In 1965 comedy great Groucho Marx hosted "The Hollywood Palace" variety show on ABC and reunited with his comedy foil of his great films of the 30s, Margaret Dumont. It was a performance as good as in the films -- and Dumont died two days after the taping: … [Read more...] about Rare Video: Two Comedy Greats Reunite For Last Time
Dancing With The Stars Will No Longer Feature The Dancing Feet of Tom DeLay
Alas, former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay and his dancing feet and shaking you-know-what will no longer be featured on "Dancing with the Stars." And now the Washington Post frames the question: did he bail or was he shoved? Did the producers of "Dancing With the Stars" drop a brick on Tom DeLay's feet when he became the show's main story line and they saw where the … [Read more...] about Dancing With The Stars Will No Longer Feature The Dancing Feet of Tom DeLay
What does it mean to be non-partisan?
I just sent off a post to a listserv discussion about J Street and AIPAC. After one AIPAC member described the organization as non-partisan, a critic shot back that AIPAC is no more non-partisan than Queer Nation or the KKK, because all the members basically have the same opinion about their #1 issue. Here's my response to that: Non-partisanship and diversity of opinion are … [Read more...] about What does it mean to be non-partisan?
J Street critic to keynote J Street conference
I was pleasanly surprised to see that Rabbi Eric Yoffie will be one of the keynote speakers at the J Street convention later this month. Rabbi Yoffie, the president of the Union for Reform Judaism, describes himself as a dove who welcomed the founding of J Street as an alternative to AIPAC. Yet when J Street equated the actions of Israel and Hamas in Gaza, Yoffie lashed … [Read more...] about J Street critic to keynote J Street conference
Georgia Congressman Says Liberal Media Took ‘Ghetto Grandmothers’ Comment ‘Out-of-Context’
At Saturday morning breakfast for the Cherokee County GOP, Georgia Congressman and republican gubernatorial candidate Nathan Deal was explaining his insistence in a legislative provision demanding proof of citizenship for federal or state health care benefits. opposition campaign video cameras rolling when he said: We got all the complaints of the ghetto grandmothers who … [Read more...] about Georgia Congressman Says Liberal Media Took ‘Ghetto Grandmothers’ Comment ‘Out-of-Context’
The Big Con
Excuse me, but I have some reservations and a bunch of questions about the various healthcare reform bills both houses of Congress could vote on as early as this month. The biggest concern I have is why we taxpayers are subsidizing the private carriers to insure us. The bills are aimed at guaranteeing growing private insurance profits without regard to improving our health. … [Read more...] about The Big Con
Intellectual Conservatism Isn’t Dead: It’s On the Margin
Intellectual Conservatism Isn't Dead: It's On the Margin by Rick Moran This is the 4th in a series of 5 articles on the state of intellectual conservatism. Here's Part I. Part II. And Part III. There is a terrific exchange of views on the health of conservatism over at Slate between conservative writer Reihan Salam and Sam Tannenhaus (author of Death of … [Read more...] about Intellectual Conservatism Isn’t Dead: It’s On the Margin
Climate Change — A National Security Challenge
Guest post by Rafael Noboa Rivera Rafael Noboa Rivera is a writer and combat veteran. He served in Iraq from April 2003 to March 2004. This post originally appeared at The Hill's Congress Blog. "You never have 100% certainty. If you wait till you have that, you'll fail." The evidence is unmistakable. We have hard choices before us. As the impact of irreversible climate … [Read more...] about Climate Change — A National Security Challenge
Sending Zebras to Gaza
Gaza City's zoo lost its only two zebras to hunger during the Gaza war. The animals were extremely popular with area children, but were too expensive to replace. So the zookeepers got novel: they hired a painter to paint black and white stripes on two donkeys, making them approximate the real thing. The article reports that many Gaza children, having never seen a real zebra, … [Read more...] about Sending Zebras to Gaza
Tide Turning On Health Care Reform, Democrats and Republicans?
After months of a new and old media narrative about President Barack Obama's proposed health care reform being on the ropes -- a political hot potato Obama tossed Congress to resolve -- is the tide finally turning? Within the past 24 hours a new report came out suggesting one of the proposed plans would help reduce the deficit -- removing a key political talk radio culture … [Read more...] about Tide Turning On Health Care Reform, Democrats and Republicans?
Beautiful microscopic photos become art
From one of the weblogs at The New York Times: Showcase: In Microscopic Realm, Science Reveals Art One of the photos is from my area of work, a pattern formed by shrinkage of photoresist, used in making integrated circuits. There were many beautiful patterns I saw in microscopes during my time doing research and development. There are times I miss those hours of looking through … [Read more...] about Beautiful microscopic photos become art
GOP Ghosts Rise Up for Health Care
In time for Halloween, Republican specters are rising up to scare some sense into their Congressional heirs as they move zombielike toward a possible pyrrhic victory in the hope that poll numbers "may get worse for Democrats if they pass a health-care bill." That prediction is the wisdom according to Karl Rove, who engineered the party's 2006 loss, but older and wiser … [Read more...] about GOP Ghosts Rise Up for Health Care
David Letterman Blackmailer
RJ Matson, The New York Observer This cartoon is copyrighted and licensed to run on TMV. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. All rights reserved. … [Read more...] about David Letterman Blackmailer
Intellectual Conservatism Isn’t Dead: Channel Your Inner Elder (Guest Voice)
Intellectual Conservatism Isn't Dead: Channel Your Inner Elder by Rick Moran This is the third in a series of 5 articles on the state of intellectual conservatism. Part I can be found here. Part II is here. Few speechwriters of the modern era can match the record of Peggy Noonan when it comes to memorable presidential addresses. Teddy Sorenson was of a different … [Read more...] about Intellectual Conservatism Isn’t Dead: Channel Your Inner Elder (Guest Voice)
Stimulation Without The S-Word (Guest Voice)
WASHINGTON -- So now we know: The economic stimulus plan passed by Congress at the beginning of the year was not big enough. We also know this: Once it secures a health care bill -- yes, it will get one -- the Obama administration from that moment to the 2010 midterm elections will be all about jobs, jobs, jobs. In the face of persistently high unemployment, … [Read more...] about Stimulation Without The S-Word (Guest Voice)
Sometimes Indecision Is a Good Thing
Like when you might possibly be deciding whether to drop one or more 30,000-pound bunker buster bombs on Iranian nuclear facilities: … [Read more...] about Sometimes Indecision Is a Good Thing
Thugs Pick On The Wrong Drag Queens
This story out of Wales. A couple of presumably drunk street thugs saw some drag queens on the street in the town of Swansea and decided that it was their job to go over and take care of the guys they saw as wimps. Well it turns out those guys were a couple of cage fighters. They proceeded to beat the crud out of their attackers. Just goes to show that homophobes … [Read more...] about Thugs Pick On The Wrong Drag Queens
“Obama is Intellectual but Incompetent,” Gore Vidal
Gore Vidal, 83, described as America's greatest essayist and one of its best-selling novelists, says he has in his life “crashed many barriers.” Vidal's brutal manner of criticism hasn't waned. The United States of America, he says, is a "madhouse" and its President is "overwhelmed" and "incompetent". Last year he famously switched allegiance from Hillary Clinton to Barack … [Read more...] about “Obama is Intellectual but Incompetent,” Gore Vidal
Roman Polanski
Bob Englehart, The Hartford Courant This cartoon is copyrighted and licensed to run on TMV. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. All rights reserved. … [Read more...] about Roman Polanski
Bob Dole Breaks With Mitch McConnell On Health Care Reform?
The split between Republicans may be getting more public as the reality sinks in that a vote is near on health care reform. And former Senator Bob Dole is now coming out in favor of it -- and seemingly taking a swipe at Senate Minority leader Mitch (Dr. No) McConnell, the Kansas City Star reports: "This is one of the most important measures members of Congress will vote on … [Read more...] about Bob Dole Breaks With Mitch McConnell On Health Care Reform?