White man charged with 'knockout game' hate crime. Racial hypocrisy? (via The Christian Science Monitor) The US Department of Justice on Thursday stepped into the cultural fray about the so-called “knockout game” when it brought federal hate crime charges against a white Texas man for assaulting an unsuspecting black man. The decision shines a brighter… … [Read more...] about White man charged with ‘knockout game’ hate crime. Racial hypocrisy? (Guest Voice)
Sherlock Holmes is free, US judge rules
Sherlock Holmes is free, US judge rules (via AFP) The beloved British detective Sherlock Holmes is now free to be reimagined in the United States after a federal judge ruled that licensing fees are no longer required. First introduced in 1887, Holmes entered the public domain in Britain years ago.… … [Read more...] about Sherlock Holmes is free, US judge rules
A & E lifts suspension on ‘Duck Dynasty’ (Videos)
Editor's Note: A&E's decision was not unexpected. GO HERE. A & E lifts suspension on 'Duck Dynasty' (via CNN Video) Reliable Sources host Brian Stelter says he isn't surprised A & E lifted Phil Robertson's suspension from 'Duck Dynasty'. … [Read more...] about A & E lifts suspension on ‘Duck Dynasty’ (Videos)
Highly Recommended Reading
I have read the Archdruid Report by John Michael Greer for several years. In my prior posts, I have recommended it as a must-read for The Moderate Voice fans. The author always has insightful and objective observations on the current condition of mankind. He also does not mince words or belong to any section of the political, social, economic or religious matrix. His … [Read more...] about Highly Recommended Reading
Florida will soon overtake New York in population
New York has seen its status as the most populous state in the union shrink over the years and now it seems to be a yet another turning point: it's on the path to being overtaken in population by Florida: New York, whose status as the most populous state has long been ceded, will soon fall behind Florida into fourth place, a long-anticipated drop that is rife with … [Read more...] about Florida will soon overtake New York in population
(Updated) Federal Judge Rules NSA Surveillance Lawful
Update: Judge Pauley’s 54-page written opinion can be read in its entirety here. The following are excerpts gathered from various news media (not necessarily in order of appearance in the ruling): “The government learned from its mistake and adapted to confront a new enemy: a terror network capable of orchestrating attacks across the world. It launched a number of … [Read more...] about (Updated) Federal Judge Rules NSA Surveillance Lawful
Quote of the Day: Duck Dynasty controversy poses danger to GOP
Our political Quote of the Day comes from NBC's First Read, which notes the dangers face the Republican Party as conservatives leap to defend the patriarch of Duck Dynasty over his anti-gay comments: *** Conservatives don’t “Duck” this fight: From one thorny GOP issue to another… To us, that Phil Robertson of “Duck Dynasty” saying something controversial/offensive isn’t … [Read more...] about Quote of the Day: Duck Dynasty controversy poses danger to GOP
Minor Wall Street terrorist
Man! I fear this little creep way more than I worry about Islamic extremists appearing around the next corner. We're confronted with someone who's imitating a stereotypical militant in a Snake River cabin -- another nut-job back on the scene as we round up the old year. But this time it's a "Forbes contributor" on the lookout for "terrible people." A top financial … [Read more...] about Minor Wall Street terrorist
Hollywood Legend Christopher Lee Shocks the World by Entering the Christmas Music Charts
Hollywood Legend Christopher Lee Shocks the World by Entering the Christmas Music Charts (via SBWire) London, UK -- (SBWIRE) -- 12/27/2013 -- 91-year-old Lee surprises yet again by entering the Billboard Hot 100 Single Sales Chart at No. 22 with his Heavy Metal take on the classic 'Jingle Bells', appropriately titled 'Jingle Hell'. The song forms part… … [Read more...] about Hollywood Legend Christopher Lee Shocks the World by Entering the Christmas Music Charts
(Update) NORAD on Track to Track and Escort Santa
Update: Apparently NORAD did a great job of tracking and escorting Santa so that he could “bring the magic of Christmas to children around the world,” as Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, NORAD’s public affairs director says. Not only was the “Track Santa Program” another big success, it broke all kinds of records. According to a North American Aerospace Defense Command News … [Read more...] about (Update) NORAD on Track to Track and Escort Santa
Behind Obamacare: A Tale of Two Shoulders
During this season of aches and pains, the Obamacare battle resumes in full fury with little direct relevance to millions who are hurting and want relief. Lost in the political clamor is any sense of how American health care really works in a cockpit of special interests and free-lance greed that permeates a “system” of patient choice but no protection. As a metaphor and … [Read more...] about Behind Obamacare: A Tale of Two Shoulders
Beirut car bomb kills anti-Assad former finance minister
A critic of the fascist Assad regime has apparently been killed in a car bombing in Lebanon. While most people I know who watch Middle Eastern politics in a casual way are still insistent that the problems in this part of the world are mostly due to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, events of the last few years I would think would put that nonsense to rest. The Israelis were … [Read more...] about Beirut car bomb kills anti-Assad former finance minister
McDonalds solves its image problem (Guest Cartoonist)
McDonalds solves its image problem by Mike Peters OF RELATED INTEREST: --McDonald's warns its employees against eating 'unhealthy' fast food --McDonald's Controversial Employee Website Finally Taken Down --McDonald’s embarrassment on employee resource site --McDonalds Kills Site That Advised Employees to Eat Healthy Meals --McDonald's Takes Back Its Awesome Gift to … [Read more...] about McDonalds solves its image problem (Guest Cartoonist)
The War on Christians (Guest Voice)
The war on Christians By MICHAEL GERSON Washington Post Writers Group WASHINGTON -- In some parts of the world, Herod's massacre of the innocents is a living tradition. On Christmas Day in Iraq, 37 people were killed in bomb attacks in Christian districts of Baghdad. Radical Islamists mark -- and stain -- the season with brutality and intolerance. The … [Read more...] about The War on Christians (Guest Voice)
Consequences, Shmonsequences in Action
The famous philosopher Daffy Duck had a saying: "Consequences, schmonsequences..." In recent weeks we've seen quintessential examples of both. They show the perils of assuming free speech means you can say anything you want in various media platforms without risking global opinion reaction -- and how it could hurt your career, or possibly enrich you. Consequence: The … [Read more...] about Consequences, Shmonsequences in Action
The GOP’s growing divide
WASHINGTON -- The Republican Party, which should have the wind at its back, enters 2014 in disarray bordering on open warfare. President Obama and the Democrats have had, let's face it, a bumpy few months. The debut of the Affordable Care Act was not quite the hair-pulling, garment-rending, world-historical disaster that some critics claim, but it was -- and remains -- … [Read more...] about The GOP’s growing divide
Poll: Congress the worst ever
Here is a perfect example of something that is "intuitive." A new CNN/ORC International poll finds that two-thirds of those polled consider the current Congress the worst in their lifetimes. And President Barack Obama isn't raising hope anymore about hope, the poll finds: The worst Congress ever. That's the verdict from two-thirds of Americans about the track record of … [Read more...] about Poll: Congress the worst ever
The Need to Consistently Complain (Guest Voice)
The Need to Consistently Complain by Peter W. Johnson During a late night bout with insomnia I turned on my television and, happened to witness part of a PBS program concerning the attempts of a speaker to advocate for the legal rights of Native American who had apparently been mistreated by the financial institutions that managed the money they received—presumably … [Read more...] about The Need to Consistently Complain (Guest Voice)
More on the Subject of Dishonesty
I am sometimes accused of an ad hominem fallacy when I point out that certain sources of information should be questioned more than others. But given how common false claims are from organizations that have agendas how could this not be the case? Consider this blog post from the Heritage Foundation. The evil government is interfering with the inerrant free market by taking … [Read more...] about More on the Subject of Dishonesty
The Politics of Dignity: What’s at Stake
This is the second part of the serialization of All Rise: Somebodies, Nobodies, and the Politics of Dignity (Berrett-Koehler, 2006). The ideas in this book are further developed in my recent novel The Rowan Tree –currently free on Kindle. CHAPTER 1: WHAT'S AT STAKE Rankism explains a lot of the bad behavior we see in both institutions and cultures, as well as … [Read more...] about The Politics of Dignity: What’s at Stake