Unless you’re an inveterate news consumer — and increasingly, even if you are — discerning whether the news you’re seeing, hearing and reading is nonsense, or is news because it is nonsense, is becoming a mind-curdling task.… Read the rest
There is considerable dispute over who coined the phrase: “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics.” What is indisputable, is that anyone who ignores or manipulates statistics to diminish violence and human suffering, is a liar of unforgiveable proportion.… Read the rest
The New York-set movie to which the headline of this post owes a nod, romped its way to a predictable happy ending. The Middle East-based horror show to which the headline refers is relentlessly lurching its way towards unhappiness that shows no sign of ending.… Read the rest
Usually, watching and reading the news, especially statements and claims by those who make it, puts me somewhere between despair and outrage. This week. I tried a new approach, listening for what wasn’t said.… Read the rest
Let me be clear from the outset that this week’s “atypical perspective” is slightly distorted by personal bias. Having worked for the best of CBS News bosses, I suggest current controlling shareholder Shari Redstone read some broadcast history, watch a movie and consider her relationship to the “glass ceiling”.… Read the rest
The death of Pope Francis has prompted more praise, comment, criticism, cliches and solemn analysis than I can compete with, or even match. Instead, I’ll share a few anecdotes and a personal conclusion based on travels with three popes.… Read the rest
Compared to how today’s equivalents of emperors are dealing with crises and catastrophes, Nero being synonymous with “fiddling while Rome burns” is a bum wrap.… Read the rest
Nothing casts doubt on one’s acquired wisdom like economic imbeciles and experts on aging. As a countermeasure, I recommend the mantra of Deccie, a twelve-old character in my favourite crime novel series: they “just don’t understand the fundamentals”.… Read the rest
At the risk of seeming to mix the sublime and the ridiculous, a kid’s tee shirt and a 18th century philosopher sum up the latest fiasco — or maybe farce is a better word — of this week in the World of Trump.… Read the rest
Type “stupid” into Roget’s Thesaurus and more than 50 nouns and adjectives pop up. In varying degrees, all of them are applicable to the remorseless list of tragedies that plague the world. The tragedy of that is how acceptable willful and blind stupidity have become.… Read the rest