Life After Massachusetts Edition

A comprehensive roundup of why the Democrats suck, the all-white basketball league and how classical music can be used as punishment for schoolchildren.

On a regular basis, Truthdig brings you the news items and odds and ends that found their way to Larry Gross, director of the USC Annenberg School for Communication. A specialist in media and culture, art and communication, visual communication and media portrayals of minorities, Gross helped found the field of gay and lesbian studies.

The links below open in a new window and newer ones are on top.

The topic of racial identification on census forms has a long, fascinating history, which has generated fresh debate as the 2010 Census begins.

New Economics of Marriage: The Rise of Wives The institution of marriage has undergone significant changes in recent decades as women have outpaced men in education and earnings growth.

Whites-Only Basketball League: All-American Basketball Alliance Bans Blacks, Foreigners A whites-only basketball league aims to launch in twelve cities this summer, according to a report in the Augusta Chronicle.

Great Moments in Parliamentary Procedure More than 70 lawmakers brawled in Taiwan’s parliament on Monday, the first melee in the island nation’s notoriously rambunctious seat of government since the ruling Nationalist Party swept to power two years ago.

Classical Music as Punishment Derby school cuts number of students behaving badly by subjecting them to an hour of classical music.

Mass discontent Massachusetts has been lauded for its healthcare reform, but the program is a failure. Created solely to achieve universal insurance coverage, the plan does not even begin to address the other essential components of a successful healthcare system.

The Weimar Democrats Massachusetts again reminds us why the Democrats are such losers.

Sitting Deemed Dangerous for Your Health: What’s Next? The AP is reporting about a new study that concludes that sitting, yep, just sitting, is deadly. WTF?

Coakley’s Loss: Pie in the President’s Face Barack Obama went to Boston to rally voters and got a pie in the face. He lost his innocence as the valiant young president and also lost his sixty-vote majority in the Senate.

The Sequel No One Saw Coming: Sarah Palin to Campaign With McCain Sarah Palin announced Wednesday that she will campaign for Sen. John McCain, her former presidential running mate, as he bids for another term in the Senate.

The Plight of the Uncool Sociologist The other day I was talking to someone about a concert I went to in the mid-nineties. As I was telling the story, I realized that I sounded … old.

Putting the Ph.D.’s to Work Even old news can be dismal, and that is the case at hand. For about 40 years, by my calculation, American universities have been admitting too many candidates for doctorates in the liberal arts and the social sciences and, startling attrition along the way notwithstanding, have produced too great a supply of Ph.D.’s for a dwindling demand.

Blame the All-Powerful Left! Whatever problems the Democratic Party has, kowtowing to the left is not one of them.

Democrats Boosting Right-Wing Populism In his triumphant speech on election night, the next senator from Massachusetts should have thanked top Democrats in Washington for all they did to make his victory possible.