Ad Nauseum

The advertising industry needs to face facts: they overused their priveledge and overstayed their welcome. We have an unending barrage of loud, obnoxious, and unsolicited advertisement and we are sick of it. That's only one of the many reasons that I love my TiVO.

But they just couldn't stop at infomercials. The latest coil on the steamy pile has been dubbed advertainment.

Human Rights and Wrongs

On a recent trip to Ukraine, Condoleezza Rice gave a literally unbelievable speech on behalf of the Executive Branch's continuing feeble attempt to deny the allegations that the United States has been torturing detainees.

I don't often post about politics, but this is just too much to stay silent about. Humanity cannot afford to permit such barbaric immoral acts.

Let's take a close look at some quotes from Rice's speech:

"First of all the United States does not condone torture..."

I think that it does condone torture via Cheney's efforts to block anti-torture laws.

"The United States does not use the airspace or the airports of any country for the purpose of transporting a detainee to a country where he or she will be tortured."

What about cars? Trucks? Trains? Ships? Or any other form of transportation whatsoever?

"Where appropriate, the United States seeks assurances that transferred persons will not be tortured."

When is it NOT appropriate to have such assurances?

I truly believe this Administration misled us into war with Iraq. But even IF the war were justifiable AND justified, torture is NOT.

Adrian In November: Three Years

I guess he really is growing into those ears!

Tune In for the Traditional Alice's Restaurant

Several NPR stations air Arlo Guthrie's Alice's Restaurant on Thanksgiving every year. I could not find airings on our local NPR, but you can get live streaming of the alternate version (also by Arlo, 1996) from WNKU (Northern Kentucky University) tonight at 9pm.

Jon Stewart et al versus FEMA

He shoots... he scores! Check out this chart from the FEMA website explaining how they handle a disaster. Notice where it leads them back to? OK I admit, they probably didn't mean it that way -- but wow, that one slipped by the Common Sense Editor's Desk... Oh Jon, you give us so much of the funny, how can we ever thank you?

Techno-Toddler

Very sensible to surf with the wireless mouse while sitting on the desk. This could be an ergonomic revolution. I'm not sure what he was trying to enter into my PDA. Perhaps he was getting an early start on the Christmas wish list.

With A Name Like Karl Jeacle, It's Gotta Be Good

Seriously though, Karl Jeacle's Mortgage Calculator is the best free online mortgage calculator tool that I've come across. I've been using it for some time to help me calculate refinances and extra payments to principal.

You can factor in recurring monthly prepayments, one-time prepayments, or specify recurring annual prepayments. It can also factor in inflation, costs of insurance and property taxes. It will show you bottom line costs (and savings if you are using the prepayment calculations). You can put in values with text boxes or nice little sliding bars. It has several graph and table options, including detailed amortization tables.

It is a very powerful tool to see exactly what that mortgage is costing you and what you can do to bring down some of those costs. Super nift -- mad props to Karl!

Shaggy

Either a hip hairdo from a trendy salon in Manhattan or forgetting to use a brush in the morning...

That's Just Cheesey

Just take a look at the Google lunar surface images and zoom in all the way.

I Gotta Have Shades

I'm doin' all right, getting good grades...
The future's so bright... I gotta wear shades

Happy Birthday Adrian!

Wow! You're two years old now buddy!

Don't I Look Like Myself... Again?

If you've visited this blog site recently, you noticed that the formatting was a teensy bit askew. This was due to Blogger's recent image upload "enhancement". I had to perform some machinations to counteract the formatting directives that Blogger was automatically inserting into my blog posts. Despite the fact that I am not actually using their image upload and display feature, they saw fit to mess around with my formatting anyway. Don't get me wrong, I'm still very happy with Blogger, but this was perhaps not the best of implementations.

Who Do I Look Like?

I still can't figure out who he looks like. I don't think he looks much like myself or Tom either one. Maybe he is a true mish-mash of Mom and Dad or he looks more like other family members. I wish I had more pictures of Tom's extended family.

Beware! Fake eBay Email Scam!

Click on the picture to see it full size.

I'm Goin' To Memaw's and Papaw's House!

Early this June Adrian will be heading west to visit his Memaw and Papaw. However, neither Mommy nor Daddy will be going with him. Memaw is flying down and back with him... twice. Daddy will be going on a business trip. Mommy will be home... alone... and going shopping.

Why Did The Chicken Cross The Road?

To get a jaywalking ticket.

The Buffalo Theory

The picture says it all -- click on the image to read it. Drink a beer before reading to ensure optimal brain functioning.

A Voice From The Past

This morning I heard an incredible recording made in 1947. Julius Howell was a Civil War veteran who was 19 years old when Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. He tells us first hand how he learned about the assassination.

The Cheese Stands Alone

Oh the joy of learning (or re-learning) the vast array of songs for children. Let's have some fun with the ending to the Farmer in the Dell, the last stanza which ends the chain of events (farmer takes a wife, wife takes a child, child takes a dog, dog takes a cat, cat takes a rat, rat takes the cheese). The original goes something like this:

The cheese stands alone
The cheese stands alone
High-ho the derry-o
The cheese stands alone

Let's change this and add a few stanzas:

The cheese takes a mold
The cheese takes a mold
High-ho the derry-o
The cheese takes a mold

The mold takes a life
The mold takes a life
High-ho the derry-o
The mold takes a life

Feel free to add some more stanzas, I've left this one WIDE open...

War on the War on Terror

Terry Jones, one of the founders and players in a troupe known as Monty Python, has written a delicious little counterstrike on the War on Terror. I have recently learned that he is not only a fabulous comedic writer, but a leading medieval scholar and author of several books concerning the middle ages.

Long Time No Post

My usual fallback when I haven't posted in a while -- here's a picture of Adrian :)

Marmota Monax Meteorologist

Or, as Chris put it, "Punxsutawney Phil Prognosticates". Are we in for six more weeks of this tragically mild winter we've been having in North Carolina? There was a weather report this morning that we might get another ice storm today or tomorrow. Is Phil psychic, or just lucky? Or maybe he's figured out his meal ticket? I mean, look at that groundhog. He's not starving folks. He's scamming us for food!

TV-B-Gone

Ever sit in a lobby or other location where a TV (or multiple TVs) presented an annoying interruption? Couldn't find the right employee with the ability to turn the dang thing off, or at least down a bit? Then you need TV-B-Gone. Just listen to the Motley Fool interview of the device's inventor.

Soap or... War Paint?

Behold, the Soap Warrior!

French Fries and French Toast Are Not Included

We (Americans) eat poorly because we were taught to eat poorly, or so "they" say. But we have not always been this way; who changed the teaching? The rising "epidemic" of obesity and related medical problems are very recent. Is it food additives, media bombardment of junk food advertisements, video games, television, genetics, or maybe just bad hoodoo?

We are missing the essence of the problem. In short, we're not French. Understand, if you don't already, that there is a phenomenon known as the "French Paradox". The Paradox is thus: why, with a non-lowfat diet, consisting mainly of "eating as they like", are the French so slim and healthy on average? Simple, says Mireille Guiliano:

"Food is one of the best pleasures in life. We should not eat like we're robots or on autopilot. That's not like eating. That's like stuffing yourself."

Mirielle continues on, and I am intrigued. The French eat very fresh, whole, natural foods; very little processed or "fake" foods. They take time to prepare it properly, and eat it slowly. They savor every bite. They eat a smaller quantity of higher quality. Added to this mixture is a healthy balance of vegetables, fruits, grains, dairy, and meats, with no end of herbs and spices and cooking methods that make it all taste like heaven.

I couldn't have agreed with her more! But Mireille is lucky; she lives in France, where workers are protected by government in such ways as to give them the time that they need to be healthy. Guaranteed length workdays, guaranteed medical and retirement benefits, guaranteed months of paid vacation time, and guaranteed protection from layoffs -- these are hallucinogenic dreams to most United States citizens. But, perhaps, the French are not simply lucky. Perhaps this is our own fault. We have not fought for this as hard as we have fought for the right to accumulate stupidly enormous amounts of personal wealth, which most of us don't acquire anyway. What does this leave the aforementioned most of us with?

Not much.

The Pen Is Mightier Than The Sword

... or so the cliche goes. As a software writer, I am struck by the power of my keyboard. Myself and my kind compose a digital prose that translates to some very real consequences. During my two years or so at CompuServe, my syntactical machinations were the power behind financial transactions, such as when you "swipe" your debit card at the grocery store. Today, I and my immediate corporate kin are the great keepers of an Alexandrian library of such writings. Without these strange compositions, our corporation's large, forklift-delivered products would be nothing more than collosal paperweights.

Silver Screen Queen?

My Grandmother (father's mother) who currently resides in Elyria, Ohio, had this picture taken by a studio photographer who wanted to use her photo for his front window advertisement. I found this scan on my computer while I was browsing around my picture folders; the digital "shoe-box in the attic". I have her on video tape from a couple years ago telling stories about her days of swing when she went to clubs where gangsters would hang out. I will review her stories and transcribe them into this blog sometime soon.

We Hope You Had A Merry Christmas

And a fabulous New Year!