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Double Dipping? 'Seinfeld' Was Right - redwoodage.com
"I like to say it's like kissing everybody at the party _ if you're double dipping, you're putting some of your bacteria in that dip."
YouTube - Super Bowl XL Commercial Degree: Stunt City - extended
Tis' the season...

Re: Braun Self-Cleaning Shaver Fluid
Why the bombers are so angry at us - Opinion - theage.com.au
YouTube - Sarah Silverman "I'm F*cking Matt Damon" on Jimmy Kimmel
NSFW but f%cking Matt Damon funny!

YouTube - Frozen Grand Central - Time stands still
Brilliant!!!! Watch this video! Very simple but effective idea.

YouTube - Keith Olbermann Special Comment FISA
Ouch!

Linux.com :: Seamlessly integrate XP into Linux with SeamlessRDP
Dissent of the testis -- Williams and Dharmaraj 335 (7633): 1287 -- BMJ
"We previously reported that two chocolates (Teasers and Truffles) were strikingly similar to the 8 ml bead of the orchidometer used to assess testicular volume. We therefore suggested that they could be used to stage puberty in males and, because of their wide availability and low cost, recommended their use....We were recently dismayed to discover that the manufacturer has changed the shape of both these chocolates. Both are now flat bottomed (figureGo), and even non-specialists will notice that they bear little resemblance to testes. More disturbingly, they are no longer much use for assessing testicular volume."
BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | 'Bizarre' new mammal discovered
1546.jpg (JPEG Image, 700x502 pixels)
In my best Dean Martin voice, "Baby it's cold outside."
The Power of Spontaneity and How to Wield It
SwissEduc: Stromboli Online - Turkey
Colourful thermophile (heat tolerant) algae in the hot springs.
Four Noble Truths - Essence of Buddhism
Ron Paul, Is America Really Going Bankrupt?
Iraq through the eyes of soldiers [pics] | you.presscue
4 Noble Truths
Excellent -- and brief -- outline/summary of 4 noble truths of Buddhism.
ABC News: Why It Feels Good to Scratch
LiveLeak.com - Ron Paul Post Debate 1-30-2008
Men Not Needed to Create Sperm
"Scientists at the University of Newcastle have managed to create human sperm cells using a female embryonic stem cell"....Okay guys, it's all marketing from here on out.
Moulos : Something funny, weird, interesting happened here
Barbeque technology in our days...TOO funny.
arm-chair logic - logic test
Surprisingly, I got a perfect score on this logic test. Not sure what it says...but if my life and decisions are any indication, I don't think I'm very logical.
arm-chair logic - logic test
IRS warns of rebate check scams - Jan. 31, 2008
"Even before Congress passes an economic stimulus package, identity thieves are using promises of tax rebates to trick people into revealing financial and personal data, the Internal Revenue Service warned Wednesday....Under one scheme, the IRS said, people are receiving phone calls telling them they can only receive a rebate if they provide bank account information for a direct deposit."
Hand gels alone may not curb infections - Yahoo! News
Doctors and nurses on the go often skip soap and water in favor of an alcohol-based hand gel, thinking the quick-acting goo will kill bacteria on their hands and curb the spread of infection. It turns out that's not enough.
Middle age is truly depressing, study finds - Mental health- msnbc.com
Middle age is miserable for many, according to a study using data from 80 countries showing that depression is most common among men and women in their 40s....Happiness (for people in 72 countries ranging from Albania to Zimbabwe) follows a U-shaped curve where life begins cheerful before turning tough during middle age and then returning to the joys of youth in the golden years.
The Minimalist's Guide to Simple Housework | Zen Habits
BBC DOCUMENTARY: al-Qaeda "Organization" is a fiction with no basis in reality
Hmmm....Could this be?
UPDATE: Tyson Foods To Raise Prices As Profit Suffers
Tyson Foods Inc. reported Monday its quarterly profit fell 40% from a year ago, dragged down by wider losses in its beef business and surging grain and fuel costs...Near record-level costs for corn and soybean meal is taking its toll, and Tyson said it plans to raise costs for its chicken and beef products that account for 78% of its total sales..."We have no other choice but to raise prices substantially," CEO Richard Bond said.
Seven Medical Myths - Dr. Andrew Weil
Food prices | The end of cheap food | Economist.com
Rising food prices are a threat to many; they also present the world with an enormous opportunity
sedentary lifestyle increases aging-related diseases
"A sedentary lifestyle increases the propensity to aging-related diseases and premature death. Inactivity may diminish life expectancy not only by predisposing to aging-related diseases, but also because it may influence the aging process itself," study author Lynn F. Cherkas, of King.
America: Freedom to Fascism - Director's Authorized Version

Del Toro doubles up for 'Hobbit'
Guillermo del Toro is in talks to direct back-to-back installments of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit. After his success with Pan's Labyrinth, this seems a good choice.
YouTube - Samurai sword slices water bottle.
I just thought this was cool.

$1 Image Stabilizer For Any Camera - Lose The Tripod
Simple but very effective substitute for monopod or, in some cases, tripod. Consists of non-stretching string, 1/4 inch bolt, large washer.
Gentoo Linux -- Gentoo Linux News
Wall $treet Week with FORTUNE . In the News | PBS
Why I'm not buying the U.S. dollar - America's growing trade deficit is selling the nation out from under us. Here's a way to fix the problem -- and we need to do it now. By Warren E. Buffett
Airbus A380 - cockpit | p a n o r e p o r t a g e | g i l l e s v i d a l
Very cool...makes me want to become a pilot.
Cutting Caffeine May Help Control Diabetes - Health News
Cutting down on caffeine could help people with type 2 diabetes control their blood sugar levels, according to a new study by scientists at Duke University Medical Center.

"The researchers found that when the participants consumed caffeine, their average daily sugar levels went up eight percent. Caffeine also exaggerated the rise in glucose after meals -- increasing by nine percent after breakfast, 15 percent after lunch and 26 per cent after dinner."
The Autumn of the Multitaskers
To do two things at once is to do neither.
~ Publilius Syrus, Roman slave, first century B.C.
Biohazard Symbol History
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From today, feel free to download another 25 million songs - legally - Times Online
After a decade fighting to stop illegal file-sharing, the music industry will give fans today what they have always wanted: an unlimited supply of free and legal songs.
YouTube - Google Maps gone wrong
Funny.
Western diet boosts colon cancer risk by 300 per cent
A President Like My Father - New York Times
CAROLINE KENNEDY - "I have never had a president who inspired me the way people tell me that my father inspired them. But for the first time, I believe I have found the man who could be that president -- not just for me, but for a new generation of Americans."
PmWiki | Cookbook / Tagger
Web Design Timeline
Effective Writing - George Orwell
Hookers for Jesus: Ex sex-workers save souls - Telegraph
Fit Nation: The Obesity Fight - Special Reports from CNN.com
The Raw Story | Video: Stewart slams media for provoking campaign drama
Loved the last part of this segment. Sam is perfect.
YouTube - Victory Speech in South Carolina
Fantastic speech from Obama...He's not backing down or thinking this will be a cake walk.

Netdisaster - Destroy the web!
Fun little online app.
For the Democrats: Obama -- chicagotribune.com
"Most Americans, we'd wager, by now have concluded that the color of his skin matters less than his evident comfort within it"
I Declare ........read the small print. on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
FactCheck.org
Israel practices medical apartheid, study finds | Presscue
"Israel practices medical apartheid with Arab residents receiving much lower quality health care compared to Jewish citizens, according to a study published in American Journal of Medical Quality"....Ouch!
Reflex
Cool game.
What to blame when things go wrong, memo
NOAA Ocean Explorer: Porpita porpita
YouTube - Innovate or Die - Aquaduct: Mobile Filtration Vehicle
Interesting idea...It still likely requires filter replacement...and tire tubes...but I like the innovative approach. Certain could lead to other ideas, too.

Two Cheers for Wall St. - New York Times
"There is roughly a 100 percent chance that we're going to spend much of this year talking about the subprime mortgage crisis, the financial markets and the worsening economy. The only question is which narrative is going to prevail, the Greed Narrative or the Ecology Narrative"...Really good essay on how people are viewing the financial "crisis."
YouTube - Ronnie Johns - Chopper - Harden the F%ck Up
Funny...Aussie humor? NSFW.

Infinite Monkeys: Ron Paul on Economics
"When I first heard that the income tax could be completely eliminated and the government could still fund itself at 1997 budget levels, I was shocked. Then I was angry. How can this be so? In ten years the government has grown that much? They could have frozen expenditures at 1997 levels (which were still too high) and gradually reduced the income tax to zero over ten years? Can you imagine what that would have done for the economy?"
The Dollar's Reserve Currency Role Is Drawing To An End
"At the meeting of the World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland, this week, billionaire currency trader George Soros warned that the dollar's reserve currency role was drawing to an end: 'The current crisis is not only the bust that follows the housing boom, it's basically the end of a 60-year period of continuing credit expansion based on the dollar as the reserve currency. Now the rest of the world is increasingly unwilling to accumulate dollars." [Dollar's golden era is ending, warns Soros By Edmund Conway, Telegraph, (UK), January 25, 2008]
What hip-hop really is | Dirty Writer
"A way for people who can't sing to get attention. If you can convince your average soft, American middle-classer that you are tough and form the streets then you are instantly both glamorous and exotic to them. You get all their wonderful attention by fitting a stereotype and being aggressive and tough before a camera"...NSFW...but funny.
Fawnskin Flyer: | High Altitude Sickness or Dehydration?
Essential Calvin
080123_edtoon1-24_600.jpg (JPEG Image, 600x486 pixels)
Murphy's Laws of Combat
75 Tips to Keep Your Car in Top-Notch Condition: Operating Your Car | Auto Care | Reader's Digest
Conjugal Harmony
Uh...what? Match-making site for...women (and men?) in prison. A captive audience. Very weird. I truly hope this is a joke.
YouTube - James Randi - On Geller's Reversal
I've always like James Randi, and here he is offering his thoughts on the recent "coming out" of Uri Geller, who is no longer claiming to be psychic or in possession of supernatural powers. Randi is actually quite restrained and thoughtful about the event.

'A Letter From Hell' by RichardDawkins.net - RichardDawkins.net
A recruiting video that seems designed to terrify young Christian teens into evangelizing to their friends. Awful, terrible, offensive stuff. I can see young, impressionable teens being quite damaged by this video. What a bunch of bull. Do you they really believe God is so cruel? It's off the hook, crazy stuff.
The Raw Story | US stimulus may be too late, despite swift action: analysts
"The federal government cannot just wish new purchasing power into existence. The government must borrow the funds for the rebates, which means either less money available for investment or an increase in the trade deficit."
Libertarian Quotes
DoctorYourself.com - Health, Naturally!
Money As Debt
The video that started my curiosity about where money comes from.
Soda - Nutrition - Health Effects - New York Times
"Findings support the long-held notion that something about cola -- the phosphoric acid, for example, or the ability of cola to pull calcium from bones -- seems to increase the risk of kidney stones, renal failure and other conditions affecting the kidneys....There is good evidence that cola beverages can increase the risk of kidney problems, more so than noncola sodas."
What is svchost.exe And Why Is It Running? :: the How-To Geek
"Invasion Surprised Saddam, Tells 60 Minutes Former Dictator Bragged About Eluding Capture - CBS News
Saddam Hussein initially didn't think the U.S. would invade Iraq to destroy weapons of mass destruction, so he kept the fact that he had none a secret to prevent an Iranian invasion he believed could happen. The Iraqi dictator revealed this thinking to George Piro, the FBI agent assigned to interrogate him after his capture."
People use Internet to confirm pre-existing beliefs | Presscue science
Ron Paul 2008 - Comprehensive Economic Revitalization Plan
Ron Paul Unveils a Real Economic Stimulus Plan
UNIX tips: Learn 10 good UNIX usage habits
YouTube - I ask Ron Paul about Iraq and Iran
Excellent Point! Paul describes what's happening in the south of Iraq, how local tribes leaders, who have ties with Iran, are calling the shots after the British departure. "Not a catastrophe," Paul says. "If [Iran] had more control of the oil, they'd want to sell it. What are you going to do with it? Drink it?"

U.S. in role of wounded giant at Davos
Some criticized its steep cut in interest rates Tuesday as a knee-jerk reaction to calm the markets rather than a sound response to a deteriorating situation.

"Policy makers are reaching back into the same playbook that got us into this mess in the first place," said Stephen Roach, an economist who recently became the chairman of Morgan Stanley Asia.

By signaling that it is ready to cushion the stock market from the ravages of the credit crisis, Roach argued, the Federal Reserve risks creating conditions for a new round of inflation in asset prices.
IBM Riles Employees With Base Pay Cuts - AP News
Even as IBM Corp. reports record profits, thousands of its U.S. employees are staring at pay cuts.

It's the result of IBM's response to a lawsuit in which the company was accused of illegally withholding overtime pay from some technical employees. IBM settled the case for $65 million in 2006 and has now decided that it needs to reclassify 7,600 technical-support workers as eligible for overtime.

But their underlying salary - the base pay they earn for their first 40 hours of work each week - will be cut 15 percent to compensate.
"Foreclose me ... I'll save money"
A homeowner who can't sell his house tells the L.A.Times, "Foreclose me. ... I'll live in the house for free for 12 months, and I'll save my money and I'll move on."
Deal Reached on Economic Stimulus Package - washingtonpost.com
"Under the plan, as many as 117 million people would get rebate checks. Individual income tax filers would receive up to $600, working couples would get up to $1,200, and those with children would get an additional $300 per child."
Drug-Coated Stents Safe, Study Concludes - washingtonpost.com
"Doctors can safely use drug-coated stents to open up complicated blockages in coronary arteries for which the devices were not originally designed, according to new research. In fact, they appear to work better than older, bare-metal stents in those situations."
YouTube - Ron Paul on Mad Money

YouTube - Candidates@Google: Ron Paul
Excellent discussion / Q&A at Google of Ron Paul's ideas. Learned a lot.

Where Does Money Come From?
After the deluge
Fairly good piece describing how the Fed cutting rates is BAD for wage earners (because it devalues the dollar)..."when the federal reserve devalues money (implicit in lowering the cost to obtain money), the value of any savings you have is immediately devalued. The purchasing power of your income is erroded. Every asset denominated in dollars will likely become more expensive, without some opposing market force at work. Loosening the availability of money and credit in the broader economy is one of the leading causes of inflation, the great decimator of the middle class."

Real estate values are high, which leads to high loan amounts. Loans essentially "create" more money in the system. More money for same assets defines inflation...So it seems a lot of this was predictable...
European Central Banker Says Inflation Is Still Focus - New York Times
How Tiger Woods makes everyone else on the course play worse. - By Joel Waldfogel - Slate Magazine
No cancer risk found in diet soda's aspartame
Teach your brain to stretch time - New Scientist
Click here to clean your screen
Cute idea :)
Teen changes immune system | The Daily Telegraph
"A YOUNG NSW transplant patient has become the first person in the world to spontaneously switch blood types and take on her donor's immune system."
Yes, you can be happy at work - Yahoo! News
"On a recent tour of several well-known American corporations, one thing became painfully obvious to me: The concept of happiness at work is alien to most American workplaces."
ALA | Newbery Medal Winners, 1922-Present
CaliforniaChoice
Bible reviews - FreeThoughtPedia
Funny and sad...but mostly funny.
Learn How to Pass (or Beat) a Polygraph Test | AntiPolygraph.org
What to do if you're laid off in 2008 recession
WNYC - Radio Lab
Bill Moyers Journal . Desmond Tutu | PBS
Bill Moyers' Conversation with Archbishop Tutu, April 27, 1999. Desmond Tutu describes his experience on the South Africa Truth and Reconciliation committee, the meaning of forgiveness....Profound stuff from a man who has witnessed and lived what he speaks. Tutu reminds me in the most powerful way the GREAT GOOD that can come from religious belief.
Bill Moyers Journal . Dominique Green | PBS
"I am not angry, but I am disappointed that I was denied justice. But I am happy that I was afforded you all as family and friends. You all have been there for me; it's a miracle. I love you...I am not as strong as I thought I was going to be. But I guess it only hurts for a little while. You all are my family. Please keep my memory alive."--Dominique Green, Last Statement

At 7:59 PM on October 26, 2004, Dominique Green, 30, was executed by lethal injection in Huntsville, Texas.

He was arrested back in 1992, when he was 18, and convicted of fatally shooting Andrew Lastrapes Jr. during a robbery outside a Houston convenience store. Green admitted to taking part in the robbery but insisted he did not pull the trigger. The victim's family too opposed the sentence:

"All of us have forgiven Dominique for what happened and want to give him another chance at life. Everyone deserves another chance," wrote Bernatte Luckett Lastrapes, the victim's wife, to Texas Governor Rick Perry and the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles. Her pleas and compassion were ignored by the Texas Board.
Bill Moyers Journal . Thomas Cahill | PBS
Fascinating, far-reaching interview with historian/author Thomas Cahill, who discusses his recent book on an amazing young man named Dominique Green, who was recently executed in Texas.
Stunning jump in foreclosures
"The median home price in California at year end was $402,000, down from $484,000 in March, DataQuick said. However, it pointed out that much of that decline is due to a change in the types of houses sold, as fewer high-end properties changed hands after mortgage lending tightened in August."
YouTube - US Stock Markets Decline : THE DOLLAR HOLOCAUST
Ouch! I wish Ron Paul was wrong about our f%cked up monetary policy...but I think he's very right. The value of the dollar is dropping because, through the Fed, the US is borrowing more and more money to support more and more spending. It's insane, irresponsible. I could never run my household that way. Why can the government get away with it? Because they can borrow/print money.

Markets Crash, Ron Paul Was Right
YouTube - Ron Paul Schools Ben Bernanke Again
Exactly! When the Fed (NOT a government agency, BTW) reduces interest rates (and other things), this ends up increasing the money supply, which leads to inflation. Put more simply, reducing interest rate leads to more borrowing or debt. Bernanke basically ignored Paul's point and question. As Paul points out, the Fed's practice does not address the problem but only the symptom.

AlterNet: Blogs: Election 2008: Obama Takes on Homophobia, Anti-Semitism and Xenophobia in Speech at MLK
John Resig - Programming Book Profits
Discontinuing Antiplatelet Therapy for patients with DES - is it that risky? » Malaysian Medical Resources
grep, print lines matching a pattern: grep, print lines matching a pattern
Bill Moyers Journal Interview with David Cay Johnston, author of "Free Lunch" | PBS
"From time to time over the next few months we will step outside the election bubble and look at the hard cold facts of power. We'll have the help of some journalists like Craig Unger, whose reporting raises uncomfortable questions few politicians of either party want to answer. For example: Why do some of the most powerful and privileged people in the country get a free lunch you pay for? You'll find some of the answers right here in this book by that very name: FREE LUNCH: HOW THE WEALTHIEST AMERICANS ENRICH THEMELVES AT GOVERNMENT EXPENSE (AND STICK YOU WITH THE BILL.) The author is another of America's top investigative reporters -- David Cay Johnston of THE NEW YORK TIMES. He's won the Pulitzer Prize and the George Polk Award and many other accolades over his forty years as a journalist. Welcome to THE JOURNAL."
Bill Moyers on LBJ's contribution to Racial Equality
Superb essay (video) by Moyers. Well worth viewing, especially on MLK day. Speaks of how LBJ did contribute as President to the equal rights movement. Describes how MLK and LBJ met and discussed plans. Originally, LBJ did not want MLK to march, that LBJ could do his political maneuverings and get the result they both wanted. But MLK persuaded "the great persuader" (LBJ) that both the politics of the President and the politics of his marches and rallies were needed. After listening intently, LBJ finally said ok, "Keep doing what you're doing and make it possible for me to do the right thing." LBJ kept his word, and in the end signed historical civil right legislation.
Honestly, all of us are liars - CNN.com
Chycho.com - Analysis and discussion about the world we live in.
Cognitive Labs: Monetary Intervention: Not New
Wall Street appears poised to respond to future interest rate cuts, fueling additional borrowing and digital creation of more and more dollars.
YouTube - The U.S. Economy is Unsustainable
Excellent 60-minutes piece with the head of the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) David Walker.

Harnessing kite power to a ship - International Herald Tribune
I saw an illustration about this technique and thought it was a joke....I guess not...and looking at this image, it seems like a good idea.
YouTube - chatter

How Much Does It Take to be Rich? The Wealthy Say At Least $5 Million | Reuters
Canon 24-105mm f/4L IS USM AF Lens - Research
Canon | 24-105mm f/4L IS USM AF Lens | 0344B002 | B&H Photo Video
Amazing pictures of the cheetah cubs who developed a soft spot for their supper | the Daily Mail
Russ Roberts: Critique of Bush Economic Stimulus Plan
"It's like taking a bucket of water from the deep end of a pool and dumping it into the shallow end."
Grappa - BluaRandom
Way cool.
Advice needed for ripping a huge music CD collection - CNET Community Newsletter: Q&A Forums
10 personal growth lessons from children | Evolving Times
Make a choice. Firefox or Internet Explorer?
Bobby Fischer Is Dead - An Analysis
Really interesting thoughts on Fischer and his life and mental health (or lack thereof).
Psychology Today: The psychology of money
"Describes the author's observations during a visit to Las Vegas, Nevada, in which he analyzes the psychology of gambling. How Las Vegas reveals how Americans view money; How our puritanical impulses collide with our conquistador fantasies; The psychological cost we pay for the dominance of money in our society; How the American Dream has come to mean an ideal of prosperity, not of liberty; Casino culture."
What is String Theory?
Donald Byrne vs Robert James Fischer (1956) "The Game of the Century"
Bobby Fischer died recently. Here's a famous game he played at age 13(?)
The Denver Post - Ailing GIs deployed to war zones
"Fort Carson sent soldiers who were not medically fit to war zones last month to meet "deployable strength" goals, according to e-mails obtained by The Denver Post"....I thought this was a good image to illustrate the point of the story.

Master Sgt. Denny Nelson, 19-year Army vet.
On crutches outside Fort Carson
(Glenn Asakawa, The Denver Post)

01.16.08 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Hmm...interesting proposition....But doesn't this suggests that sex with reader is somehow a sacrifice for the writer?
Coffee, Tea, or Should We Feel Your Pregnant Wife's Breasts Before Throwing You in a Cell at the Airport and Then Lying About Why We Put You There? by Nicholas Monahan
The 5 Most Horrifying Bugs in the World | Cracked.com
"It's the size of your thumb and it can spray flesh-melting poison. We really wish we were making that up for, you know, dramatic effect...Oh, hey, did we mention it shoots it into your eyes? Or that the poison also has a pheromone cocktail in it that'll call every hornet in the hive to come over and sting you until you are no longer alive?" Video is of 30 of these hornets killing a honey bee collony of 30,000. Yes, 1000 to 1, and the 1 wins. It's like Halo, right? Jeez!

Pharyngula: I really don't understand Republicans
"When people are having to work harder, it's not a sign that the middle class is thriving."
vonnegut.jpg (JPEG Image, 468x614 pixels)
The Johnson Treatment
Top Fifty Atheist T-Shirt and Bumper Sticker Aphorisms
Rude...but funny.
plaisir partager
NSFW Aids prevention ad (in French?)
deputydog | the world's most controversial boardgames
"Second Thoughts about Fluoride," reports Scientific American
"Some recent studies suggest that over-consumption of fluoride can raise the risks of disorders affecting teeth, bones, the brain and the thyroid gland," reports Scientific American editors (January 2008). "Scientific attitudes toward fluoridation may be starting to shift," writes author Dan Fagin.
Johnny Depp says thanks a million to hospital | Herald Sun
"Johnny Depp secretly visited London's Great Ormond St Hospital yesterday to donate a million pounds to thank staff for saving his daughter's life." That's a nice story about Depp. Glad his child is okay.
ChurchBodies.gif (GIF Image, 886x643 pixels) - Scaled (88%)
By land mass, I'd say the Catholics rule.

Larger view
Contact lenses with circuits, lights a possible platform for superhuman vision
Engineers at the University of Washington have for the first time used manufacturing techniques at microscopic scales to combine a flexible, biologically safe contact lens with an imprinted electronic circuit and lights.

"Looking through a completed lens, you would see what the display is generating superimposed on the world outside," said Babak Parviz, a UW assistant professor of electrical engineering. "This is a very small step toward that goal, but I think it's extremely promising."
scaryideas | Beerka: Great Beer Inventions - Golf
PuTTY Download Page
Great Telnet and SSH client.
Casting spels in lisp
How to Grow Your Own Food - wikiHow
Great Depression - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Unqualified Reservations: A straightforward explanation of the present financial crisis (part 1)
Parasite morphs ant into ripe red berry
"When the ant Cephalotes atratus is infected with a parasitic nematode, its normally black abdomen turns red, resembling the many red berries in the tropical forest canopy. According to researchers, this is a strategy concocted by nematodes to entice birds to eat the normally unpalatable ant and spread the parasite in their droppings."
next-president-fluent.gif (GIF Image, 400x104 pixels)
Our next president should be fluent in at least one language...Ha!
Dismal Science Sees Upbeat Future - Forbes.com
Schneier on Security: Talking to Strangers
"Bruce Schneier: I think 'don't talk to strangers' is just about the worst possible advice you can give a child. Most people are friendly and helpful, and if a child is in distress, asking the help of a stranger is probably the best possible thing he can do."
Visualizing Regular Expressions at Oliver Steele
One Stop for All Information: Top 5 SEO and Link Building Challenges for 2008
I'm confused about the rel="nofollow" attribute: When should it be used? When not? What's benefit/cost in either case? Good summary of the conditions and concerns revolving around the rel="nofollow" attribute.
mercury-far-side-first-imag.jpg
First high res image of far side of Mercury?
Ananova - Testicles face snip
"A controversial Virginia lawmaker is trying to introduce new legislation to ban rubber testicles from being fitted to the back of trucks"....Here's a headline: Sales Go Up as Lawmakers Go Down on Truck Balls....maybe not.
Iraq Reckoning - Peter Oborne - Documentary
Riveting analysis/critique/documentary of Iraq war from British reporter, Peter Oborne. Oborne reports on how Bush/Blair went into Iraq without a plan for post-war Iraq. Interviews with former officials confirm this. It describes how fundamental Islamic leaders are taking control of portions of the country that British and U.S. forces are leaving. These departures are spun as success stories. In reality, the Iraqi people left behind are under a much more fundamentalist regime than when Saddam was in power. Terrifying, disappointing stuff.

In the end we will leave Iraq. But what we leave behind will not resemble what the soldiers and civilians died fighting for.

Sunday Design Resource Issue 3 - 500+ icons every designer needs | CrazyLeaf Design Blog - Web Design and Graphic Design blog
Epidemic: Flesh-Eating, Sexually-Transmitted Bacteria Hit San Francisco and Boston
Your next kiss could turn into an infection that eats your lips off. San Francisco and Boston are reporting outbreaks of drug-resistant staph bacteria that cannot be stopped with any antibiotics currently being used to fight them. When the bacteria come into contact with your skin, they can burrow into tiny cuts and create infections so severe that it's as if the microbes are eating your flesh.
Jackson Pollock by Miltos Manetas, original design by Stamen, press any key to s
BetterExplained | Understanding Beyond Your Textbook
A Visual Guide to Simple, Compound and Continuous Interest Rates | BetterExplained
25 Skills Every Man Should Know - Essential DIY - Popular Mechanics
Stuck In Customs - About Trey Ratcliff
John Galt Games
Train Your Eyes to See Color, Again | ThinkSimpleNow.com
Nintendo Wii : Super Smash Bros Brawl is delayed...again
"The official Smash Bros Website updated today with a surprise that no one truly expected. Outside of the daily update, the site also revealed that Brawl will now be delayed until March 9 for North America"...My son is going to be so mad.
YouTube - Front Wheel Drive tricks

15 January 2008

New hope may lie in lab-created heart - CNN.com
"Rather than building a heart from scratch, which has often been mentioned as possible use for stem cells, this procedure takes a heart and breaks it down to the outermost shell. It's similar to taking a house and gutting it, then rebuilding everything inside. In the human version, the patient's own cells would be used."
Choose a Dvorak keyboard layout
Dvorak Simplified Keyboard - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lesson 3: Protect Against Inflation - Los Angeles Times
A home, gold and inflation-indexed bonds.
Vanguard - Exchange-Traded Shares by Asset Class - Prices and performance
E*TRADE FINANCIAL - Quotes & Research
Vanguard - Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US Index Fund Investor Shares Overview
Vanguard - Vanguard to introduce new international index ETF
Unix Commands for Sex
The Church Doctrines of Pope Ron Paul - washingtonpost.com

14 January 2008

Favorite Atheism Quotes
Atheism: A non-prophet organization.
First bioartificial heart may signal end of organ shortage - Telegraph
"The team took a whole heart and removed cells from it. Then, with the resulting architecture, chambers, valves and the blood vessel structure intact, repopulated the structure with new cells."
Wesley Snipes to Go on Trial in Tax Case - New York Times
"Tax deniers maintain that the law only appears to require payment of taxes. All their theories have been rejected by the courts, including the one invoked by Mr. Snipes, which is known as the 861 position, after a section of the federal tax code."
Top 100 Quotes from Fundamentalist Christians
Chewing Gum Sweetener Can Cause Dangerous Weight Loss
"Many sugar-free chewing gums contain a sweetener called sorbitol. Sorbitol is a laxative which is poorly absorbed by the small intestine. An article in this week's British Medical Journal (BMJ) warns of the dangers of excess sorbitol intake.

The warning comes after doctors came across two patients who had chronic diarrhea, abdominal pain and dangerously excessive weight loss. After lengthy investigations which could not identify why the patients were losing so much weight and had chronic diarrhea and pains, a detailed analysis of eating habits put the problem down to eating too much chewing gum with sorbitol."
Tumblelog - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tumblelog - "a variation of a blog that favors short-form, mixed-media posts over the longer editorial posts frequently associated with blogging. Common post formats found on tumblelogs include links, photos, quotes, dialogues, and video. Unlike blogs, tumblelogs are frequently used to share the author's creations, discoveries, or experiences while providing little or no commentary."
Tumblr Tumblelog
Wanderings tumblr
Tumblr
Red Bull with Alcohol - Can It Kill You?
DestroySites.com
Kinda cool :)

13 January 2008

Average American Owes Average Chinese $4000 | The Agonist
"Through the quarter-century in which China has been opening to world trade, Chinese leaders have deliberately held down living standards for their own people and propped them up in the United States. This is the real meaning of the vast trade surplus -- $1.4 trillion and counting, going up by about $1 billion per day -- that the Chinese government has mostly parked in U.S. Treasury notes. In effect, every person in the (rich) United States has over the past 10 years or so borrowed about $4,000 from someone in the (poor) People's Republic of China."
vixy.net : Online FLV Converter : Download online videos direct to PC / iPod / PSP. It's free!
Pollution Eating Tree - Bioremediation - thedailygreen.com
PolitiFact | All statements by Ron Paul
Very interesting...Paul's arguments are persuading me to adopt a more libertarian view, though I expect the pain of such a transition would be more than I or others could bear. I can't get away from the idea that we need to reduce our spending, and the obvious place to do that is with our biggest expense--the defense department. But then you have to address the entitlements (Social Security, Medicare). That's when the pain becomes too great.
Health Care in Germany
"People who have seen a large chunk of their pay packet disappear each month make demanding patients and expect both immediacy of treatment and value for money. They 'shop around', go for second opinions, and change doctors frequently. No money changes hands at the point of service. Instead, physicians are reimbursed by sickness funds via their regional physician associations. People who have opted for private insurance, however, generally pay by invoice for treatment received."

The German system, as described here, looks quite good. I like the free market approach, in that people can jump ship to other providers without mandated procedures (bureaucracy)...Need to investigate this further.
YouTube - Carl Sagan - A thousand years of darkness

This American Life On Showtime - Official Site of Showtime Original Series, This American Life.
The Wieners Circle - This American Life - Ira Glass
Holy Crap! NSFW! Very interesting story off of Ira Glass' This American Life. WARNING: Video contains some VERY bad language...Welcome to the Weiner Circle, can I take your order, bi#@%!
National Debt Chart According to Political Party of President

See larger view
How to Never Spend Money on PC Software Ever Again
Aptana
Web dev open source software.
VideoLAN - Free Software and Open Source video streaming solution for every OS!
Increases in the National Debt Chart
Ouch! So if we want to decrease the deficit, vote democrat?
BEST OF DENNIS KUCINICH!
I found this funny...the Colbert Report bit inter-spliced into the piece held it together.

Reason Magazine - Hit & Run > But Whatever You Do, Don't Legalize It
Freakanomics guru Steven Levitt comes to some uncomfortable conclusions about prostitution in Chicago.

12 January 2008

Lady in the Water - 1947
A woman floating in the water at Weeki Wachee Spring, Florida. The image by fashion photographer Toni Frissell was published in Harper's Bazaar in December 1947.
Buyers Beware: Current Blu-ray Players Won't Correctly Play Future Discs
current Blu-ray disc players were built without future-compatibility capabilities, so come this October owners won't be able to take advantage of features like Internet connectivity or enhanced interactivity (whatever that means, details are sketchy).
The One, The Only--Groucho
Watched this on PBS last night...wonderful bio pic on Groucho Marx. Amazing wit.

Pizdaus: Pics We Like
I just like this picture...so sue me.
Center for Consumer Freedom :: PETA Killed 97 Percent of 'Companion Animals' in 2006, According to VDACS
According to Virginia's Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS), the average euthanasia rate for humane societies in the state was just 34.7 percent in 2006. PETA killed 97.4 percent of the animals it took in.
NASA - Home
Grass Makes Better Ethanol than Corn Does: Scientific American
"Farmers in Nebraska and the Dakotas brought the U.S. closer to becoming a biofuel economy, planting huge tracts of land for the first time with switchgrass -- a native North American perennial grass (Panicum virgatum) that often grows on the borders of cropland naturally -- and proving that it can deliver more than five times more energy than it takes to grow it."
How Sewing Machine Works - Great Illustration
How a bobbin (sewing machine) works - Material Mama Podcast
We Need Forgiveness
further on Vimeo
A ten-second thought in pictures, inspired by and made with Jill....wow...

The Psychology of Cyberspace - Home Page/Table of Contents

11 January 2008

America Needs a Financial Diet - by Will Marre
2008 Diet and Investment Plan @ American Dream Project
There is nothing you can buy that is worth the price of peace of mind. If you want a dream life, live in a place you can afford, working at a career you love, now. Not twenty years from now.
Firefox Extensions / Add-ons I Like
Userscripts.org
Joaquin Phoenix Interview on Shootout with Peter Guber and Peter Bart
Yoga Anatomy - by Leslie Kaminoff - Review
How To Actually Win A Fist Fight
Aerogel - NASA
State funeral for Sir Ed - New Zealand, world, sport, business & entertainment news on Stuff.co.nz
Sir Ed's 1953 ascent of Mt Everest brought him world-wide fame and Miss Clark said the legendary mountaineer was the best-known New Zealander ever to have lived...."But most of all he was a quintessential Kiwi. He was ours - from his craggy appearance and laconic style to his directness and honesty. All New Zealanders will deeply mourn his passing."
Dying to Lose In Vegas: The $3 Blackjack Death March
U.S. Heading For Financial Trouble?, Comptroller Says Medicare Program Endangers Financial Stability - CBS News
U.S. GAO - David M. Walker Biography
Saw an interview with Walker on 60 Minutes. Very impressive...and he has a terrifying story to tell regarding U.S. financial liabilities. To Walker's mind (and the GAO's numbers bear this to be true), as a country we are broke--worse than broke, we are under an increasing debt. Trillions of dollars are added to our debt each year. TRILLIONS. It amounts to a debt per household of $400,000.

Oddly, politicians are not disputing Walker's accusations. Instead, the ignore them, and Walker is pretty fired up about that. So he started something of a crusade recently, talking "to the people" about the financial condition of the U.S.

10 January 2008

YouTube - Glenn Beck - The Real Story, Touching the Third Rail
Interview with David Walker, head of the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO).

How To Make Fire Balls - Video
Dangerous, sure...but looks very interesting.
famfamfam.com: Silk Icons
Wonderful collection of icons.
chrispederick.com
Met Chris at Razorfish. He's a excellent web developer--and way cool person. Check out his website.
Vimeo. Because everyone shouldn't see everything.

9 January 2008

Stress causes whole body deterioration
Journal/15 Frimaire CCXVI from Evan Prodromou
Featured Shows - earideas
LibriVox
Matt Stuart
Flickr Ticker - Themes
15 Minutes of Fame: Noor the pacifist - WOW Insider
DIY covert spy sunglasses for $40 | Parenting Squad
24 Things I've Learned in 24 Years (aclevercookie.com)
50 things I've learned in 50 years
Change of Subject - Observations, reports, tips, referrals and tirades | Chicago Tribune | Blog
Reversal Of Alzheimer
Hamilton Photography
Chris Proctor
SEBPMG.COM
gradschooltalk.pdf (application/pdf Object)
10 ways to spot emotional terrorists and save positive energy - Judith Orloff M.D.
100 Excellent Free WordPress Themes | Developer's Toolbox | Smashing Magazine
Left of Zen » Top 100 Funny Quotes
Laurent Sicard - QTVR
A Link Between Anxiety and Heart Attacks - TIME
according to a new long-term study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Of 735 American middle-aged or elderly men who had good cardiovascular health in 1986, those who scored highest on four different scales of anxiety were far more likely to suffer heart attacks later in life.
Stephen R. Covey - How to strike a work and life balance

8 January 2008

YouTube - Bill Gates Announces Retirement (Good Quality)

2008 International CES, January 7-10, Las Vegas
The 9 Step Television Diet | ThinkSimpleNow.com
George Carlin - Wisdom Stinks
ABC News: The Dirty Secrets of Joining a Gym
Away With Words: The IKEA Naming System
consolechartyr2.jpg (JPEG Image, 640x480 pixels)
5min - how to open the envelope - Video
WW1: Experiences of an English Soldier

7 January 2008

Simple Ways to Change the World
20 Ways to Change the World
I love this list! Simple things you can do to change the world.
Iraq U.S. Military casualties graphic
Online Registration Renewal
Currency Trading Research
Mall Collects Clothes Tossed Away by Canadian Shoppers
"Canadian shoppers taking advantage of the parity between the U.S. and Canadian dollars are leaving behind more than cash when the head home. They're leaving behind their old clothes."
A Coder's guide to coffee
Protect Yourself From The Dollar Drop - Business on The Huffington Post
Austrian School - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Austrian Economics, by Deborah L. Walker: The Concise Encyclopedia of Economics: Library of Economics and Liberty
Iraqi soldiers throw selves on suicide bomber, AP reports - CNN.com
"Two Iraqi soldiers were killed when they tried to thwart the attack by throwing themselves on the bomber who had slipped into the crowd, The Associated Press reports."
gethuman.com 500 database from Paul English

6 January 2008

TED | Talks | Gever Tulley: 5 dangerous things you should let your kids do (video)
Excellent philosophy. I think he's right on here. We protect our kids so much that they feel powerless and incapable of handling dangerous tools (and situations). So let your kids: play with fire, own a knife, throw spear, take apart an appliance, drive a car. Give them rules, yes, but let them play and do these things in a safe way. Let them gain confidence that they can handle this stuff.
How to Design Programs: An Introduction to Computing and Programming
StopBigMedia.com: Who owns the media?
Hot tips to get the best of Linux in 2008
IT talent shortage, or management failure?
Daily Kos: State of the Nation
The Republican debates according to a 9-year old (w/Poll)
YouTube - India traffic cam
Holy traffic jam, Batman!

Party Tricks - By Steven E. Landsburg - Slate Magazine
"One of my favorite classroom tricks is to auction off a $20 bill. I explain in advance that the $20 goes to the top bidder, but the top two bidders have to pay whtatever they bid. That way, if at least two students bid at least $10, I come out ahead."
YouTube - Ron Paul vs Mike Huckabee

5 January 2008

Ron Paul - Have YOU Looked Into What He Said
I'm not endorsing Paul, but I do admire his constitutional perspective. More, I appreciate how he is pointing out the UNconstitutional actions of our government.
YouTube - The OC MPMM - Alsetalokin's Video [2008/01/04]
Perpetual motion?....right.

10 Tips for Editing a Podcast in GarageBand
IO computer language
Main Page - Uncyclopedia, the content-free encyclopedia
The Most Hated PC Company
The source of ire is a tiny laptop called the ASUS Eee PC. This open, flexible, relatively powerful, and very small laptop is notable for one feature above all: Its price. The Eee PC can be had for as little as $299.
California's Leading Smog Check Support Group. Get Up To $30.00 OFF Smog Check Coupons from reputable and certified smog check center station test location.
Auto 1 Smog Test Center - Fremont, CA
(510) 656-0888
Code Profiles
YouTube - N.H. G.O.P. Fighting with FOX News over Ron Paul
Fox is an embarrassment...How is this supporting the public trust?

Burning biofuels may be worse than coal and oil, say experts
Mother Nature is Not Our Friend - by Sam Harris
Evolution at hvattum.net