I've lived in South Florida for twenty five years. After a quarter century of living in the sunniest part of the Sunshine State I can say that I have never never become acclimated to the oppressive heat of this climate. There was a time when I would simply endure the summers and live for the winters,... Continue Reading →
Health Care Stories: Why we need radical health care reform!
Read these health care stories. If you don't believe there's a health care crisis in this country after you read these you have no heart. What gets me is the number of people who have commented who have insurance. We are so concerned about the uninsured, but even those who have insurance still can't afford... Continue Reading →
The Myth of Choice in American Health Care
The free market yahoos keep at it. They insist on maintaining the status quo of American health care by scaring us with horror stories about how a government run health care system would deprive citizens of making market choices in their best interests. This plays into the American Cultural Legacy of individualism. It is also... Continue Reading →
Are Republicans a Threat To The Institution of Marriage?
Okay, enough already. I make it a point to avoid commenting on the personal lives of politicians. I've always contended that what is going on in the personal lives of our politicians is none of my business, so long as they are representing the needs of the American people. Of course, if that personal life... Continue Reading →
Death and Sacrifice for Freedom in Iran
On Neda Agha-Soltan's Death
We spend thousands on a piece of paper…uh…I mean on an education! or The Bradbury Curriculum
Ray Bradbury is one of my heroes. He's one of the few public individuals I would love to meet. (Unfortunately, he has his heart set on Bo Derek...can't say as I blame him). Today, in the New York Times, I heard Mr. Bradbury say he doesn't believe in colleges or universities. He believes in libraries!... Continue Reading →
The Poor Ayatollah: Questions of Legitimacy in the Iranian Conflict
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, seeing the opportunity, grabbed a very angry tiger by the tail. His support of current President Ahmadinejad, and his dire warnings against further protests exacerbates the problem of political legitimacy in Iran. As the leader of Iran, Khamenei had to make a stand. He had three main choices: concede, conciliate or crush. ... Continue Reading →
What's the Buzz from DARPA
I swear I'm not making this up. I read about it in Discover Magazine and confirmed it on the DARPA website Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Yes, DARPA has a website! But we'll get to that later). Researchers at the University of California, Berkley have created a cybernetic beetle (pictured above) that can be controlled... Continue Reading →
Dogmatic Propoganda and the Need for Sociology
Before reading this post, please watch the linked video. There. How do you feel? Are you scared? Do you think that civilization as we know it is coming to an end? Do you think something radical must be done in order to stave off the impending disaster of Europe and the United States becoming Muslim... Continue Reading →
Interesting NYTimes Graph
Here's a graph from an article in the New York Times regarding the tremendous deficits we and our children face. I think the highlight of the article was the following: Alan Auerbach, an economist at the University of California, Berkeley, and an author of a widely cited study on the dangers of the current deficits,... Continue Reading →
The Mad Sociologist Blog 