KIDS SCARED STRAIGHT
A Moscow wax figure exhibition highlights the dangers of drugs by showing such things as the corpse of a glue sniffer. If this won't scare your kids nothing will.
(MOSCOW NEWS)

BOYCOTT SONY CDS, THEIR SUBSIDIARIES AND BEWARE OF BEST BUY
On November 16, 2005 Sony announced that it had instructed retailers to remove any unsold music discs containing the rootkit software from their shelves.CLICK HERE FOR LINK TO THAT STORY This came on the heels of a firestorm of controversy and criticism from no less than the Department of Homeland Security. CLICK HERE FOR LINK TO THAT STORY
I went to the local Best Buy yesterday (26th) and purchased a few CDs. I have been avoiding Sony CDs because of the latest hoopla. However, when I took my purchases home I noticed an acknowledgement to Sony/BMG on the liner notes to Carlos (Mr Free Spirit himself) Santana's newest Arista album. Apparently Sony has put this software on their other labels. Had I not read the liner notes prior to putting the CD in my machine it would have infected it. And, what is Best Buy doing selling recalled (if the recall extends to Arista) materials?

PRUNO ANYONE?
"Back in December 2002, the warden at Lancaster prison in Los Angeles County removed fresh fruit from box lunches in the maximum-security lockup, as an effort to reduce violence. Apparently, sober, scurvy-addled felons are much easier to control than drunken, violent convicts. "
(THE BLACK TABLE, unearthed by Matt McCarthy)

TORTURE SHOW HIGHLIGHTS RUMSFELD COMPLICITY
The recent PBS program Frontline illuminated the complicity of the 'small circle of lawyers who surrounded the president' and 'together would create a legal theory that would permit the United States to act unilaterally in defining the 'rules of war' and justifying the unprecedented powers to be given to George W. Bush including the authorization of torture. "
(VILLAGE VOICE)

PUBLIC RADIO'S HEAD ROLLS
Kenneth Y. Tomlinson, whose controversial leadership of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's board of directors sparked an internal investigation into his tenure, resigned from the board Thursday in advance of the imminent release of the report, which is expected to contain criticism of his actions.

In the last six months, Tomlinson — whose two-year term as chairman expired in late September — provoked a heated debate with his aggressive efforts to incorporate more conservatives into public broadcasting, both on the air and behind the scenes. He said he was merely following federal law requiring the corporation to ensure objectivity and balance in public broadcasting, and argued that his actions would expand the appeal of the Public Broadcasting Service and National Public Radio.
(COMMON DREAMS)

COLIN POWELL AIDE SAYS FOREIGN POLICY HAS BEEN USURPED BY CHENEY/RUMSFELD "CABAL"
"Lawrence Wilkerson, Secretary of State Colin Powell's former chief of staff, has offered a remarkably blunt criticism of the administration he served, saying that foreign policy had been usurped by a 'Cheney-Rumsfeld cabal,' and that President Bush has made the country more vulnerable, not less, to future crises."
(NEW YORK TIMES)

DORGAN WITHDRAWS CUBA TRAVEL AMENDMENT
Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND) withdrew the Cuba travel amendment, saying:

"I am withdrawing my amendment, one that is germane and relevant . . . The reason I am withdrawing my amendment is because a fellow senator submitted a second degree amendment to mine dealing with abortion . . . The use of a second degree amendment on abortion is unbelievable. Procedurally legal, but unbelievable . . . Elementary and high school students should all be watching today to see how politics really works . . ."
(LATIN AMERICAN WORKING GROUP)

FEMA OFFICIAL IGNORED EMAILS WARNING OF DISASTER
E-mails released today by one of his subordinates show that former FEMA Director Michael Brown blew off warnings about deteriorating conditions in New Orleans and the dire need for help.
Marty Bahamonde, a FEMA regional director, told a Senate panel investigating the government's response to the disaster that he gave regular updates and, in most cases, he was met with silence. 'I think there was a systematic failure at all levels of government to understand the magnitude of the situation,' Bahamonde said.
(YAHOO, unearthed by Talking Points Blog)

COPIER CODE CRACKED
"The Electronic Frontier Foundation said this week that it had cracked the code used in Xerox printers to embed details about the printer, including serial number, along with time and date information.
The EFF reported the existence of the watermarks this summer, and this week published source code of a Xerox decoding program. Speculation launched as to what other technology the government was tracking. And bloggers almost immediately began figuring out ways to get around the tracking."
(BLOGMA, unearthed by Paul Whitehurst)

DOG BITES LEGISLATOR
"Bob Schwartz, who also is New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson's crime adviser and the author of a new state law that allows felony charges against owners of dangerous dogs was hospitalized over the weekend after his own dog attacked him."
(SFGATE, unearthed by Paul Whitehurst)

CHECK OUT GAS PRICES
Just plug in your zip code and check out the gas prices for your area.
(MSN, unearthed by Gary L. Blume)

LATEST ON "CAMP KATRINA"
Richard Dorman of the Cunningham, Bounds law firm reports: "Well, we took another loaded truck over on Sunday. Full of food and cleaning stuff. We also had a group who stayed and manned the distribution tent all day. I am getting way to old for all this lifting!! Things are only looking slightly better down there, but I didn't have time to ride down 90 to see if things were better down the road. I really don't know how it could be since I think electricity is still very spotty at best. With all the destruction only a massive rebuilding is going to make it look better.

In any event, we have delivered 6 truckloads over the last few weeks not including the meat truck your folks donated. Yesterday they cooked the ribs that were donated for lunch and they were great!! Unfortuantely,we have about reached our limit on resources at this time and do not plan another trip this weekend. Yesterday we handed out food to a constant flow of people for almost 6 hours. People were coming from everywhere and driving as much as an hour to come to the distribution center to get needed food and supplies. I asked people where they were from and many were coming over from Louisiana becuase they couldn't get the things they needed over there."

BLOOD WRATH: IRAQ WAR PROTESTERS FACE CRIMINAL CHARGES
Last year, Clare Grady, along with her sister and two others, were charged in county court with misdemeanors for their actions in a March 2003 anti-war protest outside Ithaca, New York. More than a year later, that trial ended with a hung jury. The federal government then brought its own case against the activists, now known as the "St. Patrick's Four." On Monday, they were found not guilty of the federal charges for conspiracy, which carry a maximum six years in jail and $250,000 fine, but convicted of misdemeanor-level trespassing and damaging government property. In January, they will be sentenced, with a maximum possible term of 18 months behind bars.
(VILLAGE VOICE)

FEMA'S BROWN RUNS INTO A FIERCE STORM OF CRITICISM
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi ordered a Democratic boycott of the House Select Committee on Hurricane Katrina hearing, calling it a "sham" and a "photo opportunity." But, as defrocked FEMA director Michael D. Brown can attest, Pelosi's concerns about a whitewash proved unjustified.
(WASHINGTON POST)

ACCURATE REPORTAGE WAS ANOTHER KATRINA VICTIM
Reports of body counts, especially at the Superdome and New Orleans Convention Center, were inflated. Some reported atrocities -- the rape and murder of a 7-year-old at the Superdome -- did not occur.
(INDYSTAR, unearthed by realclearpolitics.com which was suggested by John Furman)