ai Quick & Dirty

Wag the Turkey:

http://www.counterpunch.org/madsen11282003.html Does it matter that Bush served Turkey to the troops in Baghdad at 6:30 a.m., rather than at some more conventional time? Was this strange timing meant to ensure that the story hit the U.S. news cycle at the most opportune time, or is there some other explanation?

Woman Knocked Unconscious by Wal-Mart Shoppers:

http://www.local6.com/news/2670095/detail.html What is it about Florida? But at least the Wal-Mart had compassion for the poor woman, offering to put a DVD player on hold for her and all. The definition of generous, Wal-Mart is... *cough*

Who Wants to be A First Lady?

http://209.35.180.132/mrskucinich_2.htm It's too late to enter, but you can still vote in the contest to date Dennis Kucinich. The guy has a sense of humor, and some great policy ideas. Too bad he's not going to get the nomination...

Diebold Folds:

http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/palfrey/2003/11/25#a476 The electronic vote machine maker has dropped its legal maneuvers against those attempting to expose the fact that its voting technology is completely untrustworthy. Will this stop the flow of taxpayer dollars into its coffers? Probably not, but we can hope.

Bush Brother Gets Paid for Being, um, Bush Brother:

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20031126/ts_nm/bush_brother_dc Neil Bush is great—the one Bush too stupid to disguise his dirty dealings well enough to secure plausible deniability.

Illinois Reforms System for Deaht Penalty:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A64115-2003Nov20.html Probably the only "reform" that would be better would be to ban the death penalty altogether. Someday...

Dean Tries to Broaden Appeal:

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2003/11/19/dean/index.html It's a good speech, available here.

Bush Jokes about being unpopular in Britain, jabs France:

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20031119/pl_afp/britain_us_bush_joke_031119201846 Gee, this guy is so darned funny I forgot to laugh. Let me catch up now: Ha!

Money Charges Eyed Against Limbaugh:

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/WNT/US/rush_limbaugh_031118-1.html Limbaugh the Money Launderer!? Nah, couldn't be! I mean, he wouldn't do anything illegal, would he? I mean, besides all those drugs he took w/out proper doctors' orders and alll that...

Man dies After Winning Vodka-Drinking Contest:

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=573&ncid=757&e=1&u=/nm/20031119/od_nm/odd_russia_vodka_dc You mean the guy couldn't handle drinking 1.5 liters of vodka in 40 minutes? What a wimp! (yikes!)

Dean's New Southern Strategy:

http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml%3Fi=20031201&s=jackson Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. thinks Dean's going to make lemonade out of the lemons created by his confederate flag comments by joining "whites and blacks around a common economic agenda of good schools and healthcare." Sounds like a winning strategy to me.

Kidman Shares Her Big Night with Directors:

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=638&ncid=762&e=1&u=/nm/20031117/en_nm/film_kidman_dc Look, my Hollywood Girlfriend is winning another award. We're all so proud of her. ;-)

Disc Jockey Becomes Supreme Court Lawyer:

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=558&ncid=703&e=10&u=/ap/20031112/ap_on_go_su_co/scotus_new_lawyer Well then, perhaps there's hope for the rest of us in the legal world, after all. Perhaps.

GOP will trumpet preemption doctrine:

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2003/11/12/gop_will_trumpet_preemption_doctrine/ Here's what's coming to a propaganda outlet near you. Don't miss it!

Add 'Blog' To the Campaign Lexicon:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A42468-2003Nov14?language=printer Some "experts" say it's unclear whether blogs will make any difference in the race for President. Um, people? I think you're a little behind the times. Do you think Dean would be leading polls and fundraising if he didn't have a blog? No chance...

Vote count marred by computer woes:

http://www.indystar.com/articles/6/091021-1006-009.html Do we really want to put our democracy at risk like this?

iTunes Undermines Social Security:

http://www.wired.com/news/print/0,1294,61177,00.html Playlistism? Here's a tip: Delete nothing, just add. You'll have a good collection before you know it and you never know when you'll be in the mood for show tunes.

U.S. troops more hostile with reporters:

http://www.salon.com/news/wire/2003/11/12/hostile_troops/index.html So, if the news isn't good, you just try to stop it from getting out? Good strategy, soldier. Way to fight for American values and all that...

Supreme Court Limits Disability Rights

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=558&ncid=703&e=10&u=/ap/20031112/ap_on_go_su_co/scotus_disability The case is Barnhart v. Thomas, 02-763. Now where's my life-sized, anatomically correct Justice Antonin Scalia voodoo relic?

Senate to Pull All-Nighter Over Judges:

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20031111/ap_on_go_co/senate_talkathon_4 As I understand it, the count is something like 167 Bush judicial nominees confirmed, 3 blocked. 167 to 3. Think about that when you hear Republicans denouncing Dems as "obstructionist" or "unreasonable" or whatever.

Dean Threat May Help Bush Raise Funds:

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1803&ncid=703&e=5&u=/washpost/20031111/pl_washpost/a23967_2003nov10 Well, sure, but the cup is half full: Bush threat may help Dean raise funds. So there!

Mac v. PC Debate Question was a plant:

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=694&ncid=703&e=7&u=/ap/20031111/ap_on_el_pr/tv_planted_question Man, the media manipulate everything, don't they? ;-)

Soros Pledges $5 million against Bush:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A24179-2003Nov10.html But it's a matching funds pledge so donate to MoveOn.org to make sure the money actually does go toward getting sane leadership in DC.

Supreme Court to Hear Guantanamo Appeals:

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=558&e=1&u=/ap/20031110/ap_on_go_su_co/scotus_guantanamo_prisoners The lack of due process for prisoners at Guantanamo was among the major complaints in Gore's speech yesterday, as well.

Clark Campaign to Debut Big Blog:

http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,61142,00.html The competition for most "wired" campaign is apparently heating up.

Lomography:

http://www.lomography.com/about/ Read the 10 Golden Rules, then go take some pictures.

Iraqi doctors disupte Lynch rape claim:

http://www.salon.com/news/wire/2003/11/07/lynch/index.html So is Lynch herself (or Rick Bragg, who wrote her book) exaggerating and sensationalizing her story?

Lynch: Militiary manipulated story:

http://www.msnbc.com/news/990040.asp?vts=110720031537 The military exaggerated and sensatioanlized a combat story!? No kidding? Shocking, isn't it? Now why would the military want to do that? Hmm, so many puzzles in life, aren't there?

Whose Democracy Is It?

http://www.npr.org/news/specials/democracy/books.html Just in case you're looking for some good reading. (I wouldn't recommend any case books...)

Dean May Opt Out of Public Funding:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A6428-2003Nov5.html Are there 2 million Americans willing to give $100 each to make sure Bush doesn't get re-elected? I sure hope so....

NPR Recieves Record Donation:

http://www.msnbc.com/news/990049.asp?0cv=LB10 It's nice to see a small portion of the profits from McDonald's going to such a good cause.

"60 Minutes" Toes Copyright Cartel's Line:

http://weblog.siliconvalley.com/column/dangillmor/archives/001472.shtml#001472 Couldn't have said it better myself. That's why it's called a "Rilin' up the old folks" show—because it's not about news, it's about sensational angles to make people afraid of things that are never going to happen (like that the movie industry is going out of business).

Survivor Losers Get Second Chance:

http://www.nypost.com/entertainment/9574.htm What a crazy turn of events. How can you not like a show that can pull off such unexpected surprises?

Man Shoots Lawyer As TV Crews Film Attack:

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=519&e=4&u=/ap/20031101/ap_on_re_us/courthouse_shooting Oh yes, lawyers do lead exciting lives, don't they?