Current Events Archive
December 14, 2012
The Experiment That Has Failed
Of all I’ve read about the shootings Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting I think Phil Plait said it best, Online and in the media I see a similar urge with those talking about this. And it’s a natural reaction to...Read all of "The Experiment That Has Failed"
Posted by Duane Smith at 3:39 PM
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December 5, 2012
“On The Road To Greece”
When some of our politicians talk about the US being on the road to Greece, do they mean this? Greece’s economic troubles are often blamed on a public sector packed full of redundant workers, a lavish pension system and uncompetitive...Read all of "“On The Road To Greece”"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:01 PM
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December 3, 2012
A Naive Suggestion
Next time, why don’t candidates for public office tell us, in terms of policy and style, how they will govern and let us decide if we want to be governed that way? At a recent Harvard University Institute of Politics...Read all of "A Naive Suggestion"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:08 PM
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October 20, 2012
Cheerleaders, Bible Quotations and Free Speech
I’ve been meaning to comment of this for a few days but politicking has drained much of my time. Here’s the issue in a nut shell, A judge stopped an East Texas school district on Thursday from barring cheerleaders from...Read all of "Cheerleaders, Bible Quotations and Free Speech"
Posted by Duane Smith at 6:31 PM
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October 14, 2012
Jonathan Turley On Free Speech
This post is a little dated, two days late, but still relevant even at the speed of the internet. Here are a few snippets from Jonathan Turley’s Washington Post essay, “Shut up and play nice: How the Western world is...Read all of "Jonathan Turley On Free Speech"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:19 PM
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September 24, 2012
Quotation Strange Remark Of The Day
When Mitt Romney has an original observation its always worth repeating. When you have a fire in an aircraft, there’s no place to go, exactly, there’s no — and you can’t find any oxygen from outside the aircraft to get...
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Posted by Duane Smith at 2:16 PM
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September 4, 2012
Libraries Are Fragile Things
They can be burnt, bombed and abandoned. They can also be defunded. Such is the case with my local Pomona Public Library. In the end it wasn’t completely defunded. Its budget was cut from the neighborhood of $1.5M a year...Read all of "Libraries Are Fragile Things"
Posted by Duane Smith at 3:19 PM
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August 10, 2012
Now Fareed Zakaria?
Fareed Zakaria is smart. He is smart enough to avoid plagiarizing the work of someone else. But apparently he did it anyway. In his Time Magazine opinion piece, “The Case of Gun Control,” he rather clearly recycled the words of...Read all of "Now Fareed Zakaria?"
Posted by Duane Smith at 12:47 PM
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July 12, 2012
Today’s Post Is Really Abnormal
I’ve spent a large part of the last few days going over and meeting about my City’s General Fund Budget. At over 180 pages, it is a rather intimidating document. The several other related budget documents don’t make it any...Read all of "Today’s Post Is Really Abnormal"
Posted by Duane Smith at 7:54 PM
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July 3, 2012
What Ancient Scribal Training May Tell Us About UVa’s Crisis
Charles Halton explains it all at Awilum.com. Head over there to understand how knowledge of ancient scribal training may help us through one of several crises in higher education. Yes, Charles and I do agree on more than the importance...Read all of "What Ancient Scribal Training May Tell Us About UVa’s Crisis"
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June 28, 2012
On The Inefficiencies Of Higher Education
Siva Vaidhyanathan, professor of media studies and law at the University of Virginia, has an abnormally interesting (and insightful) article in Slate. He reflects on his father coming to the US, the forced resignation and rehiring of University of Virginia...Read all of "On The Inefficiencies Of Higher Education"
Posted by Duane Smith at 10:16 AM
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June 27, 2012
Update On Our Local Public Library
I wrote about this the other day. The current situation is confusing. I think our Pomona City Council voted to fund the library for about three additional months and pray for a miracle. But I’m not even sure of the...Read all of "Update On Our Local Public Library"
Posted by Duane Smith at 12:33 PM
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June 17, 2012
On The Obscurity of Classics
There’s an instructive if depressing article on the termination of the Teresa Sullivan, until very recently the President of University of Virginia, in the Washington Post. Here are couple of snippets: Leaders of the University of Virginia’s governing board ousted...Read all of "On The Obscurity of Classics"
Posted by Duane Smith at 9:58 AM
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June 14, 2012
Our Local Public Library May Close
I’ve written about it before. The Pomona Public Library public library is one of the treasures of our area. Over the years it has become an integral part of our lives. Shirley uses it regularly; I use it occasionally. But...Read all of "Our Local Public Library May Close"
Posted by Duane Smith at 4:25 PM
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April 22, 2012
Happy Earth Day Earth
There are more abnormally interesting Earth Day cards at Someecards Via Climate Progress...Read all of "Happy Earth Day Earth"
Posted by Duane Smith at 1:33 PM
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March 27, 2012
The War Words
There’s crazy stuff and there’s crazy stuff, but nothing much matches the suggestion from The New York City Department of Education that the following words be removed from standardized tests. Abuse (physical, sexual, emotional, or psychological) Alcohol (beer and liquor),...Posted by Duane Smith at 3:12 PM
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March 21, 2012
No Cynicism Here
A Romney campaign spokesman on CNN: CNN HOST: Is there a concern that Santorum and Gingrich might force the governor to tack so far to the right it would hurt him with moderate voters in the general election. ERIC FEHRNSTROM...Read all of "No Cynicism Here "
Posted by Duane Smith at 9:21 AM
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February 25, 2012
Judicial Distemperament
Guest Blogger Lawrence Rafferty writes a very disturbing post on Jonathan Turley: Res ipsa loquitur ("The thing itself speaks"). Here’s the first paragraph. There is a surprising story out of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania that seems the perfect storm of religious tensions....Read all of "Judicial Distemperament"
Posted by Duane Smith at 4:05 PM
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February 3, 2012
Quotation Of The Day
On Planned Parenthood and the Komen Foundation: A multi-year concerted effort to shut down a nonprofit for ideological reasons, one even pursued in the halls of Congress: not just fine, but applauded. A pushback against said partisan efforts? Tyranny! Villainy!...Read all of "Quotation Of The Day"
Posted by Duane Smith at 4:38 PM
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February 2, 2012
Now The President
Stop it. Just Stop it. Stop citing the Bible and/or Jesus in favor of (or against) anything. It says exactly nothing that might directly inform our modern world about anything and that includes tax policy. Truthfully, it says very little...Read all of "Now The President"
Posted by Duane Smith at 5:46 PM
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February 1, 2012
A Biblical Principle, You Say
"It's a Biblical principle. If you double a teacher's pay scale, you'll attract people who aren't called to teach,” so said Alabama State Sen. Shadrack McGill. But as far as I can tell he didn’t vouchsafe to us exactly what...Read all of "A Biblical Principle, You Say"
Posted by Duane Smith at 2:33 PM
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January 31, 2012
Claremont McKenna College Caught
Claremont McKenna College, a liberal arts school near Los Angeles, said a college official had reported inaccurate SAT entrance exam statistics since 2005. The SAT scores for critical reading and/or math were generally inflated by an average of 10 to...Read all of "Claremont McKenna College Caught"
Posted by Duane Smith at 7:14 PM
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January 17, 2012
No New Post For Wednesday, January 18, 2012
While I am not exactly blackingout today, Abnormal Interests is otherwise on strike to protest the so-called “Stop Online Piracy Act” (SOPA) and “Protect IP” or “Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property Act of...Read all of "No New Post For Wednesday, January 18, 2012"
Posted by Duane Smith at 9:58 PM
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December 10, 2011
Quotation Of The Day
Ed Brayton wrote, Rod Blagojevich was sentenced on Wednesday to 14 years in prison after being found guilty of 18 charges of corruption, including trying to sell Obama’s Senate seat after he was elected president. That’ll teach him. We don’t...Read all of "Quotation Of The Day"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:44 AM
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November 17, 2011
Going After Women Voters
“Newt Gingrich said a Gingrich-Hermain Cain ticket would be ‘a real possibility’ if he won the Republican presidential nomination.” - The Hill...Read all of "Going After Women Voters"
Posted by Duane Smith at 9:26 AM
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September 5, 2011
Happy Labor Day
It is not needed nor fitting here that a general argument should be made in favor of popular institutions, but there is one point, with its connections, not so hackneyed as most others, to which I ask a brief...Posted by Duane Smith at 9:37 AM
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August 18, 2011
Why Jon Huntsman Will Not Get The Republican Nomination
“To be clear. I believe in evolution and trust scientists on global warming. Call me crazy.” - Jon Huntsman Tweet Despite his snarky final words, Jon Huntsman is either just not crazy enough or is unwilling to pretend that he...Read all of "Why Jon Huntsman Will Not Get The Republican Nomination"
Posted by Duane Smith at 4:28 PM
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August 5, 2011
From The Guys Who Gave AAA Ratings To Dealers Of Worthless CDOs
Standard & Poor's downgrades US debt rating to AA+. This is the same Standard & Poor's who, along with other credit rating services, didn't see the risk in most Collateralized Loan Obligations and other “financial products” with almost no value...Read all of "From The Guys Who Gave AAA Ratings To Dealers Of Worthless CDOs"
Posted by Duane Smith at 7:34 PM
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August 2, 2011
Varnishing A Turd
Perhaps I’m being way too cynical and I was indeed thrilled to see Gabby Giffords’ return to the House floor but the timing of her return reminded me of the common marketing procedure of varnishing a turd. If something is...Read all of "Varnishing A Turd"
Posted by Duane Smith at 9:20 AM
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July 31, 2011
A Prophecy That Is Coming True
“We will make it so that a Democrat cannot govern as a Democrat.” Grover Norquest, President of the United States Dictator of the Republican Party and apparently of the Democratic Party as well, uttered this prophecy at a college reunion...Read all of "A Prophecy That Is Coming True"
Posted by Duane Smith at 11:45 AM
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Titles Only From Here On
July 29, 2011
A Simple, Clean, Solution
July 24, 2011
Truism Of The Day
July 15, 2011
Quotation Of The Day
July 9, 2011
When To Have A $350 Bottle Of Wine
July 7, 2011
Memory, History And Policy
July 2, 2011
It’s A Win Win
“She Didn’t Want To Get In That Green Stuff”
June 30, 2011
Oh Foolish Me
June 19, 2011
Someone Loves Government
June 17, 2011
On Genre Identification
June 8, 2011
But Then He Doesn't Need To Look At It
June 4, 2011
Prayer In Public Schools – What's So Hard To Understand?
May 17, 2011
The Press And The Crazy
May 6, 2011
Among The Problems With Anti- Sharia Legislation: Halachah
May 2, 2011
Osama bin Laden’s Death
April 1, 2011
This Is Not An April Fools Joke
March 25, 2011
Taking Our Country Back
March 21, 2011
Paul Krugman on Elizabeth Warren,
March 16, 2011
Some “Communist” On Collective Bargaining
March 11, 2011
Earthquake in Japan
March 9, 2011
The End Of Philosophy At The University Of Nevada, Las Vegas?
February 15, 2011
The ACLU, The First Amendment and A Muslim Charter School
February 13, 2011
On The CEO President And Why It Won’t Work
February 12, 2011
Juan Cole On Egypt
February 2, 2011
A “Fool’s” Perspective On The Deficient
January 29, 2011
The “Philosophical” Basis For Not Taking Government Assistance
January 23, 2011
Headline Of The Day
January 20, 2011
Governor Bentley’s Unbrotherly Remarks In Larger Context
January 11, 2011
Assault Rifles On The Defensive
January 10, 2011
Anonymous Reason
December 22, 2010
Good News For The Humanities
December 8, 2010
Things To Remember
November 3, 2010
Making California Harder Govern, Again
November 1, 2010
Things Could Get Worse
October 31, 2010
How Much Math Do We Really Need?
October 24, 2010
Negative Campaigning Works
October 4, 2010
Here We Go Again
September 23, 2010
On The Constraint Of Free Expression
September 3, 2010
Quotation of the Day
September 2, 2010
An Academic Balance Sheet
August 28, 2010
Is There Anything That Will Keep A “Family Values” Candidate Off The Ballot?
August 14, 2010
Give Jay Valentine A Job
August 13, 2010
Amazing
August 11, 2010
The Left Thinks This Is All About Them
August 8, 2010
Calling All Eunuch Judges
July 31, 2010
Recent Comments From Ed Brayton
June 5, 2010
They Want Their Country Back
June 4, 2010
You Knew This Was Coming
May 30, 2010
Another Mission From God Aimed At Additional Harm To California
May 29, 2010
The Amazing Mind Of Glen Beck
May 21, 2010
How Convenient
May 8, 2010
“Philosophers Hold Their Seats”
April 10, 2010
Stop It! Just Stop It!
March 23, 2010
In Which I Support Ann Coulter (Sort Of)
March 14, 2010
The American People Think, The American People Believe, The American People Want
March 9, 2010
Another Reason For Health Care Reform
January 13, 2010
Don't Pray For Haiti
December 6, 2009
It's The Stupid Voters Stupid
November 13, 2009
The "Impact" On The Humanities In Britain
October 9, 2009
Omama's Nobel Peace Price
September 28, 2009
Oh, The Inconvenience Of It All
September 11, 2009
Social Security’s Evolution
September 10, 2009
With A Little Practice Mike Duvall Could Become A Liar
August 29, 2009
The Joy and Nobility of Politics
August 26, 2009
Edward Kennedy February 22, 1932 – August 25, 2009
August 11, 2009
Say What?
July 18, 2009
Did You See The News Last Night?
July 13, 2009
Ed Brayton Is Correct
July 8, 2009
I'm Not Sure What I Think About This
May 27, 2009
Never Give Weapons To People Who Are Crazier Than You
May 26, 2009
Quotation Of The Day
May 9, 2009
A Sign Of The Times
May 4, 2009
Entitlements
April 10, 2009
Quotation of the Day
March 31, 2009
The Lobbyists' Lobbyists