Right Wing Exploits The Northwest Airlines Terrorism Episode

Ken AshfordObama Opposition, War on Terrorism/TortureLeave a Comment

The Village Voice wrote my post for me.  Some excerpts: Napolitano has not been too sharp in her response to the incident, but her statements that the TSA performed well in the aftermath of the incident ("once this incident occurred, everything happened that should have"), and that there is at present "no indication" of a wider plot behind the crotch-bombing, … Read More

They Would Have Died That Day, But Instead….

Ken AshfordRandom MusingsLeave a Comment

…. they found each other.  Awwwwww: While waiting in La Guardia airport for his flight back home to Charlotte, North Carolina, on January 15, 2009, Ben Bostic happened to notice Laura Zych, a chic, pretty brunette. She ended up on the same plane, but not the same row. “I would have totally forgotten about it,” he said later, “if it … Read More

The Dumbest Response to The Detroit Terrorist Bombing Attempt

Ken AshfordWar on Terrorism/Torture2 Comments

From the New York Daily News: Strict security rules put into place Saturday will require commercial airline passengers on international flights to stay in their seats for an hour before landing. The measure was among those imposed by the Transportation Security Administration after a suspected terrorist tried to blow up a Northwest flight as it was landing in Detroit. "Among other … Read More

Merry Christmas

Ken AshfordBlogging1 Comment

Light blogging continues through the holiday season. I'll be travelling — totally stalkable here (although not ALL the time). Proud of the Bubs.

Independent Cinema Coming To Winston-Salem

Ken AshfordLocal Interest, Popular CultureLeave a Comment

About time, too. I heard it on the local NPR this morning.  A new arts cinema is opening — 2 screens, 160 seats, beer, wine, and a whole bunch of movies you’ve probably never heard of — all in downtown Winston-Salem. It's called Aperture Cinema and as the video shows, it's coming together fast…. Their first showings are scheduled for … Read More

Boston University LipDub

Ken AshfordYoutubeLeave a Comment

Over 120 students and the BU Dean of Students cut loose a little during final exams a few days ago to make this: LipDubbing is, of course, the newest fad.  Even ministers of the Sarkozy government in France are doing it, so can a White House LipDub be far behind? The fad is still young, but I think Bloomingdale High … Read More

Most Viewed Youtube Videos Of 2009

Ken AshfordYoutubeLeave a Comment

(1)  Susan Boyle performing on "Britain's Got Talent" (non-embeddable) (2)  David after Dentist (3)  JK Wedding Dance Entrance (4)  Twilight preview video (embeddable but I won't waste my space on it) (5)  Evian Ad with rolerskating babies

Why We Are Where We Are

Ken AshfordEconomy & Jobs & DeficitLeave a Comment

Conservatives have been going full force in blaming Obama for the exploding deficit.  And it's true, the stimulus package did mushroom the deficit. But the thing to remember is that Obama inherited a huge deficit from Bush and a crummy economy (the two are not necessarily the same).  And the stimulus spending, while adding to deficit woes, was necessary to … Read More

Time, Please Define “Mattered”

Ken AshfordPolls, Popular CultureLeave a Comment

It's that time of year when Time magazine comes out with its "Person of The Year" accolade, usually to much guffawing and consternation.  And to be honest, the Time award thing really has gone downhill since I won it in 2006. So Time chose Ben Bernake this year, which is a fine choice, to the extent that he embodies the … Read More

Glee Get Menzel

Ken AshfordPopular Culture1 Comment

Well, they had Chenowith, so…. why not?  She'll be portraying the coach of McKinley High's rival glee club Vocal Adrenaline.

Look At This, Joe Lieberman

Ken AshfordHealth CareLeave a Comment

Jackie Kelly, 61, with cancer: Kelly was a stay-at-home mother who raised her six children and went on to help raise her grandchildren, while her husband John worked as a truck driver for 50 years. When John Kelly, 68, retired he was able to go on Medicare, but Kelly was not old enough. With no private insurance, the couple was also … Read More

Sexting Survey Results

Ken AshfordSex/Morality/Family ValuesLeave a Comment

Let's break it down, shall we? Nearly one-sixth of teens who own cell phones have received nude or nearly nude images via text message from someone they know, according to a new survey on "sexting" from the Pew Internet & American Life Project. Okay.  This doesn't necessarily mean they have received nude or nearly nude images of friends/classmates, does it?  … Read More