Michael Reynolds poses a curious riddle (hint: use Google) and then he follows up with a post about why the answer to the riddle should concern us all. Read An NSA Riddle first...then take a look at Why It Matters. … [Read more...] about Why Does The NSA Furor Matter?

...would it have looked like THIS? … [Read more...] about If Al Gore Had Become President

I pray for an end to terrorism, speedily and in our days. Daniel Wultz died today, the 11th murder by Islamic Jihad on April 17 in Tel Aviv, Israel. He was an American citizen, a high school student from the Miami, Florida vicinity. I am so sick of this. … [Read more...] about This Must Stop

The great, serious debate continues HERE. … [Read more...] about Race Versus Racialism Part II

....but out of office. … [Read more...] about You Can Find Politicians Who Are Refreshingly Blunt And Honest

You truly do have to wonder what's going on between God/The Universe/Fate (pick one according to your beliefs) and the Kennedys:A plane carrying U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy from western Massachusetts to his home on the coast was struck by lightning Saturday and had to be diverted to New Haven, Conn., his spokeswoman said. The eight-seat Cessna Citation 550 plane lost all … [Read more...] about More On The Kennedy “Curse”?

TMV will be on the road the next two days in his other incarnation -- driving some 1100 miles between now and Monday night and doing a batch of shows. His own posts will continue but they may not appear immediately if there is breaking news. Some of his posts will actually be place on this site via a timer. BUT our always independent co bloggers may have something to say so … [Read more...] about TMV On The Road

It's interesting how one name seems to figure in some of the Bush administration's most controversial policies and actions: But N.S.A. lawyers, trained in the agency's strict rules against domestic spying and reluctant to approve any eavesdropping without warrants, insisted that it should be limited to communications into and out of the country, said the officials, who were … [Read more...] about Cheney Early Prime Advocate of Expanded U.S. Surveillance

Horrible news from one of the largest cities in the world, reported by the BBC: "At least 30 people, including 19 policemen, have been killed in a spate of attacks in Sao Paulo, Brazil." The attacks, carried out by the so-called First Command of the Capital (PCC) gang, may have been a response to a transfer of prison inmates. Police officers were targeted: "The assailants used … [Read more...] about Sao Paolo rocked by gang violence

READ THIS FIRST BEFORE CLICKING: We were sent the link to this mystery video. We believe it shows Ted Koppel visiting the White House press room. Newly appointed White House Press Secretary Tony Snow (whose name Koppel gets wrong) is wearing a hat and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (who Snow calls by his nickname) is clad in his characteristic attire. They are seen … [Read more...] about Mystery Washington Press Video

You'd think he'd be working out of Flushing, N.Y. but he works out of KITAKYUSHU, Japan. His job is to prevent a pain in the ass:Darting through the 3:30 p.m. passenger rush at a new airport here, a hurried 35-year-old in a gray business suit made a beeline for the men's room. Heading for the nearest open stall, Kyoji Asada threw aside his briefcase and quickly got down to … [Read more...] about A Cheeky Man For A Cheeky Job

If you go back and read the stories on Mel Gibson over the past few years, they've assumed that he was a supporter of President George Bush. WRONG, apparently, because this sounds like The Passion of The Bush Opponent:Film star and director Mel Gibson has launched a scathing attack on US President George W Bush, comparing his leadership to the barbaric rulers of the Mayan … [Read more...] about Mel Gibson On George Bush: The Hollywood Worm Turns?

Pam of Pam's House Blend is live-blogging the annual dinner of the SLDN (Servicemembers Legal Defense Network). Enjoy live coverage of how DADT ("Don't Ask, Don't Tell") has damaged the armed services of the United States of America. … [Read more...] about DADT Devalued

Conservative Stephen Bainbridge is suffering from it. And he explains why here. (Tip: NewsHog.) … [Read more...] about Bush fatigue

A new Newsweek poll has come out indicating a majority of American's don't like the way the Bush administration is expanding federal powers to fight terrorism — a poll that contradicts an earlier Washington Post poll, although the wording of the polls and the times they were taken may not be the same. First, the news from Newsweek:Has the Bush administration gone too far … [Read more...] about Newsweek Poll: Americans Don’t Like NSA Phone Database Spying Plan

According to Reuters, "U.N. inspectors have discovered new traces of highly-enriched uranium on nuclear equipment in Iran, deepening suspicions Tehran may still be concealing the full extent of its atomic enrichment program". The samples were taken from "a former research center at Lavizan-Shiyan". The center has since been "razed". The discovery suggests that there may indeed … [Read more...] about New highly-enriched uranium traces discovered in Iran

Travel back to the 50s and see Lucy and Ricky demonstrate a model that vanished: the Ford Retractable Hardtop. … [Read more...] about The Automobile Future Was Yesterday

We've said repeatedly in our posts that a key problem with the Bush administration is its nonstop, growing credibility crisis. It's a huge underlying factor in the current uproar over the collection of phone call data by NSA — a controversy that actually swirls on several other, more evident fronts. One is the privacy issue. One is the legality issue. Those are and will … [Read more...] about Some Other Implications Of The NSA Phone Databank Scandal

CNN: Thousands flee fiery volcano More than 20,000 people have been urged to evacuate their homes ahead of an "imminent" eruption of Indonesia's Mount Merapi. A lava dome forming at the peak of one of the nation's most dangerous and active volcanoes has triggered fresh concerns. Authorities are going door to door on Saturday to encourage residents to leave the densely … [Read more...] about The Earth Speaks….

Amba thinks the time has come for the middle to get galvanized. More here. … [Read more...] about Centrists…Get Tough