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
France Moves to Ban “Psychological Violence” in Marriage
Britain's Daily Mail: Married couples in France could end up with criminal records for insulting each other during arguments. Under a new law, France is to become the first country in the world to ban 'psychological violence' within marriage. The law would apply to cohabiting couples and to both men and women. Would this mean no trash talking during fantasy … [Read more...] about France Moves to Ban “Psychological Violence” in Marriage
A Split Decision In The Senate
As already reported here on TMV two US Senators, both Democrats, have announced they will retire. Chris Dodd of Connecticut has bowed to the inevitable and will retire while Byron Dorgan of North Dakota shocked many with his decision to step down. This ends up as a split decision for the parties. Dorgan's retirement is a major blow to the Democrats, the only chance they have … [Read more...] about A Split Decision In The Senate
Texas vs. Alabama, and How Bevo Got to California, and Got His Name
In my “Texas Aggies, Dallas Cowboys and Fútbol Americano,” and in the spirit of a long-standing “tradition,” I took a few good-natured shots at our arch-rivals, the University of Texas Longhorns. I even had a few amicable words for the Longhorns mascot, Bevo: [Players] who invariably brought a dumb-looking steer named Bevo onto the football field—obviously to … [Read more...] about Texas vs. Alabama, and How Bevo Got to California, and Got His Name
The Hidden Costs of MasterCard & Visa Debit Cards
The ATM card is not the only one with sneaky fees. Those Visa and MasterCard symbols on your bank debit card signify high hidden fees as well. Commentary is swirling around this NYTimes piece: Competition, of course, usually forces prices lower. But for payment networks like Visa and MasterCard, competition in the card business is more about winning over banks that actually … [Read more...] about The Hidden Costs of MasterCard & Visa Debit Cards
Misreading Tea Party Leaves
"American history," David Brooks proclaims, "is often driven by passionate outsiders who force themselves into the center of American life" as he predicts: "In the near term, the tea party tendency will dominate the Republican Party" just as "the hippies defined the 1960s; the feminists, the 1970s; the Christian conservatives, the 1980s." Say what? A journalist-survivor of … [Read more...] about Misreading Tea Party Leaves
Quote for the Day
"If you work for the DNC or RNC, or if you cover politics for the media, elections are the end. The conversation of policy isn't even really about policy, so much as it's about how policy will effect the next election. But for others of us, policy is the end. Winning elections is nice, but you don't elect candidates so that they can stand in front the capitol and look pretty, … [Read more...] about Quote for the Day
Don’t Use Your Bank ATM Card
Last week I was charged $144 in bank fees for four ATM purchases, each under $10 (I will be closing that poorly rated SunTrust account). Among the things that make those fees so painful is that I had hundreds of dollars sitting in another account, and tens of thousands of dollars in unused credit on cards. (I pay credit card balances in full each month). Reporter Bob … [Read more...] about Don’t Use Your Bank ATM Card
All Aboard the Political Retirement Train
As noted here and elsewhere, multiple retirements have been announced in the last 24 hours: Democratic Senators Byron Dorgan (ND) and Christopher Dodd (CT), plus Democratic Governor Bill Ritter (CO). Adding in the other Senators planning to retire (three additional Democrats, six Republicans) -- plus the D and R members of the House calling it quits (nine and 12, … [Read more...] about All Aboard the Political Retirement Train
It’s All About Access (Guest Voice)
It's All About Access by David Goodloe In general, Americans seem to have the attention span of gypsy moths. Lately, that attention has been focused on the attempted Christmas Day bombing and Janet Napolitano's mishandling of it. Don't get me wrong. Security is extremely important. But, like most things, I expect this matter to recede from view, and something else … [Read more...] about It’s All About Access (Guest Voice)