The Republican party should be called the Pretend party. A la: let’s pretend nothing happened for the last 8 years, let’s pretend Sarah Palin is qualified, let’s pretend we didn’t create this economic mess, let’s pretend global warming isn’t real, let’s pretend there are weapons of mass destruction, let’s pretend we care about Iraqi... »

My father died when I was six. He had pancreatic cancer. In 1982, his form of cancer was nearly untreatable. His early death was almost certain. We were all too young, but that was how it was then. In 2009, for many of our nation’s fathers, greed and politics have become the deadly diseases. Because of businessmen and... »

Les Paul died today. I was moved deeply by his passing. I own a tobacco-burst Les Paul Classic electric guitar. It’s got a slim neck, the frets are buttery, the pickups are hot. It always sounds the way it should. I saw Les’ ghostly face in the haze of my... »