An embarrassed President Obama turns down the Academy Award for best male lead, insisting that he's not an actor, Mar. 7. Here's a bit of cross-cultural New Year's fun from columnist Patrik Etschmayer of Switzerland's Nachrichten newspaper. According to Etschmayer, 2010 will be an embarrassing one for President Obama, but even more so for Republicans, after their plot to … [Read more...] about 2010: The Year In Review! – Nachrichten of Switzerland
Second Thoughts for Frequent Flyers
More than 50 million Americans a month board commercial airliners to go somewhere. In view of events from 9/11 to the recent Christmas Day unpleasantness, it may be time to revive memories of World War II posters asking, "Is your trip necessary?" Now that any demented fellow passenger could be planning to blow them out of the sky, the question comes back with renewed force. … [Read more...] about Second Thoughts for Frequent Flyers
Why To Read Behind The Headlines: Happiness Edition
Joe Windish recently linked to a study in Science that suggested the South was the happiest (Louisiana at top) with New York not faring so well. There were some stalwart defenders of this view in the comments, something that doesn't square at all with my personal experience; of course that is all just anecdotal. However, what caught my eye was something that wasn't mentioned in … [Read more...] about Why To Read Behind The Headlines: Happiness Edition
Gallup: Democrats Lose Support As Independents Become Conservatives
Two new Gallup polls spell mega-trouble for the Democratic party: one finds that the Democratic party has now effectively lost the support it gained during the presidency of George W. Bush -- and the second shows that independents now leaving the "independent" category are becoming conservatives. Add that to a political mix where the party is being dissed by … [Read more...] about Gallup: Democrats Lose Support As Independents Become Conservatives
Quote of the Day: Is there a New Four Party System?
Our political quote of the day comes from the Washington Post's Charles Lane, who wonders if the United States now effectively has a new four party system. Here's the beginning and end of his piece which needs to be read in its entirety: I can't remember a more breathtaking 48 hours in politics since Barack Obama's election in November 2008. Byron Dorgan is out; Chris … [Read more...] about Quote of the Day: Is there a New Four Party System?
Rush to the Hospital (Guest Cartoonist)
This guest cartoon is by Sarjex, who describes herself as "a lonely little wingnut in the crazy liberal mecca of San Francisco." … [Read more...] about Rush to the Hospital (Guest Cartoonist)
The Byron Dorgan Thunderclap (Guest Voice)
WASHINGTON -- A politically shrewd Senate Democratic staff member chatting about the future of health care negotiations stopped in midsentence late Tuesday afternoon as news flashed across his computer screen. "My God," he said. "Byron Dorgan is retiring." It was a thunderclap moment in the politics of 2010, an unfortunate twist for Democrats already looking at a … [Read more...] about The Byron Dorgan Thunderclap (Guest Voice)
David Paterson and the Perils of Speaking the Truth
When governors give their annual State of the State address, much like the president's State of the Union, it's generally an occasion for self-indulgent praise and swelling the ranks of mutual admiration societies. Not so in New York this year, where Governor David Paterson took to the podium to scold the state legislature - both houses of which are controlled by his own … [Read more...] about David Paterson and the Perils of Speaking the Truth
Obama Plans to Renominate Dawn Johnsen
This is according to Robert Gibbs, as reported by Sam Stein at The Huffington Post: … [Read more...] about Obama Plans to Renominate Dawn Johnsen
American Musical Novelties: The Mambo That Wouldn’t Die
About a week ago, while doing a family event, in talking with a teenager he mentioned Mambo Number 5, which was a big hit a few years ago. Curiously, the quite dated mambo seems to resurface periodically. Here are some examples: DURING THE 1950's Perry Cuomo had a huge hit in "Pappa Loves Mambo," a song this baby boomer couldn't get out of his head when he was in pre-school. … [Read more...] about American Musical Novelties: The Mambo That Wouldn’t Die
Airport Body Scanner Pose
Aislin, The Montreal Gazette This cartoon is copyrighted and licensed to appear on TMV. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. All rights reserved. … [Read more...] about Airport Body Scanner Pose
Sean Goldman’s Brazilian Family Hopes to Regain Custody: Folha, Brazil
Silvana Bianchi, maternal grandmother of Sean Goldman, the nine-year-old boy at the center of an international custody battle, cries after Sean was handed over to his American father, David Goldman. What country - and what family - does Sean Goldman, a nine-year-old boy at the center of an international custody dispute, prefer? After a bruising four-year custody battle over … [Read more...] about Sean Goldman’s Brazilian Family Hopes to Regain Custody: Folha, Brazil
Reducing hunger and poverty: 2010 can make things better
Even as the US and other countries batten down the hatches against terrorism and religious totalitarians, there are enough positive signs in other areas to expect 2010 to be better than 2009. The world’s nations have never done as much in the past to work together to share knowledge, technology and best practices to reduce poverty, environmental pollution, disease, violation of … [Read more...] about Reducing hunger and poverty: 2010 can make things better
Who’s Hating Who?
Jennifer Rubin asks why Jews hate Palin, but reading her piece I could only wonder why Rubin hates American Jews? It is rare, exceedingly rare, to find a piece so openly contemptuous, so nakedly trafficking in anti-Jewish stereotyping, in a mainstream American magazine. Who would have thought Commentary would have broken the dike? … [Read more...] about Who’s Hating Who?
Why Google’s Nexus One Really Matters
If you thought it couldn't get any louder, today the hubbub around the new Google "SuperPhone" (their word, and I like it!) has really just gotten into gear. This first official “Google phone” is prominently featured on the search giant’s famously spartan homepage. (Google did that for the Droid and the G1, too.) The Big Money has a nice critics' roundup. Search Engine Land's … [Read more...] about Why Google’s Nexus One Really Matters
Sullivan (Greenwald) v. Allen (Politico), Ctd.
I commented on this dust up last week. To recap: Politico's Mike Allen wrote an article in which former VP Cheney did what former VP Cheney does: Trash Obama's foreign policy; in this case, by claiming that Obama (in the aftermath of the underwear bomber) is “trying to pretend we are not at war.” Andrew Sullivan proceeded to characterize Allen as Cheney's … [Read more...] about Sullivan (Greenwald) v. Allen (Politico), Ctd.
TIGER WOODS IN THE SANDTRAP
A month ago on December 7, 2009, I wrote a post about the professional Golfer extraordinaire that upset some TMV readers. Good. I like plenty of controversy and getting people mad – something that I learned to abuse to the benefit of my clients during my former law practice. I ranted against the overall meaningless ethical and moral code of the wealthiest people on the … [Read more...] about TIGER WOODS IN THE SANDTRAP
This Is Why We Need Bloggers
To call out biased memes, as Steve Benen does with ABC News's "Democrats are Dropping Like Flies" news item: … [Read more...] about This Is Why We Need Bloggers
Fed Up With The Fed
There's a major debate going on in Washington these about the future powers that should be in the hands of the Federal Reserve and its chairman, Ben Bernanke. But when you come down to it, who cares? The main problem with the Fed in setting economic policy is that it has economists doing the job. And they aren't looking in the right places in the right way. Take the GDP. … [Read more...] about Fed Up With The Fed
The Old Order Is Rapidly Changing
The Times They Are a-Changin. … [Read more...] about The Old Order Is Rapidly Changing