TMV is simultaneously an outpost from the 24/7 info-entertainment news cycle and yet it is a part of it. Perhaps those who work in the media, politics, mass communications, press, or public advocacy provide their brains with hourly dopamine fixes by constantly seeing and hearing something new, but most people don’t need the constant barrage of pointless facts, rumors, gossip … [Read more...] about WE DON’T REALLY LISTEN TO EACH OTHER ANYMORE
Sotomayor Confirmed
The Senate has voted 68-31 to confirm the nomination of Sonia Sotmayor to the Supreme Court Republicans voted 31-9 against the nomination while Democrats voted 59-0 in favor. Senator Kennedy did not vote. By comparison the Democrats votes 22-22 on the Roberts nomination and 41-3 against the Alito nomination, so the GOP falls somewhere in between those two votes. I am … [Read more...] about Sotomayor Confirmed
Julia, Julie, Michael & Betty
In Out of the Kitchen, Onto the Couch, Michael Pollan asks, What is wrong with this picture? Today the average American spends a mere 27 minutes a day on food preparation (another four minutes cleaning up); that’s less than half the time that we spent cooking and cleaning up when Julia arrived on our television screens. It’s also less than half the time it takes to watch a … [Read more...] about Julia, Julie, Michael & Betty
AstroTurfing, Yes – Mud, No
Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and some on the left, would have people believe that AstroTurfing (or the popular uprising of the enraged citizenry against the government) is something new and to be feared. If that is the case, then the American Revolution and the Civil Rights Movement are artificial dandelions that rudely infiltrated on the beautiful lawns of the British Empire and … [Read more...] about AstroTurfing, Yes – Mud, No
Town Hall Tactics In Action
Joe recently wrote a post linking to a memo for anti-Democratic groups to use during the town halls that are taking place around the country to push health care reform. He said it was a sign of lowering the bar on political debate, but I read it and had no problem with the content. It encouraged people to look at voting records and statistics, and confront their representatives … [Read more...] about Town Hall Tactics In Action
Is CNN in Bed with Big Insurance?
So you know how CNN's medical guru, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, is a Big Pharma flack? Well, it looks like, at least when it comes to health-care reform, the whole network is in the pocket of Big Insurance as well. As Greg Sargent reports at The Plum Line, CNN has refused to air an ad from Americans United for Change criticizing "insurance companies and Republicans." The official … [Read more...] about Is CNN in Bed with Big Insurance?
Twitter Recovering From Denial of Service Attack. Facebook, FriendFeed and LiveJournal Also Report Problems.
NYTimes Bits Blog: Twitter, the popular microblogging service, was crippled Thursday morning by a denial-of-service attack. The extended silence in a normally noisy Twitterworld began around 9 a.m. Twitter later posted a note to its status update page saying the site had been slowed to a standstill by an attack. [...] Other sites reported that they were targets of … [Read more...] about Twitter Recovering From Denial of Service Attack. Facebook, FriendFeed and LiveJournal Also Report Problems.
The Heartless and Wrong Critics of Bill Clinton’s Trip to North Korea
I tweeted a bit on this last night, but I must stress again: The response from certain right-wingers to Bill Clinton's trip to North Korea to free the two American prisoners is simply appalling. Apparently, Krauthammer, Bolton, Morris, and their cruel and wrong ilk would rather Laura Ling and Euna Lee have rotted away in a totalitarian labour camp. They claim, without … [Read more...] about The Heartless and Wrong Critics of Bill Clinton’s Trip to North Korea
One Of Two New Polls Shows Obama Falling Support At 50%
Two new polls are out and neither have good news for President Barack Obama as his Presidency nears the 200 day mark: A CNN poll has him dropping 7 points in a month, to a 56% approval rating while a new Quinnipiac Poll puts him at 50 percent. The big drop? According to CNN the biggest drop and the one that is doing the most damage is amont white male voters -- a sign of … [Read more...] about One Of Two New Polls Shows Obama Falling Support At 50%
“The Wedding Gown That Made History”
Lilly and Ludwig Friedman on their wedding day, Jan. 27, 1946. Introduction: I received this touching article via e-mail a couple of months ago. A note at the end of the e-mail says: In MEMORIAM - 63 YEARS LATER It is now more than 60 years after the Second World War in Europe ended This e-mail is being sent as a memorial chain, in memory of the six … [Read more...] about “The Wedding Gown That Made History”
Home is not recess anymore
Every year members of Congress have a late summer reprieve from the stress of being on the Hill - it's called the district work period. This is the time of the year where members can go home, attend a few barbecues, have a couple of fundraisers and have most of their yearly photo ops in the district. This year's district work period has turned into the battle for health care … [Read more...] about Home is not recess anymore
Polite Questions Deserve Polite Answers
The last few weeks there has been a lot of debate and discussion over the town hall meetings and the disruptions of those meetings by those upset over the health care proposals. I certainly agree with Joe that both sides need to lighten up a little bit. I'm a big fan of free speech but I do think that some of the protesters have gone a little bit overboard in their efforts to … [Read more...] about Polite Questions Deserve Polite Answers
August 6, 1945 Hiroshima: For Those Who Came, But Could Not Stay
FOR THOSE WHO CAME, BUT COULD NOT STAY While you and I were being born, growing “in the little bread oven”... as it was often said back then... there were other little babies across the world, suddenly thrust into real ovens, and they were not allowed to grow any more. Don’t tell me that that is the past and none of our concern. This is in cellular … [Read more...] about August 6, 1945 Hiroshima: For Those Who Came, But Could Not Stay
India: Have Car…Will Travel…To Chaos?
The arrival of the "People's Car" (equivalent US$2,421) -- Nano -- on Indian roads "is a symbol of the coming-of-age of mass consumerism in the developing world," says Andrew Buncombe of The Independent. "India's roads are broken and inadequate, the country is overcrowded and there is a middle class of anywhere up to 300 million people who might be tempted to buy a Nano. The … [Read more...] about India: Have Car…Will Travel…To Chaos?
Washington Post Pulls Plug On Dana Milbank Chris Cillizza “Comedy” Videos
Let's just call it an idea whose time hasn't come, partially because the comedy timing never came: the Washington Post has (mercifully, thankfully, graciously) pulled plug on Dana Milbank and Chris Cillizza's video "Mouthpiece Theater." Howard Kurtz's piece in The Post reports: Executive Editor Marcus Brauchli killed the satirical video series Wednesday after harsh … [Read more...] about Washington Post Pulls Plug On Dana Milbank Chris Cillizza “Comedy” Videos
Funding the President’s Healthcare Program: Plans to Increase Middle-Class Taxes? (Guest Voice)
Funding the President’s Healthcare Program: Plans to Increase Middle-Class Taxes? by Michael Reagan In last week’s column, we discussed President Obama and his administration’s dangerous habit of making important policy statements and decisions before having all of the facts available. Well, this week some of President Obama’s top lieutenants, including Treasury Secretary … [Read more...] about Funding the President’s Healthcare Program: Plans to Increase Middle-Class Taxes? (Guest Voice)
Democrats and Republicans: Why Not Lighten Up On Healthcare Townhalls?
A suggestion to Democrats and Republicans: why not lighten up on the upcoming healthcare reform townhalls? News reports have already explained what will happen: Democrats will be trying to explain their view of healthcare reform and -- in the best tradition of democracy -- GOPers will try to pack the meetings and in some cases drown out a detailed discussion so there are some … [Read more...] about Democrats and Republicans: Why Not Lighten Up On Healthcare Townhalls?
APA Reports: Sexual Orientation Cannot Be Changed
A two-year study conducted by the American Psychological Association on the effectiveness of "conversion" therapies in turning gay people straight has concluded what most rational people already knew: It cannot be done (emphasis mine). … [Read more...] about APA Reports: Sexual Orientation Cannot Be Changed
Can’t Get Enough of This Joyful Reunion
You know, as we all know, there is this terrible aspect of human nature that people seem to be drawn to disaster and tragedy. Hence, we get the unexplainable: Americans watching scenes of people falling from the Twin Towers over and over and over. That's just the most horrific example, of course: anyone who's ever been in a car on a highway with a car crash up ahead knows how … [Read more...] about Can’t Get Enough of This Joyful Reunion
Massachusetts Health Insurance Plan Doing Just Fine
Negative narratives about the crippling expense of publicly funded health care coverage are as plentiful as mushrooms after a rain. Most of them have little, if any, merit -- and, according to an editorial in today's Boston Globe, the one about Massachusetts' plan being a fiscal nightmare is flat-out wrong: … [Read more...] about Massachusetts Health Insurance Plan Doing Just Fine