There Will Be Blood
At 11:30 on New Year’s Eve, a friend asked me what actual “new” things would come in 2016. The political junkie in me rose up in excitement and
Steve Schlich
Steve Schlich writes fiction about software: "easy to use," "does what you want"—lies like that—for the mortgage money. For his soul, he writes fiction and music. Hobbies include webmaster for www.RodSerling.com. In 2004, he created www.NakedWashington.com, a website chronicling the naughty public art in Washington,
Jingoism All the Way
The GOP field presidential candidates held a noisy war drum circle on December 15
What is “The American Character”?
I’ve started this column several times, but the news keeps getting ahead of me. And not in a good way. Not something juicy like a candidate dropping out or yet another “brain harvesting” meltdown from what’s-her-name. Syrian refugee crisis? That is SO last month. The Paris attacks
“Dark Matter” Fills the Political Universe, Too
From Space.com: Overall, dark energy is thought to contribute 73 percent of all the mass and energy in the universe. Another 23 percent is dark matter, which leaves only 4 percent of the universe composed of regular matter, such as stars, planets and people. The scientific community—you know,
A Hard Right Turn — Again
The November 13 Paris attacks changed the trajectory of our 2016 presidential election, and not for the good. I know because I’ve watched it happen before. On September 11, 2001, my wife and I were visiting Maine for a wedding. Here’s how to feel spooked: the
Debating the Debates
It took several tries before I could finish this Charles Krauthammer article about the Republicans squandering their “victory” over the so-called mainstream media, via CNBC’s demeaning questions at the most recent debate. But as Eugene Robinson explains here, it was really the phrasing and not the questions themselves. In
Are We There Yet?
...Not even close. Primaries are the tribal councils of this metaphorical Survivor season. That’s because opinion polls and voting are not the same thing, at least not this far ahead of the general election. It goes like this: You might tell someone on the telephone that you like Trump
They’re Dropping Like Flies
The Democratic field has lost half since we last spoke. Not the Republicans, the Democrats! Joe Biden: gone, even if never official. Jim Webb: a war hero, gone. Lincoln Chaffee: a joke, gone. Martin O’Malley: still around, and still irrelevant. A newish entrant, also irrelevant, is
Moments from the Democrats’ Debate
CNN debate anchor Anderson Cooper was intent on confrontation and stirring up rivalries