U.S. Government Kills Thousands!

Ah, the silliness today in the news. Lets start off with how the U.S. Government's record keeping sucks, to say the least. A recent MSNBC report discusses how the government marks people off as dead and the hardships this imposes. Think this is a rare occurrence? Think again! "In all, Social Security officials had to “resurrect” 23,366 people from January 2004 to September 2005. In other words, over a period of 21 months, Social Security was presented with irrefutable evidence that it had been “killing” more than 1,100 people a month, or more than 35 a day."

The U.S. Government may also be deciding that thousands of people are not "natural born citizens." "In 1964, the Supreme Court seemed to say, without deciding, that "natural born" meant born inside the United States." The only reason this came up? McCain was born in the Panama Canal Zone... thus some (crazy liberals) believe that he is not eligible to be president. Seriously folks... find a real issue to argue here.

Meanwhile a group made up of scientists from governments around the world are gearing up to smash thousands of particles! "Engineers on Friday fitted the last major piece into what they say will be the world's largest scientific instrument — a nuclear particle accelerator in a 17-mile (27-kilometer) tunnel under the Swiss-French border." Wired magazine interviewed former rock-and-roller turned physicist, and asked about the commonality between physics and religion. His response, "I think that they have the same motivation, which is that you notice that there's something worth explaining about the universe. It's an emotional reaction to it -- like, this is beautiful, I want to understand how it works." Ironically, most representatives of the governments who paid for this billion dollar project don''t even understand what a nuclear particle accelerator is used for.

In More Important News...

Victoria's Secret seeks to change it's "too sexy" image! Long story short, sales are slipping so rather than make outfits that slip off easier, the company will "return to it's roots" and embrace a more feminine approach. FYI... The chain was started in San Francisco in 1977 by Roy Raymond, who said he was embarrassed trying to buy lingerie for his wife and hoped to provide a comfortable place for men to shop. Now we have the internet for that!

Of Local Concern...

Texas, how I love my home state! If it was a country, which some think it should be, Texas would have the 48th largest population, the 40th largest land mass, and the 8th largest emitter of CO2. Of course we all know how Texas is a major oil producer, and refiner... but more importantly think about the question, "where's the beef?" A study released last summer by Japanese scientists showed that production of just 1 kilogram of beef results in more CO₂ emissions than going for a three-hour drive while leaving all the lights on at home. But not to worry... we won't be doing anything to cause us to loose standing as the big number 8.

And for those of you who take an interest in my personal life... I was on The Space Show today. I gave a shout-out to Open NASA, discussed Yuri's Night and the Space Generation Advisory Council, and for more you just have to listen to the show! For those critics... I'll be adding a little more space related news to this blog, because it's mine and I can!

Things that are Hard to Believe... for $100 Alex

A new report cites that more 1 in 100 Americans are in jail or prison. "The report said 2,319,258 adults were held in U.S. prisons or jails at the start of 2008 — one out of every 99.1 adults, and more than any other country." If this isn't a wakeup call for creative sentencing... then I need to be elected as a judge!

Today Cuban Foreign Minister, Felipe Perez Roque, signed two key international human rights treaties. However Cuban said "it had reservations about some provisions and accused the United States of impeding the Cuban people's enjoyment of their rights." What would such a dog and pony show be if there were no political jabs taken at the U.S.?

There were however an end to political jabs in Kenya. "Kenya's rival politicians signed a power-sharing agreement Thursday and shook hands after weeks of bitter negotiations on how to end the country's deadly postelection crisis." Remember Bush/Gore in Florida... well a similar thing happened a while back in Kenya, but left over 1,000 dead and devastated the economy rather than promote rating for cable news shows. Despite this, in Kenya this took only weeks to resolve while people here in the U.S. still argue about hanging chads 7 years later.

Your cell phone bill may be going... down? Thats right, with new price wars in the wireless market competition is getting fierce. Of course if you are stuck in a contract like most of us, then you will have to wait to take advantage the great deals. One consumer advocate reminds us, “It’s important that you stand your ground when they call you at the end of your contract and start offering teasers to keep you as a customer ... this is the only time you have the bargaining power, so you want to push for all the features and services you can get before being signed up for two years again.” You may wish to read that as "suckered for two years again," I know thats how I feel!

And, Keith Richards is telling people to 'Lay off the Dope.' Richards, Rolling Stones guitarist and one of the most drugged up rock stars in human history, is telling youth “Give it up, it ain't really worth it. I know the fascination, but it ain't worth it.” He would know... rumor has it he once snorted his father's ashes. It's also just hard to believe that he's still alive!

People Not Running For President.

Michael Bloomberg who rumor has it was prepared to spend $1 billion on his own independent campaign has decided that rather than run as an independent he will support the candidate that "takes an independent, nonpartisan approach." Bloomberg will continue to focus his efforts on running New York City, being King of the Jews, and harassing local women.

Mayor Carmen Kontur-Gronquist, now infamous for her MySpace
lingerie/firetruck picture (Look Right), has now been stripped ... of her position. "The pictures of her in black bra and panties were taken for a contest about fitness before her election, Kontur-Gronquist said, but a relative posted them on MySpace in hopes it would improve her social life." Of the 500 people in town, the tally was 142-139, percent speaking this voter turn out is much higher than the national average.

Jay Leno is set to leave "The Tonight Show" in 2009, but he will likely stay out of politics. While he is being sought by ABC, FOX, and possibly even a new show on NBC... so far no one has been in touch with him from any of the political parties. In the meantime, while the political parties show some interest in me, none of the networks have contacted me directly about hosting a show.

In Money News...

You may be noticing that its getting more expensive to fill up your gas tank. I know that I am! That is because crude prices spiked above $102 a barrel for the first time Wednesday. One energy analyst blames the market, "This is a market that has been trending strongly to the upside, ignoring fundamentals, and focusing on other factors... They are not looking at how oil supply compares with oil demand." I blame the anti-nuclear power people who have prevented us from being energy independent for a number of years. For those of you who always wondered. 1 barrel of oil = 158.987296 liters, or 42 gallons.

Meanwhile, everyone's least favorite company, Microsoft, has been fined $1.3 billion. Why you ask? Because the EU has anit-trust issues.

Something to be Happy About

Starbucks shut down 7,100 stores! But it was only for 3 hours... The coffee giant decided that this would be the best way to re-train 135,000 of it's employees... at one time. "Part back-to-basics tutorial, part pep rally, the teach-in aimed to reacquaint baristas with the art of pulling the perfect shot of espresso and steaming milk so the velvety foam that tops a latte has just the right thickness." Many rivals offered special deals during those 3 hours, in fact, Caffe Vita Coffee Roasting Co., gave away free espresso drinks, celebrating how skilled their baristas are and the consistent flavor of their coffee.

Not happy enough? Do you want to live in a place where you can never grow up? If so you can buy Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch! Thats right, many parents will be sleeping better now that the property is up for auction. The private theme park has been basically closed since 2005, but will be on the chopping block March 19. Winner of the auction will recieve: all personal property inside, all fixtures and appliances, furniture, and all merry go round type devices, rides, and games. "The auction literally includes every single thing that is or isn't nailed down." The creepy part most people never knew... it also includes a great view of the prep school directly across the street from the ranch.

Still not happy? Try sugar. MSNBC Reports that antidepressants work no better than placebos. The study, determined therapy and exercise work well as does giving people pills of sugar. "There is little reason to prescribe new-generation antidepressant medications to any but the most severely depressed patients unless alternative treatments have been ineffective." So people are overly medicated in order for drug companies to make a profit... I'm not sure where the news is here, we all already knew this.

Something Silly This Way Comes

It's one of those days when the only things happening in the world around us can be laughed at.

Let us begin with musical diplomacy. The New York Philharmonic is visiting North Korea, providing for a history cultural exchange bAetween two countries who have been a button push away from nuking each other. Described as "a burst of musical diplomacy notably devoid of propaganda glorifying leader Kim Jong Il or attacks on U.S. policy." Talk about a rare occasion! So much so that one diplomat said, "Most North Koreans have never seen an American before; you'll be something very exotic." Most North Koreans have not seen food either.

Another thing North Koreans have not seen... shoes... on dogs. German police dogs will no longer get their feet dirty when on patrol - the entire dog unit will soon be equipped with blue plastic fiber shoes. "The dogs will start wearing the shoes this spring but only during operations that demand special foot protection." Why are the shoes blue one might ask... to match the officer's uniforms. Future purchases include doggie raid vests, helmets and motorcycles.

Meanwhile in Norway, a "doomsday" vault built to withstand an earthquake or nuclear strike has been built to protect millions of seeds. Thats right... seeds. "The Svalbard Global Seed Vault was to be officially inaugurated on Tuesday, less than a year after crews started drilling in Norway's Svalbard archipelago, about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) from the North Pole. The vault, which Norway built at a cost of about 50 million kroner (US$9.1 million, euro6.25 million), has the capacity to store 4.5 million seed samples from around the globe, shielding them from climate change, wars, natural disasters and other threats." The facility will allow Nordic scintists to stop acting like squirrels, as they have been storing frozen seeds in an abandoned coal mine for the last 20 years.

In Isreal, where frozen seeds are not of concern, a computer scientist is teaching a computer to appreciate art. While Michael Thompson and Michael J. Apter asked this question over 30 years ago... Daniel Keren has written "a mathematical program that began as a lark and become a serious effort to match some of the world’s greatest painters with their masterpieces. If the project pans out, it could help point out poor copies and eventually distinguish forgeries from the real deal." While the computer may be able to tell if the work is real or a forgery, it still will not be able to appreciate this blog.

And for balding men everywhere... Reuters reports, "Researchers have identified a gene linked to hair loss that could lead to new drugs to treat baldness." However, they have not yet identified a gene linked to understanding why some women find bald men attractive.

With Money Anything is Possible

$1,200,000,000. Think about it.... thats more than how much Russia spends per year on their entire space program. It's also the cost of the recently crashed B-2 bomber in Guam. There are now only 20 of the stealth bombers left, (read as $26 Billion). Good to know this was only the first crash involving the plane which first has been used in combat since the air war over Kosovo in 1999, and that both of the pilots are just fine. In the meantime, the rest of the feat has been grounded.

Speaking of things that cost too much for their own good, the "Absolutely Ridiculous Burger," made with beef, bacon and cheese, delivered on a 50-pound bun, sells for $350, and orders require 24 hours' notice. The 134 lbs burger that takes 12 hours to create is the largest hamburger commercially available. Rumor has it, flipping the burger requires three men using two steel sheets.

Ordering such a burger likely caused this fight between a couple in NY. "A man fighting with his girlfriend clung to a car roof and punched her through the window as she drove more than a mile on a busy road, hitting several other cars, police said."

In the Political World...

Ralph Nader has announced he will run for president, again, as "most Americans are disenchanted with the Democratic and Republican parties, and that none of the presidential contenders are addressing ways to stem corporate crime and Pentagon waste." I totally agree that our options for president are not great, but I really do not see how adding Nader to the mix will help anything. All this talk about change... for real change we should elect Hamster for President!

And in Saudi Arabia, 57 young men have been arrested for flirting. "The men are accused of wearing indecent clothes, playing loud music and dancing in order to attract the attention of girls, the Saudi Gazette reported." That will teach them... next time they should just buy hookers.

Is No One Safe?

An angry mob took 30 police officers hostage in Guatemala and threatened to kill them unless authorities release a farm leader who was detained last week. Thats right, a farm leader... and we go live to Gerry's Blog for more:

As we were settling down to a drink in the bar last night a disturbing message came over the radio. A group of indigenous people were reported to have taken over the police station in Livingston and were holding 15 policemen hostage. Raoul (the cruisers helper there) advised that all offices were closed, there could be no checking in or out of the Rio for a few days.

As we were assimilating this piece of information we heard that the police station in Fronteras had been similarly attacked and more police taken hostage e, bringing the total to 32. A group of locals has been seen crossing the bridge on their way to the police HQ wielding machetes and stakes... It was reported that the police station had been burned and police vehicles destroyed.

It sounds like all hell has broken loose! The Soviet revolution where the workers take up arms against the government... This can not possibly be happening anywhere else!

Accept in Kosovo of course where Serb protesters are attacking the UN and chanting "Kosovo is Ours!' The scene is oddly familiar to the mid-1990s, when Kosovo tried unsuccessfully to break away the first time. Lets go to Dr. Bulldog and Ronin for more on this...

Serbs are furious at Kosovo’s declaration of independence, and the nationalist-backed government is stoking the flames of a visceral passion for a province where Serbs have long been a minority — but that is seen as the sacred heartland of the Serb nation. By breaking free, Kosovo has touched several raw nerves in the Serbian psyche. This war-shattered nation feels it is being unfairly punished for the sins of late strongman Slobodan Milosevic. It is wounded by the loss of yet another big chunk of its territory. Its youths are bitter and restless over the deep poverty brought on by four lost wars.And now it is faced with the trauma of saying goodbye to what its people are taught to cherish as the cradle of their culture.

Now for the Word on the Street...
“Kosovo is ours,” said Dragoljub Stojanovic, 61, a retired factory worker from Leskovac. “We can’t give that away.”

“As long as we exist, Kosovo … is our Jerusalem, and we cannot give it up, just as we cannot give up our soul and our destiny,” Bishop Amfilohije, a church hard-liner, told worshippers at a prayer service Thursday following the Kosovo protest.

“Among normal people, the recognition of the independence of Kosovo is the final act of offending Serbs and proof that the West is unjust to the Serbs,” said Bratislav Grubacic, a leading political analyst in Belgrade. “They don’t see why they should be punished.”

The headline of the popular Vecernje Novisti newspaper the next day summed it up in a single word “Vow” — a pledge that Kosovo will not be lost for long.

Others not safe include those in the so called "Green Zone" in Baghdad... "A series of rockets or mortars were fired toward the U.S.-protected Green Zone early Saturday, a day after radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr ordered his Mahdi Army militia fighters to cease attacks for another six months." Well, obviously al-Sadr is not in charge in Iraq, nor is the Iraqi military, the U.S. military or any one else for that matter. Steve D reports:

Baghdad is 75% secure according to a Hoover Institution gasbag fellow. Unfortunately, it appears the heavily fortified Green Zone isn't one of those places:

A series of at least 10 explosions hit the home to the US embassy and Iraqi government ministries on Saturday, causing a siren to sound warning people to take cover.

Major Brad Leighton, a US military spokesman, said: "I can confirm that we did receive indirect fire and that it was multiple round."

But at least unlike the rest of Baghdad, I bet their plumbing still works inside there. Because Americans don't do wars liberations without indoor plumbing. So as long as none of those mortar shells hit the rest rooms, everything's jake.

Also not safe are polar bears! Environmentalists want to get the animals on the endangered species list while oil companies are hoping to take them out in order to make more money. I understand the dilemma when my cash is not safe either as I'm paying $3.11 a gallon at the pumps! Vivian Song reports her encounter...

How deceptively gentle she appeared, as she gnawed lazily on the grass and gazed curiously at her fleet of human company. She struck a queenly figure, even though all she did was poke her nose in the air, offended by the foreign smell of gumbo soup, and snoozed with her beautiful snowy face resting on her paw. There's no hint of savagery in 'ol Fluffy's carriage, for though I understand she's quite capable of pawing my face off, on that day she was in a playful mood for the cameras. By Fluffy, I speak of the eight-foot tall Ursus maritimus environmentalists have adopted as the pet mascot for their cause, and which politicians have cursed as their formidably furry foe, hampering the pursuit of their interests.

Of course one has to wonder... how can we solve both problems? I know! We can ride polar bears!

Can't We All Just Get Along?

It would appear that people are not happy with the whole Kosovo independence thing and they are taking it out on the United States embassy. In fact, "a charred body was found inside the U.S. Embassy Thursday after Serb rioters protesting Kosovo's declaration of independence set fire to offices there." The U.S. embassy had been closed in anticipation of the demonstration, and officials are not sure who's remains were discovered as all the Embassy staff have been accounted for. Hmmm... I smell a cover-up!

On a similar but totally different ethnic note, "Monopoly, the iconic game of capitalism, has been drawn into the dispute over Jerusalem." The new "Here and Now" world edition allows monopoly enthusiasts to log into the Hasbro Website and vote for which cities they would like to see on the game board. Since country names will not even appear on the board, the entire argument was just a waste... much like the time spent playing Monopoly. And to think,
how often does a rich man smoking a cigar cause strive in the world?

On the Forgotten Continent... aka... Africa...

Liberia, "Land of the Free," the country in West Africa colonized by freed slaves in 1822 and founded in 1847 and since then the scene of constant civil war, has once again be blessed with American intervention. "President Bush said Thursday that the United States is committed to helping restore lives of "hope and peace" to Liberia, a poor African nation that ties its founding and its renewed freedom to America." That sounds great... but how about we solve the problems here in United States first? The U.S. has provided $750 Million in aid since 2003.... which is close to the amount of money that was spent between individuals trying to buy to U.S. presidency back in 2004. Coincidence? ... Probably so.

Also coming out of Africa... Scientists have recently completed studies that confirm the theory that modern man evolved in Africa and then migrated through Europe and Asia to reach the Pacific and Americas. "The two studies also show that Africans have the most diverse DNA, and the fewest potentially harmful genetic mutations." Meanwhile, other reports show that we are de-evolving at a much faster rate.

Things to Stay the Same in World Affairs... For Now

After Castro stepped down and Raul, who if was a beer would be Fidel Light, took over... there has been no change. Meanwhile over in Pakistan... there will be no change. Musharraf’s spokesman Rashid Qureshi said Tuesday "the president intends to work with the new government and will serve out his term, which expires in 2012." However, by 2012, Musharraf expects to declare emergency rule again or just change the style of elections to be more like those held in Cuba.

Over in Iraq... Radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has threatened to lift a six-month cease-fire. Well... not really. In fact, Sheik Salah al-Obeidi, a spokesman for al-Sadr, said that if the cleric failed to issue a statement by Saturday saying that the cease-fire was extended "then that means the freeze is over." How exactly does that work? Is he just going to wake up in the morning and flip a coin... ehh... maybe I feel like ending the cease-fire... maybe not. One Iraqi legislator was quoted by the Associated Press as saying "No one can predict what decision will be taken." Gee, thanks for the insight.

In another region of the world most American's don't care about... President Bush has announced that there would be no new U.S. military bases in Africa. In fact, Bush said, "That's baloney. As they say in Texas, that's bull." Regardless of what the President says, and perhaps without his knowledge, the Pentagon has been reorganizing for the last year to instate Africom, to "more effectively reorganize U.S. military efforts in Africa to strengthen African nations' peacekeeping, trafficking and anti-terror efforts." In other words, no new bases now... but likely in the future.

A New Type of Foreign Investment

Outsourcing to India, first made infamous by providing amazing technical support that most American's could not understand, is now growing to include wombs. In the United States, a couple would expect to pay about "$80,000 for a surrogate pregnancy. In India, they will pay about $30,000, with $7,000 going to the surrogate and the rest to doctors and travel." While the practice has only been legal in India for about five years, "it has grown into an industry estimated to be worth nearly $500 million."

It's Your Money

Meanwhile, here in the United States, the government has made its first assessment of the more than $5 billion invested over the last six years on preparing the country for public health emergencies. The CDC and public health officials say we get an 'A' for effort. Just to put $5 billion in today's perspective: Boeing netted that much in aircraft sales in one day, it is how much the MGM Grand Atlantic City will cost, and it's more money than Choice Point is worth. It's also the going cost for a Nimitz class aircraft carrier.

In Personal News

"It just seemed like the fiscal conservative thing to do." Thats right, no money will be wasted on a razor, shaving cream or excessive water use from February 19th until March 4th. Alan Steinberg has started growing his annual Primary Victory Beard. Right now it looks like this and current CIA estimates expect this by March 4th.

Gentleman Start Your Lighters!

Thats right, Cuban "President" Fidel Castro is bringing his half a century long rule to an end.

Ok, well he's not dead, but in his farewell address Castro told Granma (Thats the Cuban Newspaper), "I will not aspire to or accept the positions of president of the Council of State and commander-in-chief."

I guess he meant he would not aspire or accept it again... or... any longer... I mean... would you even consider what they do voting?

We go live to posts from across the blogosphere for coverage of this historical event...

Metulj from KnoxViews reports:
"By giving Castro menacing looks for 35 years, the American Conservative movement has brought down this evil dictatorship using the time-honored tactic of old age. Once again, a historical moment occurs under the steady hand of George W. Bush. Democrats reacted with horror as their ideal state has started to collapse to be replaced with big box retailers and market-based health care."

Thank you Metulj, perhaps now we will be able increase the inflow of cigars, rum, pajamas to the United States. Or at least, Wal-Mart will be able to open a half dozen new locations.

For more, we check in with Dane Bramage who reported:
"Fidel Castro announced that he would step down as ruler of Cuba today. The aging communist seized power before I was born (I'm 48). So he has been in charge of Cuba forever as far as I'm concerned. Well we can't have a dictator step down without some digs at the good ole U.S.A. I mean after all we need universal healthcare just like Cuba's. Nevermind that a U.S. system would have to cover 27 times the number of people Cuba's does. Cuba is a happy helthcare haven and model for the rest of the world to emmulate. Doesn't it bother anybody that part of the price Cubans paid for their "high level of health care" is their freedom? Is living under the boot of a dictator a good trade off? Can anyone raised in this country answer authoritatively?"

Ya know Dane... I don't think they do. Haven't you seen the movie Sicko? It seems that Micheal Moore and perhaps many other Americans would be willing to trade liberty for health care.

Finally, Celebrity Oops reports:
"Celebrity dictator Fidel Castro has finally stepped down as the fascist leader of Cuba. In a letter published in the middle of the night in the state run newspaper Granma (not to be confused with my Grandma or yo Mama), Castro stated that he was stepping down so that he could continue to smoke that big, fat Havana cigar and be taken care of by his wife, Dalia Soto del Valle. Castro has stated his desire to step down from ruling his cowering country with an iron fist because of health reasons. Could it be that the mysterious stomach ailment of two years ago has come back to haunt the haughty dictator? But, the people of Cuba are not singing “Ding dong the witch is dead” just yet. There is that Mini-Me brother Raul to consider."

So, will Castro's exit lead to change? Probably Not... but hopefully during the confusion we can get some Cigars across the border

Meanwhile on the other side of the world...

Pervez Musharraf today faced calls for his removal as president of Pakistan after as his political allies conceded defeat after being routed in parliamentary elections.

Supporters of Nawaz Sharif celebrate looming victory at the end of polling in Rawalpindi "The result also restored some faith in the electoral process as the poll was broadly deemed to be fair. Mr Musharraf's political survival now depends on his ability to forge a power-sharing deal with Miss Bhutto's widower, Asif Ali Zardari, the co-chairman of her Pakistan's People's Party (PPP)."

As luck would have it...

The CIA recently took out Abu Laith al-Libi, a senior al-Qaeda commander and a man who had repeatedly eluded the CIA's dragnet. "Having requested the Pakistani government's official permission for such strikes on previous occasions, only to be put off or turned down, this time the U.S. spy agency did not seek approval."

I guess it does not matter who wins the elections... as obviously the United States still has full control of predator strikes within the country.

Also in the Middle East (or that general area)

It would appear that beggars, vagabonds and the mentally disabled are at risk of being used as human bombs. The country has decided to round up these people from the streets in Baghdad to prevent them from being used by insurgents. Apparently, the decision was made "after a series of suicide attacks, including two female bombers who struck pet markets in Baghdad on Feb. 1, killing nearly 100 people. Iraqi and U.S. officials have said the women were mentally disabled and apparently unwitting bombers."

I'm am sure the interview after their death confirmed that they did it entirely against their will.

And for something completely different

A church in Florida is challenging its members to have more sex... in fact, to have sex every day. Paster Paul Wirthof the Relevant Church, beliefs "the marathon undertaking could help cut high divorce rates."

I don't know about you... but I for one could always use more sex.

Where's the Beef?

This weekend the United States witnessed it's largest beef recall, 143 million pounds. The meat was destined to end up in school lunches but instead the students will now get fake beef. But not to worry, the USDA says there is only "a remote probability of adverse health consequences from the use of the product" and "Officials estimate that about 37 million pounds of the recalled beef went to school programs, but they believe most of the meat probably has already been eaten."

Thats just great... recalling meat thats already been eaten. Why cause the panic... sometimes the government ought to just cover things up. Ignorance is bliss when it comes to things like this.

In other animal related news, scientists have found the fossil of the Beelzebufo. The Devil Toad was 16 inches long and weighed an estimated 10 pounds. Think of a bowling ball with a big mouth and sharp teeth. One of the scientists who found the remains said, "It's not outside the realm of possibility that Beelzebufo took down lizards and mammals and possibly hatchling dinosaurs."

I would not want to run into this thing in a dark bowling alley. Just imagine you stick your fingers in what you think are the ball holes, a scream later... and no more fingers!

In Abu Dhabi, a member of a wealthy family.paid $14 million for a license plate with nothing but the number "1" on it. The record sale surpassed the $6.8 million that was paid for an Emirati license plate at an earlier auction with the Western number 5 on it. Saeed Khouri is not sure which of his many cars he will put it on, but he said, "I bought it because it's the best number... I bought it because I want to be the best in the world."

Silly me, but I always thought one was the loneliest number.

And in South Africa, the first anti-AIDS vaginal gel to make it through late-stage testing failed to stop HIV infection. 9,000 women volunteered for the study... and it turns out, most of them now have AIDS. Thats not good... Note to self... Avoid South Africa.

For Sale: Law Enforcement and Public Roads

With local elections coming up here in Fort Bend County, I can not help but start asking questions about the problems people seem to be overlooking.

At what point did the government get into the private security business? I understand (or at least I am told) that the contracts do not cost the county anything as the expense is pushed off to the area paying the contract. But does this include retirement benefits and legal fees incurred as part of the contract work, or the upkeep of vehicles, materials, and uniforms?

Is no one else concerned that county law enforcement is for sale to the highest bidder?! Perhaps Security Companies need to work on their marketing, because the $8 an hour security guard can call the Sheriff's Office just as quickly as the contract Constable and will not be busy writing speeding tickets while your house gets vandalized. FYI: Sweetwater spends over $300,000 a year for this service... which would be less than 1 person 24/7, they could get three times this manpower if they used private security.

The most interesting part about all this is that the county law enforcement agencies push contracts rather than work to set up Neighborhood Watch programs, which happens to be "one of the oldest and best-known crime prevention concepts in North America."

Also, whats going on with Toll Roads? I don't mind paying to use private roads... but the quasi governmental involvement screws us all over. James Baxter, President of the National Motorists Association says "if some corporation wants to build a private highway absent government involvement, regulation, and support, go for it." But at present, the system is broken, I'm paying to use public land/roads that have already been payed for before. In addition, I am forced to use them due to poor maintenance of my free roads and the fact that I'll get better gas millage when I don't have to deal with as many stop lights. I agree with Baxter, "Fix the roads that were destroyed to make the toll roads more profitable & re-time and synchronize traffic signal systems so they move traffic" and we would all live happily ever after.

On an interesting side note, rumor has it that the Constables patrolling the Toll Roads actually have no authority to enforce the speed limits on them due to the public/private rules. I'm not really sure how that works, so if someone wants to clarify that... I'd love to start treating the Toll Road as a "pay-to-play" autobahn.

A New Country and a New War?

Quick, add a desk to the UN General Assembly in New York, and find Kosovo some embassy space in Washington, DC. Thats right we now have a new country to deal with. "Kosovo's parliament declared the disputed territory a nation on Sunday, mounting a historic bid to become an "independent and democratic state" backed by the U.S. and European allies but bitterly contested by Serbia and Russia." Once part of Yugoslavia, a country that never could hold itself together, and until today a providence in Serbia where bloodshed and violence has been the norm since 1992 when it declared its independence from Yugoslavia... yet another decision in the region that Russia was not a fan of.

Perhaps we will soon see the same thing happen here in Texas? Or perhaps it will be Vermont!

In the meantime, the United States faces the threat of falling objects. "President Bush has ordered the Pentagon to use a Navy missile to attempt to destroy a broken U.S. spy satellite — and thereby minimize the risk to humans from its toxic fuel — by intercepting it just before it re-enters the atmosphere." Russia on the other hand believes this to be the start of a new space arms race. By the way, the cost to U.S. taxpayers... at least $10 million.

HD vs. Blue Ray - Game Over?

This war has been raging on for years now. No, not the Iraq war, but rather the HD versus Blue Ray battle over formatting. With porn going HD, I was sure we would see repeat of the VHS vs. Beta war of the 80s. But it would appear that due to the bootlegging of internet porn, the industry no longer has the stamina it once did. Thats right, Wal-Mart... king of retail cheap stuff... has decided on Blue Ray! "Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has decided to exclusively sell high-definition DVDs in the Blu-ray format, dealing what could be a crippling blow to the rival HD DVD technology backed by Toshiba Corp."

Meanwhile, in a similar but completely different war... the PlayStation 3 seems much cooler to me than the X-Box. Despite record breaking sales for Halo 3, how will the X-Box compete when the PS3 has built in Blue Ray?

In other news, Greenspan says the American economy is going to hell...


Multiculturalism makes the UK vulnerable to terrorism...

and cue the violina for a story about a broken million dollar fiddle.

Sex, Toys, and the Internet

Background checks are all the rage these days. Typically the story is how they are not getting done for federal employees, but now they are not getting done for immigrants applying for permanent resident status. According to the Washington Post, "the Bush administration will grant permanent residency to tens of thousands of legal U.S. immigrants without first completing required background checks against the FBI's investigative files." Not that this really matters as most of these people are already residing in the United States.

Meanwhile,online dating service True.com completes criminal background checks on its users. While most online dating sites agree that the checks are useless True.com's founder and chief executive, Herb Vest stated, "If we were to clean up, there's hordes of off-line singles who'd come online to find their soul mate." Herb, I think the hordes of off-line single felons will be disappointed to find the hordes of online single nerds.

Oh, I know... perhaps we should just give all immigrants a 1 month subscription to True.com.

In Germany, a woman who became pregnant after an online sex auction has sued to find out the names of the people she had sex with. "Six different men won Internet auctions to have sex with the woman in April and May last year. They were only known to her by their online names." I wonder if this a promotion that True.com ran...

In other news, in particular interest to those who use online dating sites "A federal appeals court has overturned a Texas statute outlawing sex toy sales." And, I was worried there for a while.

And in case you missed it, despite scoring a platinum performance by singing "My Heart Will Go On"* on American Idol Encore last night, I still have not been offered the chance to replace Jon Stewart.


*As if I would let anyone record me doing that! Yeah, right...

Life Borring? Get a Second One!

Is your life boring? Wish you were more debonair, played baccarat, or enjoyed your martinis shaken, not stirred? Well perhaps your should consider a double life... on second life!

I'm not talking about playing GoldenEye; you can sell secrets, start a black market or even plan your next terrorist attack on Second Life. "U.S. intelligence officials are cautioning that popular Internet services that enable computer users to adopt cartoon-like personas in three-dimensional online spaces also are creating security vulnerabilities by opening novel ways for terrorists and criminals to move money, organize and conduct corporate espionage."

The Intelligence Agency's are already talking about spying on us! So, enjoy your "Second Life" but do not get caught!* Then again, even if you do, they won't be waterboarding you!

*This site and its authors take no responsibility for whatever stupid choices you make in life (first or second).

Video Games Let You Live Past 100!

“It’s not just luck, it’s not just genetics. ... It’s lifestyle” says one doctor in response to a recent survey of those living past the century mark. Now you must be wondering what life style you should be living...

Well it's not the $40 super fruit juice, but it could be video games! As one psychologist has said, “video games are a way of calibrating and managing the overwhelming pulses of stress that comes with combat zone living.”

The simple way to get past 100... play Spore. In fact, with this game you get to play for generations upon generations... heck, you get to create yourself in the game. Even Robin Williams took a crack at playing god.

If all else fails... try an Exorcism, I hear it's making a comeback.

What is happening on the front lines of an intergalactic struggle between good and evil?

According to a recent poll, sympathy for Osama bin Laden in Pakistan down... but it is still almost double that of the 14% of the American public that approves of the U.S. Congress.

"According to the poll results only 24 percent of Pakistanis approved of bin Laden when the survey was conducted last month, compared with 46 percent during a similar survey in August. Backing for al-Qaida, whose senior leaders are believed to be hiding along the Pakistani-Afghan border, fell to 18 percent from 33 percent." Full Report

Lets just ignore the other data and stick to the part where sympathy is falling for the evil doers! Score another point for good with this Journal that was recently found in Iraq, where the "al-Qaeda in Iraq leader detailed the organization's demise in his sector. He once had 600 men, but now his force was down to 20 or fewer."

Meanwhile... NATO is falling apart due to issues with Afghanistan... leading to no mo' NATO? Or will this new Grand Strategy save the alliance? Full 152 page report

But more importantly than any of the above... READ THIS to find out what is happening on the front lines of an intergalactic struggle between good and evil .

If you want to keep up with whats going on in Iraq and Afghanistan on a more regular basis and without my commentary mixed in, visit War News Updates.

Lebensraum in the United States

For those of you who do not speak German or have no background in Geopolitics: Lebensraum translates as "habitat" or "living space" and refers to land and raw materials. The term Lebensraum in this sense was coined by Friedrich Ratzel in 1897, who believed that the development of a people was primarily influenced by their geographical situation and that a people that successfully adapted to one location would proceed naturally to another. This expansion to fill available space, he claimed, was a natural and necessary feature of any healthy species.

Recent legislation proposed in Georgia would fix the state lines to where some argue they were always meant to be. "If Tennessee's southern border were the 35th parallel — as Congress designated in 1796 —Georgia would have a share of the Tennessee River. But a surveying team sent by Georgia to chart the line in 1818 was a bit off the mark."

Tennessee responds: "One state senator offered to settle the issue with a football game. Another suggested floating an armada of University of Tennessee fans down the Tennessee River to defend the state's territory."

Will Georgians go to war for water? "Us good Tennesseeans will take our long rifles up to Lookout Mountain and fire when ready," said Justin Wilson, a Nashville attorney and former deputy governor.

Yikes, Can Anyone Find the Treaty of Beaufort?

The Youth Vote and the Wii

At the first political event I attended in Fort Bend County after decided I would run for Congress one of the speakers said "Don't waste time with youth, they don't vote." Despite the existence of the Youth Vote Coalition.

Regardless I defiantly worked on targeting youth by having a presence on Facebook and MySpace, which a year ago was rare and now has become the political norm. I even flirted with YouTube and Flickr, but I just didn't have to resources/time to keep it going. (Now that I'm out, I may go back to developing it.)

I also had an idea to target teenagers who could not vote yet, get they psyched up about it and perhaps they would encourage their parents to vote. MSNBC had this article on how Kids love campaign 2008, focused on the presidential election, but it shows that there is defiantly something to what I wanted to do.

While we all know about "Wiihabilitation" and "Wiitirement Homes"... but we do not have any political embrace using the Wii Vote Channel. Talk about a place to get some youth voter input! I tried running the question "Would you be willing to vote for a 25 year old for congress." But I never saw the question get asked. It would be fun if Nintendo would allow something simple such as "Do you plan to vote?"

Fed. Govt. working to protect sperm from cell phones?

Welcome back from your overseas trip fellow U.S. Citizen, please have out your passport and be ready to have your cell phone logs deleted, your web traffic examined and your hard drive copied. Yes, we are the U.S. government, and no we do not have a warrant.

Silly me, but I do not remember voting for this... what ever happened to the 4th Amendment?

"The government is going well beyond its traditional role of looking for contraband and really is looking into the content of people's thoughts and ideas and their lawful political activities." The best part about it is... you could be arrested because he can't prove the songs on his MP3 player were downloaded legally! Be sure to keep your receipt handy or you could end up arrested like the 278 people who's liberties where infringed upon by the Houston PD a few years back.

Perhaps the federal government is just trying to protect my sperm from the evils of technology? Science is now proving what I already figured out: cell phones are the new form of birth control! If you have a job where you are on call and so easily reached by cell phone you already knew how cell phones have a tendency to inhibit certain activities.... but a new study shows "sperm count and sperm quality tended to decline as daily cell phone hours increased."

Paper Planes and Iranian Rockets

Little Planes - Big Dreams: paper airplane being dropped from the International Space Station, with a likely price tag in the millions. It actually sounds like quite a neat idea, but how many people will find the paper airplanes and just toss them into the trash can not knowing what they are, assuming they do not end up landing on the 71% of the Earth's surface covered in water. Nancy Atkinson seems to agree and has not complained about me stealing the picture to the right!

Meanwhile, "Atlantis has been sitting on the launch pad, with the European Space Agency's Columbus lab tucked in its payload bay, since late last year." I understand that weather conditions and mechanical problems are important... but come on people, the shuttle isn't getting any younger! It's good to see that at least a few politicians care what is going on and are showing their support for space.

Perhaps the most interesting bit of space news right now is Iran's recent rocket launch. "With the launch, Iran has joined the world's top 11 countries possessing space technology to build satellites and launch rockets into space." Combined with their questionable nuclear program, and recent tests this might also mean they can deliver nuclear warheads via ICBM. Isn't that just great? Sounds like "another troubling development."

And on a lighter and more local note. Yuri's Night, April 12, is coming up and the Houston area event is coming together nicely!

Science Debate 2008

You know how most political debates are about nothing? Well here is one that is about something. Well... it's trying to be. Science Debate 2008.

"Given the many urgent scientific and technological challenges facing America and the rest of the world, the increasing need for accurate scientific information in political decision making, and the vital role scientific innovation plays in spurring economic growth and competitiveness, we call for a public debate in which the U.S. presidential candidates share their views on the issues of The Environment, Health and Medicine, and Science and Technology Policy."

I am quite a fan and support this endeavor, but in the end it will not actually do any good. Politicians answer the question they wish they were asked and not the question they were actually asked. A debate that would actually work would be if the public could engage the politicians uncensored! I know, I ask for way too much.

Some are not convinced that this is the best idea Debating the Science Debate
Others let the people decide while talking about both sides A Presidential Debate on Science?

Super Duper Tuesday!

Today is the big day... well it was before Rudy and Edwards decided to drop out. Odds are no one will drop out after today since we are basically down to 2 Ds and 3.5Rs. (Ron Paul is the .5)

Check out my favorite political video blogger James Kotechi's view on it all, and he talks about cheese whiz!

Tonight you can come out at Celebrate the Returns with Beer and Fajitas at the Super Tuesday Election Returns Party put on the by the Greater Height GOP and the Houston Young Republicans. The event starts at 6:30 at is at Suzzane Anderson Properties, 741 E. 11th St. in the Heights.

For you Political Twitter addicts, you should check out what Russell Holliman (my newest Twitter follower) posted over on his blog. Or you can cheat and just click here.

MSNBC also has a nifty Hour-by-Hour Coverage, probably one of the least biased of the professional news groups.

If you prefer to get a nice biased blogger's opinion on it all... see any of the following or one of the thousands of others who will blog the event all day/night long. Thanks to No Runny Eggs for the list.

- Michelle Malkin
- Mike’s America (he’ll have a live chat going)
- American Princess (E.M. will be a bit late)
- Hot Air
- TownHall
- Pajamas Media
- VodkaPundit (who is also part of the PJM coverage)
- Free Republic
- Sister Toldjah
- Suitably Flip
- Little Green Footballs
- Ace and the fellow moronbloggers
- The Campaign Spot
- bRight & Early

Microsoft + Yahoo > Google?

So the big news in the tech world is all about Microsoft working to buy Yahoo. This way Microsoft and Google can later have their own Super Bowl of the Internet. I for one look forward to this since I only use Yahoo for my free personal e-mail and Microsoft for it's software.

Of course the one thing that I would really look forward to, you know better and simpler communication will not happen. "Analysts expect the combined companies to preserve many of their separate free services, like instant-messaging and e-mail programs."

Now maybe 2-5 years from now we can see some nice innovation... "Eventually, a teamed-up Yahoo and Microsoft might be able to rethink the PC desktop — where Windows still runs 90 percent of the world's PCs — so that Internet data such as stock prices, sports scores and weather are automatically baked in...we may not have a home page — it might just be the background of my desktop. There's no reason why Microsoft can't push this another level."

In the meantime, this will not effect most of us who do not own stock in one of these two giants, and really is not that newsworthy. Google isn't too happy about the deal, but again... I don't really care. I'm just upset with the idea that ISPs might start charging for the amount of bandwidth I use per month. Thankfully I don't have Time Warner.

Read More
Google is Upset?
Why Time Warner sucks

One small step for pot smokers, one giant leap for the American Vending Machine Industry...

In LA there are 24-hour medical marijuana vending machines. So that "Patients suffering from chronic pain, loss of appetite and other ailments that marijuana is said to alleviate can get their pot with a dose of convenience"

"The computerized machine requires fingerprint identification and a prepaid card with a magnetic stripe. Once the card and fingerprint are verified, a bright green envelope with the pot drops down a slot. It limits the number of workers in the store in the event of a raid, and it'll make it harder for theft."

Check it out here

I can't wait for the neighborhood Viagra and Adderall machines too! Oooh... I hope they take Aggie Bucks!

Alcohol vending machine
Other neat things that come in Vending Machines in Japan

Ratings down for public executions?

Iran has decided that executions will no longer take place in public. This is shame... I for one was very supportive of public executions and was hoping to see them here in the United States. It's not like you have to watch them if you do not want to, but talk about a deterrent. If you believe that the death penalty is a deterrent, how can you not agree that putting it out in public makes it that much stronger?

"Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi, a moderate conservative cleric, also banned publishing pictures and broadcasting video footage of executions, the report said. Shahroudi has made other surprising decisions in the past. In 2004, he ordered a ban on the use of torture in obtaining confessions — a decision widely seen as the first public acknowledgment of the practice of torture in Iran."

Read More

Ok, well at least he put a stop to torturing confessions out of people... so I guess he is doing some good.

Interestingly, Iran has hanged more than 20 people convicted of murder, rape and drug smuggling during the first 30 days of this year. Meanwhile, the United States only executed 42 people during the first 9 months of 2007, with only 1 getting the chair.

For More About Execution
The Last Public Execution in the U.S.

Why Political Parties Suck

Today I shall vent about the problems with the Republican Party. I am sure the Democratic party has similar problems, but I shall only blog about what I know. I will not go into the details of how the party is being taken over by the religious right, and how that will lead to its ultimate demise. No, rather we shall discuss particular problems I am seeing first had with my involvement in current campaigns.

The Harris County Republican Party is broken. First it has a track record of not talking to candidates, at least two candidates I know of are not getting their phone calls returned and I'm willing to bet the actual number is higher. Second, and more importantly, there are many useless precinct chairs. People become precinct chairs in order to support the party and help get Republicans elected. However, many precinct chairs do not want to play. They do not show up to executive committee meetings, return candidates' phone calls, or bother to get involved. I'd be curious to see how many do not even bother to vote in the primaries!

Speaking of organizations that are disappointing me, the Houston Young Republicans are getting up there on the list. A group of people who care about getting Republicans elected, but less than 20% show up to meetings, and of those who even do that, few if any are workings with any political campaigns in the area. In fact, more members of HYR traveled out of state to help Republican Candidates than help candidates right here in Houston. To top it off HYR is spending more efforts to hype up a Happy Hour that only current members attend than to advertise an event with free food and drink, designed to encourage more political involvement in the community. To me it seems that priorities are not in order here.

No wonder Republicans are loosing elections, people who say they care the most do not even get involved. People will complain that I'm "airing dirty laundry"... but guess what, I'm tired of this, and nothing will change while things are kept hushed up! Hopefully this will embarrass people enough to change their ways.