WASHINGTON -- This election is only tangentially a fight over policy. It is also a fight about meaning and identity -- and that's one reason why voters are so polarized. It's about who we are and who we aspire to be. President Obama enters the final days of the campaign with a substantial lead among women -- about 15 points, according to the latest Washington Post/ABC … [Read more...] about What America Will We Pick?
The U.S. Navy: More than Just Aircraft Carriers (Updated)
The guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold (DDG 65) flies the battle ensign during maneuvers off the coast of Kauai as part of maritime exercise Koa Kai 12-2. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Daniel Barker) UPDATE: The faces of sailors shown below are but a few of the more than 322,000 men and women proudly serving in the U.S. Navy. If you have … [Read more...] about The U.S. Navy: More than Just Aircraft Carriers (Updated)
“Frankenstorm” Inspired by Frankenstein (Two Videos)
They call it "Frankenstorm" -- and the inspiration is the name "Frankenstein." Two tidbits to view: The moment in the 1931 classic movie "Frankenstein" when the monster comes alive: The 1910, 13 minute Thomas Edison version of the story. Some scenes in this are very well preserved so watch it all. … [Read more...] about “Frankenstorm” Inspired by Frankenstein (Two Videos)
Romney v. Romney (Guest Voice)
Romney v. Romney by Tina Dupuy There's a myth in the right-wing-o-sphere that President Obama was never fully vetted. "We don't know ANYTHING about this guy!" they'll say, and in the same breath make fun of the fact he wrote two autobiographies. My answer to this is always: "He ran against a Clinton." Any skeletons, dirt, deal killers or weaknesses were dug up, dragged out … [Read more...] about Romney v. Romney (Guest Voice)
Hermit Crabs Only Socialize To Team Up And Steal Larger Homes From Larger Crabs
Hermit Crabs Only Socialize To Team Up And Steal Larger Homes From Larger Crabs (via Planetsave) Typically ‘social’ animals gather together for reasons to do with sex, food, or safety, but there are other reasons to, as some new research on hermit crabs has shown. In the new research, terrestrial hermit crabs have been observed grouping together to ‘evict’ a … [Read more...] about Hermit Crabs Only Socialize To Team Up And Steal Larger Homes From Larger Crabs
Hurricane Sandy: How Utilities are Planning for Power Outages
Hurricane Sandy: how utilities are planning for power outages (via The Christian Science Monitor) With utility companies analyzing potential storm tracks for hurricane Sandy and deciding just how many utility crews to request to prepare for fallen power lines, Seth Guikema could be their best friend. He is part of a pioneering attempt to help power companies … [Read more...] about Hurricane Sandy: How Utilities are Planning for Power Outages
East Coast Battens Down as ‘Frankenstorm’ Looms
US east coast battens down as 'Frankenstorm' looms (via AFP) Across the eastern United States, residents scrambled to stock up on supplies and secure homes as Hurricane Sandy -- billed as a superstorm -- lumbered north after leaving dozens dead in the Caribbean. The so-called "Frankenstorm" was expected to make landfall somewhere between Virginia and … [Read more...] about East Coast Battens Down as ‘Frankenstorm’ Looms
Review: The Addams Family Musical Surprisingly Sentimental
Review: The Addams Family Musical Surprisingly Sentimental The touring production of Broadway's The Addams Family opened at The 5th Avenue Theatre to a warm reception and some hardy laughs. Although The Addams Family is based on a macabre cast of characters, it is far from being a dark comedy. Rather than sadistic, it is sentimental. Instead of deviant, it is hopelessly … [Read more...] about Review: The Addams Family Musical Surprisingly Sentimental
Des Moines Register Endorses Romney
Looking at the list of past endorsements, they usually back Democrats so this is interesting. I still think Obama has an edge in both Iowa and the nation but this is a bit of a surprise. Now time for people to yell at me for posting this LOL............... … [Read more...] about Des Moines Register Endorses Romney
NY Times Endorses President Obama, Slams Mitt Romney’s ‘Callous Assumption’ Uninsured Will Use Emergency Rooms
New York Times endorses President Obama: The New York Times endorses President Obama for reelection saying he has "shown firm commitment to help foster growth and has "impressive achievements despite the implacable wall of refusal erected by Congressional Republicans." The paper slammed Mitt Romney saying he has gotten this far with "a guile that allows him to say whatever he … [Read more...] about NY Times Endorses President Obama, Slams Mitt Romney’s ‘Callous Assumption’ Uninsured Will Use Emergency Rooms
Beneath Contempt (Continued)
This isn't politics, this is sheer hatred and nuttiness. Here's some fitting music: AND: … [Read more...] about Beneath Contempt (Continued)
Memes of the Past: Great Gaffes and Missteps in History Before the Internet (Guest Voice)
Memes of the past: Great gaffes and missteps in history before the internet (via GlobalPost) GlobalPost looks back at some viral-worthy moments in pre-internet history. ("I am not a crook!") Faine Greenwood Memes: circa 2012, we'd be hard-pressed to make even the most pathetically inconsequential of political decisions without them. We may actually have begun to … [Read more...] about Memes of the Past: Great Gaffes and Missteps in History Before the Internet (Guest Voice)
USAA Provides Tips to Prepare Mobile Devices Now for Hurricane Sandy
USAA Provides Tips to Prepare Mobile Devices Now for Hurricane Sandy (via NewsLook) Home and safety preparations for those in Hurricane Sandy's path should include making smartphones and other mobile devices storm-ready, according to financial services provider USAA. As soon as a hurricane or severe storm becomes a threat, boarding windows and stocking food and … [Read more...] about USAA Provides Tips to Prepare Mobile Devices Now for Hurricane Sandy
Presidential Race Clouded by Looming Storm Hurricane Sandy
US presidential race clouded by looming storm (via AFP) A looming "Frankenstorm" threw an October surprise into the US presidential contest Saturday as Barack Obama and Mitt Romney hunted for votes amid fears of major disruptions ahead of the November 6 vote. With a newly strengthened Hurricane Sandy now stalking the US East Coast, Romney and Vice … [Read more...] about Presidential Race Clouded by Looming Storm Hurricane Sandy
Fox News and Libya (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 Fox News and Libya (Cartoon)
Looming Prospect? Obama Wins Electoral Vote Romney Wins Popular Vote
Fasten your seat belts because predictions that hyperpartisanship will grow no matter who's elected President have now gotten even more grim with this new twist -- which is being increasingly suggested by various analysts: Most polls at this moment suggest GOP nominee Mitt Romney is in the lead nationally, but surveys in the nine or so swing states are registering a narrow … [Read more...] about Looming Prospect? Obama Wins Electoral Vote Romney Wins Popular Vote
The Color Coding of Colin Powell
Stereotypes, anyone? Dismissing Powell’s Obama endorsement as racial solidarity disregards reality. The Joint Chiefs Chairman who became George W. Bush’s Secretary of State and the current president differ as much politically and culturally as two men can. Community organizers and rising four-star generals come from different worlds, and bracketing them is akin to pairing … [Read more...] about The Color Coding of Colin Powell
My Friend George McGovern: ‘The World was his Country’ (El Tiempo, Colombia)
Here's an interesting read for a Saturday, pre-election morning. Beyond being a long-time legislator and candidate for the U.S. presidency, George McGovern, who died last week at age 90, was a U.S. diplomat who served as ambassador to the World Food Program. For El Tiempo, Colombia Ambassador Julio César Gomes Dos Santos, who served with the former senator in Rome, tells … [Read more...] about My Friend George McGovern: ‘The World was his Country’ (El Tiempo, Colombia)
Pirate Ship Comes to a Fiery End
Chalk one up for the good guys. It was nice to see the name of the city where I went to High School, Rotterdam,The Netherlands, in the news as the name of the Dutch/NATO warship that took on pirates off Somali and took care of (pirate) business. As ABC News reported yesterday, a bunch of Somali pirates aboard a dhow and armed with AK 47s was no match to the power of … [Read more...] about Pirate Ship Comes to a Fiery End
Conservatives Condemn Obama for Ad similar to famed Reagan Line (Guest Voice)
Conservatives condemn Obama for ad similar to famed Reagan line (via Raw Story ) The conservative media sphere seethed with anger on Friday over actress Lena Dunham’s suggestive new ad (embedded below) for President Barack Obama that implies a similarity between voting and having sex — seemingly forgetting that the Republican Party’s greatest icon, President … [Read more...] about Conservatives Condemn Obama for Ad similar to famed Reagan Line (Guest Voice)