Monthly Archives: January 2010

Is the pope going hi-tech?

Posted on January 28, 2010 by

This just in from National Public Radio, compliments of my Emerson colleague, Delia Cabe.  The pope, who has a Facebook page, is considering taking up blogging. So NPR rounded up some experts to give him advice on blogging etiquette as … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Obama forgets his real audience

Posted on January 28, 2010 by

Just as writers need to write for readers, presidents need to talk to the people.  Last night, for the most part, Barack Obama missed his chance to do so. Oh, during his first State of the Union address, he looked … Continue reading →

Posted in Obama, Politics | Tagged , , , | 16 Comments

Does nothing rise above politics?

Posted on January 27, 2010 by

A former student, one of the brightest I’ve taught, put a six-word post on Facebook the other day.  It read: (His name) “is tired of Haiti.” Now this young man is no Rush Limbaugh fan. When I suggested that a … Continue reading →

Posted in health care reform, lifestyle, Uncategorized, World | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

This Tea Party looks way too pricey

Posted on January 25, 2010 by

Since the Tea Party movement made its big splash in backing Republican Scott Brown’s election, it has been cast by many as that special blend of populism for the right-leaning masses, brewed to perfection. Someone, however, seems to have forgotten … Continue reading →

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On health care, time for the president to stand the heat

Posted on January 22, 2010 by

In his book “Integrity,” Yale Law Professor Stephen L. Carter says that three things have to happen for people to achieve the book’s title in their lives. First, they have to do hard work —  a lot of thinking — … Continue reading →

Posted in health care reform, Politics, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Will Barack Obama please stand up?

Posted on January 21, 2010 by

The headlines in my morning papers make me think the Body Snatchers arrived overnight. Or at least that Darth Cheney is secretly sending sonic waves to shake the Democrats’ collective psyche, stoking fear in every corner. “A new political landscape,” … Continue reading →

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What Obama needs to do next

Posted on January 20, 2010 by

Over at American Conservative, Bill Dupray writes, “And some idiots will still blame Bush.”  Count me among them. This country remains a mess because of the policies of George W. Bush.  The problem for Democrats, as Paul Krugman pointed out … Continue reading →

Posted in health care reform, Obama, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

It's more than semantics

Posted on January 14, 2010 by

Driving in my car this afternoon, I heard an NPR reporter say some people in Port-au-Prince have had neither food nor water since the earth shook two full days ago.  So I find the words in the lead story on … Continue reading →

Posted in World | Tagged , , , | 15 Comments

Whew! A reminder of the days of permanent ink on paper

Posted on January 14, 2010 by

So I made an embarrassing error last night.  I ripped off a quick post on the “obscene juxtaposition” of images on news web sites. There, next to the images of horrific suffering in Haiti, were those of the banking fat cats on Capitol Hill, … Continue reading →

Posted in Media | Tagged , | 4 Comments

An obscene juxtaposition of images and words

Posted on January 13, 2010 by

While heart-wrenching photos and video footage of the utter devastation of Port-au-Prince trickled out from one of the world’s poorest countries,  the fattest of the fat cats testified on Capitol Hill today.  They appeared before a bipartisan commission established to … Continue reading →

Posted in economics, Uncategorized, World | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments