How did we get here? The picture to the right has become an icon of corporate malfeasance, greed and profound ambivalence for the stewardship of the commons as well as the lives and livelihoods of millions of people. So as we watch the billowing columns of crude flowing uncontrolled into one of America's greatest (and... Continue Reading →
There's a bad moon lurking over the horizon! I can see its bloody rays casting a sanguine pall over the future of our country. I can see its ill-boding omens in increasingly irrational speeches, websites and protest marches of a new movement. It's reactionary, militant, institutionalized and armed; all of the qualities of a coming... Continue Reading →
You may say that I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one Every year around this time I like to abandon my sociological imagination and just use my... um ...normal imagination to describe my hopes and dreams for the coming year. These dreams are not necessarily grounded in the most current research, but I like to... Continue Reading →
/* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} A Plausible, Fictional Scenario Scene: conference room of the Nobel Prize Committee: Committee Person 1: Hey, I have an idea! Why... Continue Reading →
/* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} (Click the logo above for a PDF version of this blog) Theres a fundamental argument in the health care... Continue Reading →
/* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} If you were to design a surveillance system for keeping our nation safe from terrorists how would you do it? You... Continue Reading →
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 →
I was recently involved in a debate about torture. During the debate, my opponent asked, has it ever occurred to you that the people who are allegedly being tortured have information that could save lives. They are not being tortured for the sport of it, you know. Really? Theres a problem with this claim. A... Continue Reading →
v:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} b:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} Many liberals are expressing concern over the Obama Administrations disappointing position regarding torture. On one hand the administration appears to be coming clean on the Bush Administrations legal acrobatics around the torture issue. The release of the now infamous torture memos and the endless stream of information... Continue Reading →
The Mad Sociologist Blog 