To commemorate David Letterman's last night as Late Show host, we've gathered a Top 10 of Letterman Top 10s: The Top 10 people who worked for Letterman 10. Johnny Carson Long-time friends, Carson was known to help Letterman with material from time to time after his official retirement - mostly because Carson, too, thought Letterman should… … [Read more...] about Top 10 Letterman Top 10 lists
Iraqis ‘Didn’t Want to Fight’ ISIS for Ramadi
One of the most damning aspects of how city of Ramadi fell to ISIS is a fact that has come up before: Iraquis didn't want to fight ISIS and many simply cut and run. And that's more than a monkey wrench in the longtime American strategy of fighting terror in Iraq and leave the country to stand on its own two feet. Right now it looks as if the country is standing on its own … [Read more...] about Iraqis ‘Didn’t Want to Fight’ ISIS for Ramadi
Economic Reset
Libertarian econonmist Tyler Cowen comes to the right conclusion but mostly for the wrong reasons. The economics of the world is changing - a reset - and things will never again be like they were. He totally ignores what may be the most most important factor, automation and industrial robots. In manufacturing, for example, Ford, Chrysler, General Motors, Caterpillar and … [Read more...] about Economic Reset
Cartoon: Amtrack derailment
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 Cartoon: Amtrack derailment
Court Ruling on Immigration Could Rock Obama, 2016 Race
Thanks to a little-watched court case in California, the Obama administration’s immigration policy faces a shake-up next week—and the court’s ruling could reverberate in the 2016 presidential campaign. At issue is whether it’s legal to essentially lock up women and children who’ve crossed the border illegally, part of the administration’s response to last summer’s … [Read more...] about Court Ruling on Immigration Could Rock Obama, 2016 Race
Without Causing Resentment
The image above is of a line up of the vehicles of choice by surfers in the 60s. They are worth about $300,000 today. They sold in the 60s for about 2k. Stuff changes. Being a contributor to a political blog, I ask myself, what am I doing of any benefit? I have the opportunity to confront _and/or_ add to the frustration. If I access TMV in this way, will it … [Read more...] about Without Causing Resentment
Chris Christie: Putting Lipstick on a Pig
Recently I have started dabbling in satire with mixed results. Fortunately for our readers, although the following may look, feel and sound like satire, it is not. In a recent Quinnipiac University Poll, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie got some very "good" news. The news was so good that Christie had to brag a little bit when interviewed by Fox News's Megyn Kelly on … [Read more...] about Chris Christie: Putting Lipstick on a Pig
Male Suicide And The Deadly Y Chromosome
Each year suicide claims around 800,000 lives. This cause of death knows no geographic boundaries and makes no distinction between race, age, or social class. There is, however, one salient similarity among global suicide trends that researchers can’t help but notice: Men commit suicide more than women. The reason why is unclear, although there seem to… … [Read more...] about Male Suicide And The Deadly Y Chromosome
Obama drills a hole in his climate policy
WASHINGTON -- Here are two facts that cannot be reconciled: The planet has experienced the warmest January-through-March on record, and the Obama administration has authorized massive new oil drilling in the Arctic Ocean. "Climate change can no longer be denied ... and action can no longer be delayed," President Obama said in an Earth Day address in the Everglades. … [Read more...] about Obama drills a hole in his climate policy
Bernie Sanders is doing well with social media because he is actually saying something
Nick Corasaniti at the New York Times begins a profile of Bernie Sanders and his surprisingly effective use of social media like this: The quotations he posts, rarely pithy, are often sayings he thinks up in the shower. The photographs he puts up sometimes show him frowning, while others show him gazing oddly into the horizon. And he does not seem to care about the … [Read more...] about Bernie Sanders is doing well with social media because he is actually saying something
State Must Do a ‘Rolling’ Release of Clinton E-mails (Updated)
Update: During a campaign event in Iowa this afternoon, Hillary Clinton took a few questions from the media. On the e-mail issue, Clinton said, according to a rough transcript by ABC News: …as I have said repeatedly, I want those emails out. Nobody has set a bigger interest in getting them released and I do. I respect the State Department they have their process that … [Read more...] about State Must Do a ‘Rolling’ Release of Clinton E-mails (Updated)
Desperate Chinese are turning to mass suicide to get their government’s attention
BEIJING, China — The location was chosen for maximum impact: a downtown boulevard, famous for Beijing’s swankiest shops and its plushest hotels. Studded with these symbols of Western capitalist chic, Wangfujing Shopping Street could hardly be further from the more desperate concerns of rural China. It was here that a group of about 30 men gathered… … [Read more...] about Desperate Chinese are turning to mass suicide to get their government’s attention
Saudia Arabia is advertising for 8 executioners as beheading biz soars
The government of Saudia Arabia's headhunters are advertising to fill 8 job openings. I don't know what the benefits are, but you get lots of cold cuts. Saudi Arabia is advertising for eight new executioners, recruiting extra staff to carry out an increasing number of death sentences, usually done by public beheading. No special qualifications are needed for the jobs … [Read more...] about Saudia Arabia is advertising for 8 executioners as beheading biz soars
Obama Acts To Limit Use Of Military Equipment By Police
The events in Ferguson are primarily remembered for raising national awareness as to the frequency of unarmed black men being killed by police, and how we have two systems of justice. Ferguson also led to people on both the left and right joining together to oppose the militarization of police. President Obama has responded to this concern: President Obama on Monday banned … [Read more...] about Obama Acts To Limit Use Of Military Equipment By Police
Short and Sweet
No matter what you think about the results of the recent British election, you have to be impressed by how short and sweet it was. And inexpensive. If you contrast the British campaigns with those of the Americans, you realize how lucky they are not to have years of political advertisements clogging the airways and mailboxes for their general elections. The elections for … [Read more...] about Short and Sweet
Inherent Vice (Movie Review)
5/5 NOTE: This is a repost of the original review published on January 11th. Inherent Vice is a film of exotic taxonomy, a once-in-a-blue-moon sui generis that paves a road seen only by those who have breathed the smoke that so thickly permeates every frame. It is a pitch-perfect adaptation of its source material in that attempting to follow either of them … [Read more...] about Inherent Vice (Movie Review)
Politix Update: With Jeb Bush Dissing Vets, Is It Time To Get Real About The Iraq War?
For a brief if not shining moment, it occurred to me that Jeb Bush might just be the guy to make the 2016 presidential race interesting. I'm not saying that I'd vote for him, but I had really hoped that Hillary Clinton would not win in a walk because she was opposed by some Republican chucklehead. Yet in the space of four days last week, Jeb not only dashed my hopes, but … [Read more...] about Politix Update: With Jeb Bush Dissing Vets, Is It Time To Get Real About The Iraq War?
Jeb Bush’s agony
WASHINGTON -- Am I am the only person outside the Bush family who has a smidgen of empathy for Jeb Bush's roller-coaster ride in trying to answer a straightforward question: Was going to war in Iraq the right thing to do? It's hard to go much beyond "smidgen" because it remains astonishing that Bush hadn't worked out long in advance how he'd grapple with an inevitable … [Read more...] about Jeb Bush’s agony
ABC News Exclusive: a 21-year Elian Gonzalez Wants to Come to the United States
Yes, some may deny it or battle it, but we are in a new era of American relations with Cuba. Elian Gonzalez, the little boy who won so many American hearts when his mother drowned in 1999 getting him over to the United States, only to be forcibly sent back to Cuba in June 200o since his father there legally had custody, is now 21. He's has been a hero in Cuba for his … [Read more...] about ABC News Exclusive: a 21-year Elian Gonzalez Wants to Come to the United States
Boston Bomber’s Sentence Punishes Us All (Guest Voice)
Boston Bomber's Sentence Punishes Us All By Peter Funt Here is what the death sentence for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev will achieve: It will remind the world that America is not entirely the home of exceptionalism as many politicians suggest. Retaining the death penalty while virtually the entire civilized world has rejected it is, indeed, exceptional — but in the wrong sense of … [Read more...] about Boston Bomber’s Sentence Punishes Us All (Guest Voice)