Monthly Archives: January 2004

Because you don’t have to do stuff like this to get into heaven.

via Fark

Naturally, like every other pestilence on this planet, Bird Flu starts with flu-like symptoms.

You stupid little dolts.

Which Founding Father Are You?

It’s eerily accurate.

Californian assemblywoman wants building codes to align with feng shui principles. Yeah, that’s an effective use of the public’s time and money.

via Drudge Report

Bush doesn’t want an independent probe into WMD intel. Bush works in mysterious ways. Somehow he’ll come out of this smelling like a rose.

101 Ways to save the Internet.

VDH

Arguments against our efforts have already evolved precisely because of the moral nature of our enterprise. Two years ago, American leftists and most Europeans alleged that America was after oil, or sought global hegemony in its plans to take out the havens of terror. Now those same voices — more strident than ever — are cynical and coldly rational: We are spending too much money, too many Americans are dying, the mythical “Afghanistan pipeline” and “Iraqi oil” won’t pay for the costs after all, such countries can never adopt democracies, and so on.

So Microsoft is going to get rid of spam in two years. Here’s how.

Maybe Berman is gone from Trek? I think this may increase Enterprise ratings rather than dampening them.

Heh.

…let us reflect deeply upon the efficiency of our taxi-drivers and the incompetence of our public servants.

From Instapundit.

I expect that Karl Rove thinks he can hang on to these people, and maybe he will. But from here, it looks like he’s got serious problems with the base.

We learned this at lunch today because Bob just got back from teaching at a pastor’s conference in Uganda. According to the chaplains in the Southern Sudanese army (SPLA), the Government of Sudan stopped bombing the south when Bush got into office. Coincidence? Possibly, but the SPLA’s soldiers look at George Bush as one of their greatest friends. They wish they were American citizens so they could vote for him.

The US is ditching fixed-width Courier and going with variable-width Times New Roman.

As they like to say on LGF, RoPMA.

Spirit is starting to recover.

Fake or not, this really looks cool.

Now there’s SIX kinds of matter. Back in my day, we only had three. And we were thankful.

The British press’ reaction to the Hutton report.

via Instapundit

And speaking of revealing reports, an Iraqi paper has unearthed some rather damning links to many of Saddam’s supporters.

via Inoperable Terran

Discuss among yourselves. Instapundit also has the links.

Yada, yada, yada. There’s a tactical error though.

“The whole idea that you could lose weight without reducing energy intake flies in the face of 100 years of data,” Foster said.

Uh, Galelio, Copernicus, Kepler flew in the face of hundred of years of data, too.

People are willing to pay to have others rip their CDs for them. Who knew?

Do the crime, have someone else do the time.

Microsoft hasn’t fixed the problem yet. Try Opera.

This will make some waves.

“Where I live in Manhattan and where I work at ABC, people say conservative the way people say child molester,” he said. “[Conservative] is the worst thing for a reporter to be called. And I’m a little puzzled why they call me a conservative.”

Now Opportunity is having problems. I’m guessing it’s trying to update Windows.

I was going to post this over at Joyful Christian in the comments, but I figured he probably wouldn’t appreciate that. So, go read the comments and then come back here.

I say:

Instead of dragging this thing through the courts, why not let the guy have one free shot (as in punch) at Franken.

I know, I know, how crude. That’s not how we do things in a civilized country. But Franken has talked smack with Lowry in the past. I bet my solution would cause Franken to think twice before tackling hecklers in the future.

The next ice age is going to start in our lifetimes. I thought we were still in the last one.

The flower of the genetically modified plant changes color when it is growing over a land mine. That’s the theory, at least. Obviously the Danes don’t know that the EU doesn’t like GM stuff.

It all fun and games until someone gets offended.

Is there a roving gang of kids going around complaining? Even I’ve had a complaint that I’m not providing someone with the information they’re looking for. Like somehow it’s my responsibility somehow. Why back in my day, if we wanted solid information we went to the library and looked in books, and sometimes magazines and microfiche. And it took hours. Sometimes I had to go two days in a row.

Let me clear up a little confusion here. Americans don’t go around blowing people up, for the most part. Americans use sniper rifles. Now if the briefcase had some Arabic on it or a Palestinian flag, that would be cause for concern.

Now there’s a challenge to the polygamy ban in Utah. Social engineers rejoice.

Stanley Kurtz on what gay marriage may bring to the US in the future.

Setting the social life of nerds everywhere back decades, NASA describes the scientists as “giddy”.

You democrats, please don’t elect him.

A US district judge has found part of the Patriot Act unconstitutional. I’d really feel better if it weren’t called the “Patriot” Act.

It’s National Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day.

via Fark

How Bush is going awry. And he’s right.

Opportunity has landed.

Maybe if they put those little warning stickers on it. That would probably curb the demand for them.

Mother Nature is fighting back. Luckily mankind has responded. We’ll just have to wait to see who wins.

via DrudgeReport.

Kazaa gets the okay to sue the RIAA, MPAA.

You know, when they aren’t talking about lawyerly stuff, the Volokh Conspiracy is a fascinating place. And I too have the same problems with books and their desecration. But I’m not about to start giving mine away.

Here.

Mike Rowe gets a sweet deal out of Microsoft. It’s amazing what a little publicity will do.

Dodgeball is making a comeback.

via Fark

Bush wants to slow spending, but keeps coming up with all these big-spending ideas.

70% of the Al Qaida is gone? There’s some good news for you.

via DrudgeReport.

The first question you have to ask in technical support is: Did you reboot?

SCO says something about Linux, North Korea and it’s all your fault.

“A computer expert in North Korea who has a number of personal computers and an Internet connection can download the latest version of Linux, complete with multiprocessing capabilities misappropriated from Unix, and, in short order, build a virtual supercomputer,” the letter says.

Somehow sending SCO $699 avoids this problem or something like that.

So I just started my C++ class. Attributes, objects, types, classes. It’s all jibberish. I get Classes actually, it’s the rest that are seemingly interchangable, but supposedly not.

I love how everyone makes the leap from water to life. I don’t think it counts for free shrimp since the ESA found it.

Oh, yeah. Spirit finally phoned home.

Democratic gloom.

The proposed alternatives from those who either once voted for or supported the war are equally surreal. We should have just indicted and arrested Saddam Hussein (via the FBI or Interpol?); or withdrawn from Iraq at the end of the year (Vietnam-style with helicopters on the embassy roof?); or allowed the U.N. to take over (along the lines of its 1993-99 triumph in the Balkans?); or involved the Europeans (who announce they may send troops in the future after the U.S. has won both the war and peace — and oil concessions need to be re-allotted).

Another Dean Remix. This one’s really good.

Bush tries to explain economics to the press.

The Emperor discusses, surprisingly calmly, the kids that wanted a white kid from Africa to be the African-American student of the year, because he’s, you know, actually African and American, much to the disgruntlement of the school administration.

Spirit doesn’t want to send NASA information anymore.

UPDATE: Not to worry: “We used the classic technique for finding something,” said an unnamed NASA engineer. “We asked ourselves ‘If I were the Mars Rover, accustomed to an alien atmosphere, out of touch with the people of Earth, where would I be?’ And one of our engineers immediately phoned the Dean campaign.”

http://www.thingsmygirlfriendandihavearguedabout.com

via Fark, naturally.

I don’t understand the fascination with Lileks Yeagh. I mean, it’s fine, but it’s not that funny.

They should have stopped Enterprise before this sort of thing happened.

Moses parting the Red Sea.

The article is about a radio station in Hungary getting banned because someone said Christians should be exterminated. But this is how it ends:

Earlier this month in another incident thousands of demonstrators called for the station to be closed.

That protest meeting stirred controversy when several participants set fire to an Israeli flag.

Because somehow it’s all Israel’s fault.

It’s all Coke. Dr. Pepper, Pepsi, 7Up, it’s all Coke.

The RIAA is suing 532 more people. I expect tomorrow we will hear the “I don’t even own a computer” or “I’m three years old” story.

Cell phone vibrates skull, rendering ears unnecessary.

via DrudgeReport.

I just hate wasting a Saturday doing sound for the dumb things.

Mr Bill’s big comeback.

How handy. I’d recommend Evidence Eliminator.

They like Bush, and they are not stupid

There is going to be a presidential election in the United States in November and George Bush is going to win. President Bush’s approval rating is around 60 per cent. That’s comparable with Ronald Reagan in 1984, who redefined the term “landslide” when he won 49 of the 50 states.

Naturally, this makes some people crazy. How can Americans vote for a guy who went to war over weapons of mass destruction that did not exist?

…

Because I live in New York, I rarely get to hear the voice of this majority. Instead, I get magazines such as Vanity Fair, which last month had a column by the editor angrily listing statistics from the war in Iraq. Such as: number of American soldiers killed: 500. Number of weapons of mass destruction found: 0.

But, as some readers pointed out, there were statistics missing from the list. These include: number of mass graves uncovered in Iraq: around 260, containing as many as 20,000 bodies. Number of people liberated from brutal, murderous leadership: 12 million. And number of times Bush lied about receiving oral sex from a White House intern: 0.

via Instapundit

But this is going too far.

Slippery Rock University’s 25-piece orchestra and 65-member choir will present In Memoriam: A Requiem for Mr. Rogers, a one-hour piece that includes English, Hebrew and Latin lyrics, poetry and dramatic readings.

Couldn’t they just have a Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood marathon or something?

In a stunning show of common sense, Microsoft admits that it may have over-reacted to Mike Rowe’s website.

Enterprise may get the axe.

If you care, here’s the audio of Dean freaking out. And video. I wouldn’t say he’s going nuts. It’s very muppet-like I think. Think Kermit at the beginning of the Muppet Show.

Dean’s loss bad for the blog community.

FYI.

Via Fark

This is so wrong.

This is just the latest example of this thinking that annoys me. How come in the Bush=Hitler camp, they only mention Fox News, Rush Limbaugh and the Drudge Report? Is that the only place those people can get their news? Are they incapable of turning to CNN, ABC, CBS, NPR, CSPAN, NBC, PBS, BBC, CBC, Reuters, AP, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angles Times, The International Herald Tribune, The Economist, The Guardian? They never mention the crushing of dissent by those guys. What gives?

And can you blame them?

MST3k Complete. I go weak in the knees just thinking about it. It’s just rumor. Everyone remain calm.

via Fark

Loyal readers already know. Okay, so maybe the ads on Opera do occasionally catch my eye.

At 89. I don’t know, I like Taco Bell. It might cost me a year or two. Assuming I don’t get hit by a runaway garbage truck in the meantime.

BeeGees reunion in the offing?

From Lileks.

As I have noted from time to time, I’m a Lutheran Deist. By some peculiar coincidence my concept of God flatters my own conceptions of the universe; imagine that.

Many, many others should just come out and say this. I think it would make them feel better.

There may be good reason to be paranoid. And what the freaking heck (and I mean that) does NASA have to do with airline security?

Scott was on his game this weekend. Go there and read.

So, I was watching The Aquabats’ dvd Serious Awesomeness and they showed The Edge, a seedy bar that I drive past every day. Which means The Aquabats played here and I had NO idea. Not that I would have gone. The Edge has changed its name a few times, there’s been at least one murder and it’s burned down, since I’ve lived here. I can’t think of a less likely place for The Aquabats to play.

And if you want to find out what all the hubbub is about, I recommend starting with The Fury of the Aquabats. There’s not a bad song on it.

Because Pete is nice enough to link to me fairly often, even though I have no idea what a “Bama” is.

Halliburton wins Iraqi oil contract.

Because we all wish playing video games was more like work. And find out how the nerds/geeks feel about this.

Today at lunch I learned that those moron streakers were over in Spokane. How hilarious is that. That’s what I get for not reading the story.

Why didn’t someone tell me?

Where Americans see skill and subtlety in taking out Saddam Hussein and a costly effort to liberate a people, many Iraqis, even as they taste freedom, drive new cars, and see things improve, talk instead of humiliation, hurt pride, or anger at their own impotence — whether whining over the morticians’ make-up work on Qusay, or ashamed about Saddam’s pathetic televised dental examination.

To Mars. Sign me up. That would be awesome. What skills would I bring. Umm, well, I could blog. Do they have broadband on Mars? I also make an awesome shrimp scampi. Which would be handy when Long John Silvers sets up its Martian franchise.

via Slashdot

Long John Silvers will give everyone in America a free shrimp if an ocean is discovered on Mars. Overfishing of Martian ocean soon to follow.

“It’s not a matter of ‘if,’ it’s just a matter of ‘when’ human beings are able to live permanently on Mars. Long John Silver’s mission is to feed people with delicious seafood wherever they are — on earth or even outer space.”

via Fark

Music downloads increasing again.

“For us, the ultimate measurement of success has been, and continues to be, creating an environment where legal online music services can flourish,” Lamy said in a statement. “All indicators point in the right direction – sales of CDs, legal downloads and awareness that file sharing copyrighted music is illegal – have all increased.”

Well, now you can download movies. Legally, I mean. Of course, one drawback.

CinemaNow’s store of download-to-own films–which includes the surf documentary “Endless Summer”–is protected by Microsoft’s Windows Media digital rights management software, according to the Marina Del Rey, Calif.-based company.

Crippling digital rights management software. Now if you could download it and burn it to a DVD, that would be something. But no, you can only watch it on the machine you downloaded it on. Might as well go buy the DVD. Cause you would never download it illegally.

Yeah, I know there are none. The, er, Spokesman Review has a blog! Who knew?

UPDATE: The SR has many, many, many, many, many blogs. Almost too many to count.

via Jeff Jarvis. Ryan, you guys are the major daily to me. Your comics are waaay better than the Stress’.

Jeff Jarvis is all upset. And my opinion is: This is CBS, not PBS. They can do whatever they darn well feel like. They should have just said they didn’t want to run the ad, but I can understand them not wanting to offend their core demographic.

UPDATE: CBS is crushing dissent all over the place.

They’re going to the moon, too!

Poor Al can’t catch a break.

1 Terabyte hard drive. I’m not saying I couldn’t fill this, I’m just saying this is really big.

CAIR upset that Muslims are being singled out in a probe of terrorist financial ties.

If you are going to belong to a religion that advocates blowing people up as a means of political discourse, you have to expect this sort of thing. And don’t tell me how peaceful you personally are. If there was more condemnation of terrorism by the “peaceful” muslims, maybe this wouldn’t be quite the problem it is now.

Cops have the right to set up roadblocks seeking information from motorists.

llinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan said the ruling “will allow law enforcement in Illinois and across the nation to seek voluntary assistance from citizens in their efforts to solve crime.”

Forcing me to stop and answer questions is not “voluntary”.

I agree, who cares about the spouse of the President.

This sudden concern for a billion dollars a year coming from the Democrats is touching. If only they would apply that concern to everything else, I might believe it’s not just a knee-jerk reaction.

Russia says it can get to the moon by 2014 at one-tenth the price of the US.

The BBC is going to broadcast John Cage’s silent orchestra. I could write a concerto if that’s all it takes.

Someone get out there and make some news. This everything-is-going-fine does not an interesting news day make.

It seems Thailand is upset about EU shrimp tariffs. So they might switch to Boeing.

Striking a blow for personal responsibility.

“At the end of the day, we all know we’ve never driven by a Burger King or Dairy Queen and had an armed guard force us in to the drive-through window,” he said.

via Fark

Did Clinton not notice how much we hated this last time she proposed national health care?

Some doctors, hospitals and pharmacies already use electronic health records in areas like paperless prescriptions. But electronic medical records aren’t widely used, and Clinton says a government-created system with special standards could change that.

It’ll change it all right. Because we all know how efficient government systems are.

Clinton, D-N.Y., fought unsuccessfully a decade ago to expand affordable health care. The initiative died after industry interests and many members of Congress resisted to what they called a confusing bureaucracy.

What media bias?

Clinton has said she learned lessons from the failure.

Yes, she’s learned to sneak it in one piece at a time.

For the 20% of Windows users that are hopelessly behind the curve, you’re in luck. Microsoft has decided to continue support for 98.

Hitchhiker’s Guide to be made into a movie. I hope it turns out okay. The BBC worries me.

I bet the government has plans for regime change in a lot of countries. This is not something you want them doing on the spur of the moment.

Weekly World News has the best scoops.

Space aliens aren’t visiting Earth to conquer our planet, nor are they here to pass on to mankind some society-altering universal wisdom. They’re simply stopping by to pick up Krispy Kreme donuts!

Now, I’m a fan of the place on the corner of 9th and Escondido, but Krispy Kreme’s are the best I can get since I’m 1500 miles from that corner.

Space haters vs. Space lovers.

Space lovers, in contrast, are a hopeful lot. They seek to conquer space for sheer glory’s sake. And space-o-philes don’t just crave evidence of life; they intend the colonization of space to remake human society. Space lovers even expect to save the world — by giving humans a new home in case a stray asteroid, or ecological disaster, threaten Earth. Dreams like this keep the space lovers going.

I’m all for killing big government, but dang it, I want my rocket pack. I want to live on the moon. I’d love to visit Mars. If private enterprise won’t get me there, then I’ll get a ride from NASA.

Making the world a safer place.

December marked a small but significant victory in the war on terror, as Jean Chretien stepped down from his post as Canadian prime minister after ten years of casual indifference regarding the terrorist threat permeating within Canada’s borders.

Now working as a commentator on Abu Dhabi TV.

So they say. I don’t trust that Sam guy, and that bouncing smiley face.

Someone has been playing too much Red Alert.