Orioles dismiss Trebelhorn as bench coach aftter 12 years with the organization
By DAVID GINSBURG, AP Sports Writer
September 30, 2007
BALTIMORE (AP) — The Baltimore Orioles began an offseason of change Sunday by firing bench coach Tom Trebelhorn, who spent 12 years with the organization.
The decision was made by Dave Trembley, who inherited Trebelhorn after replacing Sam […]

Transparency Begins at Home: Notes on What We’re Up To
Presidential Records In the Dark
It’s interesting to watch what happens in Congress when “because that’s the way we’ve always done it” no longer becomes an option. For years, Senators have put secret holds on bills they wanted to block. These anonymous objections have been used by […]

Congressman: State Dept. official threatened investigators
By Warren P. Strobel, McClatchy Newspapers Fri Sep 28, 6:19 PM ET
WASHINGTON — Aides to State Department Inspector General Howard Krongard threatened two investigators with retaliation this week if they cooperate with a congressional probe into Krongard’s office, the chairman of a House of Representatives panel and other U.S. officials […]

Giuliani cites Bible on personal life
By LIBBY QUAID, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 33 minutes ago
WASHINGTON - Republican presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani compared the scrutiny of his personal life marked by three marriages to the biblical story of how Jesus dealt with an adulterous woman.
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“I’m guided very, very often about, `Don’t judge others, lest you […]

 ”Throw strikes, but don’t give ‘em anything good to hit!”
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Marie Antoinette’s pearls up for auction
By Mike Collett-White
September 27, 2007
LONDON (Reuters) - A set of pearls once belonging to Marie Antoinette and taken to Britain by a friend for safekeeping will go on sale in December, and are expected to fetch up to $800,000.
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(Christie’s Images/Handout/Reuters)
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Now part […]

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Navy to alter swastika-shaped barracks
Associated Press
Wed Sep 26, 2:20 PM ET
CORONADO, Calif. - The Navy will spend as much as $600,000 to modify a 40-year-old barracks complex that resembles a swastika from the air, a gaffe that went largely unnoticed before satellite images became easily accessible on the Internet.
The Navy said officials noted the […]

House Panel Says Rice Is Hindering Its Work
Blackwater, Corruption in Iraq at Issue
By Karen DeYoung
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, September 26, 2007; A15
An ongoing battle between Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and a House committee investigating Iraqi government corruption and the activities of the Blackwater security firm erupted into another skirmish yesterday as Rep. Henry A. […]

I saw this photograph of Ms. Couric…

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and it reminded me of these famous photos…

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which in turn resulted in this…

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Couric weighs in on Iraq, Rather
September 26, 6:23 AM
Her take on the news
Speaking at the National Press Club Tuesday evening, CBS “Evening News” anchor Katie Couric pulled back the curtain on her personal views of both […]

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Cranking up the pain on Burma
Blake Hounshell
Tue, 09/25/2007 - 11:13am.
President Bush concluded his remarks several minutes ago, and I just got my hands on the text of his speech. Several of the foreign names in the draft include handy phonetic pronunciations. Want to talk like the president? Here’s how to do it:
* Kyrgyzstan [KEYR-geez-stan]
* Mauritania […]

Early August: False Intelligence + Frightened Congress =
W’s Expanded  FISA Bill

Webb: Lieberman And Kyl’s Hawkish Iran Amendment Is ‘Cheney’s Fondest Pipe Dream’
On the Senate floor today, Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) made an impassioned appeal to his fellow senators, declaring that the Lieberman-Kyl amendment on Iran should be “withdrawn” because the “proposal is Dick Cheney’s fondest pipe dream.” Webb cautioned that the “cleverly-worded sense of the […]

As a carnival barker at a Guess-Your-Weight stand…
Carnival Rube Hey honey, let’s see how good this guy is. What’d I win?

Navin Uh, anything in this general area right in here. Anything below the stereo and on this side of the bicentennial glasses. Anything between the ashtrays and the thimble. Anything in this three […]

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Fallon: ‘Constant drumbeat’ of Iran war talk ‘not helpful.’
In an interview with al Jazeera television, CentCom Commander Admiral William Fallon warned that constant talk of bombing Iran is not hepful. “This constant drumbeat of conflict is what strikes me which is not helpful and not useful,” he said. “I expect that there will be no […]

These lunch boxes will provide necessary shielding
from the radioactive isotopic baby bibs
about which I reported in May.
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Thousands of Calif. Lunchboxes Recalled, May Be Lead-Tainted
Lunchboxes Boasted a Healthy-Eating Message
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By STEVE LAWRENCE
SACRAMENTO, Calif., Sept. 21, 2007 — —
About 56,000 lunch boxes distributed by California in an effort to promote healthful eating may contain lead, […]

Blackwater ‘arms smuggling probe’
Last Updated: Saturday, 22 September 2007, 15:36 GMT 16:36 UK
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Blackwater provides security to US diplomatic staff in Baghdad
Federal prosecutors are investigating whether staff from controversial US security company Blackwater smuggled weapons to Iraq, according to reports.
Some employees are alleged to have sent over unlicensed weapons and equipment, that could have been used […]

Let’s try some remedial economics.
Why is “Tax & Spend” better than  “Borrow ‘n Spend?”
Could it be that the latter policy includes
interest AND taxes down the line? 
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Associated Press - September 22, 2007 7:03 AM ET
Bush attacks Democrats over spending
WHITE HOUSE (AP) - President Bush uses his weekend radio chat today to again tee off on Democrats, […]

Collecting of Details on Travelers Documented
U.S. Effort More Extensive Than Previously Known
By Ellen Nakashima
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, September 22, 2007; Page A01
The U.S. government is collecting electronic records on the travel habits of millions of Americans who fly, drive or take cruises abroad, retaining data on the persons with whom they travel or plan to […]

The new British empire? UK plans to annex south Atlantic
Owen Bowcott
Saturday September 22, 2007
The Guardian
Britain is preparing territorial claims on tens of thousands of square miles of the Atlantic Ocean floor around the Falklands, Ascension Island and Rockall in the hope of annexing potentially lucrative gas, mineral and oil fields, the Guardian has learned.
The UK […]

September 21, 2007
When Judith calls, Rudy answers
Watch Giuliani take a call from his wife during a speech to the NRA. Was it real or staged? You decide.
WASHINGTON (CNN) – When former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani gets a call from his wife Judith he takes it, even if when it happens in the middle […]

Mattel apologises to China over toy recalls
AFP
Friday, September 21, 2007 16:02 IST
BEIJING: A senior executive with US toy giant Mattel apologised Friday to China over massive recalls of products made in China, saying the cause was design flaws committed by the US company itself.
Thomas Debrowski, Mattel’s executive vice president of worldwide operations, made […]