It’s easy to see how Catholics in America find themselves between so many rocks and hard places. Trump’s decision to run for office on a platform to the right of Mussolini has made him a darling to those who are categorically anti-abortion and, in some southern states, have brought forth laws that enable the courts to penalize offenders with death. (If anyone knows of a greater irony, please notify me at once.) (more…)
“When electing a president we should examine ….the candidates’ character? Their ethics?
Well, that’s a radical notion, isn’t it? I’m not sure we’re ready for anything like that. Shouldn’t we be more impressed with presidential candidates who can stir up hatred and other irrational emotions, who can tell nothing but lies that snow 40+% of the nation?
Seriously, we’ve reached the point at which we need to be told that character and ethics really matter. And that, btw, is what’s brought us to the point that our nation is on fire, and the president is pouring on the gasoline.
It’s hard to listen to scientifically illiterate people claim that GMOs are harmful to human health.
As suggested here, human beings have been “genetically modifying” our food sources for quite a while. The plant at the right was what Central Americans were cultivating at the dawn of human civilization 9000 years ago. All we’re doing today is making these changes happen more rapidly and accurately, as genetic material is manipulated in a laboratory, rather than out in a field.
Unmodified apples were the size of ping pong balls and tart, like radishes.
It was only a matter of time before Trump’s compulsion for self-aggrandizement drove him to do something that severely chafed even right-wing sensibilities, and fanning the flames of tension between blacks and whites was an example of exactly what we should have been expecting.
Now we have the country’s top law enforcement officials scrambling to control the damage, with directions to the president like the one given yesterday by Houston’s Chief of Police: “On behalf of the police chiefs in this country, if you don’t have anything constructive to say, keep your mouth shut.”
Though I hate to predict bad things, I’m afraid we need to look for this to worsen as Trump’s star falls further and his defeat in November becomes increasing certain. He’ll be doing things that would disturb even a Stephen King reader.
In our rural, God-and-country neighborhood, displaying this banner would be very likely to incite vandalism.
When I worked for the Bernie Sanders 2016 campaign in nearby Santa Barbara, I had to refuse an invitation to put a bumper sticker on my car, which I explained as follows: because I don’t want a sledge hammer through my windshield.
FWIW, this is what public intellectual Sam Harris says about atheism. He asserts that there is no reason even to have a name for it, asking: Is there a word for people who don’t believe in Zeus?
The plummeting price of solar PV delivered what appeared at the time to be a death blow to the solar thermal industry, aka concentrated solar power (CSP). Here, however, we have the Israeli government unveiling a $23 billion USD plan to increase the share of solar in the power generation to 30% by 2030, when solar power should cover more than 80% of the country’s electricity needs at peak hours. (more…)
Ari Berman is an extremely senior journalist and author, best known for his reporting on challenges to voting rights in the U.S.
From his bio: (Berman) is a former senior contributing writer for The Nation magazine and a Fellow at The Nation Institute. His book, Give Us the Ballot: The Modern Struggle for Voting Rights in America, was published in August 2015. He has written extensively about American politics, civil rights, and the intersection of money and politics. His stories have also appeared in The New York Times, Rolling Stone, and The Guardian, and he is a frequent guest and commentator on MSNBC and NPR.
It’s refreshing that Berman sees something he likes; most of his work makes a loyal American want to vomit, as his documentation of gerrymandering and voter suppression are deeply distressing.
An open letter from former Defense Secretary James Mattis:
I have watched this week’s unfolding events, angry and appalled. The words “Equal Justice Under Law” are carved in the pediment of the United States Supreme Court. This is precisely what protesters are rightly demanding. (more…)
Here’s a home elevator that its creators say is “Powered by the Most Abundant Resource in the World… AIR!”
And here’s a discussion with their support team:
Support: Thank you for your interest in our Vacuum Elevators! (more…)
