Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Deep in my heart

I remember Martin Luther King Jr.  He was one of my first TV memories, along with The Flintstones and Walter Cronkite.  Everytime he was on TV, you could be sure to find me and my mom watching him.  On one occasion, I can’t remember which, the crowd sang We Shall Overcome for what seemed like [...]

The Rule Of Law?

George Bush today commuted the sentences of Jose Compeán and Ignacio Ramos, two former Border Patrol agents who shot an unarmed fleeing marijuana smuggler and then tried to cover up the incident. From Wikipedia: The two officers were arrested after the drug smuggler, Osvaldo Aldrete Dávila, filed a complaint against them. After a two-week jury trial, [...]

Arthur Silber Speaks

From Power of Narrative Blogspot: I post this brief message only to let those few of you who have not lost your fucking minds know that you are not alone. Some of us, perhaps three or four hundred, still retain some connection to reality. But it frays and is under lethal attack. Whether the connection [...]

To Achieve Political Remedy

The Women’s Movement  I have no degree in Women’s Studies. I have learned mostly through my own life experiences.  So please take what you want and leave the rest.  But recognize what you leave may be what keeps women from fully recognizing the power we hold but never wielded.  The reason for our failure to [...]

Supermullet

For Madamab (music starts around 1:00)

Girly Girl Open Thread – For Afrocity

Enough of this football stuff. Let’s talk about Hillary and the awesome job she is going to do as Secretary of State. Aren’t you glad she’s going to be the foreign president, even though she won’t be inaugurated on Tuesday, as she so richly deserved to be? Oh, and if you’re sad about the Ravens [...]

Steelers vs. Ravens Live Blog

Thou shalt root for the Steelers.  Violaters will be spammed. Just kidding. (Or *am* I?) I have leftover Chinese food or a Bastille Salad.  I made the last thing up based on a salad I had at a brasserie near the Bastille when I was on a business trip.  Bacon gives me a lardon so [...]

All Sizzle, No Steak

Doctor Axelrodstein and his creation appear to have mastered the stagecraft of modern politics.  Oh, they’ve made a mistake or two, but all in all they have shown that they know how to manipulate ceremony and symbolism as well as . . . .the Republicans. Stagecraft is important.  There is value in the speeches and [...]

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

What the hell is our problem, feminists of America? As the hair-flipping, tweeny-bopper-imitating Naomi Wolf giddily claimed on the Teevee, we have instantly achieved all we could possibly want simply by electing Barack Obama to be our next President. I mean, hel-LLLLLOOOOO! What else could we possibly desire? Why don’t we just go away, and [...]

Sunday: 10,000 hours

Outliers: The Story of Success, Malcolm Gladwell’s most recent book, is about the characteristics of leaders and other success stories.  In case you didn’t know, geniuses don’t automatically rise to the top of the food chain.  In fact, quite a few end up as security guards on the midnight shift.  It is also true that [...]