Relevant and even prescient commentary on news, politics and the economy.

Science and the Tinkerbell Effect

by Tom Dinger The Bell A commentary by an acquaintance of mine and from years ago. I believe there is only one person who might recognize the author. He was well liked amongst his fellow writers. Americans Doubting the Big Bang Is a Healthy Thing A new Associated Press-GfK poll asked approximately one thousand U.S. adults to […]

Why is a widely used app named for a tenth century Scandinavian king?

by an old friend from “The Fray” Claude Scales Self-Absorbed Boomer Your smartphone, like mine, likely has the logo at left on it somewhere. I knew that “Bluetooth” was the name given to an ancient Scandinavian king, but had no clue why the app was named for him. Now, thanks to Rick Spilman in The Old […]

Where the 2024 Presidential Election Voting Integrity Will Be Fought

Atlanta USPS Regional Processing and Distribution Centers crashes on launch by Steve Hutkins Save the Post Office This is a long post. It is the only way Steve can get it across the issues created by Louis Dejoy’s incompetence. Look out 2024 Presidential Election, we will have a battle on our hands. Think of SCOTUS. […]

Dwayne Johnson regrets endorsing Joe Biden in 2020, says cancel culture ‘really bugs’ him: 

‘Tears me up’ Wesley Stenzel Kareem Abdul-Jabbar It was either talk about the dumb-ass state of Arizona where I now live. Or Kareem talking about why Dwayne he is not endorsing Joe Biden again. SUMMARY: Dwayne Johnson endorsed Joe Biden during his 2020 election campaign — but now he says he regrets that decision, and won’t be making political […]

George Stephanopoulos asks New Hampshire governor Chris Sununu 

George Stephanopoulos asked New Hampshire governor Chris Sununu  by Prof. Heather Cox Richardson Letters from an American This Week, host George Stephanopoulos, “Just to sum up,” “You support [Trump] for president even if he’s convicted in [the] classified documents [case]. You support him for president even though you believe he contributed to an insurrection. You […]

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida addresses Congress . . .

Prof. Heather Cox Richardson Letters from an American When Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida addressed a joint meeting of Congress today, he tried to remind lawmakers of who Americans are. “The U.S. shaped the international order in the postwar world through economic, diplomatic, military, and technological power,” he reminded them. “It championed freedom and democracy. […]

March CPI: Should We Be Worried?

by Dean Baker Center for Economic and Policy Research The inflation hawks took March’s CPI as cause for celebration, inflation may not be dead yet. There is no doubt that it was a disappointing report for those hoping we could put the pandemic inflation behind us. However, there still is not much basis for thinking […]

A Confederate Officer Recounts the Virginia Slavery Debate of 1831–1832

by Ron Coddington Life on the Civil War Research Trail A presentation requested by Dale Coberly about what could have happened if Virginia had followed suit in freeing the slaves pre-Civil War. A Slavery debate in the 1830s. ~~~~~~~~ In his 1910 memoirs, Randolph Harrison McKim, a Confederate officer who served on the staffs of […]

The right-wing scammers who paved the way for Trump

by Zach Beauchamp Vox via RSN.Org. As presented by Dale Coberly . . . A conversation between Vox’s Zach Beauchamp and Joe Conason a veteran New York journalist. The topic? Trump’s grifting. A new book shows how conservative grift started long before branded bibles and $400 sneakers. During his time atop the Republican Party, Trump’s lifetime […]