Happy New Year!

NYE 2006 104
Originally uploaded by quannum.

We here at Mod-Blog wish everyone a happy, peaceful, and joyous 2006... even if I am posting a bit before the fact on the East Coast.

This is amazing!

If you were wondering if we'd see any more epic light saber fights now that Lucas has (allegedly) finished his trilogy, wonder no more!


UPdated! Here is a link to a quicktime version, in case you want to download it to watch later.

On the way down!

On the way down!
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

WhiteHouse.gov is spying on you...as is Amazon and Google

This has got to be one of the stupidest things I've heard surrounding all the spying allegations that have been flying around the Bush administration. The whitehouse.gov site uses a small image - 1 pixel by 1 pixel which tracks who comes and goes from the site. That little image is attached to a cookie that monitors if you come back. Dozens of websites use this technology and most of us are more than happy that it exists - it's what creates those nifty recommendation lists on Amazon. Apparently this type of tracking is forbidden in some government rules and so it is being fixed. My whole issue with this - other than that the government rule is dumb - is that if it weren't for the MSM having their underpants all in a bunch about spying intended to keep America safe, then this story would have never ever been written. Heck, the cookie/image would have probably never been discovered and nobody would care.

Windows Security Flaw is WORSE than Originally Expected

A couple of days back, I posted a notice about a critical new (new as in "newly discovered", it has been around for years, apparently) where browsing WMF files with Internet Explorer could allow a malicious website to upload spyware, virii, etc. to your PC. Well, now it has been discovered that this same flaw allows your computer to be attacked if you merely preview an e-mail with this flaw in older versions of Outlook.

Unlike with previously revealed vulnerabilities, computers can be infected simply by visiting one of the Web sites or viewing an infected image in an e-mail through the preview pane in older versions of Microsoft Outlook, even if users did not click on anything or open any files. Operating system versions ranging from the current Windows XP to Windows 98 are affected...At first, the vulnerability was exploited by just a few dozen Web sites. Programming code embedded in these pages would install a program that warned victims their machines were infested with spyware, then prompted them to pay $40 to remove the supposed pests.
Since then, however, hundreds of sites have begun using the flaw to install a broad range of malicious software. SANS has received several reports of attackers blasting out spam e-mails containing links that lead to malicious sites exploiting the new flaw, Ullrich said.

I hate to say it, but at the moment if you are a Windows user you are safest surfing the Web via Firefox, on your cell phone, or by borrowing time on your neighbor's Mac or Linux machine. Microsoft does not yet have an ETA on a patch to correct this issue.

iPod Alert!

There is new data to suggest the earbuds that ship with iPods, and which are pretty much ubiquitous amount iPod users, may be more damaging to your ears than the old "outside the ear" kind popularized with the Sony Walkman.

The earbuds commonly used by iPod listeners are placed directly into the ear and can boost the audio signal by as many as nine decibels -- comparable to the difference in sound intensity between an alarm clock and a lawn mower, Garstecki said. Yet, the earbuds do not always fit snugly in the ear, but often allow background noise to seep in, which causes listeners to crank up the volume...Eliminating iPod earbuds in favor of larger earmuff-style headphones as one of those protective measures may be an unattractive option for many style-conscious music lovers. Instead, Garstecki recommends adherence to the 60 percent/30 minute rule. Listeners should set their iPods and other MP3 players to sound levels that are no more than 60 percent of the maximum volume -- i.e. just over halfway between "off" and "maximum" volume -- and use their earbuds for no more than 30 minutes a day.

Personally, I usually leave the earbuds in their original packaging for my iPods (yes, I admit I am on my fifth one) as I find them uncomfortable to wear. I prefer the old kind and especially the new kind without the headband (I have a MONSTROUS melon) but that strap over your ears. Still, it is a reminder that Generation X may wind up being the first one asking their grandparents to speak up, instead of the other way around.

New Critical Windows Vulnerability

There is a new Windows vulnerability that was discovered, which only requires a vulnerable machine to browse to a site with a certain kind of image file. This affects ALL VERSIONS OF WINDOWS INTERNET EXPLORER. It is recommended that Windows users browse using FireFox (a current version, older versions of Firefox are also vulnerable) or another non-vulnerable browser until a patch is released.

Insert obligatory "glad I own a Mac" comment here.

EZ DVD Zipping to vPod

I did indeed get an iPod Video (vPod) for christmas. Now I need to find a way to fill it with videos for the trip to QuizWedge's wedding, without buying up everything on the iTunes Music Store. HandBrake works wonderfully, but every time I have to go back online and look up what settings to use. Well, now a new version of Handbrake is out which automatically rips DVDs to vPod format. Welcome to the fray, Handbrake Lite!

The Elusive Art of the Nap

I don't know about the rest of you, but I have a HARD TIME getting the right nap. Either I only get to sleep about an hour in and wind up with so little sleep as to make the nap useless, or I wind up sleeping several hours and wake up with a sleep headache and am unable to get to sleep later that night. There is no end to the problems I have with this simple process

This article claims to have the answers, which is to precisely time your nap to meet your current needs. Allegedly, it simply brings together tricks that some of the most productive humans have been using for centuries.

That Girl is Stacked...Well actually She Stacks.

Want to see something cool? Check out University of Minnesota Freshmen Emily Fox. She is a Point Guard on the college basketball team and is also the World Record Holder in cup stacking. Check out her winning performance here. It is pretty cool.

Reminder of the WHY of the Iraq War

These days in the confusion surrounding the emerging reborn nation of Iraq, it is easy to forget what Iraqis have been able to leave behind. Today a new mass grave was found in Iraq right near a holy shrine. Apparently, it was full of Sadaam's political adversaries from a 1991 uprising.

Mac IE is dead... Long live Open Source IE?

Microsoft has finally admitted what we all have known for years: Internet Explorer for Mac is a dead product as of 2006. Personally, other than checking compatibility for sites I design, I have not used IE in a LONG TIME. But I know there are some who swear by it (when they are not swearing AT IT). Well, the BBC is on their side and suggests the right course of action is to Open Source IE so that its fans can keep it up to date.

I simply don't see it happening... though it might be the one way to make it standards-compliant and actually somewhat secure.

Serenity on Top at Amazon.Com

While it did not rule the theaters for long, it appears that SERENITY may have a lot more staying power on DVD. As of now, the movie Serenity is at the #1 spot of Amazon's most popular DVDs... and has been so since its release. Even more interesting is that the FIREFLY series DVD set is at #3, after being out for almost a year. This means even more new fans are finding the series.

Maybe these results will change the mind of Joss Whedon who recently declared the Firefly universe dead. Sci Fi channel would be wise to fund a miniseries or two, as it would be sure to draw more folks to their network... who might stay to watch the Stargate shows.

Going back down?

Going back down?
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

$100 Laptop Photo Gallery

I know I am not the only one who has been fascinated by MIT's $100 laptop program. This site has a nice gallery of photos surrounding the program, and its various designs. It will be interesting to see how this design changes the marketplace... if at all.

KimBensen.Com - Low Fat Cooking!

I know that I am not the only member or reader of Mod-Blog who has to battle the tendency to... shall we say... have a lot more of me to love than is strictly healthy. Well, a close friend of the family has lost over 200 pounds over the last few years on a Weight-Watchers diet. Click thru on this link to see an animation showing just how much she has changed. Well, she now has a cookbook for sale with some of the recipes she developed for her own use. Kim is a real success story and a woman of God, so her site and her stuff is worth your time!

Maybe THIS is why I've been having problems sleeping of late

Santa Lost a Little Weight!

Xmas
Originally uploaded by Nad.

A very MERRY CHRISTMAS to the staff and readers of Mod-Blog, from the Nomad.

XBox 360 outsold by Gamecube in Japan

In America, there is so much demand for the XBox 360 that they are forcing you to buy the $399 device in $1500 bundles. But in Japan, the Xbox 360 is selling fewer units than the venerable (i.e. old) Gamecube. This is the equivalent of people buying the old Atari 2600 over an NES.

Hyrbid Savings

Want to save some money on your taxes this year? The IRS is going to give Tax Credits (better than tax deductions) to people who buy hybrid cars in 2006. Some cars will earn a credit of up to $2500. Others will get a credit of just $250. Either way, this is good news for people who want to save money on gas and on their taxes. (Hey, Isn't that everyone?)

Happy Day-Before-Christmas to All of our Mod-Blog Readers

The End to the Period (Not Punctuation, The Other Kind)

Being the proud (most of the time) owner of a Y chromosome - and not being married or in a significant relationship with someone missing the Y chromosome - I will not comment on this story. But I am interested to hear from Shadowmom and Muse on this.

In 2006, a new oral contraceptive called Anya, developed to "put women in control of when or if they want to menstruate," is expected to hit the Canadian and U.S. markets. Manufactured by Collegeville, Penn.-based Wyeth Pharmaceuticals -- and currently pending approval by Health Canada -- Anya is the first low-dose birth control pill designed to be taken 365 days a year, without placebos (the hormone-free sugar pills taken at the end of every 28-day cycle). Early findings report that Anya is just as effective in preventing pregnancy as traditional oral contraceptives (98 per cent). And as an added bonus, since Anya provides a steady stream of hormones, it promises to quash a woman's usual cyclical fluctuations, virtually wiping out all the irksome symptoms of PMS.

I am skeptical of the medical claims here, before it has been tested by the FDA and we hear from some real users. But the idea is interesting, to say the least.

NYC Transit Strike Ends... Maybe One Day Too Early?

Apparently, the NYC Transit Strike has ended and busses and subways are moving again the Big Apple. You have to wonder, though, whether office workers would not have preferred to have another day with no way into the city. After all, it made for a GREAT excuse to skip out on work, or telecommute from home.

Then again, I am sure the merchants are happy that mass transit is working on the last two days before Christmas - when they make the majority of their money for the year!

Game On

I wonder if this is how Nomad thinks I am.

This is a cute picture from the Digital Rebel forum

Sony DRM Debacle Continues: It Installed Even When You Said "NO"

Proving yet again that Sony needs to fire whoever is in charge of their music division, News.Com is reporting that not only would inserting certain CDs into a windows computer install a rootkit (i.e. something to let people check and change the files on your computer across the internet) and spyware (i.e. something to allow Sony to see everything you do on your computer) BUT THEY DID SO EVEN IF YOU DID NOT AGREE TO THEIR LICENSING AGREEMENT. In other words, even if you said NO and agreed not to play the music, they installed their software on your PC. The Texas Attorney General discovered this while investigating Sony for an upcoming lawsuit, as these practices violate Texas anti-spyware laws.

If Sony does not get this under control soon, this kind of negative publicity may steal the thunder of the Playstation 3 launch in the Spring. If so, the Sony stock I bought a few months back may be my biggest loss in the market to date!

Put... The Pengiun... Down

This is a sad story out of England, where a baby penguin has been stolen from a zoo. If it is not returned promptly, it is likely to die.

Toga, a three-month-old Jackass penguin, was snatched on Saturday night from the Amazon World zoo on the Isle of Wight, off the south coast of England.
Zoo managers think he might have been stolen as a Christmas present by thieves inspired by the hit documentary film "March of the Penguins".
But they warned that unless the brown and white colored Toga was swiftly returned, he would die.

You know, you have to wonder if there were still dinosaurs around, if some idiot would have tried getting a T. Rex for a pet after Jurrasic Park came out. Sigh.

Munich Controversy in Full Swing

As many of you probably know, Steven Spielberg has a new movie coming out called Munich. It deals with the 1972 terrorist shootings of Israeli athletes at the Olympics. Depending on who you ask the film is either pro-terrorist, anti-Israel, or a statement of moral equivacacy (sp?). This article gives a good outline of the arguments surrounding the film. I will probably see it, because it seems to at least want to make a profound statement, though from what I've heard and read it doesn't actually end up saying anything profound that you wouldn't hear in your average Hollywood acceptance speech.

Euthanasia in New Orleans?

I keep asking the question, "Can the news out of Katrina possibly get any worse?" Someone needs to tell me to STOP asking that question, because the answer is always yes.

More than one medical professional is under scrutiny as a possible person of interest as Louisiana's attorney general investigates whether hospital workers resorted to euthanasia in the chaotic days after Hurricane Katrina shattered New Orleans, a source familiar with the investigation has told CNN...Dr. Bryant King, a contract physician for Memorial who was working there when conditions were at their worst, told CNN exclusively that another doctor came to him at 9 a.m. on Thursday, and recounted a conversation that they had had with a hospital administrator. According to King, the doctor said that the administrator suggested patients be put "out of their misery." When King objected, this physician acknowledged his concerns but said that "this other [third] doctor said she'd be willing to do it."

I have been highly skeptical of those who have been eager to call Katrina a case of Divine Judgement. (1) Disaters happen all over the world and "rain falls on the just and the unjust." (2) Depending on who you talked to, the judgement was for (a) New Orlean's "sinful" lifestyle, (b) the War in Iraq, (c) allowing Terri Shiavo to die, (d) abortion, (e) Invading Afghanistan, (f) other random reason. But the depths to which things appear to have sunk in the region - spiritually as well as physically - is starting to make me wonder.

Someone is sick of all the iPod commercials

Sigh. Military Prayers

If you were worried about people taking CHRIST out of CHRISTmas, maybe you should be more worried about the military taking Jesus out of prayers. No, seriously.

Official military policy allows any sort of prayer, but Lt. Klingenschmitt says that in reality, evangelical Protestant prayers are censored. He cites his training at the Navy Chaplains School in Newport, R.I., where "they have clipboards and evaluators who evaluate your prayers, and they praise you if you pray just to God," he said. "But if you pray in Jesus' name, they counsel you."

Is there anyone left out there in leadership with a sense of proportion and logic? Or were they all fired by the people who feel the solution to complaints about the letter X looking like a cross is to remove all Xylophones from military bands?

Last-Minute Christmas Ideas

Okay, it not quite last minute but it is almost too late to shop online for gifts. (And I do not know about you, but I am not nearly brave enough to battle with shoppers at the Malls, Target, or Wal-Mart on Christmas Eve. I value my life and the ability to walk far too much.) So here are some suggestions in case you are still sans present for that someone special.

• ProFlowers.Com: This is a great site if you still need to buy for a female. They pick and ship flowers directly from the growers, so they always arrive fresh (in my experience) and the prices are not too bad for flowers. They also have candy baskets and the like, if your special someone is allergic to the green things.
• Staples.Com: If you order from most tech websites now, they will be shipping their inventory from California or Texas. Good luck at getting stuff before Sunday. But Staples ships from your local store! So, chances are if you order now, it will go out tomorrow and be on your doorstep the day after.
• Ticketmaster: Most tickets you will buy now, will be for a show a few weeks or months out. So, order the tickets now and give her a card announcing the wonderful place you are taking her. The tickets will arrive before the show.
• Restaurant.Com: Gift certificates for local restaurants that you can buy online, print out on your home printer, and give right away. No muss, no fuss. (Unless the printer cart leaks, of course.)

Hopefully, this will be helpful to someone. Of course, there are also Amazon.Com gift certificates and the like, but that seems much less imaginative than these.

Another Reminder that a Blog is a Bulletin Board, NOT a Diary

This article reports about a teenager who has been convicted of DUI manslaughter on the basis of a post he made to his blog. The teen was in a car accident which lead to the death of one of his friends. Days later, he confessed to being the cause of the crash on the blog. He retracted and recanted days later - even deleted the post, forgetting about the Wayback Machine and Google Cache which save copies of web pages - but it was not enough to save him from jail time.

Let me be clear. This is not a story lamenting the fact that a criminal was convicted by his own words. It appears that this person received just punishment for what he did.

This posting is to remind people that no matter how private we think our blog, or shoutbox, or bulletin board may be on the Web, it is a public place. Writing a heartfelt posting on a blog is NOT like writing it in your diary, where only you can see it. Nor is it even like writing something on the bathroom wall, where your anonymity is assured. It is like spray-painting it on the side of your house - anyone who wants to can see it and anyone who wants to take the time can find out who wrote it.

My father was a lawyer, and I am sure he'd be quite concerned about the personal and potentially incriminating things people post on their blogs every day.

Serenity out on DVD, Whedon Says "No Mas."

The movie Serenity is out on DVD today! It was a great film for the theater and I am sure it will be good to have in my collection, alongside the collection of the episodes from the short-lived series "Firefly" on which it is based.

Unfortunately, it is being reported that Joss Whedon - writer and director of the series and the movie - has announced that he is done. He has no more plans to make sequels, prequels, or series involving the Serenity crew.

Too bad. It is a great series and a great film. Maybe the numbers from the DVD sales will change his mind.

New Study Proves Role Models *DO* Matter

There is a new study out showing that teen smoking and drug-taking is down. However, teens taking prescription drugs like OcyContin are up.

"I'm pleased to see the decreased drug use noted in this survey; however, the upward trend in prescription drug abuse is disturbing," said Dr. Elias Zerhouni, director of the National Institutes of Health. "We need to ensure that young people understand the very real risks of abusing any drug."
In the study, 9.5 percent of 12th-graders reported using the painkiller Vicodin and 5.5 percent reported using OxyContin in the past year. Long-term trends show a significant increase in the abuse of OxyContin from 2002 to 2005 among 12th-graders.
Also of concern is the significant increase in the use of sedatives and barbiturates among 12th-graders since 2001.
Overall, however, the report had good news, particularly about cigarette smoking.

What does this prove? Well, that role models do matter. Under President Clinton - with a past involving admitted drug use and sex - sex and drugs among teens increased, or at least remained steady. Under President Bush - who admits no drug use and disdains drinking - these actions fall. But with Rush Limbaugh and other high-profile celebrities admitting use of prescription drugs, that kind of abuse is up.

It may be unfair, but public figures have to face the fact that kids will emulate what they see them doing. Act well, and teenagers will follow. Act badly, and the teens will follow after that.

A Picture Is Worth 2.25 a Gallon

A Picture Is Worth 2.25 a Gallon
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

Joe Lieberman targeted by angry Dems

I knew it was not a good sign when one of our more conservative readers sent us a copy of a letter he had sent to Senator Joe Lieberman, thanking him for his recent stand in supporting the War in Iraq. Well, now it appears that some Democrats are targeting him for replacement, in retaliation.

Meanwhile, a letter with 55,000 signatures — mostly from out of state — was delivered to Lieberman's district office in Hartford last Tuesday urging the senator to stop "trying to stifle debate" on war policy and join "the majority of Americans in questioning President Bush's foreign policy."
The group circulating the letter, Democracy for America, is led by Jim Dean, a Connecticut resident and brother of Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean.
On top of that, Democrats attending the regular State Central Committee meeting last Wednesday criticized Lieberman and called for support for a primary challenge against him at the party's convention in May.
"I speak to Democratic state senators all the time. They always said, 'Joe is a rat, but he's our rat.' Now they are saying, 'Joe's a rat and we can't afford to have him at the top of our ticket,'" said Democrat Keith Crane of Branford, Conn. "I think Joe is going to get a rude awakening in May."

And who do they have so far to challenge Joe? Why none other than Lowell Weiker - the former governor of Connecticut who LEFT THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY to get elected, and then went back on what was pretty much his ONLY campaign promise and imposed an Income Tax.

I think Joe Lieberman is one of those rare politicians who actually *IS* a centrist. Except for his ill-fated run as VP to Al Gore, he has always stuck by his guns and called things as he has seen them. I don't always agree with him, but I respect him. How many politicians can you reliably say that about?

Rudolph heard Bowhunter was coming for a visit

Disturbing But Amusing

Somehow I suspect Tim Burton is on the phone right now trying to buy the rights to make a movie out of this strip.

Sorry DIEBOLD, eVoting Can Be Hacked

This story on a controlled (and unfortunately for DIEBOLD, videotaped) test of their election software shows how easily the electronic voting system can be hacked. The scary part is that this kind of hack would likely never be caught, because the totals would still balance - no ballot box stuffing here.

At the beginning of the test election the memory card programmed by Harri Hursti was inserted into an Optical Scan Diebold voting machine. A "zero report" was run indicating zero votes on the memory card. In fact, however, Hursti had pre-loaded the memory card with plus and minus votes.

The eight ballots were run through the optical scan machine. The standard Diebold-supplied "ender card" was run through as is normal procedure ending the election. A results tape was run from the voting machine.

Correct results should have been: Yes:2 ; No:6

However, just as Hursti had planned, the results tape read: Yes:7 ; No:1

The results were then uploaded from the optical scan voting machine into the GEMS central tabulator, a step cited by Diebold as a protection against memory card hacking. The central tabulator is the "mother ship" that pulls in all votes from voting machines. However, the GEMS central tabulator failed to notice that the voting machines had been hacked.
The results in the central tabulator read:

Yes:7 ; No:1

DIEBOLD also makes ATM machines, which work well because a limited amount of failure is tolerable. People watch their money VERY carefully and there are many laws and audits in place, so that small problems are caught and corrected quickly. Voting - especially the secret ballot - is much harder to police. I am betting DIEBOLD spins off or closes its eVoting division soon, since there is no way to come back from this in a P.R. manner.

Microsoft Officially Ends Support for Internet Explorer for Mac

Well, Microsoft has not touched IE for Mac since Apple came out with Safari. But now they have made it official. They are abandoning Internet Explorer for Mac on January 31, 2006.

In June 2003, the Microsoft Macintosh Business Unit announced that Internet Explorer for Mac would undergo no further development, and support would cease in 2005. In accordance with published support lifecycle policies, Microsoft will end support for Internet Explorer for Mac on December 31st, 2005, and will provide no further security or performance updates.
Additionally, as of January 31st, 2006, Internet Explorer for the Mac will no longer be available for download from Mactopia. It is recommended that Macintosh users migrate to more recent web browsing technologies such as Apple's Safari.

Perhaps Office for Mac is next. But between iWork and OpenOffice, I am not sure Apple will miss it all too much.

Is it wrong that this made me laugh out loud?

Futurama to return to TV?

So says Matt Groening in a recent interview.

Such a trail was blazed in 2004 by another animated series, Family Guy. Fuelled by DVD sales and high-rating reruns, it spawned a direct-to-DVD film and two seasons of television episodes.
The move caught the television industry by surprise, and left several lost properties, including Futurama, ripe with possibility.
"Three months ago, I would have said we were going to start tomorrow," says writer David X. Cohen, who collaborated with Groening on Futurama. "And one month ago I would also have said we were going to start tomorrow. So ..." He pauses. "My current estimate is that we're starting tomorrow."

It appears that our friends Bender and Fry may be be returning to the airwaves after all. Whether it would be on FOX or the Cartoon network, I have not idea. But personally, I do not much care. It would just be nice to see some new eps. (If you have missed Futurama in the past, you can pick up the series on DVD here.)

Ninentdo Micro Commercial Never Shown in USA

Oh, my!!! Uh, those with weak constitutions may wish to skip this particular one. But it was too funny NOT to post.

I guess today my serious side is still in bed

Chewie joins the Christmas Choir

Last Saturday I enjoyed the Christmas Cantata at our church. Yesterday, I enjoyed the youth concert choir singing old-time carols at the Farmington Mall. Today, you can enjoy a one-man wookie choir in action. Seriously.

Warning: Sound file. Do not listen to at work without headphones!

Childhood Busyness = Childhood Obesity?

It has been a hot topic of late to talk about the "epidemic of childhood obesity", and school systems have been trying all kinds of things to fight this trend. Special school lunches, expanded P.E. classes, removal of soda machines, etc. are all things that are being tried... with little success it seems. Obesity continues to be a problem.

The article of last week on "intuitive dieting" (which I still think is impractical) however got me thinking. Shadowmom reminded us that it takes the body 30 minutes to know it is full. (Though I have been unable to confirm this with any sources online - I have heard it from multiple people, so it is at least common wisdom if not "true.") Thus, anyone who typically wolfs down a meal in less than 30 minutes, probably is eating more than their body needs. I know that one of the behavior modification tips given to obese people *IS* to slow down their eating.

Then I thought about the teens I help to coach at our church's bible quiz team. Teens were busy in my day, but it seems every year the average teen becomes busier and busier. When I was in high school, I did marching band (three practices a week, plus one "show" a week from August to December) and Bible Quizzing (one practice a week, plus one competition a month) and Youth Group (one bible study a week and one activity most weeks) and was considered VERY busy. Now, a kid may be in all those things, plus be taking dancing lessons, plus be in an SAT prep course, plus be in the school play, plus be in student government, and still not be the busiest kid in school. I know one kid who holds down 2 paid jobs, works in the sound booth at church 3 or 4 nights a week (plus Sundays for services), does volunteer computer repair, is in quiz team, and still manages to get decent grades in school. There are some weeks this kid tells me he gets less than 4 hours of sleep a night on average. I know another kid whose parents do not allow quite so much - who gets sleep - but who is worried they won't have enough extra-curricular activities to get into the college of their choice.

Combine these first two thoughts with the fact that more and more mandates from the Federal and State levels are forcing schools to put more "stuff" into the school day (mostly other than reading, 'riting, and 'rithmetic). Thus school lunch periods are often shortened to fit in more classes in the day. One year I was in school, I had a 20 minute lunch every day. Take out 5 minutes of that being in line to buy a lunch, and I had less than 15 minutes to eat.

I think you see where I am going with this. If it takes 30 minutes to know you are full, and we rarely give our kids time to BREATHE much less eat, how can they possibly know to eat reasonably? Breakfast is grabbed in the 5 minutes between waking up and running to the bus. Lunch is stuffed into a tiny period between classes. And dinner is grabbed while running out the door to some extra-curricular activity. Thus, kids never learn what being "full" is like, or how to listen to their body. Is it any shock that they are overweight now, and have problems reducing their weight later in life?

What do you think? Am I onto something?

Iraqi Elections In Progress

E-Day is here.

The polls are scheduled to close at 5 p.m. (9 a.m. ET).
As many as 10 million people were expected to vote, despite the possibility of violence.
Iraqi and U.S. officials are hoping that the Sunni Arab turnout will be high, a factor they believe could help deflate the largely Sunni Arab insurgency. Voting for security forces, prison detainees, and hospital patients, and Iraqi expatriates started Tuesday in 15 countries.
Final results probably won't be available until the end of December at the earliest.

History is watching. May this be the first day of a new (peaceful) life for Iraq.

Gas Going Up, Too Cold for Pictures

It was only 4 degrees F today, so I kept my hands in my gloves rather than taking a picture when I got gas at BJ's this morning. But the price was 2.259 per gallon. That is 4 cents more than the last fill-up. I guess either (1) heating oil is reducing supply for gasoline or (2) the gas companies figure they can get away with it, now that Congress is out of session.

GameStop stoops to BestBuy-style tactics on XBox 360

It seems that the debacle of the XBox 360 rollout is not so much Microsoft (as much as I dislike the company) but rather its resellers. Now GameStop is causing pain to consumers by routing new XBox 360s to high-profit bundles that you can buy on their website NOW, rather than existing pre-orders placed as long ago as July 2005. While this all may be legal, it is leaving an extremely bad taste in the mouth of buyers. If Sony can avoid these kinds of problems with the PlayStation 3 rollout next year, they may wind up beating Microsoft because of reasons that have nothing to do with technical superiority or product availability.

Mork fights in Battlefront II Online!

According to this blog posting, it appears CRChair and I are not the only ones addicted to the new Star Wars Battlefront II game. Robin Williams apparently plays in the online version as a sniper.

Iraqi Elections Tomorrow, Start Praying Now

The time that the whole world is waiting for is finally here. Tomorrow, Iraqis begin voting for their own government, and elect a truly representative government in the Middle East. For the first time since Sadaam Hussein came to power, there will be a legitamate government in place which has to respect its own people.

As many as 10 million people are expected to go to the polls, despite the possibility of violence. They will choose a Council of Representatives, a 275-member body that will shape the legacy and policies of a post-Saddam Hussein Iraq.
This government should differ from the transitional government elected in January by a straight national total.
This time, smaller entities have a better chance because the elections will be allocated among Iraq's 18 provinces, much like the U.S. House of Representatives is divided, with the most populous states having the largest contingents.

Whether you are a fan of the War in Iraq, or a major critic of the Bush Administration's moves there, now is the time to start praying for these elections. Either way, these elections are key to America being able to leave the nation, confident that Iraqis can ensure their own security. Everyone is eager to bring our soldiers home. Let's be praying that we can do so while leaving behind a safe, secure, democratic Iraq that respects its people and allows freedom within its borders.

Star Trek's Hypospray is Here

Popular Science has the story of a new vaccine gun that does away with needles altogether, and is completely painless. "Welcome to the world of tomorrow!" (Bonus points to the first person to identify the origin of that line, who is NOT CRChair.)

Death by caffeine

Being that I am a web developer and a youth pastor, there are days when I am living off of caffeine and adrenaline. This site is of use for those of us that all too often rely on caffeine to keep us awake and working. For instance it's good to know that 145.03 cans of Red Bull will kill me - so I should definitely limit myself to 144 cans. Check it out, it's lots of fun.

Soldiers Shipped As Cargo

This is just wrong. Not only have families lost their loved ones in war, they have to pick up their loved ones' bodies as freight.

DEAL ALERT: Sidekick II for Free on Amazon.Com (After Rebates)

Most of you know that CRChair and I are big fans of the T-Mobile Sidekick series of phones, and especially the Sidekick II. It gives you the functionality of a phone, a PDA, a poor camera, and an internet device in a single package. And you'll be amazed at the looks you'll get when you snap a picture of something, flip open the phone to e-mail it to your website, and then view the whole thing in your blog on the Web Browser (yes I have done this with those gas price photos I post from time to time).

Well, Amazon.Com now has a great deal going where you can get a Sidekick II essentially for free! If you purchase the phone and a $39.99 plan, they will give you back $200 in rebates. Since the phone only costs $199, that means they are paying you a dollar to do this.

Maybe the perfect Christmas present for a special someone?

Weird Mood, Weird Thought, Weird Question

Assuming that you believe in the Creation story in Genesis, and the Curse that God placed on Man and Woman for their sin, including...

" 16 To the woman he said,
"I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing;
with pain you will give birth to children.
Your desire will be for your husband,
and he will rule over you.""
Genesis 3:16

What if it turned out that prior to the Fall, God had placed a gland in the woman to naturally anesthetize the body during childbirth to reduce or eliminate pain altogether? If we found this gland and a way to stimulate it, would we in any way be committing a sinful act to do so? Essentially, to turn back the effects of the Curse?

I know, I know. Weird thought and question. I have been in a weird mood the last few days and this has been on my mind. I suppose the easy answer is "Of course not, any more than giving her morphine is sinful... or any more than using a tool to reduce the sweat and toil that is part of Man's Curse is sinful." Just interested in everyone's thoughts.

Mmmmm... Free SimCity Classic...

Maxis, in an attempt to promote its newest Sim and SimCity 3000 Unlimited games, has made the original SimCity available to play online for free! The only cost is that you have to register with them, which might generate some Spam. But it is well worth the cost to enjoy a little online SimCity sweetness.

This is just wrong, but it makes me smile

XBox 360 on December 18 - Your chances to catch one at BestBuy

Check out this site to find your store number (the one in Milford/Orange, CT is #300)

Then check out this site to find out how many they'll have on the floor.

Personally, I am just waiting for the PS3. But CRChair is hoping to pick up one of these units.

Narnia leads the box office

CNN is reporting (somewhat hyperbolicly) that Narnia has knocked Harry Potter from the top of the box-office this past weekend with a $67+ million dollar opening. Of course, with Peter Jackson's KING KONG remake due out next week, Narnia is unlikley to remain at the top spot. Then again, with Kong targetted at roughly the same audience as Narnia, there may be a lot of benefit from overflow audiences. (Overflow audience is when a family goes to a theater to see Movie A - i.e. Titanic - and wind up seeing Movie B instead - i.e. As Good As It Gets - because Movie A is sold out.)

This also gives me a chance to put some of my thoughts about Narnia up here on Mod-Blog. Sean saw it first and did a good job of covering it, I thought, so I'll just add my own spin. First, I liked it a lot and thought it was a great film. Not in the same league with Lord of the Rings, but then LOTR is one of the great works of English literature of the 20th century and the Narnia books are children's books with far less depth or complexity. Second, I thought it did a great job of balancing the Christian allegory with the straight story from the book. If you go in looking for Christ, you'll find Him. If you go in looking for a fun story, that'll be there and you need not be distracted by the Christian undertones. It does a great job at maintaining the "smuggled theology" of Lewis, without ever hitting us over the head with it.

But the adaptation was not perfect. The worst scene HAS to be the Father Christmas section. A lot of folks are decrying this scene as an unnecesary invention, but in the book it fit well and was a lot of fun. In the movie, the problem is the actor they chose to play Father Christmas. He simply sucked all of the air out of the room when he showed up. He did not seem happy to be there (the actor or the character) and screamed "plot device." And then he served to deliver the worst possible version of one of C.S. Lewis's lines. In the books, when Father Christmas gives the girls their weapons, he warns them to use them "only in time of greatest need, because when women fight in battles they are UGLY affairs." i.e. It is essentially a reiteration of the civalric code that women should be kept out of battles whenever possible. We all understand that Disney (parent company) would have a MAJOR problem with this line in a post-feminist world. So, what is the right choice? Simply don't mention it. Instead, the line is changed to simply, "Wars are ugly affairs." i.e. A post-vietnam view of war as horrible for everyone. Not what Lewis had in mind. His idea was that a battle where you are fighting for good is a great thing, even if it has its dark side.

Anyway, now that I have vented, I am feeling happier. If only they could reshoot the Father Christmas scene, Narnia might be close to a perfect adaptation... at least for this Lewis fan.

13.3" Intel iBook Due Soon?

So thinks ThinkSecret, which has a pretty good track record in (1) accurate reporting on upcoming secret products and (2) being sued for accurate reporting on upcoming secret products.

The 13.3-inch widescreen iBook is said to sport a WXGA resolution of 1280x720, serving up about 15 percent more pixels than the current 14.1-inch model. Sources also note that the 12.1-inch model will continue to live on in iBook form factor, but that its days are numbered as a PowerBook configuration. The 12-inch PowerBook was hardly touched with Apple's October revision, seeing only a price drop on the SuperDrive model and the elimination of the Combo drive version.

While I know this is likely to be the LEAST interesting part of an Intel release, I would also like to put my prediction out there that the new Intel Macs will be Matte Black, like the new black iPod video units. My prediction is that all PowerPC-based Macs will remain with the white/silver color scheme and all Intel-based Macs will come out with a black color scheme. That way, it will be easy for newbies seeking help to tell the helpdesk which model they have.

Sigh, I had been hoping to see $1.99 gas in 2005

Sigh, I hads been hoping to see1.99 gas in 2005
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

The trials and tribulations of dating a Mac developer.

Posted as a public service to any females crazy enough to consider dating a techie like me or Wedge. Somehow, Wedge's lady got past all of this, since he is now on the road to marriage.

7. Rubies and Pearls are not what you think.
I once overheard Justin having a conversation with a friend of ours. He made mention of a ruby and a pearl. Seeing as how it was almost my birthday I immediately thought I was in for a great gift. Little did I know they were talking about Ruby on Rails and Perl. Later that week we went out for a Sunday afternoon drive. There is a jewelry store just across the street from the local Barnes and Noble. I, of course, thought we were pulling in to buy some bling. 30 minutes and two O’Reilly books later I figured out that my “birthday gift” was actually how-to manuals for programming languages.

Oh, and the part in their about profanity really does not apply to some of us. It is much more satisfying to gaze balefully at the computer, and remind it that the next hardware refresh is right around the corner.

Play-Doh beats fingerprint scanners

It appears everyone's favorite non-toxic molding compound from our youth is sufficient to beat most biometric scanners. Personally, I prefer to use the homemade peanut-butter formula that a friend's mother used to make when I was little.

"Biometric systems automatically measure the unique physiological or behavioral ‘signature' of an individual, from which a decision can be made to either authenticate or determine that individual's identity," explained Stephanie C. Schuckers, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at Clarkson University. "Today, biometric systems are popping up everywhere – in places like hospitals, banks, even college residence halls – to authorize or deny access to medical files, financial accounts, or restricted or private areas."
"And as with any identification or security system," Schuckers adds, "biometric devices are prone to ‘spoofing' or attacks designed to defeat them."
Spoofing is the process by which individuals overcome a system through an introduction of a fake sample. "Digits from cadavers and fake fingers molded from plastic, or even something as simple as Play-Doh or gelatin, can potentially be misread as authentic," she explains.

I can see it now. The newest toy tie-in for Tom Cruise's Mission Impossible 3

What in the world is THIS?

Does anyone else have confirmation of this?

Ridgeway Elementary School in Dodgeville may be taking a cue from the White House, which as been sending out greeting cards in the last few weeks, wishing recipients a happy "Holiday Season" rather than "Merry Christmas." The school's "Winter Program" features a secularized version of the traditional Christmas carol "Silent Night" with the following lyrics:

Cold in the night, no one in sight;
Winter winds whirl and bite.
How I wish I were happy and warm,
Safe with my family out of the storm.

..."At the same time the school has changed the religious songs to secular," Staver says, "their so-called 'Winter Program' has included decorating classrooms with Santa Claus, Kwanzaa, menorahs, and even Labafana -- a term I'd not even heard of until this year." Labafana, he says, is "apparently a Christmas witch."

This is so weird, that I almost thought I was on The Onion or something. Can this possibly be accurate?

It is one thing to ignore Christmas or at least its secular roots. It would be another to place Christ, or even Santa Claus (an entirely benevolent character), with a witch!

Let it snow! (Cuz we can't stop it)

Well, I am working from home today, due to the snowstorm that is burying the Northeast this morning. If anyone is interested in seeing how it looks out out front window at present (actually about an hour ago), I took a little video for the fun of it. (Quicktime required.)

It's Narnia Day! - A Preview Review

While the vast majority of the world had to wait until today to get their first viewing of the new movie based on The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe, I had a chance to see it last night. I have to admit that I bought in to the hype surrounding this film, and being a fan of the book I was quite excited to see the film. Beware there could be some spoilers below.

So, I went in with high hopes for the film. I came out with mixed feelings about the movie. Don't get me wrong it's a thoroughly good movie, but there were a couple of scenes that just killed it for me. Here, let me explain. The big deal surrounding this film is its visual effects, 95% of which are incredible. There are two (maybe three) scenes that were so obviously green screened that they made the film feel amateur - or like the majority of Christian films. In my mind when I subtract these scenes from the movie it qualifies as a really good film, but when I add them I just feel let down. Ok, that's the bad part of my thoughts.

The story is great, as is to be expected, though it has been tweaked. Some of my favorite lines from the book are given to different people, but at least they are there. There are some additions for context that work well and don't detract from the story. I thought Mr. Tumnus comes off differently in the movie than he did in the book - that is his character seems much darker in the movie. Mr. and Mrs. Beaver are made into better characters in the movie than I thought they were in the book, they also become more central to the story. Aslan, as voiced by Liam Nieson, is incredible - much better than the freak that voiced him in the Focus on the Family Radio Theater version. Of all the animals that talked I was most convinced by Aslan. That leads to another issue, it was hard to buy in to talking animals - which was also C.S. Lewis' issue with a live action movie - it works for some of the animals and not so much for others. The children do a good job, my wife thought they were stiff at the beginning of the movie - I think that was on purpose to show their growth over the course of the movie. Lucy steals the whole film, she is the cutest little girl - she looks just like my niece.

Those are my thoughts at this juncture. I hope that I didn't ruin it for anyone. Like I said, my feelings are mixed about the movie. I have to go see it two more times this weekend, so we'll see how I feel come Monday, but right now I'm kind of let down, based upon my expectations coming in.

Is YellowBox back?

MacRumors is reporting that Apple may be reviving the Yellow Box technology that was going to be part of Rhapsody (the original MacOS 9 replacement, before Apple bought NEXT). The original technology was going to allow Window apps to run on the MacOS. This new version of appears to also allow Mac Binaries to run on Windows.

File this under "Interesting, but doubtful."

Mechanism of cancer spread discovered

Scientists have discovered that the spread of cancer is neither random, nor accidental. Instead, cancer cells actively work to prepare new sites for metastasis. Thus, it may be possible to create drugs specifically to stop the disease from spreading out of its original site. It is this migration through the body which usually turns a treatable cancer, into a terminal one.

I find this as more evidence of the Curse that is upon humanity from Adam's Fall. Why? Consider that cancer is NOT like a virus or bacterium, which have their own lives to lead. Their effects on our body are secondary results of their attempts to reproduce. Cancer, on the other hand, is our own bodies rebelling against us. Our own cells begin to grow uncontrollably, and ultimately choke the body to death. Does it make sense that such a cellular malfunction could have such a sophisticated method of spreading?

BestBuy stockpiling XBox 360s for last-minute Christmas sale?

This story on Digg.Com suggests that BestBuy is taking advantage of the current XBox 360 shortage by stockpiling the units, rather than selling them. Then, they are planning to have a massive sale on December 18. Presumably selling most of the Xbox 360s in expensive bundles which will force desperate parents to spend $1000 on a $300 machine, in order to avoid disappointing Junior.

The more I read about these kinds of seller scams (and no, I am not suggesting this is unlawful, merely dishonest), the more I respect my parents. The one year I wanted a toy that was IMPOSSIBLE to find in store, they didn't start a riot to get the last one that KBToys had in stock. Instead, they left the #3 from my list under the tree with a note saying, "The elves were overworked this year, so your #1 toy is being finished up as we speak. It will arrive in the next week or so." I was happy, because I knew my toy was on the way and I already had one of the others I wanted. And my parents were able to get the toy a couple of weeks later, without bloodshed.

UPDATED 12/8 at 12:35 AM EST: Here is an image of the "insider document" that shows the directive from Best Buy.

$4.99 Sale at ChristianDiscs.Com

From the PETRA story, it is obvious we have a lot of collectors of Christian CDs reading this Blog. Well, they may be interested to know that starting at midnight tonight, ChristianDiscs.Com will be having a $4.99 CD sale in preparation for Christmas. I am not quite sure how long it goes or how great the selection will be. But if you want to give some good Christian music to someone for Christmas without breaking the bank, this may be the way to go.

The Culture of Victimization

Mel Gibson has announced plans for a non-fiction mini-series concerning the Holocaust. Specifically, about the life of Jewish woman, Flory Van Beek, during the Holocuast. Obviously, he's going to be watched closely because of his father's comments and so we should expect a fair product. Let's hope anyway. But there's a really interesting quote in the article.

"For (Gibson) to be associated with this movie is cause for concern," Rafael Medoff, director of the David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies in Melrose Park, Pennsylvnaia, told the Times. "He needs to come clean that he repudiates Holocaust denial."

Um...maybe I missed something. But Mel Gibson is making a mini-series about the Holocaust. It's non-fiction and from the perspective of a Jewish woman. Call me crazy but what else would he need to do to "repudiate Holcaust denail?" It's going to be a tad bit difficult to make a movie about the Holocaust without clearly acknowledging the fact that it happened.

But this is what happens when people decide that they can get further out of being offended by everything and by making themselves the victims. Every detail so far indicates that the movie will virtually have to paint the Jewish population as the victims of an awful evil. The movie would not work without a graphic presentation of the Holocaust as an evil and horrifying act against humanity. But still, we're going to have Jewish leaders crying foul before they even have the chance to judge the work based on its merits. But hey, who needs facts when we've got emotions to manipulate and victims to keep victimized?

"A day which will live in infamy..."

Today is Pearl Harbor Day. I had not realized it was upon us already, but the memorials are in progress now. We should always remember those who died in this horrible attack, reminding us that evil is not always a world away, but will take the time to seek us out if do not remain vigilant. A lesson we had to learn again with 9/11/2001.

Normally, I would let CRChair post something like this, as our resident history buff. But I know he is quite busy and figured this should not pass unnoticed.

Welcome to the World of (semi-)Intelligent Computer Worms

This is an amazing piece of programming. Horrible, no-good, nasty, unethical, illegal, inconsiderate, and rude. But amazing.

A new worm that targets users of America Online's AOL Instant Messenger is believed to be the first that actually chats with the intended victim to dupe the target into activating a malicious payload, IM security vendor IMlogic warned Tuesday.
According to IMlogic, the worm, dubbed IM.Myspace04.AIM, has arrived in instant messages that state: "lol thats cool" and included a URL to a malicious file "clarissa17.pif." When unsuspecting users have responded, perhaps asking if the attachment contained a virus, the worm has replied: "lol no its not its a virus", IMlogic said.
The malicious file disables security software, installs a backdoor and tweaks system files, the company said. Then it starts sending itself to contacts on the victim's buddy list.

Please tell your AOL friends (preferably NOT thru Instant Messenger!) about this. The file that it downloads is a PIF file, which has NO EFFECT on Apple or Linux computers, but can do some serious damage on a Windows machine.

Proof that evil has as many brilliant engineers on its side as good.

Churches closing on Chistmas

CNN is reporting that many churches are deciding to NOT have services this year on Christmas Day, because December 25 falls on a Sunday and expected attendence is few to none.

Critics within the evangelical community, more accustomed to doing battle with department stores and public schools over keeping religion in Christmas, are stunned by the shutdown.
It is almost unheard of for a Christian church to cancel services on a Sunday, and opponents of the closures are accusing these congregations of bowing to secular culture.
"This is a consumer mentality at work: 'Let's not impose the church on people. Let's not make church in any way inconvenient,' " said David Wells, professor of history and systematic theology at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, a leading evangelical school in Hamilton, Massachusetts.

While I think this is somewhat of an overreaction, I am not sure what I think of this approach. I must admit that our family has been talking about NOT attending church on that Sunday, but it is because we'll be at at least one, maybe two, Christmas EVE services. I wonder if that is a part of the story that is not being told?

At the same time, if I had no family on Christmas, I am sure I'd miss seeing my church family on that day.

Howard Dean sounds the retreat

DNC Chairman and failed presidential hopeful Howard Dean demonstrated his patented method of leading from the rear by announcing his opinion that the Iraq War is and always has been unwinnable. Rehashing themes from his campaign, Dean likened the war to Vietnam and indicated that Iraqis were incapable of running their own country.

I guess Dean has decided either he has no chance to ever be president (I can't imagine him trying to negotiate for more oil from a soveriegn Iraq, if he has to face Iraq's president as the one who gave aid and comfort to the insurgents) or that his ONLY chance to be president is to be a spoiler.

Vocation or Avocation

I seem to go thru this thought process every year. What should your job be? Should it be your vocation (i.e. the thing you do to earn money and put bread on the table) or should it be your avocation (i.e. the thing which fulfills you and makes the best use of your talents)? Most successful people credit their success to aligning their job with their loves (Roger Ebert and movies, Rush Limbaugh and entertaining/opining, etc.) yet sometimes one has to wonder whether that is the rule or the exception. After all, the curse of Adam said "You will get food from the toil of your back..." not "...and you should find some toil you find personally fulfilling, too." Yet, God made us for a purpose, to have a specific place in the world, and a specific role in the Body of Christ.

I know I am talking to a skewed audience here, with so many pastoral students and graduates among our contributors. But I am curious what our posters and readers feel about this eternal debate between "living to work" and "working to live."

Bad day for dog

The BBC is reporting (via Yahoo News) that a pack of Russian Black Squirrels attacked and killed a dog after it barked at them. This sounds kind of fishy to me, but then again I know red squirrels are pretty mean and who knows how much more mean Russian squirrels would be. Poor dog.

Global Warming & Sports

Some Mod-blog staffers would actually support this result from Global Warming. Not this staffer though. :)

Apple gains more iTunes/vPod programming

According to Digg.Com, Apple has gained contracts to sell episodes of Law & Order, Monk, and Battlestar Galactica in addition to many other NBC, Sci Fi, and USA channel programs, for the same $1.99 price they were offering LOST and DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES for. I must say while I do not yet have a video iPod, this is making me think now is the time to invest in one. While I have NO interest in D.W., and little in lost, I would probably pay $1.99 to watch a MONK or Law & Order episode I missed. Especially if I can bring it with me, when I travel.

Of course, it is still much lower quality (size-wise) and more expensive than just recording it myself off of TV with my EyeTV unit.

UPDATE 8:44 AM EST: It has just been brought to my attention that I should make it clear that these programs are not just for the video iPod. If you own a computer than can run iTunes (i.e. any MacOS X or Windows 2000 or XP computer) then you can purchase these shows via th iTunes Music Store and play them on your computer using iTunes. This could well be a good way for folks with laptops to view their favorite TV shows while on the road, even if they do not own an iPod.

Gas back on the way up

Gas back on the way up
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

File this under "Too good to be true"

Anyone who has been overweight for a while can probably relate to my skepticism about this story. It has the hint of truth, but probably lacks the WHOLE truth.

It's the no-diet diet, an approach the Brigham Young University health science professor used to lose 50 pounds and to keep it off for more than five years.
Hawks calls his plan "intuitive eating" and thinks the rest of the country would be better off if people stopped counting calories, started paying attention to hunger pangs and ate whatever they wanted.
As part of intuitive eating, Hawks surrounds himself with unhealthy foods he especially craves. He says having an overabundance of what's taboo helps him lose his desire to gorge.
There is a catch to this no-diet diet, however: Intuitive eaters only eat when they're hungry and stop when they're full.

Of course, the problems are (1) that most compulsively overweight folks have a hard time differentiating between "physically hungry" and "mentally hungry", and (2) many folks who have done the diet/binge/diet/binge cycle have lost the ability to tell when they are full.

Posted without further comment

Did you know your dog can laugh?

Our current dog does not seem too much like a laugher, but some of our past dogs have. I suspect I would recocognize the sound that researchers say is the equivilent of laughter.

Researchers at the Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service in Washington state say sometimes a bark is just a bark — but a long, loud panting sound has real meaning.
They say the long, loud pant is the sound of a dog laughing, and it has a direct impact on the behavior of other dogs...When they played the sound of a dog panting over the loudspeaker, the gaggle of dogs at the shelter kept right on barking. But when they played the dog version of laughing, all 15 barking dogs went quiet within about a minute.

Now what would REALLY amaze me would be if they discovered CAT laughter. Or at least discovered it in more than a theoretical sense. Felines seem WAY too serious to me.

This is too cute

PowerPC Optimized Builds of Firefox!

Are you a Mac user? Do you use Firefox? Well, now they have custom builds optimized for the G4 and G5 processors! For G4, check out this one and for G5, check out this one. I am downloading both now, so I have not tried them myself. But both have been GREAT in the past.

Please be aware that these builds are tightly coupled to the processors they were compiled for. If you have any problems getting them to work, you should just go back to the normal Firefox build which is compiled for all PowerPC processors.

I want THIS for Christmas!

The ultimate in home and office missile defense. At least for those of us who only need to defend against annoying coworkers and the occasional invading cat. Now if only it were available in America!

eDealInfo.Com

In Mod-Blog's on-going quest to save our reader's money during the holiday season, here is eDealInfo. It is another site that seeks to gather together the best deals and coupons on the web. A good way to save money on Christmas gifts... and to leave a little extra cash to buy the Mod-Blog staff some gifts!

It Really is All Connected

Anyone who watches "Lost" should find this ironic and fitting. The powers of the island are growing stronger!

It don't get no wronger than this...

...Athiests giving out porn for Bibles. Way to prove you have a positive agenda to offer folks. I have known a number of atheists over the years who could respect the religious, even though they disagreed with them violently. Obviously, this group wants nothing to do with such reasoned discussion of the issues.

What if Liberals Hated Football?

Thanks to Shadowmom for turning me on to the following article. It is an editorial piece in the Carolina Journal. It is a spoof, written as if the current Iraq War critics in the media turned their attention to a recent Monday Night Football game. The Colts beat the Steelers 26-7 in the game. Here is a sample from the article

"The staunch Pittsburgh defense, though out-manned and out-gunned, managed to battle the Colts to a standstill in the second quarter, allowing them only six points. Those familiar with the Colts say this second-quarter swoon reveals a lack of depth on offense due to unmet recruitment goals during the off-season."

Enjoy!!!

It's only a matter of time...

Serenity Sequel On the Way?

So they say. Amusingly, this may be the first time that a TV show inspires a movie... which inspires a TV show.

Camera Store Apologizes, Fires Employee Over Blogger Experience

Yesterday, I posted a story about a blogger who had been brutally abused by an online camera store. Well, today the same blogger has posted an apology letter and an offer by the owner of the company to make it right. Apparently, plenty of sunlights *IS* the way to kill the unsightly mildew rotting the corners of the web.

I received a call this morning from Ed Lopez, the owner of PriceRitePhoto. We spoke at length and he told me that the activity that has resulted from my post on my experience with his business has most certainly impacted his business. Mr. Lopez told me that he was calling to apologize and that Mr. Philips was going to be terminated at a company board meeting later on this morning. He confirmed to me that they do have the camera in question in stock and although I am not interested in purchasing it from them at this point indicated that he would sell it for me at the advertised price.

It is a good ending to this story, though I am sure the blogger would never have gotten satisfaction had it not been for his story making its way to mega-poster sites like Digg.Com and Slashdot.Org. But perhaps a few more examples like this will reduce the number of crooked companies operating online. Or at least provide a little more buyer-beware-ability.

DealCatcher

The main online deal listing site that CRChair and I used to use - dealfinder.com - went under a little while ago. But there are others ready to take up the mantle of "King of the Online Deals"! Consider DealCatcher.Com. For instance...

For a limited time, eBay is offering coupons when you use your Paypal account for select customers. Your guess is as good as mine as to what "select" customers means.
Note: If you want to test the coupon to make sure it works for you first, test it on a "Buy it now" item that requires immediate payment. If the coupon does not work for you during the immediate payment process, don't complete the transaction.
10% off, $25 maximum savings code C11-GIFTGUIDE
10% off, $25 maximum savings code C1-Holiday2005
$5 off purchase code C2-Holiday2005
$15 off purchase code C3-Holiday2005

Worst Case Scenarios!

My Mom is one of those people who *ALWAYS* thinks of the worst case scenario in any situation, figuring if she is mentally prepared for that, then she is prepared for whatever may come. (The theory doesn't work for me, but then I tend to think of WAY too many potential worst cases... occasionally involving nuclear war or biological disasters.) Well, this site may be perfect for her, as Popular Mechanics walks you thru how to survive most of the truly worst case scenarios.

Be sure to scan thru the "Abducted By Aliens" article. It is hilarious.

Parakeets get the Death Sentence

I don't know how this story has not yet made the national wires.

United Illuminating began this week destroying 103 nests on utility poles in a campaign to exterminate a large portion of Connecticut's monk parakeet population that it says is creating fire hazards and the potential for power outages.
Several hundred of the non-native parakeets in four municipalities will be killed by UI and the federal government by the time the $125,000 project is completed.
UI work crews Monday began the project in West Haven where 79 nests are located, primarily along the shoreline.
Utility workers poke holes in the nests to capture the birds and then dismantle the nests. Crews were out again Thursday night, at a time when the birds congregate in their home near electric transformers.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture euthanizes the parakeets using carbon dioxide.

It amazes me that this is being ignored both locally and nationally (near as I can tell). It seems like a case of overkill (no pun intended) in dealing with these rare and beautiful birds. I can't help wondering what the cost of relocation would have been.

Will Newspapers Survive the Web?

Slashdot has up an interesting opinion piece on what newspapers need to do in order to remain relevant and profitable in a blog-infested world where information is available on the web for free. The core of their argument is that in order to compete with the rest of the web, newspapers should move to an interactive website model and sell paper "snapshots" of their web presence thru their traditional markets. By targetting customers precisely with keyword and location-based ads, they argue that newspapers can not only survive but also thrive in a web-based world.

It is an interesting take on the media revolution being driven by cheap web access. Personally, the only newspaper I still subscribe to is the local one (to find out where to go to vote, and when trash is being picked up). And even that one I only read on rare occasions. But I know I would pay to pick up a paper copy of my favorite sites, when I am on the road and have less web access.

Warning to the Feint of Heart: Slashdot's article is clean, but their moderated community is not always so. Those sensitive to foul language will want to restrict their reading to the article itself.

How *NOT* to Win Customers in the Information Age

Wow, you hear about the horror stories from buying online, but this one takes the cake! I am glad to hear about this one, as I was starting to think about buying a new Digital Camera online myself. Now I know who to avoid like the plague!

At this point I thanked him and informed him that I would be writing an article about my experience with his company. It was at this point that he went ballistic. He first told me that if I did this that he would not cancel my order but just never fill it. If I cancelled it he said he'd charge me a 15% restocking fee. When I told him that that would be unethical he went nuts. He accused me of trying to "extort" him and said that he was going to have two local police officers come over and arrest me. He then went on to say that as a "professional photographer" I should have known better than to try and buy a camera this way and that he was an attorney and would sue me if I wrote an article about my experience.

The funny part in this is the camera store owner's apparent complete lack of understanding that if you do business online, you can expect to have info posted about you online. If play in the sandbox, you have to be ready to get some sand in your eye from time to time. Especially when you are the one throwing the sand!

How IT project work

This is TOO funny in a "It's funny because it's true" sorta way.

Doctor embraces "abortionist" title

I have rarely read a more disturbing article than this one from the LATimes on one abortion doctor who seeks to justify the morality of abortion by claiming the lives of the women recieving the procedure are made amazingly better. The article borders on pure propoganda, by completely ignoring the moral concerns raised by abortion. The excuses given by the young mothers are typical: "I don't want to give up high school," "I don't want to give birth while I am poor and uneducated," etc. But never is the enormity of the act considered, either by the doctor nor by the women who are interviewed. Rather, the doctor even tries to comfort the women coming in by telling them, "It will be much easier than you expect."

I really try to be understanding to the Pro-Choicers out there. I really do. I understand that some of them simply can not see my point of view that abortion is murder, plain and simple. I try to find reasonable levels of compromise: rape, incest, life of the mother, etc. I am willing to admit there are hard cases that perhaps should remain between a woman, a doctor, and God. But this article follows none of that. Rather, it considers the easy cases - a girl chooses to be promiscuous prior to marriage (prior even to the age of reasonable consent) and then decides the right choice is to abort rather than miss the Prom, or graduation, or a class. This is PRECISELY when society is SUPPOSED to step in - when morality requires a tough choice that has LARGE consequences, and requires inconvenience for the individual. Instead, the article lauds the choice to abort. Sigh.

PLEASE, can ANY Pro-Choicer out there convince me that I should read this article any other way?

Poetry In Motion

Yes, I admit it. It is a slow news day. I am back at work today, and can't seem to find any interest in "real life."

C.S. Lewis Opposed Live Action Narnia?

CNN is reporting that based upon a previously unpublished letter that Lewis would have been against the upcoming Narnia film. After reading the letter it is clear that in 1959 animation had not reached the quality it has in 2005, so Lewis was opposed to it then. I tend to think that Lewis would have approved of the upcoming version. I think his real concern, based on the letter, was that the sense of fantasy and seriousness of the books would be lost by silly looking animals made to lip-sync voice overs - hence why he preferred a cartoon to live action. Lewis above all took the fantasy seriously and thought that it had to be taken seriously to have the intended effect - and the quality of current CGI technology allows that to happen. In the end this CNN report is an anachronistic attempt to sabotage what, by all accounts, is going to be a great film.

Catholics Reaffirm Heterosexual priests

Finally a major Christian denomination has stood up and said that homosexuality, though culturally acceptable, is not theologically acceptable. In this case it's the Roman Catholics affirming that priest are not allowed to be homosexual and classifies homosexuality as a grave sin. As always, it is important to realize that this is a statement of the truth found in the bible not of hatred towards or bigotry against homosexuals. Interestingly enough, the Vatican calls homosexuality a tendency - hence why it can be a sin - that can be overcome. Let's hope other large denominations have the intestinal-fortitude to make similar statements.

Introverts have more brain activity than Extroverts

Those of you who know the Mod-Bloggers socially, know that most of us are introverts. Ward and CRChair balance right on the edge between introvert and extrovert, and Wedge can be filed under "both and neither." (Not sure how Muse would classify herself.) Well, according to this article, introverts have more going on upstairs.

ntroverted children enjoy the internal world of thoughts, feelings and fantasies, and there's a physiological reason for this. Researchers using brain scans have found introverts have more brain activity in general, and specifically in the frontal lobes. When these areas are activated, introverts are energized by retrieving long-term memories, problem solving, introspection, complex thinking and planning.

It is nice to know that introverts have something going for us. After all, we are denied the social side of life, in many ways.

Hacking your body

Want some easy tricks to deal with the petty annoyances of fleshy living? Men's Health has an article on some simple ways to handle your own body. One such example?

4. Feel no pain!
German researchers have discovered that coughing during an injection can lessen the pain of the needle stick. According to Taras Usichenko, author of a study on the phenomenon, the trick causes a sudden, temporary rise in pressure in the chest and spinal canal, inhibiting the pain-conducting structures of the spinal cord.

Kissing Can Kill

There is an article at CTV that is reporting that a 15 year old girl died after kissing her boyfriend. The girl was allergic to peanuts and her boyfriend had a peanut butter sandwich for lunch. When they kissed a few hours later she went into shock and died. Let's hope this doesn't scar the poor boy for life. (Although, this might be a good example for those parents telling their kids not to do anything romantic till they are atleast 18.)

Calculations may not always be the best policy

Then again, as a single guy, what do *I* know?

Watch out for those imaginary friends

File this under "Too Smart = Stupid"

I was checking out the reviews of the new Bible Game out for GBA, PS2, and XBox for a site I maintain for our Bible Quiz Team, when I cam across this review at IGN. Not particularly interesting, until I noticed the internet address:

http://xbox.ign.com/articles/666/666652p1.html

Note the middle part: 666. That is the Mark of the Beast for those unfamiliar with the book of Revelation. The sign of the antiChrist. Someone over at IGN has a particularly perverse and unpleasant sense of humor.

More on the $100 Laptop

Tectonic has the story which confirms more details about this attempt to bring computing to the world.

The $100 laptop designed by the Massachusetts Institute for Technology (MIT) and the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) association, previewed at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) conference in Tunisia last week, will be using a Redhat Linux variant as its operating system.
The lime-green laptop, which uses a 500Mhz AMD processor and has 1GB Flash RAM instead of a hard drive, will only use open source software, despite an offer from Apple for it to use Apple's OS-X operating system for free.

Civ 2 for Free!!! Civ 2 for Free!!!

Dang. They only have a PC Version. Where is the free Mac version?!

T-Mobile Sidekick III Roadmap?

Engadget has up what they are claiming to be a new roadmap for the T-Mobile Sidekick III (CRChair and I are owners and big fans of the Sidekick II, which lets us e-mail and surf the web from pretty much anywhere there is a T-Mob signal). If true, what is in store for the future?

...they’re planning to introduce a music-centric Sidekick III in April of next year and a second version with support for UMA (aka Unlicensed Mobile Access, a standard for seamlessly roaming back and forth between GSM cellular and WiFi networks — it sounds like T-Mob might be taking advantage of all their hotspots) in September of 2006, with Sidekick III limited editions to follow a month later (just like how they intro’d two limited edition versions of the Sidekick II last month). The next Sidekick after that, which is supposedly code-named the “Sidekick NG”, is listed as being set to drop in June of 2007. The Sidekick NG will supposedly have support for music, video, and UMA...

Does not sound convincing to me - and I was REALLY hoping for bluetooth capability to make use of wireless headsets. But you never know. Having an SK powerful enough to do Video and use WiFi would be quite nice, however... assuming it is still battery-efficient enough to go several days without recharging.

NY Gas is much more expensive

NY Gas is much more expensive
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

Olean, NY - stiull BJ's gas

Turkeys and Real Turkeys

Hungry Anyone? Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Google Click-to-Call

THIS could be huge!

When you click the phone icon, you can enter your phone number. Once you click 'Connect For Free,' Google calls the number you provided. When you pick up, you hear ringing on the other end as Google connects you to the other party.
We won't share your telephone number with anyone, including the advertiser. When you're connected with the advertiser, your number is blocked so the advertiser can't see it. In addition, we'll delete the number from our servers after a short period of time.

And every call is free - obviously some kind of VOIP solution. How cool is this?!

I couldn't say it any better

Hockey Players do Have a Sense of Humor

New York Rangers goaltender Keving Weekes paid the following compliment to his teammate Jaromir Jagr.

"I equate him to having LeBron or Michael (Jordan), one of the best impact players ever to play," Weekes said. "I can't see how you can think you're ever out of a game when you have someone of that caliber on your team."

Jagr Responded
"It's always nice to have somebody say that. But, basketball's easier than hockey," Jagr said with a wink.

Let it Snow

I saw snow on my way into work this morning.

More Dishonesty From the Left

Consider this from Kos today where he writes:

Every person that argues that the US must "stay the course" is now operating in direct opposition to the wishes of the Iraqi government. Every person that opposes a US withdrawal timetable is now operating in direct opposition to the wishes of the Iraqi government.

Reaching out to the Sunni Arab community, Iraqi leaders called for a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S.-led forces and said Iraq's opposition had a "legitimate right" of resistance.

Not only do they want us out, but they've also greenlighted further attacks on US and allied forces.

It's really time to get the **** out.

That sounds pretty bad, right? So let's look at the article that Kos partially quoted. It can be found here. I'd encourage you to read over it before you continue.

We'll take it right down the line. First, let's consider the opening lines.

The communique -- finalized by Shiite, Kurdish and Sunni leaders Monday -- condemned terrorism but was a clear acknowledgment of the Sunni position that insurgents should not be labeled as terrorists if their operations do not target innocent civilians or institutions designed to provide for the welfare of Iraqi citizens...Though resistance is a legitimate right for all people, terrorism does not represent resistance. Therefore, we condemn terrorism and acts of violence, killing and kidnapping targeting Iraqi citizens and humanitarian, civil, government institutions, national resources and houses of worships.

So they should not be labled terrorist if these conditions are meant. So that pretty much strikes out at least 90% of the "Minutement and revolutionaries" as they have openly committed hostile acts against Iraqis. Clearly, this is hardly an endorsement for Al-Queada or any other group of the such.

The next paragraph...

The leaders agreed on "calling for the withdrawal of foreign troops according to a timetable, through putting in place an immediate national program to rebuild the armed forces ... control the borders and the security situation" and end terror attacks.

So they're calling for a pulling out of our forces...on a timetable. The same timetable that we have already been discussing with the government. No calls for immediate withdrawl. Quite the opposite is true, actually.

Sunni leaders have been pressing the Shiite-majority government to agree to a timetable for the withdrawal of all foreign troops. The statement recognized that goal, but did not lay down a specific time -- reflecting instead the government's stance that Iraqi security forces must be built up first.

On Monday, Iraqi Interior Minister Bayan Jabr suggested U.S.-led forces should be able to leave Iraq by the end of next year, saying the one-year extension of the mandate for the multinational force in Iraq by the U.N. Security Council this month could be the last.

Hmmm...so the Sunni Arabs must be watching CNN...

And while we're pointing out facts (We know how much the moonbats hate facts,) let's point out who it was that this conference seems to have been aimed at. Sunnis. Virtually every pararaph mentions Sunni demands, countered by the Shiite and Kurd leaders. The article is full of "Sunnis sought..." followed by some radical demand, met half-heartedly by the MAJORITY representatives. The entire conference served to try and drag the Sunnis into the process a little more. The requests we're reading are from the majority, former Saddam supporting Bathists.

And it's a shock that they would want us out? In response, the other two MAJORITY ethnic groups are working to find middle ground language to avoid alienating the MINORITY group and yet stay on good terms with the West.

So we have the former Bathists (and MINORITY population,) unhappy with having lost power, complaining about our presence. You have the two MAJORITY popluations toning down the rehetoric and trying to make a politicial compromise and arguing plainly that a pull-out would be bad for the country. And this translates to the American left as "Iraqis want us out or dead!" Yes, welcome to life amount the "reality-based."

Krauthammer and Intelligent Design

Charles Krauthammer has up a piece on ID and Evolution that is far too simplistic for a man of such integrity. But he does make some valid points, especially about the scientific fraud going on in many evangelical circles right now. He resorts to simple clichés instead of seeking to understand a little bit deeper, especially in his ultimate critique of what ID attempts to do. But it's worth reading, just the same, for the perspective. And his ultimate point, that science and faith are not enemies with each other, is correct.

Happy Birthday, e=mC^2

While hardly as consequential as the birthday of CRChair that we celebrated yesterday, apparently we are now in the centennial of "e equals em see squared" which became the soundbyte that explained the explanatory power of Eintein's Relativity to the world.

Play video from your iPod with a $2 cable

I know that none of our readers yet have an iPod Video, but I know that I for one am planning to ask for one for Christmas. (Hopefully, the elves had a good course in electrical engineering, or have some connections at Cupertino.) So, in the interest of getting ahead of the game, check out this trick from MacDevCenter which shows how to play videos from an iPod with a normal camcorder out cable instead of the expensive Apple add-on cable.

In order to make your TV play back the iPod signal, you've got to redirect the outputs. You can't just plug the yellow RCA plug into the yellow RCA jack and the red into the red or the white into the white. No. Those geniuses at Apple send the video signal over the red RCA output. (Normally it arrives on yellow.) The sound comes through the white and yellow plugs....So here's what you have to do:
* Plug the red RCA plug into your TV's yellow RCA jack.
* Plug the yellow RCA plug into your TV's white RCA jack.
* Plug the white RCA plug into your TV's red RCA jack