This morning I posted about a soldier from my town who was killed in Afghanistan. I did not know him, though in my few years living here in small-town Georgia, I have met more soldier boys than in the decades I lived in NYC. The post included only the facts and only three people commented. But those three comments spanned the gamut of opinion, from honoring the dead to … [Read more...] about Are American Soldiers Bait For The Taliban?
Videos On Balloon Boy Story Officially Branded a Hoax
If you thought the "balloon boy" story would float away, think again. With the latest news that a key law enforcement official has now branded the nationally covered incident a hoax, it will be more in the news than ever. Scroll below to read our blog posts, but here's a cross section videos showing of how some of the news organizations are covering the latest news. Sheriff … [Read more...] about Videos On Balloon Boy Story Officially Branded a Hoax
A Thank You to Our 41st President from a Democratic Aggie
A few days ago, Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés shared with us a letter from former president George H. W. Bush (#41) informing his "Fellow Members of the Texas A&M Family" of the gracious invitation he had extended to President Obama to come down to Aggie land to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Bush's "points of light" initiative, and to talk about "an issue that unites all … [Read more...] about A Thank You to Our 41st President from a Democratic Aggie
UPDATE: Guns vs. Butter
For critics claiming we cannot afford health care reform for our own people in which 45,000 uninsured die annually -- a report I admit may be high -- consider these apples. It costs about $400 a gallon to deliver fuel to our troops in Afghanistan. The Pentagon reports it costs about $1 billion for ever 1,000 troops in that land-locked nation which has an infrastructure worse … [Read more...] about UPDATE: Guns vs. Butter
Kiss the iPhone Goodbye: Verizon Launches Droid Attack
Fred Wilson calls it "a real competitor to the iPhone" and says he loves the ad (above). The new site DroidDoes.com is a direct attack against the iPhone: Verizon isn’t pulling any punches: it calls out basically every major weakness on the iPhone, from its inability to run background applications to the App Store’s walled garden. The site kicks off with a stream of things … [Read more...] about Kiss the iPhone Goodbye: Verizon Launches Droid Attack
Hundreds Mourn Fallen Georgia Soldier
Weekend Edition from my town this morning: In Milledgeville, Ga., hundreds turned out to pay their respects to a small-town hero with a larger-than-life personality. Following two tours of duty in Iraq, Staff Sgt. Alex French IV, a member of Georgia's 48th Brigade, was killed in a suicide bomb attack Sept. 30 in Afghanistan near the Pakistan border. Local coverage from The … [Read more...] about Hundreds Mourn Fallen Georgia Soldier
Balloon Boy Update: HOAX
The sheriff of Larimer County Colorado has just held a press conference in which he has confirmed that this was a hoax and a publicity stunt. The father did stage this, it turns out he was an actor in California before he moved to Colorado and this is part of a plot to promote a new TV show. There have been two former 911 calls to this location. The first was determined to … [Read more...] about Balloon Boy Update: HOAX
Saudi Arabia: Braggart, Sex & Lashes
It came as no surprise to me when I read a recent article "Saudi jailed for 'bragging' about sex". You see, like an average man (or MCP) I, too, never lose an opportunity to brag...well, about everything!!! So, when I landed in Jeddah in the late-1970s to take up my journalistic assignment, my friends warned me to be very, very careful about two subjects -- drinks and women -- … [Read more...] about Saudi Arabia: Braggart, Sex & Lashes
Liberals uneasy with power
It’s funny the way power influences people. It’s funny how power influences people that hadn’t had a sniff of it for a very long time. It funny how people react to power after never seeing it for (oh lets see) eight years. President Obama’s recent town hall meeting saw a young boy ask the question ‘why do people hate you?’ Now, most observers instantly thought he was … [Read more...] about Liberals uneasy with power
The Race Heats Up in the NY 23rd
The the relative quiet of an off year election, there are still some special elections to watch. One of them is taking place up near the Canadian border with New York in the largely rural, mountainous 23rd district. (You may recall that I usually spend part of my summer up there fishing with disappointing results.) This district is about as conservative as they come in the … [Read more...] about The Race Heats Up in the NY 23rd
Democratic Accountability: A Tale of Two Countries
Glenn Greenwald tells us about an important turn of events in a lawsuit filed by Binyam Mohamed, a former Guantanamo detainee (emphasis is in original): … [Read more...] about Democratic Accountability: A Tale of Two Countries
Charges To Be Filed In Balloon Boy Case
Word is coming out that there will be charges filed in the balloon boy case. This would certainly suggest that it was a hoax, although it could also relate to putting the child in danger (however since he wasn't in the balloon that would seem to be unlikely). It also seems there has been some serious side damage, a family may have lost their livelihood because rescuers … [Read more...] about Charges To Be Filed In Balloon Boy Case
Gawker’s Nick Denton: We Don’t Fact Check, We Aim For Truth Over Time. UPDATED: Gawker Bought the Exclusive on The Balloon Hoax Story
On Thursday Gawker's Nick Denton was on a Magazine Publishers of America Magazine Innovation Summit panel titled "The Decline and Rise of Magazine Journalism.” The moderator, Slate's Jacob Weisberg, asked how Denton monitors and fact-checks the content on Gawker sites: “We don’t,” Mr. Denton replied flatly. “We aim to get the truth over time. The verification model is … [Read more...] about Gawker’s Nick Denton: We Don’t Fact Check, We Aim For Truth Over Time. UPDATED: Gawker Bought the Exclusive on The Balloon Hoax Story
Some Thoughts on the UNHCR Endorsement of the Goldstone Report
Here is Sharon Otterman's report in yesterday's New York Times on the United Nations Human Rights Council's decision and what it means going forward: … [Read more...] about Some Thoughts on the UNHCR Endorsement of the Goldstone Report
Rush is still a racist
Steve Benen has a very different opinion from my own. So what if some racist statements were falsely attributed to Rush? He's said plenty of real racist things, too. Steve provides this list, via TAPPED, Limbaugh's record of racist commentary...includes not only a habit of comparing black athletes to gang members but a general hostility toward black people. Limbaugh only … [Read more...] about Rush is still a racist
Germany’s Got Revolutionary Power
Business Week says Germany's building the power grid of the future. One of humanity's boldest visions: The electricity age is imminent in six German regions: The technology of the future for smart energy management is going to be developed and tested, under the label E-Energy, in several cities. A number of projects will kick into high gear this month. Tens of thousands of … [Read more...] about Germany’s Got Revolutionary Power
Authenticity is fake
My old friend Dara Horn has a great column in the WSJ. She writes,Americans crave authenticity, culinary and otherwise. But most of what we consider authentic is just an earlier generation's novelty. The Jewish delicatessen is a case in point. While cured meats are a European specialty, Mr. Sax points out that most Jews in Eastern Europe were too poor to afford red meat; … [Read more...] about Authenticity is fake
You know who is a big fat idiot
As I've said before, I don't listen to Rush Limbaugh or any other conservative talk-show hosts. Nothing I know about Rush & Co. has inspired any particular respect or fondness on my part. Yet I remain deeply suspicious of those who rely on criticism of Rush & Co. to advertise their own alleged commitment to civility, facts and the reality-based community. This … [Read more...] about You know who is a big fat idiot
HOPE is a fraud
As Joe Windish noted this morning, Shepherd Fairey, the artist responsible for the "HOPE" portrait of President Obama, has admitted to tampering with and manufacturing evidence in a lawsuit related to the portrait. The Associated Press claims that Mr. Fairey owes them compensation, since the portrait was based on an AP photo of Obama. I'm curious to know whether Obama will … [Read more...] about HOPE is a fraud
Balloon Boy: Which Is Worse ?
I've refrained from making a lot of comment on the story but it's the weekend and so I thought I'd propose a thought that has been running through my mind. Obviously the big controversy is over whether this is fake or real. The evidence certainly suggests it could have been a publicity stunt but the father insists that it was for real. We've seen lots of discussion about … [Read more...] about Balloon Boy: Which Is Worse ?