Aces Full of Links

Wow, that matricide case is awful. It'll be interesting to see if blog entries are used in court, and I wonder if that would be a precedent.

If the rest of Wikinews will be as well sourced as this story, I will be visiting the site often.

FYI on gift certificates in MA (from http://www.ago.state.ma.us/sp.cfm?pageid=1174):

Gift Certificate Law
Effective April 1, 2003, gift certificates issued in Massachusetts must be good for 7 years from the date of issuance. The seller must clearly indicate the date of issuance and expiration date either on the face of the certificate, or, if it is an electronic card with a banked dollar value, on the sales receipt or by means of an Internet site or toll-free number. If the expiration date is not on the gift certificate or, for an electronic card, on the receipt or made available through an Internet site or toll-free number, the gift certificate is to be redeemable in perpetuity. Gift certificates issued but not yet redeemed as of April 1, 2003 are also to be good for 7 years from the date they were issued. Once a gift certificate has been redeemed for 90% of its value or more, a consumer may elect to receive the balance of the value remaining in cash.

The term "gift certificate" expressly does not apply to pre-paid phone cards.

This law also changes the length of time a merchandise credit is to be redeemable from 5 to 7 years.

Read more on MA law and gift cards here:

AG REILLY SUES SIMON MALLS FOR DECEIVING CONSUMERS, VIOLATING STATE GIFT CERTIFICATE LAW

http://www.ago.state.ma.us/sp.cfm?pageid=986&id=1332

I just want you to know that I laughed so loud when I read through "The 10 Least Successful Holiday Specials of All Time," that I was stared at in my office.

I don't know which I like best, Ayn Rand's "A Selfish Christmas," "Bob & Carol & Ted & Santa," or "Noam Chomsky: Deconstructing Chirstmas."

Let us not overlook any special that features Paul Lynde as Santa.

you should add this to your shotgun:
http://www.wonderfullywacky.com/smokingbaby.htm

Durn. I hit post too quickly. The smoking baby is so wrong yet mildly amusing :P I don't mean to tell you what you should put on your shot gun btw. I just thought it was a wierd thing that I should share :)

The holiday specials kick ass! A Most Illogical Holiday!

Alas, in looking at some of the blog comments for the holiday specials, it appears that not everyone was aware that it was a joke.

Yes, I love the nitpickers who complained about the mujahideen.

It's supposed to be a JOKE, people, it doesn't have to be historically accurate.

Sheesh!!

Jay: no problem. I take suggestions. But you have effectively added the link to the shotgun because... there it is!

Patti: I didn't know there was a gift certificate law in MA. I wonder if it covers "loss of value" over time that some gify cards build in?

The Massachusetts Gift Certificate law requires that gift cards be redeemable at full face value for seven years.

This is part of the reason the MA AG is suing Simon Malls (http://www.ago.state.ma.us/sp.cfm?pageid=986&id=1332).

The "loss of value" is allowed in *most* states. I have a gift certificate from giveanything.com that expires in seven years, because it was purchased from an MA address. However, if you go to the giveanything.com website, you'll see the terms that people in most states have to accept - they are pretty horrible. Fortunately, the media (at least in FL) are pretty good at reminding consumers during the holidays to check the terms on their "gifts."

Oh god. I just finished watching "How to Kill a Mocking Bird," and I have a HUGE headache from laughing!

I love the Lobby to Overturn the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics article from the Onion. The best part is the "Big Crunch" idea!

Did anyone else think that the Bush ornament looked more like Liberace? Things that make you go Hmmmmm.