ICED EARTH "Controversy" - YOU Be The Judge
BraveWords.com
Why link to a dialogue between a heavy metal rocker and a Noam Chomsky-inspired Canadian writer? And why make it my only link of the day, something I rarely do? Because it's that electric. Snagged from Andrew Sullivan's blog.
Thursday 27 May
If Your Husband Has a Porsche, Follow Him
Reuters {viaYahoo}
Three of my neighbors are now driving little silver Audis and Porsches...but not me. My '99 nine-seater Ford Expedition is about to top the 140,000 mark and is going strong.
Mothers And Grandmothers For Martha
NC Buy
"They want to see motorists show their support for Martha by driving with their headlights on all day long on June 6, 2004." Ishould pass this along to my beloved mother-in-law. It echoes her argument and it fits since she's both mother and grandmother.
Why I Lost Angelina by Billy Bob Thorton
London Mirror
Tearful text from Billy Bob, with this, my favorite, quote: "But you get married five times, like I do, and you are some bizarre creature." Er, yes, that's it in a nutshell BB, nice of you to sum it up.
National Trust Names the State Of Vermont One of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places
The National Trust
What a crazy crew The National Trust is. Vermont is one of the most 11 endangered places in America because seven Super-WalMarts are planned across the state. Super-WalMarts won't endanger the state. Vermont will still exist. What it may endanger is a doomed elitist lifestyle. Check out some of the other endangered locations. The old Bethlehem Steel Plant? They want to save an abandoned steel plant? What on earth for?
Bald eagle to be taken off list of endangered species
The Independent
I saw one last week, zooming over Lake Hooterville and saw 3 immatures and one adult two weeks ago when I was birding in Northern Ohio. Nothing in the piece, however, about Western farmers who consider it a predator.
First Birds Flew on Four Wings
Discovery.com
How do they know it was four wings? That was only 150 million years ago. What about 400 million years ago or a billion years ago? Maybe this is what the first bird looked like, or God forbid, this.
Classical finally cracks the Internet
Cnet News Internet 2 is here...more than 800 times faster than cable modem. All you need to get is the proper accreditation and nearly $12,000 a year for an affiliate membership.
The Webby Awards: 2004 Nominees and Winners
The Webby Awards
The people have spoken. The list of Nominees is, in itself, a great look at some fascinating sites. BIL, tab down to the CBC3 link, go to "Relaunch," and then check out Sissy-Boy-Slap-Party to see a novel use of government tax money!
So, Do you have an account yet?
GMailSwap
Been pimping GMail, Google's soon-to-be-launched free email service, for a couple months now and here's a page set up to beg, borrow or steal one of the rare "test" accounts. Check out some of the stuff people are willing to swap for an account! A bunch of bananas? Provolone cheese? "I name my cat after you!" A 7 digit ICQ number?? Hey, I have one of those! {4962751}
Friday 21 May
Detroit Zoo to Free Elephants on Ethical Grounds
Reuters
If officials are shipping out their elephants because keeping them in captivity causes
arthritis and stress-related ailments then they should shut down the whole place because in 2002 402 humans were murdered.
Detroit man decides 80 cats are too much
washingtontimes.com "No charges will be filed against a Detroit man whose home was overrun by 80 cats because he called for help, the Detroit Free Press reported Thursday." A no-brainer. If they ship out arthritic elephants and let the tragic grandfather who owned the pitbull walk, how could they lock up the nut with 80 cats? You gotta say this about my hometown...it's a compassionate place.
NHL to get zero from NBC
Money.CNN.com
I pimp hockey as often as I can here but I know a desperation move when I see it. By not getting any up front cash, the NHL has now sunk to the level of Arena League Football. Enjoy the playoffs while we still have them because a long lockout seems to be a certainty.
Canadians miss Saturday night hockey, but Flames keep TV ratings strong
Canada.com
Not having playoff hockey on Saturday nights *sucks*. What makes ABC think that warm Spring Sunday afternoons is a better time to air the games? Let's hope the new dog, NBC, restores sanity whenever the next season is and returns the games to Saturday nights.
Let Them Eat Lenin CNN
With the above in mind, we dip back six years to show Uncle Fidel his inevitible fate. Lenin's Hometown, Entire Streets Cave In Pravda
Havana's not doing so well today...imagine how it'll look when Fidel is 140. Havana Says Rich Cities Win in 2012 Shortlist Reuters
By 2012, Fidel will be 85 and the country will be in even worse economic shape. Can't imagine why the IOC thinks tourists wouldn't want to go.
Billions of cicadas invading eastern U.S.
CTV.ca
We had our 17 yr cycle about 5 years ago. It was pretty neat. There was a continuous dull roar from the woods and the kids refused to go outside during the two week peak because the pesky bugs would land in their hair, etc. Though they don't bite, they do intimidate the queasy.
American Idol Outrage: Your vote doesn't count
BroadcastingCable.com
24 million voted in the finals last year, but over 230 million couldn't get through. And this year the system is skewed in favor of Hawaiaan native Jasmie Trias whose Hawaiian fans have stuffed the ballot box. Given that support, Trias, at best a mediocre singer, will win it all. And that thought must upset FOX because they would then have to promote Trias heavily.
Friday 14 May
My thanks to Kay for taking over the page while I was up in Northern Ohio for my annual spring warbler migration pilgrimage. Every year my buddy Danny and I take four days off and try to see as many migrating warblers as we can. This year we tied at 25 species each. Dan, leading 25-24, had to leave 3 hours early on the last day, which allowed me just enough time to hunt down this rascal---the hooded warbler. to gain the tie. Other warblers we saw included the Parula....the Chestnut-sided and the Prothonetary As always we had a great time, and, as you can see, it's a hobby that attracts many different types. I'll have the page back up and running Monday. Thanks again, Kay, and have a good weekend, everybody.
Thursday 13 May
Rumsfield's Poetic Voice Set to Music
Yahoo! News
I've been deliberately avoiding the political side of news all week because Iraqi-related
events have been reported on endlessly, but this one is a bit different.
OPEC Powerless to Stem Oil Price Surge
Reuters
This morning, as I pumped gas into my (non-SUV) car at the rate of $1.91 per gallon, I had to wonder whatever happened to the old 55 mph speed limit
imposed during the '70s energy crisis. Or why we aren't filling up our cars on alternate days, like we did back then.
Downsizing Dave
Daily Herald Suburban
Remember the fuss about the movie Super Size Me where a guy lived on Mcdonald's burgers and fries
and gained weight? Here's an opposite experiment by a skeptic. This one's for you, BIL!
Wednesday 12 May
Russian Astrologer Predicts US' Collapse
Pravda
According to this, by the year 2012 the United States won't be so united. Either we re-elect Bush
and it'll happen, or we elect Kerry and it'll happen. Or we elect Nader, and it'll happen. This report must be in retaliation of the CIA's prediction that there will be separate Russian states by 20156. I typo you not.
Foul-Mouthed Toy?
12abc.com
Years ago, my toddlers had two or three "See and Say" toys that they would play with repeatedly.
If they pulled on the string too fast, they'd get weird combos like "The cow says baaa!" or "The sheep says quack!"
But the only 'bad words' ever heard were the ones Daddy said after the 10,000th rendition of "The cow says moo!"
Small Doses of Caffeine Best to Stay Awake
Reuters via Yahoo!
I am one of those folks who rarely drink coffee, and especially not in the morning to wake up. My sister, on the other hand, would easily
go through three pots a day. Both of us stayed equally awake. She did, however, have a habit of staying up until 3 am even with three kids. Must be something to this research.
Tuesday 11 May
Coke Sneaks Phones, GPS Chips Into Cans
USA Today
It's a slow news night so I'm starting off with this link. If you've ever had an urge for a claim to fame, start stocking up on Coke!
Clubbed Sausage to Race No More
ESPN
Some claims to fame could be better left unsaid but hey, everyone should get to enjoy their 15 minutes.
Ice Cream Prices May Cause Licker Shock
Yahoo!
Thanks to a shortage of milk, ice cream prices are soaring. Personally, I'm all for anything that helps cut down the oversized portions so often served people nowadays.
Monday 10 May
Single-Use Credit Cards Fight Fraud
Associated Press via Yahoo!
I've been using a credit card on the net for years without any problems. One of my relatives, on the other hand, has a deep mistrust of the 'net and will only give her credit card number over the phone.
For those who share the same paranoia but have lusted after an item on eBay, there's a dandy solution.
4th Grader Gets $100 For Wiping Properly
Detroit Free Press
And for those who are trying to avoid the credit card trap: Send your toddler off to play the "Unroll the Roll all over the house" game!
Diet, Exercise Combo Good for Knee Arthritis WebMD Saving my Darling Wife's precious knees was why i pushed her towards regular exercise this past winter. Her knees have responded beautifully.
First wave of migrating birds reaching area Toledo Blade Ah, sweet words that speak to my soul. I'll be exercising in the woods for most of the next week, chasing those lil' warblers around. Co-editor Kay has agreed to take over until I get back. Thanks in advance, Kay, and have a good week everybody!
Serial Streaker Strikes Again
ThisIsLondon
On the other hand, those tickets might be worthwhile. Coming soon to a field near you: the guy who entertained
us fleshingly at last winter's Super Bowl!
Wednesday 05 May
Gore Launches Cable News Network AP {via Yahoo} Made me sad to read this because the channel they bought is run by the CBC, which allows me to catch its excellent 11 PM news every night, but then I read that "The programming will continue to be provided by Canadian Broadcasting Corp". I suppose that means Canadian comedy shows are coming my way?
Are Cherry's CBC days numbered? Ottawa Citizen The CBC is heavily promoting its "Who is the Greatest Canadian" contest and you can vote for Grapes by going to www.cbc.ca/greatest. Americans will have to enter a fake province.
They're dead Wings Calgary Sun It's good to share the wealth and to let other teams win every now and then. At least that's what i keep telling myself on the day after our Wings crashed to earth.
Tuesday 04 May
Rasputin's penis to be sex museum's star attraction Ananova Weird little article also contains the quote of the week: "Having this exhibit, we can stop envying America, where Napoleon Bonaparte's penis is now kept."
Russia’s Willing Sex Workers Find Enslavement Abroad Moscow News We finish today's thread with a word of warning to Russian women thinking about chasing deep-pocketed, big-membered Americans: "92% of all Russian women who go to work abroad wind up as victims, sold into sex slavery."
Nicholas Cage 'to marry waitress aged 19' The Straits Times How weird is this guy? He was married to Lisa Marie. He's played Elvis or Elvis impersonators in more than one movie. And now he marries a 19 year old waitress.... and let's not even go into the spate of bad movies he's been in recently.
Vietnam War Becomes Campaign Focus Again
Las Vegas Sun In a weird battle of ironies, the anti-war candidate was the one who fought and was decorated, while the pro-war president stayed safe stateside. Neither therefore can comfortably point to his own record and leave it to their minions, instead, to sling the mud.
Elton John Says 'American Idol' Vote Is 'Racist' Reuters {via Yahoo} I was shocked at last week's incredibly stupid results, but I don't think it was so much a vote against anyone, but was rather a vote for people who happened to be white. Let's not forget that last year's winner was Reuben Stoddard, an African-American who edged out Caucasian Clay Aikens. If all the Blacks get voted off, then we have something.
Red Sox finish sweep of Yanks Chicago-Sun Times The Sox winning it all...now, that really would be an unlikely quest.
Monday 26 April
Vending Machines of Japan Photomann.com Let's start out this week with PhotoMann's fascinating look at Japanese vending machines.
See Me, Feel Me, Touch Me Humboldt State University Lumberjack Nine days ago we ran Everything to know about fellatio from this same college paper, so, in the interest of fairness, here's the other side of the coin.
Why every White House talks to Bob Woodward
CS Monitor Fascinating....They know there's going to be a controversial book, yet they talk. Each administration apparently thinks it's smarter than its predecessors.
Pentagon Ban on Pictures of Dead Troops Is Broken
NY Times And why are photos of coffins arriving from Iraq at the Dover base in Delaware banned? The Pentagon says it's respect for privacy. Privacy? You can't tell who's inside those coffins. Might it be because Bush and crew don't want the image of dead soldiers in the minds of voting Americans? Thanks to Co-editor Kay for passing this one along.
The use and abuse of Vietnam analogies Slate Heard Rush Limbaugh abusing this Tuesday with his illogical "if we would have had Vietnam before WWII, liberals would have been crying that 'We can't go into Europe. It'll be another Vietnam.' " Of course some liberals would probably have said that, and it's common for both sides to paint with the broadest brush but I expect better than this intellectually-flabby, incendiary junk from Rush.
Clarett Takes Draft Case to Supreme Court Yahoo I don't get this. You can be 18 and play in the NHL, the NBA, and Major League Baseball. There's nothing special about the NFL.
Saudis Pledged Oil Price Cut Before U.S. Vote Reuters Frequent Commenter BIL took exception to a comment I made two weeks ago and asked what connection existed between the price of oil and the election. Well, BIL....here's your answer. The Saudis, whom we all trust implicitly, deny Woodward's claim.
Rocker Courtney Love Owes Millions Reuters I was shooting the breeze last week and wondered how someone could shoot through 40 mill. Well, hiring a dog-walker at 100 grand/year is a good start.
Monday 19 April
Jesse Jackson willing to negotiate for hostages CNN He's also willing to talk to the Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland, willing to try out for Donald Trump's next reality series and willing to play defense for the Calgary Flames.
Spring celebration sparks riot CNN No riot here, but this past weekend was spring's unofficial opening in Hooterville. The weather was fabulous.
TV may cause attention deficit CNN No way...I watched a lot of TV this past weekend and let me tell you....er...uhm....I forget...hey, where's the remote?
Friday 16 April
Dozens charged in insurance scam Newsday The Sopranos have nothing on these Bonanno family fellas. They set up a fake clinic, with real doctors, etc, and then went around and crashed their cars into each other. Brilliant! Couldn't you see Tony and crew hatching this one?
Crew boats fend off otter attack The Dartmouth Frequent Commenter BIL passed this one along last week and I've been saving it for a slow news day. ALl I've got to add, is that they otter have known better.
Teen Sentenced To 50 Years For Hitting Jogger On Purpose WFTV.com As with all juvenile sentences, Robbins' will automatically be reviewed before he turns 21 in November 2007. There's little chance this kid will serve 50 years...but maybe an extended stay in a mental hospital should be in the works.
Macca admits frog abuse Ananova You know what, Sir Paul? We don't care if you abused frogs as a boy. We don't care if you are a vegetarian or whom you marry. Just make music.
A Message From Al WeirdAl.com Weird Al's thoughts about his parents, who died last week from carbon monoxide poisoning.
Calif. Lawmaker Moves to Block Google's Gmail Reuters {via Yahoo} We linked two weeks ago to the news that Google plans to offer free email with two major differences. They will offer free 1 gig storage space with each account, but also each email will be scanned for key words which will then trigger certain ads that will be placed either at the top or the bottom of the email. A California State Senator doesn't like the idea, "We think it's an absolute invasion of privacy." Nonsense. It's free, and everyone will know going in that their message is being scanned. If you don't like the concept...don't use it, but, please, we don't need government interference on this.
Hung's CD expected to debut in Top 40 AzCentral.com While we're on the subject...Look for future Idol contestant's contract, no matter how lame the act, to include a clause that takes a hefty percentage of any recordings made within a two year period, or so.
It's smug, it's arrogant, it's egotistical, it's presumptuous, it's ignorant, it's insufferable ... it's Toronto Ottawa Citizen We break away from our American Idol thread to ponder "Isn't every great city smug, arrogant, egotistical, presumptuous, ignorant and insufferable?" Which has me thinking....granted, T.O. is a great city...reminds me of Chicago in a way, but are there any other Canadian cities that can be called great? Montreal? Vancouver? And how about American cities? I'd only put four American cities on the "great" list: NY, Chicago, San Francisco and New Orleans {Sorry, Boston, DC, Miami and Hamtramck}.
Monday 12 April
Image plays big in Comcast-Disney deal Philadelphia Inquirer "Any financial gain I would get from Comcast taking over Disney is not worth losing everything Disney is - the Disney name, the Disney image," said Katrina Keller, a senior at West Chester University and a lifelong owner of Disney shares.
Which gives me an opening, not that I need any, to go into my bi-monthly anti-Disney rant. Our 8 and 10 year olds have started to listen to Radio Disney and it didn't take long to note that their shortened playlist is mainly comprised of Disney-stable artists, such as Lizzie McGuire'sHilary Duff. This forced feeding is nothing more than a modern version of the 1960's payola scandal in which disc jockeys were paid under the table to push certain songs. Modern day rogues are too sophisticated to bribe...instead they just buy the channel.
Friday 09 April
A closer look at Rice's testimony Village Voice "I don't remember the al Qaeda cells as being something that we were told we needed to do something about."
There you have it, folks. Our country was compromised as never before...Our two largest buildings were leveled, killing thousands...our Pentagon was heavily destroyed...another plane full of passengers slams into a Pennsylvania farm...and no one is fired. No career is ruined. No one is humiliated enough to even step down. Unbelievable hubris that should be rewarded with a nice pension and a one-way trip outta town. And, before anyone draws a Pearl Harbor- World Trade Center comparison {because I feel one coming}, don't bother. The world had been at war for two years before Pearl Harbor. We were preparing for war. We knew who did it and why. As stunning and horrific as that attack was, it doesn't compare with the one carried out on September the 11th. The captain on watch that day failed us and instead of doing the noble thing and stepping down, he took the low road, diverting national attention by going after the man who eluded his father some twelve years before.
Howard Stern Dropped After FCC Threat Yahoo Only six stations dropped Howard, so it's a misleading headline. Look for a Stern move soon to satellite where he can be as raunchy as he wants.
Bob Dylan's Sex Gear Ad AdAge Okay, boomers, have you seen this? Talk about taking the money and running.
Al Qaeda absent from final Clinton report
Washington Times It's a silly new fad, proving which party worried more about al Qaeda before September the 11th. The correct answer is neither. Time to move forward
Beer gets in the way of Tigers baseball Lansing State Journal Radio station 1390-AM (WLCM) in Charlotte bails after they learn Tiger's package will include Miller Beer commercials, with the station manager saying "Being a Christian station, we couldn't accept that." Given Jesus' miracle at Cana, I suppose BoonesFarm commercials would have been okay?
Alanis Morissette attacks "U.S. censorship" Reuters What's wrong with this equation? Canadian Morissette appears on a Canadian awards show and strips to blast US censorship.
Americans shrinking as junk food takes its toll Manchester Guardian More anti-American pap: "America has eight million people with no job, 40 million individuals with no health insurance, 35 million living below the poverty line, and a population that exists mainly on junk food." What junk. It's far more likely that the heavy influx of Asians and Hispanics has lowered the national average.
Duke covers spread on 'meaningless' shot ESPN Chris Duhon's last second three-pointer to cover the spread against UConn made gamblers $30 million richer? Too bad he didn't have the ball on Duke's previous possession.
20 things about Condie NY Daily News She's a Cleveland Brown's fan? Doesn't surprise me...I can just see her in that end zone dawg pound...pounding a few back and barking at Tim Couch.
Peter Gammons: What's in store for 2004? Plenty
ESPN Let's not get totally mired in this shady Rice Paddy because it's Opening Day, for most teams, and that means months and months of baseball, America's sedative. By the time the season ends Canadian Thanksgiving will be over, Daylight Savings Time will have fallen back and it'll be the week of the Presidential election.
Dual Bush, Cheney testimony unusual, but expedient News-Leader.com {Springfield, Missouri} Expedient? It'll look more like bolstering. C'mon, Mr. President, sack it up, walk in like a man and answer the questions.
UglyZoo Olympictrans Well aware of my passion for Photoshop, Co-editor Kay sent this in. Some excellent work! The ones I like are numbers 12, 13, 57, 59, 65, 87, with my favorite being number 85.
Friday 02 April
Google Introduces Free E-Mail Service AP {via Yahoo} Interesting. 250 to 500 times more storage space than Hotmail or Yahoo. Users will be able to receive up to 10 megabytes in a single e-mail, perfect for large digital files. The downside? Google may add tailored ads, based on the text in the emails.
Masters of Disillusionment: Penn & Teller's show explains why everything you know is wrong.
Slate One of our favorite shows, tonight {Thursday} they take on PETA. The best bit from last season had them setting up a "water steward" in a fancy restaurant who pushed fake bottled water on customers with lines such as "This bottle comes from the purest glacial waters on earth. It is crisp and clean and a joy to drink." The stuff, of course, came from the garden hose and, of course, the unwitting customers raved.
Study shows Canada a laggard in providing timely health care Canada.com Was up there about four years ago and spent about 6 hours in an emergency room with one of our kids who was bitten by a dog. They knew I was American and we were the last ones out of there that night.
Thursday 01 April
Liberal Talk Radio Network Launches
APnews I listened to maybe 35 minutes and I thought it was mildly funny, "we're broadcasting from a secret bunker 3500 feet below Dick Cheney's secret bunker." Franken is not a polished radio performer and it showed, but he will get better. His cohost{ess}, a Minnesota public radio vet, grated as she constantly spoke over the top of Franken. Interestingly, Franken's first two callers were G. Gordon Liddy and Ben Stein.
Music industry loses in downloading case CTV I have a new hero, Canadian Federal Court Justice Konrad von Finckenstein: "I cannot see a real difference between a library that places a photocopy machine in a room full of copyrighted material and a computer user that places a personal copy on a shared directory linked to a P2P service.''
"The Myth of Bush as Hero" BarbraStreisand.com Let's end April Fools' Day with some words from that well-know foreign expert, Babbling Babs Streisand.