News Archive - November 2006
11-29-2006
Super Tuesday
Yesterday was Super Tuesday in the DVD aisle! Not only did Clerks II come out but so did An Evening with Kevin Smith 2 - Evening Harder! How incredibly lucky of us to have two brilliant releases from Smith all in one day. Truly amazing.
Oh, and I guess some comic book movie came out, or something.
Spam
According to a new report as many as 9 out of every 10 emails on the interweb are unwanted spam.
I don't know what they're talking about but I can tell you that the rest of this update will be brought to you by Hoodia and the President of Zimbabwe who, apparently, wants to send me some money!
FWM
Update; those imams that got pulled off a US Airways flight in Minneapolis were supposedly exhibiting some terrorist tactics by positioning themselves near exits, among other things.
They're still crying about this being profiling and how they're the innocent victims here. Blah, blah, blah.
I'll tell you what, the next time you raid a terrorist cell and a couple Protestants shake out of the group that's when I'll start worrying about the blonde-haired, blue-eyed O'Malley kid sitting next to me in 14C. Till then, Muslims, shut yer cake hole.
Picket Lines
Looks as if the Writers Guild of America could go on strike next year if they don't get their contracts straightened out.
Producers Sense Writers Strike Appearing to foreshadow a tough year ahead for labor relations in Hollywood, the head of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) said Monday that he had been "rebuked" by the Writers Guild of America, West after he proposed early contract negotiations. J. Nicholas Counter told today's (Tuesday) Los Angeles Times that he had offered to begin negotiations in January, but that his proposed had been rejected by WGA Executive Director David Young, who proposed that the talks begin in September. The writers' contract expires on Oct. 31. Counter told today's (Tuesday) Los Angeles Times that the refusal raises the possibility of a strike and he suggested that it may cause the studios to accelerate production of films and stockpile scripts
So, who's going to adapt all those failed TV shows? Who will re-imagine Dirty Dancing? How can we get the much anticipated sequel to Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector? Oh, the horror!
The Treasury Department hates blind people.
Your money discriminates against the blind. According to that article the US is the only one of 180 countries to use paper money that's all of a uniform size and contains no other method for the blind to differentiate between denominations.
I can understand the issues raised here. First of all, half the time you go into a store the clerk can't make the correct change when the register tells them what's owed back, how can you rely on them to give back the correct change to a blind person? Second, have you looked at our money? It's ugly. It could use a little sprucing up, and no, orange splashes across my $10 don't count.
However, I will disagree with some of the conclusions drawn about the cost of upgrading our money. Here's a though; do away with it.
Seriously, why bother converting all the printing and vending equipment when we could very easily convert to a debit card system? With the technology today you should even be able to wave your card over a Coke vending machine and get a frosty beverage without trying to force feed a crumpled Washington into the money slot, only to have it spit back at you.
With debit cards, secure cards, RFID chips and the ubiquitous cell phone (with fancy Bluetooth technology!), why do we even need paper money for more than backup?
People want to do away with the lowly penny? I say do away with it all. Hell, I'm already at the point where I'll pass a gas station if they don't have pay-at-the-pump convenience. I'm ready to switch!
11-28-2006
I Kid you not
Looks like Pamela Anderson's back on the market, boys. She announced yesterday that she's filing for divorce from Kid Rock.
Expect a whiskey-fueled redneck binge any day now.
11-22-2006
FWM
First, there was DWB; Driving While Black. Now, we have FWM; Flying While Muslim.
Great.
But, you know, if I (as well as every American) can't fly with bottles of liquid larger than 3oz and all my crap has to fit in a quart bag because of some Muslim chuckleheads in the UK then I can't really be too concerned about the inconveniences suffered by 6 people in Minneapolis.
Holiday!
Happy Turkey day tomorrow. I'm on vacation for the weekend so I'll see all y'all bitches Monday! I'm OUT!
11-20-2006
You're in the Army Now!
Wholly fuck?! A Democrat, Charles Rangel (yeah, he's from NY), wants to reinstate the draft. Not only that but he wants to expand it from the previous ages of 18-26 to 18-42. All of a sudden I'd be eligible for the draft again?
Yikes.
I have no problem with the shooting and living out of a tent part of the deal but my fat ass would make a big fucking target. Basic training better come with one helluva diet built in.
But, screw it, I'd volunteer before being drafted. I think with a college education and years of experience in the IS field I could find a cushy job in the Air Force as a junior officer monitoring radio traffic and satellite or aerial recon photos.
11-17-2006
PS3
Did you stand in line and get your Playstation 3 last night? I ran over to Target and there were people with tents and chairs, everything. I didn't ask to find out how long they'd been waiting but they weren't there Wednesday night when I went over.
I didn't check Wal-Mart or Best Buy because I really couldn't care less. Although I bet they were thinking twice about the whole deal after the 3" of rain we got in about 20 minutes last night around 4:00.
I'm sure if you missed out but have an extra $3,000 laying around you get get one on eBay.
Only 1%?
According to a government study, 1% of indexed web sites at Google and Microsoft are considered sexually explicit. That's it?
Slackers.
The study is being used in a court case that the Justice Department is involved in because they're trying to get the Child Online Protection Act (COPA) put back into play. Also in that study was another interesting piece of info, AOL's Mature Teen filtering software blocked something like 91% of "sexually explicit" web sites.
See? See how well things work when you let the tech companies police themselves? It's better than letting the government, who should be the LAST people regulating technology, write asinine laws that not only don't make sense but are unenforceable.
If the government really wants to write some legislation to regulate something on the Internet how about they write a law making spam e-mail illegal? I could get behind that. I really don't need any more stock tips, viagra and hoodia offers or to download the software you've just uploaded.
And no matter how many times you e-mail me, Mr. President of Zimbabwe, I'm NOT giving you my bank account info.
11-15-2006
Deerslayer
Is anyone surprised that Pennsylvania is number 1 when it comes to vehicle vs deer accidents?
Having driven all types of main and back roads in PA at night I can attest, first hand, to the fact that the deer almost outnumber humans in a few areas of NE Pennsylvania. This report, totaling the costs of collisions with deer, tells me one thing; there aren't enough hunters out there thinning the population.
Let's face it, whether we're encroaching on their territory or not, the huge herds of deer in some places are a direct result of the lack of hunting and natural predators.
To all the hippies in Ithaca, the next time you go protest hunting think about this; would you rather have a hunter put a shot through a deer's heart, killing him instantly and painlessly, or would you rather the animal be hit by a car and suffer in a ditch?
11-12-2006
Trifecta!
Gerald Levert, dead at 40. Sad, yes, but his death completes the troika of celebrity deaths started by Ed Bradley then followed up by Jack Palance.
Some things you can't argue with. Death. Taxes. Three celebs takin' the long nap all within days of each other.
In other news, Abe Vigoda....still not dead.
UFC
Matt Serra pulled out a split decision against Chris Lytle in last night's finish to the Ultimate Fighter 4. It was a tough match and pretty even. I was afraid Serra wasn't going to pull it out because he never really got his ground game going. On the other hand, Lytle didn't seem to want to get to close most of the night, because he didn't want to go to the mat, and wasn't effective in his striking.
Tough match but I'm happy to see Serra get a title shot against the winner of the Hughes/St. Pierre match.
In the other finale match Travis Lutter submitted Patrick Cote in the first round to get his UFC contract.
Probably the best fight on the card, though, was the Scott Smith, Pete Sell match. In the second round Sell landed a brutal left to the body of Smith that rocked him. Smith was holding his side almost as if a rib had gone, but when Sell went in for the kill Smith one-timed a right that landed directly on Sell's chin and knocked his ass out.
It was incredible. I haven't seen yet if Smith actually broke a rib but he went down after that shot to Sell's chin and he was in pain as they raised his arm.
So, Serra gets a title shot against whoever wins Monday night and Lutter will get a 2007 title shot at the middleweight belt against Anderson Silva.
Serra probably is hoping for Matt Hughes in his title shot since Hughes is a wrestler and ground guy. Georges St. Pierre is an incredible striker and I think he'd have an easy time over Serra.
Anderson Silva ran over Rich Franklin to get the middleweight belt and he's also a striker while Lutter is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu standout. If he can get Silva to the ground he may very well be able to submit him.
Well, next up is season 5 for TUF and it looks like we're going to get a look at some new lightweights. Now that the UFC has a legitimate 155lb weight class we'll get to see some smaller guys go. If they're anything like Kenny Florian and Din Thomas it'll be exciting to watch.
11-9-2006
Quote of the Day
"Secretary Rumsfeld, wheels of the bus. Wheels of the bus, Secretary Rumsfeld." - Keith Olbermann
And with that quote the Democrats hit the trifecta; they took the House, the Senate and Donald Rumsfeld is out of the Pentagon.
The last race to be called, and the AP did it late yesterday afternoon, was Virginia where it looks like Jim Webb has defeated George Allen. Yay.
FedEx
K-Fed and Britney Spears are headed for divorce. Oh, the shock! The horror! The least surprising announcement this week!
Here's a hint, Britney, women don't normally marry the sperm donor. That's why they have that whole anonymous sperm bank thing.
Express Lane
The comedian Ron White, who's from Texas, made a joke in one of his stand-up routines about capital punishment that while other states were trying to ban it his state was putting in an express lane.
Express lane, meet Mr. Willie Shannon, the 24th death row inmate to be put down this year. That's 2 a month! Damn, why can't we get that up here in NY?
Movie. Good Movie
The newest James Bond movie, Casino Royale, is hitting theaters next week and is anyone else as psyched as I am? I'm really digging the trailers that have been released and think that Daniel Craig is going to make a great Bond.
I also love the newest Bond Girl, Eva Green. Hot.
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11-8-2006
Looks Good
I'm headed for bed but it's looking good for the Dems in the House but the Senate races are still up in the air.
One good piece of info, looks like Santorum is on his way out in PA. Thank you, all who voted against that chucklehead.
Unfortunately Arcuri appears to have taken a House seat from NY and I'm not happy about that. The guy's a dick.
11-7-2006
Election Day
If you're reading this it means you aren't at the polls voting in the election. Get your ass out and vote!
My suggestion; vote for the guy (or girl) that isn't already in Washington because, seriously, could they be worse? If you're still in doubt, vote Democrat. For the same reason.
We Suck
Or we at least suck worse than 20 other countries when it comes to corruption. The least corrupt country in the world, according to Transparent International, is Finland. The most corrupt; Haiti which just edges out Myanmar and, wow, Iraq. Who'd have guessed?
The other countries less corrupt than we are is basically a list of the usual suspects; Canada, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, etc. Surprising, sort of, is France although I have nothing to back up the fact that I think they're a stinking, cheese-eating country of surrender monkeys.
I am happy to see New Zealand in the top 3, though. It'll make it a nice place to move to when the US crumbles.
Oh, and I have to argue with the number 2 country, Iceland. Seriously, are there even enough people in that country for there to BE corruption?
Spider-Man
Want to see some villain concept designs from Spider-Man III?
11-4-2006
Suck it!
Apparently Europeans hate black people also. Kanye West threw a hissy after not winning the Best Video award at the MTV Europe Music Awards because it "cost a million dollars, Pamela Anderson was in it" and he was jumping canyons.
Yeah? Pam was in a porn video that sold a million copies but that doesn't mean she wins an Oscar.
His first album was really great but he's just a rich kid from the suburbs. Somehow I can't feel bad that he's not pulling down award after award. And, for the record, he did win for Best Hip Hop artist.
Kanye, you have nothing to be pissed about. So shut the fuck up.
Backpedaling
Looks as though Microsoft had to back off one of the new licensing restrictions for Vista. Initially it looked as though you'd only be able to transfer a copy of Vista one time to a new computer, after that you were on the hook for a new copy.
Since there are a lot of hobbyists out there that are constantly upgrading components or migrating to new boxes, there was a backlash over this piece of the EULA so this week MS announced that they are removing that restriction.
This only applies to copies of Vista that don't ship with new computers because, technically, those licenses are only good with the computer they shipped on. Good news, though.
11-3-2006
MyTube
Last night I finally got a new installment of my guiltiest pleasure, "The O.C." I can't help it, this show is kind of addictive.
It picks up 5 months after the end of last season which saw the death of Marissa Cooper. Everyone ended up somewhere different because of it; Ryan's living in a bar and brawling in a Fight Club-style competition, Seth's working in a comic store waiting to go to college, Summer is a hippy (WTF?) at college and Julie is popping pills.
Ah, the trials and tribulations of the rich and beautiful. Fuckit, it's an hour of fun and hot broads and since Time Warner (those thieving bastards) haven't turned on the CW network yet it'll have to do. I do miss "One Tree Hill" though. Especially Hilarie Burton.
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11-1-2006
Electronic Voting
Voting machines in the US are owned by the Venezuela government. Everybody panic.
No, really, panic if this is true.