Australia - Non-categorized event
One of the websites I manage, has an rss feed and receives alert emails from an emergency and disaster information service in Hungary. The site has quite a bit of near real-time information on everything from pandemic maps, nuclear events, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, cosmic events, and just about every reported event in the world. Anyway, every now and then an interesting one pops up. The alert email below stood out because it was listed as Non-categorized event - Australia. Here's their main page: http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/ Click on the region map you want to view. Click on any map icon to read details about any given event. Gary -Original Message- From: hisz-alertmail-eng-boun...@www.rsoe.hu [mailto:hisz-alertmail-eng-boun...@www.rsoe.hu] On Behalf Of RSOE EDIS Sent: Sunday, February 28, 2010 12:50 AM To: RSOE EDIS AlertMail Subject: RSOE EDIS: Australia - Non-categorized event - 2010.02.28 RSOE EDIS http://hisz.rsoe.hu/index.php?lang=eng RSOE Emergency and Disaster Information Service Budapest, Hungary RSOE EDIS ALERTMAIL 2010-02-28 05:50:18 - Non-categorized event - Australia EDIS CODE: UEV-20100228-25147-AUS Date Time: 2010-02-28 05:50:18 [UTC] Area: Australia, State of Northern Territory, , Lajamanu Not confirmed information! Description: While the Top End and Central Australia have been battered by torrential rains, a Territory town has reportedly had fish falling from the sky. The freak phenomena happened not once, but twice, on Thursday and Friday afternoon about 6pm at Lajamanu, about 550km southwest of Katherine, The Northern Territory News reports. Christine Balmer, who took the photos of the fish on the ground and in a bucket, said she had to pinch herself when she was told hundreds and hundreds of small white fish had fallen from the sky. It rained fish in Lajamanu on Thursday and Friday night, she said, They fell from the sky everywhere. Locals were picking them up off the footy oval and on the ground everywhere. These fish were alive when they hit the ground. Mrs Balmer, the aged care co-ordinator at the Lajamanu Aged Care Centre, said her family interstate thought she had lost the plot when she told them about the event. I haven't lost my marbles, she said, reassuring ! herself. Thank God it didn't rain crocodiles. Lajamanu sits on the edge of the Tanami Desert, hundreds of kilometres from Lake Argyle and Lake Elliott and even further from the coast. But it's not the first time the remote community has been bombarded by fins from above. In 2004, locals reported fish falling from the sky, and in 1974, a similar incident captured international headlines. The small white fish are believed to be spangled perch, which are very common through much of northern Australia. Weather bureau senior forecaster Ashley Patterson said the geological conditions were perfect on Friday for a tornado in the Douglas Daly region. He said it would have been an ideal weather situation to allow the phenomena to occur - but no tornados have been reported to the authority. It's a very unusual event, he said. With an updraft, (fish and water picked up) could get up high - up to 60,000 or 70,000 feet. Or possibly from a tornado over a large water body - but we haven't had ! any reports, he said. Posted:2010-02-28 05:50:18 [UTC] hr http://hisz.rsoe.hu/images/hr-large.gif Please DO NOT reply to this message: replies may be treated as errors and result in your subscription being deleted. If you have trouble or other queries, send email to hava...@rsoe.hu RSOE EDIS is operated by the National Association of Radio-Distress Signalling and Infocommunications (RSOE), Budapest, Hungary. Because of the complexity of this system and its dependence on other systems, we cannot be responsible for delays or failures in forwarding or transmission. You're receiving this AlertMail because you subscribed for the service. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now http://levlista.rsoe.hu/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/hisz-alertmail-eng . Contact: hava...@rsoe.hu ___ http://box535.bluehost.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l_mccmedia.com
RE: Foswiki up and running
And... a blast from the past, pasted below. I'll let whoever emerge as the folks who lead the wiki project decide how to respond. As usual, I'm inclined to let the community choose and will only intervene directly as a last resort. I haven't participated here for a while, but I do still read the list daily and keep up on current events. I don't have an opinion either way as to the collaboration issue (I'm not familiar enough the projects), but if anyone's interested in my opinion regarding Jeroen rejoining Brin-L, I say bury the past and invite him back. It's been a long time. Gary ___ http://mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l_mccmedia.com
RE: Torchwood: Children of Earth
_Lost_ and _Fringe_ both return. _Lost_ was excellent last season and I expect great things from the final season. _Fringe_ kicked up a gear with the twists and revelations at the end of the first season so it will be interesting where that goes. I have to agree with John, Torchwood was a disappointment. That doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it, I just expected more since the entire season consisted of only 5 episodes. I had hoped for more science fiction. Instead, I think they were going for the shock value of the storyline. I agree with John about Lost. Personally, I think the last season will either blow viewers away, or it will be lame. I hope they don't follow the trend that's developed in the last few years of taking 8 month mid-season breaks. Lost did that and it REALLY annoyed me when Battlestar Galactica did that. As for Fringe, it was just ok, until the last few episodes, then I was blown away. I'm very much looking forward to the next season. I'm a Eureka fan. I love that show even though it's silly and campy. Warehouse 13 - After two episodes, I'm not impressed or hooked yet, but I'll give it a few more episodes. I've also been watching Primeval on BBC America. SciFi Channel just started showing it. I didn't care for the first few episodes, but became hooked as the story arc developed. Of Course, BBC didn't renew Primeval and tonight's cliffhanger episode will be the series last episode. I have high hopes for Stargate: Universe. I just hope the commercials don't show only the best parts of the show. I miss the days of Farscape. Gary ___ http://mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l_mccmedia.com
Land of the Lost - My day is complete...
I've been looking forward to the new Land of the Lost movie, despite it's deviation from the original story. Today, the Sci-Fi channel has been playing the original Land of the Lost episodes. I haven't seen these in 30 years. The claymation is jerky, the blue screen overlays are bad, and the acting is even worse - I love it! I'm not much of a Will Ferrell fan, but I don't think that :and of the Lost would go over very well as a serious movie. Gary - going back to lurking mode ___ http://mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l_mccmedia.com
upcoming movies look promising
The movies that are about to open look promising.. Knowing with Nicholas Cage This looks promising, but it also looks a lot like War of the Worlds. Nick Cage has about a 50/50 ratio of good/bad movies. Witch Mountain Definitely a kids movie, but it will be a must see since I saw the original with Eddie Albert years ago when it first came out. Land of the Lost The original series was amazingly cheesy and now it's painful to watch, but this is another must see since I watched the original as a kid. The fact that it stars Will Farrell is almost a guarantee that it will be stupid and cheesy. From the reviews, it looks like this might be a combination of Shaun of the Dead and Talladega Nights. Star Trek I was opposed to this when I first read about it, but the more I watch the trailers, the more I look forward to seeing it. Almost all of the other Trek movies had the cheesy factor (to some degree). ___ http://mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l_mccmedia.com
Impossible account security questions.
A few months ago, I called Chase Bank about a question with my account, the phone teller asked me several security challenge questions that I thought were unusual. One of the questions was a certain uncle's home address. The impossible part of this was that I haven't had contact with this uncle in 25 years, and he lives in England (I'm in the US). I asked for the manager, and the manager explained that the security questions are all part of a new government mandate to verify identity and security information. I eventually got the account information I was looking for and didn't think about it again. This morning, I was trying to access a credit card webpage to check my account, it didn't like my password. I was given two security challenge questions: 1. What is the last name of your fifth grade teacher? 2. What was the license plate of your first car? I'm reasonably sure that I had the correct name for the 5th grade teacher, but I must be an incredible slacker because I didn't remember the license plate number of my first vehicle - 25 years ago. Capital One promptly locked my account, for my security. It's scary that any database contains this much information about me. If it's in a database, it can be compromised. It's no wonder identity theft is running rampant in the US. Gary ___ http://mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l_mccmedia.com
RE: Br!n: Congratulations! Today you get rid of... of... what's hisname?
D Brin wrote: Thanks Alberto. Hoping the world will soon be proud of us! d Bumper sticker sighted yesterday: 1-20-09, The End of an Error ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
RE: Incoming!
Julia wrote... seriously, there are rabbits in the area, and I'm vaguely phobic about rabbits Have you ever seen the B movie Night of the Lepus? Quite possibly the worst movie of all-time. Gary ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
RE: [Humor] I'm Not One Of Those 'Love Thy Neighbor' Christians
Thank you for reminding me of my desire to bitch-slap people who claim to be Christians and are a lot more hung up on Leviticus than Matthew chapters 5-7. :) (Problem is, bitch-slapping is more in keeping with Leviticus than that section of Matthew.) Julia Julia, Your looking at that the wrong way. If you bitch-slap those purported Christians that REALLY need lessons in humility, then you are *giving them the opportunity* to practice Matthew 5:39: But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. Your doing them a favor ;-) Gary ~ Who suspects the ORIGINAL version actually said: whoever bitch-slaps you on your right cheek _ If you can't stand the heat, don't tickle the dragon. ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Scotch Tape, Black Holes Supercollider's
Gheeze, who knew (well apparently the Russians 50 years ago). I'm guessing that environmental groups will start petitioning the court to outlaw the use of scotch tape in a vacuum in case it creates a black hole that will instantly swallow the earth X-Rays Detected From Scotch Tape Scotch tape. It turns out that if you peel the popular adhesive tape off its roll in a vacuum chamber, it emits X-rays. The researchers even made an X-ray image of one of their fingers. http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=6088719 ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Ohio: 15 Year Old Faces Felony Charges....
Once again, I'm embarrassed to live in Ohio. The town in this story is only about 30 minutes away. It's a small town that is routinely the butt of redneck jokes all over Ohio. This is a witch hunt. I'm not sure how justice is served by convicting a 15 year old of making a stupid mistake. And, they may prosecute the recipients of the text messages? I can only hope that this gets in front of a judge that has some common sense. I suppose that giving these kids a proportionate punishment instead of felony charges wouldn't be as glamorous for the Prosecutor Girl Faces Felony Charges After Allegedly Sending Nude Photos of Herself to Classmates Oct. 10, 2008 - A 15-year-old Ohio girl faces felony charges and may have to register as a sex offender for allegedly taking nude photos of herself and sending them to her high school classmates. The girl, whose name has not been released, was arrested last week and charged in juvenile court with possessing criminal tools and the illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material, said Licking County, Ohio, prosecutor Ken Oswalt. If convicted, the girl could face a sentence of anywhere from probation to several years in a juvenile detention center. A judge also has the discretion to make the girl register as a sex offender under Ohio law. Oswalt said other teens who received the photographs, which are considered child pornography under state law, may also be charged. Complete article at http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=5995084page=1 ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Gas prices alternative fuel sources. (was: Sarah Palin)
Dan M wrote: With all due respect, so what? Most people prefer drilling everywhere over $4.00 gasoline. And, the Republicans are winning that argument...the polls show a massive preference now to drill to bring down the prices. Are high gas prices a necessary evil to force technological advancement? I do my share of complaining about gas prices, especially when I sit in almost daily traffic jams burning up that $4.00 a gallon fuel. However, In a debate with my daughter, I brought up the question of, without sufficient motivation, would anyone be aggressively looking for alternative fuel sources? Global Warming certainly would not cause sufficient motivation. Nothing motivates the masses more that money. If we're still buying $1.50 a gallon gas at the pumps, why would anyone be motivated to get rid of that Hummer getting 10 miles per gallon (on a good day!) and find more efficient and sustainable fuel sources? Why would car manufacturers do the research and development to create vehicles with higher fuel efficiency unless they have to? ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
RE: Gas prices alternative fuel sources. (was: Sarah Palin)
They shouldn't be, and in an economy and social/cultural framework that cultivated proactive thinking at least in the majority, they wouldn't be. The problem is that the existing paradigm tends to go ahead with business as usual until it becomes totally unsustainable, *then* start developing technologies to deal with the crisis, My point exactly. In a Utopian society, the thinkers and scientists would proactively look for solutions with the full support of society in general. However, we are talking about America, a country that thrives on, and worships convenience. It's not convenient to consider Global Warming, it's not convenient to consider alternative energy sources, etc. ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
RE: Gas prices alternative fuel sources. (was: Sarah Palin)
Because it's the right thing to do? Just because something is cheap does not mean we need to be wasteful. Substitute anyone with most people in that sentence and I'll agree with you. Ok, Most people. I agree, just because something is cheap doesn't mean that we need to be wasteful, but unfortunately that's the mentality and lifestyle of the US. Until gas prices started going up, higher efficiency cars were a fantasy for the future. In the 80's 90s, most people, myself included, never considered or cared that oil and gas prices would necessitate the development of lighter and more efficient vehicles. When I graduated in the early 80's, $4 a gallon gas was something from a post-apocalypse movie. I remember being pissed off that I had to pay the VERY unreasonable price of $1.15 a gallon to fill up my first car. Even science fiction didn't predict high gas prices - most assumed that 30 years in the future an alternative fuel source would be in use. ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
RE: Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin
McCain's VP Wants Creationism Taught in School http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/08/mccains-vp-want.html Told you Maru William T Goodall I'm reading that blog entry a little different. She appears to be advocating to allow the debate and discussion of both. I didn't read anything that shows her as completely supporting creationism instead of evolution. It reads like she's trying to be politically correct as not to offend either camp: Teach both. You know, don't be afraid of education. Healthy debate is so important, and it's so valuable in our schools. I am a proponent of teaching both. Asked by the Anchorage Daily News whether she believed in evolution, Palin declined to answer, but said that I don't think there should be a prohibition against debate if it comes up in class. I'm not going to pretend I know how all this came to be, she said. I don't think I would want it to be taught as an equal alternative, but she's right, a healthy (and controlled) debate about a socially sensitive subject could be a healthy and useful life skill to develop. ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
RE: Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin
Not in school, and not in science class. In comparative religion, maybe, but it's hard enough to teach good science without adding a load of creation myths to the course. I agree, not is science class, and I did specifically say that it shouldn't be taught as an equal alternative. Creationism should be taught from an historical perspective. It played a significant part in history, religion and society - but your right, that debate isn't appropriate in science class. And that's the issue - Both sides? No - because if they allow both sides they have to allow ALL sides. That means Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Aboriginal... If you really wanted to cover what EVERY religion says about creation, there wouldn't be time for any science at all. Charlie. You forgot to mention the other viable alternative to evolution: the Flying Spaghetti Monster :-) ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin
Considering the fact that McCain just announced his VP running mate today, it's interesting that there are domain names associating Sarah Palin with Vice President registered back in June 2008. The domain name VicePresidentSarahPalin.com was registered on June 14, 2008. Nothing illegal or underhanded about that, just interesting that people knew or suspected more than two months ago. ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Google, video DRM, spammers flatulent llamas.
This is very reminiscent of the music industry a few years ago when they tried to have laws passed that would have allowed them to access anyone's machine remotely and delete/disable any MP3 that they thought was illegal. From the way it's written, it appears that the intent would be for content owners to be able to insert ads into video no matter where it resides on the internet. This could be used for good, but I think that it has tremendous potential to be used by spammers for evil. The question becomes, who decides what video content will have ads inserted into it, and who polices the people with the technology to prevent it from being used in nefarious ways? Legitimate owners could digital DNA to identify video clips, but the application of technology to insert ads has tremendous potential for abuse. Or not. Could Peace Be Near for YouTube and Hollywood? Google has also piqued the interest of some in Hollywood with new ad-delivery and content-tracking technology that the company is developing, according to three studio executives who spoke to CNET News. Google could one day enable content owners to insert ads into unauthorized video clips wherever they might be posted online. Complete article... http://tinyurl.com/5bdvug Gary Just because your paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you. PS - nothing really here about flatulent llamas, just thought I would see if anyone was paying attention. ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Terminator 4
Just ran across this in my travels online Terminator Salvation - 2009 John Conner - Christian Bale Kate Conner - Bryce Dallas Howard Set in post-apocalyptic 2018, John Connor (Bale) is the man fated to lead the human resistance against Skynet and its army of Terminators. But the future Connor was raised to believe in is altered in part by the appearance of Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington), a stranger whose last memory is of being on death row. Connor must decide whether Marcus has been sent from the future, or rescued from the past. As Skynet prepares its final onslaught, Connor and Marcus both embark on an odyssey that takes them into the heart of Skynet's operations, where they uncover the terrible secret behind the possible annihilation of mankind. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0438488/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Ohio: Bill requires parents to volunteer
I don't see this going very far. The only thing this will accomplish is making money for attorneys with the slew of lawsuits it would generate. The question I have, is it still volunteering if it's mandatory? Idiots. Sometimes I'm ashamed to admit that I live in Ohio. Ohio: Bill requires parents to volunteer Published: April 9, 2008 at 9:13 PM COLUMBUS, Ohio, April 9 (UPI) -- An Ohio lawmaker has proposed a bill requiring parents of public school children to volunteer at the schools or pay a $100 fine. The bill, introduce by state Rep. Sandra Williams, would require parents to volunteer for a minimum of 13 hours each year or pay the fine, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported Tuesday. School districts reportedly would be responsible for telling the Ohio Department of Education which parents did not donate their time. Some residents feel the bill would be burdensome to families. This is just one of those stupid ideas that surface every now and then, said Elizabeth Papp Taylor, former Shaker Heights Parent Teacher Organization council president. Rep. Stephen Dyer, a Green Democrats, is one of five additional legislators co-sponsoring the bill. Ensuring that parents play a vital role in their children's life is the reason I signed on to it, Dyer said. http://tinyurl.com/65jxt5 ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
RE: Mail help needed . . .
I use and would recommend Pegasus Mail - http://www.pmail.com/ Robust mail client with several possible view-types, and an inbuilt baesian filter. I was also going to recommend Pegasus Mail (Pmail), and saw that someone else beat me to it. I used Pegasus for years until I switched to Outlook to learn it for work. One feature I LOVED with Pegasus was that I could group unread items, by conversation. Do you not like Outlook? Gary ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Chris Pine cast an new Captain Kirk
Pine Joins 'Trek' Cast As Young Kirk Oct. 18, 2007, 4:37 PM EST The Associated Press The bridge of the starship Enterprise is filling up. Chris Pine, who had been in talks to join the cast of J.J. Abrams' Star Trek flick, will play the young James Kirk, while Karl Urban will take on the role of Dr. Leonard McCoy, distributor Paramount confirmed Thursday. They join previously announced cast members Zachary Quinto as Vulcan scientist Spock, Simon Pegg as engineer Scotty, John Cho as helmsman Sulu, Zoe Saldana as communications officer Uhura and Anton Yelchin as navigator Chekov. Leonard Nimoy, who played Enterprise science officer Spock in the 1960s TV series and six Star Trek feature films, also will appear as an older version of the Vulcan. Eric Bana, the star of Steven Spielberg's Munich and Ang Lee's Hulk, is playing a villain in the Trek film, which begins shooting in November and is due out in December 2008. Abrams, creator of Lost and director of Mission: Impossible III, is keeping the plot secret for the film that follows the early days of the Star Trek crew, which was led by William Shatner as the bold Capt. Kirk. Pine's credits include the movies Smokin' Aces and Just My Luck, while Urban appeared in two of the The Lord of the Rings movies and The Bourne Supremacy. Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. http://movies.msn.com/movies/article.aspx?news=280147gt1=7701 ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
RE: Turkey, Genocide Congress.
So I take it you don't think this was genocide? Martin I didn't say that it wasn't genocide, I was questioning what good could possibly come from making this declaration 90 years after the fact - especially if it's going to piss off an allied nation that is clearly a different regime. As someone else mentioned, at what point do you draw the line? Another country could declare the dropping of the atomic bombs during World War II as genocide or declare that Truman is a war criminal for ordering the bombs. Someone else could declare the US treatment of Native Americans as attempted genocide, or declare that the US allowed and encouraged slavery. Even if it WAS genocide, the question still remains: what good comes from making that declaration 90 years after the fact? How does that improve the world today? Gary ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Turkey, Genocide Congress.
I'm REALLY struggling with this one. I don't understand what good could possibly come from passing a resolution labeling this WW1 issue as genocide. It seems to me that Congress should have more important issues to deal with than trying to appease lobbyist with a hidden agenda over something that happened 90 years ago. To me, this is as absurd as that movement a year or two ago that would have mandated that the US must pay reparations to the descendents of former slaves. Turkish general: U.S. 'shot its own foot' Official warns of irreversible damage if Congress passes genocide resolution ISTANBUL, Turkey - Turkey's top general warned that ties with the U.S., already strained by attacks from rebels hiding in Iraq, will be irreversibly damaged if Congress passes a resolution that labels the World War I-era killings of Armenians a genocide. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21294333/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
RE: Highlander: The Source - Quick, avert your eyes!
Highlander 2? There is no such thing. Julia au contraire.. From the IMDB: Highlander II: The Quickening (1991) Connor MacLeod ... aka Highlander II: The Renegade Version (UK: director's cut) (USA: video title (director's cut)) ... aka Highlander - Le retour (France) ... aka Highlander 2 (Argentina) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102034/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
RE: Highlander: The Source - Quick, avert your eyes!
That was my refusal to acknowledge the existence of said movie. I'm not alone in my sentiments on that. Julia Doh! It's been a screwy weekend and my IQ is temporarily down 50 points. Unfortunately, I didn't have much overhead to begin with in that department! If nothing else, the non-existent Highlander 2 served as a perfect example of how to take an incredible movie and completely destroy it with the sequel. Gary -- Who's going to bed before his IQ drops again and he can't remember how to find the bedroom... ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Highlander: The Source - Quick, avert your eyes!
Well, the SciFi channel has done it once again. The new Highlander movie, Highlander: The Source, is so bad that I can't stand the watch the rest of it. Hideous plot, hideous acting, hideous special effects. I thought Highlander 2 was bad, but this one easily takes the prize. It's almost worse than Tremor: The Series. This is an all new low for terrible SciFi channel programming. Yak. ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Big shark, little kayak. Pucker Factor: 10
The first time I ran across the first picture, I thought it was a fake, and then I looked it up on Google and snopes. This is the caption with the picture from the magazine article: Sitting in a 3.8-metre sea kayak and watching a four-metre great white approach you is a fairly tense experience. The line down the middle is the page fold. The second picture is uninterrupted. http://tinyurl.com/klm6t (look about 2/3 down the page) http://tinyurl.com/qm6cz ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
RE: Br*n: Uplift at Star Trek
Alberto Vieira Ferreira Monteiro wrote: Watching a Deep Space 9 episode, something caught my attention. ---snip--- Is this an Uplift rip-off? The Ghost Brigades by John Scalzi mentions uplifted races as part of his story plot. At the end of the book he acknowledges and credits the idea as originating with Dr. Brin. If you get a chance to pick up the series by John Scalzi: Old Man's War , The Last War and The Ghost Brigades, do so, they were an excellent read. Gary ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Flash Gordon question - Possible Spoilers
Possible Spoilers S P O I L E R S P A C E Anyone watching Flash Gordon? I missed this somewhere, but why does Baylin choose to stay on Earth as opposed to going back to Mongo? Gary ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Bionic Woman Battlestar Galactica
No spoilers Is anyone watching the Bionic Woman? I was pleasantly surprised by it. Of course Katee Sackhoff, from Battlestar Galactica, plays a renegade bionic badass of undetermined allegiance. Anyway, in one scene, the bionic woman walks by a TV that's playing the new Battlestar Galactica. :-) Gary ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
RE: Car free London?
Holy Cow!! I make a post and step away for a few weeks and find this topic ran rampant - and I missed it! However, I always look forward to the side-topics that always seem to be typical Brin humor... (fiber..biofuel..that's beautiful) Gary -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Dave Land Sent: Tuesday, September 18, 2007 7:34 PM To: Killer Bs Discussion Subject: Re: Car free London? On Sep 17, 2007, at 9:21 PM, Ronn! Blankenship wrote: At 09:34 AM Monday 9/17/2007, Nick Arnett wrote: My commute varies tremendously. Sometimes I stop in the bathroom on the way from our bedroom to the ofice. That probably triples my time. Have you tried getting more fiber in your diet? On Sep 17, 2007, at 9:26 PM, Ronn! Blankenship wrote: Speaking of biofuel: Synchronicity, or what? ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Unattended Children: sign found at Ohio Renaissance Festival
I took the kids to the Ohio Renaissance Festival yesterday, and ran across this sign. It's beautiful. http://www.europastation.com/gary/pictures/ Gary ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Car free London?
Whatever politicians that may be in power if this scenario would came true, would definitely not be in power much longer. There's an interesting paragraph about the potential health benefits of a car free London, but I see they conveniently forget to mention the increased health RISK of forcing people to walk that are not physically capable, and the increased risk of forcing people to walk in extreme weather - heat, cold, rain, snow, fog, etc. Complete article: http://tinyurl.com/3amrbl London's Emissions Targets For 2030 Will Only Be Reached By Banning Cars Posted: 13 Sep 2007 05:58 AM CDT London Authority http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/ (GLA) takes radical steps, one of which could be the removal of all cars from both inner and outer London, according to a report published today. snip Calculations show that a car-free inner London scenario equates to a 49% reduction in emissions7. Because most London car trips are within outer London, changes in inner London boroughs alone were not found to be sufficient to meet the GLA emissions target. The car-free inner and outer London model was found to bring about a 72% reduction in emissions, with active transport making up 53% of all trips. Given the lower starting point, this means 83% lower emissions than the UK average for 2000. snip A separate paper uses London travel data to identify four archetypal car using groups in London: Claire, a 10 year old girl; Lucy, a 40 year old mother; Tom, a 50 year old man living and working in outer London; and Derek, a 78 year old man. It calculates the increases in physical activity and energy expenditure that would result if they transferred their car journeys to walking, cycling and public transport, with occasional trips by taxi. By doing so, they would expend an average of 139,300 kJ of energy a year, equivalent to an average of 4.5 kg of fat. Lucy would reduce her risk of breast cancer by 25% and increase her life expectancy by between 1 and 2 years, while Tom would enjoy a 20-40% reduction in the risk of premature mortality and around a 30% reduction in risk of type 2 diabetes. ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
'Heroes' Star Goes From Sylar to Spock
'Heroes' Star Goes From Sylar to Spock http://tv.msn.com/tv/article.aspx?news=275486 http://tv.msn.com/tv/article.aspx?news=275486gt1=7703 gt1=7703 ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Weird search engine searches...
Doing some domain name keyword research, occasionally I run across some REALLY strange searches. A keyword search that led to a Batman related keyword, turned up the search: batman homosexual interpretations. That term was searched for 266 times last month. That deserves some sort of witty and smartass comment, but I've got nothing. Gary ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Monster, dog or chupacabra?
Monster or dog? 'Goatsucker' tale debated Hunter wants DNA test for remains that may explain chupacabra legend CUERO, Texas - Phylis Canion lived in Africa for four years. She's been a hunter all her life and has the mounted heads of a zebra and other exotic animals in her house to prove it. But the roadkill she found last month outside her ranch was a new one even for her, worth putting in a freezer hidden from curious onlookers: Canion believes she may have the head of the mythical, bloodsucking chupacabra. Article pictures http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20539085/wid/11915829?GT1=10357 ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
oops...Virtual Earth image reveals Trident sub's secret propeller
Virtual Earth image reveals Trident sub's secret propeller This month, a photograph appeared on the Internet of the propeller on an Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine at Trident Submarine Base in Bangor. A key to the submarine's ability to deploy and remain undetected, propeller designs have been kept under wraps for years, literally. When out of the water, the propellers typically are draped with tarps. The propeller image appeared on Microsoft's mapping tool, Virtual Earth. It was discovered accidentally by Dan Twohig, a deck officer with the Washington state ferry service who was using the program to examine real estate on the west side of Puget Sound. Article: http://tinyurl.com/3dwpqb Microsoft Earth sub images: http://tinyurl.com/2q9xen http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003859908_satellite30.htm l ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Bionic Woman tv series
I was never a fan of the original Bionic Woman, but I have to admit the trailer for this series looks very promising. Look for the one labeled Bionic Woman - Trailer, It's 9 minutes long. http://www.nbc.com/Bionic_Woman/video/#mea=125294 ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
eDisHarmony
Online dating humor This is beautiful. (some people may find this mildly offensive) http://tinyurl.com/2ht6db http://www.onlinedatingmagazine.com/datinghumor/videos2007/edisharmony.html ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Wikipedia transparency
Wikipedia Unmasked Excerpt from article When an edit is made to a Wikipedia page, the IP address that made the change is recorded. What Griffith did was take the 34,417,493 anonymous edits added between February 2004 and August 2007 and correlate them with the IP addresses of hedge funds, law firms, media companies, the CIA, and the rest of us. He dubbed the result Wikiscanner, and launched it two weeks ago. Disruption occurred. The site lit up the Boing-Boing-osphere, a story about corporate edits made the cover of the New York Times, and-what fellow hackers seemed most impressed by-Stephen Colbert used Wikiscanner as the centerpiece of a Word of the Day monologue on The Colbert Report. The Threat Level blog at Wired took the lead in gathering the most egregious edits, a dragnet that rounded up the usual suspects. A Scientology IP added a link to the Kurt Cobain page that suggests the singer's childhood Ritalin prescription led him to suicide. An Exxon IP cleaned up the section on the effects of the Valdez oil spill, cheerfully noting six of the largest salmon harvests in history were recorded in the decade immediately following the spill. A Philip Morris IP deleted this sentence from a history paragraph of the Marlboro (cigarette) page: It emerged as the number one youth-initiation brand. Complete article... http://www.slate.com/id/2172703/?GT1=10252 ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
SUV's on the hybrid/green bandwagon.
I was just reading about the new hybrid SUV's that are about to hit the market. The Dodge Durango typically gets 14 mpg, and the hybrid version MIGHT get 18 or 19 mpg (The keyword there is MIGHT). I love the marketing dogma that is used to mislead car buyers: Both companies say that their full-size SUV hybrid models will be up to 25 percent more fuel-efficient, putting them in the ballpark of 20 miles per gallon combined city and highway. The phrases up to 25% more efficient and in the ballpark of 20 mpg are very misleading. This seems like a lot of lip service with little or no benefit just for the sake of jumping on the hybrid/Green bandwagon. http://autos.msn.com/advice/article.aspx?contentid=4024899 http://autos.msn.com/advice/article.aspx?contentid=4024899topart=utes topart=utes ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
RE: Am I married to a terrorist?
Today, when we [me + wife + 3 kids] went to watch the Pseudo-Para Pan American Games, my wife was barred at the door. She was hiding a WMD inside her purse, so hidden that she herself wasn't aware of it. It was a very lethal small left-handed scissors covered with rust and with a no-longer sharp blade. In other words, a terrorist's weapon! Abdullah Mahmoud Alberto/Abdullah, At that point, you had two options: 1. Have your wife claim it was a religious artifact that is integral with practicing her religion. 2. Go to Wal-Mart, but a towel, make a turban and conceal that hideous weapon inside, along with the four course meal that would fit in there. Of course, being a turban, it would never be questioned or searched. Racial profiling you know. Gary Bak. Derk-derk-Allah. Derka derka, Mohammed Jihad. Haka sherpa-sherpa. Abaka-la Maru PS: My apologies to anyone that may have been offended by suggestion #2. That's a little bit of a WTF attitude after watching Homeland Security personnel at the airport search my 11 year old daughter and her 16 year old half sister while allowing the 5 Muslim businessmen to pass through security wearing turbans without as much as a second glance, and board the plane. PSS: I must be tired this morning. When I made suggestion #2, I had this silly picture in my head of the scene from Team America where the hero infiltrates the Arab stronghold and fakes the local language. (hence the quote included) I was picturing a soccer stadium with Alberto's wife having that conversation with the security people ... Well, you get the picture :-) PSSS: The quote put my spell checker into convulsions. Now I KNOW I'm tired..I'm going back to bed!:-) ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Congress: P2P networks harm national security
Maybe congress should just shut down the internet completely? In most federal agencies, the firewalls are so locked down, it would be IMPOSSIBLE for a computer with P2P software to share files without intentionally bypassing security. If the federal employee is taking home sensitive data and putting it on their personal computer, then that's a management issue. Even if P2P was legislated into extinction, the bigger threat of federal employees losing computers will NEVER go away. It happens daily. This reeks of RIAA. Congress: P2P networks harm national security WASHINGTON--Politicians charged on Tuesday that peer-to-peer networks can pose a national security threat because they enable federal employees to share sensitive or classified documents accidentally from their computers. At a hearing on the topic, Government Reform Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) said, without offering details, that he is considering new laws aimed at addressing the problem. He said he was troubled by the possibility that foreign governments, terrorists or organized crime could gain access to documents that reveal national secrets. Also at the hearing, Mark Gorton, the chairman of Lime Wire, which makes the peer-to-peer software LimeWire, was assailed for allegedly harming national security through offering his product. Complete article http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-6198585.html ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
TV Series: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Ran across this in an article unrelated to sci-fi. The IMDB shows 13 episodes, but this sounds like one of the short term mid-season replacements that won't have much of a following after the first few episodes. The Sarah Connor Chronicles Plot Outline: Set after the events in 'Terminator 2' Sarah Connor and her son John, trying to stay under-the-radar from the government as they plot to destroy the computer network Skynet in hopes of preventing Armageddon. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0851851/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Remake of Omega Man.
Just ran across this.it's is a remake of the Omega Man that originally starred Charlton Heston. I Am legend stars Will Smith. The trailer is short but looks promising. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0480249/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Very cool underwater vacation
This is too cool. This is the underwater equivalent of the cabin in the woods. The slide show has a picture of the TV with The Abyss on it :-) http://www.jul.com/index.htm Gary ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Battlestar Ending Next Season
Battlestar Ending Next Season The producers of SCI FI Channel's Battlestar Galactica confirmed that the upcoming fourth season will be the show's last. Executive producers Ronald Moore and David Eick said that it was a creative decision to end the acclaimed series with the upcoming 22-episode season. This show was always meant to have a beginning, a middle and, finally, an end, Eick and Moore said in a statement on May 31. Over the course of the last year, the story and the characters have been moving strongly toward that end, and we've decided to listen to those internal voices and conclude the show on our own terms. And while we know our fans will be saddened to know the end is coming, they should brace themselves for a wild ride getting there: We're going out with a bang. In November, a special two-hour Battlestar episode, Razor, will air. The fourth season kicks off in early 2008. At last month's Saturn Awards, Edward James Olmos said that the upcoming season would be the show's last, prompting Eick to say at the time that no decision had been made. I promise you that when Ron and I make a decision about Galactica's future, we'll let you know, he said then. http://www.scifi.com/sfw/news/ ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Stranger than fiction...
Deadly spider's venom may yield super virility The spider's bite can kill children and the elderly, but among strong young farmers it leads to erections that can last for days and involve involuntary ejaculations. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18984762/wid/11915773?GT1=10109 ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
An iPod for every student, courtesy of Michigan Taxpayers
I love the Citizens Against Government Waste website: http://www.cagw.org I don't always agree with them (they are against net neutrality), but I love reading about the taxpayer money that our government wastes on crap, instead of investing in things like medical research on (AIDS, cancer, Parkinson's, obesity, MS, etc) or any other worthwhile project. A gem that I just ran across: On April 5, Michigan House Democrats unveiled a $38 million education plan over several years that would include the purchase of an MP3 player or iPod for every student in Michigan public schools. http://www.cagw.org/site/PageServer http://tinyurl.com/3d3vtj http://www.cagw.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle http://www.cagw.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticleid=10703news_iv_ctrl=1037 id=10703news_iv_ctrl=1037 ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Big pigs
very big pig (and no, I'm not talking about GW Bush!) http://www.philly.com/philly/wires/ap/features/7691922.html ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
GeoCaching
Not sure if you can call GeoCaching a sport, but the kids and I recently discovered it and became completely hooked. Reading the webpage GeoCaching.com, it almost sounds like the white-hot action of watching golf or bowling on TV. If your not familiar with GeoCaching, basically caches are hidden all around the world, and then logged into a database with their coordinates and a few very basic hints. The object of the game is to download the different cache locations into your GPS and then go find them. In my area in central Ohio, in a 20 mile radius, there are no less than 300 hidden caches. Before I tried this, I wondered just how challenging it could be to use your GPS to find any given cache. Under normal to optimum conditions, your GPS can get you within 10 feet if the cache coordinates. Then you have to find the hidden cache itself. The caches range from micro size film canisters, to ammunition boxes (the size of a couple of shoe boxes put together) and they are typically well hidden. The typical size is a Tupperware container or a gallon sealed plastic jar. The caches contain a little bit of everything from toys, to letters to GeoCoins. The rule is, if you take something from a cache, you have to leave something comparable. GeoCoins are really the main bounty. They are metal coins, just larger than a silver dollar, that have been minted specifically for GeoCaching. Once you find a GeoCoin, you log it into the database, and then leave it at the next cache (and then log that into the database). GeoCoins have a trackable serial number so owners and finders can track the progress and location. The designs are very cool. So a Google image search for GeoCoin or search on eBay. You can buy these coins, activate them in the database and then put them in circulation. Here's one of my favorites: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemitem=140115505782 item=140115505782 I'm going to buy this one as a collectible, but others I've bought and put in circulation. The only problem I had was trying to explain to my 6 year old why we couldn't keep the wickedly cool large coin we found and he subsequently claimed :-) Finding a cache with a GPS isn't as easy as it sounds. Our first hunt was rated a 1.5 out of 5 on the difficulty scale published with each caches information. We knew where the local park was, so we we parked and found the referenced path, but then had to find a way to the coordinates on the GPS. Once there, it took about 25 minutes to find the cache. It was a small Tupperware container hidden in the rocks on a river bend. Our second find, was also a local park, but it was overcast and the GPS accuracy was 15 to 20 feet instead of the normal 10 feet. The cache we're hunting today is at a very old cemetery. We have to locate a certain gravestone at the specified coordinates, get information from the text on the gravestone, decode it, and then use that information to find the final cache. This one's rated a 2 on the difficulty scale. As with any sport, there are idiots. Someone chose to hide a cache in the area of the Whitehouse outer wall and then everyone wondered why the searcher was busted when he was walking around the Whitehouse front gates with a GPS. Then, there's always public idiots. Someone saw a GeoCacher looking for a cache, watched them find it, then called the police and reported a suspicious box. This particular cache was an ammo box that had an 8 x 10 blaze orange sticker on the side that identified it as a GeoCache box with the ID and website on it. The police and fire department were going to dispose of it as if it were a bomb until one of the fireman clued everyone in as to what it was. Even though it was hidden by permission of the park owners, and clearly identified, the city is considering billing the cache owner for several thousand dollars for the cost of the emergency response. I can understand their caution, but the initial police officer clearly saw the ID sticker. Anyway, if you have a couple of hours to spare, and know someone with a GPS (or if you have an integrated GPS in your phone) go to the website, look up caches in your area and go find one. You'll be hooked too. Gary ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Star Trek apartment, with Voyager refit
This is very cool, but unless this guy lives near a Star Trek convention center of some sort, I bet he doesn't get very many dates. Star Trek apartment, with Voyager refit: http://tinyurl.com/2mdkns original link: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemitem=290101222818 item=290101222818 ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Crazy Cat Lady
I LOVE this http://www.stupid.com/stat/CCLF.html ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Star Trek nativity scene
All I can say is that the three wise men are a Klingon, a Gorn and Balok (from The Corbomite Maneuver) http://fatrobot.blogspot.com/2006_12_01_archive.html ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Even more bad Sci-Fi on Sci-Fi Channel
I think I make these comments about every three months Does the sci-fi channel pump out bad movies just for the sake of airing something? Does Stephen Baldwin own stock in the Sci-Fi Channel? I'm watching Earthstorm. It's like a train wreck... I can't stop watching, but it's so bad, I'm cringing. I knew this would be the case... my first clue was that the movie stars Stephen Baldwin and Dirk Benedict. The bad science is soo bad that it's impossible to suspend belief: 1. Nuclear Pulse engines? WTF? 2. Gravity on the space shuttle. 3. Space Shuttle hovering in a canyon on the moon. 4. The most unbelievable - the look of complete angst on Dirk Benedicts face. gheese. ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
RE: Even more bad Sci-Fi on Sci-Fi Channel
I'm watching Earthstorm. It's like a train wreck... I can't stop watching, but it's so bad, I'm cringing. I knew this would be the case... my first clue was that the movie stars Stephen Baldwin and Dirk Benedict. Here I go replying to myself again... I didn't want to leave everyone hanging over this epic movie. After retrieving a chunk of moon meteorite from a collapsing building, the space agency was able to analyze the fragment and determine that the moon was composed of mainly metal. I guess in their world nobody bothered to bring back moon samples before. I'm happy to report that Stephen Baldwin managed throw together a massive magnetic bomb from the nuclear pulse engines, and parts scavenged from the inside of the shuttle. They hovered the space shuttle in the chasm, dropped the nuclear pulse engines by loosening a few bolts, and created their magnetic bomb. This bomb magnetized the chasm on the moon created from the asteroid strike. The newly magnetized chasm, pulled all of the debris back, saving the earth from a pummeling of regolith meteorites. The chasm closed itself and the moon magically stabilized in it's orbit. The most unbelievable part. Not only did Stephen Baldwin save the Earth, he got the girl.. Putz. ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
First Amendment takes a hit
Annoying someone via the Internet is now a federal crime. It's no joke. Last Thursday, President Bush signed into law a prohibition on posting annoying Web messages or sending annoying e-mail messages without disclosing your true identity. In other words, it's OK to flame someone on a mailing list or in a blog as long as you do it under your real name. Thank Congress for small favors, I guess. This ridiculous prohibition, which would likely imperil much of Usenet, is buried in the so-called Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act. Criminal penalties include stiff fines and two years in prison. Think about it: A woman fired by a manager who demanded sexual favors wants to blog about it without divulging her full name. An aspiring pundit hopes to set up the next Suck.com. A frustrated citizen wants to send e-mail describing corruption in local government without worrying about reprisals. In each of those three cases, someone's probably going to be annoyed. That's enough to make the action a crime. (The Justice Department won't file charges in every case, of course, but trusting prosecutorial discretion is hardly reassuring.) http://tinyurl.com/a2kqp ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Cool eBay auction: AquaSphere Studio Floating Living Pad
Not sure how this would do in rough water, but cool none the less :-) AquaSphere Studio Floating Living Pad http://tinyurl.com/yqx5tb ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
News: Teacher's porn conviction sparks tech debate.
Teacher's porn conviction sparks tech debate She was convicted last month of exposing seventh-grade students to pornography on her classroom computer. She contended the images were inadvertently thrust onto the screen by pornographers' unseen spyware and adware programs. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17134607/wid/11915829?GT1=9033 ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
strange eBay auctions... JFK shooters window
John F Kennedy Assassination Shooters Perch Window JFK Actual Original Shooters Nest Window in Book Depository 169 bidders Current bid: $ 1,000,200 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemitem=330085892516 ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Anna Nicole Smith: 1968 - 2007
Former Playboy Playmate Anna Nicole Smith Dies at Age 39 After Collapsing at Florida Hotel http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory?id=2860686 ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
MSNBC: Astronaut arrested in alleged kidnap attempt
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16997958/?GT1=9033 Wow. I can't even come up with a comment except: the contrast between her mug shot and her official flight photo is surprising. ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Digital Rights Management is evil
I'm finding out that Digital Rights Management - DRM - isn't just a Microsoft conspiracy. I paid for, and downloaded, an AD/HD related PDF document written by a psychologist. I didn't mind paying the small fee since I found it useful and informative. What I DID mind was, discovering after I paid and downloaded, that it is protected by Adobe DRM. To open the PDF, I had to be connected to the internet so the document could authenticate to a Adobe server the first time. Now, I can only open it on the one single computer. If I want to open it on another computer, that computer MUST have a connection to the internet, and the license transferred to that computer, via Adobe's DRM certificate server. Additionally, there's a limited number of times I can copy or move the file on my computer, then it self destructs and will no longer open. I'm also limited on the number of times I can print it. I understand that an author wants to protect the copyrighted work that he created, but limiting the number of times you can move or print it, on your own computer, is a little too much control, not to mention the fact it's reporting that data to Adobe. And, if you look at this specific document from a content point of view, it's so specialized, there's virtually no risk of it being copied and shared like a software program. Gary--- getting off my soapbox now. This and no other is the root from which a tyrant springs; when he first appears he is a protector. ~Plato ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
RE: Digital Rights Management is evil
I'm finding out that Digital Rights Management - DRM - isn't just a Microsoft conspiracy. No, it's not. It's an Adobe conspiracy. Adope is so much more Evil than Micro$oft, that it makes M$ look like a Charity Company. But I guess under Vista those things will acquire a new level of Evil. Alberto Monteiro How so? I keep hearing rumors and theories, but haven't heard any specifics yet. Gary ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Script Completed for 'Star Trek XI'
Script Completed for 'Star Trek XI' Director J.J. Abrams has confirmed that the script for Star Trek XI has been completed, that it will concern Capt. Kirk and Spock as very young men, that shooting http://www.imdb.com/news/sb/2007-01-11/#3 ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Was religion necessary for developing civilizations?
A question that came up in a deep, late night conversation Was religion a necessary tool for building moral and ethical standards in early civilizations or social groups? Or did someone simply invent the fear of Going To Hell to impose their will on the masses? I suppose that also implies the question of if morality and ethical behavior is a learned response or if they could be a genetic response. This question is NOT about self righteous, over the top, religious fanatics that justify bad behavior and wars, all in the name of God.. Of course there are those that have used religious fear to manipulate people and to justify a means to an end (yes, these are over simplifications), but would morality and ethics have developed in ancient civilizations without the fear of consequences? Gary - who suspects that he will regret asking this question. ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
interesting website
Not sure what I would classify that website as, but I ran across it this morning, and it's one of my new favorites. It's a collection of links to interesting news stories. http://www.fark.com/ _ The Vulcan Neck Pinch is not half as powerful as the Vulcan Groin Kick, but it's more politically correct. ~ Quotes you'll never hear on Star Trek. ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
RE: interesting website
Not sure what I would classify that website as, but I ran across it this morning, and it's one of my new favorites. It's a collection of links to interesting news stories. http://www.fark.com/ I think my favorite part is the classification of the different articles: Asinine, Dumbass, Strange, Interesting, Follow-Up, Obvious, Cool, Stupid, etc... Gary--- Who just realized how pathetic it is to reply to his own posts :-) ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
RE: interesting website
So does that fall under Dumbass or Follow-Up? ;) Julia If you were to ask my ex-wife, it should be follow-up by the dumbass :-) Gary ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Whites Only Scholarship Creates Outrage
It doesn't surprise me that this scholarship is causing a stir. For years, I've thought that the single biggest perpetrators of bigotry were organizations like the NAACP and Rev. Jessie Jackson (with due respect to his positive accomplishments). Many minority groups have no problem creating programs and initiatives that isolate themselves racially, but anything that even hints at white only, immediately brings down a flurry of condemnation and anger. Perhaps that's a leftover of the civil war and slavery era? --- getting off my soapbox Whites Only Scholarship Creates Outrage College Republicans Say Scholarship Was Created to Spark Debate By ANNE-MARIE DORNING BOSTON, Nov. 22, 2006 - - Joe Mroszczyk, president of the College Republicans at Boston University, admits he set out to stir up a hornet's nest when he came up with the idea of offering a whites-only scholarship at the school. But he got a little more buzz than he bargained for. To tell you the truth, we didn't see this coming, Mroszczyk said. The Drudge Report picked it up yesterday, and today I just finished a round of national interviews. It's kind of overwhelming. All the media attention is focused on a $250 Caucasian Achievement and Recognition Scholarship offered by Mroszczyk and the BU chapter of the College Republicans. Applicants must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.2 or higher; they must write two essays; and, here's the kicker, they must be at least one-quarter Caucasian. The application itself offers an explanation: We believe that racial preferences in all their forms are perhaps the worst form of bigotry confronting America today. According to Mroszczyk, his group is offering the scholarship to point out how ridiculous it is to have any sort of racially based scholarship. At BU, for example, students who are at least one-quarter Hispanic can apply for a National Hispanic Recognition Scholarship. Complete article http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=2674267page=1 _ The Vulcan Neck Pinch is not half as powerful as the Vulcan Groin Kick, but it's more politically correct. ~ Quotes you'll never hear on Star Trek. ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Why junk email will NEVER go away.
Last April, I created an email address to use for my mom at H R Block. I only used that address for that one specific reason. I never posted it or used it for ANYTHING else. Since April, that email address has received just under 3000 pieces of spam. I emailed HR block security with a complaint, and their response was that when I checked the box and agreed to their terms of service, I agreed to allow them to share my email address with carefully selected partners. I guess their carefully selected partners all sell sex aids, diet patches and everything else you see in typical spam. So, that made me go look at other online agreements at places I do business with like Chase bank, credit card companies and so forth. EVERY single company has that clause in their online terms of service that indicate they can share your information with selected partners. Spam will NEVER stop because companies will always share your email address with their partners. Unfortunately, in the case of HR Block, their carefully selected partners really meant whoever pays us the most for our client list. If you doubt this, go to any company you do business with and somewhere buried in their terms of service or privacy statement will be the clause allowing them to share you information. _ The Vulcan Neck Pinch is not half as powerful as the Vulcan Groin Kick, but it's more politically correct. ~ Quotes you'll never hear on Star Trek. ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Breaking News: Republicans Blame Election Losses On Democrats
I love The Onion :-) Republicans Blame Election Losses On Democrats WASHINGTON, DC-Republican officials are blaming tonight's GOP losses on Democrats, who they claim have engaged in a wide variety of aggressive, premeditated, anti-Republican campaigns over the past six-to-18 months. We have evidence of a well-organized, well-funded series of operations designed specifically to undermine our message, depict our past performance in a negative light, and drive Republicans out of office, said Republican National Committee chairman Ken Mehlman, who accused an organization called the Democratic National Committee of spearheading the nationwide effort. There are reports of television spots, print ads, even volunteers going door-to-door encouraging citizens to vote against us. Acknowledging that the damage has already been done, Mehlman is seeking a promise from Democrats to never again engage in similar practices. http://www.theonion.com/content/node/55018 ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Will this life altering question ever be resolved?
http://www.popvssoda.com/ http://www.popvssoda.com/ _ The Vulcan Neck Pinch is not half as powerful as the Vulcan Groin Kick, but it's more politically correct. ~ Quotes you'll never hear on Star Trek. ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Quote of the day.....
The box said 'Requires Windows 95 or better'. So I installed LINUX. - Unknown ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Editorial: Rumsfeld Must Go
This is an interesting article and poll about an editorial that's about to be released. Too bad that ousting someone like Rumsfeld couldn't be done by a popular vote. http://msnbc.msn.com/id/15552211/ The online poll: Should Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld be removed from his position, whether by resignation or dismissal? 44203 responses 87% - Yes, he has lost all credibility and the ability to lead and has failed in Iraq and Afghanistan. He must go. 13% - No, he has ably overseen wars in Iraq and Afghanistan while working on overhauling the armed forces. He should stay. ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Obesity, portion control fuel consumption.
In the last year, I've changed some habits, lost some weight and tried to be a little more aware of what I'm eating and what the portion size was. About a month ago, my daughter and I went to Applebee's for dinner. The somewhat traditional thing is to get a salad bar and an entrée. I ordered a cheeseburger and a baked potato. By the time I had a salad and one of the rolls from the basketful they put in front of you while your waiting, I was stuffed. By the time my meal came, had I eaten anything more, I would have been miserable. It turned out that my modest cheeseburger was a full half pound of beef, with a huge bun, and the baked potato was also very large. I couldn't touch them. While we sat there, I watched the people at the next table each eat a salad plate piled up with salad, potato salad, macaroni salad, vegetables and all of the other peripheral stuff on salad bars. This same table, devoured 2 baskets of rolls between 3 people, and then devoured their meal completely. I've read before, that the US serves larger portions than many other countries, but I was never really aware of just how much until that night at Applebee's. Then, I started to notice things like supersizing fries and pop at McDonald's and similar menu offerings at other restaurants. The portions of a McDonald's supersized meals are enough for three people. Is anyone familiar with Chipotle? I LOVE the veggie burritos, but they're so big, I can't eat a whole one anymore (I admit, I used to be able to easily eat a whole one). There's a website that actually calculates the calorie count of Chipotle food. The typical Chipotle burrito, has 1975 calories. http://www.chipotlefan.com/index.php?id=nutrition_calculator Anyway, back to my point... The three people at the next table at Applebee's must have collectively weighed 1000+ lbs.(453.5 kilograms). I remember thinking that their car must burn through much more gas than mine since it's carrying significantly more weight. This afternoon, I ran across this article. I'm not sure how accurate the calculations are, but it goes along the same lines as what I was thinking a month ago. http://msnbc.msn.com/id/15415446/wid/11915773/ CHICAGO - Want to spend less at the pump? Lose some weight. Thats the implication of a new study that says Americans are burning nearly 1 billion more gallons of gasoline each year than they did in 1960 because of their expanding waistlines. Simply put, more weight in the car means lower gas mileage. Using recent gas prices of $2.20 a gallon, that translates to about $2.2 billion more spent on gas each year. _ The Vulcan Neck Pinch is not half as powerful as the Vulcan Groin Kick, but it's more politically correct. ~ Quotes you'll never hear on Star Trek. ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Microsoft is getting greedy...
This amazes me. I understand limiting transfers from an anti-piracy standpoint, but if my hard drive crashes and I have to reinstall Vista, adding another $400 to that price tag would be prohibitive. If I'm purchasing a license of any software, I should be allowed to transfer this to any number of computers as long as there is only one installation at a time. I predict this policy will be challenged by consumer advocates and be short lived. Gary - --- who advocates a big Vulcan Groin Kick for Micro$oft. Microsoft limits Vista transfers Under changes to Microsoft's licensing terms, buyers of retail copies of Vista will be able to transfer their software to a new machine only once. If they want to move their software a second time, they will have to buy a new copy of the operating system. In the past, those who bought a retail copy of Windows needed to uninstall it from any machine before moving it to another machine, but there was no limit to how many times this could be d Complete article http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9590_22-6126379.html?tag=nl.e589 Or http://tinyurl.com/y5aowo _ The Vulcan Neck Pinch is not half as powerful as the Vulcan Groin Kick, but it's more politically correct. ~ Quotes you'll never hear on Star Trek. ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
RE: Irregulars Question: London Hotels
I may go to London in two weeks, and I know nothing about good [breakfast included: my company pays for hotel but not for food, and I am in no financial position to have extra expenses!] hotels. Any suggestions? Alberto Monteiro That depends, do you want the room by the night or by the hour? :-) Gary ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
'Crocodile Hunter' Steve Irwin dies
Naturalist, 44, killed by stingray on diving trip, Australian media report http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14663786/ There's got to be a comment somewhere that contains the word crikey, but I've got nothing ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
News: FDA approves viruses as food additive
I heard about this a few weeks ago, but didn't run across the article until this morning. I'm not sure how I feel about this. I guess I've read too many science fiction stories about a good virus gone bad and taking down a significant portion of humanity :-) As unlikely as the scenarios are, I read a couple of good sci-fi books with this as the primary plot. The first was a story called The Return about a spaceship crew that returns after a 10 year voyage to find the Earth back to the stone age and eventually finding out that an additive similar to fluoride, was added to food and water and made pregnancy almost impossible, decimating the population. I also read a story, but can't remember the name, about an enzyme that was created to remove toxic paper pulp waste, that mutated and attacked live trees. Of course the result was the extinction of life on Earth because all plant life died. Millions of years later, an alien exploratory vessel found a base on our moon that contained hundreds of frozen zygotes. Gary + + + + article + + + + FDA approves viruses as food additive Bacteriophages meant to kill harmful bacteria on lunch meats WASHINGTON (AP) -- A mix of bacteria-killing viruses can be safely sprayed on cold cuts, hot dogs and sausages to combat common microbes that kill hundreds of people a year, federal health officials said Friday in granting the first-ever approval of viruses as a food additive. The combination of six viruses is designed to be sprayed on ready-to-eat meat and poultry products, including sliced ham and turkey,... Complete article. http://tinyurl.com/olo77 http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/08/18/edible.virus.ap/index.html ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Beautiful Star Trek quote....
This was listed as a Star Trek quote on a website I visited. I've never seen it before, but I love it :-) The Vulcan Neck Pinch is not half as powerful as the Vulcan Groin Kick, but it's more politically correct. ~ Star Trek quotes ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Neighbors Stealing Wireless Bandwidth? One Man's Solution
One of my co-workers sent me this This is beautiful :-) One man's solution to the neighbors stealing his wireless bandwidth: http://www.ex-parrot.com/peter/upside-down-ternet.html ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
SciFi Channel sinks to all new low.
It's with a heavy heart that I must report the SciFi Channel has sunk to a new all time low. I can only guess that SciFi Channel felt as if they had to do one worse than Tremors: The Series, and Scare Tactics. [Deep sigh here] As I type this, the SciFi Channel is showing professional wrestling. Gary Who just doesn't have the heart to create a witty closing line after this traumatic event. ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Internet Archive Wayback Machine
I'm not sure if this archive is cool or disturbing. Cool for historic purposes, but a bit disturbing if you once posted things you may not want potential employers to find. From the webpage... About the Wayback Machine Browse through 55 billion web pages archived from 1996 to a few months ago. To start surfing the Wayback, type in the web address of a site or page where you would like to start, and press enter. Then select from the archived dates available. The resulting pages point to other archived pages at as close a date as possible. Keyword searching is not currently supported. http://www.archive.org/web/web.php ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Earth Shattering BREAKING NEWS!! (not!)
Ok, does anyone really care that one guy head butted another for insulting his lineage? Definitely don't think this warrants a BREAKING NEWS! Alert from ABCnews.com. They must be bored today :-) Breaking News from ABCNEWS.com: FRENCH SOCCER STAR ZIDANE SAID HE HEAD BUTTED AN ITALIAN PLAYER IN THE WORLD CUP FINAL AFTER THE PLAYER INSULTED HIS MOTHER AND SISTER. ZIDANE SAYS HE'S SORRY BUT HAS NO REGRETS. http://abcnews.go.com?CMP=EMC-1396 ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Very unlikely story: Hasselhoff injures arm while shaving
Ok, I have a good imagination, but this story just reeks of total bullsh*t The picture with the story makes David Hasselhoff look like a game show host that's had too many Botox treatments. Draw your own conclusions David Hasselhoff Undergoes Surgery Jun 30, 1:21 PM EST The Associated Press LONDON -- Former Baywatch star David Hasselhoff had surgery after severing a tendon in his right arm in an accident in a London gym bathroom, his spokeswoman said Friday. The 53-year-old actor, who played lifeguard Mitch Buchannon on the TV beach drama for 11 years, was shaving at a gym in the Sanderson Hotel on Thursday when he hit his head on a chandelier, showering his arm with broken glass, his publicist, Judy Katz, said. Doctors operated to repair the injury and Hasselhoff spent one night at St. Thomas' Hospital in central London, Katz said. He's fine, Katz said by phone from New York. He's out of the hospital and will resume filming tomorrow. Hasselhoff is working on an ad campaign for Pipex, a British internet company, she said. http://tv.msn.com/tv/article.aspx?news=226449GT1=7703 The REAL story probably reads: While doing a private impersonation of his Knight Rider character for an enamored female fan, David Hasselhoff was injured in a bizarre accident that involved a suspended ceiling sex swing, a jealous husband, a dairy cow, and several pints of warm Guinness. The injury occurred, during a rescue mission, that was preformed by PenDutch 1 - the Amish Black Ops squad. The cow is now safe and resting comfortably in her stall. Messages left for Hasselhoff's manager, by BS News, were not returned. ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Found on IMDB: The Astronaut Farmer
While looking something else up, I ran across this The Astronaut Farmer Starring Bruce Willis Billy Bob Thorton Tagline: One small step for man. One giant leap for farmers. Plot Outline: An astronaut (Thornton) of NASA is forced to retire so he could save his family farm. But he can't give up his dream of space travel and looks to build his own rocket, despite the government's threats to stop him. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0469263/ The movie poster: http://tinyurl.com/frsnk ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
oops: Bush Slams Leak of Terror Finance Story
Translation: Damn! We got caught. Bush Slams Leak of Terror Finance Story Bush Slams Release of Information on Monitoring of Finances for Terrorist Activities The Associated Press WASHINGTON - President Bush on Monday sharply condemned the disclosure of a secret anti-terrorism program that taps into an immense international database of confidential financial records. For people to leak that program and for a newspaper to publish it does great harm to the United States of America, Bush said. He said the disclosure of the program makes it harder to win this war on terror. http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=2119480 ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
What is this flower?
Has anyone seen anything like this flower before? I did a Google search, but didn't come up with anything. I probably wasn't using the right terminology. http://www.europastation.com/gary/flower/ Gary ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Brin letter in Playboy
See, I really DO read the articles I just ran across a letter from David Brin that was printed in the new Playboy. It's a commentary about the new King Kong movie. Gary ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Bush, Sheehan Irony...
I find it ironic, that on the same news page as Sheehan's arrest story, is a link to a Bush quote from his State of the Union address: Bush: 'We Will Act Boldly in Freedom's Cause' http://tinyurl.com/c5jym http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/StateOfTheUnion/story?id=1564265 I guess that freedom doesn't extend to grieving mothers with an opinion. Police Remove Protester Cindy Sheehan From State of the Union Address for Wearing Anti-War T-Shirt http://tinyurl.com/9kmpf http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=1564588 ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
New Battlestar Galactica - no spoilers.
I just watched the first episode, of the second part of season 2, that I had saved on DVR from last night. I have always liked it from the start, but that show just gets better and better. I didn't see that end coming. Well, at least the end that will be concluded next week. Earlier in the week, I watched the BSG primer on Sci-Fi. I knew that Jamie Bamber was British, but it never occurred to me about his accent. After listening to him speak, I'm impressed that he does such a flawless American accent. But then again, I grew up around Brits and sometimes don't notice British accents. Anyway, I hope that BSG doesn't peak early and then go downhill. __ ...speak your mind, even if your voice shakes... - Maggie Kuhn ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
MSN: British woman 'marries' dolphin
There has to be some good jokes in this somewhere. Video and pictures: http://msnbc.msn.com/id/10694972/?GT1=7538 With this herring I thee wed British woman 'marries' dolphin, tying the net after 15-year courtship The Associated Press Updated: 2:48 p.m. ET Jan. 3, 2006 JERUSALEM - Sharon Tendler met Cindy 15 years ago. She said it was love at first sight. This week she finally took the plunge and proposed. The lucky guy plunged right back. In a modest ceremony at Dolphin Reef in the southern Israeli port of Eilat, Tendler, a 41-year-old British citizen, apparently became the world's first person to marry a dolphin. Dressed in a white dress, a veil and pink flowers in her hair, Tendler got down on one knee on the dock and gave Cindy a kiss. And a piece of herring. It's not a perverted thing. I do love this dolphin. He's the love of my life, she said Saturday, upon her return to London. Tendler, who said she imports clothes and promotes rock bands in England, has visited Israel several times a year since first meeting the dolphin. When asked in the past if she had a boyfriend, she would always reply, No. I'm going to end up with Cindy. On Wednesday, she made it official, sort of. While she acknowledged the wedding had no legal bearing she did say it reflected her deep feelings toward the bottlenosed, 35-year-old object of her affection. It's not a bad thing. It's just something that we did because I love him, but not in the way that you love a man. It's just a pure love that I have for this animal, she said. While she still kept open the option of marrying human at some stage, she said for now she was strictly a one-dolphin woman. She's hardly the jealous type, though. He will still play with all the other girls there, she said, of their prenuptial agreement. I hope he has a lot of baby dolphins with the other dolphins. The more dolphins the better. C 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. C 2006 MSNBC.com URL: http://msnbc.msn.com/id/10694972/?GT1=7538 ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Crazy ideas that work..
I read about this in a couple of places over the last week. The short of it is, this guy decided to sell space on a webpage for $1 a pixel. So far, he is 1000 short of his million dollar/pixel goal. I never cease to be amazed at the crazy money making schemes that pay off big. The FAQ is interesting. Even the rip-off, copy cats are making money. (do a search on Million Dollar Homepage on Google) http://www.milliondollarhomepage.com/ __ Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game. www.BansheeDomains.com ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Yahoo Story: Million Dollar Homepage
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051229/ts_nm/homepage_dc Cash pours in for student with $1 million Web idea By Peter GraffThu Dec 29, 1:04 PM ET If you have an envious streak, you probably shouldn't read this. Because chances are, Alex Tew, a 21-year-old student from a small town in England, is cleverer than you. And he is proving it by earning a cool million dollars in four months on the Internet. Selling porn? Dealing prescription drugs? Nope. All he sells are pixels, the tiny dots on the screen that appear when you call up his home page. He had the brainstorm for his million dollar home page, called, logically enough, www.milliondollarhomepage.com, while lying in bed thinking out how he would pay for university. The idea: turn his home page into a billboard made up of a million dots, and sell them for a dollar a dot to anyone who wants to put up their logo. A 10 by 10 dot square, roughly the size of a letter of type, costs $100. He sold a few to his brothers and some friends, and when he had made $1,000, he issued a press release. That was picked up by the news media, spread around the Internet, and soon advertisers for everything from dating sites to casinos to real estate agents to The Times of London were putting up real cash for pixels, with links to their own sites. So far they have bought up 911,800 pixels. Tew's home page now looks like an online Times Square, festooned with a multi-colored confetti of ads. All the money's kind of sitting in a bank account, Tew told Reuters from his home in Wiltshire, southwest England. I've treated myself to a car. I've only just passed my driving test so I've bought myself a little black mini. The site features testimonials from advertisers, some of whom bought spots as a lark, only to discover that they were receiving actual valuable Web hits for a fraction of the cost of traditional Internet advertising. Meanwhile Tew has had to juggle running the site with his first term at university, where he is studying business. It's been quite a difficulty trying to balance going to lectures and doing the site, he said. But he may not have to study for long. Job offers have been coming in from Internet companies impressed by a young man who managed to figure out an original way to make money online. I didn't expect it to happen like that, Tew said. To have the job offers and approaches from investors -- the whole thing is kind of surreal. I'm still in a state of disbelief. ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
ABCnews: Pack of vicious dogs attack officer. :-)
Maybe these vicious dogs should go to the top of the list of dangerous animals, right alongside Pit Bulls. The Police Officer showed great restraint by not using his sidearm to defend himself against this violent, unprovoked attack. Maybe Fremont California is really, really short of true newsworthy material? Gary :-) PS - Happy New Year! Pack of Angry Chihuahuas Attack Officer Pack of Angry Chihuahuas Attack Police Officer After Escaping Their California Home The Associated Press FREMONT, Calif. - A pack of angry Chihuahuas attacked a police officer who was escorting a teenager home after a traffic stop, authorities said. The officer suffered minor injuries, including bites to his ankle, Detective Bill Veteran said. The five Chihuahuas escaped the 17-year-old boy's home and rushed the officer in the doorway Thursday, authorities said. The teenager had been detained after the traffic incident. The officer was treated at a hospital and returned to work less than two hours later. Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Copyright C 2006 ABC News Internet Ventures http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=1456272 You have attributed conditions to villainy that simply result from stupidity. --Robert A. Heinlein, Logic of Empire ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
LSSU 2006 List of Banished Words
I ran across this on some obscure news page, and then after reading it, also saw it on ABCnews.com. You have to visit the webpage and read the short description to appreciate why some of these made it to the banished list. From the Banished Words history page... In order to gain the most media coverage possible, the Banishment List is released each year on New Year's Day. This is attributed to former newsman Rabe's knowledge of the press. New Year's Day is traditionally a slow news day. 2006 list... BREAKING NEWS - Once it stopped presses. Now it's a lower-intestinal condition brought about by eating dinner during newscasts. Now they have to interrupt my supper to tell me that Katie Holmes is pregnant. - Michael Raczko, Swanton, Ohio. DESIGNER BREED - Many nominators consider this a bastardization of dog breeding. It may be a good line to use on angry neighbors when an un-neutered dog escapes. When you mate a miniature schnauzer to a toy poodle, it's not a 'Schnoodle,' it's a mongrel. - George Bullerjahn, Bowling Green, Ohio. SURREAL HUNKER DOWN PERSON OF INTEREST COMMUNITY OF LEARNERS UP OR DOWN VOTE 97% FAT FREE FEMA FIRST-TIME CALLER PASS THE SAVINGS ON TO YOU! AN ACCIDENT THAT DIDN'T HAVE TO HAPPEN JUNK SCIENCE GIT-ER-DONE DAWG TALKING POINTS HOLIDAY TREE http://www.lssu.edu/banished/current.php __ ...speak your mind, even if your voice shakes... - Maggie Kuhn ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Words phrases that should be banished.
I can think of a couple of words and phrases that should be banished from the English language: Ripped From The Headlines - Should read: Plot Stolen From The Headlines. Can't TV writers come up with their own unique story ideas? My bad - This is just bad grammar and silly slang. I cringe when I hear educated adults say this. Intelligent Design - Let's call it what it is instead of sugar coating it. __ ...speak your mind, even if your voice shakes... - Maggie Kuhn ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Media Myth - Guns Are Always Bad for Us
I apologize in advance, because I know this topic can get a bit heated on this list. The reason I'm posting this, is because this is the first media article that I've seen, from a major media outlet, that makes an attempt to be fair and accurate. (link to complete list of myths at the bottom) Myths, Lies and Straight Talk A List of 10 Media-Fed Myths MYTH # 5 - Guns Are Always Bad for Us America is notorious for its culture of gun violence. Guns sometimes do cause terrible harm, and many kids are killed every year in gun accidents. But public service announcements and news stories make it seem as if the accidents kill thousands of kids every year. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, however, fewer than 100 kids 15 and under are killed in gun accidents every year. Of course that's horrible, and I understand why demonstrators say we need more gun control. But guess what? The Centers for Disease Control recently completed a review of studies of various types of gun control: background checks, waiting periods, bans on certain guns and ammunition. It could not document that these rules have reduced violent crime. The government wants to say regulations and laws like the Brady Gun Control Law are making a difference, but they aren't. Some maximum security felons I spoke to in New Jersey scoffed at measures like the Brady law. They said they'll have no trouble getting guns if they want them. A Justice Department study confirmed what the prisoners said. But get this: the felons say that the thing they fear the most is not the police, not time in prison, but, you, another American who might be armed. It's a reason many states are passing gun un-control. They're allowing citizens to carry guns with them, it's called concealed carry or right to carry. Some women say they're comforted by these laws. But many people, including Rev. Al Sharpton, are horrified at the idea of concealed carry laws, and predict mayhem if all states adopt these laws. But surprise, 36 states already have concealed carry laws; and not one reported an upsurge in gun crime. http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=123606 __ ...speak your mind, even if your voice shakes... - Maggie Kuhn ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
