Another star is born on You Tube. This time a break dancing Gorilla. The You Tube description from the Calgary Zoo: Zola, nine-years old, is one of eight Western lowland gorillas currently living at the Calgary Zoo as part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Gorilla Species Survival Plan. He loves to play in water and keepers regularly give him the opportunity to do … [Read more...] about The Latest Cyberspace Star: A Breakdancing Gorilla
It’s Jon Stewart Versus Fox News Fox News’ Chris Wallace (Video)
A segment on Fox News featuring comedian Jon Stewart has gotten an enormous amount of play on the ideological cable news shows and weblogs with predictable partisan reactions to the comments of Stewart and Fox News' Chris Wallace. Rather than go into a long analysis here, just watch it for yourself. The key issues are exactly who is Jon Stewart -- a comedian or activists … [Read more...] about It’s Jon Stewart Versus Fox News Fox News’ Chris Wallace (Video)
Yale Antisemitism (Cartoon)
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Photo During bin Laden’s Assassination Herald’s Dangerous New World (La Capital, Argentina)
While the United States regards itself as a highly transparent democracy, columnist Enrique Lynch of Argentina's La Capital writes that the photo taken during the killing of Osama bin Laden in the White House Situation Room reflects a blatant and dangerous exclusion of the public more reminiscent of a monarchy than a 21st century democracy. For Argentina's La Capital, … [Read more...] about Photo During bin Laden’s Assassination Herald’s Dangerous New World (La Capital, Argentina)
Who Cares about the U.S. Economy? (Financial Times Deutschland, Germany)
Managing the U.S. economic decline in relation to the emerging economies in Asia, Latin America and elsewhere, is hard for many Americans to take. But as this article by Financial Times Deutschland columnist Thomas Fricke makes painfully clear, there is no escaping the fact that the old rule, "when America sneezes, the world catches a cold" is fast becoming a relic of a bygone … [Read more...] about Who Cares about the U.S. Economy? (Financial Times Deutschland, Germany)
Pakistan (Cartoon)
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Grudge Match Hillary Voter Stories Begin
WASHINGTON - Grudge match articles about alleged disgruntled Hillary supporters remain the fall back fighting position of the Right, a subject I know something about because of my role in the primaries. But it's a very narrow story. Today it comes from Daily Caller, though it could have been from Drudge: “After 2008 [Clinton voters] were basically told get over it, and they … [Read more...] about Grudge Match Hillary Voter Stories Begin
From Austrian Economics to Modern Monetary Theory – and Back Again
As the disastrous consequences of loose money, central banking and a fractional reserve system have become obvious, many citizens have discovered something called the "Austrian school of economics." Its economists have not only made sense of many of the macroeconomic dynamics we are currently experiencing, but many even predicted the malaise. Austrian Economics is in the … [Read more...] about From Austrian Economics to Modern Monetary Theory – and Back Again
Immigrant Demonization Continues: McCain Claims Illegal Immigrants Caused Arizona Wildfires
Has there ever been a politically more manic-depressive pol than Arizona Senator John McCain? This weekend he gave many of us who had supported the old 2000 John McCain hope that he "was back" when he criticized the current 2012 crop of Republican presidential aspirants as being isolationists who would dismay Ronald Reagan. Fair enough. And then he made this comment … [Read more...] about Immigrant Demonization Continues: McCain Claims Illegal Immigrants Caused Arizona Wildfires
The Arts: Preserving the Art of Handblown Glass
Preserving the arts is so many areas is an ongoing struggle as America wades deeper into a 21st century featuring new generations with fresh outlooks and new financial challenges. But it is being done, and vital artistic traditions are being kept alive so that they are enjoyed -- and carried on -- by future generations. One of these is the art of handblown glass -- once … [Read more...] about The Arts: Preserving the Art of Handblown Glass
Taliban Peace Talks (Cartoon)
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Rigging the 2012 Election
WASHINGTON -- An attack on the right to vote is under way across the country through laws designed to make it more difficult to cast a ballot. If this were happening in an emerging democracy, we'd condemn it as election-rigging. But it's happening here, so there's barely a whimper. The laws are being passed in the name of preventing "voter fraud." But study after study … [Read more...] about Rigging the 2012 Election
What Is War Good For? That Depends On The Political Party That’s In Pow-Pow-Power
OH FOR THE GOOD OLD DAYS! The Republican Party has long been the party of war, and one has to go all the way back to Herbert Hoover, a committed pacifist, to find a Republican president who was not a hawk. Dwight Eisenhower gets a slide both because he inherited the Korean conflict and probably understood the horrors of war better than any president since George … [Read more...] about What Is War Good For? That Depends On The Political Party That’s In Pow-Pow-Power
The Republican Party Needs To Stop The Military From Being So Liberal & Socialist
If Republicans understood what was going on behind the scenes with the U.S. military they'd probably blow a gasket. As Nicholas Kristof notes, the armed forces are downright liberal and socialist, which is to say that in many respects they represent the antithesis of contemporary Republicanism. First of all, they are a huge melting pot that draws soldiers, sailors … [Read more...] about The Republican Party Needs To Stop The Military From Being So Liberal & Socialist
Mitt Romney Moves Far Right to Life
In 1994, someone who looked and sounded like Mitt Romney declared, “I believe that abortion should be safe and legal in this country. I have since the time that my mom took that position when she ran in 1970 as a U.S. Senate candidate.” Today, apparently the same person writes: “I am pro-life and believe that abortion should be limited to only instances of rape, incest, or … [Read more...] about Mitt Romney Moves Far Right to Life
Olberphobia Grips Gray Lady
I'm going to take one last riff at the Old Media -- why, perhaps they are so suplinely [sic] compliant. The Snarkosphere loved targeting Keith Olbermann It would be easy to lay the blame at the New York Times’ magazine writer, who begins this snarky “personality piece” with the narrative he’s bound and determined to push, the PeeCee narrative of spineless “liberalism” -- at … [Read more...] about Olberphobia Grips Gray Lady
As Most Americans Suffer Rich Get Richer and the Middle Class Falls Lower
These may be nightmarish times for many Americans -- particularly many middle-class Americans -- but one segment of America is doing better and better: the rich, in particular executives, the Washington Post reports: It was the 1970s, and the chief executive of a leading U.S. dairy company, Kenneth J. Douglas, lived the good life. He earned the equivalent of about $1 … [Read more...] about As Most Americans Suffer Rich Get Richer and the Middle Class Falls Lower
Utopian Dreams, Hired Money, Political Extremism
Though every crisis is different, they often progress in similar ways. This seems to be the case with the present debt-related financial crisis rippling through western economies. It's present causes are unique, but it seems to be meandering down an all-too familiar and frightening path. During much of the 1920s in Europe there were deep recessions linked to debt. A fair … [Read more...] about Utopian Dreams, Hired Money, Political Extremism
AP Reports: Pakistan Tips off Militants AGAIN
It's pretty clear that the word "ally" will need to be redefined if it is applied to Pakistan. The AP reports that Pakistan has tipped off militants again: U.S. officials say Pakistan has apparently tipped off militants at two more bomb-building factories in its tribal areas, giving the terror suspects time to flee, after U.S. intelligence shared the locations with the … [Read more...] about AP Reports: Pakistan Tips off Militants AGAIN
Rick Perry: Not Precisely Uppity
Not precisely uppity Rick Perry doesn't like the leftward tilt of this country and he's here to change things. There are no specifics in what he wants -- unless you call this specific. His campaign pitch, should he decide to run, would be rooted in an equal measure of inspiring economic growth and preserving social values. He did not mention that Texas ranks near the … [Read more...] about Rick Perry: Not Precisely Uppity