Burma tops list of worst places to be a blogger

Bloggers in Burma, Iran and Syria work under some of the most repressive conditions in the world, facing tactics such as regulation, intimidation and even imprisonment, according to a report from the Committee to Protect Journalists. The organization released a list of the “10 worst countries to be a blogger” to call attention to online oppression in connection with World Press Freedom Day, which was observed Sunday. “Bloggers are at the vanguard of the information revolution, and their numbers are expanding rapidly,” the group’s executive director, Joel Simon, said in a report posted on the organization’s Web site.

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"Pig Book" calls out top congressional porkers

Listen closely and you’ll hear squeals of disgust from a watchdog group tracking congressional pork in the nation’s capital. Citizens Against Government Waste is out with its annual “Pig Book” — a list of lawmakers whom the group considers the most egregious porkers, members of the House and Senate who use the earmarking process to funnel money to projects on their home turf. Fittingly perhaps, the list includes nearly $1.8 million for swine odor and manure management research in Iowa.

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