Monday, July 31, 2006

 

Alice Cooper to break ground on Phoenix youth center

"The 58-year-old cross-dressing musician is teaming up with Grand Canyon University in Phoenix to establish a $3 million youth haven featuring a school of rock 'n' roll, a concert hall and sporting attractions similar to a Boys Club."

 

Study predicts a much hotter, drier California

"California will become significantly hotter and drier by the end of the century, causing severe air pollution, a drop in the water supply, melting of 90 percent of the Sierra snowpack and up to six times more heat-related deaths in major urban centers, according to a sweeping study compiled with help from respected scientists from around the country."

 

Cingular to Charge $5 for Older Phones

"About 4.7 million Cingular Wireless subscribers with older phones will have to pay $5 extra each month as the company tries to prod them to get new handsets so it can devote its entire network to one type of signal."

 

Solar Power Runs 'World's Largest Laundry' - Forbes.com

"One of Tom Benson's claims to fame, proclaimed in five-foot-high letters across his storefront, is that he owns the 'WORLD'S LARGEST LAUNDROMAT' - complete with 153 washers, 148 dryers and 15 flat-screen TVs.

But that's not the claim that excites advocates of renewable energy. It's that, perched atop the hangar-sized facility in this working class Chicago suburb, is one of the largest, most cost-effective solar systems in the country. "

 

NBC10.com - Local News - Cell Phone Picture Called Obstruction Of Justice

"A Philadelphia family said they are outraged over the arrest of one of their family members.

The family of Neftaly Cruz said police had no right to come onto their property and arrest their 21-year-old son simply because he was using his cell phone's camera. "

 

Users mock Apple slogan during .Mac outage | CNET News.com

"Web publishing service .Mac just works, sort of...

Apple Computer's latest advertising campaign, pegged to the slogan 'It just works,' is irritating some .Mac users as they wonder when the service will become operational again."

 

US audit finds State Dept. hid cost of Iraqi projects - Yahoo! News

"The US State Department used an accounting shell game to hide construction cost overruns on its projects to rebuild Iraq, a US newspaper reported, citing a US government audit.

The US Agency for International Development (USAID), the State Department agency in charge of 1.4 billion dollars in reconstruction money in Iraq, hid the cost overruns by listing them as overhead or administrative costs..."

Friday, July 28, 2006

 

nbc5i.com - News - Texas Doctor Charged In Drive-By Shooting

"DICKINSON, Texas -- Police have charged a Texas doctor in the drive-by shooting of a bicyclist, who was hit in the chest and shoulder and is now recovering at the same hospital where the physician works."

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

 

Police Blotter: Laptop border searches OK'd | CNET News.com

"Three-judge panel unanimously says that border police may conduct random searches of laptops without search warrants or probable cause. These searches can include seizing the laptop and subjecting it to extensive forensic analysis."

 

KILLER HEAT / At least 41 deaths blamed on high temperatures -- isolated, lower-income elderly are most at risk

"Authorities arrived at the apartment of Eston 'Joe' Baker after midnight on Monday and found the front door slightly ajar, the electric fans on, the temperature 110 degrees inside and the 73-year-old Baker naked, splayed across the floor, dead.

Later that day, authorities were called back to the three-unit apartment building and made another grim discovery: Baker's next-door neighbor, Curtis Floray, 68, also was dead."

Just a reminder to keep checking on friends and relatives during these HOT times.
- Frank

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

 
helio display, air video screen

No Windex for this screen!

- Frank

 

Judge balks at closure of AT&T, Verizon mergers | CNET News.com

"A federal judge on Tuesday said he can't sign off on the mergers of SBC and AT&T and of Verizon and MCI until he gets more information.

'The court is not currently in a position to grant or deny the proposed consent decree,' U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan said at a status conference here."

Monday, July 24, 2006

 
Nobody's Watching Part 1

If you're a TV Sitcom fan, check this out!

- Frank

Saturday, July 22, 2006

 

Charlotte Observer | 07/21/2006 | Cell worker shot dead by officer

"The 41-year-old Stanly County resident known as Wayne was scheduled to work on the tower off Albemarle Road in southeast Charlotte during the early morning hours because that's when such work is least likely to disturb most cell phone customers.

But a man at a neighboring business spotted Furr's company truck next to the tower off Albemarle Road and called police about a suspicious vehicle."

Friday, July 21, 2006

 

USATODAY.com - Saddam pins war on Bush, pro-Israel lobby

'I see that officials of your administration are still lying to you and they still do not give you a true explanation for the reasons that motivated them to rush on the road of aggression against Iraq,' Saddam wrote.

Thursday, July 20, 2006

 
Who Killed the Electric Car trailer

You probably already knew all of this, but...

 

Chron.com | DeLay fundraising group fined, to shut down

"Under an agreement with the Federal Election Commission, Americans for a Republican Majority's political action committee agreed to pay a $115,000 fine and close. The agreement, reached July 7, was made public late Wednesday.

The agreement resulted from an audit by the FEC of the committee's records from Jan. 1, 2001, to Dec. 31, 2002. The audit found DeLay's committee had not properly reported contributions, disbursements and cash on hand.

It also found the committee failed to properly report outstanding debts and obligations and did not follow federal rules for paying for shared federal and nonfederal activities."

 

Thinking Out of the Cube

"When Herman Miller unveils Ball's new high-end workplace system this summer, it is gambling on the idea that an increasing number of companies are looking to provide for their employees the same kind of comfort in confined spaces that the designer began pursuing with the Clipper. Ball's design for the new system, called My Studio Environments, embraces the paradoxical idea of providing a retreat in the open-plan cubicle environment. With its translucent walls, sliding door, sliding windows onto neighboring stations, and private lockable closet, My Studio aims to give back a little seclusion to office dwellers without sacrificing openness and light. Into the brief dark history of systems furniture Ball has introduced a kind of Schroder House of cubicles—a dynamic piece of architecture on a street of nondescript boxes."

 

USATODAY.com - Report finds drug errors hurt 1.5 million

"Perhaps the most stunning finding of the report was that, on average, a hospitalized patient is subject to at least one medication error per day, despite intense efforts to improve hospital care in the six years since the institute began focusing attention on medical mistakes of all kinds."

 

Patti Davis: Stem-Cell Veto Doesn't Matter - Newsweek Health - MSNBC.com

"When we truly care about another’s opinion, it’s because we value that person and hold in some esteem their judgments and pronouncements. It also might mean we believe that individual can influence the tide of the future with their opinions.

This is a president who has no currency left with the majority of Americans who, polls have shown, do not trust him. We won’t totally shrug off his intransigence, but we won’t waste too much time mulling over his reasons either. Why? Because we don’t care."

 

Study finds beaches sicken 1.5M in Calif. - Yahoo! News

"As many as 1.5 million people are sickened by bacterial pollution on Southern California beaches each year, resulting in millions of dollars in public health care costs, a new study has found."

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

 

Cowboy george / Bush's unexpected squeeze of the German chancellor has the Internet howling

"... Dialog International, a Web site that specializes in German-American politics and culture, said Bush's behavior raised questions about the American president and his profile abroad.

'When he is away from his script and his handlers, his true lack of intelligence and emotional maturity surfaces for all to see. The dangerous situation in Lebanon ... requires true leadership. Don't look for it from the world's uberpower.'"

 

AP Wire | Iraq civilian toll spikes to almost 6,000

"UNITED NATIONS - Nearly 6,000 civilians were slain across Iraq in May and June, a spike in deaths that coincided with rising sectarian attacks across the country, the United Nations said Tuesday.

The report from the U.N. Assistance Mission in Iraq describes a wave of lawlessness and crime, including assassinations, bombings, kidnappings, torture and intimidation.

Hundreds of teachers, judges, religious leaders and doctors have been targeted for death, and thousands of people have fled, the report said. "

 

THE LAZY MAN'S GUIDE TO ALASKA - By Garrison Keillor

"A cruise ship is the lazy man's way to see the wilderness. We are in the waters of the humpback and orca whales, in the habitat of brown bears and harbor seals, eagles soaring overhead, but we have hot showers and room service. I can stand on deck and breathe the chill salt air and gaze at a river of descending ice, pieces the size of a high-rise crashing into the sea, and I can also send e-mail and get the New York Times crossword fresh daily. And - just to illustrate the level of degradation - one can lie abed and watch the glaciers on TV. One could watch them and pick up the phone and order eggs Benedict. I don't do this myself, but one could. "

 

USATODAY.com - Gonzales: Bush blocked internal probe of eavesdropping program

"Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said Tuesday that President Bush personally blocked Justice Department lawyers from pursuing an internal probe of the warrantless eavesdropping program that monitors Americans' international calls and e-mails when terrorism is suspected."

 

Flatlife

Jonas Geirnaert graduation project "FLATLIFE" (2004), selected for Short Films in Competition at the Cannes Film Festival 2004.

Very clever. If you've got 10 minutes, watch all the way to the credits!

- Frank

 

USATODAY.com - Is this woman the living 'Code'?

"Is the world ready for a book and an author more controversial than Dan Brown and The Da Vinci Code?

Meet Kathleen McGowan, novelist and self-proclaimed descendant of a union between Jesus and Mary Magdalene. McGowan, who says she is from the 'sacred bloodline' Brown made famous in his mega-selling novel, says she's ready to cope with people who think she's crazy or a heretic."

Monday, July 17, 2006

 

New York Daily News - Home - Frank Luntz: Hil's keys to the Oval Office

"For all those Republicans and a few Democrats who think Hillary Clinton can't possibly be elected President, I have two words for you: Ronald Reagan."

 

Behind the Glass Curtain | Metropolis Magazine

"Google’s new headquarters balances its utopian desire for transparency with its very real need for privacy."

 

Stupidity Without Borders – The Alliance of Utopias | The Brussels Journal

"This is a powerful dilemma for democratic states in the 21st century, one that is not exclusive to Western nations. India, too, has big problems with millions of people crossing into the country illegally from Islamic Bangladesh, which is why the Indians want to build a border fence. Democratic states will either be strict enough to control their own borders, or they will cease to be democratic, perhaps cease to exist at all."

 

AP Wire | 07/15/2006 | Internet floats Lay conspiracy theories

"Ken Lay has taken his place alongside Elvis Presley in the pantheon of people whose deaths have not been fully believed. In Internet sites and blogs, conspiracy theorists and jokesters have floated the idea that the Enron founder's powerful friends helped him fake his death to escape sentencing in one of the biggest corporate frauds in U.S. history."

 

Dvorak Uncensored » Video Proof! The Bush Pilot Spills All About Why The Prez Fumbles!

We all suspected something!

Saturday, July 15, 2006

 

MercuryNews.com | 07/15/2006 | $100 million yacht sails into view

"Venture capitalist Tom Perkins unveiled his $100 million yacht, The Maltese Falcon, in Italy on Friday, a 287-foot vessel with a design that evokes 19th-century clipper ships.

But unlike the clipper ships of the past, this one brings nautical technology to new heights. Five years in development, Perkins' vessel has three 187-foot carbon-fiber masts. Each mast has five sails that can form one continuous sail. The sails can be rotated to suit wind direction."

 

Invisible Board

This is the "Invisible Board" section of the skate video "Yeah Right!" by Girl/Chocolate. The skaters were filmed skating on green boards, then the boards were edited out. It's definitely one of the cooler portions of an all-around awesome movie. Even if you're not a skater, you have to appreciate the cinematography, and just plain awesomeness. Amazing backgroud music as well. File personally created by me.



Thursday, July 13, 2006

 

Religion Taking A Left Turn?, Conservative Christians Watch Out: There's A Big Churchgoing Group Seeking Political Power - CBS News

"At a church in Washington, hundreds of committed Christians met recently and tried to map out a strategy to get their values into the political debate. "

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

 

USATODAY.com - Data miners dig a little deeper

"Microsoft is one of many companies collecting and aggregating data in new ways so sophisticated that many customers may not even realize they're being watched."

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

 

AP NewsBreak: SF reviews contracts with AT&T over domestic spying

"City officials are investigating AT&T's alleged cooperation with the National Security Agency and considering possible 'consequences' the company could face in its extensive municipal contracts here if it is violating civil liberties, Mayor Gavin Newsom said Tuesday.

'If what I'm reading is true, I've got some serious problems as a San Franciscan, as a taxpayer and as mayor,' Newsom said in interview with The Associated Press. 'And I don't like it.'"

 

Britain Unveils a 50-Year Energy Plan

"Britain unveiled its energy plan for the next 50 years Tuesday, saying nuclear power could make a 'significant contribution' to the country's needs as it seeks to reduce dependence on imported fuel and cut the pollutants blamed for global warming"

 

Macleans.ca | Top Stories | World | Is America going broke?

"HOW DID THE U.S. GET INTO THIS MESS?
In January 2001, George W. Bush took over leadership of a nation that was on its most solid financial footing in decades, thanks to years of strong economic growth and a booming stock market. That very month, the Congressional Budget Office projected that the federal government could expect US$5.6 trillion in surpluses over the coming 10 years. The key political issue of the day was how to spend the windfall. Bush's team was determined to return the money to the voters in the form of massive and widespread tax relief. What the world didn't know was that this surplus cash was largely illusory, the result of faulty bookkeeping."

 

New Rules - Center for American Progress

"This week the Senate Judiciary Committee and the House and Senate Armed Services Committees will begin consideration of legislation regarding trying detainees at Guantanamo Bay. In anticipation of those hearings, the Bush administration today announced that it will adhere to the Geneva Conventions by guaranteeing humane treatment of detainees, yet at the same time reiterated that all the detainees had previously been treated humanely. The administration still doesn't get it."

Sunday, July 09, 2006

 

Judge looks into modifying terms of phone mergers | CNET News.com

"A federal district judge in Washington is considering the imposition of major modifications to the two largest telephone mergers in history: SBC Communication's acquisition of AT&T and Verizon's purchase of MCI.

In a surprising order issued Friday afternoon, Judge Emmet Sullivan raised a series of questions about the Bush administration's review of the two deals that he said should be answered by the Justice Department and the phone companies at a hearing next week."

Saturday, July 08, 2006

 

A Subpoena for Rumsfeld

"Defense Secretary Rumsfeld can't be bothered with a $30 Billion defense procurement scandal; nor will he respond to a Congressional inquiry into retaliation against an Abu Ghraib whistleblower.

That's why he received a subpoena last week from the House Committee on Government Reform."

 

Union Leader - Phone-jamming trial may draw link to GOP - Saturday, Jul. 8, 2006

"An accused Republican phone-jamming conspirator may tell a court he believed his actions were authorized by the national Republican Party or the White House, his attorney said yesterday."

Friday, July 07, 2006

 

FBI plans new Net-tapping push | CNET News.com

"The FBI has drafted sweeping legislation that would require Internet service providers to create wiretapping hubs for police surveillance and force makers of networking gear to build in backdoors for eavesdropping, CNET News.com has learned."

 

Future Boy: The next real estate boom - Jul. 7, 2006

'New Villages,' as community planner Robert McIntyre dubs them in the latest issue of The Futurist magazine, are compact, pleasantly urban settlements located well away from city centers. They share some of the charms and amenities of cities, thanks to their density, but have the mostly rural surroundings that originally drew people out to the suburbs, as well as the friendly feel of a small town where you know your neighbors.

 

FDA's monitoring of reports questioned - Boston.com

"Investigators found that 35 percent of status reports that drug makers were supposed to file in fiscal year 2004 were missing entirely or contained no information on agreed-to studies."

 

Hawking Seeks Answers on Humanity's Future

"Hawking's question: 'In a world that is in chaos politically, socially and environmentally, how can the human race sustain another 100 years?'"

 

Cingular accused of deceiving customers - Yahoo! News

"The lawsuit, which alleges breach of contract and violations of consumer protection laws, seeks class-action status on behalf of the more than 20 million customers AT&T Wireless had at the time of the merger. Many paid $18 'transfer' fees to switch to Cingular plans and were required to buy new phones or pay other fees, said the complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Seattle."

 

George W. Bush Is Dead To Me / Nation cringes as the worst president ever continues long, painful slog to the end

"Some days the pain is so searing and hot you want to cut off your own head with a nail file. Other days it is numb and pain-free and seemingly OK, to the point where you think it might finally be all gone and you allow yourself a hint of a whisper of a positive feeling, right up until you look in the mirror, and scream."

927 Days To Go!

Wednesday, July 05, 2006

 

USATODAY.com - With only a letter, FBI can gather private data

'People have no idea how much of what they probably consider their private information is readily available to government,' says Susan Brenner, a University of Dayton law professor who advises the U.S. Secret Service on technology and privacy. The letters, she says, raise the question: 'How do we balance law enforcement's needs with what's left of privacy in an age where technology permeates everything?'

9,254 letters served in 2005

 

TMS Features - A PEACH OF A SCANDAL IN GEORGIA

"Mr. Reed also argues that his stopping gambling in Texas and Alabama was a good thing in and of itself, even though he was hired by rival casinos to do it. Using the same reasoning, Lucky Luciano was on solid moral ground when he knocked off Dutch Schultz. "
- Garrison Keillor

 

MercuryNews.com | 06/22/2006 | Langberg: Tread carefully with municipal wireless

"Residents of St. Cloud, Fla., get more than just free street lights, parks and libraries -- they live in the first U.S. community to offer free city-owned wireless Internet access.

Cyber Spot, operated by Hewlett-Packard under a city contract, launched in St. Cloud on March 6. Less than four months later, 55 percent of the Orlando suburb's 10,000 households have signed up."

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?