Senator and above-ground CHUD Ted Cruz has now attacked Big Bird for assuring children they don’t have to be afraid of the vaccines for the coronavirus. After American six-year-olds, became eligible for the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine last week, Big Bird did a public service announcement to comfort children and to promote vaccine awareness. Big Bird got his … [Read more...] about BIG BIRD ATTACKED BY BIG TURD (Cartoon, Column and Video)
Are people lying more since the rise of social media and smartphones?
Some forms of technology seem to facilitate lying more than others. solitude72/iStock via Getty Images David Markowitz, University of Oregon Technology has given people more ways to connect, but has it also given them more opportunities to lie? You might text your friend a white lie to get out of going to dinner, exaggerate your height on a dating … [Read more...] about Are people lying more since the rise of social media and smartphones?
Will Bunch: Democrats can’t keep ignoring the culture war. They should fight it — and win
Published by The Philadelphia InquirerOne bit from the great satirical newspaper-turned-website The Onion that has stayed with me more than any other is searingly funny, of course, but also the best-ever summary of the ugly turn that American politics has taken over the last 40 years. In its 1999 send-up of 100 years of mock front pages called "Our Dumb Century," a 1980 … [Read more...] about Will Bunch: Democrats can’t keep ignoring the culture war. They should fight it — and win
The greatest sci-fi franchise of all: Why ‘Star Trek’ has endured
Published by DPAOf all the science fiction franchises in the known universe, the one I would take to a desert island — or planet, I guess — is "Star Trek." I am not a Trekkie by any means (not that there's anything wrong with that). I have never dressed as a Vulcan. I can't speak a word of Klingon or identify the starships by their silhouettes or tell you how many tribbles it … [Read more...] about The greatest sci-fi franchise of all: Why ‘Star Trek’ has endured
Big Bird announced he got his COVID-19 vaccine. Ted Cruz called it ‘government propaganda’
Published by New York Daily NewsTexas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz appears to think Big Bird is a government plant. The "Sesame Street" staple announced Saturday that he had gotten his COVID-19 vaccine, just days after the FDA approved the Pfizer shot for children ages 5-11. “My wing is feeling a little sore, but it’ll give my body an extra protective boost that keeps me and others … [Read more...] about Big Bird announced he got his COVID-19 vaccine. Ted Cruz called it ‘government propaganda’
Suburban voters responded to GOP culture war pitch in Virginia governor’s race, and showed all politics are now national
Virginia Gov.-elect Glenn Youngkin greets supporters at an election night party. AP Photo/Andrew Harnik Athena M. King, Old Dominion University With the 2022 midterm elections less than a year away, the stunning victory of political newcomer Glenn Youngkin in the Virginia governor’s race demonstrated an effective GOP strategy that appeals to crucial … [Read more...] about Suburban voters responded to GOP culture war pitch in Virginia governor’s race, and showed all politics are now national
DON’T LOOK NOW, BUT WINTER IS COMING
Democrats can certainly try to convince themselves that the Virginia gubernatorial defeat is no big deal. All kinds of rationales are available. For instance, the incumbent president’s party has lost 11 of the last 12 gubernatorial races. Virginia, when choosing its chief executive, tends to vote against Washington’s “in” party. And Terry McAuliffe, the losing Democratic … [Read more...] about DON’T LOOK NOW, BUT WINTER IS COMING
A 21st Century Genie (Comedy Video)
All things change. Here's a genie in the 21st century: (I'm very close to this perfomer). Photo 19444903 / Comedy Face Mask © Elnur | Dreamstime.com … [Read more...] about A 21st Century Genie (Comedy Video)
Democrats in array: House passes $1 trillion infrastructure bill
Published by NJ.comWASHINGTON (AP) — The House approved a $1 trillion package of road and other infrastructure projects late Friday after Democrats resolved a months-long standoff between progressives and moderates, notching a victory that President Joe Biden and his party had become increasingly anxious to claim. The House passed the measure 228-206, prompting prolonged cheers … [Read more...] about Democrats in array: House passes $1 trillion infrastructure bill
RATS IN THE WALLS
“Arizona is clearly the meth lab of democracy” - Kyrsten Sinema, 2018 At least Sinema knows from whence she came. Today’s Republican Party has caused us to view America as a tenuous civilization – one that blossomed and thrived for a brief moment and then succumbed to the forces of human nature – a nature “red in tooth and claw”. This party is largely controlled by … [Read more...] about RATS IN THE WALLS
Lessons from the Virginia governor’s race: Make your best case
Exit political stage, heading to the right. Drew Angerer/Getty Images Mary Kate Cary, University of Virginia I teach political speech writing. My students know that earlier this year I served on a committee that wrote the University of Virginia’s statement on free speech and free inquiry, which stated that “All views, beliefs, and perspectives deserve … [Read more...] about Lessons from the Virginia governor’s race: Make your best case
PROGRESSIVES IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM (CARTOON)
Republicans aim to repeat Youngkin’s schools tactic in 2022 elections
Published by ReutersBy David Morgan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Hoping to retake both houses of Congress in elections a year from now, Republicans plan to follow a strategy Glenn Youngkin used to win Virginia's governor's race, making schools the front line in U.S. culture wars, several lawmakers said on Wednesday. Youngkin, a former Carlyle Group Inc chief executive, defeated … [Read more...] about Republicans aim to repeat Youngkin’s schools tactic in 2022 elections
Lawmakers mull votes on historic Biden agenda in coming hours
Published by AFPWashington (AFP) - US lawmakers sought to inject momentum into President Joe Biden's faltering legislative agenda Thursday, dangling votes within 24 hours on his $3 trillion blueprint to transform transport networks and expand the welfare safety net. House Democratic leaders are expected to push for a vote as early as Thursday to advance Biden's $1.75 trillion … [Read more...] about Lawmakers mull votes on historic Biden agenda in coming hours
Remember the Afghanistan War?
The memories of what many called “the longest war’ and others called a “righteous war,” of what many saw as an abrupt and premature withdrawal of our troops from Afghanistan while others saw it as a botched evacuation from that failed country, are all rapidly disappearing from the news cycle and retreating to the recesses of our minds – until the next elections or until … [Read more...] about Remember the Afghanistan War?
Biden returns home to face the music after brutal elections
Published by AFPWashington (AFP) - President Joe Biden returned from Europe Wednesday to a firestorm over a humiliating electoral defeat for his Democratic Party -- already riven with fractures that threaten to tank his sweeping domestic reforms in Congress. Amid Biden's nosediving approval ratings and frustration over his stalled economic agenda, a Republican red wave swept … [Read more...] about Biden returns home to face the music after brutal elections
The Democrats Keep Self-Destructing
Anyone who joins the Democratic non-party and runs under its banner must have a secret death wish or a masochistic psyche. It seems that whenever the party is in a position to control the federal government and enact critical legislation, elected officials cannot get their s—t together to pass the necessary laws. It seems that often times the moderate wing of the Party will not … [Read more...] about The Democrats Keep Self-Destructing
The slippery slope of using AI and deepfakes to bring history to life
In a still from a MyHeritage.com video, Abraham Lincoln chats about how he colored and sharpened old family photos to bring them to life. MyHeritage Nir Eisikovits, University of Massachusetts Boston To mark Israel’s Memorial Day in 2021, the Israel Defense Forces musical ensembles collaborated with a company that specializes in synthetic videos, also … [Read more...] about The slippery slope of using AI and deepfakes to bring history to life
Democrat Eric Adams wins New York City mayoral election
Published by ReutersBy Joseph Ax (Reuters) - Democrat Eric Adams won New York City's mayoral race on Tuesday on promises to boost public safety and give voice to working-class residents, drawing on his experience as a police captain and as a Black man who experienced police brutality as a youth. Adams, the Brooklyn borough president since 2014, was projected the winner by the … [Read more...] about Democrat Eric Adams wins New York City mayoral election
Republican Youngkin leads in early returns in tightly contested Virginia governor’s race
Published by ReutersBy Joseph Ax, Gabriella Borter and Jason Lange FAIRFAX, Va. (Reuters) -Polls closed on Tuesday night in Virginia and New Jersey, where voters were choosing their next governors in closely watched elections that could offer clues about whether Democrats or Republicans hold the early advantage in next year's congressional elections. In Virginia, initial vote … [Read more...] about Republican Youngkin leads in early returns in tightly contested Virginia governor’s race