Neil Eskelin offers the following five keys to making and keeping effective resolutions:

The resolutions you make for the coming year should not be the result of a hasty thought or spur-of-the-moment decision. Start thinking about your commitments now. And when you finally declare them, treat them as final:

1. Only make long-term commitments. Helen Keller once said, “We can do anything we want to if we stick to it long enough.”

2. Be sure your resolutions are your own, not those of someone else. More than two millenniums ago, Euripedes wrote, “The wisest men follow their own direction.”

3. Don’t abandon your resolution when trouble comes. The great inventor, Charles F. Kettering, stated, “No one would have crossed the ocean if he could have gotten off the ship in the storm.”

4. Make your resolutions final. Here’s the path taken by president Harry Truman: “Once a decision was make, I did not worry about it afterward.”

5. Finally be sure your resolutions become part of your daily life. I like the words of Charles Millhuff: “Life’s circumstances are created by three basic choices: the disciplines you choose to keep, the people you choose to be with, and the laws you choose to obey.”

via Daily Jump Start

Posted at 11:59 PM in Current Affairs | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Fimoculous is a meta site that, amongst other things, compiles awesome lists of, well, lists. We previously looked at a list of lists for the year in review for music; Here's the Fimoculous treatment of film for 2003:

2004: The next 12 months in film from BBC NEWS

Take 5 from Village Voice (lists and compiled winners)

Top 20 Nude Scenes from Fakes.net

Top 10 from Chicago Sun Times (Roger Ebert)

The Movies of the Year from New York Times (A. O. Scott)

The Movies of the Year from New York Times (Elvis Mitchell)

The Movies of the Year from New York Times (Steve Holden)

Year In Review from L.A Times (Kenneth Turan) (subscription)

Top 10 from L.A Times (Stephen Hunter)

Top 10 Movies of 2003 from Chicago Tribune (Michael Wilmington)

The Year in Documentaries from New York Times

Top 10 Movies of 2003 from Chicago Tribune (Mark Caro)

Top 10 Movies of 2003 from Newsday

The 10 Best Movies of 2003 from Entertainment Weekly

The 5 Worst Movies of 2003 from Entertainment Weekly

Best And Worst of 2003 from Time

Film Top 10 from The Guardian

The Year In Film from The Guardian.

Top Ten Films from Newsweek.

Top Five Documentaries from Newsweek.

Top 10 Movies from San Francisco Chronicle (Ruth Stein).

Top 10 Movies from San Francisco Chronicle (Mick LaSalle).

Top 10 Movies from San Francisco Chronicle (Carla Meyer).

Best of 2003 from Rolling Stone (Peter Travers).

The Over/Under on '03 from Minneapolis Star-Tribune

10 Best from Minneapolis Star Tribune

The List 2003 from L.A. Weekly.

2003 in Film from Austin Chronicle

The 10 Best Movies of 2003 from Salon.

Best of 2003 from Art Forum.

The Year in Movies from The Seattle Times.

Best of 2003 from St. Louis Post Dispatch.

Best of 2003 from San Antonio Express-News.

High Scores of the Year from MetaCritic.

The Best of 2003 from Movie City News.

The Year of the Navel from Movie City News.

Best and Worst of 2003 from Slant Magazine

2003 Critics Awards from New York Film Critics Circle

AFI Top 10 from American Film Institute

Best Films of 2003 from National Board of Review

Top 10 Film from The Advocate

Foreign Film Survey from Indie Wire

Breakthroughs of the Year from Indie Wire

Film Awards For 2003 from Boston Film Critics

Most Frigid People in Hollywood in 2003 from Film Threat

Best of 2003 from Indiana Statesman

Top 10 Worst Movies of 2003 from worldfilm.about.com

Canada's Top 10 Films from Canoe.ca

European Film Awards.

Golden Globe Nominations.

DVD

Best DVDs of the Year from Entertainment Weekly

Year's Best Music DVDs from The Guardian.

The Most Impressive DVDs of 2003 from DVD Talk.

Top DVDs of 2003 from Akron Beacon Journal.

Year In Review from L.A Times (subscription)

Best DVDs of 2003 (Editors) and Best DVDs of 2003 (Customers) from Amazon.com

via Fimoculous

Posted at 07:21 AM in Film | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Of all the Apple "Switch" parodies out there, this one presents the most compelling reason to switch to a Macintosh. And, it happens to be very, very funny:

click graphic

Posted at 08:50 AM in Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Dan McCarthy does some very original and wonderful stylized posters and drawings; The scene above is a detail from one of his works for a Christmas concert. His bold graphics are often in silhouettes and solid colors, frequently from unusual perspectives. He's made some interesting album covers which integrate well across all of the CD paraphernalia -- Jewel Case, liner notes, CD booklet, and the Disc itself.

Unusual and interesting work worth checking out.

via Dan McCarthy

Posted at 07:59 AM in Art & Design | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

From the San Antonio Current, a very depressing piece of news:

"On December 13, when U.S. forces captured Saddam Hussein, President George W. Bush not only celebrated with his national security team, but also pulled out his pen and signed into law a bill that grants the FBI sweeping new powers. A White House spokesperson explained the curious timing of the signing - on a Saturday - as "the President signs bills seven days a week." But the last time Bush signed a bill into law on a Saturday happened more than a year ago - on a spending bill that the President needed to sign, to prevent shuttng down the federal government the following Monday.

By signing the bill on the day of Hussein's capture, Bush effectively consigned a dramatic expansion of the USA Patriot Act to a mere footnote. Consequently, while most Americans watched as Hussein was probed for head lice, few were aware that the FBI had just obtained the power to probe their financial records, even if the feds don't suspect their involvement in crime or terrorism. . .

Congress passed the legislation around Thanksgiving. Except for U.S. Representative Charlie Gonzalez, all San Antonio's House members voted for the act. The Senate passed it with a voice vote to avoid individual accountability. While broadening the definition of "financial institution," the Bush administration
is ramping up provisions within the 2001 USA Patriot Act, which granted the FBI the authority to obtain client records from banks by merely requesting the records in a "National Security Letter." To get the records, the FBI doesn't have to appear before a judge, nor demonstrate "probable cause" - reason to
believe that the targeted client is involved in criminal or terrorist activity. Moreover, the National Security Letters are attached with a gag order, preventing any financial institution from informing its clients that their records have been surrendered to the FBI. If a financial institution breaches the gag order, it faces criminal penalties. And finally, the FBI will no longer be required to report to Congress how often they have used the National Security Letters."

David Martin's entire article can be viewed here.

See also:
Statement on H.R. 2417 (Statement by the President)
December 13, 2003
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/12/20031213-3.html

H.R. 2417, INTELLIGENCE AUTHORIZATION AGREEMENT
http://www.fas.org/irp/congress/2003_cr/h112203.html

Under Bush, Expanding Secrecy
By Dana Milbank, Washington Post:
Tuesday, December 23, 2003; Page A19
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A22764-2003Dec22.html

WITH A WHISPER, NOT A BANG
By David Martin
12/24/2003, San Antonio Current
http://www.sacurrent.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=10705756&BRD=2318&PAG=461&dept_id=482778&rfi=6

Posted at 04:27 PM in Current Affairs | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Ben Fry creates these gorgeous visualizations of "highly complex systems for which we lack deep understanding because few techniques exist for visualization of data whose structure and content are undergoing continous change."

Uh, yeah. What he said.

Here's the explanation for what this graphic reflects:

With several 'genome' projects nearing states of completion, a primary use of the data for biologists is to search for a sequence of letters and see if it's found in the genome of another organism. If the sequence is found, it is then possible, based on what's known about the sequence as it's found in the other organism, to guess the function of that sequence of letters.

This piece is a visual representation of the algorithm (called BLAST) most commonly used for genome searches. The genome of an organism is made up of thousands of genes (34,000 for the human, 20,000 for the mouse, and 14,000 for the fruitfly). A gene is made up of a sequence of As, Cs, Gs, Ts that averages 1000 to 2000 letters apiece. In order to handle this amount of information, the BLAST algorithm breaks each sequence of letters into 9 letter parts. Every unique nine letter set is represented as a point on screen. The points are arranged from the center, with the most common sets on the outside, the less common towards the middle.

via Ben Fry

Posted at 09:04 AM in Art & Design | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Ok, I assume you are as sick and tired about receiving Spam about penis enlargements, refinancing your mortgage, and discount pharmaceuticals. Apparently, we are a small dicked nation paying too much for drugs and mortgages.

I can't help you with the latter two, but as to the first item, a recent article in the NY Observer makes the surprising observation that its not that men's equipment is, um, too small, er, rather, its women's packages that, uh, perhaps are too large. (No, really).

George Gurley (funny name) writes all about the "Tiny Gynie" syndrome, as well as the "Floppy woo" in an article titled "My Vagina Monologue."

"I’ve thought about penis size," said Francine Maroukian, author of the just-published Town and Country Elegant Entertaining, as Central Park stretched out below us. "I’ve had a vagina my whole life, and I don’t sit around and think, ‘Wow, is my vagina too big or too small?’ I only think about it in terms of what’s going to be entering it: Is it going to be too big or too small?"

On another night, at Library Bar on Avenue A, I met a voluptuous lady who said she was an Australian porn star named Cherie Lamour. "You could fill this bar up with women and they’ll talk about penis size until they’re blue in the face," said Ms. Lamour. "They’ll never, ever discuss the size of their vagina. It’s all on the guys. It’s amazing! I think the score needs to be evened, because all these women bitch about penis size. Men get a very raw deal."

OK, so now you know what to say to the next person who, um, disparages your "equipment." Its not me, its you.

via NY Observer

Posted at 02:15 AM in Current Affairs, Media, Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack

As part of our continuing coverage of "Christmas Calvalcade of Jews," here's the trailer for Jerry Seinfeld's "Comedian."

This continues to be the funniest trailers ever made for a film . . .

Its not a clip montage, but an actual separate trailer written and shot for the movie:

Here's the official website for the film.


via Apple's Quicktime Movie Trailer page

Posted at 07:41 AM in Film, Humor | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Deck the halls, its time for another retail horror story:

"Those of you who have worked retail during the holiday season will understand my reluctance to speak about this before now. The memories are horrific, brutal and sometimes cause flashbacks that leave me curled up in a fetal position, sobbing and begging to be sedated.

1983 was my first holiday retail experience. It was a baptism by fire, as I landed a job at the busiest record store at the busiest mall on Long Island. Record World, Roosevelt Field, a/k/a/ RF#1. On my first day - two days before Thanksgiving - I was handed the requisite blue vest, a name tag and a few whispered words of advice: don't let them get to you. My co-workers were referring to the barrage of customers that were at the gated entrance to the store fifteen minutes before opening and still clinging to the cassette racks as we were trying to close. You have not seen a whirling dervish in action until you have seen someone hell bent on getting everything on their kid's Christmas list.

I, however, was no wimp. I could handle any customer, any crowd, any cash register breakdown or old woman sobbing over the Julio Iglesias albums. I immediately volunteered to work the irons - the opening to closing shift - nearly every day. From Thanksgiving until Christmas, I would not have a day off, and most of the days would be the full work shift . . .

The closer it got to Christmas, the more of a frenzy people were in. They fought over the last copy of Synchronicity. They mobbed us when we opened a new box of Madonna cassettes. And every once in a while, I would have to step over some fur-coated, blue-haired grandma who fainted when she saw the larger-than-life cardboard cut-out of Julio. And I started to feel the result of all work and no play. I was tired, cranky and I lost my voice . . ." (story continues here)

Not quite The Wal-Mart Nite Shift, but worth reading.

Via Winds of Change

Posted at 06:58 PM in Humor, Shopping | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Take the OS personality web test: Which OS are You?

My results:

via BBspot

Posted at 12:57 AM in Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Fimoculous is a meta site that, amongst other things, compiles awesome lists of, well, lists. Here's the Fimoculous treatment of music for 2003:

The Albums and Songs of the Year from New York Times (Jon Pareles)

The Albums and Songs of the Year from New York Times (Ben Ratliff)

The Albums and Songs of the Year from New York Times (Neil Strauss)

The Albums and Songs of the Year from New York Times (Kelefa Sanneh)

Year in Review from Billboard (subscription)

The 15 Best Songs of the Year from Entertainment Weekly

The 10 Best Albums of the Year from Entertainment Weekly

The 5 Worst of the Year from Entertainment Weekly

Best and Worst of 2003 from Time

50 Best Albums of 2003 from Rolling Stone.

Pop Top 10 from The Guardian

Jazz Top 10 from The Guardian

Top 50 Albums of 2003 from Pitchfork.com.

Top 50 Singles of 2003 from Pitchfork.com.

Top 50 Singles of 2003 from Pitchfork.com.

Top 10 Albums of 2003 from The Modern Age.

Top 10 Music from The Advocate

Top 50 Albums from Sydney Morning Herald.

Hip-hop's Top 10 from Chicago Sun-Times.

2003 in Music from St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Least Essential Albums of 2003 from The Onion.

Albums of 2003 from The Guardian.

The Very Best Albums of 2003 from City Pages (Melissa Maerz).

Top 10 Albums from City Pages Music Critics.

Top Ten: The Year In Music from Baltimore's City Paper.

Best of 2003 (Editors) and Best of 2003 (Customers) from Amazon.com

Albums Of 2003 from Mojo.

Best of 2003 from Art Forum.

Best Reviewed Albums of 2003 from MetaCritic.

50 Best Albums of 2003 from NME.

Best Videos of 2003 from NME.

Best of 2003 from Blender.

Best of 2003 from Spin.

Top 50 2003 from Q.

Best Pop from Denver Post.

Best Country from Denver Post.

Best Jazz from Denver Post.

The Classical Moments of the Year from New York Times.

Best Classical CD's of 2003 from New York Times.

Best Classical from Denver Post.

The Rock Year In Music from The Seattle Times.

Top 10 from Newsday.

Ten Albums You Might Have Missed from Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Best of 2003 from San Antonio Express-News.

Top 10 Albums of 2003 from The Morning News.

Best Music of 2003 from Pop Matters.

Top Eleven Indie Albums from Largehearted Boy.

Year in Music News from Pitchfork.com.

Top 25 Albums of 2003 from Tiny Mix Tapes.

Top 20 Album Covers of 2003 from Tiny Mix Tapes.

Best of 2003 from FreeWilliamsburg.

Top 50 from Play Louder.

Top 20 Albums of 2003 from Canned Magazine.

2003 Review from TheMilkFactory.

The Shit List from PlayLouder.

Top 100 of 2003 from Rough Trade.

Consumer Guide 2003 from Robert Christgau.

Top 100 DJs 2003 from DJ Mag.

Best New Music from Pitchfork.

Year In Review from DrownedInSound.com.

Year In Review from DrownedInSound.com.

Favorite 20 Singles from 2003 from Stylus.

Best Music of 2003 from Travelers Diagram.

Classical CDs of the Year from The Economist.

Best Country Albums of 2003 from CMT.

Best Country Singles of 2003 from CMT.

Top MTV and MTV2 Moments from MTV.com

MTV Top 10s from MTV.com

Big In '03 from VH1

Favorite Antipop CDs of 2003 from San Francisco Chronicle.

Top Concerts from Pollstar (via AP).

Favorite Scribblings from Rock Critics.

Grammy Nominations

via Fimoculous

Posted at 09:13 PM in Music | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack

The moral of the story is, if you are a terrible actress, try not to piss off the crew: They have all your outakes. -- And they are so bad, they are simply hysterical.

Here's Viceland's description:

Once poor and lovely, now rich and cow-like, Anna Nicole Smith is obviously a big fan of prescription drugs. Holy shit. The editors of this movie had such a hard time getting any half-decent footage from her cavalcade of unintelligible stonededness that they decided to splice the worst of it together into one of the best things you’ve ever seen. Not only does she act like someone just startled her out of a deep sleep, but she cannot remember any lines whatsoever. Even three-word sentences spoken directly into her ear come out of her mouth sounding like a catatonic fish. HIGHLIGHTS: You can hear the director saying to her face, “The line is ‘We’ve gotta get out of here,’” which she turns into “We gotta get shit...we gotta...fuck, man”

via Metafilter

Posted at 07:21 AM in Film | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack

Here's an odd little conversation starter from the office this week: Who is/was the greatest American Rock 'n Roll band?

Before you answer, understand the masturbatory parameters of this debate:

Rule 1: Only U.S. groups
Thus, we eliminate the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, and the rest of the Brits who followed: Led Zeppelin, The Who, Pink Floyd, Genesis, Yes and Dire Straits, amongst others. You can argue about the order of this list, but it don't matter -- none can apply for the job.

Rule 2: Only bands, not solo artists
That eliminated Bruce Springsteen and a host of other rock stars. (I argued that the E Street Band counts as a band, but I eventually had to acknowledge that they are essentially a backing group).

My colleague had narrowed his list down to 3 bands: The Eagles, Van Halen and the Beach Boys. I mostly disagreed. My choices were: Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Doors, Steely Dan, Talking Heads and R.E.M. (And though they are not a choice of mine, I can also see how some people would put the Grateful Dead into the mix; The same thought applies to Nirvana, but even less so).

Here are my choices, and then my colleagues (which I mostly challenged):

My nominations for the Greatest American Rock and Roll Band are:

Creedence Clearwater Revival: Consistently one of the most underated bands in U.S. musical history. Hugely influential, tremendous body of work. Where as most Beach Boy songs sound somewhat dated, CCR still sounds fresh and relevant today. Listen to the songs Fortunate Son, Green River or Run through the Jungle. Any of these could be credibly performed by many popular bands today (at least the ones that have chops).

The biggest issue with choosing CCR is that John Fogarty, their singer/songwriter/guitarist has such a substantial body of solo work, its sometimes hard to separate the two. Its also true that CCR was essentially Fogarty, so perhaps they only quasi-qualify as a Band. Upon reflection, I will admit that CCR is specific to a certain era, and while some may find they are somewhat dated  -- I think they still rock the house.

The Doors:   You have to include The Doors in this list. They were a quintessential late 60's/early 70's band. Their first album makes all kinds of lists: Best albums of the '60s, best debut album.

Their body of work was abbreviated due to Jim Morrison's untimely death. Had they gone the distance, or even just another 5 years, they would have been a lock for the top slot. Despite their relatively short run, they still made the short list. But as matter of choice, I base my list on actual performance, not unrealized potential. So put The Doors into the top 5, and move on.

Steely Dan: Precise musicianship and song writing, effortlessly crossing boundaries into pop and jazz. An enormous body of work, known for its depth as well as breadth. One of the great things about Dan is that you can grab any CD of theirs, and play it straight thru. There ain't much in the way of filler here.

Criticisms: Not the most raucous live bands you've ever seen. Too cerebral for some, while others find their work cold or distant. I think they're great, but then again I like Dread Zeppelin, which some find unlistenable . . .

Talking Heads: Here's where we start to get religous. You either 'got' and loved the T. Heads in the '80s, or you didn't, in which case you were probably a disco loving jerk -- but lets not start with the name calling so soon, ok?

The Heads were enormously influential on so many bands that followed them. Their layered soundscapes of rythm and percussion still resonate today. Although their earlier work sounds very much tied to the early era of punk (wen listened to today), and their latter stylizings are, well, very stylized. "Little Creatures," which was a fun album when released, comes across a bit corny today. But their middle work reveals a powerful and innovative band: "Fear of Music" and "Remain in Light" are masterpieces; "Speaking In Tongues" still sounds great. The marvelously stripped down "Stop Making Sense" foreshadowed MTV unplugged by nearly a decade.

I understand that the Heads were somewhat inaccessible; its rock and roll, but not what some people think of as pure rock (like CCR); if you think Steely Dan is cerebral, Eno and Byrne drove the Heads intellectually light years ahead of their time. Still, if you're looking for collaborative American genius, this is it.

R.E.M.:
I guess we saved the best for last. An incredibly rich and varied body of work. Groundbreaking; Revitalizing. Just as rock n roll was becoming irrelevant, R.E.M. snatched it back with avengeance. Beautifully constructed melodies and lyrics, driving guitars, a thoughtful presence throughout.

Murmur, Life's Rich Pageant, Document and Reckoning are a murder's row of releases.

I can't find much to dislike about this choice, except some of their lesser, later work; Also, not everyone appreciates the occasional mandolin. Some of the much later albums lack some of the original creative spark.

>

My colleague's choices:

The Eagles: A fairly inspired choice which I might have overlooked. Over the course of more than 20 years, they have produced a widely appreciated catalogue fo music covering a broad swath of styles, from country to rock. They have also adapted well to a few key line up changes.

Two strikes against them: First, I think of them as more influenced by other bands, rather than influencing others. One would hope that the greatest American Rock n Roll band was 'inspirational.'

The other strike? I saw the Eagles live, and it was a yawner. Very boring to watch 5 motionless guys spread out across a stage. Hell, Tenacious D puts on a better show. If you can't light it up live, than you simply cannot be named the "Greatest American Rock and Roll Band." Period.

Van Halen:  Now, here's a band that certainly knows how to kick it live ("kick it with a tasty groove" as JB would say).  They have an extensive catalogue, with many great songs.

Very little in the way of criticism of this choice, but here goes: Perhaps they are too well known for their covers, rather than their own work. Non hard core Van Halen fans know their versions of the Kinks "You Really Got Me" and Roy Orbison's "(Oh) Pretty Woman." That cuts both ways, and while it kinda takes some of the blush off the rose for some, I don't have a problem with it; but I do understand the argument that we would prefer the greatest band in the land to be best known for their own body of work. I would certainly choose VH over, say Aerosmith, because of the body of work. But they don't strike me as THE seminal USA rock n roll band. 

Random VH note: I saw them open for Black Sabbath in 1979, and they simply blew Ozzie and friends off the stage. Kick ass performance.

>

Beach Boys:  There's no doubt that the Beach Boys were very influential. "Pet Sounds" is widely credited with influencing the Beatles to do a concept album of their own: Sgt. Peppers.

However, they are so narrowly genre specific -- "Surf Music" -- that its hard to call them fully representative of American Rock 'n Roll.  You can try making the same argument about Van Halen, but "Hard Rock" is so much broader of a genre than the narrow field the Beach Boys tilled. An interesting choice, but does not make the final cut. Let's just call them top five, and leave it at that.

Got an opinion on music? Agree or disagreee with these choices? Let me know by submitting a comment below -- I'll waive my usual requirement and even allow anonymous postings . . .

Final thoughts:  There are plenty of other bands one could include on this list, but most fail to make the final cut for a variety of reasons. CSNY were too narrow, Red Hot Chili Peppers, who have a large of body of work are also in the running.

While we are talking about Music, be sure to check out the industry commentary: Music Sales Rise on Aggressive Discounting, Price Competition and an Improving Economy

UPDATE:  March 14, 2004  9:07am
Just came across this September 2003 UK Guardian Unlimited article, "The 40 greatest US bands today" (part I and part II)

The Guardian's approach doesn't use our framework --they allow solo acts, which of course changes the entire dynamic. Regardless, its a good read.

UPDATE II: December 24, 2005 11:07am

John Fogerty is back at Fantasy records, his old label. The new owners and Fogerty buried the hatchet, and he released "The Long Road Home: The Ultimate John Fogerty-Creedence Collection."  

Now, you can see the full catalogue of both CCR and  Fogerty. Only problem is, it makes CCR look like a Fogertybacking band!

Posted at 08:48 PM in Music | Permalink | Comments (319) | TrackBack

The official Hummer 2 Salute site is, to say the least, strangely amusing:

So...why all the fuss?

"Well, it breaks down like this:

The H2 is the ultimate poseur vehicle. It has the chassis of a Chevy Tahoe and a body that looks like the original Hummer; i.e. it's a Chevy Tahoe in disguise.

The H2 is a gas guzzler. Because it has a gross vehicle weight rating over 8500 lbs, the US government does not require it to meet federal fuel efficiency regulations. Hummer isn't even required to publish its fuel economy (owners indicate that they get around 10 mpg for normal use). So while our brothers and sisters are off in the Middle East risking their lives to secure America's fossil fuel future, H2 drivers are pissing away our "spoils of victory" during each trip to the grocery store.

The H2 is a polluter. Based on G.M.'s optimistic claim that it gets13 mpg, an H2 will produce 3.4 metric tons of carbon emissions in a typical year, nearly double that of G.M.'s Chevrolet Malibu sedan.

The H2 is a death machine. You'd better hope that you don't collide with an H2 in your economy car. You can kiss your ass goodbye thanks to the H2's massive weight and raised bumpers. Too bad you couldn't afford an urban assault vehicle of your own. Or could you...?

The H2 is a tax loophole. Under Bush's new tax plan, business owners can deduct the entire cost of their $55,000 H2. If you are in the highest tax bracket, that's a tax savings of nearly $20,000! The government rewards you more savings for buying an H2 than you'd get for buying an electric car.

So, if you see it our way, tell a Hummer owner what you think and show 'em the bird. If you do, send us a picture--we'd love to post it on our site."

I hate these goddamned trucks -- they takeup too much space, and like most SUVs, their owners do not know how to drive them. Salute!

via Good Morning Silicon Valley

Sources:
F U H2
I Hate SUVs.com

Posted at 08:56 AM in Current Affairs, Humor | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack

Massachusett's thinktank "Commonwealth" has a fresh analysis of the U.S. political divide, titled "Beyond Red and Blue."

The basis of this analysis is the gross oversimplification of political viewpoints endemic to a 2 party system. If you are a fiscal conservative, but social liberal how do you vote? How about an anti-abortion union member? Obviously, the Dems and the GOP neither fully nor adequately represent the broad spectrum of political thought in the U.S.

America, more complex than just Red-and-Blue?

Commonwealth divided the electorate into 10 seperate regions, regardless of state borders. "How they come together will determine the presidential election." Excerpt:

One of the most awful prospects of the next presidential election is the return of… that damn map . Depicting the results of the 2000 election, the reigning graphic of American politics divides the United States into two colors, red for Republican and blue for Democratic. It's also the basis of a lot of simplistic political analysis. "The 2000 election map highlighted a deep cultural tension between the cities (the blue states) and the sticks (the red states)," as Matt Bai put it in the New York Times Magazine earlier this year. David Brooks described this schism in more acerbic tones in the Atlantic Monthly in 2001: "In Red America churches are everywhere. In Blue America Thai restaurants are everywhere."

But this primary-color collage resonates only because it turns up the contrast. Given that more than 40 percent of voters in the blue states backed Bush and more than 40 percent of voters in the red states backed Gore, doesn't the red vs. blue model seem, well, a bit black-and-white?

So CommonWealth decided to make a map of our own. Aiming somewhere between the reductionist red-and-blue model and the most accurate (but least useful) subdivision of the United States into infinity, we split the county into 10 regions, each with a distinct political character. Our regions are based on voting returns from both national and state elections, demographic data from the US Census, and certain geographic features such as mountain ranges and coastlines. (See " The 10 Regions of US Politics " for detailed descriptions.) Each region represents about one tenth of the national electorate, casting between 10.4 million and 10.8 million votes in the 2000 presidential election.

An interesting analysis which will likely have resonance in November 2004 . . .

Sources:
The Decembrist

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

What a Crappy Present: CDs make bad gifts for kids!

A very funny rant from the folks at "Downhill Battle."

These guys are into some serious guerilla theatre and are stealth activists versus the RIAA. Interesting attempt at raising consciousness:

via Linkfilter"

Posted at 07:35 AM in Current Affairs, Music | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

The Wall Street Journal reports a new marketing trend amongst the makers of imbibing spirits: Pitching their wares to Dieters.

If Beer bellies and flabby buns are the first thing that come to mind when you think about boozin', well then you are the exact consumer the alcohol industry is gunning for.

WSJ:

In a world where it's OK for dieters to load up on bacon and hamburgers, what's so bad about a cocktail? Not much at all, according to the liquor industry. In an effort to cash in on the popularity of trendy low-carb diets like Atkins, makers of vodka, whiskey, and other hard liquors are starting to pitch their products as low-carb and diet-friendly, following the success of a low-carbohydrate campaign this year by Michelob Ultra beer.

In fact, looks can be deceiving and there can be some surprisingly low-carb and low-calorie drinks behind the bar. Guinness, for instance, with its thick consistency and chocolate-cake color, is likely to be one of the first beers carb-conscious drinkers would cut out. In fact, it has only 10 grams of carbs and 125 calories per 12 ounces -- fewer carbs than Budweiser, Coors and Corona. (The reason is, Guinness contains less alcohol.) Other products that look more virtuous, such as the clear-colored malt beverage Smirnoff Ice, are carb-laden. A 12 oz. serving of the trendy brew has 32 grams of carbs and 228 calories, or about the same as a baked apple pie from McDonald's. Same for drinkers of non-alcoholic beers, which can carry more than 14 grams of carbs per 12 ounces.

Of course, this has led consumer advocacy groups to "urge liquor companies to put more nutritional information on their packaging." Their claim? Current labeling rules are "haphazard and hard to decipher." The Center for Science in the Public Interest as well as the National Consumers League have petitioned the federal government to require "uniform labeling for liquor much like what's already required on food-product packaging."

The proposed labels would include information on alcohol content, serving sizes, calories and ingredients. Currently, the government has widely varying rules for different products -- low-carb and light beer must list calorie content, for instance, but wine, spirits and regular beers don't have to:

Nutritional label for alcoholic beverages as proposed by consumer advocates.

Source: WSJ

This may be the next big issue of consumer disclosure laws. (I always say, err on the side of more disclosure):

"People are unaware of the calories and ingredients, and don't know how to compare between types of beverages," said George Hacker of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Brewers and distillers including Anheuser-Busch and Diageo said they are still evaluating the proposal.

The low-carb, high-protein dieting trend should be terrific news for liquor makers: Rum, vodka, gin, whisky and tequila contain no carbs or fat at all, and never have. Still, 63% of consumers incorrectly believe wine and beer are lower in carbs than spirits, according to a study by Ipsos Public Affairs.

All of this has triggered a wave of new marketing campaigns. Diageo, which makes Captain Morgan Original Spiced rum and Johnnie Walker, is now urging bartenders to promote holiday-themed drinks such as a Johnnie Walker Red Label and Ginger, a mix of scotch and diet ginger ale that clocks in at 96 calories, about the same as three rice cakes.

Allied Domecq, which makes Kahlua, is also targeting barkeepers and encouraging them to, for example, offer "skinny" White Russians made with skim milk instead of regular milk. It's trying to stir up buzz by sponsoring parties at the offices of Hollywood producers and publicists, as well as some hip hair salons. The drink has roughly half the calories (229) and two-thirds the carbs (18) of a normal White Russian.

Phillips Distilling recently launched a low-carb campaign for its UV vodka and is telling distributors to cross-market it with products like Crystal Light sugar-free lemonade. And Bacardi plans to dust off some of its old advertising from dieting crazes of yore. An 1984 print ad, for example, asks which has more calories: five ounces of white wine, or a five-ounce Bacardi and diet Coke. (Answer: The rum drink, 66 calories, wine, 121.)

See WHAT'S IN YOUR DRINK?
Chart depicting total carbohydrates, calories and fat in various types of alcohol (pdf)

Source:
Liquor Industry's New Pitch: How to Drink Alcohol on Diet
Groups Seek Nutrition Labels As Distillers Go Low Carb;
The Surprise About Guinness
By CHRISTOPHER LAWTON
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, December 17, 2003
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB107161363264991700,00.html

Posted at 04:32 PM in Food and Drink | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack

Its the time of year when we all tend to eat and drink more. Point your attention to an interesting NYT article (well hidden in the Biz section) on the pitfalls of not knowing local drinking customs. The twist is its not the usual Islamic admonitions of "no alcohol," but rather, just the opposite: The many ways Europeans enjoy their grog. Worth a look, especially if you travel on business alot.

American executives abroad often find that liquor is a much bigger part of the business equation than at home. But ordering, pouring, toasting and drinking in a foreign land can be fraught with pitfalls for the unwary. What seems trivial may provoke reactions from mild irritation to acute horror.

"Wine and beer are in corporate cafeterias in Western Europe and commonly served at lunch,'' said Dean Foster, whose consulting firm, Dean Foster Associates, offers cross-cultural corporate training. "As you go further east in Europe, you see more and more of a drinking culture, and liquor is always a part of business meetings at any hour of the day." In Budapest, for example, shot glasses of apricot brandy on the table for 9 a.m. meetings are not uncommon, he said.

And visiting Americans should be prepared to lift them. "You are totally expected to drink it, and as soon as you finish, your glass is refilled,'' said Mr. Foster, who has written books on how to behave in Europe, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East for the Global Etiquette Guides (John Wiley & Sons, 2000). "If you refuse, it means I can't trust you, and thus we can't do business together."

Here are some of the "drinking rules" in Europe:

· In Britain, don't ask for "a beer" in pubs. "You'll be laughed at! Instead, order ale, stout or lager."

· In Scotland, when ordering a single-malt, state the location (like Highlands, Islay, Skye or Lowlands), brand and age. (One bartender noted: 'We have 65 varieties - which one would you like?');

· DO NOT order the country's most famous export on the rocks -- its seen as insulting by Scots; Instead, order with a splash or side of water;

· In Italy, pouring wine while tilting your wrist backwards over glasses is a Faux Pas!

· When making a toast in Austrian, look deeply in the eyes of your group;

· In Germany, the practice of linking arms during a toast signifies friendship;

I want to party with these guys!

Source:
Making a Toast Without Dropping One's Guard
By SHARON McDONNELL
New York Times, December 16, 2003
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/16/business/16drink.html

Posted at 11:19 PM in Food and Drink, Travel | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Joe The Peacock shares his hilarious tale of working the overnight shift in Wal-Mart. When he was in college. In Georgia.

Here's a snippet to whet your appetites:

First off, you absolutely must understand one crucial fact about life - and this fact will remain constant forever: NO ONE NORMAL works the overnight shift ANYWHERE. This is ESPECIALLY evident at Wal-Mart, where not only are you working overnight in a gigantic wasteland of a career path, you are doing so along side people who clean department store floors and stock Liquid Dawn dish soap and various salty Golden Flake snacks on shelves 8 hours a night for a living. IN GEORGIA. These people weren’t exactly what one would consider to be members of the conversational elite. I would have believed that these people were only a protein strand away from being considered single-celled beings, except that it definitely takes more than one cell to produce the smells that eminated from most of them.

Add to this conglomeration of educationally inept rednecks the fact that they actually had quite an elaborate social structure built into their little group, one that did NOT readily include people who pronounce the word "green" with only one syllable or have, at any point in their lives, read so much as the advertisement on a book of matches . . .

The full tale can be seen here: The Wal-Mart Story

Update: You must read this til the end!



Source:
The Wal-Mart Story
http://www.zcportal.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=23

Posted at 07:10 AM in Humor | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack

The intelligent and amusing Pulitzer Prize winning Ben Sargent:

Source:
Yahoo
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=index2&cid=1074&

Posted at 06:49 AM in Current Affairs, Humor, Media | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Repeat after me: 4 wheel "go" does not equal 4 wheel stop.

A quick rant to explain something to you S.U.V. Drivers, most of whom are clueless menaces on the road. I say most, rather than all, on the statistical possibility that one of you has some intelligence and driving skills. So far, this assumption has proven excessively optimistic, but hey -- I'm a positive kinda guy.

In New York, we got hit with a surprise snowstorm Sunday (it moved up from the South unexpectedly fast). We drove back from the East End of Long Island Sunday morning as the snow was coming down pretty fast. I was driving the front wheel-drive, manual transmission car (as opposed to our real wheel cars), so traction was not a problem.

On the LIE, snow accumulation was about 4 inches. By staying in the center of the middle or right lanes where traffic was heaviest, you could make sure your tires were, for the most part, in contact with actual pavement, as opposed to the white stuff. The left lane and the HOV lanes were less travelled and had a few inches of snow covering them.

Here's where things got interesting: Many S.U.V.s and quite few Audi Quattros were hauling ass along the left lanes. I may have a heavy right foot, but I do not go 70 in the snow -- these idiots did. We got to witness a dozen or so fender benders along the way 60 mile trip home: The most memorable was seeing the results of a Nissan SUV spin out, and in an unrelated accident, watching in more or less slow motion, a Hummer (!) careening into the guard rail. (Seriously, how bad a driver must you be to slam the "vehicle that can go anywhere and do anything" into a wall?)

Here's the physics of the situation: 4 wheel drive is your method of locomotion. It's how you go. But here's the -- apparently -- unknown secret: It has absolutely nothing to do with how you stop; That's an entirely different system within your automobile.

But 4 wheel go does not equal 4 wheel stop. It has no impact on halting your momentum. Can you comprehend that? Oh, sure, if you drive a stick -- and downshift properly -- in some situations, you can use the engine to control wheel slip and improve control. But seriously, how many SUV owners drive sticks? And of those who do, how many of them know how to drive? Too few. Perhaps that's why I didn't see any of the Audis in accidents -- they sell a lot of 5 speeds manuals, and Audi owners have a rep for knowing how to drive. But I digress.

If anything, 4 wheel drive merely allows you to get yourself into more dangerous situations. We saw a Porsche 911 fishtailing all over the road. He was aware of his limitations in the snow and was going 30 mph. His torquey, rear wheel drive system had little in the way of traction in the snow -- and he knew it. He crept along in the right lane and still ran into some trouble. (On the other hand, I drove our rear wheel drive SLK home from White Plains Christmas Day 2002 in 6 inches of snow -- it took 3 and half hours versus the usual 60 minutes. I had no problem, but that's mostly because I am not an idiot.)

Now back to our 70 mph snow fools: In the event of loss of traction -- not too hard to imagine in 4 inches of snow -- you are merely a two ton hunk of steel sliding across a frictionless surface until you either regain directional control or run into some mass which stops you. Your Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) is useless when your tires cannot make contact with the pavement. Modulating brake lock up when snowplaning on a 2 inch cushion of white stuff does you no good whatsoever. The technical term for this phenomena is called "Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

A message to you SUV (and all wheel drive) owners: Understand the limits of your vehicle. Learn to drive in inclement weather. You'll be doing your families, and the people you share the roads with, a huge favor.

Posted at 07:03 AM in Current Affairs | Permalink | Comments (37) | TrackBack

My very 2nd post on E&E was "Dead Centagenarians," a side-by-side comparo between Strom Thurmond and Lord Shawcross of Great Britain.

I caught some crap from a few people who found it offensive that I quoted a passage from "Ol' Strom: An Unauthorized Biography of Strom Thurmond." The author of the seminal Strom biography noted that Strom kept "secret for decades his illegitimate daughter, Essie Mae, born in 1925. Her mother was a black servant employed by Strom's father."

So much for that being a secret any longer:

A 78-year-old retired Los Angeles schoolteacher said she is breaking a lifetime of silence to announce that she is the illegitimate mixed-race daughter of former U.S. senator James Strom Thurmond (R-S.C.), once the nation's leading segregationist. In an interview, the woman said that Thurmond privately acknowledged her as his daughter and provided financial support since 1941.

Essie Mae Washington-Williams described her claims in a lengthy telephone interview last week, saying she protected Thurmond because of their mutual "deep respect" and her fears that disclosure would embarrass her and harm his political career. Thurmond, who died in June at age 100, said late in life through his office that Williams was a friend.

UPDATE (12/16/03): Thurmond's Family Says Woman Was His Daughter
Reuters, December 16, 2003,12:17 AM ET

Sources
Woman Claims Thurmond As Father,
Proof Is Forthcoming, Black Retiree Says
By Marilyn W. Thompson
Washington Post, Sunday, December 14, 2003; Page A01
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A60363-2003Dec12.html

Dead Centagenarians

Posted at 01:52 PM in Current Affairs, Politics | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Source:
Wikipedia

Posted at 08:53 AM in Current Affairs, War/Defense | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

A blasphemous "Seasons greetings!" from a seller of, well, lets call them personal products

Posted at 07:30 AM in Humor | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

A very cool collection of the entire series of cards Mars Attacks cards from Topps, circa 1962.

There are three galleries of 66 cards in total. You can start with the first gallery, here.

Posted at 07:28 AM in Books, Film, SciFi | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

It seems that only the NYTimes ran the picture of alleged spammer Jeremy Jaynes.

Prosecutors said an alias of one of the defendants, Jeremy Jaynes, is listed as one of the world's 10 biggest spammers by spamhaus.org, a group that tabulates complaints reported to Internet service providers.

Spammer Jammer?

Is anyone surprised by the way this guy looks?

Here's the NYT understatement:

"Jerry Kilgore, Virginia's attorney general, said the state was exploring an action to force the defendants to forfeit any assets acquired as a result of the alleged spamming.

"This was a very profitable business for them," he said. "

Source:
Virginia Indicts 2 Under Antispam Law
By Saul Hansell
NYTimes, December 12, 2003
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/12/technology/12spam.html

Posted at 10:36 AM in Current Affairs, Media, Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

"Scholars of comedy have put forth the theory that Canada provides ideal terrain for developing comedians, who tend to be brooding, insecure sorts. Canadians acquire a dark perspective on life because of the frigid weather and rugged geography, the theory goes, and naturally view the world as outsiders because they rarely get any attention, overshadowed as they are by their giant neighbor to the south."

Source:
Toronto Journal
Comedians in the Rough: Canada's Very Special School
By Clifford Krauss
Published: December 11, 2003
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/11/international/americas/11COME.html

Posted at 05:26 PM in Humor, Media | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Ultra Fractal is a software program for creating Fractal based Art. The work speaks for itself, and many of the creations are quite beautiful. There's also a showcase gallery exhibiting the fractal art of several artists . . .

Source:
Ultrafractal

Linkfilter

Posted at 06:36 AM in Art & Design | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Cool article on the new Python Autobiography:

"No matter where you look, even in some of the remotest parts of the planet, you can't avoid Monty Python. Just ask Michael Palin.

The Monty Python member was recently in the Himalayas making the latest in his series of travel programs. As he climbed a peak in the Annapurna group, making a steep ascent of one of the highest mountains in the world, he stopped to catch his breath.

At that moment a pair of mountain climbers came by. They saw Palin and a thousand Python references must have hit: "The Lumberjack Song." "It's the Mind." "The Cheese Shop." "Sam Peckinpah's 'Salad Days.' " "The Parrot Sketch." "Nudge-nudge, wink-wink." "Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!" "And now for something completely different."

"And one of them turned to me," recalls Palin in an interview from his home in London, "and said, 'Oh my God! Eric Idle!' " (OK, so maybe there are limits to fame)."

Go.

Sources:
The Pythons: by Graham Chapman, Michael Palin, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Bob McCabe (Amazon)