SIDESWIPE – Hollywood’s annual awards boondoggle has been perplexing ever since Julia Roberts won best actress for a run of the mill portrayal of Erin Brockovich in the forgettable 1991 movie of the same name.  Originally instituted as a marketing ploy, Oscars were supposed to transform actors into stars.  By the time Roberts won, they [...]...

SIDESWIPE – With many Americans tired of their leaders’ profligacy, Governor Charlie Crist is facing defeat in the Republican primary for Florida’s vacant U.S. Senate seat.  Once touted as a possible Presidential candidate, Crist epitomizes the view that Republicans should govern like liberals.  A leading state Democrat once said of Crist:  “Isn’t it wonderful to [...]...

SIDESWIPE – One of the features of international travel today is the obligatory exposure to liberal politics that comes from CNN broadcasts in airport lounges and complimentary newspapers in hotels.  Today’s Asahi Shimbun offered three gems of liberal thought this morning as I consumed my Tokyo breakfast.  The newspaper somehow equated the policymaking that led [...]...