Boing Boing: Dangerous Things on your desk

Must remember to blog later: we now are the proud owners of a desktop trebuchet. There's a review of the kit I bought for David here.

Yes, yes, those flingy contraptions from Return of the King; but I first saw a modern one on a Nova special.

Buy Me A Ticket On A Rocket Plane

"Initially, the cost of the flights will be too high for most people to afford. However, within 10 to 12 years, suborbital spaceflight would be a real option, Rutan said.
The best part of all, Rutan added, was that 15 years from now, 'every kid who dreams, 'Wouldn't it be cool to fly in space?' will know that in your lifetime, you are going to go to orbit. "

SpaceShipTwo teams with Virgin Airways for the next phase: commercial space travel for the quite, quite wealthy, but they envision that in a couple of decades it will be more affordable for more people.

Is it too early to make our reservations? Is there a payment plan?

Firing disrupts Powell Haiti trip

"Mr Powell is on a one-day visit to help promote political stability. He was also due to meet young Haitians living with HIV, to mark World Aids Day"

I wonder who else in this administration has bothered/would dare to mark World Aids Day?

Meanwhile, must have been interesting when the shooting broke out.

Absolut-ly Cool Ice Bar

Amazing Race setting: Nordic Sea Hotel's Ice Bar

A Whole Features: Beyond the Blog

Ooooh. Hmm. The church website as weblog connects people with people. Oooooh.

The Kids Are All Right

In central Ohio, voters primarily from Kenyon College in Knox County waited for more than eight hours at a polling place that had not prepared for an onslaught of newly registered voters.

"We didn't have enough machines, and we didn't strategize well enough," said Thomas F. McHugh, chairman of the Knox County Board of Elections. "We got caught up in a real bind."

Nick Papa, 18, a freshman at Kenyon, said he got in line at 4:30 and was told it might be six or seven hours, but he was still in line at 1:30 a.m. At one point, election officials offered paper ballots, but the students rebelled, saying they wanted to use the electronic machines "to make sure our votes count," Papa said.

I notice a number of comments in these stories that are the same - there are far more newly registrated voters than there are voting machines in place to accomodate them. Why?

Too Much Free Time. You know you have it.

The New York Times > National > 3 DeLay Aides Facing Charges in Fund-Raising

Whoa! Big eye-raiser in the small print.

Reality Show Vocab 101

Good to know: "Frankenbite."

Gus Overshaw's Blubbery Bastard Wanted Poster

Lush! 

"Do They Mean Evil Is Coming?"

A Romanian woman is confused and frightened by the Euro-bashing and religious iconography of a Republican presidential campaign rally.

Practical Nomad on travel from Egypt to Tanzania

need to post link on Media thread.

Smirky Snark Chimpy Quips

The Smirking Chimp

Raaaaiiiiiii-neeeeeeeeeeirrrrrrr-beeeeaaaaaaaar!

Yahoo%21 News - Bear Drinks 36 Beers and Passes Out

Mo & Robs Drive Inne

Mo & Robs Drive Inne

Funny: Canadians Discuss Our Politics Better Than We Can

Kerry and Edmunds Learning To Deal Pretty Effectively With Hecklers

Bush at Unity Conference: Spreading Disunity

UPDATE: The White House has the official transcript. And it notes a detail almost too sad to include here:

We actually misnamed the war on terror, it ought to be the struggle against ideological extremists who do not believe in free societies who happen to use terror as a weapon to try to shake the conscience of the free world. (Laughter.)

No, that's what they do.

It's hard when you're used to speaking to pre-selected fanatics. . .

Yep, if you're not smart enough to deal with people that disagree with you, you should stick to speaking to blue-ribbon hand-picked crowds.

U.S. Troops Clash With Insurgents in Iraq

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- U.S. helicopter gunships fired on militiamen loyal to
Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in the holy city of Najaf on Friday, the second
day of fighting there, witnesses said.

Watch for ginmar's reaction on this.

The 2004 Perseid Meteor Shower

Try looking around 9 or 10 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 11th when Perseus is hanging low in the eastern sky. You won't see many meteors then, but the ones you do see could be memorable. Shooting stars that emerge from the horizon and streak horizontally through the atmosphere are called 'Earthgrazers.' Slow and colorful Earthgrazers are a good target for city dwellers, because they are so bright.

BBC NEWS | UK | Doubt over airport 'terror plot'

Either Pakistan is pissed they were out of the loop, or the British intellegence people are being tightlipped about sources. My money's on the latter.

Sweet Jesus, I Hate Bill O'Reilly, International

See hilarious "interview" with Garrison Keillor, who was invited to appear under the pretense that his new book would be discussed.

Incurious George W. Can't Grasp Democracy

Link via the Al Franken show blog.

Halliburton Neither Admits Nor Denies Wrongdoing (But Will Pay)

US oil services group Halliburton is to pay USD7.5m (GBP4.2m) to settle charges that it failed to disclose a change in its accounting practices during 1998.

Guess the line-item "bribes for African dictators and mid-level bureaucrats" wouldn't fly with the SEC as an offset for ridiculous profits?

Berger Cleared - No Film At Eleven

Because that would be admitting that the original charges were managed so as to take focus from the DNC and the 9/11 report coming out.

However, The Republicans Require A Signed Oath of Loyalty

Only loyal Republican voters/supporters/sycophants are allowed entry to BushCo events.

Otherwise, you're likely to be escorted from the building.

However, it's okay to line the streets on the way to the venue - though the local government may bill the Secret Service to reimburse themselves for providing cops and firemen on overtime to protect the city from any actions taken by evil Bushhaters.

Also, seems okay by me for both campaigns to pick up the tab for any security related alterations made at the request of the Secret Service.

But the wingnuts will crawl out of the woodwork nevertheless.

Teresa 1, Hecklers 0

Hecklers exercise their right to free speech at Kerry stump speeches - Teresa and the rest of the crowd handle it correctly with a combination of a zinger reply and good old-fashioned counter-chants.

Why My Supe Should Not Be Allowed To Email Memos

I swear to GOD, this is real and undoctored. I just copied everything below the address fields. And then I sent it to Scott Adams. I am SO going to hell, and when I get there, I'll be unemployed.

But in the meantime, this is too classic not to save. Usually, my TL contents herself with garbled, Germanic sounding syntax and convoluted, overly complicated explanations. The result is that often what she writes can be taken to mean the exact opposite of what she says she meant to say.

The following is a whole order of magitude better than any of her previous "WTF? is it opposite day AGAIN?" memos.

Subject: Urgent, Please read


Good Morning:

Please make sure to leave your set on tonight. You must close all applications such as Louts Notes, Internet and all Microsoft applications such as Words and Excel. You will also need to sign off Sabre. Don't shut your computer off. This will give access to our Tech Desk to load the Anti Verse software to your set. For more information, read below.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Spectre AWOL

Check this link from home - some Christian site that dares to attack Landover Baptist.

Letter to Thomas Kean from Sibel Edmonds :: 9/11 CitizensWatch :: We are concerned citizens challenging the official story of 9/11

That would be one hell of a coverup scheme.

BBC NEWS | Americas | US court reveals Libya 'terror plot'

BBC NEWS | Americas | US court reveals Libya 'terror plot'

The New York Times > Science > By Accident, Utah Is Proving an Ideal Genetic Laboratory

The New York Times > Science > By Accident, Utah Is Proving an Ideal Genetic Laboratory

Feh.

The New York Times > International > Middle East > Prewar Intelligence: High Qaeda Aide Retracted Claim of Link With Iraq

The New York Times > International > Middle East > Prewar Intelligence: High Qaeda Aide Retracted Claim of Link With Iraq

Oh, yeah, back away slowly from that story, Chimpy.

How In The Hell Do They Get The 411?

<"Douglas told the hushed courtroom telephone threats were made to his wife's hotel room while she filmed the movie Ocean's 12. "

And there's another point of connection. This happened sometime in May or June. Again with the "jeebus."

MSNBC - Tale of the Clooney conwoman

“Now the mother supposedly has a sister who supposedly killed herself — she did it on George’s answering machine,” says Rosenfield. “And the mother is suing George for wrongful death. But the woman and the daughter and the sister are all the same person.” - spokesman Stan Rosenfield

This was two months before Rance started blogging.

Jeebus.

OMG - Funniest. Droids. Evar!

"These are not the droids you're looking for" group from Comic-Con San Diego - via ***Dave.

Note - one of them may be a ringer.

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Love to spend 18 months in rehab

Singer Courtney Love has been sentenced to 18 months in drug rehabilitation after she admitted being under the influence of cocaine and opiates.

Hmm.

White Castle on Sunset Strip: Sliders In Paradise

A.S. - just so you don't feel left out of the "my personal favorite hamburger joint" sweepstakes, White Castle is opening a mini-burger joint on the Sunset Strip. It's a promo for the "Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle" movie.

At the moment I heard about this on the radio last night, I was actually driving by a White Castle location. Strangely, I had no sudden urge for a Slider, but I did wish that Fatburger would open up a Midwest location.

As for Rance - next time, go with a hypo-allergenic pelican.

Still Making With The Funny At Rance's

Name: ginny
Home Page: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=storycid=573ncid=757e=2u=/nm/20040722/od_nm/odd_perks_dc
E-Mail: ginny@midrange.com

Waxwing, you darling avian you:

"Why, for instance, do the women keep those things all big even though they aren't nursing any young?"

Not all of us keep those things all big, and not all of us have any intention of nursing any young. ;)

However, it seems that our government is willing to give some of those big things for free to members of our military. They don't specify by gender, so it seems like it would be a perky perk indeed for male members of the armed forces(otherwise known as "big swinging military dicks") to also have a set of breasts that they can fondle anytime without being brought up on sexual harassment charges.

If this is so, the enlistment crisis is instantly solved. However, the uniform manufacturers will soon have a couple of big, nicely rounded problems on their hands.

VBSEG, (that would be "very big shit-eating grin")

G

Rance seems to be MIA, possibly fishing, possibly gave up acting and ran off to work on a shrimp boat. Wages, benefits, one half share in the payout, and all the shrimp he can eat.

Coffee, Tea, or Vodka?

Russian flight attendants go on bender, beat a passenger, then pass out.

Halliburton Again: And Iran, Iran So Far Away

"Halliburton, in trouble over alleged over-charging for Iraq contracts, is being probed for its deals in Iran. "

Fametracker

George Clooney has opened his heart to a bunch of strippers about his real feelings for Hollywood's royalty. The heart-throb wined and dined three strippers, ZENA, AMBER and ERICA, earlier this year (13FEB01) and told them his thoughts on his past co-stars. Among his revelations, according to the strippers, were that he allegedly finds his Out Of Sight (1998) co-star Jennifer Lopez mean, cold and nasty and his favourite co-star was Michelle Pfeiffer - who had him in a constant state of sexual arousal when they made One Fine Day (1996). According to America's STAR magazine, Zena says, "I couldn't believe a superstar like him could bare his intimate thoughts with people he barely knew."

Ummm. Perhaps blogging is a bit safer and way less expensive.

P.S: TMI but goodie for Michelle, I say.

Strict Father vs. Nurturant Parent (Signal vs. Noise)

Strict Father vs. Nurturant Parent (Signal vs. Noise)

Hey! I've got 27 DVPs!

Tuesday, 13 July 2004 - 7:47 AM HDT

Name: Rance
Home Page: http://captainhoof.tripod.com/blog/

RD, DVP stands for Dodge Viper Points. These are points redeemable, once you've accumulated the requisite amount, for either a brand new Dodge Viper automobile. At some juncture (I'm sorry, I don't have the figures at my disposal) DVPs are also redeemable for a keg of beer. The current Top Ten in the DVP standings/point totals:

1. Robyn 71
2. Bard S 58
3. Shorty 44
4. Waxwing 44
5. CuriousGirl 35
6. Ginny 27
7. Wheeler Jones 27
8. BabyGirlCrow 27
9. Lora 27
10 (t) Nancy D 19
10 (t) Jay 19
10 (t) Ken
10 (t) Cheryl
10 (t) Whoever I forgot

Clever Rance, now everyone not named will assume they're one of the "whoever I forgot" types.

Aw, that's so cute to think that there's a spreadsheet out there and someone's earnestly keeping score.... or alternatively, pulling numbers out of the nearest ass.

Heraldic Claptrappery

Sir Bard S thought you'd get a kick out this. I am not so sure, but here it is anyway: a "spec" entry in the coat of arms design contest, if there ever is one. It's long. I'll keep a copy. Probably too boring for network.

Crest: Shrimp gules "en brochette" saltire sur la toque de chef pommes frits (cooked shrimp skewered on crossed cocktail picks sitting on a Fatburger frycook's hat). The crest is the symbol that sits on top of the shield, or on top of your helmet whilst jousting if you're a knight.

Shield: On a field argent, at least 6 small fleurs-de-lys vert chevron, in the "missing man" formation with nothing at the apex. This is symbolic of Tripod, little green letters on a white background, and "inadvertently deleted by the AS" comments. Or, the fleurs-de-lys can be a background pattern - this is evidently called "Fleurty" which struck me funny.

Superimposed on this background: 3 large rampant shrimp gules en brochette on a foil sable bend sinister (ie., 3 more cooked shrimp on a black fencing sword, angled from lower left to upper right). I just realized that the foil should be grasped by a mailed fist. More symbolism.

Motto (goes on a banner below): something classy in Latin or French, such as "Mon droit et mon shrimp," or "And so you must die!" et cetera.

Alternate: 3 crossed cocktail picks, forming a tripod, on top of which sits a rampant shrimp.

The link leads to a funky flash site with a tutorial for designing and describing heraldic devices. I also checked the Burke's Peerage site (where else?) because I couldn't remember all the fancy French heraldic terms.

On a trip to England last fall, we saw coats of arms that were 3-dimensional carved wood sculptures displayed in the chapel of the Order of the Garter in Westminster Abbey - pretty swank stuff, but probably beyond the scope of this little caper.

Oh, the military is the bloody and unsuccessful tool?

Thought it was our Resident. My bad.

A senior US intelligence official has told the BBC that the American-led war in Iraq was 'a gift of epic proportions to Osama Bin Laden'

My Ass Falls Off Again

Previously in the Show Miss Alli Some Love thread:

And if you ever find yourself in this situation (and your Berlitz guide doesn't cover it), here it is (courtesy of BabelFish at Alta Vista):

¿Usted ha visto a enano el usar de un sombrero plástico que activaba con una vaca muerta en ella detrás?

Next:

Oh, how I hate Babelfish. It'd be more like "¿No vieron a una enana con un sombrerito de plástico corriendo con una vaca muerta en la espalda?" But I suppose the Babelfish translation would be funnier in this context.

Next:

Ah, AlejandraDD, but have you ever tried back-translating in Babel Fish? Because that's where the real fun lies:

"You have seen dwarf using of a plastic hat that she behind activated with a cow died in her?"

Happiness is the best revenge

It's nice to read some successful tales of revenge - although I had plenty of reasons to want revenge for things over the years, I could never pull quite pull it off.

This is possibly because most of my revenge fantasies contain cartoon violence. I could never figure out how to contact the Acme company, so beloved of Wile E. Coyote, to order rockets and roller skates and anvils.

Currently, I'm with Smart (and now Serene) Ken. I've been saying "happiness is the best revenge" for several years now, since the last time I got screwed over at work resulted in a happy marriage, a better job, and a number of really swell vacations.

Just a file copy in case this never gets posted.

BBC NEWS | Americas | Bush pledges intelligence reforms

Does this mean he promises to be smarter?

Yet More Parental Squick

Ugh. It's not just that they tell us not to look - but they never remember to tell us "don't listen, and don't sniff."

I think we're being weaned.

Either that, or Rance is less than enchanted, owing to onerous moderating/fight management duties.

How Much Is Crane At Risk?

... a lot, I hope. I don't want this guy representing me.

Party Appeal to Churches for Help Raises Doubts

Legal experts say that churches are allowed to hold nonpartisan voter registration drives and that individual church members are free to lobby church acquaintances on behalf of a candidate, but that any use of church resources to support a political campaign, even a gesture like placing campaign fliers on a literature table, can run afoul of the tax-exempt requirements.

Oh, ho, ho, the backlash is building. And by the way, hasn't anyone warned the Moccult about this?

NPR : The Reading of the Declaration of Independence / Rance file comment

Choked up when I heard Red Barber's voice.

Added an "optional" comment over at Rance's - will probaby not be approved
since it will be out of date very soon.

This comment is optional; it's not personal, but it's also not terribly witty, original, or containing anything to do with JLo (doesn't she have a new nickname yet?). Therefore, it may be blown away without remorse.

Your "Am I proud to be an American" has got me thinking, and that's never a good thing. I'll probably expand on the thought elsewhere; for now I'll say that I was proud when I heard the annual dramatic reading of the Declaration of Independence on NPR this morning, but felt a bit sad that it was impossible to hear it without making ironic substitutions related to current events. Oh, and I always choke up when I hear Red Barber's voice now.

I'm proud when I go to our national and state parks and public lands, but not so proud when I see trash strewn around, monuments vandalized, and my fellow Amerkins acting like asshats and ruining it for everyone else.

Try not to be too miserable, Rance. I've got you beat there - we probably won't do a damn thing, and then I have to work on Monday. Bleh.

Oh, and by the way - October Surprise, anyone?

Same article - I suppose it would be better to hold elections AFTER bin Laden
is dramatically captured and handed over to the proper authorties.

Just in time for our elections in November. Best pencil it in.

Another problem: Registered voters keep getting killed

Jean Arnault, the United Nation's special representative in Afghanistan, told the Security Council in May that the Taliban and al Qaeda insurgency in southern Afghanistan was increasing, hindering voter registration and threatening the legitimacy of elections. Mr. Arnault said voter registration hasn't been possible in three of the 34 provinces and has proven difficult in nine others.

Odd, no mention of the "everyone with a voter's registration was killed"
bus incident from the other day.

Yahoo! News - Police: Mom Threatens Chuck E. Cheese

MACON, Ga. - A teenager dressed as pizza mascot Chuck E. Cheese was pelted with pizza and threatened with a beating by an angry parent who said the mascot wasn't paying enough attention to her child, police said.

Salon.com News | Bush gets checked and balanced

June 29, 2004 | On Monday morning in Turkey, George W. Bush scribbled 'Let Freedom Reign' on a note about the Iraq handover passed to him by Condoleezza Rice. A few hours later in Washington, the U.S. Supreme Court -- led by four of the five justices who put Bush in the White House in 2000 -- accused the president of trampling freedom both at home and abroad.

Does George W. Bush do NOTHING but think and express himself in
cliches? Possibly - he seems incapable of thinking up and saying something original; he requires a script (and reportedly, numerous rehearsals to get word-perfect) in order to deliver an idea effectively.

I wonder if the Supremes are having the judicial equivalent of buyers' remorse at last?

Bush's Rating Falls to Its Lowest Point, New Survey Finds

Huzzah, I say. Huzzah.

Aw, Rance said my post was funny.

Placet qui dixit.*

Nota bene, magistri: Dr Pepper's got a contest going where they're giving away 10 Dodge Vipers. This could have an adverse affect on quality control, if everyone's off doing the "I'm a Pepper, you're a Pepper" song and dance and not making with the appropriately sycophantic posts here.

Addendum in res Augustulus versus Cetus Illegetemus: Habio datum, ergo licet legere!**

I knew the moment I posted before that the schizophrenic hamsters running Tripod's servers would eat my comment. I'm keeping files from now on, mister and/or Ms., so you can't blame the AS anymore.

In the meantime more very bad dog Latin made its way into the mix. Bad dog Latin! No! No!

Vale,

ginny
(P.S.) Chat: stitch. Screen names: stitch.
*Either "What he said" or "I agree with this post."
**grade: "(I) have intel, therefore (I) may read (it)!" C- (grammar, syntax)

Is Today Breeder Day Or Something?

Headlines from today's Bloglines newsfeed - did someone declare today "International Day of Breeding" or something? It's all about the chillldrunnnn.

BBC NEWS | Health | Scans uncover secrets of the womb

Atkins 'affects conception chances'

Khat plant 'boosts sperm power'

Mobiles 'could cut male fertility'

Blood drug 'treats womb disease'

'Nazi shadow' over IVF research

Apparently there's a fertility conference on now.

And finally:

"But whataboutthebaybee??" Husband's tirades bother preggo wife

The Mo Mafia's Memo Boy

The Salt Lake Tribune -- BYU graduate under fire for memo on torture use

Further Rance

Well, on the one hand, it's still fun reading and commenting on Rance's blog. On the other hand, some people have completely gone overboard in their need for attention - there's some sort of fight or war going on, but it's hard to tell if it stems from a complete misunderstanding, or if a person or persons unknown is employing sockpuppetry to foment conflict.

Meanwhile, another blogger with a similer moniker on another Tripod blog pretty much "outs" Rance as George Clooney, and captainhoof as Keith Thomson. A new detail - there was apparently a party in the Hamptons at Jerry Bruckheimer's place at the same time Rance was sending a postcard from the Hamptons party with the 5 pound lobsters.

Good thing I didn't shoot my mouth off just now about the Amazing Race - weird, but I was suddenly curious, if "Rance" is truly George Clooney or another A-lister, if he'd ever been recruited to appear on a reality show. And on The Amazing Race Television Without Pity boards, people are grousing about "recruits," who tend to be boring models and beauty queens. And a commenter on Rance's blog, having read the "outing" blog... yadda... gets openly mocked. Not so fun. People are going to get hurt if they don't lighten up and stop taking the whole lark so damn seriously.

And it's a little hard to believe that the whole thing could be for the purposes of promoting Oceans' Twelve, though I can definitely get on board with it being for blowing off steam over idiotic Hollywoodiana. After all - hello - that was actually stated in an early post. It's difficult for a well-known person to be a part of a support group without crap hitting the tabbies.

This linksblog continues to be more or less private - although someone could still stumble upon it. If they should, well, it's hard to explain. It's an Internet thing. It's a perfect storm in a teacup.

And over on the Gus Overshaw "whale-killing journal" that was "recommended" by Rance, all the fun and costume-party make-believe is about to come crashing down because someone who was role-playing got hurt when someone else apparently role-played a little harder than expected. I expect it's because some people either can't take a joke, or that once again the lack of non-verbal communication has farked over the meaning of words meant in jest into something that was perceived to be abuse or aggression.

But I have to say - it's fascinating. And most of my comments make it through on both blogs, so they must be entertaining enough to the person or persons on the business end of both.

And damn! It's fun. I'd be sad if it all blew to hell.

And now, back to news links and crap to look at after work, with the occasional excursion into imaginary realms of Bloggerland.

***Dave :: Too-Friendly skies

Need to comment on this later - with memories of AA FA trainees in Dallas more concerned with maintaining laminated appearance before they graduated from training, back in the old pre-9/11 days

Supreme Court Refuses to Order Cheney to Release Energy Papers

Supremes ensure that this issue comes up AFTER the election by throwing it back to a lower court.

Bastards.

BBC NEWS | Business | Cheney papers to be kept secret

Justice Antonin Scalia refused to step down from hearing the case, despite having taken a hunting vacation with Mr Cheney while the court was considering his appeal.

There is something VERY stinky going on here.

Blogger Help : Are there any more Header graphics for the Scribe template?

Blogger Help : Are there any more Header graphics for the Scribe template?

Whoa! I might be switching this over to Scribe eventually, it's a really pretty template.

Rance Returns

People the Administrative Staff Wish Would Fall Off A Bridge:

1. Those of you whose comment consists simply of "LOL" or a variation thereof. Post one and it's a certainty it will be deleted. Exceptions: Variations thereof that are, for any reason, exceptional.

2. Those of you who write: "Are you _____?" Upwards of 50 of these per day are deleted. If they're original or otherwise amusing, we will post them but, per blog policy, withhold comment. This will be the case even if your provide live webcam feed of Rance posting onto this site (exception: if your aim is blackmail, in which case we will make a deal with you).

2b. Those of who claim to have such evidence, but offer no proof and still try to blackmail us (There's one, at least, every day).

3. Rambling lunatics, unless they're entertaining.

4. Those of you who write in 30 times asking why your first comment has yet to be posted. Actually, on second thought, you stay away from the bridge! We love you! If you have that kind of time and enthusiasm for this blog, help us read the Eleanor Roosevelt essays.

Aw! Rance is back, or on, or posting again. And he says he's not Batman (awwwwwwwww, that's probably a blatant clue innit?). And he says he's not Gus either (okay, I can live with that, Gus is awfully tetchy).

And I can't believe they're gamely trying to read all the Eleanor Roosevelt essays. I guess mine (AJ rappels down the US Capitol building in Enagetics and a sensible dress) is still alive somewhere.

That makes me feel all for the admin staff.

Disregard the weird stuff

I'm still screwing around with Blogger. On the one hand, it's handy to be able to add pictures - this is done using free "hello" software. I won't be adding photos from work, though.

Back to gathering news oddities.

U.S. Is Accused of Trying to Isolate U.N. Population Unit

Funnymentalist basstodds....

Sighting! 

I don't know whether I'm coming or going.  

I don't know which way I'm going just now. 

Where The Blubbery Bastard Is

Racing southbound by the stars, having got word of a pod with a really fat straggler at 10° 21' N and 66° 42' W, near Venezuela.

Gus (Fiskus) Openshaw's Whale-Killing Journal

BBC NEWS | Business | Halliburton cuts off KBR ex-boss

"Improper Personal Benefits."

My, what a delicious phrase. And it's a Nigeria connection.

The Coming Theocracy

Mr. Bush's courtship of Southern Baptists, the largest Protestant denomination, began Tuesday when he addressed them in a live telecast from the White House and thanked them for their prayers. The campaign's appeals picked up in earnest the next day, when Ralph Reed, the former head of the Christian Coalition, who is now an official of the Bush campaign, arrived to ask pastors more explicitly for their help in winning votes.

It's coming. Don't think that it's not.

Gus Openshaw's Whale-Killing Journal

I bought an old wooden cabin cruiser from a geezer in Port Helslop, Washington for $20. Wood boats are a bitch is why. Takes a good couple hundred hours to scrape and paint the hulls every year. Invention of fiberglass made wood boats' asses obsolete. So folks with wood boats they don't use no more are left with this dilemma: 'Do I keep paying two grand a year to keep this sucker in dry dock, or do I pay some guy twice that much to come over, chain saw my family heirloom apart and haul it to the dump?' So the price for these craft is zip. The twenty bucks was for the gas in her. And it was a good fifty bucks worth of gas.

A few days later, a few leagues north of the Equator, I upgraded to a 180-foot superyacht that came with this computer I'm blogging on now. I'll get to that next time I blog. Now I got to hit the head.

At last, something to relax by and be amused. Rance put me on to it - he must have run into the guy in a seedy dockside dive somewhere.

It's kind of like a costume party. I don't know yet if there will be a reveal and everybody standing around chatting later saying "I knew it was you!"

Probe rules out Iraq-9/11 links

The commission investigating the 11 September 2001 attacks on the US has found no 'credible evidence' that Iraq helped al-Qaeda carry them out.

That's the BBC telling us. NO credible evidence.

Google Search: bush idiot

Whoa! Lookit all the flash sites that pop up for this simple little search. Must peruse at leisure.

OpEdNews.Com: Eeesh, horrid design, but must read later.

All kinds of hella good muckracking. Not sure yet how good the factchecking is. Greg Palast likes 'em, though.

The One Where Asscroft Gets Yet Another New One Ripped Special

Asscroft, they're onto you: they noticed that when Coleen Rowley's devastating testimony was fresh news, you charged "dirty bomber" Jose Padilla. Woops, facts wrong, Padilla will be charged with something a little less sexy - blowing up apartments by renting them, then rigging their gaslines to blow simultaneously.

Now that the memo you refused, in contempt of Congress no less, to release has been posted by the Washington Times...

The memo came out late Sunday. Mr. Ashcroft called a press conference yesterday — to announce an indictment against a man accused of plotting to blow up a shopping mall in Ohio. The timing was, I'm sure, purely coincidental.

Remember when we were all too afraid to go to Woodfield Mall back in the days immediately following 9/11? Well golly, it was real. Wasn't it? Isn't it?

What other big fears do we have? Oh, yes - the terrorists will blow up a nuke plant or cause another cascading power failure. I expect the next embarassment to the Asscroft feudal theocracy formerly known as Justice will result, within a week, of an arrest of someone wanting to blow up some power plants.

Salon: Tuesdays Must Reads (subscription)

More Halliburton/KBR shenanigans:

Halliburton's egregious overcharges
Abandoning trucks because of flat tires: $85,000. Putting 100 workers up at a 5-star hotel: $10,000 a night. Lavish spending and mismanagement by a politically-connected firm: Priceless. Actually, there is a price being put on Halliburton's wasteful shenanigans in Iraq: $8 billion.

Also: John Asscroft gets a new one ripped for him (again) and Tom DeLay accused of political shenanigans (finally).

Bushspeak: "Flag Day" is now "Military Appreciation Day

They had a march in Shit Lake Salty - The Chamber's Military Affairs Committee organized it. They had Cub scouts, business representatives, families, and government employees.

Might as well organize the Bush Youth Brigades now, the time is ripe to groom them for their lives as good little...Repugnicans.

Lobstermania - Rance Has Been Alerted

Hell, yes, I commented on Rance's blog about Maine's lobster eating contests.
He's got time to fire up the Gremlin and get there from Toledo.

I advised Groucho glasses as a disguise.

Retired Officials Say Bush Must Go (answering Roger Morris' call?)

And in the end are they saying Bush Mush Go instead of simply resigning as Roger Morris called for them to do in A Call to Conscience?

Iran On Deck As Next Invadee

Iran has been criticised for its lack of co-operation by the UN's chief nuclear inspector at a meeting to decide on a united response.

Iran's next.

Salon.com News | Reagan blasts Bush

Must watch crap ad and get day pass to read later:

"My father crapped bigger ones than George Bush," says the former president's son, in a flame-throwing conversation about the war and the Bush administration's efforts to lay claim to the Reagan legacy.

April 14, 2003 | The Bush inner circle would like to think of George W.'s presidency as more of an extension of Ronald Reagan's than of his one-term father's. Reagan himself, who has long suffered from Alzheimer's disease, is unable to comment on those who lay claim to his political legacy. But his son, Ron Jr., is -- and he's not pleased with the association.

"The Bush people have no right to speak for my father, particularly because of the position he's in now," he said during a recent interview with Salon. "Yes, some of the current policies are an extension of the '80s. But the overall thrust of this administration is not my father's -- these people are overly reaching, overly aggressive, overly secretive, and just plain corrupt. I don't trust these people."

Why Thunder Claps vs. Why Thunder Rumbles

Lightning expert Dr. Martin Uman explains that if a portion of the lightning spark is perpendicular to you, all points on that portion will produce sound that arrives almost simultaneously at your ears. The result is a high-intensity 'crash.' However, if much of the lightning channel is along your line of sight, sound arrival times vary, and the resulting thunder is a low-intensity rumble.

Okay, that's interesting. Now - why is lightning sometimes blue, and sometimes almost pink?

Atta - Is This For Real?

I don't know. I don't know. Fuck.

Tampabay: TIA now verifies flight of Saudis

And it's not like it was COMMON KNOWLEDGE or anything, and not some
wacky goddamn Internet conspiracy theory...

The New Yorker: Fact - Seymour Hirsh

Need to re-read this later, maybe keep a copy.

Everything isn't Under Control

Jon Stewart helps Joe Biden rip Asscroft a new one over the classifed memos - see if TiVo grabbed this

Man Finds Daughter-In-Law's Body in Freezer

"The paper said he was looking for milk for a cup of tea when he discovered the Korean-born victim wrapped up in plastic bags. "

What was he doing looking for milk in the freezer? Maybe it's a British thing?

Or maybe I read too many mystery stories, and the father was actually snooping around on purpose.

Higher-Ranking Officer Is Sought to Lead the Abu Ghraib Inquiry

"Within the last several days, an important figure in the inquiry who had previously refused to cooperate with Army investigators suddenly reversed his position and agreed to work much more closely with investigators, a senior Senate aide and a senior Pentagon official said.

That important development prompted General Fay to send some of his 29-person team back into the field to conduct more interviews, the officials said. 'A key witness, a key person who'd pled the military equivalent of the Fifth has changed his attitude, and Fay is reopening the investigation,' the Senate official said.

The officials said they did not know the identity of the witness."

Fay has requested a more senior investigating officer replace him, as he can't interview those at the highest levels of leadership within Iraq...

Hmm. Wonder who the key witness is.

Enter the Cow-orker

Enter "cow-orker" in Google, and this site comes up first.

Pros: seems to have extensive archives, uses the word "cow-orker" correctly

Cons: Frames and animated gifs

It seems to be one of those "Start from the beginning" blogs.

Airline bans woman for air rage over phone

It's Vietnam's flag carrier. Wish they'd do something about the people that forget to turn their cell phones off at the theater.

Strangely enough, I booked someone on that airline yesterday. Must tell him not to use his cell phone or throw water around indiscriminately.

New Service by TiVo Will Build Bridges From Internet to the TV

Oh? Need tell house technogeek about this.

Tommy Franks all set to pull an Alexander Haig if necessary

More background on "October Surprise:"

In Nov. 2003, you might recall, Gen. Tommy Franks told Cigar Aficionado magazine that a major terrorist attack (even one that occurred elsewhere in the Western world), would likely result in a suspension of the U.S. Constitution and the installation of a military form of government. "[A] terrorist, massive, casualty-producing event somewhere in the Western world -- it may be in the United States of America -- [would cause] our population to question our own Constitution and to begin to militarize our country in order to avoid a repeat of another mass, casualty-producing event," he said. [NewsMax.com]

Operation Summer Pulse '04

"It would prepare USS Harry S. Truman and USS John F. Kennedy for eventual deployment to support �real-world operations� by October. "

Wait a minute - what did I just say about "October Surprise?"

Operation Summer Pulse '04

"It would prepare USS Harry S. Truman and USS John F. Kennedy for eventual deployment to support �real-world operations� by October. "

Wait a minute - what did I just say about "October Surprise?"

Asscroft, Squirming

"Senator Joseph Biden, a Delaware Democrat, in a different heated exchange with Mr. Ashcroft, asked him if he believed torture was ever justified. When he first declined to answer, Mr. Biden accused him of being evasive and he replied: 'You know I condemn torture.'

One of the memorandums published in newspapers over the last two days, dated March 6, 2002, provides elaborate and tightly constructed definitions of torture. For example, If an interrogator 'knows that severe pain will result from his actions, if causing such harm is not his objective, he lacks the requisite specific intent even though the defendant did not act in good faith,' the report said. 'Instead, a defendant is guilty of torture only if he acts with the express purpose of inflicting severe pain or suffering on a person within his control.'"

Well, how about if we field-test forms of interrogation causing non-severe pain on YOU, Mr Attorney General? Then you can verify that it's not the form of torture that you condemn.

Seems fair to me.

Strange Bedfellows Falling Out

"'You would be hard-pressed to find anyone familiar with his position who would believe that President Reagan would be in Hatch's camp on this,' said Douglas Johnson, the committee's legislative director.

'It was widely reported during his presidency that Nancy Reagan did not agree with President Reagan on the abortion issue, so somebody who doesn't have a problem with abortion would not have a problem with destroying human embryos for research.' "

Douglas Johnson, spokesthing for the National Right to Life Committee, castigating Nancy Reagan for not being pro-life enough to reject stem-cell research that might have benefited her husband, the late President Whatsmyname.

Actually, it's a sad thing for her to have struggled and not succeeded in getting it through Congress, but Orrin Hatch is trying again. As predicted on Air America Radio the other night, a stem-cell research bill will probably pass if it's named something palatable like "the Reagan amendment."

Lucy in the Sky...

Oh. My... GOD this is brilliant: Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds as you've never seen it before (but you may have heard it in a nightmare).

From Pale Blue Dot.

What the hell is up with stats???

The hell?

Unique visits by monthJan 2004 277 1181 2717 4332 28.84 MB
Feb 2004 578 1937 4268 12042 187.53 MB
Mar 2004 1126 3172 6275 18513 283.90 MB
Apr 2004 910 3592 6134 34509 429.78 MB
May 2004 1310 4138 7270 37626 531.46 MB
Jun 2004 715 1376 2467 15741 239.81 MB


Unique daily visits
01 Jun 2004 178 373 2037 35.62 MB
02 Jun 2004 130 295 2499 26.49 MB
03 Jun 2004 139 228 1007 18.04 MB
04 Jun 2004 194 358 3103 33.85 MB
05 Jun 2004 190 387 2920 48.17 MB
06 Jun 2004 160 278 1276 25.12 MB
07 Jun 2004 385 548 2899 52.51 MB

Last visit - someone every few minutes

Need to get some sort of "visitors online" script?

Firefly sticker... kind of plain.

It points to the foxhome page for firefly, but need to verify. See fireflymovie.com for more info

Designer's NY Store Selling Bush Deck of Cards

they also sell Bush toilet paper. Bush is also both jokers. Heh.

US 'not bound by torture laws'

The document also argued that torturers acting under presidential orders could not be prosecuted, the paper said.

The report was written by military and civilian lawyers for US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

AKA: Rummy's "Get Out Of Jail Free" card.

manga picturemaker

as seen at Learning Moveable Type

Iraqi/US Fed Currency Scandal

Need to read more later.

The Beeb Does Blogs

"A recent white paper by Perseus has suggested there are currently 4.12 million blogs which have been created on eight of the biggest blog publishing sites on the net"

Where's Rance? Well, Where's Oceans 12?

Well, that Flash thing sucks. Sorry.

Rance makes it sound like he's in the South Pacific. The whaler is beached. He's at a beachfront bungalow, which is cheaper than a bungled blow.

There are lots of shrimp.

George is currently somewehre in Italy. Greece is just a short hop. There are beaches and shrimp and beachfront bungalows and such there.

Yeah, I know iot's a stretch. It'sthe Fuller's. ESB. Not "ESP."

My Guest Blog Post At Rance's Place

Rance
Friday, 4 June 2004
Guest Bloggist: ginny
Name: ginny
URL: http://www.blogula-rasa.com
E-Mail: ginny@midrange.com

Question: What would you do if given control of Fox Studios for one year?

Ginny's response:

I'm just an ordinary female member of the flyover-state
moviegoing public. I like movies where:

Stuff blows up.
Stuff blows up in space.
Smart people figure out how not to blow up (often in space).
Smart people say smart things so fast you need instant replay.
When the swords come out, the shirts come off (except in space).
The funny-looking girl gets the guy with the swords.
Bad guys come in shades of grey.
Good guys ultimately prevail, but get all dirty and sweaty.
Sometimes, the hero is a woman. She can still get all dirty and sweaty.


Here are some arbitrary and wholly draconian rules...

1. Under no circumstances is Mel Gibson allowed within 50 feet of an exploding blood pack. He also may no longer die heroically in the last reel.

2. Everyone working at Fox Studios must keep a classic book that could never be made into a movie on their bedside table, and be able to discuss it in the commissary.

3. Say yes, and mean it, to people who do good work. Say no, and explain why, to people who do crap work. Fire all posers.

4. At least one in every three movies must be made for smart people. Movies for dumb people at least have to be intelligently plotted and cast. Then smart people can enjoy movies with their dumb friends.

That's all.



ADMINISTRATIVE NOTES:

1. The recent delay in the posting of comments is due to the extremely high volume submitted and the new rules instituted as to which get posted.

2. Expect another postcard from Rance soon.

Have a nice weekend,

The Administrative Staff





Posted by captainhoof at 9:31 PM GMT

Oh, so that's what I wrote. All I could really remember was the stuff blowin' up and no bloodpacks for Mr. Gibson rule.

Yeesh. The guest blogger thing is seriously winding down. I fear that soon Rance will tire of the chore of keeping up and keeping people happy. He's handed off to an assistant while he's off either cleaning out his mom's basement, making an indie animated short, or filming in Europe.

Grr. Free Speech Erosion

The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Editorials

Dead Poets Society, New Mexico Style.

Only connect. Only connect. Only connect.

FromBy George! It's George Clooney! Novelty Shop:

Atom Films This is the place to get Waiting for Woody(one of several short films on "Definitely Not Hollywood: Dark Comedy Edition in which George does a wonderful and fairly lengthy cameo

From a UK awards website:

We have built a catalogue of over 1000 short films and animations, several hundred of which are shown on our site at any one time. The quality of films that AtomFilms has been able to attract to its site is unparalleled and ranges from Academy Award nominees Holiday Romance and Killing Joe through star-powered films starring Jennifer Anniston, George Clooney, Neve Campbell and Ewan McGreggor, to the latest offering from Oscar-winning production house, Aardman Animations Angry Kid, which has been released exclusively on the Internet.

Or, Mr Thomson could be a particularly weird kind of stalker, in a position to pick up a lot of weird insider gossip. Couldn't even access Atom Films from work, it gets caught in the company chastity filters. Which reminds me of the rococco tale of the S/M photos encountered by accident at an L-sleb party.

More thinking.

Rance's "friend with a clue" is The Captain. As in Hoof.

I thought I remembered this. So the cartoonist/self-promoter guy could be Captain Hoof, but not Rance. Phew.

"In the meantime, re: comments, as I think Cyn suggested, my Director of Information Technology (i.e., my friend with a clue about computers, The Captain) is now implementing a system where we decide which comments will be posted. The reason for this is principally that we've been getting more than there's space for, not content. We're just trying to weed out the repetitive (Are you...?). A couple of them would make the elevator woman blush (note: on second thought, must post the one where she offers the plane ticket to Vegas, etc.). Whoever wrote in and accused us of omitting his comment deriding Cameron Diaz's back, we did not do this. But we probably would have.

Later,

R

Posted by captainhoof at 5:20 PM GMT | post your comment (16) | link to this post
Updated: Tuesday, 20 January 2004 5:47 PM GMT "

Museum of Hoaxes... well, craperoo

Museum of Hoaxes is on to something. I wondered about the early-adopting commenters too, but didn't really think about how strange it was... I just assumed it was some internal system on Tripod that announces new blogs and the word spread like wildfire.


Well, more reading and thinking to do.

Submit moblog images for art project!

Oooh! Via xeni jardin on gizmodo ("What's in your gadget bag):SENT phonecam art project.

Artists will be doing Phone Cam Art. They're taking submissions from civilians that will be randomly displayed on the site and during the gallery show. Oooh. Must think which of my images might be considered "art."

SimpleComments :: Kalsey Consulting Group

And the next plugin I'll probably install:
SimpleComments :: Kalsey Consulting Group

Da Hub got tired of downloading and installing plugins for me - I couldn't figure out how he did it so fast. Turns out it's semi-automated from a specific login. I now have the ability to create new blogs - which under the new licensing agreement, if I upgrade to MT3.0m, means I can create 2 more independent ones and as many dependent ones as I need.

Fear me.

Judge Hardcastle?

The New York Times > National > American Dreamers: A Las Vegas Juvenile Judge Finds His Test Case at Home

Oh.

Gee, and I had such a crush in the 80's on the young guy in "Hardcastle and McCormick."

Whoa! Who Turned Out The Lights?

Rance seems to have turned off comments for now - yikes, maybe it's for the best. The current "guest blogger" post's comments count got up to almost 400.

Still anxiously awaiting the debut of my guest blog entry - I'm apparently next up, with Mrs Norman Maine.

Predictions II

The Ocean's Twelve cast attended the Grand Prix in Monaco and filmed some racing.

Maybe a racing reference will crop up on Rance, maybe not. At least one other comment-poster wants to know if "Rance" has ever seen an F1 race.

Holland: "Call Me Ishmael"

Yahoo! News - New Opera Based on 'Moby Dick' Debuts

Coincidence? Rance recently posted:

Friday, 28 May 2004
Postcard from the Indian Ocean
I’m posting from several hundred leagues south of nowhere. The whaling ship on which I’ve been serving as second mate was pulled over by police, who informed us that it’s illegal to whale. We anchored at a small island where I read an article about this blog, of all things, while turning to the local newspaper’s Help Wanteds in hope of finding another berth (How rumors started that I was an actor--and A-List no less--I have no idea; didn’t my parents tell you, before I went to sea, that I was a high school failure?). I’m posting now from a black and white computer powered by an old mule on a treadmill. Having checked the blog, I see that a good measure of hell’s broken loose while I’ve been away. I’ll address some of that hell in the Administrative Notes section at the end of this entry--unless the poor mule expires before I get there. But first, the text of the postcard I’d prepared for you...

Ocean's Twelve is filming in Holland (actually almost done now).

It's posssible, I suppose, that there is some faint link - whaling opera in Holland, main suspect is in Holland, "Rance" suddenly goes whaling? Maybe. Only if "Call Me Ishmael" got a lot of local press in English. Unlikely. Still, it's a funny happenstance.

So Much Freudian Oddness...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A handgun that Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) was clutching when
U.S. forces captured him in a hole in Iraq (news - web sites) last December is now kept by
President George W. Bush (news - web sites) at the White House, a spokesman has confirmed. Time
magazine, which first disclosed the gun's location, said on Sunday military
officials had it mounted after it was seized from Saddam near his hometown of
Tikrit last year, and soldiers involved in the capture gave it to Bush.

...so little time.

Buffyologists. Heh.

Yahoo! News - Scholars Lecture on 'Buffy' Show

bio

Hollywood.com Celebrity Biography - George Clooney

Twentieth Century Fox

"The film-making duo have already put their method into practice - they used the money from blockbuster OCEAN'S ELEVEN to pay for last year's (02) flop SOLARIS, and now they're set to do it again."

Solaris is a Twentieth Century Fox picture. An interesting, risky project, it was
not a big success and the studio didn't support it.

Who is Rance: My Predictions

I think Rance is someone who really is famous, and not a hairy patri-matrilocal
basement dweller (or an embittered, anti-depressant munching PA).

I think Rance is very intelligent, impatient
with studio yes-men, and willing to get in and do things
himself rather than leave it to someone else.

I think Rance is someone who has a quick wit and a temper to match.
Someone with a chronic health problem that requires a lot
of medication to control. Someone with writing and production
credits (hence the impatience with yes-men and studios in general).

I think Rance is someone who has had dealings with Fox, and not in a good
way. Someone who's had rumbles with gossip mavens and papparatchniks.
Someone who's politics are left of center, but who can't afford to be
identified with "the Hollywood Left," such as Babs and so on - not just be
cause they're liberals, but because some of them are rather silly. Rance is
more of a two-fisted populist with a well-developed sense of right, wrong, and outrage, politically speaking. Someone with a rep for being "difficult," but only fools think that, because this is someone who doesn't suffer fools gladly. However, it's someone who was raised right and has good manners and old-fashioned courtesy.
Someone with family ties to "Old Hollywood."

I think Rance is male. I think it's possible that his nick is is a pun on "rants" and Rance Howard, a journeyman actor (father of Clint and Ron). I don't think Rance is Clint or Ron, though. Too obvious, if my guess is right on the derivation of Rance's nick. But if I'm right, it's because Rance Howard is a "That Guy" kind of actor, who never achieved white-hot fame, but who has been working for a long time (50 years?), and our Rance admires and maybe envies that kind of career.

I think Rance has at least one pet project in development hell.
I think he has a lot of unexpressed anger, or is at least highly frustrated by the
way things are done "in this town." I think that's why he originally started his blog - to get his rants off - but he can't really talk about the things that piss him off most deeply, because they might be too easily connected to his real identity.

The heat is on - the various forms of media are in the hunt.

BoingBoing, tipped off by a Hollywood insider, wondered if he was Owen Wilson
Several magazines, including Woman's Day, recently published speculations.
And now it's hit the Reuters/Yahoo RSS feed (as of 27MAY)

Holy crap. This came out just as I was writing this entry up - I was going to add a bunch of links.

I think the game is almost over. I hope I'm wrong about that.

For what it's worth, I think Rance is George Clooney.

The New York Times | National | Conservative Group Amplifies Voice of Protestant Orthodoxy

"As Presbyterians prepare to gather for their General Assembly in Richmond, Va., next month, a band of determined conservatives is advancing a plan to split the church along liberal and orthodox lines. Another divorce proposal shook the United Methodist convention in Pittsburgh earlier this month, while conservative Episcopalians have already broken away to form a dissident network of their own.
Advertisement

In each denomination, the flashpoint is homosexuality, but there is another common denominator as well. In each case, the Institute on Religion and Democracy, a small organization based in Washington, has helped incubate traditionalist insurrections against the liberal politics of the denomination's leaders.
With financing from a handful of conservative donors, including the Scaife family foundations, the Bradley and Olin Foundations and Howard and Roberta Ahmanson's Fieldstead & Company, the 23-year-old institute is now playing a pivotal role in the biggest battle over the future of American Protestantism since churches split over slavery at the time of the Civil War." - The New York Times

Who are these people, and why do they think they're in the majority and think we should leave our churches?

Yahoo! News - Bush to Outline 'Clear Strategy' for Iraq Monday

President Bush (news - web sites) will outline
what the White House called a "clear strategy" for Iraq (news - web sites) on
Monday night in a speech aiming to convince Americans he is in
command of the situation.

Uh huh. Well. Just remember - on June 30th, "we're not at home to Mr Cockup."

Sheet Music Minus the Sheets

: "Mr. Garson was carrying his music in digital form, scanned into his MusicPad Pro Plus, a five-pound tablet computer made by a company called Freehand Systems. The $1,200 device, with a 12-inch liquid-crystal-display touchscreen, is the first of a class of computers that enable musicians to store music and edit it onscreen. Soon it will also allow them to communicate with one another over wireless networks. "

Whoa - this probably means that within a few years, music stands at concerts will be screens that... refresh at the proper time, thus there would be no quick "flip" to the next page at the end of the measure. And it might mean that arrangers and orchestrators jobs will be digitized. Interesting.

Rallying the Troops

"The US president has paid a rare visit to Congress for closed-door talks with Republicans to try allay concern over Iraq as US elections approach.

Many in the president's party have been rattled by the unrest and the rising number of US soldiers killed in Iraq. "

Um. And they applauded? Thumbs upped? Huh?

And the following stories are from just this week alone:

KEY STORIES
• Iraqis bury victims of US strike
• Troops raid Chalabi residence
• US denies bombing wedding party
• US soldier jailed for prison abuse

We don't look so good.

The Game Is A Foot

LONDON, May 18 (Reuters) - "A lost collection of more than 3,000 items belonging to Sherlock Holmes creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle will be auctioned in London on Wednesday.

The auction takes place against the backdrop of the bizarre death of a leading Holmes expert.

Richard Lancelyn Green, a former chairman of the Sherlock Holmes Society, was found garrotted with a shoelace in his London home almost two months ago. "

That last detail is going to bother me all day.

BBC NEWS | Middle East | US troops 'abused Iraq reporters'

"The Reuters news agency says three of its local staff were subjected to sexually degrading treatment after being detained in January."

That's weird - why didn't Reuters try to break this story then? Maybe the staffers were too ashamed to say anything to anyone?

Rocket Science is for Amateurs (Again)

The first unmanned amateur rocket in space launched today. The first manned private/amateur launch is expected in a few weeks.

Gentlemen, Tighten Your Belts

The nation's largest department store chain asked workers in a May 14 memo obtained by the Tribune to minimize travel, defer training, streamline projects, eliminate off-site meetings and refrain from hiring consultants.

If one major retailer is cutting back on travel... oh, boy. Not a good trend to spot.

Colin Powell: More Evidence He's Righteous

This is pretty unbelievable. Colin Powell's press aide attempted to put an early end to the interview by suddenly moving the camera away from Powell (right after Powell addresses the torture situation and right before Russert asks a hard-hitting question about the fake nigerian yellow cake WMD evidence he cited within his U.N. speech). Powell gets her out of the way somehow, manages to get the camera pointed in the right direction, and resumes the interview. You can hear him say "Emily, get out of the way."

...from On Lisa's Radar

The play by play is even funnier. Beware, bandwidth may be limited toview the video.

Wombless Woman Considered "As Good As Dead" in Somalia

BBC NEWS | Africa | Militiamen shut Somalia hospital: "The hospital workers say that they will carry on with their strike until the militiamen are withdrawn from the building.
But the woman's family are insisting that the militiamen will continue to occupy the hospital until they are compensated for the removal of her womb.

The family is demanding 50 camels, which is the traditional Somali compensation offered for the death of a woman.

The woman's family say she is as good as dead because she can no longer bear children."

Okay, I know this is another culture. But this really bothers me. The womb equals a person? No womb, and the person is dead? The worst part is no one else can get health care because of the bizarre standoff.

Someone Hand Rummy His Hat

"NEW YORK - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld authorized the expansion of a secret program that encouraged physical coercion and sexual humiliation of Iraqi prisoners to obtain intelligence about the growing insurgency in Iraq (news - web sites), The New Yorker reported Saturday.

The Defense Department strongly denied the claims made in the report, which cited unnamed current and former intelligence officials and was published on the magazine's Web site. Pentagon (news - web sites) spokesman Lawrence Di Rita issued a statement calling the claims 'outlandish, conspiratorial, and filled with error and anonymous conjecture.'
The story, written by reporter Seymour Hersh, said Rumsfeld decided to expand the program last year, broadening a Pentagon operation from the hunt for al-Qaida in Afghanistan (news - web sites) to interrogation of prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad. "

Also: NPR's coverage of the prisoner abuse story up to May 7, 2004

The Mojave Phone Booth And All Its Friends: Call Now, Operators Standing By

It started as an art project. Blue spiral notebook in hand, Mark Thomas spent afternoons walking the streets of Manhattan, compiling the numbers and locations of public pay phones. He posted them on his Web site in the hope that people would call them.

'There is real beauty in whimsical acts of contact between strangers,' he explained. Soon his list expanded to include public phones at the top of the Eiffel Tower, in the basement of the Vatican, in the middle of the Mojave Desert, and at about 450,000 other places around the world.

No Flo, please, we beg of you

Arenas said one of the main qualifications for being on the show is having a personality "a watchable personality. Boring is bad in reality television."
Contestants need to be 21 years of age, in good health and have a personality "someone who America loves to watch, a legend in their own mind; controversial, argumentative," he said, rattling through adjectives.

Payback's A Bitch

The Florida official who presided over the election which handed George W Bush his presidential victory in 2000 has had a ballot of her own rejected.
Republican Congresswoman Katherine Harris admitted she forgot to sign her absentee ballot form in a local election.

Just the links, ma'am

So - might this be a quicker way to blog links on the fly?

Hmmm, could be.