A political comment - enough already: Despite blogging a political convention and a visit with a noted politician, I typically avoid the topic of politics here as it is so well-blogged by others. And, frankly, the content of this blog sometimes gets blurred with my day job by some Google users. And, well, as hard as it is to believe, some of the fine employees of Hammock Publishing don’t necessarily want to be associated with the political views of this blogger.

But I want to be on record as agreeing with Jeff Jarvis that at some point, this whole gotcha campaigning crap has got to stop. I know the history of American presidential politics is filled with mud-slinging and rumor-milling that makes the Kerry-Bush accusation-duel look like a kindegarten squabble. But still, enough already.

Who cares who served in Vietnam…or avoided it? Didn’t the election of President Dole, the WWII hero, over Bill Clinton, the draft dodger, settle that as an issue? And frankly, if Kitty Kelly’s book claims that back in the 1980s, George W. Bush performed abortions at Camp David while dancing naked on a table, drunk and on cocaine, it won’t influence my vote. And frankly, if some veteran steps forward tomorrow proving John Kerry cut himself shaving and tried to leverage that into a Congressional Medal of Honor because he thought it would help him get a date with Jane Fonda and would look good on his campaign resume, it won’t influence my vote. Hell, you could tell me that John Kerry and George Bush were once secretly married to each other in a private Skull & Crossbones ceremony at Yale, and I would be too desensitized by this campaign to give a rip.

Is anyong actually going to vote this November based on something that happened during the Vietnam war or based on decades-old DUIs or anything other than the economy or the threat of terrorism or a personal conviction related to a specific public policy isisue? No one.

Bottom line: George W. Bush has served as president for the past four years. We’ve all had a front row seat to how he’ll likely serve if he’s re-elected to the office. Vote against him or for him based on what you, yourself, have observed and based on your personal convictions. Or vote for or against John Kerry based on your perception of his service in the Senate and on what you think of him today or if you are convinced that he’ll be a better president. Or vote for someone else if you think neither of them is fit for the office.

All that other crap is noise.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…: Those new to this weblog need to be forewarned. From, say, now until, say, about February 6, 2005, there may be, from time-to-time, a post-or-two regarding one of my favorite topics. As I know there is at least one Oakland fan among this weblog’s vast audience of seven readers, I will try not to gloat too much as the season progresses. Unfortunately for my hometeam, having ones placekicker out for an entire season — the second entire season in a row — is not the best way to kick-off things.

Comparative analysis: According to a study appearing in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, the top three magazines in six categories (African-American, Men’s, Women’s, News, General, and Health) with the highest circulation have “relatively few” articles providing in-depth information about prostate and colon cancer screening compared to articles appearing about breast cancer screening.

What they see: According to eye-tracking research of 46 people for one hour each, the graph above is the typical pattern a web user follows when looking at a typical news website. Below, you can find the rexblog’s instant research of one weblog user, me, that shows how my eye works when reading a weblog, which may explain my theory on why a weblog format is better than a typical news website format. (via BoingBoing and Dan Gillmor.)

Neighborly link: A guy who lives a few blocks from me in Nashville is profiled in this 12,000-word New Yorker piece. Funniest line is this remark from the subject’s wife after the writer notes their matching Apple G4s: “What did you expect?” she said. “I live with the man who invented the Internet.” Note to neighbor: Invite me over an I’ll help you set up a blog.

(Thanks, Charlotte)

iTunes affiliate program update: While I don’t plan on using the rexblog to keep the world informed on the progress of the iTunes affiliate program, I would like to pass along some information to assist those who may be searching the blogosphere for information about linking directly to a specific song or album or artist or audiobook that includes your iTunes affiliate tag. That feature will be available later this week, according to an e-mail from the iTunes affiliate team support folks at Apple (or linkshare?). At this point, an affiliate can point to the iTunes store and a few dozen specific text-ad (example: Choose from over 1 million tracks for only 99¢ a song at iTunes) and banner-ad related locations on the iTunes store. Again, this post is an off-topic public service as I couldn’t find any information on discussions or blogs when I went looking for it.

Update: iLife blogger Jim Heid, author of Macintosh iLife 04, let me know via comments below that he’s actually reporting this topic. I am happy to point folks his way. Thanks, Jim.

Martha paddling up the river? The NY Post (via CNN.com) is reporting that Martha Stewart wants to start serving her sentence as soon as a prison bed is available in the Danbury federal prison for women. Her daughter Alexis will oversee Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia during Stewart’s, uh, sabbatical. As I’ve indicated before, I’m firmly in the “Free Martha” camp. But I can see how she would want to get this behind her. Her prison memoirs may likely be the first Martha Stewart book I will ever purchase…and should certainly help cover her legal expenses.