Current Events

If you don’t look you probably won’t find it

You’ve seen the cute emails that take on a life of their own. There are chain letters, urban legends, good jokes, bad jokes, and inspirational stories. One of these messages made its way to me this morning at work. It began, “We rarely get a chance to see another country’s editorial about the USA. I think this is very much worth reading and passing on. It says a lot,.” If you are on the…
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Current Events

Agony of defeat

For the first time in the playoffs this season, I didn’t watch the end of the Lightning game last night. By the end of the second period it took monumental effort to continue watching. I imagine it felt a lot like being a hockey player’s dentist. It was really discouraging. Yes, last night’s game was an old fashioned whoopin’, and the Lightning players were not the ones holding the whip. I…
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Current Events

The little team that would

Sports has taught me to be a pessimist. You are going to lose. The odds weigh heavily against you. If you are good enough to make the playoffs you still have to overcome one in thirty-two odds to remain the last one standing. This is why, even with a three games to none lead in their series with Montreal, I was a little worried. How poised would the Lightning be with such a large cushion? If any…
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Current Events

Awesome power.

An attorney for the White House recently described the president’s powers granted him by the constitution and congress during a “time of war” as “awesome power.” The context of this statement was a discussion concerning the executive branches’ alleged right to detain “enemy combatants” during a time of war, including those combatants who are detained within the borders of this…
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Current Events

A grim tale

Do you remember the good old days when “huffing” only happened in fairy tales? Maybe you were as surprised as I was to hear that huffing is a hip happening at youth hang outs? Sure, kids used to get a little flighty building plastic models in their stuffy, unventilated bed rooms… but let’s not get too personal here. Now this morning’s paper would have us believe “huffing” household…
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Current Events

Shirking my patriotic duty.

I find the notion that I must march lock-step with the POTUS in order to be a real American preposterous. Ah, but I’ve already been on that rant so I’ll take a pass on it for now. No, what got me going this time was an interview on the public radio program “Marketplace” on Friday. They were discussing politics, specifically presidential candidate John Kerry’s position on Iraq and the…
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Current Events

Gay TV

Stooping to a new low, I’m about to discuss the merits of “Reality TV.” I wouldn’t even be discussing the matter if it were not for Cheryl’s brush with pseudo-celebrity by proxy (re: Cheryl’s cousin Bill on a Fox “Reality TV” series: “Playing it Straight”). First, I feel compelled to rehash the “Reality TV” label discussion. Put someone in a situation that they would not…
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