PoliBlog(TM)

TiVo Wins Right for New Service

TiVo Wins Nod for Users to Share Digital Shows

Oh No! Zarqawi Got Tigger!

That's just not right

From the Spam Front

I was just eliminating some comment spam for a website called "levitrafire". Speaking as a male, somehow that doesn't sounds like a particularly pleasant product.

Reminds Me of my AT&T Wireless Experience

A Word of Advice: Avoid AT&T Wireless

Don't do business with AT&T Wireless.

I am too hacked off at the moment to go into the details, but it will make me feel at least a little better to know that my message will hopefully reach a significant number of eyeballs.

Cell phone customer service is clearly an oxymoron, but AT&T has manged to take that fact to new heights.

Feel free to link this message at will.

I have included this post in today's Beltway Traffic Jam.

Same Song, Different Verse

Starting with the advent of cassette tapes and video tapes (and most recently with Napster and the like), don't we go through this story over and over again with each new technology?

TiVo's Plans Lead to Fight On Copyrights.

Like the p2p music brouhaha, which Steve Jobs figured out to make money with while the rest of the industry fought the inevitable, this strikes me as part of the ongoing merger of tv, computers and the internet. They can fight all they like, but they aren't going to win.

The better way to go is to figure out how to get on the new technowave and ride it to profitability. Instead, it seems that the default position is to simply fight the new tech as long as one can.

You Know You are Approaching Middle Age When...

...you get birthday cards from your bank and the company that manages your 403(b).

I know it's got nothing to do with the amount of my money they have, so it has to be an age issue.

Hasn't the Man Been Punished Enough?

Man Jailed for Shooting Off His Testicles

Annoying Car-Buying Facts

Has anyone ever noticed that the base model of a car (i.e., with only standard equipment) really never exists--not only do the dealers typically stock ones with numerous options, the actual existence (save by ordering one from the manufacturer) of a base model is pretty much a fantasy.

Decaf Coffee News

Make Mine Decaf, With Flavor

If you've given up caffeine but find the taste of decaffeinated coffee wanting, then a new discovery may perk you up: Scientists have found a coffee plant in Africa that grows naturally decaffeinated arabica beans.

Coffea arabica is by far the most widely grown and consumed coffee in the world. Attempts to transfer the caffeine-free characteristic from wild coffee species found in Madagascar have failed.

But researchers believe that, using this new plant from Ethiopia, they can transfer its low-caffeine trait to regular arabica plants and produce a high-quality, good-tasting, decaffeinated coffee.

In Case Anyone was Wondering

TiVo rocks.

There and Back Again: SpaceShipOne

Cool: Private Rocket Plane Makes Historic Space Flight

The privately funded rocket plane SpaceShipOne flew to outer space and into history books on Monday as the world's first commercial manned space flight.

The distinctive white rocket plane was released from a larger plane called the White Knight and ignited its rocket engine to enter space 62 miles above the earth.

Only one of two things will fully propel us into space: security needs or the market. Score one for the market, which is certainly my preferred route.

That Strikes Me as a Good Idea

Gorilla's Leap May Lead to Zoo Redesigns

Making Lunch Safe for America!

On the string-cheese package:

SAFTEY FIRST! Open the wrapper with your hands, not your teeth.

Good to know.

What More Could a Town Want?

El Paso, Texas Named Sweatiest U.S. City

Y'all Better Listen Up

Amusing.

Bush: Up and Down

No, not the President and the polls--Poppy and the plane.

41 made a successful tandem-jump in Texas today in celebration of his 80th birthday. Apparently he wanted to do a solo jump, but conditions didn't allow it,

I must admit, I shan't be celebrating my 36th birthday jumping out of anything, let alone my 80th.

Proof that the US is Superior to Canada

Can I buy a TiVo box in Canada?

No. TiVo DVRs are not currently available in Canada.

The Transit Begins

Here's a pic. Pretty nifty.

Phone Numbers on Checks

is it just me, or is having to put your work number on a check one of the dumbest things that merchants make customers do? For one thing, if I am willing to float a bad check, am I not also rather likely to give a bogus work number? And since I always give my office number, if they call they are going to get me--what good does that do them? And what does my place of employ have to do with my checking account anyway?

Keeping Secrets is Difficult

This happens in some village in Zambia, and the world finds out about it, yet there are people who think that the US government could hide alien spaceships from us for decades.

Yeah, right.

Cell Phone Companies

Is it just me, or do cell phone companies, in general, simply suck at customer service? I have had at least four companies over the last nine years that I have had cell service and there isn't one of them that hasn't made me think "Gee, I can't wait for my contract to expire so that I can try someone else."

AT&T had somehow messed up the classification of my account, so sent me a letter saying I had to call them. Once I did so I was told that they would fix it, it would be no big deal, it wouldn't effect my billing or service. Then I had to wait on hold for at least fifteen minutes while this irrelevant fix was executed. In short: they bothered me, made me sit on hold, and all for nothing.

Further, I inquired with the guy about a potential upgrade on the account, and not only was he lousy at giving information, he seemed utterly uninterested in helping me figure out whether such a move would do what I wanted.

Yeesh.

Non-Political Thought of the Day

Do dogs embody the maxim "ignorance is bliss" or what?

Sports I am Unlikely to Take Up

How to Catch Fish in Vermont: No Bait, No Tackle, Just Bullets

Fish shooting is a sport in Vermont, and every spring, hunters break out their artillery--high-caliber pistols, shotguns, even AK-47's--and head to the marshes to exercise their right to bear arms against fish.

Who knew?

Forgive Me, But I Can't Resist

Is this Sargent Schultz in drag?

Quite clearly, one wants to know nothing and see nothing.

Things You Don't Want to Have Happen

Man Fatally Bitten by Sexually Aroused Horse

Who Studies this Stuff? (and Why?)

Britons Using Text to Break Up More Often

More Problems with France

Eric, the Viking Pundit, reports on a serious short-coming of the French.

What a Colossal Headache

Computer Woes Ground All Delta Flights

All Delta Air Lines flights were grounded by a computer glitch Saturday afternoon, company officials said.

"Right now, there are no flights going out," said Liza Caceres, a company spokeswoman. "Our main computers are down. We are working as fast as we can to get our passengers back in the air."

Wowie. I am certainly glad that I am not flying this weekend.

Note to Dog-Owning Gardeners

Golden Retrievers like Calladiums. It would appear that they make for good eatin'.

Something Else I Don't Miss

Earlier, Jen caused a flashback about apartment living, now Steve Bainbridge reminds me of something else I don't miss: SoCal traffic--anyplace that needs realtime traffic info for the daily drive is place with too much traffic. However, I will concur that the tech is pretty cool. And I certainly wouldn't mind XM Satellite radio.

But I definitely don't miss the 405.

Jen Causes Flashbacks

Jen reminds me of why I am so happy we no longer live in an apartment. I hate sharing walls with people...

In addition to the first five years of our marriage, we recently spent about two and a half months living in an apartment while our house was finished. During that period of time I was certain that Child Protective Services was going to come knocking at any moment, since my then two-year-old would cry as though he was being beaten with an iron rod just for being sent to his room. I know the neighbors heard that.

We did duplexes for a while as well, including a year with some kid whom I was sure was going to burn the place down at any moment. Not to mention the dog they had who would chew up my newspaper and the lady didn't have the $1.50 to replace my Sunday paper, but used her food stamps to buy snacks to made amends.

Yes, thank the Lord for single family dwellings!

Dirt: A Sign of Aging

There are various milestones in life that indicate that one is getting older. For example, the first time you get socks for Christmas and instead of sayings "Eww, socks! What kind of Christmas present is socks?" you say "Cool. I need some socks." Another is when music that was popular in high school is made into muzack, or when you realize that your students weren't even in elementary school when the Wall fell in Berlin (but I digress...).

Yesterday's epiphany of age was dirt. Yes, dirt. Not as in "the dirt nap"--I have a ways to go for that one, but as in, "Gee, this yard needs some good dirt." Yes, I have reached the stage in my life when I am going to actually buy, yes buy dirt: dirt for the planters and dirt for the grass.

I think that that is an official sign of middle age, but I haven't checked Google yet so as to be certain.

Woes of Modernity

The power goes out for 2 minutes and you then spend 15 minutes resetting all the clocks, VCRs, and misc appliances.

And I would like to meet the Y2K-obsessed dweeb who designed my microwave--which won't work until the freakin' date is entered (and with, of course, all four digits for the year).

A Few Questions

1) If man is so smart, why didn't he learn a long time ago to like the easily-grown weeds and learn to detest the difficult to grow plants?

2) If man indeed is a being who evolved from lower forms, why didn't natural selection kill off the nice-plant lovers, leaving the folks with the weed aesthetic as the dominant form of homo sapien? Surely the guys out working in the yard die sooner than those who don't. Just the increased chances of being bitten by a snake or being impaled on a garden implement has to give weedo sapien a leg up on shuerberyo sapien.

3) If dog is really man's best friend, why can't they kill the weeds and leave the good plants alone?

(can you guess what I did this afternoon?)

Ya Gotta Luv the Disgruntled

I Don't Want a Cookie, Mom, Can I Just See the Box?Biscuit makers Huntley & Palmers sold thousands of tins of treats featuring a copy of an early 20th century illustration of a genteel picnic -- without realizing that a disgruntled employee had hidden sexually explicit drawings in the scene.

Hmm

Really, I don't normally look to corporations, let alone fast food joints, for my lifetyle advice...

McDonald's Launches Anti-Obesity Campaign

McDonald's Corp., the world's largest fast-food company, on Thursday launched an anti-obesity education campaign that it said would promote the importance of exercise and a balanced lifestyle.

Translation: don't blame us if you're fat.

Can you "please don't sue us"? I bet you can.

Avoiding Politics

Bryan of Arguing with Gashlycrumbs has decided that his third post after eschewing politics for while should be the rather bland topic of religion and, more specifically, the utterly noncontroversial film recently producer by that guy from the Mad Max flicks.

Say it Ain't So!

Small coffee brewers try to redefine fair trade

Fair-trade coffee - beans purchased from small farmers outside the US at well above the slumping market price - is hot in the java world: The amount of fair-trade coffee sold in the US nearly doubled last year.

But as the movement has expanded in recent years to include such brands as Starbucks, Green Mountain, Procter & Gamble, and Dunkin' Donuts, dissension is percolating among some smaller roasters. They claim that the large firms, which buy only a small percentage of fair-trade beans, are turning it into a marketing ploy rather than an effort to help farmers.

I'm shocked! Shocked!

Fads I Will Pass On

I'll pass, thanks.

Shocking!

Study: Most Low-Carb Dieters Eat Too Many Carbs

Things You Hate to Hear on an Airplane

"The skyway has collided with the airplane door, so we have to wait for the mechanics to come to certify that the plane is airworthy."

Luckily it only took an hour and I still made my connection in Atlanta. Although as I went from Concourse A to Concourse D as quickly as I could I felt both like old OJ (running through an airport) and new OJ (like I wanted to hurt someone).

(I meant to blog this Sunday nigh/Monday morning, but I am still playing catch-up (no, not ketchup, that would be here) from the weekend).

A Bad Day at the Zoo

Gorilla shot dead after escape at Dallas Zoo

A gorilla escaped at the Dallas Zoo and attacked several people Thursday evening, including a four-year-old who was thrown against the wall and suffered puncture wounds after he was bit on his temple and chest, police said. Two adults and one child sustained minor injuries before the gorilla was shot to death by police, said Deputy Police Chief Daniel Garcia.

Yikes.

The Things You Learn...

I helping my Oldest Son on a 1st grade report on Jupiter, I discovered that that everyone's favorite gas giant has acquired some moons since I last studied this stuff. Indeed, the current count is 61! Seems like it was like 16 when I was in elementary school and fascinated by all things space.

So far this year, Jupiter has gained 21 new distant satellites, with the most recent announcement of satellite S/2003 J 21 on June 3rd at the annual Canadian Astronomical Society (CASCA) meeting in Waterloo (ON). This puts Jupiter far ahead of the all other planets, with 61 known moons.

Technology Doesn't Always Move Humanity Forward

This is just plain sad on so many levels that I don't have time to list them.

Sheer Genius

Police: Woman Tried to Pass Fake $1M Bill

woman was caught trying to use a fake $1 million bill to buy $1,675 worth of merchandise at a Wal-Mart, and was later found with two more of the bills in her purse, police said.

Gee whiz, if you are going to go that route, but more than that. Plus, does she have any idea how heavy $998,325.00 in change is? Even in big bills that would be quite a load.

The Final Frontier

Is this cool or what?

Toasty Audio Essay

Given the importance of toast to this blog, I found this audio essay at NPR: Comment: Toast in the Kitchen, to be rather amusing.

And, in case you need it, here's a recipe.

Audio PoliBlog

I am scheduled to chat about politics with Cam Edwards tomorrow at 7:15 AM central on KTOK in Oklahoma City. If you are glutton for punishment, you can listen live here.

Gift-Giving Tips

If anyone should get the urge to name a star after me, I would prefer you just send the 54 bucks to me instead.

Fun with Maps II

This one wasn't working yesterday, but is now. Like the map of the US, my travels tend to have a southernly flow, shall we say:

create your own visited country map
or check out these Google Hacks.

Fun with Maps

Where I've been in red, where I'd like to go in green:

create your own visited states map

Hat tip: Jay Solo's Verbosity

Food is Good

If anyone is ever in downtown New Orleans, I highly, highly recommend "Mothers" on Poydras. a few blocks from the river. It is a diner-like place, and not that much to look at from the outside, but the food (cajun) is great, and cheap.

Orange Hats

I meant to mention this earlier, but I'm with Jeff Jarvis: loved the hats last night.

The Faux Holiday?

New Year's Eve is getting a big thumbs down in the Blogosphere, as James Joyner, Kevin Alyward, Robert Tagorda, and Stephen Bainbridge all note that the holiday is basically anti-climactic, and really, nothing more than the celebration of the clock moving forward.

I must concur.

(Although Sean Hackbarth seemed to have had a good time)

Happy New Year!

Welcome to 2024.

Good to Know, I Guess...

Nude Barbie Photos Are Free Speech.

All I can say is: "only in America":

A federal appeals court has upheld a Utah artist's right to make nude photos of Barbie dolls being menaced by kitchen appliances.

Noting the image of Barbie dolls is "ripe for social comment," a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday rejected toymaker Mattel Inc.'s appeal of a lower court ruling in favor of lampooning the popular doll.

[...]

The artist had argued that the photo series, which also included a photo of Barbie dolls wrapped in tortillas and covered in salsa in a casserole dish in a lit oven, was meant to critique the "objectification of women" and "beauty myth" associated with the popular doll.

Forget the ruling: who stands around thinking: "hmm, you know what would be cool...?"

A True Tragedy

My word: 20,000 feared dead in Iran quake.

Iran has appealed for international aid as the death toll from a devastating earthquake climbed to 4,000 and officials warned that thousands more are likely to be found dead.

At least 30,000 people have been injured in the quake in southeastern Iran, local officials said.

The Iranian government said as many as 20,000 people may have died in the quake, which was centered near the ancient city of Bam about 610 miles (975 km) southeast of the capital, Tehran.

The quake was similar in magnitude to the one in California earlier in the week:

Tehran University's Geophysics Institute said the earthquake measured a magnitude of 6.3, according to IRNA. It was followed by several aftershocks, including one measuring 5.3.

For its part, the U.S. Geological Survey's National Earthquake Information Center measured the magnitude of the quake at 6.7

[...]

60 percent of the city's residential areas have been destroyed. Bam has a population of about 80,000 people.

Sadly, both the city's hospitals were destroyed in the quake.

As James pointed out the other day, it certainly matters if one is in a First World or Third World country when one of these things hits.

In explaining the severity of the damage to the city, journalist Shirzad Bozorgmehr in Tehran said Bam is an ancient city not designed to withstand a major earthquake.

Of course, the location of the the epicenter vis-a-vis populations matters as well.

Pernickety Pronunciations

Betsy notes a potential mispronunciation controversy over the word "pernickety" which according to yourDictionary.com's 100 Most Often Mispronounced Words lacks the "s" we all put into the word. Betsy notes that the American Heritage Dictionary gives its stamp of approval to "persnickety."

I don't think I can bring myself to say "pernickety", either. Although I note that it is a word of Scottish derivation, and if you say "pernickety" with a Scottish accent, it almost sounds right :)

A Merry Christmas to All!

I hope that everyone is having a Blessed Christmas.

Two Thoughts

Two thoughts on this: Texas A&M Says It Has Cloned First Deer:

1) Hunters of the World, Unite! (Im not one, but I figure this will make a lot of 'em happy--especially if they clone some bucks).

and, more importantly:

2) Leave to a bunch of Aggies to clone something we already have too many of.

Quake

According to LA radio, at least 3 people have died as a result of today's quake.

Eighteen

Today is the 18th anniversary of my first date with my wife. We saw the movie White Knights (yes, a Cold War flick that we saw during the actual Cold War...).

We met in High School (Christmas Break of our senior year). We will have been married for fourteen years at the end of June.

To risk sounding like a geezer, I would note that time flies.

Guest Bloggin'

From John Lemon (retired blogger):

Being a huge fan of the photographic arts, one of my must-see weekly websites has been MSNBC.com's "Week in Pictures." Each week readers get to vote on their favorite photo. At the end of the year the editors post top vote getters from readers and then the "critics' picks." Over the past three years I have noticed a definite pattern. On average, the critics' picks tend to draw more upon scenes of tragedy or despair. And on average, the readers favor pictures associated with human achievement, compassion and natural joy. I think this really reflects the divide between the so-called intelligensia (of which I would
consider art/photo critics to be part of) and "average folk." And as of
last night, I was not surprised to find the two top vote getters were "My
Daddy, My Hero" and "Soldier with Child" (my titles for the photos). Both
pictures truly represent the best of our military.

[ed.: MSNBC's Year in Pictures can be found here]

The Flu Wins! The Flu Wins!

Despite initial polls that showed the Flu was behind in the Electoral College, the newest numbers show that the Flu has surged, picking up key states such as California, Georgia and New York.

The Flu now controls 391 Electoral Votes and is working on naming its transition team.

Windfall!!

Well, am I lucky or what? Unbeknownst to me, I was "identified as a member of the class of Citiban and AT&T Universal Card customers who are eligible for a regund under the terms of a settlement agreement reached in a class action lawsuit..."

The amount of my award? 13 cents.

Flu Lags in Electoral College!

As this map shows, the Flu is still down in the Electoral College:

Currently the Flu only has 216 of the 270 requisite votes to be the next President of the United States.

"The inability to win CA, FLA or NY is really hurting us," said the Flu's official spokeman today. "But we will work day and night as we sally forth to victory!"

Good to Know

Coffee Does Not Raise Arthritis Risk -Study

Drinking multiple cups of coffee every day does not appear to increase your risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA), new research suggests.

These findings appear on the heels of numerous other reports suggesting that the opposite was, in fact, the case.

Ok, Dallas Has Lost Two in a Row...

But is this necessary? Federal Warning On Tuna Planned

A Nice Change (or Lack Thereof) of Pace

Postal Service reports surplus, rates should stay steady until 2024

The Postal Service reported a $3.9 billion surplus for 2024 despite declining mail volume, and officials renewed their pledge to keep rates steady until 2024.

Headlines You Shouldn't Read Too Quickly

Schwarzenegger reportedly wooing Virgin Airlines

Bad News

Kewvin of Wizbang got some bad news today: he lsot his job. Head over to his site and try to cheer him up.

Fun With Punctuation

Believe it or not, Kevin of CalPundit has started quite the conversation concerning, well, the apostrophe.

Happy Thanksgiving!

May you have a blessed day with friends and family.

Go See Opus

Kevin of Wizbang! (as oppossed to many other Bloggin' Kevins) has a link to a scan of the debut of Opus. Ok, it ain't hylarious, but beats Mary Worth and Gasoline Alley, amongst many others.

Indeed

Macy's Band Playing It Safe: Let's Skip Jackson's "Thriller"

Dibs' Divorce

Can anyone explain to me why I am getting a ton of hits all of a sudden from people looking for info via Google, Yahoo and so forth on Ron Dibble's (former MLB pitcher for the Reds and now on ESPN radio) divorce? I mentioned Dibble in post on the Sosa bat corking incident, and Lance Armstrong's divorce in another post, hence the hits (I have never blogged on Dibble's divorce itself, until now). However, aside from hearing him refer to it on the air briefly, I know nothing about it.

So, why all the interest all of a sudden?

Hobbies Not to Have

Man Dies After Winning Vodka-Drinking Contest

Bizarre Headline of the Day

Rat Poison: Murder Weapon of Choice in Rural China

All Cultures Are Equally Valid...

Palestinian woman kills daughter to restore family's `honor'

Rofayda Qaoud - raped by her brothers and impregnated - refused to commit suicide, her mother recalls, even after she bought the unwed teenager a razor with which to slit her wrists. So Amira Abu Hanhan Qaoud says she did what she believes any good Palestinian parent would: restored her family's "honor" through murder.

Armed with a plastic bag, razor and wooden stick, Qaoud entered her sleeping daughter's room last Jan. 27. "Tonight you die, Rofayda," she told the girl, before wrapping the bag tightly around her head. Next, Qaoud sliced Rofayda's wrists, ignoring her muffled pleas of "No, mother, no!" After her daughter went limp, Qaoud struck her in the head with the stick.

Killing her sixth-born child took 20 minutes

Thankfully, she was charged with a crime

Qaoud's confessed crime, for which she must appear before a three-judge panel on Dec. 3

but, such crime are

repeated almost weekly among Palestinians living in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Israel. Female virtue and virginity define a family's reputation in Arab cultures, so it's women who are punished if that reputation is perceived as sullied.

Victims' rights groups say the number of "honor crimes" appears to be climbing, but at the same time, getting little attention.

[...]

Police in Israel investigated at least 18 honor killings in the past three years.

Palestinian police reported 31 cases in 2024 - up from five during the first half of 1999 - the last time such incidents were counted before the current Palestinian uprising began, according to the center's study.

But the number of killings is likely higher, given that Palestinian police investigate only crimes that have been reported, said Yousef Tarifi, the Ramallah prosecutor assigned to Qaoud's case. Shalhoub-Kevorkian says her past research showed the likely number to be 15 times higher than the number of reported cases.

[...]

While honor killings committed in the heat of the moment - for example, by a husband who catches his wife in bed with another man - generally carry a six-month to one-year jail term, Qaoud will likely be sentenced to three to five years in prison, Tarifi says. The fact she is a mother who was trying to protect her family's honor mitigates the crime of premeditated murder, which is punishable by death under Palestinian law, he adds.

Remarkable. And tragic.

A Good Toon

This one is for the theologically/philosophically/geekly inclined.

And really, it is a good question. My short answer is: no.

Unbelievable

In reference to this InstaP has more and I'm with Glenn.

Honoring Veterans

James of OTB has a list of blogging veterans who deserve tribute today.

To that list I would add James Joyner his own bad self and Neal of Random Nuclear Strikes.

Any others that we are missing?

UPDATE: Backcountry Conservative has a round-up of Veteran's Day posts as does Dean Esmay.

Plus, it occurs to me that I should mention my Grandfather, Walter A. Kinney, who served in the South Pacific in WWII and my father, Roy L. Taylor, who was in the Air Force in the mid-to-late 1960s.

The Very Definition of "Nasty"

Women Sue After Finding Condom In Chowder

(Hat tip: Drudge)

Friday Dog Blogging

As inspired, after a fashion, by Kevin Drum, here' s a pic of the new dog:

Pretty cute, huh?

John: The Girly Apostle

This line from a Slate piece on a documentary that aired on ABC about the Da Vinci Code simply cracked me up:

If Da Vinci thought John looked like a girly man, that's one thing. But a girlish-looking figure in a painting isn't proof that Mary was present at the Last Supper, let alone that Jesus and Mary were married. (And, by the way, if Mary was sitting in John's seat at the Last Supper, where was John?)

Not Good

Oh, my.

By Popular Demand: A Caption Contest

Since James of OTB is out of town, there are apparently some CC withdrawal symptoms out there. So, as suggested by a reader, here's a CC to get you through the lull at OTB:

Thanks for the Support, But...

Hmm, with friends like these, who needs enemies?

Weird

Ricin Found in Letter in South Carolina

U.S. postal workers have found an envelope containing the deadly toxin ricin at a postal facility in South Carolina but officials said on Wednesday there was no sign terrorism was involved.

A U.S. law enforcement official in Washington said the letter, found late last week at the postal facility in Greenville, South Carolina, contained a sealed container which had a small amount of a substance that tested positive for ricin.

From the AP:

A vial containing ricin was found inside an envelope at the postal facility in Greenville, about 110 miles northwest of Columbia, federal officials said Wednesday.

[...]

Terrorism was not suspected but Homeland Security Department spokesman Brian Roehrkasse said the package was "related to threats criminal in nature."

A letter inside the envelope referenced legislation in Congress involving truckers and included an extortion threat against the government, according to a federal law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The envelope carried the typewritten message "caution-Ricin-poison" on the outside, according to a statement by the Greenville County Sheriff's Office. It arrived at a facility between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. on Oct. 15, the sheriff's office said.

Don't Forget

The Santa Theory of Development

From an e-mail that I received today, which I found to be amusing:

THE FOUR STAGES OF LIFE:

1) You believe in Santa Claus.
2) You don't believe in Santa Claus.
3) You are Santa Claus.
4) You look like Santa Claus.

The Necktie Corollary to Murphy's Law

If you are running late you will have to tie your tie at least thrice, for once it will be too short, and then it will be too long.

Which, now that I think about it, also sounds a lot like my putting...

Can You Say "Ouch"? I Bet You Can

Man Dies After Wife Crushes Testicles

The Parent's Dictionary

Clean-up time (v): The time when the children rediscover their toys, and therefore must stop and play with them right now rather than picking up. After all, they haven't seen some of this stuff in days, owing to the fact that it has been strewn all over the house.

My Favorite Toy: (n): The status of whatever it is Mom or Dad have decided can be thrown away or given to charity.

Too Funny

This demonstrates the power of the press.

Unlikely Headline of the Day

Skakel lawyer to seek new trial based on evidence from Kobe Bryant kin

Motherly Love

It's hard to believe that a mother who would order a male stripper for her daughter's bachlorette party would act this way: Mom attacks daughter's male stripper.

Some People Never Learn

Rodney King sentenced to jail and treatment in DUI case

Rodney King, whose videotaped beating by police officers sparked the Los Angeles riots of 1992, has been sentenced to drug treatment and jail for driving under the influence and reckless driving.

[...]

Police said King raced through an intersection in Rialto at more than 100 mph on April 13 before losing control of his new SUV, striking a utility pole, crashing into a fence and hitting a house. King, 38, of Rialto, suffered a fractured pelvis and cracked ribs.

Authorities said tests revealed he had a "significant amount" of the drug PCP in his system.

[...]

He had several run-ins with the law in the years that followed and was sentenced to 90 days in jail and four years probation in 1999 for spousal abuse. In 2024 he pleaded no contest to indecent exposure and being under the influence of PCP and was sentenced to a year in a drug treatment center.

A Sign of the Time

Or, at least, a quote of the times...

Said my six-year-old while we were watching TV during the commercials:

"Dad, could you fast forward it?"

The Multiverse

Heck, I learned all this by reading comic books and watching the old Star Trek.

Although it occurs to me in reading it--it rather important if one believes in a truly infinite universe. If it is truly infinite, then logically, all combinations of matter are possible. If the the universe is finite, the whole "monkeys tryping Shakespeare" thing goes out the window. There are profound theological and cosmological implications for the accepting or rejecting of an infinite universe model.

Headlines One Doesn't Expect to See in a Major Paper

Nonetheless, from today's NYT: Clad in Resolve, Nude Hiker Defies the British Body Image

Of course, August is considered a slow news month...

New Tech

The Cranky Professor extols one of our latest technological advances.

The post also has an interesting insight into Southern (and perhaps American) lingusitics.

I concur with his assesments all the way 'round.

Blackout Tips from Iraq

Amusing: Iraqis offer 10 tips on how to beat the heat

My favs:

--7: SHOWER FREQUENTLY. "I take showers all day," said Raed Ali, 33. "Before I go up to the roof to sleep, I take a shower and I'm cooler."

[...]

--5: CHECK FOR BITTER-ENDERS. "They should go to the power stations and see what the problem is," suggested Ahmed Abdul Hussein, 21. "Maybe there are followers of Saddam Hussein who are sabotaging their power stations. That's what happens here."

[...]

--3: CALL IN THE IRAQIS. Some suggested the Americans ask the Iraqis how to get the power going again. "Let them take experts from Iraq," said Alaa Hussein, 32, waiting in a long line for gas because there was no electricity for the pumps. "Our experts have a lot of experience in these matters."

--2: USE FOUL LANGUAGE. "When the power goes out, I curse everybody," (I 'spect New Yorkers are familair with this one, -ed.) said Emad Helawi, a 63-year-old accountant. "I curse God. I curse Saddam Hussein. And I curse the Americans."

Blackout Victim

Ironically, the Alabama Live site (a news and info site) is one of the victims of the blackout.

Who knew that Bama's main site was on a Yankee server! Go and figure. :-)

A Theory

For the conspiratorially minded amongst you, here’s a theory of explanation for the black out: the Bush administration did it!

Why, you ask? Here’s why: the economy!

The recovery still hasn’t quite taken off yet, and we all know that consumer spending is the engine that drives the economy and just think of all the meat, dairy products and frozen goods that are going to spoil because of the outage. Lots, eh? Well, what are people going to have to do once the power comes back on? Replace that stuff! Yes, spend, spend, spend. Plus, we all know that you always buy more than you need when you got to the grocery store. So, before you know it, the economy will be roaring on the backs of the spoiled-food-replace of 2024.

So, clearly, it was the CIA. I mean, come on! How else did they know for sure and so immediately that it wasn’t terrorism?

Think about it.

The Obvious Solution

In listening to the news concerning the power outage, and the need to slowly put the power stations back online it occurred to me that there is a better solution!

In the classic Star Trek episode, The Naked Time, the Enterprise’s engines were shut down, which was a problem because the ship’s orbit was decaying (seems like it was often doing that) and Scotty needed thirty minutes to do a controlled restart (much like what is happening in the northeast right now-except those nasty twentieth century tech power plants need hours). But, as Kirk pointed out to him “we don’t have thirty minutes!!” to which Scotty, in a reply for the ages noted, “I canna change the laws of physics!” Of course, Mr. Spock was able to remember a theory that would allow an instantaneous restart of the engines, thus saving their hides to roam the galaxy for at least another week. Indeed, Scotty and Spock were able to do so, and the nifty side-effect of the cold restart was that the ship went back in time three days (don’t ask me, I just report-you can decide).

So, I figure they should just slam the switches on and, if they're lucky, travel back in time at least one day, which would allow them to avoid the problem in the first place.

So, there you go.

Poliblog: the place for answers.

Remarkable

And sad: Health ministry: About 3,000 die of heat-related causes in France

Perseverance

Drinking coffee with part of your upper lip still somewhat numb after having a minor cavity filled is a challenge. But, I thought I would inform my coffee-loving brethern (and sistern) that I will persevere!

Only If He Asks Nicely

Unabomber Wants His Bomb Back

Wild Genetic Stuff

NPR : DNA Tests Shed Light on 'Hybrid Humans'

DNA technology is helping scientists learn more about a rare genetic phenomenon. When two fertilized eggs fuse in the womb, they create a child with two full sets of genes, called a chimera. NPR's David Baron reports.

Truth is Often More Amusing than Fiction

Berkeley breast-feeders beat lactating Aussies / Moms nurse en masse to take transpacific title, promote issue

On the count of, "One, two, three, latch!" nearly 700 moms suckled their babes in the Berkeley Community Theatre. Although the final head count was a bit shy of the 1,130 women who brought the title home to Berkeley last year, it still, to quote the master of ceremonies, "kicked some serious Aussie booby."

Hat tip: Betsy's Page.

Truth is Often More Amusing than Fiction

Berkeley breast-feeders beat lactating Aussies / Moms nurse en masse to take transpacific title, promote issue

On the count of, "One, two, three, latch!" nearly 700 moms suckled their babes in the Berkeley Community Theatre. Although the final head count was a bit shy of the 1,130 women who brought the title home to Berkeley last year, it still, to quote the master of ceremonies, "kicked some serious Aussie booby."

Hat tip: Betsy's Page.

Amusing

A classic ad via Common Sense and Wonder.

Lemony Parenting Advice

John Lemon offers some help to those of us who have to take our three-year-olds out into polite sociey (or, at least, society).

War on Weeds

I have declared war on the weedpatch that is at least half of my backyard. I may have to convince the DoD that I am cultivating coca back there so that they will authorize a glyphosate dump.

Of course, I got a head start on them already.

Oh, My

Okaaaay: Woman changes name to GoVeg.com

She knew her new name might finally stick when she got a phone message recently: "Hi, GoVeg.com. This is your mother. Please call me."

It might sound more than a little odd -- but it's true. A young animal rights activist from Indiana once known as Karin Robertson has legally changed her name to that of a Web site run by her employer, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

It's not a first name or a last name -- just one name. And don't call her "Veg" or "Dot," as some have tried to do.

A Question for the Ages

Why is it that asking children to play in their rooms with their mountains of toys is treated as though one is casting them into the torture pit?

And, I would note, that my children have more toys than all the children in the Czech Republic and Slovakia combined. I am fairly certain that this is an empirical fact.

The Golden Arches

One thing that goes with kids and a road trip: McDonald’s.

I am now sick to bloody death of McDonald’s. We are there eight times over the past three weeks (twice for each looong trek (i.e., AL-TX and TX-AZ and back again). (And we did Carl’s Jr. (Hardy’s in the east) between AZ and CA once).

I am more sick of McDonald’s now than when I worked there in high school and early college!

And why was this necessary? Mainly, kids love McD’s (and one has to placate children on a long road trip). Plus, for lunch, we’d let them play in the playlands while we ate, and then let them eat in the car.

I can honestly say that I have had my last McDonald’s meal for a long, long time.

And while I am on the subject: a pox on the McDonald’s in Midland, Texas for having their playland closed, but having no sign up so that we didn’t find out that it was closed until after I had ordered and paid.

BTW, the McD’s in Big Springs, Texas is quite nice and has a very nifty playland.

Also Indeed

This reminds me of when I first started playing golf and I played the game within the game of whether I was plus or minus on golf balls.

Indeed

Vacation Report

By the way, all of my SoCal pals who like to make fun of the heat in the South, let it be know, it gets pretty darn hot in SoCal as well. In some ways I have been hotter here than at home, since we folks in the South know how to run the darn AC!

Plus, I see that Stage One Smog Alerts have returned. It is like being back in 1985!

An Amusing Toon

Click here.

PoliBlogger's Travel Tips

Some travel tips from your humble blogger:

Rachel Lucas Speaks (or Gripes, anyway)

I think we need to send Rachel Lucas to tour High Schools, so as to persuade students to go to college before they have to work full time.

Also, she can come talk to some of my undergrads who either don't work, or work only part-time, and nonetheless complain about how hard college is.

Hat Tip: Tiger.

The Exasperated Professor Returns

The Exasperated Professor asks: why is it when a student does poorly, said student will often act as if I abducted them and made them take my class?

Somehow it is my fault that they need a near-perfect score on the final to earn a "C" and the fact that that failed to do two of the four assignments, did very poorly on the second exam, and are frequently late or absent had nothing to do with it.

And further, why must said student waste my time with circular argumentation not unlike what the Exasperated Professor posted earlier in his role as Bemused Father?

The Exasperated Professor will be quite pleased when the Term is over with…

Three Year-Olds: Walking Tautologies

Middle Son: (holding plastic cup of Coke from the restaurant): I want it [the lid] off.

Me: No son, leave it on, we don't want to spill your drink.

Middle Son: But I want it off.

Me: Why do you want it off?

Middle Son: Because I want it off!

Me: I know you want it off, but is there a reason you want it off? Is something wrong?

Middle Son: I want it off because I want it off.

Hmm, Can We Say "Pack Rat"?

I loathe throwing away stuff that, at one time, cost me some serious money. However, I did finally decide today that it was time to chuck my Windows 3.1 disks, Microsoft Works for 3.1 disks, and especially those DOS 6.1 upgrade disks.

The sale, for $10.00, at a yard sale, of my old 486, pre-CD-ROM drive laptop helps me part with these gems of the past.

Lawsuit!

I was just pouring myself a fine cup of coffee, and in so doing accidentally splashed some coffee onto my hand. And you know what? That stuff was hot! Indeed, the skin between the thumb and forefinger of my left hand is currentl red! It kind of stings, too. Now, there is no warning label on my coffee pot, coffee maker or coffee cup that warns me of the temperature of said beverage. And I was not warned by the brewer of the coffee that it might be hot (of course, I try not to talk to myself overly much).

Now, as memory serves, some woman got $2 million or so for no being properly warned about the temperature of a hot cup o' joe, and I recall Kramer on Seinfeld won a lifetime supply of lattes for the same sort of deal. So, I ask, any lawyers out there? Stuart Buck? Tiger? Volokh? (like he reads my site...)...any takers?

I smell money! (or is that burning flesh?...oh, it's just the calming aroma of coffee. Hmmm, coffee...)

Well, back to work.

Even More Exasperation…

Another scenario: say that one took a class from a specific professor, and in that class one was granted an “incomplete” due to medical reasons. Let’s further say that one then failed to even show up on the appointed dates, let alone do the work needed to complete the incomplete, hence resulting in a failing grade. And let’s say that one burned up a LOT of good will with that professor in this process (and with all the of professors in the department, for that matter). THEN, one decides to take another course from the same professor. One then comes to that professor’s office 35 minutes before a paper is due and states that one needs an extension because one has been “busy”. Should one expect said professor to grant such leniency? Especially when the rules posted (scroll down to “deadlines/due dates”) by said professor are quite clear? Moreover, should one be surprised when said professor fails to grant the extension?

An exasperated professor wonders.

The Exasperated Professor Asks…

If one were in a class, and on the syllabus the professor omitted the chapter number for a particular day's worth of lectures, but had the lecture title down as "Congress" and the course was American National Government, do you think one could figure out what chapter one was supposed to read (especially when one has a single text book for the class)?

An exasperated Professor wants to know.

The Question Is: Why?

I mean, nude volleyball and tennis sounds, well, potentially rather painful...

At Nude Youth Camp, Skin Is Bare but Lust Is Verboten

Cool Pic

A NASA composite shot of the Earth, with the North Pole in the middle:

Source: Yahoo

I'm Surrounded!

Alabama is almost entirely surrounded by possibly poxy prairie dogs! And it is a coincidence that the CDC is in Georgia, and they are poxydog free? I think not.

Personally, I blame John Ashcroft. And exactly where is Dick Cheney when we need him?

Rebate Hell

TheAgitator.com has an interesting post (and link to this Slate piece) on the current rebate madness at electronics stores. The piece caught my eye in particular as I just put in the mail two different rebates on my new laptop.

And no joke (from Slate):

All of this hoop-jumping fuss—the paperwork, the postmarking, the sales slips—is quite unnecessary, says Leonard. Fulfillment centers can now do it all online—whether or not the purchase was online, with a credit card, or with cash. They don't need the UPCs or the old phones or any such nonsense. The sales receipt could contain a unique code number that the consumer could enter into a Web site. Think of that the next time you are dissecting a box to get a lousy UPC code.

A Barrel of MonkeyPox

Speaking of monkeypox, John Lemon has a terrific post which informs the public about how to avoid monkeypox--beware, such issues as monkey pus are discussed.

PoxTV

Not good: Monkeypox fear spreads to 4 more states Boy in New Jersey might be infected--not only for the people with the monkeypox, but for all of us news consumers. Soon wall-to-wall Blondes (Hill, Martha and Scott Peterson (ok, he went back to brunette)) may give way to the summer of pox.

If we get really lucky someone will kidnap a kid infected with monkeypox, and the kidnapper will then be attacked by a shark on the way to see Gary Condit. It will be a newsapalooza--the cable news industry's dream summer.

And have they cured SARS? It seems like whole days since I heard a SARS story.

Hylarious

James of OTB has already linked to this, but if for some reson you missed it, this philsophy exam is downright hilarious.

Kudos to the authors.

This Doesn't Sound Like Much Fun

Having "pox" is bad enough, but somehow "monkeypox" sounds even worse...

Health officials in Wisconsin have confirmed four cases of monkeypox in the Milwaukee area in what is believed to be the first outbreak of the disease among humans in the Western Hemisphere.

Source: CNN.com

Unbelievable

You hear about this kind of thing every year, it seems: Tot dies after Vegas teacher forgets him all day in hot van, and everytime my response is the same: I just do not understand how one could forget that their child is in the car and just leave them there all day long. I simply don't get it.

Academic Job Market

The academics in the audience will find the following from Snopes.com very amusing (others will only find it somewhat amusing).

Hylarious

Business Booms for Real-Life Fawlty Towers

A cafe in northern England has turned itself into a copy of TV's disaster-prone Fawlty Towers and the customers love it, the owner said on Tuesday.

Phil Wood, of Wilmslow, Cheshire, said he was abusing staff and arguing with customers, just like hotel owner Basil Fawlty in the classic 1970s BBC sitcom.

In the television series, Fawlty, played by actor John Cleese, lurched from one disaster to the next, haranguing his guests and attacking his Spanish waiter Manuel.

"I like to have a bit of fun with people in true Basil style. If they leave a bit of food I'll head over for an inquest, asking them what's wrong with the sausage," Wood said.

A Fawlty Towers fan for nearly 30 years, he bought the cafe four months ago and called it Fawlty's.

"We do all kinds of daft stuff. This guy came in with a shopping bag today so I went over and searched it to check he hadn't brought in his own sandwiches. He loved it, he absolutely loved it."

Wood plans to cover the cafe in Fawlty Towers memorabilia and screen the series.

"It's got so popular that now people come in expecting me to jump around like some frenetic grasshopper," said 54-year-old Wood.

Incredible

This story(Times Reporter Who Resigned Leaves Long Trail of Deception), first blogged here, is utterly amazing:

In an inquiry focused on correcting the record and explaining how such fraud could have been sustained within the ranks of The Times, the Times journalists have so far uncovered new problems in at least 36 of the 73 articles Mr. Blair wrote since he started getting national reporting assignments late last October. In the final months the audacity of the deceptions grew by the week, suggesting the work of a troubled young man veering toward professional self-destruction.

Mr. Blair, who has resigned from the paper, was a reporter at The Times for nearly four years, and he was prolific. Spot checks of the more than 600 articles he wrote before October have found other apparent fabrications, and that inquiry continues.

Fun with Final Exams

The bonus question on my "Political Theory" final exam was "To What School of Thought does Peter Singer belong?" The answer is "utilitarianism." One student answers "Singer was a crazy political thinker."

Ok, not the right answer, but not entirely inaccurate, either. For evidence, check this out: All Animals Are Equal.

A nice snippet:

It is an implication of this principle of equality that our concern for others ought not to depend on what they are like, or what abilities they possess—although precisely what this concern requires us to do may vary according to the characteristics of those affected by what we do. It is on this basis that the case against racism and the case against sexism must both ultimately rest; and it is in accordance with this principle that speciesism is also to be condemned. If possessing a higher degree of intelligence does not entitle one human to use another for his own ends, how can it entitle humans to exploit nonhumans?

Are They Trying to Make Me Feel Old?

And I thought "Franco-American" made Chef Boyardee stuff and Spaghetti-Os, not video games. Man, the world is so confusing.

Franco-American video game publisher Infogrames Inc., in an effort to increase its profile with consumers by reaching back into gaming history, said Wednesday it will change its name to Atari.

Source: Infogrames gives Atari new video game life

Really, Dear, It Was Just Mistaken Identitiy

Ya gotta love it:

An Israeli policeman responding to neighbors' complaints about a rowdy hen party received an unexpected welcome at the door when revelers mistook him for a stripper and began to take off his clothes and stroke him.

Source: Israeli Cop Mistakenly Undressed, Fondled at Party

Hat tip: The Agitator

Book Corner with PoliBlogger

I am reading the tenth book in Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series, Crossroads of Twilight. I have really enjoyed the series, but I don't think I have read a book recently where after 400 pages one feels as if not all that much has happened. Indeed, the book feels like a "I've got a contract obligation to fill" book, and one begins to wonder if Jordan knows where the story is going. Having read between 6,000 and 7,000 pages with the promise of a major battle for the ages between good and evil to conclude the series, I sure as High Heck hope he plans to actually finish the thing at some point!

I will say that I am glad I found the series late in its existence--I was able to read the first nine books pretty much all at once. I would hated to have been at this waiting game for over a decade!

Meanwhile, here's hoping George R.R. Martin is close to finishing the next tome in the Songs of Fire and Ice series!

(and now back to your regularly scheduled political blogging....)

Not About Campaign Finance

What a choke job:

With a win in Game 7 Sunday, the Blazers would become the first team in NBA history to overcome an 0-3 deficit in a best-of seven series. Portland would then head straight to Sacramento to get ready for Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Kings.

I am a Spurs fan, so this doesn't bother me, but the possibility of being 3 up, and then blowing a series is incredible. Of couse, if the Blazers do win, the Kings will crush them.

Source: Yahoo! Sports

Wild

Worms survived Columbia disaster

Hundreds of worms that were part of an experiment aboard the doomed space shuttle Columbia have been found alive in debris recovered from the crash site, Nasa officials say.

Maybe OJ Has a Point...

Apparently killers do hang out at golf courses: Peterson Had $10K, Brother's ID When Arrested In San Diego

When Scott Peterson was arrested last week near a San Diego's Torrey Pines golf course for the murder of his wife, $10,000 in cash and his brother's ID were found in the trunk of his car, authorities said.

Should I add "alleged"? Hmmm...., I am guessing not.

Happy Easter!

May everyone have a blessed Easter on this most signifcant of days.

Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:1-4)

Car Update

BTW, I ended up buying a Toyota Corolla.

Car Shopping

Shopping for a car on short notice when you weren't planning on buying a car soon, and therefore don't really have it budgeted really sucks.

Thank goodness interest rates are low (or at some dealerships, non-existent!)

Regular blogging should resume shortly! I don't really even know what in the world is going on the news today--how pathetic is that?