...on Christmas Eve or Christmas (and his stuff still holds up very well). MUST VIEWING. When he sings, it's the Christmas spirit personified. Don't just listen to him. Just watch him. … [Read more...] about This Is A MUST

This holiday season, I hope every TMV reader will kindly take a moment to pay your respects to Ed. Among other things, he was a walking definition of realism, of moderation, of decency. He will be missed and remembered. … [Read more...] about A Holiday Tribute

Some people are very angry at parts of the Republican party leadership. Mainly, Republicans, the AP reports:Narrowly defeated in his bid for a fourth term, Montana Sen. Conrad Burns turned his anger on the National Republican Senatorial Committee and commercials it had run months before the election. ''The ads hurt me more than they helped. I wouldn't have spent the money,'' … [Read more...] about GOP Fingerpointing Begins Bigtime

The 12 Months of 2006 … [Read more...] about A Great New Holiday Song

Free Clipart or Photos: www.ace-clipart.com New York Times: Gender Pay Gap, Once Narrowing, Is Stuck in PlaceThroughout the 1980s and early ’90s, women of all economic levels — poor, middle class and rich — were steadily gaining ground on their male counterparts in the work force. By the mid-’90s, women earned more than 75 cents for every dollar in hourly pay that men … [Read more...] about One Reason I’m a Feminist

They all seem to be various degrees of centrist/moderate. Some more right like McCain. Some more left like Edwards. But all seem to be inclusive, pragmatic, and have a history of bi-partisan cooperation. At this time I would be optimistic with any of them as President or Vice President. My focus is more on the Congress. This is where I think there is the most opportunity … [Read more...] about I’m pretty satisfied with all of the front runners for President

I wanted to take the time to wish all of you a Merry Christmas. My Christmas will be very good: we will go to Church tonight, the Christmas tree is buried below a ridiculous quantity of presents, we are all at my parents' home... it is and will continue to be good. In short, I hope that your Christmas will be just as good as mine! … [Read more...] about Merry Christmas!

Today's literary quote of the day is from James Madison's Federalist Papers #51:It is of great importance in a republic not only to guard the society against the oppression of its rulers, but to guard one part of the society against the injustice of the other part. Different interests necessarily exist in different classes of citizens. If a majority be united by a common … [Read more...] about Literary Quote of the Day: James Madison

Some of the (domestic) results of a Sharia-ruled nation:Well over half a million Iranians have been imprisoned by their regime since the start of the year, Director-General of the Cultural and Disciplinary Committee of the Iranian Prisons Organization Mansour Moqareh-Abed told Iranian newspaper Jomhouri Islami. The interview was cited by the website of the National Council of … [Read more...] about But Who Believes in Stats?

It's Christmas Eve, and Polimom has triumphed over procrastination again. The presents are ready (and even wrapped!), we have all the ingredients to bake Santa's cookies, and the stockings are hung. Gifts have been arriving all week, steadily expanding to inhabit every square inch of space beneath the tree. By tomorrow morning, they'll have spread beyond the tree skirt -- but … [Read more...] about Is Christmas just for Christians?

Now, this comes as a surprise!President Vladimir Putin will retain a leadership role in Russia even if he steps down in 2008, as required by the constitution, a senior politician has said. "He will not leave," Sergei Stepashin, head of Russia's accounting chamber, was quoted as saying in the Komsomolskaya Pravda daily Saturday. "I think he will find the kind of formula in … [Read more...] about Tsar Will Step Down… PUBLICLY

Jeralyn reports at TalkLeft that Monica Lewinsky 'just graduated from the London School of Economics with a master of science degree in social psychology. Her thesis topic was: In Search of the Impartial Juror: An Exploration of the Third Person Effect and Pre-Trial Publicity."' She adds:You Go. Girl. More power to you... You came out of this classy and intact. If you are … [Read more...] about Congrats to Monica

This man wanted to be a bright little light in this dark, dark world:A man used flammable liquid to light himself on fire, apparently to protest a San Joaquin Valley school district's decision to change the names of winter and spring breaks to Christmas and Easter vacation. The man, who was not immediately identified, on Friday also set fire to a Christmas tree, an American … [Read more...] about Lighten Up!

The holiday-spirit song...this time with a cool "water show." … [Read more...] about We Need A Little Christmas Part II

THIS JUST IN from investigative reporter Andy Borowitz:Brawl Erupts at Reindeer Games Rudolph Suspended for Season The epidemic of sports violence spread to the North Pole last night as a brawl erupted between fans and reindeer at this year’s reindeer games, resulting in the ejection and suspension of Rudolph for the remainder of the season. The games, a holiday classic … [Read more...] about This Just In!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't go on Townhall on purpose--normally, the only time I read them is when someone else links and excerpts. Thus, the fact that it manages to be spectacularly stupid every time I read it (the last time being the Dennis Prager "Swearing on the Koran undermines American civilization" debacle) could easily be a case of selection bias, a fact of which I'm well aware. So, I have … [Read more...] about It Burns!

I've written before on Arnold Schwarzenegger's impressive environmental record — see here, here, and here — but I must admit I'm pleasantly surprised by just how progressive he's proven to be in Sacramento. And there's more yet to come:Arnold Schwarzenegger is not the type of guy you would necessarily associate with tree hugging. When he bought a Hummer in the early … [Read more...] about The Green Governator

Today's literary quote of the day is from Thomas Jefferson's Notes on the State of Virginia:The error seems not sufficiently eradicated, that the operations of the mind, as well as the acts of the body, are subject to the coercion of the laws. But our rulers can have authority over such natural rights only as we have submitted to them. The rights of conscience we never … [Read more...] about Literary Quote of the Day: Thomas Jefferson

Following a similar effort a couple of months ago to try to curb the development of North Korea's nuclear program, the United Nations has finally turned its full attention to Iran:The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously Saturday to impose economic sanctions on Iran for refusing to end a uranium enrichment program that the United States says is aimed at building nuclear … [Read more...] about The U.N. votes to sanction Iran

GOP turns anger on campaign committee This article is an interesting debriefing of the midterm elections and illustrates how Politics is more art than science. … [Read more...] about Burns and Allen Show