“The Newsroom”: S2E4 Review

Ken AshfordBloggingLeave a Comment

The title of the latest episode of The Newsroom is "Unintended Consequences", and the show is chock full of them.  While this show hit many of the story lines (and even linked a couple of them together), this was Maggie's show.   As with all the episodes this season so far, the events are framed around a person being interviewed at a … Read More

Duckworth Dresses Down IRS Contractor

Ken AshfordRandom MusingsLeave a Comment

It is one of those rare Congressional exchanges that's both dramatic and compelling: Yesterday during a House Oversight Committee hearing, Rep. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), who lost her legs and use of her right arm when she served in Iraq, dressed down an IRS contractor who used his military disability status to receive government contracts reserved for disabled vets. The catch? The … Read More

Miss Utah Crowned As New Youtube Babbling Pageant Contestant

Ken AshfordPageants, YoutubeLeave a Comment

It’s been six years, but the memory of Miss South Carolina Teen USA contestant Caite Upton tackling a pretty straightforward question about the geographical ignorance of our fellow Americans with words fished out of the garbage disposal is as fresh as ever: “People in our nation don’t have maps, The Iraq, like, everywhere such as, something something schools in the U.S. should … Read More

FCC Gives David Ortiz A Pass

Ken AshfordRed Sox & Other Sports, War on Terrorism/TortureLeave a Comment

During the nationally broadcast pre-game ceremonies last week — the one where the Boston Red Sox had their first home game following the Boston Marathon bombing — Red Sox player David Ortiz took to the microphone and spoke from the heart, uttering these words: “This is our fucking city, and nobody’s going to dictate our freedom.” Now remember, the Second … Read More

Today in the Supreme Court

Ken AshfordBloggingLeave a Comment

Early reports are that the Supreme Court is again concerned about standing in the DOMA case.  Roberts in particular noted that it was unusual for the executive branch to choose not to defend a law passed by Congress. So again, SCOTUS seems wary about even deciding the case. UPDATE: Final update: #scotus 80% likely to strike down #doma. J Kennedy suggests … Read More

Chilling Out, Maxing, Relaxing All Cool

Ken AshfordRandom Musings1 Comment

Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air Theme Song Prompts School Lockdown Travis Clawson's life got flipped, turned upside-down. A receptionist at an eye doctor's office in Pennsylvania called 19-year-old Travis Clawson on Thursday to confirm an appointment. Instead, she got an outgoing message that alarmed her. She thought she heard the teenager say something about shooting up the school. The receptionist then … Read More

Distracting Headlines

Ken AshfordRandom MusingsLeave a Comment

Report: As many as 8 people may be involved in avalanche in Scottish Highlands - @STVNews "Involved"?  What does that mean? Does that mean "buried" or "trapped"?  And if so, why not say that? Unless the headline is saying that these 8 people started the avalanche.  But if that's the case, then the headline should say that. *Sigh(