Walk outside some clear evening next summer, and look to the south (assuming you're in the Northern hemisphere!). You'll see a bright red star - Antares - and if you're familiar with the night sky, you'll recognize the constellation Scorpius. Look above Scorpius, into a fairly dark area without many bright stars. This is the constellation of Opiuchus (a bit of trivia here: … [Read more...] about Somewhere Out There
Obama Rules Out New Debt Ceiling Showdown
Obama rules out new debt ceiling showdown (via AFP) President Barack Obama warned Wednesday he would reject any deal to end a looming fiscal crisis that let Republicans wield new leverage next year over lifting the cap on government borrowing. Obama staked out his position after the New York Times reported that Republicans may bow to his demand to hike… … [Read more...] about Obama Rules Out New Debt Ceiling Showdown
Jazz Legend Dave Brubeck Dies
Jazz genius Dave Brubeck has died one day short of his 92nd birthday. Brubeck was the central figure of jazz music for more than 50 years. Brubeck was born in the San Francisco Bay Area city of Concord, California, and grew up in Ione. He was of English (maternal), Swiss, and possibly Native American Modoc Tribe multi-ethnic (paternal) ancestry His father, Howard … [Read more...] about Jazz Legend Dave Brubeck Dies
Yes Minister
From time to time we all need to have a good laugh, especially in times like these. One of my favorites programs (or perhaps I should say programmes) is the absolutely brilliant BBC series Yes Minister and it's successor, Yes Prime Minister. For those not familiar with the programs, they follow the trials of a UK government minister named James Hacker as he works hard to … [Read more...] about Yes Minister
Rock. GOP. Hard place.
It's no longer just Boehner or another benighted Republican. The whole party has put itself in the position of losing the good faith of its two most notable support groups: business and the tea partyers. You've notice that; I've noticed it; and Greg Sargent sets the scene with President Obama entering, stage left. How long will the major GOP-aligned interest groups, … [Read more...] about Rock. GOP. Hard place.
The Presidential Cabinet: Who Will Obama Pick? [Infographic]
Via Nerdwallet. An infographic on who Obama will pick: Via: NerdWallet … [Read more...] about The Presidential Cabinet: Who Will Obama Pick? [Infographic]
Homeless Boy Steals Talent Show (Video)
A controversy (what else?) rages on parts of the Internet. Is this real or "fake" (his hair was too good, etc.). From Korea's version of "America's Got Talent": a homeless boy steals the talent show. It is an uplifting piece: … [Read more...] about Homeless Boy Steals Talent Show (Video)
Syria and Chemical Weapons: An Unmovable Line in the Sand?
Are we seeing the beginning of the end of Syria's detestable Bashar-al Assad regime -- or the beginning of a new international crisis swirling around it? Or both? A new line in the sand is being sternly drawn by American officials over the Assad regime using chemical weapons, but the question is whether this will be an enduring line in the sand. Abraham Lincoln once said: … [Read more...] about Syria and Chemical Weapons: An Unmovable Line in the Sand?
Tea Party Purges and Departures
“History repeats itself,” Karl Marx proclaimed, “first as tragedy then as farce.” The Tea Party is now acting out a pathetic parody of Communism’s Great Terror of the 1930s in the name of ideological purity and for the same reason, paranoid fear of losing control over true believers. In the fiscal cliff’s shadow, House Republicans remove from key committees two … [Read more...] about Tea Party Purges and Departures
Dysfunction and Lies: Senate Vote Beyond Shameful
Updated. This is why Congressional approval rating is in the doldrums. There was a Republican in the White House when Congress passed the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990. And a Republican, Bob Dole (KS), who helped push it through. It was the culmination of a legal movement that got national purchase with Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act. On … [Read more...] about Dysfunction and Lies: Senate Vote Beyond Shameful
Israel Faces Lowest Point in Europe Relations in Decades (Guest Voice)
Israel faces lowest point in Europe relations in decades (via The Christian Science Monitor) The unusually strong European rebuke of Israel’s plans to tighten its grip on land sought for a Palestinian state marks at least a 30-year low point in relations, say Israeli foreign policy scholars. While the nature of Europe’s complaint is not new, the tone reflects both … [Read more...] about Israel Faces Lowest Point in Europe Relations in Decades (Guest Voice)
Ailes: Buh-Bye for Now to Karl Rove and Dick Morris on Fox News
If you ever had any doubt that Fox News maven Roger Ailes was a smart businessman who tries to protect his brand, this news erases it: New York Magazine reports that Ailes has ordered until-this-election-considered-a-political-genius Karl Rove and the-most-reliably-wrong-pundit-on-the-air Dick Morris kept off the air -- or at least not put on the air unless producers get … [Read more...] about Ailes: Buh-Bye for Now to Karl Rove and Dick Morris on Fox News
Wish List (Cartoon)
LEGAL NOTICE ON CARTOON: This copyrighted cartoon is licensed to run on TMV. Reproduction elsewhere without licensing is strictly prohibited. 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 Wish List (Cartoon)
Furor Over Picture of New York Subway Death
Furor over picture of New York subway death (via AFP) A New York Post front page picture of a man about to be killed by an oncoming subway train provoked fury Tuesday from readers left wondering why nobody, particularly the photographer, tried to pull the victim to safety -- and why the tabloid published the image. Police say the victim was thrown onto… … [Read more...] about Furor Over Picture of New York Subway Death
PPP Poll: Republicans Not Handling Election Results Well (AT ALL)
Whatever happened to the good, 'ol days when partisans on the losing side of an election would try to find out what went wrong, then get to work to do better next time -- rather than seeking fictional scapegoats or talking about pulling out of the United States since their side won? Apparently, we're not quite in those days anymore: PPP's first post election national poll … [Read more...] about PPP Poll: Republicans Not Handling Election Results Well (AT ALL)
GOP Should Moderate Social Platform to Win Over Fiscally Conservative Youth (Guest Voice)
GOP should moderate social platform to win over fiscally conservative youth (via The Christian Science Monitor) Though the presidential election is now weeks past, Republicans continue to soul-search about the best path forward. With the fiscal cliff looming, some Republicans have worried publicly that their party will be perceived as protecting the wealthy if … [Read more...] about GOP Should Moderate Social Platform to Win Over Fiscally Conservative Youth (Guest Voice)
US Senate Fails to Ratify UN Treaty on Disabilities
US Senate fails to ratify UN treaty on disabilities (via AFP) The US Senate on Tuesday failed to ratify the UN convention protecting the rights of the disabled, a treaty whose approval would create no change in US law but encountered Republican resistance. Lawmakers voted 61-38 in favor of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, but fell … [Read more...] about US Senate Fails to Ratify UN Treaty on Disabilities
College Removes “Men Working” Sign As Sexist
I think somebody is overreacting just a little bit here … [Read more...] about College Removes “Men Working” Sign As Sexist
The Military Mission and Budget Talks
A couple of days ago I lamented that cuts in the Defense Budget seemed to be absent in the budget discussions. But it goes much deeper than that. What we really need is a discussion of foreign policy goals and the mission of military. While I never approved of the United States being the World's policeman it should be obvious to anyone not living in a bubble we can no longer … [Read more...] about The Military Mission and Budget Talks
Boehner Plays a Weak Hand
WASHINGTON -- How dare he? President Obama, I mean: How dare he do what he promised during the campaign? How dare he insist on a "balanced approach" to fiscal policy that includes an teensy-weensy tax increase for the rich? Oh, the humanity. Republicans are having conniptions. Witness the way House Speaker John Boehner reacted when Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner … [Read more...] about Boehner Plays a Weak Hand