If we used a 4 day 10 hour day how much fuel would we save?

I'm in the market for a new TV.  I'm looking for a flat panel, either just simple HD or plasma.  If anybody has any recommended TV's (probably under $3K), email me @ mroberts@theshaolin.com or add comments.

Sly Spyware, must be stopped.  She must have a weakness.  While she is concentrating on attacking Gwen's computer and holding Sir Surf a Lot, I will make my move.  

 

 To answer the question of why gay and lesbian couples should have the right to marry, we must first answer the question of why we value the institution of marriage in our society. Today, America needs strong marriages more than ever, but what does this mean? Is this a legal issue, equal rights issue, moral issue or all three? Why even have marriage? There must be some deep rooted reason why evolution of the human species included the institution of marriage between a man and a woman creating a "traditional" nuclear family for you Darwinist. If so, are those evolutionary reasons still valid or are they dogmatic? If it was to facilitate survival of the humans as hunters and gatherers in tribes, are those conditions still present today? Primative tribes today do not recognize gay marriages. Why? Fertility rituals are still performed. Infant mortality rates are very high. These are the conditions are ancient tribal ancestors dealth with but do we today in modern society? If you want to know why there is so much debate about this, look at evolution. The idea of tradtional marriage is embedded in us at an emotional and even genetic level that may no longer be valid. Recently, many states have adopted Gay Marriage. Here are the reasons people say it should not be approved but what do you all think?

 

- Marriage is an institution between one man and one woman..

- Same-sex couples aren't the optimum environment in which to raise children.

- Gay relationships are immoral.

- Marriages are for procreation and ensuring the continuation of the species.

- Same-sex marriage would threaten the institution of marriage.

- Marriage is traditionally a heterosexual institution.

- Same-sex marriage is an untried social experiment.

- Same-sex marriage would start us down a "slippery slope" towards legalized incest, bestial marriage, polygamy and all kinds of other horrible consequences.

- Granting gays the right to marry is a "special" right.

- Sodomy should be illegal and was until very recently.

- Gay marriage would mean forcing businesses to provide benefits to same-sex couples on the same basis as opposite-sex couples.

- Gay marriage would force churches to marry gay couples when they have a moral objection to doing so.

- Just not comfortable with the idea because it is somehow different.

- It offends everything religion stands for and has stood for regarding the tradition.

- Gay sex is unnatural and the thought of gay sex is repulsive

- The thought of gay sex is repulsive.

- They might recruit and everyone would turn Gay.

Comments

Comment #1 (Posted by Robert V.) I dont think there should be Gay Marriages. Not unless I can marry my dog anyway, and receive all the rights and fair treatment that a traditional heterosexual couple does with tradtional benefits like welfare for the puppies we adopt. That's right, just keep redrawing that line and pretty soon we'll be so confused your evolution will retire the portrait we call the human race.

 

Comment #2 (Posted by Paul Benrail) Well Robert, I must disagree with you. Please consider the following: 1. Homosexuality is not natural, much like eyeglasses, polyester, and birth control are not natural. 2. Heterosexual marriages are valid because they produce children. Infertile couples and old people cannot get legally married because the world needs more children. 3. Obviously gay parents will raise gay children because straight parents only raise straight children. 4. Straight marriage will be less meaningful, since Britney Spears's 55-hour just-for-fun marriage was meaningful. 5. Heterosexual marriage has been around for a long time, and it hasn't changed at all: women are property, Blacks can't marry Whites, and divorce is illegal. 6. Gay marriage should be decided by the people, not the courts, because the majority-elected legislatures, not courts, have historically protected the rights of minorities. 7. Gay marriage is not supported by religion. In a theocracy like ours, the values of one religion are always imposed on the entire country. That's why we only have one religion in America. 8. Gay marriage will encourage people to be gay, in the same way that hanging around tall people makes you tall. 9. Legalizing gay marriage will open the door to all kinds of crazy behavior. People may even wish to marry their pets because a dog has legal standing and can sign a marriage license. 10. Children can never succeed without both male and female role models at home. That's why single parents are forbidden to raise children. 11. Gay marriage will change the foundation of society. Heterosexual marriage has been around for a long time, and we could never adapt to new social norms because we haven't adapted to cars or longer life spans. 12. Civil unions, providing most of the same benefits as marriage with a different name are better, because a "separate but equal" institution is always constitutional. Separate schools for African-Americans worked just as well as separate marriages will for gays & lesbians.

 

Comment #3 (Posted by Alex) The state should not be involved in marriage. All "marriages" should be handled via private contractual agreements.

 

Comment #4 (Posted by Victor) This is getting downright stupid. I agree with Mr. Robert. Where do we draw the line? Also, I think Mr. Peterson has some valid points with his evolution thesis but I cant tell what side of the Gay wall he falls on. Here is the bottom line peple - we are a social species. Marriage is a social and cultural institution that we and every culture in the world recognizes in some fashion. However, when do we go too far when we define it as a union between man and woman, man and dog, man and cat, man and monkey, or how about a sheep or pig (syphilis). Pretty soon the Animal Rights Activists will get involved. So if you marry a cow and I eat a nice juicy steak, does that make me a cannibal?

 

Comment #5 (Posted by Alex) The analogy is flawed as animals cannot consent to legal contracts.

 

Comment #6 (Posted by John) Ok seriously, this constant reference to people marrying animals, is beyond moronic, marriage is a consent-based tradition. Notice the "I do" portion of vows. An animal cannot consent to marriage. I can understand people being opposed to homosexuality because it conflicts with their beliefs. and that's fine. However, two people of the same sex marrying should NOT be compared to a marriage of man and animal. THESE ARE STILL HUMAN BEINGS! Where in the hell has your sense of humanity gone?? I myself am straight, and I'll be honest, i don't understand how one man can be attracted to another. It simply isn't part of my psychological make-up. THAT said, I still don't feel that my lack of understanding for that attraction, or anyone else's lack thereof, should somehow form legislation on the matter. It is not my right in anyway to control the lives of people with alternative lifestyle, nor is it anyone else's. Gay marriage is still consent-based, there is no one forcing anyone else to do anything here.

 

Comment #7 (Posted by Roberto) I agree with Alex up to a certain point. Except that the institution by proxy determines under our currently law a certain amount of decision making authority of another individuals life and finances in dire situations as well as inheritance and succession. For this reason rather than any other question of morals or ethics I think their should be more hesitancy to legalize same sex marriages. It would be logistics nightmare to reevaluate and create new systems of law with regard to regulating this, we have enough problems in the current incarnation with keeping fraud, and abuses or manipulations of laws where this is concerned under control. Private agreements would be a nightmare as well. The incident with the cult in Texas is a prime example. Those people claimed that in the eyes of "their God" they were married, but yet had no qualms about fleecing the government by collecting welfare as "unwed mothers". So it was okay for them to ignore the law of the land in favor of their personal religious beliefs, yet they have no problem collecting assistance to live that life style from the same government they despise and hold in contempt. I have a problem with this as the rest of you should because "our tax dollars" went into that at some point. For that reason more than any other this issue should be analyzed firmly for what it really comes down to. "The bottom line." People should to what makes them happy as long as its not on "my dime" or yours for that fact of the matter. That's just my two cents though. If your going to do this, make sure that the labor unions sit in on the meetings and have a say, square things with the insurance agencies. The church will do what it wants anyway so make sure all the other ducks are in a row.

 

Comment #8 (Posted by Victor) So, let's analyze your analysis a little deeper so we can gain a better understanding of "moronic". If consent is the foundation of your arguement then you must agree to this, otherwise your conclusion does not follow from your premise and your logic is flawed. Answer the following questions without dodging. 1. Should retarded people with IQs less than chimps, apes and dolphins (that have demonstrated the ability to communicate, do math, and reason) be allowed to marry? (Yes or No). To have retared children that your taxes will need to support? (Yes or No) 2. How do you define consent? I think you mean that a sentient lifeform with self-awareness is able to comprehend a contract which is defined as an agreement between two sentient beings where they give and take something from one another and agree that it is fair - an exchange. If this is your definition, then isn't it true that some people are more sentient than others about contracts so consent is not an absolute but relative based on "how smart" someone is about what they are consenting to? If this is your definition genius, then chimps & dolphins (IQ 80-120), and even dogs and pigs that are as smart as a 5 year old human being are sentient and able to consent to an exchange. You tell your dog to sit. You give your dog a treat. Your dog has consented to sit for a treat. And what about working animals (slavery) that are sentient? Are you telling me that you think I dont have a right to love and cherish my dog or chimp and that they are not self-aware? Who do you think you are? Now, apply your flawed and not-so-well-thought-out-logic. Where do we draw the line my friend? Have you seen Planet of the Apes? Interesting thesis. What happens when we discover other sentient life off world?

 

Comment #9 (Posted by Alex) "Allow them marry?" The real question is should the state infringe upon individuals' right to liberty by restricting the ability to enter into contractual agreements. Plus the entirety of #2 is a red herring.

An author writes..."our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightening about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do, We were born to make maifest the glory of God that is within us.

So, does this mean that whenever I have to speak in a public forum before and audience, I'm not afraid that I will bomb out but rather I am afraid that I'll blow them away? :-)

Grab your latern, floating lights, and your light tackle and come along.

Man, blew my whole diet today.  I brought in a bag of mini-rice cakes, intending to eat just a couple and avoid the snack machine.  I didn't realize  until too late that I had eaten the entire bag! oh well, at least it was only about the same as two bags of regular chips.  Interestingly, Burger King is the only place to leave onions off their burgers by default.  Who knew?

Ok, almost done.  Thoughts?

 

I am SlySpyware.  I am hungry for information.  The more I get The Better I am. I can cause plenty of Havoc.  Catch me if you can.  I am  very sneaky and I love too hide in the background to capture all of your information.  I am very hard to find.  I will pop in get what I want and then slip away before  you notice.

Okay. Here is the big question. Who is more fit to be the next Commander and Chief of the United States?

Q: Is it Obama who brings a fresh perspective with his emphasis on diplomacy, support of the GI Bill and committment to end the war no matter what?

Q: Or is it McCain with his military carreer, POW experience, Chair of the Armed Service Committee, and sons in the military currently deployed in harm's way?

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Comments

Comment #1 (Posted by Rebecca Grooms) It should have been Hillary. If we had more women running things the world would be better off. The problem is that women are not viewed as being good military commanders. Too many lives are lost everyday and sadly it is usually men leading the charge.

Comment #2 (Posted by Steven Dalton) McCain, hands down. The man has served at every level from defining national security, devising strategic initiatives, to shooting it out in battle and suffering as a POW. The democrats ad with the mother saying "you cant have him John McCain" as she holds her baby son was a joke. First of all, it is an all volunteer army - Duh! Second, McCain's sons are in the military and fighting for our country. Unfortunately, many of our younger generation are enamored by Obama with his empty rantings about "change, change, change."

Comment #3 (Posted by Ed Peterson) I think it is Obama. He is younger and has more energy and posesses natural leadership - people follow him. He can always surround himself with folks who have experience. He represents America when you think about it. He is both Black and White, Immigrant and Native, Thoughtful yet Assertive.

Comment #4 (Posted by dwnindabricks) #1 there is no such title as Commander and Chief of the United States. The President of the United states is also the Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces. #2 Not to minimize, but the Presidents responsibilities go way beyond matters of the military. It happens that we are in a ridiculous and open-ended "war on terrorism" that is being fought on several fronts which include Iraq and Afghanistan. But really, is this war win-able? NO! No more than we have won the "War on Drugs" or the "War on Poverty". McCain does indeed have more military experience than does Obama, but is that the sole factor to consider for presidential fitness? I think not. Obama has qualities that McCain does not. Youth, and passion, to name a couple. McCain is so very, well, vanilla. The man puts me to sleep. He's downright painful to watch in interviews and his blunder about it not being important how long our troops are over that hell hole of a sand trap really disgusts me. We (America) really need a healing from the self-inflicted wounds that we have given ourselves over the last 8 years under Bush. We need to step down from this throne of arrogance and imperialism and join the world community in ways that will solve the global issues that we face. Obama is the candidate of choice to lead that charge.

Comment #5 (Posted by Roberto Blake) Its a question of what is logistically best for "all" of the nation, not about what any individual view. That is the main problem in this country, there is not nearly enough community geared thinking and too much focus on individual desires and views. Military experience, is not the same as military intelligence, as many who have served will tell you. Military experience is no substitute for good sense, and firm understanding of the events shaping our world today. McCain has shown the public on more than one occasion that he does not understand the difference between Shiates and Suinni's which I know I spelled wrong. That cannot be ignored. You can't mediate a dispute if you can't even get the parties names right. In addition as I stated its a question of doing whats best for everyone. Obama represents a larger and more diverse range of American's and has had experience with various types of communities and individuals. Now is not the time for rigid thinking and traditional stances. Obama's background also is one that more Americans can relate to than that of John McCain, and despite he's Military experience John McCain has not shown via his actions. specifically not supporting the new GI Bill, that he supports the Military. A willingness to commit military lives to a non-progressive war is not the same thing as "backing the troops". Logistically I feel Obama is the appropriate choice, McCain may have experience, but experience and competency are 2 very different things. A youth can be a prodigy and something an elder may always have been mediocre at. We have "inexperienced 16 years old children who haven't been to MIT hacking the FBI for Christ sakes! Age stopped being a qualifier for anything a long time ago!

Comment #6 (Posted by Steven Dalton) #1 it is United States with two capitals, not United states :) #2 The President's responsibilities inlcude defining national security and policy through the NSC and legislature. McCain has this experience as former Chair of the Armed Service Committee and a military officer. #3 If it had been your loved ones in 911, you might feel differently about just how ridiculous the War on Terrorism really is or is not. #4 Study your history. The policy of appeasement has cost democracy agaisnt the Nazis and has a long list of historical failure. Reagan stood fast in the Cold War when the left said it was not a winnable war. Well, the wall came down. #5 The fact is we have reduced the violence (even according to the democrats) and are in the process of transferring power to the indigenous governments just like we did with post WWII Europe and Japan - turning enemies into allies. #6 I dont view either candidtate in terms of being boring but look for substance. Obama has none. He is as fiery as a preacher, but says nothing. #7 As a marine corps veteran myself (are you?) I know that McCain meant we will stay until we get the job done and he has clearly defined the end state and transtion to local, freely elected, democratic government. Obama says nothing here. As a vet, I dont want to have to go back over there because we did a half-ass job in the first place. Lastly, "under Bush" is such a platitude and meaningless. Your ill-advised use of the term Imperialism is a little far-fetched so you may want to look it up first before you throw it around. And when you can point out this "world community" that is holding hands and singing "cubyyah" let me know. The world at any given time has 100s of wars and conflicts going on at any given time - just like folks who disagree on an individual level. that is the nature of humainty and McCain understands this and he is committed to protecting our way of life, not the so-called world community, which by the way most have lost the war on poverty (we have not compared to other countries - believe me our worst ghettos are better than some). The fact is McCain will ensure you and I have the right to disagree. Obama does not have the experience, background or backbone to be the top brass.

Comment #7 (Posted by Alex) having to choose between a fascist and a socialist...not much of a choice.

 

There sure are some sicko people out there --   A man came over and

offered his services as a painter to a female putting gas in her car and left his card. She said no, but accepted his card out of kindness and got in the car. The man then got into a car driven by another gentleman.

As the lady left the service station, she saw the men following her out of the station at the same time.

  Almost immediately, she started to feel dizzy and could not catch her breath. She tried to open the window and realized that the odor was on her hand; the same hand which accepted the card from the gentleman at the gas station.

  She then noticed the men were immediately behind her and she felt she needed to do something at that moment. She drove into the first driveway and began to honk her horn repeatedly to ask for help.

  The men drove away but the lady still felt pretty bad for several minutes after she could finally catch her breath.

  Apparently, there was a substance on the card that could have seriously injured her.

  This drug is called 'BURUNDANGA' and it is used by people who wish to incapacitate a victim in order to steal from or take advantage of them.

  This drug is four times dangerous than the date rape drug and is transferable on simple cards.

  So take heed and make sure you don't accept cards at any given time you are alone or from someone on the streets. This applies to those making house calls and slipping you a card when they offer their services.

 

  PLEASE SEND THIS E-MAIL ALERT TO EVERY FEMALE YOU KNOW!!!!

 

It has been a week since the kids have been out of school and I am so ready for them to go back. Am I the only parent who feels this way? Now I do not want to be mistaken, I love the kids dearly but they can really touch a nerve. Somethings I may have take the blame, because I try to instill manners like... "You need to ask for things before you take it." UGGGHHH!!! Everything that they want they will call and ask can they have it. I guess I should not be complaining, because, some parents do not get the courteousy of receiving a call, instead they just come home to clean cabinets. The repetitiveness of this act will drive any sane mother CRAZY!! Even my officemate (smile). I repeat maybe it is just me, the one with no patience, I am a work in progress.

They were put there by a man in a factory downtown.

My daughter had a basketball game saturday and you would have thought the damn parents paid the DAMN referee. The REFS didn't call any fouls on the other team when they hit my baby in the eye. One little girl got hit in the face, started crying and they wanted to keep playing the game, instead of seeing if she was ok. WTF... Now you know I was on the sideline saying: WE NEED NEW REFS.. DID YOU SEE THAT... ARE YOU SERIOUS.... The Referees were looking at me but ask me if I gave a damn. I am usually calm at these outings but dammit they were not calling the game fairly. Do they realize that these are 9-10 year old girls. Saturday the same shit better not go down or it is on! Tell me what would you do??

Arizona Sun Brewed Style ICED TEA! with LEMON!

 

it just doesnt get much better than premium brewed tea using filtered water high fructose corn syrup citric acid and lemon juice...

 

No this is not an add for ARIZONA iced tea... I just fuckin love that shit!

According to Essence, the R&B superstar wears a band over a tattoo of the Roman numeral IV, which is significant because both Beyonce and Jay-Z were born on the fourth day of the month and they were married on April 4.

The couple chose to have a small ceremony because Beyonce said she is not a "traditional woman."

"It's been my day so many days already," she added.

 

I think a lot of the things we've seen in the stock market have nothign to do with market factors like supply and demand, but rampant speculation.

 

Look at gas prices due to the hurricane. I saw one company push their gas from $3.63 to $5.48 in one day. ONE DAY.  They didn't get a gas delivery that day; supply did not go down so low that they figured they had to hold out for months on this one shipment.  Nobody made a run on the gas station with that kind of price, so it couldn't have been demand!  People were saying the wholesalers were bumping their prices, so the gas stations had to bump their's.  I call shenanigans.  If they had to buy more gas, RIGHT AT THAT MOMENT, then yes, upping the price makes sense. 

But it has nothing to do with that.  It is merely people panicing, and the media flooding the market with this information that makes other people panic.  Take the recent House vote on the proposed Bailout bill.  Did people need to know if it was passed or not? Yes.  Did people need to know who voted yes and who voted no?  Yes.  Did they need to know it all in real time, as it unfolded and try to buy and sell stocks based on that information?  NO!

In this age of informaiton, too many people are quick to look at every peice of 'news' that someone posts on the internet or on TV and accept it as fact, and to take instant gratification from it, rather than taking the time to digest it.  Information is power, but too much information is worse than none with the way people are acting these days.

I finally found out what happened to my friend Arthur! While doing research on the Poogull click fraud that caused me to lose my job, he was sucked into the computer and turned into tyBit Man. He was able to get me a message so that I could help him figure a way out of the network and it seems like a few days after that my computer is infected with spyware and my credit card information was stolen! Now there's some Sly woman that keeps showing up on my screen. I wonder if this is all connected to Poogull somehow...I just wish I knew why they were out to get me, I've never done anything to them.

Someone asked me the other day why I haven't used my great power and wealth to rid my empire of bots, spyware, click fraud, etc... HA HA HA because I profit from it. The bots that run across poogull infect unsuspecting computers, my spyware lets me determine who is vunerable, and with click fraud i raise my wealth daily. HAHAHA those amatuers from Enron have nothing on me. The greatest part about my operation is I hide all my plots behind a banner of good, I could probably be elected as the next president. Muahhahahah.

So you want to know a little bit about me, eh?  Well, I can't blame you.  People like me are the reason why the world is as exciting as it is.  I mean, think about it.  Without me, you wouldn't need to worry about just how easy it is to break into your system when you forget to install a firewall or a virus scanner.  I'm the reason why computers make the news.  I'm the reason why when you go home, you wonder if that new Will Smith movie you downloaded is really the one you wanted AND if it won't install some nasty program after you look at it for the first time.  Admit it.  I bring suspense to your day to day.  And without me, your Internet experience would be booooring.

I've been doing this kind of stuff for decades now.  Let me tell you.  Wreaking havoc on a computer system pays good.  It pays really good.  And since the old man hired me (that's Poogull for all you sycophants out there), business just keeps getting better and better.  I now have my own team of viral minions, picking out and sabotaging systems all over the globe.  We're Division V, here to wreck the world and watch it burn. 

But even the best minions in my division will never hold a candle to me.  Not since I've got this new cyber-suit from Poogull.  With it, I can go into the internet and wreck the system first-hand.  With it, I can see the security before it even has a chance to respond and pull the plug before anyone even knows I'm there.  By the time someone's wondering just what's going on with the system, why it's down or why it's not working anymore, I've already struck.  There's already a hole big enough for the rest of my comerades to come through and finish wiping out our enemies.  And while you're wondering whether or not you'll have to reformat your hard drive, I've already done the same to at least 10 of your friends.  Heh...that address book of yours is sweet pickins!

So do me a favor.  The next time you even think about using any piece of this "tyBit", remember me.  I'll be there and I'm coming to take you down.  I'm infectious!  And you can't get rid of me.

Living in a community that is eclipsed by one of America's largest military bases, Fort Bragg, gives this author an almost daily opportunity to "thank a soldier." Call it corny or old fashioned, I don't care. I do it because I appreciate living in a country where we speak English as our primary language and only learn other languages to deal with other countries economic or educational concerns.

Long before I moved into this area, my father came here in the early 1940's on his way to deployment to North Africa, Sicily and ultimately to Omaha Beach, Normandy, France at D-Day 1944. Along the way, he managed to pick up two Bronze Stars and a Purple Heart as he utilized his BAR weapon successfully against enemy emplacements set up in both the Sicilian and D-Day campaigns. I consider myself fortunate to be a grandfather to two beautiful little girls, whose daddy is deployed as we speak in Iraq as an Army soldier. That's why I came here from the beautiful state of Texas.

I noticed that the soldiers on the base stand at attention and salute, whether in uniform or not, when the National Anthem is broadcasted over the base public address system every day. Out of respect for them, I will stop what I am doing and proudly put my hand over my chest while standing at attention. My daughter, who runs a day care out of her home, will have the children do the same. We regard those who wear combat boots to be our heroes today instead of the ficticious men in capes and tights.

No, with this privilege laid out before me to live here in Fayetteville, North Carolina, there is no other place more beautiful to draw me away. I invite your comments. I welcome your opinions, whether you agree or not. I wish to invite you to come and share the experience. I wish you well.

1. Never sit directly beside a person that has already established the seating order.
2. Never pick a center stall when no0one else is in the restroom
3. Work from the outside stalls to the inner stalls

I'm going to go out on a limb here and state the obvious - rap music sucks!  Now, I know what you're thinking - how can someone who lives and breathes Hip Hop say something so (seemingly) contradictory?  Well, I have news for you - most of that shit on the radio is TRASH, and is designed to motivate morons to continue the status quo.  I.e. $5,000 earrings on a dude that lives with his mom in the projects, a car worth $200 with rims worth $2,000, kids dropping out of high school to pursue a "lucrative" career in pharmaceutical sales, and the expectation that every other emcee is going to get a record deal if they kill enough people and do enough fucking on their tracks.  Why the fuck is that acceptable?  I mean - I heard a song on the radio where this guy is like, "I ain't buying no diapers, or formula...  That baby don't look like me..."  Fut the whuck?!

I believe that music and lyrics are more than just entertainment - I believe they are art, a voice for the voiceless and a medium to express social consciousness.  To me, making music that doesn't inspire and motivate (or at LEAST reflect, in an intelligent, non-glorified way, the realities of our world) is an insult to the intellect of the listener.  I mean, anybody who thinks Soulja Boy is anything other than a non-talented opportunist has either a 1) low I.Q. or 2) low standards.  Did you know that in every other country, indigenous rap music is STILL the voice of revolution and rebellion?!  And yet here, in the birthplace of rap music, it has devolved into this commodity bullshit.  I'm sick of sing-songy, snap-happy, ring-tone rap CRAP!!!!  Where are the artists at?  Why should I pay $20 for a CD with like 1 good song, when I can download that whole pile of shit for free?  Personally, I download EVERYBODY, and if your shit is tight, I'll go spend the money to show my support.  But, as the standards have gone the way of the Blue Blazer, I find my self doing more deleting than anything.

Lately, I haven't been listening to anything that came out AFTER 1994, and the vast majority of THAT is early MTV 80's music!  (Take on me, anyone?  My Melody?  Sweet Dreams?)

If you don't agree with me, that's fine.  Please proceed to the nearest bathroom, insert your fingers into your anus, and go fuck yourself!

LONDON (AP)-South African runner Caster Semenya has been ordered to undergo a gender verification test, to prove she rightfully won the gold medal in the women's 800 meters at the world championships in Berlin on Wednesday.

Proving one's gender isn't always so easy. Aside from the obvious physical signs, chromosomes usually determine whether a person is male or female. Males are born with XY chromosomes while females have two X chromosomes.

About 1 percent of people are born with some kind of sexual ambiguity, sometimes referred to as intersexuality. These people may have the physical characteristics of both genders, a chromosomal disorder, or simply have ambiguous features. People who have both male and female organs are hermaphrodites.

Until 1999, the International Olympic Committee analyzed chromosomes from saliva samples to confirm the gender of female competitors and prevent men from masquerading as women. Other sports organizations have called the tests unreliable. The tests were scrapped before the 2000 Sydney Games.

i have been in Fayetteville now for 9 months.  really haven't done much or found many things to do... i am open for suggestions..... please, i am super bored.

YAY!!!  I get to go "home" and see my family on the 11th and I am so stoked!  I miss NV so much, it will be awesome to see friends and family. ....

I need a VACATION!!!!! Tell me about your crazyiest days at work.

 

So, I've covered who I am, and what I'm doing, and some of the reasons for it. Let's do a quick recap:

1) Me: Computer Scientist with very little (i.e. none) mechanical experience

2) What I'm doing: Converting a Geo Storm to an electric vehicle

3) Why I'm doing it: My 1994 Honda Accord LX has some age related issues that I just don't want to spend the money on to fix. Also, it feels incredibly wasteful to use a 2,800 lbs. vehicle to drive all 180 lbs. of me 16 miles a day, with three seats and the trunk completey empty. I like the idea of an electric vehicle, not because I have a gas hog or dreams that it is going to save me thousands of dollars (though, as we will see later, it may), but because it's neat. Computer scientist == geek.

That's a pretty good summary. So let's talk about my criteria.

1) I need to get at least 25 miles on a single charge. This is enough for my 16 mile trip, and some left over for possible detours, lunch trips, adverse driving conditions, etc. Most EVs can get this without problem.

2) I need to be able to go at least 45 MPH. The highest speed limit in town is 60 MPH, but I don't go on that road that often, if ever, and I could avoid it. Other than that, 45 is as fast as I'd need to go.

3) I want a two door car. While I realize this does not necessarily make the car smaller, it will feel like it, which is what I wanted. I realize this is not rational in the least, but I feel bad about driving around what seems like a big car. If it doesn't seem like a big car, then I won't feel bad. Rationality has very little to do with this. But in fact, most two doors are significantly smaller and lighter (about a foot or so, and weigh around 300 lbs. less), so while it's a completely superflous decision, it does also serve a purpose, even if on accident.

4) I wanted a sporty car. Not necessarily a sports car, but something sport and fun looking. This ties in to #3 as well. Again, this is just something I wanted, not for any rational reason. But if I'm going to sink a small car's worth of money into this, I want to get something I like.

5) It had to be a manual transmission. This wasn't a preference, but a necessity due to technical issues that I will discuss later.

6) I want to keep the budget under $6000.

So, that gave me some good starting points. The last one was the first considered; I needed a cheap car. That meant used, and used for a while. This lead me to search for 1990-2000 cars. Old enough to have some miles on them and be cheap, not so old that they're just rust-bucket derelict, though I did see plenty of those as well.

I looked on Craigslist.org and found several vehicles that fit my budget in the $500-$1000 range. I didn't want to spend over $1000 because that severly cuts into my already rather optomistic budget.

Next, I elminitated those with more than trivial body damage. Motor is blown? Great! Has a dent in the fender? Eh, not so great. It sounds kind of twisted, but when you're going to gut the engine compartment, what's in there doesn't really matter. On the other hand, spending money fixing superficial issues eats up your budget for no real reason. I didn't cross anything off for a dent or a rust hole, but if it had a fender replaced and was a mistmatched color, or a cracked windscreen, etc. I marked those off.

Between this and my sporty, two door requirement, it didn't leave too many to consider, maybe a dozen cars. Now I started looking at what would make a good EV, and crossed off those that weighed too much. This crossed off more cars than you might think. For example, the 1990 Toyota Supra weighs in at a hefty curb weight of 3,219 lbs.

Let's pause here a moment to talk about why that's important. Weight pretty much determines everything else with the EV. The heavier the car, the larger the motor you will need. The larger the motor, the more voltage you will need to reach decent speeds. That means more batteries, a beefier controller and charge system, all of which adds even more weight. For a typical EV conversion you need to aticipate adding at least 600 lbs. The reason for this is that even though you are removing the heat sheilding, exhaust system, engine, and radiator, along with some other related bits, you're also adding 10-20 batteries at about 70 lbs. each. Quick math, that's 700 to 1,400 lbs. right there on its own. This is mitigated by the weight of those internal combustion bits, but not entirely absorbed.

So if you take a 3,200+ lb. car and add 600 - 1,000 lbs, you now have quite a monster on your hands. The car will handle more like a small truck, especially when you take into account that many EV converters do not hook up power steering (I'll talk more about that in future posts). Also keep in mind that all this added weight on an already heavy car can exceed the gross vehicle weight, either on an individual axle or on a more central component. And you still need to include the weight of you and your passengers/cargo in the gross weight, and take it into account for your power consumption too.

The rule of thumb is that you should shoot for 2,500 lbs. or less. This left me with the following choices in a manual transmission:

1) Toyota Celica - curb weight 2,496 lbs.

2) Eagle Talon - curb weight 2,550 lbs. This is technically over 2,500, but just barely.

3) Geo Storm - curb weight 2,280 lbs.

4) Saturn SC2 - curb weight 2,363 lbs.

You can see that from an objective point of view, the last two are the most favorable. For those of you wondering about the aero-dynamics of these cars, they're all in the .29-.32 drag coefficient, so that won't be a significant consideration.

Now each of these had pros and cons based on the specifics of the cars. The Eagle was perfect except for the motor and the weight, at $600 and was within half an hour's drive. The Celica had minor body damage, only cost $550, but was three hours away. The Saturn was an hour away and $700, but the description was very non-technical. I had concerns there may have been more than just motor problems. They didn't even know the model - I had to look up some pictures and visually identify it.

The Storm had minor engine trouble - it would still crank and run, but appeared to have clogged injectors, as the fuel preasure wasn't there, and some cylinders seemed not to be firing properly. This made it undrivable, but functional enough to know everything else was OK. Keep in mind that even with the conversion, the gear box and transmission still have to be good, or you have to replace them. It was the farthest away at 3 hours and some change, and the most expensive at $1000. I really loved the body style though!

I contacted each of them, and the only one I ever heard back from was the Storm owner. Bingo! I explained to him that $1000 was a bit out of budget (I'm only getting $800 for my Honda) and he agreed to come down to $850. Perfect!

At the lightest, this also gives me more options. With the Talon, I was going to have to get at least an 8' motor and run at 120 volts. There was the same with the Celica. The Saturn and Storm I could both afford to scale back quite a bit, since they're 200-300 lbs. less. I think with either of these, I can use a 96 volt pack and get the performance that meets my criteria. That saves me four six-volt batteries, or 230 lbs. and about $930, depending on the price you get. That's really appealing! The 6' motor is also lighter and less expensive.

In fact, the entire thing is going to be so much lighter than I anticipated, I plan on getting a multi-volt charger, which costs a little more, but start off with only a 72 volt pack. Once I've tried that out, I can easily beef it up to 96 volts if the performance isn't acceptable, but if it is, this saves me another four six-volt batteries. Good for the budget and the handling, and as long as the performance is good enough, it will be fine.

Now, with a 120 volt system, I could probably expect, say 80 miles of range. However, I don't really need 80 miles. Going back to my goals, I only need 25 or so. I think the 72 volt pack will give me the range and speed I need, and I can save up and upgrade later on if I want to take this out onto the highway or visit someone in a neighboring town.

To finish off this post, here's a picture of a Geo Storm. The one I am getting is white, and I'll be picking it up next week. I'm so excited!

 

Baseball player Richie Ashburn, in August 1957, hit a fan with a foul ball. A few minutes later, he hit the same fan again(!) while she was being taken out on a stretcher.

tyBit Man please help me!  I need some help with my computer.  Arthur used to help protect my computer from viruses and SPAM.  I'm not sure what is wrong but I am getting so much SPAM and now there are pop-ups!  tyBit Man I know you are fighting a much bigger battle but we are certainly feeling the effect of Poogul and spyware. 

Is Arthur gone forever?

How Far is The Sun From Earth?

The sun is about 93 million miles away from earth. The star that is the next closest star away from earth is about 25 trillion miles away.

SOME SAY THAT THE SUN IS REALLY GODS SON AND WHEN HE RETURNS IT WILL BE INSIDE THE SUN AND IT WILL DESTROY OUR PLANET.

 

When first accredited by a Guinness World Record official in 2000, Davidson had 462 piercings, with 192 in her face alone.

Now, nine years later, she has 6,005 including more than 1,500 that are "internal".

However, despite her eye-watering record, Miss Davidson, born in Brazil, claims she doesn't like being pierced, and suffers for her art.

She said: "I don't enjoy getting pierced, but to break the record you have to get to a high level.

"I wanted to break the record.

"My family don't even like tattoos or piercings.

"But I am happy. I decided to change myself and be me."

Miss Davidson, a nurse who now lives in Edinburgh, was speaking in Darlington, Durham, as she opened a piercing studio.

She officially cut the ribbon at Arcadia.

Shop owner Les Fry said: "Elaine is a friend and she very kindly agreed to open the shop.

"We have got an excellent piercing artist who can perform the most up-to-date techniques."

 

WASHINGTON - See the jar, the congressman challenged Stewart Parnell, holding up a container of the peanut seller's products and asking if he'd dare eat them. Parnell pleaded the Fifth. The owner of the peanut company at the heart of the massive salmonella recall refused to answer the lawmaker's questions - or any others - Wednesday about the bacteria-tainted products he defiantly told employees to ship to some 50 manufacturers of cookies, crackers and ice cream.

"Turn them loose," Parnell had told his plant manager in an internal e-mail disclosed at the House hearing. The e-mail referred to products that once were deemed contaminated but were cleared in a second test last year.

Summoned by congressional subpoena, the owner of Peanut Corp. of America repeatedly invoked his right not to incriminate himself at the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing on the salmonella outbreak that has sickened some 600 people, may be linked to nine deaths - the latest reported in Ohio on Wednesday - and resulted in one of the largest product recalls of more than 1,900 items.

Parnell sat stiffly, his hands folded in his lap at the witness table, as Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., held up a clear jar of his company's products wrapped in crime-scene tape and asked if he would eat them.

"Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, on advice of my counsel, I respectfully decline to answer your questions based on the protections afforded me under the U.S. Constitution," Parnell responded.

After he repeated the statement several times, lawmakers dismissed him from the hearing.

Shortly after Parnell's appearance, a lab tester told the panel that the company discovered salmonella at its Blakely, Ga., plant as far back as 2006. Food and Drug Administration officials told lawmakers more federal inspections could have helped prevent the outbreak.

"We appear to have a total systemic breakdown," said Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., chairman of the committee's investigations subcommittee.

Cookies, candy, crackers, granola bars and other products made with contaminated peanuts have been shipped to schools, stores and nursing homes, prompting the massive recall. The government raided the company's Georgia plant on Monday, and Peanut Corp. closed its Plainview, Texas, facility.

A federal criminal investigation is under way.

Last night, as I sat eating my dinner in front of the television set, a couple of shows ran back-to-back. They were Inside Edition and Entertainment Tonight. Along with random comments about Obama and Bush, they were playing up the pageantry of the Golden Globe. As I sat there watching the display, I couldn't help but be ashamed with the state of the world and our nation.

Our country is in one of the worst recessions we can remember and everyone is being hit hard. Except, I guess, the movie stars at the Golden Globe. Parading down the red carpet in their Christian Doir and their diamonds from Cartier, I watched how many people could have eaten a good dinner just from one earring. On Inside Edition, the recession and its speculated affect on the actors' appearance was addressed. TV Guide host Lisa Rima was quoted as saying that, "Hollywood glamour is what we turn to when times are tough. I think they showed it right tonight, those stars came out [with] beautiful jewelery, stunning gowns, and I was happy to see that."

As I sat and listen to this last comment, my internal bells-and-whistles went off and I remembered Marie Antoinette's famous comment about the poor and hungry on the streets of Paris shortly before the French Revolution. She had said, "Let them eat cake." Marie lost her head for that attitude but Lisa Rima received air time with her sound byte.

I started looking closer at the gowns, tuxedos, jewelry and coiffed hair and I did a few calculations. If there were 300 couples at the Golden Globe and each couple only spent a total of $10,000 dollars on their outfits (You and I both know that some of those diamond necklaces alone cost $10K) then that would be $3,000,000 worth of clothing. Throw in a few more million for the announcers, hosts, catering and all of the other pageantry and more than $5 million was spent on a single evening of frivolity while parents are going to bed hungry just to feed their children.

I have never been a big "save the world" kind of person, but this horrible display of decadence, in a time of hardship, smacked right in the face of all I believe. I guess I will just sit back and eat cake as all of those millions go to buy pretties and baubles and shiny things that will distract us from our woes.

We talk a lot about ''watching what we eat,'' but if you never gave a thought to what you ate and instead watched only what you drank, you could probably cut 450 calories a day out of your life. (Yes, nearly a pound of fat loss a week!) That's what a study from the University of North Carolina found. Americans today drink about 192 gallons of liquid a year-or about 2 liters a day. To put it into perspective, this is nearly twice as many calories as we did 30 years ago. 

When confronted with the growing tide of calories from sweetened beverages, the first response is, "Why not just drink diet soda?" Well, for a few reasons:

Just because diet soda is low in calories doesn't mean it can't lead to weight gain.

It may have only 5 or fewer calories per serving, but emerging research suggests that consuming sugary-tasting beverages--even if they're artificially sweetened--may lead to a high preference for sweetness overall. That means sweeter (and more caloric) cereal, bread, dessert--everything.

Guzzling these drinks all day long forces out the healthy beverages you need. 

Diet soda is 100 percent nutrition-free, and again, it's just as important to actively drink the good stuff as it is to avoid that bad stuff. So one diet soda a day is fine, but if you're downing five or six cans, that means you're limiting your intake of healthful beverages, particularly water and tea.

There remain some concerns over aspartame, the low-calorie chemical used to give diet sodas their flavor.

Aspartame is 180 times sweeter than sugar, and some animal research has linked consumption of high amounts of the sweetener to brain tumors and lymphoma in rodents. The FDA maintains that the sweetener is safe, but reported side effects include dizziness, headaches, diarrhea, memory loss, and mood changes. Bottom line: Diet soda does you no good, and it might just be doing you wrong.

Why do people insist on waiting until the last possible minute to shop for domains? The traffic is horrid, the shopping is pointless, because everything worth buying is already bought. I think it's just one final piece of proof that the world around us is full of procrastinators.

Hey, I am planning my wedding and need some help with finding vendors. I would like some suggestion from those who know people that are not to expensive and does really good work. Needing Limo's, Photographer, Videographer etc.. Please let me know time is going really fast.

I make it a policy to work as hard as I can to infect as many systems as there are people in the world. But there are always those out there that claim that they are invulnerable to viral attacks. These usually take the form of Mac users and Linux users. And, in truth, I have to give them credit. These systems are a lot harder to crack than most others. That doesn't mean that I can't get in there. It just means that it takes a little more time than most.

But let's face it. Yes, I'm talking to you Mac users and you Linux users out there. As "kewl" as those systems are, the reality is that if we took all the fruitcakes and penguins and stuck them in the same room as the broken-glasses waiting to happen, there'd be more broken glass than smashed apples or endangered penguins. In case you didn't follow all that, Mac and Linux are still a minority in this world. And despite current market efforts to change that trend, it'll probably be the case for decades to come.

So what does that mean to viruses like myself? It's simple. Why waste the time working on something that only a few will be a part of? It's not profitable. In fact, the only reasons I would consider cracking one of these lesser systems would have to be based on how much gain I could get personally or whether or not I just really hate the people behind the system in general. And believe you me, if it's the latter, I could really screw up life for a few in an instant.

That's not to say that these systems aren't secure. They are. It really takes talent to pull off some of the hardware crashing, network killing apps that Windows users are constantly protecting themselves against. But the possibilities still exist. And it's that possibility that I tend to exploit when it comes to actually targeting a Mac or Linux machine.

My advice to you: Don't get cocky just because you aren't running a program based on good ol' Uncle Bill's platform. You're not invulnerable, y'know. Even Superman got sloppy and was killed for it. ;)

I've been a subscriber of XM radio for the latter part of 4 years and have enjoyed the experience. When news of the merger of XM and Sirius was made I was skeptical about the changes that would occur. Sure enough one of my favorite station, XM65 The Rhyme, was axed. Talk about pissed off. This was the true old school hip-hop station. In its place they have two stations that play the same music. Although this is one station I'm talking about they have essentially closed access to the essence of hip-hop. Kids growing up today are thinking that Soulja Boy and Weezy are the shit. Let them not forget who paved the way for these new acts to be famous. I guess I'll stick to my mix CDs as XM has lost a 4 year subscriber.

It pays to stay up to date when you're in my business. You simply can't survive in this world without knowing just what your competition is up to. And I don't mean you just watch the news or read the occasional story in the newspaper. You're constantly briefing, testing, and anticipating the next moves of everyone who is in your way.

Take for instance Microsoft OneCare. This was something that we had to be concerned about here in my department because it meant one more type of system we had to defeat. Don't get me wrong, we weren't that worried. After all, MS has been making systems that we viruses have been studying for decades now. But any barrier or resistance to our goals is worth looking at.

Well, not anymore. Hahah! According to PC World, Microsoft is going to throw in the towel while offering some cheap alternative. So what does this mean for me? Well, a couple of things really.

1. I have to study up on yet another anti-virus platform. DULL! If there's one thing I hate doing, it's sitting down and studying. I left that crap in high school.

2. It's gonna be easier to break into your system. Of course, it all depends on just how much MS is gonna push their new alternative. I can't wait to see how easy it will be to break through and start my daily routine of discovery and destruction.

Of course, the easiest and best systems are those without protection in the first place. And Good ol' MS hasn't let me down yet by providing any sort of protection beyond their firewall.

So get worried and get INFECTED! Because it won't be long until you see me EVERYWHERE on the net.

Scientists say that humans can distinguish over 10,000 different odor molecules. Turns out, while it doesn't require any conscious thought, our ability to pick up on a scent involves a sensitive and complex function that has powerful effects on our memory and behavior. How else can I explain how one whiff of pumpkin immediately conjures up thoughts of trick-or-treating and holiday gatherings? Scientists dedicated to tracking the complex relationship between smells, our behavior, and our moods have found that certain scents trigger feelings, including those that help us relax and fall asleep and those that perk us up and keep us alert and focused.

Sleep and Relaxation
Looks like I'm not the only one tossing and turning-according to the National Sleep Foundation, over 60 percent of Americans get less than eight hours per night, and over 40 percent say they're too tired to perform well at work at least a few days each month. Once I'm asleep, I'm totally out (I once slept through a smoke alarm), but it's the getting there that's a consistent problem. Smell experts claim the sense of smell offers a natural and cheap solution to the sleep dilemma.

The smell of lavender to improved quality of sleep. Certain scents increased the length of time people spent in deep sleep-the most restful and restorative phase in our sleep cycle. Lavender proved to help both men and women get more meaningful shut-eye, but the effect was heightened in women. "

 

On day 3 I had the brite idea that I could use Bondo Glass and save some cash. This was a mistake. It looks really cool but it chips off and works more like Bondo than Fiberglass. Don't waste your time. Buy the cloth and the resin with hardner. This will set you back about 30.00 bucks a gallon and you are going to need about 5 gallons.

Sly Spyware was no match for tyBit Unified Search.  I have freed Sir Surf a Lot through the power of tyBit.  I hope Sly Spyware will think twice next time before attacking innocent people.

Why do some people sit back and let the honest workers pull their weight for them?

I hate people like that. They might as well be stealing from you and the company you work for. I hate thieves, too. There is always someone like this in every office. Some hide it well, while others almost beg to be fired for it.

I'm the kind of person that wants my hard work to be appreciated, but instead it goes unnoticed since half of my hard work is really the other guy's hard work I'm doing for him so I can go home at the end of the day. Sad, isn't it...

 

Tip for the day: Do your fair share!!! If you don't, we will find you, and you will not like it!

This blog describes how my left foot went from a fully operational battle station to a horrible excuse for an extremity worth less than dead-weight

 

So one beautiful saturday night, I was browsing the web to find a good charity to donate my up-coming paycheck to (actually I was watching youtube) .

 

I realized there were alot of boxes sitting around my room, so I decided to put some of them in the attic for better storage. This way there would be so much more room for activities.

 

So I had almost finished putting boxes in the attic, when I was stepping down a wrung or two and fell off the ladder.

 

My left foot landed on the floor "left-side-first" which caused my 5th toe to nearly crack and pulled multiple tendons and caused a sub-dhermal injury which was nearly the greatest pain I have ever felt below my knees.

 

I will update the rest in part 2. Which will be updated tomorrow.

In the state of our current economy, is the internet suffering? When people are forced to choose between wants and needs, and they have to drastically limit the use of their resources; is the internet's economy taking the same hit? Internet advertising has become the hot new thing in business in the past few years, and lately it seems as though that market has only gained speed, and voracity. I would be surprised if the internet is phased at all, despite the draining market, it's too strong a part of our lives to see much damage.

It seems this new upstart, this tyBit man, is proving to be more troublesome than I thought.  Sly Spyware was defeated easily by tyBit man.  Epic FAIL--not a good look....I should send a get well card or something perhaps.

 

Anyway, something has to be done about tyBit man.  I wish the boss man would send me after him--a chance to demonstrate my true worth to Poogull.  TyBitman doesn\'t even know the meaning of pain!  Of course, I would gladly teach him.  Heh heh...

 

I'm getting ready to build my own custom beer pong table for my house.  I've checked out alot of sites and several youtube vids on how to build your own.  Seems rather simple.

The hard part was coming up for the design.  I've had some ideas, and generally, I want to keep it with the sports theme.  I believe I'm going to go with a Penn State log in the middle and some Penn State colors.  I've got a few designs drawn up, and would appreciate some advice or comments.  I plan on building it before October 18th, so make your comments fast.

Which one do you like?

OPTION #1 (click to enlarge)

OPTION #2 (click to enlarge)

OPTION #3 (This is someone elses, but will be modified.  In short, it would have grass, just not the beer pong logos on the table).

OPTION #4 (click to enlarge)

 

 

"Reborn babies" are disconcertingly lifelike dolls that are created from vinyl and painted by hand. While popular with doll collectors, they are also sought after by grieving parents and nostalgic grandparents who are perhaps looking to fill an emotional void. Do you think this is a macabre and disturbing trend? Or do you think the dolls are works of art with the potential to heal though "cuddle therapy"? Share your thoughts here.

I have to say if congress dosen't bail are stock market out, we are fucked!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am ready, I have my ammo and guns and supplys. I will have to warn all of you, I

will rob,kill, and pillage if this time ever comes. So if I don't like you wacth your ass

I will kill you on site.  If am hungry I will take your food. If am horny I will take  your

wife. I am ready for the mad max days, so fucking ready lol!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Let the market crash and wacth the animal come out to play, top of the food chain

bitch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! P.S If I have offended anyone with this blog kiss my ass.

BY REV T.D JAKES

A hater is someone that is jealous and envious and spends all their time trying to make you look small so they can look tall.  They are very negative people. Nothing is ever good enough! When you make your mark, you will always attract some haters... That\'s why you have to be careful whom you share your blessings and your dreams with because some folk can\'t handle seeing you blessed... It\'s dangerous to be like somebody else...

If God wanted you to be like somebody else. He would have given you what He gave them. You don\'t know what people have gone through to get what they have... The problem I have with haters is that they see my glory, but they don\'t know my story... If the grass looks greener on the other side of the fence, you can rest assured that the water bill is higher there too. We\'ve all got some haters among us:

                       Some people don\'t like it that you can:

                       * Have a relationship with God
                       * Light up a room when you walk in
                       * Start your own business
                       * Tell a man/woman to get lost (if he/she isn\'t about the right thing)
                       * Raise children without both parents being around
                       * And not ask for a dime from Anyone
                       * Haters don\'t want to see you happy
                       * Haters don\'t want to see you succeed
                       * Haters don\'t want you to get the victory

Most of our haters are people that are supposed to be on our side. How do you handle the haters who you at least expect to have your guard up against?

                       You can handle your haters by:
                       1. *Knowing who you are & who your true friends are * (VERY IMPORTANT!!)
                       2. *Having a purpose to your life *
                       3. *By remembering what you have is by divine prerogative and not human manipulation.

                       * Purpose does not mean having a job. You can have a job and still be unfulfilled. A purpose is having a clear sense of what God has called you to be.
                      

Your purpose is not defined by what others think about you. Fulfill your dreams! You only have one life to live...when
its your time to leave this earth, you want to be able to say,\' I\'ve lived mylife and fulfilled my dreams, .........I\'m ready to go HOME!

When God gives you a favor, you can tell your haters, \'don\'t look at me... Look at who is in charge of me...\' Pass
this to all of your family & friends who you know are not hating on you.

If you don\'t get it back, maybe you caught somebody out! Don\'t worry about it, it\'s not your problem, it\'s theirs.
Just pray for them, that their life can be as fulfilled as yours! Watch out for Haters.............................

                       BUT most of all don\'t become a HATER yourself!

                       If you received this from me then you are on my FRIENDS list!

                       \'You are no greater than the company you keep\'        

Bishop T.D. Jakes

I am Bot Boss.  I am here at the behest of my boss Uther.  Apparently there is a new threat--some upstart named tybitman.  More about him later.

 

A little about myself.  I was recruited by Uther to work for Poogull after...well let's just say that he appreciated my penchant for destruction.  I get along fairly well with others in Poogull's employ--except for maybe Cold Click Fraud.  Quite frankly his powers are overhyped, and he simply takes credit for others' work.  Sly Spyware gets a bad rap from everyone, but she's okay...

 

I digress...this new presence, this tybitman, had better be wary and stay out of my way, lest things things go awry for him.

All of the pundits and politicians are throwing in their two cents as to the cause of the current fiasco in housing and financial markets; however, it is one huge exercise in missing the point. Almost no one in the mainstream is willing to talk about the banking industry's complicity.

 

First we must understand how the Federal Reserve, the bank of all banks in the U.S., manipulates interest rates by manipulating the money supply. There are several methods that the FED can employ; however, its instrument of choice is its open market operations. When the FED wishes to expand credit and lower interest rates, the FED buys on the open market, usually securities and/or bonds. The FED purchases on the open market from a dealer, say, Goldman-Sachs. Where does the FED get the money to make the purchase? It creates it out of thin air! Goldman-Sachs has the money credited to their account with their commercial bank, say, Chase-Manhattan. So, the the effect is that the amount of "money" has increased by the amount "spent" by the FED; however, the monetary inflation does not end here. Commercial banks are required to keep only a percentage of their accounts in the form of demand deposits with the FED. The rest forms the basis of loans that will be made by commercial banks. As the FED expands credit and banks have more money to lend, interest rates will drop. This monetary inflation, however, will lead to forecasting errors and malinvestment.

 

Next, we examine the role interest rates would play in coordinating production across time in a free banking system. When consumers would show a general preference to spend less in the present and to save, banks would have more money the lend, and therefore, interest rates would be lower. This serves as a signal to businesses that it would be a good time to undertake costly, time-consuming projects to expand capacity for future production. When consumers showed a general preference to spend in the present rather then save, banks would have less money to lend, and therefore, interest rates would be higher. However, interest rates can only coordinate production across time in such a manner if they are allowed to fluctuate freely in response to consumer demand and preferences.

 

Enter the central bank. It can be shown historically that the natural tendency of central banks and the state is to inflate the currency or to expand the amount of credit available in a society. When the Federal Reserve artificially forces down interest rates by expanding the money supply, a mismatch of market forces occurs. Interest rates have been lowered when consumers have shown no preference to save in the present and spend in the future. As a result, forecasting errors on the part of businesses and individuals occur. Projects that appear to be profitable at the time are undertaken, driven on by cheap credit. For a time the economy appears to be doing well--new construction is being undertaken, businesses are expanding their production capacity, etc. However, the economy is essentially on a "sugar-high." Many of these projects will turn out to be unsustainable.

 

Pressure will build for the liquidation of these unsustainable projects and unwise investments. Here we see the bust following the boom. At this point, the Federal Reserve can continue its monetary inflation (as it often does) in an attempt to keep the boom going. Also, the state will often attempt prop up failing markets via emergency loans and bailouts; however, this will only make economic recovery a longer process. At some point the brakes must be applied to the Federal Reserve's monetary inflation; otherwise, runaway price inflation can occur, destroying the value of the monetary unit.

 

There are two primary culprits in the current housing and financial crisis. The first is the Federal Reserve. Greenspan's policy of cheap credit following 9-11 sent the economy into a period of apparent prosperity; however, it was illusory. Initial growth driven by malinvestment cannot be sustainable. This was most apparent during the rise and collapse of the "housing bubble."

 

The second culprit is the system of fractional reserve banking itself. The fact that bank runs happen is due to the fact that the entire baking industry is based upon a fraudulent system.

I have smoked a pack a day of Marlboro lights for almost 13 years now. As of this week I refuse to ever buy another pack. No, I'm not quitting (yet), I am just sick of paying 4+ dollars a pack. Yesterday I went to my local tobacco store and bought the following:
1 starter kit (2 packs of paper, 1 pouch of tobacco, 1 rolling machine, and a plastic cigarette case)
1 6oz can of tobacco
1 box of 200 tubes

The grand total to make over 300 cigarettes was just over 20 bucks. To buy a carton (200 cigarettes) is 32 to 35 dollars depending on where you shop.

For those of you who have never rolled your own, it is not easy at first, there is a bit of an art to it, but I have almost gotten the hang of it. I do have pipe dreams (no pun intended) that this will lead to me smoking less, but even if that is not the case I will still be saving more than a few valuable dollars that can go in my gas tank.

 

Building supplies:

3 sheets of 3/8" plywood

2 sheets of 3/4" plywood

3 gallons of resin with hardner

200 sqaure feet of fiberglass cloth

I will be posting pictures of the project as time moves forward.

 

Green Cleaning Programs in Schools Get High Scores

The studies are convincingly positive: green cleaning programs in schools benefit students and the administration. With the implementation of successful indoor air quality programs, schools can see an increase in productivity and higher test scores overall.

 

Defined as "cleaning to protect health without harming the environment," green cleaning programs employ processes that promote health, safety and social consciousness, and include the use of environmentally friendly janitorial products and equipment. From pre-schools to colleges, green cleaning and indoor air quality programs have gained popularity and produced outstanding results. According to expert Dr. Michael A. Berry, PhD, "there is a direct connection between healthy school environments; behaviors and attitudes of students, parents, and educators; and academic achievement."¹

 

•§  School attendance increased from 89% to 93%

•§  Math scores at basic or above increased from 51% to 76%

•§  Reading scores at basic or above increased from 59% to 75%

The cleanliness of schools is also an important aspect of school environments.  Clean schools not only lower the threat of the spread of illness, but also convey a caring message to the students and teachers. Cleaning and maintenance of schools is vitally important and is often underemphasized and underperformed.  Students feel better going to clean classes and sitting in clean desks and surroundings.  Sanitation in [elementary] schools is important because young children face unique health hazards, especially respiratory infections, asthma attacks, skin disease, and diarrhea outbreaks. 

 

The Dollars and Sense of Green Cleaning Programs

Many schools now understand the benefits of green cleaning programs when it comes to attracting and retaining teachers and students. They have also reaped the benefits of being known as environmental stewards and achieving higher averages on standardized testing. These recruiting and marketing advantages to implementing green cleaning and indoor air quality programs-plus the possible savings on teacher sick leave and insurance premiums-can equate to a healthier bottom line. A school may spend more upfront on launching green cleaning programs, but the benefits are great. What school doesn't desire happier, healthier, higher-achieving students?  

I will need to use my tyBit powers to approach Sly Spyware where she cannot detect me.  Once I get close enough I use my tyBit powers and put an end to her hold on Sir Surf a Lot and free him.  She must have a weakness.  I will find it and defeat her.

It seems like that upstart Sly Spyware managed to get herself found out. By some internet "Surf Bum" no less.
I'm getting a little impatient with this whole farce. I've been talking with the others, and perhaps its time someone got the job done right.

Water-wise and Disease Resistant Beauty

Many homeowners would love to add roses to their landscape, but are scared away by the rose's thorny reputation as hard-to-grow, high-maintenance shrubs.  The Knockout Rose ® offers the vibrance and beauty of the shrub rose while being easy to grow and maintain.  Under the botanical name Rosa "Radrazz," the Knock Out Rose was introduced by the Conard-Pyle Co. and bred by William Radler out of Milwalkee, Wisconsin.  It is a compact, mounding shrub rose and is hardy through USDA zones 4 through 10. 

I planted my Knock Out Roses in April of this year in a newly established bed.  By newly established bed, I mean that I picked a spot in the yard, dug a hole in the grass, discarded the grass, planted these rose bushes, and mulched around the new planting.  I did not pre-treat the soil for diseases or amend the soil with peat moss.  I used Osmocote ® fertilizer and simply planted the rose bush with the joint slightly above ground level with a water well around the perimeter.  I noted new growth within two weeks!  These roses have consistently bloomed and bloomed and keep adding new shoots and foliage. 

 

The blooms are cherry red, with the antique five-petal cupped bloom, and fade to light pink as the bloom ages.  I have not noted much of a fragrance, though the literature states that the rose has a tea-rose, slightly spicy fragrance.  My bushes have been totally resistant to black spot and even tolerated an aphid invasion.  If find the bushes are not as thirsty as other roses that I have, and actually have held up quite well with our drought.

As the new growth of the Knock Out Rose exhibits that beautiful deep purple-green that I so love about roses, I chose to plant rangy sweet-potato vine as ground cover to complement these bushes.  I also placed a few of the large black elephant ears in the landscape to pull the color of the new growth of the rose bushes to the eye as one gazes at the landscape.  I also recommend the black-strap liriope (Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens') as a border for these roses.  The black-green of this liriope really contrasts well with the pink-red of the blooms of the Knock Out Rose, and its upright growth pattern complements the mounding growth of this shrub rose.

 

Whether you are an avid gardener familiar with the peculiarities that different roses can present, or a new homeowner looking to add color to your yard, I cannot recommend these roses enough.  The Knock Out Rose will become one of the foundations of your landscape, and bring you months of beautiful blooms year after year.

Ok,

In the state of NC it is not legal to hunt on sunday. I dont understand why.

I have read the laws and I have heard all the bull shit reasons. However, I havent heard any that really make me stop and say..Hmm now thats a great reason.

Before you comment:

Read this   http://www.starnewsonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070128/NEWS/701280372/1051

The more people use tyBit for search, the stronger I am becoming.  Try tyBit.  My powers and strength will increase as I prepare to meet Poogull.

The only way to defeat Poogull is to unify search.  I have this Magnifying Glass that will let me find information and see what Poogull is doing bit there must be more to stopping him.  But he is not alone.  I will have to overcome his bots that attacked me and who knows what else.  Mother Board might know the answer.  Is there anyone else out there that sees what is going on?  Can you hear me?  What can you tell me? 

I'm sitting at my workstation when suddenly a face appears on the monitor and a grating voice commands "You there, KCraft600! You're not blogging fast enough!". Living in the literal manifestation of George Orwell's "1984" is such fun. Everyone here is a double plus good duck speaker, and I ain't talkin fois gras.

One of my favorite shows to watch after a long day at work is Countdown with Keith Olberman. It is entertaining with its derision of Bill O'Reily on its Worst Persons and its lambasting of the Bush Presidency in its Bushed segment. However, there is one statement made by Keith Olberman with which I must take exception. In one segment he compared the administration's inaction in the face of the current mortgage crisis to what he called "Hoover's let them eat cake" mentality. This statement reveals an ignorance of the actual historical record.

 

It is a commonly held belief that the Great Depression was brought about by Herbert Hoover's inaction and that the Depression was an example of the failure of laissez faire capitalism. This belief is false. The Great Depression was initially the result of malinvestments caused by the Federal Reserve's rapid inflation of the money supply during the 1920's. Also, under the Hoover administration the federal government created many programs that would lay the foundation for Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal, which helped to prolong the Depression. In fact, during his election campaign, Roosevelt portrayed Hoover as a wasteful spender. The belief that Hoover did nothing is false.

 

The malinvestments that have occurred in the housing market must be liquidated in order to provide a foundation for future prosperity. The knee-jerk reaction for our government "saviors" to do something is short-sighted and reflects a lack of knowledge of past economic crises and their causes.

 

As I was reading about Barry Bonds being indicted for felony charges (15 in relation to lying to the grand jury during the congressional investigation of baseball) it brought this question to mind - Why are my tax dollars subsidizing a witch-hunt in Baseball?  Furthermore, given that gas now costs 2.5 times as much as it did 2 years ago, and the price of EVERY OTHER ITEM is increasing in proportion, isn't there something more...  I don't know...  IMPORTANT for us to be spending all this time and energy on?  And the way us Americans are eating this nonsense up is ridiculous!  It's almost like watching a shitty magician in front of a crowd of moderately retarded kids.  How impressed am I REALLY supposed to be at the end?

Now, I KNOW I'm not the only person thinking this.  Not possible.  I'm thinking too many of us have adopted the Orwellian definition of "patriotism," and forgo independent thought for popular opinion.  It's as if all government accountability went out the window on nine-eleven - to the point where now, every government initiative is either to 1) stop the terrorists or 2) PULL THE FUCKING WOOL OVER OUR COLLECTIVE EYES!  Seriously, has anyone's life been changed THAT significantly by steroids in baseball...  I mean - besides Barry bonds, Roger Clemens, and company?  Are your kids jaded now because the Number 1 slugger MAY HAVE BEEN on the juice?

As far as professional athletes, I have issue with the fact that they get paid millions to swing sticks and dribble balls.  I'll admit that.  But, if we're going to put a premium on someone entertaining us, why limit the depth of that entertainment.  I say let 'em shoot up.  Get as massive as you can handle, Buddy!  That way, the hits will be harder, the game will move faster, and I won't have to worry about the next Michael Jordan coming back and ruining everything...  Because the 'roids will kill him!  (hahahahahaha... Huh?!)  I'm kidding (maybe).  But the point is, if it's SO IMPORTANT that I be able to watch some jackass on TV dunk from the foul line, or some other schmo toss a ball 100 mph, why stop there?  Could you imagine guys dunking from half court, or pitching at 200 mph?  To me, THAT's entertainment!

 

Dear Mom,

This Mother's Day I thought it especially nice to thank you for your wisdom, compassion, and many days of prayer.  The examples you've set before me are the embodiment of unconditional love; always giving at your own expense and never wanting or asking anything in return.

However, as this day is also my 32nd birthday, I feel it necessary to share with you some recent revelations.  Grown in wisdom or perhaps simply just slow and hard-headed (who knows), I've come to comprehend all the really remarkably stupid things I have done, understand fully the many nights I kept you awake, the expenses I created, and the toils I caused. As an apology would never show or do justice to how I'm feeling, I'm doing what I know how best to do.  I'm writing this little letter for the entire world to see.

Mom, you are the most special person in my life and the greatest mother a son could ever have.  I thank God everyday for you. Thank you for having me, thank you for standing by me all those countless times when I know it was hard to do. I hope this day; this Mothers Day is full of joy and happiness.  You are a blessing in all that you do and the greatest Birthday present a son could ever have.

Your Ever Devoted and Loving Son
- John Nelson Horton

After having been in the customer service business in one form or anther for over a decade I have come to a few conclusions. - The customer is almost never right, but it is your job to let them think they are. - 90% of people who are in customer service for any length of time actually hate people. - Every problem is life or death. - This is always the last straw. - Everyone has been a loyal customer for at least 5 years. (Even if you are celebrating your grand opening today) - Everyone knows your CEOs / Managers cell phone / home phone and will be calling them if they don’t get exactly what they want right now. - Your age and IQ have no bearing to a customer, you will be talked down to as if you are a 4 year old missing a chromosome. All of the above considered, plus countless others, I sometimes wonder why so I still take jobs in this field. It’s not that complicated really, I’m good at it and I like winning. Regardless of how nasty, vile, disgusting, creepy, or repugnant some customers may be, they pay the bills. No customers equals no job. I take it as a personal victory every time I talk some ranting, raving borderline postal customer out of their monolog and turn them into a happy camper. (If I can get a few bucks out of their pocket in the process that’s just icing on the cake)

I think that you could go either way on this one.

There is some concern that if you do strenous swimming, then you shouldn't eat just before swimming because it might lead to muscle cramps and an increased risk, even though it may be small, of drowning.

And even for the average kids swimming playfully, if he did begin to get in trouble, then having just eaten a large meal might make it more likely that he would vomit and perhaps drown more easily.

Still, a well supervised child shouldn't be at any extra risk of drowning just because he had just eaten and there are no formal recommendations against eating and then swimming from the AAP, Red Cross or Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Historically Doomed "Doomsday Dates"

The ultimate example of a set date which failed was of course Y2K or January 1, 2000. Many authors and ministries in 1999 were seriously committed to warning people that the end of the world as we know it (TEOTWAWKI) was nigh because of the year 2000 computer bug. Many people took them seriously and took action by stocking up on ready to eat (RTE) meal kits and other food supplies, investing in gold and silver, and preparing safe houses out of the city, etc. To their regret or relief, nothing happened.

What is the famous phrase "you have nothing to fear but fear itself" supposed to mean anyway?

 

Let's look at it word by word

 

We: generic everyone

have nothing to: do not have a reason for

fear: the state of emotional distress

except:unless one other condition

for fear: the state of emotional distress

itself: fear

 

So... there is no reason to fear unless it is for the sake of fear?  Does that mean we make our own fear for the sake of being affraid?  Or does it mean The only thing we have to fear, the only reaosn to hesitate, is that our own fear will hold us back?  As long as you are not affraid, you have no reason to be affraid?

 

I wonder if this can be represented in a logic statement.  I tried it out, but I don't understand the question well enough to make all the necessary condition

 

 

What is this \"Blog\" you speak of?

 

Must be 50 symbols?????????????????????

Per the judgment filed in a Los Angeles federal district court, Valence Media, LLC, the owner and operator of the website www.TorrentSpy.com, must shut down its website and pay to six Hollywood studios $111 million dollars for allowing its users to illegally download copyrighted movies and TV shows.  Valence Media is now seeking bankruptcy protection in the United Kingdom.  Overall, this case and judgment is not surprising because of the Hollywood studios and music companies aggressive litigation tactics that they have takend in order to protect their intellectual property.  On an end-user level, please note that you should not take piracy and copyright infringement lightly ... 

When I started with tyBit, I remember working on an application that was still in its genesis. It was a separate standalone application that performed a search in something like 10 seconds and displayed them in a note-book fashion list. When you clicked on a result, it opened your browser and displayed the website in a frame with several unrelated ads on the left hand side. I had to admit, it was something that was going to take some serious effort to get people to use.

Now look at where we are. tyBit lives in the browser, both Internet Explorer and Firefox, transforming them into a powerful search appliance right from your own computer. We have an ad module that serves relevant ads versus "just whatever's in there". We have a budding social network. We have a version that searches from the web (though, admittedly, you're missing out if you don't download the one that lives in your browser). And we're looking to sign up other companies onto the same ship we're about to set sail in.

So what's so exciting about that? Think about it. We've come a long way. tyBit's been in development for years. And now things are moving and they're moving fast. You can't afford to be left behind, especially now and at this opportunity. A social network that pays YOU to display some ads that relate to what you're talking about? And does so up front?!? How can you say no to that?

Things are moving and shaking. And that's what's making these times very exciting.

It is commonly said by statists that war is good for the economy. At best, this reflects a lack of understanding of economics; at worst, it is a bold-faced lie. There are those that benefit from war. Certainly defense industries benefit; however, to equate this to widespread prosperity is misleading.

 

During war, production and capital is diverted toward the state's preferences (i.e. the war effort) rather than consumer preferences. When paid for through taxes, it represents resources confiscated from the private sector. As in recent times when war is paid for through debt, the results are equally devastating. Instead of being used in the private sector, these resources are instead spent on things that do not align with consumer preferences, do not produce wealth, and are a near total loss. As deficits and debt have swelled, confidence in the dollar has fallen leading to a rise in the cost of foreign goods and the cost of living.

 

The only beneficiary of war is its perpetrator, the state. Randolph Bourne's dictum "War is the health of the state" rings sound and true. War is the ultimate big government program. It is during war that the state's size and power is the greatest. Liberties are infringed upon in the name of "national security." The state and its intellectual apologists ridicule dissent as unpatriotic. Taxing and inflating the state does what it always does best--destroy.

In Orion Bancorp, Inc. v. Orion Residential Finance, LLC et al,  a Florida federal district court ordered the defendant to refrain from "purchasing or using any form of advertising including keywords or 'adwords' in internet advertising containing any mark incorporating Plaintiff's Mark, or any confusingly similar mark, and shall, when purchasing internet advertising using keywords, adwords or the like, require the activation of the term 'Orion' as negative keywords or negative adwords in any internet advertising purchased or used." 

To my knowledge, this is the first court opinion that has addressed a "negative keyword", which in accordance to the court order are "a special kind of advertiser keyword matching option that allows an advertiser to prevent its advertisement from appearing when the specific terms are a part of a given user's internet search or search string. It does not infer that the Defendant may use the specified negative keywords or adwords for any other purpose." 

Generally, it is surprising to see a court require a party to take such a preventative act to prevent future trademark infringement.  However, given the defendant's prior history of using Plaintiff's Mark in its keyword advertising, the court apparently believed it was a necessary restraint required to prevent the defendant from continuing its infringing conduct.  The court did not put a term/duration to its order restraining the defendant, so the restraint is indefinitely.  Currently (as of May 2008), courts are split in whether the use of a competitor's trademark in keyword advertising in considered "use in commerce" for trademark infringemet purposes.

A copy of the decision can be found at: http://pub.bna.com/eclr/07cv1753_032508.pdf