Welcome back baseball!

Today is opening day for baseball. Yes, the devil's spawn Redsox did play their opening day game last week, but today is when all the real teams start their seasons. Here's hoping that the with a new manager the Yankees can win it all or at least that the Redsox will have a miserable season.

Annual April Fools Day Boycott

Every year, on April 1, the Internet transforms itself from a useful tool for the dissemination of fact and opinion, into a useless place for the dumping of fraud and fakery. April Fools Day used to be a day for practical jokes among friends, and has become an international day for internet trolls and flamebaiters to take over the internet and impose their dubious senses of humor on everyone else. Many sites post only fake news, others mix fiction and fact freely.

In the interest of NOT supporting this idiocy, I am declaring the Fourth Annual Mod-Blog Boycott of April Fools Day. I will not be posting ANYTHING to Mod-Blog on that day, and call upon my fell Mod-Bloggers to do the same. Of course, if there is some REAL major world event, I may break the boycott. No other Mod-Blogger is REQUIRED to honor the boycott, but from discussions in past years I suspect most feel the same way I do.

My apologies to those who rely on Mod-Blog for your daily dose of sanity. Perhaps Ward or Muse can post more pictures of their Lil One in lieu of news.

Cell Phone Irony

I have never understood why - in the age of voicemail - so many people are incapable of letting a cell phone ring if they are in the middle of an important conversation "in real life." I cut the married guys some slack - they have a wife who may be furious if they are not treated as top priority. But the rest... can't you wait 3 minutes to talk to your buddy from next door?

Ring of Fire

While I have not tried this at home, this video is pretty cool. A ring of fire using household products! Please note: Mod-Blog neither recommends you actually do this nor are we responsible for anything that happens should you do this.


Ring Of Fire - Watch more free videos

Hypocrisy at its finest

MacBook Air Parody

The build-up is better than the ending, but it is a lot of fun.

Why did I spend $500 on an iPhone?

Because of the cutting-edge interface? So that I can consolidate the various technologies in my pocket? Because of the integration with Apple computers? So that I can buy music with the Wifi Music Store? Nope.

So I can carry on "Simpsons Quote Battles" with my brother most effectively.

I love Pixar!

Far better than any political video. Be sure to keep watching (and listening) thru the credits!

New Vocabulary Word: Otiose

Our observant Mod-Blog audience may have noticed my penchant for vocabulary. I love to discover new words and their meanings. English is a rich language and it is fun to see all the places that various users have taken it. This article brought me to a new word: OTIOSE.

OTIOSE: (Oh - Tee - Ohs)
- serving no useful purpose; having no excuse for being; "otiose lines in a play"; "advice is wasted words"
- futile: producing no result or effect; "a futile effort"; "the therapy was ineffectual"; "an otiose undertaking"; "an unavailing attempt"
- faineant: disinclined to work or exertion; "faineant kings under whose rule the country languished"; "an indolent hanger-on"; "too lazy to wash the dishes"; "shiftless idle youth"; "slothful employees"; "the unemployed are not necessarily work-shy"

Methinks we have discovered a wonderfully obscure new insult to use on friends and family members. ;-)

Aaron on TV

A number of you have been praying for one of my coworker's son. Thanks so much for your prayers, and this spot from our local TV station shows that God has granted a little miracle.

Hillary-ous!

Save Gas By Slowing Down

A certain member of our family has been transformed from a defensive driver who stayed at 60 into a highly offense-minded driver who drives over 75 MPH during their commute. The transformation happened when they changed jobs, and got exposed to overly aggressive drivers on one of CT's highways. But this person might change their mind if they knew how much money they were wasting on gas by changing their nature.

In a typical family sedan, every 10 miles per hour you drive over 60 is like the price of gasoline going up about 54 cents a gallon. That figure will be even higher for less fuel-efficient vehicles that go fewer miles on a gallon to start with.

...

Every 10 mph faster reduces fuel economy by about 4 mpg, a figure that remains fairly constant regardless of vehicle size, Clark said. (It might seem that a larger vehicle, with more aerodynamic drag, would see more of an impact. But larger vehicles also tend to have larger, more powerful engines that can more easily cope with the added load.)

I can only wonder how much gas Quizwedge used to waste during his regular commute when he approached the speed of light.

"The Tanya Harding Option"

I know our readers may be sick of these "Has Hillary gone too far?" articles, but I find the self-destructive nature of Senator Clinton to be fascinating. For years, we have been saying Hillary never saw the Senate as anything else but a stepping stone. Now, Democrats are coming to the same realization and wondering what kind of monster they have created. One wonders if one day this will be known as the "What have we been doing?" election as Republicans come to grips with the economic legacy of GWB, and Democrats come to grip with the "Shoot 'em all and let God sort it out" legacy of the Clintons.

Some top Democrats are increasingly worried that the Clintons’ divide-and-conquer strategy is nihilistic: Hillary or no democrat.

(Or, as one Democrat described it to ABC’s Jake Tapper: Hillary is going for “the Tonya Harding option” — if she can’t get the gold, kneecap her rival.)

...And even Clinton supporters know that Bill does not want to be replaced as the first black president, especially by a black president with enough magic to possibly eclipse him in the history books.

I will say it again: If the Democrats do not nominate Barack Obama, they are crazy. But I do not think charges of insanity would be unfair for either party this year.

Liberals Coming to Hillary Realization

At a time when the Hilary Clinton Campaign was gaining some momentum after the flap over Barak Obama's pastor, she went and squandered her opportunity with her recent statements about her Bosnia trip in the 1990s. Even reporters who are not considered conservative realize what a Hillary Clinton presidency will mean. Anderson Cooper of CNN made the following comment:

"The Bosnian episode is a watershed event, because it indelibly brings to mind so many examples of this tendency– from the White House years and, worse, from Hillary Clinton’s take-no-prisoners presidential campaign. Her record as a public person is replete with “misstatements” and elisions and retracted and redacted and revoked assertions… "

How can Hillary survive when even the liberals don't want to see her and what she represents back in the White House.

Opt OUT of Chase Direct Mail

Ah, it is a week day. That means it is time for Chase Bank to send me yet another piece of mail encouraging me to get a credit card, bank account, insurance product, or just to come on down and surrender my Free Will. If you are as tired as I am of these e-mails, check out this article which provides a way to OPT OUT, at long last.

My goal is someday to be able to take out the garbage on Sunday and NOT have to have shredded any Chase Bank offers that week.

Deep Thoughts

Ever wonder if God has these days.

NY Governor still possible out for Hillary?

A little while back when Elliot Spitzer admitted his affair, I suggested that perhaps this offered a way out for Hillary Clinton from the Presidential race. Leaving the race to take over as governor of New York State would be a way to save face and not have to consider herself the loser of the primary. And it would solidify Democratic control of both a major state and (perhaps) the White House. But, this idea wilted on the vine in light of the accolades for the first minority, disabled governor of New York was widely lauded by Democrats.

But now, things are a-changing.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080325/ap_on_re_us/ny_governor

Governor Patterson has had to admit to multiple affairs, drug use, and other criminal acts. None (yet) have been lethal to his fledgling political career. But it may only be a matter of time before New Yorkers have had enough and either call for impeachment, or drive him to resignation. If so, it opens another possible window for Hillary Clinton to exit the race without declaring defeat. Who knows?

Then again, Senator Clinton has not yet shown the ability to recognize an opportunity to retreat.

And by "under sniper fire", I meant "they gave us flowers"...

Couldn't make it to BJ's today

Couldn't make it to BJ's today
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

XM-Sirius Merger Gets Approval

The Justice Department today approved the merger of the XM and Sirius Satellite Radio companies. As a person who has had XM for almost 5 years now, I hope this will mean that I will have access to all the best features of each service. It will be nice to have the option of listening to the NBA games or NFL games. My other hope is that I won't have to upgrade my equipment. Right now I use the XM receiver that is built into my car stereo. That might be difficult to upgrade.

Elyse Sophia

And here is the first pic =)

Happy Easter!

Interesting look at a Post-9/11 Hollywood

The video makes an interesting point which I think really highlights the difference between the Republican and Democratic Parties. Republicans are living in a world defined by 9/11. Democrats are living in a world defined by the Iraq War. This goes a long way toward explaining the differences in emphases and priorities in the parties and why they find it so hard to find a middle ground these days.

What's Up with the Beards?

So, why do most politicians grow a beard after they lose and election or drop out o a race? (Al Gore being the prime example.) As someone who doesn't want facial hair of his own, I don't under stand this phenomena. Maybe another Modblogger has the answer. Lets just hope Hilary Clinton doesn't do it when she loses the Democratic race. ;-)

Good Friday

I always have a problem saying "happy Good Friday", because it's not really a happy day. So, instead I'll say that I hope you all celebrate Good Friday in a way that feels appropriate to the day.

Comcast to watch your living room

Most of the time when I see a post on Slashdot about some privacy issue I chalk it up to paranoia. So, this morning when I was parusing the site and saw a post about how Comcast plans to monitor who's watching TV, I was about to have my same reaction - the über-geeks are flipping out again. But then I read the article in question, and I have to say - I agree with the über-geeks on this one. Basically, Comcast plans on putting cameras in their equipment that they install in your house (DVR, cable box, etc...), so that they can watch who's watching TV and better program towards the watcher. Sounds like a great idea... until you realize that this kind of technology has about 18,000,000 ways of being misused. To quote the Slashdot post:

While this sounds 'handy,' it also sounds a bit like the TV sets in 1984.

A Good Nutshell Explanation of the Sub-Prime Crisis

My big "Eureka" moment on economics came when I realized for all the talk about monetary "policy" and economic "science", all financial systems are based on one thing: psychology. No economy is based on objective measures of value, but rather on the faith of every member of the economy that the things around them have worth. Take away the faith, and the economy collapses, and you may even be returned to the most basic of human economic analyses: "Can I eat that?"

But even this tool has not always been useful in analyzing the current sub-prime mess which is pushing the economy (probably has pushed it) into recession. I understand that many people borrowed money at interest rates they could not repay. What I don't understand is (1) why banks made such stupid bets that were guaranteed to work against them, and (2) why so many people took out mortgages with rates they knew they could never afford. The NYTimes does a good job of explaining some of the complexities.

And it largely explains why the mortgage mess has had such ripple effects. The American home seemed like such a sure bet that a huge portion of the global financial system ended up owning a piece of it. Last summer, many policy makers were hoping that the crisis wouldn’t spread to traditional banks, like Citibank, because they had sold off the underlying mortgages to investors. But it turned out that many banks had also sold complex insurance policies on the mortgage debt. That left them on the hook when homeowners who had taken out a wishful-thinking mortgage could no longer get out of it by flipping their house for a profit.

Many of these bets were not huge, but were so highly leveraged that any losses became magnified. If that $100 million investment I described above were to lose just $1 million of its value, the investor who put up only $1 million would lose everything. That’s why a hedge fund associated with the prestigious Carlyle Group collapsed last week.

Church Parody, Unsubtle

Motivational Poster

Okay, say cheese, everybody.
Originally uploaded by Carla216.

I love this one. I think I need to get a framed copy in my cubicle IMMEDIATELY.

Gas Station Fire Suppression System

I e-mailed this to a few of you, because I was not sure it fit on Mod-Blog, but after watching it a few times, I think it is worth sharing with everyone. If you ever wondered what the Fire Suppression system looked like at a gas station, here is your answer.

Crayon Physics

Crayon Physics is a new game produced at the Independent Games Show this year that looks very interesting. If that background music doesn't drive you mad, then I could see playing with this for hour after hour!

Another Mod-Blogger is Born

Ward & Muse welcomed their first daughter into the world today at 12:56pm. Both Mom and Baby are healthy. Baby was 7lbs 6oz and 21" long. Congratulations Ward and Muse. May your daughter bring you much joy.

Gas Prices to continue to rise.

Sigh. What more can I say to this? As a commuter, I am expecting to have a LOT less disposable income this year, even if my job is unaffected by the market.

While several areas will see prices over $4 a gallon, Kloza said he expects the nationwide average to peak somewhere between $3.50 and $3.75. Kilduff is calling for a high of $3.50, and Statts thinks we'll see the $3.30s.

All three analysts think prices will peak early, in April or May, then decline as the economy worsens and demand for gas - already flat or falling - continues to deteriorate.

"[The falloff in demand] that occurs around $3.25 a gallon takes a lot of the mojo out of gasoline," said Kloza. "These prices are real speed bumps for the economy."

How long until we see truckers and other gasoline-based workers picketing Congress for relief? And how long until Oil Companies find themselves back in Congress to testify?

Huckabee praises Obama speech

Either proving it was a great speech, or proving politicians know how to see where the wind is blowing, Mike Huckabee has praised Barack Obama's "race speech" and has defended him against critics of Reverend Wright.

And one other thing I think we've gotta remember. As easy as it is for those of us who are white, to look back and say "That's a terrible statement!"...I grew up in a very segregated south. And I think that you have to cut some slack -- and I'm gonna be probably the only Conservative in America who's gonna say something like this, but I'm just tellin' you -- we've gotta cut some slack to people who grew up being called names, being told "you have to sit in the balcony when you go to the movie. You have to go to the back door to go into the restaurant. And you can't sit out there with everyone else. There's a separate waiting room in the doctor's office. Here's where you sit on the bus..."

This goes along with some discussions I have had offline and with some comments made by BowHunter yesterday. For all the "sound and fury" surrounding the Reverend Wright, I think Obama will be able to recover and turn this into a positive... at least until the Reverend gives a NEW sermon with the same words in it. And if he is like the other pastors I have known, he is sure to do so eventually. He can not be silent.

Dinosaurs for Nomad

From In The Bleachers

A Positive Review of the BearSterns Buyout

Working in the banking world, my perspective has been different from most everyone else. All I could think of was the BearStearns employees who went home on Friday working for an independent company, who came to work Monday morning as a wholly-owned subsidiary facing inevitable layoffs in the consolidation.

But the noise on the web has been largely outraged (even as Economists have praised the move) at this example of "corporate welfare". Many are charging that it was a waste of taypayer money, since the buyout was facilitated by the loan over the weekend by the Fed.

But there are some other voices worth listening to.

The Fed risking a few billion here and there to keep the boat afloat is the best trade possible today. Their action saved trillions in losses for investors all over the world. It is a relatively small price. If you want to be outraged, think about the multiple billions in subsidies for ethanol and the hundreds of billions of so-called earmarks over the past few years to build bridges to nowhere. And think of the billions in lost tax revenue that would result from the ensuing crisis. I repeat, this was a good trade from almost any perspective, unless you are from the hair-shirt, cut-your-nose-off-to-spite-your-face camp of economics.

R.I.P. Arthur C. Clarke

If you have enjoyed virtually any science fiction, you owe a huge debt to Arthur C. Clarke, one of the pioneers of the genre. The author of 2001, 2010, Childhood's End, and many many more novels and short stories has died at age 90. He was also one of the few science fiction authors to have done some real science.

In 1945, a UK periodical magazine “Wireless World” published his landmark technical paper "Extra-terrestrial Relays" in which he first set out the principles of satellite communication with satellites in geostationary orbits - a speculation realised 25 years later. During the evolution of his discovery, he worked with scientists and engineers in the USA in the development of spacecraft and launch systems, and addressed the United Nations during their deliberations on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.

Today, the geostationary orbit at 36,000 kilometres above the Equator is named The Clarke Orbit by the International Astronomical Union.

The world will miss this visionary.

McCain March Madness

McCain has gotten into March Madness. Perhaps this is due to not having to fight against an opponent right now and needing to keep the spotlight on him. Perhaps this is McCain trying to show he can identify with the common man and is not too old. Either way, you can sign up on McCain's website. First prize is a McCain fleece; second prize is a McCain hat; third prize is a McCain pin.

McCain used Facebook to notify me of this. The message below:

McCain Basketball Brackets
2:01pm Today
Head over to www.JohnMcCain.com/brackets to join in the McCain 2008 Basketball Brackets. John McCain has made his picks, and this is your chance to compare your picks with his. You'll also be eligible for great McCain 2008 prizes.

Click here to sign up and fill out your bracket - www.JohnMcCain.com/brackets

Picks must be made before the start of the first games on Thursday, March 20th so make your picks today! After you've signed up, send your friends a quick note to invite them to join in the fun.

We're also offering another way to join in the bracket fun this year and get your friends involved as well. When you make your picks, you can select your favorite college or university and your points from your correct picks will go to your school. The school with the most points will win - so the more people you get to play, the better chance your school will have! Whether you're an alumni, current student or a fan, every correct point will help show your support for your school, even if they're not still playing in March! Be sure to spread the word to all of your friends to make sure they sign up today.

We're all looking forward to some great games in the weeks ahead, but even the excitement of March basketball doesn't compare with the excitement of electing the next President of the United States! While you're watching the games with your friends or lamenting your busted bracket over the water cooler, don't forget to tell your friends about your support for John McCain. We want to invite everyone to join our team as we continue our campaign to elect the man who has the experience, judgment and character to lead as commander in chief from day one, and your help building our team is critical.

Good luck with your bracket and don't forget to click here to make your picks before Thursday - www.JohnMcCain.com/brackets

It's good to see McCain working on his image to appeal to the younger crowd and the "common man". He'll need it if he's going to have to fight Obama.

Another Reason To Own A Wii

Some guys (probably with too much time on their hands) have connected a robotic arm to a Wii controller allow the user to hit a tennis ball or wield a sword with the robotic arm. Warning, there is language, but it's fine to watch without sound.

I did not hear Obama's "Race" speech...

...but can feel the power of the words when reading them. If Obama is not their nominee, the Democrats are crazy. I don't know if he can walk the walk, but he can surely talk the talk. He can articulate the interface between white and black America that too many Democrats (and too many Republicans) like to pretend does not exist. I encourage you to click over and read the full text of the speech.

http://drudgereport.com/flashos.htm

Updated 6:13 PM EST: And here is the video of the speech

Mummified Dinosaur Found!

Paleontology tends to be a weird science. You can't prove almost anything by experimentation, but instead you find a toe bone and a tooth and use them to try and figure out how a whole animal is put together. (I remember how hard I laughed during a trip to the Peabody Museum in New Haven, CT, when I learned they had found the wishbone for an extinct bird and used it to construct an entire animal. The wishbone was the ONLY fossil ever found for the species, but paleontologists had posited a number of unique features elsewhere from it.) But every once in a while, you come across a treasure trove. The newest discover is just such a find. They have discovered a complete mummified duckbill dinosaur in North Dakota!

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science/03/18/dinosaur.mummy.ap/index.html

This is only the fourth such find in history. The mummified remains may even contain actual DNA that could be used for study. Or, dare I say, cloning.

Should the USA boycott the Beijing Olympics?

The news is out that China is cracking down on Tibet, and there are reports that between 30 and "hundreds of people" have been arrested and killed as protesters and dissidents. Now, protesters around the world are calling upon nations to boycott the Olympics being held in Beijing. The USA is caught between a policy of engagement - and the fact that China has a significant trade surplus - and the desire to support the peaceful protests in Tibet.

In Sydney, protesters scaled a wall surrounding China's consulate and removed the Chinese national flag and tried to replace it with a Tibetan flag. Four people were arrested when police used pepper spray to disperse the crowd after a plain clothes officer had been attacked.

Tibet's government-in-exile urged the United Nations to intervene to end what it called "urgent human rights violations" by China in the region.

What do our readers think? Should America boycott the games over these violations of human rights? Or would such a move be counterproductive... or simply none of our business?

Gas prices

Gas prices
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

Flickr Video coming soon?

I am a big fan of Flickr and use it to house most of the images you see here on Mod-Blog or my other blog sites. Now, finally, it appears the people behind Flickr are turning their attention to video. They claim it will NOT be another YouTube clone, but something truly new to add to the Web. If they can bring the magic of Flickr to moving pictures, I am all for it. Although, I doubt I will be adding much content. I am still happy with still pictures for most of my visual expressionism.

http://www.news.com/8301-13953_3-9895044-80.html?tag=nefd.only

Muppet Danny Boy

A number of my Irish-American friends have told me that despite the Catholic Church deciding Saint Patrick's Day was Saturday, they intend to celebrate today anyway. So in honor of the day, here is a traditional Irish ditty.

Retrospective of Star Wars video games

I remember most of these, but there are a number of surprises even for a Star Wars fanatic like me.

The Etiquette of Tipping

I am a big believer in a large tip for those who serve you well at a restaurant, and sometimes my fellow diners are unsure what to make of it. Some view tipping as essentially societally-enforced extortion, while others view it as a waste of money. But I find it to be an effective way for a buyer to give feedback to a seller in a system where the prices are otherwise fixed. The problem is, it is not always clear WHAT to tip. this article takes some of the mystery out of the process.

The restaurant waiter/waitress

This is the one that causes most debate because there is no hard and fast rule. It is also made even more difficult by waiting staff who have lost sight of the fact that a tip is a gratuity and is not actually required. As a guideline though, I’d say you can safely use the following without a disgruntled waiter spitting in your salad:

+ Self-serve/Buffet restaurant - 10-12%. If the service was fantastic, you could up this to 15%.

+ Local restaurant - 15%. Again, you could up this by a few percent if the server worked particularly hard or went out of their way to help you.

+ A 4-star restaurant - You’ll want to tip the maitre d’ as you’re being seated, particularly if you’re a regular and he/she goes out of their way to reserve you a table or get a table when the restaurant is busy. The standard tip here is anywhere from $20-100. For the service of the meal itself I’d recommend a tip of around 20-22%. Don’t forget to tip the wine steward (a few dollars per bottle of wine) and/or the coat check attendant ($1 for a couple of coats).

Just Hit Me As Funny

Interesting perspective on Obama

The Chicago Tribune has up an interesting (and unabashedly positive) view of Barack Obama. It is worth a read - with a grain of salt - to get an insight into what the supporters who have known him longest think of the first-term Senator.

Obama wanted to consider the best possible defense of what Bush had done. To every argument I made, he listened and offered a counterargument. After the issue had been exhausted, Obama said he thought the program was illegal, but now had a better understanding of both sides. He thanked me for my time.

This was a pretty amazing conversation, not only because of Obama's mastery of the legal details, but also because many prominent Democratic leaders had already blasted the Bush initiative as blatantly illegal. He did not want to take a public position until he had listened to, and explored, what might be said on the other side.

If true, it is a pleasant contrast to the "my way or the highway" methodology of George W. Bush, whose certainty is reassuring in times of crisis but off-putting at other times. And it is a contrast the calculating Clintonian methodology which is less "what is true" than "what position will gain me the most".

Happy St. Patricks Day!

If you're wondering why St Patty's Day is on the 15th instead of the 17th this year, apparently the Catholic Church had it formally changed to avoid conflict with Holy Monday. Definitely thinking ahead although I can't help wondering if that means some intrepid celebraters will simply start today and not stop until Midnight on Monday?

Was anyone clamoring for a MADAGASCAR sequel?

I enjoyed the original, but it was not something that demanded a sequel. Or maybe David Schwimmer realized the Friends residuals weren't paying the rent anymore and guilted the others into it?

Selective Hearing

Our current dog is nearly deaf 99% of the time. But if you merely brush the side of a treat bag with your arm, she is instantly at your feet begging for some of the good stuff.

If you wondered why Obama is doing so well...

...it may be because he truly understands the internet generation. Exhibit A: this commentary-laden response to a Clinton campaign e-mail. Clearly, Obama gets it, while Clinton sees e-mail as an extension of the junk-mail process.

So the late deciders -- those making up their minds in the last days before the election -- have been shifting to Hillary Clinton. Among those who made their decision in the last three days, Obama won 55% in Virginia and 53% in Wisconsin, but only 43% in Mississippi, 40% in Ohio, 39% in Texas and 37% in Rhode Island.

[If only there were enough late deciders for the Clinton campaign to actually be ahead, they would really be on to something.]

If Barack Obama cannot reverse his downward spiral with a big win in Pennsylvania, he cannot possibly be competitive against John McCain in November.

[If they are defining downward spiral as a series of events in which the Clinton campaign has lost more votes, lost more contests and lost more delegates to us ... I guess we will have to suffer this horribly painful slide all the way to the nomination and then on to the White House.]

The iPod Generation

Incredible Hulk Trailer

I am one of the few who did not think the Ang Lee Hulk movie was a flop. If they had gotten rid of the "hulk dogs", it would have been a pretty good film. (Go ahead, Ward, this is your cue to tell me how wrong I am.) But it is interesting to see the new attempt to "reboot" the franchise with Edward Norton as Bruce Banner. The trailer is up and it looks halfway decent. They need to completely retool the design of the evil monster (supposedly the Abomination, but they forgot the ears) but otherwise, the mood is spot on. Click on over and check it out.

And yes, BowHunter, I agree Iron Man still looks better.

Prince Harry Humbly Serves

While Prince Harry has done some things to damage his image, his tour in Afghanistan has been a positive for him, both in image and in humility. While UK newspapers have tried to prop him up as a hero (makes for a good story), he simply replies, "I wouldn't say I'm a hero... There were two injured guys who came back on the plane with us who were essentially comatose throughout the whole way...those are the heroes, those were guys who had been blown up by a mine that they had no idea about, serving their country, doing a normal patrol."

Good job, Prince Harry, for proudly serving your country when you could have stayed comfortably at home and for having the humility to point to others as the real heroes.

Gas prices

Gas prices
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

Obama wins Mississippi

Apparently, with a significant racial gap, but then that seems to me Mississippi's thing, even these days. And again, exit polls show the two campaigns growing further apart, and being less likely to vote if the other side wins. How ironic would it be if the Democrats hand John McCain the white house for being unwilling to accept their candidate, when all the talk of last year was Republicans doing the same if a pro-choice candidate were the nominee?

Clues to the Live Action Star Wars TV Show

I don't know about other Mod-Bloggers, but I still love Star Wars. I enjoyed the admittedly imperfect prequels, I loved the Clone Wars cartoons, and I still read an Expended Universe novel from time to time. I also have hopes for the announced CGI and live action television shows. Now, some new details may have been leaked about the shows.

- The live action and animated shows will be considered official canon of the star wars universe...
- The seasons for the live action show might be as short as 12 episodes… again…think Sopranos.
- The show is definitely PG-13. I’ve heard it’ll be dark. It’s definitely not being made for kids.
- The Skywalker story is finished. From what I’ve been told, their story is done and they aren’t on the live-action show at all. The show is new characters…with a few people you might know from the movies mixed in here and there.

I am eager to see what more Sir George has for us. I am hoping it can restore the faith of many fans whose love was killed by Jar-Jar Binks.

Democrats Jumping the Shark?

I am starting to think the Democratic Primary has now officially jumped the shark. "Jumping the shark" is a term used to indicate when a television show has gone from enjoyable to an embarrassing self-parody (referring back to an episode of Happy Days where the Fonz actually jumps a shark on his motorcycle). As the Dems have moved from "mutual respect" to increasingly personal attacks (Hillary called a "monster", Obama told he is "lucky he isn't white") they are starting to risk alienating the very people they need to appeal to in order to beat John McCain in the fall. I suspect we have only another week or so of this kind of dialog before positions harden and supporters of one side decide they will not vote for the other side in the General Election. This is especially likely when the challenger is a reformer proven to have appeal to the Left.

The interesting thing here is I do not think the Democrats can wait until the results from Pennsylvania are clear. I suspect by then positions will have calcified and trenches will be deeply dug. And perhaps a whole generation of young voters will be turned off to the process in general. (Republican Party take note, this may be your chance to appeal to the generation who felt alienated from you by the Iraq War.)

Update 9:39 PM: Another article backing up my thoughts of the critical time the Democratic party is entering.

25% Of Female Teens Have An STD

Wow is all I can say. Using the numbers from the article, it would appear that approximately 1 in 2 female teens have had sex and of those who have, about 1 in 2 have some kind of STD.

About half of the girls [studied] acknowledged ever having sex; among them, the rate [of those infected] was 40 percent... For many, the numbers likely seem 'overwhelming because you're talking about nearly half of the sexually experienced teens at any one time having evidence of an STD,' said Dr. Margaret Blythe, an adolescent medicine specialist at Indiana University School of Medicine and head of the American Academy of Pediatrics' committee on adolescence.

Sadly, I only expect this number to rise as we continue to teach that everything is someone else's fault and everything is morally permissible so long as you deem it so.

Gas Prices and Inflation

This article where it talks about oil hitting $104 per barrel is a little old, given that, as of this posting, oil has hit $108.32 per barrel. The previous record (adjusted for inflation) was $103.76 per barrel. What struck me most is the actual price - $39.50 per barrel in 1980! That's a rate of 171.31% over 28 years. While the price of oil is high, the inflation rate is further proof that we must get our economy under control.

Spitzer hands Hillary a way out?

Elliot Spitzer, New York State Governor, appears to have been implicated in a scandal among politicians who frequented Washington D.C. prostitutes. He has NOT said he will resign, but the pressure to do so will be huge.

Spitzer2
by krs601

What does this mean for the rest of us? Maybe an end to the Democratic stalemate. If Hillary Clinton were to drop out of the presidential race in order to become the heir apparent to governor of New York, it would be seen as a move "for the good of my constituents". And it would give her executive experience to make a 2012 or 2016 run for president much more credible, even after an Obama presidency.

Of course, the Lieutenant Governor of New York state probably has other plans for the top office.

Should Iraq Pay For Its Own Reconstruction?

Iraq is sitting on a bunch of oil which is worth quite a lot these days. This has prompted Senators Carl Levin (D - Michigan) and John Warner (R - Virginia) to ask, "Where's the money?" Estimates are that Iraq will earn at least $100 million because of oil for 2007 and 2008 combined. To date, we've spend around $47 billion trying to reconstruct Iraq. Iraq can't even figure out how to spend the $10.1 billion it has allocated for reconstruction.

Is it fair to require Iraq to spend on its own reconstruction or will this just create resentment like in the post-Civil War South?

How can we enforce the requirements we've put on Iraq? On the one hand, if we say, "Do this by X date or we will leave," we've given the terrorists a timetable. We've told them that all they have to do is create enough havoc until that date. On the other hand, if we don't somehow enforce it, then we give the Iraqi government no incentive to not have us foot the bill.

I honestly believe that there are people in Iraq that want to be free, but does Iraq as a country really want to be free? Is this just a case of being under a dictator for so long that it takes a while to get the concept of freedom like post-Soviet Russia?

I believe that we want Iraq to be stable. I believe that if we leave now, we'll have sent a message that the terrorists won and we'll just have to redo what we've done before. That being said, if Iraq wants a ruler, I'm not sure I like the idea of having the U.S. holding Iraq as a territory, at least from a PR standpoint.

Always Check Your Pockets

It's always nice to hear about someone who returns lost money. Barbarita Nunez, a thrift store employee was going through donations and found a box. Inside the box was an envelope. Inside the envelope? $30,000. Barbarita notified her manager and they were able to give the money back to the family. What is she doing with her cash reward? Helping her mother back in Mexico get a needed eye operation and then, with what's left, buying a digital camera.

Are we ready to end Internet anonymity?

Ever since the "Web" went public and stopped being DARPANET, there has been an ongoing debate over the assumption of anonymity that is implicit in the web. The structure and standards of the web promote anonymity, which as lead to an explosion of creativity, free speech, and free thought on the Net which is nearly unimaginable in the real world. The Web is where you can badmouth your employer without being fired, give an honest critique of a book or movie without fear of being personally attacked by the author, and where you can leak documents critical to public safety without fear of your identity being immediately known.

But the Web has also become a place where sex predators can stalk children without fear of being caught, where a 50-year-old man can pretend to be a teenage boy and ruin the life of a teenage girl, or where anonymous bullies can drive a teenager to suicide.

Kentucky Representative Tim Couch thinks it is time to end internet anonymity in order to bring back responsibility and protect minors. But such an action would also effectively end many of the advantages of the Web as seen in whistleblowers being free to tell us what we need to know. Is Rep. Couch right, or are we throwing out the baby with the bathwater?

Honestly, I think this would be a revealing issue to raise in the new debate in the Presidential campaign.

Crest Pro-Health can brown your teeth

I never had a big issue with bad breath (or else my friends failed to point it out) so it was not until relatively recently that I started thinking about mouthwash. Specifically, it was when my dentist began recommending it to patients as a supplement to brushing (NOT a replacement, I was told 10 times in one visit) to help ensure against gum disease. Well, I hated the smell and taste of listerine and liked the idea of an alcohol-free mouthwash. So I invested in Crest Prohealth. I decided this week to change brands after reading this horror story which is repeated by many, many reviewers on Amazon.Com

At the beginning mouthwash was fine. Nice not having the alcohol burn and the breath, that my girlfriend hated. So that was nice.
But after extended use for a month it stained in between my teeth brown. It looked terrible and it cost me a one hundred dollar trip to the dentist to scrape that junk off. The dentist advised that it was my mouthwash after hearing it was this Crest mouthwash that I was using.

Again, click over to Amazon.Com for more horror stories. It sounds like, in general, occasional use is not an issue, but if you plan to use it more than once or twice a week, you risk the dreaded brown smile. I am trying ACT! now, so we'll see how it goes.

SNL: "I approve this misleading ad"

I honestly don't watch SNL, except for these clips which either CRChair grabs for me or I find on the web. But it is nice to have some regular political parody outside of Comedy Central.

PREDICTION: We will hear someone propose a third-party run for Obama or Clinton this week

With the Democratic race drawing to a close without either candidate having the requisite number to win, we are beginning to see the start of desperation politics. Hillary Clinton, despite no realistic shot of winning without political games and likely smear tactics, shows no sign of considering dropping out or considering a VP position. And as the rhetoric heats up, we are starting to see headlines like "Hillary Clinton, Fratricidal Maniac". Clinton supporters are accusing Obamaniacs of betraying the legacy of feminism to push an inexperienced child-man for president. Obama supporters are accusing Cintonistas of betraying the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr by crowning a woman whose greatest claim to experience is being married to a former president.

This leads me to an inescapable conclusion. The Democrats have now passed a critical point, and the die-hard supporters of each side are unlikely to accept a victory from the other side. Thus, I predict this week we will hear either an extreme Obamaniac or an extreme Clintonista float the idea of a third-party run for their candidate if they are denied the Democratic nomination. This, of course, will be immediately rejected by the candidate in an attempt to show their party loyalty. But it will set up an internet movement which may well dog the eventual nominee right up to the vote in November.

What do you think? Am I underestimating Democratic party discipline? Or am I right in seeing a Ron-Paul-type momentum taking on a life of its own for these candidates?

Obama wins Wyoming

Chalking up his 13th victory, Senator Barack Obama won the state of Wyoming yesterday with 59% of the vote estimated to be his. This traditionally Republican state saw a huge surge of Democratic enthusiasm and shows the continued interest among even disaffected Democrats in this year's contest. It looks more and more like even the last states to vote may be competitive and important in this race.

It is only a matter of time

Gotta love it

The Waldo Ultimatum - Watch more free videos

Home Schooling Ruled Illegal in California (in most situations)

A California appeals court ruled that homeschooling your children is illegal unless the parent doing the teaching holds teaching credentials for the grades the students are in. This means that basically unless you are a teacher who stops working to teach your own kids, it will be illegal to homeschool your children. Perhaps the scariest part of this case is what the judge said in his ruling.

"A primary purpose of the educational system is to train school children in good citizenship, patriotism and loyalty to the state and the nation as a means of protecting the public welfare," the judge wrote, quoting from a 1961 case on a similar issue."

This is scary! I wouldn't be surprised if this ends up in front of the US Supreme Court.

The power of the firehose

Watch more DIY videos on 5min.com

iPhone SDK Announced!

If you've been paying attention, this is no shock. If not, then let me say three words for you: Third-Party Applications. Soon (well, June) you will be seeing real third-party apps on your iPhone. See the full presentation here or check out TUAW's liveblog here. The short version:

- iPhone 2.0 Software in June
- Full Exchange support for Enterprise
- Third party app development with Beta now, coming to users in June
- EA is providing games
- iTunes Application Store coming soon to an iPhone near you.

Gas prices... Ugh!

Gas prices... Ugh!
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

Red Phone Choices

McCain makes it official

Last night's wins finally clinched the Republican nomination for John McCain. It had been obvious since Mitt Romney dropped out, but now the obvious has become the mathematically determined. And, as promised, Mike Huckabee has dropped out of the race once the math proved even a brokered convention impossible. Now, the question comes whether McCain can get ANY media coverage while the Democratic race remains so close and exciting.

Senator Clinton wins 3, Obama takes only Vermont

Get ready for more rhetoric and "soul searching" in the Democratic Party, as the media dubs Senator Clinton the "Second Comeback Kid." She won narrow wins in Ohio, Texas, and Rhode Island, leaving Barack Obama only Rhode Island.. What does this change? Not much. The delegate gap is pretty much the same. But a brokered convention looks more and more likely, which may deny the Democrats a chance to begin their Fall campaign until it is over.

Strangely Hypnotic

A physics-based Flash game showing people falling endlessly. You can click the figures with the mouse to move them if they get stuck.

For Conservatives, we have falling Hillary.

For Liberals, we have falling George W Bush.

I wonder if we'll get a falling Obama if he wins both Texas and Ohio this week?

First Modbook Review

The Modbook was first announced over a year ago as a third-party attempt to produce a line of touch-screen Macs. It missed several shipping deadlines, but finally appears to be reaching consmers. Click thru for one of the first reviews of the first touchscreen or tablet Mac.

The New Baby Boom

Here is a feature on the new baby boom. Some of you may recognize some of the people in the video.

Frozen in time

This is called a prank, but for me it's more performance art. Quite impressive, at least from my vantage point.

I surely hope these all ended with "And no one got hurt!"

MOD-BLOG REVIEW: Semi-Pro

Movie: Semi-Pro

MPAA Rating: R (Copious language and brief sex scene)

The Short Version:

Funny, mindless film with a weak foundation in the history of the ABA (yes, someone actually wrestled a bear!) A lot more profanity than needed, but the story has heart and is much more of an ensemble piece than the trailers indicated.

The Long Version:

Will Farrell seems to have found his "default role" playing sports figures with more ego than talent. While some comedians try to stretch themselves with each movie (Jim Carrey and some stages of Robin William's career come to mind), Farrell has found a comfortable place playing outrageous characters who would not fit into anyone else's body. (If you doubt me, check out BALLS OF FURY, which was clearly intended as a Will Farrell vehicle and was barely watchable without him.)

In this movie, Farrell plays "Jackie Moon", a one-hit-wonder of 70s music who parlayed the money from his single gold record into ownership of one of the ragtag teams that make up the American Basketball League (a short-lived competitor to the NBA). He loves his team and the town of Flint, Michigan, and his dream is to bring the "Tropics" to the NBA. Unfortunately, while the NBA wants to absorb the ABA, it will only take the top four teams... and the Flint Michigan Tropics are renowned for being in LAST place. The story details Jackie Moon's attempts to break into fourth place and achieve the other goals set by the NBA for admittance.

The story has a lot of heart, making you truly want the band of misfits to achieve. And unlike Anchorman and most other Will Farrell films is truly an ensemble piece with Woody Harrelson and Andre Benjamin bringing in decent comic and dramatic performances. Nearly every bit character is given their chance to shine, including a brief cameo by Tim Meadows (proving ex-SNLers make sure everyone can make the rent this month). It is a fun, mindless film.

Unfortunately, it also really earns its [R] rating with copious profanity, a brief sex scene, and some not-entirely-comic violence. What truly mystifies me is why they felt the need to make the film a hard R. A reshooting of two scenes and switching out few F and S-words with comic equivalents ("Great ceaser's ghost!") and they could have had a nice PG-13 film which probably would have doubled their opening weekend (currently estimated at about $15 million).

Congratulations to Bowhunter and Mrs. Bowhunter...

...on the birth of their second baby! All Mod-Bloggers will sleep better knowing there will be another generation ready to rescue deer herds from overpopulation.

Psalm 127:3-5
[Children] are a heritage from the LORD,
children a reward from him.

Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are [children] born in one's youth.

Blessed is the man
whose quiver is full of them.

Home-made Fireballs

The video says "Be careful." The official word from Mod-Blog is DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME! But it is still fun to watch.

Interesting political cartoon/grafiti from Flickr

Time Travel Mart

Connecticut can't even get a Wawa (technically, I think there is one in Hartford), so I have no hope that we can get one of these in my area. But the new Time Travel Mart in LA is the kind of place I would HAVE to shop, just to enjoy all the inside sci fi jokes. Click thru for more info.

Amazing Shadow Puppetteer

This reminds me a lot of early Jim Henson work.