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It’s past time to get rid of nuclear arms

Sept. 26 is International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, a day designated by the United Nations to draw attention to one of its oldest goals: Achieving global nuclear disarmament. It is also the founding mission of my organization, Physicians for Social Responsibility. Nuclear weapons make us less, not more, safe. Since their existence, they’ve posed one of the gravest threats to public health and human survival. According to U.N. estimates, 14,500 nuclear weapons remain. That’s enough to completely destroy the Earth. Very few people want a nuclear war to ...

A music born out of hard times

I’ve spent the past couple of years working on a new album on my experiences over the last 62 years, from childhood to the trials of adult life in marriage and parenthood. After the components of an album come together the lyrics, music, production, sometimes even the artwork — you still need a title. Record companies often encourage you to use a song title, maybe a phrase. But that didn’t work here. How do you sum up a work that tries to capture who you are? As I was mulling this over, I started screening an early copy of Ken Burns’ documentary series, “Country Music.” ...

The crackers and frackers could hold keys to 2020

MONACA, Pa. All Darrin Kelly wanted for the energy workers in Western Pennsylvania was that the Democratic presidential hopefuls would talk to them before going to war against shale. That opportunity slipped away last Friday when Elizabeth Warren joined Bernie Sanders in calling for a total fracking ban. “On my first day as president, I will sign an executive order that puts a total moratorium on all new fossil fuel leases for drilling offshore and on public lands. And I will ban fracking — everywhere,” Warren tweeted. “It is disappointing that any national candidate ...

Something’s a little off about Elizabeth Warren

Ed Rendell recently whacked Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. , when she bashed Joe Biden for taking rich donors’ money. The former Pennsylvania governor wrote that he himself had run a “swanky” fundraiser for Warren’s Senate race, for which she thanked him royally. Furthermore, she transferred $10.4 million of her big-money hauls into her presidential campaign while bragging that she was only accepting small donations. Calling that maneuvering sleazy would be overdoing it, but there is certainly something untoward about it. Warren refuses to say what taxes she would raise to ...

Shaking up interest in rattlesnakes

Gold and blue, cardinals, rhododendrons and black bears are some of what we associate with our state. I just learned that our state reptile is the timber rattlesnake. I’ve been wanting to learn more about timber rattlesnakes since attending a presentation about the population and tracking of rattlesnakes in a couple of local areas. A few tidbits piqued my interest. It didn’t take much, as I am already fascinated by serpents in general. While some of my friends are repulsed by these reptiles, I’ve always been interested in them and their symbolism throughout ...

Ideas of electability an annoying diversion

Our subject today is a word. It seems to be the word of the moment, at least on the political left. One can hardly read an opinion page or watch cable news without confronting this tiresome term, this irksome idiom. For the love of heaven, people, please stop saying “electability.” Note, please, that the last president was a black man with the unlikely name of Barack Hussein Obama Jr., who came to office with just a few years of senatorial experience. His successor was a TV reality show host with no government experience whatsoever and a history of racist, misogynistic and ...