More Travel Dreams: Once again I'm tempted by places I'd love to visit... if I had a vacation this summer. I've heard from several people that Slovenia is beautiful, and not yet spoiled by tourism. Today's NYT article on Slovenia reinforces my desire to go...before its too late. Despite living in Europe half my life, I have also never been to Spain, and apparently they have excellent, little-known white wines... perfect for my a red-wine intolerant wine lover like me! (Champagne in France is actually my first choice for a wine tasting tour, but this one looks like another excellent option.)

Interesting view from a Republican hopeful in Vermont (where, incidentally, my brother will be starting college this fall.)

Or you could just go visit your parents... and steal stuff, like a lot of people apparently do. I'm trying to think of whether I've just taken stuff (my parents usually just load me up)... but they definitely make sure I almost never leave empty handed, but go home with things like my favorite Mint Moroccan tea, a bottle of good olive oil- mainly food things. I guess I justify it by thinking that I do plan on taking care of my parents when they get old (...as long as that doesn't happen anytime soon, since I still have quite a bit of school and so forth ahead of me.)

Weekend Weirdness: I wasn't planning on posting anything today, but in my cursory news scan, a couple things just were too interesting not to mention. The Leopold Museum in Vienna kicked off a new exhibit by offering free entry to people wearing... nothing. A Virginia guy bought a town in Canada. He's not planning on making it a nudist colony, but I think his ideas for it are really cool. Italian PM Berlusconi thinks the euro is not cool... in fact he thinks the euro "screwed everybody." (Maybe he was displeased with how much his fat soap went for?)

And in e-voting news, California has rejected Diebold's electronic voting machines. As I have mentioned before, I think electronic voting without a paper trail is a terrible idea, and Diebold has been especially resistant (and exploitative) about making paper printouts available. (I also finally posted my TM speech on this issue, which I mentioned in a previous post.)

Jessica Simpson is angry! For a good reason! She is upset that footage of how terrible it was in Iraq were cut from her special. Salon put it nicely: "You know things are not going well in Iraq when pop singer Jessica Simpson joins the ranks of the outraged. Simpson is reportedly upset that footage depicting the not-so-great side of life in Iraq was excised from a show about her trip earlier this year to visit U.S. troops. ABC filmed Simpson's trip to perform for soldiers there, but Simpson reportedly claims that ABC didn't include the parts involving "the enemy attacks and the shelling," charging that those tapes "got mysteriously misplaced."

Since it is supposed to rain this weekend, I figured I'd mention: One of my favorite movies ever is Whale Rider, which came on PBS last night. It is also playing on WETA on Sunday at 1:30pm... in case you're doing laundry or something, and happen to be at home, it really is so, so good. If you can't watch it Sunday, definitely watch it another time!

Do You Know Where Your Kids Are?: Well, a lot of parents do, because they have tracking devices embedded in their kids clothing, etc... I can kind of understand (being a paranoid hypochondriac myself, I'm sure I'll be no better when I have kids), but some of the technology seems sort of creepy (a teddy bear that follows the kids movements with its electronic eyes and sends back images to the parent, for example...). One cool thing, though, is that some of the technology is Harry Potter inspired! I do wonder if it just makes people more paranoid and excessively overprotective as mentioned in the article, even though crime rates are down significantly.

On a totally different note, here's a link to conservative blog called Powerline, and a little taste of what they have to offer: "It must be very strange to be President Bush. A man of extraordinary vision and brilliance approaching to genius, he can't get anyone to notice. He is like a great painter or musician who is ahead of his time, and who unveils one masterpiece after another to a reception that, when not bored, is hostile."

On a more serious note, check out David Letterman's Top 10 GW Solutions for Global Warming, I definitely had a good laugh.

Help! I had decided to learn how to type properly this summer (so I can take notes in law school), but I'm wondering whether its actually worth it as it seems incredibly cumbersome and time consuming, and i'm not sure it will make me much faster. So I have a request for anyone who has a free 2 minutes: would you please take a typing test (you can do it here, it takes 1 minute) and tell me how you did, and whether you consider yourself a fast typer and how many fingers you use, so I can compare my performance? That would be incredibly helpful and may save me significant time, which I will obviously dedicate to finding more interesting stories to post here for you!

Why I love Krugman: His article today epitomizes why I love Krugman. I couldn't agree more. Its not that I'm not willing to put in the hours, I am more than willing to put in long hours and take work home, and work on weekends, but I feel like that is not sustainable without a decent vacation. And in the US there really seems to be immense difficulty in taking vacation without being judged as a slacker or hedonist. I love that at the end of the article Krugman gives a shout out to Santorum: "And whatever else you may say about French economic policies, they seem extremely supportive of the family as an institution. Senator Rick Santorum, are you reading this?"

Just Say No:
... to Bolton. More reasons he shouldn't be confirmed (or recess appointed.)
... to Castro. To make that possible Condoleezza Rice created a special post for the job. I guess there isn't much to do since we won the war on terror... oh wait... (In other new post news, Bush has created an anti-piracy position, as well, who will be focusing largely on China.)
...to drugs. Sadly, less soldiers in Iraq are saying no to drugs.

Just Don't Say This: This is really sad. A mother whose kids are fighting in Iraq but who opposes the war was told to "f- off" by the local Blue Star Mothers Chapter (a group of mothers with kids serving overseas.)

Just Say... Something?: In some lighter news, a Kenyan who offered 40 goats and 20 cows for Chelsea's hand in marriage is still awaiting an answer.

And what seems to be becoming a regular feature, here is the rap story of the day: Chaucer's Tales are being made into rap songs.

It's Friday!! So here's a little music to start off your morning: Slate shows why Germany is supreme in techno. (Probably not for those of you who don't like "music without words" but as I have mentioned before, techno makes me nostalgic for my childhood...) And Japan has developed a female android (check out the picture, it is quite amazing). But I guess the lap pillow was just step an early step that culminated in this. I'm thinking that with a little collaboration, you could get the android to dance to techno...

In less fun news, there's an article on the economics of why zoning laws may be causing a housing bubble. Also, I heard about this yesterday, and was appalled, but Today's Papers does a nice job summing it up: "The WP goes Page One with the Senate getting ready to give gun-makers sweeping immunity for civil suits stemming from gun-related crimes. The bill is supported by most Republicans as well as a dozen Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid. The Post misses a bizarre—and not widely reported—angle of the story: GOP Senate leaders brought the gun bill to the floor as part of a (successful) maneuver to block a bipartisan effort to set standards for treatment of military detainees. The blockage also resulted in the Pentagon's whole appropriations bill being shelved for now." Clearly, we have our priorities straight... Pentagon appropriations bill? Not so important. No civil liabilities for gun makers? Critical.

Finally, as a follow up to the Salmon issue yesterday: Chocolate Thunder will not be happy to hear that he may be stuck with more salmon, because global warming and overfishing are leaving us with far fewer varieties of fish.

I always thought I identified with cats-- my mom used to call me "lion's eyes," big cats are my favorite animals, and when I get really hungry... well, it gets ugly. So I am shocked to find that cats cannot taste things that are sweet. Not just that they don't like them, they can't taste them at all... what a sad, sad existence.

Anyway, I just came across a couple of things to do in DC that look like fun group activities: You can brew your own beer at Shenandoah Brewing Company. I don't even like beer, and I think it looks cool! Apparently its about $200 for 5 cases(120 bottles)... so less than $2 a bottle, you just need to get a group together. Another beer activity is Brew-At-the-Zoo, a charity event where a ticket gets you unlimited "hand-crafted" beer from a bunch of different breweries, a number of which I know my significant other enjoys, at the Zoo. There will also be music and free appetizers from several restaurants.

Also, I just read about personal karaoke rooms at a place called Cafe Muse in Annandale... This Saturday is also the annual and FREE Stone Soul Picnic at RFK Stadium, with Toni Braxton, Chuck Brown, Morris Day & the Time, Dwele, some Gospel... And of course next week is restaurant week, which I am doing for the first time. I'm going to Ceiba and Galileo, and I can't wait! And I still haven't done Jazz in the Garden, but with the weather so nice, I may go tomorrow. Here's the line up for the rest of the season.

Finally, free film festival in Bethesda from August 12-21, with lots of new and older movies, such as Harry Potter 3, Million Dollar Baby, Ray, West Side Story, The Birds, Grease... look at the website for the whole schedule.

Oh I just saw this!!! "According to our friends at DCist, on Friday Dupont Circle will become the first corporate sponsored wireless hotspot in the District. A user will be able to go to the Circle, turn on their laptop or PDA and browse the Internet as long as they want free of charge. Nice." That is so awesome!!

And finally, here are some recommended (not by me, but give them a try anyway) bike trails: -- Capital Crescent Trail -- Mount Vernon Trail -- Rock Creek -- W & OD Trail

In God We Bank: Check out this billboard, asking God to help our economy.

To make sure you're not being taken to the bank, buy your date dinner and theater tickets, but nothing too useful, according to researchers.
"Using mathematical modelling, Peter Sozou and Robert Seymour at University College London, UK, found that wooing girls with costly, but essentially worthless gifts – such as theatre tickets or expensive dinners out – is a winning courtship strategy for both sexes.
Females can assess how serious or committed a male plans to be and males can ensure they are not just seducing 'gold-diggers' – girls who take valuable presents with no intention of accepting subsequent dates."

If you have a little extra money in the bank, you can find out who your ancestor are. You just need some saliva and $99.95 to spend on a DNA kit, you can go to NationalGeographic.com and trace your ancestral lineage.

Not really about banks, but interesting topic anyway: Another interesting issue for debate, and particularly timely given soaring methamphetamine abuse, posed by futurepundit: should pregnant drug abusers be institutionalized? If so, until when- after they give birth, or after they stop breastfeeding? He then goes into more futuristic issues of reproductive rights-- can the state limit parents from tinkering with their offsprings' genes, etc. Very thought provoking.

Some Things Fishy: Fish oil improves learning skills in toddlers according a recent study. Which may explain why I'm so smart: my dad used to make us take daily fish oil supplements. Seriously though, even though the study looked at toddlers, I think I'll start taking them again, since I remember reading recently that the brain is 80% fat, and needs to be kept well lubricated. So my new law school prep plan is not reading, just getting daily omega-3s! Salmon is a great option for omega-3s, but apparently, Salmon is becoming pedestrian: "These days, there's a numb and slightly uneasy feeling when you see a lump of the pink fish dumped on your plate. The feeling, the opposite of the salmon worship of the late 1980s, is more like salmon fatigue—an abiding sense that the wonder-fish has become déclassé."

What do Congressmen do after they finish their terms? They become lobbyists. I guess, living in DC this is not such a shocker, but since we shouldn't be so jaded I am posting the link anyway. The Roberts nickname contest results are in: and the winner is... Tort Blossom! I like that one, but there are a bunch of other good ones in the runner ups!

And as a follow-up to the Man's World piece in my last post, this Economist article about the glass ceiling, on why women still aren't better represented in the top positions: the culprits are "maternity leave, unhelpful husbands, and top officials' propensity to bond over strippers and whiskey shots. And yet, "Women are superior to men at multi-tasking, team-building and communicating, which have become the essential skills for running a 21st-century corporation," said Chris Clarke, the American-based CEO of Boyden."

Fire Up Those Neurons: There are a couple of things I have come across already which are making me think. Some neuroscientists are boycotting a conference because the Dalai Lama was invited to speak there. I can sort of see both sides-- I don't think mixing religion and science is a great idea, but lately I read several studies about brain scans performed on monks revealing different activity than "normal" brains, which does seem quite pertinent to science. Also, I can't help but be suspicious when most of the people protesting are Chinese nationals...

It's a Man's World: Not only have women been relegated to caring professions forever, and told that they are not "science smart" (thank you, Lawrence Summer), but now apparently men are even getting more respect than women in "caring" professions.
"Women are definitely losing the gender war in the caring professions.
"While the caring performed by a woman is often devalued as a 'natural' part of femininity, the emotional labour performed by men is often seen as an asset."
So, when women do "men's" jobs, they're seen as bitchy, but when men do "women's" jobs, their thoughtfulness and caring gets them more respect than women because they have to work on it, but women's thoughtfulness is innate, and nothing special. Awesome.

I know I'm a little blog happy today, but this is just so weird... apparently, the NYT had a piece on Roberts that included pictures. Based on those pictures, conservatives said the NYT was trying to make Roberts look gay (no mention of anything of the sort in the text or in the photo captions, but based on the photos alone... this blog has a nice summary.) I came across this when I read in another Garrison Keillor article that Roberts played Peppermint Patty when he was 16, and googled it, because I wasn't sure if Keillor was kidding... apparently he wasn't.

In other news that I found hard to believe, sexy guys may not appear in alcohol ads in the UK anymore: "Drinks companies have been ordered to hire paunchy, balding men for advertisements to meet new rules forbidding any link between women’s drinking and sex. Watchdogs have issued a list of undesirable male characteristics that advertisers must abide by in order to comply with tougher rules designed to separate alcohol from sexual success."

Follow Up: I recently posted that the combover is patented... now Salon has a whole article on the "hair style" (I feel like the word style should be so close to the word combover, which is why I put it in quotations.) The article is fascinating, featuring psychological insights into combover-exhibitors, diagrams, politicians that sport the look, and even a link to Combover: The Movie. Very diverting, to say the least.

Devout Catholic Rick Santorum is being chastized by a nun for being a bad example to his kids.

Rove and company are getting raises... for good job performance, outstanding service, or what?? Oh, I forgot, they're federal employees. Which means we pay for them...

But I guess we're making up for it by not paying soldiers. According to an audit, soldiers wounded in Iraq are having a difficult time getting paid what they are owed.

Marital Spats: Judith Miller is sitting in jail, while her faithful husband is... off on a cruise?! What??
Cherie and Tony Blair seem to be disagreeing on what the right approach to terrorism is.
This time OJ Simpson is not in court for domestic issues, but for stealing satellite TV.
And the Church of England has decided that clergy are allowed to get married as long as they don't have sex.
Also, not technically related to marital issues, good Christians do not judge Jessica Simpson.

Informed Consumer: There is article on refreshing and inexpensive summer wines that I know would interest at least a couple of us, and for the paranoid hypochondriacs like me, an article that rates mosquito repellents.
I really like this: Slate is doing audio tours of museums:"Museums, historical sites, and the companies that produce their audio tours aren't completely honest with you. They can't very well say things like "critics think this work is terrifically overrated, but we keep it on the wall because we sell a thousand posters of it a day," or "we know this sketch looks profoundly boring, but here's why it's the most interesting thing you'll see all day," or "we only hang this painting here because old Mrs. Dimbledumble wouldn't have donated the new East Wing otherwise." They can't say things like that, but we can. " The one featured now is the Met in NY, but I hope they do some DC museums soon!

To address Matt's question from earlier this week, Slate has an explainer on whether extending daylight savings really saves energy.

Competition, Pretty and Ugly: Here's a story about a supergeek who also happens to be Miss Ethiopia. Apparently in MSN world, rival Apple doesn't exist. Chess afficianodos competed in a new variation of Chess invented by Bobby Fischer. And rappers in the UK are mixing rhymes on cell phones... perhaps they are on their way to collaborating with Geeksta Rappers (See Post from Tuesday, June 28, 2005 Geeksta's Paradise: Apparently, there is a phenomenon I was shamefully unaware of called Geeksta Rap, or Nerdcore. While this ought to be enough to send you scrambling to read all about it, here's a little more to whet your appetite: "The stigma that was once attached to computer geeks and role-playing nerds is diminishing incredibly fast," said "digital gangster" Bryce Case Jr., aka ytcracker. "It has almost become trendy to have skills on a computer. Rather than guns and 'hos, I speak about DDOS attacks and camgirls." The self-proclaimed "#1 greatest computer science gangsta rapper ever" is MC Plus+, a geeksta leading light whose moniker comes from the C++ programming language. For some reason, I feel like this will be of interest to a number of my friends... you know who you are.).

Funny Men: Garrison Keillor is back on Salon doing a weekly column. For those of you who don't listen to Prairie Home Companion, here is a sample of one of his weird comedy styles. Salon also has a link to the video of Jon Stewart's Santorum interview for those of us who missed it (and more criticism of Jon... while as I mentioned yesterday I do sort of agree, it seems like part of the reason he is being derided so much is because he is actually popular and people actually watch him, unlike the real news shows who really should be held accountable for being lapdogs).

I mentioned the nickname topic in the last post, but I overlooked this list of nicknames Bush has for his friends and enemies, which definitely is worth looking at.

Like Geico: Salon profiles Geico ads, which are a mix of just about everything... just like the rest of the stories in this post.
The Guardian had an article citing studies that show that babies that share the bed with their parents are at higher risk of "cot death." After reading the article though, I still have no idea why that is... am I missing something?
Since the metro bombings, scooter sales have shot up. The Guardian profiles some pros and cons.
Rep. Frank Lautenberg is apparently known for his displays on the floor. This Chickenhawk display is somewhat old, but I had never seen it before, and thought it was funny.
This Slate article on the humiliation about to befall Judge Roberts as he recieves the ritual nickname from Bush is also pretty amusing. And readers are invited to make nickname suggestions!
Not so funny was an article criticizing Jon Stewart for not being harder on his guests (the article is available by subscription only on TNR.com)... despite my love for Jon Stewart and instinctive rush to defend him against harangues, I think the author has a somewhat of a point. For now, I'm inclined to go with Kristen's theory that he just had an off night.

Led into Temptation?: Sierra Club is praising Ford's new SUV. Environmentalists are also prasing Rwandan efforts to use human waste to power prisons. Debauchery in Bollywood... does that mean they will start kissing on screen?? Actually, I love Bollywood movies and really hope that in being more "sexy" they don't lose their Bollywoodness. If you want to watch a good Bollywood movie, Lagaan is one of my favorites (and easier to get in the US than lots of others), just be prepared to sit through 3 1/2 hours of the story. And shockingly, Russia is full of venality... but seriously, I was surprised to read that "bribes paid to officials by businessmen may have grown as much as 10 times over the last four years alone.
The report estimates the total value of such bribes as 2.5 times the whole national state budget." NJ is proposing a ban on smoking while driving. Finally, a guy who reported to police that his marijuana had been stolen was summarily arrested for drug possession.

Getting Bigger and Bigger: The NYTimes has an article that discusses two economic studies looking at the link between cigarettes and obesity. One says that higher cigarette taxes led to lower rates of smoking which led to more obesity, but the other found that higher taxes=lower smoking= less obesity. My personal views like the second one, but the article is interesting, especially for those with a penchant for econ. Also, Kristen forwarded me an article which discusses Clinton's involvement in efforts to help fight childhood obesity in the US. And if we can't reduce obesity, Slate has an article that suggests we use obesity to our advantage. They're kidding, right? Oh, and Durham, NC is the Silicon Valley of the fat economy, with weight reduction supplanting the tobacco industry.

Exercising Good Judgment: Apparently it is not only good for your health, but a job qualification. Bush was apparently very interested in the SCOTUS nominees exercise habits: "When President Bush sat down in the White House residence last Thursday to interview a potential Supreme Court nominee, Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, he asked him about the hardest decision he had ever made - and also how much he exercised. "Well, I told him I ran three and a half miles a day," Judge Wilkinson recalled in a telephone interview on Wednesday. "And I said my doctor recommends a lot of cross-training, but I said I didn't want to do the elliptical and the bike and the treadmill." The president, Judge Wilkinson said, "took umbrage at that," and told his potential nominee that he should do the cross-training his doctor suggested." Some people seem to think Bush is obsessed with exercise.

But not just Republicans like candidates to be in shape. Apparently John Kerry thinks Lance Armstrong would make a terrific politician, though he might not run as a Democrat since he's friends with fellow Texan Bush.

Wanted: For those looking for a job, the UK is advertising the post of Ambassador to the Vatican. Too bad Americans will not be eligible, since apparently we are losing jobs to Canada according to Krugman who wrote today's column on Canada's Competitive Advantage. Germans should have an easier time finding jobs, since apparently, we Germans invented just about everything. A new marketing campaign is out to boost German's self perception, "In fact, the catalogue is the response to a survey showing that most countries, including Britain, are fonder of Germany than Germans are of themselves." Not only genius inventors, but humble, too... The remaining members of the Doors are also in the market for a new band name, after a court banned them from using touring under the name "The Doors." And if you wanted a longer summer, you got it: Daylight savings time will be extended for 4 weeks.

Humbling the Whole Foods Crowd: I am a Whole Foods devotee, and this article does remind that some people can't afford to shop at Whole Foods, and it doesn't make them socially irresponsible. I don't agree with all of it, but I'm willing to concede it makes some points.

Things I Missed: There are a couple of older articles I didn't get a chance to read until now, but if you haven't read them, you may want to look at them. This article on the underfunded Veteran's Affairs department is nearly a month old, but something I have discussed with some people quite a bit recently. "The Capitol's Republican majorities have shown no hesitation in signing the president's serial blank-check supplemental budgets for waging the war, yet they repeatedly ignored months of warnings from Democrats that returning veterans were being shortchanged. One Republican who warned of the problem - Representative Christopher Smith of New Jersey - lost his chairmanship of the Veterans Affairs Committee after pressing his plea too boldly before the House leadership." Harpers also has an interesting article on it that I may have mentioned before (you need subscription access, but if you have access to a university database its on ebsco and others). The WP also had an article on the same shortfalls. There is another NYTimes article on the high numbers of officers who plan on resigning as soon as possible. "Yet my classmates were disillusioned with more than being sent to fight an unpopular war. When we became cadets, we were taught that the academy's honor code was what separated West Point from a mere college. This was a little hard to believe at first, because the code seemed so simple; you pledged that you would not lie, cheat or steal, and that you would not tolerate those who did. We were taught that in combat, lies could kill...The mistake the Army made then is the same mistake it is making now: how can you educate a group of handpicked students at one of the best universities in the world and then treat them as if they are too stupid to know when they have been told a lie?"

Grumpy Factor: Lately I've been really grumpy, without really knowing why. But the NYTimes explains that it may be the heat: "Call it the Grumpy Factor, a phenomenon tied to humidity. In a nursery-rhyme-science sort of a way, the Grumpy Factor explains how unpleasantness can shuffle across the city, lighting tempers and darkening moods... The sweating is a big part of the Grumpy Factor, making the whole city stick to itself, shirts to backs and socks to shoes and hair to necks and so on." Hey, if that's an excuse, I'll take it. And actually, I'm a lot less grumpy since I went swimming today and really cooled off.
And the Center for Consumer Freedom is making people besides me grumpy (I have mentioned more than once here, they are the ones with the deceiving "obesity is not really a problem" ads), as they put up billboards such as one in Times Square that says "PETA Kills Animals.com". Here's part of CCF's mission statement: "In addition to malicious animal-rights activists, we stand up to the 'food police,' environmental scaremongers, neo-prohibitionists, meddling bureaucrats and other self-anointed saints who claim to 'know what's best' for you."
The article rebuts CCFs claim: "In fact, the language of the Center for Consumer Freedom is as Orwellian as it is possible to get. Its basic linguistic strategy could have been taken directly from George Orwell's "Politics and the English Language," still the most important single essay on how to lie without seeming to. It would hardly work for C.C.F. simply to tell the truth - to say to consumers, on behalf of the food and beverage industries, "Activists and watchdog groups are trying to stop us from selling you anything we want to sell you." Much better to say, "These groups are trying to prevent you from buying anything you want to buy." Then it becomes a matter of sustaining freedom, protecting individual rights and keeping the prairie of consumer choices unfenced. The blurring of the distinction between corporate interests and the individual and collective rights of humans is one of the central tropes of our time and the source of much purposeful confusion, of the kind that the Center for Consumer Freedom exploits." It's a nice read. One of my favorite lines from it: "When you hear someone howling about freedom, it is worth asking whose freedom he means."

Everything Going Mainstream: Another addictive blog and blogger profiled in the NYTimes. I guess I'm not the only weird one that loves it or has been hypnotized by Garrison Keillor's voice), because NPR's A Praire Home Companion is being made into a movie. I already have a hard time picturing it as a movie, but reading the stars lined up for makes it even more bizarre. "The production, with names like Meryl Streep, Tommy Lee Jones, Lily Tomlin, Kevin Kline and John C. Reilly - and let's not forget Lindsay Lohan - could be a petri dish of egos and conflicting desires." And since Yoga has become mainstream, retreats are changing to accomodate less earthy types, with things such as "yoga and chocolate" retreats... I'm starting to feel very un-unique with all my favorite things getting so much attention, but I do like the sound of a little yoga and chocolates respite.

Stranger than Fiction: Apparently, there was no dearth of weird things in the news the past couple days. Grandmothers want to enlist so their grandchildren and children can come home from Iraq. Worse than delivering in a taxi cab. And Germany is denying state toupee coverage.

Parade of Parodies: A parody of Bush wins the faux Falkner contest, but United Airlines (the contest sponsor) refuses to print it in their magazine, they only offer it on their Website (to view, click on Fiction, then 2005, then Faulkner parody. Also, see an excerpt from it below). Berlusconi has published a book of insults left-wing groups have called him, which apparently was pretty easy since "He has been the most insulted prime minister since Mussolini," according to political analysts in Rome. And no, this is not a parody (I guess it would be hard to parody him, because he does so much weird stuff in real life that it is unnecessary.) And in other spoof news, an art director was fired after appearing on the Daily Show for one of their news spoofs.

Here's a sample from the Faulkner Spoof Winner:
"Down the hall, under the chandelier, I could see them talking. They were walking toward me and Dick s face was white, and he stopped and gave a piece of paper to Rummy, and Rummy looked at the piece of paper and shook his head. He gave the paper back to Dick and Dick shook his head. They disappeared and then they were standing right next to me.
“Georgie s going to walk down to the Oval Office with me,” Dick said.
“I just hope you got him all good and ready this time,” Rummy said.
“Hush now,” Dick said. “This aint no laughing matter. He know lot more than folks think.” Dick patted me on the back good and hard. “Come on now, Georgie,” Dick said. “Never mind you, Rummy.”
We walked down steps to the office. There were paintings of old people on the walls and the room was round like a circle and Condi was sitting on my desk. Her legs were crossed.
“Did you get him ready for the press conference?” Dick said.
“Dont you worry about him. He ll be ready,” Condi said. Condi stood up from the desk. Her legs were long and she smelled like the Xeroxed copies of the information packets they give me each day.
“Hello Georgie,” Condi said. “Did you come to see Condi?” Condi rubbed my hair and it tickled."

Information Age Surprises: If you consider yourself down with internet jargon, you may be surprised. Apparently, most Americans don't know key internet phrases. You may be even more surprised to learn (I was, anyway) that classical music downloads beat out rock. Downloads of Beethoven were far higher than others, including rock, when the BBC offered free downloads. And if you're considering an office romance, you may need to avoid surprises by signing a love contract. "Christine Barney doesn't know who brought up the idea first. All she remembers is that a few years ago she and a male colleague, Robert Gill, stopped in a deli for lunch on a car trip to visit a client, and one of them casually mentioned that it would be fun to do something outside of work -- as in "Maybe we could go to the movies sometime soon," she says. So Barney, who was the managing partner of a public relations firm in Miami, did what any recently divorced woman in a two-year dating drought would do. She ran straight to her business partner, Bruce Rubin, and told him that she and Gill, the company's senior writer, were thinking of dating. "I wanted to make sure it was above board," says Barney, now 41."

IPR: While I am against overrestrictive copyright laws, I was really angry reading this article about people creating illegal digital copies of Harry Potter. First, I find their unabashed and even proud rhetoric really apalling. But secondly, this is why people mistakenly think that we have to have tremendous restrictions on the internet, which ends up hurting the public by quashing legitimate and innovative uses of the internet. I like getting lots of things free on the internet, but some people think that isn't going to last. Instead, the internet will become like TV is now, where most people pay for premium access (ie: cable).

Patently Stupid: In my very serious law school preparation, I came across this site that has great pieces, such as the following patents:

1. U.S. Patent 4,022,227 (May 10, 1977) is a patent for a “Method of concealing partial baldness” described more particularly in the abstract as “[a] method of styling hair to cover partial baldness using only the hair on a person's head. The hair styling requires dividing a person's hair into three sections and carefully folding one section over another.” Yup. It’s a patent for the dreaded “comb-over.” No joke. We’ve all witnessed the results of this amazing invention, which works so effectively that no one notices the baldness, provided they are sight-impaired and at a distance of more than 200 yards.

2. U.S. Patent 6,834,453 (Dec. 28, 2004) is for another genius invention: a piece of foam in the shape of an “M” that you wear on your head. The invention, appropriately named the “Head Mounted Letter ‘M’ Display,” is designed for sports fans who want to support their teams that begin with the letter “M.” The funniest aspect of this patent is all the complex diagrams of a guy wearing an "M" on his head. Go check it out at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office website.— Thanks to David Barman. Full text for these incredible inventions is available at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office website, patft.uspto.gov.

For more Weird Law News or other things that are purportedly humorous, go to their Website.

Another Recommendation (and a Request for DC People): I just found out that Kristen's boyfriend Drew is a photographer, and was really impressed with his pictures, so I am recommending his Website as very worth checking out.
My request is somewhat related- I'm looking for wedding services... as inexpensive as possible. So I wanted to see if anyone has friends in the DC area that bake, do photography, videography, play instruments, DJ, etc, who are students or will do it cheaply for some other reason. Seriously, I would really appreciate any and all recommendations.

Iron Chef Idea: This article on slow cooking from Slate may be of interest to the various master chefs in training I know. I'll be more than happy to sample your efforts.

What's In a Name: As we know from Freakonomics, it is not necessarily the name. But an article on the new Supreme Court nominee analyzes what the fact that he is a "Jr" bodes. Moving beyond specifically John Roberts Jr, the article discusses more generally: "The pressures of being a Junior tend to drive offspring either to great success or to mental breakdown... Nowadays, naming your child after yourself is much likelier to be met with societal disapproval. The feeling is that to Junior a child is unacceptably narcissistic and patriarchal, the extreme example being the boxer/grilling tycoon George Foreman's naming of his sons George Jr., George III, George IV, George V, and George VI. In Germany, it is actually illegal to name your child after yourself."

How Not To Be Gay: More from Salon's series looking at Christian groups that cure gay people. Part 2 goes inside the therapy: "Christian counselor and licensed clinical social worker, is explaining to me what causes homosexuality. 'Take the young boy who is more sensitive, more delicate, who doesn't like rough-and-tumble, who is artistic,' he says. 'He can't hit the ball, fire the gun or shoot an arrow. There is a high correlation between poor eye-hand coordination and same-sex attraction.' "
Part 3 is on a female reverend who is preaching that homosexuality can be overcome, using herself as an example (she pretended to be a man so she could marry a woman before repenting her sins.) Warning: this series sounded so ridiculous I thought it would be funny, but it mainly made me sad.

Recommendation: Yesterday I finished reading Lawrence Lessig's Free Culture, a book about the importance of having a healthy public domain and balancing intellectual property ownership with an environment that fosters innovation rather than stifling it. The book is excellent, and available free online!

The SFGate site has a colorful article on Rove- I know everyone is coming across thousands of Rove pieces everyday, but this one has a flair that made me feel it was worth recommending. (Maybe a little over the top, but as I said, it has flair.)

In their object lust series, someone on Salon recommends Netflix. I am in a little tiff with the service, so am not going to give the ringing endorsement I usually would have.

NOT Recommended: Crazy lady Anne Coulter. Besides being a complete nut job, she also appears to be a plagiarizer. I guess it was getting to hard to come up with new lies and crackpot statements?

Breaking the Law: Repeating an issue reported on by the WP earlier this year, USAToday has an article on the illegality of cohabitating in various states (mainly East Coast states, including Florida, NC, and VA). In India, you'd better be in good shape if you watch illicit material: 200 people caught watching pornography were forced by police to do situps in public as punishment.

Interesting News: Ebonics may be added to the curriculum in a California district where students are underperforming significantly. Al Gore is launching a news station, but he promises it won't be partisan. And blame your hangover on your parents (well, really your genes)- scientists say a gene mutation causes a key enzyme to be inactive, resulting in alcohol metabolism to occur more slowly. Studies of how genes shape animal behavior (for example, switching one gene can change a roundworm from social to solitary) may also give insights into human behavior.

Gift Idea: Stuffed smart man dolls- they come in a variety of options, from Beethoven and Dali to Darwin and Socrates. Another gift idea is a membership to Costco, a very socially responsible store. Read why it is the anti-Walmart in this NY Times article.

Veterans: I was recently arguing with someone about veteran's benefits, and just came across an article in Harper's that is really interesting (I think you need a subscription, but it is posted on Ebsco, for those with database access): "Yet the story of this war cannot be told solely in the count of its dead. Some 12,500 American G.I.s have been wounded in Iraq. Eight soldiers have been wounded for every one killed, about double the rate in Korea, Vietnam, and the Gulf War. The percentage of soldiers who have undergone amputations is twice that of any of our past military conflicts; nearly a quarter of all the wounded suffer from traumatic head injuries, far more than in our other recent wars. These are soldiers who have survived Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and car bombs, who are living with mangled limbs, eye injuries, and brain damage. The true legacy of this war will be seen not in the memorials to those lost forever but in the cabinets of files in the neurosurgical and orthopedic wards at Washington's Walter Reed Army Medical Center, in the backlog of cases at Veterans Affairs."
Regardless of whether or not we agree with the war, I think it is reprehensible for veterans not to be taken care of, and for veterans, especially ones with mental problems, to be homeless. And long-term care of these severely and permanently injured vets are the hidden costs that will also be the largest costs of the Iraq war, according to this article.

Interesting Sites: Airline Meals, geocoding for mapping hacks (it gives you your coordinates, so if you have a GPS, you can use the coordinates to find places), Tom Cruise blog. And here is the blog of an IP lawyer, who has good things to say about Harry Potter, but draws parallels to the war on terror I'm not so sure about.

In the News: Bad news for Federal Employees... Bush is trying to change the Federal Pay System (no more automatic pay raises?) Also, food is now being tattoed. And a story about a woman who couldn't deal with her nanny's blog, and the nanny's response. Also, Viagra for babies with pulmonary hypertension.

Another E-Voting Outrage: Once again Diebold has apparently engaged in misconduct-- trying to bribe an official to buy Diebold voting machine equipment.

European Misconduct: More Downing Street documents, this time one from Sir Christopher Meyer. Also, cocaine traces allegedly found in the European Parliament.

American News: Apparently, in a recent CNN report, as Lou Dobbs introduced a story about Karl Rove, someone off camera whispered "that's bs."And on the topic of Rove, Democrats apparently circled an email asking "what's the difference between Rove and a family cat?", referring to the fact that "Unfortunately, the Republican leadership has refused to hold hearings on this brazen abuse of power involving matters of national security. However, just a few years ago, these same GOP lawmakers determined it was necessary to focus on the fan mail received by the Clinton family cat, Socks."

Crusade of the 21st Century: Churches are out to turn homosexuals straight.

In another sort of crusade, Democrats are out to get Santorum unseated (remember his great comments from a post a few days ago: He's got more great insights in his new book apparently; check out excerpts on women, college, etcetera. Posted Wednesday, July 13), so they're getting Bob Casey to run against Santorum-- Salons assesses the matchup .

Finally, there's a book review and author interview with George Pyle on his new book "Raising Less Corn, More Hell" about how current ag subsidies contribute to world hunger and don't actually help farmers... and what you can do to help. It sounds really interesting.

Harried: So I 'm just now getting to read any news for the first time this weekend, because I read the new HP yesterday, and did some family stuff today. On the subject of HP, (btw, I thought the 6th book was pretty good, an important part of the series), I just do not understand these people who are threatened by it (like this rector). It's FICTION... can't we just teach critical thinking so kids can tell the difference between fiction and nonfiction, and still have an imagination??? (I do have to say that the book was a little bit dark, but at on the other hand it clearly shows that killing and so forth is wrong, unlike many video games, which make killing cool, and which your brain essentially views as real.)

In terms of the news, there seems to be a lot going on recently on sperm... I'm not sure what the deal is, but China is sending pig sperm into space, roosters are saving their sperm, and sea urchin sperm are synchronised swimmers. I'll keep you updated with any further breaking sperm news I encounter.

Paul Krugman on Rove: It's always nice to have a little Krugman to start off the weekend. And quirky liberal Sarah Vowell did a little Bush daydreaming earlier this week.

Whatever you do, please do read something, because this is kind of embarassing: "A new federal report says the typical 9-year-old in the USA now reads more each day than a 17-year-old." In an effort to keep up with 9-year-olds, I will be spending the weekend reading... Harry Potter.

Like Family: I just read an article about Nuvo, the "robot housekeeper," which made me really sad, because the author compares it to a dog, and suggests that the main benefit of the robot is that it provides companionship... yesterday, my mom sent me to a website of a dog pound in Santa Barbara where there are pictures and videos of dogs that are up for adoption. Apparently, this year not many dogs have been adopted... I don't think it is because people are getting robots instead (yet), but because of the inconvenience... but it just freaks me out a little to think that we can just replace living things with machines.

On the topic of family, I feel the need to let everyone know that my grandmother has once again reaffirmed her coolness: 3 minutes into a phone conversation we were having last night, she announced that she had to go because her program was on-- her program being Jon Stewart. (She's also the one who, about a year ago, called to make sure that I know the meaning of the term "bling bling.")

And there is an article on the touchy subject of elves in Iceland, that I thought I would post for Brendan and his Icelandic heritage.

Inconceivable Reality: Apparently, we can't conceive of the way the world is in reality, our brain has just given us a way to handle what we encounter.... which would explain an ongoing debate we had in Forward Engagement on whether we are experiencing and can deal with an accelerated rate of change: "Are there things about the Universe that will be forever beyond our grasp, in principle, ungraspable in any mind, however superior?" [Prof Richard Dawkins] asked. "Successive generations have come to terms with the increasing queerness of the Universe."
Not to get too philosophical, but I wonder if it really is an issue of generations, or if different people from the same time period are conceiving the world totally differently. Perhaps even individuals can change their conceptions dramatically based on current realities- I mean, I feel like the more I learn about science, physics, even geography, vocabulary... basically anything, leaves me with a very different conception of the world and reality. Then again, while I'm reading a book on quantum mechanics, my conception of the world becomes very different, but I then I revert back to a very different conception when I start talking to Natalia about pop culture... and this weekend I will be in Harry Potter World where all of that is completely irrelevant.

Cloud-Cuckoo Land: Banning public smoking decreases smoking at home, AND has benefits for economies, according to the Royal College of Physicians. Shockingly, smoking lobbyists disagree with banning smoking in public though, saying: "The best place for people to smoke is in a well-ventilated bar or restaurant. Banning smoking in all public places is bound to encourage more people to smoke in and around the home. Anyone who can't see that is living in cloud-cuckoo land."
(Is it just me, by the way, or does Royal College of Physicians perversely sound more authoritative than, say, the Institutes of Medicine or something like that? Sometimes I don't understand my brain... maybe I'll blame it on that inconceivable reality issue. Also, just for clarification, cloud-cuckoo land is not in Harry Potter World.)

Tucker Overshadowed: I haven't watched Tucker's new show, but there is an article about the liberal panelist on his show, giving her rave reviews. Anybody that sticks it to Tucker (Jon Stewart, you are my hero) has something going for her! Though Tucker's show is on MSNBC, he may be helped by a bill introduced by four senators that will help Fox News... I mean, after Fox's loyal service, I guess they deserve it, right?

What A Mann: The Nation has a very read-worthy article on the Mann Report-- the one Tomlinson had done to see if PBS shows were balanced or not. Here's a bit to whet your appetite: "The Mann report reads as if dictated by Cookie Monster while chewing on a mouthful of lead paint chips. Names of famous political figures and celebrities are chronically misspelled. PBS guests are categorized by labels--"anti-DeLay," "neutral," "x"--for often bewildering reasons. Mann appears to have spent endless hours monitoring programs with no political content, gathering such insights as that Ray Charles was blind. "

Social Significance of E-Mail Forwards: This article ought to solidify your appreciation for the fact that I do not bombard you with 15 emails every day anymore, but that I am thoughtful enough to share with you the interesting things I come across each day by posting them here. And according to this life expectancy calculator, I can do it for many years to come, as I will be leaving to the age of 96.

Things that are Incredible (as in lacking credibility):
1) Rick Santorum's statements that Boston's liberalism is directly connected to the sexual abuse scandals with the Catholic Church. He's got more great insights in his new book apparently(check out excerpts on women, college, etcetera). Doesn't seem to be helping his chances for re-election.

2) Rove's lawyer, who was paid in gold bars by another client (who was convicted of drug dealing). Apparently, he's now also chatty about the current investigation.

3) Rush Limbaugh. But his ratings are now being passed by some liberal radio shows.

4) Falsified scientific research (another article I came across that I had not posted before).

5) The Heritage Foundation's assessments of virginity pledges.

Innovations: Just as I'm trying to get people to appreciate blogging, I read that the new big thing is vlogging... I don't expect to be morphing to vlog form anytime soon, but I think it is worth checking out. This company has come up with a way for SUV owners to alleviate their pollution guilt, that seems kind of cool... I'm not sure how effective it really is, but it seems like a positive step. And something that may help you be more innovative (or productive, or less stressed) is the GTD (getting thing done) movement. Wired has an article that asks if the movement is somewhat cultlike, but it seems cultlike in the Atkins or Men Are from Mars sense(or Veronica Mars for me, for example).

Sinful:
Greed: Zell Miller, who I am seriously concerned has dimentia (remember his challenging Chris Matthews to a duel?) has now been found to have pocketed $80,000 in taxpayer money upon leaving office.
Envy: If you are envious of movie stars perfect teeth, you too can get them now. Snap-In teeth come in the Julia, Gwyneth, Halle, George, Mel, and in 5 shades, including the most popular "Hollywood White."
Sloth: Workers are wasting lots at time at work (though I think it is actually more than this study says)
Gluttony: Germans and French will not be committing this sin in this Danish man's restaurant-- he's banned all Germans and French from his pizzeria, in a display of support for the US.
Pride: So much to chose from, but I think I'm going to go with Tom Cruise, and link to the last part in Salon's series on Scientology. Also, I just read the letters from angry readers on basically why Tom Cruise is right to be prideful...interesting. (Relatedly, Katie Holmes gave a weird interview to W Magazine, that if she didn't seem like a zombie may have filled the Lust part of this post, since she keeps saying things like "Tom and I will always be in our honeymoon phase.")
So only Anger goes unmentioned... maybe I'll address that later.

Fakers: This is so weird, I don't even know what I think about it yet... a team of scientists proposed two new ways to grow cultured meat... in a lab.... without the animal...
Here's what they say about public reaction: "The authors agree, it might take work to convince consumers to eat cultured muscle meat, a product not yet associated with being produced artificially. 'On the other hand, cultured meat could appeal to people concerned about food safety, the environment, and animal welfare, and people who want to tailor food to their individual tastes,' says Matheny. The paper even suggests that meat makers may one day sit next to bread makers on the kitchen counter."

In unrelated faking news, the NYT has an article on air guitar: "In the words of the two-time (2002 and '03) world air guitar champion, Zac Monro (known as the Magnet), "Air guitar is the purest art form there is left." I don't think anything more is needed to introduce this article.

Best Days: I just noticed that on the Farmer's Almanac site, they give advice for the best days...to can fruit, castrate animals, cut hair, wean, quit a habit or smoking... you know, all the important things. I thought it was funny (and potentially useful to some of you?)

More Depressing News in Housing: Basically, it's getting less and less likely that we can ever afford one. Business Week has an article discussing that the prospect of buying a home is become an increasingly lofty goal, not just for low-income earners.

Doctoring Docs: After the whole thimerosal issue, I feel the need to reiterate that people, including doctors, researchers, government agencies, etcetera, should be as transparent and open to oversight as possible, so that any questions or doubts can be readily looked into and resolved. If you are not as inherently skeptical as me and want to know why we shouldn't just take their word for it, here are a couple of articles (here and here) on scientists doctoring results and engaging in scientific misconduct... it is not at all uncommon. Very disturbing.

HOT TOPIC: E-VOTING.
E-voting is one of those things that really gets me worked up, as I believe I mentioned before, and I think part of the problem is that people don't know the problems or potential problems. So here is an excellent introduction to e-voting from Wired that lays out the issues. There is also an article detailing new guidelines for e-voting.

In recent e-voting news, a woman who reported irregularities and then fired won a court ruling for her job. "Hocking County, Ohio's recount whistleblower, Sherole Eaton -- who was recently fired without explanation in the wake of having reported on a voting company employee tampering with the hard-drive of a central tabulating computer and offering "cheat-sheets" prior to the recount of the November 2004 Presidential Election -- received some support yesterday from both a Court Order and several dozen backers at a dramatic Board of Elections meeting."

This is something that has been on my mind for a while, and I gave a speech on it at toastmasters a while ago, which you can read by going to the January Archive. (I also finally posted my obesity paper I mentioned earlier there, in case you have been waiting for it anxiously.)

Fight for Rights: A guy is suing Massachusetts for his right to get drunk... it sounds like just another funny story, but I actually think the police seem to be overstretching here. But you can judge for yourself. Another privacy issue is brought up by a WP article on the fact that anyone can obtain personal cell phone records.

Fox Doing What It Does Best: Apparently a lot of people are disgusted with Fox's coverage of the London bombings...this is seriously dispicable.

The Word of the Day Is Oenologist. Which is a specialist in making wine. Chips may soon replace them, however, in Italy.

Books Are Better?: The NYT has an article on books that are eclipsed by the movies based on them, but the books are better... I feel like that so often, and usually I freak out when a book I love is being made into a movie: first, because I'm sure the movie won't do the book justice, and secondly because I am very possessive. For example, when The Perfect Storm was made into a movie, I had to find a new favorite book, because I couldn't bear the thought of sharing it with people who had not even read it, but just seen the movie.

Phone Money: The NYT also has an article on a company that gives you free stuff in exchange for your old cell phones. After two friends recently had to buy outrageously priced chargers for their cell phones, I thought of another business idea: have a place where you can sell or exchange old chargers. I know I have at least two chargers here that are incompatible with my newest cell phone, because they seem to make an effort to make sure you can't possibly use the old charger with a different phone. So then you have to go to the service store and poay $20-$40 for a new one if you lose yours?? I think we should set up a charger exchange, or sell them for $5 or something... if anyone wants to set something, let me know, I'll be happy to donate my old chargers.

Finally,the US Has a Leg Up On China?: From Reuters: "Chinese are more ignorant about sex than any other subject." Sadly, we may be losing our advantage in Minnesota.

More Obesity: While I probably don't have time for much psoting today, I did want to put up the link to Krugman's column today, which goes further into the obesity issue, and addresses the smoking issue which was sort of brought up by Chocolate Thunder. I'm sure I'll have more to say on this later.

Why Intellectual Property Issues Are Interesting: First, there is this story by someone who cannot get lifesaving medicine allegedly because of Intellectual Property Rights, but also brings up other issues, such as FDA restrictions on drugs that have been approved in Europe. Then there is an article in the New Scientist on a patent that requires payments to the patent holder if patients are Ashkenazi Jews.

Internet Junkies: It's good to know that, according to the Wired article, there are places I can get help, since sometimes I really feel like I am on the verge of becoming an addict (or am I already, and currently just in denial?)

Trans-USA Challenge Update: They made it! They broke the record by more than 13 hours, arriving in Key West 82 hours and 24 minutes after departing Deadhorse. Congratulations, Scott! You'll have to tell us all about it after you get some rest!

Breaking the Record: Scott and his Trans-USA Challenge team are near Miami, and on track to break the previous record for driving from Deadhorse Alaska to Key West by 14 hours! Interesting tidbit: the sun did not set until the 47th hour of their trip. Now they are preparing to head straight for a notary in Key West, and then to get some well-deserved sleep! (And then drive back to DC tomorrow... and then never set foot in a car again? That's what the effect would be on me.)

Misunderstood: The New Yorker has an article that discusses why parents don't like Roald Dahl, and the conclusion is largely that his books undermine adult authority. This is particularly interesting because one of my friends was just saying the same thing about Harry Potter.

Also, Sarah Vowell, who is often on NPR's this American Life, has an article in the NYT with the byline: "Breaking News: Pat Robertson is sane. "

Ohio Politics Keep Getting Uglier: As more and more Republican officials become embroiled in the improprieties going on in Ohio (from my post on June 28: "And for those who still aren't caught up on it, there is even more reason to pay attention to the weird and ever-more twisted Ohio scandal which is implicating more and more Ohio government officials."), the Democratic HQ in Ohio was broken into.
Here's a sample: "Jason Mauk, a spokesman for the Ohio Republican Party, said the state GOP had nothing to do with the break-in. 'I certainly hope the implication is that this was not politically motivated,' Mr. Mauk said. 'I can guarantee from our perspective that this is not the case.'He added, 'It sounds to me like Mayor [Michael] Coleman has a crime problem that they need to address.' There were two other burglaries nearby on Monday night, both at restaurants.In one case, someone smashed a window of a restaurant and stole $150 in property. In another, someone used a piece of concrete to shatter a rear glass door of a restaurant, police said.Dan Trevas, a spokesman for Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman, a Democratic gubernatorial candidate, said every crime is taken seriously by police, and the burglary will be investigated.'The Republicans ought to be more concerned about the crimes that are happening in state government,' Mr. Trevas said.'The Republicans ought not to be throwing stones near the pile of glass that used to be the house that they lived in.' "

Fun Stuff: As the US is trying to prevent kids from going near them, Japan is trying to make condoms fun. And in Britain, drug dealers are having tons of fun because they are swimming in money- making even more than top designers- according to a study the government does not want to release. Perhaps MacDonalds is sympathizing with the plight of those designers, and is therefore considering throwing some business their way, as it considersP. Diddy's Sean John label, Polo Ralph Lauren Corp., Giorgio Armani, hip hop mogul Russell Simmons' Phat Farm label, American Eagle Outfitters Inc., Abercrombie & Fitch Co., Rocawear, and Tommy Hilfiger, for its redesigned worker uniforms. Jack Abramoff, the corrupt lobbyist (I posted on him on June 23: Sounds Crazy... But True?: The weirdest story I've read all day is about yesterday's Senate hearing on lobbyist Jack Abrahamoff), apparently let his friends and many Republicans have too much fun for free at his DC restaurant.

Econ? That's Hot: I have been cajoled into putting up this story on economics being the new hot major by my significant other who, you guessed it, majored in economics.

More Diplomatic Indiscretions: Chirac apparently insulted British and Finnish cuisine: "The French daily Liberation quoted Chirac as saying to German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday that "you can't trust people who cook as badly as that," referring to the British, and "after Finland, it's the country with the worst food." As punishment, Finnish European lawmaker Alexander Stubb feels Chirac should have to eat Finnish and British food.

Also, shockingly, Fox News has offended Canada.

Zzzzzz: I've had several conversations about sleep lately, and in trying to help out a friend have come across these articles on sleep. There are several on sleeping compatibility here, here and here from Psychology Today. There is also one from the BBC on what your sleeping position reveals about you individually (here's another, even weirder one), and what your sleeping position says about you as a couple. Here's a chat site on couples sleeping in different beds.

Staying in Touch: A project called The Social Fabric will show you on your phone whether you are keeping in touch enough, or whether you are a bad friend, according to an article in Wired.

Still Underfunded: Of course, that would be schools. And while we're on education, another study shows that TV harms academic performance... not exactly surprising, but the article is interesting.

Update on Trans-USA Challenge!: I just spoke to Scott, who is in Madison, Wisconsin, and about 56 hours into the trip. He sounded pretty energetic, despite the precarious sleep situation, and was happy to report that they are ahead of schedule! They were apparently inspired by the notary in Deadhorse, Alaska, who said they couldn't possibly make it.
In response to a question from one of my co-workers on how they relieve themselves, Scott informed that they do have a funnel system with them for that purpose, but have not had to use it thus far, they have been stopping every 8 hours which has sufficed up to this point. I hope that remains the case. Scott was also surprised when I told him that he's already making headlines (in case you didn't read about his trip before, you can see the article here.) I'll keep you posted on their progress!

My Obesity Rants, Vindicated: Krugman's column today talks about the Center of Consumer Freedom, and their fight against anti-Obesity efforts... something I have already mentioned twice here (see Monday, June 27 and Tuesday, June 21). As I argued in several papers last semester, Krugman says that "fat is a fiscal issue." You should definitely read this article, and if you want more, my papers from last semester on obesity as a future contingency of interest, particularly in the realm of economics. You can also read my paper which goes into some more detail on why you should be worried about obesity in terms of the costs to society. (I will post it later when I figure out how.)

Eating Contest: This article is for Brendan, who may use this material to train for his next one. Along the same lines, The Redneck Games celebrate their 10th anniversary of fun games such as bobbing for pig feet, the mudpit belly-flop, the armpit serenade... America, the proud!

Health Stories: Smoking not only kills you, more importantly, it makes you unsexy!!
Also, this 90 year-old is probably in better shape than I have ever been... well, maybe in 70 years I'll be in such good shape too. It seems that I have a pretty good chance of living that long, according to an article in the NYT on Cholesterol... the good kind, HDL, apparently has been correlated with longevity syndrome (aka long life). I get my lipids checked every year, and I can attest to the fact that their recommendations are basically what I was doing as my HDL levels increased over the last 5 years.

Things to Do in DC: The NYTimes has an article on the visual arts exhibit at the Hirshhorn. One of my friends went opening night and said the exhibit was great, the slideshow really bizarre. There is also an article on a Japanese exhibit at the Philips Collection (though you have to be for that one, which is somewhat of a deterent). Is there nothing going on in NY that they are spotlighting all this stuff in DC??