The text of President Obama’s speech to schoolchildren tomorrow. It’s a little long. Otherwise, it’s not objectionable. Except, maybe, for the “God bless America” closing, and this atheist is willing to give Obama a pass on that. It’s not objectionable. At all. I don’t see a reason for people to get worked up about it.Continue reading “On Obama’s Address to School Students”
On Fixing Baseball
Dear Bud Selig, Today, or possibly tomorrow, but certainly by Wednesday, the Pittsburgh Pirates will set a record for baseball — and a record for the four major sports in North America. Pittsburgh will have its seventeenth consecutive losing season. Seventeen years. Their last winning season was in 1992. There are probably people reading thisContinue reading “On Fixing Baseball”
On Things I’ve Been Reading
Archie #600 Archie Comics Written by Michael Uslan Art by Stan Goldberg & Bob Smith Archie’s Double Digest #200 Archie Comics Written by Melanie Morgan Art by Norm Breyfogle In the last week I’ve done something that I’m not sure I’ve ever done in my life — I’ve bought Archie Comics. Oh, I’ve bought comicsContinue reading “On Things I’ve Been Reading”
On the Oasis Break-Up
It’s been a week since Noel Gallagher announced he was leaving Oasis. A week. And I’m not just depressed about it. I’m downright gutted. Oasis has personal meaning for me. They did. “Don’t Look Back in Anger” was part of a time and a place. “D’You Know What I Mean?” was part of a timeContinue reading “On the Oasis Break-Up”
On Health Care Musings
I have the terrible feeling that President Obama has found a way to seize defeat from the jaws of victory as regards health care reform. After a few weeks of members of his administration floating balloons in the media that the public option isn’t a requirement, Obama has asked the Congressional Progressive Caucus how farContinue reading “On Health Care Musings”
On Dungeon Crawling
I spent an hour and a half last night playing Hack. Not NetHack; there’s too much going on in that one. I forgot how much I loved Hack. I named my character Grignr. My dog I named Theis. I fought a ghost on the sixth level. I finally said, “To hell with that,” and ranContinue reading “On Dungeon Crawling”
On Vanity Fair’s Levi Johnston Article
Yeah, I’m buying Vanity Fair this month. Levi, buddy, if you’re looking for a ghost writer for your bio, I work cheap. And usually fast. But definitely cheap.
On Linguistic Befuddlement
Let’s suppose there’s a word with a specific meaning, that you would use in a specific context, under a specific set of circumstances. Let’s suppose you see that word used in a related, though not identical, set of circumstances. The word is “reign.” Now, I would use the word “reign” in the context of monarchy.Continue reading “On Linguistic Befuddlement”
On the Great Fire of London
Today, so Garrison Keillor tells me in today’s Writer’s Almamac, is the anniversary of the beginning of the Great Fire of London in 1666. As Doctor Who fans know, the fire was the fault of the Terileptils. 🙂
On Health Care Reform Strategies
The Democrats in the Senate are now looking at going it alone on passing a health care bill, through the budget reconciliation process, which cannot be filibustered, hence it requires only a majority of votes for passage. The reconciliation process is not a “minor revolution,” as Republicans used it to pass the Bush tax cuts.Continue reading “On Health Care Reform Strategies”