Monthly Archives: February 2007

North America Goes South

I think it all goes back to NAFTA.  The 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement, was supposed to increase prosperity throughout the continent, instead brought economic insecurity to U.S. workers and a meltdown in Mexico.  The low-wage, assembly line jobs never got to Mexico; they left the U.S. and went skipping over the ocean to […]

Skin Cell, Jail Cell

As a word person, I resent the violence politics does to the English language.  It’s been going on for decades and it gets worse all the time.  The best-known recent example is the USA Patriot Act, which in fact is a vehicle for stripping the rights away from law-abiding citizens.  A new entry to the […]

Gifts of Love

It’s crunch week for American men. Payback time for all that lounging on Super Bowl Sunday. Valentine’s Day is less than a week away. Adrienne, bless her heart, does not expect me to take part in this bizarre mating ritual, but many men in America are expected to get out there and spend gobs of […]

Smoke and Mirrors

Tomorrow’s an important day. It is when the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) releases the first section of its Fourth Assessment Report. There will be no surprises: global warming is getting worse and it’s clear that our actions are responsible. Today, the Washington Post reports that the IPCC will state that in the increase […]