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It ain't over til the fat lady gets power
http://houstonist.com/2008/09/22/it_aint_over_til_the_fat_lady_gets_1.php

Question raised by Ike: How do I get my catamaran out of that tree?

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Back of Lindsay's Apartments

Back of Lindsay's apartment after Ike. Her unit is okay, though.

A few days after a big hurricane - a week with no power now - you notice that everyone looks like shit. Like the downstairs carpet. A week with no power has a great democratizing effect on people.

Gilchrist, Texas after Hurricane Ike.

Gilchrist, Texas after Hurricane Ike.

Crystal Beach man rode out Ike on log

It's a story of survival that's hard to believe. A man rode out Hurricane Ike floating on debris and anything else he could grab.

He spoke exclusively to Eyewitness News about how he survived after his home was submerged in flood waters on Crystal Beach.

The scrapes and cuts don't even begin to tell the story of Mark Davidson.

"I went and got my dog dags and put them on in case I would die that night because it was getting that bad," said Davidson.

Davidson decided to ride the storm out in his home in Crystal Beach on Avenue D. It was a mistake the retired Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer would soon regret.

"And about that time I felt the back of the house, come up just like the stern of the ship and came down on the pilings pretty hard," said Davidson.

Around 1am Saturday morning, his house started taking in water and slowing drifting. By 2am, Davidson decided to get out. The former U.S. Navy diver would be tested to the limit.

"I swam out and as soon as I surfaced, I was level with the roof," he said. "The water was level with the roof."

For the next 14 hours, Davidson would do whatever it took to survive.

"When I was on the telephone pole, then I started looking around and see what was going on that's when I saw houses floating just like bumper boats, just crushing and ripping in half."

The telephone pole he was clinging to soon went under and Davidson knew he had to swim away from all the debris on Crystal Beach.

"Because that was going to crush and kill me," he said.

He began his journey through town using pieces of plywood to maneuver his way around. But it was a patio table he used as a boogie board that he says saved his life.

"I would not let that thing go for nothing," said Davidson.

For the next several hours, Davidson was drifting toward East Bay.

"It was like being dumped under water and then come up for a breath dumped under water, dumped under water and it was like that the entire evening," said Davidson.

But he endured the storm even after an encounter with an alligator and in the end found safety when he finally came ashore at Smith Point. Where the National Guard help rescue him.

"The one thing I was thinking is that I wanted to see my wife, my dog, my brothers and I have a lot of things to finish in this life," said Davidson. "I am not done yet."

Davidson says he is done living on the coast.

Keep your family safe this hurricane season. Check our complete tropical weather preparation guide

All material © 2008 ABC Inc., KTRK-TV Inc. & 2004-2008 LSN, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Story posted 2008.09.20 at 09:10 PM CDT

Houston residents get what they need to stay or go

 

 

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Houston residents get what they need to stay or go

via chron.com Chronicle on 9/11/08

Residents across the Houston region scurried and scrounged Thursday stocking up on essentials from gasoline and batteries to water and peanut butter, everything needed to endure Hurricane Ike's arrival — or flee its path.

 

 

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Call Mid-Week for a More Believable "Sick Day" [Work]

 

 

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Call Mid-Week for a More Believable "Sick Day" [Work]

via Lifehacker by Kevin Purdy on 9/8/08

The Asylum blog compiles some solid advice on how to call in sick, even if you don't meet the traditional definition of "sick"—take that how you will. One of the best bits of advice involves the timing of your sick day, as noted by the editor of the Save the Assistants blog:

Pick a random Tuesday or Wednesday for your fake illness. At a lot of companies, there are mysterious sick waves on the day after a long weekend or on a really beautiful day in the summer. You can get away with that once in a while, but if you only come down with the flu on really beautiful Friday afternoons in the summer, everyone will be on to you. Taking off a day in the middle of the week will also make it less likely that you have 400 emails to sort through all at once when you come back from your elongated holiday.

Valid point, and the others are worth keeping in mind also. For more call-in tips, check out Keith's post on hacking your actual call. Photo by Perfecto Insecto.

How to Take a Sick Day When You're Not Sick [via Geeks Are Sexy]

 

 

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"Gotcha"

"Gotcha" - video powered by Metacafe

Mystery 'iPhone Girl' generates Internet intrigue

Mystery 'iPhone Girl' generates Internet intrigue

By MIN LEE – 2 days ago

HONG KONG (AP) — Who is the "iPhone Girl"?

Pictures of an Asian factory worker found on a new iPhone sold to a British customer have generated keen discussion on the Internet about her identity — and her fate.

The three pictures, posted on the Apple discussion Web site MacRumors.com, show a young Asian woman working on what appears to be an assembly line for iPhones.

Dressed in a pink striped outfit and hat and wearing white gloves with yellow fingertips, the young woman now known on the Web as the "iPhone Girl" is shown smiling and making victory signs as she poses next to an iPhone.

The MacRumors.com user who posted the photos last week, identified as only "markm49uk" from Kingston-upon-Hull, England, said in a posting that one of the pictures showed up on a new 3G iPhone when the iTunes program was launched.

News reports say the woman may work at a factory run by an Apple contractor, Taiwan-based Foxconn Technology Group, in the southern Chinese boomtown of Shenzhen.

Susan Eisenhower Leaves The Republican Party

I have decided I can no longer be a registered Republican. For the first time in my life I announced my support for a Democratic candidate for the presidency, in February of this year.

read more | digg story

Bear attacks inside Anchorage have people on edge

By MARY PEMBERTON, Associated Press Writer
Sat Aug 16, 1:41 PM ET

Even in a city whose logo is "Big Wild Life," the summer of 2008 is testing residents' tolerance for large carnivores.

The problem is bears, black bears and bigger grizzlies. So far this summer, three people have been mauled in the city.

Some people say humans are to blame for the confrontations and insist that no bears should be killed because of the attacks.

On the other side is a growing chorus of people like Devon Rees, who want something done about the big bruins.

"It is pretty much unsafe to walk around at night," he said.

McCain Cribs Speech From Wikipedia | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

McCain Cribs Speech From Wikipedia | The Onion - America's Finest News Source: "McCain Cribs Speech From Wikipedia

A Wikipedia editor claims that John McCain's speech about the Russian-Georgian hostilities was largely lifted from the website's entry on Georgia. What do you think?



Peter Tong,
Grocer
'Really? I'm going to go put my name in Wikipedia's 'Health Care' article and wait to see if I get mentioned in the debates.'



Blaine Principle,
Systems Analyst
'What a sorry way to treat the nation of Georgia, whose capital, Tbilisi, was featured in Splinter Cell for Xbox and PC.'




Carol Williams,
Quality Control Inspector
'I don't see what the big deal is. I ripped off Wikipedia when you guys asked me about that Kosher meatpacking plant the other day.'"

The best Chinese restaurant name ever

Then we'll grab a bite at 404 Not Found

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Missing sex toys raise concerns at HPD property room

The Emperor is gone. So is Cyber Wabbit.Three years after Houston police seized these and hundreds of other sex toys worth $50,000 from the Adult Video Megaplexxx, the devices may be missing from the department's property room.

read more | digg story

Bizarre and Hilarious Signs (PICS)

Scratching of head required......and even then, it's no guarantee you'll figure out the real meaning behind these masterpieces of ambiguity. At least this signage provides much needed entertainment and comic relief on our all-too-stressful urban roads.

read more | digg story

McCain's Keating Five Scandal "Rivals Watergate"

A 1989 newspaper article written by Tom Fitzpatrick of the Phoenix New Times reflects the anger at the time over the Keating Five Scandal and particularly John McCain’s key role in it.

read more | digg story

McCain Website Scrubbed Own Article Calling Him A Celebrity

Pot calling the Kettle Black?

read more | digg story

Queen's Guitarist Publishes Astrophysics Thesis

The founder of the legendary rock band Queen, Brian May, has completed his doctoral thesis in astrophysics after taking a 30-year break to play some guitar.

read more | digg story

Moody Gardens changes story: Deadly snake did escape

 

 

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Moody Gardens changes story: Deadly snake did escape

via chron.com Chronicle on 7/31/08

Managers at the Moody Gardens Rainforest acknowledged Wednesday that a venomous snake escaped from its tank near the facility's public entrance when its whereabouts could not be accounted for earlier this month.

 

 

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The Onion | America's Finest News Source

The Onion | America's Finest News Source: "Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Justice Dept.: Justice Dept. Broke Law

An internal review has concluded that aides to former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales used politics as a guiding factor in hiring, thus breaking the law and ruining the reputation of the Justice Department. What do you think?

Tasha Stanton, Blinds Installer
'I can't tell which Justice Department is the evil Justice Department—they look exactly the same!'

Josh Craven, Limo Driver
'Uh-oh. I used a political criteria to choose my preferred candidate in the 2004 elections. Do I have to turn myself in?'

Kyle Soares, Systems Analyst
'I'm beginning to think I was a little too hard on Ashcroft.'"

Senator Ted Stevens Indicted in Corruption Case - The Caucus - Politics - New York Times Blog

Senator Ted Stevens Indicted in Corruption Case - The Caucus - Politics - New York Times Blog: "July 29, 2008, 1:09 pm
Senator Ted Stevens Indicted in Corruption Case

By Kate Phillips

A federal grand jury has indicted longtime Senator Ted Stevens, Republican of Alaska, on corruption charges after more than a year’s investigation, a federal law enforcement official has confirmed to The Times’s David Johnston.

The Justice Department plans to hold a 1:20 p.m. news briefing on details of the indictment.

Just a year ago, federal agents raided Mr. Stevens’ home following questions about renovations at the home. A few months before that, an Alaska businessman Bill J. Allen admitted to bribery, and in court papers acknowledged making $243,000 in possibly illegal payments to a state lawmaker identified only as “Senator B.” That abbreviation referred to Senator Ted Stevens’s son, Ben Stevens."

Fox News Busted Again by MSNBC!

http://view.break.com/544617 - Watch more free videos

Top McCain Fund-Raiser Lobbying Bush Admin for Chevron

Chevron has launched “an unusually high-powered battle” to convince the Bush administration to pressure Ecuador to quash a toxic waste dumping case. Chevron’s lobbying offensive is being led by former senators Trent Lott and John Breaux, along with Wayne Berman, a top fund-raiser for Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)

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Hagel: McCain On "Thin Ground" With Recent Attacks

On CBS' "Face The Nation," Chuck Hagel responded to John McCain's recent attacks on Barack Obama's trip abroad and withdrawal plan: "John is treading on some very thin ground here when he impugns motives and when we start to get into, 'You're less patriotic than me. I'm more patriotic ... "it's just not responsible to be saying things like that."

read more | digg story

MSNBC slams Fox News

Novak Hits Pedestrian With Corvette

Columnist Robert Novak struck a pedestrian while driving a black Corvette on Washington D.C.'s K Street, and had to be chased down by a bicyclist before he stopped. What do you think?

Nelly Petrachonis,
Systems Analyst
"Why is this news? I assume he does this every week."


Eric Steuff,
Pilot
"That pedestrian had better pray he didn't dent Novak's Corvette or else expect retaliation in an upcoming article."


Evan Campo,
Camp Counselor
"Who was the pedestrian? Or will we have to wait for Robert Novak to publicly reveal his identity?"

Scientist: Gulf 'dead zone' bigger than ever

 

 

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Scientist: Gulf 'dead zone' bigger than ever

via KHOU.com Local News on 7/23/08

A "dead zone" in the Gulf of Mexico off the Texas-Louisiana coast this year is likely to be the biggest ever and last longer than ever before, with marine life affected for hundreds of miles, a scientist warned.

 

 

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Butcher of Bosnia has been captured Dvorak Uncensored: General interest observations and true web-log.

"Radovan Karadzic, a former Bosnian Serb president, is blamed for these and other deaths during a genocidal war that claimed about 100,000 lives. He was captured yesterday in Belgrade, where the so-called “Butcher of Bosnia” had been living under an assumed name and practicing alternative medicine…"

Man blows up apartment with bug bombs

oops..........

PASADENA, Texas -- There are lots of good ways to get rid of bugs, but blowing up one’s home is isn't one of them.

Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened to a Pasadena man Sunday.

The man reportedly left bug bombs in his apartment to get rid of pests, but he forgot to turn off his gas.

While he was gone, the gas ignited and blew out several windows.

Part of the ceiling also caved in as a result of the blast.

Fortunately, no one was injured.

Monk evangelises Heavy Metal

A Capuchin monk, Brother Cesare Bonizzi, is the lead singer in a heavy metal band which has just released its second album.

The 62-year-old monk's love affair with heavy metal began when he attended a Metallica concert some 15 years ago.

Crowd "Mooning" Amtrak Estimated at 8,000; Police Crack Down.

More than 50 law officers dispersed an estimated 8,000 people drinking alcohol and mooning trains as they passed between San Diego and Los Angeles. The annual ``Moon Over Amtrak'' party was shut down due to complaints about public nudity.

The event drew a crowd of about 8,000 along the tracks near Mugs Away Saloon, 27324 Camino Capistrano, but things got out of hand as businesses and residents called in complaints, said Orange County Sheriff's Department spokesman Jim Amormino.

California Highway Patrol officers were called in to assist Orange County sheriff's deputies shut down the impromptu event, where thousands of people bared their rear ends to passing Metrolink and Amtrak trains.

"There were complaints about the mooning, women lifting their tops and a couple cases of complete nudity,'' Amormino said. There were also reports of public alcohol consumption at the event, which has been prohibited in the past.

As of 3:50 p.m. Saturday, about 50 officers, including some from the California Highway Patrol, were in the process of shutting down the event.

"Traffic congestion is terrible right now, and with all the complaints we decided it was best we shut it down,'' Amormino said.

No arrests were made.

The event originated in 1979, at the Mugs Away Saloon, a K.T. Smith told friends he would buy a drink for anyone willing to run outside to the railroad tracks and moon the next train. Many of Smith's drinking buddies did, and the mooning tradition lived on -- although no one volunteers to buy drinks for the thousands of mooners that come out.

Bush Homeland Security Caught Offering Access for Donations

The Sunday Times reports Stephen Payne, a Bush pioneer and a political appointee to the Homeland Security Advisory Council, was caught on tape offering access to key members of the Bush administration inner circle in exchange for “six-figure donations to the private library being set up to commemorate Bush’s presidency.


”It’s a big club, and you ain’t in it. You and I are not in the big club.” -George Carlin



read more | digg story

What Comcast Wants

So what does cable giant Comcast want? Only to monopolize your Internet connection, block online competitors, and control what consumers do online. Comcast wants to turn the Internet into cable TV, where every Web site has to cut a special deal with them to get carried or else get blocked. And Comcast wants to be above the law while doing this.

read more | digg story

U.S. Intelligence: Burundi May Be Developing Telephone

WASHINGTON—According to a report released by the Pentagon, evidence suggests that the small Central African nation of Burundi may be developing a telephone, and experts warn the country could be just 10 years away from achieving a dial tone. "If Burundi's telephone has long-distance capabilities, it will be possible for them to reach the continental United States and parts of Canada with just the push of several buttons," CIA spokesman Richard Caburn said. "Thankfully, we possess advanced caller ID technology, so if they ever decide to call, we will be prepared." The Pentagon has mailed Burundi a letter asking them to end their communications program immediately, and has not ruled out the option of a preemptive nuclear strike on the nation.

Whistleblower says Pentagon putting KBR over soldiers

 

 

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Whistleblower says Pentagon putting KBR over soldiers

via chron.com Chronicle on 7/10/08

The Pentagon's oversight of KBR's work in Iraq and Afghanistan has been "irregular and highly out of the ordinary," Senate Democrats were told Wednesday.

 

 

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Microsoft chief cites search for 'cool' (w/video)

 

 

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Microsoft chief cites search for 'cool' (w/video)

via chron.com Technology News on 7/9/08

On a day when most of the technology buzz surrounded Friday's scheduled debut of Apple's new iPhone, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer told a crowd in Houston his company needs to do more "cool" stuff.

 

 

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The Biggest Wave Ever Surfed (& caught on video)

Youtube comments seem to dispute whether this is at Peahi off of Maui (aka "Jaws") or Cortez Bank, west of San Diego CA. Anybody know for sure? Either way...Holy Freaking Shit!

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The Nipple Song

UroClub Original Commercial

Legendary standup comedian George Carlin

Legendary standup comedian George Carlin dead

George Carlin, the Grammy-Award winning standup comedian and actor who was hailed for his irreverent social commentary, poignant observations of the absurdities of everyday life and language, and groundbreaking routines like "Seven Words You Can Never Use on Television," died in Los Angeles on Sunday, according to his publicist, Jeff Abraham. He was 71.

Lander Finds Ice on Mars, Scientists Say - washingtonpost.com

Lander Finds Ice on Mars, Scientists Say - washingtonpost.com: "Lander Finds Ice on Mars, Scientists Say
Discovery Is Key Clue In Determining Whether Planet Supported Life

A trench dug by the Phoenix lander reveals white ice beneath the surface soil of Mars. Scientists say they are sure it is frozen water and not salt.
A trench dug by the Phoenix lander reveals white ice beneath the surface soil of Mars. Scientists say they are sure it is frozen water and not salt. (Nasa Via Associated Press)

F**king town is here to stay

Situated some 35km north of Salzburg, the village of F**king has been so named since 1070, in honor of a man called Focko.

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Mass transit, mass appeal

By Tara Sullivan
The Baytown Sun
Published June 13, 2008

Take notice when you pass one of the 40 orange-flagged wooden stakes that will be poking out along the roadsides.

Those flags will denote the spots where you will be able to catch the bus.

The Harris County Community Services Department said two 22-person buses could be up and running around Baytown by the end of July.

About 40 citizens gathered to hear Ken Fickes, Transit Services Director, give a presentation on the proposed route structure, cost and service options on Thursday evening on the campus of Lee College.

While Baytown has wanted a transit system for some time, transit authorities cited population growth and gas prices behind this forward motion.

The new bus system will operate on three main routes, running Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

A special Park and Ride Express route will run a limited course from about one hour before and after that service period.

Fickes said a Saturday run is under future consideration, but the current route will serve as a scale by which the service can be weighed.

The three routes will travel the city from San Jacinto Mall to Lee College from north to south, looping two separate circular routes through the southwest and mid-west sections of the city.

These routes include stops directly in front of San Jacinto Methodist Hospital, many apartment complexes and housing projects, and the Wal-Mart on Garth Road.

Fox News Changes: "Terrorist Fist Jab" Anchor Loses Her Show

TVNewser reports that E.D. Hill, who hosts "America's Pulse" — and who raised many eyebrows this week after calling Barack and Michelle Obama's fist-pound a "terrorist fist jab" — has lost her show.

read more | digg story

The Captain’s Wife's Lament

9 Unexpected Benefits of Trains

Gotta love the train ride

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Top 10 Things You Forgot Your Mac Can Do

From Lifehacker. I just plain forgot some of these; others I use all the time.

Rock pioneer Bo Diddley dies at age 79

Legendary singer known for homemade guitar, dark glasses, black hat. Sad day for rock n roll fans.

read more | digg story

ALPHAJET ET MIRAGE 2000

alphajet et mirage 2000
Uploaded by racerboat

Super Collider lab now gathering weeds near Dallas

 

 

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Super Collider lab now gathering weeds near Dallas

via HoustonChronicle.com -- Chronicle on 5/24/08

Had the Superconducting Super Collider been completed south of Dallas as planned, the magnet would now lie in a 54-mile-long tunnel, accelerating bits of matter to near the speed of light, producing spectacular collisions and re-creating conditions that existed at the universe's beginning.

 

 

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TV's Laugh-In comic Dick Martin dies at 86

 

 

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TV's *Laugh-In* comic Dick Martin dies at 86

via HoustonChronicle.com -- Chronicle on 5/24/08

Dick Martin, the zany half of the comedy team whose Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In took television by storm in the 1960s, making stars of Goldie Hawn and Lily Tomlin and creating such national catch-phrases as "Sock it to me!" has died. He was 86.

 

 

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State regulators OK West Texas nuclear waste dump

Houston Chronicle

By JANET ELLIOTT
Coppyright 2008 Austin Bureau


State environmental regulators voted 2-1 today to grant a Dallas company's license to dispose of waste from nuclear weapons processing and uranium mining in Andrews County in West Texas.

"Chairman Buddy Garcia and Commissioner Bryan Shaw voted to issue the "by-products" license to Waste Control Specialists, a company owned by Harold Simmons, a top donor to Gov. Rick Perry, who appoints members of the the environmental commission."

Chuck Hagel Takes On McCain, Repeatedly Praises Obama

The Republican Senator from Nebraska was a political thorn in McCain's side on Tuesday night, repeatedly lavishing praise on the presumptive Democratic candidate and levying major foreign policy criticisms at the GOP nominee and the Republican Party as a whole...Hagel even urged the Arizona Republican to elevate his campaign discourse to a higher,

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Missing Woman Found after 42 Years! In her Apartment, Watching TV! Dvorak Uncensored: General interest observations and true web-log.

"The Daily Telegraph

POLICE broke into a flat to check who lived there 42 years after its owner was reported missing - and found the mummified remains of the woman sitting in front of her TV. Croatian police say Hedviga Golik, who was born in 1924, had apparently made herself a cuppa and sat down to watch her black-and-white television before she died. Officers believe that would have been in 1966, when she was last seen by neighbours. They said one day she seemed to have just disappeared and they thought she had moved to the capital Zagreb.

But they found her remains in the tiny 13sq m flat after breaking in with bailiffs. A police spokesman said: “So far we have no idea how it is possible that someone officially reported missing so long ago was not found before in the same apartment she used to live in.”"

How to Pack Everything You Own in One Bag : NPR

All Things Considered, May 9, 2008

Going on a trip? Now that airlines are charging for more than one checked bag, packing efficiently is the name of the game.

With more and more airlines charging extra to check a second piece of baggage, packing light has become a necessity.

Next week, AirTran Airways and American Airlines will join Northwest, Delta, US Airways, United and Continental in requiring passengers to pay a fee if they can't cram all their clothes, shoes, books, and hairdryers into one bag to check.

But one packing expert says it is possible to put your belongings in a single piece of luggage.

Redneck swing [PIC]

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Squirrel, It’s What’s for Dinner

Squirrel, It’s What’s for Dinner Dvorak Uncensored: General interest observations and true web-log.

'Consumer Reports': Apple tech support is aces | One More Thing - CNET News.com

From C|Net

May 6, 2008 11:47 AM PDT
'Consumer Reports': Apple tech support is aces
Posted by Tom Krazit 12 comments

Apple has the best technical support in the PC industry, according to the most recent issue of Consumer Reports.

The venerable magazine surveyed its readers to gather their experiences with technical support for personal computing, and Apple's organization far outpaced its rivals in the PC industry. Readers assigned the company a score of 83 for its notebook technical support, which translates to 'very satisfied' on Consumer Reports' rating scale. You have to be a Consumer Reports subscriber if you want to access the articles and graphs on its Web site."

Lenovo and Dell ranked second and third, respectively, with scores of 66 and 60, or "fairly well satisfied." Hewlett-Packard, the current leader in the PC market, received the lowest score and the worst rating for its technical support staffers. Apple also led the desktop technical support pack with a score of 81, trailed by Dell and Gateway with scores below 60.

Apple has also ranked well on the University of Michigan's American Customer Satisfaction Index, a yearly measure of consumer taste in various brands. The company solves problems quickly, especially for customers who take their Mac to one of the company's retail stores for service. But if you don't live near an Apple Store, the company offers the shortest amount of free telephone support of any of the PC companies.

When it comes to the number of problems that appear, Apple's record wasn't as stellar. The company was ranked last in the number of defects that cropped up in its notebooks between 2003 and 2007, although the margin of error in that survey meant that all the surveyed manufacturers essentially tied with defects found in between 20 percent and 23 percent of their notebooks.

But Apple did much better in desktops, leading the pack with the fewest defects reported between 2003 and 2007. And since customers respond well to companies that can quickly fix the inevitable problems that crop up in PCs and consumer electronics, Apple's surging Mac sales might have something to do with its support.

The Handy Uses of a Home Computer (Jan, 1970)

Computers for the home have been envisioned by science fiction writers and engineers ever since a huge, unwieldy prototype was developed 25 years ago. The whole futuristic age they prophesied, with an omnipotent electronic monster named Horace in every living room, is still a long way from realization...

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Look carefuly at this picture, what do you see? [illusion]

After you make your decision, read on for an explanation....

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LSD Inventor Dead | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

Albert Hofmann, the Swiss chemist who created the hallucinogen LSD, died the age of 102. What do you think?"


Jackie Alpert,
Grocer
"Shit. Did anyone remember to write down the recipe for LSD?"

Tom Ostin,
Systems Analyst
"It's just like I tell my kids: If you get involved with drugs, you're going to end up dead."

Bart Stein,
Helicopter Pilot
"Oh man, there goes my hookup."

Crapware: The PC Decrapifier Detects More Bloatware

From LifeHacker: The previously mentioned PC Decrapifier utility, which cleans pre-installed bloatware that ships with new Windows laptops, sees an update today and detects more applications than ever, like Norton 360, the Microsoft Office 2007 Trial and Activation Assistant, and Symantic LiveUpdate. [via]"

Bright lights, big city: UFO reported over Baytown skies

Bright lights, big city: UFO reported over Baytown skies

07:03 AM CDT on Monday, April 28, 2008

By Kevin Reece / 11 News

BAYTOWN, Texas — Lisa Fojt and her aunt, Kathy Boyd, say they saw more than the bright refinery lights of Baytown when they crossed the Fred Hartman Bridge Saturday night.

“There’s no explanation. But we know what we saw,” Boyd said.

They saw a UFO. Really.

“It was an extremely bright light, it was a blue-green light,” Boyd said.

The object was seen at about the same level as the top of the bridge, hovering somewhere over Goose Creek.

It’s a story the pair admitted they were reluctant to tell. But they saw it, and they told.

“And I was looking, and I’m like ‘are you watching this?’ And she’s like ‘yes, I’ve been watching it.’ And it kind of verified to both of us that we both saw something,” Fojt said.

Fojt and Boyd took their search for that something online, asking a blog message board if anyone else saw it too.

Several others did, but several more questioned their sanity.

Still others suggested it was a meteor that lit up the Baytown sky that night.

But Fogt and Boyd said, as far as they’ve heard, meteors don’t make hard-banking right turns.

“And then it just kicked in – like, warp speed – and it was gone!” Boyd said. “An extremely sharp turn.”

“It just – poof! – disappeared. It was like a little triangle zap, like you see in the movies. I mean, it just disappeared,” Fojt added.

A recent UFO sighting in Arizona turned out to be a hoax. A man had tied road flares to a series of helium balloons.

But Fojt and Boyd don’t see a hoax at play here, though even that would be a better explanation than the inevitable query:

11 News: “Had you ladies been drinking?”

(laughter)

Fojt: “No, no, no. I kind of wish we had, you know? Maybe it would seem less real.”

The pair swears they saw the real deal – they’d just like help finding out what kind of deal it really was.

For sale: WTF?

Katrina victims may have to repay $$$

Katrina victims may have to repay $$$
By JOHN MORENO GONZALES, Associated Press Writer


NEW ORLEANS - Imagine that your home was reduced to mold-covered wood framing by Hurricane Katrina. Desperate for money to rebuild, you engage in a frustrating bureaucratic process, and after months of living in a government provided-trailer that gives off formaldehyde fumes you finally win a federal grant.

Then a collector announces that you have to pay back thousands of dollars.

Thousands of Katrina victims may be in the same boat.

A private contractor under investigation for the compensation it received to run the Road Home grant program for Katrina victims says that in the rush to deliver aid to homeowners in need some people got too much. Now it wants to hire a separate company to collect millions in grant overpayments.

Oddly, Bush & Co. Don’t Seem To Want To Stop Fraud By War Contractors Abroad

I seem to remember reading that there was a time when war profiteers were shot. I must be wrong since doing so now is endorsed by our squeaky clean administration so it must be good.

Flaws In FBI Watchlist

"The list's flaws are, at the very least, overstated. We will bring Osama bin Goldberg to justice."

— Cynthia Meline, FBI Agent

Writer Arthur C. Clarke Dies at 90

By RAVI NESSMAN
The Associated Press
Wednesday, March 19, 2008; 8:19 AM

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka -- Arthur C. Clarke, a visionary science fiction writer who wrote "2001: A Space Odyssey" and won worldwide acclaim with more than 100 books on space, science and the future, died Wednesday, an aide said. He was 90.

Shroud Of Turin Accidentally Washed With Red Shirt

March 10, 2008 | Issue 44•11


VATICAN CITY—The Shroud of Turin, an ancient linen cloth believed to bear the image of Christ and considered by many clerics and devotees to be one of the holiest relics of the Christian faith, was inadvertently dyed a light shade of pink after being washed with a red T-shirt, sources reported Tuesday.

The holy antiquity, thought by some to be the very garment Jesus Christ was buried in, was discovered in 1354. Though it has suffered oxidation and fire damage over the centuries, this is the first time that the shroud has been harmed in a laundry-related mishap.

"Simply because the shroud has been given a slight pinkish tint does not in any way diminish its sanctity," Vatican spokesman Cardinal Giovanni Lajolo said during a press conference held to address the spiritual repercussions of the shroud's staining. "It is still very much the icon of the suffering of the innocent of all times."

The Vatican stressed that nothing out of the ordinary happened to the shroud during the initial preparations for its monthly laundering in Rome. As is custom, on the third Sunday of the month, the priceless relic—which is kept in the royal chapel of the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist in Turin, Italy—was taken from its hermetically sealed, bulletproof glass case and stuffed into the Blessed Papal Laundry Sack, and it was then transported by a retinue of Swiss Guards to Vatican City without incident.

According to Lajolo, the damage occurred when Pope Benedict XVI, whose turn it was to do the Vatican laundry, did not notice that a brand-new, bright-red Hanes Beefy-T belonging to Cardinal Angelo Sodano had been placed inside of the consecrated cleansing vessel, the Holy Whirlpool 24934 top-load washer.

The pope then started a load of white vestments, including the shroud, only realizing what had happened when he returned to remove the sacred artifact, which is always line-dried.

"His Holiness was distracted with trying to scrub a tough Blood of Christ stain out of Cardinal Nicora's miter," Lajolo said. "Not that this was some sort of mistake on his part. The pope is still infallible. We have to keep in mind that this is all part of God's greater plan."

"And who are we to question or reject the ways the Lord works through our laundry?" Lajolo continued.

Church officials said that the shroud's staining was not in any way due to negligence on the Vatican's part. An investigation into the matter showed that the detergent had been properly blessed before the laundering, and the holy water softener that was installed last summer was working perfectly.

"We must not allow ourselves to fall into despair, for, as sinners, we are flawed and must seek forgiveness in the Lord alone," said Lajolo, who later hinted that the damage to the shroud was possibly God's response to the sins of the world, and especially homosexuality. "As Christ teaches, let he who has never overly starched, shrunk, or rent his garments cast the first stone."

Though the discoloring of the Shroud of Turin has come as a shock to many Catholics, it is not the first time that a holy relic has been damaged. In 1983, several pieces of the True Cross were water-stained after being used as coasters during Pope John Paul II's birthday party, and in 1572, the knucklebone of St. Olaf was accidentally thrown out with a plate of half-eaten chicken wings.

In the wake of the incident involving Christ's death shroud, the Vatican has been exploring possible ways to restore the raiment back to its original color.

"We do not want to attempt to use caustic cleaning agents for fear of turning the blessed shroud an unholy bright orange," Lajolo said. "We continue to look to God for divine guidance as to the purity and virtue of using a color-safe bleach."

The Sandwich Video

Sand Dunes on Mars

More photo proof of Wind on Mars

read more | digg story

2007 Darwin Awards - the Winner Dvorak Uncensored: General interest observations and true web-log.

Michael was an alcoholic. And not an ordinary alcoholic, but an alcoholic who liked to take his liquor… well, rectally. His wife said he was “addicted to enemas” and often used alcohol in this manner. The result was the same: inebriation. And tonight, Michael was in for one hell of a party.

Two 1.5 litre bottles of sherry, more than 100 fluid ounces, right up the old address!

When the rest of us have had enough, we either stop drinking or pass out. When Michael had had enough (and subsequently passed out) the alcohol remaining in his rectal cavity continued to be absorbed. The next morning, Michael was dead."

Slashdot | Microsoft Internal Emails Show Dismay With Vista

Slashdot | Microsoft Internal Emails Show Dismay With Vista: "Microsoft Internal Emails Show Dismay With Vista
Posted by kdawson on Thursday February 28, @01:14PM

from the you-scratch-my-back dept.

The Courts Windows

bfwebster writes 'Microsoft is currently facing a class-action suit over its designation of allegedly under-powered hardware as being 'Vista Capable.' The discovery process of that lawsuit has now compelled Microsoft to produce some internal emails discussing those issues. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer has published extracts of some of those emails, along with a link to a a PDF file containing a more extensive email exchange. The emails reflect a lot of frustration among senior Microsoft personnel about Vista's performance problems and hardware incompatibilities. They also appear to indicate that Microsoft lowered the hardware requirements for 'Vista Capable' in order to include certain lower-end Intel chipsets, apparently as a favor to Intel: 'In the end, we lowered the requirement to help Intel make their quarterly earnings so they could continue to sell motherboards with 915 graphics embedded.' Read the whole PDF; it is informative, interesting, and at times (unintentionally) funny.'"

Marlins want fat men who can dance

The Florida Marlins are looking for some footloose fat men. The National League team is creating an all-male, plus-size cheerleading squad to be dubbed the Manatees. Tryouts were scheduled for Sunday.

read more | digg story

Mr. “Pottymouth” Rogers

» Pic of the Day Dept. Dvorak Uncensored: General interest observations and true web-log.

Chavez Threatens To Cut United States Off | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

Chavez Threatens To Cut United States Off | The Onion - America's Finest News Source: "Chavez Threatens To Cut United States Off

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez has threatened to stop sending oil to the United States, citing Washington’s role in aiding Exxon Mobil with a lawsuit against nationalizing the country’s oil. What do you think?


Bettie Arnold,
Systems Analyst
'Bullies like Chavez should never underestimate the little guy—in this case, Exxon Mobil.'


Pedro Barajas,
Hotel Clerk
'I'm surprised by how relatively reasonable this threat is.'


Adam Metz,
Carpet Installer
'Exxon Mobil or Hugo Chavez. Please don't make me choose sides here.'"

Duck!

No seriously, duck!

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End of the Road for Polaroid Instant Film

Polaroid Corp. is dropping the technology it pioneered long before digital photography rendered instant film obsolete to all but a few nostalgia buffs. This year's closures will leave Polaroid with 150 employees at its Concord headquarters and a site in the nearby Boston suburb of Waltham, down from peak global employment of nearly 21,000 in 1978.

read more | digg story

Coast to Coast

Jessica Simpson’s New Movie Grossed $384 on Friday!

Blonde Ambition averaged $48 per screen on Friday for a total box office of $384. Based on an $8 ticket price, that means that 6 people paid to see the movie at each of those theatres, and only 48 people went to see the movie! That’s amazing! One of the worst performances a movie has ever had.

read more | digg story

Flight Simulator in Google Earth 4.2

"Not only did the latest version of Google Earth add Sky—it also quietly got a fabulous new flight simulator which flies a virtual airplane (either an F16 'Viper' or SR22 prop plane) from an airport and runway of your choice. To switch into flight simulator mode the first time, launch the latest version 4.2 of Google Earth (free download) and hit Ctrl+Alt+A (Mac users: Cmd+Opt+A.) Choose your plane, airport and runway and go! Well, ok, it's not quite that easy."

The Month Of Zepcember | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

After years apart, the three original members of Led Zeppelin reunited in a triumphant concert in London on Monday. What do you think?



Scott Frederiksen, Cabinet Maker
'It was truly a concert that people will tell their grandchildren about the following weekend.'"

» Bush offers phone number for “hope” - sadly, the wrong number Dvorak Uncensored: General interest observations and true web-log.

"U.S. homeowners who could face crippling mortgage payments will have a hard time getting help if they call a telephone number President George W. Bush recommended on Thursday — he gave them the wrong number."

Bad Santa - The Best of The Worst Mall Santas

Run kids, run.

read more | digg story

Weird Sleeping Cat

As seen on Digg.

read more | digg story

Most unusual data disaster horror stories for 2007

December 06, 2007 (Computerworld Australia) -- An ant-infested hard drive and a failing parachute top a list of data disaster horror stories for 2007.

The list, provided by Kroll Inc.'s Ontrack Data Recovery unit, illustrates some of the strangest and wackiest things that people put electronic storage devices through on a regular basis.

Putting drives in the washing machine. Using oil to stop them from squeaking. These are just two examples of the user bloopers the company's engineers nominated for inclusion on the list. Remarkably, Kroll data recovery specialists were able to recover the data in both instances.

This year, Kroll's engineers said the company has seen more damaged portable devices than ever before.

One woman called to complain that she had "washed all her data away." Her USB stick had been through a cycle in her washing machine and -- surprise! -- she couldn't retrieve any data from it.