UPDATE II: Reacting to the New York Times article discussed below on women who have been sexually assaulted while in the military and who are now the victims of another injustice: homelessness — sometimes as a consequence of the assaults and trauma they endured while in service -- and sometimes also fall into the drug and alcohol abuse trap, Heather Mac Donald at the … [Read more...] about (Updates) Homeless Female Veterans: All Too Often, a ‘Double Betrayal of Trust’
Mitt Romney: Obamacare was Very Attractive to Minority, Low-Income Voters in Helping Obama Win Reelection
Mr. 47 Percent is back and vowing not to go away. He is still clinging to his insensitive position that President Obama's gifts helped him win reelection. Um, Mitt Romney is obviously a hard learner. He told "Fox News Sunday" host Chris Wallace that the "The president had the power of incumbency, 'Obamacare' was very attractive, particularly to those without insurance, and they … [Read more...] about Mitt Romney: Obamacare was Very Attractive to Minority, Low-Income Voters in Helping Obama Win Reelection
Europe Cleans Up – and Weighs in – at 2013 Oscars (Neue Zuercher Zeitung, Switzerland)
Europe is preening itself over its winnings at the 2013 Academy Awards. And according to columnist Susanne Ostwald of Switzerland's Neue Zuercher Zeitung, Europeans are more enthusiastic about the awards than ever, since thanks to fast global distribution, European moviegoers now get to see all the movies that are nominated before the Oscars are handed out. For … [Read more...] about Europe Cleans Up – and Weighs in – at 2013 Oscars (Neue Zuercher Zeitung, Switzerland)
Dennis Rodman Dismisses North Korean Prison Camps by Saying We Do the Same Things in the U.S.
Former NBA star Dennis Rodman had a testy exchange with ABC's "This Week" with George Stephanopoulous over his controversial trip to North Korea and his comment that Kim Jong-Un is his "friend for life." Rodman downplayed the trip saying he's not a diplomat. George Stephanopoulous challenged Dennis Rodman (a huge waste of time) on North Korea's atrocious human rights record, to … [Read more...] about Dennis Rodman Dismisses North Korean Prison Camps by Saying We Do the Same Things in the U.S.
Readers’ Comments: ‘The Nasty Effect’
I just praised a couple of our readers for the enjoyable, civil thread of comments on an article here at TMV. Ergo, a column this morning at the New York Times does not apply here, but it is nevertheless interesting and something our readers may want to browse. It is about how the internet at last provided “a public sphere with unlimited potential for reasoned debate and … [Read more...] about Readers’ Comments: ‘The Nasty Effect’
Chad Says Islamist Leader Belmokhtar Killed in Mali
Islamist leader Mokhtar Belmokhtar killed: Chad (via AFP) Chad has said its troops in northern Mali killed the one-eyed Islamist leader who masterminded an assault on an Algerian gas plant that left 37 foreign hostages dead in January. The Chadian army, whose troops have been at the forefront of the hunt for Al-Qaeda-linked fighters hiding in northern Mali… … [Read more...] about Chad Says Islamist Leader Belmokhtar Killed in Mali
How Do We Pay for the Sequester?
Pay for it?! What the ...! Isn't it supposed to save money? Not. It does considerable damage by slowing growth in the economy. “Besides having adverse effects on jobs and incomes, a slower recovery would lead to less actual deficit reduction in the short run for any given set of fiscal actions.” Paul Krugman, quoting Federal Reserve Chairman, Ben … [Read more...] about How Do We Pay for the Sequester?
Kansas Ignores Koch Brothers, Keeps Renewable Energy Standard
Kansas Ignores Koch Brothers, Keeps Renewable Energy (via Clean Technica) Reposted from the indispensable blog Climate Progress: The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that twin votes in Kansas State House and Senate on Thursday put the kibosh on legislative efforts to roll back and delay Kansas’ renewable energy standard (RES). Passed in 2009, Kansas’ RES requires… … [Read more...] about Kansas Ignores Koch Brothers, Keeps Renewable Energy Standard
Is Gender Violence Getting Worse in Latin America? (Guest Voice)
Is gender violence getting worse in Latin America? (via GlobalPost) Commentary: Evidence in Colombia shows sexual assault is more frequent during times of conflict. Mandy Van Deven NEW YORK — "This man will kill me and nothing will happen." For eight years, Dolores and her children endured severe beatings at the hands of her husband. During the first year of the… … [Read more...] about Is Gender Violence Getting Worse in Latin America? (Guest Voice)
Brunt of Federal Cuts to Hit N.J. with Furloughs, Airport Slowdowns and Court Closures
Brunt of federal cuts to hit N.J. with furloughs, airport slowdowns and court closures (via NJ.com) Call it the calm before the fiscal storm. Two days after Congress and President Obama failed to reach agreement on a plan to fend off sweeping federal budget cuts, America today is pretty much as it was last week. Planes continue to take off and land at a brisk clip at Newark … [Read more...] about Brunt of Federal Cuts to Hit N.J. with Furloughs, Airport Slowdowns and Court Closures
Sequester Blues: Morning-After Hangover Hits Washington
Sequester blues: Morning-after hangover hits Washington (via The Christian Science Monitor) The morning after the sequester spending cuts went into effect – $85 billion in an across-the-board whack to both defense and nondefense programs – the earth did not stand still nor did Washington come to its collective senses. Both the White House and Republicans in Congress seemed … [Read more...] about Sequester Blues: Morning-After Hangover Hits Washington
SNL Spoofs Obama Press Conference on Sequester Budget Cuts (Video)
Another Saturday Night Live home run: SNL's take on Obama's press conference on the dreaded sequester going into effect: … [Read more...] about SNL Spoofs Obama Press Conference on Sequester Budget Cuts (Video)
Evernote Forces Password Reset After Intrusion
You'll have to change your password, but the company says your data is safe: In our security investigation, we have found no evidence that any of the content you store in Evernote was accessed, changed or lost. We also have no evidence that any payment information for Evernote Premium or Evernote Business customers was accessed. The investigation has shown, however, that … [Read more...] about Evernote Forces Password Reset After Intrusion
Iraq – What Were We Fighting For Again?
As the United States tries to decide how to support the rebel army in Syria the country that we spent a trillion dollars and lost 4,000+ Americans is fighting that same rebel army. For the first time, Iraqi forces opened fire on Syria shelling the positions of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) days after Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki warned that a victory of the Syrian … [Read more...] about Iraq – What Were We Fighting For Again?
Scalia Prefers Any Century to This One
The nation’s life today is being shaped less by elected politicians in the headlines than a 76-year-old man who prefers any other century to this one. Antonin Gregory Scalia is the longest-serving justice on the Supreme Court and, without doubt, the most aggressively backward-looking ever. After turning the history of the Second Amendment on its head five years ago to … [Read more...] about Scalia Prefers Any Century to This One
Obama Wins Another Round
Political Wire: A new Harper Polling survey of likely voters finds that Republicans are seen as most responsible for the sequester, 46% to 40%. "The lesson here is that President Obama is on a roll. He has adeptly pinned responsibility for the sequester on Republicans, despite it not being true. It is a remarkable feat by the White House and maddening for … [Read more...] about Obama Wins Another Round
A Warning to John Kerry on Middle East Trip: Egypt could Become the Next Iran (Guest Voice)
A warning to John Kerry on Middle East trip: Egypt could become the next Iran (via The Christian Science Monitor) As Secretary of State John Kerry heads to Egypt March 2 he should be wary of one concerning possibility: Under the rule of Mohammad Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt is in danger of becoming a Sunni version of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Opposition leaders’ … [Read more...] about A Warning to John Kerry on Middle East Trip: Egypt could Become the Next Iran (Guest Voice)
Horse Meal (Cartoon)
This copyrighted cartoon is licensed to run on TMV. Unauthorized use without licensing is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved. … [Read more...] about Horse Meal (Cartoon)
Horsemeat Economics (Guest Voice)
Horsemeat Economics (via Market Shadows) Courtesy of ZeroHedge. View original post here. Submitted by John Aziz of Azizonomics blog, The British (and now Europe-wide) scandal of corporations selling horse meat as beef is emblematic of many of the problems with big, unwieldy systems. The similarity between horse meat and subprime have already… … [Read more...] about Horsemeat Economics (Guest Voice)
FAQ Electing a New Pope (Guest Voice)
FAQ: Electing a New Pope Raging Moderate, by Will Durst Q. Can you please explain what the heck is going on in Rome? A. Well, Pope Benedict XVI retired, and now Catholic cardinals from around the world are congregating to elect a new pope. Q. When was the last time a pope retired? A. Thursday. Q. No, before that. A. July 4, 1415. Gregory XII stepped down to … [Read more...] about FAQ Electing a New Pope (Guest Voice)