It was that great philosopher Shirley MacLaine, I believe, who said, "It's useless to hold a person to anything he says while he's in love with himself, drunk or running for office." This should shock absolutely no one:
In order to protect the new national health care law from legal challenges, the Obama administration has been forced to argue that the individual mandate represents a tax -- even though Obama himself argued the exact opposite while campaigning to pass the legislation.
I was a fan of Gov. Daniels' tax amnesty plan in 2005, which critics said would just reward scofflaws and not raise much money anyway. But according to the final report on the plan, more than $244 million in delinquent taxes was raised. The governor's original projection, I believe, was for about a fourth of that amount. For scofflaws not to benefit, the state would have had to carry through with it announced intention to bring out the stick for those delinquents who chose not to take advantage of the carrot.
The dunderheads in the education profession apparently feel they haven't caused enough damage. Now they want to do away with best friends:
But increasingly, some educators and other professionals who work with children are asking a question that might surprise their parents: Should a child really have a best friend?
[. . .]
Eighty percent of success, Woody Allen said, is just showing up. William Boeckmann seems destined for a successful life:
Boeckmann, 19, is a 2010 graduate of Homestead High School. In his 13 years of education, Boeckmann has achieved a rare accomplishment: He never missed a day of school.
[. . .]
Earlier this week, a letter writer chided us for a perceived slight of the president:
The May 29 editorial titled, “Fair or not, it's Mr. Obama's oil spill now,” does not follow The News-Sentinel's usual journalism conventions. During previous administrations, this paper has consistently, respectfully referred to the head of our country with the title of “President.” Why is this article titled this way?
The Washington Post's Politics and Policy blog points to an article in the evagelical magazine World ("Lessons from a broken man") in which self-deposed Rep. Mark Souder talks about his affair and life after the scandal:
Good news for fans of informed-consent of the governed:
The Indiana Debate Commission says the three candidates in this fall's U.S. Senate election have agreed in principle to take part in three televised debates.
Sorry, guys, no shortcuts:
A new drug designed to boost sexual desire in women is controversial for some and eagerly awaited by others, but it's hit a potentially serious snag. The drug didn't boost women's desire any more than a placebo in two clinical trials.
[. . .]
While we're waiting for the Supreme Court to finalize arms-bearing as an individual right in that Chicago case, here's something fun: "5 ridiculous gun myths everyone believes (thanks to movies)." No. 1 on the list is, "Bullets explode everything," especially things that are flammable such as car gas tanks. The problem is that:
But we know with absolute certainty that all that can be known about climate change is known and the debate is over except for a few fringe wingnuts who won't face reality:
New research by astronomers in the Physics Department at Durham University suggests that the conventional wisdom about the content of the Universe may be wrong.
There was a small victory for free enterprise and the marketplace at City Council yesterday. Councilwoman Liz Brown introduced an ordinance to loosen taxi cab restrictions that included a provision to reduce from three to two the number of cabs a compay must have to operate in Fort Wayne. Other council members took Brown up on her idea and went even further. Now, a person can go into business here with a single cab:
N.M. Guariglia, identified as a foreign policy analyst and columnist, makes a case for a GOP presidential ticket of Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, "the anti-Obama," and Wisconsin Rep. Ryan, "the cerebral ideas man."
On Daniels:
An interesting question: How much would you spend on a sick pet? One school of though might be that a pet becomes a member of the family, so you spend whatever it takes. But another is that it's a little obscene to spend so much on animals when so many people have no or inadequate health care. Or you could put a dollar amount on it:
Screwed again in the Heartland:
The quintessential Las Vegas or Atlantic City casino experience comes with card dealers in ties, feather-festooned showgirls and the most coveted amenity: the free drink.
Yet as casino gambling has migrated from America's storied gambling towns to middle America, the complimentary cocktail hasn't always survived the trip.
[. . .]
A romantic triangle ends in an unsurprising way:
LAKEVILLE, Ind. — An Indiana judge has sentenced a man to 64 years in prison for murdering his best friend and holding his ex-girlfriend captive after learning of their relationship.
Indianapolis is a big little city:
Ask people from Indianapolis how big their city is, and they'll tell you it's the 14th largest in the country.
A misplaced modifier will give you a funny sentence nine times out of 10. "Man shot by officer in good condition" says the Indianapolis Star headline. All the officers in poor condition were undoubtedly at the donut shop.
More crack research from Indiana University. After observing 40 male and 40 female students (quite a sample there) watch videos of speed-dating sessions, the researchers concluded that "the opinions of total strangers" can greatly influence our "choice of ramantic partners." ("Watching," for the unitiated, merely invloves looking at something or someone. "Observing" means you got a grant to do it.):
Good new for porn fans in southern Indiana:
New Albany Mayor Doug England said Monday he's inclined to end the city's six-year legal fight to close an adult bookstore after the Supreme Court announced it won't take up the case.
The high court declined to hear the city's appeal in the six-year fight to close New Albany DVD, the business at 601 W. Main Street now known as Cleopatra's.
