This week in The Tentacle

This week in The Tentacle

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

The Taneytown Business Breakfast
Kevin E. Dayhoff
I recently had a chance to attend the Taneytown business breakfast. I jumped at the opportunity to take a wonderful break from the drama of national politics and the byzantine intrigue over projected shortfalls in the Maryland state budget.


Bush’s Crowd to Blame
Tom McLaughlin
For the past year the nation has been embroiled in a roller coaster ride of the economy brought about by President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and their cronies.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Election Year Low-jinks
Roy Meachum
The Harvard of the West is the catch-phrase prized by California's Stanford University. By whatever name, a recent survey designed and supervised in the school's Palo Alto academic laboratories is, by any standard, the dumbest thing I've encountered going back through nearly 60 years in journalism.


Demand Answers, Expect None
Farrell Keough
When Congress, the president, and the Federal Reserve come together to make a huge new plan with very little dissent or public discussion, it is time to worry. That is what occurred last weekend.


Monday, September 22, 2008
You Bet Your Life…
Steven R. Berryman
The market psychology of the financial investment world has now changed forever. What had been betting essentially on the fortunes of businesses will at least – for the short term – be replaced by betting on how we suspect the rules of the game will change.


Friday, September 19, 2008
Random Ramblings
John W. Ashbury
Have you ever wondered why certain things in politics escape scrutiny? There are countless prime examples during the current presidential campaign – not the least of which are race and gender.


Shakespeare with Genius
Roy Meachum
For its first offering of the new season, the Shakespeare Theatre Company reached for a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. "Romeo and Juliet" always sells tickets especially when produce in the STC's high tone and éclat. To add a dash more frisson, Director David Muse, and his long-time artistic partner Michael Kahn, decided that when casting, this show would follow the Elizabethan pattern.


Thursday, September 18, 2008
McCain’s Healthcare Plan – NOT
Tony Soltero
Despite the best efforts of our political news media to pretend otherwise, a presidential election is not a soap opera. Any presidential election is a serious and pivotal moment that determines the future direction of our country.


The Politics of Healthcare
Patricia A. Kelly
The election is still coming and, although we’re presently arguing over putting lipstick on a pig, there are some important issues involved.


Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Truth, Lies and The Media
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Just two long weeks ago, Republican presidential nominee, Arizona Sen. John McCain, announced that he had chosen Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin to be his vice presidential running mate.


A Miserable Mistake
Tom McLaughlin
Other than he is a Republican, anti choice, pro war, a trickle down economist, drill here, there and everywhere fanatic, and a DNA clone of the mind (or lack thereof) of George Bush, there are few other things about Arizona Senator John McCain that bother me.


Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Facing Reality
Roy Meachum
The latest White House military pin-up vigorously protested the administration's hard-core policy toward the Middle East. Instead of calling for more and more young men and women to become cannon fodder, Gen. David Petraeus said: "You don't kill or capture your way out of an industrial strength insurgency."


The Dream Realized
Nick Diaz
A young man, (let’s say “George”), a former middle school student of mine, was doing fine in high school until the spring of his senior year at a Frederick County public high school, many years ago. He was near the top of his senior class, and his list of activities – curricular, extra-curricular, and service-oriented – was impressive. It appeared to all at the time that he would go to a great college and do important work.


Monday, September 15, 2008
A Media Vetting
Richard B. Weldon Jr.
Sally Quinn, a noted national political journalist, finally said aloud what many have long known about professional political journalists.


A Bias About Media Bias
Steven R. Berryman
Last Saturday my attention was taken from Tentacle scribing and also from my other compulsion, posting comments to www.FrederickNewsPost.com, by their Ask the Editor feature, “The dark secrets of our political bias,” by Comfort Dorn.

20080924 This week in The Tentacle