Headline writers can be so helpful. Here is this nice, dull little story about the work of the Indiana Commission on Local Government Reform. The writer is trying to convey the idea that the commission will try to recommend steps that won't require constitutional changes:
I didn't think anything could shut up a Chicago politician:
INDIANAPOLIS -- Chicago got a Hoosier stiff-arm here Wednesday as two top Mayor Daley emissaries were turned back from testifying to an Indiana legislative hearing on the controversial expansion of a Lake Michigan BP oil refinery.
Remember the digital divide? How the world was going to be split between those with access to all the new media and the poor, left-behind dunces who would not have access? It turns out that we have a divide involving a much older medium. One in four adult Americans say they did not read a book last year:
One in four adults say they read no books at all in the past year, according to an Associated Press-Ipsos poll released Tuesday. Of those who did read, women and seniors were most avid, and religious works and popular fiction were the top choices.
Everybody has heroes. Jim Delligatti is one of mine:
McDonald's without the Big Mac would be like the Pittsburgh Steelers without their black and gold team colors.
Thus, it's only fair that the franchise's signature sandwich, and the man who invented it, will be feted today at the opening of the Big Mac Museum Restaurant, in North Huntingdon.
Before you dismiss this as another crazy idea from a big-government loony, think about what it could mean to you:
Housing experts painted a grim picture of Los Angeles' real-estate market Tuesday as City Councilman Richard Alarcon called for city, state and federal funds to help bail out city homeowners who can't pay their mortgages.
What do you know? I agree with a Democrat:
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is leaping into the long-running Cuba debate by calling for the U.S. to ease restrictions for Cuban-Americans who want to visit the island or send money home.
Wow. Getting into college must be tough if you have to create a flaw to be acceptable:
If there's a sign of the times in college admissions, it may be this: Steven Roy Goodman, an independent college counselor, tells clients to make a small mistake somewhere in their application — on purpose.
Drat. Hoosiers beat out by Buckeyes again:
FAIRFIELD, OHIO -- Jungle Jim's International Market cleaned up in the annual "America's Best Restroom" contest.
Like his sprawling food store, known for its eclectic selection of items from around the world and colorful decor, Jungle Jim's restrooms are meant to be fun.
Here's a sure sign that Americans are becoming dull and unimaginative. Top dog name, for the fifth year in a row: Max. Top cat name, for the fifth year in a row: Max. Come on! Max? I notice that Dutch and Maggie do not appear on the top 10 list of cat names, though Maggie appears at No. 6 on the dog list, between Lucy and Daisy.
Drive-in memories: 1970, near Fort Hood, Texas, crammed in a VW Beetle with three other soldiers, sucking on Bali Hai wine and watching "Night of the Living Dead." Much earlier, outside Hazard, Kentucky, 10 years old, sitting on the bench in front of the concession stand with all the other walk-ins; a girl kissed me, I got embarrassed, and all my friends laughed at me on the walk home. A little later, same drive-in, with my parents and brother and sister, trying desperately to stay awake through "Giant," which seemed to me to be the longest movie ever made.
It's a dangerous world out there. Even a drawing can be threatening, at least to people who take "zero tolerance" to mean "no thinking":
MESA, Ariz. - School officials suspended a 13-year-old boy for sketching what looked like a gun, saying the action posed a threat to his classmates.
The boy's parents said the drawing was a harmless doodle and school officials overreacted.
I hate to tell you what I had for dinner last night; you will laugh at me just as my friend did when I told her on the phone. But if I can't handle the reaction to the controversial topics, I shouldn't be a blogger, right? I didn't feel like cooking and hadn't picked up anything on the way home, so I microwaved a can of Beanee Weenee.
I don't know how much sicker I can get of polls, but I'm getting pretty close to the limit:
From their relationships to their jobs to their money — even from they time they first roll out of bed — young white Americans are happier with life than their minority counterparts.
Angry White Boy has taken my Simpsonized photo and added gray to the beard so as to make it a truer reflection of reality. Thanks, I guess.
This is a compelling story, if you have a few minutes to read the whole thing. It pits a possibly mentally ill man and his reclusive mother against teenagers out for a relatively tame (especially in this day and age) night of fun, and things go horribly wrong:
How about that global warming, huh?
Don't forget to bundle up if you're headed out in New York City today. After all, it is August 21.
The city along with the rest of the tri-state region is feeling the chilly effect of a cold front sweeping through the region, accompanied by cool rain showers.
Tuesday's high temperature in Central Park was just 59 degrees. The normal high for today is 82 degrees. The normal low is 67.
This may be the most intricate intertwining of government and religion you'll ever see:
In one of history's more absurd acts of totalitarianism, China has banned Buddhist monks in Tibet from reincarnating without government permission. According to a statement issued by the State Administration for Religious Affairs, the law, which goes into effect next month and strictly stipulates the procedures by which one is to reincarnate, is "an important move to institutionalize management of reincarnation."
I'm still fascinated by and playing around with the "Simpsonize Yourself" site. Some efforts look better than others. I just had to put this pair in, but I doubt if many can guess who they are.
Remember that "It blows up REAL good" running gag on SCTV? Add the Allen County Republican Party to the list of things with that attribute. County Recorder John McGauley, after a meeting of the party's executive committee Monday:
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg challenges Gov. Blanco for the smartest-politician-in-America contest:
"Nobody's going to elect me president of the United States," he told Dan Rather for a program that will air Tuesday on cable's HDNet channel. "What I'd like to do is to be able to influence the dialogue. I'm a citizen."
