Federally Funded Science Fiction. The CIA announced today that next month's final report on Iraq's weapons program under Saddam Hussein will mostly encompass an analysis of what they believe Iraq would be like through 2008 had Bush not invaded the country. Because when you want accurate, detailed analysis of the future of Iraq's weapons, you turn to the group that
got it completely wrong during the present.
posted by XQUZYPHYR
on Aug 20, 2004 -
27 comments
"Please, my dear brothers, let your wives and sisters go to the voter registration process," Karzai told a gathering to mark International Women's Day. "Later, you can control who she votes for, but please, let her go." The liberation of Afghanistan's women
continues.
posted by XQUZYPHYR
on Mar 8, 2004 -
5 comments
"If voting could really change things, it would be illegal." More fun from Diebold: on Tuesday, two PA-based student groups announced they will engage in "electronic civil disobedience" by ignoring Diebold's demands to remove public access to leaked memos from Diebold offices, which indicate among other things "...that Diebold, which counts the votes in 37 states, knowingly created an electronic system which allows anyone with access to the machines to add and delete votes without detection."
posted by XQUZYPHYR
on Oct 22, 2003 -
49 comments
"She didn't seem to care for the hawker selling goats' heads. But she did stop when a young, well-dressed fellow ambled over to her and said: 'You have captured my liver.'" This and other stories from a very well-detailed article on the
three-day dating festival of the Berbers of Morocco.
posted by XQUZYPHYR
on Sep 12, 2003 -
5 comments
Nevada considering tax on prostitutes. Facing over $700 million in debt, Nevada (which has no state income tax) is considering taxing the fees paid to professional prostitutes in Nevada brothels. Everyone's angry, from the prostitutes upset about more of their fees being levied to anti-prostitution folk worrying about the legitimization of "industry that many people prefer to keep at arm's length." (Reporter's words, not mine) Should legalized prostitution be classified as "entertainment" and taxed? Will county revenues be hindered? Would I be considered a charitable deduction? And if the outraged hookers protest, what are the odds of Disney making a musical?
posted by XQUZYPHYR
on Mar 1, 2003 -
15 comments
Politics are allowed in politics, but there are limits, and there is a pale, and Metafilter has managed to deceive those limits, and sensationalize beyond that pale. What makes this quote funny? It's automatically generated by
this site, which can add your name or website to any accusation of liberal bias you'd ever want. This will save so many people so much time.
posted by XQUZYPHYR
on Oct 14, 2002 -
37 comments
"The story stated that the 'Nuestra Senora de Buena Esperanza,' the galleon on which the first Filipinos landed at Morro Bay, Calif., loosely translates to 'The Big Ass
Spanish Boat.' It actually translates to 'Our Lady of Good Peace.'" A Washington State College newspaper
proves why one should alway, always fact-check a story.
posted by XQUZYPHYR
on Oct 8, 2002 -
30 comments
I'm sorry, WHAT? MSNBC and Newsweek (plus Fox and a few others not in this specific link) are reporting that an FBI agent/informant had a direct link to the 9/11 hijackers-
he lived with them.
posted by XQUZYPHYR
on Sep 19, 2002 -
20 comments
Man awakens from 7-year coma. Peter Sana of Honolulu, Hawaii, finally began responding to human interaction last month after slipping into a Meningitis-related coma in 1995. Peter, we've got some good news... aaaaaaaaaand some bad news...
posted by XQUZYPHYR
on Sep 11, 2002 -
55 comments
This week, two boys in Florida were tried for the bludgeoning-murder of their father. With accusations raised of the actual killing to have been done by another, adult male with alleged sexual ties to the two boys,
the boys were found guilty only of a lesser second-degree murder charge, claiming the adult must have done the actual deed... yet the jury was unaware the adult accused and being tried for that very idea was
acquitted of all charges the previous week. The issue? Both trials were handled by the same prosecutor
who presented completely different theories to each jury... in other words, not settling on a confident belief of who actually performed the killing, the prosecution tried to get both the adult and the pair of boys convicted for it. Isn't that risky? Or, if you like a different flavor of debate, isn't that completely unethical?
posted by XQUZYPHYR
on Sep 7, 2002 -
40 comments
The solemn, the dignified, the high-profile marketing. On September 11th, the national anthem will be sung on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. By the recent winner of Fox's
American Idol. Days before the release of her new album. Two weeks before the winner's next, though obviously equally significant, "
American Idol in Las Vegas" show.
You will also note that this was reported before last night's finale. Meaning, this important symbolic event was arranged without even knowing who the winner was. In other words, Kelly Clarkson is not signing the National Anthem on September 11. "The Winner of Fox's
American Idol" is.
posted by XQUZYPHYR
on Sep 5, 2002 -
36 comments
Florida to settle 2000 election lawsuit. Major provisions include a promise for massive reforms in voter registration, voter-roll maintenance and polling practices, as part of the lawsuit pushed by the NAACP. Granted, it's good that a large angered group is "getting over it" as many (even on this board) have still been explaining, but should skeptics (read: Democrats) such as myself read the Florida legislature's desire to settle as a sign that they may not have thought they would have won against charges of rigging the election?
posted by XQUZYPHYR
on Aug 31, 2002 -
11 comments
Easly High, home of the Scarlet Letters. Students violating the dress code of the South Carolina high school will now be forced to change into t-shirts bearing the phrases
"Dress for Success" on the front and
"Today I did not meet the dress code policy for proper attire" on the back. Boy, it's a good thing they're putting them on teenagers, because they would never think of creative ways to violate this idea in... what, about thirty seconds? Discuss your ideas for the new fashion trend: custom punishment signs!
posted by XQUZYPHYR
on Aug 26, 2002 -
34 comments
