Jonathan Miller's Blog, page 432

The RP's Weekly Web Gems: The Politics of Wealth

The Politics of Wealth

The confusing politics of the Sport of Kings: jockey Calvin Borel and Kentucky Derby 137. [ESPN]

The Magical Mystery Tour II: Did Michael Jackson, Elizabeth Taylor and Marlon Brando really take a road trip together to escape New York in the aftermath of 9/11? [The Guardian]

Wal-Mart tops the Forbes 500 list for the second year in a row. [Fortune]

The world's richest supermodels: comparing their assets. [Forbes]

Lifestyles of the rich and infamous: how Bin Laden's million...

The RP's Kentucky Derby Picks

Tomorrow is a quasi-religious holiday in my home state — the one day we put aside our obsession with college basketball, and focus on something truly spiritual:  a two-minute race, involving about 20 three-year-old thoroughbred horses and a bunch of vertically-challenged guys riding on top of them.

Wherever you are, you might have an opportunity to place a small wager on the race, or to select a horse's name on a piece of paper from a punch bowl at a Derby party.  Because The Recovering...

The RP's Weekly Web Gems: The Politics of the Planet

Taking organic farming to the next level, some small producers and ditching their tractors and harnessing their oxen.  [nytimes.com]

Not all non-native species wreak havoc on an ecosystem, sometimes they can restore it.  [yahoo.com]

Tilapia consumption has drastically increased in the US, but the health and environmental drawbacks may make you think twice about eating it. [nytimes.com]

The greenest places in America are actually the most urban places. [time.com]

RPTV Friday Video Flashback: Carte Goodwin Casts First Vote as Senator

If you read contributing RP Carte Goodwin's inaugural piece on Wednesday, you learned that the first vote he cast in his brief four month tour of duty as a U.S. Senator was one of his most important.  Indeed, Carte was the deciding vote to break a fillibuster in order to extend unemployment benefits to some of the nation's most needy citizens.

Today's RPTV Friday Flashback memorializes that epic moment in Carte's life:

The RP's Weekly Web Gems: The Politics of Wellness

Here's some scientific proof that we're hard wired to think that Osama Bin Laden's death is victory over the "bad guys" of the world. [Time]

After years of controversy, a health clinic for porn stars in Los Angeles closes. [Associated Press]

A new study shows that fat taken from the body during liposuction reappears… but in different places. Gross! [NY Times]

Take a look at the world's ten worst foodborne pathogens, and what you can do to protect yourself. [Wall Street Journal]

The New Yorker...

The RP's Weekly Web Gems: The Politics of Love

The Politics of Love

Okay, just in case you needed a reminder, if you look at porn on your employer's computer—at work, no less—even for just a nano-second and even if you say it's for research, you can and will be fired!! [Wired]

In some good news for both immigrants and lovers, Attorney General Eric Holder vacated an immigration decision this week that would have deported Paul Wilson Dormain based on the AG's review of the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act. [Poliglot] 

In the...

SITE ANNOUNCEMENT: The RP's KY Derby Picks Here at 2:15 EDT

Because we at The Recovering Politician care about providing you with pertinent information on timely issues, today at 2:15 PM EDT, the RP, the Contributing RPs, the Friends of RP, and even the RP Staff will be providing you with their picks for the Kentucky Derby, to be run tomorrow.

If you are a sports fan, or if you simply are looking to make a contribution to Kentucky's struggling horse industry, be sure to tune back here at 2:15 PM.

Don't say that we didn't warn you.

RPTV: Fifteen Minutes of Fame with Dan Hynes

Today, we debut a new contributing RP through the magic of Skype video.

Dan Hynes served with distinction for three terms and twelve years as Illinois' state Comptroller.  He took two tries to leap to higher office, once barely losing a Democratic primary to the incumbent Governor (2010), and once finishing in second in a Senate primary (some guy named Obama won that race.)

An expert in fiscal management and public pension funds, Dan speaks with the RP about the economic outlook for our states ...

Tomorrow at The Recovering Politician

Friday we have some big doin's at The Recovering Politician.

First, at 8:30 AM, we debut our 15th (15th!) contributing RP.  He was a longtime, very popular statewide officeholder, who came from a political dynasty in his state.  He shot twice for higher office, but each time lost narrowly in the primary, once to someone named Barack Obama.  He will share his expertise on today's economy, and his reflections on his once rival, now friend, the President of the United States.

Later, since Carte...

The RP's Weekly Web Gems: The Politics of Speed

The Politics of Speed

In honor of one of Kentucky's oldest and greatest traditions this week's Politics of Speed will focus solely on this weekend's 137th Kentucky Derby. First up, get the results of the Derby prep races. [Thoroughbred Times]

Horse Racing Nation has a wealth of information on all the contenders. They also allow readers to rank each horse. Check out the ratings and give your own! [Horse Racing Nation]

The Louisville Courier-Journal has your guide to other events and attractions t...