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Thursday, Nov 28, 2002

heartless

every few years i latch on to some interactive online game. for the last couple of days ive been playing hearts against other people at yahoo. im astounded at the how abusive and puerile some people can be. in the last game i played i was repeatedly cursed at and called a "stupid bitch" and "a fuck" by one person for a calculated risk i took in the first hand which backfired. that one move was enough to set someone off on a gamelong tirade. ill be the first to admit im capable of errors and that others have played 100s more games which might have sharpened their skills but these people are out of their heads. and its not that i cant get annoyed with sloppy play but the degree of vituperativeness others display is perverse, practically psychotic. now i remember why i usually stop playing online. these type of people ruin the fun. and dont even get me started on people who quit when theyre losing.

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Tuesday, Nov 26, 2002

krug errant

"On balance, Krugman's record stands up pretty well. On the topics he writes about most often and most angrily--tax cuts, Social Security, and the budget--his record is nearly perfect. "The reason he's gotten under the White House's skin so much," says Robert Shapiro, a former undersecretary of commerce in the Clinton administration, "is that he's right. None of it is rocket science."

"So if dismantling the facade of lies around, say, Bush's tax cut is so easy to do--and makes you the most talked-about newspaper writer in the country--why don't any other reporters or columnists do it themselves? Because doing so would violate some of the informal, but strict, rules under which Washington journalists operate. Reporters usually don't call a spade a spade, unless the lie is small or something personal. When it comes to big policy disagreements, most reporters prefer a he-said, she-said approach--and any policy with a white paper or press release behind it is presumed to be plausible and sincere, no matter how farfetched or deceptive it may be."

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Saturday, Nov 23, 2002

licensed to ill

life's a bitch
it aint hard to tell

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rak it

"paid in full"

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sheepitch

similak child
strobelite honey
the choice is yours

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Thursday, Nov 14, 2002

newd breach

"The first week of self-flagellation has been predictably banal. Some say move left. Some say move right. Both are right and both are wrong. If we're to have a vaguely interesting national debate, the Democrats have to move forward—away from the boring, tiny, and tactical issues, and language, and interest groups that the party has championed in recent years. This will mean a change in style as well as content. Above all, it will mean an extremely risky change in focus from the beloved and reliable geezers to the edgy, cynical, apathetic young people. The electorate has to be expanded. But the most valuable cache of votes isn't to be had in the poor neighborhoods—as admirable as such efforts may be—it is to be found on the college campuses, where the next generation of activists lives. We can discuss the policy details over the next few days. First, though, let me lay down three basic rules for a Newer Democratic Party."

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Tuesday, Oct 29, 2002

uncertainty

"Why did Ellsberg believe that the publication of the Pentagon Papers would help end the war? People often put this question to Ellsberg when he was shopping the Pentagon Papers around the Senate office buildings. "Isn't it after all only history?" Senator Fulbright asked. For Ellsberg, though, it wasn't only history; it was a case study in the hazards of decision-making under conditions of uncertainty. And that is a subject Daniel Ellsberg has thought about a lot."

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Saturday, Oct 19, 2002

sigh cull

my absentmindedness and the heartlessness of others have once again comingled to produce a distainful brew. i was guilty of the sin of forgetting my bike on the street for eight hours, so i was punished by having someone steal my back wheel which is the most expensive part. itll probably cost me $200+ to replace it, on top of which i had just spent $100 to replace the back rim. serves me right, after all, i was asking for it. it makes me angry when i think about it, that and all this other moving bullshit. pisses me the fuck off, did i mention that? that would be my second back tire stolen along with three bikes in the last eight years. people fucking suck.

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loop-a-maniacs

open loop at chama

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Monday, Oct 14, 2002

barrett's quotations

"Syd Barrett was the prodigiously talented founder of Pink Floyd, but after just two years at the centre of the 60s psychedelic scene, he suffered a massive breakdown and has lived as a recluse ever since. In this extract from his candid new book, Tim Willis tracks him down and pieces together the story of rock's lost icon."

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