What’s happening to Palestinians in Gaza, and the West Bank, is a tragedy. Yes, Palestinian militants have a long history of terrorism, and the Oct. 7 terror attacks incited the violent Israeli response. But the only “crime” of the Palestinian children being killed and maimed is un[...]
November 14th, 2024 - 11:33 pm § in Israel/Palestine, Schools & Colleges
This isn’t how to get sympathy for Palestinians
That was a nice health care system you had there …
… and it’ll be a real shame if something happens to it. Well, something may, because a re-elected Trump will appoint Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services, in effect putting a conspiracy theorist in charge of federal oversight over Americans’ health. This [...]
November 14th, 2024 - 10:27 pm § in Science
Are we alone in the universe?
A famous formula, the Drake Equation (explained here), argues there must be life elsewhere in the universe, based on probability principles. But Columbia University Professor David Kipping (profiled here) says, “Not so fast.” The devil is in the details. The moral of his 26-minute lectur[...]
“The Onion” buys InfoWars
Rightwing provocateur Alex Jones owes a $1.4 billion judgment to Sandy Hook families which he can’t pay. But he can pay something; after all, he made millions by selling supplements on his podcast show. To help satisfy that judgment, his assets are being sold off in bankruptcy court. One of th[...]
November 14th, 2024 - 12:36 am § in Law and Courts
Teen swatter headed for prison
When he was 16 years old, Alan W. Filion (photos below), of Lancaster, California, made at least 375 swatting calls targeting “religious institutions, schools and universities, government officials, and other innocent victims.” The malice of his swatting calls is illustrated by “a [...]
Dumbest senator doesn’t get advise and consent
“He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of th[...]
Should Biden pardon everyone on Trump’s “enemies list”?
The Atlantic thinks so; their headline says, “Pardon Trump’s Critics Now” (see story here), arguing Biden has a moral obligation to do so. However, I can think of reasons why he shouldn’t. First and foremost, people who haven’t committed crimes don’t need pardons,[...]
PHOTOGRAPHY: Enjoy this picture while you can
Having Biden as president was comforting. He led us out of the pandemic in a sensible manner, his handling of foreign affairs was wise, his infrastructure bill addressed long-neglected repairs and upgrades to the sinews of America’s economy. His leadership style was compassionate and upbeat, a[...]
PHOTOGRAPHY: Eric Trump’s odd haircut
This is an old story from 2017 (read it here), but it just came to my attention, and raises this question: Why does the Trump family, in this case Eric Trump (left, in photo below), keep reminding everyone of a certain German dictator? Odd coincidence? Return to The-Ave.US Home Page[...]
What the 2028 election might be like
The 2024 election was close, as polls predicted. Trump swept the battleground states, but in most of them, only by a point or two. The GOP picked up 3 Senate seats, all in red states, and may get a Senate seat in swing-state Pennsylvania (that race is undecided). It gained perhaps 1 seat in the [&he[...]