http://www.flynnfiles.com/ en-us 2013-05-17T11:27:03-05:00 http://www.flynnfiles.com/archives/articles2013/not_ready_for_primetime_players.html The 2012-2013 television season featured more gay characters than ever. The Big Four networks lost 7.5 percent of their viewer share. This resulted in the cancellation of numerous gay-themed programs earlier this week. Depictions of homosexuals on network television more... articles danflynn 2013-05-17T11:27:03-05:00 http://www.flynnfiles.com/archives/american_scene2013/a_mans_right_to_choose.html Earlier this week, the conviction of Philadelphia abortionist Kermit Gosnell left a lot of people wondering about the ethical difference between late-term abortion in the womb and infanticide a few inches out of the womb. A Florida case sparks similar... american scene danflynn 2013-05-17T00:09:18-05:00 http://www.flynnfiles.com/archives/sports2013/not_down_for_the_count.html Boxing's obituary has been written more times than Jason's and Freddy's combined. How do the sport's snarky eulogists reconcile their frequent gleeful death notices with the fact that, for the second year in a row, the best compensated athlete on... sports danflynn 2013-05-15T11:25:33-05:00 http://www.flynnfiles.com/archives/politics2013/who_will_audit_the_auditors.html The Internal Revenue Service knows the most private details of Americans' finances. One needn't be particularly cynical to construe that as a recipe for an abuse of power. It's worse than that. It is an abuse of power, not merely... politics danflynn 2013-05-15T08:29:41-05:00 http://www.flynnfiles.com/archives/american_scene2013/guilty_of_nuance.html A jury convicted Dr. Kermit Gosnell of being a fourth-trimester abortionist yesterday. Murder carries a possible death penalty in Pennsylvania. Though abortion-rights supporters seem reticent to use the "M" word, they do express outrage that Dr. Gosnell performed one abortion... american scene danflynn 2013-05-14T10:00:08-05:00 http://www.flynnfiles.com/archives/politics2013/barack_milhous_obama.html The revelation that the Justice Department obtained possession of the phone records of Associated Press reporters, including their home and cell lines, necessarily amplifies the IRS story. It's one thing for unaccountable tax bureaucrats to hassle right-wing Tea Partiers. But... politics danflynn 2013-05-14T00:33:10-05:00 http://www.flynnfiles.com/archives/dan_flynn2013/change.html I attended a Buffalo Tom concert at the Sinclair, a new concert venue in Cambridge. At $20, and with no "convenience fee," the show was worth every penny and then some. I'm not sure that I can say the same... dan flynn danflynn 2013-05-13T08:24:38-05:00 http://www.flynnfiles.com/archives/articles2013/manny_pacquiao_v_the_irs.html Joe Louis couldn't defeat the Internal Revenue Service. Neither could Evander Holyfield. But Manny Pacquiao looks like a heavy favorite to defeat the most powerful three letters in boxing when he fights next in Macau. Why is Manny leaving Las... articles danflynn 2013-05-10T08:34:56-05:00 http://www.flynnfiles.com/archives/politics2013/sanford_wins.html Former South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford handily defeated Elizabeth Colbert Busch in a special election for a seat in the House of Representatives. The seat was in Republican hands, so, despite TV funnyman Stephen Colbert's sister's strong poll numbers, a... politics danflynn 2013-05-08T09:09:07-05:00 http://www.flynnfiles.com/archives/american_scene2013/kidnapped.html Three Cleveland teenagers, missing since George W. Bush's first term, reemerged yesterday as twentysomethings escaping from a former schoolbus driver's house. This man helped them escape and tells his amazing story in amazing fashion. Being held captive for a decade... american scene danflynn 2013-05-07T09:37:39-05:00 http://www.flynnfiles.com/archives/articles2013/salt_of_the_earth_.html The Rolling Stones launch their North American tour tonight in Los Angeles. If you have $600 to spare, plenty of seats remain for the asking. The steep prices may have something to do with the unsold tickets. In contrast, Kid... articles danflynn 2013-05-03T08:33:04-05:00 http://www.flynnfiles.com/archives/science2013/an_inconvenient_spring.html The United States heads toward its coldest spring on record halfway through the season. I can't complain. The mercury creeped into the 70s in my locale yesterday. Parts of Colorado experienced a snowstorm, so it all evens out, I suppose.... science danflynn 2013-05-03T00:31:07-05:00 http://www.flynnfiles.com/archives/pop_culture2013/moderation_in_all_things.html In deference to nutrition, I have taken to diluting the Ooops! All Berries variant of Cap n Crunch with Crunch Berries. It's true that Yale researchers recently named Crunch Berries the cereal with the least dietary value, and that the... pop culture danflynn 2013-05-01T08:47:18-05:00 http://www.flynnfiles.com/archives/sports2013/coming_out_of_the_closetand_off_the_hardwood.html If you want everybody to know your name, announce that you're attracted to people of the same sex. It worked for NBA Center Jason Collins, who, despite playing part of this past season for the team I root for, escaped... sports danflynn 2013-04-30T11:21:17-05:00 http://www.flynnfiles.com/archives/massachusetts2013/antediluvian.html Seventy-five-years ago today, Massachusetts washed four of its towns off the map. Dana, Enfield, Greenwich, and Prescott ceased to exist so that Eastern Massachusetts could drink clean water. On April 28, 1938, Massachusetts disincorporated the four towns, hastening the process... Massachusetts danflynn 2013-04-28T10:59:11-05:00