The war in Iraq, the American war in Iraq is over, said the President tonight. Phil Ochs had the same to say about Vietnam about 40 years ago — though he knew it was far from over. We all know the same is true about Iraq. Not only is that war far from over, but [...]

As I said a few days ago, I was having some degree of difficulty processing the deeper meaning of tens or scores of thousands of Americans spending their Saturday by fancying charlatan Glenn Beck as Our Saviour. Christopher Hitchens has come up with a compelling explanation that really resonates with me.  It’s all about “white [...]

Update: Doug Henwood, who I mention later in this piece, has responded with his own new post. Kevin Roderick at LAObserved has put up a hilarious post about the local Pacifica Radio, KPFK.  Readers of this blog know that I used to have a daily show there until a decade ago when “revolutionaries” took it [...]

I will be the first to admit that I am confounded, confused and concerned that a couple of hundred thousand Americans find solace in former drunk and $32 million a year pinhead huckster Glenn Beck as the man who will redeem a Fallen America.  Even as demagogues go, he’s fourth rate. And that he is, [...]

Two points for New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. He re-stated, emphatically and unconditionally, his support for the so-called Ground Zero mosque ( a rather misleading misnomer that the media continues to blindly foster and repeat along with a whole of other crap): New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg says not allowing a mosque to be [...]

On your left. On your right.

Here are some of the bodies stacked up at the county morgue in Tucson.  Just a few of them.  There’s a whole lot more in the 50 foot refrigerated trailer now more or less permanently parked in front of the Pima County Morgue.  Indeed, as The L.A. Times reports, Arizona is now well on the [...]

Even before Fidel Castro (sort of) retired from public view four years ago, I suspected he was already losing it. I saw a couple of speeches he made in the early part of the decade where he not only went on and on at length (as he always did) but he downright rambled, veered way [...]

The hard part of life is having to balance those moments of great inspiration with those of ultimate disillusionment.  Case in point:  As part of my work as a prof at USC, I spent today on a journalism grad field trip to L.A.’s Skid Row.  There, amidst the squalor and poverty, was where I found [...]

I guess I’m sorta back from vacation but don’t want to accept it.  It will hit me tomorrow, I suppose, when I begin a week’s woth of grad orientation at USC before the classes I teach start on the 24th. Oh, well. I do want to catch up with you on a few random thoughts [...]

I hate seeing Hitch like this.

In case you haven’t figured it out, I’ve been on vacation and will pretty much be so until mid next week.  Expect light to no posting until after Aug 12 or so. Meanwhile, I will fill you in some good books I’ve been reading this past week and that I heartily recommend: – The Glass [...]