TMV is a bit sick tonight (although, routinely, some readers on both sides find him sickening.) This blog may not be totally updated until tomorrow (TMV needs to jump into bed ASAP). Please keep checking back often since our always talented co-bloggers may have some things to say. Usually this site is dated EST for the next day with some posts that were done late in the day … [Read more...] about There Might Be A Slight Delay (And That Doesn’t Mean Tom)

...for aesthetic reasons rather than those of avarice or necessity that we now hold high. … [Read more...] about Money in the US was once more attractive…

British journalist Steven Poole coins the term in his new book, which I've just posted a review of here. … [Read more...] about What is “Unspeak”?

According to ABC News, "[t]his past April was the hottest ever in the United States, according to records going back to 1895". Make of it what you will. … [Read more...] about Hottest. April. Ever.

At TNR (subscription only), Lee Siegel offers an excellent critique, mostly positive, of HBO's Big Love, my favourite first-run show on TV, and of HBO dramas generally (like Six Feet Under and The Sopranos). Best line: "Once TV looked for the extraordinary in the ordinary. Now TV looks for the ordinary in the extraordinary." Key point: "The question that Bill's wives keep … [Read more...] about The allegorical realism of Big Love

Tom Hanks, left, and French actress Audrey Tautou, center, arrive with director Ron Howard. "The Da Vinci Code" opens the 59th International film festival on Wednesday (May 17). (AP Photo/Francois Mori) The Da Vinci Code movie has raked up much controversy worldwide. In India, Christian and Muslim groups have demanded that the film should be banned. In India, which is home … [Read more...] about Da Vinci Film Storm

Over at The Reaction, co-blogger Creature wonders if "the Bush administration [is] planting stories in the media, the American media, to help shape public opinion on domestic spying". See here. … [Read more...] about Planting spy stories

I haven't yet commented on Bush's well-received immigration address, but, to be fair, immigration is one of the few issues, if not the only issue, where I actually think he's on the right track, more or less, proposing a moderate course that includes both border enforcement and compassion. For now, though, I'll hand the ball to Kevin Drum, who has put it well: "Bush seems to … [Read more...] about Can Bush please anyone on immigration?

The U.S. is set to ban arms sales to Venezuela. Which begs the question: The U.S. has been selling arms to Venezuela?! Okay, okay, I know. The U.S. needs Venezuela's oil. Fine. But arms? Does the U.S. appreciate just what kind of a regime Hugo Chavez has set up for himself in Caracas? And how's this for euphemism of the day: The State Department now lists Venezuela as "a … [Read more...] about Arming Venezuela

Vaughn Ververs at CBS Public Eye writes:Are we watching a story fall apart before our very eyes? Something is certainly going on with that USA Today front-page splash about the secret NSA program to collect and analyze all the phone calls made within the United States. The story, published last week, sparked a fierce debate about privacy and the government’s ability to spy on … [Read more...] about Is The NSA Phone Data Gathering Story Slipping Away? (UPDATED)

Do you know that: * One-third of the water in homes goes on flushing the lavatory - each flush uses about 10 litres (18 pints) * The average bath uses 80 litres; a shower about 35 litres Although these facts appear in today's (May 17th) edition of London's The Independent, these carry a warning for all the countries, including the United States of America. In addition to … [Read more...] about Water Wastage: People of the World Unite!!!

You can hear the music starting now. That menacing cadence. The numbing feeling that something could soon happen. A small move that you see in the corner of your eye that makes your blood run cold. And then it happens: Nancy Pelosi could be Speaker of the House... That's apparently the gist of a GOP effort right now to try and rally the party's faithful. And it's worth noting … [Read more...] about GOPers Find A New Political Horror Star In Pelosi

New White House Press Secretary Tony Snow has begun taking center media stage. And it seems as if the White House press room is going to have a new kind of press secretary for the 21st Century: one who is emerging as a multi-layered personality in his own right. The days of the press secretary as a robot-like human tape recorder or a sweaty, hapless human being oozing unease … [Read more...] about Tony Snow’s New Learning Curve

From investigative reporter Andy Borowitz:BUSH ORDERS NATIONAL GUARD TO PROTECT APPROVAL RATING 10,000 Troops to Prevent Supporters From Leaving Country In a nationally televised address last night, President George W. Bush announced that he would order 10,000 National Guard troops to protect his sagging approval rating. The use of the National Guard to safeguard the … [Read more...] about THIS JUST IN!

It is a delicious irony of our times that on the one hand India launched on May 13th the year-round celebration of the 2550th anniversary of the enlightenment of Gautam Buddha, who preached peace and non-violence about fifth century before the Christian era, while on the other hand played footsie with the USA to acquire sophisticated arms. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh … [Read more...] about Buddha Jayanti: 2550th anniversary of enlightenment of an aristrocrat

TMV is continuing to evolve and as we head into this mid-term election year you may see more changes. Some are going on now: BLOGROLL: We're continuing to update our blogroll which means eliminating some sites. This is usually done of the blog is inactive. We don't eliminate sites that don't agree with this site (just check the blogs on the blogroll and that's clear). There … [Read more...] about TMV Continues Its Changes

This slipped past me last week, but Cory Booker won the Newark mayorial race in an out and out landslide. So why is Booker such a big deal? Well, anybody who's seen the Academy Award-nominated documentary Street Fight already knows how Booker's challenger in the 2002 mayorial contest, Democratic mayor Sharpe James, played extremely dirty politics against him. And yes, you … [Read more...] about Chalk One Up For The Good Guys

Cicero shares his journey with religion and how that may affect his 2 year-old daughter's spiritual life. More here. … [Read more...] about Why Do People Have Faith?

In Israel, water is the new oil By Karin Kloosterman May 14, 2006 The earth is a thirsty place. More than half of the world's countries need drinking water badly, and these countries are not just poor African nations landlocked by deserts. Among the list of 164 countries looking to secure potable water sources for the future include Spain, Greece and Portugal. For more … [Read more...] about More on Water from Israel21c.com

The Washington Post's Dan Froomkin offers this on last night's immigration speech by GWB. … [Read more...] about Froomkin: State of (Political) Emergency