Justin Katz
And things just get worse for the town of Tiverton: Three discrimination suits against the town filed by female employees in Police Department resurrect the controversy involving former Town Administrator W. Glenn Steckman 3rd and his failed attempt to fire Police Chief Thomas Blakey. Blakey was reinstated by the Town Council nearly a year ago.…
The following passage from Jonah Goldberg’s Liberal Fascism struck me as relevant to the (thankfully abated) speculation of Barack Obama’s assassination: On November 22, 1963, John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. As if on cue, Dallas was christened “the city of hate.” A young TV reporter named Dan Rather heard a rumor that…
Part of advice columnist Carolyn Hax’s response to a letter asking about etiquette for not telling sexual partners how many have stood where they stand (so to speak) jumped out at me (emphasis added): … since dismissing people as judgmental and insecure without giving them a chance to speak for themselves could reasonably be considered…
For some light, educational weekend entertainment, give Questionaut a try. Solve simple point-and-click puzzles in a well set world in order to spur the characters to quiz you on various topics so that you may rise to the next level. Adults should find the questions pretty easy, but be aware that the makers are European,…
Jon Pincince responds to my most recent post on same-sex marriage essentially by making the counter-assertion: First, of course society should “allow dissenting opinions about the significance of homosexual relationships,” but those opinions should not be written into our laws to deny equal civil rights to those who enter into what some may consider less…
Sometimes historians skip a step or two by juxtaposing their own opinions on historical facts and then applying the “lesson” to the current day with little explanation. Such is the case with Champlain College Distinguished Scholar in History Willard Sterne Randal’s musing on the history of religion in campaigns: No presidential election since 1800 has…
The latest instance of corruption and abuse of position in RI government gave me an idea for legislation: The Rhode Island State Police have charged a Department of Administration employee with felony embezzlement for allegedly stealing cash from the agency. The police said an investigation revealed that longtime state employee Patricia Pirolli, 59, of 15…
Some folks see a headline screaming “no link” and run with the statement, claiming vindication and calling for investigations into the president’s supposed war crimes. Other folks look more closely at the report (PDF) and notice such things as the abstract: Captured Iraqi documents have uncovered evidence that links the regime of Saddam Hussein to…
As Anthony Picarello, General Counsel for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, explains marriage isn’t just about the rights of the individuals; it’s about the individuals’ relationship with society: The moral implications of changing the definition of marriage are where the debate has been largely centered. But, the legal implications of that same change are…
Reading news of Providence Mayor Cicilline’s intention to borrow money from the federal government to deal with foreclosed neighborhoods brings to mind, once again, the fact that debt is excluded from municipalities’ spending increase maximums. Standing on a sidewalk lined with boarded-up houses in the city’s West End, Mayor David N. Cicilline yesterday announced plans…