This song seems particularly fitting amid reports that some folks spent all their money and sold everthing because they believed a prediction that the world would end today. True, sometimes my posts seem like purgatory -- but trust me, the world is still here. So this song seems perfectly fitted to those who were true believers that it would all end today: … [Read more...] about A Song Dedicated to All Those Who Sold Everything Due to the Non-Happening Rapture
To Be Or Not To Be: American Exceptionalism and Identity
Since 2005, I've been publishing WatchingAmerica.com, a website that translates news and views about the USA and American policy from all over the world. There may be no better site in the world to see the global impact of American policies, the true state of anti-Americanism, and even how foreign citizens would vote in American elections if they had the chance. During the … [Read more...] about To Be Or Not To Be: American Exceptionalism and Identity
Spain Faces Big Protests by Young People Seeking Change and a Brighter Future Amid Economic Ills
And now we see it spread: the clamor for change that ripped out of the body politic in many countries in the Middle East has now hit modern day Spain. Protests there have attracted some 25,000 people. And this time it's not aimed at a political party but a general thirst on the part of young people that the way things are done in Spain change. Spain has the highest … [Read more...] about Spain Faces Big Protests by Young People Seeking Change and a Brighter Future Amid Economic Ills
Homophobic Preacher Prays To Jesus In Non-Denominational MN House Prayer
And implies that Obama is a Muslim: “I know this is a non-denominational prayer in this chamber and it’s not about the Baptists and it’s not about the Catholics alone or the Lutherans or the Wesleyans or the Presbyterians, evangelicals or any other denomination but rather the head of the denomination and his name is Jesus, as every president up until 2008 has acknowledged. And … [Read more...] about Homophobic Preacher Prays To Jesus In Non-Denominational MN House Prayer
The Stock Market As A Gangster Movie
Last week I happened to take out a great old gangster movie from the library, White Heat starring James Cagney. I was also closely tracking doings on Wall Street. Some similarities between that film and Street doings were quite striking. Cagney played a sociopath named Cody Jarrett. Among his other foibles, Jarrett had a deeply neurotic dependency on his mother. Whenever he … [Read more...] about The Stock Market As A Gangster Movie
Giffords Shooter Raised Concerns But No Action Taken
Jared Loughner, who killed six and wounded thirteen in the January 8 assassination attempt on Congresswoman Giffords, had a troubling and well documented history of mental and emotional disturbance. An upcoming competency hearing is scheduled in court to determine his ability to stand trial. More than 200 emails have now been released as well as other records from his time … [Read more...] about Giffords Shooter Raised Concerns But No Action Taken
Obama Vs Netanyahu (Cartoon)
This copyrighted cartoon is licensed to appear on TMV. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. … [Read more...] about Obama Vs Netanyahu (Cartoon)
No Apocalypse. Now What Do We Do?
A New York Times reporter in California checked out apocalypse predictor Harold Camping's headquarters in Oakland yesterday. Inside the offices, a reception desk was unstaffed and the door was locked. Several boxes filled with brochures were visible, showing slogans like “Gay Pride: Planned by God as a Sign of the End.” A calendar on the desk had a red circle around the … [Read more...] about No Apocalypse. Now What Do We Do?
The Manufacturing Renaissance
On the day after Chrysler announced that it was repaying the U.S. Treasury $7.5 billion in debt, Paul Krugman wrote that manufacturing was making a comeback in America: Crucially, the manufacturing trade deficit seems to be coming down. At this point, it’s only about half as large as a share of G.D.P. as it was at the peak of the housing bubble, and further … [Read more...] about The Manufacturing Renaissance
Netflix Isn’t To Blame, Despite ISP Protests
A report out this week made quite a splash by claiming that Netflix, YouTube and other online video sites create nerly 46 percent of all Internet downloads during peak hours. See, for example, here, here, here and here. But Kevin Fogarty at CoreIT says not so fast. Netflix isn't swamping the Internet; ISPs are overstating their congestion problems: Netflix doesn't swamp the … [Read more...] about Netflix Isn’t To Blame, Despite ISP Protests
End of the World (Cartoon)
This copyrighted cartoon is licensed to run on TMV. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. All rights reserved. … [Read more...] about End of the World (Cartoon)
BREAKING NEWS: World Did Not End Today
THIS JUST IN! The world did not end today. The London Telegraph reports: Inhabitants of New Zealand, scheduled to be among the first to meet the apocalypse according to a US fundamentalist preacher, this morning confirmed they were still in existence as the appointed time was reached in their time zone. There were also unconfirmed reports that Tonga has, thus far, … [Read more...] about BREAKING NEWS: World Did Not End Today
A Song for All Who Aspire to Occupy the Oval Office
This song is fitting for all political aspirants. Remember these lyrics (and the energy of this choral group): … [Read more...] about A Song for All Who Aspire to Occupy the Oval Office
Bibi Thinks Oval Office Is Place To Give Obama a “Teachable Moment”
In a meeting that reportedly oozed with awkwardness, President Barack Obama met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu -- and Netanyahu apparently felt that with the cameras going it was a perfect place to offer Obama a "teachable moment." Literally. With a lecture. A smart move? Or one that will sour Israel's critics here and abroad and prove to be unwise in dealing with … [Read more...] about Bibi Thinks Oval Office Is Place To Give Obama a “Teachable Moment”
The (Psycho)path to wealth and power
Thom Hartmann observed that CEO's of large corporations are sociopaths. They get the big salaries because they are a rare breed. About five percent of the human population are sociopaths. To be a successful CEO you must be both a sociopath and have the smarts and knowledge to run a business. Nick Hodges at Energy and Capitol takes it a step further - he thinks they are … [Read more...] about The (Psycho)path to wealth and power
GoogleDoodle Taps 7-Year-Old Artist
Seven-year-old Matteo Lopez of South San Francisco CA walked away with the top prize in the GoogleDoodle contest. His vision of "Space Life" led the 107,000 entries. His goal: [To] become an astronaut and explore space life. I want to wear a space suit, fly in space, walk on the moon and make friends with aliens in other planets. As the contest winner, Lopez wins … [Read more...] about GoogleDoodle Taps 7-Year-Old Artist
The GOP Gets Groupthink Right
Score one more for the Law of Unintended Consequences. In 2008, voters hungry for new ideas chose Hope and Change. What they have now is an extreme example of the ancient phenomenon of closed-mindedness. What Newt Gingrich is encountering fits perfectly the sociological definition of Groupthink “that people engage in when they are deeply involved in a cohesive ingroup, when … [Read more...] about The GOP Gets Groupthink Right
The United Nations May Soon Go the Way of its Predecessor (Bol Press, Bolivia)
Has the United Nations outlived its usefulness? For Bolivia's Bol Press, Professor Alvaro Cuadra of Chile's Universidad ARCIS writes that just as the League of Nations collapsed when World War II broke out - making it's failure obvious, the U.N., born out of WWII, has similarly proven itself incapable of many of its central tenets, including 'saving future generations from the … [Read more...] about The United Nations May Soon Go the Way of its Predecessor (Bol Press, Bolivia)
Late Night Comedians Have a Field Day
With all of the news on the political, international and other fronts, late comedians are having a field day. Here's a cross section of late night comedian topical jokes: "Arnold Schwarzenegger admitted that he fathered a child with a member of his household staff. The woman's husband became suspicious when he realized she was the first maid to make $1 million a year." … [Read more...] about Late Night Comedians Have a Field Day
John Lithgow Performs Gingrich Spokesman’s Flowery Press Release (VIDEO)
Another great moment in political comedy by Stephen Colbert. But this time he didn't have to write a thing: he had actor John Lithgow simply read a flowery, somewhat bizarre press release by Newt Gingrich's spokesman in full: The Colbert ReportTags: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive … [Read more...] about John Lithgow Performs Gingrich Spokesman’s Flowery Press Release (VIDEO)