By SHAUN MULLEN GUEST VOICE It had been at least a couple of years since I played Exodus, the seminal Bob Marley and The Wailers reggae album. There was about a foot of snow on the ground and it was a most un-tropical four below zero outside the mountain retreat, but the coal stove was chug chugging away and the DF&C and I were plenty cozy as the living room filled with the … [Read more...] about Human Feelings & Universal Truths: The Timelessness Of Bob Marley’s Exodus
The You’ve Got To Be Kidding Department
I mean REALLY.... (Please Mommy, please make them stop...please let the man who keeps jumping in the spotlight go away and also make the people who are using him for things stop. Oh, please, Mommy.. I promise won't be bad anymore -- just please make them STOP!) … [Read more...] about The You’ve Got To Be Kidding Department
Davos 2009: ‘The Vampires’ Ball’ – Les Dernieres Nouvelles d’Alscace of France
It probably won't surprise Moderate Voice readers that this year's World Economic Summit in Davos is being written of with some derision by the world's columnists, the chief target of the flying tomatoes being the United States. This editorial from Les Dernieres Nouvelles d'Alsace of northwestern France tackles the 2009 'festivities' with great French panache. The … [Read more...] about Davos 2009: ‘The Vampires’ Ball’ – Les Dernieres Nouvelles d’Alscace of France
Gregg For Commerce
According to 'inside sources', President Obama will name New Hampshire Senator Judd Gregg to be Secretary of Commerce, making him the third Republican in the administration. Reports also suggest that one of the conditions for acceptance was that he would be replaced by a Republican even though New Hampshire has a Democratic Governor. Sources in Governor Lynch's office … [Read more...] about Gregg For Commerce
Newspapers at Obama’s Breakfast Table
I translate Dutch and Spanish articles for "Watching America" (watchingamerica.com). Dutch is quite difficult to translate, mainly because the word order is somewhat different from that in the English language, especially when it comes to the placement of the second verb (the one after the finite verb) in a clause or sentence. This verb is generally buried about a mile down … [Read more...] about Newspapers at Obama’s Breakfast Table
I Guess Republicans Do Have An Idea Other Than Tax Cuts
...and it is about the worst I've ever heard. Requiring banks to provide insanely low interest loans and then having them sell them to the government? That is partially what got us into this mess, except they want to raise the bar for conforming to $625k and also give a $15k tax credit. It is the bad housing policies of the past 8 years on steroids and is a misguided attempt to … [Read more...] about I Guess Republicans Do Have An Idea Other Than Tax Cuts
Arrest Warrant Issued for “Girls Gone Wild” Founder
In LA a couple hours ago. Wondering why? Some background from Claire Hoffman writing in the LA Times Magazine in the summer of 2006: Joe Francis, the founder of the "Girls Gone Wild" empire, is humiliating me. He has my face pressed against the hood of a car, my arms twisted hard behind my back. He's pushing himself against me, shouting: "This is what they did to me in … [Read more...] about Arrest Warrant Issued for “Girls Gone Wild” Founder
Cults of Personality: Obama vs. Palin
While many in the GOP are engaged in serious discussions of the Party's path out of the wilderness, others seem to be doubling down on bets which have previously failed to pay off. Eric Kleefeld of Talking Points Memo discusses the curious results of a recent poll in which a majority of Republicans seem to feel that the party needs to be more like Sarah Palin. A new … [Read more...] about Cults of Personality: Obama vs. Palin
Cigarettes: The Real Gateway Drug
In an effort to fan the flames of the healthy comment thread going at this morning's Michael Phelps post, here, a retread that's as true now as it was when I first posted it. The director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse and one of the U.S.’s leading addiction researchers, Nora Volkow [she's also Leon Trotsky's great-granddaughter], was interviewed on Fresh Air the … [Read more...] about Cigarettes: The Real Gateway Drug
What Role Does The Internet Play On Global Psyche?
I ran across this Financial Times column that blames the internet for the author's (and presumably society's) increasing anxiety about the economy. Another anecdote points out that some people are finding solace in social networking sites instead of falling into despair. So, is the internet a net positive or a net negative when it comes to the economic crisis? I believe that … [Read more...] about What Role Does The Internet Play On Global Psyche?
Patience
Cam Cardow, The Ottawa Citizen This cartoon is copyrighted and licensed to appear on TMV. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. … [Read more...] about Patience
The Digital Depository: Here Today, Gone Tomorrow
I was one of those impressed that Obama had a whole new whitehouse.gov site live at noon on inauguration day. On the other hand... At the exact moment Barack Obama was inaugurated, all traces of President Bush vanished from the White House Web site, replaced by images of and speeches by his successor. Attached to the Web site had been a booklet entitled 100 Things Americans … [Read more...] about The Digital Depository: Here Today, Gone Tomorrow
The Bipartisan Tango
The Washington air is filled with fake piety as Republican survivors of 2008 try to feign amity with a popular president and vote against him by making villains out of Congressional Democrats. In the House, they lined up unanimously against the stimulus bill, despite more schmoozing with Barack Obama than any recent president, while blaming Nancy Pelosi for their … [Read more...] about The Bipartisan Tango
Wells Fargo — A Dividend In Our Favor
Good news out of the failing financial sector, finally. Wells Fargo Bank reports it will pay back the federal government $371.5 million in its first quarterly bailout installment. Wells Fargo is believed to be the first major bank receiving TARP (Troubled Assets Relief Program) to do so. In an internal memo obtained by The Remmers Report, Wells Fargo said the quarterly … [Read more...] about Wells Fargo — A Dividend In Our Favor
Super Bowl Thoughts
I wrote a Super Bowl post yesterday at my blog that included comments on the game itself. I've been a Steelers fan since the mid-'70s, when, as a young boy growing up in Montreal, I fell in love with Bradshaw and Harris and Swann and Stallworth and the Steel Curtain. Even before I came to be a Canadiens fan in hockey, which is more or less mandatory in that city, they were … [Read more...] about Super Bowl Thoughts
Obama Interview with Al-Arabiya Cause for Arab Shame: Al-Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Here's a contrarian Arab view of President Obama's first formal interview since taking office, which he decided to give to Al-Arabiya, an Arabic news broadcaster based in the United Arab Emirates. In stark contrast to the nearly across-the-board praise the president has received for the gesture, Mohammad Al-Khalif of Saudi Arabia's Al-Riyadh newspaper says that it's not only … [Read more...] about Obama Interview with Al-Arabiya Cause for Arab Shame: Al-Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Obama Sends Supporters Email Asking For Support On Stimulus Plan
We've seen President Barack Obama take to the airwaves, pitching his economic stimulus plan. We've seen Obama take to the Internet, using You Tube to pitch his stimulus plan. Now he's taking to his supporters' email boxes, sending them an email urging them to clamor for support of the plan by "hosting or attending an Economic Recovery House Meeting this weekend." Here's the … [Read more...] about Obama Sends Supporters Email Asking For Support On Stimulus Plan
Tom Daschle Sends “Deeply Embarrassed” Letter To Senators Apologizing For His Taxes Mess
If this appointment sails through comedians will start saying the Obama administration is getting more passes than the San Diego Chargers. President Barack Obama has issued a statement saying he is "absolutely" standing by health secretary designate former Majority Leader Tom Daschle despite messy details that came out about Daschle's tax history. The betting according to … [Read more...] about Tom Daschle Sends “Deeply Embarrassed” Letter To Senators Apologizing For His Taxes Mess
Peace? Plan?
A post by Dylan Matthews, guest-blogging for Ezra Klein, has been nagging at me for a couple of days now. Netanyahu's policy position here is based entirely on negatives. He doesn't want to divide Jerusalem, even though annexing East Jerusalem is illegal and would cripple the Palestinian economy. He doesn't want a return to 1967 borders, even though that would secure Israel … [Read more...] about Peace? Plan?
Shoe Thrown At Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao In Britain
Now that George Bush is no longer President of the United States, it seems that political protesters with a lot of sole have found a new target to try and shoe: Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao had a shoe hurled at him at Cambridge University by a protester who verbally laced into him. Agence France-Presse reports: A SPEECH by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao at Britain's … [Read more...] about Shoe Thrown At Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao In Britain