Mayor of New York town marries gay couples, from Boston.com.
From NPR: "Satirists Bruce Kluger and David Slavin poke fun at Hollywood's tendency to make movies that seem familiar to audiences. Kluger and Slavin take the idea to its extremes with a mock 'focus group' that tries to recast Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ with all the ingredients of a typical Mel Gibson film. They want Danny Glover and Joe Pesci in featured roles."
Two Sides of Beef, from Seattle Weekly. "From a slaughterhouse to a vegan house, a carnivore seeks the middle path to ethical eating."
Lance "Big Tex" Armstrong... boxer? More info: A Different Campaign for Nike, from The New York Times.
Grey Tuesday, from Technology Review, courtesy of Alison.
Ralph Nader, love god, from Salon.com (November 2000), courtesy of Alison.
Dairy Farmers & IJ Win Challenge to "Got Milk?" Ads, from the Institute for Justice.
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The Mark A section:
Poll: Older patients unaware of new Medicare drug benefit, from USA Today.
Biker lauds IOC transgender plan, from the Toronto Star.
Faces of the Fallen: U.S. Fatalities in Iraq, from the Washington Post.
Older Women Team Up to Face Future Together, from The New York Times. Mark A says: "You cannot imagine my surprise at an article about old women living together and one of them is named MICHELE SMITH!!!! It is like going to the future! It is the spinster dream realized in the NYT."
Would Shakespeare Get Into Swarthmore?, from The Atlantic Monthly. "How several well-known writers (and the Unabomber) would fare on the new SAT."
Crying Wolf: Naomi Wolf sets back the fight against sexual harassment, from Slate.com.
Tickets, not flakes, pile up in Somerville, from Boston.com.
Richard Perle's resignation letter, courtesy of Mark A.
The Attack of the 'Gay Agenda', from MarkFiore.com. A masterpiece.
'Digital Democracy', from MarkFiore.com.
Justice Antonin Scalia in 'Duck Season', from MarkFiore.com.
'Reconstruction' with Halliburton, from MarkFiore.com.
How cute is this. Holding their twin daughters, Elizabeth and Sophia, Eric Etherington (left) and Doug Okun exchange marriage vows, a photo from SFGate.com.
Technical Q&A - Everything you ever wanted to know about dirty chains, from VeloNews.com. "Wayne Stetina, Shimano's R&D manager, says, 'If you remove the chain when it is only halfway worn out and flip it over,' he says, 'you will double your chain life.' "
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The Mark A section:
Mark A says, "I told you so!" Cheney's unprecedented power, from Boston.com. "There is already talk among Republican strategists of replacing Cheney with a tactical choice such as homeland security secretary and former Pennsylvania governor Tom Ridge or former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani." Also, Salon.com War Room '04.
Dubya's Dilemma, from the New York Post via FoxNews.com. "After all, Americans are wrong to see terrorism as a fourth-place issue. Education or the economy or health care won't knock down buildings and kill 3,000 people. "
Says Mark, "There is CLEARLY a huge pro-gay bias in the news, according to this dope." Gay Marriage Bias?, from HumanEventsOnline.com.
German State Launches Market for Liquid Manure, from Reuters.
The Creatures From the Sandwich Shop: Behind the singing rodents in the Quiznos ad, from Slate.com.
I Was Kim Jong Il's Cook, from the Atlantic Monthly.
Food: his passion, his science, from the Christian Science Monitor.
The Silent Treatment, from New York Metro. "She was a Yale senior. He was the superstar professor she'd hoped to impress -- until he put his hand on her thigh. Two decades later, she's speaking out. But her alma mater still isn't listening. A story of sex, secrets, and Ivy League denial."
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From Mark A:
Homeland Security's Mystery Money, from Slate.com.
The Confessions of Al Sharpton, from the Weekly Standard. "He grooves like some old-timey gravel-voiced gospel shouter, and by the time he relates how the Lord is 'gonna let the death angel riiiiiide tonight,' the crowd is ready to hoist the black flag and begin smiting Egyptians."
The Tragedy of Colin Powell, from Slate.com.
Education chief calls teachers union 'terrorist organization', from USA Today.
Now the Pentagon tells Bush: climate change will destroy us, from The Guardian.
Manufacturing McDonald's?, from Newsday. Eric's comment: "I am not sure about the credibility of the source, but if this is true, my years as a burger flipper may been a greater contribution to the economy than I thought. One thing to note, that may in fact be dating myself, is that when I worked as a fast food agent in the days before steam-heated hamburgers, we actually did flip the burgers."
Governor playing 'Conan the Barbarian for the right wing,' attorney general says, from the Mercury News, courtesy of Mark A.
Mark A says, "Did you hear? New Mexico is jumping on the godless bandwagon!" New Mexico County Allows Same-Sex Marriages, from Reuters.
Says Ed: "President Schwarzenegger: I'm adding this to my list of things which would necessitate my seeking political asylum in Canada." Schwarzenegger: Let foreign-born seek White House, from CNN.com.
How an S.U.V. Stacks Up to a Car on the Test Track, from The New York Times.
Give Dean his due for rousing Democrats, by Jesse Jackson, from the Chicago Sun-Times, courtesy of Josh.
At the Banff Mountain Film Festival, you can check out Biscuit, the amazing rock-climbing dog!
This is all Mark A!
San Francisco Mayor Exults in Move on Gay Marriage, from The New York Times.
Scientists Say Administration Distorts Facts, from The New York Times.
A City Combs Madam's 'Black Book' for the Names It Knows, from The New York Times.
A Love That Transcends Death Is Blessed by the State, from The New York Times.
Government Information Awareness features John Kerry.
Media Backtalk, from the Washington Post. Look for "Somerville." Could this question have come from Mark A himself?
AOL Removes Bush From 'Miserable Failure' Search Results, from DM News, courtesy of Mark A.
States rebel against 'No Child' act, from the Honolulu Star-Bulletin.
Weddings continue as judge delays conservatives' bid to stop them, from SFGate.com.
Awww, Eric just sent me some virtual crack! How cute is that?
From Jennie: "I was reading the Americans with Disabilities Act and came across this in my Web travels... it is the first link from the Dept of Justice Web site. Check out 'Dispelling the myths' or why the ACLU is wrong wrong wrong. And then look at the 'Privacy Policy'! How ironic."
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This is all Mark A:
Ashcroft addresses abortion records request, from CNN.com. Subpoena this: Justice dept. demand for abortion records a clear-cut violation of doctor-patient privacy, from the State News (Michigan State Univ.)
Report: 11,000 Clergy Abuse Claims Filed, from NewsDay.com. Draft survey: 4,450 priests accused of sex abuse, from CNN.com.
Halliburton halts $140 mln more in U.S. billings, from Forbes.
Comedians on the Political Campaign, from MercuryNews.com. A Good Laugh, from AgWeb.com. "David Letterman: Boy, there was kind of an embarrassing moment at the White House earlier today. They were looking around while searching for George Bush's military records -- they actually found some old Al Gore ballots."
Cookie quandry: As sales crumble, worries rise over Girl Scout staple, from Boston.com.
Bush stance led mayor to back gay marriages, from the Miami Herald, courtesy of Mark A, who comments simply: "Heterophobes!"
Spending Like a Drunken Democrat: Bush drives the nation towards bankruptcy, from The American Conservative, courtesy of Mark A.
Meaner, greener Taliban, from the Herald Sun (Australia), courtesy of Mark A. "The widow of maligned diet guru Dr Robert Atkins is launching an offensive this week against promoters of vegetarianism, likening them to Taliban fighters."
NASCAR No. 18 Racing for 'The Passion,' from newsmax.com.
Same-sex weddings delayed by the onrush: San Francisco forced to turn hundreds away, from Boston.com.
Buy 867-5309 Jenny's New York Phone Number, from eBay.com, courtesy of Kris.
"But look at this testy exchange this morning about whether the president was required to perform community service during the time he was in the Guard..." from TalkingPointsMemo.com, courtesy of Josh.
Dot sent me this rockin' e-card this morning. It made me laugh out loud and miss the SpinsterHaus annual candy heart burning. I have some "aged" NECCO candy hearts at my house if anyone wants to partake this weekend -- I may have to burn some for old times' sake.
Frank Rich: The Super Bowl of hypocrisy, from the International Herald Tribune. Says Josh: "Frank Rich is my hero."
Where can I get this couch? Of course the IF rocks too.
Bush approval ratings infographic, from the Washington Post, courtesy of Mark A.
Bush at Sea: Does this war president have any idea what he's talking about?, from Slate.com, courtesy of Mark A.
Subpoenas on Antiwar Protest Are Dropped, from The New York Times.
Police plan piggish counter-terrorism psychological warfare, from MAARIV International. "The rabbi also said that if the police do not use pig fat in buses, tens of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews will arm themselves with spray guns filled with liquid lard, which they will spray on terrorists whenever the need arises."
Science wins ancient bones battle, from BBC.com. "A US appeals court has given permission to scientists to study a 9,000-year-old skeleton -- despite the objections of some Native American tribes." Personally, I think Kennewick Man might be related to Patrick Stewart.
Six Dead in West Point Panty Raid, from The Onion.
San Francisco officials preside at marriage of lesbian couple, from Boston.com.
It's splitsville for Barbie and Ken, from CNN.com.
Why The M Word Matters To Me: Only marriage can bring a gay person home, by Andrew Sullivan, from Time.com.
The Big One: Once taboo, the ultimate swear is everywhere, and losing its power to shock, from Boston.com. Something I did not know that makes me like John Kerry more: "Momentarily casting gravitas to the wind, Democratic presidential frontrunner John F. Kerry used the word in a December interview with Rolling Stone magazine in which he castigated President Bush's handling of the war in Iraq. The White House primly suggested Kerry apologize; he did not."
I think this is ridiculous, but interesting. Ralph Don't Run, courtesy of Mark A
Censor 'Scooby-Doo'? Words fail, from the Palm Beach Post, courtesy of Josh.
Comedians on the political campaign, from SFGate.com, courtesy of Mark A.
Pundit O'Reilly Now Skeptical About Bush, from Reuters, courtesy of Josh.
Says Josh: "More evidence of the Federal crackdown in civil disobedience..." Feds Target Peace Activists at Drake University, from Counter Punch magazine. Also from Counter Punch: An Interview with Sherman Austin.
Setting the record straight: Time to draw a line against the rewriting of history, from WorkingForChange.com, courtesy of Mark A.
Says Mark A: "Despite the absolute abundance of breathtaking articles about the Meet the Press performance of our beloved prez, this has got to be one of the best." George W. Bush, the doubleplusgood doublespeaker!, from Salon.com.
An Antiwar Forum in Iowa Brings Federal Subpoenas, from The New York Times, courtesy of Josh.
Attention Deficit, from the New Republic, courtesy of Mark A. On W: "We have a captain on the fiscal Titanic who thinks he's in the Caribbean."
The Coming Rise of Liberal Talk Radio: Talking Back, from the New Republic, courtesy of Mark A.
Text: President Bush on NBC's 'Meet the Press,' from the Washington Post, courtesy of Mark A.
Conjoined tortoises separated in Arizona, from Boston.com.
Plumber's Butt Pandemonium, from Duluth Trading Company. "Duluth Trading Co. has solved the age-old problem of Plumber's Butt with the Longtail T. The shirt extends 3" to keep everything covered. Unfortunately, Jane has a house full of tradesmen that haven't heard the news about the Longtail T. Test your skills by tossing Longtail Ts at the 3 offending tradesmen."
Pentagon's intelligence service reported no reliable evidence of Iraqi weapons last September, from SFGate.com, courtesy of Josh.
Says Mark A of Howard Kurtz: "When MA finalizes the whole gay thing, I'm going to marry this guy!" No Rave Reviews, from the Washington Post. Media Backtalk, from the Washington Post.
Bush did not manipulate Iraq intelligence - McCain, from Reuters, courtesy of Josh.
Those of you who love xc skiing but hate -12 windchill should check this out! Endless Winter - Sand Skiing on the Beaches of Hawaii, from About.com. Bill Koch's Sand Skiing Web site.
Iraq threat was limited, troops told, from The Age (Australia), courtesy of Josh.
I'm re-running this link, because it gives me hope. Corps Voters, from Washington Monthly.
From Mark A, a scary prediction: "Bush is going to use the Valerie Plame incident to oust Cheney as VP and will name a popular Republican (McCain?) as his new running mate. We're doomed."' 'Hard Evidence' Shows Cheney's Staff Outed CIA Operative, from Capitol Hill Blue. The day Cheney was rocked to the core, from the Asia Times, featuring this great quote: "What the albatross was to the ancient mariner, Cheney is fast becoming to George W Bush's re-election chances." More scary shit: The Lie Factory, from MotherJones.com. Mark A is clearly living up to his 2003 New Year's resolution to become more active in politics!
Ghetto Chef, featuring Eric's friend Gusti. Don't miss this!
Sprinting to Victory, from The New York Times. "Democrats who once rebelled at having their presidential choices dictated by big-city bosses seem to have cheerfully handed over that power to small-town Democrats in Iowa and New Hampshire."
US father names son 'Version 2.0,' from the BBC.
Stumped about who to vote for in the Democratic primary? The Vote By Issues Quiz, from WBUR.
A Berkeley Lecture on Power's Limits, by an Expert, from The New York Times, courtesy of Rachel. (The expert is Robert McNamara.)
Allocate your coffee dollar, from PBS, courtesy of Rachel, who says, "Social commentary, economics, and coffee...what a combo!"
Replicant, from RogerSimon.com, courtesy of Mark A. "Just when I was going to write that you could not count Howard Dean out, that he could still rekindle the fires of his support, that he could still be a potent campaigner, he convinces me that he is a replicant after all."
Scalia's Trip With Cheney Raises Questions of Impartiality, from The New York Times.
This petition asks Dodge to change the name of its concept car, the Dodge Kahuna. Says Honolulu Star-Bulletin columnist Charles Memminger, "What's more offensive, at least to a growing number of Hawaiians, is that Dodge cavalierly appropriated the term 'kahuna,' the Hawaiian word for 'priest,' without any sensitivity to its religious and cultural importance to a group of people. Where is the Dodge Rabbi, Monsignor or Swami?"
Bush's missing year, from Salon.com. "In 1972, George W. Bush dropped out of his National Guard service and later lied about it. With the media finally paying attention, will he now come clean?" Courtesy of Mark A.
Secret of homing pigeons revealed, from Boston.com.
Supreme Judicial Court rules civil unions aren't enough, same-sex couples entitled to marriage, from Boston.com.
Bogus Budgeting, from the Washington Post, courtesy of Mark A, who says, "Find the conservative press that praises Bush's latest budget. All I've seen is liberal media smear against it."
Sleeping With the GOP, from the Village Voice, courtesy of Mark A. "A Bush Covert Operative Takes Over Al Sharpton's Campaign"
Mark A is not an intellectual conservative. But, nonetheless, he says of their Web site: "upon second visit, there is some quality shite there, if only in the pictures that accompany each story." Why Kerry is Winning the Democratic Nomination, from IntellectualConservative.com.
Gigantic Outlay Party, from Reason.com. "Republicans stuff record pork down federal piehole."
Nonprotesting filmmaker wonders why he was shot, from the Miami Herald.
Discouraging Poll Data Puts Dio Near “"The Last in Line." This man is soon-to-be your favorite dark horse candidate for president.
Drug Test, from Outside Magazine, from Johs by way of Mark A. "Everybody knows that many athletes cheat by using performance-enhancing drugs like steroids, testosterone, and EPO. But what is it like to take these banned substances? Do they really help you win? To find out, we sent an amateur cyclist into the back rooms of sports medicine, where he just said yes to the most controversial chemicals in sports."
Man Who Killed the Mad Cow Has Questions of His Own, from The New York Times, courtesy of Rachel.
Some cool stuff from Andy: celebrate Trout Thursday! He suggests that you listen to the theme song. Also, Janet Jackson's Superbowl Nipple Slip Reveals She's A Cyborg, from the Spoof!
This amazing Bush action figure comes to us from Rachel.