Senator    Lifetime contributions from Insurance/Pharma
Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT)    $1,203,205
Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM)    $206,297
Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND)    $442,165
Sen. Mike Enzi (R-NV)    $342,228
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA)    $702,595
Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME)    $161,706
TOTAL:    $3,058,256
These six senators — who, by the way, represent only 2.74% of Americans — are writing bad policy, and they’re doing it while they take money from the very companies who stand to benefit the most.

~via CREDOaction

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I.B.M. to Buy SPSS, a Maker of Business Software – NYTimes.com.

Thoughts:
-SPSS would have been a good stock to own
-So business is going to turn more directly toward data analytics, and a “predict-and-act” model, eh?  I’ll believe it when I see it.
-Wish I would have learned more permanently how to use SPSS!

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A story about the school I used to teach at, via Bronx Principal’s Tough Love Gets Results – CBS Evening News – CBS News.

“One New York City high school principal is trying to improve his school, **which has a reputation for street gangs, shootings and drug dealers.**”  I’m sorry, but did I miss something?  I mean, I remember breaking up that fight between exiius and BCSM, but *shootings?*

“I’m not always going to make the decisions that are popular,” he said.  **and he can say that again**

Well, ah well, I guess we’ve al got new families now, even our favorite little “Kierzyn.”

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the show with zefrank

This guy is on uppers, maybe, but he’s smart and fast in waves.  In this video, he discusses cpyright infringement, and why a thorough understanding of the issue doesn’t necessarily shed any more light on it.

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msnbc.com:Iraqi journalist throws shoes at Bush

Oh yeah, this happened.  Someone threw a shoe at my president.

I guess we bombed their schools and hopsitals first, but I’m sure there are Americans who just cannot understand this behavior.

“This is a farewell kiss, you dog.” = great one-liner

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Like Hillary said: No Way, No how, NO McCain, No PALIN.

Sarah Palin was and is a joke.  I’m sad to think that this video may still have relevance, and that Republicans right now have to pick between her, an adulterer, and a prescription-abusing gasbag for their future leadership.  =/

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It’s at least time we started debating the possibility of changing our marijuana laws. This video highlights only one of many reasons – but it’s a crucil reason:

Yet another reason to consider ending the war on drugs. This commercial was actually paid for with your tax dollars. It was produced by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), and suggests that if you smoke, your girlfriend might leave you for an alien who doesn’t:

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You have a Constitutional Right To Spam!

My friend Sean forwarded me this link, which chronicles the case against a spammer that almost went to the Supreme Court.  In that case, Jeremy Jaynes, a spammer, got away with spamming.

Jaynes would celebrate not having to go to prison, if he wasn’t already there serving time on an unrelated charge of securities fraud.

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Two American hotels, the Marriott and the Ritz-Carlton, were bombed in Indonesia today.

“Authorities did not immediately name a suspect, but suspicion fell on the Jemaah Islamiyah or its allies. The al-Qaida-linked network is blamed for past attacks in Indonesia, including a 2003 bombing at the Marriott in which 12 people died.”

I bet most of my Indonesian friends are less bothered by the 8 deaths, as death is a bit more common occurrence there, than they are about this:

The Manchester United football team canceled a visit to Indonesia in the wake of the attacks. The team had been scheduled to stay at the Ritz- Carlton on Saturday and Sunday.

via STLtoday – Associated Press News.

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In preliminary counts, it appears that SBY has won for himself another term, defeating Megawati Soekarnoputri and Josef Hatta.

I really need to find that javanese saying “Noto yo..” that yanto told me about…

http://blogs.reuters.com/global/2009/07/08/indonesias-election-faster-better-boring/

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