BBC asks:

Analysis: Can Obama deliver on the Middle East?

Answer: He'll probably do as well as Jim-uh Carter and other Nobel Peace Prize winners like Yasser Arafat, Kofi Annan, or the United Nations Peace Keeping Forces - you know, the ones who did such a bang-up job in the Congo.

Agenda? What agenda?

Headline:

Report says 300,000 die a year from global warming

In the article:

"Roger Pielke Jr., a political scientist at the University of Colorado, Boulder, who specializes in climate risk, said the report was "a methodological embarrassment" because there was no way to distinguish deaths or economic losses related to human-driven global warming from those linked to naturally occurring climate extremes."

The real agenda:

"Annan stressed the need for the talks to focus on increasing the flow of money to poor regions to help reduce their vulnerability to climate hazards"

So the headline simply cites the report without indicating that it's disputed at all. That's what most people will see. Anyone who reads the article will hopefully note that

1) Kofi Annan runs the organization that commissioned the report. That should be a red flag.

2) Even some academics question the methodology of the report and frankly say there's no way to make the determinations the report claims.

3) Annan is looking to increase the money flowing through his hands - doubtless so that much of it can get stuck there. 

Which critics?

"Critics say the cyber czar will not have sufficient budgetary and policymaking authority over securing computer systems and spending."

I just can't imagine that we need the government to tell us we need secure computer systems. Luckily we have so much money that we might as well spend it on more figurehead government departments. 

.

the deficit that ate America

Can't wait to see how this gets fixed.

Not a shocker.

Maryland's millionaires  move after new taxes target them. Is someone surprised by this?

Funny because it's true ...

Fatal Attraction:

Scariest movie

ever made. (from Esquire's list of 75 movies every man should see)

UAW completes self-negotiation

at the new National Chrysler car company . Looking forward to similar conditions at GM.

No media bias here.

A Tax-cut rally was held at the Minnesota state capitol on May 2. Thousands of people attended. Republican governor, Tim Pawlenty, spoke. If you were a reader of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, though, you would have no idea that such an event took place.

A Pro-Tax rally , however, apparently was newsworthy enough to make it into the state's largest newspaper, although the comments suggest it was sparsely attended. 

Both events seem like they would rate a mention in the newspaper. This blatant example of bias makes me feel better about dropping my subscription and continuing to tell them "No" every time they call me begging for me to let them send me their rag for practically free.

Mark Twain Inspirational Posters

Good stuff .

anti-piracy

Here's one idea that seems worth a shot.

Whether this is THE idea or not I'm not qualified to judge, but it seems like there's GOT to be a way to defend these ships from such poorly equipped attackers. Being perpetual victims isn't going to do anything but encourage more of this.