Incoming!

Norm Coleman - United States Senator - Minnesota

2005-08-03T09:17:00.000-07:00

"“My probe of the U.N. as Chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations revealed management that was at best, incompetent, and at worst corrupt,” said Coleman. “The first priority for the United Nations must be fundamental reform of its management and operations rather than any expansion of its authority and responsibilities. The Internet has flourished under U.S. supervision, oversight, and private sector involvement. This growth did not happen because of increased government involvement, but rather, from the opening on the Internet to commerce and private sector innovation. Subjecting the Internet and its security to the politicized control of the UN bureaucracy would be a giant and foolhardy step backwards.”"

Big giant thumbs-up for Norm Coleman!

Bush: Intelligent Design Should Be Taught

2005-08-03T08:54:00.000-07:00

"President Bush said Monday he believes schools should discuss 'intelligent design' alongside evolution when teaching students about the creation of life."

People unclear on the concept of "scientific method".

Apple - Mighty Mouse

2005-08-02T08:26:00.000-07:00

"Meet the mouse that reinvented the wheel. The scroll wheel, that is"

Wow, first moving to Intel and now this? There's a run on ice skates in Hell.

Boing Boing: Apple to add Trusted Computing to the new kernel?

2005-08-01T17:08:00.000-07:00

"People working with early versions of the forthcoming Intel-based MacOSX operating system have discovered that Apple's new kernel makes use of Intel's Trusted Computing hardware. If this 'feature' appears in a commercial, shipping version of Apple's OS, they'll lose me as a customer -- I've used Apple computers since 1979 and have a Mac tattooed on my right bicep, but this is a deal-breaker."

A well-thought-out article on some recent news about the Mac Intel kernel. I have to say: I've been considering buying a Mac for the last year or so, and if this goes into commercial hardware/OS... I'll pass on it.

Trusted Computing is a horrific idea from the hardware/software vendors. If it is forced on the general public, you'll see an instant fallout of platforms sold precisely because they [i]don't[/i] have trusted computing.

The idea that someone can tell me what I can or can't run on my own computer, or what program that I have to use to read data, is completely unthinkable. You can go to hell before I allow you that level of control.

Google hit with job discrimination lawsuit | CNET News.com

2005-08-01T14:52:00.000-07:00

"A former Google sales executive has filed a lawsuit against the search giant, alleging it engaged in job discrimination while she was pregnant with quadruplets."

I'm sure there's two sides to this story. I know that. On the other hand, there's a ring of truth in the sequence of events.

My question is simple: what the fuck were you thinking? Are we so focused on profits that we forget that a pregnant woman has the right to expect some consideration and respect? The woman lost 3 of 4 quadruplets, for god's sake. You as her manager, and you as her company, should have been all over getting her into a situation that's less stressful. Without being asked or prompted.

Anyone ever remember business school ethics? Stakeholders comprise a number of people, including the employees. Just as important as stockholders. Business school graduates seem to forget that.

Study Says Echinacea Doesn't Help Colds

2005-07-29T11:50:00.000-07:00

"New research finds that taking the popular herbal remedy echinacea does nothing to treat or prevent colds."

This news also in: sky is confirmed blue, repeat, confirmed blue.

GameSpy: PlanetFargo: Dungeons & Dragons Made Simple

2005-07-29T11:33:00.000-07:00

"DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS FOR COMPLETE AND UTTER IDIOTS"

Every now and again, something absolutely brilliant comes along. I particularly liked the flowchart on page 2.

Boing Boing: Microsoft "Genuine Advantage" cracked in 24h

2005-07-28T16:26:00.000-07:00

AV sez, "This week, Microsoft started requiring users to verifiy their serial number before using Windows Update. This effort to force users to either buy XP or tell them where you got the illegal copy is called 'Genuine Advantage.' It was cracked within 24 hours."

Shucky darn.

I expect the next attempt will be a wee bit harder to crack though, boys.

local6.com - Family - Invoiced Divorce: Wife Wants Back Pay For Housework

2005-07-27T09:23:00.000-07:00

"'It's not about the money. It's about standing up for women' s rights and the respect they deserve and their duties around the house,' Kathy said. 'I know there's men that work hard too, but a woman doesn't get a day to take a break.'"

One of the more ridiculous items that I've read. I wonder how she'll like getting hit for rent, food, clothing, and all sundries in the counter suit?

NBC 17 - News - Couple Cleared Of Child Sex Charges

2005-07-27T09:18:00.000-07:00

"The photo that raised alarms shows a naked Kristoff, now 16-months-old, getting a kiss from his father on the belly button, Teresa Hamaty said."

So the father spends 6 months in jail, the kids spend 6 months living in foster care, the family is completely disrupted... all for a harnless home video.

What I want to know is whether or not the social worker who overreacted was fired?

But I already know the answer.

Social workers have no responsibility, apparently, for being right before disrupting people's lives. All authority, with no responsibility or accountability, equals tyranny.

Smooth Operator - Some very cool cars

2005-07-26T09:37:00.000-07:00

Interesting set of pictures.

Microsoft's Earth deletes Apple HQ | The Register

2005-07-26T09:34:00.000-07:00

"If you've got time on your hands - stand up Jens and Stefan - have a look at Apple's Cupertino headquarters from Google and MSN's rival map sites. Both sites offer aerial photos alongside maps. MSN's version is here and Google's is here."

Now that's amusing. I'm sure it's all based on the time that the satellite photo was taken, but it wouldn't surprise me if MS actually used an older photo.

Petty, Bill. Petty.

Angry Americans Want to Take Souter's Land

2005-07-26T09:30:00.000-07:00

"People from across the country are getting behind a campaign to seize Supreme Court Justice David Souter's farmhouse to build a luxury hotel, according to the man who came up with the idea following a Supreme Court decision favoring government seizure of private property."

Awesome. I love it. A perfect response to an incredibly stupid ruling. More power to you, Mr. Clements.

ESPN.com: Page 2 : The dumbest rules in sports

2005-07-26T09:29:00.000-07:00

The dumbest rules in sports. I laughed when I read this, although I don't agree with all of them. You'll laugh a few times, too :-)

Finance24 : Beer 'price war' seen looming

2005-07-26T09:28:00.000-07:00

"Beer wholesalers surveyed by Citigroup Smith Barney believe their industry is on the verge of a price war that could last seven months or longer"

Oh gosh, hold me. The world is ending.

On the other hand, maybe I'll just go down to the store and pick up a six-pack of Anchor Steam.

RedNova News - Space - Cassini Reveals Saturn's Eerie-Sounding Radio Emissions

2005-07-26T09:17:00.000-07:00

"Saturn's radio emissions could be mistaken for a Halloween sound track."

Very cool. There's two sound clips on the web page, so you can listen for yourself.

Wining and dining best way to woo women - Yahoo! News

2005-07-26T09:14:00.000-07:00

"Forget expensive presents or costly jewellery. Wining and dining is the best way for men to woo women, scientists said on Tuesday."

Oh my. And we spent grant money for this? Where do I sign up?

Researchers at Imperial College London developed a mathematical formula and modelled courtship as a sequential game to find the best way to impress the ladies

Of course they did. Lord knows it's easier to model courtship than it is to perform it :-)

CTV.ca | Microsoft cracks down on software piracy

2005-07-26T08:54:00.000-07:00

"In a controversial effort to stop software piracy, computer users who go to the Microsoft website for Windows updates will have their system scanned, to check whether their copy of Windows is a counterfeit."

Because Lord knows, their licensing wasn't draconian enough...

Want to reinstall Windows more than 3 times? You have to call the friendly MS phone line and convince some bimbo that you have a legitimate need. Now, I have to open up my computer so that they can check for themselves if it's legal.

Fuck you, Microsoft. Another reason to buy Mac.

EQ: ZEM's and you

2005-07-21T15:40:00.000-07:00

So, I've had some requests to post an updated list of Zone Experience Modifiers for EQ. I'd love to, but nobody has any idea what they are anymore. That original list was developed when EQ sent xp information in the packets that they sent to the client. They don't do that anymore, so any list that you see is purest guesswork.

Take, for example, current hot spots. The original description of a hotspot was "Paludal Cavern-like experience bonuses". Well, we know at the time that the original ZEM charts were made, that Paludal Caverns gave +113% XP to every kill. More than double what you would receive killing the same level mob in a "normal" zone. However that list was more than a year old when hotspots were introduced... we have no idea if PC exp was nerfed or not in the interim.

I can tell you anecdotally that PC doesn't feel like it gives the same amount of xp that it used to... but that's not measurable and I wouldn't depend on it.

So, when you see updated charts... like the one at EQDiva or the one posted to RPG Expert, you have to realize that those charts are based off of very old information. That update is guesswork, and not backed up by anything at all measurable.

Even more interesting is whether or not hotspots actually increase the XP gained in a zone. I know, for example, that I spent some time a few years ago in Echo Caverns killing needlites. At 30th level, I averaged around 2-3% per kill. A week ago, since it's a hotspot, I took my 30th level wizard over there and averaged... wait for it... 3% a kill. Did xp come faster? I suppose so, but the difference wasn't earthshattering.

However, I also took statistics of Dawnshroud Peaks back after Luclin came out, and I noted that at 34, I averaged slightly under 2% per kill soloing mushrooms. Today, my wizard does around 1% per kill at 34. Significantly less.

And finally, I'm not at all sure that old hotspots get reset after new hotspots are announced. Grieg's End doesn't appear to be significantly less xp now than when it was a hotspot. Now, it could be that the difference is just not noticeable.

That's life in the fast lane to 70.

WoW: Duping Bug

2005-07-21T11:18:00.000-07:00

I probably shouldn't do this, but since I don't play WoW anymore... here's a recipe for the dupe bug that's running around right now. Note that I didn't write this... it's from tech-recipes.com.

Well, our little trick has finally exploded into the public. We are rich now... so get in on this while you can. Heck, leave a few more hints here as well!

This only works early in the morning when the servers first load up, and the the instance server is still loading. Heavy-loaded servers work the best.

Although I have not tested them all, these areas are known to work -Deadmines, Wailing Caverns, Scarlet Monastary, and Maraudon

Do the Dupe:

a. Player 1 hands player 2 a large amount of gold

b. Player 1 goes into the instance. If the bug works, he/she will get kicked back out after a delay.

c. Player 1 will have the original amount of gold he had before he traded and player 2 will still have the traded gold he received as well.

d. Rinse and Repeat

Now, go dupe, dupe, dupe. Buy items and sell them to hide the money. Who knows what warcraft is going to do about this...

Disclaimer: All of this is against warcraft's Terms of Service (ToS).

Do Not Call list under attack, activists say - U.S. Business - MSNBC.com

2005-07-21T09:05:00.000-07:00

"Legal wrangling threatens to disrupt that dinnertime quiet, according to the Electronic Privacy Information Center, which plans to present its concerns to the Federal Communications Commission later this month. Telemarketing groups are quietly mounting a campaign that would open the door to a floodgate of new calls, EPIC says, pointing to a series of requests filed with the FCC, essentially asking the agency to invalidate state laws regulating the practice."

Let's make it easy: no fucking telemarketing at all. Period. If I want something, I'll call you.

Spring Hill to eliminate property tax for residents

2005-07-21T09:01:00.000-07:00

"'We're not naive here in the city,' said Mayor Danny Leverette. 'We realize somewhere down the road that might have to be addressed. But why not, during these bountiful times, can you not give it back?'"

Great article, and a rare example of good sense in government.

The Globe and Mail: Women turn up heat to beat the freeze

2005-07-21T09:00:00.000-07:00

"When it's boiling hot out, Clio Godkewitsch sometimes arrives at her office in the Cadillac Fairview tower and turns on the space heater under her desk."

Interesting article. I'm not sure it's so relevant, honestly, since most offices have moved to "business casual" style. I doubt it would be a problem to bump the temperature up a few degrees during the day.

Of course, I work in a software company, so we always have it warm -- amazing how efficient computers are at warming up the surrounding temperatures.

EQ: Current Hot Zones

2005-07-19T17:50:00.000-07:00

As of April 15, 2005:

The Warrens
Netherbian Lair
Echo Caverns
The Scarlet Desert
The Tower of Frozen Shadow
The Hole
The Grey
Howling Stones
The Halls of Betrayal (Chardok B)

New Credit Card Payment Requirements Bring Good, Bad News - Yahoo! News

2005-07-19T12:55:00.000-07:00

"Within the next month, Bank of America, MBNA and Citigroup will raise minimum monthly payments on their cards from 2 percent of the balance to up to 4 percent, not including interest. Other card issuers are expected to make similar changes by the end of the year."

Nothing like some advance notice. It's not like people want to plan their finances after all.

Ebonics suggested for district

2005-07-19T12:53:00.000-07:00

Ebonics back in the news, and sigh, it's California leading the charge again.

"'Because Ebonics can have a negative stigma, we're not focusing on that,' Cooper said. 'We are affirming and recognizing Ebonics through supplemental reading books (for students).'"

Translation: because all those stupid parents don't agree with us, this time we're kinda hiding the whole Ebonics thing so that they won't know.

mcall.com - Clinton speaks before Hispanic civil rights conference

2005-07-19T12:50:00.000-07:00

"Speaking to the nations' largest Hispanic civil rights organization, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., received a standing ovation Monday when she vowed her support for legislation that would allow illegal immigrant high school students to attend college."

So am I reading that right? Hillary thinks that illegal immigrants should go to college? What part of "illegal immigrant" is unclear to her?

Why not work on legislation to get rid of the category of "illegal immigrant"... oh wait, I know.. it's because it might erode support for her election bid in 2008.

Anatomy of the perfect nap - The Valdosta Daily Times, Valdosta GA

2005-07-19T12:41:00.000-07:00

"There are some folks who don’t like to nap.

I categorize them with the other “People I Don’t Understand”: The French; job-seekers with visible tattoos; vegetarians; the Los Angeles Clippers; Garth Brooks fans; and the 4,306 people that voted for Michael Dukakis in 1988."

As a confirmed napper, I can tell you that the advice in this article is excellent.

Oh, and it's a slow news day in Georgia.

Excite News - U.N. Panel Presents 4 Internet Options

2005-07-15T11:30:00.000-07:00

"In a report released Thursday, the U.N. panel outlined four possible options for the future of Internet governance for world leaders to consider at a November 'Information Society' summit.

One option would largely keep the current system intact, with a U.S.-based non-profit organization, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, continuing to handle basic policies over Internet addresses.

At the other end, ICANN would be revamped and new international agencies formed under the auspices of the United Nations.

'In the end it will be up to governments, if at all, to decide if there will be any change,' said Markus Kummer, executive director of the U.N. Working Group on Internet Governance, which issued the report."

Oh gosh, the thought of a UN controlled technical council to run the Internet just makes all kinds of sense.

Not.

Wonder what they'll do if we just don't decide to give up control? Make their own Internet like China is threatening? Go for it.

Motoring - BMW adds super-vision to night driving

2005-07-15T08:18:00.000-07:00

Now this is way-cool. Especially if you live in rural areas where animals are routinely on the roads.

USATODAY.com - Clinton seeks 'Grand Theft Auto' probe

2005-07-15T08:16:00.000-07:00

"'There is no doubting the fact that the widespread availability of sexually explicit and graphically violent video games makes the challenge of parenting much harder,' Clinton said in her missive seeking an FTC investigation."

In other news, Hilary Rodham Clinton desperate for positive publicity.

Debunking 8 Anti-War Myths About The Conflict In Iraq - Right Wing News (Conservative News and Views)

2005-07-12T09:18:00.000-07:00

This is an interesting read. Whether or not you believe the war in Iraq to be justified, it's clear that a lot of the furor surrounding the choices we've made are simply media bullshit. Well worth the click.

'Human-brained' monkeys | The Other Side | Breaking News 24/7 - NEWS.com.au (11-07-2005)

2005-07-12T09:14:00.000-07:00

"In cutting-edge experiments, scientists have injected human brain cells into monkey fetuses to study the effects.

Critics argue that if these fetuses are allowed to develop into self-aware subjects, science will be thrown into an ethical nightmare."

More importantly, haven't any of these people seen Planet of the Apes?!

I, for one, welcome our new human-primate chimera overlords.

True and Living Church... :: Women get new trial against church for fraud

2005-07-12T09:12:00.000-07:00

"In court filings, Hancock complains her promise of a face-to-face meeting with Jesus went unfulfilled, although she is seeking compensation only for promises of land and financial support, Nielsen said."

Back of the line, wench. It's only 2000 years long.

News - Stonehenge Origin Found

2005-07-12T09:10:00.000-07:00

"'When we came across the enclosure we couldn't believe it. You dream about finding things like this but don't really think they exist. We have done geological and chemical tests which are still ongoing but show the quarry is the exact place,'"

Interesting story. But we still haven't answered the primary question: Why?

I've been to Stonehenge. Remarkable place... the actual monument is smaller than you would be led to believe after all the pictures, but the site is stunning. Lonely, yet you can picture what the plains must have looked like when all of the structures (not just Stonehenge) were new, and it's absolutely mind boggling.

Well worth the trip if you're ever in England.

EQ: Magician Chaincasting Tricks

2005-07-05T10:42:00.000-07:00

I swear, I'm done with EQ. I'm done with EQ. I'm done with EQ.

Maybe, if I chant this long enough, I'll believe it.

Magicians are one of the better soloing classes in EQ. They're not as versatile as a druid or necro, but as long as you have a solid mastery of basic tactics, you can do some amazing feats with a magician. This post is about tactics.

Chaincasting Pets

Old school magician trick. It starts to become more efficient than nuking at 44, but really comes into its own at 49. The 49th earth pet is your friend, and with it, you can take down a pretty awesome list of critters.

The idea is that while your pet is tanking, you begin to cast a new one. When you get down to half-a-second away from spell completion, you hit "Go Away" on your pet window. Pet dies, new pet is summoned, you hit Pet Attack and you're back in business. Cast BO or a DS if you like: if the pet is able to hit the mob effectively, then casting BO makes sense to haste his attacks. If the pet is a punching bag and can't reasonably hit often, then a DS is a must. If it's relatively even, then both.

51 Earth is an excellent choice as well -- more hit points, higher level, slightly higher casting cost. After that, it really depends on your mana pool, since the pet cost more to cast.

To learn this trick, and it does take some timing, I recommend that you get over to WC and pull YK's or Kodiaks with your 12th level pet. That way, if you fizzle, you won't die :-)

AA's that will help: Quick Summoning 3 (5 second pets), Improved Reclaim Energy (95% mana return on pets), and Elemental Pact (don't use malachite). Suspend Minion is also extremely useful -- it never hurts to have a backup pet in case something goes wrong.

A word about Improved Reclaim Energy... this is useful if you're doing Reclaim chaincasting, and really should be done in tandem with Quick Summoning. Reclaim summoning is an advanced technique that relies on the pet root holding for long enough for you to reclaim and cast a new pet. If you can rely on your pet root holding, then with Reclaim chaincasting you essentially have infinite mana.

More tomorrow.

ZOHO - Posable Metal Sculpture

2005-07-05T09:16:00.000-07:00

My god, this is impressive. Worth the click.

MSN-Mainichi Daily News: China tells U.S. Congress to butt out of Unocal bid

2005-07-05T09:01:00.000-07:00

Irony seems to be in season...

"'We demand that the U.S. Congress correct its mistaken ways of politicizing economic and trade issues and stop interfering in the normal commercial exchanges between enterprises of the two countries,' the Foreign Ministry said in a statement."

The 12-minute Windows heist: ZDNet Australia: News: Security

2005-07-01T15:38:00.000-07:00

"There is a 50 percent chance your unprotected Windows PC will be compromised within 12 minutes of going online, says security vendor Sophos."

Good lord. And my experiences lately prove that they're right: I've had 3 cases in the last week where someone bought a PC and brought it up on the internet without a firewall in place. Within an hour or so of going live, they were hopelessly infected with virii and adware. In all three cases I was forced to repartition the drive to recover the PC.

WSJ.com - Parking Meters Get Smarter

2005-07-01T09:03:00.000-07:00

"Wireless Technology Turns Old-Fashioned Coin-Operated Device Into a Sophisticated Tool for Catching Scofflaws and Raising Cash"

Now they're not even pretending to enforce the "law"... these are just revenue enhancers. Another, unvoted, tax.

KSDK NewsChannel 5 - Camera Catches Tornado Forming

2005-07-01T09:01:00.000-07:00

"Two men with a video camera captured a tornado from it's beginning. It hit Minnesota Wednesday."

Very cool video, especially when you're from California like I am... we don't see these kinds of things.

ABC News: House Agrees to $3,100 Pay Raise for 2006

2005-06-30T08:59:00.000-07:00

Gosh, I wish I had the power to vote myself a pay raise. Guess I'll have to wait until I'm a member of Congress.

CBC News: Same-sex marriage law passes 158-133

2005-06-29T09:46:00.000-07:00

"The Liberals' controversial same-sex marriage legislation has passed final reading in the House of Commons, sailing through in a 158-133 vote."

I wonder how many California gays speak Canadian?

10 ways to get an upgrade - Business Travel - MSNBC.com

2005-06-29T09:45:00.000-07:00

"Every flight has its share of upgrade candidates. But there are usually more candidates than first-class seats, and as a result, some of those passengers become very upset."

Wise words from someone who knows. I've been the recipient of upgrade seats for international travel several times... mostly because I was willing to be flexible in my travel plans and took a later flight. I can tell you from personal experience: a 13 hour flight to Europe in Economy Class is something to be avoided.

local6.com - News - Florida Democratic Party Bookkeeper Takes Blame For Tax Problems

2005-06-29T09:40:00.000-07:00

"The Internal Revenue Service slapped a lien on the party last week for about $200,000 owed in taxes from 2003. The party had only $98,000 in its bank account."

Oh irony... sweet irony.

Famous Crosswalk Button Hack :: The Hacker's Defense Foundation

2005-06-29T09:38:00.000-07:00

"A shadowy group of pedestrian hackers called Cross Anytime announced their discovery of several back doors or 'cheats' using crosswalk buttons at many intersections. The 3658-item list has been released on their website www.crosswalkbuttonhacks.com."

Critical information for any urban dweller. Good god, how did I ever exist without this?

I just tried the Instant Walk hack on the crosswalk outside my office. It works.

Om Malik’s Broadband Blog » Grokster Decision, Gross Over Reaction

2005-06-28T10:54:00.000-07:00

Om Malik, as always, brings a voice of reason to the Grokster ruling. However, even he recognizes that this ruling will provide a field day for lawyers:

"The worrisome aspect of this ruling is that just like their tech counterparts pointing to Sony Betamax fair-use ruling as an excuse for inexcusable behavior, the Hollywood Mafia is going to use the MGM-Grokster ruling to beat down on tiny start-ups."

More importantly, the startup costs for entering the P2P market just skyrocketed... because now any lawyer with a court order can disrupt your business to determine whether or not the "intent" of your product was designed to infringe on copyright laws. That means full discovery of emails, design meeting notes, engineer depositions, marketing materials, et al.

This is a death knell for small company innovation in this arena. It means that P2P innovation just headed towards open-source and loosely-knit communities as a defense against litigation.

OhGizmo! » TAG Heuer’s “Diamond Fiction” Watch Tells Time in Diamonds

2005-06-28T09:04:00.000-07:00

"Makers of high end, impossibly swanky and expensive watches, the people at TAG Heuer recently rolled out their latest creation, worn by their newest ambassador, Uma Thurman: the “Diamond Fiction”. And this one is a showstopper."

Oh my, this is sinful excess taken to an extreme. Thank god it's so ugly.

A wild idea to fight global warming - LiveScience - MSNBC.com

2005-06-28T08:53:00.000-07:00

"A wild idea to combat global warming suggests creating an artificial ring of small particles or spacecrafts around Earth to shade the tropics and moderate climate extremes."

More thinking out of the box. Interesting idea, hellishly expensive, and god help us if we actually did permanently affect our climate.

Women stripping in Indian forest to foil police - Yahoo! News

2005-06-28T08:46:00.000-07:00

"Women in an eastern Indian forest are stripping naked to distract police and to help a criminal gang avoid arrest while illegally chopping down trees, the Hindustan Times reported on Tuesday."

Wow. You have to give them credit for original thinking!

Reuters.co.uk - Belgium to ban Boy Scouts from killing chickens

2005-06-28T08:45:00.000-07:00

Belgium plans to stop Boy Scouts from slaughtering chickens and other small animals at summer camp, despite Scout leaders' defence of the practice as a lesson in wilderness survival.

Because, as we all know, you can just pop into the store for a chicken if you want one. No need to learn all that messy killing stuff.

Panel Concludes NASA Fails to Meet Toughest Safety Recommendations for Return to Space - from TBO.com

2005-06-28T08:43:00.000-07:00

"A panel overseeing NASA's resumption of shuttle flights concluded Monday that the space agency has failed to meet the toughest safety recommendations put in place after the Columbia disaster."

As long as we, as a nation, believe that we must have zero casualties in space exploration, we'll spend more far more time and effort trying to make it perfectly safe than we will actually exploring space.

This is a really good reason why private space flight is so needed. We can actually focus on space exploration and use, rather than a perfect safety record.

SCOTUSblog: Reporters lose in leaks case

2005-06-28T08:37:00.000-07:00

"The Supreme Court on Monday turned aside pleas by two reporters and a magazine urging the Justices to create, for the first time, a right not to be forced to reveal to the government their confidential news sources. The action means that, at least for the time being, the Constitution and federal common law do not recognize a “reporter’s privilege” of confidentiality. (The Court denied review in Miller v. U.S., 04-1507, Cooper and Time Magazine v. U.S., 04-1508.)"

Well, the Supreme Court is on a roll... goodbye Deep Throat, goodbye confidential sources, goodbye whistle-blowing, hello lawsuits.

HoustonChronicle.com - THE SUPREME COURT

2005-06-28T08:35:00.000-07:00

"After decision, an amendment is quickly proposed to limit powers of eminent domain"

God I wish we had the same common sense in California legislators. We already have fairly good protections against indiscriminate use of eminent domain, but I can just see this legislature striking those down "for the good of the ~~property developers~~ people."

SCOTUSblog: Grokster, StreamCast Lose

2005-06-27T12:07:00.000-07:00

"The Supreme Court ruled unanimously that developers of software violate federal copyright law when they provide computer users with the means to share music and movie files downloaded from the Internet, at least when the software companies take 'affirmative steps to foster infringement.'"

What a horrible ruling. I'm sure that the vagueness of "take affirmative steps to foster infringement" just fostered legal orgasms in law offices all over the world.

That's two really, really bad rulings in as many weeks.

The Worst Mistake in the History of the Human Race

2005-06-27T09:24:00.000-07:00

An interesting treatise on why agriculture may not have been the boon that we've all thought it was.

AskMen.com - Top 10 Unbreakable Sports Records

2005-06-27T09:16:00.000-07:00

An awesome list, and one that provokes some thought about how sports have changed over the years.

Roller Coaster Search

2005-06-24T08:28:00.000-07:00

Genius. Pure genius.

Supreme Court Widens Eminent Domain Powers

2005-06-24T08:26:00.000-07:00

"Rejecting pleas by homeowners fighting to keep their properties, the Supreme Court on Thursday said local governments could condemn a person's home or business so the sites could be redeveloped for more lucrative uses."

What a terrible ruling. Collectivism has won a significant victory over the rights of the individual. This ruling leaves the door wide open for abuse at all levels of government.

Broadcast Flag chapter 93: MPAA be gettin’ sneaky! - Engadget - www.engadget.com

2005-06-23T09:56:00.000-07:00

"Okay, listen up — the MPAA may have tried to fake us out, but it looks like we haven’t yet heard the last of the Broadcast Flag. Word on the street is that the Broadcast Flag bill may be snuck into a Senate Appropriations Committee spending bill that will be up for consideration as early as tomorrow"

Unbelievable. The MPAA and the RIAA need to go away.

American Chronicle: Longer Yellow Lights Reduce Accidents

2005-06-23T09:39:00.000-07:00

"Longer yellow lights will do more to reduce crashes at intersections than any other method, including the use of red-light cameras, according to a new report.

No surprise here. Doubt it will change anything, though.

The Sun exposes UK ID theft racket at Indian call centre | The Register

2005-06-23T09:36:00.000-07:00

"An undercover reporter was able to buy the details thousands of UK banking accounts, password particulars and credit cards numbers from crooked call centre workers in India, "

Why doesn't this surprise me?

Chromatherapy shower from Interbath | Trendir

2005-06-22T09:48:00.000-07:00

Oh my. I wondered what the aging hippy contingent was going to do now that aromatherapy was old news... and now I have my answer:

"ELS is designed with Chromatherapy (Color therapy ) in mind - you'll be showering not just with water but also with light. Interbath's Ondine line of products also features the Electronic Shower System (ESS) where ELS can be included."

Light. It's not just for lighting anymore.

Sheesh.

AMC Plans to Acquire Loews Cineplex - Yahoo! News

2005-06-22T09:12:00.000-07:00

"'The DVD boom has made watching movies more convenient and it seems that the time between theatrical release and DVD release is getting shorter and shorter,' Gray said. 'Theaters will have to band together to survive.'"

Um, guys, I vastly prefer going out to a movie and watching it on a big screen rather than my 42" tv at home. But you make it really, really difficult to make that choice with the out-of-control costs for ticket prices and food.

Let's see... do I spend $20 for tickets for two, plus another $12 for food, or do I rent the DVD for $4 and eat my own food. Cut your prices in half and you'd have a viable product again. Don't blame DVD's for pricing yourselves beyond your customer's pocketbooks.

News - Wife sells DJ's Lotus on eBay in revenge for his on-air flirting

2005-06-22T09:06:00.000-07:00

"Listening at home to his show on Kerrang 105.2, Hayley Shaw was outraged at her husband's flirting with the model and decided to hit him where it hurt by putting his £25,000 Lotus Esprit Turbo up for sale on eBay."

Oy. Never underestimate a woman scorned. Sold for one pound sterling.

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY / Supervisors to pay a $1 fine for using bureaucratic lingo

2005-06-22T08:54:00.000-07:00

Contra Costa County supervisors who use certain dirty words during weekly meetings will have to cough up $1 fines, but the newly banned utterances aren't the seven infamous ones forbidden on public airwaves.

Brilliance! Applause for the county supervisor who thought this up and put it into practice.

Now if we could just get this idea through the heads of legislators and lawyers.

CNN.com - 'High risk' of WMD attack in decade - Jun 22, 2005

2005-06-22T08:52:00.000-07:00

"The chance of an attack with a weapon of mass destruction somewhere in the world in the next 10 years runs as high as 70 percent, arms experts have predicted in a U.S. survey."

"High Risk" of numbers pulled out of some bureaucrat's ass. Why do we even bother with trying to quantify the unknowable?

AppleInsider | Apple sued over iTunes software interface

2005-06-21T10:20:00.000-07:00

This is why software patents are such a bad idea. Copyrights on the expression of an idea -- that makes sense to me. Patents on the idea itself stifles the industry.

Unsocialized Medicine -- A landmark ruling exposes Canada's health-care inequity.

2005-06-16T11:29:00.000-07:00

"Let's hope Hillary Clinton and Ted Kennedy were sitting down when they heard the news of the latest bombshell Supreme Court ruling. From the Supreme Court of Canada, that is. That high court issued an opinion last Thursday saying, in effect, that Canada's vaunted public health-care system produces intolerable inequality."

Gosh, it looks like basic economics can't be wished away by closing your eyes, burying your head in the sand, and chanting, "It should be so, it should be so".

The larger lesson here is that health care isn't immune from the laws of economics. Politicians can't wave a wand and provide equal coverage for all merely by declaring medical care to be a "right," in the word that is currently popular on the American left.

Squirrel Flask, um, Drink Holder, um Thing

2005-06-16T10:34:00.000-07:00

Nothing says class like your very own squirrel flask. Nothing excites the ladies more than seeing you pop the head off of this puppy and drinking from it's dessicated neck. Recommended for Father's Day.

Wired News: Now That's Exertainment!

2005-06-16T10:27:00.000-07:00

So, they're putting video games into schools to improve exercise ratios. Why?

"'The games are engaging because the kids are competing with themselves, or against the game,' said Buster. 'There's an element of competition -- but it's not humiliating. Dance Dance Revolution is very popular -- any time you go to an arcade, it's always monopolized. And the games are age-appropriate.'"

Because we all know that competition is bad.

Seems like running around the schoolyard would a wee bit cheaper.

EUobserver.com

2005-06-16T10:21:00.000-07:00

Why the EU Consitution failed... not because it's bad law, but because:

It was a crucial mistake to send out the entire constitution to every French voter, the architect of the EU's first constitution Valéry Giscard d'Estaing has said in an interview.

And:

"It is not possible for anyone to understand the full text".

So, it's impossible to understand what's written, but that doesn't make it bad law. No, it's clearly the fault of the government for sending it out to those peasants who votes on it. After all, they should really just vote on the Consitution sight unseen.

The ratification process should continue across Europe, the former president advises and predicts: "In the end, it will pass", he added. "There is no better solution".

Here's a suggestion: if you can't understand it, then it's a bad solution. If it's the best solution that you have, then doing nothing is a better course.

But it sounds like those miserable peasants already made that decision for you, didn't they?

DeadBrain - Airline to Shut Down Engines to Save Money

2005-06-16T10:14:00.000-07:00

Very amusing SPOOF! Warning: SATIRE. NOT REAL.

n yet another cost-cutting move, Northwest Airlines said it would shut down one engine on each of its flights within the continental United States.

Northwest, which recently decided to eliminate pretzels and magazines from its planes in another money-saving attempt, said shutting the engines would save the company about $300 million in fuel costs.

"Sure, it's a risk. But it's a risk that Northwest - as well as its passengers - need to be willing to take," said Rick Jackson, Northwest spokesman.

Montana's News Station, Coverage You Can Count On -Tribe files land claim for pricey turf in eastern Long Island

2005-06-16T10:12:00.000-07:00

"CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. Officials of the Shinnecock Indian tribe have filed a multi-(b) billion dollar land claim that targets some of the priciest real estate in the country."

This is something we should absolutely do. $26 of beads is robbery. Instead, we should pay the historical value of the land in the 1600's, but not compensate them for any improvements made since. That's fair.

House Votes to Limit Patriot Act Rules

2005-06-15T16:22:00.000-07:00

"'If there are terrorists in libraries studying how to fly planes, how to put together biological weapons, how to put together chemical weapons, nuclear weapons ... we have to have an avenue through the federal court system so that we can stop the attack before it occurs,' said Rep. Tom Feeney, R-Fla."

I don't know how many libraries that Senator Tommy has been to lately, but he can't have read many books. Or looked at card catalogs. Or tried to sit and read. Tommy Boy doesn't seem to realize that the types of books you need to learn how to put together biological weapons aren't on the shelves of his local Carnegie Library.

Yet Another Senator Without A Clue(tm).

Saying no to the UK police state || kuro5hin.org

2005-06-15T13:07:00.000-07:00

Given Sensenbrenner's idiotic RealID Act that just passed in Congress, I expect that people in the US will be forced into facing the same choices that this chap in the UK is writing about.

"I won't have an ID card. I've decided. My gut reaction to the whole thing is that it's one step closer to a police state type affair when you can be arrested and charged for not having your papers if the police take a dislike to you. I don't like it and I won't have one. I
decided that a long time ago.

It turns out there are many others like me

Will we have the same fortitude? I like the idea of a pledge area for legal funds for those who choose not to play.

A deal made in Washington? | Perspectives | CNET News.com

2005-06-15T11:02:00.000-07:00

I saw this article on CNET and thought it was interesting.

"On May 26, my friend and former colleague, Dan Glickman, of the Motion Picture Association of America, made the case for Congress enacting legislation to ratify the Federal Communication Commission's broadcast flag rule, which the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit struck down in early May."

Although I certainly appreciate the good Congressman's interest in restoring fair-use rights that should never have been stripped away, I also don't think he gets to the point that the broadcast flag is just the tip of the iceberg. Give in on the broadcast flag, and you're starting a long process that will end with nobody being able to create, copy, or use media without a corporate sponsor.

How about we just say "no" on the broadcast flag, and then we get our fair-use rights back anyway? That would be "fair".

Do you honestly think that media companies are going to stop creating content if they don't get the broadcast flag? Don't make me laugh.

Repeal the 22nd Amendment

2005-06-15T09:37:00.000-07:00

I try to maintain an open mind. I really do. However, this latest from Representative Sensenbrenner just stuns me.

The twenty-second article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States is repealed.'.

This is the same man who introduced the RealID legislation. What in God's name are they drinking in his state?

He needs to go.

HoustonChronicle.com - Memo suggests Annan knew more about contract

2005-06-14T11:02:00.000-07:00

"If accurate, the memo could contradict a major finding of the Independent Inquiry Committee — that there wasn't enough evidence to show that Annan knew about efforts by Cotecna, which employed his son, Kojo, to win the contract. Cotecna learned it won the contract on Dec. 11, 1998, days after the meeting."

Is anyone honestly surprised about this news?

Senate laments its inaction on lynching

2005-06-14T10:59:00.000-07:00

So, I'm wondering why Mary Landrieu feels so personally responsible for this that she needs to enter a bill into the legislature to allow her to apologize. Have all of our other problems been solved?

APOD: 2005 June 13 - Tornado and Rainbow Over Kansas

2005-06-14T10:57:00.000-07:00

Awesome picture.

The Sun Online - Sport: Crazy Tyson bit my nipple

2005-06-14T10:56:00.000-07:00

In other news, people still pay money to watch Mike Tyson box.

Geldof condemns sale of Live 8 tickets on eBay - Yahoo! News

2005-06-14T10:54:00.000-07:00

I'm always confused when someone bashes a service that he believes people are misusing... shouldn't we be bashing the people misusing it instead?

Or is eBay just a place with deep pockets, so bashing them is more effective?

Nola.com: NewsFlash - Mother explains fatal pit bull mauling

2005-06-13T09:44:00.000-07:00

What a horrible story... but excuse me, if your dog is acting aggressive, why in God's name would you lock your own child in the basement? Why wouldn't you lock the dog in the basement? Why wouldn't you take your child with you?

Typical Nicky, he wouldn't listen to me

And I can see why he wouldn't consider his mother's judgement to be the best advice to follow.

Welcome to Lelands.com - Lot 246 . South American Shrunken Head

2005-06-13T09:41:00.000-07:00

Well, this gets points for creepiness. Want a shrunken head as part of your decor? Cheap at the price.

STUFF : Library closure 'big mistake'

2005-06-13T09:39:00.000-07:00

So, the previous principal closed the school library in an effort to build a cybercafe. Two years later, the school reverses its decision and opens a new library. Hooray for common sense, and can we make sure the previous principal never has anything to do with schools again?

DenverPost.com - Claims: 911 calls for fire in vain

2005-06-13T09:36:00.000-07:00

So, the residents call 911 four times, get out buckets and fight the fire themselves, then one of them drives to the fire station before getting a response from the fire department.

The response?

Kevin Moffitt, spokesman for the Aurora Fire Department, said only 13 minutes passed from the time dispatchers received the first call to when the fire was extinguished.

Somehow I just don't think that timeline is correct :-)

Microsoft Launches Tabbed Browsing Tool

2005-06-09T12:37:00.000-07:00

Too little. Way too late.

Citigroup data on 3.9 million goes missing | CNET News.com

2005-06-07T16:33:00.000-07:00

"Norman Black, a spokesman for Atlanta-based UPS, said 'we sincerely regret that in this case we have not been able to find this package. We did conduct an exhaustive search.'"

Well, gosh, did you really? You lose the personal data for 3.9M customers, you have no idea where it is, and this is the best statement you can make?

How about, "We are horror-struck with the failure of our processes, are launching an immediate corporate wide investigation, and will track down what happened to that data immediately. Until that time, we will keep the public updated as to our progress."

I don't think that UPS gets the seriousness of mislaying customer data. And until they DO get it, they aren't to be trusted with anything.

Do you think this would be the same level of response they would make if they had mislaid their own internal financial data?

I don't think so.

James S. Robbins on Downing Street Memo on National Review Online

2005-06-07T09:52:00.000-07:00

"“President Bush has already made up his mind. This is going to happen. It is a given … What we are waiting for is to be told the details of how and when and where.”"

An interesting analysis on the current ruckus being raised by the Democrats over the Downing Street memo. John-boy Kerry has now jumped on the impeachment bandwagon and is vowing to "raise the issue in the House".

Of course, I've already dealt with the short-sightedness of their thinking in my piece on impeaching President Bush. But hey, when you don't have a viable platform, well... desperate times call for stupid measures.

OhGizmo! � CityKitty, Potty Training for Your Cat That Works

2005-06-07T09:29:00.000-07:00

I don't have a cat. But damn, I might just get one to try this out!

Music thing: Peter Jackson's $100,000 robot band

2005-06-07T09:28:00.000-07:00

Well, now that's way-cool. Watch the video -- pretty funny stuff. Pity it doesn't work all that well.

BELLACIAO - ALL THE NEWS THAT’S FIT TO BE TIED - Collective Bellaciao

2005-06-07T09:07:00.000-07:00

Sigh, why don't I ever get on these flights?

HIGH FLYER On Western Airlines Flight 322, yesterday, a shapely blonde in 2nd class section suddenly stripped nude and paraded down the aisle. When she got to the 1st class section she grabbed several courtesy bottles of Scotch and then sat in row 10, singing and laughing. She told the crowd of enthusiastically clapping passengers that she had just heard on the radio that she had won a million dollars in the state lottery. A stewardess tried to cover her, but the woman evaded her and raced up and down the aisles for 10 minutes with passengers cheering. Said the stewardess: "She wasn’t really a blond."

Citigroup division tells 3.9M customers personal info lost - Jun. 6, 2005

2005-06-06T22:46:00.000-07:00

"NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Citigroup said Monday that personal information
on 3.9 million consumer lending customers of its CitiFinancial
subsidiary was lost by UPS while in transit to a credit bureau -- the
biggest breach of customer or employee data reported so far."

Sigh. And yet RealID passes without even a hint of opposition. I can't even imagine the level of mayhem that happens when a RealID database is compromised.

REVOLUTIONARY UNDERWATER BREATHING SYSTEM

2005-06-06T15:30:00.000-07:00

Oooh, oooh! Another science-fiction technology staple becoming reality!

"An Israeli Inventor has developed a breathing apparatus that will allow breathing underwater without the assistance of oxygen tanks. This new invention will use the relatively small amounts of air that already exist in water to supply oxygen to both scuba divers and submarines. The invention has already captured the interest of most major diving manufacturers as well as the Israeli Navy."

Now wherinhell are my flying cars!?

Politics - Schwarzenegger donors rewarded with access - sacbee.com

2005-06-06T13:12:00.000-07:00

If there's anything in the world more calculated to piss voters off, it's to make the allegation that you're providing special access to a government official in exchange for political donations.

Schwarzenegger fundraiser Marty Wilson said the conference calls allow the campaign to interact with contributors without 'going through the filter of any kind of third-party intermediary, whether that be the news media or somebody on their staff.' They can get their information directly from a senior official on the campaign, he said."

This may be just as benign as Marty says... but it's stupid as hell all the same. Gov. Schwarzenegger needs to knock this shit off ASAP.

BBC NEWS | UK | 'Pay-as-you-go' road charge plan

2005-06-06T09:45:00.000-07:00

So, do you think mad-cow disease is endemic in Britain? Or has it just moved to the human populace?

Gosh, let's put in black boxes to track cars by satellite so that we can tax them per mile driven. That's ever so much better than just having the wankers drive their cars in and having their mileage recorded once per year.

Idiots.

Honda FCX: What a Gas! A Week in Suburbia With a Hydrogen Honda - New York Times

2005-06-06T09:43:00.000-07:00

Very interesting article about a functional hydrogen fuel-cell car. The Honda FCX appears to be the first "ready for prime time" hydrogen car so far made. I was especially impressed with the 190 mile range based on 4 kg of hydrogen in the tank.. that works out to be about $0.16 per mile ($3/kg hydrogen)... not bad at all, especially when you consider that the average gasoline powered car costs $0.17 per mile for fuel (25mpg, $2.25/gal).

Of course, this car is a prototype, and the real costs of hydrogen cars are not the car technology, but the production, delivery, and distribution of cheap hydrogen via stations nationwide. That isn't going to be cheap.

But it's starting. I can't wait to be independent of OPEC.

The Bat Bombers--October 1990

2005-06-03T11:09:00.000-07:00

Wow. Now this is thinking out of the box.

I don't know whether to be impressed at their creativity, amazed at their persistence, or disappointed that we didn't get to see fleets of B-51's dropping hordes of incendiary bats over Tokyo. The mind reels with the possibilities.

HP Adds iPod Mini Just in Time for Summer; Expanded Online Library of HP Printable Tattoos Extends Personalization to Wider Audience

2005-06-03T09:21:00.000-07:00

So I'm really struggling with the entire point of HP selling the iPod Mini with the exact same features, at the exact same price. Seems pretty silly.