American Athens

In the war between man and machine I’m armed with a chopstick. The computer ate another post this morning, but the problem has hopefully been solved. The previous post was about the health care debates that seem to be raging across the media this morning, both in newspapers and blogs. Rather than bloviate on a […]

Lumbergh: Milt, we’re gonna need to go ahead and move you downstairs into storage B. We have some new people coming in, and we need all the space we can get. So if you could go ahead and pack up your stuff and move it down there, that would be terrific, OK?
Milton: Excuse me, I […]

For the past few months — the past few years, actually — Americans have been debating one issue a vast majority of the time: The War on Terror. Understandably so, given the nature and level of the threat and the ambiguity of the enemy or enemies. Discussions of military strategy, tactics and deployment have raged. […]

Why are we still discussing whether or not there should be a student on the search committee? This particular debate should have been settled the moment it was broached. What, exactly, is the downside of having a student there? I can’t think of one, but I can think of several reasons why it might be […]

It seems very rare to have four candidates for a single race, all of them qualified, enthusiastic, and with a decent chance to win. It’s early yet, at least for me, to pick who I would vote for or who will win. In case you’re unfamiliar with the four candidates for the position, the Globe […]

I was fairly irate last night after I read Christopher Hitchens’ piece on Huffington Post, and was actually looking forward to reading along as the blogosphere tore him open for making self-aggrandizing statements at the expense of the troops.
I believe the President when he says that this will be a very long war, and insofar […]

You know the rest.
The Democrats unveiled their lobbying reform package today, perhaps a day late, as the Republicans unveiled their “reform” yesterday. TAPPED’s Sam Rosenfeld gives the rundown of the plan’s individual proposals:
And anyone worried that the Democrats would make the mistake of entering into this debate with an eye toward reaching a constructive compromise […]

During the first week of November, Boston Review polled 1170 people(.pdf), asking them about their political affiliation and then questions about war — both Iraq and Afghanistan specifically, and general questions as well. It will come as little surprise that over 75% of those surveyed thought it was not “a mistake” to invade Afghanistan; nor […]

Clean Harry is at it again, this time pressuring the White House to disclose information about Jack Abramoff’s visits and meetings. The letter, in full, via TalkLeft:
Dear Mr. President:
The Justice Department is currently investigating the web of corruption surrounding lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Even at this early stage of the investigation, there is reason to believe […]

From Plugged In Online’s review of Brokeback Mountain, specifically the “Positive Elements” portion:
Usually it’s a negative thing when people give in to the societal norms around them and give up on their dreams, refuse to step across racial divides, etc. But here, Ennis’ reluctance to live with Jack is a good example of how established—biblical—morality […]

I think the old Senate Minority Leader has hit on a theme that will resonate with the American people. They might not like it, but, then again, they aren’t supposed to in this case. This is the second time in a week that Harry Reid has compared the Republican Party — not just the lobbyists […]

Now, I’ve been proud to be from Massachusetts since before the days that I could spell it. Today is a fine day to mention that, as it’s Benjamin Franklin’s (300th) birthday. No matter what those Illadelphites might wish, Benny was our boy first, even if we did chase him out of town and lock up […]

I’M BACK BABY!
Until this morning, it had been light posting over here, mainly because I’ve had trouble sleeping. It seems, however, that all it took was one good night’s sleep — and an early wake-up — to put me back in the posting spirit. I hope that all of you (both of you) consider this […]

Earlier this morning, the US Supreme Court, by a 6-3 margin, upheld the ODWDA, over the protestations of the Bush Administration. AJ Kennedy wrote the majority opinion, with both AJs Scalia and Thomas writing dissents. Kennedy had this to say (.pdf)about the case:
Executive actors often must interpret the enactments Congress has charged them with enforcing […]

Yesterday, of course, was the anniversary and celebration of Martin Luther King’s birthday. Today is the 45th anniversary of Pres. Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Farewell Address, known fairly commonly as the “military-industrial complex” speech. I’m going to reprint a passage of it here, just as I did with King’s “Beyond Vietnam” yesterday, essentially without comment.
Any failure […]

I don’t know what to make of this, as details are not flowing at the moment. 6-3, CJ Roberts dissenting in his first SCOTUS case on ethics. Hopefully, I’ll be able to update soon.
UPDATE 1: The Three Musketeers (CJ Roberts, AJs Scalia and Thomas) all dissent in the case, which now appears to me less […]

Yesterday being Dr. King day, it was Emerson’s job to write profoundly about the day and its many meanings. Therefore, today, it is my duty to bring you to the lighter side. Who the hell is Buddy Rich anyway? If you didn’t already know, according to the All Music Guide, “When it came to technique, […]

Tonight, The History Channel will be airing a special on one of the most important figures in American history. What this man did for race relations in America, is nearly unrivalled. Right now, you’re probably assuming that person is Martin Luther King, Jr., aren’t you? It would seem to be a good bet, right? Today […]

From “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence”:
I am convinced that if we are to get on the right side of the world revolution, we as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values. When machines and computers, profit and property rights are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, materialism, […]

Tom Brady. You quarterbacked my favorite college team and then took the reins of my favorite professional team. I applaud you for doing wonderful things for the Wolverines and Patriots. You will do wonderful things for one of them next year as well. Sadly, you probably won’t teach Chad Henne to check down to the […]