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The solution urged by the experts is to abandon passwords—and to move to a fundamentally different model, one in which humans play little or no part in logging on.
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Battling for organs against the National Kidney Foundation.
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Google has long insisted that it has no plans to own or create content, and that it is a friend, not a foe, of media companies.
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Denmark, which was so badly hammered by the 1973 Arab oil embargo that it banned all Sunday driving for a while, responded to that crisis in such a sustained, focused and systematic way that today it is energy independent.
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Even though the process is a charade, it still represents progress in China, in that the law implicitly acknowledges the legitimacy of protest.
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Throughout his presidential campaign, he has been the overseer of a kingdom of dissenting camps, unclear lines of command and an unsettled atmosphere that keeps aides constantly on edge.
links for 2008-08-17
August 17th, 2008 · by Jonathan Rick
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links for 2008-08-16
August 16th, 2008 · by Jonathan Rick
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Dan Kaminsky has been urging companies around the world to fix a potentially dangerous flaw in the basic plumbing of the Internet.
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You think the government is wasting a few billion a year on mass-transit subsidies. But what about the huge subsidies for cars and trucks?
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The Supreme Court says you can be competent enough to understand the proceedings against you, but nevertheless incompetent to represent yourself.
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Under a U.S. law enacted last year, for example, any drug company that develops a new treatment for a neglected disease like malaria can get a priority review from the FDA for another product it has made.
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Inspired by the mechanics of a drive-through car wash, the German sexual-health educator designed a custom-fitting male contraceptive using liquid latex and some materials from a hardware store.
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Over the years, there have been plenty of hucksters and charlatans happy to take advantage of the ignorance of juries, prosecutors, judges, and defense attorneys in very complicated and difficult-to-understand disciplines.
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Google CEO Eric Schmidt said last month, “I personally do not believe that the perfect ad product for YouTube has been invented yet.”
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New Media Strategies will be working through the conventions with C-Span to run their Convention Hub.
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links for 2008-08-15
August 15th, 2008 · by Jonathan Rick
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The best design for a staff Web page I've seen.
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Is it possible that the campaign of the first American presidential candidate with Kenyan heritage missed the ten year anniversary of the al Qaeda attacks on the embassies?
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This is why there aren't more bloggers on the trail.
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A new record means that an athlete using today's equipment outperformed an athlete using yesterday's equipment. If you want to compare today's athletes to yesterday's, the ideal method would be an inflationary formula.
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How Lindsey Graham became John McCain's best friend forever.
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This guy does not deserve the platform, he does not deserve the publicity, and he does not deserve to be treated as member-in-good-standing on the right.
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Against any other player, either of Federer's shots might've been good enough; against Nadal, he needed to win the point three times.
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The Democratic platform of 2008 offers an opportunity to put an end to this self-destructive cycle of Safe, Legal, and Rare, otherwise known as regret, depression, and self-denigration.
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In conjunction with NBC, Microsoft is offering thousands of hours of free video direct from the Olympics in Beijing. The catch: To view the videos, you need to download a Microsoft Web browser software component based on a new proprietary technology, Silverlight.
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His congressional career has prepared him to govern effectively in an era of divided government.
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Of Note (8/15/2008)
August 15th, 2008 · by Jonathan Rick
- Defense Wins the Wimbledon Championships - Daniel Seidel, Slate
How Rafael Nadal beat Roger Federer at Wimbledon - Reclaiming the Morality of Abortion - Linda Hirshman, Slate
The Democratic platform of 2008 offers an opportunity to put an end to this self-destructive cycle of Safe, Legal, and Rare, otherwise known as regret, depression, and self-denigration. - Olympics Online, With a Hook - John Markoff, New York Times
In conjunction with NBC, Microsoft is offering thousands of hours of free video direct from the Olympics in Beijing. The catch: To view the videos, you need to download a Microsoft Web browser software component based on a new proprietary technology, Silverlight. - How Would McCain Govern? - John Fortier, Politico.com
His congressional career has prepared him to govern effectively in an era of divided government.
(tags: Tennis Roger_Federer Rafael_Nadal )
(tags: Abortion )
(tags: Olympics Silverlight Microsoft )
(tags: John_McCain )
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Of Note (8/14/2008)
August 14th, 2008 · by Jonathan Rick
- Flickr for Libraries - Ed Kohler, Technology Evangelist
If your goal is to reach a large audience with well-organized and sharable images, then Flickr is hard to beat. - How do you see who's replying to your Tweets?
Why can't Twitter embed this feed on your profile page? - Why the Press Corps Should Boycott the Conventions - Jack Shafer, Slate
If the political press corps were honest, they'd start every convention story with the finding that nothing important happened that day and that your attention is not needed. - Woman to Woman, Online - Claire Cain Miller, New York Times
Sites aimed primarily at women, from “mommy blogs” to makeup and fashion sites, grew 35 percent last year—faster than every other category on the Web except politics. - The Case for Juvenile Courts - Editorial Board, New York Times
Nearly every state now has laws that encourage prosecutors to try minors as adults. The recent studies of this approach should lead legislatures to abandon these counterproductive policies.
(tags: Twitter )
(tags: Conventions Media )
(tags: Women )
(tags: Juvenile_Courts Crime )
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links for 2008-08-14
August 14th, 2008 · by Jonathan Rick
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If your goal is to reach a large audience with well-organized and sharable images, then Flickr is hard to beat.
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Why can't Twitter embed this feed on your profile page?
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If the political press corps were honest, they'd start every convention story with the finding that nothing important happened that day and that your attention is not needed.
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Sites aimed primarily at women, from “mommy blogs” to makeup and fashion sites, grew 35 percent last year—faster than every other category on the Web except politics.
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Nearly every state now has laws that encourage prosecutors to try minors as adults. The recent studies of this approach should lead legislatures to abandon these counterproductive policies.
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Last week saw the release of an iPhone application called “I Am Rich.” The program promised to do nothing except signal to the world that its buyer was wealthy enough to have spent $1,000 to download an image of a multifaceted ruby.
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John McCain has made a fateful decision: He has personally impugned Obama's patriotism and allows his surrogates to continue to do that. By doing so, he has allied himself with those who smeared him, his wife, his daughter Bridget, in 2000.
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Of Note (8/14/2008)
August 14th, 2008 · by Jonathan Rick
- Many Fail to See the Humor in "I Am Rich" for the iPhone - Eric A. Taub, New York Times
Last week, an application turned the iPhone into a megaphone to proclaim: “I Am Rich.” That is the name of a downloadable program that promised to do nothing except signal to the world that its buyer was wealthy enough to have spent $1,000 to download an image of a multifaceted ruby. - 2000 McCain Would Be Ashamed of 2008 McCain - Joe Klein, Swampland
John McCain has made a fateful decision: He has personally impugned Obama's patriotism and allows his surrogates to continue to do that. By doing so, he has allied himself with those who smeared him, his wife, his daughter Bridget, in 2000.
(tags: iPhone )
(tags: John_McCain Mudslinging )
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Of Note (8/13/2008)
August 13th, 2008 · by Jonathan Rick
- McCain Girl and the Enchanted Republican Forest - Barely Political, YouTube
- Elections Video Search - Google.com
Find out what the candidates said. Search through hundreds of YouTube political videos for what was spoken and watch the snippet where your query term was mentioned, using state-of-the-art Google speech-to-text technology. - Barack Roll - hmatkin, YouTube
- Free Gas Video Contest - American Solutions
We turn to you—the creative American—to demonstrate in a short video why we must adopt a "Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less” approach. The winner will receive free gasoline for an entire year.
(tags: Humor Barely_Political )
(tags: YouTube Speech_to_Text )
(tags: Barack_Obama YouTube Humor )
(tags: YouTube Energy American_Solutions )
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links for 2008-08-13
August 13th, 2008 · by Jonathan Rick
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Find out what the candidates said. Search through hundreds of YouTube political videos for what was spoken and watch the snippet where your query term was mentioned, using state-of-the-art Google speech-to-text technology.
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We turn to you—the creative American—to demonstrate in a short video why we must adopt a "Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less” approach. The winner will receive free gasoline for an entire year.
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Hillary Clinton’s campaign was undone by a clash of personalities more toxic than anyone imagined. E-mails and memos—published here for the first time—reveal the backstabbing and conflicting strategies that produced an epic meltdown.
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In a new CareerBuilder.com survey, 41 percent of employers said that people who dress better or more professionally tend to be promoted more often than others in their organization.
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Of Note (8/13/2008)
August 13th, 2008 · by Jonathan Rick
- The Front-Runner’s Fall - Joshua Green, The Atlantic
Hillary Clinton’s campaign was undone by a clash of personalities more toxic than anyone imagined. E-mails and memos—published here for the first time—reveal the backstabbing and conflicting strategies that produced an epic meltdown. - Dressing for Success at Work - Rosemary Haefner, CareerBuilder.com
In a new CareerBuilder.com survey, 41 percent of employers said that people who dress better or more professionally tend to be promoted more often than others in their organization.
(tags: HIllary_Clinton Hillary_Clinton_2008 )
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Of Note (8/12/2008)
August 12th, 2008 · by Jonathan Rick
- Why Twitter Hasn’t Failed: The Power of Audience - Gregor Hochmuth, TechCrunch
No matter how long the outage du jour, Twitter users continue to stay attached to the service despite an ever-changing backdrop of alternatives. - America's Racial Progress - George Will, RealClearPolitics
The siege of the jail, the rioting, the lynching and mutilating all occurred within walking distance of where, in 2007, Barack Obama announced his presidential candidacy. - It's Official: DC Gets Its Own Reality Show - Jeff Dufour and Patrick Gavin, Yeas & Nays
Casting hasn't been finalized, according to one source, but the primary characters—local socialites/hotties/20-somethings Katherine Kennedy, Krista Johnson and Sophie Pyle—remain on board. - A Last Chance to Reform Debate Format - Barry Casselman and Newt Gingrich, RealClearPolitics
Senator McCain has made the "town hall" format his trademark, and Senator Obama has repeatedly said he favors a "Lincoln-Douglas debate" format.
(tags: Twitter )
(tags: Racism )
(tags: Washington_DC )
(tags: Debates )
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Of Note (8/12/2008)
August 12th, 2008 · by Jonathan Rick
- Al Qaeda at 20 - Daniel Byman, Slate
It is hard to dispute al Qaeda's operational successes.
(tags: Al_Qaeda Osama_bin_Laden )
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Of Note (8/11/2008)
August 11th, 2008 · by Jonathan Rick
- Life Sentence - Sarah Blustain, New Republic
Stop kidding yourself: John McCain is a pro-life zealot. - Will McCain Announce His VP Online? - Patrick Ruffini, Next Right
Candidates can use a Big Moments Strategy to aggregate supporters on their Web site, collecting e-mail addresses and the prospect of future money. Announcing the VP pick online is the next logical step in this progression. - What's Next for the NYTimes Online? Widgets, iPhone Apps, APIs, and More - Dan Frommer, Silicon Alley Insider
We asked Marc Frons, who's been chief technology officer of the Times' digital operations for two years. - Ten News and Information Twitter Feeds You Should Follow - Dan Frommer, Silicon Alley Insider
While Twitter is alternately known as a way for pals to keep in touch, or as a tool for self-promoters (nothing wrong with that), it has plenty of more practical uses, too.
(tags: John_McCain Abortion )
(tags: John_McCain_2008 SMS )
(tags: NYTimes.com Media )
(tags: Twitter )
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Of Note (8/11/2008)
August 11th, 2008 · by Jonathan Rick
- Pictures from the 2008 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony
- National Enquirer Can Put Mainstream Media to Shame - Howard Kurtz, Washington Post
The Enquirer's standards aren't my standards, and I still believe that paying sources, as it did in the Edwards case, taints a story. But the paper knows how to conduct an investigation for certain kinds of stories.
(tags: Media_Bias National_Enquirer )
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Of Note (8/10/2008)
August 10th, 2008 · by Jonathan Rick
- Obama to Announce VP Pick Via Text Message and E-mail - Patrick Gavin, FishbowllDC
Barack Obama announced today—via Twitter—that he would announce "the VP candidate sometime between now & the Convention by txt msg & e-mail."
(tags: Barack_Obama_2008 SMS )
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Of Note (8/9/2008)
August 9th, 2008 · by Jonathan Rick
- Pelosi: Save the Planet, Let Someone Else Drill - Charles Krauthammer, RealClearPolitics
Outsourcing U.S. oil production does nothing to lessen worldwide environmental despoliation. It simply exports it to more corrupt, less efficient, more unstable parts of the world—thereby increasing net planetary damage. - A GOP Choice: Tom Coburn or Ted Stevens - John Fund, Wall Street Journal
The Republican Party is facing what Ronald Reagan called "a time for choosing." A real argument is raging over how much it should turn its back on the bad habits that cost it control of Congress in 2006.
(tags: Energy )
(tags: Conservatism Ted_Stevens Tom_Coburn )
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Of Note (8/8/2008)
August 8th, 2008 · by Jonathan Rick
- Group Plans Campaign Against G.O.P. Donors - Michael Luo, New York Times
Nearly 10,000 of the biggest GOP donors will receive a foreboding letter next week, warning that their donations will prompt liberal watchdog groups to dig through their lives. - Drill and Conserve - Charles Krauthammer, RealClearPolitics
Why must there be a choice between encouraging conservation and increasing supply? The logical answer is obvious: Do both. - Commission on Presidential Debates Boldly Goes to Web 0.2, Launches a Dud - Michah L. Sifry
What they're offering us here is little more than live video streaming, which is like, so, year 2000. - Edwards Admits Affair; Denies Child - Pete Yost, Associated Press
John Edwards, who won nationwide praise and sympathy as he campaigned side by side with his cancer-stricken wife, Elizabeth, admitted in shame that he had had an affair with a woman who produced videos as he prepared to launch his presidential campaign. - Edwards: I Was "99% Honest"! - Mickey Kaus, Slate
John Edwards claims in his just-released statement that he's learned, in the context of his dismissal of the Enquirer, that "being 99% honest is no longer enough." - Pawlenty Looks to National Stage - Monica Davey, New York Times
Asked at a press luncheon in Washington what the most important quality of a running mate would be, Mr. Pawlenty responded, “Discretion,” and walked away from the microphone.
(tags: Opposition_Research )
(tags: Energy )
(tags: MySpace Political_Debates )
(tags: John_Edwards )
(tags: John_Edwards )
(tags: John_McCain_Campaign Tim_Pawlenty )
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Flickr vs. Picasa
August 6th, 2008 · by Jonathan Rick
In keeping with both my indecisiveness and need to research an issue before making a decision, I’m still dithering on which photo-sharing program I should use: Flickr or Picasa?
To answer this question, I created a chart:
| Flickr | Picasa | |
| Cost | $25/year | Free |
| Manufacturer | Yahoo | |
| User friendly | No | Yes |
| Easy to use privacy controls | No | Yes |
| Allows tags that contain spaces | No | Yes |
| Design of embedded slideshows | Sleek | Ugly |
| Prevent embedded slideshows from playing automatically | No | Yes |
| Change speed in embedded slideshows | Yes | No |
| Change size of embedded slideshows | No | Yes |
Conclusion: The only thing Flickr has going for it is its embeddable slideshows. Otherwise, Picasa seems far superior.
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Wyatt Rick
August 4th, 2008 · by Jonathan Rick
If anyone wonders why I talk so much about Wyatt, my mother’s miniature schnauzer, perhaps these pictures will explain. If not, maybe this essay I wrote in high school will do the trick.
Addendum: My tech friends Leslie Bradshaw, David All, Rob Bluey, Jesse Thomas and Patrick Ruffini all use Flickr instead of Picasa. Maybe I should too? Which do you recommend?
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New RSS Feed
August 3rd, 2008 · by Jonathan Rick
Please update your RSS reader. Thanks!
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links for 2008-07-31
July 30th, 2008 · by Jonathan Rick
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Across our inner cities, the code of omerta has spread from organized crime to ordinary citizens. “Stop snitching” has become a motto to live—or die—by, as John Dowery Jr. discovered.
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If you’re willing to dish about your dates on a regular basis (and maybe take some dating challenges along the way!) we want to hear from you.
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Obama spent 12 years at the University of Chicago Law School. Standing in his favorite classroom in the austere main building, sharp-witted students looming above him, he refined his public speaking style, his debating abilities, his beliefs.
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links for 2008-07-30
July 29th, 2008 · by Jonathan Rick
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Following up on the success of our first TechRepublican event, “Welcome to the Modern World,” we’re pleased to announce our next event, “Modern Mojitos,” on Wednesday, July 30.
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To permit Fannie and Freddie to default would set off a worldwide crisis. But we can decide what should become of Freddie and Fannie after this crisis. The best option is one getting little mention in Washington: Get rid of them.
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Here’s an entry you would not expect to see on Barack Obama’s official profile on the social networking site Facebook: “Barack Obama is now friends with Tony Rezko.” But that’s the first item on Obama’s FriendFeed on BarackBook.com.
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The software and technology for BarackObama.com were designed by Blue State Digital, which charges a monthly contract fee for hosting the entire suite of tools and the Web platform the campaign employs. The cost, through June: $1.4 million.
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links for 2008-07-29
July 28th, 2008 · by Jonathan Rick
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A quarter of college Republicans have set off across the country in a rented Ford Explorer to remind America that not all young people are Barack Obama supporters, and that it’s still possible to drive 2,500 miles without once crossing a Democratic distri
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Am I being “age-ist”? Maybe. But maybe not. The world is a pretty complicated place right now and I’m thinking that it’s not such a great time to elect our oldest President ever.
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links for 2008-07-28
July 27th, 2008 · by Jonathan Rick
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Representative government will remain the enduring feature of American democracy, but direct democracy is a valuable safety valve.
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Thousands of people every month are visiting Obama.com expecting to find Barack Obama’s campaign Web site. Instead, they find a Japanese site full of links for loans and hair transplants.
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The International Olympic Committee’s protestations that it had no choice but to impose its rules are plainly disingenuous. For one thing, Iraq is hardly the only country where politicians meddle with sport. The Games are, after all, being held in China!
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Two of the most interesting new clean electron wildcatters are T. Boone Pickens and Shai Agassi.
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Despots and the lobbyists who love them.
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An old college paper is just an old college paper.
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Newt Gingrich sure is persuasive.
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Instead of a keepsake photo of a political hero or his family, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) has a large framed picture next to his desk that serves as a constant reminder of his political ideology. Inside the frame and matting is a single word: “No.”
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JonathanRick.com
July 27th, 2008 · by Jonathan Rick
Back in December, I began the process of moving my blog from http://nostrawmen.blogspot.com to its rightful URL, here at JonathanRick.com. For a variety of reasons, this process is still, um, in process.
Nonetheless, I’d like to note one source of satisfaction. I’ve finally ascertained a way to convert my essays into blog posts: Simply upload the original Word documents to Google Docs, and then embed each Google Doc within a blog post via an iframe.
