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
PALIN AND CONSERVATISM
It doesn’t matter how much you study American politics, it still manages to spring a surprise on you when you least expect it. Anyway you try and analyze Sarah Palin’s decision to stand down as Governor of Alaska during her FIRST TERM, it still boggles the mind. I have been reserving judgment about Sarah Palin ever since her debut onto the national American stage in 2008, but I … [Read more...] about PALIN AND CONSERVATISM
Book Review, “Tears in the Darkness.” Update
About three weeks ago, I had the pleasure of reading a book that was just hitting the bookstores. As a matter of fact, I had to wait a couple of days before my bookstore got its order in. I was so impressed by the book that I did a "book review" for The Moderate Voice and a couple of other web sites and publications---I am not a professional "book reviewer," this was only … [Read more...] about Book Review, “Tears in the Darkness.” Update
Obama’s Message For Putin: Cold War Politics Are Outdated
President Barack Obama is sending Russia's Vladimir Putin a not-so-subtle message: cold war politics are outdated and belong to the past: Barack Obama has chided Vladimir Putin, the Russian prime minister, for "cold war approaches" to relations with the US, saying Putin had "one foot in the old ways of doing business and one foot in the new", just days before the two men … [Read more...] about Obama’s Message For Putin: Cold War Politics Are Outdated
Fred Wilson on Free & the Freeconomics of Freemium
I did not say yesterday that I believed there would be paid content on the web. I do. As does Fred Wilson, a VC who puts his money where his mouth is. Says Fred: [L]et's talk about freeconomics. I don't believe everything will be free on the Internet. There will be plenty of paid business models. For example, if you want to watch Major League Baseball games live over the … [Read more...] about Fred Wilson on Free & the Freeconomics of Freemium
DVD Review: Law & Order Criminal Intent – The First Year
If you buy a DVD set of a TV series, here is a hint: start with the first year. It's the first year of a television series where it had to be good enough to survive or to develop as the season went on. Law & Order: Criminal Intent is perhaps the most intriguing of Dick Wolfe's L&O mega-franchise. His inspiration for it was reportedly Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes and … [Read more...] about DVD Review: Law & Order Criminal Intent – The First Year
Quote Of The Day: Maureen Dowd’s Idea for a 2012 GOP Ticket
Our political Quote of the Day comes from this acid column on soon-to-be-former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin by New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd: Why not? Palin/Sanford in 2012, with the slogan: “Save time — we’re already in Crazy Town.” On Palin's surprise resignation announcement Dowd writes: What looked like a secret wedding turned out to be a public unraveling … [Read more...] about Quote Of The Day: Maureen Dowd’s Idea for a 2012 GOP Ticket
FBI Denies Investigating Palin As Palin’s Lawyer Warns Media About Defamatory Material
Did anyone really think soon-to-be resigned and former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin intended to go quietly into the political night? She never said that -- and now some new legal news related event attests to that. First, the FBI quickly shot down reports suggesting that Palin is being investigated on corruption charges. Meanwhile, Palin's lawyer issued a stern warning to … [Read more...] about FBI Denies Investigating Palin As Palin’s Lawyer Warns Media About Defamatory Material
Stimulus
Eric Allie, Caglecartoons.com This cartoon is copyrighted and licensed to run on TMV. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. … [Read more...] about Stimulus