Author Archives: Kit Stolz

Alaskan Editor on Sarah Palin: “Woefully Unqualified”

Steve Lopez, who has a movie coming out this Christmas called The Soloist, is probably the most popular and best-paid columnist in Los Angeles. He’s popular for good reason. He takes on tough issues, including homelessness, illegal immigration, and school bureaucracy, but with bracing good humor. This weekend he went to Nome, Alaska, to testContinue reading “Alaskan Editor on Sarah Palin: “Woefully Unqualified””

Obama Hits McCain with Another Clean Shot

Barack Obama is making a big push in Florida, greatly aided by a $40 million campaign, and a monumentally stupid — politically speaking — quote from John McCain in this month’s issue of Contingencies (see here). According to John McCain: Opening up the health insurance market to more vigorous nationwide competition, as we have doneContinue reading “Obama Hits McCain with Another Clean Shot”

Defenders of Wildlife Ad Moves the Needle — Against Palin

Check out this great Internet graphic from a company — Media Curves — that uses focus groups to test responses from three groups — Democrats, Independents, and Republicans — to political ads. Fascinating results. Watching approval rating in action, you can see suspension of disbelief play out: the spectrum ranges from "Completely Believable" to "NotContinue reading “Defenders of Wildlife Ad Moves the Needle — Against Palin”

Obama Mocks McCain on Fiscal Policy

Two or three days in a row now, Barack Obama has flat-out mocked John McCain’s attempts to stumble through a fiscal crisis that has taken American values — stock, home, and interest numbers — backwards to the 2004 era. You know the story. Home values are down, stock prices are down. In Southern California, homesContinue reading “Obama Mocks McCain on Fiscal Policy”

Sarah Palin Shakes Up Wasilla City Hall

According to a fascinating story by Sarah Posner in Salon (here), when Sarah Palin was Mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, she enrolled the staff in "Basic Life Principles" character training designed by Bill Gothard. This is a program that focuses on seven "non-optional" principles, such as "The Principle of Authority." The training is not labeled asContinue reading “Sarah Palin Shakes Up Wasilla City Hall”

Ike Knocks Nation’s Largest Refinery Out ’til October

Because Hurricane Ike has blown out power to much of the Texas coast, the nation’s largest refinery — the Exxon Bayless facility, which can produce over 500,000 barrels a day — will be out of commission at least until September 30th. That’s according to the WSJ, which adds in conclusion: So while the economy isContinue reading “Ike Knocks Nation’s Largest Refinery Out ’til October”

The Future of Love

Finally will it not be enough,after much living, aftermuch love, after much dyingof those you have loved,to sit on the porch near sundownwith your eyes simply open,watching the wind shape the cloudsinto the shapes of clouds? Even then you will rememberthe history of love, shaped in the shapes of flesh, everchanbgngas the clouds that pass,Continue reading “The Future of Love”

Reagan and American Ruin (USA! USA! USA!)

From the jaw-dropping Andrew Becevich of The American Conservative: As portrayed by [President Jimmy] Carter, the mistaken idea of freedom was quantitative: it centered on the never-ending quest for more while exalting narrow self-interest. His conception of authentic freedom was qualitative: it meant living in accordance with permanent values. At least by implication, it meantContinue reading “Reagan and American Ruin (USA! USA! USA!)”