PTSD Politics
Good for Jason Kander for going public with his PTSD/depression, which may encourage others. But I can't help but wonder how this would have been politically exploited if he'd made the announcement AND continued to run for mayor of Kansas City. I'm referring to how...
Three Kavanaugh Questions
I'm curious and need answers: If Brett Kavanaugh does not advance to the Supreme Court, does he get to keep his seat on the Court Of Appeals in DC? If so, would he be obligated to recuse himself in hyper-political cases? Could he still drink too much beer? The...
Christine Brave Ford
Observations on the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing with the testimony of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford... Is it just me or did crotchety Chuck Grassley sound like crotchety Hume Cronyn reading his will in "Brewster's Millions"? During a break in the Christine Blasey...
As I Tweeted
The revulsion for all things Trump that comes out of retiring Arizona Senator Jeff Flake's mouth would be a lot more meaningful if it was connected to the part of his brain that makes him vote with Trump 83% of the time. So, regardless of what he says publicly about...
Nothing Will Change His Mind
Lindsay Graham said over the weekend that there's nothing Christine Blasey Ford can say in her testimony that will change his mind about Brett Kavanaugh. I'm reminded of the debate between scientist Bill Nye and creationist Ken Ham. At the end, a questioner asked,...
Album Recommendation: Roy Zimmerman “RiZe Up”
I'm a big fan of Roy Zimmerman. As a song parodist, he's a cross between Tom Lehrer and Mark Russell, writing clever, biting lyrics about topical issues. My family and I saw Roy perform at James Randi's Amazing Meeting in Las Vegas in 2008, and I've subscribed to the...
Seven Weeks To Go
There are seven weeks to go before Election Day. Like many, I hope a huge number of my fellow Americans will turn out to vote, because that’s the only way to change the direction of the country. Rallies and protests and social media campaigns are fine, but they’re for...
Best Thing I’ve Read Today
I absolutely love this Slate parody of the anonymous op-ed in the NY Times from a senior administration official at the White House. In this version, a member of a group that's in the middle of robbing a bank portrays himself as a hero for turning on the gang's leader...