A round up of recent posts by various bloggers who either attempt to strike a balanced note on heated debates and controversial issues, or improve our ability to find our own sense of balance by exposing us to new information and different points-of-view. -------------------------- If, like me, you were thinking hoping the Religious Right and its skewed, divisive tactics … [Read more...] about Center of Attention
Alex Jimenez As FISA Poster Boy
Alex & Yaderlin Jimenez If some conservatives have their way, Alex Jimenez will become to an expanded domestic-spying program what Graeme Frost became to the expanded S-CHIP program: A human face on a contentious political issue. Frost, of course, is the 12-year-old who gave a Democratic Party radio rebuttal to President Bush’s veto of a bill to expand the State … [Read more...] about Alex Jimenez As FISA Poster Boy
Well-Received Mukasey Likely To Be Confirmed As Attorney General
The Bush administration's candidate for Attorney General is proving to be a choice who's quickly picking up bipartisan support -- the kind of "consensus" choice many have long sought. It looks like he now has one powerful and previously balking Democrat nearly in his corner: The chairman of the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee said Tuesday he expects Michael Mukasey … [Read more...] about Well-Received Mukasey Likely To Be Confirmed As Attorney General
Free Flow of Information Act Passes the House: The Scribes in the USA Have A Fine Horse in That Race
We had a board meeting of the Authors Guild today. Three of us on scratchy speaker-phone from mountain and desert: Scott Turow who faithfully adds in his legal insights, Daniel Hoffman the poet who is helping to lead the charge in Congress to allow authors to exclude donated papers from tax levies, and yours truly. The other board members were face-to-face in the New York … [Read more...] about Free Flow of Information Act Passes the House: The Scribes in the USA Have A Fine Horse in That Race
This Just In!!
From the investigative staff at The Garlic: Things Overheard While The Nobel Peace Prize Committee Reviewed Rush Limbaugh's Nomination … [Read more...] about This Just In!!
NASCAR Cooties
Mike Lester, The Rome News-Tribune … [Read more...] about NASCAR Cooties
We Condemn Any Form Of Website Hacking
NO JOKE. (Just ask our tech). It is NOT funny and it is NOT a joke. We condemn it...even when it happens TO HER. … [Read more...] about We Condemn Any Form Of Website Hacking
First A 12-Year-Old And His Family Were Attacked For Opposing Bush’s Kids’ Health Insurance Veto
And now the Democrats have highlighted a 2-old and her family -- so they are under the same kind of attack. 21st Century Politics 101: If they oppose you on an issue, they must be discredited and taken out... Debate on the issue? Issue shmissue... … [Read more...] about First A 12-Year-Old And His Family Were Attacked For Opposing Bush’s Kids’ Health Insurance Veto
Poll: Thompson On Descent, Clinton On Ascent
A new poll shows former actor Fred Thompson is losing support in his (low-key) drive for the 2008 Republican Presidential nomination as Senator Hillary Clinton is gaining support in her (high-key) drive for the 2008 Democratic Presidential nomination: Fred Thompson got into the Republican race with great expectations. And sure enough, just after he got in last month, … [Read more...] about Poll: Thompson On Descent, Clinton On Ascent
Genuinely Crazy
Sam Brownback is introducing a resolution formally apologizing for slavery and Jim Crow. I title the post "genuinely crazy" because I think that's an apt description of Brownback. He may be crazy, but at least he's genuine. And sometimes, it leads him to do surprising and moral things. Good for him. Such a resolution -- which imposes no costs on the "innocent" but may be a … [Read more...] about Genuinely Crazy
Randi Rhodes UPDATE: Mixmaster-Media Ignites
New York Daily News.com is reporting: Air America host Randi Rhodes wasn't mugged See this story, plus fact check at end of article. BY David Hinckley and Tina Moore Tuesday, October 16th 2007, 12:28 PM There's no truth to the rumors that Air America host Randi Rhodes (above) was mugged near 39th St. and Park Ave. Sunday night. She is scheduled to return to … [Read more...] about Randi Rhodes UPDATE: Mixmaster-Media Ignites
Progressive Talk Show Host Randi Rhodes Is Badly Beaten In Street Attack (UPDATED)
EDITOR'S NOTE: See our updated post above HERE since the New York Daily News is reporting that Rhodes was not mugged. We're leaving up the original post since it details the original report as well, past cases of talk show hosts who've hit the news due to attacks, and weblog reaction to the early story. Progressive talker Randi Rhodes, one of Air America's highest-rated talk … [Read more...] about Progressive Talk Show Host Randi Rhodes Is Badly Beaten In Street Attack (UPDATED)
Webcast: GOP Presidential Candidates Speaking to RJC
Follow-Up: Full JTA article: GOP candidates make their case at RJC Rudy Giuliani says he can win Mitt Romney is skeptical about the upcoming Annapolis peace conference John McCain attacks Bush policies Sam Brownback asks for help rebuilding the family UPDATE 3:50 PM: I guess they are done. My phone rang and I muted the sound for a few minutes. UPDATE 3:15 … [Read more...] about Webcast: GOP Presidential Candidates Speaking to RJC
Knowing Yourself
Knowing others is intelligence. Knowing yourself is true wisdom. - Lao-tzu, Father of Taoism, 6th century B.C.E. Why would I post a writing by a great Chinese philosopher? Because in the 2400+ years after Lao-tzu's death, those words ring dead solid perfect (golf reference for effect). In today's connected world, from pundits to punks, from leaders to losers, from the … [Read more...] about Knowing Yourself
So What’s With All The Nazi Analogies?
I have broken what for me has been a cardinal rule in recent days in using Nazi analogies when writing about the Bush administration's embrace of torture as well as a deafening lack of response from most Americans to this and other outrages not unlike the Germans who failed to speak out about the excesses of the Third Reich. Nazi analogies usually are bad because they stifle … [Read more...] about So What’s With All The Nazi Analogies?
S-CHIP Override Vote Likely To Fail
Rep. Joe Knollenberg explains nay vote to constituents With a House vote scheduled for Thursday, the question of the hour is whether enough Republicans will change their votes and join Democrats and many of their own colleagues to override President Bush's veto of a five-year, $35 billion expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program. The stakes are high for … [Read more...] about S-CHIP Override Vote Likely To Fail
Civil Liberties and the Mentally Ill: The New Concept of ‘Mental Health Courts’
There's a timeless American Rorschach, a set of ideas meant to have symmetry. They're called Civil Liberties: originally meaning that we be subject only to laws established for the good of the community... and... and that our individual rights be protected by law from unjust government. Too often an balancing act made to go awry in our times, for certain. But there is a … [Read more...] about Civil Liberties and the Mentally Ill: The New Concept of ‘Mental Health Courts’
Guest DVD Review: Japan’s War In Colour
Here's another Guest DVD Review by Dan Schneider, who has this popular website and whose reviews for TMV are highly popular. DVD Review Of Japan's War In Colour Copyright © 2007 by Dan Schneider Recently, the PBS network ran Ken Burns' 15 hour magnum opus, The War, about America's involvement in World War Two, and while it was a passable effort, detailing the war from … [Read more...] about Guest DVD Review: Japan’s War In Colour
Guest Poet: Cash, Cash, Wonderful Cash
Another poetic gem from TMV's favorite poet, Michael Silverstein, aka Wall Street Poet: With markets so edgy today, is there any asset in which you can still have absolute faith? Yes there is. Cash. Cash, Cash, Wonderful Cash Stock markets may tumble, bond issues default Home prices are quirky, they can somersault Gold's upward eruptions, they come and they … [Read more...] about Guest Poet: Cash, Cash, Wonderful Cash
Turkey Problems
Sandy Huffaker, Cagle Cartoons … [Read more...] about Turkey Problems