Thank goodness this is the minority view on the court:
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer argued Tuesday that judges need to apply the Constitution's values with an eye toward the changing times as he talked about the past successes and missteps of the nation's highest court.
A sign of the times -- "loosies," cigarettes sold singly, 75 cents each or two for $1:
Itinerant cigarette vendors have long been a fixture in some parts of the city, like bodegas that sell individual cigarettes in violation of state law. But with cigarette prices up and the number of smoke-friendly places down, the black market for loosies is now thriving on the streets.
“With vinyl, one is forced to slow down and take in an album as a whole piece of work as the artist intended,” he said.
That's from a 22-year-old member of the digital generation on the joys of LPs and 45s, which are enjoying a resurgence. He likes new music on vinyl like White Stripes and Radiohead but the "old" stuff, too, like George Clinton and the Beatles. Makes me feel a little decrepit.
One of our religious whack jobs burns a book, and some of their religious whack jobs respond in a mob attack that leaves 20 dead. There is general agreement here that our whack job might be despicable but had the right to do what he did under the "flag burning is symbolic speech" precedent. But we shouldn't glide right by Terry Jones' moral culpabiity: Jones is not quite like the rape victim who is blamed for wearing too short a skirt:
Not sure about this
Indiana's governor would gain broad authority to create new toll roads under a measure that Republican state lawmakers are pushing.
The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department is postponing an event that would have allowed people to turn over their guns to police, no questions asked.
The postponement comes days after Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry called Indianapolis Public Safety Director Frank Straub to express concerns about the event.
Indiana's two major parties are having a little catfight over what the walkout by Democratic House members did or did not cost. Gov. Daniels has launched a TV ad saying it cost the taxpayers $400,000.
"It's not true," said House Minority Leader B. Patrick Bauer, D-South Bend.
Republicans aren't always knee-jerk tax cutters. Indiana Commerce Secretary Mitch Roob wants to cut our corporate income tax rate to 6.5 percent, saying the rate of 8.5 percent is among the top third in the nation and some companies won't even consider us because of it. But critics say such a cut would increase investment by only 2 or 3 percent, which wouldn't get close to replacing the funds lost. House Wayns and Means Committee Chairman Jeff Espich, R-Uniondale, puts it this way:
Hey, we're useful for something again!
Japanese workers battling to stop a radioactive water leak into the Pacific from the beleaguered nuclear power plant have resorted to using newspaper and sawdust to try and block the pipes.
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Sen. Chuck Schumer is typical of most Democrats' delusions about spending and the debt:
“And the overall goal: again, cutting waste, using a smart short scalpel but not a meat axe,” he said. “Senate Democrats and the president are on the same page and I think we're moving in that direction.”
How do you explore the gun rights/gun control issue without addressing 2nd Amendment concerns? It's easy -- just don't bring the pesky thing up. In this article by Brady Campaign head and former mayor Paul Helmke, "Common-sense steps to reduce gun violence," the 2nd Amendment isn't mentioned a single time, or even referred to obliquely.
This is how it's going to go for the rest of the year, isn't it? Down a penny or two, then up 20.
If President Obama's rhetoric is starting to turn off even Ruth Marcus, it might be time to hire some new speechwriters, or get a new logic book:
It's time to retire the false choice.
As a rhetorical device, particularly as a political rhetorical device, the false choice has outlived its usefulness, if it ever had any. The phrase has become a trite substitute for serious thinking. It serves too often to obscure rather than to explain.
Grotesque analogy of the day: Indiana Rep. Dave Cheatham. D-69, says his flight to Illlinois to deny Republicans a quorum and "make our schools better" is just like a brave soldier going to Afghanistan to protect people's freedom.
Shocking research of the week:
Money may not buy happiness, but beauty buys both money and happiness, says a study published online today that gauged happiness and attractiveness among more than 25,000 people worldwide.
Economists at the University of Texas-Austin analyzed data from five large surveys conducted between 1971 and 2009 in the USA, Canada, Germany and Britain. They found that beautiful people are generally happier than the plain Jane or even ugly Joe.
When Louis Farrakhan has to choose between President Obama and Moammar Gadhafi, it's not even a close call, is it?
Speaking from the pulpit of Chicago's Mosque Maryam, the Nation of Islam's international headquarters, purchased 40 years ago with a $3 million loan from Gadhafi, Farrakhan blamed demons for altering President Barack Obama's moral conscience and driving the assault on Gadhafi, who he calls a brother.
The pouf is mightier than the pen when it comes to speaking fees at New Jersey's largest university.
The Rutgers University Programming Association paid Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi of the reality TV show "Jersey Shore" $32,000 Thursday to dish on her hairstyle, fist pumps, as well as the GTL -- gym, tanning, laundry -— lifestyle.
A bill being considered in the General Assemmbly would move all school board elections to the fall ballot, and it makes sense:
Supporters say having the board elections in November would increase voter participation, while those against the change argue it would take away local decision making.
Forty-eight states allow citizens to carry guns under some circumstances. The legislature in Illinois, one of the holdouts (Wisconsin is the other one), may vote to allow licensed individuals to carry concealed handguns, and the gun-control advocates are trotting out their usual horror stories. The trouble is, none of the claims they've made in the past have actually come to pass:
