Saturday, April 08, 2006

Wow I forgot how hot the Lawrence Welk Band was! Used to watch LW with my grandparents, but I don't remember this. 7:25:01 PM    comment []

Beckett's Centenary: Revisiting a Legacy As the centenary of playwright Samuel Beckett's birth approaches, remembrances and performances of his work are under way. His influence skipped from country to country during his lifetime, and it remains profound in the world of the theater. (Via NPR Programs: Weekend Edition - Saturday.) 6:13:06 PM    comment []

Albany-Berkeley Marin Ave traffic calming works, of course Published Friday, April 7, 2006, in the Contra Contra Times Progress reported (Via BATN at Yahoo! Groups.) 6:03:01 PM    comment []

How To Make New Republicans You dupe ‘em More than 100 Orange County residents who thought they were simply signing petitions to cure breast cancer, punish child molesters or build schools were duped into registering as Republicans, an Orange County Register investigation found. The ruse took place over several days in December and January at shopping centers throughout Anaheim, Santa Ana, Buena Park, Westminster and Garden Grove, where paid petitioners begged, cajoled, lied and committed forgery to get so-called Republican converts. Petition circulators were paid as much as $7 for each GOP registration. Orange County election officials have received complaints from 167 people who were flipped to the Republican Party without their permission. The Register found the problem was far wider, interviewing 112 others who were not only switched, they were tricked and deceived. Among the victims is a lifelong Democrat who was pressured to fill out forms even though she didn’t have her glasses and couldn’t see what she was signing. (Via Oliver Willis - Like Kryptonite To Stupid.) 3:46:28 PM    comment []

It's all Roger Moore's Fault "Being Scottish, I am easily insulted. Scotland was recently selected by a group of so-called European experts as 'the worst small country to live in.' It's top of the charts for manic depression, alcoholism, lung cancer, stomach cancer, colon cancer, heart disease and yellow, plaque-infected teeth. The end of the Scottish race seems guaranteed. We are the national equivalent of the dodo. And who is to blame for this?" (Salon) (Via Follow Me Here....) 3:28:26 PM    comment []

The Deity in the Data William Saletan: What the Latest Prayer Study Tells Us About God: "Warning: The surgeon general may determine that prayer is hazardous to your health. That's what can happen when faith sets out to prove its power through science." (Slate) (Via Follow Me Here....) 3:27:03 PM    comment []

Says Abraham Lincoln (on his religion) "When I do good, I feel good; when I do bad, I feel bad. That's my religion." Abraham Lincoln. (Via I'm Gina Smith.) I wonder if that's real. 1:12:02 PM    comment []

MSNBC poll "Do you believe President Bush misled the nation in order to go to war with Iraq?" Right now, 94% of respondents say yes. Such a poll has little scientific merit, of course. Still... ninety-four freakin' percent! Jeebus. You can't get 94% of the American people to agree that orgasms feel good. (Via CANNONFIRE.) 12:53:05 PM    comment []

A Bush Lexicon Here's a rough start. Torture = "Coercive Interrogation Technique" Insurgency = "Dead-enders" Law = "Signing Statement" $43 trillion in Unfunded Government Liabilities = "Fiscal Responsibility" Leaking = "Declassifying Intelligence" Christianity = "Republicanism" Any other suggestions? (Via Daily Dish.) 11:15:14 AM    comment []

© Copyright 2006 Steve Michel. Last update: 5/1/2006; 8:41:59 AM.