Not So Fast

Joe Carter describes Generation X conservatives. Rather accurately, I think.

The Nigerian scammers are selling out, apparently. Michael Leydon wrote me a rather lengthy email that starts:

I am Mr. Michael Leyden, the principal accounting officer of Private Banking Services at the Bank of China (BOC). I am
contacting you concerning our customer and, an investment placed under our banks management 4 years ago.

I would respectfully request that you keep the contents of this mail confidential and respect the integrity of the
information you come by as a result of this mail. I contacted you independently of our investigation and no one is
informed of this communication. I would like to intimate you with certain facts that I believe would be of interest to
you.

In 2002, the subject matter; ref: bb/boc/bank/0012 came to our bank to engage in business discussions with our Private
Banking Services Department. He informed us that he had a financial portfolio of eight million three hundred and fifty
thousand United States Dollars, which he wished to have us turn over (invest) on his behalf.

And it goes on, and on, and on. It’s nice to see the Nigerians are doing so well that they can build 419 factories in China.

The moon is 12% bigger than usual and other fun moon facts. Like:

There is no proof the Moon makes people crazy.

There’s no proof it doesn’t either, now is there? Gotcha there, didn’t I?

BB guns are now illegal in Chicago.

I understand their concern about people pointing realistic guns at cops, but if you’re pointing anything at a cop you are stupid and your mother failed somewhere in your upbringing. That’s right, I said it.

Ray Sings, Basie Swings

Smoove awesomeness.

I have seen the future and it is disposable.

In New York, diabetes is a communicable disease. I guess I better make sure those I know with diabetes don’t cough on me.

Keep your day job guys. You won’t make it on your dancing skills.

The Daily Show has as much substantive news as network news. And is far less likely to make me want to throw something at the TV, it should be noted.

“It should be noted that the broadcast network news stories about the presidential election were significantly shorter, on average, than were The Daily Show with Jon Stewart stories,” said Professor Fox. “The argument could be made that while the amount of substance per story was not significantly different, the proportion of each story devoted to substance was greater in the network news stories … On the other hand, the proportion of stories per half hour program devoted to the election campaign was greater in The Daily Show.”

Bonus quote:

Is it time to tune out World News Tonight and tune into The Daily Show? Professor Fox doesn’t think so, saying that “we should probably be concerned about both of those sources, because neither one is particularly substantive. It’s a bottom-line industry and ratings-driven. We live in an ‘infotainment’ society, and there certainly are a number of other sources available.”

Nuclear bombs for everyone!

Um, something about entanglement and cesium and lasers, they say it’s teleportation, but I have my doubts. Sounds more like a quantum cookie cutter.

Which is not to say it’s not a fantastic achievment. You go guys.

And this is why it is so important for the government to ban trans-fats.

The US will reach the 300 million person mark this month! Go us!

And of course we have more trash than developing countries. If we lived in crude houses and couldn’t afford more than food, yes, there would be less trash. And that would suck. Also, there would be no trash pick-up, we would all just pile it on the side of the road for the goats to eat.

But red-light cameras are for our safety, right?

via Instapundit

Wonder if John Howard would run for president here?

Saying the truth out loud is incomapatible with a democratic and enlightened society, apparently.

The 2006 Weasel Poll. There’s some stiff competition in some categories.

The coolest graph of Federal discretionary spending you’ll see today. Not for the weak of bandwidth.

via EO

Democrats do have political principles, they just don’t want to tell us them.

But, Democrats? They have an entirely different problem: their principles are unpopular. That’s why they don’t want to come out and say, “We’re for big government, more regulation, higher taxes, gay marriage, unrestricted abortion, gun control, Affirmative Action, massively increasing legal and illegal immigration, more lawsuits, a weaker US military, Kyoto, the International Criminal Court, and socialized medicine.”

Yes, that’s it exactly. We were hoping you wouldn’t figure it out, but you have. Those 50 other reasons were just excuses. Flimsy ones, at that.

THE followers of Moqtada al-Sadr believe that the US invaded Iraq to prevent the return to Earth of their sect’s messiah-like figure, the Mahdi, or 12th imam.

We would have got away with it if it weren’t for those darn kids.

So there you are, just sitting there with a nuclear bomb. What do you do next? Wired has the answers for you.

That’s so cute.

Humans taste like sweet, sweet bacon. According to a robot. Yeah, we’re going to need those Three Laws soon, lest Earth end up a giant proccessing plant.

The motherlode of tiny Swedish chef video clips.

Question of the day that I have been wondering for some time but haven’t bothered to look into: In fall does the change of the angle in relationship to the sun do something to make the sunsets look more fall-like? Gives it that golden-y, summer is ending feel. Is it the light is passing through more atmosphere emphasizing the yellow or something?

Yes, yes, it’s all about you darn hippies.

If only I lived near somewhere with cool museums I could go visit for free since tomorrow is Museum Day. But nothing’s stopping you metropolitian type people.

I know people who would be willing to pay ridiculous money for 4 hour delivery times. I, however, will continue to pay less and get things media mailed. It’s fun when you forget you ordered something and it shows up after a few weeks.

First off, 19-11? Were they using Little League pitchers?

Secondly, Brewers 9, Cardinals 4? Heh.

Thirdly, it’s only the top of the 8th, but I’m going to figure they have this one wrapped up. Yay Padres.

A little bit from Ahmedinejab’s translator for his recent visit. Really interesting.
via The Corner

The rover on Mars strikes me as being as bad as taking the dog for a walk.

The rover has been heading for the crater for more than half its time on the planet. Its journey as been interrupted by “frequent stops to examine intriguing rocks” and even a sand ripple, that kept the rover pinned down for more than five weeks.

Except it’s geology instead of smells.

Ideology influences dreams.

Which reminds me that I had a dream last night that I actually remember parts of, which is rare for me. It involved a house from my childhood, family, real life friends, and bloggers. And a trip to and from India. Air travel isn’t easy, even in dreams.

No, seriously, what would Macgyver do?

What Macgyver would do is use the tent poles (duct tape the joints for added airtightness) and towel (used as a face mask) as a snorkel for the guy, wet the bandana and cover his mouth and nose with it, climb down there, splint the guy’s leg with the walking stick and duct tape, make a sling for the guy with the deflated mattress and rope, climb back up and hoist the guy up.

That’s what Macgyver would do. I would call the park ranger.

Sorta makes me want to go camping.

UPDATE: At lunch it occured to me that the stove, tent, rope and mattress might be made into a hot air balloon, but that strikes me as problematic, I would go with the more prosaic hoist action.

Rehabilitiation nothing. It would just be cool to have robotic arm assist.

VDH on Clinton and Musharref, and stuff in between.

Throughout these last crazy weeks, I have been struck by Western tolerance and benevolence. Can you imagine, as Pakistan’s Musharref does, a President Bush publishing his book in Pakistan and then touring the Hindu Kush, hawking its message of criticism of his host to local tribes?

I don’t think Cuba means what this kid thinks it means.

Get Fuzzy, the right way to start your morning.

Now we have the Pakistani president appearing on the Daily Show. These people need minions.

Mr. Kerry, some free advice. You’ll want to be bold and decisive this time around. Make short declarative statements and stand by them.

For example: “Yes, I will be running for president in 2008.” Or, “no, I am not seeking nomination in 2008”. Or possibly, “I have not decided yet whether I will run in 2008”.

Ask a Ninja. How have I not seen this before?

UPDATE: Oh, I know how I missed it, they have database problems. It’s all so clear to me now.

No more tasty food for you, New York. If Bloomberg gets his way.

The Manolo takes a historical look at presidential hair. I’m quoting the best part, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go read the whole thing.

Indeed, it is the little known historic fact that it was the hair and not the General Jackson who led the charge at the Battle of New Orleans. That morning, the Andrew Jackson was sick in his tent with the fever, when his impetuous hair, fearing disaster, seized the initiative, mounted the General’s horse and rode into battle, waving its little sword and shouting exhortations to the men.

Jackson, when he had heard what his hair had done, struggled to his feets grabbed the spare mount and raced toward the lines, arriving just in time to see the redcoats being chased bodily by his magnificent hair into the brambles and the bushes where the rabbits couldn’t go.

I was wondering if anyone was going to put the Thai coup and the Muslim trouble together.

The Institute of Official Cheer finally fulfills its full potential and does Star Trek.

The Bear Wit Project. I loved it.

It wasn’t bad.

It could have been better.

It was terrible.

I hated it.

VDH on why Islamic Fascism is an accurate term.

woot’s podcast today is dedicated to Steve Irwin. It’s almost tasteful.

Would you believe, not completely tasteless?

Alright, don’t let the women and children listen.

It’s fishing! Fishing!

Congressional hearings to start Monday.

Sesame Street let’s Elmo go.

Good riddance, with his whiney voice and lack of complete sentences and refering to himself in the third person.

I laughed rather loudly when I read this. Not because of the comedy stylings of the writer, but I could just picture it and when I think astronaut, I think Fred Randall.

See?, funny.

Okay, never mind.

British government claims ownership of plunder from America on a sunken British warship found by an American company in Canadian waters.

Bring it on, limeys.

via Fark

Good for insects, good for bloggers. People that stand in lines, that’s good blogging.

Pulseless artificial hearts. Which sorta makes sense, but still, weird.

I went and bought Civ IV. So I spent last night thinking things like, just three more turns, I’ll have my space elevator. Dumber still, I’ll do the same thing tonight. But I will get my space program off the ground if it kills me.

So, I’m switching over to TimeWarner’s Road Runner service since Adelphia has been replaced as my cable internet supplier. Let’s see how it goes.

Oh, Road Runner doesn’t like Firefox, I have to use IE and it resized my window to tell me that. I hate that.
So, I had to enable all that ActiveX stuff in IE. Good times.

Then it automatically installs something. Yes.

And then it froze up. no connectivity.

Well, we’ll come back to this fun later. Thanks for the good time.

The first atomic age being a huge letdown, let’s try it again!

I want my atomic powered jetpack and dishwasher.

Imagine being able to get a Sausage McMuffin with Egg at any time. It’s like Disneyland and Christmas all rolled into one.

Microsoft Windows Media Player 11 doesn’t want you sharing your music amongst yourself. I’m not encouraged to use their product by this.

Halloween has been on the ascent the last 10 years or so, and I just don’t understand why.

Let’s think about it. Halloween: You have to dress up or dress up your children, you have to go walk around the neighborhood for candy. Or you have to sit around the house waiting for your doorbell to ring, feign horror, and then pass out candy. You’re dealing with strangers the entire time. The kids get wired on sugar then tired and cranky. And of course there’s the annual x-ray-the-candy-because-people-are-evil scare, the tp-ing, the whole “trick” part.

Now, Thanksgiving, the bestest of holidays, you are with friends and/or family, you eat, you sit around watching, or if you are ambitious, playing, football. Granted someone has to cook the turkey, but that’s it. That’s the entire burden of the holiday.

I ask you, which is better?

Go Padres.

The Oprah buying gas video.
A. Her car has a 30 gallon tank. Weird.

B. She paid $4.379/gallon for gas. That’s not the real world. That’s someone in the middle of nowhere making bank.

Followup to a recent post that created more comments than it deserved.

A proton here, a proton there, and pretty soon you’re talking about some real mass.

“It’s quite hard to destroy the Earth.”

Good to know.

White and Nerdy. With Donny Osmond goodness. Go watch it now. Seriously.

If God meant for fish to explore land he would have given them little legs to walk around on.

Apparently, this is a proper English sentence:

In 1996 he was banned from schools cricket for knocking out his stumps after being given out, and three years ago he was sent home from Zimbabwe’s tour of England for leaving the ground without permission after twice being dismissed for a duck during the second Test.

via Fark

Anne Applebaum.

I don’t mean that we all need to rush to defend or to analyze this particular sermon; I leave that to experts on Byzantine theology. But we can all unite in our support for freedom of speech — surely the pope is allowed to quote from medieval texts — and of the press. And we can also unite, loudly, in our condemnation of violent, unprovoked attacks on churches, embassies and elderly nuns. By “we” I mean here the White House, the Vatican, the German Greens, the French Foreign Ministry, NATO, Greenpeace, Le Monde and Fox News — Western institutions of the left, the right and everything in between. True, these principles sound pretty elementary — “we’re pro-free speech and anti-gratuitous violence” — but in the days since the pope’s sermon, I don’t feel that I’ve heard them defended in anything like a unanimous chorus.

Preach it.

So, the CCA kids (whose site desperately needs updating) had a missionary to Tibet in for chapel today. Being the official scaler/projector turner-oner, I sat in. Nothing like starting the morning with images of people that live in grinding poverty, the same way they have for, literally, thousands of years. I’m going to sit in my heated office with all the lights on and work at my computer now. Then I’ll drive home in one of my vehicles to my heated house and not cook my food—which I have plenty of and that I didn’t grow myself—on an open fire, waste time watching a DVD or possibly reading a book, because I can read, and then sleep on a nice comfy mattress.

The guy builds schools for them up in the mountain villages so they can get an education and better jobs, btw. Very cool.

Ah, Lileks.

Imagine the President of the United States addressing a group of supporters and leading them in a chant of “Death to Iran.” Imagine what that might mean.

Liveblogging of the Thailand coup.

To tie it all together, here’s a picture I took in Thailand, nowhere near Bangkok.

An epic tale of grocery carts, aluminum cans, and volume.

Includes fantastic quote:

This is probably how German homeless people crush their cans.

via Make

Were I a former president of the United States, I would not appear on the Daily Show. Former presidents should have people. People to do that sort of thing. I would sit back with my feet on my desk and direct people. Maybe it’s just me.

/I even agreed with some of what he said. I know, I’m shocked too.

A Strong Bad email worthy of the name.

It’s Talk Like A Pirate day. Matey.

UPDATE: woot’s podcast (direct audio link) is thematically appropriate.

It really, really bugs me when first world organizations, who live in societies that have the economy to deal with say, a ban on DDT, try to impose their values on third world countries that are being crippled by something that could be solved were it not for the first world organizations delicate sensibilities. Let the people grow frankenfoods if it keeps them from STARVING TO DEATH or use DDT if it keeps them from DYING OF MALARIA. Once the third world economies are functioning, then start worrying about all these things we have time and money to worry about.

So 30 years of wasted time later, I applaud this compassionate move by the WHO.

Those wacky Islamists and their a. definition of and b. tolerance of insults is funny. Funny hmm, not funny haha. The pope quotes a guy that said Mohammed’s command to spread their faith by the sword was evil and hateful and how do they respond?

The group said Muslims would be victorious and addressed the pope as “the worshipper of the cross” saying “you and the West are doomed as you can see from the defeat in Iraq, Afghanistan, Chechnya and elsewhere. … We will break up the cross, spill the liquor and impose head tax, then the only thing acceptable is a conversion (to Islam) or (killed by) the sword.”

Sorta makes the pope’s point there, kids. I’m not feeling the love.

Here’s a guy that gets it.

This is what happens when you go with Natural Selection.

There’s a chance the new superconductor could create a black hole that won’t decay, thereby killing us all.

I really like how colorful the superconductor is in the picture. Very nice.

People still get mumps. I had no idea

As I’ve been reading these old papers, the whole f as s thing causes me to think they all spoke with lisps. Sorta takes some of the magic out of it.

UPDATE: I learned a new word: frigorific

Jonah Goldberg looks at the elections.

I can’t quite hope the Democrats win. But I can’t bring myself to say I’d like more of the same either. As Henry Kissinger said in 1986 of the Iran-Iraq war: Too bad they can’t both lose.

Planets: they plump when you cook ’em.

The Royal Society archives are now online.

Finally we can read: An Account of the Observation, Made by the Philosophical Academy at Paris, May 12 1667 about 9. of the Clock in the Morning, of an Halo or Circle about the Sun; together with a Discourse of M Hugens de Zulechem, Concerning the Cause of these Meteors, as Also That of Parelia’s or Mock Sums. Englished Out of French by the Publisher, to Whom It Was Sent but Lately from the Worthy Author of the Said Discourse

or

The Divine History of the Genesis of the World, Super Observationibus a se factis tempore ultimorum Terrae-Motuum, ac potissimum Ragusiani, Physica Disquisitio, seu, Gyriterrae Diurni Indicium, Quaestio Triplex de Anno Mense & Die Christi Nati, Baptistati & Mortui, Commentarius de Modo Simplicium Medicamentorum Facultates Cognoscendi, De Lacte Lunae Dissertatis Medica

I think we should still title papers like this.

Wii will be released the day before my birthday.

In case you’re stumped on what to get me.

Bionic arms are cool just because they’re cool, but then when it’s actually helping someone that’s even better.

Nifty periodic table with pictures of the metals and gases and stuff.

Obviously this is not accurate and should be taken with a grain of salt. Still.

Gas prices per barrel is $65. Last time it was $65 was around March, 2006.

Pump prices in March 2006? $2.30/gallon.

Prices today? $2.79/gallon.

That song about what goes up must come down? Lies, all lies.

Lileks interviewed by BBC. Key words: joyless monomania.

Scotland’s effort to improve its eating habits has failed.

I’m going to go get an oreo. And a nice salad.

This will drive the “Bush is turning America into a theocracy” crowd nuts, but it’s interesting that he thinks this.

He kept coming back to how cultures change, both in America and overseas. “Cultures do change and ideological struggles are won.” “There was a stark change between the culture of the ‘50’s and the 60’s—boom—and I think there’s change happening here.” “It seems to me that there’s a Third Awakening.”

Call me when bars are closing down, cable companies fold, and internet pornographers are struggling for customers. Then we can be calling it an Awakening. I’m going to go with a conservative swing of the political pendulum in the meantime. It’s swing back the other way soon enough. Probably too soon.

More on the Hobbit movie. Not much more, but more.

A fun little interview that highlights what I hate about interviews.

Question hoping for a gotcha

Answer avoiding a gotcha

Rephrase question

Rephrase answer

Rephrase question

Rephrase answer

He’s not going to suddenly break down and admit to malfeasence, move on to the next question.

Internet over gas pipes. Um, okay.

via Slashdot

Global warming caused the war in Dafur. Also, hurricanes, the lack of hurricanes, growing ice sheets, retreating ice sheets, excessive heat, excessive cold, and the early demise of Firefly.

I know Starbuck’s drinks are fairly expensive, but I’m pretty sure you can get at least one for $114 million. I bet he could get a couple of drinks for every anguished person in that line that he is so concerned about.

Lawn mowing for time: 19:34. More green = more time.

Previous time

We begin our journey on a overcast Saturday morning. I used this recipe from Epicurious.com. Here’s hoping they don’t get uptight about it being on my website.

First off, prepare yourself a tasty beverage. Yum.

Next, we gather our ingredients. I have a scale, so I scaled everything, but the volume measures will work practically as well.

So, the mise en place is en place. Let’s begin.

Continue reading →

I do a lot of quality thinking at the grocery store. Two things:

First off, I don’t buy a lot of food at any given time so I use a basket, not a cart. Getting produce is darn inconvienent with a basket. You have to set it down, get the produce, pick it up, move down, set it down, get the produce, pick it up, etc., etc., etc. Very annoying. Still I never think to get a cart.

Secondly, there were some youths there with little boas draped on their shoulders. Not feather boas, boa boas (I assume they are boas, I’m not a herpa-herpta-snake handler). They were small (about the size of this one) so it was sorta cool, but I’m not sure that should be encouraged as a fashion statement.

Star Trek, making the future a better place for 40 years.

This year, heading back to school is all about comfort and lots of layering — with romper dresses, leggings, miniskirts, skinny jeans, skinny belts, chunky turtlenecks and fitted sweaters among the hottest fall trends.

Luckily it won’t hit Idaho for a couple more years.

Those wacky kids at SixApart that brought you Moveable Type, Typepad and LiveJournal now have a new thing going, Vox. Sort of Blogger meets MySpace. The blogging ease of Blogger, Flickr-esque useablity, and all the fun of MySpace without the crappy MySpace interface. They even have a cool robot theme. Holler if you want an invite.

Let’s see, now I have Blogger, MySpace, and Vox pages that I won’t be updating.

It’s days like today that cause me to read Lileks every day.

Senators threatens Disney’s broadcast license over that stupid miniseries everyone is talking about becaues there’s no real news right now.

I know they are the government’s, er, I mean public’s, yeah, that’s the ticket, airwaves, but does it ever go well when they remind us of that?

Video of the new and improved Star Trek:TOS. Well, not new. The biggest difference I noticed: Kirk seems shinier.

Manolo looks at the style stylings of dictators today. And they are found lacking.

Opportunity should make it to the edge of a crater sometime in the next two weeks.

Don’t copy that floppy, yo. Added bonus: hammer pants footage

Apparently I don’t think about anyone ever. No one calls, no one writes. I think I’ll start thinking about the state lottery commission though. I’d like a call from them.

Shatner won’t tempt fate.

Shatner, 75, said yesterday: “I’m interested in man’s march into the unknown but to vomit in space is not my idea of a good time.

“Neither is a fiery crash with the vomit hovering over me.”

FYI, a fiery crash with vomit in space sounds like a good time to me, should anyone want to give me a free ticket.

How things are going in Dafur.

Worth1000.com always has amazing photoshop work, but this contest is especially cool.

The Hobbit to be filmed in 2007? We can only hope.

There is no way that Singing in the Rain is the best musical evar. It stars Gene Kelley, need I say more? That man can suck the interest out of any dance scene. No doubt there was voting malfeasance in Ohio.

Fried food. Yes, I would like to try Coke on a Stick. I would probably enjoy it too.

via Fark

Knights Templar Chief Prior of the United States challenges Osama Bin Laden to a duel in Pakistan.

This Knight Templar calls you a craven coward and an infidel. He calls you a murderer of the innocent, and a defiler of holy places. He calls you the favorite son of Satan, for you above all men on the earth have done your best to do Satan’s bidding.

It’s good to see someone in the family improving our lot.

Those speed warning signs always cause me to speed up to see how high I can run the numbers before I pass it, but should the CdA police department get these Orwellian signs I might have to change my ways. I’d also have to learn my license plate number, of course.

Things are going so well in California that the State Assembly has nothing better to legislate than warnings for wifi devices that people might be stealing your bandwidth.

Classic Mark Steyn for Labor Day.

There’s no such thing as “sustainable” development. Human progress and individual liberty have advanced on the backs of one unsustainable development after another: When we needed trees for heating and transportation, we chopped ’em down. Then we discovered oil, and the trees grew back. When the oil runs out, we won’t notice because our SUVs will be powered by something else. Bet on human ingenuity every time. We’re not animals, and it’s a cult as deranged as the screwiest fringe religion to insist we are. Earth’s most valuable resource is us.

New and improved Star Treks with computer animated goodness. We’ll see.

On the one hand, Steve Irwin’s death is sad; on the other hand, you deal with poisonous and dangerous animals like he did and it was bound to happen.