Court: "Ten months to come up with a procedure? This organization has been going since 1998, and still no procedures for access to records? You mean none of these people had ever looked at a single record before Mr. Auerbach's request? That's a sad statement."

Posted by GeeTee at July 29, 2002 07:00 PM

Street prostitutes picked up by the religious police or other security forces would be given a choice -- take the assistance of social services to give up their profession, or accept a placement in a state-sponsored "decency house" where they could contract temporary marriages with their clients.

Posted by GeeTee at July 29, 2002 06:22 PM

Tom Clancy, for instance, oversees a vast farm of fiction writers who crank out stories that he imagines. Check the covers of certain bestsellers and you'll notice that though Clancy's name may be emblazoned across the tops of the books, someone else did the writing. "Mission of Honor," part of "Tom Clancy's Op-Center" series, was written by Jeff Rovin. "Bio-Strike," a volume in "Tom Clancy's Power Plays" series, is by Jerome Preisler. "Runaways," one of "Tom Clancy's Net Force" young-adult series books, was written by Diane Duane.

Posted by GeeTee at July 29, 2002 06:13 PM

At Laboratoires Stob, we have been working on the cruft crisis for a while. Recalling the maxim "to control a problem you must first measure it," we have devised a suitable metric, an index of cruftidity. Our first version, presented below, is based on a typical PC installation running Windows 2000. But there will shortly be ports to Linux, Mac OS X, and other Unices; we are confident these OSes are just as prone.

Posted by GeeTee at July 29, 2002 05:59 PM

A year ago Beijing won its bid to host the 2008 Olympics, and it's been consumed with a frenzy of preparation ever since. Weather is a particular concern, since the city's eye-searing pollution almost nixed China's bid. So now Beijing is banishing polluting factories from city limits, planting trees to keep out dust blown in from the Gobi Desert and clamping down on vehicle emissions in hopes of guaranteeing blue skies by 2008.

Posted by GeeTee at July 29, 2002 03:01 PM

"Our American agent called to tell me that he was unable to find a company that would agree to guard the concert and the audience," Avi Shoshani, chief executive of the orchestra, told the Israeli newspaper Yediot Ahronot.

Gives me images of those big blocky Secret Service guys with their black suits and sunglasses waving their hands anxiously, crying 'no, no, anything but that!'

Posted by GeeTee at July 29, 2002 02:29 PM

The nature of the arrangement, as disclosed in recent criminal proceedings: In return for information on the Mafia, Boston agents looked the other way as the Winter Hill Gang sold drugs, stole and murdered, even tipping them off when state police or federal drug agents were on their trail. Both sides got what they wanted. The Patriarca crime family was devastated by federal prosecutions, and the Winter Hill Gang took over Boston-area rackets.

Posted by GeeTee at July 29, 2002 01:29 PM

"If you take away the massive wall of sound from many Sabbath songs, what you have is pure 14th-century music," producer Mihkel Raud told the Associated Press. "Really."

Posted by GeeTee at July 29, 2002 01:19 PM

"There is no consensus, either from the courts or among Canadians, on whether or how the laws require change. The government believes it is the responsible course to seek further clarity on these issues," Cauchon said in the statement.

Posted by GeeTee at July 29, 2002 01:13 PM

Which one of our candidates -- which one of the men you're about to see in their underpants -- deserves a free trip to Las Vegas? That decision is in your hands.

Posted by GeeTee at July 29, 2002 12:41 PM

"Almost every night there was somebody on their knees to propose to their girlfriend."

Posted by GeeTee at July 29, 2002 12:24 PM

"I think women are smart enough they don't have to be told how to dress. These laws are silly."

Posted by GeeTee at July 29, 2002 12:19 PM

The nude man was covered with dirt and had to be washed down with a fire hose.

Posted by GeeTee at July 29, 2002 12:17 PM

Jolly Blackburn's father is in the hospital pending surgery and his condition is not good. Jolly has been with his family, making multiple trips to the hospital emergency room. There is no strip for Monday, 7/29/02, and we are unsure if other strips this week will be affected. Please put Jolly and his family in your thoughts.

Posted by GeeTee at July 29, 2002 11:50 AM

We are concerned over the rampant sale and use of pirated computer software in the country and will continue to conduct raids to curb it," The Sunday Star quoted Muhyiddin as saying. "But for educational purposes and to encourage computer usage, we may consider allowing schools and social organisations to use pirated software," he said.

Posted by GeeTee at July 29, 2002 11:28 AM

"It's cowardly and gutless and maybe (the suspect) thinks he's being funny to pick on old men and grab their turbans," Louie said. "The turban is sacred and for something like that to happen, well, it's shameful and hurtful."

Posted by GeeTee at July 29, 2002 10:51 AM

"I almost changed my mind because of that -- 'the media will be all over you, and all your past will come up and everything.' You know, I don't care if you bring my past up. I've come a long ways in my life from being an alcoholic to what I am today. And I am a stronger person today, I live an honest life today and I have nothing to hide," the mother said. "If it was a regular person, it would be so much easier. But this is the Prime Minister's son, and we're just little people just looking to go out there and fight this case. It's scary."

Posted by GeeTee at July 29, 2002 10:29 AM

The pope stopped well short of any assertion that a lack of vigilance among church leaders had contributed to the sexual abuse of children, as the details of some cases suggest and as many outraged American Catholics contend.

Posted by GeeTee at July 29, 2002 10:25 AM

"Men say this is women's stuff, and think it's a woman's problem, but they're completely wrong. It's a societal problem."

Posted by GeeTee at July 29, 2002 10:15 AM

"Our political leaders, including the provincial and territorial Premiers who will meet in Halifax in a couple of days, need to take a critical look athow the Social Union Framework Agreement is working", stated Herle. "Ourpatchwork system of social programs is clearly not doing what it takes toseriously address the causes and consequences of poverty. And there is noforum for Canadians outside government, especially for low-income Canadiansand hungry children, to come to the table with governments to talk about theirown realities, aspirations, priorities and solutions."

Posted by GeeTee at July 29, 2002 09:58 AM

"It is possible, for example, that the bill allows criminal prosecutions as well as private suits against anyone who uses a black Magic Marker to disable copy protection features built into some recent music CDs," Baker says. "At $25,000 a CD, that could be a very expensive experiment."

Posted by GeeTee at July 29, 2002 09:54 AM