The Education Wonks features a post citing a Boulder Daily Camera article that announces that hugging has been banned at a North Boulder middle school. Here's our favorite part of the newspaper report: Centennial Assistant Principal Becky Escamilla said that some concerned sixth-grade teachers asked the administration to spell out policies surrounding "PDAs" - jargon for … [Read more...] about Hugging Is Banned At Colorado School

Our occasional linkfest of items from sites representing MANY different viewpoints. We do NOT restrict the links to one political party or philosophy. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Moderate Voice or its Guest Bloggers. ARE BUSH'S PRESENT POLITICAL PROBLEMS DUE TO KARL ROVE CHANGING HIS JOB? Here's one view. AND IS GEORGE BUSH STARTING TO … [Read more...] about Around The ‘Sphere

What was the effect of blogs/online activists in the last election? That was the topic of a panel discussion at The Bay Area Law School Technolgy Conference at Stanford University on April 9th. Panelists: Panelists: Joe Gandelman (moderator), Aaron Swartz, Mike Krempasky, Dave Kopel. You can listen to a Real Audio on-line recording of this session by clicking here. It runs … [Read more...] about eDemocracy: The Role of Blogs and Online Activitists in 2004

And all the experts were predicting this love affair couldn't last — that the bride saying she was kidnapped and it turning out that she simply had cold feet would mean this couple's marriage was doomed. NO! Love conquers all. Because the jilted Georgia groom now says he not only still loves her but he wants to marry her:""Haven't we all made mistakes?" he asks. Here's … [Read more...] about Georgia Groom Still Loves His Runaway Bride

If it turns out the Republican party loses moderates and centrists this is the kind of over-the-top rhetoric people will look back one day and say was responsible: Federal judges are a more serious threat to America than Al Qaeda and the Sept. 11 terrorists, the Rev. Pat Robertson claimed yesterday. "Over 100 years, I think the gradual erosion of the consensus that's held our … [Read more...] about A Skunk Spraying Inside The GOP Tent

...how will the heirs to Jonathan Swift even be recognized? … [Read more...] about If everything is hyperbole…

An explosion in a hidden weapons cache cut short 28 lives in Afghanistan, a country still undergoing stabilization — and making progress on many fronts. First, here's the bad news from the AP via ABC News: An arms cache hidden by an Afghan warlord exploded in a bunker beneath his home early Monday, killing 28 people, injuring at least 70 and devastating surrounding … [Read more...] about Afghan Munitions Explosion Kills 28 Amid Continued Progress Signs

....especially in this part of the world. … [Read more...] about Getting Married Can Be Pretty Scary….

So what do you think? … [Read more...] about Now THIS Is A Vital Issue

In case you thought various press reports in recent weeks mentioning competitive tensions between Senator John Kerry and Senator Hillary Clinton over the 2008 Democratic nomination were just a bunch of speculative horse-race handicapping, think again. The bottom line is that too many of these little factoids have been emerging — including this one reporting how Kerry was … [Read more...] about Hillary Clinton Versus John Kerry In The Democratic Sweepstakes

Could be... … [Read more...] about Separated At Birth?

Attention hermits, anti-social or lonely people: if you value your health you'll get some people in your life NOW. The reason: a new study concludes that if you're a man and don't have a group of close friends, family or aren't connected with other people it could heighten your risk of heart attack. How could this happen? As Health Talk notes, it has to do with blood … [Read more...] about Lonely Heart Could Risk Heart Attack

Tonight was a milestone in prime-time cartoons on the major networks: "The Simpsons" passed its 350th episode and "Family Guy" returned three years after cancellation because of audience demand. Sadly, Fox misjudged how much penance it should pay "Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane and went ahead with his latest project, which I review here. … [Read more...] about Simpsons, Family Guy and a new cartoon bubble

Here's another lesson in not assuming what people in other countries would want, based on our Western notions. As Iraq gets cell networks up and running, the towers need to go somewhere - and Iraqis are glad to be picked by the companies to put them on their houses:1-The phone company would pay the house owner (the host) 500 $ per month for allowing the company to install the … [Read more...] about Is that a tower on your house or are you happy to see me?

Laura Rozen talks about how the Bush administration has softened its stance on the Sudanese government in regards to Darfur, preferring political expediency over human rights concerns. One thing thats left out of the analysis, however, is the impact of oil. China has been cozying up to Bashir's regime for awhile now, primarily because Sudan is teeming with underdeveloped oil … [Read more...] about The Realpolitik of Sudan

The LA Times comes in for criticism regularly in the blogosphere, but a couple recent mistakes on their part deserve closer scrutiny. LA-based Patterico shows Times editors removed (from the Reuters wire story) possibly the most noteworthy development in the shooting of the car in Iraq that killed an Italian agent and the newly free Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena - the … [Read more...] about Los Angeles Times editors are no angels

Cross-posted at Random Fate. GRENOBLE, France - Over a week ago, I wrote here at The Moderate Voice on the television appearance by French President Jacques Chirac to promote a "oui" vote on the EU Constitution. I concluded with the following: So, in the end, even though the polls look like Chirac had no effect on public opinion after his televised discussion of the EU … [Read more...] about Opinion polls in France show a shift on the EU Constitution

The group Free Muslims Against Terrorism is leading a rally in DC on Saturday, May 14:Join us in sending a message to radical Muslims and supporters of terrorism that we reject them and that we will do all we can to defeat them. We also want to send a message of hope to the people of the Muslim world and the Middle East who seek freedom, democracy and who reject radical Islam … [Read more...] about The perfect rally for moderates!

Are the origins of the likely rejection due to effects of the industrial revolution? … [Read more...] about The upcoming vote on the EU Constitution in France

Several American Presidents have learned the "hard way" that it's extremely difficult regaining credibility after it has been lost. And now, it seems, it's time for Great Britain's Tony Blair to learn the same (painful) lesson. You can monitor any number of news reports and newspaper stories on the new controversy raging in England on the eve of elections there and reach … [Read more...] about Tony Blair’s Credibility Problem