The Bishop and the Butterfly: Murder, Politics, and the End of the Jazz Age
    Michael Maiello's picture

    Atrios Is Right! Social Security Benefits Should Be Higher!

    I whole-heartedly agree with Atrios.  The left needs to change the Social Security discussion by pointing out the obvious, loudly and often: Social Security, as currently constituted, is not adequate for the needs of most of America's citizens and that benefits should be increased.  Atrios suggests an across the board 20% hike.  If done for present recipients who get an average $1,100 a month, that's only a $220 a month increase.  But that would certainly help a lot of people who lost retirement savings,

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    Doctor Cleveland's picture

    Harvard's Cheating Scandal and the Failure of Mentoring

    The Harvard cheating scandal has ground to something like its conclusion, with somewhere in the neighborhood of 70 students being suspended asked to withdraw. There's been a lot of discussion, from different perspectives, about student ethics, educational standards, and what the world is coming to.

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    Michael Maiello's picture

    Beyonce Concert Open Thread!

    How many outfits will Lady Bey wear?

    How many numbers will Destiny's Child perform?

    Will Jay-Z make a cameo?

    Let's discuss America's most important cultural moment of 2013.

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    Michael Maiello's picture

    Civilization and Its Armed Discontents

    Josh Marshall flagged this Walter Kirn article already, so my guess is that some of you have read it.  I'm a big Kirn fan, and have been ever since he published the interesting and underappreciated novel, The Unbinding, in Slate.

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    Ramona's picture

    Gabby Giffords Spoke and Some of Us Listened

     

    Former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords appeared at the Senate judiciary hearing on gun violence yesterday to try and convince lawmakers that we have a major problem with guns in this country and gun control must be addressed.  This is what she said, in its entirety:

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    Ramona's picture

    Oh, no. Sybil

    I've started a new non-political blog at WordPress and this is one of my posts there.  Come on over and check it out!

    Oh, no.  Sybil

    Doctor Cleveland's picture

    The War on Work

    When I worry about the future of my chosen profession, which I do too often these days, I take bleak consolation from the fact that every other profession I considered during my early years is also in crisis. Was it a mistake to become a university professor just as the job market for professors collapsed? Maybe. But if the original question was, "Should I become a professor, a lawyer, or a newspaper journalist?" then maybe not. Lawyers are having a hard time finding jobs; newspapers are laying off.

    William K. Wolfrum's picture

    Outbreak of Brazilian virgins has imaginary bidders lining up

    When Justin Sisely announced that he planned to film a “Virgin Sells Virginity” porn, the media went wild, endlessly repeating a story based on nothing.

    Now, that’s not a big surprise. What is a surprise is that after the announcement – heck, even before it – random dudes with lots of walking-around money started hurling incredible bids at Sisely, asking to be the male lead in said porno.

    Ramona's picture

    Nothing You can do when You need the Job

     

    Workers are repairing the facade of the building where we rent our winter apartment.  They started on the 17th floor on January 2 and today they've finally made it to the fourth floor, and right now they're drilling and chiseling and scraping away the old finish right outside the window next to my desk.

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