Old things are new again

As we get ready to begin a new year, let's look back at some of our Mod-Blog contributors together years ago. (7 years ago to be exact.)

It's one resolution you MAY be able to keep

If it is good for the goose...

VideoJug: How To Be The Perfect Boyfriend

I don't know if this is accurate...

...but it certainly seems like it.

VideoJug: How to be the Perfect Girlfriend

Confederate Questions

This story talks about how the U. of Texas is reconsidering a couple statues that depict important leaders of the Confederate States - Robert E. Lee and Jefferson Davis to be exact. I understand that the distaste for these statues is that they represent the "slave states" before and during the war between the states, but I think that it is a grave mistake to eliminate the Confederate States from our conscious.



It is unfortunate that in school, more often than not, we learn that the civil war was over slavery. In our later years we discover it was over a vast array of things of which slavery is one. In fact if you look real close at the civil war you quickly find out it was more about states rights than about slavery. Don't take me wrong, I don't support slavery and I think that it was right to make it federally illegal, I also don't think it was right for the confederate states to separate. But I do think it was right for the Confederate States to fight for their rights - because after all we do live in a republic and not a democracy and the federal government isn't supposed to have that much control over the states.



With that said I believe it is important to remember the Confederate States and their leaders - who were men of steadfast resolve to their beliefs. By eliminating these statues UT would be undermining both their and our collective history. They would be depriving the students of seeing two men that made hard decisions and, though they ended up on the losing side, lived honorably with those decisions. To eliminate the losers of history is to force ourselves to make the same mistakes as well as some new ones. But in all reality this goes beyond UT to the hundreds of fights that have been fought over Confederate symbolism in the south. You can't simply erase history - and important history at that. Without a memory of the missteps of both sides in the debate leading up to the war between the states we are bound to repeat them.

The Last Daily Foxtrot Ever

Bill Amend is going into "semi-retirement" and only doing Sunday comics starting tomorrow. He used his last daily strip to thank his fans for being loyal all of these years. Personally, I'd rather he just kept writing, but I guess all good things must come to an end.

Sadaam Hussein is dead

It is official. Sadaam Hussein, former dictator of Iraq and finally resident of a spider hole, was hanged last night until dead. May God have mercy on his soul, and may God have further mercy and blessing upon the people of Iraq now that this shadow no longer hangs over them.

They come in 3s

There is an old wives tale that deaths always come in threes. First was James Brown. Second was Gerald Ford. Who knew that Sadaam Hussein would be #3? Perhaps this will be the last major news event of 2006.

Posted without further comment

Rest In Peace, President Ford

Former president Gerald Ford has passed away.

Former President Gerald R. Ford, who declared "Our long national nightmare is over" as he replaced Richard Nixon but may have doomed his own chances of election by pardoning his disgraced predecessor, has died. He was 93.

The nation's 38th president, and the only one not elected to the office or the vice presidency, died at his desert home at 6:45 p.m. Tuesday.

Our prayers are with his family at this dificult time.

Amazing BBC Documentary about Hiroshima

Fantastic 4 II Trailer Leaked

I was underwhelmed with the first movie. Other than the effects surrounding the Human Torch, the whole thing looked silly and inconsequential when compared to the Spider-Man and X-Men franchises. But this one does look at least like it might be fun.
(Ed. Ahem. Or you can view it in high quality version on Apple's site.)

Pssst... See if they have change for a $200

According to The Smoke Gun, a criminal has successfully passed a $200 bill at a North Carolina FoodLion. For those who may not realize it, there is no such thing as a $200 bill. What is funnier is the cashier failed to notice the bill in question had a picture of George W Bush on the front, and a picture of the White House on the back complete with a yard full of joke signs.

I am guessing someone is out looking for work today: either a less-than-alert clerk, or the manager who had that clerk working a 48 hour shift over the Christmas weekend.

Contrasts in Christmas

Rest in Peace, James Brown

He passed away this morning apparently from complications of pneumonia.

A Very Merry Mod-Blog Christmas

This picture is just a small fragment of the Mod-Blog family, but we all wish our readers the best as we celebrate the birthday of Jesus Christ.
Created with PhotoCard

Christmas Commentary

I am SO ready for some Snow

Interesting Optical Illusion

MayoClinic.Com

If you have been watching the shoutbox (or live within a 10 mile radius and can hear my coughing), you are aware that I am sick. I have what has been officially classified as bronchitis which appears to basically mean I have a generic viral infection of my lungs and respiratory system. Treatment: fluids, rest, and more rest. Virii are unaffected by antibiotics.

However, while I was there, my docctor recommended I check out - and pass along to my Mod-Blog readers - MayoClinic.Com. It is a useful tool for initial self-diagnosis (i.e. when should I see a REAL doctor) and general understanding after diagnosis of a condition. Check it out, and I hope no one else has a real reason to use it for a while. The one advantage to Mod-Bloggers being scattered all over the country is most of you are safe from me infecting you.

Interesting Sport of Sepak Takraw

I found this picture on CNNSI.com and did a little research on the sport of Sepak Takraw. Wikipedia describes it as a cross between volleyball and soccer.

"War on Christmas" is actually "Quest for More Money"?

In light of Ward's post from this morning, I thought I'd post this from a more liberal-leaning blog.

I imagine in some circles, the “controversy” is still a fairly big deal, but my sense is that this year’s “war on Christmas” is largely a bust. It was vaguely faddish last year, but most sensible people got sick of the issue quickly. Reasonable, levelheaded Americans figured out a long time ago that there is no war, the vast majority of the country celebrates and enjoys the holiday, and the conservative culture warriors probably just need to pick up a new hobby.

But they can’t. Not because there’s a nefarious scheme to undermine Christianity, and not because there are key skirmishes yet to be fought, but because the religious right has figured out that this silly little “War on Christmas” is a cash cow.

I suspect that the "religious right" is not quite so mercenary in their own minds. But it makes a good point, as well. We need to be careful to differentiate between a real crisis and just a trend that annoys us.

Pac-Man Comes to Minnesota

Recently, around Minneapolis-Saint Paul, road crew drew huge dots on the highway in order to give drivers a visual cue about how far apart to stay (to reduce tailgating). But some intrepid urban artist added his own touch.

Sheriff Gary Miller cruised east from Buffalo to the stretch of Hwy. 55 with large, white ovals painted by the state to slow tailgaters by showing drivers how far apart to stay. About halfway through the stretch he saw the unauthorized addition: a giant rendition of a yellow Pac-Man, the jaws from the 1980s video game trailblazer, attacking an oval dot on the pavement.

"I drove that road the other day," an amused Miller said, "and drivers were bunched up to figure out what it was ... It's definitely a Pac-Man eating a dot."

Reaction appears mixed at present. But I'll be surprised if it does not eventually become something of a tourist attraction.

My Head is About to Explode

I am so sick of Christians in this country claiming to be terribly persecuted. So what, a horror movie is released on Christmas day. Big deal. Here's the clincher,

"The use of religious music -- 'Silent Night' -- and the nativity set on the front porch in one scene are insensitive to Christians," Giroux said after watching the trailer online.

"It's not enough to ignore and omit Christmas, but now it has to be offended, insulted and desecrated. Our most sacred holiday, actually a holy day, is being assaulted."

So, a nativity set in a horror movie is offensive to Christians now? And this might just be me, but I hardly call Christmas our most sacred holiday. In my opinion, hat happens a few months from now when we celebrate the resurrection. But that could just be me...

If you think I am paranoid about the built-in iSight on the new MacBooks...

...check out this little site. If you have a built-in iSight on your computer, you will see an image on the web page from your iSight!!! This Security Update is supposed to keep the data from leaving your laptop (before this, a picture could be captured by the remote server). But it shows the potential for abuse of such an integrated solution.

Both Evil and Brilliant

95% of Adults Had Pre-Marital Sex?

CNN is reporting on a new study which claims 95% of all men and women since 1940 had pre-marital sex. This is used in the article to argue that abstinence programs are a waste of time, and that "safe sex" should be the focus on Federal funding since "most people will have pre-marital sex anyway."

More than nine out of 10 Americans, men and women alike, have had premarital sex, according to a new study. The high rates extend even to women born in the 1940s, challenging perceptions that people were more chaste in the past...
Finer is a research director at the Guttmacher Institute, a private New York-based think tank that studies sexual and reproductive issues and which disagrees with government-funded programs that rely primarily on abstinence-only teachings. The study, released Tuesday, appears in the new issue of Public Health Reports.
The study, examining how sexual behavior before marriage has changed over time, was based on interviews conducted with more than 38,000 people -- about 33,000 of them women -- in 1982, 1988, 1995 and 2002 for the federal National Survey of Family Growth. According to Finer's analysis, 99 percent of the respondents had had sex by age 44, and 95 percent had done so before marriage.
Even among a subgroup of those who abstained from sex until at least age 20, four-fifths had had premarital sex by age 44, the study found.

I realize that I am one of those the study would say is "in the minority" and probably deluded, but I find this study hard to believe. Of course, we don't know what they define as "sex" or where the pool of respondents came from. I am sure this will be a major point of discussion in the blogsphere over the next few weeks.

First FULL Transformers Movie Trailer is Online

Here it is I am looking forward to a higher quality version on Apple.Com soon.

Stewardess's Bible Banned on Saudi Flights

This is definitely a hard case. A woman working for BMI - a western airline - is being banned from bringing her bible on flights which touch down in Saudi Arabia due to local law there.

A spokesman from the airline said: "We issue advice to all our staff and passengers that these are the guidelines.
"She is saying she wants to carry her bible with her. We are saying we can't start designing rules around individuals when we've got several hundred members of staff. To take every personal preference into account would be impossible."
On its web site the Foreign Office says of Saudi Arabia: "The importation and use of narcotics, alcohol, pork products and religious books, apart from the Koran, and artefacts are forbidden."
BMI said it offered the stewardess the opportunity to transfer from long-haul duties to short-haul, but she refused.

It is always a balancing act between the laws of a home country, and the laws of a host country. But it seems like there should be a more logical middle ground here!

Who says propoganda can't hurt?

Is the US at a financial crisis?

This blog posting is typical of those appearing on the web today, after a financial report was released yesterday.

Despite improvement in both the fiscal year 2006 reported net operating cost and the cash-based budget deficit, the U.S. government’s total reported liabilities, net social insurance commitments, and other fiscal exposures continue to grow and now total approximately $50 trillion, representing approximately four times the Nation’s total output (GDP) in fiscal year 2006, up from about $20 trillion, or two times GDP in fiscal year 2000....Given these and other factors, it seems clear that the nation’s current fiscal path is unsustainable and that tough choices by the President and the Congress are necessary in order to address the nation’s large and growing long-term fiscal imbalance.

I'd like to hear from a real economist or at least money guy on this. Is this the iceberg that people have been predicting for government expenditures, or is this something else? Do we need another Ross Perot to wake us up to the horrors of deficit spending?

Stationary Movies

This is a little creepy, but also somewhat fun. I could only get 8 out of 20 of these, but Viking appears to be betting even poor players will have a sudden urge to buy Sticky Notes.

Looking for a Snow-Themed Screensaver?

Here in Connecticut, the weather has been unseasonably warm and the odds of a White (as in snowy) Christmas are falling rapidly. While this is probably a good thing for those travelling for the holidays, it leaves ice-lovers like myself a little depressed. Well, if you would like to get some snow on your Mac desktop at least check this one out. Allegedly, it is the same screensaver being used in the Apple Stores now. I just know it works on both my PPC and Intel Macs, and is beautiful!

A Cure for Diabetes?

This could be the most exciting news in medicine in a decade. Researches managed to actually cure Type 2 (adult onset) diabetes in mice with a single injection. Essentially, the theory they were testing was that diabetes was caused by a chronic inflammation of the pancreas (which produces the hormones that break down sugars properly). The pancreas was injected with a powerful anti-inflammatory, and by the next day the mice showed normal levels of insulin! For at least some of the mice, the effects from a single injection lasted 4 months!

My family has a history of diabetes, including many people who are currently dependent on daily injections of insulin to keep them from crisis. The idea of a 4 injections a year to lead to "normal" lives is huge. Plus, they may avoid the blindness, limb numbness, and lost extremities.

Sniper - iPhoto Style Interface for Flickr

Wish that your Flickr Photostream was a little more like iPhoto? Check out Sniper! It is still in Beta but is a nice interface and a great way to get photos from Flickr to iPhoto in case you did any uploads that bypassed Apple's tool (i.e. from a cameraphone or work computer).

Jedi Trainer Game

This is a very fun Star Wars-themed game. Basically, you take the part of Luke in the Millenium Falcon, training with the robot remote and a light saber.

AudioGlue - Searching for Similar Musical Artists

AudioGlue is an interesting new Flash tool for finding bands that you may not have known about. You search for a first band, and then can expand to see what other bands are similar in sound and/or content. I used it with Caedmon's Call, and the results were pretty good. I did not find any bands I did not know about yet, but I only went a few layers deep. Definitely worth checking out for those looking to fill their iPod further.

Shrek the Third Trailer

Check it out. Overall looks fun, but forgettable. But I really enjoyed the Pinnochio scene.

Wind Storm Pictures

windtree03
Originally uploaded by anthropos9.

You may have heard that there was a pretty big wind storm in the northwest on Thursday night. I went out and took some pictures for my job and I'm sharing them with you here. We were fortunate enough to only lose power for a short time and cable, but others were not so fortunate and will be without power for perhaps the entire weekend.

You are here --> *

Ever wonder how close your favorite websites are on the internet? Well, this site is a fun way to check that out. It maps any IP Adress or Domain Name (i.e. blogger.com) to its placement in the internet. You can check out Mod-Blog's spot here.

Just Watching This Video Relaxes Me

CNN: Political Christianity is not acceptable

This article is one of the more disingenuous articles I have read of late. In it, CNN's editors argue that political Christianity is diametrically opposed to the message of Christ.

While the current state of Christianity might seem normal and business-as-usual to some, most see through the judgment and hypocrisy that has permeated the church for so long. People witness this and say to themselves, "Why would I want to be a part of that?" They are turned off by Christians and eventually, to Christianity altogether...

So when did the focus of Christianity shift from the unconditional love and acceptance preached by Christ to the hate and condemnation spewed forth by certain groups today? ...Regardless of the origin, one thing is crystal clear: It's not what Jesus stood for.

His parables and lessons were focused on love and forgiveness, a message of "come as you are, not as you should be." The bulk of his time was spent preaching about helping the poor and those who are unable to help themselves. At the very least, Christians should be counted on to lend a helping hand to the poor and others in need.

This brings us to the big issues of American Christianity: Abortion and gay marriage. These two highly debatable topics will not be going away anytime soon. Obviously, the discussion centers around whether they are right or wrong, but is the screaming really necessary? After years of witnessing the dark side of religion, Marc and I think not.

There are a few things right and a lot of things problematic with this argument, which I would distill down to: "Christians should shut up and help the poor, and otherwise get out of the way, because that is what Jesus did."

The right: Modern American Christians think more about themselves than the poor. We are more likely to spend a $2000 windfall on a new MacBook than we are to give it to a person in need. We have allowed ourselves to often become more defined by a political party (Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Independent) than by Christ. Likewise, we need to understand that the worst of the name-callers who call themselves Christian, are not doing the right thing. I think of the church sending anti-gay protesters to the funerals of fallen soldiers. That is not Christ. Period.

The wrong: The idea that Jesus was a mamby-pamby individual who loved without ever shouting, or that he was unconnected with the politics of his time, is simply wrong. The same Jesus who said "He who is without Sin should cast the first stone" (a political statement at the time, regarding the authority for capital punishment not being with the mob) is the one who overturned the tables in the temple and who called the Pharisees "you brood of vipers." Sometimes a point can not be made without harsh words or a harsh tone. And the idea that Christians should be divorced from all political discourse is foolish and contrary to Biblical sources and traditions.

So, CNN, let's just say what actually makes sense. Lets everyone calm down and try to tone down the rhetoric. Christians are no more culpable for this than other groups. But Christians, let us also not be afraid to confront the over-reactors and the unreasonable ones within our own ranks as well. There is a body of Christ, and sometimes a passionate speaker is intended to be an internal organ stirring us to think, and not our mouth - the voice that the outside world hears and thinks speaks for us all.

Someone's been letting young ones listen to the new Weird Al album

FlickrBooth

One of the features of my new MacBook 13" that I do not like is the integrated iSight, because I feel like someone could use it to spy on me. Still, I am trying to enjoy it as I can. And this little application may help. FlickrBooth is a plugin for Photo Booth (Apple's iSight novelty app to take pictures) that allows uploads to one-click uploads to Flickr. Very cool!

Circumcision cuts risk of HIV infection in half?

I find this new report to be quite interesting. I hesitate to draw any conclusions from this study, but it makes one wonder if the old Jewish rite was more than just a sign of obedience.

Circumcising men cuts their risk of being infected with the AIDS virus in half, and could prevent hundreds of thousands or even millions of new infections, researchers said on Wednesday.

Circumcising men worked so well that the researchers stopped two large clinical trials in Kenya and Uganda to announce the results, although they cautioned that the procedure does not make men immune to the virus.

"It does have the potential to prevent many tens of thousands, many hundreds of thousands and perhaps millions of infections over coming years," Dr. Kevin De Cock, director of the World Health Organization's Department of HIV/AIDS, told reporters.

Of course, nothing cuts the risk of AIDS like abstinence. Let us not forget that, either.

The Return of Futurama

The last time this news came out it turns out to be a hoax, but this time it seems more serious. It appears Futurama is returning to the air!

It’s the good news everyone has been waiting for! A new season of "Futurama"—the brilliant, animated sci-fi comedy from "Simpsons" creator Matt Groening and executive producer David X. Cohen—is finally being produced for a 2008 release.

It’s still not determined whether the new episodes will debut on Comedy Central or DVD, but we’re too excited to care! We pinned down Cohen to get the skinny on what we can expect when "Futurama" reawakens from its cryo-sleep.

I am reserving judgement, but genuinely hope it is true. I miss a real reason to laugh each week. The Simpsons just isn't guaranteed anymore.

Incoming House Intelligence Chief Fails Test

This one pretty much speaks for itself. Makes one wonder how long the Democrats will be able to hold Congress.

Rep. Silvestre Reyes of Texas, who incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has tapped to head the Intelligence Committee when the Democrats take over in January, failed a quiz of basic questions about al Qaeda and Hezbollah, two of the key terrorist organizations the intelligence community has focused on since the September 11, 2001 attacks.
When asked by CQ National Security Editor Jeff Stein whether al Qaeda is one or the other of the two major branches of Islam -- Sunni or Shiite -- Reyes answered "they are probably both," then ventured "Predominantly -- probably Shiite."
That is wrong. Al Qaeda was founded by Osama bin Laden as a Sunni organization and views Shiites as heretics.

Methinks perhaps there is a little hubris beginning to form amongst the incoming Congresspeople.

NBA Returns to Leather Ball

I was not aware this was a controversy, but apparently the NBA has switched to a carbon-fiber composite bal this year. Players were hating it, and complaining of cut fingers. Now, The NBA has decided to switch back to the classic leather ball in response to play concerns. This despite stats that scoring, speed of play, and turnovers were increasing with the new equipment. Proof, perhaps, that change for its own sake, is not always positive.

Truthiness wins word of the year.

A word "Truthiness" made up by Stephen Colbert won the Webster word of the year. Follow this link to find out more information including what it means.

BJs Gas

BJs Gas
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

Vocabulary Fun!

I love learning new and obscure words. Let the obscurity commence!

21. OPHRYON
The space between the eyebrows on a line with the top of the eye sockets.

22. PEEN
The end of a hammer head opposite the striking face.

23. PHOSPHENES
The lights you see when you close your eyes hard. Technically the luminous impressions are due to the excitation of the retina caused by pressure on the eyeball.

24. PURLICUE
The space between the thumb and extended forefinger.

25. RASCETA
Creases on the inside of the wrist.

26. ROWEL
The revolving star on the back of a cowboy's spurs.

How do I know who is on my Airport Express network?

I have the dubiious honor of having a still unsecured 802.11b/g network in our house, because a few of our less-well-designed wireless tools (*cough* Palm PDA *cough*) can't deal with a password. Well, the number of other wireles networks around our house has grown from 1 to 5 in the last month or so, so I figured it was time to check who was surfing on our network to see if it was time to start securing it regularly. Well, it turns out the Apple Airport Utility has no such tool. They trust if you want to know who is on your network, you can ask around and people will fess up. Sigh. The cheapo linksys router I bought to use when travelling has such a tool, so why not Apple's much-touted Airport line of wireless networking hardware?!

Well, it turns out they do, actually. It is buried deep in the Airport Suport docs, but if you click here you can download a tool that will monitor your network. Use the Airport Management Utility, and click on the MONITOR tab to see. It stil ain't perfect - it just gives you MAC (as in network, not as in Macintosh) addresses, instead of computer names - but you expect to see 1 connection and you see 7, you can be pretty sure someone else is stealing your bandwidth.

A cure for insomnia?

Are computers killing our souls?

This article provides an interesting question, are computers killing our souls? By soul I don't mean that which is often confused with our spirit - the supernatural aspect of every human. Instead I mean the essence of who we are - the connecting glue between our physical, mental AND spiritual selves. I think the author has some interesting points. As someone who's livelihood is dependent upon computers I can see how someone would come to the conclusions the author does. Personally, I have to take one day a week where I don't interact with a computer (by that I mean a laptop or desktop - I know TVs and DVD players have computers in them), instead I take walks, watch movies, read. I find that these days always leave me more refreshed than the days where I interact with computers a lot. I feel more alive. Perhaps computers are killing us softly, but seeing I need to work I'll have to deal with that chance.

Aren't the Zunes more likely to do this?

FireFly Online

Although I'm probably the one who is the least qualified to discuss this, having never seen the show, I figured other Mod-Bloggers would be interested. There is talk of a MMORPG based on FireFly. The article makes it sound as though this will help grow the FireFly universe for fans, but my guess is that, at least for the Mod-Blog crowd, it will not be a good replacement to the TV show.

This is TOO funny

What if marketing consultants redesigned national flags? Find out!

Don't Flush the Fish

I just don't think I could use this toilet... I think it would just weird me out way too much.

Do Princesses Pass Gas?

Following up on yesterday's "visible fart" post, we have another gas-related story. This time we have an unaired clip from the Mythbusters in which they test the myth "Do pretty girls pass gas?" If this does not wind up as the #1 feature on an eventual "Special Edition" DVD set, someone is missing the boat.

Usual warning: This is a video link. Do not open at work unless your workrules allow it AND you have headphones so you do not bother co-workers. Unless of course you want to entertain them, as well.

I have to admit I have wondered about this from time to time...

No More Daily FoxTrot

FoxTrot, the comic by Bill Amend has been a daily part of my life for a few years now. We have many of the books as well as being daily visitors to his website. Now, it appears that Mr. Amend has decided to cease daily comics and only publish a weekly Sunday comic. This is a major disappointent to me, and I am not yet sure how to feel about it. But I a distinctly not happy.

Gas at Mobil

Gas at Mobil
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

Again the warning light came on too far from BJs to reaach there.

Mac Cure for the DOCX Blues

The newest version of Microsoft Word is now out in the wild and producing a new file format: DOCX. It is a hybrid of the old Word format and XML (a universal standard for storing data). The problem? It is 100% incompatible with all current Mac applications. The Microsoft MacBU promises a translation utility by April or March of next year, and the new Microsoft Office for Mac is due out for Christmas next year which will resolve the issue entirely. i.e. We have at least 4 to 6 months of Mac users being locked out of Microsoft Office. (Likely a "so there" from Mr Gates for having released iWork as a competitor.)

Well, enterprising Mac users are now coming up with solutions, like this one which uses a hybrid of Mac's built-in ZIP file handling ability and the build-in PHP. This particular fix is so easy, it is only a matter of time until there is an online utility to make it work.

Still, thanks a lot Microsoft. Will you ever remember your decisions should be driven by what users want instead of what your competitors last did?

In the ongoing quest to get EVERYTHING on camera...

To pass gas. To break wind. To cut one. To cut the cheese. To fart. To let her rip. To rip one. Better out than in. However you say it, it is a bodily function both disgusting (to others) and satisfying (to ourselves). And now, someone has managed to catch one on "film" with an infra-red video camera.

Far less dramatic than I would have expected, but I imagine more dramatic for those walking by or with smell-o-vision. Bowhunter, I am wondering if perhaps you assisted in this experiment.

Ever wonder why we love dogs?

An elderly couple in upstate New York were saved by their pet dog when they were caught outside during a freak snow storm near Buffalo New York. The couple, both 81 year old, were outside to attend to some injured birds in their yard when the snow intensified and trees fell. Their dog dug a tunnel almost 20 feet long and then came back and got his owners and helped drag them through the tunnel.

Is there any doubt that dogs are better than cats?

Effective Crowd Control

Wired News describes it as the "Goodbye Weapon". The military has developed a non-lethal beam weapon that has been certified for use in Iraq. It creates a burning sensation in which "most subjects reached their pain threshold within 3 seconds, and none of the subjects could endure more than 5 seconds." Any damage, even to the eyes (which rarely happened in tests - even monkeys under anesthesia blinked), is healed in 24 hours.

R U Serious? Rutgers to play 7-5 team in Texas Bowl

Not many people probably noticed, but Rutgers football team is going to play in the Texas Bowl a few days before New Years. And this team that was undefeated late into their season and would have played in a major BCS bowl had they won their last game are playing...Kansas State. Now, I have a good friend who graduated from Kansas State and have nothing against them, but how does the 16th ranked team in the country play a team that is 7-5 for its bowl game?

What's actually worse for Rutgers is this game isn't even being broadcast by a major television network. It will be broadcast on the NFL network which is only available on cable. So Rutgers doesn't even get the added bonus of helping its nationwide recruiting by playing on national TV.

Send a Soldier Silly String

What does the most technologically equipped military in the world use to save lives from trip wire bombs? Silly String! As reported on Wired, some are starting an effort to ship silly string in care packages over to soldiers in Iraq.

Space Food Upgrade

I remember being in middle school and eating "space ice cream" - the ice cream astronauts eat. I know some people liked it but I thought it was pretty disgusting. Well, no more of that - at least for a couple meals. Rachael Ray, the celebrity chef - has been tapped by NASA to create a few of the meals the astronauts will be eating on their next meal. I guess some of the smartest people in the world doing some of the most dangerous work anywhere deserve a good meal now and then.

Looking for a Digital SLR for Christmas

This article provides some useful tips. I can't help smiling that his #1 recommendation is the Canon Digital Rebel XT, which is the camera I shoot mostly with. Of course, he also makes the VERY important point that in the SLR world it is not just the camera but also the lens you pair it with which is critical to great pictures.

I want this flashlight!

I always tell my mother that a cool flashlight is always a good gift for a guy. This may be the coolest (or is that HOTTEST) flashlight I have ever seen. Not exactly safe, but you'd feel like a super hero with that thing on your utility belt.

With great incandescence comes great responsibility.

Waterboarding - The Debate, Part 2

The wikipedia article that BowHunter posted contains a definition of waterboarding that seems in line with other authorities on the web. (Yes, I am too lazy to go out and look up the precise legal or procedural definition.) I think a reasonable summary of it would be?

Waterboarding is a technique where a subject is made to believe s/he is drowning, while attempting to hold back from inflicting actual permanent damage and death upon the subject. This technique has been used both as a method of applying psychological pressure for interrogation and as a method of torture to humiliate and break the psyche of prisoners. The technique has been called horrific by most who have been subjected to it, and can lead to brain damage or worse depending on how it is applied and the health of the subject.

This practice is something I hope to never have cause to see or hear about in my daily life.

The other thing we need defined for this discussion to really begin, is "torture" vs "psychological pressure." Dictionary.Com defines torure as "the act of inflicting excruciating pain, as punishment or revenge, as a means of getting a confession or information, or for sheer cruelty." "Psychological Pressure" is harder to define, but the common man's view of it might be "the act of inflicting low-level suffering upon an individual to impel them to an action."

Under these definitions, "psychological pressure" might be a good-cop-bad-cop interrogation of a suspect, or sending a child to stand in the corner to keep him/her from bothering their neighbors. "Torture", on the other hand, might be removing the fingernails of a subject or burning them with hot irons in order to extract a confession.

However, it becomes obvious very quickly that these two definitions are not two different things, but simply positions along a spectrum. Standing in the corner is "pressure", standing in the corner even when one needs to use the bathroom is painful, standing in the corner when one needs to use the bathroom and is hungry and is exhausted is extreme, standing in the corner with all the previous conditions plus an open wound is cruel, standing in the corner for days without sleep or relief is torture, standing in the corner without sleep, food, or relief for long enough is a death sentence.

This leaves us with two real questions that need answering for this discussion:
1. Where along the spectrum does "pressure" become "torture"?
2. In which part of the spectrum does Waterboarding lie?

(I know this is going slow. Stick with me, we're almost to the meat of it.)

Waterboarding - The Debate, Part 1

The last week or so, there has been considerable debate going on in the Shoutbox (so much that at this point you can not even find the instigating comments, because they have been overwritten by numerous new ones). It began with the question of "Waterboarding" and whether the use of such a technique could be acceptable in interrogation during warfare by US intelligence agents or soldiers. This series of posts is my attempt to answer the question for myself. This opinion is only informed by a few articles and the shoutbox debate.

First, as to its international legality, I think it is a useless argument. Combatants in Iraq and Afghanistan and terrorists elsewhere technically do not fall under the Geneva Convention. They do not represent a country, they do not wear a uniform, they do not fight according to the rules of war, and they are not signatories to Geneva. There is no point in referring to international law on this point, because by definition Al Qaeda operates outside of any state or inter-state structure.

Second, as to its Constitutional legality, it is likewise a useless argument. Aside from Joseph Padilla, all enemy combatants taken as prisoners for detention are not US citizens, and thus not covered by the Constitution (except for a few basic principles about universal human rights). Most of these incidents have likewise occurred off of US soil and often by those who were not US citizens, but instead proxies. There is no point in belaboring this argument, because the basis for it is absent.

So we are left with the moral argument, which is really the most important one anyway, because it bypasses the mechanics of law to look at the underlying questions of humanity and justice. The question really is, "If we consider ourselves a 'moral country', can we allow our agents to use Waterboarding in their interrogations of enemies or neutrals with important information?"

Let the debate begin. (Feel free to use the comments below to start discussing this. But be aware that I plan several follow-up posts which may or may not take into account your comments, because they may or may not be written long before this first post goes up.)

Ever wonder what Apple DID NOT release?

This site has up an interesting list of products that Apple thought up, created a prototype for, and then promptly abandoned. Some of them you can see why they abandoned (the useless buggy wireless laptop) and some of them you wonder why they gave up (the Mac Duo Tablet). It is fascinating to know what might have been.

Free Music!

I was introduced to the music of Derek Webb probably a few months ago. He is giving away one of his albums, Mockingbird, so long as you send the e-mail about his site to five friends (or put in five fake e-mail addresses). The album is an accoustic album, but even if that's not your type of music, I think most Mod-Bloggers would find the lyrics interesting. For example, in a song about poverty, he sings "Well, we're all living so good. / We moved out of Jesus' neighborhood. / Where He's hungry and not feeling so good / from going through our trash." While I don't necessarily agree with everything Derek Webb sings about, he's made me think.

Get Mockingbird at FreeDerekWebb.com. This offer is not going to last long. On Nov 27, it was announced that it would only be free for one more week.

Get Ready for Another Currency Redesign

Now that we have most of our dollar bills in day-glow orange, a judge has decided more changes are needed. This time they are needed to help the blind.

U.S. District Judge James Robertson ordered the Treasury Department to come up with ways for the blind to tell bills apart. He said he wouldn't tell officials how to fix the problem, but he ordered them to begin working on it.
The American Council of the Blind has proposed several options, including printing bills of differing sizes, adding embossed dots or foil to the paper or using raised ink.
"Of the more than 180 countries that issue paper currency, only the United States prints bills that are identical in size and color in all their denominations," Robertson wrote. "More than 100 of the other issuers vary their bills in size according to denomination, and every other issuer includes at least some features that help the visually impaired."
Government attorneys argued that forcing the Treasury Department to change the size of the bills or add texture would make it harder to prevent counterfeiting. Robertson was not swayed.
"The fact that each of these features is currently used in other currencies suggests that, at least on the face of things, such accommodations are reasonable," he wrote.

This actually makes a lot of sense to me. The changes requested (differing sizes or raised dots) seem a lot less significant than the changes they have already brought to the currency in an attempt to prevent counterfeiting.

I am the only one who did not know...

...that a Luffa is actually a garden vegatable? Somehow I always assumed it was a man-made woven product. But apparently, my assumption was more than a little wrong.

Street Fighter Hilarity

When I was a younger man... okay a teen... I loved playing the Street Fighter games on my friend's SNES and Genesis systems. Don't ask me which character I used the most, as it may make you question my masculinity. Anyway, if you also enjoyed the Street Fighter games, you will find this hilarious! (FAIR WARNING: There is some profanity in this video. Do not click thru at work!) Makes me wonder how they will show off Blanka. (Don't bother with Part 1, all the good jokes are in the preview to this link.)

Only Too True

This is why it never hurts to ask the "stupid question" in engineering. Although at times I would love to have my own office, the benefit of having a coworker nearby to bounce an idea off of is wonderful.

It's Official: No one wants to see "Kerry 2008" signs

Hopefully, John Kerry can take a hint. According to a new poll, Senator John Kerry is the least popular potential candidate for President in 2008. And that is for both the Republican and Democratic side.

Democratic Sen. John Kerry, mulling a second bid for the U.S. presidency, finished dead last in a poll released on Monday on the likability of 20 top American political figures.
Among those placing ahead of Kerry were about a dozen potential 2008 White House rivals, including Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona.
"This is bad bad news for Kerry," said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute in Hamden, Connecticut, which conducted the survey.
"Americans know who he is, and have pretty much decided they don't like him," said Brown.

This is pretty much only a suprise to John Kerry, who as recently as a month ago was visibly preening for another run. The only person less likely to elected in 2008 is Presient Bush, and that is mostly because of statutory term limits. I am not sure he'd lose, even now, if the Senator were his opponent.

Foxtrot's Position on Politics

Reason 165,241 why the iPod will beat the Zune

The ability to negotiate exclusive contracts with people that don't like them. It appears that the iTunes music store will the be exclusive online retailer of The Beatles. Most people are probably thinking "it's about time" with no clue to the hugeness of this. Apple Computer (owner of iTunes) and Apple Music (the Beatles production company) have been at each other's throats for much of the past twenty years. Numerous law suits have been filed between the two as well as numerous settlements only to be followed by numerous law suits. The moral of the story up till now is that Apple doesn't like Apple. Aside from the legal mumbo-jumbo, the Beatles haven't let anybody sell digitized versions of their songs (some of which are even hard to find on CD). If iTunes pulls this off then it will show a major change of course both on a legal as well as principle front for the Beatles and Apple Music. Which leads us back to why the iPod will beat Zune. The iTunes folks have negotiated multiple contracts with big-time acts - many of whom were not exactly happy with the whole online music thing - in order to get exclusive rights. The ability to get these acts on iTunes and not any other online music store will keep people coming back to iTunes and thus back to the iPod. The Beatles are one of those cultural icons that is bigger than any bullying MS or anybody else might throw at them and have so far deflected all offers. The ability to negotiate with such an icon is business savvy that you're not likely to be seen in MS or the Zune folks.

I wish we could ground our Congressmen for apathy!

Need to warn someone?

I could easily see the Warning Label Generator or the Warning Sign Generator being useful to many of our readers.

If you can't make a state recognize same-sex marriage...

...how about same sex divorce? that appears to be the strategy of one couple who got married in Massachusettes last year, and is now seeking to dissolve the union in a Rhode Island court, despite the fact that Rhode Island does not recognize same-sex marriages. Presumably, a ruling either way opens the door for considerable wrangling concerning "equal protection under the law."

You have to give them points for creativity. But if the judge in this case is smart, he'll simply rule that Rhode Island has no jurisdiction over a practice it does not endorse (or explicitly ban, their constitution and courts have been silent on the issue). What MA joined together, let MA put asunder if it so desires.

What Fruit Did Adam and Eve Eat?

The Straight Dope has up a discussion of the various traditions for what is the actual fruit Adam and Eve ate in order to be tossed out of the garden of Eden. Western Art tends to depict it as an apple, but that is not what the text says.

Early rabbis suggested the fruit was:
- the fig, because the next verse mentions sewing together fig leaves to make loincloths;
- grapes, which later cause trouble for Noah, not to mention many other vino lovers;
- the citron, a lemonlike fruit which in Hebrew is etrog, a pun on ragag, "desire";
- wheat, khitah in Hebrew and thus a pun on khet, "sin" — a stretch, considering wheat isn't a fruit and doesn't grow on trees; or
- the carob, because in Hebrew its name puns on the word for "destruction."
Many modern scholars think the author(s) of the text had the pomegranate in mind.

Or, of course, it could have been a truly unique tree-born sweet thing. But either way this is interesting and something I never thought through before to this level.

A Glimpse of Venom from Spider-Man 3?

Don't blink or you might miss it. This is from a Fox Special set to air during commercial segments when they premiere Spider-Man 2 on network TV.

If you ask me Black Friday has gotten WAY too commercial...

I remember the good old days when Black Friday was about REAL things. Like... like... well... Okay, I guess it was never about "real" things.

Apple Store Black Friday Sale!

Most brick-and-mortar retailers have up Black Friday sales to entice you out of your tryptophan-induced drowse today, but were you aware that Apple.Com has an ONLINE Black Friday sale? That's right, here is one door-buster you can take advantage of without ever leaving your confy chair at home!

Happy Thanksgiving!

What are YOU thankful for?

New Dollar Coins on the Way!

CRChair was going to post this one, but it appears I have beaten him to the punch. The U.S Mint is going to release a new series of dollar coins featuring the presidents. They will start with George Washington and work their way up to at least Richard Nixon. One of the more interesting choices on the new coinage is the design decision to move "E pluribus unun" and "In God We Trust" from the face to the SIDES of the coins!

Great analogies collected by High School English teachers

These are great! It goes to show what a creative but persistently overtired and over-caffeinated mind can produce.

3. He spoke with the wisdom that can only come from experience, like a guy who went blind because he looked at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it and now goes around the country speaking at high schools about the dangers of looking at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it.

4. She grew on him like she was a colony of E. Coli, and he was room-temperature Canadian beef.

5. She had a deep, throaty, genuine laugh, like that sound a dog makes just before it throws up.

6. Her vocabulary was as bad as, like, whatever.

7. He was as tall as a six-foot, three-inch tree.

And now that you have read them here please do not put them in an e-mail and send them all over the internet. I make the request in all sincerity, knowing that someone out there has already done so and we'll all be "treated" to this list over and over via e-mail spam for the next 10 years.

I know this dog!

Flickr's Camera Stats!

I love Flickr for its great photo sharing, storage, and posting capabilities. (See my site here.) But now, it can also be a buyer guide for those seeking a new camera! This new section of Flickr tracks the most popular camera brands, models, and shows trend lines for which cameras are gaining and which are losing. Right now it shows Canon gaining in nearly all fronts for its great Digital SLRs, for example (I own a Digital Rebel XT). You can also click on the model name to see pictures taken with that camera. What a great way to shop for the best shutterbug apparatus!!!

Fusion for teens everywhere

A teen has created Nuclear fusion in his parents basement. If this is true you have to wonder why there are nations that still haven't mastered nuclear power.

THE HOBBIT will be missing its Gandalf

Hat tip to faithful reader Wacko! on this story. Apparently, New Line and Peter Jackson will NOT be making THE HOBBIT together. New Line has decided to proceed without Peter Jackson because of a dispute over accounting practices from the first film. This means that THE HOBBIT will be made by an entirely different creative team, because the writer, director, and special effects house were all Peter Jackson-exclusives.

Wow, what an amazing way to mess up a simple proposition. This is like trying to make a 7th Star Wars film without the assistance of George Lucas (though I will admit he was not the best DIRECTOR of the films). Hopefully, they will be unable to find another director willing to take a chance on this, because that poor director is SURE to fail to satisfy rabid Tolkien fans, even if s/he does an amazing job.

High School Dropout Epidemic

I really, honestly do not understand High School dropouts. There are SO MANY doors in our society that are ONLY open to those with a diploma, why would you give it up if you had any other choice? But this article suggests that the rate of quitters is way up and shows no sign of letting up any time soon.

A recent study by the Department of Education found that 31 percent of American students were dropping out or failing to graduate in the nation's largest 100 public school districts.
The implications from dropping out of high school are enormous, including a higher risk of poverty and even an abbreviated life span.

I wonder how much of this has to do with the No Child Left Behind tests, which have ended the practice of social promotion by providing clear standards for achievement? It may well be that this issue has been there for years, but we are only knowing about it now because school has become more difficult (and correctly so). Any educators out there with an opinion to share?

Gas at Super Stop & Shop

BJs was closed for some unknown reason, but was 5 cents cheaper

Happy Birthday, CRChair!

Many happy returns from all of us here to CRChair, the best brother on the face of the planet, and a valued member of the Mod-Blog team.

Feel free to leave your birthday wishes in the comments below, or in the Shoutbox.

War Criminals

Well, it's official. Our President is a war criminal according to Democratic Underground. Oh wait, I linked to Andrew Sullivan, didn't I? It's so difficult to tell those two sites apart any more.

Gas prices "officially" up

CNN.com is reporting that gas prices are up 5 cents per gallon nationally after a 3 month slump in prices. They theorize that this is due to the end of a "mini-glut" of oil after the high demand of summer. But we all know the real reason. Thanksgiving is coming and is one of the heaviest driving weekends of the year. Higher prices mean higher profits, and this is the oil campany's chance to soak the consumer.

She added that she expects little pump price changes in the near term, unless the mild weather turns severe, causing a spike in heating oil prices. That spike would also increase all petroleum prices, Lundberg said.
Another factor that could cause gas prices to rise in coming months would be a strong adherence by OPEC countries to their pledge to cut world crude oil production by 1.2 million barrels a day or another decision to reduce production when OPEC meets again next month, Lundberg said.

I know some are thinking "If Thanksgiving has a higher demand with a static supply, then it makes sense that prices would go up." Yes, I know Supply-And-Demand. But the gas companies long ago used up my goodwill in relation to their corporate bottom lines.

Charlie Rangel LOVES the Draft

This has got to fall under "any publicity is good publicity", because otherwise Congressman Rangel has a sizeable number of screws loose.

U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel, the incoming chairman of the House of Representatives' tax-writing committee, said he would introduce legislation to reinstate the draft as soon as the new, Democratic-controlled Congress convenes in January.
Asked on CBS' "Face the Nation" if he was still serious about the proposal for a universal draft he raised a couple of years ago, he said, "You bet your life. Underscore serious."
"If we're going to challenge Iran and challenge North Korea and then, as some people have asked, to send more troops to Iraq, we can't do that without a draft," he said.

The Congressman is about as liberal as they come, so this is not serious. Rather is a bit of political theater. Personally, I'd rather be having real debates about real issues.

Some days I need "A Spiritual Touniquet"

Review: Casino Royale

I'm going to get any suspense out of the way right away and make a very bold statement for those who don't want to read the entire review. Casino Royale is, hands down, the best Bond movie made to date. Furthermore, it is so superior to the previous Bond movies as to make them very nearly shameful in comparison. In every area, Casino Royal shines. There are two things that you should know though, before you get to the theater...

1) This is not a prequel. It has been marketed as such since it deals with the beginning of Bond. However, it is set in our time and has, just like Batman Begins, ripped the old sheets out of the book and started at a new beginning. It is in no way disrespectful of the previous films, but it very clearly aims to re-define what Bond is. And what a job it does in the process.

2) This is to the Bond franchise what BSG is to the Battlestar Galactica world. This is an extreme re-envisioning of what Bond is and what he is about. I will explain how below...

Daniel Craig is incredible as the new Bond. I've only seen him in Tomb Raider previously but I was very impressed with him here. He is certainly more of a man's man than the previous Bonds. He brings much more raw physical power to the role and the writers make good use of it. He's also able to pull off a very human performance of a role that is often too one-sided.

The new vision of Bond is also bold. Very few cheesy one-liners here. This Bond is far too busy doing his job to be the funny man. He is a calculating killer who will get the job done with as much brutal force as is necessary. He also manages to not sleep with every female who crosses his path. In addition, he is a much more physically in your face. This Bond isn't above getting bloody and dirty to get the job done. It is refreshing to finally see a Bond who can't take on three goons and regain his perfect facade with a turn of the necktie. Craig is working far too hard to look like he's sat in a styling booth for hours. The added realism was appreciate on my part. And also, we finally see a Bond who wears clothes a bit more appropriate for the kind of action he is undertaking. Craig is more likely to come onto the scene wearing a polo shirt and a pair of kahkis. And he still looks good doing it. Finally, he's above all else, a real human. This is no cardboard cut out. Craig plays a character who is fully fleshed out with an array of emotions. He cries, he gets angry, he truly cares for other characters, etc.

The technology is interesting and useful, but never flashy. The previous several Bond outings had become nothing more than extended commercials for every product that could be shoved down our throats. Here, the focus is back on highlighting technology that is useful and not just about showing a brand label.

The baddies in this movie are also quite different. When Bond comes up against even a henchman here, he's got to fight like he means it. Every battle truly feels like life and death is at stake. Even the lowliest goon is not without abilities and, like most people, actually thinks when confronted by an adversary. As a note, one encounter with a particular enemy features a torture seen that is truly cringe worthy, and effective. The entire audience gasped in horror and several were squirming in their seats during the thankfully brief scene.

In closing I will say, as I said at the beginning, that this is easily the best Bond we've seen yet. Certainly, some will disagree. But I feel it is the most human and the most compelling of the movies yet. I find the new approach refreshing and I hope it will recapture the spirit of the movies for a new generation.

Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Bowhunter!

Congratulations from all of us here at Mod-Blog to Bowhunter and Mrs. BH on the birth of BABY BOWHUNTER!

CNN on PS3: Uninspiring

It is a bad week for technologists on CNN. First, they slammed the Zune, now they are slamming the Playstation 3.

The question is: If you're somehow able to find a PlayStation 3 on a store shelf this year, is it worth buying one? Sadly, the answer is not yet. The system is too expensive for what most people will get out of it -- and the initial slate of games don't offer enough innovation or thrills to justify the purchase.
Wait until prices drop $100 or even $200 -- and until there are a few more good games available - before you consider making the plunge.

As of now, I am not planning on buying a PS3 for several months. Who knows if one shows up over Black Friday weekend, but I don't see any compelling reason to upgrade from my PS2.

Ever wonder what it would be like to experience Star Wars for the first time in the post-Prequel World?

Entertainment Weekly went out and found a reader who had never seen any of the Star Wars movies, comics, cartoons, or owned a single action figure. They then tried a little experiment and had him watch the entire saga from Episode 1 to Episode 6 on Cinemax's new HD run. It is interesting to see that (1) he can really laugh at the changes in George Lucas, but (2) he was still captured by the magic of the world.

It was only a couple of minutes before my first Jar Jar Binks sighting, and I found myself wondering: Why does he sound like a Jamaican Elmo? However, those are questions for another time. I found I was often confused in this movie. Terms like Sith, Jedi, and The Force were new to me and they came with little explanation. Obviously, most people watching this movie would have seen the other movies and know what is going on, but this first-timer did not. I was obviously dealing with a more experienced partner.

It makes me again wonder what the Prequels would have looked like if George had written those scripts back in the 70s and 80s.

Microsoft does not support Zune on Windows Vista

You gotta love it. Microsoft is not only abandoning previous customers by refusing to support their own PlaysForSure initiative. They are also refusing to support their most avid fans by not supporting Microsoft Vista, their newest operating system!

To be honest, I am sure Vista support is coming. It is technically still in Beta. But it shows the mindset (and desperation) of the Zune team.

Fun Products of the Day

Think Geek is selling a USB Missle Launcher! A little pricey for how often I'd use it, but fun none the less.

They've also got up a USB Electric Guitar. Not sure how practical it is, but interesting. It would be good for Apple's GarageBand.

Rudy Runs!

First, John McCain filed for an exploratory committee for a presidential run. Now, Rudy Giuliani is throwing his hat into the ring. This should be a shock to no one, as Rudy is the logical anti-McCain. A liberal Republican with impeccable 9/11 credentials with no fingerprints on the Iraq War.

The former mayor filed papers to create the Rudy Giuliani Presidential Exploratory Committee, Inc., establishing a New York-based panel that would allow him to raise money to explore a White House run and travel the country.
The four-page filing, obtained by The Associated Press, lists the purpose of the non-profit corporation "to conduct federal 'testing the waters' activity under the Federal Election Campaign Act for Rudy Giuliani."
The paperwork, dated last Friday, is signed by Bobby Burchfield, a partner at the DC-based law firm of McDermott Will & Emery, a firm that handles political work.

I am glad Rudy is running, but I must say again that I hope he is not the nominee. His pro-choice stand on abortion would make it impossible for me to vote for him. If he is the one, I will be voting for a third-party candidate in 2008.

Video Game vs Real Violence

Of course, it misses several philosophical points in the gun debate, but it does make a good one as well.

Runaway Camel?

While I don't know that anyone here will ever have this problem, I found the following "how to" article interesting: How to Regain Control of a Spooked Camel

See, Costumes *DO* Work in Catching Criminals

Even as the TV series Heroes and Smallville have mostly eschewed "costumes" in favor of "more gritty and realistic" portrayals of crime-fighters, the police are learning that a costume can be useful in foiling the dastardly deeds of evildoers.

The Dynamic Duo - Sgt Tony Smith and PC Mike Holman - pulled on the superhero outfits in a bid to unsettle the suspected baddies.
They pretended to be drunks looking for a fancy dress party and knocked on the door of the suspect's home.
Those inside refused to answer the door to the loud, comically dressed visitors - which was what the officers wanted.
Batman and Robin then went around the back of the property in Weymouth, Dorset, while seven uniformed officers went to the front door.
Those inside the house were PLEASED to see the policemen and complained to them about the fancy dress drunks. They then invited the officers in.

No doubt the British police will be adopting superhero outfits for many of their major branches. However, a word of advice: avoid spandex for your more rotund officers.

Ultimate Cuteness

Withe girl and her sister
Originally uploaded by fairy810621.

Is there anything cuter than newborn puppies sleeping?

More "Rock the Sound" Videos

TobyMac easily put on the best show of the night, even though I liked the music of Casting Crowns far better. His group so CLEARLY is having the time of their lives every second.


Casting Crowns was still the best pure music of the night, and was the most focused on pure worship.

Thanks to CRChair for these great recordings!

McCain Informally Formally Announces 2008 Presidential Campaign

That's right, Big John has announced that he may form an exploratory committee about maybe running for president in 2008. Maybe. Personally, I think after Reagan we are unlikely to elect a man to START his service older than Reagan was. Then again, if John McCain is out front, it provides two years for Democrats to exhaust their heavy guns on him while other potential nominees gain strength, raise money, and get a sense for the electorate. It would not be entirely out of character for Senator McCain to throw himself on a grenade for his party.

Walking on Water... Sort Of

This is physics in action. These guys mixed corn starch and water in a concrete mixer, then filled a small pool. The surface tension is so amazingly high in the resultant liquid, that they can literally run across the top of the water! But if they stop moving, it is quicksand time. They're speaking japanese, I think, so feel free to turn off the sound for this one.

Windows minus anti-virus

Slashdot is running a story on a statement the outgoing president of MS where he says that he's comfortable with his son running Vista without an anti-virus program running. Given MS's history with security most would scoff at this comment, but my question is with this sort of triumphalistic statement how long until Vista is the security nightmare that XP has been (surely the Windows XPerience has been anything but enjoyable for millions of users that were infected by viruses resulting from holes unpatched for months at a time)? This does explain to some extent the new stuff in the EULA limiting the use of anti-virus software. From my very biased point of view this could only be a boon for Mac OS X - which as far as I know is still as solid as a rock with few if any working viruses.

Spider-Man 3 Trailer!

A second Spider-Man 3 Trailer is up and ready for viewing! It explains a little more of the plot, and how Raimi is putting his own spin on the Sandman and Venom villain arcs. It looks better than I had expected, and I had high expectations.

Puppy Furniture

Although my dogs are small, they always loved it when I did this.

And Now the Fallout

Rumsfeld is out. It's hard to say rather he was pushed out or not. The President has certainly been open about this desire to keep him on board. But, after the election, he might be a necessary fallguy. The new debate about the future of the conservative movement has officially begun.

After the election, I am ready for some mindless fun...

...and while this movie is still months away, even the trailer seems to qualify!

Joe Wins!

Months after being rejected by his own party for the dreaded sin of... BIPARTISANSHIP... Joe Lieberman has won his independent campaign for the U.S. Senate. Congratulations, Joe. May the experience make you always realize you owe more to the voters than to the Democratic party bosses.

Want a Zune? Consider how Microsoft Treats Its Customers

Microsoft is preparing to launch the "Zune", its own music player and its answer to the iPod. You may be considering one of the brown machines for your own gadget shelf. If so, consider this fact: Microsoft spent the last few year advertising its MSN Music Store which sold music from the major labels, but if you were a customer none of the music will be useable on the Zune. So if you bought hundreds of CDs worth of music, now you'll have to buy it all over again.

Compare that to the iPod ecosystem, where the latest music bought today can be played on the very first iPod. And where you can burn any of your iTunes music as real music CDs, which can be re-reripped to MP3s to play on any music player. Personally, I would not trust MS with my music.

Election Day - Do Your Duty!

Yes, I am as sick of the election commercials as you are. Yes, I have had at least 5 calls in the last 24 hours from taped politicians asking me to vote. Yes, I am sick and tired of hearing how awful/wonderful Diane Farrell is. But today is election day, so it is time to get out and vote. It is the right and duty of every adult American. And after the 2000 election, we know that every vote DOES matter and that some races may be won by a single cast ballot.

Prices holding at moderate levels

Prices holding at moderate levels
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

I wonder how long until the gas companies start jacking up prices in anticipation of Thanksgiving Weekend?

Rock the Sound Pictures

Rock the Sound is an organization bringing Christian bands to the New York, Connecticut area. ("Sound" refers to Long Island Sound.) We went to their annual major concert in Bridgeport's Arena at Habor Yard, and had the joy of seeing Casting Crowns among others. We got a number of pictures, click on the picture below to see the whole set.

Or click below for a video taken by CRChair.

This one is for YOU Bowhunter

Saddam Will Hang

It is not his last conviction, surely, but Saddam faced sentencing for the killing 148 Shia men and women. He was sentenced to death by hanging. He had requested death by firing squad (presumably a soldiers death) and instead will be treated like a common criminal. It remains to be seen what effect this will have (1) on the Nov 7 election in the USA or (2) the unrest in Iraq. My own gut reaction is that will likely be the start of a diminution of violence, or a trigger for the outbreak of outright civil war in Iraq.

Casting Crowns at Rock the Sound

Casting Crowns at Rock the Sound
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

Casting Crowns at Rock the Sound

Casting Crowns at Rock the Sound
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

Pillar at Rock the Sound

Pillar at Rock the Sound
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

Stellar Kart at Rock the Sound

Stellar Kart at Rock the Sound
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

Military votes No Confidence in Rumsfeld?

Allegedly, this editorial is slated to run in the official Military Times editions on Monday, November 6. That is one day before Election Day for those keeping score at home.

For two years, American sergeants, captains and majors training the Iraqis have told their bosses that Iraqi troops have no sense of national identity, are only in it for the money, don't show up for duty and cannot sustain themselves.
Meanwhile, colonels and generals have asked their bosses for more troops. Service chiefs have asked for more money.
And all along, Rumsfeld has assured us that things are well in hand.
Now, the president says he'll stick with Rumsfeld for the balance of his term in the White House.
This is a mistake.
It is one thing for the majority of Americans to think Rumsfeld has failed. But when the nation's current military leaders start to break publicly with their defense secretary, then it is clear that he is losing control of the institution he ostensibly leads.

If true, this is likely to be a bombshell - the generals publicly criticizing their commander. I do not think it is likely to change the outcome of the Congressional elections themselves on November 7, but I think it is likely to have large sway over how the freshman Congresspeople vote come January.

That Didn't Take Long...

I'm waiting before I make much of a comment on Haggard and the situation he is now in. To jump on either side without a lot more facts answered would be premature at this point. But, with a display of class that has become all too common for Andrew, he's not bothering to wait and see. He's even already pegged exactly what Haggard's problem is:

I'm afraid I feel for Haggard. This is what happens to a man psychologically and spiritually destroyed by actually advancing a lie he knows to be a lie about homosexuality as a "chosen lifestyle" while being gay himself.

If only Haggard had come out and acknowledged that what he claimed was his heart-felt interpretation of the Bible was really just a lie intended to support the great Rovian plot against homosexuals, then he could have avoided all of this. Everything can be summed up very simply then. It's all about the lie that the "right" forces on the American people that homosexuality is Biblically forbidden which leads to the downfall of men. Everyone who opposes homosexuallity is obviously a flaming homosexual themselves, just fighting against it out of trite political desires. Right. Very classy, Andrew.

Funny Fundraising

I can't help but think of this type of situtation everytime my brother talks to these people.

Why most Mod-Bloggers will be buying MacOS X 10.5 instead of Windows Vista

Microsoft just does not get it. Their userbase is shrinking due to Apple and Linux making inroads, as users get fed up with usability issues, security issues, and a series of draconian DRM (digital rights management - tightly controlling what you can do with your own software). So what what is their reaction? Even more restrictions in the Windows Vista end user license. What kind of restrictions? It is now illegal to use Parallels or another virtualization software to run Windows inside of MacOS X or Linux... unless you buy the most expensive version. You are now also only allowed to transfer Windows Vista to one other computer ever and only once. So if you were to buy Windows Vista for your old PC, then buy a laptop online on eBay with Windows XP on it, that is your ONLY chance to use the original Vista CD/DVD to upgrade a computer.

Compare this to Apple, who not only has no controls against copying, but sells a "family license" with 5 installs for only a few dollars more than their regular version. How long will people put up with this?

The Troops Respond

Just in case you haven't seen it yet, the troops respond to Kerry:



Posted on Drudge Report

In Memoriam: Dad

I miss you and love you. Not necessarily in that order.

What will be the result of John Kerry's "botched joke"?

In a flashback to the 2004 presidential campaign, John Kerry has again stuck his foot in his mouth with veterans and had been forced to apologize. If you have been under a rock for the last 24 hours, here is the deal.

Kerry made the comment Monday to students at Pasadena City College in California.
He said: "You know, education -- if you make the most of it, you study hard and you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well.
"If you don't, you get stuck in Iraq."

As democrats hastily back away from John Kerry in an attempt to save their anticipated election victory next week, the question comes to mind: What will be the impact of this verbal snafu?

I predict that the Kerry remark has little to no impact on the election. Congressional elections are largely won on local issues, and unlike GWB John Kerry is no one's party leader. However, it has likely ended any possibility of John Kerry making a "come back" run for president. He has reminded us all of his inability to stand up to scrutiny at key moments. He is not someone the democats want representing them nationally, and not someone Americans want in the top spot.

One Last October Surprise: Sadaam Claims Iraq Accepted the Ultimatum Before the War

It is amazing how many people are trying to influence the USA election this year. Now a ex-Sadaam official is claiming that Iraq accepted the U.N. Ultimatum before the war, but the Marines cut the phone cord never let the announcement out.

Couple of hours before the expiration of the Bush ultimatum, Saddam ordered Colonel Amer, his strongman, to facilitate Shaltout's broadcast of the communique. Colonel Amer ordered Allaa Mecky, the head of the Iraqi Channel 2 television, to accompany Shaltout and help him broadcast the communique."
It was very late at night and CNN in Baghdad was closed. So they went to al-Jazeera, and Shaltout told al-Jazeera Washington correspondent Hafez Almirazy on the air that he had the Iraqi government's official reply to the Bush ultimatum. Moments after Mirazy asked him for a brief, the plug was pulled on the transmission. Shaltout has a copy of that interrupted broadcast.
Shaltout said that when the Americans arrived in Baghdad, he offered his assistance to U.S. military officials. Instead he was arrested by Marines who went to his hotel suite taking his documents.

I guess 8 PM on October 31 still counts as an "October Surprise." Thing is, even if true it won't change any minds. Sadaam had run out of chances years previously.

More voting machine madness

Texas is the next site of voting bugs and conspiracy theorists.

Early voting runs through Friday, November 3rd.
KFDM continues to get complaints from Jefferson County voters who say the electronic voting machines are not registering their votes correctly.
Friday night, KFDM reported about people who had cast straight Democratic ticket ballots, but the touch-screen machines indicated they had voted a straight Republican ticket.
Some of those voters including Lamar University professor, Dr. Bruce Drury, believe the problem is a programming error.

Yes, it is going to be an interesting week until November 7 is over.

Finding Joy in All Days

I might actually buy a tablet PC when it can do this!

This is a fascinating little video on the future of interface design. It is a bit like the interface from the movie "Minority Report", but realized in a non-Hollywood form. I suspect that we'll be seeing a Mac with this interface sooner than you might expect, because it does "Just work".

And so it begins...

Florida is having problems with their voting machines already. If you thought the 2000 election was "fun", wait to see what the conspiracy theorists come up with this time. Here's hoping the issues really are "rare" and "scattered" and no one really has cause to challenge the results. Otherwise, we are in for trouble and a nation which feels democracy itself is broken.

Giving the lunch lady the finger

When I was in college I frequently was the guy responsible for making sure everybody swiped their ID card to go up to the cafeteria. This would have made my life way easier. Finger print scanners have been around for a while, but I've not heard of using them in this way. Having your finger print attached to an account in order to pay for your lunch is an ingenious use of the technology. I can understand how it would help with the rush - as well as the number of people that will always forget their ID cards.

Honesty gets Bill into trouble again

Bill, Cosby that is, has stepped into hot water yet again for speaking the truth about race relations - - particularly the education of black students. Cosby has been on the war path as of late about how black culture has let down blacks. He seems to be of the opinion that it's not white's responsibility to make sure black students grow up to be profitable members of society - in fact it's the parents responsibility (woah, what a concept). He's obviously stepping on a lot of toes, particularly the affirmative action types, which will always get a person into trouble.

Interestingly there are several prominent blacks that are criticizing the black community within America for squandering the benefits brought by the civil rights movements. Another theme, from the same people, is how white (read liberal) guilt has handicapped the black community from reaching the heights that they have the potential to reach. It's very interesting that there seems to be a quite conservative core within the black community developing. I hope they succeed, because I think that would be really a good thing for the community.

Using Google Maps for Evangelism

This has to get points for creativity, though I am not sure that I can foresee how anyone would find their heart made more open to God thru seeing something on a satellite photo.

Prices inching back up

Prices inching back up
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.