2008 Presidential Invisible Primary Ratings, Vol. 1 - ABC News

This news item is chock full of important info - do see it!
ABC News Political Unit's 2008 Presidential Invisible Primary Ratings By: Mark Halperin, David Chalian and Teddy Davis.

- The Chances Various Republicans and Democrats Have at Winning Their Party's Nomination -
Excerpts:
Partial Table of Contents
Invisible Primary Ratings, How It Works, Categories, Money, Potential, Rationale/Issues/Record, Biography and Spouse, Iowa, New Hampshire, Other States, Perceived Electability, The 'Hang' Test, TV Campaign Skills, Wartime Leadership/Anti-terrorism Credentials, Media Coverage, Buzz/Momentum, Netroots.

Opening teaser:
1) No Senator has been elected President of these United States since John F. Kennedy in 1960.

2) 2008 will mark the first presidential election since 1928 in which neither the sitting president nor vice president is running for the job — creating a wide open contest...

The Invisible Primary refers to the jockeying for supremacy in the contests to be positioned to be the major party presidential nominees between now and start of the actual caucus and primary voting.

Please do not forget to Vote!! It's our future (or not).

See more: existentialist-lcd, ex-lcd, reviews, opinions, free trade etc.

An Inconvenient Truth - Trailer - Showtimes - Cast - Movies - New York Times

A must see for all people.

Spike Lee's Katrina film, "When the Levees Broke" airs on HBO - Yahoo! News

The four-hour film is divided into four acts and examines the government's response to Katrina. The first two parts begins Monday, Aug. 21st on HBO, and the balance will be aired Tuesday.

One of the most poignant interviews in the Hurricane Katrina documentary "When the Levees Broke", is given by a man who lost his mother in the aftermath of the storm, filmmaker Spike Lee said. In the interview evacuee Herbert Freeman recalls his mother's death at the New Orleans Convention Center and the moment he had to leave her body there as he and other evacuees were taken out of the city.

Lee said on ABC's This Week: "Before he got on a bus — he had a piece of paper, wrote his name, his cell number and her name and placed the paper between her fingers, her body,"... "How could this happen, in — supposedly — the wealthiest, mightiest country in the world? Really, that's the question," Lee said.

WAW Comment: Well, Mr. Lee we are all - still - asking the very same questions! So, let's have another good look at the catastrophe via Spike Lee's film = which is certain to be thought provoking.
Again and as always comments are welcome.

ABC News: US Military Recruiters Cited for Sexual Misconduct

ABC News: Military Recruiters Cited for Misconduct

Burn Baby Burn:Dell Recalls 4.1M Laptop Batteries

Gosh... that feels like just about EVERY LAPTOP in AMERICA!!  DELL do get IT together.
This is another in numerous recalls.

Dell's a Popping:  See the article here:
Dell to Recall 4.1M Laptop Batteries
See more horrifying news:
Exploding Laptops - EX-LCD Blog (22,000 recalls)

This is a grave concern:  
So by all means do NOT laptop on your... ahh... LAP! = Danger and bad family planning.   What about planes, and trains, and automobiles??  ... Oh my!   Dell may be a greater threat to immediate homeland security than any "exchange student" = Yikes.   You Decide.

Techdirt: RIAA Gives Family 60 Days To Grieve Before Continuing Case Against Dead Man

[from the how-sweet-of-them dept.]

Excerpt:
The RIAA really knows how to handle its file sharing lawsuits in ways that make themselves look incredibly heartless. It seemed like maybe they'd scraped bottom when they suggested a student should drop out of MIT to pay a few thousand dollars for file sharing, but they've now topped that one... Click to read on -
Techdirt: RIAA = 60 Days To Grieve

Comment: !! FILE SHARING?... this is about file sharing?? Honestly this is so over the top stupid (not to mention v. cruel) I cannot comment beyond this, but clearly there are much more urgent, life and freedom threatening issues to regulate and sue for. These desperately need our attention instead of protecting ourselves from heartless process.

Without a Trace: "Missing" in New York !?

10 Days, Ten Reasons and Counting...
Okay, so I am trying very hard to wrap my small brain around how 11 exchange students = adults sized, go "missing" in New York - for 10 days from JFK Airport? Such is the story with the 11 exchange students "gone missing" in NYC.

How does this happen that their parents,local and now federal authorities, their Montana hosts, and even the odd new Yorker have not heard anyone cry out, "help, we are lost in NY!”? Anyone with even a few watts still burning would ask for directions or help-in any language. (So sorry,its hot: brownout humor alert)

10 Days, Ten Reasons and Counting...
So when is "missing" not missing? Moreover, in the post-911 era what are we to think or assume? Frankly, I am so shocked that 11 students (possibly in group), can give us the slip like this, I found myself running to the computer... I had to let it out. So below is what's running thru my mind tonight (scary), and some items are not for the feint of heart.

1. They left the airport intentionally - There seems to be no reports of incidents at JFK Airport to alert authorities that they missed the connecting flight.
2. If they snuck away, as kids do, for fun in NY - that plan went terribly wrong so they should notify someone.
3. Are they too frightened to let someone know?
4. We could assume that they have enough smarts to go to college - so how did they get so very... misplaced?
5. One of their colleagues, who did make it to Montana has stated: He can see how they can get lost - "New York is a big city... "
6. Excuse us but it is certainly not bigger than Montana! However will they fair there, wandering about the range?
7. Montana beware. New Yorkers heads up!
8. They never intended to go to the exchange English classes in Montana to begin with. They may now be taking secret flying lessons or buying backpacks at Staples.
9. Have they been kidnapped by... terrorists? [irony]
10. We could even stretch and ask if the CIA or some other Patriot Act-type agency has picked them up, and is maybe, secretly holding them for some security reason? So after 10 days wouldn't this agency let someone know that these people are not "missing" through what ever means (strategically) possible?

All very strange indeed.
It’s so easy to get lost, missing, WHATEVER in NY especially after 10 days have passed...

- Speaking just moments ago to a friend about this issue - he could not believe the students are still nowhere to be found. He's also cancelling his appointment downtown at the end of the week. Perhaps we'll both stay uptown and have a few cocktails.
Welcome to our new world.
(comments welcome).