Editors from LA Times, Salon, CrunchGear, Hot Air, and Mediaite weigh in on whether Gizmodo editor should be considered a "journalist" by Simon Owens It was the shot heard round the blogosphere. After nearly a week of speculation on whether Gizmodo had purchased a "stolen" next-gen iPhone, one it then flaunted to the tune of millions of pageviews, police raided Gizmodo … [Read more...] about Editors from LA Times, Salon, CrunchGear, Hot Air, and Mediaite Weigh in on whether Gizmodo Editor Should be Considered a “Journalist” (Guest Voice)
Too Big To Fail…Or Disband
"Too big to fail" began as the description of a problem. In 2008, federal regulators realized that it was simply too risky to allow the country's largest banks to go under, as the secondary effects on other financial institutions would result in a chain reaction that would crash the entire American economy into a deflationary depression. Since then, "too big to fail" has … [Read more...] about Too Big To Fail…Or Disband
Russia’s Record on Child Adoption is More Dismal By Far than in United States: New Region, Russia
Ever since an adoptive American mother sent her foster child back to his Russian homeland - alone on a long-haul flight from Tennessee to Moscow - Russians have been indignant, and the adoption of Russian children by foreigners has been suspended. But according to this news item from Russia's New Region newspaper, despite undeniable mishaps, statistics show that most orphaned … [Read more...] about Russia’s Record on Child Adoption is More Dismal By Far than in United States: New Region, Russia
Petitions, Boycotts And Lawsuits – Arizona Gets What It Deserves
A former Phoenix City Councilman will start a petition drive today to repeal Arizona’s new anti-Latino legislation. Meanwhile the Mayor of Phoenix will ask his City Council to authorize a lawsuit against the state and has vowed to sue personally if the City Council declines. Other interests, Latino groups in particular, are vowing lawsuits and asking members not to spend … [Read more...] about Petitions, Boycotts And Lawsuits – Arizona Gets What It Deserves
Financial Reform Battle Brings Big Wall Street Contributions To Republicans
The battle over financial reform has been a boon -- to the Republican party, which is seeing a big spurt in campaign donations from Wall Street: Republicans may lose the fight over Wall Street regulations, but the fight has helped their campaign accounts. For the first time since 2004, the biggest Wall Street firms are now giving most of their campaign donations to … [Read more...] about Financial Reform Battle Brings Big Wall Street Contributions To Republicans
What Doesn’t Get Measured, Doesn’t Get Done
It would be hard to find an economist or Wall Street analyst these days who doesn't speak positively about an economic recovery. At the same time, polls show that more than two-thirds of the American public think the economy is not improving, is not recovering, or is actually getting worse. How is one to explain this dichotomy? Are the experts lying? Are two-thirds of the … [Read more...] about What Doesn’t Get Measured, Doesn’t Get Done
PowerPoint As Political Culture
PowerPoint is ubiquitous in modern business, government, and military culture. It is the last of these hegemonies that is potentially devastating in the short term, as "PowerPoint poisoning" increasingly saps the energy and creativity of U.S. forces deployed to fight al-Qaeda and reduces complex strategic problems to vague bullet points. Moreover, the military increasingly … [Read more...] about PowerPoint As Political Culture
Sudanese Dysfunctionality Persists
Sudan's election results confirm that in many ways, the country remains "the sick man" of Africa. … [Read more...] about Sudanese Dysfunctionality Persists
Up Close and Personal with the Coffee Party
A March 1 article in The New York Times was my first introduction to the Coffee Party. Over the next six weeks, I spent multiple hours attempting to learn more about this movement, with a focus on its manifestation in my back yard. I summarized what I learned in my latest commentary for KWMU, St. Louis Public Radio, an NPR affiliate. Three-and-a-half minutes of air time … [Read more...] about Up Close and Personal with the Coffee Party
Brown: But What About The Children?
A sure sign of desperation in a politician is when they trot out The Children. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi does it so regularly that it seems to be some kind of public-relations tic, for example. "The Children" are politically unassailable, an abstract group of innocents without an inconvenient political voice of their own that can be conveniently offered up as victims of The … [Read more...] about Brown: But What About The Children?
Police Seize Computers In iPhone Prototype Probe
Gizmodo: Last Friday night, California's Rapid Enforcement Allied Computer Team entered editor Jason Chen's home without him present, seizing four computers and two servers. They did so using a warrant by Judge of Superior Court of San Mateo. According to Gaby Darbyshire, COO of Gawker Media LLC, the search warrant to remove these computers was invalid under section 1524(g) of … [Read more...] about Police Seize Computers In iPhone Prototype Probe
The Guilty of Goldman and Abul Ghraib
For outrageous behavior by American organizations, only underlings are punished. Just as top people escaped responsibility in the Abu Ghraib tortures, the sole culprit named so far in the massive Goldman Sachs fraud is a 31-year-old trader named Fabrice Tourre, who is on leave and facing Congressional grilling today. Even after filing civil charges, the SEC, according to a … [Read more...] about The Guilty of Goldman and Abul Ghraib
Seven New Yorkers Walk By As Man Dies Of Stab Wounds
A homeless man lay in a pool of blood from stab wounds after attempting to rescue a woman being attacked while seven New Yorkers walked and gawked passing by for an hour, police said. Police said it was unknown if Hugo Alfredo Tale-Yax, a Guatemalan immigrant, was dead as passersby watched. It took four 911 calls until police and firemen arrived at the correct address and … [Read more...] about Seven New Yorkers Walk By As Man Dies Of Stab Wounds
Bush-Cheney For 2010
Former President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney have taken different paths after leaving the White House but neither can escape the wrath of their critics. Chris Mathews on his MSNBC show "Hardball" Monday was both harsh and catty on news that Bush's memoirs will be published Nov. 9. Matthews, author of several books with paltry sales, sniped that Bush's book … [Read more...] about Bush-Cheney For 2010
My Quote Of The Day
More sex. … [Read more...] about My Quote Of The Day
Arizona Law Author Not As Portrayed By Rachael Maddow
I happened to be watching Rachael Maddow's show on MSNBC Monday night and naturally my interest peaked when she introduced viewers to the man who she said wrote the Arizona law that allows police officers to ask for legal papers from suspected illegal immigrants. Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed the law Friday and ever since the state has been subject to ridicule by … [Read more...] about Arizona Law Author Not As Portrayed By Rachael Maddow
Of Immigrants Willing to Fight and Die for Our Country
As an immigrant to the United States and as one who went on to serve my adopted country in its military, I am always interested in the stories of the men and women who do likewise. They are the stories of young people who come to this country because they view America as the land of opportunity, freedom, and hope. Often they leave their native countries---not a casual … [Read more...] about Of Immigrants Willing to Fight and Die for Our Country
Did You Hear The One About The Jewish Merchant And The Taliban Fighter?
National Security Adviser retired Marine Gen. Jim Jones told a joke about a Jewish merchant and Afghanistan Taliban fighter in opening remarks to the Washington Institute for Near East Policy this past weekend. It drew laughter from the group and an immediate slapdown by Abe Foxman of the Anti-Defamation League. Jones immediately apologized. Here's the joke as reported by … [Read more...] about Did You Hear The One About The Jewish Merchant And The Taliban Fighter?
The Danger of Ethnic Humor: National Security Advisor Jones Upsets Anti-Defamation League With Jewish Merchant Joke
Oy, vey (hey, I can say that since I'm Jewish)! President Barack Obama's National Security Adviser Gen. James Jones told a Jewish merchant joke as warm up and while some in the audience who were Jewish laughed, the joke has emitted scowls and admonitiions from the venerable Anti-Defamation League. At issue here are several factors: the wisdom of telling any ethnic jokes … [Read more...] about The Danger of Ethnic Humor: National Security Advisor Jones Upsets Anti-Defamation League With Jewish Merchant Joke
For Americans and Russians, Kyrgyzstan Overshadows Nukes: Gazeta, Russia
The recent unrest in the former Soviet republic of Kyrgyzstan hardly registered on America's radar screen, but according to Fyodor Lukyanov of Russia's Gazeta newspaper, the events there and around Eurasia far outweigh U.S.-Russia cuts in the nuclear weapons. In Lukyanov's words, the U.S. and Russia require a 'new deal' to replace the understandings reached between Putin and … [Read more...] about For Americans and Russians, Kyrgyzstan Overshadows Nukes: Gazeta, Russia