I think the thing people should pay attention to with the protests - is not even whether or not it helps Bush or Kerry - but the protests will help us clearly see just how far the US has come in turning into a police state.

I don't understand why no one talks about police brutality and prison abuse RIGHT HERE at home.

Bike arrests begin after someone throws spagetti at cop

] Branigan died of a brain aneurysm Thursday in her sleep
] at her home in East Quogue, said her brother Mark
] Branigan. He said she had complained to a friend of a
] headache for about two weeks before she died, but had not
] sought medical attention.

"Self Control" was my favorite song for years. Cheesy, I know; but in the eighties, cheesy was cool.

Yahoo! News - 'Gloria' Singer Laura Branigan Dies at 47

These are from a storm chaser. Some of the shots are just incredible... they look like special effects shots. For the first time, I can see why people do this, but I would be terrified.

Incredible Tornado Photos

But a spokeswoman for Secretary of State Glenda Hood said, "This ruling takes Florida back to 2000," referring to the specter of hanging chads and pregnant dimples on the Palm Beach County butterfly ballot during the presidential recount that instigated the legislature's ban on all but optical-scan or touch-screen voting systems.

The solution to ballot problems: get rid of any way to check. Clever.

Next week in the news: Banks suggest eliminating ATM receipts.

Florida counties ordered to enable recounts

]
] Recently in the magazine Nature, we proposed a
] mathematical model to calculate and classify all possible
] tie knots. Of the 85 found, we duly predicted the four
] knots in widespread use (see below) and further
] introduced nine new aesthetic ones.

I ran across this page while googling for "how to tie a necktie" (as a prototypical geek I can barely tie a tie and have been feeling some pressure at work to wear one). Interestingly they have several -new- methods for tying ties. So right now I'm wearing a new Tommy Hilfiger tie w/ a 7,2 slim knot!

Theory of Tie Knots

] JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Dario Cruz has lived in the United
] States for 16 years, but just became a citizen last week
] as he and about 200 other immigrants were naturalized.
]
] One of the things he had always wanted to was register to
] vote, but when he was offered the chance to do that right
] outside the ceremony, he knew something wasn't right --
] the place on the form where you're asked to choose
] Democrat, Republican or independent was already filled
] out.
]
]
] "It's like one side," Cruz said. "You don't get to
] choose."
]
]
] According to Cruz and his family, every form was checked
] off Republican.
]
]
] It was something his wife, Linda Cross, first noticed.
] She said she asked what was going on, and was told the
] woman registering voters said they were with a Republican
] organization.
]
]
] "I am Republican," she told Channel 4's Jim Piggott. "I
] was very angry with that if they want to register
] whatever party, you shouldn't try to dictate to people
] what party they are going to register; who they are going
] to vote for, because then you don't have any freedom."

Later it mentions that "For the record, any registered voter can vote for any candidate of any party in a general election, but in most primaries in Florida, people can only vote for candidates of their own party." While this is true, it's still a slap in the face to new immigrants to have their party choice made for them.

News4Jax.com - Election 2004 - New Citizens Say GOP Took Away Their Right To Choose

Old school british anti software piracy ads. One encourages you to rat out your school teachers for cash.

These are awesome!

CLASSIC ANTI-PIRACY ADS

] rites "Space elevator proponents are planning
] competitions for space elevator technologies, similar to
] the Ansari X Prize. Elevator:2010 will organize annual
] competitions for climbers, ribbons and power-beaming
] systems.

[ Space elevators excite me a great deal.

Also, in case you didn't like google before : "the space elevator has caught the interest of Google's founders: 'At a space camp in Alabama last year, Brin talked about creating a space elevator to transport cargo up a special tether attached to earth. Also last year, Brin joined Page in proclaiming they should found a nanotech lab at Google.'"

I don't know how they relate to searching, but i'm all for it. -k]

Slashdot | Space Elevator Prizes Proposed

] The 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of
] 1990 - 2000

[ ALA's list of most frequently banned books. I always notice that Bridge to Terebithia is on the top of this list. I happened to notice it on a shelf the other day and recommended it to someone because I thought it was such a powerful story when i was young. It's definitely sad, and deals with serious subject matter, but I guess I've never been of the mindset that sheltering someone is the best way to keep them healthy. Plus, it's really good. -k]

ALA | 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-2000

Just how dishonest must a smear campaign be for American journalists to say so plainly or, better yet, to ignore altogether? That's the only real question still unanswered in the controversy sparked by the group Swift Boat Veterans for Truth over John Kerry's service in Vietnam--although even to use the word "controversy" affords the issue's protagonists too much dignity. The veterans featured in the organization's TV ad claim to have "served with Kerry," but none actually served on the same boat. (Yes, we've been reduced to arguing over what the definition of "with" is.) Several of the charges are based on recollections by veterans who, years earlier, had praised Kerry for the very same actions.The accusation that Kerry faked one of his injuries turns out to come from a thirdhand account. Most important of all, the surviving crewmembers from Kerry's boat--as well as Navy records--back Kerry's version of events. As the Los Angeles Times editorialized this week, citing one of its own reporters' fine work debunking the Swift Boat Veterans, "no informed person can seriously believe that Kerry fabricated evidence to win his military medals."...

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