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Depth of Hypocrisy  (11/20/08) 
Rupert Murdoch was off on a rant against the news media, claiming during a lecture in Australia, that the press herd needed to be thinned of those reporters and editors who had lost the trust of their readers and viewers. What an irony.

The Drug of Obstinance  (11/19/08) 
More than 5,000 people will die in the Mexican drug wars this year. Many of them will be non-combatants; innocents caught in the crossfire, or the parchment on which terrorist messages are sent.

Bits & Pieces  (11/18/08) 
What does this say about how the company was operating if it can cut so many jobs? That’s a lot of trimming, all of a sudden, and one wonders why the decision-makers let the fat get so thick. It’s not like the trimmers will be fired.

Driving on Empty  (11/17/08) 
In the five decades since the fortunes of General Motors were inextricably linked to those of the nation, GM, Ford and Chrysler have in fact been in large measure responsible for driving the nation’s economy over the cliff.

Setting Higher Sights  (11/14/08) 
Sarah Palin has considerable backing among some “Traditional” Republicans...the over-the-top, win-at-any-cost neo-cons who make up right-wing radio and the scurrilous campaign machines who backed McCain, Liddy Dole, and their ilk.

Bits & Pieces  (11/13/08) 
It says something about Detroit’s control of Congress – the companies own the Republicans and labor owns the Democrats – that a bailout is even being considered. They have been being bailed out for decades, to the nation’s detriment.

Liberal Media .. Not  (11/12/08) 
The bottom line is that it was never a matter of political stripe; it was a matter of journalistic ethics, or rather lack of them. The supplication to the powers-that-be has allowed our nation to be pushed to the edge. Shame on them.

A Real Armistice  (11/11/08) 
World War One, as it was later called, was “the war to end all wars.” The horror of it was thought to be of such magnitude that no nation could ever engage in such an obscenely-lethal enterprise again. It didn’t take long, less than a generation, to overcome the distaste for war and start another one.

The Trim Tab Factor  (11/10/08) 
Changing the nation’s direction is probably comparable to turning around a super-tanker. But those huge ships have what’s called the trim tab which can shift the main rudder more quickly than the giant blade could move by itself.

Triumph of Bigots  (11/07/08) 
The proposition passed by five points. It is being challenged by opponents who say that the action was such a significant change in the state’s constitution that it would have had to have been approved by the legislature and then submitted to the voters instead of just putting it up for approval by a majority of those voting.

Yes We Must  (11/06/08) 
Not only was their relief and joy painted across myriad faces, of every color and age, in many different parts of the country, there was also a hunger to get started on the job of rebuilding. Back up a van to the White House and let’s make the change now. Why wait ten weeks?

Bits & Pieces  (11/05/08) 
Some questions about the election: Why are people having to wait hours to vote? Why are we using voting machines that cheat? Why are broadcasters allowed to air blatantly false political messages?

Undecided about What?  (11/04/08) 
Some will vote for Obama because he’s black, because he’s not Republican, because they think he’s a Muslim, because they think he pals around with community organizers.

Get Out, Ralph  (11/03/08) 
The Pacific Ocean was having its way with the beaches of the Central Coast. Waves climbing to twelve feet were rolling in, creating a surfers’ heaven. We were between storm fronts, and the sky was sprouting large swatches of blue amidst upper and lower cloud patterns, moving in different directions, failing to deny us our sunshine.
 

Past Far Right  (10/31/08) 
If these conservatives think Palin represents the next step in conservative thought, they need a new thought. She is an anti-intellectual, anti-science, straight-jacket moralist who defies the foundation tenets of freedom in our Constitution with every fiber of her being.

Run-Right Elections  (10/30/08) 
We’re days away from one of the most important elections in our history and once again the process is in a great muddle. It’s time to talk about reforming that process, and cleaning up our political campaigns.

Political Bits  (10/29/08) 
Several dozen people who had been hired to make phone calls for the McCain campaign refused to read some of the contorted lies they were given to spout. Putting principle before pocketbook, they walked off the job.

Fundies  (10/28/08) 
Fundamentalism has answered the call for many people suffering from a feeling of chaos and not understanding that the only way to find balance is by going inside themselves for the truth. The desperation is so corrosive of personal moral authority that they buy into the crowds of similarly lost and frightened people.

"...And Everybody Hates the Jews"  (10/27/08) 
An example of it surfaced at the middle school in a suburb of St. Louis. A group of students participated in what they called "Hit a Jew Day." It is reported that only a handful actually hit Jewish children, but a bunch more egged them on and taunted the victims.

The Political Scene  (10/24/08) 
Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton co-authored a piece in the New York Daily News on Wednesday in which he warned that bin Laden preferred the Republican since McCain "is more likely to engender Muslim anger and resentment than would his opponent."

The Earth Isn't Flat  (10/23/08) 
We are at a point now, after eight years of a disaster-prone administration, when it’s time for a substantial segment of our population to do it for him – to admit Bush was a mistake – for themselves and for the country.

Observations on the News  (10/22/08) 
One anthropomorphizing researcher said he thought the Early Jurassic dinosaurs were "happy to be at this place, having wandered up and down many a sand dune, exhausted from the heat and the blowing sand, relieved and happy to come to a place where there was water."

Bits & Pieces  (10/21/08) 
Nebraska lawmakers and the governor have decided to plug the hole in a measure they passed in July that allows parents to abandon children at hospitals without repercussions. Parents were driving in from out of state and dropping off teenagers.

Shame in the Name of Morality  (10/20/08) 
Prop 8 would, with only a majority vote, change the constitution of The Golden State to declare that marriage is between a man and a woman. The measure comes in the wake of a state supreme court ruling earlier this year that people sharing a gender can share lives, too.

It's a Mad, Mad World  (10/17/08) 
If the global economic crisis weren’t so serious – made more serious by the fact that the public justifiably has no confidence in their leaders – then we could have a grand old time reading the rest of the news and wondering at the scope of our species.

Hoopla at Hofstra  (10/16/08) 
It seemed to go on forever. Like the previous three. There was plenty of tension, but not much satisfaction. Both candidates were given more than enough time to answer questions, and both seemed to feel a need to fill that time.

Drop-Dead Gorgeous  (10/15/08) 
There’s some instructive irony in the fact that Sarah Palin is drop-dead gorgeous. The irony is that she would have many of us just drop dead. Intellectuals, scientists, academics, journalists, and atheists for a start.

Bits & Pieces  (10/14/08) 
The reason why the Congress didn’t bend over for the first Bush bailout proposal was that they were inundated by calls and emails opposing the measure. Our Dianne Feinstein received over 91,000 comments, and over 86,000 were in opposition.

Good Friday  (10/13/08) 
The report found, Palin fired the public safety commissioner at least in part for personal reasons; his refusal to fire the trooper who had been involved in a messy divorce with Palin’s sister. She was within the law, but she acted unethically.

Mindless Anger   (10/10/08) 
The issue of anger has been on my mind of late, provoked in large measure by the vitriol being expressed toward Barack Obama. Someone I know in the Secret Service says they have thwarted numerous attempts to hurt the man. Well, that’s our history, isn’t it?

Gun Control   (10/09/08) 
Guns are part of our American heritage and our culture, mostly with tragic consequences. Hunting is on the decline, except in urban areas where gangs are better armed than ever and are giving law enforcement a difficult time.

Rights in a Civilized Society   (10/08/08) 
Consider this man who clearly couldn’t cope. At least he knew he could take his children to somewhere where they would be looked after. What about other parents with children – yes, even in their teens – who become more than the parents can handle.

Moral Evolution   (10/07/08) 
In the great evolution of our species, there have been some remarkable stumbles. But one thinks sometimes that we have gotten our moral act together and that we are on the right path. Of course that’s really more like squinting through rose-colored glasses in a coal mine at night.

Guards and Inmates   (10/06/08) 
In a capitalist system, it is the role of government to rein in the excess of the money-changers. Our government has failed because guards and the inmates are virtually indistinguishable, some are friends, some are bought.

Daughters of the New American Revolution   (10/03/08) 
It was a reminder to me for the upteenth time not to categorize people by a past reputation. Over several decades as a journalist, I’ve seen myriad people I might have expected to be hayseed conservatives who sounded a lot more thoughtful than did high-fallutin’ academics.

What Sarah Might Have Said   (10/02/08) 
Sarah Palin’s once-rising star is showing some descent and some tarnish. Had she been the right person, she would have delivered an entirely different speech to the Republican convention, and maybe it would have sounded something like this.

Bits & Pieces   (10/01/08) 
House Democrats are deadlocked with Senate Republicans, and it looks like the solar tax credit – which has widespread bipartisan support – won’t be renewed by the end of the year, all but burying that industry.
 

Somalia's Wall Street   (09/30/08) 
They began as a vigilante coast guard protecting their off-shore rights from tuna poachers and ocean dumpers. And then, well, the pirating got underway in earnest and is now generating $100 million a year. It’s a profession, like hedge funding management.

Clintons   (09/29/08) 
A letter to Hillary and Bill...Yo, Clintons, wake up. This ain’t complicated. If you were marginally less dysfunctional, you’d be on top of this already. But you aren’t so here’s some guidance.

The First Debate   (09/26/08) 
The debate between the two men, one of whom seems likely to lead the United States for the next four years, bordered on interminable. Neither said anything new or even significant, nor did they say nothing in an interesting way. There was no free thinking, no fresh ideas.

Bits & Pieces   (09/26/08) 
Ya gotta wonder why the candidates say they need to prep for a 90 minute debate. They are only responsible for maybe 30 minutes. Surely they can know that much about the job they seek without having to cram for it.

More Smoke, More Mirrors   (09/25/08) 
Most of the country is unhappy with the proposal, as are the two presidential candidates and the vast majority of newspaper editorial pages, as they all should be. Our "allies" are ready to provide moral support but no money, which underscores the character of the administration’s "solution."

Bailing out the Yacht Crowd   (09/24/08) 
Most of the country is unhappy with the proposal, as are the two presidential candidates and the vast majority of newspaper editorial pages, as they all should be. Our "allies" are ready to provide moral support but no money, which underscores the character of the administration’s "solution."

Words from the Heart   (09/23/08) 
I started my first paying gig writing sports reports about my junior high school teams for the local newspaper for ten cents a word. It wasn’t a lot of money then, either, but it was my start in the noble profession of journalism.

My Financial Plan   (09/22/08) 
Don’t panic, rich people, your folks are still in control, but if there were a god, or at least honest leaders, here’s how our economic recovery would work. And it would work.

Airlinosaurus   (09/19/08) 
The airlines are run by dinosaurs, and that’s principally why they are in so much trouble today. They are focused on moving planes about and don’t realize that they are in the business of transporting people.

Dear Senator Obama   (09/18/08) 
What you need is an overwhelming victory – overcoming the racists and the post-Clinton plumbing vote – to bring this country together behind your candidacy, in support of your presidency, and you can get that in a single speech.

Foreign Affairs   (09/17/08) 
First, we shouldn’t have American military on foreign shores. We should bring home our troops from the 132 countries where they are stationed and put them under the authority of local officials to make our own streets safe and borders secure.

Bits-'n-Pieces   (09/16/08) 
A Saudi man accused of supporting terrorists in a book has sued an American journalist based on British laws, which are incredibly strict, according to our views of journalism and libel. Congress is now trying to pass a law that would provide American writers protection from such abuse.

Stinking Fish Head   (09/15/08) 
What’s coming will be as bad or worse than the Great Depression because there are billions more people, fewer new resources to tap into, and a history of remarkable incompetence among those who might have mitigated the problems.

Candidate Conduct   (09/12/08) 
The lead yesterday from National Public Radio was "The presidential candidates are hanging up the gloves today." To commemorate the day, John McCain and Barack Obama wouldn’t attack each other.

Man Oh Man   (09/11/08) 
Even though Bush and his war in Iraq were unpopular, Kerry still managed to lose the race in a country that clearly wanted change. The reason was that Kerry lost on manliness points.

Bits-'n-Pieces   (09/10/08) 
There are a lotta deadbeat moms and dads in this country and one way to tell is that when Washington sent out those tax relief checks starting last spring, a million-and-a-half were diverted to pay child support. They totaled close to a billion dollars.

Spying on Our Allies   (09/09/08) 
What really doesn’t make sense is why they told Woodward that they were spying on the Iraqis. Surely they knew that it would not sit well with our puppet-allies.

Statistically Speaking   (09/08/08) 
Perhaps you have heard the line about the use of statistics that was attributed to one of our greatest philosophers. Said Mark Twain, "Statistics are like ladies of the evening. Once you get ‘em down you can do anything you want with ‘em."

Less Vitriol, Please   (09/05/08) 
I think Americans want something different this time. They’ve had enough of the vitriol of the past eight years. They would like less nay-saying and more new ideas. I think many are put off by the hatred spewed at the so-called liberal media and the commie-terrorist Democrats.

Our Sunday Best  (09/04/08) 
Remember when people used to put on their "Sunday best" to go to church. Now people show up in shorts, t-shirts and flipflops. There was a sense of community, both geographic and social, and we showed respect for one another.

Furrin Affairs  (09/03/08) 
We are not a xenophobic nation. We just don’t seem to be aware of the rest of the world, or care about it. Our major enemies have been Nazis, fascists, communists and Islamic terrorists; all furriners, so to speak.

The Palin Problem  (09/02/08) 
The press to stay away from the candidates’ families? Yeah, right, like mosquitoes don’t find the holes in your window screens. Dysfunctional behavior is the media’s mother’s milk, regrettably; it draws viewers and readers like a magnet.

Labor Day  (09/01/08) 
It be Labor Day and for many Americans that means the end of summer vacation. It being a federal holiday explains the crowds at the beach for some rays and at the malls for the mattress sales.

The Armageddon Ritual   (08/26/08)
Back 25 years or so I was hired by the Psychologists for Social Responsibility in New York to write a piece about how the U.S. and U.S.S.R. were at each other’s throats. I wound up writing a fifty-minute teleplay called "The Armageddon Ritual."

Gaia and MRSA   (08/25/08)
If your worst nightmares aren’t disturbing enough, let’s add the danger of MRSA to the cast of demons. You don’t need to know the scientific definition. It is the super-bug, the bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics.

End the Diffusion   (08/22/08)
The whole casino business is a disgrace, enabled by liberal guilt over how badly indians were treated by whites over the course of our history.

Polish..Not a Joke   (08/21/08)
I grew up in a town which had sizeable populations of both Irish and Polish immigrants. Both ethnicities were disparaged fairly evenly, with the Irish tarred as drunks and the Poles as stupid. Ethnic jokes were very popular at the time.

Olympic$   (08/20/08)
This may sound unpatriotic but I haven't been much interested in the number of gold medals American athletes have won as compared to other countries. Indeed, the whole meaning of the Olympics has been corrupted by money and jingoism, just like most modern professional sports.

For the previous SetonnoteS, embedded in America Back on Track since February 2008. please click. For recorded versions of America Back on Track from December 2006 to January 3rd 2008, please click. Pre-ABoT SetonnoteS are below.