Category Archives: Civil Liberty

Gotta Be Cool on Wall Street *

10/13/2011 – 2:30 pm

I have no desire to occupy Wall Street.  Not that I think it’s a bad idea.  I think it’s a great idea, I just have no desire to participate.  Maybe that makes me part of the problem.
On the other hand, heading down to Wall Street would take me away from my day job and since [...]

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Not to Look Away

10/6/2011 – 2:43 pm

When I was in grade school, we learned the Nazis came to power in a time of economic dislocation, the worldwide Great Depression.  We learned Germany was a once-great nation in decline after the military defeat of World War I and the Nazis appealed simultaneously to the fears and the nationalism of the German people.  [...]

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Cowards, Every One of Them

9/23/2011 – 9:00 am

A week ago, I asked how bad political discourse can get in this country.   Discouraged as I was, I hadn’t seen this coming.  Perhaps – despite everything my family and friends tell me – I’m too optimistic.
Last week, Republicans who hope to be president stood silently by as their constituents cheered for the notion [...]

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“Pre-Positioned Weapons of Mass Destruction”

8/25/2011 – 2:44 pm

The tenth anniversary of the 9-11 attacks is a bit more than two weeks away.  People in DC and New York were viscerally reminded of this when an earthquake – unusually strong for the east coast – rattled them Tuesday.  Although human-induced climate change may affect hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, droughts and blizzards, earthquakes remain an [...]

By floegel | Also posted in Commentary, September 11th, Toxics | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)

Two Australians

7/28/2011 – 3:44 pm

Two Australians in England in trouble.  One’s all over the recent news, one was all over the news six months ago, now keeping a low profile.  Neither man’s issues have been resolved.
Guessing?  Rupert Murdoch, of course, and Julian Assange.  The Australians (Mr. Murdoch is now a US citizen) both left their homeland far behind to [...]

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Neighborhood Giant

7/7/2011 – 11:00 am

Last Friday was Canada Day, which commemorates the 1867 unification of three British colonies – Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and “Canada” (Quebec and Ontario) – into one kingdom, as part of the United Kingdom. Canada did not achieve full separation from the UK until 1982.
I was in Washington Friday and although I vaguely knew [...]

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There’s an App for That

6/30/2011 – 9:54 am

I’m a middle-aged man, with the characteristics of a middle-aged man. I accept this. In summer, I grill and I tend to make a fetish of it. I make my own barbecue sauce. I make out that it’s some big artisan deal, when it’s really not. Probably another ego thing.
I [...]

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