It was 25 years ago today. At night to be exact. I was working the night shift at the Wichita Eagle, one of three reporters and a tiny staff of editors unlucky enough to have to work the late hours that night. It was a supremely dull evening until an editor rushed over to my colleague and talked to her. She turned to me, face ashen, and said: "They shot John Lennon." My … [Read more...] about Remembering John Lennon’s Untimely Departure

Why not "sex" the Bible up...literally...by keeping abreast of trends as a German Protestant youth group did with a revealing Bibical calender?Nuremberg pastor Bernd Grasser said: "It's just wonderful when teenagers commit themselves with their hair and their skin to the bible." "There's a whole range of biblical scriptures simply bursting with eroticism," said Stefan Wiest, … [Read more...] about Bringing Religion To A New Generation

Can you guess what's first? Don't peek... HINT: Think about our co-blogger Greg Piper and his blog The Smoking Room. The answer is here. … [Read more...] about America’s Most Literate Cities

Nope. We don't like this, even though we are not fans of Ann Coulter:Conservative columnist Ann Coulter gave up trying to finish a speech at the University of Connecticut on Wednesday night when boos and jeers from the audience became overwhelming. Coulter cut off the talk after 15 minutes and instead held a half-hour question-and-answer session. "I love to engage in repartee … [Read more...] about Boos Cause Ann Coulter To Cut Short Speech

The voting continues for Wizbang's Best Blog Awards. TMV has been nominated in the category Best Group Blog. You can vote once every 24 hours until December 15 by clicking here. NOTE: We're not expecting to win this award. People often vote according to their ideology (one site that clearly doesn't agree with us has specifically urged its readers not to vote for this … [Read more...] about Voting Continues For Blog Awards

This Divided State (website link is HERE) is a remarkable documentary: one that gives you all of the information on a topic, communicates the almost fetid emotions swirling around the issue — yet lays it out clinically and objectively. And here's the bottom line: liberals will love it (and feel vindicated), conservatives will love it (and feel vindicated) and centrists … [Read more...] about DVD REVIEW: This Divided State

The Moderate Voice occasionally runs Guest Voice columns to provide a better buffet of ideas to our readers. This MUST READ column is by Robin Koerner, publisher of one of the most indispensable websites for anyone interested in how America is viewed abroad, Watching America. The Rightness of America By Robin Koerner On Dec 6, a very British event offered an interesting … [Read more...] about Guest Voice: The Rightness Of America

This just in from TMV's favorite poet Wallstreet Poet Michael Silverstein:In the old Soviet Union, the secret police had dossiers that chronicled everyone's political lives so dissidents could be quickly identified and punished. In today's America, credit bureaus have very detailed records of everyone's economic lives, and one false spending move brings out the dunners. Barbed … [Read more...] about The Credit Card Holiday Song

Someone needs to set George Bush straight: he should have called called this a Christmas ceremony. UPDATE: Read (and watch) more about this issue HERE. … [Read more...] about The White House Gets It Wrong On Christmas AGAIN

Do Democratic criticisms of our Iraq policies embolden the enemy? Potentially. But certainly no more than the Republican defense of sticking with failed policies. … [Read more...] about Aiding The Enemy

The latest poll shows a significant rise in President George Bush's approval rating — suggesting that his numbers may have bottomed out and that he's slowly on the rebound:(CBS) There is good news and bad news in this poll for President George W. Bush. Americans have become more positive about the economy; more than half think the economy is in good shape, an 8-point … [Read more...] about Significant Rise For Bush In Latest Poll

Washington Post Security Fix: Latest Sober Worm to Spawn Nazi Hate E-Mails … [Read more...] about Sober Worm Generates Nazi Spam

Katrina victims testify on Katrina response. Nobody looked good. … [Read more...] about Hearing the Victims

....viewed from abroad. … [Read more...] about The “Christmas” Versus “Holiday” Broohaha…

All Things Considered, December 7, 2005 · Women's rights in Iraq are a subject of growing alarm for activists and some secular groups. The widely accepted and seldom prosecuted practice of "honor killings" — in which family members of women who have had extramarital sex have a right to kill her — is of particular concern. Audio for this story is now available … [Read more...] about NPR ATC: Activists Sound Alarm on Iraqi ‘Honor Killings’

Professor Bainbridge is mildly depressed about his home state. And you thought California couldn't top the recall. Baby, they're just getting warmed up. Tip: Southern Appeal. … [Read more...] about Road Warrior vs. Terminator vs. Meathead ’06: An Election For The Ages

Miami Herald: Shots fired in plane at MIA; one injured A federal air marshal fired shots on an American Airlines airplane at Miami International Airport, according to broadcast reports. One person has reportedly been injured. Passengers are reportedly still aboard the plane. American Airlines flight 942 reportedly originated in Medellin, Colombia, and was scheduled to depart … [Read more...] about UPDATED: Shots Fired Inside Plane at Miami Airport

Always remember... … [Read more...] about Today Is An Important Day

Same-sex marriage is legal in Canada, but that hasn't stopped Conservative Party Leader Stephen Harper from resurrecting it as a wedge issue in the current federal election campaign. Grace Miao has more on this issue/story over at The Reaction. … [Read more...] about Canada’s Conservative Party re-opens same-sex-marriage debate

Cincinnati Enquirer - Wednesday, December 7, 2005 1) Do you believe in separation between church and state? Yes No 2) Is it appropriate for people of faith to promote their religious beliefs in their political campaigns? Yes No 3) Is it appropriate for people of faith to base political votes on their religious beliefs? Yes No VOTE HERE Here are the results when I … [Read more...] about Poll: Pulpit Politics