Thanks to the miracle technology of RSS feeds, I am able to look at hundreds of news stories, blog commentaries, and cute pictures of kittens every day. One of my favorite news sources is the Christian Science Monitor. Their research is solid, the coverage in-depth, and despite the things implied by their name, they are very low on bias. Today, the CSM asks "Can McCain … [Read more...] about Arizona, McCain, and an Interesting Question
“Danger Signs” for Obama? (No.)
ABC News's Jake Tapper suggests that Obama's 6-point lead over McCain (48-42) in a recent poll is actually "a surprisingly small lead considering that the incumbent Republican president George Bush is at record lows and public opinion overwhelmingly feels the country is on the 'wrong track'." He argues that Obama has not received much of a "bounce" from his victory over Hillary … [Read more...] about “Danger Signs” for Obama? (No.)
Cindy McCain & Recipe-Gate Part 2: A Teapot in a Tempest
But of course: it's always the mid-Twentieth Century for a certain segment of the American public. Family Circle is sponsoring a bake-off between potential First Spouses. Which one is the best role model for the homemakers of America? As The New York Daily News says, '[T]he stakes are not small. The wives of the winners of the last four presidential elections … [Read more...] about Cindy McCain & Recipe-Gate Part 2: A Teapot in a Tempest
The Incredibility of Curveball
"Curveball" -- the Iraqi exile who, through German's Federal Intelligence Service (BND), provided disinformation (i.e., lies) that served as one of the key planks in Bush's pre-Iraq War case against Saddam on alleged WMDs -- has finally spoken publicly (h/t: TPM). Largely discredited and living in Germany, where he hardly lives like a king, Rafid Ahmed Alwan now claims that … [Read more...] about The Incredibility of Curveball
Errata
In a post called Associated Press, Please Dont Fall on Your Sword... the last letter of the three initials of the music company associated with Bertelsmann were accidently typed as I instead of G. The music arm of Bertelsmann publishing is BMG, not BMI. At TMV, we correct copy if need be, in as timely a way as possible given we all have day jobs, and often more than one. … [Read more...] about Errata
Voting Rights for Ex-Felons in Florida
Charlie Crist---the Republican Governor of my very own state--- is right: “Once somebody has truly paid their debt to society, we should recognize it, and we should honor it and we should welcome them back into society and give them that second chance.” (NYT) I've always thought that it was disgraceful that Florida permanently banned ex-felons … [Read more...] about Voting Rights for Ex-Felons in Florida
Hating America
The question isn't "is it ever justified". Of course, sometimes it is -- if America engaged in a massive genocide of the Jews, Jews would be justified in hating America. The question is, what would America have to do to an individual person for us to say, "that person is justified in hating America"? And more specifically, does years of extra-legal detention in an isolated … [Read more...] about Hating America
Ireland Rejects EU Treaty – What Now?
And so, just when it looked as though the E.U. countries might be able to end their half-decade-long confused march toward constitutional reform and get back to the business of, you know, governing, voters in Ireland threw a wrench into the gears by rejecting the Lisbon Treaty in a referendum last Thursday. … [Read more...] about Ireland Rejects EU Treaty – What Now?
Quote of the Day: Mike Huckabee On Demonizing Obama
The quote of the day comes from Republican Mike Hubackabee: Former US presidential contender Mike Huckabee urged his fellow Republicans on Wednesday not to denigrate Democrat Barack Obama, saying they should celebrate the historic moment of a black candidate. "Republicans will make a fundamental if not fatal mistake if they seek to win the election by demonising Barack … [Read more...] about Quote of the Day: Mike Huckabee On Demonizing Obama
Michelle Obama Polls Better Than Cindy McCain
The latest poll shows Obama is ahead of McCain and McCain is less defined in many voters' minds. Does this this mean McCain is poised for better future numbers? Or does this mean the Obama camp must start defining McCain? Yes, this poll showing Michelle Obama ahead of Cindy McCain will get a lot of attention --and will probably keep political operatives busy figuring out how … [Read more...] about Michelle Obama Polls Better Than Cindy McCain
It’s a bird it’s a plane
Tab, The Calgary Sun … [Read more...] about It’s a bird it’s a plane
Obama’s Change: Shouting at the ocean
Newsweek's Evan Thomas is a journalist and a beltway insider. He considers himself a cog - albeit a small one - in the machine that keeps Washington, D.C. running much the same as it has run for generations. In his column this week he recounts a meeting with a number of other such insiders where they pondered Barack Obama's potential ability to really change the fundamental way … [Read more...] about Obama’s Change: Shouting at the ocean
Free Use: A Remembrance
Ongoing Associated Press actions have us all talking about Fair Use. I thought I'd use the opportunity to say a word about Free Use. In a podcast of the Princeton University/Microsoft Intellectual Property Conference panel on Creativity and I.P. Law: How Intellectual Property Law Fosters or Hinders Creative Work from May 2006, Larry Lessig discussed the demise of Free … [Read more...] about Free Use: A Remembrance
Cyd Charisse: An Appreciation
Charisse with Kelly (top) in Singin' in the Rain and Astaire in Bandwagon Let's get the physical stuff out of the way first: Cyd Charisse had the finest legs in Hollywood, was the greatest dancer – and unquestionably the most sensuous -- to ever grace the silver screen in a skirt and was every bit as good as the great Fred Astaire and the almost as great Gene Kelly. … [Read more...] about Cyd Charisse: An Appreciation
Associated Press: A Brief Look at Fair Use and a Lost Story of The Grateful Dead
It is just my two cents worth, but after sitting for ten years and still on The Author's Guild Board, and the Advisory Board of the National Writer's Union-- and I only mention this because I have seen so many cases of what appears to constitute and what appears not to constitute proper usage of the 'fair use' clause in copyright... this is why I say, given the outcome of … [Read more...] about Associated Press: A Brief Look at Fair Use and a Lost Story of The Grateful Dead
Associated Press, Please Dont Fall on Your Sword and Hurt Yourself The Way the NYT Did
It has dawned slowly on big publishing companies like HarperCollins, Bertelsmann (which owns BMG and bought into Napster with 80M,) Penguin, and other of the few conglomerates that run big publishing nowadays that the internet and the flow of info is not a threat, but a huge opportunity. It has come so slowly to their awareness that the buggy whip business model is over, the … [Read more...] about Associated Press, Please Dont Fall on Your Sword and Hurt Yourself The Way the NYT Did
As Bad as Bush Was, Europeans Hardly Helped
While most of Europe celebrates the fast-impending end of the Bush presidency, the painful truth is that, according to Joachim Fritz-Vannahme who writes for Germany's Die Zeit: "What most people know but prefer to overlook is that it wasn't one man alone who widened the gap between the two sides of the Atlantic, and that the bogeyman Bush often either approved or facilitated … [Read more...] about As Bad as Bush Was, Europeans Hardly Helped
Earth To Aspiring Pundits: There Is No Such Thing As A Free Lunch In The Blogosphere . . .
. . . Which makes calls for a boycott against The Associated Press because of its warning that using wire service content in the form of excerpts and links without payment is in violation of copyright law is misguided -- or to put it in terms that some bloggers would understand, it's plain stoopid. I seem to be in the minority on this point of view, and there are some … [Read more...] about Earth To Aspiring Pundits: There Is No Such Thing As A Free Lunch In The Blogosphere . . .
Some Other Famous Tragic Victims Of Heart Disease
Americans remain shocked at the death of top broadcast journalist Tim Russert due to a heart attack at age 58. One of the most famous celebrities to die of heart disease at a young age was singer Bobby Darin, who died at age 37. Here is the REAL Bobby Darin (not the one from the movie bio) doing his signature "Mack The Knife" song one year before his death. And then … [Read more...] about Some Other Famous Tragic Victims Of Heart Disease
Around The Blogs
Every evening I take some time to check out some of the political posts and I thought I'd start to share a few of my finds with our readers. Over at Election Projection they have an overview of the Presidential/Congressional races. This is a site well worth checking out every week. Instapundit has a critique of Obama's commentary on fatherhood and black … [Read more...] about Around The Blogs