Share: I have never been a fan of the Republican Party, and it has little to do with their politics. Ever since I began developing my own political opinions during the onset of the wars with Afghanistan and Iraq, I had a nagging feeling that much of the way the GOP played was dirty. Filthy, even. The shameless emotional ploys, such as the fear of terror attacks being used to justify the encroachment on civil liberties, or the “family values” that translated into shaming patients …
Outrage!
Share: Outrage seems to be a good approach to anything these days. Outrage over politics, outrage over social injustice, outrage via Twitter, outrage everywhere one can. The most damaging aspect of this approach – beside the obvious fact that people make exceptionally poor decisions when irate – is that when outrage surrounds an issue, there comes with the outrage a false equivalence. The unwary spectator can easily be misled into believing there is actually something to be outraged about. Follow:
The heavy metal legends return
Share: Initially founded in Berlin in 1994, Deutsche Neue Harte band Rammstein rose quickly to fame in the United States, mainly from having been featured on the soundtrack of the David Lynch film “The Lost Highway,” and the massive radio success of their first U.S. single, “Du Hast Mich.” They capitalized on their success by taking part in the infamous Family Values Tour, which featured many metal and alternative bands famous at the time, including Rage Against the Machine and Cypress Hill. While they haven’t …
Sidewalk Cafe: Espresso with a touch of kitsch
Share: The local coffee shop is a place many hold near and dear to their hearts. If one looks past the local Starbucks, local cafes give us that warm, fuzzy feeling. Nestled in a walking district, or on the corner next to a college campus; over-plush lounge chairs, soft lighting and friendly acquaintances beckon us to sit and relax. The coffee shop gives us two things: caffeine and hygge. Simply put, they are irresistible. Brief aside: hygge is a Danish concept that is a quality …
Release to natural habitat
Share: Every once in a while, something happens in our criminal justice system that makes me shudder. Slated to be released (three years early) from his supermax federal prison sentence, John Walker Lindh – known to most as “American Taliban,” and to his fellow terrorists as Abu Sulayman al Irlandi, which means father of a man of peace of Ireland – will finally regain his freedom. Despite having been charged with ten felony counts, including murder but mostly in relation to weapons and terrorism, he …
Maestro’s ‘modern Mexican’ masters mediocrity
Share: Nestled into a corner of Memorial Square in downtown Pasadena, Maestro “modern Mexican” fare is, to be fair, adequately labelled. Its menu is loosely based somewhere within the umbrella of “Mexican,”and its interior and menu also strive to fit into the equally large umbrella of ‘modern.’ Follow:
Banning books: An undemocratic travesty
Share: Back in 380 BCE, Plato gave us the Allegory of the Cave, in which he discusses the effect of education, or lack thereof, on our nature. A better parallel could not be drawn regarding the impulse to burn and ban books than that of Socrates, Plato’s mentor, who was sentenced to die for ‘tainting’ the youth with education. In the Allegory of the Cave, Socrates illustrates the benefits of an illuminated mind through the parallel of a cave. In the cave there are men, …
PCC trustees fight against food insecurity on campus
Share: The board of trustees delegation recently opened a dialogue to expanding the subsidized lunch program to community colleges with federal legislators in Washington, D.C. this February. Follow:
High capacity magazine ban is a must
Share: The advent of mass shootings as an apparently valid and popular means of self-expression in the country has also brought to the foreground of national dialogue what role guns should play in our society. Follow:
Betsy Devos, the decentralizing demon
Share: Betsy DeVos has made waves throughout her tenure in the Trump administration (figurative waves, not the literal ones made by her $40 million tax-free yacht). Her beliefs about the role of government and education are shocking, considering she’s the Secretary of Education. But, they are also right in line with the no-regulation, businesses-take-all approach of her authoritarian boss – hence her job. But, just like her boss, her platforms are inherently unhealthy for our country. Follow: