Kevin Drum has a good round-up on this story, but the most important point I haven't seen addressed in this thread is this:
"In 2003, Texas passed an anti-abortion law that instituted a 24-hour waiting period; required doctors to show women pictures of fetuses, tell them about adoption procedures, and warn them that an abortion could lead to breast cancer; and forced abortion providers to keep the identities of all their patients in their records. And one more thing, as the Fort Worth Weekly reported at the time:
"The bill as passed also includes another requirement that managed to escape the floodlights of controversy and debate: Abortions from 16 weeks onward now can be performed only in hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers.
"The clause is a major Catch-22. Very few Texas hospitals perform elective abortions, and the few that do charge extremely high fees and require that the patients go through complicated ethics reviews. And of the state's hundreds of surgical centers, none performs abortions."
So the Houston PP office was out of the question.
There's no explanation for Bush's continuing use of "nu-cular" other than willful choice. Even if you could make the argument that there was a connection between using that pronunciation and intelligence in general, he's been doing it long enough and consistently enough that someone in the White House would've corrected him if it didn't poll well (and I'm using "poll" informally). See also, the consistent and continued use of that pronunciation by Kiefer Sutherland on 24 -- people think it's right and don't want to be told, indirectly, that they're wrong.
I'm not sure what Hotmail being "free" has to do with anything. Hotmail may not cost the user any money (unless you're on Hotmail Pro 2000 or whatever), but Microsoft isn't just giving away this service out of the goodness of its heart; it's demanding your attention for advertisements in return. Clearly, MS has an interest in attracting and retaining users; thus, MS has an interest in help those users to use the service and to find it continually useful.
Whatever the merits of this guy's case (which appear to be nil), there's no reason to expect a service should be shoddy or incomplete just because it doesn't have a monetary cost.
<pedant>
Godwin's Law is not the act of doing anything. It is, instead, this tendency: As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches one.
</pedant>
(See Wiki.)
Tryouts in Madison? Not that I'm complaining, that's as convenient as it gets for me, but it seems like an odd choice given that Chicago's also on the list.
I tried out for the college tournament in the Twin Cities almost ten years ago but didn't get through the first round (only four people out of probably 100 or so did).
I use Verdana 10, but I've been playing around with Palatino lately. It's primarily because I never got around to changing some of the defaults in Movable Type, but it's been growing on me.
College football fans fail to appreciate halftime commercial for teen girl pop -- surprise!
Also, LarimdaME, those penalties weren't for fighting or anything, they were for celebration deemed excessive by the NCAA. This is enough to cost a team the game?
Chimpy McAwol
Astounding.
Truly. I mean, I'm sure the Irish people don't wish to be associated with this guy.
[On-topic: Cute, but seems like it could've been taken a lot further. And does Andy Dick ever do anything that's not a mock TV broadcast of some kind?]
I keep hearing about these Florida counties, and reading from many people that the results couldn't possibly be explained by registered Dixiecrats voting R, but no one ever seems to include the 2000 results from the same counties, which would presumably either be somewhat similar (but perhaps slightly better for the Dems) or wildly divergent. I'm a staunch Democrat, and would love to see some hard evidence on this, but these results aren't it.
Since we're talking about Oregon elections, perhaps someone can answer me this. Oregon has 100% voting by mail, right? How is it, then, that there are "exit poll" results from Oregon?
calimehtar -- I'm from upper Michigan, and it's that way every time I go back up there. I live in Wisconsin now, and driving from here to there, you cross through about four areas of empty woods that seem like they have to be beyond any kind of civilization at all, when suddenly, more little towns! It's weird to finally get all the way up there and realize Thunder Bay is only about 80 miles north.
Kevin Drum has a good round-up on this story, but the most important point I haven't seen addressed in this thread is this: "In 2003, Texas passed an anti-abortion law that instituted a 24-hour waiting period; required doctors to show women pictures of fetuses, tell them about adoption procedures, and warn them that an abortion could lead to breast cancer; and forced abortion providers to keep the identities of all their patients in their records. And one more thing, as the Fort Worth Weekly reported at the time: "The bill as passed also includes another requirement that managed to escape the floodlights of controversy and debate: Abortions from 16 weeks onward now can be performed only in hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers. "The clause is a major Catch-22. Very few Texas hospitals perform elective abortions, and the few that do charge extremely high fees and require that the patients go through complicated ethics reviews. And of the state's hundreds of surgical centers, none performs abortions." So the Houston PP office was out of the question.
posted by aaronetc 18 years ago
In "Do you speak American?"
There's no explanation for Bush's continuing use of "nu-cular" other than willful choice. Even if you could make the argument that there was a connection between using that pronunciation and intelligence in general, he's been doing it long enough and consistently enough that someone in the White House would've corrected him if it didn't poll well (and I'm using "poll" informally). See also, the consistent and continued use of that pronunciation by Kiefer Sutherland on 24 -- people think it's right and don't want to be told, indirectly, that they're wrong.
posted by aaronetc 18 years ago
In "Goodbye Hotmail!"
I'm not sure what Hotmail being "free" has to do with anything. Hotmail may not cost the user any money (unless you're on Hotmail Pro 2000 or whatever), but Microsoft isn't just giving away this service out of the goodness of its heart; it's demanding your attention for advertisements in return. Clearly, MS has an interest in attracting and retaining users; thus, MS has an interest in help those users to use the service and to find it continually useful. Whatever the merits of this guy's case (which appear to be nil), there's no reason to expect a service should be shoddy or incomplete just because it doesn't have a monetary cost.
posted by aaronetc 19 years ago
In "Ben Stein invokes Godwin's Law-"
<pedant> Godwin's Law is not the act of doing anything. It is, instead, this tendency: As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches one. </pedant> (See Wiki.)
posted by aaronetc 19 years ago
In "1) Choose Life. 2) Add To Cart."
And yet, I couldn't give these away. Where is the Left's love of tacky capitalism? Bah!
posted by aaronetc 19 years ago
In "Does this bother anyone other than me?"
Bobsled -- I would find your defense of your position more compelling if you hadn't stolen it, part and parcel, from Rob Corddry. I mean, COME ON!
posted by aaronetc 19 years ago
In "Jimmy Hats vs. the Clap"
f8x -- your "we" controls the entire government. I don't see anyone stopping them from not, say, running up record deficits.
posted by aaronetc 19 years ago
In "Trivial George"
Tryouts in Madison? Not that I'm complaining, that's as convenient as it gets for me, but it seems like an odd choice given that Chicago's also on the list. I tried out for the college tournament in the Twin Cities almost ten years ago but didn't get through the first round (only four people out of probably 100 or so did).
posted by aaronetc 19 years ago
In "50 most obnox...oh wait, it's not obnoxious, it's loathsome...50 most loathsome people in America"
Wait, Colin Quinn is somehow worse than Ann Coulter? Colin Quinn who's now working at a Blockbuster in the Bronx?
posted by aaronetc 19 years ago
In "Curious George: Best blog font?"
I use Verdana 10, but I've been playing around with Palatino lately. It's primarily because I never got around to changing some of the defaults in Movable Type, but it's been growing on me.
posted by aaronetc 19 years ago
In "Gawker: Ashley Simpson, Glutton for Punishment"
College football fans fail to appreciate halftime commercial for teen girl pop -- surprise! Also, LarimdaME, those penalties weren't for fighting or anything, they were for celebration deemed excessive by the NCAA. This is enough to cost a team the game?
posted by aaronetc 19 years ago
In "The Speechalist"
Chimpy McAwol Astounding. Truly. I mean, I'm sure the Irish people don't wish to be associated with this guy. [On-topic: Cute, but seems like it could've been taken a lot further. And does Andy Dick ever do anything that's not a mock TV broadcast of some kind?]
posted by aaronetc 19 years ago
In "Is it just me"
You may think they're cute now, but those critters are just one sacrificed rabbit away from a full-on blood orgy.
posted by aaronetc 19 years ago
In "Stupendous George..."
I got married and paid off a rather large sum of credit card debt. Next year I plan to buy a house. Maybe I'll run for Governor in 2006.
posted by aaronetc 19 years ago
In "Pentagon builds its own Internet"
"_______ traditionalists, however, ask if net-centric _______ is nothing more than an expensive fad." Fill in the blanks, kids!
posted by aaronetc 19 years ago
In "Surprising results in Florida. Again."
I keep hearing about these Florida counties, and reading from many people that the results couldn't possibly be explained by registered Dixiecrats voting R, but no one ever seems to include the 2000 results from the same counties, which would presumably either be somewhat similar (but perhaps slightly better for the Dems) or wildly divergent. I'm a staunch Democrat, and would love to see some hard evidence on this, but these results aren't it.
posted by aaronetc 19 years ago
In "The blue bubble in Oregon."
Since we're talking about Oregon elections, perhaps someone can answer me this. Oregon has 100% voting by mail, right? How is it, then, that there are "exit poll" results from Oregon?
posted by aaronetc 19 years ago
In "Alan Keyes has yet to comprehend why he lost."
I have yet comprehend why he ran.
posted by aaronetc 19 years ago
In "Jesusland and the US of C"
calimehtar -- I'm from upper Michigan, and it's that way every time I go back up there. I live in Wisconsin now, and driving from here to there, you cross through about four areas of empty woods that seem like they have to be beyond any kind of civilization at all, when suddenly, more little towns! It's weird to finally get all the way up there and realize Thunder Bay is only about 80 miles north.
posted by aaronetc 19 years ago
In "Curious George: Emigrating within the U.S."
It's all about Madison, no contest.
posted by aaronetc 19 years ago
(limited to the most recent 20 comments)