Thoughts & Musings
Starbucks’ Bugs … Ya, Bugs!
Bet'cha didn't know: Starbucks is getting backlash from the vegan community after changing how it colors its Strawberry Frappuccino, reports Bruce Horovitz at USA Today. It's using ground up cochineal beetles. Gross, right? Perhaps, but the type of food coloring is...
Kuryente: Ya, I Never Heard of it Either
One Tagalog word for which no exact translation in English exists is “kuryente.” It literally means “electric current,” but the word can be applied to the practice of spreading sensational but faked news in order to produce a media jolt. One newspaper translates...
Trayvon Martin’ death vs. 16 Others… Every Day
A lot of energy is being focused on the death of Trayvon Martin as a sign of racism in our society. Yet I find myself deeply troubled by the very selective upset of civil rights leaders. In 2010, 6470 blacks were murdered in the United States, more than 17 per day. ...
Meat Glue
Anyone ever heard of this? [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXXrB3rz-xU] Thoroughly disgusting.
Tea Party = Peace
The Senate was about to pass a bi-partisan bill imposing tough sanctions on Iran through "unanimous consent" - that means no floor debate or discussion. But Rand Paul, Kentucky's 'Tea Party' senator, objected, which immediately prevents the easy passage. According to...
Countries Move to Isolate the U.S.
Are other countries planning for a U.S. demise? “I was in Australia earlier this month and there, as elsewhere on my recent travels, the consensus among the politicians I met (at least in private) was that Washington lacked the will for meaningful course correction,...
Black Male Code – Good for Whites Too!
AP writer Jesse Washington recently wrote about having to tell his 12 y/o son about the Black Male Code as a result of the Trayvon Martin fiasco. As I explained it, the Code goes like this: Always pay close attention to your surroundings, son, especially if you are in...
U2’s Bono on Band’s Tax Dodging
U2 singer Bono is known for his antipoverty activism, which includes calls on most world governments to spend more on foreign aid. Yet when it comes to the finances of Bono’s own company, he’s apparently a bit more of a Scrooge. Moreover, he’s loath to admit it, as an...
Chicago Man, 80, Charged After Shooting Burglar
Neighbors say they're "outraged" that an 80-year-old owner of a local tavern has been charged after shooting a burglar who broke into his home in the Englewood neighborhood on the South Side. "What does it say to me and other senior citizens that we will be arrested...
Chicago: 1 Night, 8 Shot, 2 Dead
A 22-year-old man was fatally shot in a Far South Side liquor store Saturday evening, police said, and a 46-year-old man was killed about 45 minutes later. At least six others were shot on the South and West sides overnight. via Chicago Tribune. While notable, not a...
Holding a Gun Gives You a Bias
I'm not saying the "researchers" (a/k/a ivory tower academics) got it wrong, but they definitely have not thought through all the conclusions. A new study from the University of Notre Dame found that if you’re holding a gun, you are more likely to think others are...
Derrick Smith Must Resign or Be Expelled — Dems Own It
The Democratic party was silent prior to the election of State Rep Derrick Smith on the issue of his resigning or getting off the ticket for allegedly accepting a $7000 cash bribe from an undercover FBI agent posing as a daycare center owner in exchange for a $50000...
Golf Ethics
Here is a golf ethics question for you. What if you were playing in the club championship tournament finals and the match was halved at the end of 17 holes. You had the honor and hit your ball a modest two hundred fifty yards to the middle of the fairway, leaving a...
Naomi Davis: Issues in the African-American Community
Local community organizer Naomi Davis put together a top-ten list of issues impacting the African-American community in her area of Chicago. Not a bad list: NORFOLK & SOUTHERN/CREATE. Opportunity Of A Lifetime. Multi-billion, multi-decade south side economic...
Labor Unions and Politics
On March 10 there was this story in the LA Times I meant to write about: Labor unions rethinking their role in politics As top union leaders gather in Florida on Tuesday to determine labor's political strategy this year, the influential AFL-CIO appears poised to...
Occupy Threatens & Sprays St. Louis
Following a confrontation between Occupy protesters and local police last Thursday, vandals have hit the city with frightening pro-Occupy graffiti. Buildings, walls, and statues have all been defaced. The city’s public safety director woke up to the words, “Blood on...
Chicago State Missing $3.8M in Equipment
Chicago State University has been unable to locate $3.8 million worth of equipment, including 950 computers that could contain confidential information, according to a state audit. via Chicago Tribune. Doh! The story reflects that most of the equipment was actually...
Race and the Media
The number one post (in terms of views) on this blog thus far has been the story about the boy from Kansas City, who happened to be white, and was walking along and set on fire by two other kids, who happen to be black. This story came up again in the comments on a...
Fast-n-Furious Catches and Release Top Suspect
I'm sorry this story is a few days old, I've been busy. As a courtesy the LA Times didn't mention Eric Holder's name in this article. Seven months after federal agents began the ill-fated Fast and Furious gun-tracking operation, they stumbled upon their main suspect...
Obama’s Selective Service Card Forged?
Say it ain't so Joe. “America’s toughest sheriff” says there is “tons” more potentially shocking information on Barack Obama in connection with his probe into the president’s eligibility, and he calls the media’s suppression of his findings of a likely forged...