Society, Science & Soul Wisdom

What America can Learn from Japan's Handling of the Tsunami Disaster

2012-03-12T04:47:00.000-05:00

NOTE: I wrote this post last year in the aftermath of the tsunami. In the ensuing twelve months I have come to have even greater admiration for the ways in which the Japanese people coped with this disaster. In the midst of devastation too big for mere words to encompass, Japan has shown itself to be the true leader of the democratic world. Yes, the United States has a larger Gross

Did Soldier who Killed 16 in Afghanistan Receive his Diploma from the Rush Limbaugh Show?

2012-03-11T17:51:00.007-05:00

Let me get this right. Several American soldiers burned copies of the Qur'an on a military base, mistaking these sacred books for trash. While Afghans rioted, most Americans dismissed this episode as an unfortunate accident. It was not merely because the Obama Administration said so, but also because there was no apparent motive. It just didn't make sense. Today we have a ghastly news

Cosmologists, Theologians, & "Turtles All the Way Down"

2012-03-05T19:00:00.001-06:00

The current issue of Astronomy Magazine left me as ticked off as that psychotic Glenn Close character in Fatal Attraction. But rather than tossing pet rabbits into the stewpot, I'm leaning towards boiling up a pot of my own turtle soup. Bruce Dorminey, author of the offending cover article "Before the Big Bang" promised to explore theories about what triggered the Big Bang and thus what came

Black American Finds Distant Relatives in the Ukraine, Norway, South Africa and Fiji (Sort of)

2012-03-05T14:27:00.000-06:00

Several weeks ago, I learned that I had distant relatives in Kiev, the capital of the Ukraine. Over the course of generations, they had spread throughout the region and spoke only the Ukrainian language and Russian. As an African-American, the news that my family could extend to the other side of the globe, was startling. But alas, that was just the beginning. More relatives turned up in

Rush Limbaugh, "Flashers" and Conservative Female Commentators

2012-03-05T12:22:00.004-06:00

Rush Limbaugh attacks college student Sandra Fluke I've had my suspicions for some time. But last week Rush Limbaugh exposed himself on national radio. Now we know what he really is -- a flasher. The man doesn't need a filthy trench coat with missing buttons, when he has the radio waves and a captive audience in the millions. Why else would the 61 year old, thrice-divorced, oxycontin-addict

According to FOX News: Obama MADE Limbaugh call Student a "Slut" & "Prostitute"

2012-03-04T12:41:00.000-06:00

When the Rupert Murdoch scandal erupted in Britain, I wished and prayed that it would ensnare FOX News and bring them down. That hasn't happened. But the good news is that FOX may have decided to chop off its own head. How else can one account for FOX News commentator, Eric Bolling's claim that Rush Limbaugh called Georgetown law student, Sandra Fluke, a "slut" and "prostitute," at the behest

La Adicción de Los Estados Unidos por La Mano de Obra Barata: Lo Que Los Demócratas y Los Republicanos Pasan por Alto

2012-03-02T11:44:00.001-06:00

English version Lo que le falta al debate sobre inmigración que se está cocinando en el Congreso y en las legislaturas estatales es... bien... honestidad, tanto por parte del GOP como por parte de los demócratas. El problema de la inmigración en los Estados Unidos no está causado por hordas de mexicanos ni demás que se estén colando de forma ilegal por unas fronteras mal custodiadas, ni que

Memorias de Tokio Durante La Temporada de Florecimiento de los Cerezos

2012-03-02T11:25:00.000-06:00

English version Mis ojos se llenan de lágrimas cuando recuerdo Tokio al pasar los años, durante la temporada de florecimiento de los cerezos. A finales de marzo, las calles de la ciudad se llenan de turistas, de otras partes del Japón y del extranjero, que van a disfrutar del florecimiento de los "sakura" o cerezos. Puesto que estas delicadas flores tienen una corta vida, representan la

Quando a América Tornou-se uma Multidão de Linchadores, ou: As SUPERPOTÊNCIAS Nunca Têm que Dizer que Estão Arrependidas

2012-03-01T14:37:00.003-06:00

English version E Em março de 2003, uma pesquisa Gallup concluiu que 79% dos americanos achavam que a guerra do Iraque foi justificada, com ou sem evidências conclusivas de armas ilegais. Em 2012, esse número havia diminuído para 33%. Oops. . . nós mudamos nossas mentes! Durante o tempo entre essas duas pesquisas, 6.486 americanos perderam suas vidas na Guerra do Iraque, foram

Le jour où les États-Unis sont devenus une bande de lyncheurs ou les SUPERPUISSANCES n’ont-elles jamais de comptes à rendre ?

2012-03-01T14:35:00.005-06:00

English version E En mars 2003, un sondage Gallup révélait que 79 % des Américains estimait que la guerre en Irak était justifiée, avec ou sans preuves de l’existence d’armes illégales. En 2012, ce nombre s’est réduit pour atteindre 33 %. Oups… Nous avons

Federal Judge Cebull Exposes Reason so Many Blacks in Prison

2012-03-01T06:57:00.009-06:00

Judge Richard Cebull The Chief Federal Judge of Montana, Richard Cebull, forwarded the following email message to his pals: "A MOM'S MEMORY: A little boy said to his mother; ‘Mommy, how come I’m black and you’re white?’ His mother replied, ‘Don’t even go there Barack! From what I can remember about that party, you’re lucky you don’t bark!’ After the Great Falls Tribune published the story,

When America Became a Lynch Mob or do SUPERPOWERS Never Have to Say They're Sorry

2012-02-29T11:35:00.014-06:00

In March 2003, a Gallup poll concluded that 79% of Americans thought the Iraq War was justified, with or without conclusive evidence of illegal weapons. By 2012, that number had shrunk to 33%. Oops. . . we changed our minds! Between the time those two polls were taken, 6,486 Americans lost their lives in the Iraq War, a reported 32, 226 were seriously wounded, and an estimated one in five

Author of "The Help" Exploits Black Maid's Life Story

2012-02-27T07:00:00.002-06:00

Abilene Cooper, "The Help" author's family maid What a relief that "the Help" didn't win the Oscar for best picture. (See Melissa Perry-Harris's insightful comments here). Reviewers of Kathryn Stockett's "The Help" have credited this bestselling novel and #1 box office hit, with going beyond stereotypes. But did it do so by exploiting the ugliest stereotype of them all? On August

Dancing to the Rhythm of Life

2012-02-14T09:41:00.004-06:00

The more intellectual we perceive ourselves as being, the more self-conscious, foolish, and clumsy we feel in tapping into the wisdom of our bodies. However, rhythm and dance are as profound a set of tools for knowledge as reading. It is in the processing emotions through our bodies that we gain insight. We’re never too old to cultivate the gift of rhythm, to learn to harmonize our bodies to the

NPR's Diane Rehm Shushes Black Iraq Veteran

2012-02-03T12:19:00.019-06:00

NPR's Diane Rehm I'm an avid listener to the Diane Rehm Show on National Public Radio. But the shameful way she treated a caller to her show on February 3, 2012, left me shaking with outrage and sorrow. The male voice introduced himself as an African-American veteran, who had served in Iraq. Speaking in a manner that struck me as polite and authentic, but also poignant, he described how

Overweight African-Americans May be Addicted to Opioids in Wheat-Gluten

2012-01-30T12:21:00.007-06:00

One of the most puzzling public health issues of our times has been the skyrocketing obesity rate among African-Americans. In tackling this issue as an applied historian, I have uncovered a clue, nestled beneath the topsoil of agricultural history. In comparing nutritional patterns of African-Americans from the turn of the twentieth century to the present day, my research found that a

District Attorneys Should Be Investigated in Repeat Cases of Falsely Accused Black Prisoners Exonerated by DNA Evidence

2012-01-19T08:49:00.012-06:00

Justice is not in the law books. It resides in the human heart. What are each of us willing to put up with, to speak out against, to fight for? And what are we willing to blind ourselves to? Let me get more specific. Harold Richardson is greeted by his family after his release from prison. Harold spent 17 years behind bars for a crime that he did not commit. His sentence was vacated

Medical Professionals Shirk Responsibility for Obesity Epidemic

2012-01-15T23:32:00.000-06:00

I was listening to an interview show on the radio this morning, where several medical professionals condescendingly advised type II diabetics and people with obesity-related ailments to lose weight. Hog swaggle! The reason America is facing an obesity epidemic is because our medical paradigm is proving itself unable to grapple with the most serious health problem of our times. The medical

Is Israel's "Borderline Personality Disorder" Dragging U.S. Closer to War with Iran

2012-01-14T10:31:00.012-06:00

Israel today suffers from what mental health professionals call "Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)." Nations like humans can suffer trauma in their formative years, which predispose them to behave in ways similar to that of mentality unstable individuals. One of the most characteristic symptoms of this disorder is the uncanny capacity of the sufferer to generate chaos. It emanates from

Where is the Glory?

2012-01-12T09:25:00.006-06:00

One of the most emotionally monumental movies ever made was the 1989 Civil War drama "Glory." It is based on the preparations of the 54th Massachusetts battalion, the first black unit, to fight in the Civil War, and the Battle of Fort Wagner, South Carolina. This film is a powerful and I might even say beautiful depiction of one of the times in human history when the unspeakable agony of a

Duct Tape, Pranks and Child Abuse

2012-01-10T09:05:00.009-06:00

When I first learned of the two recent cases in which parents tied up their kids with duct tape and posted the photos on Facebook, I thought -- forget jail. These people need to be lined up in front of a firing squad. But when I calmed down enough to reflect on the situation, my thoughts took a 180 degree turn. The real problem is not immature parents, too dumb to realize that their

Some Gnostic Secrets of Marriage

2012-01-07T08:29:00.001-06:00

Kim Kardashian has her uses. But she cannot whisper in my ear the mystical secrets to a happy marriage. Nor can Mel Gibson, Will Smith or Jada Pinkett. For that precious advice I must turn to my dearest friends, Florence and Charles Tate, who will this year celebrate their 56th wedding anniversary. In a society where the divorce rate among African-Americans has skyrocketed to well over

How Could Immigration Officials Mistakenly Deport Black Teenager to Colombia?

2012-01-06T09:03:00.000-06:00

When I first heard the news report that a fifteen year old, black teenager from South Dallas, who spoke no Spanish, had been deported to Colombia, South America, I assumed this must be a bad joke. But when I learned that the story was true, something far more sinister churned in my historian's gut. The Fugitive Slave Act was passed in 1850, to return runaway slaves to the South. Bounty

High Blood Pressure in African-Americans, Salt & Timbuktu

2011-12-26T08:53:00.001-06:00

Slaves Marched Thousand Miles to Coast High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, has often been called "the silent killer." In the African-American community, it's presence seems almost genocidal. Forty-one percent of blacks have high blood pressure, as compared to 27% of whites. They develop it at younger ages and are more likely to suffer such complications as kidney diseases, stroke,

Should Doctors Focus on "Racial Genetics" as a Means of Reducing Black-White Health Disparities?

2011-12-17T09:51:00.000-06:00

19th Century Concept of Racial Types Even in this era of health care reform, inequalities in medical treatment and outcomes for African-Americans and other minorities compared to that of whites persist. But is the disproportionately high levels of high blood pressure, strokes, and kidney disease among blacks a reflection of reduced health care delivery for lower-status socioeconomic groups, or

Who Will Apologize to Grieving Parents of Fallen Soldiers for Mistaken Iraq War?

2011-12-15T08:52:00.013-06:00

Now that President Obama has declared the Iraq war officially over, who will apologize for this mistake? Will the White House have anything to say to the Iraqi people for wrecking their country, killing more than 100,000 civilians, and destroying a city with two thousand years of history? Perhaps Americans cannot be expected to mourn the losses of women and children in far off Iraq through

Mothers, Sons & Newt Gingrich

2011-12-10T12:24:00.008-06:00

I am not a pacifist. Sometimes countries and people do need to go to war in order to defend themselves and uphold their principles. However, I would lock my son in a closet before I'd let him give up his life in a meaningless war, initiated by politicians just trying to win elections. Admittedly, since my son is only nine years old, I might harbor overblown notions about what a mother

Kas Yra Meilė?

2011-12-01T16:28:00.004-06:00

English version Kas yra meilė? Širdyje esu romantikas. Mane visada domino skirtumas tarp „intelektualinių žinių“ ir „empirinių žinių“, nes manau, kad žinios meilėje vaidina tam tikrą vaidmenį. Skaityti knygą, kaip groti fleita, ar netgi mokytis skaityti muziką - „intelektualinė veikla“. Mokytis išgauti muziką instrumentu - „empirinė veikla“. Kaip tai siejasi su „meile?“ Man prireikė

Weight-Loss Secrets I Learned from Japanese Women

2011-11-19T14:48:00.002-06:00

The so-called experts scoff at desperate American women in search of a "magic weight loss pill," or some other simple solution to their weight problems. But it's the experts who may be the fools and gullible ones. I spent a year in Japan, which gave me a new perspective on food. How many experts and nutritionists in the United States tell overweight American women that there is no secret, no

Where was Mrs. Sandusky While Husband Molesting Young Boys at Couple's Home?

2011-11-16T14:10:00.003-06:00

Accused Child Molester Jerry Sandusky & Wife Where was Mrs. Sandusky for the last fifteen years, while her husband molested young boys in the basement of their State College, Pennsylvania, home? I don't mean to be unfair. After nearly three decades of marriage, I know all too well the pitfalls in assuming that a wife (or vice versa) is clued into the kinds of shenanigans a husband is

Why Penn State Officials Ignored Eyewitness Account of Sandusky's Rape of 10 Year Old Boy

2011-11-08T16:17:00.010-06:00

I'm feeling nauseous. There is a relevant piece of information that has been kept out of most media accounts of the unfolding Penn State scandal. Without it, the refusal of university officials to report or even reprimand Jerry Sandusky for raping young boys between the ages of 7 and 12 is truly incomprehensible. The missing fact is this. The victims were black. I had long thought the

A "Fatal Illusion" Killed Steve Jobs

2011-10-28T11:16:00.009-05:00

Steve Jobs I am still mourning the death of computer genius and entrepreneur, Steve Jobs. His gifts to the world, in information technology and other related fields have changed our lives forever. But could he have conquered the cancer diagnosis as he had so many other roadblocks in life? It is true that the prognosis for the pancreatic cancer that Jobs suffered, is low. But this is

Conversations with Philosopher & Kenpo Master Sifu Mack

2011-10-21T19:41:00.047-05:00

Kenpo Master Dr. Alvin Mack Portrait artist: Ed Parker, jr. My son began kindergarten in Okinawa. In the afternoons when I would go to pick him up from school, the style and rhythm of boys' play was different from what I had been accustomed to at home in the United States. Learning that Okinawa, this beautiful island off the coast of Japan, was the birthplace of karate, suddenly put the

As the Dream of Human Space Travel Fades

2011-10-20T13:55:00.007-05:00

I was in Barnes & Noble a few days ago, and noticed something odd about the Sci-Fi book section. More than half the titles were about warlocks, dragons and trolls, witches and magical wardrobe closets. And maybe that's not so bad. For as much as I love

FREE BOOK GIVEAWAY: The first 10 people to sign up as "Followers" on this blog will get a free copy of my latest book: DOES ISRAEL HAVE A FUTURE?

2011-10-11T19:44:00.007-05:00

In order to FOLLOW this blog, click on FOLLOWERS button in upper left column. Does Israel Have a Future? by Constance Hilliard, Ph.D. Description:The Jewish people are in greater danger than ever before. Given the debacle in Iraq, many Americans who had not taken a serious interest in the Middle East have begun asking themselves, What are we doing wrong? Why do we keep

Does Wife Acquitted of Murdering Batterer Husband Now Have License to "Terminate" Spouse #2 and #3?

2011-10-07T14:20:00.010-05:00

Barbara Sheehan Acquitted for Killing Batterer Husband Should feminists or anybody else be celebrating the acquittal of Mrs. Barbara Sheehan, The New York woman who pulled out two guns and fired eleven shots into her wife-beating husband? I sincerely hope not. There was no doubt that Mrs. Sheehan had killed the man. The question before the jury was whether she was justified because of 24

Occupy Wall Street is Morphing into a Super-Tsunami

2011-10-06T09:23:00.000-05:00

A tsunami is coming and political commentators are mistaking the drawback, that is the water receding from the beaches as a signal that the status quo is safe. This is not surprising. Political types detest the power of intuitive modes of communication. Everything has to be clearly laid out empirically -- with statistics, formulas, graphs and clearly-defined political agendas. But guess what?

Amanda Knox, Casey Anthony & Race

2011-10-05T13:31:00.010-05:00

Amanda Knox tried to pin murder on African man I had devoured the storyline put out by the public relations firm hired by Amanda Knox's family and supporters. Its message was that a sweet, young American white girl had been falsely prosecuted for murder in a little one-horse town in Italy, whose backwards law officials couldn't tell DNA from dog poop. But that was until I heard about a young

Is it Time to Ditch Barack in Favor of Michelle Obama for President?

2011-09-27T10:40:00.003-05:00

Since I have no intention of ever voting for Michele Bachmann, Sarah Palin, Rick Perry, Mitt Romney, Herman Cain, or anyone else the Tea Party controlled GOP throws up for election, it just may be time for me to launch a Draft Michelle Obama for President Campaign. It is true that voters seldom turn to the spouse of a living politician unless the elected official has disgraced himself beyond

Is Obama 'Damaged Goods' for Jewish Voters?

2011-09-26T09:22:00.008-05:00

Muslim world turning against Pres. Obama President Obama won a first term in office because he had formed a winning coalition of young liberals, blacks, Jews, union members and independents fearful of Sarah Palin's know-nothing style of politics. But why

After Humiliating UN Performance Obama Should Mail Back Nobel Peace Prize

2011-09-22T09:31:00.003-05:00

President Obama speaking at U.N. When the Nobel Committee awarded the Peace Prize to President Obama in 2009, I defended him against detractors who insisted that he didn't deserve the prize because he hadn't done anything of note. Still euphoric over the election of America's first black president, I saw this man of international stature bringing intelligence, courage and good sense to the

Conversations with Philosopher & Kenpo Master ( Sifu) Alvin Mack: On Self-Defense, Bullying & Being a Single Black Male

2011-09-15T12:46:00.027-05:00

Sifu Alvin Mac, Kenpo Master & Philosopher Last month I had the pleasure of spending an hour with one of the most inspiring people I have ever met. Dr. Alvin Mack, known by martial arts students around the world as "Sifu" (the Chinese honorific for Teacher), reflected on a host of timely subjects. What role if any can the martial arts play in empowering the victims of bullying or of

Israel's Future: a Premonition

2011-09-13T11:44:00.001-05:00

When my latest book, Does Israel Have a Future? came out in the Fall of 2009, the first shoots of the "Arab Spring," which swept away Egyptian dictator and friend of Israel, Hosni Mubarak, had not yet pushed their way above ground. An Egyptian mob had not yet invaded the Israeli embassy in Cairo and forced Israeli diplomats to flee. Turkey had not yet expelled the Israeli ambassador in a row

Japanese Women's Football Victory (なでしこジャパン) Stunned the Non-Sports World (But Shouldn't Have)

2011-09-12T11:16:00.005-05:00

Japanese Women's Football (Soccer) Team Win World Cup I wish to congratulate the Japanese Women's national football team, or Nadeshiko Japan (なでしこジャパン), for winning the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup. In a nail-biting penalty shootout, they beat the

Will 9/11 Observances Remember Iraqi Civilians Killed in Misguided U.S. Response?

2011-09-10T12:43:00.007-05:00

If only I could confine the wound in my heart to the 2, 988 men, women and children who died in the September 11, 2001 attacks on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon. But unfortunately, my emotions don't work that way. They refuse to be switched on or off depending on whose flag is draped over the victim's coffin. U.S. Army field reports record that 66,081 Iraqi civilian deaths between January

Has America Learned Nothing from 9/11?

2011-09-09T14:57:00.010-05:00

I won't be watching television or listening to the radio on Sunday. In fact, I turned them off this afternoon, unable to bear one more second of the media barrage, gearing up for the 10th year commemoration of the 9/11 tragedy. I am not heartless. I too

FOX News Pays Ambitious Young Women for "Talking Dirty"

2011-08-26T10:32:00.002-05:00

FOX News Commentators Several years ago, cable television's endless recycling of video clips propelled conservative news commentator, Ann Coulter, to quasi-stardom. The dirtier she talked, spewing anti-Semitic, and racist garbage, the larger her audience of conservative white males grew. Coulter had opened a niche for attractive and ambitious young blonds in the cable news business and FOX

Even a Whorehouse Madam Could Have Won Rape Conviction Against Lecherous Strauss-Kahn; So why Did New York DA Drop the Case?

2011-08-25T11:34:00.006-05:00

I'm embarrassed to say that I had never before paid attention to how our courts prosecute rape cases. But I should have. The fact that New York District Attorney, Cyrus Vance, dropped charges against former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn, accused of rape by hotel maid, Nafissatou Diallo, has set my b.s. meter wailing like a cyclone. And I'm having trouble finding a button that will turn the

Casey Anthony & DSK Rape Case Show U.S. Criminal Justice System Broken

2011-08-24T11:41:00.000-05:00

The standard that Manhattan District Attorney, Cyrus Vance applied in dropping rape charges against wealthy French politician, Dominique Strauss-Kahn (DSK), was that a person who can be caught in any kind of lie, is too tainted to present such a case to a jury. DSK's accuser, a hotel maid from Guinea, West Africa named Nafissatou Diallo, had apparently lied on an income tax return and on an

FOX News' "Pretty Girl" Style of Political Journalism

2011-08-19T14:01:00.003-05:00

As a feminist I laughed until my chair tipped over, when I read New York Congressman Charlie Rangel's response to guest host Laura Ingraham's badgering on Thursday's "O'Reilly Factor." According to the Huffingtonpost.com, Rangel quipped in frustration after Ingraham kept interrupting his efforts to answer her questions by throwing more questions at him: "'Bill O'Reilly

America's Addiction to Cheap Labor: What Both Sides of the Immigration Debate Overlook

2011-08-18T07:00:00.004-05:00

What the immigration debate heating up in Congress and state legislatures all across the country lacks is . . well. . . honesty, either from the GOP or Democrats. America's immigration problem is not caused by hordes of Mexicans and others illegally sneaking across an ineffectively guarded border, taking jobs away from unemployed Americans. Nor is it caused by government policies that

Election of America's First Black President Fueled Birther & Tea Party Movements

2011-08-06T12:01:00.004-05:00

Birthers at Tea Party Rally In electoral politics, someone must lose, with supporters of that candidate left grumbling on the sidelines. But the explosive energy that fueled first the Birthers and later the Tea Party Movements is a nuclear bomb blast beyond mere grumbling. And thoughtful observers are left to ask why? The noted Swiss psychiatrist, Carl Jung, would call the mainstreaming

Top Black Republicans Vying for Lead in Tea Party "Minstrel Show"

2011-07-21T17:01:00.020-05:00

What I couldn't for the life of me fathom was the increasingly strident and intolerant rhetoric of the top African-Americans in the Republican party. And then the truth struck me like the steamy odor of boiling chitterlings. Congressmen Allen West and Herman Cain are both auditioning for the same lead part in the Tea Party's yet-to-be-announced minstrel show. No other explanation makes

Are Palin & Bachmann Creations of Scandal-ridden Murdoch Media Empire?

2011-07-12T08:43:00.016-05:00

Since 2008, many Americans, myself included, have been stupefied by the rise to political celebrity of two anti-rational, mean-spirited women with nothing going for themselves other than sex appeal. But now I get it. The answer in short is Rubert Murdoch. Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann Sunday, the media mogul closed the 168 year old British newspaper, "The News of the World," in a

Will Jury System Survive Uproar over Casey Anthony Acquittal?

2011-07-07T14:54:00.002-05:00

As a blogger, I am grateful for the freedom not to be bound to those protocols of mainstream journalism that make it impossible to write what is real and true. Casey Anthony killed her two year old daughter, Caylee Marie. She didn’t “allegedly” do it. Nor is she innocent of that crime because 12 jurors found her "not guilty". In fact, we shall soon enough see that the O.J. Simpson verdict was

Casey Anthony Acquittal Raises Question: Is Trial by Jury A Medieval Throwback?

2011-07-05T15:48:00.007-05:00

A Florida jury has just acquitted twenty-five year old Casey Anthony, in the murder of her two-year old daughter, Caylee Marie. While I have no way of knowing how the jury reached its decision, I do know this. Since the 1995 acquittal of O.J. Simpson for the double murder of his ex-wife and a friend, the legal system of trial by jury has come under increasing attack. Growing segments of the

2011-06-06T09:46:00.004-05:00

I am on vacation and will be back on Tuesday, July 5.

Che Cos'è l'Amore?

2011-06-05T11:39:00.001-05:00

Sono una persona dal cuore romantico. E la differenza tra "conoscenza intellettuale" e "conoscenza che deriva dall'esperienza", mi ha sempre intrigato perchè credo che anche la conoscenza giochi un ruolo in amore. Leggere un libro sul suonare il flauto o anche imparare a leggere la musica è "intellettuale". L'allenamento che si fa per creare musica su uno strumento è "esperienza". Perciò, cosa ha

Afrikansk-Amerikaner Finner Fjerne Slektninger I Ukraina, Norge, Sør-Afrika, Og Fiji (Sånn cirka)

2011-06-04T08:40:00.002-05:00

English version For flere uker siden fikk jeg vite at jeg hadde fjerne slektninger i Kiev, hovedstaden i Ukraina. I løpet av generasjoner hadde slektningene mine spredt seg rundt i hele regionen og snakket kun det ukrainske- og russiske språket. Som Afrikansk-Amerikansk var det oppsiktsvekkende å få nyheten om at min familie har utvidet seg helt til den andre siden av verden. Men akk, det var

Does Our Lack of "Free Will" Doom Relationships

2011-06-04T07:00:00.002-05:00

The issue of whether or not humans have "free will," had always seemed a fascinating philosophical debate, although irrelevant to daily life. But the other day, I was glancing at the celebrity news headlines, while standing in line at Walmart, when the true significance of this subject struck me. Lindsay Lohan was in or out of jail. I forget which. Bristol Palin and Levi Johnston's wedding

No Room for Wall Street Crooks in Prisons Already Overcrowded with Blacks

2011-06-04T07:00:00.001-05:00

The U.S. has less than 5 percent of the world's population, but almost a quarter of the world's prisoners, according to New York Times columnist, Adam Liptak. However, of the 2, 297,400 men and women incarcerated in the U.S., 38.9 percent are black and not a single one of them is a Wall Street executive, responsible for the near collapse of the U.S. economy in 2008. Documentary film director,

امریکہ اپنی غلطیوں پر پاکستان کو قربانی کا بکرا بنانا بند کرے

2011-06-03T10:38:00.000-05:00

English version سچ تو یہی ہے کہ اسامہ بن لادن آٹھ سال تک پاکستان کے ایک بہترین علاقے میں واقع بنگلے میں رہتا رہا اور اپنی تین بیویوں کے ساتھ زندگی کے مزے لوٹتا رہا۔ ان برسوں کے دوران امریکی، جن میں میں بھی شامل ہوں، یہ سمجھتے رہے کہ دہشتگردوں کا سرغنہ تاریک

Why Casey Anthony Trial Provokes Questions about American Legal System

2011-06-02T11:36:00.006-05:00

Accused Mom Casey Anthony The longer I follow the trial of Casey Anthony, the woman accused of killing her two year old daughter, Caylee, the more troubled I am by the way the American legal system metes out justice. Not being a lawyer, I regret not having paid more attention to how our legal system functions before now. But why does no one in that Clearwater, Florida courtroom seem to

Thinking the Unthinkable: a One-State Solution to the Arab-Israeli Conflict?

2011-06-01T16:22:00.002-05:00

It is not hard to understand the feelings of isolation and aloneness that many Israeli Jews must feel, as they watch the daily unfolding of events, which have already ousted dictators in Tunisia and Egypt, with a promise of more to come. To make matters worse, the U.S. will never again be able to exercise the degree of influence favorable to Israel that it once had over the previous dictatorial

Have Arab-Israeli Peace Talks Reached a Strategic Dead end?

2011-05-31T07:00:00.016-05:00

President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are fumbling around new Arab-Israeli peace talks like two bewildered passengers finding the cockpit of a stalled-out 747 empty, they're pressing buttons willy-nilly. But no wonder. In sixty-five years of existence the Jewish state, successive U.S. administrations, Palestinians and neighboring Arab countries have cobbled

2011-05-30T11:21:00.002-05:00

I will be away for the Memorial Day weekend, and will see you back on Tuesday.

"Race" Researchers Offer Unflattering Portrayal of Asian Males

2011-05-27T10:31:00.002-05:00

In a recent interview, Dr. Satoshi Kanazawa, an evolutionary psychologist at the London School of Economics, asserted that black women are less attractive than women of other races. His claims were based on unfounded beliefs that women of African ancestry possess higher testosterone levels than females of other so-called races. In making such claims, I fear that Dr. Kanazawa may

Dividing World into Distinct Races Proves Medically Dangerous

2011-05-26T07:40:00.001-05:00

Dr. Satoshi Kanazawa, an evolutionary psychologist, at the London School of Economics recently announced (see my earlier blog post) that black women are less attractive than women of other races and that this "ugliness" is caused by higher testosterone levels. Neither assertion was based on proof of any sort, empirical or otherwise. However his efforts to divide the world into three

Неандертальцы будут представлены подающими надежды гениями согласно европейским исследованиям?

2011-05-25T13:51:00.000-05:00

English version До недавнего времени как в научных изданиях, так и в популярных журналах "неандертальский человек" изображался неуклюжим созданием с крепким скелетом, но низким уровнем интеллекта. Однако в 2010 году эта картина радикально изменилась. Никаких новых антропологических свидетельств в это время представлено не было. Вместо этого генетики обнаружили, что неандертальцы скрещивались с

Is Education Reform Headed the Wrong Way?

2011-05-25T13:40:00.001-05:00

When I accepted an academic position in 1991, I was the first African-American in a Department of twenty-seven. I didn’t know what to expect, although my colleagues proved to be helpful and welcoming. In scanning the landscape of the Humanities at my university and elsewhere, I came to see that racial issues played a far smaller role than did epistemological ones, that is “ways of knowing.” Two

Mathematics, not Diplomacy will Resolve the Arab-Israeli Conflict

2011-05-24T13:48:00.000-05:00

Flags of Israel and Palestine News commentators are parsing every syllable uttered by President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week in regard to jumpstarting peace talks. However, the two leaders' squabbling over the drawing of borders between Israel and a new Palestinian state, make it harder for Americans to see that the greatest impediment to peace

How Schwarzenegger-Love-Child Scandal Changed my Voting Behavior

2011-05-23T12:19:00.006-05:00

Arnold Schwarzenegger's admission last week that he had fathered a love child, more than ten years ago, jolted me as it did others around the country. This case was tawdrier than most for a host of reasons. The ex-Governor of California hid the secret not merely from his wife but from voters. He continued to have his secret lover working for the family. She gave birth just weeks before Mrs.

What's REALLY Behind Research Claiming Black Women are Less Attractive

2011-05-20T11:49:00.004-05:00

I feel sorry for Dr. Satoshi Kanazawa, the evolutionary psychologist at the London School of Economics, who recently declared in a blog post (now removed from Psychology Today), that black women are less attractive than women of other races. Being of Japanese origin, he is new to a field of pseudo-science, which has operated on American soil for nearly three hundred years. But in my own work as

Is Israel at a Strategic Dead end?

2011-05-19T07:00:00.009-05:00

President Obama's much awaited speech on the Middle East today is going to promise billions of dollars in foreign aid to Egypt and Tunisia. But if the White House thinks this payout will help it regain its major-player position in the region, it might as well keep the money and apply it towards our ballooning national debt. This is because momentous events in Israel this weekend should remind

DNA Evidence Shows Twice as Many African-Americans as Whites Wrongfully Imprisoned

2011-05-17T13:56:00.005-05:00

What should we make of a criminal justice system that wrongfully convicted 160 African-American men and women, nearly twice the wrongful incarceration of whites over the course of the last several decades? These statistics are even more alarming when we note that blacks make up a mere ten percent of the U.S. population, but 60% of those in prison. In each of the 160 aforementioned cases, DNA

Did Birthers & Tea Party Learn Political Tactics from African Politicans?

2011-05-16T07:58:00.000-05:00

The most difficult aspect of a democracy is learning to accept defeat graciously. President Laurent Gbagbo in the West African nation of Ivory Coast refused to step down, after losing the 2010 election to his rival, Alassane Ouattara. The ensuing conflict cost thousands of lives. Similar instances in which the incumbent's supporters refused to accept electoral defeat have caused eruptions in

In the Battle between Science & Religion in the U.S., Asia is the Winner

2011-05-15T11:00:00.004-05:00

I’ve never really understood the "science" of Creationism, even though I do recognize the human need for certainty in a world, governed, in all likelihood, by mathematical probability and chance. And yet, one needn’t practice a particular religion nor adhere to a prescribed creed in order to enjoy the advantages of modern dentistry, or use an iphone. What benefit, then, does Creationism offer

Is Rap Music REALLY More Violent than the "Stars Spangled Banner?"

2011-05-14T16:33:00.000-05:00

News commentator Bill O'Reilly has criticized First Lady Michelle Obama for including among a group of poets invited to the White House, the rap singer, known as "Common." He has over the years developed a reputation for himself as a "socially conscious" rapper, who according to U.S. News & World Report: ". . . has worked on the children’s show Sesame Street, and has written children’s books

האם לחילונים שאינם יהודים אחריות כלפי ישראל?

2011-05-13T12:45:00.000-05:00

English version מצאתי עצמי באחה"צ אחד בחודש נובמבר [2006], בוושינגטון הבירה, עם חלון של שלוש שעות בין פגישה אחת לבאה. זה היה הסמסטר בו התחלתי ללמד קורס חדש באוניברסיטת צפון טקסס בשם "ההיסטוריה של האלימות." למרות שהיסטוריה נלמדת לרוב לפי קנה-מידה של אורך חיי אדם או אפילו מאות ספורות, קורס זה אפשר לי לחקור, יחד עם תלמידיי, את תובנות ההיסטוריה המתועדת בנושא יכולת המניעה של התופעה החברתית של טיהור

Do Secular, Non-Jews Have a Responsibility towards Israel?

2011-05-13T12:39:00.000-05:00

Hebrew version I found myself one November afternoon, [2006] in Washington, D.C. with three hours to spare between meetings. That semester, I had begun teaching a new course at the University of North Texas, called "The History of Violence." Even though History is usually studied on the scale of a human lifetime or even that of centuries, this course allowed me to explore with my students

VAD ÄR KÄRLEK?

2011-05-11T15:47:00.000-05:00

English version Vad är kärlek? Jag är en romantiker i själ och hjärta. Ändå har skillnaden mellan "intellektuell kunskap" och "experimentell kunskap" alltid intresserat mig eftersom jag tror att kunskap också spelar en roll när det gäller kärlek. Att läsa en bok om hur man spelar flöjt eller till och med att läsa noter är "intellektuellt". Övandet som krävs för att skapa musik på ett instrument

America Should Stop Scapegoating Pakistan for U.S. Blunders

2011-05-11T09:58:00.000-05:00

Yes, it is true that Osama bin Laden has for the past eight years lived in a mansion, in an upscale Pakistani suburb, enjoying the luxuries of a harem, housing his three wives. During those years, Americans, myself included, imagined the terrorist mastermind cowering in dank caves, subsisting on grubworms. Even so, that should be no reason to scapegoat Pakistan for America's unacknowledged "

Exposing Birther Chief's Foreign Agenda

2011-05-10T12:41:00.000-05:00

The first time I saw the founder of the Birther movement, Dr. Orly Taitz, perform her "ditzy blond routine" on network television, I sensed that all was not as it seemed. This woman might have been gaining media attention as a loud-mouthed “looney-tune,” but she was also having a powerful impact on the American body politic. Within less than a year Taitz had turned nearly sixty percent of

Foreign Elements in Birther Movement Talking "Ethnic Cleansing"

2011-05-09T09:53:00.000-05:00

Homegrown American bigots are annoying as bedbugs. But they rank as bumbling amateurs when it comes to the "ethnic cleansing" mentality of foreign elements seeping into the Birther Movement. Shortly after birther leader, Orly Taitz, presented a fake copy of President Barack Obama's birth certificate to the Supreme Court, she disappeared and wound up two days later in Tel Aviv. Fearing the

Des Éléments Étrangers dans le Mouvement "Birther" Parle de « Nettoyage Ethnique»

2011-05-09T09:00:00.000-05:00

Les bigots américains du cru sont si ennuyeux que les punaises. Mais ils se rangent en tant qu'amateurs gaffants quand il s'agit de mentalité de « Nettoyage Ethnique» appartenant aux éléments étrangers qui s'infiltrent dans le Mouvement Birther. RELATED POSTS: [PART I] Were Birthers in Congress Duped by Foreign Agent Provocateur? [Part II] Were Birthers in Congress Duped by Attractive

Seeking My Ancestors' Most Enduring Legacy

2011-05-07T12:00:00.000-05:00

It is in some ways ironic that my African slave ancestors landed on America's shores stripped of their dignity, human possessions and in chains. This is because they did carry along with them an arsenal of such potency that American society would forever be transformed. It was "soul," not in the theological sense, but in the most compelling sense of cultural enrichment. Poet and dramatist, Amiri

[Part II] Were Birthers in Congress Duped by Attractive Agent Provocateur?

2011-05-06T12:07:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, Orly Taitz, the founder and principal spokesperson for the Birther movement, is a highly educated woman, pretending to be a "ditzy blond." She graduated from the prestigious Hebrew University in Jerusalem, practices dentistry, has a law degree, real estate license, and speaks English, Russian, Hebrew, Romanian, and Spanish. Contrary to what several

[PART I] Were Birthers in Congress Duped by Foreign Agent Provocateur?

2011-05-05T09:31:00.000-05:00

The "ditzy blond" routine of the birther's leading spokes person, Orly Taitz, is fake. This woman is highly educated, professional, and driven, but not by lunacy. She has an agenda, of that I am certain. But who then does she work for? In 2009, when Taitz was creating a public persona for herself, some bloggers argued here and here, that the woman was either a Russian spy or that she was

Birther Leader Orly Taitz May Not be U.S. Citizen

2011-05-04T18:50:00.000-05:00

Russian-born Birther Leader Orly Taitz Not only is the principal spokesperson for the U.S. birther movement, from Russia, but she may not even be a naturalized American citizen. Of course, her English pronunciation could use an intensive course in accent-reduction as well. Born in the former Soviet Union, Orly Taitz, immigrated to Israeli in 1982, during a highly controversial wave of

(5) How U.S. Support for Sociopathic Dictators BACKFIRED "Blowback Iran"

2011-05-04T18:18:00.000-05:00

This three part series will explore America’s attempts to build up and rely on sociopaths to protect U.S. strategic interests abroad. This policy assumed that the single-minded, conscienceless vigor such psychopathic dictators displayed in pursuing their own interests, would work for ours as well. But alas, that tactic backfired – big time. It precipitated the World Trade Center bombings, wars

(4) How U.S. Support for Sociopathic Dictators -- BACKFIRED "CIA Personality Studies"

2011-05-04T18:16:00.000-05:00

(3) How U.S. Support for Sociopathic Dictators BACKFIRED ""Torture & the Shah"

2011-05-04T18:12:00.000-05:00

(2) How U.S. Support for Sociopathic Dictators BACKFIRED: "The Root Doctrine"

2011-05-04T18:10:00.000-05:00

(1) How U.S. Support for Sociopathic Dictators in Iran, Iraq, & Egypt -- BACKFIRED

2011-05-04T18:08:00.000-05:00

Comment Oussama ben Laden a Tué le Mouvement des "Birthers"

2011-05-03T14:08:00.000-05:00

English version La semaine dernière, le président des États-Unis et commandant en chef, a été immergé dans la planification et la direction de l'incursion la plus audacieuse qui était jamais entrepris dans la mémoire récente. Oussama Ben Laden Comme arrive parfois avec des zombies, "les Birthers"sont les derniers à savoir qu'ils n'existent plus. Toutefois mardi, le président Obama a dû

How Osama bin Laden Killed the Birther Movement

2011-05-03T09:31:00.000-05:00

As sometimes happens with zombies, the Birthers may be the last to know that they no longer exist. Last week, the President of the United States and Commander-in-Chief was immersed in the planning and directing of the most daring raid ever undertaken in recent memory. Meeting with intelligence and military advisers, the President had momentous decisions to make, which would lead "Team Six," a

东京樱花盛开季节的回忆

2011-05-01T09:06:00.000-05:00

English version 在这樱花盛开的季节,当我回忆起东京过去的数年，我的眼睛里充盈着泪水。三月底的城市街道上挤满了游客，来自日本的其他地区和国外，他们来观赏樱花（sakura出自日语），是因为微妙的樱花只有短暂的一生，樱花的生命阐述了日本佛教文化中的“无常“哲理。这个赏樱花的季节，家人和朋友相聚在盛开的樱花树下野餐，相互庆贺，到处都是。然而，今年，外国游客人群数量减少，政府正努力控制距东京150英里内的核反应堆危机，日本民众将在地震引起的海啸灾难中丧生的亲人集体埋葬。唯一不曾改变的是，观赏樱花的人们深深的思索着过去的两千年，生命是如此的短暂。