January 2008
83 posts
The other Kenneth Starr →
Kenneth Starr had a bit of an identity crisis Wednesday.
After talking about the nobility of the legal profession, the former special prosecutor in the Whitewater investigation was asked about his connection to movie star Wesley Snipes, who is currently on trial for tax fraud, conspiracy and willful failure to file tax returns.
“I heard something that you were offering opinions about...
The other Kenneth Starr →
Kenneth Starr had a bit of an identity crisis Wednesday.
After talking about the nobility of the legal profession, the former special prosecutor in the Whitewater investigation was asked about his connection to movie star Wesley Snipes, who is currently on trial for tax fraud, conspiracy and willful failure to file tax returns.
“I heard something that you were offering opinions about...
Yo, Peep, Yo! The Birth of a Gender Neutral... →
On today’s show, we did a story about a new use of the word yo. Apparently, it’s not just a greeting anymore. Some students in Baltimore, Maryland are using it as a way to refer to a third person, in a gender neutral kind of way. Here’s how a couple of students at The Baltimore Career Academy use the pronoun:
And there’s a back story: The pronoun got attention when, a...
Signs of Spring? →
Candidates don’t start to register to run for county office until February 11, but campaign signs are already starting to spring up. These appear in the barber shop in Pittsboro.
Final Ampersand EP Cover Art →
Some of y’all complained about the size of the cover art we had for The Ampersand EP, and well … now we’ve got the final deal. Click on the image above to see the full-size image we’ve got. This should be big enough for you to see, although it’s a JPG and has compression artifacts and all that. We’re sure that the final product will look even slicker in print, but also that the tired/grainy...
Edwards suspension for bookkeeping →
John Edwards suspended his campaign to take care of bookkeeping.
Earlier, Dome noted the wording of his announcement today, since suspending the campaign (as opposed to withdrawing) will allow him to keep his 26 delegates, who could come into play in a brokered convention.
But an Edwards campaign spokesman said that the reason for the suspension was financial, since it allows him to continue...
What's next for Edwards? →
So what’s next for John Edwards?
Edwards has given no indication of his plans, but that hasn’t stopped the speculation. Rob Christensen offers his take on some of the more widely discussed possibilities:
Could Edwards be a vice presidential candidate again? Most political observers think it’s unlikely.
There is little evidence that Edwards helped as Sen. John Kerry’s running mate on the...
Top 10 BitTorrent Tools and Tricks [Lifehacker Top... →
BitTorrent is the go-to resource for downloading everything from music and movies to software and operating systems, but as its popularity continues to grow, so do the number of tools available for making the most of it. Some are must-haves, while others are a waste of time. Climb aboard for a look at 10 of the best BitTorrent utilities, tools, and resources for finding and managing your...
Lieberman Rules Out Running as McCain's VP →
In 2004, the buzz was that Sen. John Kerry, the Democratic nominee, had asked Republican maverick Sen. John McCain to be his vice-presidential nominee (before he asked John Edwards). McCain said no. Not the biggest fan of the Bush administration, McCain was none-the-less not inclined to leave his party. Zoom ahead four years. Now it’s a prominent Democratic Senator who is denying that he...
Martin gets roped into competition →
State Rep. Grier Martin shows off his jump-roping skills at Washington GT Magnet elementary in Raleigh this morning.
Martin was one of several legislators, including Sen. Janet Cowell, Rep. Jennifer Weiss, Rep. Deborah Ross, Rep. Nelson Dollar and Wake school board member Anne McLaurin, that went to the school to learn about an athletics program.
But Martin was the only one to compete and...
State of the School →
I gave my State of the School Address on Tuesday.
Overall, I think it went well.
But the proof, as they say, is in the pudding, or in the lemonade-based community, as the case may be.
Read the speech, and that crazy metaphor will make a whole lot more sense.
Maybe even a few dollars too.
At any rate, you can read my speech here.
AP
Beowulf: Justin the Ghastly →
Here’s another cool video, courtesy of my friends at Portland Studios. Justin Gerard illustrated the cover to my 2005 record The Far Country, as well as the illustrations for my upcoming book On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness. Portland Studios published a beautiful picture book called Beowulf: Grendel the Ghastly, which is available on Portland’s website, and will soon be available here in...
Andy O is so done with this photo shoot →
i was browsing through the Caedmon’s Flickr account and came across this picture, which made me laugh. No, not at Cliff without a hat. There is nothing wrong with Cliff’s head, and if there was, why would i laugh at that? That would be rude. And besides, Cliff is a stud. (So save the “Cliff needs to put a hat on” jokes for some other time)
What i was laughing at was Andy’s expression. He looks so...
A Timeless Political Speech →
Wouldn’t it be handy for White House contenders — and anyone else running for elected office — to have the perfect, all-purpose political speech? Scott Simon reads a bit of 1895 oratory that does the trick. » E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
Barack Obama Does 'Letterman' Top 10 →
Democrat Barack Obama showed up on Late Night with David Letterman Thursday. Remember his turn on Saturday Night Live?
— Laura Conaway
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Obama: Don't muss with me →
Illinois Sen. Barack Obama has his turn with David Letterman tonight, and he won’t let the talk show host mess with his hair.
Obama is scheduled to appear tonight on the “Late Show with David Letterman” to present the show’s famous Top Ten list.
The show was taped this afternoon, though, and after Obama presented the Top Ten Barack Obama Campaign Promises (No. 8 -...
Did Ronald Reagan "Win" Louisana GOP Caucus? →
Although you may have totally missed it, Louisiana held its Republican presidential caucuses on Tuesday night. And a couple of days later, it’s not quite clear who “won.” One report has it that Sen. John McCain won the most delegates, with Rep. Ron Paul in second. But another report in the Shreveport Times says that “the uncommitted “Pro-Life/Pro-Family” slate...
Conservatives Continue Attacks on McCain →
You can almost hear conservatives’ teeth grinding every time they say the name “John McCain.” Conservative talk-show host and columnist Hugh Hewitt is a good example. Along with Rush Limbaugh, Hewitt has taken every opportunity he can to attack McCain. His most recent broadside is about the Supreme Court. He argues in a column on Townhall.org that anyone who considers themselves...
4th annual Krispy Kreme Challenge at NC State →
On the morning of January 26, 2008, NC State students and the greater Raleigh at the NC State Belltower for the 4th Annual Krispy Kreme Challenge, a fun charity fundraiser for the North Carolina Children’s Hospital. What began as a college dare among a few friends has now turned into a new NC State tradition. Nearly 1400 people took part in 2007.
Linkfest: Student Fakes Being Robbed to Skip Class →
Yesterday morning, a 14-year-old boy in Bellingham, Washington, didn’t show up to class to hand in a homework assignment. He was in the bathroom tied up, his pockets turned inside out. Police raced to the middle school restroom, where he told them a heavyset man wearing a mask and hoodie scoured the boys pockets in search of some cash. Students throughout the school were immediately confined...
Long-Term Pact with Iraq Raises Questions →
A “declaration of principles” that sets the foundation for the future of America’s involvement in Iraq is raising questions on Capitol Hill about how long the U.S. commitment there will last. » E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
California Poll Shows Dramatic Changes in GOP... →
As musician Mark Knopfler once wrote, “Some days you’re the windshield and some days you’re the bug.” Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani must be feeling kind of buggy these days. Recent polls in Florida and New York have shown his once large leads in those Republican primaries have vanished and he has fallen out of the frontrunner position in both states. Now the...
The MacBook Air vs. the XO Kids Laptop →
Buy two, give one free
The Apple Air laptop is pretty neat — but in the wireless game, it may have some things to learn from the $200 XO laptop. That’s right, the one built for kids. For starters, the wireless neighborhood around the XO laptop appears on a dedicated screen, with different icons for various access points. And it links in a snap to other XOs, to the point...
Ron Paul Supporters Have Another Good Money Day →
Well, it wasn’t quite a money bomb. More like a money hand grenade. But Ron Paul’s supporters have come through for him again - although not in the numbers of earlier fundraising efforts. On Monday, Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Paul supporters organized another of their 24-hour “money bomb” fundraising events. (Monday was chosen partially to counter recent allegations...
A new record? →
Tonight’s Chatham County Board of Commissioners meeting finished in 59 minutes. One member said it was a record — regardless, it was pretty quick. What discussion there was related mostly to a rezoning request by a residential treatment center for women with eating disorders. It wants to expand from six patients to 12, and needs a zoning adjustment to make it work. At the end of the...
McCain Popular with People Against the War →
Here’s a mind-boggling fact: people who are opposed to the Iraq war look very favorably towards Sen. John McCain - supporter of President Bush and the troop surge in Iraq. No, that is not a typo. In New Hampshire, for instance, exits polls show that he did very well with those opposed to the war. And he did poorly among big supporters of the war in both New Hampshire and Michigan. Go figure....
One in 100 know superintendent's name →
Only one in 100 people know June Atkinson.
According to a survey last June by the N.C. Center for Voter Education, only 1 percent of people could identify the state superintendent of public instruction.
The group used the survey to push for public financing of those positions, but it’s also instructive in light of today’s debate about appointing the superintendent.
By contrast,...
Polls: NC likes McCain →
John McCain is popular in North Carolina.
A statewide survey Sunday and Monday by the Civitas Institute found that the Arizona senator enjoys a comfortable lead among registered Republicans in North Carolina:
McCain - 32 percent
Mike Huckabee - 16 percent
Mitt Romney - 12 percent
Rudy Giuliani - 10 percent
Fred Thompson - 9 percent
Ron Paul - 4 percent
Not sure - 17 percent
The poll of...
Rob: Elected super is democracy run amok →
Rob Christensen says electing the schools superintendent is “democracy run amok.”
In a 2000 column, the longtime N&O reporter wrote that North Carolina and North Dakota have the longest ballots in the country, electing a number of positions that are appointed in other states.
He argued that there are good reasons to elect the secretary of state, lieutenant governor and state...
A Million Tiny Pieces of Campaign Stuff →
Gold Water, from Barry Goldwater’s campaign 1964
From Campaigning for President Jordan Wright has been collecting political memorabilia since he was 10 years old. Now he has over a million pieces. Kind of amazing, really.
— Laura Conaway
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Edwards: I represent grown-up wing →
CONWAY, S.C.—John Edwards Wednesday sought to capitalize on the growing rift in the Democratic presidential primary, by portraying himself as above the fray.
“I was proud to represent the grown-up wing of the Democratic Party last night,” Edwards told about 250 supporters in a cold peanut warehouse this morning, Rob Christensen reports.
Edwards was referring to the pointed charges...
Watch
Snow falls in Chatham County →
The first snow of the year hits central North Carolina. Gene Galin does a video report from his backyard.
Candidate Bingo: Is Bloomberg Running? →
It would seem there are a lot of presidential candidates, but that’s not stopping a small group of independents from urging New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg to run. Bloomberg denies he’s running for the top office, but is he acting like a candidate? » E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
Wassup, governor? →
Mike Easley knows his beer ads.
The governor introduced pioneering civil rights journalist Chuck Stone at today’s 27th annual State Employees’ Martin Luther King Jr. Day Observance, Keung Hui reports. He couldn’t resist mentioning that Stone’s son, Charles III, is one of the creators of the Budweiser “Wassup” commercials.
“Wassup man,” Easley said in a...
Barack Obama and His Conservative Fans →
One of the more consistent secondary themes in this presidential campaign has been the support Illinois Democratic Senator Barack Obama has attracted from conservative writers and pundits. (Similar to the sort of attention that Republican Sen. John McCain has attracted from liberals and independents). The Atlantic’s iconoclastic conservative Andrew Sullivan, for instance, has been a fervent...
Moncure podiatrist to run for U.S. Senate →
A Moncure podiatrist will run for U.S. Senate.
Howard A. Staley, 52, announced yesterday that he would enter the Democratic primary against state Sen. Kay Hagan and Chapel Hill investment banker Jim Neal.
He said that he wants to add his experiences as a doctor, patient and employer to the upcoming debate over health care in Congress. In particular, he argued that insurance companies are...
Greenspan: Wanted, dead or alive →
COLUMBIA, S.C.—U.S. Sen. John McCain rolled out a plan to stimulate the economy Thursday that included long-term proposals, such as a corporate tax cut.
One other idea is an independent commission to revamp the tax code. The commission, like the one that handles military base closings, would present a plan for Congress to approve or disapprove without any changes, Mark Johnson reports.
(Lt....
Can a Web Quiz Really Tell You Who to Vote For? →
All your friends are doing it: taking online quizzes to find out which candidate best matches their values. The problem is, we don’t always like the answer. » E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
Stein goes first in Senate race →
Josh Stein has decided to spill the beans first.
The Democratic candidate for state Senate District 16 released his fundraising numbers for the final quarter of 2007 this morning.
Stein said that he raised more than $133,000 from more than 400 contributors.
Some of his donors include former House Majority Leader Phil Baddour, Democratic pollster Dean Debnam, former Senate candidate D.G....
Presidential Candidates and Their Health Care →
Health care is a key issue for most Americans this campaign. In fact, some surveys show that it ranks as a more important issue that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. So after we received an e-mail from a listener about what kind of health care the candidates themselves had, NPR’s Julie Rovner decided to find out. Many of the Republicans and Democrats running for president are sitting...
Pants-free at the BPP? →
Last week we interviewed one of the geniuses behind No Pants 2k8, the annual improvisational event in which random people ride the subway sans pants. The 7th annual version of the event happened on Saturday. No one here at BPP world headquarters joined in. Or so we thought…. Friend of the BPP and sometime cohost Mike Pesca sent out an e-mail this morning with a link to a picture of some...
Nobel Winner Rethinks Business from Ground Up →
In Creating a World Without Poverty Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus describes how entrepreneurs with an altruistic vision can use traditional businesses to tackle the world’s most pressing problems. » E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
Go Woods! →
10 More Years! Quite an accomplishment considering the state-wide crackdown on charter renewals. Just goes to show what a special place Woods is. Congratulations to Mr. King and the school board for all their hard working getting our charter renewed.
Researchers Grow a Beating Heart →
Scientists constructed a beating rat heart in the lab. They used a scaffolding of tissue created from a rat cadaver. Then, living heart cells were added and given a jolt. » E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
Get Things Done Over the Phone with Jott [Feature] →
At its most basic level, webapp Jott is a voice to text transcription service: you call Jott, leave a message, and Jott transcribes it and emails you or your contacts the text. That alone can capture the big idea that pops into your head on the drive to the office, but Jott can do a whole lot more than send you email. With Jott’s built-in links and tools that capitalize on its...
Poll: McCain surges in NC →
John McCain is on the rise in North Carolina.
So say the results of Public Policy Polling’s latest tracking poll on the Republican presidential race. The latest numbers show that former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and McCain, the Arizona senator, are neck-and-neck in a survey of 978 likely Republican primary voters on Jan. 9.
That’s a big leap for McCain, who was the choice of just...
Poll: McCrory leads GOP field →
Public Policy Polling has released its latest poll on the GOP governor’s race.
The results show a slight lead for longtime Charlotte mayor Pat McCrory, who is set to announce his candidacy Tuesday in Jamestown.
Pat McCrory: 18 percent
Fred Smith: 16 percent
Bill Graham: 13 percent
Bob Orr: 8 percent
Elbie Powers: 2 percent
“Republican voters have not been particularly...
Bank of America to Buy Countrywide →
Bank of America Corp. officials say the company has agreed to buy Countrywide Financial for $4 billion in stock. The acquisition will make Charlotte-based Bank of America the nation’s biggest mortgage lender and loan servicer. » E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us
Ready to debate →
From left to right, Republican gubernatorial candidates Bill Graham, Bob Orr and Fred Smith prepare to debate at UNC-TV in Research Triangle Park this evening.
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