At least 6 dead in US rampage by black-clad gunman (via AFP) At least six people were killed in a shooting rampage in California before police shot and killed the black-clad gunman in a college library, police said. Wearing a ballistic vest, the suspect began by burning down a house before a series of "random" shootings and carjackings in Santa Monica -- only… … [Read more...] about At least 6 dead in Santa Monica rampage by black-clad gunman
Obama’s Listening (Cartoon)
See great cartoons by all the top political cartoonists at http://cagle.com. To license this cartoon for your own site, visit http://politicalcartoons.com … [Read more...] about Obama’s Listening (Cartoon)
Invisibility Cloak Hides Data in a Hole in Time
Invisibility Cloak Hides Data in a Hole in Time (via slashdot) A research team at Purdue has demonstrated a way to make data traveling via fiber-optic lines invisible using time travel. Yes, that’s right—invisibility and time travel. Superhero stuff. In a letter published in Nature, researchers described using lasers to create a hole in time through which… … [Read more...] about Invisibility Cloak Hides Data in a Hole in Time
Syria: a modern crucible of ancient hatreds
The long-nurtured religious and clan hatreds damning Syria seem incomprehensible to 21st century Americans and Europeans. The US, Russia and United Nations are very keen to hold a peace conference to end the Syrian war because of deep shock at its barbarity and carnage among innocent civilians. But a UN meeting this week could not find relevant takers among the warring … [Read more...] about Syria: a modern crucible of ancient hatreds
(Update) House Committee Passes Bill on Sexual Assault in the Military
UPDATE: Perhaps the military finally means business: Army Suspends Commander in Japan American Forces Press Service: WASHINGTON, June 7, 2013 – Maj. Gen. Michael T. Harrison Sr. was suspended today of his duties as the commanding general of U.S. Army Japan and I Corps (Forward), according to a Defense Department news release. Harrison was suspended following … [Read more...] about (Update) House Committee Passes Bill on Sexual Assault in the Military
Parsing The NSA Denials: It’s 2006 All Over Again (and why not?)
Updated 12:15 am Pacific Saturday From the New York Times: [I]nstead of adding a back door to their servers, the companies were essentially asked to erect a locked mailbox and give the government the key, people briefed on the negotiations said. Facebook, for instance, built such a system for requesting and sharing the information, they said. The data shared in … [Read more...] about Parsing The NSA Denials: It’s 2006 All Over Again (and why not?)
Can conservative reformers succeed?
When former Bush speechwriter (and former columnist for TheWeek.com) David Frum announced he was ending his popular blog on The Daily Beast, he left a checklist for conservative reformers to ponder and follow. Frum, who has been critical of conservative icons such as Rush Limbaugh and "the conservative entertainment complex," has fueled a debate over the tone, content, and … [Read more...] about Can conservative reformers succeed?
Our Spammed Spurned, Silver-Tongued Fans
We have had too many stories recently on too many troubling, serious issues.
Here is one perhaps tilting too far the other way. Oh well…
Writers are human. They like to be patted on the back for their work -- especially if they feel they have poured their heart and soul into their creation.
While TMV readers are generally quite generous with their compliments and … [Read more...] about Our Spammed Spurned, Silver-Tongued Fans
The bipartisan assault on privacy (Guest Voice)
The bipartisan assault on privacy (via NewsWorks) National Interest Dick [email protected] June 7, 2013 By Dick Polman Nobody should be shocked to learn that the secretive National Security Agency is routinely collecting our phone records (known in the lingo as "telaphony metadata"), or that it's routinely tracking our Internet… … [Read more...] about The bipartisan assault on privacy (Guest Voice)
Bob Dole Republicans (Cartoon)
See great cartoons by all the top political cartoonists at http://cagle.com. To license this cartoon for your own site, visit http://politicalcartoons.com … [Read more...] about Bob Dole Republicans (Cartoon)
Surveillance state USA: Brave not-so-new world
Surveillance state USA: Brave not-so-new world (via GlobalPost) Analysis: Shocking revelations that the government is monitoring phone and internet records is old news to many. Critics say â??Welcome to the Bush-Obama era.â?? Jean MacKenzie Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect yet more revelations of domestic surveillance. BUZZARDS BAY, Mass… … [Read more...] about Surveillance state USA: Brave not-so-new world
Obama All Buggy (Cartoon)
See great cartoons by all the top political cartoonists at http://cagle.com. To license this cartoon for your own site, visit http://politicalcartoons.com … [Read more...] about Obama All Buggy (Cartoon)
Liberty or Death or Something in Between
When it comes to privacy vs. security, are the only choices Glenn Greenwald and Lindsey Graham, two egomaniacal lawyers with no sense of balance? Thanks to his latest hue and cry, TV talking heads are belaboring Greenwald’s “discovery” that “The National Security Agency is currently collecting the telephone records of millions of US customers of Verizon, one of America's … [Read more...] about Liberty or Death or Something in Between
Another NSA Whistleblower Steps Up: US Monitors Private Internet Communication, Too
Updated: 10:00 am Friday Pacific Has the dam of silence broken at NSA? In the space of a day we've learned that the NSA collects call logs on every phone call in the U.S. that runs via Verizon (and probably every other carrier) and that NSA taps into the servers of at least nine major Internet companies to monitor email, audio and video chats, photos and logs. That's real … [Read more...] about Another NSA Whistleblower Steps Up: US Monitors Private Internet Communication, Too
Iraq’s Latest al-Qaeda ‘Bombshell’ (Khaleej Times, United Arab Emirates)
Puzzled as I am about why this story hasn't gotten more attention, I post this editorial from the Khaleej Times of the United Arab Emirates for your examination. So - after America invaded and occupied Iraq for nearly a decade and spent a trillion or so dollars - if one includes long term car and treatment of the wounded, ostensibly to deprive it of "WMDs," Baghdad has … [Read more...] about Iraq’s Latest al-Qaeda ‘Bombshell’ (Khaleej Times, United Arab Emirates)
Quie and Stafford True Republican Treasures
Historic Tidbit: "We want you to visit our State of Excitement often. Come again and again. But, for heaven’s sake, don’t move here to live.” Oregon Republican Governor Tom McCall in the late 1960's, concerned about population growth. By Scott Crass There was once a very respected Republican politician from Minnesota who served in Congress and became Governor, and there … [Read more...] about Quie and Stafford True Republican Treasures
GREAT Middle School Anti-Bullying Film: Trey the Movie. A Bullyproof production
I recently had the enormous pleasure of being interviewed by Beatrice Petelo, an 8th grade student at High Tech Middle School in San Diego, located on a former Naval facility. She wanted to talk to me about my life's path and decisions as part of an assigned project. And since I was someone trained in journalism who wrote for newspapers overseas, then worked on two U.S. … [Read more...] about GREAT Middle School Anti-Bullying Film: Trey the Movie. A Bullyproof production
What is Man?
This is the fifth post in the series Why Everything You Know about Your “Self” Is Wrong. The series explores how our understanding of selfhood affects our sense of individuality, our interpersonal relationships, and our politics. “What Is Man?” is the title of a little book by Mark Twain. He held it back for twenty years because he knew the public would hate it. The “what” … [Read more...] about What is Man?
House votes to defund Obama’s ‘administrative amnesty’ for immigrants
What was that again about how the Republican Party needs to reach out to the country's growing Latino population? It turns out House Republicans want to reach out, all right: The House voted Thursday morning to defund President Obama's orders that allow officials to focus deportation efforts on illegal immigrants who have been convicted of crimes. Republicans have … [Read more...] about House votes to defund Obama’s ‘administrative amnesty’ for immigrants
White House defends phone sweep amid uproar
White House defends phone sweep amid uproar (via AFP) The White House insisted Thursday it must use every tool to protect Americans against terrorism, after revelations about a vast spy agency sweep of domestic phone records sparked a political backlash. A civil liberties group branded the program, authorized by a top secret court order, as "beyond Orwellian… … [Read more...] about White House defends phone sweep amid uproar