My Call 2012
Stepping out of news-director mode for a moment. Who wants prognostications? Here are five predictions for this year’s election. (Not necessarily reflective of how I want it to go.) 1. It’s going to be 2004 all over...
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North Carolina books for post-election reading and holiday giving
Posted by D.G. Martin | Nov 5, 2012 | D.G. Martin
Just in time to bury your head in something other than politics, here is a new group of books to help you forget any disappointing election results. There are new authors you should know about even if you are not ready to read...
Read MoreNanotechnology
Posted by Jeff Danner | Nov 4, 2012 | Common Science
I expect nanotechnology to bring about noteworthy advances in science and technology over the next 50 years. Nanotechnology is based on the surprise and unique properties of materials which are between one and one hundred...
Read MoreMending broken families after slavery
Posted by D.G. Martin | Nov 1, 2012 | D.G. Martin
See if you can guess where this advertisement came from. “Information is wanted of my two boys, James and Horace, one of whom was sold in Nashville and the other was sold in Rutherford County. I, myself, was sold in Nashville...
Read MoreWhat the data shows about North Carolina voters
Posted by D.G. Martin | Oct 30, 2012 | D.G. Martin
“It is the greatest thing that could happen to the conservative cause in North Carolina.” Back in 1988, former state representative Ivan Mothershead, a Mecklenburg Republican, was commenting on my move from Charlotte to Chapel...
Read MorePolitical Non-Science Part II: Calling Dr. Holdren
Posted by Jeff Danner | Oct 28, 2012 | Common Science
This is the second installment of my review of science topics which deserve better treatment in the presidential election than they have received. Follow this link to start with part I. Climate Change The events of 2012...
Read MoreAnother fine book set in the segregated South of the 50s and 60s
Posted by D.G. Martin | Oct 25, 2012 | D.G. Martin
If the setting and theme of Walter Bennett’s new book, “Leaving Tuscaloosa,” remind you of other books by North Carolina authors, you will not be alone. Bennett will be the guest on UNC-TV’s North Carolina Bookwatch this...
Read MoreJIAC Invitation Letter
Posted by The Commentators | Oct 25, 2012 | The Commentators
With this letter, I invite you to apply for membership in the Town of Chapel Hill’s Justice in Action Committee. Dr. Martin Luther King once said, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” Yet, Dr....
Read MoreWe Need a Better Plan for Transit. Vote "No"
Posted by The Commentators | Oct 24, 2012 | The Commentators
There’s a 1/2 cent sales tax referendum on November’s ballot. It will be used to fund a 25-year, $660 million plan for light rail and other transit in Orange County. Separately, the commissioners and Triangle Transit Authority...
Read MoreDivision 1 Revenue Sports, the Daily Tar Heel, and the Mission of UNC
Posted by The Commentators | Oct 24, 2012 | The Commentators
Kudos to WCHL and Jim Heavner for his thoughtful interview with Bubba Cunningham, the Director of Athletics at UNC. These athletics scandals have harmed the entire UNC community, so they demand that we ask difficult questions...
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