Rob Ford improves his polling numbers as he moves into second place during rehab … [Read more...] about Rob Ford improves his polling numbers as he moves into second place during rehab
Supreme Court Recognizes Privacy Challenges of Smart Phones
After a long wandering though a Luddite universe populated by caselaw addressing typewriters and copper-wire telephone communications, the U.S. Supreme Court finally moved into the smartphone era with a unanimous decision in Riley v. California. The Court ruled that cell phones seized by police during an arrest may not be searched without a warrant. In reaching its … [Read more...] about Supreme Court Recognizes Privacy Challenges of Smart Phones
Wanted: A Better Caption For This Photo
Queen Elizabeth II, last affectionately teased at TMV for a photograph of her bonding with a race horse, meets cast members of the HBO series "Game of Thrones" as she views the popular series' Iron Throne. Photograph by Jonathan Porter -– WPA Pool/Getty Images … [Read more...] about Wanted: A Better Caption For This Photo
The Real 2016 Battle is Between Dick and Rand
The Real 2016 Battle is Between Dick and Rand By Dick Polman It's not exactly the Ali-Frazier "Thrilla in Manilla," but the ongoing Rand Paul-Dick Cheney pugilism certainly packs a punch. The libertarian ophthalmologist and the warlord emeritus have been pounding each other for months, and while it's tempting to just kick back with popcorn and behold the entertainment, … [Read more...] about The Real 2016 Battle is Between Dick and Rand
Cochran wins in Mississippi: So how’s the “Tea Party industrial complex” doing today?
Bit of a problem there, wouldn't you say? Looks as a bad as Rove's American Crossroads did in the 2012 election. Koch & Co -- aren't they a major part of the tea party industrial complex? -- wound up with --uh oh! -- Thad Cochran. "In Mississippi," Molly Ball points out, "challenger Chris McDaniel failed to dethrone six-term incumbent Senator Thad Cochran in the second … [Read more...] about Cochran wins in Mississippi: So how’s the “Tea Party industrial complex” doing today?
Federal Judge Rules That No-Fly Lists Are Unconstitutional
There is progress in fighting one of the post 9/11 actions which infringe upon civil liberties without showing meaningful benefit in fighting terrorism. A federal judge in Oregon has ruled that the no-fly lists are unconstitutional as they lack a meaningful mechanism to appeal being placed on a list: The U.S. government's no-fly list banning people accused of links to … [Read more...] about Federal Judge Rules That No-Fly Lists Are Unconstitutional
The top 10 movie opening scenes (Part 1)
I wanted to do this list for quite a while because I think the importance of a strong opening scene/ sequence is something that gets overlooked. The first impression a film makes is super important and some of the best films of all time are built on the strength of their opening gambit. So here are my top 10 openings which have knocked my socks off. I’ll be spreading these over … [Read more...] about The top 10 movie opening scenes (Part 1)
Cochran takes early lead in Mississippi’s GOP Senate primary
Cochran takes early lead in Mississippi's GOP Senate primary … [Read more...] about Cochran takes early lead in Mississippi’s GOP Senate primary
Video Animation: Egypt sentences Al Jazeera journalists for doing their job
Taiwanese animators NMA have again have produced a kind of video animated cartoon editorial, ripped from the headlines. This one: on Egypt sentencing Al Jazeera journalists for being...journalists. In Chinese with subtitles. NMA's lead in: Egypt has sentenced two Al-Jazeera journalists to seven years in prison and another to 10 years. Peter Greste, Mohamed Fahmy and … [Read more...] about Video Animation: Egypt sentences Al Jazeera journalists for doing their job
Why Conservatives Hate Obamacare
Jonathan Chait writes that the Republicans have finally admitted why they oppose Obamacare. The bulk of his article is a useful recap of many of the Republican claims which have turned out to be untrue. Republicans claimed that Obamacare is mainly signing up people who already had insurance, but actually 57 percent of those who enrolled on the exchanges previously lacked … [Read more...] about Why Conservatives Hate Obamacare
Solar Power
Now there are those who say our energy demand cannot be met by solar power. Well Germany just reached a milestone and got 50% of it's electrical energy from solar in the first week of June. "German solar demonstrated just what it is capable of in the first two weeks of June," said Tobias Rothacher, expert for renewable energies at Germany Trade & Invest, the country's … [Read more...] about Solar Power
Kerry in Iraq: Four Interviews – and Fox News, too.
During his visit to Iraq, Secretary of State John Kerry gave several interviews to news media and Fox, too. Since the question as to what military action -- if any -- the United States will take in Iraq is on everyone’s mind, the following are answers and comments Kerry gave and made, respectively, to questions directly or indirectly referring to that … [Read more...] about Kerry in Iraq: Four Interviews – and Fox News, too.
Scott Walker Supporter Indicted for Serial Voter Fraud
A key Republican partisan, Tea Party and talk radio mantra is that there's this huge problem with voter fraud benefiting the Democrats, a nice sounding argument and great charge to scream at Democrats, independents, neutral journalists and academics who say it's simply not true. Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul bluntly took his party to task for its obsession with voter ID, until he got … [Read more...] about Scott Walker Supporter Indicted for Serial Voter Fraud
Potential ACA Time Bomb in Utility Regulatory Group v. EPA
Legal analysts are aflutter over the Supreme Court's mixed holding in Utility Regulatory Group v. EPA. The main contest seems to be between those who focus on the Court's upholding of the EPA's claim to regulate greenhouse gasses and those who focus on the Court's circumscribing of that power. Truthfully, it is probably a glass half-empty/half-full argument. But the second … [Read more...] about Potential ACA Time Bomb in Utility Regulatory Group v. EPA
The Obama Administration’s Justification For Killing An American Abroad Doesn’t Fly
There was a familiar odor emanating from the Justice Department memo finally made public this week that sought to justify killing the American citizen and radical Muslim cleric, Anwar al-Awlaki, in a 2011 drone strike in Yemen: It was legal gobbledegook clearly designed to reach a desired conclusion, and the last time we saw antics on this scale was in the infamous Bush Justice … [Read more...] about The Obama Administration’s Justification For Killing An American Abroad Doesn’t Fly
How to Watch the World Cup
How to Watch the World Cup Raging Moderate by Will Durst The refrain has echoed across the globe our entire lives. "The World Cup is the most exciting sporting event on the face of the planet. Bigger than the Super Bowl, Stanley Cup and World Series combined and go ahead, throw in the next Star Wars movie especially with Carrie Fischer and Harrison Ford dragging their … [Read more...] about How to Watch the World Cup
Cruz Fiction
Remember the Republican tag for Bill Clinton -- "Slick Willie"? You could get what they meant but it didn't work for Clinton whose character (bad and sometimes good) ran deeper than slick. "Slick" refers to something superficial, visible, maybe nasty, but easy to remove without much work. "Slick" is a word that's made for Ted Cruz. It's what he is and it's all he is. … [Read more...] about Cruz Fiction
(Updated) President Obama to Award Another Medal of Honor
Updated with photographs (All US Army --www.army.mil): Above: Sgt. Ryan Pitts, left, with Sgt. Israel Garcia, who was mortally wounded during the Battle of Wanat. Also watch video of Pitts discussing the significance of receiving the Medal for his actions during the controversial battle and read more details about Pitts' valor here. Original post: The … [Read more...] about (Updated) President Obama to Award Another Medal of Honor
U.S. Supreme Court Cuts Back Climate Change Regulation
U.S. Supreme Court Cuts Back Climate Change Regulation … [Read more...] about U.S. Supreme Court Cuts Back Climate Change Regulation
Sullivan on Darth Cheney
Andrew Sullivan nails Dick Cheney's toxic, paranoid non-response to Senator Rand Paul's (R-KY) criticism on The Daily Dish. Look at the formulae that Cheney recites. He can’t actually address the debate over the Iraq war; he just reiterates his own position then and now. You get the impression he hasn’t actually had a single conversation in person challenging his rigid mindset … [Read more...] about Sullivan on Darth Cheney