Not So Fast

Truer words were never spoken:

If there’s anything bound to financially succeed in America, it’s a magic weight loss drug that requires absolutely no effort on the part of patients.

Microsoft is always playing catch up when it comes to internet stuff.

Breathe deeply the fresh air America, Ashcroft has resigned. No longer are we under the thumb of his jackbooted thug, er, lawyers.

This is exactly what I think.

Disorderly Orderly is teh hilarious.

Oh, wait, they’ve already tried this.

The West rocks.

But to write a novel about it never occured to me. Of course, writing a novel about anything, ever has never occured to me.

No, don’t thank me all at once. Please.

Old and busted: X-Prize. Teh new hotness: America’s Space Prize.

My brother’s blog. Since it’s lasted 3 days, I have hope for it. Probably not of national importance, but this is an amazing picture.

Alton (yes, my good friend Alton, no last name needed) is apologizing. He said something about gritty cornmeal or something. I couldn’t follow it.

The Useless Post

I’ve tried to like Cafe Doma’s coffee, but it just isn’t working for me. I know, they’re the coolest. Nice website, more atmosphere than Jupiter, the latest and the greatest. But the fruity coffee just turns me off. Back to Java.

The plucky little rovers are still roving.

Opportunity had a lucky break recently when a mysterious “cleaning event” apparently blew dust off its solar panels, increasing its power by up to 5% overnight, project manager Jim Erickson said. The favorite theory: A dust devil ran over the rover.

It was a homeless martian dude trying to make a couple bucks, I bet.

IMAO victory shirts. Except I’d have to wear it in Spokane if I wanted to get a rise out of anyone.

Want to create some phat beatz, yo? Freeware for you.

A little help here?

A U.S. decision to call Macedonia, “Macedonia,” has raised the ire of Greece, which is threatening to keep the country out of the European Union.

The article also has this little gem:

Karamanlis called the U.S. decision “unfortunate” and “untimely” and noted it has no say in the EU. He also urged the 25-nation bloc to continue to support Greece’s opposition to the name change.

What? The US doesn’t have a say in the EU’s decisions? I’m crushed.

On Democrats listening. Good stuff.

Arafat may or may not be dead. I may or may not be happy about it.

I’m going to miss everyone thinking Ashcroft is crushing dissent in America and is turning it into Puritiansville. Especially since he didn’t manage to have one high-profile standoff with anyone, much less three. I really don’t think he was trying hard enough.

The majority of Americans are stupid. Apparently, disagreeing with the editors of the Daily Mirror automatically qualifies you as stupid. Better contact Mensa so they can update their admission qualifications.

The rest is not funny, but hey it’s worth it for this.

“You don’t go changing horsemen in the middle of the Apocalypse.”

Seriously, have people’s lives changed so much for the worse in the last four years that they are considering this?

Lileks has some of the most appalling examples of 70s decor imaginable.

1. The Idaho State Patrol has a “zero tolerance” thing going on I-90 now. Which is funny because I know people that have gotten tickets for going 73 in a 70. They really don’t have much room to be more intolerant.

2. If people don’t want to vote, leave them alone. Dictatorships make people vote. *cough*Cher*cough*

Osama plans to bankrupt the US out of existance. Freak.

I drove past my polling place on the way to work this morning. There were about 10 cars in the parking lot, and no lines out the door. Further updates as events warrant.

UPDATE: I was the 240th voter at my polling place. Idaho’s ballot cracks me up. Half the time there only a Republican running. Do you want to vote for Mike Crapo or write in Donald Duck?

FURTHER UPDATE: Oh yeah. There was no wait. Two people were registering so I cut in front of them and there was one other person already voting. And I walked past a couple walking out as I was walking in.

Yes, the world will go on.

Lileks is talking about all sorts of interesting things.

“Plus, I sent Condi to appeal to Latino voters.”

* * * *

Condoleezza Rice smiled unconvincingly. “So who likes salsa?”

From Frank J.

Having done more than I could, I salute her finish.

A study on the press.

via Inoperable Terran

What next? They had to see this sort of thing coming. Right?

It’s good to know that the election hasn’t pushed stories like this out of the limelight in Great Britian.

This is what the country needs at a time like this.

Like always. I remember the evil that was Ronald Reagan myself. And yes, I hated Clinton in 1996 with a fervor matching that of the Democratic Underground today, so I don’t quite see the country as ready to split at the seams. It’s just the other team’s turn to be convinced the country is going to hell in a handbasket.

If it takes three years to realize you have the wrong person, I say stick with it. See if you can swing a deal with the father for the other one.

Pomegranate advice.

Red vs. Blue.

via IMAO

John Derbyshire makes this comment in his October diary:

We are just a step away from having African missionaries come over here to convert the heathen…

Too late. There’s already Korean missionaries in the US trying to evangelize us. bet it’s only a matter of the Africans getting enough money together to send missionaries over.

No really!

Which reminds me of this one local band, the Idahomies. They were as bad as their name.

You know, all the crushing of dissent he does. Unlike that liberal and enlightened Janet Reno.

The dangers of the political season. Teh funny.

Use this article as your guide. Also, my wishlist, which I am updating even as we speak.

C’mon. Hillary Clinton, sure. John Kerry, no way. Everyone take a deep breath and step away from the election.

Russia thinking the worst about the flu.

The basics of stem cells, courtesy of Evangelical Outpost.

Russia helped move weapons out of Iraq? To Syria? What next? The Red Sox win the World Series?

The chupacabra was actually just a mangy coyote. At least that’s what they’re saying….

Arafat is sick. Tragic.

Bill Clinton wants to be head of the UN. I say more power to him. He’ll think he’s writing a great legacy and he and the UN can pat each others backs as they do nothing and the media will get all sorts of great quotes and stuff. Everyone’s happy.

Project Gutenburg is in trouble with the Gone With The Wind heirs.

I think they may actually be Ewoks. Hobbits were around four foot tall.

via Slashdot

UPDATE: It occurs to me that it might be a little bit geeky for me to know, and quibble about this. Well, to make myself feel better here are pictures of real geeks. There. I feel better about myself now.

Missing ballots. Freaking stupid lawsuits. Can’t we put some sort of limit on the number of lawyers that are allowed in the country. Then they would have to stay busy with important things instead of suing everyone for every slight, real or imagined.

Super Mario Bros. playing Lego robot

So, I spent yesterday barfing, hence the lack of posting. Hopefully today will go better.

The Guardian has given up its attempt to influence American voters.

There had been mounting evidence that urging foreigners to send anti-Bush letters to Clark County – an isolated slice of the rural mid-West – was only hurting Senator John Kerry, the Democratic presidential candidate.

Boldly going into space seems to be a huge hit.

Carbon nano-fabric.

via Slashdot

Isis

Piper

They’re just so darn cute.

The Sox beat the Yankees? Is that allowed?

Frank J. has the way to undivide America.

An alternate view.

Whenever the figures are actually checked in countries such as South Africa that do have reliable record-keeping, it’s found that the program grossly overestimates the actual death toll. Even after new computer models were devised the calculations have remained faulty. The model is flawed, in part, because of the way that data is collected.

I hope this is true. Not that we’ve been duped by faulty models, that Africa isn’t in such bad shape. AIDS-wise, anyway.

Check tomorrow to see if Coeur d’Alene’s crack news services get an explanation online for Atlas being blockaded by the cops.

Remember to find out why all those cops were blockading Atlas in the morning. Ooo, bad scary people in Cd’A.

Can it be more annoying? Catchy tune though.

The Revolutionary War was unnecessary. I dunno, I think it made us a better country.

The Post Falls police department has heard my plea. I saw two people pulled over so far today and saw another cop driving around. Phew.

With real writers and real actors. Of course, I don’t watch TV much, so I guess my opinion doesn’t matter. Anyway, network executives think that Americans will sit and watch people lose weight. Oh, the drama.

All the browsers have vulerabilities today.

Teehee

Until he whips out – well, you’ll see. It’s like Captain Kirk whipping out his communicator to contact the USS Fabulous. Set phasers on stunning!

Students signed what they thought was a petition to legalize weed. They were actually registering as Republicans.

via Fark

As long as nothing shakes the glass, nothing will spill.

Overall, Greenspan said, “Household finances appear to be in reasonably good shape.”

How inspiring.

If the economy tanks, blame the Yankees and Red Sox.

The Toshiba flatscreen TV. It had to call in the Air Force for reinforcement though.

Jeff Jarvis makes a couple of good points about the future of teh intarweb and TV.

via Instapundit

Iranian militia wants to observe US elections.

Handy etiquette tips from Joe the Mechanic.

I’m tempting fate and higher insurance costs, but I have to say this.

I’ve been driving three and sometimes even five mph over the speed limit regualarly for a couple weeks now. The fact that I feel confident enough to do that tells me you guys are slipping. Where has your ubiquitous presence gone? Why don’t I see people pulled over every day anymore? I haven’t been pulled over is at least 6 months. Are you guys doing okay?

Sincerely,
A Concerned Citizen

Okay, he only tried the diet, but I have a feeling the regular isn’t going to be fantastic either.

UPDATE: I just checked at the local Super 1 grocery store, but they didn’t have any. Slackers.

More or less.

Under the mag-beam concept, a space-based station would generate a stream of magnetized ions that would interact with a magnetic sail on a spacecraft and propel it through the solar system at high speeds that increase with the size of the plasma beam. Winglee estimates that a control nozzle 32 meters wide would generate a plasma beam capable of propelling a spacecraft at 11.7 kilometers per second. That translates to more than 26,000 miles an hour or more than 625,000 miles a day.

How freaking cool is that?

via Slashdot

RFIDs okayed for implanting in humans.

And Applied Digital certainly is thinking along these lines. Indeed, the medical care angle looks like a warm-and-fuzzy gimmick to speed adoption so that other, potentially more sinister, applications might follow.

“VeriChip can enhance airport security, airline security, cruise ship security, intelligent transportation and port congestion management. In these markets, VeriChip could function as a stand-alone, tamper-proof personal verification technology,” the company’s PR boilerplate explains.

The new Zaurus. More here.

I work a few hours a week at a drive-thru espresso stand, so I think I can offer an informed opinion—a refreshing change of pace around here, I know. Anyway, either use Starbucks lingo, or know how many ounces you want. 8, 12, 16, 20, and 32 oz drinks is a pretty common range. You say “large” and I have to then guess or play 20 Questions.

Also, if you get a blended drink, it’s just plain rude not to tip. Those things are a pain to make.

via Pete

You can send kids to private schools, but you can’t teach them street smarts, yo.

It is either a mangy dog, a coyote, a chupacabra or an antelope. Probably.

The Google Desktop beta. I think I’ll start losing things, just so I can search for them.

New cherry vanilla Dr. Pepper. That’s a lot of flavors.

Walmart is trying to force record labels to drop CD prices. Bully for Walmart, I say.

via Slashdot

I didn’t watch the debate, but here’s a summary I found very informative.

via Instapundit

People this worried about their paper towels and napkins matching really need to get out of the house more. I say Senate is a great place for him.

Spokane: full of hippy dippies or no?

I’m inclined to say no, but I just drive through the place mostly, I don’t have to live there.

Ladies and gentleman, The California Raisins. I loved all their stuff.

The iRiver in-dash mp3 player.

Marilyn Chen, iRiver’s CEO, made the announcement today that her company will develop in-dash players for the car. According to Chen, the units will “integrate an MP3 player, satellite radio and email functionalities on a single-chip solution”.

via Slashdot

Americans dominate the Nobel Prizes

I got the analysis too. I think Stratfor is right.

I was registering at the Washington Post to vote on the blogs and ihate@registering.com was already taken as an email address. What are the odds?

These are always good.

Not only does obesity surgery solve obesity, it solves obesity related problems. Boy, you’d think that would go without saying, much less an entire article on it.

Worries over Iraq’s nuclear stuff being sold on the black market.

Segway’s next hit.

via Slashdot

The US team won gold in Counter Strike at the World Cyber Games.

I thought Dems would be thrilled about airing an anti-Kerry film, but apparently they aren’t.

Yeah, that never gets old.

What are they teaching kids these days?

Or just really dumb burglars? Spokane is in the news.

Is the beta what’s causing all the trouble with Messenger the last few days?

Scrappleface was teh funny over the weekend.

Episode 2 of Star Trek New Voyages is available for download.

First, let me say I am shocked, shocked that the group’s name is “French Armed Islamic Front” and secondly, why are they hitting the Indonesian embassy? Shouldn’t they hit the US embassy or the Australian embassy. And don’t forget Poland. The Polish embassy?

I think Jonah is a little upset.

Okay, I successfully made it through 13 years of California public school and I have never heard this rule.

Plot: A lone marine fights off ever increasing numbers of zombified marines and demonic things. I smell an Oscar.

Do they ever have enough flu vaccines?

There’s all sorts of great quotes in this article, but this one was funniest.

Bush is “completely out of touch with reality” about the Iraq war and the economy, Edwards said during a campaign stop in West Palm Beach, Fla. “He won’t acknowledge the mess in Iraq. All you have to do is turn your television on,” the North Carolina senator added.

Yeah, cause the President of the United States needs CNN to tell him the state of Iraq. Obviously all the sources that millions of tax dollars are spent on aren’t enough.

From Instapundit.

But I just found Terragen and it’s great fun, so you guys lose. Don’t worry, I’ll get frustrated/bored/whatever with it soon and be back.

The Evil that is HALLIBURTON!

Cancelled Star Trek! *shakes fist* You are eeeevil, Halliburton, eeeeevil!

I can’t stand scanning a dozen pages, how did they do this?

Oh, the drama about Rathergate.