Neil Weinberg
Articles (94 total)
Take pride in where you're from
I signed onto The Echo in January 2009 and penned my first column about the need to hold President Obama accountable for his campaign promises.
To know America, know Simpsons
This week marks the 25th anniversary of the first appearance of TV’s most iconic family, “The Simpsons,” on the “Tracy Ullman Show.” Take a moment to think about how old that makes you feel. Countless essays tell the story of the family living at 742 Evergreen Terrace and this is a daunting column to write because what could I say about “The Simpsons” that hasn’t already been said? While I can proudly say I’ve seen every Simpsons episode ever made (many more than once), and could likely go round for round in some kind of trivia knowledge contest against anyone short of the Comic Book Guy or the nerds Homer lived with at Springfield University, it’s hard to have something original to say about a show that’s been around longer than I’ve been alive. But there’s something about the show that has always captivated me, and I finally got a grasp on what it was a few years ago in a high school literature class. Aside from being extraordinarily clever and enjoyable, “The Simpsons” is a cultural phenomenon.
Setting fire to truth as we know it
Everything you know is wrong. At least it could be. This is according to findings published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that show evidence humans used fire one million years ago – 600,000 years earlier than previously thought. I consider myself an amateur student of historiography, the study of history, so I recognize how we perceive the past is very often about who we are now.
Opening Day gives hope to all fans
As far as I can tell, Alexander Pope popularized the phrase “hope springs eternal” in 1733. One Internet poster without a citation carried it back to ancient Rome, but either way, I’m sure they were talking about Major League Baseball’s Opening Day. Now you might say Pope wrote that 150 years before anyone had even heard of baseball, but that’s an irrelevant detail. Three days from now, the boys of summer will walk back into our lives and another long, dreary winter will come to an end. This is the time of year when everything is still possible.
Hey Zimmerman, you aren't Batman
Generally speaking, going out for a bag of Skittles and a bottle of iced tea isn’t a particularly dangerous move.
Let ruling on 'Obamacare' be final word, no rehashing
Seven days from now, the Supreme Court will hear the first oral arguments in what will likely be a landmark case to decide the fate of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare. Last week, Adam Liptak penned a thoughtful piece in The New York Times that considered one of the three major aspects of the case.
Point/counterpoint: Limbaugh 'slut' scandal - Debate hijacked by the Left
By the time you read this, the Rush Limbaugh-Sandra Fluke controversy will be 13 days old. That’s 13 days too long. It is important to know at the outset that Limbaugh’s comments about Ms. Fluke were rude, impolite and indelicate.
International affairs: Cost of doing nothing
You’re walking down the typical neighborhood street when you spot two people in the midst of an argument just a stone’s throw from where you are.
Incorrectly cast GOP candidates cause confusion
It finally dawned on me, and now I can’t remember what everything looked like before. I know why the GOP is having such a hard time picking a candidate this year.
Campaign finance laws not right for Left, Right
The amazing thing about the current campaign finance laws is exactly no one is happy with them. The Left thinks the current situation offers the wealthy too much power, and the Right thinks this climate awkwardly restricts free speech. We’ve always debated free speech versus political corruption.
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Brandon Inge shows class on way to minor league
Mired in a year long slump, Brandon Inge watched ...
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