Columnists

DISPATCHES FROM THE EDGE: Iran: Rumors of War

By Conn Hallinan
Thursday November 07, 2013 - 10:27:00 PM

Is Israel really planning to attack Iran, or are declarations about the possibility of a pre-emptive strike at Teheran’s nuclear program simply bombast? Does President Obama’s “we have your back” comment about Israel mean the U.S. will join an assault? What happens if the attack doesn’t accomplish its goals, an outcome predicted by virtually every military analyst? In that case, might the Israelis, facing a long, drawn out war, resort to the unthinkable: nuclear weapons? -more-


ECLECTIC RANT: Commentary on Senator Feinstein's Defense of NSA Surveillance

By Ralph E. Stone
Thursday November 07, 2013 - 09:57:00 PM

Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) recently wrote an Op-Ed,, "NSA's call-records program is prudence -- not prying," that appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle defending the National Security Agency's programs. In her Op-Ed, Senator Feinstein disingenuously assures us that the NSA does not conduct surveillance, but rather it merely collects information contained on the average telephone bill, not the content of the messages. -more-


ON MENTAL ILLNESS: Erroneous Instincts

By Jack Bragen
Thursday November 07, 2013 - 09:58:00 PM

Most people believe in the truism that you should trust your instincts--and ordinarily this is a good idea. However, when someone is experiencing symptoms of psychosis, especially of the delusional type, instincts can not be relied upon. When someone is in an acute stage of psychosis, nothing in the person's consciousness is operating correctly. -more-


SENIOR POWER: Alzheimers, Part 1

by Helen Rippier Wheeler, pen136@dslextreme.com
Thursday November 07, 2013 - 06:58:00 PM

November’s Senior Power columns are about Dementia, Alzheimer’s (a form of dementia), their caregivers, and the dementia-hearing relationship.

November is National Alzheimer’s Month, also referred to as National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month and National Caregiver Month. In recent years, scientists have ramped up efforts to find a cure for Alzheimer's disease, the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States. One in 8 aged 65+ persons suffer from AD; one in 2 senior citizens has AD by age 85. -more-