The recount is sort of done in Minnesota. I say sort of because there are still the allegedly missing 133 ballots as well as the 6,000 or so challenged ballots to be reviewed. The current count has Coleman up by 192 votes over Franken. From what I have read the experts think most of the challenges will be rejected but we still have to see where those go, and of course we … [Read more...] about Recount Is Done…. Almost…. Or Maybe Not
Quote Of The Day: Let’s Use The Word “Depression”
Former Clinton administration Labor Secretary Robert Reich gives us our quote of the day. Writing in his weblog he says this: Today's employment report, showing that employers cut 533,000 jobs in November, 320,000 in October, and 403,000 in September -- for a total of over 1.2 million over the last three months -- begs the question of whether the meltdown we're … [Read more...] about Quote Of The Day: Let’s Use The Word “Depression”
The Political Crisis in Canada
I've been closely monitoring the political situation here in Canada as events have unfolded over the past several days. Rarely are our politics so exciting. I've written two articles for The Guardian, the first with some background and an overview of the situation, the second a response to yesterday's developments (specifically, the governor general agreeing to Prime … [Read more...] about The Political Crisis in Canada
Holography in the News
Election Day featured CNN's holographic election coverage. (But were those images really holograms?) Later Endgadget pointed to NICT researchers developing a new method to make holography more practical (image above). And then yesterday The Chronicle reported on a U. of Southern California professor unveiling a Holographic Videoconferencing System. Other than looking … [Read more...] about Holography in the News
OJAILED
MSNBC: O.J. Simpson has been sentenced to 15 years in prison. CNN: O.J. Simpson gets at least 15 years in prison A Las Vegas judge sentenced fallen gridiron great O.J. Simpson to at least 15 years in prison for leading an armed hotel room confrontation over sports memorabilia in 2007. A pre-sentencing report recommends an 18-year prison term for O.J. Simpson, 61. … [Read more...] about OJAILED
Republicans Decide to Ruin the Technosphere
Just when you thought you were having fun with Twitter, instant messaging, Facebook and the like, somebody has to go and ruin it. You and your friends were probably just getting relaxed, being the "cool kids" on the block and keeping up with all of the latest trends and news on gadgets, entertainment and social ideals. Well, the Republicans have decided to take their pudgy … [Read more...] about Republicans Decide to Ruin the Technosphere
Marriage Equality: A Help, Not a Hindrance (Guest Voice)
Same-sex marriage has been in the news, particularly in California where Proposition 8 unleashed a firestorm of emotions on both sides. Centrist writer Scott Payne steps back and looks at the issue in this Guest Voice post. Marriage Equality: A Help, Not a Hindrance by Scott Payne For a month now the issue of same sex marriage has taken the spotlight in America's … [Read more...] about Marriage Equality: A Help, Not a Hindrance (Guest Voice)
Half-Million November Job Losses Worst In 34 Years
And the financial hits keep on coming: a new Labor Department report says more than half a million jobs were lost in November -- making it the worst job loss in 34 years. The economy shed 533,000 jobs in November, according to a government report Friday - bringing the year's total job losses to 1.9 million. November had the largest monthly job loss total since December … [Read more...] about Half-Million November Job Losses Worst In 34 Years
Bill O’Reilly To Quit Radio Show: Did Rush Limbaugh “Win”?
When Fox News talk powerhouse Bill O'Reilly announced several years ago that he was going to launch a talk radio show, some conservatives were angry, saying he was going to compete with and hurt conservative talk show radio icon Rush Limbaugh. But now the news sweeping the talk show and media world: O'Reilly will give up his highly rated radio show. So in the battle for the … [Read more...] about Bill O’Reilly To Quit Radio Show: Did Rush Limbaugh “Win”?
Coleman-Franken Update
In the never-ending battle between Norm Coleman and Al Franken (see "It's Coleman! No, It's Franken. No, Wait..."), it's now about 130 ballots from Minneapolis that have gone missing. According to last night's "Missing ballots stall Minnesota Senate recount," a missing envelope containing about 130 ballots has now stalled the recount in the Minnesota's U.S. Senate … [Read more...] about Coleman-Franken Update
Ambivalence Over Obama Inaugural
January 20th will be a dicey day. It represents a joyous celebration of Change but also a reminder of how much we have suffered in the last eight years and the pain that now has to be eased. Such uncertainty has clouded the triumph of Barack Obama, starting with Election Night when he canceled a fireworks display in Grant Park as inappropriate. As he takes office, what's the … [Read more...] about Ambivalence Over Obama Inaugural
Culture, Pilots, & Plane Crashes
Malcom Gladwell is out and about talking up his new book, Outliers. Among the stories he tells in the book is that of the January 1990 plane crash in which a Colombian jetliner crashed on Long Island, N.Y., after running out of fuel. Gladwell suggests the cause was "cultural issues." Salon's Ask The Pilot columnist, Patrick Smith, says that while Gladwell's theory is … [Read more...] about Culture, Pilots, & Plane Crashes
Obama Cabinet Meets With Approval
Recent polls have shown that voters seem happy with President-Elect Obama's choices for the Cabinet. A survey by Gallup and USA Today show 3 out of 4 voters, including a majority of Republicans, approve of his picks to date. Indeed the biggest objections seem to come from the far left who seem to have expected Obama to select nobody but hard-core liberals for his … [Read more...] about Obama Cabinet Meets With Approval
Disgusting Story Of Abuse
This story broke locally a few days ago and at first I was hesitant to believe that it was for real. Sadly, it turns out that it is true. These slimeballs held a teen prisoner for more than a year and did things to him that I hesitate to post. Clearly there will need to be a lot of investigation as to how some of this slipped through the cracks of the system that was … [Read more...] about Disgusting Story Of Abuse
The End of A Two Newspaper Town: Scripps Says Sell The Rocky
Scripps, owner of The Rocky Mountain News, has put the Denver paper up for sale. The Rocky (tabloid size, like the Chi Sun,) is one of the two long-term news rags in Denver, the other, The Denver Post (full sheet). The Rocky tended to lean left, the Post tended to lean right... though frankly both were pretty well-balanced, giving voice to many disparate views... and differing … [Read more...] about The End of A Two Newspaper Town: Scripps Says Sell The Rocky
Canadian Parliament Suspended
In a move that may have saved his government, Canadian PM Stephen Harper today asked Governor General Michaëlle Jean to suspend Parliament until the end of January. Some had speculated that Jean would deny the request but she has approved it and they will be out of business until the end of January. Some observers thought that perhaps this was just a move to delay the … [Read more...] about Canadian Parliament Suspended
Obama’s Familiar Orbit (Guest Voice)
Is President Barack Obama poised to bring about real change or preside over an administration that will basically be (more or less) politics and policies as usual? In this Guest Voice post, Michael Winship, senior writer for PBS's Bill Moyers Journal, notes that he's starting to get bad vibes from what he sees. Guest Voice posts do not necessarily reflect the opinion of TMV or … [Read more...] about Obama’s Familiar Orbit (Guest Voice)
LP Cover Parodies and the Fine Art of Self-Deprecation
I was in a Virgin Records Store earlier this week. (It's a place where I sometimes peruse, although I can't remember ever buying anything there, by the way.) As I looked around, this CD caught my eye: Imitation is, of course, if not the highest, one of the highest forms of flattery and obviously, this LP cover art from Def Leppard, a band I have managed to totally avoid … [Read more...] about LP Cover Parodies and the Fine Art of Self-Deprecation
Rethinking The Economic Crisis: A Clarion Call
I've been feeling as down as Michael and hitting my head about the common wisdom of trying to keep up consumption and asset prices. However, I'm starting to see some signs of clear-headed analysis creeping into the press and financial blogs. I will summarize the problem on a very large-scale level. It's not about housing prices, it's not about complex financial instruments, … [Read more...] about Rethinking The Economic Crisis: A Clarion Call
Quotes From The Blogosphere
A good roundup can be found here. … [Read more...] about Quotes From The Blogosphere