It's been all talk and no walk with Rep. Conyers for nearly two years, with a preponderance of bluster and no substantive action; so, why does anyone still give this character, the Arnold Specter of the House, the time of day? But, of course, we'd all like to be wrong on this......

Posted at July 30, 2008 10:21 AM in response to Conyers Committee To Vote on Rove Contempt

If Hillary Clinton is a more electable than Senator Obama, then why have influential people like Rush Limbaugh been encouraging Republicans to register as Democrats or otherwise "crossover" in open-primary states to vote for Ms. Clinton? Would it not seem logical to suggest the Republican attack-dogs, in whatever form they might take in the general election, are of the opinion they could be more effective against the senator from New York? And regarding the latter,does she comprehend the difference between having had twenty years of experience in public office and having had the same experience in public office for twenty years? And is not change the end-game here?

Posted at May 9, 2008 11:28 AM in response to Dianne Feinstein: I'm Sticking By Hillary

Why all the attention to the Dean at Boalt Law School?
He is, in the final analysis, only an employee of the institution.
Boalt is a law school in the University of California system, and as most Californians are aware, such controversial/political issues as the Yoo controversy are most effectively dealt with at the U.of California Board of Regents level because that body represents the ultimate authority in all such matters, and even if the Dean dumped Yoo, the Regents would eventually and inevitably sign-in on the matter.
The Board is made up of prominent citizens as well as the state's Governor and,if memory serves, some other elected state officials; so there is a degree of public accountability there.

Posted at April 12, 2008 12:39 PM in response to Berkeley Law Dean: Yoo Was Not The Decider

A well-known story among mid-century classical music insiders, as frequently told in conducting seminars during mid-century times, is about the legendary symphony orchestra conductor Arturo Toscanini and his efforts, in the  1930s, to put a new recruit in the New York Philharmonic Orchestra in his proper place by insisting, repeatedly, in front of the entire orchestra, that the musician play more "forte."  Finally the young man, a brass player, one who would later become a highly respected Juilliard professor, unloaded a  window-shattering volume of sound directed at the maestro. Toscanini's response?  He had asked for more forte, not fortissimo! (The context in which this story was usually told was educational and related to musical context, and as such, would be out-of-place and possibly troll-rated in a serious column such as this.)

So, Maestro, was it more pessimistic or pessimissi-(whatever)....? 

Perhaps a little HTMLissimo would have kept us music nut cases out of your work. 

Posted at August 20, 2005 9:14 PM in response to A Hell of a Parenthesis

The late Ohio State University football coach, Woody Hayes, posited that the problem with the forward pass was that three things can happen, two of them bad. Is this not reminiscent of many of the administrative and legislative activities of the federal government these days? Perhaps Mr. Hundt's point is not so flippant after all; he may be on to something.

Posted at August 4, 2005 8:41 AM in response to serious stuff

Budgetary woes resulting from declining tax revenues, as per Jarvis. most certainly had an effect on the quality of California schools as measured by scores on standardized tests; however, other major factors have contributed to the decline , such as the rapidly expanding population,(since Jarvis was enacted) the influx of immigrants, both legal and otherwise, and, in the heavily populated urban centers, inordinately large segments of student bodies where English is a secondary language. No state could have retained its academic standards under such a confluence of negative circumstances.<br />

Posted at June 18, 2005 12:37 PM in response to Howard Jarvis Lives?