Brian Micklethwait, is "busy lashing up a TransportBlog posting, following on from this Samizdata posting about air taxis…." Check out the whole discussion. I tend to agree that the safety aspect is not so hot...
Blogger Hacks, Categories, Tips & Tricks
"The venue was a student union where John was going to be interviewed by The Datsuns. The place was packed with students and bands (with demos in hand) and at one point the crowd were given the chance to ask John a question. So I asked him what he would say to George Bush if he was stuck in a room with him. John's reply (roughly): I'm a bit of a hippy and a peace loving man.....I'd cut the b******s head off!!! This was being webcast live may I add. His honesty endeared us towards him. Muslim - Radio 1 in Scotland"
Virginia Postrel boils the election down:
"It's primarily about three questions, in order of priority:
1) Does George Bush have the right temperament to be president? Is he a strong, decisive leader? Or is he close-minded and afraid to listen to disagreements or admit mistakes? Is he a focused manager who chooses his priorities and sticks to them? Or is he a dimwit who can't keep up with more than a few issues? Is his religious faith a plus or a minus? Is he too confrontational at home and abroad? Does he give you the creeps? That last question may be the most important of all.
2) Is the war in Iraq right or wrong? You can complicate this question by adding nuances about exit strategies, troop levels, or the broader strategy of preemptive attack. But those nuances won't decide the election, nor will they be the focus of post-election analysis.
3) Is Bush too friendly to corporations and rich people? Contrary to what you might think from reading some libertarian-leaning bloggers, John Kerry is not running against George Bush's extravagant new Medicare entitlement or his expansive domestic spending. He is running against "tax cuts for the rich" and prescription drugs without price controls. Voting for "Not Bush" means voting for "not enough domestic spending" and "not enough taxes on the rich."
By this reasoning, a Bush victory will be interpreted as public approval (a majority's, at least) of his executive style and personality, of the war in Iraq, and of his economic policies, particularly the tax cuts. A Kerry victory will be interpreted as public rejection of Bush's temperament, of the war in Iraq, and of his tax cuts and of his pro-business (and in some cases pro-market) policies."
"It's primarily about three questions, in order of priority:
1) Does George Bush have the right temperament to be president? Is he a strong, decisive leader? Or is he close-minded and afraid to listen to disagreements or admit mistakes? Is he a focused manager who chooses his priorities and sticks to them? Or is he a dimwit who can't keep up with more than a few issues? Is his religious faith a plus or a minus? Is he too confrontational at home and abroad? Does he give you the creeps? That last question may be the most important of all.
2) Is the war in Iraq right or wrong? You can complicate this question by adding nuances about exit strategies, troop levels, or the broader strategy of preemptive attack. But those nuances won't decide the election, nor will they be the focus of post-election analysis.
3) Is Bush too friendly to corporations and rich people? Contrary to what you might think from reading some libertarian-leaning bloggers, John Kerry is not running against George Bush's extravagant new Medicare entitlement or his expansive domestic spending. He is running against "tax cuts for the rich" and prescription drugs without price controls. Voting for "Not Bush" means voting for "not enough domestic spending" and "not enough taxes on the rich."
By this reasoning, a Bush victory will be interpreted as public approval (a majority's, at least) of his executive style and personality, of the war in Iraq, and of his economic policies, particularly the tax cuts. A Kerry victory will be interpreted as public rejection of Bush's temperament, of the war in Iraq, and of his tax cuts and of his pro-business (and in some cases pro-market) policies."
State-by-state, pretty much. Who's got what & what does it mean?: "WASHINGTON (AP) President Bush and Sen. John Kerry are virtually tied in the Electoral College count, fighting over eight to 10 states so close and unpredictable that anything is possible Tuesday night.
After months campaigning and a half-billion dollars spent on attack ads, Bush and Kerry are still at the whim of unexpected events."
After months campaigning and a half-billion dollars spent on attack ads, Bush and Kerry are still at the whim of unexpected events."
Glenn Reynolds writing for Guardian Unlimited: "Within the United States - and, indeed, within all countries, even the most capitalist - the industrial revolution, and capitalism, pose a threat to those who prefer hierarchy and status to dynamism and meritocracy. (Indeed, Virginia Postrel has looked at this division in her book, The Future And Its Enemies, and concluded that the big division of the twenty-first century is between "dynamists" and "stasists".)
As both Bennett and Postrel note, the Anglosphere has been far more open to progress and change than, say, the Francosphere, such as it is. But within the Anglosphere one finds people - often academics, or government employees, or others who operate in environments where competition is less fierce, and status hierarchies more important - who are threatened by dynamism. In this regard, concerns about American power are as much a symptom of anxiety as a matter of substance. This may explain why so many such people around the world, and even within America, favour John Kerry, widely regarded as the French-leaning candidate in the American election. "
As both Bennett and Postrel note, the Anglosphere has been far more open to progress and change than, say, the Francosphere, such as it is. But within the Anglosphere one finds people - often academics, or government employees, or others who operate in environments where competition is less fierce, and status hierarchies more important - who are threatened by dynamism. In this regard, concerns about American power are as much a symptom of anxiety as a matter of substance. This may explain why so many such people around the world, and even within America, favour John Kerry, widely regarded as the French-leaning candidate in the American election. "
Why Bruce, of course. LA Times: "MADISON, Wis. — The residents of 508 West Washington Ave. were already psyched when they realized that a massive rally with Sen. John F. Kerry and Bruce Springsteen would take place on their street this afternoon.When the rock star's trailer parked right in front of their house, Danya Bader-Natal — one of the seven University of Wisconsin seniors who live in the gray wooden house-scrawled a message in green marker on a flattened box and hung it from their second-story balcony: "Bruce come up for a beer."
"We thought he might see it and laugh, but we definitely didn't think he'd actually come over," said roommate Vivian Intermont.On his way back to his trailer after playing a short set before a crowd of 80,000 people, the singer pointed at the sign with a grin. And, much to their shock, he took the students up on their invitation.Along with his wife, Patti Scialfa, Springsteen clambered up the stairs, tripping over a jumble of computer cords stretched across a doorway, and joined the roommates and their friends on a balcony cluttered with beach chairs and boxes of artichoke pizza. The stunned students handed the rock legend a bottle of Capital Amber and for the next 20 minutes, he hung out with them as the Democratic candidate spoke on stage down the street."
"We thought he might see it and laugh, but we definitely didn't think he'd actually come over," said roommate Vivian Intermont.On his way back to his trailer after playing a short set before a crowd of 80,000 people, the singer pointed at the sign with a grin. And, much to their shock, he took the students up on their invitation.Along with his wife, Patti Scialfa, Springsteen clambered up the stairs, tripping over a jumble of computer cords stretched across a doorway, and joined the roommates and their friends on a balcony cluttered with beach chairs and boxes of artichoke pizza. The stunned students handed the rock legend a bottle of Capital Amber and for the next 20 minutes, he hung out with them as the Democratic candidate spoke on stage down the street."
Wednesday, October 27, 2004
"Media giant Pappas Telecasting, with TV and radio stations across the nation, will give $325,000 worth of air time on their stations for GOP candidates in many of California's hottest legislative elections. This is first time we know of that a media giant has given away airtime for partisan ads. Pappas is abusing its access to the public airwaves — your airwaves — to sway close elections. This is not about liberal vs. conservative. It's about Big Media once again abusing the public trust to advance their own political objectives. "
There's a database of Pappas advertisers too.
There's a database of Pappas advertisers too.
No, Eminem, but the point's the same, (sort of...)
Al Franken's Blog: "Even if you don’t like hip-hop--or if you don’t agree with everything it depicts--Eminem’s new video, “Mosh," is important. It’s animated, but no less stinging for that. It depicts a mother coming home with an eviction notice and seeing a report on Bush’s tax cuts for the rich on television; a soldier returning home to his wife and baby, only to be re-deployed to Iraq; and, at the end, an army of white and black people voting. Per Kos, you can write-in a vote for the video on MTV’s Total Request Live and on their hip-hop request show. On either page, scroll to the bottom, click “Other”, and enter Eminem for artist and “Mosh” for song title. Vote as often as you please."
Al Franken's Blog: "Even if you don’t like hip-hop--or if you don’t agree with everything it depicts--Eminem’s new video, “Mosh," is important. It’s animated, but no less stinging for that. It depicts a mother coming home with an eviction notice and seeing a report on Bush’s tax cuts for the rich on television; a soldier returning home to his wife and baby, only to be re-deployed to Iraq; and, at the end, an army of white and black people voting. Per Kos, you can write-in a vote for the video on MTV’s Total Request Live and on their hip-hop request show. On either page, scroll to the bottom, click “Other”, and enter Eminem for artist and “Mosh” for song title. Vote as often as you please."
on the whole "Ashlee Simpson soft-shoe-shuffle" on SNL bit.
"The real story, if you ask me, is more about SNL, and how it traded Andy Kaufman for Andy Dick. The real microscope shouldn't be focused on Ashlee Vanilee Simpson, but should be focused on SNL, which used to be a reliable source of biting commentary and satire, but is now just another predictable, corporate, unimaginative stop on the flavor of the month's publicity tour."
"The real story, if you ask me, is more about SNL, and how it traded Andy Kaufman for Andy Dick. The real microscope shouldn't be focused on Ashlee Vanilee Simpson, but should be focused on SNL, which used to be a reliable source of biting commentary and satire, but is now just another predictable, corporate, unimaginative stop on the flavor of the month's publicity tour."
"ElitesTV.com: British Researchers have found that green and black tea inhibit the activity of certain enzymes in the brain, paving the way for improved memory and protecting against the development of Alzheimer's disease.
'Our findings are particularly exciting as tea is already a very popular drink, it is inexpensive, and there do not seem to be any adverse side effects when it is consumed,' said Dr. Edward Okello, lead researcher with the experimental team."
'Our findings are particularly exciting as tea is already a very popular drink, it is inexpensive, and there do not seem to be any adverse side effects when it is consumed,' said Dr. Edward Okello, lead researcher with the experimental team."
"LONDON (Reuters) - The Glastonbury Festival will honour the late John Peel by naming its new bands tent after the DJ legend, the festival's founder says.
"He was a champion of new bands, so it's very appropriate to name the tent after him," Michael Eavis told Reuters. The tent will be called the John Peel Stage, he said.
Eavis said Peel, who died of a heart attack on Monday, had a huge influence on the festival, attributing The Smith's 1984 performance to the DJ."
"He was a champion of new bands, so it's very appropriate to name the tent after him," Michael Eavis told Reuters. The tent will be called the John Peel Stage, he said.
Eavis said Peel, who died of a heart attack on Monday, had a huge influence on the festival, attributing The Smith's 1984 performance to the DJ."
"MIAMI (Reuters) - A Florida motorist was arrested Wednesday on charges of trying to run down U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris at an intersection where the controversial former state elections chief was campaigning for re-election to Congress.
The Republican lawmaker and several supporters were campaigning alongside a street corner in her hometown of Sarasota Tuesday evening. A silver Cadillac sped toward them, drove up onto the sidewalk where Harris stood, and then swerved away at the last minute, the Sarasota police report said."
The Republican lawmaker and several supporters were campaigning alongside a street corner in her hometown of Sarasota Tuesday evening. A silver Cadillac sped toward them, drove up onto the sidewalk where Harris stood, and then swerved away at the last minute, the Sarasota police report said."
Tuesday, October 26, 2004
Iraq? Afghanistan? How about Florida, again? "A secret document obtained from inside Bush campaign headquarters in Florida suggests a plan - possibly in violation of US law - to disrupt voting in the state's African-American voting districts.... Election supervisor Ion Sancho believes some voters are being intimidatedTwo e-mails, prepared for the executive director of the Bush campaign in Florida and the campaign's national research director in Washington DC, contain a 15-page so-called "caging list".
It lists 1,886 names and addresses of voters in predominantly black and traditionally Democrat areas of Jacksonville, Florida. " read the whole thing.
It lists 1,886 names and addresses of voters in predominantly black and traditionally Democrat areas of Jacksonville, Florida. " read the whole thing.
You will be missed, Sir, & music broadcasting will never be the same. BBC: "Veteran BBC broadcaster John Peel has died at the age of 65, while on holiday in Peru. Peel, whose radio career spanned 40 years, was on a working holiday in the city of Cuzco with his wife Sheila when he suffered a heart attack.
He was BBC Radio 1's longest-serving DJ and in recent years had also presented Home Truths on Radio 4. Radio 1 controller Andy Parfitt said Peel's contribution to modern music and culture was "immeasurable". "
He was BBC Radio 1's longest-serving DJ and in recent years had also presented Home Truths on Radio 4. Radio 1 controller Andy Parfitt said Peel's contribution to modern music and culture was "immeasurable". "
- Update: A comprehensive obituary from The Australian.
- John Peel's Radio 1 Homepage
- The message board planning Sunday's Andy Kershaw show.
From Virginia Postrel: "The Wikipedia is a free, online encyclopedia created by volunteer contributors. Its open-source model taps the dispersed knowledge of many different people. But what happens when contributors vehemently disagree on the facts? Red Herring reports on the pre-election Wiki wars."
Interesting question. What happens when you allow open authorship, but attempt authoritative content, especially in reference to polarising or divisive issues?
Interesting question. What happens when you allow open authorship, but attempt authoritative content, especially in reference to polarising or divisive issues?
Monday, October 25, 2004
It's only a re-enactment!!!
From the Associated Press: "BALACLAVA, Ukraine - Britain's Prince Philip and saber-waving cavalry re-enactors commemorated the charge of the Light Brigade on Monday, 150 years after the doomed British assault against Russian cannons in a Crimean War battle immortalized by the poet Alfred Lord Tennyson.
The incident, known around the world through the poem's ringing beginning of "Half a league, half a league, half a league onward," was one of the grimmest offensives of the war. Of the more than 600 soldiers who charged against Russian cannon, 110 were killed. In addition, 475 horses were lost, a significant blow to the cavalry.
The plunge into what Tennyson characterized as "The Valley of Death" was due to a confused order, and the charge came to be seen, through the poem, as the epitome of courage and obedience despite mistakes of command." Read the whole thing.
From the Associated Press: "BALACLAVA, Ukraine - Britain's Prince Philip and saber-waving cavalry re-enactors commemorated the charge of the Light Brigade on Monday, 150 years after the doomed British assault against Russian cannons in a Crimean War battle immortalized by the poet Alfred Lord Tennyson.
The incident, known around the world through the poem's ringing beginning of "Half a league, half a league, half a league onward," was one of the grimmest offensives of the war. Of the more than 600 soldiers who charged against Russian cannon, 110 were killed. In addition, 475 horses were lost, a significant blow to the cavalry.
The plunge into what Tennyson characterized as "The Valley of Death" was due to a confused order, and the charge came to be seen, through the poem, as the epitome of courage and obedience despite mistakes of command." Read the whole thing.
to Mr Jimmy Merritt esq, stand up comic extraordinaire, on his magnificent performance opening for Brad Sherwood and Colin Mochrie on Saturday Night. If you have not yet seen Jimmy live, check his site for dates & go see him.
Sunday, October 24, 2004
Apparently I have "violated the terms of agreement in reference to adult sites." Of course I haven't, but hey, the script's probably been hacked again. So the code is off this blog & that's the end of me & referrer scripts. It was good to know who was coming here, but not really worth the aggro.
Two of my favourite blog topics, together in one story:
From the FLW Unity Temple Restoration Foundation: "On Thursday, September 19th we were locking the door when a forlorn late arrival peered through the art glass doors of the foyer. Despite some distortion, the face looked quite familiar so we unlocked and he pleaded: “I'm only here for the night and I've always dreamed of seeing this building.” After a brief introduction we understood the familiarity: our laggard was none-other than Max Weinberg from NBC Television's Late Night with Conan O'Brien.
We had to know how he came to visit Unity Temple: “I'm the drummer for Bruce Springsteen's band, too, and we had a concert. I'm a huge fan of Wright and this was something I had to see.” After a pleasant 40 minute tour which included some sophisticated and insightful questions, Weinberg was off to prepare for another sold-out concert but not before he had a few words of support, a generous contribution and a promise to do what he can to fulfill UTRF's mission. We wish him continued success and offer sincere gratitude for his support."
From the FLW Unity Temple Restoration Foundation: "On Thursday, September 19th we were locking the door when a forlorn late arrival peered through the art glass doors of the foyer. Despite some distortion, the face looked quite familiar so we unlocked and he pleaded: “I'm only here for the night and I've always dreamed of seeing this building.” After a brief introduction we understood the familiarity: our laggard was none-other than Max Weinberg from NBC Television's Late Night with Conan O'Brien.
We had to know how he came to visit Unity Temple: “I'm the drummer for Bruce Springsteen's band, too, and we had a concert. I'm a huge fan of Wright and this was something I had to see.” After a pleasant 40 minute tour which included some sophisticated and insightful questions, Weinberg was off to prepare for another sold-out concert but not before he had a few words of support, a generous contribution and a promise to do what he can to fulfill UTRF's mission. We wish him continued success and offer sincere gratitude for his support."
Thursday, October 21, 2004
CNN/SI: "The mighty Yankees lost four in a row to the hated Red Sox in the American League Championship Series, rolling over in Game 7 like untrained puppies in trouble, completing a choke that outdoes any the Red Sox might have gagged out over the past century.
"Right now, I'm just shocked by it all, the way that it ended," said Gary Sheffield, one of the new Yankees brought in precisely to fend off these types of foreign celebrations. "This is weird all the way around. But that's the way it goes. It just got away from us."
The most expensive team that George Steinbrenner's money could buy, the most expensive sports team ever assembled -- with a payroll in excess of $184 million -- couldn't buy its way into the World Series. That's the bottom line of bottom lines.
All that talent, all that experience, all that pinstriped history was crushed in a historic rebound by the formerly damned Red Sox, a team that hasn't been to the World Series in nearly two decades and hasn't won one since 1918."
Let's just hope he changes it on November 2nd too.....
"Right now, I'm just shocked by it all, the way that it ended," said Gary Sheffield, one of the new Yankees brought in precisely to fend off these types of foreign celebrations. "This is weird all the way around. But that's the way it goes. It just got away from us."
The most expensive team that George Steinbrenner's money could buy, the most expensive sports team ever assembled -- with a payroll in excess of $184 million -- couldn't buy its way into the World Series. That's the bottom line of bottom lines.
All that talent, all that experience, all that pinstriped history was crushed in a historic rebound by the formerly damned Red Sox, a team that hasn't been to the World Series in nearly two decades and hasn't won one since 1918."
Let's just hope he changes it on November 2nd too.....
Wednesday, October 20, 2004
Blogger Knowledge: "Some say the hardest part about writing your novel is just getting started, others say sticking with it is what breaks them. In any case, to help you achieve your goal, we've come up with our own brand of inspiration: NaNoBlogMo. National Novel Writing Blogging Month is our spin on Baty and friends' ingenious program. To reach 50,000 words, you'll need to write every day—Blogger was born for this gig. Add to that the fact that blogging already has a successful track record in the book world and the big picture begins to emerge."
Feel the creativity...
Feel the creativity...
In the course of checking in w/ the remaining Sinclair Advertisers (80 less than there were this time last week) I ran across this msg:
"Thank you for your support. Unfortunately, due to the extreme volume of emails (nearly 1 million in one day!), we are unable to send your message at this time.You may attempt to send through this link (75 random addresses): Semicolon Separated (Outlook) Comma Separated (AOL, Netscape, Others) If your email program will not send the email, break the address list into several emails and send them separately. We apologize for the inconvenience, and invite you to show your support by calling the advertisers or sending emails from the "send all in this market" link. Use list of all advertisers or the Top 10 List and make a few phone calls! "
One million messages to these people in a day?!!! No wonder the Sinclair stock price is in the tank.
"Thank you for your support. Unfortunately, due to the extreme volume of emails (nearly 1 million in one day!), we are unable to send your message at this time.You may attempt to send through this link (75 random addresses): Semicolon Separated (Outlook) Comma Separated (AOL, Netscape, Others) If your email program will not send the email, break the address list into several emails and send them separately. We apologize for the inconvenience, and invite you to show your support by calling the advertisers or sending emails from the "send all in this market" link. Use list of all advertisers or the Top 10 List and make a few phone calls! "
One million messages to these people in a day?!!! No wonder the Sinclair stock price is in the tank.
Sinclair shares dropped more than 3 percent Tuesday, falling 23 cents to
$6.26 a share on the NASDAQ market. Sinclair stock dropped about 8 percent on
Monday, and is down from a high of more than $15 a share in January.
Monday, October 18, 2004
Here's a list of ten companies that have been selected "either due to their adamant refusal to pull their advertising or their significance to the campaign." Let's see if they'll change their minds.
Associated Press: "CORVALLIS, Ore. - It's the case of the TV that was calling for help.An Air Force search and rescue alert was trigged by Chris van Rossman's flatscreen Toshiba television set. It has a built-in VCR, DVD and CD player.And an undocumented feature that has authorities scratching their heads. Some sort of electric glitch was causing van Rossman's TV to transmit on the international distress frequency.
The signal was picked up by a satellite and relayed to the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center in Virginia. Van Rossman had no idea until airmen, deputies and Corvallis, Ore., police were knocking on the door of his apartment. The errant signal was traced to his TV set."
The signal was picked up by a satellite and relayed to the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center in Virginia. Van Rossman had no idea until airmen, deputies and Corvallis, Ore., police were knocking on the door of his apartment. The errant signal was traced to his TV set."
Wednesday, October 13, 2004
Just kick a bloke up in the air. Why not? You're only the Captain.
"LONDON, Oct 13 (Reuters) - England captain David Beckham has apologised to the Football Association (FA), his team mates and supporters after deliberately getting booked against Wales.
"LONDON, Oct 13 (Reuters) - England captain David Beckham has apologised to the Football Association (FA), his team mates and supporters after deliberately getting booked against Wales.
Beckham sparked a controversy by telling a British newspaper he picked up a yellow card in Saturday's World Cup qualifying victory in order to serve a one-match ban while injured. His admission followed extensive media criticism of the challenge.
"In an interview ... I was asked a question and made a frank and honest admission to counter the negative speculation.
"I now know that was wrong and apologise to the Football Association (FA), the England manager, my team mates and all England fans for this."
Resign, you jackass.
If this is burning you up, take a leaf from Josh Marshall's book: visit boycott Sinclair, go to their SBG advertiser database, and contact the companies who advertise in your local market. Tell them you'd prefer that they spend their marketing dollars elsewhere.
Update 10/18 -
1: A one click e-mail to Sinclair advertisers, from grassroots nation.com
2: From Lawrence Lessig's blog: An in-depth analysis of the obligations of broadcasters, & the difference between network TV & other media invoking the 1st amendment:
Update 10/18 -
1: A one click e-mail to Sinclair advertisers, from grassroots nation.com
2: From Lawrence Lessig's blog: An in-depth analysis of the obligations of broadcasters, & the difference between network TV & other media invoking the 1st amendment:
In the last week, the stock price of the Sinclair Group has fallen by 10%. The company has lost $60,000,000 in market cap. Josh Marshall has a great clip from a Lehman Brothers research memo attacking the decision from a business perspective.
This drop is no doubt in part a calculation about how Sinclair will fair if the election goes for Kerry. But in part it may also be the product of a large citizen reaction to this corporate partisanship. Among the groups creating pressure on the company are:
Boycottsbg.com
SinclairWatch.org
MediaMatters.orgThe First Amendment does not mean people have to like you for what you say. Nor does it protect you if people decide not to buy your product because of what you say, or advertise on your network, because of what you say. All it means is that the government can’t punish you for what you say (or at least, that’s at least what it should mean, “indecency” notwithstanding).
But “free speech” is more than what the First Amendment says. And I wouldn’t be honest if I didn’t confess a bit of anxiety at all this “punishing” for what people — including corporations — say. The most that can be said in its defense is, I should think, this: In a world where “mainstream” broadcasters such as CBS are too timid to broadcast a plainly relevant story about war “too close” to an election, or where NBC refuses to license clips from “Meet the Press” because it wants to stay “neutral” in a political debate, the action by a concentrated, powerful, rightwing network to use its power to direct the election is bad. If we could break up the government supported monopolies of broadcasters, and change the culture among broadcasters generally, I’d have no problem with it. But now, in this culture, in an election this close, the decision stinks. And I for one won’t shed any tears for the “punishment” Sinclair receives from the market, or even the plaintiffs’ bar.
only not the direction of the good lord. More the Karl Rove & Poppa in the press box kind....
- Portland IMC: "there was something very curious about his speaking style: the unnatural way he would be at a loss for words, pause a couple of seconds looking down at his lectern--as if listening--and then looking up, deliver a full sentence as if it had just come to him out of the blue. This occured several times during the "debate."" Plenty of hard-core conspiracy theories in the comments.
- Guardian: "A photograph from the Associated Press, taken of the president from behind, appears to show a small bulge under his jacket between the shoulder blades, sparking speculation that he was being coached through a wire."