This post is #2 of 13 on this topic: The others are at July 24, 27, 29, 30, 31, August 1. 2,5,6,7,10,15. A final summary commentary is at October 9, 2009. Note the index for previous commentaries, including #56, published on July 24, 2009. #56 includes the “talking points” the Republicans in Congress will be […]
The New York Times (NYT) “Breaking News Alert” came in at 3:03 PM ET on Friday, July 24, 2009. The headline: “Obama Says He Regrets His Language on Gates Arrest“. Anyone stopping by this internet space knows what the flap is about. There is nothing so sacred to a political figure these days as “staying […]
This post is the first of thirteen on the topic of Health Care and the need for its Reform. The rest are at July 26, 27, 29, 30, 31, August 1, 2, 5,6,7,10,15. More will likely be added. Yesterday my coffee shop friend and I were discussing the issue of Health Care. I mentioned a […]
UPDATE: August 14, 2012: This post was written July 23, 2009. Last month, James Skakoon visited the ND-Manitoba International Peace Garden, had the same general feelings I had, and when he came home searched the internet to see if he could find any opinions which were similar to his. He found my post, we got […]
Forty years ago today my attention was riveted on a man setting foot on the moon. Six years earlier, November 22, 1963, a television news anchor named Walter Cronkite helped us through the agony of one of the darkest moments in my lifetime: the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Somehow it seems almost fitting that the […]
I play golf at a private club where those I play with, quite predictably, are predominately conservative to right-wingers. And I am the vocal counter agent to all of their views. Many of them would be surprised, however, at how many of the silent ones come up to me privately and encourage me not to […]
UPDATE: Carol Ashley joined this conversation July 11 (her substantial contribution follows the initial post.) This will be held open till July 21, 2009. Dick Bernard: This is the first blog post I have specifically posted in Draft form. I solicit specific, brief, comments to my regular e-mail address. When this paragraph is removed, the Draft […]
Yesterday while I was donating blood, I asked the nurse if she had watched any of the Michael Jackson memorial or other goings on surrounding his death. Mostly, she was non-commital, but her response was pretty succinct and wise. There are two things certain in our lives, she said: we are born, and we die. […]
Moderators note: Mary Ellen apparently had e-mail long before I knew what it was. She defines for me the best among the many ‘progressives’ I know: “with it”, but carrying many bedrock ‘conservative’ values as well! Thanks, Mary Ellen! Mary Ellen: I was amused to see my ancient email address mentioned in [your] P&J#2028A [an […]
Early July 4 I received a long, rambling e-mail whose focus was Tea Bags, specifically, the need to send a million Tea Bag faxes to the U.S. Congress to protest taxes. The e-mail came with an Orange, California PO Box address and included the disclaimer that because it included a postal address, it could not be considered spam. […]