WASHINGTON – In a move that was described by freshman Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown as “the most extraordinary piece of legislation I’ve seen in my life on the hill,” the House approved a Senate version of a long delayed ethics reform measure. Early this morning, President Obama, with Vice-President Joe Biden at his side along with several House and Senate...

You walk into your local Starbucks to grab a Frappuccino (tall, half-ice, no whip cream), and discover Clint Eastwood standing next to you in-line with a .44 Magnum, “the most powerful handgun in the world,” strapped to his side.  What do you do? Okay, it’s not Eastwood, but what if the man with the gun on his hip is Joe Schmoe? I’d...

David Krieger is the founder and president of The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation.  What drew me to his commentary was former President Jimmy Carter’s response to Krieger’s question concerning morality and nuclear weapons. Carter’s response shows an awareness of the intense dilemma he faced regarding his personal belief about nuclear weapons versus his duty as commander-in-chief. In January 2010 the...

The Discovery Channel’s action-packed show features science-based adventurers Jamie, Adam, Tory, Kari and Grant as they explosively (sometimes, literally) examine the scientific veracity of a variety of pop culture movie myths and old wives tales. Their weapon of choice in determining the truth is the scientific method (along with a modest budget).  According to executive producer Dan Tapster, in the seven...

The level to which anger-driven passion has risen in recent days has become yet another example of individuals who feel that their right to challenge any issue allows them to act in ways that are appallingly irresponsible. From Representative Neugebauer shouting “baby killer” during a House session to the bricks thrown through the windows of political headquarters, the anger demonstrated...

Just because I’ve been off-line for two weeks doesn’t mean I’ve been off sleeping. The French philosopher Albert Camus once observed, “A man without ethics is a wild beast loosed upon this world.” Here’s a snapshot of some of the wild things you may have missed: A former senior vice president at Lehman Brothers wrote a letter in May 2008...

Clearly, the most contentious issue facing the country in the last 18 months has been health care reform.  While a majority of people believe that reform is necessary, the details of that reform have driven most to distraction. PolitiFact.com is a collective of reporters and researchers for the St. Petersburg Times whose purpose is to “find the truth in politics” by examining “statements by members...

It began with a phone call. The assistant to my orthopedist asked to change my scheduled appointment.  The reason, “Bill’s detoured his vacation to spend time in Haiti, Jim and help those who are in need of medical help.” After speaking with Bill, he shared the following report – “At twilight on Jan 12, 2010, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake lasting...

No, that’s not the title of the latest Jim Cameron 3-D spectacular.  It’s what happened to me last Thursday while researching a couple of articles on the net. I click on a secondary page and bingo, a screen pops up with a big warning that says, “YOU HAVE BEEN INFECTED WITH A VIRUS, BUT… Don’t worry, we’re running a complete scan...

The Hurt Locker opens with a quote that sums up the ideology of its central character. “The rush of battle is a potent and often lethal addiction, for war is a drug.” With few modifications, the quote could easily apply to some Hollywood producers that express a win-at-any-cost attitude. Maybe some politicians, too. If director Kathryn Bigelow’s suberb 2009 film The Hurt Locker wins...