Child abductions almost always end in tragedy, where a kid disappears, there aren't witnesses, and if they were witnesses no one stepped foward or didn't know enough to do something to stop it. But once in a while you do see a WONDEFUL STORY LIKE THIS. … [Read more...] about An Attempted Child Abduction With A Happy Ending

Moscow is certainly whoring itself out recently, as evidenced by the final paragraph in this Taipei Times article (via DTR):Next month, Russian and Indian troops will also hold their first joint maneuvers against potential threats by militants on land and sea in Rajasthan in northwestern India and in the Indian Ocean.Pakistan test fires a cruise missile without warning India … [Read more...] about Russia and India So Happy Together

It's The Mother Of All Historical Days for Israel as thousands of news reports are pumped out containing dramatic details such as this from the Guardian:Israeli forces dragged hundreds of religious Jews from synagogues in the Gaza settlements yesterday as hardline opponents of Israel's withdrawal from the territory made a last stand. Commandos backed by water cannon stormed … [Read more...] about Is Hamas Gaining Strength?

You KNEW it had to happen, and Reuters is reporting it: a diaper has sparked a bomb alert.BERLIN (Reuters) - An "electronic nappy" used to monitor wetness sparked a bomb alert in a German post office when it arrived in a parcel ticking suspiciously, police in the southwestern city of Heilbronn said Thursday. "They suspected it was a bomb so they put the package into an empty … [Read more...] about So Was The Diaper Loaded?

Historical facts can seem brittle and unreal as time goes on and they become simple statements. But sometimes and issue is kept as compelling as ever via oral histories via recordings, tapes and films. But what about the days when oral histories weren't the rage? Oral histories were sometimes done via good, old fashioned letters. And the The Greensboro Historical Museum has … [Read more...] about Memories Of Slavery

...but sometimes a bill can call YOU names... … [Read more...] about When You Get A Bill You May Call It Names….

Okay, suppose the US left Iraq. Would there be mass chaos or blissful harmony? … [Read more...] about Eden or Lebanon?

UN Ambassador John Bolton has rolled up his moustache sleeves and is at work at the UN, firing his first big verbal shot at UN funding of a Palestinian propaganda campaign:The United Nations' funding of a Palestinian Arab propaganda campaign timed to coincide with Israel's pullout from the Gaza Strip has increased tensions between the U.N. and American officials. America's … [Read more...] about Bolton Fires First Key UN Broadside

Okay, it's more rapprochement than alliance, but it seems that the tensions that have long separated Russia and China have been put aside long enough for those two powers to conduct joint military exercises. Such rapprochement may only be "tentative and half-hearted," but the U.S. may want to pay attention to the renewed possibility of multipolarity beyond present American … [Read more...] about We have nothing to fear but… the new Sino-Russian alliance

In an article in Commentary, that bastion of neoconservative thought, Charles Krauthammer exhibits the arrogance and hubris that is now all-too-characteristic of the right, as he declares that neoconservatism is one of the three main strands of American foreign policy. Instead, as Vivek Krishnamurthy argues at The Reaction, it's actually "just the bastard child of every … [Read more...] about Krauthammer’s hubris: Neoconservatism running amok

Protesters (as distinct from settlers) at a Gaza synagogue are being forcibly removed, and it appears that the protesters are using some type of chemical to repel the police (this chemical is being identified as "acid" by the Israeli police, as broadcast on CNN International - link). Police officers were seen coming out of the synagogue in their underwear and being doused … [Read more...] about Chemical agents apparently being used by Gaza synagogue protesters against Israeli police

One of the ongoing political dramas the past couple of months is the tug-of-war between former Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris and the GOP bigwigs over the Senate race there: they want her out of it. She insists on making the Senate race. And it's clear GOP bigwigs think she's too controversial to win. So what do you do when faced with likely electoral defeat but … [Read more...] about Will Joe Scarborough Run Against Katherine Harris?

The battle over John Roberts' nomination to the Supreme Court has just gotten a mite tougher for his critics: the ABA has given him a "well qualified rating."WASHINGTON (AP) — Supreme Court nominee John Roberts earned a "well qualified" rating from the American Bar Association on Wednesday, clearing one hurdle in his path to joining the high court. The rating by … [Read more...] about ABA Gives Roberts “Well Qualified” Rating

Our occasional linkfest of posts of ALL viewpoints. Links do not necessarily reflect the views of TMV or its co-bloggers. Was the Iraq Intervention A Success? An op-ed piece in the German newspaper Die Welt argues it is. Read a translation here via the great site Watching America. And Is It A 'Noble Cause?' Oxblogs David Adesnik, writing in his role as contributor for … [Read more...] about Around The ‘Sphere August 17, 2005

...I believe it is of vital importance that we separate the method of delivering the message from the message itself. Ms. Sheehan is not the first to invoke the dead to convey a political message, nor will she be the last. Once we actually do the mental work of separating the gut reaction out to analyze the methods used, we might see how our emotions are being cynically … [Read more...] about On the matter of Ms. Cindy Sheehan…

Pierce Brosnon as James Bond? RIP — but he's not in mourning as the day has finally come:NEW YORK - A single, surprising phone call and it was over. That's how Pierce Brosnan says he learned that his services as James Bond would no longer be required. "One phone call, that's all it took!" the 52-year-old actor tells Entertainment Weekly magazine in its Aug. 19 … [Read more...] about Pierce Brosnan Stirred Not Shaken Over Bond Exit

NEWS FLASH: John Roberts is conservative! … [Read more...] about *Stunning* news of the day

Google Earth A Security Risk Nothing more to add... … [Read more...] about A sad commentary of the times

Well, it could have been worse: at least she didn't stick them in the oven. … [Read more...] about A Little Note On Their Check

Grief and terror brought by Islamic militants has struck yet another country — this time Bangladesh, where reports say some 300 explosions occured simultaneously throughout the nation including in its capital city.The BBC reports:At least two people have been killed and 50 others injured in a series of small bomb blasts across Bangladesh. Officials say more than 300 … [Read more...] about Islamic Militants Explode Bombs Across Bangladesh