6.30.2004

MobileBlog - NJ

Headed back now...Corp offices r nice but Jersey is nothin' but industrial blacktop hell. Ugh.

MobileBlog - NJ

Catchin' the train to NJ for some work @ our corporate offices. Acela Express is pretty quick. Blogging from a phone isn't. :-[

6.28.2004

Smells fishy, eh?

Well, normally I only lookup things on snopes.com to debunk e-mails, but occasionally I browse the latest entries, and sure enough....truth can be stranger than fiction (with pics):
...a resident in the area saw a ball bouncing around kind of strange like in the developments pond and when he went to investigate, it was a flathead catfish who had obviously tried to swallow a child's basketball which became stuck in its mouth. The fish was totally exhausted from trying to dive but unable to because the ball would always bring him back up to the surface. The resident tried numerous times to get the ball out but was unsuccessful. He finally had his wife cut the ball in order to deflate the ball and release the catfish.


6.24.2004

Sheesh, try to make an innocent point...

Here at BWI airport: So much for the current "improved" post-9/11 security. One kid trying to prove the point that it's not better. Cost of making the point: 2 years probation, $500 fine. I'd do the same thing, if I had $500 bucks to spare. :^>
A college student who says he hid box cutters on airplanes to expose weaknesses in security was sentenced Thursday to two years supervised probation and fined $500.

Nathaniel Heatwole also must serve 100 hours of community service and reimburse his parents for up to $500 in legal expenses.

Heatwole, 21, told U.S. District Judge Paul Grimm that his intentions were constructive and he never meant to embarrass security officials or put anyone in any danger. But the judge said Heatwole's actions "produced an opposite effect."

The best way to bring about change is "civilly, rationally, and openly," Grimm told the student.

Sure....like write your corrupt legislators, vote in your Diebold-rigged elections, hold a peaceful demonstration (IF you can get a permit). Sometimes you have to be a little more blunt in your tactics, I suppose. Gotta agree with the kid 100% on this one...maybe wrong in his methods, but damn right in principle.
(off to vote Libertarian yet again)

6.21.2004

MobileBlog

Hangin out @ the parents' house for Father's Day...burgers & crabs. Mmm.

6.18.2004

Flaunting your voley charms?

The male species weeps today:
LONDON, England (Reuters) -- What would you give for a simple injection that would stop your lover from cheating?

Well, at least it works for meadow voles.

A single gene inserted into the brain can change promiscuous male rodents into faithful, monogamous partners, scientists said Wednesday.

Even better quote from this article:
"Even when temptresses came by and flaunted their voley charms, the genetically-modified males only had eyes for that one partner."

6.17.2004

Criminal Injustice System

Apparently we have a severe lack of ability to uphold our own laws anymore. Steven Oken. One man. 3 murders. Convicted 17 years ago. Still alive. You judge:
A federal judge today granted an indefinite stay in the execution of convicted killer Steven Oken so his lawyers can argue that Maryland's most recent execution raises doubts about the state's lethal injection procedures.

Oken was sentenced to death in 1991 by a Baltimore County jury for the 1987 rape and murder of Dawn Marie Garvin, a White Marsh newlywed.

Yes, this hits close to home. My parent's are friends with the Romano family. And if you think this is just another run-of-the-mill argument of pro- and anti-death-penalty camps...read the details of Dawn's rape and murder. I hate when people try and say stuff like "oh, the families just want vengence". That's why we let a jury of 12 random people decide things.

Justice please?

UPDATE: Justice is served.

6.16.2004

F*cking villagers....

Residents of an Austrian village called F*cking, have voted against changing the name.
The 150 or so people who live in the village debated the issue after roadsigns kept being stolen - many by British tourists.

Spokesman Siegfried Hoeppl, said, "Everyone here knows what it means in English, but for us F*cking is F*cking - and it`s going to stay F*cking - even though the signs keep getting stolen."

He said the name came from Mr F*ck and his family who settled in the area 100 years ago, and added "ing", meaning village or settlement
.

6.15.2004

Super-poll time!

If you've ever wanted to know what it would sound like if you actually tried to take the average of all Americans' opinions on Bush/Iraq/terrorism, it might sound like this.

A bit long of an article, but you get some gems like:
FP: Shortly after the terrorist attacks, the U.S. Congress passed new legislation called the U.S.A. Patriot Act, which removes certain limitations on the government's ability to monitor and detain individuals. How well do you feel you understand that legislation?

JP: Not very well.

FP: Based on what you know, though, would you say that the Patriot Act is a good thing overall?

JP: Basically, yes.
Scary, just scary.

6.14.2004

The "Latte Factor"...drinking your life away?

Ah, we all want to retire early, of course. The hard part? Actually biting the bullet and MANAGING YOUR MONEY. I've been saying this stuff for a long time:

According to the principles of Your Money or Your Life, the money management book by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin, money equals life energy. In other words, you worked some period of time for that mochaccino, thereby spending part of your life to pay for that fleeting treat.

Thinking of money as life energy is an excellent way to spend less. For example, would you buy yet another pair of shoes if you knew it would cost you five hours of your life? Or how about a new car when your old one works fine if you lose several weeks of your life to pay for it, and yet more time to maintain it?

It's called the "Latte Factor". Look it up....then pack a friggin' lunch to work. ;^> If I didn't understand that principle, I'd be driving a BMW Z3, but sure as hell wouldn't be buying my new house, now would I?

6.11.2004

The soft glow of electric sex....

If you've doubted....Amazon really DOES sell everything.

The lamp from "A Christmas Story" comes with, er..."glowing" reviews:
"My blessed-over-all-other friends gave me this for my birthday/Christmas/Thanksgiving/Flag Day present. It is everything Ralphie's dad coveted and more. I cannot wait to display it in a front window where everyone can observe the soft glow of electric sex gleaming through the night."

"When lit up, the leg & lamp shade both glow a warm yellow. I'm sure our neighbors hate us for displaying it lit up in our front window every night but it's just so darn trashy! The fishnet & fringe is real so you will have to be careful not to snag it on anything and so far our cats have left it alone."

6.03.2004

Pic of the day....too close for comfort?

Amazing close-up of a tornado in Nebraska. It violates my personal tornado safety rule: "If I can see it, I'm too close."

6.02.2004

AudioBlog

this is an audio post - click to play

Bush vs. Umbrella!

Courtesy of my blog-less friend Eric...Bush vs. the Almighty Umbrella of Doom. Have to say the umbrella appears to be about as effective as his Iraq policy. ;^>