No joke. Schoolgirls throughout Togo, a small West African country nestled between Ghana and Benin, were recently sent home to shave their heads because teachers had complained that they were wasting too much time playing with their hair. … [Read more...] about The plight of the Togolese schoolgirls

This is an amazing post by Publius at Legal Fiction regardng, among other things, the impact of calling pro-/anti-war positions "hawkish" and "dovish," respectively. These terms are filled to the brim with implicit value judgments and they color our perceptions accordingly. A bigger concern is that the terms themselves are arguments "for war" generally without regard to context … [Read more...] about “America Is Not An Aviary”

Our linkfest of good reading from sites representing many different viewpoints. Links do not necessarily reflect the opinion of TMV. Remember That "Non-Partisan" Group That Said Democrats Suppressed The Vote More Than Republicans? We ran THIS POST — the only one we apologized for within the same post...because it turned out that the group was actually a Republican front … [Read more...] about Around The Sphere Oct. 12, 2005

The right-wing has loved to construct this myth of liberal blame-Americanism so they can continually bash it to pieces. They're always on the prowl for an example--and when they find one, they'll prop it up on a pedestal and proclaim to the world that this is what every Democrat feels about our great nation. It's not true of course--the examples they give (when they're even … [Read more...] about Veil of Ignorance

Newsweek's Howard Fineman, on Hardball, says yes and says much of it revolves a certain key player whose initials are "K.R." Watch the VIDEO HERE. … [Read more...] about Does A Civil War Rage Within The White House?

For those of you flailing in disorientated horror at yet another of my seemingly endless mentions of Critical Race Theory, social constructionalism, post-modernism, or whatever fringe leftist dogma I'm hopped up on at the moment, fear not. Well, fear less. I'm not abandoning these lovely jewels of philosophical progress (I do go to a liberal arts college). But over at … [Read more...] about I’m a White Teenager…Whatever That Means

Josh Marshall points to this AP piece that he suggests looks like a political obituary. It most certainly does. TMV wrote for and worked on newspapers and he can flatly say: this looks as if the AP is expecting something to happen soon involving Karl Rove. Like an indictment, perhaps? Newspapers don't usually run this kind of timeline unless there is a news PEG. It is … [Read more...] about Does The AP Know Something We Don’t Know About Karl Rove?

Was it a rushed nomination? Did Miers herself want more time? Are conservative White House staffers upset and up in arms? Read this item on the conservative website Red State by Eric in full and you'll get the full picture from a writer who seems to have inside sources. Here's just a small taste:Part of the Miers pick seems to be a confused process and a rush job, which adds … [Read more...] about Is This The True Story Of Why The White House Picked Harriet Miers?

Each day it gets curiouser and curiouser, don't it, Mommy?In two appearances before the federal grand jury investigating the leak of a covert CIA operative's name, Lewis (Scooter) Libby, the chief of staff to Vice President Cheney, did not disclose a crucial conversation that he had with New York Times reporter Judith Miller in June 2003 about the operative, Valerie Plame, … [Read more...] about More Problems For Libby

A different actor....a different interpretation....a different color hair... … [Read more...] about James Bond Will Be Back And Different

CNN is reporting that sources tell them it has now been confirmed that the "tip" about a terror threat to New York subways was a hoax:WASHINGTON (CNN) — Information that led to heightened security for the New York City transit system was a hoax, government sources said Tuesday. The sources said an informant in Iraq who provided the tip had told investigators there was a … [Read more...] about CNN: NY Subway Terror Threat A Hoax

Then visit The Carnival of the Liberated. … [Read more...] about Want To Read Iraqi and Afghani Bloggers?

Spencer Overton talks of his experiences selling a house. It's a two-parter, for the first post, see here, for the second, see here. While the underlying legal question (is there any way the state can regulate racial discrimination amongst house buyers?) is interesting to a legal geek like me, the story itself should be thought-provoking for all readers. Go forth and read, … [Read more...] about Black House

First Lady Laura Bush has waded into the controversy over her husband's nomination of Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court — suggesting that there may be sexism at play in the opposition to Miers: Joining her husband in defense of Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers, Laura Bush today called her a "role model for young women around the country" and suggested that sexism was … [Read more...] about Laura Bush Suggests There May Be Sexism In Miers Opposition

If Richard Nixon had his group of "plumbers," George Bush may need a whole city of firemen to douse the political firestorm raging on his right due to his nomination of Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court — and the question now becomes: no matter what happens on this nomination, does it signal some kind of party realignment? The answer: anything can happen and it's hard … [Read more...] about Will Miers Confirmation Battle Nudge Party Realignment?

Daniel Solove has fun with the Airline Screening Playset. Ha. Ha. Ha. Very funny. … [Read more...] about Playtime!

We all get so bogged down in controversies, news and opinion we lose sight of the fact that other things matter, too. Like loved ones. A writer/journalist who has a blog loses a loved one. He remembers and honors HER HERE. … [Read more...] about Things That Matter: Eulogy

Via Hardball. Watch it on THIS VIDEO. … [Read more...] about A Timeline On Karl Rove And The Plamegate Leak

From Senator John McCain. … [Read more...] about Quote Of The Day

...at Crooks And Liars, the liberal video blogger website that just keeps evolving and evolving...and becoming a several-times-a-day addiction the more you read it because it just keeps getting better and better. We know that this site's readers include thinking people from many different viewpoints and we MUST say this: it really doesn't matter if you're left, right, center … [Read more...] about Take A Peek…..