Culture

Reprint edn. in honor of the passing of Mr. Nimoy, who inspired a generation. Leonard Nimoy, who played Mr. Spock on Star Trek, speaks out as a Jewish American in favor of a two-state solution and a divided Jerusalem. Nimoy said, ‘ “I reach out to you as someone who is troubled to see the […]

Entertainment

Maz Jobrani: I’m not a Terrorist but I’ve played one on TV (Interview)

contributors

AJ+ | – “Comedian Maz Jobrani talks with Dena Takruri of AJ+ about playing a terrorist, being part of the axis of evil, and Disney’s Jafar.” AJ+ : ” Playing A Terrorist Ain’t Easy For Maz Jobrani” — Buy the book: I’m Not a Terrorist, But I’ve Played One On TV: Memoirs of a Middle […]

Domestic Surveillance

‘I would have come forward sooner’ – Snowden on NSA leak regrets

contributors

RT | – Former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden has frequently said that he does not regret blowing the whistle on the agency’s mass surveillance programs. However, he has now stated that he would change one thing if he could do it all again. He would have leaked the information earlier. Snowden made the […]

African-Americans

In New Gilded Age, Social Protest dominates Academy Awards Ceremony

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) – If social and economic inequality were a mine, and if America were deep in this mine with a canary in tow, the canary would long since have expired. Some 400 billionaires have more wealth than the bottom half of Americans. We lived through a year of dramatic incidents […]

Culture

Snowden Reacts as Documentary about his Leaks wins Oscar

contributors

By Rainey Reitman | (EFF) – CITIZENFOUR, Laura Poitras’ riveting documentary about Edward Snowden’s efforts to shed light on gross surveillance abuses by the United States government and its partners, just won the 2014 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. Tonight’s Oscar win recognizes not only the incredible cinematography of Poitras, but also her daring […]

film

War Porn: Hollywood and War from World War II to “American Sniper”

contributors

By Peter Van Buren | (Tomdispatch.com) – In the age of the all-volunteer military and an endless stream of war zone losses and ties, it can be hard to keep Homeland enthusiasm up for perpetual war. After all, you don’t get a 9/11 every year to refresh those images of the barbarians at the airport […]

Christianity

Fox News Contributor: Fifty Shades of Grey Heralds the End of the World

contributors

Ana Kasparian | (The Young Turks) – “”Fox News contributor Robert Jeffress believes that gay marriage and the film release of Fifty Shades of Grey are signs that the apocalypse is nearing. Jeffress said “the Bible prophesized that in the End Times, there will be a lack of moral restraint. And I think we’re seeing […]

Entertainment

The Daily Show was never ‘real’ news – but came (depressingly) close

contributors

Julia Fox, Indiana University | (The Conversation) Jon Stewart’s Tuesday night announcement that he’ll be leaving the Daily Show garnered an audible cry of disbelief from his live studio audience. Stewart himself was visibly emotional: “What is this fluid?” he jokingly asked, making Frankenstein’s monster-like gestures toward his eyes and heart. “What are these feelings?” […]

art and photography

Beaten over call for co-existence: French artist’s religious graffiti

contributors

RT | – “French grafitti artist ‘Combo’ got beaten for a graffiti of himself in Arabic clothes with the world ‘coexist’, with symbols of three different religions instead of some of the letters.” RT: “Beaten over call for co-existence: French artist’s religious graffiti”