A couple of deaths today caught my attention Carl Ballantine died at the age of 92. For those not familiar with the name he was a talented comedian and magician that many of us knew from his role as con man Gruber in McHales Navy. He also did a great deal of voice over work and so many knew the voice from cartoons but not the name. The next name was John J. O'Connor III, … [Read more...] about Passings
If War Breaks Out, Venezuela’s ‘Fifth Column’ Will Have to Be Confronted: El Universal, Venezuela
Hold on to your hats! As if there wasn't enough conflict occurring at the present time, the war of words between Colombia and Venezuela seems to be escalating - along with the paranoia. And just as Washington has won permission to open seven military bases in Colombia. This somewhat hair-raising article from Venezuela's El Universal shows just how thorny such a war would be … [Read more...] about If War Breaks Out, Venezuela’s ‘Fifth Column’ Will Have to Be Confronted: El Universal, Venezuela
Keith Olbermann And The Kettle
In a recent broadcast MNSBC reporter/commentator Keith Olbermann attacked the New York Post for reportedly having an agenda to 'get Obama'. According to the broadcast there has been a semi-official policy at the Rupert Murdoch owned newspaper to do all they can to attack the Obama administration. Now to make it clear I'd would like to say that while I've not seen proof of … [Read more...] about Keith Olbermann And The Kettle
Lou Dobbs Leaves CNN
Lou Dobbs surprised everyone when he announced that he is leaving CNN effective immediately. Dobbs has been the longest running anchor at the network but his recent shift from a pure financial reporter into an advocate against illegal immigration upset many at the center-left network. Speculation has been he could end up at Fox but for the time being he has not announced any … [Read more...] about Lou Dobbs Leaves CNN
An Abortion Carried Too Far
I'm facing a moral crises over some fundamental issues regarding health reform legislation. First, I believe a woman has the right to choose an abortion, not the government nor any religious organization. At the same time, I would not encourage my wife to abort our child unless it would save her life. Second, as a policy issue, I have no moral grounds to oppose the Hyde … [Read more...] about An Abortion Carried Too Far
Let’s Save or Create Even More Jobs!
The latest tale of woe regarding administration claims of jobs "saved or created" by the porkulous bill comes to us from Massachusetts. The lede to this story pretty much says it all. While Massachusetts recipients of federal stimulus money collectively report 12,374 jobs saved or created, a Globe review shows that number is wildly exaggerated. Organizations that received … [Read more...] about Let’s Save or Create Even More Jobs!
A Brief Interlude
Stepping away from the politics for a moment, here at Chez' Jazz we had a Mexican dinner tonight, including some sour cream and guacamole as condiments. The small sour cream container was emptied during the course of the meal and my wife decided to allow our tiny schnauzer, Max, a chance at licking it clean before it was thrown away. I suppose what came next was inevitable. He … [Read more...] about A Brief Interlude
Absent from Berlin, Obama Misses Grand Opportunity: Le Figaro, France
'HOPE FOR THE OTHER WALLS' Despite the mind-boggling number of issues he must attend to - was it a mistake for President Obama to refrain from traveling to Germany for the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall? According to Le Figaro's chief editorialist, Pierre Rousselin, President Obama not only missed a chance to demonstrate the strength of democracy, he … [Read more...] about Absent from Berlin, Obama Misses Grand Opportunity: Le Figaro, France
Afghanistan: Blame Game instead of Great Game?
Who is to blame that we are not winning in Afghanistan? Karzai, Obama, NATO, the Europeans, or Jimmy Carter again? Afghanistan's President Karzai was criticized a lot lately. Now the Wall Street Journal's Bret Stephens comes to his defense and puts the blame on NATO. He makes the dubious claim that: Matters went abruptly south in Afghanistan after several years in which … [Read more...] about Afghanistan: Blame Game instead of Great Game?
GUEST VOICE: Veterans Day 2009, Military Man Does Not “Honor the Troops,” Rather The Person
This GUEST VOICE piece is by Rafael Jesús González from California, on Veterans' Day 2009. It is a perspective on 'supporting the troops' ...or not. I brought it here to give a small x-ray into how one family's three generations of soldiers is evolving nearly ninety years after what was supposed to have been 'the war to end all wars, World War One' ...GUEST VOICE by Rafael … [Read more...] about GUEST VOICE: Veterans Day 2009, Military Man Does Not “Honor the Troops,” Rather The Person
Questioning Direct Democracy
That's precisely what I did in my latest guest commentary for St. Louis Public Radio, aired yesterday. This missive was originally prompted by my disgust with the recent, seemingly endless flood of anti-stem-cell initiatives in Missouri. Granted, those initiatives -- manifestations of direct-democracy that I oppose -- are only attempting to overturn an earlier … [Read more...] about Questioning Direct Democracy
Fox News: Fluffer for Michele Bachmann
Comedy Central's Jon Stewart confessed to being embarrassed some time ago when two young amateur journalists scooped them on the activities of ACORN in several cities. He's made up for it a good bit this week when he caught Fox News Channel spicing up their coverage of Michele Bachmann's health care rally / tea party protest in Washington, D.C. this week. Without any mention of … [Read more...] about Fox News: Fluffer for Michele Bachmann
A Modern Day Cross Of Gold
Thinking about the huge and growing chasm between Main Street and Wall Street recently led me to think about a similar chasm in our nation's history — one that generated enormous populist anger at the end of the 19th century. The issue then in a technical sense involved gold and silver, but came down to whether the government should put more money into circulation in a way that … [Read more...] about A Modern Day Cross Of Gold
New York Times: “Homeless on Veterans Day”
In his excellent post honoring our veterans, Jazz Shaw mentioned that "The debt we owe to our returning heroes runs much deeper than a free pass to Disneyland." While we have come a long way in how we treat our veterans and in improving the benefits and services our veterans receive, especially under the leadership of Gen. Eric Shinseki, we still have a long way to go. In … [Read more...] about New York Times: “Homeless on Veterans Day”
Veterans Day
RJ Matson, The St. Louis Post Dispatch This cartoon is copyrighted and licensed to appear on TMV. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. All rights reserved. … [Read more...] about Veterans Day
Don’t Believe Everything the Oracle Tells You (Guest Voice)
Don't Believe Everything the Oracle Tells You by Michael Winship ATHENS, GREECE - Last Sunday, we visited the ruins of ancient Delphi, two hours or so from here in the Greek capital, an extraordinary site at the base of Mount Parnassus overlooking the Pleistos Valley, almost half a mile below. You could see the acres of olive trees there. The Ionian Sea shimmered on the … [Read more...] about Don’t Believe Everything the Oracle Tells You (Guest Voice)
Veterans Then and Now
In his Ft. Hood eulogy yesterday, the President eloquently honored "men and women answering an extraordinary call--the call to serve their comrades, their communities, and their country. In an age of selfishness, they embody responsibility. In an era of division, they call upon us to come together. In a time of cynicism, they remind us of who we are as Americans... "Tomorrow … [Read more...] about Veterans Then and Now
Scozzafava, Conservatives and Moderate Republicans
Scozzafava, Conservatives and Moderate Republicans by Jon Wells Dede Scozzafava, the GOP nominee for the NY-23 Congressional district, has a sympathetic piece in the Washington Post about those mean ol' Republicans and those rascally conservatives who "forced" her out of the race. Dede even has a warning for those who weren't jazzed about her nomination: "There is a … [Read more...] about Scozzafava, Conservatives and Moderate Republicans
A ham sandwich on Yom Kippur
“Having a ham sandwich on the afternoon of Yom Kippur doesn’t make you less Jewish,” Rabbi Yitzchak Schochet, chairman of the Rabbinical Council of the United Synagogue, said recently.I feel like this may be a license for mis-behavior. (If you're interested in the context of Rabbi Schochet's remark, click here.) Cross-posted at Conventional Folly … [Read more...] about A ham sandwich on Yom Kippur
Veterans Day 2009
I suppose it was somewhat heartening to see that our national parks and forests will be giving free admissions to U.S. veterans today in honor of Armistice Day. But there's a small, bitter part of me which always finds such gestures to ring rather hollow and to be far from enough. The debt we owe to our returning heroes runs much deeper than a free pass to Disneyland. Don't … [Read more...] about Veterans Day 2009