Kurtz Media Notes (Washington Post): It starts off like a typical negative ad, with swelling music and pictures of John McCain: "Flip-Flopper? Yes. Waffler? Yes." But then the Internet spot takes a strange turn: "Eh, whatever. He should still be president," the graphics say. "John McCain 2008. He's Not Hillary." This is one of the 60,000 videos added each day to YouTube.com , … [Read more...] about Howard Kurtz on the Rise of Internet Video

And from their representatives in Congress. It seems that even Republican Rep. Peter Hoekstra of Michigan, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee and a defender of both the NSA's domestic surveillance program and the Treasury Department's financial tracking program, has some concerns: In a sharply worded letter to President Bush in May, an important Congressional ally … [Read more...] about What else is Bush hiding from the American people?

Russia has reportedly scored a blow in its war against terrorism with the reported death of a Chechen rebel leader responsible for one of the worst terrorist massacres in Russian history. The AP:Chechen warlord Shamil Basayev, the purported author of modern Russia's worst terrorist attacks, was killed Monday, the head of the Federal Security Service said. FSB head Nikolai … [Read more...] about Russia Terrorism Blow: No. 1 Chechen Terrorist Rebel Basayev Killed

From investigative reporter Andy Borowitz:PAT ROBERTSON SENT TO NORTH KOREA FOR MADMAN-TO-MADMAN TALKS Televangelist Selected From Shortlist of Bananaheads The Reverend Pat Robertson left today for North Korea to engage in what the State Department called a series of high-level “madman-to-madmanâ€? talks with North Korean president Kim Jong-Il. The United States, frustrated … [Read more...] about This Just In!!

The New York Times reports that President George Bush is making a stylistic shift — partly due to a rethinking of approach and partly due to the new power-realities that face him:President Bush has never made apologies for enshrining pre-emption as the defining doctrine of his first term. He has declared many times that in a post-9/11 world, presidents no longer have the … [Read more...] about Bush Shifts His Approach To Being More Patient

And if you think this is a lot of crap you might be right. We thank The Locust Fork for the tip. … [Read more...] about A Lot Of Stuff About President George Bush Is Classified

Our linkfest offering you reading from varying viewpoints. Is There A Rising Moderate-Liberal Democratic "Star" In Tennessee? Sounds that way. The Joe Lieberman Debate (Over Lieberman Himself) Continues: Some think he's a kind of JFK and others make the case "no way." Copyright Stupidity: Are the courts perpetuating it? The UN Piles On Israel and blames it for the … [Read more...] about Around The Sphere July 10, 2006

Younger readers not familiar with jazz who click on the link above will notice that the voice of the guy singing seems awfully familiar: it's Louie Prima, jazz musician, singer and showman who did the voice for one of the apes in the Walt Disney cartoon "The Jungle Book." Prima was an incredible showman with personality that jumped out and grabbed audiences whether he was seen … [Read more...] about And Now Some Classic Jazz: Louie Prima

If he wanted to do this he would have had to take a number and stand in line...... … [Read more...] about Let Me Guess

"I just got one from Larry King and now I'll give myself one: I'll call myself The Environmental President!" Actually, most groups that deal with environmental issues would more-than-slightly disagree. And this Republican is probably turning over in his grave. … [Read more...] about Giving Yourself A Birthday President

A spokeswoman for the California governor, Margita Thompson, said Mr Arnold Schwarzenegger passed both a written and a riding test and got the required permit on Monday, nearly six months after he crashed one of his Harleys into an S.U.V. pulling out of a driveway while riding near his Los Angeles home with his 12-year-old son in a sidecar. But Ms. Thompson said Mr. … [Read more...] about Arnold Becomes A Legal Motorcyclist!

"What’s gone wrong with America’s image and why - reprise 2006". For more food for thought on this subject there is lot to chew on in WhirledView. Some excerpts:... "An America that does not understand – and makes little effort to understand – why it has become so unpopular abroad is almost certain to find itself both disliked and ineffective in many parts of the … [Read more...] about More On America’s Image

A Leader in the British newspaper Observer stands out in sharp contrast to the article I had mentioned earlier in this blog from The Times of London. … [Read more...] about “Home truths in Afghanistan”?

Apparently the plaintiff is an Iranian-American filmaker, a U.S. citizen arrested and detained for two months without charge while filming a documentary in Iraq. He's also a former Navy SEAL. Talk about your ideal plaintiffs... … [Read more...] about Lawsuit Filed Over Illegal Detention

It was a debate watched all over the country. Political partisans from the state (and visiting the state) watched their man take on the hated incumbent with bated breath so strong that Sea World’s Shamu drooled. They were taking on the hated enemy, a man often called by some of them a “liar,â€? a man who stood in the way of their party’s agenda. Ah, yes, lots of … [Read more...] about The Straining Of The Center In Connecticut

Here's another classic comedy bit, in answer to emailed reader requests for more of them. This is THE classic Abbott & Costello bit "Who's on First." There are many versions of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello doing this bit (which was entered into the Baseball Hall of Fame) — but this one is perhaps the best version on film. Here's what I wrote about it on a … [Read more...] about Classic Comedy: Abbott & Costello’s Immortal Routine

Here's another classic comedy bit, in answer to emailed reader requests for more of them. This is THE classic Abbott & Costello bit "Who's on First." There are many versions of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello doing this bit (which was entered into the Baseball Hall of Fame) — but this one is perhaps the best version on film. Here's what I wrote about it on a … [Read more...] about Classic Comedy: Abbott & Costello’s Immortal Routine

...but now someone has hung up on her...on the radio. … [Read more...] about Ann Coulter May Have Hang Ups

It seems like some members of the police department in Los Angeles need to get a life or get some additional assignments from the dispatcher because they have too much time on their hands. The AP:An 82-year-old woman who was given a jaywalking ticket for taking too long to cross a busy street won't have to pay the $114 fine. Mayvis Coyle had become something of a sensation … [Read more...] about Your Dumb Government In L.A. At Work Dept.

What do you do these days when you make a comment that causes the PC police to go after you? If you're a politician, you try and spin it. And sometimes the spin seems like it's part of a Saturday Night Live sketch. Joseph Biden got himself into trouble but he should copyright his office's spin, since it could wind up on a satire sketch: WHAT HE SAID:Facing criticism, … [Read more...] about Joseph Biden And The Ultimate PC Spin