Grifters

Grifters’ Tale
By TIMOTHY EGAN
Timothy Egan on American politics and life, as seen from the West.
TAGS: ANDREW YOUNG, JOHN EDWARDS, SARAH PALIN, TEA PARTY

Judson Phillips is a Tennessee lawyer, specializing in personal injury lawsuits, drunk-driving cases and men who get into trouble beating their wives. It was his idea to incorporate Tea Party Nation as a money-making venture and charge $349 to hear Sarah Palin talk about what’s wrong with America over steak and lobster this weekend in Nashville. More

On the Dark Side

Microsoft’s Creative Destruction
By DICK BRASS
Published: February 4, 2010
San Juan Island, Wash.

AS they marvel at Apple’s new iPad tablet computer, the technorati seem to be focusing on where this leaves Amazon’s popular e-book business. But the much more important question is why Microsoft, America’s most famous and prosperous technology company, no longer brings us the future, whether it’s tablet computers like the iPad, e-books like Amazon’s Kindle, smartphones like the BlackBerry and iPhone, search engines like Google, digital music systems like iPod and iTunes or popular Web services like Facebook and Twitter. More

Best Cameras for $300 or Less

By DAVID POGUE
Published: February 3, 2010

In 2001, I conducted a search for the best camera with a street price under $300. I’ve repeated the experiment every year since. More

Wot the real Scots are drinking...

Buckfast is 15 percent alcohol by volume, a bit stronger than most wines. Each bottle has as much caffeine as eight cans of Coke.
By SARAH LYALL
Published: February 3, 2010

COATBRIDGE, Scotland — What is it about Buckfast Tonic Wine that makes it so alluring to consumers and yet so repulsive to politicians? More

Ittsa Super Kindle...

Amazon Said to Buy Touch Start-Up
By NICK BILTON and BRAD STONE
Published: February 3, 2010

In a sign that Amazon wants to upgrade its Kindle e-reader to compete head-on with the Apple iPad, Amazon has acquired Touchco, a start-up based in New York that specializes in touch-screen technology, a person briefed on the deal said Wednesday. More

Look at the Duck!

Paddling in the water....

I had too much fun this morning

With my duck picture. I forgot to take anything to work to eat.