Monthly Archives: July 2006

So, the government has been trying to create a easily transmittable version of the bird flu. They failed. It’s a good news/bad news/duh sort of thing.

Also, ferrets are involved.

IDF hacks Lebanon’s TV station and taunts them.

Soon singing Zip-a-dee-doo-dah will be racist.

The Blues Are Still Blue – Belle & Sebastian

Ack! All I can picture is any number of episodes of Data acting in an effort to become more human.

I know I learned something.

I love Fark, they make me laugh every day. CNN quoting farkers? Bizarre. Can you say, running out of news to report?

Hiding in the Iranian embassy. This won’t cause an escalation at all. Thanks dude.

So, you’re playing a video game and just getting too wound up. Luckily, there’s a new game for you. Why you wouldn’t just turn on Food Network or something is beyond me.

So I was forced to watch CNN while I was shuffling along at the gym last night. Forced because the TV in front of the only available treadmill was on CNN and the channel buttons were missing so I couldn’t change it after my neighbors left. And I remembered why I watch SciFi channel instead of the news on TV. Cause it makes me mad and I start talking out loud to the TV, even in public. I had to get a little sarcastic with it, matter of fact.

One of the little segments was talking about the history of the Hezbollah, Anderson Cooper, I think. The Hezbollah has killed over 800 people since 1980, but they provide free health care and help people rebuild their houses after Israel knocks them down because the Hezbollah did something stupid again. Oh, well then, they are quite the upstanding organization. Practically Mother Theresa. So Freaking What? Their purpose for existence is still to destroy Israel and kill/kidnap civilians to create terror. Buying Lebanonese love with good works doesn’t mitigate that, at all.

Now, if the Hezbollah would disavow terrorism, condemn suicide bombers, stop paying suicide bombers, stop launching rockets at Israel and become a purely political party, then great, go for it. But don’t be acting like you’re helping the Lebonese people out of the kindness of your hearts. You’re buying their support. And don’t be reporting it like it all balances out somehow. Sure, they cause the trouble, but they help fix it! La-tee-fricking-da.

I would have thought that automakers were already trying to make alternative energy cars that weren’t hideously ugly—failing, but trying—but I guess I could be wrong.

via Instapundit

Gosh, it’s slow on the internets today.

Sometimes the ridiculousness of politics isn’t funny.

Iran’s upset we aren’t paying enough attention to it right now. North Korea ought to be along any day now to join in the complaining. Look guys, it’s summer. We got shark attacks, heat waves, and now Lebanon, our news attention span is spread thin. Get back to us in, say, October.

Colbert vs. Morning News Shows.

via Huffington Post

For some reason, here in rugged northern Idaho we don’t have a lot of blackouts or emergencies or even much potential for them, but it’s always good to be prepared.

The carpet can tell your age, sex, and weight. Freaky.

There is a woeful lack of explanation in this article on global warming destroying the national parks. Like why is the temperature rising twice as fast on the western half of the country? How can global warming hurt Death Valley? Do they even have national parks on the East Coast?

Anybody have $35 million I could borrow? And by “borrow” I mean “have”.

UPDATE: Um, could you make it $70 million? Thanks.

Somehow Kerry knows the Hezbollah would not have attacked Israel, were he president.

Apparently he has access to the alternate timeline universes. That’s the most plausible explanation I can come up with, anyway.

I wonder if George Bush has a goatee in that universe?

Rube Goldberg thingy in HL2. Someone has too much time on their hands, but it’s still cool.

via MAKE

Mark Steyn

Suppose this were true — that terrorists blew up Oz honeymooners and Scandinavian stoners in Balinese nightclubs because of “the Palestinian question.” Doesn’t this suggest that these people are, at a certain level, nuts?

The good news is our lives are so comfortable that we have nothing better to worry about than that summer is hot. The bad news is our lives are so comfortable we have nothing better to worry about than that summer is hot.

This article makes a few important points concerning the effect of Saddam’s fall.

While the success of Iraq’s democracy hangs in the balance from an operational perspective, the strategic advantages created by the invasion of Iraq are working very favorably for the US in the current Israeli-Lebanon crisis in very tangible ways.

…

The leading Arab League states, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Egypt, call Hezbollah’s actions “inappropriate and irresponsible.” This lessens the urgency of calls from the international community, whether the G8, UN, or EU, for a ceasefire. That lessened urgency creates something very precious indeed: a moment in time and space wherein Israel has the most fleeting of opportunities for decisive action against Hezbollah, an avowed foe, a terrorist organization, and a constant threat to the security of its populace.

Decisive action is what has traditionally been missing from the wars of the Middle East. Land changes hands, blows are exchanged, and peace eventually is negotiated. But the underlying dynamic never changes because the sides are rarely faced with a decisive defeat, the only condition that can force the most avowed of men to abandon the ideas they hold dear.

Mark Steyn.

James Lileks.

Victor Davis Hanson.

It’s a brilliant idea. I heart the internet.

/I still miss Joel

via Inoperable Terran

Scott, he’s so witty.

It looks like Bush loves babies until they grow up to be Senators. Now, with the November elections looming, many of us are asking, ‘Where do I go to get my backbone back?’�

Iranians? In North Korea? At the missile tests? That’s like a double dog dare.

Marvin available for purchase.

posted just for the HHGTTG ref. Cause that’s the kind of person I am.

He did it! I didn’t think he had it in him.

Interesting Slashdot replies to the whole Netflix-has-too-much-to-choose-from article yesterday.

That’s a big joystick.

And the discussion it will foster will be along the lines of, “left, left, GO LEFT!”
via MAKE.

A handy comparison chart of the new browsers.

Helen and Tony. Or more appropriately, Tony and Helen.

Need to know what the weather will be like in 2027? Japan will know. Guaranteed to be as accurate as your local weatherman.

So, Discovery landed safely. Good job, kids. So much for the BushRovian conspiracy to kill them all in order to better the poll numbers.

Didn’t everyone vote for Olmert cause he was the feel-good, non-violent type? Not that I have a problem with what he’s doing, I just thought it was interesting how circumstances alter everything.

Instapundit nails my objection to the paying-people-to-vote plan.

And I am willing to catagorically state that it is theologically unsound.

So, it’s not finished yet, but if I wait for that WordPress 3.5 will be out by then, and I’m tired of teh Kubrick, so here’s the new theme. So far.

Google, making the world a better place one complaint at a time.

Bush goes piratical.

I admit the iNike is cool. So, whoever out there is going to buy me that Macbook I have my eye on, could you pick me up one of those sets too. Size 10. Thanks.

Happy Birthday.

Whew. Lileks on Hugh Hewitt. And VDH. And Mark Steyn.

Beats me what’s up with the links. I tried to fix them 3 times. You’re on your own.

I ❤ The White House Grill. So does everyone else. You must eat there if you are ever driving through Post Falls.

We had it for lunch, I had to mention it. In case you were wondering. Yes, I’m just bragging.

A little overanxious about Iranian nukes, your boss, or government electromagnetic waves affecting your brain? Take a minute, look at the cute bunny, and relax. Awww.

This whole Hezbollah/Israel thing is starting to make me nervous.

Or, it’s all a plot to knock out Iran’s nukes. Yeah, that’s the ticket.

I would trade a perfectly decent—if near-sighted—eye for one that did slo-mo and instant replays.

Nike and iPod. Two great tastes that taste great together.

I’m sure someone will find it useful to have their shoes talking to their iPod.

Minimum wage goes up (in Pennsylvania) and the White House senior aides get a raise too. The world is in balance again.

I’m all for robots making life better and all, but I’m not following the thinking here.

Paul Johnson has the solution to the world’s energy problems.

The U.S. could consolidate its superpower status with a Global Nuclear Energy Supply System, which, in time, would not only solve the world’s energy problems but would also generate unimaginably vast export earnings, thereby providing a permanent solution to America’s balance-of-payments deficit.

That’ll go over well. The world whines about Starbucks and ICANN, imagine if we controlled the energy.

And are there still nuclear haters? Didn’t that go out of style with the fall of the Soviet Union?

UPDATE: Apparently the Anglicans and God are anti-nuke. I didn’t know. Must be in one of those minor prophet books nobody reads.

MPAA is catching on slightly faster than the RIAA. Assuming, of course, that this actually flies.

Free Slurpees tomorrow!

Lucky for us, internal Republican wrangling is keeping Congress from doing much.

Annual flu vaccine shortage scare begins.

Lawn mowing, front and back: 18:45. What a difference a lack of water makes.

Previous time.

By these standards I’m not obsessed with technology. Mostly because I don’t have enough.

Greg Gutfield lays it out.

Until you force Laurie David, Arianna and her pals out of their luxury jets, until you drive cars when only absolutely necessary, until you have solar panels fueling your houses’ addiction that also fuels your media and dietary addictions, you will be looked upon as the transparent hypocrites that you are. Maybe your level of uncontrollable rage is a function of your subconscious knowing you are more the problem than SUVs, second hand smoke and Ann Coulter combined.

10am and already getting my work for the day started. And I came in early too.

One solid hour of work before lunch break. Yes!

Stupid xerox* machine. (*not actually made by Xerox)

Getting better. 2.5 hours of uninterrupted work.

I want my FTL rocketpack.

And a friendly robot to help me.

via Instapundit

To attract current iPod users Microsoft is going to let you download for free any songs you’ve already bought from the iTunes Music Store. They’ll actually scan iTunes for purchased tracks and then automatically add those to your account.

Surprisingly cool move for Microsoft.

Living in Sudan is soooo bad that it can be compared to a Tracy Chapman song.

Having problems uploading some files to the internets. Tried off and on for 2 days. Call the nice people. They say try it one more time. It works. Doh! How does the compy know?

UPDATE: Why is bubble wrap so awesome?

FURTHER UPDATE: Do you suppose Diet Coke sales bumped up lately with the Diet Coke/Mentos videos flying around the internet?

You never know what you might find, like Apollo 12 capsule recovery film. It could use a soundtrack and some narration, but it’s still cool.

And maybe some special effects.

And a guest spot from Leonard Nimoy.

A lack of tornados in Nebraska this time.

Here’s an interesting article that actually gets to the heart of the trouble.

What’s with Americans and their flags? Especially in July?

Tim Blair lays it out.

Oooo!

Ahhh! (direct video link)

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, having its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

The more I learn about history and politics the more it amazes me that the US exists at all. God bless us.

This guy’s damaged brain started to rewired itself after 20 years.

Wallis has complete amnesia about the two decades he spent barely conscious, but remembers his life before the injury. “He still thinks Ronald Reagan is president,” his father, Jerry, said in a statement, adding that until recently his son insisted he was 20 years old.

Yeah, weird.

Alaska embarassed by its duly elected representative again. Seriously guys, vote. him. out.

Laff.

Homestarrunner is back.

A car that can drive itself. Now all I need is a rocket pack and a moon colony.