Nudes

Image via Wikipediahttp://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSTRE4BE54F20081215?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews

"A nude model resembling the Virgin Mary on the cover of the Mexican edition of Playboy magazine, published only days before a major Mexican festival dedicated to the mother of Jesus, prompted the company's U.S. headquarters on Friday to apologize."

D'Oh!

* * *

http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSTRE4BE4BR20081215?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews

"French first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy is suing a fashion chain for selling bags emblazoned with nude images of her in the latest legal action over the presidential couple's image."

* * *

http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSTRE4BF51E20081216?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews

"Artists' models in Paris stripped naked Monday, braving freezing temperatures to protest against a ban on tips and to demand better pay and recognition."

It must be nude news season at Reuters.

Mary

Image by remolacha.net fotos via Flickrhttp://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSTRE4BE54F20081215?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews

"A nude model resembling the Virgin Mary on the cover of the Mexican edition of Playboy magazine, published only days before a major Mexican festival dedicated to the mother of Jesus, prompted the company's U.S. headquarters on Friday to apologize."

D'Oh!

Stupid Blackberry Users

Image via Wikipediahttp://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/12/12/mccain_blackberry/

"A Blackberry containing sensitive information belonging to the now-defunct presidential campaign of John McCain has made its way into the hands of a Fox 5 reporter, who was able to purchase the unwiped device for a mere $20.

"The Blackberry, which was sold this week during a liquidation sale, contained some 50 phone numbers of people connected to the campaign and hundreds of emails that spanned from September until a few days following the November 4 election."

D'oh!

Stevens

Image via Wikipediahttp://thinkprogress.org/2008/12/12/stevens-begich-talk/

I guess Ted Stevens is sort of a a-hole. Golly, who'da guessed!

North Korea

Image via WikipediaNorth Korea is one messed up place.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/10/AR2008121003855.html

"In the book, Shin describes the "common and almost routine" savagery of the camp: the rape of his cousin by prison guards and the beating to death of a young girl found with five grains of unauthorized wheat in her pocket. He once found three kernels of corn in a pile of cow dung, he writes. He picked them out, cleaned them off on his sleeve and ate them. "As miserable as it may seem, that was my lucky day," he writes."

Truth Stranger Than Fiction

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/11/25/court.rapes/index.html

"A British man was jailed Tuesday for raping two of his daughters and fathering nine children over 27 years, a case with echoes of Austria's Josef Fritzl.

"The two daughters were made pregnant 19 times; there were nine births, five miscarriages and five terminations. Seven of the children are alive but suffer genetic deformities.

...

"It emerged that in 1998 one daughter rang Childline, a charity to help abused kids, and asked for assurances about being able to keep her children if she came forward. When Childline could not make that guarantee, the daughter did nothing more to raise her plight."

Ever More TSA Stupidity

Image by Getty Images via Daylifehttp://www.cracked.com/article_16849_7-dumbest-things-ever-done-by-airport-security.html

Apparently figuring that the metal nipple rings were there to disguise some kind of implanted boob lasers, Hamlin was forced to remove both of her piercings.

One came out with no problem, but the other, she had to remove with pliers. This was done behind a screen, while (according to Hamlin) male agents stood nearby laughing at her.

Here's what the Transportation Security Administration had to say for itself:

"TSA supports the thoroughness of the officers involved as they were acting to protect the passengers and crews of the flights departing Lubbock that day... In the future, TSA will inform passengers that they have the option to resolve the alarm through a visual inspection of the article in lieu of removing the item in question."

I actually don't blame the TSA. The fault is with the people in general for confusing arbitrary and rediculous levels of inconvienince and intrusion with actual security.

Fake?

Image by smiteme via Flickrhttp://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/12/a-fourth-pictur.html

This is the second web site I've seen on this. The first was just a blog, but this is a little higher profile. Did the Republicans fake Sarah Palin's baby? It's starting to look like it.

I'm sick and tired of Sarah Palin. I was sick and tired of Sarah Palin 3 minutes into her speech at the Republican convention.

But part of me hopes she doesn't go away. Part of me hopes that the Republicans think so little of they supporters that they can run with light-weights like Palin. I hope they go for it.

Bail

Image via Wikipediahttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/08/inefficient-hybrids-drive_n_149215.html

"Robert Nardelli of Chrysler drove his company's Aspen Hybrid S.U.V., which gets 22 miles per gallon on the highway and 20 in the city. Ford's Alan Mulally drove an Escape Hybrid S.U.V. -- 31 m.p.g. on the highway and 34 in the city. And Rick Wagoner of General Motors drove a Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid Sedan. His was the most efficient on the highway, averaging 34 m.p.g., but only 26 in the city."

The car company CEOs responded to criticism about private jets by driving to Washington DC the second time. This stunt was misguided and just as wrong-headed as the private jets. It just served to further highlight just how out of touch with reality these companies have become.

Let them fail. Poor the money instead into new business, especially in the areas hardest hit.

Healthcare, American Style

Image by epicharmus via Flickrhttp://www.reuters.com/article/vcCandidateFeed2/idUSN04420785?sp=true

"The United States now spends more on healthcare than any other developed nation, yet has some 47 million people without health insurance. Most insured people receive coverage through their employers but businesses complain that exploding costs threaten their competitiveness in a global market."

This year my employee changed it's insurance provider, which meant a lot of new forms to fill out for me. The old plan had increased its rates by over twenty percent for the second year in a row. The new plan, the cheapest they could find, still represents a double digit cost increase, as has happened every year for at least four. How exactly does anyone think this current system is going to work?!

Health insurance companies are extremely badly run. I know, I used to work for one. This situation just make me angry. It is way past time for a single payer system that can cut out the overhead. It's way past time that voters wake up and stop being manipulated by those that profit from the disaster that is American private health insurance.

Uzi

Image via Wikipediahttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/04/police-chief-indicted-in-_n_148471.html

"A police chief was among three men indicted on involuntary manslaughter charges in the death of an 8-year-old boy who accidentally shot himself in the head with an Uzi at a gun show."

Good, clean all-American family fun.

"The Westfield Sportsman's Club also faces the manslaughter charge in the death of Christopher Bizilj (bah-SEAL') of Ashford, Conn., who lost control of the 9mm micro submachine gun as it recoiled while he was firing at a pumpkin.

"The boy's father was 10 feet behind him and reaching for his camera when the child fired the weapon."

...

"A Micro Uzi is made by and for the Israeli Armed Forces and is intended to meet the operational needs of Israeli Special Forces," Bennett said, noting the weapon has a rate of fire of 1,700 round per minute. "It is not a hunting weapon."

Ya think??

MS-BadIdea

Image by via CrunchBasehttp://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/12/04/microsoft_rsa_rights_management/

"Microsoft is adopting technology from EMC's RSA security division for Windows to police data and prevent loss and theft of information.

"The companies announced Thursday Microsoft will license RSA's data loss prevention (DLP) engine for future versions of Exchange Server, SharePoint Server, and "similar" products."

...Oh that's just a fantastic idea!

"RSA's suite finds data and lets you monitor and control its use across networks and on devices."

So it's function depends are getting "inside" other people's devices across a network - ya that'll work great!

"The companies said they are working together so customers don't need to buy different rights management point products for use with "infrastructure" software, such as Windows."

I have an idea, how about not making me buy anything at all to "protect" "my" files, for "my own good"? Oh... nevermind...

Something I Won't Miss

Image via Wikipediahttp://thinkprogress.org/2008/12/04/perino-admits-recession/

Bush's string of insufferable White House Press Secretaries.

Ari Fleischer
Scott McClellan
Tony Snow
Dana Perino

Bush Getting In Line

Image via Wikipediahttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SybaqYOwzxc

Another odd video of our president (uh, ya, he is still the president). It appears that no one wants to be seen standing next to him.

Camera

Image via WikipediaI'd like have one of these, sounds like fun...

http://tech.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/11/17/1629223&from=rss

"A new wireless camera called the I-Ball is being developed to be shot into locations using a grenade launcher so troops can see what lies ahead. The I-Ball sends real-time, 360-degree video back to soliders while its flying through the air and when it lands."

100,000 Lights

Image by booleansplit via Flickrhttp://www.woot.com/Blog/ViewEntry.aspx?Id=6684

"SHERMAN, Ill. (UPI)—A Sherman, Ill., man said he has created a 100,000-light animated Christmas display in his yard that synchronizes with a 43-minute loop of songs.

Forty-four minutes into the display, neighbors began petitioning for the homeowner to be tried as an enemy combatant."

Har

Gummy Bear on a Stick

Image by Genista via Flickrhttp://www.vat19.com/dvds/giant-gummy-bear-on-a-stick.cfm?ADID=FAILnov08

What could be better than Gummy-Bear on a Stick? How about GIANT Gummy-Bear on a Stick! What would we do without the internets....

Investigation

Image via Wikipediahttp://www.politico.com/news/stories/1108/15797.html

"A month after calling for an investigation of fellow members of Congress to 'find out if they are pro-America or anti-America,' Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) is now claiming that the whole episode was 'an urban legend.'"

You know, most right wingers are just plain kooks. Not too many urban legends are actually quotes from national TV. It wasn't even that long ago. These people are increasingly getting called on thier nonsense, and it's a lot of fun watching them fumble around over it all.

Urban legend? Check out the video here:

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/10/17/bachmann-anti-american/

Sex and Spending

Image via Wikipediahttp://devicedaily.com/misc/study-shows-sexy-women-can-affect-mens-decisions.html

"We all know that sexy women, especially in lingerie, stimulate men’s sexual appetite, but Journal of Consumer Research made a study to find out if this is the only way they affect men. And the study came out with a really weird result, saying that men who watch sexy women in lingerie are affected and take decisions they otherwise wouldn’t, when it comes to spending money, buying soda, candy, or chocolate."

File under 'D' for 'Duh'.

Cuban and Mamma.com

Image by Getty Images via Daylifehttp://money.cnn.com/2008/11/17/news/newsmakers/cuban_insider_trading/

"Billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban, owner of the National Basketball Association's Dallas Mavericks, was charged Monday by the Securities and Exchange Commission with insider trading.

"According to the SEC, Cuban sold 600,000 shares of Internet search company Mamma.com in June 2004 using non-public information."

This should really interesting, since Cuban has been pretty deeply involved in issues of public vs. private information and transparency.

Credit Crisis - Next Up

Image via WikipediaThere will be a lot of bad press about Christmas this year.

I guess I don't get out much. Sometime earlier this year I was driving someplace and it just suddenly struck me how many stores there are. Think about it, there's a miles after miles of malls most places! Outlet stores, big-box stores, Lowes, Costcos and Wallmarts... Everywhere, one after another. These places, like Circuit City, and Bed, Bath and Beyond are already in trouble and there will be more trouble to come.

There was no such thing as these stores when I was growing up. I remember my parents driving clear across town to go to a Sears or a JC Penny's. Where this stuff come from? Sometime in the '80s retail just exploded. And it didn't stop. It took thinking back 30 years to realize how this just sort of snuck up on us.

You drive some places and you just can not believe that people are really buying enough STUFF to keep these places operating. Well, I guess it turns out that they aren't. And Christmas on credit cards isn't going to save us this year. Now what are we going to do with all those giant buildings and malls?

America is a disaster. But way is anyone shocked? Look around!

The End is Near?

Image by Getty Images via Daylifehttp://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/T/TEC_MUSIC_DOWNLOADING?SITE=WIRE&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2008-11-17-07-22-47

"Nesson argues that the Digital Theft Deterrence and Copyright Damages Improvement Act of 1999 is unconstitutional because it effectively lets a private group - the Recording Industry Association of America, or RIAA - carry out civil enforcement of a criminal law. He also says the music industry group abused the legal process by brandishing the prospects of lengthy and costly lawsuits in an effort to intimidate people into settling cases out of court."

I hope this is the beginning of the end of this, what ten(?) year old nonsense? Certainly everyone from artists, to the public and the lawyers have had plenty of time to develop an understanding of the situation. And of the counter intuitive arguments that the RIAA has been using.

1) Physical media is now only one of the ways to reach customers.

2) When a person buys something, they tend to think it is theirs to do with as they please.

It painfully clear that the RIAA's interpretation of the law is out of step with common practice and understand - and is probably even illegal.

Dear Adult Store Shoppers

Image via Wikipediahttp://www.craigslist.org/about/best/ral/877200282.html

"5. Don't hit on me or any of my coworkers. That is desperate and gross. Also, you're standing at my counter with 2 tranny movies, some desensitizing spray and a pair of panties. Do you really think this situation lends itself to me agreeing to go out with you? Nope, didn't think so. Also, don't stare at me or my coworkers like we're pieces of meat. Don't ask us inappropriate questions either. No, I won't demonstrate how the toys are used. I also won't tell you what it is I like in bed. And seriously, if you ask me to model lingerie one more time, I'm going to kick you out."

Har

President Who?

Image via Wikipediahttp://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/14/business/economy/14bush.html

"President Bush offered a ringing endorsement of free-market capitalism on Thursday, asserting that despite the current financial crisis, the system was still 'the engine of social mobility' and 'the highway to the American dream.'"

BAH-HAHAHAHA HAHAHHA
HAHAHHAHAH haha
ah har....

Goof

Image via WikipediaYesterday I got a letter from from Kaiser. It starts, "Your group has notified us that your coverage will be terminated as of September 30, 2008." The letter includes information on continuation and individual coverage, which to receive I should complete the included form and return it "within
30 days of November 5, 2008." November 5 is also the date of the letter. Dorks.

I emailed our HR person and my boss, who's away. They both said Kaiser screwed up and it's already been fixed.

Stupid People Down Under

Image by gruntzooki via Flickrhttp://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,22042754-1702,00.html

"A Sydney woman charged with murdering her father and sister and seriously injuring her mother was apparently denied psychiatric treatment because of her parents' alleged Scientology beliefs, a court has been told.

"The 25-year-old woman, who cannot be named, appeared briefly in Bankstown Local Court today charged over the stabbing attacks at her family home in Revesby in Sydney's south-west last Thursday.

...

"In a report tendered to the court, Dr Mark Cross, consultant psychiatrist and clinical director of Liverpool and Fairfield Mental Health Services said the woman was diagnosed with a psychotic illness at Bankstown Hospital in late 2006.

"But her parents had refused her appropriate follow-up treatment."

Another banner achievement for Scientology!