You know my penchant for using regular Americans' letters to the editors of their hometown newspapers to make a point or to support a position or issue. Of course, such is not an entirely objective method, but what is, and who is.... Anyway, here are two gems from today's Austin American-Statesman: Re: Oct. 29 article "Cheney will back Hutchison." Former … [Read more...] about Texas Politics: The Letters Have It…Again
Too Good to Check: Baguette Shuts Down CERN
The world's largest particle accelerator / collider (The Large Hadron Collider, for those of you keeping score) has run into yet another setback. After being plagued by coolant leaks, faulty magnets and a host of other technical difficulties, operations have again ground to a halt. The culprit? A bird smuggling a baguette over their air space. The bird dropped some bread on … [Read more...] about Too Good to Check: Baguette Shuts Down CERN
Policewoman and Mother Kimberly Munley, Engaged Major Hassan, Shot Him Four Times, Returning Fire Even After He Shot Her in Both Legs
Miss Kimberly Munley, the mother of a three-year-old daughter, and a civie policewoman, is in stable condition, with injuries to the upper leg and thigh. General Cone said her fearless response to gunman at Fort Hood, had saved countless lives. Trained in active-response tactics, she rushed into the building where Major Nidal Malik Hasan began firing on comrades as they … [Read more...] about Policewoman and Mother Kimberly Munley, Engaged Major Hassan, Shot Him Four Times, Returning Fire Even After He Shot Her in Both Legs
Love Is Free
I am longing for the rational, the creative, the imaginative, and the loving. Can't find it in the news right now, but I can always find it in music. Here is Sheryl Crow, singing "Love Is Free" with The Malloys: … [Read more...] about Love Is Free
Technical Difficulties With Comments
We are experiencing technical difficulties with our commenting system via Disqus. Disqus seems to have some stability issues at the moment which is stopping people from commenting. Please check HERE for updates on this situation. Hopefully this gets resolved soon. Thank you. … [Read more...] about Technical Difficulties With Comments
Will There be a Vote on Health Care Tomorrow?
Nancy Pelosi has assured us that there will be. Of course, the job of House Speaker is much like being a bookie for organized crime... you never take a bet when you don't know how the game will end. Byron York explains how this is putting a lot of Democrats under the gun. The House is in the final rush toward passage of a national health care bill, and there's one thing … [Read more...] about Will There be a Vote on Health Care Tomorrow?
Cantor Criticizes Limbaugh (Take Bets On Apology Date Now)
Get ready for another apology. GOP House bigwig Rep. Cantor has criticized conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh and says the party needs more inclusive rhetoric. ("He must be a RINO!!"). Quick: calll your bookie and make your bets on when Cantor will apologize now: Eric Cantor, the second-ranking Republican in the U.S. House, said his party needs to be inclusive … [Read more...] about Cantor Criticizes Limbaugh (Take Bets On Apology Date Now)
Street Talk
Yesterday the Dow rose 203 points on news about employment. A "mere" 512,000 more Americans lost their jobs last week, the 51st consecutive week that weekly job loses exceeded 500,000, This number nonetheless not only beat analyst expectations, it was a bit lower than some previous months job loses. It thus convinced traders that today's non-farm jobs report for October would … [Read more...] about Street Talk
The Fox In The Hen House
I've given President Barack Obama a long leash in his efforts at governing and now must concede his biggest mistake in changing how Washington works is his staff's petty feud with Fox News. This running story has legs and they must be chopped off at the knees. This dog must sit, lie down, whacked on the behind with a rolled newspaper and attend obedience school. The latest … [Read more...] about The Fox In The Hen House
American High Noons
The TV screen today looks like the vision of a demented performance artist. You can click from images of wildly cheering crowds in a Manhattan canyon celebrating what 25 young man did on a baseball field to talking heads and replays of a massacre of other young people in Texas and then suddenly to an Orlando, Florida office building for the familiar confusion in the first … [Read more...] about American High Noons
In Afghanistan, Troop Numbers Should Be Based on Strategy
Guest post by Jared Stancombe Jared Stancombe is a 2009 graduate of Indiana University, where his studies focused on peace and conflict studies in Northern Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia. His other academic interests include counterinsurgency and complex military operations. He is currently an analyst for a U.S. government agency responsible for national security … [Read more...] about In Afghanistan, Troop Numbers Should Be Based on Strategy
Jon Stewart Does Glenn Beck
A spoof bound to be considered a satirical classic (but not by Rush, Sean, Glenn or those who love Rush, Sean and Glenn): The Daily Show With Jon StewartMon - Thurs 11p / 10c … [Read more...] about Jon Stewart Does Glenn Beck
Our Veterans: Frozen in Time, but Not Forgotten
November 11 is Veterans Day. A day---a celebration---to honor America's veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good. This is the first of three articles honoring those men and women. Two months ago, in “Leave No Man Behind—65 Years Later,” I praised the spirit and culture of our military as reflected in the … [Read more...] about Our Veterans: Frozen in Time, but Not Forgotten
8 Shot In Orlando Florida Highrise
Is there something in the water, is this a coincidence...or what? Yet another mass shooting...this time in Florida: One person was killed and at least seven others were wounded in a shooting incident inside a downtown Orlando high-rise building Friday morning, authorities said. Quoting emergency dispatchers, NBC station WESH-TV of Orlando reported that the incident … [Read more...] about 8 Shot In Orlando Florida Highrise
Nothing Stops Political Demonization In America
There is seemingly no rest. No tragedy where people can put politics aside, even for a minute. I mean, REALLY... … [Read more...] about Nothing Stops Political Demonization In America
CIA Agents Convicted of Kidnapping; Italian Officials Walk Free: Corriere Della Sera,Italy
Milan prosecutor Armando Spataro has done something no one else has: He has obtained the first convictions involving the CIA practice of 'rendition.' For those interested in reading the Italian coverage of yesterday's first ever convictions for the U.S. government's practice of 'renditioning,' this is the write-thru from the Corriere Della Sera, which includes a number of … [Read more...] about CIA Agents Convicted of Kidnapping; Italian Officials Walk Free: Corriere Della Sera,Italy
Contending for Joy
It is important we do our best to catalogue moments of joy. We must write joy down and proclaim joy to those who will listen. We need records of joy, monuments of joy, places of joy we can revisit. We must contend for joy, or the bitter water will overwhelm us all. Last night my two little boys turned joy into a dance. Nathaneal is seven and Samuel is three. Each boy … [Read more...] about Contending for Joy
In the Last 24 Hours …
The massacre at Ft. Hood. A pipeline explosion in the Texas Panhandle. A grain processing plant explosion in western Missouri. What the hell? I'm certainly not suggeting these events are related; nor am I suggesting the explosions are comparable to what happened at Ft. Hood -- not at all. It just seemed to be a disproportionate morning of bad news, and from such … [Read more...] about In the Last 24 Hours …
Brooks: Independents are Meandering Cats
The money line from Mr. Brooks' column today: Independents are herds of cats who find out what they think through a meandering process of discovery. While that's probably not fair to say about all independent voters, it's a shockingly accurate description of the independent voter writing this post. Of course, despite my decision to headline the "meandering cats" … [Read more...] about Brooks: Independents are Meandering Cats
Details Emerging About Accused Fort Hood Massacre Shooter Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan
Photo Credit: Ben Sklar/Getty Images Investigators and journalists are now slowly fleshing out some details about yesterday's Fort Hood military-base massacre that left 13 people dead and dozens wounded -- and about accused shooter Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan. The big question is "why" -- a question increasingly asked as more tidbits slowly emerge. The detail that is and will … [Read more...] about Details Emerging About Accused Fort Hood Massacre Shooter Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan