Dr. Mark Scott Smith has spent his post-academic medicine career writing historical fiction here on the North Oregon Coast that has taken him around the USA, Europe, Latin America and East Asia…
Category: Jim Heffernan
Broken News: Why the Media Rage Machine Divides America
By Jim Heffernan I was attracted to this book by the back story of the author, Chris Stirewalt. He was a political editor for Fox news and was fired for telling the…
I’VE BEEN THINKING: Money & Politics – ORESTAR Reveals Candidates Fund Sources
By Jim Heffernan I’m still thinking about how money has corrupted our political life. Maybe a closer examination of the details might provide something of an explanation for the mess we’re in….
I’ve been thinking … Money in Politics
By Jim Heffernan I’ve been thinking a lot lately about money in politics. Each election, more money is spent on politics and now it has reached levels that I find truly shocking….
I’ve Been Thinking: History is Bunk
By Jim Heffernan I’ve been thinking a lot about history. I was around for a fair amount of recent history, but the day job distractions kept me from really understanding what was…
BOOK REVIEW: A Politics of LOVE
By Jim Heffernan This book just kind of caught my eye somehow like a bright, shiny object. I’m glad I knew nothing of the author. I’m afraid that my biases might have…
I’ve Been Thinking: Reasons to be Thankful
EDITOR’S NOTE: We hadn’t heard from Jim in awhile, so a quick “what’s up?” And he replied that it’s a struggle right now, and shares how he needs to be reminded of…
BOOK REVIEW: What Unites Us – Reflections on Patriotism by Dan Rather
By Jim Heffernan I found this book of essays very enjoyable. There are 16 essays, each extolling a particular aspect of a broad topic and each aspect seems to be somehow diminished…
BOOK REVIEW: THEM – Why we hate each other – and how to heal by Ben Sasse
By Jim Heffernan I am amazed at how much I liked a book written by the conservative* Republican Senator from Nebraska. He and I differ on a lot of policies, but I…
I’ve Been Thinking: How “Whatever it takes” took over
By Jim Heffernan In 1960, when I was 14, John F. Kennedy, the first Catholic President, was inaugurated as President of the United States. I was in 8th grade at a Catholic…