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...

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...

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...

“Don’t be stupid, be a smartie. Come and join the Nazi Party.” – Stormtrooper, The Producers Okay, boys and girls, it’s ethical conundrum time! The New York Times reported (Feb. 5) that the “…copyright on Mein Kampf [Adolph Hitler’s autobiographical, political rant] in the hands of the Bavarian government since the end of the Nazi regime, has long been used to keep his...

Former Santa Barbara Mayor Harriet Miller was memorialized as a fearless and, at times, fearsome public servant whose direct, no-nonsense approach made the city a better place for all. What I remember most about Harriet is her determination and dedication to getting things done, period.  When Harriet gave you her word or support, you could take it to the bank.  And...

“The greatest political saga, the one that has it all, that gets to the real heart of American politics, is the John Edwards story…This isn’t just politics, it’s literature. It’s the great American novel, the kind that isn’t written anymore.”  – Michael Wolff on John Edwards’s trajectory, Vanity Fair That’s the introductory quote on Amazon.com for the “tell-all” written by former political aide...

The election victory and nationwide coverage of Senator Scott Brown from Massachusetts had me revisiting a piece I wrote in July, 2008.  In light of the current fuss and fracas between Republicans and Democrats in Congress, the lesson from this commentary is more timely than eve Whom can we trust? Who has the credibility to lead? These are just two...

On Tuesday (Jan. 12) the Republic of Haiti was overwhelmed by a 7.0 earthquake.  Last Saturday, (Jan. 17) Washington seemed overwhelmed by another event – former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton joined President Obama to support a massive effort to aid the desperately poor Haitian people. The New York Times reported that “The three men, who have collectively occupied...

One of the things I like most about the writing of conservative columnist Peggy Noonan is the way she engages both the intellect and the emotions.  Nowhere is that more evident than in an essay about President Ronald Reagan.  Noonan was Reagan’s speech writer, and looking back at many of those speeches it’s easy to see how effectively the Great...