It's almost 15 minutes long, but it's very funny. John Hodgman, the "PC" in the "Hi, I'm a Mac... And I'm a PC" commercials speaks at the Radio and Television Correspondent's Dinner: President Obama flashes the Vulcan salute twice, so he really is our first nerd President. Cool... --- Thanks to TrekMovie.com for the link to the video. --- Cross-posted between Random Fate and … [Read more...] about The First Nerd President
Relevant To Iran: Charlie Chaplin’s Great Dictator Speech
The great comedian Charlie Chaplin's stirring speech about liberty at the end of his 1940 film "The Great Dictator" is more relevant than ever given events in Iran. Watch it in full below: A PERSONAL NOTE: In this sound film, Chaplin, in a dual role, used his beloved "tramp" character to play the double of a dictator not so subtly patterned after Adolf Hitler. At the … [Read more...] about Relevant To Iran: Charlie Chaplin’s Great Dictator Speech
An End to Buffoonish Fathers (Guest Voice)
An End to Buffoonish Fathers by Tom Purcell Ah, Father’s Day is upon us. I can’t think of a better time for dads and men to remember how to be dads and men. Flip on the tube any time during the day and you’ll see fathers portrayed as hapless buffoons – saved from themselves by their wives and all-knowing children. The real life of the modern dad isn’t much … [Read more...] about An End to Buffoonish Fathers (Guest Voice)
Twelve Angry White People: Jury Nullification in a Pennsylvania Coal Town (Updated)
NOTE: This is an update of a column that ran earlier on TMV. Twelve Angry White People: Jury Nullification in a Pennsylvania Coal Town by Walter Brasch The Schuylkill County, Pa., justice system managed to do something that insurance actuaries do with mixed results--it determined not only the penalty for threats to a human life, but also the value of a human … [Read more...] about Twelve Angry White People: Jury Nullification in a Pennsylvania Coal Town (Updated)
Happy Father’s Day
Cam Cardow, The Ottawa Citizen This cartoon is copyrighted and licensed to appear on TMV. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. … [Read more...] about Happy Father’s Day
Vanishing White-Collar Jobs: Alternatives?
White-collar job opportunities are just drying up. A former scholar Matthew Crawford, a PhD. in political philosophy from University of Chicago who after his studies became a motorcycle mechanic, says "The trades suffer from low prestige. Because the work is dirty, many people assume it is also stupid. This is not my experience." Crawford writes in his book Shop Class as … [Read more...] about Vanishing White-Collar Jobs: Alternatives?
‘Iran’s Ayatollahs are Doomed’: Les Dernieres Nouvelles d’Alscace of France
Are we watching the death throes of a decrepit and corrupt dictatorship - or the beginnings of a Persian-style Tienanmen? According to Jean-Claude Kiefer of France's Les Dernieres Nouvelles d'Alsace, the mullahs that run the Islamic Republic are 'doomed' because openness to the outside is a mortal threat to the regime there - and as anyone who tweets can see - openness of … [Read more...] about ‘Iran’s Ayatollahs are Doomed’: Les Dernieres Nouvelles d’Alscace of France
For The People Of Iran (and the rest of us)
A little history -- and hopefully a future for Iran. … [Read more...] about For The People Of Iran (and the rest of us)
Tehran 2009 is NOT Tiananmen Square
In the wake of the Iranian government crackdown today it's tempting to compare the fate of the protest movement to that held in the Spring of 1989 in Beijing. Of course, we don't know the ultimate fate of the current protests in Iran so even superficial comparisons are premature at this point. But there is another more profound difference between the two situations that we … [Read more...] about Tehran 2009 is NOT Tiananmen Square
Lawyer for Scientology France Rails Against Injustice: Le Monde of France
Continuing with our coverage of the just-concluded trial against Scientology in France, this news item from Le Monde is in part made up of quotes from Scientology's lead attorney, Patrick Maisonneuve, who sees the case as a cop-out on the part of prosecutors. While the charges against Scientology are for organized group fraud and the illegal use of pharmaceuticals, Maisonneuve … [Read more...] about Lawyer for Scientology France Rails Against Injustice: Le Monde of France
Daniel Pearl With a Happy Ending
The escape of a New York Times reporter from seven months of captivity in Pakistan recalls the shock of Daniel Pearl's beheading there seven years ago and prompts second thoughts about the uses of secrecy in a tell-all media age. Unlike Pearl's captors, the kidnappers of David Rohde did not release videos of their work, and his family and employers chose to maintain secrecy … [Read more...] about Daniel Pearl With a Happy Ending
Saturday Roundup
David Rohde, a New York Times reporter who was abducted by the Taliban seven months ago, has escaped and is on his way home. One striking detail about this story comes from his wife, Kristen Mulvihill: … [Read more...] about Saturday Roundup
President Barack Obama’s Statement On Iran
President Barack Obama has just issued this statement on Iran: The Iranian government must understand that the world is watching. We mourn each and every innocent life that is lost. We call on the Iranian government to stop all violent and unjust actions against its own people. The universal rights to assembly and free speech must be respected, and the United States stands … [Read more...] about President Barack Obama’s Statement On Iran
Iran’s Events Today: The Worst Possible Outcome?
RealClearWorld's Kevin Sullivan has a great roundup of events today in Iran -- and he fears today's events were the worst possible outcome: In a way, I fear what happened today may be the worst possible outcome. The Iranian government's brutality has been put on display, but that's in part due to the lower-than-anticipated turnout in Tehran (judging from secondhand info, … [Read more...] about Iran’s Events Today: The Worst Possible Outcome?
The Pragdealist Alternative: A Declaration of Independence
The following is a guest voice contribution from Allan Goldstein. --------------------- A new wind is blowing through America. Change is in the air and I’m not talking about Barack Obama. This change is deeper than that, more fundamental. Our president is a product of that change, not its cause. Americans are marginalizing the margins. The fastest growing party … [Read more...] about The Pragdealist Alternative: A Declaration of Independence
The Khadijah Williams Story Reduced Me To Tears
I was reduced to tears reading the story of Khadijah Williams in The Los Angeles Times. It is the drenching, heart-warming story of a homeless girl overcoming incredible odds and earning a full scholarship to attend Harvard University. It is required reading for anyone believing our public education system is in the tank. In Khadijah's case, the system worked with help from … [Read more...] about The Khadijah Williams Story Reduced Me To Tears
Parallels Between Tehran 1979 and Tehran 2009?
There are, says BBC correspondent John Simpson, present for protests at both points in history. His reflections suggest that any pro-democracy celebrations in other parts of the world may be premature: When I go out into the streets now and see the crowds with their green ribbons and scarves and face-paint and balloons, it occurs to me that I am looking at a coalition of … [Read more...] about Parallels Between Tehran 1979 and Tehran 2009?
Iran’s Election Results: “The Devil Is in the Digits”
We have all heard by now of the allegations of massive fraud in the counting and reporting of the recent election results in Iran. There is telltale "suggestive evidence" that tends to confirm such allegations: * The unrealistically high votes for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in urban areas, including Tehran and Tabriz where he is not very popular. * The surprisingly … [Read more...] about Iran’s Election Results: “The Devil Is in the Digits”
Live Blogging Reports: Mousavi On Street Says “I Am Ready For Death”
As Iranians defy Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's warning that there will be blood on the streets of Tehran if there are continued protests, it's now clear that there are indeed extensive protests going on in Iran -- and the latest is that two of the key sites on the Internet now have reports saying opposition candidate Hossein Mousavi who was earlier reported to be … [Read more...] about Live Blogging Reports: Mousavi On Street Says “I Am Ready For Death”
Empathy, Conservatives and Health Care Reform
There has been an interesting exchange between Freddie deBoer and Mark Thompson over at League of Ordinary Gentlemen on how conservatives approach health care reform. It's been fascinating because I think it explains why the conservative arguments against major change doesn't ring very true to the larger public. I don't always agree with Freddie, but this has been on of the … [Read more...] about Empathy, Conservatives and Health Care Reform