I picked up a copy of Susan Boyle's first CD spawned by her appearance on "Britain's Got Talent" and the viral results of her YouTube video. Her renditions of "I Dream the Dream" and the other eleven … [Read more...]
Social Issues and Debatable Topics
Living in Silicon Valley: Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
Something is terribly, terribly wrong in Silicon Valley. Probably the rest of the nation too. But, as they say, everything starts in California then heads east. So whatever’s happening here will soon hit your home town if it hasn’t arrived already. This morning’s paper is filled with new and continuing stories related to the economy: [...]
Icebergs Wandering to New Zealand Create New Economic Opportunities
CNN reported icebergs that broke off Antarctic ice shelves are heading for New Zealand. One measuring 30 feet high is now 160 miles southeast of New Zealand’s Stewart Island. Satellite photos indicate they’re hundreds of icebergs roaming throughout the Pacific. Unlike tornadoes, hurricanes, earth quakes, tsunamis, oil slicks and human junk floating in the oceans, [...]
Health Care Reform for the Good of All
Well, the 2010 mid-term elections are over. And it’s still clear to me that democracies are wonderful but they suck when it comes to reaching consensus on critical issues like health care reform. Once again, the Wall Street Journal, reiterates tired, trendy phrases for many of its readers. In today’s editorial–”the ObamaCare Crossroads–we read: “In [...]
Why Photos and Pictures Are Necessary in Our Lives
Are you of a member of an online social media site, have relatives or friends, own a camera (standalone or embedded in your mobile phone), attend parties or other events, read a newspaper or other publication, travel? Do you take photos and keep pictures where you live? If none of the above applies to you, [...]
Are Retailers Killing Off their Customers?
The news in this morning’s paper–front page–is the same. Retailers are hysterically worried about another “bad Christmas.” Consumers have tightened their belts, hidden their credit cards and won’t even walk into a retail store unless there’s a big “70% off” sign in the window. What’s going on? I think retailers need to step back mentally [...]
Cannabis Clubs for People with Pain Hit San Jose
People suffering with painful illnesses keep getting hit up by city law enforcement. They’re at least 20 states across the nation where cannabis clubs that secure pot for medicinal purposes flourish. And San Jose is one of them. Per this morning’s Mercury News, patients used to have to trek up to San Francisco to get [...]
Time to Think in a Wizard of Oz World
In the movie “The Wizard of Oz,” Dorothy and her friends–the scarecrow, the lion and the tin man–had one thing they each lacked. The tin man had no heart; the lion, no courage, the scarecrow, no brain; Dorothy, no home. Only Toto, the dog, and the Good Witch and Bad Witch seemed satisfied with their [...]
Newspapers Losing Readers With Irrelevant Content
Reading through this morning’s San Jose Mercury News reinforced my belief that U.S. newspapers are contributing to their demise by printing stories that are, in many cases, irrelevant to the majority of readers. The word “relevant” has an interesting origin. The dictionary says it derives from medieval Latin in the 16th century meaning “raising up.” [...]