Rajmata (or Queen Mother) Gayatri Devi, of the erstwhile princely state of Jaipur in India, passed away at age 90. In her youth, when she was a Queen, the Vogue magazine described her as one of the 10 most beautiful women in the world. She was cremated with full state honors...See here... Gayatri Devi was one of the few people remaining who could vividly describe the life of … [Read more...] about Gayatri Devi: India’s Legendary Princess Passes Away
“Tax the Rich!” they cried
When it comes to questions of how we're going to pay for health care reform, clean air initiatives and everything else up to and including free ponies for everyone, many self-styled pundits have been crying out that we should tax the poncy, bourgeoisie bastards who hoard all the cash. "The rich should pay their fair share!" That's the cry we hear. You may want to read the … [Read more...] about “Tax the Rich!” they cried
Lance Armstrong: Tour de France ‘Messiah’ – Le Figaro, France
There is something about Texan Lance Armstrong that tweaks French nerves like nothing else can. The seven-time Tour de France winner, after a three year retirement, returned to the 'Great Loop' this year, finishing third. Begrudgingly - and with more than a hint of suspicion that the Tour is somehow soiled by Armstrong - Mustapha Kessous of France's Le Monde reaches the … [Read more...] about Lance Armstrong: Tour de France ‘Messiah’ – Le Figaro, France
Cosmic Significance
The great philosophical issues of the day are best discussed by cartoon roaches. … [Read more...] about Cosmic Significance
Grand Old Party: The Next Generation
As I can now number the days until I turn 40, I'm starting to realize the generation that is coming up behind me. The Millennials, the generation born after 1980 or so, is starting to enter adulthood and take their place on the world stage. What I've noticed is how more tolerant this generation is on social issues and how much they are hungry for change. If Generation X, my … [Read more...] about Grand Old Party: The Next Generation
Real Glimmers of Hope, or Just “Meaningless Market Fluctuations”?
The markets were well on their way to shatter all kinds of records today. Towards the end of the market day, however, they shed some of their gains. Nevertheless, we still had, once again, a good upward movement in the markets---one of those movements that some critics persistently call "meaningless day-to-day fluctuations." Let's see what today's meaningless … [Read more...] about Real Glimmers of Hope, or Just “Meaningless Market Fluctuations”?
“Ale To The Chief”: Obama’s Beer Summit Wasn’t Pour
THIS JUST IN! Forget Iran, forget health care -- what the world REALLY wants to know about is: how did that "beer summit" called by President Barack Obama featuring himself, a prominent African American Harvard professor and the policeman who arrested the prof (with Vice President Joe Biden at the table) go? So it's time for (what else?) the analysis. Rather than bore you … [Read more...] about “Ale To The Chief”: Obama’s Beer Summit Wasn’t Pour
Stormy Daniels Car Bomb Incident
Possible Louisiana Senate candidate (and porn star) Stormy Daniels may be learning just how dangerous the political arena can be. (Or maybe not.) It's being reported that her political adviser had his car blown up this week, and there's even video of it after the jump. A political adviser to Stormy Daniels, the porn star who's considering a Senate run in Louisiana, told a … [Read more...] about Stormy Daniels Car Bomb Incident
At Last. Racism is Dead in the Northeast
There's been a plethora of coverage, both here and elsewhere, of the "Gates-Gate" affair currently choking the news cycle to death. Of course, most of these people are choosing to focus on "teachable moments" and the "status of black-white relations" and blah, blah, blah, blah. Sadly, what most of these analysts are missing is the good news underlying the affairs of the last … [Read more...] about At Last. Racism is Dead in the Northeast
Inside Scoop On Cutting 1% From The Military Budget
Let's see if I got this right. According to The Washington Post, a $636 billion military spending bill scheduled for vote by the House today or tomorrow contains about $7 billion in new ships, planes, helicopters and armored vehicles Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the Pentagon does not need. The waste Gates decried as "business as usual" represents about 1% of the House's … [Read more...] about Inside Scoop On Cutting 1% From The Military Budget
Theme Song For Today’s Barack Obama White House Beer Summit
Today is the big day -- a day that will go down in history: at 6 p.m. EST President Barack Obama will sit down at the White House's first beer summit with a lreading African-American professor and the policeman who arrested him. Obama's comments about the arrest added fuel to the polarizing fire -- and this is his attempt to defuse it via a low-key session where the three deep … [Read more...] about Theme Song For Today’s Barack Obama White House Beer Summit
Is Sarah Palin A Hot Talk Radio Show Host Property?
Is it "watch out Rush Limbaugh" in the future? Is former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, darling of conservatives and a politician who talks the talk of the conservative talk radio political culture destined to become a radio talk show host? Speculation is increasing that Palin's next big role on the national stage might not be as a 2012 Presidential candidate, but Rush … [Read more...] about Is Sarah Palin A Hot Talk Radio Show Host Property?
The Good Citizen’s Reward
While the President serves beer to Henry Louis Gates and James Crowley in the White House today, Lucia Whalen will be at work in Cambridge, pondering the lessons of her phone call to the police last week. In the aftermath of Barack Obama's gaffe in saying the police acted "stupidly," the White House is smoothing over the ensuing national rancor with a photo-op reconciliation … [Read more...] about The Good Citizen’s Reward
Sonia Sotomayor in Haiku Form
As it should have become clear from my recent writings on Dahlia Lithwick, I think she is brilliant in her analyses of the U.S. Supreme Court, its justices, cases and opinions. But her talents don't stop at the Supreme Court's magnificent entrance. I came across a set of 18 little poems, written by Lithwick over at Slate. I am told they are written in "haiku … [Read more...] about Sonia Sotomayor in Haiku Form
Recession ends. But doesn’t. And who cares anyway?
I thought reportage of the recession could no longer surprise me. I was wrong. The cover story in Newsweek, declaring that the recession has ended, THAT surprised me. By now I'm used to Wall Streeters, government types, economists and financial journalists exclaiming that economic reports that show things are getting worse more slowly really show they are getting better; … [Read more...] about Recession ends. But doesn’t. And who cares anyway?
Iranian Riot Police Roughly Break Up Ceremony To Mourn Slain Neda Agha-Soltan
A new burst of resistance and some allegations of rough police treatment mark events in Iran where riot police reportedly have broken up gathering mourners at the grave of Neda Agha-Soltan, the young Iranian woman whose videotaped shooting and bleeding-death at a June 20 demonstration was You Tubed around the world, turning her into a symbol of the regime's repression and … [Read more...] about Iranian Riot Police Roughly Break Up Ceremony To Mourn Slain Neda Agha-Soltan
Americans: Damned if We Do, Don’t
Joe noted this finding at the end of his earlier post, but I thought it deserved its own, dedicated shout out. From today's NYT ... Over all, the poll portrays a nation torn by conflicting impulses and confusion. In one finding, 75 percent of respondents said they were concerned that the cost of their own health care would eventually go up if the government did not … [Read more...] about Americans: Damned if We Do, Don’t
Quote for the Day: Rep. Ross on Health Care, Legislating
From the transcript of Lois Romano's interview with the Congressman for the WaPo, these remarks can be found a little more than halfway down the Web page: ... our forefathers never envisioned that a handful of staff write a bill and you rush it through a committee without reading it and you rush it to the floor without reading it, and you pass it just because you're a … [Read more...] about Quote for the Day: Rep. Ross on Health Care, Legislating
DVD Review: Penn & Teller B.S.: Complete Sixth Season
The name "Penn & Teller" conjures up an image of an immensely entertaining comedy/magic team so to the uninitiated, you'd think that any show of theirs would be more of the same. WRONG. In their cable series, Penn Fraser Jillette and Raymond Joseph Teller become the anti-60 Minutes: they present a series of documentaries setting out to examine a common "given" or a … [Read more...] about DVD Review: Penn & Teller B.S.: Complete Sixth Season
Sigmund Freud: US, Pakistan, Afghanistan & India
Let me share my random thoughts...When lust takes center stage, the thinking and rational behaviour flies out of the window. We live in a promiscuous age/world where America provides, apart from huge arms and war material, 80 per cent of pornography world-wide. Now a question: Why is the USA pumping so much money in Afghanistan? It looks more like a case where a love-lorn or … [Read more...] about Sigmund Freud: US, Pakistan, Afghanistan & India