President Obama in his weekly video address described the economic crisis as "a time of great opportunity," if we use it to address long-term problems with our financial services, education, health care and energy sectors. In a separate interview with The New York Times , he said, "pe...

Ron Moore wrote in the comments section of this blog that Rush Limbaugh "is sounding a little silly, but then he has for years--ever since he became fixated on Clinton and tried to sell him as the anti-Christ." Oops -- like numerous Republicans, Ron had better check out the website, "...

Now that the stock market has fallen below 7,000, there's lots of talk about "another Great Depression." But to fall as far as stocks did in the 1930s, it would have to plunge to 4,000 or even to 2,000. I'm still unpersuaded that this recession is worse than what the U.S. endured f...

Overwhelming Senate passage of legislation giving DC residents a voting representative in the U.S. House of Representatives reminds me of the long history of the struggle for DC Voting Rights. It was, or should have been, an integral part of the civil rights movement, because of the historic disenfr...

How refreshing to hear our nation's President speak with candor, credibility, competence, realism and eloquence about Iraq, to speak of responsibly ending the war, and to receive cheers from the Marines at Camp LeJeune, NC. Read Obama's speech. Highlights from the White House Blog. Excerpt: ...

To understand where we're going, we have to acknowledge where we're coming from. Barack Obama has sounded a theme that the last eight years have been an "era of profound irresponsibility." In his economic message as president-elect, he observed: "We arrived at this point due t...

On PBS' American Experience is a shocking expose of Dr. Walter Freeman, "the lobotomist." This is essential viewing for anyone who wants to understand the history of treating mental illness in this country. Related: 'My Lobotomy': Powerful Story 'I'd Rather Have a Bottl...

Here are two businesses that will probably do quite well during recession: ebooks and print-on-demand book publishers. There is such huge waste in the traditional publishing industry, which gives authors such a raw deal. Why should the writer of a book get only 10 percent of the revenue? Why should ...

I've been impressed recently by new web ads that don't just treat viewers as passive demographic targets, but as active partners who spread the word about the ads to their family, friends and colleagues. A friend forwarded me J.C. Penney's very clever "Beware the Doghouse." (Ba...

I've attended two presidential inaugurals -- Jimmy Carter's in 1977 and Bill Clinton's in 1993 -- so I decided not to battle the crowds to attend Barack Obama's inaugural in 2009. Been there, done that, though there were certainly some very special historical significance to the Obam...