Frivolous Lawsuits -- It's The Judge's Fault

I tripped over a website the other day outlining the most frivolous and ridiculous lawsuits of all time (I should have sued them for a slip-and-fall!) While on some level it was an entertaining read, the whole thing sort of pissed me off. People complain about the legal system being "broken," and this kind of stupidity is a lot of the reason why.

The Church And Celibacy Just Don't Mix

The Catholic church has been accused again (yes, again!) of covering up clerical sex crimes. This has been going on for decades, and the Vatican's "zero tolerance policy" hadn't done squat to stop the abuse. Isn't that a hint that there's something really wrong here? Not just with the priests (obviously something's amiss when an adult thinks it's okay to diddle a choirboy during his off hours) -- but a fundamental flaw in the idea of mandatory celibacy?

Which Do You Prefer -- Freedom From Or Freedom To?

I love travel because seeing the differences between societies is always a real eye-opener. Of course no place is perfect, but a recent visit to Tokyo showed me that they have real leg-up on the U.S. It's clean, no vandalism, no theft, no violence, no homelessness -- not even the petty obnoxious public rudeness that seems to plague so many western cities. It's got me thinking about where a culture's values come from, and wondering whether ours aren't a bit misplaced.

Marriage Versus Civil Union

Washington D.C. has just passed legislation allowing same-sex marriages, a move which delights me on behalf of all my LGBT friends. There have been a lot of arguments from the right -- my favorite is that marriage is a sacrament of the church, meant only for men and women. Despite the fact that legislation based on what a religion considers "sacred" is a violation of the separation of church and state, I'm willing to concede on this point and offer a compromise that everyone can live with.

The Evils Of Required Tipping

I love to eat out -- it is, in my opinion, one of the best ways to experience "local flavor" wherever we travel (as long as you stay away from the tourist traps and go where the natives do.) However I hate, loathe, and resent the requirement that I tip a server. Tipping is supposed to be a reward, but the way the system is set up, you feel as though you HAVE to tip, even if the service is terrible -- otherwise, you're helping to drive some low-wage waitress even deeper into poverty.

A Corporate Invasion Of My Privacy

I had recently read a story online about an internet security expert who found his privacy violated by his credit card company (their slimy tactics of course disguised as an effort to prevent bank fraud.) I considered this nothing more than an interesting anecdote about the pitfalls of our modern information age -- until it happened to me as well!

A New Year's Resolution For All Of Us

This has been a challenging year for folks, and a lot of people are facing the New Year with more trepidation than optimism. The prospect of setting goals for January might seem a bit pointless when so much of what makes them achievable is out of your control -- the economy, the job market, the political climate. But I would like to suggest a resolution that could make a major difference in your outlook over the next 12 months...

Dissecting My Favorite Christmas Specials -- Part Three: Shows To Be Avoided At All Cost!

For every good holiday special, there are at least two or three that suck beyond comprehension -- and I hate to say it, but many of the really bad ones come from my growing-up-days (I've never been so ashamed of the 80's!) As a public service, I thought that I would warn you away from the worst of the worst, to save you the agony of having to watch these shows yourself...

Dissecting My Favorite Christmas Specials -- Part Two: The Fringe

In the second installment of this little series, I'm going to focus on some of the more obscure holiday specials that have caught my heart over the years. Many of these, you may have only seen once, or you you may never have heard of. But each one is worth a watch (unlike, say, the Star Wars Holiday Special or Mr. Hanky)...