Happy Birthday Lissa
Happy birthday, sweetheart! You're 25 years old now!
9.28.2004
9.27.2004
Notre Dame 38, Washington 3
I'm late on this one, I know. It's been a crazy sleep-deprived adventure the past couple of days, but at least I got to see this...
Yes, Washington is now 0-3 and are decidedly not the class of the Pac-10 this year. But you know what? I don't care. I can appreciate a good thwompin' as long as my team is doing the thwompin'. Go Irish.
Yes, Washington is now 0-3 and are decidedly not the class of the Pac-10 this year. But you know what? I don't care. I can appreciate a good thwompin' as long as my team is doing the thwompin'. Go Irish.
9.24.2004
Iraq > America? What the...
W said:
Wait... so there is a greater percentage of folks here in the US who think we're on the wrong track (about 50%) than folks in Iraq who think they're on the wrong track (about 31%). So... we're heading in a more dismal direction than a country where people are kidnapped and beheaded everyday? Our future is not so bright as that of a country where things continue to just explode for no apparent reason? Our government is doing things more inadequately than the government of a country where anarchy seems to be the dominant political viewpoint?
And why this is a good thing for the President to point out?
Um... 4 more years?
"I saw a poll that said the right track/wrong track in Iraq was better than here in America."
Wait... so there is a greater percentage of folks here in the US who think we're on the wrong track (about 50%) than folks in Iraq who think they're on the wrong track (about 31%). So... we're heading in a more dismal direction than a country where people are kidnapped and beheaded everyday? Our future is not so bright as that of a country where things continue to just explode for no apparent reason? Our government is doing things more inadequately than the government of a country where anarchy seems to be the dominant political viewpoint?
And why this is a good thing for the President to point out?
Um... 4 more years?
Jon Stewart and the GOP
Found this great quote today:
Jon Stewart said this in this interview with Time Magazine.
For more entertaining insight and fake news, check out Jon's show:
As far as I'm concerned, their best argument for election is, "Yes, I drove us into a brick wall... But I didn't blink!"
Jon Stewart said this in this interview with Time Magazine.
For more entertaining insight and fake news, check out Jon's show:
9.23.2004
9.20.2004
Death of an Anchorman
Dan Rather. I pity him.
CBS News cannot prove the documents are authentic
You know the story, I'm sure. CBS news investigates the whole "Did Bush actually fulfill his duties while hiding out in the National Guard to escape Vietnam?" issue...
(Aside: Before you honorable current guardsmen get offended, remember that the Guard is so much more than it was back then. At that time, it was widely accepted that the National Guard would never be called to actually serve, and was therefore a popular place for draft eligible persons of influence to hang out. Now you're being sent out to warzones around the world, just like any other branch of the military. Thank you.)
...and during the course of their story, they cite new documents which prove that Bush had pulled strings to shirk his duties. In a frenzy of forensic work not seen since "Who shot JR?," the internet is immediately flooded with critiques of this so-called evidence. The next day, Dan Rather makes a stand to defend these documents, only to find out days later that they may in fact be fraudulent... or at least there's no way to prove they're authentic.
So what happened to one of the pre-eminent voices in network news? Well, CBS tried to scoop everyone else and ran with a hot story without rigorously checking their sources first. They gambled, and now they're paying for it big time in terms of credibility. It's a shame, really.
At any rate, throughout all this, Rather has been quite upset that folks seem so fixated on the authenticity of the evidence rather than the point of the story as a whole... which was that George W. Bush pulled some strings to get special treatment. Really, it's no big secret... at least as far as I'm concerned. What bugs me is that there's so much cover-up about the whole thing. It's far too convenient that documents just happen to be missing regarding that period of Bush's service. You know, Clinton was an avowed draft dodger who also pulled some strings to avoid Vietnam, but I think he made a very smart move in not trying to deny that fact. At least then, you felt you knew who this guy was. If George W. Bush took some time off to hang out with his friends and shirked his duty, fine. So he hasn't always been as forthright as the GOP paints him. Maybe he is now... I don't know. Just say that, and we'll move on. But I think that the image that the GOP wants to project is that people can't ever change. Everything in the world has to be as black-and-white as George W. Bush says it is. Once a cheater, always a cheater; therefore, George W. Bush can't ever have been a cheater. That's far too simplistic for my tastes, but then, I don't expect much from a man who doesn't know the meaning of "sovreignty"--literally... he doesn't know what it means... check it out (8/6/2004):
(Please note that the president, in not answering the question due to his ignorance of the word, said that sovreignty is something that is "given".)
CBS News cannot prove the documents are authentic
You know the story, I'm sure. CBS news investigates the whole "Did Bush actually fulfill his duties while hiding out in the National Guard to escape Vietnam?" issue...
(Aside: Before you honorable current guardsmen get offended, remember that the Guard is so much more than it was back then. At that time, it was widely accepted that the National Guard would never be called to actually serve, and was therefore a popular place for draft eligible persons of influence to hang out. Now you're being sent out to warzones around the world, just like any other branch of the military. Thank you.)
...and during the course of their story, they cite new documents which prove that Bush had pulled strings to shirk his duties. In a frenzy of forensic work not seen since "Who shot JR?," the internet is immediately flooded with critiques of this so-called evidence. The next day, Dan Rather makes a stand to defend these documents, only to find out days later that they may in fact be fraudulent... or at least there's no way to prove they're authentic.
So what happened to one of the pre-eminent voices in network news? Well, CBS tried to scoop everyone else and ran with a hot story without rigorously checking their sources first. They gambled, and now they're paying for it big time in terms of credibility. It's a shame, really.
At any rate, throughout all this, Rather has been quite upset that folks seem so fixated on the authenticity of the evidence rather than the point of the story as a whole... which was that George W. Bush pulled some strings to get special treatment. Really, it's no big secret... at least as far as I'm concerned. What bugs me is that there's so much cover-up about the whole thing. It's far too convenient that documents just happen to be missing regarding that period of Bush's service. You know, Clinton was an avowed draft dodger who also pulled some strings to avoid Vietnam, but I think he made a very smart move in not trying to deny that fact. At least then, you felt you knew who this guy was. If George W. Bush took some time off to hang out with his friends and shirked his duty, fine. So he hasn't always been as forthright as the GOP paints him. Maybe he is now... I don't know. Just say that, and we'll move on. But I think that the image that the GOP wants to project is that people can't ever change. Everything in the world has to be as black-and-white as George W. Bush says it is. Once a cheater, always a cheater; therefore, George W. Bush can't ever have been a cheater. That's far too simplistic for my tastes, but then, I don't expect much from a man who doesn't know the meaning of "sovreignty"--literally... he doesn't know what it means... check it out (8/6/2004):
President Bush, responding to a question about what tribal sovereignty meant in the 21st century, said: "Tribal sovereignty means just that; it's sovereign. You're a -- you've been given sovereignty, and you're viewed as a sovereign entity."
(Please note that the president, in not answering the question due to his ignorance of the word, said that sovreignty is something that is "given".)
9.18.2004
Notre Dame 31, Michigan State 24
Didn't get to see this one, though I sorely wish I had...
In the photo, that's one of our safeties with the ball, which pretty much tells the story of the game. Yay for 6 turnovers.
In other news... Defense sits the game out, Playstation handles playcalling as Tech tops TCU 70-35
In the photo, that's one of our safeties with the ball, which pretty much tells the story of the game. Yay for 6 turnovers.
In other news... Defense sits the game out, Playstation handles playcalling as Tech tops TCU 70-35
9.14.2004
Proof that there is a God...
...and that some people are just horrible, horrible people.
(Bad pictures, I know, but if you look closely, that's a baby being tossed out of a moving car onto the highway.)
So this horrible man is being chased by the cops after he was accused of domestic violence. He's driving down the highway, in his girlfriend's car, and figures that the best way to get away is to drop her 8-month old daughter out the door. So God steps in and works this miracle...
...followed by what I consider to be a prime example of a "smite"...
That's old-school justice right there.
(Bad pictures, I know, but if you look closely, that's a baby being tossed out of a moving car onto the highway.)
So this horrible man is being chased by the cops after he was accused of domestic violence. He's driving down the highway, in his girlfriend's car, and figures that the best way to get away is to drop her 8-month old daughter out the door. So God steps in and works this miracle...
"She didn't have a scratch on her," [the sheriff's sergeant] said. "She wasn't even dirty. She had on these little pajama things. She was just as content as any baby."
...followed by what I consider to be a prime example of a "smite"...
The chase continued at up to 100 mph, ending when Bettin's car crashed, rolled over and pinned him underneath. He died at a hospital in Green Bay.
That's old-school justice right there.
9.11.2004
9.09.2004
Oreo Cookies and the Federal Budget
From the founder of Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream...
Yeah, I know. As the election draws closer, I'm turning into quite the Anti-Bush voter. At the very least, I find the Anti-Bush campaign material more entertaining than the Pro-Bush stuff. This one is somewhat educational, even if you can't shake the feeling that you're being sold something... something with a tasty creamy center.
This cute little animation, though obviously based somewhere to my left of where I am, brings up some interesting points about the way that our government runs its budget. I haven't fact-checked the claims made, but none of the information presented is totally shocking. Check it out for yourself.
Yeah, I know. As the election draws closer, I'm turning into quite the Anti-Bush voter. At the very least, I find the Anti-Bush campaign material more entertaining than the Pro-Bush stuff. This one is somewhat educational, even if you can't shake the feeling that you're being sold something... something with a tasty creamy center.
This cute little animation, though obviously based somewhere to my left of where I am, brings up some interesting points about the way that our government runs its budget. I haven't fact-checked the claims made, but none of the information presented is totally shocking. Check it out for yourself.
9.08.2004
Kingston Wings
Talked to Reve tonight. She shared this recipe with me:
Sounds totally yummy. We were looking for Jamaican jerk chicken, but maybe this will be close enough.
in a large bowl, toss 5 lbs chicken wings with 2 tsp minced garlic, 1/4 c lime juice, 1 tsp allspice, and 1 tsp salt. place wings in large plastic storage bags, and marinate for for 3-4 hours or overnight. preheat oven to 450. line 2 9x13 baking pans with foil and set aside. in a large bowl, combine 3/4 c flour, 1/2 c cornmeal, 1 tbsp allspice, 1 tsp ground red pepper, 1 tsp thyme, 1 tsp black pepper, and 1 tsp salt. toss wings, three or four at a time, in flour mixture, shaking off excess. place on prepared baking sheets. bake for 40-45 minutes, until crispy and golden brown. make appx 36 wings
Sounds totally yummy. We were looking for Jamaican jerk chicken, but maybe this will be close enough.
9.06.2004
Labor Dabor
Oh yeah. Happy Labor Day. I had to work this morning. But I got to leave early to go swimming. So it wasn't a total loss.
Stick it in your ear!
This is an older internet resource, but a good one:
Babelfish
What is a Babel fish?
From the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy:
Where is Babel?
From the Bible (NIV), Genesis 11:1-9:
So what does this site do, exactly?
From Mikey:
Babelfish
What is a Babel fish?
From the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy:
The Babel fish is small, yellow and leech-like, and probably the oddest thing in the Universe. It feeds on brainwave energy not from its carrier but from those around it. It absorbs all unconscious mental frequencies from this brainwave energy to nourish itself with. It then excretes into the mind of its carrier a telepathic matrix formed by combining the conscious thought frequencies with nerve signals picked up from the speech centres of the brain which has supplied them. The practical upshot of all this is that if you stick a Babel fish in your ear you can instantly understand anything said to you in any form of language. The speech patterns you actually hear decode the brainwave matrix which has been fed into your mind by your Babel fish.
Now it is such a bizarrely improbable coincidence that anything so mindboggingly useful could have evolved purely by chance that some thinkers have chosen to see it as the final and clinching proof of the non-existence of God.
The argument goes something like this: "I refuse to prove that I exist," says God, "for proof denies faith, and without faith I am nothing."
"But," says Man, "The Babel fish is a dead giveaway, isn't it? It could not have evolved by chance. It proves you exist, and so therefore, by your own arguments, you don't. QED."
"Oh dear," says God, "I hadn't thought of that," and promptly vanished in a puff of logic.
"Oh, that was easy," says Man, and for an encore goes on to prove that black is white and gets himself killed on the next zebra crossing.
Most leading theologians claim that this argument is a load of dingo's kidneys, but that didn't stop Oolon Colluphid making a small fortune when he used it as the central theme of his best-selling book Well That About Wraps It Up For God.
Meanwhile, the poor Babel fish, by effectively removing all barriers to communication between different races and cultures, has caused more and bloddier wars than anything else in the history of creation.
Where is Babel?
From the Bible (NIV), Genesis 11:1-9:
Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. As men moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. They said to each other, "Come, let's make bricks and bake them thoroughly." They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth." But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the men were building. The LORD said, "If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other."
So the LORD scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why it was called Babel because there the LORD confused the language of the whole world. From there the LORD scattered them over the face of the whole earth.
So what does this site do, exactly?
From Mikey:
This is a totally cool site that lets you attempt to translate from a number of languages into English and vice versa. You can either type in text, such as "Mikey smells like tomato soup," or you can get the Babelfish to translate an entire webpage by feeding it the html, as I did in this post. The translations aren't always as completely accurate as they could be, but they're often close enough for you to get the general gist of things.
There is a fun game to play, in which you type in an English phrase, translate it into a foreign language, and then translate it back into English, just to see how mangled it gets.
Check out the new functionality on my sidebar.
