He visited a massage therapist, then apparently killed her. Phil Markoff, 22, a Boston University student, was arrested yesterday during a traffic stop. Markoff is accused of murdering a masseuse who advertised her services on Craigslist, as well as robbing another woman who did the same. Regarding the medical student’s arrest, police commissioner Ed Davis said, “We are very, very happy to have this man off the street in such a timely way.” source
The Minnesota tradition in law [is] to enfranchise people, and their decision disenfranchises many Minnesotans whose votes have been wrongly rejected.
Norm Coleman • Who has bitterly fought Al Franken in a tightly-contested senate race that should have ended six months ago, considering it’s almost May. With just a couple hundred votes separating the two, Franken was declared winner in a court decision, but Coleman filed an appeal with the Minnesota Supreme Court. You know, we understand why Coleman’s fighting so hard, but there has to be a point where you just give it up out of respect for a state which hasn’t had proper representation for nearly four months. • source
The military has spent all this money on research and development of technology to use in the field, and Apple’s device has nearly equaled it – and at $230 a pop, it costs a lot less than the $600-$700 devices they usually carry around. And, admit it, it looks cool. Wouldn’t you want to carry around an iPod Touch in Iraq? source
Among military uses involve translation software for soldiers in the field, especially in Iraq. Soldiers can also take photos and annotate maps out of the box. The military is also working on its own facial-recognition app to spot terrorism suspects. (No word on if it’s coming to the app store, though we’re guessing no.) source
The usual suspects The thing about Pulitzer prizes is that you tend to know who will probably win some – The New York Times, The Washington Post, The St. Petersburg Times and a few other critically-acclaimed big names in journalism. We’re not discounting the journalism. It’s some of the best journalism out there. And if you don’t read these papers online, you’re missing out on some great work. source
The usual suspects The thing about Pulitzer prizes is that you tend to know who will probably win some – The New York Times, The Washington Post, The St. Petersburg Times and a few other critically-acclaimed big names in journalism. We’re not discounting the journalism. It’s some of the best journalism out there. And if you don’t read these papers online, you’re missing out on some great work.
The highlights Perhaps the biggest nod should go to the Detroit Free Press, whose initial uncovering of Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick’s extramarital affair brought down a sitting mayor. The New York Times also won for bringing down Gov. Eliot Spitzer, and St. Petersburg Times reporter Lane DeGregory wrote a harrowing, must-read story of a neglected child called “The Girl in the Window.” source
He was not my first choice, but now that this election was made, it speaks volumes about the United States of America.
Former president George W. Bush • Who also made dog poop jokes while speaking in China for the Boao Forum. If nothing else, we appreciate how he’d rather tell funny anecdotes than give his ideologically-opposed successor trouble. • source
I feel almost pulled there to see how everyone is doing and where everyone is. A lot of people have made their peace with it, but it doesn’t mean they’re forgetting it.
Kristi Mohrbacher • A 26-year-old former student at Columbine High School, on the legacy the shooting has left the community around the Denver-area school. Among other things, the shootings by Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold killed 12, wounded 23, led to a rash of copycat crimes and inspired a soon-to-be-released film. For many Gen-Yers, this moment will make you feel old, by the way – it’s been a decade since the moment that defined your high school lives. • source