Educate...Entertain...Eradicate Borders
The Brooklyn Dame writes things the way she sees them; you'll know, with no guessing required, the Dame's likes and dislikes. You will note that this column is written the way she speaks (or hears those voices in her head...uh oh...). You'll also note strike-throughs embedded in her articles...Why? Because a proper English dame doesn't say foul things in public -- so she allows her inner voice to speak while her outer proper voice keeps her in check.
In order to give the full flavour of what is being relayed, sometimes words will be written in the ‘Queen’s English’, or with any one of the variety of accents by which she's surrounded; you may have to sound out a few words or refer to the random dictionary in the sidebar. The idea is so that you’ll feel as though you're sitting together -- transcending borders -- as she's speaking directly to you.
Jamie Dimon, CEO of megabank JP Morgan Chase, has a bit of a problem on his hands. No, his problem isn’t as monumental as deciding whether one’s fortune should be spent on adding an elevatored-garage to a beachfront home, nor is it as burdensome as determining how many lobbyists are needed to find congressional members willing to sell their souls.… [Read more]
Living in one of Americas most expensive cities, and hailing from an expensive city overseas, has often made me wonder what it would be like to live somewhere with a significantly lower cost of living. I’m sure that neither the salaries nor the perks of living in NYC would be quite what I’d want them to be.… [Read more]
This isn’t exactly a revelation: I’m a nerd. And a science geek. And I like math because unlike far right extremists numbers make sense. Don’t judge…There are many of us, and we’re roaming freely among you.
We’re the women who watched reruns of the original Star Trek (live long and prosper!) and Battlestar Galactica when we were young girls.… [Read more]
It’s May Day, also known as International Workers’ Day. In some cultures it is a spring celebration day, and in others it is a public holiday meant to reflect upon the plight of the working class. Here in the U.S., May Day 2012 is simultaneously a remembrance of the workers’ movement and a day of organised demonstrations to protest government and corporate policies that infringe upon workers’ rights.… [Read more]
Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed.
~ Dwight D. Eisenhower
When President Eisenhower spoke those words he was correct. If he were alive today and able to speak those same words to his own party, he would be wasting his breath. Making sense doesn’t allow one to become popular in today’s GOP; ask Jon Hunstman about that.… [Read more]
“The borrower is servant to the lender.”
~ The Bible, Poverbs 22:7
We’ve talked often at BNV about debt in its many forms – both personal and governmental. The fact that most nations have debt obligations is not news. The U.S.’ debt to China has been a point of political contention that continues to stoke the flames of partisanship and incite fervent Congressional battles.… [Read more]
Though unions remain an American fixture, they are in a state of decline. They are very much in the news these days and the stories are often not flattering or encouraging — but, of course, we know that when only one side of a story is presented it means the view may be clouded by the storyteller’s vision.… [Read more]
If we are ever going to break down the borders that exist between people, nobody should be subjected to second class citizenship.
Those who are honest will admit that, in many circumstances, people are treated differently based on their religious beliefs or lack thereof, racial or ethnic classification, and even their weight. But how much consideration, if any, is given to the discrimination to which single, unmarried people are subjected in this society?… [Read more]
Former Vice President Dick Cheney received a new heart this past weekend. After several heart attacks — the first of which occurred in his 30s — it appears that the underused? overstressed heart he had was in need of a replacement. I wish him well; failing health is no joke.
Being ever hopeful I’m wondering if, with this change of heart, perhaps he will have a change of heart in various other matters?… [Read more]
The mainstream media (and various statisticians and gamblers) seem to be calling it a win for Mitt Romney. As of last week, Mitt “Etch-A-Sketch” Romney had 49% of the 1,144 delegates needed to win. Rick Santorum would have to win 70% of the delegates in remaining primaries in order to snatch the nomination from Mr. Romney.… [Read more]
“Wars of nations are fought to change maps. But wars of poverty are fought to map change.”
~ Muhammad Ali
President Lyndon B. Johnson introduced poverty legislation in his January, 1964 State of the Union address. It was during that speech that the War on Poverty was officially introduced. The President’s speech led to congressional action: passage of the Economic Opportunity Act which directed federal attention and dollars toward programs designed to improve the welfare of economically disadvantaged citizens.… [Read more]
…They will come.
The weather on the east coast has been unseasonably warm. No, I’m not going to discuss global warming or, as the more politically correct like to call it, “climate change“. Far be it from me to inject a little bit of science (or common sense based on observations) here. I spend the majority of my time in New York City so my thoughts about warm weather often bring two things to mind as I make my way around the city: the damaging effects that the winter weather had on the roads and, as a subway rider, the fact that every imaginable odor known to man will soon be commingled and trapped in the heat of the NYC subway.… [Read more]
Yesterday was Super Tuesday and it turned out to be a good day for Mitt Romney — hey, a win is a win, right? So what if he’s not liked enough to be anything other than the default candidate?
One race that caught my attention had nothing to do with the Romney vs. Santorum vs. Paul vs.… [Read more]
It’s March. It’s National Women’s History Month. This year, the theme is women’s empowerment. It’s rather appropriate given that so much of the national discussion involves women’s rights, women’s bodies and the War on Women.
This advertisement was prominently featured in last Sunday’s New York Times; the writer’s thank you letter to Rush Limbaugh clearly notes that the women of America are fully prepared to stand up and “crush the Republican party.”
Great!… [Read more]
If you can’t say something nice…
Authorities said a suspicious package was sent to the South Florida home of right-wing radio ‘personality’ Rush Limbaugh. They reported that the contents weren’t dangerous and didn’t contain hazardous materials. It turns out that the package contained materials for a business proposal that a fan and supporter didn’t make Rush aware of prior to shipping it to Rush’s home.… [Read more]
Around the world the United States of America is still known as the ‘land of opportunity’. This nation is often thought of as the place where people are allowed to move beyond their circumstances and, if they work hard enough, not let their past dictate their future — but does that apply to everyone? What happens when mistakes are made along the way; will opportunities for advancement still present themselves or are some mistakes unforgivable?… [Read more]
“R” or “D“?
After all of the primaries, debates and caucuses are over, in November the nation’s registered voters will pull a lever or toss their vote away if it’s via Diebold machines and it comes down to this: vote Republican or vote Democrat.
Much of the time, I don’t care for categories and classifications because, while they have practical applications, they often don’t take nuances into consideration.… [Read more]
With all of the recent talk about contraceptive pills and the persistent issue of men attempting to control women’s bodies my thoughts were directed to our access to pills in general. In this country, there’s a pill for just about everything. Years ago if someone felt sick, experienced an emotional setback or needed a little motivation, s/he would call a friend to chat, maybe go out for a drink, get a little kick in the rear-end and/or simply get moving.… [Read more]
I keep saying I won’t tread here because most who know me are already quite aware that I find many of the practises of organised religion about as useful as bird poop on a car window but, well, here I am. I’m walking into what is an age-old argument that seems to have no resolution.
The last time I checked, most of the decision-makers in Congress are men.… [Read more]
Everyone has a list about something or other. I’m joining the list of people who make lists; my list contains the top 5 annoying things that liberals do.
