(10.) They aren’t debates!
(8.) The “independent and non-partisan” Commission on Presidential Debates is neither independent nor non-partisan.
(7.) The secretly negotiated debate contract bars Kerry and Bush from any and all other debates for the entire campaign.
(5.) All members of the studio audience must be certified as “soft” supporters of Bush and Kerry, under selection procedures they approve.
(1.) Fortune 100 corporations are the main funders of the CPD-sponsored debates, and the CPD’s co-chairs are corporate lobbyists.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4052162

frag (frag) noun

Fragmentation grenade: a grenade designed to scatter shrapnel over a large area.

verb tr.

To kill (especially an unpopular superior) by throwing a grenade or other explosive.

[From shortening of fragmentation.]

The term had its origin in the Vietnam War. How common was fragging? The OED includes this 1971 citation from the Brisbane Courier-Mail: “There were 209 fragging incidents last year, according to the Army and 34 deaths were listed as probably due to these.”

“A senior Defense Department official said earlier this year. ‘I remember when enlisted folks fragged — as we liked to say — threw grenades into the officers’ quarters in Vietnam. Not a pretty picture.” Steven A. Holmes; Is This Really An All-Volunteer Army?; The New York Times; Apr 6, 2003.

“Could it happen? Could the LAPD be fragged by the courts? Hit by friendly fire from a federal law that was supposedly gunning for other game?” Patt Morrison; Racketeering Law Could Put LAPD in Bad Company; Los Angeles Times; Sep 1, 2000.

Pronunciation:
http://wordsmith.org/words/frag.wav
http://wordsmith.org/words/frag.ram

Permalink: http://wordsmith.org/words/frag.html

Today I found out about LinkedIn. This will be about the third one of these user address/friend-of-a-friend things that I’ve signed up for, and this one actually seems to be the best. With three contacts, I’ve got 21k+ networked users that I can search by company, name, skill, profession, etc. You can also endorse people. Funny thing is how many of my contact are already in here.

LinkedIn is a networking tool that helps you discover inside connections to recommended job candidates, industry experts and business partners. Through LinkedIn, you can accelerate your business effectiveness and career success by leveraging the network you already have. LinkedIn makes it easy to receive and seek out opportunities through your extended network while protecting your privacy, your inbox and your existing professional relationships.

http://www.linkedin.com

I used to work with Caleb, and thought it was pretty hardcore, when he left his job as a sales person and went to study Jiu-Jitsu with the Gracies in Brazil, and Muay-Thai from the International kickboxing champion.

Sorry Caleb, the MCI datacenter engineer who moved to Thailand and now’s a professional fighter has got you beat.

Hope we see an interview on The Laptop Traveler soon.

Born at 9:34 this evening, 7pounds 4oz, 21+ inches, mother and child are doing just fine.

One of these days, we’re going to put up that webcam.

Like that line from the original Jeepers Creepers, you know that scene in horror movies where somebody’s getting ready to do something really dumb, like go into that big scary house?

One of my coworkers was driving through WestVA and saw this place - he actually climbed over a fence and took a bunch of pictures.

This pictures have been sharpened and brightened w/ Photoshop, but are otherwise unchanged from the originals.

Then it would look a lot like Northern California.

No smoking, no sthmoking, ooh, it’s so bad, you shouldn’t smoke, it’s killing us, too, and WE FUCKING HATE YOU AND WANT YOU TO DIE, sthmokers.