Some teenagers, apparently with the encouragement of their money-losing parents, have toilet papered the house of alleged Ponzi scheme operator Bernard Madoff, who is alleged to have run a $50 billion fraud: Tidbits of toilet paper twisted in the wind at Bernard Madoff's Palm Beach home Monday morning - possibly the work of some ticked off teens who lost their trust … [Read more...] about Signs Madoff’s Victims Are Flushed With Anger
Obama On Emissions Standards Restrictions: “We Will Not Deny Facts. We Will Be Guided By Them”
Declaring that "Rigid ideology has overruled sound science," President Barack Obama signed an executive order basically scuttling roadblocks the Bush administration has placed in the way of California and other states in setting their own emission and fuel efficiency standards. But, most important, he gave yet another sign that his election has brought a major change in … [Read more...] about Obama On Emissions Standards Restrictions: “We Will Not Deny Facts. We Will Be Guided By Them”
If Someone Coughs Or Sneezes You Can Catch Fat
Be careful if someone coughs near you. You could catch fat. Great Britain's The Daily Express reports: OBESITY can be “caught” as easily as a common cold from other people’s coughs, sneezes and dirty hands, scientists will claim today. Researchers believe that an airborne “adenovirus” germ could be causing the fat plague that is blighting Britain and other … [Read more...] about If Someone Coughs Or Sneezes You Can Catch Fat
Feeding Off Failure: Bill Kristol, WaPo, and the Ongoing Prominence of Conservative Punditry
(Joe posted earlier today on Kristol's departure from the Times. Here's my take, focusing more on his new gig at the Post.) The New York Times, like Time before it, has dumped neocon extraordinaire Bill Kristol following a relatively brief op-ed tenure writing what Steve Benen rightly calls "misguided, predictable, and dull columns." (Check out Mustang Bobby's great post … [Read more...] about Feeding Off Failure: Bill Kristol, WaPo, and the Ongoing Prominence of Conservative Punditry
How Bad Is The Economy?
It's this bad... … [Read more...] about How Bad Is The Economy?
Shame On Blagojevich And The Rest Of Us
The idea of defamed Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich skipping his impeachment trial and appearing on the tabloid news shows makes me barf. Shame on him. Shame on the television producers. Shame on the American public watching this crap. The man is a disgrace. Blagojevich tarnishes everything that is good about government. He's in this position for himself and only himself. He … [Read more...] about Shame On Blagojevich And The Rest Of Us
Continuing Translated Global Reaction to the Obama Presidency
'CONQUEST OF THE WHITE HOUSE' [Hoje Macau, Macau] Over the weekend, the people of WORLDMEETS.US have been hard at work to bring you continuing translated global reaction to the election of Barack Obama. Here are some of the most recent headlines from Europe, Africa and Latin America. Coming up this evening, translated coverage from Russia, France, Iraq and Bolivia: Die … [Read more...] about Continuing Translated Global Reaction to the Obama Presidency
Partisan
David Fitzsimmons, The Arizona Star This cartoon is copyrighted and licensed to run on this site. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. … [Read more...] about Partisan
Conservative Bill Kristol Has Left The New York Times Op-Ed Page Building
Although it will likely be couched in corporate sweety-speak from the New York Times itself, and will lead conservative old and new media pundits to thunder about how the liberal news media just can't take a real conservative's opinion, the news that The Weekly Standard maven Bill Kristol's contract wasn't being renewed by the Times didn't come to a surprise to one segment of … [Read more...] about Conservative Bill Kristol Has Left The New York Times Op-Ed Page Building
Saying Goodbye to Rush
This is one of those stories which I initially hoped would just go away, but for some reason it keeps hanging around like that old set of luggage you just can't take down to the good will store. Our new president made an off hand comment the other day, invoking the name of Right wing blowhard Rush Limbaugh. "You can't just listen to Rush Limbaugh and get things done," he … [Read more...] about Saying Goodbye to Rush
The Third Wave Continued
In a recent post I that predicted we were on the verge of the next stage of the economic crisis, in which global political strife would erupt and bring down governments, lead to some national bankruptcies and cause trade protectionism. A commenter asked me to be more specific. I've found several examples that highlight what I was talking about exactly: Iceland's government … [Read more...] about The Third Wave Continued
Taking Over the Banks
Call it "partial" or "temporary," the momentum for nationalizing US banks is growing across the political and economic spectrum. President Obama, Paul Krugman writes, is "going to have to decide how bold to be in his moves to sustain the financial system, where the outlook has deteriorated so drastically that a surprising number of economists, not all of them especially … [Read more...] about Taking Over the Banks
PTSD and the Purple Heart
Just two weeks before the inauguration of President Barack Obama, the Pentagon announced that it would not award the Purple Heart to war veterans who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder because it is not a physical injury. Eileen Lainez, a Pentagon spokeswoman, said: Historically, the Purple Heart has never been awarded for mental disorders or psychological … [Read more...] about PTSD and the Purple Heart
Colbert Ups the Remix Ante
You will remember that when Larry Lessig was interviewed on The Colbert Report, Stephen warned viewers. Nobody should...ever ever never ever take anything of mine and remix it! Some have... Colbert is mad! And so he's upped the ante: Now let me be very clear here. I do not -- NOT! -- want you to take my interview with Lawrence Lessig and remix it with a pumpin' k-hole … [Read more...] about Colbert Ups the Remix Ante
Memo to Disaffected Republicans: Enough with the Funeral Already!
Former GOP Congressman Mickey Edwards has written a piece about how Ronald Reagan would not recognize the current Republican Party. Now there is much to agree with in his essay, but at some point, this is all tiring. I mean, haven't we been hearing about how the GOP isn't what it used to be for quite some time? Goldwater-style Republicans, libertarians, people like me who … [Read more...] about Memo to Disaffected Republicans: Enough with the Funeral Already!
Al Qaeda’s PR Campaign
Al Qaeda is coming after Obama hard, not with missiles or rockets, but with a PR campaign designed to turn moderate Muslims against the new President. I predicted this when al-Zawahri released a tape calling Obama a house negro. Before he even took office Al Qaeda was blaming him for the violence in Gaza and calling him a "hypocrite," a "killer" of innocents, an "enemy of … [Read more...] about Al Qaeda’s PR Campaign
Book Review: Dumbocracy by Marty Beckerman
Late last year Dumbocracy, a screamingly funny yet deadly serious book by writer Marty Beckerman, was a book whose time had come. It offered in one delicious (sometimes adult oriented) package serious interviews with The True Believers of both parties' bases: the pro-choice and anti-choice, pro-gay rights and anti-gay rights, pro-war and anti-war people of the far left and … [Read more...] about Book Review: Dumbocracy by Marty Beckerman
How Bad Is The Economy?
This bad. … [Read more...] about How Bad Is The Economy?
The Back of the Bus
Cartoon by Monte Wolverton, Cagle Cartoons The above cartoon is copyrighted and licensed to run on this site. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited. UPDATE: And be sure to read this roundup on Obama versus Limbaugh. … [Read more...] about The Back of the Bus
Obama Inherits Google Bomb “Failure” Link From Bush
Former President George Bush left President Barack Obama a lot of things which have been dutifully chronicled by the old mainstream and new media. But one item has been overlooked: he inherited Bush's "Google bomb" linking the Texan in searches with the word "failure." The L.A. Time's Top of the Ticket blog reports: On his way out, President Bush unintentionally dropped … [Read more...] about Obama Inherits Google Bomb “Failure” Link From Bush