Browsing Posts of Author
Fracking: Corruption a Part of Pennsylvania’s Heritage
By Walter Brasch at March 24, 2012 | 7:00 am | 0 Comment
(part 3 of 3)
The history of energy exploration, mining, and delivery is best understood in a range from benevolent exploitation to worker and public oppression. A company comes into an area, leases land in rural and agricultural areas… Read the rest
[...read more]Energy & Environment , Featured , Marcellus Shale , Pennsylvania Issues , Political
Fracking: Health, Environmental Impact Greater Than Claimed
By Walter Brasch at March 22, 2012 | 7:00 am | 0 Comment
(This is Part 2 of 3. Part 1 looked at a state gag order on physicians; Part 3 examines why Pennsylvania is giving special consideration to the natural gas companies.)
The natural gas industry defends hydraulic… Read the rest
[...read more]Energy & Environment , Featured , Marcellus Shale , Pennsylvania Issues
Fracking: Pennsylvania Gags Physicians
By Walter Brasch at March 21, 2012 | 8:00 am | 0 Comment
(Part 1 of 3)
A new Pennsylvania law endangers public health by forbidding health care professionals from sharing information they learn about certain chemicals and procedures used in high volume horizontal hydraulic fracturing. The procedure is commonly known as… Read the rest
[...read more]Energy & Environment , Marcellus Shale , Pennsylvania Issues , Political
Star Gazing: Comets, Actors, and Angelina’s Right Leg
By Walter Brasch at March 7, 2012 | 11:35 am | 3 Comments
In 1973, some friends and I went to the rooftop of our apartment building to watch Comet Kahoutek, touted by astronomers and the media as the comet of all comets. We were sure we’d see it since we had… Read the rest
[...read more]Fewer Words; Less Filling
By Walter Brasch at February 26, 2012 | 2:58 pm | 0 Comment
The Reduced Shakespeare Co. cleverly and humorously abridges all of Shakespeare’s 37 plays to 97 minutes. Short of having a set of Cliff’s Notes or a collection of Classic Comics, sources of innumerable student essays for more than a… Read the rest
[...read more]Labor Pains: A Fable for Our Times
By Walter Brasch at February 23, 2012 | 7:00 am | 2 Comments
Once, many years ago, in a land far away between two oceans, with fruited plains, amber waves of grain, and potholes on its highways, there lived a young man named Sam.
Now, Sam was a bright young man who… Read the rest
[...read more]The Lowly Groundhog: Long May They Live
By Walter Brasch at February 2, 2012 | 1:40 pm | 1 Comments
Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, Thursday.
That means there will be an additional six weeks of winter.
Or, it means there will be an early Spring.
It doesn’t make much difference. Phil has an accuracy rate of about 39… Read the rest
[...read more]Sanctimonious Hypocrisy: The Governor and the Penn State Board of Trustees
By Walter Brasch at January 26, 2012 | 7:00 am | 23 Comments
Gov. Tom Corbett (R-Pa.) praised Joe Paterno and ordered flags on all state buildings to fly at half-staff for four days.
That would be the same Tom Corbett who had said he was “personally disappointed” in Joe Paterno for… Read the rest
[...read more]Outsourcing America’s Health Care
By Walter Brasch at January 25, 2012 | 8:13 am | 0 Comment
“Ola, Amigo! Pack your bags, we’re going to Mexico!” bubbled Dr. Franklin Peterson Comstock III, faux physician and money-maker.
“Yeah, I could use a decent vacation,” I replied, figuring he’d pay for both of us since he had just… Read the rest
[...read more]Miss America: Auditioning for Center Stage
By Walter Brasch at January 13, 2012 | 4:08 pm | 1 Comments
Tucked between the New Hampshire primary and Ground Hog Day, and directly competing against an NFL playoff game, is Saturday night’s annual Miss America pageant.
Although the headquarters is still near Atlantic City, where it originated in 1921, the… Read the rest
[...read more]
