Wednesday, December 29, 2004

Funny Faux News: White House Boosts Disaster Aid, Empathy Statements

As one unnamed reporter put it, In the hours immediately following the disaster, millions of people in Thailand, India, Indonesia, Somalia and elsewhere turned their eyes toward America to discover whether the president would rush back to Washington D.C. and empathize with their plight. But Bush stayed in Crawford and made just one official statement, as U.S. military planes surveyed the damaged area and Air Force C-130 cargo planes with humanitarian goods headed for the region. It's as if Bush thinks that action is a substitute for news conferences

(from ScrappleFace).

Monday, December 27, 2004

Tidal waves kill 22,000 in ten countries

Rescuers piled up bodies Monday along southern Asian coastlines devastated by tidal waves that obliterated seaside towns and killed more than 22,000 people in 10 countries. With thousands missing and the death toll expected to climb far higher, aid agencies and nations rushed to help millions of people left homeless or without clean water

(from Associates Press, via Yahoo News).

Tuesday, December 21, 2004

You Are What You Buy - Politics as Product

Ken Mehlman, Bush campaign manager, reveals the bottom-line marketing strategy that led him to victory. It's the exact same strategy that sells cars: market segmentation.
No, we are not a red v. blue nation. We are Volvo v. Lincoln nation
(from BuzzMachine).

Sunday, December 19, 2004

Good Bacon Quote:

They are ill discoverers that think there is no land, when they can see nothing but sea.
-Sir Francis Bacon

Friday, December 10, 2004

Good Quote on Evil:

Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from a religious conviction.
-Blaise Pascal

Funny Faux News: Al Qaeda May Violate Geneva Conventions

Just a day after The New York Times leaked excerpts from a confidential Red Cross report claiming that detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, have undergone psychological and physical coercion "tantamount to torture," the Times has printed a second story alleging that Al Qaeda-linked terrorists in Iraq conduct interrogations "tantamount to beheading."

(from ScrappleFace).

Thursday, December 9, 2004

laundry detergent with UV Protection

As summer begins to sizzle in the Southern Hemisphere, Australians have found a new way to protect themselves from the fierce sunlight: laundry detergent with UV protection. With every wash, the sun protection provided by T-shirts and other clothing is increased until it's five to 10 times more effective
(from Wired.com).

Monday, December 6, 2004

Musicians Dig the Net

  • Only 3 percent of online artists said the internet has had a major negative effect on their ability to protect their creative works.
  • 52 percent of artists said it should be illegal for internet users to share unauthorized music files, compared with 37 percent who said it should be legal.
  • 64 percent of artists said they think the copyright owner should have complete control over the use of a work.
  • 77 percent of artists use the internet.
(from Wired.com).

Friday, December 3, 2004

Your Digital Trail:

In just the past few years, it's become harder than ever to avoid leaving a digital trail. Gone are the days when you had to make an effort to be on the web. Now, you have to work to stay off it.
If you make your local paper, it doesn't matter if the paper doesn't archive its past issues -- Google's cached pages will do it for you. Your friends blog you, your listservs archive your posts, and online phone directories have your number
(from Wired.com).

Erica Jong on advice:

Advice is what we ask for when we already know the answer but wish we didn't.

Thursday, December 2, 2004

Fun Flash: Fridge Magnets

Create your own message with firdge magnets; rated PG-13 (may display crude message). Finally, the high tech fridge magnet.

Fun Flash: Balloony

A man inflates a rubber glove, and loses his head; adult friendly (minor gore factor); rated R.