The list of things I don't understand is already rather lengthy. And now it's one item longer: I don't understand the position of the dissenting minority in yesterday's Supreme Court ruling on Miranda rights. To recap ... The latest case concerned Van Chester Thompkins, a Michigan man accused of shooting another man to death in 2000 outside a mall. Arrested a year … [Read more...] about Among the Things I Just Don’t Understand
The Corporations are Coming (Guest Voice)
The Corporations are Coming by Craig Barnes A talk delivered at the discussion group “Journey” Santa Fe, New Mexico May 16, 2010 Let us see this morning if we can stitch together some pattern out of the patchwork of our troubles. We are sometimes so beset with sound bites and trends, polls and policies, instant failures and unexpected successes that we dare … [Read more...] about The Corporations are Coming (Guest Voice)
They Must Know What They’re Doing
In the 1960s, an editor I knew proposed a snarky picture book to be titled "They Must Know What They're Doing or They Wouldn't Be Where They Are" that would show the captain of the Titanic, the designer of the Edsel, LBJ directing the Vietnam war and other examples of low acumen in high places. Since then, the list has grown with Nixon at Watergate, Jimmy Carter's bumbling … [Read more...] about They Must Know What They’re Doing
Good News for Iran
Party Switching Parker Griffith Loses Alabama Election to Stay in Office as a Republican
Politicians who think an easy way out might be to switch parties BEWARE. First, there was Pennsylvania's experienced party switcher Arlen Specter, who found that switching from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party (years after he had switched from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party) didn't help him keep his seat in Washington. And now we have the case of … [Read more...] about Party Switching Parker Griffith Loses Alabama Election to Stay in Office as a Republican
AT&T Revamps Smartphone Data Pricing
AT&T's $30 "unlimited" smartphone data plans are going away (though if you're on it you're grandfathered in and if you want it you can still get it). Starting June 7 pricing is either a $15 per month "DataPlus" plan for 200MB ($15 for each additional 200MB) or $25 for a "DataPro" 2GB plan ($10 for each additional GB). You can switch on the fly, including retroactively … [Read more...] about AT&T Revamps Smartphone Data Pricing
WH Commission on Remembrance Forgets Civil War on Memorial Day (Guest Voice)
WH Commission on Remembrance Forgets Civil War on Memorial Day by Hart Williams Yeah. I can hardly believe it myself. The White House Commission on Remembrance forgot the Civil War … on Memorial Day. Here’s a screencap: No. This is not a joke. Take a close look at those wars: Yup. Not only are the Civil War AND the Mexican War of 1846 missing, but the BOXER … [Read more...] about WH Commission on Remembrance Forgets Civil War on Memorial Day (Guest Voice)
Israel’s Gaza Raid Helps Iran and Ensnares Obama: Le Figaro, France
While Israel's deadly raid on a flotilla of civilian vessels trying to break the blockade of Gaza and deliver emergency aid has been a public relations disaster for the Jewish State, Le Figaro columnist Pierre Rousselin writes that it also presents monumental problems for the Obama Administration - one being, ironically, persuading the U.N. Security Council to approve of … [Read more...] about Israel’s Gaza Raid Helps Iran and Ensnares Obama: Le Figaro, France
Slick Happens
After we're done blamestorming for the Gulf Oil Spill, what do we do next? … [Read more...] about Slick Happens
Israel and the United States
If this is true, it is so wrong on so many levels it makes the head spin: … [Read more...] about Israel and the United States
Light Years Away
This copyrighted cartoon is licensed to run on TMV. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. All rights reserved. … [Read more...] about Light Years Away
Another Sign of Falling News Media Standards
I mean really. So this is a story? This shows how when someone is accepted as a kind of media personality they can get on the air or in print with things that someone who was not...would NOT. … [Read more...] about Another Sign of Falling News Media Standards
It’s Official! U.S. Launches Criminal Probe Against Oil Spill BP And Its Cast Of Characters
Bowing to demands of Gulf coast residents and environmentalists, Attorney General Eric Holder Tuesday announced criminal as well as civil investigations into the oil spill that has gushed between 12,000 and 19,000 barrels of gas and Louisiana crude daily into the Gulf of Mexico since April 20. In a press conference in New Orleans after surveying the areas being polluted with … [Read more...] about It’s Official! U.S. Launches Criminal Probe Against Oil Spill BP And Its Cast Of Characters
Israel’s Flotilla Incident Pales To Sinking Of Our U.S. Liberty Ship
Right or wrong, Israel marches to its own drummer. Led by Turkey, the United Nations Security Council is asked to adopt a resolution condemning Israel for its commando raid on a Turkish passenger ship that resulted in the deaths of 10 persons aboard the Mavi Marmara. World condemnation of Israel is nothing new. The little country that could was spanked for its wars with … [Read more...] about Israel’s Flotilla Incident Pales To Sinking Of Our U.S. Liberty Ship
The Web Link Rethought: A Distraction?
In the 90's I believed in multitasking. I was wrong. The human capacity for multitasking is a myth. In the aughts I believed in links -- still do. Maybe I'm wrong again. Nick Carr thinks so: Links are wonderful conveniences, as we all know (from clicking on them compulsively day in and day out). But they're also distractions. Sometimes, they're big distractions - we click on a … [Read more...] about The Web Link Rethought: A Distraction?
Capping the Well
Gore Divorce ?
According to breaking news reports Al and Tipper Gore are going to divorce after 40 years of marriage. I didn't see that one coming … [Read more...] about Gore Divorce ?
Texas History
This copyrighted cartoon is licensed to run on TMV. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. All rights reserved. … [Read more...] about Texas History
Quote of the Day: Obama’s Political Enemies Could Be His Biggest Helpers
Our political Quote of the Day is worth looking at extensively. It comes from Time's Mark Halperin who elaborates what we've suggested here: that Barack Obama and the Democrats could be helped in retaining power or holding onto a decent chunk of it by the over-the-top rhetoric of a segment of the Republican Party communicated by an intricate and increasingly effective info … [Read more...] about Quote of the Day: Obama’s Political Enemies Could Be His Biggest Helpers
The Price of Anti-Israel Bias
The debate over the violence sparked when a ship bound for Gaza was boarded by Israeli commandos has quickly collapsed into predictable narratives. Most critics of Israel have been quick to ignore the fact the putatively unarmed humanitarian aid workers attacked Israeli troops with knives and clubs, attempting to seize hostages or just plain lynch them. And most supporters of … [Read more...] about The Price of Anti-Israel Bias