THIS JUST IN from investigative reporter Andy Borowitz:White House Seeks Lying Czar Would Coordinate Distortions about Iraq, Afghanistan The White House in recent weeks has been quietly searching for candidates for the position of “lying czar,†a high-level administrator who would oversee all distortions and misrepresentations about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, a … [Read more...] about This Just In!!!
No Way to Pick a President
There are currently nineteen announced candidates vying for the Democratic and Republican nominations for president (9 and 10 candidates per party, respectively). The field in both contests can only be described as wide open and very much subject to change. And yet just nine months from now, on 5 February if not before, the two nominees will almost certainly have been decided - … [Read more...] about No Way to Pick a President
Sarko Wins!
BBC: Sarkozy 'wins French presidency'Conservative Nicolas Sarkozy wins France's election, early results say, and his rival concedes defeat. … [Read more...] about Sarko Wins!
GOP Is Losing Republican Icons’ Children
And now new, high-profile defections from the GOP ranks: according to Newsweek, the Republican Party under President George W. Bush is in danger of losing the children of Republican icons, who are on the verge of voting for Democrats: Susan Eisenhower is an accomplished professional, the president of an international consulting firm. She also happens to be Ike's … [Read more...] about GOP Is Losing Republican Icons’ Children
Obama Says Rush Limbaugh Aired “Magic Negro” Parody Didn’t Bother Him
Illinois Senator and 2008 Democratic Presidential hopeful Barack Obama has commented on the mini-firestorm surrounding conservative mega talk show host Rush Limbaugh's airing of a song parody titled "Barack The Magic Negro" (also posted on Limbaugh's website). His reaction? It really didn't bother him, didn't really enrage him -- and in the end if sounded as if Limbaugh was … [Read more...] about Obama Says Rush Limbaugh Aired “Magic Negro” Parody Didn’t Bother Him
Dutch Martyrs
Pieter Dorsman wrote a great article about Dutch martyrs Theo van Gogh and especially Pim Fortuyn. Today, Ayaan Hirsi Ali is taking America by storm and many commentators are struggling to explain her instant success following the publication of her recent biography. As they do they reconstruct her creative partnership with Dutch moviemaker Theo van Gogh, something that … [Read more...] about Dutch Martyrs
Expand Your Musical Culture
First, watch Alexander Dmitriev play Flight of the Bumble Bee -- on the accordian: Next, listen to the late Al Hirt do a take off on this piece on the trumpet doing composer Neil Hefti's old Green Hornet TV show theme (complete with psychedelic You Tube video tribute). We enrich our readers in so many ways... … [Read more...] about Expand Your Musical Culture
Al Qaida’s Al-Zawahri Disses Bush And The Democrats
Message from Al Qaida's Number Two In Command to U.S. President George Bush and the Democrats: a pox (perhaps literally -- if he gets a chance) on both your houses: A new video of al-Qaida’s No. 2 leader released on Saturday mocks President Bush and U.S. legislation requiring the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, saying the bill would rob the group’s fighters of the … [Read more...] about Al Qaida’s Al-Zawahri Disses Bush And The Democrats
Bollywood Does The Beatles
"I Want To Hold Your Hand," translated and produced this time via Bombay. (The words come out a bit differently when you rewrite them in another language. Note the translation of the new lyrics): FOONOTE: When I lived in India I LOVED watching the Indian musicals, even though I could speak virtually no Hindi (or other languages). I used to watch them at New Delhi's Shelia … [Read more...] about Bollywood Does The Beatles
US Congressmen to India: Either You Are Our Pal Or… (An Enemy?)
Tom Lantos Tom Lantos, chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the United States House of Representatives, and six other leading Congressmen wrote a highly controversial letter, dated May 2, 2007, to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, reports The Hindu. "In the missive, they have attacked India's relations with Iran, warned that the Indo-U.S. nuclear deal might be … [Read more...] about US Congressmen to India: Either You Are Our Pal Or… (An Enemy?)
Iraq: Nancy Pelosi Gets Angry With Bush
"With congressional Democrats in a standoff with U.S. President George W. Bush over war funding, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Friday that Bush has a 'tin ear' and a 'blind eye' when it comes to Iraq," writes IHT. " 'He has a tin ear in terms of listening to the people and a blind eye as to what is going on in Iraq,' Pelosi told a crowd of more than 2,000 people at a lunch … [Read more...] about Iraq: Nancy Pelosi Gets Angry With Bush
Google: “Firewall In Your PC Is Dead”
"While installing firewalls and antivirus software on your computer may keep it safe from conventional threats such as worms and viruses, these security tools do not inspect data downloaded through browsers - a loophole that attackers can exploit," says New Scientist. " 'The firewall is dead,' says Google security specialist Niels Provos. "As a result of this loophole, … [Read more...] about Google: “Firewall In Your PC Is Dead”
Jerusalem Post Interview with Nicolas Sarkozy
Out with the old, in with the 'Jew'? Sarkozy talks to the 'Post'Sunday's runoff election between Socialist candidate Segolene Royal and Nicolas Sarkozy will be a historic event, and not solely because it will produce the first French president born after World War II. If the polls are right, the Union for Popular Movement's Sarkozy will be the next leader of the Republic, … [Read more...] about Jerusalem Post Interview with Nicolas Sarkozy
UPDATE: Derby Day
UPDATE: The Horse of the Moment is Street Sense! For full Kentucky Derby coverage, visit the Louisville Courier-Journal. Looks as if the TV broadcast is on NBC. … [Read more...] about UPDATE: Derby Day
The Burka With No Woman In It: Honor Killings
Let us pray. My God. My God. Let us pray. My first understanding of the madness of some few from the cultures from the Mideast came here in the USA when Iranian-American women and their children fled to our shelter for battered women, one of the first in the country, back in 1970. Their family men battered the walls and locked doors with their bodies, broke windows, … [Read more...] about The Burka With No Woman In It: Honor Killings
Is Blogging Really Writing?
Or is it a different kind of informational animal? … [Read more...] about Is Blogging Really Writing?
Center of Attention
A round up of recent reporting and commentary by a few centrist, moderate, and independent bloggers. Considering Iraq, even moderates are growing less-moderate with each passing day, as this post by Jim Martin suggests. GOP Presidential candidate Ron Paul may not have a chance of winning the nomination, but his fresh, libertarian voice has sparked considerable attention … [Read more...] about Center of Attention
Newsweek Poll: Bush Most Unpopular President In Generation, Hurts GOPers (UPDATED)
Newsweek has a new poll and the magazine's writer Marcus Mabry concludes that (1) Bush is the most unpopular President in a generation and (2) he is proving to be political poison to Republican 2008 Presidential candidate wannabes:It’s hard to say which is worse news for Republicans: that George W. Bush now has the worst approval rating of an American president in a … [Read more...] about Newsweek Poll: Bush Most Unpopular President In Generation, Hurts GOPers (UPDATED)
Decoding Iran
On Thursday night, a somewhat unusual incident occurred at the regional conference in Sharm el-Sheikh. At the conference, which was convened to discuss stabilization efforts in Iraq, much of the international focus has centered on whether or not Condoleezza Rice would speak with her Iranian counterpart, Manouchehr Mottaki. Reportedly, they had exchanged "pleasantries" earlier … [Read more...] about Decoding Iran
The REAL Story Of Condi Rice And The Iranian Diplomat
We pulled our previous post immediately (see below) within minutes of putting it up due to a major error on our part. CLICK HERE to find out the real story of the saga of Secretary of State Condi Rice and the Iranian diplomat. … [Read more...] about The REAL Story Of Condi Rice And The Iranian Diplomat