South Australia (SA) is often celebrated as the Down Under's food and wine centre. Its capital city, the picturesque and laidback Adelaide, and its suburbs have rightly earned a well-deserved sobriquet of being the "cultural capital" of the country (and among the top liveable cities in the world). As a visitor here, I can vouch for the excellence of wine and the enjoyable … [Read more...] about Adelaide: South Australian Wine & Music
News From the Israeli and Palestinian Front: June 19th
A regular feature of news and opinion pieces from the Israeli and Palestinian press. 1.) At 6AM this morning, a ceasefire went into effect between Israel and Hamas. Unfortunately, the agreement is extremely fragile. In a worrying sign, Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni has threatened to call off the ceasefire accord if even one Qassam rocket lands in Israel. Given the … [Read more...] about News From the Israeli and Palestinian Front: June 19th
California Lawmakers Reject Mortgage Reforms
California lawmakers have decided to go back to the drawing board on reforms to the mortgage lending process. A series of bills had previously passed the state Assembly but members of the Senate Banking, Finance and Insurance committee decided that there were too many questions for them to pass the package. The legislators and even some members of the banking and mortgage … [Read more...] about California Lawmakers Reject Mortgage Reforms
Bounce
Eric Allie, Caglecartoons.com … [Read more...] about Bounce
Luke Russert’s Grace: Wise Words As He Brings Obama And McCain Together
The next time you hear someone in their 40s or older dissing young people just remind them of this: In death, Tim Russert did on Wednesday what no living journalist has accomplished this campaign season: he got Barack Obama and John McCain to sit together and talk, quietly. Specifically, it was Mr. Russert’s son, Luke, 22, who got the presumptive Democratic and … [Read more...] about Luke Russert’s Grace: Wise Words As He Brings Obama And McCain Together
Why for Iraqis, America Has an Edge Over Iran
In the great competition now taking place between Iran and the United States for influence in Iraq, who's ahead? Centering his column around the long-term security agreement now under negotiation with the United States, Fateh Abdusalam writes for Iraq's Azzaman newspaper: "It seems that Iran's project to compete with America for the approval of Iraq's shattered heart is … [Read more...] about Why for Iraqis, America Has an Edge Over Iran
Just For A Moment
The Soul is a River, The River Has a Soul As a child, I was taken to Hoover dam, one of the wonders of the world, they said, and in a way it was, a testament to the workers who risked their lives to build a concrete moat complete with castlettes to hold the Mother water back, and all the life she once nourished, and all that once laid increase into her womb. I … [Read more...] about Just For A Moment
Obama. Georgia. & Indiana?
SilentPatriot is pointing to Progress Illinois' examination of Obama's 50-state strategy to completely redraw the electoral map for November: Using projections from fivethirtyeight.com’s remarkably accurate Poblano, PI proves that moderate boosts in three key demographics — African-Americans, Latinos and 18-24 year olds — could result in huge electoral hauls; somewhere on the … [Read more...] about Obama. Georgia. & Indiana?
The Sinclair Allegations: Sometimes The Desire To Discredit Discredits The Wannabe Discreditors
The scene: the National Press Club. The Guest: Larry Sinclair with some sensationalistic allegations about Democratic presumptive nominee Barack Obama that have been largely (and correctly) discounted by the mainstream news media, most of the "new media" and all but some determined Barack Obama haters in the Republican and Democratic parties. The result: something that from … [Read more...] about The Sinclair Allegations: Sometimes The Desire To Discredit Discredits The Wannabe Discreditors
Number of Jews in Congress could set record after 2008 elections
Fascinating analysis by Shmuel Rosner in Ha'aretz, "Will next U.S. Congress top current record number of Jewish lawmakers?" What we've got now: The class of 2006 gave us a record number of Jewish legislators on Capitol Hill. The numbers: 30 Jewish members of the House (29 Democrats), 13 Jewish senators (9 Democrats, 2 independents who caucus with the Democrats and 2 … [Read more...] about Number of Jews in Congress could set record after 2008 elections
Obama: A 360 on NAFTA?
Economist Paul Krugman pointed out back in January that Obama was less progressive than either Clinton or Edwards on certain issues affecting domestic policy. With respect to today's article in Fortune --- certain to cause alarm and despondency among progressive supporters who were carried away by his Message of Hope --- color me unsurprised. Forewarned by Krugman … [Read more...] about Obama: A 360 on NAFTA?
Losing a pal
Could anyone be a Tim Russert? I think so, but it wouldn’t be easy. Whoever tried it would have to forfeit possession of all personal time. All available time, 24/7, would be allocated to three relationships: work, family, and friends. Then, you would have to acquire several hundred associates and friends, call them all “pal,” and really mean it. Such a commitment to … [Read more...] about Losing a pal
Iraq: Three-Dimensional Chess in the Dark
Our future in Iraq is being settled, but no one there or here knows all the details or approves of what they do know. The status of forces agreement (SOFA) will establish principles for a continued US military presence in Iraq beyond the expiration of the UN mandate at the end of this year, but as a July deadline approaches, the end game is as murky and confused as the start … [Read more...] about Iraq: Three-Dimensional Chess in the Dark
Arizona, McCain, and an Interesting Question
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