Doug Masson weighs in on Mark Souder's pledge to step down from Congress after 12 years and thinks the congressman's reasons for breaking that pledge are lame and self-serving. I've commented on the issue from time to time, including this post from almost a year ago. I can't say I greatly disagree with Doug, though I am philosophically more inclined to agree with Souder on More issues than I do with challenger Tom Hayhurst.
After decades of bad sociology, worse psychology and absolutely deplorable journalism about both, we finally let hard science lead us back to common sense -- men and women are different:
Male and female brains are different in architecture and chemical composition, asserts Brizendine. The sooner women -- and those who love them -- accept and appreciate how those neurological differences shape female behavior, the better we can all get along.
Justice Kennedy is probably right about the United States not making the case it needs to on Western-style democracy and the rule of law. But I think he's overly pessimistic; the yearning for liberty is a timeless and universal one, and the world is a little bit more free every year.
He also leaves out a few parts of the rule of law:
Whoda thunk it, 1956, the year that changed everything:
It was a time ahead of its time.
Misunderstood as a banal moment in an era of happy days and bland conformity, 1956 was a watershed year whose churning events helped form modern America.
Fifty years ago, the era of popular culture as we now know it - with television at its core - was born.
Feel like this nation is being overwhelmed with Spanish? Worried that Mandarin will take over the world? The truth is that English is the global language and will be for the foreseeable future:
Now, here's an innovative idea -- news that will include commentary, but not just from the news "professionals":
"CBS Evening News" will include a regular commentary segment called "Free Speech" after Katie Couric debuts as anchor on Sept. 5, the network said Thursday.
Blogging technology may be new, but the rule of thumb for talking about about your employer is as old as business itself: Don't bad-mouth your company in public:
I noticed the officials quoted in this story had answers for the issues of security and bartering and potential abuse and all of that. But I didn't hear any of them really address the possible effects of forced smoking cessation on the patients:
"These people are put in the state hospitals to regain their competency, not for their physical health. This is their residence when they are put in there for six months, a year, five years or 10 years," Ames said.
One of the things you learn to do at work is look out for each other. You notice someone is having to deal with someone difficult, so you call him on the phone: "Hi, this is Leo. If you want to end that meeting now, pretend this is an important call." Then, when you need it, he'll do the same thing for you. Now, the whole thing has been automated:
If you're going to plan a daylong gala with a strict dress code, prayer areas, events segregated by sex and no gambling, alcohol or music, what would you call it? Why, Muslim Fun Day, of course.
Shockingly, the plans were a big flop, and the event was called off due to a lack of ticket sales:
A Hoosier curmudgeon sees a Republican governor who likes to spend money, and she is not happy about it:
Indiana's Republican governor wants to increase spending again. He said his biggest priority is to fund full-day kindergarten. Of course this was a priority when Democrats were in charge too. When you're the party in control, proposing spending in a feel-good area seems to be standard political procedure.
Now, all we have to do is get the 11,999,999 others to follow this guy's example and problem solved:
Another illegal immigrant is in police custody, but unlike previous cases, the man turned himself in and asked to be sent back to Mexico.
"This guy said he wanted to go back to Mexico. He's been in Indiana picking watermelons is what he told me, and he wanted to go home," said Ohio County Deputy Sheriff Alex Espejo.
If you want the "gentle approach," hire an Indiana company:
Come on, Hoosiers. Just a few more minutes a day, and we can be No. 1:
Indiana workers once again rank second in the country when it comes to wasting time at work.
According to a new survey by America Online and Salary.com, Hoosiers on average spend 2.8 hours a day slacking off at work.
Missouri tops the list, slacking off three-hours and two minutes a day.
If your house is being burglarized, use your keyless remote to set off your car alarm to chase the bad guy away? Another urban myth demolished:
Why doesn't someone ask Wizards fans what they think about a new baseball stadium downtown? New-stadium backers hope a move would increase the fan base, but it certainly won't work without the current fans, so their opinions matter more than most people's. It would seem to be a simple matter to hand out cards at a game or two with these options: Would you like the stadium to remain where it is, or would you prefer it downtown?
All you silly libertarians out there have probably been buying into the myth that once a tax is imposed, it never goes away:
The Spanish-American War has been over for more than 100 years, and now so is the tax imposed in 1898 to help fund it.
As of Tuesday, all phone companies selling long-distance phone service are legally required to eliminate the 3 percent federal excise tax on long-distance service, which had been established in 1898 as a luxury tax on wealthy Americans who owned telephones.
Digital is changing everything, including, apparently, how movies are made:
Why? Because film costs a lot and must be used sparingly, while digital tape is practically free. The difference between the scarcity economics of film and the abundance economics of digital is, as Bill put it, "the difference between pointing a loaded gun at someone and a toy gun. You point a loaded gun at them and they're going to act different. A film camera is a loaded gun. Digital is not."
Dang. I knew if we just waited 'em out, those women would come to their senses:
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Diamonds are no longer a girl's best friend, according to a new U.S. study that found three of four women would prefer a new plasma TV to a diamond necklace.
After we're done warning the kids about what they put on MySpace, maybe we'd better say something to the adults, too.
Did the top editor at a small Indiana newspaper lose his job because of a Myspace.com profile? He says, "Yes."
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