Om Malik has a good piece on How Yahoo got its mojo back.

The key for Yahoo, I think, is to lose the Google-envy (which may have already happened) and to focus on what they do well and better than Google (which is still a lot). I still think Yahoo is better positioned to be one of the real power centers of the web as media types converge. For example, I’d give them the edge when it comes to video search. That’s not to say the Google’s search will not work as well or better. But Yahoo is better positioned to work with big media and big advertisers to monetize that content with something other than ad words. Why? Because they’ve been developing and executing on these relationships for years.

Yahoo was out in front when it comes to the adoption of RSS. I’m not sure you can even compare Google News with Yahoo’s suite of offerings. On the other hand, when I search for news, I’m all about Google.

It will be interesting to see which company thrives in what areas. A lot of the story will be telegraphed by which acquisitions each company makes. It’s fun to be a user these days, eh?

Who would you rather be stuck at a cocktail party with: The placard carrying protestors outside Terry Schiavo’s hospice or the Jacko supporters outside the Santa Barbara courtroom?

Either way, you better drink with both hands…

Far be it for me to question Chris Matthews’ plan to turn the whole world into fair game (subtle connection to the Cindy Crawford movie by that title excepted), but does MSNBC’s latest Hardball ad campaign tell us anything about the selling of political news? Are people a bit tired of the ranting and raving given that this is the election off-season? Is politics no longer a hot enough topic to draw a crowd?

Or is it simply that the whole world is the closest they could come to finding a worth opponent for Chris?

Jeff Jarvis points out that the other side is playing against air:

The Times today talks about censorship under the reign of Kevin Martin, new chairman of the FCC. They quote Brent Bozell, self-appointed head of the so-called Parents Television Council.

But they don’t quote anyone from the other side.

The other side needs another side. We need an Americans Free Speech Council. We need to stand up for the First Amendment.

We need secular, free speechers from planet reality to finally realize that there is a cultural war going on in this country.

Tom Friedman:

Imagine if George Bush declared that he was getting rid of his limousine for an armor-plated Ford Escape hybrid, adopting a geo-green strategy and building an alliance of neocons, evangelicals and greens to sustain it. His popularity at home – and abroad – would soar. The country is dying to be led on this. Instead, he prefers to squander his personal energy trying to take apart the New Deal and throwing red meat to right-to-life fanatics. What a waste of a presidency. How will future historians explain it?

How will they explain the opposing party (and I’m including moderate Republicans in that mix) that has allowed itself to be so completely steamrolled?

No one should be surprised that Tom DeLay’s family once decided to remove life support from a relative. And no one should be surprised that Bill Frist on many occasions as a doctor had to make such decisions with family members of those on life support.

Unfortunately, no one should be surprised that politics has sent both of these guys over the deep end in the Schiavo case.

Frist making a pseudo diagnosis based on a videotape. DeLay ranting about his not caring what the husband has to say on the matter. Jeb Bush bringing in a new so-called expert who spouts off a new diagnosis without having performed any serious examination…

This is politics at its worst. Do they all mean it? Are they all this crazy? Hell no. They are trying to cater to the far-out right. Or as William Saletan writes: This is what happens when you approach a tragedy as a politician rather than as a family member. And this reality – that this is all largely based on political opportunism – is what makes it all the more dangerous.