Tonight John Kerry accepted the Democratic Party's nomination for President.  Here are a few highlights from his speech:

"And as president, I will bring back this nation's time-honored tradition: The United States of America never goes to war because we want to, we only go to war because we have to," Kerry said.

"I want an America that relies on its own ingenuity and innovation -- not the Saudi royal family."

And here's a long profile of Kerry from the New Yorker.

Barry Ritholtz explains why commercial radio is dying in this post from his weblog The Big Picture.

Tom Oliphant has known John Kerry for over 30 years.  Oliphant profiles "The Kerry I Know" in this American Prospect article. 

According to Oliphant:

"John Kerry is a good, tough man. He is curious, grounded after a public and personal life that has not always been pleasant, a fan of ideas whose practical side has usually kept him from policy wonkery, a natural progressive with the added fixation on what works that made FDR and JFK so interesting. I know it is chic to be disdainful, but the modern Democratic neurosis gets in the way of a solid case for affection. Without embarrassment, and after a very long journey, I really like this guy. As one of his top campaign officials, himself a convert since the primaries ended, told me recently, this is pure Merle Haggard. It’s not love, but it’s not bad."

Mrs. Blogenheimer and I spent last week on vacation in Chicago and Wisconsin.  We both enjoyed the Art Institute of Chicago, particularly the Seurat exhibit.  Mrs. Blogenheimer visited the Newberry Library where she read from books printed by one of her ancestors.  We also attended my high school reunion. 

Teresa Nielsen Hayden explains the color conspiracy in this post from her blog Making Light. 

The Anti-Bush Video Game is a "fun and fact-filled adventure about the most appalling presidency in the history of the United States." Defeat Voltron and President Bush while playing as Hulk Hogan, Mr. T, or He-Man.

This Guardian/Vanity Fair article and this Austin Chronicle article tell the story of three Mississippi boys who spent 7 years filming a shot-for-shot remake of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Steven Spielberg called the film, "a loving and detailed tribute to our Raiders of the Lost Ark." The film isn't available on the internet, but you can watch this trailer for Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation.

Alien in 30 seconds, re-enacted by bunnies.

According to this Newsweek article, the Senate Select Intelligence Committee report on the Iraq intelligence failure shows that:

"Virtually every major claim President George W. Bush used to justify the invasion of Iraq—from Saddam's growing nuclear program to his close ties with Al Qaeda—was either wrong or exaggerated."

A few months ago I mentioned Fundrace, a website that lets you find out who has contributed money to the current presidential campaign. Newsmeat takes this idea several steps further by letting you search by name for anyone who has made a political contribution of $200 or more since 1977.

If you enjoyed Spider-Man 2, you might also enjoy Spider-Man: The Peril of Doc Ock, a stop-action animated movie made with Legos.

James Surowiecki explains why radio spot buys are much worse than payola in this New Yorker article.

According to this article by William Greider, "The most intriguing story in Washington these days is a subterranean conflict that reporters cannot cover because some of them are involved. A potent guerrilla insurgency has formed in and around the Bush presidency - a revolt of old pros in government who strike from the shadows with devastating effect. They tell the truth. They explode big lies. They provide documentary evidence that undermines popular confidence in the Commander in Chief. They prod the media and the political community to ask penetrating questions of the Bush regime. Doubtless, these anonymous sources act from a mixture of motives-some noble, some self-interested-but in present circumstances one might think of them as "embedded patriots."