February 28, 2004

The wolf is a symbol of wisdom, loyalty and independence.
He is one of history's more revered (and feared) characters.

That your Patronus is a wolf says
that you are very wise as a person.
You tend to be loyal to your friends,
even when they screw up,
but you are also independent.
Finding that balance is key;
finding it will ensure
that you will be a wonderful witch or wizard!

What is Your Patronus?
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"I don't care. If it doesn't rhyme, it isn't a poem."

You are a type A personality.
You like bright things,
you don't call in sick to work
and you have devastating opinions about art.


Which Weird Latin Phrase Are You?
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February 27, 2004

Students, doctors, attorneys and architects have a higher risk of crashing their cars or getting a speeding ticket, a new study shows. While I understand that docs and lawyers work long hours, you'd think the people who delve into these occupations would be more safety conscious.

Tonight, when the sun sets, turn off all the lights. Pull up a chair in front of your favorite computer monitor and click here. "The Cat With Hands" is a delightfully, spooky short film in QuickTime format that's subversive enough to stick in your brain for future nightmare usage.

February 25, 2004

Pascal Remy, a restaurant inspector for the Michelin guide, is causing quite a stir in France for publishing a tell-all memoir about his food critic years.

Remy claims Michelin turned down the right to publish the book, and offered him a promotion and a 30 percent raise to suppress it. When he refused the offer, the company fired him. Michelin, however, says Remy is an extortion artist with a vivid imagination who demanded money not to publish and was fired for violating the company's confidentiality rules.

Another story of a big corporation trying to keep the little guy down? Or a tale of extortion and fraud? You decide.

Democratic presidential candidates John Edwards and John Kerry sat down with the editors of The New York Times and gave some rather candid answers to questions on Haiti, jobs, gay marriage and President George W. Bush.

If you're not a political junkie, and find debates boring, take a moment and watch these videos. They are revealing and fairly in-depth looks at the senators' viewpoints.

February 24, 2004

Jon Friedman of CBS MarketWatch recently asked: How should we handle the upcoming publication of Jayson Blair's memoir, "Burning Down My Masters' House"?

My response? Ignore it. Don't write about it at all. Don't review it. Don't fan the flames of sensationlism by giving it extra publicity. Most importantly, don't buy the damn thing. No one should profit from years of fraud, particularly a "journalist" who was trusted with The New York Times seal of approval.

In fact, this will be my final posting on the matter.

Dow Jones Newswires have decided to ban the use of spell-check (scroll down to read the Dow Jones memo).

Apparently the tool caused too many printed errors.

February 23, 2004

A new Jaded Writings column has been posted. This week, I discuss ways to keep kids safe from sexual predators.

Congress takes a week off for Spring Break, and President George W. Bush uses that time to give William H. Pryor Jr. a seat on the federal appeals court. In his effort to bypass a Democratic filibuster, Bush brazenly offered this important appointment to an Alabama official with a reputation as an advocate for a greater Christian influence in government. He's also an outspoken opponent of legalized abortion.

Bill Frist, the Senate majority leader, actually had the nerve to stand up for Pryor, calling him "a man of integrity committed to the rule of law, not making law from the bench. I am confident he will impartially interpret the law and uphold justice."

I'm calling bullshit on that play.

• Victor Hugo - 2/26/1802
• Janice Strand (writing as J.L. Hansen and Lynne Hansen) - 2/26/68
• John Steinbeck - 2/27/1902
• Henry Wadsworth Longfellow - 2/27/1807

February 22, 2004

"I would like to see people be allowed to get married legally, if that's what they choose. And I would like to see the government issue an apology to the American public for wasting its time on this issue. We have so many pressing issues in this country: We're a nation that builds more prisons than schools, we have homeless people, people without jobs, children going off to fight wars that don't concern them, old people who've worked their entire lives and can't afford the food they need to live. These are real, pressing issues -- not whether two people who love each other can be legally married."
--Rev. Gwen Hall

You represent... hope. You're quite a daydreamer and can be a hopeless romantic. You enjoy being creative and don't mind being alone at times. You have goals, and know what you want in life.

What Feeling Do You Represent?

Past Afterthoughts