Recently in News Category
Newsweek has done it's traditional presidential election postmortem and as per usual, it's well worth reading. There's something to be said for inside information, like finding out how people really felt and what they were saying behind closed doors and when we hear quotes from the principal players, I feel that it allows us to humanize them. At least it allowed me to humanize them. Mind you, not enough to stop using my nickname for McCain ('OAD' - Old As Dirt), but at least enough for me to feel a bit bad for him. Nothing near my 2000 pity -- after seeing the aftermath of the dirty primary campaign against him in South Carolina -- but still a bit.
So without further ado:
Secrets of the 2008 Campaign - Newsweek
Obama Adding Detail to His Oratory - The New York Times
The Grand Old White Party Confronts Obama - The New York Times
As Nuclear Waste Languishes, Expense to U.S. Rises - The New York Times
Superdelegates, Back Off - The New York Times
'Blood' fans drink up milkshake catchphrase - USA Today
Love can hurt -- your bank account - BusinessWeek \ MSNBC
Conan, Stewart, Colbert unite in mock feud - MSNBC
I've been neglecting things, so my bad. It's been a hectic last few weeks, so it's not like I was being totally lazy... Just a bit lazy. I saw a band called Wintersleep, with Alison, last Thursday. She's a fan, so I hopped on the wagon and we went to see them play at the Phoenix. That had been the first show I've seen, since The National, so it was good to get back out. A lot of the people there seemed to be fervent fans and were singing along, which was cool. A nice vibe for sure.
So have some links:
When Republicans Endorse Obama - Newsweek.com
Motivated by a Tax, Irish Spurn Plastic Bags - The New York Times
There Will Be Blood - The New York Times
Nuclear Leaks and Response Tested Obama in Senate - The New York Times
The Edwards Effect - The New York Times
Chinese students pulled by opposing tides - The Washington Post / MSNBC.com
Another weekend bites the dust. The weekend highlight is easy to pick out, because it's pretty much the only thing I did and that's run a whole 11k. Most of you know that I used to run marathons, but after numerous setbacks with my knee... Let's just say that 11k feels like a big deal. A workmate reminded me of a pre/post-run stretch that I used to do back in my heyday, but had been lost to the mists of time in between injuries. Actually, it wasn't just any stretch, but the one key stretch I needed to do, to ensure a pain-free run. What I'm saying is that I could have been enjoying marathons for the last four years, instead of physiotherapists and osteopaths. Ahh, the life of an early onset Alzheimer's patient... A longish story short, I'm hoping to pick up the distance and be ready for at least the Ottawa 1/2, in May.
In other news, if all the stars align, I may be on the move at the end of either this month, or next. After an eventful five months at 163 Sterling, it looks like I might head back to the relatively calm 20 Silverbirch for my final six months. It's unfortunate, as I was really really looking forward to Spring and Summer in the city, but I'll take sanity over fun, 10 times out of 10. On the bright side, I'll be able to play golf a bit more than last years' once (which also equals the total from the year before).
As per our usual I-didn't-agree-to-this-arrangement arrangement, here are some links for you to check out. Topics include the Oscars, Olympics, architecture and the arts:
There Will Be Oscars - Newsweek
'Country' men discuss Oscar-nominated film - AP/MSNBC
Towering change for China - Financial Times
Smoke-free, customer-free in Beijing - Reuters/MSNBC
To Boldly Go Where Shakespeare Calls - The New York Times
Finally, congrats to Mr. Obama, for getting the job done in SC. Running against two Clintons can take its toll, although you wouldn't know it, from the 28 point margin of victory and the extremely large voter turnout.
Lots to read, mostly courtesy of the New York Times (membership required), although this first and rather hilarious link, is from the AP, by way of MSNBC.com.
Sean Paul's songs sparked woman's seizures - MSNBC.com
Next up, Maureen Dowd serves up a short op-ed on the wholesaling of their country, to foreign interests.
Red, White and Blue Tag Sale - The New York Times
If you're a fan of PBS' doc show, 'Frontline', then you'll get that old familiar feeling when looking at the upcoming headline. They ran an Emmy award-winning documentary on the state of newspapers in the United States and the issues in this article are unfortunately quite unsurprising.
Los Angeles Times Editor Forced Out - The New York Times
A story that I find particularly fascinating, is the race to 'modernize' and diversify, by some oil-rich gulf states. This particular article focuses on Saudi Arabia and their future plans.
The Construction Site Called Saudi Arabia - The New York Times
Lastly, an article about the mental state of soldiers returning from the Iraq war and the consequences of ignoring a cry for help.
A Veteran's Descent, and a Prosecutor's Choice - The New York Times
I have one link today and it's all about Barrack. It's Tuesday and so that means the next in a series of upcoming primaries to determine the two candidates who will face off in 10 months. A week ago, it seemed impossible to me that this guy could win Iowa, let alone New Hampshire, but here we are and he's about to make it two in a row. Hillary Clinton has said that she's in this for the long run and she certainly has the money to make that happen, but at least for now, it seems like Barrack Obama can do no wrong.
Newsweek went about chronicling the events leading up to last Tuesday and also followed that up with a direct sit-down with Mr. Obama, to add some direct insight. It's certainly a worth a look.
Inside Obama's Dream Machine - Newsweek
Islam's Silent Moderates - The New York Times
Faith vs. the Faithless - The New York Times
Pay What You Want for This Article - The New York Times
Nuclear reactor woes delay medical tests - MSNBC.com
Attempted Theft - Newsweek
In case you missed it, we all got a treat yesterday. One of the largest assholes in the world -Hugo Chavez- got to eat a bit of humble pie, last night, as his country voted to keep term limits in place. Of course, Mr. Chavez tried to stack the deck, by grouping the term-limit question with a proposal to shorten the workday from 8 hours to 6 and a proposal to expropriate and redistribute land to needy families.
It was a really close vote, at 51% - 49%, but the 'NO' side pulled it out and President I'm-really-lame will be out of office in 4 years.
You can check out that story here, as well as a humorous related story, here.
Lastly, to follow up on that Huckabee/Norris commercial I posted earlier, check out this story.
It's been a hectic week and I haven't had time to post anything, but hectic doesn't mean exciting, so count your blessings.
If you hadn't heard, George Bush's approval rating is down to 24%, which is a new record low and that was two weeks ago. Who knows how low it is now... Check out Reuters for the full story.
Also on Reuters, in more recent political news, Stephen Colbert was denied the opportunity to join in the race for president, on the democratic side. A comment under the story actually raised some valid points, so be sure to have a read.
Yesterday evening I took some photographs of my last home improvement project; the fabric wall. As some of you know, I've been talking about it for a while now and have actually I've been working on it, since I lived in Hamilton. I didn't let a move to Toronto stop it from happening and it's just about complete enough for me to have taken a few pictures, which you can find here.
