Pat Bagley, Salt Lake Tribune This cartoon is copyrighted and licensed to run on TMV. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. … [Read more...] about Crazy Old Party
Robert McNamara, Architect of Vietnam War, Has Died
Tim Weiner, New York Times reporter and author of Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA (I've read the book; it's first rate), has a long, absorbing article about the former Defense Secretary's career, which is also a mini-history of U.S. foreign policy at the height of the Cold War. McNamara is a complex, contradictory character, fascinating to read about. He was widely … [Read more...] about Robert McNamara, Architect of Vietnam War, Has Died
Conservative Columnist Douthat on Sarah Palin
A reader commented on a recent post discussing Pulitzer Prize winner Leonard Pitts' column on Governor Sanford's "I made a mistake, so all is cool now" excuse as follows: Pitts is a lightweight, predictable Dem columnist, simply less tiresome than worse hack Paul Krugman and more substantial than worse-than-worthless Maureen Dowd. Feeling real bad about my poor columnist … [Read more...] about Conservative Columnist Douthat on Sarah Palin
The Flag of Equal Marriage
From Studio360's Gay Flag Design Challenge comes The Flag of Equal Marriage, an evolving protest flag for equal marriage rights in the United States: The stars on the Jan 1, 2010 flag represent the states that actively perform same-sex marriages. Stars are arranged on the blue field in order of each state's admission into the union. The stars are: Massachusetts - #6 … [Read more...] about The Flag of Equal Marriage
How the Subtext Reads in Governor Sarah Palin’s Resignation Speech
Pundits and Press are likely making a mistake in calling Governor Sarah Palin down for the count, or TKO'd. I listened to her complete speech, and like many others thought it rambled on. But, as a shrink who from time to time analyzes documents and speeches for criminal lawyers, I know that rambling is often only a sign of impassioned assertion and ....not reading from notes … [Read more...] about How the Subtext Reads in Governor Sarah Palin’s Resignation Speech
Rep. Peter King (R-NY): Michael Jackson A ‘Pervert,’ ‘Pedophile’
NPR: Rep. Peter King may be speaking for a lot of people with his tirade against the media for devoting so much time to Michael Jackson's death. Even some of us media people are wearying of the some of the excessive cable TV coverage. King, a Republican congressman who represents a conservative Long Island, NY district, is especially ticked because all this attention is … [Read more...] about Rep. Peter King (R-NY): Michael Jackson A ‘Pervert,’ ‘Pedophile’
OMG! A Palin-Sanford Ticket For 2012
If I were South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, I would stroll down to the store, select a Hallmark card and mail it to Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, saying "Thank you, thank you, thank you for getting me off Page One and the cable news networks." Or, as Maureen Dowd in her Sunday column in The New York Times wrote: "As Alaskans settled in to enjoy holiday salmon bakes and the … [Read more...] about OMG! A Palin-Sanford Ticket For 2012
After Palin’s “Higher Calling,” It’s Back to Sanford’s “I Made a Mistake.”
The limelight and media attention during the long Fourth of July weekend has been hogged by a certain lady from Alaska with her "higher calling." While we are waiting for the next shoe to drop in Wasilla, it's time to revisit the many shoes that have already dropped in South Carolina. And who better to take us there than Pulitzer Prize winner Leonard Pitts Jr. While … [Read more...] about After Palin’s “Higher Calling,” It’s Back to Sanford’s “I Made a Mistake.”
Political Quote Of The Day: How Bad Has Palin Hurt Her Chances? THIS Bad
Our political Quote of the Day comes from The Weekly Standard's Fred Barnes who answers the question: how badly has soon-to-be-former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin hurt her 2012 Presidential chances by her abrupt announcement that she'll resign? Given that this is coming from Barnes, this is bad: Forget about Sarah Palin as the Republican presidential candidate in 2012 and … [Read more...] about Political Quote Of The Day: How Bad Has Palin Hurt Her Chances? THIS Bad
The ABCs of URL-Shortening
CNet on the Twitter-inspired rise of URL-shortening services: URL-shortening services are abundant and becoming more so. They're usually designed with a priority on minimum character length, not easy reading: Is.gd, Bit.ly, Twurl.nl, Tr.im, Sn.im", Cligs, and TinyURL. If you want to see dozens more, Mashable has a long list. And the traffic they handle is large. On a … [Read more...] about The ABCs of URL-Shortening
Peace
Our mountain adventure draws to a close, as we prepare to head back down to civilization again. While I'm in for a bit more vacation time still, I hope that most of you at least had a nice, long weekend to relax and unwind from the daily grind. Last night I stepped outside and walked into a perfect moment, as the full moon was rising above the mountains, shining down onto the … [Read more...] about Peace
Medvedev and Obama: ‘Resetting’ U.S.-Russia Ties Won’t Come Easy: Gazeta of Russia
Will President Obama's first summit meeting with Dmitry Medvedev actually manage to 'reset' relations between the former Cold War foes? Columnist Fyodor Lukyanov of Russia's Gazeta newspaper warns not to expect more than atmospherics from the two-day summit that begins today, and outlines why when it comes to the mistakes of the decades since the fall of the Soviet Union, … [Read more...] about Medvedev and Obama: ‘Resetting’ U.S.-Russia Ties Won’t Come Easy: Gazeta of Russia
Pilot-less “Cruel” Drones Under Attack
Britain's top judge has expressed concern about the use of pilot-less drones as weapons of war. His comments come at a time when there is a growing international concern about the danger these pose to the civilians. Drones have become an important weapon against the Taliban in the remote mountainous borderlands of Afghanistan and Pakistan, reports The Independent. "Last … [Read more...] about Pilot-less “Cruel” Drones Under Attack
Interview with David Loyn
Continuing my series of interviews with people "who wrote the book," I bring you my interview with BBC Reporter David Loyn, who has written the definitive book on the subject of Afghanistan and the history of foreign-power involvement there over the last 200 years. The interview follows in full after the jump, and is cross-posted on my blog, "the talking … [Read more...] about Interview with David Loyn
Honduran Coup Leads to Predictable Violence
The "authentic representatives of the people" of Honduras (h/t The Confluence) used tear gas and bullets against thousands of their constituents today at the airport at Tegucigalpa. The crowds were supporters of ousted President Manuel Zelaya; they were at the airport to greet Zelaya, who tried to return to his country in spite of threats from the coup government to arrest him … [Read more...] about Honduran Coup Leads to Predictable Violence
In Ghana, Obama ‘Will Cry’ for Africa: My Joy, Ghana
Excitement over President Obama's impending visit to Africa - particularly in Ghana - is reaching a fever pitch. According to columnist Christian Agubretu of Ghana's My Joy newspaper, one reason for hope is that the president has requested a tour of Ghana's infamous Cape Coast Castle, a major embarkation point for Africans who were kidnapped and sold into slavery. For My … [Read more...] about In Ghana, Obama ‘Will Cry’ for Africa: My Joy, Ghana
Daniel Radcliffe: Cool Nerd. Atheist.
The Telegraph: While the Potter films were earning him millions of adoring fans around the world, Radcliffe's role as the bespectacled boy wizard was causing resentment at school. However, with an estimated £30 million fortune in the bank and Hollywood at his feet - all before his 20th birthday - Radcliffe said his life is proof that that 'uncool' kids come out on … [Read more...] about Daniel Radcliffe: Cool Nerd. Atheist.
UPDATE: Violence at Honduras Tegucigalpa Airport
After I updated my previous post on Honduras exiled president Manuel Zelaya's attempted return to Honduras with the news that he has landed in El Salvador, Fausta's Blog has reported that shots have been fired at the Tegucigalpa airport and that Noticias 24 confirms "at least two dead, according to a police source talking to AFP, in a clash between demonstrators and the armed … [Read more...] about UPDATE: Violence at Honduras Tegucigalpa Airport
Rumors Fly and Tensions Rise as Zelaya Flies Back to Honduras.
As Honduras' exiled president Manuel Zelaya is reportedly flying from Washington's Dulles Airport to Tegucigalpa, Honduras, reports and rumors are flying wildly as to what Zelaya may expect when and if his aircraft attempts to land there. Headlines such as "Honduran military told to turn back Zelaya's jet," and "Zelaya nears Honduras, asks soldiers for loyalty." And … [Read more...] about Rumors Fly and Tensions Rise as Zelaya Flies Back to Honduras.
CollegeHumor Hit: Web Site Story
I suggest you watch full screen... Web Site Story is a beautifully shot & acted, wonderfully witty parody of West Side Story that's burning up the internets. It was written and directed by Sam Reich for CollegeHumor. On his blog Sam says it's a tribute to his three big loves -- film, theater, and the internet: Jeff Rubin, king of puns, thought of the title. The opening … [Read more...] about CollegeHumor Hit: Web Site Story