According to data released by the Census Bureau (pdf), the housing vacancy rate has reached a record high of 2.7%. This marks the first time since the bureau began tracking the statistic that it has gone over 2%. We should expect to see downward pressure on housing and rentals. In happier news, the bid my […]

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Moob reduction. I’m too afraid to ask what’s next.
Doctors say rising numbers of men are having liposuction to reduce their flabby breasts - known as moobs.
Plastic surgeon Adam Searle said: “In the past men tended to put up with moobs but now they know that something can be done due to the accessibility of […]

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Dear Sir. Oolius,
Get you filthy mitts off my shtick you thieving ingrate. If this outrage stands, I will be forced to respond in the only way I know how, with brutality.
Kindly,
Chris

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Mandela reminds us that Gandhi’s Non-Violent fashions are always in style.
The 88-year-old statesman was addressing a conference, through a satellite link from South Africa, to mark the centenary of Gandhi’s “satyagraha” or non-violent movement which began in Johannesburg on Sept 11, 1906, where Gandhi was practicing law. Gandhi lived in South Africa from 1893 to […]

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The LA Times has a great piece on Robert Greenwald’s targeting John McCain via viral YouTube ads.
In a dim Culver City editing room, two video snippets of Republican presidential hopeful John McCain fill the monitors. In the first, he says same-sex marriage should be allowed. In the second, he says it should be illegal.
The clips […]

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He’s going to be on TPM Cafe for an hourlong live discussion on Tuesday. Here’s your chance to get your question in for him.

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From yesterday on Meet the Press:
SEN. SCHUMER: Well, I think the bottom line is that the president will have no choice but to begin a withdrawal come this summer or fall of 2007. And that’s why I think the 2008 election, Tim, is going to turn on a positive platform. That’s what I’ve written…
MR. RUSSERT: […]

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Experts estimate the

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Good luck to the Center for Public Integrity (CPI) in finding out exactly how competitive the US broadband market is.

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Well that was unpleasant. I spent the day moving everything over to a new server with a new hosting company that is hopefully a bit more reliable. After repeated denials, my old hosting company finally acknowledged that their server was crashing several times a day and promptly turned around and blamed Suburban Guerrilla for the […]

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It’s about time someone said this.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman on Sunday dismissed criticism that a resolution opposing a troop buildup in Iraq would embolden the enemy and estimated perhaps only 20 senators believe President Bush “is headed in the right direction.”
“It’s not the American people or the U.S. Congress who are emboldening […]

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Because it’s not good for their lungs.
Growing up near a freeway stunts a child’s breathing capacity for a lifetime, significantly increasing the risk of serious lung and heart diseases later in life, according to researchers who monitored thousands of Southern California children for up to eight years.
The landmark study, led by a team of University […]

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1. Thinking Amelia - Deb Talen
2. I Won’t Die Alone - Shelby Lynne
3. True Colors - Cyndi Lauper
4. Touch of Grey - Grateful Dead
5. Stay - Blue Merle
6. Downtown Train - Tom Waits
7. Hungry Heart - Bruce Springsteen
8. Isn’t It Romantic - Ella Fitzgerald
9. All Those Years Ago - George Harrison
10. Desire - The Raconteurs
11. […]

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My personal relationship with Susie started when I read a post where she described her frustration with Blogger. I sent her an email offering free hosting. I didn’t actually have server space or bandwidth available for her, but her frustration with blogger was a prime excuse for a geek like me to shell out some […]

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Hello, I’m an angry panda. This site template is just a temporary fix until I come up with something better. Unfortunately, the old one just didn’t get along with the newest release of Wordpress and it was causing all sorts of horrible problems for people (mostly me), so we needed a quick fix. Leave your […]

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American dead of the Iraq and Afghan occupations come disproportionately from rural America.

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Does anyone know where there’s a central source for the cost of snow removal in the United States by year? I see stories like this:

The Colorado Department of Transportation said Thursday that it has spent $7.1 million on snow removal during the numerous storms and blizzard that hit Colorado’s Eastern Plains and Front Range. […]

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Actually, I wish I was there. In spite of the cold, the march today has the potential to be one of the largest mobilizations so far. Since I can’t be there, I went online and signed the petition. Join in.

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Please say a prayer.

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From the post-it note list of Congressional accomplishments of Jim Bunning and J.C. Watts, to the exciting also-ran gubernatorial campaign of Lynn Swann, to the incredibly damaging Presidentin’ of George W. Bush, the Republican Party is building a minor league of sort for their federal political candidacies. Well, it’s not really minor league, since […]

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I do this because I have to, not because I want to.
Running to Stand Still - U2
The Love I Long For - Joe Lovano
Dusk Dawn - John Coltrane
Pinocchio - Miles Davis
Them There Eyes - Billie Holiday
Be Fair With Me Baby - Billie Holiday
Your Lady - John Coltrane
Cascades - Oliver Nelson
Like Someone In Love - John […]

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Those days are over. Defused.

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Russ Feingold hits on an important point here:
“It’s a walk in the park right now to oppose the idea of this war. It’s also very easy to oppose the escalation,” Mr. Feingold said. “They are once again being too timid and too cautious.”
Just something to keep in mind as more and senators and congresspeople people […]

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Don’t even think about it out there. No home training.
Safety is the first consideration in any sport, and the IFOCE insists that all sanctioned competitive eating matches take place in a controlled environment with the proper safety measures in place.
The IFOCE will not sanction or promote any events that do not adhere to the […]

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Snake massage? Is there actually anything we wouldn’t do to seek out novelty?
Hold the Dead Sea salts and tea-tree oil. An Israeli health and beauty spa has introduced a new treatment to its menu — snake massage.
For 300 shekels (70 dollars), clients at Ada Barak’s spa in northern Israel can add a wild twist […]

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