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!

What a Palin...

Image by Getty Images via Daylifehttp://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=palin

1. Palin

1. An applicant lacking even basic job skills
2. Someone supremely un-self-aware or lacking any relative sense of what he/she does or doesn't know.

HR sent me another Palin for the marketing manager job.

Halloween Was Last Week!

Image by Pictophile via Flickrhttp://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSTRE4A971Q20081110

"An elderly woman has been living with two skeletons and a badly decomposed body of her siblings in a suburb of Chicago, one of whom may have died at least 20 years ago, authorities said on Saturday."

Bad Reviews

Image by Getty Images via Daylifehttp://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSTRE4A66LA20081107

Despite comparisons during the campaign to stylish 1960s first lady Jacqueline Kennedy, Michelle Obama was derided in opinion polls for her choice of a black and neon-red dress from Narciso Rodriguez's spring 2009 ready-to-wear collection.

In an online poll by USA Today, 65 percent of more than 10,000 readers believed the Harvard-educated corporate lawyer and future first lady "had an off day" and 35 percent said "She looks fantastic as always."

Home

Image via Wikipediahttp://www.adn.com/palin/story/579161.html

"In the 68 days since Alaska's governor began her run for vice president, things have changed on the home front. Some of her former allies are fuming, and former enemies are lying in wait. Public perceptions of the governor have also changed. Has the governor changed as well?

"Questions about Palin's future began to circulate at Alaska's Election Central on Tuesday night almost as soon as the national election results came in."

Cute Animals - It's What's for Dinner!

Image by kevindooley via Flickrhttp://braintwinkey.blogspot.com/2008/11/controversial-restaurant-serves-cute.html

"Menu's have to be requested and are received in a gold envelope with a personalized touch. Once the meal has been selected the future diners must put down a $500 deposit and return their selections. Two weeks prior to the reservation the diners are required to travel 40 miles outside of the city to a farm. This farm is where all of the animals reside and the diners are required to spend the day with their future meal. Caring for, feeding, walking and bathing are a few of the activities that are scheduled for the day. Once the day has been completed the future diners decide whether to keep the reservation or take the animal home. A contract is signed prior to the farm visit that states a decision to either not keep the reservation or not taking the animal home will result in a $10,000 fine. This allows the restaurant owners to protect themselves against those who may try and undermine their process and keep the animal activists at bay."

Ford

Image via Wikipedia

"My fellow Americans, our long national nightmare is over. Our Constitution works; our great Republic is a government of laws and not of men. Here the people rule."

--Gerald Ford, 1974

New

Image by Getty Images via DaylifeSo Obama is the president-elect. Funny I don't feel like a socialist this morning, and no one came around to collect all the guns. Oh well, it's early yet.

When California was called and it was officially over the top, I heard fireworks going off in my neighborhood. Presidents are not as powerful as people think, but they are extremely important figures in setting a tone and a general direction. Getting rid of Bush and all that came with him will be like lifting a weight off.

I was watching the News Hours coverage on PBS. Judy Woodruff was covering the event in Chicago. As the outcome became certain, when they cut to her, you could tell she'd been tearing up. After Obama spoke, they didn't go to her, but back the studio pundits instead.

The coverage was of course professional, but at some point it all becomes just stupid. Even the conservatives on the show, like David Brookes, became to openly saying that they were happy Obama had won.

It's really something, not just Obama, but the way Bush and everything he stood for is starting to wash away like a bad dream. Too bad everything had to get to be such a mess before this point finally came.