Monthly Archives: July 2011

Reported ‘deal’ reads a whole lot like Democratic capitulation

Posted on July 31, 2011 by

News sources are reporting a ‘deal’ between debt-default negotiators that, if passed, reads to me like a massive capitulation by the Democratic Party to the Tea Party ransom demand. That Americans want something to happen is clear from the volume … Continue reading →

Posted in debt ceiling, debt default, deficit, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Why traditional news reports are fast becoming irrelevant

Posted on July 30, 2011 by

By recounting vanilla “facts” in a contextual vacuum, American news reports too often distort political debate and mislead the public. It is a point columnist Paul Krugman made eloquently Friday in a column titled “The Centrist Cop-Out.” “The cult of … Continue reading →

Posted in debt ceiling, debt default, deficit, fair and balanced, new york times, news media, newspapers, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Cowards, zealots and the poor excuse we call government

Posted on July 28, 2011 by

“Democrats in retreat,” reads a headline today at politicalwire.com, the lively web site of Taegan Goddard, author of the book, “You Won — Now What?” He then goes on to recount a series of retreats by Democrats in the debt-ceiling … Continue reading →

Posted in debt ceiling, debt default, deficit, Obama, Tea Party, Uncategorized, wealthiest americans | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

As political parties jockey over Medicare cuts, rich kids make most of boom in private jet flights to summer camp

Posted on July 25, 2011 by

The juxtaposition of two articles in today’s New York Times speaks volumes about the emerging oligarchy that is 21st Century America. In one, an opinion piece, columnist Paul Krugman decries the debt-ceiling deal offered by President Obama and so far … Continue reading →

Posted in Banana Republic, debt default, Medicare, Obama, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

After 40 years, can I still say, ‘I love you?’

Posted on July 17, 2011 by

There’s something frumpy about the number 40. I hated my 40th birthday. Kathy took me to the Ventana Inn, high above the California coastline in one of the more sumptuous settings imaginable. But instead of celebrating, I sulked, any vestige … Continue reading →

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Love traveling with your dog? Visit Bar Harbor, Maine

Posted on July 15, 2011 by

BAR HARBOR, Maine — Dogs aren’t just welcome at Bark Harbor, the Main Street dog boutique in this coastal town at the gateway of Acadia National Park. Their owners are greeted with a full-page, double-sided printout of “places to dine … Continue reading →

Posted in dogs, lifestyle, murphy, pets, travel, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Aging in an all-Apps world

Posted on July 7, 2011 by

My iPad 2 arrived at the back door the other day.  I’d heard the buzz. And I knew that once I opened the box, I was supposed to feel as though I was entering some incredible, calorie-rich candy store. Only … Continue reading →

Posted in aging, Apps, technological revolution, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Why are the news media taking Michele Bachmann so seriously?

Posted on July 1, 2011 by

OK. Michele Bachmann is the darling of the Tea Party. She also has called President Obama’s anti-American and still says he is running a “gangster government.”  She believes, reports Matt Taibbi of Rolling Stone, that “light bulbs are killing our … Continue reading →

Posted in michele bachmann, news media, political punditry, politics and the press, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 2 Comments