Live your life as if there are no miracles and everything is a miracle. – Albert Einstein A spate of bestsellers—The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins; The End of Faith by Sam Harris; and God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything by the late Christopher Hitchens—argues that religion, as we’ve known it, no longer serves the needs of our scientific, cosmopolitan … [Read more...] about Reason to Hope: A New Deal for Religion and Science
Happy Belated 30th Birthday Emoticon ;-)
I've got to tell you, I'm a fan: To some, an email isn't complete without the inclusion of :-) or :-(. To others, the very idea of using "emoticons" – communicative graphics – makes the blood boil and represents all that has gone wrong with the English language. Regardless of your view, as emoticons celebrate their 30th anniversary this month, it is accepted that they are … [Read more...] about Happy Belated 30th Birthday Emoticon ;-)
New Formats Muddy Debates (Guest Voice)
New Formats Muddy Debates by Peter Funt Substance is the goal in presidential debates, but form sometimes gets in the way. This year, major format changes make the success of the debates as hard to predict as the election itself. Beginning with the Oct. 3 debate on domestic issues, viewers will find something old — PBS veteran Jim Lehrer, 78, moderating his 12th such … [Read more...] about New Formats Muddy Debates (Guest Voice)
Obama and Romney Fight for Religious Groups’ Votes. Then There’s Romney’s Mormon Faith
Obama and Romney fight for religious groups’ votes. Then there’s Romney’s Mormon faith (via The Christian Science Monitor) Separation of church and state may be a constitutional requirement in US government. But in Election 2012 politics, religion has become an increasingly important factor. Both President Obama and Mitt Romney are focusing on … [Read more...] about Obama and Romney Fight for Religious Groups’ Votes. Then There’s Romney’s Mormon Faith
Obama and Romney (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 Obama and Romney (Cartoon)
Elizabeth Warren Takes Slim Lead Over Scott Brown In Massachusetts Senate Race
The first televised debate between Republican Senator Scott Brown and challenger Democrat Elizabeth Warren is over -- and Warren has now taken a slim lead, suggesting that Democrats who had supported the late Teddy Kennedy are (for) now coming home: With Elizabeth Warren and Senator Scott Brown preparing for their second debate Monday night, Warren appears to be inching … [Read more...] about Elizabeth Warren Takes Slim Lead Over Scott Brown In Massachusetts Senate Race
More Suspicious Voter Forms Found in Florida
You can expect a sea of lawyers at the polls in Florida on election day -- and I'm not talking about Republicans. The controversies over vote suppression efforts in Florida and now coupled with this growing scandal that is linked to a company that until press reports surfaced was working for the GOP. And growing it is: The number of Florida counties reporting suspicious … [Read more...] about More Suspicious Voter Forms Found in Florida
Guess What: 93% of Fox News, 81% Wall St. Journal Reporting on Global Warming Just Plain Wrong (Guest Voice)
Guess What: 93% of Fox News, 81% Wall St. Journal Reporting on Global Warming Just Plain Wrong (via Clean Technica) The Internet puts vast, overwhelming amounts of information at our fingertips. It’s a truly great thing, and more and more of us not only have the time to search, surf, and troll through this ever-growing digital repository, but we’re also … [Read more...] about Guess What: 93% of Fox News, 81% Wall St. Journal Reporting on Global Warming Just Plain Wrong (Guest Voice)
Former New York Times Publisher Sulzberger Dead at 86
Former New York Times publisher Sulzberger dead at 86 (via AFP) Former New York Times publisher and CEO Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, a driving force in the evolution of one of the most prestigious US media outlets, died Saturday. He was 86. During his tenure, Sulzberger oversaw the transformation of the Times from a tightly-controlled family operation -- his … [Read more...] about Former New York Times Publisher Sulzberger Dead at 86
Romney’s Rapidly Shrinking Running Mate
Romney's rapidly shrinking running mate (via AFP) From the moment Mitt Romney mistakenly introduced his running mate Paul Ryan to the world as "the next president of the United States," one word has routinely described the pairing: awkward. Cringe-worthy as that highly anticipated launch was in Virginia in early August, the Republican ticket has since… … [Read more...] about Romney’s Rapidly Shrinking Running Mate
Best and Worst Debate Moments (Video)
Must view: a CBS News piece in which presidential historian Douglas Brinkley discusses good and bad moments in previous debates. … [Read more...] about Best and Worst Debate Moments (Video)
Suggested Romney Zinger Lines
Get ready, here it comes: expect late night comedians to have a field day with the news that Republican nominee Mitt Romney -- who has never been considered an ace wit or life of the party quipster -- has been working on a batch of zinger lines since August to deliver at key moments in this week's debate with Barack Obama. Be sure to watch Letterman, Leno, Jon Stewart and … [Read more...] about Suggested Romney Zinger Lines
The Week in Review: J.K. Rowling, Chinese Wind Power and Element 113
The week in review. -Replacement refs replaced. -Japanese scientists create unstable Element 113. They quickly name the unstable element Sheila for obvious reasons. -Republicans come up with several new reasons for Obama's widening lead in battleground states. Most probable explanation revolves around overt reality bias among voters. -Major television networks … [Read more...] about The Week in Review: J.K. Rowling, Chinese Wind Power and Element 113
A Preview of Romney Obama Rehearsed Presidential Debate Strategies
Just case you can't watch the debate on Wednesday, the New York Times has a peek at what they're rehearsing so you'll know more of less how each side presented itself. And if your'e watching, you can observe how they are debuting the acts they've been rehearsing for weeks and weeks with stand-in opponents and debate coaches: Mr. Obama’s team records his practices to … [Read more...] about A Preview of Romney Obama Rehearsed Presidential Debate Strategies
Why Do Men’s Activists Bring Up The Draft?
A while ago, I stumbled on a video from TheTruePooka attacking MRAs such as myself for "blaming feminists for the male-only draft." This leads me to wonder if maybe there is a problem with people listening when a woman speaks. Very few MRAs, myself especially, actually blame feminism for something that's been happening throughout most of history, and we don't even lay blame … [Read more...] about Why Do Men’s Activists Bring Up The Draft?
Aung San Suu Kyi: ‘The Lady is No Saint’ (Financial Times Deutschland, Germany)
Is it time to end the unquestioned reverence for Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi? With Suu Kyi in the United States to accept the Congressional Gold Medal, Financial Times Deutschland columnist Georg Fahrion outlines why flaws in character and her status as a 'saint' may now be hampering democratic progress in her nation. For the Financial Times Deutschland, … [Read more...] about Aung San Suu Kyi: ‘The Lady is No Saint’ (Financial Times Deutschland, Germany)
Where Did the Mammoth US Budget Deficits Come From? (Guest Voice)
Where did the mammoth US budget deficits come from? (via The Christian Science Monitor) What’s the cause of the federal government’s huge budget deficits? That’s a question that is harder to answer in the particular than you might think. The general problem is obvious: Uncle Sam has been spending more money than he takes in. The specific reasons as to why this … [Read more...] about Where Did the Mammoth US Budget Deficits Come From? (Guest Voice)
Note to Tweeting #Romney, #Obama Campaigns and #Journalists: Chill (Guest Voice)
Note to tweeting #Romney, #Obama campaigns and #journalists: Chill (via The Christian Science Monitor) Smartphones and iPads, Twitter and Tumblr – such things have vastly increased the speed and reach of communications. Almost as soon a thought enters your mind, you can send it everywhere. That ability can be hugely beneficial – but also harmful, particularly in … [Read more...] about Note to Tweeting #Romney, #Obama Campaigns and #Journalists: Chill (Guest Voice)
Libya Attackers Linked to Al-Qaeda: US
Libya attackers linked to Al-Qaeda: US (via AFP) The US intelligence community said that a deadly assault on a US consulate in Libya was a planned attack linked to Al-Qaeda, but stressed that "many unanswered questions" remained. "It remains unclear if any group or person exercised overall command and control of the attack, and if extremist group… … [Read more...] about Libya Attackers Linked to Al-Qaeda: US
Solving the Voter I.D. Controversy in 500 Words or Less
I'll keep this one short, because we're looking at one of the simplest issues ever to cause mass consternation across the republic. I know we don't need to resort to fisticuffs, because the solution is so self-evident (except, apparently, to all the combatants on either side). Let's see if you agree. It seems the individual states can decide how much (if any) identification … [Read more...] about Solving the Voter I.D. Controversy in 500 Words or Less