TechCrunch: It was probably to be expected that Twitter would struggle as reportedly hundreds of thousands of tweets came in about Jackson in a very short amount of time. While I only got a couple actual Fail Whales, the site was really sucking wind for much of the hour that people were trying to get information about him. But Twitter was hardly the only site that was … [Read more...] about Web Collapses On News Of Michael Jackson’s Death
One Woman’s View on Mrs. Sanford
Lots of people are still speculating about the future of Governor Mark Sanford, but today we'll point you to the short, concise thoughts of one woman who wanted to comment on the Governor's wife. She is obviously a fan, but we'll warn you ahead of time that there is a bit of language here which is not appropriate for children, so you can go read it yourself should you care to. … [Read more...] about One Woman’s View on Mrs. Sanford
SCOTUS Rules in Case of Widow Whose Husband Died of Yellow Fever
In the case of Amelia Bennecke, Plaintiff vs The Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance Company, the widow, Mrs. Bennecke brought suit to recover $2000 on the life insurance policy of her deceased husband. The insurance company had refused to pay because it said it warned Mr. Bennecke that his policy would be voided if he traveled south of the 'limits of residence' proscribed in … [Read more...] about SCOTUS Rules in Case of Widow Whose Husband Died of Yellow Fever
Michael Jackson, The Myth of the Sacrificial King
It's dangerous to be a king. In ancient times a young man was each year groomed to be king, given all beautiful things in excess, lulled with praise, adored as more than human, and in the end, drugged and taken by the venerating populace to the cliff, to the pit, to the cenote, the well to be drowned. And once the king died/ was put to death in the most adoring of ways, the … [Read more...] about Michael Jackson, The Myth of the Sacrificial King
Fans Grieve Over Death Of Michael Jackson
The BBC has a photo gallery of fan reactions HERE. … [Read more...] about Fans Grieve Over Death Of Michael Jackson
Political Cartoonists Mourn Michael Jackson (Guest Voice)
Political Cartoonists Mourn Michael Jackson by Daryl Cagle Michael Jackson was God’s gift to editorial cartoonists. Now that the gift has been “returned to sender” the cartoonists are mourning the loss of one of their most evergreen gags. Jackson was a wonderful character for cartoons. From “Jesus Juice” to chimps and burning hair, he was a cartoon treasure. One of my … [Read more...] about Political Cartoonists Mourn Michael Jackson (Guest Voice)
Michael Jackson
Cardow, The Ottawa Citizen This cartoon is copyrighted and licensed to run on TMV. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. … [Read more...] about Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson: Thriller of Three Generations
Ticket to Ride There's an ancient train leaving right on time... it roars through a sudden door cut open in the upper climes. We are shocked the iron horse scooped our beloved out of mid-air... shocked to see the hinge-blown door that has always been right there... c.p.estés And here on Earth, maybe a wisp of that locomotive smoke lingers here, and we are one … [Read more...] about Michael Jackson: Thriller of Three Generations
The Strange Life and Death of Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson has died at age 50. Like many, I've watched him degenerate from an articulate, confident child star to a strange, reclusive adult. Four years ago, I wrote this piece inspired by Jackson on the effects of fame on the famous. If Michael Jackson had not been introduced to the addictive power of fame, might he have lived an obscure and happy life? We'll never … [Read more...] about The Strange Life and Death of Michael Jackson
My Favorite Michael Jackson Performance
Over the next few hours, most of the blogging world will be posting on the impact of Michael Jackson's life. I have had mixed feelings about him over the past 15 years or so. His legal problems aside, in my opinion, he is one of the most important American artistic personalities of the past century. Jackson, Elvis, Hendrix and Sinatra changed music so dramatically that … [Read more...] about My Favorite Michael Jackson Performance
Michael Jackson Dies
UPDATE: Web Site TMZ.com is now reporting Jackson has died. E! News is also reporting his death. The LA Times is now confirming his death. It seems official enough to confirm, Michael Jackson has died at the age of 50. ---------- After already getting the news of Ed McMahon passing earlier this week and Farrah Fawcett dying today we now have news that number … [Read more...] about Michael Jackson Dies
Neocons and Ahmadinejad: Perfect Together
Jeanne Carstensen has an absolute must-read Salon interview with Hooman Majd, a leading Iranian intellectual who grew up "mainly in the United States," and who, in Carstensen's words, is "the consummate insider and outsider." … [Read more...] about Neocons and Ahmadinejad: Perfect Together
The Mark Sanford Case
Americans love a juicy scandal spiced with sex, intrigue, lies and ultimate redemption, especially when it involves a rather high-profile person such as Gov. Mark Sanford of South Carolina. It would not surprise me if in Sanford's high school yearbook he was voted the least likely senior to have an affair, let alone writing steamy emails to his paramour at a time his … [Read more...] about The Mark Sanford Case
Sanford Smitten
To a pair of ancient eyes, the fallen Governor of South Carolina has the hapless look of Edward VIII giving up the throne of England in 1936 for "the woman I love," a man undone by unexpected passion after a lifetime of being trained to follow all the rules of a straight-laced society. The bizarre details of his downfall testify to the emotions that must have overcome Mark … [Read more...] about Sanford Smitten
The Humanity and Hypocrisy of Mark Sanford
"Mark Sanford is no longer missing, but he's obviously lost." So writes Slate's John Dickerson to open an article on the Mark Sanford saga that, in light of what we learned yesterday, adds some much-needed humanity, largely out of respect to Sanford's own humanity, to what has been, in some circles, a case of gleeful Schadenfreude. It's an article that really got me … [Read more...] about The Humanity and Hypocrisy of Mark Sanford
Supreme Court on Strip Searches in Schools
In a victory for common sense, the Supreme Court has ruled 8-1 that the strip search of a 13 year old girl was unconstitutional. Among the factors that the court considered were that the girl's parents were never called, the fact that she was effectively held hostage in the Assistant Principal's office for 2 hours, the lack of corrroborating evidence, and the nature of the … [Read more...] about Supreme Court on Strip Searches in Schools
Argentinean News Web Site Claims to Have Details on Sanford’s Lover
Of course, the Spanish/Latin American press and web are full of stories on the "Yankee Governor" who instead of hiking in the Appalachian Mountains, was having an affair way down South, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. There are literally scores of articles describing the scandal in varying levels of detail. Here are some of the headlines and links to some of those articles … [Read more...] about Argentinean News Web Site Claims to Have Details on Sanford’s Lover
Obama, Dukakis: Really?
Jazz already noted Ed Morrissey's breathless declaration of a "Dukakis moment" for the President. Jazz suggests Ed might be going a bit overboard. I'd say: "More than a bit." I like Ed. In fact, I respect Ed. He is, in my experience, one of the most reasonable and insightful of today's rightwing bloggers. But this particular analogy to Dukakis belies Ed's otherwise … [Read more...] about Obama, Dukakis: Really?
Lynch: Don’t Back Down on Settlements
Mark Lynch has come back from Israel and has a message for Obama: don't back down on the settlements. I mostly concur, and give my additional analysis here … [Read more...] about Lynch: Don’t Back Down on Settlements
A Genuine Islamic Revolution
Guest post by Hamid M. Khan While history is replete with revolutions, successful ones are able to match a collective will with an endemic philosophy for change. Days ago, Iranians gathered to elect a president, but in the ensuing firestorm from Iran's electoral results found reason to challenge Iran's current government. And while there are almost an infinite number of … [Read more...] about A Genuine Islamic Revolution