Has the game of defining your opponents begun notably early after the election? Virginia Senator Jim Webb says yes:NEW YORK In an interview with Deborah Solomon that will appear in this Sunday's New York Times Magazine, the newly-elected U.S. senator from Virginia, Jim Webb, discusses his recent widely-publicized exchange with President Bush over an Iraq pullout. At a recent … [Read more...] about Webb Says Bush-Webb Friction Story’s Source Was White House

So I was talking to an American about the relationship between European countries and the U.S. He had a quite critical view of Europe and seemed to be of the opinion that the relationship isn't all that important, especially due to the attitude of certain European countries (such as Germany and France). My question to you all, therefore, is: what is the significance of the … [Read more...] about Europe and the U.S.

In an Israeli-Palestinian conflict where both sides are ever more entrenched, Bethlehem stands in the front line, just a few miles from the glitter and prosperity of Jerusalem but enclosed in a separate universe, writes The Economist. … [Read more...] about Christmas & Festive Season: Remembering Bethlehem

Not as much as expected, it seems. The Asian Affairs magazine highlights certain important points. Also, other articles in the current issue, and the archives, of the magazine should be of interest to those who wish to understand Asia. … [Read more...] about Tsunamis, Earthquakes in Asia: Any Lessons Learnt?

Listen to David Sedaris. … [Read more...] about What’s It Like Working As A Department Store Elf?

Had enough of the joy and happiness and good will of the holiday season? Full of atheistic angst and anger? Need a healthy dose of misanthropy? Want to be depressed? Then this post is for you. … [Read more...] about Miracles and meaninglessness

It's Flora, an eight-year old Komodo dragon (think The Freshman) at the Chester Zoo in England. She's reproducing:Other reptile species reproduce asexually in a process known as parthenogenesis. But Flora's virginal conception, and that of another Komodo dragon earlier this year at the London Zoo, are the first documentations in a Komodo dragon... Parthenogenesis is a process … [Read more...] about The immaculate conceiver

Yes it is possible. And in this particular case (as in the article I link to above) not between a Christian and someone from a different faith say a Jew, but between a Jewish-Muslim couple. It is possible to share important religious days with each other, even when you're from a different faiths. What matters is that one respects the traditions of the other person's religion, … [Read more...] about An Interreligious Christmas

This stupid. … [Read more...] about How Stupid Has PC Gotten?

No, this is NOT a joke. Did you know that being a cancer survivor can be a negative to your totality as a person and taint your credentials? A new bar has been raised (or lowered). Over the past few years we've had the pleasure of running links to the news-breaking independent stories of the National Journal's Murray Waas. Unlike reports we used to link to from the You Know … [Read more...] about A Respected Investigative Reporter Investigated — And Berated — For Being A Cancer Survivor

The Moderate Voice occasionally runs Guest Voice columns by people who don't have blogs or who want to raise an interesting topic here. Opinions expressed do not necessarily represent those of TMV or its cobloggers. We've done a lot of posts here on the Michael Richards comedy club/heckler/N-word fiasco. Several were follow ups dealing with the issue of hecklers in comedy … [Read more...] about Guest Voice: Why Michael Richards Lost It With Hecklers And The Audience

You just KNEW THIS DAY was coming, didn't you? It has arrived:In a development that would make the Grinch smile, Santa Claus is said to be in danger of disappearing from British homes, stores and streets — a victim of the fear surrounding child sex abuse. According to the Manifesto Club, a free-speech group, stringent British child protection laws are threatening to … [Read more...] about Some Stores In Great Britain Think Santa May Be Unsafe For Kids (UPDATED)

David's post on the Bowl Season reminded me of a story I read many years ago. I did an Internet search and here it is: Allan Sherman: A Football for Grandma Free Clipart or Photos: www.ace-clipart.com … [Read more...] about Allan Sherman: A Football for Grandma

I'm actually not a huge football fan, but I figure this method of organizing the Presidential field would appeal to some readers: Candidates as college football programs! John Kerry = Alabama, for some reason still thinks he should be considered an elite organization but each season becomes more and more embarrassing. Barack Obama = Notre Dame, highly-touted going into the … [Read more...] about Bowl Season

Powerline Blog comments on today's setback for the McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Law.A three-judge federal court panel took another bite out of McCain-Feingold today, ruling unconstitutional, as applied to the case before it, that provision of the statute that prohibits corporations and others from engaging in “electioneering communications,"This is another of my "Centrist … [Read more...] about McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Setback

Eight Jewish related stories of interest. Enjoy! … [Read more...] about In Honor of 8 Nights

Today's quote is from Abraham Lincoln's A House Divided:"A house divided against itself cannot stand." I believe this government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved — I do not expect the house to fall — but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing or all the other... Our … [Read more...] about Literary Quote of the Day: Abraham Lincoln

Give incoming Representative Keith Ellison credit for his response to Virgil Goode's hateful remarks. "I'm not a religious scholar, I'm a politician, and I do what politicians do, which is hopefully pass legislation to help the nation," said Mr. Ellison, who said he planned to focus on secular issues like increasing the federal minimum wage and getting health insurance for the … [Read more...] about High Road

Once again, it seems as if the Bush White House's penchant for saying something repeatedly then suddenly shifting position and trying to suggest it was never said or not really meant has hit the media — and, as usual, the result will be more erosion in its credibility. Watch THIS VIDEO of Jon Stewart dealing with Bush's "We're not winning, we're not losing" comment. … [Read more...] about Study In The Growth Of A Credibility Gap (UPDATED)

TO: Columnist Dennis Prager, Representative Virgil H. Goode Jr., and Everyone Else who has made prejudicial statements about Keith Ellison and other Muslims among us ... If you're out there and you're paying attention, I hope you'll take a breath from your hateful words and read this story from the WaPo. And after you do, I hope you'll issue public apologies — because … [Read more...] about I Hope They Notice