Politics
Democrats hired a network executive to produce its January 6 hearings as, well, entertainment. In entertainment, you want to lead with sensation, to create buzz. If possible, you want to save the best for last because the last thing is what the audience best remembers. Last week’s hearing did
Racism
It began with an article posted on the NPR website. It seems that the catchy tune played by many ice cream trucks back in the day, “Turkey in the Straw,” actually was used by one songwriter for his lyrics of racial hatred. The facts seem fairly obvious, but that does
Cartoon
Philadelphia 76ers
The shot-in-Philly, Adam Sandler low-key drama “Hustle” is a great basketball movie, despite some unavoidable formulaic elements. It deserves to be listed in the Top Ten Philadelphia sports movies, up there with “Rocky,” “Invincible,” and “Silver Linings Playbook.” It is now in theaters and on Netflix. There has been adequate
Donald J. Trump
Having promised “significant new information” that was “explosive,” I think the Jan. 6 Select House Committee failed as badly as the Robert Mueller report that was expected or was hoped to handcuff President Donald J. Trump to Russia. It failed to do that and allowed Trump to falsely claim that
Journalism
The Uvalde media/murder horror show presents me with the opportunity for a case study in “the media,” a primer for non journalists. First, “the media” is not a unified entity. When you say, “The media does this, or the media does that,” just what “media” do you mean? Fox
Israel
By Jerome Verlin “The Squad” just did grassroots American Jews a favor by introducing House Resolution 1123, “Recognizing the Nakba and Palestinian Refugee Rights.” [”Nakba” means “catastrophe” in reference to the Jewish state.] In branding Israel’s 1948 independence an unjust “catastrophe for Palestinians” and demanding a “Right of Return”
Culture
Tom Cruise -- good for him -- has proved himself America’s most bankable movie star with his “Top Gun: Maverick” movie shattering all Memorial weekend records, like his jet shattering the sound barrier. He is durable, he remains a heart throb, but one thing he has never been is
Police
I like to give credit for good ideas, when possible, so I sent an email to City Councilwoman member Cherelle Parker for her idea to hire retired cops to help fill the decimated ranks of men and women in blue. It was explained in this inquirer story. There’s one
Cartoon
You know the deal. If it makes me laugh, I use it. This made me laugh. And it is almost believable.
Guns
I am generally opposed to banning “assault rifles” for two reasons. First, we had a 10-year ban starting in 1994, and the results were mixed, at best. That’s why the law was allowed to sunset. Second, “assault rifle” is not a legal term, like the media-popular “weapon of war.
Guns
By Leah Libresco Before I started researching gun deaths, gun-control policy used to frustrate me. I wished the National Rifle Association would stop blocking common-sense gun-control reforms such as banning assault weapons, restricting silencers, shrinking magazine sizes and all the other measures that could make guns less deadly. Then, my