politics: Post Anonymously - 03/30/09 11:44 AM
Today I came across a wonderful, albeit unsettling post written by the ladies who run the 2 Witches Blog. Apparently volcanoes are not the only things that can shake the frozen ground of Alaska with consequences for Americans everywhere. The question is one's right to remain anonymous when writing a blog or commenting on a post.
You might be wondering why on earth one would want to remain anonymous when writing a post or commenting on a blog, especially if they have nothing to hide. This is the classic argument used to imply that those wanting to remain anonymous must want … (10 comments)

politics: New York Post Apologizes - 02/27/09 01:09 PM
Exactly a week ago today, I published a post entitled Race And Politics in which I brought up the subject of a cartoon that the New York Post had published. The cartoon caused a firestorm of controversy. It became apparent that where you fall in the political spectrum, your racial background, and your experience as a member of a racial minority or majority play at least some part in how you might view the cartoon. There are two excellent quotes that I would like to share with you. The first gives a historical looking perspective while the second gives a view … (10 comments)

politics: Race And Politics - 02/20/09 01:56 PM
It has taken me a day to figure out what I wanted to say about a cartoon I came across on several blog posts yesterday. To set the scene the cartoon was published in the New York Post by one of their regular cartoonists named Sean Delonas. The cartoon came a day after the tragic attack by a chimpanzee on its owner and her friend in Stamford, Connecticut that resulted in the hospitalization of the two women and the shooting death of the chimpanzee. It also came on the heels of President Obama signing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of … (24 comments)

politics: The Intersection of Sports and Politics - 02/18/09 06:09 AM
Throughout history sports have been the arena where pure skill has carried the day. Whether it is an individual sport or a team sport the politics that separate us have generally dissipated. There are notable exceptions such as the Munich Olympics of 1972 where the nastiness of hate reared its ugly head. There are also positive examples such as Jesse Owens' victory in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin during the tyranny of the Nazis. This is a prelude to a recent disturbing development in the world of tennis.
Yesterday the United Arab Emirates denied the Visa of a qualified player who … (10 comments)

politics: Outside Looking In - Six Blogs - 10/17/08 10:46 AM
On August 26th, I wrote a post entitled Outside the Rain. That post was the first in a series of of somewhat sporadic posts highlighting some of the bloggers I have had the pleasure of stumbling across. That post highlighted a hodgepodge of various bloggers. The subsequent post, Outside Perspectives - Current Financial Markets, was on September 19th and highlighted different takes on the turbulent financial markets. The last post of this sort was entitled Titans of the World and was published on October 7th. This post dealt with two environmentalist bloggers and an environmental website.
Though it has only been … (17 comments)

politics: Sexist Arguments and Sarah Palin - 10/11/08 06:05 AM
There is a lot of talk burning up the internet about the Presidential and Vice Presidential debates. Discussion and debate are a good thing. Of course I wish there was a lot more concentration by the candidates on what they will do or what their plan is. I know I can go to their respective websites and read their plan for the economy, the wars, healthcare, the environment, etc. but honestly I want to hear them articulate it. This will let me know that they actually know and understand what their plan is and can speak about it.
There has been … (27 comments)

politics: McCain's Vice Presidential Running Mate Announced - 08/29/08 04:30 AM
It has just been announced on Republican Presidential Candidate John McCain's website that he has selected Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin as his Vice Presidential running mate. Palin is in her second year as a first term governor and former mayor. She typically garners approval ratings in the 80% to 90% range. In her bid to be governor, she beat the Republican incumbent governor in the primary. She is 44 years old (making her considerably younger than both McCain and Biden, and three years younger than Obama.) She is the former head of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. In this … (51 comments)

politics: Olympic Competition Obscures China Policies - 08/18/08 05:32 AM
The Olympics have long been a showcase of worldwide athletic competition. Traditionally, Olympians were granted safe passage to attend the games and conflicts were halted during the games. I cannot pretend to understand the reasoning behind which city is chosen to host the games by the International Olympic Committee. Unless you have been living under a rock, the current Olympics are being held in Beijing, China. These Olympics have been characterized by the phenomenal spectacle of the opening ceremonies and the competition of premier athletes from all corners of the world. New records have been set and new countries have achieved … (8 comments)