All across the world a pandemic has stricken our fine canine friends. They are being turned into metro-Barbie dogs at unprecedented rates. Typically I’m not one to decry a person’s freedom of expression, but the time does arise when we should stick up for those with less power and ability.

An alarming trend has occurred as stores nationwide are carrying a new line of “Puppypurses” along with the old standard Dolce and Gabbana handbags. If you go to a strip mall you may see one Paris Hilton, or her clone army, slinking pet kinkajous in these things.

Pornographic movies available in the rooms of some of America's best known hotel chains have caught the attention of conservative activists.

A coalition of 13 conservative groups -- including the Family Research Council and Concerned Women for America -- took out full-page ads this month urging the Justice Department and FBI to investigate whether some of the pay-per-view movies widely available in hotels violate federal and state obscenity laws.

Activists chose to target the hotel industry in part because of the well-known brands of corporations that cater to family vacationers.

A ruling to stop the sale of digital video recorders by EchoStar Communications yesterday was temporarily blocked this morning by a Federal Circuit Court of Appeals. Englewood, Colorado-based EchoStar said this morning that the US District Court of the Eastern District of Texas has temporarily blocked the permanent injunction against the company in its patent case against EchoStar. A court yesterday had ordered EchoStar to halt the use and sale of digital video recorders that it said infringed on DVRs from California-based Tivo. Echostar said that it believes the Texas decision was wrong, and that it should be reversed on appeal. The stay is in effect temporarily to decide whether a stay should or should not be in effect for the duration of the appeals process. EchoStar was also ordered to pay $90M to Tivo as part of the Thursday ruling. Tivo first sued EchoStar over its DVR patent in January of 2004.

Using the July 12 capture of two Israeli soldiers -- whose unit had apparently crossed the Israeli border into Lebanon -- as a pretext, the Bush administration quickly sprung into action: imagining yet a new Middle East, where democracy and freedom reigns over militancy and oppression.

Since the neoconservative takeover of America's foreign policies, it has become apparent that the neo-cons do not operate with such impulsiveness. The plan for a new Middle East was introduced as early as 1992 by then less-influential neoconservative elements. Those ideals were accentuated in 1996 by Richard Perle and company, then advising Israel's Prime Minister at the time, Benjamin Netanyahu.

A former FBI agent acquitted of shoplifting is suing Home Depot, accusing the company of ruining his career and reputation.

Thomas M. Jobes, 52, of Rumson, was detained at the store in May after being accused of failing to pay for a 4-foot-long piece of wire.

Jobes had worked for the FBI for 26 years, including on a high-profile corruption investigation that led to charges against more than two dozen developers and public officials in Monmouth County.

The final hours of the primary campaign between Senator Joseph I. Lieberman
and his challenger, Ned Lamont, were consumed by an angry dispute over
assertions that Lamont supporters had crashed the Lieberman campaign
Web site and disrupted its internal communications network.

The clash came today as voters turned out in strong numbers to
decide a contest that had become, in many ways, a referendum on Mr.
Lieberman’s staunch defense of the Iraq war, an issue that had focused
national attention on the race and galvanized antiwar Democrats and many opponents of President Bush into supporting Mr. Lamont.

Based on reports from polling stations, the state was on track to break
its previous record for turnout in a statewide primary, which was 38.8
percent in the 1970 Senate race. State officials said turnout could be
as high as 45 or even 50 percent.[\q]

NowPublic

Tags: web site | blame game | crash | lieberman