A quicktake from the recent Writing Requests thread. More are on the way. Thank you all again for your creative kickstarts. :-)

Dear Citizen ( Read more... )

Here's some recent depressing but ultimately revealing trivia: Brad Pitt most dangerous search on the web
Security firm McAfee said that the film star's name is more likely to direct a user to malicious sites than any other celebrity's name ( Read more... )

Remember that $700 billion bailout bill with absolutely no oversight that the President just assured us it was critical to pass ASAP?

Have you wondered where they came up with the $700 billion figure?
The more Congress examines the Bush administration's bailout plan, the hazier its outcome gets. At a Senate Banking Committee hearing Tuesday, ( Read more... )

John McCain -- yes, John McCain -- just unintentionally made the best possible argument for nationalized health care I've heard this year. Via Krugman:
Here’s what McCain has to say about the wonders of market-based health reform:

Opening up the health insurance market to more vigorous nationwide competition, as we have done over the last decade ( Read more... )

Interesting trivia to pull out at your next party: America's first female mayor won her office due to a backfired practical joke.

Susanna Madora Salter, of Argonia, Kansas and a K-State alum (go Wildcats!), didn't even know she was on the ballot until election day:
A Woman's Christian Temperance Union had been organized in Argonia in 1883, and ( Read more... )

George W. Bush clearly grew up on a diet of endless John Wayne movies.

Then he became president, and put us in oneMission accomplished ( Read more... )

Oh, and also: Just in case you didn't hear -- I know, it's easy to miss these things -- Barack Obama is the Democratic presidential nominee.

Which makes it all the more important to file this David Brooks gaffe away in your brain, close to the top. Lock and load, and be ready to fire some savage mockery at a moment's notice when the inevitable ( Read more... )

 
Massive earthquake shakes China [5/12/08]: Within the day, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao -- who is a geologist by training -- is personally on site to supervise rescue efforts and shout words of encouragement to trapped students.

Massive hurricane floods New Orleans [8/29/05]: Bush plays guitar, Condi goes shoe shopping, and the FEMA head jokes ( Read more... )

Random odd fact of the day: Two states share the smallest number of organized hate groups in the continental U.S. --

Rhode Island and South Dakota.

(Neither of them has any groups in the categories the SPLC tracks. At the opposite end, California and Texas have over 50 apiece.)

--
EDITED TO ADD: Second map with actual numbers. Add Alaska ( Read more... )

The continuing saga of local political candidate Ted Terbolizard:

In one of those bizarre the-Internet-is-three-clicks-wide moments, I just stumbled across this post at the wtf_inc community. Shorter wtf_inc: "omg turbo lizard hahahahaha."

(Nothing that your humble author didn't make note of four days beforehand.* Although to be fair, if your ( Read more... )