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Me: Frank Lynch

These are my mundane daily ramblings.
For something less spontaneous, I maintain The Samuel Johnson Sound Bite Page (over 1,700 Johnson quotes), with a weekly essay springing from one of Johnson's quotations.

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2004:

Dec | Nov | Oct | Sep | Aug | July | June | May | April | Mar | Feb | Jan

December, 2004
30 Motivations of those who complain of US stinginess over tsunamis; spinning the amount of aid: Andrew Natsios avoids looking at aid as a proportion of GDP; when Bush is responsive; saving on your New Year's Eve party to enable donating more for tsunami aid.
29 Washington State's gubernatorial loser wants a re-vote; Bush finally responds to the tsunamis; Bushies value "actions" over words, but really have no actions to show for it.
28 Daimler-Chrysler plans to bring its Smart car to U.S. shores in 2006; US ups tsunami aid to $35 million, still less than planned expenditures for Bush's re-inauguration; Bush postponing tax overhauls due to ambitiousness of agenda; understanding the scale of the tsunami devastation.
27 Death of a pet; a right wing blog skewers Tom Friedman, using the deaths of over 20,000 for leverage.
26 Major Isaiah Wilson III, official historian for the US on the war in Iraq, complains of a woeful lack of planning; more charges of US prisoner abuse at Guantanamo.
24 Colin Powell tells Bush and Blair of the need for more forces in Iraq; right wing divisiveness over "Happy Holidays" deliberately overstates the case in order to create anger; Hondurans killed by a group claiming to be against the death penalty; Rumsfeld's surprise visit to Mosul.
23 Tom Delay gets freedom to spout absurdities on CNN; Bush intends to resubmit judicial nominees which have already failed; lawyer-client relations considered regarding Bush and Alberto Gonzalez; holiday posting notice.
22 Will Dennis Hastert push for support for Social Security privatization? Plus, poor writing from the New York Times; mother of a fallen soldier writes Time magazine over its choice of George Bush for "Man of the Year;" conservative bloggers think there was complicity between killers and an AP photographer; White House should already have been investigating abuses is says "need to" be investigated; VP Cheney's wife reads conservative blogs.
21 Musing about Slate's purchase by the Washington Post; our mistreatment of prisoners should question any claims to the moral high ground; Bush offers no predictions of when things will improve in Iraq.
20 Lack of a Bush mandate shown in low support for war in Iraq; Clement Moore a la Ernest Hemingway; Bush's refusal to offer any specifics on his Social Security plans.
19 Senate Democratic resistance to Social Security privatization; Kerik is the latest example of Bush going with his gut; go to Steve Gilliard for more on Bernie Kerik.
18 Daily Howler chastises Josh Marshall for overemphasizing Bernie Kerik; humbler Christmases for many Americans; big oil defends working with despots through patriotic appeals; national tolerance of incompetence.
17 National Guard recruiting isn't where it should be, thanks to Iraq.
16 Johnny Rivers; it's the Kerik process that matters; Alberto Gonzalez continues to get a free pass; bad headline on Dungeness crab story; the Department of Education sugar coats research results which are bad news for its agenda; maybe Kerik wasn't even the first choice.
15 Missile test fails, yet Pentagon wants to proceed; Iraqis don't see the progress; AARP gives thumbs down on Social Security privatization; Kerik never even filled out forms for proper clearance in NYC.
14 Bad cookbook instructions on handling chocolate; White House has unreasonable confidence in its vetting processes; Senate Democrats prepare to give the administration greater scrutiny; even forgetting the ethics, Kerik wasn't qualified.
13 Koufax Award nomination period has begun; Giuliani's willingness to take Kerik back shows a lack of moral rectitude; Kerik's book, readily available, raised flags in its opening sentence; Kerik's extra-marital affairs; the Kerik vetting process raises concerns about Alberto Gonzalez's fitness for Attorney General.
12 Bush taking revenge on Mohammed al Baradei, IAEA head; if Rather should have resigned for failure to vet some documents, shouldn't Bush resign for failing to vet Kerik prior to nominating him? plus, new tool for Homeland Security draws on financial transaction data.
11 Giuliani's political future clouded, but it wasn't that promising anyway; CBS doesn't understand enough of the Kerik case; the national security risks suggested by the Kerik vetting process, and perhaps he shouldn't even have headed the NYPD.
10 Kerik withdraws from the Homeland Security nomination; editorial cartoon on armoring the troops; pro team disloyalty towards cities; Halliburton surpasses the $10 billion mark on Iraq contracts; White House inauguration to be the most expensive ever; popular pessimism over Iraq.
9 Public support of Social Security reforms is neither broad nor relevant at this point, despite White House claims to the contrary; causes of unrest in Iraq; Paul Bremer photo; small benefits from the Kyoto Treat?
8 Rumsfeld supports our troops by LYING to them; dress codes for federal marshals on flights make little sense.
7 Special Forces personnel threatened US government observers in Iraq; new rationale for invading Iraq, Al Franken warns; limits to bipartisanship; Civil Rights commission head will pay less attention to Civil Rights.
6 Jury decides that there were two WTC attacks on 9/11; tax simplifications may hurt California and New York (two blue states) the most; company spokespeople in your own backyard.
5 Bush Administration tempering push for democracy in the Middle East; troops not getting the proper medical attention.
4 Digby posts on how a student's intolerance of her professor's political asides leads to death threats.
3 My prediction on the Iraqi election timetable; November jobs report shows poor growth; with Tommy Thompson's resignation, it's clear that working for Bush is undesirable; the public has no need to know about the secret grand jury testimony on steroids in baseball.
2 The rapidly dissolving cabinet, and now Bernard Kerik for Homeland Security; George Galloway's successful libel suit against a British tabloid; the false teachings of US funded abstinence only programs; the subtleties of the church ad rejected by the networks; not safe in Iraq's Green Zone; more troops for Iraq, but clearly not disclosed until our election was history.
1 Bush defends preemptive force while in Canada; Pentagon misinformation plans blurs departments; hysterical claims from Laci Peterson's mom during the sentencing phase; networks reject ad from a church because it touches on an issue which Bush has called for an amendment on.
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November, 2004
30 All should have been prepared for the blood spent in Fallujah; get your friends to commit to what they expect will really happen under Bush; foundering Iraqi security forces give the lie to Bush's claims; re-emergence of NYC subway photo ban; Red Cross accusations of US treatment of Guantanamo detainees.
29 The Reverend James Dobson's views on the inability of the citizenry to express itself through anything less than a Constitutional amendment; mall shops selling Che Guevera shirts.
28 Conservatives and academia; religious disagreements demonstrate the need to keep religion out of government.
27 Plots to assassinate Bush, but if there were none I think that would be more newsworthy; Dennis Hastert's strategy for pushing a partisan agenda in the House of Representatives; the grilled cheese sandwich: what will the Church do? Plus, suicide at the Empire State Building.
25 Thanksgiving turkey follies; was dismantling the CIA part of Bush's mandate? Plus, remember gratitude beyond Thanksgiving day.
24 Thanksgiving wishes; what's the Ohio count on Kerry's Ohio loss?
23 Spending bill held up over IRS privacy position; Clinton bites back over his treatment in the media; U2 in NYC.
22 The flat tax already exists; is Homeland Security full of petty tyrants who protect their fiefs?
21 John McCain on Meet The Press: please forgive the unrectified mistakes of over two years ago; Bush veto threats should scare no one; bill language provides House leaders access to your tax records without any prior justification.
20 Can someone develop a magazine subscription management site? Plus, poor thinking behind new Beatles' set.
19 Anti-abortion language slipped into the omnibus spending bill; the realities of war and the embedded press.
18 Colin Powell could help his credibility by criticizing Bush; ABC's Monday Night Football, values, and culture; special rule for Tom Delay sounds good in spite of its hypocritical foundations.
17 ABC's failure to consider brand properties in its Monday Night Football skit; the grilled cheese sandwich that has a face on it; CIA heads memo asks staff for greater support of the administration.
16 Horsefeathers sees a problem with press coverage of a possible war atrocity, not the atrocity itself; how will the deficit be reduced?
15 Rice is not good for mending international fences; Powell shouldn't be branded as "failing" to build a wide coalition; personal horn blowing; cabinet resignations.
14 Help tourists take group photos when you can; CIA purge in progress.
13 David Brooks sees enemies in CIA analysts who think independently and leak to the press; ABC affiliates too afraid to show Saving Private Ryan; resignations at the CIA; poor war planning leads to very late development of a guide to battling insurgents,
12 Great photo; the Generosity Index has serious flaws and shouldn't be used until it's been corrected.
11 Generosity Index; Bush wants the line item veto back; how the Republican party hoodwinks itself.
10 Streaming video of the Trashcan Sinatras; the Electoral College and the scheduling of primaries; Alberto Gonzalez's record in Texas and Washington isn't promising; al QaQaa has been forgotten.
9 Is Falluja another case of catastrophic success? Plus, a 51% popular vote isn't a mandate on every single agenda item; talking about the "sanctity" of marriage is another blurring of Church/State arenas; retailers need to crack down on "serial returners" before the purchase, not after.
8 Fox News rating increase means more people will be misinformed; overreaching conclusions from NRO The Corner; stock market's up, but the dollar's down, so if you're buying European you're benefitting wealthy stockholders.
7 The Constitution's separation of powers is threatened by pressure on Arlen Specter; David Brooks underestimates the impact of moral values on the election.
6 Textbook restrictions in Texas; Falluja offensive begins; support the moderate Republican senators against the hard right.
5 Michael Everett-Lane's "Ten Steps to Take Back Our Country;" history shows that preference for Bush in 2004 was very low, and that he received no mandate.
4 Christianity and politics; primer on moving to Canada; Bush acting like he has a mandate and will move on it; attrition in Republican party membership; be neither discouraged nor complacent over the Bush victory.
3 Blame the poor produce on the re-election; reasons for dismay over Bush's campaign; Osama Bin Laden and the State Department both tried to game the election; Kerry concession announcement; Glenn Reynolds' bad picture; sadness over the misperceptions which Bush's supporters have, and the challenge that represents for unity.
2 Get out and vote; the challenge of polarization means we need to read more we wouldn't ordinarily read.
1 TV networks' plans for the election; TV listings; Cheney calls 9/11 "sudden," but the historical record shows Bush ignored the warnings; preparations for voting day.
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October, 2004
31 Kerry knew too little about what was going on in Afghanistan to really have endorsed Bush's outsourcing in Tora Bora; Kerry and Bush are even in Zogby poll.
30 Reporters in Tora Bora back up Kerry charge about outsourcing and corruptible warlords; reactions to the Osama Bin Laden tape; how would we have reacted if Iraq couldn't account for 377 tons of munitions? plus, al Qa Qaa summary to date; Pentagon extends duty for 6,500; Bush clearly not doing whatever it takes in the war on terror; Cheney and Halliburton; part of the 9/11 final report will be subject to White House edits.
29 100,000 Iraqi civilians may have died in a war which leading humanitarians considered not justified on humanitarian grounds; economy sputters; al Qa Qaa shows bad process, and yet it's still a small proportion of the unaccounted arms; renewed focus on Bush's bulge from a NASA imaging expert; effect of al Qa Qaa on poll results.
28 Ask the mailman to take pictures; Bush campaigns for Kerry again, by implication; the facts are against Bush, whether or not there's a liberal media summary of his continued bad performance); was guarding al Qa Qaa even part of the war plans? Plus, Bush tries to deflect Kerry charges on al Qa Qaa by mischaracterizing them as denigrating the troops.
27 McClellan spins al Qa Qaa facts; conservatives cling to a nonspecific NBC news report about al Qa Qaa; Daily Howler critique of a New York Times column; Bush-Cheney web site locks out international visitors; polls; Rumsfeld's takeover of the Pentagon, as reported on PBS' "Frontline;" White House deflection on al Qa Qaa contradicted by a US Army commander who was there.
26 US refuses help looking for missing munitions in a country the size of California; CNN shouldn't host guests who lie; Brian Arner post on when it matters to believe juries; rising costs of war in Iraq, and right wing superficial considerations of it; CNN's Jeff Greenfield looks at African Americans with blinders; Bush blames his tailor now; drops in consumer confidence; insufficiency of defenses of missing Iraqi weapons.
25 Stupid, hypocritical attacks on Teresa Heinz Kerry; missing weapons in Iraq, and Scott McClellan's attempts to deflect; economic pessimism from Bush.
24 380 tons of weapons missing in Iraq; Cheney cried wolf, remember that; Kerry even in Arkansas; will the jobs of the 21st century be in law enforcement?
23 Intelligent conservative discourse; no Nader on Pennsylvania ballots; loving the Kinks; lost ring with sentimental value; Bush's required community service; the media record supports the Kerry charge on Tora Bora and Osama Bin Laden.
22 Another voter scam in Florida; how does the administration really know that 75% of Al Qaeda leaders have been captured without knowing the denominator? Plus, spurious emails about Kerry make it difficult for the electorate to get comfortable with him; the incompetent in the Bush Administration might get promoted in a second term.
21 George Tenet said the war in Iraq was wrong; White House inattention to al Qaeda prior to September 11; molehill over a remark from Teresa Heinz Kerry; did the Yankees lose to Boston because New York hosted the Republican Convention (Joshua 7).
20 White House's failure to meet its jobs projections; Black Sabbath sung in Latin and played on early instruments; the Red Sox and the Yankees.
19 A better way for John Kerry to scare senior citizens; foreign influence of the 1980 presidential election far more severe than anything this year; the CIA's finger-pointing report on 9/11 failures unlikely to be released before the election; more 1984-ish techniques from the Bush administration; semantic arguments over the word "privatization."
18 Kerry pulls even in Zogby poll; old quote about Doris Day's newfound virginity; Kerry's Mary Cheney comment contained a barb about the President's complacency about overcoming his ignorance.
17 Bush's faith-based, pre-Enlightenment presidency; fine writing in the New York Times' endorsement of John Kerry; interpreting the data trends underlying Zogby's reported results.
16 Knight-Ridder report on White House failure to plane for post war Iraq; Kerry turning a corner in Zogby poll? Plus, Fox wants to fire a plaintiff, and wants a judge to rule that it's not retaliation; Scott McClellan's dark use of language.
15 Drop in consumer confidence; Bush lead in Zogby poll shows up-tick, but it's not clear if it's due to losing prior respondents or gaining new ones; port security; 9/11 recommendations on intelligence reforms are floundering in Congress; E. J. Dionne on the Bush campaign; Paul Krugman on voter suppression.
14 Lots on the 3rd Bush-Kerry debate, including: fall out over debate references to Cheney's daughter Mary's sexual orientation; sightings of Bush's "bulge;" the Social Security reform committee Bush set up with Daniel Patrick Moynihan; Roman Catholicism and birth control, not just abortion; Bush's use of No Child Left Behind as a jobs program; Bush's failure to pursue Osama Bin Laden. Plus, Nader taken off Pennsylvania ballots; the need to unite the country after election day.
13 The fact checking of the third debate begins; my initial reactions to the third Bush-Kerry debate; Bush ads on health care not supported by data; voter tricks in Nevada; Mark Twain's King Leopold and Abu Ghraib.
12 Sy Hersh tells of war crimes in Iraq; factcheck.org doesn't tell you what's true, only what's not; Bush waiting till after the election for some changes; Catholicism and Kerry.
9 Bush oversimplifies issues, demonstrated in 2nd debate with Kerry.
8 The Lysistrata Strategy of converting more men to vote for Kerry; new head of the Organization of American States does a quick resignation over a corruption scandal.
7 Was Bush fed his first debate lines through an ear piece? Plus, Bush's threat to veto troop support in 2003; where is the national outrage over the lack of a real reason to invade Iraq?
6 Cheney's lie about never having met Edwards before the debate may have been a smear to suggest Edwards' vice presidency would be bad for the nation; Bush-Cheney campaign cons the cable networks into broadcasting an entire stump speech under the guise of a "major policy address;" Iraq was neither a grave threat nor a gathering threat, final report concludes; Daily Howler explains the nom de plume "Wonkette;" fact checking the Cheney-Edwards debate; O'Reilly suggests that having a mistress will help Kerry in international relations; poor debate questioning from Gwen Ifill, the moderator.
5 Initial reactions to the Vice-Presidential debate; emails Michael Moore received from soldiers in Iraq; Bush campaign admits it's curtains; Leo Kottke on invading Iraq; Paul Bremer admits a need for more troops in Iraq.
4 Bush "never dreamt" he'd commit troops while in office, but all the signs were there.
3 Kerry clearly didn't have the same intelligence Bush had when he voted to authorize the use of force; Condoleezza Rice defends her overplaying of the anodized aluminum tubes' being for uranium enrichment.
2 An extremist right-wing blog makes it more difficult to post dissenting views; Condoleezza Rice overstated the likelihood that the aluminum tubes were for enriching uranium, even though she knew better; John Kerry's "global test;" Bush acts tough when Kerry's not across the stage.
1 Easy to take Bush's words out of context; a report on the dangers of being in Iraq; did Bush exhibit Presidential timber in the first debate? plus, Kerry flourishes in the first debate; William Saletan is too inclusive in talking about Iraq beliefs prior to the invasion; Republican comforts in the difficulty of predicting the election based on first debate performance; initial reactions to the first Kerry-Bush debate.
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September, 2004
30 Please define "fit for command;" provision in a bill will allow the US to outsource its torture of terror suspects; Cheney foresaw the problems of taking over in Iraq in 1992; advanced voting procedure to truncate run-off rounds in San Francisco.
29 Jonah Goldberg's mockery of Kerry glosses over real progress; the foolish consistency of George Bush, as observed by Juan Cole; genocidal hatred at a right wing web log.
28 Ten questions for President Bush; Republicans whistling past the graveyard; the press's source confidentiality crisis was caused by Bob Novak's indiscretion; Kos gets a weekly gig writing for the Guardian; open letter to Ralph Nader supporters; Republicans have a problem with Bush being referred to as "simple.
27 Bush went into Iraq in spite of advance assessments of the problems we would face; examples of the Republican failures to support the troops; the battle for a paper trail in Florida voting isn't over yet; regulations important to your well-being are being delayed until after the election in order to maintain support from corporations.
26 Colin Powell admits situation in Iraq is worsening, contrary to Bush claims of progress; the inherent difficulties of poll accuracy.
25 No pity for Jeb Bush, even with all the hurricanes; an MP calls for Blair's impeachment; Bush's grandfather's company made money from Nazi backers; CBS delays an important report on Iraq.
24 State Department contradicts Rumsfeld on elections in Iraq; Knight-Ridder reporter Thomas Fitzgerald weighs in on Bush's distortions of Kerry; in the midst of polarization, Bush-Cheney play the patriotism card against Kerry again.
23 Polarization; re-emergence of the "flypaper strategy;" Cat Stevens turned away; the scattered attentions of bloggers, explained by Mickey Kaus; the infertile efforts of Nader supporters.
22 Silence from key administration figures; Dan Bartlett doesn't deny the content of the CBS memos again; journalism's failure to evaluate; CBS document involvement denied by Roger Stone.
21 Instapundit casts stones when we live in a glass house; are Republicans re-distributing tax burdens to make future cuts more popular? Plus, more of what's behind the even-ness in the polls.
20 Bush supports Iraq invasion by calling on the ghost of Leon Klinghoffer, and mixes up his terrorists in the process; John Kerry's speech at NYU; right wing bloggers take Teresa Heinz Kerry out of context over hurricane aid; senators call for rethinking of Iraq policies; CBS no longer stands behind their documents; White House blocks promotion of an employee who gave money to the Democrats; Ethics Panel investigation of Tom Delay; is it wrong to imagine the Republicans might be behind the forged CBS documents? Plus, CBS documents arrived to their source anonymously, through the mail.
19 CBS eased its rigor on the documents when the White House didn't contest their authenticity; Trashcan Sinatras performance in New York City.
18 Remnants of Ivan flood New York, felling an oak in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden; Samuel Johnson's birthday; background on the Republican who found symptoms of document forgery with amazing speed.
17 Nader on the Florida ballot; another late Friday document from the White House, one which would have reminded of the service issue if it made it on the news; Republicans wake up to a more proper funding of key cities on homeland security; cell phones and polling; journalists not weighing in on what the campaigns tell them.
16 Iraq sanctions prevented WMDs; Bush comes out against a key negotiation tactic; Koffi Annan says US-led invasion of Iraq was illegal and Bush heads for fine print which ain't there; CIA assessment says Iraq future is gloomy.
15 Hold Them Accountable 2004; Kerry hammers Bush on making excuses; some federal employees call for more blame on 9/11 failures; Nader back off the ballot after being forced on over a judge's decision; Bush denied his call for an injunction against 527 organizations.
14 Bush associates himself withe the Guard, leaving out larger truths; no discipline likely over 9/11 failures; document used to support Bush service record actually hurts the story; web sites which campaign for eating disorders as a lifestyle choice; more on the CBS memos; Nader forced onto Florida ballot by Republican official, overriding a judicial decision; MTA softening its photo ban.
13 Did Walter Staudt have ongoing influence in the Texas Air National Guard, even after retirement? Plus, less than rigorous thinking from an author.
12 How CBS documents' authenticity has distracted from bigger issues; finger laceration.
11 CBS stands by its documents, but questions still surround Walter Staudt, who had showed considerable enthusiasm for Bush in the Texas Air National Guard; 9/11 anniversary thoughts.
10 Kerry uses terrorism in the assault rifle ban debate; John Derbyshire; new documentary against Kerry from a defender of Reverend Sun Myung Moon; Jerry Killian's associates try to read his mind; CBS's documents are questioned, but other evidence persists.
9 Bush's apparent sense of entitlement; CBS report on Bush and the Texas Air National Guard.
8 Bartlett's defense of Bush's National Guard record (just politics) is pointless; Bush may have missed guard service in Massachusetts, too; ever-shifting electoral vote projections show Kerry is very much alive; voting vs. rubber stamping; still nothing in Bush's records that show he served in Alabama; Cheney's outrageous claim about terrorist risks under a Kerry presidency.
7 I think I passed Eric Clapton in the street; demonizing the New York Times over its characterization of terrorists; catch-up.
6 Further cooking adventures with the Kid Unit; boycott shopping next Labor Day.
5 More missing records in Bush's military files; Bush's post-9/11 failures in the war against terror; hurricane photography; Giuliani has a Catholic hospital named after him in spite of his pro-choice position; Bush bounce possibly due to changes in cooperation rates; weak defense of Bush smear tactics.
4 Interpreting Bush's poll bounce; West Palm Beach dark as hurricane Frances approaches; John Glenn compares Republican propaganda techniques to those of the Third Reich; Kerry talks about the opportunity costs of the war in Iraq.
3 Our daughter shucked tonight's oysters; current polls suggest Bush would have his 270 electoral college votes were the election held today, but that could easily change; why we don't know where Bush stands on the war against terror; link to a Washington Post article showing Republican lies about Kerry.
2 Bush lies about Kerry; Zell Miller was so bad, maybe he was really working for the Democrats; New York Times failure to write critically; Zell Miller's bad performance in interviews; NYC rounds up protesters too quietly for GOP tastes?
1 In critiquing current Democrats, Zell Miller ignores lack of response from GOP over Kosovo; why does Mitt Romney hate the Catholic Church? plus, Terence Smith lets silliness get spouted on his watch; designer of the infamous "butterfly ballot" loses her bid for re-election; Hugh Hewitt defends Bush on basis of practicality instead of leadership; fact-checking Rudy Giuliani; Republicans pessimistic, seen by their lower standards for success; NYC police over-react to protests; Yankees set a new American League record by losing 22-0.
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August, 2004
31 Bush reverses back and forth over the "winnability" of the war on terror; Al Franken reports being surrounded by "goons" at the Republican convention; Bush administration rejects yet another report critical of its operations; ugly confrontations between protesters and Republican delegates.
30 Bob Novak's son works at a publisher of a book Novak praises; GOPUSA.com calls to Bush to make sure he appeals to hardcore conservatives; change to conversation from Swift Boat Vet claims to Bush performance, using a broadly admired politician such as John Glenn; fine behavior from demonstrators in NYC deflates GOP efforts; the benefits of abolishing the electoral college.
29 Mike at Satan's Laundromat arrested during protest; comparing John Kerry to Jay Gatsby; are blogs valuable for forcing coverage of otherwise uncovered issues? Plus, continued strife in Iraq puts "major combat operations over" to the lie, but who was in on it? And, welcoming conventioneers to NYC; reports that Bush wore a medal he hadn't earned.
28 Eleanor Clift reports an admission that the White House was behind the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth; glad we didn't march on into Syria or Iran after Iraq; Resonance asks, who's the enemy? Plus, convention tips for protesters and NYC residents.
27 Bookmark "The Campaign Desk;" most of NYC will be untouched by the convention; support for Kerry from Lambert; John McCain blurs scrutiny and calumny; MoveOn is a PAC, Atrios reminds us.
26 Bush sounds like he could gear up to limit expression anywhere it might influence elections; latest poverty statistics are out and unsurprising, but the timing of the release is questioned; Bush now wants an activist court to rule against 527 organizations, which are currently approved by law.
25 I missed the wrong Todd Rundgren show; drawing conclusions for yourself, on less than solid proof.
24 Polluted lakes and rivers in the US; refocusing on Bush's National Guard record; support for Kerry's valor; EJ Dionne on need for media to be evaluative.
23 New Yorkers' difficulties watching New York-based movies; Ken Mehlman lies in the New York Times, and it goes unchallenged; Republicans who vote against war heroes and Democrats who vote for them; the silence of Bush Sr. over the Swift Boat Veterans For Truth.
22 Blacks and minorities at the GOP convention; support for Kerry on his Vietnam service.
21 Highlighting Kerry's record should lead to greater scrutiny of Bush and Cheney during the war years; GOP plans to position anti-Bush protests as "disrespect for a sitting President" — as if they showed Clinton respect; UN office in Afghanistan bombed one year after bombing in Baghdad; Bush spokesperson claims that neither Bush nor McCain are capable of pretense.
20 Center for Media Accuracy claims bias at NBC when NBC should actually have been harsher on the Center's case; Bush even lies about his sandwich; get a more fuel efficient car; White House was rooting against Chavez; Kerry vs. Swift Boat Veterans for Truth; voter intimidation in Florida.
18 Felons passed over to have their voting rights restored because they don't vote Republican; Bush's restructuring of troop deployments across Europe and Asia may signal a new era of isolationism.
17 In addition to being more expensive, SUV's are more dangerous for their passengers; implications of fighting an insensitive war.
16 Myths about Bush hatred; Kerry and sensitivity; FBI interviews of protesters over their plans.
15 Vermont in the summer; untended web site acreage.
13 Remastered "Heartbreaker," by Free; tax relief cut rates for the rich more than for others; abysmally slow White House web site shows no respect for Joe Dial-Up.
12 Who benefits from NJ governor Jim McGreevey's resignation? Plus, Kerry's Senate record; Cuban wedge issue; Washington Post acknowledges it buried discussions that Iraq might not have WMDs; Giuliani working for Bush-Cheney; Theme Thursday submission for "thirst."
11 Arnold Schoenberg's "Transfigured Night;" a conservative law student pursues the fringe.
10 John Kerry reiterates his support for Iraq vote, and I have problems with it; revelation of an al Qaeda mole allowed suspects to get away; conservatives blaming the New York Times for revealing al Qaeda mole's name; electronic voting concerns in FL prompt request for international election observers; Paul Krugman dashes claims of economic prosperity.
9 NYC Mayor Bloomberg says terrorist helicopter warnings have been anticipated; Tommy Franks says he asked Bush to declare 'mission accomplished;' subpoenas of news figures in the Valerie Plame investigation are not being quashed; judging Bush's time in the classroom on 9/11; Republicans resort to Alan Keyes in Illinois, ignoring prior arguments on Hillary Clinton; US asking sheltered immigrants to leave when their volcano is no longer a temporary concern.
8 Political backwash in Australia over supporting the Iraq war; switching parties too late for any reaction.
7 How else we could have spent the war money in Iraq; US blows cover of Pakistani informat, setting back the war on terror; movie music is a problem for me.
6 Arguments for concluding Bush is anti-family; Clinton quote on religion and politics, from 1960 election; 32,000 jobs in July makes claims of economic prosperity even more ridiculous.
5 Bush flip-flops; McCain calls on Bush to repudiate Swift Boat Veterans advertisements against Kerry; US justice department passes on prosecuting Sen. Richard Shelby for leaking sensitive information; federal judges asking too much to be redacted from their profiles.
4 More attack plans found; George Schultz claims we have economic prosperity, but he's wrong; Fox can't spin Bush approval numbers; Bush not taking all the 9/11 panel recommendations to heart; Bush's culture of death; Bush administration's record of using information to its own end rather than public good.
3 Bush's under-support of an intelligence position questioned, yet Rice is no example of proper performance; terror warnings are no argument to stay the course.
2 Conservative pundit calls Kerry qualified candidate; Tucker Carlson spins Kerry quote; Bush takes credit for creating Department of Homeland Security; Bush endorses intelligence overseer, but balks at cabinet-level rank; October 2001 interests in invading Iraq; less safe because of Bush heel-dragging.
1 Heightened security already in place in Manhattan; Josh Marshall sees additional support for Ambassador Joseph Wilson; more negative campaigning to come from Bush-Cheney; celebrating Swiss National Day at Manhattan's Pier 54.
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July, 2004
31 They Might Be Giants performance in Brooklyn's Prospect Park.
30 Florida GOP apologizes for sending wrong message about electronic voting; NYC transit hub approved for 9/11 funding; economic recovery slows in the 2nd quarter; David Brooks' initial reaction to Kerry's convention speech; Krugman column on television news coverage of the issues.
29 Republican echo chamber in action; did Media Research Center misunderstand Stevie Wonder lyrics? GOP in Florida advises voters to not trust electronic voting while governor says you can trust them; FBI translator fired over whistle blowing.
28 British abuse of Iraqi prisoners; increases in the federal deficit; Doctors Without Borders leaving Afghanistan; Kenyan imam calls to Kenyan president to give in to Iraqi kidnapper demands.
27 9/11 report presents corrected record, kindly ignoring incorrect info from the White House; battling for the lead position on 9/11 recommendations.
26 Spain's failure to notice important evidence on its March 11 bombings; why you need both a hard copy and an electronic copy of the 9/11 commission report; great panorama photograph of New York City.
22 Politics at work in reactions to the 9/11 report; book copies of the 9/11 report due out; pointing out that Bush was only in office for eight months doesn't absolve him of 9/11 responsibility if he did nothing to change directions; getting ready for summer camp; AT&T is focusing on a money-losing proposition.
21 Stephen Hawking's new position on black holes means we need to replace the metaphor; if you blame Clinton, you also have to reject Bush; Berger's resignation from the Kerry campaign shows an acceptance of responsibility; Bush inadequate as both peace president and war president; press coddling at the conventions.
20 Recordings of William Russo and George Gershwin; Linda Ronstadt 'fired' after dedicating a song to Michael Moore; arguments for malpractice caps misrepresent insurance companies' costs and profits.
19 Jesus' pursuing the sheep that went astray, and its lesson for criticizing America; Safire's disingenuousness over Ambassador Joseph Wilson; the Right Brothers; calls for more independent judges of Tom Delay's ethics; Bush August vacation decisions; Governor Schwarzenegger calls opponents "girlie men."
18 Beethoven on DVD; Trash Can Sinatras coming to the US; a walking tour I couldn't make; the King of Jordan reminds us to not overemphasize al Zarqawi; Dick Cheney is hip; CEO's get rich when their corporations merge.
17 Arguments against the idea that 9/11 led us to Iraq.
16 G. Gordon Liddy's low opinion of prison guards; the Butler report, and Labor's election woes; photoblog recommendation.
15 Helen Thomas on Bush's nonchalant reaction to intelligence failures; Bush and the NAACP; the dishonesty of retroactively taking credit for yellow cake claims.
14 I am not running for president; Bush defenders want to forget that we should have listened to Hans Blix; some Denver restaurants are skimming off tip money; need for a balanced assessment of the Patriot Act.
13 Mr. Fish Tank Head; Constitutional conservatism in the UK vs. Bush desire to amend amend amend; Dept. of Homeland Security criticized for unactionable warnings; corporate efforts to shape tax bills to the disadvantage of the country.
12 Does Ron Reagan Jr. add to the Democratic convention? Plus, UK puts a spending priority on social services; slanted views on Florida 2000 elections.
11 Iraq-Syria borders being sealed, finally.
10 Florida processes for purging voters in 2004.
9 Bush defends war; CIA abandoned normal processes of checking assumptions; Hans Blix vindicated by Senate Intelligence report on CIA mishandling of pre-war intelligence; Fox News really needs to provide transcripts; microfilm records of Bush's National Guard records "inadvertently destroyed."
8 Prior history of half-truths from the White House is a call to arms for Kerry supporters; Bush, the questioner, should have asked more questions prior to invading Iraq; NJ Governor Jim McGreevey caught up in a corruption case.
7 Holiday doings; watching The Prisoner with my daughter; the Department of Health and Human Services clears itself over Medicare cost projections; 9/11 Commission refutes VP Dick Cheney; superficial column from William Safire.
6 John McCain is only a lukewarm Bush supporter; significance of the CIA withholding caveats in its WMD case; John Edwards is a fine VP candidate.
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June, 2004
30 Vitamins helpful in fighting AIDS, but don't go far enough; claiming media bias to sway the election; Google in Elmer Fudd-ese.
29 An innocent tourist imprisoned through fear; continued improvements in graduation rate under Clinton; Tom Toles; Grover Norquist and the school voucher battle; Bush and Kerry poll results from Florida; stock prices claimed to predict election results.
28 Further Microsoft browser vulnerabilities argue for using Opera; a Bush source on Iraq recants; Andrew Sullivan on the Republican Convention speaker slate; Ralph Nader on being spurned by the Green Party; punitive liberalism a myth.
27 "Fahrenheit 9/11" ticket sales may have been helped by conservative response; more violence in the middle east; NYC's Mayor Bloomberg not pleased by politicians who are cold to NYC then try to fund-raise in NYC at city expense; "Fahrenheit 9/11" analysis at the Center for American Progress.
26 As thou fear monger, so shalt thou be fear mongered; more from Neil Cavuto's interview with Dick Cheney; on not changing the tone in Washington.
25 DVD for "50 First Dates" gives away the story on the opening menu; complaints about New York Times' book reviews of Bill Clinton's "My Life;" US-UK rift over Guantanamo detainees; still no collaborative ties between Iraq and al Qaeda, despite new news articles; Lee Iacocca to support Kerry; previously reported economic growth downgraded; Dick Cheney's profanity.
24 Paul Krugman on Bush administration terrorism counts; administration skill at squandering opportunities; needless loss of lives in Iraq; First Lady is Bush's secret weapon? Plus, reading the political machinations behind Bush awards.
23 Larry McMurtry sets standards for judging Clinton's memoirs; Bob Dylan gets an honorary doctorate; US dropping pursuit of an exemption from war crime trials; Wolfowitz admits misjudgment of Iraqi insurgency, and should resign; in denying Kerry a Senate voting opportunity, Republicans made veterans pawns; good news from Iraq.
22 Terrorism report revised, doubling the 2003 death count; Clinton wasn't divisive; Christopher Hitchens on Michael Moore; bad poll results for Bush show erosion of confidence in his battle against terror.
21 Efforts to avoid extracting Clinton's memoirs; Martina Navratilova at Wimbledon; Federal appeals court nominee has been practicing law without a license; the concrete nature of "ties;" madness of poor conclusions.
20 Differences in interpreting contacts between Iraq and al Qaeda is more than semantic; neighborhood electrical problems.
18 UN war crimes exemption for the US? Plus, Bush's meeting notes
17 Bush doesn't follow the facts, disagrees with 9/11 Commission about relationships between Iraq and al Qaeda; Bush "doing amazingly well" in spite of news from Iraq?
16 Changes in Washington Post's web site reportage throuh the day; Bush's time in classroom on 9/11 endangered the kids; a billion dollars wasted in Iraq, according to the General Accounting Office (GAO); low bar for judging the importance of al Zarqawi's presence in Iraq; 9/11 Commission points to no Iraq contribution to 9/11, but is that what the Bush Administration was claiming? Plus, Coke's failed Dasani launch in the UK.
15 Ethics violation filed against Tom Delay; interpreting unemployment figures under Bush and Clinton: is it the numbers, or is it the change in the numbers which counts? Plus, recruiting US workers for Iraq; General Karpinski claims she didn't have authority in Abu Ghraib section where abuses occurred.
14 Ron Reagan Jr. tells Bush to step out of Ronald Sr.'s glow; Blair should have known better than Bush did? Plus, policies are policies for a reason, and the military should have thought about it before interrogating prisoners; a political appointee started Halliburton on the way to its no-bid contract; McCain unsuitable for Kerry's VP; millions of lives at stake in the Congo; less frequent posting due to changing hosts.
13 Abu Ghraib abuses reported internally as early as last November; Samuel Johnson on perceptions and encomia, tied to Ronald Reagan; Hummer owners unaffected by gasoline prices; writing descriptive 'alt' tags for your images.
12 Initial bombing attacks killed far more innocents than originally suggested, while killing very few/no targets; Abu Ghraib stonewalling is ineffective; humanitarian crisis in the Darfur region of the Sudan; Energy Department pressing ahead with nuclear waste storage plans in spite of problems.
11 A minority thinks the war was justified? Plus, more trouble for Halliburton; Howard Stern seen as boosting Kerry preference.
10 Ray Charles is dead; Bush seen as too ideological and stubborn; little traction for environmental change in an election year; heat in NYC.
9 Do mourners have less appetite? Plus, 2003 terrorism statistics to be revised upward; US gave early indications on Geneva Convention; focusing on what's really important.
8 Checking a David Brooks platitude on Reagan; the US and the Geneva Convention.
7 Ronald Reagan's oversimplification of an issue; less vigor in the pursuit of clean television; few Republicans would be interviewed for "The Hunting of the President;" my Lincoln T-Shirt; Reagan Suck-Up Watch; caution on the Reagan opinions for the week to come.
6 The history of the religious vision of leaders is a warning; photographers on the New York City subways.
5 Wishing Reagan peace; Mayor Bloomberg calls for better funding for security in New York City; proposed photography ban on NYC subways; air clean-up in New York state delayed because of comment period.
4 Bush has no doubts about the war; faked sources in WMD intelligence; new virus; more jobs, but unemployment rate holds steady; the Pope chides Bush over Iraq; starvation looms in the Sudan; five string upright bass.
3 George Tenet's resignation; evidence of the media not being liberal.
2 Terror suspect deported in order to avoid revealing intelligence; Bush meets with an attorney over Valerie Plame; why doesn't Cheney seem to care about the accuracy of WMD intelligence? Plus, were we driven to Iraq due to obsessions?
1 Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn; revisiting Ken Adelman's "Iraq will be a cakewalk;" new Iraqi interim government; John McCain's support for better prisoner treatment; how Kerry's rumored "mistress" was targeted by the press; new Kerry ad; Bush blowin' in the wind again.
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May, 2004
31 News for those in battleground states: Bush ads are heavily negative; Walt Whitman's birthday; Tom Toles cartoon; remembering Abraham Lincoln.
30 Chicken update; remembering Archibald Cox and the Saturday Night Massacre; arrogance and complacency can lead to Iraq.
29 Bush turns to Colin Powell again; shilling for ratings; local restaurant review; Pat Tillman.
28 Will everything be known by November? plus, Pinochet; Paul Krugman.
27 Quality of maintenance in Prospect Park varies according to the prosperity of the surrounding neighborhoods; live poultry purchase; national security requires an administration who the people will trust.
26 No phone calls while American Idol was on; Judith Miller is an argument against affirmative action problems at the New York Times.
25 Woodward's failure to comment in Plan of Attack; Bush-Cheney campaign played with election laws, then accused Kerry of doing so.
24 InstaPundit comments needlessly on Bush; "Ask the White House" session with no sense; stockpiles of WMDs; UK worries over Abu Ghraib and US; more evidence that Kerry worries Bush campaign.
23 Bush spokesperson even lies about the weather; Chalabi funneled disinformation from Iran? Plus, Harry Potter premiere; email; what does it mean, that truckers are sent driving around in Iraq with empty trucks, at significant risk?
22 "Proposed" subway photo ban already being enforced; a dangling modifier.
21 Ahmed Chalabi = Manucher Ghorbanifar? Plus, photo ban for NYC subways; Libertarian environmental position; EPA consults industry but no one else on new regulations.
20 Republicans back away from a budget vote; US government allowed in Canadian beef it had banned, over-sold clean air at Ground Zero; John McCain's patriotism; raid on Ahmad Chalabi's house; Health and Human Services ignores a finding that its "news" videos were propaganda; happy anniversary.
19 Iraq-WMD intelligence commission news.
18 Firing up readers with rhetoric? Chalabi's group no longer being funded by the US.
17 Must-read posts; directory of free restrooms; credulity in the drive to war; Powell criticizes the intelligence.
16 A new Dick Cheney doll? Plus, Rumsfeld empowered the Abu Ghraib abuses.
15 A very slow VAT refund; comparing the Abu Ghraib coverage to coverage of US police brutality cases; Fred Kaplan on presidential responsibility; bad science by bloggers should raise your skepticism.
14 Charles Krauthammer revises the Waco history in order to shift focus away from Rumsfeld; US abandoning controversial interrogation procedures; further creeping by the Patriot Act; blog traffic does not equal issue importance.
13 Q&A's for Rumsfeld in Baghdad question the brilliance of the war plan; Katrina Leung spy case plea deal; was the media wrong to share Abu Ghraib photos? Plus, the Trash Can Sinatras; finding more ways to say "embattled defense secretary;" campaign finance news; applauding the Bush administration on the environment; Scott McClellan puffery; tax cuts going to luxury items; Rumsfeld's surprise trip to Iraq is part of a pattern.
12 Is Rumsfeld thinking about resigning? Plus, a wellspring of support for Rumsfeld; Mexican UFOs.
11 Nick Berg's execution must not make us complacent about our own abuses; NSA has to ask web sites for copies of the Taguba report; "In America" out now on DVD; the Palm Beach Post runs photos of a reservist's funeral; low-carb substitute foods; Zimbardo's prison experiment could have predicted Abu Ghraib abuses.
10 Iraqi prisoner abuses far more widespread, according to a Red Cross report; Amnesty International says they warned the British government about this a year ago; social psychological aspects of the prison abuses: competing for each others' attentions.
9 The technical proficiency of children; odd encounter in cyberspace; Pentagon staffers were told to not read the Taguba report; Gov't Mule's "Deepest End;" are Americans suckers? Plus, round-up of links on Abu Ghraib prison abuses.
8 The confusing part of the Bee Gees' "New York Mining Disaster;" Thomas Pynchon's birthday.
7 Leveling Abu Ghraib prison should be up to the Iraqis, not us; the concept of personal responsibility is being used selectively; web site for single Republicans.
6 Elvis Mitchell's exit from the New York Times presents a challenge to their web site; while attending to Abu Ghraib, don't forget other news; flight controllers' taped recollections of 9/11 were destroyed.
5 How you get lied to Part 2: the Swift Boat pikers for truth; How you get lied to, Part 1: the Wall Street Journal puffs up their credibility; Kofi Annan should know you can't stonewall scandal; Bush's Medicare plan is no accomplishment, and he deserves the same criticism he laid on Clinton/Gore; Disney forbids a subsidiary from distributing an anti-Bush documentary by Michael Moore; Tenet insufficiently risk averse when advising the President?
4 How not to write a headline; can we have more than reprimands for the supervising officers at Abu Ghraib prison?
3 Initial thoughts on Abu Ghraib prison abuses; protest plans for the Republican Convention in New York City; new liberal web site; changes in poverty under Clinton and Bush; but fewer live under the poverty level in the US than live under sea level in the Netherlands; boat capsizes when everyone gawks at nudists on a beach; far more government surveillance in 2003 compared to 2002.
2 You can see what you want in Woodward's book because it lacks a point of view; Abu Ghraib prison abuses; Forgotten NY chronicles the now-gone.
1 Hidden politics of religion; California bans electronic voting, pending changes.
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April, 2004
30 Dick Cheney says he prefers to Fox, and Washington Post fails to remind that Fox viewers are less informed about Iraq; Sinclair Broadcast Group and its decision to not show Nightline's listing of soldiers killed in action; even InstaPundit sees room to complain about poor post-war planning.
29 More government manpower tracking Cuban embargo violations than terrorist money; John Kerry and the approachability thing; documentary on Brian Epstein; InstaPundit, about Nightline, echoes what many have said about Bush; Duke Ellington's birthday.
28 Gore contributes big to Democrat campaigns; cherry trees in bloom at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden; Rumsfeld on a headline from the Los Angeles Times; Scott McClellan tries to fend off questions regarding the joint appearance of Cheney and Bush before the 9/11 Commission; anti-Bush humor from Terry Jones; NYPD methods being adopted across the country.
27 Ten questions for President Bush; pain from an eBay seller.
26 Josh Marshall and I both notice a White House failure to correct the record; some newspapers are noticing additional scrutiny of catholic politicians who support abortion without seeing similar scrutiny to those supporting capital punishment.
25 Blog diversity means they should supplement (not replace) traditional media; small is still beautiful; newlyweds; conservatives have their own conspiracy theories.
24 Suspension of habeas corpus for Jose Padilla; how old was that movie plot? stoop sale success.
23 Catholicism and political stances; was Chalabi's group breaking US law by acting as lobbyists? punishment for the soccer team; forced compromise in the Moussaoui case; Batman and Robin return, this time in Whitley, England.
22 Arrival of the Queen Mary 2; revisiting White House efforts to discredit Richard Clarke; comparing "Acres of Books" to the Strand; clean air, and a special program from New Jersey Transit; poor thinking due to flattery of being interviewed by Bob Woodward? literally, a war plan may not have been on Bush's desk.
21 We can't leave Iraq because of budgeting issues; patriotic appeal on "American Idol;" man runs unlicenced dentist practice out of his garage; Johnson's "An Introduction to the Political State of Great Britain;" measuring your ecological footprint.
20 Pentagon provides details on the $700 million Woodward alleged were re-directed without Congress knowing; US international relations are so weak, Bush gets slapped by Sharon and the King of Jordan, while Mubarak notes Arab anti-US sentiment is at an all time high; Bush-Cheney campaign recommends you read Woodward's book; graphic touch on the New York Times' web site; Woodward's report of an oil deal to manipulate the election.
19 Ideas for naming your dog; rundown and commentary on claims in the new Woodward book; rapid rise in local temperature expected; Cabinet relations being tested by Powell.
18 Would I want to play being President, depending on my mentor? Plus, a clever comment in Atrios' blog; Samuel Johnson applied to politics; Post No Bills.
17 Bush's August of 2001; cicadas for dinner? naah, salmon in Dijon mustard, with guacamole on the side.
15 Remodeled entrance to the Brooklyn Museum looks like Paris to me; quote from Todd Rundgren on finding the essence of quality; the poetry of George Bush: "I Thought It Was." Plus, another plaudit for the book proposal, and what Samuel Johnson really said about truth and war.
14 Bush was warned before the August 6 2001 PDB; what Bush could have safely listed as mistakes in the press conference.
13 Continuing fatalism evidenced by Cheney's absence from the press conference; press conference incoherence, and inability to admit mistakes; laws for storing fish bound for sushi; belated thoughts on Richard Clarke's book.
12 Quick notes on the vacation break.
1 Bush as an empty suit, ripe for campaign ads; spinning the conditions imposed on the 9/11 commission; Condi Rice's 9/11 speech would have mentioned everything but Al Qaeda; Cheney and Bush must testify together for the benefit of the 9/11 Commission?
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March, 2004
31 Why doesn't Clarke mention the Brooklyn bomb plot? Strange conditions for the 9/11 commission to get testimony; memos to Rumsfeld found in Washington DC Starbucks; news (or non-news) on former "Cheers" actresses.
30 Any supposed friction between Rice and Cheney is par for the administration; CIA working for the political ends of the Bush administration? The meaning of the title of Clarke's book.
29 What might have fallen from the trees if they were shaken? Coziness between the Pentagon and Being; Clarke more critical than just "important but not urgent."
28 Clarke ups the ante on NBC's "Meet the Press;" the Devil's Causeway.
27 Today in Radical History; the neighborhood lot where an airliner crashed in 1964; Bill Frist is unaware of conflicts in Clarke's sworn testimony, but not hesitant to imply it.
26 Great burst of color at two-muses.com; Powell's gentler descriptions of Richard Clarke; Tenet sees governmental failure in 9/11; thinking about donations; will Rice testify? Amsterdam canals vs. Brooklyn's.
25 Divisiveness is bad, but at least it's not civil war yet; Reuters acts to protect its copyrights; people working to find out about Richard Clarke's political donations; Rumsfeld looks French; the White House's vaunted strategic plan for dealing with terrorism is found wanting; let's put all the witnesses under oath and have them testify together; high winds around the new WTC may make it difficult to sit on its plaza.
24 Richard Clarke's apology.
23 Unconscious Google bomb? plus, Bush seems to get donations from his parents; ad hominem attacks of Richard Clarke are rampant.
22 I belong in "Jane Eyre"? Plus, lots on Richard Clarke; a trip to a cemetery in Queens; the WSJ writes up Bush's 9/11 time line, and points out he hung out in that classroom for longer than I'd thought.
20 The vast difference between an item in Boswell's journals and how he wrote it in The Life of Johnson; online auction fraud vigilantes.
19 Dennis Miller barely shows up to interview Eric Alterman; myopia on the value of subway line extensions.
18 Paul Bremer doesn't choose his words wisely; does Spain's exit from the coalition of the willing matter or not? my idea for bandages for blacks was stolen; Hyde collection of Samuel Johnson goes to Harvard; link to Atrios, showing how much WMDs played in Bush's speech on the 48-hour ultimatum to Saddam Hussein to leave Iraq.
17 Hans Blix characterizes US errors as scandalous; Dick Cheney's 1984 reminder has other overtones his speechwriters forgot; Samuel Johnson on victory in war and quality of government; a NYC 5th Avenue webcam to watch the parade; Thomas Schlijper photo noted.
16 I correct Mickey Kaus and quickly retract; a webcam in Dublin for viewing the St. Patrick's Day parade; today's snow; the recession had only a little impact on the deficits; Chalabi's group sold newspapers the same bill of goods it sold our intelligence services; Iraq distracted us from Bin Laden; Satan's Laundromat's pictures from Queens.
15 The arrangements behind the BS&T sound; the US government is sending out promotional videos with the feel of independent reporting.
14 Parents of the fallen protest over Iraq; continuing misinterpretations of Kerry's stance on terrorism.
13 Cyndi Lauper at New York's Town Hall.
12 No opening day hot dogs for the Catholics at Fenway Park: it's Good Friday; no increase in chatter before the Madrid bombings; can you really fit two New Jerseys into the Netherlands? plus, the Madrid fatalities were a lot for any nation, and moreso when you consider Spain's population.
11 Bessie Smith; thanks to donors; Senate rebukes Bush on further tax decreases; Great Britain releases five Guantanamo detainees (why were we holding them?!)
10 RNC head Gillespie complains both that Kerry is uninformed and that he's doing something about it (not fair, mommy!); the two McClellans in the Bush administration both admit nothing; Tim Russert trying to call the 2004 election a little early? Tenet's learning about how intelligence gets communicated.
9 Why not show the tape of Bush in the classroom for 5 minutes after the 9/11 attacks had happened? plus, chasing down a specific date; Paul Krugman's splendid chart showing failure to meet job projections; a really cool clock.
8 Nominee for federal Medicare slot refuses to answer key questions during confirmation process; netsky virus keeps on coming.
6 Jimmy Breslin hits the mark with a column on how Bush campaigns with the dead; proposal on charging for email by the usage sparks me to question on charging for Internet usage on a similar basis; Democratic progress in the House of Representatives blocked by Republicans usurping bill sponsorship; Len Berman's stupid, offensive question to a Yankee.
5 Bush campaign commercials draw fire for their use of September 11 imagery; food fight in a Florida retirement home.
4 Through undirected learning, I learn about Barbapapa; using pitching and tenacity to describe Bush's failure to perform; the Hunter 1912 Mission Style ceiling fan has finally been replaced.
3 "New York Times" columnist corrections: did everyone get the joke?
2 Republicans scuttle their own bill to avoid compromise; pointless complaints about Kerry absences during Senate votes; growing intolerance of children? is the shift in household structure due to changing attitudes or aging population?
1 Zell Miller wants TV indecency fines based on viewership; Netsky-D virus alert; family disagreements over Return of the King; Oscar thoughts; too many dishes to do.
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February, 2004
29 Recommendations for a protest against an investment portfolio tax; intrusion of exotic animals on the native wildlife of South Florida.
28 Mourning the man who brought fried clam strips to Howard Johnson's.
27 President only giving one hour to the 9/11 commission? plus, a humorous "transcript" from his interview with Meet the Press; guitar back from the repair shop.
26 Immediate anti-Semitism over Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ;" further political polarization, as evidenced by opinions towards Rudy Giuliani; John Kerry's defense spending voting record.
25 Cover blown on a newspaper's restaurant reviewer -- by the newspaper; Animals on the Underground; Homeland Security tries to give Bush credit for its formation, but is found out; Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ"
24 Ideas for Ash Wednesday; Cheney still over-represents what we know about Iraq; White House web site hosting Bush-Cheney campaign speeches; Bush's move on an amendment to ban gay marriage.
23 Pentagon continues to funnel money to a group of defectors it should know better about; Ahmed Chalabi says the inaccuracies of earlier defector accounts is unimportant.
22 Spinning of conclusions in a Health and Human Services Department shows that there is a culture of spin throughout the Administration.
21 Changes in the subway system, and the death of the Q Diamond train; an extreme criterion for action is meaningless.
20 Dick Cheney goes for big government in his own staff; bad data leads to bad conclusions; the Museum of the Society of Illustrators; lack of gratitude on the Internet.
19 The Kid Unit doesn't like the medium of the museum; those we discriminate against are people; a dumb low carb joke, and people avoiding carbs without being on a diet.
18 Respected scientists sign a letter noting White House perversion of conclusions to fit policy; death of Jan Winer, who played "Madge" in Palmolive commercials; computer messed up in a new way; watching Fellowship of the Ring with the Kid Unit; a reprise of the Valerie Plame reprisal, only this time against a prosecutor in Detroit?
15 Cleaning squid, and the family's preference for fried calamari; vacation pictures, and reasons for using html to assemble them.
13 Processing vacation photos for the grandparents; a case of student plagiarism?
12 Lutece is closing, and not only that, Barbie and Ken are breaking up; a former National Guardsman remembers serving with Bush and defends the importance of serving in the guard in that era, but has some memory lapses when he tries to blame Democrats.
10 RNC profile of John Kerry easily refuted; oil production cutbacks will raise the price of gasoline; at home with Scott McClellan.
6 Bush's executive order for his intelligence commission reveals a too-limited focus and a too-long timetable; NRO's "The Corner" finds too much consolation in an adjusted employment figure; importance of Bush's commission's scope; City Lighting, restaurant in Brooklyn; walk in bad winter weather; Jonah Goldberg should never say "never;" Tenet speech causes wprld to revisit the word "imminent;" Bush budget withdraws money to improve detoxifying buildings on the same day that ricin is found in the Senate; Lileks whines about an actor who is different from his character.
5 How did Scott Ritter become ignored by the major media? Plus, tyranny of the majority; Republican staffer gets dismissed for political reasons, and apparently not out of any sense that something wrong was done; George Tenet's speech on the nature of the Iraqi WMD intelligence.
3 Lieberman drops out; Palm Beach County's public gator sculpture exhibition; appeals court tells the EPA it must enforce environmental regulations; a poor quality penny whistle, guaranteed to frustrate kids; did you notice the new budget, or were you stuck on her breast?
1 I'm now in top position at Google; Story of a homeless man who fell through the ice in Prospect Park Lake.
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January, 2004
30 Hitchens said we took Bush too literally; disappointed by our ceiling fan's effective lumens; Henry V's big political mistake; Returning to normal posting style.
29 Posting like InstaPundit. Intelligence failure, or failure to be intelligent? Plus, Q train mascot; found the remote; NYC snow reaction; taxes are worse than slavery?
28 Daschle and B ush have words over intelligence on Iraq; Senator Carl Levin takes it to the Administration.
27 No school tomorrow due to snow; Andrew Sullivan again twists Paul Krugman.
25 Link to CalPundit on why Bush isn't seriously warring on terror; Robert Burns' birthday; a new restaurant knows neighborhood history when it sees it.
24 Is THAT all the yell was? Plus, Cheney doesn't back up Rumsfeld's earlier braggadocio; either the White House is in denial or it takes us for fools.
23 Master bedroom renovations are finished; new head of Iraq WMD inspections announced, too late for the standard news channels.
22 Alerting you to Robert Burns' birthday; Google bombing; no email, thanks to system maintenance not ending on time.
21 WMD double speak; a couple thoughts on the State of the Union address; Safire repeats an unjustified charge.
20 The Internet doesn't have everything.
19 The why's behind the Iowa caucuses; a cancer on the co-op; Oy vey? Fuhgeddaboudit; Martin Luther King, as observed by me and by Bush; State of the Union Address Drinking Game; buy your own record label!
18 How to tell you're reading too much Samuel Johnson; Howard Dean sings "One More Mountain To Climb."
17 Atkins Nutritionals now stresses less saturated fat; Jonah Goldberg oversimplifies the issue and concludes that the Bush Administration was completely honest about WMDs in Iraq.
16 New Zealand as Middle Earth; How a 9th grader spurred US Beatlemania.
15 The word 'ache.'
14 Whiskey Bar deflates the importance of Paul O'Neill's backpedaling; winner of the "Bush in 30 Seconds" competition; clowning from Anderson Cooper.
13 Baghdad is not as safe as New York City; movies that demonstrate capability vs. human emotion; shenanigans with the US 9/11 Commission.
12 OK, so they focused on Iraq, but did they attend to Al Qaeda?
11 Paul O'Neill's comments re the early aim on Iraq put into the puzzle.
9 Poffertjes; honesty about a mistake from a TV analyst, but not from the US government.
8 Bush hangs out with the school kids again, and reminds me of September 11.
7 A reality show on funeral planning? Plus, a smashing dinner recipe; David Brooks' defense of the neocons behind the war in Iraq; Moveon.org's 15 finalists; George Harrison's estate sues doctor for behavior in Harrison's final days; Hillary Clinton apologizes for Gandhi joke.
6 Barbie dolls in your severance package? Plus, more details on the effort to bring the New Jersey Nets to Brooklyn.
5 Ray Davies wounded by a purse snatcher in New Orleans; blues for a rainy day; Mark Steyn bristles over "alleged;" more Times bashing from Andrew Sullivan.
3 Can't even trust The Onion these days.
2 Christmas round-up.
1 Demolition plans for a new arena; appropriate New Year's resolutions.
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