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Quick Review of Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
By Jeff Hackman
September 7, 2009
I read this 1969 novel over our 4-day Labor Day weekend. I can’t remember reading any novel that fast (besides a Star Trek paperback). Obviously it kept my attention. Speaking of Star Trek, Billy Pilgrim’s leaping through time reminded me of Captain Picard’s experience in the Next Generation finale. Sci-fi fans [...]
8 Years is Enough: Out of Afghanistan Now!
by Jeff Hackman
Item: 18-year-old Pfc. Matthew E. Wildes, of Hammond, La., was killed by an IED on Aug. 27.
Item: The commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan will ask for 20,000 more international troops. This of course is in addition to the Obama surge of 17,000 additional US troops already sent this year.
Item: The Taliban has [...]
How to Save $1 Trillion; and Democracy Too
By Jeff Hackman
August 14, 2009
With six weeks left in Fiscal Year 09, it looks like the Federal budget deficit will be about $1.7 or $1.8 Trillion (what’s a hundred billion to us anyway?). This monstrous number that numbs the brain is over four times the previous worst-ever deficit.
Some debate who’s responsible for this red ink, [...]
Victory Worth Celebrating
Celebrate! A small bite was taken out of the Military-Industrial Complex last week when the Senate voted against more F-22s.
It seems those of us working for peace usually just speak and write about bad things that happen, so I think we really need to celebrate victories, even if they seem really small.
Not building more F-22s [...]
10 Signs of Hope for Human Survival
Most honest people will admit the nation and world are heading in the wrong direction on many fronts. But what are the signs of hope? Where should we be putting our precious time and resources?
This summer I’m catching up on my reading, and some things seem clearly needed, if indeed civilization is going to continue. [...]
Military-Industrial Insanity
by Jeff Hackman
June 25, 2009
If any of you thought we’d see change after Obama’s election, well here it is: higher military budgets than Bush, larger military than Bush and more F-22s than Bush.
Those are some of the changes in new defense (sic) bills working their way through the Democratically-controlled Congress.
Even Sec. of Defense Gates admits [...]
Hellfire in Af-Pak
A CIA-operated spy plane over Pakistan on Jan. 23–a full three days into the Obama administration–fired three Hellfire missiles on the property of Haji Khalil Dawar, killing 10 people and injuring several others. 1
Each Hellfire missile that the drones fire in the wars costs more than what my wife and I make in a year:
$77,358.49
Obama [...]
Two Bills for the Bankers
The economic meltdown is hard to understand–take it from an economics teacher.
But, I found another teacher who helps me with it. Bill Moyers interviewed Bill Black on his show recently.
This is the place to find it out. And, more importantly explore some possible solutions.
If the above link doesn’t work, simply [...]
That’s Just What I Was Thinking
By Jeff Hackman
Have you ever had that experience when you thought something, but you couldn’t find anyone saying what you thought? It makes you wonder if you’re on track. Then, out of the blue someone else confirms what you thought!
They call economics the dismal science. Of course these days it is more dismal than usual. [...]
making Gaza Real
by Jeff Hackman
The horrific events in Gaza these past three weeks have been hard to ignore, yet easy to ignore. But I came across a story that hit me hard.
Suleiman Baraka is a Palestinian astrophysicist. He works here in the US. He had an 11 year old son named Ibrahim. I love astronomy, and [...]
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