At 2:49 am local time, about 16 hours after the Sydney hostage crisis began, police officers determined the siege was over. Police officers stormed the Lindt Chocolate cafe to rescue the remaining hostages, possibly ten in total. The hostages were seen fleeing the cafe after a loud bang and gun fire were heard and thick smoke… … [Read more...] about Sydney, Australia Siege Over After 16 Hours, Three Dead
Chuck Johnson and the catch-22 when criticizing online trolls
[icopyright one button toolbar] There’s an old and well-known internet adage that you “should never feed the trolls.” It recognizes that there’s a certain contingent within internet culture that feeds on attention and extracts that attention by writing the most incendiary and hateful things imaginable. The resultant mass condemnation, rather than shaming the troll into an … [Read more...] about Chuck Johnson and the catch-22 when criticizing online trolls
The Singing Sergeants’ Twelve Days of Christmas
[icopyright one button toolbar] Last Christmas season we posted a few of the Singing Sergeants’ beautiful “12 Days of Christmas” You Tube performances. The Singing Sergeants is the official chorus of the United States Air Force Band and one of the world’s most versatile and traveled choral organizations. Originally formed in 1945 from the ranks of The United States … [Read more...] about The Singing Sergeants’ Twelve Days of Christmas
Who was the first president to guest on a comedy show?
[icopyright one button toolbar] When President Barack Obama appeared on The Colbert Report last week -- as part of the countdown to the show's being shuttered on December 18 -- some groused that he shouldn't have. Certainly, Obama has set a record when it comes to connecting with popular culture through niche television shows. But who was the first president to appear … [Read more...] about Who was the first president to guest on a comedy show?
12 Years a Slave: A beautiful horror film
[icopyright one button toolbar] I’ve developed an detestable habit – If a film is based on a book, I have to read the book first. I used to laugh at people like that. That is why it took me so long to get round to watching 12 Years a Slave. It also took me a long time to read the book because, quite frankly, it was a difficult read – linguistically and when it came to … [Read more...] about 12 Years a Slave: A beautiful horror film
Obama’s Boehner bailout
WASHINGTON -- How often will President Obama come to House Speaker John Boehner's rescue even when Republican leaders aren't willing to give much in return? And does the president want to preside over a split in his party? These are among the questions raised by the dramatic budget battle that came close to breaching the deadline for a government shutdown. It … [Read more...] about Obama’s Boehner bailout
Cartoon: CIA Torture Report
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: CIA Torture Report
Sydney Gunman Dead, Along with 2 hostages> Gunman Had Demanded ISIS Flag and Phone Call With Australian Prime Minister, Say Local Media
Sydney Gunman Demands ISIS Flag and Phone Call With PM, Say Local Media Members of the Australian media say that they have been in contact with hostages held in the Sydney cafe by a gunman, calling himself ‘the Brother’ giving an insight into his possible motivations and demands. According to 2GB radio DJ Ray Hadley, who spoke to an unidentified male hostage on his mobile, the … [Read more...] about Sydney Gunman Dead, Along with 2 hostages> Gunman Had Demanded ISIS Flag and Phone Call With Australian Prime Minister, Say Local Media
Gunman IS DEAD along with 2 Hostages: takes hostages in Sydney, Australia cafe: Islamic flag displayed
Hostages Held in Sydney Cafe Updated | Several people have been taken hostage in a Lindt Chocolate store in Sydney, Australia, according to local media reports. A Lindt Australia executive said there were about 10 staff working at a cafe in Sydney where hostages are being held, Sky Business reported on Monday, and possibly as many as 30 customers, Reuters reported.… … [Read more...] about Gunman IS DEAD along with 2 Hostages: takes hostages in Sydney, Australia cafe: Islamic flag displayed
SciFi Weekend: Mid-Season Finales For Arrow (Is Oliver Dead?), The Flash, and Agents of SHIELD; Agent Carter; Spider-Man; Continuum Renewed; The Office In Middle Earth; Krypton; The Newsroom; Fargo
Arrow, The Flash, and Agents of SHIELD all had major revelations in the midseason finales aired last week. Needless to say, there are major spoilers following. Besides revealing who killed the Black Canary, Arrow had the biggest cliffhanger, except the lead character actually was shown falling off the cliff after getting killed by Ra’s al Ghul. Stephen Amell even played along … [Read more...] about SciFi Weekend: Mid-Season Finales For Arrow (Is Oliver Dead?), The Flash, and Agents of SHIELD; Agent Carter; Spider-Man; Continuum Renewed; The Office In Middle Earth; Krypton; The Newsroom; Fargo
On Torture: Cheney’s Fortitude
[icopyright one button toolbar] As I watched former Vice President Dick Cheney this morning tell NBC’s “Meet the Press” Chuck Todd how good he felt about the torture that was done in his name -- and don’t forget, “that the president authorized” -- my heart swelled with good ole American pride. I love the Vice-President’s certitude, bravado and machismo. He may have had … [Read more...] about On Torture: Cheney’s Fortitude
Wreaths Across America
[icopyright one button toolbar] A reader reminded me yesterday of a beautiful tradition that has been taking place every December for 23 years. It is National Wreaths Across America Day. I have written about the event and the organization, Wreaths Across America, which every year organizes and supports the laying of thousands of wreaths at hundreds of cemeteries in … [Read more...] about Wreaths Across America
In Praise of the U.S. Senate’s CIA Torture Report (News, Switzerland)
Whatever difficulties it presents for George W. Bush or Dick Cheney, and however uncomfortable it makes the people involved, columnist Patrik Etschmayer of Switzerland's News writes that the report on torture released by the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence is a refutation of those who use terrorism to justify mass surveillance and proves that in Western … [Read more...] about In Praise of the U.S. Senate’s CIA Torture Report (News, Switzerland)
Fit yourself with a personal GPS system (Guest Voice)
Fit yourself with a personal GPS system By Michael Mantell, PhD SAN DIEGO — A client recently bought an expensive new car. He hasn’t been the same since. He’s been ranting about how expensive it is, how he shouldn’t have spent so much, and on and on. I asked him about what type of options he put into it and he angrily spewed, “A very expensive navi system!” A navigation … [Read more...] about Fit yourself with a personal GPS system (Guest Voice)
Cartoon: Dinnertime at Guantanamo
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: Dinnertime at Guantanamo
Ways In Which Obamacare Saves Consumers Money Which You Might Not Have Been Aware Of
In our highly polarized country there are two general reactions to the Affordable Care Act, repeating the same lies no matter how often debunked and engaging in ridiculous attempts at blocking the law on the right, versus those in the reality-based side of the political spectrum who have been documenting the many benefits of the law. Many of the major benefits, including … [Read more...] about Ways In Which Obamacare Saves Consumers Money Which You Might Not Have Been Aware Of
Pop Goes the Week: Kirk Cameron makes terrible movies and Jessica Simpson loves carpet
Kirk Cameron's Saving Christmas has been rated the worst movie ever on IMDB ...and it's not just because paganjoy666, yulesticegirl and Satankitten voted more times than allowed. Coldplay's next album could possibly be their last Guess I'll have to give Ambien another try. Azealia Banks tweets "VEGANS ... GO AWAY! not everyone wants to wear paper… … [Read more...] about Pop Goes the Week: Kirk Cameron makes terrible movies and Jessica Simpson loves carpet
Ted Cruz is up against solid opposition
Ted Cruz is up against solid opposition: They really don't like this guy. His own colleagues are turning their back on him or simple condemning his politics. A vast majority of the Senate disagreed with Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R-Texas) assertion that President Obama’s executive order on immigration is unconstitutional. Cruz raised a constitutional point of order against … [Read more...] about Ted Cruz is up against solid opposition
We’re a Nation of Laws
We're a Nation of Laws By Tina Dupuy Torture is illegal. Period. End of debate. There is no legal, moral or probable justification for torture. It's against the Bill of Rights; it's against the Geneva Convention; it's against United Nations Convention Against Torture (ratified by the U.S. in 1994); it's against every state statute from every modern constitutional … [Read more...] about We’re a Nation of Laws
How Three ‘Old Men’ View Torture
[icopyright one button toolbar] It isn’t anymore about whether what the CIA so clinically and technically calls enhanced interrogation techniques is torture or not. That was settled a long time ago when Americans first heard and read about waterboarding, dark cages, black sites and all. Nor is it about whether torture is illegal and immoral. That has been settled … [Read more...] about How Three ‘Old Men’ View Torture