Although I have known Jack -- Jack W. Robinson -- for more than 10 years, I have known him real well only for the last four years or so. The fact that I grew so fond of him in such a short period of time speaks volumes of Jack. For a good part of those years, Jack has been struggling with the kind of serious medical problems which would have brought most people down a long … [Read more...] about My Friend Jack
How To Get Rich From Fringe Politics
Mere millionaire Foster Friess addressing Tea Party Patriots in early 2011. Phoenix. The news is that the "head" of the Tea Party Patriots took home a cool $450K from the allegedly oppressed and targeted cluster of 501s legally constituted as the fictitious entity(ies) Tea Party Patriots, while the tea party groups aren't using their cash to support candidates ... Tea … [Read more...] about How To Get Rich From Fringe Politics
Thought Experiments
Over at OTB Steven Taylor discusses Thomas Hobbes and liberty. Certainly a worthy discussion. In response to a comment I made critical of Hobbes Taylor replies that Hobbes was was simply doing "thought experiments." What an interesting idea. Philosophy has never been more than "thought experiments." The interpretation of history usually turns out to be a "thought … [Read more...] about Thought Experiments
When Free Speech Costs Double
Dividing 30 Rock By 15 Minutes of Fame It's The Call Of The Wilding TV Hosts The View From The Virgin Islands By John McCarthy TMV Columnist All the world's a stage, but the modern American media business is but a shill game. So Tina Dupuy is right to make a distinction between Free Speech and Free Enterprise. The two things aren’t related as it turns out (not … [Read more...] about When Free Speech Costs Double
The racists among us
WASHINGTON -- Let's not pretend that deadbeat rancher Cliven Bundy and basketball team owner Donald Sterling are the last two racists in America. They have company. I hear regularly from proud racists who send me -- anonymously -- some of the vilest and most hateful correspondence you could imagine. You'll have to trust me about the content; this stuff, mostly vulgar … [Read more...] about The racists among us
Cartoons: Popes Canonized
Three cartoonists' views of Popes being canonized: These cartoons are licensed to run on The Moderate Voice. 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 Cartoons: Popes Canonized
US Imposes Additional Sanctions Against Russia Over Ukraine Crisis
President Obama kept his word and imposed additional sanctions against Vladimir Putin's inner circle. The Treasury Dept. has released a statement: WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of the Treasury today designated seven Russian government officials, including two key members of the Russian leadership’s inner circle, and 17 entities pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) … [Read more...] about US Imposes Additional Sanctions Against Russia Over Ukraine Crisis
The Death Of American Democracy
It took generations for historians to understand that the Civil War was a great deal more than a struggle over slavery, and that there were economic and social factors of arguably equal importance that shaped that bloody conflict and the last half of 19th century America. Similarly, it will take historians many years -- if not necessarily generations -- to conclude that the … [Read more...] about The Death Of American Democracy
X Is For Xenon
X is one of the letters I wasn't sure about in terms of topic. Not that many words start with X and things like X is for X-Ray or X Marks The Spot seemed overdone. Then I came across the idea of Xenon. For those who don't know Xenon is an element, one of the noble gases. It is used in a number of applications ranging from lasers to medical imaging. It is used in astronomy … [Read more...] about X Is For Xenon
Sarah Palin’s Horrendous Statement (UPDATED)
[one_half_last Former Alaska Governor and Fox News political celebrity Sarah Palin has made a statement that is truly horrendous. Here it is: Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R) defended the controversial enhanced interrogation technique of waterboarding this weekend, and implied that the practice would still be commonplace “if I were in charge.” “They obviously have … [Read more...] about Sarah Palin’s Horrendous Statement (UPDATED)
“Sugar With That, Or ASPARTAME [Modified E. Coli Poop]?”
“Sugar With That, Or ASPARTAME [Modified E. Coli Poop]?” (via Planetsave) Here’s a rather nauseating, if not scary, tidbit about an artificial sweetener beloved to humankind. And also to Monsanto. Aspartame. The second most used artificial sweetener in the world, next to saccharine. Every time you pour those little flecks… … [Read more...] about “Sugar With That, Or ASPARTAME [Modified E. Coli Poop]?”
Donald Sterling: Dead NBA Team Owner Walking? New extended recording of racism emerges
What you can count on now is that it there won't be a status quo. Deadspin has gotten a new, extended recording of Donald Sterling allegedly making racist and misogynistic comments. Since the story broke, Clippers team members and other star athletes have been outraged. Note the word "allegedly" because there hasn't been 100 percent verification that it's him -- but virtually … [Read more...] about Donald Sterling: Dead NBA Team Owner Walking? New extended recording of racism emerges
SciFi Weekend: Arrow; Orphan Black; Hannibal; Agents of SHIELD; The Blacklist; The Americans; Fargo; Mad Men; How I Met Your Mother/Dad; Game of Thrones; The Newsroom
This week's Arrow, Seeing Red, deserves the lead for including a change to the show almost as significant as the recent change on Agents of SHIELD and for psychological horror inflicted upon the main character as disturbing as what we would expect from Hannibal. Initially viewers probably thought that the red in the episode title referred to Roy's red hood as the Mirakuru had … [Read more...] about SciFi Weekend: Arrow; Orphan Black; Hannibal; Agents of SHIELD; The Blacklist; The Americans; Fargo; Mad Men; How I Met Your Mother/Dad; Game of Thrones; The Newsroom
Could the GOP Lose Part of the Base in 2016?
Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post writes about a Republican strategist who thinks that the Tea Party will continue to present problems to the GOP because they don't believe in negotiation but in their passionate believe in the cause. This means that once again there will be a "political brawl" when it comes to the presidential nominee in 2016. Cillizza thinks that if the … [Read more...] about Could the GOP Lose Part of the Base in 2016?
It Is Not About Bundy
Like her or hate her; feel sorry for Cliven Bundy or not; feel like poor Bundy is being taunted or not; want to take his bullhorn and platform away or not, Maureen Dowd in a New York Times opinion piece explains why it is not about Bundy, but rather about how “the Republican fringe has gone mainstream,” from "cockfighting rallies to online gun sweepstakes to cracks about … [Read more...] about It Is Not About Bundy
Glasswipes
Glasswipes Raging Moderate by Will Durst A tsunami of tech is engulfing our nation, and in the process, redecorating communities like a family of grizzly bears locked in a Volkswagen van. A family of obscenely paid bespectacled grizzly bears with a taste for artisanal toast. Remember back in high school when the freaks and geeks and nerds were ostracized and used as … [Read more...] about Glasswipes
Republicans love comparing everything to slavery
It's often noted that in the heat of passion partisans of both parties use comparisons to Nazi Germany, which usually instantly undermines someone's own argument unless the comparison can stand up. But John Perr of Perrspectives notes that Republicans are now facing another danger: they seemingly continuously compare any policy or government action they don't like to slavery. … [Read more...] about Republicans love comparing everything to slavery
NBA: Clippers, other stars, outraged at Clipper owner Sterling’s racial remarks
NBA: Clippers, other stars, outraged at racial remarks (via AFP) LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and other NBA stars joined the Los Angeles Clippers in outrage at racist comments purportedly from Clippers owner Donald Sterling that came out Saturday. Sterling was allegedly the speaker on an audio recording posted on TMZ… … [Read more...] about NBA: Clippers, other stars, outraged at Clipper owner Sterling’s racial remarks
Military Week in Photos
This week, we’ll start with the announcement by President Obama that Former Army Sgt. Kyle Jerome White (above) will receive the Medal of Honor during a May 13 ceremony at the White House. The 27-year-old Seattle native will become the seventh living recipient of the nation's highest military decoration for conspicuous gallantry and valor during actions in Iraq or … [Read more...] about Military Week in Photos
Federal Land In The West
Steven Taylor has an excellent post over at OTB on The Basics of Federal Land Ownership in the west. Most of the western US (indeed, south-central as well, i.e., from the current border of Louisiana westward across Texas) used to be part of Mexico. East Texas became independent after the Texas Revolution of 1836 (as did, theoretically, the disputed area on the map above). … [Read more...] about Federal Land In The West