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Retired professor of sociology. I like to read, play checkers and write letters to editors.
OpEdNews Member for 426 week(s) and 5 day(s)
2 Articles, 18 Quick Links, 45 Comments, 1 Diaries, 0 Polls
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18 Quicklinks
(1 comments)
Thursday, July 12, 2018
GOP Finally Getting Nervous About Trump SHARE
“Going into the fall, there’s a real fear among our members that a trade war will squander the economic gains we made with tax reform,” a senior GOP official on Capitol Hill told POLITICO on Wednesday.Trump’s tough talk with allies, coming ahead of his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, is adding to their discomfort.A day before Trump tore into Germany at the start of a high-stakes North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit in Brussels on Wednesday, the Republican-led U.S. Senate voted overwhelming on a motion to support NATO, a move viewed as reflecting Congress’ concerns over the president’s menacing talk about the alliance.
GOP Finally Getting Nervous About Trump SHARE
“Going into the fall, there’s a real fear among our members that a trade war will squander the economic gains we made with tax reform,” a senior GOP official on Capitol Hill told POLITICO on Wednesday.Trump’s tough talk with allies, coming ahead of his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki, is adding to their discomfort.A day before Trump tore into Germany at the start of a high-stakes North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit in Brussels on Wednesday, the Republican-led U.S. Senate voted overwhelming on a motion to support NATO, a move viewed as reflecting Congress’ concerns over the president’s menacing talk about the alliance.
(42 comments)
Thursday, July 12, 2018
UN Report Finds Finland Is the Happiest Country in the World SHARE
Good cheer might abound in Naples, Florida, but as a whole, the United States is lagging behind comparably wealthy nations when it comes to its residents’ happiness. As Maggie Astor reports for the New York Times, the U.S. ranked 18th out of 156 countries surveyed in the World Happiness Report of 2018. The top spot went to Finland.The World Happiness Report is produced by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network, and it draws on data from on Gallup International surveys conducted between 2015 to 2017. The surveys asked thousands of people across the globe to place themselves on a ladder with steps numbered from zero to 10, with 10 representing the best possible life—a method known as the Cantril scale.
UN Report Finds Finland Is the Happiest Country in the World SHARE
Good cheer might abound in Naples, Florida, but as a whole, the United States is lagging behind comparably wealthy nations when it comes to its residents’ happiness. As Maggie Astor reports for the New York Times, the U.S. ranked 18th out of 156 countries surveyed in the World Happiness Report of 2018. The top spot went to Finland.The World Happiness Report is produced by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network, and it draws on data from on Gallup International surveys conducted between 2015 to 2017. The surveys asked thousands of people across the globe to place themselves on a ladder with steps numbered from zero to 10, with 10 representing the best possible life—a method known as the Cantril scale.
Sunday, July 8, 2018
Do You Really Need Cable TV? SHARE
Services such as Sling TV and Hulu With Live TV aren’t like Netflix, where users watch individual shows or movies. Instead, these cable-replacement services provide access to cable channels, such as CNN and TBS Network, along with many broadcast channels.The price is typically around $35 to $45 a month for 30 to 60 channels. You can often pay a bit more to get premium channels such as HBO or packages that add channels focusing on such things as Spanish-language content or sports...A cable-replacement service was a big part of the solution for John and Alisa Moore, a couple in Fallbrook, Calif. They got rid of cable TV and, after experimenting with several internet and cable-replacement combinations, settled on a $25 plan from Sling TV for broadcast and cable channels along with AT&T for internet service.
Do You Really Need Cable TV? SHARE
Services such as Sling TV and Hulu With Live TV aren’t like Netflix, where users watch individual shows or movies. Instead, these cable-replacement services provide access to cable channels, such as CNN and TBS Network, along with many broadcast channels.The price is typically around $35 to $45 a month for 30 to 60 channels. You can often pay a bit more to get premium channels such as HBO or packages that add channels focusing on such things as Spanish-language content or sports...A cable-replacement service was a big part of the solution for John and Alisa Moore, a couple in Fallbrook, Calif. They got rid of cable TV and, after experimenting with several internet and cable-replacement combinations, settled on a $25 plan from Sling TV for broadcast and cable channels along with AT&T for internet service.
(3 comments)
Thursday, July 5, 2018
"Troll Nation": How Trumpism is the Logical Conclusion of American Conservatism SHARE
"Trump is actually the logical conclusion of a movement in conservatism that’s been going on for decades -- fueled by talk radio, Fox News and other such things -- that has really kind of reconstructed American conservatism into this ideology, I’d say, of hate and bigotry more than actual political opinions or ideas."
"Troll Nation": How Trumpism is the Logical Conclusion of American Conservatism SHARE
"Trump is actually the logical conclusion of a movement in conservatism that’s been going on for decades -- fueled by talk radio, Fox News and other such things -- that has really kind of reconstructed American conservatism into this ideology, I’d say, of hate and bigotry more than actual political opinions or ideas."
Wednesday, July 4, 2018
"We're America, b*tch" SHARE
I’m in Europe this summer, though not in exile. I have not been driven to find sanctuary, much less thrown into a cage awaiting deportation, or forcibly separated from my child. When I fly home to New York, I will not be told that my name has ‘randomly’ appeared on a list, and taken aside to answer questions about the country of my ancestors, or my religious and political convictions. But for the first time in my life I’m not certain that this privilege, which ought to be simply a right, will last.By a strange twist of historical fate, people like me, Jews whose families fled to the US from Eastern Europe in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, became insiders, ‘white ethnics’, but the racism, intolerance and sheer vindictiveness that Donald Trump has helped bring into the mainstream are volatile forces, in constant search of new targets.
"We're America, b*tch" SHARE
I’m in Europe this summer, though not in exile. I have not been driven to find sanctuary, much less thrown into a cage awaiting deportation, or forcibly separated from my child. When I fly home to New York, I will not be told that my name has ‘randomly’ appeared on a list, and taken aside to answer questions about the country of my ancestors, or my religious and political convictions. But for the first time in my life I’m not certain that this privilege, which ought to be simply a right, will last.By a strange twist of historical fate, people like me, Jews whose families fled to the US from Eastern Europe in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, became insiders, ‘white ethnics’, but the racism, intolerance and sheer vindictiveness that Donald Trump has helped bring into the mainstream are volatile forces, in constant search of new targets.
(6 comments)
Tuesday, July 3, 2018
Democrat In Arizona Senate Race Leading by Double Digits SHARE
Arizona is one of just three races where Republicans are on defense as they seek to protect or grow their 51-49 Senate majority, and a victory here would go a long way in cutting off Democrats’ path to winning the chamber. But the state comes with challenges: President Donald Trump carried it by just 4 percentage points in 2016, and Democrats who have long hoped shifting demographics would move the Sun Belt in their direction say the opportunity to win a statewide race here is very real....Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) is expected to coast to the Democratic nomination and start the general election with a sizable head start, having already spent millions of dollars on the airwaves with positive ads aimed at swing voters, campaign operatives in both parties say... A recent NBC/Marist poll showed Sinema with a double-digit lead over Ward, McSally and Arpaio in general election matchups.
Democrat In Arizona Senate Race Leading by Double Digits SHARE
Arizona is one of just three races where Republicans are on defense as they seek to protect or grow their 51-49 Senate majority, and a victory here would go a long way in cutting off Democrats’ path to winning the chamber. But the state comes with challenges: President Donald Trump carried it by just 4 percentage points in 2016, and Democrats who have long hoped shifting demographics would move the Sun Belt in their direction say the opportunity to win a statewide race here is very real....Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) is expected to coast to the Democratic nomination and start the general election with a sizable head start, having already spent millions of dollars on the airwaves with positive ads aimed at swing voters, campaign operatives in both parties say... A recent NBC/Marist poll showed Sinema with a double-digit lead over Ward, McSally and Arpaio in general election matchups.
Saturday, June 30, 2018
HuffPo's Hate Mail SHARE
Up until the moment on Thursday he allegedly murdered five Capital Gazette employees, Jarrod W. Ramos was in many ways a kind of media consumer known to every journalist in America. He hated the newspaper, and he set up a pseudonymous account on Twitter to say so, again and again. There, the surly nonsense he directed at the newspaper’s reporters sat alongside the ominous allusions to the Charlie Hebdo massacre, all of it adding up — to what, exactly? A troll campaign? An actual threat? How could anyone tell the difference, anyway?
HuffPo's Hate Mail SHARE
Up until the moment on Thursday he allegedly murdered five Capital Gazette employees, Jarrod W. Ramos was in many ways a kind of media consumer known to every journalist in America. He hated the newspaper, and he set up a pseudonymous account on Twitter to say so, again and again. There, the surly nonsense he directed at the newspaper’s reporters sat alongside the ominous allusions to the Charlie Hebdo massacre, all of it adding up — to what, exactly? A troll campaign? An actual threat? How could anyone tell the difference, anyway?
Friday, June 29, 2018
2018 National Geographic Photographer of the Year SHARE
A beautiful image of a humpback whale taken by photographer Reiko Takahashi has claimed the top prize in the National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year competition for 2018. The image, titled “Mermaid,” was captured off the coast of Japan’s Kumejima Island. A panel of judges picked it from among more than 13,000 entries in three categories, which include nature, cities and people.“It was a special scene for me, to be able to take a photo of the calf, completely relaxed in gentle waters,” Takahashi told National Geographic. “I really cannot believe it. It was my dream to win. I am honored and it will be the driving force for my future shooting.”Takahashi will receive $10,000 for her winning photo.See the rest of the winners, as well as all of the other entries... (Above text from Huffington Post)
2018 National Geographic Photographer of the Year SHARE
A beautiful image of a humpback whale taken by photographer Reiko Takahashi has claimed the top prize in the National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year competition for 2018. The image, titled “Mermaid,” was captured off the coast of Japan’s Kumejima Island. A panel of judges picked it from among more than 13,000 entries in three categories, which include nature, cities and people.“It was a special scene for me, to be able to take a photo of the calf, completely relaxed in gentle waters,” Takahashi told National Geographic. “I really cannot believe it. It was my dream to win. I am honored and it will be the driving force for my future shooting.”Takahashi will receive $10,000 for her winning photo.See the rest of the winners, as well as all of the other entries... (Above text from Huffington Post)
Wednesday, June 20, 2018
How Netflix Swallowed the TV Industry (and Perhaps Even Hollywood) SHARE
Netflix is hiring everybody in and out of Hollywood to make more TV shows than any network ever has, and it already knows which ones you’ll like.Netflix’s overthrow of television’s old business model began just seven years ago. That’s when the Silicon Valley company best known for mailing DVDs in little red envelopes outbid AMC and HBO for the rights to a drama from director David Fincher, a remake of the British mini-series House of Cards. It was a big deal at the time, both because of the money Netflix was spending ($100 million for two seasons) and because it was the first hint of the streaming platform’s ambitions to evolve beyond a digital warehouse for other conglomerates’ intellectual property.“The first word out of everybody’s mouths in meetings is, ‘How do we deal with Netflix?’ ” says one longtime TV-industry executive.
How Netflix Swallowed the TV Industry (and Perhaps Even Hollywood) SHARE
Netflix is hiring everybody in and out of Hollywood to make more TV shows than any network ever has, and it already knows which ones you’ll like.Netflix’s overthrow of television’s old business model began just seven years ago. That’s when the Silicon Valley company best known for mailing DVDs in little red envelopes outbid AMC and HBO for the rights to a drama from director David Fincher, a remake of the British mini-series House of Cards. It was a big deal at the time, both because of the money Netflix was spending ($100 million for two seasons) and because it was the first hint of the streaming platform’s ambitions to evolve beyond a digital warehouse for other conglomerates’ intellectual property.“The first word out of everybody’s mouths in meetings is, ‘How do we deal with Netflix?’ ” says one longtime TV-industry executive.
Tuesday, June 19, 2018
Trumps's Approval Rating Jumps to Same as Obama's and Clinton's At Comparable Time in Office SHARE
Gallup, considered the gold standard of gauging approval ratings, polls a representative sample size of 1,500 Americans by telephone every week, with a margin of error of plus-or-minus 3 percentage points. Trump's disapproval rating is currently at 50%, the second-lowest point it's been since the very beginning of his first term in January 2017. His disapproval ratings have been as high as 60% in previous months.Trump's current approval rating 513 days into his presidency is on par with the approval ratings of other presidents at similar points in their first terms. President Barack Obama's approval rating was 45% at day 523 of his presidency, and former President Bill Clinton held 44% approval on day 524.
Trumps's Approval Rating Jumps to Same as Obama's and Clinton's At Comparable Time in Office SHARE
Gallup, considered the gold standard of gauging approval ratings, polls a representative sample size of 1,500 Americans by telephone every week, with a margin of error of plus-or-minus 3 percentage points. Trump's disapproval rating is currently at 50%, the second-lowest point it's been since the very beginning of his first term in January 2017. His disapproval ratings have been as high as 60% in previous months.Trump's current approval rating 513 days into his presidency is on par with the approval ratings of other presidents at similar points in their first terms. President Barack Obama's approval rating was 45% at day 523 of his presidency, and former President Bill Clinton held 44% approval on day 524.
(51 comments)
Monday, June 11, 2018
Robert De Niro Says "F*ck Trump" at Tony Awards, Gets Standing Ovation SHARE
Robert De Niro took the stage at Radio City Music Hall for the 72nd annual Tony Awards Sunday night, but CBS completely bleeped out his first words."F--- Trump," he said, referring to President Donald Trump.De Niro threw his arms in the air defiantly as the crowd cheered and gave him a standing ovation."It's no longer down with Trump," he said. "It's f--- Trump."
Robert De Niro Says "F*ck Trump" at Tony Awards, Gets Standing Ovation SHARE
Robert De Niro took the stage at Radio City Music Hall for the 72nd annual Tony Awards Sunday night, but CBS completely bleeped out his first words."F--- Trump," he said, referring to President Donald Trump.De Niro threw his arms in the air defiantly as the crowd cheered and gave him a standing ovation."It's no longer down with Trump," he said. "It's f--- Trump."
Saturday, June 9, 2018
The End of Cable TV? SHARE
For decades, cable has roped in millions of customers like me with the promise of hundreds of channels and thousands of shows. But in my 15-plus years as a subscriber, there’s one thing I’ve watched most: my bill.Every month I pay it, and every month I think of cutting the cord. The reason is that there’s never anything good on—unless you’re a fan of The Shawshank Redemption (which is probably on two channels at once), or one of the 19 shows based on storage units or pawn shops.Years of this feeling has brought people like me to a slow boil and caused them to pull the plug on their pay television. In the last quarter, 527,000 subscribers cut the cord. In the three months prior, more than 750,000 people cancelled their accounts—the industry’s worst stretch yet. It seems the only things stopping the rest us from defecting are hassle, uncertainty and incentive.
The End of Cable TV? SHARE
For decades, cable has roped in millions of customers like me with the promise of hundreds of channels and thousands of shows. But in my 15-plus years as a subscriber, there’s one thing I’ve watched most: my bill.Every month I pay it, and every month I think of cutting the cord. The reason is that there’s never anything good on—unless you’re a fan of The Shawshank Redemption (which is probably on two channels at once), or one of the 19 shows based on storage units or pawn shops.Years of this feeling has brought people like me to a slow boil and caused them to pull the plug on their pay television. In the last quarter, 527,000 subscribers cut the cord. In the three months prior, more than 750,000 people cancelled their accounts—the industry’s worst stretch yet. It seems the only things stopping the rest us from defecting are hassle, uncertainty and incentive.
(43 comments)
Friday, May 18, 2018
"How Baby Boomers Broke America" by Steven Brill SHARE
Lately, most Americans, regardless of their political leanings, have been asking themselves some version of the same question: How did we get here? How did the world’s greatest democracy and economy become a land of crumbling roads, bitter polarization and dysfunctional government?As I tried to find the answer over the past two years, I discovered a recurring irony. About five decades ago, the core values that make America great began to bring America down.
"How Baby Boomers Broke America" by Steven Brill SHARE
Lately, most Americans, regardless of their political leanings, have been asking themselves some version of the same question: How did we get here? How did the world’s greatest democracy and economy become a land of crumbling roads, bitter polarization and dysfunctional government?As I tried to find the answer over the past two years, I discovered a recurring irony. About five decades ago, the core values that make America great began to bring America down.
(9 comments)
Monday, April 30, 2018
Woody Allen Speaks Out SHARE
TWENTY-ONE years ago [now twenty-five], when I first heard Mia Farrow had accused me of child molestation, I found the idea so ludicrous I didn’t give it a second thought. We were involved in a terribly acrimonious breakup, with great enmity between us and a custody battle slowly gathering energy. The self-serving transparency of her malevolence seemed so obvious I didn’t even hire a lawyer to defend myself. It was my show business attorney who told me she was bringing the accusation to the police and I would need a criminal lawyer.
Woody Allen Speaks Out SHARE
TWENTY-ONE years ago [now twenty-five], when I first heard Mia Farrow had accused me of child molestation, I found the idea so ludicrous I didn’t give it a second thought. We were involved in a terribly acrimonious breakup, with great enmity between us and a custody battle slowly gathering energy. The self-serving transparency of her malevolence seemed so obvious I didn’t even hire a lawyer to defend myself. It was my show business attorney who told me she was bringing the accusation to the police and I would need a criminal lawyer.
(4 comments)
Sunday, April 29, 2018
A $3.8 Million SUV SHARE
The Karlmann King is an SUV designed in China and assembled almost completely by hand in Europe, with a chassis and engine supplied by Ford. It’s also the most expensive SUV in the world, with a price tag of $3.8 million, according to the company’s press release.The King blew some minds at the Dubai International Motor Show in November. Inspired by stealth fighter jets like the F-117 Nighthawk, the Karlmann King has a hulking, polygonal body frame, which pushes the SUV’s weight to nearly 10,000 pounds, and a matte finish. But while the company views the outside as a beast, it thinks of the inside as a jewel.It features a 40-inch television, Playstation, internet, refrigerator, bar, integrated laptops, satellite navigation system, coffee machine and a rainbow of mood lighting. And for nearly $4 million, we would sure hope to have a coffee machine included.
A $3.8 Million SUV SHARE
The Karlmann King is an SUV designed in China and assembled almost completely by hand in Europe, with a chassis and engine supplied by Ford. It’s also the most expensive SUV in the world, with a price tag of $3.8 million, according to the company’s press release.The King blew some minds at the Dubai International Motor Show in November. Inspired by stealth fighter jets like the F-117 Nighthawk, the Karlmann King has a hulking, polygonal body frame, which pushes the SUV’s weight to nearly 10,000 pounds, and a matte finish. But while the company views the outside as a beast, it thinks of the inside as a jewel.It features a 40-inch television, Playstation, internet, refrigerator, bar, integrated laptops, satellite navigation system, coffee machine and a rainbow of mood lighting. And for nearly $4 million, we would sure hope to have a coffee machine included.
Friday, April 20, 2018
A Cure for Disconnection SHARE
Loneliness is a problem of epidemic proportions, affecting millions from all walks of life. But while its roots are complex, remedies may be within reach. It's been 17 years since Robert Putnam's best-selling book Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community sounded the alarm about societal changes driving new levels of isolation and alienation; by now, most of us know that loneliness isn't a problem to be laughed off. Researchers warn that we are in the midst of a loneliness epidemic, and they aren't being metaphorical when they speak of loneliness as a disease.
A Cure for Disconnection SHARE
Loneliness is a problem of epidemic proportions, affecting millions from all walks of life. But while its roots are complex, remedies may be within reach. It's been 17 years since Robert Putnam's best-selling book Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community sounded the alarm about societal changes driving new levels of isolation and alienation; by now, most of us know that loneliness isn't a problem to be laughed off. Researchers warn that we are in the midst of a loneliness epidemic, and they aren't being metaphorical when they speak of loneliness as a disease.
(3 comments)
Friday, March 30, 2018
NPR Interview with Dr. Andrew Newberg on "Neurotheology" SHARE
Newberg's scans have also shown the ways in which religious practices, like meditation, can help shape a brain. Newberg describes one study in which he worked with older individuals who were experiencing memory problems. Newberg took scans of their brains, then taught them a mantra-based type of meditation and asked them to practice that meditation 12 minutes a day for eight weeks. At the end of the eight weeks, they came back for another scan, and Newberg found some dramatic differences."We found some very significant and profound changes in their brain just at rest, particularly in the areas of the brain that help us to focus our mind and to focus our attention," he says.
NPR Interview with Dr. Andrew Newberg on "Neurotheology" SHARE
Newberg's scans have also shown the ways in which religious practices, like meditation, can help shape a brain. Newberg describes one study in which he worked with older individuals who were experiencing memory problems. Newberg took scans of their brains, then taught them a mantra-based type of meditation and asked them to practice that meditation 12 minutes a day for eight weeks. At the end of the eight weeks, they came back for another scan, and Newberg found some dramatic differences."We found some very significant and profound changes in their brain just at rest, particularly in the areas of the brain that help us to focus our mind and to focus our attention," he says.
(4 comments)
Thursday, March 29, 2018
The "Bernie Wing" Has Already Beaten the Democrartic Party Establishment SHARE
With his primary election victory last week, Illinois
Congressman Dan Lipinski—a Blue Dog and cultural conservative—won the
first major 2018 battle between the Democratic Party’s establishment and
progressive wings.
But don’t be confused about what it means. The war is already over, and the establishment lost.
The "Bernie Wing" Has Already Beaten the Democrartic Party Establishment SHARE
With his primary election victory last week, Illinois
Congressman Dan Lipinski—a Blue Dog and cultural conservative—won the
first major 2018 battle between the Democratic Party’s establishment and
progressive wings.
But don’t be confused about what it means. The war is already over, and the establishment lost.
