Link:  Madonna’s new album rules pop charts

During the 80s and early 90s I was a major Madonna fan; couldn’t wait for her newest CD to come out.  However, since Ray of Light, my willingness to purchase anything more the occasional single has been sporadic at best.  In fact, Ray of Light was the last full CD I purchased.  I’m no fan of electronica, so everything post-Music has held little interest for me; however, her latest CD Confessions on a Dance Floor is great.  It’s a return to her dance roots, but still maintains the influence of her interest in electronica.  Nearly every song is great and it’s one of the few CDs where you actually want to listen to the whole thing.

Link:  John Kerry Elected … Jury Foreman

Well, you were a poor excuse for a presidential candidate, but kudos to you, Mr. Kerry, for doing your civic duty.

Most Americans think of jury duty as something you have to get out of and I have no doubt most of Kerry’s colleagues would have found some excuse of getting out of serving — national security! — but Kerry showed up.  I’m a little surprised neither lawyer objected to having such a famous person on the jury.

This "defense" of Wal-Mart is a complete load of bullshit and excuses the crap wages Wal-Mart pays to its employees, their enabling of a totalitarian regime in China, and their reprehensible efforts to force suppliers into keeping their prices low at the expense of their employees.  People may "enjoy" shopping at Wal-Mart, but in far too many cases — and I speak from experience — it’s because Wal-Mart has run all the competition out of town so they really have no other place to go.