Category Archives: RagBlog

New Years Day : J. D. Salinger Turns 90

Still Paging Mr. SalingerBy Charles McGrath / December 31, 2008 On Thursday, J. D. Salinger turns 90. There probably won’t be a party, or if there is we’ll never know. For more than 50 years Mr. Salinger has lived in … Continue reading

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Lisa Sanchez Gonzalez : The Real Problem of the 21st Century

30 Rock’s Kenneth the page (Jack McBrayer): “What about white men?” I would go as far as to say that the defining problem of the 21st-century United States is not, as W.E.B. DuBois claimed of the 20th, the “color line.” … Continue reading

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Those Wacky Republicans : "Magic Negro" May Actually HELP Candidate Saltsman

‘Four days after news broke that the former Tennessee GOP chairman had sent a CD including a song titled “Barack the Magic Negro” to the RNC members he is courting some of those officials are rallying around the embattled Saltsman.’By … Continue reading

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2008 : Bush Blew it on Katrina, But Where Were the Progressives?

Speaker Nancy Pelosi in Chalmette, La., Aug. 14, 2007. Pelosi and a congressional delegation of Democrats were visiting Hurricane Katrina ravaged areas. With her are House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn, D-S.C. (right) and U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon, D-La. Photo … Continue reading

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The Real Melamine Story : The FDA Isn’t Protecting Us

Dr. Stephen Sundlof says traces of melanine in baby food “perfectly fine.” Photo by Paul J. Richards / AFP / Getty Images. Conscientious consumers who have followed the melamine story are appropriately outraged. Some have written off the FDA as … Continue reading

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Israel and Gaza : 100 Eyes for an Eye

Gaza’s central security headquarters and prison, known as the Seraya, after it was hit in an Israeli missile strike in Gaza City on Sunday. Photo by Adel Hana / AP. ‘Even if you set aside the magnitude of Israel’s violations … Continue reading

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Bush/Cheney : The Makeover and the Two Myths

Torture saved us and the surge worked. Not.By Robert Parry As George W. Bush and Dick Cheney make their case for some positive legacy from the past eight years, two arguments are playing key roles: the notion that torturing terror … Continue reading

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Offshore Drilling Rigs Could Be in California’s Future

The coast off Jenner, north of Bodega Bay, is one area that would be attractive to oil companies, but the Cordell Bank marine sanctuary would still be off limits. Photo: Brian L Frank/The Chronicle.Drillers eye oil reserves off California coastBy … Continue reading

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BushCo’s Abstinence-Only Program: A Bit Less Than Successful

New research shows that, whether or not they wear purity rings or make other pledges that they will protect their virginity, more than half of American teenagers become sexually active before they get married. Photo: Jonathan Dyer/Hilton Head Island Packet … Continue reading

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The Assault on Gaza and International Law

Hundreds rallied at Rockefeller Center on Sunday in an emergency protest against the Israeli attacks on Gaza. Go here for story, photos and video. Photo by Thomas Good / Next Left Notes.Talking Points: The Gaza Crisis If we are serious … Continue reading

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Dan Rather Lawsuit Will Linger After Junior’s Gone

CBS Newsman’s $70m Lawsuit Likely to Deal Bush Legacy a New Blow By Christopher Goodwin / December 28, 2008 As George W Bush prepares to leave the White House, at least one unpleasant episode from his unpopular presidency is threatening … Continue reading

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A History Lesson from Cuba: The PIC

Members of the Party: the Independents of Color. Photo: © Gloria Rolando, 2001.Cuba marks centennial of Independent Party of ColorBy Mike Taber / December 29, 2008 Two presentations on little-known history of party that championed black rights in Cuba in … Continue reading

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