Hot off the Press: Headless Mao edition

This NYT essay hits the spot regarding my skill at writing and ineptitude at speaking: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/27/books/review/Krystal-t.html?_r=1&ref=books. I write what I have to say, not speak it.

Suicides attributed to work related problems at a French telecommunication company have brought job stress in France to the forefront: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/30/business/global/30employ.html?_r=1&ref=world.

In an effort to curb graffiti, the LA City Council approved an ordinance mandating that new homes be outfitted with a spray paint resistant finish or material: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-anti-graffiti30-2009sep30,0,355373.story.

Iowa City police arrested a woman who failed to return movies she rented at Hagen's, a defunct video store, 11 years ago: http://www.press-citizen.com/article/20091001/NEWS01/910010322/1079. On a side note, Hagen's was, as we said in the late-'90s, da shit! If I remember right, it had over 20,000 movies and a porno section easy to wander into.

LAT guest opinion piece about how the Swiss reformed their health care system, which was similar to what the US has, in the '90s: http://www.latimes.com/features/health/medicine/la-oe-dreifuss2-2009oct02,0,4031233.story.

Researcher say that the 2005-'07 drought in the Southeast was caused by "random weather events" and a water shortage attributed to population growth, not global warming: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/02/science/earth/02drought.html?_r=1&ref=us. At some point, someone will have to raise the issue that population will become a huge problem for food and water supplies.

The city council in Lodi, CA has opted to keep its pre-meeting invocation despite the protest of those who believe religion and prayer should not be a part of government meetings: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/02/us/02lodi.html?ref=us.

Long investigative NYT piece (no, I didn't read the whole thing) reveals major flaws in how ground beef is inspected through the story of a woman who was paralyzed by an E. Coli infection traced to a hamburger she ate: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/04/health/04meat.html?_r=1&hp.

A battle between those wanting to prevent and allow low-income housing has been raging in the St. Bernard Parish, one of the areas hit hard by Hurricane Katrina: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/04/us/04housing.html?ref=us.

The melding of Iowa's public radio stations into Iowa Public Radio has boosted ratings and donations despite the fact each station is losing a bit of its individual character and the loss of big name shows like "Live from Prairie Lights": http://gazetteonline.com/local-news/2009/10/03/iowa-public-radio-consolidation-working-but-not-without-complaints.

The Supreme Court has ruled that the Land of Lincoln need not offer a "Choose Life" vanity plate as an anti-abortion wanted: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-court-free-speech6-2009oct06,0,6053554.story. I'm a little appalled 24 states offer a "Choose Life" plate. Frankly, I wouldn't see anything wrong with it as long as they also offer a pro-abortion plate to remain neutral.

An update on that story about Orange County offering low-level offenders the option to have their charges dropped if they give the county a DNA sample. OC's database has quadrupled in the last nine months: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-oc-dna-database5-2009oct05,0,4612921.story.

Educators in Cali are worried about the long-term affects of having laid off thousands of teachers: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-teachers4-2009oct04,0,1662548.story. Having grown up in a state that prided (past tense, because it doesn't seem to be the case anymore) itself on its high quality of education, I'm sure the affects won't be good.

Two Chinese artists have had to go underground with their controversial artwork to avoid censorship in China: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/06/arts/design/06gao.html?ref=arts.