 27, 2005
Battered by Hurricane Katrina, bogged down by Iraq, buffeted by the DeLay indictment, belittled for his failed Miers' nomination and beleaguered by Plamegate -- these are not the best of times for George W. Bush.
The White House has a lot on its plate, but it still has time to demand that "...
October 25, 2005
We love to see celebrities in glamorous outfits and skimpy bikinis, but we also love to ogle their "mug shots" when they inevitably do something stupid and illegal. We all got a kick out of the mug shots of Nick Nolte, Glen Campbell, Robert Downy Jr., Michael Jackson, Darryl Strawberry, Pee Wee Herm...
October 23, 2005
MusiCure is a soft pillow that chirps like a bird and gently croons you to sleep.
With built-in speakers, the cushy pillows transmit gentle sounds from nature combined with acoustic instruments to lullaby you to Never Never land.
MusiCure pillows may be purchased by stressed-out housew...
October 22, 2005
Eric James Torpy, convicted of shooting with an intent to kill and robbery, gives new meaning to the term fanatic.
Torpy's lawyers reached a plea agreement for a 30-year term, but the foolish criminal wanted his prison term to match Larry Bird's jersey number "33". The prosecutors were more than ...
October 20, 2005
If your daughter brings home her new boyfriend and he turns out to be a Hells Angel named Killer, you would have some idea of how the Senate feels about the Supreme Court nomination of Harriet Miers.
The Miers selection was greeted with howls of outrage from George W, Bush's most faithful sup...
October 19, 2005
"Ozzie and Harriet" represented the ideal family of the 50's and "The Cosby Show" represented the ideal family of the 80's, but these fictional families were a far cry from the typical American brood.
"The Simpsons" on the other hand is an accurate representation of the typical dysfunctional...
October 17, 2005
I pen a weekly opinion column for a small town newspaper with a circulation of about 15,000, I'm grateful for this platform that allows me to express my liberal views to my Bible Belt community.
But I also contribute to several Web sites, enabling me to reach tens of thousands, because my articles...
October 16, 2005
Halloween is right around the corner, and there is nothing scarier than little costumed brats extorting candy with the threat "trick or treat."
But is something more frightening on the horizon? Is that the four horsemen of the Apocalypse that I hear, or is that my neighbor's Pinto sputtering h...
October 15, 2005
American Girl, a company that sells cute dolls and children's books, has become the unlikely target of conservatives threatening a boycott.
American Girl dolls are not anatomically impossible Barbies, nor are they hip and trendy Bratz dolls, they are the epitome of wholesomeness and reek of fa...
October 13, 2005
Michelle Wie qualified for her first LPGA Tour event four years ago, when she was a precocious 12-year old. Now, that she's a seasoned veteran, she's ready to make her professional debut this week at the Samsung World Championship.
I haven't heard a word of protest from sports columnists, golf...
October 11, 2005
The Internet is the Information Highway, where scholars and seekers of truth from all over the world make pit stops at Web sites to glean information about current events, news and other important subjects.
Right, and the moon is made out of green cheese. The Internet does provide a lot of usefu...
October 10, 2005
According to the Associated Press, a mailman who heard the cries of "Stop Thief" tackled a suspected bank robbery suspect and helped detain him until he was arrested by police.
When I read this news blurb I found it very difficult to believe, the incredible part is not that a mailman would risk ...
October 09, 2005
When the average person looks upon the devastation wreaked by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, he sheds a few tears and wonders how he can help.
When some televangelists look upon human misery caused by natural disasters, they ponder how they can exploit the situation to "win souls for Christ."...
October 08, 2005
The Supreme Court justices are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate to a lifetime tenure.
Unlike members of the executive or legislative branches, the Supremes don't do interviews and they don't seek photo ops.
They are mysterious and somewhat sinister figures underneath t...
October 06, 2005
President George W. Bush's power and prestige has been severely weakened by the quagmire in Iraq, the high price of oil and the disastrous federal response to Hurricane Katrina.
However even with his diminished stature, Bush could have nominated and pushed through the Republican-controlled Sena...
October 05, 2005
America is a nation of workaholics, it is considered a virtue to neglect spouse and children to spend extra time at the office.
Europeans have longer vacations and shorter work weeks. The average paid vacation in Europe is now six weeks a year.
By contrast, Americans, on average, receive onl...
October 03, 2005
The English language is a living entity: Words change meaning and new ones are constantly being added to the lexicon.
It's not academicians who invent most of the words that find their place in the English language, it's everyday people who conjure up new words to describe new things and new ...
October 03, 2005
Kim Jong II, the communist dictator of North Korea, doesn't cut a very imposing figure -- he's a dead-ringer for Elvis Presley's "Mini-Me."
But he is no joking matter, Kim's disastrous agricultural and economic polices have caused his people to suffer under one of the world's longest and deadlie...
October 01, 2005
Iraq and Afghanistan are draining billions of dollars from our nation's coffers and hurricanes Rita and Katrina have caused over $100 billion in damages to the Gulf Coast. So why does our fearless leader propose a return to fiscal sanity?
Does George W. Bush ask the American people to sacrifice...
October 01, 2005
William Bennett, a prominent conservative commentator and former Education Secretary in the Reagan administration, is under fire for making a patently racist comment.
Bennett opined on his "Morning in America" show, "But I do know that it's true that if you wanted to reduce crime, you could, if ...
September 29, 2005
Fox News is tabloid journalism at its very worst; it's chock full of natural disasters, car chases, celebrity gossip and of course, Natalee Holloway.
Beth Holloway Twitty is a ubiquitous presence on Fox News, she gets more air time than President George W. Bush, Tom Delay and the Pope.
I e...
September 27, 2005
Everyone remembers their first kiss, their first paycheck and their first new car.
My first new vehicle was a Chevy Chevette, the quintessential econobox, built not to turn heads or burn rubber, but to save money at the gas pump.
My humble Chevette didn't even have a radio, but when the sales...
September 25, 2005
Supermodel and entertainment magnate Tyra Banks underwent a sonogram on her TV talk show to prove she doesn't have breast implants.
Banks, 31, explained to her audience that she was tired of rumors that her breasts were enhanced by silicon.
According to Reuters, Garth Fischer, the plastic sur...
September 24, 2005
When I hear about an "adulterous" woman stoned to death in a Muslim country, I thank the stars that I live in an enlightened country.
But then I hear a homophobic statement by Jerry Falwell or Pat Robertson, or I read a story, like this one, that makes me wonder just how civilized we are.
...
September 24, 2005
Growing up in San Francisco, my idol was Bobby Bonds, my mood in the spring time of my life, depended on the fortunes of Bonds and the San Francisco Giants.
I now live in Lynchburg, VA, a long ways from the City by the Bay -- taxes, relationships, bills, the price of gas and the steroid scandal ...
September 20, 2005
According to the Washington Post, the FBI's Washington Field Office has started recruiting agents for a new anti-obscenity squad. The initiative is "one of the top priorities" of Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales.
If you think the "War on Poverty" and the War on Drugs" were resounding failur...
September 19, 2005
Now we know why supermodel Kate Moss is so razor-thin, she's been feeding her nose instead of her mouth.
A British tabloid ran photos of Moss preparing about 20 lines of cocaine, then snorting some herself before letting her sleazy friends binge themselves into oblivion.
Kate Moss is a model...
September 17, 2005
Things do not look very promising under the leadership of Pope Benedict XVI: the Catholic Church has instigated a witch-hunt against homosexual seminarians.
The Vatican has launched an inspection of Roman Catholic seminaries in the United States to search for "evidence of homosexuality."
I ...
September 17, 2005
Federal Appellate Court Judge John Roberts Jr., nominated by President George W. Bush to be the chief justice of the United States, appears to be a shoo-in for the prestigious post with Senate confirmation a certainty.
I have trouble remembering where I left my sunglasses -- when they are sittin...
September 16, 2005
New Orleans is like a gumbo prepared by a master chef. The Big Easy easily absorbs diverse cultures, throw in a little French, a little Creole, a pinch of this and a pinch of that -- and the result is a cosmopolitan masterpiece.
When the levees broke and the great American city was flooded, the...
December 20, 2003
Little boys enjoy employing action figures to wreak havoc around the household, all the while providing an earache-inducing soundtrack of yells and screams.
But there is nothing more heartwarming and tranquil than watching your daughter, granddaughter or niece play with a Barbie.
Seeing...