Major Headlines – Page 4 of 5

Bye Bye Bin Laden

Posted May 2, 2025May 2, 2011 in Editorial, Major Headlines, Terrorism45 Comments

I find it difficult to “celebrate” any death, but I have to admit to feeling a bit of satisfaction that a man who declared war on us finally got a small measure of payback. (“I’ve never wished a man dead, but I’ve read some obituaries with great pleasure.” —Mark Twain, though see update below)

Sendai Earthquake and Tsunami

Posted January 28, 2021March 11, 2011 in Explainer, Giving Back, Major Headlines, True Business14 Comments

A few thoughts about today’s earthquake and tsunami in Japan. The video coming out of there is horrific. There will surely be many thousands of casualties.

Poor Taste? Not Offhand.

Posted October 12, 2025June 21, 2010 in Editorial, Major Headlines, Reader Feedback, Update45 Comments

I did get some complaints last week about the story of the guy who lost his arm when it became stuck in his furnace boiler. I have my own response to the complaints of “poor taste” and “NOT FUNNY!”

Zero Tolerance and the 800-lb Gorilla

Posted April 30, 2025October 12, 2009 in Editorial, Education, Kids/Teens, Major Headlines, Politics, Rant, Zero Tolerance67 Comments

The New York Times had an article today on a ridiculous zero tolerance situation: a kid in Delaware who was so excited to get his Cub Scouts camping utensil — a fork, knife and spoon combo — that he took it to school to eat his lunch with. Yeah, a Cub Scout: Zachary Christie is just 6 years old.

Swine Flu

Posted January 28, 2021October 9, 2009 in Away From Work, Editorial, Major Headlines, Medical24 Comments

Yeah: Looks Like I Got It!

Bear Country Update

Posted October 14, 2025August 24, 2009 in Animals, Death, Major Headlines, Update36 Comments

An update on the Bear Story from a couple of weeks ago, about the Colorado woman and the bear.

Bear Country

Posted October 14, 2025August 10, 2009 in Animals, Death, Editorial, Explainer, Major Headlines, Obliviots/Idiots, Photo79 Comments

A few comments about this week’s lead story, about the encounter between a bear and a Colorado woman. If the location sounds somehow familiar, it’s because that’s where I live.

The War on Kids

Posted November 15, 2025May 11, 2009 in Editorial, Major Headlines, Media, Plugs, Rant, Zero Tolerance71 Comments

There will probably be two responses to the first story in this week’s issue: 1) I was too hard on the public library/librarian, and 2) I wasn’t hard enough on her. To be sure, my tagline was judging her based on the standards of the American Library Association.

Another April, Another Mass Shooting

Posted November 15, 2025April 3, 2009 in Crime, Death, Editorial, Major Headlines50 Comments

There was another mass shooting today, a nut with a gun at an immigration office in New York, with at least a dozen killed. Here’s what I want to know: why do these things so often happen in April?

The Right to Be Offended

Posted October 20, 2025September 6, 2008 in Editorial, Major Headlines, Politics, Reader Feedback, Special83 Comments

I continue to be astounded at the number of people who choose to be offended by things that don’t exist. I refer this time to a story in the 31 August 2008 issue about the Republican vice presidential nominee, Sarah Palin:

Janet Jackson ‘Wardrobe Malfunction’ Update

Posted October 15, 2025July 21, 2008 in Editorial, Major Headlines, Publicity Stunt, Update16 Comments

You all remember the Janet Jackson 2004 Super Bowl “Wardrobe Malfunction“, I’m sure. The Federal Communications Commission slapped CBS television with a $550,000 fine over that, but today a federal appeals court threw out the forfeiture, ruling the FCC “acted arbitrarily and capriciously” in fining the network.

7 Minutes of Terror

Posted October 3, 2025May 26, 2008 in Explainer, Major Headlines, Plugs, Space, Technology5 Comments

“Seven Minutes of Terror” — that’s what NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where I worked for 10 years before leaving to work on True full time, went through yesterday.

Virginia Tech, Columbine and ZT

Posted September 25, 2025April 16, 2007 in Editorial, Major Headlines, Zero Tolerance75 Comments

Such it is with the timing of world events: As you probably know, I write True on Sundays. I’m on the road this week and had already finished writing this week’s stories — with the lead story about a guy who shot himself in the head.

Pluto Planet Day

Posted September 25, 2025March 12, 2007 in Bureaucracy, Editorial, Major Headlines, Rant, Space18 Comments

Long-time readers know I have a special place in my heart for the planet Pluto. It’s not just that I spent 10 years working at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and worked on the precursor project to the probe that’s on the way there now.

Republican Bash?

Posted September 24, 2025November 6, 2006 in Editorial, Major Headlines, Politics4 Comments

I have something to say about last week’s story “about the vice president” (as most people are terming it):

Ability Meets Need

Posted September 24, 2025September 29, 2006 in EMS Story, Giving Back, Major Headlines1 Comment

I watched the news reports last Wednesday from Platte Canyon High School in the small mountain town of Bailey, Colorado, with a bit of dread. (It was nothing like Columbine: some drifter took hostages, and killed one of them — a 16-year-old girl he didn’t know. He then shot himself.)