Saturday, March 31, 2018

Roseanne Barr, the Bomb-Dropping Darling of Trump's Base

by Nomad

Whatever you think about Roseanne Barr, there is one thing all of us would agree with. She certainly knows how to get attention. Clearly, she is devoted to the idea that there is no such thing as bad publicity.  

Thursday, March 29, 2018

Good News Round Up- March 2018

by Nomad


This month's good news round-up is a real mixed bag. We have scientific breakthroughs, governments coming together to protect the environment, and two examples of unselfishness in action.

Monday, March 26, 2018

NATO Confronts the Article 5 Trigger in the Age of Cyber Warfare

by Nomad


In the face of Russian cyber attacks, the 29 members of the NATO are searching for solutions and answers. How can the alliance maintain its policy of collective defense against this new type of warfare? What is the appropriate response to Russian asymmetrical warfare without the potential for a runaway scenario? And most importantly, will the American president be willing to provide the kind of leadership that is needed to deal with this threat?

Friday, March 23, 2018

Accepted Dishonesty, Donald Trump and "The Way We Live Now"

by Nomad

Melmotte

My Escape

Like a lot of you, I often feel overstressed and despondent witnessing the daily tribulations in Washington. It's impossible to remain cheerful and glib in times like this.
No matter how much I tell myself that these grim hours will pass, that the nation in time will recover from all of the things Trump is doing and that we as a nation will be stronger as a result of this national calamity, it is nevertheless a depressing time.
From time to time, for the sake of our emotional well-being, we all need some kind of escapism. I am no different.

Thursday, March 22, 2018

Gun Ownership: A Question of Second Amendment Rights over Social Responsibility

by Nomad


By putting profits over responsibility, the gun lobby in America has decided the rights of some are more important than the safety of all. That includes the lives and well-being of our own children.

Writer David Frum has a modest proposal when it comes to gun control. In the name of social responsibility, let's treat guns with the basic accountability they deserve. The same degree of accountability that we give automobiles and other potentially dangerous products on the market.

Sunday, March 18, 2018

Sanity Sunday - The Pretenders

by Nomad


Before the music, a few notes on the band and its members.

English-American rock band, The Pretenders, was formed in England in March 1978. The band initially consisted of Chrissie Hynde (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), James Honeyman-Scott (lead guitar, backing vocals, keyboards), Pete Farndon (bass guitar, backing vocals), and Martin Chambers (drums, backing vocals, percussion).

Friday, March 16, 2018

Four Quotes by the Remarkable Stephen Hawking

by Nomad



The life of Stephen Hawking was indeed one of the most remarkable stories of our times. It went beyond a life dedicated to deepening human knowledge and unlocking the mysteries of the universe. .Hawking's genius was a story of survival against all overwhelming odds and seemingly-insurmountable obstacles.

Tuesday, March 13, 2018

Donald Trump, the GOP and The Dog in the Night That Didn't Bark

by Nomad



The Curious Incident

In his short story, "The Adventure of Silver Blaze," Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, literary father of Sherlock Holmes, first utilized one of  the most enduring plot "hinge." 
Holmes and a Scotland Yard detective are discussing a case of a stolen racehorse, Silver Blaze, and the murder of the horse's trainer. 
Gregory: "Is there any other point to which you would wish to draw my attention?"
Holmes: "To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time."
Gregory: "The dog did nothing in the night-time."
Holmes: "That was the curious incident."
At the core, as Sherlock Holmes explained, it is a question of an unaccountable deviation from normal or expected behavior. The dog didn't bark because the "midnight visitor" was a person it obviously knew very well. As a plot device, the silence of the guard dog has most likely worn out its usefulness.
Yet, on the political stage, the Republican Party has lately been breathing new life into this tired motif. 

Monday, March 12, 2018

Sanity Sunday- Enchanting Songs by Aikyo

by Nomad


The group, Aikyo, from Cataluña, Spain is something of a mystery. I really couldn't find out too much about the group. I can tell you that the band members include Ruben LLorach, Kampah, Marta Gonzalez, María Prado, and Joan Orench.

I hope you find the selection both enjoyable and relaxing. Have a soothing Sunday, my friends.

Friday, March 9, 2018

Despite Public Pressure, Florida Republicans Dodge a Bullet on an Assault Rifle Ban

by Nomad


How should state legislators react in the aftermath of not one but two horrific mass shooting events? Republicans in Florida struggled against public pressure to do something without offending the NRA.

Wednesday, March 7, 2018

How America's Inflexible Immigration Policy is Tearing Families Apart

by Nomad


Whatever your views on immigration, the story of the Pukri family is a tale of what happens when broad policy trickles down to a human level. 

Having left their home country for the US nearly two decades ago, the goals of the Vitor and Neta were to obtain their legal status to remain in the country they loved. At the time, with the civil order broken down, Albania was a dangerous place to raise a family.
Take a listen to this short podcast.

Sunday, March 4, 2018

Sanity Sunday- The Music of Cat Stevens

by Nomad


For anybody who came of age around the early 1970s, the name Cat Stevens is bound to be wrapped up with quite a few personal memories. (The same is true for singer/songwriters like James Taylor, Carole King and many others.)

Regardless of whether you agree or disagree with his religious or political opinions, his music still sounds as fresh as it did back in that time.

Thursday, March 1, 2018

How Decades of Fear-Stoking by the NRA and GOP Have Made Smart Gun Laws Impossible

by Nomad



Yesterday was a historic day. It was the day President Trump led the nation into an era of meaningful gun law reform and defied the all-powerful NRA.
That was the idea anyway.

If you had the stomach for it- I endured about 5 minutes- this exercise in suspending disbelief was both disturbing and fascinating.
With the cameras rolling, the president sat down with members of Congress from both parties. Calling upon the attendee to draft "comprehensive" and radical reforms, Trump declared "“It’s time that a president stepped up.”
  • Expanding background checks to weapons purchased at gun shows and on the internet? Sure, why not?
  • Keeping guns from mentally ill people? Sounds good!
  • Securing schools and restricting gun sales for some young adults? Let's do it!