Seems that it is not as unusual as some would have us think … [Read more...] about A Christian Same Sex Union ?
The Gravity of the Medicare Problem (Cartoon)
This copyrighted cartoon is licensed to appear on TMV. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. All rights reserved. … [Read more...] about The Gravity of the Medicare Problem (Cartoon)
Rapists Lose It
This one certainly did. … [Read more...] about Rapists Lose It
Economist Bruce Bartlett on Taxes: Are They High or Low?
It depends on how you define the tax rate: … [Read more...] about Economist Bruce Bartlett on Taxes: Are They High or Low?
Oklahoma Man Convicted Of Murder For Shooting Robbery Suspect
I'm usually pretty much a law and order guy but this conviction seems proper to me. To summarize the story, two armed teens entered a pharmacy and tried to rob it. They threatened the clerk on duty but the pharmacist/owner had a gun and shot one of them. The other fled the scene. The pharmacist chased the 2nd suspect to no avail. Now up until this point I think what he … [Read more...] about Oklahoma Man Convicted Of Murder For Shooting Robbery Suspect
WHY WE HAVE TO GUT FEDERAL SPENDING
I may not agree on a philosophical, emotional, political or economic basis, but as a practical matter, we simply have to eliminate all discretionary domestic spending, and drastically reduce Medicare/Medicaid and Social Security. This may lead our nation quickly to a corporate feudalism. But if there are no plausible alternatives to the declining status quo, we might as well … [Read more...] about WHY WE HAVE TO GUT FEDERAL SPENDING
What to Remember After Memorial Day
The parades, flags and mass prayers are meant to honor men and women who died nobly for their country, but they also commemorate the barbaric enterprise of those who sent them to kill and be killed for reasons that are not fully understood and shared by fellow Americans. Since World War II, our young people have been giving up their lives in Korea, Vietnam, the Middle East … [Read more...] about What to Remember After Memorial Day
Pretext Detention Constitutional – Security Trumps Rights Again (Ashcroft v. al-Kidd)
Abdullah al-Kidd is the real name of the person involved in this case. However, to avoid anti-Muslim prejudice seeping into the reading of this analysis, I’m going to refer to him as John Smith. Other than the name, the facts are undisputed and come from the Supreme Court case. John Smith is a natural born United States citizen. His parents, his wife and his children are … [Read more...] about Pretext Detention Constitutional – Security Trumps Rights Again (Ashcroft v. al-Kidd)
Palin Ditches Political Paparazzi
WASHINGTON - How’s Jon Huntsman going to compete with a good looking woman in leather? What Republican primary voter can resist a woman straddling a Harley? A woman who won’t let her obsession with what people think or say about her keep her from tying everyone in knots all the way to the bank. Huntsman can’t compete, no one can, and the fact that Sarah Palin showed up at … [Read more...] about Palin Ditches Political Paparazzi
Memorial Daze (Guest Voice)
Memorial Daze by Hart Williams A year ago, I noticed a funny thing. The page www. remember.gov kind of forgot the Civil War for Memorial Day. And I pointed out that Memorial Day, originally known as "Decoration Day" was a holiday remembering the Union Veterans who had died in the Civil War. (They also decided to deep six the Mexican War of 1846): Screen cap from last … [Read more...] about Memorial Daze (Guest Voice)
Pentagon Says Cyber Combat Can Be Considered An Act of War
The Pentagon has decided that computer sabotage from another country can be considered an act of war. And the U.S. can respond with military force: The Pentagon's first formal cyber strategy, unclassified portions of which are expected to become public next month, represents an early attempt to grapple with a changing world in which a hacker could pose as significant a threat … [Read more...] about Pentagon Says Cyber Combat Can Be Considered An Act of War
Book Review: Donovan Hahn’s ‘Moby Duck: The True Story of 28,800 Bath Toys Lost At Sea’
SECOND OFFICER: Hast seen the White Whale? DONOVAN HAHN: Hast seen the Yellow Duck? When a load of 28,800 rubber bath toys plummeted into the northern Pacific Ocean from a storm-tossed container ship in 1992, beachcombers and oceanographers were in rapture. The toys washed up on coastlines from Alaska to California to Massachusetts for years, some traveling west to … [Read more...] about Book Review: Donovan Hahn’s ‘Moby Duck: The True Story of 28,800 Bath Toys Lost At Sea’
The American ‘Knesset’ is More Extreme than Israel’s! (Al-Hayat Al-Jadidah, Palestinian Territories)
Can the U.S. Congress be called more hostile toward Palestinians and Arabs than even the Israeli Knesset? According to columnist Hafiz al Barghouty of Al-Hayat Al-Jadidah, the speech of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to a joint session of the U.S. Congress should be a lesson to Palestinians and Arabs not to trust the United States. For Al-Hayat Al-Jadidah of the … [Read more...] about The American ‘Knesset’ is More Extreme than Israel’s! (Al-Hayat Al-Jadidah, Palestinian Territories)
Guarding Ancient Jewish Heritage In New Delhi
I get to see Ezekiel Isaac Malekar at least twice a year. A pleasant person wearing a kippah, Malekar is a permanent invitee at many Indian government's national functions, including the birth and death anniversaries of Mahatma Gandhi at the Gandhi Smriti, in the heart of New Delhi, where Gandhi was assassinated in 1948. Sitting next to a Maulvi, a Muslim teacher/scholar, … [Read more...] about Guarding Ancient Jewish Heritage In New Delhi
No Stomach for WPA Jobs Program in Obama Administration
Jared Bernstein -- former economic adviser to Pres. Obama and now writing a must-read blog at the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities -- responds to Paul Krugman's earlier column (emphasis is mine): … [Read more...] about No Stomach for WPA Jobs Program in Obama Administration
Turning the “Learned Helplessness” Meme Around
Right-wingers love to use the phrase "learned helplessness" to describe the terrible consequences of extending unemployment benefits for still-jobless Americans. In this narrative, helping jobless people to survive in an economy that is not creating jobs teaches them not to look for work because it's so much easier to sit on the sofa at home watching Judge Judy while you await … [Read more...] about Turning the “Learned Helplessness” Meme Around
My Favorite Comedy In Recent Memory…
Not Hangover Part II, poised to win the award for Biggest Comedy Debut of All-Time, raking in an expected $138.1 million this weekend. The movie also broke the record for the Biggest Opening Weekend of Any R-rated Film, over five days. Nope, for me it was Bridesmaids, which comes in fourth, making $16.3 million during its third weekend. NYTimes' A. O. Scott: The … [Read more...] about My Favorite Comedy In Recent Memory…
Quote of the Day: the Difference Between Journalism as Reporting and Shaky Journalism Used as a Partisan Political Tool
Our political Quote of the Day is by the Daily Kos' Jed Lewison who succinctly nails the difference between reporting what appears to be a scandal and offering information to news consumers and leaping on what appears to be a scandal and quickly pushing it to the hilt for political motives. He recounts how Gawker checked out a tidbit involving former Rep. Chris Lee sending a … [Read more...] about Quote of the Day: the Difference Between Journalism as Reporting and Shaky Journalism Used as a Partisan Political Tool
Linking Money to Votes…
To be more precise: linking right wing moneybags with efforts to suppress the vote. For example, this reminder from Smirking Chimp: "The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a conservative organization linked to corporate and right-wing donors, including the billionaire Koch Brothers, [see "Smart ALEC: Dragging the Secretive Conservative Organization Out … [Read more...] about Linking Money to Votes…
Memorial Day 2011 (Cartoon)
This copyrighted cartoon is licensed to run on TMV. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. … [Read more...] about Memorial Day 2011 (Cartoon)