Something wonderful happened today. My mother tried to teach us kids that being persistent politely got results and was almost always appropriate. Such good behavior of course is not something I've always done. Mostly though. And today I had big results - big results to my way of thinking anyway. I called - yet again - about a bill that was too high and going up and up - … [Read more...] about Polite Persistence Pays
Shot Pakistani girl shows improvement: military
Shot Pakistani girl shows improvement: military (via AFP) A Pakistani schoolgirl shot in the head by the Taliban showed signs of improvement by moving her limbs Saturday, the military said, though she remains unconscious and on a ventilator. The shooting of 14-year-old Malala Yousafzai, who campaigned for the right to an education, has been denounced … [Read more...] about Shot Pakistani girl shows improvement: military
Romney tries to bury Obama in ads
This was telegraphed a long time ago. It has been abundantly clear that the super PACS and Republican Presidential nominee Mitt Romney were feverishly focusing on raising every single penny they possibly could so they could batter the Democratic ticket to pieces in the final weeks with ads. And so it shall unfold: Republican nominee Mitt Romney and his allies are … [Read more...] about Romney tries to bury Obama in ads
Mice Can Sing, And Are Capable Of Vocal Learning, Contradicting 60 Year Assumption (Guest Voice)
Mice Can Sing, And Are Capable Of Vocal Learning, Contradicting 60 Year Assumption (via Planetsave) New research has shown that male mice are able to match the pitch of other singing males’, in the ultrasonic range that they communicate in. The research also underlines the fact that mice “have certain brain features, somewhat similar to humans and song-learning … [Read more...] about Mice Can Sing, And Are Capable Of Vocal Learning, Contradicting 60 Year Assumption (Guest Voice)
Is Libya Terrorist Attack ‘Debacle’ Hurting Obama?
Is Libya terrorist attack 'debacle' hurting Obama? (via The Christian Science Monitor) The first question in the vice presidential debate this week – the one that is becoming most troublesome for the Obama-Biden ticket – was about Libya and the deadly attack on the US consulate in Benghazi. The essence of the query to Vice President Joe Biden was as old … [Read more...] about Is Libya Terrorist Attack ‘Debacle’ Hurting Obama?
GreeceWatch: Troika Spat, Cuts Near, Rightist Rage (Guest Voice)
GreeceWatch: Troika spat, cuts near, rightist rage (via Market Shadows) GreeceWatch: Troika spat, cuts near, rightist rage Courtesy of Richard of eats shoots 'n leaves We begin with a spat between two key figures in the austerity game, the IMF boss and the German money minister — with the issue not how much austerity, but how soon — followed by a … [Read more...] about GreeceWatch: Troika Spat, Cuts Near, Rightist Rage (Guest Voice)
White House Struggles to Contain New Libya Storm
White House struggles to contain new Libya storm (via AFP) Mitt Romney has accused Vice President Joe Biden of "doubling down on denial" as the White House struggled to combat a growing storm over the attack on the US consulate in Benghazi. The latest exchanges battered an administration repeatedly thrown onto the defensive by the political reverberations… … [Read more...] about White House Struggles to Contain New Libya Storm
Ringside at the Undercard (Guest Voice)
Ringside at the Undercard Raging Moderate, by Will Durst Needed three towels to wipe down my living room after the vice presidential wrestling match, er, debate the other day. The sweat flung off both the bottom names of the campaign bumper stickers was so thick on the Centre College stage, it shot right through television screens onto viewers at home. In this highly … [Read more...] about Ringside at the Undercard (Guest Voice)
Performance Enhacing Drugs (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 Performance Enhacing Drugs (Cartoon)
Canadian Teen Who Who Posted Anti-Bullying Video Commits Suicide
A tragic story out of Canada. Newsy.com has the details: … [Read more...] about Canadian Teen Who Who Posted Anti-Bullying Video Commits Suicide
No There There
In his review of Thursday night's debate between Joe Biden and Paul Ryan, Hendrick Hertzberg -- in The New Yorker -- draws his readers' attention to the following exchange between the two candidates: BIDEN: I love my friend here. I—I’m not allowed to show letters, but go on our Web site. He sent me two letters saying, “By the way, can you send me some stimulus money … [Read more...] about No There There
One of our Four-Legged Warriors: A Heroine (Update)
Air Force Senior Airman Brett Carson plays with military working dog, Jago, before his retirement ceremony on MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., July 12, 2012. Carson, a military working dog handler, is assigned to the 6th Security Forces Squadron. [Please read the update at the end about another hero, Gabe, a retired military dog who completed more than 200 combat missions in … [Read more...] about One of our Four-Legged Warriors: A Heroine (Update)
Lance Armstrong Could Yet Be Prosecuted: Experts
Lance Armstrong could yet be prosecuted: experts (via AFP) It may require years of legal argument and enormous financial cost, but Lance Armstrong could yet be forced into court on charges that he lied when he denied ever using performance-enhancing drugs. The 41-year old former cyclist, whose seven Tour de France wins and cancer charity made him a global… … [Read more...] about Lance Armstrong Could Yet Be Prosecuted: Experts
Moderates in Our Midst (Guest Voice)
Moderates in Our Midst by Susan Froetschel "There are no moderates in Iran," morning show host Joe Scarborough said today. Less than 10 minutes later, he was smart enough to backtrack by noting, "The moderates are not in power." His first comment rankled. Once a writing instructor, I regularly warned students against using "all," "none," "always," "never." Such words are … [Read more...] about Moderates in Our Midst (Guest Voice)
De-Legitimizing Compromise (Guest Voice)
De-Legitimizing Compromise by Douglas Wolf Rolling Stone National Affairs Chief Matt Taibbi, who has written the introduction to the 40th Anniversary Edition of the late Hunter S. Thompson's Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72, was interviewed about this singular honor and about Thompson in the June 27th Edition of The Village Voice. Now, Taibbi and I only … [Read more...] about De-Legitimizing Compromise (Guest Voice)
Biden’s Smile (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 Biden’s Smile (Cartoon)
Pakistan Child Activist Facing ‘Critical’ 36-48 Hours
Pakistan child activist facing 'critical' 36-48 hours (via AFP) Pakistanis at mosques across the country prayed Friday for the recovery of a schoolgirl shot in the head by the Taliban as doctors said the next two days were critical. The shooting of 14-year-old Malala Yousafzai who campaigned for the right to an education has been denounced worldwide and by … [Read more...] about Pakistan Child Activist Facing ‘Critical’ 36-48 Hours
VP Debate (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 VP Debate (Cartoon)
(Video Animation) Biden-Ryan debate 2012: Bombastic Joe Biden battles ripped Paul Ryan
Another great instant video animation by Taiwan's Next Media Animation -- this one on the Joe Biden Paul Ryan Vice Presidential debate: … [Read more...] about (Video Animation) Biden-Ryan debate 2012: Bombastic Joe Biden battles ripped Paul Ryan
Family Not Allowed To Rebuild Home
The last time I checked we had something in the law about not taking property without just compensation. A family lost their house to fire only to be told that despite having insurance they could not rebuild. The house was in a flood plain (along with thousands of others) and so they would have had to build the house 25 feet up in order to get a permit The net effect … [Read more...] about Family Not Allowed To Rebuild Home