Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has the worsening government-drug cartel nearly-full-scale war in Mexico under her microscope -- noting that the United States shares the blame due to its providing market demand here and warning that there is a risk of terrorists working with Mexican drug cartels to pose a potential risk to this side of the border: The United States is … [Read more...] about Clinton: U.S. Partly To Blame For Mexico’s Drug War Problem Which Poses Potential U.S.Threat
Obama’s Online Town Hall Q&A Begins This Morning
This morning President Barack Obama gets to do what many Presidents have dreamed of doing: having a Q&A that (if it's done correctly) excludes working, salaried journalists (a definition which in its usual sense excludes typical bloggers) and entails taking questions from more than people in a specific area -- a Q&A that will literally be conducted by the White House with … [Read more...] about Obama’s Online Town Hall Q&A Begins This Morning
Given “Expert” Financial Advice, Our Brains Shut Down
I expect one of the shifts in economic theory to come from our current financial mess will be a better understanding of humankind as irrational herd beast. The markets-know-best mentality of the past few decades sent the beast off a cliff. Wired Science: A brain-scanning study of people making financial choices suggests that when given expert advice, the decision-making … [Read more...] about Given “Expert” Financial Advice, Our Brains Shut Down
Mr. President: The Medal of Honor, Why a Measly Five?
Yesterday, March 25, was National Medal of Honor Day. President Barack Obama marked the day at Arlington National Cemetery by laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, accompanied by four living recipients of the nation’s highest military award. He also expressed his gratitude to all servicemen and women, especially those who have been awarded the Congressional … [Read more...] about Mr. President: The Medal of Honor, Why a Measly Five?
Tornado Season is Back
Tis the season, and we're not talking about Christmas. As Spring approaches and the air begins to warm, unstable air masses are marching across the nation and spawning tornadoes. There is currently a line of storms moving eastward across the southern portion of the nation, beginning in Mississippi and Alabama last night. This front will be moving into Florida and Georgia … [Read more...] about Tornado Season is Back
Forensic Science in the Service of the State
Forensic scientists who testify for criminal defendants are under fire. Radley Balko says they ought to be praised: Ideally, government medical examiners would not only be independent of the state's law enforcement agencies, they would be free to testify against any state claims unsupported by scientific evidence. But that isn't the case in most of the country... Last week, … [Read more...] about Forensic Science in the Service of the State
Beware Of Flawed Polling (Guest Voice)
Beware of Flawed Polling by Dheeraj Chand The contrast in quality between the news and opinion divisions of The Wall St. Journal never ceases to amaze me. While the news reporting has won award after award, and has become the definitive source of news for the American business and financial communities, the opinion pages are characterized by what some would … [Read more...] about Beware Of Flawed Polling (Guest Voice)
Defending Bush (Guest Voice)
Defending Bush by Dalitso Njolinjo How do you defend the indefensible? How do you defend the modern day villain? How do you defend someone that is seen in the mind of the public (UK) as a caricature of evil itself? Is he a diabolical evil mastermind? Well no, he is just a man who was thrown into an impossibly difficult position. America seems to mythologize the … [Read more...] about Defending Bush (Guest Voice)
Newspapers
David Fitzsimmons, The Arizona Star This cartoon is copyrighted and licensed to appear on TMV. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. … [Read more...] about Newspapers
Health Care Reform
I had previously opened up a discussion on this important topic but had not revisited it in a while and since it is likely to be a major issue in the coming months I thought it was worth addressing again. I presume it goes without saying that we all agree that there is a problem, that our current health care system is incredibly messed up and that unless we make some major … [Read more...] about Health Care Reform
Titanic Tales: Now The Flask & An Archive
The world-wide interest in Titanic tragedy (of 1912) was fueled by the 1997 film on the sinking of this Olympic-class passenger liner. Interestingly, tales relating to The Titanic keep surfacing with surprising regularity. Here is the latest one attributed to the survivor Ms Barbara West (photo left)... The latest story emerged after the death of Barbara, one of the last … [Read more...] about Titanic Tales: Now The Flask & An Archive
After Midnight Blogger: The Nothing Left to Say Edition
THE CSENDES EMBER We were climbing up past Maroon Bells It was getting to be a straight up climb. Needing breath, we stopped talking... Ran out of words even more than running out of breath. Something about being in the Csendes ember of Nature Makes small talk stupider than usual... Csendes ember, amongst my Magyar tribal people means, Man of Silence, the name for … [Read more...] about After Midnight Blogger: The Nothing Left to Say Edition
LET’S ELIMINATE CASH
An attorney completed a last will & testament for a kindly old lady. She paid him with a crisp new $100 bill. After she left, the lawyer noticed there was another $100 bill stuck to the first. The counselor was in an ethical quandary – should he tell his partner? Undoubtedly that cash might never be reported to the IRS as income for tax purposes either. Paying for and … [Read more...] about LET’S ELIMINATE CASH
Governor Douglas To Veto Gay Marriage Bill: Wrong But Brave
Vermont Governor Jim Douglas (R) has indicated that he will veto the gay marriage bill that is expected to come to his desk sometime this or next week. While I strongly disagree with his decision I have to admire the fact that he has the courage of his convictions. As Douglas himself has said, the odds are very strong that the bill will become law anyway. It passed the … [Read more...] about Governor Douglas To Veto Gay Marriage Bill: Wrong But Brave
Mexico Needs ‘Deeds, Not Words’ From Obama White House: El Universal, Mexico
Hillary Says: 'Although this isn't a FAILED state, I hope that their security system doesn't fail.' According to this editorial from Mexico's El Universal, after the disappointment Mexicans felt with the Bush Administration and the Democratically-controlled Congress, Mexicans are gun-shy about believing Obama's warm words. The El Universal editorial says in … [Read more...] about Mexico Needs ‘Deeds, Not Words’ From Obama White House: El Universal, Mexico
The Greatest of These is Charity (or Not)
When it comes to economics and money matters, I understand it...to a point. My partner is the better person when it comes to money. But I will give it a go when it comes to the following issue. I work for a non-profit, actually one and a half: I work part time as a pastor at a church and full time as a webmaster for a the administrative body of a mainline Protestant … [Read more...] about The Greatest of These is Charity (or Not)
The Other Side of AIG
Megan McArdle has a great post about the whole AIG bonus debacle. What we are starting to learn is that things are not what they seem. According to the popular rhetoric, the people getting these bonuses are the same ones that got us into this mess. But the reality is less clear. McArdle links to this letter op-ed letter from one person who received these bonuses. Before … [Read more...] about The Other Side of AIG
One Reason Why The News Media Gets A Bad Image
Why does the news media get a bad image among many Americans? Just as politicians slip up and appear bloated with self-importance, just as Hollywood stars can appear to be blow-fish, puffing up with huge opinions of themselves, just as bloggers (with the exception of me) often think they and their websites are more significant than they are...there are times when the … [Read more...] about One Reason Why The News Media Gets A Bad Image
To Make Up With Iran, U.S. Must Fess Up to 1953 Coup: Frankfurter Rundschau of Germany
Commentators around the world are debating the wisdom of President Obama's video message to Iranians last weekend. According to this pair of op-eds from Germany's Frankfurter Rundschau, if the United States wants to resume normal relations with Tehran, it's going to have to do a few things that it has hitherto been unwilling to do: officially admit to and apologize for the 1953 … [Read more...] about To Make Up With Iran, U.S. Must Fess Up to 1953 Coup: Frankfurter Rundschau of Germany
The Obama Administration’s New Anti-Drug Cartel Border Security Plan
It looks like a good, solid start... … [Read more...] about The Obama Administration’s New Anti-Drug Cartel Border Security Plan