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September 29, 2004
Amazon's A9 search engine
Amazon.com has recently launched their own search service. A9 is not a ground-level search application, but rather a compilation point, or metasearch service. Type in your query and A9 will return results from a number of search engines. This is, of course, nothing new. Steady Search, Dogpile and others have been doing it for some time.
What is worth noting, is that A9 will cache and categorize your past searches for easy browsing down the line. There is also an A9 tool bar which can be installed to provide additional functionality. I've not yet tested the software, so install at your own risk.
On a final note, Amazon is offering a 1.57% discount to users of their new A9 service. Why such a small amount? Heck, I dunno. Why such an odd figure? Well, it's approximately pi/2. I guess Amazon was just dying to use the phrase "sharing the pi."
September 28, 2004
Congratulations, Oil!
You've come a long way, baby.
September 25, 2004
Rock don't live here anymore
I'm totally rockless. For the first time since I was 13, I do not rock. Not even on the weekends. Actually, I haven't been in a band, any band, in around two years... Maybe it's just now hitting me.
The LA music scene is exactly like I thought it would be, only more so. Bar bands, Creed wannabees, a ridiculously outdated goth scene, and shitty electroclash are all abundant, but I have yet to see a good band or meet a cool musician.
Anyways, as proof that I once rocked, enjoy some musical selections from my past:
The Fly Seville - 16 Chapel Celings (2002)
Garrison - Commit, Commit, Commit (2002)
Halobox - Thoughtless (1999)
PS - Maybe I can even dig up a digital copy of a music video or two to post. Wouldn't that just be sad? I look back fondly at this part of my life, like a fat guy in a bar insisting he had his high school's all-time passing record. Whatever that means.
September 24, 2004
God has Spoken
I thought it was an interesting coincidence that a state with questionable presidential results would be pummeled by hurricanes just before the next elections. Then I thought it was an interesting coincidence that the storms spared Miami, who voted for Gore in 2000. Just out of curiosity, I overlaid two maps: one of the tracks of the hurricanes of 2004, and one of the election results of 2000.This is no longer and interesting coincidence. It is an unmistakable message from God. I hope everyone is listening.
Note: After leaving Florida, Charley hit Georgia and Frances hit Georgia and South Carolina. Both voted for Bush in 2000.
The path of Ivan is projected as of September 14th. Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana all voted for Bush. If you have ANY doubt who this message is coming from, watch to see if Ivan veers West to hit those states as well.
The image and text above are both the handy work of one Mr. Bob Morris.
Worst. Idea. Ever.
Brian Wilson's mythical "Smile" album released"
Wow! What a truly effective way to slay what little remains of the grandier of the golden age of rock and roll! Let's release "Smile!"
Actually, this isn't the real "Smile." This is the "Smile" that Brian Wilson, who cannot tie his own shoes anymore, re-recorded last year with a bunch of weirdo 60's revivalists called the Wondermints as his backing band.
In 1967, Brian Wilson had the most spectacular nervous breakdown in surf-rock history. He and the Beach Boys were part way through recording the original "Smile" album, which was pretty much slated to be the "OK Computer" of it's day. Old, creepy, bearded guys who work (And sleep) in dirty record stores like to think that the music was so groundbreaking, and that the thought of exposing it to the world for co-opting and criticism was so unbearable, that it drove Wilson insane. Others cite the blood in his LSD lines.
I haven't heard this new "Smile" yet. I'm sure it's not quite the stuff of legends. Whatever groundbreaking ideas the had in the heyday of rock and roll have been had and executed poorly in the 37 years since the orinignal "Smile" was backburnered and this is sure to seem a desperate plea for relevance by a hairy man in slippers. If the songs are solid, the ideas are genuinely good, and the performances tasteful, this could still be a listenable album, but when most of the people I know think of rock godliness instead of toothpaste when hearing the word "Smile," I'd wager that no album could ever stand up to the legend.
Maybe soon I'll give it a listen and offer up a proper review, but until then, I leave you with this:
Worst. Idea. Ever.
September 22, 2004
Ingenius: Pong Machine
Watch the video. It's just amazing.
Sugar found at center of Milky Way
Scientists working to find more carb-friendly galaxy
"Astronomers have found a cloud of frozen sugar near the centre of our galaxy, the Milky Way, it was revealed today.
The discovery heightens the possibility of early building blocks of life originating in interstellar space."
September 20, 2004
Finally!
Finger on the pulse of the hip, young, drunken guerilla subculture.
Thank the maker! It's finally happened! One of the biggest names in the most responsible and respected industry on the planet has finally branched out.
Kalishnokov, producer of of the classic AK-47 fully automatic assault rifle, is now making booze! What kind of booze? Take a guess, moron!
Now available in Russia and England, Kalishnokov Vodka is the perfect accompianament for an afternoon spent duck hunting, putting down sucka-pimps, or just hanging around the dusty, wooden lean-to that serves as the base of operations for your militant rebel brigade.
Here's to you, Kalishnokov!
September 17, 2004
Death Toll
I thought this chart was interesting. That's all.
September 13, 2004
You're still invited.
http://marathon.escapist.net
Assault Weapon Ban Expires Today
The federal ban on assault weapons that President Clinton signed into law in 1994 comes to an end today. President Bush neglected to renew the ban when the NRA raised complaints about the three amendments attached in the Senate to it's renewal.
These amendments were as follows:
- The first required that trigger locks be sold with all handguns.
- The second stipulated closing the gun show loophole that allows felons and the mentally unstable to buy weapons without a background check.
- The third extended the assault weapons ban.
Today the assault weapons ban will expire, and Bush will tell the electorate he would have signed the bill had it reached his desk with no amendments as he requested in early 2004. State and local Police support the ban almost unanimously, and conservative estimates have the ban favored by over 75% of the American public, but Bush has chosen to stay in the good graces of the most powerful special interest group associated with the debacle: the NRA.
September 09, 2004
It's funny because it's true
It's such a bummer that the average American has no idea what a full sentence sounds like and might even have trouble reading the pin. Oh well, right?
The Love Doctor
Yeah, I'd heard about it too... but this clip... the President's delivery... the anchor's reaction...
http://homepage.mac.com/njenson/movies/lovedocs.html
It's like there's a party in my pants!
Only, it's in my house! And it's helping AIDS Patients!
And you're invited!
Free beer! Free food! Free live music! Sounds good, doesn't it? Then come to our AIDS Marathon fundraising party on Saturday, September 18. Bring $25 to support the cause and the rest is free. Another five bucks gets you a raffle ticket for great prizes like massages, mp3 players and movie tickets.
Check out the info page or email Micki at mickikrimmelatgmail.com for details.
For those of you who can't make it, no worries. We're not leaving you out. You can still give us money!
Click here to donate.
September 03, 2004
Free Gmail accounts are back!
Yeah, we got some more Gmail accounts donated and we're looking to give them away.
The first deadline for donations has passed and we just barely had enough money to even keep ourselves involved with the marathon. We now have about $2500 of the $6000 minimum due by the end of this month. Time to take out the big guns. We'll be having fund-raising events, auctioning and raffling prizes including massages and mp3 players, and pushing even harder for help.
The next three people who donate $50 or more to our AIDS marathon fund will receive free Google Gmail accounts. That's right, a brand spankin' new 1GB Beta version Gmail account!
Trust me, it rules.
For the rest of you, please give what you can. We only have until the end of the month to raise the last $2,500!
Donate here.
In "leave us a note" section, type: "Gmail" and give us your current email address where we can send the invitation.
All Smiles
Last night I watched George W. Bush give the best speech of his career. He was calm, poised, and comfortable... three adjectives not often used when referring to the President's oratorical style. His speech, while rather uneventful, was well assembled. At this point, there's no removing the rhetoric from the man or the man from the rhetoric, we all know that's beyond the realm of possibility, but I have to admit that this was the most impressive performance and some of the least offensive content I've ever seen coming out of that man.
That said, I still felt lied to throughout the entire event. Try as he might, I just can't listen to him, even at his very best, and feel comforted. At times my mind wanders and I start to imagine him standing roadside, by a wagon bearing his likeness, trying to sell me his special miracle tonic with the same energetic, plainspoken rhetoric and criminally 'optimistic' take on reality with which he sells foreign policy and tax reform.
Thankfully, Mr. Bush's acceptance speech was followed on MSNBC by commentary by a decidedly centrist panel. Even more thankfully, that was followed by John Edwards and John Kerry's response, live from Springfield Ohio. Jesus Christ did they look good. Grins ear to ear, thoughout. Open collars and LiveStrong bracelets flaring. They were the absolute image of confidence. More so than ever before, they appeared American. I was flabbergasted.
Edwards shot back at Bush aggressively, but respectfully. It's simply not in his character to be the attack dog that we've come to expect from his role, but he did his damnedest last night and scored a few hits. He spoke as passionately as I can remember about Senator Kerry's war record, and his quality of character, all the while standing before the man who's smile couldn't be contained.
When Kerry took the podium, he started off slowly. I worried for a moment that he'd lose the momentum built up for him by Edwards, and not match the surprisingly engaging delivery of Bush earlier in the evening. He told personal stories and eased us in before finally showing the brand of disdain and indignation we're all been longing to see from him. Maybe it's too little too late, but we're all happy to see him defending himself in these past weeks, instead of giving the American people the benefit of the doubt and hoping to rise above the polital slurry.
In the end, I was sure of only two things: That we had just witnessed the most impressive evening of political oratory of this election; and that I am making the right choice on November 2nd.
September 02, 2004
Fear and Loathing in New York City
Tonight is the final night of the Republican National Convention Media Spectacular! brought to you live from the happiest place on earth: Ground Zero! So far, this is the second of two conventions about John Kerry. Traditionally, wednesday night caps of the offensive portion of even the most aggressive conventions, so maybe tonight we'll get a break and be treated to some of that infectious optimism we've heard so much about. You know the kind. Optimism that changes facts, alters third party findings, and misleads unbelievers. Good, red-blooded, Christian optimism is on the menu tonight.
Did anyone else see Zell Miller challenge Chris Matthews to a duel?
September 01, 2004
</BUSH>
Micki found that at Matt's blog.
Yeah, this is that kind of post.
