The Kensington Review |
3 September 2004 |
Latest Commentary:
Bush's Convention Makes Silk Purse from Sow's Ear -- The Bush administration has not been a success by most measures. There are fewer jobs in America than on inauguration day 2000. There is a record federal deficit rather than the surplus that existed when this administration took over the reins of government. American troops are dying in Iraq, almost a year and a half after the "end" of major combat operations. But the GOP did a fine job of putting lipstick on a pig with its convention. Chechen Criminals Kill Hundreds as School Siege Ends in Beslan, Russia -- It has been almost three years since Al-Qaeda mounted an attack on the US. Despite the talk of a war on terror and despite the Crayola terror threat index, America is not under attack. At least, it is not under constant threat the way Russia is. Two airliners blown out of the sky followed by a gang of armed men holding hundreds of children hostage in their school is something America does not face. It may be that the USA is less hospitable territory, it may be that the Chechen terrorists are more bloodthirsty, or it may just be luck. Whatever the reason, America needs to take a good look at what Russia faces simply so Americans know how much worse things can get. Non-Farm Payrolls Rise 144,000 -- August was a good month for the jobless in the US. Wall Street expected 150,000 new jobs, and the actual figure was 144,000. This is the twelfth straight month of job growth. Yet, America has 1 million fewer jobs now than when Mr. Bush became president. The last president to lose jobs on his watch was Herbert Hoover. The trend is up, but the hole the unemployed are in is a deep one. Hunter S. Thompson's Hey Rube is More than Sportswriting -- It has been ages since Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and a lifetime since Hell's Angels, and Hunter S. Thompson doesn't do Gonzo journalism in quite the way he used to do - if indeed he ever did. This book is a collection of his page 2 columns that he has been writing for ESPN.com for the last few years. While not sportswriting in the strict sense, there is a great deal of football, basketball and other activities. All of it is leavened with the English language as Dr. Thompson uses it - either as a scalpel or a sledgehammer depending on the situation. |
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