Posts by James Joyner

James Joyner
About James Joyner
James Joyner is a Professor of Security Studies. He's a former Army officer and Desert Storm veteran. Views expressed here are his own. Follow James on Twitter @DrJJoyner.

Anonymous Commenters Question Sally Ride’s Courage

One would think that people who have decided that commenting on a political blog under their own name isn’t worth the risk of blowback would feel a certain sympathy for a scientist-astronaut who values her privacy deciding not to tell the world she was gay.

What’s ‘Appropriate’ Office Attire?

Have Americans taken casual wear at the office too far? Most Americans seem to think so.

American Men Catching Up to Women in Weight Worries; Both Should Worry More

One gender gap, at least, is narrowing: American men are starting to worry about the size of their butts.

Sally Ride the ‘Absent Heroine’?

Andrew Sullivan believes Sally Ride “had a chance to expand people’s horizons and young lesbians’ hope and self-esteem, and she chose not to.”

Sally Ride ‘Comes Out’ in Obituary

Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, died yesterday aged 61. Her obituary revealed that she was gay.

Bobby Bowden Not Rejoicing Over Career Wins* Lead

Bobby Bowden now owns the record for most wins by a head coach in college football’s top division, thanks to the NCAA taking 111 wins away from Joe Paterno. He’s quite rightly not excited about it.

Utah Goat Man Risks Hunters to Enjoy Wildlife

A man dressed like a goat is living among the mountain goats of northern Utah.

Jack Daniels Issues Nicest Cease-and-Desist Ever

The cover of Patrick Wensink’s novel Broken Piano for President bore a striking resemblence to the label of a certain quality Tennessee sour mash whiskey. So, Jack Daniel’s’ lawyer sent him a nice note.

NCAA Hits Penn State With Crippling Penalties

The NCAA more than lived up to the hype of “unprecedented” sanctions.

What Happened to the Wage and Productivity Link?

What happened in 1970 to decouple wages and productivity?

Romney Ad Uses Obama “I’m So In Love With You” Performance

Two liberal columnists say a recent Mitt Romney ad proves he’s out of touch—and implies that he’s running a racist stealth campaign.

Hating Aaron Sorkin

Alex Pareene’s quip that “Aaron Sorkin is why people hate liberals” has gone viral.

Why Does Word Still Have a ‘Save’ Button?

Farhad Manjoo is trying the demo version of Microsoft Word 2013—which he likes—but notices something out of place.

Military Lets Troops Wear Uniforms for Gay Pride Parade

In a stunning reversal of policy, DOD is allowing soldiers to march in a gay pride parade in uniform.

You Didn’t Build That!

President Obama set off a firestorm by claiming business owners didn’t build “that.”

Electoral College Best Case Scenarios

Stephen Green projects the best case and minimal winning scenarios for Obama and Romney.

CIA Vaccine Plot Makes Vaccinations Harder; Who Could Have Known?

CFR’s Laurie Garrett has a piece in The Atlantic headlined “Good Job, CIA: Your Pakistan Vaccine Plot Helped Bring Polio Back From the Brink of Eradication.”

Joe Paterno Obituary Cartoon Do-Over

Rob Tornoe has revised his Joe Paterno-Bear Bryant cartoon in light of the Freeh Report.

Scalia on Bush v Gore: ‘Get Over It’

Antonin Scalia says “The only question in Bush v. Gore was whether the presidency would be decided by the Florida Supreme Court or the United States Supreme Court.”

Scalia: No ‘Falling Out’ With Roberts, Ginsberg ‘Best Buddy’

Antonin Scalia says Supreme Court justices have a collegial relationship and make decisions based on legal philosophy, not politics.

London Olympics Censorship

Nick Cohen dubs this year’s London Games the “Censorship Olympics.” Had he called them the “London Censorship Olympics,” the “2012 Censorship Olympics,” or titled the piece “Censorship Takes London Gold” he might have faced civil or criminal penalties.

What Citizens United Changed: Not Much

While the Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United has been blamed for the massive increase in money in this year’s campaign, it really wasn’t the culprit.

Mount Everest Not Highest Point on Earth?

Jeopardy phenom Ken Jennings contends Mount Everest isn’t really Earth’s highest peak.

Friendship between the United States and Canada was developed and strengthened by the signing of the Webster-Ashburton Treaty, on August 9, 1842, in the old State Department building which stood on this site (wherever that is). This treaty established the north- eastern boundary between the two countries. This tablet paced by the Kiwanis Club of Washington in Cooperation with the committee on marking points of historic interest April 30, 1929. Friendship between the United States and Canada was developed and strengthened by the signing of the Webster-Ashburton Treaty, on August 9, 1842, in the old State Department building which stood on this site (wherever that is). This treaty established the north- eastern boundary between the two countries. This tablet paced by the Kiwanis Club of Washington in Cooperation with the committee on marking points of historic interest April 30, 1929.

Socialist Canadians Wealthier Than Capitalist Americans?

“The average Canadian has quietly become richer than the average American,” claims a pro-Canada organization.

Campaign Spending, Free Speech, and Disclosure

The Koch brothers will spend more money in this election cycle than the entire McCain campaign did in 2008.

Microsoft Divorces MSNBC

Microsoft sold its cable stake in MSNBC years ago; now, it’s ending ties with the MSNBC.com website, too.

USA Shit

Why are USA Network characters suddenly saying “Shit”?

Marriage Habits Reinforcing Class Structure

In a groundbreaking investigative report, the New York Times has found that it’s easier to raise children if there are two parents and two incomes than one parent and one income.

Why Our Columnists Stink

David Brooks is wistful for the noblesse oblige of the elites of yore.

US Tax Rates by Quintile

The Bush tax cuts were much more progressive than you probably think.

Sage Stallone, Son of Sylvester, Dead at 36

Sage Stallone, who appeared with his father Sylevester is several films, has died aged 36 of an apparent prescription drug overdose.

Technological Wonder Loss

We’ve reached a point where our wonder at modern technology fades almost instantaneously and is replaced by annoyance that our technology isn’t better

DirecTV Customers Lose Stewart and Colbert

Those of us who subscribe to DirecTV have lost Comedy Central and 16 other Viacom channels.

The Supreme Court, Copyright Law, and Common Sense

Public interest groups want the Supreme Court to fix our stupid copyright laws.

LIBOR Scandal, Bad Law, and Bad Law Enforcement

Stephen Bainbridge argues that corporate governance regulation in the wake of scandals and bubbles is almost uniformly bad.

Do High Taxes Chase Out The Rich?

A new study suggests that taxing millionaires sends millionaires to somewhere that doesn’t tax millionaires.

56 Percent Say Obama Changed Country for Worse

An overwhelming number of likely voters say President Obama has changed America; most say for the worse. He still leads Romney by 3 points.

Babies With Pets in Home Healthier

Babies who grow up with dogs and cats in the home are healthier, a new study finds.

Bankers Still Unaccountable

Four years after the financial crisis tanked the global economy, bankers still put their interests above those of their customers, even to the extent of skirting the law.

Pennsylvania Voter ID Law Sends Democrats Scrambling

The number of Pennsylvania voters without required photo IDs exceeds Obama’s 2008 margin of victory.

Don’t Try to Have It All: Just Live With Your Choices

My latest for The Atlantic continues the debate over work-life balance spawned by Anne-Marie Slaughter’s cover story “Why Women Still Can’t Have it All.”

How Much Did SCOTUS Limit The Commerce Clause?

So, we’re safe from that broccoli mandate, right?

Did Roberts Switch Vote on ObamaCare Ruling?

Either the majority and dissenting opinions in NFIB v. Sebelius were among the sloppiest in Supreme Court history or the Chief Justice switched sides at the 11th hour.

Taxing vs Regulating

Chief Justice Roberts: “Although the breadth of Congress’s power to tax is greater than its power to regulate commerce, the taxing power does not give Congress the same degree of control over individual behavior.”

Obama’s ‘Dewey Beats Truman’ Headline

Obama holds up “MANDATE STRUCK DOWN” headline from CNN in “DEWEY BEATS TRUMAN” photoshop

SCOTUS Upholds ObamaCare Mandate As Tax Even Though It’s Not a Tax

Chief Justice Roberts sided with a majority in upholding the individual mandate and, indeed, all but some trivial portions of the Affordable Care Act.

Supreme Court Strikes Down Stolen Valor Act

The US Supreme Court has struck down the Stolen Valor Act, which made it a federal crime to lie about military honors, on free speech grounds.

Creative Class Myth Debunked?

Does talent spawn growth? Or does growth attract talent?