High-quality English language analysis and editorial writing on the news.
At the October, 2001 national convention of the Association of Appraiser Regulatory Officials (AARO) the group’s past president Sam E. Blackburn decried conditions in the property appraisal industry saying “the present system is not working.” Why? Because “lenders have added a new twist to the old law of supply and demand: if appraisers don’t supply the numbers they need, they […]
After scoring numerous episodes for the Teen Titans television series, composers Kristopher Carter, Michael McCuistion and Lolita Ritmanis have built up themes and attitudes they use for the show’s various characters. So when the producers came forward with the idea for a feature film, this trio of composers was more than ready. The result is […]
What happens when a group of young British boys get together and start singing? Internationally acclaimed success apparently. At least that’s what happened with the singing youngsters of Libera, a group of South London boys between the ages of seven and fourteen. New Dawn marks their fourth album. The previous three (Angel Voices, Free and […]
While I’ve never seen an episode of the SciFi Channel show Eureka, after listening to Bear McCreary’s work for the show, I feel like I have. For those familiar with Battlestar Gallactica, McCreary is the mad genius behind that show’s unwaveringly impressive scores. Executive Producer Charlie Craig said that McCreary was brought in for the […]
Based on the popular novel by Alicia Erian, the new film Towelhead centers around a young woman named Jasira who is sent to live with her Lebanese father in Houston, Texas. With a script written by American Beauty playwright Alan Ball, it’s an artistic yet deliberate look into the secret lives of suburban families of […]
While The Front Porch Prophet is described as a humorous work of Southern fiction about two young men who come of age in North Georgia, it is at times as serious as a rattlesnake. In those moments, the author does not hold back when it comes to the tough issues of broken relationships, death and […]
Social conservatives are surely rejoicing and the former Georgian lobbyist who is one of seven on John McCain’s staff doubtless swooned over Sarah Palins interview with ABC’s Charles Gibson. Governor Palin continued her habit of truth twisting when she declared Russia was the aggressor. In point of fact Georgia attempted to use the cover of the […]
I knew a guy in college who had a calendar with each month featuring a picture of Ronald Reagan on his ranch doing assorted Republican approved activities like clearing brush or riding on a horse or wearing blue jeans. I don’t understand the cult of personality springs up around people like that. For instance, I […]
So typical–a TV ad portraying women as attractive and alluring is “sexist,” but men and fathers can be made to look like idiot husbands and bad fathers all day long and that’s not sexist. Of course not–after all, men have everything and women have nothing, so how dare men ever complain about “sexism”? The photo […]
I like Jimmy Carter. I liked the book he wrote about how Israel is essentially practicing apartheid within the Palestinian territories in Israel. I found it to be a very good and compelling book on a topic which needs more discussion. Noam Chomsky wrote an essay back in the 80’s about how there is much […]
I, very understandably, have never been a big fan of Richard Milhous Nixon. Even back when I would have considered myself a Republican, I thought that he was a terrible president. I don’t even like the character Milhous on The Simpsons. Even though he was an awful president and a horribly vindictive person, there is […]
According to a recent report a new fund is to be introduced in the UK that could help many asbestos disease sufferers who have been exposed to the potentially deadly substance indirectly, such as through a relative that worked with asbestos or through living near to a factory that dealt with asbestos products. The fund […]
Well that’s what the Germans used to call it: Back to the Empire. And now that Russia has no hopes that South Ossetia and Abkhazia will be recognized in any meaningful way by the international community (go Nicaragua!), and clearly wanting to go back to the future by going back to the past, and wanting […]
From Churchill’s Parrot blog: www.churchillsparrot.com Is anyone surprised? The British jury privileged with the opportunity to send seven Islamaniacs accused of plotting the most barbaric terrorist attack since September 11, 2001 to legal martyrdom, hadn’t the nerve to do so.  Evidently they found greater accord with the defence which proposed these gentlemen had no […]
Perhaps its age or the daunting schedule. But Senator John McCain’s attempt to smear Barack Obama over the lipstick and pig comment blew back badly today. The media began playing excerpts of Arizona’s senior senator using that exact phrase in the exact context half a dozen times. And unfortunately for the 72 year old maverick. […]
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