There have been many adjectives to describe the unfitness of president Trump to hold the highest office in the land. Even the term “crazy” has been offered as a reason for his sometimes chaotic performance. If indeed Trump is unhinged it maybe that such behavior is necessary to correct the abysmal shape of the economy that the Obama administration left him. Recovering from the … [Read more...]
Dim and Dimmer: Ghost of Jim the Dim Rides Again
I have not been alone among political pros in terming GOP U.S. Senator Dean Heller and Attorney General Adam Laxalt as narrow favorites this November. Heller’s race is not even included in Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee fundraising e-mails which tout close contests everywhere but Nevada. Donkeyite gubernatorial nominee Steve Sisolak has even generated letters to … [Read more...]
Of Real Marriage and Divorce
Last week, I talked about the paradox of “already is but not yet.” I noted that marriage and divorce were strange bedfellows, having something in common regarding this paradox. Marriage is not as simple as “I do” and “I will.” Marriage claims a reality already here; but then the partners spend the rest of the lives realizing the reality not yet here: An Entire … [Read more...]
Parents Need to Weigh ‘Social’ Promotion Options
Up until the third grade, students are learning to read. After that, they should be reading to learn. That is why in 2015 Nevada lawmakers passed a bill dubbed Read by 3, requiring schools to have students who have not achieved a certain level of literacy to be retained in the third grade. It was modeled after a law passed in Florida in 2002 that quickly increased reading … [Read more...]
Parents, Children and Our Flaws
When Sigmund Freud presented his life’s work to western civilization, everything changed. A cultural savant, Freud’s psychoanalytic theories literally rewired our world view of individuals, relationships, and especially child-rearing. It’s always been true that parents and surrounding family dynamics fundamentally shape the psyches of growing children, leaving etched, more … [Read more...]
Judge Confirms Gun Background Check Law Unenforceable
A district court judge brought the hammer down on backers of a voter-approved initiative intended to require background checks prior to gun sales by private individuals, telling them the courts and the executive branch cannot fix the problem they themselves created. The Background Check Act, Question 1 on the November 2016 ballot, passed by a whisker with only 50.45 percent … [Read more...]
Celebrities MIA
When I am interviewed about the manner in which Reno has changed from the golden ages (1950-1970) I note that in addition to the many structures that have disappeared and the new buildings that have arisen there has been a dearth of worldwide celebrities visiting the region. Those celebrities came from the world of the entertainment, sports, politics and business … [Read more...]
Good Reasons to Lie to Those Pesky Pollsters
Longtime Barbwire victims know that I’ve often advised people to lie when a pollster calls. It’s a way to keep campaigns responsive rather than making all their decisions via Madison Avenue marketing research techniques. Years ago, one of my idols, the late-great Chicago columnist Mike Royko, rocked the stodgy political establishment and the fake news media to their … [Read more...]