My friend Mort Rosenbloom was an Associated Press foreign correspondent for nearly forty years. He was editor of the International Herald Tribune, has written twelve books (five of which I have going at the same time) and has been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize eight times. Debbie and I recently had the pleasure of […]
Archives for May 2011
Empire Challenge 2011
Source: American Forces Press Service, By Donna Miles WASHINGTON, May 27, 2011 – A handheld device that would give new intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities to warfighters and an airframe equipped with “plug and play” sensors are among new technologies being tested during U.S. Joint Forces Command’s Empire Challenge 2011 demonstration. The demonstration kicked off […]
Supreme Court Prison Break
The Supreme Court has been issuing rulings on cases this week, including telling California to decrease the number of prisoners in its prisons. The ruling that may force the state to release some prisoners predictably came from the liberal wing of the court, backed up by the fickle Justice Anthony Kennedy. Not surprising, the two […]
What I Learned in Paris: Part II
Well, prior to our most recent French foray, Debbie and I received a five-page A-to-Z print out enumerating every detail of our trip, including our first-class TVG train tickets (do not go coach and hold on to your bags with utmost care). In Paris, be certain you know from which track your train will be […]
State Pension Disaster!
Rhode Island general treasurer Gina Raimondo told a room full of politicians and union heads Monday that the pension problem can’t be fixed without cutting benefits to longtime “vested” workers, and even retirees. Raimondo was talking about cutting benefits like the annual cost of living adjustments (COLAs) of 3%, which put current retirees on a […]
You Should Have Been a Lifeguard
You should have been a lifeguard. Like the handful in Newport Beach, California, who are pulling swimmers from the water and in some cases making $200,000 a year in salary and benefits. “It was reasonable at the time,” says city manager David Kiff. “When we were negotiating, people were making such ridiculous amounts of money […]
Too Little, Too Much, Too Late: The Arab Spring Speech
The president gave a speech billed as a major policy address last Thursday. In it he made a major change in the U.S. stance on Israel/Palestine. According to the Israelis, it showed that he knows too little about why the region finds itself in this predicament in the first place. The president also promised billions […]
Jesse Ventura: One on One
The former wrestling superstar talks about his journey from the fighting ring to the governor’s mansion. I have always enjoyed Jesse Ventura and his books. Check out his new book 63 Documents the Government Doesn’t Want You to Read.
A Path to State Bankruptcy
Oh, Mama, can this really be the end? To be stuck inside of Mobile With the Memphis blues again?” -Bob Dylan To be stuck inside of Mobile with the Memphis blues again is to describe the bankruptcy filing in 2009 by Mobile suburb Prichard, Alabama. The city’s lawyer said it was forced to file Chapter […]
Swiss Bank Disaster!
As I was settling into my train seat on the way from Paris to Switzerland, I rather quickly had the feeling that I was in for a long day and perhaps a most unpleasant day at that. My goal was to establish a Swiss bank account. After a lot of ring-around-the-rosy for the past few […]
