A new New York Times/CBS News poll brings two bits of bad news for President Barack Obama -- and two silver cloud lining bits of good news. The bad news is that public support for his handling of Afghanistan and health care is declining and his recent media and speech efforts seem to have done little to reverse perceptions. The good news: he still has strong personal numbers … [Read more...] about Poll: Obama’s Support on Health Care and Afghanistan Declining
Honda U3-X: An ‘Indoor Segway’
Trending on Twitter, Watch Out, Segway; Honda's New Personal Transit Device Could Be Next Big Thing: It's called the U3-X and most people think it looks like a space-age unicycle. And it's actually fairly striking in its ability to move not just forward and backwards but sideways and diagonally, too. Top speed is 3.7 mph, which for most people would be a power walking pace. … [Read more...] about Honda U3-X: An ‘Indoor Segway’
Obama at the United Nations
Nate Beeler, The Washington Examiner This cartoon is copyrighted and licensed to run on TMV. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. … [Read more...] about Obama at the United Nations
Strange Light & the Future of Magazines
That dust storm that blanketed a huge swath of Australia also gave birth to an instant magazine: Strange Light is a 40-page magazine that Derek just published (in this case, I mean “just” as in “sometime during the night, U.S. time”) using MagCloud. So, to recap: The dust storm occurred on Wednesday. Photographers — professional and amateur — headed out into the storm and, … [Read more...] about Strange Light & the Future of Magazines
Joe Wilson and the Self-Destructive ‘American Taliban’: El Tiempo, Colombia
This article from Colombia shows the Latin American backlash against Republican Joe Wilson's anti-immigrant outburst during President Obama's speech to a joint session of Congress. According to this editorial from Colombia's El Tiempo, Wilson is the one who's 'lying', since the bill in Congress 'explicitly' forbids health care to the undocumented. Which is why, the newspaper … [Read more...] about Joe Wilson and the Self-Destructive ‘American Taliban’: El Tiempo, Colombia
Should Women Serve on Submarines?
Women in the military have been---by tradition, by law, policy or regulation---excluded from various duties. One of the last remaining exclusions is women serving in "front-line combat jobs." But, even here, according to the Navy Times, "combat roles have become blurred during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, in which irregular warfare marked by insurgent roadside bombs and … [Read more...] about Should Women Serve on Submarines?
Musician Larry Knechtel (1940-2009)
Legendary keyboardist and bassist Larry Knechtel, 69, performed with top-selling artists for nearly half a century. His most famous piano work is his 1970 Grammy Award winning contribution to "Bridge Over Troubled Water" by Simon and Garfunkel. Larry earned fame performing and recording with a broad range of artists, including his work as a session musician with Simon & … [Read more...] about Musician Larry Knechtel (1940-2009)
Call Me Girl, Call Me Gal, Call Me Filly… They Called Sarah Palin “Broad”
If you're my friend and I know you regard me, you can call me 'broad' in jest, you can call me 'a girl,' you can call me 'lady,' and ...you can call me by my rightful title, "Queen of the Known Universe" or my other title: "Grandmother to the World." .... I hope you are laughing with me. On a deadly serious note: during my missions in Federal penitentiaries teaching … [Read more...] about Call Me Girl, Call Me Gal, Call Me Filly… They Called Sarah Palin “Broad”
Newspaper Apolgizes To Palin For Sexist Headline
The Daily News-Miner in Alaska has apologized to former Gov. Sarah Palin for a headline that would have been considered sexist and unacceptable 20 years ago, let alone in the early 21st century: The Daily News-Miner has had its agreements and disagreements with now-former Gov. Sarah Palin at various points during her time serving the state of Alaska. We have tried to … [Read more...] about Newspaper Apolgizes To Palin For Sexist Headline
Kurzweil Was Right: Bionic Eyesight Is Within Reach
In The Age of Spiritual Machines, Ray Kurzweil predicts that by 2019 we will all be able to experience 3-D virtual reality through glasses and contact lenses that beam images directly to our retinas (retinal display). Coupled with an auditory source (headphones), we will be able to remotely communicate with other people and access the Internet. These special contact lenses … [Read more...] about Kurzweil Was Right: Bionic Eyesight Is Within Reach
U.S. Military Firing and Hiring: Neither Rhyme nor Reason?
First, a personal story intended as full disclosure for the second part of this post. I immigrated to the United States at the age of 17 from the Netherlands. Immediately upon reaching my 18th birthday, I enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. In those days, the 50s, a legal immigrant could join the U.S. armed forces upon signing a "declaration of intent" to become a U.S. … [Read more...] about U.S. Military Firing and Hiring: Neither Rhyme nor Reason?
Prospects for Public Option Are Looking Better and Better
First, there is the fact that Nancy Pelosi is standing strongly behind the public option, saying no health care reform bill will pass the House without it. Not just that, but she told the press quite emphatically today that a triggered public option is not acceptable: … [Read more...] about Prospects for Public Option Are Looking Better and Better
Foreclosure Insanity Reaches New Heights
From time to time in my work I come across a new level of bizarre behavior on the part of lenders. I have previously written about how it never made sense to me that banks with mortgages or credit card companies would not work with their customers to try and work something out. It always seemed to be more logical for the bank/credit card company to get a deal which would give … [Read more...] about Foreclosure Insanity Reaches New Heights
Gen. McChrystal Says He Will Need 500,000 Troops Over Five Years in Afghanistan
That is the bombshell (you should pardon the pun) that Andrea Mitchell dropped on Morning Joe today. That number, by the way, is not in the unclassified version of the McChrystal report that was leaked to Bob Woodward. It's in the complete, unredacted, classified report --- according to Tom Andrews at The Huffington Post, Mitchell got it from "an independent source": … [Read more...] about Gen. McChrystal Says He Will Need 500,000 Troops Over Five Years in Afghanistan
Dangers of Dating a President’s Daughter
On Letterman Monday night, President Obama joked about his daughters' future dates who may be stressed out over having men with guns hanging around. If he really wants to know about that, I can tell him what happened when Lynda Bird Johnson was working for me at McCalls, and I went to dinner at Trader Vic's in New York with our company's chairman of the board. As we were … [Read more...] about Dangers of Dating a President’s Daughter
A Little Pick Me Up
Just a little pick me up for your afternoon … [Read more...] about A Little Pick Me Up
Campaign Free Speech For Corporations—Why Not?
The Supreme Court is now cogitating over a case involving corporations and free speech that many people worry could lead to a dramatic change in our political system. Specifically, that so much corporate money might soon flow into elections that it will have a disastrous effect on who gets elected and whose interests elected officials will really represent. I think such … [Read more...] about Campaign Free Speech For Corporations—Why Not?
Showing Real Class
I can't really think of any way I could improve on the original story so I'll just leave you with the link to read it. But this kind of classy behavior makes you feel a little better about your day. Link … [Read more...] about Showing Real Class
Sometimes the Status Quo Is Good News
Glenn Greenwald has an interesting -- and, in my opinion, astute -- take on the Obama administration's announcement that it will not seek new legislation from Congress to place indefinite preventive detention within a Constitutional legal framework, but rather will rely on the Bushian argument that the post-9/11 Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) constitutes … [Read more...] about Sometimes the Status Quo Is Good News
Taking Warnings Seriously
Guest post by Jessie Daniels Jessie Daniels is a principal of the Truman National Security Project and is currently an independent writer living in New York City. Most recently, she conducted research on future security challenges and multilateral response at the International Peace Institute in New York. Prior to that, she worked for four years as a national security … [Read more...] about Taking Warnings Seriously