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Showing posts from August, 2008
Ah, Fox "News" Strikes Again Via News Hounds we learn that Fox, with the assistance of game show host and Nixon apologist Ben Stein, has launched its test balloon for an attempt to characterize Barach Obama as an "angry black man" .
RFIDamned Check out the first two minutes of this appearance by Mythbusters ' Adam Savage , as he explains what happened when their show tried to line up a segment concerning Radio Frequency ID chip technology -- its reliability and security or, more correctly, its lack thereof. Legal counsel for the major credit cards leaned in - hard - and pressured the Discovery Channel to kill the segment while it was in development. I wonder if this is an area that Consumer Reports would look at tackling... though some elements (vulnerabilities) might be outside their purview. Certainly, it doesn't instill any confidence.
Michael Palin would have been so much better... I wanted to take a moment to pass along some information on John McCain's running mate, Sarah Palin. Beyond my initial commentary - in the interests of full disclosure and of not coming across as a plagiarist - the information is via MoveOn.org, which in the minds of some puts me in bed with terrorists. I haven't spent much time on the Palin decision - I had work Friday, and then more than enough of my own affairs to attend to. Still, I'll start with what I casually shot off to a friend when the topic arose in email Friday evening, mainly stating what's obvious and in some cases what the packaged message is as reporters initially ran with the info packets they were handed. I've had to absorb my intro to her on the fly today, though it became clear from early on that she was chosen because she's: Female -- I'm sure she'll be touring Pennsylvania several times between now and late November as they attempt
The Final Three The last holiday weekend of the summer season is here. Our kids will be returning to school next Tuesday, when I'll also be going back to work, and none of us want to think about Tuesday just yet. We took care of clothes and supplies over a week ago, so they're set in those regards and we don't have to do any of that running around this weekend. It's a three-day weekend for me, ending with the last official holiday we'll have until Thanksgiving, and I'm trying to make the best of it especially since September and much of October are going to require exceptional effort from me on the work front if I intend to still be employed come Thanksgiving. The early stage has focused on getting some long-neglected work done around the house. Come next Tuesday's trash pick up we'll have a mighty pile of trash bags out there. The chi of my inner packrat is at its nadir, and I'm finding it easier to simply dispose of things for which I h
Ninjiots? Well, it seems their hearts may have been in the right place, and it isn't as if they're the first ones to seriously consider doing something like this. Two young men arrested for putting on ninja costumes and taking weapons out to try to put a scare into drug dealers -- and leave a harassing note for an ex-girlfriend? Ah, New Jersey. An earlier report (transcript of the video piece) is more detailed and presents matters with greater sympathy. Articles reprinted below in case original links are removed. N.J. Cops Collar 'Shinobi Warrior' Drug Vigilantes Pair Of Ninjas Armed With Throwing Knives, Chinese Stars, Swords, Arrows & Nunchucks Personal Vendetta Against Drug Dealers, Users Reporting Scott Rapoport CLIFTON, N.J. (CBS) ― Superheroes? Or vigilantes? Police in New Jersey busted a couple of ninja warriors on Thursday. The two young men are now facing serious charges. Jesse Trojaniak of Clifton has had a fascination with ninjas. "For a very lo
D ark C omics? It's the 1980s miracle comics formula made new again! Word's come from Warner Bros. that they're ignoring Superman Returns in favor of a reboot, and that their iffy slate of film projects involving their various heroes will all be taking a page from the dark, brooding elements of The Dark Knight . As I contemplate this turn, I wonder how far they'll take it and how quickly this will burn through the genre. We've seen this path in the comics, those of us who came through the medium during the eighties, and trying to apply it left and right will eventually result in a sort of stylistic backlash. Along the way it can devolve into the awful, apparently unintentional self-parody that readers of Frank Miller's All-Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder have seen. (Not only do I point you to this excellent piece from a couple years back , but I'm delighted to be able to point you to the hilarious follow-up , the latter being something I'd someh
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A clearer comparison Here's a helpful graphic concerning McCain and Obama's tax plans' impact, especially necessary given the lies the distortions and lies the McCain ads continue to spread. (Click on the graphic for a larger image.)