Volume 2 Issue 61
April 28, 2003
Un-reality
Mixed messages on the railroad, Saddam has a birthday, and John Edwards apparently can't count
Much material today...don't want to overload you with a rant by me. Tomorrow, I'll unveil our best picks to play John Edwards in the movie on his Presidential Campaign!
Fixing the Railroad: As the airlines hemorrhage money, the brain trust that is the government has rediscovered the railroad! Amtrak last week unveiled a $8 billion infrastructure repair plan...and they'll probably get it, even the Bush Administration didn't criticize it too much. -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A38988-2003Apr25.html
Amtrak's new President, David Gunn, has helped restore faith in the railroad -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A58517-2003Apr19.html
Clueless on Transportation: We can spend billions bailing out poorly managed airlines, but can't pony up a measly billion for a new rail tunnel into New York City, which only has national security implications and all -
http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-3/1051338129313540.xml
It's the Economy, Stupid: The unemployment figures seem to have steadied...but is that just because many people have simply given up looking for jobs?
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/27/national/27JOBS.html?pagew anted=all&position
Amnesty? A British tabloid reports that Tariq Aziz may be given immunity and a new identity and home in the UK -
http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2003191124,00.html
Here we go: So now the Iraqi's want Gen. Franks brought up on war crimes charges -
http://www.washtimes.com/national/20030428-12027619.htm
Happy Birthday? Iraqi's are worried that Saddam Hussein will attempt some kind of attack on his birthday today -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A46102-2003Apr27.html
The Final Crimes: Hussein's government apparently executed most of its prisoners days before it fell -
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/28/international/worldspecial /28PRIS.html
Empire? Is the US ready for an Empire?
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/27/magazine/27EMPIRE.html
That Other Country: China says North Korea may be willing to drop its nuclear program -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A48359-2003Apr28.html
Outbreak: The World Health Organization says that the SARS outbreak has peaked everywhere but China -
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-SARS-Virus.html
In Toronto, city leaders are offering $1 baseball tickets to try and keep tourism afloat -
http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/sports/baseball/mlb/philade lphia_phillies/5731805.htm
New York City officials apparently quarantined a tourist against his will for 10 days when he developed a suspected SARS case -
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/28/nyregion/28INFE.html
Freeing the Internet? In a major court case, web clients like Morpheus have been ruled legal, meaning that the entertainment industry may finally have to adapt to the new economy -
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/26/technology/26MUSI.html
Apple apparently will introduce a pay-music service, trying to beat the record companies to it -
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/28/technology/28APPL.html
In other Internet news, Slate , which I have found to be a great source for opinion and news, has become the first Internet journal to make money -
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/28/business/media/28SLAT.html
Tiny News Article that scares the shit out of you of the day: Yeah, um...some Cesium was stolen from a construction site in Maryland -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A39841-2003Apr25.html
Look Who's Running for President: ABC's The Note has started a neat feature where each campaign can write in 200 words daily to be compiled with the others and featured on their website. It will be interesting to see how long this keeps up, but today it makes for some interesting reading. And, it makes for some interesting thinking. Um, what about "200 words or less" did John Edwards not understand?
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/politics/US/notepad_main.html
Look Who's Running for President 2: It's common knowledge that John Kerry and Howard Dean have clashed so far in the campaign, but now Dick Gephardt and Bob Graham have begun one of their own over health care -
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/28/politics/campaigns/28CONG. html
Look Who's Running for President 3: Some critics of Howard Dean have said that his support of the gay unions bill in Vermont would make him unelectable in a general election. But the Boston Globe reports that almost all the Presidential candidates agree with him, which may mean that the issue won't hurt Dean, at least in the primaries -
http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/116/nation/Gay_civil_union s_find_support_in_Democratic_field+.shtml
Look Who's Voting for President: George W. Bush may have a problem...as discussed last week, the late GOP convention (first week in September due to the Olympics) may keep Bush off the ballot in Alabama. And a bunch of other states. Maybe he should be calling Tony Williams for help -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A42628-2003Apr26.html
Look Who's Voting for President 2: Michigan formally approved its caucus for February 7, ending their challenge to New Hampshire this time around -
http://www.adn.com/24hour/politics/story/868784p-6065257c.html
And in New Hampshire, there was much rejoicing -
http://www.theunionleader.com/articles_show.html?article=205 98
Look Who's Voting for President 3: Driven by budget pressures and front-loading making their state irrelevant, many are choosing to dump the primary all together -
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1101030505-447228,00.html
Bad John Edwards Photo of the Day:
Look, I can count to 10, but 200? I mean, who has that many fingers?
And you thought the US was partisan: Italian opposition parties are pissed...at the shades of color on the Prime Minister's new flag -
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2982411.stm
The end of the cheap fake ID? When New Jersey switches to digital drivers licenses later this year, it's going to disappoint a lot of college kids...
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/states/new_jer sey/5723923.htm
Romance Dying: A common topic I often turn to here is the continuing decline in romance in this country. Usually though, the articles are neutral or from a woman's perspective...this one is interesting...from the perspective of teenage boys -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A46101-2003Apr27.html
Who you calling a scumbag? More fallout from the latest battle in New Jersey politics -
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/5721353.htm
Hello, my name is... A 23-year old from St. Louis wants us all to wear name tags all the time -
http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/Midwest/04/28/offbeat.hello.scott .ap/index.html
Smart Criminals: People in London are "cloning" license plates from cars similar to theirs so they don't have to pay the congestion charge -
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-661656,00.html
Dumb Criminals: A crack-smoking driver in New York was trying to flee police, so he turned into a parking lot...of the police station. This also brings us the quote of the day: Troy C. Stephani, 32, of Brookhaven, told the arresting officers he didn't pull over Saturday night because ``he wanted to finish smoking the crack cocaine that he had in his truck,'' Suffolk County park police Lt. David Brewer said. -
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Wrong-Turn.html
A good hand: The hottest Iraqi souvenir? The "deck of death" playing cards -
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/5719760.htm
Reality iced? That new reality movie didn't do so well at the box office -
http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2003-04-27-box-office-usat_x.htm
But that hasn't stopped the "Reality" juggernaut...a 24-hour reality cable TV network is planned for the fall -
http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2003-04-27-reality-channel_x.htm
Shifting Ice: Unlike the South Pole, which has land beneath it, life at the North Pole is always shifting on the ice -
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/28/international/28POLE.html
No Hitter: In the condemned Vet, Philadelphia Pitcher Kevin Millwood threw a no hitter yesterday against the San Francisco Giants, the best team in the National League -
http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/5733657.htm
http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/sports/baseball/mlb/philade lphia_phillies/5732390.htm
In fact, Millwood pitches so well at the Vet there's rumors that he will make preserving it for him to start in will be a condition of a new contract -
http://espn.go.com/mlb/columns/stark_jayson/1545472.html
Swamp Commencement Speakers of the Day:
University of Evansville, Evansville, Indiana, May 10, 2003 -
Randy Rademacher, president of Comair Inc., a subsidiary of Delta Airlines
So...can anyone give me a job?
Have a great day!
