That's, at least, what former presidential advisor Thomas Evans boldly called for in a recent op-ed for The New York Times. But you have to wonder what the consequences of such an action might be...and whether or not we can just sue ourselves out of this crisis. … [Read more...] about Sue OPEC To Lower Fuel Prices
A House of Cards: Al-Qaeda’s Ideological Rift
Sayyid Imam al-Sharif, known as “Dr Fadl,” is the subject of a must-read piece by author Lawrence Wright in The New Yorker. One of the most prominent jihadists – the man who literally wrote the ideological playbook for terrorists – al-Sharif recently had an unexpected epiphany. In a move that sparked intense debate in the jihadi world, al-Sharif came out last year with a … [Read more...] about A House of Cards: Al-Qaeda’s Ideological Rift
Mapping the Political ‘Sphere
My apologies to those of you who have already discovered this analysis, but for those (like me) who missed it, check it out: a map of the political blogosphere, courtesy of Presidential Watch '08. TMV ranks right up there with the others. And while this analysis shades us as "liberal," we're situated almost smack dab in the center of the cloud, just to the left (barely) of … [Read more...] about Mapping the Political ‘Sphere
Back in the Saddle
Yes -- for those who missed me (all four or five of you) -- I'm back. Though I didn't want to divulge travel plans prior to leaving -- I have a certain paranoia about publicly flagging when I'll be out of town and country -- I suppose it's now safe to share that our three-person family unit enjoyed a trip to New York and then London, with side-trips via train to Liverpool … [Read more...] about Back in the Saddle
Imus Steps In It Again With Race Comment Controversy
Yes, he has been back on the airwaves. And now, so is a new racial comment controversy swirling around radio talk show host Don Imus that some suggest is somewhat akin to one that got the broadcast radio talk show giant into hot water and forced to do a series of mea culpas and booted from his CBS radio and MSNBC morning gigs. Imus is insisting people are truly twisting this … [Read more...] about Imus Steps In It Again With Race Comment Controversy
On the radio today, CERN LHC debate & Liz Mair of RNC
Today on Mid Stream Radio, (1:00 PM eastern, 10:00 AM pacific) we're scheduled to interview prominent astrophysicist author and educator Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson. (At the time of this writing, Dr. Tyson's assistant is working through some scheduling issues, but we still hope to pull this together today.) Either way, during the first half hour we'll be covering some of the base … [Read more...] about On the radio today, CERN LHC debate & Liz Mair of RNC
A rare look inside the Gill Action Fund
The Advocate is out with a rare look inside the most effective pro-gay political weapon you never heard of: Gill Action, in my estimation, bears some resemblance to GOPAC, the political action committee Gingrich wielded to obtain the GOP’s landslide victories in 1994, when -- along with taking control of the U.S. House of Representatives for the first time in four decades -- … [Read more...] about A rare look inside the Gill Action Fund
George Carlin Memorial
RJ Matson, The St. Louis Post Dispatch … [Read more...] about George Carlin Memorial
Don’t Go There! Ugh… too late.
This just in from the Department of Unforced Errors. John McCain's chief strategist Charlie Black sat down with Fortune Magazine and probably got a wee bit too relaxed when talking about the realities of national defense in relation to the election. We saw how that might play out early in the campaign, when one good scare, one timely reminder of the chaos lurking in the … [Read more...] about Don’t Go There! Ugh… too late.
Afghanistan: First Woman Soldier Killed
The young Corporal Sarah Bryant, a member of the British Intelligence Corps, has become the first female soldier to be killed in Afghanistan. The mortal remains of Sarah and three other soldiers killed on June 17, when a device exploded in Helmand province near their base at Lashkar Gar, have reached Britain. (Photo above of Sarah on her wedding day to her husband Carl Bryant … [Read more...] about Afghanistan: First Woman Soldier Killed
Rove Says Obama Is Like “Arrogant” Martini Drinking Country Club Member
Comments by former White House political maven Karl Rove about presumptive Democratic Presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama to some Republican insiders underscore what's to come in campaign 2008 -- and what's wrong with American politics...how it has descended to All Personalities All The Time where frantically trying to define someone negatively often replaces serious … [Read more...] about Rove Says Obama Is Like “Arrogant” Martini Drinking Country Club Member
Vietnamese and Iraqi Refugees–Revisited
Yesterday, I wrote a column comparing--contrasting--the Vietnamese refugee crisis with the present and ongoing Iraqi refugee crisis. My comments were based mostly on personal experiences and on personal views on the issue. Most of the experiences came from a stint of military duty in 1975 at one of the Vietnamese refugee camps as a Senior Refugee Liaison Officer--a tour of … [Read more...] about Vietnamese and Iraqi Refugees–Revisited
BRITAIN’S INDEPENDENT ON CARLIN: Seven Words That Shook a Nation
Continuing our coverage of the global reaction to the death of George Carlin, WORLDMEETS.US has posted a poignant tribute from Britain's Independent that touches on the unique dilemma confronting 'responsible news organizations' covering his Carlin's passing: "George Carlin, the standup comedian who made legal history by uttering seven rude words, died on Sunday at the … [Read more...] about BRITAIN’S INDEPENDENT ON CARLIN: Seven Words That Shook a Nation
Online video: We’re watching far more than before
NYTimes: Compared with previous years, the number of Internet users who watched videos on YouTube and other Web sites has risen only slightly. The overall number crept to about 135 million in April from 132 million in May 2007, according to comScore, an online measurement firm. But each of those users is watching far more video than before. ComScore reported that the … [Read more...] about Online video: We’re watching far more than before
Class Action Lawsuits: A U.S. Import Europe Should Do Without
It isn't the world's sexist subject, but the issue of whether to institute U.S.-style class-action lawsuits is raising controversy in Europe. With regulators poised to institute such a system, the same kind of debate that has repeatedly erupted in the United States is raised in this editorial from France's Le Figaro Newspaper. The editorial points out: "One notes … [Read more...] about Class Action Lawsuits: A U.S. Import Europe Should Do Without
How You Wanna Feel on 5th November ’08?
The first general election in which I was able to vote was the British election of 1997 - held after four consecutive terms of Conservative government. Following 13 years of Margaret Thatcher, who was thrown out in a very English coup, the Conservative party was in that year led by John Major, under whom it became rotten with hypocrisy – or “sleaze”, as it was called in … [Read more...] about How You Wanna Feel on 5th November ’08?
World’s Most Expensive House
John Kenneth Galbraith, a distinguished economist and the popular American ambassador to India in the 1960s, once described the country as a "functioning anarchy". Please judge for yourself if Galbraith was right or wrong... The drawing (on the left) shows the 27-storey house of Mukesh Ambani, world's fifth-richest man, being built in Mumbai, home to Asia's biggest slum. … [Read more...] about World’s Most Expensive House
No evidence of “pregnancy pact” in Gloucester
Boston Herald: In the strongest rebuff yet of the national “pregnancy pact” story that has scandalized Gloucester, top city and school officials say there’s no evidence that nearly half of the 17 pregnant teens at Gloucester High conspired to have babies together. “We have not been able to confirm the existence of a pact,” said Gloucester Mayor Carolyn Kirk, trying to … [Read more...] about No evidence of “pregnancy pact” in Gloucester
Bush Breaking New Ground in Lawbreaking
In the annals of presidential crime, George W. Bush is setting records again, this time violating a law he signed into existence less than a year ago. By failing to appoint a White House coordinator for preventing nuclear terrorism, as required by Congress in a bill passed by a wide bipartisan margin last August, the Decider is going beyond using signing statements, as he … [Read more...] about Bush Breaking New Ground in Lawbreaking
Frightened Little Men
One of the biggest meetings ever of the world's top economic heavies took place this past weekend in Saudi Arabia. Finance ministers, oil sheiks, bankers, corporate CEOs, ever a few government heads, assembled to reassure the world that sky-high prices for energy could be kept under control. So why were so few people reassured? Frightened Little Men They met … [Read more...] about Frightened Little Men