New photos, ha ha.

By the way, we’re back from vacation.

Shock, horror — crucial microfilm which could resolve the lingering questions surrounding President Bush’s Vietnam-era National Guard service was inadvertently destroyed during a project to salvage deteriorating microfilm.

The Republican-led House bowed to a White House veto threat Thursday and stood by the USA Patriot Act, defeating an effort to block the part of the anti-terrorism law that helps the government investigate people’s reading habits.

The effort to defy Bush and bridle the law’s powers lost by 210-210, with a majority needed to prevail. The amendment appeared on its way to victory as the roll call’s normal 15-minute time limit expired, but GOP leaders kept the vote open for 23 more minutes as they persuaded about 10 Republicans who initially supported the provision to change their votes.

“Shame, shame, shame,” Democrats chanted as the minutes passed and votes were switched. The tactic was reminiscent of last year’s House passage of the Medicare overhaul measure, when GOP leaders held the vote open for an extra three hours until they got the votes they needed.

…Rep. Zach Wamp, R-Tenn., said he switched his initial “yes” vote to “no” after being shown Justice Department documents asserting that terrorists have communicated over the Internet via public library computers.

…Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va., read a letter from the Justice Department stating that “as recently as this past winter and spring, a member of a terrorist group closely affiliated with al-Qaida” had used Internet services at a public library. The letter mentioned no specifics, Wolf said.

“If we can stop what took place in my area,” said Wolf, whose district is near the Pentagon, a Sept. 11 target, “then I want to stop that, because we’ve gone to enough funerals.”

[more]

Triple slaying at N.M. ranch stuns Sam Donaldson

HONDO, N.M. – ABC newsman Sam Donaldson described Delbert Paul Posey, his wife and children as an all-American ranch family. So Donaldson knew something terrible had happened at his Chavez Canyon Ranch in New Mexico when he went to check on the family and discovered what Lincoln County Sheriff Tom Sullivan called an “obvious crime scene.”

After deputies found three bodies in a shallow grave on the ranch, Posey’s 14-year-old son, Cody, was arrested Wednesday on charges of killing his father, stepmother and stepsister, authorities said. An initial court appearance was scheduled for Thursday, Sullivan said.

…The Donaldsons were in Santa Fe in northern New Mexico during the Fourth of July weekend, when the slayings apparently occurred. Sullivan said the case is still being investigated but it appeared the three had been shot Saturday.

“We didn’t see them Tuesday morning or Tuesday afternoon, so I went over – and on the porch was a large stain that was instantly recognizable,” Donaldson told Albuquerque television station KOB-TV.

Trusted newsman or no, I still think that guy LOOKS like he’s up to no good. Look at those eyebrows!

Why couldn’t we ever pull off something like this with our Legos when we were kids, eh?? (Load time is slow!)

Anyone seen the real movie yet? Is it as good as everyone is saying it is?

VS.

OK. In the wake of yesterday’s announcement by John Kerry that John Edwards would be running with him as the Democratic candidate for Vice President, everyone started talking about how exciting the inevitable Veep Debate between Edwards and Dick Cheney would be.

So be honest: am I the only one in the world who pictures it like this?

more fireworks

via phonecam

My dad just got back from a three-week trip to Scotland: