In a new twist on a case that has been pitchforked into the headlines, Bradley Manning, the Army private sentenced to military prison yesterday for leaking classified documents to Wikileaks has told The Today Show that he wants to live his life as a woman, Chelsea Manning. Here's the full statement read for him on Today: Subject: The Next Stage of My Life I want to … [Read more...] about Bradley Manning: I want to live as “Chelsea Manning” a woman
CO GOP Sen. Vicki Marble: Black and Hispanics in Poverty Partly Because of ‘Fried Chicken’
Jesus take the wheel: Sen. Vicki Marble (R-CO) delivered a "long soliloquy explaining that more blacks and Hispanics live in poverty, in part, because of fried chicken," during a meeting of the Economic Opportunity Poverty Reduction Task Force Wednesday. This racial slight occurred as lawmakers on the committee were "presented with a number of statistics highlighting racial … [Read more...] about CO GOP Sen. Vicki Marble: Black and Hispanics in Poverty Partly Because of ‘Fried Chicken’
The Founding Fathers Would Weep
Chris Hedges writes that, with the sentencing of Bradley Manning, the United States is now a penal colony: There are strict rules now in our American penal colony. If we remain supine, if we permit ourselves to be passively stripped of all political power and voice, if we refuse to resist as we are incrementally reduced to poverty and the natural world is … [Read more...] about The Founding Fathers Would Weep
Antonin Scalia Doesn’t Understand What is Meant by Rights
Antonin Scalia gave a talk at a luncheon in Bozeman Montana sponsored by the Federalist Society Monday. In it he decried the creation of new rights by the courts. His overall theme was that items that have been decided on by the court should have been left to legislatures. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia told a Montana audience Monday that American courts too often … [Read more...] about Antonin Scalia Doesn’t Understand What is Meant by Rights
Report: San Diego Mayor Bob Filner reaches deal in mediation: resignation soon?
On a day when the 18th woman came forward to accuse him of sexual harrassment, San Diego's beleaguered Mayor Bob Filner reportedly reached a deal in mediation -- and if you had to place money based on reports, you'd say he's likely to resign. The website of KPBS, the public broadcasting station that has been ahead of much of the local media on this story, gives these … [Read more...] about Report: San Diego Mayor Bob Filner reaches deal in mediation: resignation soon?
Noah’s Creationist Ark (Guest Voice Cartoonist)
Noah's Creationist Ark by Mike Peters OF RELATED INTEREST: --Dinosaurs Were On Noah’s Ark, Creationist Ken Ham Claims [Video] --Creation Museum employee struck by lightning --More creationist dishonesty --Creationist Darek Isaacs Calls Dragons Real, Says They Lived In Biblical Times (VIDEO) --Scientists criticize creationism, Louisiana Science Education Act at … [Read more...] about Noah’s Creationist Ark (Guest Voice Cartoonist)
The Furor Over the Rodeo Clown and the Obama Mask
Old joke: two cannibals are eating a clown and one says, "Does this taste funny to you?" In a case of life imitating joke, political partisans squared off in the case of the Obama-mask wearing rodeo clown over whether his act was funny, or in dangerously bad taste. But partisans and most of the media are missing the point of what happened. The issue was a professional rodeo … [Read more...] about The Furor Over the Rodeo Clown and the Obama Mask
San Diego Zoo (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 San Diego Zoo (Cartoon)
Not too harsh (Guest Voice)
Not too harsh (via The Economist) WHEN a judge last month convicted Bradley Manning of violating the Espionage Act, she seemed to be siding with those who view the army private as a duplicitous traitor, rather than a patriotic whistle-blower. Sure, she cleared him of the gravest charge… … [Read more...] about Not too harsh (Guest Voice)
Inside the ‘ALEC Universe’ (Guest Voice)
Inside the ‘ALEC Universe’ (via Moyers & Company) Representative Chris Taylor is a Democrat elected to the Wisconsin legislature in 2011. Last week, she attended the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) annual conference in Chicago. Writing about her experience at The Progressive magazine’… … [Read more...] about Inside the ‘ALEC Universe’ (Guest Voice)
Kirchick blasts Russia’s anti-gay laws, on Russian-funded network (Video)
It was a scene right out of a movie. But, no, if it was in a movie you'd think it was too dramatic. Real life could never unfold that way, but it did. American reporter, columnist and activist James Kirchick was on government-funded Russia Today from Sweden, brought on as talking head to discuss the then-upcoming verdict on Bradley Manning for leaking documents to Wikileaks. … [Read more...] about Kirchick blasts Russia’s anti-gay laws, on Russian-funded network (Video)
Iowa County GOP Official Quits Because the Party is too Conservative
Chad Brown resigned from his position as co-chairman of the Polk County Republican Party in Iowa, telling the Des Moines Register "the GOP has become too conservative and is condoning “hateful” rhetoric". He believes the Christian Right and the NRA have undue influence in the party and is disappointed that too few Republicans are expressing public disapproval of Steve King's … [Read more...] about Iowa County GOP Official Quits Because the Party is too Conservative
Dentist attempting to clone John Lennon with a tooth
Could murdered onetime Beatle John Lennon rise again -- due to an old, decaying tooth? Yes, if Canadian dentist Michael Zuk has something about it. This deals with the dentist looking at cloning (you know the drill): A rotten tooth from the mouth of former Beatles member John Lennon has made its way into the hands of Canadian dentist Michael Zuk, who, in what sounds like … [Read more...] about Dentist attempting to clone John Lennon with a tooth
Senate Landscape Portends Close Battle For Control
At this point in 2011, I was fairly convinced a 50-50 tie in the Senate would result. Massachusetts, I surmised, would go the Democrats way but Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, and North Dakota would fall, thereby creating a 50-50 split. The Democrats did pick up Massachusetts, but, defying most odds, held everything but Nebraska. And Olympia Snowe's retirement in Maine gave … [Read more...] about Senate Landscape Portends Close Battle For Control
WikiLeaks source Manning sentenced to 35 years
WikiLeaks source Manning sentenced to 35 years (via AFP) A military court sentenced US army soldier Bradley Manning to 35 years in jail Wednesday for passing WikiLeaks the biggest leak of official secrets in American history. Manning could be freed on parole within a decade and his lawyer David Coombs said… … [Read more...] about WikiLeaks source Manning sentenced to 35 years
Holy Mother, Hear My Prayer, Clapton & Pavarotti
Eric Clapton wrote it, sings it, Pavarotti the Great, joins in half way through with his voice of such towering power and majesty. The guitar riffs are perfection, the tone and cri de coeur -- there are words, but there are no words to describe. For all the innocents of our world. May they be kept safe. May those who have died, remember no pain, only beauty and Love. Holy … [Read more...] about Holy Mother, Hear My Prayer, Clapton & Pavarotti
What I have been reading since February 2013
My last post on TMV was on January 14, 2013. I now have returned after a lengthy hiatus. Two months ago in June, my spouse, our 14-year-old son and I moved within the city of Phoenix to another high school district, which also happened to be closer to her employer of the past 5 years. Last week, our son started high school despite the weather in Phoenix being consistently … [Read more...] about What I have been reading since February 2013
Damascus, Syria, Gassing of Innocents. Give Us Names of Perpetrators, Witnesses, the Murdered
The news comes in today; we wait for verifications. Yet, we could go back five years, ten, twenty, seventy years and see the images of the innocent dead in most every country of the world. Today, yesterday, since forever, the death of one child, let alone many children is devastating to my soul. As it is a blowtorch to the minds and hearts and spirits and souls of many … [Read more...] about Damascus, Syria, Gassing of Innocents. Give Us Names of Perpetrators, Witnesses, the Murdered
Poll: Louisiana Republicans blame Katrina response on Obama
This is no joke. It is not from The Onion and not written by Andy Borowitz. And it shows you how hateful, illogical, and demonizing partisanship has gotten in this country. I can't even run the usual "Twight Zone" graphic here since its troubling for our democracy. A poll finds a good chunk of Louisiana GOPers blame the governments poor response to Hurricane Katrina on Barack … [Read more...] about Poll: Louisiana Republicans blame Katrina response on Obama
Phone Call from Coco Chanel, Fashion Icon
Nothing can make you feel more ancient than a celebration of the 130th birthday of someone you knew. So it is with fashion icon Coco Chanel, remembered not only for her elegant clothes and the scent Chanel No. 5 but her wisdom about women’s lives that I helped spread with a monthly column in an America magazine half a century ago. It started during the “youthquake” of the … [Read more...] about Phone Call from Coco Chanel, Fashion Icon