Martini Blender
Originally uploaded by karmakazesal.
For people who their martini, not shaken, not stirred...but blended. I've never seen anything like this in a bar. Heck, I've only seen the Boston style shakers in bars and not the metal cup with a strainer cap that most stores sell as cocktail shakers.
Posted by at 6:42 PM in Photos
A nod to Mr. Gone for pointing out that the IDIOTAROD is in a few weeks.
When I was ten or eleven I saw Ben Hur on a tiny black and white TV. The chariot race convinced the reptile parts of my brain that Charlton Heston was the coolest person on earth.
Within a week some friends and I started going to the local super market and re-enacting the chariot races with stolen borrowed shopping carts. One guy would be the rider and stand in the cart holding a jump rope or something similar. The other guy would wrap the rope around his waist and be the horse. We would run around the parking area of the supermarket until they chased us away. Or someone needed a tetanus shot.
I call that period in my life the stupid years. When someone suggests riding your bicycle down a flight of stairs, you think cool. In the mind of an eleven year old boy the word cool is a synonym for potentially life threatening. It is also the time when your obsession with candy, toys and cartoons hasn't fully switched into an obsession for girls, cars and music. And for some reason, you think Ninjas are really cool. I think that is the true spirit of the Idiotarod.
Technorati Tags: Idiotarod
Posted by at 6:02 PM in Humor
The Soup Man
Originally uploaded by karmakazesal.
The Soup shop put up this card board Soupman in a blind spot. I walked down the stairs, turned and saw this freaky guy _right there_
Posted by at 3:25 PM in Photos
potatoe
Originally uploaded by karmakazesal.
The $25 Dan Quayle special.
Posted by at 3:21 PM in Photos
Perhaps you already have your own absinthe story. You drank it in New Orleans one foggy night, too full of fumes to remember much aside from the cloudy green swirl of the drink as water drip-dropped into the glass. You smuggled a cheap bottle back from Spain and brought it out at cocktail parties like a magic trick. You tried it at a party where someone mixed a batch in the back room, and it was caustic stuff, as mean as moonshine. You sipped it in an gloomy underground Czech bar, where everyone looked like spies, and the bartender lit the sugar cube aflame.From Salon.com Life | Everything you know about absinthe is wrong
...
Absinthe may not cause hallucinations, but its buzz has been likened to a kind of "waking drunk," in which inhibitions are lowered but synapses fire faster, the perfect companion for a lively barside debate.
Turns out my Absinthe stories are all cliché now. With that said, a great article on Absinthe. And the most honest description of the effects.
Posted by at 3:55 PM in Geek
Jeb Corliss wants to fly,€” not the way the Wright brothers wanted to fly, but the way we do in our dreams. He wants to jump from a helicopter and land without using a parachute.From Flying Humans, Hoping to Land With No Chute - New York Times
I thought jumping out of a plane in a flying squirrel suit was crazy. Let alone gliding yards above the tree line. And then I saw the PAM Lifting Vehicle a giant upside down helicopter where the victim pilot rides just above the spinning blades.
Technorati Tags: wierd gadget gizmo flying weirdscience
Posted by at 6:02 PM in Geek
Hmmm...lose my camera or lose my arm? Goodbye camera kit. The second thing to learn from this: always have a backup camera. You'll never know when you will need to take a shot and have your main camera unavailable. Or eaten.
Posted by at 3:35 PM in Photos
In 2005, Florida tomato pickers gained their first significant pay raise since the late 1970s when Taco Bell ended a consumer boycott by agreeing to pay an extra penny per pound for its tomatoes, with the extra cent going directly to the farm workers. Last April, McDonald’s agreed to a similar arrangement, increasing the wages of its tomato pickers to about 77 cents per bucket. But Burger King, whose headquarters are in Florida, has adamantly refused to pay the extra penny — and its refusal has encouraged tomato growers to cancel the deals already struck with Taco Bell and McDonald’s.From NYT
When I read this some things popped out at me. Why fight this much for the extra penny, especially if all your major competitors would also pay that penny? And why would Burger King object to its competitors paying more for the same commodity they purchase? The one answer that I kept coming back to was that to pay that extra penny is to legitimize the consumer boycott that forced the buyers to pay that extra penny.
It is interesting to note that the workers didn't strike. They didn't sue. They didn't form a union. They didn't go begging for public money. They instead went to the market and used market forces to persuade the companies. And it worked. Perhaps too well.
To stretch the metaphor, the Burger King is not going to accept the terms of an economic Magna Carta from the Tomato Serfs without a fight.
Technorati Tags: NYT lowpay immigration economics
Posted by at 11:21 PM in Politics
Homo sapiens sapiens has spread across the globe and increased vastly in numbers over the past 50,000 years or so €”from an estimated five million in 9000 B.C. to roughly 6.5 billion today. More people means more opportunity for mutations to creep into the basic human genome and new research confirms that in the past 10,000 years a host of changes to everything from digestion to bones has been taking place.From Culture Speeds Up Human Evolution: Scientific American
"We found very many human genes undergoing selection," says anthropologist Gregory Cochran of the University of Utah, a member of the team that analyzed the 3.9 million genes showing the most variation. "Most are very recent, so much so that the rate of human evolution over the past few thousand years is far greater than it has been over the past few million years."
My first thought, isn't this the plot device used by both Heros and The X-Men? My second thought, what is the ID spin on this? My third thought, does this reopen any of the discredited eugenic arguments?
Posted by at 7:57 PM in Geek
This is the place to find classic toys, fun games, and unique gifts for all ages. Celebrating our 5th year in business! We specialize in products that are made in the USA.From U.S. Made Toys
See also Toys Made in America and Still Made in USA. Perfect for those who want a lead and plastic free holiday season.
Technorati Tags: toys
Posted by at 10:04 PM in Geek
Stainless Steel Wrenchware 3-Pc. Set The perfect flatware set for the mechanic! 3-pc. set includes a fork, spoon and knife with unique handles — one has a box wrench, one a pliers jaws and one an open-ended wrench. All made of 18/10 polished stainless steel. It's dinnerware with real flair!From Stainless Steel Wrenchware — 3-Pc. Set | Specialty Wrenches | Northern Tool + Equipment
Just in time for the holidays. I know my brother would love this.
Technorati Tags: wierd odd gadget gizmo hack weirdscience tools
Posted by at 10:01 PM in Geek
notice that everything that happens is good for tax cuts.From The tax cut ratchet - Paul Krugman - Op-Ed Columnist - New York Times Blog
If the economy is growing, and tax receipts are rising, then it shows that past tax cuts achieved wonders, plus the Laffer curve is right ” so let'€™s cut taxes some more!
If the economy is shrinking, well, it needs a boost ” and what better boost than another round of tax cuts!
See, cutting taxes is always good. It makes you wonder why we ever had taxes in the first place.
Krugman does a bang up job exposing the tax-cut ratchet. Or tax cut racket if you prefer.
Posted by at 9:52 PM in Politics
Yeah, OK, OK. Well, I think -- I mean, I think Gore would have been a disaster as president. We'd have been living in the Dark Ages. I think he's fundamentally hostile to human civilization. And a phony.From Media Matters - Carlson: If Al Gore were president, "[w]e'd ... be living in yurts in the dark"
This in a nutshell is what drives me crazy about the Climate Crisis debate. People like Tucker Carlson are allowed to keep this silly dichotomy between industry and ecology; between no regulations and living in yuts. This is simply not the case. It is as dishonest as it is logically flawed.
Our atmosphere is a commons in the traditional, ECON-101 sense of the word. The position that Mr. Gore and many others are advocating is that of using market forces to limit C02 release. Requiring that industry purchase the right to dispose of C02 is a market based, capitalist solution. It rewards those who through hard work, efficiency and smart investments; limit their use of the C02 and punishes those who over-produce waste C02 by requiring that they pay for their waste. It is no different than requiring businesses to pay to have trash hauled away. Those that become more efficient produce less trash, pay less and therefore become more profitable. Those that figure out how to turn other peoples trash into their treasure also profit.
So how on earth can anyone imply that those who want to use market forces to promote more efficient and cleaner technologies are anti-industrial? That whole line of thinking is self-contradictory. No one is suggesting that we dismantle power plants and return to an agrarian economy. Let alone Mr. Gore. No one is suggesting that the government take over power production. In fact, the opposite is true. Those of us that accept the truth on global warming see that the economic boom that could be created in the post-fossil-fuel era will likely create the worlds first trillionaires as well as creating millions of new jobs in the private sector.
People like Tucker Carlson are Carbon Socialists. They defend a system where tax money is collected by scary Big-Government and is used to fund Big Government Bureaucracies to subsidize favored politically connected 18th century technology. And they rail against anything that would force those favored 18th century technologies to compete on a level playing field with modern technologies. They cling to the silly dichotomy of "Market Forces" versus "Carbon Regulation" and refuse to see that this is about "Carbon Regulation via Market Forces".
We are the ones that are pro-industry. They are the ones that are anti-industry. We favor carbon markets. They favor carbon socialism.
Technorati Tags: energypolicy pundit economics tuckercarlson mediamatters
Posted by at 9:48 PM in Politics
Stemming the controversy: Scientists announced Tuesday that they've discovered a way to cultivate stem cells using skin cells instead of embryos. This could mean that potential cures for everything from Parkinson's disease to Alzheimer's might circumvent the morally fraught debate over whether stem-cell research is a handmaid to infanticide, as many critics have claimed.From Bloggers on the stem-cell research breakthrough. - By Michael Weiss - Slate Magazine
Now that the need for embryos for stem cell research may be obsolete, why is it that I am the only guy with a blog that sees this as a five year set-back for Stem Cell research caused by the President's allegiance to the Texas Taliban.
Technorati Tags: Slate science texastaliban
Posted by at 5:30 PM in Politics
Check out the world's first solar-powered Bluetooth headset. Because you don't look dorky enough when wearing a normal Bluetooth headset.
Posted by at 3:22 AM in Geek
I don't know of anybody who argues for unregulated free enterprise. I'm a Theodore Roosevelt Republican. I like the fact that the government requires that I have clean water to drink no matter what restaurant I walk into anywhere in America.From Salon
I'm feeling charitably; so I'm not going to pick-nits. As much as I might disagree with Newt, the guy is brilliant. This article is well worth the read.
Technorati Tags: tr newtgingrich salon
Posted by at 3:01 AM in Politics
Under current tax law, 23 million taxpayers will owe the alternative tax for 2007, up from 4 million last year. The tax was originally intended to apply to multimillionaires. But most of this year’s alternative taxpayers make between $100,000 and $500,000 and about a third make less than $100,000. They all have good cause to feel rooked and to expect help from Congress.Alternative Tax Showdown - New York Times
I'm not a big fan of the AMT. I think it does more harm than good. If there is a legitimate problem with too many wealthy people taking too many tax write-offs, the right solution would be to raise the top tax bracket or to close the exploited tax loop holes. Inventing a parallel tax system might be great for tax accountants but as a tax policy solution, it is a terrible waste of time and resources. If those tax exemptions are legitimate; then so be it. A person who is entitle to write something off deserves to do so even if they are filthy rich.
I fear that the solution to the AMT crisis will be to create a SAMT (secondary AMT) for people that find that the AMT unfairly applies to them.
Posted by at 3:08 AM in Politics
treo_110807_006
Originally uploaded by karmakazesal.
Saw this at Bway Fulton Street Station. This was hidden from view unless you're walking into or out of the second car.
Posted by at 4:24 PM in Photos
Dish Washer Wanted
Originally uploaded by karmakazesal.
The fact that the help wanted sign isn't in English says everything no one else will say.
Technorati Tags: signs spanish politics immigration
Posted by at 2:51 AM in Politics
I have one quick thought on the writers strike. Why aren't the striker's signs better? They should have creative, snappy slogans. They should have witty, catchy chants. The speeches given to the news crews should be moving. Or at least touching. What gives?
Technorati Tags: snarky WritersStrike unions writersunion
Posted by at 2:21 AM in Humor
A few days back, I was lazily browsing the net - when suddenly I discovered that I have Schizophrenia. No, I did not get a hallucination that my dual monitors suddenly changed into a two headed beast. Nor did I hallucinate about anything else. What happened was that I stumbled upon a page about schizophrenia. To my shock, I had all the symptoms described in that page. Not just me - all the programmers I knew had Schizophrenia as well.From 30 Reasons Why All Programmers Are Schizophrenics at BinnyVA
If time travel causes Schizodonniedarkosis, maybe Java programming causes Schizojavosis and perl programming causes Schizoperlosis?
Technorati Tags: snarky
Posted by at 4:57 AM in Humor
Apparently, piracy (real piracy, not the BitTorrented variety) is all the rage off the coast of Somalia. The pirates, who probably don't have peglegs or parrots but I picture them that way anyways, hijack ships and hold them and their equipment for ransom, sometimes killing crewmembers in the process. It isn't pretty. But the US Navy and Coast Guard have a trick up their sleeves: robotic boats.Robots V Pirates: Navy to Get Robot Boats to Fight Pirates, Sets Stage For Historic Battle
Finally, a pirate fighting robot. If it had ninjas it would be the perfect geek news story.
Posted by at 10:33 PM in Geek
Nearly half of Americans feel the U.S. economy is in a recession, marked by a significant decline in economic activity, according to a survey released Thursday.From CNN.com - CNN Political Ticker Poll: Nearly half think U.S. in recession «
File this under WTF. We are not in a recession. While I think it is inevitable that we will have a recession at some point; we aren't in one now. This is a clear indication that a large and growing segment of the population have not recovered from the last recession; five+ years ago.
Posted by at 2:34 AM in Politics
many advanced military weapons are essentially robotic -- picking targets out automatically, slewing into position, and waiting only for a human to pull the trigger. Most of the time. Once in a while, though, these machines start firing mysteriously on their own. The South African National Defence Force "is probing whether a software glitch led to an antiaircraft cannon malfunction that killed nine soldiers and seriously injured 14 others during a shooting exercise on Friday."From Robot Cannon Kills 9, Wounds 14 on Danger Room
Those three laws look better every day.
Posted by at 10:20 PM in Geek
On October 7, 2006, Alex Roy set out from the Classic Car Club on Hudson Street in New York City. His self-assigned mission: Beat the record for a cross-country drive to Los Angeles. That record, set in 1983, is 32 hours and 7 minutes. To achieve his goal, Roy and his copilot, Dave Maher, would need to average at least 90 miles per hour.From The Route Coast to Coast
I'm sorry, but if you aren't riding with Dom Deluise while trying to out run Jamie Farr and a host of paper thin ethnic and social stereotypes; what's the point?
Posted by at 5:58 PM in Humor
The only acknowledgment of religion in the original Constitution is a utilitarian one: the document is dated “in the year of our Lord 1787.†Even the religion clause of the First Amendment is framed dryly and without reference to any particular faith. The Connecticut ratifying convention debated rewriting the preamble to take note of God’s authority, but the effort failed.From A Nation of Christians Is Not a Christian Nation - New York Times
Must read article on the Freedom from Religion that is an absolute necessity to protect Freedom of Religion.
Technorati Tags: NYT texastaliban
Posted by at 1:24 AM in Politics
A Malawi couple has completed adoption paperwork for Sean Preston Federline, 2, and Jayden James Federline, 1, after their mother, Britney Spears, lost custody of the children Monday.From African family to adopt Britney's kids. - By Ellen Tarlin - Slate Magazine
Slate beats The Onion to the best humorous headline of the year.
Technorati Tags: slate theonion BritneySpears snarky
Posted by at 3:09 AM in Humor
What'€™s happening, presumably, is that modern movement conservatism attracts a certain personality type. If you identify with the downtrodden, even a little, you don'€™t belong. If you think ridicule is an appropriate response to other peoples'€™ woes, you fit right in.From Conservatives Are Such Jokers - New York Times
Great quote from Krugman. Bush has made the GOP less conservative, less republican and more autocratic. Downright feudal. It is really interesting to compare how angry the left of center is at what the Bushies have done to how angry the right wing is at liberals for who they are.
Posted by at 1:55 AM in Politics
By a nearly two-to-one margin, Republican voters believe free trade is bad for the U.S. economy, a shift in opinion that mirrors Democratic views and suggests trade deals could face high hurdles under a new president.From Republicans Grow Skeptical On Free Trade - WSJ.com
File this under WTF. Three things come to mind:
A real free trade agreement would look something like this:
We agree to drop tarrifs on everything we import from you and we expect you to do the same.
Posted by at 5:00 PM in Politics
Clinton focused mostly on policy proposals, but she also drew laughs for paraphrasing the faux right-wing fury of Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert, saying "this administration doesn't make decisions on facts, it makes facts based on decisions."From Wired News - AP News
Its sad that Science is becoming controversial. When she says When I am president, scientific integrity will not be the exception it will be the rule. my only thought is why is that an issue?
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Posted by at 4:28 PM in Politics
The Fed typically convenes every month to discuss interest rates. It is not only the action (whether rates are raised, lowered, or held constant), but also the accompanying “statement†which is of interest to investors and analysts. In its statement, the Fed may signal both its motivation for the current policy decision as well as offering clues towards the future direction of rates. Unfortunately, the Fed often couches its commentary in vague language and specialized terminology, which may be difficult for amateur traders and investors to understand. The following is designed as a handy translation guide for people who wish to read and understand the Fed Statement but don’t want to train for a PhD in economics.From When the Fed says X, they really mean Y (A Handy Translation Book) | Currency Trading.net
Great post on what exactly that Federal Reserve Bank gobbeldygook means. One thing missed in the article is the phrase profit taking. When you hear anyone talking about profit taking; they are talking out of their ass.
Posted by at 1:18 AM in Politics
A powerful group of conservative Christian leaders decided Saturday at a private meeting in Salt Lake City to consider supporting a third-party candidate for president if a pro-choice nominee like Rudy Giuliani wins the Republican nomination.From Religious right may blackball Giuliani, by Michael Scherer | Salon News
I don't think the Texas Taliban is dumb enough to do this. They may think that the earth is 6000 years old and they the country will fall apart if we treat gay people like...people; but what they lack in scientific knowledge they more than make up for in political savvy. They will threaten Rudy. They will act silly. And in the end they will not vote to help Hillary.
Technorati Tags: Rudy Giuliani RudyGiuliani salon texastaliban
Posted by at 11:17 PM in Politics
Under this proposal, a person who buys a pay-per-ride MetroCard would be charged $2 to ride the subway or bus during the morning and evening peak periods. Travel during off-peak periods, including midday, would cost $1.50.Off-Peak Discounts May Be Part of M.T.A. Fare Increase - City Room - Metro - New York Times Blog
I think that the MTA has figured out how to sell peak-pricing to the masses. Rather than start off by raising the peak-price; lower the non-peak price. Market forces will work to shift some peak use to non-peak use as well as increase non-peak use. I like this. And I'd like to see the MTA try this on the bridges. Or see NJ try this on the Turnpike and Garden State Parkway.
Posted by at 3:13 AM in Politics
smart car
Originally uploaded by karmakazesal.
Smart car seen on the street in Downtown NYC.
Posted by at 3:02 AM in Photos
subway eye
Originally uploaded by karmakazesal.
Mosaic eye seen at downtown A station.
Posted by at 3:01 AM in Photos
germans
Originally uploaded by karmakazesal.
Are we sure we want German speakers to meet in groups? Unsupervised?
Posted by at 3:00 AM in Photos
the so-called private security contractors are mercenaries. They'€™re heavily armed. They carry out military missions, but they'€™re private employees who don€'t answer to military discipline. On the other hand, they don'€™t seem to be accountable to Iraqi or U.S. law, either. And they behave accordingly.From Hired Gun Fetish - New York Times
Krugman describes exactly what the root problem with Blackwater is. If you aren't totally sick of Iraq news or the Blackwater story, this is a must read
Technorati Tags: iraq gwot blackwater NYT
Posted by at 6:29 PM in Politics
Just take your SIM card out of your cellphone and stick it in this mysterious black box that's about the size of a bar of soap. Hide the $85 device in an inconspicuous location wherever you want to do your listening, and then when you call your cellphone number from another phone, you suddenly have ears in exactly the right places.From Surveillance: SIM Card Spy Ear for Nosy Neighbors and Private Eyes - Gizmodo
Cool. I have no need for this but I really want one. If it had a cam-phone mode I could use it to keep tabs on my cat.
Posted by at 2:43 AM in Geek
Less than a month before the U.S. invasion of Iraq, Saddam Hussein signaled that he was willing to go into exile as long as he could take with him $1 billion and information on weapons of mass destruction, according to a report of a Feb. 22, 2003, meeting between President Bush and his Spanish counterpart published by a Spanish newspaper yesterday.From WaPo
After reading that about Saddam, the first thing I thought was how much cheaper that would have been; both in blood and treasure. Now I wonder if it would be possible to pay Bush, Cheney, Rove and the whole neo-con cabal; a billion each to leave the US and never come back. That's still less than half of the 55 billion more they want to continue the war.
Technorati Tags: snarky bushbashing wapo
Posted by at 2:29 AM in Politics
But it seems someone in the Spanish government has leaked to El Pais transcripts of conversations between President Bush and then Spanish Prime Minister Aznar just before the outbreak of the Iraq War. The gist seems to be that Bush was rather candid about the fact that the efforts to find a peaceful solution to the crisis were a sham and that the war was a done deal.From Talking Points Memo | Spain Opens the Books on Bush?
Pants on fire.
Technorati Tags: gwot iraq TPM bushbashing
Posted by at 1:50 PM in Politics
In testimony this morning to the House Financial Services Committee, Mr. Bernanke said a full review of consumer protection regulations was under way under existing regulatory authority.From Fed Chief Calls for New Mortgage Rules - New York Times
“The recent problems in subprime lending have underscored the need not only for better disclosure and new rules but also for more-uniform enforcement in the fragmented market structure of brokers and lenders,†he said.
If you read only one article about mortgages, this should be that article.
Posted by at 1:58 AM in Politics
The Silent Guardian is essentially (even though the creators prefer you not refer to it as such) a ray gun, emitting a focused beam of radiation similar to your microwave tuned to a specific frequency to stimulate human nerve endings.From Slashdot | Journalist Test Drives The Pain Ray Gun
Ray gun? When the police started using stun guns, it was supposed to lower the number of shootings. Regardless of if that's true; it lead to a lot of people being stunned or tazered. A ray gun will eventually be in the hands of the police. And I imagine that this will be used to zap crowds of protesters.
Posted by at 3:29 AM in Geek
In a 56-43 vote, the majority of the Senate today voted for legislation that would have restored habeas corpus rights to military detainees and given them “the right to protest their detention in federal court.†But the roll call fell four votes short of the 60 needed to cut off debate.From Think Progress » Breaking: Senate rejects habeas legislation.
It was just over a year ago that the GOP was referring to Democratic filibuster threats as anti-democratic obstructionism. And now they seem to view it as a sacrament.
“The position urged by the Administration, that we must choose between Constitutional rights and fighting terrorism effectively, is simply wrong. Our strength as a nation, and our status as a world leader, is based in part on the fact that Americans do not choose between national security and liberty; we demand both,†said Sen. Biden.Found on TPM Best quote on the subject.
Technorati Tags: GOPers filibuster
Posted by at 2:34 AM in Politics
You know that plan to make sure that the troops have as much time at home as they have in Iraq? Well... Senate Republicans have successfully filibustered the amendment to ease troop rotation schedules. Great job supporting the troops.
Posted by at 2:27 AM in Politics
I was born in 1953. Like the rest of my generation, I took the America I grew up in for granted – in fact, like many in my generation I railed against the very real injustices of our society, marched against the bombing of Cambodia, went door to door for liberal candidates. It’s only in retrospect that the political and economic environment of my youth stands revealed as a paradise lost, an exceptional episode in our nation’s history.From Introducing This Blog - Paul Krugman - Op-Ed Columnist - New York Times Blog
Paul Krugman has a blog. And the whole Times Select non-sense is over.
Technorati Tags: PaulKrugman pundit NYT
Posted by at 1:51 AM in Uncategorized
the Opel E-Flex is a European concept of the Chevy Volt unleaded/electric hybrid. Other than its propensity to drink more wine and go "on holiday," the Opel will use a 1.3lt turbo diesel engine to recharge the car's lithium ion batteries when they run out.From Chevy: LEAKED, Electric Meets Diesel in Opel E-Flex - Gizmodo
Diesel/Electric hybrid. It's what can get us off oil. It's what can kill OPEC.
Technorati Tags: hybrid hybridcars diesel gizmodo cars energypolicy
Posted by at 7:22 PM in Geek
An imported virus may be a culprit in the puzzling disappearance of honeybees in the United States, experts say.From: U.S. Bee Collapse May Be Due to Alien Virus
Ever since the colony collapse disorder (CCD) epidemic was first reported in 2006, beekeepers across the country have seen adult bees disappear, leaving their honey and pollen behind.
Bees...alien virus. Wasn't that the plot of the X-Files movie? At the very least, it doesn't look like cell phones are killing bees.
Technorati Tags: science nationalgeographic
Posted by at 2:49 AM in Geek
The CopterBox is a disposable air-drop box, designed to safely drop cargo from a plane. Using parachutes is more expensive, and requires that you go back at some point to pick them up. With this system you can just throw a package out and forget about itFrom Stay Out Of The Rain: CopterBox, Cardboard Helicopter - Gizmodo
Worth visiting just for the video. I bet this guy can make some really kick-ass paper airplanes.
Posted by at 2:13 AM in Geek
Toyota's own Landspeed Prius cracked the hybrid speed record on a run at Bonneville. Starting with the car's stock Hybrid Synergy Drive system -- a 1.5-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine and 50 kw permanent-magnet electric motor -- the Toyota team gave the transmission a taller final-drive ratio and beefed up the inverter charge from 500 to 550 volts. With lowered suspension, roll cage and moon-disked wheels, the 130-mph Landspeed Prius looks, dare we say, almost sexy.From Speed Freaks: The 10 Fastest Green Cars on the Planet
If NASCAR can consider Biofuels I wonder how long it will be before we see a Hybrid racing league? With the winner calculated by both M/H and M/G?
He plugged his Toyota Prius into the backup uninterruptible power supply unit in his house and soon the refrigerator was humming and the lights were back on.From NYT
I think we've only scratched the surface when it comes to Hybrid vehicles. I've been thinking that the next killer app will be diesel-electric commercial vehicles. From cement trucks that power their mixers from the power generated on the drive to the site; to delivery trucks that turn off when idling.
Technorati Tags: NYT Hybridcars hacks diy energypolicy
Posted by at 2:10 AM in Geek
Weapons that were originally given to Iraqi security forces by the American military have been recovered over the past year by the authorities in Turkey after being used in violent crimes in that country, Pentagon officials said Wednesday.From U.S. Weapons, Given to Iraqis, Move to Turkey - New York Times
Remember that story about the missing weapons in Iraq? I think the Turks found some. This is blow-back in action. And it drives a wedge between us and the one friendly Muslim democracy on the planet.
Posted by at 1:49 AM in Politics
Okay, short and sweet. Textile Interfaces designed the jacket, while the Lumalive light-up plate came courtesy of Philips. It's old promo-wear from Philips, but we got hold of one which plays Pac Man.From IFA2007: Ghosts Chase Pac Man Across My Chest - Gizmodo
I can imagine this being a fad. Like the shirts that change color in the sun that were a fad a few years ago. Or like Pac Man for that matter.
Posted by at 1:13 AM in Geek
The more radioactive his aides become, the more Bush embraces them. With Gonzales, the president was particularly alone in this stance. Conservatives who might otherwise defend Bush against Democrats were appalled by Gonzales' incompetence and the utter waste of time and energy devoted to cleaning up his messy department. Why does Bush hang on until his mistakes are glowing?From: Why Bush stands by his incompetents. - By John Dickerson - Slate Magazine
My pet theory on this is that the president doesn't see a difference between I think and I know. Since he thinks that someone is a good man; that should be the same as knowing that person is a good man. It is common for some parts of the faith based community to view opinions; when held strongly enough, magically become equal to any facts someone else may have. So it really doesn't matter to him how poorly a person performs so long as it doesn't effect what he personally thinks about that person's performance.
Technorati Tags: slate bushbashing omerta gonzales cronyism
Posted by at 12:36 AM in Politics
A team of Italian scientists says their latest nanotech discovery is the secret to the wall-scaling Spiderman suit.From Wired Science - Wired Blogs
Yet more proof that nanotech and biotech are going to make the future really weird.
This leads me to the question I first posed when watching Spiderman the movie. If Spiderman can climb walls because of his spider-like hairs on his fingers and toes; why does he wear gloves and boots? And why don't people notice that when shaking Peter Parker's hands?
Posted by at 12:05 AM in Geek
Many motorists chuckle smugly after giving their cars a little extra gas to leave a Toyota Prius or some other eco-friendly automobile in the dust. But Toyota and its Earth-loving ilk may yet have the last laugh as they cultivate encouraging new advances in ultracapacitor technology that promise to one day put hybrids in the driver's seat.From Scientific American: The Dark Horse in the Race to Power Hybrid Cars
Back in my EE lab days we would joke about light emitting capacitors. That's a normal capacitors in a circuit where you got your math wrong. Farads shmarads. I hope Toyota's electical engineers are better at that CT = 1 / (1 / C1) ... n formula than I was. The most interesting aspect is that ultracapacitors are potentially less toxic than the batteries they might replace.
Technorati Tags: hybridcars cars energypolicy sciam
Posted by at 1:22 AM in Geek
Mr Pork
Originally uploaded by karmakazesal.
creepy pig chef in front of the pork store on Court Street near Union.
Posted by at 1:01 AM in Photos
chicken cordon blue pizza
Originally uploaded by karmakazesal.
chicken cordon blue pizza. some things just don't go together.
Posted by at 1:01 AM in Photos
Junk Robot
Originally uploaded by karmakazesal.
Robot made of Junk. Nicer than a lawn jockey. Seen in south park slope.
Posted by at 12:58 AM in Photos
The Republican National Committee plans to penalize at least four states holding early primaries, including New Hampshire and Florida, by refusing to seat at least half their delegates at the party’s national convention in 2008, a party official said Tuesday.From: Republicans Plan to Penalize States on Primaries - New York Times
I like this. My opinion of the whole primary process has been degrading with each passing day. I think we should get rid of the whole primary and replace it with a national caucus. Each of the 435 congressional districts would have precinct by precinct caucuses. They would elect a local representative who is who would go to the national convention. Those local representatives would then get together for a week or two and then draft the party platform and pick a ticket that would be able to run on that platform.
There are some some obvious and not so obvious advantages. For one thing, 435 people from around the country would might better represent party than a sample of people in Iowa and New Hampshire.
Posted by at 3:46 AM in Politics
Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s communications director, who was a central figure in an attempt to use the State Police to embarrass the governor’s main rival, is expected to return to state government as early as this week, people briefed on the matter said yesterday.From: Suspended Spitzer Aide Is Expected Back at Work - New York Times
Really not cool. This is going to hurt Gov. Spitzer’s reputation and it should. To my admittedly cynical eyes; it looks as if Mr. Dopp was acting on Gov. Spitzer’s behalf, was caught, slapped on the wrist and allowed to keep his job. The use of state law enforcement to carry out political goals is serious. It is not somthing that can be tolerated in any administration, Republican or Democratic. Its the reason why AG Alberto Gonzales was dragged in front of the Senate.
Technorati Tags: corruption NYT spitzer thedems
Posted by at 3:17 AM in Politics
The United States military said Wednesday that it would deliver less than half the number of blast-resistant trucks to Iraq by year’s end than planned.From NYT
A Pentagon spokesman, Geoff Morrell, said 1,500 vehicles, rather than 3,500, would be delivered because of the time it takes to equip them with radios and armaments and then deliver them by sea. He said the Pentagon was now trying to cut that time to 30 days from 50.
Three years into the insurgency and there is still a lag in getting the proper equipment. Sadly, it isn't even on Waxman's List.
Posted by at 1:42 AM in Politics
In an emblematic move intended to stand in for the official symbolic reprimand of the president, a vehemently well-mannered mob of demonstrators censured an effigy of George W. Bush Tuesday, making known its displeasure over such actions as illegal wiretapping and the politically motivated firing of federal lawyers.From Democratic Mob Censures Bush In Effigy
The Onion answers the question, what if activists and bloggers were as spineless as their elected representatives.
Technorati Tags: theonion bushbashing
Posted by at 12:15 AM in Humor
In one of history's more absurd acts of totalitarianism, China has banned Buddhist monks in Tibet from reincarnating without government permission. According to a statement issued by the State Administration for Religious Affairs, the law, which goes into effect next month and strictly stipulates the procedures by which one is to reincarnate, is "an important move to institutionalize management of reincarnation."From China Regulates Buddhist Reincarnation - Newsweek Beliefs - MSNBC.com
Want an argument for separation of Church and State? You've got your argument right here. The very phrase State Administration for Religious Affairs send a chill down every bone in my secular humanist body. I wonder what would be next, a ban on haunted houses? Maybe they could charge a poltergeist tax.
Posted by at 3:08 AM in Politics
Cats think in a unique way that has been harnessed by many of the great programming languages.From A Word In Your Ear: Object oriented programming for cats
An interesting and humorous discussion on how to develop an algorithm that mimics cat behavior.
Posted by at 3:54 PM in Humor
Scientists at the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology have found a much better way to make biodiesel. Their new method could lower the cost and increase the energy efficiency of fuel production.From Wired
Instead of mixing the ingredients and heating them for hours, the chemical engineers pass sunflower oil and methanol through a bed of pellets made from fungal spores. An enzyme produced by the fungus does the work -- making biodiesel with impressive efficiency.
Turning waste into fuel. I'm reminded of the Mr. Fusion gizmo from the Back to the Future time traveling Delorean.
Technorati Tags: science energypolicy cars wired
Posted by at 9:25 PM in Geek
The United Arab Emirates newspaper splashed its front page with a picture of Abdul Rahman surrounded by his children, the eldest of whom is 36 years old and the youngest of whom is 20 days old. Two of his current three wives are also pregnant.From UAE father of 78 eyes new brides for century target - Oddly Enough - Reuters.com
Abdul Rahman said his large family lived in 15 houses. He supports them with his military pension and the help of the government of Ajman, one of seven emirates that comprise the UAE, which includes the Gulf trade and tourism hub of Dubai.
Good news ladies, he is going to need at least three more wives to hit that 100 mark.
Posted by at 9:13 PM in Humor
How could a man catch fire -- with no apparent source of a spark or flame -- and then burn so completely without igniting anything around him? Dr. Bentley's case and several hundred others like it have been labeled "spontaneous human combustion" (SHC). Although he and other victims of the phenomenon burned almost completely, their surroundings, and even sometimes their clothes, remained virtually untouched.From Howstuffworks "How Spontaneous Human Combustion Works"
The theories section is really interesting. Not sure if I accept any of them. The most puzzling aspect is how something can burn without effecting anything around it.
Technorati Tags: weird science weirdscience SpontaneousHumanCombustion
Posted by at 7:45 PM in Geek
``It was a rookie mistake,'' said Kenneth Thomas, a lecturer in finance at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School in Philadelphia. The Fed ``underestimated liquidity needs'' of investors and the fallout from the housing recession, he said, adding, ``This demonstrates the difference between book-smart and street-smart.''From Bloomberg News
The meeting signals Congress is looking at ways to minimize the fallout from the collapse of the subprime mortgage market, including rising numbers of foreclosures among borrowers with poor credit or high debt. Dodd has been critical of the Federal Reserve and other U.S. regulators for not taking aggressive action to rein in lending abuses sooner.From Bloomberg News
Rookie mistake my ass. There is probably a really good reason why the Fed doesn't seem to be attacking the problems caused by the sub-prime collapse. And I suspect it is because they have another goal in mind. Consider that this may be a shrewd effort to push back the start of the next recession at the expense of a short term crisis. While I do think Bernanke is the rare competent appointee of this administration; I think his competence is coincidental. I have no reason to doubt that he, like so many others, have their position because they demonstrated that they will be loyal Bushies. While I freely admit to being about as cynical as one can get, I suspect the following:
Then again, I could be wrong. This could just be a weird miscalculation from the Fed.
Posted by at 2:48 AM in Politics
When Luca De Meo, 40, became chief executive of the Italian carmaker Fiat Automobiles five years ago, one of his relatives” he forgets whether it was his aunt or his mother€” told him, "€œLuca, you'€™ve got to bring back the 500,"€ or the Cinquecento, the chubby little car that symbolized Italy'€™s postwar economic miracle.From Italian Pride Is Revived in a Tiny Fiat - New York Times
If the Bug and the Mini Cooper can make comebacks, why not the 500? But I don't think it can count as a 500 unless it is small and light enough for two people to carry into a church. Something my father and uncle may have done many years ago.
Posted by at 2:10 AM in Geek
It may very well serve our "national interests" to start a war because we want to control someone else's resources, or because we think it would be good if they had a different government, or because we want the world to fear us, or because we want to change the type of political system they have, or because they aren't complying with our dictates, or because we want to use their land as military bases, or because they are going to acquire weapons we tell them they are not allowed to have. But those who believe that war is justifiable and desirable under those circumstances are, by definition, espousing an imperial ideology.From Glenn Greenwald - Political Blogs and Opinions - Salon
A brilliant sumation of what is wrong with our foreign policy. Greenwald is one of the many must read blogs on Salon. The ongoing debate between he and Daniel Drezner is also very informative.
Technorati Tags: salon pundits GlennGreenwald feudalism
Posted by at 8:26 PM in Politics
This secret plan makes sense in a weird kinda way.
Technorati Tags: salon pundits thismodernworld karlrove rove
Posted by at 2:24 AM in Politics
This papercraft engine only needs to sit on a cup of hot coffee to drive its pistons. No, it's not the precious caffeine that drives the motion, but the Stirling engine design, in which the difference between alternating hot and cold gas pressure is harnessed for power.From Cheaper Than Gas: Paper Stirling Engine Runs Off Hot Coffee - Gizmodo
Really interesting hack.
Posted by at 10:07 PM in Geek
"€œI love my family very, very much and will do anything for them. There are complexities in every family in America,"€ Mr. Giuliani said, according to a dispatch from the Associated Press. €œThe best thing I can say is kind of, "€˜leave my family alone, just like I'€™ll leave your family alone."€ÂFrom Giuliani: Leave My Kids Alone
I happen to agree with Rudy on this. Unless his kids make public statements at a press conference they themselves organize, they should be off limits to the press. While pointing out the inherent hypocrisies of a divorced Catholic might be fair game; that hypocrisy doesn't extend to his kids or his ex-wife. I've found a lot of the reporting on Rudy's family life rather tacky.
Technorati Tags: rudy
Posted by at 3:14 PM in Politics
The March poll from the Pew Research Center showed that 50 per cent of Americans identify as Democrats while only 35 per cent say they are Republican. The June NBC-Wall Street Journal poll showed 52 per cent of Americans would prefer a Democratic president while only 31 per cent would support a Republican, the largest gap in the 20-year history of the survey.From FT.com / Comment & analysis / Comment - How Karl Rove lost a generation of Republicans
James Carville's take on Karl Rove. Another must read.
Technorati Tags: JamesCarville karlrove
Posted by at 2:32 PM in Politics
A month ago, a friend who has spent his entire career working for the Republican House leadership pulled up beside me at the intersection of Seventh and Pennsylvania in Washington. A House institutionalist, and a fiercely partisan secular Republican, he was oddly cheerful. "Call me next time you're in town," he said. "We'll talk about how George Bush destroyed the Republican Party." It will be a long conversation.From Salon.com News | The collapse of Karl Rove
Very well written article on Karl Rove and what his legacy will actually be.
Posted by at 1:46 PM in Politics
Newt Gingrich, former Republican House Speaker, called the war on terror "phony" in a speech to a group of young conservatives in Washington, D.C. on Thursday.From Political Radar: Gingrich calls War on Terror "Phony"
...
Instead of the current strategy to fight terrorism, Gingrich said we should focus on energy independence. "We have to have a national energy strategy, which basically says to the Saudis, 'We'€™re not going to rely on you.'"
Did Newt read Noam Chomsky on his time off? He is now on the same page as Ralph Nader and Dennis Kucinich on GWOT. I happen to think he is wrong that the war is Phony, but he is right that the we need to develop a plan for energy independence.
Technorati Tags: newtgingrich gwot Chomsky
Posted by at 3:43 PM in Politics
Though two independent investigations proved that no illegal activity occurred on my watch, it is crystal clear that what members of my administration did was wrong — no ifs, ands or buts.From An Apology From Albany - New York Times
I have apologized to Joe Bruno, the Senate majority leader, and now I want to apologize to all New Yorkers.
I hate to say this, but I don't buy the governor's story. Maybe I am a too much of a cynic; but I have a lot of trouble believing that anyone with Governor Spitzer's reputation for detail and micromanagement would be unaware of actions against Majority Leader Bruno taken by his aides. I've seen what happens when then AG Spitzer investigated wrong doing at a bond desk I had worked on. This guy is not W. If someone in his circle switched to a Windsor Knot, he would know. I know people who work in government. I've met more than a few staffers. I've seen the way things work (or don't work). And I don't buy the story.
One thought in closing for my friends on the right. Would you trust Mr. Spitzer with W's justice department? Would you be happy to grant his staff the same level of executive privilege? Would you want him to have the same wire tapping powers? Or have as little oversight as been granted W?
Technorati Tags: NYT Spitzer corruption thedems
Posted by at 5:15 AM in Politics
Approximately 35,000 LEGO bricks were used.
Modular furniture at its best.
Posted by at 4:51 AM in Geek
These are not real grievances for al-Qaida (it does not bear mentioning that Bin Laden is probably not very concerned with campaign finance reform). They are a means of weaving local and global resentments into a single anti-American narrative, the overarching aim of which is to form a collective identity across borders and nationalities, and to convince the world that it is locked in a cosmic contest between the forces of Truth and Falsehood, Belief and Unbelief, Good and Evil, Us and Them.From The Al Qaeda Reader. - By Reza Aslan - Slate Magazine
This is a must read article on Al Qaeda. I will continue to follow Reza Aslan's writing on the subject as it provides a well written counter weight to Slate's bombastic Mr Hitchens.
Posted by at 4:49 AM in Politics
Posted by at 4:41 AM in Humor
Authorities are questioning a man caught with a monkey on a plane that landed at LaGuardia yesterday.From NY1: Top Stories
Is that a monkey in your pocket or are you just happy the plane landed? I bet the TSA detained him because the monkey weighed more than four ounces and didn't easily fit in a pint sized zip-loc bag.
Posted by at 8:12 PM in Humor
Robots have been roaming the streets of Iraq, since shortly after the war began. Now, for the first time -- the first time in any warzone -- the machines are carrying guns.From Danger Room - Wired Blogs
As much as I might appreciate the use of technology to help save the lives of our troops; I've always been concerned with the use of combat robots. My biggest concern is that it will further remove the soldiers from the populace. One has to wonder if it is really that much easier to kill by proxy than it is to stand there and see the flesh and blood person before firing. I think we need to start considering Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics.
Posted by at 6:28 PM in Politics
Omertà (or a code of silence) has become the final bond holding the Bush administration together. Honesty is dishonorable; silence is manly; penitence is weakness. Loyalty trumps law. Protecting higher-ups is patriotism. Stonewalling is idealism. Telling the truth is informing. Cooperation with investigators is cowardice; breaking the code is betrayal.From Salon.com | The three stooges
I called it Omertà last month. At that time I was sure that we reached bottom. Little did I know this administration was adept at digging.
Technorati Tags: salon corruption GOPer bushbashing Omerta
Posted by at 3:55 AM in Politics
Posted by at 2:42 AM in Geek
all three variations on the Senate hold one of the most secretive backroom weapons in Congress have been used to tie the chamber in knots by allowing senators to block legislation and nominations anonymously, and to do so for reasons as simple as pique or payback.And
“Holds are good government,†said Senator Jeff Sessions, an Alabama Republican who is not shy about putting himself between a bill and its passageFrom Senate May End an Era of Cloakroom Anonymity - New York Times
I'm willing to concede the fact that in some cases, a hold can indeed be good government. What I doubt is that a secretive, anonymous hold can be good government. This is well demonstrated by the willingness of Senators from both sides of the aisle to trip all over themselves to take credit for any good idea that anyone has. And I will retract this statement if someone can give an example of a good idea (popular or unpopular) that no Senator was willing to take credit for. To put it even more bluntly, there is little that government does anonymously that turns out to have been a good idea, let alone good government.
Technorati Tags: corruption NYT reform
Posted by at 2:17 PM in Politics
Critical to Giuliani's plan is a $15,000 tax deduction for families to buy private health insurance, instead of getting insurance through employers. Any leftover funds could be rolled over year-to-year for medical expenses.From Giuliani Offers Health Care Plan - New York Times
This is not a health care plan. This isn't even a tax cut. It is a subsidy for the health insurance companies. You know that little box on your tax return that allows you to divert $1 or $5 to some special cause? This is just like that except that the money goes to an insurance company.
As far as Mr. Giuliani's insistence that Government can not help; one is left to wonder why he has such a low opinion of the institution he wishes to be the head of. And why he has such a low opinion of his fellow American's that he feels that we alone are unable to have a Government that can handle basic tasks like health care.
It would be one thing if he argued that the private sector can do it better. That's a legitimate argument one can make. It is another to claim the private sector can not solve the problem when this is ample evidence to suggest that it can and has.
More on the topic on Slate.
Technorati Tags: RudyGiuliani healthcare nyt goper
Posted by at 4:17 AM in Politics
Famous Poems Rewritten as Limericks
I wonder when There once was a man from Nantucket will be rewritten as a sonnet.
Posted by at 9:29 PM in Geek
Mr Lee, the world's foremost cat photographer. His owner, South Carolina resident Jurgen Perthold, was curious as to what Mr Lee got up to during the day. So he rigged up a shock-, scratch-, water- and theft-resistant camera, slung it round Mr Lee's neck and sent him off to hunt voles. Turns out he's pretty good at taking pics - as the gallery shows, after the jump.
Posted by at 4:04 AM in Geek
In the 1980s, the Reagan administration sold fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, sparking a considerable controversy about Israel and a regional arms build-up.From Talking Points Memo
In 2007, just as we're learning about the aid Saudi Arabia is giving to Sunni militias in Iraq, the Bush administration is planning a large arms deal with the president's long-time allies.
The House o Saud is an unpopular regime surrounded by instability and growing anti-western and anti-american sentiment. So, what could possibly go wrong? Has everyone forgotten how the weapons we sold to the Afghan Mujahideen in the 80s were latter turned on us? Or how the arms we sold Iran in the 70s were turned on us? How short sighted can our foreign policy become?
Posted by at 3:38 AM in Politics
Michaud has spent the past 40 years studying tornados and hurricanes, and is convinced it's possible to engineer and control powerful, full-scale whirlwinds and harness their energy to produce emission-free electricity.TheStar.com - Business - Taming tornadoes to power cities
Forget wind farms and their intermittent operation: the future of electricity generation could be tornado power on demand.
Really interesting. My cynical nature makes me wonder why the army doesn't have a tornado machine. Screw smart bombs. I want to fight Al Qaeda with tornados.
Technorati Tags: weirdscience science energypolicy
Posted by at 1:41 PM in Geek
If you save up enough cardboard tubes, you could build a 7.5-Tonne Bridge.
Technorati Tags: DIY engineering
Posted by at 3:11 AM in Geek
Toyota’s announcement is its first formal confirmation that it is ready to test plug-in hybrid vehicles, which environmentalists say may prove to be cleaner and more fuel-efficient than current hybrids.From Toyota to Test Plug-In Hybrid, Rivaling G.M. - New York Times
I think everyone knew this would eventually happen. I predict that some early adopters will be charging their hybrids via solar for added smugness and/or energy efficiency. The plug-in is the perfect suburban car, designed for frequent short drives and the assumption that it will be parked in a garage.
Technorati Tags: hybrids hybridcar cars energypolicy nyt green
Posted by at 1:15 PM in Geek
A crucial provision in the bill will change the way antiterrorism grants from the Department of Homeland Security are distributed to the states. It will cut in half the guaranteed minimum grant to each state, which was $3.8 million this year, and allow department officials to distribute money in discretionary grants where the threat and consequences of a terrorist attack are judged to be highest.From Antiterrorism Bill Passes House by Wide Margin - New York Times
Minor victory for those of us that wanted to see the recommendations of the 9/11 commission enacted. Having to wait for the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attack before the majority of air and sea cargo is not what I hoped for. At least it puts it on the budget. Now lets see if W signs it.
Posted by at 4:23 AM in Politics
The House Judiciary Committee approved a contempt of Congress citation Wednesday against White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten and one-time Counsel Harriet Miers, setting up a constitutional confrontation over the firings of federal prosecutors.From House Democrats pass contempt citation - Yahoo! News
As much as I appreciate the shot across the bow, the show of force that the dems mean business, one thing comes to my cynical mind. Can W pardon them? Or commute the sentences?
Technorati Tags: corruption thedems ap justice
Posted by at 3:32 AM in Politics
For our latest mission, over 50 redheads rode the subway together and protested a Manhattan Wendy'€™s for their "€œracist logo."€ Enjoy the videos first and then go behind the scenes with our mission report, photos, and more videos below.Redheads at Improv Everywhere
I'm going to suggest an IE where a bunch of swarthy portly guys protest in front of a pizzeria that uses the standard fat pizza guy statue. I'm sure I can grow the perquisite mustache in an afternoon.
Technorati Tags: improveverywhere irony odd
Posted by at 1:36 PM in Humor
More than a decade after the Internet went mainstream, the world's richest information source hasn't necessarily made its users any more informed. A new study from the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press shows that Americans, on average, are less able to correctly answer questions about current events than they were in 1989. Citizens who call the Internet their primary news source know slightly less than fans of TV and radio news. Hmmm... maybe a little less Perez Hilton and a little more Jim Lehrer.Infoporn: Despite the Web, Americans Remain Woefully Ill-Informed
Disappointing stats on how little we know. It might be interesting to track the amount of news on TV in 1989 versus today, the amount of hours spent watching news and the typical length of time reading/watching news per day. That would give a much better view on whats going on. I'd also like to see a percent breakdown on the amount of time spent on non-news (entertainment, human interest and lifestyle) by the news major sources in 1989 versus today.
Posted by at 9:14 PM in Politics
Found on slashdot, High-Tech Squirrels Trained to Conduct Espionage. I hope this is a hoax.
Posted by at 9:05 PM in Geek
Google has rolled out some spectacular new layers for Google Earth. “Astronaut Photography of Earth†is filled with images from the last 40 years of NASA Earth exploration, and “Earth City Lights†has stunning views of our home planet at night, as viewed from space.From Compiler - Wired Blogs
Really pretty images of Earth from space. Science porn at its best.
Posted by at 9:05 PM in Geek
From the NYT, Crop Fungus Has North Dakota Longing for Hemp. Best headline since the '04 Anarchists fail to agree. Follow up headline will be Hemp has North Dokata Longing for Cheetos
Posted by at 2:36 AM in Humor
New York designer Theo Stewart-Stand created the steel wallet from the same finely woven, industrial steel that is used in aerospace applications, petroleum processing and metal doors and windows. Stewart-Stand tightened the weave of the steel so it is small and flexible enough to thread into fabric, but still stronger and far more durable than leather or suede. The resulting skinny wallet feels as smooth as silk -- but doesn't stretch, is cool to the touch and, of course, can't be stained.From wired
Wonder how long it will take before steel fabric becomes a fetish fashion accessory. Or before people start making bags and backpacks out of it. I'd love a steel laptop sleeve.
Posted by at 1:26 AM in Geek
After many, many hours of intense work from "Nightwatch," the first independent "Hello World"* application has been compiled and launched on the iPhone. This was made possible using the "ARM/Mach-O Toolchain," Nightwatch's "special project," that he has been working on so carefully over the past few weeks. Certain parts of the toolchain (such as the assembler) are being refined and tested and these will be released as soon as possible.Checkpoint: "Hello World" 3rd-Party iPhone App Compiled, Loaded, Run - Gizmodo
So much the iPhone not having 3rd party apps.
Posted by at 1:19 AM in Geek
Developed by computer scientists at the University of Alberta in Canada, Chinook vanquished human competitors at tournaments more than a decade ago. Now, in an article published today on the Web site of the journal Science, the scientists report that they have rigorously proved that Chinook, in a slightly improved version, cannot ever lose. An opponent, no matter how skilled, practiced or determined, can at best achieve a draw.Computer Checkers Program Is Invincible - New York Times
Posted by at 1:18 AM in Geek
Puppy Wagon
Originally uploaded by karmakazesal.
two dogs in a little red wagon. so sweet my teeth hurt
Posted by at 2:45 PM in Photos
Sushi Hamburger Eggs
Originally uploaded by karmakazesal.
I hope they aren't served on the same plate.
Posted by at 2:44 PM in Photos
Tonight is Manhattanhenge: A New York Sunset
Technorati Tags: science NYC NewYorkCity
Posted by at 1:36 PM in Geek
Saw this link: 23 Programming Languages compared through their Amazon book sales and found it rather interesting.
Not sure what it proves. On the one hand, it might show programmer interest. I know a lot of people are really into Ruby. It also makes it clear that Java/C/C++/C# and VB are still dominant. Still, I wonder how much this may be influenced by existing code bases. Ruby being number #3 with so little legacy code is really interesting. I'm going to have to give it another look. Also, the poster was nice enough to list the problems with his survey, which is really nice.
Posted by at 8:54 PM in Programming
There is also an artificial aristocracy founded on wealth and birth, without either virtue or talents... The artificial aristocracy is a mischievous ingredient in government, and provisions should be made to prevent its ascendancy.
-Thomas Jefferson, third US president, architect
and author (1743-1826)
Technorati Tags: bushbashing ThomasJefferson foundingfathers
Posted by at 8:34 PM in Quote
Written by a former master LEGO designer, this full color book contains projects that break the LEGO Company's rules for building with LEGO bricks-rules against building projects that fire projectiles; cutting or gluing bricks; and using non-standard parts. Many of these are backroom projects that LEGO's master designers build under the LEGO radar, just to have fun. Learn how to build a catapult that shoots M&Ms; a gun that fires LEGO beams; a continuous fire ping-pong ball launcher; and more!
Besides begging the question, how exactly does one become a Lego Master? this book looks to be an interesting follow up to Dangerous book for boys.
Technorati Tags: lego
Posted by at 3:43 AM in Geek
A unique creature that's been dubbed an 'octosquid' with eight arms and a squid-like mantle, was discovered off Hawaii. The creature, of a previously unknown species, was trapped in the net covering a 3,000 foot-deep intake tube for the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority. From the article: 'The octosquid was pulled to the surface, along with three rattail fish and half a dozen satellite jellyfish, and stayed alive for three days. According to War, the lab usually checks its filters once a month, but this time, it put a plankton net in one of the filters and checked it two weeks later.Slashdot | Half-Squid, Half-Octopus Discovered Off of Hawaii
There has been a lack of odd Cephalopod news this year. This more than makes up for it.
Technorati Tags: slashdot octosquid wierd science cephalopod
Posted by at 3:36 AM in Geek
Turkey has massed 140,000 soldiers on its border with northern Iraq, Iraq's foreign minister said Monday, calling the neighboring country's fears of Kurdish rebels based there ''legitimate'' but better resolved through negotiation.From Iraqi Says Turkey Is Massing 140,000 Troops - New York Times
I didn't think things could go worse. And now I think I may be wrong. What if a Turkish Surge is followed by an Iranian one? Things could get really bad really quick. The Daily Show graphic of Mess-O-Potamia comes to mind.
Posted by at 2:43 AM in Politics
"I would rather be the offspring of two apes than be a man and afraid to face the truth."
Worth a visit just of the follow up posts.
Technorati Tags: intelligentdesign sciam darwin dawkins
Posted by at 4:47 PM in Geek
KANJORSKI: And do they continue to represent Mr. Rich or up until the time they took some official capacity?From CNN Transcript - Special Event: Marc Rich Pardon: Attorney Jack Quinn Testifies Before House Government Reform Committee - February 8, 2001
QUINN: Today? Well, Mr. Libby's in government.
Lots of GOPers are talking about the Clinton pardon of Mark Rich and using it as an excuse for the Bush Administration commuting the sentence of Libby. Well...I did a little research to fact check some of the claims about Mr Rich and his pardon and it turns out that the guy that helped get Mark Rich his pardon was no other than Scotter Libby. Too damn weird.
Technorati Tags: scooter clinton markrich libby cnn hypocrisy
Posted by at 2:58 AM in Politics
What Davies proposes is truly mind-bending. Drawing on the bizarre principles of quantum mechanics, he suggests that human beings -- through the sheer act of observation -- may have helped shape the laws of physics billions of years ago. What's more, he says the universe seems to work like a giant computer. Indeed, it's possible that's exactly what it is, and we -- like Neo in "The Matrix" -- might just be living in a simulated virtual world.We are meant to be here | Salon Books
When scientists start sounding like Philip K Dick, I usually run in the opposite direction. Much of this sounds like a bunch of stoners sitting around pondering the universe. Some interesting ideas. Mostly the type of stuff that can give you a headache if you let it. The most satisfying part of science is the readiness of scientist to answer I don't know. Or to accept really odd edge cases and possibilities when the facts point that way.
Technorati Tags: salon science weirdscience
Posted by at 2:44 AM in Geek
China said on Wednesday that nearly a fifth of the food and consumer products that it checked in a nationwide survey this year were found to be substandard or tainted, underscoring the risk faced by its own consumers even as the country’s exports come under greater scrutiny overseas.From China Finds Poor Quality on Its Store Shelves - New York Times
Wow. This is what they are willing to admit.
Posted by at 8:42 PM in Politics
Were there any remaining lingering doubt otherwise, or any remaining lingering hope, it ended yesterday when Mr. Bush commuted the prison sentence of one of his own staffers.From Salon.com | "Even Richard Nixon knew it was time to resign"
Did so even before the appeals process was complete. Did so without as much as a courtesy consultation with the Department of Justice. Did so despite what James Madison -- at the Constitutional Convention -- said about impeaching any president who pardoned or sheltered those who had committed crimes "advised by" that president.
Did so without the slightest concern that even the most detached of citizens must look at the chain of events and wonder: To what degree was Mr. Libby told, "Break the law however you wish -- the president will keep you out of prison"?
Frankly, I'd be happy if Gonzales resigned. Let alone President Bush. But it is about time people started calling this exactly what it is. This administration has invoked Omerta with the specific intent to prevent justice from being served. They are doing everything they can to make sure that Mr. Libby will never see the inside of a jail cell and will never be pressured into talking to the prosecution.
But to truly understand the damage he is doing to our system of justice, you have to look at the legal debate.
“The Bush administration, in some sense following the leads of three previous administrations, has repeatedly supported a federal sentencing system that is distinctly disrespectful of the very arguments that Bush has put forward in cutting Libby a break,†said Douglas A. Berman, a law professor at Ohio State University who writes the blog Sentencing Law and Policy.From Bush Rationale on Libby Stirs Legal Debate - New York Times
Once again this administration has traded precedence for expedience. Policy for politics. Good faith for sort term gain.
Technorati Tags: olbermann pundit bushbashing salon nyt
Posted by at 3:18 AM in Politics
Omertà is based partly on fear and partly on idealism – it is an extreme form of loyalty and solidarity in the face of authority. One of its absolute tenets is that it is deeply demeaning and shameful to betray even one’s deadliest enemy to the authorities. Observers of the mafia debate whether omertà should best be understood as an expression of social consensus surrounding the mafia or whether it is instead a pragmatic response based primarily on fear. The point is succinctly made in a popular Sicilian proverb Cu e surdu, orbu e taci, campa cent'anni 'mpaci ("He who is deaf, blind, and silent will live a hundred years in peace").From Omertà - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For a bunch of Southern and New England WASPs; the Bush Administration has the whole Omertà thing down pat. Their disdain for government authority seems to be unaffected even when they actually are the government authorities.
Technorati Tags: Scooter corruption omerta bushbashing
Posted by at 1:06 PM in Politics
A prominent and rich family. A drunk-driving arrest. Serious doubts about intelligence. A misspent youth. Sudden inspiration through the Bible. It's interesting how two of the most unpopular and divisive figures in America today—George W. Bush and Paris Hilton—have so much in common. And on Wednesday, June 27, they found themselves in an unusual competition: Whose legal crisis would dominate the news cycle?The editor of Us Weekly explains why she banned Paris Hilton from its pages. - By Janice Min - Slate Magazine
The less Paris the better.
Technorati Tags: slate paris snark bushbashing
Posted by at 1:05 AM in Politics
Scratch is a creativity tool from the M.I.T. Media Lab that turns abstract programming concepts like recursion into snap-together puzzle pieces. It is like a multimedia sandbox, where children 8 and up are welcomed as media producers, following the same philosophical blueprint that inspired software projects like Logo and Squeak.A Programming Language Like Playing With Blocks - New York Times
I played with scratch last night and was totally amazed at how good it is. First off, it doesn't just teach "programming". It teaches much of the principals of Comp Sci. Second, you don't need to know anything about computer programming to pick it up.
Posted by at 2:19 PM in Programming
I think I invented a new type of mental illness. schizodonniedarkosis. A form of Schizophrenia induced by the mental stresses of time travel.
Technorati Tags: movies
Posted by at 1:14 PM in Humor
The Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday issued subpoenas to the White House, Vice President Dick Cheney’s office and the Justice Department after what the panel’s chairman called “stonewalling of the worst kind†of efforts to investigate the National Security Agency’s policy of wiretapping without warrants.Subpoenas Sent to White House on Wiretapping - New York Times
So what happens now when the VP claims executive privilege a few scant days after claiming he isn't in the Executive Branch?
Posted by at 3:09 AM in Politics
Save yourself (and your money) by browsing through my images rather than attending the museum. I've documented the entire thing right here, with the exception of a few videos.From: Behold the Creation Museum - a photoset on Flickr
Funny, sad, creepy. Take your pick. No where near as fun as the eventual Ptolemy Planetarium they'll add.
Technorati Tags: intelligentdesign texastaliban
Posted by at 10:25 PM in Humor
John C. Dvorak on the iPhone: Hitler got less coverage when he invaded Poland.
Everyone take a deep breath and remember, its just a phone. It isn't the second coming. And it isn't Hitler. Its a $500 phone that also plays music. Everyone get a grip already.
Posted by at 1:08 PM in Geek
“I think we’ve got to be prepared to take aggressive military action against the Iranians to stop them from killing Americans in Iraq,†Mr. Lieberman said in an interview on the CBS News program “Face the Nation.â€Lieberman Backs Limited U.S. Attacks on Iran - New York Times
This could be achieved mostly with air attacks, Mr. Lieberman said, adding, “I’m not talking about a massive ground invasion of Iran.â€
Lieberman's plan to improve the situation in Iraq is to open another front. Great idea. What could go wrong? And I really hope that Iran respects our decision to keep this military act limited. I would hate to think that Iran would get the wrong idea and think our bombing them should lead to an escalating conflict where they mobilize a couple hundred thousand troops to attack our troops and bases in Iraq or Afghanistan. And yes, I'm being sarcastic.
Posted by at 4:41 PM in Politics
This jihad etiquette is not written down, and for good reason. It varies as much in interpretation and practice as extremist groups vary in their goals. But the rules have some general themes that underlie actions ranging from the recent rash of suicide bombings in Algeria and Somalia, to the surge in beheadings and bombings by separatist Muslims in Thailand.From Terrorism - Jihad Etiquette - Islam - Militants - Middle East - Iraq - Jordan - Lebanon - New York Times
Interesting yet disturbing story on the rules of Jihad. This is a wonderful example of how the letter of the law can be used to circumvent the spirit of the law as Jihadists turn prohibitions on violence against civilians into permission.
Posted by at 4:32 PM in Politics
The great fraud being perpetrated in our political discourse is the concerted attempt by movement conservatives, now that the Bush presidency lay irreversibly in ruins, to repudiate George Bush by claiming that he is not, and never has been, a "real conservative." This con game is being perpetrated by the very same conservatives who -- when his presidency looked to be an epic success -- glorified George W. Bush, ensured both of his election victories, depicted him as the heroic Second Coming of Ronald Reagan, and celebrated him as the embodiment of True Conservatism.Glenn Greenwald - Salon
I agree with Greenwald. A while ago I pointed that when the first conservatives (Sullivan comes to mind) broke from the Bush camp, movement conservatives started calling them liberals. Once Bush's approval rating dropped to the point that he was only a burden to the movement, they've started calling Bush a liberal. Greenwald does a nice job showing how some of the same people who are claiming that Bush isn't a real conservative supported the disastrous Bush tax cuts, the disastrous Bush foreign policy choices, the incompetents Bush appointments and much of the other Bush policy debacles. And now they realize that Bush wasn't a conservative after all. How convenient.
What is really silly is that so many of what Bush has done comes from the Reagan play book. Tax cuts. Deregulation. Having industry insiders run the departments that regulate them. Cozy relationships with industry. Privatizing government functions. I see very little that Bush has done that Reagan wouldn't have done. Or didn't try to do.
I'm reminded of this quote:
Those are my principles, and if you don't like them... well, I have others. - Groucho Marx
Technorati Tags: Salon hypocrisy Greenwald GOPer bushbashing
Posted by at 10:37 PM in Politics
If you click on
paris hilton jail you get:
Results 1 - 10 of about 8,718 for paris hilton jail. (0.03 seconds).
If you click on libby jail you get:
Results 1 - 10 of about 1,416 for libby jail. (0.07 seconds)
paris hilton
Results 1 - 10 of about 11,986 for paris hilton. (0.07 seconds)
libby
Results 1 - 10 of about 6,518 for libby. (0.40 seconds)
paris hilton prison
Results 1 - 10 of about 2,067 for paris hilton prison. (0.37 seconds)
libby prison
Results 1 - 10 of about 3,454 for libby prison. (0.30 seconds)
This is the sad state of the media. Why a drunken heiress being sent to jail for less than a month gets almost six times the coverage of a senior member of the administration being sent to jail for a couple of years is beyond me.
Technorati Tags: plamegate parishilton plame scooter
Posted by at 10:09 PM in Politics
Like plants that grow toward the sun, dark fungi, blackened by the skin pigment melanin, gravitate toward radiation in contaminated soil. Scientists have observed the organism's €”somewhere between plants and animal's €”blackening the land around the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine in the years since its 1986 meltdown.From Scientific American
I find this equally amazing and creepy. Life is really strange. And fungi are some of the freakiest forms of life out there.
Posted by at 10:22 PM in Geek
Republicans for Voldemort
Originally uploaded by karmakazesal.
Republicans for Voldemort. I just want to see what that convention would look like.
Technorati Tags: Voldemort
Posted by at 10:17 PM in Photos
But now on his third deployment in Iraq, he is no longer a believer in the mission. The pivotal moment came, he says, this past February when soldiers killed a man setting a roadside bomb. When they searched the bomber’s body, they found identification showing him to be a sergeant in the Iraqi Army.From New York Times
“I thought, ‘What are we doing here? Why are we still here?’ †said Sergeant Safstrom, a member of Delta Company of the First Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry, 82nd Airborne Division. “We’re helping guys that are trying to kill us. We help them in the day. They turn around at night and try to kill us.â€
So what are we doing there? And why do we think it will be worse if we leave? And this is just the tip of the misery iceberg of what's going on there.
Posted by at 8:33 PM in Politics
That Firehouse
Originally uploaded by karmakazesal.
The Ghostbuster's Firehouse.
Technorati Tags: newyorkcity movies
Posted by at 10:24 PM in Photos
The militant group, Fatah al Islam, which is thought to have links to Al Qaeda, fired antiaircraft guns and mortars and had night vision goggles and other sophisticated equipment. The Lebanese Army does not have such gear.From Lebanese Army and Islamists Battle for 2nd Day - New York Times
This is a really disturbing development. With insurgents using GPS to aid in targeting and terrorists using night vision goggles; the US Military is starting to lose its greatest advantage in the GWOT; high-tech weaponry and training.
Posted by at 1:51 PM in Politics
Byrd invited a specific version of the same general question millions of us have been asking: "Why do reason, logic and truth seem to play a sharply diminished role in the way America now makes important decisions?" The persistent and sustained reliance on falsehoods as the basis of policy, even in the face of massive and well-understood evidence to the contrary, seems to many Americans to have reached levels that were previously unimaginable....
Clearly, at least to some degree, the "consent of the governed" was becoming a commodity to be purchased by the highest bidder. To the extent that money and the clever use of electronic mass media could be used to manipulate the outcome of elections, the role of reason began to diminish.From Book Excerpt: The Assault on Reason TIME
If Al Gore wrote this book without any thought to running for President, then he wasted his time. He does an amazing job of distilling the culture of spin and the damage it is doing to our Democracy. And he offers some remedies. I'm standing by my prediction that he will enter the race this fall.
Posted by at 1:28 PM in Politics
William Gibson's cyberpunk SF classic Neuromancer is heading for the big screen in an independent production from producer-distributor Peter Hoffman, Variety reported.From SCIFI.COM
Can we please keep Keanu Reeves away from this one?
Posted by at 1:17 PM in Geek
Pork is essentially synonymous with barbecue in my area of the South, so the Lil' Pig barbecue from Traeger makes sense in a creepy meta-way if you can get past the doe-eyed cuteness. The grill boasts 418 sq. inches of cooking surface, an internal hopper, a stainless steel door handle and a multi-position digital thermostat control.
This looks like something out of a Southern County Fair, as filmed by David Lynch.
Posted by at 1:15 PM in Humor
Our planet's climate is anything but simple. All kinds of factors influence it, from massive events on the Sun to the growth of microscopic creatures in the oceans, and there are subtle interactions between many of these factors.From Climate change: A guide for the perplexed - earth - 16 May 2007 - New Scientist Environment
...
So for those who are not sure what to believe, here is our round-up of the 26 most common climate myths and misconceptions.
A fair and well written collection of point by point counter arguments to most of the anti-global warming talking points that are going around.
Technorati Tags: science climatechange
Posted by at 1:12 PM in Geek
a Sudanese refugee, announced that his wife had just given birth, and the boy would be honored with the visitor'€™s name. After several awkward translation attempts of "€œMark Bent,"€ it was settled. "€œMar,"€ he said, will grow up hearing stories of his namesake, the man who handed out flashlights powered by the sun.From New York Times
Since August 2005, when visits to an Eritrean village prompted him to research global access to artificial light, Mr. Bent, 49, a former foreign service officer and Houston oilman, has spent $250,000 to develop and manufacture a solar-powered flashlight.
His invention gives up to seven hours of light on a daily solar recharge and can last nearly three years between replacements of three AA batteries costing 80 cents.
Great article on the transformative effects of technology.
Technorati Tags: NYT science energypolicy geek
Posted by at 6:14 PM in Geek
Diethylene glycol, a poisonous ingredient in some antifreeze, has been found in 6,000 tubes of toothpaste in Panama, and customs officials there said yesterday that the product appeared to have originated in China.From New York Times
Just as the wheatgerm story dies out, a reminder that in the era of globalization; a supply chain is only as strong as its least toxic link.
Technorati Tags: NYT china globalization
Posted by at 5:52 PM in Politics
What community has the highest per-capita use of solar energy in Ohio? None other than the Amish. It might sound strange to people who think of the Amish as 19th century holdovers, but that's an oversimplification. Instead, after considering the impact to their values and way of life, Amish communities decide communally whether to adopt new technologies.From Wired Science
I would think that the Amish might be interested in bio-fuels as they are likely to have lots of agriculture waste that just might be ethanol or biodeisel feed stock.
Technorati Tags: energypolicy science wired amish
Posted by at 9:56 PM in Geek
As well as resembling palaeontology's favourite winged lizard, this remote controlled reptile flies around by flapping its membranous wings in a highly realistic (we imagine) fashion. No really!
Posted by at 9:47 PM in Geek
We now know that in 2004 Gonzales and Andy Card raced to the hospital to try to get a very sick John Ashcroft to certify the legality of the president's secret NSA surveillance program €”going over the head of Comey, the acting attorney general while Ashcroft was ill. When Ashcroft refused to override Comey, the White House reauthorized the program without DoJ certification. The question now is whether in so doing, the White House did something illegal, improper, neither, or both.From Slate Magazine
AG Ashcroft and Acting AG Comey deserve a lot of respect for refusing to go along with the Whitehouse. Doubly so when you put it in the context of Ashcroft in a hospital bed and Comey rushing to his side to prevent a gross miscarriage of justice.
Technorati Tags: slate DoJ conspiracy
Posted by at 2:43 PM in Politics
Look, it's real simple what happened. These people came here and killed us because of our freedom of religion, because of our freedom for women, because they hate us...If you're confused about this, I think you put our country in much greater jeopardy.From TPMCafe
Rudy is an idiot. Anyone who has read Bin Laden's declaration of war can see that either Rudy thinks he knows more about bin Laden's motivations than bin Laden himself; or hasn't read the actual declaration or war. My money is the later.
Posted by at 10:55 PM in Politics
It's official. Scientific American, Freemasons, Illuminati Join Forces in Global Conspiracy. More on intelligent design and its advocates.
Technorati Tags: intelligentdesign sciam
Posted by at 10:23 PM in Geek
Try this: Call a TV station and tell them that you know the Antichrist is already on earth and is an adult Jewish male. See how far you get. Then try the same thing and add that you are the Rev. Jim-Bob Vermin. "Why, Reverend, come right on the show!" What a fool Don Imus was. If he had paid the paltry few bucks to make himself a certified clergyman, he could be jeering and sneering to the present hour.From Jerry Falwell, faith-based fraud. - By Christopher Hitchens - Slate Magazine
Must read article. It seems that the further away Hitch stays from discussions of GWOT and Iraq, the less of an idiot he sounds.
Technorati Tags: hypocrisy idiots texastaliban theocracy hitchens
Posted by at 10:20 PM in Politics
I like coffee. I like RSS. So naturally, I dig Benjamin Brown's News Brews project, which crawls through RSS feeds and takes "the relative frequency at which different coffee-growing regions are mentioned" to determine their respective bean proportion in the blend.From Turn Depressing World Affairs Into Coffee - Gizmodo
Really interesting hack.
Posted by at 4:49 PM in Geek
The Project On Government Oversight follows a rich tradition of assuring that the government continues to work for the people it represents. Our nation was founded on the very principle that representation and accountability are fundamental to maintaining a strong and functioning democracy. Today, these principles espoused by our founding fathers are under attack as our federal government is more vulnerable than ever to the influence of money in politics and powerful special interests.The Project On Government Oversight
Really nice resource.
Technorati Tags: politicalfreedom cronyism corruption bipartisan
Posted by at 4:47 PM in Politics
Posted by at 4:41 PM in Geek
If you use one of these Top 25 Geekiest Free Fonts your slash fiction will be even creepier.
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Posted by at 4:33 PM in Geek
Appearing on NBC'€™s Chris Matthews Show this morning, Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Cynthia Tucker revealed that sources within the military are warning of €œa revolt from active-duty generals if September rolls around and the president is sticking with the surge into €˜08.From Think Progress
So much for that listening to the generals on the ground crap.
Technorati Tags: iraq gwot bushbashing thinkprogress
Posted by at 4:31 PM in Politics
Geeky Rare-Earth Magnets Repel Sharks but attracts Naval Mine. Win some. Lose some.
Posted by at 4:06 PM in Geek
Between 100,000 and 300,000 barrels a day of Iraq’s declared oil production over the past four years is unaccounted for and could have been siphoned off through corruption or smuggling, according to a draft American government report.From New York Times
We are fighting a war where the American taxpayer finances both sides of the conflict. One directly via taxes and one indirectly via fuel purchases. Sad fact of the day.
Technorati Tags: iraq gwot energypolicy corruption NYT
Posted by at 3:29 PM in Politics
Every one of the 11 GOP "moderates" who privately warned Bush that the public wants out of the war actually voted against the House bill tying war funding to progress in Iraq.From Talking Points Memo
Maybe I'm too much of a cynic. I can't help but think those 11 moderates may be more concerned about re-election than the situation in Iraq.
Posted by at 9:54 PM in Politics
As the weblog News Hounds noted, on the May 7 edition of Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor, host Bill O'Reilly declared that "The Factor is lifting the boycott of France" due to the recent election of conservative candidate Nicolas Sarkozy as France's next president.From Media Matters
Well in that case, I'm calling off my boycott of Mars. Feel free to start buying Buggalo meat again.
Posted by at 7:32 PM in Humor
Evolution has long generated bitter fights between the left and the right about whether God or science better explains the origins of life. But now a dispute has cropped up within conservative circles, not over science, but over political ideology: Does Darwinian theory undermine conservative notions of religion and morality or does it actually support conservative philosophy?From New York Times
This is an example of some of the dishonesty and inaccuracy that surrounds discussions of evolution. Even when reported in the New York Times. To start with, evolution is not something you believe in. Evolution is something you accept because of the evidence that supports it. And only in as much as that evidence allows you to make predictions that can then be supported by new evidence. Second, the only conflict between Science and Religion exists because of insistence from people of faith that Religious dogma be taught as absolute truth. This is despite the lack of evidence in support of dogma and the overwhelming evidence that invalidates dogmatic thinking.
But the major problem can be seen in the comment Both Nazism and communism were inspired by Darwinism. Well both the crusaders and suicide bombers are inspired by religion. Or did they think no one would be able to point that out? Sheesh. Bonus points for the person that points out the difference between advocating for a belief in Darwinism and an acceptance of scientific facts based on evidence.
Technorati Tags: intelligentdesign darwin
Posted by at 2:57 PM in Politics
The Air Force's fleet of warplanes is older than ever and wearing out faster because of heavy use in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to the service's top combat commander.From USATODAY.com
Gen. Ronald Keys, who leads the Air Combat Command, points to cracked wings on A-10 attack planes and frayed electrical cables on U-2 spy planes.
This is a really disturbing story about the real costs of the Iraq war. While the degradation of the National Guard's readiness is being covered in the media, the toll on aircraft seems to have slipped by barely noticed. This concerns me because the last two attacks on the US came via aircraft. Right after 9/11; the skies of the US were patrolled by NATO aircraft.
Posted by at 2:15 PM in Politics
So it's finally happening: accountability. At long last, a prominent public figure is being punished for serial reckless behavior and the willful denial of its consequences.From AlterNet: Paris Hilton: More Accountable than the President?
Unfortunately, the public figure in question is Paris Hilton, not George W. Bush.
The two have more in common than a privileged background and a reputation for dimwitted pronouncements.
I guess that you start comparing people to Paris Hilton when you can't stomach yet another Hitler comparison.
Technorati Tags: ParisHilton BushBashing
Posted by at 2:06 PM in Politics
Conquistadors from Spain came, they saw and they were astonished. They had never seen anything in Europe like the bridges of Peru. Chroniclers wrote that the Spanish soldiers stood in awe and fear before the spans of braided fiber cables suspended across deep gorges in the Andes, narrow walkways sagging and swaying and looking so frail.From New York Times
Great article on Inca bridges.
Posted by at 1:35 PM in Geek
Human?
Originally uploaded by karmakazesal.
The makers of this sign on an Xray machine didn't proofread. Or maybe they think that magnetic media and film up to ISO3000 are included under types of humans.
Technorati Tags: sign
Posted by at 1:30 PM in Photos
Mommy's Time Out
Originally uploaded by karmakazesal.
Mommy's Time Out wine. Funny. Or sad. Your choice.
Posted by at 8:02 PM in Photos
How small can these tiny radio-controlled helicopters get? This one's palm-sized, and it has a color cycling multicolor LED to make sure aircraft in the area are alerted to its miniscule presence.
I think this would be an awesome cat toy. But I also know I'd be wrong. My cat is likely to be more interested in the box it comes in.
Technorati Tags: gadget gizmo helicopter
Posted by at 9:16 PM in Geek
New Rule: Conservatives have to stop rolling their eyes every time they hear the word France.From "Hillary equals France" | Salon.com
Thank you Bill Maher.
Technorati Tags: salon france french foundingfathers BillMaher
Posted by at 9:12 PM in Politics
Missing Monkey
Originally uploaded by karmakazesal.
Monkey shamelessly exploited for band promotion. Sad day for monkey.
Technorati Tags: monkey
Posted by at 9:11 PM in Photos
Jack the Monkey
Originally uploaded by karmakazesal.
Seen in Park Slope at a toy store on 7th ave.
Posted by at 9:10 PM in Photos
Posted by at 7:53 PM in Geek
MSNBC's Chris Matthews declared, "We're all neo-cons now;" NPR's Bob Edwards said, "The war in Iraq is essentially over;" and Fortune magazine's Jeff Birnbaum said, "It is amazing how thorough the victory in Iraq really was in the broadest context."From Bill Moyers Journal . Buying the War . Additional Interviews | PBS
Moyers is back. This is a must read.
Technorati Tags: pbs media BillMoyers iraq
Posted by at 7:34 PM in Politics
The announcement, made in Mr. Putin'€™s annual address to Parliament, underscored the Kremlin'€™s anger at the United States for proposing a new missile defense system in Europe, which the Bush administration insists is meant to counter potential threats from North Korea and Iran.From Putin to Suspend Pact With NATO - New York Times
Mr. Putin suggested that Russia would use its future compliance with the treaty as a bargaining point in that disagreement with the United States.
Then there is the kicker from Russia expert and SecState Rice.
These are treaty obligations, and everyone is expected to live up to treaty obligations.
Umm...like the anti-ballistic missile treaty we withdrew from so we could place the missile system there in the first place?
Posted by at 4:46 PM in Politics
This week Slate is publishing three excerpts from Christopher Hitchens' new book, God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything.From Slate Magazine
Finally, a book critical on religion from the only atheist more pompous, self righteous and infuriatingly arrogant than Richard Dawkins. I hope this book is successful enough to bloat Hitchens already swollen ego the tiny bit need before it becomes so massive it collapses in on itself and forms a black hole. A chain smoking black hole with a British accent.
Posted by at 6:42 PM in Humor
The webcam is a remote-controlled bird-watching cam, and it can be manipulated by thousands of virtual bird watchers simultaneously.From Go Birding With Craigslist's Craig Newmark -
...
Players vie for spots on the top watchers' list by photographing and classifying the most birds. They snap stills of avian targets from the video stream, and the shots are dumped into a database for classification.
The camera processes user requests for pans and zooms in real-time. An algorithm calculates the best focal point to satisfy requests from the most users (now capped at 20 due to bandwidth constraints).
Wow, finally a way to make bird watching more isolated, solitary and creepy. That's progress. Seriously though, this is a really interesting use of online virtual communities. Its similar to the communal use of spare CPU cycles to crunch numbers or search for ETs.
Posted by at 3:49 PM in Geek
As a rule, processed foods are more '€œenergy dense'€ than fresh foods: they contain less water and fiber but more added fat and sugar, which makes them both less filling and more fattening. These particular calories also happen to be the least healthful ones in the marketplace, which is why we call the foods that contain them '€œjunk.'€ Drewnowski concluded that the rules of the food game in America are organized in such a way that if you are eating on a budget, the most rational economic strategy is to eat badly and get fat.From New York Times
If you read one article on the economics of food, it should be this article.
Technorati Tags: health
Posted by at 2:27 PM in Geek
Yet another shoe drops in the Jack Abramoff investigation. A former aide to Rep. Don Young (R-AK), Mark Zachares, looks set to plead guilty to corruption charges.From TPMmuckraker
You know things are bad when scandals this big become B level stories because there are such major scandals taking up all of the media baud width. Abramoff. The gift that keeps on giving.
Technorati Tags: Abramoff TPM corruption
Posted by at 2:20 PM in Politics
As with any great mystery, a number of theories have been posed, and many seem to researchers to be more science fiction than science. People have blamed genetically modified crops, cellular phone towers and high-voltage transmission lines for the disappearances. Or was it a secret plot by Russia or Osama bin Laden to bring down American agriculture? Or, as some blogs have asserted, the rapture of the bees, in which God recalled them to heaven? Researchers have heard it all.Honeybees - Bees Vanish, and Scientists Race for Reasons - New York Times
I just want to go on record that I don't think it is cell phones. I'd rank the likely culprits as a new pesticide or some change in GMO crops. Oh, and the people who think heaven is full of bees are silly.
Posted by at 2:06 PM in Geek
A pillar of the Democratic political program tumbled today when Republicans in the Senate blocked a proposal to allow Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices for millions of older Americans, a practice now forbidden by law.From Bill to Let Medicare Negotiate Drug Prices Is Blocked
Can someone please explain why forbidding the Government from negotiating the best deal for the tax payers makes sense to anyone? Even in the era of no-bid contracts and crony-capitalism this is just silly.
Technorati Tags: NYT economics corruption cronyism
Posted by at 2:55 PM in Politics
Roomba With Airsoft Gun and Laser Sight Terrorizes Ankles
From Gizmodo. I have nothing to add.
Posted by at 2:18 PM in Geek
With New York'€™s population expected to grow by one million in two decades, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg will call on Sunday for a raft of ambitious and sometimes contentious proposals that are intended to ease traffic congestion, reduce air pollution, build housing, improve mass transit and develop abandoned industrial land.From Bloomberg to Unveil Long-Term Vision for City - New York Times
I'm going to hold out judgment until I see more, but this is a hell of a lot better than his old plan for New York; build stadiums everywhere. One thing that seems to be missing from his plan is improving mass transit from Borough to Borough. In many parts of NYC, it is easier to go to Midtown Manhattan than Brooklyn, even though Brooklyn is physically closer.
Posted by at 1:53 PM in Politics
Better example of irony; conservapedia or wikiality? And does it still count as irony if the person saying it is unaware that he is being ironic?
Posted by at 5:07 PM in Humor
From the onion. "The time for second-guessing our every move is now." Its funny because there is so much truth to it.
Posted by at 7:25 PM in Politics
ON March 30, the National Labor Relations Board’s New York office delivered a stinging accusation against one of the city’s — and the nation’s — most popular retail outlets. The labor board charged that Starbucks, the ubiquitous coffee chain, committed 30 violations of law in the process of trying to ward off union activity at four Manhattan outlets.From Latte Laborers Take on a Latte-Liberal Business
This may be the latest salvo in a new kind of labor battle: union workers versus corporate do-gooders.
Interesting article on Starbucks' the corporate image versus Starbucks' the coffee company.
Posted by at 3:18 PM in Politics
Discovery Communications, the cable channel operator, plans to start a 24-hour channel focused on eco-friendly living, as part of a push into the rising environmental movement.From NYT
The company, based in Silver Spring, Md., will next year rebrand its Discovery Home Channel with a name that has not been selected but will reflect its position as the centerpiece of an initiative called PlanetGreen
I am cautiously optimistic about green marketing. Part of me just assumes that this will result in environmental fetishism dwelling on how cool certain products are rather than practical things people can do to lower energy use and carbon footprint.
Technorati Tags: TV treehugger green energypolicy
Posted by at 3:13 PM in Geek
Delegation members said that they sought to persuade Mr. Assad to distance himself from Iran, and its president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Iran has become Syria’s ally in the growing confrontation with the so-called quartet of moderate Arab states, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.From NYT
This is one of those moments where I have to take a deep breath and remind myself that loyalty to principles and intellectual honesty must come before any other loyalty. And with that in mind, I think it is a really terrible idea to have congress involved in foreign policy. That has always been the job of the executive. Why? Article 2, Sec 2 says so.
He shall have power, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to make treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur;
So what they should the dems do? Bring Rice in front of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and ask her what she is doing about Syria. Appropriate money earmarked specially for diplomacy with Syria. Pass resolutions. And all the other things that congress is empowered by the constitution to do.
Posted by at 4:42 PM in Politics
Posted by at 1:58 PM in Geek
American, European and Pakistani authorities have for months been piecing together a picture of the new leadership, based in part on evidence-gathering during terrorism investigations in the past two years. Particularly important have been interrogations of suspects and material evidence connected to a plot British and American investigators said they averted last summer to destroy multiple commercial airliners after takeoff from London.From NYT
This should be a much bigger story. While we have been pouring blood and treasure into the Iraqi sand, Al Qaeda has been rebuilding. And nothing, not even a miraculous victory in Iraq is going to change that fact.
Posted by at 7:21 PM in Politics
Medis is claiming is the first disposable gadget fuel cell. It'll recharge a phone like a Treo with up to 20 hours of talk time. And it comes with a handful of popular connectors.
I'm thinking that were just a few years away from cheap, reusable, alcohol and/or sugar based fuel cells for consumer and portable electronics.
Posted by at 4:08 PM in Geek
So the conservative movement in recent years has suffered from allowing itself to become captured by the Republican Party, and it has lost, in many respects, its independence, the power that comes from being a true independent, principled movement, the conservative movement. These issues have become very complex because of that. So, for example, when you go to speak to a group of conservatives and you are critical of the way the current administration has been denigrating civil liberties and individual freedom, many conservatives rally to the defense of the administration because they support the administration.From Salon
Bob Barr does an amazing job of explaining how the conservative movement is going off the rails. Missing from the article is why this happened. My pet theory is the lack of a center to hold everyone together. Between 1980 and 1988; conservatism had a unifying voice. Reagan. Between 1994 and 2000; conservatism also had a unifying anti-voice. Clinton. The one thing they could all agree on is that Clinton was bad. In order to be part of the Republican club, you had to have something to hate Clinton about. It didn't even seem to matter if the GOP was worse on that issue.
And a prediction from me: when W leaves office, there will be a similar crack-up on the left. Many people, united largely by a dislike of W will be unable to find a unifying political philosophy to keep them together. Doubly so after we finally get ourselves out of Iraq.
Technorati Tags: Salon GOPer libertarians BobBarr
Posted by at 4:01 PM in Politics
Once a highflier in the booming market for making risky mortgage loans, the New Century Financial Corporation filed for bankruptcy court protection today.From NYT
Not sure how I feel about this news from the mortgage industry. Normally, I think home ownership is a net-good for society. But that shouldn't be an excuse for lenders to make bad loans based on minimal documentation. I propose a pro-active solution: mortgage re-insurance based loosely on an FDIC model. The idea is that if the mortgage you issue fits certain defined criteria for being low-risk, you can purchase low-cost insurance to protect you if the person you issue the policy to defaults. The risker the policies you issue, the more you'd have to pay to insure those policies. It might even be possible to adjust the model to provide special cases for low income and first time buyers when those buyers work to improve their credit. And like FDIC, membership to this re-insurance body would be voluntary.
I've always been a big fan of the FDIC. I'd argue that not only is it the most successful government program in US history; it is the most successful government program in the history of governance.
Technorati Tags: economics housingbubble FDIC
Posted by at 8:12 PM in Politics
Income inequality grew significantly in 2005, with the top 1 percent of Americans — those with incomes that year of more than $348,000 — receiving their largest share of national income since 1928, analysis of newly released tax data shows.From NYT
The top 10 percent, roughly those earning more than $100,000, also reached a level of income share not seen since before the Depression.
While total reported income in the United States increased almost 9 percent in 2005, the most recent year for which such data is available, average incomes for those in the bottom 90 percent dipped slightly compared with the year before, dropping $172, or 0.6 percent.
Another story that isn't getting covered. This was part the last weekend's news dump, designed to prevent anyone from hearing the story.
Posted by at 7:01 PM in Politics
A nod to TPM for pointing out an absurd GOP talking point that has made it into the Washington Post.
Backed by a unified party and fresh from a slew of legislative victories, Democratic leaders appear to believe there is hardly any territory they cannot stray onto, a development that has Republican political operatives gleeful and some Democrats worried.From WaPo
I'd argue that on both the left and the right, people generally support investigations into corruption, waste and fraud. Even if they don't agree with the policy or spending; they at least want it handled in a legal, competent and honest fashion.
Posted by at 6:41 PM in Politics
Ms. Saadoun was a Sunni Arab living in a Shiite enclave of western Baghdad. A widowed mother of seven, she and her family had been chased out once before. This time, she called American and Kurdish soldiers at a base less than a mile to the east....From NYT
The next morning, Ms. Saadoun was shot dead while walking by a bakery in the local market.
A must read article. What happened to Ms. Saadoun seems to be clear evidence that at least in some parts of the Iraq, our troops are stuck in between sides of a civil war. This is clearly not what their orders were. And this is clearly not a mission they should be charged with.
Posted by at 2:35 PM in Politics
David Brooks' column in The New York Times this morning contains several important observations. It would maximize clarity in our political discussions if journalists could just ingest Brooks' central point: the dominant right-wing political movement in this country that has spawned and driven the Bush presidency has nothing to do with -- it is in fact overtly hostile to -- the ostensible principles of Goldwater/Reagan small-government conservatism. Though today's so-called "conservatives" exploit the the Goldwater/Reagan mythology as a political prop, they don't believe in those principles in any way. That movement is the very antithesis of those principles.From Glenn Greenwald - Salon
Brooks' column is behind the Times Select wall, otherwise I would have posted a link to it. He has been on a roll as of late. If I kept a Colbert-esque on-notice list I would have taken him off that list after his piece on Bill Richards last month, only to put him back on after this. Brooks gets the facts right, sees the major issues. And then goes off the rails. Greenwald does a great job of pointing out what Brooks didn't.
With that said, I talked about this almost a year ago when I noticed the first rumblings that the Conservative wing of the Republican party; which makes up the majority of that party despite not being in the position of setting the agenda; was being dragged off onto tangents by the Neo-Con and Theo-Con wings of the party. What we are seeing now is a growing revolt by the conservatives against an administration that is far removed from their increasingly dissatisfied constituency.
Technorati Tags: GOPer Politicalfreedom pundits salon
Posted by at 9:02 PM in Politics
Eco-M, a bare-bones sporty car with a 1.4-liter gasoline engine. The car will be able to sip fuel and still go fast, capable of far greater than 100 miles per gallon because of its lightweight carbon fiber construction.
I wonder if cars like this will lead to rally-races where the winner is the team that can drive above a certain speed for the most number of laps on a fixed amount of fuel. That would be an amazing engineering challenge with a lot of real world value.
Posted by at 8:46 PM in Geek
Researchers have discovered a pair of twins who are identical through their mother's side, but share only half their genes on their father's side.From Human Semi-Identical Twins ('Chimera') Discovered for First Time: BLOG: SciAm Observations
Not sure why this wasn't a bigger human interest story. Possibly because it might be a bit hard for the layman to grasp; therefore hard for the media to report in a way that would appeal broadly enough for the human interest story cycle. I'm pretty amazed that this was even possible.
Technorati Tags: science SciAm weirdscience
Posted by at 8:19 PM in Geek
“I don’t think the attorney general’s statement that he was not involved in any discussions about U.S. attorney removals is accurate,†the former Gonzales aide, D. Kyle Sampson, said under questioning at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.From New York Times
Looks like Sampson wasn't willing to be the next Scooter Libby.
Technorati Tags: corruption Gonzales NYT
Posted by at 8:11 PM in Politics
Witnesses have told congressional investigators that the chief of the General Services Administration and a deputy in Karl Rove's political affairs office at the White House joined in a videoconference earlier this year with top GSA political appointees, who discussed ways to help Republican candidates.From GSA Chief Is Accused of Playing Politics - washingtonpost.com
Wow. Just when you thought there couldn't be anything worse than the US Attorney scandal.
Technorati Tags: cronyism corruption karlrove wapo politics
Posted by at 9:57 PM in Politics
Before you laugh off this headline in The Onion it might be helpful to be reminded of this past headline by this post on donklephant. The Onion seems to display an odd form of psychic satire.
Posted by at 3:59 PM in Politics
There is clever. There is very clever. And then there is Lawnhenge. I've never seen better use of a teater-totter and buckets for large scale masonry construction.
Posted by at 3:19 PM in Geek
People are still getting into trouble over their dealing with Abramoff. Its just not front page news anymore.
Technorati Tags: Abramoff NYT corruption cronyism
Posted by at 3:15 PM in Politics
The video, called "Stop the Falsiness," was created by MoveOn and Brave New Films as a tongue-in-cheek commentary on Colbert's portrayal of the right-wing media and parodying MoveOn's own reputation for earnest political activism. The short film, uploaded to YouTube in August 2006, includes clips from "The Colbert Report" as well as humorous original interviews about show host Stephen Colbert. In March of this year, Viacom -- the parent company of Comedy Central -- demanded that YouTube take "Stop the Falsiness" down, claiming the video infringed its copyrights.From EFF: Breaking News
Viacom is upset that there is a parody of their parody? Huh?
Posted by at 10:21 PM in Politics
House Democrats were scrambling today to find the 218 votes needed to pass a war spending bill that would set a timetable to bring American troops home from Iraq, as the Bush administration and Congressional Republicans worked aggressively to foil their effort.From Democrats Seek Votes for Bill on Iraq - New York Times
The inability to find the 218 votes is really disappointing. The war is unpopular. The president is unpopular. And Congress is unpopular because it hasn't forced a change in Iraq strategy. The second complaint is over the volume of pork in that bill. Weren't we promised a change in earmarking? What happened to that?
Posted by at 10:15 PM in Politics
In a scripted moment of imperial bravado, President Bush held a press conference yesterday to address the scandal over his Attorney General having lied to Congress. Why this sudden move? In a word: framing.FRAMESHOP by Jeffrey Feldman
An excellent discussion of how this administration is trying to change the way the US Attorney scandal is being discussed in the media.
Technorati Tags: factchecking pundits media
Posted by at 4:33 PM in Politics
Interestingly, many of the same issues that have dogged the current American campaign in Iraq dogged American efforts in the Philippines. These include the inability to recognize that the war was not over simply because we thought it should be over, the difficulty in adjusting to a new kind of war, the constant interaction of domestic politics and military affairs, and the divided command structure in the Philippines. And yet, the United States in the Philippines won not only the conventional war but the insurgency. Why?From The successful Iraq. - By David Silbey - Slate Magazine
An interesting discussion of the US experience in the Philippines and how it compares to Iraq. In short, Mr. Silbey argues that the Roosevelt administration understood the difference between political and military goals early on; in contrast to the debacle in Iraq.
Posted by at 2:11 PM in Politics
The Senate voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to end the Bush administration's ability to unilaterally fill U.S. attorney vacancies as a backlash to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' firing of eight federal prosecutors.And the kicker is:
Former House Republican Leader Tom DeLay had said earlier Tuesday that the scandal "is just a taste of what's going to be like for the next two years."From Senate limits Gonzales' hiring authority - Yahoo! News
As much as I am happy about the bipartisan check of executive powers, as well as the additional buffer to separate law enforcement from political goals; I can't help but giggle about Tom DeLay's comment on the topic. He is right, but not in the way he clearly intends. For at least the next two years, scandals in the executive will not just disappear from the new cycle the next time a celebrity dies or goes into rehab. There might even be consequences. Shocking.
Technorati Tags: corruption tomdelay bipartisan
Posted by at 2:06 PM in Politics
NYC residents should check out uncivil servants a web site that documents civil servant parking violations.
Technorati Tags: corruption
Posted by at 5:32 PM in Politics
But rather than being dismissed as a crackpot invention, his boots — which use tiny pistons — became classified as a Russian military secret until 1994.From NYT
Now, they have been held up as a symbol of both Russia’s deep and rich scientific traditions and the country’s inability to convert that talent into useful — and commercial — merchandise outside of the weapons business.
Interesting article on science in Russia. This should serve as a warning on what happens with politics is wedged between science and industry. This should be a warning for the ethanol industry.
Technorati Tags: NYT weirdscience
Posted by at 4:45 PM in Geek
Senator Chuck Hagel, Republican of Nebraska, said today that he is not jumping into the 2008 presidential race — for now, at least — so he can concentrate on domestic and global concerns, particularly helping to bring an end to the Iraq war.From New York Times
Senator Hagel should run. Liberals and progressives should be cheering him on to the GOP nomination. Why? He is the GOP anti-war candidate and his nomination will finally end the collection of contradictory canards and talking points that the right has been using as a substitute for an actual foreign policy. Most notably, the GOPer blowhards (on Fox et al) can no longer claim that those that are against the war want the terrorists to win if their own party nominates an anti-war candidate. Or if an anti-war candidate wins 30-40% of the vote. Doubly so when the clearest distinction between Senator Hagel and the rest of the pack is that he is the anti-war candidate.
Until they stop pushing this square-peg talking point into the round hole of reality; the debate on how we can secure a political end to the carnage will be blocked. A early Hagel victory can finally end this rhetorical stalemate.
Technorati Tags: NYT 2008 Chuck Hagel
Posted by at 10:34 AM in Politics
new CNN poll shows that Americans overwhelmingly believe that President Bush should not pardon Scooter Libby, who was convicted last week on felony charges of perjury and obstruction of justice.From Think Progress
Since when has this administration cared what the majority think? Frankly, I view the inevitable Bush pardon of Libby as if it were Mayor McCheese granting a pardon to The Hamburglar. Both are absurd, cynical mockeries of our justice system.
Libby will be sentenced on June fifth. My guess is that the pardon will be granted on June 1st, the last Friday before sentencing.
Technorati Tags: think progress corruption cronyism plame plamegate
Posted by at 10:01 AM in Politics
The new digital Classic Camera from MINOX comes in a really stylish format! On the outside it features the miniaturized shell of the legendary Leica M3,
Damn that is cute. Reminds me of that Mini-Roli from a while back.
Posted by at 5:49 PM in Geek
Tim Griffin, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, admits his appointment in December was political, but maintains he's qualified to hold the post.From kuar NewsRoom via Think Progress
Anyone else think that the placement of a Rove staffer as the US Attorney in Arkansas might have something to do with Hillary Clinton's 2008 campaign? Anyone want to start a betting pool on when this staffer will start investigating Clinton's actions at her old law firm?
Technorati Tags: dirty tricks karl rove cronyism Clinton 2008 Clinton 2008
Posted by at 12:39 PM in Politics
I love Weird Japanese Inventions
Technorati Tags: weird Japan weird science
Posted by at 10:20 AM in Geek
Several bloggers were posting pictures of me and Coulter together and noting, gleefully, that the guy with his arm around the waist of the woman who called Edwards a faggot had, once upon a time, acted in adult films. Some of the sites were comparing me to Rich Merritt, a Marine Corps captain who appeared in gay films. Others were comparing me to Jeff Gannon and claiming that I too had advertised my services as a male escort. I won't deny it, or that I acted in several adult movies 15 years ago under names like Pierre LaBranche and Rod Majors.From Porn free | Salon.com
Why are the Republican sex scandals, gay sex scandals? I can't think of a single heterosexual sex scandal involving a nationally recognizable republican. Today it dawned on me that the difference between gay and strait Republicans is that the heterosexual Republicans are all married.
Free advice to the GOP: If you let gay people get married with all the benefits of marriage, your sex scandal problems might all go away.
Technorati Tags: Salon GOPer hypocrisy marriage marriage rights
Posted by at 10:17 AM in Politics
Mr. Savage,
I recently saw your letter to
Media Matters where you threated them with legal action for posting what you said, over the public airwaves or in publicly accessible forums. I was wondering if you will also ask your mommy to make them stop? Perhaps holding your breath would help. I know it would help those of us that would love it if you would just shut up.
Have a nice day.
I sent that note to his email address. You have to be a special kind of idiot to think that the law protects you form people quoting what you say in public, in context; just because you regret it.
Technorati Tags: mediamatters snarky idiots Savage Michael Savage
Posted by at 11:05 AM in Politics
The best part of working downtown is Manon Café. Why I ever put up with the burnt coffee at Starbucks or the sour taste of office coffee is a mystery. Illy coffee is the way to go.
Technorati Tags: coffee New York City
Posted by at 10:14 AM in Uncategorized
Former White House aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby has been found guilty on four of five counts in his perjury and obstruction of justice trial.Libby guilty on 4 of 5 counts - CNN.com
Time to start the pardon betting pool. My guess is a full pardon on the last Friday before sentencing begins.
Technorati Tags: Scooter corruption plamegate CNN
Posted by at 1:30 PM in Politics
For the past 40 years, the conservative movement has welcomed only one kind of person: the true believer. Iconoclasm in the pursuit of moderation was no virtue; orthodoxy in the name of conservatism was no vice. But this weekend, Grover Norquist—the leading bouncer at the conservative club—announced a more relaxed entrance policy. In light of the movement's current struggles, the far right will now welcome a second type of conservative: the false believer.From The 40-year-old secondary virgin - By Bruce Reed - Slate Magazine
With the Neocons and Theocons unable to find their man, this just might be the opportunity for the remaining real Republicans to take their party back. Why not draft one of the many actual conservatives that haven't flip-flopped on reality, actually stand for conservatism and heartland values; and has a long distinguished career. I'm going to suggest Jim Leach or Paul Gillmor as moderates and Lindsey Graham and Dick Lugar as more conservative options.
To all those who are mourning the loss of Lincoln Chaffee's seat and John McCain's soul, maybe this is the time to find a GOP member who isn't beholden to the pro-war, anti-science wing of the party. You have nothing to lose but your 30% approval ratings.
Technorati Tags: GOPer Slate Political freedom Jim Leach Paul Gillmor Dick Lugar Lindsey Graham
Posted by at 3:08 PM in Politics
A lot of the code I am working with is filled with this line.
public static Logger logger = Logger.getLogger(RequestProcessorMgr.class);
The problem is that only one of the classes (RequestProcessorMgr) is actually using the correct class name. The rest are using the wrong class name. This is the problem with cut-copy-paste programming. Just because the code works in one part of the program, doesn't mean it will work anywhere else. Plus, when you copy code; you copy bugs too. This is self plagiary. So if you're going to plagiarize, don't self plagiarize. At least put in the effort to copy from someone smarter than you.
So this is what I did.
public static Logger logger = Logger.getLogger(${enclosing_type}.class); as the pattern
Now, when you type log4j and hit ctrl-space you can insert a log4j property that will correctly log messages from your class.
Now back to bug fixing.
Posted by at 3:02 PM in Programming
Posted by at 2:56 PM in Geek
But at least three of the eight fired attorneys were told by a superior they were being forced to resign to make jobs available for other Bush appointees, according to a former senior Justice Department official knowledgeable about their cases. That stands in contradiction to administration claims that the firings were related either to job performance or policy differences.From Salon.com News | Inside Bush's prosecutor purge
This was covered on both Countdown and The News Hour. Of all the scare power-grabs by the executive, this is the most clearly impeachable. It is an attempt to prevent the next Libby, Duke or Ney from ever being investigated.
Technorati Tags: salon corruption
Posted by at 12:43 PM in Politics
The recent saber rattling with Iran has reminded of a quote from Londo Mollari of Babylon 5:
"Only a fool fights a war on two fronts. Only the heir to the kingdom of fools fights a war on twelve fronts!"
There are three classic military blunders.
Technorati Tags: bush bashing Iran Iraq dumb move GWOT
Posted by at 12:29 PM in Politics
I've been waiting for an LED based Maglite. And now I find this.
Posted by at 12:22 PM in Geek
OpenCongress brings together official government data with news and blog coverage to give you the real story behind each bill.More at OpenCongress
This is a must bookmark site for political junkies that track bills and changes.
Technorati Tags: Political freedom corruption
Posted by at 2:57 PM in Politics
Girls plus robots equals fun and learning.From Robots draw girls to science
Six teams of five girls will spend Feb. 17 at UVic assembling and programming robots for a hovercraft rescue mission across a simulated river.
More on robots in education. Using robotics to teach comp-sci isn't a new thing. 80s era Logo software did this. But the quality or robotic components and robot sensors make things like this program really possible.
Posted by at 2:54 PM in Geek
My gmail spam box is filed with offers for sex, drugs and wildly speculative gambles that are sure to make me very rich. Or very poor. I realized that spam is like Vegas without the fun. What happens in my spam box, stays in my spam box.
Posted by at 9:02 AM in Humor
the very act of encouraging poor people to consume products that they don't need may actually make them worse off. Instead of trying to get them to buy more stuff, argues Kulkarni, we should be striving to find ways to help them produce more, so we can buy from them.From How the World Works - Salon.com
A must read article on the economics of poverty and development. A must read for those who haven't read much about micro-loans and competing development models and just want a taste of the theory and what it looks like in the 3rd world.
Posted by at 12:04 PM in Politics
the presidential bid Rudy announced last week is staked on more than that Churchillian moment. It is also based on the notion that he is an effective manager who tamed an out-of-control metropolis and ran it efficiently. The real picture is somewhat more complicated. Giuliani was a frustrated and not very popular mayor on Sept. 10, 2001. Today, most New Yorkers do see him as a hero, but also as a self-sabotaging, thin-skinned bully. To put it more bluntly, we know he's a bit of a dictatorFrom A New Yorker's case against Rudy Giuliani. - By Jacob Weisberg - Slate Magazine
A well written article on Giuliani. I doubt this is going to influence his base; moderate Republicans that are fed up with McCain and who wish to limit the influence of the Neo-Cons and Theo-Cons on the GOP. And while Giuliani doesn't have a chance for the top of the ticket, his entrance and early poll lead help demonstrate the essential difference between the Democratic and Republican primaries. The Dems want a CEO. The Republicans what a Chairman of the Board. The Dems are looking for nuts-and-bolts policies to solve a set of problems. The Republicans are looking for an overarching vision and direction that an alleged natural leader would provide.
Posted by at 12:01 PM in Politics
A Gore/Obama ticket could happen, and here is how.
There is no reason why an undeclared candidate couldn't be named in the Iowa caucuses. And there is no reason why Gore couldn't come in a strong 3rd in Iowa, even if he isn't a candidate. And; if Gore comes in 3rd in Iowa as an undeclared candidate, he could skip New Hampshire and South Carolina and enter the campaign just in time for super Tuesday.
Gore doesn't need the early races at all because he doesn't need to introduce himself to the democratic party base or the public at large. We already know him. We've seen him on TV. We've heard of his movie. Some of us have seen it. He only needs to remind us that he was right about climate change, right about Iraq, and that things were going well when he and Bill were in office.
Being in 3rd and heading into super Tuesday with positive momentum and a good story about a political comeback will put him in exactly the position that the Clinton 92 campaign was in.
If he can make a strong showing on super Tuesday, the positive press he is going to get will cancel out any and all of the monetary advantages that Hillary and Obama will have had. And unlike Hillary or Obama, he won't owe much to many. Nor will he have been mentioned or associated with any negative attack ads. And by that time, he might have an Oscar and a Nobel Prize; making him even more appealing by being less of a politician. As a candidate, Gore will be more dynamic than Hillary and more experienced than Obama.
So why Obama? Gore couldn't choose Hillary. While Clark, Kerry and Joe Biden would all be good choices for the second spot; I don't think Gore would pass up the opportunity to put a well liked and charismatic successor under his wing. John Edwards is also a pass. And while he might go with Tom Vilsack or Bill Richardson I think Obama is the clear choice.
The best part about this prediction is that if I'm right, I'll post a link to my original post the day after Iowa, thereby cementing the power of my analytic skills. And if I'm wrong, no one will remember anyway. Punditry is damn easy work.
Posted by at 9:52 PM in Politics
If you wanted to support democracy in the Arab world, why did you begin with your enemies instead of your friends? Why Iraq and Iran? Why not us?From Slate Magazine
A must read. As a progressive and a fan of Karl Popper, I've long felt that the right way to spread freedom is by binding US trade policy to economic and social reforms. Any and all free trade agreements with the US should include demands for government openness, human rights and labor rights. Sadly, this has not been the case. From Tunisia to Russia to China, we've favored cheap labor, tax dodges and easy access to oil above all foreign policy goals.
It is painful to think of what we could have done to promote democracy if we didn't go to Iraq.
Technorati Tags: GWOT Political freedom globalization economics Slate
Posted by at 9:08 PM in Politics
A Cobol analogy is to a technical discussion as a Hitler (or Stalin) comparison is to a political discussion.
Cobol Corollary to Godwin's Law: The first person to compare a technology to Cobol automatically loses the debate.
Posted by at 10:23 AM in Politics
Want proof that your vote counts? There are now hearings on how money is being spent. Well, this is proof that my vote counted.
Technorati Tags: cronyism corruption the dems
Posted by at 5:18 PM in Politics
With all due respect, I think it would be a bad idea to get rid of earmarks. While it would rid us of one source of legal malfeasance, it would shift another power from Congress to the Whitehouse. History has shown this to be a bad idea with military and trade policy. I seen no reason to trust the executive with this new power.My response to Robert Reich
It would be better to make it a requirement that earmarks need to be "signed" by the member of congress, a member of a committee that would oversee the spending and a member from the appropriations sub-committee.
Making this public would mean that good-earmarks will be rewarded. Bad ones punished by a news-cycle shaming. Spreading that shame around will mean that really horrid spending that would only help one district or state will simply be too politically costly for too many members. Second, members will check each other. If some bad ideas are getting sponsors, they can raise a stink and make it public with a well placed email to a local news outlet.
I'm a big fan of Mr. Reich's work but I think he is wrong on this issue. Earmarks should not be banned for the exact same reason why the line item veto should never be allowed. Separation of powers. Second, why does anyone think that spending directed by the executive would be any less corruptible than spending directed by the legislature?
Technorati Tags: Robert Reich corruption cronyism pundit economics
Posted by at 12:15 PM in Politics
"Amazon Unbox on TiVo" will allow TiVo subscribers to purchase or rent videos from leading movie studios and television networks at Amazon Unbox and download them directly to their TiVo's "Now Playing List" to enjoy on their TV.Unbox on TiVo
Rent! Its like Netflix without the little red envelopes.
Posted by at 12:01 PM in Geek
Yosses is also co-author of the cookbook “Desserts for Dummies,†an Amazon.com review of which promised: “Before you know it, you’ll start creating desserts that you’ve only dreamed of.â€From Washington Wire - WSJ.com : Sweetest Job in Washington
The guy who wrote the Desserts for Dummies book is now the White House pastry chef. I'd make a joke but they beat me to it.
Technorati Tags: bush bashing food
Posted by at 4:57 PM in Politics
Joda-Time provides a quality replacement for the Java date and time classes. The design allows for multiple calendar systems, while still providing a simple API. The 'default' calendar is the ISO8601 standard which is used by XML. The Gregorian, Julian, Buddhist, Coptic and Ethiopic systems are also included, and we welcome further additions. Supporting classes include time zone, duration, format and parsing.From Java date and time API - Home - Joda Time
Its been a long running annoyance of mine that out of the box, Java makes it easier to calculate the day the Eastern Orthodox church will celebrate Easter than the day a bond will mature. Because we all know there are more people using Java in monasteries than on Wall Street.
Joda is damn nice. No longer do you have to deal with months numbered 0 to 11 while the days of the week numbered 1 to 7. And a simple bond yield Calendar took about 20 minutes to put together.
Technorati Tags: java
Posted by at 4:53 PM in Programming
Not sure if this is real or a hoax. I'm leaning toward hoax. Maybe a mock-up put together after the iPhone. But Google is working with Samsung.
Technorati Tags: Engadget google cell phone
Posted by at 4:44 PM in Geek
The owner (along with his wife) of The Terra Cotta Inn clothing-optional resort and spa in Palm Springs, Calif., Mulhall wrote to us this week "just wearing a smile" to say that 80% of their guests bring laptops and work nude poolside. He was commenting on a study we wrote about last year that found one in eight male teleworkers and one in 14 female teleworkers say they do their jobs in the nudeFrom The bare facts about naked telecommuting
Remind me not to sit on the home office furniture of single telecommuters.
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Posted by at 3:19 PM in Geek
If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy.
-James Madison, fourth US president (1751-1836)
Nostradamus had nothing on Madison.
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Posted by at 3:11 PM in Quote
By appearing on the hood of Conz's car, the Rite will reach millions of viewers during ESPN's race coverage. (Up to 30 million "impressions" per race—a figure that calculates the number of people watching, and the number of times a portion of the car appears on screen.) "The NASCAR demographics fit our demographics," says Dodd. When I ask him to be more specific, he just says, "Men."From The Masons make a bid for NASCAR. - By Seth Stevenson - Slate Magazine
Besides wondering it the Illuminati will sponsor Formula 1, this article made me think that that maybe some rouge Onion editor managed to sneak into the Slate office and get access to the server.
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Posted by at 5:15 PM in Politics
Time blogger Andrew Sullivan said "when I see [Clinton] ... all the cootie vibes sort of resurrect themselves." Sullivan added that he considered Clinton a "very sensible senator," stated that it was "hard to disagree with her on the war," and admitted that he "actually [found] her positions appealing in many ways." Nevertheless, he concluded: "I just can't stand her. I'm sorry about that."From Media Matters
I only hope that Mr. Sullivan can resist the urge to pull her pigtails and dangle a dead bug in her face.
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Posted by at 3:13 PM in Politics
With all the press that the iPhone is getting, I totally missed that TiVoToGoâ„¢ for Mac OS X is finally available.
Posted by at 7:33 PM in Geek
The problem with being sure that God is on your side is that you can't change your mind, because God sure isn't going to change His.
-Roger Ebert, film-critic (1942- )
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Posted by at 7:29 PM in Quote
The grizzly man is back, and this time he's ready to take on bullets and bombs.
This is what happens when we let cosplay go too far.
Posted by at 7:24 PM in Geek
After I saw this on slashdot, I was really happy. Slashdot | SCO Bankruptcy "Imminent, Inevitable"
Not sure how many have had the unfortunate experience in having to deal with SCO, but in the Pre-Linux era I worked with SCO Unix and SCO Xenix. The software was fine. The company was run by people who had nothing but contempt and hostility for their customers. They would gladly sell you and OS and a RDBMS server and neglect to mention that the you would need to install TCP/IP as an add in before the RDBMS would work.
At the time I was doing C/C++ programming of telco systems that used Dialogic hardware. A point release upgrade to fix a minor bug also introduced a serious bug in the Dailogic driver. SCO refused to admit this fact. Dailogic support had to start warning customers not to install that patch. Quietly. They didn't want to anger the goblins that ran SCO. We wasted half a year sorting out the mess. I used to joke about burning them to the ground and salting the earth so nothing could grow there again.
Once Linux was good enough (and even when it wasn't) SCO started to hemorrhage customers. People were willing to put up with buggy software and informal support options just to avoid dealing with SCO. So good bye and good riddance.
Posted by at 4:14 PM in Geek
The heart of D'Souza's book isn't his libeling of the American left, but rather his libeling of the American right. D'Souza notes, correctly, that al-Qaida's hatred toward the West in general, and the United States in particular, is animated to a great extent by America's permissive culture.From Dinesh D'Souza's Mullah Envy - By Timothy Noah - Slate Magazine
D’Souza contends that the cultural left is responsible for 9/11 in two ways: by fostering a decadent and depraved American culture that angers and repulses other societies—especially traditional and religious ones— and by promoting, at home and abroad, an anti-American attitude that blames America for all the problems of the world.
The thing about D'Souza's book that strikes me is its near blatant call for the appeasement of violent religious fanatics. His willingness to accept intolerance as a justification for violence is nothing short of shocking. Where should this end? Should we ban pork in the west? Adopt strict dress codes?
The second thing that comes to mind is OBL's declaration of war and how much time he spends on American military actions and US oil interests and how he seems indifferent to western culture. Yet, D'Souza thinks that Osama's genocidal aspirations are somehow linked to western acceptance of women's rights.
Posted by at 2:09 PM in Politics
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Monday proposed extending health care coverage to all of California’s 36 million residents as part of a sweeping package of changes to the state’s huge, troubled health care system.From California Plan for Health Care Would Cover All - New York Times
After reading more on Gov. Schwarzenegger's proposed, I feel confident is saying; this is exactly the same as the Hillary-care plan from 1993. They did file the serial numbers off and give it a new coat of paint, but every major point is the same. They even decided to rename the taxes that would fund it the same way. Fees. As if anyone who is against taxes to pay for health care would be pro-fees.
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Posted by at 1:15 PM in Politics
Posted by at 2:45 PM in Geek
Can Chumby out-kyoot the nabaztag.
I'm thinking this could happen, considering all the ways the DIY crowd can build with and around the chumby.
Posted by at 11:42 AM in Geek
On the January 3 edition of Fox News Live, during a segment that featured Newsweek contributing editor Eleanor Clift and former Sen. Alfonse D'Amato (R-NY) discussing the Democrats' "100 Hours" plan, the onscreen text read: "Are Congressional Democrats killing spirit of bipartisanship?" -- referring to the Democrats' reported intention of placing, as The New York Times reported, "limits on the ability of Republicans to offer alternatives" to their "100 Hours" legislative agenda.From Media Matters
The only thing I can add is doink!?!
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Posted by at 5:29 PM in Politics
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