By Matt Spetalnick, Roberta Rampton and Jeff Mason WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama warned Americans on Sunday the terrorist threat to the United States had evolved into a dangerous "new phase" in the aftermath of a deadly California shooting rampage, but vowed to destroy Islamic State and other militant groups. In a rare Oval Office address, Obama sought to … [Read more...] about Obama in Oval Office speech vows to defeat “new phase” of terrorist threat
San Bernardino, Refugees and Guns
Since the tragedy in San Bernardino, Republican presidential candidates, other politicians and their cheering supporters have had a field day attempting to link the mass murders -- probably an act of terrorism -- to Muslims in general and to the Syrian refugees issue in particular. This, in spite of the fact that there is not a shred of evidence that points to Syrian … [Read more...] about San Bernardino, Refugees and Guns
SciFi Weekend: Doctor Who, Hell Bent; Batman v. Superman; The Expanse; Transparent; Outlander; Supergirl; Fargo; You’re The Worst
The season finale of Doctor Who, Hell Bent, concluded the three part story which began with the death of Clara Oswald in Face the Raven. It turned out that the ending of last week's episode, Heaven Sent, contained some misdirection about where the finale was going. While the Doctor did return to Gallifrey, this was not at all what the episode was really about. The Doctor … [Read more...] about SciFi Weekend: Doctor Who, Hell Bent; Batman v. Superman; The Expanse; Transparent; Outlander; Supergirl; Fargo; You’re The Worst
I State
https://politicalgraffiti.wordpress.com/2015/12/06/i-state/ Copyright 2015 David Donar. All rights reserved.Copyright Donar, Political Graffiti … [Read more...] about I State
‘Every Thing Will Be Fine’: I Can’t Hate It
2.5/5 I wouldn’t go so far as to recommend Every Thing Will Be Fine, but I confess to having found some things to admire in it, even at its most ramshackle. It's receiving a critical torching, and the critics are right; this is not a great film. It isn’t even a particularly good film, yet as I watched it, I found myself incapable of hating it. What can I say? Perhaps something … [Read more...] about ‘Every Thing Will Be Fine’: I Can’t Hate It
Remembering Pearl Harbor and the Survivors (Photo Update)
Photo Update: Navy veteran Nelson Mitchell, believed to be the oldest living African-American survivor of the attack on Pearl Harbor, reflects in the shrine room of the USS Arizona Memorial on Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, Dec. 5, 2015. Mitchell was attending a harbor tour in observance of the 74th anniversary of the Dec. 7, 1941, attack. U.S. Navy photo by … [Read more...] about Remembering Pearl Harbor and the Survivors (Photo Update)
Poll: Clinton solidifies lead in Democratic race
As terrorism and foreign policy have taken center stage, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has taken regained her lead over Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders by a big margin: In a Democratic field that has winnowed to just three candidates, Hillary Clinton has regained a dominant lead over Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, topping him by a 28-point margin, her widest in … [Read more...] about Poll: Clinton solidifies lead in Democratic race
Sadly saying goodbye to Coyote, the best dog in the world
Sadly saying goodbye to Coyote, the best dog in the world by Kim Mooney We said goodbye to Coyote one sad night in November. She had about 3 hours of a bad life before we gently helped her leave. How much gratitude can dog parents have knowing that she only suffered what she needed to to get out of her very sick body. She was fine Thursday morning, had a long walk … [Read more...] about Sadly saying goodbye to Coyote, the best dog in the world
There Are More Demagogues In The Wings
Donald Trump said last week that, if there were more people carrying more guns, things would have turned out differently in San Bernardino. Many have been appalled by the rise of Trump. Chris Hedges believes that his rise is the inevitable consequence of the death of liberal institutions. He writes: These institutions, which once made possible piecemeal and … [Read more...] about There Are More Demagogues In The Wings
Josh Marshall on Effective Counter-terrorism
Josh Marshall outlines the conundrum we face in attempting to prevent terrorist attacks on Talking Points Memo. The kinds of surveillance and scrutiny which inevitably fall on suspect populations as part of a heightened counter-terrorism posture are exactly the kinds of strictures which over time are likely to create the kind of social isolation and alienation which seems, … [Read more...] about Josh Marshall on Effective Counter-terrorism
‘I Want To Sing You A Song,’ Sez Bob Dorough, ‘And Have You Not Walk Out On Me’
My first face-to-face meeting with jazz legend Bob Dorough was in a booth at a greasy spoon near his home in the Pocono Mountains in northeastern Pennsylvania, and while we did eventually get around to talking music, the reason for the sitdown was that he had been good friends with a guy about whom I was writing a book. The reason I was writing the book was that the guy, … [Read more...] about ‘I Want To Sing You A Song,’ Sez Bob Dorough, ‘And Have You Not Walk Out On Me’
Sarah Palin: Jesus would back open carry of guns
In a speech at The Reagan Ranch Center in Santa Barbara, California, Friday sponsored by the Young America's Foundation, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, a Second Amendment supporter, said she believed that Jesus would be a "proponent of open carry" policies. "Jesus was a warrior, he was a fighter for justice," Mrs. Palin said in her… … [Read more...] about Sarah Palin: Jesus would back open carry of guns
San Bernardino, Guns, Republicans and the NRA (Cartoon roundup)
San Bernardino, Guns, Republicans and the NRA by Daryl Cagle My cartoon today about the terror attack in San Bernardino, inspired by the interesting front page on the New York Daily News. Standing in a crowed of bloody, murder victims while saying something ironic or hypocritical is a cartoon cliche that every cartoonist has drawn many times. Here’s a similar … [Read more...] about San Bernardino, Guns, Republicans and the NRA (Cartoon roundup)
San Bernardino, Mass Murder and America’s Sunni-Shiite Wars
Even before police could put up crime-scene tape on Wednesday at the mass shooting site in San Bernardino, California, social media was clogged with one major question: Which political party could be blamed? If this was labeled as Islamic terrorism, conservatives were ready to pounce on the Obama administration and Democrats with the message that the… … [Read more...] about San Bernardino, Mass Murder and America’s Sunni-Shiite Wars
Donald Trump Is A Wimp And A Loser
Donald Trump once again leads the Republican polls (although I discussed the poor predictive value of polls in primary battles yesterday). Some pundits, such as David Brooks, say he will not win. Nobody seems sure exactly what to make of Donald Trump. For a change, I will evaluate him as he has been evaluating his opponents. Based upon his behavior this week, this means that … [Read more...] about Donald Trump Is A Wimp And A Loser
The New Look TMV
Welcome to the new look site. Well about 75% ready but good enough for production. The major changes: - A large slider bar with various categories and posts. The bar shows a number of featured posts per certain categories. This allows more content to get featured with a very slick graphic look (notice how the background changes with the categories). You can go to the … [Read more...] about The New Look TMV
Is mass killing now a ritual?
Earlier this fall, Malcolm Gladwell explored this question from a sociological perspective, in a piece called “Thresholds of Violence.” The growth in school shootings, he writes, has behaved like “a slow-motion, ever-evolving riot.” Think of how a riot develops: it begins when someone with a low “threshold of violence” decides to break a shop window; then, as it grows, people … [Read more...] about Is mass killing now a ritual?
Trump’s popularity is frightening. Republicans need to clean house (Guest Editorial)
Donald Trump has a lot in common with the fascists of the early 20 th century, though it's doubtful he has read enough history to realize that. He is hyper-aggressive in his approach to the world, promising an unrestrained bombing campaign intended to kill not just fighters of the Islamic State, but their families as well.… … [Read more...] about Trump’s popularity is frightening. Republicans need to clean house (Guest Editorial)
Daryl Cagle Cartoon: Shooting NRA and GOP
See great cartoons by all the top political cartoonists at http://cagle.com. To license this cartoon for your own site, visit http://politicalcartoons.com … [Read more...] about Daryl Cagle Cartoon: Shooting NRA and GOP
Peak Oil II
I discussed Peak Oil here a few days ago. I talked to my sister last night and for the first time we agreed on most issues. She retired from a major oil company 2 years ago as a world famous up stream geologist. She agreed that the Alberta Tar Sands proved to be an economic disaster and will probably be entirely shut down within a year or two. She also agreed we have … [Read more...] about Peak Oil II