Jonathan Miller's Blog, page 415
June 14, 2011
Kathleen Kennedy Townsend: "Republican Virtues"? I Don't Think So
I've been mulling over a column by David Brooks on "The Politics of Solipsism" for the past couple of weeks. What he wrote is nervy to say the least. He argues that America has lost the republican virtues on which it was founded, namely, the curbing of self-centeredness in the interest of the public good. I too am a fan of Cicero, but Brooks fails in one of the primary republican virtues by not forthrightly acknowledging that Republicans, the adherents of Ayn Rand, are the ones who have most ...
The RP's Weekly Web Gems: The Politics of the Media
What are people making of Sarah Palin's recently released emails? Pretty much nothing. [NY Magazine]
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords just released her first public photos since she was shot at an Arizona constituent event in January, in an effort to prevent the release of paparazzi photos. Her chief of staff says she may be released from the hospital before the end of the month. [Poynter Institute]
Twitter didn't just create a new kind of political scandal, it also created this year's version of the...
The Politics of Fashion: Are Male Athletes Fashion's Newest "It" Boys?
Well, why don't you look at this? It looks like some of your favorite male athletes are once again trading in their cleats and Nike warm-ups for Prada loafers and Giorgio Armani suits. The latest rave in the men's fashion world is not Jorts (much to Kentucky fans' surprise) nor the UGGs for men that I mentioned a couple weeks ago (thank heavens!), but the reemergence of male athletes as fashion models. Huh? That's right – they're back. It happens almost every year, and 2011 is no different...
June 13, 2011
The RP's Weekly Web Gems: The Politics of Tech
Politics of Tech
Let me introduce one of the worst laws regarding technology in recent years. A ban signed into law last week by Gov. Bill Haslam will have this effect "Anyone who sends or posts an image online (and yes, that includes TwitPics) that they "reasonably should know" would "cause emotional distress" could face several months in jail and thousands of dollars in fines." Wow! [Engadget]
Newegg.com got a cease and desist from Best Buy for this one. [Youtube]
Google's R&D team has been...
The RP's Weekly Web Gems: The Politics of Faith
The Politics of Faith
This week's theme: Quote, unquote.
"Scripture tells you that all things shall pass," said Mike Ditka after was fired from his Chicago Bears coaching job. That passage, however, is nowhere to be found in the Bible. Ignorance and confusion often lead those who profess a deep faith rooted in this book to misquote it, sometimes with theologically and socially harmful results. [CNN Belief Blog]
A young, Catholic U.S. President once said, "I believe in an America where the...
WRITERS WANTED for Fathers' Day Edition of The Recovering Politician
A few weeks ago, I experimented with opening up the site to our readers for their Memorial Day tributes to beloved veterans.
It proved to be one of my very favorite days in the long, storied history of The Recovering Politician.
Well, there's one job that a man can hold that's even more important than military service. And we celebrate those men every third Sunday in June.
It turns out that Fathers' Day coincides this year with what would have been my own father's 73rd birthday.
So to celebrate ...
The RP's Weekly Web Gems: The Politics of the Web
The Politics of the Web
The internet is running out of IP addresses, but everything will be okay. [Mashable]
The U.S. helps support a "shadow internet" to assist dissidents around the globe. [Reuters]
This Weiner is staying put: New York Congressman Anthony Weiner fights calls for his resignation. [CBS]
Some U.S. Senators want to fight "bitcoin," a new internet-based currency they say is being used to further the global drug trade. [PC World]
It's official: The United Nations declares internet...
Artur Davis: The Power of Words
Words are a very powerful thing, especially in politics. The choice of sympathetic versus tough language alone can make the difference in how a political situation is perceived, especially in a situation as contentious as that in Palestine. Our very own contributing RP, Artur Davis, wrote an op-ed on the power of words for the Montgomery Advertiser:
Words matter in politics to the point that they often have equal weight with ideas.
That is why Republicans religiously describe the 2010 health...
June 10, 2011
The RP's Weekly Web Gems: The Politics of Wealth
The Politics of Wealth
Is Secretary of State Hillary Clinton planning to resign and take charge of the World Bank? [The Telegraph]
How Steve Jobs and Apple have rewritten the rules for Netflix, Amazon, and others. [Fortune]
Developer Robert Bigelow hopes to be the first landlord in space: details here. [Forbes]
Time to relax for the weekend: read the latest news on the Cuban cigar industry. []
Really want to relax? Here are five ways to beat summer airfare price hikes. [The...
The RP's Weekly Web Gems: The Politics of the Planet
The Politics of the Planet
Oyster Mushrooms can cut the time it takes diapers to biodegrade from 500 years to 6 months. [inhabitots.com]
What to do with the contaminated water from Tokyo nuclear power plants. Releasing it into the ocean could be a disaster for local fisherman. [wsj.com]
NJ Governor changes state's renewable energy goals to more "realistic" numbers. [nytimes.com]
Electric car companies aim to change the driving process, and also the buying process. [nytimes.com]
Looking at the...
