Pretty cool looking concept car from Saab:

"Saab is delving into its past to reshape its future with a radical concept car aimed at redefining the brand.

The sleek two-seater Aero X was welcomed amid 55 tonnes of ice imported from Sweden to reinforce the General Motors-owned brand's history.

The Aero X harks back to Saab's aeroplane history to create a look-at-me concept car designed to reassure people the troubled Swedish brand has a prosperous future.

A radical cockpit-style canopy negates the need for doors, instead raising electronically to reveal a futuristic two-seater cabin.

There are also no windscreen wipers, with a special coating on the screen designed to keep occupants seeing clearly in the wet."

I like!

>

Sources:
Saab Aero X a sign of things to come   
By Toby Hagon
The Sydney Morning Herald, February 28, 2006
http://tinyurl.com/zr5pl

Posted at 06:23 AM in Automobiles | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBack

First there was Lazy Sunday. Then there was Lazy Monday and its West Coast counterpart. Now comes what may be the best of them all: Lazy Muncie

Lazy Muncie via GMSV

Posted at 07:22 AM in Humor | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

The NYT:

"The question of what Neanderthals and Homo sapiens might have done on cold nights in their caves, if they happened to get together and the fire burned down to embers, has intrigued scientists since the 19th century, when the existence of Neanderthals was discovered.

A correction in the way prehistoric time is measured using radiocarbon dating, described last week in the journal Nature, doesn't answer the enduring question, but it might at least help explain why no DNA evidence of interbreeding has been found: the two species spent less time together than was previously believed.

The old radiocarbon calculation is now known to be off by as much as several thousand years, the new research shows. That means that modern Homo sapiens barged into Europe 46,000 years ago, 3,000 years earlier than once estimated. But the radiocarbon dating under the new calculation also shows that their takeover of the continent was more rapid, their coexistence with the native Neanderthals much briefer.

The revised dates reveal an overlap between the species not of 10,000 or more years, as previously thought, but of only 2,000 to 4,000 in many places, perhaps 6,000 in others. The shorter overlap suggests that modern humans held a decisive advantage over Neanderthals after their arrival from Africa. Was that advantage cognitive, technological or demographic? Their personal ornaments and cave art, now seen to have emerged much earlier, are strong evidence for an emergence of complex symbolic behavior among the modern newcomers, a marked advance in their intelligence.

That doesn't mean they didn't interbreed with the Neanderthals.

As Katerina Harvati of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, points out, even the shorter length of coexistence was a long time. But it would have decreased the time available for cultural or genetic exchange.

"Since these two species may have been able to interbreed, as many closely related mammal species can," Dr. Harvati said, "a restricted coexistence interval may be easier to reconcile with the observed lack of Neanderthal genetic contribution to the modern human gene pool and with the paucity of convincing fossil evidence for hybridization."

The caves, it would seem, still hold their secrets."

Source:
A Good Neanderthal Was Hard to Find
JOHN NOBLE WILFORD
NYT, February 26, 2006
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/26/weekinreview/26basic.html

Posted at 09:38 AM in Philosophy, Science | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Like me might ever see this Gap commercial:

click for commercial

via iFilm

Posted at 07:20 AM in Television | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack

Liz Phair's Uplands Podcasts

Podcast #1
Liz talks with her brother and also discusses rail travel with support act Cary Brothers. Also features two live performances: "Table for One" (Somebody's Miracle) and "Baby Got Going" (whitechocolatespaceegg). (13 mb)

Podcast #2
Liz performs "Polyester Bride" (whitechocolatespaceegg) and "Somebody's Miracle" (Somebody's Miracle) with her band. There is a "soundseeing tour" of a bus breakdown, and Liz reads a short piece of original fiction. (22 mb)

Podcast #3
On today's show, Liz talks to her brother, talks to fans about the Chicago White Sox, plays "6'1"" (Exile In Guyville) live, and reads some more original stuff. Enjoy. (13 mb)

Podcast #4
On today's show, Liz plays "Leap of Innocence" (Somebody's Miracle) and "Cinco de Mayo" (Whip-Smart), talks about losing Tavis Smiley, and picks up a new instrument... the bus. (16 mb)

Podcast #5
On today's show, Liz takes Australian lingo lessons from Missy Higgins, culls some life lessons from a gym advertisement, and plays "Divorce Song" (Exile In Guyville) and "H.W.C." (Liz Phair) live.

Check out he rest of Liz Phair's Podcasts here.

Q98 Five Pat & JT Interview Part 1
Q98 Five Pat & JT Interview Part 2
Liz was interviewed on the Pat & JT show on Omaha, Nebraska's Q98 Five -- promoting of her then forthcoming album Somebody's Miracle and doing pirate imitations!

The Choice 93.7 WSTW Interview
Listen to The Choice 93.7 WSTW's podcast of their Liz interview by Jason Thomas from July 29th, 2005.

Liz performing "Why Can't I?" at RadioNow 93.1's Santa Slam 2K3 (video)
Liz performing "Why Can't I?" at RadioNow 93.1's Santa Slam 2K3 (audio)
Watch and listen to Liz perform "Why Can't I?" at RadioNow 93.1's Santa Slam 2K3.

RTL2 - Session acoustique - Liz Phair
See and hear Liz and Dino Meneghin perform four numbers acoustically for French radio RTL2. (Requires Real Player.) (Thanks to Robert Joyner for the link.)

StudioRed: Exclusive: Liz Phair Interview
Liz gives some "insight" behind selected tracks off Liz Phair. (Requires Windows Media Player.) (Thanks to Brett Marlow for the link.)

D'Addario Strings
See Liz promoting D'Addario strings by hamming it up on guitar. (Requires QuickTime Player.)

Liz Phair Electronic Press Kit for whitechocolatespaceegg
See a portion of the 1998 EPK from Capitol/Matador to promote whitechocolatespaceegg, courtesy of Angle Park, Inc. (Requires a JavaScript enabled browser.)

Posted at 08:45 AM in Music | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

What's your best guess of the average age of the Daily Show viewer? 22? 26? 

How's 41:

As a fringe benefit, Mr. Cates said he hoped that Mr. Stewart — whose show attracts a viewer whose average age is just over 41 , according to Nielsen Media Research — might attract younger people to the Oscars, whose typical viewer last year was 47.

Source:
A First-Time Oscar Host in Search of That Fine Line
JACQUES STEINBERG
NYT, February 20, 2006
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/20/movies/MoviesFeatures/20osca.html

Posted at 05:04 PM in Television | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Posted at 09:38 AM in Humor | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Cool article in Barron's on collectible automobiles:

"For collectors of more modest means, there were lots of cars selling below $100,000 or even under $50,000.

A 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Custom Convertible garnered $43,200; a 1967 Chevrolet Impala SS convertible, $25,920. In most cases, "ragtops" are much more valuable than sedans or coupes. Craig Jackson sees a surge in interest for 1950s convertibles. "They're fun to take to events and pretty reliable," he said.

"Reliable" has become a key word. Modern collectors' desire for driving their cars, rather than just admiring them, has had a huge impact on the marketplace. Twenty years ago, there were few events for old-car aficionados. Now, every weekend brings rallies, shows, scenic tours and competitions, to which collectors want to drive their cars. That's helped boost prices of cars new enough to be relatively dependable. It's also cut demand for pre-World-War-II autos, with the exception of the finest classics.

Obviously, a lot of the cars which have recently become hot are boomer fantasies: the Mustangs and the Muscle cars of the 60s. The guys who wanted one in high school -- but couldnt afford them --  now have the means:

The desire for drivability has a lot to do with the soaring popularity of muscle cars, the collectibles of choice for many baby-boomer males in their 50s and 60s. Most boomers hit age 18 at the height of muscle-car mania. Do the math, and you'll see that the boomers' impact -- and demand for muscle cars -- could remain robust for at least 20 years.

In the past five years, prices for many of these cars have tripled or even quadrupled. The 1969 Camaro Z Coupes that sold for $29,000-$35,000 at Barrett-Jackson in 2001 brought $68,000-$108,000 this year. (An unrestored example with only 11,000 miles sold for an extraordinary $221,400). A 1970 Dodge Super Bee Hardtop went for $19,000 in 2001; a similar car sold this year for $72,000.

One model worth tracking is the Shelby Mustang, created by racing legend Carroll Shelby, who enjoyed success on the international circuit before turning his attention to muscle cars in the 1960s. These very souped-up cars (not to be confused with the Shelby Cobras) are widely admired by both muscle car and sports-car fans. Ten years ago, Shelby 1967 GT500 Fastbacks brought $25,000- to-$35,000. At Barrett-Jackson, one sold for $222,480; another, for $270,000. (The latter had been owned by musician Sammy Hagar, best-known for his work with the band Van Halen. The car came with one of Hagar's guitars and a case of Cabo Wabo Tequila; the box bore the rocker's autograph.)

Rocker Sammy Hagar's 1967 Shelby GT500 fetched $270,000, guitar and case of tequila included.

Three Good Bets

Anyone seeking a long-term profit, as well as lots of fun, should consider these:

Under $25,000

1984-89 Porsche 911s, especially Carreras. These drivable dreams are powerful and beautiful, with relatively uncomplicated flat-6 rear engines. The tiny rear seats are good only for small children, pets or luggage. Clean, good-running examples sell for $15,000-$25,000. They've bottomed out in price in recent years and should move up modestly if well-maintained. These kind of cars are sometimes called "equity protectors."

$50,000-Plus

1955-1957 Ford Thunderbirds. These two-seat "Baby Birds" are American sweethearts. They got the name after Ford upsized the car in 1958. They come in a huge range of prices and conditions. Three 1956 models, all "frame-off" restorations, sold at Barrett-Jackson for $54,000, $57,240 and $70,200, respectively. Find a good one, save it for fair-weather Sunday driving and watch its value appreciate.

$75,000-Plus

Early-1960s Corvettes. America's first and greatest sports car. These are great vehicles, with which amateurs had racing success all across America. In the $75,000-to-$100,000 price range, there are many to pick from. To find a good one, look at the ads in Hemmings Motor News or contact a nearby Corvette owners club. Especially prized: 1961 or 1962 two-top fuel-injected models. Always go for the biggest engines with max power. Knock-off wheels and air conditioning add value.

Source:
Joy Rides
ROBERT CAMPBELL ROWE
Barron's, FEBRUARY 20, 2006
http://online.barrons.com/article/SB114022811706677726.html

Posted at 07:45 AM in Automobiles | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

This is what NY looks like in February:

Today is about 55 degrees outside

Posted at 01:17 PM in Photo Caption Contest! | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack

click for selection of hard drive crash songs

How can you not love a song with lyrics  like this?

"My Hard Drive Crizzashed
Man, that's where all my good porn was stizzashed."

via Gizmodo

Posted at 10:03 AM in Music, Web/Tech | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

The WSJ discusses V-day:

It's easy for men to dismiss Valentine's Day as an ersatz holiday ginned up to con them into buying expensive and unnecessary gifts -- and there is something to that. But it's also an opportunity, however artificial, to do something special for each other and think outside the candy box.

Since Valentine's Day is about romance, I like the idea of gifts that promote it, commemorate it and celebrate it. One of the best is a gift of time together, such as a minigetaway or a course in a shared interest. Another option is a gift that serves as a memento of time already spent together. And there's always room for the extravagant present in the name of love.

Source:

The Most Dangerous Gift of the Year
From getaways to PJs, our columnists duke it out over what to get the other sex for Valentine's Day
HUNTING & GATHERING: He Shops, She Shops
By LAURA LANDRO   
February 11, 2006; Page P5
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB113960806136571050.html

Posted at 12:30 PM in Humor | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

For any comic, when a target is this grumpy and apparently lacking in good humor, how can you not take a few pot shots?

>

"The Late Show With David Letterman" (CBS)

"Good news ladies and gentleman, we have finally located weapons of mass destruction … It's Dick Cheney."

* * *

"We can't get Bin Laden, but we nailed a 78-year-old attorney."

* * *

"Honestly, I don't know what all of the fuss is about. What's more American than shooting your hunting buddy in the ass?"

* * *

"The guy who got gunned down is a Republican lawyer and a big Republican donor and fortunately the buck shot was deflected by wads of laundered cash. So he's fine. He took a little in the wallet."

* * *

From "Cheney's Excuses," Monday night's Top 10 list: "I thought the guy was trying to go gay cowboy on me."

"The Daily Show With Jon Stewart" (Comedy Central)

A partial transcript:

Jon Stewart: "Yes, as you've just heard, a near-tragedy over the weekend in south Texas. Vice President Dick Cheney accidentally shot a man during a quail hunt at a political supporter's ranch. Making 78-year-old Harry Whittington the first person shot by a sitting VP since Alexander Hamilton.

"Hamilton, of course, shot in a duel with Aaron Burr over issues of honor, integrity and political maneuvering. Whittington? Mistaken for a bird.

* * *

The other player in the drama? Ranch owner and eyewitness Katharine Armstrong.

Katharine Armstrong: "We were shooting a covey of quail. The vice president and two others got out of the car to walk up the covey."

Jon Stewart: "What kind of hunting story begins with getting out of your car? As I sighted the great beast before us, my shaking hands could barely engage the parking brake. Slowly, I turned off the A/C and silenced my sub-woofers…"

* * *

Katharine Armstrong: "A bird flushed. The vice president took aim at the bird and shot and unfortunately, Mr. Whittington was in the line of fire and got peppered pretty well."

Jon Stewart: "Peppered. There you have it. Harry Whittington, seasoned to within an inch of his life.

* * *

Jon Stewart: "I'm joined now by our own vice-presidential firearms mishap analyst, Rob Corddry. Rob, obviously a very unfortunate situation. How is the vice president handling it?

Rob Corddry: "Jon, tonight the vice president is standing by his decision to shoot Harry Wittington. According to the best intelligence available, there were quail hidden in the brush. Everyone believed at the time there were quail in the brush.

"And while the quail turned out to be a 78-year-old man, even knowing that today, Mr. Cheney insists he still would have shot Mr. Whittington in the face. He believes the world is a better place for his spreading buckshot throughout the entire region of Mr. Whittington's face."

Jon Stewart: "But why, Rob? If he had known Mr. Whittington was not a bird, why would he still have shot him?"

Rob Corddry: "Jon, in a post-9-11 world, the American people expect their leaders to be decisive. To not have shot his friend in the face would have sent a message to the quail that America is weak."

Jon Stewart: "That's horrible."

Rob Corddry: "Look, the mere fact that we're even talking about how the vice president drives up with his rich friends in cars to shoot farm-raised wingless quail-tards is letting the quail know 'how' we're hunting them. I'm sure right now those birds are laughing at us in that little 'covey' of theirs.

Jon Stewart: "I'm not sure birds can laugh, Rob."

Rob Corddry: "Well, whatever it is they do … coo .. they're cooing at us right now, Jon, because here we are talking openly about our plans to hunt them. Jig is up. Quails one, America zero.

Jon Stewart: "Okay, well, on a purely human level, is the vice president at least sorry?"

Rob Corddry: "Jon, what difference does it make? The bullets are already in this man's face. Let's move forward across party lines as a people … to get him some sort of mask."

"Jimmy Kimmel Live" (ABC)

Among the jokes in consideration for Monday's telecast:

"It's part of the president's new Social Security plan. Once you hit 78, kablamo."

* * *

"Luckily, the guy he shot was wearing the body armor that never got shipped to the troops."

* * *

"You know what they say, if Dick Cheney comes out of his hole and shoots an old man in the face, 6 more weeks of winter."

"The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" (NBC)

"Although it is beautiful here in California, the weather back East has been atrocious. There was so much snow in Washington, D.C. Dick Cheney accidentally shot a fat guy thinking it was a polar bear."

* * *

"When people found out he shot a lawyer his popularity is now at 92%"

* * *

"After he shot the guy, he screamed, 'Anyone else want to call domestic wire tapping illegal?' "

* * *

"Something I just found out today about the incident. Do you know that Dick Cheney tortured the guy for a half hour before he shot him?"

* * *

"Cheney's defense is that he was aiming at a quail when he shot the guy.  Which means that Cheney now has the worst aim of anyone in the White House since Bill Clinton."

Source:
Cheney Accident Triggers Jokes on Late-Night TV
BROOKS BARNES
WSJ, February 14, 2006 8:42 a.m.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB113988242820273069.html

Posted at 10:43 AM in Humor, Politics | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack

This guy gets on the Thursday night train and -- I am not making this up -- uses his cell to call tech support about his new digital camera. 

Or to be more precise, he called tech support about his "fucking camera" that wont "fucking work" and did not come with the "fucking memory chip" it was supposed to.

ON THE TRAIN FOR ALL TO HEAR.

As if that wasn't rude enough, he starts berating this poor woman at support "Hey honey, What time is it in Bombay?"

It was like a car wreck that you ddon't want to see, but cannot turn away from on the highway.

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry over this buffoon. For the record, I did neither, just cranked up the iPod.

Ahhh . . . Sweet, sweet iPod, defender of the pure, shield against the loutish buffoonery of my fellows . . .

Posted at 06:58 AM in LIRR Commuter From Hell | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

they just keep coming!

Posted at 02:00 PM in Humor | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

The Diner around the corner from us is open 24/7 -- no matter what the weather. Today, we got 2 feet of snow. So we headed out in the first blizzard of 2006 to grab some grub.

Of course, I brought the digital and took some snaps on the way:

>

Notice how the flash lights up the nearby flakes
click for larger photos

Is that a camera?

Try to guess what car this is -- and how am I going to get my dry cleaning out of the back? 

This is Justin from Syracuse, where this weather is called "Fall"

Did I forget to put something away last fall . . . ?

Up to my knees in snow

Lots more photos below . . .

The Main Drag: Glen Cove Road

Blowing Sideways

Booth with a view:

Dog loves the Snow!

6 foot tall Back Fence -- bottom third is covered 

Crazy Justin from Syracuse!
(he goes to Medical School around the corner)

Posted at 12:58 PM in Photo Caption Contest! | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack

More fun via email

Posted at 09:57 AM in Humor | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

This came via email . . . I nearly bust a gut laughing:

Posted at 05:00 PM in Humor | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Dude!  Surf's Up!

Gnarly curl . . . bitchin' !

>

Source:
At Mavericks, Thousands See the Best Wipe Out
STEVE HAWK
NYT, February 8, 2006
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/08/sports/othersports/08surfing.html

Posted at 05:30 PM in Photo Caption Contest! | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack

So thats what that pull is:   

My office is at 45th Street & Park Avenue -- right on the edge of Manahttan's Starbucks Center of Gravity:

via Cory's Web LOG

Posted at 07:29 AM in Humor | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Sad, But True:

Ward Sutton via The Washington Note

Posted at 02:10 PM in Politics | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

This is friggin' hysterical:

click for video

too, too funny

Posted at 08:19 AM in Humor, Television | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack

How cool is this:

Source:
His Subject: Highly Evolved and Exquisitely Thirsty
CARL ZIMMER
NYT, February 7, 2006
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/07/science/07leec.html

Posted at 05:14 PM in Science | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

click for bigger graphic

Source:
31 Days in Iraq
ADRIANA LINS de ALBUQUERQUE and ALICIA CHENG
NYT, February 6, 2006
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/06/opinion/06chart.html

Posted at 06:42 AM in War/Defense | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

If you are a car company that's hurting -- primarily because you design and build cars that people increasingly do not want to buy --  then of course, you must cancel, and as soon as possible, the  most desirable car you sell.

That's what Ford recently announced with their fabulous GT. A challenger to Ferrari and Porsche, a car that brings traffic into the showroom, a car who's production run is sold out and who's dealers are selling for over list price. 

Robert Farago writes:

Here’s a simple question: why would a car company that has to slap cash on the dash to move almost every product in its enormous line-up terminate a model that sold out last year's entire production run (1,302 vehicles) ABOVE sticker? Granted: it’s unlikely that Ford made a dime on its $151,245 range topper (although its dealers clearly do). And even if the GT were wildly profitable, the supercar would still be less financially relevant to Ford's bottom line than sales of Taurus tail lights. But the Ford GT is far more important than numbers on a spreadsheet. It’s lightning in a bottle, a halo car that proudly proclaims that Billy’s Boys can make left-testicle selling, gotta-have products. Why in the world would FoMoCo want to kill that?

Cost-cutting. Apparently, Ford’s "Way Forward" is a euphemism for "scorched earth." Even though GT production accounts for less than a fifth of the Wixom plant’s output, even though only 400 people work on the GT, Ford has decreed that whole plant must close and everything must go. If that’s not enough to make you wonder about the relationship between noses, faces, cutting off and spite; remember that the savings from this move relate solely to materials and machinery. All 400 idled GT workers will enter Ford’s infamous jobs’ bank, where they will be paid full whack not to build Ford GT’s.

The buzz also says the Ford GT couldn’t meet ’07 safety regulations; re-engineering would have put The Blue Oval in the usual unrecoverable money throwing situation. Are we to believe that the company staking its future on "innovation" couldn’t find a way to produce the GT more cheaply, and make it safe enough for government work? And then there's also grumbling that the GT is/was too high-brow for halo-work. While these ADD analysts may be suffering from halotosis, it behooves the Ford Motor Company to remember the GT's customers hail from another income planet. No matter how nascent, walking away from this group of well-heeled fledgling Ford fans is just plain nuts.

As part of the GT's cancellation, Ford also mooted its proposed replacements: the Shelby GR-1 and/or Shelby Roadster. As TTAC's Bob Elton pointed out, the GT’s platform and engineering offer plenty of potential for less radical spin-offs. Lincoln could use the GT to build a four-door supercar to enter the growing market segment for luxury high-performance sedans (e.g. Porsche Panamera). More conservatively, what about a lower-priced V6 Ford GT? Or a BETTER Ford GT: something even more monstrous to continuing conquesting upmarket motorists? Or-- and here's a radical idea-- why not just keep building the damn thing?

Why not indeed?

Source:
Ford GT RIP
Robert Farago
The Truth About Cars, 5 February 2006
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/content/11391511961093072280/

Posted at 06:57 AM in Automobiles | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack

A ball of ice and dust discovered last year in the outskirts of the solar system is 30 percent wider than Pluto, a team of German astronomers is reporting today.

The diameter of 2003 UB313, the astronomers found, is 1,860 miles, give or take 250 miles. Like Pluto, which has a diameter of 1,400 miles, 2003 UB313 is a member of the Kuiper Belt, a ring of icy debris that orbits beyond Neptune.

The finding definitively makes the icy ball — temporarily labeled 2003 UB313 and nicknamed Xena — the largest known object to be discovered orbiting Earth's sun since Neptune was identified in 1846, and adds to the debate over what should be considered a planet.

Astronomers announced last week that they had measured a large ice

So if Pluto is the ninth planet in the solar system and Xena, which also orbits the Sun, is bigger, that makes 10 planets, right?

However, the discovery of UB313 has reignited the debate over the definition of the term "planet" and precisely how many objects in our solar system deserve the name.

"Since UB313 is decidedly larger than Pluto, it is now increasingly hard to justify calling Pluto a planet if UB313 is not also given this status," said Frank Bertoldi, an astronomer at the University of Bonn and Max Planck Institute for Radioastronomy in Germany.

If Pluto were discovered today, it may not have been called a planet, because it is just one among a myriad of objects in the Kuiper belt.

Some scientists argue that anything orbiting the sun over a certain size should count as a planet. If the benchmark is Pluto, 2003 UB313 would now be the tenth recognized planet in our solar system.

courtesy of National Geographic

Sources:
Icy Ball Is Larger Than Pluto. So, Is It a Planet?
KENNETH CHANG
NYT, February 2, 2006
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/02/science/02planet.html

"Tenth Planet" Larger Than Pluto, Study Confirms
Stefan Lovgren
National Geographic News, February 1, 2006
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/02/0201_060201_ub313_pluto.html

Here a Planet, There a Planet
KENNETH CHANG
NYT, February 5, 2006
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/05/weekinreview/05basicB.html

Posted at 09:37 AM in Science | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Now that a gay cowboy movie has dominated the Oscar nominations, let's take a look at what same sex marraige laws look like across the nation.

Just curious: Who enforces these laws, out on the prairies ? Fly over the Rockies, and you realize just how huge and sparely populated they are. In these big sky Western States, how can they even tell who is doing what to whom up in the mountains? If you are "home homo on the range", do you need to be concerned about special gay marraige sherriffs patrolling cattle drives? 

I'm just askin' . . .

click for larger graphic

graphic courtesy of NYT

"Fearful that aggressive action could backfire and generate public hostility, gay rights groups are planning to limit the scope of their legal challenges to the constitutional amendments banning gay marriage that were passed by 11 states last week.

The groups are making a temporary retreat from their most fundamental goal, winning the right for same-sex marriages, and focusing instead on those measures that addressed civil unions in some way. The groups say that broader suits seeking the right to marry could add fuel to President Bush's efforts to create a federal prohibition on gay marriage. Many of the state amendments passed by overwhelming margins, and Karl Rove, the architect of Mr. Bush's re-election, said this week that there was a broad national consensus that marriage is between a man and a woman."

 

Source:
Caution in Court for Gay Rights Groups
By ADAM LIPTAK
NY Times, November 12, 2004
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/12/national/12gays.html

Posted at 05:57 AM in Politics | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack

This is friggin hilarious!

Keith Olbermann, doing his best Ted Baxter imitation, skewers Fox News anchor Bill O'Reilly

click for video

via GMSV

Posted at 04:52 AM in Humor, Media, Television | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

I am totally jazzed about this:

"Sarah Silverman is getting her own TV show.

The comic, best known for her recent stand-up film, “Jesus Is Magic,” as well as for key supporting turns in “The Aristocrats” and “School of Rock,” will star in “The Sarah Silverman Programme” on Comedy Central this summer. Six episodes of the scripted half-hour comedy have been ordered.

“I am a tremendous talent and Comedy Central is looking forward to bringing my unique outlook and titillating point of view to their viewers through this incredible series,” Silverman said in a tongue-in-cheek statement.

According to Comedy Central, in her new show, Silverman will play a character named, coincidentally, Sarah Silverman, whose “absurd daily life will be told through an array of scripted comedic scenes and songs.” The pilot, for example, features Silverman getting an audience with God, then performing a musical number “detailing her wishes to make the world a better place.”

Lovers of offbeat television may be intrigued to learn that two of the creators of Silverman’s show are Dan Harmon and Rob Schrab, who created the 1999 cult comedy “Heat Vision and Jack.” The weird but entertaining Fox comedy pilot, which sent up heroic/cheesy ’70s shows such as “Knight Rider” and starred Jack Black and the voice of Owen Wilson as a talking motorcycle, never aired on network television, but is a cult item much swapped by television addicts and fans of very strange comedy."

Source:
Sarah is magic
The Watcher
MAUREEN RYAN
A Chicago Tribune Web log, Originally posted: January 30, 2006
http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2006/01/sarah_is_magic.html

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