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Recent Responses by jhota

Posted 55 days ago
why not. let's blame everything on terrorists. i'm not saying that it's outside the realm of possibility, but one should never underestimate the idiocy of human beings.
in Terror Attack on US Financials?

Posted 69 days ago
when reading my opinions, keep in mind that i'm a nutcase miniarchist. so i'll almost always go for personal freedoms over government control. i think that people in general can be (and should be) trusted with their own safety.
in Should teachers be allowed to carry guns?

Posted 71 days ago
i think i've been there. it's a place to stay on the way to Texas or other points west.
in Tim Kant and Dean Mosher to face one another in Fairhope, Alabama runoff

Posted 71 days ago
i feel sorry for Brady, but since my opinion on NFL football is that they're all thugs and crooks, i don't feel sorry at all for the Pats.
in Patriots QB Brady hurt in opening win over Chiefs

Posted 71 days ago
she's attractive. whoop-de-do. she's also a right-wing nutcase.
in Sarah Palin's style | Los Angeles Times

Posted 79 days ago
it looks ugly as of right now (21:46 EDT, 8/31). NOLA is already getting 26 mph wind gusts and a couple inches of rain. plus, the predicted track has Gustav coming in west of the city (pushing the storm surge straight into the mouth of the Mississippi) a bare two hours before high tide. nasty.
in Time To Evacuate New Orleans Again | Jeff Masters

Posted 81 days ago
sad. but also the way of the world.
in Bell Labs Kills Fundamental Physics Research

Posted 81 days ago
i think this respondent sums up my feelings exactly: "Memo to all bands from the past and future of all music: If you want me to buy your entire album, write more than one good song. No way I'm paying for the other ten songs, when they all suck."
in Artists Vs. iTunes: Fight For Your Right To Suck! | Gawker

Posted 83 days ago
they're like that at home, too. it's not the general run of Briton that's doing this - it's the youth (dare i say "Chav") subculture. these are folks who think it's cool to have an ASBO. they drink themselves into a stupor in public at home; why would they change on holiday?
in Some Britons Too Unruly for Resorts in Europe - NYTimes.com

Posted 83 days ago
natural result of the trend towards "everyone's a winner." except, apparently, for those who actually are.
in Nine-year-old pitcher told he's too good

Posted 88 days ago
who wants to drink from a plastic cup, i say.
in Introducing the Vex Bottle Bot (aka Beer Bot)

Posted 88 days ago
i think the mugshot sign is neat - cooler than the old hand scrawled number/name signs, anyway.
in Wisconsin: Tough On Crime

Posted Aug 18, 2008
handball was on tv? when? i keep seeing freaking beach volleyball.
in Are we losing perspective by only seeing the best?

Posted Aug 18, 2008
well, the fact he's 300 pounds and violent comes to mind...
in 300-pound violent boy unwanted on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Posted Aug 06, 2008
while i don't much care if people dive on the wreck or not, the pursuit of "souvenirs" bothers me. it seems like grave robbing: they aren't salvaging these artifacts for any reason other than personal gratification. were i a diver, i'd love to dive the Andria Doria. but all i'd take would be pictures.
in Wreck of the Andrea Doria offers a challenging dive

Posted Aug 02, 2008
the other other other white meat.
in Guinea pig festival in Peru

Posted Aug 02, 2008
it's crap like this that makes me want to take "the religious right" out behind the barn and beat them with an axe handle.
in HHS Moves to Define Contraception as Abortion

Posted Aug 01, 2008
cool, but it appears to be missing Sgt. Michael Strank and Cpl. Rene Arthur Gagnon (there were six men in the photo).
in Lego Iwo Jima

Posted Jul 29, 2008
i'm not going to watch the video. i need to preserve my remaining brain cells so the booze can kill them. aside: MENSA is pretty easy to get into - i'm qualified, for goodness' sakes!
in Miley Cyrus, MENSA Member [April Winchell]

Posted Jul 28, 2008
hey, a photo. pity it's a bit washed out. http://thusagricola.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/jj.jpg
in Babbledog t-shirt spotted at Apple Store opening!

Posted Jul 26, 2008
that's an odd bit of international Communist propaganda.
in Ernst Thälmann Island

Posted Jul 25, 2008
great article, strange subject. but it sounds like he's happy and healthy, so good for him.
in Buck Angel - A Man Without a Cock or Country

Posted Jul 24, 2008
i'll probably lose geek points for this, but: i just don't care. i mean, i understand why people are excited/upset/interested in this, but does it really matter in the long run? there's other stuff out there that does what Digg does (Babbledog?), and while Google is the 900-pound gorilla of the internet, but they won't be forever. the intarweb will change (again), and this won't mean a darned thing.
in Google In Final Negotiations To Acquire Digg For “Around $200 Million”

Posted Jul 22, 2008
absolutely brilliant. i will now forward it to my entire address book.
in Baby's First Internet

Posted Jul 21, 2008
Gov. Sanford signed SC H3006 into law on June 10 - and it went into effect June 10. none of this namby-pamby "wait until next January" crud like New Hampshire. i'd like to see a side-by-side comparison of the two laws; both have increased motorist responsibility, but the new SC law has also increased cyclist responsibility. for example, the NH law requires cyclists to wear "at least one" piece of reflective clothing - the SC law requires actual lights, visible from 500 feet in front and 50 to 300 in the rear. but it's nice to see, anyway.
in New Hampshire passes new bike safety laws

Posted Jul 21, 2008
no, the (stupid) fine was actually levied in 2004. it's just been percolating through the courts since then.
in hooray for reigning in the FCC!

Posted Jul 20, 2008
i have long been suspicious of Bacon Mints, though i have oft been encouraged to try them. i am still resistant. yet my recent stumbling across of Bacon Salt (http://www.baconsalt.com/) seems potentially more enticing.
in Bacon Mints!

Posted Jul 20, 2008
"pieces of the frieze" may sell for $100? sounds like small pieces. how sad.
in Yankee Stadium: For Sale, Bit By Bit

Posted Jul 14, 2008
well, that's kind of the point, inna? :P
in i don't expect anyone but me to get this, but it's brilliant.

Posted Jul 09, 2008
different, yes. but some of the albums on other folks' lists were ones i considered and discarded. Cosmic Thing, Yes I am, Never Mind The Bollocks, Combat Rock, Rio, Graceland, Watermark: i thought about all of them. so it's not that the same music doesn't affect people, it's that it doesn't affect people the same. "Combat Rock" was the beginning of the end for The Clash. it's a great album. but it doesn't have as much resonance for me as Mellencamp's "American Fool." (though i owned a copy of "Combat Rock" long before i had one of "American Fool")
in Geeky list time: Pick an album for every year you've been alive | The A.V. Club

Posted Jul 08, 2008
some of that advice is good. some of it's just dumb. although the "don't get car advice from someone who enjoys rebuilding carburetors" is spot-on. and that's speaking as someone who enjoys rebuilding carburetors.
in What kind of bike should I buy?

Posted Jun 26, 2008
one of my favourite authors, John Ringo (admittedly, not to everyone's taste), includes a recommended soundtrack list in the back of most of his novels.
in Neal Stephenson's new book, Anathem, will come with a CD of music.

Posted Jun 19, 2008
gotta disagree with number 6. PBR really isn't bad beer. of course, i'm still in college after 16 years. so maybe i'm nae the best judge.
in 12 Beers You Should Only Drink In College

Posted Jun 19, 2008
exceptionally cool. now i've got plenty to read.
in Times of London archive

Posted Jun 16, 2008
i got dad a card. and juice, it's "you're." contraction of "you are," not the second person possessive adjective. and yes, i'm an ass.
in What's the best thing to do for Dad on Father's Day?

Posted Jun 14, 2008
and there's also an online diagnostic service (for a fee). but there's no substitute for learning the basics yourself.
in Is your mechanic telling you the truth?

Posted Jun 13, 2008
i don't want to know how McNuggets are made. or just about anything else on a fast food menu.
in McDonald's(R) USA Gives Moms Unprecedented Access to Learn How Chicken McNuggets(R) Are Made

Posted Jun 13, 2008
did they just pick kids who were out sick or playing hooky as their faux victims? in other words, did the 26 "dead" kids know they were about to be "deceased?"
in School defends drunken driving hoax - CNN.com

Posted Jun 12, 2008
no surprises here. been going on for ages.
in A Pint-Size Problem

Posted Jun 12, 2008
want. but holy crap, they aren't cheap, are they?
in Create your own LEGO furniture with Lunablocks

Posted Jun 12, 2008
going to the baseball game with a bunch of knitters. really.
in World Wide Knit In Public Day

Posted Jun 12, 2008
why people have to hate on PBR, i don't know. i like PBR. i drink rather a lot of PBR. sure, it's not particularly complex or anything, but it's got consistent high quality matched with a low price. while i would rather drink New Holland Dragon's Milk, $14 a pint vs. $2 a pint seems a no-brainer.
in Pabst Blue Ribbon [ratebeer.com]

Posted Jun 11, 2008
English model/page 3 girl/t.v. personality/"author."
in Jordan's Sister Goes Topless

Posted Jun 10, 2008
don't care. the idea of mobile devices without tactile feedback offends me.
in MacRumors.com : Worldwide Developer Conference 2008 Keynote Live Coverage

Posted Jun 09, 2008
boo-freaking-hoo. nobody compliments me on my bike either. in fact, i am often verbally abused and threatened. do you see me complaining? nope. do good for yourself and nature because it's good for yourself and nature. screw what anybody else thinks.
in Hybrid cars get compliments why not my bike? (The Christian Science Monitor)

Posted Jun 08, 2008
i would love to hear an explanation of Amazon's position - but at the same time, i have trouble with them being held accountable for the actions and editorial choices of the magazine's publishers. my question would be, is the magazine itself illegal? i realize the answer is probably yes - but it seems that Amazon isn't the one to go after. the publisher is.
in Animal Fighting Magazine to be Pulled from Amazon.com in Response to Humane Society Lawsuit

Posted Jun 07, 2008
but it's just money. we can print more. or borrow it from China. considering the cost of the war in Iraq is up over half a trillion dollars, a measly billion-dollar aircraft lost with no fatalities just doesn't seem THAT bad. plus, the video is kind of impressive.
in B2 Stealth Bomber Crashes Video

Posted Jun 07, 2008
went to see the Red Sox and a Bruins game broke out? though it's definitely not all been his fault, Crisp has been acting like an idiot lately. wild pitches happen. just take your base and move the *bleep* on. sheesh.
in Rays Pound Coco Crisp

Posted Jun 03, 2008
please, please let it be over.
in AP tally: Obama effectively clinches nomination

Posted May 28, 2008
a Tattoo is a military drum performance. the term comes from Dutch, somehow (i'm not an etemologist, so i have no clue how it comes from Dutch). best one (in my opinion) is the Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
in RoyalTournament.org

Posted May 28, 2008
it's o.k. i kind of like the old one better. but i'm not sure why: it's not just familiarity, but there's something i can't nail down.
in What do you think of the new babbledog landing page?

Posted May 27, 2008
wouldn't it be vivisecting a frog? if you're dissecting it, it's already dead. just saying.
in NYT on xkcd

Posted May 18, 2008
rancid, 21-year-old whale blubber? sign me up.
in Blue whale, buried since 1987, exhumed in eastern Canada for move to Vancouver museum

Posted May 17, 2008
darnit. wrong key. anyway, i was going to say, how common are helicopter crashes?
in Death spurs headphone debate

Posted May 17, 2008
o.k., i wouldn't do it. being afraid of heights and all. but i think it's cool...
in Flying Frenchman

Posted Apr 30, 2008
i like the Atom. don't get me wrong. but some of the information in the article is wrong: for one, it's not a sub-3 second car. even in Supercharged guise. it is insanely manic. i'd prefer a Westfield Megabusa (yes, named after the bike) or even a SEight. the old Caterham R500 was bonkers, too. and all three are (or were in the case of the Caterham, which is no longer sold) significantly cheaper than the Ariel.
in Ariel Atom (want it want it want it)

Posted Apr 23, 2008
Anyone who is capable of being elected president should on no account be allowed to do the job.
in How Hillary can still win

Posted Apr 23, 2008
best news story of the week.
in Drunk Darth Vader's Jedi assault

Posted Apr 22, 2008
best comment on the story: "How does the cart get back to Mexico? Are there US citizens escaping in the other direction?"
in Pure Genius

Posted Apr 21, 2008
but apparently, i'd STILL be overweight. so there's no real gain there that i can find.
in the problem with socialized medicine...

Posted Apr 21, 2008
i wasn't able to get any better than me > my dad > dad's prof in college > von Braun > Hitler. guess i'm not qualified to run for president.
in Two degrees of Adolf Hitler. - By Timothy Noah - Slate Magazine

Posted Apr 21, 2008
while i sympathize with the family members, if the deceased had wished her possessions to go to a museum, she would have been better served to bequeath them in her will. part of my view on this probably comes from owning a Titanic artifact myself, but unless clear legal instructions are left, the disposal of an estate is up to the inheritor. if the family was this concerned, perhaps they should have made a move to protect the collection before Lillian Asplund's death. i will admit to being more concerned with the dispersement of the collection: historical archives have more value as archives when retained whole.
in Titanic survivor's treasures go to auction, family upset

Posted Apr 21, 2008
there's a small problem with this story. the Air Force doesn't have armed drones. if it's an armed Predator, it's CIA (or another alphabet agency). so people who read this article and think that the Air Force is holding back armed support drones would be incorrect. there is a (foolish) institutional bias in the Air Force against armed drones, but that's another issue.
in Gates says Air Force not doing enough in Iraq war effort (AP)

Posted Apr 21, 2008
i love Jerry Pournelle. one of the greatest living Americans, in my opinion. definitely one of the greatest American writers.
in Jerry Pournelle does his taxes

Posted Apr 21, 2008
and Obama's polling "nearly" 2 to 1 in the country as a whole. the Democratic Party's screwball primary campaign sure has been (and still is) entertaining.
in Drudge calls PA for Hillary

Posted Apr 18, 2008
but i can do that on my own...
in Overnight Babbledog Downtime

Posted Apr 16, 2008
they don't rivet hulls anymore. they haven't in around 50 years or so. now it's all welded.
in The 220,000-tonne cruise liner that has its very own New York-style Central Park

Posted Apr 16, 2008
would depend on the job. current? sure. my boss was a friend long before he made the mistake of hiring me. but back when i was a corporate wage slave? heck no. but that's mostly because i had absolutely nothing in common with my bosses in those days.
in Would you friend or have you friended your boss on Facebook?

Posted Apr 16, 2008
i find it amusing that it seems to be mostly Republicans whining (what happened to a free market economy?). if they didn't want this outcome, they shouldn't have written the rules this way. i'll admit to having HUGE personal issues with the FCC and the way the government views the EM spectrum. to me, almost anything that opens up a network is to the good.
in Google "gamed" spectrum auction? Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Posted Apr 15, 2008
so we made a zombie flick. that's what we wanted to do. if someone else wants to save the world, they can do that: the same technologies that made this happen can make anything else happen that takes group effort. baby steps, man. baby steps. (and it's SUPPOSED to be a BAD zombie flick).
in "The greatest technology in the history of humanity is community."

Posted Apr 15, 2008
i finished off spending my tax refund about a month ago. now i just need that economy stimulus check.
in Finished your taxes?

Posted Apr 15, 2008
i want to run for President.
in Bike-Racing Girls Love Barack Obama [Yes He Can!]

Posted Apr 14, 2008
and John McCain gets kudos for telling the truth... go figure.
in Stix Nix Obama’s Trix

Posted Apr 12, 2008
actually, i am a Limbaugh fan. even though i find his politics abominable.
in An extra helping of Star Wars with your nerdcore rap.

Posted Apr 10, 2008
only when i'm intoximicated.
in Mistyping Babbledog

Posted Apr 09, 2008
mmmm.... crunchy beer.... ow! ow! ow!
in Beer recall: Sam Adams has voluntary recall because of glass shards in bottles from supplier

Posted Apr 02, 2008
yeah, the T-Rex costs about $40k. which is a ton of cash for something without a windscreen. or doors. but it's cheap for the performance - naught to sixty is 3.9 seconds, which is Porsche 911 Turbo territory. that, and it'll pull 1.9 lateral g. which is F1 territory.
in Snowmobile inspired 3-wheel motorcycle with amazing handling.

Posted Apr 02, 2008
happy Cthulhu Day, btw. (April 2)
in Let them eat Cthulhu cake!

Posted Mar 31, 2008
war breaks human beings. i'd rather we have programs like this to help vets than castigate them for cowardice like the "shell-shocked" men returning from WW I.
in Massachusetts launches program to help suicidal veterans

Posted Mar 30, 2008
that's heinous.
in Griefers Attack Epilepsy Forum

Posted Mar 29, 2008
i'm not going to watch the film. propaganda is propaganda, whomever is producing it. but there is no way to deny that a very powerful faction of the Islamic religion is bent on violent world domination. as offensive as the neocon's term "Islamofascism" is, it's also apt: there is a group within the Islamic faith whose rantings and (incorrect) interpretations of the Qur'an read like a transcription of Mussolini's "La dottrina del fascismo." so yes, don't watch the film. don't accept the false assertion by many that "the Muslims are out to get us." but remember that there ARE people out to get us - and some are Muslims. although i worry a LOT more about the American religious right, personally.
in Fitna (فتنة)

Posted Mar 26, 2008
hard disks with information on metal smelting?
in Mankind's secrets kept in lunar ark

Posted Mar 26, 2008
heck, it was just a little .22 - that's not a bullet. that's not even enough for hunting squirrel.
in Chef Prudhomme takes a bullet, shrugs it off

Posted Mar 25, 2008
who needs excuses?
in Modular Microscale Space Legos

Posted Mar 24, 2008
holy crap. 25-pound rabbits? that's just insane.
in Breeding Giant Rabbits in Germany

Posted Mar 24, 2008
i cannot understand how so many people in this country (the US) consistently ignore how evil the Chinese regime is. i really don't think evil is too strong a term, either. i avoid Chinese products whenever possible (which is nearly always), and so should the rest of the world until the government changes its ways. ust wait until our next President has to deal with a Chinese invasion of Formosa (which they have promised if the Republic of China is recognised by the UN).
in Death reports as Chinese police open fire on monks and nuns

Posted Mar 24, 2008
Exterminate!
in TARDIS MAME Console

Posted Mar 24, 2008
found the t-shirt: http://www.snorgtees.com/mybutthurts-p-278.html?osCsid=69a764daa4a3eaa2b19d8bf7c4850454
in What your chocolate bunny may be thinking.. lol

Posted Mar 24, 2008
yay! baseball season again! (sadly, Greenville's only coming to play the Riverdogs once this season). gotta set the VCR for tomorrow and Wednesday, tho...
in Red Sox play Oakland A's in season opener in Japan on Tuesday

Posted Mar 24, 2008
WHAT? (i work at the end of a runway) :)
in One man can make a difference! This one, for example, is responsible for more than 80% of the noise complaints to the Tampa Airport.

Posted Mar 24, 2008
well, at least i'll be able to catch the first couple innings before heading to work. :(
in Bars to Sox fans: Get happy early

Posted Mar 24, 2008
o.k., while exploding Peeps are cool, i really wouldn't say these are "exploding." explode: to burst forth with sudden violence or noise from internal energy. see, it's not internal. now, igniting Peeps crammed full of black powder? that i'd call exploding Peeps. now, where'd i leave that powder horn?
in Photographing the elusive exploding peep!

Posted Mar 24, 2008
"Conan! What is best in life?" - treats and walks, apparently.
in Buddhist dog prays for worldly desires

Posted Mar 23, 2008
i like Peeps. mmmmm.
in More than candy, Peeps use libraries, too

Posted Mar 20, 2008
i love the Japanese. they're just so wonderfully whimsical. which is really strange, considering their culture and history.
in Japan Appoints Cartoon Ambassador

Posted Mar 20, 2008
that's screwy. one: it's terrible to toss out good books. two: recycling, anybody? better than filling a landfill with wonderful, recyclable paper.
in Instead of Donating, Queens School Dumps Books

Posted Mar 20, 2008
considering Russia consumes over three times the amount of spirits (distilled alcohol) as the US with less than half the population, i don't see why one would NEED to make a "special" type of vodka just for women...
in New ladies' vodka gives doctors a headache

Posted Mar 19, 2008
hey, i'm checking out their other items... voodoo dolls, ritual oils and candle spells... i love eBay.
in Looking for an OLPC?

Posted Mar 19, 2008
the question is, is it still a steaming pile of crap? i have issues with the whole "touchscreen iPod" dynamic - people use these things primarily when they're not home. like in the CAR. so let's provide an interface that REQUIRES you to take your eyes and at least one hand away from whatever else you're doing. i can dial my cell phone (and change settings on mt iPod) without looking at it using only one hand. but i sure couldn't with one of these.
in iPhone firmware 2.0 hands-on

Posted Mar 19, 2008
well, i'm sure that the flyoff price would have been stupid high no matter what they chose. but i've got lots of issues with the project, anyway.
in Costs soar for Marine One fleet

Posted Mar 19, 2008
lord, i'm a moron. i misspelled his name. it's Clarke. sorry.
in Arthur C. Clark dead at 90.

Posted Mar 18, 2008
you know, for a doctor, Dr. Banner wasn't too bright.
in The Incredible Hulk Hulk-out List

Posted Mar 17, 2008
reading that article (between the lines), we (the US) really are a jerk, aren't we? "support our currency or swing in the wind." as if we could afford to let them go!
in UAE knuckles under, preserves dollar peg

Posted Mar 17, 2008
eh, Mustangs (vintage or otherwise) are easy. lots and lots of aftermarket support. one of the best cars to learn restoration and/or repair with, really. probably the only thing better would be an MGB, mainly due to costs involved.
in Almost 22 years after the theft, stolen 1965 Ford Mustang convertible returned

Posted Mar 17, 2008
seems like a tempest in a teacup. but i've got to wonder what the cost of a Windoze license will do to the price.
in This is The End My Friend: Negroponte Says XP on XO in 60 Days

Posted Mar 14, 2008
sheesh. it's only money. panic is what will create issues, not these natural market fluctuations.
in Carlyle defaults, gold hits $1000, crude hits $110, dollar breaks 100 yen. Hold on to your hats, folks.

Posted Mar 14, 2008
i like how the Clinton e-mail pointed out Obama "only" won 25% of Republicans in Mississippi. so, an African-American Democrat running in MISSISSIPPI got Republican votes? that seems pretty freaking awesome to me.
in Obama Campaign Skewers Clinton E-mail Statement

Posted Mar 14, 2008
so, when are they going to go after McDonalds (and others like them) for diparaging the image of the pie?
in American Pie Council®

Posted Mar 14, 2008
You know what? There is NO Easter Bunny! Over there, that's just a guy in a suit!
in Magic Eye

Posted Mar 03, 2008
i want to buy a copy and mail it to the President - it'll give him something to do while Cheney runs the country.
in Torture has never been so fun!

Posted Mar 02, 2008
i like the teaser trailer better, actually. Ozzy > AC/DC, you see. but i've been looking forward to this movie for at least the last year...
in The Full Iron Man Trailer!

Posted Feb 29, 2008
like i need advertising to make me feel bad about myself and buy more crap. that's what my family is for.
in Free cell phones from Google?

Posted Feb 29, 2008
great review. met a dued at my blog group last night who has an iPod Touch. it's what his employer issued because they didn't want to support iPhones, but needed to maintain compatibility. what? they all have touchscreen iPods to surf the web and stuff on - assuming they can find a hotspot - but giving them a telephone would have been too much? he works for the state, so i guess it makes sense. in that the state bureaucracy is composed entirely of idiots.
in Apple: It's business, it's business time

Posted Feb 29, 2008
high-speed internet access is changing everything: while you COULD have had a MMORPG "back in the day," as it were (oh wait, we did. they were called MUDs), it would have had to be text-based. but now, you can have WoW. progress! or something. XBox Live, Battle.net, whatever - it's all because of cheap broadband.
in PC games are not what they used to be

Posted Feb 28, 2008
i love this. although i never realized that i AM Jon Arbuckle before today.
in garfield minus garfield

Posted Feb 28, 2008
i just saw this. huge downer. he was a true artist in sheet metal and chrome. at least his creations (including his charitable foundation) will live on.
in Breaking: Boyd Coddington dies at age 63

Posted Feb 27, 2008
interesting "article" after the link (it's more of a roundup than an actual review or in-depth comparison). i can't help but think how the eMate 300 seems more and more ahead of its time.
in Laptop Comparison

Posted Feb 27, 2008
definitely better. at least he's honest. "I bent my wookie." Indeed.
in Ralph '08

Posted Feb 27, 2008
but is it because there are more Mormons, fewer Jews, or some combination thereof? or did there used to be a greater number of Mormons? whenever i see data sets like this i wonder about trends. that, and i find it entertaining tat i know lots of people in minority groups. even living in the evangelical South...
in Snapshot of Religion in the United States

Posted Feb 27, 2008
one of the girls in my German class was wearing an xkcd shirt today... i have become entirely too fascinated with it. the comic, not the shirt. more proof that genius comes from simplicity, i guess.
in xkcd - A webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language - By Randall Munroe

Posted Feb 27, 2008
it's like "Weekend at Bernie's," with McCain as Bernie: "Yes, but Bernie's dead. He's not around anymore." - "Yeah. I know that. You know that. Nobody else knows that."
in Bush-McCain McCaption Contest

Posted Feb 27, 2008
the triple seven sure is a pretty bird, though... but the wisdom of pulling that kind of stunt when you've got almost 70 vips on board makes one wonder...
in Fun with a 777

Posted Feb 26, 2008
while i'm not a fan of government censorship, neither am i a fan of Jimmy Kimmel. i find him insufferable.
in Pakistan Breaks the InterTubes

Posted Feb 26, 2008
i want one. that is really cool. of course, then i'd have to get a Bluetooth phone...
in Electronic tattoo display runs on blood

Posted Feb 25, 2008
more interesting, i think, is the constancy of badgers.
in How ubiquitous is "2 girls 1 cup"

Posted Feb 23, 2008
sweet. like i need another excuse to drink...
in Build your next house out of Heineken bottles! - No really!

Posted Feb 22, 2008
there was a news story on one of the evening news shows about the debate concerning traditonal math teaching vs. "modern." that modern stuff they showed? i have no idea how that is called math. if you don't teach math, then there's no surprise students can't do it.
in Concord Monitor - Only 1 in 4 proficient in math

Posted Feb 20, 2008
yeah, i saw this this morning and was so amused i was late leaving the house. or something. but it's funny because it's true...
in xkcd - Taking Care of Business

Posted Feb 19, 2008
i don't "love" him. but i trust him farther than i do the Clinton machine. not that that takes very much at all.
in Clinton, Obama prepare for battle in Wisconsin (Reuters)

Posted Feb 18, 2008
that Sam Adams hop story makes me happy.
in Craft Beer

Posted Feb 18, 2008
shiny. but i bet i'd be very, very afraid of the price tag.
in iRiver's Multimedia Unit2 has Everything We Could Want, Including Apple-esque UI

Posted Feb 18, 2008
heh. i've been chuckling at the Spike vs. Biscuit billboards all over town. http://www.spikevsbiscuit.org/ Spike has been endorsed by Riley and Summey, while Biscuit has been endorsed by Hallaman...
in Franklin Park Zoo's PreZOOdential Election 2008

Posted Feb 18, 2008
wonder how much these would sell for on eBay? ifn' i was Nicaraguan, i might be tempted to find out.
in In Nicaragua, Pats Superbowl Win Celebrated

Posted Feb 18, 2008
Jeff: change didn't happen in 1824, 1876, 1888 or 2000. i have little hope it would happen now. i actually expect the Clinton machine to force through the disqualified delegates. that way, she could "win" without the superdelegates.
in Democrats' fate in the hands of the super delegates

Posted Feb 18, 2008
che bella!
in Calabria, Med Sea

Posted Feb 16, 2008
i find stuff like this massively amusing. Baen has been offering free electronic books for EIGHT YEARS. new releases are available for download for 1/8th cover price mere days after they hit shelves. you can even get advanced reader copies for $15 or so long before the physical book exists. why companies are just now "experimenting" with something that obviously works is beyond me.
in Books: Will Customers Pay-Per-Chapter?

Posted Feb 16, 2008
is anyone really surprised, though? it's good they did the study (so there are "hard numbers"), but the results should have been apparent before they even started.
in Ocean Map Shows Human Impact

Posted Feb 15, 2008
that, and a tumor pillow might be kind of cool.
in Stop Drinking Diet Coke

Posted Feb 15, 2008
i miss Python. :(
in PyCon

Posted Feb 15, 2008
pfft. the only reason my bosses don't want us surfing at work is that it'd mean THEY would have to get off the computer for a second...
in Log off and get to work

Posted Feb 15, 2008
caught this on the morning news today. creepier than ever!
in The next big Elmo Christmas present?

Posted Feb 15, 2008
congrats, James. i think.
in Fall in love with Babbledog!

Posted Feb 11, 2008
love that metaphor. can i steal it?
in "It really makes you wonder why Apple Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs doesn't just buy Sony."

Posted Feb 11, 2008
better to use AND seamlessly backwards-compatible appears. either that, or M$ has to drop support of older versions while at the same time introducing something worse and less backwards-compatible than Vista. and they're not THAT dumb.
in Microsoft is Stupid, Apple is Not

Posted Feb 09, 2008
nah. not for a plasma tv. one of the big new LCDs, however...
in Half of UK men would swap sex for 50 inch TV - Yahoo! News

Posted by jhota

2 Responses the latest Norwegian knight... is a penguin.
that's right. a penguin. not only that, he's a Scottish penguin (being resident at the Edinburgh zoo). it's good to be the king (penguin), i guess.
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Posted Aug 18, 2008
jhota
1 Response never thought i'd want to be a tree shrew...
but apparently the Malaysian pen-tailed tree shrew could drink any human being under the table. "... we hypothesise that moderate to high alcohol intake was present early on in the evolution of these closely related lineages." cute little boozers, ...more
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Posted Jul 29, 2008
jhota
Discuss CBR report on the Michael Turner memorial Sunday at CCI
sounds like it was a heartfelt tribute to someone we lost too soon. best quote of the article comes from Dan DiDio, Executive Editor at DC Comics: "Mike taught me that the secret to liking mojitos is to drink seven in a row.”
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Posted Jul 28, 2008
jhota
1 Response Critical Mass Mess
i enjoy CM, but i get the feeling it's got a different character in other cities than it does here. stories like the one from this month's Mass in Seattle just enhance that perception. i sometimes wonder when the meltdown is going to come. more ...more
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Posted Jul 27, 2008
jhota
Discuss well, folks won't have to bootleg those shows: O.A.R. to send concert goers home with that night's live recording.
for selected shows on this summer's "The All Sides Tour" from O.A.R., concert goers will be able to purchase a usb wristband containing the group's latest album and the live recording of that evening's performance. so, do a great job singing along to ...more
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Posted Jul 26, 2008
jhota
4 Responses Babbledog t-shirt spotted at Apple Store opening!
o.k., maybe "spotted" isn't the right word. since i was the one wearing it. but anyway, today was/is the grand opening of the King Street Apple Store in Charleston, SC. it's the only Apple Store in SC, for that matter. wore my Babbledog ...more
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Posted Jul 26, 2008
jhota
Discuss Robert Kirkman named a partner at Image Comics...
this is pretty cool. Kirkman is a great writer, and considering how much "Invincible" and "Walking Dead" have done for Image, he deserves the promotion/recognition.
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Posted Jul 22, 2008
jhota
Discuss Garage ordered to pay 11-year-old parking fine...
Garage manager, Terri Adam: "I would normally be the first person the finger would be pointed at - but I was only 15 at the time. No-one even recognises the registration."
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Posted Jul 22, 2008
jhota
2 Responses hooray for reigning in the FCC!
a Federal appeals court threw out the half-million dollar fine against CBS for the Superbowl "wardrobe malfunction." it's about freaking time.
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Posted Jul 21, 2008
jhota
4 Responses i don't expect anyone but me to get this, but it's brilliant.
anyone know of anything similar from where they're from? or like the classic March '76 New Yorker cover?
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Posted Jul 14, 2008
jhota
Discuss so, are they parodies or homages? or both?
this past Sunday's "FoxTrot" comic strip referenced four of the biggest webcomics out there: xkcd, PvP, Penny Arcade and Joy of Tech. i don't read Joy of Tech, but as a fan of the other strips i found it at least a little bit funny...
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Posted Jul 14, 2008
jhota
2 Responses and you know, i feel sorry for the bear.
i mean, here's a bear, minding his own business, and then some dude on a bicycle just runs right into him. and then, while he's startled, a deer has to come by. sees the whole thing. now, he'll get no respect at all. got run down by a human ...more
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Posted Jun 26, 2008
jhota
1 Response Almost every Lego set ever made...
Makes me wonder which ones are missing. That, and how hard would it be to, ah, visit. With a semi truck.
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Posted Jun 25, 2008
jhota
Discuss only 2 more days to HeroesCon 2008!
i'll be there, and i plan to have a blast.
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Posted Jun 19, 2008
jhota
1 Response Tim Russert dead at 58.
sad news today. one of the greatest political journalists has passed away.
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Posted Jun 14, 2008
jhota
2 Responses You know the smart fortwo? Compact, efficient, affordable?
well, bugger that. i want this one. the unholy union of a fortwo and a Unimog, this'un negates the entire concept rather effectively.
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Posted Jun 09, 2008
jhota
Discuss IBM is taking factory watercooling in PC applications to a new level...
so, how long before the case modders and hardware hackers figure out how to plumb these things into their overblown liquid cooling systems?
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Posted Jun 09, 2008
jhota
Discuss Great tit finds home in ashtray
i love the BBC. not just for the headline (which is a classic), but for the fact they publish stories on birds nesting. because that's what i call important news.
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Posted May 29, 2008