The all-important midterms, which could decide the balance of power for the next two years – and whether we will continue to progress or got bogged down in meaningless investigations and last-minute government shutdowns – are here. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 8, and millions of us have already cast our ballots, either by mail […]
Is the Cracker Barrel menu getting ‘woke’? Meat eaters rage on Facebook over addition of Impossible sausage — USA Today.com headline, Aug. 4, 2022 “Madge! MADGE! Come over here and tell me I ain’t seeing what I’m seeing on the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Facebook page. “No, not the Stuffed Cheese Pancakes. This — […]
During the 2016 campaign, I signed up for tickets to a Trump rally in New Jersey. I had no intention of going, but I was curious about the organizers’ claims that the demand for the free tickets had far outstripped the capacity of the venue. I filled out the online request form, had no difficulty […]
The Trump administration, no doubt the most corrupt in the history of the Republic, screeches to a halt in a matter of hours. At noon today, in accordance with the Constitution, Joseph R. Biden and Kamala Devi Harris will be sworn in as the president and vice president of the United States. The Trump Administration, […]
The Constitution lays out very minimal requirements for the highest offices in the land. A president or vice president must be at least 35 years old, a “natural born” citizen, and a 14-year inhabitant of the United States. You need better credentials than that to get a job at McDonald’s. In fact, the people who’ve […]
The setting: Somewhere in the continental United States (or maybe not, who knows?) Jerry and Ivy may or may not be in disguise as they start packing and try to face the reality that Ivy’s father the King may really have been overthrown in favor of Sir Joe, Squire of Scranton. Jerry: Why the sad […]
As the late, great Tom Petty wrote, “the waiting is the hardest part.” That’s true of lot of things in life, but at this point, it’s hard to think about anything but the Nov. 3 election. We are just days away from settling the question of whether we want to preserve our democracy by electing […]
There is great unrest in the Kingdom, as a plague has claimed many lives and caused economic distress. The King is being challenged for the crown, and some courtiers are starting to jump ship. In the midst of all this, our Young and Beautiful couple, Jerry and Ivy, resurface briefly from quarantine to ponder the […]
As you’ve no doubt heard, a nurse who worked at the Irwin County Detention Center in Ocilla, Ga., has charged that an unusually high number of hysterectomies have been performed on immigrant women who are being held there after being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The center is run by a private company […]
Those of us who are of a certain age may remember a term that was used to describe men who felt women were their inferiors and were only good for cooking, cleaning and copulation. The phrase was “male chauvinist pig,” often abbreviated to MCP. I haven’t said it or heard it in years, but the […]
Megan Mullaly as Karen Walker on “Will & Grace.”
As the COVID-19 shutdown continues, many of us are finding solace in music. The Shinbone Star staff has come up with a dozen favorite songs that are helping get us through. Some of these tunes have taken on a special meaning in this pandemic crisis. Others are here just because we like them. And if some of […]
In its three years and nearly four months, the current administration has produced more than its share of questionable statements. But some of the stuff emanating from 45 and his supporters lately has made me think that MAGA now stands for MAKE AMERICANS GAG AGAIN. Since the COVID-19 pandemic swept through the country and brought […]
This is for the Trump voters. Most of you are good, hard-working Americans who wanted what was best for your families and your country. I’m not going to insult you, lecture you, or belittle your intelligence or education. I am not going to suggest that you’re a bigot. I’m going to assume you had a […]
Maybe you’re tired of President Donald J. Trump’s long-winded coronavirus briefings, in which he contradicts the experts, insults the press and brags as usual about his own wonderfulness. But you keep watching because you’re afraid he’ll say something important (spoiler alert: he won’t) and you’ll miss it. So here, as a public service, I present […]
It started, as things often do, with a social media post. On my Facebook page, I noted that a number of celebrities had pledged money to hospitals to help combat coronavirus, and I questioned why our billionaire president had not done the same. A conservative friend countered with a meme claiming that Donald J. Trump […]
Back in 1967, before they went disco, the Australian group the Bee Gees released their first American single, “New York Mining Disaster 1941.” Inspired by a devastating landslide at a mine in South Wales a year earlier, the song told the story from the viewpoint of trapped miners hoping to be rescued. It occurred to […]
No March madness. No joy in Mudville, at least not for a while. The NBA has suspended its season after a player tested positive for COVID-19, and the National Hockey League’s season is now over. St. Patrick’s Day parades from Donald J. Trump’s hometown of New York City to Joe Biden’s native Scranton, Pa., have […]
It is estimated that fewer than half of all incidents of domestic abuse go unreported by the victims, according to the National Crime Victimization Survey administered by the Bureau of Justice Statistics. One possible reason is fear of retribution. The victim is worried about what their angry, resentful partner might do if they get arrested […]
I know this plea will fall on deaf ears. The Republican majority in the Senate, with a few exceptions, will no doubt vote to keep Donald J. Trump in office despite the admissions of some of its leaders that Trump is indeed guilty of the acts he is charged with committing. Listen, I get it. […]
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