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1

You left out the news in the P-I today that Stranger writers use pseudonyms. Time for another Note to Our Readers, Dan!

Posted by Walter Lippman | October 17, 2006 8:29 AM
2

Liberate Lynne & expunge her conviction now, dammit! (Via Wiki): Lynne F. Stewart (born October 8, 1939) is a former New York attorney and a self-described radical known for her outspoken political views and representation of alleged terrorists.

On October 16, 2006, as reported by the Associated Press, a judge sentenced Stewart, convicted of providing material support to terrorists, to 28 months in prison. ...

Stewart was indicted for criminal activity in April 2002. She was accused of providing material aid to a foreign terrorist organization, making false statements, and conspiracy to defraud the federal government. All the allegations stemmed from an apparent violation of Special Administrative Measures to which Abdel Rahman and his counsel were subject.

These measures, which Stewart had accepted in writing in order to be allowed to meet with Abdel Rahman in prison, provided that she would not, "use [their] meetings, correspondence, or phone calls with Abdel Rahman to pass messages between third parties (including, but not limited to, the media) and Abdel Rahman". The material support charges were dismissed in the summer of 2003, but, in November 2003, Stewart was re-indicted on charges of material support to a murder conspiracy, of which she was ultimately convicted.

Stewart was accused of using her meetings with Abdel Rahman to facilitate communications between Abdel Rahman and members of Al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya (Islamic Group, in English), an Egyptian organization classified as a terrorist group by the Department of State. Stewart was alleged to have allowed her Arabic translator and co-defendant, Mohammed Yousry, to use her meetings with Abdel Rahman to receive communications for passing to followers. She was also charged with releasing her client's press conference statements, which declared his withdrawal of support for Al-Gama'a's cease-fire against the Egyptian government.

(Silencing a good woman for 28 months? For mere treason? This time the Christofascist Bush regime has gone way too far.)

Posted by Mistress Ethel Rosenberg Rodham | October 17, 2006 8:48 AM
3

I have a 12-cup Barista from Starbucks - but quit using it because the stainless steel gave the coffee an annoying metalic taste.

Posted by Bruce in MapleLeaf | October 17, 2006 8:51 AM
4

Try spell check next time for the Disney item.

Posted by Done | October 17, 2006 8:54 AM
5

I don't think the P-I says much more than Dan already told readers in his previous post. He was pretty forthright about the situation. If you're surprised that Stranger writers sometimes use pseudonyms, well...did you actually think A. Birch Steen was a real name?

Posted by Gabriel | October 17, 2006 8:55 AM
6

Did anyone else see the CNN poll that lists Americans’ greatest concerns going into the elections?

1. Terrorism
2. Iraq
3. Economy
4. North Korea
5. Mark Foley (!)
6. Gay Marriage and Abortion

This is the reason that our country is so truly fucked: Americans have lost the ability to self govern and prioritize.

The odds of being killed in a terrorist attack, or even simply knowing someone killed in an attack, in the US are infinitesimal. Iraq and the economy have become so vaguely defined in issues and actions that it’s unclear what could be accomplished. North Korea can be controlled with a combination of economic isolation and diplomacy. The Mark Foley scandal, gay marriage and abortion issues are simply out there to drive up people’s emotions and encourage them to vote.

What Americans should be concerned about if they had any sense:

1. The Savings Crisis
2. Affordable Health Care
3. Education
4. Rebuilding our civic infrastructure

Only one third of Americans, best case scenario, have enough saved to live comfortably in retirement. Another third have some savings but not nearly enough, and the final third have no savings at all and will be totally dependent on family, charity and a government that is rapidly going bankrupt. The national savings rate has been negative now for almost 18 months meaning that we're spending more than we make.
Healthcare and education in the US are both disasters. We spend more on both than anyone else in the world, yet we don’t even rank in the top ten in performance in key areas. We rank a pathetic 36th in scientific reasoning --thanks American Taliban!
No one has a clue how to pay for rebuilding our roads, interstates and bridges –it’s going to cost trillions that we don’t have.
These problems affect every single one of us and are going to accelerate and become much worse, so the public has to come to its senses and start working on them like now. We can start by electing sane people to office. I’m not optimistic.

Posted by Andrew | October 17, 2006 9:25 AM
7

Right on, Andrew.

The expunged-conviction nightmare can be ended at a stroke: make the data aggregators criminally liable. A few 5-year jail sentences would get that data cleaned up right away -- or, if not, the data aggregators would just go out of business. Americans win either way.

Posted by Fnarf | October 17, 2006 10:46 AM
8

sheesh. learn how to spell. and "it's"=it is.

Posted by bing | October 17, 2006 10:51 AM
9

What's the point of going to Disneyland if you can't get one of those gigantic lollipops?

Lynne Stewart is an old-school, reactionary liberal. I absolutely believe that she aided and abetted her terrorist client, if only because she's one of those idiot radical leftists who take the side of anyone who's against the United States, even misogynistic, homophobic, anti-Semitic Islamo-terrorfucks.

Posted by keshmeshi | October 17, 2006 10:58 AM
10

In the article about the FDA approving food from cloned animals, one of the proponents states that the FDA "has no authority to make decisions based on ethics concerns." If that were true, the morning after pill, RU-486 and other drugs would have been available years earlier than they were, as they had long been safely used in Europe. The FDA bows to pressure from the Amerian just as flagrantly as anyone else. It should be abolished and a new regulatory agency set up in its place-one that doesn't allow members of agribusiness or pharmaceutical companies on its board.

Posted by Dianna | October 17, 2006 11:36 AM
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Ok, I meant the FDA bows to pressure from the American Taliban....

got a bit too excited there.....

(oh, Andrew-couldn't have said it better myself)

Posted by Dianna | October 17, 2006 11:41 AM
12

I should point out some of the costs of wining and dining by title insurance companies are passed on to taxpayers, as much of the expense is tax-deductible (translation: you pay for what THEY do).

Posted by Will in Seattle | October 17, 2006 12:10 PM
13

here's some scary news that's broken since the early morning: california officials are investigating letters sent to orange county latinos (in spanish) warning them "You are advised that if your residence in this country is illegal or you are an immigrant, voting in a federal election is a crime that could result in jail time...." http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-scare17oct17,0,6121284.story?coll=la-home-headlines

Posted by Ginger | October 17, 2006 12:53 PM
14

As if title insurance people DO anything at all.

Posted by Fnarf | October 17, 2006 2:09 PM
15

They do collect fees.

Posted by Will in Seattle | October 17, 2006 2:19 PM
16

For chrissake people - harping on about typos and misspellings on Slog responses? Grow the fuck up, enough with the middle-school level red herrings already.

Most everyone here is likely multitasking at their day job while they entertain themselves on Slog. These posts are to meant to succinctly editorialize, it's not meant to be literature.

Posted by Dougsf | October 18, 2006 12:47 PM
17

You left out the news in the P-I today that Stranger writers use pseudonyms. Time for another Note to Our Readers, Dan! I disagree go to http://www.apartments.waw.pl

Posted by Warsaw apartments | October 26, 2006 4:39 AM

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