Quoted: A castoff reporter bought a newspaper in a town of 2,600 in rural New Mexico, saying he wanted to try a new direction.

Today, we are all mutants.

Quoted: "These are exciting times," he added.

faving for later.

Quoted: PROFILE of Mayor Michael Bloomberg. After seven and a half years in office, Michael Bloomberg, who is now sixty-seven, has amassed so much power and respect that he seems more a Medici than a mayor.

Conservatives can't argue with the market. Ditch this guy, FN.

Quoted: In what is shaping up to be one of the more effective boycott campaigns in years, advertisers are abandoning the "Glenn Beck" show on Fox News following the host's incendiary comments that President Barack Obama is a "racist" and has a "deep-seated hatred for white people."

Nice WSJ article about Rick Knapp.

Quoted: With his retro-style glasses, unfashionable gray crew cut and a gut that has stomached too many greasy dinners in two-stoplight towns, pitching coach Rick Knapp doesn’t look like anyone’s sexy offseason acquisition. But to the Detroit Tigers, that’s exactly what he’s turning out to be.

oh noes.

Unbelievable. Don't mess with power in Texas.

Quoted: Two nurses who lodged a complaint with the Texas Medical Board about a physician's standard of practice at a West Texas hospital face up to 10 years in prison after being indicted on charges of misuse of official information.

What the what? She'll be in Toronto while signing autographs in Vancouver and Halifax. There's a link to her invention's website. I haven't figured out how it works yet.

Quoted: Margaret Atwood will sign books for fans in Vancouver and Halifax using the LongPen, allowing her to talk with each fan via private video chat and to transmit a genuine, personalized autograph instantly to their copy of the book.

No mention of the "Fourth of July in February" celebrations I remember from childhood. I think those were put on by the Embassy.

Quoted: Often the official event won't take place on the Fourth at all. The big ceremony will be that week, but the embassy will close on July 4 itself to allow for more casual gatherings, which generally involve less speech-making and more beer.

Quoted: Overseas parties are heavy on pomp and circumstance. Marine security guards present the colors, and someone sings "The Star-Spangled Banner." Embassies near military bases may enlist the services of military bands for even more elaborate performances. In some cities, the July Fourth party is the hot ticket of the summer, and invitees (including local leaders, journalists, and other ambassadors) turn out in elaborate religious regalia or full military dress.