Issue #9

The Linkrod
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ISSUE #9 - Wednesday, 15th October 2008

• Russell Berman, The Daily Beast
  "McCain Battles the Camera"
  http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2008-10-15/mccain-battles-the-camera
  
  DJR's gist: Invoking memories of Richard Nixon's rating capitulation following JFK's dazzling appearance in the first Presidential debate in 1960, the advent of HDTV could well add salt into the already open wounds of John McCain's presidential campaign

• Lech Mintowt-Czyz, The Times
  "Colin Powell: rap star"
  http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article4945736.ece
  
  DJR's gist: Colin Powell, one of the few members of the Bush administration to gain some semblance of respect in the eyes of the world, managed to catapult himself from "respected" to "cool" with a cameo appearance at the Royal Albert Hall in a hip-hop act. Apparently, he was pretty damn good, although he looks like an absolute plonker in the photos.

• Certain Ideas of Europe, The Economist
  "What would Marx say?"
  http://www.economist.com/blogs/certainideasofeurope/2008/10/what_would_marx_say.cfm
  
  DJR's gist: With western Anglo-Saxon economies seemingly descending into a pit of self-induced catastrophe, it comes as no surprise that our Continental European counterparts are taking the opportunity to brush up on the Socialism. Apparently sales of German issues of Karl Marx's works are soaring, fuelled by demand from "those of a young academic generation, who have come to recognise that the neoliberal promises of happiness have not proved to be true." I assume such a category includes yours truly?

• Alice Fishburn, Comment Central blog, The Times
  "Obama beating McCain in coffee war"
  http://timesonline.typepad.com/comment/2008/10/obama-beating-m.html
  
  DJR's gist: The ubiquitous convenience store 7-eleven is operating its usual "7-election" polling system, offering customers the opportunity to purchase their coffee in mugs declaring their support of either Obama or McCain. Historically, it has been a very accurate measure of national preferences, and presently puts Obama 18 percentage points clear of McCain. Hopefully its accuracy won't fail this time.

• FOX News
  "Father Secretly Names Newborn Sarah McCain Palin"
  http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/10/14/father-secretly-names-newborn-sarah-mccain-palin/
  
  DJR's gist: Pretty self explanatory. If he's stupid enough to think Palin is a good idea, then it's really not that surprising that he's willing to ruin his kid's life before she can even roll over.