Hot off the Press: “It's fair time!” edition

This is why they tell you not to feed the wildlife at national parks: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2009/08/bear-forest-campground-san-bernardino.html.

The Los Angeles Times redesigned their website. It looks pretty good, more like the print version. Here's one of those design-explanation pages to explain everything to readers, which, ironically, is formatted using the old design: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/readers/2009/08/times-unveils-cleaner-crisper-more-innovative-site.html. Here a redesign interactive page: http://creativegroup.latimes.com/redesign/index.html.

"Arizona immigration debate at heart of littering case": http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-water-immigrants13-2009aug13,0,4654306.story.

I didn't read the whole article, but it seemed interesting to note. As one of the lead paragraphs says, "There is a minor eruption of major hair atop the country’s young male populace — and, as hair is wont to do, it’s growing.": http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/13/fashion/13CODES.html?8dpc=&_r=1&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1250182870-SwrIp/eT75NWO1ExLqGZ9A. I've kept my hair long for years. I guess I'm a trendsetter.

California's Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board voted to cut health care to 60,000 children, who were covered by the California Healthy Families program: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-california-budget14-2009aug14,0,6580131.story.

The Pac-10 and the Alamo Bowl are apparently close to a deal that would make the San Antonio game the number two bowl bid for the conference: http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-pac-10-alamo14-2009aug14,0,2061383.story. This is obviously a west coast biased newspaper, so it says nothing on the implications for the Big Ten, which has always had an Alamo Bowl tie-in. Apparently the game would become a Pac-10 vs. Big 12 match-up, which would be a huge blow to the Big Ten.

On that note, CR Gazette sports czar Mike Hlas has outlined the Big Ten bowl lineup, which doesn't feature the Alamo Bowl: http://gazetteonline.com/blogs/the-hlog/2009/08/14/gator-bowl-no-great-get-for-big-ten. Seriously, the Alamo is making a huge mistake ditching the Big Ten. Nobody travels better (aka, tons and tons of tourist dollars) than us Midwesterners in the dead of winter.

NYT article examining the false "death panel" rumor within the health care debate, staring Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/14/health/policy/14panel.html?_r=1&ref=us.

The Brits are pretty pissed that conservatives in the US are labeling the UK's National Health Service as a reason to avoid socialized health care: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-britain-health15-2009aug15,0,2736574.story.

In the last 100 years, only three lefties have played catcher in the MLB. The last was Benny Distefano, who did it for the Pirates 20 years ago. Here's an interesting article about the dearth of lefties at catcher and also second, short, and third: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/16/sports/baseball/16catcher.html?_r=1&8dpc.

The boats in the '50s had tailfins, too: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/16/automobiles/collectibles/16finboat.html?8dpc.

A follow-up article about the crushing financial situation in Alabama's Jefferson County: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/15/us/15alabama.html?ref=us. Looks like they solved the problem with...taxes!

This is just fucking sad. "Believers Invest in the Gospel of Getting Rich": http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/16/us/16gospel.html?ref=us.

Hampton, Iowa, my mom's hometown, has become a focal point regarding tactics used to arrest illegal immigrants: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20090815/NEWS10/908150330/1001.

Coyotes and wolves are interbreeding in Canada, creating "an animal that has the pack-hunting instinct of wolves and the fearlessness of coyotes": http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/681632.

A look at the health care debate from north of the border: http://www.healthzone.ca/health/newsfeatures/article/681663.

The deck for this article says it all, confirming my worst fears about social networking sites: "Photos, addresses, family ties, court documents, details from MySpace profiles — the moment information is published online, it can be copied and re-posted, and often is.": http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-cover-privacy16-2009aug16,0,5663794.story. I'm getting closer and closer to canceling my Facebook account.

Steve Lopez column about the free clinic held at The Forum. "Doctors and dentists volunteering their services at the Forum see scenes like those in impoverished areas overseas.": http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lopez16-2009aug16,0,3959652.column. All this in the richest nation in the world.

Daily-witticisms via SoCal billboards: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-then16-2009aug16,0,2285556.story.

The new US ambassador to France is a case-study on the favors of ambassadorships: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/17/world/europe/17iht-envoy.html?_r=1&ref=us.

While many daily newspapers are hurting, weekly newspapers in Iowa are "holding their own": http://gazetteonline.com/top-story/2009/08/17/iowa%E2%80%99s-weekly-newspapers-holding-their-own.

A study found that 90 percent of all US currency is tainted with cocaine: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2009/08/cocaine-money-washington-d-c.html. If the bills in your wallet weren't rolled and used to snort coke, than it is likely they were contaminated at banks in bill-counting machines.

Baby boomers are binge drinking, too: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2009/08/binge-drinking-its-not-just-for-kids-anymore.html.

Here's an awesome LAT op-ed piece. The headline says it all: "Dear California, I'm dumping you." My thoughts exactly: http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-reed16-2009aug16,0,5811934.story.

Thanks to some of the strictest dog breeding laws in the country, Pennsylvania is cleaning up its image as the "puppy mill capital of the East": http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/18/us/18dogs.html?_r=1&ref=us. The rep of the dog breeders quoted in the article is a complete douche bag. People like him — money over ethics — are the real problem in this country.