Okay. First thing to note is that on the trip back home from Carleton my computer appears to have melted down. I have no idea what happened, but it was working when I left, and when I arrived it won't even boot up (it just flashes the message "PXE-E61: Media Test Failure." As far as I can tell, it means the computer thinks I don't have a hard-drive. :-( ). Maybe it got jostled … [Read more...] about Happenings

Bush 41 had an incredibly difficult time in Abu Dhabi.Former President George H.W. Bush took on Arab critics of his son Tuesday during a testy exchange at a leadership conference in the capital of this U.S. ally. "My son is an honest man," Bush told members of the audience harshly criticized the current U.S. leader's foreign policy.More: A college student told Bush his belief … [Read more...] about Bush 41 Defends 43 in Abu Dhabi… Kinda

My University: Rijksuniversiteit Groningen (RuG) CNN has an interesting article up - at least for me, being a student myself at the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen - about the fear of the "Americanization of higher education" in Europe:German universities are trying to charge tuition. Paris schools are considering selection instead of open admission. Dutch colleges are pushing … [Read more...] about Improving Higher Education

Sen. James Inhofe — thankfully the outgoing chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee — on FOX & Friends the other day: Now look, God’s still up there. We still have these natural changes, and this is what’s going on right now. New science comes out… If the northern hemisphere is warming up, it’s not due to manmade gases. And that’s what … [Read more...] about James Inhofe is an even more dangerous idiot than I thought

Today, Christian Maronite MP and Minister of Industry Pierre Gemayel, Jr. was assassinated in a Christian suburb of East Beirut. In light of last year's assassination of former PM Rafiq Hariri, and the ongoing pressure by the so-called "March 14" coalition of Christians, Sunnis and Druze to create a tribunal to investigate the Hariri murder, this new assassination raises … [Read more...] about Lebanon at the Abyss

With McCain these days, it's all about sending more troops to Iraq. A terrible, terrible idea, as I've argued here and here, but at least he's been fairly consistent, and repetitive, in his promotion of the neocon position. So it was quite odd that he had to rely so heavily on his notes with Stephanopoulos yesterday. Did he forget his talking points? How "weird," as Atrios put … [Read more...] about Check those talking points, Senator McCain

Via You Tube: … [Read more...] about Michael Richards Apologizes On David Letterman

The first President George Bush has gotten an image boost...due to the job performance of the second President Bush:Only one in four Americans believe President Bush is a better president than his father, George H. W. Bush, a new CNN poll has found. Six in 10 said the elder Bush, who served one term from 1989-1993, did a better job in office, according to a poll conducted by … [Read more...] about Poll: Bush Father Knew Best

Heraclitus has some here. … [Read more...] about Thoughts on Borat and Haggard

Speaking in Indonesia yesterday, President Bush said this: "I haven't made any decisions about troop increases or troop decreases, and won't until I hear from a variety of sources, including our own United States military. They will be bringing forth the suggestions and recommendations to me here as quickly as possible." He's playing dumb. The "variety of sources" is likely … [Read more...] about Here’s what Bush will do about Iraq

CNN: Robert Altman, director of "M-A-S-H," "Nashville" and "The Player," has died, according to his production company, The Associated Press reports. BBC … [Read more...] about Film Director Robert Altman has Died

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is reportedly working to steer the Democrats to the center — to try and avoid precisely the kind of thing Rep. Charles Rangel is attempting to do with his use of bringing up re institution of the military draft as an ideological political bludgeon. The Boston Globe reports:Anxious to chart a centrist course with Democrats' new majority in … [Read more...] about Pelosi Working To Steer Democrats To Center

Former military man Donald Sensing takes a detailed look at Rep. Charles Rangel's idea to bring back the military draft. He sees it as a plan riddled with flaws — one that would be "astronomically expensive." READ THE FULL DETAILS HERE. … [Read more...] about More On Charles Rangel’s Idea For A Military Draft

There's an old line: "When I told people I wanted to be a comedian, everyone laughed at me. Today, I'm a comedian, and no one's laughing at me now!" Was that written for Seinfeld's "Kramer," Michael Richards? Richards, a veteran comic actor, sketch comedian and longtime cutting-edge comedian unleashed racial-epithet crammed rant onstage at The Laugh Factory, sparking a … [Read more...] about Seinfeld’s Kramer Ruins Career With Racial Insults (UPDATED)

NOTE: We occassionally run Guest Voice posts from thoughtful readers (and those who comment under our posts). This is the SECOND PART of three-part review of the DVD of Laurel and Hardy's classic film "March of the Wooden Soldiers" (aka "Babes in Toyland") written by Dan Schneider who sometimes leaves comments on this site. See link below for Part I. Schneider has this site and … [Read more...] about Guest DVD Review: Laurel & Hardy’s “March of the Wooden Soldiers” (Part II)

THIS JUST IN from investigative reporter Andy Borowitz:Bush Goes AWOL in Vietnam Pays Emergency Visit to Alabama President George W. Bush raised eyebrows in diplomatic circles over the weekend when he inexplicably went AWOL during his historic first visit to Vietnam. The president had been expected to discuss such pressing issues as trade and security with Vietnamese leaders, … [Read more...] about This Just In!

According to NPR News, Larry Hanauer has been cleared of accusations of leaking the National Intelligence Estimate and his rights and privileges have been restored. … [Read more...] about Accused Leaker on House Intel Committee Cleared

MSNBC: O.J. Simpson book, TV special canceled Chairman Rupert Murdoch says project was ‘ill-considered’ … [Read more...] about CANCELLED: OJ’s Book & TV Special

While so much Beltway-related attention has been focused on the incoming Democratic majority and its apparent divisions under the leadership of Speaker-elect Nancy Pelosi, what has been neglected is just how poorly the Republicans are taking to their new role as the minority party in Congress. In the House, Republicans have chosen to retain their leadership intact (minus Denny … [Read more...] about How the Republicans are coping in the minority

The high-profile Hoyer-Murtha contest for House majority leader, now in its what-does-it-all-mean aftermath, has obscured another of Speaker-elect Nancy Pelosi’s efforts to put her own people in place. That effort concerns the chairmanship of the House Intelligence Committee, a key position as Democrats look to position themselves as the majority party on the war in Iraq and … [Read more...] about Pelosi’s choice: Why Jane Harman won’t be the next chair of the House Intelligence Committee