Two men, 38 and 40 years old, died, a third person, a 49 year old woman, passed away this past week... All three died after participating in a sweat lodge ... which is meant to be deep prayer over all gathered in nakedness there; no clothing to mark status, everyone as they were when they came hot and steaming from their mothers long ago. The three died, and … [Read more...] about James Arthur Ray Situation: Sacred Sweat Lodge, Old School: A Difference Between Prayer and Pomp
Mocking A Religion (Guest Voice)
Mocking a Religion By Martha Randolph Carr Religious rites from every major religion have been passed down to us over the centuries and were originally inspired as a means to praise God and to serve the people. The kinks and potential hazards were worked out long ago. Safety measures were even built into some of them to prevent needless deaths or injuries. That’s what … [Read more...] about Mocking A Religion (Guest Voice)
Pat Buchanan: Dude, Where’s My White Privilege?
From World Nut Daily, the only rag that will publish Pat Buchanan anymore: … [Read more...] about Pat Buchanan: Dude, Where’s My White Privilege?
If Malcolm Gladwell Were Arne Duncan…
The New Yorker staff writer was asked in a Time Q&A, "If you were U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan — who has about $5 billion in discretionary funding and a mandate to fix our schools — what would you do?" There's precious little experimentation in education. Instead there seems to be a desire for greater regimentation, which I think is nonsense. I think we need to try … [Read more...] about If Malcolm Gladwell Were Arne Duncan…
Tell America to Stop Backing Terrorist Attacks on Iran: The Frontier Post, Pakistan
Could it be that the United States is somehow behind or involved with the suicide attack on a meeting that included senior members of Iran's Revolutionary Guard? According to this editorial from Pakistan's Frontier Post, which is published right along the Afghan-Pakistan border, there is every reason to believe that the attack, claimed by the Sunni group Jundallah which is … [Read more...] about Tell America to Stop Backing Terrorist Attacks on Iran: The Frontier Post, Pakistan
Is The White House Crazy Like A Fox?
The White House has stirred up a hornets' nest of controversy in its "war" against Fox News (see our many posts here on TMV by scrolling down). Some call it a major political mistake. But the Washington Post's Eugene Robinson, who was also critical of the White House, has begun to think that the White House may be "crazy like a fox..." … [Read more...] about Is The White House Crazy Like A Fox?
The White House’s Curious War Against Fox News (Guest Voice)
The White House's Curious War Against Fox News by Jon Wells Over the last week, members of the White House staff have gone out of their way to single out Fox News as an unworthy news organization. It began with White House communications chief Anita Dunn's rant on CNN last Sunday saying Fox wasn't a real news network and was more a wing of the Republican Party. Press … [Read more...] about The White House’s Curious War Against Fox News (Guest Voice)
Dede Scozzafava: The Real Record
Since there are many conservatives that have flooded the blogosphere with basically falsehoods about Dede Scozzafava, the GOP candidate for NY-23, I thought I would repost in its entirety a blog post I found on the liberal blog called the Albany Project. Since many conservatives hard argued that Scozzafava is a radical leftist, you might think this blog would love her right? … [Read more...] about Dede Scozzafava: The Real Record
Reality TV
Mike Keefe, The Denver Post This cartoon is copyrighted and licensed to appear on TMV. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. All rights reserved. … [Read more...] about Reality TV
Our Wounded Warriors: No Typical In-flight Magazine Story
One doesn’t normally expect to find articles of an inspirational nature in an in-flight magazine. On a flight yesterday, I started my perfunctory flipping of pages of the “American Way” magazine, and there, tucked among descriptions of alluring vacation paradises, interesting travelogues and colorful promotions for fine dining and wining, were not one, but two gripping and … [Read more...] about Our Wounded Warriors: No Typical In-flight Magazine Story
The Difference Between a News Organization and Fox
Excellent piece from Steve Benen on what's wrong with the way the mainstream media is framing the current war of words between Fox News and the White House: … [Read more...] about The Difference Between a News Organization and Fox
Afghanistan: The Disaster Movie
Americans love movie rereads. The same types of characters in the same types of places doing the same types of things in only slightly different ways. Think Star Wars. Think Matrix. Think the Smokey flicks. We also seem to love political disaster retreads. Think Vietnam. Think Iraq. Think what's about to happen in Afghanistan. One good way to appreciate the newest addition … [Read more...] about Afghanistan: The Disaster Movie
This American Life Explains Part Of The Health Care Crisis
Is it due to doctors, patients, lawyers or insurance companies? This American Life says, "Yes." In an absolutely wonderful episode, they really highlight some key causes of the health care crisis and shatter some misconceptions. They even changed my mind about a few things. For example, it's commonly claimed that we have a supply problem, and if only there were medical … [Read more...] about This American Life Explains Part Of The Health Care Crisis
Reform to Ruin Our Eyes and Make Us Crazy
The medical specialists most likely to benefit from the health care debate are optometrists as the Senate Finance Committee releases its 1502-page text and mental health professionals as a new poll shows a national mood swing from August rage against a public option to 57 percent of Americans in favor of it. Max Baucus' masterwork can now be read as a sequel to the 839-page … [Read more...] about Reform to Ruin Our Eyes and Make Us Crazy
Everybody Loves the Public Option! errr… sort of
Proponents of government run health care are already cheering the definitive, solid as a rock, above question results of a new Washington Post / ABC poll which indicates that 57% of Americans favor a so called "public option" in any proposed health insurance reform. Well, that certainly settles that once and for all, doesn't it? Not so fast, skippy. (Courtesy of Hot … [Read more...] about Everybody Loves the Public Option! errr… sort of
R.I.P. Vic Mizzy, Composer Of ‘Addams Family’ & ‘Green Acres’ Themes
At my moving away party, when I left NYC after 28 years to come live in Middle Georgia, my partner and I did a rousing rendition of the "Green Acres" theme song. (I sang Eva/Lisa's part.) Now it's my ringtone. Vic Mizzy, the man who wrote it -- he also wrote the 'Addams Family' theme song -- died Saturday at his home in Bel-Air. The LATimes: For his theme song, Mizzy … [Read more...] about R.I.P. Vic Mizzy, Composer Of ‘Addams Family’ & ‘Green Acres’ Themes
Quote of the Day: New Poll Shows Republicans Shouldn’t Be Giddy Yet About Obama’s Political Fortunes
Our political Quote of the Day comes from the a Chris Cillizza Washington Post piece on a new poll which he notes has some big, fat, warning flags to Republicans who think that they have Barack Obama and the Demmies on the political ropes: Republicans in Washington can barely contain their glee at the turn of President Obama's political fortunes in the first nine months … [Read more...] about Quote of the Day: New Poll Shows Republicans Shouldn’t Be Giddy Yet About Obama’s Political Fortunes
Russians Shouldn’t Be Happy About America’s Afghan Misfortune: Kommersant, Russia
In regard to Afghanistan, should Russians indulge in a little schadenfreude - a German word meaning taking pleasure in the pain of others - or should it help the United States out of its predicament. For Russia's Kommersant newspaper, columnist Sergey Markedonov asks his readers: "Should we be happy over the misfortune of our 'sworn friend' the U.S. - particularly … [Read more...] about Russians Shouldn’t Be Happy About America’s Afghan Misfortune: Kommersant, Russia
America Deserves ‘Nobel War Prize’: Thawra Al Wada, Syria
Continuing with our look at Obama's Nobel Prize through a global prism, this article from Syria's state-controlled Thawra Al Wada shares the rest of the world's surprise with the award - but with a distinctly anti-Israel Syrian twist. For Thawra Al Wada, Khalaf Ali Al Moftah argues that Obama has time to earn the award, as long as he does a few things no American chief … [Read more...] about America Deserves ‘Nobel War Prize’: Thawra Al Wada, Syria
Apple Profits Climbs 47% Tweet Tweet
Impressive: According to the Wall Street Journal, the company's fourth-quarter profit jumped 47 percent “as consumers continued to snap up its iPhones and Macintosh computers.” Surprisingly resilient demand for its laptops and smart phones have carried Apple though the recession. This past quarter, Apple sold 7.4 million iPhones and 3.1 million Macintosh computers. Apple’s CFO … [Read more...] about Apple Profits Climbs 47% Tweet Tweet