It's Charles Darwin's birthday. He's a tad older than Cindy. If he were alive today, what would he think (beyond "how do I get out of this coffin?"):Some scientists weigh in on that. Excerpt:Even though the laws governing inheritance were being worked out by Austrian…
So Grammy's Record of the Year goes to Robert Plant and Alison Krauss. That's quite a transformation for the former lead singer for Led Zeppelin.From "Please Read the Letter" (2007):Once I stood beside a well of many wordsMy house was full of rings andCharms and…
"Weekends don't count unless you spend them doing something completely pointless." -- Bill WattersonSo what are you not doing this weekend? Anything on your mind?
Sunday is go-to-meeting day. Saturday is recreation day. Friday is the beloved end of the work week (for most). Monday is the cursed return day. Wednesday is hump day and a character on the "Addams Family." Tuesday is enshrined in song "Ruby Tuesday." And, of…
The Secretary of State's Office in Olympia reports that public libraries in Washington are seeing increased usage during the economic downturn. Patron visits are up 7.5 percent. Material checkouts are up 11.22 percent. Online visits are up 20.21 percent. Reference transactions are up 4.41 percent.…
Two comments in today's paper related to the demise of Tom Daschle. Think this heralds a new day on ethics in government or will this continue?Here is Smart Bombs. And the Our View editorial.
I share a birthday (no, not today) with Ronald Reagan. If that doesn't kill astrology ...What's up? Or, as the kids say, What up? Or are those kids adults now?
In an article in the current issue of Media Ethics, co-authors Theodore Glasser and James Ettema address the concept of accountability as the essence of journalistic ethics. They say: "Our being-ethical-means-being-accountable theme emphasizes ethics as a process, not an outcome; an argument, not a choice."I…
Q. Why won't Obama release his real birth certificate? A. It shows he wasn't the product of a virgin birth.Got any good political jokes? Anything else on your mind? As always, keep it clean.
Caroline Kennedy tells the New York governor that she won't be seeking the Senate seat vacated by Hillary Clinton, who, by the way, was confirmed as secretary of state.Kennedy says her uncle's decline factored into the decision. Strikes me as a decision looking for a…
The Oregonian calls for Mayor Sam Adams to resign after he confesses to lying about a relationship with a teenage boy. Unlike Jim West, Adams is openly gay. The age of the boy when the affair started is a point of contention: 17 or 18?The…
Almost called it Monday's Loose Thread. Four days' work in five days. Ready, set, go!(Obama citizenship comments should go in Friday's Loose Thread for continuity. Thanks)
A Matter of Opinion is really a matter of three opinions – those held by the people responsible for the opinion pages of The Spokesman-Review. Check in regularly to find out what they’re up to, what they think and where they differ and to joust with them if you want.