It should be apparent that my favorite show segment is “Day in History” or DIH, by my shorthand.  (Easy to figure out MB, GNM and WOTW!) Tackling today’s social, political and moral dilemmas requires context and the willingness to draw on past lessons, both learned and unlearned. April’s garment factory collapse in Dhaka, Bangladesh, occurred just a month after DIH-3/25 – ... Read More »

These United States Senators didn’t have the courage to even ALLOW A VOTE on expanding background checks for gun buyers.  Anyone –criminals, terrorists, the mentally unstable — will still be allowed to buy whatever weapons they please at gun shows or online.  This, even though 86% of Americans want such background checks. Send this list to everyone you know.  Let’s work to ... Read More »

  My thoughts are with the victims and their families. I have full faith in Boston Mayor Tom Menino, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and President Obama. The President’s message hit all the right notes of compassion, caution, resolve and national unity. How many of us would run away from the carnage rather than run toward those who needed help? First ... Read More »

Competing budgets in the House and Senate tell you all you need to know about the difference between Republicans and Democrats. Although Republicans claim to be the party of business, their Paul Ryan, austerity budget chokes off investment in everything that builds a vibrant economy, from infrastructure to vital R&D. For the wealthy, there are more tax breaks; for the ... Read More »

Republicans have already lost their minds over common sense measures to reduce gun violence.  Now, in Oregon at least, they are moving into the creepy realm. As reported by The Oregonian, the chair of the Multnomah County Republican Party, Jeff Reynolds, has posted a surveillance video of the home of gun-control advocate State Senator Ginny Burdick (D-Portland).  Reynolds would not ... Read More »

He’s working on it… Read More »

Iowa Senator Tom Harkin announced on Friday that he would not seek a sixth term in the upper chamber. Harkin has long been a solid progressive in Congress, whose accomplishments and vigilance in defending core, liberal principles are worthy of high praise. He ran for the House in 1972, losing to Republican William Sherle. Two years later, Harkin won the ... Read More »

George H. W. Bush survived reports of his imminent death and even one premature obit from Der Spiegel.  Of course, he’s tough.  If his son’s presidency didn’t finish him off, nothing will. John Boehner’s calculations in the final days of the 112th Congress qualify him to be a Mayan calendar writer. Watch Alex Jones defend “guns” without distinguishing between the ... Read More »

There are conflicting opinions about who won what in the “fiscal cliff” deal.  But there is no doubt that the Republican Civil War is on full display.  Witness a testy John Boehner who told Harry Reid to “Go f*#k yourself” twice last Friday. Eric Cantor said as much to Boehner by voting against the bill – the latest reminder that ... Read More »

The Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) is out with its annual ranking of states based on laws protecting animals. Oregon ranks fifth best, after Illinois, Maine, California and Michigan. Washington follows at number six. The worst five states are New Mexico, South Dakota, Iowa, North Dakota and Kentucky. In praising Oregon, the report noted that our state has felony penalties ... Read More »