Browsing PBH By Articles

The Disappointing Three

The Big Three. The Triple Threeat. An unfair NBA monopoly. Whatever you call them, Lebron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade made waves (okay, tsunamis) this past summer when they announced that they all would be signing with the Miami Heat. And the months following Bosh’s tweet and Lebron’s Decision (insert derisive snort here) were filled with speculation, predictions, and anticipation. Basketball fans, outside of Cleveland, were crowing about the new NBA dynasty. Hell, James, Bosh and Wade practically accepted the 2011 NBA championship trophy back in August.

And then the season started.
Continue Reading

Julian Assange, 2010’s Person Of The Year

He said he wouldn’t mind prison. Julian Assange sort of looked forward to it, even. He’d read a nice, long book in peace. And he’d get to sleep in the same bed for the first time in years.

Assange got his wish when he surrendered to British authorities Tuesday. He is charged with allegedly sexually assaulting two women during a lecture stop in Stockholm this August. The first court appearance was predictably messy. He refused to be photographed, finger-printed, or DNA swabbed. And that was before the judge asked Assange for his current address. He gave some post office at first. Then some place in Australia he hadn’t visited in four years.

Continue Reading

Why The Salvation Army Doesn’t Deserve Your Money

Every holiday season, people open their hearts and wallets for family, friends, and charities alike, including the Salvation Army. Unfortunately, some large organizations who regularly solicit for money are often using funds for political motives or ‘overhead’ costs. In a series of posts, we’ll be investigating three popular charities that don’t deserve your charity.

Everyone knows the Salvation Army. Whether it’s the secondhand goods at their thrift stores or their collection kettles outside department stores, the Salvation Army is ubiquitous to the holiday season.

However, the Salvation Army’s virulent opposition to gay rights both in public and through persistent legislative lobbying raises the question how donations intended for the needy are being spent. Many people forget that the Salvation Army is in fact an Evangelical church, and as such, it tends to have a hard-right social agenda.

Continue Reading

The 2010 Year In Review – Volume 1

It may be the most creative way to quit a job in American history.

A baby had been crying since take-off. Two female passengers had been fighting about overhead bin space since boarding in Pittsburgh. As soon as the Jet Blue plane touched down at JFK, one of the women hopped up to grab her bag. Never mind that the fasten seatbelt sign was on. Never mind that flight attendant Steven Slater had repeatedly told her to wait until the plane taxied into the gate. She told him to go sleep with himself and whipped out her suitcase, accidentally whacking him in the forehead. And that’s when Steven Slater lost it.

Continue Reading

A Chinese Communiqué Via North Korea?

Those of you too young to remember the Cold War may not appreciate the subtleties of the dance involving North and South Korea, China and the United States. It’s a form of communication where superpowers express their positions through the actions of surrogates rather than diplomatic channels. If this is a return to Cold War communication, it would indicate that China used its proxy, North Korea, to send a message of discontent to the United States when they fired an artillery barrage on Yeonpyeong Island.

China’s unhappiness is understandable. After enjoying near double-digit GDP growth every year since 1994, there are signs that the Obama administration is intent on leveling the playing field. With its citizens demanding an ever higher standard of living, a cooling of China’s red-hot economy could galvanize its labor movement and lead to major and sustained political strife. It’s important to understand the dynamics that’s led to the expansion of the Chinese economy in order to appreciate what’s at stake.

Continue Reading