Israeli Arabs smash world record for largest 'Debke' folk dance Israeli Arabs from across Israel danced their way hand in hand into the Guiness Book of World Records on Sunday after they held the largest and longest group performance of the "Debke" dance inside the walls of the Old City of Acre. A record 2,743 people danced for seven minutes straight holding hands in a … [Read more...] about Haaretz: Israeli Arabs Dance Their Way Into GBOWR
Lenore Skenazy: A Few Commandments the Vatican Missed
I read this Lenore Skenazy column in Funny Times and found it hilarious: Now that the Vatican has issued its 10 Commandments for Drivers — which, with any luck, you weren't reading on your BlackBerry while dialing your mother while switching lanes while gesturing obscenely out the window at the granny only going 70 — it seemed like a good idea to see if there were any … [Read more...] about Lenore Skenazy: A Few Commandments the Vatican Missed
Al-Qaeda to Rowling: “You’re Going Down.”
J.K. Rowling, Britain's second richest woman and the author of the Harry Potter series, will be protected by a large crew of bodyguards during an upcoming interview on American television. The concern? That al-Qaeda might decide to target the high-profile author as a way of getting "maximum publicity for the jihadist cause." This may sound ridiculous and, yes, it sort of is, … [Read more...] about Al-Qaeda to Rowling: “You’re Going Down.”
Bloomberg Run Would Help Democrats In Florida
A new poll indicates that if New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg decides to launch an independent bid for President he'll help the Democrats in Florida: If New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg runs for President as an independent candidate, it helps Democrats in Florida, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today. In a two- way race, former New York City Mayor … [Read more...] about Bloomberg Run Would Help Democrats In Florida
Democrats Are Wooing Religious Voters
The days when Republicans can feel confident Democrats won't aggressively court religious voters are over, CNN reports. Also, look at the lead of the CNN report and you'll see an error (presumably) that is likely to raise some eyebrows among Democrats and possibly be the subject of some blog posts. Tired of being seen by religious voters as too secular or even hostile … [Read more...] about Democrats Are Wooing Religious Voters
Tussle over Iraq
Paresh Nath, National Herald, India … [Read more...] about Tussle over Iraq
I Got Dem Counterinsurgency Blues Again: Or How Iraq Became Vietnam
VIETNAM AND IRAQ Counterinsurgency = Political Action + Civic Action + Counter-guerrilla Operations -- BERNARD FALL The great war correspondent Bernard Fall understood Vietnam better than the French, whom he predicted would fail in their war against Ho Chi Minh's national liberation movement, as well as the Americans, whom he also predicted would fail although they went … [Read more...] about I Got Dem Counterinsurgency Blues Again: Or How Iraq Became Vietnam
Computer Problems
Yaakov Kirschen, The Jerusalem Post, Dry Bones … [Read more...] about Computer Problems
Your Politician’s Solution to the War on Drugs
This is your government addicted to the War on Drugs: Any questions? NOTE: This ad courtesy was courtesy of the Drug Policy Alliance. My thanks to Radley Balko and Jacob Sullum for the link. … [Read more...] about Your Politician’s Solution to the War on Drugs
Some Major Articles On Cancer Research
They could spark some debate. Watch this space. … [Read more...] about Some Major Articles On Cancer Research
More U.S. Pakistan Tensions Now Over Whether Bin Laden Is Even Alive
To add to already increased tensions and frictions between the United States and its purported ally in the war on terror, Pakistan, now a NEW argument has broken out: Is bin Laden alive, or isn't he? And if he is, who is to blame for that? You can almost guess the positions on this one: Al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden is alive and sheltering in lawless parts of … [Read more...] about More U.S. Pakistan Tensions Now Over Whether Bin Laden Is Even Alive
Middle East Scarecrow
RJ Matson, The St. Louis Post Dispatch … [Read more...] about Middle East Scarecrow
Friction Between U.S. And Pakistan Over Talk Of U.S. Military Action
The uneasy relationship between the United States and Pakistan has just gotten a lot uneasier: One of President Bush’s counterterrorism advisers said today that the United States would consider using military force inside Pakistan if it identified key Al Qaeda targets there, but the Pakistani foreign minister angrily rejected such talk as “irresponsible†and said … [Read more...] about Friction Between U.S. And Pakistan Over Talk Of U.S. Military Action
Center of Attention
A round up of recent posts by a few centrist, moderate, and independent bloggers. McQ evaluates divergent libertarian views on the war in Iraq, cued by a WSJ opinion piece from earlier this week. Andrew Sullivan zeroes in on Hilzoy's "Ten Lessons from Iraq," and picks the two that resonate most with him. Nancy Hanks encourages Independent voters to watch Monday's … [Read more...] about Center of Attention
Elections in Turkey
To read about the elections in Turkey, click here. These elections are incredibly important. A couple of weeks and months ago, secularists took the streets in several Turkish cities to protest in favor of Turkey's secular system and against the AK Parti which wanted to make Abdullah Gül President of the Turkish Republic. Secularists opposed (and continue to oppose) Gül … [Read more...] about Elections in Turkey
Mitt Romney’s Obama Osama Political Stumble
You have to ask yourselve: when will they ever learn? TMZ.com has the pictures above of Mitt Romney -- a supposedly slick political candidate -- getting himself into the most fundamental kind of political pickle: he allowed himself to be standing next to and be photographed with a supporter with a sign saying "NO TO OBAMA OSAMA AND CHELSEA'S MOMA" with a big smile on his … [Read more...] about Mitt Romney’s Obama Osama Political Stumble
Tammy Faye Messner (1942-2007)
As someone with strong (and sometimes too strong) opinions about people, I was surprised at how sad I felt when I read in May that Tammy Faye Bakker Messner had decided to stop taking treatments for the cancer that was well on the way to killing her. Why, I asked myself, would I feel common ground with the mascara-impaired wife of a televangelist who had famously cried for … [Read more...] about Tammy Faye Messner (1942-2007)
Take A Peek…..
....at News Groper, a truly unusual and remarkable site. Just imagine a news site with more and more stellar bloggers than The Huffington Post. If you do, News Groper is it. The truly A List bloggers include President George Bush, Al Gore, Ann Coulter, Bill Gates, Bill Clinton and a mind-blogging list of many more. They probably never dreamed they'd see a day when … [Read more...] about Take A Peek…..
China Has Near Monopoly On World Vitamin C Production
Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is a critical food preservative and a favorite vitamin all over the world. But now 80 percent of it is made in one place in the world -- a place that has come under fire recently for quality control. And there are concerns that with the price of Vitamin C rising and a near monopoly on its production and export, the world is now too … [Read more...] about China Has Near Monopoly On World Vitamin C Production
Tammy Faye Messner: 1942-2007 What Is Beauty?
This is a picture of Tammy Faye Baker Messner. It looks a little bit like an outsider art portrait done by Francis Bacon or by Egon Schiele, doesn’t it? Two days ago, in this video still, Tammy Faye weighed 65 pounds. She had cancer that went to her lungs. My reason for bringing her image here is not to discuss her life, but this act, her last public act, that she initiated, … [Read more...] about Tammy Faye Messner: 1942-2007 What Is Beauty?