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Sunday, December 31, 2006

MilkandCookies - Ren and Stimpy: Powdered Toast Man Episodes

MilkandCookies - Ren and Stimpy: Powdered Toast Man Episodes:

Powdered Toast Man saves a kitty, the pope, Ren and Stimpy, the President, and the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights, sort of.

Mild-mannered pastor, superhero Powdered Toast Man confronts his nemesis Waffle Woman.

Guest stars Gary Owens as PTM and Frank Zappa as the Pope.

From Ren and Stimpy.

Related: Frank Zappa, Powdered Toast Man, Ren and Stimpy, Television, Video Clips


MilkandCookies - Scrubs: Everything Comes Down to Poo

MilkandCookies - Scrubs: Everything Comes Down to Poo:
The cast of Scrubs break into song to convince a patient to give a stool sample.

FARK.com: (2509360) Which useless resolution will you most likely fark up first?

For us at Snarkyspot, it'll be "To post only concise, pertinent, top shelf news in 2007" 
To see what Farkers are blabbing about, hit the link, Merry Whatevah, Snarkys...


:O
:(
:|
:p
:D
:B
:>
:<
:I

FARK.com: (2509360) Which useless resolution will you most likely fark up first?



Wrong about 2006; looking at '07, '08 - Yahoo! News


happy new year 2007 - Google Search




















happy new year 2007 - Google Search:

Countdown to New Year 2007
Time until Monday, January 1, 2007 (UTC time) ... Other countdowns. Who will enter New Year 2007 first? Countdown to the date & time of your choice ...
www.timeanddate.com/counters/newyear.html - 6k - Cached - Similar pages

Applet Countdown to the New Year

New Year - Applet Countdown. Time until Monday, January 1, 2007 (UTC time) ... Other countdowns. Who will enter New Year 2007 first? ...
www.timeanddate.com/counters/newyeara.html - 5k - Cached - Similar pages

Chinese New Year 2007 is Year of Pig - 2006 is Year of Dog. 2005 ...

Chinese New Year. 2007 is Year of Pig 2006 is Year of Dog. 2005 is Year of Rooster. 2004 is Year of Monkey. 2003 is Year of Goat (sheep, ram).
www.chinapage.com/newyear.html - 20k - Cached - Similar pages

Happy New Year 2007

Happy New Year 2007. ... Happy New Year 2007. The full conversion from analog to Digital Television is just over 2 years away. The FCC is requiring United ...
tv.about.com/b/a/131349.htm - 18k -Cached - Similar pages

New Year's Eve - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

and then as simultaneously Big Ben chimes and zero is reached, shout "Happy New Year!" instead of zero. Amusingly, the countdown is sometimes miscalculated ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Year's_Eve - 52k - Cached - Similar pages


Saturday, December 30, 2006

Lots of music reviews and more - OutofRange.net

OutofRange.net covers a little bit of everything, tons of post on music-related stuff:
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Saddam Hussein hung, size doesn't matter say majority of Shia/Sunni women












Short drop... sudden stop.

(google search saddam hanged)

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Earthtimes.org
Saddam hanged but no let-up in Iraq violence
Malaysia Star, Malaysia - 1 hour ago
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Saddam Hussein was hanged at dawn on Saturday for crimes against humanity after Iraq's prime minister rushed through an execution few ...
Former leader Iraqi Saddam hanged Sunday Vision
all 1,925 news articles »

Shanghai Daily
Saddam hanged at dawn...
The Statesman, India - 1 hour ago
Saddam Hussein, who ruled Iraq with an iron fist for over a quarter century, was hanged to death today three years after he was deposed from power by the ...
Iraq's state-run TV says Saddam was hanged Shanghai Daily
Iraqi Former President Saddam Hussein hanged Azeri Press Agency
The men who were hanged alongside Saddam Daily News & Analysis
580 CFRA Radio
all 70 news articles »

ITN
Saddam hanged but no let-up in Iraq violence
Swissinfo, Switzerland - 1 hour ago
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Saddam Hussein was hanged at dawn on Saturday for crimes against humanity after Iraq's prime minister rushed through an execution few ...
Saddam hanged, but violence goes on TVNZ
all 60 news articles »

E Canada Now
Saddam hanged in Iraq, US official says
Reuters AlertNet, UK - 17 hours ago
Hussein was hanged shortly before 6 am local time (0300 GMT) on Saturday, US-backed Iraqi television station Al Hurra and Arabic satellite channel Arabiya ...
Saddam hanged, Iraqi state-run TV reports Cedar Rapids Gazette
all 495 news articles »

Calgary Sun
Saddam hanged
Greeley Tribune, CO - 39 minutes ago
Along with Saddam, Iraqi authorities hanged his half-brother Barzan Ibrahim and Awad Hamed al-Bandar, the former chief justice of the Revolutionary Court, ...
SADDAM HANGED Glasgow Daily Record
Saddam hanged at dawn San Bernardino Sun
Reports: Saddam hanged Georgetown Times
Glasgow Daily Record - The State
all 1,406 news articles »

Aljazeera.net
Saddam hanged
Jamaica Gleaner, Jamaica - 16 hours ago
Former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was hanged last night (Jamaica time) for crimes against humanity after killing 148 Shi'ite men and boys after failed ...
Saddam hanged ABC 4
SADDAM HANGED Afternoon Dispatch & Courier
Saddam hanged: Iraqi TV The Australian
ABC Regional Online - MarketWatch
all 66 news articles »
Roundup: Saddam Hanged for Crimes Against Humanity
CNSNews.com, VA - 8 hours ago
(CNSNews.com) - Ousted Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was hanged early Saturday morning in Baghdad Over recent hours several Iraqi officials as well as ...
Saddam to Be Hanged 'Without Delay,' Iraqi PM Says CNSNews.com
Saddam Could Die Before Dawn CNSNews.com
all 34 news articles »

Earthtimes.org
Saddam hanged but no let-up in Iraq violence
Reuters.uk, UK - 1 hour ago
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Saddam Hussein was hanged at dawn on Saturday for crimes against humanity after Iraq's prime minister rushed through an execution few ...
Saddam Hussein Hanged Arab News
Saddam To Be Buried Near Sons Playfuls.com
all 96 news articles »

Boston Globe
SADDAM HANGED: Former Iraqi leader killed for crimes against humanity
Centre Daily Times, PA - 4 hours ago
BAGHDAD - Former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein was hanged in the predawn hours today for crimes against humanity in the mass murder of Shiite men and boys ...
Saddam Hussein hanged St. Augustine Record (subscription)
Iraqi leader dies at 69 St. Petersburg Times
all 27 news articles »


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Friday, December 29, 2006

WFMU's Top Ten Orwellian Moments of 2006

Here are the bottom five of the top ten list from WFMU's Beware of the Blog, visit them to see the top five.

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6) Stay What? After years of characterizing US policy in Iraq as "Stay the course," the Bush administration not only drops the phrase, but denies it ever existed. On October 23rd, Bush declared "We've never been 'stay the course.'"

7) Guilty Until Proven Innocent: Carrying Cash is a Crime. In August, a federal court ruled that the government can seize cash from an individual, even if that individual has not been accused of a crime and has no criminal record. Link to Article | Link to Ruling (pdf)

8) The Automated Targeting System. In November, the Federal Register revealed the existence of the Automated Targeting System, a Department of Homeland Security program for identifying terrorists and criminals, which cross references all people entering or leaving the country with a host of personal data which they are not allowed to see or correct. Links: 1 2 3 4

9) NSA Warrantless Surveillance and Crypto-City. Although the NSA's secret spying program broke in late 2005, the controversy took up much of 2006, culminating in the August ruling by Detroit District Court that the program was unconstitutional and illegal under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. It continues nonetheless. And yet, through all of this, there's been almost no discussion of the NSA's secret city north of Washington, DC, called Crypto-City. Crypto-City links: 1 2 3

10) You tell me. What did I forget, or what's Orwellian in your neck of the woods? I'll add the tenth item from the best glaring omission suggestions made in the comments section.

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Google Zeitgeist This Week - Gaining Search Queries: Week Ending December 23, 2006

Zeitgeist This Week
Gaining Search Queries: Week Ending December 23, 2006
1. katie rees
2. tara conner
3. katie blair
4. denver international airport
5. bad santa
6. winter solstice
7. rocky
8. mt hood
9. carmelo anthony
10. transformers


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Tuesday, December 26, 2006

Former US President Gerald Ford dead at 93, attacked by zombie Nixon, eaten by wolves. He was delicious.


Former US President Gerald Ford has died aged 93, his wife, former First Lady Betty Ford has said.

Last month Gerald Ford had become the longest-living US president when he passed 93 years and 121 days, the record held by Ronald Reagan.

Mr Ford, born in Omaha, Nebraska, was the only unelected US president - taking office after Richard Nixon resigned over Watergate in 1974.

Mr Ford lost to Jimmy Carter in the 1976 presidential election.

Gerald Ford lived with Betty, 88, at Rancho Mirage in southern California.

The former president suffered ill health this year and was taken to hospital four times for tests and angioplasty. He suffered a stroke in 2000.

(from wikipedia)


Health problems

As Ford approached his ninetieth year, he began to experience significant health problems. He suffered two minor strokes at the 2000 Republican National Convention, but made a quick recovery.[57] In January 2006, he spent 11 days at the Eisenhower Medical Center near his residence at Rancho Mirage, California, for treatment of pneumonia.[58] President George W. Bush visited former President Ford in April 2006 at Ford's home in Rancho Mirage; the former President, walking with a cane, escorted Bush back outside to his car after visiting for about an hour. While vacationing in Vail, Colorado, he was hospitalized for two days in July 2006 for shortness of breath.[59] On August 15, 2006 Ford was admitted to St. Mary's Hospital of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota for "testing and evaluation". On August 21, it was reported that he had been fitted with a pacemaker. On August 25, he underwent an angioplasty procedure at the Mayo Clinic, according to a statement from an assistant to Ford. On August 28, Ford was released from the hospital and returned with his wife Betty to their California home. On October 12, however, Ford entered the hospital yet again for undisclosed tests at the Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, California,[60] he was released on October 16. As a result of his frail health in the past year it was announced on October 17 that Ford was considering selling his home near Vail, Colorado due to the uncertainty as to whether he would be able to return.

Funeral plans for former presidents are written out by the Presidents themselves and kept until their death by the Military District of Washington, which oversees state funerals, and then the funeral is performed to their wishes. Ford requested a state funeral and a burial at his presidential museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Longevity

  • He was, at 93 years of age, one of only four U.S. Presidents to have lived to 90 or more years of age (the others being Reagan, also 93, Herbert Hoover, 90, and John Adams, also 90).
  • Gerald and Betty Ford held the record as the longest-lived First Couple, at ages 93 and 88 respectively. The previous record (calculated using the combined ages of the two spouses) was held by Ronald and Nancy Reagan at ages 93 and 83 respectively at the time of President Reagan's death on June 5, 2004, at which time Gerald and Betty Ford had already tied their record at ages 90 and 86 respectively. Prior to 2003, Harry and Bess Truman, at ages 88 and 87 respectively at the time of President Truman's death in 1972, had held the record for more than 30 years.

Death

Gerald Ford died at the age of 93 on December 26, 2006 at his home in California. At 11:49 pm EST, MSNBC reported that Ford's wife, Betty, has confirmed his death. [1]

"My family joins me in sharing the difficult news that Gerald Ford, our beloved husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather has passed away at 93 years of age," Mrs. Ford said in a brief statement issued from her husband's office in Rancho Mirage. "His life was filled with love of God, his family and his country." A state funeral is to come later this week most likely.

Trivia

  • Ford, Clinton and Franklin D. Roosevelt are the only three former Presidents who did not have full siblings (no president has been a true only child).
  • Gerald Ford was the 38th President to be born as well as the 38th to serve. Richard Nixon was 37th born, 37th to serve, and the 37th to die. John F. Kennedy was the 39th President born, 35th to serve and the 32nd to die. Four of the 43 presidents (Carter, George H.W. Bush, Clinton, and George W. Bush) are still living.
  • After leaving office, Ford did a television public service announcement for the Boy Scouts of America. The advertisement featured a long list of former Boy Scout celebrities, athletes, etc., each stating that when your son joins Scouting there was no guarantee that he would grow up to be a movie star, major league player, astronaut, etc.. At the closing, Ford's appearance intentionally surpasses all the others as he says, When your son joins the Boy Scouts, there's no guarantee that he'll grow up to be President..., but you never know.[citation needed] In the 1990s, the West Michigan Shores Council renamed itself in honor of the former President.
  • Ford was characterized in The Simpsons episode "Two Bad Neighbors," having moved in across the street from the family after George H.W. Bush left in disgust. He gets along famously with Homer, inviting him over to watch football, while the two snack on beer and nachos. The two trip simultaneously on the way to Ford's new home, with both muttering "D'oh!" at the same moment, showing both to be accident prone.
  • Ford is the only U.S. President since Herbert Hoover to not be named Time Magazine's Person of the Year during his term.
  • Ford was once a cover model for Cosmopolitan Magazine.
  • Ford died on the 34th anniversary of the death of another U.S. President, Harry S. Truman.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Former President Gerald Ford Dies", CBS News Interactive, December 26, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-12-26.
  2. ^ a b c American Presidents, History: Gerald R. Ford.
  3. ^ Gerald R. Ford - Boy Scouts of America, Report to the Nation.
  4. ^ a b "Healing the Nation" Philip Kunhardt Jr., et. al. {1999). The American President, pp. 79-85
  5. ^ Gerald R. Ford Biography - Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum.
  6. ^ J.R. Greene {1995) The Presidency of Gerald R. Ford (American Presidency Series) (Paperback), p. 2.
  7. ^ a b Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum
  8. ^ Doenecke, Justus D., (1990). In Danger Undaunted: The Anti-Interventionist Movement of 1940-1941 As Revealed in the Papers of the America First Committee (Hoover Archival Documentaries), p. 7. Hoover Institution Press
  9. ^ Lieutenant Commander Gerald Ford, USNR - Naval Historical Center, Department of the Navy, July 13, 2005
  10. ^ Hove, Duane (2003). American Warriors: Five Presidents in the Pacific Theater of World War II. Burd Street Press. ISBN 1-57249-307-0.
  11. ^ "Lieutenant Commander Gerald Ford, USNR," U.S. Naval Historical Center, Official Naval Service Bio, accessed 11 September 2006, http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq60-15.htm.
  12. ^ Steven Ford at the Internet Movie Database
  13. ^ Betty Ford Biography - Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum.
  14. ^ Barn razing erases vintage landmark - Melissa Kruse, The Grand Rapids Press, pg. D1, January 3, 2003
  15. ^ a b Gerald R. Ford (1913-) - From Revolution to Reconstruction - an .HTML project.
  16. ^ Gerald R. Ford Biography - Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum.
  17. ^ Address by President Gerald R. Ford, May 23, 2001 - transcript, United States Senate
  18. ^ Gerald Ford's Remarks on the Impeachment of Supreme Court Justice William Douglas, April 15, 1970 - Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum.
  19. ^ Gerald R. Ford Biography - Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum.
  20. ^ a b Remarks By President Gerald Ford On Taking the Oath Of Office As President - August 9, 1974
  21. ^ Rockefeller, Nelson Aldrich (1908-1979) - Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
  22. ^ President Gerald R. Ford's Proclamation 4311, Granting a Pardon to Richard Nixon - Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum.
  23. ^ http://narademo.umiacs.umd.edu/cgi-bin/isadg/viewitem.pl?item=100775 - Images of Presidential Proclamation 4311 of September 8, 1974, by President Gerald R. Ford granting a pardon to Richard M. Nixon.
  24. ^ Gerald R. Ford Pardoning Richard Nixon - The History Place.
  25. ^ The Pardoning President - Paul Bacon, PBS.
  26. ^ Carter's Pardon - MacNeil/Lehrer Report, PBS, January 21, 1977
  27. ^
  28. ^ Secretary of Transportation: William T. Coleman Jr. (1975 - 1977) - AmericanPresident.org.
  29. ^ George Herbert Walker Bush - profile, CNN.
  30. ^ Richard B. Cheney - United States Department of Defense.
  31. ^ Nixon’s Fall and the Ford and Carter Interregnum - Russell D. Renka, Southeast Missouri State University, April 10, 2003
  32. ^ Presidential Vetoes - Office of the Clerk, United States House of Representatives.
  33. ^ Transcript - Whip Inflation Now - October 8, 1974, Miller Center of Public Affairs
  34. ^ Gerald Ford - USA Presidents Info.
  35. ^ Consumer Price Index, 1913-, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis.
  36. ^ Rhetorical Bankruptcy - Nick Lemann, The Harvard Crimson, November 8, 1975
  37. ^ Pandemic Pointers - Living on Earth.
  38. ^ 1976: Fear of a great plague - Paul Mickle, The Trentonian.
  39. ^ Strategic Arms Limitation Talks, Houghton Mifflin.
  40. ^ Trip to China - Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum
  41. ^ About Human Rights Watch - Human Rights Watch.
  42. ^ Capture and Release of SS Mayaguez by Khmer Rouge forces in May 1975 - United States Marine Merchants.
  43. ^ 'Squeaky' up for parole - Janet McLaren, New York Daily News.
  44. ^ Spieler, Geri An Unlikely Assassin: Sara Jane Moore and the Plot to Kill the President (accessed June 2, 2006)
  45. ^ John Paul Stevens -Oyez, United States Supreme Court multimedia.
  46. ^ The Conservative Persuasion - Christopher Levenick, The Daily Standard, September 29, 2005
  47. ^ Another Loss For the Gipper - Time Magazine, March 29, 1976
  48. ^ VH1 News Presents: Politics: A Pop Culture History Premiering Wednesday, October 20 at 10:00 p.m. (ET/PT) - PRNewswire.
  49. ^ Election of 1976 (2003) C-SPAN
  50. ^ a b Jimmy Carter, Inaugural address - January 20, 1977, transcript from Seattle University
  51. ^ 1976 Presidential Debates - CNN
  52. ^ Richard V. Allen, How the Bush Dynasty Almost Wasn't, New York Times Magazine, July 30, 2000 - .
  53. ^ [1] - "Certainly few observers in January 1977 would have predicted that Jimmy and I would become the closest of friends," Ford said in 2000
  54. ^ All-Star Celebration Opening the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum - IMDb.
  55. ^ Politicians Who Received the Medal of Freedom - PoliticalGraveyard.com.
  56. ^ President Gerald Ford and Congressman John Lewis Honored as Profiles in Courage - John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, Summer 2001
  57. ^ Gerald Ford recovering after strokes - BBC, August 2, 2000
  58. ^ Gerald Ford hospitalized with pneumonia - Associated Press, January 17, 2006
  59. ^ Gerald Ford released from hospital - Associated Press, July 26, 2006.
  60. ^ Former President Ford hospitalized again - Associated Press via CNN
  61. ^ "Ford longest-living US president", BBC, November 13, 2006.

Bibliography

  • Ford, Gerald R. (1987). Humor and the Presidency. ISBN 0-87795-918-8.
  • Ford, Gerald R. (1965). Portrait of the assassin (Lee Harvey Oswald). ASIN B0006BMZM4.
  • Ford, Gerald R. (1994). Presidential Perspectives from the National Archives. ISBN 1-880875-04-7.
  • Ford, Gerald R. (1973). Selected Speeches. ISBN 0-87948-029-7.
  • Ford, Gerald R. (1979). A Time to Heal: The Autobiography of Gerald R. Ford. ISBN 0-06-011297-2.

Further reading

Personal memoirs and official biographies

Administration officials' publications

  • Casserly, John J. (1977). The Ford White House: Diary of a Speechwriter. ISBN 0-87081-106-1.
  • Coyne, John R. (1979). Fall in and Cheer. ISBN 0-385-11119-3.
  • Thompson, Kenneth (ed.) (1980). The Ford Presidency: Twenty-Two Intimate Perspectives of Gerald Ford. ISBN 0-8191-6960-9.
  • Hartmann, Robert T. (1980). Palace Politics: An Insider's Account of the Ford Years. ISBN 0-07-026951-3.
  • Hersey, John (1980). Aspects of the Presidency: Truman and Ford in Office (The President: A Minute-by-Minute Account of a Week in the Life of Gerald Ford). ISBN 0-89919-012-X.
  • Kissinger, Henry A. (1999). Years of Renewal. ISBN 0-684-85572-0.

Outside sources

  • Firestone, Bernard J. and Alexej Ugrinsky (eds) (1992). Gerald R. Ford and the Politics of Post-Watergate America. ISBN 0-313-28009-6.
  • Greene, John Robert (1992). The Limits of Power: The Nixon and Ford Administrations. ISBN 0-253-32637-0.
  • Greene, John Robert (1995). The Presidency of Gerald R. Ford. ISBN 0-7006-0639-4.
  • Mieczkowski, Yanek (2005). Gerald Ford And The Challenges Of The 1970s. ISBN 0-8131-2349-6.
  • Werth, Barry (2006). 31 Days: The Crisis That Gave Us the Government We Have Today. ISBN 0-385-51380-1.


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Monday, December 25, 2006

Legendary 'Godfather Of Soul' James Brown passes away at 73

James Brown Is Dead.

James Joseph Brown, Jr. (May 3, 1933December 25, 2006), commonly referred to as "The Godfather of Soul", was an American entertainer recognized as one of the most influential figures in 20th-century popular music.

As a prolific singer, songwriter, bandleader and record producer, Brown was a seminal force in the evolution of gospel and rhythm and blues into soul and funk. He left his mark on numerous other musical genres, including rock, jazz, reggae, disco, dance and electronic music, afrobeat, and hip-hop music.

Brown began his professional music career in 1953 and skyrocketed to fame in the late 1950s and early 1960s on the strength of his thrilling live performances and a string of smash hits. In spite of various personal problems and setbacks, he continued to score hits in every decade through the 1980s. In the 1960s and 1970s Brown was a presence in American political affairs, noted especially for his activism on behalf of African Americans and the poor (as well as his outspoken support for Richard Nixon).

Brown was recognized by a plethora of (mostly self-bestowed) titles, including Soul Brother Number One, Mr. Dynamite, the Hardest-Working Man in Show Business, Minister of The New New Super Heavy Funk, Mr. Please Please Please, The Boss, and the best-known, the Godfather of Soul. He was renowned for his shouting vocals, feverish dancing and unique rhythmic style. (more)



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Wednesday, December 20, 2006

The Skeptic's Dictionary: Satan

Satan:

Satan is the adversary of God. Thus, Satan is evil personified. Many followers of the Bible consider Satan to be a real being, a spirit created by God. Satan and the other spirits who followed him rebelled against God. They were allegedly cast out from Heaven by their Creator. Theologians might speculate as to why the Almighty did not annihilate the "fallen angels," as He is said to have done to his other creations when they failed to be righteous (save Noah and his family, of course). Satan was allowed to set up his own kingdom in Hell and to send out devils to prowl the earth for converts. The demonic world seems to have been allowed to exist for one purpose only: to tempt humans to turn away from God. Why God would allow Satan to do this is explained in the Book of Job, where Satan is described as an angel who works in cahoots with God. When Job asks why God let Satan torment him the answer is blunt and final: Hath thou an arm like the Lord? The story of Job is interpreted in many different ways by theologians but my interpretation is that nobody knows why God lets Satan live and torment us. God is God and can do whatever He wants. Ours is not to question why, ours is but to do and die. (more)

Buzz Image | Making Of: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Buzz Image | Making Of

Neat compilation reel of how effects studio Buzz Image layered in CGI effects into shots in 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind'.

The Ultimate Christmas Video Collection | MetaFilter

The Ultimate Christmas Video Collection | MetaFilter:

101 Classic Christmas Videos The winter solstice is nearing, and Rudolph's on his way. So whether you're celebrating Festivus, or just being a blockhead, why not kick back with a nice glass of egg nog and a holiday classic?

BBC NEWS | Technology | BBC moves to file-sharing sites

BBC NEWS | Technology | BBC moves to file-sharing sites:
Hundreds of episodes of BBC programmes will be made available on a file-sharing network for the first time, the corporation has announced.

The move follows a deal between the commercial arm of the organisation, BBC Worldwide, and technology firm Azureus.  (more)

Viral Video Chart - Today's Top 20 Viral Videos


Google Zeitgeist: Gaining Search Queries: Week Ending December 16, 2006


Rebelde - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It's number 8 on the 2006 Google Year-End Zeitgeist.

Rebelde - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

Rebelde ("rebel" or "rebellious") is a Mexican telenovela (or series) produced by Televisa. It is a remake of an Argentine telenovela Rebelde Way adapted for the Mexican audience therefore leading to differences in character's backgrounds. The series ran for three seasons, the final episode airing in Mexico on 2006-06-02. Rebelde was replaced in June of 2006 with Televisa's new series Código Postal.

The series is set at the Elite Way School, a prestigious private boarding high school near Mexico City, attended by the adolescent children of some of Mexico's wealthiest citizens (as well as gifted becados — students with scholarships). The school's faculty and the parents often have their own subplots as well. One feature of the show is the random use of English words and phrases, commonly used by fresas.

One of the series' major plot lines revolves around a group of students forming a band. The actors, who play the members of this band, are also in a real band, abbreviated as RBD to distinguish it from the show. RBD performs most of the music used on the show, and has been extremely successful in its own right, becoming one of the highest-grossing acts in Mexico and touring internationally.

In the United States on Univision the show ended on December 15, 2006.


Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Jeff Han on TED Talks: intuitive, "interface-free," touch-driven computer screen

Jeff Han on TED Talks:  (video at previous link)

Jeff Han is a research scientist for New York University's Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences. Here, he demonstrates—for the first time publicly—his intuitive, "interface-free," touch-driven computer screen, which can be manipulated intuitively with the fingertips, and responds to varying levels of pressure. (Recorded February 2006 in Monterey, CA. Duration: 09:32)

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | 'Fast and noisy' cartoon memories

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | 'Fast and noisy' cartoon memories:
Joseph Barbera, who created cartoon characters including Scooby-Doo and The Flintstones with his partner William Hanna, has died aged 95.

His work left a lasting impression on Peter Lord, one of the founding directors of the company behind Wallace and Gromit, Aardman Animations. (more at link)

Ambient Addition is a Walkman with binaural microphones

Noah Vawter: Ambient Addition:

(Download) (6MB QuickTime .mov, 3:15)



Ambient Addition is a Walkman with binaural microphones. A tiny Digital Signal Processing (DSP) chip analyzes the microphone's sound and superimposes a layer of harmony and rhythm on top of the listener's world. In the new context, some surprising behaviors take place. Listeners tend to play with objects around them, sing to themselves, and wander toward tempting sound sources. With Ambient Addition, I'm hoping to make people think twice about the sounds they initiate as well as loosen up some inhibitions.

Thesis text, final

(1.2 MB PDF) Revision 42 (5/19/2006)

( via Metafilter)

YouTube - SNL - Digital Short - A Special Christmas Box *Uncensored*

YouTube - SNL - Digital Short - A Special Christmas Box *Uncensored Ve:

Starring Justin Timberlake, hands down one of the best SNL skits in a loooong time.





Monday, December 18, 2006

James Surowiecki discusses the waste of holiday giving (kottke.org)

James Surowiecki discusses the waste of holiday giving (kottke.org):

James Surowiecki discusses the waste of holiday giving. "Waldfogel's main finding is that, in general, people spend a lot more on presents than they're worth to those who receive them, a phenomenon that he calls 'the deadweight loss of Christmas.'" This is one of my big problems with the whole Christmas thing. Related: gift cards worth billions of dollars are left unredeemed each year.

† WHERE IS JESUS? †

† WHERE IS JESUS? †:
please bless my family.
~mike


Dear Mike,

While I generally reserve eternal damnation and hellfire for those individuals who are particularly hateful and evil, I similarly reserve "blessed" status for those individuals who have shown a unique capacity for meekness. While it is unlikely that all members of your family will be sufficiently meek to meet My exacting standards, it is possible that one or even two may be worthy of blessed status. Please prepare a detailed application for each individual family member, along with specific examples of how and when they have been meek, and I shall consider them along with the hundreds of other submissions. If they are sufficiently meek to warrant inheriting the earth, I will contact you at a later date.

Your host of hosts,
Jesus

P.S. If you visit My store, you will see that he who refills My beer shall also inherit the Earth. Just a tip. Buy yourself a Frosted Grail!

Thursday, December 14, 2006

Slashdot | New Animated Star Trek In The Works

Slashdot | New Animated Star Trek In The Works:

Philias writes "A new web-based Star Trek Animated Series may be in the works. CBS is considering a pitch by veteran Trek producer Dave Rossi for a 'Clone Wars' style animated series for StarTrek.com. Like Clone Wars the episodes would be just a few minutes long. Unlike the old animated Trek show from the 70s, this one would be with a whole new crew set in a new time period. The setting is to be a war-torn post-9/11-like Trek universe 150 years after the time of Picard."

 From the post:

"The Zero Room team felt that the time was right for a new approach to Trek. The setting is the year 2528 and the Federation is a different place after suffering through a devastating war with the Romulans 60 years earlier. The war was sparked off after a surprise attack of dozens of 'Omega particle' detonations throughout the Federation creating vast areas which become impassible to warp travel and essentially cut off almost half the Federation from the rest. During the war the Klingon homeworld was occupied by the Romulans, all of Andoria was destroyed and the Vulcans, who were negotiating reunification with the Romulans, pulled out of the Federation. The setting may seem bleak and not very Trek-like, but that is where the show's hero Captain Alexander Chase comes in."