Check your local PBS schedule*, fire-up your DVR. Bill Moyers is back with a new show, Moyers & Company. The series, produced by American Public Television, begins with three broadcasts focused on the intersection of politics and money. Moyers, who will "believe corporations are people when Texas executes one" (Stephen Colbert interview, 10 January), interviews Jacob … [Read more...] about Bill Moyers On Sunday
The Pee Lai Massacre in Bullet Points
Your news media at work: first, obtain the authentic photo of the actual story; THEN black out anything in the photo that would actually show anything; THEN slap your video logos and bumperstickers all over it. • You know what I'm talking about. • No army that ever marched didn't have douchebags like these. You know these guys. And so do I. They were the dumbasses who … [Read more...] about The Pee Lai Massacre in Bullet Points
“Downton Abbey” Obsessions
The PBS series is becoming the “West Wing” and “Sopranos” of the century’s second decade, mirroring Americans’ longing for escape from the Obama and Tea Party era as surely as its predecessors reflected a desire for a more human society, high and low, during George W. Bush’s time. As second season ratings soar, what is “Downton Abbey” telling us about ourselves? In … [Read more...] about “Downton Abbey” Obsessions
Poll: Romney Now Soaring with 21 Point Lead in South Carolina (Gingrich Backlash?)
This new poll out of South Carolina could be subtitled in two ways: #1 Romney Soars in South Carolina #2 Gingrich Self-Destructs in South Carolina The bottom line is that former House Speaker Newt Gingrich had been doing well in South Carolina, and then seemed according to one poll within a few points of the presumptive front-runner, former Massachusetts Mitt Romney. But … [Read more...] about Poll: Romney Now Soaring with 21 Point Lead in South Carolina (Gingrich Backlash?)
Conservatives (Neo Liberals) as Teenagers
Krugman reports that neo liberal technocrat Frau Merkel gave her response to the S&P downgrades in Europe. German chancellor Angela Merkel has called on eurozone governments speedily to implement tough new fiscal rules after Standard & Poor’s downgraded the credit ratings of France and Austria and seven other second-tier sovereigns. More austerity - exactly a reason … [Read more...] about Conservatives (Neo Liberals) as Teenagers
Quote of the day: The ungrateful middle class
From an excellent piece in The New Yorker on the rising economy in Brazil: [Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff] has to keep revving the engine of prosperity for ordinary Brazilians, and make sure people know who's responsible for it... ...In the United States, during the second half of the twentieth century, this kind of political apparatus fell victim to its own … [Read more...] about Quote of the day: The ungrateful middle class
Poll: Romney Keeps Small Lead in South Carolina
Is South Carolina a tossup or isn't it? My betting is: it is NOT and that, in the end, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney will win and then win big in Florida -- where a recent poll shows him with a whopping lead. On the other hand, the question is the trending on polling. And this poll suggests it is close in South Carolina, indeed: As the GOP races settles into South … [Read more...] about Poll: Romney Keeps Small Lead in South Carolina
150 Social Conservative Activists Settle on Supporting Santorum In Stop Romney Move
Seeing the likely nomination of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, 150 conservative activists gathered in Texas have decided to give their support to former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum in an effort to halt what now seems to be in the political cards: the splitting of social conservatives' votes among several candidates which would allow Romney to sail his way to … [Read more...] about 150 Social Conservative Activists Settle on Supporting Santorum In Stop Romney Move
Tea Party Join or Die
This copyrighted cartoon is licensed to run on TMV. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. … [Read more...] about Tea Party Join or Die
Presidents and Businessmen
Mitt Romney, whose reported net worth is somewhere north of $200 million, argues that he knows how to make all Americans wealthier. In what is perhaps the deepest irony of this presidential season, Newt Gingrich echoes William Jennings Bryan -- who declared, "No one can earn a million dollars honestly." Paul Krugman has attacked Romney's honesty in earlier columns. But on … [Read more...] about Presidents and Businessmen
The Plain Dealer spikes comic but was it over racism, Republicans or predators?
You may go see the Non Sequitur cartoon from Friday, 1/13/12 which the Plain Dealer did not run. I used it as a teaching moment with my 6th grader and he got why it could be objectionable right away. Whether or not it should have been published is of course a different matter. Here are the comments at my Facebook thread and many times more can be found at former Plain Dealer … [Read more...] about The Plain Dealer spikes comic but was it over racism, Republicans or predators?
Newt Occupies South Carolina
This copyrighed cartoon is licensed to run on TMV. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. … [Read more...] about Newt Occupies South Carolina
Some Inconvenient Facts (Guest Voice)
Some Inconvenient Facts by Michael Reagan Mr. President: Do you really think you are riding high with the rate of unemployment standing at a whopping 8.5 percent? 8.5 percent! Wow!! Perhaps we should take a real good look at the real numbers. The rate of unemployment was 7.8 percent when you took office, and look how much money you have spent since then trying to … [Read more...] about Some Inconvenient Facts (Guest Voice)
Colbert Candidacy: Put-On Perfected
The GOP debates could make a profit on Pay TV if they let Stephen Colbert join the panel. How much would it be worth to see him match wits with Mitt Romney and Rick Perry? Sadly, like his other ventures, Colbert’s South Carolina candidacy is only fodder for his reality-blurring show, the perfection of a trend that began to emerge in the 1960s when TV made American life too … [Read more...] about Colbert Candidacy: Put-On Perfected
TMV Fundraiser: Help TMV 1/30/2013 (UPDATE)
1/30/2013: Donation total is holding steady at $1885. Our goal is $9,000 or more to do what we want to do with TMV. You'll start seeing more content choices as time goes on (of varying viewpoints) as we also work to monetize TMV to take it to the next-step level in 2013. We are out of the DONATED books by TMV TMV writers but I'll be sending out some review copies and other … [Read more...] about TMV Fundraiser: Help TMV 1/30/2013 (UPDATE)
Our Unwelcome Guest: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (El Universal, Venezuela)
Venezuelan columnist Jose Toro Hardy is upset. Why? Because, according to him, President Hugo Chavez' embrace of Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad not only puts Venezuelans at odds with almost the entire developed world, it goes against Venezuela's historic strict adherence to neutrality when it comes to conflicts it has nothing to do with. For Venezuela's El Universal, … [Read more...] about Our Unwelcome Guest: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (El Universal, Venezuela)
The Actions of a Handful of Marines: No Need to ‘Celebrate,’ Justify or Broad-Brush (UPDATE)
About 18 months ago and in response to a piece, "Why It's Wrong to Equate Military Service With Heroism," which discussed the technical, logical and semantic reasons why our fighting men and women should not be collectively called "heroes," I wrote a piece claiming “Our Military: Yes, They Are All Heroes.” I started the article as follows: I am one of those … [Read more...] about The Actions of a Handful of Marines: No Need to ‘Celebrate,’ Justify or Broad-Brush (UPDATE)
Does Mr. Obama Have His Own Wall Street Problem?
Whacking Wall Street should be a major 2012 campaign theme for President Obama. Most of the country is still angry at The Street for helping bring about the present unending recession, for its huge pay packets while most on Main Street have been forced to tighten their belts. And this anger is as strong among Tea Partiers as lefties. On top of this, Mr. Obama's very likely … [Read more...] about Does Mr. Obama Have His Own Wall Street Problem?
Quote of the Day: the War Against Los Zetas, Mexico’s Drug Cartel Army
Our Quote of the Day comes from a troubling piece in The Global Post about the war across the border against "Los Zetas," Mexico's drug cartels' powerful army: MEXICO CITY, Mexico — Residents of the town of Fresnillo in northeast Mexico cowered in their homes as gunfire rattled between federal police and cartel gunmen on the streets outside. When the shooting subsided, … [Read more...] about Quote of the Day: the War Against Los Zetas, Mexico’s Drug Cartel Army
Political Suicide by Tea?
You’ve heard of “suicide by cop”? America is now seemingly witnessing political suicide by tea. Tea Party, that is. Only a few months ago Republicans seemed poised to fulfill a dream: if the economy continued to recover slowly or was barely on the mend, and if President Barack Obama continued to appear to be a nice guy who could give a terrific scripted speech but was inept … [Read more...] about Political Suicide by Tea?