drat fink

peking duck

"BEIJING (Reuters) - Beijing's most popular newspaper has unwittingly republished a bogus story about U.S. Congress threats to skip town for Memphis or Charlotte unless Washington builds them a new Capitol building with a retractable dome. The source? America's celebrated spoof tabloid, the Onion."

back to the beat

"Bush's premise is mistaken. Clinton didn't understand the meaning of "is"; Bush doesn't understand the meaning of "could." Bush talks about stopping terrorism as though it's a matter of goodwill: He's a decent person, so if he fails to stop an attack, the reason must be that he couldn't have done so. But "could" doesn't imply "would." The latter conveys certainty; the former conveys possibility. In fighting terrorism, possibility, not certainty, should be the operative principle. It suits the complex nature of investigation, gives agents practical guidance, and is a standard to which politicians and bureaucrats can reasonably be held. The question to ask about each step not taken in the months leading up to Sept. 11 is not whether it would have prevented the attacks but whether it would have kept alive a chain of investigation making that outcome possible."

soft landing

"After more than a decade of munificent salary-and-stock packages, many of America's corporate chieftains are departing with big retirement packages, provoking anger among some worker and shareholder activists."

"We're seeing the most obnoxious compensation packages in history" at a time when fewer workers have guaranteed retirement income, said John Hotz, deputy director of the Pension Rights Center, a nonprofit consumer organization."

cutting remarks

"There is zero evidence of box-cutters on either plane that hit the World Trade Center. Not a single flight crew member or passenger on American Airlines Flight 11 or United Airlines Flight 175 reported seeing box-cutters or plastics knives. Nor were they mentioned in the FAA executive summary on any of the hijacked plane.(LINK FAA MEMO.) Only on American Airlines Flight 77, which hit the Pentagon, was there a near-mention by one passenger that the hijackers in the back of the plane had knives and "card-board cutters," and even that passenger to claim to see what weapons were actually used to hijack the plane. The claim by administration officials that plastic knives were used to hijack the planes is pure invention."

kashmir spacestation

"WASHINGTON – Bitter disputes over territory. Suicide bombings. Threats of retaliation. International attempts to calm roiled passions.

The Middle East? Yes – and South Asia. Although there are important differences between the Israeli–Palestinian struggle and the standoff between India and Pakistan over Kashmir, the similarities between the situations are striking."

88 lines about 44 airmen

"An Air Force officer has been relieved from duties at the Presidio of Monterey after publication of his letter to the editor accusing President George W. Bush of having advance knowledge of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks."

musical accompaniment from 88 lines on mp3

blue jean baby, come what maybe

never swept you off your feet
never knew your favorite treat
never walked a mile in your shoes
never said, i have nothing to lose
never smiled without a frown
never saw your wedding gown

just a girl with low riding genes
you crack me up
with all my seems (showing)

sovereign of the seizure

dreaming of the seas
a blank spate of unease
from out of the trees (i heard)
cant slake the diseased word

the doppelganger effect
my face is all whet
and ive only reached the 12th floor
of the 39 steppes

mired in admired
my lags have grown tired
need a jab before im fired (up)
the song is over but im still wired (cup to cup)

the why-r-less phone
an attack of the growns
overcome with the gloom
see you reel soon

unless your afraid of my parents nagging

i heard the black man wheezing
and the barges barge din

i saw the guide lights gleaming
through the buildings reflecting skin

and the old ways peeling off
like fake painted grins

wondering if id had enough
of darkness in the city lights

of sailboats lapping
at trite rites

accentuate the positive fright
right?

say goodnight gracie
good night

huh?

taking pictures
its perfect
just one look
and youre suspect
now walk away
before someone
gets hurt