This is not a subject I usually write about, but it is one I often think about -- and this reflection by Simon Critchley, a philosophy professor at the New School for Social Research in New York City, rang so true for me that I thought I would share it. … [Read more...] about What Is Happiness?
Sonia Sotomayor: First This, First That. Does It Really Matter?
President Obama has just nominated a brilliant, experienced and well-qualified person to the Supreme Court: Judge Sonia Sotomayor. Judge Sotomayor’s qualifications, experience, character, etc., will be exhaustively examined and debated by the members of the U.S. Senate. Surprisingly, Judge Sotomayor’s gender and heritage have received almost as much attention as her … [Read more...] about Sonia Sotomayor: First This, First That. Does It Really Matter?
Biden’s Message: Vote Hezbullah and Be Treated Like Hamas – Le Quotidien d’Oran of Algeria
During his recent trip to Beirut when he appeared to imply that Lebanese had better 'vote right' if they want to continue receiving generous American aid, was Vice President Joe Biden just being the gaffe machine we have come to know and love, or was he quite pointedly delivering a message on the part of the Obama Administration? According to Kharroubi Habib of Algeria's Le … [Read more...] about Biden’s Message: Vote Hezbullah and Be Treated Like Hamas – Le Quotidien d’Oran of Algeria
Sonia Sotomayor and Abortion Rights
Amid all the coverage of Pres. Obama's nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to replace David Souter on the Supreme Court, not a whole lot of attention has been given to her views on Roe v. Wade. Charlie Savage has an article about this subject in the New York Times: … [Read more...] about Sonia Sotomayor and Abortion Rights
Green Shoots Into Dead Weeds?
The popular consensus has become that the economy has "bottomed" and will most likely resume growth by the end of the year. Even a lot of bears like Paul Krugman and Nouriel Roubini are now more concerned about prolonged stagnation rather than continued economic collapse. I'm just not buying it. Since learning about our problems back in 2006, I always anticipated that we … [Read more...] about Green Shoots Into Dead Weeds?
Judge Sonia Sotomayor: Hispanic? Other Thoughts re Diversity
Well, I could write a whole article about the labels/ monikers Latinos carry... we are Latinos, Latinas (speaking/living in a common Latinate language and bloodline)... we are Chicanos, Chicanas (a self-named title for people of Latino descent who raise political voices)... we are spics and anclas (derisive), indios (derisive), meztisos, meztisas (Native American and Spanish … [Read more...] about Judge Sonia Sotomayor: Hispanic? Other Thoughts re Diversity
PRESIDENT OBAMA MUST AND WILL FAIL
President Obama needs to fail in order to become a better leader. Every U.S. President has met with failures of all kinds, and frequently they were self-inflicted. Great men around the world engaged in politics, business and every human endeavor become great in their fields because they have failed – and sometimes many times. History’s best and most respected individuals … [Read more...] about PRESIDENT OBAMA MUST AND WILL FAIL
Burris, Obama’s Bookend
A newly released transcript shows the President's Senate replacement craven but just short of corrupt in his slavering for the appointment by the former Gov. Rod Blagojevich--more "pray" than "pay to play." "In the call," the New York Times reports, "he seemed almost in a crass negotiation with Mr. Blagojevich’s brother--also his chief fund-raiser--over how he could help the … [Read more...] about Burris, Obama’s Bookend
All You Want To Know You Already Knew (Maybe)
Sometimes I wonder if I'm the only person in the world who occasionally reads findings and conclusions by experts in the health care field and say to myself, "Well, duh!" Two such studies appeared on the Internet today. One debunked the practice many cardiologists prescribe for wearing tight stockings to prevent blood clots in heart attack patients. The other torched the … [Read more...] about All You Want To Know You Already Knew (Maybe)
Judge Sotomayor Appointment
RJ Matson, The St. Louis Post Dispatch This cartoon is copyrighted and licensed to appear on TMV. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited … [Read more...] about Judge Sotomayor Appointment
The Sotomayor Distraction
I confess: Over the last 24 hours, I did not understand the rationale behind the GOP's decision to toss its spin machine into high gear vs. Sotomayor. If confirmed, she would not replace a contemporary-conservative favorite like Thomas, Scalia, Roberts, or Alito. She wouldn't even replace swing-voting Kennedy. She'd replace Souter. Days ago, leaders of the modern … [Read more...] about The Sotomayor Distraction
Sotomayor Doesn’t Suit Yoo
As Republicans mull their response to the naming of a Latino woman to the Supreme Court, they have the benefit of legal scholarship from John Yoo, who suggests that Sonia Sotomayor would be "voting her emotions and politics rather than the law." George W. Bush's torture expert is troubled by the nominee's lack of legal "firepower." He points out, "There are no opinions that … [Read more...] about Sotomayor Doesn’t Suit Yoo
Sotomayor
Pat Bagley, Salt Lake Tribune This cartoon is copyrighted and licensed to run on TMV. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. UPDATE: An exaggeration? Perhaps...perhaps not... … [Read more...] about Sotomayor
Barack Obama is the LeBron James of the Democratic Party
Guest post by Frankie Sturm Frankie Sturm is communications director at the Truman National Security Project and a free-lance journalist. This piece originally appeared at The Huffington Post. Barack Obama is the LeBron James of the Democratic Party. At least when it comes to national security. Republicans have dominated Democrats on the security question for decades, but … [Read more...] about Barack Obama is the LeBron James of the Democratic Party
Topsy: Search Ranking Based on Twitter Linking
Michael Arrington summarizes the evolution of search: Before Google, search engines like AltaVista determined relevance based on how well a web page matched the query. Then came Google, which views the web as a network of documents. Today, all search engines analyze linking behavior around the web. When a web page is linked to a lot, it’s given more influence than other pages … [Read more...] about Topsy: Search Ranking Based on Twitter Linking
Sonia Sotomayor & Ethnic Identification
By SHAUN MULLEN GUEST VOICE Sonia Sotomayor (say so-toe-my-YORE) would not be the first Hispanic to serve on the Supreme Court. To take nothing away from the justifiable pride that Hispanics feel in the nomination of the child of Puerto Rican immigrant parents who grew up in a South Bronx housing project and was a summa cum laude graduate of Princeton, that distinction … [Read more...] about Sonia Sotomayor & Ethnic Identification
LEFT, RIGHT AND IN-FIELD COMMENTS
It’s late May and the Baseball season is fully underway. (I can't believe professional basketball and hockey are still being played.) School is soon to be in summer recess if not already as here in Arizona. Springtime is moving towards summer (In Arizona that means daily temperatures formerly in the 80s’s and 90’s to daily temperatures between 105 and 115 through the end of … [Read more...] about LEFT, RIGHT AND IN-FIELD COMMENTS
California Supreme Court Upholds Proposition 8
BUMPED AND UPDATED For what it's worth I've had the chance to review the decision and I have posted my thoughts and opinions under the fold. Also, Bush v Gore rivals Ted Olson and David Boies will file suit in Federal Court to seek an injunction on Proposition 8 so the courts can review if the measure violates federal law. I am not sure if the court will take the case and … [Read more...] about California Supreme Court Upholds Proposition 8
History Lesson
North Korea fired two more short-range missiles today. These are in addition to the three short-range missiles it fired yesterday, after its underground explosion of a nuclear bomb: … [Read more...] about History Lesson
Court May ‘Dissolve’ Scientology in France: Liberation, France
Is the church founded by the late science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard a unique way to obtain spiritual guidance in a troubled world, or is it a fraud designed to part the gullible from their hard earned money? It is a debate that's been going on since the Church of Scientology was founded in 1954. According to this article by Angélique Négroni of France's Liberation, … [Read more...] about Court May ‘Dissolve’ Scientology in France: Liberation, France