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

Sony Playstation 3 to meet XBox 360 at the same Price Point

It's not exactly an MSP, but according to this article the PS3 is going to be sold "between $300 and $400", when it finally debuts in mid-2006. This is the first time that Sony execs have been willing to give anything more than a vague "it'll be expensive" claim. This is good news for players who prefer the Playstation systems in general to Microsoft's models. However, with the XBox 360 debuting, well, TODAY it stands to make significant inroads during the Christmas buying season.

Assuming of course that they have enough on the shelves to have parents shell out the cash for one, versus a much cheaper Slimline PS2.

PureNard has seen the Narnia Movie

A friend-blog of ours, Them's Me Thoughts has up one of the first reviews of The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe from an early press screening. Nard's agent (he does voice-over work) is the same agent as Liam Neeson, so he had the inside track.

We all did. The film is wonderful. Not only is it a good story, with a great moral and spiritual message, but it has all the elements that make it a great movie. The director, Andrew Adamson, was able to get all of the important, and some of the unimportant but fun, details into the film without sacrificing the integrity of the story. He communicated the seriousness of the story, but didn’t sacrifice the humor and fun that Lewis brought to the book. And he did it all with style and grace, and great pacing.

It is official. I hate Nard for his good fortune. ;-) But seriously, his review makes me even MORE excited to see the film. And this is coming from a life-long C.S. Lewis fan.

High Tech Method to Beat Sony Rootkit: Scotch Tape

That's right yet another complicated copy protection system can be defeated with something found in every dorm room. The other solution, of course, is to turn off auto-run on your Windows PC or to simply NOT enter your admin password on your Mac.

Applying a piece of opaque tape to the outer edge of the disk renders the data track of the CD unreadable. A computer trying to play the CD will then skip to the music without accessing the bundled DRM technology.
"After more than five years of trying, the recording industry has not yet demonstrated a workable DRM scheme for music CDs," Gartner concluded in a newly published research note.
The use of a piece of tape will defeat any future DRM system on audio CDs designed to be played on a stand-alone CD player, the analyst said...
But the analyst advised that, instead of limiting what users can do with music they have already purchased, record labels should focus on tracking this use.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CRCHAIR!

Today is CRChair's birthday! He have been 4 years younger than me, but now he is only THREE years younger than I am! At this rate, he may be the older brother pretty soon. Wait, isn't that how it works?

Steve Jobs Parody on SNL

What iPod shopper has not felt like this?

This one is worth it for the last panel

Still going down

Still going down
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

My employer makes the front page...

...of an obscure Oracle database rag. Still, it is cool to read about others within our organization. The SOA stuff they mention is "Service Oriented Architecture" - basically exposing services to other systems can call your system to do units of work - and is something I have been working on for over a year now. My project is not the same as Greg's, but they are closely related. Greg, mentioned in the article, was my boss for the project before this one. I'll attach his picture here for your perusal, from the magazine cover.

More Black Friday Sales Circulars Leaked!

The New York Times has up (MB policy not to link articles from NYT) a story on the site BF2005.Com, which is dedicated to getting out Black Friday (day after Thanksgiving) circulars for as many stores around the country as possible. Wal-Mart is no longer alone in having their secrets leaked. Of cours, I still wonder how much of the Wal-Mart leak was truly "accidental."

It's Official: Nomad and Wedge are the WORST dressed Mod-Blog Staffers

Well, maybe Sean, too, depending on exactly how you classify his current employment priority. This article from Australia notes that the IT (IT = Information Technology = Computer Geeks) staff at companies are now considered the "worst dressed" class of worker. Between help desk and computer room operators who rarely see another human being in person, to dot-com startup castaways who are used to the informal style of silicon valley, it seems the people who can put together amazing machines and programs can't figure out that stripes do not go with plaid.

Of course, this is no real shock. Some stereotypes are offensive, but others reflect reality. And in the case of the Geek Stereotype, it is simply embraced by every tech person I know as an excuse not to dress up for work.

$100 Laptop Officially Unveiled!

After much hype - though honestly less than I expected - the people developing the $100 laptop have actually displayed a working model. This cheapo computing device is designed to be a tool for school children in developing nations, incorporating all free and open source software and including a hand crank to provide electricity in places where power outlets are less reliable than here in the USA. Check it out!

The thing is a little more "cute" than I expected, but has something of the original iBook around it. I suspect if they release a silver or black model and price it up a bit, they will find a large market for it in the consumer sector as well. Allegedly, the thing actually costs $110 to make, so it would make sense to sell higher-cost versions to the First World to subsidize free versions to the Developing World.

AICN posts Narnia Review

Ain't-It-Cool-News has up one of the first reviews of the new Narnia movie. Not very enlightening, unfortunately, but it is very positive.

Originally I thought this movie would make it or break it based on the battle scene, and it is a super important scene in the film. The number of creatures is plain staggering, from Cyclops to Cheetahs to Minotaurs to Gryphons to…things I didn’t even know the names of. It was fun to just look through the crowd and try to pick out all the species. Bravo to the creature shop boys at WETA.

Readers beware: The review contains some harsh non-family-friendly language, as do the comments afterwards. But I still had to post it as I am very eager to see this movie.

Dutch to Launch Investigation into Killing of.... A SPARROW!

You can't make this up. Truly. The article pretty much speaks for itself.

The Dutch animal protection agency said Tuesday it is investigating the shooting death of a sparrow that knocked over 23,000 dominoes during an attempt to set a world record.
The ill-fated bird flew into an exposition center, threatening to derail a world record Monday, before it was chased into a corner and shot by an exterminator with an air rifle..."That bird was flying around and knocking over a lot of dominoes. More than 100 people from 12 countries had worked for more than a month setting them up," he said...
"I think they were awfully fast to pull out a rifle," he said. "If a person started knocking over a few dominoes they wouldn't shoot him would they?"

I know "His eye is on the sparrow," but this is just ridiculous. Sure, it could have been handled in a more humane way, but equating the killing of a sparrow to the killing of a human being in this way is beyond silly.

Bush on the Offensive...Finally

John Hawkins has some thoughts on the President's recent arguments against the Democrats' claims. He's a lot more optimistic than I am about the situation, but I'll hope that he's right. He tends to be pretty on when it comes to predicting this administration's successes and failures.

The Fair Minded MSM

I read this bit of an interview with Mary Mapes from Good Morning America in shock:

Mapes: "I'm perfectly willing to believe those documents are forgeries if there's proof that I haven't seen."

Ross: "But isn't it the other way around? Don't you have to prove they're authentic?"

Mapes: "Well, I think that's what critics of the story would say. I know more now than I did then and I think, I think they have not been proved to be false, yet."

Ross: "Have they proved to be authentic though? Isn't that really what journalists do?"

Mapes: "No, I don't think that's the standard."

What can you say? Journalists should not, in Mapes' opinion, be required to prove the authenticity of a story before they go with it. Is there any level that the MSM will not stoop to in order to discredit this administration. Here is an open confession that the facts don't really matter nearly as much as the impact that the claims will have. Incredible.

Spudtrooper joins the family

Amazon.com is sold out, but Wal-Mart has them! Now if only they'd put out Spud Fett!

Maureen Dowd asks, "Why bother with men?"

Maureen Dowd's new book appears to have stirred up a hornet's nest, especially when the New York Times printed an excerpt which apparently is one of their most popular e-articles of all time. Essentially, it asks the question why Post-Feminist women are returning to more feminine roles, clothing, and attitudes just at the time when they are seeing their power at its height. She then goes on (in a Swiftian parody of overstatement) to ask whether Men are even needed in an age where cloning could allow women to bypass the Y chomosome for reproduction. (Especially since current cloning techniques require an egg, which means men still need women.)

Maureen Dowd is a good writer, but has never been known for pulling punches on her favorite subject. The attached CNN article shows that the majority of responses to her book appear to be negative. But it is nice to see these issues being talked about again.

Cool mom gets a cool cell

I have never been a fan of the parenting theory that says you must be your children's friend to be a good parent. You can be a good parent and your children's friend, but being a parent should come before being their friend. Here is a good example of why I believe that to be true. A mother was sentenced to 30 years in prison after having drug and alcohol parties for her son and his friends, as well as having sex with at least 5 of the boys. If being a parent had come first in her mind, then this might not have happened.

This story also shows that you need to get over your issues from high school before you become a parent.

Silvia Johnson, 41, described herself to investigators as a "cool mom" who "was never popular with classmates in high school" and who was beginning to feel like one of the group.

At some point you have to realize that being a parent means accepting that you won't always be the coolest person around. Maybe I'm being harsh on this woman, but gosh many of the 6th graders I work with could figure this one out. Ugh!

Down 7 more cents!

Down 7 more cents!
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

Do the Numbers Mean Anything?

Gallup's new numbers look really bad for the President. A 37% approval rating certainly isn't something to celebrate. But what does it really mean in the big picture? Consider these stats for historical low marks:

Truman: 22% mid-February, 1952

-Eisenhower: 49% mid-July, 1960

-Kennedy: 56% mid-September, 1963

-Johnson: 35% early August, 1968

-Nixon: 24% mid-July, 1974, and early August, 1974

-Ford: 37% early January, 1975, and late March, 1975

-Carter: 28% late June, 1979

-Reagan: 35% late January, 1983

-George H.W. Bush: 29% late July, 1992

-Clinton: 37% early June, 1993

-George W. Bush: 37% mid-November, 2005

The Democrats will continue to make much ado about the President's numbers. And again, there is not much good news in the poll. However, his approval rating is still only matching Bill Clinton's lowest rating. So, despite what the Democrats say, President Bush is no less popular than President Clinton was at one point in his career. And President Carter, who the Dems are busy trotting out to bad-mouth everything about this administration, hardly appears in any position to talk.

No doubt, this administration has been awful at combating their enemies' claims and needs to do more to convey their message. But ultimately, the numbers really don't have to mean all that much. At least, not if history is any indication.

T-mobile Sidekick III Legit Details

CRChair started it with his Sidekick. Nomad joined in with his Sidekick II. Who knows how many will be lured over by the new Sidekick III allegedly due out from T-mobile in the near future. There has been a lot of rumor-mill-feeding these last few months (i.e. pure lies and speculation), but now apparently there is a legitamate leak on the subject. If true, the new SK3 will include at least EDGE (i.e. high speed internet) access, a music player, and a memory card slot (something that the current SK2 noticeably lacks). Throw in bluetooth also, and I will definitely be upgrading when the time comes.

Twins Try to Fool the Court

A close friend of the family recent had twins, so I have been thinking back to the many twins I knew growing up. (Somehow my circles seem to have included a lot more twins than normal.) Some hated the identical appearance and did everything they could to seem different. Others enjoyed the situation and regularly enjoyed playing tricks on people by pretending to be the other one.

Well, now one such twin escapade has caused serious trouble for two twins in New Britain, CT (where I work, ironically). One appeared for the other in court, and plead guilty to a misdemeanor. The judge was NOT amused, and raised bail from $50,000 to $250,000. Both may be charged with criminal fraud for the "prank."

Take note, twins. Teasing friends with lookalikes is okay. Teasing a judge is NEVER a good idea.

Virtual Real Estate...Virtual Waste of Money

An american has paid over $100,000 for a piece of virtual property. That's right, it's not even a tangible piece of land. He paid for a resort in a video game and plans to use it to make real money. The game allows players to tradein virtual dollars for real dollars at a fixed rate, so hypothetically he could make a living off of this virtual resort.

Sony DRM marked as spyware

In an interesting turn of events, Microsoft has labeled Sony's DRM as spyware to be removed with the next release of definitions for their anti-spyware software. Since the DRM was put on the discs for Macs we've all become keenly aware of how bad Sony's DRM software is, but I find it kind of ironic that it is Microsoft that is officially calling it malicious code first. Ironic because I've always thought of MS software as malicious -- you knew I had to say it - especially IE which has given me innumerable headaches in the last few weeks. Hopefully all the security companies will follow suit - I can't believe I'm hoping anybody will follow MS, such is life.

More proof boy bands are bad for society

Every couple of years a very popular boy band develops and all the girls start to get hysterical about them. You know the type, New Kidz on the Block, Backstreet Boys, 'Nsync, etc... Well, when every one of these bands shows up the girls go crazy and there is a near riot. Well, the inevitable has finally happened, the girls took out security and rushed the stage. There has to be a law against inciting a riot, or at least there should be - especially about something as silly as a boy band.

I'm not dead yet...say World War One Veterans

I bet you thought all the World Ward I veterans had died. Being that the war ended in 1918 it would make logical sense that those who served would have passed away by now, but that is not true. The Department of Defense knows of at least 8 Veterans who are still receiving pensions and other benefits for their service. Another interesting fact is that the last civil War vetran died in 1958. Anywho, these facts and more can be found in a CNN article that is up today.

Happy Veterans Day and thanks to those who serve or have served.

Flat Tax versus "Fair Tax" (i.e. National Sales Tax)

CRChair and I have made no secret of our appreciation of Steve Forbes's candidacy in past presidential elections, because it pushed the idea of a Flat Tax - essentially a one-tier income tax with no tax at all for low-income families. This would be far more fair than the current system, much easier to use than the multi-form current system which requires experts to figure out what you really owe, and which does not allow the immoral to cheat their way out of paying.

This year, a new movement has grown up - frustrated by the lack of movement on tax reform - lead by Neil Boortz, a prominent radio personality calling for a "Fair Tax." This would essentially be a national sales tax, similar to the European VAT. It has been criticized for hitting the poor more than the rich, and being a potential drag on the national economy. However, its proponents note that it would be far harder to manipulate for class warfare than an income tax.

Townhall.Com has up a debate between Fair Tax and Flat Tax, which puts some of the main issues in highlight. Not quite as illuminating as I would like, but an opening into the discussion for the uninitiated.

Wondering why protein fills you up faster?

As a former (and possibly future) Atkins Dieter, one of the things I have noticed is that the "more protein, less carbs" eating plan results in my getting full faster and feeling more satisfied. Now, it appears a study has shown the mechanism by which this works and it may indicate that high-protein diets (with veggies) may be a healthy and natural alternative to Weight Watchers and other more extreme diets.

A study of protein-munching rats shows that a low-carb diet sparks a chain of biological events that ultimately curbs hunger.
The French researchers explain it this way: Protein, the staple of such weight-loss regimens, appears to increase glucose production in the small intestine -- the rise of which is monitored by the liver and then registered by the brain. In turn, the brain sends out an "all full" message, cutting back on the drive to eat more.
"The current findings provide an answer to the question of how protein-enriched meals decrease hunger and reduce eating..."

This may well give rise to another trend toward Atkins-style dieting... or may just prove right the old adage that nuts are a better way to stave off hunger than breadsticks or snack cakes.

ALERT: Sony Bring DRM to CDs for Mac, too!

Up until now, the music industry's attempts to invade your computer with DRM software on the Mac has really been restricted to the limitations built into iTunes (which are very reasonable and still allow you to burn your own CDs). But according to a post on Macintouch this is no longer the case. There is no direct link to the post, so I am going to paste the whole thing here.

I recently purchased Imogen Heap's new CD (Speak for Yourself), an RCA Victor release, but with distribution credited to Sony/BMG. Reading recent reports of a Sony rootkit, I decided to poke around. In addition to the standard volume for AIFF files, there's a smaller extra partition for "enhanced" content. I was surprised to find a "Start.app" Mac application in addition to the expected Windows-related files. Running this app brings up a long legal agreement, clicking Continue prompts you for your username/password (uh-oh!), and then promptly exits. Digging around a bit, I find that Start.app actually installs 2 files: PhoenixNub1.kext and PhoenixNub12.kext.
Personally, I'm not a big fan of anyone installing kernel extensions on my Mac. In Sony's defense, upon closer reading of the EULA, they essentially tell you that they will be installing software. Also, this is apparently not the same technology used in the recent Windows rootkits (made by XCP), but rather a DRM codebase developed by SunnComm, who promotes their Mac-aware DRM technology on their site.

Please note, in order to install this DRM, you have to (1) enter your username and password and (2) click YES to a EULA. If you get a new CD and it tries to make you enter your username/password, DO NOT. It should still allow you to rip to iTunes. If not, I recommend returning it to the store with a very nasty note to the manager.

How long can Sony get away with this? They are already facing lawsuits from the Attorney General or Consumer Advocates in New York and California. And already one virus has appeared which uses these backdoors that Sony installs to attack customer computers. Chalk this up under "Most likely to alienate consumers just before the Christmas buying season."

Sensory Overload

Tony Long over at Wired has an excellent 2 page article on how I feel sometimes when I stop and think about life and specifically the craziness of my life.  I’m one of those people who only has a landline for DSL, has his cell phone on almost 24-7 in case of an “emergency”, a BlackBerry for up to the minute e-mail access, and is typically not without a laptop.  I sometimes long for the simplicity of life before all of this craziness and yet, when I try to figure out where to simplify, it’s all so interconnected and “necessary”.  I’d write more, but I’ve got to get back to the other items I’m multitasking on…

Test Blogging from Word

If this shows up looking good, the Blogger plug in for Word works well.  Unfortunately, it appears to be for Windows only.

The Politicial Compass

I know these are everywhere, but this is one that I'd really like to know everyone's results for. My results weren't exactly what I thought they might be. But I have to say that they're actually pretty accurate:

Economic Left/Right: -3.00
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -1.74

Hmm...

What else can you say about today's latest from the People's Cube? (It's satire, just in case you've not visited them before.)

Big Bird Breakout

No, not the yellow bird on Sesame Street. An ostrich got loose on Cyprus, causing damage to a Mercedes. Turns out their not as easy to catch as you might think. They can weigh up to 400 pounds AND run up to 43 MPH!

The Future of the Conservative Movement

What is it? At this point, it's hard to tell. There are forces pulling the movement in two very different directions. But I agree with almost all of this essay from the Weekly Standard. It's a long read, but it's worthwhile for those contemplating the future of the Conservative Movement.

Paris Still Burning, Jordan Hit By Al-Qaeda

Not a good night for the Free World. The Paris riots are now TWO WEEKS OLD and Al-Qaeda bombed several hotels in Amman, Jordan including one hosting a wedding where the parents of the bride and groom were killed. In contrast to the French, however, the Jordanians have already made arrests and are hot on the heels of the killers there. Meanwhile, the French police continue to tolerate burning cars, while arresting bloggers.

PETRA means "Rock" no more

Am I the only one who did not know that PETRA - one of the first and longest running Christian rock bands - is retiring?! Apparently, after more years in the market than I have been alive, they have decided it is too late to update their musical style once again. They kicked off the Christian Rock genre with their early works, and kicked off the Praise and Worship revolution with the album "PETRA PRAISE: The Rock Cries Out". Now, they are apparently kicking off the mass move of Christian artists to the old age home. Sigh. But apparently they gave a Farewell Concert, and ChristianDiscs.Com has the final album. All I know is the new guys have some pretty big shoes to fill, if they want to replace the large spot PETRA has in my CD collection.

Intellectualism & Christianity

I was guided to this article (pdf) by the venerable John Stott about why it is critical that Christians keep their minds sharp. It's interesting that his argument lies more in the glorification of God area than in the area of apologetics - though that does play a part. Nonetheless, it's an interesting article worth a read.

Paris Subway Firebombed

So, the French got tough by instituting CURFEWS. (Feel that chill run up and down your spine!) What is the result? A subway was firebombed and two superstores were burned to the ground, and the riots still stretch from the northern border to the sourthern border, and from the eastern to the western border. French officials claim fewer cars were torched, as a sign that the unrest has passed its peak. Call me cynical, but I can not help wonder whether the lack of burning cars is a sign of peace, or a sign that there are no cars left to burn?

Did Apple sabotage the iTunes Phone (Motorola ROKR)?

Things that make you go "Hmmmmm...." It is unlikely, since Apple (or at least Steve Jobs) has been saying for years that the ultimate fate of the PDA is to be subsumed by the cell phone. More likely that they lacked the focus at this stage to really do it right. Perhaps in 6 months we will finally see an Apple iPhone will will outsell the ROKR 100 to 1?

Better Late Then Never?

What else can you say to a report that the Bush administration is now going to take on Democratic claims that they lied about WMDs. Um...way to get ahead of the curve there! Two years after your reputation has been drug through the mud and your approval rating has plumpeted, and now you decide to fight back.

What happened to the disciplined White House that we saw in the first couple of years of this administration? It's long gone, whatever happened to it. And now they're going to fight battles that were lost over a year ago instead of taking on the new ones.

A thought

Isn't it odd that the Blogger spell check utility doesn't have the words blog or blogger in it?

Chinese: 1 Bible = 3 Years in Prison

How is this for a topc sentence to grab your attention, "Religious persecution in China has reached the point that distributing Bibles is earning a three-year prison sentence." Now, China has never been an open door for Missionaries, but it appears their persecution is ramping back up.

Cai Zhuohua, 34, a Beijing underground church leader, was sentenced yesterday to three years in prison for distributing Bibles and other Christian materials.
His wife, Xiao Yunfei, got two years, and her brother Xiao Gaowen was sentenced to 18 months by the Haidian Lower People's Court in Beijing.
They were arrested September 2004, said the China Aid Association of Midland, Texas. They were accused of distributing 200,000 Bibles and other materials as part of an unregistered house church Mr. Cai oversaw for 10 years.

Yet again, we need to thank God that we live in a nation which respects religious liberties. We still fight over Christmas parties in schools, but what we do in our own homes, our own churchs - even "unregistered home churches" - is our own business.

To forgive or not to forgive: the Terrell Owens case

Terrell Owens has apologized to his team, organization and almost everybody else. The question on everybody's mind is whether or not the Eagles should reinstate him. For those of you not familiar with the situation, T.O. is the typical loud-mouth jock that most of us despise. That in itself is not enough to warrant a dismissal from his team, but it's the way he has shot off his mouth in recent weeks and months that has gotten him dismissed from the team. He has been overly critical of his team, in particular his quarterback, and his organization - most recently calling them "classless" for not celebrating a personal achievement. He has been suspended at least once by the team before this and I believe at least once by the NFL before this as well. And he allegedly started a fist fight in the locker room with his teammates. He is a really good player, perhaps even great - but that's about the only thing he has going for him.

My question is how do we apply Jesus' directive to forgive 70 times 7 times (or 77 times depending on how you translate the passage) to this case? The team - both as a group and individuals - has to forgive T.O., but should they take him back? Is this a case of fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me? Or is the a case of turning the other cheek and hoping for the best, perhaps laying down some new ground rules?

How do the Mod-Blog readers see this case? Because I'm not sure how to go with this one ethically.

Do It Yourself Wallace and Grommit

Ever wonder how to animate clay? The folks over at eHow help out all of the aspiring claymation directors out there.

Fairy Tales rated [R]... or NRA

French Riots keep going and going and going...

Amazingly, the French authorities continue their policy of inaction over the Paris riots, which have now spread all over the country. The map below from the Telegaph really dramatizes how no part of France is now immune from the violence.

Psst! Mr. Chirac! Allegedly, you have an army. The rioters themselves are calling this "a war." Maybe it is time to call out the guys with guns. Well, at least a curfew is now in place... if it is enforced.

A Women's Place...is at Douglas College

My Mom graduated from Douglas College which is the Women's College of Rutgers University in New Jersey. The current administration there would like to end its women only administions and integrate men into the school. I know that as a graduate of the college, my Mom is fiercly against this change. Well it is good to know that at least one of the Governor candidates in New Jersey is too. Doug Forrester came out against this change while campaigning yesterday. Here is a quote from New York Newsday.

"_New Brunswick, where he reiterated his support for keeping all-women's Douglass College at Rutgers University a single-sex institution. The school wants to switch to co-ed. "I commit to you, as governor _ and I expect to have that privilege _ I will do everything within my power to lead in the direction that promotes equality of opportunity and equality in reality," he told about 50 people."

Let's hope that the people of New Jersey decide to vote for Mr. Forrester.

Under two and a quarter!

Under two and a quarter!
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

Banking With the IRS

Many people overpay their income tax on purpose so that they are guaranteed a refund from the IRS. The IRS likes this because they get an interest free loan. Well, it appears in the Netherlands that is not the case. The government will pay you 5 percent interest on any money you overpay. I would feel MUCH better about overpaying my taxes if that were the case here in the US. The problem for the Dutch is that they typically borrow at 3.25 percent instead of the 5 percent they pay if you pay too much tax.

My Comment On Halloween

Since the post is back in the archives and no one will see an update to the comments at this point and since I have blogging power and since I've been lurking around here instead of posting, I wanted to clarify my comment on Halloween.

At http://mod-blog.blogspot.com/2005/11/what-is-your-opinion-of-halloween.html I posted

As I was going to two different "harvest carnivals" and then back to a "reformation party" back at my place I was thinking about this "halloween alternative" that many have set up. Probably the thing that most made me think is the sign my church had put up. the words "free halloween" were on one line and much bigger than the word "alternative" on the next line.

I'm not entirely sure of my position on halloween at this point. I handed out candy last year. This year some friends brought candy, but no one showed up. My main concern is with the "halloween alternatives". Why are we doing these? If we are trying to take a pagan holiday and switch it to a Christian holiday (such as Christmas and Easter started out) then that's fine. That's not what I see though. Everything is exactly the same (costumes, candy, etc.) There's nothing to distinguish most harvest carnivals from a halloween party. At that point, we're being hypocritical and celebrating halloween while saying that we're not. Put another way, just changing the name and having the church celebrate it doesn't make it Christian. I think we need to be plugged into the world and engage culture, but not be so plugged in that everyone comes to the harvest carnival and it's just another halloween party.

This gives the opinion that I am against harvest carnivals in general. When I wrote this post, it was more of a reactionary statement. I think harvest carnivals and reformation day parties are fine if (1) The person hosting / planning the party is calling it a harvest carnival or reformation day party for some other reason than because they think Halloween is wicked or (2) The harvest carnival / reformation day party is so completely different that it won't be confused with Halloween. That is, the person hosting / planning is against Halloween and is making a statement by having an alternate activity that isn't just a change of name. Ultimately, a church that is hosting an event should be using this as an outreach by either proclaiming the gospel at the event or getting contact information so that they can follow up with those who came and try to get them to an event where the gospel will be preached.

Clean Air = Big Government?

That's what Andrew thinks. I am continually amazed at how little a man of faith can understand people of faith. Believing that we should require regulations to keep our air breathable is now on par with seeking to curb freedoms? And what would Sullivan say if Christians came out and declared that the environment didn't matter? He'd probably argue that Christians were too close to big business.

But the libertarians who are so sure that Christians are the right's biggest problem will look at any political action by Christians as suspect, simply because Sullivan and others can't believe that every Christian in government isn't up to regulating every aspect of people's personal lives. They've blinded themselves so completely that all they can see is interventionism. Never mind that it's smart politics, and smart faith, to take care of our earth. Obviously, it's really just another way we're trying to curb Andrew's right to sleep with another man.

Who Said PC is Dead?

I agree with Ann Althouse in her piece about the extremes that the PC crowd are striving for. Heteronormative? Maybe 98% of the world is heteronomrmative because it is normative and homosexuality, and cross-gender-ism, is not? It seems to me that a trait that affects barely 2% of the population is non-normative. Sorry if that offends the minority, but we treat something as normative when it is the dominant trait.

Of course, these uber-PC nuts would like for us to believe that we're all "just a little homosexual." It's only society that makes us straight. Right. In the continuing spiral into insanity into which extremists (on both sides) are trying to drag the rest of us, the true victims of this stupidity are overlooked. And Ann rightly points out exactly who will suffer for this particular bout of left-induced idiocy.

Okay, Now it isn't "Riots", It Is Insurrection

For 12 nights now, Paris has been saying the people torching cars are rioters. But with new reports that violence has spread to 300 towns and into neighboring countries, it is time to call this phenomenon what it is: an insurrection. Here's hoping the French can respond appropriately to quell the uprising. Otherwise, they are in for historic repercussions.

Now We Know - Paris Fears Rioters' Heavy Weaponry

Well, now we have the answer to why the Paris police have not really responded to the rioters. Apparently, they are afraid of escalation as they believe the rioters have access to grenades and powerful machine guns. To date, police have been shot at by pellet guns, but nothing really deadly. They fear adding more pressure would flush out the really nasty stuff.

Not sound like a hawk, but if this is really the case, then Paris needs to break out their army and move in quickly. Allowing the riots to spread will not allow things to calm down... rather, it will encourage those who may be thinking "coup".

Star Trek Overdose

Those of you who know me, know I am a fan of Star Trek. I am no Trekkie or Trekker or whatever you call folks who go to conventions dressed up as Vulcans, Klingons, etc. But I LOVED Deep Space Nine, and really have enjoyed most of the other incarnations (Voyager never worked for me). But somehow, I can not imagine anyone truly investing in THE ULTIMATE STAR TREK COLLECTION which includes every Star Trek show or film ever committed to a video format. That is 3 seasons of TOS, 7 seasons of TNG, 7 of DS9, 7 of Voyager, and 4 of Enterprise, plus 10 feature films. Oy. If you can sit thru that much Trek, you likely are going to need to be surgically separated from your couch!
(Nomad - Editted for spelling at 12:02 PM)

How much longer will the French tolerate the Paris riots?

I have not been paying very close attention to the Paris riots, but at this point it is next to impossible to keep it off of my radar. MSNBC is reporting that the riots are not merely spontaneous expressions of rage, but that they are bring directed an organized system where new locations are identified by cell phone text messages. This has the potential to spread quite far in France, and the French government seems incapable of taking even very simple measures (like having all cell phone companies turn off text messaging).

Is this the final end of Jacques Chirac?

XBox 360 = Dreamcast 2006?

This article is a bit scary and probably has to be a bit worrying to MIcrosoft. It details 23 ways that the new XBox 360 is like the failed Dreamcast console that Sega put out so many years ago. Personally, I liked the Dreamcast quite a bit and still own one (though I bought it long after it was discontinued)... though I must admit I would have been less likely to do so, had I known it ran a Microsoft O/S.

Oh Deer!!!

CNN had up a list of the states where drivers hit deers the most. Not suprising to me, Pennsylvania was #1. That happens to be the only state where I've been riding in a car when it hit a deer. What was suprising to me is that New York wasn't in the top ten.

This made me laugh today. I miss Charles Schultz

Never Write ANYTHING Down

My father was a lawyer and had a simple word of advice for his children and friends, "Never write down *ANYTHING* on paper that you don't want shouted from the rooftops." He was speaking in a pre-e-mail age, but I am sure he would have applied the same advice to the electronic word. If you doubt the wisdom of these words, consider the case of Michael Brown, former FEMA Chief. For those who may not remember, Brown was in charge of the response to Hurricane Katrina, and was forced to resign in light of the debacle of Federal Aid in the first week or two after the disaster.

Now, I am hardly trying to defend Mr. Brown or his career at FEMA. But he is now being savaged for writing e-mails with phrases such as "Can I quit now? Can I come home?". And for "taking the time" to deal with family matters such as finding a dog-sitter during the crisis. I feel very sorry for this turn of affairs, because all of us have turned to e-mail as an informal means of communication and often allow personal thoughts or matters to be done there. Brown's problem is that by Federal Law all e-mails for Federal employees are matters of public record. He should have been posting these thoughts instead on AOL, I guess.

In the meantime, we should probably all stop putting personal thoughts in corporate e-mail, and start treating every missive as though it were a press release. It is the only wise course of action.

Rice's New Novel on Christ - Not Half Bad

In a follow up to an earlier posting by Nomad, I believe. USA Today has posted a review of Anne Rice's new novel on Christ at 7 years old. From the sound of it the novel is really good, but the vivid imagry of Rice has been muted somewhat. This review makes it seem that the book might be worth my time.

XBox 360: Sold Out is a GOOD THING, really!

Apparently, Microsoft has decided that supply chain problems make for a media bonanza. According to this piece, they are engineering a situation where every store will sell out of XBox 360 on their first day - even going so far as to force some stores to do so contractually - in hopes of creating media buzz and a flood of front-page stories on launch weekend. They are shipping far less than what they know demand will require, even sending some stores only 10 units when over 100 were requested. i.e. If you want an XBOX 360 on openning weekend, and have not already ordered one, you had better either (1) plan to hijack a delivery truck (NOT recommended by Mod-Blog or our lawyers) or (2) find a store that is hidden deep in the woods and hope no one else knows about them... except the delivery truck, of course.

I was wondering why Wal-Mart suddenly stopped accepting pre-orders... or orders of any kind... for the new XBOX in our area. It must be that they now know they are only getting a few units, and they are already spoken for. Why do I think it will be best to keep ones eyes out for rabid mothers and homicidal 10-year-olds in electronics stores between now and Christmas?

Quiz Team Devotionals

It just occurred to me that our readers might enjoy checking out this website that I maintain for our church Bible Quiz Team. It contains weekly devotionals on the chapters we are studying for Quiz Team, written by a wide variety of people. Might be useful for edification, or perhaps for some teens that you are ministering to. Currently, we are in Romans but will be moving into James in the January time frame.

Prices still on the way down!

Prices still on the way down!
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

Is anyone else seeing prices like these?

Does "G" Stand for "Gosh-Awful"?

CNN is running a piece questioning the current crop of G-rated films in the theater and whether they may be far more violent and objectionable than those in the past. They cite examples from the new Disney film "Chicken Little" where animal are vaporized by invading aliens. They cite examples from the recent "Wallace & Gromit" film where (1) a female character holds up melons in a strategic spot and (2) where the villain hunts the main character with a shotgun. The MPAA appears to be on the defensive, excusing such G-ratings as "subjective ratings that change with the culture."

Now, I am adult who watches films from G to R, so perhaps I am desensitized. But the examples cited seem no more (or less) violent than the first G-rated film I saw as a child - Bambi. The violence of the fire, and the death of Bambi's parents were more than a little traumatic for my young mind. But that did not mean they were PG or above! Likewise, should the Muppet Movies have been rated higher for the "violent" behavior of the Sweedish Chef? Of course not!

While Hollywood ratings have certainly slipped over the years between PG and R, I think G is still a relatively safe haven for the innocent. Nothing is truly safe, unless a parent carefully pre-screens movies for their child. But G is about as close as it comes.

Democrat=Double Standard

Is there anyone out there who can defend the Democrats in Maryland who are using slave imagery to attack the republican canidate for the Senate? They are calling him an "Uncel Tom" and saying that he deserves it becuase of his Conservative beliefs. They are also pelting him with Oreos at political events. I can't believe that so many Democratic politicians are willing to condone this and even in some ways support it. I thought the Democrats were the ones who wanted to stop "Hate Speech". Please, if there is a reasonable Democrat out there, resond to this post.

Oops! Wal-Mart leaks Black Friday prices online

For those not in the know, "Black Friday" is the name given to the Friday after Thanksgiving by retailers because of the hordes who begin their Christmas shopping that day and run the sales staff ragged from dawn to dusk. Typically, stores have special sales to bring the hordes their way and drive the start of holiday sales. But usually these sales are kept secret right up until the day, to keep competitors from outpricing them. But apparently someone at Wal-Mart did not get the memo and leaked the specials early.

And here's what to expect: A Hewlett-Packard Pavilion ze2308wm notebook computer for $398; an HP Photosmart E317 digital camera for $98.88; a Lexmark all-in-one printer, scanner and copier for $39.88; and a 12-cup coffeemaker, food chopper or 2 qt. slow cooker for just $4.24.

Watch for this to drive competitors like Target and Kohls to go EVEN lower, and announce their prices early as well. This could be a good year for shoppers to get great deals, and a bad year for cashiers who will need to pry apart desperate grandmothers fighting tooth and nail over the last "Tickle-Me-Potato-Head" discounted doll on the shelves.

No! Really?!? I NEVER Saw That Coming!

It's the least surprising outing since...Elton John. Just look at the picture.

"Pandemic" does not refer to pan-fried virus

GWB today revealed the administration's plan for a potential Bird Fly Pandemic including both short-term goals (increase dosages of Tamiflu and provide sufficient vaccines for first-responders) and long-term goals (vaccines for every American). The possibility of a true pandemic from Avian Influenza is remote at this time (though the last Flu Pandemic was based on bird flu, and killed millions), but this is not only a strategy for battling this one potential pandemic but for preparing for future epidemics. After all, the way a natural Avian Influenza outbreak would spread would be the same as that for an artificial biological attack.

Google-Mania Continues: Google TV?

Now that Google is exploring building its own free WiFi service in San Francisco, commentators are going insane trying to guess where they may go next. The newest idle speculation - based on a registered URL - is Google TV.

It is very possible that Google is creating their own branded digital television DVR / satellite service.
A DVR that lets you "Log In" with your Google Account before you begin your television watching would allow Google to serve up relevant ads based on: the program you are watching, your search history, the type of emails you have received in the past 24 hours (excluding spam hopefully), or anything else Google can track.

You'll note this is not really "news." Just someone's dreams about what Google might do if it gets around to it. One can't help wondering what will happen when the Google speculation bubble bursts. Maybe I should sell my stock now.

What is your opinion of Halloween?

On the topic of Halloween, I am interested to know the opinion of those who post on this Blog (and read it and post comments). Specifically, on the question of whether Christians should celebrate Halloween.

The "NO" argument goes thusly. Halloween is an overtly pagan holiday, with arguably satanic origins. It was based on pre-existing holidays in pagan cultures (i.e. the "Day of the Dead" in Latin American countries), and is centered on either (1) celebrating demonic powers or (2) paying homage to the power of ancestral spirits (ghosts) who will otherwise rise to walk among us. That it has been co-oped by the candy manufacturers in no way redeems the fact that the holiday exists to celebrate either paganism or spiritism, both of which are contrary to fundamental christian doctrine.

The "YES" argument goes thusly. Halloween may have its origins in paganism, but its modern incarnation is merely a celebration of children and the fact that fear can sometimes be fun. Dressing up the kids as Power Rangers is hardly "celebrating spiritism" and even if one chose to dress up as a "supernatural" being like a ghost or werewolf, the anti-Christian portion is expunged by the fact moderns understand these things to be mythological in nature. It is a fun holiday for the children, and is no offense to an all-powerful God.

Obviously, I have simplified the arguments for the sake of space, but I think I did both of them reasonable justice. My own opinion pretty much straddles the fence: I hate Halloween personally and will not celebrate it, but do not feel that those who do so are doing anything wrong. I find the holiday disturbing and upsetting, but believe this to be something between me and God rather than between me and my brothers in Christ.

What do you think?