Religion - A Field Guide to Evangelicals

I have to admit, I'm a bit disappointed that I'm not listed specifically on the Field Guide to Evangelicals list of those going to hell.

Personal - ...and suddenly...

nothing happened.

Politics - You can not make this stuff up

Fox put in charge of guarding the henhouse

"DeLay, R-Texas, also claimed a seat on the subcommittee overseeing the Justice Department, which is currently investigating an influence-peddling scandal involving disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his dealings with lawmakers."

Scum investigating scum... this should be hilarious.

Religion - It's all about the profit... oh, I mean the prophet... yeah... prophet.

Reuters - Gaza shopkeeper stocks up on Danish flags to burn

"When entrepreneur Ahmed Abu Dayya first heard that Danish caricatures of the Prophet Mohammad were being reprinted across Europe, he knew exactly what his customers in Gaza would want: flags to burn"

Music - A Kind Of Magic by Queen

Is possibly the greatest song ever written and is definitely on the greatest soundtrack ever produced.

No, I'm not drunk.

Religion - It's funny 'cause it's true

Politics - Bush = Nixon

Helen Thomas has a posse...

And the line forms behind me.

Helen Thomas: Does the president think he should obey the law? He put his hand on the Bible twice to uphold the Constitution. Wiretapping is not legal under the circumstances without a warrant.

Scott McClellan: Well, I guess you didn't pay attention to the attorney general's hearing earlier today, because he walked through very clearly the rationale behind this program.

HT: There is no rationale --

SM: And Helen, I think you have to ask --

HT: -- (inaudible) -- the law.

SM: I think you have ask are we -- well, he's not -- are we a nation at war.

HT: That's not the question.

SM: No, that is the issue here.

HT: The question is, the point is, there are means for him to go to -- get a warrant to spy on people.

SM:: Enemy surveillance is critical to waging and winning war. It's one of the traditional tools of war.

HT: But he says he doesn't have running room --

SM: The attorney general outlined very clearly today how previous administrations have used the same authority --

HT: That doesn't make it legal.

SM: -- and cited the same -- and cited the very same authority.

HT: (Inaudible) -- they broke the law, that's too bad.

SM: And we're going to continue doing everything we can --

HT: You know what happened to Nixon when he broke the law.

SM: -- within our power to protect the American people.

This is a very different circumstance, and you know that.

HT: No, I don't.

Music - Pandora.com

Pandora lets you make a pretty kick arse personal web radio station.

Here's mine: Q2D2 Radio

Religion - It's getting stupider by the minute.

"Denmark must be blown up," protesters in Ramallah chanted.: "Palestinian militants threw a bomb at a French cultural centre in Gaza City and many Palestinians began boycotting European goods, especially those from Denmark, where the cartoons where first printed.

'Whoever defames our prophet should be executed,' said Ismail Hassan, 37, a tailor who marched through the pouring rain along with hundreds of other angry Muslims in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

'Bin Laden our beloved, Denmark must be blown up,' protesters in Ramallah chanted."

This is like arguing with a bunch of three year olds. Correction... a heavily armed and mentally unstable bunch three year olds.

Religion - Really? The whole US? I wasn't asked...

U.S. backs Muslims in European cartoon dispute "The United States backed Muslims on Friday against European newspapers that printed caricatures of the Prophet Mohammad in a move that could help America's battered image in the Islamic world.

Inserting itself into a dispute that has become a lightning rod for anti-European sentiment across the Muslim world, the United States sided with Muslims outraged that the publications put press freedom over respect for religion."

Ummm... no... I still think it's a fucking cartoon and anyone offended by it to the point of homicide doesn't deserve squat, let alone to be apologized to. Any of these militant pricks going to appologize for chanting "Death to America"?

Yeah, I didn't think so.

Humor - Once you go Blackberry...

Short film via the Huffington Post

Sports - T.O. to K.C.?

NFL.com - NFL News "Also, Chiefs president Carl Peterson is saying that Kansas City needs to take a look at T.O., shortly after Kansas City's division rival Broncos brought T.O. to Denver for a visit."

No. No, no, no, no, no!

No!

Bad Carl! Bad!

Personal - Five things that are pissing me off

On no particular order...

1. Now Kerry nuts it up and starts showing some back bone? Now?!?!
2. Dolts who over-react to a cartoon. It's a cartoon! I don't get all pissed off and start making death threats when someone makes a cartoon about... well, anything. Know why? BECAUSE IT'S A FUCKING CARTOON!
3. Corporations cutting staff to increase profit... Immediately after announcing their last quarter profit.
4. That the 10 and 6 Steelers are in the Super Bowl and the 10 and 6 Chiefs are sitting at home on their fat arses. Nice work guys. Really. Enjoy Hawaii, ya jerks.
5. That I can't afford to buy comics anymore. Sure, I could pool some clams together for a couple titles a month, but to get the complete stories I'd have to shell out 50 or 60 bucks a month!

Games - World of Warcraft via Google Maps

Awesome. Just awesome.

Religion - Fatwa me? No, no, no... fatwa you!

Saudi Arabia has recalled its ambassador to Denmark, while Libya said it was closing its embassy in Copenhagen.

On Monday masked gunmen briefly stormed the local office of the EU in Gaza, demanding apologies from Denmark and Norway, where a paper reprinted the cartoons.

The Danish Red Cross said it had pulled two employees out of Gaza, following a threat from the militant al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, Reuters reported.

A statement on the internet purporting to be from an Iraqi militant group called on fighters to "hit whatever targets possible belonging to these two countries and others that follow their steps".

WTF?

Is there ANYTHING they won't call for violence over!?!?

EDIT: Here's the offending cartoon:

Music - Pink Floyd to Tour In 2006?

Yes, according to albumvote.co.uk.

Personal - What the duce is that supposed to mean?!?!

I recieved our weekly email newsletter from the chief high muckety-muck for (name deleted to keep my job) and it included all the congratulations, atta-boys and general nice work team stuff, but at the end... There was this paragraph...

"The new (again, still need the job) may be a less comfortable workplace, but you can expect it to be more dynamic and rewarding. We’re counting on you to take (bills to pay, you know) from good to great. Let the journey begin."

Less comfortable? What do you mean less comfortable? For whom? Are you taking away my chair? Will I be forced to work underwater? Will there be swinging axes only inches over my head at all times?

To coin a phrase... "I have a bad feeling about this."

Personal - Note to self

Start writing blog entry titled, "The 7 Deadly Blog Entries," detailing my favorite parts of each of the big 7 that are gonna put me in hell.

Stay tuned.

Personal - For the last time...

This had an intelligent designer:


This... not so much:

Personal - Got my ticket

Personal - HEllo? This is 911, what's your emergency?

Did you know that even if a cell phone has the SIM card removed and no calls can be made or received, you can still make and complete a call to Emergency 911?

I didn't.

My daughter found out this morning.

Politics - It can't happen here

I never, never, never thought I'd link to the Fox news site, but the brilliant Radley Balko (of the Agitator) has a fantastic predictions for 2006 column up.

Get ye to the Faux News site!

Games - The Escapist

The Escapist is a very well written gaming magazine that takes the focus off of cheat codes, killa moves and exclusive previews and instead focuses on the more mature gamer and the culture they grew up in.

This droid recommends reading it.

Politics - Bush has a posse, and they suck

Crooks and Liars has a great screen capture of an MSNBC news confrence with Bush surrounded by his "A-Team."

Politics - Abramoff pleads guilty, will cooperate.

*happy dance*

For every congress-critter who gets indicted, take a drink.

Current event - Holidays are so fun

Third weekend in a row of christmas. This week with the mates side of the family. Very loud. Been up since four a.m., worked all day, drove almost four hours, ready to go get a hotel room and get some sleep.

Have a happy new year. Let's hope we don't fuck this one up as bad as we fucked up 2005.

Cheers.

Personal - Graphitti Designs T-shirts

In case anyone was looking for a birthday present for me, try Graphitti Designs. I especially like the Nightwing t-shirt.

You know... if anyone was looking...

Event - Happy Birthday, True Believer!

Today is Stan "The Man" Lee's birthday!

Thanks for the stories, Stan!

Passing - Rest in Peace, Vincent Schiavelli, 1948-2005

One of my favorite character actors who was, apparently, quite an accomplished chef, has passed away.

He also wrote three cookbooks and many food articles for magazines and newspapers, possibly inheriting his love for cooking from his grandfather, who had been a cook for an Italian baron before moving to the United States, the Internet Movie Database said.

RIP.

Blogs - Adam McKay: Cheney Gets His Schwerve On

The Blog | Adam McKay: Cheney Gets His Schwerve On | The Huffington Post

"Does Dick Cheney know he's evil? I mean it. Does he occasionally look up from his breakfast of one hard boiled egg and a plate of heart pills and say to himself, 'Man, I'm an evil fuck”?"

Made me laugh!

Politics - War on Whoever I Damn Well Fell Like

George W. Bush is dangerous. He is either unstable or incompetent and either way... I shudder to think where we'll be in the next three years.

His belief in his own power is going unchecked, and I fear for where this could lead us. The United States of America and her people deserve better than this. We deserve better.

Video proof here.

Current events - Tis the season, part 2

Congressman John D. Dingell (MI-15) recited the following poem on the floor of the US House of Representatives concerning House Resolution 579, which expressed the sense of the House of Representatives that the symbols and traditions of Christmas should be protected. “Preserving Christmas” has been a frequent topic for conservative talk show hosts, including Fox News’s Bill O’Reilly.

Twas the week before Christmas and all through the House
No bills were passed ‘bout which Fox News could grouse;
Tax cuts for the wealthy were passed with great cheer,
So vacations in St. Barts soon would be near;

Katrina kids were nestled all snug in motel beds,
While visions of school and home danced in their heads;
In Iraq our soldiers needed supplies and a plan,
Plus nuclear weapons were being built in Iran;

Gas prices shot up, consumer confidence fell;
Americans feared we were on a fast track to…well…
Wait--- we need a distraction--- something divisive and wily;
A fabrication straight from the mouth of O’Reilly

We can pretend that Christmas is under attack
Hold a vote to save it--- then pat ourselves on the back;
Silent Night, First Noel, Away in the Manger
Wake up Congress, they’re in no danger!

This time of year we see Christmas every where we go,
From churches, to homes, to schools, and yes…even Costco;
What we have is an attempt to divide and destroy,
When this is the season to unite us with joy

At Christmas time we’re taught to unite,
We don’t need a made-up reason to fight
So on O’Reilly, on Hannity, on Coulter, and those right wing blogs;
You should just sit back, relax…have a few egg nogs!

‘Tis the holiday season: enjoy it a pinch
With all our real problems, do we honestly need another Grinch?

So to my friends and my colleagues I say with delight,
A merry Christmas to all,
and to Bill O’Reilly…Happy Holidays.

Music - Google Music Search

Google Music Search

Search by artist, album, lyric, almost anything.

Personal - Tis the season...

Happy Non-offensive Holiday Greeting of Your Choice!

Tech - Build a MAME Cabinet in 24 Hours

Sweet instructions on building a MAME Cabinet in 24 hours.

Politics - Opinions are like butt-holes...

Once again, Dubya proves me wrong. He's obviously not at all out of his ever-loving gourd.

Personal - Just in case you need XMas gift ideas for me

Alienware Liquid Cooled Computers

Miniature MP3 Player

Widescreen LCD HDTV

For starters...

Sports - Words fail me

Seriously, Chiefs... damnit.

Current events - Seriously, this crap is getting embarassing...

Kansas Ranks Last in School Science Standards

A national education group says Kansas has the nation's worst science standards for public schools.

And the Thomas B. Fordham Institute condemns the state for rewriting its definition of science and treating evolution as a flawed theory.

The assessment comes after the State Board of Education approved the new standards last month. The Washington-based institute said Kansas' treatment of evolution "makes a mockery of the very definition of science.''

Supporters contend the new standards will expose students to valid criticisms of evolutionary theory and promote openness in the classroom. Board Chairman Steve Abrams called the institute's assessment "fraudulent.''

The institute described such changes as the result of a "relentless'' promotion of intelligent design. The concept holds that some features of the universe are best explained by an unspecified intelligent cause because they're orderly and complex.

Current events - Professor beaten; attackers cite KU creationism class

Professor beaten; attackers cite KU creationism class

This is typical of the rightwing imbiciles we have in Kansas. Unable to defend their fairy tale beliefs they revert to physically beating a professor.

Savages.

Games - Learn to Play D&D Free from Barnes & Noble University

Barnes & Noble University is offering a free basic Dungeons and Dragons course. Perfect way to learn to play this great game!

The Web - Why you should be reading TheAgitator.com everyday

Radley Balko is a voice of reason. As he puts it,

"I'm a "libertarian," not a "Libertarian." "Libertarians" are sometimes nuts. Many of them, anyway. But "libertarians" I think are probably closer to the values most people hold than either Republicans or Democrats. We believe in free markets, limited government, low taxes, free trade, individual rights, personal responsibility, and peace. On fiscal issues, we generally side with the right. On cultural and social issues, we generally side with the left. We don't like Jesse Jackson or Pat Robertson.

Go. Read. Think.
TheAgitator.com

Edit: I ran across Mr. Balko's site years ago and lost it in numerous computer rebuilds. I'm currently re-reading his archive to see what I missed and am, again, taken back by how eloquently and accurately he expresses many of the thoughts and beliefs I have. Great site.

Current events - Coolest. Grandma. Ever.

The Michigan Daily has a report about an 83 year old grandma who stopped to see her grandson and ended up hitting a three story beer bong.

Many students were standing around the bong, a large funnel at the top, followed by nearly 30 feet of tubing. Few students were attempting the beer bong and those who did were getting drenched in beer. But Frances decided to give it a chance.

“My mother got closer and closer and said ‘I think I’m going to give it a try,’ ” Murray said.

Frances said her family was baffled by her curiosity and interest in the college tradition. “They said, ‘You can’t do this!’ and I said ‘Why not?’ ”

Current events - Unintelligent Design

Both Darwinism and Intelligent Design are preposterous. Obvously you can't get somthing from nothing, life can't come from non-life. And if the world had been designed intelligently, we wouldn't all need to spend our time reading cartoonist's blogs to keep our day interesting.

The only possible soloution here is Unintelligent Design. We were created as some kind of half-assed science fair project that probably got a D-minus.

After the fair was over, the janitor just tossed us away into the unfashionable part of the galaxy, to spin around until we eventually decompose with all of the other crap floating around. Hot, loose, alien women, on the other hand, that would be an example of intelligent design. - Dilbert Creator Scott Adams

Tech - 2,000,000!

InformationWeek > Browsers > Mozilla's Firefox Garners Quick 2 Million Downloads

Health - Coffee Boosts Short Term Memory

A cup of coffee is good for the memory, at least the short term memory, according to research reported today.

I was going to post this yesterday, but I forgot.

Personal - A dream, TV line-up and football

So I'm living in a house I lived in when I was about 12 years old. I'm married to my wife and my daughter is there. Through a series of events we determine that the house is haunted so I evacuate my family and go to the only group who could help... the Mythbusters.

Unfortunatly my first choice of help, Kari, was unavailable. So I got stuck with Scottie. She was nice enough, but claimed she couldn't do anything about the ghost. I was obviously frustrated and as I left she told me to say hi to the corporate office when I called to complain. I told her that I loved the show and wouldn't call them to complain, but that I was disappointed they couldn't help me.

Then I was on some kind of game show, kinda like the last scene from Mallrats.

===============================

So I see that NBC wants to move My Name is Earl to thursday nights to replace Joey. Here's my idea... Scrubs and My Name is Earl on Thursday nights. Back to back. Two of the best shows on TV.

===============================

It's Donkey week in KC, so... BUCK THE FRONCOS!

Current events - World AIDS Day 2005

In memory of W.K..

Personal - File under: crap I will never do

I came up with a great website idea. I call it "www.twentypoundturd.com". The tagline is "Worthless cool stuff" and we'll sell only cool gadgets and Chotzkes that serve no real purpose. Like... I don't know... how about a dog-doo paperweight. Or an Azeroth Kommunity Kollege t-shirt? (WoW fans will get it.) Or pre-printed blank copy paper? A kleenex box that has an eraseable surface so you could write messages on it.

Personal - R2-D2, where are you?

The Voice-Activated R2-D2 of my dreams.

*sigh* Someday I shall have a REAL astromech droid.

Personal - Turkey and Bond

Ate too much yesterday. Who did'nt, right.

I love Bond movies. Spike is doing a Bondathon so my fat arse is parked in front to the telly for the duration.

My top five Bond-girls (subject to change):
5. Jill St. John as Tiffany Case
4. Britt Ekland as Mary Goodnight
3. Barbara Carrera as Fatima Blush
2. Sophie Marceau as Elektra King
1. Famke Janssen as Xenia Onatopp

Man, I wish I was as cool as Bond.

Politics - Lies, Damn lies and Bush Co.

Source: WSJ.com

Do you think that the Bush administration generally provides accurate information regarding current issues or do you think they generally mislead the public on current issues to achieve its own end?

Generally accurate ...................32%
Generally misleading ...................64%
Not sure/refused ...................4%

Do you think that the current situation with former Vice Presidential Chief of Staff Lewis "Scooter" Libby is an isolated incident or is this an indication of a larger problem in the Bush administration?

An isolated incident ...................35%
An indication of larger
problem in the Bush
administration ...................55%
Not sure/refused ...................10%

Current events - X Box 360 gets sacrificed

Xbox 360 suffers ritual sacrifice "A BRAND new Xbox 360 was ritually sacrificed in front of a large line of Xbox Fanboys waiting to buy the latest machines."

One said: "The person who did this should be dragged out into the street and castrated just for his pure disregard for the person who was the first one denied his 360 in that line. With the whole 360 shortage on launch, this is just a nasty asshole move that should not be tolerated."

Brilliant. There's no shortage of these machines kids. It's called marketing.

Politics - War on Freedom

Ok... So we've established that the president can impose a limit to our freedoms and that three years without charge if you are combatant in the "War on Terrah" is acceptable. So can Dubya extend this new presidential power to the "War on Drugs" or the "War on Illiteracy"? What about the "War on Poverty"?

Caught you with 1/4 ounce of pot? Three years in prsion, no lawyer, no trial, next!
Can you read this? No? Three years in prsion, no lawyer, no trial, next!
Give me a $100.00. Can't do it? Three years in prsion, no lawyer, no trial, next!

This needs to go to the Supreme Court before it happens again.

If Padilla is guilty, fuck him. Shoot him in the head on the street corner at noon. But give the guy a fair trial.

Personal - To do list

Add PAgent, Apocalyptic Blogger, and Kassi to my Blogroll.
Add the Agitator to Politics links.
Add salt to taste.
Serve over ice.

Personal - Well, it's not sterile, but...

Offspring wanted a bite of an apple I was eating the other day. Since she doesn't do too well with biting off from the apple, I reached in my pocket, pulled out my pocket knife and cut her off a slice. As she was about to bite into it the mate screamed, "Don't give her that!" I was a bit taken aback.

"That knife is not clean! Don't use it to feed my daughter!"

"Ummm... ok, but if it's clean enough to gut a fish it ought to be clean enough to cut an apple," I said.

She still doesn't think I'm as funny as I think I am.

Politics - Congress Helps Self to $3,100 Pay Raise

Congress Helps Self to $3,100 Pay Raise then postponed work on bills to curb spending on social programs and cut taxes in favor of a two-week vacation.

Disgusting. What's more disgusting is the people let them get away with it.

Humor - Comic Strips!

No more buying a paper just to read the Comic Strips. This site looks like it updates every day and has about two dozen strips. (some stinkers, some greats.)

Humor - Friday fun

The Webtender: Drinking Games

Bow Man

Copter

Personal - I went to the danger zone

The mate, offspring and I were on our way home from visiting the parental units when Kenny Loggins' Danger Zone came on the radio. I was in the far right lane and we were approaching an onramp. Another van started creeping out and directly in front of us and I deftly changed lanes, went around them and back into the right lane all the while singing at the top of my lungs. My wife just looked at me coldly.

When I realized she was giving me the evil eye I said, "What?"

She said, "You are not in a fighter jet. You could have slowed down back there."

I said, "Call me Iceman," and grinned at her. She doesn't think I'm as funny as I think I am.

Current events - Buncha clowns...

Politics - Why all the fuss over state sponsored propoganda?

Via Wonkette... "Fair And Balanced"

Current events - Evolve? Not in Kansas you don't!

From the editors of Scientific American: Kansas, Where "Ignorant" is the New "Educated"

From the Times of London: Kansas schools take step against evolution

From the Washington Post: Kansas Education Board First to Back 'Intelligent Design'

I'm so proud.

Current events - Welcome to Kansas... set your clocks back 150 years

TOPEKA — In the face of blistering criticism, the Kansas Board of Education approved its anti-evolution science standards today.


The 6-4 vote this afternoon followed the board’s conservative-moderate split and had been expected for months. This morning, during the board’s public input session, board members faced a litany of complaints from educators, scientists and concerned citizens.

“The standards are bad science… an abuse of the educational system and they advance a particular religious viewpoint,” said Jack Krebs, a science teacher and vice president of Kansas Citizens for Science, a group formed to fight the changes.

The standards cast doubt on evolution and redefine science to allow for non-natural explanations. After nearly a year of debate, a final vote on the standards is set for this afternoon.

I'm embarrassed, sick and very angry right now...

INTELLIGENT DESIGN IS NOT SCIENCE.

It belongs in a comparative religions or mythology class.

Media - Manga hits the mainstream newspapers

AOL News - U.S. Papers Pick Up Japanese-Style Comics
TOKYO (Nov. 7) - 'Doonesbury' and 'Peanuts,' make way for 'manga.' Come January, the Sunday funnies of several major North American newspapers will have doe-eyed women in frilly outfits, effeminate long-haired heroes and other trademark images of the Japanese comic style."

Humor - Crime Scene KC

2 girls, 1 shower: Chiefs fan slips on soap

"A Chiefs fan from Oklahoma must have been thinking what a great town Kansas City is - no sooner does he meet a new friend, Tina, at a Quik-Trip - she invites him to her place and hops in the shower with him.

Stepping out, the man finds Tina and her friend Stephanie are gone, along with:

* His wallet, with a) all his ID b) $12.00 c) Two Visa cards.
* Three Chiefs tickets (his and two pals' from OK)
* His cell phone
* His car keys
* His car (black 1999 Mitsubishi Gallant)

The man called his cell phone, Tina-Stephanie answered and said they'd be right back. Then they didn't answer anymore.

Independence police are checking into the shower address - it doesn't seem to belong to Tina or Stephanie. From the police report:

RO gave the victim a ride back to the Comfort Inn where his friend contacted the victim's family and was able to obtain the VIN and license number from the stolen Gallant...The victim and his two friends are stranded as the car they come up in, is the stolen vehicle."

There's a moral in here somewhere...not sure where."

Politics - It passed the senate 90 - 9 and yet Dubya still wants to veto the anti-torture bill

"The enemy we fight has no respect for human life or human rights. They dont deserve our sympathy. But this isnt about who they are. This is about who we are."

- John McCain

Disgraceful...

Health - Beer's hops seen to inhibit tumor growth

Oh yeah baby!

Humor - Panexa (Acidachrome Promanganate)

PANEXA! Ask your doctor for a reasoon to take it!: "PANEXA is a prescription drug that should only be taken by patients experiencing one of the following disorders: metabolism, binocular vision, digestion (solid and liquid), circulation, menstruation, cognition, osculation, extremes of emotion. For patients with coronary heart condition (CHC) or two separate feet (2SF), the dosage of PANEXA should be doubled to ensure that twice the number of pills are being consumed. PANEXA can also be utilized to decrease the risk of death caused by not taking PANEXA, being beaten to death by oscelots, or death relating from complications arising from seeing too much of the color lavender. Epileptic patients should take care to ensure tight, careful grips on containers of PANEXA, in order to secure their contents in the event of a seizure, caused by PANEXA or otherwise."

Current events - KC 27 Oak 23

I was standing in front of my TV (thinking about becoming a religious fellow) when my wife walked by, glanced at the screen and said, "Relax... they won." I looked at her and said, "WHAT?!?! They are down by 3 with 5 seconds to go!" She says, "Oh... I thought that said 30-23."

As soon as Larry went over the top, I dropped to my knees and yelled, "TOUCHDOWN KANSAS CITY! TOUCHDOWN LARRY JOHNSON!"

Wow... what a finish for a rather dismal game.

Politics - Dubya's popularity hits rock bottom, grabs shovel

Bush's Popularity Reaches New Low
58 Percent in Poll Question His Integrity
===================
38 percent- think the Bush Administration was hiding important elements of what they knew
===================
Overall, do you approve, disapprove or have mixed feelings about the way George W. Bush is handling his job as president?

Approve, 37 percent (39)

Disapprove, 59 percent (58)

Tech - "Analog Hole" Legislation Proposed

Next-Gen "Analog Hole" Legislation Proposed: "Sometimes I think that people feel that the MPAA is a bunch of Luddites,' Brad Hunt, chief technical officer of the MPAA, said in an interview Wednesday afternoon. 'In this case, we are trying to incent the consumer to embrace the digital conversion, the digital connection...and that's why we need to drive this technology forward."

So... you can't "incent" the consumer to upgrade so you'll try legislating him into it? Luddite seems to be an understatement.

Politics - Fox News Paid for DeLay's Travel

"Rep. Tom DeLay (R-TX) filed a report with the Clerk of the House of Representatives indicating he received free travel valued at $13,998.55 from Fox News Sunday for 'officially connected travel' on October 1-2, 2005, from Sugarland, TX to Washington, D.C. and back to Sugarland, TX. Rep. DeLay appeared on Fox News Sunday on October 2, 2005, the weekend after his indictment on September 28, 2005.

Almost fourteen thousand bucks?!?! Did they hire Santa to fly his reindeer down th Texas and fly this tool to DC?!?!

To quote Luke Skywalker: "We could almost buy our own ship for that!"

Humor - George Carlin

From the George Carlin calendar for Thursday, November 3, 2005:

"If this is the best God can do, I'm not impressed. Results like these do not belong on the resume of a supreme being. This is the kind of stuff you'd expect from an office temp with a bad attitude. In any well-managed universe, this guy would have been out on his all-powerful a$$ a long time ago."

Amen.

Politics - Washington Post-ABC News Poll -- Oct. 28-29, 2005

Do you approve or disapprove of the way George W. Bush is handling his job as president?

10/29/05 Approve 39% Disapprove 58%

58% disapprove? Now THAT is a mandate!

Current events - Alito nomination generates evil laughs from Reublican senators

Is... is that Bob from the Enzyte commercial?!?!

Politics - Says it all.

Current Events - Trick-Or-Treaters To Be Subject To Random Bag Searches

Things sure have changed since I was a kid.

Why is this news? - Sulu and Swoopes come out of the closet.

Who cares how athletes/actors/scientists spend their nights? I don't. Just play/act/cure what you are paid for and lets move on!

Humor - Overheard on the web, again

"As it was explained to me - the next time you think you will be able to make a difference, stick a clenched fist into a bucket of water, then pull it out really fast. Then look at the impression you left." - PAgent

Humor - Short joke

A three-year-old boy was examining his testicles while taking a bath.

"Mom", he asked, "are these my brains?"

"Not yet," she replied

Sports - Paul Tagliabue... American Idiot.

So my beloved (and often less than loved) Kansas City Chiefs are being forced to fly into a hurricane evacuation zone, get off a plane and six hours later play a professional football game in Miami, Florida. Why? Why is comissioner Paul Tagliabue so set on this game being played? Doesn't he have the frickin Weather Channel? The NFL obviously isn't concerned with players safety.

This game can be rescheduled so Miami doesn't lose a home game and they wouldn't be adding to the chaos and confusion of a hurricane evacuation!

Stupid, stupid move.

Good luck guys.

Humor - Sort of... it's very accurate.

From my linkfilter buddy manGina:

A major research institution has announced the discovery of the heaviest element yet know to science - "governmentium." It has 1 neutron, 12 assistant neutrons, 75 deputy neutrons and 111 assistant deputy neutrons for an atomic mass of 312. These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons that are further surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like sub particles called peons.

Governmentium has no electrons and is therefore inert. It can be detected however since it impedes every reaction it comes into contact with. A tiny amount of governmentium can take a reaction that normally occurs in seconds and slow it to the point where it take days.

Governmentium has a normal half life of three years. It doesn't decay but "re- organizes", a process where assistant deputy neutrons and deputy neutrons change places. This process actually causes it to grow as in the confusion some morons become neutrons, thereby forming isodopes.

This phenomenon of "moron promotion" has led to some speculation that governmentium forms whenever sufficient morons meet in concentration forming critical morass. Researches believe that in Governmentium, the more you re- organize, the morass you cover.

Personal - No e-mail for you!

Mydomains.com is my host for my domain. The morons there say their email servers are "bogged down" and are expecting new hardware by the end of the week. Until then I get no email sent to my domain address.

Screw them. By the time they correct it I hope everyone has moved to another hosting service. I am.

Media - I have no reason to doubt News.Com.Au.

According to them,

No sex could kill you!!!

Men who cannot have sex are as much at risk of having a heart attack as smokers and diabetics.

Odd - Overheard on the web, too

About the teleconfrence with the troops: Comedically, Bush is horrible at improv, but his ventriloquist act is second to none. - Kevin2

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About Apples new 200 Gig iPod: If you were to only ever legally buy music, how much money do you think you would have to spend to fill a 200GB iPod? - fabulon7

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He did the math: One 700 Meg CD, encoded at 128 kbit is appx. 58 MB. 200000 MB / 58 MB = 3448 Albums. 3448 Albums * $12 USD (Cheap, but for the sake of argument) = $41,376 - Aaron Spew

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About... no idea: No matter how many chickens a human kills, he wouldn't be king of the humans... but if one chicken killed just one human, he'd be king of the chickens. - The King of Durf

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Movies - They're baaaack...

in Clerks 2: The Passion of the Clerks.

Media - Stupid Nissan commercial... STOP PLAYING THAT!

Because of that commercial, I will never, never, never buy a Nissan.

Humor - Lord of the World of Warcraft

Greatest. Gif. Ever.

Edit: Crap... need a place to host this... I'll get back to you.

Current Events - I'm just sayin'

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Humor - How to become a 'Publican

Tired of losing elections? Tired of tolerance? Tired of science? Tired of thinking for yourself?

Then it's time for you to become a REPUBLICAN!

Current Events - Chewbacca to become an American citizen

"British-born Peter Mayhew will be among 441 people from 77 countries who will become naturalized Americans in a ceremony in Arlington, Texas.

Mayhew, 60, played the fur-covered warrior Chewbacca in the original 'Star Wars' trilogy of the 1970s and 1980s, and the latest movie, 'Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.'"


Me and Peter at this summers KC Comicon.

Odd - Wait... the nuclear what now?!?!

"Kansas State University’s nuclear reactor deserves a failing grade for lapses in security, according to an ABC News investigation of college research reactors.

The investigation, in which ABC News interns attempted to gain access to the reactors on 25 campuses, found that K-State’s reactor “would get an F and zero for protection,” according to Ronald E. Timm, a security consultant who analyzed reactor security for the ABC report.

Most of the other reactors fared just as badly in the ABC investigation, which airs at 9 tonight on Primetime Live. The University of Missouri at Columbia’s reactor was also criticized for poor perimeter security.

Officials at both schools questioned whether the interns really knew enough about nuclear reactor security to point out flaws. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has promised to investigate any security lapses and make changes if necessary, according to NRC spokesman Eliot Brenner.

When the two interns — who told reactor operators they were prospective graduate students — went to the K-State reactor, they toured the facility with a video camera and were able to gain access to the control room and the reactor room. ABC also criticized the reactor for having no metal detectors or guards. The reactor is open to tours, but all visitors must present identification and subject their belongings to a search.

K-State spokeswoman Cheryl May said the reactor doesn’t have enough radioactive material to be a target for terrorists. She said the university uses the reactor for research and instruction, and opens it up to tours so the public can become more educated about nuclear science.

K-State reactor director Mike Whaley worries the ABC report may bring an end to the tours, which he said attract about 2,500 people a year.

The MU reactor is one of the largest research reactors in the nation and does not allow tours. Still, the ABC interns were a"

Personal - Bits and pieces

The Kansas City Beers are now 4-1 for the season. Beers! Beers! Beers!

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The Adam Corolla Project is actually very entertaining.

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If you buy a Kia Spectra and try to pull a fully loaded horse trailer, it will break down. The question is, do you admit it's the wrong vehicle for what you want to do and get something else, or do you shoot the horse, leave it in the ditch and tow the damn thing empty?

If you chose the last option, Congratulations! You are government employee material!

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Wish I had some extra money, I'd love to get back into collecting comic books.

Personal - What Kind of Candy Are You?

Evidently I'm a...

Butterfinger

They call you sticky fingers for a reason!

What Kind of Candy Are You?

Personal - A weekend, a holiday and a day off.

I treated myself to a four day weekend courtesy of Columbus Day and a vacation day. (Seriously... why is Columbus Day a federal holiday?)

Friday my folks came up and spent the day and evening with my daughter. They don't even care if I'm around anymore. It's all about the grand kids.

Saturday my wife and I volunteered at the Weston Irish Fest. Free admission, free food and drink and a t-shirt in exchange for a couple hours of labor. Wow. We worked our butts off, but had a great time. We had volunteered to work the beer tent because, let's face it, I loves the beer. My wife took tickets (4 tickets for one beer or one shot and 6 for an Irish Car Bomb) and I poured beer from 1 to 6. Turned out that of the four guys pouring the beer, I was the only one who knew how to tap a keg. (It's like riding a bike...) So in the five hours there, I moved and tapped 26 kegs. Also I got really good at making 1/2 and 1/2's.

After our shift, we ate and drank for free and watched a few bands. I highly enjoyed Fuchsia and Jiggernaut, though Jiggernaut was less celtic and more alt-rock-ish. Brigid's Cross wasn't bad, but they tried to do too much comedy in between songs and came across as forced and scripted. The Prodigals I was very un-impressed with.

We couldn't get a hotel in Weston because there was a Nascar race in town and every redneck west of the Mississippi was in town, so we had to not drink much because of the drive home.

Sunday we took the offspring to the pumpkin patch and to buy her Halloween costume. She's walking around the house as a princess. I think it's type casting.

Monday was a lazy day. Just some couch time with the family. I did make Irish stew though. It turned out great. As my wife wouldn't let me back in the house if I tried to add Lamb to the stew (as is proper for Irish stew,) I made it with just chicken stock, potato, onion, carrot, celery, salt, pepper, thyme and parsley. Poured it in a couple of bread bowls... very, very tasty.

Tuesday I broke down and went to see the doctor. I've been wheezing and coughing for over a week. I tried Mucinex, NyQuil, cough syrup, everything I could think of, but I wasn't getting better. Turns out I have an upper respiratory infection. I'm on anti-biotics and am now an inhaler carrying nerd. Oh yes, my journey to the dork side is now complete.

I'm off to put some tape around the bridge of my glasses.

Media - Law and Order and Occasional upset stomach

What is it with Law & Order having, at minimum, one prescription drug ad each break? Shouldn't that be saved for Murder, She Wrote or Matlock re-runs?

Politics - Six Democratic War Vets Seek House Seats

Lawyer Patrick Murphy and five other veterans of the
Iraq war are asking questions about
President Bush's policies in Iraq as part of their broader Democratic campaigns to win congressional seats in next year's elections.

Good luck guys!

Media - And with this, her takeover of television is complete...

Rachel Ray is getting a one hour talk show in the fall.

Yes, the same Rachel Ray that is currently host of Food Network's 30 Minute Meals, $40 a Day, Rachael Ray's Tasty Travels, and Inside Dish with Rachael Ray. By my estimation, Ms. Ray will now be on air for more hours a week than I am awake.

Odd - Overheard on the web

About Billy Bennet and his dumbassed remarks : "the 1st Amedment does not have a stupidity exception"

About Dubya and ticking off his base support: "he truly is a 4th grader trapped in a man's body"

About Paris Hilton: "Look at her eyes. Go on, take a good, long look. No soul. You're looking at her, but there's nothing looking back at you. Disconcerting, isn't it?"