MSNBC as Fox’s Liberal Evil Twin - NYTimes.com

Party of Strivers - NYTimes.com

The Risks And Rewards Of Romney's Faith Story : NPR

Made in the U.S.A. - NYTimes.com

Righ on, Roger! We need a lot of this sort of commentary. Why can't we get back to "it takes a village"?

Made in the U.S.A. - NYTimes.com

Righ on, Roger! We need a lot of this sort of commentary. Why can't we get back to "it takes a village"?

Errol Morris Takes on MacDonald Murder Case - NYTimes.com

How the Republicans Built It - NYTimes.com

I hope the Democrats do a much better job of truth telling, but I worry whether ot not they will.

A Growing Interest in Mormons Serving Missions Around the World | PRI's The World

I'd love to know the sales pitch that these people are taught in Utah. That's just my curiosity, but what is much more important to know is this - once you are a Mormon missionary as ROMNEY has been, do you ever stop being one? In other words, he is still supposed to be recruiting people to join his church? And, back to overseas, who are some of the people he recruited, successfully or unsuccessfully, in France and what do they say today?

Aboard the Ellen McAllister , All Is Quiet b ut the Churn of the Motor - NYTimes.com

What are Mormon women like? Do Mormons believe in equality of men and women? | Mormon.org

Mormons are entitled to believe whatever they like and I would defend to the death their right to believe and say whatever they choose. The only thing I care about here is the impact of Mormon beliefs on a man who wants to be President of the United States. I surely do not want someone who believes as this link suggests, that men are somehow supposed to be bread winners and women are supposed to manage the household. There is nothing equal about that, and I want to know what Mr. ROMNEY believes and will advance as President. Does he believe in full equality for the sexes, or not?

Why Waiting in Line Is Torture - NYTimes.com

I love the make-em-walk-more solution!

Criticism Greets List of Debate Moderators - NYTimes.com

People who are disappointed at not winning beauty contests should chill out, and maybe should not place themselves in contention next time around.....?

ROMNEY taxes

Why not ask Mr. ROMNEY if he believes he has paid the taxes that he thinks someone in his position should pay. If he believes he should have paid more, ask him to pay the difference going back to the beginning of his tax-paying days?

For Obama and Romney, a To-Do List for Travelers - NYTimes.com

Years After Haiti Quake, Safe Housing Is Dream for Multitudes - NYTimes.com

It remains a great embarrassment to me and should be to all people in the US that we cannot plot a course that helps the Haitian people sustainably.

Can't Afford Foreign Aid, or Can't Afford to Cut It? - Room for Debate - NYTimes.com

Ann Romney Refuses to Release More Tax Returns - NYTimes.com

If she is echoing her husband's views, do we want someone in the Presidency who fundamentally believes that the more we release, the more we get attacked? That's not the way - as I see it - that the federal government ought to operate. Instead, one should start with everything public and then work back, if necessary to accept some restrictions. What scares me here is the "need to know" attitude. The taxes are important, but not that important. It's the mentality, stupid, one might say.

Mormons

I am doing my best to learn more about Mormons because I want to understand Gov. ROMNEY better. What I am finding is that the church seems to operate on the basis of "need to know" for the rest of us. There is a good deal of textbook information about the religion on web, but try to learn what we all generally can learn from the websites of local churches and you run into password protected spaces, sometimes clearly market - members only! Two things still bother me. One is the wearing of white-only in the temple; it has to be more complicated than trying to make everyone look the same. At least it seems that way to me. And the barring of the rest of us from the temple because, as one Mormon told me, is the "house of the Lord", really bothers me. I am uncomfortable with beliefs that say because of what we believe, we get to enter the Lord's house, but the rest of you must wait outside.

Saving Private Romney - NYTimes.com

This is a goo discussion of the issues as Roger COHEN sees them. I think the debate needs to be more fundamental than debt.It is about what truly are America's (and Americans') obligations to our fellow citizens and residents.These are unusual "obligations" because here we get to pick which ones we assume. And so we will in November. As COHEN suggests, let's make this a debate about ideas and principles and policies and not a choice between two - or four - men. The debate itself can shape what the ultimate victor does either startind in early November or in late January.

The Romney Package - NYTimes.com

I hope events in coming weeks do not take our eyes off the heart of these pieces in today's The New York Times. This editorial is excellent. For me, the subjects addressed in this story are especially key; I find myself opposed to almost every position taken by Paul RYAN here.

Olympics

Why not divide up the Olympics among multiple venues? The millions viewing on television would not know the difference, and crowds in multiple cities could enjoy one or more hosted event.

WAN-IFRA - 64th World Newspaper Congress - 19th World Editors Forum

I certainly hope this turns out to be a success, but somehow in looking again at the program, it is hard to find the excitement that the newspaper needs. And, sadly, it is also hard to find the important people of the world about whom newspaper executives should know so much more - from competitors and collaborators to heads of state and multinational corporations. It looks like just another regional newspaper meeting to me.

Volunteer Trips - Is Your Family Ready? - NYTimes.com

Lots of questions about these sorts of trips.

Guns, Butter and Then Some - NYTimes.com

Bravo!

Polls Find Opposition to Stricter Gun Laws - NYTimes.com

What I find so difficult about this is that any gun is capable of being misued. Sure, most illegal conduct is carried out by people we migth consider to be criminals. But the potential for a seemingly rational person to misues a gun, either intentionally or unintentionally, is huge. Is the pleasure and rare utility of a gun worth sacrificing all of the people who die, are maimed or injured from such weapons? For me, it most decisively is not.

Mayors Against Illegal Guns - About the Coalition

Demand A Plan to End Gun Violence

Dream, Baby, Dream! - NYTimes.com

So well said!

Medical charges

Why don't we all walk out of doctor offices with a copy of a statement that tells us what was done to us, for how much and who is going to pay for it? Why shouldn't we all be much better informed about how this works?

Harry Reid Has Long History of Romney Bashing - NYTimes.com

I think we should ask Harry REID to help us explain what goes on when Mormons dress in white inside their private temples. And while he is working on this, he could also tell us the basis he has for the charges against ROMNEY over what taxes he may or may not have paid!

Occupation, Not Culture, Is Holding Palestinians Back - NYTimes.com

There are so many things that are not a part of the Presidential debate. This is an extremely important example as are guns.

Newspaper Takes A Stand On Anonymous Commenters : NPR

I sure agree with those who say that you ought to have enough confidence in what you are saying to put your name to it. Period. The only footnote I might drop is that occasionally, there is an argument for anonymity, but that should be solvable through human intervention by the people running the site where the anonymous posting might go.

Frequently Asked Questions

I was going to ask this temple in Raleigh (I was surprised to see how few temples there are in the LDS network) if it was true that non-members could not visit. The FAQ pretty much say this, and the answers to these questions are really scary, at least to me. Changing into "white" inside? There is no contact button that I could find, nor any e-mail address.
We need to think long and hard whether we are ready for a person of this faith to be President of the United States. He is welcome to practice his religion but when we know so little about this part of his life, how can we be comfortable. I cannot.

ROMNEY in France

I would like to understand a lot better what Mitt ROMNEY said and did while a missionary in France. Surely, some of the people whom he approached in his missionary role must remember him? Or those who worked with him? I am not sure we have seen all that we ought to know about him during this period of his life. I'd really like to know how he tried to make the "sale" to French people to join him as Mormons.

In Belarus, Teddy Bears Defy Leader, Lukashenko - NYTimes.com

I wonder what they could drop out of the Kiev sky over the World Newspaper Congress? Missing participants?

Kazaky, a Boy Band, Is Everywhere - NYTimes.com

I wonder if they will be performing at the World Newspaper Congress in Kiev?

World Newspaper Congress, Kiev

WAN-IFRA says it expects - one month from now:

"More than 1,000 newspaper publishers, chief editors and other senior newspaper executives from more than 100 countries are expected to attend the 64th World Newspaper Congress and 19th World Editors Forum, the global summit meetings of the world’s press, organised by the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA)."


The event website shows a total of about 400 participants, many of whom are speakers. Perhaps vast numbers of Ukrainian students (who, perhaps, are senior executives of their Twitter feeds) will be bused to the event to take it to 1,000? Or other notable Ukrainians?