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435 Hohners — Our Simplistic Solution to the Nation’s Most Intractable Problem

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Friday, August 19, 2011 — In his New York Times column this morning, Paul Krugman points out that the dominant ingredient of the federal government’s response to our economic situation is “awesome wrongness.” Krugman did not explain why that is, but on the Diane Rehm show this morning, John King did. He argued that the voters bear substantial responsibility because they put enough Tea Partiers in Congress to dominate that body, after having put a Democrat in the White House. King made no mention of the role, if any, that the national news media might have played in the electorate’s decision-making process. We would posit …

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The Future of News is the Future of Civilization

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Tuesday, August 9, 2011 — BusinessInsider recently invited the Editor of this paper to be one of a group of “thought leaders describing their vision of the future of news.” Here is his response, followed by some elaboration. (The alleged Editor of the Gazette, and Glenn Beck: together at last. Who’d a’ thunk it?) The future of news is the future of civilization. Current media practices distort the democratic process in ways that favor those who are already far too powerful, as the recent debt ceiling imbroglio amply demonstrates. Humans distracted by the newest technologies tend to overlook powerful mature technologies; low-cost web offset printing …

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Because It Worked So Well in California

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Thursday, July 21, 2011 — So, here we are, pole-axed by what is probably but a hint of summers to come, our government paralyzed by an intransigent cult elected by the least informed, most easily manipulated sector of the electorate, and some of the nation’s best minds are advocating that we break through this impasse with a National Initiative for Democracy, a “meta-legislative proposal that would allow citizens, independently of Congress and the Executive, to propose and vote on laws.” What, because Proposition 13 worked so well for California? Granted, NI4D would “outlaw the use of funds from non-natural persons (for example corporate funds) in …

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A Salute to the Flag Police

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Saturday, July 2, 2011 — The Flag Police get a rare nod — outside of our own paper, of course — in the current (July) issue of New Hampshire Magazine, available on newsstands right now. We must congratulate Managing Editor Barbara Coles for summing up the history of our paper so concisely, and capturing the spirit of the Flag Police so nicely. The caption of the photo describes the flag the editor is holding, “bearing the initials of the Grand Army of the Republic, a Civil War veterans organization,” noting that it “definitely would have violated the [Flag] Code, but it was pre-1942 and pre-code.”

Digital Companion, Vol. 255, No. 20

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Friday, July 1, 2011 — As we noted in our latest issue, Vol. 255, No. 20, it has finally occurred to the alleged Editor of This Olde Rag that we now have the technology to post collections of links to the most relevant sources used in compiling this paper here on our website. The Fortnightly Rant: How Can We Not Help You? Here’s the Attorney General’s 2008 report on the lack of voter fraud (it’s a pdf file). Here’s the Union Leader reporting on Rep. Groen’s views on abortion. Here’s Dean Barker quoting Executive Councilor Dan St. Hilaire not uttering the word abortion. We jumped …

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Mr. Riley Responds …

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Sunday, June 26, 2011 — Yesterday’s post about Courage, New Hampshire certainly stirred up a few people. Frank, Juan and S. Cavallaro seemed most irritated by it. To his considerable credit, James Riley, the man behind the movie, posted a very civil reply: Heah, guys, chill. I’m on your side. This is a well researched, well documented drama. Samuel Adams wrote about British soldiers who searched for deserteres in New Hampshire in 1769 and you can look up the Londonderry incident [See note below. — The Ed.] on your own. I happen to have commited the sin, apparently, of believing in limited, Constitutional government and …

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