Volume 2 Issue 62
April 29, 2003
Slugging it out
Promoting Tommy, innovative DC transport solutions, and baseball in Rome?
Allergies suck. At least it's raining a bit today, perhaps I'll be awake enough tomorrow to write something!
Promoting the victor? Gen. Tommy Franks may be the next head of the Army -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A50596-2003Apr28.html
Good Bye to the Saudi's: After spending billions to build bases in Saudi Arabia, the US is abandoning them, and pulling almost all of its troops out of the nation -
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2984547.stm
It apparently was a mutual decision -
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2985131.stm
Up yours, George: Is the EU trying to start an Army to counter the US?
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,1-663229,00.html
The British have been warned the military can't fight another war until 2005 -
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-662978,00.html
Lying Leaders: Did George Bush trick America into war by exaggerating intelligence reports?
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/29/opinion/29KRUG.html
Escape Story: Two members of the British Special Forces had one heck of an escape through the desert after they were separated from their unit in an ambush -
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,5944-662899,00.html
That other Country: Ah...North Korea and its nukes -
http://slate.msn.com/id/2082164/
And in Europe: One of the last hot spots in Europe has begun to cool down, Christopher Hitchens writes -
http://slate.msn.com/id/2082101/
Strange Transportation Solutions: One unique thing that really only exists in the DC area is the practice of "slugging", where people line up at certain areas to be picked up by strangers, then go into the city using the HOV lanes. Interesting to see what people will do when transport is underfunded, and in a way it's the perfect market solution... -
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/29/national/29COMM.html?8hpib =&pagewanted=all&position
Outbreak: SARS has spread now to South Korea, New Zealand and Mongolia -
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,1-663185,00.html
China says it expects the disease to be around for a while -
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/2985649.stm
The WHO has lifted its travel advisory for Toronto -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A54677-2003Apr29.html
Staying Healthy? Can you take too many vitamins? Doctors are beginning to think so -
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/29/health/nutrition/29VITA.ht ml?pagewanted=all&position
Who's Helping Charities? A recent study says that Prince Georges County, MD, the poorest county in the DC area, is one of the nationwide leaders in charitable giving. This is just another in a trend of studies that show that people who have less money donate more, even more of their income than rich people. And it's yet another reason that people like George W. Bush can't depend on charity alone to help people...because rich people like him won't give up enough of their incomes -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A50753-2003Apr28.html
Look Who's Running for President: John Kerry has begun filming TV commercials -
http://www.politicsnh.com/archives/pindell/2003/april/4_29.h tml
Kerry has continued his attacks on Dean as well -
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/29/politics/campaigns/29DEAN. html
Look Who's Running for President 2: Man, if you're not reading ABC's Notepad , you are missing out. Today's quote of the day? "Lieberman was in New Jersey yesterday doing stuff." Glad Joe's folks are so eloquent -
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/politics/US/notepad_main.html
Look Who's Running for President 3: Is Gephardt in trouble because of his poor fundraising in Iowa?
http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/space/04/28/soyuz.docking/index .html
E.J. Dionne like the fact that Gephardt introduced a bold health care plan -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A50255-2003Apr28.html
Look Who's Running for President 4: Ah...Lyndon LaRouche has made his first appearance of the campaign season -
http://www.charleston.net/stories/042903/sta_29demo.shtml
Look Who's Running for President 5: Yay! An FEC report from Al Sharpton! -
http://www.theunionleader.com/prez_show.html?article=20639
Look Who's Running for President 6: Gary Hart has pushed back his decision on whether to run, though rumors say he will run -
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/election/article/0,129 9,DRMN_36_1920698,00.html
Look Who's Running for the Senate: Jerry Springer is starting an exploratory committee for a possible run at the Democratic nomination in Ohio -
http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-edgar28.html
Bad John Edwards Photo of the Day: This one's on his own website!
I can do stuff in New Jersey too!
(By the way, the May 2003 Washingtonian has an excellent profile on Edwards, it's not available online, but if you're in the DC area, I'd pick it up at the newsstand.)
Whoops: An airline pilot accidentally hit the wrong button when his radio went out, leading authorities to think the plane had been hijacked -
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/04/29/BA167401.DTL
And notes saying a cruise ship had been hijacked, that resulted in the ship being stormed by US forces near Oahu, ended up being written by a girl on board who wanted the voyage cut short so she could get back to her boyfriend -
http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/West/04/29/crime.cruise.reut/inde x.html
The Mystery: More reaction to the latest Deep Throat guess -
http://slate.msn.com/id/2082179/
Back in Orbit: The next crew of the International Space Station has docked with the station, as the old crew prepares to go home later this week in the old Soyuz craft -
http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/space/04/28/soyuz.docking/index .html
Job Hunting? A Massachusetts high school was embarrassed when a strip club showed up to its job fair -
http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0403/84083.html
And you thought your boss got perks: Some of the clauses in professional athlete's contracts are, well, strange -
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/04/29/SP287006.DTL
Sfera Del Gioco!? Is Major League Baseball considering putting a team in Italy?
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/sports/AP-BBO-Baseball-Italy.html
Want some cheap real estate? A salt marsh fire in Suburban Cleveland brought this priceless quote from a local fire chief: "It's a beautiful place to live until it's on fire. " -
http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/Midwest/04/28/ohio.brush.fire/ind ex.html
Maybe he's special: A lawyer in Pennsylvania is in trouble for billing a client for an 81-hour day -
http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/Northeast/04/27/offbeat.lawyer.ap /index.html
Swamp Commencement Speakers of the Day:
Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio, May 10, 2003 -
Scott Hamilton, the Olympic gold medalist and skating star, will speak at the commencement for the Colleges of Business Administration, Education, and Urban Affairs.
Anyone who can do a triple axel while getting their diploma gets to go to grad school for free!
Have a great day!
