Entries
The Fat Diaries: Fighting the Holiday Cookie Monster
At holiday parties, I have to be the adult who smiles and lets the kids go nuts while pretending I have no desire for any of the pecan snowballs, brownies or chocolate thumbprints. I got three holiday-themed emails in my inbox this week. That in itself was nothing special, but instead of …
Gifts to Say "I'm Sorry"
David Eddie provides gift suggestions for those who need to do some serious damage control over the holidays. Writing in the Globe and Mail , David Eddie provides gift suggestions for those who need to do some serious damage control over the holidays. FOR THE MIFFED GF The damage: You …Gary Johnson's Defense Delusions
Former NM Gov. Gary Johnson is a favorite of young libertarians. But his desire to slash defense and retreat from the world won't sell to the rest of the base. There’s been some interesting commentary in the conservative blogosphere about the presidential prospects of former New Mexico Governor …House Dems Double Down
Democrats have responded to their midterm blowout by re-embracing Pelosi, insulting the public and labeling Obama a sellout. What are they thinking? In his column today in the New York Times, David Brooks looks at the unwillingness of many House Democrats to support the president's bipartisan …McCain: Senate 'Very Close' on START
McCain: Senate 'Very Close' on START Treaty Vote Politico reports: Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) lent a nudge of support to the stalled START treaty Friday, saying he hopes the Senate will consider it next week before the end of the lame-duck congressional session. “We are very …
Liu Awarded Nobel Peace Prize
Liu Awarded Nobel Peace Prize CNN reports: An empty chair stood in for imprisoned Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo as he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in absentia on Friday amid protests and condemnation from China. China has responded furiously since the Nobel committee …
Lebanon: A Country without a State?
Lebanon has an army, central bank, a president and prime minister. Yet, these state-like institutions mean surprisingly little to the life of the country. The car came whizzing the wrong way up a one-way street, squeezing past the car in which I was sitting with millimeters to spare. "You have to …Will the GOP Drop the Ball on the Payroll Tax Cut?
Paul Krugman thinks the tax deal hurts Obama's re-election chances. But a 2011 fight over the payroll tax could lead the president to a big political victory. Paul Krugman thinks the tax deal hurts President Obama's chances of re-election. The Democratic parts of the deal will be on the …Senate Dems Push Tax Plan Forward
Senate Dems Push Tax Plan Forward The Hill reports: Senate Democrats are moving full speed ahead with a package to extend the Bush tax cuts for two years, despite a vote by House Democrats earlier Thursday expressing strong disapproval of the proposal. House Democrats voted by …
Hackers Attack Palin-Friendly Sites
Hackers Attack Palin-Friendly Sites Politico reports: Websites supportive of former Alaska GOP Gov. Sarah Palin came under cyberattack Thursday, a day after Palin’s own site was briefly taken down by hackers , POLITICO has learned. Conservatives4Palin , a pseudo-officia…
Teen Arrested for Pro-WikiLeaks Cyber Attack
Teen Arrested for Pro-WikiLeaks Cyber Attack The Huffington Post reports: Dutch police arrested a 16-year-old teenager on Wednesday for his involvement in the online attacks against Visa and Mastercard, organized by supporters of WikiLeaks. According to a press release by the …
Palin to Visit Haiti
Palin to Visit Haiti The AP reports: Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin plans to visit Haiti amid a period of political upheaval this weekend to aid humanitarian efforts in the Caribbean country. A Palin staffer confirmed Thursday that Palin, the 2008 vice presidential nominee and a …
Trump 'Really Thinking' about Prez Bid
Trump 'Really Thinking' about Prez Bid CNN reports: Let’s get one thing straight: Donald Trump doesn’t want to run for president. Honestly, he doesn’t. Not interested. But because the country is in such dire straits, he says, the business tycoon and perennial publicity …
EPA Holding Bed Bug Summit
EPA Holding Bed Bug Summit The Hill reports: The Environmental Protection Agency is known for tackling greenhouse gas emissions, water pollution, lead paint and oil spills. Now, it's taking on bed bugs. EPA is organizing a multi-agency summit next year to “help find solutions …
Burma Building Nuke Sites
Burma Building Nuke Sites The Guardian reports: Witnesses in Burma claim to have seen evidence of secret nuclear and missile sites being built in remote jungle, according to secret US diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks, heightening concerns that the military regime is …
Lockerbie: The Scandal of the Decade?
The WikiLeaks cables offer more evidence the British government was complicit in the release of the Pan Am bomber. WikiLeaks has done terrible harm to some good people. Yet it's also true that the leaked diplomatic cables have brought shame and embarrassment to people who could not deserve it …Nobel Prize Puts China's Leaders to Shame
Today, Liu Xiaobo was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. But the calls from human rights activists for China to release him have fallen on deaf ears. Today, the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize will be awarded to Chinese dissident and peace activist Liu Xiaobo. But Liu’s seat at the ceremony will be empty …Orszag Joins Citibank
Orszag Takes Job at Citibank CNN Money reports : Former Obama administration budget director Peter Orszag is joining Citigroup's global banking division, the bank said Thursday. Orszag will hold the title of vice chairman, and has been tapped to serve in the bank's Senior …
Stuxnet Virus Still Causing Havoc in Iran
Iran Can't Contain Stuxnet Virus Fox News reports : EXCLUSIVE : Iran's nuclear program is still in chaos despite its leaders' adamant claim that they have contained the computer worm that attacked their facilities, cybersecurity experts in the United States and Europe say. …