As described below, we have difficult posting conditions today. We're now working on our look at the latest on Hurricane Katrina. As with the case yesterday, we'll post some of it when we're partly done and keep adding it on this site until it's completed. So keep checking back. … [Read more...] about Note To Readers

The New York Times has issued an editorial that is nothing more than a blanket condemnation of the leadership of President George W. Bush as reflected in his reaction to the disaster created by hurricane Katrina. The nature of the leadership exhibited by President Bush was apparent before the events of this week, and a natural disaster should not be used as an opportunity to … [Read more...] about Leadership and politics in times of natural disaster

Blogging is a new frontier in the Info Explosion Age but if a lawsuit goes the "wrong" way it could put a damper on free-wheeling blogs with their take-no-prisoners' readers feedback: a case centering on the question of whether bloggers are liable for their readers' comments on their sites. The Wall Street Journal reports: In a legal case being watched closely by bloggers, an … [Read more...] about Are Bloggers Legally Liable For Readers’ Comments?

A reminder that TMV (who is on the road) is still in a difficult position in terms of posting on this site. Connections aren't great and he is under severe time contraints. He'll do one post for early this morning, but his other post(s) will be after 7:30 a.m. today (California time). BUT this site's co-bloggers may have some interesting things to say today...so stay … [Read more...] about More Late Postings By TMV Today

...in more than one place, with large scale terrors where hundreds die or widespread horrors where at the least hundreds if not thousands of lives are lost and even more lives are changed irrevocably, sometimes the ending of a single life can still have resonance. Does life or death ever have any greater meaning than what first appears? Perhaps it is nothing more than that we … [Read more...] about In the face of tragedies…

Reader Daniel Solzman has asked us to urgently post this information: This was just sent to me from the Dillard SID: I need to get the message out. There are over 200 students still at Dillard University, 2601 Gentilly Boulevard New Orleans. They are on the second floor of the Camphor Hall Cafeteria. I know that approx 600 students were evacuated earlier but as of yesterday … [Read more...] about Students Stranded In New Orleans?

...cut a swath of devastation through the Lousiana, Mississippi, and Alabama coasts that may have resulted in the deaths of thousands in New Orleans alone. After perusing many weblogs and comments to posts on those same various weblogs, what is found? A partisan blame game. For those who preach cultural relativsm, this is a strong blow against their preferred culture. For … [Read more...] about The hurricane Katrina…

Two photos, both showing Hurricane victims dragging items while wading through chest-deep water. Two captions--the first in which the man is labeled a "looter," the second, where the couple are "finders." Who can guess the difference between photo one and two? More at The Debate Link. … [Read more...] about Finders Keepers, Looters…Well, They’re What We Call Black “Finders”

It looks like the worst case scenario for New Orleans — and if it isn't, it misses it by a micro hair — has now happened with Hurricane Katrina. Some 80 percent of below-sea-level New Orleans, the city of jazz infused with a joy of living, is now reportedly under water — almost turning it into a 21st century version of Atlantis. And there are now predictions … [Read more...] about 80 Percent Flooded New Orleans To Be Evacuated As Pentagon Gets Involved

Due to some posting problems we're a bit late with our look at the latest on Hurricane Katrina. It should be on this site within an hour or so. Thanks for your patience! … [Read more...] about Stay Tuned For More On Katrina

President George Bush has been getting steadily bad polling news — and now it's the Democrats' turn:WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats' efforts to improve their image with religious voters after the 2004 presidential election appear to be getting off to a bumpy start. Fewer people see Democrats as friendly to religion now than felt that way a year ago, according to a poll … [Read more...] about Poll Brings Bad News For Democrats On Religion Front

If you read one thing today (aside, of course, from TMV and the co-bloggers' blogs), this should be it. Francis Fukuyama, author of The End of History and the Last Man (and something of a Straussian -- see here and here for my takes on what it means to be a Straussian), writes on today's Times Op-Ed page that "the Bush Administration "squandered the overwhelming public mandate … [Read more...] about Fukuyama on Iraq

The attention is on Katrina, but on Tuesday the Census Bureau released new figures showing that poverty continues to increase, with the number of Americans living in poverty rising to 37 million, up 1.1 million from 2003. Drawing on Michael Harrington's seminal The Other America, published in 1962, I address this sad development over at The Reaction. The war on terror … [Read more...] about Still the other America: The rise of poverty in the United States

As New Orleans is returned to something of a state of nature -- where life is nasty, brutish, and short -- looting has taken place in plain view of overwhelmed law enforcement. The power of nature has released the brutish side of human nature. The instinct for survival has obviously taken over, but what of the myriad looters who would self-interestedly maximize their power by … [Read more...] about Looting in Louisiana

Even though partisans point to methodology flaws, question bias, etc. it's now clear more than ever that President George Bush seems to steadily losing support — so much that a new ABC News/Washington poll finds him at a career low. There is some good news for Bush...but it's lukewarm. If spinning is an art in modern politics, then the White House needs to call the … [Read more...] about Bush’s Polling Numbers Hit ” Career Low”

As reported in the Times, this is a fascinating human-interest story from Nebraska, where a 22-year old man faces prosecution for having sex with -- and, yes, a child with -- his now-14-year-old wife. This may be an exceptional case, but it's part of a problem that plagues America's youth. … [Read more...] about Love or statutory rape? A cornhusker saga

Once again our posts will be appear on this site a bit later today — after around 7 a.m. this morning. We WILL be posting some longer posts. Due to some severe posting problems here in Grass Valley, Ca, above Sacramento, we're holding off until after 7 a.m. for the additional posts. Keep checking back here for posts by our co-blogger. TMV's own posts will appear here … [Read more...] about Late Postings Today

Military blogger Lt. Smash, aka The Indepundit, quickly put together a support-the-war demonstration once he heard President George Bush was coming to San Diego. Bush didn't stop and visit his group....but another high administration official did. Can you guess who? (The answer is here.) … [Read more...] about A Support The War Demonstration In San Diego Gets A Special Visitor

The latest FRC briefing contains a double-whammy: marginalizing anti-Semetism in the Armed Forces (which was to be expected), and then lionizing racist ex-Senator Jesse Helms (which I'll admit stunned even me). I parse both issues at The Debate Link. For background on the Air Force's response to religious harassment, see here, here, and here. For background on Helms and his … [Read more...] about The FRC Tops Itself

It's not over until it's over — and it isn't over. That's the key fact about Hurricane Katrina, which slammed on shore in New Orleans as a Category 5 storm, was later downgraded to a Category 3 storm — and has left confirmed deaths in Mississipi, unconfirmed deaths in Louisiana, high floodwaters and tornado warnings in its feisty path. According to MSNBC, the … [Read more...] about Hurricane Katrina’s Death Toll And Flooding Damage Mount