Michael's Mind

Error trying to validate certificate using OCSP - unauthorized request

If you get this error in Firefox after the latest update, and don't understand why it's happening, go to Tools-Options-Advanced-Encryption-Verification and check the box for "Do not use OCSP for certificate validation", it seems to use OCSP by default.

Microsoft Does It Again

Add to the Vista Disaster a new chapter: the XP Service Pack 3 disaster.

The Ice is Coming Back

If you want to know which way the climate is going, watch the ice.

Tell me northern hemisphere ice is not headed for a minimum in September above 4 million square km. (Dare I think above 5 million square km?)

Tell me southern hemisphere ice is not headed for an October maximum above 17 million square km.

(That is a long shot, but the trend seems to be there. The southern peak ice has increased every year for the last five.)

Trying the New Things

Okay I'm making this entry with my Dell Vostro 1500 laptop, which I have had for a few months now. I ordered it with Windows XP to avoid all the grief associated with the blight known as Vista (or Fistula, in some quarters).

However, now I am trying something new. I have a new command available, and when I run it, I get this:

Linux hecate 2.6.22-14-generic #1 SMP Tue Feb 12 07:42:25 UTC 2008 i686 GNU/Linux

I have crossed over into the light, by way of Ubuntu 7.10. I am amazed at how much of the Dell hardware worked right away, with no further effort from me - the video is great, the touchpad works as it should, sound worked after a little research and tweaking. I just downloaded Skype and it works very well, including video, which is astonishing.

The movie player worked on a DVD I threw in the drive, but it wasn't a late issue commercial movie so I'm not sure if it can handle movies yet. The wireless card is running and detected by the system but I haven't configured it for my router yet.

I accomplished all this the safe way: I replaced the original WXP drive with a new Seagate SATA 60GB drive so I can go back if I need to. Dell puts funny partitions on their drives and I didn't want to get tangled up in repartitioning right off the bat.

But I am getting all the Vostro hardware and features working, one by one. I'm not sure how long before I will need to put the old drive back in.

More Global Warming News

The Associated Press: 2,000 Travelers Stranded in Colorado

DENVER (AP) — More than 2,000 travelers were stranded at Red Cross shelters in the Colorado high country Monday as a threat of avalanches closed a stretch of Interstate 70 west of Denver.

Deep snow drifted into more than two dozen narrow ravines in the mountainsides — known as avalanche chutes — raising the danger of potentially deadly snow slides cascading onto I-70.

High winds and blowing snow forced the state to close the highway overnight. There was no word on when the busy thoroughfare through the mountains would reopen.

10 Things the Movies Know About the Internet

1. The complete blueprints, electrical wiring diagrams, plumbing, air ducts and security diagrams of every building in every city in the world are on the internet. And these diagrams are up to date.

2. Elite hackers know where to find #1. And most blueprint systems also conveniently include real-time infrared sensing of all movement within the building.

3. Every building in every city in the world has high-resolution video surveillance cameras in every corridor and lobby, pointed so that they are most useful for observing the building security personnel on their rounds, and they are all on the internet. And elite hackers know where to find them.

4. Every high-security system in the U.S. Government: military, intelligence, medical, police, air traffic control, highway traffic control, and especially the justice department, is on the internet. And elite hackers know where to find them.

5. Every high-security system will allow virtually unlimited brute-force attacks on their login without anybody noticing that an attack is underway.

6. Elite hackers can penetrate high-security sites with a brute force attack within 30 seconds, in every case. And they always announce their success by saying "I'm in."

7. Elite hackers have home systems that have at least three high-definition monitors, because the more monitors you have, the more powerful your PC.

8. Notwithstanding (7), elite hackers can penetrate any system using a cell phone.

9. Elite hackers always attack systems by writing attack programs on the fly, usually in C, while they have the system under attack viewed in a browser. Elite hackers can write powerful virus programs from scratch in 60 seconds or less and upload them to any system anywhere in the world.

10. Every system can be hacked by staring at the screen with a serious expression on your face and typing furiously fast on the keyboard. The faster you type, the quicker you will get in. And then you will say "I'm in."

WTF?!?!? (Networking Division)

A router that I administer is getting connection attempts from 172.21.29.13, 172.21.29.39, 172.21.53.3, 172.21.30.29, 172.21.29.15, 172.21.30.21, 172.21.30.24, and 172.21.53.18 tonight.

The thing is, these are IANA reserved networks, and these attempts are coming from the internet (as far as I can tell).

So, WTF???

Rick Perry's Incompetent Reign

If you need more evidence of the disaster Rick Perry (Governor Blowdry) has been for Texas: Texas pulls expected college aid at last minute | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

The Ice is Coming Back

Weather kills three on French island of Corsica

"Two hikers froze to death and a tourist was killed by a giant wave as freak weather hit the French Mediterranean island of Corsica,..."

Froze to death? In the Mediterranean? In MAY? Global warming my ass.

I See the Home Town is in the News

Racial demons resurface with nooses on Louisiana tree - Yahoo! News

Pathetic

The egregious Jimmy Carter, apparently far gone in senile dementia and still a shameless shill for anti-semitism, makes a fool of himself yet again: Carter attacks Blair for 'blind' support of US in Iraq

And now he grows even more pathetic: Carter says comments were ‘careless’

It's pathetic when the worst president in U.S. history tries to lay that title off on someone else. It was Carter whose ineptitude gave us islamism when he abandoned the Shah of Iran to the mob and the ayatollahs. It was Carter's total screwups later that empowered the mob in Teheran, making islamist fanatics into a serious power. That is Jimmy Carter's legacy.

It's past time that this national embarassment was put in a nursing home.

Microsoft "Innovation"

Just in Case You Didn't Already Know Gore is Full of Crap

Climate change hits Mars-News-UK-TimesOnline

Nightmare Vista

So - my wife keeps telling me to buy a laptop ( so I'll quit complaining about not having one), but everytime I think I might have decided to get one, I come up against a stark brick wall that stops me dead:

They only come with Microsoft Vista.

The stories of Vista user horror stories are multiplying on the internet like the mosquitoes in the rain puddles in my back yard, and I am not going down that path, ever.

I am going to have to sit down and decide what apps only run on Windows, and how I will live without them when I get my new Macbook.

Update: Dell is now offering systems with XP preinstalled, a breathtaking reversal of longstanding Microsoft policy. Michael Dell must be very sure of his position to go against the Beast from Redmond.

So Predictable

Early U.S. Daylight Savings a bust in power savings | US News | Reuters.com

Badger Glory

Bravo, Wisconsin! Bravo!

joegratz.net » University of Wisconsin Stands Up to RIAA

Tricking the Trickster

The jihadi site, Global War, which has been in the news lately for purportedly being authored by a Kent State professor, has had hijack code added to the page to flip it to a U.S. military site.

I think it's safe to assume that the global-war author didn't do this. I wonder who did? Firefox seems to think the page was modified today (3/2) around 9:30.

I will leave it to the author of the page to figure out what happened. But it's pretty funny.

Update: it turns out the jihadi jerkoff was stealing a graphic from another site, one decidely not sympathetic to his views.

And that site owner has taken steps.

Still funny.

Update, 3/8 Global War is gone. Even though it is listed as one of the "most popular" blogs on the main bloghi page, it is shown as "Moved Permanently".

More Global Warming Sanity

An experiment that hints we are wrong on climate change-News-UK-TimesOnline

Key passage: "Twenty years ago, climate research became politicised in favour of one particular hypothesis, which redefined the subject as the study of the effect of greenhouse gases. As a result, the rebellious spirits essential for innovative and trustworthy science are greeted with impediments to their research careers. And while the media usually find mavericks at least entertaining, in this case they often imagine that anyone who doubts the hypothesis of man-made global warming must be in the pay of the oil companies. As a result, some key discoveries in climate research go almost unreported."

"Enthusiasm for the global-warming scare also ensures that heatwaves make headlines, while contrary symptoms, such as this winter’s billion-dollar loss of Californian crops to unusual frost, are relegated to the business pages. The early arrival of migrant birds in spring provides colourful evidence for a recent warming of the northern lands. But did anyone tell you that in east Antarctica the Adélie penguins and Cape petrels are turning up at their spring nesting sites around nine days later than they did 50 years ago? While sea-ice has diminished in the Arctic since 1978, it has grown by 8% in the Southern Ocean. "

Another Look at Global Warming

Cosmic rays blamed for global warming | International News | News | Telegraph

More Reasons to Get Vista (Not)

Microsoft lists Vista high points

My prediction: as Microsoft realizes Vista is being passed up in favor of retaining XP, they'll "upgrade" XP in the middle of the night so it becomes less competetive with Vista.

Yes, one morning you'll find your system has rebooted and is slower than before (if possible), to the extent that the slick malware called Vista seems almost better in comparison.

Permission to Continue

So the primary security method in Windows Vista is so annoying that instructions on disabling it are showing up on the web: Windows Vista Tip: Disable annoying "Need your permission to continue-" prompts - Lifehacker

That should make things interesting in a few months.

More Anecdotes About Jimmy Carter's Anti-semitism

WorldNetDaily: Jimmy Carter: Too many Jews on Holocaust council

Carter is becoming an embarrasment even to his supporters. He is clearly a bigot and anti-semite, and they need to repudiate him.

Hugh Roolz!

Hugh Hewitt shows Joe Rago ("Blogs are written by idiots to be read by imbeciles") as the 23-year old bitch-ass pussy he is: Hugh Hewitt

In Case You've Run Out of Things to Worry About ...

Yellowstone's caldera rising

Be Gone

It's a little early to be celebrating, but I seem to have banished referrer spammers from one of my sites. Spam accesses dropped from several hundred a day to none today by making a change in the htaccess script that controls the site:

All the nasty drug, gambling, and insurance refer spams disappeared after I put this in my htaccess.

Of course, it may just mean that this particular spam run has ended and they will be back again.

Pournelle is trashing Firefox again; it must be Sunday

Current View

Firefox did it to you? How about stop installing every half-baked extension that God-knows-who has written (yes, I am looking at you, Google) and then moan about how Firefox has screwed you. I have several extensions that I have had to disable because they wouldn't play well with others and several that Firefox itself disabled for similar reasons.

Firefox is not perfect by any means. It wants to open some network connections when it starts, before it has a visible pane, and if the network is down it gets all freaky amd either won't come up, or comes up with a grossly enlarged status bar with nothing in it. I suspect this was supposed to have diagnostic text for debugging, but it got turned off and now the area for the debugging text is there but not the messages.

But I will keep Firefox with all its idiosyncracies over the malicious product of a vicious monopolist who has proven manifold times to be morally bankrupt and ethically deficient.

More Innovation from the World Leader

Microsoft shows how great they are at innovation: » Five cool tech gifts, and two to avoid | Rational rants | ZDNet.com

They tried to copy the iPod and screwed up royally. The Zune music store is difficult to install, understand, and use, and their scheme of selling "Zune points" in $5 increments instead of selling individual tracks is just silly.

Way to stay consistent, Microsoft.

Senator Inhofe, You Rock!

U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works

Same Old, Same Old

I'm looking over the broadcast TV schedule for tonight (Thursday) and I see the networks are playing the same bullshit games they started last year.

The end of Grey's Anatomy on ABC overlaps the start of ER on NBC.

Rather than go head to head, which is easily solved with a VCR or PVR, they play these stupid one-up games with the schedule.

They wonder why there are fewer viewers each year, too.

Governor Blowdry Caught Lying

Star-Telegram | 08/30/2006 | Perry pushed for Tarrant County parks land auction

Big surprise that our sleazy male model is caught in a lie.

Early Day

4:30 AM. Entryway light is still on, which means my son hasn't come in yet. Or has he? A noise may be him bumping around in his room, sometimes he forgets to turn out the light when he comes in. I listen, silence. Not home then.

I lie in bed, wondering where he is. I debate for a while on getting up, not wanting to wake my wife.

4:45 AM. I get up, taking the cellphone with me. My wife wakes, wants to know what's wrong. "Nothng", I say. I go into the kitchen to call him. She follows, asking why I'm up, realizing he's not home.

I call his cell, no answer. I repeat this ritual for another 30 minutes, call, get voice mail, hang up. No answer. "Where was he going?" she asks. He was going out to play pool with friends, I begin to have dark visions in the corners of the mind that I suppress for now. I call a few more times. No answer.

"You have to go look for him", she says. I say I don't know where I would start, but get dressed. I drive to the pool hall, closed. I drive by his friend's, his girlfriend's, no car. It's getting on to 6 AM and no idea where he is. I start imagining what may have happened. There's a place on the other side of the city he went to once and liked, did he go there? It's fine during the day but has a reputation of a rough crowd later. I start seeing his car on the side of the freeway, wrecked out. I imagine him lying in the back of a poolhall parking lot, bleeding. Where is he?

I go home. His mother meets me at the door, frankly worried. "He's never done this before", she says. I know, I say.

I am becoming convinced that the reason he doesn't answer is because he can't answer. I wonder how our lives are going to change in the next ten minutes, ten hours, ten days.

I call again. He answers, sounding sleepy. Where the hell are you, I ask. At a friend's house nearby. He fell asleep on their sofa.

He's angry that we were so worried about him. I tell him he has to be in before 11 the rest of this week. "You treat me like a child", he says. You are my child. An adult doesn't stay out all night without letting his family know he's all right. Someday you'll know what we've been through. Pray it turns out okay, like tonight.

Don't ever do this to us again.

Good night.

Riding in the Rain

USATODAY.com - Landis fires back at cycling hierachy

Here's my take:

1. Floyd won it, no matter how much that pisses off the French,

2. Greg Lemond should shut the fuck up. You're a loser Greg, and all the bitching about better riders won't change that one bit. So have the grace to shut up.

Attorney Out Laws

On TV, lawyers are noble, self-sacrificing, righteous, altruistic, great human beings.

In real life, lawyers are opportunisitc, bloodsucking, scumbag, lowlife shitheels devoid of ethics, morals, integrity, and human emotions.

Maybe some day I'll tell you where that came from.

Microsoft Fined by EU for being Microsoft

GROKLAW: FSF Europe's Statement on the EU Commission Fine on Microsoft

Boiling it down, it says Microsoft is a bunch of evil fucks.

Keep fining the bastards, EU. Bleed the fuckers dry.

On Religious Discourse

ScottishTankerHooligans explains all you need to know about Islam. And I do mean all.

Fast, Pussycat, Die, Die!

Anti-war protesters begin July 4 fast | Reuters.com

So Cindy Sheehan is going to stop eating until the troops come home.

You think she'll start to look like Ann Coulter before long? She needs to lose some of that lard she carries on her ass, for sure.

With any luck, Cindy will be just a bad memory when the war ends.

More Gore is a Bore

Don't Believe the Hype
Al Gore is wrong. There's no "consensus" on global warming.

Like any more Gore debunking is necessary. The "scientific concensus", which is a ridiculous concept on its face, is bunkum anyway.

I imagine you could get a concensus among scientists on any number of topics, but that does not make the result a scientific conclusion. The fact is, that the "concensus" story is all these loonies can use, because they have no science to back up their crazy claims.

And for an ex-tobacco farmer and left-wing screwball to claim any expertise in climate science is the height of insanity.

Quote of the Day

On liberals: "These people are a cancer eating us from the inside, actively seeking our deaths." - Shorty at Perpetual Shorty

Amen, dude.

Dixie Fix

Natalie Maines is an ignorant slut.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Karma's a Bitch

The inconvenient truth about "An Inconvenient Truth" - it's all BS: Scientists respond to Gore's warnings of climate catastrophe

Another One Bites the Dust

Here's the happy happy joy joy dance .... BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | Wanted militant dies in Gaza raid

I love this part:

So just a disembodied face, right?

(Disembodied - get it?)

Another stinking evil murdering terrorist given a one way ride to hell.

Happy happy joy joy indeed.

Heh

DenverPost.com - Chill out over global warming

Sea Tale

Here's a strange story: After four months at sea, ghost ship with 11 petrified corpses washes up in Barbados

Some Observations on Last Night's TV Programs

Has House, M.D., jumped the shark? They resolved Foreman's case by revealing it to be Naegleria amebic meningitis, and used the biopsy as the episode cliff-hanger. Will House find the pathogen first, or will Cameron cut open Foreman's brain?

They dismissed the meningitis with the throwaway remark, "He's been started on anti-parasitics".

The problem is, in medical history through 2002, only seven (7) people have survived Naegleria meningitis. The diagnosis is in 90% of cases made post mortem, and in the other 10%, pre-mortem, except for the lucky seven.

Here's a description of Naegleria meningitis:

So Foreman should have been toast. And Cuddy should have allowed autopsy of the cop, which would only have confirmed that Foreman was toast.

I am of two opinions on the return of the final episodes of Alias:

1 - I am grimly determined to stick it out to the end; and
2 - thank God these are the final episodes.

Lost? Lost jumped the shark when the 2nd group turned up. Last night's episode where all but one of the cute girls were massacred was just piling on. I am guessing that this is the final season of Lost unless they're planning on crashing another plane to replenish the cast.

Traitor

Why Isn’t She in Cuffs?

She divulged classified information which materially aided enemies of the United States in wartime. That is the definition of treason. Now I don't think she should be executed for this, although the treason laws permit it, but she should be given, say, 10 years to think over the wisdom of working for an intelligence agency and then running to reporters when things don't go her way.

My own feeling is that she should be prosecuted for a felony, and all the CIA employees who were sympathetic to her should be escorted to the gate. That they could find anything to sympathize with just shows they're in the wrong line of work. Intelligence work is not neat and tidy, and if you can't stomach what the work requires, you need to leave.

TSA Screwup Follies

'No-fly' list delays Marine's homecoming - Conflict in Iraq - MSNBC.com

TSA idiots flagged him because of gunpowder residue on his boots at a past boarding, something Marines might be expected to have, being warriors and all.

But explain that to the retarded bureaucrats at the airport gates. They have all the power and no need for sense, common or otherwise.

Reportedly, we were born free.

More ROP* Fun, Part Dieux

Who Protects Freedom Of Speech?, on Comedy Central's decision not to show Mohammed on South Park:

Like I said, bug-fuck crazy.

Spastics Spaz Out over Tiger's Spaz Remark

Tiger Under Fire

Hey don't get all spazzed out, it was just a comment.

Future Appliance Buy

Amazon.com: Cuisinart GR4 4-in-1 Griddler Does It All ! GR-4: Kitchen & Housewares

I have become crazy about press grilled sandwiches, since I tried a Cuban sub at a local place (Cuco's, 6650 Glenview Dr, N Richland Hills. 817-284-1692).

Yum-o.

Clueless Idiot Harasses OS Provider

Oklahoma city threatens to call FBI over 'renegade' Linux maker | The Register

CentOS operating system: free
Support call to CentOS: free
Looking like a total idiot to the entire internet: priceless

Here's to Jerry Taylor, City Manager of Tuttle, Oklahoma: Clueless User of the Week:

22 years of computer expertise gone to waste.

As Dan Quayle said, "a mind is a terrible thing to lose, or it's a terrible thing to lose your mind, or something like that."

They Get a Day All Their Own

Don't forget -- this Saturday is Texas Legislature Appreciation Day!

It might be your legislature's Appreciation Day too!

Gravity Generator at Last?

ESA Portal - Towards a new test of general relativity?

If this holds up, the implications are dizzying.

Nut Job Anti-Gay Group Regroups

Kan. Church to Stop Picketing Funerals

They claim deaths of soldiers are God's punishment for tolerating homosexuality.

They carry signs at service members funerals reading "God Made IEDs ".

(That's Improvised Explosive Devices, in case you were wondering.)

I keep thinking, if they like IEDs so much, somebody should make one for them, and leave it where they can enjoy it.

Like in their "church", for example.

Then they could ask God directly if he really does hate fags.

Dirty Politician, Dirty Politics

Nonprofit: IRS audit spurred by DeLay ally was abuse

Don't piss off Rep. Sam Johnson, or he'll sic the IRS on your ass.

Can you say "abuse of power"? I knew you could.

Continuing Nonsense

Peggy Noonan has a point: oppose the takeover of the ports by the U.A.E., if only to piss off Bush, who foisted this evil, incompetent, pointless airport screening regime on us.

A Plea for Mercy

Killer of 11-year-old girl asks judge to spare his life

Boo hoo hoo, I'm sorry judge. I didn't mean it. I was high so it's not my fault. I tried to get rehab but the mean old system wouldn't let me have it. Please, judge, I'm sorry I stalked this little girl, kidnapped her while she was walking home, brutally raped her and then murdered her. Really, it's not my fault.

I hope this monster gets death. The easy death of lethal injection is way better than he deserves. If it were me, I'd drop the son of a bitch into a chipper.

Feet first.

Amazing Photos

Aerial Photographs of Mexico City (English)

This is an amazing collection of aerial photos taken of Mexico City and surroundings by a helicopter pilot.

Found on BoingBoing

What a Moron

Governor Blow-dry proves what a total moron he is: Perry may put school reform on back burner

Eye Test for Alzheimer's?

This is interesting: Wired News: An Eye Test for Alzheimer's

To Hell

Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Iran's message to the west: back off or we retaliate

I wish somebody would just kill these fuckers. The sooner they're in hell the better.

Fair exchange, given that they've turned Iran into hell on earth.

Screw Google

Dean's World -

It really boils down to this: you can come down on the side of Right and Good, or you can come down on the side of Wrong and Evil. Microsoft is selling vacation home lots over on their side. Google has decided which side they would go with.

Screw Google.

Shedding light on utter incompetence

Squabbles hindered rescue efforts

FEMA has been run as a rest home for lazy bureaucrats for so long that when an actual crisis came, they were frozen like deer in headlights. The only instinct that was operating was turf control.

Pathetic.

Why Britain is No Longer a World Power

Students ban Christians in row over gays

Echoes from the Future Wasteland

The world is running out of copper: Science & Technology at Scientific American.com: Measure of Metal Supply Finds Future Shortage

We are using up this planet at a dizzying rate, condemning future generations to a life too much like that of former ones: a life spent in a world illuminated by fire, spent within the distance a person can walk, eating only what can be grown on one's own property.

Disturbing item

MercuryNews.com | 01/19/2006 | Feds after Google data

So in order to prove that the Child Online Protection Act doesn't violate the 1st amendment (which it clearly does), the government is ... violating the 1st amendment!

Perhaps Google needs to rethink their broad data-mining strategies that create such a tempting database for the Feds to go after.

Chinese Takeout

Looks like the world depicted in Firefly and Serenity is getting closer: BBC NEWS | Americas | Chinese nanny state takes root in US

In the series, Whedon's characters were equally proficient in English and Mandarin.

Can we agree on this?

danieldrezner.com :: Daniel W. Drezner :: And the dumbest thing said by a Senator is.....

Okay, we can all agree that the performance of the Democratic members of the Judiciary Committee was disgraceful, right? Good. Now can we also agree that the boneheaded voters who keep sending these idiots back to the Senate are a big part of the problem? Yes, of course we can.

Cronkite Surrenders Again

BREITBART.COM - Cronkite: Time for U.S. to Leave Iraq

Not content with having lost the Vietnam war, Walter Cronkite now tries to lose the Iraq war.

Fortunately, no one much listens to has-been leftist talking heads.

Even So, Arlen Spector is STILL a Douchebag

Antionline annoyance law may have no legs

I Don't Want to Annoy Anyone, But Arlen Spector is a Douchebag

Create an e-annoyance, go to jail | Perspectives | CNET News.com

First amendment? I don' care about no steenking first amendment!!

Just Stay There

Belafonte Calls Bush 'Greatest Terrorist' - Yahoo! News

Harry Belafonte, syncophantic left-wing admirer of dictators, opens his mouth and again removes all doubt that he is a fool.

"Millions"? Name two that weren't with your little group of cluster fuck moonbats, you washed up two-bit asshat.

Millions of Americans recognize Chavez for what he is: a megalomaniac anti-semitic fucktard who undoubtedly will one day get the same retirement most South American dictators receive: a bullet through the skull. Hope that day comes soon.

Stupid Things Network Executives Say

Two NBC affiliates throw book at 'Daniel'

And you paid how much for those promotions you are now instructing people to ignore? Idiot.

Microsoft - Communist Tool

Microsoft faces backlash after site of prominent China blogger is deleted - Forbes.com

Microsoft caught yet again aiding Chinese Communist security forces.

Apparently the concept of freedom of exchange is not one held in high value at Microsoft.

But we already knew that.

How do you people sleep at night? Are you that immune to the precepts that made this country possible? I guess if it helps the bottom line, it's all right with you.

Coming Home to Roost?

Chron.com | Abramoff pleads guilty to federal charges

Now we wait for the next shoe to drop.

Intelligent Design Loses Again

Chron.com | 'Intelligent design' barred from biology classes

Of course, had Judge Roy Moore been the presiding judge in this case, the outcome would probably have been quite different. Caveat emptor.

Repent, For Your Doom is Nigh

BBC NEWS | Technology | Sony BMG repents over CD debacle

"Sony BMG repents over CD debacle". Crocodile tears, anyone? The ones who should be repenting right alongside Sony are the antivirus software houses who cut a deal with Sony to let this atrocity slide by without warning.

Anti-virus/spyware/adware detection should be totally honest in reporting when some sleazy vendor is trying to slip something onto your system without proper notification, even if that sleazy vendor is one of the biggest media comapnies in the world, or some newly minted spyware cum "browser helper" scumball like Claria (formally Gator, one of the most reviled spyware perpetrators in the business).

The fact that these anti-virus companies are willing to give a pass to malware if the company pushing it is big enough (or, in Claria's case, litigious enough) puts their integrity and products in serious doubt.

But the one thing that stands out is this: all these schemes rely on Microsoft products being the weak link to allow your system to be invaded. If you don't run Redmond Crapware, you have little to worry about from these bad actors.

Linux is free; life is good.

Not Nearly Enough

Here's an odd and sad follow-up to the murder of Johnny Flobeck that I just noticed: News 8 Austin | 24 Hour Local News | LOCAL NEWS | $79 million judgment against Ryan Grady

A promising life cut short by an act of rage and stupidity.

Stupid Law

BREITBART.COM - Subway Rider Busted for Selling a Token

Transit Dicks

Jim Schutze tells a story about what dicks the Dallas transit cops are: dallasobserver.com | News & Features | Schutze | Bus Gestapo | 2005-12-08

UConn Stupidity

BREITBART.COM - Hecklers Cause Coulter to Cut UConn Speech

Never Underestimate the Power of Large Numbers of Stupid People

Remember the scene in 2001 - a Space Odyssey when the apes react to the monolith that appeared in their presence? Well, that scene is being reenacted in Alaska: Wired News: The Cyclotron Comes to the 'Hood

Day After Tomorrow Scenario Real?

New Scientist Breaking News - Failing ocean current raises fears of mini ice age

Just like the Europeans, they want to keep the ice age all to themselves.

Sorry, guys. If (when?) it happens, it'll be a hemispheric thing.

Doesn't a 30% reduction in current imply a 30% reduction in ocean-transported heat? Shouldn't there be an effect from losing that much energy? So is Europe seeing an early or harsh winter?

1992 and 1998? Well, can't blame that on the present Bush.

Apparently Living in Canada Makes You Nuts

Former Canadian Minister Of Defence Asks Canadian Parliament Asked To Hold Hearings On Relations With Alien "ET" Civilizations

Parade Blues

Just had the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade on, but turned it off. I can hardly imagine why any high school band today would want to be in this parade. The main reason for being in the parade is the TV exposure they would get, but that is a thing of the past.

Today, parade "coverage" consists entirely of a few passing glimpses of floats, interminable sequences of self-absorbed talking heads who are the titular "correspondents" covering the parade, and long shots of lip-synced performances by faded celebrities desparately hoping to get their names back in the spotlight for a few more minutes.

Behind the talking heads, you can see band after band going by unacknowledged while the commenters go on with their inane chatter. Aunt Mary is watching in Sioux City? Tough break, the Sioux City Mudhen band passed by while the commenters were complimenting each other's hair styles. Maybe next year.

Treasures in the Closet

We found this picture while cleaning out a closet. It was brought to this closet from another closet in another city, and had been there for who knows how long.

It is printed on old style paper, possibly in a silver process. It is at least 60 years old, and probably much, much older.

Back on Your Hands and Knees

... coffee break is over: Court rules state school finance system unconstitutional

So the two specials that resulted in such crap legislation as the "Defend Marriage Amendment" which may have, as a side effect, outlawed all marriage in Texas, and which did absolutely nothing about school finance, are going to be rerun in the spring. Good job, morons.

The court voted 7-1 that Texas school funding is unconstitutional.

Here's an example of the state's finest legal minds at work trying to influence the judges:

That's the way to make friends on the court, tell the to keep their noses out of your business. If Texas wants to ruin their school system, it's nobody's business but theirs.

I think I may just live in the world's largest insane asylum. Outside of California.

God's Debris

Highly recommended: Scott Adams' God's Debris.

Are you an avatar?

And Here's More Good News for Sony

There's a blog for boycotting Sony products: The Sony Boycott Blog

These guys are idiots. It's like, some people steal cars, so we're going to put a boot on all cars. To prevent theft, don't you know.

Effing morons. Antagonize and alienate your customer base, you know, the ones with the money? The ones whose money buys your whores and nose candy? Really smart move, Sony.

Sony Woes Continue

Chron.com | Texas sues Sony over spyware on music CDs

$100,000 per violation times "thousands of violations". I can hear the AG licking his lips from here.

This is on the Houston Chronicle site, which has been redesigned. The site loads so slowly, I have to assume the purpose of the redesign is to get people to go back to reading dead tree news while they wait for the website to load.

So, way to go Sony! And way to go Chronicle!

When They Looked Back, They Said This Was the Beginning

of the end: GM to Cut 30,000 Jobs, Close 9 Plants

Recession coming? (Hint: yes)

Great Quote of the Day

"One thing is for sure, in the aftermath and devastation of Hurricane Katrina we can truly dispel the notions of the X Files and right wing militias that FEMA was secretly trying to take over the country and the world. What a crock of hilarious shit. These people couldn't take control over their own orgasm."

GulfSails

Lying Congressmen on the Take

HoustonChronicle.com - In casino dispute, lawmakers backed tribes that paid them

"Just a coincidence" that the letters opposing Indian casino expansion in Louisiana were either closely preceded by, or closely followed by big donations from the lobbyists opposing the new casino.

Yeah, right.

Crooks.

Ah, Peaceful Islam

Saudi Teacher Sentenced to 750 Lashes

Schutze Poop

Jim Schutze of the Dallas Observer, whose writing I normally enjoy, steps in the poop with dallasobserver.com | News & Features | Schutze | Mapesgate | 2005-11-10.

The apparent thesis here is that we are supposed to love Mary Mapes, the CBS producer who brought down CBS news, Dan Rather, and herself with forged documents in a blatantly partisan attempt to swing the election, because she likes dogs.

And, oh yes, because Mary Mapes says the documents aren't fake. That makes how many (leaving out the MoveOn and Democrat Underground moonbats)? Let's see. Ah. One. One person who believes the documents aren't fakes. That would be a good beginning if it weren't instead a bad end.

And the picture that accompanies the article doesn't look like someone who likes dogs, it looks more like a cornered pit bull.

I guess left wing idealism is a really bright light. It must be, to have blinded so many otherwise seemingly sensible people.

Sony Fallout Grows

Sony sued over DRM

Ha. Go get them.

What Everyone Needs in the Kitchen

or anywhere else, for that matter.

Music Industry Greed

Way to go, SONY: Techworld.com - Sony faces police investigation into DRM code

Told you so

Porncasts Appear on Video-Playing iPod

Ha! Told you.

A new age of unreason

Intelligent Design is discussed in New Statesman - A new age of unreason.

If the ID folks want to go to their churches and say "they can talk about evolution all they want, WE know what really happened", that's just peachy. But when they drag their superstitious baloney into the public schools and call it "science", they've gone too far.

You can believe any sort of myth-based tripe you want, but don't stick it my face and call it "science", because it isn't. And I really don't care how many credentialed imbeciles you can drag up to parrot your crap. Evolution is established science, as any dog, horse, or cow breeder can attest. Intelligent design is religious myth.

"Darwin said it, I believe it, and that settles it."

Making a Statement

If any of my three readers happens to live in Texas, here is my recommendation for the nine proposed constitutional amendments:

Vote no on all of them.

Proposition 2, the "protection of marriage" amendment is a no-brainer: this is a naked attempt by cro-magnon bigots to institutionalize second class citizenship for gay Texans. Rick Perry is a big booster of the amendment. That should be enough by itself to vote "no".

Along with the rest of them, these execrable extrusions are the product of one of the least intelligent, least productive, and thoroughly disgusting legislatures that has ever disgraced a state house in this country. Voting no will let them know that maybe things won't all go the way they want.

(Update) I have little hope that Proposition 2 will be defeated. One thing Texas has in ample supply is yahoos and knuckle draggers who like to go howling across the landscape after the goblins that terrify their tiny minds, and the idea that people who are similarly plumbed might share aspirations of recognized legal status with them is their main goblin-du-jour.

And it really doesn't help that the biggest knuckle-dragging yahoo in the state is also the governor.

Bastards

Microsoft couldn't logroll the Massachusetts decision on Open Document Format their way so they've decided to cheat: » Is Massachusetts' OpenDocument decision on the rocks? | Between the Lines | ZDNet.com

Hardly surprising for a company with business ethics that would make a Jamaican posse leader blush. They couldn't bluster Massachusetts into accepting their flawed version of XML, so they went and bought a few legislators; standard Microsoft practice.

Why innovate when you can steal? Why compete when you can bribe a few state officials to swing your way?

Bastards.

No Porn on Video Ipods?

Wired News: No Porn for You, Video IPod!

So, basically, they're saying that sleazeballs will honor this "gentleman's" agreement not to market porn to owners of video ipods?

Why is it that "sleazeballs" and "honor" don't seem to jell? Is it just me?

This will last, oh, I give it maybe a day.

Tops.

Porn is probably the biggest "I got mine, screw you" industry on the planet. The idea that scumbags will pass up their profit because their brother porn dealers might get heat from government or citizens groups is a joke. It's kind of like a Palestinian "cease-fire": it won't last long enough for the ink to dry on the agreement.

Separated at Birth?

I'm just sayin...

Greedy Bastards

Here (
Biggest Wi-Fi Cloud Is in Rural Oregon) is an example of what can be accomplished when greedy telephone companies are not in the picture.

They tried like hell, through their trained lap dog, Phil King, to outlaw municipal wireless in Texas, but were beaten back, for now. But one constant in life is the overweening greed of these companies, so they will be back. They always come back.

And the thing is, if they had won, they wouldn't be out there putting in wireless service. They just don't want anbody else doing it. That's how telcos do "innovation".

In the DFW area served by Southwestern Bell, if you wanted a DSL line before cable modems became common, all you would get from SWB was a runaround. They had no interest in doing residential DSL until the cable companies started getting market peneration.

Now they've bought themselves a law that gives them an advantage over the cable companies in distributing video, but if you are in an area that doesn't already have cable, don't look for them on your street. Serving areas that don't have cable doesn't advance their plan to put the cable companies out of business.

It's Official

Okay, I officially hate people who download a file on Bit Torrent, and when it's done, bug out and don't leave the torrent open for those less fortunate.

I am at 42%, and so is every other member of the swarm, just waiting for someone to drop by who has more of the file available.

Right Wing Wrongs Rights

Now that the Democratic Party has decided to go baying at the moon, off on a left-wing wild-goose chase that alienates them from the mainstream, Republicans are showing what bad, stupid legislation they can come up with, with no one across the aisle to keep them honest: Shield Law Sponsor Lugar: Bloggers 'Probably Not' Considered Journos

I swear to god, I think I hate all of them.

Karma will get you

Remember the imams saying the tsunami was Allah killing infidels in Thailand, and Katrina was Allah killing infidels in New Orleans?

Looks like Allah decided to balance the scales: Earthquake Kills 1,700 in 3 Asia Nations

This one hit in the Muslim world, no infidels in sight.

Another Day in the R.O.P.*

8 killed in shooting at mosque - The Boston Globe

*Religion of Peace

Smoke'em if you Got'em

"Smokey" Joe Barton, who never met a polluter he didn't like (or take campaign donations from) is at it again: Star-Telegram | 10/07/2005 | Bill to help build refineries would weaken clean-air laws

Smokey Joe is the U.S. House member from TXI. And don't you forget it.

See this movie. Go now.

I just came back from seeing Serenity.

My god, this is why movies are made, or at least this should be why movies are made. Do I really need to point out that this blows George Lucas and all his muppet infested crap out of the water? No, I didn't think so.

SEE THIS MOVIE.

I am so getting this when it comes out on DVD.

Sucking Up to Monsters

First of all I wish Google every success in their war with Microsoft. Given Microsoft's nasty behavior, Google is reacting like a cornered wolf, which Microsoft will soon realize to their displeasure. The Sun collaboration in particular may be very distasteful to Microsoft.

But given all that, Google's posturing towards China is disturbing. Try entering "Taiwan" at maps.google.com for an example. Or "Tibet". Google is so obviously prostrating themselves to the Chinese regime, it's disgusting.

Google Maps - Taiwan

Here's a clue, Google: Taiwan is a free country, not a "Province of China".

We were born free. Our freedoms made companies like Microsoft, Yahoo, and Google possible. Now those companies are willing to turn their backs on that to suck up to one of the bloodiest dictatorships on earth for a few bucks. Sad.

Proof Positive

... there are a lot of idiots in the world: BBC NEWS | Africa | Mandela wins BBC's 'global election'

Noam Chomsky??? George Soros???

What are these people on, anyway?

Media Whores

Twenty congressmen proudly proclaim that they are Hollywood's whores: Politicians want to raise broadcast flag | CNET News.com

As far as I can tell, they're pretty cheap whores, too.

Man killed by police Taser in Austin

HoustonChronicle.com - Man killed by police Taser in Austin identified

No ambiguity there, is there: "Man killed by police Taser".

Now it's up to the ME to come up with a cover story so the Taser is, once again, blameless.

Because we all know the Taser is just a harmless little fuzzball of fun and joy.

Archos Fun, Cont.

I am listening to my Archos Jukebox Recorder 20 as I write this. It has been playing for about 10 minutes or so, with only some decoding problems on a track right after I started it up. Now this is after it sat in a desk drawer since my last entry about the JBR, a week or two ago.

I plugged in the charger after 3 or 4 tracks, and it is working fine right now. This is the same unit that would get a disk error after running for just 2 or 3 minutes and stop cold. It is up to track 7 of Rilo Kiley's More Adventurous with no problems. To cap everything else, it's running the original batteries!

So I'm thinking poltergeists. Maybe an exorcism is called for? I really want to move this thing out to my car and play it through an adapter into the car audio system so I can have my entire music collection available without searching for CDs in the visor.

31 minutes playtime, still going good. Beats me what's up.

Is Posse Comitatus About to Come to an End?

Bush offers Pentagon as 'lead agency' in disasters - Nation/Politics - The Washington Times, America's Newspaper

If posse comitatus is repealed, I don't think I want to live here anymore.

After all, there are dozens of tinhorn military dictatorships to pick from.

And the scary thing is, I'm not sure Bush understands what this means.

President Hilary Clinton and no posse comitatus scares the living hell out of me.

Moonbat

Cindy Sheehan continues her unceasing quest to insure her son's death will be dishonored by her actions

Damn Spam

I am still getting attempted comment and trackback spams. I beat back about half of it with a line in my htaccess file that denies access if the HTTP_VIA tag is set. But I haven't found a way to deny the rest, as yet. They are pointless, because the comment and trackback scripts are dummies that call a honeypot script so I can study what they are doing to better block them.

Let me be clear. If you are a comment or trackback spammer, you are a maggot. You are trying to profit off the efforts of other people, people whose shoes you aren't worthy to lick crap off of. If I hear one of you has died, like that Russian who was beaten to death, I celebrate the event. I frankly hope all of you die.

Soon.

Get Smart - Gone

Newsday.com: Don Adams of 'Get Smart' Dies at 82

Got to Love This

Blast at Hamas Rally Kills 10, Injures 85

Morons blew themselves up. Oh, but that's what they do, isn't it?

Nobody Ever Went Broke Overestimating the Stupidity

... of the Public.

Independent Online Edition > This is global warming, says environmental chief

No, it's not, you moron. This is well within normal variation for tropical storms.

What a Maroon

Did Alan Alda just tear up his acceptance speech when William Shatner won? Well, wah, wah, wah. Jerk.

Personally, I Think Kenny Just Dodged a Bullet

ABC News: Zellweger Explains Legal Terms of Breakup

Never Ascribe to Malice That Which is Adequately Explained by Incompetence

Can we declare Blanco a failed governor now? Not yet? Okay, give it another week.

Microsoft from the Inside

Too much good stuff to recap, just go here and keep reading: Mini-Microsoft

Michael Brown Resigns from FEMA

Star-Telegram.com | 09/12/2005 | FEMA head steps down

More Proof Microsoft is Run by Infantile Morons

as if the world needed more proof of that.

Microsoft employees refuse to say "Podcast"

According to a commenter they can't say "firewire" either. I wonder if their lunches have "red tree-borne fruit orbs".

Archos Fun

I have been having lots of fun lately with my Archos Jukebox 20 Recorder. I've had it for 3 or so years, so there's no question about warranty - it's out of warranty.

I accidently left it on "charge" over a long weekend, recently, and since have been having problems getting it to boot. Search the web for "Archos Jukebox HD register errors" to get an idea of what I've been fighting.

Figuring I had somehow ruined the original batteries by charging them for so long (even though the charger seemed to have shut down when the charge cycle was complete), I invested in 4 new NiMH AA cells with an external charger. Later I found out that the JBR is prone to damage from frequent removal/insertion of the batteries because the battery terminals are on the printed circuit board in the unit, and can be cracked from the flexing necessary to get at the batteries.

Needless to say, the new batteries worked for about 10 minutes, then I was back in the "HD error" situation. Following the instructions at Archos' website, I error checked the hard drive (after some difficulty getting it to mount under USB), then eventually did a full backup (8 GB of music! ach), reformat, and restore to the HD. Worked great - for 20 minutes this time.

It's working now, sort of, after I completely disassembled the unit (thanks to this website), error checking the HD again in a USB enclosure, and reinstalling everything.

I can use this technique someday to make it into a JBR 40 or JBR 60, provided I can get it to run for more than 4 or 5 minutes at a time. Having 1000 hours of music on a device that will only play one or two tracks without dying is kind of lossy, you know?

(It just died again. If you see one of these on Ebay, give it a pass. It's not worth the frustration.)

Please disregard...

... my last entries about the director of FEMA. I heard that Nacy Pelosi is saying he should resign or be fired, and I'd rather give him life tenure at FEMA than appear to be giving in to the Queen of the Moonbat Left. So just disregard all those posts about him leaving, okay?

And it goes on

Horror stories from New Orleans, accentuating FEMA's cluelessness:

NOLA.com: T-P Orleans Parish Breaking News Weblog

When will Brown resign? He should be so shamed by this he wouldn't want to continue. Where is the integrity?

Overlooking the Obvious

The obvious, in this case, is the wretched performance of FEMAm and especially FEMA leadership, in the hurricane disaster in Louisiana and Mississippi. And the obvious is also that, in everyone's eyes but those of our addled president, the director of FEMA needs to offer his resignation (and have it accepted), or be asked to resign as soon as possible.

It was just painful watching Ted Koppel ask Brown, "don't you guys watch television over there?", when Brown claimed to have just found out how bad conditions in the Superdome and convention center were, days after the rest of the country knew. Bush should have demanded his resignation that same day. Hell, a director with any integrity would have tendered his resignation right after that interview went on air.

Bush has a serious flaw in that, having appointed someone to a job, he seems unable to fire them when they screw up. This is a bad quality in a leader. This is the flaw that left us stuck with Tenet, Freeh, and Mineta, years after they should have been shown the door. So it is with Brown.

Idiots

Hey, poker/phentermine spammers - I don't take comments or trackbacks here so quit sending your crap at me.

Of course, you won't. You are morally bankrupt morons who never read the weblogs you spam, because that would resemble real work too much. I bet your mother is really proud she raised a worthless parasite for a child. Why don't you get a real job, or better yet, just kill yourself and save the world the oxygen you've been wasting. Do it in a place where your body can provide nutrients to the vegetation as it rots. That way you will have made at least one contribution that was actually worthwhile.

This Just In

Breaking news -- Cindy Sheehan is a nut case: What Cindy Sheehan Really Wants - Now imagine if she gets it. By Christopher Hitchens

Imagine my surprise to find this out.

Wow, Just Wow!

I am making an exception to my customary policy of never linking to the hate-filled leftwing loons because this offering from Markos Zuniga is just breathtaking in its honesty and forthrightness: The calm before the storm

Kos rants about the Democratic Leadership Council's defense of patriotism as a virtue, clearly delineating his brand of Democrat from any other:

In other words, anti-Americanism is exactly what he and his ilk are all about. They sneer at the DLC for warning against the far left moonbat fringe of the party, and are vowing to make the moonbats the main wing of the party.

I wish him every success. I hope he gets exactly what he wants. I well remember in the 70s that the British finally got fed up with their "loony left" and their incessant demands for more and more handouts, excuse me, "entitlements" and the result was Margaret Thatcher and the return of dignity to the British Isles. I expect that if "Screw Them" Kos has his way, the Democratic Party will be little more than a bad memory in a few years.

Requiescat in Pacem, moonbats. Good riddance.

Not Enough to Worry About Dept.

Saw this at : Reuters Health Information (2005-08-12): Idaho probes outbreak of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

Okay, wtf? Natural CJD occurs at a one per million population per year average, and Idaho (population 1.4 million) may have 6?

Onward to the Future

Kansas moves to stem role of evolution in teaching

School board members have tenatively voted to give creationism equal footing in the teaching of biological sciences in Kansas.

The policy will not be implemented until a final vote, which will probably take place after school board members conduct their customary ritual of sacrificing a virgin on an altar and offering her warm, still-beating heart to the god of rampant stupidity.

Sending a Message

So Kenny Rogers gets reinstated after only 13 days of his 20 day suspension. That certainly sets an example, doesn't it? Assault a cameraman who's only doing his job and get a slap on the wrist, and then half the slap is overturned by some pissant arbitrator.

Hicks should have fired this clown the day this happened. Hopefully the criminal case will be a lot clearer on what is permissable.

And there's this.

When Stars Attack:

Photographer Shot at Britney Spears' Home

Way to GO, Guys

Here's a big shout out to my homey, Herman Frietsch, who took my $5/share stock to .005 and filed for bankruptcy. Great management skills, Herman! You really earned that $290,000 per year, there, guy. I'm sure your resumé qualifies you for a government management position, now.

I even know an agency that would probably jump at the chance to hire you, but I can't say which one (yet).

What Brave Men These Are

(This originally came from Fred on Everything)
What brave men these are that man the Fresno Police Department. What stalwart soldiers in the war on crime, going unafraid against the forces of evil in their town, as seen in the following: BBC NEWS | World | Americas | US police pursue girl over stone.

When faced with this out of control dangerous predator on society, these brave warriors responded with three (3!) squad cars, and a helicopter.

To take into custody an eleven-year old girl.

Eleven.

Not twelve.

Not, thank the stars, a teenager. They probably would have needed a S.W.A.T. team if she had been thirteen.

"We responded. We determined a felony assault had taken place and the officers took the actions that were necessary," said Fresno Police Sergeant Anthony Martinez.

I have a question for Fresno Police Sergeant Anthony Martinez: ¿Donde están tu cojones, señor? ¿Con tu esposa?

I can imagine a Fresno cop coming home from work and his wife asking him "What did you do today, dear?"

"I arrested a dangerous 11 year old girl."

I recommend any real felons who think they may be more dangerous than, say, an 11 year old little girl, try Fresno. They probably don't have enough cops on the entire force to stop you from doing anything you want.

A suggested motto: "FRESNO: City of Big Pussies"

Hey, Katie!

Before it's TOO LATE, ask Tom Who is Xenu?

Jimmy Carter Comes Out in Support of Saddam Hussein, Torture Regime

Carter: Guantanamo Detentions Disgraceful

Quote:

No surprises, here. Carter is a moron.

62.193.231.242 - spampest

Okay, I know 62.193.231.242 isn't a real person but an open proxy, but some pest asshole using that proxy is hitting one of my sites constantly, and it's annoying.

Naturally I have blocked 62.193.231.242 with htaccess, but it's still annoying.

Here's an interesting item ...

Hollywood sock-puppet senator faces tech insurgency | The Register

Steve Urqhart is running against Orin Hatch for Senate in Utah. Hatch is a total disaster for techies, so if you are a conservative techie, consider throwing some money Steve's way. (Links in the article.)

And if you're not a conservative techie, cosider throwing some money Steve's way anyway. If Hatch loses, his successor won't have all the seniority positions that Hatch holds, and there's no way a Demo(c)rat is going to be elected in Utah, anyway. So think of it as an anti-Hatch move. And anti-Hatch is pro-tech.

Holy Cow!

Russians REALLY don't like spam: Russia's Biggest Spammer Brutally Murdered in Apartment - NEWS - MOSNEWS.COM

More on Cisco and China

Rebecca MacKinnon has more information on Cisco's China trade: RConversation: My conversation with Cisco

Words, words, words

Just to be perfectly clear, the word picnic has no racial associations.

Hang him

Kenny Rogers, the immature bully of the Texas Rangers Baseball team, had to bond out of jail today on the assault with injury charge he's facing.

I hope he gets a judge and prosecutor who aren't dazzled by his "celebrity" and has to do some jail time.

Science behind abrupt climate change

Ocean & Climate Change Institute - Abrupt Climate Change - Rate of Ocean Circulation Directly Linked to Abrupt Climate Change in North Atlantic Region

Give These Guys the Finger

Wired News: Give Your DVD Player the Finger

This is all about how "University of California at Los Angeles engineering professor Rajit Gadh is leading research to turn radio frequency identification, or RFID, tags into an extremely restrictive form of digital rights management to protect DVD movies."

Obviously, the content providers (i.e. movie studios) think the consumer will put up with literally anything to get access to their product. I mean, first you have to go buy an entirely new DVD player so that you can play their DRM-crippled disks, and then everytime you buy (or rent) one, you have to give up your privacy by giving a fingerprint (how long before police agencies start trolling those records for wanted persons?), and then you have to give your fingerprint again before it will play.

My question is, who's funding this moron? Who in hell actually believes people will put up with this crap just to watch "Jackass the Movie" or some such crap? The "content providers" need to just look at the falling theater revenues and get a clue -- we don't need your crap. If you lock it up like this, we just won't buy it. And then what will you do to buy your floozies and nose candy?

Read This

More on Cisco in China: Barnes & Noble.com - Losing the New China: A Story of Commerce, Desire, and Betrayal

As long as you make a dollar, it's all right, right?

(I won't link to Amazon's entry -- Jeff Bezos can take his one-click patent and stuff it.)

China Gets Real

FT.com / World / Asia-Pacific - Top Chinese general warns US over attack

Yes, they are the enemy. The sooner we start acting like it, the better. (Hint - Microsoft? Cisco?)

The End of the World is Coming

... just get ready for it: CDC - Influenza (Flu) | Recent Outbreaks in Asia

This winter flu season is going to be a doozie.

Love Those Special Effects

Battlestar Galactica -- distant future, unimaginable technology, so why do they plan their battles on a situation board that looks just like the ones used in World War 2?

And why do they need corrective lenses, can't they cure astigmatism yet?

Does Anyone Out There Still Trust Microsoft?

Microsoft Downgrades Claria Adware Detections

That's Claria, also sometimes known as Gator, one of the most insidious purveyors of adware/spyware/malware ever. There are rumors circulating that Microsoft is about to buy Claria, and now they have given Claria software a pass in their "anti-spyware" app.

Now one must have confidence that when you install anti-spyware software, it will actually, you know, detect and remove spyware, and will not suddenly stop doing that because its parent finds it convenient to join forces with the bad guys.

But of course Microsoft operates outside all normal ideas of ethics and proper business behavior, so they see nothing remiss in turning off detection of some of the most obnoxious spyware in circulation.

Microsoft is a rogue company that should never be trusted with anything. Learn this now or regret it later.

Forward to the Past

Running out of oil? FT.com / International Economy / Oil - Saudis warn of shortfalls as oil hits $61

Monsters

Scotsman.com News - Top Stories - Hundreds of casualties in London rush hour terror attacks

One thing I am fairly sure of: the British are not big pussies like the Spaniards; the jihadi may have just bitten off a lot more than they can chew.

Creeping closer

Avian Flu in Geese Signals a Possible Route to Europe

Green, Green, etc.

Here's an analysis from last year on New Zealand's carbon problems. Problems the Kyotophiles in the government ignored: 5/11/2004 -- NEW ZEALAND: Kyoto tree planting credits won't be much help

So it was known a year ago that the magic tree wasn't sufficient to save NZ from Kyoto costs. "... not to ratify Kyoto would be to set fire to a very large cheque." Wow, that sure didn't work out, did it?

"New Zealand treaty negotiators pushed for this stipulation to be written into the 1997 Kyoto Protocol at a time when new areas planted in trees in this country was at its peak, at about 100,000ha in 1994. Regrettably, the rate at which land was switched to commercial forestry has declined rapidly ever since, to an estimated 15,000ha last year. "

Bureaucrats always seem to think that a commercial trend, like forest conversion in this case, will continue unabated for the imaginable future, ignoring all economic incentives for it not to do so. It certainly didn't help that the NZ Kyotophiles caught NZ at the absolute peak, rather than a median point, so their numbers were hopelessly optimistic. Now they get to pay for their folly.

Green, green, green no more

New Zealand is a good left-wing, environmentalist country. They were in a rush to sign the Kyoto treaty, and save the planet, and besides, as a net carbon absorber, they are going to make a ton of money selling carbon exchanges to the rest of the world. Right? Wrong: Kyoto's price - $88 a year from each of us

You can't make stuff this funny up.

Big Fizzle - Little Impact

Here's a hearty screw you