I waded into the Democratic and Republican sea because I was drawn to the first viable black presidential candidate, Senator Barack Hussein Obama (middle name games don’t work on me). I followed Senator Obama’s run and in the process followed the runs of all the Democratic and Republican candidates. MSM, blogs, flash cards, you name it. I was thoroughly engaged in the process. But the recent news cycles of NAFTA-gateness, 3am-ism (which is a fine time for one last drink), Monster-stuff,...

Taylor Marsh just doesn’t get it. She says Senator Barack Obama ducked out of today’s State of the Black Union conference basically because he’s “misaligned and hypocritical”. The meat: This is all so predictable. Even taking Clinton out of the equation — because not everything is about Hillary Clinton — there is nothing about Obama’s choices that are surprising. Again, this has nothing to do with Clinton. It’s about Obama’s choices, which,...

According to the New York Times, Senator John McCain has problems with that classic statement when it comes to ethics: WASHINGTON — Early in Senator John McCain’s first run for the White House eight years ago, waves of anxiety swept through his small circle of advisers. A female lobbyist had been turning up with him at fund-raisers, visiting his offices and accompanying him on a client’s corporate jet. Convinced the relationship had become romantic, some of his top advisers intervened to protect...

I have to say it. In response to the lovely and talented Taylor Marsh’s “Michelle Obama Does Not Speak for Me“: Michelle Obama speaks for me… For the first time in my adult life, I’m overflowing with pride in my country because of Senator Barack Obama’s run for the White House. Oh I’ve been been brimming with pride in my country (post 9/11 unity) during my adult life. But never overflowing with pride. Just look at it ladies and gentlemen: A person of...

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According to Big Tent Democrat at Talk Left, the remarks by Senator Obama about Senator Clinton, in the video below, are sexist: For those that can’t see the video, here is the meat: I understand that Senator Clinton, periodically when she’s feeling down, launches attacks as a way of trying to boost her appeal. - Senator Barack Obama, February 15, 2008 I’m trying to understand how. I’ve routinely said “feeling down” to men. In fact, when I was coaching high...

The Internet is like alcohol in some sense. It accentuates what you would do anyway. If you want to be a loner, you can be more alone. If you want to connect, it makes it easier to connect. – Esther Dyson, Interview in Time Magazine, October 2005 That quote above outlines why I laugh at the viewpoint that the Internet is evil. Like any medium, it is affected by the subjects, not itself. If you are morally bankrupt and filled with spite, the Internet has a place for you. If you are a bubbly,...

Those using IE6 will now see the site the way it is supposed to be. Not with a left sidebar pushed all the way down to the bottom of the blog. We have a couple more “backend” changes to do. After that, things will be more stable hopefully (got to add that since these are machines after all). Thanks for your continued patience.

As you can see, The Moderate Voice’s design has changed. This is part one to optimize TMV’s speed when loading into your browsers. A substantial amount of graphical style elements were removed in order to do this. Part two is optimizing our server which will occur late evening EST on Monday (01/21/08). Post categories and archives will be added back Monday afternoon. We are still ironing out font sizes also. Thank you for your continued patience. UPDATE #1 I’ve already have...

My best friend used to be a gang member. He was an enforcer type. The type that intimidates, maims, and dare I say kills for the cause. He served 8 years in prison, got out, got married to a wonderful woman, had children, and now runs a martial arts (Hapkido) dojang. I have no doubts that my best friend killed rival gang members. Why? Because he said as much and there is no reason not to believe him. Many a late night conversation with him has turned into a confession with me playing the role...

NOTE: This post has been moved to the top as we work through the new Disqus comment system on The Moderate Voice. Feel free to test (within reason) and leave any questions, comments, and/or concerns. TMV Readers, In an effort increase the site’s overall speed and to add more commenting features, TMV’s comments will be moving to the Disqus commenting system. This will allow threaded comments, avatars, while integrating all comments into a separate forum. Because of this move, you will...

I’m a disgusted with the Big 2 parties type. Been that way since I cast my first vote in a local election when I was 18 years old. But I’m not politically stupid and I love history. And I realize political history when I see it. Barack Obama wins the Democratic Iowa Caucus and the Black Democratic Establishment (BDE) loses. And this black man (with a healthy dose of France poured in) is so happy. Usually in Black America, black politicians have to have the blessing of Jesse Jackson,...

Why in the face of a tragedy does silliness still rear its warty head? Benazir Bhutto is assassinated and some yahoos at MSNBC and Fox News start talking how Rudy Giuliani can benefit from this politically… Sickening. According to some punditry, “America’s Mayor” will show Americans how dangerous the world is because of this assassination which will translate into solid political capital aka votes for Rudy. As Charlie Brown says: I can’t stand it. I just can’t...

Between George Carlin’s State Prison Farms (video below) and my Americanaland we can fix the criminal and illegal immigration issues in a jiffy. And be entertained and make truckloads of good ol’ American dollars in the process. C’mon presidential candidates! Let’s get crackin’ on two REAL solutions! WARNING: CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE.

the morning paper harbinger of good and ill - – I step over it - Dave McCroskey That little gem of haiku has pretty much summed up my feeling of general news overload. When I’m sitting at the local coffeehouse/bakery and the average Joe or Jane talks to me about the news or some news they have heard, I’m all attentiveness personified. But when I see it on the television or read it in newspapers, I go into a fugue state. I feel like I’ve lost myself and my individuality....

Let me be clear on a few points: 1. I opposed the Iraq War from the beginning. But we are there now so we have to deal with it. 2. I only have a few members in my family that have served in the military. 3. I haven’t nor will I enlist in military service. My reason: I’m not a soldier but I’m a fighter. Big difference. With all that being said, I submit that our government, from political sea to shining political sea is unpatriotic since veterans (soldiers) are treated flat...

Knowing others is intelligence. Knowing yourself is true wisdom. - Lao-tzu, Father of Taoism, 6th century B.C.E. Why would I post a writing by a great Chinese philosopher? Because in the 2400+ years after Lao-tzu’s death, those words ring dead solid perfect (golf reference for effect). In today’s connected world, from pundits to punks, from leaders to losers, from the rich to the poor, you hear people saying they “know how someone thinks” or they “know how they think”....

I don’t get it. I don’t understand why Ezra Klein would challenge Michelle Malkin to a reasoned debate about SCHIP knowing what he was going to get. And I don’t understand why Michelle Malkin would even reply to Ezra’s challenge knowing that she wouldn’t debate him in, well, I’ll just let her words speak for themself: But I’d just as soon share a stage, physical or virtual, with Respectable Liberal Blogger Ezra Klein as I would with Chris Matthews,...

“There is practically no chance communications space satellites will be used to provide better telephone, telegraph, television, or radio service inside the United States.” - T. A. M. Craven, FCC Commissioner, 1961 It’s quite amazing how wrong Commissioner Craven was. His statement confidently rejects the subject. Yet look at how far we come in those 46 years with the communication satellites. His utter wrongness continues to prove to me that saying “no chance” and...

I just got finished watching one of my favorite musicals entitled Stormy Weather (circa 1943). I’m a big fan of the “back in the day” big band. Cab Calloway has always been one of my favorite performers. So vibrant and alive. Those performers “back in the day” flat out entertained regularly. Sadly that is a lost art among a sizable number of performers these days. Notice I didn’t say all performers today. But among the popular sect of music today, there...

That’s the amount a Jammie Thomas, a 30-year old single mother has to pay total to various music companies for sharing music and more music: Record companies win music sharing trial By JOSHUA FREED Associated Press Writer Fri Oct 5, 6:15 AM ET DULUTH, Minn. – The recording industry hopes $222,000 will be enough to dissuade music lovers from downloading songs from the Internet without paying for them. That’s the amount a federal jury ordered a Minnesota woman to pay for sharing...

Ed Morrissey rips the words right out of my brain concerning Michigan’s new budget/what in the…/disaster: The economic woes of Michigan appear ready to worsen, thanks to a budget agreement reached this morning as the state government began shutting down. Michigan residents will see their taxes increase by over a billion dollars, further burdening the decreasing purchasing power of its residents, as the legislature only sliced less than a third of that from their spending plans… I’ve...

From Wikipedia: Transhumanism (sometimes symbolized by >H or H+) is an international intellectual and cultural movement supporting the use of new sciences and technologies to enhance human mental and physical abilities and aptitudes, and ameliorate what it regards as undesirable and unnecessary aspects of the human condition, such as stupidity, suffering, disease, aging and involuntary death. Transhumanist thinkers study the possibilities and consequences of developing and using human enhancement...

Silly, Silly Man! Those who sharply criticized Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs President Lee C. Bollinger for inviting Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to speak owe him a galaxy sized apology. You know who you are so I’m not naming names/blogs/media outlets. Lee Bollinger’s opening statement and questions, along with many of the students’ questions reduced President Ahmadinejad to a melted ice cream cone on a hot sunny day. Watching President...

This is the victim of the the so-called Jena 6, Justin Barker. It is plainly obvious that he was beat up. No dispute. He is the primary victim. I use the word primary because the so-called Jena 6 are the secondary victims. I have a problem with various individuals, including the La Salle parish district attorney Reed Walters, saying “remember who is the victim” without considering all the victims. I say to Mr. Walters: Don’t you see how you have hurt all the victims? The...