http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/rawstory/gKpz/~3/346746636/Senator_Reed_No_blank_check_for_0726.html

Sen. Jack Reed says America can't afford the Republican strategy of continuing to write blank checks for the Iraq war. "At a time when the war in Iraq costs $10 billion each month, Americans are paying $4 a gallon for gasoline, and our economy is struggling, we cannot continue down the path that President Bush and Senator McCain propose: writing blank check after blank check," Reed, a Rhode Island Democrat, said Saturday in his party's weekly radio address.

Recently, people at work have been teasing me about my culinary dislikes. I don't like most onions, I hate mushrooms, but more specifically my food tastes requires that the following words are not in the food lexicon.

I refuse to eat anything called a "Casserole", "Log", or "Loaf". I get skeptical when I hear "roll" or "salad" but, casserole has distinctive properties of a whole bunch of everything edible shoved into a cake pan, and baked. That just seems gross! Log and loaf almost is the same thing as a casserole except logs and loafs are random edibles that are thrown together into a log/loaf shaped food item. I suppose that a loaf has more meat properties. For example "Meat Loaf" or "Olive Loaf". it just sounds dubious! Log seems more like a loaf but with veggies.

Roll, and Salad word additives in the food lexicon makes me weary. "Roll" is a random edible item(s) rolled up into ball-like or cylindrical-like food object. Salad, I have to ask what kind of salad? If it is the standard salad with greens, maybe dried fruit, or "house salad" then I'm ready to eat. I am not interested if we are talking about "Fruit salad, potato salad" and "egg salad" the list continues, is a mass of vegetables mixed with Mayonnaise, or Miracle Whip. I hate Mayonnaise, and Miracle Whip.


Does certain food lexicon cause you to question or refuse to eat certain items? if so, why?

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/rawstory/gKpz/~3/346728225/McCain_favors_Nuremburg_type_trial__07252008.html

What would McCain do with Bin Laden?

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/rawstory/gKpz/~3/346736261/detail.html

DETROIT -- Wayne County Judge Ronald Giles has revoked Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's previous bond and ordered random drug screening on Friday based on testimony from two detectives in the accusations that Kilpatrick assaulted Detective Brian White. Giles' ruling came after the two investigators with the county prosecutor's office testified an irate Kilpatrick launched into a profanity-laced tirade and shoved one of them as they tried to serve the subpoena to Detroit businessman Bobby Ferguson on Thursday.

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/rawstory/gKpz/~3/346736262/AR2008072502024.html

Weldon friend admits attempt to destroy evidence sought by FBI.

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/rawstory/gKpz/~3/346715050/Judge_tosses_Savages_suit_against_Islamic_0726.html

Judge tosses Savage's suit against Islamic group

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/rawstory/gKpz/~3/346715053/idUSN2540487120080726

Regulators take over, then sell banks to Mutual of Omaha Bank.

Dunno if this has been posted here yet or not, but a friend linked me to a Reason article in which an English prof talks at length about vidding:

Remixing Television: Francesca Coppa on the vidding underground.

I especially liked this insight:

The issue of point of view in vids is very important: Whose voice is it? What is it about? What is it trying to say about that character? It’s those analytical moves that make it a vid. Kandy presented a vision of Trek that was about Spock and his duality of experience as a human and a Vulcan. That she used music to create an argument is what makes it a precursor to vidding. The music is an analytical device, not a soundtrack.

http://feeds.gothamistllc.com/click.phdo?i=f6296b66bd2df758fea9b2f1f9d3fcf5

http://chicagoist.com/2008/07/26/foreclosure_filings_increase.php

It’s not a surprise that Chicago is seeing the number of foreclosures on the rise. What is a surprise is the rate at which they are increasing. Second quarter comparative data was release yesterday:

Illinois’ foreclosure rate ranked it No. 10 in the country, with one foreclosure for every 193 households in the state. That marked a 16 percent increase from the previous quarter and a 58 percent jump from second-quarter 2007.

Chicago ranked 35 among the top 100 metro areas with 21,488 properties with foreclosure filings for a rate of one for every 144 households. That was up 22 percent from last quarter and 58 percent from second-quarter 2007.

One in every 171 U.S. Households is facing foreclosure. That’s an increase of 121 percent. Stockton, California, has it the worst, with one in 25 homes in foreclosure. [Crain’s]

Foreclosure photo by Joelogon.

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/rawstory/gKpz/~3/346693840/Senate_passes_landmark_housing_bill_0726.html

Senate passes landmark housing bill

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/rawstory/gKpz/~3/346693841/26censor.html

BAGHDAD — The case of a freelance photographer in Iraq who was barred from covering the Marines after he posted photos on the Internet of several of them dead has underscored what some journalists say is a growing effort by the American military to control graphic images from the war...

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/rawstory/gKpz/~3/346685353/go.cfm

80 year old, retired Methodist minister among those hauled away.

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/rawstory/gKpz/~3/346685355/la-me-weed26-2008jul26,0,6418930.story

Defense barred by judge from mentioning phrase 'medical marijuana.'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/sport1/hi/other_sports/cycling/7527125.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/cycling/7527125.stm

Spaniard Carlos Sastre is heading towards his first Tour de France win after his rivals failed to gain ground in Saturday's key 53km time-trial.

http://feeds.gothamistllc.com/click.phdo?i=0f26392186cfa913e6f8f208baaed445

http://chicagoist.com/2008/07/26/obamas_two_unique_endorsements_of_s.php

Local boy presidential candidate Obama received the endorsement of a lifetime, of sorts. Just before death row inmate Dale Leo Bishop was executed in Mississippi earlier this week, he spoke his final words:

For those who oppose the death penalty and want to see it end, our best bet is to vote for Barack Obama because his supporters have been working behind the scenes to end this practice.

While Obama is not a death penalty opponent, he is more in-tune with the racial disparity than Old Man McCain. As for Bishop and his crime - he’s only the eighth person to be put to death who did not directly kill the victim involved with the crime in question.

While on the other side of the pond, Obama received the praises of Republican favorite: French President Nicolas Sarkozy. While he didn’t officially endorse Obama, he’s a fan:

But, obviously, one is interested in a candidate who's looking towards the future, rather than the past, and that's something that -- a concern that I share. [S-T]

http://feeds.gothamistllc.com/click.phdo?i=d95eb54652f7157aad3572c0b6c81106

http://chicagoist.com/2008/07/26/12th_street_beach_under_watch.php

With the 12th Street Beach just south of Northerly Island, it has become a hot spot to listen to the music coming from the Charter One Pavilion. As many as 1,000 teens might gather on any given evening. But after about a half-dozen fights broke out amongst the crowd Thursday evening, police are now saying they will shut down the beach if further trouble erupts.

A spokesperson for the Chicago Park District told the S-T:

It is not our preference to close the beach, but we will close portions or all of the beach if it becomes a public safety issue.

O.A.R. was performing on Thursday, and the District anticipated a large teen crowd. Once it became apparent the crowd needed to be dissipated, Park District Security and Chicago Police acted very quickly. [S-T]

12th Street Beach photo by Antre.

http://sideshow.me.uk/sjul08.htm#07261651

Jamison Foser says, "Even while carrying McCain's water, media worry they aren't doing enough for him." Of course, because it's McCain's (and the Republicans') talking point, and if it were coming from a Democrat they would treat it with derision. Fact is, the media have been doing McCain a favor by keeping the spotlight off him, because he can't make a public appearance without embarrassing himself. Even so, they treat his cock-ups like they're no big deal and persist in talking about McCain's foreign policy credentials as if he actually had some. He doesn't. When they were hammering Hillary and Obama, they swore they'd get around to critiquing McCain once the primaries were over. Well, they've been over for a while, now, and we're still waiting. People should be writing in to media outlets and telling them to quit covering up for McCain.

Congratulations to Fred Clark, and good luck to the Slacktivixen (good one, Fred). Meanwhile, more hilarity in the pages of Left Behind.

Is it really necessary to explain to people that the primary was not the election? That Obama still has to campaign? That it has nothing to do with Hillary, but that right now is when the candidates are supposed to be going out and trying to win people's votes? Apparently so. Apparently, in fact, there are some people who think the election is about teaching Clinton-supporters a lesson rather than winning the goddamned election.

If you were thinking it would be hopeless to find a serious interview with Jane Mayer on network television, David Letterman had a surprise for you. (From Crooks and Liars.) Highly recommended - pass it on.

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/rawstory/gKpz/~3/346664988/microphone-pick.html

'Private' chat? UK leader says Obama 'should be on the beach'

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/rawstory/gKpz/~3/346673660/2008-07-25-paul-rally_N.htm

Supporters of failed presidential candidate Ron Paul snapped up more than 6,000 tickets to a two-day alternative to the National Republican Convention. The tickets to the Rally for the Republic went on sale at 11 a.m. Friday through Ticketmaster. Six hours later, 6,217 were sold. Organizers hoped to boost interest in their rally with record single-day sales, similar to Paul's online collection of $4.3 million in one day for his failed presidential campaign. The sum was the largest Internet fundraising amount in a single day by a GOP candidate. The Rally for the Republic, inspired by Paul's message of limited government and strict following of the Constitution, is being held at Minneapolis' Target Center Aug. 31-Sept. 2.

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/rawstory/gKpz/~3/346673661/5908302.html

72% increase over last year's funds to deal with emergency preparedness.