A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about a religious group in Turkey called the Dönme, after reading an article about them at Forward.com (Jewish news). Before reading that article, I had never heard of the Dönme, but after reading it, I was fascinated and wanted to find out more about them. Little over a week ago, a person who wishes to remain anonymous, sent me a lot of … [Read more...] about The Dönme: A Secret Jewish Sect Part I
A Small Step?
To say that Tom Friedman does not exactly like the energy bill that recently passed the US Senate would be quite an understatement: When you watch a baby being born, after a difficult pregnancy, it is so painful and bloody for the mother it is always hard to tell the truth and say, “Gosh, that baby is really ugly.†But that’s how I feel about the energy legislation … [Read more...] about A Small Step?
Thompson and Clinton Lead in Nevada
Good news for Hillary Clinton and Fred Thompson (who has yet to officially announce his candidacy): the two of them lead the polls in Nevada. For the results click here. … [Read more...] about Thompson and Clinton Lead in Nevada
Killing All the Lawyers: Not a Bad Idea
"She was strikingly beautiful and had a great sense of humor. She was a hostess extraordinaire who had filled her New Jersey home with furnishings that she and her husband brought back from their world travels. But by the time she died, she was a virtual hostage of her alcohol- and drug-addicted son and his ex-convict girlfriend. The scene of fresh cut flowers had been replaced … [Read more...] about Killing All the Lawyers: Not a Bad Idea
Clinton Has Learned Her Health Care Lesson
It seems that Hillary Clinton has learned from the health care debacle in the 1990s: As first lady in the early 1990s, she tried to reshape the nation's health care system — an audacious effort that collapsed under its own complexity, Republican opposition and the Clintons' unwillingness to seek compromise with lawmakers. "I still have the scars to show for it," she tells … [Read more...] about Clinton Has Learned Her Health Care Lesson
It’s Time to Speak Up, Sen. Warner
It's hard to believe that a former husband of Elizabeth Taylor holds a big key to bringing American troops home from Iraq. That would be John Warner. Warner, a World War II veteran who was married to the actress from 1976-82, has been anything but a quick study first as Navy secretary in the Nixon and Ford administrations and for the last 28 years a Republican senator … [Read more...] about It’s Time to Speak Up, Sen. Warner
Is John McCain Doomed To Quit 2008 Presidential Nomination Race?
It has been clear for several months now that Arizona Senator John McCain, chief engineer of 2000's media-praised "Straight Talk Express," was walking a shaky tightrope in his quest for the Republican nomination -- trying to hold independent voters who supported him in 2000 and ingratiate himself with Republican party's conservative base and the GOP establishment that defeated … [Read more...] about Is John McCain Doomed To Quit 2008 Presidential Nomination Race?
Concert Review: Stanley Clarke
As bass guitars go, the Alembic is something of a rarity. So it's kinda weird that three of my four all-time favorite electric bassists play these distinctive looking and sounding handcrafted instruments. The Alembic players would be Jack Casady of Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna fame, Phil Lesh of the Grateful Dead and jazz virtuoso Stanley Clarke. (The late Jaco Pastorius … [Read more...] about Concert Review: Stanley Clarke
Lip Sync Time
GOOD lip syncing is an art. And this guy HAS it: If this embed plays too slowly on your computer, view this work of lip sync art directly on You Tube. … [Read more...] about Lip Sync Time
Go Online
From moderate cartoonist Tom Briscoe: … [Read more...] about Go Online
Cheney Pushed Envelope On Presidential Power — And Torture Definition
The Washington Post's latest installment of its special series on Vice President Dick Cheney continues to reveal both new info and confirm some allegations made over the years by critics. The latest revelations, spelled out in the Post's painstaking reportage: (1)Cheney pushed the envelope on Presidential power. Bigtime. (2) Cheney tinkered with the torture's … [Read more...] about Cheney Pushed Envelope On Presidential Power — And Torture Definition
Mr. And Mrs. John Edwards Split On Gay Marriage
Remember the old adage: "Politics makes strange bedfellows..." when you read this: Elizabeth Edwards, wife of Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards, kicked off San Francisco's annual gay pride parade Sunday by splitting with her husband over support for legalized gay marriage. "I don't know why someone else's marriage has anything to do with me," Mrs. Edwards … [Read more...] about Mr. And Mrs. John Edwards Split On Gay Marriage
Is It Ralph Nader Time (Again)?
Is third party maven Ralph Nader an idealist, a spoiler or just another ego-bloated political hack who has some political scores to settle? The debate rages amid signs that Ralph Nader Will Ride Again (last time he accepted money from Republicans who clearly wanted to sandbag the Democratic vote). It rages in various places -- for instance HERE. … [Read more...] about Is It Ralph Nader Time (Again)?
Bush Bathwater and Babies
Mike Wolverton, Cagle Cartoons … [Read more...] about Bush Bathwater and Babies
Bloomberg’s Best Bet: Run as a Democrat
This weekend’s TV talkathon has been about New York’s Mayor leaving the Republican Party to run for President as an Independent. But as this politically dissonant year goes on, it may make more sense for Mike Bloomberg to go for the Democratic nomination. Anyone willing to spend half a billion dollars on a campaign, as Bloomberg is, should not be eager to put a sizable … [Read more...] about Bloomberg’s Best Bet: Run as a Democrat
Brutal Repression In Iran
Michelle Malkin has posted THIS COLLECTION of some truly brutal, officially-released photos that shows what happens to those who don't tow the line in Iran. And she is asking, basically, "Where's the outrage?" OUR REACTION: It truly is revolting. And it doesn't matter whether someone wants the U.S. to bomb Iran, doesn't want the U.S. to bomb Iran, is considering whether … [Read more...] about Brutal Repression In Iran
Center of Attention
A round up of recent reporting and commentary by a few centrist, moderate, and independent bloggers. Mirror on America highlights an effort by African American bloggers who are "taking a stand against gangster and other forms of negative rap music." Foreign Policy Watch examines the question of whether or not Iran is arming the Taliban. Donklephant questions if … [Read more...] about Center of Attention
Breaking News: Lawyers May Be Unethical
The old, tired cliche in the news biz is that if a dog bites a man, it's not really news. If a man bites a dog, THEN it's really news. So perhaps this should be filed in your Dog Bites Man file: Can your lawyer collect 12 hours' pay after working an eight-hour day? A recent survey shows that about a third of U.S. lawyers have done it. Nearly half of all lawyers don't … [Read more...] about Breaking News: Lawyers May Be Unethical
Universal Health Care
Mark Steyn on universal health care: I don’t have much to add to Jonah’s and Iain’s posts, but hey, that’s never stopped me before. So let me just say that I think socialized health care is the single biggest factor in transforming the relationship of the individual to the state. In fact, once it’s introduced it becomes very hard to have genuinely conservative … [Read more...] about Universal Health Care
To Be, or Not to Be . . . an Empire
A very interesting short contribution at the AEI website, written by Gary J. Schmitt. The title of the article: "To Be, or Not to Be . . . an Empire." Read it in its entirety, here are the last three paragraphs: As former Reagan and Clinton administration official Stephen Sestanovich has argued, it is historically inaccurate to see George W. Bush's foreign policy as marking "a … [Read more...] about To Be, or Not to Be . . . an Empire