#MandelaMemorial: The right wing is freaking out over President Obama shaking the hand of Cuban leader Raul Castro at Nelson Mandela's memorial at the FNB Stadium in Soweto, Tuesday morning. Um, exactly what was President Obama supposed to do? Be rude? Isn't the essence of Nelson Mandela the very reason both men attended the ceremony? Obama stopped to shake Castro's hand as he … [Read more...] about Nelson Mandela Memorial: Right Wing Freak-Out Over Obama and Raul Castro’s Handshake
Gerson Gets It
Former Bush staffer Michael Gerson on Pope Francis in The Washington Post. Some American conservatives, issuing a different sort of papal bull, have accused the pope of “pure Marxism” and being “the Catholic Church’s Obama.” In the process, they are demonstrating how ideology can become a consuming substitute for faith. Defenders of market economics — and I count myself one — … [Read more...] about Gerson Gets It
Time announces Person of the Year top ten finalists
Time magazine has announced its top ten finalists for its Person of the Year. Now it has to twerk..I mean, tweek, the list. Actually Miley Cyrus is one of the finalists: Bashar Assad, President of Syria Jeff Bezos, Amazon Founder Ted Cruz, Texas Senator Miley Cyrus, Singer Pope Francis, Leader of the Catholic Church Barack Obama, President of the United … [Read more...] about Time announces Person of the Year top ten finalists
What Netanyahu Is Made Of
Now admittedly the left of center Israeli newspaper Haaretz rarely has anything good to say about Bibi Netanyahu. But they really take him to task for not attending Nelson Mandela's funeral. Nixing Mandela funeral as too costly, Bibi shows world what he's truly made of In his eleventh-hour decision against attending the funeral of Nelson Mandela, Benjamin Netanyahu proved … [Read more...] about What Netanyahu Is Made Of
Don’t blame religion for poltical violence
I haven't posted at TMV for a while, which is a shame, because it is where I got started writing earlier this year. I'm posting today because another TMV blogger enjoyed an article I wrote for Salon that is published below. The piece has sparked a great and fascinating (for me) debate. You can read my ripostes here, here, here and here. Religion has once again become the … [Read more...] about Don’t blame religion for poltical violence
(Update) It is Time to Play that Same Broken War-on-Christmas Record
Update: Came across this graphic on Facebook that really captures the message I tried to convey and the concept of "a picture is worth a thousand words." With credit and thanks to the unknown originator. Original Post There is nothing new about “The Faux Rage About a False War on Christmas,” by the so-called Religious Right. We had it in 2004 when Bill … [Read more...] about (Update) It is Time to Play that Same Broken War-on-Christmas Record
Book Review, Murdoch’s world: The Last of the Old Media
Murdoch’s world: The Last of the Old Media Empires’ by David Folkenflik gives us a look at Rupert Murdoch from the time his father died to the middle of 2013. Rupert Murdoch was 21 when his father died and he inherited a small regional Newspaper in Adelaide, Australia. He continued to buy other media properties over the next few years in both Australia and New Zealand slowly … [Read more...] about Book Review, Murdoch’s world: The Last of the Old Media
Waiting for Mr. Cheney’s Statement on Mandela’s Death
In a comment on a post on the death of Nelson Mandela, our Managing Editor asked for some follow-up on an article linked-to by the comment. The article in question, “Dick Cheney Didn't Regret His Vote Against Freeing Nelson Mandela, Maintained He Was A 'Terrorist',” dealt with the U.S. Congress’ efforts in 1986 to pass the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act, legislation that … [Read more...] about Waiting for Mr. Cheney’s Statement on Mandela’s Death
Kremlin spin: does media overhaul herald new propaganda push? (Guest Voice)
Kremlin spin: does media overhaul herald new propaganda push? (via The Christian Science Monitor) Cars pass by the Russian RIA Novosti information agency headquarters in Moscow on Monday. The news organization, widely considered Russia's most balanced state outlet, will be folded into a newly restructured state news agency, the Kremlin announced… … [Read more...] about Kremlin spin: does media overhaul herald new propaganda push? (Guest Voice)
Adam Lanza Wrecked Obama’s Second Term
There is one certainty: at this point historians will not be calling President Barack Obama's second term "stellar." Rather, it has been the unfolding of breaking events that led to an action that had consquences. And when Adam Lanza burst into Sandy Hook Elementary and murdered 20 children and 6 adults, it set in chain a series of consquences that decimated Obama's original … [Read more...] about Adam Lanza Wrecked Obama’s Second Term
A Review of the New California Adventure and the Old Overcrowded Disneyland
I recently found myself alone with a free day in Southern California. Since I host a daily radio talk show, Disney has, on occasion, provided me free tickets to review the pleasures of all things Disney. Although I’ve visited Disney on many occasions, I had not yet seen California Adventure since the completion of its extensive remodel and the opening of Cars Land. After a long … [Read more...] about A Review of the New California Adventure and the Old Overcrowded Disneyland
Carrie Underwood: ‘Mean people need Jesus’ (Video)
Carrie Underwood: 'Mean people need Jesus' (via CNN Video) Country Superstar Carrie Underwood fires back at critics of her "Sound of Music" performance on Twitter. … [Read more...] about Carrie Underwood: ‘Mean people need Jesus’ (Video)
The return of the working class hero
WASHINGTON -- For more than three decades, working class Americans receded as cultural heroes, replaced in the popular imagination by swashbuckling entrepreneurs, brilliant innovators, and shrewd investors who make millions at the touch of a computer key. It was not always this way. In the 1930s, '40s and '50s, the people who operated the trains, worked the machines and … [Read more...] about The return of the working class hero
‘Mind Control’ Achieved by Post-Snowden United States (El Espectador, Colombia)
One of the most disturbing consequences of Edward Snowden's revelations is the self-censorship that has begun to take hold in what was once called the 'freest nation in the world.' For Colombia's El Espectador, columnist Juan Gabriel Vásquez cites a recent survey of American writers, and explains why going along to get along with surveillance makes a mockery of some of the … [Read more...] about ‘Mind Control’ Achieved by Post-Snowden United States (El Espectador, Colombia)
Why Shouldn’t Magazines Die?
One of the best around goes bi-weekly because not enough readers and advertisers are funneling money into it every week. In a postmortem, Megan McArdle, a former magazine writer who now labors for Bloomberg News, writes, “Hearing that New York magazine can’t make it as a weekly is, for a professional journalist, rather like being told that your teddy bear has cancer.” But … [Read more...] about Why Shouldn’t Magazines Die?
Suddenly Aware
Over the last several months, politicians on the left appear to be awakening to the fact that there is great inequality in America, with an increasing percentage of the nation’s wealth in the hands of a fortunate few. As President Obama noted, half of the national income goes to the top 10% of Americans, up from one third in 1979, among the most unequal wealth distribution of … [Read more...] about Suddenly Aware
The Supreme Court Episode 6: Kaley v. United States
Today is Monday so it is time for us to take a look at another case before the US Supreme Court. The last couple weeks we looked at cases involving the 5th and 6th amendments so this week we have a case that deals with both the fifth and sixth amendments and involves the extent to which the government is limited in action against criminal defendants with regard to asset … [Read more...] about The Supreme Court Episode 6: Kaley v. United States
War on Christmas (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 War on Christmas (Cartoon)
Saturday Night Live spoofs NBC’s “The Sound of Music Live” (Video)
NBC's "The Sound of Music Live" got NBC boffo ratings and some smello reviews -- and gave Saturday Night Live some material. It's a sketch that also has the rythmn of a sketch on one of the classif 1950s 1960s comedy shows when they spoofed a movie -- partially due to the scene stealing appearance by Kristin Wiig, doing her popular Denise character. (Despite hideous reviews, … [Read more...] about Saturday Night Live spoofs NBC’s “The Sound of Music Live” (Video)
Tidbits from Down Under – Part 4
Those who have been following my Australia travelogue will notice that -- after three installments -- I am still in Sydney and the Sydney area. Although there are many reasons for dwelling on this magnificent city, it is time to move on -- but not before mentioning one (or two) more thing(s). Perhaps some of the reasons why we fell in love with Sydney are the same reasons … [Read more...] about Tidbits from Down Under – Part 4