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You may contact Dr. Brasch at brasch@walterbrasch.com or through his website, www.walterbrasch.com
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Walter Brasch

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Walter Brasch is an award-winning journalist and professor of journalism emeritus. His current books are Before the First Snow: Stories from the Revolution , America's Unpatriotic Acts: The Federal Government's Violation of Constitutional and Civil Rights, and 'Unacceptable': The Federal response to Hurricane Katrina, available at amazon.com, borders.com and most major on-line bookstores. BEFORE THE FIRST SNOW is also available at www.greeleyandstone.com (20 discount)

Walter Brasch, a deeply valued Senior Editor at OpEdNews passed from this world on February 9, 2017, age 71, his obituary follows:

Walter M. Brasch, Ph.D., age 71, of 2460 Second Street, Bloomsburg (Espy), died Thursday, Feb. 9, 2017, at Geisinger Medical Center, Danville surrounded by his family.

He was an award-winning former newspaper reporter and editor in California, Iowa, Indiana, and Ohio; professor emeritus of mass communications and journalism at Bloomsburg University; and an award-winning social issues journalist and book author.

Walter was born March 2, 1945, in San Diego, the son of Milton Brasch and Helen (Haskin) Brasch and was a 34 year resident of Espy.

In his early years he was a writer-producer for multimedia and film companies in California, and a copywriter and political analyst for advertising and public relations companies. For five years during the late 1990s, he was the media and social issues commentator for United Broadcasting Network. He was also the author of a syndicated newspaper column since 1992 and the creative vice-president of Scripts Destitute of Phoenix.

Dr. Brasch was a member of the Local Emergency Planning Committee and was active in the Columbia County Emergency Management Agency. He was vice-president of the Central Susquehanna chapter of the ACLU, vice-president and co-founder of the Northeast Pennsylvania Homeless Alliance, a member of the board of the Keystone Beacon Community for healthcare coordination, and was active in numerous social causes. He was co-founder with his wife Rosemary Brasch of The Oasis, a biweekly newsletter for families and friends of personnel stationed in the Persian Gulf. Later, during Operation Iraqi Freedom, they published The Oasis 2, for families of persons in combat zones. They were supported by the Bloomsburg Chapter, America Red Cross and Geisinger Medical Center, Danville.

He was the author of 20 books, most which fuse historical and contemporary social issues. Among his books are Black English and the Mass Media (1981); Forerunners of Revolution: Muckrakers and the American Social Conscience (1991); With Just Cause: The Unionization of the American Journalist (1991); Sex and the Single Beer Can: Probing the Media and American Culture (1997); Brer Rabbit, Uncle Remus, and the 'Cornfield Journalist': The Tale of Joel Chandler Harris (2000); The Joy of Sax: America During the Bill Clinton Era (2001); Unacceptable: The federal Response to Hurricane Katrina (2005); America's Unpatriotic Acts: The Federal Government's Violation of Constitutional and Civil Rights (2006); Sinking the Ship of State: The Presidency of George W. Bush (2007);  and Before the First Snow (2011). He was co-author of The Press and the State (1986), awarded Outstanding Academic Book distinction by Choice magazine, published by the American Library Association.

His last book is Fracking America: Sacrificing Health and the Environment for Short-Term Economic Benefit (2015), a critically-acclaimed novel that looks at what happens when government and energy companies form a symbiotic relationship, using "cheaper, cleaner" fuel and the lure of jobs in a depressed economy but at the expense of significant health and environmental impact.

During the past two decades, he won more than 150 regional and national media awards from the National Society of Newspaper Columnists, Society of Professional Journalists, National Federation of Press Women, USA Book News, Independent Book Publishing Professionals Group, Pennsylvania Press Club, Pennsylvania Women's Press Association, Pennsylvania Associated Press Broadcasters Association, Penn-writers, International Association of Business Communicators, Pacific Coast Press Club, and Press Club of Southern California. He was recognized in 2012 by the Pennsylvania Press Club with the Communicator of Achievement award for lifetime achievement in journalism and public service.

He was an Eagle Scout; co-recipient of the Civil Liberties Award of the American Civil Liberties Union, 1996; and was honored by San Diego State University as a Points of Excellence winner in 1997. In 2000, he received the Herb Caen Memorial Award of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. For the Pennsylvania Humanities Council he was twice named a Commonwealth speaker. He also received the meritorious achievement medal of the U.S. Coast Guard.

At Bloomsburg University, he earned the Creative Arts Award, the Creative Teaching Award, and was named an Outstanding Student Advisor. He received the first annual Dean's Salute to Excellence in 2002, a second award in 2007, and the Maroon and Gold Quill Award for nonfiction. He was the 2004 recipient of the Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Service Award. For 22 years, he was Editor-In-Chief of the awarding-winning Spectrum Magazine, part of the journalism program of the Department of Mass Communications, Bloomsburg University until his retirement in 2010.  The community magazine was published twice a year by students for residents of Columbia and Montour counties in northeastern Pennsylvania and one of the few to be inducted into the national Associated Collegiate Press hall of fame. The magazine was also a consistent award winner in competition sponsored by the Society of Professional Journalists, Columbia Scholastic Press Association, and the American Scholastic Press Association. He primarily taught magazine editing and production, public affairs reporting, feature writing, newspaper editing; every Fall, he taught a 250-student section on mass communications and the popular arts.

 Dr. Brasch was co founder of the qualitative studies division of the Association for Education in Journalism, president of the Keystone State professional chapter and for three years deputy regional director of the Society of Professional Journalists, from which he received the Director's Award and the National Freedom of Information Award. He was president of the Pennsylvania Press Club, vice-president of the Pennsylvania Women's Press Association, and founding coordinator of Pennsylvania Journalism Educators. He was a featured columnist for Liberal Opinion Week, senior correspondent for the American Reporter, senior editor for OpEdNews, and an editorial board member of Journalism History and the Journal of Media Law and Ethics.

He was a member of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists, Author's Guild, National Writers Union (UAW/AFL-CIO), The Newspaper Guild (CWA/AFL-CIO), and the Society of Environmental Journalists. He was a life member of the service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega, and was indicted into the national scholarship honor societies Phi Kappa Phi (general scholarship), Kappa Tau Alpha (journalism), Pi Gamma Mu (social sciences), and Kappa Tau Alpha (sociology.) He is listed in Who's Who in America, Who's Who in the East, Contemporary Authors, Who's Who in the Media and Who's Who in Education. Dr. Brasch earned an A.B. in sociology from San Diego State College, an M.A. in journalism from Ball State University, and a Ph.D. in mass communication/journalism, with a cognate area in both American government/public policy and language and culture studies, from The Ohio State University.

He is survived by his wife of 34 years, the former Rosemary Renn the most wonderful thing that happened in his life and whom he loved very much; two sons, Jeffery Gerber, Phoenix AZ and Matthew Gerber and his wife, Laurel  (Neyhard)  of Bloomsburg, a sister, Corey Brasch of Sacramento, Calif; a niece, Terri Pearson-Fuchs, Calif, numerous cousins; and his beloved dogs Cabot and Remy.

Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, at 2:00 p.m. at the Dean W. Kriner Inc. Funeral Home & Cremation Service,  325 Market St., Bloomsburg with family friend, Nathaniel Mitchell officiating. Interment in Elan Memorial Park, Lime Ridge.

Friends may call at the funeral home on Tuesday from 6 - 8 p.m. or Wednesday from 1-2 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Walter M. Brasch Scholarship Fund,

c/o First Keystone Community Bank, 2301 Columbia Blvd, Bloomsburg, PA 17815 or to

Mostly Mutts, 284 Little Mountain Rd., Sunbury, PA 17801

 

www.walterbrasch.com

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(26 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, June 18, 2009
Twelve Angry White People: Jury Nullification in a Pennsylvania Coal Town Two teenagers were sentenced to a minimum sentence in county jail, a year after they were accused of killing an illegal Mexican immigrant.
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(7 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, August 9, 2012
Baffled, Befuddled, and Bamboozled: Penn State Trustees and NCAA are Sinking It took a new PennState trustee, a former Navy SEAL, to do what the full board should have done about the NCAA--and PennState's failure to understand state law and due process.
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(83 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, November 24, 2012
Truckin' to Treason: The Hot Air of Secession They call themselves "rebels." The say they want to secede from the union. But they are, in truth, a segment of the mainstream establishment--and they're more than a century late with their desire to dissolve the union.
Julia Trigg Crawford, From ImagesAttr
(6 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, May 19, 2013
Keystone XL, Through Transcanada, Uses Eminent Domain to Seize Texan's Land Landowners are losing their rights as fracking and Big Energy, in collusion with government, is seizing private property to advance the interests not of the public but of private business.
(19 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Former OEN Managing Editor Files Lawsuit Against Philly Police, City. Charge: Constitutional Violations in Her Arrest An OEN editor who was arrested while covering a demonstration in September 2009 in Philadelphia has filed suit in federal court, charging that the City and its police department violated three Amendments in her arrest and subsequent incarceration.
(13 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, November 16, 2009
Rush to Judgment: Talk Radio's 'Truth Detector' Blows a Fuse--Again Rush Limbaugh, in just a few minutes on his Freaky Friday show, Nov. 13, managed to offend the President, the Attorney General, lawyers, judges, the Department of Justice, Jews, and two war heroes. And he was just warming up.
From ImagesAttr
(10 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, November 8, 2012
Religion, politics, religious right, evangelical Christians, First Amendment, Founding Fathers, Constitution, Catholics, The U.S. was NOT founded as a Christian nation, nor did the Founding Fathers believe there should be a mix of religion and politics. But, the evangelicals and many from the other denominations have attacked President Obama and those who support him; many religious leaders have said that those who voted for the President will have their souls damned and sent to Hell. Here are the facts
From ImagesAttr
(6 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, April 27, 2014
The Fracking Prostitutes of American Colleges Some American colleges have cast aside the academic tradition of inquiry, and have become corporate shills for the oil and gas industry. This is their story.
The mound, From FlickrPhotos
(42 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, May 29, 2016
Memorial Day Crocodile Tears from Those Who Create Wars Memorial Day is NOT a time for politicians to campaign. It is a time to reflect upon those who died or were wounded in service--as well as a time to think about the homeless.
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, March 5, 2011
Big Business Paid For Their Beds, Now Republicans Have to Lie in Them Lies in Wisconsin have been sent through the U.S. by the media. But, the lies originated with the Republican-dominated Legislatuire and the Tea Party-supported governor.
(6 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, March 18, 2012
FRACKING: Pennsylvania Gags Physicians A new law threatens the health and environment of Pennsylvanians, while protecting the natural gas industry and its use of hydraulic fracturing (fracking).
From ImagesAttr
(11 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, June 22, 2012
American Patriotism in Hyper-Drive America has spawned a culture of hyper-patriots, most of whom just mouth the words but do little to help their country and its people.
From ImagesAttr
(18 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, August 23, 2012
Romney Tax Return Provides a Window to His Soul What Mitt Romney receives in income every year, and what he does with it, is not as important as WHY he refuses to follow presidential custom and release his IRS tax returns.
Tom .Benedict Arnold. Cotton, From ImagesAttr
(32 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, March 13, 2015
America's Real Traitors First, the Tea Party wingnuts call John Boehner a RINO. Now, they send a vicious letter to Iran, undermining the constitution and the authority of the President. Their actions--in addition to being political and stupid--border on treason.
Gov. Tom Corbett, From ImagesAttr
(9 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, March 12, 2011
Gov. Tom Corbett: Pennsylvania's Savior Pa. Gov. Tom Corbett may be the most brilliant politician in America--or just the most devious.
OccupyDC.McPhersonSquare2.WDC.25November2011, From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, December 6, 2014
Deck the Malls: The Nightmare After Thanksgiving During the four-day spree, about 133.7 million shoppers spent about $50.9 billion. The psychological necessity to push, shove, and trample strangers while fighting for the right to purchase overpriced merchandise made in China has just begun.
Tea Party; Planet of the Apes, From ImagesAttr
(24 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, January 17, 2015
The Fascist Socialist Kenyan Muslim Libtard President Unable to logically argue political principles and ideas, the extreme right-wing has used name-calling as its tactic to attack President Obama and the nation's liberals.
(38 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, March 18, 2011
Barack Obama: MIA in Labor's Struggle If President Obama remains silent about the workers' protests, they could very well be silent in 2012.
Gas Pump, From ImagesAttr
(17 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, December 27, 2014
The Fracking Boom is a Fracking Bubble The low prices at the gas pump may mean the beginning of the end of horizontal fracturing (fracking) as a viable way to mine natural gas--and, possibly, the direction needed to expand renewable energy.
(17 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, December 27, 2009
The Courage of Michael Vick Michael Vick, the Philadelphia Eagles back-up quarterback, won the Ed Block award for courage. But his comments prove he didn't earn it.
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Geo Beach: A Swamp Yankee in the Last Fontier Reality TV is something Geo Beach readily discusses, especially since his History Channel Show about Alaska is NOT Reality TV. In this probing 2,300-word article, award-winning journalist Walter Brasch looks at award-winning journalist Geo Beach, Reality TV, Alaska, and some issues that people in the "Lower 48" should probably know.
From ImagesAttr
(9 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, June 25, 2009
Tarnished Shields: The Morally Bankrupt 'Family Values' Republican Leadership Gov. Mark Sanford and Sen. John Ensign aren't the only Republican leaders to have committed adultery, lied about it, and asked for forgiveness; they're just two of a large number of hypocrits to their "family values" speeches.
(17 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, November 30, 2008
The Media Auto Know Better: Fueling the Anti-Union Fires A large number of mass media pundits, columnists, and bloviators are looking at the "Why" behind the economic problems. Unfortunately, they are looking at the workers and their unions as the problem, instead of looking at the managers who caused the problem.
From ImagesAttr
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, July 13, 2013
"Putting People over Profits': The Fight Against Fracking A majority of Pennsylvanians want a moratorium on fracking. We know Gov. Tom Corbett, the republican-controlled legislature, and Big Energy don't. So, who also opposes this moratorium. This article reveals surprises.
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, December 20, 2008
One Leg Raised on the Bush-Cheney Legacy: Deconstructing the Spin and Propaganda In a major 2,500-word analysis, award-winning journalist and social activist Walter Brasch deconstructs propaganda put out by the Republican National Committee that paints Democrats as "radical leftists" who are out to destroy American freedoms and business.
From ImagesAttr
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, September 10, 2012
Grade Inflation; Education Degradation Grade inflation has led to a deterioration of knowledge and abilities. Prof. Walter Brasch explains.
pigeons stuffed into barrel, From ImagesAttr
(7 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, October 25, 2014
NRA Continues Policy of Animal Cruelty The NRA continues to support animal cruelty. This is an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at its influence upon the largest state legislature in the country.
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, March 17, 2009
The Painful Cost of 'Breed Standards' In an attempt to maintain 'breed standards' for cosmetic appearance, breeders and members of the American Kennel Club routinely mutilate dogs' ears and tails. The 76,000-member American Veterinary Medical Association, and police and military dog handlers, opposes "cropping" and "docking" for cosmetic reasons, but the practice continues.
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, May 20, 2010
ACLU Sues School for Invasion of Privacy A student's right to privacy extends into schools. However, a pennsylvania school district violated a student's Constitutional rights by seizing a cell phone and then turning private and non-distributed photos to the D.A.
Bernie Sanders for President, From FlickrPhotos
(36 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, May 24, 2016
History Must Not Repeat Itself: How the Democrats Could Lose the Presidency--Again Hillary Clinton may become the Democratic nominee for president, but she may lose the presidency if she does not consider the wisdom and beliefs of Bernie Sanders. The Dems. lost elections in 1968 and 2000 when they couldn't unite the party.
Basketball hoop, From ImagesAttr
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, April 12, 2015
A Call for Fair Pay for College Athletes Let's call it as we see it -- sports are more important than education in many of America's colleges.
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, September 7, 2008
No Wolf Whistles for Sarah Palin's Compassion Sarah Palin is the subject of hundreds of commentaries. Dr. Brasch, in NOT commenting upon Palin, comments upon a lot of problems, one of the most significant being that is is truly not pro-life.
Olympic flame, From ImagesAttr
(32 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, February 7, 2014
The Propaganda Olympics The 2014 Sochi Olympics has some remarkable parallels to another Olympics.
Congress and the NRA, From ImagesAttr
(48 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, July 11, 2015
Gun Control and the NRA The confederate flag is now down from in front of the S.C. state capitol. But, the discussion about flags has marred the real issue facing America--the continuing influence of the NRA--and the cowardice of Democrats to speak out on critical issues.
(9 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, February 15, 2010
FOUND: U.S. Constitution Sarah Palin doesn't think the U.S. needs a professor of law. After Cheney and Bush tried to shred the Constitution, this is exactly what the nation needs.
Various rifle firearms, From FlickrPhotos
(13 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, November 28, 2015
Terrorism on American Soil Americans have far more to worry about from American terrorists and the NRA than they do from ISIS or any foreign terrorist organization.
Pauley Perrette aka Abby Sciuto from NCIS, From ImagesAttr
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, July 26, 2015
'NCIS' Again Skunked--Except by the People One of the best TV dramas has again been snubbed by the Emmys. Here's why.
From ImagesAttr
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, March 22, 2012
FRACKING: Corruption a Part of Pennsylvania's Heritage Corruption and politics may be at the root of why Pennsylvania has allowed near-unlimited drilling for natural gas--at the expense of health and environment.
Ben Shapiro, From FlickrPhotos
(49 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, August 6, 2016
Free Speech Not Present at Some Universities He's a journalist. He's a Harvard law school graduate. He's also one of the most controversial ultra-rightwing speakers who have been banned from American colleges. Here's why.
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, July 11, 2010
Heat Wave Washes Away American Ideals: LeBron James, the Media, and the American Soul The media hype on the LeBron James "Decision" reflects a lot about American values.
From ImagesAttr
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, June 22, 2013
Your Friendly Neighborhood Totalitarian State The fact that Edward Snowden revealed that the NSA is spying on Americans should come as no surprise. There have been at least a half dozen programs under the bush-Cheney Administration that compromised the Bill of Rights for what was believed to be national security.
NFL logo for Super Bowl XLVII, From ImagesAttr
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, February 3, 2013
Numbering the Super Bowl Want a ticket to today's Super Bowl? Figure on paying about $2,000. This and more information will statistically shock you.
From ImagesAttr
(28 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, February 12, 2009
Toothless: The Watchdog Press That Became the Government's Lapdog The Founding Fathers believed the primary function of the news media was to act as a watchdog upon government. They wpuld be sadly disapppinted to learn of the media role during the Bush-Cheney Admimistration.
From ImagesAttr
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, September 23, 2016
Readers Want News Not Fluff The divorce story of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie is more than just a divorce; it is a story about journalism
(13 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, November 21, 2008
A Turkey By Any Other Name--Is Still the Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin is the politician who just keeps giving andf giving. Unfortunately, this time she gives us ineptness and insensitvity about animals.
VERA SCROGGINS, From ImagesAttr
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, March 20, 2014
An Injunction Against the First Amendment A Pennsylvania anti-fracking activist, who believes in non-violent confrontation, will be in court, March 24, to protest an injunction that forbids her from going to the local hospital, her rehab center, and forbids her from going to even local restaurants.
(19 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, October 4, 2008
Sarah Palin Wins Debate--By Darn With the performance bar set so low, unless Sarah Palin shot a moose in the studio, she had to win the debate.
Forgetting my role as an objective reporter and lapsing into an impas, From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, November 16, 2010
The Irreverent Frog Should organized religion ordain frogs? In this irreverent satire, OpEd News senior editor Walter Brasch asks and answers that question.
Paid Sick Leave Hearing - House of Delegates, Annapolis - Feb. 18, 2014, From ImagesAttr
(14 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, April 17, 2015
Sick and Tired Workers: An Epidemic of Corporate Greed The Republican-led Pa. legislature believes bosses should not have to establish sick leave plans for their workers. Here's the story.
(8 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, February 18, 2011
Sexual Assault Coverage by Media Shows Double Standard, Paternalism, and Sexism The media coverage of the Lara Logan assault in Cairo reveals a double standard, paternalism, and sexism in the media.
(23 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, September 1, 2007
Fake Photos Helped Lead U.S. to Invade Iraq A veteran U.S. representative reveals that the Bush-Cheney administration submitted faked photos to convince congress to vote for war in Iraq. Those photos, said Rep. Paul Kanjorski (D-Pa.) were not of Iraqi drones but of American unmanned aerial vehicles in the southwest deserrt in the U.S.
(15 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, September 7, 2009
Labor Day: The Forgotten Holiday Americans celebrate Labor Day as if it were part of a 3-day vacation, but have little idea why it is so important, and so necessary.
From ImagesAttr
(11 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, March 10, 2013
Universal Neglect: A Failure to Protect Americans' Health One of the nation's giants of the counter-culture is in need of dental work. He can't afford it. If his story was onoly about himself, mit might be interesting. But, his is a story that could be tghe one to discuss the problems of more than 40 million Americans.
Jester- Joker Card, From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, December 22, 2013
America's Political Twerks Kanye West says he's the next Nelson mandela. Sarah Palin says Obamacare is as bad as slavery. What other fools are talking. Find out in Walt Brasch's current column.
From flickr.com/photos/62518311@N00/7984450867/: Fracking, From Images
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, April 26, 2015
Citizen-Journalist Fined for Telling the Truth A citizen-journalist was fined $1,000 for telling the truth about fracking. The fine will go to Cabot Oil and Gas, which earned about $1 billion last year.
Pink, the best-selling pop singer, would probably be banned from most schools because of her hair., From ImagesAttr
(11 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, March 24, 2015
The Morality Police The Morals Police has again come to the U.S. They would make the Puritans seem to be liberal.
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, January 21, 2012
Outsourcing America's Health Care to Mexico With corporations maximizing profits by downsizing, rightsizing, and outsourcing, it's only logical that health care will be outsourced--to countries with better heal;th plans than the U.S. (A World Health Organization analysis shows the U.S. ranked 37th.)
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, April 5, 2007
Punishment for a Traitor President Bush's actions prove not only has he made significant and substantial mistakes in the creation and escalation of the war in Iraq, but that it is he and his Administration, not the war protestors and Democratic party, who has failed to support the troops.
From flickr.com/photos/9364837@N06/4641974226/: Secretary Clinton Enters the Press Briefing, From Images
(9 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, July 29, 2016
Division in the Nation's Political Parties Hillary Clinton, facing division and distrust, will be the first woman to be the nation's president. Here's why.
Map, of Israel (as it is, not as HarperCollins said it is.), From ImagesAttr
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, January 12, 2015
A Textbook Case of Willful Distortion One of the world's largest book publishers wiped Israel off the map--literally. Here's the story--and it's not an unusual act in textbook publishing.
Lies, From ImagesAttr
(11 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, October 11, 2014
A Swift Boat Load of Lies Politicians lying? How absurd! We know they always tell the truth. But, now, they can really lie in paid political ads, thanks to a Supreme Court ruling.
From ImagesAttr
(29 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, May 17, 2012
Eliminating the "99%' Can Lead to a Better Message for Social Justice In this provacative essay, journalist/activist Walter Brasch suggests it's time to retire the "We're the 99%" slogan of the Occupy movement.
Gas well explosion and fire, From ImagesAttr
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, March 8, 2014
Disposable Assets in the Fracking Industry The fatality rate in the oil/gas industry is 7x that of the U.S. rate overall. And, yet, the oil/gas lobbhy PR machine continues to claim that fracking is "safe." Here's why it isn't.
From flickr.com/photos/55386431@N05/25482894530/: Trump caricature, From Images
(18 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, May 16, 2016
The Art of the Double-Dealing Megalomaniac Donald Trump may be history's greatest political philosopher--or at least his semi-literate followers believe. Here's some "evidence."
From ImagesAttr
(8 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, August 31, 2013
Hurricane Katrina: It's Obama's Fault, by George Almost one-third of Louisiana Republicans believe the slow response by FEMA and the effects of Katrina were because of Barack Obama. One-third of Louisiana Republicans don't have functioning brain cells.
SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, April 28, 2012
The Trayvon Martin Case: A Lesson Still to be Learned The killing of Trayvon Martin isn't as clear-cut, as black or white, as the pundits on all sides may believe. They, like the media, have their agendas and biases.
From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, June 21, 2014
Scientists Predict Increased Rain, Floods for Northeast Increased rainfall and floods are seen for NE US for 5 decades, the result of climate change, increased fossil fuel usage, and fracking.
Horace Greeley, From ImagesAttr
(5 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, September 7, 2015
The Boss Who Fought for the Working Class At a time when the working class is under attack, and not one Republican candidate for president believes in unions, one of the nation's most influential capitalists spoke out for social justice and for the workers. This is his story.
From ImagesAttr
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, July 7, 2014
New Pennsylvania Judge Filmed Shooting Live Pigeons under Confederate Flag The following article was written by Steve Hindi and Stuart Chaifetz of SHARK (SHOWING ANIMALS RESPECT AND KINDNESS.) The story outlines a major problem in Pennsylvania and helps explain why it is possible that State Police did not investigate persons at pigeon shoots--SW Pa. is only place where this butchery of animals is still being carried out--for underage drinking, alcoholism, illegal gambling, and harassment.)
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, October 14, 2011
OCCUPY WALL STREET: Separating Fact from Media There are more myths, half-truths, and lies about Occupy Wall Street than there are residents of lower Manhattan. Media analyst and columnist Walter Brasch sorts oput the truth.
Double Octuple Newspaper Press, From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, December 10, 2015
Downsizing the Media; Downsizing Quality and Credibi Part 2 of 2-part series about problems with the mainstream media, and a call for a solution.
(8 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, February 3, 2011
'Following Orders' Never a Defense for Immoral Acts A man who killed 100 dogs successfully defended his claim for workman's compensation, based upon having post-traumatic stress syndrome. But there is no defense to the murder of animals.
Mountain of Plastic Bottles, From FlickrPhotos
(6 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, December 17, 2016
Trumping the Environment Donald Trump's action to preserve the environment is atrocious. Herere's why.
From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, May 10, 2014
The Fracking of Academic Integrity in American Colleges (part 3) t makes little difference if the Community College of Philadelphia accepted "only" $15,000, Lackawanna College accepted $2.5 million, or the University of North Dakota accepted $14 million. We know what they have become--it's just a matter of deciding how much a tainted body of knowledge is worth.
From ImagesAttr
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, November 30, 2012
Discounting Lives to Maximize Profits The workers at Tazreen company in Bangladesh were burned alive trying to get through the doors that never opened, died from smoke inhalation, or jumped to their deaths. Many of the dead in both fires were buried in unmarked graves, their bodies unrecognizable. BUT, Americans and American corporations are unindicted co-conspirators.
Syrian Refugees Crisis -, From FlickrPhotos
(21 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, November 19, 2015
The Republicans' Rhetoric of Hate and Fear Conservatives, while most profess to be Christians, don't want Syrian refugees in the U.S.Their reasons show not compassion but hate and paranoia. This is the story about their pitiful justification.
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, September 21, 2007
Commanding Constitutional Disrespect The Senate, with majority votes, has failed to block republican-led filibusters against the Constitution and in favor of the combat troops.
Gabrielle Giffords Gives Opening Statement At Senate Hearing On Gun Control January 30, 2013 C-SPAN MOXNews.com., From ImagesAttr
(27 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, April 18, 2013
NRA Liars and Congressional Cowards Until the members of Congress develop that one iota of courage that President Obama asked for, the United States will continue to have the highest number of guns per population of 178 countries--and also rank among the world's top 10 countries in the rate of deaths per population from guns.
(19 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, February 25, 2011
Ironically, Anti-Union Republicans Need Unions The biggest irony in the Wisconsin citizen protest is this one. The Republican-dominated anti-union Legislature this week honored the Green Bay Packers for winning the Super Bowl. EVERY ONE of the team is a member of a union.
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, August 5, 2011
The Debt Ceiling Crisis: Let's Get Personal Having trouble understanding what the debt ceiling crisis was all about? Mad at all the political gesturing and posturing? Walter Brasch explains the situation is "layman's" terms.
(5 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, January 16, 2011
The Politics of Hate--and Hate Speech Almost everyone, it seems, except for the ultra-right, believe that a culture helps magnify one's inner beliefs and values. The killer of 6 persons in Tucson acknowledges he watched Fox News, especially Glenn Beck, and frequently read blogs of extreme right wing agitators.
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, April 6, 2012
Collateral Damage in the Marcellus Shale If thgere weren't living slightly above the poveryu level . . . if they had been regular donors to political campaigns . . . they may have gotten a better deal. But, 37 families in Jersey Shore, Pa., were evicted because a company that provides water for the fracking industry wanted their land. And, it's all legal.
Black bear eating grass, From ImagesAttr
(8 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, November 8, 2014
A Nation of Fear We kill animals because of what they MIGHT do. We kill humans for the same reason. The U.S. has become a nation living in fear.
Ossett #FestivalInADay #Observer150 - Saturday 20.09.2014, From ImagesAttr
(7 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, September 28, 2014
The Politics of Animal Cruelty By understanding why a state legislature won't bring up an animal cruelty bill, you can better understand the behind-the-scenes workings of government.
From ImagesAttr
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Republicans Lie About "Support Our Troops' By continuing to block Senate votes that will benefit combat veterans, the Republicans have proven they care more about petty politics than the nation.
From ImagesAttr
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, May 11, 2014
A Mother's Day Tribute-- That Should Not Have to Be Written Every mother, no matter what her beliefs and values are, mourns the loss of a child in war.
The Klan Backs Trump, From FlickrPhotos
(18 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, August 28, 2016
Race Issues Dominating White House Race Trump continues to inflame Americans, while preaching that he isn't a bigot. Here's some facts. You decide
Tom Brady, From ImagesAttr
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, August 7, 2015
Their Cheatin' Souls: Short Circuiting Ethics in America Tom Brady may or may not have cheated in the Deflategate Scandal. But, America does cheat. And here's the story.
Business decisions have overtaken the art and science of health care, From ImagesAttr
(7 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, September 27, 2015
'Paging Dr. Doctivity': Medicine Evolves Into a Business Model Physicians are being coached on how to be better business people; the result is further deterioration of the health care industry.
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, August 21, 2011
"Step Right up!' Snake Oil for Sale Mixing tea and snake oil is the new elixir for Michele Bachmann, Rick Perry, and Rick Santorum as they seek to represent the Republicans in an all-out assault upon President Obama.
Aliso Canyon leak well pad 4 Credit: Earthworks, From FlickrPhotos
(11 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, January 17, 2016
Major Catastrophe: Major Media Problem The nation's worst methane leak in history was barely covered by mainstream media until a couple of weeks ago. Here's why.
SHARE More Sharing        Monday, September 5, 2011
Corporate America Sends a Labor Day Message ALess than a month after claiming that its Bloomsbjrg book printing plant was profitable and that there were no plans to close it, RR Donnelley, the world's largest printer, announced it was closing the plant. But the story is one of a history of corporate greed and indifference to its workers.
VERA SCROGGINS, From ImagesAttr
(7 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, October 26, 2013
An Injunction Against the Truth A Pennsylvania anti-fracking activist has been forbidden by a common pleas court from visiting in some of her friends' home, even at their invitation, or going to the county's recycling center. Here's how private companies can shut up people who tell the truth.
(10 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, July 6, 2009
You Betcha Sarah Palin Has a Higher Calling Do you wonder what Sarah Palin's "higher calling" really is? In this biting satire, award-winning journalist Walter Brasch gives you an idea.
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, March 20, 2012
FRACKING: Health, Environmental Impact Greater Than Claimed In part 2 of a 3-part 8,000 word series on fracking, Dr. Brasch looks at the health and environmental impact.
North Dakota wheat, From ImagesAttr
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, June 8, 2013
Fracking America's Food Supply Big Energy, with its newly-found horizontal fracturing technology, is threatening the nation's water supply and the agriculture industry's crops and livestock.
Restroom signs, From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, April 4, 2015
Pennsylvania School is Flushed by a Problem A union and a school are fighting over bathroom privileges. Is THIS any way to teach our children?
The West Wednesday-Ferguson Protest, From ImagesAttr
(15 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, November 30, 2014
Perceptions of Reality-- And a Failure to Indict Perception clouds the truth. But, in Ferguson, Mo., a prosecutor may have decided that truth may not have been what was necessary.
From flickr.com/photos/44718928@N00/5139407571/: Voting, From Images
(17 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, October 22, 2016
Lies and Voter Rigging Trump says the election is rigged. Here's the story about why or why not it's rigged.
From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, August 10, 2013
Royal Dutch Shell: They've Really Got a Friend in Pennsylvania What do a billionaire, ice hockey, Penn State, a gasaholic governor, a multinational corporation, and fracking have in common? Award-winning journalist Walter Brasch has the answer,
San Francisco Quarterback Colin Kaepernick, From FlickrPhotos
(5 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, September 9, 2016
O Say Can You See the First Amendment? The First Amendment v. Society Ignorance. You decide which to follow
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, October 4, 2010
Cheap Air Fares: Just Add Surcharges Do you REALLY want cheap air fares? Here's the truth behind them.
(31 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, April 21, 2009
The Americans Are Revolting For eight years, the right-wing of America could have protested the destruction of the Constitution. It didn't. Now it's protesting a tax program that not only will bring this nation out of a deficit and recession created by the Bush–Cheney Administration but which would benefit 95 percent of all Americans.
From ImagesAttr
(15 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, March 28, 2013
No Merit Badge for Courage for Boy Scouts Only the most paranoid, homophobic, and ignorant believe that in 2013 the Boy Scouts should not allow gays to be members, volunteers, or employed on the professional staff.
Donald Trump, From FlickrPhotos
(16 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, November 26, 2016
President Trump: The Name Should Be Endorsed By All Americans Whether we like it or not, it will soon be PRESIDENT Trump. Suck it up and prepare for four years not of conservative control but four years of ultra right-wing control.
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, October 8, 2011
Booze, Schmooze, but Not Any News: The "Today" Show Fourth Hour Does ANYONE know why the Kardashian sisters are so popular? Walter Brasch has an idea, and he ties them to the problems of the media.
Mitch McConnell, From ImagesAttr
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, September 12, 2014
No Safe Haven for Obstructionists What Mitch McConnell and the obstructionists are threatening to do to Americans is only a little less of a terrorist threat than what IS*IS is doing overseas.
From flickr.com/photos/83057948@N07/27030444690/: Trump, From Images
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, July 23, 2016
Lessons from the Trump-a-Thon Trump is either a political visionary or a political demagogue. The RNC answered the choice. Or did it?
(5 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, October 29, 2011
A Patch Of Pumpkin Heads Want to know what's REALLY scary this Halloween season? Check out the disguises of the Republican presidential candidates.
Teacher's Desk - Linn School, From ImagesAttr
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, March 4, 2015
'Rithmatic Doesn't Add Up in One School District--and It's Not Alone There is a widespread hatred for teachers--and teacher unions--in many parts of the country. The reasons are embraced within a culture of envy and jealousy.
Sen. Mitch McConnell, From ImagesAttr
(7 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, April 11, 2013
Mitch McConnell's "Whack-a-Mole' Dirty Politics Campaign Bound in a political black hole from which truth never escapes, Sen. Mitch McConnell and his staff launched a "scorched-earth" attack to divert the public from the facts that a leaked audio tape was the far greater sin than the dirty tricks his campaign had planned.
From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, May 9, 2015
A Life That Mattered He didn't write books about celebs or diet books or junk science. And all his royalties didn't equal what the loser earned in a fight at a Vegas casino. His books mattered.
From ImagesAttr
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, September 2, 2012
Don't Count Out the Labor Movement Conservatives have claimed that they are tryinbg to reduce spending, and have targetted labor unions. They claim wages, benefits, and pensions in the public sector are the problem. But, evidence suggests they are wrong, and by blaming costs upon unions, and a rhetoric based upon lies, they prove their disgust for the working class.
From ImagesAttr
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, August 3, 2012
Olympians Medal in London, While the NRA Meddles in Harrisburg What do the Olympics, the NRA, the Pennsylvania legislature, and animal cruelty have in common? Award-winning journalist Walter Brasch explains.
From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, June 29, 2012
More Jokes From the Penn State Trustees The latest from the Penn State trustees is a statement that they fired Joe Paterno because of "a failure of leadership." This is about the 6th time they issued statements to justify their own actions--and each time they change the reasons.
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Sanctimonious Hypocrites Can't Diminish the Warmth for Joe Paterno The hypocrisy of Gov. Tom Corbett (R-Pa.) and the Penn State Board of Trustees is overshadowed by the warmth of the people for Joe Paterno, and the life he led.
Jim Harbaugh Leaving SF 49ers For Michigan Update, From ImagesAttr
(5 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, January 3, 2015
Setting America's Priorities for 2015 Firefighters, social workers, and teachers earn on average less than $50,000 a year--about 1% of what the UMich new football coach will earn as minimum salary his first year. That tells us what the nation'[s priorities are.
From ImagesAttr
(27 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, December 18, 2012
A Brief Review of 2012: The Gun Culture of America The NRA is silent today. It was never silent in most of its history when its shrill paranoia said the government was opposed to its policies of unlimited and unregulated gun ownership.
(5 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, February 10, 2011
Obama's Ironic Legacy Might be That He Continued an Unconstitutional Act In a strange, but welcome, informal coalition, liberals and Tea Partiers have united in opposition to the PATRIOT Act. Now to get the rest of Congress in line to eliminate a massive violation orf civil liberties.
From ImagesAttr
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, December 8, 2012
Dissolving a Stain Applied by Henry Ford The selection of Mark Fields as the No. 2 person at Ford is historic. Walter Brasch explains why.
From ImagesAttr
(19 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, June 3, 2014
OEN senior editor wins journalism awards OEN senior editor wins awards
8468-illuminated-reticle, From ImagesAttr
(10 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, July 26, 2014
Packing Heat in the Brothers' 'Hood Armed Whites plan a march into a neighborhood of unarmed Blacks--it's to 'educate' them about gun rights. Now, what could ever go wrong with that?!
(16 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, September 30, 2008
The Vapors of Economic Chaos: Why the Bailout Failed The $700 billion bailout failed because the President's credibility has no political capital, and fear could no longer be a weapon.
From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Friday, May 2, 2014
The Fracking Prostitutes of American Colleges (part 2) Flawed and biased academic studies have contributed to why Pennsylvania has not taxed gas drillers adequately. Several colleges have already begun preaching the benefits of fracking, without equal discussion to the environmental and health effects.
Caduceus Grunge Symbol - Sepia, From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, December 15, 2013
OBGYNs Stir Up Controversy The OB/GYN Board is the only one of 24 medical specialty boards to impose sexist rules.
Rick Perry, From ImagesAttr
(5 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, April 5, 2013
The GOP Plan to Kill Americans Gov. Tom Corbett (R-Pa.) says he opposes an expansion of Medicaid because it is "financially unsustainable for Pennsylvania taxpayers" and would require a "large tax increase." This would be the same governor who believes that extending a $1.65 billion corporate welfare check to the Royal Dutch Shell Corp., a foreign-owned company, is acceptable but protecting Pennsylvanians' health is not.
From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Romney & Co. Distort Medicare Realities Romney & Co. continue to lie about Medicare and the Obama plan that is now law. Here's just the facts.
Flags -- Confederate Cemetery Brices Cross Roads National Battlefield Baldwyn (MS) June 2013, From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, June 26, 2015
Whoopin' and a-Hollerin' for the Plantation Life Can't find a Confederate flag in the south? No problem. Go to Pennsylvania, where the Confederacy shall rise again!
The media swarm Joe Paterno, From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, November 18, 2011
The Sanctimonious Scavengers of the Penn State Scandal With the Penn State scandal, the media hit the trifecta of what has become today's journalism: sex, celebrity, and scandal. And, as is the usual case, the TV media led the way in incompetence.
Natural gas flare (November 1997, Grizzel Unit # 1 well, western Perry County, Ohio, USA), From ImagesAttr
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, November 22, 2014
How Americans Came to Oppose Fracking More people now oppose fracking than those who support it. Here's why.
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, August 12, 2011
A Punishing Educational Curriculum The college model is now the business model, where students are inventory units and college presidents are rewarded by shoving numbers into an already-diluted system. In this biting satire, award-winning journalist (and retired college professor) Walter Brasch looks at the system.
From ImagesAttr
(7 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, March 15, 2010
SHAMELESS: DA Refuses to Prosecute Animal Cruelty Case; Pennsylvania Only State to Permit Live Pigeon Shoots Pennsylvania is the only state to permit the "sport" of live pigeon shooting contests. The legislature refuses to ban it, and some public officials refuse to prosecute animal cruelty charges, even though the state law is clear about this.
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, February 10, 2012
Labor Pains: A Fable for Our Times This is a fable. Has no relaton to what's what in the U.S. Nope. None at all. But, why don't you read it while at work? It might help you better understand your role in corporate America.
(8 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, December 22, 2011
One Jew's Christmas Contrary to the uninformed bleatings by the Fox News commentators, picked up by their flocks, there is no war on Christmas. But, it suits the interests of the extreme evangelical right wing to claim there is. What else can they be lying about?
Sarah Palin, From FlickrPhotos
(7 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, January 23, 2016
Sarah Palin's Quixotic Quest for Relevance She's back and backing Donald Trump. Here's one reason why she's supporting Trump rather than Cruz or Rubio.
No Whining Allowed, From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Monday, June 1, 2015
A Nation of Millennial Entitlements A nursing student is suing her college because she failed a critical class. Twice. It's not her fault, she says. Alas, she's just one of hundreds of thousands who blame everything and everyone but themselves.
Rally For Immigration Reform, From FlickrPhotos
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, June 27, 2016
What Does the U.S. Care About? Once again, the Senate has blocked President Obama's policies. This time, it's refusal to approve or disapprove a Supreme Court nominee
aniston, From ImagesAttr
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, February 19, 2015
They Brand Cattle, Don't They? If you're a celebrity and not a brand, you are non-existent. Here's the story.
Graves with flags, From ImagesAttr
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, May 26, 2014
A Memorial Day Truth Here's what the politicians also won't say. They won't tell us that 41 Republican senators blocked legislation this past year to provide necessary funding for veterans health.
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, December 21, 2009
Ripped From the Headlines: Greed, Corruption, and Hate Crimes in NE Pennsylvania SUMMARY: In Shenandoah, Pa., in the heart of the anthracite coal region, racism and cultural hatreds have led to murder and public corruption. In this 1,400 word overlook, award-winning journalist Walter Brasch looks at the most recent incidents.
(5 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, September 17, 2011
The Mugging of SpongeBob SquarePants Two psychologists, in the name of academic research, have muggwed SpongeBob SquarePants. To the sea sponge's rescue comes Walter Brasch, a Ph.D. in mass communication, who debunks the study.
From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, April 22, 2013
Pennsylvania: You Are Fracked The first Earth Day was in 1970. The people demanded, and eventually got, Congress to enact legislation not only to protect the air and water, but to create a federal agency to enforce those regulations. Today, more than four decades later, it is important that the people push a weak-willed Congress, inflated by Big Energy political contributions, to do what is right, eliminate all loopholes and exemptions, and force the natur
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Burning the First Amendment: Sarah Palin and Book Burning Sarah Palin, perhaps by her silence, condones the burning of books by her church. Her actions to silence a librarian are a condemnation of her understanding of the Constitution.
John Boehner, From ImagesAttr
(11 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, March 16, 2013
Holding the American People Hostage Think of the most frightening Stephen King novel. Now, double the fright factor and you have the Sequester.
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, March 24, 2011
Charlie and the CBS Factory (and other news) Charlie Sheen, Japan nuclear reactors, and the attack upon Libya have all been in the news this past week. The most important of the three stories, if you believed the coverage of the media, is Charlie Sheen.
Christian Cross, From FlickrPhotos
(11 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, January 6, 2016
Violating the Constitution is Not a Public Right Christianity and government collide in a Pittsburgh, Pa., suburb.
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, June 28, 2010
The Civilian and the General: The Reality Behind the McChrystal Interview Fall-Out The media reported a lot of facts about the Rolling Stone interview with Gen. Stanley McChrystal. Award-winning journalist reports a deeper look at the truth.
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, November 11, 2011
The Personhood of a Mississippi Zygote Having trouble figuring out what a "person" really is? Check oput satirist Walter Brasch's simple--real simple--explanation.
From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, August 13, 2016
Taking the Wind out of Trump's Energy Policy Trump, Clinton, and Johnson include fossil fuel energy in their policies; only Jill Stein does not. Here's the details.
From ImagesAttr
(10 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, January 25, 2015
Divesting America of Ozone-Destroying Energy Sources Churches, colleges, and cities have begun to divest their stock portfolios of oil, gas, and coal stock. What do they know that others don't?
Safari in Uganda, From ImagesAttr
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, August 21, 2015
Canned Pleasure: The Thrill of the Kill It's not fair chase hunting when the animals are in cages or fenced-in areas, and the "Great White Hunters" have guides and weapons. It's more like a shooting gallery in these canned hunt preserves.
(6 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, July 1, 2011
Government May Be Violating Tobacco Companies' 1st Amendment Rights The government's campaign to reduce smoking may run into First Amendment problems because of the recent Citizens United ruling that gives corporations the same First Amendment rights as individuals.
From ImagesAttr
(6 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, November 2, 2013
Pennsylvanians Support Pigeon Shoot Ban The Pennsylvania legislature still believes in animal cruelty. But, there may be a slice of light that will end their misguided beliefs/. What are those beliefs? And why do they have them? Walter Brasch explains.
From ImagesAttr
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, August 18, 2012
Vouchering an Educational Adventure In a biting satire, award-winning journalist shreds the myth that school vouchers will improve education.
(18 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, August 9, 2010
'No Drama Obama' Needs a Strong Second Act President Obama has done much right during his first term--but his pandering and indecision may cost him the support of the liberal wing of the Democratic party, and could cost him the 2012 election.
From ImagesAttr
(8 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, September 20, 2012
Attacking American Sovereign Soil Diminishes the Rights of Religion Outraged Muslims are demanding President Obama arrest the makers of "Innocence of Muslims." The First Amendment doesn't allow it, alt hough many fundamentalist Christians believe there should be no separation of church and state.
(22 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, July 30, 2011
"Pssst. Hotdogs Ten Bucks Each' Forget the debt ceiling crisis, hunger, poverty, worker exploitation, and war. There's a new crisis: hotdogs may be as dangerous as cigarettes. Check out Walter Brasch's biting satire of yet another health scare.
From ImagesAttr
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, August 30, 2014
Labor Day Assignment: Educating the Uninformed Teachers are lazy, greedy, and overpaid. At least that's what many on the Tea party wing believe. Here's why they're wrong (again)
Climate March 21/09/14 - 05, From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, October 4, 2014
A Fracking Good Letter It's only a letter--but it has gotten the fracking industry's ire to a new level--one that has led to a massive propaganda campaign.
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, February 26, 2011
ABC-TV: Oscar-Worthy, But Journalistically Unsound ABC-TV News may have crossed a journalistic line in its Friday evening broadcast.
From ImagesAttr
(8 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, April 25, 2013
Oh, THAT'S What the Boy Scouts Mean by Being "Morally Straight' Faced by significant income loss, the Boy Scouts last Summer rethought their position about excluding gays from membership. A backlash by the right-wing, which also threatened to pull funding and membership, slapped them back into their policy of discrimination. Now, it looks like a ill-conceived "compromise"
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, August 15, 2009
The Great Government Swine Flu Conspiracy The protection of Americans against the Swine Flu is primarily a project of the federal government. But, a large shrill from the conservative Right Wing wants government out of health care. They're disrupting the truth for their own nonsensical political reality.
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, May 13, 2011
Promises, Promises; Or, How Many Legal Lies Can a Poltiician Tell Laws allow politicians to tell lies to voters. How can that be? Read the truth in Walter Brasch's look at campaign promises.
Paul Ryan and His Dusted-Off Budget, From ImagesAttr
(5 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, March 24, 2013
The Paul Ryan Magical Mystery Chop, Dice, and Slice Budget The Republicans' latest attempt to subvert the American democracy is proof the Republicans are nothing more than the lackeys of corporate greed at the expense of the rest of us.
Pigeons are often suffocated at vPenn. state shoots, From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, October 18, 2014
Pennsylvania's Politics of Virtue--Finally! Pennsylvania is the only state that has open (and legal) pigeon shoots. But the state Senate voted to ban the shoots under a state animal cruelty statute. Now the House, after two decades of scuttling such legislation, afraid of NRA retribution, may develop a spine. We'll know, Oct. 20.
(6 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, January 24, 2010
Err-America: Death by Journalistic Suicide Air America died not because of the power of conservative talk radio, but because of both liberal and journalistic incompetence.
2012-57-1 Sign, Information Hurricane Katrina, From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, August 27, 2015
Katrina: A 10-Year Review Thursday, Aug. 27, is the 10th year anniversary of when Katrina first hit New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. Here's what we as a nation did not learn in the past decade.
Trump: eating the flag, From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, June 18, 2016
Donald Trump v. The First Amendment A Trump presidency would NOT be transparent. Here's why
SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, June 5, 2011
The Last Dance: Prom Night in America The U.S. is arguing about the debt ceiling. Perhaps it's time that Americans impose a debt ceiling on high school proms.
SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Toxic Lead to Cover Iowa Killing Fields The "rights" of hunters apparently trumps the environment and health issues, according to the Iowa legislature.
Jeff Sessions, From FlickrPhotos
(14 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, December 2, 2016
Trump Nominee Will Politicize Dept. of Justice Of all the cabinet members, an attorney general is supposed to be apolitical. Donald Trump's nominee isn't expected to put politics aside. Here are some reasons why he will politicize the Department of Justice.
From ImagesAttr
(6 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, May 7, 2013
"A' is for Average: Grade Inflation in America Between 1/3 and 1/2 of students at American colleges will graduate with honors. Are they REALLY that bright?
Laws need to be written to prevent this kind of tethering., From ImagesAttr
(5 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, February 3, 2014
Pets Are Nothing More Than Kitchen Chairs State legislatures consider pets to be in the same class as kitchen chairs. It's time the paid and elected representatives of the people see cruelty for what it is.
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, December 3, 2011
Death by Healthy Doses It's hard to be healthy today, especially when being bombarded by megabites of information that conflicts with each otehr. Satirist Walter Brasch shows what happened to one person who was subjected to an information overload.
From ImagesAttr
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, October 23, 2012
BREAKING NEWS: AP, Media Fumble News Story When the media start schmoozing with their sources, you might as well start believing everything you read on the Internet--the credibvility is about the same.
From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, July 5, 2012
Pennsylvania Politics Continues to Trump Health and the Environment Once again, the Republican majority in the Pennsylvania legislature have figured out a way to protect the affluent and corporations, while disgregarding the health of those in the rural areas.
Secretary Clinton Makes a Press Announcement, From FlickrPhotos
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, July 7, 2016
Clinton Drops Baggage; Conservatives looking for Another Scandal The conservatives are now looking for a new scandal; meanwhile, Clinton should be looking at better transparency.
SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Penn State Trustees Violated State Law Penn State trustees, already having proven they are either incompetent or part of the conspiracy in the scandal, may have also violated state law. Journalism Professor Emeritus Walter Brasch looks at several violations.
From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, May 26, 2013
Circumventing Transparency: Pennsylvania's Latest Shell Game to Protect Big Energy The Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection has shown itself incapable of meeting citizen demands for transparency, especially in oil and gas records. Is there a connection between DEP and Gov. Tom Corbett's claims that he wants to make Pennsylvania the Texas of the Natural gas Industry?
(15 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, January 7, 2011
Frat Boys and Navy Officers Capt. Owen Honors may have had judgmental lapses when he produced and starred in three tasteless videos. But does he deserve to be relieved of command? In this insightful analysis, award-winning journalist Walter Brasch draws a number of interesting conclusions.
Libertad, From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, July 16, 2016
Bathrooms are the New Battlefields for Politicians Politicians in 22 states have succeeded in having their attorneys general file suits in federal courts to overturn the "Obama bathroom policy" for transgender students. Here's the opposition view.
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Pennsylvania Borough Gives Homeless the 'Cold Shoulder' A small Pennsylvania community has spoken out against housing the homeless during the Winter, when temperatures drop into the teens.
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, October 19, 2008
Conservative Group Is Right: Free Speech Is Not a Political Issue California is the only state that extends the First Amendment to private colleges, which as a matter of educational philosophy should encourage, not restrict, freedom of expression. It's time to extend the First Amendment to the other 49 states.
(8 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, August 28, 2009
Michael Vick: Remorseful Eagle or Smirking Dirty Bird The Crowd at Philadelphia's Lincoln Field gave Michael Vick a standing ovation. Had the fans given him a second chance or were they more interested in getting their team to the Super Bowl championship which has eluded them so long?
From ImagesAttr
(6 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, June 7, 2012
The Snipers of Jersey Shore The 37 families of the Riverdale Mibile Home Village are little more than collateral damage in the natural gas industry's collusion with Pennsylvania Republican government to frack the land. In this in-depth article, award-winning journalist Walter Brasch looks at how the people have also been compromised by greed.
SHARE More Sharing        Monday, September 14, 2009
Late Breaking—Sometimes Broken—News Two incidents on 9/11(09) call into question media credibility. More improtant, has the "breathless" 24/7 news cycle now replaced accuracy as a media ideal?
House Triangle at the US Capitol 37721, From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, March 30, 2014
TV Secrets vs. Washington Leaks "The Good Wife" cast and crew can keep a secret when it matters; they also work together to solve problems. Now, about Congress . . .
Iphone 4, From ImagesAttr
(6 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, February 22, 2014
Communicating the Atomic Fart Smart Phones can be programmed to turn on your lights from a continent away . . . or to play the "1812 Overture" in fart notes. But, does everyone need a smart phone?
Arlington National Cemetery, From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, May 29, 2011
Memorial Day 2011: Two Names That Matter Charlie Sheen, Lindsay Lohan, and Paris Hilton have infinitely more name recognition than do Clifford E. Beattie and Ramon Mora Jr. But, it is Beattie and Mora who matter on this Memorial Day weekend.
Ted Nugent, From ImagesAttr
(21 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, May 30, 2014
Insanity Extends Beyond the Shooters A CBS poll revealed about 85 percent of all Americans, including gun owners, support federal legislation to require thorough background checks on all persons planning to buy a gun. Apparently, the NRA leadership, far
Capitol Building, From ImagesAttr
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, August 15, 2014
House Committee: No Benghazi Scandal A Republican-led committee has determined there is NO Benghazi scandal.
The U.S. Navy assists in the search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370., From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, April 6, 2014
Tragedy in the 24/7 News Media The 24/7 news cycle has given more air time to more stories--but, it has also given an inordinate amount of air time to one story at the exclusion of other stories that may have more relevance and importance.
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, December 7, 2008
Hit me, Congress, One More Time: Bailing Out the Auto Industry It's time for Congress to stop bullying the auto executives and look at the impact of what a failure would mean upon the worker.
Front of Impressive Ten Commandments Monument, From ImagesAttr
(8 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, July 6, 2015
Three Commandments for Every State Capitol The Ten Commandments SHOULD be posted in front of every state capitol--as long as the Three Commandments are followed.
SHARE More Sharing        Friday, September 27, 2013
Discriminating Taste: Sexism in America--A Continuing Story Crying racism when none exists is just as bad as racism itself.
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, November 9, 2011
The High Cost of Freedom from Fossil Fuels One-third of Americans live within 50 miles of a nuclear plant. They are told electricity is cheaper, safer, and more environmental friendly than fossil fuels. That IS correct. But, what aren't they being told?
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, October 3, 2009
Read All ABout It: Michael Vick Hero of Eagles Game If you think the media give an accurate picture of American life, then you'll believe that Michael Vick was the star of the Eagles first game of the NFL season.
Merry Christmas 2015, From FlickrPhotos
(8 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, December 27, 2015
Christmas Again Wins the Annual War Once again, evangelical right-wing talk show hosts have launched their defense of the mythical war on Christmas. And, once again, Christmas emerges victorious--but it's not because of the blubber mouths of the airwaves.
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, December 17, 2011
Pennsylvania Legislators Shoot Down Pigeons--Again Once again, the Pennsylvania legislature has chosen to show cowardice rather than courage in confronting a major animal cruelty issue. As a result of its fear of NRA blow-back, Pennsylvania continues to be the only state that allows pigeon shoots. In 1900, the International Olympic Committee had banned pigeon shoots as cruelty to animals.
From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, June 1, 2012
Pennsylvania Politics Continues to Override Humane Actions A national animal welfare organization funded by Bob Barker has fuilked an ethics complaint against a Pennsylvania DA for alleged failure to prosecute animal cruelty complaints.
Occupy Wall Street! (19/37), From ImagesAttr
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, June 19, 2015
The Business of Wall Street What's a Business degree worth? On Wall Street, a lot! For society, not so much.
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, June 28, 2008
Squabbling Over the Pigeon Bill: Pennsylvania Legislature Won't Be Able to Soar Like Eagles Until It Shoots Down Animal A battle going on in the Pennsylvania legislature pits two of the nation's most powerful lobbying groups--the 4.6 million member NRA and the 11.6 million member Humane Society of the United States. The NRA brlieves sropping animal cruelty could affect gun ownership and hunting; the Humane Society says animal cruelty is just that--animal cruelty.
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Banning the First Amendment Once again, the American Library Association has sponsored the annual Banned Books Week to alert AMericans about censorship. Some day, maybe there will be no need for it.
Mitch McConnell, From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Friday, June 10, 2016
Senators Embedded Within a Brain Fog The Senate won't meet to confirm or not confirm the nomination of Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court. This satire looks at how the Republican-led Senate really works.
tanker cars, From ImagesAttr
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, August 21, 2014
Railroad 'Bomb Trains': Speeding to Disaster The railroad industry, with a poor record of safely hauling fracked crude oil, doesn't want federal regulations that reduce the speed of these "bomb trains."
XXXX Blood for Oil, From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, December 10, 2016
Music, Politics, and Hillary Clinton Two songs--one from 1856, the other from 1950--may help explain why there may be buyer's remorse for Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders.
The Klan Backs Trump, From FlickrPhotos
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, August 27, 2016
Race Issues Dominate White House Race Trump now says Hillary Clinton is the bigot, not him. Let's look at the facts.
Rex W. Tillerson, From ImagesAttr
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, March 1, 2014
No Merit Badge for This Scout He's an Eagle Scout who violates both the Oath and the Law of the Boy Scouts, and believes he can frack the earth because it yields corporate profits.
DIANE FEINSTEIN, From ImagesAttr
(7 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, August 20, 2013
Government Should Not Define What a Reporter is--or Isn't When the government starts defining who is or isn't a reporter/journalist, there are severe First Amendment red flags that should be waved in front of them.
From ImagesAttr
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, February 7, 2015
'Made in America' Just a Political Slogan to Conservatives To many conservative politicians, patriotism is greed at the expense of the workers.
From brainerddispatch.com/: Brainerd Dispatch, From Images
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, November 3, 2016
Please Make It Stop Trump and Clinton (and their SuperPACs) are likely to spend about $1 billion to be elected to a $400,000 job. Let's look at their ad campaigns.
SHARE More Sharing        Monday, September 1, 2008
Labor Pains: The Mass media, Economy, and an Anti-Worker Administration Unemployment in a depressed economy is now 8.8 million, an increase of 1.6 million over the past year. Payroll employment is down by 463,000 since the beginning of this year. But, the mass media is generally oblivious to the problems of the workers--and the Bush Administration is hostile to the workers.
From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, January 10, 2014
It's a TV Snow Job Want the truth about the snow and weather freeze? Forget vortexes, and read Walt Brasch's story about how TV weather people cover a storm.
Lettuce (Lactuca sativa), From ImagesAttr
(14 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, March 15, 2014
Lettuce Look at Some Prices A $4 head of lettuce may be in our future. Here's why.
From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, July 21, 2012
The Fluff Factor: Today's Journalism Sit back, relax, grab a martini, and join Walter Brasch on the "Today" Show.
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, December 12, 2010
Days of Our Repair Walter Brasch's story of how to repair a car is, unfortunately, true--not just for him but for many, MANY families.
Tom Corbett, From ImagesAttr
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, September 8, 2013
Tom Corbett's Sizzle has Fizzled With the popularity of a hairy wart, Pa. Gov. Tom Corbett is doing his best to justify his critics' call of "One term Tom." Here's why.
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, September 26, 2008
Seizing America by Withholding the Mother's Milk of Politics Money is the root of all political campaigns. Greed and incomoetence has been what has led to a financial free fall. But, there IS a way to force government to stop pandering to corporations and concentrate upon the individual, most of whom are innocent in this economic recession.
Coyote, From ImagesAttr
(7 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, February 14, 2014
No Honor in Killing God’s Dog Slaughtering coyotes doesn't restore the "ecological balance" as many pretend-hunters claim. Nor will a bounty by Pa.'s legislature solve what isn't a problem. Here's why.
SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Latest book by author of Dances With Wolves Looks at Wild Horses The author of Dances With Wolves looks at America's wild horses, and the concentration camps the government has placed them in.
Mistaken Santa, From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, December 27, 2016
The Christmas Wish Once again, it's the War on Christmas--and who but Donald Trump. But is it really a war?
Trump: eating the flag, From FlickrPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, October 6, 2016
Path to the White House is Paved by Billions of Dollars The path to the White House overlooks third party candidates. Here's why.
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Sex, Silicone, and Suits: Miss California Goes a-Courtin' Whether God accepts or condemns homosexuality has become yet another talking point for Americans who have become preoccupied by the sexual suggestiveness of a beauty pageant, owned by an egotistical Pomopodour-wearing building mogul, that believes breast enhancement is more important than social issues.
(5 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, May 30, 2010
Oily Politics Led to Environmental Disaster The failure of the Bush=Cheney administration to protect the Gulf Coast barrier islands led to increased damage from Katrina AND a wider oil spill in the Gulf coast.
SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Disrespectful and Disgraceful: The Republican Policy Against First Responders The Republican National Committee has disgraced the firefighters and police by its anti-union attack, as not-so-subtly disguised within a loaded questionnaire.
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, April 28, 2008
John McCain Won't Be Looking for the Union Label A massive labor campaign is directed to workers who may not know John McCain's anti-worker philosophy, one that almost matches that of the Bush-Cheney Administration.
From ImagesAttr
(5 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, May 28, 2012
Memorial Day 2012: A Lesson Not Yet Learned 3,016 American and allied troops died in Afghanistan up to this year's Memorial Day. Hundreds of thousands aren't even counted. Pewrhaps those who so willingly parade their patriotism by approving war might reflect upon why Memorial Day is really needed--and why it should be every day, not just the end fo a 3-day picnic-filled week.
(5 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Hunting for Courageous Legislators: Pennsylvania Continues to Lead Nation in Animal Cruelty Pennsylvania is the only state that allows live pigeon shoot contests. All other states have banned it under statutes against animal cruelty. The state legislature has failed numerous times to ban this practice. In this article, journalist Walter Brasch explores reasons why the legislature refuses to ban animal cruelty--and profiles a courageous woman who has spent 22 years of her life trying to get the fake-sport banned.
Strip Mine, From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Jumping Aboard Fracking's Fossil Fuel Carousel Two Pa. politicians have soent 2 years praising fracked gas as the future of the state. So, why are they now praising coal?
Donald Trump, From FlickrPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, February 27, 2016
The Trump Tower of Egotistical Exaggeration and Lies The billionaire with the unusual hair-do appears to be the Republican nominee. We'll see how he does after Super Tuesday, March 1.
Valley Farm, West Wratting, From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, December 13, 2014
Practicing Subsidized Un-Medicine Does paying an agribusiness corporation $1 million a year from tax funds bother you? How about a dumb-ass statement by a congressman that Obamacare isn't necessary because hospitals kill people?" If so, this satire is for you. (And the facts are accurate, unfortunately)
From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, February 19, 2009
PART 2: Toothless--The Watchdog Press That Became the Government's Lapdog The establishment media in the Bush-Cheney Era had abrogated their responsibilities to be watchdogs upon the government. In Part I, award-winning journalist Walter Brasch looked at the media that failed their responsibilities. In Part 2, he looks at some who became watchdogs.
#media, From FlickrPhotos
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, June 3, 2016
Chewbacca and the World of Semi-Reality News Media The political candidates are outdoing each other in levels of outrageous statements; the news media, however, have no reason to be ignorant or incompetent--yet, their coverage shows a distinct lack of journalistic principles that the Founding Fathers demanded.
SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Lawsuit Accuses WSU's Murrow College of Violating Journalism Professor's First Amendment Rights A university journalism professor has filed suit in federal court against Washington State University for First Amendment violations
(11 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, June 24, 2011
Questions Remain in Government's Anti-Cigarette Campaign One of tghe critical questions about the new government anti-coigarette labels is--Does it violate First Amendment guarantees, now that corporations have same rights as citizens.
Duck Dynasty, From ImagesAttr
(5 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, September 4, 2014
A Quacked-Up Strategy to Stop Terrorism So far, the US hasn't wiped put ISIS. The patriarch of Duck Dynasty had an idea. I have the way to implement it.
SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, August 25, 2009
A Bunnies' Tale Learning to live with bunnies can be hard on a soul. But living as part of nature and wildlife helps mankind understand the vaoue of life.
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Legacies, Celebrities, and Media Skanks In an increased emphasis upon ratings and sales, the mass media has long given up any pretense that they hire only the most qualified people. In this column, media analyst and university professor Walter Brasch slices a small part of what the media have become.
Lara Spencer, From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, November 8, 2015
Snuggling Up to Celebrities Not Part of Journalism Training The fact that a co-anchor of a morning news/entertainment show snuggled up to a news source is an indication of how much journalism has changed from what the Founding Fathers believed should be the role of the press.
Donald Trump, From FlickrPhotos
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, December 12, 2015
Blustery Donald Trump vs. The Quiet Christian One appeals to fear and hate; the other just goes about his business to try to help humanity. This is their intertwined story.
Pigeons are often stuffed alive into barrels to suffocate, From ImagesAttr
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, April 22, 2011
Scratches on the Blackboard of Animal Cruelty Pennsylvania is the only state that has pigeon shoots. That may soon end as the legislat ure is now considering a bill to ban this form of animal cruelty. But, there will be extensive pressure by the NRA to continue to allow what most hunters do not consider to be fair chase hunting.
Old Glory 2014, From ImagesAttr
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, June 8, 2014
An Assault Upon Our Civility Open Carry Texas has shoved guns into our faces, and claims we shouldn't be afraid of semi-automatic assault weapons.
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, June 13, 2011
New Hampshire or Bus: Sarah's No-Campaign Campaign Tour Sarah Palin complains of "Gotcha Journalism." But, she is the master of media manipulation, as seen in Walter Brashc's look at her recent bus trip.
Trump, Obama Meet at The White House: Full Press Conference President Elect Donald Trump Meets with President Obama for the First Time at the White House | President Barack Obama called his conversation today with ..., From YouTubeVideos
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, November 12, 2016
Donald Trump's March to the Presidency Two different campaigns. Hewre's what led to Donald Trump's win
From ImagesAttr
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, July 3, 2014
Pennsylvania Senate Committee Says Pigeon Shoots are Animal Cruelty Pigeon shoots are animal cruelty--but will the legislators in Pennsylvania have the courage to stand up against the NRA?
From ImagesAttr
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, October 3, 2013
Standing in the Sunshine, The Answer is Blowin' in the Wind There are no more dinosaurs to provide fossil fuel. But there are dinosaurs among conservatives do don't believe in renewable energy.
(10 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, January 11, 2009
Unnecessary Concerns: Democratic Leadership Should Have Little Fear of an Obama Administration Sen. Harry Reid and Dianne Feinstein have cautioned and questioned President-Elect Barack Obama. That is their right and responsibility. It would have been nice if they questioned George W. Bush.
(9 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, May 20, 2011
The Audacity of Hate: Birthers, Deathers, Deniers, and Barack Obama racism. bigotry. stupidity. The whackadoodle brigade has esacaped again and continue their character assassination, not on issues but on the belief that Obama isn't an American--like them.
(13 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, November 14, 2008
Making an Invisible Minority Less Invisible The establishment media did not do a good job of covering the racism in the Palin rallies. They are also partially responsible for why racism exists. Perhaps in the next four years with increased coverage of minority issues the racism will diminish--as the media crawl all over themselves to find Afro-American news sources.
Caduceus Grunge Symbol - Sepia, From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, August 2, 2014
AIDS Advances May be Compromised by Legislative Inaction The Pa. legislature, like those of many other states and the Congress, have placed low priorities on public health and high priorities at giving tax breaks to the rich. Here's why that's not a good idea.
(6 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Boosting the Economy--One Big Screen TV at a Time There arev a lot of statistics in Walter Brasch's latest economic analysis. But, there's also one fact--the extreme right-wing, as is ofteh the case, is wrong about the economy and wrong in their Obama-bashing.
(6 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, January 21, 2011
Breaking China--Legally The seeds of China's destruction lie in its legal system. Satirist Walter Brasch looks at the President's visit to the US, and implications for the future.
(8 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Hammering Out a Contract: Exploiting Low-Paid Workers at a Vo-Tech School As the U.S. moved from an agrarian economy into the Industrial Age, and now into an Information Age, more workers consider themselves to be professionals and not in need of a union. It is an incorrect perception, unsubstantiated by the reality of forced layoffs, arbitrary discipline and terminations, outsourcing of work to other countries, and a failure to provide adequate health care and workplace safety.
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, July 20, 2009
Prescribing Cake to Cure the Health Care Crisis More than 12,000 persons a day are losing health care coverage; about 69 percent of all bankruptcies are because of medical costs. Groups as diverse as the AFL-CIO, AARP, and the American College of Physicians want universal health care. More than 60 percent of Americans want a better health care system. But, the conservatives have blocked health care reform for decades. Now they see it as a way to attack the President.
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, July 15, 2011
Our Hope for Change is Still Not Fulfilled When Barack Obama was campaigning for the presidency, he promised to support the working class. If there was a picket line, or if the workers were being threatened, he promised to "put on a comfortable pair of shoes" and walk side by side with them. That has not happened. Also not happening is a strong commitment to the environment and America's wildlife.
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, July 26, 2010
Shining the Light of The New Colossus Into Arizona This week will be a showdown between Arizona and a right-wing citizenry to enforce an anti-immigration law and the federal government which is arguing in court that immigration enforcement, according to the Constitution, is reserved solely to the federal government. Perhaps those who like the Arizona law should read some poetry.
From ImagesAttr
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, October 30, 2012
I have Questions; The Candidates Don't Have Answers The debate moderators asked routine and previously asked and answered questions of the presidentiasl candidates. Here are questions that should be asked--but weren't.
(5 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, February 9, 2008
Flying a Chinese-Made American Flag to Stimulate the Economy In a witty satire, award-winning journalist Walter Brasch speculates on what is likely to happen when Americans get their rebates.
survey, From FlickrPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, October 19, 2016
Pushing Politics to Extract Campaign Payments The presidential candidates are using surveys not to learn anything but to get campaign funds.
SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, December 10, 2011
Labor Not Represented in Management of 'The People's Universities' The Penn State scandal has brought to light much about the workings of the 94,000 student system, especially its administration and trustees. In this article, award-winning journalist Walter Brasch, a Pennsylvanian, looks at how the state universities exclude the working class from policy making.
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, October 7, 2006
Sex, Lies, and Family Values The Mark Foley scandal goes far deeper than just a few Good Ole Boys covering it up. The "Family Values" Republican Party has proven, innumerable ways, that its family values are not what the majority of Americans believe are family values.
From ImagesAttr
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, March 3, 2013
America's Culture is Signing on the Dotted Line America is obsessed with sports and entertainment. Is it because the people are obsessed with it--or because the media are obsessed with it?
Chrysler Town & Country, From ImagesAttr
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, May 10, 2012
Mission Impossible: Finding a Minivan Made in America by Union Workers Not one of the 491,687 new minivans sold in the United States last year was made in America by unionized workers.
From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, July 6, 2013
You Can't Hide From These Prying Eyes If you think the government is the only one snooping into your life, you're as wrong as a Tea Party officer at a civil rights rally. You are the problem, and the reason why there is data on everyone--everywhere.
From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, October 4, 2012
Romney v. Obama: The Debate That Wasn't With a campaign buy of more than one billion dollars just in TV advertising, the voters have already been subjected to enough of what PR people call "messaging." The debates are just more of that packaged and sanitized "messaging."
From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, January 27, 2013
The No News News Media It hasn't been confirmed, but it looks like Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell may be planning to get married. This, and other stories, coming right up.
gownaround, From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Friday, January 17, 2014
The Boozy, but not Newsy, Mass Media It's boozy, but is it newsy? The state of today's mass media
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(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, December 8, 2013
The 10 Percent Solution to Expensive Weddings Want to know why the average wedding costs $29,000? Journalist Walter Brasch deconstructs it for you.
Elephants and Dancers, From FlickrPhotos
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, January 30, 2016
A Large Problem for Circuses By May, there will be no more elephants in the Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey circus. Here's why
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, April 8, 2011
A Crock Pot Tax-Exempt Idea In satire there is truth. In the IRS Code, there is--well, 4 million words that favor corporations. See why award-winning journalist Walter Brasch thinks there may be a connection between Republicans, corporate welfare, and their desire to shut down government.
From ImagesAttr
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, December 27, 2013
Depth Takes a Holiday in Mass Media News editors love making end-of-the-year lists of the "Top 10 Headlines." Like the other editors, they don't tell us why their pick of the top news story was more important than the No. 2 story--or why the No. 10 story was any more important than the thousands that did not make the list.
Double Octuple Newspaper Press, From FlickrPhotos
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, December 6, 2015
Downsizing the News Staff; Downsizing Quality and Credibility Layoffs don't have to be part of the equation to keeping print newspapers alive. In truth, just the reverse is necessary. Here's why.
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, March 1, 2009
The Beeper Cacophony Do you twitter? Alone and in a dark corner? Maybe you enjoy poking people, and write upon their walls. In this scathing satire, award-winning journalist Walter Brasch looks at why no one talks to anyone anymore.
From ImagesAttr
(14 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Resurrection of Intolerance SUMMARY: The fanatic religious right-wing has attacked President Obama for not attending church regularly. Perhaps they need to re-learn the foundation of their own religion first before attacking anyone.
(7 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, December 6, 2009
The No-News No-Column Column There were only two major news stories this past week--if you believed the major news media
Reverent, From ImagesAttr
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, May 22, 2014
The Sounds of Silence--Political Style The cost to convince us to vote for a particular candidate is in the range of the gross national product of a small industrialized nation. Already, Congressional candidates have spent about $330 million, while Senate candidates have spent about $175 million, according to Open Secrets.
SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Iraq: Just Another War Without An End As the war in Iraq dragged on, the names soon became numbers--and then the numbers became little more than a box score. Walter Brasch looks at war as being fought by people, not policies or numbers.
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, April 20, 2012
Spearing a Tax Deduction If the super-rich can take advantage of the tax code, and have the Republican politicians agree with them, then why not the average American. Satirist Walter Brasch looks at one way to take advantage of what the 1% has.
From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, November 16, 2012
University Governance Doesn't Represent the People The largest university systems in Pennsylvania, a strong union state, are governed by business executives--and not one representative of the labor movement. This is an intentional manipulation of education. In this 1,000 word column, an award-winning columnist and former university professor calls for better representation of the middle class.
SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, November 25, 2015
The Fracking Crisis: A Manufacturer's Perspective A call for business owners and executives to join the anti-fracking movement.
SHARE More Sharing        Friday, March 16, 2007
An Intolerant Minority [SUMMARY: The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Peter Pace, says that homosexuality is immoral. He later modified that statement by saying he should have said only that he supports the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. That policy, a compromise, should never have been enacted; it's now time to repeal it and permit gays to serve openly in the military.]
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(6 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, June 17, 2013
OEN editor wins major journalism awards An OEN senior editor and columnist won several awards from journalism organizations for his work in 2012.
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, April 12, 2012
Reality, News Perception, and Accuracy The rush to publication--combined with reporters having less knowledge about their world--has led to lies being perpetuated by the media during political campaigns.
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(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Splitting Hairs in a Multi-Cultural School A Philadelphia charter school that stresses multi-cultural education has kept an honors student out of class because she has blue streaks in her hair. This is her story.
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, July 23, 2011
"10 Commandments Judge' Running for President The Alabama chuef justice who was removed from the bench for violating the Constitution by mixing religon with law is now running for president. His views are conservative--but he does agree with liberals on a couple of areas. In this exclusive interview, Walter Brasch discusses the history and Moore's beliefs.
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, June 1, 2008
The Politics of Humanitarian Aid: U.S, Like Myanmar, Rejected Humanitarian Aid The United States, like Myanmar, has rejected humanitarian aid, especially if it came from countries that the Bush-Cheney Administration didn't think agreed with its political policies.
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, February 26, 2006
This Column Doesn't Exist If the media didn't exist, would George W. Bush?
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, December 31, 2011
Stories We Will Still Have to Write in 2012 For more than three decades, we have written stories about issues that should have been resolved. But they weren't, and aren't likely to be resolved in 2012. We are tried of writing about them--but we will, knowing that there are good people who do want to see society improve.
Freedom to eRead, after Roger Roth, From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Friday, October 16, 2015
Iran Boycotts World's Largest Book Fair Iran is boycotting the world's largest book fair.But the U.S. doesn't have such a good record in freedom of expression, either.
SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, July 20, 2013
Practicing Un-Medicine Congress has extended billions of dollars to agricorporations and its own members NOT to grow food. So, wouldn't it be advantageous to apply this principle to other areas as well?
Congress and the NRA, From ImagesAttr
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, October 12, 2015
Mass Murders are Good for Business We know that most of Congress and state legislatures have been bought and paid for by gun manufacturers and the gun-rights lobby. But, here's an idea about how the people could force our law-givers, who spit routine comments after every mass shooting, to be a bit more empathetic. And, maybe, we can reduce gun violence just a bit.
SNC12866.JPG, From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, September 20, 2015
Questionable Calls in the Sports Department More than 14,000 high schools have football teams. But, newspapers and TV stations think they can rank the teams. Is this just another case of sloppy and egotistical journalism?
(7 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, May 10, 2010
Arizona and the Alien-Nation of Americ The Arizona law that requires peace officers to aggressively check immigration status of ALL persons only appears to be logical. The truth is that it violates all kinds of American values. These are values that conservatives should be defending.
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, May 6, 2009
People. People Who Don't Need People People Magazine has again put out its Most Beautiful People List. And, once again, it believes it has divine wisdom in an ethnocentric sort of way.
From ImagesAttr
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, June 28, 2013
Pink Sneaks Cushion a Will for Women's Rights At the core of Wendy Davis's fight for a woman's rights is the filibuster, used by Republicans to block the will of the people.
MARK SOIFER, From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, August 3, 2013
Ocean City Beauty Pageant is Crabfully Wonderful Ocean City, N.J., is having a wonderful summer--and much of it is because of a hermit crab and Mark Soifer.
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Stories We Wish We Didn't Have to Write--But Will The hope we and this nation had for change we could believe in, and which we still hope will not die, has been diminished by the reality of petty politics, with the "Party of No" and its raucous Teabagger mutation blocking social change for America's improvement
Cast of
SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, April 19, 2014
SitComs Not Always a Laughing Matter One of the reasons I like the new CBS comedy, "Growing Up Fisher," is because the producers don't insult us by inserting a most-noxious laugh track. Here's why.
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Another Swing and a Miss for Congress Roger Clemens was indicted for perjury. But, if truth be told, it might be Congress itself that should be indicted.
All Texas, From FlickrPhotos
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, December 19, 2015
Today's Media: Often Pandering to Bias and Ignorance Texas holds a tremendous power over the publishing industry-- do what the state school board wishes, and you have a best-seller; publish the truth, and you are closed out.
From ImagesAttr
(7 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, January 23, 2013
The Problem with the Bahmas Truth is in satire. And the truth is that obstructionists in Congress are more focused on blocking anything President Obama does than they are in advancing the needs of the country.
(8 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, January 29, 2009
Match THIS for Stupidity: Taxing a House of Cards Today governments are carding people who buy liquor and cigarettes. But, some stores are carding people who buy cigarette lighters. The future will be to card people who buy Jello and Watermelons. Find out why in Waltyer Brasch's interesting analysis of government regulation and taxes.
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, May 16, 2009
The Dick Cheney Magical Mystery Media Tour Dick Cheney has emreged from his undisclosed underground location and--you'll never believe this!--is talking to just about every media outlet he can. Walter Brasch explores why.
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, March 2, 2012
Star Gazing:Comets, Actors, and Angelina's Right Leg The Giant Star, Angie's Right Leg, arose in the West, but is likely to burn out in a few weeks. But while it can be seen, it has illuminated many lives.
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, August 31, 2008
No News Is Bad News: TV and the Conventions The mainstream media claim there isn't news at the conventions, that they have become puffs. Then why have the alterhjative media found news that 7-figure TV anchors can't?
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, June 14, 2007
Up and Down the Bush Philosophy The George W. Bush politicl philosophy is closer to that of the Divine Right of Kings than to what the Founding Fathers believed a nation, and its president, should be.
From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Friday, July 27, 2012
Sunshine Still Blocked at Penn State The Penn State trustees continue to fumble and ignore state law. This column by award-winning journalist Walter Brasch reveals just another instance of their disregard for the public.
From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Friday, November 22, 2013
No Area Safe From Fracking New Jersey thinks uit's safe from fracking becausebthere areno wells -- yet. But vetos by Gov. Chris Christie of moratoriums overwhelming passed by the legislature could eventually doom the "Garden State" to what Pennsylvania now looks like.
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, January 18, 2009
From the Hudson to the Potomac: Courage and Hope for a Depressed Nation There is much to emulate in the pilot of the USAir jet that went into the Hudson River. Hopefully, Barack Obama has the same courage and skills to bring this nation safely into calmer waters.
SHARE More Sharing        Friday, December 17, 2010
The Winter of Our Discontent: Republicans are Singing, 'Let it No, Let it No, Let it No' In their self-interest obstructionism, the converatives have placed the welfare and security oif Americans at risk.
2015 Rose Parade, From FlickrPhotos
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, January 10, 2016
Blathering in Front of TV Cameras TV reporters and anchors have made the medium entertainment-based, rather than news-based. Here's how it's done.
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Political Log Rolling in the Clinton Campaign A politician actually admits that his vote was bought.
From ImagesAttr
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, January 14, 2013
America's Uncivil Phone Manners No one in the newsroom at Pennsylvania's two largest newspapers returned my phone calls. Nor were several calls and emails to the producers of pretend-folksy "Ellen" ever returned, although to all three I had a professional reason to call and assumed they would extend at least professional courtesy. If the media don't return phone calls to journalists, then imagine the number of people who are also ignored.
Law.Gov -- opening up primary legal materials, From FlickrPhotos
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, November 2, 2015
These Judges Don't Put Defendants into Prison Most judicial election races are quiet, and the voters have little knowledge about the candidates.That's not true for Tuesday's race in Pennsylvania. The 7 candidates for the state supreme court have spent about $10 million in advertising.
Tasses - portraits, From ImagesAttr
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, September 19, 2014
Arsenic-Laced Coffee Good for You The gas/oil industry wants us to believe that fracking is safe and that the fluids used are 99.5% pure. As is often the case, the industry's PR people are rather creative--and wrong.
SHARE More Sharing        Friday, October 21, 2011
Drinks Are On The House (And Senate) Want to maker money from a failing business? Want government money when you're raking in the excessive profits? Just ask any Republican--or Marshbaum.
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, January 28, 2011
Of Football Teams, Fraternities, and Other Important Intellectual Concerns A UConn donor demanded his $3 million back because the football team didn't listen to his "advice" on who to hire as the next football coach. In this witty satire, journalist-professor Walter Brasch looks at sports and academics.
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, September 21, 2009
A Lot of Sorry But(t)s A shock wave on incivility has shaken America. But, are all of us as guilty as those who have decided that hate speech is better than rational thought?
Pumping Gas Nozzle. Gas Pump nozzle. Pics by Mike Mozart of TheToyChannel and JeepersMedia on YouTube. #PumpingGas #GasNozzle #Filling #GasolineStation #GasPump, From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, July 12, 2014
Passing Gas to the Consumer Want to know why gas prices were so high the past week? Here's one possible reason.
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, June 14, 2010
'R'Oil Indignation The British media believe the American media and people are beating up on them over the Gulf oil disaster. Walter Brasch looks at media reaction--and the causes of the disaster.
SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, March 22, 2009
An American Outrage: Bernie, AIG, and Us Americans are outraged at what has happened to their money, but they may outraged at the wrong things.
(11 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, August 24, 2008
Tear Down THIS Wall All walls eventually fail. And that includes the $2 billion wall the U.S. is erecting on the Mexican border.
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, November 25, 2010
Fairness and the Bristol Stomp With no discernible job skills, what should Bristol Palin do? She became a TV reality "star," competing against persons far more talented than she.
Black Friday 2014, From FlickrPhotos
SHARE More Sharing        Friday, November 13, 2015
'Twixt the Cobwebs of Halloween and the Lights of Christmas We need to make Black Friday a holiday, complete with front porch decorations. The celebration of greed and capitalism needs to be formally recognized.
(5 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, October 18, 2010
TV Political Ads: Ditching Democracy 30 Seconds at a Time There are two problems this season for the liberals: (1) a strong media campaign by the right-wing of the Republican party and (2) a weak media campaign by the Democrats
SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Scary Isn't a Kid in A Halloween Costume There are frightening things in the Halloween season this year. Kids in costumes aren't as scary as what adults have done to American democracy.
From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, July 25, 2013
The No-News Media Cover a Royal Birth Think there's too much media coverage of the royal birth? The alternate is even worse.
(10 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, February 3, 2009
The Republicans Have Nothing to Party About The Republicans, nursing wopunds from the November election, have decided to become the Obstructionist Party; if they continue to block social and economic reform, their future might be as bleak as the Whig Party.
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, January 6, 2012
Making Sport of Our Future The national news media have been covering presidential races as if they were sports events, with "top 10" lists and predictions dominating coverage.
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, March 21, 2010
The Specter of Bigotry in Health Care Debates Health care reform has been markled by bigotry by those who oppose it. And all the apologies by the Republicans won't change that.
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, February 26, 2012
Tanness, Anyone? Oscars and the Bronze Beauties The best place to see sun-tanned beauties isn't at the beach but at the Oscars. Walter Brasch explains all you need to know about tanning, melanoma--and the mass media
From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, January 18, 2013
Confessions of a Juiced Journalist Three great baseball players were not inducted into the Hall of Fame this year. If the sportswriters who vote on Hall of Fame nominees had dug deeper, they might have learned that most players, including many already enshrined in the Hall--and probably some baseball writers as well--were also tainted.
Donald Trump, From FlickrPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, March 5, 2016
Donald Trump: A Problem Even for Conservatives Donald Trump continues to pour out half-truths, exaggerations, and lies on his march to the Republican nomination.
From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, November 11, 2013
Let's Phrase This Another Way Put your hands together and show Dr. Brasch some luhhhhhv!
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, February 2, 2012
GROUNDHOG DAY: We Have Our 'Phil' of the Winter America loves Punxsutawney Phil. And, Pennsylvania loves Gus, the second most famous groundhog. BUT the Pennsylvania Game Commission considers the species to be a nusiance. Hunters shoot groundhogs in "open season." But, there's a better way than killing them.
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, June 19, 2011
Dozens of Father's Days; Decades of Grief Thousands of children will never be able to celebrate Father;s Day this year; their fathers were killed in what are now America's longest wars.
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, November 27, 2007
George W. Bush's 'Convenient' Truth George W. Bush is president, and nothing that Al Gore is doing to protect the environment will ever be enough to erase this president's political ability to alter the environment to benefit corporate interests.
From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, December 29, 2012
Fiscal Chicken The Republicans are playing chicken with the American people, and then lying about it. The reality: Most of the compromises have been made by President Obama, while the dogma-driven Republicans continue to hold the nation hostage.
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, October 25, 2008
America's Buddy-Buddy Campaign Press Corps The presidential press corps seems to make the rest of us think they're little more than leeches upon the butts of politicians. Here's why.
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(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, July 12, 2012
The Phillies Are Not Phigments of Imagination There is a horrible rumor that the Phillies don't exist. Water Brasch proves otherwise.
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Gas Prices Affecting More Than Travel Clay pigeons, used by trap and skeet shooters, aren't clay, but made from petroleum byproducts. The gas crisis affects the price of everything made of plastic, pitch, and anything that is petroleum-based.
13-02-09 Nemo Snowstorm (Unedited) (72), From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Weathering a Blizzard of News Media Bravado Is there REALLY a reason why TV news has to send reporters into the field during a blizzard? Veteran journalist Walter Brasch doesn't think so.
SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, September 12, 2006
The Bush Magical Mystery Political Capital Tour The Bush "war cabinet" has used 9/11 to justify its own incompetencies and inadequacies, and is now on a national campaign to try to convince Americans that the war in Iraq justifies the cost to life and economy.
SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Former OEN Managing Editor Files Suit Against Philadelphia, Charging Constitutional Violations in Her Arrest An OEN editor who was arrested while covering a demonstration in September 2009 in Philadelphia has filed suit in federal court, charging that the City and its police department violated three Amendments in her arrest and subsequent incarceration.
From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, October 18, 2012
'Twas the Blight Before Christmas 'Twas the blight before Christmas, and all through the house, came the jolly faces of Obama and Romney, their messages more rat than mouse.
From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, March 31, 2013
Look for the Union Bunny The Easter Bunnies have gone on strike. Here's why.
SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Yo Ho Ho, and an Embottled Rummy The resignation of Donald Rumsfeld is more of a reflection about the incompetence and malevolence of the President as it is the Secretary of Defense.
Sen Joe Biden at Center for American Progress Action Fund May 20, 2008, From FlickrPhotos
(4 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, October 26, 2015
The 24/7 Election and Media Carousel The 24/7 media cycle doesn't add in-depth information to the need to understand politics and government. It merely gives us a constant repetition of superficial reporting.
umass marching band. sizable chunk of the UMass student body go to football games just to see this prize-winning band at half-time., From FlickrPhotos
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, February 7, 2016
Marching Bands and High School PE Musicians in high school marching bands should receive physical education credits. Here's why.
SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, January 14, 2012
Miss America: Auditioning for Center Stage The Miss America pageant, run like the Mafia, is tonight's best example of why it doesn't represent "America's ideal."
From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, June 15, 2013
A Father's Day Barbeque--Washington-Style The Republicans want to roast donkeys for Father's Day. It looks like all they'll get is a lot of smoke.
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, April 11, 2009
Pennsylvania's Signs of Spring Thewre are many signs that Spring has come to the U.S. For Pennsylvanians, there is a special sign.
Kyle Field - Texas A&M University, From ImagesAttr
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Monday, October 21, 2013
Are You Ready for Less Academics? One college may lose its accreditation because it's football team isn't up to par. Get the details in the Walt Brasch satire.
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, May 18, 2008
President Bush in Egypt Today President Bush's week-long trip to the Middle East has accomplished one thing--it has firmed up the Bush family's ties to a terorist leader.
(10 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, May 6, 2008
People. People Who Don't Need People From seven billion people in the world, People magazine's New York college-educated editors could find only 100 of the world's most beautiful people. And, here's the surprise--get ready for it--they;re rich American celebrities,
SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, April 1, 2012
The Late Great Commonwealth: Catching Up to the Republican Primary Pennsylvania may actually be relevant! For decades, the primaries were an after-thought. Now, it seems that the Keystone State may actually be in the middle of deciding who will be the Republican nominee.
From flickr.com/photos/22526649@N03/24889941106/: 2016.02.08 Presidential Primary, Manchester, NH USA 02675, From Images
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, February 20, 2016
Sick of Presidential Politicians Grubbing for Votes The presidential candidates are in South Carolina, refining their speeches but not their ideas. Here's the elections so far--with a hope they get laryngitis soon.
SHARE More Sharing        Friday, February 17, 2012
Fewer Words; Less Filling Almost everyone is wailing about what's happened to the media. In this short column, Dr. Brasch gives a solution. Really!
SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, June 5, 2010
Ten Minutes of News The 24/7 cable news media have been finding what passes as commentary for their idle mouths. The latest is their chatter about the oil crisis in the Gulf.
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, February 8, 2007
Rural America Explains Why the Nation Needs Martin Luther King Day In two rural northeast Pennsylvania counties, citizens have spoken out against the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Black History Month. Their views, unfortunately, help explain why this nation is still divided, and why the civil rights struggle must continue.
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(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, November 27, 2013
We Gather Together to Ask . . . There may be a lot to be thankful for . . . but there are many who struggle to survive in a nation that has politicians who mouth the words but don't mean them.
SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, October 14, 2009
An Extension of Her Motherhood: Sherry Carpenter--Journalist and Animal Care Provider In a nation torn by hatreds, bigotry, and political intrusion into human needs, sometimes it's just nice to reflect upon those who just go about their business of helping others. Sherry Carpenter is one of those.
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, March 2, 2010
It's Snow News TV weather has become a driving force in what used to be TV news. To find out next week's forecast, check out this article.
(15 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, July 5, 2008
Is Barack Obama Patriotic? Is Any Politician? Barack Obama spent the Fourth of July engaged in a patriot-fest. Is he pandering--or is he patriotic?
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Canned Hunts: Sports Afoul The true sportsmen object to "canned hunts," where people pay to kill an animal that is usually docile and lured by "guides" into the client's gun sights.
SHARE More Sharing        Monday, October 24, 2005
A Scary Costume Many politicians haven't figured out what to wear for Halloween. I have some suggestions.
SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, May 7, 2006
Silent Protest, Vocal Response In Danville, Pa., high school students learned about tolerance and bigotry when they said they would silently protest intolerance.
(6 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, October 30, 2007
A Halloween Scare Once again it's the holiday season, and once again racists and bigots are making the most of it to denigrade religions they don't believe are the one true religion--like theirs. The scariest thing is the ignorance of an e-mail that has now been read by millions around the world.
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, December 20, 2007
Oops! The Media Did It Again On the day there was a fire in the Executive office Building, the President signed the Energy Bill, three persons were killed in a chemical explosion in Jacksonville, Fla., and eight civlians killed in Iraq, the mass media dug out the day's most improtant story--Jamie Lynn Spears is pregnant.
SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, October 29, 2008
McGhosts and Ogoblins There are a lot of scary things right now. In this humorous look at trick-or-trick costumes, Walter and Rosemary Brasch look at how the various candidates might dress for their trek to get America's goodies.
(2 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, January 12, 2008
ACLU Chapter Proposes Impeachment Proceedings The Central Susquehanna Chapter of the ACLU joined the Southern California and several Florida chapters in urging the national board to request the House Judiciary Committee to begin investigations into whether impeachment against VP Cheney and President Bush is warranted.
(5 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, August 8, 2007
No Asterisks for Barry Bonds There is no reason that the homerun record of Barry Bonds should be tainted--at least if we understand the hostory of Major League Baseball.
SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, May 9, 2007
An Ill Wind and National Policy In Sept. 2003, two years before Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, and 3-1/2 years before an F-5 tornado destroyed Greensburg, Kans., Rosemary and Walter Brasch predicted that the war in Iraq was depleting American readiness and response to natural disasters in the United States. It was an analysis of currrent and projected problems that these veteran emergency management workers hoped would not come true.
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, July 16, 2008
It's Sill the Economy, Stupid George W. Bush's legacy may not be defined by an encroachment upon civil liberties, the war, environmental destruction, or any of dozen of otehr policies that have adversely affected America. His legacy was burnt into American history on Tuesday, July 15, 2008.
SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, March 7, 2006
Compromising Americans' Civil Liberties The people of more than 400 communities have opposed the unconstitutional provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act. Congress just renewed it for anotehr four years.
SHARE More Sharing        Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Centerfield Song It just appears to be a poem about baseball, but in only a few words, Mark Soifer tells us much more.
SHARE More Sharing        Friday, April 1, 2011
Tax-Deductible Invasions Journalist Walter Brasch has a unique way for balancing the budget and reducing wars. Let the people vote.
SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, July 10, 2011
Blood on the Lens Want to look behind the scenes of a local TV nes operation. Veteran journalist Walter Brasch gives you one view.
SHARE More Sharing        Friday, July 27, 2007
Leaders Afraid to Lead: Empty Rhetoric in Congress It will be the people, not Congress, who will have to push for the impeachment of Cheney and Bush.
SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, March 19, 2008
It's a Welfare State--If You're Rich The Fed's bailout won't stop the Recession--and it certainly won't help the individual--it will help the corporations.
SHARE More Sharing        Monday, May 12, 2008
All the News That Fits--In 500 Words or a Graphic It was a tough decision by the editors of USA Today. What to feature as its cover story. A celebrity wedding or the deaths of 25,000 people.
Tea Party Tantrum, From ImagesAttr
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, October 17, 2013
Shuffling Federal Paperwork TheTea Party republcians think they were two-year olds, and screaming would get it attention. All it got them was the people's disgust.
(5 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, August 26, 2007
Enquiring Minds and Space Aliens Revisited The Weekly World News publishes its last issue this week. But, for almost three decades, there may have been a wink of more truth in it than in some of the media.
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, July 3, 2008
The Rocket;s Red Glare May Be Chinese humor-satire -- or maybe it isn't. On July 4, the Chinese will invade the U.S.--and we'll be happu about it.
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, July 22, 2006
Part-Time Bush Principles Bush says he believes in up-or-down votes, proclaiming it shortly after his first inaugural, and in his 2005 State of the Union address, demanding, "every judicial nominee deserves an up-or-down vote." Since Bush believes in one-vote majorities, it shouldn't have been a problem for him to accept a 238-194 vote in the House and a 63-37 vote in the Senate to allow medical researchers to use stem cells from embryos...
SHARE More Sharing        Friday, February 23, 2007
A TV Snow Job While other states were on top of the recent snow storm, Pennsylvania had a botched response. This is a look at TV news and how the average station covered the weatehr story.
SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Waiving the Rules for Old Glory Being patriotic doesn't mean waving a bigger flag than your neighbor's. In this penetrating look at Flag Day, Walter Brasch looks at a number of issues of patriotism and the American flag.
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, January 28, 2007
Give War a Chance While millions were protesting the Iraq war and the suppression of civil rights, there was yet another protest, one staged by supporters of the war.
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, June 21, 2008
Pennsylvania Politics: Resolved to Continue Bigotry Actions in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives this week perpetuate the bigotry seen on a larger scale in the presidential nomination process.
(6 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, July 5, 2006
Food for Thought A nation that demands laws to make English the "official" language has a lot of maturing to do before it is truly the "ethnic melting pot" that we believe it is.
SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, November 26, 2005
The FEMA Scheme-a; Screw Up a national disaster, become a highly-paid consultant
(8 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Gays, God, and Government: Self-righteousness in the State Capitols Conservatives and religious fundamentalists oppose gay marriage. They also oppose government in lives. But, for their own "security," they don't mind government entering their bedrooms.
SHARE More Sharing        Monday, February 18, 2008
President Bush's Safari to Find Friendly Faces The leadership of the House of Representatives refused to bring a flawed Protect America Act to a vote. President Bush issued fiery rhetoric, threatened to cancel a scheduled trip to Africa--and then went anyhow.
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, July 3, 2008
The Rocket's red Glare May Be Chinese humor/satire -- or maybe it really isn't. On July 4th, China will attack the U.S. And we may be willing to allow that to happen.
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, January 17, 2008
Spouting Change to Stay the Same "Change" is the new buzzword of the presidential campaign, but the candidates and the voters, no matter what they say, don't want change. After all, they are the establishment.
(3 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Sunday, July 22, 2007
Give It Up for Confusion There's a lot of confusion in language. This confusion helps explain the Bush Administration.
SHARE More Sharing        Monday, December 19, 2005
Justice DeLayed Tom DeLay is under indictment, after the House admonished him three times for ethics violations. The President says he's innocent.
SHARE More Sharing        Monday, October 31, 2005
Cheney's Refrain: 'I'm a Believer' Dick Cheney says "Scooter" Libby is innocent, until proven guilty. This is NOT what Cheney says about anyhone trapped by the PATRIOT Act
SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, April 19, 2008
Coming to Your Town--But Only Until Tuesday--a Clinton The Clintons are patrolling Pennsylvania as if they're border collies. In this political analysis, journalist/professor Walter Brasch analyzes the Pennsylvania primary contest, and its likely effects after April 22.
(1 comments) SHARE More Sharing        Friday, December 29, 2006
Making the World Safer for Terrorism George W. Bush is despised by more Americans than is Osama bin Laden, according to an AP-AOL poll. This has not set well with bin Laden.
SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, October 27, 2010
The Politicians' Bible: Bringing in the Receipts More than $3 billion will be spent on the mid-term election this year. But, that's not the worst statistic.
SHARE More Sharing        Saturday, March 8, 2008
The Flocked-Up Campaign Press Gaggle The press is tighter to the candidates this election than the shine on fake silver.
SHARE More Sharing        Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Why Bush Should Have Signed the Children's Health Act President Bush today vetoed legislation to increase health insurance coverage for up to four million more children. Against overwhelming Congressional support for the program, he spun new reasons for his fourth veto. However, he needed to approve this legislation to continue his war in Iraq.
SHARE More Sharing        Friday, March 14, 2008
The Surrogate Votergate My faux friend, Marshbaum,. has a plan to get rich by selling his Pennsylvania vote.
SHARE More Sharing        Thursday, April 13, 2006
The Not-So-Secret Foreign Energy Source The Bush Administration Believes worker exploitation is acceptable to spur business interests.

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