Category: Uncategorized

8 is not a temperature. It’s certainly not a high. At least we didn’t get the 30″ of snow my folks got.

Colts win. Suck it Bears.

Not that I have any emotional or monetary involvement in today’s game, but for what it’s worth: Colts 31, Bears 28.

Not content to be called a laughing stock by his own constituency, Boston mayor and opponent of reason Thomas Menino has decided that the best course of action now is to pursue a ban on guerrilla marketing.

As Techdirt points out, this is stupid on many, many levels, not the least of which is intent. The two men they’ve arrested over this promotion are charged with a felony, charges that were rightly mocked by the accused themselves.

Turner even gave the city a huge way out of this, offering to pay up to $1 million for the costs associated with the breathless fear mongering the city whipped up.

Is there no one in the mayor or governor’s offices that can talk them off this path? Do they not understand the level of idiocy this has reached?

Two held after ad campaign triggers Boston bomb scare – CNN.com

You read that right; Boston is so pissed about the egg on its face for overracting in epic fashion, they have arrested the two guys who installed the artwork. For those coming in late, Boston was essentially shut down yesterday over a “terrorist threat”. This “threat” consisted of circuit-board looking devices that lit up at night displaying a cartoon character making a “rude gesture”. Turns out, the whole thing was a promotion for Aqua Teen Hunger Force.

Now, the thing that’s not getting a lot of press is this little gem:

…the devices have been in place for two to three weeks in 10 cities: Boston; New York; Los Angeles; Chicago; Atlanta; Seattle; Portland, Ore.; Austin, Texas; San Francisco; and Philadelphia. [source]

Two to three weeks in 10 cities. Purusing the list, I notice… uhm, NO other cities besides Boston that have freaked out quite as harshly. Just to avoid further alerts, Boston should issue a bulletin to its citizens, who apparently are a little uptight, that there are thousands of yellow, tri-lighted devices over many streets in the city that will change colors for no apparent reason. As most Bostonians don’t know what the devices are for (judging by traffic), the city should quickly advise people who notice these devices that they are not bombs but are, in fact, traffic lights.

Get over it Boston; you overreacted and look like idiots. Going after the contracters who hung the promotions is just making it worse.

I’m late to this meme, but Reason Magazine links to a clip from The Andy Griffith Show that shows just one of the many reasons that warrentless wiretapping is wrong. Remember when we all used to think about “due process”?

(Side note: If anyone knows how to embed YouTube video in WordPress blogs, I’m all ears.)

Link [via Penn Jillete’s radio show]

Top Ten Signs You’re a Fundamentalist Christian10 – You vigorously deny the existence of thousands of gods claimed by other religions, but feel outraged when someone denies the existence of yours.

9 – You feel insulted and “dehumanized” when scientists say that people evolved from other life forms, but you have no problem with the Biblical claim that we were created from dirt.

8 – You laugh at polytheists, but you have no problem believing in a Triune God.

7 – Your face turns purple when you hear of the “atrocities” attributed to Allah, but you don’t even flinch when hearing about how God/Jehovah slaughtered all the babies of Egypt in “Exodus” and ordered the elimination of entire ethnic groups in “Joshua” including women, children, and trees!

6 – You laugh at Hindu beliefs that deify humans, and Greek claims about gods sleeping with women, but you have no problem believing that the Holy Spirit impregnated Mary, who then gave birth to a man-god who got killed, came back to life and then ascended into the sky.

5 – You are willing to spend your life looking for little loopholes in the scientifically established age of Earth (few billion years), but you find nothing wrong with believing dates recorded by Bronze Age tribesmen sitting in their tents and guessing that Earth is a few generations old.

4 – You believe that the entire population of this planet with the exception of those who share your beliefs — though excluding those in all rival sects – will spend Eternity in an infinite Hell of Suffering. And yet consider your religion the most “tolerant” and “loving.”

3 – While modern science, history, geology, biology, and physics have failed to convince you otherwise, some idiot rolling around on the floor speaking in “tongues” may be all the evidence you need to “prove” Christianity.

2 – You define 0.01% as a “high success rate” when it comes to answered prayers. You consider that to be evidence that prayer works. And you think that the remaining 99.99% FAILURE was simply the will of God.

1 – You actually know a lot less than many atheists and agnostics do about the Bible, Christianity, and church history – but still call yourself a Christian.

Evil Bible

I was too nerdy not to do this.

I am: Arthur C. Clarke Well known for nonfiction science writing and for early promotion of the effort toward space travel, his fiction was often grand and visionary.

Which science fiction writer are you?

Which is a pretty cool result as I like Clarke’s work quite a bit. Not to mention, Sri Lanka might be an interesting place to retire.

First clue that you won’t be home on time.

4:38pm, new guy on Tier 2 Help Desk: “You got a sec?”

4:56pm, me: “That’s not possible.”

4:56pm, me: “.. but someone managed to do it.”

*sigh*