Things to Know - 28 March

1.  Thom Hartmann and a capsule presentation of some stuff:
http://truth-out.org/news/item/8150-on-the-news-with-thom-hartmann?tmpl=component&print=1

2.  First, it was the Scopes trial.  Now it is this.  Tennessee, is one swell civilization of the 8th century:
http://truth-out.org/news/item/8136-alec-climate-change-denial-model-bill-passes-in-tennessee?tmpl=component&print=1

3.  The Trayvon Martin murder has re-opened the discussion on race and injustice:
http://www.smirkingchimp.com/print/42214/

4.  Perhaps it is the fallout from the Occupy Movement, but there is a greater recognition of where the wealth has gone, stayed, and divided this country more than ever before:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/concentrated-wealth-is-a-long-term-threat-to-america/2012/03/27/gIQAMJt1eS_print.html?sub=AR

5.  The NY Times has its perspective on the current argument before the Supreme Court.   What I find sickeningly amusing about the GOP opposition is that they came up with the "individual mandate" term and idea when they were countering "HillaryCare".  Now that it  an Obama idea and program, the Republicans are dead set against him:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/28/opinion/the-supreme-courts-momentous-test.html?_r=1&ref=opinion&pagewanted=print

6.  Ross Douthat of the NY Times contributes the the myriad of perspectives hanging on the decision of the Supreme Court.   Personally, I am troubled by a decision that interprets limitations of the Constitution on one hand versus the intent to maintain a suitable level of health maintenance for all.   Suffice it to say, there are endless variations on this theme, but cutting off your nose to spite your face does not cut it for me:
http://campaignstops.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/27/could-defeat-in-court-help-obama-win/?pagemode=print

7.  This editorial on the California Youth Authority speaks to the issue of an agency that has grown stale and ineffective because of a lack of interest in it viable over the years.  Now, it is up to the local counties in California to try and cobble up a system that works:
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/opinionla/la-ed-juvenile-justice-california-20120327,0,1694604,print.story

8.  Is there no end to what the Big Energy lobby will do to cover up their dirt?  Guess not:
http://www.theatlantic.com/health/print/2012/03/for-pennsylvanias-doctors-a-gag-order-on-fracking-chemicals/255030/

--
Juan

"Because we don't think about future generations, they will never forget us."
       -- Henrik Tikkanen

"The most dangerous strategy is to jump a chasm in two leaps."
       -- Benjamin Disraeli

"I can remember when the air was clean and sex was dirty."
       -- George Burns

"A cult is a religion with no political power."
       -- Tom Wolfe