] Bush has since said that his optimism about budget
] deficits was based on the assumption that the economy
] would not hit a "trifecta" of trouble: recession,
] national emergency and war. But in February 2002 -- after
] the recession was declared, the terrorist attacks had
] occurred and war had begun in Afghanistan -- the
] administration continued to have upbeat predictions.
] Although it forecast a $106 billion deficit in 2002, it
] saw the deficit shrinking to $80 billion in 2003, $14
] billion in 2004, and becoming a surplus of $61 billion in
] 2005. Those figures, too, quickly became seen as overly
] optimistic, as tax receipts continued to come in lower
] than expected. A year later, in 2003, the administration
] predicted a deficit of $304 billion for 2003 and $307
] billion for 2004. In reality, the 2003 deficit was $375
] billion, and the White House now expects a deficit of
] $521 billion for 2004.

[ I think we should remember Bush as "the Fiscal Responsibility President". He's leading by example - an example of how not to run an economy. -k]

Daily Kos || Bush Administration forecasts are b.s.

[ interesting... -k]

Seven Revolutions

] The suit claims that Apple Computer CEO Steve Jobs
] personally called Joel Martin, manager of Eight Mile
] Style, and asked Martin and Eminem to "rethink their
] position" about using the Grammy-winning song.
]
] Eminem responded by ending discussions with Apple,
] according to the suit.

[ Don't steal music. On the other hand, fuck Eight Mile and Eminem's greedy ass too : "even if he were interested in endorsing a product, any endorsement deal would require a significant amount of money, possibly in excess of $10 million." Rock stars and athletes need to knock their egos down a few notches. -k]

Eminem's Publisher Sues Apple Over Song

] At the same time, presumably, that one Canopy Group
] company is negotiating with the DoD to get this account,
] another, SCO, was sending letters to Congress alleging
] that Linux is a national security threat. Do they know
] better, folks?

[ nice. talk about hedging your bets. -k]

GROKLAW | One Hand Doesn't Know What the Other Is Doing

] As part of our continuing series of interviews with
] political journalists and commentators, this week
] Campaign Desk interviews Washington Post White House
] reporter Dana Milbank.
]
] ...
]
] BK: President Bush is famous for giving nicknames to
] members of the press corps. Do you have a nickname?
]
] DM: It's not printable in a family publication.

[ God, Bush is an asshole. Can i print that in a family publication? -k]

CJR Campaign Desk

] A candidate must meet some %u2014 but not all %u2014 of
] the following criteria from which the committee
] recommends that protection begin:
]
] Must be an announced candidate;
]
] Must be actively campaigning on a national basis;
]
] Must be registering in opinion polls;
]
] Must be winning 10 percent of the vote in two
] consecutive primaries or caucuses;
]
] Must be receiving matching funds;
]
] Must be receiving at least $2 million in
] contributions;
]
] Must have the committed support of at least 10 percent
] of the convention delegates.

[ This otherwise People-magazine-like article only struck me for the bits i noted above. First, i'm not sure what "Must be..." means in the context of only having to meet some of the criteria, but more interesting is the part about having to have opted for matching funds in order to qualify for SS protection. Is that meant to be an incentive to use the system? Seems very strange to me. -k]

ABCNEWS.com : Guessing Kerry's Code Name

] The researcher accidentally pricked herself with a needle
] that contained a weakened form of the Ebola virus last
] week while she was injecting mice with the virus as part
] of a research effort.

[ Oh *man* that sucks! You can't even hyperbolize it, like, "That sucks like ...", because anything you put in there for ... is probably less bullshit than "accidentally giving yourself Ebola." Sure, she may be fine (god willing), but shit man, that's so, so not good. -k]

CNN.com - Researcher isolated after possible Ebola exposure - Feb. 19, 2004

] The device casts the lenses by applying pressure and
] constraints to a programmable membrane, which becomes the
] mold surface when under pressure.

[ Very very cool. -k]

MIT STUDENT INVENTOR SEES CLEAR FUTURE IN ‘DESKTOP PRINTER’ FOR LOW-COST EYEGLASS LENSES

] But suddenly, as of Friday, North Dakota's power-plant
] emissions have been deemed acceptable by the Bush EPA --
] despite the fact that no significant efforts have been
] made to reduce pollution in the state.

[ awesome! worst. president. ever. -k]

North Dakota 'reduces' pollution by measuring it differently

] Monday the New Mexico House of Representatives passed a
] bill that would require every car sold in the state to
] have an ignition interlock. This device is essentially a
] breath analyzer that prevents the car from being started
] if the driver is drunk. The bill would require that every
] new car sold be equipped with an ignition interlock by
] 2008 and every used car by 2009. Ignition interlocks
] require a breath test, which takes 30 seconds to
] complete, to start the car as well as random 'rolling
] retests' to discourage others from taking the test for
] you. These rolling retests require the driver to take the
] test as the car is moving. If the driver fails a retest,
] the horn sounds and the lights flash until the car is
] turned off.

[ Jesus. Fuck that. Sounds like a bunch of bullshit, and expense, for the millions of us who've never driven while even slightly drunk. I'm gonna be pissed if my car is $500 more expensive because there are a bunch of fucktards in this country that can't get it through their fucking heads that driving drunk is a fucking bad idea. This country claims to be founded on a distrust of government and a policy of minimal government invasiveness, and yet everyday someone is all about abdicating their responsibility to parent or drink responsibly or whatever in favor of mandating unwieldy controls. Completely absurd. -k]

Slashdot | An Ignition Interlock In Every Car?