Tag: Life

Law, Media, PoliticsLeave a comment

A Shot in the Light

Podritske

In the aftermath of the shooting rampage at Fort Hood, what do we know about the “suspect,” Major Nadil Malik Hasan? Instead of dwelling for too long on the rampant media speculation about what may have “driven” Hasan to commit such a despicable act, it should be noted that a lengthy investigation needs to be completed in order to build the evidentiary case. From the crime scene itself to the offices of Homeland Security, multiple jurisdictions including local police, Army, FBI, ATF and others are now involved in successfully prosecuting this bastard. Motive is lower on the list when physical … Continue reading A Shot in the Light

Foreign Policy, Media, RightsLeave a comment

Round and Round We Go

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The leaders of that wacky Iranian terror regime sure know how to hold a consistent view. On Wednesday of this week the Islamic fascist terror state will mark the thirtieth anniversary of its takeover of the United States Embassy, with anti-Western rallies likely to be held again in front of the old embassy building. It was on November 4, 1979 that radical Islamic student thugs took 52 American hostages and effectively declared war on the West on behalf of fundamentalist Islam. They were backed by the ayatollahs and now many of those same radicals may be found among the power … Continue reading Round and Round We Go

Economics, Ethics, Media, Politics6 Comments

The Obese Lie

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You know perhaps about the theory of the “Big Lie,” where the basic idea is that if you tell a big whopper and repeat it often enough, everyone will believe you because they cannot comprehend anyone being so audacious as to offer such a story in the first place if it weren’t true. Adolf Hitler has been credited as an originator of this theory, using it effectively in propaganda efforts for the Third Reich. It was apparently discussed in Mein Kampf, but that title is not high on my reading list. George Orwell was clearly acquainted with the concept as well as … Continue reading The Obese Lie

Media, Politics, RightsLeave a comment

No Time For Individuals

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With the unappealing headline of “Doctors courted in special interest war, “the following introductory paragraph appears in an Associated Press article on MSNBC.com: “In the special interest war over health care, the White House and congressional Democrats have the nation’s drug makers and hospitals generally on their side; the insurance industry, not so much.” The article then goes on to describe the struggle for relative privilege between the sausage makers in Congress and the American Medical Association (AMA), which claims to represent 250,000 doctors. Evidently, the lawmakers of Big Government, Big Labour and Big Business are striving to add Big Medicine to the … Continue reading No Time For Individuals

Canada, Media, PoliticsLeave a comment

Welcome, Mr. President

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Edmonton, the furthest northern city in North America with a metro area population exceeding a million, last night hosted former United States President George W. Bush. According to an Edmonton Journal article 1,950 members of that population gave the President a warm welcome, plus a standing ovation. In addition to a few leaky, opinionated comments in the article by Graham Thomson the reportage included the observation that Bush played to an appreciative audience. Attendees held tickets costing approximately $100 to $160 each and reportedly a reseller managed to fetch $500 “in the crush to get in”. Some said they were … Continue reading Welcome, Mr. President

Economics, Ethics, Government, Political Economy, PoliticsLeave a comment

California Standards

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Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger of California is pleased that President Obama has so quickly placed the nation on the same standard footing as the once great state of California with respect to emission standards. This notion was tried with President Bush in the previous administration, who vetoed the idea. I have some personal experience with the impact of California’s impediments to life on earth. In 1991 I moved to California for work reasons. I like to drive so I took my 1987 Oldsmobile Delta 88 which had already accumulated over 100,000 miles on the odometer. As I said, I like to … Continue reading California Standards

Art, Movies1 Comment

The Soloist

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I enjoyed the film, The Soloist, which stars Robert Downey Jr. as reporter Steve Lopez and Jamie Foxx as Skid Row occupant Nathaniel Ayers, two of the finest contemporary male actors in film according to me. I am not a movie reviewer but I feel compelled to comment when a film is emotionally moving. My limited knowledge suggests that the film editing might have been better but I’m not quibbling over a good package deal here. The immature science of psychology gets a good metaphorical slap to the back of the head in this movie, based on a book based on a … Continue reading The Soloist