Hoopla Happens

RIP Sister Jackie Hudson

2011-08-12T23:41:00.003-06:00

Happy Birthday, Mr. President!

2011-08-04T02:43:00.001-06:00

Perfect Amy Winehouse

2011-07-29T00:22:00.000-06:00

From dust to dusk in 00:02:30... Phoenix Dust Storm

2011-07-06T01:00:00.003-06:00

2011-05-16T01:41:00.001-06:00

Shalom Rav: Was justice done?

2011-05-02T22:22:00.002-06:00

President Obama announces that Osama bin Laden is killed in special op.

2011-05-02T01:35:00.004-06:00

TRANSCRIPT:

THE PRESIDENT: Good evening. Tonight, I can report to the American people and to the world that the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of al Qaeda, and a terrorist who’s responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent men, women, and children.

It was nearly 10 years ago that a bright September day was darkened by the worst attack on the American people in our history. The images of 9/11 are seared into our national memory -- hijacked planes cutting through a cloudless September sky; the Twin Towers collapsing to the ground; black smoke billowing up from the Pentagon; the wreckage of Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where the actions of heroic citizens saved even more heartbreak and destruction.

And yet we know that the worst images are those that were unseen to the world. The empty seat at the dinner table. Children who were forced to grow up without their mother or their father. Parents who would never know the feeling of their child’s embrace. Nearly 3,000 citizens taken from us, leaving a gaping hole in our hearts.

On September 11, 2001, in our time of grief, the American people came together. We offered our neighbors a hand, and we offered the wounded our blood. We reaffirmed our ties to each other, and our love of community and country. On that day, no matter where we came from, what God we prayed to, or what race or ethnicity we were, we were united as one American family.

We were also united in our resolve to protect our nation and to bring those who committed this vicious attack to justice. We quickly learned that the 9/11 attacks were carried out by al Qaeda -- an organization headed by Osama bin Laden, which had openly declared war on the United States and was committed to killing innocents in our country and around the globe. And so we went to war against al Qaeda to protect our citizens, our friends, and our allies.
Story continues below

Over the last 10 years, thanks to the tireless and heroic work of our military and our counterterrorism professionals, we’ve made great strides in that effort. We’ve disrupted terrorist attacks and strengthened our homeland defense. In Afghanistan, we removed the Taliban government, which had given bin Laden and al Qaeda safe haven and support. And around the globe, we worked with our friends and allies to capture or kill scores of al Qaeda terrorists, including several who were a part of the 9/11 plot.

Yet Osama bin Laden avoided capture and escaped across the Afghan border into Pakistan. Meanwhile, al Qaeda continued to operate from along that border and operate through its affiliates across the world.

And so shortly after taking office, I directed Leon Panetta, the director of the CIA, to make the killing or capture of bin Laden the top priority of our war against al Qaeda, even as we continued our broader efforts to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat his network.

Then, last August, after years of painstaking work by our intelligence community, I was briefed on a possible lead to bin Laden. It was far from certain, and it took many months to run this thread to ground. I met repeatedly with my national security team as we developed more information about the possibility that we had located bin Laden hiding within a compound deep inside of Pakistan. And finally, last week, I determined that we had enough intelligence to take action, and authorized an operation to get Osama bin Laden and bring him to justice.

Today, at my direction, the United States launched a targeted operation against that compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. A small team of Americans carried out the operation with extraordinary courage and capability. No Americans were harmed. They took care to avoid civilian casualties. After a firefight, they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body.

For over two decades, bin Laden has been al Qaeda’s leader and symbol, and has continued to plot attacks against our country and our friends and allies. The death of bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date in our nation’s effort to defeat al Qaeda.

Yet his death does not mark the end of our effort. There’s no doubt that al Qaeda will continue to pursue attacks against us. We must –- and we will -- remain vigilant at home and abroad.

As we do, we must also reaffirm that the United States is not –- and never will be -– at war with Islam. I’ve made clear, just as President Bush did shortly after 9/11, that our war is not against Islam. Bin Laden was not a Muslim leader; he was a mass murderer of Muslims. Indeed, al Qaeda has slaughtered scores of Muslims in many countries, including our own. So his demise should be welcomed by all who believe in peace and human dignity.

Over the years, I’ve repeatedly made clear that we would take action within Pakistan if we knew where bin Laden was. That is what we’ve done. But it’s important to note that our counterterrorism cooperation with Pakistan helped lead us to bin Laden and the compound where he was hiding. Indeed, bin Laden had declared war against Pakistan as well, and ordered attacks against the Pakistani people.

Tonight, I called President Zardari, and my team has also spoken with their Pakistani counterparts. They agree that this is a good and historic day for both of our nations. And going forward, it is essential that Pakistan continue to join us in the fight against al Qaeda and its affiliates.

The American people did not choose this fight. It came to our shores, and started with the senseless slaughter of our citizens. After nearly 10 years of service, struggle, and sacrifice, we know well the costs of war. These efforts weigh on me every time I, as Commander-in-Chief, have to sign a letter to a family that has lost a loved one, or look into the eyes of a service member who’s been gravely wounded.

So Americans understand the costs of war. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when our people have been killed. We will be relentless in defense of our citizens and our friends and allies. We will be true to the values that make us who we are. And on nights like this one, we can say to those families who have lost loved ones to al Qaeda’s terror: Justice has been done.

Tonight, we give thanks to the countless intelligence and counterterrorism professionals who’ve worked tirelessly to achieve this outcome. The American people do not see their work, nor know their names. But tonight, they feel the satisfaction of their work and the result of their pursuit of justice.

We give thanks for the men who carried out this operation, for they exemplify the professionalism, patriotism, and unparalleled courage of those who serve our country. And they are part of a generation that has borne the heaviest share of the burden since that September day.

Finally, let me say to the families who lost loved ones on 9/11 that we have never forgotten your loss, nor wavered in our commitment to see that we do whatever it takes to prevent another attack on our shores.

And tonight, let us think back to the sense of unity that prevailed on 9/11. I know that it has, at times, frayed. Yet today’s achievement is a testament to the greatness of our country and the determination of the American people.

The cause of securing our country is not complete. But tonight, we are once again reminded that America can do whatever we set our mind to. That is the story of our history, whether it’s the pursuit of prosperity for our people, or the struggle for equality for all our citizens; our commitment to stand up for our values abroad, and our sacrifices to make the world a safer place.

Let us remember that we can do these things not just because of wealth or power, but because of who we are: one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Thank you. May God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America.

165 tornadoes in 24 hours kill 340+ in the South

2011-04-30T17:00:00.005-06:00

Assessing the aftermath

Chernobyl 25

2011-04-25T22:33:00.001-06:00

Христос Воскрес!

2011-04-24T23:05:00.001-06:00

Meditations for Palm Sunday

2011-04-17T00:01:00.000-06:00

From the Guardian: Is there any place for religious faith in science?

From HuffPo: Does Resurrection Contradict Science?

Also from HuffPo: The Complexity of Forgiveness

2011-04-12T22:29:00.000-06:00

Epic footage of tsunami in Japan

2011-03-14T18:13:00.002-06:00

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

З Різдвом Христовим

2011-01-07T22:17:00.001-07:00

2011-01-03T23:38:00.000-07:00

<a href="http://www.bing.com/videos/browse?mkt=en-us&from=en-us_msnhp&vid=079cd314-c39a-451a-88de-697f7c5c4548&from=en-us&fg=dest" target="_new" title="Happiest Penguin Ever">Video: Happiest Penguin Ever</a>

2011-01-01T00:46:00.001-07:00

2011-01-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

2010-12-31T00:44:00.002-07:00

2010-12-31T00:22:00.001-07:00

Hoopla happening here:

2010-12-29T20:32:00.000-07:00

Food court flashmob sings Hallelujah chorus

2010-12-29T20:26:00.004-07:00

2010-12-25T01:28:00.001-07:00

2010-12-21T16:31:00.000-07:00

Feast Day of St. Nicholas

2010-12-06T13:34:00.002-07:00

Is this proof that global intelligence communities are more in sync than we give them credit for?

2010-11-06T16:47:00.015-06:00

Or that al-Quaida is on another upward curve of learning how to outfox our lax security? This latest threat succeeds because of its utter simplicity, yet it's the same wild animal we're dealing with, and we're merely training it on what our defensive shortcomings are. For us, it's another good-news, bad-news lesson in vigilance and mending the holes in the fence.

Still, how do you fight a war that's ultimately about the enemy's warped ideology whose weapons are anonymous bombs? It doesn't leave us with many palatable options that are also effective. Come to that, it seems that a good deal of the unpalatable ones aren't all that effective, either.

But there is no doubt that, as Chicago Rabbi Brant Rosen points out, "We're all in this together":

Thank you for sharing your thoughts (and links) on this latest terrorist bomb plot, Rabbi Rosen. You are reliably engaged and thoughtful, and it’s a pleasure reading your blog.

The AP story on this event is captivating for its details and chronology. One fact I noted in the story is this: “The addresses on the packages were outdated locations for two Chicago synagogues. The recipients were figures from the Crusades and the Spanish Inquisition — historic episodes in which Christians persecuted Muslims.”

This somewhat childish conceit provides a squint of insight into the collective mind of an organization whose scattershot approach to terrorism reveals that destruction is the endgame, regardless of the target.

And you are right to point out that there are political opportunists and professional cynics who will use this latest episode to fuel their own agenda, and that the U.S. seems intractably tone-deaf to its own culpability both in terms of public policy and covert ops.

Still, you rightly conclude regarding this seemingly endless war that we’re all in this together. I’m reminded, too, of this quote: “If you’re not free, I’m not free.”

Blessings and peace to you –- Crimea River

"Tonight marks the end of the American combat mission in Iraq."

2010-08-31T19:53:00.003-06:00

Kate --

Tonight marks the end of the American combat mission in Iraq.

As a candidate for this office, I pledged to end this war responsibly. And, as President, that is what I am doing.

Since I became Commander-in-Chief, we've brought home nearly 100,000 U.S. troops. We've closed or turned over to Iraq hundreds of our bases.

As Operation Iraqi Freedom ends, our commitment to a sovereign, stable, and self-reliant Iraq continues. Under Operation New Dawn, a transitional force of U.S. troops will remain to advise and assist Iraqi forces, protect our civilians on the ground, and pursue targeted counterterrorism efforts.

By the end of next year, consistent with our agreement with the Iraqi government, these men and women, too, will come home.

Ending this war is not only in Iraq's interest -- it is in our own. Our nation has paid a huge price to put Iraq's future in the hands of its people. We have sent our men and women in uniform to make enormous sacrifices. We have spent vast resources abroad in the face of several years of recession at home.

We have met our responsibility through the courage and resolve of our women and men in uniform.

In seven years, they confronted a mission as challenging and as complex as any our military has ever been asked to face.

Nearly 1.5 million Americans put their lives on the line. Many returned for multiple tours of duty, far from their loved ones who bore a heroic burden of their own. And most painfully, more than 4,400 Americans have given their lives, fighting for people they never knew, for values that have defined our people for more than two centuries.

What their country asked of them was not small. And what they sacrificed was not easy.

For that, each and every American owes them our heartfelt thanks.

Our promise to them -- to each woman or man who has donned our colors -- is that our country will serve them as faithfully as they have served us. We have already made the largest increase in funding for veterans in decades. So long as I am President, I will do whatever it takes to fulfill that sacred trust.

Tonight, we mark a milestone in our nation's history. Even at a time of great uncertainty for so many Americans, this day and our brave troops remind us that our future is in our own hands and that our best days lie ahead.

Thank you,

President Barack Obama

Wise Willie

2010-06-26T23:12:00.004-06:00

2010-06-26T23:03:00.002-06:00

The Vatican takes a moral stand on something...

2010-06-19T17:14:00.002-06:00

2010-05-02T19:46:00.001-06:00

Hubble Hoopla: Happy Birthday!

2010-04-24T04:10:00.003-06:00

Ash-ta-hoopla

2010-04-18T01:03:00.010-06:00

Western China digging out "with bare hands"

2010-04-15T00:36:00.003-06:00

Beehive Hoopla

2010-04-15T00:17:00.001-06:00

Eyjafjallajokull Hoopla

2010-04-15T00:02:00.001-06:00

♫ I got the Pu-HUH-huh-HUH-huh-huh-li-HIH-hih-HIH-hih-tzer ♪ Bah-LOO-HOOOZE ♫

2010-04-13T01:56:00.004-06:00

Poland weeps

2010-04-10T22:50:00.003-06:00

Paul Begala's Hallelujah

2010-03-28T16:26:00.008-06:00

Wm. Hemmerling

Begala: "The one law Congress can never overturn is the Law of Unintended Consequences. But that's why our Founders challenged us to 'form a more perfect Union,' because true perfection is not possible this side of heaven. Instead, we work to improve, to make progress, to renew."

SAFRA! SAFRA! SAFRA!

2010-03-25T22:18:00.003-06:00

Promises kept: Obama signs historic health care reform legislation

2010-03-23T18:09:00.003-06:00

And SAFRA isn't far behind...

DHS fails to investigate the deaths of 10 children in 2008

2010-03-23T17:35:00.007-06:00

Now, Colorado House panel investigates the DHS. Sorta.

Dear Rep. Kefalas --

I was extremely proud the day you won your House seat in the Colorado Legislature after a long and sustained effort to get there. And I appreciate the time you shared with me in the past few years on behalf of the Rocky Mountain Bullhorn (RIP).

I'm writing to ask you about the current House panel on which you sit to investigate the tragic negligence of the DHS, a story which was exposed (miraculously enough) by the Coloradoan. I read with interest their coverage of yesterday's hearing (although I trust you've read it already).

The Coloradoan story rightly includes this passage, as it speaks for me and every reasonable person who's watching the continuing story unfold:

Lawmakers did not ask Beye who on her staff was responsible for ensuring the reports were finished after the two employees left and did not ask her what role she should have played in ensuring the reports were completed.

I realize that we can get only a flavor of the proceedings from the media's coverage. And I understand first-hand how ridiculously slow the wheels of governmental bureaucracy turn. But, based on what appears to be a softball inquiry into the deaths of ten children, it's not unreasonable to wonder how many more children have to literally lose their lives while Exec. Dir. Karen Beye still maintains her Ritter-appointed post. "Where does the buck lie?" you asked? Figuring out who had what file when is the last question on my list. I'm honestly gobsmacked by your limp rhetoric. If the buck doesn't stop with Beye, what on earth is she still doing in that job?

Look at it this way: Gov. Ritter is a lame-duck governor. Firing Beye (or calling for her resignation, etc.) shows the State, and its most vulnerable citizens who are thrown into the dysfunctional machinery that is the DHS, that the House panel is, indeed, serious about its work. You've heard the saying, "Fish rots from the head down"? No legitimate overhaul of the DHS (a foregone conclusion, surely?) can be contemplated without dumping Beye.

Would that those ten children were shown the gentleness and compassion by the DHS that your panel is now showing Karen Beye. Please don't allow politics to overrule your common sense or integrity. As Mother Jones once said: "Pray for the dead, and fight like hell for the living." I think your duty here is clear. Please show some leadership and act on behalf of the children at risk, and their families who are forced to depend on the DHS to do their jobs.

Sincerely,
-- KT

Breaking the cycle of abuse: Steven Weber's "Desperate Fathers"

2010-03-18T03:08:00.005-06:00

My response:

You dug deep for this one, SW -- good on ya.

Growing up in an angry home teaches children to be hyper-vigilant as they try (mostly in vain) to outguess what will make Mom/Dad explode in order to avoid the outsized consequences. BTW, this is excellent training for being able to quickly identify garden-variety crazies in adulthood, but it comes at the cost of being confused and ashamed of one's natural instincts and reactions during the formative years. It's very hard to course-correct for this later in life. There's always some need to fulfill that role of punisher long after the perpetrator departs. And this is a result of far more than yelling, although things tend to start there.

That's why I'm glad for you that you are figuring this out now, and have stepped back to dispassionately recount the histories of the men in your life. Very hard work to recall it, and very admirable to share it. You love your boys and you show them, and that's how you prove that you're your own man and have broken the cycle.

Thanks for the breathtaking mini-memoir, and best of luck. -- KT

Does not stop being funny...

2010-03-12T15:13:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday

2010-03-10T00:30:00.000-07:00

Happy National Caffeine Awareness Month!

2010-03-01T00:00:00.001-07:00

"State of catastrophe": 8.8 quake hits Chile

2010-02-27T14:18:00.004-07:00

Although not the strongest in the country's history, the three-minute long quake was 900 times more powerful than the 7.0 quake that hit Haiti on Jan. 12. Tsunami warnings have gone out across the Pacific Basin.

Once again, the REAL news makes a clean getaway...

2010-02-22T17:02:00.004-07:00

Response to HuffPo post:

Yet another example of shoddy journalism, thanks to ABC, and further compounded by HuffPo's fantastic headline. The daugher did not 'call her dad a hero'; she was responding to a loaded, sound-bitey, sensationalistic question by the GMA host: "Is your father a hero?" A simple "no" does nothing for headines or ratings; but a put-upon "yes" spins this story in a new distraction/direction. Had the daughter declared her father a hero in her own words, all this ridiculous hoopla and faux outrage would be justified. Can't we just be outraged that a sick, sick man with an axe to grind against the IRS performed the ultimate act of cowardice and domestic terrorism? That's not enough?? Now we're going after his daughter because she supports her dead dad? Why? At what point do we re-focus on the actual news here?? -- KT

2010-02-14T01:50:00.003-07:00

WH concert honors the music of the Civil Rights Era

2010-02-10T02:26:00.005-07:00

"It's embarrassing that the world's largest superpower closes from a few feet of snow...The Kremlin must be laughing": D.C. snowstorm

2010-02-10T01:44:00.003-07:00

Awesome...

2010-02-07T12:26:00.003-07:00

And some more awesome:

Supermoon 2010

2010-01-29T21:51:00.002-07:00

Taking the GOP to school...

2010-01-29T16:17:00.007-07:00

RIP: Howard Zinn

2010-01-27T23:31:00.010-07:00

Read Daniel Ellsberg's tribute on HuffPo here.
Read the NYT's obit here.
Read CNN.com's story which references HZ's remarks about Obama in The Nation. Read their obit, which includes some YouTube clips.
Read Fred Branfman's HuffPo post here.
Read and hear Democracy Now's tribute and Amy Goodman's interview with Noam Chomsky about Howard here.
Listen to my 2003 KRFC interview* with Prof. Zinn here.

*audio-frakked phoner

To hell in a handbasket...

2010-01-23T12:12:00.006-07:00

The WaPo also weighs in.

Alec Baldwin's HuffPo post about the Waterkeeper Alliance

2010-01-20T16:54:00.003-07:00

EXCERPT:

Bobby Kennedy Jr. will debate the CEO of Massey coal, Don Blankenship, about the destructive effects of coal production and consumption, on Thursday, January 21st (tomorrow) at 6:15 pm, eastern, from the University of Charleston, West Virginia. The program will be carried online at www.wowktv.com, as well as by other local media. You can visit www.ucwv.edu for more information.

###

RIP: Kate McGarrigle

2010-01-19T11:23:00.001-07:00

2010-01-18T21:25:00.000-07:00

Friday in WTF

2010-01-15T13:42:00.002-07:00

Haiti Hit by 7.0 Earthquake, Port-au-Prince in Ruins

2010-01-13T22:37:00.003-07:00

More news from Haiti here.

RIP: Miep Gies, friend to Anne Frank family

2010-01-11T17:45:00.001-07:00

2010-01-06T13:18:00.000-07:00

2010-01-01T00:06:00.003-07:00

FROM DEAR ABBY:
NEW YEAR OFFERS EACH OF US THE CHANCE FOR A FRESH START

DEAR READERS: Can you believe it's 2010? It's the 10th anniversary of Y2K. It seems like only yesterday.... But a new year has arrived, bringing with it our chance for a new beginning.

Today is the day we discard destructive old habits for healthy new ones, so with that in mind, I will share Dear Abby's often-requested list of New Year's Resolutions -- which were adapted by my mother, Pauline Phillips, from the original credo of Al-Anon.

JUST FOR TODAY: I will live through this day only. I will not brood about yesterday or obsess about tomorrow. I will not set far-reaching goals or try to overcome all of my problems at once.

I know that I can do something for 24 hours that would overwhelm me if I had to keep it up for a lifetime.

JUST FOR TODAY: I will be happy. I will not dwell on thoughts that depress me. If my mind fills with clouds, I will chase them away and fill it with sunshine.

JUST FOR TODAY: I will accept what is. I will face reality. I will correct those things that I can correct and accept those I cannot.

JUST FOR TODAY: I will improve my mind. I will read something that requires effort, thought and concentration. I will not be a mental loafer.

JUST FOR TODAY: I will make a conscious effort to be agreeable. I will be kind and courteous to those who cross my path, and I'll not speak ill of others. I will improve my appearance, speak softly, and not interrupt when someone else is talking.
Just for today, I will refrain from improving anybody but myself.

JUST FOR TODAY: I will do something positive to improve my health. If I'm a smoker, I'll quit. If I am overweight, I will eat healthfully -- if only just for today. And not only that, I will get off the couch and take a brisk walk, even if it's only around the block.

JUST FOR TODAY: I will gather the courage to do what is right and take responsibility for my own actions.

And now, Dear Readers, I would like to share an item that was sent to me by I.J. Bhatia, a reader who lives in New Delhi, India:

DEAR ABBY:
This year, no resolutions, only some guidelines. The Holy Vedas say,

"Man has subjected himself to thousands of self-inflicted bondages. Wisdom comes to a man who lives according to the true eternal laws of nature."

The prayer of St. Francis (of which there are several versions) contains a powerful message:

"Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
"where there is hatred, let me sow love,
"where there is injury, pardon;
"where there is doubt, faith;
"where there is despair, hope;
"where there is darkness, light;
"and where there is sadness, joy.
"O Divine Master,
"grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
"to be understood, as to understand;
"to be loved, as to love;
"for it is in giving that we receive,
"it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
"and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life."

And so, Dear Readers, may this new year bring with it peace and joy to all of you. -- Love, ABBY

2009-12-31T22:57:00.001-07:00

2009-12-31T01:31:00.000-07:00

2009-12-25T11:36:00.000-07:00

2009-12-25T00:37:00.000-07:00

2009-12-24T19:32:00.002-07:00

Coming Out

2009-12-23T11:05:00.003-07:00

2009-11-26T15:06:00.005-07:00

Let us rise up and be thankful,
for if we didn’t learn a lot today,
at least we learned a little,
and if we didn’t learn a little,
at least we didn’t get sick,
and if we got sick,
at least we didn’t die,
so, let us be thankful.
-- Buddha

2009-11-01T20:20:00.000-07:00

2009-10-31T17:33:00.000-06:00

2009-10-28T17:46:00.001-06:00

"Freedom" is just another word: Jon Stewart takes on Net Neutrality opposition

2009-10-27T18:37:00.004-06:00

What's all this, then?

2009-10-21T14:51:00.003-06:00

Those wacky Russians and their crazy explanations...

2009-10-13T23:30:00.001-06:00

"Honored and humbled": Obama Wins Nobel Peace Prize

2009-10-09T11:02:00.004-06:00

Kate --

This morning, Michelle and I awoke to some surprising and humbling news. At 6 a.m., we received word that I'd been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009.

To be honest, I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures who've been honored by this prize -- men and women who've inspired me and inspired the entire world through their courageous pursuit of peace.

But I also know that throughout history the Nobel Peace Prize has not just been used to honor specific achievement; it's also been used as a means to give momentum to a set of causes.

That is why I've said that I will accept this award as a call to action, a call for all nations and all peoples to confront the common challenges of the 21st century. These challenges won't all be met during my presidency, or even my lifetime. But I know these challenges can be met so long as it's recognized that they will not be met by one person or one nation alone.

This award -- and the call to action that comes with it -- does not belong simply to me or my administration; it belongs to all people around the world who have fought for justice and for peace. And most of all, it belongs to you, the men and women of America, who have dared to hope and have worked so hard to make our world a little better.

So today we humbly recommit to the important work that we've begun together. I'm grateful that you've stood with me thus far, and I'm honored to continue our vital work in the years to come.

Thank you,

President Barack Obama

No longer missing...

2009-10-01T23:57:00.004-06:00

UPDATE: No longer a "link"; read the experts' findings here.

Earthquake and tsunami hit Indonesia

2009-10-01T01:33:00.002-06:00

and the death toll is rising.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

2009-09-21T22:26:00.005-06:00

The Good: The Interwebs take another inevitable step forward as the FCC chairman proposes Net Neutrality rules.

The Bad: Fox revives the lost art of staging the news.

and The Ugly: perhaps later...

RIP: Larry Gelbart

2009-09-11T22:13:00.002-06:00

Bill Moyers pulls no punches...

2009-09-09T22:47:00.002-06:00

Rudy Ruiz: It's okay to change your mind.

2009-09-04T00:44:00.002-06:00

Amazing tributes to Ted Kennedy

2009-08-30T12:15:00.000-06:00

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

RIP: Ted Kennedy

2009-08-25T23:53:00.003-06:00

Kate -- Michelle and I were heartbroken to learn this morning of the death of our dear friend, Senator Ted Kennedy. For nearly five decades, virtually every major piece of legislation to advance the civil rights, health and economic well-being of the American people bore his name and resulted from his efforts. His ideas and ideals are stamped on scores of laws and reflected in millions of lives -- in seniors who know new dignity; in families that know new opportunity; in children who know education's promise; and in all who can pursue their dream in an America that is more equal and more just, including me. In the United States Senate, I can think of no one who engendered greater respect or affection from members of both sides of the aisle. His seriousness of purpose was perpetually matched by humility, warmth and good cheer. He battled passionately on the Senate floor for the causes that he held dear, and yet still maintained warm friendships across party lines. And that's one reason he became not only one of the greatest senators of our time, but one of the most accomplished Americans ever to serve our democracy. I personally valued his wise counsel in the Senate, where, regardless of the swirl of events, he always had time for a new colleague. I cherished his confidence and momentous support in my race for the Presidency. And even as he waged a valiant struggle with a mortal illness, I've benefited as President from his encouragement and wisdom. His fight gave us the opportunity we were denied when his brothers John and Robert were taken from us: the blessing of time to say thank you and goodbye. The outpouring of love, gratitude and fond memories to which we've all borne witness is a testament to the way this singular figure in American history touched so many lives. For America, he was a defender of a dream. For his family, he was a guardian. Our hearts and prayers go out to them today -- to his wonderful wife, Vicki, his children Ted Jr., Patrick and Kara, his grandchildren and his extended family. Today, our country mourns. We say goodbye to a friend and a true leader who challenged us all to live out our noblest values. And we give thanks for his memory, which inspires us still. --Sincerely, President Barack Obama

"Drunk History" from Funny or Die

2009-08-08T01:51:00.000-06:00

Drunk History vol. 3 - Featuring Danny McBride from Danny McBride

The latest strain: the "California Bankroll"

2009-07-25T00:26:00.006-06:00

And, locally...

UPDATE: Things are increasingly coming to a head.

2009-07-23T00:51:00.000-06:00

And that's the way it was: RIP Walter Cronkite

2009-07-17T19:43:00.007-06:00

Read and listen to more of his work, courtesy of ASU's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Comm. And read another take on his legacy here.

UPDATE: And in an exasperating bit of irony...

2009-07-04T01:36:00.001-06:00

Never Can Say Goodbye...

2009-06-25T16:19:00.003-06:00

2009-06-16T21:52:00.001-06:00

2009-06-07T23:04:00.005-06:00

President Obama visits Buchenwald with Elie Wiesel

2009-06-05T23:45:00.005-06:00

"...This place teaches us that we must be ever vigilant about the spread of evil in our own time, that we must reject the false comfort that others' suffering is not our problem, and commit ourselves to resisting those who would subjugate others to serve their own interests..."

Read the speeches here.

President Obama speaks at Cairo University

2009-06-04T20:55:00.004-06:00

"...I have come here to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world, one based upon mutual interest and mutual respect, and one based upon the truth that America and Islam are not exclusive, and need not be in competition. Instead, they overlap, and share common principles -- principles of justice and progress, tolerance, and the dignity of all human beings...."

View the video here.

RIP: Koko Taylor

2009-06-03T22:45:00.001-06:00

Here comes the sun...

2009-05-15T21:37:00.001-06:00

2009-05-11T23:50:00.003-06:00

The Good: Lt. Daniel Choi writes an open letter to President Obama and Congress exhorting them to allow him to keep his post.

The Bad: In another unsurprising blow against the international press, Zimbabwe arrests two journalists, just as another is freed in Iran.

And the Ugly: A U.S. soldier kills five comrades at a stress clinic at Camp Liberty near Baghdad.

Susan Boyle sings "Cry Me a River" (1999)

2009-04-18T23:55:00.013-06:00

There's been quite a lot of hoopla over Susan Boyle's appearance on "Britain's Got Talent," as if it were she who surprised us, when the case is that we simply surprised ourselves with our own bigotry.

One summer afternoon, years ago, I was enjoying some sprinkling rain and fresh mountain air at Mishawaka. I was being treated to a show by a married girlfriend who, it turns out, had plans to meet up with a guy she had a crush on. When he showed up, I wandered outside to get away from their goo-goo trysting, and I started up a circle of new friends out on the back deck. The temporary tribe grew quickly, till about a dozen of us were laughing as loud as the Poudre River rushing by. It was a great afternoon, a serene scene. Pretty soon, Tab Benoit walked out onto the deck and into the circle to partake of the festivities. After a while, as he started to leave toward the stage to start his show, Mr. Six Whiskeys mumbled out of his slobbering pie-hole that I had completely surprised him with my wit, charm and generosity -- he thought he was paying me some big damn compliment. I was just being who I was. He surprised himself.

As the singer and YouTube sensation Miss Boyle makes the rounds of American talk shows, swatting down impertinent questions about her non-existent dating life (read: virginity at 47), and as thousands of eager cosmeticians waiting in the wings, poised with tweezers, choke at their chains for a makeover that she's also refused, my money's on this innocent phenomenon's unchangeability and her Zen humor and patience, letting the chattering world swirl around her, and saying little, because she need not say more. -- KT

2009-04-16T02:03:00.004-06:00

Some propaganda is unintentionally self-parodying, but the folks at Sadly, No! gave this anti-gay marriage video a little goose, just in case...
UPDATE: Read an excellent column on this zombie-movement's demise by the NYT's Frank Rich here.