June 24, 2009, 12:25 pm 18 comments in the last 7 days.
Op Ed: Corporate Funds Crushing Democratic Decisions On Issues.

History overflows with lessons-learned and many more ignored. American history, reflected from the prescient words of our Founders, can guide us well in this First Decade of the 21st Century. Dollar-seeking greed even then was applied to take over control of budding government, distorting its functions in favor of “the few” and preventing or perverting what government could and should do for “the many”.

July 1, 2009, 5:41 am 17 comments in the last 7 days.
Masturbation.

On the morning of June 23, sixth grade teacher Susan Alderson was arrested at her home and charged with, among others, first degree rape. She had apparently began a sexual relationship in 2002 with a boy who was thirteen at the time. It continued until 2006, when the boy would have been seventeen. One interesting thing here is that when women are raped, the act occurs over a relatively short span of time, usually minutes. But for young men, the act can take place over months and years. The “victim” in this case is now about nineteen—after whatever apparently happened, having ended about three years ago. Did it take him this long to catch his breath?

June 25, 2009, 4:00 am 14 comments in the last 7 days.
Joshua Nordman: Victim or Criminal?.

On the morning of June 23, 2009, Joshua Nordman walked into the Willamina branch of Bank of America, handed the teller a “threatening” note and walked away with an undisclosed amount of cash. He apparently made no attempt to hide his identity from the security cameras and was apprehended without incident a little more than two hours later at his home. Under our system of law, a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty, but in this case, I doubt that anyone would dispute the facts as just presented.

June 27, 2009, 9:14 pm 7 comments in the last 7 days.
'A Dictionary for Gil'.

I nearly sprayed coffee on my monitor when I watched our nation's new head of the White House Office of No Drug Control Policy, Gil Kerlikowske, say legalization is not in his vocabulary. I wondered if perhaps someone had removed the word from my dictionary! So, I opened up my Funk & Wagnalls... flipped... through the pages... to... "L." Sure enough, right there on page 772 - "legalize." And in noun form, "legalization." To make legal.

June 30, 2009, 10:33 am 7 comments in the last 7 days.
Crime and Punishment.

On June 29, 2009, Bernard Madoff, convicted of the largest Ponzi scheme in history (about $65 billion) was sentenced to 150 years in prison. He’ll never wear a silk shirt again—except for the last time when he won’t feel it. Considering that most crime is committed for money—either directly or indirectly—a little exploration might be both fun, educational—and discouraging.

June 25, 2009, 4:07 pm 6 comments in the last 7 days.
Michael Jackson Dead From Sudden Cardiac Arrest (INTERVIEW).

American pop idol and superstar Michael Jackson died today in Los Angeles from apparent cardiac arrest. Though he has been the subject of years of reports relating to alleged sexual improprieties, Jackson will always be known as a cultural icon who inspired millions of Americans and had so many hit songs that naming them will require a great deal of space. Michael Joseph Jackson was born August 29th 1958 into what became an American musical family. Throughout his lifetime he was a recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Providence St. Vincent Medical Center cardiology expert Dr. James Beckerman spoke with us at length today.

June 23, 2009, 1:13 pm 6 comments in the last 7 days.
Yamhill Deputies Arrest Willamina Bank Robbery Suspect (PHOTOS).

A bank robbery suspect made it 130 minutes with a wad of cash in his pocket, but gave it up to Deputies when arrested. Yamhill County Sheriff Jack Crabtree said that 33-year old Joshua Cabe Nordman of Sheridan, was taken into custody without incident by his Deputies at 12:57 today. "Nordman is initially being charged with one count of Second Degree Robbery, a measure 11 offense, which carries with it $150,000 bail".

July 2, 2009, 6:55 pm 5 comments in the last 7 days.
Almost 50 U.S. Casualties in Iraq & Afghanistan Reported in June.

There has been little reprieve for American combat forces fighting the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The serious business of war has been charging the United States interest, and casualties are mounting as Coalition forces vacate Iraq's larger cities and increasingly patrol Afghanistan's hostile environments. The fallen represent a broad cross-section of American culture and they hail from all over the country. The average age of this group is 28.

June 30, 2009, 4:11 pm 4 comments in the last 7 days.
Affordability Is Key to Real Health Care Reform.

History is unfolding before our eyes as Congress overhauls our health care system so that, at long last, it covers all Americans. Maybe. While there's a good chance that Congress will enact some type of health care reform this year, all will be for naught if the new system leaves the cost of care out of reach for many Americans. If affordability is not adequately addressed, the prognosis for the nation will be poor.

September 22, 2007, 8:08 am 4 comments in the last 7 days.
Alcoholic Liver Cirrhosis Insidious Disease of Death .

This article is about alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver. Cirrhosis can be caused by other physiological problems and diseases, but alcoholic liver cirrhosis is a social issue that affects not only the person suffering, but also their family and friends. Hopefully, my story may help someone you or someone you know to recognize the symptoms of this disease and take the steps to end the process before it is too late. Death by alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver is devastating, but there can be hope if it is recognized in a timely manner and medical help is obtained.