Leah Roffman, a freshman at Tufts University closes an essay on the Patriot Act with this:
Americans fear a terrorist takeover because terrorists would repeal our rights, threaten our safety, and disregard accountability to citizens. But our current government is doing all of those things right now. I might even become a victim of the USA governmental spying team just for saying so.
’nuff said.
I thought the headache I had while reading Order of the Phoenix was simple transference from Harry as the pain from his scar waxed and wained.
But a Northwest Washington physician thinks otherwise:
three patients, ages 8 to 10, complained in June that they had been suffering from headaches for two or three days.
“In each case, the headache was dull and the pain fluctuated throughout the day,” Bennett wrote in a letter published in today’s issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
….
“On further questioning, it was determined that each child had spent many hours reading J.K. Rowling’s latest book in the Harry Potter series,” Bennett wrote in the letter, which journal editors titled “Hogwarts Headaches — Misery for Muggles.”
……
“The presumed diagnosis for each child was a tension headache brought on by the effort required to plow through an 870-page book. The obvious cure for this malady — that is, taking a break from reading — was rejected by two of the patients, who preferred acetaminophen instead,” ….
Hmmmm, I still think I’m right and when the next volume comes out I suggest parent’s of 8-10 year olds give them something to prop up the book.
Literally.
Forbes recently published their:
…third annual list of top-earning deceased celebrities tracks the posthumous business dealings of the biggest stars of yesteryear. This year we expanded our list of top earners from 13 to 19, in part to reflect a broader range of professions. But that doesn’t mean the bar has been lowered. To qualify for our list, the person in question still must earn a minimum of $5 million annually.
Number 19 on the list at $5 million: Jerry Garcia late of the Grateful Dead. His estate thanks you.
Via Alex at A List a Day.
This post lost Michael Hanscom his job. See details here.
This seems to reflect some pretty deep paranoia over at MS. To think, they have smurfs who spend all their time looking for stuff like this to snuff out. Probably a training camp for the ashcroft justice department.
In the meantime, all of you who are not tenured academics or retired MS mizillionaires take note: MS may not be the only employer who might frown on something you say in your blog.
Via Brad DeLong.
Update (10/30): The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported on this today.
You all have likely already run across this but if not head over to Eschaton and read about it in this post and subsequent posts.
It seems Donald Luskin, self proclaimed Krugman stalker, has taken offense with one of Atrios’ posts and some of the comments therein:
You chose the unfortunate caption �Diary of a Stalker� for your link. More importantly, your readers, in responding to your invitation to comment, have posted numerous libelous statements regarding Mr. Luskin. Picking up on the theme you introduced, several have made false assertions that Mr. Luskin has committed the crime of stalking. Such a statement constitutes libel per se, an actionable tort subjecting both the author and the publisher to liability for both actual and punitive damages.
I haven’t been able to scrounge up the offending comment thread to read but I have no doubt some of the folks might have been a bit rude toward Luskin. Tsk. Tsk.
I suspect this is more a publicity stunt on Luskin’s part then anything else. And he will get his publicity but at what cost? I think Winds of Change nails it here:
And pundits who use slings ought to be able to take a stone or two, and the fact that Mr Luskin can’t – the fact assuming that the letter Atrios posted was genuine (and the lawyer’s name does check out on the firm website) – certainly drops him a few kilometers below credible in my view.
Will the luskin stalker meme top fair and balanced? Watch and enjoy.
Atrios provides a lengthy list of links to commentary on this here.
Via Skippy.