“Olé, Amigo! Pack your bags, we’re going to Mexico!” bubbled Dr. Franklin Peterson Comstock III, faux physician and money-maker. Continue reading
Sections
-
Recent Posts
Author Archives: Walter Brasch
Making sport of our future
One of the fun things sports writers do is try to predict the winners and scores of upcoming games, from high school through the pros. For special “look-at-us-we’re important” bonus points, they create lists of “Top” teams and rank them, both pre-season and weekly. Continue reading
Pennsylvania legislators shoot down pigeons—again
If the first year gross anatomy class at the Penn State Hershey medical school needs spare body parts to study, they can visit the cloakroom of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. That’s where most of the legislators left their spines. Continue reading
Labor not represented in management of ‘the people’s universities’
Although more than one million Pennsylvanians are members of labor unions, and the state has a long history of worker exploitation and union activism, neither of the two largest university systems has a labor representative on its governing board. Continue reading
Death by healthy doses
They buried Bouldergrass today. The cause of death was listed as “media-induced health.” Continue reading
Penn State trustees may also have violated state law
The Penn State Board of Trustees may have several times violated state law for its failure to publicly announce meetings and how it handled the firing of Coach Joe Paterno. However, these violations may be the least of the board’s worries, as it scrambles to reduce fall-out from the scandal that began with revelations that an assistant football coach may be a serial child molester, and that the university may have been negligent. Continue reading
The sanctimonious scavengers of the Penn State scandal
There is nothing the media love more than a good celebrity sex scandal. Continue reading
The personhood of a Mississippi zygote
“Okay, class, we have a few minutes at the end of today’s lecture about how the godless Communists created evolution to try to destroy the decent loyal patriotic capitalist society of America. Any questions? Yes, Billy Bob.” Continue reading
Iraq: Just another war without an end
We know the names of every one of the 4,479 Americans who were killed and the 32,200 who were wounded, both civilian and military, between March 20, 2003 and Oct. 21, 2011, the day President Barack Obama, fulfilling a campaign promise, declared the last American soldier would leave Iraq before the end of the year. Continue reading
Occupy Wall Street: Separating fact from media
Newspaper columnist Ann Coulter, spreading the lies of the extreme right wing, called the Occupy Wall Street protestors, “tattooed, body-pierced, sunken-chested 19-year-olds getting in fights with the police for fun.” She claimed the protestors, now in the thousands in New York, are “directionless losers [who] pose for cameras while uttering random liberal clichés lacking any reason or coherence.” Continue reading
Booze, schmooze, but not any news: The “Today” show’s fourth hour
The most important media story this past week is that the Kardashians were guest co-hosts on the fourth hour of NBC’s “Today” show. One Kardashian sister per day, plus mother Kris and stepdad Bruce Jenner. Continue reading
Former editor sues Philadelphia police for constitutional violations in her arrest
A former managing editor for the online newspaper, OpEdNews, has sued the city of Philadelphia and eight of its police officers for violating her constitutional rights. Continue reading
Crocodile tears on a cash register patriotism
The news release spoke boldly: “In view of the September 11 attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, this is the time for Corporate America and all government agencies to enhance the safety and security of the nation’s high profile buildings.” Not exactly a revelation. It didn’t take another sentence to underline the company’s intent. “Windows and doors are normally the weakest static construction elements in a building,” continued the release, “and are therefore the first to fail during violent activities and brute forces of nature. . . . Your property needs protection!” Continue reading
Corporate America sends a Labor Day Message
For most Americans, the only significance of Labor Day is that it concludes a three-day weekend. Continue reading
Toxic lead to cover Iowa killing fields
Iowa, which gave us the carnival known as the Iowa Straw Poll and artery-clogging Deep Fried Butter, will unleash another health problem, beginning Sept. 1. Continue reading
A punishing educational curriculum
With the nation’s unemployment rate hovering about 10 percent, recent high school graduates are escaping reality by going to college, and college grads are avoiding reality by entering grad school. The result is that it now takes an M.A. to become a shift manager at a fast food restaurant. Continue reading
’10 Commandments judge’ running for president
The chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court who was removed from office for defying the Constitution and a federal court order is one of 14 major candidates running for the Republican nomination for the presidency. Continue reading
Our hope for change is still not fulfilled
After significant compromise with the recalcitrant Republicans who want to continue to give the wealthy tax advantages while cutting significant social programs, President Obama has finally taken a stand on debt ceiling negotiations. However, in labor, wildlife management, and the environment he is still compromising rather than coming out forcefully for the principles he and the working class believes. Continue reading
Blood on the lens
“If it bleeds, it leads” is local TV’s aphorism that dictates its belief that fires, car crashes, and shootings lead off the nightly newscast. These stories, of course, are more “visual” and easier to cover than poverty, worker exploitation, and the health care crisis. Continue reading
Government may be violating tobacco companies’ 1st Amendment rights
A controversial Supreme Court decision less than two years ago could have the unintended consequence of significantly reducing the government’s 46-year campaign against cigarettes. Continue reading
Questions remain in government’s anti-cigarette campaign
The federal government has launched what may become one of the most effective propaganda campaigns in American history. Continue reading
A few cutting remarks
Throughout the country, the taxpayers have been revolting. Shocked by the enormity of the taxpayer revolt, and the untimely retirement of several hundred politicians, today’s current legislators, civil servants, and business executives have suddenly became the “people’s champions.” Continue reading
New Hampshire or bus: Sarah’s no-campaign campaign tour
Speeding along city streets, going from somewhere to somewhere else, was the Sarah Palin “One Nation I’m Not Running for Anything But Follow Me Anyhow” bus chase. Continue reading
The last dance: Prom night in America
It isn’t cheap to attend a high school prom. Emulating Miley Cyrus, Megan Fox, or any celebrity that People magazine naively believes is one of the 50 most beautiful people in the whole wide world, is an avalanche of expenses that could easily exceed the cost of a year’s supply of beer for a college freshman. Continue reading
Promises, promises or it’s legal to lie to voters
With less than a week before the election, Marshbaum has been campaigning furiously. Continue reading
Down for the count: America’s fascination with royalty
In case you’re in a funk because you think the reason you didn’t receive an invitation to the royal wedding is because the Brits are still ticked off about that silly little skirmish back in 1775, the American media have a solution for you. Continue reading
One Jew’s Christmas
Posted on December 23, 2011 by Walter Brasch
I am a Jew. Continue reading →