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Corporate media blackout blots out Progressive Caucus budget

The Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC), one of the largest caucuses in the U.S. Congress, issued a bold federal budget plan that would tax big financial institutions, enact a healthcare public option, and raise much-needed revenue through ending unwarranted corporate tax giveaways.  The Progressive Caucus budget... Continue

Outmoded and outworn

We’re all familiar with verbal clichés; they’re a dime-a-dozen and no big deal. We use them all the time as shorthand for the commonplace, experiences so everyday as to resonate with nearly everyone. The path from metaphor to cliché is particularly fast in our information-centric... Continue

Radiation sickness

Yet again we are confronted by the limits of human engineering and the dangers of nuclear technology, this time in the disclosure of two leaks at a federal nuclear storage facility near Carlsbad, New Mexico. Huge tunnels carved into 2,150 foot deep Permian salt deposits... Continue

What if I can’t pay all my taxes?

Dear Bonnie,  I own my own business and was surprised at how much tax I owed for 2013. I hadn’t paid enough in with estimate tax payments. Now I am faced with a 2013 tax liability and estimated payments for 2014. I’ve got enough to... Continue

Longing for Lady Godiva

This week’s column focuses on taxes.  I have written about the subject before and every April 15 I am reminded once again that I am a procrastinator.  Procrastination, as far as taxes are concerned, could be a bad thing. Just ask Walter Anderson, considered one... Continue

How we play the game

The question is often asked: “Why do people so often act against their better interest?” Cynics are quick to give a simple answer: “Because people are stupid.” Americans are not stupid, however. In a country founded by intellectuals committed to literacy and education, citizens have... Continue

Some reflection on nicknames

There’s a lot in a name, and potentially, even more in a nickname. Given names often reveal seemingly mysterious connections to the meaning of each life; Cutters who are surgeons, Woods who are carpenters and so forth. Nicknames, on the other hand, are bestowed later... Continue

500 years of gold and greed

It was all about gold and greed.  The North American story and the search for gold began in the 15th century, with the explorations of Christopher Columbus. Columbus wasn’t the only explorer whose quest for riches stemmed from the adventures of one man, Marco Polo.... Continue

From Dahab to Paris

This week I continue to share my experiences turning stones in Egypt.  I left St. Catherine satisfied and looked forward to relaxing while we made the three hour journey through the Sinai to coastal town of Dahab.  Andrew and I came prepared with a snorkel... Continue