Don't know if there will be too much posting . . .

Posted at 09:30 AM in Current Affairs | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Walking the dog late last night -- there, in the South East sky, very bright, somewhat Orange, about 60 degree over the horizon: MARS!

Lots of cool images over at NASA

Posted at 08:28 AM in Science | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Interesting article over at the Hartford Advocate:

What's in your Bottled Water?
Despite the hype, bottled water is neither cleaner nor greener than tap water
Thanks to false advertising and disinfection, what you drink may not be what you think.

"You drink tap water? Are you crazy?" asks a 21-year-old radio producer from the Chicago area. "I only drink bottled water." In a trendy nightclub in New York City, the bartender tells guests they can only be served bottled water, which costs $5 for each tiny pint container. One outraged clubber is stopped by the restroom attendant as she tries to refill the bottle from the tap. "You can't do that," says the attendant. "New York's tap water isn't safe . . ."

. . . The message is clear: Bottled water is "good" water, as opposed to that nasty, unsafe stuff that comes out of the tap. But in most cases tap water adheres to stricter purity standards than bottled water, whose source -- far from a mountain spring -- can be the parking lot of an industrial facility in New Jersey. Forty percent of it began life as, well, tap water.

A 2001 World Wildlife Fund study confirmed the widespread belief that consumers associate bottled water with social status and healthy living. Their perceptions trump their objectivity, because even some people who claim to have switched to bottled water "for the taste" can't tell the difference: When Good Morning America conducted a taste test of its studio audience, New York City tap water was chosen as the heavy favorite over the oxygenated water 02, Poland Spring and Evian.

Pointer courtesy of Prof Farber.

References:

Hartford Advocate:What's in your Bottled Water?
http:///gbase/News/content?oid=oid:30865

Scientific American: Is bottled water tapped out?
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=000007F0-6DBD-1ED9-8E1C809EC588EF21

CBS: Our Man Tests The Water
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/05/14/opinion/garver/main553858.shtml

Good Morning America: Bottled vs. Tap
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/GMA/GoodMorningAmerica/GMA010511Water_study.html

Posted at 05:01 PM in Food and Drink | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

DARPA's Bioengineering Program

I know this is going to creep some people out, but -- I don't have much of a problem with this sort of research. Its actually fascinating in a Borg sort of way . . . .

'Brain Interface Program' most lavishly funded of nearly all the DARPA bioengineering efforts ($24 million over 2 years). It is aimed at developing ways to 'integrate' soldiers into machines -literally- by wiring them (remotely or directly) to their planes, tanks, or computers. An implantable brain chip is now under development in this sick program, which has already proudly demonstrated how rats can be turned into living robots through the manipulation of stimulus-response signals in the brain via electrodes.

Sounds cool. Consider this: If you had the option of implanting a chip in your brain, one that gave you 24/7 access to all the printed knowledge of mankind via the web, (enclopedias, thesaurusi, dictionaries, and more), would you do it? I might consider it

The danger would come from the chip's OS -- If it were a Microsoft system, could you imagine what the virusi you could get would look like? Also, there would always be the chance that a backdoor in the code would allow hackers to bury you in disinformation.

"The use of animals in warfare is ugly enough without the further insult to their dignity involved in turning them into involuntary cyborgs," writes James Meek in the Guardian. "And a military command committed to the use of creatures which are part-animal, part-machine, is going to be that bit less reluctant to interfere in its soldiers in similar ways."

Hey, I love animals, but I'm not sure if we are really "insulting the dignity" of rats?
Here are some other interesting projects at DARPA:

A)'Metabolic Dominance and Engineered Tissue' program is aimed at being able to artificially pump up soldier endurance and muscle strength.

B) 'Persistence in Combat' program is a bizarre self-treatment scheme which would include pain-reducing and blood-stopping devices and techniques soldiers would apply to their own wounds -even moderately severe ones- thereby bypassing the need for a medic and enabling a soldier to keep fighting, despite serious wounds.

C) 'Continuous Assisted Perfomance' program hopes to find biotechnological ways (implants, metabolic manipulation, etc) to make it possible to push exhausted soldiers on without loss of performance for up to seven days without sleep.

Posted at 08:55 PM in Design | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack

This is way cool:

Its from MacSense. For $249, I can access any of the 1200 CDs I own -- all of which I've laboriously ripped to my Mac over the course of 3 years -- including the singles and live music I also (legally) own, that's nearly 25,000 songs.

That works out to a little over two continuous months of nonstop music.

Here's a blurb:

Macsense HomePod is a digital stereo component that allows users to take advantage of their existing wireless network to beam MP3 files stored on their Macs or PCs to devices located anywhere in the house. HomePod was announced at the MacWorld Expo held in San Francisco 2003. Imagine being able to select from any computer in your home or office and choose the music you want to listen to on any speaker or headphone set. Simply select your music from the LCD screen on the HomePod and you are set. HomePod even works outside on the patio, in the garden or while organizing your garage. HomePod is scheduled to ship in October with a suggested retail price of $249.

Until now, music lovers have been forced to huddle around their Macs or PCs because no standard format existed that enabled portable devices to seamlessly share media files. But now, with HomePod's 802.11b, or Wi-Fi, network interface to beam MP3 files to remote devices, consumers will end up the winners and finally emerge from behind their desks.

The HomePod enhances Apple's digital hub, picking up where iTunes and iPod leave off. Think of HomePod as an iPod for home distributed entertainment. The handheld device functions just like an iPod, with the ability to browse by artists, style and song name. The device checks how many computers are on the wireless network and pools all the song lists together. All software can run on Mac, PC or Linux machines.

HomePod features an 802.11b wireless and Ethernet network interface, built-in stereo speakers, stereo audio outputs to home hi-fi system, headphone jack, 2.5" back-lit LCD display, jog-shuttle rotating dial, and on-unit control buttons.

Posted at 12:24 PM in Design, Music, Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Back in late July, I posted a whining complaint regarding what ridiculous scams Rebates are, along with a link to a CBS Msrketwatch story on the same topic. I bitched about a $50 TiVo rebate and 2 $70 rebates from Amazon Sprint.

They have both been resolved favorably. Here's the play by play:

TiVo first. I got one for my B-day last year -- October '02, with lifetime membership. Mailed everything out promptly. Three months later, log on to check on it -- nada. I call someone, get the usual rebate bullshit story -- please remail it in, I'm asked; Then check back in a few months.

I do, and wait another few months.

Just in case you missed the early part of the story, here's a reminder: These rebate firms are all lying weasel scammeisters. They count on 50% (if not more) of people not even mailing the paperwork in. The fools who do mail it in, they make jump through hoops. Its a pathetic example of the dark underside of capitalism.

So now its 7 or 8 months later; Mind you, I love my TiVo -- best toy (of many) in the house, edging past the iPod and the inflatable sheep.

I call TiVo customer service, which should win an award for top 5 worst voicemail systems outside of the Seventh level of Hades. Just awful.

Eventually, I get what sounds like a Human. I explain the situation, politely but firmly:

"I know this isn't your fault, but its been 8 months and I'm really tired of the run around"

Customer Service is polite, but unhelpful. That leads me to ask THE QUESTION. Any time you are dealing with this sort of bureaucratic situation, you must be prepared to ask THE QUESTION. It goes like this:

"I'm sorry, I missed your name?"

Its Ken.

"Ken, are you authorized to resolve this to my satisfaction? By that, I mean do you have the authority to approve cutting a $50 check?"

"No, I don't, sir"

"Thank you, Ken, you've been most helpful. Please put your supervisor on"

Note that this is spoken as a direct command -- not a request -- but rather, a firm but polite command. In the same tone you would tell your dog to sit. Not angry, not loud, just authoritative.
MAX, SIT!

Supervisor Mary comes on. I oh-so s l o w l y retell my story. At this point, I've invested enough time that by taking an extra 90 seconds, its a tiny % to me -- but I'm getting Mary to spend time, and therefore have a greater commitment to resolving this. Its kinda what car salesman do; They are not really speaking to their managers, when they step out of the sales cubicle -- they are getting you to commit time.

I start out with a little sugar: "You know, I used to recommend TiVo to a lot of people. I love mine; its a terrific machine. (Pregnant pause. . . ) But I've (SIGH) stopped recommending TiVo to people -- Not with this terrible rebate experince I've been having. I'd really like to recommend the machine, but (SIGH) I cannot in good conscience . . . not when your firm hastaken over 8 months to send me a $50 rebate. Its a darn shame . . ."

This is all very seductive. I try to ourr th words out.

"Mary, this is penny wise and pound foolish. I've been responsible for 20 people buying TiVo in the first 4 months I had the machine. Since this rebate stuff got out of hand, not a single referral. And, its taking all the joy out of what should be a terrific user experience. Please help my TiVo get its mojo back."

Mary is apologetic, but goes to the default procedural rebate center bullshit.

Now its time to take this up a notch:

Mary, I don't know these rebate people, and quite frankly, I don't give a damn who they are. (Still quiet, voice steady). I have no relationship with them -- but I do have a relationship with your firm. (A little louder now ) I don't appreciate being fobbed off on some 3rd party, most especially some incompetant bureaucracy. I never asked to do business with them -- they have demonstrated that they are worthless when it comes to customer service. I am through with them. Done, Finito. Can you understand that Mary?

"Yes sir, I do, but there are procedures."

"Mary, can I ask you 3 questions?"

"Sure."

"When I ordered this, I paid with a credit card -- That transaction was approved, correct?"

"Yes sir."

"Then I ordered a lifetime subscription -- same credit card with my name on it. Was that transction approved? "

"Yes sir."

"And each night, my machine logs in from a phone line at the same residence where that credit card is, right?"

"Yes sir."

(Not too loud -- but with emphasis) "SO WHAT IS THE DAMN PROBLEM WITH HONORING YOUR REBATE AND MAILING ME MY CHECK? We just established unequivocally that I am an authorized fully paid for TiVo owner. Please honor your promises."

"There are rebate procedures sir."

Mary, here's my last question for you (Its THE question): Do you have authority to resolve this to my satisfaction? If the answer is no, than ITS MY PROCEDURE TO HAVE YOU CONNECT ME TO YOUR LEGAL DEPARTMENT, and we will resolve it that way.

"Yes I do Sir, I will look into it. You will here back from me within 10 days."

This was a Friday. The check came the following Wednesday.

On to nonsense from Amazon/Sprint

About the same story, only via email -- harder to be as effective via mail; I could not find a phone number for Amazon customer service. Similar runaround, hard to ask for a supervisor via email. When they suggest the rebate center crap again, I simply ask for their Legal Department Address (They sent it to me).

Fortunately, the checks arrived (2 for $70) ion about 10 days. Case closed.

The moral of the story: Never ever ever buy anything with rebates ever again. Never.

Posted at 10:46 PM in Shopping | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Here's the line that will be in trademark/1st Amendment casebooks:

"There are hard cases and there are easy cases," judge Chin said. "This is an easy case. This case is wholly without merit, both factually and legally."

Expect Franken to file a motion to dismiss the suit.

In addition to denying the injunction, the judge took direct aim at Fox for bringing the case:

"Parody is a form of artistic expression protected by the First Amendment. The keystone to parody is imitation. Mr. Franken is clearly mocking Fox," said Chin. "It is ironic that a media company, which should be protecting the First Amendment, is seeking to undermine it."

That says it all on the legal side; On the irony scorecard, there was this:

One round of laughter was prompted when Judge Chin asked, "Do you think that the reasonable consumer, seeing the word `lies' over Mr. O'Reilly's face would believe Mr. O'Reilly is endorsing this book?"

The giggling continued as Dori Ann Hanswirth, a lawyer for Fox, replied, "To me, it's quite ambiguous as to what the message is here." She continued, "It does not say `parody' or `satire.' "

Ms. Hanswirth said Fox's "signature slogan" was also blurred, because people who were not associated with the network, which owns the Fox News Channel, also appear on the cover with Mr. O'Reilly.

Judge Chin said, "The president and the vice president are also on the cover. Is someone going to consider that they are affiliated with Fox?"

The courtroom broke into laughter again.

The funny thing is, that last question can be answered with a yes . . .

And finally, here's Franken's observation:

"In addition to thanking my own lawyers, Franken said, I'd like to thank Fox's lawyers for filing one of the stupidest briefs I've ever seen in my life."

URLs:
In Courtroom, Laughter at Fox and a Victory for Al Franken
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/23/nyregion/23FRAN.html

Judge rejects Fox bid vs. Franken book
http://www.salon.com/ent/wire/2003/08/22/franken/index.html

Fox Loses Bid to Stop Sale of Franken Book http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=638&ncid=579&e=3&u=/nm/20030822/en_nm/media_fox_dc

Image courtesy of Amazon

Posted at 07:20 AM in Media | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Very cool collection of NYC blackout photos

Here's a satellite photo from Thursday nite:

Thanks to Hoffmania for the pointer

Posted at 03:08 PM in Current Affairs | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Andy Milonakis is at it again; He makes a rather bad Eminem
(he's not the only one who can bust a rhyme)

From the kid who brought you "The Superbowl is Gay" comes the latest act of stupidity...
and its hysterical! (warning: Bad language)

Posted at 12:10 PM in Humor | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

08/20 5:15P (DJ) DJ New Committee Seeks Bush Defeat In US Pres Race
Story 6167 (G/EXE, G/USG, N/DJN, N/DJRT, N/DJWR, N/DJFX, N/DJGP, N/DJGV...)

WASHINGTON (AP)--A new committee that hopes to make sure U.S. President George W. Bush serves just one term takes a page from the effort to oust a Democratic governor in California, calling its web site "bushrecall" and garnering support through petitions.

The new committee, called the Fair and Balanced PAC, plans to launch its www.bushrecall.org Web site Thursday. The PAC's founders include Joe Lockhart, a press secretary to former President Clinton, and Mike Lux, a Democratic political consultant.

The Constitution provides no way to recall a president through a ballot initiative, as California voters have a chance to do to Democrat Gray Davis in October.

Instead, the PAC will work to defeat Bush in next year's election, building lists of supporters through a petition drive and raising money to run ads against the Republican, he said.

"What we hope to do is to remind people that all of the things that are being said about Gray Davis as the reasons for the recall can be applied to George Bush," Lux said Wednesday. "For example, they say Davis turned big surpluses into deficits in a matter of a couple of years. That's the same thing that happened with George Bush."

The Bush campaign didn't immediately return a phone call seeking comment.

The PAC currently plans to raise only limited contributions - known as hard money - from individuals and other political committees. It can spend its money on ads expressly calling for a candidate's election or defeat, and must disclose its fund-raising and expenditures to the Federal Election Commission.

The PAC is one of several Democratic-leaning groups formed since a campaign finance law took effect in November and imposed new restrictions on political party fund-raising and spending.

The new groups are helping Democrats compensate for the party's loss of soft money, corporate and union contributions the new law bans the national parties from collecting. The GOP raised soft money too, but so far hasn't been hit as hard financially by the law because it takes in more hard money -individual and PAC donations -than the Democratic Party.

Many of the new Democratic-leaning groups are focused on the presidential race and are taking on specific types of spending, such as raising money for get-out-the-vote activities or ads on Democratic issues.

Lux said his PAC plans to coordinate its activities with other groups including America Votes, a new coalition of environmental, labor, civil rights, abortion rights and other organizations working together on voter outreach efforts.

The Fair and Balanced PAC's board members include Gloria Totten, executive director of another Democratic-leaning group, the Progressive Majority, and former political director of the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires
08-20-03 1715ET

Posted at 05:18 PM in Politics | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack

WHY WE LOVE ARNOLD, from the same folks who brought you WeLoveTheIraqiInformationMinister.com

Thanks to GMSV for the pointer.

Posted at 03:29 PM in Humor, Politics | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Ted Rall is a political cartoonist and author. I have only a passing familiarity with his other work. But his recent piece, Rall's Rule of Ideological Balance is a rather interesting take on whether its more effective to go centrist or leftisit when confronted woth a rightest political candidate.

Posted at 02:15 PM in Politics | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

From my college friend Jeff Zoldan, who lives in Brooklyn (Park Slope), and runs a used furniture business in Manhattan. Here is his interesting and funny take on the blackout :

Zoldan's Lessons from the Blackout

1) I like my beverages cold.

2) Without electricity, we are like any other third world country, perhaps even worse off.

3) Cell phones don't really work too well during emergencies.

4) Sleeping is difficult when you are drenched in sweat and not lying on a beach.

5) I prefer "light pollution," which doesn't allow you to normally see the stars in the skies from big cities like NY, over the blank darkness and stillness of a city in a blackout. If seeing stars at night is your thing, there is always the state of Maine.

6) We need to regulate utilities. The Republican and pro-business lobbies who have forever cried for deregulation in the name of an efficient marketplace that will deliver the best and most efficient services at the best prices is total bullshit. The only thing that we are guranteed in an deregualted atmosphere is that all parties will only take whatever action is in their self-interest. If the businessperson's self-interest happens to coincide with the public's need, we're in luck. But if not, whoa nelly!

7) The Bush Administration will use this latest blackout incident to further gut environmental protections (nuclear reactors in Queens, right?) and to push for faster and deeper drilling in the Arctic National Wilderness Refuge.They will also push for more credits for the utilities that started this whole fiasco because there is nothing more certain than the Republicans shamelessly using misfortune to reward their supporters for failure.

8) Perhaps Al Quaeda may not be as entrenched in the US or NY as we have been led to believe? I don't want to mitigate the possible dangers of lunatic Muslims who live here among us but if there are "sleeper cells" poised to strike, what the hell are they waiting for? Wouldn't Thursday evening have been a prime time to do something, anything, to unsettle an already unsettled populace? Come on, how hard would it be even for a stupid Arab terrorist to drop a small homemade explosive device in a corner garbage can? We're not talking sophisticated planning. So my premise is: if not now, when? Maybe the bogeyman doesn't lurk in every shadow as the Govt. would have us believe so that they can continue to curtail civil rights in the name of fighting nameless terrorism?

9) Nothing beats the sound of the hum of an air conditioner on a hot summer evening.

As always, Jeff raises some interesting points. If he wasn't such a technophobe, it'd be up on his blog. But since he doesn't and I do, (with his permission), here it is.

Posted at 11:22 AM in Humor | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Fun with text: Check out the Dialectizer

It will translate any web page you point to in any of the following dialects: Redneck, Jive, Cockney, Elmer Fudd, Swedish Chef, Moron, Pig Latin, or Hacker.

Its a clean piece of amusement, not unlike the Pornolizer ('cept the Pornolizer is a bit on the X-rated side)

Dialectizer pointer thanks to Silt

Posted at 07:37 AM in Humor | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

This article from the 8/13/03 WSJ: Some Male 'Enlargement' Pills Contain a Variety of Impurities (by JULIA ANGWIN, August 13, 2003) is enough to make you swear off the largely unregulated supplement business.

“Don't bank on the promised "three inches." What some customers might get from Performance Marketing's [enlargement] pills is a less-than-sexy dose of bacteria and other contaminants. Commissioned by The Wall Street Journal, Flora Research, San Juan Capistrano, Calif., conducted an independent laboratory analysis of a composite sample of 10 Performance Marketing pills and turned up significant levels of E. coli, yeast, mold, lead and pesticide residues.”

The amount of E. coli bacteria -- 16,300 colony-forming units per gram -- appears to be particularly high, experts say. "I think it's safe to say it has heavy fecal contamination," says Michael Donnenberg, head of the infectious-diseases department at the University of Maryland.

The WSJournal's independent analysis revealed the presence of bacteria, heavy metals and pesticide residues. The pills far exceed suggested limits set by ConsumerLab.com LLC, an independent rating agency for the nutritional-supplement industry, for coliform, a type of bacteria that can indicate contamination from water or feces. "You'd probably be spending more time in the bathroom than the bedroom with this product," says Tod Cooperman, president of ConsumerLab.com. Yeast and mold counts also exceeded ConsumerLab.com's limits. The amount of lead in a daily dose of three pills surpassed the limit set by California's strict labeling laws for "chemicals causing reproductive toxicity."

Repeat after me: Size doesn't matter . . . at least, not enough to consume E. coli, yeast, mold, lead, pesticide residues and fecal matter.

Posted at 10:03 PM in Humor | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack

File this under "When will they learn" (Subcategory: Fair and Balanced)

Name a book, movie or other publication that was actually halted in this country via prior restraint . . . Go ahead, I'll give you a few seconds . . . At least in modern times, it just isn't a viable strategy.

If anything, it merely promotes the spread of whatever Meme the censor is offended by.

Would anyone in the West have ever heard of Salman Rushdie's The Satanic Verses, if not for the death threat on his head by conservative Islamic clerics? Would Michael Moore's book, "Stupid White Men" have sold as well, if not for the initial cold feet of his publisher, HarperCollins, who feared the book's strident tone might offend so soon after 9/11? A librarian inspired buzz (no, really) over the delay of Moore's book amounted to a windfall once it was finally released from the warehouse.

Along comes the latest feat of surprising legal stupidity: Rupert Murdoch's litigation against Al "made you cry" Franken, and his book titled: "Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right."

Franken's political satire is very much part of the left/right debate. What's more emblematic of the left wing than Franken, and of right wing than Fox news? The legal question is whether trademark law trumps political speech under 1st amendment law; Given that no one on the planet could ever mistake Al Franken for a Fox commentator, I think Fox's "confusing the consumer" argument profoundly fails.

The irony is that Franken's book shot from # 489 according to the #5 on Amazon's bestseller list, according to the Washington Post ; A scant few hours later, it hit #1.

Now THAT'S funny.

Washington Post: Franken on Suit: What, Me Worry?

See also NYT: Windfall Publicity for Al Franken's Book

Pointer thanks to Tapped: AL FRANKEN'S REVENGE

Posted at 05:17 PM in Humor, Media, Politics | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

BBC: Game show plan for governor race

The battle to become governor of California is to be turned into a game show by a United States television channel. The Game Show Network will pick five of the 193 candidates who have registered to challenge current governor Gray Davis.

The chosen five will then battle it out in challenges that could include an obstacle course dodging lobbyists with briefcases of money. The winner will be chosen by an online viewers' vote, and will receive $21,200 (£13,200) toward campaign funds.

The show - called Who Wants To Be Governor of California? - will be broadcast on 1 October. Among the candidates will be movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger, Diff'rent Strokes actor Gary Coleman, adult publisher Larry Flynt and porn star Mary Carey. But there are no details on which five will take part in the game show.

Unique format: "We'll have podiums and buzzers and bells, but there won't be any long speeches," network president Rich Cronin said. "There may be an obstacle course where they have to get past lobbyists with briefcases of money. "There will be policy questions and issue questions - things that showcase what the contestants can do." Viewers appreciated "light-hearted entertainment" and the show will allow candidates a rare opportunity "to debate in a unique new format", he said.

Posted at 11:17 AM in Media, Politics | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Quote of the Day

"It's official: California has finally reclaimed its rightful place as the wackiest state in the union. Florida had us beat for a while with Elian Gonzalez and hanging chads, but we came roaring back with this whole recall thing. Think about it: Darrell Issa -- an alleged car thief who later made his fortune selling car alarms -- decides he wants to be governor. So he throws the world's sixth largest economy into utter chaos by paying bunch of losers to collect enough signatures to invalidate an election that's not even a year old -- right in the middle of the worst deficit crisis in state history. You can't make this shit up."

-Chris Thompson,
Gary for Governor! East Bay Express, August 11, 2003

Note: I'm happily ensconced 3000 miles away in NYC; Who woulda thought the place that gave the world Mayors Koch, Giuliani and Bloomberg would look politically sane?

Posted at 09:51 AM in Politics | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Here's a thought about the recent, Daniel Issa financed recall process: Now that we know democratic elections are not sacrosanct in the Golden State, what's to stop the parties from alternating recalls each election? Is this the beginning of a new era of perennial elections, campign hell that never ends? Great, we can now look forward to some wealthy crank calling an election Mulligan every 18 months.

Apparently, this loophole -- long overlooked in California politics -- has effectively replaced representative government with a '70s era, Italian parliment. In Italy, the ruling coalition would dissolve parliment after few months or so, and have a brand new elections. What fun.

Living in NY, I really don't have much of a view as to who wins or loses in California; But I was surprised to learn that anyone willing to spend $1.5 million to pay professional petitioners to stand in Target and Wal-mart parking lots could undo a democratic election.

Take California. Please.

Posted at 03:27 PM in Politics | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack

A request: There are some people who engage in ridiculous polemics, spew crass vitriol, and utter any venomous thoughts they can muster for the sole purpose of generating publicity to hawk whatever they happen to be whoring at that moment. Some of these figures actually make bile their career. Its practically on their business cards.

The blogosphere is filled with references to these imbeciles. By commenting, criticizing, even mocking the intellectual detritus, one incidentally legitimizes them.

The goal of uttering insupportable yet outrageous comments such as:

We should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity

They have no true political agenda. They adopt extreme views because it generates "buzz," which in turn increases book sales, which of course, puts money in their pockets.

They are, in a word, whores.

Therefore, I propose the following: I say, lets thwart their evil plan. Let us no longer mention them by their given (also known as Christian) names. Like the movie BeetleJuice: as long as you don't say their name, they cannot appear.

I HEREBY DECLARE THAT I SHALL NOW REFER TO HER WHOSE NAME WE DARE NOT SPEAK AS:
THE SHRILL BLONDE HARPY.

Whenever I see the Shrill Blonde Harpy’s name mentioned in a blog, I shall encourage that writer to take a more indifferent approach.

It is important to understand that the opposite of love is not hate; It is indifference. Pick out the most heinous persona you can think of, and find a suitable substitute for their actual name. In the case of some of these media whores, including the Shrill Blonde Harpy, this process will take some time. SBH still has a few seconds to burn off her 15 minutes of fame. Cold turkey, simply stop.

Heres what this will look like:
The Trouble With the Shrill Blonde Harpy

Shrill Blonde Harpy Watch

LAffaire Shrill Blonde Harpy

My Lunch With the Shrill Blonde Harpy

My Lunch with Shrill Blonde Harpy II
(apparently, Shrill Blonde Harpies are a voracious lot)

When Shrill Blonde Harpies attack

Fact-Checking the Shrill Blonde Harpy

The Wisdom of the Shrill Blonde Harpy

Pick your own intellectually vapid liar and go to town! It doesn't matter if they are left or right -- Michael Moore, Geraldo, Bill O'Reilly, Bill Maher -- find someone who's utterly whoring existence offends every fibre of your being -- and denude them of name. My short list above consists of merely annoying people, who do not reach the level of the Shrill Blonde Harpy in my book -- but perhaps they do in yours! Let me know, and I'll strike their name out for you!

On behalf of sentient creatures everywhere, you will have earned the Universe's undying gratitude.

Start denuding . . .

Posted at 08:52 PM in Humor, Media, Politics | Permalink | Comments (7)

Why do I find this video so totally amusing? Is it the retro look and feel, the mocking of popular rock stars, or perhaps because simply cuz I dig the tune Sonnet no. 3 (Like A Duck) so much?

From MC HONKY's CD 'I AM THE MESSIAH'!

Audio: Sonnet no. 3 (Like A Duck)
Video: Sonnet no. 3 (Like A Duck).

MC HONKY has a pretty bitchin website also . . .

Posted at 02:04 PM in Music | Permalink | Comments (1)

Representative Henry Waxman has set up an interesting web page titled Over on the main blog, I made reference to " Politics & Science : Investigating the Bush Administration's Promotion of Ideology over Science over at house.gov.

from the welcome page:

Overview The American people depend upon federal agencies to develop science-based policies that protect the nation’s health and welfare. Recently, however, leading scientific journals have begun to question whether scientific integrity at federal agencies has been sacrificed to further a political and ideological agenda.

At the request of Rep. Henry A. Waxman, the minority staff of the Government Reform Committee assessed the treatment of science and scientists by the Bush Administration.

The report Politics and Science in the Bush Administration (.pdf) finds numerous instances where the Administration has manipulated the scientific process and distorted or suppressed scientific findings. Beneficiaries include important supporters of the President, including social conservatives and powerful industry groups.

This website is an ongoing record of interference with science by the Bush Administration.

Manipulation of Scientific Committees
According to Science, advisory committees are “the primary mechanism for government agencies to harness the wisdom and expertise of the scientific community in shaping the national agenda for both research and regulation.” The Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) requires that federal committees be “fairly balanced in terms of the points of view represented” and provide advice that “will not be inappropriately influenced by the appointing authority or by any special interest.” Yet instead of seeking quality advice from expert appointments, the Bush Administration has:

• appointed people with scant scientific credentials but strong industry ties;
•appointed with right-wing ideological agendas;
• stacked advisory committees with numerous pro-industry or ideological appointees;
• opposed the appointment or reappointment of qualified experts, including some of the most respected scientists in their fields, on the basis of political litmus tests.

Distortion of Scientific Information
The public relies on government agencies for scientific information and explanations of complex technical matters. Applying a political filter to scientific communications can confuse the public and ultimately lead to cynicism and disillusionment. Unfortunately, the Bush Administration has:

• distorted Presidential communications to the American people;
• provided incomplete and inaccurate scientific information to Congress;
• altered web sites, deleting information that conflicts with Administration priorities or adding unscientific information that supports such priorities;
• suppressed information from agency reports that conflicts with Administration’s political or ideological agenda or suppressed the report altogether;
• eliminated key information from communications with international organizations including the United Nations.

Interference with Scientific Research
Federal funding for research and development totals over $100 billion dollars. The public expects that this research will be conducted independently and objectively. Yet the Bush Administration has:

• obstructed ongoing research by threatening political scrutiny of projects that concern social conservatives;
• obstructed agency research when the results might conflict with the Administration’s agenda;
• undermined outcome assessment, both by creating easy-to-reach performance measures for politically favored programs and by eliminating programs that identify effective initiatives that conflict with the Administration’s ideological agenda;
• blocked publication of research that may upset an affected industry.

Posted at 12:02 PM in Politics, Science | Permalink | Comments (0)

Seriously curvaceous design

Custom Curves

Is that what they mean when they say "bad ass bike?"

Posted at 07:37 AM in Design | Permalink | Comments (2)

Over on the main blog, I made reference to "The ACME Federal Reserve:"

"As Bond buyers have discovered to their chagrin, this [Greenspan] statement has turned out to be false (at least so far). The fixed income crowd has become Wile E. Coyote to Greenspan’s Road Runner. The Fed Chief painted a tunnel entrance on a wall, and they ran face first into it. Forgive the equity crowd their snickering, as they had already paid their tuition to learn that costly lesson."

Apparently, I violated several of the rules which govern the behavior of my favorite Looney Toons. According to Chuck Jones, the duo's creator and chief director, in Chuck Amuck: The Life and Times Of An Animated Cartoonist, he and the artists behind the Road Runner and Wile E. cartoons adhered to some simple but strict rules.

Herewith, the actual Looney Toons controlling legal authority which determines what can and cannot happen in a Roadrunner cartoon:

Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner

Rule 1: Road Runner cannot harm the Coyote except by going "Beep! Beep!"

Rule 2: No outside force can harm the Coyote -- only his own ineptitude or the failure of Acme products. Wile E.'s ineptitude, possibly a by-product of his distracted obsession with catching Road Runner, is compounded only by the Acme company's products - which may work for other customers, but seem never to work for Wile E., who repeatedly risks life and limb counting on their effectiveness. In Operation: Rabbit , for example, Wile E. constructs an elaborate Acme-manufactured contraption guaranteed to catch Bugs Bunny. Inevitably, the apparatus fails and Wile E. is defeated once again.

This is an interesting question . . . did the fixed income traders harm themselves in their "distracted obsession with catching" a trade?

Rule 3: The Coyote could stop anytime -- IF he was not a fanatic. (Repeat: "A fanatic is one who redoubles his effort when he has forgotten his aim." - George Santayana) Of course he can't quit; he's certain that the next attempt is sure to succeed. He's the personality type that twelve-step programs are made for. Of course, first you have to want to quit.

Rule 4: No dialogue ever, except "Beep! Beep!" Oh, and the occasional dialog sign that comes in handy just as Wile E. realizes that his efforts are going to bring him nothing but big pain.

Okay, obviously, the Fed Chief is a little more long winded than the Road Runner to whom I analogized him;

Rule 5: Road Runner must stay on the road - for no other reason than that he's a roadrunner.

Rule 6: All action must be confined to the natural environment of the two characters -- the southwest American desert. That's because there's everything you need for a funny cartoon in one place: winding roads, peaks, canyons, cacti, and boulders, all of which defy conventional physics. In Chuck Jones' classic There They Go-Go-Go! , the starving Wile E. resorts to creating a chicken out of the desert mud. When the speedy Road Runner whizzes by, friction causes the road and Wile E.'s feet to catch on fire, sending the coyote into a frantic craze, in which he attempts to capture his prey with a rope, a sling shot, a rotating circle of spiked balls, a booby-trapped ladder, and a pile of rocks.

Rule 7: All tools, weapons, or mechanical conveniences must be obtained from the Acme Corporation. Talk about the first real example of "branding" in American commerce! Of course, not even an Acme brand Burmese tiger trap, an Acme brand steel wall, or Acme brand muscle-building vitamins can help Wile E. catch-up to the supersonic Road Runner in Stop! Look! Hasten!

Well, the Fed controls interest rates and money supply. These are the key tools relied upon by the Coyote (er, fixed income traders). So perhaps this one works after all.

Rule 8: Whenever possible, make gravity the Coyote's greatest enemy. Another Chuck Jones' classic, Scrambled Aches, has Wile E. watering a rock in order to grow it to boulder-size so he can crush Road Runner flat in his tracks. In true Wile E. style, the rock expands just as the tottering coyote lifts it over his head, letting gravity take its course. It's the law, you know.

Is gravity the enemy of the speculative trader? For sure!

Rule 9: The Coyote is always more humiliated than harmed by his failures. Easy for you to say.

Clearly not the case in my analogy. These speculators got crushed, just a ssurely as if a boulder fell on them from a great height.

Rule 10: The audience's sympathy must remain with the Coyote. From Beep, Beep to Zipping Along to Freeze Frame, and despite his constant failure, fans continue to love Wile E. Coyote and his always one-step-ahead costar, Road Runner.

"It's an eternal battle of need versus speed, aggravation versus acceleration. Throughout Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote's careers in over two dozen Warner Bros. cartoons chronicling the duo's encounters, their classic chase formula has never lost its tension. The luckless Wile E. comes up with increasingly elaborate and seemingly foolproof schemes to snag Road Runner who, oblivious to the danger, always eludes the pathetic coyote's painstaking plans."

Sources:
Chuck Amuck: The Life and Times Of An Animated Cartoonist
LOONEY TUNES

All LOONEY TUNES, characters, names and related indicia are trademarks of Warner Bros., © 2002

Posted at 03:28 PM in Humor | Permalink | Comments (0)

"Here's the truth: People, even regular people, are never just any one
person with one set of attributes. It's not that simple. We're all
at the mercy of the limbic system, clouds of electricity drifting
through the brain. Every man is broken into twenty-four-hour
fractions, and then again within those twenty-four hours. It's a
daily pantomime, one man yielding control to the next: a backstage
crowded with old hacks clamoring for their turn in the spotlight.
Every week, every day. The angry man hands the baton over to the
sulking man, and in turn to the sex addict, the introvert, the
conversationalist. Every man is a mob, a chain gang of idiots.

"This is the tragedy of life. Because for a few minutes of every day,
every man becomes a genius. Moments of clarity, insight, whatever
you want to call them. The clouds part, the planets get in a neat
little line, and everything becomes obvious. I should quit smoking,
maybe, or here's how I could make a fast million, or such and such is
the key to eternal happiness. That's the miserable truth. For a few
moments, the secrets of the universe are opened to us. Life is a
cheap parlor trick.

"But then the genius, the savant, has to hand over the controls to the
next guy down the pike, most likely the guy who just wants to eat
potato chips, and insight and brilliance and salvation are all
entrusted to a moron or a hedonist or a narcoleptic."

Posted at 02:01 PM in Film | Permalink | Comments (0)

One lousy movie, and it looks like the start of a not-so-beautiful relationship together. I guess this means we won't get to see that remake of Casablanca after all: "Of all the strip clubs in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine."

Have J-Lo and Ben split?
by NICOLE LAMPERT, Daily Mail, Wednesday, Aug 6th, 2003