Archive
Where Are the Women?
At the exact moment that I'm writing this, the New York Times homepage is displaying stories authored by 35 men — and eight women. And three of those eight articles were coauthored with men. You can find this data at WhoWritesFor, a website that tracks authorship on...
America the Wild and Beautiful
In late August, I was lucky enough to celebrate in person the fifth anniversary of the Wild Sky Wilderness area in Washington's Cascade Mountains. This 106,577-acre region is home to rugged mountains, beautiful stretches of pine forests, miles and miles of hiking...
Mexican Food for Thought
As I stepped off a bus in Mexico earlier this month, a tour guide urged my family and everyone else on the trip to go home and tell others that his country was safe. "Nobody got shot, eh?" he asked, explaining that stories about Mexico as a modern-day Wild West...
Nelson Mandela’s Distinction
The year 2000 marked not merely the end of a century but the end of a millennium, a thousand years of history. The media's desire to fill empty space with naming "the Person of the Millennium" became all the rage. George Will, the unfailingly smug conservative...
Paying for Poor Performance
On Wall Street, they're giving Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer the bum's rush. Ballmer has just announced he'll soon retire. After his announcement, Microsoft's shares shot up 7 percent. The wise guys on Wall Street obviously can't wait to see Ballmer go. And neither can...
Back to School Lunch
"It tastes like…" my six-year-old friend paused to search for a word disgusting enough to describe school lunch. "Throw up," she concluded. Her sister, a fifth grader, nodded in agreement. Really? I've heard fantastic reviews of the cafeteria director there. No doubt,...
Razing the Garden of Eden
The Bible tells us that the Garden of Eden was heaven on Earth — until Adam ate that apple. Then all Hell broke loose. Now, Arlington, Texas, has updated this tale. At about 7:30 in the morning of August 2, a SWAT team of armed police agents, code enforcement...
Don’t Embarrass Authority
Tell us stuff We need to know, And soon it's off To jail you'll go. Don't get fooled by terms like "classified secrets" or "aiding the enemy." They just cover up the darker sides of our national security state. Pointing out that the emperor is naked isn't dangerous....
Heads They Win, Tails We Lose
Scott Walker’s Sick Leadership
To paraphrase an old bumper sticker: "When the people lead, leaders will follow. Or not." Not when the "leaders" are in the pocket of corporate interests that don't like where the people are leading. Take Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin, a conservative Republican who...
