The Resignation of Boehner

Speaker of the House John Boehner has announced his intention to resign. A week ago, I speculated on his future prospects — House Republicans on his right flank were making noises about unseating him, and might he need Democratic votes to save his Speakership? The possibility of his resignation, mid-term, didn’t even occur to me;Continue reading “The Resignation of Boehner”

The Religious Bigotry of Ben Carson, Candidate

Let me state upfront that Ben Carson has disqualified himself to be the next president of the United States with his statement about how a Muslim cannot be president, a statement that prompted Ta-Nahesi Coates to label him a “bigot” in a piece for The Atlantic this morning. But I want to dig down intoContinue reading “The Religious Bigotry of Ben Carson, Candidate”

The Future of John Boehner

With a government shutdown looming — and potentially a debt ceiling showdown after that — John Boehner’s position as Speaker of the House may be on the line. A Republican Congressman from North Carolina has introduced a resolution to declare the Speaker’s chair vacant essentially as a warning to Boehner — “Cross us by ignoringContinue reading “The Future of John Boehner”

The Death of Christopher Marlowe

Yesterday at work, when writing catalog copy and assembling order forms and organizing name badges for the Retailer Summit, I listened to a several hours’ worth of BBC Radio dramas. Besides the first two episodes of “A Place of Greater Safety,” an adaptation of the novel about the French Revolution by Wolf Hall‘s Hilary Mantel,Continue reading “The Death of Christopher Marlowe”

Saturday Morning at the Post Office

I felt bad for the woman behind the counter at the Dallastown post office. I’d gone to the post office to buy stamps. One clerk was helping someone mail a package. The other was being berated by a man in a blue t-shirt for a Dallastown swim team. The situation, as I pieced together fromContinue reading “Saturday Morning at the Post Office”