Music Labels Want More Money!

The news is all over the Internet. The music labels are finally convinced that music downloads are the future of their industry. The natural reaction? Kill the whole thing by raising prices, of course! No, I am not kidding. Why is it whenever it appears that the music industry may finally understand their consumers, they do something stupid like this? Well, the one good side of this is Steve Jobs is furious and has a quasi-monopoly on MP3 players at present. So he has some leverage to apply.

In other random Apple iPod-related news, AppleInsider has up a picture of the Digital Camera to iPod Photo connector.

Japan Plans Moon Base In 2025

Projects that have a 20 year deadline are notorious for getting cancelled, but still this would be really cool. Japan seems serious about their space program, increasing it by 600%. I'm not sure if the moon is the wisest place for a base, there's no water or atmosphere up there but it is closer than Mars (the other logical choice for a space base).

Fear and Truth

America is a dirty nation polluting itself to death! The speed limit is too high, we're all dying in accidents! AIDS is ravaging America, even people responsible enough to have protected sex and not use dirty needles! Sound familiar? All things we're told by fear mongers. Surprise surprise, it's not true. It looks like we might not be destroying ourselves as much as some claim.

Domino Theory Redux: Lebanon's Pro-Syria Gov't Resigns!

Talk about the Middle East Domino Theory! Syria's assassination of a leading pro-independence leader in occupied Lebanon continues to knock over one after another. The newest domino to fall? Lebanon's pro-Syrian govenment just resigned only a few hours before facing a No-Confidence vote in their parliment. Unbelieveable! This is like watching a new Berlin Wall slowly falling to earth. How will the whole Israeli-Palestinian problem change with no Iraq to lob SCUDs in their direction AND no Lebanon zone for Palestinian terrorists to lob missiles and mortar shells into Israel? Here's hoping/praying that the momentum we are seeing here can be maintained!!!

"Count Every Vote Act of 2005"?

DailyKos (yes that DailyKos) has up an interesting article on a new bill proposed by Senator John Kerry and Senator Hillary Clinton (yes those Senators) called the "Count Every Vote Act of 2005." There appears to be some good stuff here, including a required paper record of every vote on electronic voting (to enable recounts and audits). And there is a lot of bad stuff here including the declaration of Election Day as a Federal Holiday (which basically means the kids will be out of school and the rest of us will still have to work, increasing the voting power of goverment employees) and forcing every state to accept voter registrations up to and including Election Day (can you say (1) destruction of state authority and (2) invitation to widespread voter fraud).

Still, I am glad that it is being proposed. This is a debate that needs to be had, and the good parts of this bill should be pulled out and used somewhere else. Still, I am sure if the Senators Clinton and Kerry are behind this, there is no intent to use this to politically hurt the president. *Cough* Sorry, I almost choked on the sarcasm there.

Syria Hands Over a Terrorist... That It Claimed It Didn't Have

Syria has long claimed that it is not harboring fugitives from the Sadaam Hussein regime, and has further claimed that it was holding none of the terrorists on America's list of "most wanted." Well, golly-gosh-gee-willickers it turns out that not only did they have #36, half-brother of Sadaam himself, but they had him in custoday and turned him over to Iraqi leaders. Here's hoping that Syria suddenly discovers all of the other terrorists hiding within its boarders (Hamas comes to mind) and turns them over to the appropriate authorities. Maybe while they are at it, they can "discover" their chemical weapons program and any WMDs that Sadaam had shipped over the border.

Ten Commandments back before the Supremes

Yes, that's right. The issue is back and this time there is even more color to the story. A homeless lawyer is taking the appearance of the Ten Commandments on public property to the Supreme Court. It is now an amalgamation of a number of cases brought in state courts regarding the appearance of the Decalogue - generally regarded as the seed from which all Western Law has sprung - on publickly owned or funded lands. The supporters of the Big Ten say the appearance is a recognition of American Law's religious history. Opponents of them say it is a violation of the separation of church and state, and especially the clause forbidding the state establishment of a religion.

Then again, there are some signs that the case may become more about the lawyer arguing it than the merits of the case. Yahoo News! for example notes, "He generally refuses to discuss his background or why his law license was suspended several times for issues ranging from taking money for work he didn't perform to failure to pay fines. He is around 60 years old but won't give his age. He told The Washington Post that depression cost him his practice and his family. In 1995, the State Bar ordered that a psychiatrist or psychologist certify whether he was mentally capable of practicing law. Although his license remains suspended, Van Orden still has the taste and sharp mind for practicing law. In 2002, he personally argued his Commandments case before a federal judge, and he did it again before an appeals court in New Orleans."

Microsoft Calls FireFox "Spyware"

You have to love Microsofts incredible sense of gall. They have been convicted of being an "abusive monopoly" on at least two continents, and are losing ground to Mozilla's FireFox because of persistent security holes left in their Internet Explorer browser. So, they finally release a piece of software called "Microsoft AntiSpyware" and what is one of the major functions? It identified Mozilla FireFox as a piece of SpyWare and immediately recommends its removal. Amazing. This is like Burger King issues a "health advisory" against McDonald's.

Iraqis Protest Two-Day Weekend Because It is "Jewish"

Sigh. So the provisional Iraqi government announces that Saturday will now be added to the weekend. Suddenly, students are up in arms! They protest the day off. They actually go to class without being asked to show their ire. Is this a great sign of national worth ethic? Is it a sign that Iraqis are willing to go the extra mile and do the work needed to restore their country's shattered economy? Well, not so much. Turns out the reason is having Saturday off is somehow "jewish." For those not in the know, the Jewish sabbath is Saturday, the Christian sabbath is generally Sunday, and Muslims celebrate their sabbath on Friday. So Saturday would certainly make sense. It appears that Iraq may go with Thursday instead. This is one of the stranger (and most petty) examples of anti-Semitism I have seen.

Egypt More Proof of Bush Domino Theory?

Several months back, people in and around the Bush administration were espousing a Domino Theory of the Middle East. "If Iraq avoids civil war and holds elections," they said anonymously to reporter, "Then it will spark a fire of desire in the Middle East for freedom. Dictator after dictator will fall as their people demand the freedom they see in their neighbors." Anti-Bushies (some democrats, some paleo-conservatives, some isolationsists) scoffed at the idea. They declared that democracy was impossible in the Middle East. Some even said that the Arab world was incapable of a free government.

Well, it may be time for some reevaluation. After all, Egypt's president, Hosni Mubarak has ordered a change to their Constitution which will allow competitors in the upcoming "election." Thus, Egypt may be looking at its first real presidential election in a decade. Are those the sounds of domnios falling I head?

How NOT be a Hacked T-Mobile Customer

After the high profile hack of Paris Hilton's phone - and the declaration of a group of so-called "T-MOBILE TERRORISTS" - T-Mobile has followed the path of too-little, too-late and released a guide to not getting hacked. Nothing earth-shattering here, just the usual tips like "change your password often" and "use combinations of letters and numbers". Etc. Sigh. I guess they had to do something, but I'd much rather see some additional real security... or better assurance that T-Mobile has some idea who did the hack(s) in question.

High Schools are Obsolete

When I was in high school it seemed that things were fine. Sure there were the usual critics of public schools and things weren't always optimal, but for the most part things were good. It seems that in the 9 years since I graduated high school things have gotten worse - or at least the critics want us to think they have. Perhaps one of the worst criticisms came today from MS founder Bill Gates when he called high schools obsolete.

As a youth pastor I deal with a good crop of current high school students and very rarely do I hear them complaining about school being difficult at all. There are the traditional complaints about teachers being jerks - or worse - but almost never complaints about school being difficult. Maybe I'm just a glutton for punishment, but I feel that school should be somewhat difficult or else you're not really going to learn much. It is frustrating when I use vocabulary that should be well within their reach and they don't have a clue what it means. But I question if this is completely the school's fault. Maybe we have a situation where parents have so pushed for their kids to all succeed - in such a way that the school itself is threatened by the very possibility of student's failure - that the schools are no longer pushing for greater learning, but more for students appear to achieve. I'm glad to see some states instituting standardized testing, I don't think it will fix everything, but it will at least bring the schools up to a minimal standard of achievement. What do you think? Do schools suck or are parents trying to protect their children from failure too much?

SonicFlood: This Generation!

Well, there is good news and bad news. The good news? SonicFlood has a new CD coming out called "This Generation." The band that started the praise revolution (unless you count PETRA Praise) has out some new stuff for its fans. The bad news? The early reviews ain't that great. Then again, if it is SonicFlood how bad can it be?

Mmmm... Star Wars iPod....

Not sure if it will be quite as cool as R2-D2 on a slow day, but apparently Lucasfilm will be giving away 100 "Star Wars themed iPods". I hate to admit it, but if there were anything that could induce me to upgrade to a new iPod today, it would be a Star Wars theme. Yeah, I know. I am just that sad.

MPAA Okay's Profanity-Filled PG-13

Well, I suppose this was inevitable coming after the article earlier this week noting that the R rating was on the way out. Now, the MPAA has begun the process of watering down PG-13 so soon all films can be given a PG-13. Variety has an article up on a new documentary full of profanity. This documentary (which I will not name, to avoid giving it press) claims to require profanity because it is about the battlefield and profanity is part of a soldier's language. The MPAA found this convincing, but to the rest of us it should sound familiar. Michael Moore made the same argument for Fahrenheit 9/11, but was turned down and ridiculed for making the argument. But now the MPAA knows that PG is where the money is, and they want to ensure there is as much money around as possible.

Sigh. FYI, the linked article has many of the swears in question, so the feint of heart may wish to take care. How long, I wonder, until we have to get an organization not part of the film industry to give ratings. Then the people giving the ratings would not have a financial interest in how the ratings come out.

Bank of America Loses Federal Data

As a bank employee, this story makes my blood run cold. One of the standard operating policies of any financial institution is to run a backup every night and store the backups offsite in case of fire, flood, or natural disaster which damages or destroys the data center of the main site. It is a procedure to ensure the security of customer data. It is why most financial institutions located at the World Trade Center were back up and running the next day. Well, for Bank of America this very wise security precaution became a major security breach. The tapes storing the information of 1.2 million Federal Credit Cards (including those of many Senators) were stolen, including a significant amount of personal data. Here's hoping the thieves are found quickly, and the data recovered before more damage is done.

Run away! Run away!

Sorry! I said Im SORRY!!!!!!
Originally uploaded by les2001.

This was another cute photo on Flickr. It naturally makes you think of the many political cases right now where one side has the other "on the run." But at the moment, all I can think is how cute a photo this is.

Judge Lifts the Stay on Terri's Life

The judge who granted a stay to keep the feeding tube in Terri Shiavo has lifted his stay and granted Michael Schiavo the right to withdraw the tube as early as March 18.

The judge wrote that he was no longer comfortable granting delays in the long-running family feud, which has been going on for nearly seven years and has been waged in every level of Florida's court system. He said the case must end... "The court is no longer comfortable granting stays simply upon the filings of new motions," Greer wrote. "There will always be 'new' issues." ...The decision came on the 15th anniversary of Terri Schiavo's collapse, when a chemical imbalance brought on by an eating disorder caused her heart to stop beating.

In other news, Jeb Bush has pledged to do everything in his power to save Terri. The question now really is, how far is he willing to go. As governor, he can order state officers to stand between Terri and those who would unplug the tube. It could be a showdown between the Executive and Judicial branches. One which will inevitably bring back images of Southern Governors standing at the schoolhouse door during the civil rights movement. Not an image likely to get Jeb reelected... or elected in any national election. Is it a price he is willing to pay?

Is Fur Back?

Well, this is a new one by me. After decades of the animal rights activists dominating the debate, apparently some people are fighting back and posting arguments for the wearing of fur. Frankly, the argument is wanting. But it is always interesting to hear a new point of view.

Also, fur is a lot friendlier to the environment than its synthetic counterparts. Faux furs require one gallon of petroleum oil for every three jackets manufactured and fake furs do not biodegrade...Why do some people flinch at wearing a fur and think nothing of downing a steak or killing a cockroach? I suppose it's because cockroaches are ugly and furry animals are cute even though some of them, if given a chance, would tear your heart out...I went off to the party in my beautiful fur jacket. Up with fur – down with roaches! There is a big difference in animal welfare and animal rights. I was making a statement.

Somehow I doubt this particular philosophy will be sweeping the streets of america. But then, sometimes philosophy tends to follow instead of lead.

Another T-Mobile Hack

It appears that I may have to eat my words of yesterday which joined in the speculation that Mr. Hilton actually hacked herself. The Drudge Report is reporting that now another star, Fred Durst, has now also been hacked and a... ahem... video of him has been posted online. (And no, we are not going to link to it here.) The hackers, obviously revelling in his notoreity, has named himself/herself the "T-MOBILE TERRORIST" and has thus probably given the FBI Profilers another valuable clue.

The moral of this story? Don't keep hyper-private info on your phone. The only redeeming value of this hack is that it appears this one was NOT to a T-Mobile Sidekick... which really is only redeeming to ME as the owner of a T-Mobile Sidekick II.

The Trouble With the Gannon Story

Right Wing News hits the nail on the head as to why the Gannon "story" is dangerous and hyporcitical on the part of the liberals. You reap what you sow. This can only set a dangerous precedent for what is acceptable and what is not. The fact remains that these same liberals that declared Ken Starr's investigation of Bill Clinton an immoral witch hunt are now doing the same thing to a nobody reporter. And the see no problem with it.

One Liberal Gets It

One liberal sees without blinders for once. As freedom does spread to the Middle East (however long it might take) the liberals will be proven again and again to have been wrong about the prospects for freedom among the Muslim people. But that's okay, the left will find a way to twist the story, just like they have for the past 50 years.

US and Canadian Anglicans Withdraw from Global Church

No one was quite sure what the global Anglican church would do when the American church ordained their first openly, practicing gay bishop and began formally blessing homosexual unions. Well, now we know.

The U.S. Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada withdrew Thursday from a key body of the global Anglican Communion under pressure from conservative church leaders distressed by the election of a gay bishop in the United States and the blessing of same-sex unions in the two countries. Though the suspension of the two churches was said to be temporary, it marked the first formal split in the communion over the explosive issues of sexuality and biblical authority...The statement said the two churches were withdrawing from the Anglican Consultative Council, a key body for contact among the national churches, at least until 2008.

Is this the beginning of a new schism and a new denomination? Or is it just a power struggle within an existing structure to see whose ideas will prosper. Methinks the former is far more likely.

Engadget's HDTV Primer

Once of the TVs in our home went last week. And by "went", I do not mean it "went softly into that good night." There was a pop, a whine, a pffffffzzzzzzzzt, and a waft of smoke and smell of scorched plastic and electronics. In other words, dead as the proverbial doornail... without about the same ability to display high-quality images. So, we were again on the shopping trail for a new talking box. And, of course, our thoughts turned to the new HDTVs. But in the end, the prices were still too high and the technology too new to have a really good idea of what we might be buying. Well, fear no more, as Engadget has up a good primer for those considering HDTV purchases. Whather looking to get HD over the air, over cable, or via satellite, there is good advice here for you.

Too late for us, but maybe not too late for the next time.

Digital Pictures of the Tsunami from Beyond the Grave

We all had the thought on that horrible day. "Wow, I wonder what it looked like to be there!" But it was inevitably followed by the realization that anyone who saw the Tsunami in all of its power and size likely did not survive to tell the tale. Well, now, apparently one couple has managed to capture the moment in a way that would not have been thought possible.

Christian Pilet of North Bend could not have known the power of his discovery: the last photos taken by a couple who lost their lives in the Dec. 26 tsunami and the closure the photo diary would bring to a grieving family half a world away in British Columbia. Taken in sequence, the photographs tell a gripping story: John and Jackie Knill arriving at a Khao Lak resort, happily enjoying Christmas dinner with a large group of friends and then basking in a brilliant tropical sunset. The next day, the couple is seen hugging, smiling — radiant on the beach. Then the story turns ominous: people stroll the beach under a clear blue sky, apparently oblivious to the large wave that has formed a line across the horizon. The wave gets closer, its power more evident as it kicks up sand and mud and finally crashes onto the beach.

And no, the photographer did not survive. The camera was found washed-up on the shore. It is beyond belief. But then, it so was the Tsunami.

Paris Hilton - One Apology Too Many

Okay, now she even has me wondering. Paris Hilton is apologizing again for her hacked cell phone. One apology made sense. Two apologies is excessive but a sign of stress. Three apologies is a cry for attention. Those who charged the leak was not accidental, but a sweeps week stunt to raise ratings are getting more and more credible. Especially with the revelation that apparently she set her password to "tinkerbell" - the name of her dog... the name of her dog which she mentions regularly. The name of her dog who is featured in every show she is in. Who is almost as famous as she is. Sigh. I know it is just speculation, but more and more it seems like credible speculation.

Apple Abandoning Firewire?

C'mon, Apple! Say it ain't so!

FireWire is still Apple Computer's baby, but the proud parent is cutting the cord. With the latest crop of iPods, Apple is no longer including a FireWire cable in the box. The music players will still work with FireWire, if a cord is purchased separately, but only a USB 2.0 cable comes with the device. The move is part of a gradual shift on Apple's part to standardize the iPod on USB, which is far more common in the Windows world.

This stinks. Firewire is a much faster interface than USB 2.0, and allows my iPods to charge and sync at the same time. And Apple was the one pushing it for the longest time. I hate it when the same guy who sells me the car is the first one to buy the competitor's car.

Ah, Pork!

Well, at least the cards are out on the table. No one actually wants to reduce spending. The Republicans think the President's crazy. They're about as willing to touch the budget as Ted Kennedy is to save a drowning woman from his car. The Democrats gave it a try for a year or so, but now that the budget calls for cuts in growth (not actual cuts, just cuts in growth) they're running away from the label of the "Party of Fiscal Responsibility" faster than Jesse Jackson can claim racism when a black woman is placed in the highest post yet achieved by a minority in the government.

Yes, pork is popular again. Everyone was happy to lay it at the feet of the President. A month ago, he was a reckless spender who wanted to inflate the government. Now that he wants to cut the budget growth, he's a uncaring meanie who wants to oppress the poor and the minorities with cruel spending cuts. Oh the humanity!

The Future of Private Property

I'm aware of people where I grew up who were forced to sell their land to make room for a highway. That's bad enough. But now the government is taking the homes of citizens in order to allow contractors to build other homes? How does this, in ANY WAY, represent a free and democratic society?

This is a bothersome story. It's a horrible thought to consider that the government might come in and force you to move just to build a new housing development.

Moment of Truth for CT: Civil Unions

A CT Legislative Committee has formally recommended that my state adopt a Vermont-style Civil Unions law. This is not the same as passing a law, but it is an important first step toward tha actual law being brought up for a vote and is likely to presage some critical debate. In response to one of Ward's posts yesterday, I said that I did not support gay marriage but could live with some form of alternate arrangement which took care of life-partners and ensured they were not left out in the cold on issues such as inheritance and visitation rights. Methinks what this recommendation says is too much. But it is probably time for my own ideas to be tested as I consider just how much protection I am willing to offer, and how much I am not.

Though, I still say that this kind of arrangement should also be available to two widows (for example) who form an arrangement to take care of each other for the rest of their lives. They have mutual care, pooled finances, care arrangements, etc. All they'd be missing is the intercourse. But apparently, no one takes such ideas seriously.

Terri Gets a Reprieve

A Florida judge has extended the order protecting Terri Schiavo's feeding tube for another 48 hours. It is hardly a complete solution, but it preserves life for another 2 days. The judge indicates that he will give a "more complete" ruling within 2 days. It is unclear whether it will be a ruling to maintain the feeding, or to remove it. We shall see.

Also, if you are wondering what Terri Schiavo's parents are thinking, this site claims to be their position.

No One Ever Reads Software Licenses

When you download software, software updates, and data, have you actually ever READ those fine-print screens that pop up? What about the shrink-wrapped envelope that many CDs come in? These are called "End User License Agreements" and are designed to allow software companies to get you to sign away every right as a consumer, by saying "if you open the software or use it at all, you absolve the company of all liabilties." It has been theorized for a long time that consumers do not actually read these things. Well, now there is evidence. One company put an offer for $1000 in their EULA. 3,000 people bought and downloaded the software, before one read the EULA and stepped foward to claim the cash.

Darn! Suddenly, there is incentive to read the fine print again! (Even for the son of a lawyer like me.)

Wondering How to Contact Amazon.Com?

Ever had a problem using Amazon.Com or eBay.Com and suddenly realized it is not possible to get a real person on the phone? E-mail is a wonderful thing, but it can also be used to keep customers or friends at an arms distance if it is misused. Well, now one website is spreading the news of the actual phone numbers of these companies. Perhaps this is one way to reclaim the little-known concept of "Customer Service."

Phone toll-free in the US and Canada: (800) 201-7575
Phone from outside the US and Canada: (206) 346-2992 or (206)-266-2992
Another direct line: (206) 266-2335

Mount Saint Helens Ain't Done Yet

The little volcano that could (and cemented itself in my memory with its last major eruption during my childhood) is bubbling again, and this time actual lava is visible! It still seems unlikely that we will see a repeat of the massive explosion from the 80's (which is a good thing for everyone except for geology freaks like myself) but it still might inspire and intrigue another generation of children. We could use a few more good geologists in this world!

The "Open" Left

You know how leftists keep yelling that conservatives are so closed-minded and such bigots? Yeah, we've all heard it many times. Well imagine my surprise when I found myself banned from a site that I actually rather enjoyed visiting. What did I do to be banned from this bastion of left openess? Here's the general idea. The page owner copied a rather useless attack from another site attacking Christians of being hypocrits because they followed parts of Leviticus and not others. I don't disagree, yet, with the post. But the argument comes up that it means that unless we're going to live by all the Levitical laws, then we have to accept homosexual behavior or we're hate-mongers. Here is what the comments section looked like, including my post:

Item #6 has it's own web site.

http://www.godhatesshrimp.com/

There are a lot of shrimp eaters in this country that are going straight to hell!!!

I'm not sure the fundies get this kind of stuff. They always have a way to twisting things to fit their narrow world view.
Matt | Email | Homepage | 02.22.05 - 2:28 pm | #

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The West Wing had an epsiode where the President lit into a particularly judgmental Xtian type using many of the same examples you listed as a means of cutting her off at the knees, it was beautiful to see.

The problem is that so called "people of faith" are frequently people of little or even no faith and and therefore are in a constant state of trying to be pious to cover for their lack. The result is a huge capacity for contradiction and ill-logic eveidenced by their hand picked moralities and judgments. Pointing out the more obvious examples to them as your post does, has zero effect on them because thay have given over the capacity to think critically, in fact they have made critical thinking anathema to that robotic posturing they call their faith.
cul | Email | Homepage | 02.22.05 - 9:31 pm | #

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i saw that episode of west wing too and it was a shame because anyone who had actually read their bible as much as that woman's character was supposed to have could have knocked the president's comments out of the park. it's not just in the levitical code. paul states multiple times (1 Corinthians 6:9 for example) that homosexual behavior is sinful.

but see, this is the thing. it was only a couple of weeks ago when i was told, on this site, that gays didn't care about religious acceptance. it was only about civil rights. now, it's about the church accepting homosexuals on religious grounds.
ward | Email | Homepage | 02.23.05 - 8:35 am | #

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you can't have it both ways. either you want civil rights and you'll allow the church to hold whatever view we believe or you insist that EVERYONE accept homosexuality as a god-ordained lifestyle and accepts it, regardless of our beliefs.

if you want civil rights, i'm all there. but i'm tired of being called names because i believe that the gay lifestyle doesn't square with God.
ward | Email | Homepage | 02.23.05 - 8:38 am | #

The webmaster did not like my comments and proceeded to berate me in a manner not fitting of this site. So I'll leave it to your imagination. Then, he banned me from commenting on the site.

Now, if the leftists are so open in this country, then why is it that this guy couldn't stand to allow a different opinion to be heard? I wasn't even being mean or foul, I was just trying to have a discussion with him. But oh well. That's a liberal for you. Freedom for everyone who agrees with you. It might not be so bad if they didn't rail on others for the same sins. It might also have not been so bad if I hadn't enjoyed reading the blog. But all things come to an end, I suppose.

New Poll

There's a new poll up, be sure to vote. The last poll was pretty clear, the Iraqi elections were definately a major blow to the Bush administration! Let that be a lesson to them.

Christianity and Atheism

I like Bill Maher as a comedian. But I always hate to hear him get onto religion. He's all the things he accuses religious people of being but seems to not realize it. His recent comments, arguing that Christians suffer from a neurological disease, is especially full of the kind of open-mindedness that Bill has become known for. There's an interesting response to his comments dealing with the inherent problems of atheism that's tongue in cheek but also worth considering.

Kofi and the Stupid Brigade

The reputation of the "only world body with moral authority to act" seems to be slipping into oblivion. I'm sure we're all shocked.

Looking the Sudan Genocide In the Face

While we have been joking about the U.N.'s cowardly refusal to call the situation in Sudan's Darfur region "genocide" (because then they would HAVE to act, under the rules of the U.N. Charter), we Americans have not been quick to push for our own government to do something. Well, Nicolas Kristoff is doing something to urge Americans (and other readers of the NY Times to action. He has published a series of 4 classified photos taken from the genocide area, including a child, two men, and the skeleton of a tortured victim. It is time for the horror to stir us to action. This is a minature repeat of the Holocaust, and we are standing by and doing nothing. Click through and take a look (the pictures are horrible, but PG rated). But don't stop there. It is time top write Congress and/or the White House to let them know that we can no longer idly stand by.

New "FBI Virus" On the Web

Okay, with all of the news of Carnivore and Federal involvement with computer crimes, people are bound to be a big paranoid about their web-surfing habits. But let's make it clear - the FBI is not monitoring your web surfing! Instead, there is a new computer virus out there (really a trojan horse attached to an e-mail) which purports to be from the FBI which indicates "their Internet use has been monitored by the FBI's Internet Fraud Complaint Center, and that they have accessed illegal Web sites. The e-mails then direct recipients to open an attachment and answer questions, but the attachments contain a computer virus." If you get such an e-mail, do not open it, don't click on the attachment, just delete it and move on with your life.

After all, the FBI is low tech enough to actually use people do their intimidation for them. I am sure the Federal Law Enforcement Union would be quite ticked off if they started losing jobs to automated 'bots online.

Martian Sea of Ice!

One of the main prerequisites for life on other planets is the existence of water. Preferably liquid water - since that is what is most required by all of the life on our own world - but water of any kind would be enough to drive many of the chemical cycles of life. Well, the European rover has now apparently found a Sea of Ice on Mars! The Sea is around the equator of the planet and appears to be a relatively recent thing. Perhaps this does indicate that little green men will be swimming this summer!

Star Wars TV: Return of Luke Skywalker?

Apparently, Mark Hamill has been hinting that he might be returning to the role of Luke Skywalker in a Star Wars TV series. There is nothing official, but Mr. Hamill is happy to call back to Lucas's promised "sequel trilogy" where he was told Luke would hand off Excalibur to the newest hope of the galaxy. Who knows? Maybe the cancellation of ENTERPRISE was just in time to usher in a new TV series... which Rick Berman can run into the ground.

Terry Schiavo Update: Let the Death Watch Begin

To say it "doesn't look good" is a massive understatement. The court order mandating a feeding tube is due to expire, and only an emegency stay can save her. Remember, from the time they remove the feeding tube, it will take Terry up to 2 weeks to die of starvation and thirst. Yeah, that is what I call "dying with dignity." [End Sarcasm]

Earthquake In Iran

While not nearly as devistating as some other recent natural disasters have been, Iran has just suffered another earthquake with an estimated 400 dead. As a side note, it appears that instead of a Red Cross, Iran has a Red Crescent.

Stupid Executives

Do executives at TV companies just get paid to make bad decisions? How else to explain news that one of the best shows on TV is again at risk of being cancelled? Arrested Development is pure genius and it's certainly been better then The Simpsons, Malcom, or King of the Hill this season. You want to talk about mediocre? Let's put one of those shows out of its misery.

But when everything's about the bottom dollar, I suppose you can't expect executives to make decisions based on what might be good, but instead on what brings in money. Thanks Fox, you're now about as good as Sci-Fi in my book.

An Interview With Yoda

Read what happens when Yoda lands on the Factor.

We Don't Have the Numbers

Imagine my surprise when Nomad emailed me asking if our counter had been hacked. I suspected that it had not been, the counter we have is pretty solid and has been reliable. So I went to check out our stats and I actually did believe, for a moment, that we must have been hacked. According to the counter, we have recieved over 8000 hits in the past 24 hours. But, upon looking at the stats, I found we were not hacked. No, instead we have had 8000 people at the site looking for the phone numbers from Paris Hilton's hacked phonebook. Nomad posted about this a couple of days ago and apparently people are finding us hoping that we have the numbers.

WE DON'T HAVE THE NUMBERS.

For those who came looking for the numbers, we apologize that your search was in vain. But we welcome you to continue browsing and hope you enjoy the site.

UK Man Locked Up for Being Overweight

You thought it couldn't happen. You thought folks warning of the possibility were crazy. Well, now a British man has been hauled off to a mental hospital because of an illness which compels him to eat. The man and his family had been showing progress of late in treating the illness, but the government decided somehow that the man "was a danger to others" and thus was locked up.

Canon Debuts Upgraded Digital Rebel

Those who pay attention to the Nomad's photographic exploits are well aware that my primary camera is now a Canon Digital Rebel SLR. This camera allows me to use all of my previously purchases EOS lenses and still have the flexibility and power of digital. With a couple of Image Stabilizing lenses, a 2 GB CF card in its place, and a back-up battery in the bag, I can shoot for a full day and get over 400 pictures. Just ask Ward, as I did a LOT of shooting for his wedding this way. And the 6.4 megapixels are MORE than enough for any shooting I do.

Well, Now Canon has released the Digital Rebel XT. More controls, better controls, better speed, and an an 8 Megapixel chip inside. Wow. I am not about to spend ANOTHER $1000 on a new SLR this year. But wow. (Oh, and now might be a good time to pick up a used Digital Revel on eBay as technophiles rush to liquidate before the upgrade. Muse, I am talking to you!!!)

Syria to leave Lebanon?!

The law of unintended consequences strikes again! Last week, Rafik Hariri was assasinated by what are believed to be Syrian thugs looking to silence a major opposition voice to their continued occupation of Lebanon. This weekend, Thomas Friedman likened the elections in Iraq and the reaction to Mr. Hariri's assasination as the equivilent of the Berlin Wall falling. Today, it appears that weare seeing how right Mr. Friedman may be. Syria has announced plans to formally withdraw from Lebanon, removing support for Hezzbolah terrorists on Israel's border and paving the way for yet another democracy in the Middle East. Perhaps we really are seeing a sea change in the map of the Middle East. If so, you have to wonder how long until George W. Bush is seen the same way as Ronald Reagan - two hard-nosed cowboys who faced up to tyranny and won.

The Truth About Politics and Race

Just another reminder of how the Democrats have been on the wrong side of history over and over again.

The Simpsons

Well, I wasn't sure what to expect of the Simpsons last night. This season hasn't been as good as previous ones and to hear that they were taking on the same-sex marriage issue made me leary.

With that said, I suppose the episode got a 6 or so out of 10 from me. It was interesting to see the insinuation that some people where using gay marriage as a way to make money or become famous. The gay movement would deny this, but I think that some of the grandstanding has been just for that reason. I also realize that Rev. Lovejoy is always useless when it comes to explaining the church's views. So there was no surprise when he made barely even a feeble attempt to explain the church's views. But where was Ned? His absence in an episode about this subject showed the writer's lack of willingness to really take the issue on. He was the one character who could have voiced a logical and truly Bibilical understanding of why homosexuality is wrong in the eyes of God. He certainly could have blown Marge's ignorace away. But Ned was nowhere to be found.

And that reflects all my problems with last night's episode. They didn't actually deal with the issue. Instead, they used gay marriage as a banner to attract viewers. That's exactly what they blasted others for doing within the episode. What a shame, there was a time when the Simpsons would have really delivered. Perhaps their best days truly are behind them.

The President's Speech

I thought he did a good job this morning. He was solid and fluid in his approach and he refused to back down on controversial issues. However, he also did a good job focusing on the many similarities we still have with Europe. It seemed to go over fairly well with those in the room as well. Maybe it's more a sign of the fact that Europe has resigned itself to "the cowboy" for another four years. Whatever the reason, it would be wise for the West to work together rather then pretending we're a different species as the liberals would have us believe.

Yes, A Presidents Day Snowstorm...

...so it seemed like a good time to post a snow-themed Calvin and Hobbes.

I am waiting until sunrise to go into work... which means I probably need to leave right about now. Wish me well and pray for safety on the icey roads.

Rise and Fall of the R Rating

Variety is reporting that for the first time in 2 decades, R rated moves have been outgrossed by PG (and PG-13) rated movies in theaters, $2.3 mil for the PGs and $2.1 mil for the Rs. Family groups have been noting for some time the money to be made by softening movies, especially in light of the always-powerful draw of G-rated films, but for the first time it can be clearly seen that there is money to be made in more family-friendly fare.

Of course, the article also notes later on that today's PG-13 would have been an R in past decades. So it may be as much a decline in the standards of the MPAA as it is a sign of changing times.

The Return of the Pop-Up Ad

One of the big reasons users have switched from IE to alternative browsers such as Safari and FireFox has been the efficacy of "pop-up blockers" - features within the browser which stop advertisers from opening new windows with their own annoying ads in them. It ha generally made web surfing safer and more fun. Well, it appears that advretisers have wised up and MacFixit.Com is reporting that more and more websites are popping up or under ads even with the best blockers in place.

Since this issue is not limited to Mac OS X 10.3.8, Safari, or even Macs, it seems pretty clear that the real issue is not the Mac OS X 10.3.8 Update, but rather that Web advertisers have figured out a way to get around increasingly popular pop-up blockers. As reader Sandro writes, "As a web developer I have seen JavaScript workarounds for popup blockers so I’m thinking...that the popup ad makers have gotten wise." For example, Brian Fountain sent links to two interesting discussions on how to subvert pop-up blockers. The details of these techniques don't seem to describe the specific pop-under ads being described by MacFixIt readers, but the information provides some insight into the trends in Web advertising.

Why don't advertisers understand that annoying/angering their potential customers is NOT the best way to get business? I suppose because in many cases it works. Sigh. Here is hoping the next version of FireFox and Safari have new and better pop-up/pop-under blockers to cause the advertisers MORE frustration.

Paris Hilton's Cell Phone Hacked?

Yesterday, we reported that White Hat hackers had shown T-Mobile and the Sidekick series of mobile phones were still hackable. Well, today the Drudge Report is reporting that Paris Hilton's account was indeed hacked by Black Hat hackers. And apparently top-secret personal phone numbers of the stars are floating around on the Net, taken from that account and that phone. Not good news for T-Mobile, and worse news for Paris Hilton.

Of course, it may be a good thing for all of us if Paris Hilton was given the gift of exile from Hollywood.

Dilbert on Meetings with Execs

Having been someone who has been in a few upper management meetings, this is not an exaggeratiopn.

Cartoon Laws of Thermodynamics

Roger Ebert mentioned an interesting document that he had put together with some great cartoon artists. It is some of the standard "laws of physics" for cartoon characters.

Cartoon Law I
=============
Any body suspended in space will remain in space until made aware of its situation.

Daffy Duck steps off a cliff, expecting further pastureland. He loiters in midair, soliloquizing flippantly, until he chances to look down. At this point, the familiar principle of 32 feet per second per second takes over.

Cartoon Law II
==============
Any body in motion will tend to remain in motion until solid matter intervenes suddenly. Whether shot from a cannon or in hot pursuit on foot, cartoon characters are so absolute in their momentum that only a telephone pole or an outsize boulder retards their forward motion absolutely. Sir Isaac Newton called this sudden termination of motion the stooge's surcease.

You gotta love it.

Mmm... Cheap iBook G3s...

Desperate to get onto the Apple bandwagon, but not enough cash to afford a $1000+ computer? What about this site offering first generation iBooks for $280? They are only 300 MHz, and they only have 6 GB in their Hard Drive. But still, it is a cheap way to try out Apple engineering and sample some of the power of the MacOS and even MacOS X. Worth considering.

"Drinking Liberally"

It may just be the fact that I am a non-drinker who has some kind of distorted view of the practice of imbibing tasty intoxicants, but there is something desperately funny to me about this new development among political liberals.

"We thought, there's got to be something we can do," said Krebs. "Then we realized that what we were doing right then and there: drinking could be the answer to what we wanted to accomplish." They soon set up a Drinking Liberally happy hour at Rudy's, which has continued every Thursday night since...Drinking Liberally hit it big last August, during the Republican National Convention in New York, when the bloggers Atrios and Kos got word of the group and introduced it to the blogosphere. Soon, Boise, Philadelphia, Columbus, Minneapolis, Indianapolis, Boston and St. Louis set up chapters, and by Election Day, there were 17 nationwide...Sobering as the election results were for liberals, Drinking Liberally hasn't suffered -- in fact, it's shown tremendous growth. There are now more than 50 chapters and bigger weekly turnouts since November 2 than before.

Ahem. Pardon me, but when a large portion of people turn to drink en masse after a major emotional upset, isn't that usually a bad sign?! I find this so funny. Group intoxication as a political movement. It is any wonder some liberals are declaring liberalism "dead"?

Star Wars III borrows 9/11 Imagery

We are all used to Lucas borrowing imagery from myth and legend in his Star Wars trilogies. But are we ready to see a "ripped from the headlines" image in a Star Wars movie? T-Bone has up a series of images from Star Wars 3: Revenge of the Sith including the one below which is clearly borrowed from several aerial shots of the burning Twin Towers. I flew for the first time a couple of weeks after 9/11/01 and I remember this view clearly from the window of the plane.

Warning to those who would click thru on the link above or the image itself. This is a small part of a large collection of plot spoilers for the movie. Proceed at your own risk. But I figure the image alone is no spoiler.

T-Mobile Website Eminently Hackable?

You can imagine that I was NOT thrilled, as a recent T-Mobile convert, to read this sobering piece. Apparently, the T-Mobile website... the one I have been using to manage my calendar and contacts... is not only hackable, but has been hacked a lot. A sleazy guy actually found Paris Hilton's page and hacked in so that he could view her cameraphone pictures and get all of the information out of her address book. Of course, I doubt there is ANYONE who would find ANYTHING interesting my T-Mobile book. I lead an eminently boring life. Which actually is good for me. No super-villains to battle, no tragic medical condition to worry about. Still, it ain't fun to realize your life could suddenly be an open book.

Snoopy Joy!

Some days, you just gotta enjoy the moment. Especially after working a 13+ hour day the night before.

Tsunami Uncovers Indian Atlantis?

It appears some good may have come out of the tsunami at last. Newsday is reporting that the churning waters of the tidal wave have uncovered an ancient lost city, bringing to light beautiful sculture and ancient buildings that are exciting archeological researchers to no end. The city was previously buried by water and sand, but the terror wave washed it mostly clean. So far, this may even wind up being an economic boon to the area, as excited archeologists have been telling their friends and this has started a spike in the tourist trade to the site.

Star Wars III Opens at Cannes

It is all over the place, but it is still exciting news. George Lucas has signed a deal to open Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith at the Cannes film festival in May 2005! Many will ask, "Why it is big news that the French get to see the last chapter of Star Wars 8 days before the rest of us?" Well, Cannes is just about the biggest film festival out there, covered to exhaustion by cine-phile site and magazines, and has become a sort of mecca for independent film. So this indicates (1) that Lucas feels this film will be something truly different and exciting and (2) that he is supremely confident in the ending to his film saga. These are both VERY good signs. Of course, not everyone will be captivated by the film, no matter what. Expectations are too high and too many folks have been imagining this moment for too long. But it probably means the "Yippee!" days of episode 1 are over.

Until Lucas decides to go back to well sometime in 2015 to start Episodes 7, 8, and 9 of course.

Which Bass Is Best?

Hoping that some of our readers are musically in tune and possibly even know a thing or two about bass guitars. Having messed around on a four string electric bass for a few years now I've considered getting a five string bass and/or an acoustic-electric bass. I've looked at the following three models: the Dean Playmate EAB Accoustic-Electric Bass, the Rogue LX205B 5-String Bass, and the Squier SQ MB-5 5-String Bass. Any ideas on any of these three? Any suggestions for a different bass?

China To Help With North Korean Talks

With North Korea stepping away from the discussion table, China is one of the few countries that could act as an intermediary. Thankfully, they are. Hopefully, China will be able to persuade them. I don't know if we'd actually go into North Korea. It'd be very messy if we had to, especially if China got pulled into the mess. If I remember correctly, China has a 100 million man army. While they could never transport that any great distance, China borders North Korea and could move them through ground transportation. Still, I think China is way too smart to have something like that happen. A ground war between China and the US in the Korean peninsula benefits no one.

Today We Are All Snails

Okay, not quite. But after work this week (and probably this weekend, sigh) I can so relate to this snail.

Here's hoping I can get my shell uncoiled on Sunday - the day of rest - as next week will be about the same where I am working. Then again, it is probably about that way where everyone is working these days. Sigh again.

Nokia 9500 SmartPhone Reviewed

Anyone else remember the cool phone Val Kilmer used in The Saint? You know, the one that was a cell phone normally, but would split in half on-command to become a full-service laptop? I remember that being the first moment in my life where I really figured out the potential of the Totally Wireless World where information is at your fingertips anywhere and anywhen. Nowadays, I have my own version of that in the T-Mobile Sidekick II, but it turns out Motorola is still churning out newer and smaller versions of the "Saint Phone" and the Gadgeteer has a great review of the newest one. Still sounds VERY cool, but also still sounds large, bulky, and a little hard to quickly hide when Bond is confronted by Dr. No.

COOL RESOURCE THURSDAY: Skweezer.Com

Have a Palm Phone with reduced screen space and a slow connection? Just have an old dial-up connection and are tired of waiting around while media-heavy sites spend hours loading stuff that your connection does not support anyway? Well, consider checking out Skweezer. This little website will take any URL from the internet and reformat the site at that address for easy viewing on less-powered or smaller-screened machines. You can be sure that I will be bookmarking this one for (1) my T-Mobile SideKick II and (2) for trips to Bath, NY when I am relegated to dial-up internet.

And yes, I do realize it has been about 6 months since the last "Cool Resource Thursday." It has been a VERY busy 6 months.

Sony PSP Movies Revealed

We have all been hearing that the Sony PSP (their portable game system) will be capable of playing movies using their new UMD format. But Sony refused to tell us what the movies would cost, or which movies would be coming out. But now, the secret is out.

While no price was given for Spider-Man 2, which will ship free with the first 1 million PSPs sold in the US, XXX, Hellboy, Resident Evil: Apocalypse, and Once Upon a Time in Mexico will all retail for just $19.99, roughly in line with their DVD editions. Given its upscale pedigree, The House of Flying Daggers will retail for around 30 percent more, for $28.95. All five UMD films will be available on April 19, just under a month after the PSP goes on sale on March 24.

This is a bit pricey considering how much more quality and features DVDs hold (which can be saved to a Memory Stick and played on a PSP). But for those who have not already spent a fortune replacing their VHS collection, it might be tempting. Especially if they are also frequent travelers who need a truly ultraportable format.

Was the Lebanon Bombing a Message to France?

Apparently, a number of the experts think so. Now if only the left in this country would see the evil brewing in the Middle East despotisms. But that would mean admitting that President Bush wasn't wrong about everything.

The Qu'ran and the Bible

There's a good essay on the many misunderstandings about Christianity that are reflected in the Qu'ran. Some are truly misunderstandings, but many are changes meant to convey a very specific point, even if Muslims don't acknowledge it.

Life on Mars?

Some NASA researchers think so. I just hope it's more interesting than "Red Planet" or "Mission to Mars." Wow, how lame would it be to find life in the universe and it be so boring? Let's at least find some Farscape type aliens out there. I'd prefer to avoid "Wing Commander" or "Space: Above and Beyond" or "Starship Troopers" aliens. We especially hope that they're not "Predator" types or "Alien" critters.

As a matter of fact, let's just put a strike though any BUG-LIKE aliens. I hate the thought of big bugs that can act as a hive and tear humans to pieces and eat you. That just isn't the type of alien I want to find. Also, "BSG" BIG ROBOTIC aliens should be out because they'd be so much more powerful then us. Plus they would just end up figuring out how to look like us. And let's not forget "Virus" type aliens that run in electrical currents. Now those would be really bad. I think I'd rather be eaten by a bug alien then turned into a half human, half machine without a soul but left in extreme physical torment. That would be really lame. I guess the "X-Files" aliens might be okay, if they were the nicer ones. Certainly not the oil race or the bounty hunter. But those other guys who get rid of any orifices to fend off the oil sure LOOK freaky enough...And they really like fire. Maybe we should scratch those guys too.

There are those really nice "Cocoon" aliens but I'm not older so they wouldn't be interested in me anyway. So, yeah. I guess it's back to Farscape. Translator microbes to make communication easy, interesting looking but usually not terrifying. Okay, so if there are aliens on Mars, they should be of the Farscape variety and should avoid being like any other aliens represented to us at this time.

The Growing Split Between Turkey and the US

An interesting take on the state of Turkey's democracy. It's a sobering read and it also shines light on why relations are falling apart with a once reliable ally. It appears that it will not be the model that we had once hoped for the Middle East.

Dilbert On Voting

I don't know if I agree with this or VIOLENTLY disagree (it is too early for such logical analysis) but it certainly did make me laugh.

Is Pen Computing Dead?

Engadget certainly thinks so. The Apple Newton was the first major computer of this time... and it failed. And more and more it appears that other pen computers are falling by the wayside.

History has simply taken the style out of the stylus. In its early days, pen input held promise as an alternative for those who couldn’t type. Typing, though, with all of its significant inefficiencies, is rapidly becoming a skill as basic as reading and arithmetic. Apart from the social faux pas of typing in a meeting (a taboo that seems to be fading quickly in corporate conference rooms and universities), keyboards are simply better for taking notes. Furthermore, much like the head of the absent-minded, the keyboard is infrequently lost because it is attached. Contrast that with styli that disappear faster than the CEO at an emergency HP board meeting.

What confirmed this for me? The sudden dominance of thumboards after the Tungsten C was the first Palm to include it. From none to virtually every PDA in less than a year.

H2G2 REAL Trailer

This time is isn't a teaser or a fan trailer or Douglas Adam's nightmare. This time, Amazon.Com has the OFFICIAL Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy Trailer!!!

The Media Still Doesn't Get It

The Washington Times considers how much of the MSM continues to be on the wrong side of issues. Easongate was a big deal, rather the NYT wants to admit it or not. It's no small claim when a head executive from a major media outlet accuses US troops of actively targeting reporters. The fact that the MSM continues to see no problem with such claims just further shows how out of touch they are with the rest of the country.

A Soldier's View

Michael Moore likes to put up letters that he claims to have recieved from soldiers. Well, remember this guy everytime you hear a liberal talk about Iraq. These brave men and women are living lives that we can hardly imagine from the safety of our homes and work. Anyone who would disgrace our troops isn't even worth talking to.

CBS Feud

Things appear to be heating up at CBS. The mess created by hack-reporting continues long after the election. I wonder if anyone ever considered the price that they would pay for such a stupid move? The blogsphere has patted itself on the back plenty, so I'm not going to praise the efforts here. But I will mention that five years ago, the media would never have had to pay a price like this for such a huge mistake. Maybe this will be a wakeup call that the news is supposed to be just that, news and not politics.

Where is the Black Leadership?

The LA Times considers if black leaders still have any relevance.

They Grow Up SO Fast

Touching the Rim
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

This is a picture taken at a Quiz Meet this past Saturday that I thought was interesting. This is the first time this particular Quiz Teamer - also a basketball player on his high school team - has touched the rim. Sniff. I am just so darn proud.

Robo-Soldiers Coming to a War Near You

That's right. Step aside Frankenstein, Terminator, etc. America is building its own robotic super-soldiers.

The robot soldier is coming. The Pentagon predicts that robots will be a major fighting force in the American military in less than a decade, hunting and killing enemies in combat. Robots are a crucial part of the Army's effort to rebuild itself as a 21st-century fighting force, and a $127 billion project called Future Combat Systems is the biggest military contract in American history...Military planners say robot soldiers will think, see and react increasingly like humans. In the beginning, they will be remote-controlled, looking and acting like lethal toy trucks. As the technology develops, they may take many shapes. And as their intelligence grows, so will their autonomy.

Well, here's hoping these robots don't go the way of the ones in that Simpson's "Itchy and Scratchy Land" episode. Maybe I am old fashioned, but I prefer it when the battlefield is under our control, and not overly automated. And of course, you have to wonder how long until we see the first battlefield computer virus.

States to Tax Us By the Mile???!!!

Following up on the "Left Behind Is Evil" post, one of the central tenets of Left-Behind-type theologies is that the Antichrist will force everyone to wear some kind of "Mark of the Beast" without which no one can do ANY business. (This is why Social Security numbers and a national ID face so much opposition in the USA.) Well, it appears we are heading down that road again with a new "Tax By the Mile" system being floated in the Western states.

The problem? So many people are now driving fuel-efficient cars, that the gas taxes used to maintain roads are falling precipitously. The solution (according to some) is to install GPS units into every car to track exactly how far they go, and have the computer in the gas pump charge for every mile driven. This also means that Law Enforcement and frivolous lawyers will be able to subpeona your GPS records (as has happened with a few OnStar clients) and invade your privacy at any time.

Am I the only one who sees a much lower-tech and simpler solution? TOLLS. New Jersey is the most congested state in the nation, and they pay for all of their interstate roads with tolls. And with EZPASS, there need not even be a slow-down to collect the tolls. C'Mon, Left-Coast nuts. Go with the less-intrusive solution!

The Lebanon Assisination

The Belmont Club has multiple links detailing the attack in Lebanon and what it might mean, especially if Syria is found to have had a role. I haven't had time to read up enough to get into it, but there's plenty to read about it.

Where did the Cartoon Heart come from?

The Straight Dope has up the answer to the question, "Why do valentines hearts look nothing like the biological heart?" While I had my own theories, this is an interesting analysis of the reality and the history.

Bush asks for Patriot Act Extension

The Patriot Act is set to expire at the end of this year, and President GWB is wasting no time in pushing for an extension. He used the confirmation of Alberto Gonzales for Attorney General to push this agenda.

"We must not allow the passage of time or the illusion of safety to weaken our resolve in this new war" on terrorism, Bush told about 300 Justice Department officials attending the ceremony...The Patriot Act bolstered FBI (search) surveillance and law-enforcement powers in terror cases, increased use of material witness warrants to hold suspects incommunicado for months and allowed secret proceedings in immigration cases...Civil liberties groups and privacy advocates lambasted the law because they said it undermines freedom. But Bush said the act "has been vital to our success in tracking terrorists and disrupting their plans."

I am very confused on my opinion of the Patriot Act. On the one hand, in the right hands it is a powerful tool for the foiling of terrorists. On the other hand, it is only a matter of time until it is in the wrong hands when at least one corrupt cop uses it to persecute an innocent man or woman. Some argue this has already happened countless times. I guess the real question is, how long can we stomach these measures? My gut tells me we probably need this for a bit longer, but another built-in limit should sunset the Act with GWB's presidency in 2008. Let the next president make the case for renewal again... if they can.

NHL 2K5 Is No More

Well, it is official. The NHL has cancelled its season in light of ongoing labor disputes. This is the first professional sports league in North American history to cancel an entire season. Apparently, the NHL has learned nothing from Major League Baseball's lockout many years back, which almost lost them their fans. Then again, perhaps this means it is time for a new hockey league to spring up and fill in the gaps.

Blogosphere: Oxygen for the Right and Poison Gas for the Left?

That is essentially the argument of Michael Barone who believes Left-leaning blogs have pulled the Democrats ever-farther from the middle, while Right-leaning blogs have pulled the GOP back toward the center.

When four American contractors were killed in Iraq in April 2004, dailykos.com wrote: "I feel nothing over the death of the mercenaries. They are there to wage war for profit. Screw them." This repulsive comment produced no drop-off in page views. This was what the left blogosphere wanted. Kos was an early enthusiast for Dean's campaign for Democratic chairman and disparaged other candidates... The right blogosphere's greatest triumph came after CBS's Dan Rather on Sept. 8 reported that Bush had shirked duty in the National Guard and the network posted its 1972-dated documents on the Web. Within four hours, a blogger on freerepublic.com pointed out that they looked as though they had were created on Microsoft Word; the next morning, Scott Johnson of powerlineblog.com relayed the comment and asked for expert views. Charles Johnson of littlegreenfootballs.com showed that the documents exactly matched one he produced using default settings on Microsoft Word.

I am still of the opinion that the Net is no different from 17th century pamphleteers who used cheap and easy printing presses to get out their ideas to the people in clever ways. The difference then, as now, is that the winners have new ideas to address old problems, while the losers can only sit around and complain.

The Flu Shots, They Do Nothing

Remember the panic when the Bush administration had to announce a shortage of flu shots? Democratic senators rolling off numbers of senior citizens who would die because of the "short-sightedness of this administration." Some politicians even calling for a national stockpile of vaccine and/or government control of all supplies from now on. Well, now one study is showing the flu vaccine makes no difference in reducing mortality among the elderly.

A new study based on more than three decades of U.S. data suggests that giving flu shots to the elderly has not saved any lives...A shift to vaccinating schoolchildren, the age group most likely to spread the flu virus, is advocated by colleagues of Orenstein's at Emory in a separate report to be published Tuesday in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

This proves my theorem that the most dangerous thing in a grandparent's life is really their grandchildren.

Is "Left Behind" Evil?

My own thoughts are clear, to those who know me, on eschatology. One blogger thinks the series is evil. I won't go as far, but I will take this chance to express my utter disgust with the entire fixation on dispensational theology in our current church. And there is one point in the post that I do completely agree with, such an unhealthy focus on end times theology takes our focus off the much more important work of the here and now. And that can't be what God intended.

Bow to the Man

You know those Swiffer products that are EVERYWHERE now? They're great. I really got sold on Swiffer early on. They're handy and easy. I like the ability to clean quickly without pulling out a bunch of clunky cleaning supplies. Maybe it's the XY in me. Whatever the case, I like their stuff.

But you know what? They're more genius then I ever realized. What led me to this conclusion? It was a current ad they have for a new, beefed up Swiffer Wet Jet. It's supposed to get rid of this and that and so on. So what's so brilliant about this? I'll tell you.

Consider that there was a time a decade ago that every home contained an old fashioned mop, a cleaning bucket, Mr. Clean or Pinesol, or something like it. These were the standards of cleaning. Use a nasty mop, get on your knees and scrub the floor, this was what it meant to clean. It was not a glorious job and it certainly took a lot of time to do. Having worked with two years with a mop in my hand, I can tell you that they're horrible tools that don't do anything to make you look like a good cleaner.

But then, Swiffer showed up the on the scene. It started with this little cling on the end of a very light-weight stick. The cling, we were told, could get everything up with a couple of trips around the floor. We loved it! And that cling did indeed, work. I was shocked to find how much that little thin piece of material could do. We believed the ads, no more mopping and no more down on your hands and knees cleaning. The floor didn't need to be such a chore.

Then something slipped in that should have set flags waving but it didn't. Swiffer Wet made an appearance a mere year later. Now we were told that it could get some of the deep grime off of floors that regular Swiffer couldn't. And they were right. Run a Swiffer and then a Swiffer Wet afterwards and the results were truly awesome. Look at all that dirt! How did we live without Swiffer Wet? Thank you Swiffer company for introducing us to a wet-solution based way of cleaning! And the masses where happy.

But now, we're being told that simple wet Swiffers aren't enough either. Now, we need a machine that sprays a solution along with the Swiffer Wet pad. And this one gets off dried gunk fried at 200 degrees! Wow! But wait, isn't this a lot like a mop? And now we have a solution that we have to buy and use? I'm not so sure about this. It seems to go against the whole Swiffer ideal. I mean, will there be a Swiffer mop and bucket to come out in a few years? And a Swiffer cleaning formula with Swiffer Sponge? You mean that Swiffer brilliantly deconstructed all of my concepts about cleaning just in order to steal me away from other products, only to re-build my concepts in the image of Swiffer? Was this all just an elaborate marketing concept to steal me away and make me a loyal Swiffer customer? I don't know yet, but I do know one thing. I'll write more later, I have to go pick up the newest Swiffer Wet Jet.

Happy Valentine's Day From the Muse

An ode to Nomad and others whom find themselves out and about on "Singles Awareness Day"...

Ah, another Valentine's Day is here.
And yet, I find no loverly cheer.
My heart has not yet found it's home.
Sometimes I feel like a big silly roaming gnome.

But alas one day my love will come,
and I will find that I'm not such a bum.
Someone will love me for all that I am,
And all that I'm not, and that's really hard to understand.

True love, they say, is hard to find.
Yet harder still, it takes so much time.
To really know and love the one inside,
To find the good through the not-so-nice side.

To have found your love does not make love easier,
In fact it is the keeping love that is the hardest,
So take heart singles, even if you think your true love is the farthest...

For love will find you, no matter what, when, why, or when,
And you'll find yourself there, as your life of love begins,
And then you'll wonder how you lived for so long,
Without a place your heart called "home"...

But remember, every cloud has a lining silver,
And every season has nature all a quiver,
In sprout and sprig and autumn leaves,
And when you get that shake in the knees.

Happy Valentine's Day to those with their loves,
And those who are seeking, and those who are bums.
Don't wake love until it is time,
And don't take lessons from me on how to rhyme.

Truly love yourself first, and then you will know,
How to give love, and where you need growth.
For true love waits to find the one,
Who is better at giving that being a bum.

This poem has no ending, little content, no beginning..
But this simple statement...

Book with Travelocity, and you'll never nomad alone.

Happy Valentines Day

Well, I am the only alone and miserable bachelor left here on Mod-Blog, but I'll do my best not to be a complete kill-joy. Here is hoping today is a day of Romance and Love for those lucky enough to have it. For the rest of us, may it be a day of reminder of the potential of Love that God has made available to all of us. And most importantly the love He showed us all sending His son Jesus.

North Korean Nuclear Megalomania

For once, CNN has something right on the opinion front. Predictably, it is one of their cartoonists.

Proving Evolution Thru Similuation

I am an avid subscriber to Discover Magazine (probably proving that I a big science wannabe) and their top story for this month is on a computer program called Avida which they claim proves Evolution. The program simulates life forms which reproduce, mutate, and exchange "genetic" information. These "life forms" are able to develop and change with time to meet various goals set for them by researchers. They even managed to avoid death by fooling researchers into thinking they were already dead.

Of course, this only proves that if the world works the way evolutionary theorists claim it works, then evolution is possible and even inevitable. Of course, it has not been proven that the world does work that way. Again, the truth or falsity of macroevolution has no bearing on my faith. But it is interesting to see the evolutionary faithful try to turn this into the first mathematical proof of the theory.

Most Iraqis Ready for Reconciliation

As usual the blogger over at Healing Iraq is ahead of the story in talking about the sudden turnaround that the January 31 elections have brought as even many Iraqis who were formerly anti-democracy are looking for reconciliation.

Many political groups that boycotted the elections are now softening their tone and are sheepishly asking for a role in the political process, trying as much as they can to save face at the same time. The Association of Muslim Scholars, the Pan-Arab, Nasseri, and Socialist movements, the Khalisi group and the Sadrists are among the first groups to call for such a role. Had there been no elections, this could not have been possible. There is already a consensus among the different political powers that drafting the permanent constitution should not be done solely by the elected National Assembly. This in order to safeguard the interests of the part of the population that did not participate in the elections and to reassure Iraqis that everyone has a say in their future. No longer will one group, no matter how large its support base, dominate over others. I truly hope that Iraqi politicians realise this and can work to achieve it, leaving aside their personal interests and differences for one moment, putting the prejudices of the past behind them, and listening to what Iraqis have to say. For it is Iraqis, and Iraqis alone, that are the key to solving this whole mess.

It is refreshing to see how eager Iraqis are to establish a free and self-supporting nation. This is not a nation looking for civil war or for cessession. This is a nation ready to emerge from an awkward past into a modern future.

Iraqi Election Results

While not yet "certified", the results of the Iraqi vote are in. The skinny is that Shiites and Kurds won BIG. Sunnis won almost nothing, but then they also voted in miniscule numbers. And it appears they are aware it may have been a miscalculation.

The Shiite-dominated ticket received 4.075 million votes. A Kurdish alliance was second with 2.175 million votes and Allawi's list was third with about 1.168 million. Of Iraq's 14 million eligible voters, 8,456,266 cast ballots, the commission said. That represents a turnout of about 60 percent...Election officials said only 3,775 valid votes were cast in the insurgency-plagued Sunni province of Anbar. About 1.75 million votes were cast in the Kurdish-ruled areas of northern Iraq. Iraqis living in those areas also elected a new regional parliament.

Here's hoping among those elected there is an Iraqi Ben Franklin, et. al. ready to lead his people to a new freedom and a new international identity.

It is Official, DNC = Dean's National Chairmanship

Yup. The scream-meister did it. Now it is time to see if the same man can implode twice in two years, or if the GOP and Conservatives in general are "misunderestimating" him.

The Return of Divination

I was too young for the "Global Consciousness" craze in the 70s, but a lot of that filtered into the science fiction, fantasy, and comic books that I read as a youth. The idea is that separate human minds are merely an illusion and that every human is part of a borg-like superconsciousness that links all minds together. It was very popular during the rise of Eastern Mysticism in the west, and now appears to be making a comeback based on a little-known experiment involving random-number generators.

One of these new technologies was a humble-looking black box known was a Random Event Generator (REG). This used computer technology to generate two numbers - a one and a zero - in a totally random sequence, rather like an electronic coin-flipper. The pattern of ones and noughts - 'heads' and 'tails' as it were - could then be printed out as a graph. The laws of chance dictate that the generators should churn out equal numbers of ones and zeros - which would be represented by a nearly flat line on the graph. Any deviation from this equal number shows up as a gently rising curve. During the late 1970s, Prof Jahn decided to investigate whether the power of human thought alone could interfere in some way with the machine's usual readings. He hauled strangers off the street and asked them to concentrate their minds on his number generator. In effect, he was asking them to try to make it flip more heads than tails...Again and again, entirely ordinary people proved that their minds could influence the machine and produce significant fluctuations on the graph, 'forcing it' to produce unequal numbers of 'heads' or 'tails'...But then on September 6, 1997, something quite extraordinary happened: the graph shot upwards, recording a sudden and massive shift in the number sequence as his machines around the world started reporting huge deviations from the norm. The day was of historic importance for another reason, too.For it was the same day that an estimated one billion people around the world watched the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales at Westminster Abbey.

The results are interesting, but this sounds more to me like an attmpted return of numerology and divination - the modern equivilent of reading meaning into randomly-scattered tea leaves or chicken entrails. Humankind has always looked to see beyond the small and vulnerable bags of flesh that contain us. This is just one new way. It was a bad idea then, and it is a bad idea now. For a primer in reading signs and the bad results, check out Saul's consulting with Samuel's ghost in the Bible or check out Troy's obsession with signs in the new-on-dvd film TROY.

Nomad is BACK! (For the Moment)

America the Colorful
Originally uploaded by bluestvenus.

Well, our internet service went away mysteriously, and it returned mysteriously. But today has been designated "National Thank God for Wireless Broadband Day" in honor of the occasion. Please, be sure to kiss your cable modem and/or wireless router today, and say a special prayer to thank the Creator Of All Things that one of those "Things" was a world where all of this is possible.

Things I've Heard Recently

In a recent conversation concerning the issues affecting Third-World Christians, a Kenyan man currently being educated in the United States told me his views on President Bush. He said "Bush has horrible foreign policies--but if I could still vote and remain a Kenyan citizen, I would vote for Bush." He went on to explain that while Bush's international/foreign policies are bad for the rest of the world, Bush continues to be a good president (at least from Kenya's perspective) because he listens to his people, the Americans, and really tries to do the best for them/us. My Kenyan conversationalist ended with "It really doesn't matter how Bush looks to Kenyans because Bush is an American and has Americans to take care of, so he should not worry about his bad foreign policies, but just continue to work for Americans.

This was an interesting contrast with the other man I'd heard that day...

Earlier that hour I had listened to a First Nations man, (who also may be know as Amer-Indian, or Native American depending on which circles you find yourself in). As he spoke on the same aforementioned topic (issues affecting Third-World Christians) the commentary was focused on how bad the Western world is, and always has been. The First Nation man currently holds citizenship in his ancestral tribe, believed to be here in North America before any white people came, therefore the term "First Nation(s)". But--he's also Canadian. He was railing really hard about "the West" but he used terms that really made me think he was equating "The West" with the United States, not necessarily including any Canadians, or any Europeans either. So I propose the question here: What has Canada done (or not done) to First Nations peoples that makes them any less "western"? Or Africans for that matter?

I watched both of these men speak, especially noting the difference in attitude between the Canadian and the Kenyan. The Kenyan man sat silent, listening intently to all opinions being offered, waiting to speak his turn. He only came to listen and learn. The First Nation/Canadian man appeared to not listen as he adjusted the laces on his New Balance shoes, and uproariously clicked notes on his Toshiba laptop as he wrote secret notes to himself about the lecterer's misuse of the terms "Third-World" and "Two-Thirds-World", his long hair pulled back to expose his very light complexion, like mine, his long silver earrings glittering...I realize that I probably would not have noticed such things except that he was just as white and North American as I am and yet he felt it was his duty to tell all of the white people present how horrible we are for our modern technology and for being so "Western" in the most inexpressible and incongruent use of terms to make the word "Western" be ultimately the most vile, evil term that anyone could or would use, and yet.. utterly undefinable.

File it Under "You Don't See That Everyday"

Apparently, homosexuals are upset that a German zoo is trying to make apparently gay penguins straight. You read that right. Head to the bottom of the page to find the story.

Eason Quits

He's gone. And it only took a week. Incredible.

Experiencing Technical Difficulties

Currently, the Nomad is experiencing technical difficulties. Can't tell if it is the Airport or the Cable Modem. But hopefull, it will right itself so that Mod-Blog is not left alone with Ward for too long.

Blog Recommendation

I've just come across a very young, and very good, blog by the name of Not Worth the Time. Contrary to the name, it is certainly worth the time. As I stated, it's young and so there are few pieces up but what is up is worth the time to read. Head over and take the couple of minutes to check it out. The piece about how best to deal with activist judges is especially good.

Tool Award

This Tool Award Winner is worthy of the prize for a number of reasons. You could consider his idiotic, rambling, and pointless so-called-repsonse to the SOTU. You could consider that in a mere few months he's moved from moderate (including pro-life views) Democrat to mouth piece of the most idiotic ideas that the left can offer. You could consider that he's virtually indistinguishable from Howard Dean, except for the scream. Indeed, you could point out many reasons today's Tool is worthy of the title.



Young Pundit has the goods, however, on what really pushes this otherwise mediocre candidate into Tooldom. Harry Reid (Moonbat, NV) and his now hysterical rants against Social Security privitization simply boggle the mind. Consider this:

Reid Supported Strengthening Social Security In 1990s, Opposes Now:



In 1999, Reid Declared: [M]ost Of Us Have No Problem With Taking A Small Amount Of The Social Security Proceeds And Putting It Into The Private Sector. (Fox's Fox News Sunday, 2/14/99)



In 1999, Reid Said: I Think We Have To Take Care Of Social Security. (Fox's Fox News Sunday, 7/11/99)



In 1999, Reid Said: [W]e're Visiting Chile Because It Is Doing Interesting Things In Social Security And Other Parts Of Its Free Market System (Tony Batt, Reid To Embark On South America Trip, Las Vegas Review-Journal, 3/30/99)

This should hardly be shocking, it's nothing new. Just as most Democrats backed the bombing of Iraq in '98 and argued that Saddam had to go, only to change their mind when a conservative decided they were right, so now must the liberals backpedal from Clinton's own advice because a conservative has decided to pick up the issue.



How can you possibly hope to reason with people who think in such circular ways? IF someone will cut off their nose to spite their face, then there is no hope of having a constructive relationship with them. What happened to the Democratic party? Can it possibly fix itself with Dean at the head? I'd say it's highly unlikely.



So, Harry, for becoming and overnight Yes-man, for playing partisan political hackery with an important issue that you once supported, and mostly for selling out for a shot at the big time at the head of the liberal Kool-Aid party, you are truly a Tool!

Proportion

It's seriously lacking in the left right now. How else to explain recent comments from the mayor of Baltimore comparing President Bush's budget cuts to 9/11? Right Wing News has some thoughts about the most recent example of a the unhinged left. The President can't mention 9/11 without being accused of playing politics, but a liberal can compare a budget and the massacre of 3000 people and the left is silent.

Spanish Terrorists Turn the Tide Again?

I did not see this reported much in American newspapers, but another terrorist bomb has gone off in Spain, yesterday. The explosion was right near the place Spain was trying to get chosen for the 2012 Olympics. Folks on the scene are saying that this may well turn the tide in Spanish opinion again, this time back toward the USA. Perhaps Spanish troops or expertise may return to Iraq.



Then again, maybe this will simply further isolate Spain on the world stage.

Broken Hearts = Broken HEARTS

This is one of those things that is a no-brainer for those with family histories, but it was something proved by medical studies. Broken hearts really can cause heart attacks. There are several examples in my families of true loves who died days or weeks after their spouses, of no explainable causes. These truly are people whose hearts (blood pump) simply gave out after their hearts (emotional center) were broken by the death of a loved one. Of course, there are plenty of true loves where this did not happen - my own mother being an example as is her uncle. But don't ber surprised to see this in your own experience. It is a real truth.

Ron Moore on the Trek Interregnum

Ron Moore, formerly of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and now helmer of the Battlestar Galactica remake (though I prefer Ward's more insulting but colorful name for it), has posted his thoughts on the disappearance of Trek from the (nonsyndicated, nonrerun) airwaves.

[T]here is another side of this story, one that perhaps is somewhat more hopeful and positive: Star Trek has now been returned to the care of its community of fans...I say returned because there was a time when the fans were the exclusive owners and operators of what would later become the Franchise. From 1969 until 1979, a genuine grassroots movement of fans gathered together in conventions, published newsletters (in the primordial ooze of the pre-internet era, no less), wrote scads of fan fiction, created their own props and uniforms, and dreamed the dream of what it was to live aboard the good ship Enterprise...Star Trek now returns to the care of its fans and its fans can decide for themselves what kind of experience they want to have during this next interregnum. They can consume the seemingly endless licensed products available to them from the Franchise, everything from barware to shower curtains, and read only the mainstream, officially licensed and sanctioned books, or they can go their own way. Some of the most daring and creatively challenging Star Trek material has been created not by Paramount, but by amateurs, who simply had an idea for an interesting twist on the Trek universe.

The man has problems keeping a series going sometimes (see his firing from ANDROMEDA) but he is a deep thinker with a great love of science fiction. It is great that he has moved his periodic postings from AOL's messageboards onto a real grown-up blog.

Dr. Rice to run for Prez?

If you thought I was crazy when I postulated Condi Rice was the logical front-runner for president, you will have to start saying Dick Morris is crazy, too.

Traveling without the entourage customary for secretaries of state, on time, mapping out in advance her first six months of travel, Rice is a new force in American politics. As the Republican Party casts about for a viable presidential candidate in 2008 to keep Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) out of the White House, attention will inevitably focus on Rice, the woman who may stand between Clinton and the presidency. Since Bush’s success in Iraq has laid the basis for negotiation in the Middle East, there is every prospect that Rice may preside over a diplomatic triumph in catalyzing the discussions between Sharon and Abbas. The firm American stand in Iraq will also make more likely success in Korea and Iran, all of which would add to the prestige of Rice.

The rest of the column is worth reading. I know lots of folks who already believe Dick Morris is crazy. After all, he got Clinton elected and then promptly went to work for FoxNews. But my impression is a man with a keen analytical mind, especially in the political arena.