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December 2008 - Posts

My sexy new laptop: an HP Pavilion dv3510nr

Saturday, December 27, 2008 9:14 PM
For some reason which I still don't understand, I landed on Santa's good list again this year. The combination of a very generous gift of cash and a very generous gift card to Best Buy enabled me to buy myself a new toy -- I finally bought a laptop. I've
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Feel Good Friday: "I Want To Come Home For Christmas"

Friday, December 26, 2008 1:57 PM
For this holiday edition of Feel Good Friday, here's Marvin Gaye singing "I Want To Come Home For Christmas:" Happy Boxing Day! Share this post: Email | del.icio.us | Digg | Reddit
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Bah humbug (sort of)

Tuesday, December 23, 2008 7:53 PM
I love many aspects of Christmas, but I completely fail in selecting gifts, shopping for them, and especially wrapping them. I can never pick out the right gift, I completely despise shopping, and my gift-wrapping looks like it was done by a blind orangutan
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The arrogance of aristocrats, American style

Monday, December 22, 2008 10:01 PM
It's bad enough that Caroline Kennedy thinks she's entitled to a Senate seat solely by virtue of her last name, and that she thinks she can land the position merely by making a phone call to the governor . But now, she's even refusing to reveal the most
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Feel Good Friday: "Fire"

Friday, December 19, 2008 8:20 AM
The Ohio Players were one of the best funk bands of the 1970's. Here's their classic song "Fire:" Share this post: Email | del.icio.us | Digg | Reddit
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Bush's war on women's bodies

Thursday, December 18, 2008 10:26 PM
As the sun finally begins to rise and banish the darkness of the Bush years, we continue to witness an alarming chain of eleventh-hour regulations emanating from the White House. The latest of those offenses against decency was published today : The Bush
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Bush's fire sale continues

Wednesday, December 17, 2008 11:10 PM
Adding to the alarming number of last-minute regulatory changes, the Bush administration is now shafting farm workers by weakening the agricultural guest worker program: The new H-2A visa rules, which take effect in January, revise the way wages are calculated
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TVA's spin on its overpaid CEO

Wednesday, December 17, 2008 9:47 PM
Today, the Knoxville News Sentinel ran a press release (cleverly disguised as a news story) on the excessive and outlandish pay of TVA's superfluous CEO. The agency is trying to spin Tom Kilgore's $3.27 million pay package as "conservative" compared to
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Hiatus "Lost" blogging: today's trailer

Monday, December 15, 2008 9:53 PM
The producers of "Lost" sent out another email today about Season 5, which premiers on January 21. The trailer linked in the email can be found here (the password is kapalaran, which some quick Googling suggests is the Tagalog word for "fate," and is
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Choices

Sunday, December 14, 2008 11:00 PM
At the last minute, I've decided to take two full weeks off from work during the Christmas/New Year's holiday. I originally planned to just vegetate for two weeks, but tonight, my Dad suggested that I should book a last minute trip to Aruba. That sounds
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Feel Good Friday: "Motherless Child"

Friday, December 12, 2008 9:05 AM
Here's the incomparable Eric Clapton performing "Motherless Child:" Personally, I think it's one of his best songs from the last 20 years. Share this post: Email | del.icio.us | Digg | Reddit
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GOP obstruction may lead to Big Three collapse

Thursday, December 11, 2008 11:55 PM
The proposed bailout of GM, Chrysler, and Ford failed in the Senate tonight. Since the Republicans would have filibustered a straight bailout of the Big Three, the Senate needed 60 votes to pass a bill. The only compromise from the GOP was offered by
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Little hope of justice on torture

Thursday, December 11, 2008 9:07 PM
Today, the Senate Armed Services Committee released a bipartisan report that explicitly names Donald Rumsfeld, his minions, George W. Bush, and others in his administration as the parties responsible for the use of torture as official tools of the US
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Watergate felon gets Presidential medal

Wednesday, December 10, 2008 10:14 PM
Today, President Bush awarded the Presidential Citizens Medal (the second-highest honor a civilian can receive) to a slate of 24 recipients. One of those recipients was convicted Watergate felon Chuck Colson . Good grief. Colson played a central role
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Patrick Fitzgerald now a hero of the Right

Tuesday, December 09, 2008 9:35 PM
In chapter 3,784 of Topsy-Turvy Wingnut Logic For Dummies, Patrick Fitzgerald has suddenly become a hero of the Right , transformed in an instant from his supporting role as Left Wing Lackey #3: News this morning that U.S. attorney Patrick Fitzgerald
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Bank of America to halt loans for mountaintop removal

Monday, December 08, 2008 7:56 PM
Well, color me surprised : Bank of America Corp will sharply cut lending to coal mining companies that take the tops off mountains, following pressure from groups that call the practice an environmental hazard. The move by the top U.S. bank represents
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Feel Good Friday: "Twist And Shout"

Friday, December 05, 2008 8:51 AM
No, it's not the Beatles cover; this is the original version of "Twist and Shout" by the Isley Brothers: Get up and do the Twist. It'll get the blood going on this cold Friday morning. Share this post: Email | del.icio.us | Digg | Reddit
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On an auto industry bailout

Thursday, December 04, 2008 9:46 PM
With GM facing imminent failure, Congress is debating another bailout of a US corporation once considered "too big to fail." I agree with Sen. Bernie Sanders , who said that "too big to fail" means "too big to be allowed to exist in the first place."
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My sister hates my shoes

Monday, December 01, 2008 9:03 PM
My sister is in the hospital again; after a full day in the emergency room, she's now been admitted to a room and is (hopefully) sleeping comfortably. Without going into the horrid details, this has become an all-too-familiar routine for her. If all goes
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