Common Sense University

For some time now, one of today’s most beloved television shows is ‘American Idol’. Over seven years, it has maintained its popularity and this year’s production is just about ready to announce the 2008 American Idol. Similarly to the Miss America, Miss USA and the Miss World contests, there will be tears of joy by [...]

Yes, hang up the new calendars, dump the old ones and try not to date your checks with ‘2007’; we have a new year! And while many people use this time to reflect on the previous one, we look forward to 2008 since it holds such promise for important things to take place in America and [...]

We have commented in the past on the workings of the California Coastal Commission and its staff by specifically focusing on their conduct and performance in dealing with an application for an ocean water Desalination plant proposed in the

There comes a point in time when one really has to question our constitutional right of free speech for everybody in this country. Should there not also be a certain amount of responsibility associated with such ‘freedom’? While this might not be enforceable, we think, however, that when such “free speech or freedom of speech” [...]

 
The most recent attempt to deal with the Immigration Reform in Congress failed last Thursday in the hallowed halls of the Senate of the United States of America! While it never came to a final vote on the proposed law, it did not receive the required sixty votes for cloture to cut of debate and [...]

 
Associated Press writer William J. Kole wrote an article on May 4, under the heading: Activists want Chimp declared a ‘Person’ and we encourage you to read the article in its entirety. After checking the story

 
Analogies are always interesting and often very helpful, especially when simple and understandable examples help shed light on much more complex ideas. Watching the Kentucky Derby a few weeks ago, the start of the race brought to mind the Presidential Race (for 2008) and it tempts a comparison: 

 
The terrible events on April 16 on the campus of Virginia Tech University have been recorded, reported and debated ad nausea in all media outlets for the past few weeks and when everything was said and done, they started all over again by looking at different angles etc. We do not intend to contribute here. [...]

 
On November 26 of last year, we posted two articles here entitled: ‘Election Results and Analysis’ and ‘The People have spoken’. Based on the closeness of the various races in the House as well as the Senate, we concluded that the results reflected a shift among moderate voters, the consistent 15 percent of the American [...]

 
It is very interesting watching members of the Democratic Party in American on television. There are twists and turns on a daily basis that make it very hard to understand their positions. Until they took over both houses in Congress as the ‘Majority’ party, they were unified and focused: They consistently opposed everything Republicans and [...]

 
Listening to Don Imus on the radio has been for many people for many years an experience with different results. Many listened to his show and found it appalling in that his shock-jock approach to issues was, to say the least, abrasive and offensive. Some stayed with him and became consistent listeners because they liked [...]

 
Whoever followed the so called “Duke Lacrosse Rape case” when it began about a year ago had to be somewhat bewildered by the veracity of the Durham County District Attorney, one Michael B. Nifong,

 
Since December 4 of last year, we have posted five articles on Global Warming by trying to understand the issues surrounding them and we invite you to read them again here. Global Warming is reportedly the primary force driving this nearly inevitable disaster that will befall our planet this century if we, the human race [...]

 
Nearly three months ago, in fact it was on January 2, we posted an article entitled: What should be done to fix our Immigration issue?  We stated facts and even had a long list of strong suggestions that in our view had the potential to lead to solving the immigration problems.

 
Remember Inspector Jacques Clouseau? He was the bungling French police detective played by Peter Sellers in the ‘Pink Panther’ movies whose approach to solving crimes was very unorthodox to say the least. Well, there is a sequel that played out during the past few years and ended recently right here in America that matches the [...]

Gerry Van der Plas is a frequent reader and an occasional contributor to our blog.  He is not one that follows popular belief, but will take the time to assemble facts to form his own opinions, and has done so here.  His sources are clearly identified and he encourages all readers to research his data [...]

The United States Senate has been trying unsuccessfully so far to pass a non-binding resolution on the troop deployment increase of about 21,500 soldiers to Iraq for several weeks now. The House of Representatives passed such a ‘measure’ on February 16 of this year. But things are deadlocked in the Senate primarily due to procedural [...]

 
As the topic of Global Warming (Climate Change for some of us) continues to rage on, one thing in all this becomes crystal clear: Anybody who still doubts the seriousness of “human caused” Global Warming and its catastrophic consequences must either be stupid, obstinate, intentionally ignorant of reality or any combination of these three qualities. [...]

 
The religion of Islam has been for the vast majority of Christians just another religion about which was not much known beyond facts that their god was being called Allah, his prophet was Mohammed who lived in the seventh century and the equivalent of the Christian bible was the Koran. Their holiest places were in [...]

 
One of the world’s most dreadful diseases of all time has been and still is malaria. In fact, one could consider it the single biggest killer of human beings through history. It has killed untold millions of people over centuries, especially in more tropical countries in Africa, Asia and the Americas. In general, it attacks [...]

 
     We have heard for a very long time now that we, the United States of America, are too dependent on foreign oil. While the percentages and numbers might change from year to year, it is a fact and it will remain so unless we do something about it. We are following the price of [...]

 
     The 110th Congress opened for business January 4, 2007. This year’s event was different from previous ones in that for the first time since January 1995, there was a change in management…the Democrats are in control of both houses of Congress. It was unusual for another reason. For the first time in American history, [...]

    
     Some time in October of last year (2006), we passed a milestone in terms of population in that we reached the 300 million mark in America for the first time. And if we are honest about it, were this country to open up its borders to everyone worldwide desiring to come, live and [...]

     On Wednesday, December 6, 2006, the Iraq Study Group submitted its report to President George W. Bush and then to the rest of the world. This group of highly regarded and distinguished Americans, five each Democrats and Republicans was formed by Congress at the beginning of this year and asked to study the situation [...]