Health Insurance Premiums Cann Be (And Always Have Been) Volatile
Health insurance carriers are in the process of calculating premium rates for next year. Some insurers have completed the process, but at this point, we don't have a complete picture of what rates will...
View ArticleCrisis in Veterans Hospitals and the Shortage of Doctors
That veterans have to wait excessively to be treated is not the fault of the VA. The real reason is that that there is a shortage of doctors and not only for veterans but for the whole country. It...
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Iraq: Make Way for the Parade of Prophets
The Monday-morning quarterbacks have started coming out of the woodwork. With the news earlier this week that ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham) insurgent forces in Iraq have taken the northern...
View ArticleThe Next Phase of the Trans Movement
Below is the keynote speech I delivered today at the Philadelphia Trans-Health Conference, the nation's largest trans conference, drawing over 3,000 people. As the larger public increasingly turns its...
View ArticleAt Age 27 I Was Sentenced to Life in Prison for a Nonviolent Drug Crime
I'm currently going into serving my 18th year of a life sentence for a non-violent drug crime, which is equivalent to a death sentence. But if I were to be sentenced today under new drug laws, I...
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The Limits of Reagan's Optimism
Ted Cruz couldn't settle with a single mention of Ronald Reagan. Speaking at the Texas GOP's convention last week, the blustering Texas Senator used most of his speech to lavish praise on America's...
View ArticleRebooting Electronic Privacy Rights
When the framers drafted the Constitution, Americans' privacy rights were of great importance and necessary in establishing protections for the people. However, as technology has advanced...
View ArticleThe Bad News From Iraq Is Getting Worse
Once again, there's bad news from Iraq. And it's getting worse. A group of Sunni militants is taking control of cities across Iraq, Kurdish troops are taking control of Kirkuk, and Iran may be...
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Pugilism to Politics: Jameel McCline Believes He Can KO Congress
Unconventionality is compelling as political theater. Perhaps the most alternative candidate in a current major U.S. political race is Jameel "Big Time" McCline. A veteran of more than 50 heavyweight...
View ArticleAnother Cantor Lesson
While the autopsy of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor's election continues, the sideshow discussion of redistricting has taken up some commentary time. The redrawing of his district to reflect the...
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Friday Talking Points -- Selenofriggatriskaidekaphobics Unite!
I have to begin this week by apologizing for the irreverent nature of that title, but then how often do you get a chance to coin a cool word like "selenofriggatriskaidekaphobia"? The proper answer is...
View ArticleThe Three Biggest Right-Wing Lies About Poverty
Rather than confront poverty by extending jobless benefits to the long-term unemployed, endorsing a higher minimum wage, or supporting jobs programs, conservative Republicans are taking a different...
View ArticleWorld Cup Sparks Islamist Debate on Rectitude of Soccer
Ultra-conservative clerics are condemning soccer as a Jewish and Christian tool to undermine Islamic culture as millions of Muslims across the globe tune in to watch the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. The...
View ArticleDenying Visas to Cuban Scholars Cripples Obama's Policy of Engagement
Despite the stalemate in relations between the U.S. and Cuban governments, President Barack Obama deserves credit for deepening relations between the two societies. His 2009 decision to lift...
View ArticleLife in the Most Religious States
I recently came across a list of the ten most religious states in America. They are, in order: Mississippi, Utah, Alabama, Louisiana, Arkansas, South Carolina, Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia and...
View ArticleWho Lost Iraq? And What We Can Do About It
Eventually the question will be asked -- "Who lost Iraq?" In a way, it might be seen as an improper question to ask since it presumes that Iraq was ours to lose. The fact that it was not, however,...
View ArticleOnly Two Words for Neo-Con Critics of Obama Iraq Policy: Brazen Chutzpah
It takes completely brazen chutzpah for Neo-Con Republicans like John McCain to criticize President Obama's policies in Iraq -- especially as Iraq once again falls into sectarian civil war. These are...
View ArticleWhat's This Charge? How to Protect Yourself From Cramming
Many of us -- myself included -- carry our mobile phones with us everywhere. We rely on our smartphones for everything from getting directions, to texting our friends and family, to catching up on the...
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