And...
May the voting commence!
Sunday, February 28
Saturday, February 27
Chilean Earthquake
A few key websites to watch:From the USGS, 10-degree map centered in the area.
Article from Hawaii 24/7 regarding the tsunami warnings, including tsunami travel times.
Updates from CNN.
World time zone map from worldtimezone.com.
I'll add more links as they become available.
Thursday, February 25
Ethics in Utah Politics?
No way!
Yes, way.
Interesting article in the Deseret News today - this is a good one, no bs involved.
Has to do with a requirement of legislators and lobbyists that they take an online test of ethics. Imagine that. Did Buttars take it? The article points out that a majority of the body has not only not taken the test, but that there even is a test.
Anyway, while it's a requirement for legislators and their ilk, the general public (that's you and me) can also take the test. Legislative Ethics Training is produced by the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel.
Bonus: If you navigate to the test via the instructions provided by the Deseret News is this choice "Chose Wisely" entry (graphic at right).
This from the Department of Redundancy Department.
[Additional protip: If you're using a netbook, you may have to go full-screen to see the navigational buttons in the tests.]
Yes, way.
Interesting article in the Deseret News today - this is a good one, no bs involved.
Has to do with a requirement of legislators and lobbyists that they take an online test of ethics. Imagine that. Did Buttars take it? The article points out that a majority of the body has not only not taken the test, but that there even is a test.
Anyway, while it's a requirement for legislators and their ilk, the general public (that's you and me) can also take the test. Legislative Ethics Training is produced by the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel.Bonus: If you navigate to the test via the instructions provided by the Deseret News is this choice "Chose Wisely" entry (graphic at right).
This from the Department of Redundancy Department.
[Additional protip: If you're using a netbook, you may have to go full-screen to see the navigational buttons in the tests.]
Wednesday, February 24
Miscarriage of Justice?
The internet is all a-Twitter about a new bill in the Utah State Legislature concerning whether a miscarriage - in any form - can be considered as murder.
Click on that Twitter link above for interesting reading.
More at the Utah Legislature's website on House Bill 12.
Click on that Twitter link above for interesting reading.
More at the Utah Legislature's website on House Bill 12.
Sunday, February 21
A Different Kind of Pain
On several occasions, I've written at length about pain - meds, spine, ear aches, etc. All organic, they've run the gamut. So why is it, that when one is presented with something entirely inorganic, that the pain begins anew?Boy, that sounded like BS.
Anyway, as Marilee is the uber shopper around here, I've begun to see the pleasure in finding deals. Even if you have no outward intention of actually buying anything. As such, I'm always looking to see if there's anything new under the sun at woot!, and the fave around here, DealSucker.
Dealsucker alerted me to quite the deal today, a "Car Oxygen Bar In Metallic Blue".
I'd seen these previously, and the deal today is quite impressive - at just $2.99, I'd love to have one. particularly for the truck, but also for our Rodeo. And ultimately for the Grand Am, but since it's been sitting dormant in the driveway for six months or so, still with a mangled passenger-side window, that will have to wait.
Anyway.
Painful is the description of the ozone generator. Written in pristine Engrish, it's actually a joy to read, in a perverse sort of way. Likely cut 'n' pasted verbatim from the original text, there's nary a hint that whomever pasted it attempted any form of correction. Thusly:
This product produces ozone and anion which can rapidly eliminate the car inside soot, peculiar smell, and have force sterilization, purification air, make your car air as fresh as bathes in the forest.
Uh, bathes in the forest?
The anion is called "in the air of Vitamin", is beneficial to the health of human beings.
MY definition of anion is a negatively charged ion.
Plug and play installation.
I'd certainly hope so.
Has the best medicine function, and can effectively reduces the cough, sneezes, asthma's incidence of a disease.
Careful, there. Now we're claiming medicinal properties? Call the FDA!
Suitable for all 12V car power.
Yeah, 24V car power has been out of vogue for some time.
Direct insertion the portfire, the blue lamp bright denote enter the work estage.
Saved the best for last. "Portfire", as far as I can tell, is a device for igniting fireworks. As the generator is blue, a blue lamp - more likely an LED - seems plausible. But "enter the work estage" puzzles me the most.
Anyone care to take a stab at it? Any Engrish majors out there?
Saturday, February 20
Too Obscure? Or Just Too Much A Stretch?
Whenever one has to explain a Fark Photoshop contest entry, one can be sure of NO votes.
Photoshop this Russian rehearsing:
My entry?
WTF?
Adobe Acrobat.
Yeah, I know.
Photoshop this Russian rehearsing:
My entry?
WTF?
Adobe Acrobat.
Yeah, I know.
Wait, Wait... That Was Tolerable
This morning, upon return from McDonald's, I had a "Driveway Moment"; that parcel of time where one cannot get out of the car lest one misses the last little bit of whatever's on NPR. And "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me" was on the local NPR station.At that moment, I decided on listening to the entire show once I got into the house, though it was about an hour later when I got around to listening to it.
It had been playing for about fifteen minutes when I realized Marilee, too, was listening. Several minutes later began the following brilliantly stimulating conversation:
Me: "Do you realize you're listening to NPR?"
She: "Oh NO."
Me: "Yes."
As an aside, Marilee is not one who can stand "Talk Radio" as she calls it. I, for one, consider "Talk Radio" as that drivel that KSL Radio insists on broadcasting during the early afternoon hours - in other words, Sean Hannity and his ilk. A call-in show, in other words.
In Marilee's ears, that which she refers to as "Talk Radio" is where only talking is heard. No music, only talking. This includes any and all shows on any NPR station.
One evening on a return trip from somewhere, "Prairie Home Companion" was on - she identified it as being some sort of religious program - "No, dear, it's not religious, it's from Lake Woebegone, and..." let's just say something was lost in the translation.
Admittedly, today's "Wait, Wait" was a compilation of several earlier shows - nothing "live" - so she didn't get the whole effect. "Wait, Wait" is funny, irreverent, witty, all the adjectives one can think of. And "we" will try to get her to listen to next week's show.
Why? Because she actually listened to "talking" on the radio today.
Friday, February 19
Call it a Mask or Call it a Blank, But Here's Crasher Squirrel!
Yet another Fark Photoshop yesterday began thusly:
Photoshop these bored guards and their hairy friend
The original:
Now what do you suppose I could put in there? [Eight votes as of this morning]
I'd looked for Crasher Squirrel in the past, but all I could really find was THE original of Crasher Squirrel, that curious creature who appeared in a couple's photo while they were on holiday at Lake Minnewanka in Banff National Park in Canada. The little guy has become an internet sensation and can be found in every corner of the internet.
The couple decided to send their photo along to the National Geographic's website for consideration in the magazine's Photo of the Day contest. From there, the photo spread like wildfire.
As for the Fark Photoshop yeaterday, I'd found, previously, an image that could be used as a blank or mask, but yesterday couldn't get the image to load - so off I went in search for another copy, and found this oh-so-large replacement. It's a PNG with a transparent background, so you shouldn't have any problem inserting it into your own creations:
Just do a right-click and a Save As as you would normally do to save the image to your computer.
And above all, have fun!
Photoshop these bored guards and their hairy friend
The original:
Now what do you suppose I could put in there? [Eight votes as of this morning]
I'd looked for Crasher Squirrel in the past, but all I could really find was THE original of Crasher Squirrel, that curious creature who appeared in a couple's photo while they were on holiday at Lake Minnewanka in Banff National Park in Canada. The little guy has become an internet sensation and can be found in every corner of the internet.
The couple decided to send their photo along to the National Geographic's website for consideration in the magazine's Photo of the Day contest. From there, the photo spread like wildfire.
As for the Fark Photoshop yeaterday, I'd found, previously, an image that could be used as a blank or mask, but yesterday couldn't get the image to load - so off I went in search for another copy, and found this oh-so-large replacement. It's a PNG with a transparent background, so you shouldn't have any problem inserting it into your own creations:
Just do a right-click and a Save As as you would normally do to save the image to your computer.
And above all, have fun!
Thursday, February 18
Oh How I Miss Saturday Morning Cartoons
And a Fark Photoshop to boot.
Photoshop this da Vinci under wraps:
And...
If you have to ask, you're probably far too young.
Photoshop this da Vinci under wraps:
And...
If you have to ask, you're probably far too young.
Monday, February 15
Who in Their Right Mind...
Oh, wait, maybe that's the point.
Was home for lunch last week, and heard it waaaay before I saw it. Engine revving at an unheard of rate, you'd have expected the thing to be going 88 miles an hour. But not.
Speeding by at top speed of five miles an hour was a neighbor's recently-acquired Ford Falcon. I wouldn't be surprised that the seller paid them to take it off their hands. Visually, the car is quite a stunner. Nary a dent or scratch. But under the bonnet, I dare not even imagine what it looks like.
In an earlier time, the following would be a joy to have in your driveway:
Even parked on the street it'd be a joy. But since the neighbor allows it to be in the garage, it boggles the mind that that old of a car probably has no catalytic converter, let alone any sort of carbon monoxide reduction.
[I'll take a moment here to say I wish no ill will on any of my neighbors. Even the new owners of this classic.]
Anyway.
This evening, the wife and I were watching TV, when she exclaimed "What's THAT?"
"Sounds like a car", even before she turned the volume down.
"Don't they know they're gassing the whole neighborhood?"
With that, I pretty much knew what the source was. And I was right. For there, a door or two down, was the infamous Falcon. Inching its way into the garage. At RPM's worthy of a Delorean going back in time.
Was home for lunch last week, and heard it waaaay before I saw it. Engine revving at an unheard of rate, you'd have expected the thing to be going 88 miles an hour. But not.
Speeding by at top speed of five miles an hour was a neighbor's recently-acquired Ford Falcon. I wouldn't be surprised that the seller paid them to take it off their hands. Visually, the car is quite a stunner. Nary a dent or scratch. But under the bonnet, I dare not even imagine what it looks like.
In an earlier time, the following would be a joy to have in your driveway:
Even parked on the street it'd be a joy. But since the neighbor allows it to be in the garage, it boggles the mind that that old of a car probably has no catalytic converter, let alone any sort of carbon monoxide reduction.
[I'll take a moment here to say I wish no ill will on any of my neighbors. Even the new owners of this classic.]
Anyway.
This evening, the wife and I were watching TV, when she exclaimed "What's THAT?"
"Sounds like a car", even before she turned the volume down.
"Don't they know they're gassing the whole neighborhood?"
With that, I pretty much knew what the source was. And I was right. For there, a door or two down, was the infamous Falcon. Inching its way into the garage. At RPM's worthy of a Delorean going back in time.
Proof that George Lucas is god
That's un-capitalized, you may note.
The proof:
Colossians 4:14 "Luke...
Deuteronomy 8:11 ... I Am...
Psalm 2:7 ...your father".
The proof:
Colossians 4:14 "Luke...
Deuteronomy 8:11 ... I Am...
Psalm 2:7 ...your father".
Chris Buttars is an Alien
What the hell planet is he from?
Mr. Buttars, ever the one to come out of nowhere with a lame-brain idea, not to mention opening his mouth before thinking which seems to happen more than the legislature would like - see my commentaries from previous legislative sessions in 2008 and 2009 - has come up with a zinger this time.
From the Salt Lake Tribune:
"Contending 12th grade is a wasted year for most high school students, Sen. Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan, suggested Monday [February 1] that the state could save $102 million by compressing high school into three years. [He] outlined his proposal for members of the Public Education Appropriations Subcommittee, dismissing 12th grade as a uniquely American tradition that is followed for reasons no one can identify. He acknowledged getting rid of it won't be easy."
Ya think?
One commenter on the Trib's website did acknowledge that Buttars should be commended on thinking outside the box; I, on the other hand, think that the residents of West Jordan (his home district) really need to consider thinking outside this box at the next election:
Mr. Buttars, ever the one to come out of nowhere with a lame-brain idea, not to mention opening his mouth before thinking which seems to happen more than the legislature would like - see my commentaries from previous legislative sessions in 2008 and 2009 - has come up with a zinger this time.
From the Salt Lake Tribune:
"Contending 12th grade is a wasted year for most high school students, Sen. Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan, suggested Monday [February 1] that the state could save $102 million by compressing high school into three years. [He] outlined his proposal for members of the Public Education Appropriations Subcommittee, dismissing 12th grade as a uniquely American tradition that is followed for reasons no one can identify. He acknowledged getting rid of it won't be easy."
Ya think?
One commenter on the Trib's website did acknowledge that Buttars should be commended on thinking outside the box; I, on the other hand, think that the residents of West Jordan (his home district) really need to consider thinking outside this box at the next election:
Sunday, February 14
Ethics in Social Media?
Does it exist?OK, so I may have done something a bit underhanded just now. And with all my luck, it'll come back to haunt me.
As a variation on a theme, I just made another comment on the poor name choice for Apple's new
Is an iPad a Maxi-pod?
Yeah, I can't help myself.
Anyway, no sooner had I posted that on Twitter than I had a retweet from @ipadtweet, repeating my comment. Likely having picked up on my iPad comment.
So I decided to test my theory by tweeting the following:
"Ethical? Is exploitation of an automaton a viable tactic to increase the visibility of your content? Example: iPad - http://bit.ly/9SkgEM "
[The bit.ly link is back to bob's bs.]
Will this provide new linkage to my blog? Dunno.
Watch this space for an update.
Snowboarder Protip
If you're representing your country in the Olympics, and they are footing the bill for you to be there, make sure you look good.
Chances are, my readers don't understand Japanese, unless you're withholding some information. So you may not understand the following clip. But do understand one thing: Kazuhiro Kokubo got into a serious world of hurt when he looked as unkempt as he did in the video.
Yeah, so the whole snowboarder anti-authority style is what permeates the sport. But if your culture expects you to be otherwise, then watch yourself.
Yeah, that was bs.
Chances are, my readers don't understand Japanese, unless you're withholding some information. So you may not understand the following clip. But do understand one thing: Kazuhiro Kokubo got into a serious world of hurt when he looked as unkempt as he did in the video.
Yeah, so the whole snowboarder anti-authority style is what permeates the sport. But if your culture expects you to be otherwise, then watch yourself.
Yeah, that was bs.
Saturday, February 13
Do the Birds Still Sing in Hell?
Horace Greasley. Remember that name. A POW during World War II, he had quite a story to tell of his imprisonment. And his erstwhile activities.
I only read of his exploits this morning, and wanted to paraphrase the account, but cannot do the story justice. So I'll just use the description from Amazon; you can get the book he wrote to the right.
"Do The Birds Still Sing In Hell? is an incredible tale of one man's defiance, of adversity and the lengths he was prepared to go to for brief, passion-filled moments, each time under a death sentence. This is the story of a young man's outlawed obsession for the girl he loved, of man's most natural craving and of his determination to defeat her Fatherland. This story is about good over evil, how love can blossom in the most impossible of situations. It is a story about desire and hope but above all it is a story of heroism."
Also, an awesome article about Horace at the Telegraph's UK website.
Horace died on February 4th.
I only read of his exploits this morning, and wanted to paraphrase the account, but cannot do the story justice. So I'll just use the description from Amazon; you can get the book he wrote to the right.
"Do The Birds Still Sing In Hell? is an incredible tale of one man's defiance, of adversity and the lengths he was prepared to go to for brief, passion-filled moments, each time under a death sentence. This is the story of a young man's outlawed obsession for the girl he loved, of man's most natural craving and of his determination to defeat her Fatherland. This story is about good over evil, how love can blossom in the most impossible of situations. It is a story about desire and hope but above all it is a story of heroism."
Also, an awesome article about Horace at the Telegraph's UK website.
Horace died on February 4th.
Monday, February 8
What Waking Up Looks Like
Marilee sent me this, from one of her friends.
I guarantee you will not be able to look away from this little video:
I guarantee you will not be able to look away from this little video:
Sunday, February 7
Did That Touchdown Break Twitter?
Tried to tweet that CBS should start cueing up 'Heidi', but my tweet took forever to go through.Mayhaps Twitter bogged down with that 31-17 Saints touchdown?
Anticlimactic Super Bowl Ad Placement
I'm seeing this more and more today - not in a general sense, mind you. Really, today, February 7th.
The following is supposedly an ad for Google (like they need to advertise) that will be airing today during the Super Bowl:
Specifically, during the third quarter. At least that's what this article at Business Insider (a Silicon Valley online rag) has to say.
What point is there in finding out what the commercials are, before the event?
And why do they have to spoil the show with all that football?
What will be most interesting is how social networking plays into all the hoopla. As Facebook is a bit more sluggish and overloaded they won't be much of an issue, IMHO. But Twitter?
I'll be watching TwitScoop, thank you very much.
And by the way, there's a YouTube channel already set up for the event at youtube.com/superbowl.
The following is supposedly an ad for Google (like they need to advertise) that will be airing today during the Super Bowl:
Specifically, during the third quarter. At least that's what this article at Business Insider (a Silicon Valley online rag) has to say.
What point is there in finding out what the commercials are, before the event?
And why do they have to spoil the show with all that football?
What will be most interesting is how social networking plays into all the hoopla. As Facebook is a bit more sluggish and overloaded they won't be much of an issue, IMHO. But Twitter?
I'll be watching TwitScoop, thank you very much.
And by the way, there's a YouTube channel already set up for the event at youtube.com/superbowl.
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