Burying the Lede

The New York Times > National > Schiavo Dies Nearly Two Weeks After Removal of Feeding Tube


A photo of Jesus?!? Tell me how that isn't front page news on its own?

Southern California beaches have the nicest sand!

That Is Not Appropriate, MRJEFF.

(Apologies to the Schiavo family and the Schindler family of Florida, and the Bueller family of Illinois)

Popstrology: What's Your Sign?

1970 - The Year of the Jackson 5
Sep 13-Oct 3 - Diana Ross "Ain't No Mountain High Enough"

"The popstrological end of the Beatles, the Supremes, and Simon and Garfunkel signaled the end of an era in 1970, but the sudden and powerful impact of the Jackson 5 provided an optimistic, sugar-funk injection to a year ripe with potential causes of mopery (viz. the aforementioned breakups; Kent State; the deaths of Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix). Still, the biggest stars rarely burn out without first casting off some of their energy into the pop universe. Indeed, in 1970 we see the first solo appearances of former Supreme Diana Ross and former Beatle George Harrison, heralding the birth of a brand-new popstrological grouping: the constellation Spin-Off, an entity known to inspire the kind of ambivalence that comes with realizing that while life may always go on, we sometimes know that the best is already behind us. Like the Jackson 5 themselves, the micro-generation born in this pivotal year may exhibit enormous gifts at a tender age. But the bright lights of youthful success can unmooor even the greatest of talents, so take heed, children of 1970, and never forget that for every Michael, there is also a Jermaine. Not to mention a Tito. "

3.4

Earthquake! The unbridled fury of an angry Earth, unleashed upon an unsuspecting public!

Charles + Maribel

Ah, l'amour. Your pal MRJEFF attended a co-worker's wedding on Saturday. The groom's family was conservative Orange County-types; the bride's family, working class Mexican immigrants. The happy couple are twenty-something punks who met at a concert.

I ♥ America.

How To Lie With A Bar Graph

Look! The Democrats are NINE TIMES as likely to want to remove the feeding tube as are Republicans and Independants! The picture proves it!

(inspired by the wonderful How To Lie With Statistics)

Update 3/22/05 12:15pm: I also posted this on del.icio.us, and now it's been noticed at Media Matters; Atrios and Josh Marshall have linked to the Media Matters post. (It's clear from those sites' comments that many people noticed this on their own.)

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UPDATE UPDATE!!! Media Matters says that "CNN has updated its graphic after the posting of this item." Of course, Gentle Reader, you know the real reason, but we'll let Mr. Brock believe what he wants.

In Which MRJEFF Purchases a Bottle of Diet Pepsi At Lunchtime and Wins One Free Song From the ITunes Music Store

The code: RFR4A TZOLH
The song: Seal's Killer (William Orbit Remix) (iTunes link)

Tales from Highway 99

"I can tell Modesto from Merced, but I have visited there, gone to dances there; besides, there is over the main street of Modesto and arched sign which reads:

WATER WEALTH CONTENTMENT HEALTH

There is no such sign in Merced."

- Joan Didion, "Notes From a Native Daughter"


The Modesto Arch

MRJEFF's Language Korner

Word Of TheDay: Blepherospasm.

EARTHQUAKE!

At 8:09 this evening your pal MRJEFF felt a small but sharp jolt that, to his Southern California-sharpened senses could mean only one thing -- an earthquake! Or a big truck driving past. (It wasn't a truck.)

Anyhoo. In this great Computer Age we're living in, the USGS keeps track of earthquakes online, and the public can report in on local tremblers (this one is Event 10083305, a 2.9 on the Richter scale, centered near Encino.)

All Earthquakes in California-Nevada Map Area for the past week (note that some "quakes" are suspected quarry explosions!)
Event 10083305: ZIP Map (who felt it, and how strong)

Terrible Two

Well, I've wished El Rashomono a Happy Anniversary and whatnot. After all, it was he who reminded me that I had created this little free thingy-mc-doodle some months earlier, and who provided me with just enough peer pressure to post at least once a month (whether I had material or not!)

Anyhoo, I've spent too much time concentrating on Audioscrobbler/Last.fm and del.icio.us, and not enough on Mister Jeff Dot Blogspot lately. (For whatever that's worth.) Anyhoo, I got another blog post out of this, and that's OK.

Benn loxo du taccu

A wonderful African music mp3 blog: Matt Yanchyshyn's Benn loxo du taccu. You won't be disappointed!

Garzón

Three bitchin' kickass pop songs and a video, from Spanish pop trio Garzon. Sadly, I don't understand their crazy moon language, but they get extra bonus points for the Creative Commons license.
via búscate un novio, who also turned me on to mid-eighties French pop-punk band Les Calamités and to Bradley's Almanac's mp3s of Velocity Girl (among others) at 1992's Sub Pop music festival Vermonstress.

"A Good Friend Has Left Us"

James Randi, on Johnny Carson's death.

Ancient Chinese Secret

You learn something new every day!

Wait...what???

All I was doing was looking up the newly released DVD of Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle. Who would have thought this horrible aberration would come up?


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image courtesy of Beards of the Web. Blog entry title courtesy of Tracey Meyers.

New Quarter Friday

Wisconsin: a cow, a cheese, and an ear of corn. Might be old hat to you, but today I got two of 'em. "Forward," indeed!

Basho would be proud

comics haiku

Language Log

You never know just what you'll find through Fark. A thread about an anti-Hmong bumper sticker contains, deep within, a link to a University of Pennsylvania-based blog about the English language.