In earlier posts – here, here, and here – I drew attention to the pre-eminence of Charles-Louis de Secondat, baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu in and for a time after the eighteenth century, and I suggested that at
Twenty-three years have passed since the first “Wall Street” and a decade since news of an upcoming Oliver Stone movie elicited anything above the level of an eye roll. A director who once captured and even created a zeitgeist is
Did you believe in “Hope?” Millions of American obviously did, including 99 percent of the media, as they elected Barack Hussein Obama II the 44th President of the United States in the fall of 2008. Despite the loss of “Teddy
Last week, Congressman Thad McCotter introduced a Bill HR 4500, The Freedom From Rationed Health Care Act, that invalidates a little known, hidden part of the Stimulus Bill. That hidden part of The Stimulus Bill created the rationing and enforcement
Pairing Brendan Fraser of “Mummy” movie fame with Harrison Ford, the iconic actor behind Indiana Jones and Han Solo, might seem like a brilliant stroke of casting that would result in one of the greatest action movies ever. But in
Reagan famously said that Republicans believe everyday is the 4th of July and the Democrats believe everyday is April 15th. An oversimplification to be sure, but that sentiment was not far from the minds of the Massachusetts voters. Already laboring
It has become clear that health care reform in its present state has nothing to do with delivering quality healthcare to the American people. The idea of universal coverage, with protection against insurance company wrongs (e.g., denying patients for pre-existing
Judging by their unprecedented use of the word “unprecedented” to describe everything the Obama administration has done it appears that they truly think they have fundamentally changed the national landscape in one short year. Of course, those outside the delusional
The polls have closed, the votes are counted, and Massachusetts voters have sent the “Scott heard ’round the World”. All day long, pundits have been giving their assessment regarding why Scott Brown would win. All day long, too many of
In Massachusetts, where 97% of us have health insurance by mandate since 2006, we have learned a few things about health care reform. We have learned that universal coverage does not mean universal access to a doctor. The Massachusetts Medical
“Every single Iranian is valuable. The government is at everyone’s service. We like everyone.” -Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President of Iran, June 2009 I cannot use my real name. If the freedom of expressive condemnation practiced in this article were associated with
Part one of a series In researching the ever-intensifying Massachusetts Senate race between Democrat Martha Coakley and her Republican challenger Scott Brown, it only takes a few keystrokes to unearth her ongoing history of questionable judgment and puzzling prosecutorial decisions.
Part one of a series. Find parts two here and three here. In researching the ever-intensifying Massachusetts Senate race between Democrat Martha Coakley and her Republican challenger Scott Brown, it only takes a few keystrokes to unearth her ongoing history
NBC CEO Jeff Zucker In a move that bodes well to strengthen TV programming overall in both primetime and late night, NBC has confirmed that Jay Leno will be moved back to his original 11:30 slot and his 10 p.m.
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Julius Genachowski is a big advocate of net neutrality. The agency is considering implementing rules that would greatly advance this goal. Opponents have described the effort as a government plan to take over and manage
Wade Radthe, who admits to helping cover up his brother’s alleged million dollar embezzlement and tax evasion, must be very pleased with Barney Frank and Chuck Schumer’s universal voter registration plan: Sen. Charles E. Schumer, New York Democrat, and Rep.
On this, the one-year anniversary of Big Hollywood, it is fitting that ‘One Pissed Off Dude’ should mark it with a proper lambasting of one of America’s favorite films ever: “It’s a Wonderful Life.” I’ve intentionally held off until after
So I saw Avatar. I dug the CGI and thought the 3D was cool. As always, James Cameron delivers with the action sequences. Sam Worthington is really likable. Sigourney Weaver is good as always. Michelle Rodriguez kicks ass, which is
In an earlier post, I bemoaned the fact that very few well-educated Americans know who Montesquieu was – and I drew attention to the fact that the author of The Spirit of Laws was more often cited by the American
If there is one overriding theme coursing through reviews of Smokey and the Bandit, it is superficiality. Read through the mountain of pieces out there, and you’ll continually be assaulted with adjectives like “silly,” “mindless,” “breezy,” “fun,” and “stupid.” Taken
There is on YouTube an hilarious video, drawn from C-SPAN2, of Max Baucus on the Senate floor denouncing his Republican colleagues and even more emphatically the Republican leadership for squelching attempts at what he piously describes as bipartisan healthcare reform.
In a year when a “balloon boy” became a media sensation, it is bizarre that some networks are thinking about giving more credibility to reality show contestant wannabes. The Salahis, the other high-profile “celebrity” couple that seemed more interested in
In an industry notorious for wasteful pretentiousness — directors shooting a hundred takes, crews taking all day to light a single shot, gazillions spent on the latest effects — Hal Needham was a rebel. Directing? “There is no magic to
To the People of the State of New York: THE Constitution proposed by the convention may be considered under two general points of view. The FIRST relates to the sum or quantity of power which it vests in the government,
(with deep apologies to Frank Capra) ************** Scene 14: Christmas Eve, inside Bedford Falls Town Hall. Senator George Bailey confronts an angry mob of constituents protesting his vote on the new health care bill. MAN #1 Come on Bailey, you
