I'm sorry, but where there's smoke there's fire. There are just too many instances in the Chinese state run newspapers and internet sites where the girls birthdates are reported in a way that doesn't match their current passports. I can't believe that the previous Chinese reports were all mistaken, and that the correct birthdates just happen to make the girls eligible for the olympics. I realize these girls worked very hard, and it really isn't their fault. However, the other girls have also worked hard, and they are following the rules, and as a result of the Chinese girls team NOT following the rules, they are short-changed.

As far as the IOC, I'm really not sure why they aren't investigating the allegations. They do everything in their power to investigate doping, but nothing about underage girls. It almost seems as if they are afraid to offend China.

you said:

Whenever I hear about this kind of ignorant, stomach-turning disinformation campaign, I can't help but think of one of my favorite Henry James quotes: “I don’t want everyone to like me. I should think less of myself if some people did.”

What in the first email is misinformation? It's all quotes from her thesis, except one quote from a mystery fellow student. Seriously, point out something that is factually incorrect...............Okay, you can't. So please, PLEASE can you all stop with the knee-jerk reactions to facts that may not be beneficial to the Obama campaign? The best argument against Michele Obama's thesis is that she was 21. We all say stupid things when we're that young.

And to be honest, Mr. Madden's "debunking" of the first email actually makes it more credible since he didn't debunk a damn thing.

it's rich people buying a third flat screen for that spare bedroom, or maid's quarters.

The yogurt one was the funniest. She's funnier when she swears.

in the whole "NBC only shows the events that the US is going to win blah blah blah."

I don't remember Costas really saying much about Bolt's celebration. It certainly didn't stick out in my mind, but maybe that's because I'm an ignorant white guy blind to the latent racism boiling inside Bob Costas.

Interesting that David Zax referenced the Freakonomics authors. I think there was a story in Freakonomics about employers given two identical resumes, one with a "normal" name, and one with an traditionally black name, and the employers chose the "normal" name more than the black name. I'm a little fuzzy on the details, but I believe something like that was in the book.

Traister should be fired for publishing something I don't agree with.

(Hey Traister, it's not just young women irritated with the Obama cult bashing Clinton.)

Polling lower than a generic democrat? Who would have thought? Oh wait, the millions of Hillary supporters already knew that.

What did you bastards get us in to? What did you get America into?

Yet I'll bet you supported Obama, knowing damn well that he is not the best Democratic candidate. Why wouldn't you think about how important this upcoming election is to the U.S.? Instead, you fulfill your own self-interest (look at me!!! I'm so open minded I'll vote for a black guy!!!! The rest of the country won't, making him a bad candidate, but that just means I'm better than everyone else!!!) and go with the lemon. Well done.

If you knew America is racist, why did you support a black candidate? If you knew he wouldn't win, why would you support him? Don't you care about America enough to put aside your own personal interest and back someone who can actually win an election? Did you even think about that? Will you feel responsible when McCain runs the country even further into debt, deeper into war, and strips away more rights? You should.

that both candidates will have announced their VP choices over a weekend? Isn't that when one usually releases information that one doesn't want the public to hear about? Anyone understand the rationale behind this?

if they were in a burning building and there was a plate full of 500 fertilized eggs (human beings!!!) that requires two hands to carry, and one toddler, which would they grab and run out with.

Bloggers blogging about TV reporters has turned them into celebrities rather than purveyors of news. They're merely acting the part now, like a sort of Stanford prison experiment.

things that actually matter go entirely unmentioned here. For example, an ABC news reporter was arrested for filming on public property outside a hotel which was the site of a party thrown by lobbyists. It used to be that if you didn't want to be seen somewhere, you wouldn't go (or you the onus was on you to be discreet). Now, I guess you just station the police outside to arrest anyone with a camera.

I bet if this would have happened during the RNC convention Salon would be all over it.

works for BP. 'nuff said.

Underqualified and out of her league.

here's the link.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/08/30/rnc.protest/index.html

It almost sounds like they are describing a different incident altogether. Maybe this isn't the same incident, but it's a raid on the same group, the RNC Welcoming Committee.