Bitcoins suddenly in the news

The internet started buzzing yesterday with the news that someone had broken into the Franklin, Tennessee office of the accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers and obtained copies of Mitt Romney’s past tax returns for an unspecified number of years. They claim to have made digital copies of them and mailed flash drives containing encrypted versions to various organizations, saying that if they do not receive $1 million by September 28, they will release the public key that will enable people to unencrypt the files and read the documents. [Read more…]

The puzzling treatment of Ron Paul

Ron Paul has been a thorn in the side of the Republican party for some time. His criticisms of the Republican war, budgets, civil liberties violations, and his other libertarian stands, and his call for a return to the gold standard all deviate from party orthodoxy. But it is inescapable that he has a devoted and passionate cadre of supporters, especially among the young, a demographic that the Republicans sorely need. [Read more…]

Possibility of war with Iran receding?

Iran has not been in the news for some time, which is a good thing. Reports are coming out of Israel that suggest that the impetus for a military strike against that country is waning.

One reason given for this lessening of war rhetoric is that Israeli prime minister Netanyahu has overplayed his hand in trying to pressure Barack Obama to attack Iran by exploiting the election season, and since the re-election of Obama seems increasingly likely, now seeks to try and mend those fences by toning down the war rhetoric. [Read more…]

A missed opportunity

For those who did not watch the Republican convention, The Daily Show broadcast a sneak preview of the biopic of Mitt Romney titled Mitt Romney: A Human Being Who Built That, showing how he had to struggle against great odds all the way to become a successful businessman, doing it entirely on his own, starting from the time when he was a mere sperm. [Read more…]

What makes Michelle Obama different from other first ladies?

Americans presidents often go through rocky periods and face withering criticisms. But you have to give their spouses credit that they have managed to avoid any public scandals. The first ladies have an excellent record of not doing anything to embarrass the country they represent, often being held in higher esteem than their husbands. [Read more…]

The Romney-Ryan campaign of lies

Lying in politics is not uncommon. But it is a sign of weakness because it means that you really don’t have a good case as to why people should vote for you over your opponent. It is also risky. You can get away with a certain amount of it by but have to be alert to not cross an invisible line and gaining a reputation of being a chronic liar because then every statement starts to be scrutinized and even those that might earlier have been shrugged off as trivial or merely hyperbolic become further evidence of lying, as has become the case with Ryan’s claims about his marathon prowess. [Read more…]