Oops.  Omerta Admitted Mafia boss pleads guilty to racketeering FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida – The admitted boss of the Genovese organized crime family’s South Florida operations pleaded guilty Thursday to federal racketeering charges and could spend the next 20 years in prison. Renaldi “Ray” Ruggiero, 73, who once contended he was in the restaurant business, said in a plea agreement he was a “capo,” or leader, in the New York-based Mafia

Taranto at WSJ’s Best of the Web: ‘Blogger in Chief’ “Left-wing blogger Amanda Marcotte of the vociferously anti-war web site Pandagon has been named by the John Edwards campaign as their new blogmaster,” reports the Blogger News Network: The extent of Ms. Marcotte’s responsibilities at the Edwards site, and the nature of the political operations she will be undertaking as a member of the Edwards campaign, have not yet been

From the Rocky Mountain News: After nearly 30 years, California’s classic rock group the Eagles soon may release their first album of all-new music. Founding member Don Henley said during a private concert that the band was nearing completion of an album of all-new material, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported Tuesday. “It’s coming out in 60 to 90 days, if we don’t kill each other first,” Henley, 59, told the

“Sure, go ahead, tear yourself off a hunk—just make sure you leave some for everybody else, okay?  You ain’t the only one who likes cake.”

I realize that much already has been written about John Kerry’s unfortunate (and reprehensible) decision to talk down the US at Davos, but there are certain points that I think bear emphasizing, a few of which I’ll rehearse here briefly. First, Kerry’s statements were clearly not aimed at the US per se, but were intended instead to attack the Repubican stewardship of the US government—in effect, to allow Kerry to

Or, senryu. Aw, well screw it.  Wish Jeff happy birthday any way you want. A nice blogwar might be a good gift.

In case you’re up early this morning wondering how the blogosphere is reacting to Jeff’s tete-a-tete with Amanda Marcotte yesterday, I’ll summarize the bit that I’ve found and let you enjoy your coffee.  From Impolitic, we have this: Marcotte moves into the mainstream Congrats to Amanda Marcotte of Pandagon who has joined the John Edwards campaign as the new blogmaster on his website. She’s off to a great start with

“He’s the wolf screaming lonely in the night He’s the blood stain on the stage He’s the tear in your eye Been tempted by his lie He’s the knife in your back He’s rage” I guess you’ve covered the spectrum from A to B there, pal.  And yes, I know that you really meant this to be an anti-satan tune, but popular perception has interpreted it otherwise. Answer ghosted here

Hmmmm.  Turns out blow jobs are sex, after all. ….an English teacher at Horace Mann High School in North Fond du Lac, was formally charged with 10 counts of sexual assault of a student by school staff and 10 counts of child enticement. Newly appointed District Attorney Michael O’Rourke had requested that intake Judge Robert Wirtz set cash bail at $25,000, noting the severity of the crime. Burman, of Oshkosh,

I’ve avoided this topic, but Jeff’s post below put me in mind of it.  John Kerry at Davos: “When we walk away from global warming, Kyoto, when we are irresponsibly slow in moving toward AIDS in Africa, when we don’t advance and live up to our own rhetoric and standards, we set a terrible message of duplicity and hypocrisy . . . I’ve never seen our country as isolated, as