And, if so, will their secrets be exposed? … [Read more...] about Cartoon Characters: Do They Have Secret Lives?

An eye-opening and at times jaw-dropping interview with Saudi Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal. … [Read more...] about Those Lovable Saudis

Bull Moose warns that America's political elites have put their mind-set back to pre-911 and are ignoring the perils to the United States homeland and ominous rumblings from Iran.However, there is increasing sentiment that we are no longer at war. Well, not exactly - clearly we are at war in Iraq. And according to some, the Bush Administration is conducting a relenting attack … [Read more...] about Are America’s Political Elites Becoming Dangerously Complacent? (UPDATED)

There has been another kidnapping in Yemen. But kidnappings in Yemen are not always merely crimes. They often have political roots. … [Read more...] about Another (Politics-based?) Kidnapping In Yemen

....at Atomic Insights Blog. You'd be surprised how many new sites TMV discovers (and later adds to his blogroll) by being linked by a new site. Today we were fascinated to find this link from Atomic Insights Blog which discusses "energy supplies, energy technology and energy politics from an atomic point of view." Independent researcher Rod Adams' blog is serious and … [Read more...] about Take A Peek….

Tutakai is one of TMV's favorite sites since in its always-articulate posts it makes no bones that moderates can indeed (and DO) take strong positions...and can play a role (as they have throughout American history). Here's a key quote from its latest post (but read the whole thing):The truth is that both parties are increasingly the puppets of their most extreme elements. … [Read more...] about Quote Of The Day: Tutakai On The Two Parties And Moderates

Asia Pundit reports two highly critical blogs have apparently been shut down. … [Read more...] about China Crackdown On Bloggers Continues

Due to the extended holiday season, we've re-dated and reposted even more posts than usual for the following day's blog. We do this routinely so posts put on this site at night are on the following day's site, to get maximum readership (permalinks are not impacted, just the "history" of the post). Today we've reposted our comment on Dick Clark — which was actually done … [Read more...] about Note To Readers

You could say Russia is "Putin on the pressure" by cutting gas to the Ukraine in a move that could have a slew of big implications — political and economic. For instance, the New York Times reports:Russia cut off the natural gas intended for Ukraine on Sunday as talks over pricing and transit terms unraveled into a bald political conflict that carried consequences for … [Read more...] about Russia Cuts Off Ukraine’s Gas And It Has Implications

NOTE: This was posted early yesterday but due to some of the issues raised we're posting it again today, higher up in the actual order in which it was posted. Newer posts are below this so please keep scrolling down. He was called "America's oldest teenager" until way after that phrase even remotely made sense. He produced a classic rock T.V. show, branched out into topnotch … [Read more...] about A Determined Dick Clark Returns To New Year’s Eve

Happy New Year to everyone! Though I won't be back at full-blogging strength until I'm settled back at Carleton (I fly back tomorrow, will be up and running by Tuesday), I do have a rather lengthy post regarding Iowa Law Professor (and Palestine/International Law Expert) Adrien Wing's trip to Israel, and her observations there. I do issue fair warning on the length (and it … [Read more...] about On Israel, Anti-Semitism, and Other Impossible Topics

Newsweek adds a new troubling twist to the controversy over the Bush administration's warrantless spying. It reports that even then-Attorney General John Ashcroft would not authorize the spying sought by the administration: On one day in the spring of 2004, White House chief of staff Andy Card and the then White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales made a bedside visit to John … [Read more...] about New, Troubling Questions Over Bush Domestic Spying

William Safire isn't happy. Will more Republicans, particularly libertarian Republicans, take a similar stance? … [Read more...] about Bush’s Warrantless Domestic Spying Loses A Conservative

Cross posted at The Smoking Room The war on smoking seems to be spreading to those forms that are casual and infrequent, like Arabic water pipes (hookahs):"There's a myth that the smoke is filtered by the water," says Thomas Eissenberg, a psychology professor at Virginia Commonwealth University and co-author of a hookah study. The smoke passes through gurgling water before the … [Read more...] about Hookahs falsely portrayed as just as dangerous as cigarettes

It's the Eighth (and last) Night of Hanukkah and here is an Online Menorah for you! … [Read more...] about Happy Hanukkah!

Some ideas here. What do YOU think? And if you want to write something funny, just make sure it's PC. … [Read more...] about What’s In And Out In 2006

.....an era is ending. … [Read more...] about If You’re A Ventriloquist Or Like Ventriloquism

If you've been following the sad saga of our talented co-blogger Jack Grant's holiday loss it's time for an update. First, re-read our post here about the bittersweet Christmas Eve of Jack, who shut down his life working in France to rush home to Texas to be with his father — who had been diagnosed with grave, quickly spreading cancer. And spread it did: on December 26th … [Read more...] about Honoring A Departed Father

The New Republic Online: Since inaugurating the "Today in Despotism" series earlier this year, TNR Online has chronicled the activities of a number of strongmen. Some are old, some are young; some are religious, some are atheist; some are called "Guide of the First of September Great Revolution of the Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya"; others are called "Supreme … [Read more...] about TNR’s Despots of the Year

He's off! And let's all try real hard to keep him on the correct path. … [Read more...] about And Now The New Year Is OFF To A Start!