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If I was Clear Channel, I'd be looking at getting out of radio and into monopolizing something like billboards or concert venues. Just a thought.

Uh, yeah, they've tried that (eh, maybe my sarcasm detector is faulty today). Though they're apparently selling off the concert unit now.

Nobody seems to provide any actual details on this find, just artists' reconstructions based on something, but from what I've read so far this thing sounds similar to an ostrich with claws. From the Chicago Tribune article, http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi -0505050246may05,1,5853353.story?coll=chi-newsnati onworld-hed&ctrack=1&cset=true, "It had the built-for-speed legs of meat eaters, but it was developing the bigger belly of plant-eaters. It had lost the serrated teeth needed for tearing flesh; those were replaced with the smaller, duller vegetarian variety." Sounds like a toothed, clawed ostrich, not some strange "intermediate form."

Isn't it funny how many "mass fossil graves" we found all over the earth, almost like there was a global flood...?

that hasn't stopped approximately 1/3 of all U.S. companies from employing email monitoring tools.
Why not link to the source for your source (login)? The ITFacts.biz story got it wrong anyway: "33% of US companies monitor employees' e-mail" is wrong--the direct quote was "Almost 33 percent of 140 North American businesses..." You and ITFacts were off wrt the number and the sample. Oh, and the Tribune article was merely a syndicated column, using data from a nearly year-old study. Not exactly news. Where did I find that out? Look, it's ITFacts.biz! Yep, TFA was a double post.

Let's continue because we are not done fixing your post:
43% of those companies employ staff to check outgoing emails.
Wrong. It's "more than 43%" of companies with over 20,000 employees (not 43% of monitoring companies), according to the study. The one-third figure expands the sample to include all companies.

It is also worth noting that the study in question was sponsored by ProofPoint, which in fact sells monitoring software. So you could say that Forrester had a financial interest in high-balling the figure (which it appears they did, with all this "almost 33%" business).

did anyone else notice but one of the frames in the first video looks like the oil stain in the kennedy overpass http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-05041 90294apr19,1,867798.story?coll=chi-newslocal-hed&c track=1&cset=true
that resembles the virgin marry.

Everytime I see an SUV in Boulder with a "free tiber" sticker on it I can't decide if I should laugh of cry

Yeah, because the Italians have been oppressing that river for ages!

(/sarcasm)

Seriously, though: What on earth does China's occupation of Tibet have to do with the environment? Go to FreeRepublic.com (very right-wing, very anti-environmental forum) and ask what they think about China's occupation of Tibet - they'll rail against it like you've never heard. The "hippies" you refer to are a lot more likely to dislike the occupation but want some sort of mystical peaceful solution to the issue.

And I'd love to see a "hippie" that drives an SUV. The radically environmental "hippies" vandalize SUVs, not drive them. Even when you look at "Democrat vs Republican" (which doesn't mean "hippie vs. right-winger"), there are significant correlations between preferred car types.

So I've been creating a list of all the major cases I've heard about in 2005. Nearly 1.3 million people have been affected so far this year. Of course now Slashdot won't let me post the information because I have "too few characters per line."

I originally posted an expanded version of this list on my blog to start keeping track of everything.

Here is basically what it looks like:
Date: 04-18-2005
Name of Organization: Ameritrade
How: Lost backup tape with shipping agency
People Affected: 200,000
Link: http://money.cnn.com/2005/04/19/technology/ameritr ade/

Date: 04-14-2005
Name of Organization: Polo Raplh Lauren - Mastercards
How: "Security Breach" - Hackers
People Affected: 180,000
Link: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/n/ a/2005/04/14/financial/f064639D31.DTL

Date: 04-08-2005
Name of Organization: San Jose Medical Group
How: Stolen Laptop
People Affected: 185,000
Link: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/ archive/2005/04/08/financial/f115753D39.DTL

Date: 03-29-2005
Name of Organization: UC Berkeley
How: Stolen Laptop
People Affected: 98,000
Link: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/20 05/03/29/BAG3MBVSFH1.DTL

Date: 03-26-2005
Name of Organization: Northwestern University
How: "Security Breach" - Hackers
People Affected: 21,000
Link: http://www.chicagotribune.com/technology/
chi-050 3260274mar26,1,5138021.story?coll=chi-technology-h ed&ctrack=1&cset=true

Anyway, this is definitely getting ridiculous and out of hand. And it seems we're pretty much helpless to control it as well. When are a lot of these companies going to stop requiring valuable information like social security numbers and such?

Not only has the idea been around, but it has actually been performed multiple times. This was the just the first islet transplant from a [keyword]living[/keyword] donor. While still a great scientific event, the poster has misled and over-hyped this story.

Read more

The Japanese case is the first to be performed successfully using cells from a living donor. Previous cases involved donors who had died or who used their own reprocessed cells, which are injected back into their body.

If by testicular fortitude you mean complete stupidity, then I agree, considering according to this http://www.chicagotribune.com/technology/reviews/c hi-040424games,1,6537657.story?coll=chi-technology reviews-utl&ctrack=1&cset=true US videogame sales account for more than those in japan.

Ad hominem arguments are the mark of a feeble mind. Attack his arguments, or don't waste my time. And take note, this was discussed in many other media including Forbes and the the Chicago Tribune.

-ccm

Well, this person used a knife

They also failed to obtain a gun.

Here's some previews, from more or less official sources:

preview

preview

Making Over Motorola: If mobile communication is going to be seamless, Motorola has to be seamless. Forbes Yahoo Business: link

New chief reconnecting Motorola: Memories of earnings disappointments and last holiday season's product debacle are blurring as investors focus on rising sales and profits. link

Todays Trib has a pretty good story on Podcasting that quotes many of the regulars (Adam Curry, etc.).

The story is here and may require registration.

He said people "prefer to believe" that the reason there are fewer women in science and engineering is due to social factors and discrimination, "but there are things that need to be studied." link

Although, to be fair, most of the news stories are just as guilty of not looking at what was actually said. As one of the other participants pointed out, though:

Paula Stephan, a professor of economics at Georgia State University, said the remarks did not offend her. "I think if you come to participate in a research conference," she said, "you should expect speakers to present hypotheses that you may not agree with and then discuss them on the basis of research findings." link

If you can't ask the question "what if there really are biological differences?" at an academic research conference, where the hell can that question be asked?

If there are differences, we do ourselves no favour by ignoring them; research into them could show us better ways of teaching to boys and girls so both learn better.

If there are no differences, we certainly do ourselves no favour by refusing to finally examine and dismiss the notion forever. Until there is clear research on the issue, there will always be the question lurking unasked in the background.

For fuck's sakes, people, how did "are boys and girls different?" get to be a verboten question?

(Disclaimer before someone whines: yes, I know plenty of excellent female scientists---I work for a couple of them---but thanks for trying to undermine the questioner instead of answering the damn question. True spirit of scientific inquiry, there.)

yeah, you beat me to presenting this article from last week. so much for "Boeing has no plan for a competing aircraft."

Bush sets up panel for tax code changes Ideas for `essential task' due in summer

Now's your chance to save up the two cents you dropped here, and spend it were it'll do some good.

Considering that press coverage where Carlson basically got carte blanche to respond after-the-fact in major papers like the Chicago Tribune, this is a fitting end. You especially have to love the comment:

"His career aspirations and our programming needs just don't synch up," Klein said. "He wants to host his own nighttime show and we don't see that in the cards here. Out of respect for him and his talent, we thought it would be best to let him explore opportunities elsewhere."

He'll probably reappear somewhere else like MSNBC - hopefully without the bow tie.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- In a cramped corner of the state Democratic Party headquarters here, David Sullivan and seven other full-time volunteers are frantically dialing lawyers to ask them to monitor Election Day polling places.

. . .

Republicans, meanwhile, are placing lawyers on call in battleground states, where coveted electoral votes could, theoretically, be determined by which side is best prepared to prove that voters have or have not been disenfranchised.

President Bush's campaign has said it is targeting about 30,000 precincts in 17 states, places seen as key to victory or where past election problems have arisen. Lawyers, law students and others will watch those precincts or be on call there.

But it's here in Ohio that experts believe there is the greatest potential for another Florida, primarily because more than two-thirds of voters will use punch-card ballots similar to those that produced the infamous hanging chads of 2000.

"Ohio is ground zero," said Daniel Tokaji, an Ohio State University law professor who studies election procedures. "We are one of the last bastions of the punch-card ballot and there has been a lot of controversy relating to provisional balloting."

. . .

There is also concern among Democrats that Republicans will use a provision in Ohio law that allows "challengers" to review voter registration information at polling places. They fear the challenges could slow election lines and ultimately discourage some Democrats from voting.

. . .

It seems that both parties are pretty lawyer'ed up. The last election showed that you need to geed the judge vote as well, so the campaigns are doing the necessary GOTjV activity.

the Clinton administration approved stem cell research in August of 2000. If Bush had done nothing, the research would have continued without restriction. Bush, however, prohibited federal funding for research on embryonic stem cell lines created after Aug. 9, 2001, and many scientists say the earlier lines are not useful for developing therapies to address diseases such as Parkinson's, juvenile diabetes and possibly Alzheimer's.

I'll let Eric Zorn address Obama's vote. Zorn v. Stanek

From the article you referenced:
An Obama spokesman said the Democrat voted against the abortion legislation because it included provisions that "would have taken away from doctors their professional judgment when a fetus is viable."

I can't find the full quote anywhere, so I cannot say anything more about Obama's position on this issue. I will say that doctors may have a valid concern with the language of the bill. I am not one, so I can't say whether or not there would be cause for their alarm, but I can say that this concern is valid.

Well ...

Dailey is well-liked in Chicago. Sometimes this surprises me. He has a huge ego, can't speak English worth a darn, and governs like a bully. But Chicagoans generally see him as the "guy who gets things done," the one who keeps the city "on the map." They look the other way when some of the things he does are down-right shady.

THE surprising thing to me is that even the ACLU expressed almost no concern over the potential for abuse. To me this is truly the stuff of Big Brother. But Chicagoans clearly don't care. So when "Dah Mayor" says that, "special software will flag suspicious activity, calling up the scene on video monitors when packages are left in public places, for example, or when a person falls to the ground," No one blinks and eye. I ask ... since when is falling down is suspicious? What other things might be "suspicious?"

Do we really want this level of surveilance?? Believe me in the city like Chicago, I do NOT want this power in the hands of the Dailey administration in a city like Chicago.

This week, Chicago Transit Police "caught" a grad student "sleeping on the subway." They arrested Guarav Bhatia -- a chemnical engineerng student at IIT -- and handed him a $50 ticket for sleeping illegally on the El (http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi -0409090277sep09,1,1169245.column?coll=chi-news-co l/). I mean .... come on. Who is kidding who? This is harrassment, plain and simple.

Picture this in a not too distant future -- cameras trained on Chicagoans all the time -- a system designed to identify, classify and ticket all kinds of "illegal" behavior. Think about moving ....

Let me start out by saying that I'm not at all in favor of this move and I'm not much of a fan of Daley.
But lets clear up a couple of things:

He isn't planning to "install thousands of cameras." He's planning to centralize the monitoring of the existing cameras, while installing "a few hundred" more. Yes, "a few hundred" is vague, but the significance of this move is NOT the installing of these cameras, but rather the centralization. He could have installed those other hundreds of cameras without saying a word. Centralizing them, though, becomes a big deal, because it creates the "Big Brother" possibility. Bottom line: Most of these cameras already exist.

As for Daley himself: There are a lot of replies about Meigs and about all the bullshit Daley pulls. For background on this, read Boss by Mike Royko or read any and all of John Kass's columns in the Chicago Tribune (there is a particularly good recent one about his long-standing "freindship" with Daley) (free reg. req.).

On Meigs: The closure of Meigs did NOT place any further burden on any other airports. Meigs was ONLY general aviation and provided NO long-term parking. Furthermore, Meigs was scheduled to be closed in 2005. I, myself, was sorry to see it go (I have taken off and landed from Meigs only a couple of times, but they were plenty of fun). It WAS shady how he closed it, but you get over that. That's how politics work in Chicago.

Chicago wouldn't be Chicago without Chicago politics. City Hall is corrupt. Corrupt as hell. But it works. And it is a government of the People. Daley is from Bridgeport, a blue collar neighborhood southwest of downtown. You'll see truck drivers, construction workers, factory workers who are better connected than the richest businessmen in the city. In some sense, its the universal equalizer.

Chicago politics are great; great in a neverending-amusement way. But while you can bitch and moan about civil liberties in relation to these cameras (I'll be there right along with you), pay attention to what actually is being done here: The innovation here is CENTRALIZATION, not INSTALLATION.

I call "Bullshit" on that.

There was an in depth, independent review of the Florida election after the Supreme Court ruling. Its results may not have reached through the coocoon of bullshit conspiracy hearings that you keep around you. The Chicago Tribune said it best: "The study does not support charges that the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to halt recounts altered the course of history."

Read the article (use bugmenot.com if the registration requirements offend you). If Gore had gotten his way he still would have lost. If Bush had truly gotten his way, he would have lost.

From the Chicago Tribute, today

What do the job numbers mean?

Published August 7, 2004

The nation's job reports released Friday surprised just about everybody. Companies added 32,000 new positions to their payrolls in July, a much smaller increase than most economists expected. The unemployment rate, though, dipped to 5.5 percent.

So it goes with economic indicators. The monthly parade of numbers tends to be as fluid as the economy itself, flashing one way, then another. Divining their meaning, like economics itself, involves nearly as much art as science.

Bottom line--the economy continues to expand and to grow jobs, though not as robustly as everyone would like.

We're heading into a fall presidential campaign where every indicator will be invested with political significance by both sides. No doubt Sen. John Kerry will talk about the hundreds of thousands of jobs that have been lost since President Bush took office. No doubt Bush will talk about the hundreds of thousands of jobs that have been created in the last year.

As you listen to that debate, it will help to keep in mind the limits of the data. Take the unemployment rate. All through the most recent recession, the jobless rate never got above 6.3 percent, well below the peak in previous downturns.

Yet most economists believe that particular statistic understates the real unemployment number. The government arrives at its figure by calling around 40,000 households a month to ask how many folks are working. Sounds straightforward, but it requires a bit of voodoo to project the size of the labor force and determine the proportion looking for work and unable to find it.

When the economy flags, many of the unemployed stop seeking jobs. The Labor Department no longer counts them once they're out of the market, so their exit tends to drive down the official unemployment rate.

It's believed by some economists that the number of people who don't get counted has expanded lately. The long decline in manufacturing, for instance, has led many former factory workers to give up looking for work. Young Americans unable to find desirable entry-level positions, in part due to outsourcing and immigration, often decide to continue their schooling instead.

The rises in temporary help and part-time employment, along with the aging of the population, also chip away at the benchmark jobless rate. The 2 million Americans locked up in prisons and jails don't count as unemployed. Same goes for those on the booming Social Security disability program.

So it may well be that conditions at their worst last year were just as bad as during the 7.8 percent unemployment peak in the recession of 1992, although the indicator didn't show it.

So does all that mean Kerry can claim the economy's in worse shape than advertised? Perhaps. But Bush can find evidence, too, that things are a little better than they seem.

The Labor Department reported that the economy created 32,000 jobs in July, a number that was widely billed as a disappointment. But that reflected the number of people that larger companies say they added to their payrolls. The government also produces a separate report that has turned up evidence of many more new jobs being created among small businesses and the self-employed. The reported 10,000-job increase in manufacturing is also very encouraging.

The numbers don't tell the whole story, but that doesn't mean they should be ignored. Instead, recognize them for the imperfect guesstimates they are and treat the rhetoric surrounding them with the skepticism it richly deserves.

Funny you should mention that. According to the Chicago Tribune(subscribtion required),

...technology crews started a planned upgrade to increase the newspaper's Sun Microsystems servers from so-called 10K models to 15K machines. To do this, experts from the company that makes the newspaper's core Windows-based publishing software, Denmark-based CCI Europe A/S, needed to install upgrades of its Newsdesk brand software that the Tribune and other clients use.

So was it Sun or Microsoft?? Or maybe Apple?

Frantic hours went by as deadline after deadline slipped while crews struggled to find a fix. Malone said he went so far as to start setting up the newspaper's pages on the art department's Macintosh desktops, hoping to get at least something printed.

Maybe he read about the benefits...

Coffee is good!

Though the virtues of coffee drinking may have been debated in the past, now there appear to be new reasons to rejoice over java. More and more studies have linked coffee consumption to a number of health benefits, including a reduced risk of diabetes, Parkinson's disease, gallstones, colon cancer and potentially heart disease.

"Coffee has much more in it than caffeine," said Dr. PeMartin, director of the Vanderbilt University's Institute for Coffee Studies, which conducts medical research on coffee and is funded by a grant from a consortium of coffee-producing countries. "It's a very complex beverage that contains hundreds of compounds, including many with antioxidant effects."

Though the tea industry has been touting its antioxidants, turns out coffee may contain even more--specifically polyphenols. One of the most potent antioxidants in coffee is called chlorogenic acid, which is partially responsible for the coffee flavor. Some reports estimate that more than 850 compounds are packed inside the humble bean.

1. Wired: After a wobbly post-boom period, Wired has transformed itself from an insider computer monthly into a slick, smart and playful cultural journal. The reporting is excellent ("The Future of Food," "The New Diamond Age," for instance) and the graphics deliver some of the best short-form journalism in the business. The back-page feature Found" and the upfront section "Start" are consistently strong, and even the "Letters" page crackles with energy. The writing staff is lively yet authoritative, and columnists Lawrence Lessig and Bruce Sterling are smart without being snooty. Even the ads are cool. Finally: We dare you to show us a better magazine Web site (Wired.com).
2. Real Simple
3. The Economist
4. Cook's Illustrated
5. Esquire
6. The New Yorker
7. American Demographics
8. Men's Healthy
9. Jane
10. Consumer Reports

... the film as truth ... despite that Moore has admitted that it is not all true.

Also, when Moore says the film is a documentary and it is not, and when he makes it clear that his intention with this mockumentary

He also hired outside fact-checkers, led by a former general counsel of The New Yorker and a veteran member of that magazine's legendary fact-checking team, to vet the film.

Threatens lawsuits

And he is threatening to go one step further, saying he has consulted with lawyers who can bring defamation suits against anyone who maligns the film or damages his reputation.

"Any attempts to libel me will be met by force," he said, not an ounce of humor in his familiar voice. "The most important thing we have is truth on our side. If they persist in telling lies, knowingly telling a lie with malice, then I'll take them to court."

He didn't steal it. Even if the Supreme Court had let a state-wide recount go ahead, he would have won. So says a lengthy study by the University of Chicago National Opinion Research Center. Sponsors of the study, lest you think it was the Republican Party, is stated on the website:

The consortium of news organizations sponsoring the NORC Florida ballot project is made up of The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post Co., Tribune Publishing, CNN, Associated Press, St. Petersburg Times and The Palm Beach Post. The New York Times owns The Boston Globe, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, and the Lakeland Ledger among others. Washington Post Co. owns The Washington Post and Newsweek. Tribune, based in Chicago, owns the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune, the Orlando Sentinel, and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, among others.

Lots of left-leaning media groups in there. Some links for the story covered by CNN, the Los Angeles Times, and the Chicago Tribune (registration required). Maybe if voters hadn't been confused by the ballot design (the NORC site has pictures of numerous types, some of them of seemingly bizarre design), then Gore might have won, but the rules say that if there's no clear choice, or if there are multiple punches, then the vote can't be counted.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/health/chi- 040624baby-photo,1,7431047.photo has a photo of the kid's legs. You might have to register. Hulk smash.

In what way is this "News for Nerds"?

hey FYI - in the first 6 months of 2003 Madden sold 3.5 million copies. it has sold way, way more the GTA. there are several different versions of madden (2002, 2003, 2004).

btw - i've never played madden and i have no interest in sports games.

i heard one of the VP's of EA talk about it at a conference a few weeks ago. freakin amazing sales numbers.

check it out.(crappy registration req'd though)

Number portablity was actually a break-even proposition for most of the cell phone carriers.

It turned out to be a knockout blow to AT&T Wireless because they botched an IT upgrade that ended up not allowing them to accept new customers during the critical moments when portability first opened up. All off the other companies, ended up just trading customers leading to higher customer satisfaction rates.

In short, this was one of the best advertising boons the cell providers ever had, as unhappy customers could move to a company that better serves them, and overall customer complaints went down.

Today's 'version' of the 300D: No ping, but plenty of zing in E320 CDI

yes, i have. 80's ford courier truck converted to complete electric. it was about 10 years ago. range: 20 miles. cost per mile $$$$ granted that was 10 years ago and things change. entire bed was full of batteries. would i do it again, even with todays technology and even future technology: NO!

those of you wishing for 100% electrics are fools: you are only making yourself feel good by transfering the source of pollution to someone else. dirty little secret of power companies- they sell pollution emmisions to each other like commodoties. because you don't see smoke from a tailpipe doesn;t mean energy by nature is a polluting process.

for those wishing for 100% electrics and for you hybrid owners: what do you happens to the batteries when you have to change them. how do you think they get all the nasty chemicals to put in them? what happens when they 'recycle' them?

look at ALL the issues before you champion and blindly trumpet how great a technology is. look at cost of ownership. lifetime on prius batteries is like 7 yr or 120k? i don;t remember the exact number but on that order.

me: i choose to drive a vw TDI. i consistently get 45+ miles to the gallon on #2 rot-gut diesel doing 1/2 city and 1/2 highway commute. and that is with exising technology and a car that costs $5k less than a hybrid. $5k buys me the fitst 100k miles and maintenance... and i ass emissions.

don;t believe me that diesel is the way to go:
look at this story previusly covered on /.-
85 mpg+
EPA Supercar

and to those who think that 28-33 mpg is 'efficient- quite sucking on you tailpipes and get soem fresh air!

Now today, we get his quick fix plan to tax custom software! And I'm sure we'd all agree this is much better than a casino in Chicago, right? Right??

Bah! Me no like politicians.

Taft

Abortion: It's been debated for 30+ years as to whether or not it's a "baby" or a "fetus". Really, that's all it comes down to, right? It's either "killing babies" (right) or "a woman's choice" (left). You can't possibly expect anyone that believes in a soul (and, implicitly, anyone that believes unborn babies have souls)... whether they be Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, etc. to condone what they believe constitutes murder, can you? I suppose if unborn babies could talk, we wouldn't be having this discussion. But since it has been asserted that they can feel pain and have a heartbeat in the first trimester, perhaps it's too late.

In any event, quit knocking Dubya and the Christian Right (regardless of how I feel about the institution) for just that.

Gay marriage: Much more hazy. Interesting that we're having such a big uproar over 5% of the population. If you strip away the religious element, this comes down to, "Is it illegal to have traditions?" Can a country as a whole say whether or not they want marriage defined to be the union between a man and a woman? This isn't exclusion. It's obvious (to me) that with the recognition of gay and lesbian partners, civil unions will have as many legal rights as married couples. If that is so, all we're arguing about is a name. It just so happens to mean more to a large part of the population.

If that rant didn't make sense, consider; Am I infringing on your freedom if I show you "In God We Trust" on a coin? It's tradition; it's been there since 1864. But there seems to be this thing about erasing every sentiment of religion from public view as possible that's spreading that sometimes, it seems justified that people are getting concerned.

Other articles on this can be found here, here, here, here, and here.

Article from the Chicago Tribune (free reg needed):

Oh, no! I'm "locked in" to the story. :)

"That protects you from poor performance and possible damage to the finely tuned engine. In fact, trying to use any other gas can sometimes void your warranty."

Darwin takes care of this problem. Destroy enough engines, and people will stop using the bad gas.

"Some of the biggest inkjet printer makers are implanting chips in inkjet cartridges. These chips monitor the ink supply and let you know when you're getting low. They can even freeze the printer when the cartridge is empty. Supposedly that can permanently damage the printer."

Yes it can. Now how many here know how a PH works, and why this is true?

" First-timers are typically shocked at what they have to pay. That $100 inkjet printer may need three $35 cartridges to get back in a printing mood."

That's because of the "flush" cycle used to clean the nozzles.

"But shouldn't you be the one to make the decision about which to use? Do you want the company "protecting" you against the inexpensive and sometimes inferior products? Wouldn't you like the option of using cheap ink in your cheap printer if you discover a discount-ink company that does just fine for you?"

We're talking about the "hot coffee", "warning labels on everything" consumer here. If they were as rational as you seem to imply, products would be a lot simpler (and cheaper).

"Let's stop this "innovation" now, before it becomes standard across the printer industry. Just say no to any printer that comes with these fink
inks. You can make a difference by asking when you buy a new printer and telling the seller that ink monopolies are a deal-breaker."

And the printer becomes more expensive. The Walmart crowd is going to love that. Cheap, be it printers or cartridges has it's limits.

chicago tribune

"June 23rd: Eternal Darkness ships to very disappointing sales. Only 300,000 copies are sold.

August 25th: Super Mario Sunshine ships and becomes the number 10 best-selling game of the year with over 1.5 million copies sold."

'Eternal Darkness' scores high on insanity (require's registration).

The relevant quote:

It's called "Eternal Darkness," and it's $50 worth of nightmares. Nintendo recently shipped this horror game to retailers, but not so you'd notice. The big N cautiously promoted it's first self-published M-rated game for the GameCube in publications catering to older audiences; so unless you monitored this game's four-year development cycle via the Internet or subscribe to jiggle books, it's likely this release slipped under your radar. Kudos to Nintendo for advertising responsibly (something this industry is not known for), but unless word-of-mouth reaches "Grand Theft Auto" levels, "Eternal Darkness" might have to settle for second-class status.

The above statement is not 100% accurate, but here's an excerpt from an article published November 12, 2001:

Consider the differences found in two counties-Leon and Gadsden-separated by the Ochlockonee River and the two broadest extremes of how votes are counted. In both counties voters use a pencil to fill in ovals on the ballot.

But if a voter in Leon County, which includes the state capital, Tallahassee, made a mistake on a ballot, the counting machine in the polling place automatically spit out the ballot back into the voter's hand. A second or and even a third chance was allowed. to vote properly.

This voting system had an error rate of less than 1 percent.

In Gadsden County, the only predominantly black Florida county, no second chance was given because officials said they couldn't afford counting machines in every polling place. The highest percentage of discarded ballots in any Florida county occurred here, with 12.4 percent of the ballots invalidated.

It's in the Chicago Tribune today

It's not a law, but an FCC rule. I couldn't find it on the FCC site (I mean, it might be there, but I didn't find it) but there is a Chicago Tribune article on it.

The JDL also tried to kill a US Congressman (mine at the time), Darrel Issa , the architect of the CA recall, for the simple reason that he is Lebanese (2nd generation). These people are terrorists, in the same way Al Qaeda are. Just because they're Jewish, and so ostensibly on our side, is no reason to give them a pass.

Here we have a classic, slashdot pessimist. That's ok. Going off at the handle is the stereotype we slashdotters fit best. Now, if you RTFP, you'd note the question in the first paragraph saying I remember reading the piece but not where it was.

Now that you've opened your mouth, please insert foot...
Here,, here, and of course, here.
(The CNN article references U of Wisconsin research)

Let alone the fact that the main slashdot story references the National Acadamy of science and Scientific American.

I believe this is where the mods rate you a troll.
-begin non sig- This is not a troll, I repeat this is not a troll.

Ahhhhh.... Here it is. It's a Chicago Tribune article.

-non sig- You're stuck with my non sig in your brain cells now. I guess you could drink it away.

And don't forget those biodiesel vehicles. How many miles to the next fast-food place with a deep frier?

Driving in the Yukon this summer in a 92 Suzuki Sidekick. I did 600K on a tank of gas (10 imp. gallon tank.) I put a bit campstove fuel in at the end to make it another 20K to a gas station. Gas is $1/L way up north, the gas stations are few and far (really far) between and sometimes not open on Sunday. (Go get dude, yeah, dude has the key to the pump, oh no dude's gone fishing, oh forget it.)

1 km = 0.621 miles
1.609 Kilometrs (km) = 1 mile

1 L = 0.264 US gal
US gallons(US gal) = 3.785 Litres

1 imp gal = 0.833 US gal
Imperial gallons(Imp gal) 1.201 = US gallons

CDN $1 = 75 US cents

<rant> i remember your duelly elected president George w Bush (who I nhumbly support in his war for, I mean against, no wait you are either for or against, wait, no, we are against terrorism and for the war which somehow equates to peace, something like that, I'll have to switch on those informative us tv news channels to get it straight again with those live action hero figures and cards and such, ooh and oh so cool techy-military stuff) announced that the big 3 car companies would have the fuel efficiency technology available in about 4 years. Translation: we won't be havin us any US-made fuel efficient cars while Bush is president.

God bless him for killing all those terrorists (and breaking a few eggs) so we can have cheap gas for our gas guzzling SUVs. </rant> Blame Canada

That's nothing. Blind people:

• Pilot aircraft
• Drive at 144mph (that's almost fast enough to travel back in time twice!)
• Climb mountains, paraglide, and wrestle.