I thought the election of Barack Obama would have made a difference by now. I thought that a biracial presidency would have helped improve historically distorted attitudes and perceptions of reality. I thought that white American conservatives might learn to respect black leadership. I thought that white American liberals might finally reconcile the fabricated social guilt that they walk around with. I thought that American blacks might desensitize a little. I thought that all Americans, Hispanics and Asians included, might be able to better reconcile common racial and ethnic distortions. I was naive. [Read more →]

Tags: race & culture by Robert O'Hara
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This summer, during an all-too-brief stop in Philadelphia, I hiked down to the riverfront to visit, once again, the U.S.S. Olympia … at the time, I didn’t know that it may have been a farewell visit.

A grand old ship that stayed the course in the face of the Spanish Navy more than a hundred years ago, the Olympia has been ravaged by time, the relentless barrage of the elements and — admittedly — an inadequate maintenance program. She’s the oldest steel warship still afloat, and the last of her kind in all the world. But, barring a dramatic change in her fortune, she may soon go to the bottom forever.

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Tags: trusted media & news by Jeff McDonald
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Welcome back to the Internet’s premier den of rectitude, “Audio Files.” Last week’s column generated about $15,000 in Google Ad revenue, and this week I’m shooting for $20K. Parachute down the rabbit hole with me once again, won’t you?

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Tags: Michael Cade's audio files by Michael Cade
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This book really took me back to my heavy metal roots. I was a fan in high-school and college, saw a lot of head-banging bands play live, and still have the hard rock/alternative stations programmed in the car radio. Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir is a look behind the scenes at how a scrawny kid from La Mesa, California became a rock and roll god. It’s full of great backstage stories and plenty of gritty truth about how Dave Mustaine got to where he is today. It’s a must-read for heavy metals fans. [Read more →]

Tags: books & writing, Lisa Reads by Lisa Hura
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Hi, folks. This video “Fred’s Dreams” is in two parts.  First, a dream is read and interpreted….

…and second, Dr. Spiegelvogel and I have a discussion about it. [Read more →]

Tags: Fred's dreams by Fred Siegel
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America’s strength comes from its adaptability; its ability to remain dynamic and search for innovative ways to solve the problems that face us as a people. Whether it’s finding solutions to the dangers of terrorism on our airplanes, or finding ways to ensure affordable healthcare for all, our country is taking the initiative and making important decisions that will make us all safer and healthier.

Of course, there is still more we can do. That’s another part of our strength — our ability to recognize that we should always do more. There will never come a time when we shouldn’t be doing more.

We’re seeing this in Washington. Even the sweeping healthcare bill that was just passed is being made even more sweeping, because our leaders understand that laws, even existing laws, need to be dynamic, to change with the times. And times are changing. We’re not the same country we were when the health care bill was passed five months ago. We’ve grown. We’ve changed. Our laws need to change with us.

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Tags: politics & government, travel & foreign lands by Ricky Sprague
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There was a flash one day, and another a few days later and the war was over. Millions of Americans and Japanese that had just had their date with death cancelled turned around and went home. In Europe the fighting had stopped with Hitler dead, but the squabbling had begun already. Germany had been reduced to ashes in some precincts and barely touched in others. The Soviets were digging in and laying the chaulklines for the Iron Curtain which of course split Germany just as Berlin herself was split into a sector for each of the Allies. British, American and French sectors were Free Berlin. The Soviet sector, less so. [Read more →]

Tags: money, politics & government by Ken Watson
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I have mixed feelings about Todd Solondz. I loved Welcome to the Dollhouse, liked parts of Happiness and disliked other parts and Palindromes stayed with me, but in an uncomfortable way. As for Life During Wartime, some of the scenes are interesting and funny in a dark way. I like the parts, but the whole left me cold.  But maybe that was Solondz’s goal. [Read more →]

Tags: Gail sees a movie, movies by Gail D. Rosen
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Greek Salad is a classic way to make the most of end-of-the-summer produce….and a great way to highlight these beautiful heirloom tomatoes! I add whole wheat pasta to a traditional Greek Salad to make a more satisfying meal, without adding too many calories.

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Tags: recipes & food by Jessica Alfreds
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By now, my faithful readership (all three of you) knows what this column is all about. Celebrities are crazy, and need good advice. I am awesome, and give good advice. Everybody wins. Today, though, I feel compelled to share my wisdom with a different type of celebrity: The people of New York City. Individually, we may not be much. Collectively, we possess the star power of Elvis in his heyday and Bono on any day combined. This week, we New Yorkers have the power to harness that brilliance and put it to good use. I am speaking, of course, about the biggest decision facing our city today, the importance of which is even greater than our inevitable future decision whether to re-elect King Bloomberg for a 15th term: The choice of whether to screen Woody Allen’s Manhattan or John Cusack’s Serendipity at the upcoming Viewer’s Choice Night of the Central Park Film Festival. New York, you need to choose Manhattan. [Read more →]

Tags: Meg gives advice to famous people, movies by Meg Boyle
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