Since the election of Barack Obama, the left portion of the blogosphere has been insistent on charging George Bush and Dick Cheney with criminal and civil lawsuits surrounding the use of "enhanced interrogation techniques" in places like Gitmo. The loud rumbling that was all over the airwaves have suddenly gone silent over the past few weeks. The outrage has simmered down … [Read more...] about Charge Bush, Pelosi and the rest of Congress
A Cow in Queens & A Call for Glass Walls
The story of the cow that escaped a slaughterhouse in Queens, was named Molly and taken to Farm Sanctuary, a vegan farm where she could roam free in upstate New York, sent me back to Michael Pollan's December 2002 New York Times Magazine cover story, An Animal’s Place: There’s a schizoid quality to our relationship with animals, in which sentiment and brutality exist side by … [Read more...] about A Cow in Queens & A Call for Glass Walls
Getting A Little Perspective On The Flu
Let me begin by saying that I do recognize that the current swine flu outbreak is serious and it is important for us to be cautious in dealing with it. It is also quite appropriate for the media to give significant coverage to the topic and for all of us to be prepared. The government should be working to stockpile proper supplies of serum to prevent it from getting out of … [Read more...] about Getting A Little Perspective On The Flu
A Musing On Womanly Sensitivities: Sonia, Ruth, Sandra, Elizabeth & Rielle
By SHAUN MULLEN GUEST VOICE Judge Sonia Sotomayor, who is said to have the inside track to replace Supreme Court Justice David Souter, is being flogged pretty hard on the intertubes for, among other things, saying that as a woman she brings certain sensitivities to the job. You know, like knowing what it's like to be discriminated against on the basis of gender. I can't … [Read more...] about A Musing On Womanly Sensitivities: Sonia, Ruth, Sandra, Elizabeth & Rielle
Newspaper Metamorphosis
Mike Lane, Cagle Cartoons This cartoon is copyrighted and licensed to appear on TMV. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. … [Read more...] about Newspaper Metamorphosis
The Art of War and of Coaching Girls’ Basketball
Malcolm Gladwell has unearthed another gem. It is the story of Vivek Ranadive, an immigrant from Mumbai who founded a software company in Silicon Valley. Mr. Ranadive volunteered to coach his 12-year-old daughter's basketball team. The girls on her team were not tall, were not good shooters and were not good at handling the ball. Mr. Ranadive had never played basketball … [Read more...] about The Art of War and of Coaching Girls’ Basketball
Obama Confronts the Solitude of the White House: Izvestia, Russia
This characteristically cold-eyed article from Russia's Izvestia, once the official newspaper of the Soviet government, joins in the global summing up of President Obama's first 100 days in office, and makes a startling admission - considering the newspaper's origins. For Izvestia, Vasiliy Voropayev writes in part: "Summing things up is an absorbing preoccupation. Even … [Read more...] about Obama Confronts the Solitude of the White House: Izvestia, Russia
Cheney: The GOP Shouldn’t Be More Moderate
Take that Colin Powell! You can tell that former Vice President Dick Cheney isn't on the same wavelength with former Secretary of Defense Colin Powell by a bit of news that's breaking that in a sense is...not news. Earlier this week, Powell argued that the GOP needs to reach out and offer a more moderate face to voters which provoked an angry response from a man Cheney has … [Read more...] about Cheney: The GOP Shouldn’t Be More Moderate
The Great Performers: Aerosmith’s Janie’s Got A Gun
Do you like great showmanship, lyrics, vocals, rock melody and musicianship? Look no further than Aerosmith...in one of their best from the album "Pump": … [Read more...] about The Great Performers: Aerosmith’s Janie’s Got A Gun
Herald of Change
OBAMA, HERALD OF CHANGE: In the words of the certainly-not-conservative Jeffrey Rosen,Barack Obama is trying to split the difference on torture. He wants to move forward--no messy dwelling on the Bush-Cheney era--except that he'll look backward if forced. There will be no independent commission to hold top-ranking officials politically accountable. But, if Attorney General Eric … [Read more...] about Herald of Change
Obama’s Offer To Resolve Black Farmers’ Pigford Claims
Obama Foodorama: Later today, when the President announces his 2010 budget, which slashes 121 programs and about $17 billion, there'll be one crucial area where spending will increase. Working with his closest advisers, President Obama is attempting to redress the longstanding civil rights grievances of black American farmers, by proposing a $1.25 billion deal to settle the … [Read more...] about Obama’s Offer To Resolve Black Farmers’ Pigford Claims
President Obama: You’ve Paid for the Report, Now Read It (Guest Voice)
President Obama: You've Paid for the Report, Now Read It by Barry Rubin The U.S. State Department has produced excellent research and analysis in its “Country Reports on Terrorism 2008” report just released. Now the only problem is to ensure the Obama administration reads and absorbs the contents. What can this report teach U.S. policymakers? Regarding Iran, … [Read more...] about President Obama: You’ve Paid for the Report, Now Read It (Guest Voice)
How Brave Americans Were Turned Into Torturers: Liberation, France
Unlike much of the global coverage of the the torture issue, this article from France's Liberation sets out to explain how it came to be that officials of the United States, regarded by many people around the world as the the foremost defender of freedom, came to use the very practices U.S. forces have fought and died to prevent. For France's Liberation, essayist and … [Read more...] about How Brave Americans Were Turned Into Torturers: Liberation, France
The Trivialization Of American All Attack All The Time Politics
How trivial has partisan politics gotten? How far do some folks who belong to political parties look for just anything to try and define and negatively characterize someone? GO HERE. (See the Cagle Cartoon below on talk radio.) PS: If Obama is an elitist for ordering a burger with spicy mustard, then this means all of my relatives who lived in the 20s who were dirt poor … [Read more...] about The Trivialization Of American All Attack All The Time Politics
Christian College Suspends Student for Working in Gay Pornography
The Chronicle: Grove City College, a Christian institution north of Pittsburgh, has suspended a student whom officials found to be working in the gay-pornography industry, reported The Herald, in Sharon, Pa. It's against the rules, obviously, but look what else is, too: Grove City’s student handbook lays out possible penalties for specific infractions, including a suspension … [Read more...] about Christian College Suspends Student for Working in Gay Pornography
Talk Radio
David Fitzsimmons, The Arizona Star This cartoon is copyrighted and licensed to run on TMV. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. … [Read more...] about Talk Radio
Cornyn v. Rush, et. al.
Perhaps the non-puritanical pragmatists have a prayer in the GOP, after all. Josh Kraushaar reports for Politico. … [Read more...] about Cornyn v. Rush, et. al.
Andy McCarthy Once Again Shows He Does Not Understand the Law
Andrew McCarthy has a long piece at National Review Online accusing the Department of Justice of "engaging in the worst type of hypocrisy." … [Read more...] about Andy McCarthy Once Again Shows He Does Not Understand the Law
Gitmo Gutbuster
Andrew Sullivan holds up this video as one reason he's not a Republican. He then links to Hilzoy who articulates the conclusion that any semi-intelligent adult should be able to reach: "If we can't have dangerous people living among us, then we are going to have a whole lot of extra prisons sitting around empty." (Not to mention all the job losses among prison security … [Read more...] about Gitmo Gutbuster
Ridge Won’t Run
Former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge has announced he will not run against Arlen Specter in 2010. While the Democratic primary is still in flux, this pretty much locks up the seat for the Democrats. … [Read more...] about Ridge Won’t Run